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Colombia: Bloggers Campaign for the Release of a 3-Year Old Hostage

In other instances, bloggers have gotten together to ask for the release of journalists, bloggers or political figures. This time, Colombian bloggers are bringing their voices to request the liberation of someone who doesn´t even know what freedom feels like. This time it is for Emanuel, a 3 year old born to Clara Rojas and a guerrilla fighter. Rojas was kidnapped along with presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt as they were traveling for campaign purposes. on February 23, 2002 by members of the FARC

In Libertad para Emanuel [ES], a blog created for the sole purpose to provide visibility to this child, today's post does a great job summarizing blogger comments and support for this campaign:

Thanks for supporting our campaign on behalf of Emanuel (Read the original post here).

Thanks to all our blogger colleagues who yesterday (some are still doing it today) showed their support to this campaign to provide visibility to Emanuel. The blogs who supported this initiative are registered on the right-hand column and there, they will stay, in the hope that they will accompany us in the future on similar campaigns.

It is worth highlighting the diversity of opinions expressed regarding Emanuel's kidnapping. Some citizen bloggers emphasized the necessity to demand the freedom of ALL kidnapped victims.

We completely support this. We are not looking to bring Emanuel out into the public spotlight in order to hide all the other hostages. We are simply looking to bring Emanuel's case out into the open, for the unique circumstances of his kidnapping, and to complement or add emphasis to the general idea of demanding the release of all the hostages. While it is true that all the hostages should be freed immediately, the most urgent and vital need is in the case of Emanuel, for obvious reasons.

This wasn't a campaign launched by an NGO or a social movement, it simply launched by a group of citizens -who support this and who believed it was possible to saturate some pixels for a just cause. If it is true what some cyberspace fanatics say, that if it doesn't exist on the Internet, then it simply doesn't exist (questionable perspective, though with some validity), then yesterday we gave a strong push towards making Emanuel visible on the web.

What follows now? Over the next few days we will launch a mini-campaign to try and take this same message to two international organizations that could possibly play a part specifically in regards to Emanuel´s kidnapping. These are the International Red Cross and UNICEF.

It is necessary to open a slight chink in the armor of the notion that this kidnapping is only the concern of the Colombian government, the guerrillas and influential family members of some hostages. It is their business. But it is also the civil society, the common citizens and the international community (the French have campaigned to demand the liberation of Ingrid, because she is a French citizen, while we - the common citizens- still wait for the miracle to fall in our laps.) We need for these organizations to tell us whether they have the will to play a unilateral role to demand the liberation of Emanuel and his mother.

Once again, thanks to all the bloggers who supported this campaign. Here are some quotes taken from our blogging friends:

Pirata Subterráneo [ES]

Soy el Pirata Subterráneo, un colombiano mas, paisano tuyo, un bogotano del Barrio Ricaurte. Nací en una gran ciudad, Bogotá, y crecí entre la ciudad y el campo. Mis padres, como muchos colombianos en los últimos cincuenta años, llegaron de la provincia, eran campesinos que se fueron a la ciudad huyendo de la violencia, buscando un futuro que el campo no les ofrecía.

Si algún día llegas a leer este mensaje, si sobrevives y no te matan los hombres que te rodean, guerrilleros de las FARC, o los que supuestamente quieren rescatarte, soldados del Ejército de Colombia, te sorprenderás al enterarte de que muchas de las cosas que te voy a contar, que sucedieron muchos años antes de que nacieras y que son las causantes de que hayas nacido y estés en la selva, secuestrado, separado de tu madre, muchas de estas cosas, aún no han cambiado, por el contrario, han empeorado, se han degradado (…).

I am the Subterranean Pirate, just another Colombian, a fellow countryman, someone from Barrio Ricaurte in Bogotá. I was born in a great city, Bogotá, and I grew up between the city and the country. My parents, like many other Colombians during these past fifty years came from the province, they were farmers who fled to the city running away from violence, seeking a future the countryside couldn't offer.

Someday if read this message, and if you survive, and if the men who surround you don't kill you, the FARC guerrilla fighters, or those who allegedly want to rescue you, the Colombian army soldiers, you will be surprised to find out about the tall tales that I´m going to tell you about, which happened many years before you were born and for the reasons that you were born and are in the jungle, kidnapped, separated from your mother, many of these things, they haven´t yet changed, on the contrary, they have gotten worse, they have degenerated (…).

OIMC [ES]

Todos los colombianos, y Emanuel entre ellos, tienen derecho a vivir una vida libre y digna, y el Estado tiene la obligación de garantizar la seguridad de todos sus ciudadanos, bajo el principio fundamental de que todos somos iguales ante la ley, y tenemos los mismos derechos y deberes (…).

All the Colombians, and Emanuel among them, have the right to live a free and decent life, and the state has the obligation to guarantee security to all its citizens, under the basic principle that we are all equal under the law and we have all the same rights and duties (…)

Más allá del Ecologismo [ES]

Más allá del ecologismo se une al llamado de varios blogs colombianos y del escritor Héctor Abad Faciolince, quien citó lo siguiente: “Señores de las Farc: ¡Suelten ya mismo a Clara y a Emmanuel o considérense asesinos!…”

Beyond Ecology joins this call of various Colombian blogs and writer Héctor Abad Faciolince, who quoted the following: “Men of las Farc: Free Clara and Emmanuel immediately, or consider yourselves murderers!”

Medea Material [ES]

Entonces, me hago presente. No sólo por la libertad de Emanuel, sino de todos los otros secuestrados, las mujeres, los niños, los jóvenes policías, los adultos mayores, los enfermos y los sanos, porque no hay derecho que nadie esté retenido en contra de su voluntad y sin que medie un juicio justo. (…) Y carajo, mientras los sueltan, que por lo menos les den toallas higiénicas a las mujeres. Por pura dignidad.

So, I come forward. Not just for Emanuel´s freedom, but for all the other hostages as well, the women, the children, the young police officers, the elderly, the sick, the healthy, because it just isn't right for anyone to be held against their will and without a just trial. (…) And damn, while they are freed, they could at least give some sanitary napkins to the women. For dignity´s sake.

Der Latin Lover [ES]

(…) Y lo mas triste: saber que ese bebe ya camina y habla…y cumplió tres anitos…en “cautiverio”. No te parece una monstruosidad? A mi si. Por eso quise escribir este par de líneas sobre el tema. (…) Saludos y un abrazo a la familia de Emanuel. Que mi Dios los proteja y acompañe en este momento tan puto.

(…) and the saddest thing: to know that this baby already walks and talks… he's three years old, and raised in captivity. Don´t you think this is a monstrosity? I do. That's why I wanted to write this couple of sentences on the topic. (…) greetings and a hug to Emanuel´s family. May God protect them and be with them in this f¿cking moment.

Crítico Latino [ES]

(…) hoy es un día para reflexionar y pedir, sin importar razas ni religiones, creencias políticas o sociales, el derecho a la libertad y a la vida es un derecho que no debe ser quebrantado, por eso, hoy rezamos por la paz y la liberación de este pequeño y de todos los secuestrados, en Colombia y el mundo entero.

(..) Today is a day for reflection and requests, without taking into consideration races or religions, political or social beliefs, the right to liberty and life is a right which shouldn´t be violated, that's why, today we pray for the peace and liberation of this young one and all the hostages, in Colombia and the rest of the world.

Con senos y con sesos [ES]

Pues no sé si mi post clasifique dentro de la jornada, porque yo no sólo quiero que se de la liberación de Clara Rojas y de su hijo Emanuel -el cual (contrario a lo que han manifestado algunos columnistas) sí tiene un padre y es guerrillero; sí señor, “no nos hagamos tarugos”-, bueno ése es otro asunto… (…) Lo que quiero decir es que me parece muy bien que se den este tipo de iniciativas en la blogosfera, pero no creo que se deba ser tan excluyente e ignorar la situación de los otros 23.144 secuestrados (…)

Well, I don´t know if my post classifies within this campaign, because I don't just want the release of Clara Rojas and her son Emanuel - who (contrary to what some columnists have manifested) does have a father and he´s from the guerrilla; yes sir, “let´s not play stupid”-, well, this is something else entirely… (…) What I mean to say is that I believe it is a good thing for this type of efforts to begin in the blogosphere, but I don´t believe it should be this exclusive and ignore the situation of all the other 23,144 hostages (…)

Comunicación? [ES]

En ninguna circunstancia es admisible el secuestro, pero adicionalmente ¿Es justo que un niño nazca y crezca privado de la libertad? Por supuesto que no.(…)

In no circumstance is kidnapping admissible, but to add to that, is it fair for a child to be born and raised with no freedom? Of course not. (…)

Calicanto [ES]:

Emanuel no es víctima del Estado sino de las Farc, y a éstas corresponde las consecuencias de un intento de rescate de Clara Rojas, su madre. Emanuel es un nombre que hoy se repite en muchos blogs, se espera que no solamente nacionales sino también extranjeros, para hacer visible su caso.

Emanuel is not a victim of the State but of the Farc, and these are the ones who should have to deal with the consequences for an attempted rescue for his mother, Clara Rojas. Emanuel is a name that today is being repeated in many blogs, we hope that not only in national blogs, but also international blogs to make his case visible

Ciudad de pensamiento plano [ES]

Este Blog se une a la campaña Libertad Para Emanuel. Hagamos visible a Emanuel. Exijamos su liberación inmediata!

This blog joins the campaign Freedom for Emanuel. Let´s make Emanuel visible. Let´s demand his immediate liberation!”

Astrolabe- JSA [ES]

Uno quisiera en estos casos, no que muchos blogs se sumen para hacer visible la situación de Emanuel y la barbarie de las Farc, sino que no fuera necesario hacerlo. Pero también es notable el hecho de que los blogs no solamente sirvan para soportar las tonteras que se nos ocurren, sino que se ejerciten en la loable tarea de crear redes con fines sustantivos.

One would like in these cases, not that many blogs join to make visible Emanuel´s situation and the Farc savagery, but that it wasn´t necessary to do so. But it is also remarkable that blogs not only are good to support the foolish things that come to our minds, but that they are good in exercising the praiseworthy task of creating networks with substantial ends.

Once again, thanks.

Translated by Juliana Rincón

7 comments · read »

Kazakhstan against -bashization

Leila Tanayeva · 19:00 · Central Asia & Caucasus

Yesterday Sergey Duvanov, a journalist and a human rights activist was arrested for organising the protests on the square in Almaty against the constitutional amendments that exempt Nazarbayev from a limit on the number of the presidential terms.

Casio Cisar writes:

Duvanov was holding an unsanctioned protest against what he calls the ‘Turkmenbashizma’ of Kazakhstan. Earlier in the day Duvanov posted a statement on kub.kz, in which he argued that the recent constitutional reforms are nothing but political deceit. Duvanov argues that the recent so-called democratic political reforms are, if anything, to the contrary and represent “no more than the next step in strengthening the personal authority of Nazarbaev”.

Not many people showed up at the protests:

Around 40-50 people turned up for the protest. They were, however, met by at least half as many police and assorted plain clothes KNB officers. After twenty minutes, and much discussion with police officers, Duvanov was forcibly pushed into a waiting bus where he was taken off to prison.

Casio Cisar senses the atmosphere in Almaty:

Currently in Almaty, there is a palatable sense in the air that within the ruling elite ‘something is happening’, but what it means and where it will lead is unknown.

Arthur comments:

It certainly appears from all the action online that something big is going down in Almaty. Interestingly, though, as I live very, very far from Almaty, I have heard practically no discussion about any of these topics.

Last night I asked a usually very-informed young man for his opinion… and he didn’t even know anything was happening. Perhaps because he is an ethnic Russian, and this whole drama seems to be taking place within the Kazakh community, who, after all, form nearly the entire ruling class.

Anyway, I am surprised that even 40 people would show up at a rally.

Kazis Toguzbayev posted a photo report of the protests. On some of the photos he sees the plain clothed policemen or special services agents and he shows the arrest of Sergey Duvanov as he was dragged into police car.
Serikoff commented:

I looked at it and I cried, I read and I laughed, and then cried and laughed again! The sad and the funny all mixed together, just as democracy and the Turkmenbashism did… Thank you, Kazeke!

Neizvestnyi:

It's good that it is neither 37 nor 68, and nor 86 now! It is all civilized, gentlemen and comrades, this is how the CIVIL SOCIETY starts - from the individuals on the square, not on the recommendation of some state commissions and legislative committees. The initiatives comes from the bottom, from the people themselves.

Tastak:

Yesterday the news from the republic Square did not appear on channel 31. (…) There was a dialog between a female journalist who was preparing the report about the protests. Her manager said: We will not air this material (this conversation was eavesdropped accidentally, cited by memory). Journalist: Why? Manager: Just that. Journalist: Let's do it. There are some super shots. The news is interesting. Manager: It won't work. The ban from above. They stressed the scandal with Aliev and asked not to interfere with the serious politics. These amendments are like a sacred cow. So it's better to avoid showing any criticism. Journalist: It's a pity. We came here in vain.

Bureau:

Excellent report. It is clear without any text that the OSCE should not let us closer than within a gunshot. I wonder if there is a casting for the camera people from the secret services or something? it is difficult to imagine that so many identical faces without a trace of intellect would gather together in one place accidentally.

sara:

Does anyone know if Duvanov is out yet? What is the charge? His mobile does not answer… (…) I am curious, will it repeat if someone comes out to “walk around” the square every day? Every day the same thing? I know one thing: those who ordered to arrest Sergey are not too bright. So what, a person came out to speak to the journalists. If they didn't do what they did, everyone would go home quietly, and it wouldn't have been possible to have this brilliant photo report!

STauzhanov:

… I am “for” “Kyrgyzstan” in Kazakhstan.

Alexandr-Kargapolcev:

You are “for” “Kyrgyzstan” in Kazakhstan, I didn't see you holding such a poster yesterday!

MERZKYI:

Why make Duvanov, a person without any intellect, an erudition or a literary talent, into a hero? Everyone knows that he just works for the grants and nothing more. By the way, his friends from the “Spartakus” [gay club in Almaty] were waiting for him yesterday.

Wrath:

Duvanov is at least doing something while we sit comfortably in our chairs and chew in front of the computer screens. “Everyone knows that he just works for the grants and nothing more.” - this reminds me of a bearded guy from “Odnako” program. He also liked saying: “everyone knows”… “it is clear to everyone”… “we all know”, etc. He liked speaking on behalf of the whole nation, you know…

See the photo report by Kazis Toguzbaev - here.
And another one by Valeri Surganov - here.

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Afghan Whispers:Refugees,War Lords and Orphanages

Hamid Tehrani · 18:54 · Central Asia & Caucasus

lingua → zht · zhs

Several Afghan bloggers have discussed Iranian government’s decision to expel Afghan refugees to Afghanistan. Some of these refugees have lived in Iran for years. Marine Gustavson, from Parsa NGO shows in our photo.You can see more photos here.

Afghanistan's government called the consequences of sending back thousands of people to tje country disastrous. Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Spanta has asked Iran to cease the expulsions since they are exacerbating instability in Afghanistan.

Afghan refugees in trouble

Habib Peyman criticised[Fa] Ali Khamenei,Leader of Islamic Republic of Iran.The blogger says he remembers that Iran's leader criticised American behaviour regarding prisoners in Guantanamo.Then the blogger considers the Iranian government's decision to expell Afghan refugees worse than American actions at Gutanamo. He says some Afghans were picked up while they wanted to buy bread and were sent back to country.

Dialogue 3 says[Fa] the main reason for Iranian decision is that Afghan government has not permitted Iranian universities and companies to be active in Afghanistan.The blogger adds Iran wanted to sign a security agreement with Iran but Afghan government refused that. Dialogue 3 thinks Afghan government took this decision under influence of Americans.

No Amnesty for war lords

Afghan Lord is against amnesty for war lords. He says

if the US and International community want to bring peace and prosperity in Afghanistan they should implement a cleared strategy against gangs of warlords and drug traffickers. The warlords should be taken to the war criminal court in The Hague and punished.
In order to bring peace and normality to Afghanistan, the criminals should be sent to court.If the US and its alliance want to have support, they should sympathize with Afghanistan’s victims of war. If the Mujahideen (holy warriors) will not be punished, this country won’t gain peace and prosperity.

The Orphanage

In Parsa Kabul blog we read about a letter to the Deputy Minister about an orphanage:

we submit the following reports documenting the conditions at the orphanage in an effort to initiate an investigation of the conditions of the orphanages in Afghanistan and the management systems in place. We do this not to create problems but to assist in the clarification of the problems so that you and your staff can take effective action. We do not consider this a poor reflection on this ministry. All countries struggle to care for their most vulnerable people appropriately. These conditions are understandable in the current struggle to develop Afghanistan. What is not tolerable is to know about these conditions and to not investigate and address the issues so that the children under your care have the quality of life they are entitled to. We have confidence that you and this network will do so expeditiously.

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Brazil: New Round on the National Internet Policy Debate

Jose Murilo · 18:48 · Americas

lingua → zhs · zht

There are not many issues in Brazil where you are able to find unanimity. But when you talk about messing with Internet freedoms, the defenders spring up from radically different locations in the political spectrum. That's what we are seeing again this week as Sen. Eduardo Azeredo, the protagonist of a recent ‘evil' plot aimed to control Brazilian Internet users, made a strident reappearance with much of the same. The consideration by the Senate Commission on Constitution and Justice of a legal project under his authorship and intended to become Cybercrime Bill was postponed. The noise generated by the blogosphere has much to do with this outcome.

(more…)

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Sri Lanka: S. Bose(1975 - 2007), Poet, Editor & Writer

Mathy Kandasamy · 13:42 · South Asia

The following poem was written by S. Bose, a writer-poet (Tamil) from Vavuniya, Sri Lanka and was translated by a friend of mine for Global Voices Online readers. Chandrabose Sudhakar or S.Bose was shot dead by armed men in his own home on April 16th, 2007. The killers who spoke Sinhala warned S.Bose's seven year old son to go back to sleep quietly and left the scene. Fortunately S.Bose's wife and daughter had been travelling and were not present.

Self

Let me talk
your loud voices have
cut my wound deeper.
my voice is lost and dissolved in
the light of your foot prints.
Stop,
i want to be my self
always.
the stars in the sky
shatters and breaks,
you are screaming
seeds are spurting out of land,
again and again you are being possessed.
i lowered my head in shame for you.
at least in some moments
give permission to some one,
to ask some questions that
raise from within the depth
of their heart and talk them out

2.
in my broken voice
i also want to sing,
love-filled songs of sorrow

S. Bose (1975 - 2007)

S.Bose was known as a poet, journalist and littérateur. He has been published in Eelanatham, Veliccham, Eelanadu, Nilam, Kalachuvadu, Veerakesari, Sari-nihar, Mundravathu manithan, Thamizh ulagam, Innoru kaladi. He has also worked for Veliccham, Eelanatham, Eelanadu, Veerakesari. He edited and published ‘Nilam' an exclusive magazine for poetry. He also published from Sri Lanka, ‘Thamizh ulagam' a magazine published in London, U.K.

S.Bose was captured, prisoned and tortured by the Sri Lankan Government in 2001. His mistake? He wrote about the Tamils' exodus from Jaffna in a magazine published in Tamil Nadu, India. Due to the said magazine's mishandling, S.Bose's personal information were published and this was used by the Sri Lankan Government.

While friends and acquaintances mourn his death, they are quite scared to make any overtures to help his bereaved family. The loss is all the more painful because S. Bose's widow lost her first husband in a similar manner.

DJ Tamilan, Toronto, Canada writes, “In a land where the losses are being calculated by the numbers, it's becoming increasingly difficult to mourn for each and every person being killed”.

Peddai from Toronto, Canada who met S.Bose a few years ago in Sri Lanka writes in detail about the killings in Vavuniya. In the two weeks preceding S.Bose's murder, 24 people had been killed in Vavuniya alone. One of the 24 people killed was her own grandmother. This old lady had been going about her ways in an alleyway with trees on either side. A stray bullet came out of nowhere and killed her. And she breathed her last on the lap of her daughter. And her suffering did not stop there. Since the morgue in the Vavuniya hospital was full, the innocent old lady's body had to wait for the relatives to get traveling passes. And had lost all the charm and had become darkened.

Peddai continues, “Only the people living with the lost ones would feel the impact. S.Bose was killed in his own home with his son by his side. The loss and the emptiness would only resonate within his family. The others would be writing notes - such as this - and will forget the loss as time goes by. It's the people living there, who have to ‘live life' amidst all the chaos and added by the burden of loss.”

Muranveli from Sri Lanka while writing about S.Bose talks about social responsibility. They request people to help. At the same time, they also wonder if they would be making the same request for every human being killed. Was S.Bose any different from the other people being killed on a daily basis. S.Bose was a littérateur. So is preference being given to intellectuals? What about the marginalized people? Muranveli says that these questions are very disturbing and unanswerable.

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Arabeyes: Unlicensed Bahrainis; Silent Algerians; Kidneyless Egyptians and More

Amira Al Hussaini · 11:11 · Middle East & North Africa

What is banned and allowed in Bahrain? How did the government and politicians react to the low turn out at the Algerian elections last week? Why did an Egyptian man sell his kidney? And finally - why do you need Wasta in Jordan? These are the main questions the following translation of Arabic blogs shed light on this week.

Bahrain: Where Imagination is Banned

In Bahrain, Manama Republic wonders about what is permissible and what is banned in the new era of reforms, which ushered in a democracy in the Gulf Arab state in 2002.

ليلة أمس، لم تفعل وزارة الداخلية سوى القيام بواجبها في فرض القانون وفض ندوة غير مرخصة.
كان الله في عونها، فالمهمة ليست سهلة ولا يسيرة مع شعب بندوات غير مرخصة، وتجمعات غير مرخصة، وأنشطة غير مرخصة، ونشرات غير مرخصة، وجماعات غير مرخصة، وأحزاب سرية غير مرخصة، وثقافة غير مرخصة، وخيال غير مرخص، ومشاعر غير مرخصة، وأسئلة غير مرخصة، وأحلام غير مرخصة، وأحزان غير مرخصة، ونكات غير مرخصة، وأغنيات غير مرخصة، وأشعار غير مرخصة، وأقلام غير مرخصة، ومذهب غير مرخص، وتقويم غير مرخص، ومواكب غير مرخصة، ومنتديات غير مرخصة، وأحاديث مجالس غير مرخصة، ومنتديات ومواقع غير مرخصة، ورسائل نصية غير مرخصة، وشبكات إنترنت غير مرخصة، وبرامج حاسب غير مرخصة، وشائعات غير مرخصة، وتبرعات غير مرخصة، وقرى غير مرخصة، ذات أسماء غير مرخصة، ونخيل غير مرخص، وبحر غير مرخص، ونسمات سواحل غير مرخصة، وتاريخ غير مرخص، ولهجة غير مرخصة، وأسماء وأنساب غير مرخصة، وسحنات غير مرخصة، وحوزات غير مرخصة، وقدوات غير مرخصة، ولافتات سوداء غير مرخصة، وألوان غير مرخصة، وتأشيرات دول غير مرخصة، وطلبات زيارة غير مرخصة، ومحطات فضائية غير مرخصة، ومعدلات تناسل غير مرخصة، وطلبات وظائف غير مرخصة، وتوقعات غير مرخصة، وكرامة غير مرخصة، وسيادة غير مرخصة، وسفر بطولات غير مرخص، وسيرة آلام غير مرخصة.
شعب غير مرخص، بماضي غير مرخص، ومستقبل غير مرخص، وحتى يأذن الله لهم بالحصول على شعب جديد، سيظل عادل فليفل وحده مرخصا.

Last night the Interior Ministry fulfilled its duty by imposing law to disperse an unlicensed seminar. May Allah (God) be of help to it. It is not an easy task with people who conduct unlicensed seminars, activities and publications; unlicensed groups and secret (political) parties; unlicensed culture, imagination, feelings, questions, dreams and sorrows; unlicensed jokes, songs, poems and pens; an unlawful (religious) sect; an unaccepted calendar; and banned religious ceremonies; unlicensed seminars, talks in private gatherings; unlicensed online forums and websites; unlicensed mobile text messages, internet networks and computer programs; unlicensed rumours, donations and entire villages - which also have unlicensed names; unlicensed palm trees, sea, sea breeze, history, accents (dialects), names, titles, visas and visit permits; demands of salary increments are unlicensed, satellite are unlicensed and mating levels are unlicensed; demanding jobs is unlicensed; making projections is unlicensed; unlicensed dignities; unlicensed sovereignty; unlicensed travels to attend championships; unlicensed to talk about mothers' reputations; unlicensed citizens - with an unlicensed history and an unlicensed future. Until God decrees and gives them a new people, Adel Flaifel will be the only one licensed.

Algeria: Low Election Turnout

Algerian blogger Salam Al Baroudi has another axe to grind, and is wondering why his countrymen didn't turnout in force for the Algerian elections which took place on May 17.

سؤال يطرحه اليوم الكثير من المتتبعين للشأن السياسي في الجزائر وذلك لأسباب عديدة أبرزها أن نسبة المشاركة في الإنتخابات التشريعية التي جرت يوم السابع عشر ماي الجاري كانت أدنى نسبة منذ الإستقلال أي 35 بالمائة وهو ما يعني أن البرلمان لا يمثل كل الأصوات في البلاد لأن كتلة المقاطعة أو الأغلبية الصامتة اليوم إرتفع عددها بشكل مخيف ومع الأسف تحدث رؤساء الأحزاب عن النتائج والمقاعد التي كسبوها لكنهم لم يردوا بعد على رسالة الناخب الذي لم يخرج يوم الخميس الماضي للتصويت مفضلا المقاطعة على الإدلاء بصوته من “أجل التغيير “مثلا .

الحكومة إلتزمت الصمت ولم ترد على رسالة الناخب والأحزاب سارت على طريقة النعامة في الهروب من العاصفة .إن ماحدث يوم السابع عشر ماي هو هزيمة لكل المترشحين والأحزاب بما في ذلك الذين فازوا بالمقاعد لأنهم فشلوا في إقناع الناخب بالخروج إلى مراكز الإقتراع ومن فاز منهم فكان له ذلك بأصوات أصدقائه و حاشيته

A lot of those following up on Algerian political affairs are posing this question for a number of reasons, most importantly the low turn out of 35 per cent in the parliamentary elections held on May 17 which was the lowest since independence. This means that the parliament doesn't reflect all the voices in this country because those boycotting and the silent majority today has increased at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, the heads of the political parties spoke about the results and the seats they won but have yet to respond to the message sent out by the constituents who did not turn out in full force last Thursday and have preferred instead to boycott the elections rather than vote ‘Yes for Change'. The government too remained mum and did not respond to the message put out by voters while the parties reacted like ostriches do when they try and escape the storm. What happened on May 17 is a defeat to all the candidates and parties, including those who won, because they all failed to convince the voters to go to the election centres. Those who won secured their seats thanks to votes from their friends and families.

Egypt: Sell Your Kidney to Buy a Computer

Still in Algeria, blogger Rua'a links to a story about a young Egyptian man, who sold his kidney to buy a computer.

قالت صحيفة أخبار اليوم الأسبوعية في عددها الصادر اليوم إن الشاب أجرى عملية
استئصال الكلية في أحد المستشفيات الحكومية، وحصل على 15 ألف جنيه.
الشاب المصري الذي أخفى عن أهله ما قام به، انكشف أمره أمام أهله وأصدقائه بعد اعتلال صحته.
أما والد الشاب فتأكد من بيع ابنه لكليته عبر شبكة سماسرة يعملون مع المستشفى.

The weekly Akhbar Al Youm newspaper reported today that a young man had his kidney removed at a government hospital for 15,000 Egyptian Pounds. The young man hid from his family what he did but his plot was uncovered in front of family and friends when his health deteriorated. The man's father stressed that his son sold his kidney through a network of middlemen who work at the hospital.

Jordan: The Power of Wasta

Our last stop is in Jordan, where Jad has just discovered he needs Wasta or the intervention of an influential person to be able to register in a Master's programme.

يا اخي والله مهزله! يعني انا اخر شي كنت اتوقع اني احتاج له في حياتي اني ادور على واسطه عشان ادرس ماجستير, و بس عشان اوضحلكم انا بدي ادرس على حسابي مش على حساب حد, و للتوضيح اكثر انا ما بشتغل بالحكومه يعني شهادتي لا هي تهرب من الدوام الرسمي و لا عشان اخذ ميت ليره علاوه
انا زلمه حابب ادرس؟ غلطان ؟
لويش يعني ما بطلعلي اكمل بتخصص بعيد عن تخصص البكالوريوس؟ و لويش يعني عشان كان معدلي مقبول بالبكالوريوس هسا ما بطلعلي اكمل ؟
طب بلاش الدوائر الحكوميه تعترف بشهادتي , اصلن انا ما قدمت لديوان الخدمه و لا بعرف وين موجود, والله ما بدي اقدم للحكومه, و بدي ادرس على حسابي و بجامعه خاصه كمان

It really is a farce! The last thing I expected in my entire life is to look for a Wasta (influence) to register for a Master's degree. And just to clarify to you, I want to study at my own expense and not at the expense of anyone else. And to further explain, I don't work for the government, so I am not studying to excuse myself from working the official hours and not to take the 100 Lira increment given to civil servants.
I am a man who wants to complete his studies. Am I doing anything wrong?
Why am I not allowed to complete my education in a specialisation different from my Bachelor's degree? Is it because I got average marks in my Bachelor's I am now not allowed to proceed to my Master's? Fine, I don't want government agencies to acknowledge my qualifications. I have not even applied for the Civil Service and don't know where it is located. I also swear I don't want to work for the government. I was to study and pay for it from my own pockets - in a private university too.

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