Archive for
March 10th, 2007

   

Stories

China: People's Conferences

A small portrait of the translator John Kennedy · 15:50 · East Asia

If you've been following the glorious progress being made in this year's rounds of the parliamentary-ish National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, where members of China's government and military from across the country meet in the highest halls of power, make proposals and decide the future of the country, then you've probably seen this photo being blogged around.

‘One look and you know these people sleep a lot,' reads the caption given the photo by blogger Wang Xiaofeng. And his readers?

会不会是写提案累的？

Maybe they've proposed themselves to sleep?

好像每年他们都是这么睡着开会的
反正醒着也做不了什么事

I think they slept through all the meetings last year too
But even if they wake up there's not a lot they can do

如果他们平时都这样的话，和谐社会很快就实现了。

If they were always like this, society would harmonize a lot more quickly.

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Africa: Hope Raisers, “Da Bomb”, Swahili Hip Hop, & Zimfest

Ntwiga · 15:43 · Sub-Saharan Africa

In the 4 weeks since my last post on Global Voices, there has been lots of activity covered by bloggers in the African music scene. Here is a roundup of just a small part of that activity.

Music from Nairobi's slums at the 2007 World Social Forum

Pambuzuka, an African news magazine that works to promote social change in Africa has a post about a special broadcast of the conscious music group “Hope Raisers” from Nairobi's slums at the World Social Forum that was held in Nairobi in January 2007. The music on the podacast is from the Hope Raisers and Tanzanian poet, writer, and musician Freddy Macha.

Praye's “da bomb”

Oluniyi David Ajao carried a post at the end of January about Praye, a Ghanian high life group. When asked about the meaning of the groups' name, Eugene Baah, one of the group members said:

Well, we chose the name Praye because this in English means a broom and since a broom is a tool for sweeping, we are also here to sweep the social vices through our music

And that they have. Praye first took West Africa by storm during a 2004 talent search contest, Nescafe African Reveleation, sponsored by Nescafe and then went on to win a Kora award, the African equivalent of a Grammy. Praye has a new album out in 2007 named “The Bomb” that has taken Ghanian airwaves by storm and is getting significant airplay. Their videos can be found on Youtube and their music can be purchased from the Big Ben Music label.

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Nepal: Madhesi Strike & Interim Government

Ujjwal Acharya · 03:23 · South Asia
lingua → fr · zht · zhs

The issue of Madheshi – the people living in the southern plains of Nepal – hasn’t ended. The Madheshi Peoples’ Right Forum, which led the biggest protest in southern Terai demanding the equal opportunity and inclusiveness, have resumed the strikes once again.

Parmendra Bhagat of Democracy for Nepal believed the calling off the protest on February 7 was a mistake. On that day, the protest was temporarily called off after the government agreed for 49 per cent of the representation of Madheshi in the constituent assembly.

It was a mistake to call off the Terai Band on February 7 in the first place. It was the movement's mistake to not have had a clear agenda. The agenda right then should have been that the Home Minister must resign and a probe commission must be formed, or the strikes would continue. Momentum was lost.

Bhagat argues that the movement should continue until all the demands are fulfilled. He also criticizes media for not covering the issue and a minority group leader for talking against the strikes.

The Madheshi strike has not only lost the momentum that it had, but also drawn criticism of closing down the transportation and businesses. Dinesh Wagle of United We Blog! summaries the defying of the strikes in the region.

Strike orders issued by the Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) have been defied in various districts across the county. However, some districts in eastern Terai remain affected by the strike.

With the Maoists, the insurgents-turned-political party, readying itself to join the interim government in Nepal, its no wonder than the Nepali blogosphere is buzzing with the issue. The bloggers know the entry (more…)

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