Global Voices Online

Stories

Global Voices in Chinese!

Last September, Taiwanese blogger Portnoy started translating Global Voices posts into Chinese - not all of them, that would be impossible for one person, but picking and choosing things he thought the Chinese speaking world ought to know more about.

Portnoy's translation hobby has now turned into a full blown GVO Chinese Translation Project, which he recently announced on his blog here. Translated GVO posts are being published on two blogs: one in mainland China using simplified Chinese characters, and the other in Taiwan using traditional Chinese characters (which is blocked in China because the so-called Great Chinese Firewall blocks many Taiwan-based blogging platforms).

Here is how Portnoy describes the translation group's motivations:

簡單來說，GVO翻譯計劃有兩個目的：

第一：透過翻譯，將世界其它地方的在地觀點傳達至中文世界。

第二：提供主流媒體忽略的視角，讓中文網絡世界能與其它國家的blogger對話。

To put it simply the GVO Translation Project has two purposes:

First, to relate perspectives from other parts of the world to the Chinese speaking world through translation.

Second, to provide points of view that the mainstream media neglects, so that the Chinese online world can converse with bloggers in other countries.

If you are fluent in Chinese and want to help translate GVO, click here for Portnoy's full write-up in Chinese on how you can get involved. There is a GVO翻譯小組 Google Group, as well as a GVO 翻譯計畫 wiki hosted at Taipedia.

If you have questions about the project, please hit the comments section on this post and Portnoy will respond. We certainly hope that Chinese speakers from all over will be interested in helping out.

Congratulations to Portnoy and his group for getting this important project off the ground!!

Naturally, Global Voices welcomes grassroots translation efforts in all languages.

9 comments · read »

The Week That Was - Bolivian Blogs

Eduardo Avila · 22:26 · Americas

Bolivian bloggers are beginning to take full advantage of the different multimedia tools at their disposal. Jonathan Olguin recently opened a Youtube account and has begun to upload various news clips from Bolivian television. His blog Business and Politics in Bolivia also provided samples of some of the pro-autonomy commercials that have been running on television in anticipation for the July 2 Referendum on Autonomy. A new blog called Marketing S.O.S. [ES] created by Leonardo Byon covers different advertisements and marketing campaigns in Bolivia and around the world. In Bolivia, the word “marketing” is not translated into spanish, as it remains in the english form of the word in business and in academic circles.

La Vida del Chico Larva [ES] is a blog in which cartoonist, Joaquin Cuevas finds space to publish some of his art. His work can now be seen in the newspaper El Candil, after severing ties with the major La Paz newspaper, La Razon. He is also working on a series of flash animations. His latest cartoon depicts a Frankenstein promising a new country through a Constitution, which appears to be thrown together in a similar Frankenstein-esque fashion. The aforementioned Referendum coincides with an election of 255 representatives or Constitutents to rewrite the nation’s Constitution. With a little less than two weeks away, no one seems to care about the elections. Jim Schultz from the Democracy Center’s blog explains why it is a lifeless election, where one cannot even tell an important election is right around the corner.

What will be debated is how the country will be reformed and whether the new Constitution will resemble anything like the previous document. Joup, a blogger from Santa Cruz, highlights important parts of Article I of the current Constitution [ES], which states, “(Bolivia) is multi-ethnic and pluricultural, based on unity and solidarity of all Bolivians.” Her blog is called Este arcoiris se llama Joup (This Rainbow is named Joup) and it appears she finds these words in the current Constitution to be vital.

Some worry this constitutional exercise may bring about more confrontation between Bolivians. Even with the new Assembly on the horizon, the conflicts between Bolivians have not ceased. Palabras Libres’ Mario Ronald Duran Chuquimia questions, “Does housing cost a life? [ES]”, which refers to the recent conflict in the Department of Oruro where a group calling themselves “The Roofless Movement” began to occupy land and current dwellings. He thinks the dream of having one’s own dwelling is a legitimate goal, but demanding free land continues the vicious cycle leaving Bolivia as the continuous beggar. The conflict between members of the movement and the police sent to forcibly remove those who had illegally seized land and dwellings tragically left one policeman dead and several others injured. Angel Caido also writes about the tragic confrontation and states that the just and reasonable operation should have been acted upon when the crowd was only 200 and not when it ballooned to over 8,000 [ES]. He blames the Departmental Prefect, who didn't take swift action to prevent the tragic event.

0 comments · read »

Kurdistance: Wednesday?

Deborah Ann Dilley · 19:40 · Middle East & North Africa

Today is Wednesday, correct? I just came back from organizing a conference for work and well…my mental faculities are not up to their normal snuff. So today, we will quickly review the top five posts from the Kurdish blogosphere.

#1-Sami from An Iraqi's Thoughts is back writing again after a hiatus of several months. In this comeback post he states that he no longer lives in Iraq and hasn't felt like commenting on the events there because of his chosen exile status:

I have not stopped caring, but I have realised that false hope was what I used to have. The death of Zarqawi, and yes he was a criminal and a terrorist, is not going to solve the militant islamic fundamentalism that leaves tennis players being killed and women being forced into submission.

#2-Miriam from Pearls of Iraq writes that “I hope that I am not the only one that gets detoured on the internet.” She also lists a bunch of Kurdish videos clips of various “pick-me-up” subjects available on youtube. Lots of fun.

#3-Vladimir on From Holland to Kurdistan lists Kurdish video clips of a very different type: Kurdish protests in Syria and Turkey (Western and Northern Kurdistan).

#4- the-kurdistani is also writing again after a brief hiatus. This week an impassioned plea for the Kurds in Northern Kurdistan (Southeast Turkey) to stand up to their oppressors:

realize! no one will help you. you are alone in this sacred war of freedom, in this holy cause. no one will help you, unless they have interests in helping you. splash some water to your tired and wrinkled face, come to back life! die, if it is necessary for an ever-living cause! dont hesitate, think and re-think what your enemies have done to you!

#5- and a little bit of lightheartedness from Rasti in comment on a video clip of President Bush sparring with a Kurdish woman at a press conference:

I think Dubya's worst nightmare would be that of being tied to a chair and enclosed with a room full of Kurdish women who are determined to get their message across, and I have the suspicion that if his nightmare ever came to pass, we'd have a free and independent Greater Kurdistan in a New York minute.

Alright, so there is my top five (and yes…I know that three of them deal with video, but sometimes you need to relish in the lighter side). Have a great week!

0 comments · read »

China: Revolution's victims' stories blogged, not forgotten (1/4)

John Kennedy · 11:15 · East Asia

For a good number of years, Sichuan-based blogger-journalist Ran Yunfei (冉云飞) has been collecting the stories of those persecuted as right wing elements during the Cultural Revolution, another part of Chinese contemporary history largely left unexplored even to this day. Early this year Ran began posting his research findings on his blog. Early last month Ran participated in a discussion in a Chengdu teahouse titled ‘On Right Wing Research.' A transcript of the talk was later posted onto his blog in four pieces; here is the first installment:

杨远宏：

Yang Yuanhong: [emcee]

今天下午，我们请来了博闻强识、怪招迭出的著名作家、学者冉云飞先生来给在座的朋友们作演讲，他今天演讲的题目是“关于右派研究”。在冉云飞开始这个演讲之前，我荣幸地通报大家，今天来的朋友们当中，有一位最老的前辈右派先生，就是八十六岁的萧赛先生，也是作家萧赛先生、学者萧赛先生，请大家欢迎。（鼓掌）也来了一位最年轻的右派，前《星星诗刊》的副主编，全国著名诗人、鲁迅文学奖获得者张新泉先生，请大家欢迎。（鼓掌）这位年长的萧赛先生和现在已经不太年轻的新泉先生都是今天第一次来参加我们的草堂读书会，我本人和读书会的朋友们对这两位朋友的到来表示热烈的欢迎和由衷的感谢。（鼓掌）

This afternoon we've invited someone well-known for his rich and strong knowledge, noted writer and scholar Mr. Ran Yunfei, to give us a lecture. The subject on which he will be speaking today is ‘On Right Wing Research.' Before Ran begins, I'm honored to announce to everybody that among us here today is one of the oldest of the old rightists, eighty-six year old Mr. Xiao Sai. Also Mr. Xiao Sai the writer, Mr. Xiao Sai the scholar. Everybody please welcome him. (applause) Also here is one of the youngest rightists around: former deputy editor of Xingxing Poetry Weekly, nationwide -known poet and winner of the Lu Xun prize for literature, Mr. Zhang Xinquan. Everybody please welcome him. (applause) This older Mr. Xiao Sai and already no longer young Mr. Xinquan are both in attendance of our reading group for the first time. Let's give them an enthusiastic welcome and our heartfelt thanks. (applause)

(more…)

2 comments · read »

West African blogs round-up

Oluniyi David Ajao · 05:32 · Sub-Saharan Africa

Under the acacias, whilst giving a brief round-up of some news from Burkina Faso writes about Rains, locusts and hunger in a blog entry titled: “What's happening in Burkina?“

The rains have started in the south of the country, and good rains are predicted for the Sahel. Steve tells me there has even been at least one rain in the north, although this is too early to be the start of the season there. Last year's harvest was good, but as we enter the toughest time of year, long-term effects from the 2004-5 food crisis continue due to “depletion of household assets including high livestock mortalities and indebtedness, notably in the northern part of the country, where very high malnutrition rates continue to be reported.” The UK is giving £1.5 over the next three years to the West African Sahel region to try and help tackle the vulnerabilities of the area.

Locusts fortunately seem unlikely to be a problem this year.

The FIFA World Cup is on, and so is the excitement amongst soccer fans worldwide.
the (wish I was in) Ghana journal shares an opinion about Ghana's chances in the Germany 2006: God bless our homeland

Last October, when Ghana qualified for the World Cup, a gigantic street party broke out in the middle of Osu, my old neighbourhood. I was having dinner with the JHR crew and we stumbled on the street party and joined in to the dancing, and were promptly swarmed by all teenage boys within arms' reach. It was an incredibly good time, one of my favourite memories. I had rushed to file a story for the Toronto Star, the power went out, and then the dancing. So with the big event starting today, I read this story and was pretty shocked. Even when Ghana got smoked at the African Cup in January, footie was on everyone's mind. I've been hearing how Ghana doesn't have a chance, is in such a tough group, etc. But the Black Stars gave me two of my favourite memories from my time there (the other: watching them smoke Uganda in a qualifier in Kumasi) so I will be cheering until they're back on the plane.

Another Ghanain blog, The Trials & Tribulations of a Freshly-Arrived Denizen…of Ghana, joins in: Excitement Reigns Supreme in Ghana as Black Stars Play Italy this Evening

Over the past couple of weeks, many column inches have been dedicated to praising the Black Stars over their possible defeat of the Italian Azzuri in the FIFA 2006 World Cup. Considering Ghana is in the World Cup for the first time ever, pundits might speculate wrongly and dismiss the Ghanaian team as underdogs.

Oluniyi David Ajao adds his voice: Africa in the World Cup (Germany 2006)

Africa is parading five nations in this years edition of one of the world’s most popular sports event, the World Cup. Out of the five nations, four are featuring in theWorld Cup for the first time ever. These countries are Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Angola with the exception of Tunisia who have featured in the World Cup before.

Over the past few days, Cote d’Ivoire was beaten by Argentina in a match that ended 2 - 1 whilst Angola was beaten just yesterday by a lone goal in a match with Portugal.

Away from soccer, Scribbles from the den looks at Independent Candidates: The Much Needed Tonic for Cameroon’s Lethargic Democratic Process?

Since the 1990s when multiparty politics once again became the norm across Africa, the possible participation of independent candidates in elections has been the subject of heated debates on the continent. Increasingly, the idea is gaining ground as many African countries now allow independent candidates to take part in local and national elections. In fact, all over Africa many independent candidates now control local councils, occupy seats in parliament, and in the case of Benin’s Yayi Boni, occupy the Presidency of the Republic.

Home of the mandinmories shares some Images of Torture

Tortured Gambian jornalist

Reporters without borders release the above photos of the tortured body of a Gambian journalist at the hands of the security forces.

Read the rest of the accompanying press release at the blog.

1 comment · read »

Argentina: But Love, It's the World Cup

David Sasaki · 01:18 · Americas

lingua → zht · zhs

Javier is a 32-year-old living in Entre Ríos, Argentina. He studied journalism and social communication, but currently works in sales at a multinational company. According to his profile, he loves music, photography, communication, and being online. His weblog, Blogosphere usually has the most affable of tones, however, with the arrival of the world cup, we witness a profound transformation akin to a mother bird protecting her nest.

On Friday afternoon, just before the first game of this year's tournament, he wrote a post titled “The World Cup is Coming: An Open Letter to my Wife,” which I have translated here. I do feel compelled to warn readers, however, that what follows is written in jest.

We are just a few hours from the commencement of the World Cup, for which reason: IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CLEARLY LAY OUT THE RULES BEFOREHAND …

My love:

1.) From the 9th of June to the 9th of July, read the sports section of the paper in order to have topics of conversation. If not, don't be surprised that I don't give you the time of day.

2.) During the Tournament, the TV is mine, at all hours, without exception. The remote … don't even look at it, much less think about touching it.

3.) If you have to pass in front of the television during a game, it doesn't bother me, so long as you do it crawling and without distracting me.

(more…)

0 comments · read »