text:
France suffers African dictators: Denis Sassou-Nguesso warmly welcomed by Sarkozy · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

France is famous for getting cozy with the dictators who govern their former colonies, a tradition called Françafrique that newly-elected French president Nicolas Sarkozy appears keen to continue.
In March, he received Omar Bongo, President of Gabon since 1967.
And last week he played host to Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of Congo-Brazzaville.
Both have been accused of manipulating democratic institutions to extend their own rule, perhaps for life, of mortgaging the futures of the people they lead for their personal enrichment.
Both are under investigation by the French police for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars in public funds (i.e., oil revenue) to buy property in France.
Little wonder so many internautes think Sarkozy’s willingness to turn a blind eye to dictatorship and corruption has something to do with coveting the millions of barrels of oil in Gabon and Congo.
In Congo-Brazzaville and the diaspora, people are sick of France’s willful complicity in the story of African despotism.
Here I translate some excerpts from Vous reprendrez bien un peu d'humanisme?, who lampoons Sassou-Nguesso's recent visit to France in series of blog posts and cartoons, and comments left by readers of Mwinda.org, a participatory Congolese news website.
Sarkozy:
He’s like Marcel’s banania.
Ajar, always with a smile on his lips.
But who is it?
Sassou-Nguesso?
Ah yes, one of our black governors that allow us to make the shareholders of Total rich.
We’ll let him think he’s important.
Sassou aide:
They gave us paper to color but not the crayons. Where did I put mine?
Doesn’t everyone deserve democracy?
Humanisme sent Sarkozy a letter via a form on the Elysee website to protest his reception of Sassou and urges readers of Mwinda.org to do the same.
He asks whether the Congolese are any less deserving of the democracy French citizens enjoy:
La gouvernance, la déontologie et l'honnêteté du Président de la Rapublique du Congo sont particulièrement mises en doute par différentes instructions judiciaires en cours au niveau international (RICO aux Etats-Unis ou la plainte de Survie et Sherpa à Paris). Les dernières élections législatives au Congo ont montré un énorme déni de démocratie vis à vis du peuple Congolais comme les observations convergentes remontées par de nombreuses sources indépendantes en attestent. Alors qu'en tant que français, je peux témoigner de l'organisation transparente de nos élections en France qui vous ont porté à la place que vous occupez aujourd'hui et qui ont permis l'élection de nos députés sans que nous ayons aujourd'hui des suspicions d'irrégularité.
The last legislative elections in the Congo showed, as the observations of numerous independent sources attest. As a French, I can testify to the transparency of our elections in France that brought you into the office you occupy today and that allowed the election of our deputies without any suspicions of irregularity.
The legislative elections were a major sticking point.
Numerous calls for an independent electoral commission were made, but ignored.
In the end there were serious election irregularities (Fr). Humanisme calls the June 24 election “the most undemocratic election in years.”
Not the facade of democracy that serves as an easy justification for sending back undesirable Africans to their countries where they have no future.
No, a democracy with a respect for rules, one that cannot be put in doubt.
Not everyone agrees the elections were compromised.
On Mwinda.org reader, Aime jules, writes :
A member of government was even beaten in his [district].
It’s not certain that frederic bitsangou will win in the second round.
The voters expressed themselves in complete freedom…there is no dictatorship in Brazzaville.
[if gte vml 1]><v :shape id="media-437513" o:spid="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75"  alt="465fe015013b786e5e18b17c7cbc378d.jpg" style='width:270pt;height:235.5pt'>  <v :imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Thomas\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\17\clip_image002.jpg"   o:href="http://suis-jeleseulcommecela.hautetfort.com/media/02/00/465fe015013b786e5e18b17c7cbc378d.jpg"/> </v>< ![endif][if !vml] [endif]
Sassou: “They could wait until I voted to begin stuffing the ballots.”
First lady: “My dress and my jewelry are beautiful!!”
France, friend of oppressed peoples
As evidence of French hypocrisy, Humanisme points to Sarkozy’s own words during a visit to Africa as interior minister:
In a similar vein, Gracias, a Mwinda.org reader, writes:
Vive la Françafrique!
Meeting between M. Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the  of Congo
Sarkozy: “A firm grip to crush his hand.”
Sassou: “He’s hurting me this racist, neocolonialist, lingering stench of colonialism. He’s crushing my fingers.
Oh my Jacques, how I miss our passionate embraces.”
From the perspective of many Africans and despite Sarkozy’s rhetoric to the contrary, Françafrique is alive and well.
Here is a sampling of comments from Mwinda.org readers:
Some among us told me that they (l’elysee and the other doctors of misery in the Congo) know, that’s must be true because a lot of the fruits of the embezzled money are eaten in France…
Sarkozy qui pronait la rupture est reduit à recevoir un homme cité dans une enquête pour crime contre l'humanité. Celui-là meme qui a fait bruler le drapeau de la France par des voyous conduits dans des bus devant l'amabsaade de France a BZV avec l'organisation de certains membres de son gouvernement.
[endif]
Sarkozy, who trumpeted a break with the past, is reduced to receiving a man implicated in an investigation for crimes against humanity, a man who made hooligans burn the French flag in buses before the French embassy in Brazzaville in coordination with certain members of government.
In less than six months before coming into power, Sarkozy has received both Bongo and Sassou, the two biggest scoundrels in Africa.
France is known for supporting, and therefore validating, the victory of African dictators after rigged elections, for the history of France has never been one of ruptures but of continuities.

author: Jennifer Brea


text:
Guatemala: In a Culture of Sports, Here are Seven Cultural Blogs · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Since the number seven is “in”, I will like to show you seven interesting blogs used to discuss and spread culture to every corner of Guatemala:
1. Casa Cultural de San Martin Jilotepeque [ES]
This is the blog of a nice cultural center in San Martin Jilotepeque, the land of Zompopos, where it was once, for a few days, the capital of the entire Central American region. There you can find interesting histories about the place, their heritage, the traditional handicrafts with obsidian, known as “chaye” or black gold.
2. Acerca Sumpango [ES]
It is an amazing blog about kites, updated every November where the annual tradition takes place. Kites are known as “barriletes” and this author said that:
No son barriletes, sino mensajeros. Los barriletes de Santiago y Sumpango son mensajeros entre los ancestros y los vivos, según la cosmología kaqchikel.
They aren't really kites, they are messengers. The “barriletes” of Santiago and Sumpango are messengers between our ancestors and those still alive, according to jaqchikel cosmovision.
3. Centro Cultural de España [ES]
Bloggy Mary is a sympathetic name for the blog of the Centro Cultural de España in Guatemala, where they not only provide comments and updates of their activities but also tell of “inside” adventures and misadventures of the staff.
4. Proyecto Cultural Sololateco [ES]
This blog is a great cultural and environmental project with children in Sololá.
5. Luna Park [ES]
It is a space that shows the updates of a cultural project called “Luna Park” in the highlands of Guatemala.
6. Cafe Momus [ES]
One of the must sophisticated blogs of culture, focused on one single topic: opera.
7. And one from abroad by a wonderful Guatemalan blogger studying at Harvard, Kyle de Beausset, who said on Immigration Orange Blog:”
The BBC has reported on this campaign to get people to vote on the Seven Wonders of the World. I can't help but point out how flawed the New Seven Wonders are.  If Chichen Itza was chosen over Tikal it illustrates more than I've ever known how flawed an internet voting system is”.
It is important to note that each project is quite geographically far from the other in areas that are not so wealthy, but rich in diversity and cultural heritage. They are doing amazing things, in a country where culture is not a priority. In regards to priorities in Guatemala, it is mandatory that no less than 3% of the National Budget has to be assigned to “Sports”. In the newspapers the section dedicated to “sports” is bigger than the one of “culture”. However, facts in blogs show us that “sports” and “culture” sometimes are interesting allies, as Destinos [ES] blog said:
Cristiano Ronaldo, the popular Portuguese footballer player of Manchester United said that he was proud of his support to the campaign (to choose the new seven wonders of the world).

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Renata Avila


text:
Haiti: Making Movies  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Even in hard times, Haitians go to the movies.” Marginal Revolution refers to a report that examines the blossoming Haitian film industry.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Hong Kong: Interview with Zoula · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The English version of the interview with Zoula (the so-called first blogger journalist in China) concerning his idea about citizen reporting, his observation of the 10th anniversary of reunification in Hong Kong has been posted at interlocals.net.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Hong Kong: tabloid press’ double standards · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Simon rightly pointed out that the tabloid press in Hong Kong in presenting the saga of RTHK head Chu Pui-hing exposed their double standards in Hong Kong's lives: The city, like many others, has numerous hostess bars, nightclubs and the like. They are frequented by many. So what does it matter if the head of RTHK goes to a club and walks out with a woman? How is this relevant to his job? His organisation?
Chu has resigned because of the scandal.


text:
India: Kashmir and Illusions · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

At Jule!, a member of a group that traveled through Kashmir pens a letter in which she talks about the illusion of a different Kashmir.

author: Neha Viswanathan


text:
Iraq: Summer Blues  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Omar at Iraq the Model battles the summer heat to bring us the latest from Baghdad in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Japan: Women’s spending · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mari Kanazawa blogs about a local magazine survey on how single women in their 30s spend their money.


text:
Jordan: A Week to Fix the Airport  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ahmad Humeid from Jordan tells us how King Abdulla has given airport officials a week's ultimatum to “fix” the airport.


text:
Jordan: Double Celebration  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Natasha Tynes had a double celebration this week – her birthday and the naming of Petra among the world's seven new wonders.


text:
Kenya: wind powered cell phone base stations · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Afrigadget has a photo with a post about wind powered cell phone base stations: “The company WinAfrique designs and builds hybrid wind and diesel turbine systems for powering cell phone base stations. Kenya’s biggest wireless companies Safaricom and Celtel have contracted with WinAfrique.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Kurdistance: The State of Kurdish Activism · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Some may be surprised to hear that coverage of the Kurdish blogosphere has been appearing on Global Voices for longer than coverage of the Turkish blogospheres. Whereas the Turkish blogosphere has been expanding, the Kurdish blogosphere (at least the English language end) is slowly disappearing. Today's article will focus on the current state of Kurdish activism (as blogging can be considered as a primary element of that) and a new initiative that is designed to help extend the Kurdish voice.
The decline in Kurdish voices is difficult to explain, but a large part of the lessening of blogging could be attributed to Kurdish websites being under attack from various hackers. IraqiKurdistan has been hacked by a character who names himself the “dangerous ghost ne mutlu turkum diyene”. And while I have not been able to confirm this, I suspect that From Holland to Kurdistan has switched their blog to invited readers only because of a similar reason, as their site (and their Dutch language news-site) has had problems from hackers in the past. Not only are hackers a danger to Kurdish blogging but also the governments that their writers are operating out of. A new website The Arab Network for Kurdish Rights is a new organization that seeks to preserve the Kurdish voice online. They are in the process of setting up a petition, which should be ready by the end of the month. Until that time, here is a bit from their opening post:
Kurdish Rights is a project by independent students who wish to fight for the rights of Kurds within the Middle East. In this website, we aim to empower Kurdish bloggers and administrators to keep writing despite the fact that an alarming number of Kurdish blogs and sites get blocked by many Middle Eastern countries, from Iran to Turkey to Bahrain to Syria to God knows where else. Traditionally, Kurds were never allowed a voice in mainstream media outlets within our region. Now we as students and youth activists are standing up to say “enough!”
New technology is making it increasingly easier for us to hear the voices of those who weren’t given a voice throughout our history; and we will NOT allow this powerful tool to be taken away from fellow Kurdish bloggers and authors online.
The mission statement of the site Hevallo addresses the lack of Kurdish voices on the web:
It is shocking at a time when the psychological warfare and criminalisation of the Kurdish struggle in Turkey is at its highest, that there are not a lot of sites/blogs in English, that give uptodate information from a Kurdish perspective and challenge the label of ‘terrorist’ and ‘terror’ that is so readily accepted by the Western governments. Hevallo tries to do that.
And of course, mentioned in this column several times is the site SaveRojTV that actively works for the preservation of its Kurdish broadcasting rights.
On the issue of Kurdish activism, a death of a well-known Kurdish activist Orhan Dogan has sent the Kurds in Turkish Kurdistan into a state of deep grief. Both Rasti and Hevallo have announcements of the untimely death and information from the funeral.
I would like to close today with a small excerpt for a wonderful write-up that Zaneti did on another Kurdish activist and associate of Orhan Dogan, Leyla Zana:
In all corners of the world, there are people of courage who live their lives determined to do the right thing for themselves and for those around them. These are people who are admired for their actions. They are never accredited timely but the righteous hope that they will be eventually recognized for their good will. In the predominantly Kurdish region of Turkey (see Northern Kurdistan), Leyla Zana has been living a life of constant struggle, determined to attain the rights of her people and in search of democracy in a place where such an idea seems unreachable. One may find it ironic that she has been accused of separatism and hate when she only speaks of peace and democracy. However, it is not irony but the lack of democracy where she lives that effectuates hate in circumstances where individuals like her are forced to strive for peace and are punished for it.
In Turkey, Kurds are subjected to terror and barbaric torture and a policy of forceful assimilation. Everything from social and political inequalities exists for the Kurds and the region in which they live is economically undeveloped. Although much of the world has claimed that the country represents a democracy in the Middle East, one can easily argue that this is far from the truth. Kurds who have spoken up about the injustices have been punished, labeled as threatening the Turkish state, and imprisoned. Leyla Zana’s story is symbolic to all those who have tried to take the peaceful road and have been penalized for doing so.

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


text:
Kuwait: New Arranged Marriage Method  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti Angelo tells us about a new arranged marriage method in Kuwait.


text:
Kuwait: Smelly Question · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“What happens if we inhale bad odour, in specific bad perspiration odour?” asks Pearls from Kuwait.


text:
Lebanon: The Perfect Bride · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Riemer Brouwer, from Lebanon, writes about The Perfect Bride.


text:
Lebanon: Wedding and School Reunion · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lebanese Rampurple  gives us a sneak preview of two events she enjoyed – a wedding and a school reunion.


text:
Myanmar: Cheapest Cybercafe in Yangood · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Mady June finds the cheapest cyber cafe in Yangoon.

author: Preetam Rai


text:
Myanmar: What game is this? · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Myath Thura has a short video clip of some kids playing some unrecognizable game in northern Myanmar. Anyone wants to guess.


text:
Nepal: Children, Politics and more · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kathmandu Speaks on what the author wishes for children in Nepal, and the current political system.


text:
Pakistan: Lal Masjid and afterwards · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan is provoked by the photograph of a father who son is inside the Lal Masjid. “Right now all these questions seem really petty and small. This is not the time for scoring cheap political points. This is not the time for spin.”


text:
Sri Lanka: Blogs and Plagiarizing · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Extremes of Truth on main stream media plagiarizing from blogs.


text:
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: J’ouvert  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Abeni confesses to being a “party animal” and posts some photos taken at St. Vincent's J'ouvert celebrations.


text:
Tajikistan: Nuclear waste · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

nonpon says that it might take another few years before actions follow words in cleaning up Tajikistan's radioactive debris.

author: Ben Paarmann


text:
Tajikistan: Threatened reptiles · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Vadim says that a Chinese roadbuilding project in Tajikistan puts a threat to local reptiles. Snakes and turtles are being sold to Chinese cooks for as much as $10.


text:
The Balkans: “Behind Enemy Lines” Movie · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Bosnia Blog reviews “Behind Enemy Lines” movie.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica: Kei Miller Reading · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Antilles blogs about the work of Jamaican author Kei Miller and links to a podcast in which he is interviewed.


text:
Vietnam: Building Higher · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Saigon Nezumi looks at the construction boom in his neighborhood.


text:
Afghanistan: Interview with Baktash Siawash, blogger and journalist · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

What follows is an interview about censorship, media and blogs in Afghanistan with blogger and journalist Baktash Siawash. Baktash writes for several magazines including WashingtonPrism.
Q: Please introduce yourself and your blog.
A: My Name is Baktash Siawash and I live in Afghanistan; my blog's name is “Writings of Siawash” (Neweshtehayeh Siawash in Farsi). I started my blog back in 2003 in Kabul. I used to publish my writings via provider Persianblog, but after publishing an article about “Bad Veil (Bad Hijad) in Tehran” , my blog got removed from this Iran-based provider. At present, I have a new blog that can be found here: http://www.kabul.tchatcheblog.com/.
Q: How you evalute the situation of Afghan blogs at present?
A: I think writing blogs in Afghanistan started in 2002, and bloggers were a small number of people who had access to the internet in their working place. I mean most of these bloggers worked with NGOs, UN or other foreign offices in Afghanistan. Some Afghan blogs also got established by Afghans who live in Canada, the US and other parts of the world.
In 2004, the number of Afghan bloggers increased to around 300 blogs. In 2005, statistics showed the number of Afghan blogs had risen to around 900. It seems at present we have 3000 bloggers but many of them do not update their blogs in a month. A small number of them are active and update there blog, daily, weekly, and monthly. Most Afghan blog are about poetery, politics and  culture.
Q: It seems Afghanistan has enjoyed freedom of expression and that there are many journals. Do you think blogs can bring an added value to freedom of epression? How has their role been so far?
A: In Afghanistan, there are about 70 radio stations, 400 daily, weekly and monthly magazines, 5 news agencies, 7 TV stations, but still we don’t have freedom of expression. The Afghan government cannot accept critical journals and journalists in Afghanistan. There are a lot of examples I can mention. Narmgo, an Afghan independent journalist, was sent to jail just for his criticism about an Afghan Minister. The Afghan government controls Afghan blogs and 2 days earlier Afghan independent blogger and journalist Kamran Merhazar was jailed for a few days by the Afghan special police agency NDS. Because he was also critical regarding the government.
These examples show that the pressure on blogs and other sections of the media increases and that working with newspapers, journals and blogs in Afghanistan becomes more difficult.
Q: How is the relationship between traditional media and blogs in Afghanistan? Do many journalists blog or not?
A: I think that blog is a new concept in Afghanistan. Here, we do have some newspapers and weeklies which have blogs and websites but in general, working with blogs is still in its infancy here.  Most of the Afghan politicians, journalists and writers cannot even use email. Another problem in this area is electricity. Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan but still its citizens suffer from regular blackouts. Moreover, most Afghan daily, weekly and monthly newspapers use information from websites. This happens especially often with the BBC Persian Service: There's a lot of reprinting without mentioning the source. In Afghanistan, nobody attaches any value to copyright.
Q: Would you like to share any idea with Global Voices audience?
A: I know that most of the Global Voices readers are journalists, human rights activists and defenders of freedom of expression. I ask them not to leave Afghan journalists and freedom of expression fighters alone.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Africa: is the United States of Africa already here? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Is the United States of Africa already here? Business in Focus asks: “If the idea of creating a United States of Africa is to create wealth, then we may argue that it is already here. What Africa needs is to strengthen existing structures, invest more in ICT and establish structures that support international trade and wealth creation through value addition.”


text:
Algeria: Mistrusting Muslims  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Moor Next Door, an Algerian American, comments on an article which appeared in the LA Times on mistrusting Muslims in the wake of the foiled UK bombings.


text:
Armenia: Film festival · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

On Life in Armenia, Raffi K. reports on the opening of the Golden Apricot International Film Festival, which takes place for the fourth time in the capital Yerevan this year.


text:
Armenia: Playing nardi · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Nardi- (or backgammon-) playing seniors are an omnipresent sight in Yerevan when it's warm outside. On his 39th birthday, Onnik Krikorian wonders whether he should soon join them.


text:
Bahamas, Cuba: Plots Against Castro  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Rick Lowe at WeblogBahamas.com shares his views about the CIA's assassination plot, freedom of speech and Castro's revolution.


text:
Bahrain: Honour Killings  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A new website on honour killings has been launched, writes Bahraini Esraa in Mideast Youth.


text:
Bahrain: Terror Shock  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini emoodz expresses his shock at the Al Qaeda terror tactics in Iraq and elsewhere.


text:
Barbados: Slave Trade Reparations  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The continuing talk and research…are really only the pate and champagne before the main course – which is…how much money can we squeeze from the European Union and Britain during this round of talks?”  Barbados Free Press wonders whether slavery reparation funds are being properly utilized by the Barbadian government.


text:
Barbados: Victims’ Rights  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

On hearing news that the sentences for certain criminals that have been deemed “unconstitutional”, What crazy looks like wonders who is campaigning for victims’ rights?


text:
Belize: Customer Service · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Before we came to live in Belize, many people here warned us that dealing with officials and businesses could be very frustrating and slow.”  Exploring Belize Continues discovers that customer service in Belize always delivers that something extra…


text:
Benin: Independence celebrations moved to capital of Dahomey · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Babilown writes about the decision to move independence celebrations (Fr) to Abomey, capital of the historic kingdom of Dahomey.


text:
Bhutan: Ban on smoking · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Visit Bhutan in 2008 on the ineffectiveness of the ban on smoking in Bhutan.


text:
Bolivia: Snow Blanket Over El Alto · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Mario Duran of Palabras Libres [ES] posts a photo slideshow of the rare snowfall in the city of El Alto, and which has caused difficulties for area farmers.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Caucasus: The state of democracy · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Social Science in the Caucasus has a closer look at the The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2007 Index of Democracy, in which Georgia and Armenia are classified as hybrid and Azerbaijan as an authoritarian regime.


text:
China: Black cotton factory · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wang hao fung from moobol posted a report and photos of an illegal black cotton factory in Wuhan city (zh). Workers were working in a terribly polluted environment.


text:
China: Indifferent society · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lui qui lu wei from 1510 criticized the Chinese society being too indifferent and cruel(zh). Recently a young person was drowning in the flood, more than a thousands onlookers surrounded the scene. A year ago, some secondary school girls were forced into prostitution by their teacher, who were not charged till now… how can trust be built in such society? Lui asked.


text:
Colombia: Protests Against Kidnappings · Global Voices
Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez

After the murder of 11 deputies by FARC guerrillas, Colombians decided to go to the streets and yell “No More Kidnappings“. It started as a citizen initiative, but soon the democratic security government, big companies and mainstream media supported it and invited people to join. The huge demonstration took place on Thursday 5 July at noon. Even Second Lifers protested. But leftist Alternative Democratic Pole preferred to call its “own march”, because it didn’t want to be supportive of President Uribe, who is also considered [by them] to be responsible for the death of the local lawmakers.
equinoXio [ES] had a big special with some pictures from its “correspondents” in 5 cities (Bogotá, Medellín [twice], Cali, Manizales, and Pasto). Padrino José, writing from Cali, recalls his experience [ES]:
Hoy marcharon, estuve allí, pero lo que sentía era la soledad en que estaban las familias de los diputados, en medio de convocatorias de caudillos políticos aprovechando pancartas, banderas y muñecos llamando al rechazo, observaba la pesca en “río Cali revuelto” de algunos precandidatos en puja por las próximas elecciones. Pero lo más triste y lo que no quería escuchar era la forma en que fue tratada la hija del diputado Charry mientras leía el comunicado de agradecimiento en nombre de las familias y que fue abucheada por la turba mientras decía:
“… Nuestros muertos nos pertenecen. Gracias por movilizarse para rechazar las políticas del gobierno …”
Y son ellos, los familiares, quienes en una mezcla de dolor y soledad cobijada por una manta a la cual no se le puede objetar, tienen a mi parecer la mejor versión de los hechos: Promesas incumplidas, citas canceladas, ruegos aquí y allá en una búsqueda incansable de 5 años para su liberación y nada lo consiguió, la voluntad por parte de las partes por ayudar en el momento indicado era un derecho ya ganado y no lo recibieron, y para su sorpresa ahora cuando claman por sus muertos las voces de dolor parecieran ser interesadas y estratégicas y de seguro entorpecerán más el camino para llegar a un final.
They marched today, I was there, but what I felt was the loneliness of the deputies’ families, amidst the call from political caudillos that took advantage of banners, flags and puppets calling for rejection [of kidnappings], I saw the pre-candidates for next elections fishing in Cali river’s troubled waters. But the saddest thing and what I didn’t want to hear was the way deputy [Carlos] Charry’s daughter [Carolina] was treated while she read a grateful letter in behalf of the families and who was booed by the crowd as she said:
“… Our dead belong to us. Thank you for mobilizing to reject the government’s policies…”
And it’s them, the relatives, who in an unobjectionable mix of pain and loneliness, are sheltered by a blanket.  They have, in my opinion, the best version of what happened: unfulfilled promises, cancelled appointments, pleas everywhere during a 5-year restless search for their release and nothing could be achieved. The will of the parts to help at the right moment was an already earned right and they couldn’t get it, and to their surprise, now, when they clamour for their dead, the voices of pain seem to be selfish and strategic and they will surely hold up the path to reach an ending.
In Bogotá, Marsares says [ES] that there wasn’t a big march since there were several meeting points, so there were smaller marchs all over the city. According to him, there wasn’t a big “human chain” from downtown as announced, but there were some clashes among the ones standing for a safe haven for 45 days for FARC in order for the release of the hostages and the others who claimed for a tougher policy against the terrorists. He also noticed the way some government officials were “instructing” pro-Uribe demonstrators.
Thilo Hanisch Luque posts a video and writes [ES]:
Quizás los terroristas de turno hagan oídos sordos al clamor nacional, como es la costumbre de la guerrilla. Pero al menos las familias de las víctimas se sintieron acompañadas en su dolor el día de hoy. Son más de 3000 secuestrados, aproximadamente.
Maybe the terrorists don’t hear the national clamour, as is usual with guerrillas. But at least the victims’ relatives felt [Colombians joined in] their pain today. There are approximately more than 3,000 kidnapped.
Atrabilioso’s [ES] Jaime Restrepo interrupted his vacation to celebrate and say “At last!”.  A few months ago he started a campaign against kidnapping and asking for the -now unconditional- freedom of all hostages: “This is a beginning, but hope awakens amidst pain”.
Doppiafila [IT] writes in Italian “Good-bye apathy?” and analyzes three aspects of the demonstration: the intensity of the country’s reaction to the deputies’ murder, the position of the government and the role played by the two main television networks.
In questo caso è facile da riassumere: RCN e Caracol hanno promosso la marcia, ne hanno garantito il successo, l'hanno seguita minuto a minuto e l'hanno interpretata nei suoi significati a beneficio dell'85% dei colombiani che non leggono i giornali (pardon: il giornale).
È ridondante affermare che senza il lancio televisivo che hanno avuto, le marce non avrebbero avuto questo successo; superfluo anche dire che senza la diretta, l'impatto sociale sarebbe stato di molto inferiore – magari un servizio di due minuti la sera, nulla in confronto ai continui speciali dalle città più importanti. Importante però sottolineare questo lavoro di interpretazione, di premasticatura; facciamolo con un esempio banale – i cori.
Immaginiamo che due frange minoritarie intonino ciascuna uno slogan: una, filo governativa, “Uribe – Amigo – El pueblo está contigo” (Uribe Amico il popolo è con te); l'altra, d'idee contrarie, “Uribe – Paraco – El pueblo está berraco” (Uribe Paramilitare il popolo è incazzato).
Il buon giornalismo le mostrerebbe entrambe, contestualizzandole con equilibrio. Il cattivo giornalismo (quello di parte, per intenderci), si concentrerebbe su di una di esse (a seconda della parte), minimizzando l'altra. Il pessimo giornalismo farebbe dell'espressione più conveniente il centro della sua copertura, dandogli ad esempio il titolo a caratteri cubitali.
Da quello che ho potuto vedere, RCN e Caracol hanno evitato gli eccessi del “pessimo” ma sono stati ben lontani dal “buon”, facendo cosí un immenso favore ad Uribe – il quale gliene sarà riconoscente, come e quando potrà.
In this case it’s easy to summarize: RCN and Caracol have promoted the march, have guaranteed its success, have followed it minute by minute and have interpreted its meaning on behalf of the 85% of Colombians who don’t read the newspapers (sorry: the newspaper). It’s redundant to say that without the television push that they had, the march wouldn’t have had that success; it’s also superfluous to say that without the live broadcast, the social impact would be quite inferior… maybe a two minute report at night, nothing to compare with the continuous specials from the most important cities. It’s important though to comment on this work of interpretation; let’s make it with a banal example: the choruses. Let’s pretend two groups singing a slogan each: one, supportive to the government, “Uribe – Amigo – El pueblo está contigo” (”Uribe, our friend, the people is with you”); the other one, on the contrary yells, “Uribe – Paraco – El pueblo está berraco” (”Uribe, you paramilitary, the people is angry”). Good journalism would show them both, contextualized with balance. Bad journalism (the partisan one, so we understand each other) would concentrate on one of them (the second part) and minimizing the other one. Awful journalism would made the most convenient expression the centre of its coverage, giving that example the headline in red letters. Based on what I could watch, RCN and Caracol have avoided the “awful” one’s excesses, but they’ve been quite far from the “good” one, making this way a huge favour for Uribe, which will be acknowledged, sometime and somehow.
Finally, with his usual sarcasm, Bilioso slams the pretended “pacifism” of Colombians and the alleged “success” of the demonstrations, as FARC won’t return the bodies of the murdered deputies to their families and won’t stop kidnapping:
Dicen los medios masivos de enajenación que la marcha fue un éxito. Y no, no es cierto: es al revés, la marcha fue un fracaso. Si la marcha buscaba la liberación de los secuestrados entonces fue un fracaso ya que los secuestrados siguen en el monte y si la marcha buscaba la paz entonces es innecesario recalcar que fue un fracaso demoledor, otro, pues. […] Los marchantes, muy eufóricos ellos, salieron a pedir la entrega de los cadáveres de los 11 diputados del Valle asesinados por las FARC, ejército terrorista. Muy conmovedor ver a estos solidarios bogotanos pedir la entrega de los fiambres pero no recuerdo haberlos visto en el 2001 marchando en protesta por la muerte de 30 campesinos en el corregimiento de Chengue. Debe ser que se les olvidó. ¡Y eso que 30 es más que 11! Tampoco recuerdo haberlos visto en 1997 marchando en respuesta a la masacre de 49 personas en Mapiripán, masacre que duro 5 días. Es que en el mundo al revés 11 políticos son más importantes que 49 campesinos y eso que los primeros sólo tienen 22 riñones y los segundos 98. Y si de muertes espectaculares se trata tampoco recuerdo haber visto marchantes en el año 2000 cuando 15 campesinos fueron asesinados a garrote en Macayepo. ¡Qué olvidadizos! Ahora, que si de números se trata, la masacre de El Salado en el año 2000 se habría hecho merecedora de una nutrida marcha pues allí fueron asesinados a garrote y a cuchillo más de 100 personas. ¿O no? Claro que no, Bilioso güevón, ¿no ve que 100 campesinos no alcanzan a valer ni medio diputado? ¡Zoquete! Entiendo, es que 100 cultivadores que producen comida para el bogotano marchante no valen medio politiquero. Cosas de la democracia… Cositas raras como para believe it or not como que un presidente guerrerista salga a marchar por la paz. ¿Tiene sentido? Madrecita linda, ¿por qué no me pariste en Venezuela donde hay petróleo y reforma agraria?
“Mainstream” media say the march was successful. And it’s not true: it’s otherwise, the march was a failure. If the march asked for the release of the kidnapped then it was a failure because the kidnapped are still at the mountains and if the march asked for peace then it’s unnecessary to remark it was a devastating failure, another one. […] The demonstrators, quite euphoric, went to the streets to ask for the return of the corpses of the 11 Valle del Cauca deputies murdered by the FARC terrorist army. It was very moving to see these supportive Bogotans to ask for the delivery of the bodies, but I don’t remember seeing them in 2001 protesting on the death of 30 peasants in Chengue small village. They just forgot it for sure. No matter what, 30 is more than 11! I also don’t remember them marching against the massacre of 49 in Mapiripán, a 5-day massacre. In this upside down world 11 politicians are more important than 49 peasants, though the former only have 22 kidneys and the latter 98. And if we’re recalling “notable” deaths I also don’t remember seeing demonstrators in 2000 when 15 peasants were beaten to death with clubs in Macayepo. They’re so forgetful! Now, if we talk about numbers, El Salado massacre in 2000 would have deserved a huge march because more than 100 persons were killed with clubs and knives. Didn’t they? Of course not, you stupid Bilioso, don’t you see 100 peasants aren’t worth even half deputy? Jerk! I get it, 100 peasants who grow food for the demonstrators in Bogotá aren’t worth even half politico. Democracy stuff… Strange things for [Ripley’s] believe it or not such a war president going out and marching for peace. Does it make any sense? Mother of mine, why didn’t you give birth to me in Venezuela where there’s oil and land reform?
Bilioso also transcribes a bloodcurdling testimony of a survivor of a massacre perpetrated by paramilitaries.

author: Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez


text:
DR Congo: London protest march photos · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Le renouveau congolais has photos of a recent protest march in London, including one of a beaming man carrying a poster that reads: “I want to kill Kabila myself.”


text:
Eastern Europe: The Economist’s Coverage · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar and A Fistful of Euros critique the Economist's coverage of East European economies.


text:
Guatemala: Blogger Meet-up on July 20 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

José Joaquín of Anecdotario [ES] invites Guatemalan bloggers to a meet-up on July 20.


text:
Guatemala: Politically Incorrect Jokes at Expense of Rigoberta Menchú · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Carlos Mendoza felt offended hearing “politically incorrect” jokes at the expense of Rigoberta Menchú, he writes at Democracia Multicultural [ES].


text:
Honduras: Announcing Engagement Online · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Honduran blogger José Luis Romero of Boby's Blog [ES] announced his engagement to his girlfriend and even uploaded the video of the announcement on YouTube.


text:
Honduras: Honoring a Modern-Day Heroine · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

La Gringa calls attention to the online newspaper Revistazo.com and its coordinator Dina Meza, who recently was awarded the Amnesty International Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat.


text:
India: HR Mismanagement · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

I, Me, Myself on Human Resources Management as practiced in India, and the inherent hypocrisy in some situations.


text:
India: Women and Presidents · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Random Thoughts on feminism, media and the Presidential Candidate.


text:
Iran:Arabs in Iran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In View from Iran, we read:”The Arabs I met in Iran also seemed to find Iranian culture foreign and odd. “This is not an Islamic country,” they would tell me. “Every Iranian party has alcohol. At private parties, the women remove their hijab (veil)!”


text:
Iran:Osanlou, a syndicate leader, was kidnapped · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Salam democrat reports[Fa] that Mansour Osanlou,head of the executive committee of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, was kidnapped today in Tehran.He had already been arrested and tortured before by Iranian security forces.


text:
Iraq: New Job for Mama  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi Mama from Mosul has found a new job, which is five minutes away from her home.


text:
Israel: The Other Face of Bloggers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Allisonks from Israel shows us the other face of bloggers, who have more to their credits than just their blogs.


text:
Jamaica: Crystal Rain  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Amnesia as a metaphor for cultural and historic rootlessness has been widely used in Caribbean writing and it informs the writing of Derek Walcott and Kamau Brathwaite.”  Geoffrey Philp reviews Caribbean author Tobias S. Buckell's new book.


text:
Jamaica: Rock On  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Critics seem to want to believe that rock and roll emerged fully formed from the start, but not if that means black people did it. Not if that song is Rocket 88.”  Jamaican Marlon James goes back to the roots of rock and roll.


text:
Jordan: Honour Crimes Book  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Natasha Tynes  stumbles on news about a new book on honour killings, being written by a former colleague.


text:
Jordan: Regulating Falafel Prices · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lina Ejeilat from Jordan writes about regulating Falafel prices.


text:
Jordan: Street Life  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

People in Amman, Jordan, are rediscovering the beauty of street life, writes  Humeid.


text:
Kenya: Debating the double-edged nature of citizen media · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Last month, there was a bomb explosion at a downtown bus stop in Nairobi, Kenya. The bomb killed two people and injured more than 35. By the time the Kenyan mainstream media reported the incident, Kenyan bloggers had already written about it, posted photos and some of them speculated that the explosion could have been linked to Al-Queida or the outlawed Mungiki sect.
Two of the main Kenyan bloggers, Thinkers Room and Mental Acrobatics, looked at the performance of Kenyan blogs during this incident from two different and interesting angles. The main question was: what is the role of citizen media in reporting a tragic incident when official statements from the government have not been released and all the facts are not yet known?
Thinkers Room saw the way bloggers reported about the explosion as a clear example of “the double-edged nature” of personal media tools such as blogs and text messaging. On the other hand, Mental Acrobatics argued that the way this tragic incident was covered by citizen journalists highlighted the importance of blogs and citizen media in general. Immediately, a debate ensued in their comment sections about the role and responsibility of bloggers.
One the blogs that reported the incident, Small Timer, said this:
Draw your own conclusions from nairobi's latest menace. Suicide bomber? God help us all!!
And later on that day a post titled, State of Terrorism, read:
Reports reaching my desk are of a kenyan woman who tried to throw a greenade into a citi hoppa but the damn thing exploded before she could launch it into the bus. Chief! What's going on in this country? Are we becoming a terrorist state and who is responsible for this menace?
Mental Acrobatics speculated a possible terrorist attack, “Once again it looks like Nairobi has been hit by a terrorist attack.” However, he emphasized the fact that the information at the time was only a speculation, “As you can imagine details are a little sketchy so far”:
What has been reported so far is:
1.	An explosion hit central Nairobi near Ambassador Hotel around 8.30am this morning
2.	Apparently by a suicide bomber
3.	Witnesses say they have seen six bodies although only one death apart from the bomber has been confirmed.
4.	Witnesses also mention pages of the Koran strewn all over the place, whether these were carried by the bomber or one of the victims is not yet known.
Again this is all speculation at the moment. I’m sure the news teams will have some more information soon.
Thinkers Room wrote his first post urging bloggers to stop spreading rumors:
Additional information indicate police on the scene say the explosion could have been caused by a suicide bomber. Again, “could have“. This is not a conformation. We await a comprehensive official statement from the Police themselves to confirm anything. Until then I urge everyone, and in particular bloggers to resist the temptation to spread juicy sounding, scary rumours that may have grave repercussions if they turn out to be unfounded. Until we have established for a fact that it was a suicide bomber, let us not treat the innuendo and rumours as fact.
His second post was the one that led to an enlightening debate about the role of citizen media, particularly blogs in breaking news, especially when there isn’t enough information to draw conclusions. He wrote:
Today has just illustrated the double edged nature of pervasive communication like blogs, email and text messaging. There is no doubt that these platforms are powerful tools for communicating information. There is also no doubt that they are powerful tools for spreading disinformation. The rumours and innuendo that have gotten to me have left me speechless. Some of the accounts have received indicate hundreds dead and the whole block leveled. Blame has been laid at the doors of Al Qaeda, clumsily detonated grenades, Mungiki, time bombs, electronically detonated bombs and mobile phone detonated bombs.
He concluded:
What we don’t seem to realize is that:
1.	The cause of the explosion is yet to be confirmed by those in the know. These happen to be the police. Not the papers. Not the Internet. Not the FM Stations. The police. Regardless of your opinion of them, of all the authorities to listen to, they should be the first.
2.	Forwarding these rumours of suicide bombers has unnecessarily caused many people to panic
3.	If it turns out the explosion was a mere gas cylinder, the damage will already have been done. Once you put something on the Internet, there it stays. For instance, do a search for suicide bombers Kenya or suicide bomber Nairobi and see what turns up. Since it is already apparent that sensationalism generally wins over facts, our reputation will have been needlessly sullied
4.	Blogs, email and text messages, while lending themselves to informing, also lend themselves to abuse.
Until I hear official facts to the contrary, I will hold the opinion that if you emailed, texted or blogged about the explosion crediting it as a suicide bomber/Mungiki/Al Qaeda or any other explanation that has yet to be confirmed, you did yourself, your loved ones and your country a disservice.
Thinkers Room post elicited comments from bloggers and non-bloggers. Here are some of them:
Kirima:
Thanks M for the word of caution.
At such moments of high anxiety telling people to wait for official statements from the police might not be an easy sell but it is better than spreading facts you are not sure of.
Is there any hope of a reliable and frequently updated local news source, it amazed me how Nationmedia website was unavailable during this crisis. Does any of the local news media provide RSS news feeds?
Hash:
Just a thought, but most people give a good amount of credit to professional news reporters who write/talk about news as it happens. Bloggers do the same, and in cases like this, often have the same sources. Here’s an interesting thought, don’t so many of us concur that the “government” spokespeople are spinning and relaying false information for their own purposes all the time? Maybe not everyone… but I tend to disregard “official” statements on what happened quite a bit. Most of that is spin, let’s be honest.
Kikuyumoja’s Realm:
I’d believe a tarot card reader than any Kenya government official. Kenya is going down the toilet while its citizens have their heads stuck in the cistern. The US embassy bombers also tried to flee the scene so anyone trying to spin this is either a terrorist sympathiser or has his head up Ali’s arse.
Alexcia:
This is interesting pontification
When the fire alarm goes off, Should you shout fire or wait for the fireman to come and verify a fire or a false alarm? After the fireman has arrived, what would be the point in your shouting?… THIS IS BREAKING NEWS.
If you wait for the stories to be confirmed, then you might as well read it in the papers, NOT in emails or text messages.
Jogoo wa Shamba:
speculation particularly on tragedies like this one does lots of disservice to our country. The shilling has already lost some ground to the dollar and there is no telling who is going to issue another travel advisory.
Dshy:
My only contention is with the media who tend to report along the lines of ‘wind them up-watch them go i.e. they will spout whatever happens to be the current government line, the same government which in times of crisis, tends to put the best face on things, even if that face distorts reality. So you can see the obvious pitfall in relying on the latter as a reliable source of information.
Other than that, I fully agree with you, it was reckless of people to postulate opinions as facts. Regarding doing ourselves a great disservice, I am of the humble opinion that panicking is human nature, no matter how plausible or utterly insane the reason, its just how our society works. With time, maybe we will see the folly of our knee jerk reaction, but I will still maintain that while it may have come across as inexcusable, it was still understandable. Unacceptable, but given the circumstances and past events (previous bombing) justifiable.
Ms K:
“Professional news reporters” is an interesting term to apply to the Kenyan media, which has itself confessed that its rank and file is populated with many people that are not journalists. Having “The Standard” or “The Daily Nation” embossed on a lapel badge does not automatically make you an authority, or absolve you from the responsibility of due diligence. Papers have been known to be wrong. Pick any paper and within the first ten pages you can be assured you will find an ‘apology’ or a ‘clarification’.”
We risk throwing out the baby etc etc. Yes there are lots of incompetent reporters but there are just a many good ones.
I think the most important point you make (for me!) is about “responsibility of due diligence”. You’re right, we are all human, we make mistakes. If we are all that much more careful, the mistakes will definitely become less. But we are all each others eyes. When we see the mistakes, we should correct each other, and those corrected must take time to correct their mistake.
But we must also be careful not to castigate those who make mistakes too harshly. We are all learning my friend, we are all learning.
Egm:
Quoting from Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility”. The power of the blog medium to give a voice to the person on the street to report and comment on things should be accompanied by the responsibility of due dilligence. There is freedom to write anything and everything. That, however, does not necessarily mean that anything and everything being written will result in the improvement of the reader.
Aegeus:
Thanks M for educating blogren, some were so alarmist that i would not have ventured into town later in the day! It is a really powerful medium and before they publish hearsay at least have the due diligence to verify them as fact beforehand.
Mental Acrobatics wrote a response to Thinkers Room's post, pointing out that most blog posts, including his own, were full of qualifiers:
My own blog post on the topic is full of qualifiers, apparently this, apparently that. I even put a paragraph at the end of the post cautioning that this is all speculation at the moment as we await the facts.
A quick look at the KenyaUnlimited Aggregator shows many other Kenyan bloggers qualified their reporting too.
According to Mental Acrobatics, the websites of the main newspapers in Kenya, the Daily Nation and the East African Standard, did not have information about the explosion for a long time. Many Kenyans abroad rely on these websites for local Kenyan news.
Mental Acrobatics:
I would argue that it is stories like this that rather than showing the danger of blogs, HIGHLIGHT the importance of blogs and other citizen media. While the MSM was stuck in its procedures, bloggers wrote about what they had heard, seen or were told. There is nothing wrong with quoting primary sources. The historians amongst us can confirm the importance with which primary sources are regarded on any historical event. The eyewitness account, the man on the street as it were.
If you wanted to know what Kenyans were thinking and feeling at the time the blogs were a very good place to start.
His optimistic conclusion:
I firmly believe that the take up of the story by Kenyan bloggers helped generate this international interest. Don’t believe that bloggers have that much influence? Then explain why the “Blog Search button” is next to the “Advanced News Search” button on Google News or why Reuters has started featuring African bloggers prominently on its news site.
Here are some of the comments drawn by his post:
Osasa:
Okay. Stop whining.
Roomthinker caught you and you know it. So, learn from it and get over it.
JKE:
No, I don't think this is about Mental vs. M, but instead about the need for a quick media in Kenya, a countrywide cellular-based network of trustworthy news reporters that produce the content we're missing from the MSM in time and sometimes at all.
Nekessa:
You are right, bloggers the world over ARE the alternative newsmedia. However, like with everything else unregulated, it is not surprising that there is irresponsible “reporting” if you will.
As citizens our role is to continue seeking answers before, like Mungiki, problems that can be dealt with get out of hand!
Mwari:
Mental, these are my exact sentiments!
That bloggers really have a role to play as an information source. There may be a few cases where bloggers misrepresent but overall, I have found the blogosphere to be an alternative news source. Not only do we get timely news coverage, but also photographs. The limitation with mainstream media is that stories have to go through some ‘screening’ before they can be released to the masses. A blogger will tend to give his/her point of view, or his/her observation, usually very raw, but ‘as is’. And I think this is what people want, the bare truth, not ‘padded truth’.
On that note, I have been thinking that in the same way that KBW put up a page for bloggers to post comments on the recent KQ plane crash, perhaps the same should happen for any ‘hot topic’ that our country is currently facing. Such as the Mungiki menance, the campaigns, elections etc. I believe this will go along way in sensitizing Kenyans on important national matters, as well as to make our voices heard, towards building our country….
JKE again:
Mwari, put this comment function on the sms level and you're having Hash’ sms service he's been beating his drums for. LOL
On the other hand, ppl commenting and debating so often reminds me of KOL & other forums we've mentioned here before, but then – true – without interested citizens who contribute to the stories (and who says that news reporters dont get their stories from early bystanders anyways?), maybe there wouldnt be any story and public interest.
And on a very different note: this whole event clearly shows to me that Nairobians are still sensitive enough to show interest in such events, and havent already given up on “yet another horror story”.
Oh, and as for the sms alert: I meant a network of interested citizens who take pictures with their phones while knowing that anything they do may as well influence others. Not just sensationalism.
We can safely conclude that these kinds of debates show that the African blogosphere is rapidly growing, meeting new challenges, opportunities and demands. As with all new forms of media, there will be many debates about the role of bloggers in the African media landscape.


text:
Kenya: Kenyan investment market · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bankelele gives us latest information about the Kenyan investment market: “The Kenya Re IPO opens in a week (July 18) and, it's a good time to assess the potential gains for a retail investor who subscribes.
While the prospectus is not yet out, all signs are that this will be a massive Kengen-like IPO, a quasi-monopoly with good growth prospects & profits that will stir the investment market. (I was wrong on most counts about the Eveready IPO).”


text:
Kuwait: Dead Fish  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Texan in Kuwait complains  that her daughter returned home after spending time on the beach with her nanny with a dead fish in her hand.


text:
Kuwait: Movie Marathon  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Zdistrict from Kuwait writes that he will be travelling to Dubai with friends for a movie marathon.


text:
Latvia: Photoblog · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Photos of Latvia – over at FotoLat.


text:
Milk wars in the Philippines: Breastmilk versus Infant Formula · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

In a radio interview, Philippine Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye reported that the top three consumer commodities in the country are formula milk, mobile phone cards and beer. Infant formula products are among the most imported goods in the country. A major reason why these goods are popular despite being expensive and vastly inferior to breast milk is the aggressive advertising of milk companies. The public seems mesmerized by milk ads which claim to make children more intelligent, healthy and strong forgetting that infant formula remains a poor substitute to breast milk.
Last year, the Department of Health imposed a ban on the promotion and advertising of breast milk substitutes. This regulation was challenged by milk companies in the Supreme Court arguing that it infringed on freedom of trade and the freedom to inform the public on infant formulas. The Supreme Court sided with the petitioners and granted a temporary restraining order which prevented health authorities to enforce the ban on milk ads. The order is still effective today
A background on the milk wars between milk companies and health authorities is provided by Inside PCIJ. The blog also uploads the letter by US businessmen urging the Philippine government to remove ban on milk ads. Read also the arguments raised by milk companies why the Supreme Court should rule in favor of their petition. Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta writes an article for UP Forum detailing the legal basis of milk regulation in the country.
Achieving happiness explains her opposition to infant formula ads and issues an appeal to mothers:
“It's all about making money. The infant milk formula companies promote their products by saying the milk will promote intelligence, increase immunity against childhood diseases, and “Your kids will be so bibo they'll end up on TV just like the models on our TV ads!” Yeah, just shell out P600 per 1 kilogram can and wait for your baby to develop digestion problems, the least being gas and stomach cramps. I was also told that drinking cow's milk can cause bone problems. On the other hand, there are no arguments against mothers’ milk. None. Moms! If you can breastfeed, do it. There's nothing more important than making sure that during the first three years of your baby's life ALL their nutrition needs are met, and this can be if you breastfeed.”
Anthropologist Michael Tan also critiques milk ads:
“The industry’s “information” is just too skewed toward promoting milk formula, from infant booklets given in hospitals to new mothers, with advertisements for milk formulas and weaning foods, to the packaging itself. I do resent the way the manufacturers still attempt to drum up their ludicrous IQ messages in the packaging. I have a can of Gain in front of me and it has “IQ” written all over the can. Psychologists can tell you this is insidious, almost a way of saying: if you shift, you might be taking away all this IQ-enhancing milk from your child.”
Lawyer Raul Pangalangan reveals how some hospitals are encouraging the use of infant formula:
“My wife breastfed all our children, and yet until the Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Law was adopted, we always found it difficult to make the nurses bring in our newborn baby for breastfeeding. First, the hospital fixed their own feeding hours, as if infants already had a schedule for recess and lunch. Then, when my wife reported at feeding time, the nurses would have already bottle-fed our baby, saying that, surprise, our baby got hungry ahead of their feeding hours. They should also have known that babies, once they find it easier to feed from the bottle, would have to be weaned back to the breast.”
Meanwhile, Infocen Balita reports how a provincial government is promoting breastfeeding:
“To institutionalize the campaign, a task force on breastfeeding was formed in the provincial level, while other Aklan municipalities have started forming theirs, according to the Provincial Health Office here. Also, health workers in the provincial and municipal health offices and at rural health centers here always make it a point to orient would-be mothers during their visits on the health benefits of breastfeeding for them and for their babies.”
Daring actions were done to encourage mothers to reject infant formula. The Philippines has the world record for the largest number of mothers simultaneously breastfeeding their children. Last month, a dozen topless mothers picketed the Supreme Court while milk companies are arguing their case against the ban on milk ads.
99% wife and mom hails these brave women:
“Really wished I were there that day, with those brave godivas, proudly presenting mammaries that nourished the world. Even if my own mommy-pumps are bone dry. What would we be without advocates like them?”
Madnowherewoman also applauds the action and comments on the Court proceedings:
“While it's a pity that the individual daring mothers who did this remain nameless in the news, kudos should go to Judge Angelina Sandoval Gutierrez for pointedly asking why the milk companies were more concerned with loss of profits than the health of infants, when it has been proven time and again that breastmilk is best for babies.”
Clerical Whispers reports that a World Health Organization official asked the help of the influential Catholic Church to promote breastfeeding. Mom Exchange is happy over the operation of a breastmilk bank in the country. Environmentalists also endorse breastfeeding. Sonnie’s porch blogs about the milk wars and corporate social responsibility.  Tiene Ara Zamboanguena is shocked that some mothers are using coffee creamer as breastmilk substitute.
Keep Abreast wants to boycott a company which produces infant formula. Baby Milk Action has a web page devoted to “help the Philippines stand up to company bullying.” Boycott Nestle-protect infants uploads You Tube video clips on unethical promotion of milk ads. Best for Babies shares an article written by a lady senator on her breastfeeding experience.
A milk company is also in trouble after it admitted that the milk cans it released to the market contained rust and mold. Professional Heckler has a blogpost on this issue. Lito U. Gagni who writes for Businessmirror believes that microbiological tests should have been carried out by the company. Thoughts of a Drama Queen p.2 cautions the media not to resort to “biased and untruthful news” regarding this matter.

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Nepal: King and the Money · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

United We Blog! points to what appears to be a financial blow to the King and Royals in Nepal.


text:
Pakistan: Monkeys and Countries · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator compares the current dynamics of international politics to the dances performed by monkeys owned by keepers to earn money.


text:
Peru: Interoceanic Highway Update · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

C.J. Schexnayder of Kleph's Blog provides an update of the progress of the $1.3 billion dollar Interoceanic Highway.


text:
Poland: Father Rydzyk and 330 Exorcists · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The beatroot writes about Radio Maryja director, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, who says that Poland's First Lady is a witch, and on a meeting of 330 exorcists from 29 countries taking place in Poland now.


text:
Russia: FSB Archives · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

FSB is declassifying some of its archives, and Sean's Russia Blog writes about getting access to them.


text:
Russia, Latvia: “Calendar Days” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia writes: “In Russia, however, there’s not a single day when the people and the state officially remember the crimes of Joseph Stalin.”


text:
Russia: Nashi and Komsomol · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

An in-depth discussion of the New York Times piece on the pro-Putin youth movement and its predecessor, Komsomol – over at Sean's Russia Blog.


text:
Sudan: where is the bridge? + more floods, more photos · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The question is “where is the bridge?: “Back at the flood, the officer spent two minutes looking at my card, then said “No photos. I think there is a bridge here”. I did a quick scan of the landscape – 360 degrees of flat, flat plains, flood water and a distant mosque. No bridge. “Where is the bridge,” I asked? “Down there,” he said, pointing down the flat, flat, featureless road. “But there isn't a bridge there,” I said, grinning madly. (Quick tip. In situations like these, never get angry. It doesn't work.) “Yes,” he answered. “But this is a bridge area.”
Also, look at photos from flash floods in Sudan, which have killed 20 people


text:
Tajikistan: Aga Khan · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Ismaili Mail keeps track of all the attention given by media worldwide on the occasion of the Ismaili spiritual leader Aga Khan's 50th Jubilee Year.


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Political Alliance  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Keith in Trinidad toys with the idea of titling his post “Lost Credibility Day”, while Club Soda and Salt thinks that the newly-announced political alliance among several “irrelevant” parties is the “Silly Act of the Week”.


text:
Turkmenistan: Heroin addiction · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Bonnie Boyd says that Turkmenistan's HIV addiction rates are phenomenally high and that it would be sign of strength not weakness to collaborate with the outside world.


text:
Ukraine: More on Krayina Mriy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Olechko and uaMuzik write more about the Krayina Mriy music festival.


text:
Yugoslavia: King Alexander · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgrade 2.0 writes about King Alexander of Yugoslavia, who was killed in 1934.


text:
Zimbabwe: economy e-cards · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Cyber-activism at work in Zimbabwe: economy e-cards. You can send the cards to people to tell them about the economic situation in Zimbabwe.


text:
Zimbabwe: police block movement of basic goods · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The political and economic situation in Zimbabwe is getting even worse: “In a bizarre turn of events, Zimbabwe police have set up roadblocks on major roads to block city residents from moving basic commodities to rural areas and to prevent farmers from moving maize to urban areas.”


text:
Afghanistan: Breadmaking · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Bread is the main staple of poor Afghans and Õnne Pärl has a closer look at the inner workings of a bakery in Kabul.


text:
Armenia: Defective church? · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Lori is appalled hearing the Pope say that non-Catholic Christian communities are not true churches. Actually, she says, Christianity was introduced in Armenia before it became accepted in the Roman Empire.


text:
Armenia: Presidential candidate · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

On the 2008 Presidential Election Monitor, Onnik Krikorian says that US-born Raffi Hovannisian might have good chances in next year's polls as he is one of the most popular and cleanest politicians in the country. The problem is, however, that Hovannisian only received his Armenian citizenship in 2001 and might therefore be prevented from running.


text:
Bangladesh: Sicko and Canada · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

a bengali in TO watches Michael Moore's Sicko, and is thankful that he's in Canada.


text:
Bermuda: How’s the Weather?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Shawn and Sue's Island Adventures has a bone to pick with Bermuda's weather forecasters…


text:
China: 750,000 annual pollution deaths · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Last week it was noted that the Chinese government convinced the World Bank to remove the number of premature deaths—750,000—in China each year related to air and water pollution along with 30% of the report, ‘Cost of Pollution in China‘, allegedly on the grounds that the truth would fuel social unrest, later saying otherwise the report just would have been too thick.
Just over a week later, the Chinese people have not risen up in furious nationwide riots. However, bloggers are not letting the government off the hook for this.
Lian Yue, originally a columnist primarily for Guangzhou‘s Southern Metropolis Daily, has turned his Eighth Continent blog into an environmental watchdog force. Early morning on July 4 Lian posted the excised version of the World Bank report, which brought in many comments:
[匿名] banny [222.64.105.*] @ 2007-7-4 4:20:43
看过An Inconvenient Truth难以忽视的真相，深知环保的重要性！
[匿名] k [89.2.109.*] @ 2007-7-4 5:40:56
谁来翻译，尽早发布，避免zxb颁禁令，抢第一时间，才有希望
[匿名] 歇菜吧你 [85.195.123.*] @ 2007-7-4 6:48:47
所以鬼才信‘中央’事先不知道死人、童奴、酷刑、虐待、矿难、贪腐、滥权、民众的苦难。。。领导很震惊。。。
它控制思想、收集情报、管人的本领和效率，向来是世界一流的。那么多的秘密警察、各条各块的情报系统、内参大参考、告密从居委会做起。。。
不让老百姓知道倒是真的。死人没关系（伟大毛领袖曾说死了一半中国人都不怕，正好重画最新最美图画，其暴君禽兽态无人可胜），掩盖了就河蟹了
They control your thoughts, collect intelligence, monitor people's performance and efficiency (the great leader Mao once said ‘even if half the Chinese people die, no worries’. This is just a newer, prettier redrawing of that picture. These tyrant beasts are unconquerable…..
[匿名] zissan [222.69.220.*] @ 2007-7-4 8:18:21
看看历史书，任何一次自上而下的改革的目的都是为了保住/延长执政权，而不是别的。
任何一个政党的最基本的目的也只是执政权，无论它有多“先进”。
[匿名] 自由枪 [219.142.2.*] @ 2007-7-4 8:56:11
住在大城市的人有福了，我们不但享受着农民兄弟们没有的社会福利，而且还倍受政府呵护，死了都不知道是因为什么，连带着也不用怨气满腹死不瞑目了，你看社会多稳定多和谐啊！
[匿名] 大刀向鬼子们的头上砍去！！！ [218.1.217.*] @ 2007-7-4 12:34:47
[匿名] shizhao [210.72.12.*] @ 2007-7-4 14:51:35
这个报告已经是删节版了吧？
[匿名] kobe [218.90.151.*] @ 2007-7-4 20:43:27
是病毒~
Closer to noon that same day, Lian followed up with some statistics:
中国是世界最大二氧化硫（环境危害： 对大气可造成严重污染，可导致酸雨）排放国
中国7条主要河流的一半以上人类饮用会有不安全因素
中国第十个五年计划13个关键空气和水污染控制指标，有10个没有完成，最糟的是二氧化硫排放在人口密集地区，地面水质糟糕。城区河流的90%严重污染，许多河流已多年无鱼
海洋和湖泊水质严重污染。75%的湖泊富营养化
在农村地区，农村人口的2/3用不上自来水。饮用水污染依然严重。自来水常常不符标准。非自来水更是极其严重地违反标准，原因来自地面污染。由污染饮水导致的消化道癌症（胃癌、肝癌、膀胱癌）发病率和死亡率远高于世界平均和大城市。
Comments
[匿名] 生于82 [219.237.196.*] @ 2007-7-4 10:23:35
我觉得我们天天都有散步的理由
[匿名] fxl [61.157.91.*] @ 2007-7-4 10:28:49
没法活了，连岳组织个自杀协会吧，向政府施压。不改善咱们全自杀去。
[匿名] 红蔷薇 [218.1.88.*] @ 2007-7-4 10:30:42
慢慢来,别把他们逼急了.狗急跳墙,受苦的是我们.
[匿名] 红蔷薇 [218.1.88.*] @ 2007-7-4 10:34:23
fxl,别说气话.
在这片神奇的土地上,暴力示威和非暴力示威都是不管用的.
我们要找到一条符合中国特色的……策略.
[匿名] 500cc [205.160.53.*] @ 2007-7-4 10:34:40
组织一下一人一段抓紧时间翻译出来吧。
[匿名] 代号党中央 [218.17.249.*] @ 2007-7-4 10:50:30
这年头什么都靠不住，我感觉中国五千年以来产生的所有想象力到今天这个社会已经彻底枯竭了，再能丰富联想的人也想不到今天中国成了这个样子，人类社会的一颗毒瘤，中国威胁论一点都不错，只是从政治威胁、军事威胁转变为了环境威胁，这一点才是最致命的，估计到2020年中国人基本上都要如外星人一般带着氧气罩才能正常生活了
[匿名] 狼的传人 [125.77.255.*] @ 2007-7-4 10:51:43
看来，我在留言的同时已经正在触犯厦门的法律了。
真自豪啊。
[匿名] 我是奴隶 [121.42.104.*] @ 2007-7-4 11:13:36
可耻的中国！！可怜的中国！！可悲的中国！！可恶的中国！！可恨的中国！！可笑的中国！！
[匿名] navsicaa [59.61.94.*] @ 2007-7-4 14:04:33
公布这些真相太有必要了。可是有多少人这样做呢？即使目前的法律允许匿名发布。象你这样敢于大张旗鼓的人是不多的。
和环境问题一样，为网络污染付出的代价，也看不到相关的调查报告。孰轻孰重，多些意见多些信息，利于称量。
[匿名] 南越夜风 [210.21.35.*] @ 2007-7-4 14:06:03
下一步只能等自然删除中国人了。
[匿名] 圣人末尊 [222.90.169.*] @ 2007-7-4 15:07:01
等又一个切尔诺贝利的时候…
XX主义的Sb程度就可以又暴露在辐射之下了…
[匿名] 公民甲 [222.131.150.*] @ 2007-7-4 15:26:35
就说北京吧，70％的空气污染是交通造成的。
各位想想，自己有没有责任？尤其是开SUV的，有多少责任？
[匿名] blueduck [218.5.65.*] @ 2007-7-4 15:47:09
大家也不要太相信外面这些报道了，虽然这些说法可能存在，可是谁让中国穷太久了，毕竟大多数民众希望发展希望改变生活。。。只能说太过激的发展终于等到了反噬的一天，希望政府能适时调整改变这些策略。。。不然不要说外国，自己家里人都受不了了。
[匿名] 如果可以选择 [222.128.41.*] @ 2007-7-4 17:49:22
不要做中国人的孩子！
[匿名] 11 [218.85.192.*] @ 2007-7-4 18:21:26
住在海边远比住在内陆要幸运，你们不知道内地的空气有多差！随便哪个城市！！因为海边空气流通快。
[匿名] 1313 [125.203.77.*] @ 2007-7-4 19:41:11
要死就死在天安门广场，千万别被带走，被无声无息的抹掉，可怜的心存幻想的老百姓阿！
[匿名] 我本善良 [218.85.115.*] @ 2007-7-4 22:16:58
政府说公布这些会引起社会动乱，而不是对数据进行反驳，可见数据是可信的。
公布这些会引起政府担心的后果吗？政府只是想为偷懒找个借口吧？不公布这些，长此以往才会引起动乱。
还不肯下决心改革？等多年以后全国人民一起过地狱般的日子吗？无语！
[匿名] 一个母亲的誓言 [210.21.224.*] @ 2007-7-5 17:50:45
为我们自己的生存权，和我们孩子的生存权而斗争！
From what Google brings up, Sohu blogger Shuidao523 posts the now widely-spread translation of an FT journalist Richard McGregor article which compares environmental reformers in China to the doctor in Henrik Ibsen‘s An Enemy of the People, an allusion that Phoenix TV reporter and Sina.com Rose Garden blogger Lu Qiu Luwei also picked up on in a July 4 post:
毕竟这是写在一百多年前的一个剧本，但是如果我们把主人公换成一个有良知的诚实的中国普通公民，把场景换到中国的一个城市，如果主人公要站出来告诉大家，工厂的污水把当地的河水污染了，唯一可以做的是关闭工厂，这个时候，他会有怎样的遭遇？如果他同样遭到工厂主和官员的围攻，因为他损害了企业主的利益，而且也让当地官员的政绩没有了来源，因为GDP会因为工厂的关闭而下降，这个时候，不明白真相的当地民众，是不是也会在官商控制的信息流通下，觉得这个讲真话的人居心叵测，目的是要破坏大家美好的生活，是人民公敌呢？
这样的场景我们并不陌生吧，因为正在我们的身边发生着。当控制着话语权的人不让真相流入民间的时候，真相就会被塑造成为恶魔，民意都会站在真相的对立面。但是问题是，真相总有大白的一天，如果当民众发现，自己原来是被欺骗的时候，就会把这个曾经被视为是人民公敌的人捧为英雄，把不满和愤怒用双倍的力量发泄出来。易卜生在一百多年前就向大家展现了这个简单的道理。
说到世界银行三月份的报告，到现在大家在世界银行网上看到的，并没有包括一些世界银行正在和中国政府商讨的内容，那就是关于环境污染导致的中国人早亡，每年到底有没有75万这样多的问题。英国金融时报今天有了非常详细的报道，大家可以去看一看。为了是否能够公布这个内容，世行和政府部门争论了很久，这也就是他们特地安排“人民公敌”，为的是提醒大家，还是让大家越早知道真相越好。不然的话，当人民公敌成为人民英雄的时候，反而会更难应对。
直到现在，我们生活的这个世界依然需要易卜生笔下的这样的“人民公敌”，很简单的一个人，一个坚持真理，坚持自己的良心的人。因为有这样的人，我们才不会生活在假象当中。正是因为有这样的人，一些未来可能变成灾难的隐患可以被及时揭露，如果处理得当，我们就可以安然度过一个个危机。这样的人一开始是寂寞的，很可能长时间是寂寞的，被大多数人所排斥的，甚至是围攻的。但是这样的人又是幸福的，这种幸福来自于对自己，对这个社会真正的问心无愧，也来自于这样才是一个真正意义的简单的人。
Sohu bloggers Huang Canqiang and jiao2006 have a roundup of a few of the many other places around where discussions on the World Bank report are taking place, including a picture from one of them:
Sohu blogger Global Warm, as with dozens of other blogs at this point, reposts the FT translation, prefaced by some projective pondering:
真相在任何时候都是珍贵的。
但说出真相，其实是最轻松的。
回避某些事实，可以蒙骗一阵子，但是最终还是会大白天下的。
环境问题公开后，会引发那些社会问题呢？
有时候，这些题目还真是让人棘手。
现在最重要的理由就是稳定，也许需要到三十年和五十年后我们才知道为了今天的片面的稳定，我们到底付出了什么。
Now the most important reason was for stability; maybe we'll need thirty or fifty years to understand: for today's spot of stability, just what exactly have we paid?

author: John Kennedy


text:
China and Taiwan: Presidential House Debate · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

William long blogs a recent debate between China and Taiwan netizen on the marking of presidential house in google map (zh). Some mainland netizens marked the building “Fake Presidential House” and resulted in a debate among netizen across the border.


text:
China: Information flow · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Postive Solutions rightly pointed out that: There is a huge thirst for information about China from within and from overseas, but no-one has the resources/inclination to sate it themselves and instead everyone is quite happy to use second, third and fourth-hand information.


text:
China: NGO website shut down · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jeremy Goldkorn from DANWEI gave more background about the shut down of NGO website, China Development Brief: Young commented that he had initially wanted to stay hush hush and try to sort the problem out. But someone posted information about the police raid to the ChinaPol listserv yesterday, which is read by many foreign correspondents in China.


text:
Cuba: Blogging for Cuban Liberty · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense is proud to be part of Bloggers United for Cuban Liberty and hopes that the campaign will influence The Police to speak out for the cause of political prisoners in Cuba: “But I am not sure whether it really matters if we do. Already, success is ours — we have educated the public, and we have demonstrated a unity and sense of purpose that can only aid the greater struggle for Cuban liberty.”


text:
Cuba: Gay Rights   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Following Fidel Castro’s…Cuban revolution, LGBT people were persecuted and imprisoned.  Now the Communist Party is set to bring forward a law which would legalise same-sex unions, grant adoption rights to same-sex couples and give lesbians access to reproduction services.”  Gay Blog Ruffian reports on the rights of gays in Cuba.


text:
Egypt: Bedouins of Sinai Crisis, 11-year-old Mother and Blogger Say the Unsayable · Global Voices
Freedom For Egyptians

This week’s round-up from Egypt highlights bloggers’ involvement in domestic issues like the rape of an 11-year-old girl and the Egyptian Bedouins of Sinai’s dilemma in Egypt and covers bloggers’ news.
Egyptian Bedouins of Sinai Facing Discrimination: Centralization and the one identity issue for an entire nation are among challenges facing so many developing countries in the world. If not heeded to, minorities are jeopardized and diversity is not respected. Despite the fact that Egypt is not a huge country, it enjoys quite good amount of diversity that makes it a rich nation in a way. Bedouins of Sinai have been living in this peninsula for ages, maintaining certain authentic culture and traditions that make them unique in every respect and add to Egypt’s cultural richness. They have been patient and silent over unfair discriminatory security treatment to them since the 90’s. A new blogger from the Bedouins of Sinai has started blogging about their problems.
“Wedna ne3ish” or we want to live is a new blog that discusses problems facing the Bedouins of Sinai in Egypt. The government and different security departments in Egypt have been intimidating the Bedouins of Sinai since the 90’s. The blog posts are loud cries protesting the discrimination treatment they receive at the hands of the security apparatus, which is ignorant of the Egyptian Bedouins’ culture, habits and style of life. The conflict between the Bedouins and all departments of security reached a climax that led some Bedouins resorting to Israel on the borders for help.
Manal and Alaa Blog has also been following and reporting on the problems of Bedouins of Sinai for quite some time now. You can read their blog posts in Arabic here!
Eleven year old Mother in Egypt: Egyptian Chronicles is reporting and commenting on a horrific incident from Qalyubia Governorate about an 11-year-old mother, who is now considered the youngest mother in Egypt. The poor girl was raped by 21-year-old man who threatened to kill her in front of her school if she opened her mouth. It is a very moving story. You can read the details in English by Zeinobia from Egyptian Chronicles here.
Ahmed Ghareeb is leading a campaign on his blog to ensure this child gets her rights. He described what happened to Hend as “… a heinous crime!”
Egyptian blogger in London this week!
Amr Gharbeia Beyond Censorship:  Arabawy is reporting that Egyptian blogger Amr Gharbeia is in London this week to talk about  the legal case filed by an Egyptian judge to block his website along with other blogs and human rights sites in Egypt.
Will be crossing fingers for Gharbeia today in London and until I see you next week, all the best from Cairo!

author: Freedom For Egyptians


text:
Expat Ethiopians reflect on the sounds and smells of home · Global Voices
Andrew Heavens

The ties that bind expatriate Ethiopians to their home country dominated the Ethiopian blogosphere over the past few weeks.
Ethiopians living in the US, Europe and Asia came up with a series of emotional posts, exploring childhood memories, local food, music and the broader subject of national identity.
Tobian started by reflecting on The Namesake, a film about an American-born son of Indian immigrants to the US.
Tobian found many parallels with his own experience in the US which he set out in the post Namesake:
Sometimes I feel like I have multiple personalities. One that I have with Americans, another one that I have with immigrants in America and finally my personality with Ethiopians, the last one being the closest to the real me. I'm not deceiving nor fabricating, it's just that I know limitations of my interaction with these different groups, and that's OK by me. But sometimes I realize that my interactions almost seem like work, like I have to actively monitor my boundaries, I am acutely aware of what fits in their world views and not.
Yemi, the writer behind the blog Don't eat my Buchela is an Ethiopian woman living with her family in China. She described her efforts to get her baby son into traditional Ethiopian music in My Son, My Ethiopian Music, Myself:
Traditional Ethiopian music is an acquired taste.
If you didn't grow up with it, the first time you hear it, you are not going to say “wow, I gotta get me some of that!”
With that in mind, I am on a mission to ensure that Buchela acquires the taste for Ethiopian music through daily brainwashing sessions of videos via You Tube.
He loves sitting on my lap and watching the singers and dancers on my computer.
Today, I am putting up our current favorite “Alem Alemye”. There are days when this song puts knots in my stomach.
Bernos, another Ethiopian in America, talked about his deep attachment to sound of the Washint, a traditional wooden flute, in A Washint Melody!:
I love the Washint, because it reminds me the green mountainous pastured grounds of south western Ethiopia… The zema of the Washint, I have always associated with the highlands of Ethiopia, it’s a deep mystical soothing sound. It gives me the sensation of calmness; it reminds me of Ethiopia’s Arbegnoch. Now that I think about it, I think I must somehow have associated it as the background music of those old documentary videos I saw on ETV.
Bernos was back again, describing a moving encounter with a fellow countryman working in Zurich airport in A friend anywhere:
He was very sweet. He was so happy to see another Ethiopian and so proud. He told me about his wife and kids and how he's planning on moving back to Addis for good; how he used to be a runner and about life in Switzerland and the Ethiopian community there. After awhile he said he had to get back to work so he left me to finish my coffee and pointed out where I can use the internet. I sat there for awhile thinking about the kindness of our people and our culture. More often than not I make a note of how my culture conflicts with my lifestyle rather than what it adds to it.
Ethiopia Encyclopedia completed the circle by describing the feeling of returning to Ethiopia from the US in Good Morning Addis!:
I am finally here. Good morning Gunfo! Good morning Addis Ababa! Good morning the best tasting coffee in the world! Good morning the biggest baked bread in the world!
Ahhhhhh! I can finally exhale; and my breathe can mix with Addis Ababa's air. It was such a struggle, making the decision to move here for a personal informal education, school (MA in Ethiopian Studies at AAU) and work. The process of convincing my family and myself at times (a two year process) that the risk (of being robbed in Merkato, dying of Malaria, receiving a poor education, being arrested by the government, having my hand eaten off by a lion, etc.) was worth my time exhausted my eagerness to come. I was falling into indifference; and how dangerous is the feeling of indifference. It wasn't until my flight to Ethiopia that my spirit was renewed.

author: Andrew Heavens


text:
Hong Kong: Screen Curtain Buildings · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Some citizen reporters took a short video on the screen curtain residential buildings in Western Kowloon district at inmediahk.net.


text:
India: Children and Singapore Airlines · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Blogpourri on flying Singapore Airlines with young children, with some words of advice to airlines regarding making travel more comfortable for parents and kids.


text:
Iran:A new site to ask your question · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

I ask it is a new site where you can ask your question in Persian and other users will answer you.The site has also a blog.Top question of today is “what you can do with 50,000 dollars (about 50 million toman) in Iran.”


text:
Iran:A survey done by Terror Free Tomorrow · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kamangir reports according to the recent survey done by Terror Free Tomorrow , developing nuclear weapons was seen as a very important priority for the Iranian government by only 29% of Iranians. By contrast, 88% of Iranians considered improving the Iranian economy as a very important priority for their government.


text:
Iran:Kiarostami’s works in Berkley Art Museum · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Thanks to Haftan we learn that “Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive have held a great exhibition of image works of Abbas Kiarostami, the renowned Iranian filmmaker and artist by support of Museum of Modern Arts of New York, in America.”Read More.


text:
Jamaica: Election Date Announced  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The date for general elections in Jamaica has been announced – Jamaica and the World speculates on who will win…


text:
Japan: Internet regulation up for debate, but nobody is debating · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

While nobody was watching, an interim report drafted by a study group under the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has set down guidelines for regulation of the Internet in Japan which, according to one blogger, would extend as far as personal blogs and homepages. In the report, this “Study group on the legal system for communications and broadcasting”, headed by Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University Horibe Masao, discusses the possibility of applying the exising Broadcast Law [Ja] to the sphere of the Internet to regulate, under government enforcement, what gets on the web. The report also suggests that public comments be sought on the issue [Ja], in response to which the ministry has opened a space on their webpage for the public to submit comments [Ja], available in the period between June 20th and July 20th.
Despite the obvious significance of the proposed regulation, neither media nor the majority of bloggers are aware of its existence. The most detailed coverage of the issue has been provided by tokyodo-2005, a former journalist, now a lawyer and prolific blogger on media related issues, who has (at time of writing this) already posted seven entries on the topic. In these blog entries, he warns that this legislation would be applied not only to general websites but also to personal blogs and home pages. The report advises, he cites, that contents found illegal based on the significance of their activity (表現活動の価値) would be outside the scope of protections on freedom of expression as specified in the Japanese Constitution; therefore, it is claimed, there would be no constitutional issue with regulating such content.
In the first entry on the topic, he writes:
戦前の日本のファシズム化をみれば、情報が政府による規制を受けることの危険性は明白だ
In his third entry on the same issue, he points out what he calls “an astonishing fact”: that, out of 12 meetings in total, three were held behind closed doors in order to ensure “free and active discussions”.
自由活発な意見を述べるために、密室にする必要があるのか？　もちろん、被害者から事情を聞き取ったりする際には、プライバシーが守られる必要があるなどの点から、密室が必要だろう。
しかし、この研究会は、表現の自由に関わる法制度を検討する場だ。その場が、公開されたら、自由活発な意見を述べることが出来ないっていうのは、そもそも、自己矛盾していないかい？
密室での議論、さてさて、公開の場で堂々と述べることが出来なかった意見とは一体何なのか？　それとも何やら、談合でもしたのだろうか？
In order to ensure free and active discussions, the meetings have to take place behind closed doors? Of course, in the case of interviewing victims, to protect their privacy, you would need [to conduct the interview in] a closed room.
However, this study group is the place to consider a legal system with relation to freedom of expression. This argument that free and active discussions are not possible if open to the public, doesn't it contradict itself?
Discussions behind closed doors — well, what were the opinions that could not be presented publicly? Or were they talking about some kind of deal?
In his forth entry, he compares the current situation to that of the time of the Manchurian Incident, also known as Mukden Incident, a historical event in which, he argues, the Japanese media played a significant role.
戦前についての反省をいまこそ生かすべきではないのか？
いま、まさに、満州事変のときに、迫られた選択をなさんとしていることに、メディア各社が気付いてほしい。
Isn't now the time for us to reflect on and learn from what happened before WW2?
I want the media companies to realise that right at this moment we are about to make the kind of decision we were forced to make at the time of the Manchurian Incident.
表現の自由の制約に目をつむり、インターネットという市場での自社の利益を優先するのではなく、本来、メディアが行うべき役割、権力監視機能を果たすべきではないか。
数十年後に、「あの中間取りまとめに反対しておけば、通信・放送検閲制度を阻止できたかも知れない…」という憾み節を書かなくてもよいように、子どもや孫に自分の書いた記事を誇ることができるように、頑張ってほしい。
They should be playing the role of an authority-monitoring mechanism, the role of the media, but instead they are turning a blind eye to restrictions on freedom of expression and imposing their own priority for profits on the Internet market.
I want them to do their best so that 10 years from now we will not have to write about our regret that: “If we had opposed the interim report back then, we may well have prevented the communications/broadcasting censorship system…” I want us to be able to proudly show the articles that we have written to our children and to our grandchildren.
そして、私たちネット利用者も、パブコメで意見を述べるだけでなく、インターネット規制に反対しないとは何事か、とテレビ、ラジオ、新聞に問いかけるべきだ。
多くの方にこの事態を伝えてほしい。もうパブコメの期限まで１０日足らずしかない。

author: Hanako Tokita


text:
Kyrgyzstan: Passport ordeal · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Tamara needs to get a new Kyrgyz passport in oder to enter the United States – and she chose not to pay a bribe to speed things up. This might have been wrong, as she already finds herself wading knee-deep through the Passport Office chicanery.


text:
Nepal: Chaos on the streets · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Deepak's Diary on the casualty of protests in the city – the roads, with traffic being blocked by protesters.


text:
Nepal: Money and Blogs · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kathmandu Speaks on making money as a blogger, blogging for a cause and building an online reputation.


text:
Pakistan: Open letter to the Supreme Court · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator has an open letter to the Supreme Court regarding the government's role in the Lal Masjid issue.


text:
Panama: On the Street Behavior · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Rob Rivera is frustrated about the state of driver conduct, traffic police and pedestrian behavior.


text:
Peru: First Interaction with OLPC · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Invazor C!!! [ES] writes about his first hands-on experience with the XO of the One Laptop per Child project and states that the children were able to easily and happily interact with the new machines.