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November 18th, 2006

Stories

Lusosphere's PanAmerican Elections Wrap-up

Jose Murilo · 12:06 · Americas

Elections across the American continents are still reverberating in the Lusosphere as citizen journalists and analysts are attempting to find the meaning of and predict the future politics set in place by recent events. As commentaries of all political flavors fly into cyberspace, there is both a general agreement that the left is once again on the rise in Latin America and a skepticism that points to the shallowness of symbols and the rise also of some undeniably conservative forces.

A vitória de Lula no Brasil coincidiu com dois acontecimentos aparentemente sem ligação, ambos em nosso continente americano: a derrota do Presidente Bush e do partido republicano nas eleições legislativas americanas e a vitória de Daniel Ortega, da Frente Sandinista, na Nicarágua. Em dezembro, teremos eleições na Venezuela e, ainda este mês, o segundo turno no Equador. Assim vai se encerrando o ano de 2006, depois das eleições na Bolívia, Chile, Peru, Colômbia, Costa Rica e Brasil. Com os novos governantes e as duas eleições a serem definidas, está-se desenhando o novo mapa geopolítico do nosso hemisfério.
A nova realidade das Américas - O Picuruta

Lula's victory in Brazil happened simultaneously with two other events which are seemingly disconnected, both in our American Continent: Bush's and Republican party's defeat on the American legislative elections, and Daniel Ortega's Sandinista Front victory, in Nicaragua. In December we will have elections in Venezuela and, during this month, the second round in Ecuador. This is how 2006 is ending — elections in Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica and Brazil. With the new governments and the two elections left, we will have a new geopolitical map in our hemisphere.
America's new reality - O Picuruta

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Tanzanian bloggers' virtual conference

J. Nambiza Tungaraza · 10:09 · Sub-Saharan Africa

Tanzanian bloggers worldwide are meeting formally for the first time today October 18th, 2006. After calls by several African bloggers for African bloggers to organise their ‘own' media and blogging conference following the Digital Citizens Indaba controversy and especially after several prompts from a Tanzanian Rastafarian blogger Ras Laihamu, Jeff Msangi took the initiative of calling for the first Tanzanian bloggers conference.

Ingawa idadi ya blogu za kitanzania … zimekuwa zikiongezeka kila mara … hatujapata nafasi ya “kukutana”. Nia imekuwepo, sababu zimekuwepo, mipango ya muda na jinsi ya kukutana ndio imekuwa migumu. Habari njema ni kwamba sasa tunaweza kukutana kwa kutumia tekinolojia hizi hizi za mitandao….

Although the number of Tanzanian blogs has been increasing all the time, we (bloggers) have not had the chance to meet. We want to meet and we have all the reasons to meet, but when and how to meet has proved to be difficult. The good news is now we can meet using online digital technologies….

Writing about the need for African bloggers to meet, Jikomboe quotes Ras Luihamu:

Kwanini inakuwa vigumu sisi wanablogu kutoka Africa kuwa na mkutano wetu hapa hapa Afrika?… Mzee Ndesanjo nasi tungependa tuwe na mkutano wa wana blogu kutoka Afrika hapa hapa Afrika kwa sababu tunaweza kujifunza mambo mengi sana, nadhani hatuhitaji wadhamini kwani lengo letu ni kukutana kisha kuzungumzia kazi zetu.

Why is it difficult for us African bloggers to have our own meeting here in Africa? Ndesanjo, we would like to have a meeting… I don't think we need sponsors to meet and talk about our work.

Indeed thanks to the web based interactive service, IRC@Work, that Tanzanian bloggers are able to meet at last.

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Links for Sat, 2006-11

South Asia

An Iranian-American student at UCLA was repeatedly shot with a taser for passively resisting arrest. Sepia Mutiny has more - with a video shot by an eye-witness, who uploaded it to YouTube. (note - not graphic, but the audio has the student screaming with pain.)

South Asia

Some days back, a car was driven over sleeping people on a pavement in Mumbai. The reactions range from furious to shock. However, Dilip reminds us that the value of life is may be a lot less if the person in question is a migrant. “Those who were killed were the ones who actually broke the law. So says letter writer Anjum Samel. He believes the city “has become one big orphanage and the migrants keep pouring in.”"

South Asia

Al Jazeera launched a new English news channel recently. A young Pakistani Doctor Blogs takes a closer look at the channel and appears to be impressed despite initial misgivings. “There were two in-depth stories of life in Darfur - one of a UNICEF aid worker in the region, and another of a bright 13 year old girl whose had not seen her parents for months, but still studied in the rudimentary school at the refugee camp and wanted to grow up and be a doctor.”

South Asia

The death of Milton Friedman has some reactions. Deane's Dimension from Sri Lanka on the loss of a man who's never been met. Patrix and India Uncut have some more reactions. “Well, maybe it's because many of the things he stood for are values I hold very close to my heart. He also articulated them with such lucid brilliance that any doubts one had were removed, any questions one had were answered.”

South Asia

morris the pen on education and children in Bangladesh, questioning methods that don't really appear to add value to the process. “Perhaps the biggest problem in our education practice here, however, relates to the whole notion of memorisation: a method of learning which encourages conformity, passivity and acceptance of what we are told, rather than individual expression, challenge of received ideas and analysis of the ‘truths’ we are handed down.”

Sub-Saharan Africa

At Madagascar Croissance, Aiky is happy (Fr) that Madagascar improved its image and that of its environment in the past couple of years leading to the country receiving the Global Award this year. However, the blogger wonders whether the award is indeed deserved given the endurance of certain problematic environmental practices. (The Global Award is issued by the British Guild of Travel Writers.)

Sub-Saharan Africa

At Madagascar Croissance, Aiky reflects (Fr) on social dynamics among Malagasies living abroad. Says the blogger: “What is good about Malagasies is their friendliness and hospitality especially those living in Madagascar and those who have left recently. By contrast, these values evaporate once we live abroad, especially when we move to big cities. It is not recommended to spend too much time with compatriots when living abroad except if they are relatives … I'd like to talk about the way the Merina noble caste behaves in France, but that would be politically incorrect.”