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Finnish and Spanish Paper Mills Generate Tension in Latin America

David Sasaki · 21:24 · Americas

The following was originally written in Spanish by Javier from Gualeguaychú, Argentina.

The last few months have seen an escalation in tension between Argentina and Uruguay due to the construction of cellulose plants whose by-products will flow into a shared river.

The plants in question are the Spanish-owned Ence and the Finnish-owned Botnia; multinationals that have caused environmental disasters like what happened in Pontevedra, Spain.

The conflict has provoked everything from insults between technicians to the blockage of border passages on the part of Argentine citizens. And the politicians have not found the way - perhaps due to incapacity or negligence - to find a balance between the demands of a clean environment and the necessities of investment and work.

This subject has generated, in both countries, voices defending one or another position. And obviously, blogs also take part in the debate.

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Fouad Al-Farhan: We Have to Move On

Ahmed Al-Omran · 10:07 · Middle East & North Africa

If you have been following Global Voices for more than six months, then you probably have read the name of Fouad Al-Farhan in this space several times before this one. Actually, one of my posts here back in October 2005 featured a post by Al-Farhan, when he left a meeting with Karen Hughes, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs at the US Department of State during a visit to Saudi Arabia. So, who is Fouad Al-Farhan?

Fouad Al-Farhan is one of the pioneer Saudi bloggers. He was born in 1975 in Taif, west of Saudi Arabia, and received his higher education in the United States. He graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in marketing, then joined Ball State University for a masters degree in computer sciences. “Although Bush and his gang have been trying to remove all my good memories from my life in America, but I still think that I have lived the best years of my life there, moving between different states such as Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, and Indiana,” he told me during an interview via email.

Al-Farhan, who has a great interest in the American and Saudi political affairs, and who has been following the active liberal and Islamic movements in the Arab World, says that he has been reading blogs and observing their effect on the American life since the beginning of the blogging revolution. However, it took him about four months to decide to start his own blog. “I was carefully studying what I want to offer. I wanted to be special, and to be committed to this new thing in my life as much as possible,” he says after about nine months since he started blogging.

Bloggers can be so different from each other, but most of them have one thing in common: they want to express themselves. Al-Farhan is no exception. “I want to express my freedom, ideas, and hopes, publicly and in a way that is unusual in the Saudi society. I think blogging is the best tool to do that now,” he says. Other reasons which encouraged him to start his blog are the limitations on freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia. “The television stations are completely owned by the government. The newspapers are highly censored, and some of their chief editors have been in their positions for more than 30 years. This is why you find our media boring and primitive,” he added. Al-Farhan thinks that blogging can help young Saudis to make the government hear their voice, and to let the world know that they share the same human values, ambitions, and interests with them.

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Cambodian Weblogs in the Spotlight

Tharum Bun · 08:30 · Cambodia

When it comes to quality, expatriate s' Weblogs are unbeatable. And to learn what's going on around town and in the country, locals' Weblogs are noteworthy. It is all about what Webloggers must learn to come up with things to give the world a good read. However, they also learn
some issues, from plagiarism to copyright.

When a number of Webloggers focus on specific topics and issues, the others write about anything that touches their hearts, from issues in their own backyard to their personal lifestyle. What's the difference between Weblogs of local people and the expatriats? Everyone is a
storyteller, news commentator or opinion columnist. They are all digital citizens in this digital age. Let's selectively explore and experience the Cambodian Weblog community.

Cambodian-American Webloggers
Phatry, a news reporter for the Phnom Penh Post, one of the leading English language newspapers in town, is also Weblog author, “1.man.among.13,607,069.fists.” His Weblog posts, not so very different from his published news articles, gives readers clarity and worthwhile stories to enjoy. He is also an affiliate member of the Khmer Connection, a Cambodian Community's Web site; the Killing Fields museum in the U.S.; the University of Washington; and more. And Rod Kov is proud to be Cambodian-born citizen. He writes about his life in the United States, and occasionally reflects his views about Cambodia. In response to a debatable discussion on Khmer-American identity, he wrote “I officially decided to change the title of my blog to My Khmerican Corner to appropriately describe me, I think.”

Students in foreign countries
The famous slogan of Nike says, “Just Do It.” But a Cambodian student in Australia, who mostly posts his new photos, titles his Weblog, “Just Shoot It.” In one of his last posts he lets his visitors know that, like everyone in Cambodia, his family members also embrace mobile phones the way that people in developed countries do. In South Korea, young and mature Leakhina, currently pursuing a higher education there, created her online journal to share what's going on in life outside her home country with her family and friends. It seems it is another express way to send letters home or even interactively communicate with her friends. Going further to Europe, Sopheap studies public health in Norway. Like anyone else away from home, he has his own online journal, too. He started blogging in late 2005, talks about his specialized field, comments on Cambodia-related news, and finds it cool to get comments from his visitors.

Weblog by expatriates
Since 2002, ‘webbed feet‘ is likely the first ever blog setup by an expat living in Cambodia. He first started in Siem Reap, the top tourism destination, when Internet connections were expensive and extremely slow. Now, working in Phnom Penh, he muses about almost anything, from local to international issues. Sweet Cucumber, named after the the street where this resident located, Mr. Guy is yet one of the most prolific Cambodia webloggers. Lately he has arrived in town again after several months away. But, his first week this time is likely not a good sign, as he wrote “It seems that my first week in Cambo is riddled with bad luck.” Apart from lively commentary from his readers, he also offers a selection of beautiful photos taken since 2004. One of the big new things in town Food blog, went live in late 2005. This topical food weblog attracts fair attention from expats. The content is all about what to eat and where to go. Mythicaldude: Everyone in town loves to steal his photos. As written in his profile, he claims he is just another amazing human being. Currently living in Phnom Penh, his weblog represents another source about Cambodian life in the eyes of a foreigner.

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Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome

Salam Adil · 08:03 · Middle East & North Africa

This week is a week of rememberance. It is the third anniversary of the start of the Iraq war and the Iraq bloggers are commenting on the hopes at the start and their feelings for the future. It is also the 18th anniversary of the Halabja massacre. And the burning by Halabjans of the monument raised mixed comments from bloggers. Also several bloggers take on the issue of American violence. Last week I wrote about insomnia, this week I have laziness and the confused kid gets back to being confused.

If you read nothing else this week, read this:

24 Steps to Liberty watches the inaugural session of the new Iraqi Parliament and gives a vivid and personal account of the proceedings. He describes the event in a way that television never can:

“Jafari, the current PM, and Mulla Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic revolution in Iraq … were whispering to each other each time Pachachi said a sentence including “far from ethnic and religious divisions,” they didn’t like what he was saying. I could sense it from several feet distance.”

The last straw for 24 Steps came when a member objected to giving the oath on the grounds that two words had changed:

“I didn’t know if I should cry, smile, laugh, or spit on my country’s lawmakers… I was thinking ‘come on men. It’s only the first session. We are not asking for much. Just say that you are the new parliament. Is that too hard for you to agree on? Well, f**k you and f**k me if I believe there will be a ‘national unity government’ if you don’t even agree that you exist.' “

Its been three years since the beginning of the war.

Among bloggers, optimism is hard to come by. But what there is, can be summed up in Iraq the Model. Mohammed starts unsure saying that “until this moment we have different feelings and opinions about where this operation brought us and where its … going to lead us.” He remembers the days just after the regime was toppled. How Iraqis were angry and hit out at symbols of the old regime. The fears of America:

“all that Iraqis knew about America was that it's … the imposer of the sanctions and above all, the America that let us down in 1991…

There was a wide gap between the two but we had no choice but to work together, because in a moment Iraqis didn't choose, America and a group of Iraqi ex-pat leaders were suddenly replacing a regime that controlled everything for too long.
Iraqis were confused and vulnerable..”

But was it the right decision to remove Saddam? Mohammed says ‘yes' because “life stopped and time stopped when Saddam ruled Iraq.” and “we have hope and I see this hope even in the words of those that are cynical about the outcome of the political process”. He ends defiantly: “And yes…Iraq will be the model.”

Riverbend sees things differently:

“It has been three years since the beginning of the war that marked the end of Iraq’s independence. Three years of occupation and bloodshed.

She fears the present:

“The real fear is the mentality of so many people lately- the rift that seems to have worked it’s way through the very heart of the country, dividing people. It’s disheartening to talk to acquaintances- sophisticated, civilized people- and hear how Sunnis are like this, and Shia are like that… To watch people pick up their things to move to ‘Sunni neighborhoods' or ‘Shia neighborhoods' .”

And she remembers how sectarianism was treated before. As a child she was asked by a friend if she was a Smurf or a Snork as a code for ‘Sunni' or ‘Shia' and being told by her mother “we’re Muslims- there’s no difference.”

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Belarus: Protest Stories and Conversations

Veronica Khokhlova · 05:55 · Eastern & Central Europe

For the past four evenings, thousands of people have been gathering at Kastrychnitskaya (Oktyabrskaya) Square in Minsk, Belarus, to protest the fraudulent presidential election, demand a new vote and support the opposition. The crowd thins as the night arrives, but a few hundred young activists stay on in a small ‘tent city' by the huge skating rink, braving the brutal weather and trying the regime's patience. The state-owned media either ignore or misrepresent the protest, and much of the virtual discussion takes place in Belarusian LiveJournal communities. Some of these conversations are translated below.

“Lukashenko to the Hague” - by Eugene Grabkin

LJ user Eugene Grabkin posts his photos from the protest and is wondering in the minsk_by LJ community (RUS) whether it is somehow possible for him to get a press card:

I could even provide photos later. ;) Because people are asking where I'm from and what I'm doing?.. And what if I'm from the [state-owned Belarusian TV]?..;)))))

Here's a recommendation (RUS) he's received:

sanitarro: Make one yourself, write PRESSA on it, minsk_by and your nickname :)

it'll protect you from the people, I guess :)))

though it may get the cops interested :)

but do write your nickname, to avoid an entrapment where a cop gets himself a similar card, but if there's an unknown nickname on it or an unknown face over a known nickname, it's easier to sort it out :)

anysyst: Yeah, write this on it: Journalist working for the largest Internet publication www.livejournal.com

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Posted by LJ user alisunya (RUS):

I was there yesterday evening. I've never seen so many real People, sunny, sincere, fearless. Thank you for being the way you are!!!

My friend stayed there till morning. Between 6 and 7 am, she and nine more people (2 guys and 7 girls) were going to the subway station Oktyabrskaya […]. Riot police were following them, then asked them all to go into a police room at the station. My friend and two other girls merged with the people standing in the line for subway tokens, but the rest got detained. […]

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Posted by LJ user l-u-f-t (BEL):

People in the tent city […] need water and gas burners. If any of you can help, please do. It's better not to bring the stuff over, but to throw it out of the car windows. It's safer that way. THEY ARE HOLDING ON THERE FOR ALL OF US!

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