Global Voices Online

Jefferson Morley says that immigration reform is rarely debated in the Salvadoran press.

Yon Ayisyen, the only Haiti-based Haitian blogger writes (FR): “When I noticed that [Yahoo war correspondent] Kevin Sites was in Colombia, I understood right away that he wasn't too far. But I also told myself that we had neither a war nor an armed conflict despite the daily gun violence and that probably Yahoo would not deem Haiti to be a hotzone. But I was wrong and I am pleasantly surprised to find out that Kevin Sites is here.“

Miguel Centallas wonders if a national pension fund could turn into a political slush fund under MAS leadership.

Argentine blogger Mariano Amartino is at the WeMedia conference in London where he says (ES) that the mainstream media still incorrectly views “blogs” as a single entity rather than another way to deliver content. In a followup post (ES) he recounts that, by chance, he was at the same table as three directors of major media outlets who still “don't understand that there is no competition, that the [mainstream media] audiences are not getting any smaller, and that, in reality, what's turned up is a distinct and niche market. In fact, Timothy Balding, the CEO of the World Association of Newspapers, was the only one who seemed to understand clearly that both markets can (and in fact do) mutually benefit each other.”

Katy expresses her gratitude (sarcastically … I think) to Hugo Chavez for relieving the debts of former students who studied abroad during the early 90's. Afrael has a gas relaying the news (ES) that the “fartless bean” was invented in Venezuela in his post “Venezuela Keeps Innovating”: “only known for its oil, beautiful women, and Chavez, now they'll also have to recognize us for being the country that invented fartless beans.”

Steven Taylor writes about Uruguay's discontent with the South American trade bloc Mercorsur. Miguel Octavio (and his faithful readers) try to make sense of Latin America's recent economic realignment.

The cutting edge film reviewers at GoodAirs give two thumbs way up for the new movie Crónica de una Fuga. Brandán comments on his sense that “the movie repeated a lot of stock imagery of torture,” but still calls the story “incredible.”

Luke Distelhorst says that China will be training Mongolian judges.

The Golden Road to Samarqand discusses political reform in Kyrgyzstan in light of attempts by the country's cabinet to resign.

Kyrgyzstan's president has set a date for drafts of a new constitution to be finished. Matt Jay discusses this news, saying that it is obviously a reaction to the recent protest against the president.

With Counterpart International looking to be the latest victim of Uzbekistan's spree of NGO closures, Elizabeth explains the various reasons by which Uzbekistan justifies the expulsions.

The EastSouthWestNorth blogger does a non-random sample analysis of several blogs' Google PageRanks and comes up with a completely unreliable conclusion. Further down is the final translation of a very relevant series of reports on Christian-ish churches in rural China.

The Oranckay blogger tells us why increased English-language news reporting in Korean newspapers might not be such a good thing.

In ‘One Country, Two Rock Scenes‘, Holidarity's Friend Gram reveals a mainland China rock star trick of the trade.

Supernaut Frances D'Ath and her non-demonic friends gear up for Apocalypse Guangzhou later this month in ‘Canton Opera Madness.'

sevenyearsinchina's Han Girl visits the Zheng He exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of History and comes away flipping Eurocentrism on its head.

“What can one expect? We're talking about people who still use the word ‘discover' to describe the trip to America by Columbus,” she writes. “Columbus discovered a new land for himself but the land was already there, inhabited even. One wonders why they don't say Marco Polo discovered China.”

It didn't take long for Dave and Stefan at Hong Kong's Blog the Talk to get around to podcasting and their most recent release “a meditation on pedestrian behavior, individualism and the appeal of Communism in this capitalist paradise,” doesn't disappoint.

“[Electoral Council Chief] Rev. Malu-Malu was rebuffed by catholic bishops who claim he does not have the power to prolong the transition period [beyond June 30],” says (FR) Le Renouveau Congolais. Instead, the Church calls for a national dialogue by June 30 to collectively decide what to do beyond June 30.

China Law Blog's Dan Harris gives some personal Intellectual Property protection tips in ‘China Customs—Your IP Friend.'

China Confidential's Confidential Reporter gives a second look at rapidly-deteriorating relations between the Communists in Beijing and the Catholics in the Vatican, preceded with one long dire post: at least twenty-four dead in a coal mine collapse in the Northwestern province of Shaanxi this past weekend, and toxic dumping in the Southwestern of Guangdong.

“Booming China is also Polluting China—an environmental nightmare on a scale that few foreigners can appreciate,” writes the anonymouse blogger. “On this note, officials in southern China reported Saturday that a chemical factory illegally discharged waste water into a river, affecting the drinking supply of about 40,000 people.”

Rambling Librarian takes on a policy by Singapore Art Museum that stops visitors from sketching the artwork on display. The blogger urges the museum to change their policy and start selling sketchbooks at the museum shop to encourage creative visitors.

Bien Vu posts more Martinique pictures: a hidden beach and dingy traffic that the blogger finds ill-policed .

AngryChineseBlogger's post on the Freedom in China summit held in Washington D.C. earlier this week reveals some interesting things. Who attended, who wasn't allowed—Gao Zhisheng (高智晟), for example, one of the most prominent activists in China today—and who wasn't even invited:

“As has become traditional in the US,” the blogger writes, “today's proceedings include a broad range of Chinese dissidents, but no representatives from the Chinese government. Meaning that while will speakers and panel members will be free to criticize China, it will provide the Chinese government with no opportunity to refute claims that have been made against it, or to attempt to explain its actions and reactions.”

Tsqine at The Status Quo Is Not Enough blog comes up with a survival kit for people attending election rallies in Singapore.

Matt Powell writing at Target: Vietnam blog links to a study that finds Vietnam as the 3rd most attractive destination for international retailers.

Malaysian politician Lim Kit San questions the foreign ministry parliamentary secretary on why Malaysia as the current chairman of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) is not speaking out on Darfur genocide. Lim Kit San is disappointed with the secretary's reply.

Sarapanekonomi does not agree with the latest index of Failed States in 2006 published by an organisation called Funds for Peace. The post lists couple of obvious examples supporting the blogger's claim that the index is not accurate.

The beatroot explains what ‘populist' means in the context of Poland: “The truth these days is that, in this post-ideological world of managerial politics, where policy is driven by focus groups, all parties have become populist.”

Michael of The Glory of Carniola wonders “how far is too far” for ad agencies working in Slovenia.

Eric Gordy of East Ethnia writes about the former commander of the forces that destroyed the famous Mostar bridge: Slobodan Praljak, an obscure film director now on trial in the Hague.

Lemuel of Deleted By Tomorrow begins a Slovak pre-election series - “the good, the bad, the ugly” - with “the bad.” Here's a sampling of one of them, Robert Fico, “leader of the main opposition party SMER – Social Democracy, a party poised to win the June elections”: “Forgive me for not being impartial, but he is also the living embodiment of all that I loathe and despise in politicians. He is a demagogue (I know, I know, every politician is one, but there are still degrees of decency even in this area), an opportunist posturing (I hope, for his own mental health that he isn’t sincere) as a leftwing raving loony moon-bat, he is a national socialist and a lawyer. A populist who once advocated the death penalty (knowing very well that in ze Modern Europe such a thing is verboten) pampering to the law, order and retribution electorate, but has tuned down such rhetoric lest it might get him in trouble with his new social-democratic pals in Europe. Now he just wants to overturn or revise most of the reforms (tax reform, social reform, pension reform) adopted in the last few years.”

LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about varying approaches of “Ukraine's most powerful businessmen” and those who run “Naftogaz, the Ukrainian state-owned gas company.” He also posts an update on the lack of progress in the coalition talks.

Via Danwei, we see China moves out of Committee to Protect Journalists' list of top ten most censored countries. “Reading through the list,” writes China media guru Jeremy Goldkorn, “is a good idea for people writing about and researching censorship issues in China.”

In Peace seekers blog we read that three Iranian journalists and an Iranian photographer wanted to walk from Iran to Germany. According to this blog, these people wanted to be in Germany at the moment of World Cup inauguration.They wanted to bring a peace message from Iran to the world (Persian). Unfortunately they did not get visa and could not leave Iran!

The future of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary in Barbados is threatened by a multi-million dollar water park to be built in the area, reports Barbados Free Press. The crux of the matter seems to be the negative environmental impact assessment, which may or may not be ignored.

“This nation is a work in progress—there’s an imagined end goal— AMERICA —but that end is still very far off. If Americans have lost sight of this fact then it is not the fault of the multitudes who come in from abroad to lend a hand, but rather shows how culpable those who call themselves Americans have become at outsourcing the future and integrity of this country to those aliens that we call politicians.” So says Haiti-born Nightshift, as he considers the impact of the May 1 pro-immigrant demonstrations and expresses hope that the momentum will not be lost.

“On April 29 and 30, thousands of people participated in the annual agricultural fair organized in Port-au-Prince by the Ministry of Agriculture in honor of International Day of Labor and Agriculture,” reports (FR) Alterpresse. “300 exhibitors were present showcasing local crafts, industrial widgets and various beverages.” Visitors could taste traditional foods as well. Some believe however that the fair could have been better managed concludes the Haitian newsfeed.

Grandiose Parlor discusses health care in Nigeria and wonders if managers are unable to manage airconditioning systems how on earth can they manage policy? “This promise definitely holds no water. This is also a sad confirmation that Nigeria has a serious problem- the absence of seasoned and qualified managers at the helms of affairs. It is disturbing that even when there is access to free money through grants, some Nigerian bureaucrats (or technocrats) can still find ways to mess things up. This is preposterous!”

Depending on your point of view, you'll find God Bless the Whites, a newly minted satirical blog out of Jamaica, either uproariously funny or deeply offensive.

Carib World Radio interviews three key members of Jamaica's renowned National Dance Theatre Company.

ArubaGirl attends a seminar and learns that women in Aruba, while better educated than their male counterparts, on average earn US$275 month less than the latter. She also learns that the country has no law that mandates equal pay for equal work, and that introducing one is not on the government's list of priorities.

South African blog, The Front Line has a photo essay to express his thoughts on World Press Freedom Day.

Akin, a Nigerian blogger comments on the newly released “Failed State Index”. He notes that the US is less viable than France, the UK and even Chile and ” strong American allies or piles of mess feature in the Top 10 with Iraq (4), Afghanistan (9) and Nuclear Pakistan (10), barely Nuclear Iran come in at 53 excelling by not being in sharp or severe economic decline.”

Farmgal has a report on the public execution of a murderer who is killed by the victims son…

Harowo.com has a post on the relationship between Somalia and Ethiopia and Somaliland. On the Somalia parliment they write..”The so called Somali parliament in Baidoa is no more than singing Birds, for if they have the courage to concentrate and deal with the realities which the people they are suppose to represent are facing, then maybe the rest of the world would have taken them seriously”

“Revolution,” a Port-au-Prince live show featuring 60 actors and dancers, 138 costumes and 5 singers celebrated the environment last week, reports (FR) Alterpresse. The show was organized by known local hairstylist Michel Chataigne who said (FR): “This is not about destruction but about revolutionizing our mindset, going from negative to positive, from destruction to construction.”

The Bearded Man who writes on Zimbabwe, posts a selection of bulletins on Mutambara, the May Day celebrations and the treat by labour leaders to call for mass street protests.

David Colthart publishes and interview he has on the split in the MDC. He discusses the two fractions and the viability of Arthur Mutambara's future in Zimbabwe's political scene.

Joanna of Babycatcher, provides more stories of her life as a midwife based in Lilongwe, Malawi. Reading her blog brings the people of Lilongwe to life as well as that of the new born babies

Uganisha has an interesting post on the source of the Nile and gives a brief summary of the searh by explorers, Richard Burton and John Speke in search of a “great lake in the mountains of the moon”, from where the Nile was said to originate.

Nigeria blog JOF uses a series of photos to depict Nigeria's never ending fuel crisis in a post entitled “When will the nightmare go away?”

Shahram Kholdi, a UK based blogger & academic, reports” through a few contacts in Tehran, now, I am able to inform you that Dr. Ramin Jahanbegloo has been “missing” for quite a few days. I still hope that this news is nothing but a rumour and is not true, and even if Dr. Jahanbegloo has been arrested, it has been a mistake, and he would be released soon.”
A group of students in university of Tehran has launched a weblog in Persian for Jahanbegloo's freedom. In blog we read that Jahnabegloo is under arrest…please help us to protest against this act.

Paiz, blogger & human rights activist, reports that several Iranian writers and academics have signed a declaration concerning homosexuals in Iran(Persian). They asked that homosexuals do not get punished in Iran, because of their sexual oriented. They also hoped media in Iran & abroad back their idea.