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Global Voices: Finalist for “Innovations in Journalism” Award!! · Global Voices
Rebecca MacKinnon

Winners to be announced Sept. 18
Congratulations to everybody who contributes to Global Voices! We are one of seven finalists for the 2006 Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism. Here is how the press release begins:
Participation, Transparency, New Story-Telling Tools
Distinguish 2006 Knight-Batten Award Finalists
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Seven new ways to connect people with news – from showing every Congressional vote, to warning where hurricanes will strike, to blogging the world – are the winners of this year's Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism.
“The hallmark of this year's entries was the use of basic technology to add value to the process of journalism and not just the packaging,” said Jan Schaffer, executive director of J-Lab, which administers the awards program.
“News organizations are getting beyond the veneer of pretty production and are letting citizens into the inner working of news, helping them navigate through it, participate in it and react to it.” “
Click here to continue reading the rest of the press release. (Note it was revised after the initial release and we updated it here at 23:00GMT July 25th.)
For more info: Click here to view the list of this year's finalists. You can also see info about the finalists for 2005 and 2004. Click here for the award's advisory board.
Here is how I described Global Voices to the judges in our application:
Global Voices Online is your guide to the most interesting and globally relevant content in online citizens’ media outside North America and Western Europe. At a time when the international English-language media ignores topics that are important to large numbers of the world’s citizens, GVO aims to redress some of the inequities in media attention by leveraging the power of citizens’ media.  Tens of millions of people around the world are sharing information, opinions, images, sounds and video online. We focus on the “bridge-bloggers:” those not merely talking to their friends about their pets and social lives, but who seek to engage a broader global audience in a conversation about what is important to them. But how can the wider global audience find these voices? If we are curious about the views of Saudi Arabian youth, how do we find out who has credibility and respect in the Saudi blogosphere? How does an American find out what the Russian language LiveJournal writers are saying about recent events in Belarus? GVO attempts to provide a solution to the worldwide Internet information overload. We are, in effect, an edited aggregator run by a core international team of 15 multilingual bloggers who select, explain, contextualize and translate conversations and citizens’ reporting that emerges from their regions. An additional group of 80-plus volunteer authors contribute even more in-depth perspective on the blog buzz in their countries. GVO’s new podcast editor has now taken the same curation model to audio with the newly-launched Global Voices Show, bringing you – literally – voices and perspectives from podcasters across the globe. In January 2006 we launched a new partnership with Reuters, introducing Reuters readers to the best of global online citizens media with tailored country-specific GVO feeds on pages devoted to specific countries and regions.
An excellent example of the way Global Voices and Reuters are working together to amplify citizens media can be found on this Reuters.com special Mideast Crisis page, where commentary from the region's bloggers appears alongside news coverage and analysis from Reuters journalists.  The GV and Reuters editorial teams continue to explore new ways to combine the best of citizens media and news agency journalism toward a common goal: a better informed public discourse about the important issues of our world.
Global Voices is a non-profit project housed at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. We are grateful to everybody there for putting up with me and Ethan as we worked to get this project off the ground. In addition to generous financial support from Reuters, Global Voices has received project-specific funding from the Dutch NGO Hivos. And we are eternally grateful to the Macarthur Foundation – who gave us the seed grant that made everything possible.
Most importantly, thanks to all the bloggers around the world who are working with passion and dedication to help us understand their countries and regions in completely new ways. Global Voices exists to serve you and to amplify your voices. We hope you'll let us know what we're doing right and what we could do better… and that you'll help us improve. If you have any thoughts feel free to post them in the comments section of this post.
Continue on for the rest of our application…
Answers to Questions about GVO in the Knight-Batten award application:
3. What makes this an example of innovative journalism? Does it involve new definitions of news or new storytelling models? Does it build new community connections or offer new reader participation opportunities?
(100 words)
While many of the creators of the content we aggregate don’t consider themselves journalists, GVO pioneers new approaches to basic journalistic functions.  If international journalism aims to inform people in one country about people in another, then GVO accomplishes this in the most direct way possible with our daily selection of links to unedited voices around the world. But without a human filtering system, it’s impossible for the non-expert to know what is credible, or find what she wants. GVO’s editorial process pioneers new methods of aggregation and curation – increasingly important journalistic functions in this Internet age.
4. How were new information ideas or technologies used to involve or educate people in new ways? (100 words)
At GVO’s core is RSS syndication. RSS enables our editors to follow hundreds of blogs daily, and enables specialized feeds for use on Reuters.com. More importantly, syndication maximizes the spread of GVO content around the Internet. We believe it’s more important to drive traffic to the original sites we link to, rather than to the GVO domain itself. Thus GVO also publishes feeds of every country and topic category. Any individual or organization is encouraged to re-publish our content on their own blogs and websites. All GVO content is Creative Commons licensed, which means anybody can use it with attribution.
5. Explain how your entry engaged audiences. Include qualitative and quantitative measures. (100 words)
Global Voices traffic has shot from roughly 6,000 visitors per day in July 2005 to approximately 30,000 daily visitors today.  These statistics represent only one small part of the way GVO amplifies unique voices from the non-Western world as widely as possible. We frequently hear from journalists and editors who say they now regularly comb GVO for story ideas, new perspectives to quote, and voices to put on air. Global Voices bloggers are regular guests on the BBC World Service and American Public Radio’s Radio Open Source. The Guardian and other Internationally focused news websites regularly link to GVO bloggers and blog posts – and of course Reuters.com increasingly features GVO content.
6. Explain the project's impact on the topic or on the community at large. (100 words)
Over the past year, we have discovered that calling attention to voices in a particular country or region can inspire more people to start talking. We are told by Cambodian bloggers that the number of blogs in Cambodia has increased – and those who were already blogging started taking their work more seriously – after we started linking to Cambodian blog posts on a regular basis. Similarly, we have found that the act of aggregating, curating, and translating Latin American blogs has inspired many of the veteran members of the Spanish blogging community to bring more diverse voices into their blogosphere, and to explore their own home-grown versions of GVO in Spanish for the Spanish-speaking world.
7. Identify any novel uses of newsroom or community resources. (75 words)
Global Voices is a virtual organization: while our website is hosted on servers at the Berkman Center, we have no physical “office” and nobody works in the same physical place. All editorial meetings are conducted via Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and editorial problems are solved via e-mail list-serv. GVO has only one full-time employee, our Managing Editor. All 15 Regional and Language Editors work on a part-time contract basis for GVO. They are assisted by many dozen more volunteers.
8. What parts of your effort are you particularly proud of? Tell us specifically where to find them. (100 words)
We are incredibly proud of our regional editors, translators, and authors. Pages aggregating each person’s work can be found by clicking on the “about” link on the blue bar at the top of the GVO main page, then clicking on each person’s name. See the variety and richness of conversations they are curating. Please also click on some of the individual countries in our “tag cloud” (the green area at the top). Try Iran to see how Iranian bloggers see the world, and then try the Democratic Republic of Congo to meet people you rarely hear from in the mainstream press.
9.	Additional information for our judges: (75 words)
Global Voices Online is a non-profit project hosted at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. It was launched with a small grant from the MacArthur Foundation. In January we received major support from Reuters. Reuters executives say they decided to support GVO as a way to provide their own audience with access to a vast global online conversation taking place around world news events, as curated and contextualized by reputable participants in that conversation.

author: Rebecca MacKinnon


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Guyana: Pothole challenge · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

“Dear Car Manufacturers Abroad, I challenge you to come and test you cars in Real Life Conditions…. Some potholes so deep you can’t call them potholes, you got to call them cauldron holes.” Guyana-Gyal writes an open letter complaining about the state of the roads.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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India: Bhopal Tragedy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Bhopal Blog posts on a victory for those who have been campaigning on the issue of the Bhopal tragedy. “You: the unyielding anger of compassionate people the world over, burying the government in protest, scorn and shame.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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India: Puri, Orissa · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Trivial Matters has breathtaking photographs from Orissa. “Puri was once the weekend resort of maharajahs and wealthy Bengalis from Calcutta. When the British came to the coast to bathe away some of the dust, they built or rented large beach villas; many retained them after independence some well into the 60's.”


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India: The Corporation · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Dispatches from Zembla reviews a Canadian documentary, The Corporation – reflecting on trends in business, the market and everything else.


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Iran: Computer Fair · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Rooznamenegar No says Electronic, Computer & E commerce International Fair in Tehran was a failure. The blogger says according to some visitors there was not a real order in Fair and it was difficult to find a specific company [Fa]. It seems foreign countries did not participate in this Fair and the number of Iranian visitors were around 300,000 at best.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Korea: blood donation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ohmynews‘ Citizen reporter Saenam Kim reports about Korean's attitude towards blood donation and its blood donation certificate system.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Laos: Growing Economy · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Samakomlao blog links to a radioaustralia report that is talking about the economic activity in Lao.

author: Preetam Rai


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Latvia: More on Gay Pride/No Pride · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia exposes nopride.lv, a homophobic Latvian group that claims to be not responsible for Saturday's attacks. Stefan of Dykun provides links and comment on “Riga's Gay Pride and Latvia's Shame.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Lebanon Resistance & Unity  · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

The war that Israel is waging against Lebanon remains the primary issue discussed by bloggers blogging about Lebanon this week. This roundup does not do justice to the amount of posts that contain analysis, updates, personal experiences, reflections and photos of the situation in Lebanon. But it gives a feel of what things are like.
Amal prays to God to save Lebanon in her unique way:
Perpetual Refugee writes a very touching post about how he watched, in real time on TV, his neighborhood being bombed and his grandfather’s house destroyed.
And in another post titled: “From the killing fields. Silence”, Perpetual Refugee writes:
I try and imagine the 371 stories of each fatality of this current genocide. I try and remember how beautiful a summer it was in Lebanon. How children played in the streets at all hours of the day. The sounds of innocence echoing through the valleys of Lebanon’s countless villages. How the restaurants were full of foreign people in love, I mean totally in love with the host country that has so generously welcomed them into her heart. How each person I had spoken with just one week ago had so positively looked to the future of a nation that just earned a hard fought independence. A confident Lebanon. A proud Lebanon. A Lebanon so full of promise.
And now, as I watch high rated news telecasts projecting images of destruction. Images of genocide. I don’t hear anything. Just silence. Mixed in with ads for McDonald’s and Ford automobiles interspersed between the funerals.
Prof Juan Cole gives evidence that the “War on Lebanon Planned for at least a Year” ago.
In addition to pinpointing the Middle East “crisis”,  Anarchistian asks the following questions:
John Bolton: Syria must pressure HezbAllah to stop firing rockets at Israeli civilians.
John Bolton: Syria must pressure HezbAllah to hand over the two Israeli soldiers.
I wonder:
Who will pressure Israel to stop dropping 23 ton bombs on Lebanese civilians?
Who will pressure Israel to hand over Lebanese hostages in Israeli jails?
Who will pressure Israel to stop targeting journalists and TV stations?
Who will pressure Israel to lift its siege, which is an act of war against all of Lebanon?
Who?
Not our good friend the USA, surely?
Having in mind that an all-serious tone on the blog would turn off many readers who argue that we must always find something to laugh about even when bombs are falling on our heads, I have decided to launch a funny Middle Eastern quote of the day initiative. Here’s today’s:
“Israel’s offensive in Lebanon is not aimed at destroying HezbAllah.” – Avi Dichter
Lazarus defines terrorism in this fill in the blank exercise:
Terror: violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands.
Terrorism: the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.
Murder: the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought.
Use these three words to fill in the blanks.
The IDF, through its actions of _______ing civilians, engages in state-sponsored ___________ and inflicts _________ on Lebanese civilians.
*Definitions from Merriam Webster.
Abu Kais sees that “Maybe Israel has a problem too” and says:
The international focus now is on getting rid of Hizbullah, implementing resolution 1559, and allegedly “helping the democratic Lebanese government.” The method is war, and the outcome so far has been an empowered Hizbullah and a weakened government that is quickly losing credibility among the very population it is supposed to protect.
Jij describes and analysis in much detail the reasons that lead us to this this situation.
Propaganda machines are usually most energetic in time of war. Prof Abu Khalil notes this in one of his posts:
Is anybody keeping track with the lies of Israeli propaganda (which seems to emulate Nasser's propaganda of the 1967 war) in this war? They claimed that they have killed 100 Hizbullah members but failed to provide evidence–wait, maybe the pictures of the incinerated children count as evidence; then they claimed yesterday that they occupied Marun Ar-Ras, only to claim today that they really really really now fully occupy Marun Ar-Ras; and then they claimed a few days ago that they have scores of Hizbullah fighters in captivity, only to claim today that they have two. Which is which, o propagandists of the Israeli war machine? Also, having lived under Israeli occupation in 1982, I am glad to see that the quality of Israeli Orientalism has not improved one bit. In fact, the quality of the Arabic in the propaganda flyers has even gone down.
As well as quoting a doctor in one of the hospitals in the South of Lebanon who observes that all the injured are innocent civilians who were trying to escape and were carrying white flags.
While Dr Victorino discusses the issue of propaganda in this article:
Many apologists of the Bushmert regime have pumped up their shameless propaganda campaign in the airwaves and on the internet since the start of Israel’s war of aggression on Lebanon.
The truth is that more than a third of towns and villages targeted by the Israeli Air Force are actually located in exclusively Christian areas – Yahweh’s glorious army made a point of bombing both Roman Catholic and Byzantine Orthodox areas, thus proving its attachment to the development of Christian ecumenism!
Jamal uses his very witty style to make up some accomplishment for Olmert's killing campaign which still has no military accomplishments to speak of.
Ahmad describes how he woke up to the bombing and demolition of a center in Saida that hosts clinics, a pharmacy, a medical laboratory and a mosque among other civil things. The center is just 10 minutes walk from where he lives.
Lebanese Bloggers Forum is a blog maintained by a number of Lebanese bloggers and has posts on many topics, updates, calendar of demonstrations etc. It has this post which lists the 68 UN Resolutions that Israel is in violation of among other things.
Most writers agree that Israel’s actions are leading to the exact opposite of what Israel claims that it wants to achieve. Pierre Tristam writes in this article:
The more the Israeli assault lasts, the more distant it gets from its presumed aim of destroying Hezbollah—the more impossible it becomes to destroy what the bombing campaign of the last twelve days can only recharge and redirect in proportion to the tonnage of savagery it is dropping on Lebanon. Who, the Lebanese are rightfully asking themselves, are the terrorists now?
And Sophia writes in one of her posts:
Up to now, the ‘war on terrorism’ has produced nothing and killed much more civilians than the attack on the WTC. It didn’t even produced friendly regimes for the US, let alone winning hearts and minds in the ME.
Moreover, Hezbollah enjoys now a support from a defiant sizable part of the Christian population in Lebanon. My guess is that, before the war on Hezbollah will end, the US and Israel would have lost all their allies in Lebanon, except may be for the weakened Lebanese forces who appear more and more to be the shadow of their former self in terms of Christian support. As in Ukraine, the US sponsored Cedar revolution will be short lived.
Israeli war machines are also intercepting radio broadcasts. EDB at Anecdotes from a Banana Republic writes about one such incident:
I get a huge kick out of the Israeli radio interception. Halfway through a news broadcast on the Lebanese Communist Party radio station, a monotonous, droning voice interrupts to address Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah fighters (in Arabic): “Come on, oh Hassan, you coward. Pack your bags and go to Masnaa [the remaining border crossing to Syria, last time I checked].. come on, you brave men hiding in your tunnels and caves…”
Couldn't they do that to the TV stations, too? It might diversify the content a bit, if we weren't just seeing bombs and dead babies. Also, I'd love it if they dressed up like “real Arabs” to interrupt the broadcasts. That would be ultra-effective; a guy in a turban interrupts a cooking show or, say, Fashion TV, which is also still broadcasting, to say, “Surrender now, Jesus… I mean, Allah loves you”.
Intercept every media outlet and tell the Lebanese what to think and do; then you will be welcomed with flowers and baklava. Do they have figures on how successful the conversion rates are from their propaganda? More successful than penis-enlargement spamming? Surely not. People aren't grateful for being bombed. That's a tough lesson.
EDB also shows the logical fallacy behind Israel’s claim that it is not targeting civilians:
US hypothesis Nr. 1: Israel does not attack civilians and civilian infrastructure.
US hypothesis Nr. 2: The US “is concerned for the personal safety of American citizens due to the current security situation in Lebanon” because “major roads … are subject to an air strike at any time” (according to an email I received from the US Dept of State)
In short, Americans in Lebanon are in danger of being hit by an Israeli bomb.
US hypothesis Nr. 3: We must evacuate all American civilians.
Conclusion:
We must evacuate all American civilians, for they are in danger of being attacked by Israel, which does not attack civilians.
The American civilians who are in danger must all be human shields for Hezbollah or hiding Katyushas under their beds. Why, oh why, would they be in danger, if Israel is attacking Hezbollah, rather than everything that moves?
UrShalim posts about Israel’s destruction of the notorious Khiam Prison which testifies to its dark past when it occupied Lebanon as well as pictures of Beirut trying to cope with the war against it.
Finally, for now, Zena has these pictures of the environmental damage caused by the Israeli war.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Mexico: Buses Burn in Oaxaca · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Mark in Mexico says that striking teachers commandeered three city buses in front of Benito Juárez University on Sunday, slashed their tires, and shattered their windows. In an update post, he says one of the buses was burned and that “the respected newpaper Reforma from Mexico City seems to be aware that the teachers’ union is not wholly responsible for some of the violence now occurring in the city. Reforma names “student groups, APPO, human rights groups and revolutionaries” as the proponents of and major actors in the violence taking place all over the city. That would be my take on it, also. The teachers’ union started something that it no longer can control.” Also, an error in a recent Associated Press story.

author: David Sasaki


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Mexico: Unresolved and Forgotten Elections · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Ceci Connolly says that the public at large is starting to lose interest in Mexico's unresolved election. Ana Maria Salazar claims that a recent interview in the New York Times shows that Lopez Obrador is trying to change his image abroad. And political pundit “Enigma” tries to dissect “the fall of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador: why did he lose the presidency of Mexico? (ES).”


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Much Ado About Lay Fung in Peru · Global Voices
David Sasaki

The case of “Lay Fung,” [often written “Lay Fun”] a 4-year old Rottweiler watchdog that had been accused of murdering a suspected car thief in the parking lot he was entrusted to watch over, quickly turned into a media sensation throughout Peru and the country's bloggers were eager to voice their opinions.
As Wolfgang Becker described July 16 on Living in Peru:
Since last Tuesday “Lay Fung” sits behind bars. He is accused of causing the death of a man entering a parking lot he was ordered to guard. His future remains up in the air. Some think that he should be put to death, others maintain the Rottweiler dog was just doing his job. A judge will have to decide his destiny within the next days. In the meantime he remains in his narrow A-46 cell at an anti-rabies center in Chacra Ríos.
The 4-year old Rottweiler is currently undergoing medical tests to determine if he has rabies. If the tests turn out positive, it will be his sure death sentence. In either case, the director of the dog center Mónica Villanueva said that he will be injected with a supersaturated toxic which will keep him asleep
Many legal experts believe that the law protects the animal in these cases, therefore it is unlikely that Lay Fung is executed. Although the Peruvian law dictates that all dogs who kill or injure people or other animals must be sacrificed, there is also the exception from the rule: different measures apply when dogs are defending their owners or private property.
Franco Cedillo Crisosto is among the many supporters of the watch dog:
Por email circula una cadena con una intención muy noble. La vida humana siempre ocupará un primer orden y nuestra lucha en la vida debe ser por nuestra especie. Pero los animales han existido sobre la Tierra por mucho más tiempo sin dañarla tanto y es por eso que casos como el que hoy les cuento causa real indignación.
Como muchos sabemos las autoridades pretenden mostrar una imagen de defensores de los derechos de los ciudadanos pero nada más falso ya que su negocio en juzgados y estudios de abogados siempre ha sido defenser a la lacra de nuestra ciudad: ladrones, asesinos, sin vergüenzas… el buen ciudadano que se quede callado.
La vida de mi perro vale más que la de todos esos delincuentes y ampones juntos. Muerte para los que no aportan a nuestra sociedad y destruyen lo que tanto nos cuesta construir. Un país del tercer mundo no peude mantener más a estos elementos en centros penitenciaros y la ciudadanía no está dispuesta a dejarse arrebatar la vida de un ser querido más.
As many of us know, the authorities try to show an image [of public defenders] as defenders of the rights of citizens but nothing is more false since their business in courts and law schools has always been to defend that which damages our city: thieves, assassins, shameless hoodlums … while the good citizen remains mute.
The life of my own dog is worth more than all those delinquents and hoodlums together. Death for those who do not contribute to our society and those who destroy what costs us so much to construct. A third world country cannot support these elements in penitentiary centers and the citizenry is not willing to let itself take the life of another loved being.
Tinta Fantasma, a blog that typically focuses on web and tech related issues also took time out to lend support to Lay Fung in the post “Let us Save Lay Fun, the Rottweiler,” which has attracted over 225 comments:
Disculpen que me salga del tema de este blog, pero es que cuando uno ve injusticias como esta, pues ve la única forma de opinar este medio. Desde hace dos días un rottwailer está haciendo noticia. Lay Fun, como se llama el perro, asesinó un hombre, el cual había entrado al edificio a robar. Ahora la polémica está en si dejar al perro vivo o darle sacrificio. No puedo creer como se ignora la vida de quien decimos es “nuestro mejor amigo”. Lay Fun protegió bien el lugar que estaba cuidando, y solo cumplia con su deber al defenderse ante el ladrón. ¿Castigarlo solo por defender su propio local?
No tiene rabia y esta completamente sano, según los analisis realizados, sin embargo solo tiene 10 días para saber su destino. No se como se pueden olvidar de un ser que por muchos años, nos dió no solo alegrías en nuestras vidas, sino también nos protege, uno de los animales más fieles al hombre. Este perro solo protegía a su amo y a su propiedad. Y ahora pretenden sacrificarlo solo por defenderse.
He doesn't have rabies and is completely healthy according to analyses, however, he only has 10 days to learn his destiny. I don't know how one of the most loyal animals to humans, a being that doesn't just give us joy, but also protects us, can be forgotten. This dog only protected his master and his property. And now they're trying to sacrifice him just for defending himself.
Miguel Zegarra created a popular badge (ES) with Lay Fung's photo that simply read “Lay Fun is Innocent.” iDioteca writes of a blockade that was organized on July 15 in front of the anti-rabies center where Lay Fung was detained. El Útero de Marita posts a photo of Lay Fun alongside a portrait of Peruvian commentator Dennis Falvy – who reportedly threatened to kill his wife and son – with the caption, “they both ask for pardon, but … who really deserves it?
Jimena Sanchez Velarde, however, believes the guard dog has attracted far too much of the nation's mental bandwidth. In a post titled “In Peru the Life of a Dog is Valued more than the Life of a Judge” she regrets the shallow coverage of the homicide of a Peruvian judge that had been prosecuting drug dealers linked with Mexico's Tijuana Cartel.
Lay Fun es un perro guardián que en el cumplimiento de su deber atacó a un ladrón que murió por causa de las mordeduras. Fue detenido en un centro antirrábico y corría el peligro de ser sacrificado si se comprobaba que había atacado sin expresión de causa al ladrón. Por supuesto que nadie conoce el nombre del ladrón pero todo el Perú conoce el nombre y rostro del perro héroe. Al margen de los derechos del pobre animal, es una triste ironía.
El can Lay Fun tiene un foro en Peru 21 donde la ciudadanía ha colmado el espacio con expresiones de solidaridad a un perro. El vocal asesinado no genera mayores reacciones de una sociedad acostumbrada a convivir con la violencia. Una sociedad que se indigna ante el posible sacrificio de un perro pero que se mantiene indolente ante el asesinato de un magistrado del Poder Judicial, que evidentemente fue un hombre honesto, razón por la cual lo acribillaron.
¿Qué tenemos en la cabeza los peruanos?
The dog has a forum on Peru 21 where the citizenry has overwhelmed the space with expressions of solidarity for the dog. The murdered [thief] does not generate stronger reactions from a society accustomed to coexisting with violence. A society that gets infuriated by the possible execution of a dog but remains indolent when faced with the murder of a magistrate of the judicial branch, who evidently was an honest man; the reason for which they murdered him.
What do we Peruvians have in our heads?
In the end, supporters of Lay Fun had reason to celebrate. According to Wolfgang Becker:
Lima's most famous animal of the last days, a Rottweiler named “Lay Fung”, left his prison cell at the “anti-rabies” center as a free dog. The trained watchdog became the center of attention days ago after biting a presumed car thief to death while safe-guarding a parking lot. He will now join the K-9 division of the National Police.
Or as Lay Fung writes on his very own weblog (who knew!):
I AM FREE, I AM KING OF THE WORLD!!!!!!¡Me liberé, me liberé, gracias al cielo me liberé! Por fin soy libre y muevo mi colita al viento. Gracias a todos los que me han apoyadado, los ladridos no me alcanzan para decir lo que siento. Lamento no haberles escrito amiguitos, pero con toda lo que ha sucedido hoy, fue imposible hacerlo. Mañana les contaré mi día.


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Nigeria: Fear of science · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Of all the science-related fears Chippla has encountered, none seems greater than the fear of mathematics, he writes, among other musings on the discovery of the cause of malaria and Nigeria's Diaspora Day.

author: Luisetta Mudie


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Pakistan: Women and Life · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Shirazi on women in Pakistan – choices that are to be made when it comes to career and family, and the lack of support for women who want to test traditional boundaries.


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Peru: Workshop on Blogs and Journalism · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jose Antonio Vilca summarizes his participation in the Workshop Seminar of Blogs and Journalism (ES) held at the National Association of Journalists of Peru.


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Romania: Celebrity Wedding, Fashion · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Owlspotting writes about a Romanian celebrity wedding, and answers a reader's question about how Romanian women like to dress.


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Russia: Disagreements Over Beslan Memorial · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Founder of PravdaBeslana.ru Marina Litvinovich (LJ user abstract2001) writes (RUS) about one of the problems that survivors and relatives of those who died in Beslan in September 2004 have to deal with now:
Orthodox Christianity in Beslan
I've always been amazed by how the local authorities in North Ossetia and Beslan can breed problems where there shouldn't be any. Right now the authorities, with active support from the Orthodox Church, are planning to tear down the School and build an Orthodox church where the gym used to be.
Discussions on the School's future have been going on for a long time in Beslan. Many variants have been proposed – the most adequate one, to my mind, is a memorial in place of the gym. Christians, as well as Muslims, as well as atheists, and also just kids, who were not yet consciously considering religion, died in the School. (The number of Muslims who died in the School can be determined by the way the graves are turned at the cemetery: their gravestones are facing another direction.) To my mind, the construction of an Orthodox church on the spot where they died may lead to conflicts.
And the conflicts have already taken place: a few weeks ago we accidentally witnessed the setting in the center of the gym of a wooden Orthodox cross blessed by an impressive delegation of the Orthodox clergy. A couple days later, I learned that one man who'd lost family members in the School took the cross down. After that, they screwed the cross into the gym's floor.
But these are all my views. In this case, they don't matter, and what matters is the opinion of the relatives of those who died. Here's the view of the victims, the Voice of Beslan committee [RUS]. I also know that there is no unanimous opinion on this issue at the Mothers of Beslan committee.
Below are some of the responses from Marina's readers – including one from a representative of the Voice of Beslan (LJ user golosbeslana):
mike67: If they start putting up memorial signs, there should be a Christian and a Muslim one.
cross_xx: Excuse me, but how would it look, if the most appropriate engraving for a cross is “save and hold me safe” and for a crescent “kill an infidel”?
denies: I read not long ago that paganism is popular in Ossetia. Even more popular than [Islam]. And the principal religion is a mix of Christianity, Islam and the faith in the local gods and dzaurs (heroes). So it better to always be very tactful with religion.
mike67: Yes, they do have that. And they also have some cheese cake ritual, I think. One should be careful with religion. It would be best for the relatives to decide. In this situation, the fewer orders from “above,” the better.
signorina_autun: It would be good if they bother to ask the relatives at all.
mike67: Yes, I've a feeling they won't ask. They are afraid to ask because then they can start making other requests and demands – that are highly inconvenient for the regime. It's like in [Sergei] Dovlatov's “The Zone”:
- Have you got questions?
– Tons of questions, – replied voices from the line. – Do you want to hear? Where is [the soap]? Where are the promised warm portyanki [wrappings for the feet]? Why haven't they  brought a movie in three months? Will [those who cut branches] be given gloves?.. Want more?.. When will they build a hut [in the forest where trees are being cut by the prisoners]?..
– Quiet, quiet! – yelled Khuriev. – You should file complaints following the set order, through brigadiers. Disperse now.
mgtverskoy: Yes, the church is advancing. They don't care about the souls, they care about the outer form.
hoholusa: You are absolutely right. The best is a memorial without any religious inclination.
ivansim: Nonsense without borders. It seems as if their heads were amputated when they were kids and now they are wearing artificial copies. :-[
Has there been an initiative yet to put up a bronze bust of [FSB chief] Patrushev or [head of the United Russia Party] Gryzlov? … :-[[
kim00: […] The process of grieving is considered normal if a person is gradually coming out of the state of acute grief and comes to terms with the loss. When this is not happening, qualified help is needed. Some of the techniques used is the secondary experience of the tragedy, which includes visiting the place where it occurred. But these are one-time, short acts, which should not become the key ones in the new value system of the person, damaged by the loss of the loved ones.
However, this is what can be observed in Beslan. Their value system has been slanted toward the search of the guilty ones. In a small group setting – and in Beslan everyone affected knows everyone else – it becomes contagious.
[…]
It may sound cynical, but the ruins have acquired all features of a fetish – no practical value, just a giant emotional power, which someone wants to make even stronger by adding a religios component.
[…]
golosbeslana [the Voice of Beslan]: Do you mean to say that there's no point looking for the guilty ones after several years? And if you don't catch the criminal right away, then in a couple years it will be impolite to think of him as a criminal? And Beslan victims have to be treated by psychiatrists, so that they were not bothering everyone with their memories?
That's the worldview of a pig that doesn't want to know anything beyond its [food].
alexiy: Among those who died in Beslan were ten children from the Baptist Sunday school and their teacher. In the pastor's family, out of five kids who went to school only one returned. No one remembers about them. When religious leaders were gathered after the tragedy, the Baptist weren't even called.


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Serbia: Belgrade Beer Festival and Accomodation · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgrade Blog writes about the upcoming Belgrade Beer Festival. Desperate Serbwife describes a possible accomodation option: a nice, tiny hotel in Belgrade's center.


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Serbia: Ceca the Pop Star · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Florian Bieber of East Ethnia writes about Ceca, a Serbian pop star, and her new album, Ideally Bad: “From gangster bride to heroic widow and Serbian J-Lo, she demonstrated a better sense of where Serbia is going than some political analyst.”


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Sierra Leone: Economist’s tale · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

R.E. Ekosso reviews, and even approves of, The Economist's Tale, written by World Bank consultant Peter Griffiths after a recent research trip to Sierra Leone. “This book”, says Griffiths in his introduction, “shows that it is individuals who cause poverty, underdevelopment and famine, by their actions, by their failure to act, and by their failure to speak up.”


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Singapore: Remembering Cambodia · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The death of a Khmer Rouge operative reminds the blogger at nofearSingapore of the time when the Khmer Rouge regime was overthrown. The blogger talks about the geopolitics of the time when other South East Asian countries and western powers were fearful of Vietnamese intentions.


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South Korea: korean farmer family · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Song Sung-young, a korean farmer and a citizen reporter of Ohmynews hosted his newly met french friends in his house. He has some vivid descriptions of how Childish English vs. ‘Frenglish’ communication worked out.


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South Korea: remodel broken house · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Days in Daechuri shows a series of pictures on how young people are remodelling the broken house in Daechuri: “Korean government said they are planning to drive all of the daechuri people out and tear down their houses soon. Keeping the houses from being destroyed is the most important struggle in July.”


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Taiwan: student in hunger strike · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A student Li Wen-zhen has been sitting at CKS memorial Hall for more than a month to protest against Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian's suspected corruption. Six days ago, he started hunger strike: “Either ah Bian step down or I fell down”.  The incident remind FDL in China times of the past student movement in Taiwan; he urges other students to show their support to Li and tell him and the society that he is not alone (zh).


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Thailand: Making Colleagues Jealous · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Andrew Biggs in Thailand has one of the best jobs in the world. “When I got back to the office, all the male staff were very jealous of me. They wanted to know why I hadn’t invited them to go along with me.”


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Ukraine: Parking and Driving on Kyiv Sidewalks · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Humble Observer writes about Kyiv's sidewalks: not just a walking place for pedestrians, but also an “optional lane” and a parking lot for cars.


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Venezuela, Belarus: Chavez Meets Lukashenko · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Daniel Duquenal tries to make sense of Chavez's visit to Belarus where he met with Lukashenko. Duquenal also translates an excerpt about Western Hemispheric leaders from a recent interview with Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes.


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Venezuela: Hitch-biking · Global Voices
David Sasaki

David, who is riding his bike through Central and South America is now in Caracas, describes his ride through Venezuela: “Hitching with a bike turned out to be very easy – I caught 17 different rides, and my longest wait was 45 minutes. To be sure, my method was foolproof – bike to the tool booth, show the police the newspaper article about my trip, and ask them to help me ask pickups. But, even on the open road, my average wait was only 20 minutes.”


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Vietnam: Missing HCMC · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The final Word blogger is missing Ho Chi Minh City. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and whenever I leave that crazy mish-mash of pastel colours and incessant noise, I really have an urge to get back there. Seoul strikes me as ‘Seoul'less with very little atmopshere after living through the daily ‘heart on your sleeve’ attitude that pumps through Ho Chi Minh City.”


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Zimbabwe: End in sight? · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Are we there yet? asks Eddie Cross, guest-blogging for Zimpundit, and wondering if Zimbabwe really is about to see the end of the Mugabe regime.


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Afghanistan: How to Face Taliban! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Afghan Warrior shares his idea about how Taliban can be defeated. The blogger says there are hundreds of international peacekeeping forces in the big cities but we need their presence more in the troubled areas to ensure security for the Afghans. He writes the increased presence of NATO forces in the border areas will restore the situation and it will curb the terrorist activities and the enemy resistance will be broken . So NATO should continue its commitment and deploy more troops to Afghanistan. The enemy should know that their guerrilla attacks will not succeed.


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Albania: Death Notices · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

David in Albania writes about Albanian ways of grieving.


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Albania: Tourism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Our Man In Tirana writes about Albania's potential as a tourist destination.


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Argentina: Music: Alternarama – Destierro · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Following the popular release of The Kyoto Connection, Alternarama now launches Destierro, an ethereal album of ten tracks published under a Creative Commons Non-Derivative 2.5 license. The title track, Destierro, makes for great getting-ready-to-go-to-work music.


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Argentina: New Blog Aggregator · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Buzzear (ES) is a new aggregator of the “buzz” in Argentina's blogosphere.


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Armenia: Military Training · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

ArmYouth Blog discusses the possible motives for the introduction of military training at younger ages in Armenian schools.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Bahamas: Consequences of foreign investment · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Bahama Pundit's Nicolette Bethel worries about the consequences of “development” funded by foreign investment. “While it may have been wise a decade ago to invite all and sundry to consider The Bahamas as a good place to do business … foreign investment cannot remain an end in itself.”


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Bangladesh: Cops in the Country · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Dhrishtipat on the state of the police in Bangladesh by providing links to contemporary issues that involve the police.


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Barbados: Save Worrell’s house · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

My Turn–a new blog started by Carson Cadogan, who Barbados Free Press describes as “The Barbados King of Letters to the Editor”–argues that some of the public funds being spent on the redevelopment of Barbados's main cricket venue, Kensington Oval, should be used to restore the boyhood home of cricket legend Sir Frank Worrell.


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Belarus: Blogosphere Digest · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus Blog posts a “Belarusian blogosphere digest” for July 18-26.


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Belarus: A Youth Movement and Other Enemies · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus Blog writes about a new oppositional youth movement, Bunt, and the current regime's actions against its activists. Also, there's an entry about an attack on a Latvian diplomat in Minsk.


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Belarus: Milinkevich Detained · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Andrei Khrapavitski reports that opposition leader Aleksandr Milinkevich got detained by the traffic police in the town of Polatsk. [UPDATE: Milinkevich has been released.]


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Brunei: National Flag · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Daily Brunei Resources blog digs up the history of Brunei's national flag. The flag has been in use for 100 years now.


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Bulgaria: Travelling From Romania · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Andy H of Csikszereda Musings writes about his travel to and in Bulgaria.


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Caucasus: BTC & Israel · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Ben Paarmann questions those that claim that controlling the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline and accessing Central Asian and Caspian oil is a hidden motive for Israel in its fighting in Lebanon.


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Chile, Argentina: One Laptop per Child · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Tomás Pollak writes that the Organization of American States supports Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop per Child plan as a solution to the digital divide throughout Latin America (ES). Meanwhile, Ariel Vercelli has posted an audio file (mp3 and ogg) of a recent discussion about implementing One Laptop per Child in Argentina.


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China: Cameras, drunks and forced website closures · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Kimbo Hu/Hu Defu, a well-known Taiwanese aboriginal folk musician gave a performance at a small bar in Beijing this past weekeknd. In attendance were many prominent bloggers, and here is Ycul blogger Reading  Storeroom‘s account of the show, along with the problems he sees as more and more Chinese purchase digital cameras:
相机
今天晚上去看话剧《琥珀》。邻座两个小女孩，手机就像两个永不熄灭的小手电筒，不是拍照，就是发短信，也许是拍照后即时上传维护自己的博客？我估计她们大概没看进去多少戏，晃得我也大受干扰。
拍照真的那么重要吗？数码时代的到来，使得拍照片变成没有任何金钱门槛和技术门槛的事儿，谁都可以为自己留下海量的数码图片。我也曾经对自己刚到手的数码相机爱不释手，走到哪儿拍到哪儿。但很快发现，大部分的照片，也就是起到占据电脑硬盘空间的作用，别说没多少人有兴趣来分享，就连自己也根本看不过来，同时还有新照片不断地涌进来。曾经发过多少次宏愿，要整理一下这些图片，但都知难而退，慢慢的，连相机也蒙上了一层灰尘。
某天，小弟通过QQ，传来几张我的童年照片，是朋友扫描处理好的旧照片。照片上的父亲还没有现在的我年龄大，唏嘘不已之余，也觉出了留影的价值。但这种想法很快被一个喜得贵子的朋友给冲淡了。他的宝贝儿子不到一周岁，50G的硬盘就已经不够用了，他已经为儿子留下了大约几万张照片和上百小时的视频，且还像中国的GDP一样在高速增长着。我说，你儿子长大后，可能压根就没时间去上课学习，看您留的这些就够他下半辈子折腾的了。
我们迅速由新技术的掌握者变成了为新技术所掌握。我们老以为自己在保留历史，结果却没有时间来品味现在。就像我们的出门旅行，拍照总是成为第一要务，仿佛只有“拍下来了”，才表示到此一游，相机的镜头代替了自己的眼睛，还有多少心情去领略那些美景呢？
我的这种感觉在胡德夫的演唱会时达到了顶点。7月19日夜，这位台湾老歌手在北京的愚公移山酒吧举行了一个小型的演唱会，三四百人把小小的酒吧挤得满满的。胡老先生一上台，闪光灯就亮如白昼，有人怒喝“别晃了人家的眼睛”，但完全无济于事。拍照的行为艺术一直持续到演出结束，我怀疑那些摄影家根本就没听几句歌。
我的朋友咣咣也在现场。他是个摄影发烧友，整天背着十几斤重的装备跑来颠去。但演出现场的他，手里举着的只有音乐和啤酒。这小子已经high得不行了。第二天晚些时候，在SMN上碰到他，原来他当天夜里在“水色盛开”酒吧睡了一宿。后半夜，朋友们陆续散去，结果胡德夫、陈永龙等人被公路带到了这里。咣咣，傻人有傻福的咣咣，居然陪胡德夫老师一起看了什刹海的日出，然后，老人赶赴机场。
我嫉妒得近乎发狂，就酸溜溜地问，你丫就顾拍照了吧？
他说，没有。
然后，我在他的博客上看到了这样一段话，算作这篇文章的结尾吧：“天亮的时候，我知道我看见了什么，但我没拿相机，始终没有。我知道，最打动我的画面，不在相机里、电脑中、照片上，她们只在并且只能在我的心中。”
Envious almost to the point of going crazy, I bitterly asked: ‘So, did you get a picture?’
‘No,’ he said.
Later, I saw this bit up on his blog, which makes a good end for this piece: “When dawn came, I knew what I was seeing, but I hadn't brought my camera. I know, the sights that moved me the most, and they're not in my camera, in my computer or in a photo. They're in, and can only be in, my heart.
With a bit of citizen reporting from Guangzhou—a Southern Chinese city known for its crime levels—Donews blogger Noise, cameras also play a small part:
有压力，未解决
有个朋友住在华景新城，去做客两次，两次回家都遭遇险情。
上一次是坐178路公交车行至五羊新城，靠站落客的短短瞬间，眼前突然数人抱做一团厮打。我坐在最靠下车门的位置，拳脚呼呼的气流甚至掠过睫毛。直至五六人迅速从厮打中抽身而逃，我才反应过来，刚刚经历了一场抢劫未遂案件：五六个烂仔偷不成手机改用暴力强夺。未料事主强力反抗而未遂。所幸，抢劫者未动用器械，而事主在群殴中也没伤及筋骨。
这次，昨晚，遭遇醉鬼闹事，又是178路公交车。车至岗顶，4名拎着工具袋的工友，吵嚷着上车。其中一名裤带里插着只白酒，上车就呼呼嚷嚷赶跑一个坐在车门附近的男人，醉醺醺的还差点一屁股坐在旁边另一位女乘客的身上。司机自然呵斥醉酒者下车，结果醉工友抽出酒瓶就扑向司机，好彩被另两名工友拦住。
后面的故事，基本没脱离一般醉鬼闹事的规律。但110赶到现场后，醉鬼还拦着车不走，110也没采取什么强制措施，任其拦着车絮絮叨叨地胡言乱语。乘客们只好统统下车等着换乘另一部，其间，有几个细节:
1、司机愤愤不平：一个烂工地的，也敢在车上借酒闹事——醉鬼也不服气：一个臭开车的，有什么好威风；
2、司机报110后，醉鬼的3个同伴工友有两个悄悄拎袋走了，只剩下一个陪着醉鬼，不断指责司机态度恶劣；
3、被骚扰过的男乘客和女乘客很爽快地答应110回所里录口供。
Expanding on the negative news, a post from fellow Guangzhou-based journalist-blogger Wen Yunchao shows that as of yesterday, Century China, one of the largest leading liberal forum websites in China has been shut down:
CC编辑：最后一日
这是《世纪·中国》网站和“世纪·论坛”的最后一日。午夜24点前后会全部关闭。
是谁，根据什么，凭借什么，通过什么样的程序来做这样的决定，采取这样的行动？没有任何公开的听证或申辩，一切都是武断的命令。
它的正当性如何？它是否违宪？这是公众可以追问的！这是历史会追问的！
到那一天，如果有人说，“我只是在服从命令”而已，“我只是一架庞大机器上的螺丝钉”。
那么对不起，我们不接受这样的借口，这样的托词！
每一个行动都是具体的人做出的，而行动者必须为此担负个人的责任！
From the Century China forum website:
尊敬的朋友们：
现在是2006年7月25日的21点45分。
我们在还不知道网站关闭的确切时间——因为没有人愿意执行“自行关闭”。是的，没有人愿意将一次“枪毙”事件装扮的像一场“自杀”那样“体面”。现在，我们等待下达指令的人来亲自执行枪决！
这可能发生在下一分钟，也可能是明天上午……。总之不会太久了。
从创立之日起，《世纪中国》及其论坛的宗旨，是建设一个理性而开放的言论公共空间。六年以来我们秉持这一宗旨。因为我们相信，这样的公共领域对于养育平等、自由、理性和积极的公民文化是有建设性意义的，对于中国的学术建设和文化发展是会有所贡献的。在六年之中，虽然我们历经无数外人所不知的艰辛困苦，我们学习在坚持中妥协，在妥协中坚持，曾渡过了许多危机的关头。但今天，仍然劫数难逃。
多少让人宽慰的是，《世纪中国》在中国当代“公共领域”的建设史上留下了独特的、不会被人遗忘的业绩。所有获得的成就，固然有编辑、版主和技术人员团队的付诸的辛苦与努力，但最终是依靠成千上万热情的网友们！是你们的支持与参与才成就了《世纪中国》的业绩！在这个时刻，请允许我代表《世纪中国》的工作团队，向所有的读者与网友表达由衷的感谢！谢谢你们的一路陪伴，谢谢你们守候在这最后的时刻。
同时，我们也要为自己工作中的失误向诸位致歉。在论坛的自由讨论中，有时由于争论激烈，导致人身攻击，版主不得不进行干预、做出裁决；有时因为言论的尺度限制，版主不能不删贴。虽然，我们的原则是理性与公正，但在实际操作中，完全有可能使得某些网友遭受不公正的待遇。在这最后的时刻，有网友指出我们管理中存在的弊端，无论言辞多么激烈，这不只应该是完全可以理解的，也是我们应当感激的临别赠言。如果我们真诚地信奉我们所珍视的原则，我们需要聆听这些逆耳忠言，不断反省自己。但遗憾的是，在这个论坛上，我们已经没有机会改进了。在此，恳请那些遭受不公待遇的朋友们谅解。
《世纪中国》即将终结。但《世纪中国》的文章、读者和网友仍然传播着她的故事与历史，传播着世纪中国为之奋斗并为之骄傲的精神。《世纪中国》死了，让我们活下去，并怀着希望——祈愿一个美好而文明的未来！
——《世纪中国》主编

author: John Kennedy


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DRC: As Elections Approach, the Congo’s Bloggers Discuss Recent Violence, Media Repression and the Limits of Foreign Aid · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

With the July 30th elections just days away, many pro-opposition Congolese bloggers remain deeply cynical about the prospects of a free, fair and peaceful electoral process.  Violent repression of opposition demonstrations and the killing of several journalists in the last few months have left many wondering whether, even if successful, these elections alone are enough to set the Congo on a better path.
Congolese bloggers also continue to question the role and interests of foreign donors who are footing the multi-billion dollar bill for this election.
Writing for Le Prince du Fleuve Congo, opposition blogger and journalist Anthony Katombe  describes two recent protests that were violently suppressed by state security forces, an act Katombe sees as part of an established pattern of government repression of opposition candidates.
Kinshasa, boulevard du 30 juin, mardi 11 juillet 2006. La police congolaise, formée et équipée par l’Union Européenne, s’est déchaînée contre les 19 candidats à l’élection présidentielle du 30 juillet et les manifestants du Front pour la Défense du Congo (FDC) conduits par l’Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social (UDPS).
En effet, la police a réprimé les manifestants, avec sa brutalité légendaire, au moyen du gaz lacrymogène, des balles réelles et des grenades d’assaut dont l’une a arraché les mains du manifestant Didier BONGEYA qui a attrapé la grenade lui lancée au vol pour la renvoyer à l’expéditeur…Plusieurs personnes, dont des journalistes, ont été étouffées et intoxiquées par le gaz.
La police, comme à sa fâcheuse habitude, a invoqué le défaut d’autorisation pour justifier cette répression disproportionnée. Pour une fois, le Comité International d’Accompagnement de la Transition (CIAT), dont les Congolais garderont à jamais un désagréable souvenir, s’est départi de sa partialité coutumière pour condamner cette barbarie d’un autre âge en rappelant aux autorités congolaises les termes de la constitution et de la circulaire du ministre…de l’intérieur consacrant la légalité des manifestations pacifiques qui ne devraient plus souffrir d’autorisation, laquelle autorisation n’étant généralement jamais accordée.
Kinshasa, June 30th Boulevard, Tuesday, July 11, 2006.  The Congolese police, created and equipped by the European Union, unleashed their forces on the 19 presidential candidates running in the July 30th election and the Front for the Defense of the Congo (FDC) protestors led by the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS).
In effect, the police punished the protestors with their legendary brutality, with tear gas, bullets and assault grenades.  One of the protesters, Didier BONGEYA, caught a grenade that had been thrown at him, and when attempting to throw it back, got his hands blown off…Many people, including journalists, were suffocated and intoxicated by the tear gas.
The police, in their usual manner, invoked le défaut d’autorisation (i.e., the power of their own authority) to justify this disproportionate crackdown. For once, the International Transitional Committee (CIAT), for which the Congolese people still harbor bad memories, departed from its usual partisanship and condemned this outmoded savagery by reminding the Congolese authorities of the provisions of the Constitution and of the Interior Minister's circular…affirming the legality of peaceful demonstrations, which never need authorization, and for which authorization is usually never given.
Bis repetita ! Kinshasa, boulevard du 30 juin, avenue Président Kasa-vubu, mardi 18 juillet. L’UDPS est revenue à la charge avec une autre marche gigantesque. Au passage, les manifestants s’étant improvisés agents commis à la salubrité de l’Hôtel de ville de Kinshasa, ont décrété une opération ‘‘ville propre’’ en arrachant et brûlant les banderoles et affiches de propagande des candidats aux élections présidentielle et législative. Les banderoles et affiches, aux dires des manifestants, rendaient sale la ville de Kinshasa.
L’objectif de ces nombreuses marches initiées par les forces du changement est clair : requalifier le processus électoral en le rendant plus crédible, plus égalitaire et plus inclusif. En clair, l’UDPS et alliés veulent se rassurer que tous les candidats ont le même degré de contrôle des rouages de la Commission Electorale Indépendante (CEI) qui a connu jusqu’ici le désaveu de toutes les composantes, sauf d’une seule, avec laquelle elle est en troublante symbiose depuis le début du processus. L’UDPS veut surtout être impliquée dans le processus afin de participer aux élections qui du reste sont voulues inclusives pour être porteuses de paix et de légitimité des dirigeants qui en seront issus.
Kinshasa, June 30th Boulevard, Avenue of President Kasa-vubu, Tuesday, July 18.  The UDPS made a comeback with another large march.  Along the way, the demonstrators…launched operation “Clean City,” tearing down and burning legislative and presidential candidates’ campaign banners and posters.  These banners and posters, said the demonstrators, made the city of Kinshasa dirty.
The goal of many of the marches initiated by the forces of changes is clear: retool the electoral process by making it more credible, more fair and more inclusive.  Clearly, the UDPS and its allies want to ensure that all the candiates of the same level of control over the inner-workings of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), which has been abandoned by all of its constitutents, save the one with whom it has had a troubling symbiosis since the beginning of this process.  The UDPS, first and foremost, wants to be involved in this process so that they might participate in the election which should be inclusive if they are to bring peace and legitimacy to the leaders that will be chosen.
Ali M at The Salon has photographs of violent protests organized by UDPS, a major opposition party which is boycotting the upcoming election.
In the wake of the murder of Bapuwa Mwamba, a journalist who was tried to expose government corruption, several bloggers have also been critical of the lack of press freedom in the Congo and its effects on the freedom and fairness of this election.
Fleur d'Afrique suggests a pattern of media repression and persecution of the opposition, leading her to question the value of having elections at all:
Ali (i.e., of The Salon) said I was too cynical and that I needed to be hopeful. For a moment I thought he was right, and that maybe I was just too angry or something. But seriously now: does all this seem normal and democratic to you? I know we tend to do things in unusual ways in Congo, but they’re about to take this too far. Should I sit here and say “well at least we’re having elections”? What’s the point of having them if it’s clear who’s running the show?
Ali at The Salon, however, points out that many Congolese are getting more balanced information about the election from Radio Okapi, sponsored by the United Nations, which offers an important, apolitical platform for disseminating the viewpoints of all candidates.
If there is one entity that is helping to make this a real election, and that is contributing to the education of the Congolese people in this process, it is the UN-sponsored Radio Okapi. This tuesday, however, it was put before quite a dilemma. Last week, a journalist, Bapuwa Mwamba, was murdered, and Congolese media people decided to organize a “media-less” day, with all the radios and newspapers not working for the entire day. They also organized a big march in Kinshasa [video, fr], to show their solidarity, and to shout their anger at the fact that the government does not seem to care about their safety. Being a UN radio, Okapi had to be neutral, and therefore broadcasted as usual, with one exception: All the shows were giving room for journalists to express their views on their safety situation. A creative way to fulfill all their duties. But back to the elections, Okapi features 1-on-1 interviews with all the presidential candidates[fr] (so far about 20 out of the 33), and they have been trying to stage mini presidential debates[fr], with some success. Okapi is the only radio that can put itself above politics, and have the neutrality needed, because they do not belong to any politician, and although the journalists are Congolese, they have UN-protection.
The Salon, writing in both French and English, critiques the recent show of force by European Union peacekeeping forces meant to impress Congolese politicians, military and media, echoes doubts that have been expressed by other bloggers in recent months about foreign peacekeepers’ real interests and their capacity and will to respond should violence erupt in the wake of the elections.
Now that there are numerous irregularities in the elections in Congo, and the International Community seems hellbent on organizing them, regardless of the situation on the ground – who can blame them: they have been shelling-out a lot of money, and seeing his record, they stand to gain a lot more if Kabila is elected – I cannot help but wonder if any of the above-stated vital needs will even be remotely addressed. I am still wondering…
Well, that's good… but I still think they are there for show, and to evacuate Western foreigners in case of a post-electoral catastrophe. After seeing what is happening in Lebanon, with a flotila of soldiers coming to rescue Westerners, it seems quite logical. The Europeans do not want 1960 to repeat itself, and they want to be able to cut their losses. Pragmatically speaking, I can't say I blame them. Ethically, well… they colonized us once, so ethics is not always something I expect from their governments. And their superpower-of-a-cousin to the West is indifferent at best, accomplice at worst. So as Congolese people, we are left alone, facing former rebel leaders, powerful government officials, and popular/populist opposition parties, all claiming to want the good of our people, and all intent on being in power, some at any cost. Hence my slight apprehension of these elections. The UN is already denouncing irregularities, and people are less and less convinced that the elections will be free and fair.
Extra Extra wonders whether in pushing for elections, foreign donors may have placed too much faith in ability of a single round at the ballot box to solve long-standing challenges and lost sight of the bigger picture: ownership and sustainability.
“…one can ask whether in its eagerness for progress ‘the international community’ might have lost sight of the notion of national ownership…Not to mention that other development buzz-word, sustainability. With all those helicopters and Antonovs buzzing so busily, this election is expensive. (The EU has spent at least 150 million euros, not including bilateral contributions from member states, e.g. 22 million pounds so far from the UK, to pick the most generous donor.) But the really spectacular bill is for the peacekeeping force, whose annual tab rounded out at US$1,136,875,200 at the last count. It may be a lot cheaper than war, but it’s not easy to find this sort of money, and it’s a safe bet that DRC will struggle to repeat the exercise next time around.”
Similarly, The Salon cautions that elections – even when they are picture-perfect – are not a cure-all.
It is no small task at all, even if the elections were free and fair, and the new leaders legitimate. My source of hope was always Timor-Leste, because they were coming from chaos, got help, and seemed to function well. We have recently seen how that went. And their elections were perfect, with tearjerking moments, and heartfelt promises, etc.
Katombe has frequently discussed the international community's role in the Congo, and here uses that experience to mount a more general critique of the West, suggesting that the “War on Terror” might detract from still more pressing battles:
Personne, même dans cette communauté internationale qui croit avoir réponse à tout, n’est assez malin pour prévoir la réaction d’un peuple lorsqu’il se convainc d’avoir un sort scellé d’avance par le mépris de ceux qui s’estiment sortis de la cuisse de Jupiter. C’est une chose de déplorer aujourd’hui le terrorisme arabe et islamique. Une autre est de se poser la question fondamentale de savoir ce qui a pu pousser ces citoyens du monde à se couvrir de bombe, à détourner des avions pour tuer en se tuant.  Tant que l’occident croira avoir toutes les réponses, il parlera d’intégrisme là-bas et de xénophobie ici, et continuera de gaspiller pour combattre de fausses causes, des sommes colossales qui auraient pu éradiquer la pauvreté, la famine et plusieurs maladies de la surface de la terre si elles avaient été investies et utilisées plus humainement?
Dans l’indifférence et le mépris, préoccupant pourtant, les signes du pourrissement et de radicalisation foisonnent.
In indifference and ignorance…the signs of derioration and radicalization accumulate.
These conversations are part of an ongoing debate on the upcoming elections.  (For more see: “DRC Roundup: Elections, Mining Corruption, Peacekeepers & More,” “DRC: Coup Attempts and More Questions on the Upcoming Elections,”and other posts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo)

author: Jennifer Brea


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DRC: Catholic Church Favoring Boycott of Election · Global Voices
Alice Backer

English-language DRC blogger Le Salon counts down to the July 30th election by reporting on  a lukewarm response to Joseph Kabila's visit to the UDPS opposition party stronghold of East Kasai province and by estimating that the Congolese catholic church is by and large encouraging a boycott of the election.

author: Alice Backer


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DRC: Poster Snatching Protests · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Le Renouveau Congolais posts a (Fr) photo-essay showing protesters tearing down presidential candidate posters in the DRC days to the July 30th election. From Azarias Ruberwa to Interim President Joseph Kabila to Professor N'Goma, the photos show a broad cross-section of political candidates are being targeted while slogans seem to be particularly anti-Kabila.


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DRC: “The Burning has begun” · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Light in the Heart of Darkness, an english-speaking expat blogger based in the DRC, says Kabila's popularity in Kinshasa is waning and fears that if he is elected, “the country is going to burn.” She points to yesterday's UDPS-led poster-snatching protests as evidence that the burning may have begun.


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Ecuador, Venezuela: Chavez Visits Quito · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Journalist C.J. Schexnayder gives some context to his recently published article on Hugo Chavez's visit to Ecuador.


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Ethiopia: Eritrean weapons · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Ethioblog posts news reports quoting the Somali government as saying that Eritrea has sent a plane full of weapons to the Islamists who now control the southern part of the country, attracting a wide range of opinion from commentators.


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Fiji: Introducing a Fiji Webresource · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Babasiga blog introduces a web resource on Fiji. The site run by Australia based anthropologist Rod Ewins features old drawings, maps and engravings about Fiji.


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France, DOM-TOM: Victory against housing discrimination · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Reunion-based Pierrot Dupuy, himself the father of a victim of housing discrimination in France announces (Fr) advocacy group CollectifDOM’s legal victory in the area of housing discrimination against French citizens from the French Overseas Departments and Territories (DOM-TOM) living in France. From here on, landlords can no longer ask for proof of a mainland French bank guaranty as a criterion to select tenants.


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Guyana: US interference? · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Guyana 360 asks why the US government has revoked the travel visa of Guyana's acting police commissioner Henry Green. “Instead of openly stating their position, the US resorts to public pressure and embarrasement.”


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India: Ismat Chugtai · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Amardeep Singh profiles Ismat Chugtai, a female writer who broke many rules and challenged boundaries. “The anecdotes she tells and her style of telling them reinforces the sense one has of Chughtai as someone with a quick wit with an extraordinary ability to use humor to point out the truth — and get her way.”


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Iran: Dark days for Communication Sciences · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Farid Modaresi, journalist & student activist says University of Communication Sciences is facing very dark days. The blogger adds several academics are forced to leave university such as Dr. Namk Doost [Fa]. Modaresi says university professors should do something and do not practice wait & see philosophy. They should be sure that we, students, will support them.


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Iran: Stoning Six Women? · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Zaneirani says according to the International Committee against Stoning  six women are in the verge of stoning in Iran.


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Latin America: MSN Takes Down Website · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Western Hemisphere Policy Watch claims that MSN has taken down the website of a group claiming to represent Hezbollah in Latin America for “administrative purposes”.


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Latin America: One year of Telesur · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Much talked about at the launch and quickly forgotten thereafter, Telesur was supposed to give CNN en Español a run for its money. Boz takes a look at how the cable network has done in its first year of existence.


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Liberia: Lights on in Monrovia · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Yebo Gogo takes note of the restoration of street lighting in the Liberian capital of Monrovia for the first time in more than a decade, under the watchful eye of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. “Rebuilding the nation's shattered infrastructure is the first step to rebuilding Liberia. So far, Johnson Sirleaf's progress appears promising,” writes Fontaine.


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Light in darkness, Petroleum prices in Ghana, Famine and Education in Cameroon · Global Voices
Oluniyi D. Ajao

We start this week's blog round-up with Under the acacias. The blog throws light on Markoye in Burkina Faso where solar energy is being used to power lamps in villages and town with no connection to the national power grid.
Light in the darkness
This photo shows one of the solar-powered lamp-posts that are springing up around Burkina Faso, especially in small towns which otherwise have no electricity. This one is at the colourful market in Markoye, about 40km north-east of Gorom-Gorom.
Solar power of course has considerable potential in places like Burkina, where there is more than enough sun. But the purchase and replacement costs for the equipment are still prohibitive for people's personal use.
The Trials & Tribulations of a Freshly-Arrived Denizen…of Ghana asks important questions about “Petroleum Prices and the Ghana Government“
Now that the rate of petrol is at exactly $US5.00/gallon, how are Ghanaians supposed to manage? Where are the safety nets in place that the government should be thinking about to cushion its citizens from the effects of the world market? SO, just because there is a serious inter-necine conflict going on in the Middle East, where Hezbollah is being targetted for wiping out by the Israelis, so we, in the developing world, have to suffer the consequences?
Niger Watch blogs famine in Africa and quotes Oxfam as saying response to the famine was “too little, too late“
Food emergencies in Africa are occurring three times more often now than in the mid-1980s, but the global response to famine continues to be “too little, too late”, the international aid agency Oxfam said on Monday.
Conflict, HIV/Aids and climate change are all exacerbating food shortages for sub-Saharan Africa's 750-million people, with innovative solutions and massive long-term support needed to break the cycle, the British-based group added in a new report.
Scribbles from the Den scribbles about Higher Education in Cameroon: When Chickens Come to Roost
It was an apparently innocuous article tucked deep inside a recent issue of Cameroon Tribune, but its content was yet another message of despair from Cameroon. According to the article,
“Out of some 10,000 candidates who sat for the competitive entrance examination into the Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance, recently launched for holders of First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC), over 4,000 were university graduates.”
Yes, you read correctly – 4000 university graduates sat for a public service exam meant for Primary/Elementary School pupils. This is undoubtedly the fallout from an outdated and irrelevant educational system – from primary school to the university – originally designed to train future civil servants, and not to develop an entrepreneurial class with ability to create jobs.
Home of the mandinmories‘ beef is with people who choose to use the pulpit to bully others. The blog entry is titled: “Bully Pulpit“
Using a funeral at a church or a mosque to score a political or debating point is something that has been battle tested and used time and time again. The only problem is; it doesn't work. Grandstanding at funerals is very tasteless and unsavory. People who act on the impulse to do it never understand how bad they look when crashing a funeral or stomping from the pulpit. Most funeral attendees see them as nothing more then pompous opportunists taking a cheap shot at people who can't respond to them out of respect for the deceased. The real meaning of a funeral eludes them.

author: Oluniyi D. Ajao


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Martinique: More Prison for Wife Burners · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Bien Vu  deplores (Fr) 15 recent cases of women set afire by their husbands in Martinique. Some have been severely injured, others have died reports the blogger. He says: “even after the perpetrators have been found guilty, they remain a danger to their wives. We hope to see these individuals incarcerated for long periods of time in order to eradicate an indignant and revolting trend.”


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Nigeria: Sheraton lobby · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Naijablog is in the lobby of the Sheraton, taking advantage of the wifi: “Behind me, a noisy group of slavic-speaking men are getting more and more drunk and voluble. Prostitutes wander in in preparation for the night's arrangements. Elegant African women in native saunter past. Business men arrive for meetings. A man behind me talks about something happening at the Presidency this evening. Almost all of Abuja in microcosm…“


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Oaxaca: Photographing the Teacher’s Strike · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Mark in Mexico headed down to the city's Zócolo to assess and photograph ground zero of the teacher's strike. He describes the scene with patent sarcasm: “I took no photos because here is where most of the anarchists, socialists, communists and revolutionary groups have set up shop. There is every “Movimiento de …”, “Bloque de …”, “Grupo de …”, “Comité de …”, and “Asamblea de…” that you can think of. I thought I was in Berkeley for a moment.”


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Pakistan: Going abroad to study · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Shirazi at Light Within reflects on why so many students from Pakistan go abroad to study. “In 1947, there was only one University of the Punjab. Today, we have almost 35 universities in the public sector, more than 100 in the private sector, and this number is growing with newer disciplines being added every year. After the new concept of private education has taken over, many private universities have shown their results whereas some of them have even left their mark on world map.”


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Philippines: Jeepney Stories · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Jeepneys are the colorful public transport widely used in Philippines. Senor Enrique shares some of his Jeepney stories on his blog.


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Poland: “Rightwards Shift” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Europhobia suspects something wrong may be taking place in Poland's politics.


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Russia: Blogger’s Critique of Boston Globe Editorial · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Konstantin of Russian Blog argues with certain points made in a Boston Globe editorial on Shamil Basayev's death.


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Serbia: Macedonian Gastarbeiters · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dictionary of the Serbian Mess writes about Macedonian miners working at Serbian mines.


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Serbia: Promotion Slogan · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Desperate Serbwife suggests a slogan to promote Serbia abroad: “It's Springtime in Serbia.”


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Singapore: Looking for Contributions · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Singapore's new groupblog is calling for it's readers to contribute articles. “As those among the readers who have been perusing the blog might surmise, Singapore Angle strives to be an online forum for promoting civil and reasoned discussions of Singapore affairs and other related issues of interest. To that end, we invite the reading public to make guest contributions for publication on this blog.”


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Somaliland, Somalia: Journalistic criticism · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Guest-blogging on the Voice of Somaliland Diaspora, Faysal Diriye launches an attack on journalistic standards among Somali Web sites which he describes as Siadist. “Cheap shot journalism! Too subjective, too emotional, and as boring as hell! They often shed more tears than thunder clouds could spill,” he writes.


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South Africa: Racial categories · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Farrel Lifson writes at politics.za about recent allegations that the African National Congress (ANC) is bringing back the language of racial categorisation.


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Sri Lanka: The implications of leaving Lebanon · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Even as evacuation drives intensify in Lebanon, Moju explores the implications of Sri Lankans who will find themselves jobless and will need financial assistance. “This sudden stoppage of the funds could economically weaken many families making them vulnerable. Secondly these workers will be literally ‘jobless’ in Sri Lanka.”


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Sri Lanka: Trade Unions and Development · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Land Like No Other discusses trade unions in Sri LankaS, and if the comparison with developed countries accurately presents the case of trade unions and development. “Privatization is not a devil as these labour unions trying to emphasize. All they worry is, that they can't misuse the properties of these organizations once they are privatized. You can't take corporation vehicles for home use. You can't misuse photo copy machines, printers etc.”


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Tajikistan: Ahmadinejad in Tajikistan · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Vadim reports on Iranian President Ahmadinejad's visit to Tajikistan and relations between Iran and Tajikistan.


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Thailand: Thai King’s Biography · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Bookish in Thailand rounds up what other bloggers are saying about a new biography on Thailand's king.  Thailand usually bans books or movies that shows the monarchy in negative light. The blogger is looking forward to reading the book and says “As much as I respect the King and his contributions to Thai society, I don’t think the official biography, which is endlessly repeated on Thai television and glosses over some of the conflicts he has had to overcome, truly honors his achievements. Hopefully I’ll get hold of the book and be able to give a Thai perspective on it.”


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

Bolivian Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera traveled north to the United States with a delegation of businessmen and members of Congressmen, both from the ruling party and the opposition.  The main objective of this trip was to speak with their U.S. counterparts regarding an extension of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), which expires at the end of 2006.  This agreement provides the Andean nations of Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador with preferential trade treatment in exchange for achieving certain measures in relation to, as the name implies, the eradication of drugs in these countries.  The Vice-President also took advantage of his visit to speak to different groups during the visit. Miguel Buitrago of MABB links to a recording of his speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).  Buitrago also speculates regarding a possible meeting between President George W. Bush and Bolivian President Evo Morales in September.
Jaime Humérez Seleme, of the blog Boliviscopio (ES), considered the task of an extension to be a “Mission Impossible,” and wondered whether the Vice-President participated in an Andean ritural called a “milluchada”  because the delegation needed added supernatural help in the negotiations. It appears that any extension of this trade preference may now be based on the negotiations or signing of a Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Bolivia.  President Morales has been pushing for another type of agreement called the TCP (Commercial Trade between Peoples), which he signed earlier with Venezuela and Cuba.  However, Morales has kept the possibility of signing some sort of trade agreement with the U.S. open. Jaime Rubin de Celis of JCR’s Place (ES) says that no one can seem to define what a TCP even is and he didn’t think Bolivia had much chance to get a favorable reaction from U.S. officials.
Is it possible that someone held onto a small bit of hope that the U.S. government would say, ‘Sure, no problem, we’ll extend the ATPDEA for two more year, even though your president insults us every time he opens his mouth?’
However, there has been less mention about Bolivia’s efforts towards the fight against drug trafficking and the growth of excedent coca leaves, which plays a big role in the original signing of the ATPDEA.  The blogger Boli-Nica links to a Center for Global Development report that states that Bolivia is currently in a relatively stable political environment and that the U.S. has expanded its engagement in Bolivia to other areas, such as judicial reform.  Boli-Nica also reprints a comment from the Democracy Center’s blog in which he writes.
He (Morales) is in the strongest position EVER for a Bolivian president re: growers. After all he is the grower federation's elected leader, commander in chief of Bolivia’s military and elected president. With the resources available to him, he should be able to craft a solution, that would essentially clean up most of the Chapare.
Even though Garcia Linera and the rest of the delegation returned without any commitments, he did swing by to visit his friend Desiree Duran, who was busy competing in the Miss Universe pageant, where she finished in the top 10.   Over the past couple of weeks, the blogger who goes by the moniker Ciudadano K (Citizen K) documented the preparation of Miss Bolivia and provided several observations regarding her participation, such as the notable presence of Bolivians in the audience complete with waving Bolivian flags (ES).  Another blogger, Javier Sandoval, who personally knows Duran, vouched for her “fantastic personality’ and her down-to-earth nature.  His blog is called Javier Libro Abierto (ES).

author: Eduardo Avila


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Uganda: Death of detainee · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Human Rights Watch calls on the Ugandan government to investigate the alleged torture and electrocution of a security detainee in a government “safe house” in Kampala on May 4.


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Ukraine: Relying on Contradictory Reports · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LEvko of Foreign Notes points out a serious problem one encounters when attempting to follow Ukrainian politics: “Tracking events in Ukrainian politics is often confusing because of conflicting and contradictory reports and comments given by the media, and by leaders and spokesmen from differing political parties.”


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Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan: Langston Hughes · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Breed discusses the first reissue of Langston Hughes's 1934 book on his trip to Soviet Central Asia. The book was first published in 1934 and the reprint was created from the only copy known to still exist.


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Albania: Little Progress in Anti-Corruption · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Our Man in Tirana cites a World Bank study, which declares that in terms of instituting anti-corruption reforms, “Albania remains the worst performer among all transition countries.”


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Argentina: Cosmos Theater to Close · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jeff Barry points readers to a post on Pasa en Buenos Aires, a new blog run by the city, about the closure of the Cosmos theater (ES). Speaking of cinema, Lovers Go Home gives some short reviews (ES) of recent movies and Robert Wright had just walked out of the movies when it started to hail (photos included).


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Bangladesh: The crisis in Lebanon · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

How Bangladesh is responding to the crisis in Lebanon at imperfect world 2006.


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Bermuda: “Worst of Bermuda” awards · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

The Limey offers his tongue-in-cheek “Worst of Bermuda Awards 2006”. Categories include “most embarrassing mistake”, “worst corporate citizen”, and “worst act of political cowardice”.


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Bolivia: Constituent assembly update · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Miguel Centallas has an update on Bolivia's Constituent assembly.


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Brazil: “Proud Cariocas” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Made in Brazil has a preview of Rio's Gay Pride Parade, which will take place this weekend.


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Brunei: Spotting a Bruneian · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Daily Brunei Resources blog talks about what makes a person a Bruneian.


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Cheese Fraud:  Viral Marketing Phenomenon · Global Voices
Rosario Lizana

Gilbertte Van Erpe introduces herself as a French business woman. She has been doing fraud in Belgium, France, Peru  and the last year it was the Chilean citizens’ turn. Bloggers wrote a lot about the issue. Leon Pulido (ES) explains the way the “business” works:
The doubtful business consists in investing 250,000 Chilean pesos (arroud US $470) for a pack with an enzyme and instructions how to cultivate it. The goal was to produce a type of “cheese” that will be exported to France. The final product was to be used in the cosmetic industry among others. Until this point, it looks as though there is coherence between “investment and work” and “profit sought.”
Mauricio Rebolledo (ES) explains that the structure was the well-known Ponzi pyramid and that people acted predictably.
A lot of those who were seduced by the “cheese fraud” are people that have an interest (legitimate) in investing money and obtaining a profit. They act with economic rationality. They don’t calculate the risk, because they were convinced by people they know (as the pyramid diagram). They were speaking about France, about exporting and that was enough.”
He continues mention other frauds and the money involved, and that this fraud is for US $4 million. Equinoxio (ES) writes that 5,512 people were misled and also that the Mayor of Peumo ( a small town) was fooled. Two of the victims, Felipe and Gerardo, made a blog (ES) about the issue, but a lot of unwelcome comments interrupted those involved, stunting the community growth on line.

author: Rosario Lizana


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China: blogging · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

wzp in ofblog has an evaluation of the impact of blogging in China and describes 2005 – 2006 summer as the hottest year. He claims that blogging has smashed the monopoly of hegmonic discourse and changed the tragetory of journalism (zh) . However, after the summer, winter follows (zh) , Liu Ren predicts. Keso is more optimistic about the coming winter, “it will only freeze the flies to death”. (zh).


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China: century China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The famous mainland Chinese BBS websites Century China forum and lifeweek BBS were closed down almost at the same time (25 of July 2006). The later is set up by Joint publishing company which focuses on the publication of intellectual thinking.  Mongee in Soho Xiaobao feels very pity about the disappearing of such intellectual space (zh). Nick Wong writes in his blog commenting on closing down of Century China forum: my evaluation of the Central Propaganda Department is that except the fact that people eat rice and they don't eat shit, whatever people like, they oppose (zh).


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China: money out of disaster · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translates a BBS post on how a local company made money out of a memorial park of the victim of the Tangshan earthquake.


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China: school close down · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Peijin Chen in Shanghaiist puts together reports and commentaries concerning the shut down of a school because of high tuition fees. “The story of this school illuminates interesting issues confronting Chinese education and society.“


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China: Sino-America Police Sanshou Championship  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zat Liu in Shanghaiist reports on the Sino-America Police Sanshou Championship organized by Ministry of Public Security and Public Security Office of Hunan Province and to be held from August 26-29 at Helong Stadium in Changsha. There is a voting on web (zh) where China supporters out numbered America supporter more than three times.


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China: spoofing culture · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lyn Jeffery in Virtual China blogs about spoofing culture in Chinese internet sphere and translates an article from QQ discussing whether spoofing can prevent social tragedies. Spoofing is a popular subculture that deconstructs serious themes to entertain people with comedy effects.


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Colombia: The Casa de Paz · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Adam Isacson writes from Medellín, where he describes his visit to the Casa de Paz: “The sole resident of the Casa de Paz is Francisco Galán, an ELN guerrilla leader whom the government captured in the mid-1990s. Galán is very unlikely to attempt an escape: from his previous jail cell in Itagüí, south of Medellín, and elsewhere, he has long served as the main conduit between the ELN and the outside world – including the Colombian government.”


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Croatia: Dubrovnik Now and Then · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Edward Lucas, Central and East European correspondent of The Economist, writes about his two visits to Croatia's seaside town Dubrovnik: in 1985 and this year.


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DRC: Candidates’ Last Minute Punches · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Light in the Heart of Darkness  chronicles what she calls “last minute punches” by various presidential candidates including interim vice-President Bemba, Ruberwa and interim President Joseph Kabila. Strategies include marches to the capital and burning of campaign headquarters among others.


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Georgia: Excuse to Invade · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Matt Jay rounds up news on Georgia's military operations against a local warlord who controls the Kodori Gorge, the only part of the breakaway region of Abkhazia controlled by Tbilisi. The blogger says that the escape of the warlord, Emzar Kvitsiani, into Abkhazia may provide Georgia to invade the region.


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Haiti: Investment Made Easier · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Collectif Haiti de Provence points to (Fr) a Radio Metropole article about the launch of a new Center for the Facilitation of Investment thanks to a grant by USAID. Thanks to the Center, “a corporation can be formed in 4 days as opposed to the 264 it took in the past.”


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Haiti: Protesters Ask for Debt Cancellation · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Collectif Haiti de Provence points (Fr) to a Radio Signal FM article stating: “Tens of Haitian alternative globalization activists protested Tuesday in front of a Port-au-Prince hotel where international delegations were participating in a meeting of donors to Haiti. The protestors, students for the most part, demanded the cancellation of Haiti's external debt estimated at $1.4 billion.”


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Hong Kong: Book exhibition · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Many bloggers in Hong Kong blog about book exhibition. Henry porter criticizes book exhibition this year become even more “vulgar”. Because of the crowd, the host has to urge people to leave the exhibition center as soon as possible; so how can people choose their books? (zh). Thomas describes the book exhibition as an annual buzz or pilgrimage for those who can read; but he still spend more than a thousand in books, comics, VCD and DVD (zh).


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Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translates Jimmy Lai's recent column in Next magazine discussing the limit of time and space in pan-Asian publications.


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India: A brief history of censorship · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Mitesh Vasa compiles information on what got censored in India over the last fifteen years. “Nonetheless, what I present is a compilation of raw facts about the history of State-ordered bans by India. And do let me know if you know any event that I missed here. “


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India: Open source and the Allahabad High Court · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Thejesh links to High Court Allahabad's website, which comes across as rather user friendly and promotes the use of open-source, and reflects on open standards and the public sector.


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India: The hundred dollar laptop · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Nanopolitan comments on the government deciding not to go ahead with the hundred dollar laptop.


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Indoensia: Expat Life and Indonesian Thoughts · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at Sarapan Ekonomi talks about expats discussing life in Indonesia. The blogger does not agree with some of the views the expats have but at the end of the post, the blogger asks everyone “Meanwhile, lighten up. It's Friday after all.”


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Jamaica, Cayman Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Blogger linkup · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Cayman-based Jamaican blogger Mad Bull posts a short report on last night's “Caribbean Blogger Linkup”, at which ten bloggers, mostly Jamaican but including one from St. Vincent, assembled at a restaurant in Kingston.


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Jamaica: R.I.P. Louise Bennett · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Poet and actress Louise Bennett, popularly known as Miss Lou, perhaps the most beloved public figure in contemporary Jamaica, has died at the age of 86. At the Caribbean Beat blog, Jeremy Taylor offers a tribute. “She wrote unforgettable poems in the Jamaican ‘patois’ or ‘dialect’ which we now learn to call a language … and her wit, her laughter and her satire did as much as anything to make Jamaicans feel at home with themselves.”


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Liberia: Firestone under fire · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

In honor of Liberian independence day, Black Looks highlights a campaign to persuade U.S. tyre maker Firestone to clean up its operations in Liberia, spearheaded by the Friends of the Earth.


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Malaysia: Online Freedom · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Malaysian opposition politician Lim Kit Siang is asking the Prime Minister to give assurance that online media would not be censored in Malaysia. The call comes after the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers made negative comments about blogs and online media in general.


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Martinique, France: Tribu Ka Suspended · Global Voices
Alice Backer

France's Council of Ministers recently decided to dissolve Tribu Ka, a Black nationalist French group, accusing it of anti-semitism.  French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy claims the group posted a graphic of a chimpanzee holding a star of David on their website. Martinique's Le Blog de [Moi] agrees (Fr) that Tribu Ka is anti-semitic but disagrees that they posted such a graphic on their site.


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Mexico: Barney Parody Video Taken Down · Global Voices
David Sasaki

According to Ocho Cuartos, the famous parody of a Barney song poking fun at Lopez Obrador (ES) has been taken down for copyright reasons.


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Middle East reaction: Petition · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Aba Boy links to a petition called “Save the Lebanese Civilians”.


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Mongolia: Gandhi Statue · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

For Optimists and Philosophers reports on the unveiling of a Gandhi statue in Ulaanbaatar.


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Myanmar: Love and Relationship in Myanmar · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Dawn in Myanmar takes a look at love and relationship in Myanmar and how people are holding on some traditions while some things are changing.


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Nepal: Dark days ahead? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Blogdai makes some dark predictions for Nepal. Who'll die over the next year, and who will be allies with the Maoists.


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

So, there you have it! “Collective punishment” is the new black of fashionable excuses used by governments world wide. Whether it be banning blogs or bombing to the hell out of innocent civilians, “collective punishment” pretty much is the “choice” tool of the tools in power.
Following suit (of this ill-fitted logic), I smashed all the letters on my keyboard because the ‘S’ wouldn't work when I tried to type an expletive to describe a Head of State of a powerful country and it only showed up as ‘hithead’.
I've realized this policy of collective punishment will not work, as I've had to purchase a new laptop and in the end it has cost me dearly – as it will all those in power who are practicing this rather asinine policy. (Amen!)
On to this week's collection of interesting posts from the Pakistani bloggers, Jaded explains why she is disturbed; Glasshouse dissects the Musharaf Letter; Windmill picks on The Economist; Adil Najam discusses democracy in Pakistan; Sabizak shames ARY channel; Teeth Maestro highlights the PM's new policy; and finally, I present my recipe for disaster.
I am also happy to introduce Pakcast, for those who are not aware of it already. Pakcast is a weekly podcast audio dialogue between Pakistan and the West hosted by Ethan Casey and Nasir Aziz.  I recommend everyone have a listen.
Now I am off to buy a new television set. I smashed the last one, as part of my collective punishment for accidentally clicking on the Fox News network while trying to switch channels.

author: Omer Alvie