Global Voices Online

Gil Schmidt digs into the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States 2004-2005 and finds some “sobering statistics” related to how Puerto Rico compares to other U.S. territories like Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Rami Abdelrahman wonders, after Amman was bombed, that did not only show how vulnerable we are, but also how we need to get many things straight. Why do we stick our noses in our neighbours businesses? why do we have to take millions from the US, and probably as much from other countries to keep doing that, while it doesn't reflect anything on the average Jordanian's life? Was it only for the people not to say anything regards their opinion about our “foreign policy”? Why do we have to take fight for “moderate” islam against those fanatics who bombed our capital? What about poverty, corruption, underdevelopment in rural, civil and badia areas? How can you be interdependent if you are dependent?

Akiva says: “For the past 2 weeks, a woman in the U.S. has been trying to pin down rumors that the government of Israel is selling off parts of Mount Zion, specifically the area of David HaMelek's (King David's) tomb and the location of the Diaspora Yeshiva (Jewish religious school) in Jerusalem to the Vatican. Vatican Press says it's happening, Israeli government spokespersons alternately say no, yes, maybe, never, could be, and “we can do whatever we want without telling anyone“…

Omar says: “Math wasn’t my favorite class in school but I do remember one thing for sure that is inorder to solve any equation it has to contain a number of variables and constants and the values of the constants will help find those of the variables leading to the final solution. Elections in Iraq can be considered an equation and the above applies to it more or less.“

Nouri bin Ziri writes about Algeria's relationship with pan-Africanism and pan-Arabism and Third Worldism and how it's been snubbing pan-Africanism and playing up Arabism lately.

Grandiose Parlour sees the “handiwork of the Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo in the recent attempt of some African head of states to form a closer political union”. However he feels the “actors are mediocre and the timing is off”.

Sokwanele - This is Zimbabwe has an action alert in respect of the ” arbitrary detention of Mrs. Netsai Mushonga the Coordinator of the Women’s Coalition, an umbrella body of women’s rights groups in Zimbabwe.”

Kenyan Pundit asks “Can someone please tell me why “lobbying” and “campaign finance” and “fraud” are always the words used to describe instances of corruption/bribery when it occurs in the United States and elsewhere in the West?“

Coalition for Darfur is reporting on the possibility of a catastrophic health crisis looming in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Ethan Zuckerman is also on his way to WSIS in Tunis to run Global Voices workshop on “Expression under Repression. “ He like many others has a number of concerns on WSIS. “I’m attending despite deep misgivings over the usefulness of the gathering, the absurd cost of the meeting, and the fact that it’s being held within a deeply repressive country with a history of detaining people who use the Internet to exercise their right to free speech.”

Nigerian blog, Resident Pharmacist wonders if there is not something ” about our culture that, while making it a morally unacceptable for a married woman to be assaulted, would not be as concerned about a single/unmarried woman”?

Friends of Ethiopia asks us to “beware of the white elephant” - The WSIS in Tunis this week will be discussing the “digital divide” between the “north” and “south” and call for a Digital Solidarity Fund. However without substantive changes in trade restrictions and barriers then it will just be another one of those “talking shops” and everyone gets to have lots of fun in Tunis.
“Dazzled by the allure of e-commerce, the global information society, e-learning and other buzzwords, they believe that new technology will allow them to leap-frog decades of incompetence and corruption and achieve rapid development. But the barriers to technological development are exactly the same as the barriers to any economic development: market restrictions, lack of contract law, state controls, customs duties, bureaucracy, and corruption.”

In many parts of Africa snails are a delicacy. Timbuktu Chronicles has a report on heliculture in Africa (snail farming). Snails are not only eaten locally but are also a major source of foreign exchange in Ghana and can be used to increase the fertilisation of land for other crops.

African music blog, SoundRoots is saddened by the decision of African Diva, Miriam Makeba too stop touring. In her performance in Cuba recently Mama Afrika commented about the use of the term “world music” to describe “third world” music.
“I don’t believe that there would be rhythm without Africa. Now we are called World music, and I ask myself, where are the rest from then? We are all of the world. In real terms they want to say Third World music. It’s the same as when they called us underdeveloped countries and now courteously we are in development. That’s how it is.”

Black Star Journal has a report on the arrest of Ugandan opposition leader, Kizza Besigye by President Yoweri Museveni. “After 19 years of banning all political parties, Museveni's regime finally legalized multipartism. He even invited main opposition leader Kizza Besigye to return to the country. In addition to being the main threat to his power, Besigye was once Museveni's personal doctor. When Museveni invited Besigye to return to the country, he promised that doctor wouldn't be arrested. So Besigye came home on Nov. 1. And less than two weeks later, he was… you guessed it… arrested on dubious charges.

Lux Mean reveals where to go shopping for second-hand goods in Phnom Penh. Jinja covers a more ominous kind of sale: the no-bid transfers of public land to private bidders, which has already put the lands under the National University of Fine Arts and the National Theatre in private hands.

Danwei and Bingfeng Teahouse engage in a back-and-forth over an editorial in Caijing (Finance) magazine criticizing the domestic Chinese media's hesitant coverage of bird flu. Imagethief and The Peking Duck share their thoughts on the topic as well.

Jakartass discusses Jakarta's water problems — from subsidence, flooding, the lack of tap water for two-thirds of the population to the possibility of a severe water crisis in three years.

Torn and frayed in Manila reacts to last week's post on Howie Severino's Sidetrip recording Severino's train ride into Manila. Hundreds of poor live along the tracks and pelt the trains with garbage. “Basically, because there is such incredible shortage of space in Manila people live wherever they can. If that means a few inches away from a moving train, well so be it,” writes Torn and frayed.

Dawn Yang, a.k.a. clapbangkiss, could well be the first Singaporean blogger to find a talent agent purely on the basis of her online reputation: She is No. 1 on local site hottestblogger.com. The attention Yang has drawn surprises even the site's founder, Kahsoon. Writes Singapore's New Paper, the city-state's reigning popular girl-blogger Wendy Cheng a.k.a. xiaxue, sniffed: “She's not a real blogger. She's just a pretty girl who happens to have a blog.”

Jabberwock after a visit to the UK last year, comments on the confusion and bigotry in the NRI (non resident Indian) community.

International Nepal Solidarity Network says that Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is disturbed by court's failure to check repression of the media in Nepal.

The representatives of NGOs have threatened to move international court regarding the recently promulgated Code of Conduct for the NGOs says Legal News From Nepal.

Ahmed Bilal on how Iran's words are far less than Israel's actions, and wondering who the real enemy is.

Indi.ca seems to think that an opinion poll reflects that people are more caught in “wedge issues” than the ones that affect more of them.

As the elections get closer, Mahoshada opines that the decisions made in this elections will affect an entire generation.

Ocho Cuartos directs readers (ES) to Nuevo Leon's Transparency Portal (ES) where everyday citizens can check on the salaries of their elected officials and more.

Adam Isacson sits down with Putamayo governor, Carlos Palacios to discuss the state's progress, or lack thereof since Plan Colombia first began five years ago.