Blog é página pessoal, é registro de tempo, é expressão, é alguém falando o que pensa/acha/acredita para quem quiser ler. Blogueiros não têm sindicato, salário, férias, mas fazem muita, muita hora extra. Blogueiro não é jornalista nem publicitário: poder ser tudo e nada, teenager ou mãe de família, cabeleireiro ou alto executivo. Cada um tem a audiência que merece, a credibilidade que conquistou.

A blog is a personal page, is a time logbook, is expression, is someone saying what they think/reckon/believe for those who want to read it. There aren't bloggers' union, wages, holidays, but we do lots of overtime. A blogger is not a journalist or an advertising agent: they can be everything and nothing, teenager or mother, hairdresser or CEO. Each one has the audience they deserve, the credibility they have conquered.

For many bloggers, like Prix [pt], BlueBus staff just suffered a jealousy attack because all the nine bloggers chosen were much younger than them, both in age and in experience as bloggers:

Egos cutucados ou não, quem dirige o BB deve ter pensado, “Por que eu não ganhei um presentinho desse ? estou na internet desde desde, e quem ganha são esses moleques ?” […] Tudo ficou com cara de ser inveja por parte do BlueBus pelo que esses blogs tem produzido e pelo destaque conquistado.

Bruised egos or not, whoever runs the BB [BlueBus] must have thought: “Why wasn't it me who got this little gift? I've been on the Internet since the beginning, and those kids are the ones who get it?” […] It looks like it is BlueBus' jealousy because of what these blogs have produced and the prominence they have achieved.

Rafael Ziggy [pt], one of the bloggers linked to by BlueBus as a “rent-a-blog”, demanded clarification. In answer to him, the site publisher, Julio Hungria [pt], explains the choice of words:

Rafael, a expressao nao tem sentido pejorativo. Se vc tiver uma sugestao melhor, estou aceitando. Mas em jornalismo (blog nao é um formato moderno de jornalismo?) nao aceitamos geladeiras ou quaisquer outros tipos de coisas que envolvam valor que nos comprometa com comentarios positivos sobre produtos ou pessoas. Nao desdenho com a expressao ‘blogs de aluguel'. Acho que o teu formato é legitimo. Pra mim seria uma forma normal de comunicaçao, uma midia a serviço de 1 cliente. No inicio chamavam de ‘blogs corporativos' mas nao é isso - ‘corporativo' supoe 1 blog de propriedade da empresa para veicular declaradamente assuntos de interesse dela (normalmente deveriam ser geridos por assessorias de imprensa)

Rafael, the expression doesn't have such a pejorative meaning. If you have a better suggestion, I'll accept it. But in journalism (isn't blog a modern form of journalism?) we don't accept fridges or anything else which would compromise our values with positive comments about products or people. I don't despise you with the expression “rent-a-blog”. I think your format is a legitimate one. To me it would be a normal form of communication, a medium serving 1 customer. In the beginning it was called ‘corporate blogs' but this is not it - ‘corporate' assumes a blog owned by a company to run openly topics of their interest (which usually should be handled by PR)

Cardoso [pt] thinks this explanation given by BlueBus was rather cynical. He publishes the picture below and answers to Julio Hungria:

Primeiro, Júlio, jornalista que se preza escreve em português correto. Passe a usar acentos como gente grande. Assim você parece mais jornaleiro. Sem sentido pejorativo. Segundo, eu lamento MUITO que a sua integridade e Credibilidade seja algo tão barato que possa ser comprometida por uma geladeira USB. Gostaria de te informar que ao mesmo tempo em que há sim, blogs que se vendem por qualquer merreca e falam que gostam de Passport, os blogs sérios são feitos por gente SÉRIA e de caráter, que não precisa “fugir da tentação” para não ceder ao pecado. E mesmo que cedêssemos, não sei se a geladeira USB é o preço médio de um jornalista, mas um blogueiro custa bem mais caro.

First, Julio, a self-respecting journalist writes in correct Portuguese. Start to use accents as a grown-up. Otherwise you look more like a paperboy. No pejorative overtone here. Second, I regret VERY MUCH that your integrity and credibility are something so cheap that they can be compromised by a USB fridge. I would like to inform you that at the same time that there are, indeed, blogs that are sold by any shit money to say they like Passport, serious blogs are kept by serious people who have character, who don't need to “resist the temptation” in order not to commit a sin. And even if we did commit one, I don't know if a USB fridge is the average price of a journalist, but a blogger is much more expensive.

Fail Bus - It doesn't need to be blue to be a disaster. But it helps.

Change is in the air

As someone who is on the other side of the debate, Roberto Cassano [pt] sees blogs and social media as advertising opportunities, and says that receiving testing products is a sign that the blogger's social role as opinion makers is being well met. The problem is to label the whole of the blogosphere as “rent-a-blog” and “release lines” when a few make inappropriate use of the opportunities they get:

Mas isso só acontece porque estamos no meio de um processo, em um mercado imaturo ainda, que tem muito a crescer. As mídias geradas por usuários e as redes sociais são o fantástico e inevitável caminho da propaganda. Não fosse não teria eu mesmo migrado para uma empresa especializada nisso, e não distribuiria produtos a blogueiros (sim, eu faço isso) na esperança de que blogueiros gostem dos produtos que enviamos e resolvam falar bem deles. Ou que falem mal. Ou que não falem nada.

But this only happens because we are in the midst of a process, in a still immature market, which has much growing to do. The user generated medias and social networks are fantastic and an inevitable means for advertising. If this wasn't true I would not have migrated to a company specialized in this, and would not give away products to bloggers (yes, I do this) in the hope that bloggers will enjoy the products we send and decide to talk nicely about them. Or talk badly. Or just not say anything.

Michel Lent [pt] gives his two cents worth saying that the way the Brazilian blogging community usually reacts to any kind of criticism is very exaggerated and agrees that we are the witnesses of the end of an era:

Não se trata de uma guerra jornalistas x blogueiros. Ainda mais neste caso, onde o estopim parece ter sido o BlueBus, na minha opinião, o primeiro blog influente do Brasil. Se trata de um novo momento da comunicação onde os papéis antigos estão sendo revistos e os novos, inventados. Acho que o protesto deve ser feito sim, mas não em forma de agressão bruta e sim em forma de argumentação. Acredito que a única forma de amadurecer é através do debate.

This is not a journalists versus bloggers war. Even more in this case, where the gasket seems to have been blown by BlueBus which is, in my opinion, the first influential blog in Brazil. This is a new communication era where the old roles are being reviewed and the new ones invented. I think the protest should be made, but not in an aggressive and brutal way but as an argument. I believe that the only way to mature is through discussion.

The “monetization” debate is never out of fashion on the Brazilian blogosphere, with heated opinions both for and against the fact that bloggers may use blogs to make some money or even a living out of writing. However, this is a debate that deserves a post of its own. More to follow soon.

Subsequently, the channel has remained largely unavailable in the United States. In order to access the channel from most places within the country, Americans must pay upwards of $45 per month in addition to their usual subscription fee (on the DishTV network) - prohibitively expensive for many.

Recently, however, Burlington Telecom, owned by the small city of Burlington, Vermont (population 39,000), decided to carry Al Jazeera English, sparking debate amongst its residents and leading some groups to protest for its removal. Bloggers in the city and around the world jumped on the story. KABOBfest's Will (Palestine/US) explains the debate and concludes:

As we approach the end of the Bush presidency, it should be apparent to everyone that the the old thinking of “us good, them bad” is failing and having destructive repercussions. It is time Americans engage the world and expose themselves to voices beyond our borders. Al-Jazeera, English represents just that. Burlington, VT is exceptionally progressive, but these questions should be raised in every community around the country — most of which do not have televised access to Al-Jazeera, English.

Hanaan, also from KABOBfest, introduces a video (from Al Jazeera English itself) on the story, saying:

Despite its reputation for open-mindedness, there are more than a few idiots in Burlington, with the Israel Center of Vermont and the Defenders Council of Vermont leading the way:

From Burlington itself, two letter-writers are quoted in the Burlington Free Press‘ blog section. The first, Scott Baker, argues that to drop Al Jazeera from Burlington Telecom would amount to censorship:

Part of the very problem in relations between the U.S. and the Middle East is that their citizens don’t know enough about each other. Our relationship is defined by government policies, not open communication and understanding of different perspectives. Yes, Al Jazeera discusses Al Qaeda, because it’s a very real issue on its home turf. Yet, if you read and listen extensively, most Arabs and Muslims are just as angry at Al Qaeda as most Americans are.

In the same post Steve Flemer argues against Burlington Telecom's choice to host Al Jazeera English:

…It would seem to me that this fledgling city-owned outfit, already struggling with customer subscriptions far below expectations, would want to provide a varied cable menu without having to feel like they needed to make potentially self-harming political statements.

A comment on the website of Seven Days, a popular local newspaper, sums up the sentiments best, saying:

Forget conservatives versus liberals - the real debate over Al Jazeera in Burlington and elsewhere is increasingly turning into a debate between those who have watched the channel and those who have not. Those who have watched Al Jazeera on air will benefit from its strong global perspective on international news and affairs. On the flipside, most of the sections of society insisting Al Jazeera be dropped have never even watched it. Even when sets aside the fact that one group should not be allowed to impose itself on the other, the question of whose views are more credible is easy to answer.

China's netizens weighed in on the new rules. GeLaDanDong complained:

随着北京奥运会的日益临近，奥运对我们的生活的影响也开始越来越大了：禁烟令、禁塑令、坐飞机不能带洗发水、打火机、坐经济舱只能带一件随身行李……，听说以后地铁也要这样；坐火车也不让带水果刀了……，应该还有很多很多。 还有就是从7月20日开始直道9月20日的单双号限行！由于住地距离单位有30多公里的距离，所以早早开始考虑如何解决这个问题。 首先想到的是再买一辆车…无论是买新车还是二手车似乎都不太理想。 那么，乘公交车吧！好，至少要换乘三次。而且换乘站点距离较远，全程大约需要2.5小时.

An English translation of the comments would be:

As the Beijing Olympics comes closer with every passing day, the Games' influence on our lives is also increasing: commands to stop smoking and a ban on free plastic bags; when taking planes you can't bring shampoo, or lighters; when sitting in economy rows you can only bring one piece of carry-on luggage….I hear that these rules will soon apply to subways, too: on the trains, you can't even bring a fruit knife…there will probably be more and more rules. And now there's this temporary regulation that will alternative driving days according to cars' even and odd-numbered license plates, from July 20 to September 20! Since my residence is more than 30 kilometers from my workplace, I'm going to have to start thinking soon about how to solve this problem. First I thought about buying another car (with a different license plate)…but no matter if I buy a new or a second-hand car this isn't ideal. Alright, then, take the bus! Well, I have to change buses at least three times. Furthermore, the place to change the bus is far, and the whole process will probably take about 2.5 hours.

And another, at RenXin Blog:

这虽然在意料之中，但也感觉时间有点太长了，会给人们出行带来很大的不便。没有办法，为了奥运，我们要做好充分的思想准备，克服一切困难，确保奥运圆满成功。

The comments' English translation is:

Although it's being anticipated, I still feel the (two-month) period is a little too long, and it will bring a lot of inconvenience to the people. There's no way out, (because) for the Olympics, we want to the fullest amount of thought preparation (and) get around all difficulties, to ensure satisfactory success.

Many Global Voices bloggers who have worked together virtually for more than a year are meeting here face to face for the first time. It's a public meeting that has attracted around 200 participants from all continents, including over two dozen journalists from mainstream media. Thank you to everyone who is here in Budapest, or following from abroad.

A snap shot of the conference room towards the end of the first day. By Neha Viswanathan

Demonstration in support of A1 Plus in 2002 after it was taken off the air, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

The loss of the TV station saw the main medium for the dissemination of news to the population totally controlled by economic or political forces close to the authorities. And despite subsequent tenders and calls from international bodies such as the Council of Europe as well as local civil society to allow the station to resume broadcasting, it still remains off the air.

A1 Plus Director Mesrop Movsesyan confronted by police during a 2007 protest action to mark the fifth anniversary of the station being taken off the airwaves, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

The Armenian Observer reports on the ruling by the European Court.

I just heard the best news for the Freedom of Speech in Armenia in the course of the past 7 years! A1plus has won the case against the RA Government in the European Court of Human Rights.

[…]

The Armenian authorities will have to pay EUR 30,000 to A1plus - which is of course very little, but what is more important, is the precedent. Admittedly, the Armenian government has been loosing case after case in the European Court of Human Rights in the recent months. […]

Unzipped congratulates A1 Plus on its belated victory, but also notes that the ruling does not mean that the station will resume broadcasting. However, the blogger thinks, it does increase pressure on the government to allow it back.

Congratulations to A1+ TV company, its journalists, anyone who cares about media freedom in Armenia, and anyone who wants to see Armenia a better place to live.

This decision does not mean that A1+ will have to get back on the air, i.e. it does not oblige government to do so. […]

[…]

From now on, the legality of depriving A1+ its broadcasting rights is no longer there, on a formal, European level. Of course, Armenian authorities may wish to downplay it, limiting their liabilities to paying 30 000 euro to A1+ for damages and expenses (as stated in a Court decision). But they can no longer ignore it.

Demonstration in support of A1 Plus in 2004

Nazarian, however, is less than convinced.

In practice, this means very little for the rights of the Armenian citizens. It simply means that the Armenian government can suppress free speech for one easy payment of 30,000 Euros.

[…]

Who thinks that the Armenian government will fix the problem rather than put a small amount aside to pay people after suppressing their free speech?

Blogrel also offers its opinion on the matter.

It is unclear what this will behold for the tv company itself, but this gives strong weight A1plus’ long established view that they were effectively forced off the air for political reasons, pro government sources claim their tender bids were not of a high enough standard to compete.

Considering today we have one tv channel owned by a businessman who sits and talks to you all day about how great he is, one channel that seems to show nothing but adverts for cars in between an occasional Russian show, and one channel that does nothing but rebroadast another channel - I am unsure what A1plus’s tender proposal must have been.

Only a blank screen 24 hours a day could be worse - or perhaps better, these days?

Regardless, the embattled TV station has increasingly looked towards other mediums to continue its work. In May last year, for example, A1 Plus set up its own blog and during the recent state of emergency following the disputed February presidential election, its YouTube Channel was one of the most popular.

Incidentally, there is an interview from April 2002 with the station's Director, Mesrop Movsesyan, conducted by myself on the day following the decision which saw A1 Plus stop broadcasting here.

A1 Plus Director Mesrop Movsesyan after the European Court Ruling yesterday, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia

Photos: © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2002-8

In the run up to Vietnam’s admission to the World Trade Organization in 2006, newspapers reported with never before seen gusto. In the biggest story since the arrest and execution of mob boss Nam Can, in mid 2006 the Project Management Unit 18 (PMU 18) scandal broke. Newspapers reported on ministry of transportation officials who were accused of embezzlement and bribery and for losing millions of foreign dollars. These reports made the international press and greatly embarrassed the Vietnamese Communist Party.

At the heart of the scandal was senior police officer in charge of investigating the case, Major General Pham Xuan Quac, now retired. He was hailed as a hero for his role in exposing corruption in the ministry of transportation. At one point he gave an interview to Thanh Nien reporter Nguyen Viet Chien, who then wrote of PMU 18 manager Bui Tien Dung’s attempts at bribery. Dung was arrested, along with deputy minister of transport Nguyen Viet Tien, who allocated 70 percent of ministry funds to the corrupt and inefficient PMU 18. The minister of transportation, Dao Dinh Binh, resigned but was not detained.

Newspaper reports reflected public outrage and labelled Dung, Tien and Binh as corrupt villains. Reports mentioned the call for justice, a bold step in a tightly controlled media. In the West it is illegal for the media to declare a person guilty or innocent before he or she is sentenced in court, so perhaps the Vietnamese media did go a step too far.

But this year the pendulum swung back. In early 2008, the PMU 18 officials went to trial, and Nguyen Viet Tien, accused of taking PMU 18 vehicles for personal use and of bribing an official in a land-scam, was cleared of all charges. In April, he was reinstated as a Communist Party member. In May, investigator Pham Xuan Quac and journalists Nguyen Viet Chien and Nguyen Van Hai were arrested and charged with “abuse of power” and for printing false facts in the news in the story relating to Dung bribing a number of important persons.

There is a frenzy of discussion on the internet, with colleagues of Chien and Hai eloquently supporting them, both in print and online. Nguyen Cong Khe, editor of the Thanh Nien newspaper, stands by journalist Chien:

“Phóng viên của tôi không bao giờ bịa đặt, mà làm báo không cho phép chúng tôi bịa đặt. Chúng tôi chống tham nhũng hay chống tiêu cực phải dựa trên cơ sở của sự thật và được cơ quan chức năng chính thức cung cấp.

Ngay như bài “Bùi Tiến Dũng đã khai đưa tiền chạy án cho gần 40 nhân vật quan trọng” đăng trên Thanh Niên có đến hai vị tướng xác nhận, và chúng tôi có băng ghi âm. . . Chúng tôi thông tin là có nguồn tin cung cấp, chứng cứ.”

Journalist Doan Hiep of Saigon Giai Phong, thinks the charges relation to a single story written by Chien, are overblown and unrealistic:

“Họ bị khởi tố về tội lợi dụng chức vụ quyền hạn trong khi thi hành công vụ nhưng cụ thể là lợi dụng thế nào thì chưa ai biết cả. Nếu theo báo Thanh Niên, sai phạm của anh Nguyễn Việt Chiến ở chỗ đưa tin Bùi Tiến Dũng khai đã đưa tiền chạy án cho gần 40 nhân vật quan trọng, thì không đáng phải xử lý hình sự. Hẳn bên trong đó phải còn điều gì khuất tất.”

Ly Thong, of Hanoi, believes the current situation is a symptom of a greater struggle within government. Ly writes in a comment to an article in the English language Asia Sentinel on May 20th,

“This is a sign of disunity between the factions wresting for power within the communist party. The powerful conservative faction headed by the pro-Chinese (and pro-Russian) faction Nong Duc Manh want to deal a heavy blow at the more radical faction who want to combat corruption and inch towards the Western democracies…”

Chuong, a Vietnamese-Canadian, eloquently criticizes the Vietnamese government from Ontario,

“Các nhà báo viết về vụ PMU 18 đều bị bắt, cộng thêm thiếu tướng Nguyễn Xuân Quắc cũng cùng chung số phận, tôi càng không biết Việt Nam nằm đâu trên thước đo công lý, công bằng xã hội và tự do dân chủ của người dân…”

One journalist, Huy Minh of the Vietnam News Agency, is taking it all in stride,

“Khi ông Nguyễn Việt Tiến còn bị giam giữ, tôi đã đọc một bài báo đăng tải hình ảnh ông Tiến cầm guitare và hát. Hình ảnh đó làm tôi chững lại và suy nghĩ, ông Tiến, trước hết cũng là một con người, với biết bao vui buồn của ông ấy…. Tôi chỉ có một câu hỏi thế này thôi: ‘Tại sao, trong vụ án này, lại có quá nhiều, quá nhiều người buồn đến vậy?. Tôi cũng đang như anh Việt Chiến, “bất lực trong cách giải thích” và cũng chẳng có gì cả, “ngoài những nỗi buồn”.’”

Minh has got something right, albeit unintentional. In Vietnam, the press is kept on a short leash, but occasionally a brave reporter is able to force change. These reporters knew better than anyone the tenuous ground on which they stood and took a calculated risk. Instead, drawing attention drawn to the fate of whistleblowers both highlights the press’ situation in Vietnam but also promotes fear of reporting the truth.

One example is a citizen video from El Salvador, where a group of concerned neighbors of the Garrobo creek film the lack of followup after a legal mandate to fix damage done to the creek after Mr. Orlando de Sola Wright dumped demolition rubble into a creek, which caused it to fill with material and later flood the neighboring communities. Although the Salvadorean Sixth Sentence Jury mandated the removal of rubble and the construction of breakers in the creek to slow down its passage, this injunction hadn't been followed at the moment of the videos upload, on December 2007.

Also, China's Green Beat Green Brothers bring us a humorous take on the public transportation options in Beijing, with some tips on appropriate behavior on buses, taking advantage of the crowds in the Subway system to pick up girls, the health advantages (and disadvantages) of riding bicycles and why green is the way to go when it comes to transportation.

On May 28 2008, a young Cape Verdean female student, attending the 11th grade at the Januario Leite Secondary School, District of Paul (Santo Antao Island), was asked to cancel her enrolment after delivering a baby. Distraught by the bitter taste of women discrimination in Cape Verdean schools, Ana Rodrigues wrote a letter to the Minister of Education, requesting her right to remain at school and avoid an unwanted interruption in this nearly finishing school year. In face of this event, and being aware of the existence of similar cases, we demand a special framework for pregnant girls at school, emphasising that our intention is not to encourage girl pregnancy, but rather combat school drop-outs and discrimination implied in the above mentioned suspension measure. Subscribe this petition in favour of Ana Rodrigues and leave your opinion on this suspension measure. Do you agree that pregnant women should be suspend from school?

The above excerpt is from a petition against the school's decision, whose link has been circulating around the Cape Verdean blogosphere. So far, the online petition organized by the Citizenship Movement and Cape Verdean Blogs has already been signed by over 220 netizens and support is growing fast. Many of the island's bloggers have been mobilized and they are posting about the issue, some of them generating a good debate about human rights, sex education and society's hypocrisy. Below is a roundup of the strong reactions, starting with Eurídice Monteiro [pt], the first blogger to call for action:

Fiquei furiosa ao saber da situação da jovem Ana, que, apesar de estar a enfrentar dificuldades económicas acrescidas, é uma das melhores alunas da sua escola, com uma média acima dos 17 valores. Ainda a poucos dias, na Feira do Livro de Lisboa, durante a apresentação da Revista Direito e Cidadania, uma distinta senhora de nome Ernestina Santos contestava a discriminação das jovens e adolescentes grávidas nas escolas cabo-verdianas, como que adivinhando o caso da Ana. Como tenho uma preocupação particular com a feminização do abandono escolar, principalmente no ensino básico e secundário, e com a elevada taxa de gravidez precoce, que condena as jovens e as adolescentes a abandonarem os estabelecimentos de ensino, muitas vezes definitivamente, não podia ficar calada perante este caso.

I was furious to learn of Ana's situation, the girl who, despite facing increased economic difficulties, is one of the best students of her school with an above average mark for 17 subjects. A few days ago at the Book Fair in Lisbon, during the launch of the Law and Citizenship Magazine, a distinguished lady called Mrs Ernestina Santos contested the discrimination against pregnant youngsters and teenagers in Cape Verdean schools, as if guessing Ana's case. As I have a particular concern with the feminization of the school dropout issue, especially in primary and secondary education, and with the high rate of teen pregnancy, which condemns youngsters and teenagers to leave their schools often for good, I could not keep quiet when faced with this case.

Photo by NineInchNachosIII used under a CC licence.

Many other bloggers heard about the case through the above post, and they were quick to react. João Branco [pt], who has seen his two daughters through motherhood, says that this all happened in a incredibly surreal fashion:

Andamos a brincar? Uma grávida é uma doente infecto-contagiosa neste país? Onde pára o direito constitucional à educação? Ainda para mais parece que a aluna em causa - Ana Rodrigues - escreveu uma carta para à Sra. Ministra da Educação, suplicando pelo direito de continuar os seus estudos, sem uma interrupção indesejada neste ano lectivo preste a findar. Suplicando? Suplicando por um direito? E se fosse ao contrário? O Estado a suplicar aos cidadãos que paguem os seus impostos, por exemplo. Este caso é um escândalo, fere o direito à educação, pedra basilar do desenvolvimento de Cabo Verde desde sempre. Ainda mais preocupante quando este é um caso tornado público, dando-nos a sensação que muitos mais haverá, similares a este, um pouco por todos os estabelecimentos de ensino.

Is this a joke? Is a pregnant woman in this country an infectious and contagious person? Where is the constitutional right to education? It is even worse because the student concerned - Ana Rodrigues - wrote a letter to Ms Minister of Education, begging for the right to continue her studies without an unwanted interruption in this nearly complete school year. Begging? Begging for a right? And what if it was the other way around? The State begging the citizens to pay their taxes, for example. This is a scandal, this violates the right to education, the cornerstone of the Cape Verdean development. It is even more worrying when this is just one case made public, giving us the feeling that there may be many more cases, similar to this, happening in all educational establishments.

However, a commentator on the above post disagrees. Kuskas [pt] says that her sister was expelled from school when she got pregnant and missed the term, but she was better prepared to go back to her studies a year later, with the help of her family. She stresses that parents are responsible for ensuring that children do not get pregnant in the first place:

João, gravidez não é doença e nem deve ser, mas a adolescente gravida que frenquenta as aulas é prejudicada em relação aos colegas de muitas formas: as faltas são injustificadas (pelo que sei PARTO não é justificação para faltas, pelo menos nas escolas secundárias), nas aulas de educação fisica ela é tratada como as outras alunas e ela não tem direito a licença maternidade. SE as nossas escolas e as FAMILIAS estivessem PREPARADAS para lidar com essas situações, que eu continuo a dizer NÃO È e NÂO DEVE ser NORMAL, não haveria problemas nenhuns.

João, pregnancy is not a disease and it should not be, but the pregnant teenager who goes to school is in jeopardy in relation to her colleagues in many ways: the missed days are unjustified (and we know childbirth is no justification for missing [lessons], at least not in secondary schools), she is treated like other students in the physical education classes and she is not entitled to maternity leave. IF our schools and families were PREPARED to deal with these situations, I still say they ARE NOT and this MUST NOT be NORMAL, there would be no problems.

Abstract painting by Carina used under a CC licence.

Not exactly linked to the comment above, Eileen Barbosa [pt] criticizes this very mentality towards young mothers, and people who think they are less capable of completing their studies:

Já ouvi vozes dizerem qualquer coisa como “Unh, não me parece que fique bem ter grávidas a conviver com outros alunos…” Porquê, pergunto? Dá um mau exemplo? Serei inocente quando penso que pode até funcionar do outro jeito: a grávida sente-se mal disposta, a grávida não pode participar nos jogos violentos; quando o bebé nascer, virá com umas olheiras enormes por estar a perder sono… e as despesas… é melhor adiar…

Uma futura mãe precisa, mais do que ninguém, de meios para ganhar a vida e sustentar a cria. Negar-lhe as ferramentas para isso parece-me uma maldade injustificável.

I have heard voices saying something like “Unh, I do not think it looks good that pregnant girls mingle with other students…” Why, I wonder? Can you give me a bad example? Am I being naive when I think it could actually be the other way around: [people saying] the pregnant girl feels unwell, the pregnant girl can not participate in violent games; when the baby is born, she will come with bags under her eyes for not getting enough sleep… and the expenses… it is better to put it off…
A future mother needs, more than anyone else, the means to earn a living and support her offspring. Denying her the tools to do so seems to me an unjustifiable wicked thing.

On the grounds of childbirth

More than just granting that Ana Rodrigues is given the opportunity to resume her studies, bloggers want an investigation into the school headmistress' decision to force the girl to give up school, on the grounds of “childbirth”. The notice, signed by headmistress Alda Maria Martins Lima, reads as follows: “The Directorate of Januario Leite Secondary School hereby gives notice to teachers and students of the 11C class of the Economic and Social Course that the student Ana Maria Rodrigues is suspended from classes on the grounds of childbirth. She must apply herself for the cancellation of her matriculation for this school year”.

Virgílio Brandão [pt] publishes excerpts of the Constitution which shows that not only every citizen has the right to education, but also that “The agents of the state and other public entities are, by law, criminally and disciplinarily responsible for actions or omissions that lead to violation of rights, freedoms and guarantees.” On another long and well thought of post, he reminds readers that this is not the first time [pt] that a young girl has been driven to drop out of school after getting pregnant. In fact, if not normal, this seems to happen quite often in Cape Verde and that it is a fact society and government need to better acknowledge and address:

O extraordinário é que as Instituições que deveriam proteger a infância, a juventude e os direitos humanos em geral não fazem (não fizeram, que eu tenha conhecimento) nada de prático para evitar este e outros males. Quantas Anas existem e já existiram em Cabo Verde? O que aconteceu com elas, depois de decisões como esta? A estatística não deve servir somente a política e a economia, não…

The amazing point is that the institutions that should protect the children, youth and [advocate] human rights in general don't do (they haven't done, as far as I know) anything practical to prevent this and other evils. How many Anas are there and have already been in Cape Verde? What has happened to them, after decisions like this? Statistics should serve not only politics and economy…

Photo by O Pirata used under a CC licence.

Furnas [pt] carries on the same idea to say that it is high time society debated these issues in an open manner:

Se os caboverdianos querem discutir a questão da gravidez na adolescência que o façam de forma séria, madura, ponderada e científica, não na perspectiva moralista e, muito menos de valores pessoais discutíveis e de origem e finalidade duvidosas! Acho que por uma questão de cidadania, que nos toca a todos, deveríamos estudar a possibilidade de entrar com um processo-crime no tribunal contra o estado de Cabo Verde! Está mais do que na hora de começarmos a quebrar o silêncio…

If Cape Verdeans want to discuss the issue of teenage pregnancy they should do so in a serious, mature, thoughtful and scientific way, not with the moralist view only, and even less with debatable personal values of dubious origin/means! I think that as it is a matter of citizenship, which concerns us all, we should consider the possibility of joining with the criminal proceedings in a court against the state of Cape Verde! It is high time we began to break the silence…

Paulino Dias [pt] believes that talking about it is not as easy when people just close their eyes to the problem.

O problema é mais profundo, minha amiga. Tem a ver com a (re)avaliação da legalidade e da “humanidade” da medida de afastamento das alunas grávidas das escolas, tem a ver com a desconstrução das famílias e dos seus valores que vimos assistindo diariamente, tem a ver com um certo “lavar de mãos” dos pais no que diz respeito à educação sexual dos filhos (sim senhor, isso não é assunto apenas do Ministério da Educação ou das Delegacias de Saúde!), tem a ver com a passividade de todos nós que tranquilamente vamos assistindo a esses “pequenos” dramas e assobiamos para o lado com a consciência limpa de quem pagou já os seus impostos.

The problem is deeper, my friend. It has to do with the (re) assessment of legality and “humanity” of the schools' removal order for pregnant students, it is about the deconstruction of families and their values that we have watched daily, it is about a certain “washing of hands” of parents regarding sex education of children (yes sir, this matter does not only concern the Ministry of Education or the Health Authorities!), it has to do with the passivity of all of us who quietly watch these “small” dramas and turn our backs with the clear conscience of those who have already paid their taxes.

Photo by elisnice used under a CC licence.

Coming back to Virgílio Brandão [pt], this time on a comment on a Cafe Margoso post, he shares this anecdote about one of his past colleagues at Law School who had three kids during the university course:

Um dia, perguntei-lhe porque é que ela estava quase sempre grávida na altura dos exames e ela respondeu-me, com um extraordinário sentido de humor:

- Virgílio, fico mais inteligente quando estou grávida.

One day, I asked her why she was almost always pregnant when the examinations were up, to which she answered me, with an extraordinary sense of humour:
- Virgílio, I get more clever when I am pregnant.

Giga Paitchadze (center on right), Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

GV: How would you describe the blogging scene in Georgia?

GP: About 5 percent of all internet users in Georgia have blogs. With Internet penetration now at about 10 percent of the whole population, then that means about 10-15,000 bloggers. However, this figure would include both active and inactive bloggers, i.e. with one post only.

The main language is of course Georgian, and the second is Russian because many bloggers use LiveJournal and have a large audience there in terms of friends, people making comments, readers and visitors.

As there are no catalogues or any services where Georgian blogs are classified and where some statistics are available, I'll say that the most widely covered topics are politics, music, sport and other outdoor or lifestyle activities, tech news, IT and everything else.

Also there are many bloggers who just write about everyday life.

GV: How many people attended the BarCamp?

GP: About 150 people attended BarCamp Caucasus. Actually, we expected more than 200 since we had only 150 participants registered on our site and had also invited a lot of organizations, journalists and other bloggers. Unfortunately, however, the political and social situation on June 7th — the first session of the newly elected parliament and the oppositional rally against election results — was more in the focus of people.

Perhaps The PR campaign for our BarCamp needed more effort, but for next time we will learn from the lesson this time.

GV: How do you consider the BarCamp went? What were its successes?

GP: The success of every BarCamp is that people have the possibility to meet in real life, in an unofficial atmosphere, to share experiences, to make new contacts, and to create a network which can provide many other possibilities such as to start something like a new project etc.

In that sense, I think that BarCamp Caucasus achieved this goal. And I am positive about this since I have also read some reports and blog posts by those attending the BarCamp – for example, the meeting and some discussion held between Armenian and Azerbaijani participants. This is a small but important success.

On the other hand, not so many Georgians attended the event, but I think with some time and development of the Internet here, Georgian society will pay more attention to events like the BarCamp Caucasus.

GV: Although there was still very little interaction between Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian bloggers and new media professionals, do you think that BarCamps and blogs, and social networks could be useful tools in bringing the three countries closer together?

GP: I absolutely agree that events like BarCamps or similar can do a great job in cross-border cooperation and cultural dialogue. Finding similar and joint interests or working on joint projects can be more important than talking about our differences.

Indeed, Georgia is considered by many international organizations and bodies to be neutral ground in the South Caucasus and the only location where Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian participants can meet up in sufficient numbers for conferences and other events. This is especially the case given that its two South Caucasus neighbors remain locked in a protracted conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.

Registration, Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

Editor of Internews Armenia's E-Channel [AM/EN], Gegham Vardanyan, tells Global Voices Online why he attended the Caucasus BarCamp.

GV: Why did you decide to come to BarCamp Caucasus?

GVardanyan: I came to meet my friend, bloggers from other countries and to discover what new processes and technologies are being used around the world. For example, Web 2.0 technologies are very interesting and I will try to do something with them in Armenia.

GV: Your presentation was on blogs and the role of the Internet during the recent post-election state of emergency in Armenia. Do you think that blogs and new Internet technologies are now important for countries such as Armenia to consider?

GVardanyan: Yes, this should be developed. Bloggers and site owners are now thinking about backups and how they can be used as backups during such situations [as the state of emergency] in order to protect their content and to continue their work. I think that if such a situation was to occur again in the future – although I hope that it doesn’t – they will be more organized and be able to present even more information to their readers.

Gegham Vardanyan (center), Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

However, regardless of the role the Internet played, one Armenian participant was unhappy with Vardanian's presentation on blogs and new media during the recent presidential election in Armenia. The blogger in question considered the presentation more negative than positive for Armenia's image abroad.

Speaking in Yerevan this week, Media Diversity Institute Director and Global Voices Online Author Artur Papayan briefly addresses such concerns and also elaborates on the role of the Internet during the disputed vote and post-election unrest.

GV: How active is the local blogosphere in Armenia?

AP: There’s no way to accurately count the number as there are so many platforms as well as standalone blogs. Adding to the problem is that Google’s blog search doesn't really understand Armenian language posts and is very poor at detecting the Russian ones. However, the amount of active, i.e. at least one post per month, Armenian blogs on LiveJournal is more then 800 and my RSS reader has more than 60 Armenian language blogs with about the same number in English. Even so, I’d estimate the number of known blogs by Armenians at around 3,000 — including video blogs.

GV: How would you say the number of blogs was affected by the recent presidential election in Armenia and especially in the post-election state of emergency situation?

AP: The number of Armenian language blogs tripled and although there were very few new ones in other languages, several English language blogs became more active to a phenomenal extent. There were also at least 80 new Russian-language registrations in LiveJournal which was something like a 10 percent increase. Many of those blogs were “zombies” or anonymous blogs which were effectively set up for propaganda purposes, perhaps even with the support of the authorities, and made it onto my infamous ‘blacklist.'

However, there is again no sure way of measuring so all these figures should just be taken as my personal estimate and treated with some caution.

GV: It's been said that the Russian-language Armenian blogosphere mainly opposed the return of the first and former president to the political scene in time for the election. Blogs in other languages were more supportive. Do you agree with that assessment?

AP: Well, there was a poll carried out among LiveJournal users and other candidates such as Vazgen Manukyan and Vahan Hovhannisyan came out on top, followed by Levon Ter-Petrossian [first president] and Serzh Sargsyan [the new president]. However, it should be understood that LiveJournal works very much as a large single forum and its members influence each other greatly so it became not “cool” to support Sargsyan. Even so, Levon Ter-Petrossian supporters were few, but they were active.

Others who were very anti-Levon, neutral or pro-Serzh instead became pro-Vazgen or Pro-Vahan and started to see these two candidates as a counterbalance to Levon Ter-Petrossian. Hence the phrase “ anti-Levon” is not quite right. Instead I’d say many Russian-language bloggers became pro-alternative-candidates. That's what LiveJournal looked like, but after the violent clashes on 1 March most of those blogs [on LiveJournal] consolidated and became mostly anti-Levon.

GV: How would you assess the success of the Internet and blogs during the pre-election period and especially in the period following the disputed vote?

AP: During the pre-election period it was quite disappointing. Bloggers were very active, but they were not creative. Instead, they simply followed the same agenda set by the highly polarized mass media in Armenia. I don't think blogs made any difference in public discussions or substantially contributed to anything, but the post-election period was an entirely different story.

GV: Can it be considered a success?

AP: Yes, because blogs were the only alternative to the mass media, especially as independent and pro-opposition online media sites were blocked or censored. Blogs registered phenomenal numbers in terms of readers. My blog, for example, had about 2,500-3,500 page views per day and the blog of A1 Plus (a pro-opposition TV station taken off the air in 2002] had over 60,000. In terms of video blogging, the A1plus and E-channel YouTube channels also registered a huge number of viewers. E-Channel, for example, had over 30,000 viewers per day and I’m sure A1 Plus had triple that amount.

GV: Given that YouTube was blocked in Armenia for some part of the time, were most viewers from outside Armenia?

AP: More than 50 percent of A1 Plus YouTube viewers were from Armenia. Then came Russia and the U.S. However, for my own it was about 50 percent from U.S. followed by Russia, France, Germany and Spain and then Armenia. This could have been because A1 Plus were using titles and keywords in Armenian whereas I was using English, however. Actually, this was the strategy I advised A1 Plus to follow.

GV: So do you think that because of the situation with the broadcast media where all the TV stations are in some way linked to or controlled by the government that video blogging has more potential for success than traditional text blogging?

AP: Yes. Think video blogs and radio podcasts which will dominate the scene as soon as the situation with Internet connectivity improves and when 3G mobile services become available.

GV: There was some criticism of the presentation made on the election and post-election situation as it pertained to blogs which was made at the Caucasus BarCamp in Tbilisi. How would you respond to such criticism?

AP: While I greatly appreciate the sense of patriotism that such critics have, the reality is above all and we should understand that via blogs or not, the world is anyway watching.

GV: Of course, many of these blogs were also responsible for spreading a lot of misinformation.

AP: That is indeed so. However, when it comes to Gegham Vardanyan or myself, we tried really hard under great pressure to remain as objective as we could. Basically, I think that criticism is valid if there were mistakes and incorrect facts, but not if it concerns the general concept of the presentation itself.

GV: Is there anything you’d like to add about the future of blogging in Armenia?

AP: Yes. With increasing attention on the role blogs can play after the recent presidential election and state of emergency situation, I'm concerned about the future of blogging because everyone has started to realize that it has great potential. While such a situation should be welcomed it also means there is the danger that there will soon be attempts to influence that potential and to control it.

This could be from both the authorities and the international donor community which means that there is also the possibility that such control could destroy any real potential unless handled correctly and in consultation or genuine cooperation with those already working in this area.

Onnik Krikorian will be making a presentation on the role of blogs and the Internet on the democratic process as part of a panel, The Wired Electorate in Emerging Democracies, at the Global Voices Online Citizen Media Summit in Budapest, Hungary, on 27-28 June 2008.

An interview with Emin Huseynzade on the Azerbaijani blogosphere is here. Other Global Voices posts on blogging in Armenia during and after the 2008 presidential election are here and here.

Photos © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

Barrancabermeja [es]houses the biggest oil refinery in the country and is also the home to the Petrol Christ, a giant steel figure meant to represent Jesus with water spraying from the tips of his fingers. The first part explains a bit of the history of Barrancabermeja and its struggles with the oil refinery industries, and follows the strike run by workers against the new policies that pushed out many locals out of their only means of livelihood. It also tells the story of the OFP, or Feminine Popular Organization, which runs soup kitchens that feed about 600 people at each of the different kitchens on a daily basis.

The second and third videos follow the women of the OFP during the preparation and at the event: the day of the candle-lit vigil for peace and against war and violence, where the rally cry was :”not one boy, not one girl, not one cent for war.”

The fourth video shows the May 1st work day peaceful rally, and brings into the conversation the ESMAD or mobile riot police units which are present in most of the peaceful rallies, and gives arguments as to why they are against these means of control, as well as against several other government policies.

The fifth and sixth videos explain the work the women of the OFP do, through soup kitchens, organizing rallies, giving talks, making different types of services available for women of the community including legal assistance and housing for those refugees from internal violence, providing workshops with creative and marketable skills for women in the community to be able to make an income to help financially at home.

The seventh video presents written testimonials by victims of the violence and crossfire. Basically the same story repeats itself in each gutwrenching tale. Guerrilla are in the region, then the paramilitaries come and accuse them of working with guerrillas because they don't give them the information they wantt, they leave and the guerrilla comes back and retaliates with the community for being “snitches” and speaking to the other team.

The eighth and ninth video explain a bit more about why coca farming is sometimes the only option many people have to survive: non-existent infrastructure make any other type of farming for profit not possible, since there would be no way to effectively market the product, and if possible, wages wouldn't be enough to live off. However, the government is intent on eradicating coca plantations and they regularly dust them with chemicals that not only kill the coca plants but also any other type of plants in the area, including those products of subsistence farming. And still, with all these struggles, life in Barrancabermeja goes on.

On the sidelines of this weekend's Caucasus BarCamp in Tbilisi, capital of the Republic of Georgia, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor Onnik Krikorian had a brief opportunity to talk to BarCamp Ambassador and Regional Program Manager for Transitions Online, Emin Huseynzade, on blogging in Azerbaijan and the potential for its future development.

Emin Huseynzade with Azerbaijani participants, Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

Huseynzade was also in Tbilisi to coordinate special training by Transitions Online for journalists and bloggers from all three South Caucasus republics. The training deals with the latest trends in new media, including podcasting, video casting, RSS feeds, and social networks, as well as the impact of blogs on the traditional media.

Azerbaijani participants registering, Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

Over 150 people from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia as well as Eastern Europe and Central Asia registered for the conference although not all attended. Neverthless, the unconference dealt with topics such as the use of mobile telecommunication for social and environmental surveys, research and activities, as well as other topics as diverse as social networks such as Birge.az.

With the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh still frozen, both events also gave bloggers and journalists from both countries the rare opportunity to meet each other. Although interaction was minor for the BarCamp, participants from both countries attended presentations by the other and Huseynzade says that communication between the two would likely be greater for the smaller Transitions Online training.

However, with Azerbaijan due to stage its own BarCamp on 29-31 August in Lenkoran, Azerbaijan, it is unlikely that Armenians will be able to participate.

GV: You’ve arrived in Tbilisi with a large group from Azerbaijan for the BarCamp and the training which will take place afterwards.

EH: For the Caucasus BarCamp we have nearly 30 people. Some are students while others are from different companies or IT specialists – programmers, designers and so on. For the Transitions Online training, however, there will be just 6 people attending from Azerbaijan, 6 from Armenia, and 10 from Georgia.

GV: You’re planning to stage your own BarCamp in Azerbaijan. Why the interest?

EH: The first time I heard about BarCamps was last year. Jeremy Druker, Executive Director of Transitions Online, told me about this idea of an unconference and I was intrigued. I was very interested in the idea and so I contacted some people in Latvia to find out more. I then decided to become the so-called “Ambassador” for Azerbaijan and took people to attend the BarCamp there. Five people went and it was very amazing for us. There were nearly 500 people attending and presentations of different ideas, projects, and the possibility of finding funding for our own projects. I decided I’d attend other BarCamps.

GV: Of course, BarCamps are not just about blogs, but what is your specific interest in them? Will that be the main focus of the Transitions Online training?

EH: Actually, we’re thinking about blogs as the first phase for citizen-journalism, but it isn’t just about new media. There are also social networks, podcasts, and many other things. However, we decided to start with blogs and we’ll present the practice and experience of other countries in this respect. If there are new forms of new media, we’ll also implement those and start to develop them in our own countries too.

GV: Yesterday you told me that blogging is quite well established in Azerbaijan.

EH: There are different groups of bloggers in Azerbaijan and they started mainly on Blogspot and Blog.com before Russian blogs appeared on LiveJournal. Then some started to appear on blog.az, but there were a few problems with that. However, Azeriblog.com created a new blogging system a few years ago. Actually, the system was created by a blogger from what some call South Azerbaijan in Iran. In fact, many of those using that system were from there. On that system alone there are nearly 5,000 bloggers out of a total of some 8,000 spread across different platforms.

We’re also developing another project in Azerbaijan with the European Journalism Center. It’s a network – sirr.az – and there will be blogs there as well. So, we’re using new opportunities to provide people with not only social networks, but also networks and blogs within both. Some will be able to blog specifically for particular groups within other networks, for example. As a result, I think that in two years we won’t just be able to double the number of bloggers in Azerbaijan, but perhaps even triple it. We can also say that if a few years ago the Azerbaijani Internet was mainly in Russian as a result of the under-development of the Internet as well as the general situation of the country, it is now 80 percent in Azerbaijani.

GV: Given the lack of communication between neighboring countries in the South Caucasus for obvious reasons, do you think that blogs could be a way of bridging that divide?

EH: Maybe, but perhaps not blogs themselves. Instead it might be blogging systems or bookmarking sites such as Digg or Technorati because I don’t think that many people will access each other’s blogs so much or be quick to comment. Nevertheless, I would like to see Armenians comment on Azerbaijani blogs and vice-versa.

Transitions Online also operates a number of blogs from Armenia, Georgia and other countries via a main portal here. The official site of BarCamp Azerbaijan is here while last weekend's
Caucasus BarCamp is here.

Azerbaijani participants, Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

Armenian and Azerbaijani participants, Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

Azerbaijani participants, Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

All photos: © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008