Archive for
September 15th, 2006

   

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Brazilians Debate Media Regulation and Digital Convergence

Jose Murilo · 22:23 · Brazil

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

In a clear anticipation of the congressmen's intentions, the Social Communications Council is holding its first public audience to debate a new regulatory framework for the communications sector. Corporations, government and society hold different visions on how to update the law, and the only common ground is the desire to do it. During the public audience on September 4th in Brasilia, there were debates around the sector's regulatory principles. The main goal is the creation of a new legal framework of communication in Brazil.
CCS opens the debate about new regulatory framework in the Legislative - Interesse Público - OI

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Chile: Celebrating the First National Government Junta

A small portrait of the translator Rosario Lizana · 16:02 · Americas

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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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The world is talking - we're listening

A small portrait of the translator Rachel Rawlins · 15:12 · About GVO , Announcements

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Russia: “Kadyrov is a Human, Too”

Veronica Khokhlova · 09:34 · Eastern & Central Europe

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.

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Venezuela: Iria Puyosa

A small portrait of the translator David Sasaki · 09:08 · Americas

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.

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DRC: Looking for Democracy After Post-Election Clashes

A small portrait of the translator Jennifer Brea · 06:00 · Sub-Saharan Africa

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.”

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