Archive for
October 4th, 2005
Stories
Elections in Somaliland
· 14:08
While most of Somalia has been a dangerous, unstable place since the fall of Siad Barre in 1991, Somaliland, the northernmost part of the former Somalia, has fared surprisingly well. It has a functioning government, a police force, currency, and strong aspirations towards sovreignty. The unrecognized country has just held its first democratic poll since declaring independence, electing 82 members of a parliament. Head Heeb observes that the electoral commission will be posting results online as they're available, something that many electoral boards in the US are unable to do…
Yvette Lopez, who blogs at Inside Somaliland, has terrific first-hand coverage of the elections. Serving with an election monitoring team, she found herself working in Erigavo, capital of Sanaag, a territory in southern Somaliland that is also claimed by Puntland. She's got brilliant photos of her time in Erigavo - very much worth a look and a read…
0 comments · »»Saudi Arabia Blocks Blogger and Flickr, Again
· 13:04
Two days ago, the Internet Services Unit (ISU) at King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the governing body of the internet in Saudi Arabia, have blocked Blogger, denying users inside the country accessing their blogs. They have also blocked photos from the popular photo hosting service Flickr. Users still can log on to the site, but photos are no longer visible.
During the past two years, ISU have blocked the domain BlogSpot.com, where blogs that use Blogger are hosted for free, several times, but then unblocked it. The same thing happened with Flickr, too.
Please help to unblock these websites for users in Saudi Arabia by filling this form, or by sending an email to this address: unblock@isu.net.sa.
UPDATE: Blogger.com was unblocked on Wednesday, but photos from Flickr are still blocked.
16 comments · »»Tunisian online protest blocked
· 11:52
As Tunisia prepares to host the controversial World Summit on the Information Society in November, 
Tunisian opposition activist Neila Charchour Hachicha informs Global Voices that the online freedom of speech protest site launched by Tunisians on Monday, www.yezzi.org has already been blocked by the Tunisian authorities.
The online protest, called “Freedom of Expression in Mourning,” is organized by The Tunisian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Cyberspace (Association Tunisienne pour la Promotion et la Défense du Cyberespace). Here is how they describe the protest and its motivations:
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will be held in Tunisia from 16th to 18th November 2005.
However:
* A World Summit on the Information Society cannot have any concrete impact on the world community, if the main concern of such a Summit, which should be the human being, remains relegated to a simple accessory.
* Experience showed that concerning information issues, top level international meetings have never led to positive measures to make public's rights effective to get free access to information.
* Dictatorships similar to that of the Tunisian General Ben Ali, use the information's restrictions as a strategic pillar conscious that without restrictions their tyrannies would fail.
* Continuous impunity of tyrants, who violate on a daily basis the right of their people to freedom of expression, shows that apart NGO, it is illusory to count on “democratic” governments to support the right of free access to independent information.
* Finally, if there's a stake in the World Summit on the Information Society, it should not only be about reducing the “digital gap “, but it should be about reducing the evil that corrode peace in the world which is the “democratic gap”.Therefore throughout the WSIS and in order to get the attention of the Tunisian and the International public opinion to the cruel absence of freedom of expression and information in Tunisia, and the obvious incoherence between the principles of this world summit and its hosting by the violent and repressive Tunisian regime, a working group has been gathered under the sponsorship of the Tunisian Association for the promotion and defense of the Cyberspace (TAPD - Cyberspace) in order to launch the campaign:
“Freedom of Expression in Mourning!”
This campaign starts today, October 3, 2005, and will end with the closure of the World Summit on the Information Society. Within the framework of this campaign, we will immediately start an initiative defined by the following actions:
* Since we are physically unable to demonstrate within Tunisian public spaces, we will use the internet to organize permanent virtual demonstrations in order to express our total disapproval with the Tunisian dictatorial regime.
Visit their website to view the online protest and contribute materials. The site is trilingual: French, Arabic and English. (Scroll down to the bottom for the English.) You are also invited to download a badge and link it to their site in support of the cause.
UPDATE: Activist Neila Charchour Hachicha has written a long post on her blog about the situation. An excerpt:
Allthough most protesters are anonymous the regime censored the website in Tunisia the same day it was launched. If it proves something, it does prove that the regime is much more frightened then the 100 virtual protesters.
So finally, who is more powerfull? Is it anonymous but free citizens claiming their right to be discontent or is it a frightened regime supposed to hold a strong legitimacy?
In reality it is only when a regime totally lacks democratic legitimacy that it badly needs to be authotitarian and violent. But when people really want freedom and democracy, sooner or later they just get it!
Dear readers, you are all invited to support us in this initiative since freedom of expression and democracy are no more local causes but universal causes in which any one can engage regardless of his nationality or his religious belonging. All human beings deserve dignity. All human beings deserve freedom and democracy. It is the only and unique way to avoid terrorism and violence whether they are legally justified or not.
She encourages people everywhere to participate in the online protest.
6 comments · »»
Links
Eastern & Central Europe
Far fewer leaders in Poland's new ruling parties speak English than do members of the outgoing government reports the beatroot.
Americas
Jorge Yau offers a stunningly close-up view of his house in Panama by way of Google Earth.
Eastern & Central Europe
Konstantin of Russian Blog discusses why Russian culture has a repuation for both rudeness and extremely warm hospitality.
Eastern & Central Europe
Sean's Russia Blog analyzes the explosion of political youth groups in Russia across the political spectrum.
Eastern & Central Europe
The Russian Marketing Blog reports on how one Russian pelmeni maker launched their brand for free.
Sub-Saharan Africa
“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.” Which is just as well if you're trying to make sense of the Ethiopian constitution, writes Ethiopundit.
East Asia
It was a tough weekend for Koreans, writes The Marmot's Hole, referring to those injured in the Bali bombings and the 11 people who died in a crush at a pop concert.
East Asia
Bali Blog says that while the MSM will say tourists have fled following the suicide bombings, the Kuta and Seminyak tourist areas of Bali are quiet because of Galungan, a period of 10 days when the ancestors return to earth and are feted with offerings.
East Asia
China Digital Times reports on the closure of the popular online Chinese discussion forum, Yannan.com, and points those interested in the direction of archived posts from the site dating up to May 15, 2005.
East Asia
Musing Under the Tenement Palm posts a digest of China's English-language news media's coverage of the 50th anniversary of Communist Party rule in the northwestern, mostly Muslim, region of Xinjiang.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sokwanele Civic Action tells a tale of ambulances that won't respond to emergency calls where lives are at risk because they have “no fuel”, but which are later spotted picking up employees' children from school.
Sub-Saharan Africa
“I read and hear descriptions of killings, rape, indiscriminate shooting and burning of houses or shelters just like the ones in the African Union (AU) statement on a regular basis,” writes Darfur-based aid worker Sleepless in Sudan in response to the AU statement. “It's just that I cannot share them…in any format other than a blog that cannot be traced to me or to my employer.”
Middle East & North Africa
saad of The World from Rabat reports that some 30 prisoners, who have been on hunger strike for almost two months in Western Sahara, have agreed to take food again. They ended their hunger strike because of their families' fears for their lives, the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH) said. Most of the prisoners were arrested in the anti-Moroccan riots in May in the main Western Sahara town of Laayoune.
Middle East & North Africa
The Muscatis says that 20 years ago, Sultan of Oman waived to him while he was stopping next to him at a traffic light in Muscat. However, last week, The Muscatis got stuck in traffic because the roads were closed in Muscat while the Sultan was going to address the Oman Council with his annual speech. Time Changes!
East Asia
ThaRum answers Beth Kanter's query about cheap laptops with this post about MIT Media Laboratory's plans to unveil a Linux-based, hand-cranked U.S.$100 laptop in November, inspired by a visit to a Cambodian village.
Middle East & North Africa
scott of Angry White Kid post a photo of an Israeli bride posing for a wedding photographer next to an Israeli army mobile artillery piece at a staging area near Gaza and says, one thing we didn't do at our wedding; posing in front of Israeli artillery that was actively shelling Gaza.
Eastern & Central Europe
Blogrel rounds up the week in pop culture touching on the welcome arrival of meaningless, entertaining television shows and pop music acts.
Sub-Saharan Africa
“If there was an election for God, would you re-elect the incumbent?” asks What an African Woman Thinks, calling for comments on a post entitled “Diablog”.
East Asia
ESWN translates an essay by Zhongshan University professor Ai Xiaoming on the Taishi village standoff, which was originally posted on the Yannan forum, now closed down for “rectification” (the announcement can be seen here in Chinese).
Sub-Saharan Africa
Zimbabwe is just weeks away from the planting season, but no preparations seem to be being made for this year's food production. Meanwhile, the government sends out mixed signals about the country's ability to feed itself, writes opposition political adviser Eddie Cross at Zimbabwean Pundit. “We live in a lunatic asylum where the lunatics are in charge and the sane are the inmates. Sometimes I think the UN is a bit like that as well,” he writes.
Middle East & North Africa
MMM writes a post, which is more about some of his ideas and thoughts on how WiFi internet can get off the ground and become a reality in Tunisia.
East Asia
A. Fatih Syuhud wishes Muslims a happy Ramadan, as fasting begins around the world with the sighting of the moon. He provides some background and links to further essays on the practice.
Middle East & North Africa
Ramadan start and end was always a huge dispute between Muslim countries. Even worse between Muslims in the same country. As Mahmood says, it is always depending on where you come from, your ethnicity and your political affiliation. Read the example of Bahrain.
South Asia
The moral police is out in full strength in Chennai (earlier known as Madras). An actor has to eat her words, and a hotel's license was suspended says Kamla.
South Asia
Rezwan on why the police in Bangladesh deserves applause for the arrest of Mufti Hassan, and how the work done by the police is subject to great interference by the authorities.
South Asia
United We Blog! reflects on the turbulence in Nepal after having seen a documentary on the strife in Sri Lanka.
South Asia
The case for joining India as a solution to the issues of ethnicity on Chandare. The post says:
India was never a political reality until British decided it is high time the world have a mediocre cricket team that would consistently loose to teams from smaller countries to prove that size really doesn't matter after all.
South Asia
What forces hundreds of Indian students to go abroad and seek higher education? Abi of nanopolitan on what could be achieved for a similar amount in India, and an estimate of what education in a student-funded research university would cost.
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