Global Voices Online

Sleepless draws our attention to a report by UNICEF on the traumatic effects of the Darfur atrocities, and re-tells a tale that made a prominent African community leader cry in public.

New Mongols remembers a Mongolian, Cpl. Enver Bajin, who was killed in the Vietnam War (1957-1975).

Nathan at Registan examines an article about the Andijon massacre in the Guardian based on recent interviews with Uzbek refugees in Romania.

An American Dramaturg in Armenia writes about the opening night of a Shakespearian monodrama festival in the capital, Yerevan.

Afghan Lord gives a brief rundown of the evolution of the news media in Afghanistan.

One Step at a Time reports on the beating last week of Chechen singer-songwriter Liza Umarova in a Moscow street.

Sabbah says that Bahrain World Trade Centre (BWTC) will incorporate the first towers in the world to generate their own electricity using wind turbines.

Laila Um Yousuf of Raising Yousuf: a diary of a mother under occupation blog writes an interesting article after her first visits to what used to be Israeli settlements in Gaza. She says:

Palestinians wandered around in disbelief, trying to absorb the scene and the moment. For some, like 26-year old Omar Budran, who lost a leg to an Israeli helicopter gunship that fired at a group of Palestinians not far from the settlement in the crowded Nusseirat refugee camp two years ago, the day was particularly poignant.

“It’s an incredible day for me. I am overwhelmed with happiness, and I am optimistic what the future might bring,” he said.

But many Palestinians, while basking in the momentary elation, expressed concerns for the future. Dermatologist Muna al-Farra, who has finally been able to access land her family owns in the Abo Holi junction, said she was worried about the longer-term implications of Gaza being turned into like a large prison.

Mark Elf of Jews sans frontieres writes about the BBC's pro-Israel biased reporting over the Middle East conflict.