Global Voices Online » 2008 » February

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Jorge Jurado Raps About Citizen Media

David Sasaki · 22:29

lingua → bn · es

I know, it probably sounds a little cheesy - someone rapping about video-blogging - but the lyrics of Jorge Jurado's song ‘ConVerGentes' are not only poetic, they also reflect a truth a about participatory media in general: we create because we are compelled to, not because we are told to.

The most active members of ConVerGentes. Jorge Jurado is on the far right.

Jorge is one of about 20 young people in the peripheral working class community of San Javier La Loma who form the citizen media group “ConVerGentes.” They are one of three groups who make up the larger outreach project HiperBarrio. ConVerGentes is a play on words which combines the Spanish words for convergence, seeing, and people.

Jorge, who produced a short documentary about La Loma's graffiti culture and blogs at La Voz del Silencio, is also a talented graphic designer and hip-hop artist. His song “ConVerGentes”, which he performed live above in early January 2008, discusses the potential of using participatory media to rescue the forgotten history and culture of local communities. He also somehow manages to mention the title of every ConVerGentes weblog in a way that describes both its content and the person behind it. You too can visit each of their blogs by going to the ConVerGentes site and clicking on each of the links on the right-hand side beneath the header “Blogroll”.

2 comments · »»

Pakistan: Goodbye Musharraf!

Neha Viswanathan · 19:01

lingua → es · bn

With the results of the elections in Pakistan becoming more clear, it is obvious that Musharraf, despite his promises hasn't won the confidence of the voters. Crow's Nest writes, reflecting on those associated with Musharraf.

In the election results of the year 33 former ministers who were closely associated with Musharraf have lost their seats. PML-Q has suffered losses to the seats of those who were stalwarts of the previous administration and were thought to be close to Musharraf himself. the results express more so a disgust and hatred with Musharraf and anything even closely related to him.

Meanwhile, contrary to expectations and despite the flaws, the electoral process appears to have been relatively free of rigging. KO writes

It seems like every single political commentator (which these days is most of Pakistan) was wrong about the elections being heavily rigged.

To be fair, there was a massive and transparent attempt at rigging by the outgoing government, and it would have been enough if the results had been closer - but the difference is so vast in the actual polling results that the rigging was just not enough!

Picked Politics has an account of a British resident.

I spent the whole days on roads, visiting different polling booths. The turn-out was slow but at some booths I saw crowds. In particular, seeing women voters in large numbers was reassuring. I also met British residents like myself, keen on voting. There were also Pakistani American and Pakistani Australian voters.

It was refreshing to see and talk to them but it was not surprising. Pakistan politics over the past few years have become international news with the world’s eyes focused on the region. These European and American residents of Pakistani origin were keen on making a difference.

Over at Metroblogging Lahore, the blog discusses the wins and losses in the city. The Pakistani Spectator seems to think that the outcome of this election signals a departure from tyranny. Pak Tea House asserts that the process and the outcome are a clear sign that the people of Pakistan have chosen to reject extremism of any kind.

They undo the Musharraf paradigm of ousting the two mainstream parties from the political arena; and instituting real democracy that is hostage to the bogey of Islamism and local feudal cliques through non-party local governments.

These elections are also a slap on the face of the global corporate media (and their backers, the global military machine) that had painted Pakistan as a breeding ground for Islamic extremism and dare I say terrorism.

Sepia Mutiny greets the news with a little caution, asking if this really is victory for the people of Pakistan.

So what will we see play out in Pakistan? There will be celebrations for a few weeks. Everyone will denigrate Musharraf some more for good measure. Then the people will see that their new democracy, probably composed of a weak and continually warring “coalition,” isn’t all that and that their leaders are as corrupt as they were the first time around. Eventually the new general in charge of the army will be forced to take over, just like Musharraf did eight years ago.

1 comment · »»

Serbia: Bloggers Discuss Kosovo Independence

Sinisa Boljanovic · 18:51

Kosovo's parliament passed the declaration of Kosovo's independence on Feb. 17. This decision came as a consequence of unsuccessful direct negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo, which lasted for the past few years.

During Milosevic's regime, Albanian ethnic group was clearly expressing the desire to separate from Serbia. Albanians who live in Kosovo felt that basic human rights were endangered there because that NATO forces were bombing Serbia over 70 days in 1999.

Adopting the declaration immediately provoked many Serbs to organize mass protests in Belgrade and several other Serbian cities.

Dejan Stankovic, Serbian blogger, on his B92 blog (SRP) expressed his feeling regarding the vandalism in Belgrade on Feb 17:

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica charged the U.S. President and his European followers for creating the false country Kosovo.
Serbia shall never recognize the independence of Kosovo.
Bombs are laid in the foundation of the false country, Prime Minister marked.
And the culmination: “A McDonald's restaurant in Terazije (Belgrade's street) was demolished.”
As wife divorces her husband, he decides to lose the dignity and humiliates himself.
I was ashamed of the smashing.

Dejan Jovic, a fellow B92 blogger, considers that Kosovo will never be independent and this situation is not a permanent solution. He wrote on Feb 17:

[…] If it happens, however, that some countries recognize Kosovo independence, I fear it will just lead to new problems, not to a permanent solution. Why am I so pessimistic?
Firstly, it is obvious that Serbia will not recognize Kosovo's independence. Serbia will treat Kosovo as its own territory. There is a broad political consensus about it among almost all parties. […]
[…] This situation will produce new political conflict with countries that have recognized the independence of Kosovo. […]
[…] Secondly, Kosovo issue is now a big problem even for Europe that agreed (did it agree?) to be a guarantor of public order and peace on that territory. At the same time, some countries, members of the EU, will not recognize Kosovo's independence and the question is who and how will make decisions about this mission in the name of Europe. […]
[…] Thirdly, if Republika Srpska tries to do what Kosovo has done (and decides to block to the state institutions), this will create a new crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. If Russia, in that case, supports Republika Srpska, there'll be a new political conflict between Russia and the U.S. The Kosovo issue will be supplemented with the new Bosnia issue. That would mean no stability of Bosnia and canceling of all that was done so far. […]

On his B92 blog (SRP), Marko Jevtic invited Serbia's public to boycott Slovenia's shopping centers in Serbia. He wrote on Feb 18:

An e-mail, which was created by an intelligent person, has been circulating around the internet this days:

Slovenia hasn't yet decided officially about recognizing Kosovo's independence. Slovenia's government clearly wants to do that but Slovenia's business people are not happy because of their big investments in Serbia and a possible reaction of the Serbian public. Help business people to persuade Slovenia's government that it is not valuable to disturb the relationships with Serbia and make the investment risks for the sake of unnecessary recognizing of independence of Kosovo. We shall do the best if we demonstrate a decisiveness and begin a boycott of Slovenian merchandise and companies such as Mercator and Merkur. That would be a support for Slovenia's business people to resist their government. To accomplish this, don't go to any of Slovenia's shopping malls on Feb. 19 and 20. The goal of the boycott is to change the anti-Serbian politics of Slovenia's government, not to disturb the relationships between the two countries. And Slovenia's business people are strong enough to change the politics of their government, if they are motivated. So: motivate them!
And, of course, send this email to everyone you know. […]

Dejan Ristac, a B92 blogger, on Feb. 17, wrote ironically about Serbia's refusal to accept this situation:

[…] [Tennis player Novak], forget others Grand Slams, don't play tennis at the heart of the ecil until they stop dancing over Kosovo. […]

A few days ago, Maruska commented at one of the blogs and recommended:

[…] I have added a petition against Kosovo's independence to this web site:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/905791187 […]

34 comments · »»

Morocco: Facebook's fake prince could face five years in prison

Sami Ben Gharbia · 18:10

lingua → zht · zhs

Fouad Mourtada, a 26-year old IT engineer has been held under arrest in Casablanca since February 5th for “villainous practices linked to the alleged theft of the identity” of King Mohammed VI's younger brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, on the popular social networking website Facebook. Fouad appeared in court on Friday February 15th. The trial has been postponed until February 22.

According to a statement released by the Committee of Support for Fouad Mourtada, following the first visit to Fouad on February 12th at Oukacha jail in Casablanca, Fouad provided more information about the circumstances of the arrest and claimed he was “beaten, spat on and insulted”:

I was arrested on the morning of Tuesday by two individuals who embarked me on a vehicle then blindfolded my eyes with a black band. After about fifteen minutes, they changed vehicles, then took me along to some building to undergo an interrogation there. I was persecuted, beaten up, slapped, spat on and insulted. I was also slammed for hours with a tool on the head and the legs. This calvary lasted such a long time that I lost consciousness several times and also lost the notion of time. I was completely surprised to learn, when I was taken again to another location, that it was Wednesday.

In the same statement, Mourtada stressed that he created the Facebook account of Prince Moulay Rachid as a joke. It's not clear how the Moroccan police found out who was behind the account or whether there was any kind of collaboration between Facebook and the police.

I actually created this account on January 15, 2008. It remained online a few days before somebody closed it. There are so many profiles of celebrities on Facebook. I never thought that by creating a profile of his highness prince Moulay Rachid I was harming him in any way. I, as a matter of fact, did not send any message from that account to anyone. It was just a joke, a gag. I regret my gesture and beg my forgiveness from my whole family for the harm that I have caused them.

Fouad Mourtada could face five years in prison “for having done what thousands of people throughout the world do everyday: Create a profile of a celebrity or a star on Facebook,” his lawyer Ali Ammar said, adding: “This is a cultural problem. This is the first time that a Moroccan poses as a very important personality on the Internet (…) This is already a common practice in Europe and the United States.“

“There are on Facebook 41 Nicolas Sarkozy, 10 prince William of England, Many Jacques Chirac (former French president), Roger Federer, George Bush, Osama bin Laden” lamented Fouad's sister, Amina Mourtada, in the Facebook group “Help Fouad Mourtada” she created to campaign for his release. So far, 1636 members have joined the group and 1807 other have signed the Help Fouad petition.

Today, the Moroccan blogosphere is showing its solidarity with Fouad and his family. Many prominent Moroccan bloggers are on strike, such as Ibn Kafka, Larbi.org, Lionne d'Atlas, Fhamator, Ayoub, 7didane, Jihane, Eatbees, Laïla Lalami, Reda, Farid Taha. Many of them are displaying this text:

Today, Tuesday, February 19, is the fourteenth day of Fouad Mourtada's imprisonment. He committed the error, but not the crime, of creating a Facebook account in the name of Prince Moulay Rachid. This account contained no insults against the Prince nor was it the instrument of any swindling attempts. His name was immediately given wide publicity by the authorities, in breach of the presumption of innocence he's supposed to enjoy, and he alleges having been beaten and mishandled during his arrest. He initially had trouble finding a lawyer willing to defend him. The trial, due to begin on February 15, has been postponed to February 22, while his habeas corpus application has been rejected.

(…)

For this reason, this blog will be on strike on Tuesday, 19 February as a gesture of solidarity with Fouad Mourtada and the other prisoners of opinion currently jailed in Morocco.

6 comments · »»

Morocco: Bloggers Rally Behind Fouad Mourtada

Lydia Beyoud · 17:50

Moroccan media and bloggers have rallied behind Fouad Mourtada since the 26 year-old's arrest earlier this month.

Some media sources have called Mourtada “a Martyr of the Net” and others have described the case as a “media lynching” pushed by “les SAR et consorts” [all those bearing the title “Son Altesse Royale” (His/Her Royal Highness) and consorts]. Still others have proclaimed the only way the Moroccan government could justify its five-year sentence would be through charges of trying to defraud the Moroccan Treasury or targeting state security.

Francophone bloggers write that Mourtada's arrest reveals the tensions between modern Morocco and Morocco of the Middle Ages.

Stephan Carville, a French free-lance journalist splitting his time between Casablanca and Paris writes that this event provides further proof of the wide cultural and social gap between “East” and “West” on his blog:

La plaisanterie avec la famille royale a ses limites, comme celle de caricaturer le prophète. On touche ainsi du doigt une civilisation qui nous semble à des années lumières de notre culture, celle qui nous donne le droit de critiquer Sarkozy, ou de balancer dans la presse en ligne que Nicolas aurait envoyé un SMS à son ex Cécilia avant de se marier avec Carla. On mesure ainsi le gouffre qui sépare les deux pays. Il est insupportable. L'affaire Fouad Mourtada ne grandit pas encore un soi-disant “Maroc en mouvement” de façade qui use de pratiques et comportements dignes du Moyen-Age.

Joking around with the royal family has its limits, as does caricaturing the Prophet. This is how we experience first-hand a civilization which seems to be light years from our own culture, a culture that gives us the right to criticize Sarkozy, or to leak to the online press that Nicolas might have sent an SMS to his ex [wife] Cecilia before marrying Carla [Bruni]. From this we can measure the gulf that divides our two countries. This cannot be tolerated. The Fouad Mourtada Affair has not yet sprouted a so-called “Morocco in Movement” with a facade that makes use of practices and customs worthy of the Middle Ages.

On the blog Culture Maroc, the author decries the Moroccan government's response to Fouad's actions:

Je ne vais pas refaire l'histoire mais tout le monde est au courant de ce qui arrive à Fouad Mourtada. Ce jeune marocain de 26 ans, ingénieur en informatique, arrêté à Casablanca le mardi 5 février.

La raison de cette arrestation ? Une blague, une idée insouciante sans arrière pensé aucune. Bref une connerie comme en fait tous. Enfin, une connerie pour le Maroc seulement.

En effet, Fouad a simplement crée un profil sur le réseau social du moment : Facebook. Ce profil était un faux du prince Moulay Rachid. Une personnalité donc.

Pour information, il existe des dizaines de profils de personnalités sur Facebook, de Sarkozy à Bush en passant par….Mohamed VI. Hey oui!

Fouad risque 5 ans de prison. 5 ans! De quoi ruiner la vie d'un homme pour toujours.

On en revient à l'éternel problème : Le Maroc moderne Vs le Maroc du Moyen âge.

I'm not going to repeat the story but everyone knows what happened to Fouad Mourtada. This 26 year-old Moroccan engineer, arrested February 5th in Casablanca.

The reason for this arrest? A joke, a thoughtless idea with no ulterior motives. Really just the same kind of stupid stuff we all do. Or at least, only stupid for Morocco.

In fact, Fouad simply created a profile on the popular social website Facebook. It was a fake profile for the prince Moulay Rachid. So, a celebrity.

For your information, there are dozens of celebrity profiles on Faceback, from [Nicolas] Sarkozy to Bush to…Mohamed VI [the king of Morocco]. That's right!

Fouad is facing 5 years in prison. 5 years! Enough to permanently ruin a man's life.

It always comes back to the same eternal problem: Modern Morocco vs. the Morocco of the Middle Ages.

Larbi, author of the blog Comme une bouteille jetée à la mer!, views Fouad's trial as a unique opportunity for the Moroccan judicial system not to kowtow to the Moroccan regime's policy of harsh sentences when it comes to the “sacrality” of the King and company:

Un procès surréaliste dans son objet (création de faux profil sur Facebook), abusif dans son déroulement (placement sous détention provisoire) et inéquitable par ses parties prenantes (un simple citoyen et un Prince) . Il crée de surcroît un précédent inacceptable : On pourrait désormais tenir à merci n’importe quel internaute et lui réserver n’importe quel sort. Dans un Etat qui se respecte le procès de Fouad ne devrait même pas avoir lieu.

Bien entendu, il incombe au juge seul d’apprécier les faits et de statuer, mais il est des raisons de s’inquiéter. Faut-il rappeler ici que toutes les affaires judiciaires relatives aux délits de presse et d’opinion ou aux délits d’atteinte à la sacralité de la famille royale se sont systématiquement soldés par des condamnations et que jamais aucune relaxe n’ait été prononcée ? Faut-il rappeler ici l’excès de zèle des tribunaux dès qu’il s’agit du Roi et son entourage ?

Le Tribunal de grande instance de Casablanca peut faire l’Histoire en brisant cette série de jugements arbitraires. Le juge peut entrer dans l’Histoire en officiant en arbitre indépendant de toute pression, en ne cédant à aucune crainte , en ne redoutant nulle colère, en disant la loi dans la sincérité de sa conscience, en homme d’ honneur et de dignité. Il ne peut alors qu’acquitter Fouad et clore ce triste et insupportable chapitre judiciaire.

Le Tribunal de grande instance de Casablanca a une occasion unique : en rendant justice à Fouad il peut, ne serait-ce qu’une seule fois, donner raison de ne pas désespérer de la justice du Maroc et des juges du Maroc.

A trial surreal in its goal (creation of a fake Facebook profile), abusive in the way [the process] has unfolded (detention pending trial) and unbalanced in terms of the parties concerned (a simple citizen and a Prince). Moreover, it is creating an unacceptable precedent: anyone internet user can be held at the mercy [of the state] and be dealt any kind of fate. In a self-respecting country Fouad's trial shouldn't even be happening.

Of course, it's all up to the judge to appraise the facts and to adjudicate, but there are reasons for worry. Need I remind you that in this country all judiciary cases relating to infractions by the media or personal opinion or that sully the sacredness of the royal family are systematically condemned and there has never been an acquittal? Need I remind you of the [Moroccan] courts' zealousness as soon as the King and his entourage are concerned?

Casablanca's Tribunal of First Instance [E.U.; “State Court” or similar U.S.] could make history by breaking with this series of arbitrary judgements. The judge could go down in history by acting as an arbitrator, independent of all pressure, by not giving in to any fear, by not dreading any anger, by stipulating the law with sincerity and conscience, as a man of honor and dignity. Then, he could not but acquit Fouad and close this sad and disgraceful chapter of judiciary history.

Casablanca's court has a unique opportunity: by delivering justice to Fouad it can, if only this once, give a reason not to lose faith in Moroccan justice and Moroccan judges.

3 comments · »»

Serbia: Anger, disbelief over proclamation of Kosovo independence

Ljubisa Bojic · 17:03

lingua → es · bn

Ortodox church, Pristina, Kosovo and Metohija Orthodox Church, cc-licensed photo from Flickr by decafinata.

Kosovo provincial parliament declared unilateral independence from Serbia, yesterday. In his reaction Vojislav Kostunica, prime minister of Serbia, criticized America for inspiring these acts against a sovereign country. He said:

“The United States have also humiliated the European Union, and forced it to trample on the principles it is built upon,” Koštunica added, and warned that Europe, “which has lowered its head”, will be responsible “for all the serious consequences that Kosovo's independence carries with it.”

Kosovo and Metohija is province in southern Serbia. Metohija means monastery land. This reefers to great number of historical monuments mostly represented in about 2000 Christian orthodox monasteries.

Ivan Jankovic sums up all the news that stroke southern Europe yesterday:

The declaration was celebrated loudly with firecrackers and music on the streets of Pristina and other cities in the province. On the other side [in Serbia], it was not so happy. Except few bomb explosions in front of UNMIK building in [northern] Kosovska Mitrovica [where Serbs are majority], riots happened in Belgrade, Novi Sad and other cities. Hooligans […] were mad, so they crashed everything that came in their way. They stoned Slovenian and American embassies, McDonald restaurants etc. […] This caused great material damage.

Petarj cited local news and president of Socalist Party of Serbia, Ivica Dacic:

[…] [Less than 100] of citizens and police have been wounded in street clashes that broke out after unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence. Protesters attacked police in front of American and Slovenian embassies. […] [Dacic said:] “We should protect all foreign embassies in Belgrade, but those countries should think about their attitudes. They took 15% of territory from us. What should we do? Should We Applaud them? Breaking story was that crowd destroyed a kiosk. Kiosks are destroyed every day, but Kosovo is taken from us only once […].

Popkitchen titledher blog post “confused”. She adds:

[…] There is no one reason why I would wish to have smaller […] country than it is. The fact, that international law is neglected indicates how unimportant we are […].

Zivot says:

[…]Of course I am against independence. This is similar to one simple situation. Think one person coming to my house and taking away one of the rooms from me. So if that person stays there so long and finally proclaims the room his or her own. My comparison is ridiculous, because this [Kosovo] problem is greater in its proportions. […]

He then cites words of medieval Serb nobleman Stefan Nemanja ):

[…]Where our word is heard […], know my child, that is still our land, no matter who governs it. Emperors change, countries vanish, but people and their language stay, so conquered people and land will come back to the people and country they originate to”

Cika Miloje reacts to B92 blog post titled Independent Kosovo by writing:

[…] Kosovo was under Turkish governance since Battle of Kosovo (in 13th century), all up to 20th century. This time, we shall wait less, until Muslims get into some kind of big conflict with America. Taiwan is produced by America so it can defend its “independence” from China. Relations of China and Taiwan are getting closer and it may take few decades until they merge on economical grounds. East Germany got stolen from Germany. Marionette regime was placed in power there. It lasted 50 years, and now the country is united. I know the latest news sound like Armageddon to us, but history is long term process, and everything changes. […]

Mariopan reacts to the same post by foreseeing implications of this unilateral decision:

[…] This is not end of anything […], this is beginning. As soon as tomorrow or day after tomorrow, every ethnic group in the world will start terrorizing someone and proclaiming independence of some territory. I am so glad this circus will kick off around the globe so [they will understand implications of their actions when its late]. The [international community] tried hard to find a model to make this happen. So they made it and deserve to suffer all the consequences. […]

In his personal blog Avram says:

[…] It’s all the same to me. I am not so patriotic [to say out laud, all the time] “Kosovo is Serbia but I see double standards applied by the West, in first row, USA and EU. They broke UN declaration which guarantees territorial integrity to all internationally recognized countries. To be frank I would love to see Kosovo independence triggers independence declarations of all autonomous regions around the world, like that one in Spain. Abut republic of Srpska [entity of Bosnia Herzegovina], I am not sure what the situation is there. This is not autonomous province like Kosovo, but it would be nice if they could proclaim independence too. If Kosovo can do it, why can’t the others?

This is only small chunk of reactions which are written throughout Serbian blogosphere as we speak.

8 comments · »»

Israel: Kosovo or Palestine, the Balkan is Here!

Gilad Lotan · 14:37

lingua → es · zhs · zht

Unilateral declarations have played a central role in Israeli politics over the past years. Israel's withdrawals from both the south of Lebanon and the Gaza strip have been controversial in the region's politics. On the one hand, Israeli leaders were awarded by major support both internally and internationally, resulting from withdrawal. However, Israel is still dealing with the consequences: Hizbollah arming in Lebanon and the daily escalating violence in the Gaza Strip. When diplomacy fails and all hope is gone, unilateral actions tend to follow.

Kosovo's recent declaration of independence results from the failure of both sides to reach common grounds over diplomatic talks. Kosovo's Albanian citizens are not willing to wait anymore. As major European powers, including France, Germany, Britain and the United States officially recognized Kosovo's declaration, countries like Spain, Russia and China have been reluctant to recognize the State, claiming that the declaration did not respect international law.

The Israeli government has not formally announced its opinion. However, several Hebrew bloggers have been reacting and comparing the political fatigue in the Balkans to that back home. Ilan Goren's post, in Hebrew, caught my attention for its descriptive comparison between the two regions. It is translated below:

“If they continue to behave so wildly we'll simply cut off their electricity supply”, promises a senior politician to his supporters. “Lets see them behave that way in the dark and cold”. The audience applauds and flags are waived. National pride in its full force while all stand still. Foreign diplomats are far from thrilled.

The senior politician is not alone. This is an accepted tone in the wild east of 2008. At least 75 per cent of the electricity supplied to the stubborn region saturated with blood and hate comes from the larger, more powerful neighbor's power plant. The region is rebellious and stubborn, wanting independence and sovereignty as a country. The big war resulted with mass exile, killings and the war criminals on both sides declaring themselves as leaders. Now the local Muslims dream of independence; demand it. If by means of force, or even through heavy violence. Whatever price is necessary.

Nationalists from the big, powerful country, surrounded by enemies, will never concede. If necessary, they will limit the population's access out of the region. Also, a ban on trade and commodities will certainly be possible… As we are dealing with peoples' claim of right to the land of their fathers, we are also dealing with national rights of a poor and deprived population, including the right for refugees to return to their land. The local national party swears by this, and is willing to use terrorist methodology. From its point-of-view, this is a fight for freedom.

Yes. You guessed right. I am obviously writing about Serbia and Kosovo. I did not refer to Israel and the Palestinians (written in cynical font).

Serbia and Kosovo are not Israel and Palestine. There are many substantial differences. Over there, international military forces intervened, here only diplomacy. From some 50 years ago, the amount of death and exile is not similar. At least not in recent years. But one thing the conflicts do have in common: restraint is not in fashion. Politicians who want to succeed, especially in times of elections, choose the extreme: throwing inflammable material into the already existing fire is a sure sell. And what about the citizens? At first, they will be enthusiastic, but later scurry to purchase emergency lights and fire extinguishers.

In that sense, the Balkan is here.

6 comments · »»

Uganda: Bloggers tangle with mainstream media

Rebekah Heacock · 10:23

lingua → es

The blogren had their collective eye on Uganda's mainstream media this week. Tumwijuke at Ugandan Insomniac took reporting matters into her own hands following the lethal collapse of a secondary school building constructed on top of a ransacked graveyard, including several powerful photographs in her coverage of the tragedy:

Following below are a few pictures of graves at a family cemetery that was located on land which St. Peter’s Secondary School is reported to have ‘unlawfully’ acquired. The grave stones were carelessly knocked aside, bodies carelessly exhumed and dumped at an unknown location and this was on the same plot of land that the collapsed building was located. In fact the grave yard was less than 20 meters away from the new dorm.

No one from the affected family was willing to speak to me on record about the desecrated graveyard. They whispered about being paid to look the other way and being threatened into silence. Neither the school management nor the owner, Dominic Kavutse, were willing to comment.

Multiple comments on the post praised her for reporting the incident:

Those pix of the grave are so horrifying. How could they do that and go on as if everything is normally. You are a star for taking those photos. No newspaper has done that.
***
She treads where the brave dare not go. Girl, you deserve an award for uncovering these gruesome things in our very backyards.
***
i think this blog is finally teaching us all why there are blogs anyway. citizen journalism oyee!

Meanwhile, Moses Paul Sserwanga spoke out against the arraignment of two Daily Monitor senior editors following their exposure of a salary scandal involving the Inspector General of Government and High Court judge Faith Mwondha:

This is indeed a story of trepidation where offences which are against the spirit of our constitution are preferred against journalists to keep them forever in a state of fear.

The charges are basically designed to harass and intimidate journalists in the exercise of their constitutional rights to inform the public about the conduct of government/public officials.

But the citizens of this county must stand up and not allow our fears to be far outweighed by what we know is our obligation - to protect the provisions of our constitution. To help those who are victimised for the ideals they stand for; freedoms of liberty, speech, association and media not to feel alone.

And Nappy Brain took the government-owned New Vision to task over their response to a reader's question about statutory rape:

Did I get this wrong or didn’t this woman just say that a young girl/woman in her care was being raped repeatedly by her husband? Didn’t she say that the rape of this minor in her house has been going on for 2 years? Did she not also say that this young woman was in her care and that she had no one to turn to and nowhere to go after her father died?

So, why does the New Vision advise the woman to “work things out” with this rapist? Why does she advise her to send the girl away so she can work things out with her husband?

…

Our national newspaper advises women everywhere to mistrust the word of another woman who has been raped and instead side with the offender by attempting to restore some kind of relationship with him.

On a lighter note
In the past week, Uganda has played host to two famous visitors: the instantly identifiable Sex and the City star Kristin Davis and the somewhat less recognizable German president Horst Köhler. Glenna at Uganda's Scarlett Lion, assigned to cover Köhler's visit for the Daily Monitor, was bemused by his relative anonymity:

At one point during German President Horst Koehler’s visit to an [Internally Displaced Persons] camp just outside of Gulu, Northern Uganda, he looked to some of the IDP kids, then looked to his translator, and asked, “Do they know who I am?”

Pause.

“No.”

(I didn't know who Kohler was until I got the assignment last week.)

Both Köhler and Davis, who works as a global ambassador for Oxfam, toured northern Uganda to learn more about the region's ongoing civil war. Ugandan celeb-tracker Rafshizzle caught up with Davis in Kampala:

…And we missed her arrival but Rafshizzle Sherlocks worked overnight and found her at Oxfam Uganda headquarters in Muyenga as she presented bicycles to youths who won the climate change competition.
Davis, who is also the global ambassador for the international aid agency Oxfam then said, “This is my first visit (to Uganda) and I am really looking forward to meeting the people and seeing the country.”
Well, we’re also happy to see you, Ms Davis, but why were you hiding from us?

3 comments · »»

Somalia: Can a hijab-wearing blogger get a respectable job in the US?

Abdurahman Warsame · 08:54

lingua → ar · jp · es

This is our second roundup of Somali blogs discussing various topics including Somali politics, the challenges of wearing a hijab in the United States and the first Somali female pilot.

Idil, a Somali blogger who lives in US, writes about the difficulty of getting a decent job while wearing a hijab:

so trying to find a job? gosh how hard can that be? well apparently it's very hard i mean geez i cant even find a repspectful job i mean i am not going back to McDonalds no matter how broke i become i mean thats a major NO NO….but yes i think its the hijab i mean they take one look at me and probably just write me off…i wonder if my assumption is correct…i mean i probably am, i really just want to one day take my hijab of do the hair put on the makeup and go to a job interview…see what really happens you know? wether i get it or not…i really think i would since they wouldn't think twice they would probably go “oh a black women who sounds white” i really want to test out that theory…but once again i am a chicken!

Royale Somalia writes about the first Somali female pilot:

Asli Hassan is/was the first Somali women to fly in 1976. You could read her story and great accomplishment on a new site dedicated to the history of the Somali Air Force. Asli , nicknamed “Calan-Side or the Flag-bearer” now lives in Texas.

Ainashe expresses his dismay at the Transitional Federal Government's actions. He writes:

Unfortunately, the TFG does not seem to have learned from the mistakes of the past. The solution to Somalia’s tragic political conflict is not bringing more foreign troop to the country. The key to a lasting peace is open and sincere political dialogue whereby the Somali people can sort out their difference through Somali, Arab and Islamic channels!

East African Philosopher, blogging from the US, talks about the freezing temperature in Minnesota:

Minnesota has officially been declared the icebox of the United State - really? Didn’t people already know that? Sitting in my comfortable therapeutic library chair, where the temperature of the day is expected to reach mid 50 degree fahrenhait, I can only send my sympathy to those folks who have to get up and go to work or school in a brutal weather like Minnesota….I’ve been there and it is not pleasant.

Kenya-Somali reports the outbreak of Cholera in Mandera (a town innorth east province of Kenya):

The Public Health department in Mandera District has closed all eateries in Mandera Town following a cholera outbreak.
Subsequently, the workers in the establishments have been rendered jobless. The workers have asked authorities to resolve the health crisis so that they can resume their jobs.
…
Six people have died and 125 others are admitted in the Mandera District Hospital following the disease outbreak.

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Paraguay: Ex-Pat Bloggers Share New Experiences

Muna Annahas · 04:20

lingua → zht · zhs

Photo by Muna Annahas

The way foreigners see Paraguay, what, and how they feel when they first arrive to Paraguay can be quite an interesting subject. Some stay for a short time as a tourist, while others stay for a couple of years for a mission or project, and even some choose to live there permanently, maybe even to retire there. For many the experience is novel, when they come across something new. For example, the first time someone drinks Terere can be a wonderful experience. In most cases this experience takes place in the company of a Paraguayan, and where new bonds can be made.

For many, these experiences are shared with family members back home or with others within the ex-pat community in Paraguay and abroad through their blogs. Here are few examples of blogs written by ex-patriates in Paraguay. Many are involved with church-related activities, and all write about adjusting to a new culture, food, and people.

Brenda is a missionary living in Paraguay and writes Brenda's Blog about Paraguay, she tells about her daily experiences and the people she has met and their stories. In addition, the blog is written with a great sense of humor and is written in a catchy style. One of her favorite subjects is all of the great food that Paraguay has to offer. Here she amazes of the delicious mangoes that can readily be found:

Its mango season here in Paraguay and I am eating as many as I can get my hands on. There are two varieties in Paraguay, the yellow ones and the red ones pictured. The yellow ones are smaller and mostly good for juice. These red ones are great for eating.

Another interesting blog called Faithful in the Few Things is written by Jackie McCobb, also a Missionary, she grew up in Venezuela but lives in Paraguay with her family writing about her daily experiences. It is a personal blog with a lot of interesting stories. In addition, Jackie is trying hard to learn Guaraní, the country's indigenous language. She writes:

I've recently taken up a new project…I've decided to study the Guarani language. The pronunciation of this language is very similar to that of Yekwana and I can't help but think that perhaps God was preparing me with Yekwana, to learn Guarani. So, every Tuesday during the siesta hour, my friend, Graciela, comes over and gives me a Guarani lesson. If you've never studied a language before (this is my first time) it's kind of funny. You find yourself feeling very proud about being able to say the simplest (and weirdest) sentences.

Another blog I really like is The Jungle Hut, it is written by a Rita Vernoy, a missionary that is about to move to Paraguay. She is also the mother of the author of the previous blog, Faithful in the Few Things. She writes about her frequent trips to visit her daughter:

One of my first impressions is that the Paraguayan people are very friendly! Even while waiting for our flight from Brazil to Asuncion, we had already made friends with many of the Paraguayan people on the flight.

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