Global Voices Online

El Mercurio's “iBlog” today focused (ES) on election coverage from citizen journalists around the world. Among those mentioned was Maria Pastora Sandoval Campos whose article, “Women of Chile, We Did It!” appeared on OhmyNews International.

Eduardo Avila links to a recent poll which found that “65% of the population approves of the President-elect,” noting that the poll was done in urban areas where support for the Movement Towards Socialism party is usually lower.

Genciencia (ES) is a new, Spanish-language weblog focused on science. Today's post covers how archeologists identify gender from dinosaur skeletons (ES).

Both Steve Bridger of afterwilma.info and Danna Harman of the Christian Science Monitor go over Cancún's plans to get back on its feet after Hurricane Wilma devastated the tourist city three months ago.

ThandieLand introduces the Sisserou parrot, Dominica's national bird, which all but disappeared from the island after Hurricane David in 1979.

Bracuta (ES) explains why she detests the musical genre known as reggaetón.

OddBlog previews the Cayman Arts Festival.

Maegan defends a new Black-owned television station on Vivir Latino, noting that “while most Latin American countries don't like to talk about race, cases like this point to the huge issue skin color continues to be.”

On the 39th anniversary of the achieving of majority rule in the Bahamas, Sir Arthur Foulkes traces the journey the country took to get there.

Torn and frayed in Manila has been reading a book about Malacanang Palace, the official residence of Philippine presidents (and formerly of U.S. and Spanish governor-generals). His reactions.

Crap & Such from Singapore catalogs the five different kinds of blog readers, such as “the lurker” and “the howler.”

Kushibo-e Kibun lists the five chugigi, or “things South Korean President Roh Moohyun wants to destroy.'

One whole jujuflop situation has been following realignments in the Taiwan government since the ruling party's defeat in the last election. His latest is on the premier's resignation today. But the job's not as important as it sounds.

Two contributors at Japundit hold a frank conversation about why China and sometimes South Korea find anti-Japanese sentiment so useful: “It allows people to indulge their emotions…It has nothing to do with today’s reality. Imperial Japan no longer exists. It was annihilated, and everyone in Japan knows it.” It's a long “intraview.” But a thought-provoking one.

Bangkok Pundit rebuts local Thai newspaper editorials that argue that Thailand's free-trade agreement with China has been disastrous. “For China, Thailand has always had a large trade deficit with China and this existed before the bilateral trade agreement and still exists today.” Meanwhile, Sarasonteh goes after a local critic's logic regarding Thai free trade with the United States.

Vikrum watches “The Courtesans of Bombay” and reflects on jobs, life and the urban space that is Bombay, and how different the employment sector can be for women and men.

Dina has notes on Digital Summit 2006 currently underway in Mumbai.

Hell's Dire Agent has “10 ideas for Microsoft Humanitarian Systems Group“.

Wamy at moodlogic laments the tragic loss of life in a Pakistani village because of a US Strike and strikes the blame on the Pakistani President.

International Nepal Solidarity Network on the government imposing bans on public gatherings in Kathmandu and Lalitpur.

Afghan Warrior writes that the people of Kabul support the decision of their government regarding the removal of the security barriers from the streets of the capital. These barriers create a huge traffic congestion in Kabul, a longtime complaint of the city's residents. He also adds that in some parts of the city, the UN and some other civil and military organizations have blocked sidewalks with security barriers like barbed wire and concrete, forcing people to risk walking on roads.

Accroding to webgardian, Mr.Tandar, the Afghanistan ambassador in Belgium responsible for the Afghan delegation to the European Union, in an interview with WashingtonPrism said the main problem for our Afghanistan's new democracy is drugs and that pressure must be put upon the demand and production at the same time.

Why No Cinemas? Some people in Saudi Arabia love to bane things for no reason. The majority of Saudi people here showing that they want a solution for this issue, as it became something reactionary to keep it banned without any rational reason, Ibrahim Owais said.

“So, Abu Hamza… Lets say that Brits hate Jews, why should I? Because they are Jews? But wait, Abu Hamza. Islam teach us to love everyone, specially and starting with Jews and Christians, as GOD said, they are the closest to us, Muslims.

For God sake, where does this crock bring his teaching from? This is not in Islam. At least not the Islam that I learned from my Dad and Mom. Not the Islam that we learned at schools. Not the Islam that we read in Qur’an. Where the hell he gets all this from?” Sabbah said.

Did the production team on Kuwait TV News actually read the articles that appeared in the foreign press about Sheikh Jaber? There they were gushing over the New York Times and The Independent and God knows who else, and practically thanking them for their kind words, almost beaming with pride for being mentioned so prominently in the world press, when in truth the NYT article was more concerned with what the future holds for Kuwait and the inevitable power struggle, whereas the Independent…

Meanwhile, over at Al-Jazeera.. as expected, a mean-spirited article followed by some outrageously nasty comments. Good to see many Kuwaitis refuting to that, Zaydoun said.

Despite the Israeli government's claim of a “zero tolerance” policy against settler violence in Hebron, Human Rights Workers report that settlers have continued their violence against Palestinians with almost full impunity in Tel Rumeida, ISM said.

Shiva the spy, a US based blogger, says a CNN journalist mistranslated President Ahmadinejad's words in his recent public address; rather than quoting the leader as saying, “Every country has the right to peaceful nuclear technology,” the translator conveyed the message as, “Every country has the right to nuclear weapons.” Shiva adds that the real question is, did this reporter purposely botch the truth, in order to manipulate public perception of the issue? Or was it really just a careless mistake, on an extremely sensitive matter?

Jangbalajugbu-Homeland Stories is reading reading “Daniel Pink’s “A whole new Mind: Moving from the Information age to the Conceptual Age” which he hopes will encourage him to use the right side of the brain. However the book did not help him organise his day as he misses his presentation on “the challenges of Engineering graduates in the IT Industry”.

South Africa writes on the rise of the citizens media in South Africa. Although he praises the inclusiveness of this new media he is also concerned over the credibility of some of the writers who are blatantly biased in their reporting.

You missed this points to an open letter by an investor who writes that Kenya's economic boom is a myth.

Kikuyumoja’s realm has some cool photos of East Africa 50 years ago…

“a chance to ‘buy a sheep, a goat or some chickens from FARM AFRICA.”? Bullets & Honey comments on this latest scheme on saving poor Africans…..”Imagine how good you will feel when you add a good deed to your vacation. ‘Not only will you be helping a worthy cause like poor African farmers or abandoned kitties (emphasis mine), but your lucky recipient will receive a gift pack with information about the charity and a unique gift to open on their special day.'

Redeem Ethiopia comments on the content of Western media reports on Ethiopia - reports on cheetahs and reality TV rather than the political situation…. “We scroll through the news on Ethiopia and find it hard to believe that these are the news pieces American media feels are worthy of attention. But we can not take these stories for granted without pondering if there maybe something more sinister at work.”

Chippla's Weblog comments on the myth of egalitarian France and points to an article in the Washington Post on the subject. …”Next time one hears the Western European media complaining about how the United States treats its minorities, you may just as well choose to trash the article.”

Nazret.com Ethio Blog reports on the release of 11,200 people arrested during the post-election political unrest in November. This follows a series of previous releases and the closure of Dedesa detention camp in December.

African Unchained points to an article by Stella Orakwue who asks the question “What are Africans doing in Europe” and challenges those of us living in the Diaspora to think carefully about why we are still there!

AfricaBeat has a commentary and roundup of articles on China's presence in Africa. ….”The question on everyone’s mind is what effect – for good or for evil – China’s expanding role will have on the continent. As the blog “China in Africa: A New Colonial Power?” asks, will China’s ambitions in Africa constitute a “new round of colonialism” or “an opportunity for real development”?

The Zimbabwean Pundit comments on the split in the Movement for Democratic Change (Zimbabwe's main opposition party) …”The struggle in the MDC is not about elections, it is a battle for the control of the heart and soul of the party. As long democracy is based on public sentiment, Tsvangirai will for sure win out this war.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the focus of a number of African blogs - Jewels in the Jungle, Angel Fire, Nigerian Times, Sudan Watch all comment on the inauguration of the new Liberian President.

Titilayo takes issue with the common perception that it isn't hard to learn to play African drums. “It is generally accepted that learning to play the violin or the trumpet or the piano or the guitar or other “real instruments” requires (even if self-taught) some sort of systematic approach, discipline, practice, effort, attention to developing the skill and improving the technique,” she says. “But with African or Afro-Caribbean drumming, there's “nothing to learn”.

Elspeth Duncan conducts the first interview in her “If I were prime minister” project, and concludes that she needs to make some adjustments to her questions and approach. Attillah Springer primes for writing an article for a UK publication by making a playlist of her top 11 jouvay tunes.

Grand Cayman-based Jamaican blogger Mad Bull reviews a concert by budding superstar Damien Marley, the youngest son of Bob Marley.

iSSueZ, a Friendster blog by a young Indonesian filmmaker, writes: “Whether we like it or not, we are not just Indonesians anymore. We’re a hybrid nation. We are the result of information that has trickled into our brains without our realization. And due to that, we express ourselves now in gado-gado style, whether it is in conversation, articles, music, TV and now movies.”

neweurasia reports on internet usage in Central Asia.

What do different theories about political revolutions tell us about the prospects for a democratic revolution in Turkmenistan? neweurasia explores the question. (For a discussion of these theories across Central Asia, see Registan.net.)