Archive for
September 15th, 2006
Stories
Brazilians Debate Media Regulation and Digital Convergence
On the trail of so much disruptive news arising in the Brazilian digital ecosystem — Youtube, empowered bloggers, Orkut's hegemony and digital TV transition to name few — a favorable renewed media regulatory framework has suddenly turned into the golden dream of the professionals and corporations involved. The big issue is how to favor all sides in an environment where almost all stakeholder factions are at war with each other over issues such as technology mandates, regulation/deregulation, ownership concentration, content copyright protection, fair use, and so on. In the middle of all that, blogs are playing a fundamental role in enlarging and clarifying a debate which otherwise would have beeen inevitably clouded.
Antecipando-se ao interesse dos parlamentares, o Conselho de Comunicação Social realiza sua primeira audiência pública para discutir um novo marco regulatório para a área das comunicações. Empresas, governo e sociedade possuem visões distintas sobre como atualizar a legislação. Só concordam sobre a necessidade de atualização. Durante a audiência pública do Conselho de Comunicação Social, realizado no dia 4/9, em Brasília, foram realizadas discussões em torno do marco regulatório do setor. O objetivo da discussão é a criação de um novo quadro legal para as comunicações no país.
CCS abre discussão do Legislativo sobre marco regulatório - Interesse Público - OI
CCS opens the debate about new regulatory framework in the Legislative - Interesse Público - OI
Chile: Celebrating the First National Government Junta
Photo by Ditto_ Chileno photos
On September 18, we will celebrate the First National junta that took place in 1810. As the Geographic Military Institute (ES) explains:
Independence day is not the real reason why we celebrate on September 18, but rather it corresponds to the fist decisive step that broke the yoke between Chile and the Spanish Crown. The real Chilean independence took place on February 12 of 1818”.
Why do we have to make this explanation? Marcyflor (ES) posts an investigation that was published in a local newspaper. The survey was done in 4 cities, by telephoning 714 households, and revealed that 69% of those questioned don’t know what they are celebrating. The conclusions were:
“One of every 5 persons declared not knowing the answer, only 15% had the right answer as to why we commemorate the first national government junta. 16% gave general answers that could be considered correct, such as The Day of the Nation or The Chilean Anniversary, while 47% declared that we celebrate Chilean Independence. The answers are striking when referring to the commemoration of the Chilean Foundation, the birth of [independence leader] Bernardo O'Higgins or the Iquique naval Combat.”
People celebrate anyway. Traditionally people used to attend fondas, or refreshment stands, that are decorated with the colours of the Chilean Flag; red, blue, and white. Traditional food items include “empanadas” (savory pastries) and barbecue. The traditional drink is chicha, made from grapes and it is very sweet. The traditional dance is Cueca, and like many traditional dances, is a courting ritual between couples. Manosylanas(ES) posts some photos of this dance, we regard the man “huaso” and the woman as ”china”. So, you can see both huaso and china dancing Cueca with the traditional costume.
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Russia: “Kadyrov is a Human, Too”
On October 5, Chechen prime minister Ramzan Kadyrov turns 30, the age at which it would be legal for him to become the republic's president. Although he denies striving for this highest post, some people believe he would get there soon.
Timur Aliev (LJ user timur_aliev), editor-in-chief of the print/online weekly Chechen Society, ruminates (RUS) on how it must feel to be as powerful as Kadyrov, in a country full of people in need. In the same entry, timur_aliev also shares his observations on the state of journalism in Chechnya.
Golden Pen in Chechnya
I've spent half a day today at the Ramzan Hall in Gudermes, at the award ceremony for the journalists who sent their stories to the Golden Pen contest. The event was organized by the [Akhmad Kadyrov] Fund.
From what I saw, there are two themes to consider.
1. The [Best Journalist title] - the Grand Prix of the contest, so to say - was awarded to the guy who works in the [security forces], goes to various detentions and other operations, and periodically films this on camera.
So here's a question: when a policeman who films his own work is called the best journalist - is this the republic's peculiarity or does it reflect contemporary trends (journalist bloggers, etc.)?
2. When the ceremony was over, I was stopped by a woman outside: she asked me to help her talk to Ramzan Kadyrov. She spoke to me with much respect, addressed me as they usually address the elders, though she looked older than I am.
She was telling me about her disabled husband, her ailing child and no money for the most basic things.
Venezuela: Iria Puyosa
Before Blog Day 2006 Rebecca MacKinnon elicited responses to a series of questions regarding how and why bloggers around the world devote so much time to an activity that pays little to nothing at all. Here is how Global Voices Venezuelan contributor Iria Puyosa responded (ES).
* I started my first blog because I needed a social space to share my ideas about fiction and about other topics that interested me, but which I didn't have time to formally develop.
* I still maintain my blog about fiction, Rulemanes para Telémaco (ES), where I mostly write about literature and film, but where I also get sidetracked by other topics from football to freedom of information and my travels.
Ten months ago now I opened another blog, Reste@dos (ES), in which I comment about citizen participation and Venezuelan politics.
And less than a month ago I started No suma cero (ES), which will hopefully be an incubator of collaborative projects related to knowledge management, environmental scanning for business intelligence, and social networks.
DRC: Looking for Democracy After Post-Election Clashes
The blogosphere takes a look at violent clashes between two presidential candidates that last month gripped Kinshasa for 3 days. Some analyze the causes of the violence, others assign blame. Bloggers also discuss the upcoming presidential runoff andthe results of the legislative elections, while some try to devine the country's political future.
Post-Election Violence: Who's to Blame? What Does it Mean?
On August 20th, Congolese election officials declared that no candidate in the July 30th election had received the required majority, and that a runoff would be held between presidential candidates Joseph Kabila, the interim president, and Jean-Pierre Bemba, the interim vice-president. The announcement sparked a violent confrontation between Kabila's presidential guard and Bemba's private security forces.
At The Salon, Ali M. has four entries on the post-election violence. In one, Ali M. tries to account for the motivations behind the violence, which “seems to be no advantage whatsoever, strategic or otherwise.” He offers a number of internet links to others' analyses of the violence, but finally concluding that it was, at its root, a matter of greed:
“there is a generalized lack of leadership at the helm of the country, and that petty personal interests continue to direct the actions of the various political movements that control the country. The armed “elites” are not ready to relinquish the quasi-totalitarian control they have over the life and death of the general population, their influence in the country, and more importantly, the hold on whatever portion of the country's wealth that they have garnered over the last 10 years or more. No one likes to give up their golden goose. Ultimately, this - IMHO - is a tale of unrestrained greed. But I am open to other views.”
Links for Fri, 2006-09
Afromusing blogs at Afrigadget about Ruud Elmendoorp video, wwhich shows how wheelchairs are converted into mobile phone booths in Kenya and Uganda.
After being sidetracked for a few weeks, White African gets to sit down and write about innovative web technology coming out of Africa, “Newzbubble is a fun news application that allows you to see which subjects have the most news about them.”
This Is Zimbabwe updates us on the mass protest organized by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
Kashmir on the changing face of Srinagar. “Srinagar no longer deserves the title of “city.” It might have been one in the past, but now it qualifies at best to be called a slum and at worst a gutter. Do not fret. It only takes a couple of hours of rain to turn even the main city roads into dirty drains – or a gutter”
Sepia Mutiny on the ‘model minority' argument when it comes to the US. “Another season, another self-congratulatory article about desis as a model minority. At least this piece - by “BusinessWeek.com columnist and accomplished businessman” Vivek Wadhwa - drops the M-bomb from the outset. It's titled “Are Indians the Model Immigrants?”"
Shirazi on the Salt Range - that appears to have witnessed much history. “The Salt Range derives its name from extensive deposits of rock salt. It stands as remnant of forts with bastions and temples. “
United We Blog! on international affairs and the “American ambassador is visiting Nepali Army’s sensitive barracks one after another as if he is the defense minister.”
chapati mystery has an interesting post about Osama Bin Laden art. How is the man represented, caricatured and portrayed? “This paucity of visual images of UbL has forced all cartoonists, photoshoppers and artists to rely on the same images over and over again, enhancing magnificently the iconic stature of their elusive subject.”
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