Global Voices Online

Tunisian blogger Sami Ben Gharbia on the Global Voices summit recently held in Delhi, India (Fr): “A will to build a francophone version of Global Voices and to spread the Global Voices China experiment was expressed. The first objective consists in translating in French what is written in English on GV … That initiative, approved by the two co-founders of GV, Ethan Zuckerman and Rebecca McKinnon was proposed by Alice Backer, Jennifer Brea and myself. We hope to have an independent space soon, something along the lines of francophonie.globalvoices.org …”

Mental Acrobatics honors the African grandmother, “The group of people that symbolise above any other group, this unselfishness, this sacrifice for community, the group that is the rock of African societies up and down the continent, that provides a family home, a sympathetic ear, a lesson in discipline”

Ukraine List writes about Ukraine’s pagan tradition.

Metroblogging Mumbai reflects on an incident where a girl was assaulted by a mob of 50 men during New Year celebrations in the city. “There is always an age-old argument between my out-of-town friends, namely Delhi that Mumbai is a much better city to live in than any other in the country.”

The 3rd World View on uncertainty in Bangladeshi politics. “And why should people trust their faith in the electoral process even overseen by a caretaker government when you can rent a rally and good candidates do not get the chance to run for the election.”

Lankawatch on LTTE tactics given the heavy defeats in hands of the Sri Lankan military. “In a sickening revelation witnesses have said that the LTTE repeatedly filled up buildings used as training camps with school children ahead of an imminent air attack.”

Democracy for Nepal has footage of violence and conflict. “The video shows the Pahadis went on a rampage in Nepalgunj. They attacked many Madhesi business establishments at the heart of that town.”

Sebastian Delmont, a Venezuelan living in New York, was pleasantly surprised by a New York Times article [ES] about the archipelago of Los Roques, which he describes as “one of the most beautiful places in Venezuela.”

Panamanian chef Melissa de León makes mouths water with a “a pictorial tour of some glorious sweetness from Buenos Aires, Argentina.”