Archive for
April 2nd, 2008
Stories
China: Hu Jia to be sentenced today
· 23:46
Update: On Thursday morning, Hu Jia was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
Hu Jia goes back on ‘trial' in a few hours where it is expected he will be handed down a sentence of up to five years in prison based on two interviews given and six unspecified blog posts most of which written during the more than one year he spent under house arrest.
Charging Hu with state subversion is proving as difficult for the legal process as it is for Chinese premier Wen Jiabao; when asked directly last month, during one of the most public appearances Wen gives each year, about Hu Jia's situation, the response Wen gave sounded to many like a denial that any ‘dissidents' had even been arrested.
Playing Captain Kangaroo may work in Zhongnanhai, but the reality that Hu and Zeng and their supporters have chosen to live in goes more like a Kanye West song. When Hu was first kidnapped around this time two years ago, Zeng Jinyan started a blog on which she documented the bureaucratic games she saw being played as she ran around Beijing trying unsuccessfully to find out what had happened to her husband, who was dropped off miles from home and with no notice over a month later.
When Zeng herself soon became subject to constant surveillance, she slammed on the brakes and started getting in their face.
Placing Hu under ongoing house arrest in 2006 effectively put an end to the environmental protection and AIDS awareness work for which he had already become quite well-known, and so trapped at home with little more than an internet connection, he not only created a whole new approach to activism, which some are calling Tiananmen 2.0, he switched gears to become a social worker of sorts, enabled by technology to keep constant track of a whole range of cases, and where possible, enabling others [zh] to do the same.
In 2007, Zeng Jinyan was chosen by TIME Magazine as one of the most influential people in the world.
This will no doubt go down as a landmark moment in Chinese history, but to this day anyone looking to China's largest search engine for more information needs to be prepared for disappointment. In the China of today, though, someone like Hu Jia just doesn't quietly disappear, and when state agents abducted him again last December, near-blind family friend Zheng Mingfang went straight to the streets and did what she could, walking up to strangers and explaining Hu's situation, collecting signatures for a petition calling for his release. Early last month, however, Zheng too was arrested.
On Facebook, there are Hu Jia support groups. There's a cause.
Hu Jia and Zeng Jinyan spent months filming their would-be captors for a documentary, Prisoners in Freedom City. After Hu was abducted a second time in December last year and not quickly released, someone got hold of a copy and put it online, and not just in one place, but several.
Following Hu Jia's arrest late last December, when it came to appear that his and Zeng Jinyan's newborn baby's health was at risk, enough momentum grew out of scattered online chatter that a group of netizens tried to force their way up to Zeng's door to deliver milk powder. When that proved unsuccessful, someone thought it through, and got it right. And still others went on to try.
Hu Jia kept it simple; in preparing posts for his blog, he did interviews over Skype, then sometimes sent them out over e-mail as .mp3 attachments. Clearly there were things he could have done better, but shortly after his arrest we saw the formation of a Netizen Party, with clearly stated intention to stick to using the highly encrypted services offered by Gmail and Skype.
One of the first things the authorities did in December last year when Hu was taken away and Zeng placed under house arrest, where she remains today, was to cut off her internet connection and confiscate her phones. Despite this, Zeng's blog kept on getting updated. And supporters kept translating it.
The second she got her cellphone back, Zeng started sending out photos. When Hu had his first day in court, we saw drive-by vlogging. Zeng's even managed to release a podcast.
Wen Jiabao almost seems justified in denying that any activists or netizens have or are being detained, given all the networks of bloggers out there so equally resolved not to accept it. If the bogus charges against Hu do somehow end up being dropped today, we only have more of ingenuity in blogging to look forward to. If they don't, and Zeng and her daughter remain captive to their squadron of nosepickers, didn't China finally launch 3G networks this week? It won't be long before we'll see a House Arrested Beijing channel on Qik.com.
Speaking of which, a post this week on Zeng Jinyan's blog says that Hu's trial at 9:30 a.m. on April 3 in courtroom 23 at Beijing #1 People's Intermediate Court will be open proceedings, and Zeng intends to be there.
Here's a poem from Hu-Zeng friend Teng Biao, written in prison after he himself was kidnapped for two days early last month and translated now by Under the Jacaranda Tree blogger C.A. Yeung, ‘To my wife, from jail‘:
89 comments · »»Presently as I confront prison walls,
Now I write this poem for you, my Love, my Lady, my Wife.
Even tonight, the stars glitter in the cold sky of apparent isolation.
Glowworms yet appear and disappear among the shrubs.Please explain to our child why I did not have a chance
to bid her farewell. I was compelled to embark on a long journey away from home.
And so, everyday before our daughter goes to bed,
And when she awakes in the morning,
I will entrust to you, my Lady, my Love, my Wife:
I entrust to you, my warm kisses on our daughter’s cheeks.Please let our child touch the herbs beneath the stockade.
In the morning on a beautiful sunlit day,
If she notices the dew on the leaves,
She will experience my deep love for her.Please play the Fisherman’s Song every time you water the cloves.
I should be able to hear the song, my love.
Please take good care of our silent but happy goldfish.
Hidden in their silence are memories of my glamourous and turbulent youth.I tread a rugged road,
But let me reassure you: I have never stopped singing, my Love.
The leaves of the roadside willow tree have gradually changed colour.
Some noises of melting snow approach from afar.Noises are engulfed in silence. This is just a very simple night.
When you think of me, please do not sigh, my Love.
The torrents of my agonies have merged with the torrents of my happiness.
Both rivers now run through my mortal corpse.Before the drizzle halts,
I would have returned to your side, my Lady.
I cannot dry your tears while I am drenched in rain;
I can do so only with a redeemed soul after these times of testing.
Arabeyes: April Fool's Day
· 23:23
Pranks were in the air across the Arab world this April Fool's Day. Ranging from an Israeli withdrawal from Palestine, to the sale of Mars to Dubai and the construction of a pipeline to supply the red planet with water from the Arabian Gulf, to the plight of a baby camel in Cairo, readers were left scratching their heads in disbelief.
From Libya, UT briefs us about the tradition, which started in France in the 16th century, after the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1562.
In Bahrain, blogger Mahmood Al Yousif invites his readers to share their pranks of the day.
Come on guys, fess up. Who fell for an April Fool’s Joke so far and what was it?
Reader Jonathan doesn't let the opportunity slip and writes:
I’m willing to go for a “Israel is willing to withdraw everything and leave Palestine if compensated” OR even “Israel is shutting down the net” which is Closer than you think.
Hani Al Yousif too made the most of the occasion and admits:
I woke Gillian up extra early going “Where’s the car?!”
In Dubai, Secret Dubai continues with an annual tradition, entrapping his readers with a new grandiose scheme for the already larger than life Emirate. His spoof says:
Faced with lukewarm celebrity interest in its The World artificial islands project, Dubai has decided to build The Actual World.
The multi-trillion dollar mega-project, believed to be largest in the known universe, will see a scale replica of the entire Earth rebuilt on the planet Mars.
The Red Planet was recently acquired by Dubai Holdings as part of its property portfolio diversification strategy.
Sheikh Jamal Abu Shagara, CEO of The Actual World, says a deal has already been signed with a Norwegian company to build a 250 million mile irrigation pipe to transfer water from the Arabian Gulf to Mars.
Needless to say, a reader fell for the scam. The blogger, whose blog is blocked in the United Arab Emirates, says in response to a comment:
To be honest, I was just reading it back to myself shortly before your comment, and I found myself reading it as though it was real. Even though I only wrote it today, it seemed as though I was reading someone else's press release or article.
I think I've read one too many Dubai's! World! Biggest! First! kind of stories.
Anyway maybe this post will prompt some sheikh to actually attempt this. Oh - except none of them can read it of course, since I've been blocked as contravening sandland values ;)
Sunbula, from Kabobfest, too fell for an online trick while surfing an Egyptian listserv called Cairo Scholars that foreigners use in Cairo. One of the posters wrote:
dear cairoscholars,
i found a baby camel outside my building in february. it looked malnourished so i took it in and have been caring for it for the last month. it's exceptionally cute and has been dubbed baby joe by my gregarious bowab (doorman). the problem is that i have to go back to the united states and i am wondering if anyone has any advice for what i should do about shipping baby joe. does anyone know if fedex or ups ships live animals, and about how much would it cost? we both thank you.
- chris
Sunbula lists some of the responses the plea received here.
Meanwhile in Iraq, things take a serious turn with Neurotic Iraqi Wife who decides not to play a joke on her husband. She explains:
I had a few ideas for April Fools today. Call HUBBY and tell him I quit my job. Call HUBBBY and tell him I chopped my hair off. Call HUBBY and tell him I quit smoking yeah right! Or call HUBBY and tell him that there was the most hugest blast ever in the GZ and theyve started to evacuate us!(Thats nasty, I know) But then I thought about it, and realized, I wasnt gonna do any of that because one, I wasnt in the mood to joke, and two,there are a few people out there who can do this much much better than I would. People who can fool the whole world. Not just fool one person, but 6.60 billion people. You decide which one deserves the Trophy. The April Fools Trophy of the Century…
She invites her readers to bestow the honour on either Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, US President G W Bush, US Senator John McCain or Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr.
1 comment · »»Bahrain: Harmony in Diversity 
· 22:10
Over millennia, Bahrain has been an oasis of peace, embracing people of all religions, creeds and races. Bahraini blogger Messiah's Blood (Ar) finds an old picture of a neighbourhood in the capital Manama, which reflects harmony in diversity.
Messiah's Blood posts the picture above and comments:
استوقفتني هذه الصوره لما تحمل من معاني مخبئه وراء هذه الحشد من المباني المتراصه التي كثيرا ما كنت امر عليها دون ان اتنبه لدلالتها .
- الدائره الاولي علي اليسار هي لجامع الفاروق للطائفه السنيه .
- المساحه المفتوحه هي مقبره ومسجد تابع للطائفه الشيعيه .
- اما الدائره الصغيره التي ترونها فهي عباره عن حائط يحمل صليب الكنيسه الانجيليه .
بهذه القدر من التعايش كانت هذه المنطقه تعيش فعمر هذه الرموز يتجاوز 100 عام كلها اجتمعت برقعه واحده من الارض .
This picture drew my attention because of the symbolism hidden behind those buildings. I have passed by this area many times without realising its significance.
- The first circle on the left shows Al Farooq Mosque, which is for the Sunni sect.
- The open area is a cemetery and mosque for the Shia sect.
- The small circle you see is a wall which carries the cross of the Evanglican Church.
This reflects the level of co-existence in this area, where these structures are more than a 100 years old each. They are all gathered in one small part of this world.
3 comments · »»Bulgaria: Rethinking History - A National Holiday in Days of Tragedy
· 21:55
On March 3, Bulgaria celebrates its biggest national holiday. On this date the Treaty of San Stefano between Russia and the Ottoman Empire was signed, concluding the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 that put an end to the Ottoman presence in Bulgaria. However, like a number of historical events, this date has been subject to rethinking after the collapse of communism.
A renowned journalist and blogger Ivo Berov writes in his blog (BUL):
There is no such national holiday in the world. A day on which a people celebrates the victory of a foreign army, admitting its incapacity to liberate itself and do something heroic. And on this day, bookmarked as a national holiday, the Bulgarians have to declare: “We are proud that the Russian army liberated us.” Only there is no such pride. Not in the rest of the world. There is only humiliation.
[…]
In vain will all media sing praises to a veteran KGB agent, who can be a representative of anything else but the Russian tsarist armies and Alexander II – the Tsar Liberator of Bulgaria.
The majority of the Bulgarians, however, never give thought to these questions and instead they just celebrate.
This year, though, a tragic event cast a shadow on the celebrations and kindled even more the discussion about the emblematic date. On the night of Feb. 28, a fire started aboard an overnight train from Kardam to Sofia. Nine people lost their lives in the disaster. The majority of Bulgarians thought that a national mourning must be declared, but the authorities postponed it until after the national holiday celebrations. Georgi Grancharov wrote (BUL) in his blog:
I don’t feel like writing. Although I wanted to. I had such ideas buzzing in my head… Everything went away with the morning papers. And with the news, impressions and events from the recent days.
I was to celebrate the national holiday. I was to write about my visit to the Museum of Military History, I was to… I don’t remember what. Everything is now drowned in the unreal nightmare, from which there stand out the horrifying photographs of burned carriages, weeping people, unbearable pain and the shadow of a prodigal raped state that does not remember where it came from and does not know where it is heading.
Suspicions grew that employees of the Bulgarian State Railways had reacted inadequately and could thus be responsible for the spreading of the fire and the high death toll, as it emerged that the carriage doors remained locked during the tragic accident. A number of people supposed that the cause could be a technical flaw overlooked in the course of technical checks. Radan Kanev writes (BUL) in his blog, The Reformist Diaries:
I will not write about the causes of the fire and respectively – the options to undertake legal action in relation with it. Prior to the conclusions of the expert commissions, all hypothesizing is just intellectual antics of dubious value. The question of amenability is premature.
It appears, however – and beyond doubt at that - that the deaths were due to the locked carriage doors. That’s how the Bulgarian State Railways solve the problem with burglaries and “fare evaders” – by means of locking up the carriages…
It is also certain beyond any doubt that when Daniel’s [Daniel Vichev, one of the victims] friends undertook a search to find him in the evening of March 1 – the police at Cherven Bryag [near the crash site] refused to cooperate with them because the area of the search was in the jurisdiction of the Lukovit police. The police in Lukovit [also near the crash site] informed the search team that they had a single patrol car, which was being used for the needs of the town, and that they had no … flashlights.
At the Civil Defense branch in Pleven, they were told that they could not take part in the search, because “they have no order from the prosecutor’s office.” This last thing is a blatant lie – prosecutors do not carry out searches, and Civil Defense does not conduct legal proceedings.
Locked doors…
Friends and relatives to Daniel Vicev, one of the victims, have launched a blog, in which they insisted that the truth about the disaster must be established (BUL):
If we want to find the people to blame, if we want to take action to preclude the existence of killer trains, if we want to find out what the last minutes of the nine burnt victims were, help us find eyewitnesses and make a simulation of the fire and the ensuing actions of the passengers and the railway employees.
[…]
To remember and not let this ever happen again. We have to know the truth, so that we could find the ones to blame. We are counting on you!
The public was further outraged when a small provincial newspaper wrote that the president Georgi Parvanov went hunting in the days following the disaster. The article would have probably gone unnoticed if several renowned bloggers had not published parts of it. In this relation another popular blogger and journalist, Simion Pateev wrote (BUL) in his blog, Nabludatel:
Do the public figures have the responsibility to be role models for the society? Yes, they do, because as a rule every society emulates its leaders. If they are no good, then the society will be no good. President Georgi Parvanov was a good role model for Bulgarians. He was vehemently celebrating the “fatherland” holiday, toying with nationalism in days of crisis, when we found out that prior to that the president went hunting foxes and wolves in utmost secrecy. Meanwhile, people in the morgue were trying to somehow ascertain the precise number of the victims of the fire on the Kardam-Sofia train, using the remains of pieces of bones?! It was also a mistake that not one of the “grand” statesmen went to the site of the tragedy, leaving the people guessing and spawning rumours.
Konstantin Pavlov sums it all up in his blog (BUL):
0 comments · »»Frankly, I would prefer a national mourning to such “celebrations” to commemorate March 3.
Jordan: What Do Our Children Read?
· 21:54
“What do our children read?” is the question posed by Jordanian Batir Wardam (Ar), who finds himself pleading on behalf of a girl at a bookshop who wanted to buy a children's magazine against her nonchalant mother's wishes.
While at a bookstore, Wardam tunes into a conversation a young girl was having with her mother:
قبل فترة وبينما كنت أشتري مجموعة من المجلات في مكتبة - أعرف أن هذا غريب ولكن لا يزال هناك بعض الناس يمارس خطيئة القراءة في الأردن - سمعت طفلة صغيرة وهي تناشد أمها التي كانت مهتمة بتصفح مجلات الأزياء وتطلب منها شراء مجلة للأطفال.
الأم لم تكن معنية كثيرا وقالت للطفلة بأن المجلة أكبر من عمرها وهي لا تستطيع القراءة. ولكن في الحقيقة فإن المجلة التي تطلبها الطفلة كانت مخصصة للتسالي وحلول الألغاز التي تنمي الذكاء ولا تحتاج لمهارات قراءة عالية وبإمكان الطفلة وهي في الصف الأول أو الثاني أن تقرأها بسهولة.
While I was at a bookshop buying a few magazines - I understand that this is strange but there are still some people committing the mistake of reading in Jordan - I overheard a young girl pleading with her mother, who was busy looking at fashion magazines, and asking her to buy a children's magazine. The mother wasn't very concerned and told her daughter that the magazine was for older children and that she couldn't read anyway. In reality, what the girl was asking for was a magazine with puzzles and solving riddles, which didn't need high reading skills and which the child, who appeared to be in Grade one or two, could have read easily.
The journalist in Wardam kicked in and before long he too was pleading the girl's case with her mother.
قررت أن اتدخل في الموقف لصالح الطفلة وتطفلت على هذا الحديث وقلت للأم بأن المجلة سهلة لأنني اشتريها لإبنتي ويمكن لطفلتها أن تقرأها. لاحظت أن الأم شعرت ببعض الضيق بينما كانت الطفلة سعيدة بهذا التدخل الخارجي الذي دعم وجهة نظرها ، فقامت المرأة بإضافة مجلة الطفلة إلى سلسلة المجلات الهادفة التي قامت بشرائها وربما كانت قد شتمتني ولم يعجبها تدخلي ولكنني كنت سعيدا بأنني ساهمت في تحقيق هدف شرعي ومطلوب للطفلة.
لا تعرف الأم على ما يبدو الميزة التي بين يديها فطفلتها تحب القراءة وهي بحاجة إلى تشجيع وهذه الخصائص غير موجودة في معظم الأطفال الذين يتجهون الآن إلى التلفزيون والفيديو والكمبيوتر للتسلية والإطلاع على ما هو غير مفيد ابدا في معظم الأحيان.
I decided to intervene on behalf of the girl and invited myself into the conversation. I told the mother that it was an easy magazine which I buy for my daughter and that it was possible for her daughter to read it too. I realised that the mother seemed annoyed, while the girl was happy for this external intervention, which backed her views. The mother then added the magazine to the basket which carried the useful magazines she wanted to purchase. She could have insulted me as my interference wasn't welcome, but I was happy to be able to help the young girl achieve her legitimate right.
This mother doesn't seem to realise the characteristics of what is in her hands - he daughter loves reading and is in need of encouragement. Not many children have this interest and they turn their attention to television, videos and the computer for entertainment and looking up things which are not beneficial to them in most cases.
Wardam laments the state of Arab children who hate reading and tells us how he tried to teach his daughter how to love books from a young age:
الكثير من الأطفال الذين أعرفهم في هذه السنوات (5 - 10) غير مهتمين أبدا بالقراءة وهذه هي سنوات تكوين الشخصية وهي السبب الرئيسي وراء عدم قدرتهم على عشق المطالعة وأحيانا مواجهة المشاكل في الدراسة. بما أنني شخص كنت دائما معروفا بأنني دودة كتب فقد حاولت أن أنقل لإبنتي بعضا من هذه الخصائص التي تجعلها تحب القراءة والمطالعة. يوميا هناك جلسة قراءة لمدة نصف ساعة وهناك دائما شراء لمجلات وقصص مصورة والتكوين التدريجي لمكتبة صغيرة في غرفتها مع تعلم احترام الكتب وتقديرها.
ومع أنه من المستحيل تقريبا مواجهة طغيان التلفاز والفيديو والكمبيوتر فإنه من الضروري إبقاء مكان للقراءة.
A lot of the children I know between the ages of five to 10 are not interested in reading at all. These are the formative years in shaping their personalities and not reading could create problems for them at school. And because I have always been known to be a bookworm, I tried to transfer this love of reading and learning to my daughter. I read with her for half an hour everyday and I buy her magazines and children's books. Gradually, she will have her own little library in her room and will learn how to respect books and appreciate them.
Children, argues Wardam, are smart in their nature and should be given due attention to use their brain cells in beneficial and creative activities.
الأطفال اذكياء بشكل خاص وإبنتي بدأت تستغل هذه الأمور لمصلحتها فهي تظهر اهتمامها بالقراءة في الوقت الذي يجب أن تكون فيه مهيئة للنوم ولكن لا توجد مشكلة في تأخير نصف ساعة طالما يمكن لهذه الطقوس أن تغرس عادة القراءة منذ الصغر. وفي الواقع فإن هناك تطورا كبيرا ومثيرا في طبيعة المطبوعات الخاصة بالأطفال وهي تقدم معرفة ممتازة أفضل بكثير من برامج التلفاز التجارية والمسلسلات المبنية على قصص الحزن وفقدان أفراد الأسرة بالنسبة للفتيات والضرب والصراع بالنسبة للأولاد. وأذكر أنه في معرض عمان للكتاب قضيت وقتا في زوايا كتب الأطفال أكثر من كتب الكبار وأعجبتني كثيرا المنشورات السورية واللبنانية بالذات والتي تتميز بطباعة فاخرة ومعرفة مهمة.
Children are especially intelligent and my daughter now uses this in her favour, as she demonstrates a surge of interest in reading at the time she should be getting ready to sleep. But I have no problem in her staying up for an extra half an hour, provided this will instil in her the habit of reading. In reality, there is also a quantum leap in the type of publications available for children and which provide better knowledge than the commercial television programmes, which feed girls stories about sadness and loss of family members and boys how to beat each other up and fight. I also remember how I spent more time at the children' section at the Amman Book Fair than the other sectors, and how I was impressed with the Syrian and Lebanese publications, in particular their quality printing and the important information they contained.
The love of reading and education, concludes Wardam, are the only means to safeguard a child's future. He says:
المسألة إذن هي في تعويد الطفل على أهمية القراءة في جو منزلي يهتم بالمطالعة ويحترم الكتب ولا يوجد أبدا نقص في المطبوعات الخاصة للأطفال ، وان كانت العائلات الفقيرة تجد صعوبة في شراء الكتب الجيدة غالية الثمن فإن هذا يحتم ضرورة وجود مكتبات ومراكز تعليمية للأطفال في المحافظات والقرى والمناطق الأقل حظا في المدن لتسهيل حصول الأطفال في هذه المناطق على الكتب وتعلم القراءة خاصة وأن التعليم يبقى السلاح الأساسي للطبقات الفقيرة والمتوسطة في صراعها المستمر للحصول على حقوقها في هذا المجتمع ، والطفل الذي يحب القراءة منذ الصغر يستمر في هذه المزايا دائما ويتمكن من إبقاء مكان للكتاب والمجلة في حياته بالرغم من غزو الإنترنت والتلفزيون والهواتف الخلوي
The issue then is training a child to read in an environment at home which loves learning and respects books. There isn't a shortage of good books for children and if needy families find it difficult to purchase expensive books, then it is imperative for governorates, villages and areas which are less lucky than cities to have libraries and educational centres for children. This will enable youngsters to gain access to books and learn to read, especially when education remains the only weapon for the poor and middle classes in their continuous struggle to get their rights in this society. A child who loves reading from a young age, continues on their trend for life and is able to leave space for books and magazines in his life - despite the onslaught of the Internet, television and cell phones.
0 comments · »»Romania: NATO Summit and Bucharest Traffic
· 21:08
Echoing the message of the Romanian media, Radu Rizea of Hotnews.ro wrote this on March 28:
The already impossible traffic in Bucharest will become purely hellish during the NATO Summit…
But it looks like the media got it wrong again.
Nicole, a Romanian professional working in downtown Bucharest, reported this (RUM) on her blog, Nicole Incorporated: Made in Romania, today:
1 comment · »»Residents and businesses feared the worst traffic ever because of the NATO summit. […] It turns out that traffic wasn't bad. After listening to the discouraging morning traffic report on the radio, I was surprised to find traffic was lighter than usual (like a quiet Sunday) - maybe since so many people were afraid of the traffic and stayed home or went on holiday.
[…]
I have overcome the fears inspired by the media lies. I'm not going to listen to the news anymore. Who would?
Colombia: bloggers gathering signatures for copyright and industrial property letter
· 08:06
Carolina Botero, lawyer and Creative Commons promoter in Colombia has been asking bloggers and anyone else with computer access and an interest in what are popularly called “intellectual property rights” to sign an open letter which will be sent to CONPES, the National Council for Social and Economic Politics, to counter a bill the DNP (National Planning Department) previously sent to them, where the new models of sharing knowledge that provide alternatives to the traditional “protection and enforcement” policies were completely ignored.
On Carolina Botero's article, Digital Culture is Ignored in the CONPES Intellectual Property Document [es] she explains how the National Planning Department seems to have completely passed over the newer developments regarding digital media distribution, and points out one by one the cases that the research done by the DNP missed in their diagnosis.
Con el documento que se presentará este mes para aprobación en el CONPES estamos adoptando como modelo de desarrollo el de “protección y observancia” del modelo tradicional de derecho de autor, útil para un mundo de medios físicos (impreso, cinta, CD, etc.), pero que no es la única opción en entornos digitales ni en los negocios, y además, es excluyente para ciertos sectores.
With the document which will be presented this month for CONPES' approval we would be adopting as a development model the traditional “protection and enforcement” one, useful for a physical media world (printed documents, tape, CDs, etc) but which isn´t the only option in digital environments or business, and which also ends up excluding other areas.
You can read more details about this letter and proposed bill on icommons.org, where Carolina compares the new policies to the cartoon character “Captain Copyright” in Captain Copyright reappears in Colombia. In the comments, there are discussions regarding the incorrect bundling of these issues as “intellectual property” and someone the proposal to create parody comic character who protects copyrights, as a spoof on Captain Copyright.
The three items requested from the CONPES to take into consideration are involving government institutions in education and culture to speak out about their special needs and legal regimes regarding this topic, to involve the civil society actors who may be interested in this issue, and to start drafting another document to address the other aspects of the copyright regime in case this limited document is approved.
You can sign the petition by following this link[es].
0 comments · »»Kuwait: Bloggers to Play Leading Role in Elections
· 03:27
It's already Summer in Kuwait, where temperatures peaked 42 degrees Celsius. But what's also heating up in the race to the Parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 17.
Intlxpatr explains the weather in the photo above and says:
106°F / 42°C and Hot and DUSTY. This is what it looks like at 3:30 PM:
The photo is not altered in any way. The orangey-yellow color is the real color of the sky. Totally weird. Big huge rolling waves coming in, good weekend to go shelling!
Q80 Saracen over at Kuwait The Panic Button explains how he thinks most Kuwaitis vote. He says:
For those few Kuwaitis out there who don't know how they're going to vote, there usually is a self-imposed criterion that one tries to follow. It differs from person to person, and the range that it stretches is in itself humorous.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti bloggers have joined hands in a new blog which aims to provide an unbiased view and news on the elections.
At the blog, 5-q8, Forzaq8 asks a valid question:
العديد من المرشحين يأتون و يطرحون البرامج تلو الاخر
فهذا سيقلب الكويت تحفه الزمان و الاخر سيقاتل من اجل الحريه و اخر من اجل الاسلامو لكن السؤال الذى ينبغى طرحه ما الثمن ؟
عندما تنزل انتخابات و تصرف مبلغا يفوق الــ 30 ألف دينار
( هناك مصادر تتحدث عن ارقام بالملايين ) أليس من واجبنا ان نسأل لماذا هو مستعد ان يلقى بكل هذا المبلغ ؟A lot of candidates come and present one election agenda after the other.
One says that he will make Kuwait the best, another will fight for freedom and a third will defend Islam.But the question we should be asking is: “At what price ?”
When you enter the elections and spend over KD30,000 (there are other sources put this figure in millions), isn't it our duty to ask why is this candidate ready to spend all that money ?مثلا فى الانتخابات الامريكبه صرف المرشح اوباما ما يقارب الـ 5 ملايين دولار للإعلانات فى احدى الولايات
و لكن مهلا ، نقود اوباما كانت من تبرعات من اشخاص يعتقدون بأنه قادر على اداء المهمه
ما العائد الذى يتوقعه المرشح عندما يصرف الالوف على ترشيحه ؟ و اذا كان حريص على مصلحه الكويت
و لديه نقود زائده فلم لا يتبرع بها لمشروع لمصلحه الكويت افضل من ان التنظير ؟For example, in the US elections Obama spent over $5 million for TV advertisement in one of the states, but hold on, that money wasn't Obama's money. It was donations from people who believe that he is the man for the job.What is the return that the candidate expects when he spends thousands on his campaign ? And if he is keen on ensuring Kuwait's interest and he has extra cash lying around, why doesn't he donate it for a project to help Kuwait better than just talk ?
EXzombie, also at 5-q8, talks about the role bloggers will play in the elections and writes:
في ظل التقنين و الحصارالاعلامي و الاعلاني المفروضين على المرشحين، تبرز اهمية الاعتماد على الوسائل الحديثة في السباق لاستقطاب اكبر عدد من الناخبين، و لذلك يتجه المرشحون الى الوسيط الاسهل و الاسرع انتشارا بين اوساط الشباب عبر المدونات. البلوغرز حاليا سيكونون تحت المجهر بعد ادراك وسائل الاعلام و المجتمع لدورهم و لأهميتهم خصوصا في هذه الفترات الحرجة من عمر اي مرشح، لذلك فان الجميع يأمل ان يحقق البلوغرز ما يصبو له اي مرشح و هو استقطاب و تجنيد العدد اللازم من الاصوات لإنجاحه و الاخذ بيده لكرسي البرلمان
و رغم ان بعض المرشحين قد اتجهوا لانشاء قنوات فضائية تدعم المرشح و توجهاته الا ان البلوغرز سيكونون العوامل المحركة للترويج عن مرشحين و عرض اهدافهم و برامجهم الانتخابية بين فئة عريضة من المتابعين لهم من الشباب و حتى كبار السن، هذا بالاضافة لدعوة عدد من البلوغرز للمشاركة في بعض من هذه القنوات كمقدمي برامج او حتى كمراسلين، و قد رصدت مدونة الدوائر الخمس بالفعل قبول بعض البلوغرز لذلكBloggers.. the power shifters in the Kuwaiti Elections 2008In the light of the Press and advertising embargo imposed on the candidates, modern mass communications have become important to garner the votes of the largest number of constituents. This is why a number of candidates are relying on the easiest and fastest growing used by youth and that is blogs. Bloggers will now come under the radar after the media and community's realisation of their role and importance at such critical times in the lives of candidates. This is why everyone is hoping that the bloggers will fulfil what they want and recruit enough voters to guarantee them a seat in parliament. Although a few candidates have started their own satellite channels, which are solely dedicated to promote certain candidates and their agendas, I expect blogging to be the moving force in promoting candidates and their election programmes among a large segment of society, including youth and elderly people. In addition, a number of bloggers have been invited to take part in those channels as presenters and correspondents, and 5-q8 has noted that a few of them have indeed accepted positions.
الجدير بالذكر ان العديد من المرشحين يأمل بالاستفادة من امكانيات البلوغرز في حملته الانتخابية بعدة طرق مبتكرة ففي حين يعتزم مرشح الدائرة الثالثة محمد المنيفي اقامة حلقات نقاشية بمشاركة البلوغرز الذي وافق بالفعل بعض منهم، يقوم اكثر من مرشح لاغراء مقربيهم من البلوغرز كي يكون مراسله الاعلامي و بوقه الانتخابي في الوسط الالكتروني، و لذلك سنشاهد العديد من المدونات الي ستغطي عملية تسجيل ناخب و ندواته و زياراته و حتى تصريحاتهIt is also worth noting that candidates are using new ways to make use of the potential of bloggers in innovative ways, like third district's candidate Muhammed Al-Munaifi, who will be sponsoring live debates with bloggers. Some candidates are now pressuring their relatives who blog to be their correspondents in the blogosphere, making way for blogs to cover every aspect of the election race from registering, their seminars, visits and even statements.
And while we're on the topic of the elections, Bint Alshamiya wrote this beautiful article in her blog about the right of women to vote - and make up their own minds.
عزيزتى المرأة……..من مشاهداتى فى الإنتخابات
السابقه الغالبية العظمى من النساء والشابات
كن ينتخبن بتأثير خارجى عليهن ولم يكن رأيها
الشخصى البحت أو من قناعاتها الذاتيه
فقد كنت أعفى السيده المسنه و المتوسطه التعليم
ولكن الصدمه الكبرى لى كانت فى فئة المتعلمات
والمثقفات كن يتبعن طوائفهن وأسرهن ونعراتهن الاجتماعي تبعيه عمياء ويقادون إلى
صناديق الإنتخابات وهن لايعرفن من المرشح
غير أسمه وشكله……أما فكره وتوجهه السياسي
لا شيئ عنه……؟؟؟؟؟؟Dear Woman … Based on my observations during the last elections, I noticed that most women, young and old, based their vote on outside influences and not their own decisions.
I used to excuse old women and those with modest education for doing that but my biggest shock came from highly educated women, who blindly selected candidates based on their sects, family choice and class. They were herded to the voting booths without knowing anything about the candidate other than his name and the way he looked. As for his politics and thoughts, they knew nothing!!!هل تناسيتن الكويت…..اين هى منكن..؟؟؟؟؟
لمجرد إنه أخوها او ولد عمها أو ريل إختها
أو أبوها وأخوها قال لها عليه لانهم يبخصونه عدل
أكثر منها ……وهذه هى الطامه الكبري
فيا إختى الناخبه …..إذا أردت التحرر وإنتصار لكل
قضاياك المستقبليه إنتصرى على من فى البيت أولا
فليكن اختيارك حرا بدون ضغوط من احد
مبنى على قناعاتك فلا رأى لاحد عليك لا أب
ولا زوج ولا أخ ولا ولى أمر…….الخ …الخ
ولا أحد يملى عليك رأيه السياسى حتى من الداخل
والدور الكبير على الشابات بإن يقفن مع إمهاتهن
فالكويت امانه بين أيديكن….وكذلك صوتك أمانهHave you forgotten Kuwait ?
Where are your feelings toward it ?
Just because her brother, or cousin, or brother-in-law, or father or brother told her they know him better than her (doesn't mean she has to vote for him).
This is the greatest disaster.
My voting sister, if you want your freedom and if you want to champion for all your future causes, overcome those in your home. Let your choice be free without pressure from anyone, and built on your own convictions.
No one has a view that vetos yours - not a father, husband, brother, etc.
And no one can impose his political views on you - even from the inside.
Young women have the bigger role to stand with their mothers.
Kuwait is a trust in your hands and your votes are a responsibility.
Picture Credit Intlxpatr
0 comments · »»Korea: Conflicts between Koreans in their 20s and in their 30-40s
· 03:13
Recently, there has been a series of demonstrations that Korean college students have led against the increase in tuition fees. Presidents of college students’ associations got together and tried to hand the letter to President, Lee Myung Bak, directly. Some students have had their heads shaved. The rapid increase, 6.5-9% of tuition fees this time became the target of major criticism from young people. They also criticize the new education policies that the President attempts to start.
An interesting part is how bloggers react to these demonstrations. While some bloggers completely support these demonstrations, others point out that there should be more stable changes of education. Moreover, this demonstration generates interesting arguments between the adult generation (people in their thirties and forties who spent their college lives during the peak time of the dictatorship) and those in their twenties.
Cistory is one of the netizens who emphasizes setting up a better alternative rather than focusing on the amount of the tuition fee. His post starts with the title, “College tuition fee is not expensive at all.”
대학등록금 절대 비싸지 않다.
70, 80년 대에 대학을 다닌 사람들은 알겠지만, 그 때는 ‘우골탑'이라는 말이 유행했었다. 지금은 아니지만 그 당시에는 대학은 학문을 연구하는 상아탑이라고들 말했었다. 물론 당시에도 취직을 위한 방편이었음은 거론할 필요도 없다. 우골탑은 소의 뼈를 쌓아서 만든 탑이란 뜻이다. 시골에서는 소 한마리가 전 재산이다시피 하던 때에 그 소를 팔아서 자식의 대학 등록금에 보태야 하던 것을 빗댄 말이다. 서민들에게는 그 만큼 많은 돈이 들었다는 의미다.
당시에는 고등학교 한 교실에 60여명 정도가 공부했었는데, 그 중에서 5 ~ 10명 정도가 대학에 진학한 걸로 기억한다. 평균 잡아서 15%라고 보면 될 것 같다.당시 등록금이 학기당 20만 ~ 40만원 정도였던 걸로 기억하는데, 그 액수는 그 나이의 대학생을 가진 가장이 상위 10%의 직장에 다닐 경우에 받던 1달 월급 정도의 액수였다. 지금 등록금이 한 학기에 500여 만원이라고 하는데, 지금도 상위 10%의 직장에 다니는 40대 말에서 50대 중반의 직장인이라면 월봉이 그 정도는 될 것이다.
지금 문제는 등록금이 비싼 것이 아니라, 예전에는 대학에 갈 수 없었던 계층이 모두 대학에 다니기 때문에 문제가 생긴 것으로 보인다. 고등학교 졸업생 수보다 대학 입학정원이 더 많다는 기사도 있지 않은가? 물론 전 국민이 대학교육을 받는 것은 좋은 일이다. 지금 문제는 학생들의 대학 등록금을 어떻게 해결해 주어야 하느냐하는 것이다. 유럽의 많은 나라처럼 정부에서 학비의 70 ~ 80%를 보조하든지, 2년 정도는 학자금을 장기 저리로 우선 지원한다든지 하는 논의를 국회에서 해야하는 것이다. 유럽에 비교해 보아도 1인당 교육비로서의 등록금 액수는 절대 많은 것은 아니다.
사안의 본질이 흐려지게 등록금이 비싸다고 하지 말고, 등록금을 어떻게 해결해 줄 것인가를 정치권에서 논의할 수 있도록 해주어야 한다.유럽의 많은 나라에서는 전국민 건강보험 개념처럼, 특별한 형태의 사립대학을 제외하고는 모든 학생이 정부로부터 등록금 혜택을 받는다.[…]
현재의 대학생들과 그들의 부모, 친지들의 절대적인 지지 하에 당선된 것이다. 그런데, 이제와서 등록금이 비싸다니, 정치인들로서는 왠 개 풀 뜯어먹는 소리인가 할 것이다. 반값 등록금? 정치인은 원래 거짓말을 입에 달고 사는 사람들이다. 대통령 임기 내에, 두배 등록금만 안되어도 감사하게 생각해야 할 것이다. 사실 대학교육의 질을 유럽 수준으로 올린다면, 우리 국민소득을 감안해서, 두배 등록금이 적정 액수의 학비일 것이다. 정부로 부터의 등록금 보조를 국회에서 논의할 수 있도록 국민들이, 특히 대학생들이, 먼저 정신을 차려야 할 것이다.[…]
People who went to college in the 1970s and 1980s would be familiar with the term, ‘Woo-gol-tap.’ Maybe not now anymore, but at that time university was regarded as an ivory-tower for learning. Of course, it is needless to mention that school was also a means for finding jobs at that time as well. Woo-gol-tap means a tower that was piled up by cow bones. In the country side, a cow was the biggest property of each household and the term meant to contribute the house cow to children’s college tuition fee. It means that the fee was that much for regular citizens.
At that time, 60 students studied in a classroom. Among them, 5-10 people were able to enter colleges. The average was about 15 percent. I remember the college tuition fee at that time was 200,000-400,000 won (200-400 US dollars) per semester. The amount was equal to a monthly salary for a breadwinner who works at companies with the highest 10 percent salaries. The current fee is 5 million won per semester. It means it is about a monthly salary for an employee in the late 40s or the middle 50s who work at 10 percent high salary companies.
The current problem is not just about the expensive tuition fee. In the past, the classes that were not able to go to college all go to college nowadays. There was a newspaper article showing that the number of high school graduates is less than the number of college freshmen. Of course, it is good that all people can get college education. But the current problem is how we can solve the problem of college tuition fee for students. Like European countries, the government can subsidize 70-80 percent tuition fee or support school expenses with low interest in the long term. Compared to other European countries, the amount of tuition fee per person is not that high.
Politicians should discuss how the issue of the tuition fee can be solved, not just comment that it is expensive. Many European countries treat the college tuition fee as national health insurance. Except several special private colleges, all students get benefits from the government. […]
The current president was elected with the absolute support of current college students, their parents, and relatives. But why do they blame politicians with one reason, the college tuition fee? Half price of tuition fee? Politicians always live with lies. Within this government term, we should appreciate it if the fee doesn’t go up two times more. As a matter of fact, if the quality of university education wants to be at the European level, two times more expensive tuition fee would be suitable in terms of our GDP. In order to let the National Assembly talk about the subsidy of the tuition fee from the government, the college students should pull themselves together.[…]
There are two interesting arguments about how the current college students and the 386 sede, who are in their thirties and forties, interpret this issue and political attitudes toward each other.
28일 있었던 대학생들의 등록금 시위를 보았다. 그들에게 지지를 보낸다. 과도한 등록금에 한숨짓는 부모들을 보고 있자니 맘이 아파 거리로 뛰쳐 나왔으리라. 더이상 참지 못하고 직접 행동을 감행했으리라고 생각하지만 못내 아쉬운 생각이 드는 것은 왜일까?
대학교 “지식의 상아탑”이라고 한때는 불리던 곳이다. 지식의 상아탑이란 이름이 왜 붙여졌겠는가? 한번 생각해 본 적 있는 요즘 대학생들이 있는가? 학교는 자신의 이익만을 위해서 행동하고 말하는 곳이 아니라는 사실은 알고 있는가? 너희들과 마찬가지로 대학 생활을 했던 너희의 선배들에게도 등록금은 지금과 비슷한 고통이었다. 하지만 그 선배들은 먼저 이땅의 민주주의와 사회에 만연한 부정부패를 척결하기 위해 먼저 일어섰다는 사실을 알고 있는가?지금 너희들이 말하는 등록금 문제가 심각하다는 것도 잘 알겠다. 하지만 너희들이 등록금을 가지고 말할 자격이 있는지는 모르겠다. “지식의 상아탑”에서 예비 지식인이 되어야 할 너희들은 지난 대선에서 너희들이 욕하던 어른들과 똑같이 눈앞의 이득(일자리창출)만 보고 이명박을 선택했다. 또한 “꼬리곰탕 한그릇”에 꼬리를 잘라버린 이명박 특검에 침묵하였고, 너희들의 스승들 조차 반대하고 나선 대운하문제에도 침묵으로 일관해 오지 않았더냐?
그리고 삼성특검에 대해서는 어떻더냐? 마찬가지로 너희 자신의 이익을 고려한 침묵으로 일관하지 않았느냔 말이다. 물론 너희들의 의지에 의한 선택에 뭐라 참견하지 않겠다. 지금 너희들의 등록금 인상반대 투쟁이 잘못되었다는 것은 아니다. 그러나 너희들은 이미 정의보다는 개인이기주의와 자기 이득에 눈을 떠서 경제성장과 등록금 반값이라는 2MB의 공약에 부패와 비리 거짓말의 대명사인 그를 선택하지 않았느냐? 그러고서는 지금에와서야 속았다고 등록금인상을 들고 시위하는 너희들의 그 태도가 얄밉다.
자기의 이익만 챙기지 말아라! 너희들이 진정한 지식인이고 지성인이라면 행동하라!! 지금 속았다고 억울해하고 있다면, 진실이 조금이라도 보인다면, 행동에 옮겨라 4월9일 총선에서 너희들의 그 진심을 보이라는 말이다. 휴일이라고 놀러갈 생각하지말고 행동하라는 말이다.
그것이 어쩌면 거리에서 피켓들고 등록금 인상반대를 외치는 것보다 더 현실적인 방법인지 모른다. 너희들이 보는 것 처럼 등록금에 고생하시는 부모님을 위해 4월 9일 너희들이 깨어 있다는 것을 보여주어라. 또다시 눈앞에 달콤함에 현혹되지 말고…
College was called an “ivory-tower of knowledge”before. Why was it called that? Have some university students thought about it? The school is not the place where they can ask for their own benefits and speak out for their own sake. Do they know about that? The experienced who went through college life at that time also had to suffer from the tuition fee. But those people stood up for democracy of this land and fought against the corruption. I understand the problem of the tuition fee they are talking about now. But I don’t know whether they have the qualification of speaking out. You, who should be the preliminary intellectuals in ivory-towers, chose Lee Myung Bak in the Presidential Election, only thinking of profits in your presence (creating jobs). In addition, you were silent about special investigations for Lee Myung Bak’s corruption and of the grand canal construction issue which even your professors were against.
And how about the special investigation of Samsung? Of course, you guys were quiet, considering your own benefits. I am not going to intervene into your choices. I’m not saying your struggle against the increase on the tuition fee is wrong. But you turned yourselves toward selfishness and benefits rather than justice, and chose the person who supported economic growth and half-tuition fee, and continually lied. Then now you say you’re deceived and are against the increase on tuition fee. I hate your attitude.
Don’t think about your own benefits. If you’re truthful intellectuals and eggheads, carry on. If you’re angry and sad, and you can see the truth, please take action. In the general election on the 9th of April, show your sincerity. Don’t think you’ll go for a picnic. Take action. That might be a more realistic method rather than walking on the street and shouting opposition to increasing the tuition fee. As you can see parents suffering from the high tuition fee, show you’re awake on the 9th of April. Don’t be tricked by the sweetness again…
I extracted a post that talks about how people in their twenties think about the 386 sede and their perspectives toward the current college students.
글의 내용으로 미루어봐서는 386세대 선배님들이 쓰신것으로 보입니다. 사실 이런 글뿐만 아니라 예전부터 20대의 정치무관심을 질타하는 386세대들의 글은 많이 볼 수 있었죠. 그런데 막상 20대로서 이런 글 접하게 되면 화가 납니다. 물론 20대가 정치에 무관심하긴 합니다. 그러나 30-40대가 생각하는 그 정도로 막장이지는 않습니다.[…]요점은 그겁니다. ‘니들이 정치에 무관심해서 이명박 찍어놓고 이제와서 왜 이러냐. 정신차리고 총선 투표자 잘해라.’
근데 과연 이명박이 당선된 것이 20대의 탓일까요? 윗글에 보면 42개 대학 총학생 회장이 이명박 지지선언을 했다고 비난하는 부분이 있습니다. 근데 따져봅시다. 42개 대학의 대부분의 지방의 전문대였습니다. 지방 전문대의 특성상 대개 정원이 일반대학에 비해 작고, 총학생회의 그간 활동들도 정치적 영향력을 크게 발휘하는 곳이 없었습니다. 물론 몇 개 큰 대학들이 있긴 했습니다.[…] 그 대학 구성원들의 의견이 전혀 반영되지 않은 걸로 총학생회장 개인의 독단적 선언에 불과했습니다.[…] 20대의 투표성향을 보면 이명박에 대한 지지가 30대보다는 조금 높지만 40-60대 이상보다는 훨씬 작은 것을 알 수 있습니다. 되려 386세대가 이명박에 대한 지지율이 50%가 넘어갔습니다. 그리고 5후보중 상대적으로 진보적이고 개혁적이다라는 평가를 받았었던 문국현과 권영길에 대한 지지율은 오히려 가장 높습니다. 이 결과를 놓고 봤을때는 오히려 386세대들이 20대들에게 사과를 해야 정상인게죠.[…] 386세대가 독재정권하의 암울한 시기에 대학생활을 했다지만 적어도 그 당시 대학생은 엘리트 계층이었고, 특권의식이 존재했습니다. 그리고 취업에 대한 부담도 적었습니다. 하지만 지금 세대는 대학을 안들어가면 낙오하기에 당연스럽게 대학에 갈 것을 강요받은 세대이자 대학을 졸업해도 취직에 희망이 없는 세대입니다. 당장 대학부터 먹고 살 문제를 걱정해야 하는 시대가 된 것입니다.
40대까지도 사회운동하시는 선배들이 이런 말을 많이 하십니다. 가정을 꾸리게 되면 자기 말고 돌보아야 할 사람들이 생겨서 그때 가장 운동에 대한 고민이 많이 든다고요. 물론 그러한 고민으로 운동을 그만둔 386세대, 이해합니다. 학생운동 치열하게 했다는 것에 대해 인정하고, 그러한 삶을 평생 가져가지 못한 것에 대해서도 이해합니다. 그러나 40대에 들어서냐 해야 할 고민을 대학초입부터 하고 있다는 것 역시 알아두셨으면 합니다. 입학과 동시에 공무원 시험, 취업준비에 매달릴 수 밖에 없는 현실은 지금의 대학생들이 만든게 아닙니다. 그 이전의 기성세대들이 88만원 세대들에게 지어준 짐인 것입니다.[…]
20대를 철부지 꼬마들로 봐주시진 말 것을 정중하게 부탁드립니다. 나름의 생각을 가지고 판단할 수 있는 성인입니다. 정치에 무관심한 학생도 있고, 나라가 어찌되든 자기 한 몸 먼저 생각하는 친구들도 많습니다. 그러나 그런 사람들은 30대에도 있고, 40에도 있습니다. 20대라고 정치에 무관심하다고 신랄하게 비판하는 것… 지나치면 되려 정치를 신물나게 만들 수 있는 것입니다.
But was Lee Myung Bak selected because of people in their twenties? According to the post, presidents of 42 college students’ associations announced the support for Lee Myung Bak. But most of them were vocational colleges in the countryside. Their characteristics are small numbers compared with universities and the activities of the students’ associations never influenced politics. Of course, there were several big universities[…] But it was the student presidents’ own opinions, not other students’ opinions.[…] Looking at the characteristics of the people in their twenties’ votes, the number supporting Lee Myung Bak is higher than the 30s, but lower than the 40-60s. Rather, the ratio that the 386 sede supports Lee Myung bak is more than 50 percent. And the votes of those in their twenties that support Moon Kook Hyun and Kwon Young Kil who were progressive and reformative were much higher than any other generations. Looking at this result, the 386 sede should apologize to those in their 20s.[…] Even though the 386 sede spent their college lives in the dark period of dictatorship, the university students at that time were at least regarded as the elite and had some previledges. But the current generation is forced to go to college not in order to be losers in society, but it doesn’t give a promise to be employed after the graduation. We have to worry about how to make living from the beginning of our campus lives.
People who still do citizen activities in their 40s say this a lot. If they start their own families, they have to take care of others. That moment is the hardest time whether they have to continue the activities or not. Of course, I understand the 386 sede who gave up the activities. I acknowledge they went through student activities really hard.
However, I hope that they understand what they were worried when they are in the 40s are what we have to worry as soon as we step in colleges. As soon as we enter college, it is the reality that we have to stick to prepare civil service examinations and other tests for obtaining jobs. This reality is not what we made. It is the burden that the previous generations passed to us.[…] I ask them politely not to call people in their twenties immature kids. We are adults who can think and judge. There are students who are indifferent about politics and the nation. There are friends who think about themselves. But those people can be found in the thirties and forties. To criticize those in their twenties as being indifferent about politics… If the criticism is way too much, it could rather make them be sick of politics.
Links for Roundups
Eastern & Central Europe
Andy of Csíkszereda Musings writes about the NATO Summit in Bucharest: “Bucharest is being flooded with loads of violent, aggressive and corrupt criminals. Any sane immigration policy would have kept these people out of the country and turned them back at the airport, but Romania instead is welcoming them and even cleaning up the city before them to make their stay a happier one.”
Eastern & Central Europe
Olechko is holding an exhibition of her work on April 2-4; her portfolio is here.
Central Asia & Caucasus
Unzipped remembers the sixth anniversary of the demise of A1 Plus, an opposition TV station stripped of its license in 2002. The blog says that when A1 Plus returns to the airwaves it believes it will mean Armenia is a better country to live in.
Americas
Altino Machado [pt] has interviewed Ilzamar Mendes, murdered Brazilian environmental activist Chico Mendes‘ widow. “She makes a harsh assessment at the time that the Chico Mendes Virtual Committee, the Labor Party and the Acre “government of the forest” begin to “celebrate” the 20th anniversary of the Xapuri's rubber tapper's murder. “They killed Chico's ideals,” says the president of the Chico Mendes Foundation.
Americas
David Sasaki compiles a video complete with background information regarding the anti-protest held in Buenos Aires in support of President Cristina Kirchner and her policies, which has angered rural farmers and producers.
Sub-Saharan Africa
João Branco [pt] on the lack of a theatre in the Cape Verde capital: “Perhaps it is here that lies the starting point for us to question the fact that in a city so full of life, of poetry, of contrasts, colors, smells, feelings of impossibilities, ironies, absurd, in short, in a blatantly theatrical city, there isn't, at the moment, a theatre that does justice to it”.
Americas
Luis Ramírez provides his thoughts on the recent Webprendedor 2008 conference in Chile [es], which brought together web entrepreneurs interested in presenting their new projects.
Americas
Zoopolítica [es] thinks it is rather unfortunate that 15 of the top 20 candidates for senator for the ANR party in Paraguay have been suspected of being involved with cases of corruption.
Americas
Martin Balao writes and publishes a Googlemaps mashup of where one can find free wi-fi in Montevideo, Uruguay [es].
Americas
Gabriela of Seis de Enero [es] writes about her love of walking through the streets of Lima, which lately has been made more difficult due to the number of construction projects that impede the sidewalks.
Americas
During the process of rewriting Ecuador's Constitution, Cronica Cero [es] wonders if God should part of the text, but thinks that God would be more content with positive acts, rather than empty promises.
Americas
Leonardo Fontes [pt], still on the law that bans blogs from the elections in Brazil: “While the American presidential campaign takes place in the Internet with a strong debate that is the envy of any bar talk, our law wants to stop the best part about politics: the free expression of opinions and the free discussion of proposals. 2008 will be a great opportunity for civil disobedience, I want to see who will make my .com offline.
Americas
Juan Carlos Hidalgo links to an article and discusses how difficult it is for Costa Ricans to visit Spain, due to all of the immigration regulations.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Oluniyi reviews Nollywood movie, Anini: “I had the opportunity to watch a Nollywood (Nigerian movie industry) action thriller movie directed by Fred Amata on Africa Magic yesterday, titled: Anini. The movie was released in 2005 and features Nollywood stars like Bimbo Akintola, Fred Amata, Jeta Amata, Segun Arinze, Chidi Mokeme, Ashley Nwosu among many others…”
South Asia
Generation Y Consultant takes a somewhat controversial stand on discrimination.
Sub-Saharan Africa
My Zimbabwe Today posts photos of Zimbabwe Elections 2008.
South Asia
All Things Pakistan on the mayhem of suicide bombers, the government's supposed cluelessness and the role of media.
South Asia
Nepali Netbook on royalty-speak and the influence of India on politics in Nepal.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Zanu PF loses the House of Assembly: “Latest news is that the ZEC have announced that the MDC have control of the House of Assembly!. This is a momentous political development.”
Sub-Saharan Africa
Afrodissent writes about skewed media coverage of victims of intolerance: “Ultimately, though, media coverage of this tragedy has been pitiful. That the story has not received widespread coverage almost implies that such a crime is perceived by media gatekeepers as insignificant - simply not worth column inches or airtime. Where is the anger, the outrage, the debate that was catalysed by the UFS video? There is just deafening, hypocritical silence.”