Archive for
November 1st, 2005


Stories

Pakistan: Google Earth Dynamic Overlay - Made Public 

This author has no photo Angelo Embuldeniya · 12:23

Anne Wright and Randy Sargent of the Global Connections Project have been working hard to get out dynamic overlays of the affected quake areas in Pakistan. (A dynamic overlay is one that automatically substitutes higher resolution imagery as you zoom in and so is much easier to work with.) Randy and Anne wrote a couple of hours ago to say that the new dynamic overlays are ready: (more…)

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Voices From Zimbabwe Plus 

This author has no photo Zimpundit · 07:56

Zimbabwe-:To contest or not to contest is the question the MDC, Zimbabwe's main opposition party, is struggling to answer as the senate elections draw nearer. With no clear consensus emerging both sides of the argument within the MDC articulated their perspectives all through last week and these are reflected in discussions by bloggers.

Opponents of the MDC's participation cite perennial election fraud by ZANU-PF. Participating in the elections would be nothing short of endorsing the flawed electoral system. According to, Captain Marlow,

“What I have doubts about is this: is it worth splitting the opposition for the doubtful prospect of being able to express yourselves and be heard (and if you read the comments linked above, it seems very doubtful)? Is it worth to legitimize another Mugabe-rigged election and therefore validate an inevitably flawed institution? Isn't the price to high?”

This camp also argues that participating will not do anything to alleviate the nation's problems; the lack of fuel, energy, food, jobs, and foreign currency. This from Green Leader,

“If change is to actualize, it is not through having a senator or two from the MDC. Parliament shows this. There will be no difference in the senate. hange will happen in the streets. We have seen throughout Eastern Europe that the power of non-violent protests to remove regimes. This is what Zim needs to have democracy. Spending billions of dollars on a senate campaign won't fix the wrongs of Mugabe's rule. Only removing Mugabe from power and trying him will.

Arguing the contrary, is the camp that holds that any progress, however small it might be, garnered at the polls is good for the nation particularly those who have maligned by Robert Mugabe's predominantly Shona government.

“The Ndebele haven't had leaders who are “our leaders” to them. Mugabe and his mostly Shona allies (and even some Ndebele stooges) remain to these people “their leaders.” I'm not trying to stoke the tribal tensions here. I'm exposing the deep seated, justified excitement that (mainly the Ndebele in the MDC) have in the opportunities of the senate. The senate presents an opportunity to gain lost ground for some however flawed it may seem.”

Burundi-:Agathon Rwasa Highlights Paul Rusesabagina's calls for the American public to encourage their leaders to take a more active role in response to the atrocities on the African continent including places like Burundi. Rusesabagina, the hero whose life story inspired the harrowing movie Hotel Rwanda, was speaking in Iowa on his US tour.

DRC-:007 in Africa bemoans the irony that there is famine in some parts of the DRC when markets in other parts of the country are teeming with varieties of food.

“By the amount of food that is rushed into our faces, I realize that, if Congolese people are starving somewhere out there, it’s not for lack of food—which makes me very sad that basic lack of infrastructure seems to be the main reason for people dying here.”

Sahara Sarah takes time to correct some the stereotypes that people often hold about Africa and what it is like to work there.

Malawi-:After a recent theft from an expat in Malawi, bloggers Geeta and Mike of Hacktivate ponder how much of a crime the perpertrators committed. Geeta is frustrated by the fact that,

“In some cases, the very agencies on the front lines of mitigating the food crisis in Malawi have contracts with companies that do not pay their employees enough to manage this crisis without external support.”

Mike demonstrates the disparity between what the guards are paid and what their monthly expenses are.

He is also startled to find that Mexican Mariachi music has penerated the Malawian market thanks to cellphone ringtones.

Rwanda-:George Conard is excted about the prospects that the yagi or directional antenna have of improving communications in rural Rwanda.

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A look at the blogosphere in the Horn of Africa and Sudan 

a small portrait of this author Chippla Vandu · 06:47

The term Horn of Africa in this report represents Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

Ethiopian bloggers have been busy assessing the political situation in their country following general elections held there in May 2005 which the ruling party of Prime Minister Meles Zewani reportedly won. Ethiopundit in an article entitled Politics is the Continuation of War by Other Means rebukes the Ethiopian government for the manner in which the elections were conducted and the killing of protesters in June this year among other things.

Ethiopian Paradox re-echoes a similar message to Ethiopundit's but this time focusing particularly on the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Ethiopian Paradox appears very discontented with Mr. Zenawi's move to repeal the immunity rights of opposition MPs, addressing the Prime Minister as a “vicious dictator” who seeks to “stifle the Opposition and to reign fear and terror among his own appointees.” Often employing a poetic form of writing in some of its blog write ups (for instance as in Revolution of a Mind), Ethiopian Paradox seems all out to question practices by the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Looking at other issues in the Ethiopian blogosphere, Friends of Ethiopia reports on a demonstration by Ethiopian Jews, known as Falasha Mura, in Jerusalem over the failure of the Israeli government to bring their relatives to the Jewish state. Friends of Ethiopia also peeks at the Ethiopian-Eritrean border dispute and what the international response has been.

The Passion of the Present, a blog aimed at providing a forum on how to stop the genocide in Dafur, Sudan, tells of a Canadian MP, David Kilgour who has been pressuring the Canadian government to increase aid to Dafur and pressurize African countries and NATO to do more for the embattled region. The blog also presents an interesting interview with Salva Kir (conducted by Uganda's New Vision, the largest daily newspaper in Uganda), the first vice president of Sudan, and a founding member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

Sleepless in Sudan, authored by a “female aid worker” tells of a leadership conference being held by the SLA rebels in Sudan, and presents a picture of the hassles of life in Dafur.

Yvette Lopez's Inside Somaliland is full of interesting stories about life and politics in Somaliland – a country struggling for international recognition. Yvette reports on recent elections in Somaliland. Somaliland may have its own government, laws and constitution but the rest of the world still views it as part of Somalia. Somalia has not had a functional central government since 1991. Somalilanders in diaspora are also busy blogging about their homeland. Check out Ahmed Quick's blog The Voice of Somaliland Diaspora – Ottawa.

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Iranian Bloggers Write about Ahmadinejad's Speech & Israel 

This author has no photo Farid Pouya · 04:03

Ahmadinejad’s speech about Israel created a lot of emotions and reactions around the world. Iranian president said that Israel must be wiped from map! According to President “With God’s help we will experience a world without USA and Israel”! UN Security Council condemned Iran and World’s Media is still talking about this speech. Let’s look at some Iranian blogs to see what they say about this diplomatic disaster:

Former reformist vice President, Abtahi, writes in his Webnevest (link in Farsi)

“Israel is the most non-democratic country in the world. All human values stop at its borders…World has become Israel’s hostage”.

But he regrets that Ahmadinejad’s speech can empower enemy’s propaganda against Iran and create problem for country. In reality Abtahi does not reject Ahmadinejad’s idea about Israel but he only doesn’t approve his strategy.

In Iranian Truth, Nema Milanain created an open panel to let people express themselves concerning this subject: Sojourner put such an interesting comment:

“He (Ahmadinejad) said what he meant, simple as that. Such a statement should not come to anyone’s surprise, even if not diplomatically prudent. This was not a deviation in the rhetoric of the regime, simply because Kharazzi did not speak in such language in the past few years. Destruction of the Zionist entity has always been a revolutionary principle and remains an “article of faith” for many. This obviously does not mean one has to agree with it or not, even if a supporter of the revolution and its other principles”

Sharam Kholdi, a UK based blogger, published his dialogue with one of his friends about Ahmadnejad’s speech. His friend writes:

“I am afraid that no amount of incisive condemnation will align Ahmadinejad's (and his type) radical mentality with the rest of the world. It seems to be a characteristic of this type of extremist mentality to be completely delusional about the serious dangers and consequences of actions (or words). In an indirect way, it reminds me of the Iraqi minister of information who repeatedly denied the seriousness of war threats, during and below the shock and awe”!

Mr.Behi, a blogger from Iran, writes:

“There is a nice Persian proverb that says: “Sometimes a fool can drop a stone in a well that a hundred wise men won't be able to take it out!”.Mr.Behi Like many other regular human beings is shocked by the remarks that Iranian president produced this time. This is the most wrong speech he could have made in such a sensitive time. That is the result of putting a politically immature fellow in a position that words and even the tone of voice is important when you make a remark.”


FMSOKHAN (link in Farsi), an Iran based journalist, says Ahmadinjead is like a kid who can not control his mouth. Hoder , a Canada based blogger, says that Iranian president represents only a fundamentalist minority. Pasdar ( it means guard or revolutionary guard and link is in Farsi) , an Iran based blogger who is in love with revolutionary guards, says that Dr.Haji Mahmoud ( he means Ahmadinejad) says what we are thinking in Iran. In Fanous (link in Farsi) , a collective blog, we read that Israel is our enemy because it has not done anything to help Iran’s economic, human rights…conditions before and after revolution!! But Israel exists and we must accept this reality.

Another reality is that Iran has not been so isolated in the world for many years. Remaining isolated in a globalised world will be disastrous for Iranian people but what about rulers?

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