Global Voices Online

JT at the Caribbean Beat weblog notes the addition of a plaque honouring reggae superstar Bob Marley to London's list of blue plaques designating landmarks associated with well-known figures: “It's been an interesting week for reggae in London, as officialdom takes a sudden new interest in the music. On Wednesday, the city mayor Ken Livingstone sponsored a “reggae summit” to start a discussion on how the early Jamaican reggae stars and sound system operators influenced the music and lifestyle of London and other British cities.“

GS at Pondblog offers an assessment of the results of last night's Progressive Labour Party election in Bermuda, in which Premier Alex Scott was beaten by Ewart Brown: “It wasn't a surprising outcome - Scott is an odd, dithering sort of man who ruled the roost, according to party insiders, by raising his voice. . . . Dr Brown has a reputation for getting things done, but also a reputation for sailing closer to the wind than some think healthy. He is said to have been a member, back in the day, of Bermuda's Black Beret Cadre, which modelled itself on the Black Panthers in the US, and he has a habit of declining to answer what he calls “plantation questions“.

As a cold front passes Bermuda, Shawn and Sue comment on Bermudians' and their own attitudes towards cold weather: “Every year you are here I think you get “wussier” with respect to the cold.“

Eemanee criticises Barbados Free Press for demonstrating a “knack for sensationalism” in calling the Chairman of the Barbados Family Planning Association an “abortions provider”: “Let's not forget that the BFPA provides a range of needed services, such as pap smears, men's health services as well as Room 246, a drop-in room for young people.” (Abortions are also legal in Barbados).

New blog Actualite Culturelle Malgache [Malagasy Cultural News] plans (Fr) to make malagasy historical texts available online and will email the first such offering — Charles Renel's La Race Inconnue [The Unknown Race] — to anyone who asks. La Race Inconnue is a collection of short stories written during colonial times.

After carefully breaking down the billboards of presidential runoff candidates, Sanaga Peregrinations concludes that Joseph Kabila stands for peace and reconstruction and sends a message that he ‘belongs' (he has long been accused of being a foreigner). By contrast, Jean-Pierre Bemba stands for security, justice and development while trying very hard to portray himself as presidential.

This is what Kikuyumoja's Realm had to say to the Kenyan newspaper, Kenya Times, for using his work without notifying him, “Next time you are re-publishing my words, pls let me know. I know I can’t be mad with you kwani no one I know actually reads the Kenya Times….ama?” Last year, Kenyan blogger's work was plagiarized by one of East Africa's respected newspapers.

Balancing Life on the right to information and meeting a campaigner for the same. “I was surprised to learn that the Right to Information was declared a fundamental right in 1976 by the Supreme Court, as embedded within the right to freedom of speech. That was 30 years ago. But till now, there hasn’t been any mechanism or machinery by which that right could be exerted.”

Mumbai Girl on Goddesses drinking wine, and custodians of religion. “Or is too much for their prudish, forever “insulted” minds to understand that their professed religion is actually far more liberated and unorthodox than they are? Not only does Durga drink wine, she drinks blood. As does Kaali. As does Lalita.”