Global Voices Online » 2007 » August

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Israel: Sudanese Refugees - like Darfur, as Auschwitz

Gilad Lotan · 16:21

lingua → jp · pt · es

Over the past several months, a growing number of Sudanese refugees have been crossing into Israeli territory through the Egyptian desert. The Israeli government has reacted by placing many in detention camps, and is currently considering their fate. Israeli bloggers are questioning their government's actions, comparing the situation to that of the mid-1930's, when the world did not accept Jewish refugees fleeing from the Nazi regime. Many claim that a country like Israel, which was created on the virtue - ‘remember and never forget‘, is already forgetting the apathy its' founding fathers faced in the not so distant past.

Refugees have been fleeing from the horrors of the genocide and ethnic cleansing taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan. A growing number make their way into Israel in hope that the democratic state will be more forgiving than its Egyptian neighbor, where refugees are shot upon approaching the border. However, they cross the border to find that the same country which came to life in the shadow of its' own people's genocide, is restricting refugees from entering, and keeping those who succeeded far from sight in detention camps. IDF forces are planning not to allow any more refugees from crossing the border into Israel, claiming that their constant flow may flood the country. This decision conflicts directly with the values and beliefs from which this young country eloped, and places Israel in the same coalition as all the countries who did not accept Jewish refugees who fled antisematic Europe in the 1930s.

Many bloggers have been asking the government to reflect back at its not so distant past, and realize that its actions are similar to what was presented to their Jewish ancestors.

In her blog post on, kipa.co.il , Mor Goldkleng writes:

מדינת ישראל היא מדינת היהודים. היא צריכה להראות את הפנים היהודיות שלה… דווקא אנחנו, צריכים להראות, לתת דוגמא, לקבל ולשלב את הפליטים בתוכנו. בואו לא נהיה קפיטליסטים ונחשוב רק במונחים של רווח והפסד. בואו נחשוב אנושיות.לפני כחודש הייתה הפגנה מול הקיריה. בהפגנה הדליקו 300 נרות כהזדהות עם 300 הפליטים שהגיעו לארץ ואחיהם הקורבנות. בואו אנחנו נדליק את הנר הגדול הזה, הזוהר של החמלה והרחמים.

לשואת העם שלי העולם שתק. לסבתא שלי היו אדישים. אני לא מוכנה להיות אדישה לאחרים. “לא תעמוד על דם רעך”. זהו ציווי מוסרי חשוב ביותר שתורתנו הורתה לנו.

Israel is the State of the Jewish people. It should show its Jewish face… It is especially critical for us to set an example, accept and integrate the refugees within us. Let us not be capitalistic and only think in terms of monetary gain and loss. Let us think of humanity. A month ago there was a rally in front of the Kirya in Tel Aviv. In the rally, 300 candles were lit to empathize with the 300 Sudanese refugees in Israel. Let us light this greater candle, that of compassion and mercy. During the genocide of my people the world was silent. My grandmother received apathy. I am not willing to be apathetic to others. “Thou shall not stand idly by the blood of your fellow” - (Leviticus 19:16) That is an extremely important ethical duty, passed to us through the bible (and also a state law in Israel).

The following excerpt was taken from a letter addressed to Knesset leaders, published in the blacklabor blog:

למדינת ישראל יש משאבים ויכולת לתת מקלט מדיני והומאני לפליטים. יותר מזה - למדינת ישראל יש מחויבות היסטורית ומוסרית לפתוח את שעריה בפני כל פליט ונרדף, ללא הבדל דת, מין וגזע.מנהיגי ישראל מצהירים בכל הזדמנות על ייחודנו כמדינת היהודים. זו ההזדמנות שלכם להפוך מילים למעשה. עתה עלינו ללמוד מיהודי ארה”ב המובילים בארצם את המאבק להתערבות בינלאומית בנעשה בסודאן, ומשתתפים באופן פעיל (ולא רק בתרומת כספים להרגעת המצפון) בתוכניות הסיוע.

The State of Israel is capable of giving shelter and providing political-humanitarian asylum to those refugees who have already crossed into its territory. Above all, Israel has a historical and moral commitment to open its gates towards any refugee, regardless of religious, sexual or racial differences. Our leaders frequently mention the unique character of this country of the Jews. This is your opportunity to turn words into actions. We need to learn from Jewish organizations in the United States, who are actively leading the struggle for international action in Sudan.

dovblog describes a Knesset discussion by Dov Hanin which took place at the end of May, on this topic:

אנחנו מדברים על בין 450 ל-500 אזרחים סודנים שנמצאים בישראל היום ומבקשים מקלט בה. אבל לפי סעיף 6 של נוהל הסדרת הטיפול במבקשי מקלט, אותם פליטים מנועים מלקבל אשרות שהייה או להיקלט בישראל, מכיוון שברמה הפורמלית הם נתינים של מדינת אויב.

המצב הזה עומד בסתירה מוחלטת לאמנה בדבר מעמדם של הפליטים משנת 1951, אותה אמנה שבה האו”ם הניח את אבני הבסיס למערכת שלמה של מנגנונים בין-לאומיים שנועדו להגן על הפליטים. מדינת ישראל נטלה חלק מהותי בניסוח האמנה הזאת ובחיזוק ההגנות הנתונות לפליטים, וזה, כמובן, מובן לכולנו נוכח העובדה שהאמנה אושרה כמה שנים אחרי מלחמת העולם השנייה, שבה בני עמנו, היהודים, היו פליטים, ורבים מהם ערב מלחמת העולם השנייה התדפקו על דלתות סגורות של מדינות שלא היו מוכנות לקלוט אותם.

אגב, מדינת ישראל גם אשררה את האמנה הזאת בשנת 1954, ולכן ההתחייבויות של הממשלה בתחום הזה הן, לדעתנו, גם התחייבויות משפטיות, ולא רק התחייבויות מוסריות.

בכל זאת, מה קורה בשטח? חלק גדול מהפליטים שנמצאים בישראל, נמצאים במעצר. אנחנו מדברים על כ-150 פליטים שנמצאים במעצר בבתי-כלא שונים. מתוך 450 הפליטים, אגב, 80 הם ילדים וכ-110 הן נשים. הדרישות שלנו מהממשלה בתחום הזה הן שממשלת ישראל, ראשית, תבדוק בדיקה עניינית כל בקשה של מבקש מקלט ותחליט החלטה עניינית על סמך פרטי הבקשה בדבר זכאותו של האדם להגנה כפליט. אנחנו דורשים מהממשלה לשחרר ממעצר את כל הפליטים מדרפור שנמצאים בישראל. לא הגיוני, לא סביר, לא צודק ולא מוסרי להחזיק במעצר פליטים שברחו מרצח עם ומטבח כמו שמתנהל בדרפור.

There are currently between 450 to 500 Sudanese citizens who are seeking asylum in Israel. According to article 6 of the asylum seekers amendment, these refugees are prevented from receiving an approval to stay in Israel because they belong to an enemy country. This situation contradicts the basic agreement on refugee status from 1951, the same agreement which served as the basis the UN worldwide amendment to protect refugee status worldwide. The State of Israel took an essential role in the creation of this agreement in 1954, therefore I think the obligation of our government is not only a moral one, but also legal.

What is happening in reality? Out of the 450 refugees in Israel, around 150 have been placed in detention. 80 of them are children and 110 are women. We request that the Israeli government be accurate in examining every request of political asylum, and consider accepting them according to their entitlement for protection as refugees. We ask the government to release all those held in detention. It is not reasonable, nor ethical to hold these refugees, who escaped from the horrors or Darfur.

From a Yellow Plebean's Hebrew blog :

בשנת 1937 הגיעה סבתא שלי לארה”ב. היא הייתה ילדה קטנה, והאחרונה מהמשפחה שלה שהצליחה לצאת מאירופה. אחותה הגדולה, לה היו שישה ילדים, לא השיגה וויזה ונשארה בצ`כוסלובקיה. כולם נספו בשואה. אתם מבינים, המשפחה שלי דווקא הבינה מה קורה וניסתה לברוח, אבל הקצב של הוויזות היה איטי מדי. העולם היה נורא טרוד בבעיות אחרות, ופליטים שיציפו מדינות שיש להן בעיות משלהם ועניים משלהם נראו כמו מטרד מיותר. ועוד שחורים. אה, סליחה, יהודים. אז גירשו אותם בחזרה, ומנעו מהם להכנס למדינות אחרות, ולמעט כמה צדיקים, העולם פשוט התעלם.
כן, אני מדבר עכשיו על שואה של אחרים. על פליטים מדארפור, שבורחים מהמדינה שלהם, חוצים את מדבריות מצרים ומנסים להגיע למדינה שמחויבת לסטנדרטים בינלאומיים. מדינה שאסור לה לגרש פליטים שבורחים מרצח עם.

In 1937 my grandmother arrived to the United States. She was a little girl, the last of her family who managed to escape Europe. Her bigger sister, who had six children, did not receive a visa, and stayed in Czechoslovakia. All those who stayed were wiped out during the holocaust. You understand, my family realized what is happening and tried to escape. But the visa process was too slow. The world was busy with other problems, and refugees that would flood countries who had enough problems of their own, seemed like an unnecessary annoyance. As they were not allowed to enter any other country, they were sent back. And apart for some saints, the world simply ignored. Now I am talking about other people's holocaust. Refugees from Darfur who flee from their land, cross the Egyptian desert and try to reach a country committed to international standards. A country which should not allow to banish refugees fleeing from a genocide.

בשיעורי אזרחות מלמדים על זכותנו המוסרית למדינה ועל איך השואה הייתה נמנעת לו הייתה לנו מדינה בשנות ה-30 של המאה הקודמת. אני חושב שזה נכון, הנאצים רצו להפטר מהיהודים בהתחלה, ולו הייתה מדינת ישראל היא בטח הייתה קולטת את הקרובים שלנו. אבל זה כנראה נכון רק לקרובים שלנו. בסופו של דבר גם אנחנו עוצמים עין לבעיות של אחרים. חייבים לשנות את זה, לא תיאורטית פעם, אלא עכשיו, כשביבשת השכנה מתחולל רצח עם ומעט פליטים מגיעים גם אלינו.

אני לא יודע איך, אני מנסה את הדרך הפשוטה של לדבר על זה, להציע לאחרים לדבר על זה, לתמוך בפעילות ציבורית, כשתקום. אני באמת לא יודע מה יכול אזרח לעשות כאן כשהמדינה שלו מתנכרת לחובה. אבל דבר אחד ברור: לו “העם” היה מרגיש אחרת, לו האזרחים היו מתקוממים, גם אולמרט היה מבין שצריך לטפל בזה אחרת. הלוואי.

In school we were taught that we have a moral right for a country of our own, and that the holocaust could have been prevented if we had a country of our own in the 1930s. I think that is true. The Nazis wanted to get rid of the Jews from the beginning. Had the state of Israel been formed earlier, it probably would have received our fleeing ancestors. But that is true only for our ancestors. At the end of the day, even we close our eyes to other people's problems. This must change. Not in the theoretical future, but now, when a genocide is taking place in our neighboring continent, and a small amount of refugees are reaching our territory. I don't know how. I am trying the simple way of talking about it, offering others to join in the conversation, and supporting some form of future public activism. I really don't know what a single citizen can actually do here when his country ignores its duty. But one thing is clear: if the people felt differently, or if citizens protest, even Olmert would realize that we need to take care of this situation differently.
I wish.

However, there has been a wide spectrum of reactions from different bodies and groups in Israel. Kibbutzes around the country have been accepting Sudanese refugees. So far, 7 kibbutzes have already accepted 60 refugees, while 12 more kibbutzes have expressed their interest in helping integrate refugees within their communities. Mishtara.org have been involved with a number of events aimed at raising public awareness to this growing problem in Israel.

אנחנו שואלים את אזרחי ישראל ואת נבחריה, האם הפכנו גסי לב עד כדי כך ? האם כל יכולתנו, כוחנו וגאוותנו הן בבניית מערכות גירוש ? האם אין באמת אלטרנטיבות אחרות ? לנו התשובות ברורות, ישנן אלטרנטיבות. נציגי מדינת ישראל טוענים כי הם דואגים לעתידה של מדינת ישראל, אנחנו מסכימים איתם לחלוטין. אנחנו דואגים לעתידה של המדינה לא פחות מהם. מה יהיה עתידה של מדינת ישראל אם היא מתנערת כליל מאחריותה המוסרית? כיצד מדינת ישראל יכולה להצדיק את החלטתה לא לקלוט פליטים שכל ‘פשעם' הוא רצונם לחיות ?
ביום ראשון 15.7, נצטרף לפליטים שנמצאים בגן הוורדים בירושלים, ונעמוד איתם. נעמוד כדי להזכיר את מה שרבים מבקשים להשכיח. נעמוד כדי לאפשר לתקווה להתקיים.
אנחנו קוראים לאזרחי המדינה להראות שהאלטרנטיבה קיימת. שאנו מסוגלים וצריכים לעזור לפליטים המגיעים לארץ.

We ask the citizens of Israel if we've become so coarse-hearted? Is our ability, power or pride in building systems of banishment? Is there no other alternatives? For us, the answers are clear - there are alternatives. Israeli representatives state that they worry for the future of the state of Israel. We agree with them completely. We also worry for the future of this country. What will the future of Israel look like if it shakes off its' moral responsibility? How can Israel justify its decision not to accept refugees who's sole ‘crime' is having a will to live?
On Sunday, July 15th, we will join refugees in Gan Havradim, Jerusalem, and we will stand with them. We will stand remind what most ask to forget. We will stand in order to allow for hope to exist. We ask citizens of the country to show that an alternative exists. That we can and must help refugees who come to our country.

The following images were taken by Oren Ziv at the rally in Jerusalem earlier this month:

sudan refugges rally in israel

sudanese refugee rally - Israel

More can be seen on the following page.

20 comments · »»

Caribbean: Emancipation Day

Janine Mendes-Franco · 14:43

lingua → bn · de · fr · es · zht · zhs

Today is Emancipation Day. On August 1, one hundred and seventy three years ago, freedom from slavery was won in the Caribbean - and Caribbean bloggers still have a lot to say about it…

Jamaican blogger Geoffrey Philp sets the tone by quoting one of the most beloved lines from reggae icon Bob Marley:

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery/ None but ourselves can free our minds.” ~ Lyrics from Bob Marley's ‘Redemption Song' taken from a speech by the Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey.”

Abeni, from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, thinks it noteworthy that “at least we no longer celebrate the holiday the first Monday in August to avoid breaking up the week. We have reverted to recognising the original day…at least we now say Emancipation Day holiday and not August Monday.” But she still has concerns:

“Sometimes, I feel that we can safely cancel this holiday because generally we don't have a collective consciousness about the significance of the day. For the most part it is just another holiday, another day to lime without any serious reflection or thanksgiving. It's a pity really, but when one is so far removed from the actual horrors of slavery and not nurtured in your history then it's not surprising at all.”

Blooging from Barbados, Cheese on Bread agrees:

“It's a time to reflect on how far we've come as a nation and how far we still have to go. I fear we still have a lot of emancipating to do.”

Thebookmann, writing from Trinidad and Tobago, encourages people to visit the abolishment of slavery exhibition at the country's National Museum, while fellow Trinbagonian blogger Elspeth Duncan at Now is Wow says:

“I didn't realise T & T was the first country in the world to declare a national holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery. Slavery still exists though. On Emancipation Day I tend to think of what I would ‘free' or let go of in my own life.”

The Antilles blog puts a literary spin on the observance by remembering that August 1st is also “the anniversary of the launch of the original Caribbean Review of Books, first published sixteen years ago from the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies, while TriniGourmet.com suggests a mouth-watering menu with which to mark the occasion.

But perhaps Abeni summarizes it best by saying:

“I think the challenge is to do something meaningful with the day. Rallies and exhibitions are fine but it must go beyond that and get to a point where the little children will have an understanding of why there is an Aug 1. Maybe even in the same way the Garifuna people of Belize do pilgrimages to St Vincent there can be linkages with West African countries. Many people hate to talk about slavery but it did happen and the race survived. Right there we have a lot to celebrate.”

2 comments · »»

Kyrgyzstan: Bread prices up, people's mood down

Asel · 13:49

lingua → jp · zht · zhs · es

The unexpected price increases for bread have sparked hot discussions among Kyrgyzstani bloggers. Along with the prices for gas, electricity and transportation, the cost of bread is the most important economic issue for each normal citizen. Bread is a traditional and essential food in our daily lives. If a loaf used to cost 6 soms (15 cents), now the price went up to 7 soms.

Advocat expresses his opinion regarding the issue on Diesel forum (RU):

During [former President] Akaev’s tenure, the price for bread never increased, but now when everyone says that the lives of the people improve, the prices are going up. Perhaps a price increase is a sign of life improvement for our new government?

Mantank does not think that the government has something to do with the price:

The government cannot regulate market prices, so it is not really its fault.

Yesterday XnifgRon felt the price difference from his own experience:

Everyday I go for lunch to the same café. Today the waitress has brought us unbelievably thin slices of bread (3 times thinner than usual) and explained that it is due to price increase. I felt really sorry that from now we have to order three times as much bread.

On neweurasia Mirsulzhan gives (KYR) some reasons why bread is more expensive now.

People are also concerned very much about the new restriction the government is likely to set on entering the capital Bishkek during SCO summit from 4 till 19 August.

Asel posts an article (ENG) which says that the authorities are going to control the movement to Bishkek by checking all cars and probably limiting the flow of people coming to Bishkek. Unfortunately, no one from the authority can really address this issue and give concrete information on how the process is going to actually work.

This causes so much uncertainty and inconvenience among ordinary people who have no access to reliable information. For example, S@ilor says:

I have talked to the drivers of local minibuses or ‘marshrutkas’ about the regulation and what they know about it. Nobody knows anything. Looks like again we will find out about it last minute, and people will suffer from it.

Well, let me finish on a more positive note. Today, 1 August, is the Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev’s birthday. He is now 58 years old. The blogger morrire has conducted a small survey to find out what bloggers think would be the best present for our President. 30 bloggers took part in the survey and the results show the following:

41,4% - no present at all
37.9% - Chinese tractor
17.2% - head of sheep
13.8%- noodle
10.3%- air ticket to Moscow

You can view the full version (RU) of the survey here.

Funny choice of presents, huh?

0 comments · »»

Tanzania: Lessons on building a virtual blogging community

Ndesanjo Macha · 13:40

lingua → pt · zht · zhs · es

With a growing number of English and Swahili blogs covering all sorts of topics such as the environment, food, sports, fashion, politics, interior design, and technology, the Tanzanian blogosphere is becoming one of the most vibrant and dynamic blogospheres in Africa. Following this growth, Tanzanian bloggers decided to establish a formal organization. Jumuiya ya Wanablogu Tanzania (Jumuwata) was born.

The Tanzanian experience in building Jumuwata offers important practical and theoretical lessons to bloggers and citizen media activitsts on how to build a collaborative and democratic blogging community.

When Tanzanian bloggers decided to form their organization, they wanted the process to be as open and collaborative as possible. The process started with planning for a virtual conference, which Doodle and wiki. Because Tanzanian bloggers live in different times zones, Doodle was used to vote for proposed dates and time of the event. Discussions concerning conference agendas and the nomination of the conference moderator took place on the wiki. Selected agendas were announced on the wiki by the conference modetator, Ramadhani Msangi.

Discussions and conference announcements were also taking place on members’ blogs. Majira, a local Swahili paper in Tanzania carried an article about the conference and Mwananchi, another Swahili newspaper, had one feature article before the conference and another one after the conference.

Where will the conference take place?

The main challenge at this stage was the appropriate tool to be used to conduct the conference. Since almost all bloggers living in Tanzania use public Internet access, it became clear that the conference had to take place on a webbased platform. Most Internet cafes in Tanzania do not allow visitors to download any software. Following an advice from Ethan Zuckerman, the webbased IRC@Work became the conference platform. Channel #blogubongo was set up and log in instructions were posted on the conference wiki and on members’ blogs.

During the conference, decisions were reached by voting. It was decided, among other things, that November 18th will be the National Blog Day in Tanzania and that an interim committee had to be formed before the end of the conference. Its responsibility was to collect opinions and ideas from bloggers about how to establish a formal organizational structure. The interim committee was made up of bloggers Da’ Mija (the Netherlands), Jeff Msangi (Canada), Ndesanjo Macha (USA), and Ramadhani Msangi (Tanzania).

It was also decided that the organization will establish its presence online through its own website and an aggregator. While aggregators from other African countries have been set up by a group of committed individuals, Tanzanian bloggers decided that its aggregator has to be owned by the community through Jumuwata.

After the conference, a new blog, BloguTanzania, was set up by the interim committee. Through open discussions on the blog, Tanzanian bloggers dealt with issues such as leadership structure, the name of the organization and its abreviation, the name of the aggregator, constitutional matters and catergories for blog awards (to be given on the National Blog Day).

Graphic designers were asked to submit logos to be voted for on the blog. The winner was Gerald Shuma whose logo became the official logo of Jumuwata.

The interim committee announced three leadership positions (namely Chairperson, General Sectretary, and Treasurer) and called on interested bloggers to submit their profiles and start campaigning. There were eight candidates for the three positions. Their photos were displayed prominently on the right hand side of the blog before the election.

Virtual Election: How will we vote?

The main question at this stage was, “How will we vote?” After intense discussions and a lot of thinking, the interim committee decided that voting was to take place on the comment section of the community blog (as if one is leaving a comment). And in order to prevent rigging, only bloggers were allowed to vote. Anonymous comments were not allowed on the voting day. Comments were moderated on that day to prevent potential voters from being influenced by voting patterns.

The virtual election took place on June 30th, 2007:

It is official, Tanzania bloggers are going to hold a virtual election on June 30, 2007. There are eight candidates for different positions listed on the Jumuiya ya Wanablogu Tanzania (the community of Tanzanian bloggers) blog.

Ramadhani Msangi (Tanzania) became the Chairman, Simon Kitururu (Finland) the General Secretary and Da Mija (the Netherlands) the Treasurer. Two weeks ago, the three of them and two other invited bloggers met online for their first official meeting.

They are currently working on a draft constitution, which will be debated publicly before it is adopted and writing emails to specific bloggers asking them to form various committees (Activism, Media Law and Ethics, Technology, etc).

4 comments · »»

Korea: Don't Make Me Older!

Hyejin Kim · 11:15

lingua → bn · pt · jp · hi

In Korea, there are two ways to calculate your age: the Korean way and the western way. Officially, the Korean method is the way to calculate your age in Korea. As soon as you are born, you are age one. No matter when you are born (like 31st of Demember), you will be two the next calendar year (Jan. 1). The Korean way of calculating age didn’t cause problems or bring about complaints from Koreans until recently. The more chances Koreans have to meet people from other places, the more confused they are to answer about their age. And they recognize that they are regarded older than other non-Koreans with the same age. In addition, due to this difference from the age calculation and misunderstanding, the statements of Comfort Women were recently almost regarded as false testimony.

And of course nobody wants to get old faster. A netizen appealed to unify the age calculation system to the western method in a portal site, ‘Netizen Appeal.’ The appeal has gotten many responses.

얼마전부터 법정 계량단위가 사회적으로도 공연히 이용되게 되었는데, 나이에 대해서도 우리나이보다는 국제적인 시류에 맞는 나이체계를 가졌으면 하는 바램입니다…
안 그래도 우리나라 남자들은 군대 갔다 오면 2년이 날아가는데 거기에 우리나이까지 더해서…..몇 살은 더 공까먹는 느낌입니다..)

Recently, legal measuring units changed and we use them in public now. I hope that the age calculation changes according to the international trend…
Korean men feel two years are taken from their lives because of military service… and then adding one or two years by the Korean age system… I feel like I am losing several years.

Most netizens are happy to agree with this appeal. Living abroad, having chances to meet people from other countries, and having the desire to be younger, all kinds of opinions have emerged abut why it should be changed.

Girl Nina writes,

외국 살면서 만으로 계산 하다보니, 한국사람이 나이 물어보면 가끔 난감하더라구요.

I have calculated my age in the western calculating style since I have lived abroad for a while. Now I’m confused about my age when Koreans ask my age

But there are dissidents as well.

Bomdol said,

반대합니다. 자꾸 우리의 것을 버리려고 하는데 결코 좋지 않은 일입니다.

I am opposed. It seems that there is the tendency to throw out our own culture. It’s not good.

MC7L said,

생명존중사상, 윤리적 도적적으로 우리식 나이계산법이 매우 바람직합니다… 이것은 우리가 고칠게 아니라 외국이 고쳐야 한다고 생각하네요… 우리식 나이를 세계 표준 나이 계산법으로~~~

Philosophy to respect life. I think that the Korean age calculation is desirable in ethical and moral aspects… Other countries should change, not us.

Haneul Woomul shows how age is important in Korea. (The Korean language requires knowing the relative age of people in dialogue. In the first meeting with a stranger, asking the age is one of the first steps. After that, they can decide what to call each other).

난 지금이 좋은데?ㅋ 우리만의 나이를 세는 문화자나요 뭐하러 통일? 글구 나이 별로 안중요함 세계적으로 나갈수록…;; 별로 공개도 안하고 사는 외국인들…

I like the way we are now. It’s our culture of how to calculate age. Why do we have to unify? And then.. age is not so important. Especially in other countries, they don’t publicize their age so much.

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Peru: Celebrating Independence Day

Juan Arellano · 02:43

lingua → es

plaza1

July 28 was the 186^th anniversary of Peru's independence from Spain, and Peruvian bloggers took time to post about this celebration. On this occasion, I am going to share posts from blogs I hadn't visited before, and I hope that beyond these posts, you discover other blogs you normally don't read.

A common theme among most of these posts is a sense of humor. At first glance, it may appear people in Peru don't take the National Holiday seriously. I don't think so. I think bloggers are happy to celebrate Peru's birthday but feel they don't want to become bitter with the contradictions and injustice there exists in our country, as does in many other countries in this world.

Let's begin with Muriel, the blogger behind Pequeños Laberintos [ES], who in her July 28 post, gives us her Reasons why MY Peru is super…:

1. Acá viven las personas más queridas de mi vida, llámense familia y amigos.
2. Tiene un mar de 200 millas, lleno de peces diversos y ¡ricos!
3. Se puede pescar en Caballitos de Totora.
4. El cebiche es un plato riquísimo.
5. Como el Tiradito ninguno.
6. Encontramos de todo, desde sol, calor, arena, playa, pasando por nevados, punas, frío, y terminando en climas tropicales.
7. Donde quiera que vayamos encontramos gente sincera y dispuesta a ayudar.
8. Tenemos mil y un danzas coloridas, cada una con su propio significado.
9. Las fiestas religiosas son especiales en cada pueblo, y diferentes también.
10. Chan-Chan, Kuelap y Machu Picchu, son apenas una pequeña muestra de lo que podemos encontrar.

1. This is where the most beloved people in life live, my family and friends.
2. Peru has a 200-mile wide ocean, full of diverse and delicious fish!
3. You can fish using the ‘caballitos de totora' (traditional reed boats).
4. Peruvian ceviche is delicious.
5. There is nothing like a delicious tiradito.
6. We can find everything here, sunshine, heat, sand, beaches, glaciers, mountains, cold, and tropical climates.
7. Wherever you go, you find sincere people, eager to help.
8. We have a thousand and one colorful dances, each with its\nown significance.
9. The religious festivals in each town are special and
10. Chan Chan, Kuelap, and Machu Picchu are just some of the things we find in Peru.

Another young blogger, carmendelly, of the blog Escribiendo sólo para mi [ES], is full of patriotic feelings as she makes a list of her promises to her country in the post titled, I am from Peru, ladies and gentlemen! I AM FROM PERU! These are some of her promises:

2. Prometo informarme bien cuando vengan las próximas elecciones electorales, municipales o presidenciales, para no votar por un ratero de mela, que luego no haga nada y se gaste la plata en son de la democracia.. que se pudra…
5. Prometo empezar por lo más mínimo, no arrojaré basura a la calle, no me quedaré callada cuando asalten a alguien, trataré al extranjero con amabilidad, no ensuciaré el mar…
7. Prometo comer y dar a conocer tu comida, tus costumbres, tus bailes, tus colores, tus aromas, tus calles, tus playas, tus parques, tus provincias, tu gente, nos lagos, ríos, cerros, etc etc.

2. I promise to be highly informed when the next municipal, regional, or presidential elections come around, so I don't end up voting for a crook who doesn't do anything, and spends our money all the time mouthing the word ‘democracy'… Let them rot…
5. I promise to begin with the smallest act, I will not litter the street, I will not remain silent when someone is getting mugged, I will treat foreigners in a friendly manner, I will not pollute the ocean…
7. I promise to eat and let others know about our cuisine, customs, dances, colors, scents, streets, beaches, parks, provinces, hills, etc., etc….

A few days ago, El Tonto de la Colina [ES] posted a sarcastic list of things that, according to him, should give him Pride in being peruvian. I chose a couple of them for your enjoyment:

1.- Los peruanos tenemos fé. No importa cuantas veces los políticos nos engañen, cuantas veces nuestra selección quede en último lugar, o cuantas veces nos hagan el carrusel con nuestro dinero, los peruanos seguimos creyendo en el futuro. En otros paises han hecho revoluciones por menos de eso. Pero aquí la fé nos mantiene vivos.
4.- El peruano nunca se aburre. Siempre la vida cambia día a día en el Perú. Nuevas leyes, disposiciones, trabas, hacen que nos mantengamos alertas. La ruta a mi trabajo cambia cada semana debido a obras, construcciones, marchas, huelgas o al simple afán del chofer de la combi en ganarle la carrera al otro, por lo tanto, el paisaje nunca es el mismo. Del mismo modo, siempre hay un escándalo del que hablar, ya sea político, deportivo o chisme del espectáculo (las fronteras entre estos temas se hacen cada vez más difusas, dicho sea de paso), que nos mantiene entretenidos. Por eso los peruanos en otros países se aburren tanto que prefieren trabajar. Gracias a eso los peruanos tienen una fama ganada como gente trabajadora en otros países.

1. Peruvians have faith. No matter how many times politicians trick us, how many times our national football team ends up in last place, or how many times [politicians] play around with our money, Peruvians still believe in the future. In other countries, revolutions have occurred for less than that. But here, faith keeps us alive.
4. Peruvians are never bored. Life is always changing in Peru. New laws, new initiatives, new hurdles, keep us on our toes. The route to my job changes weekly because of public works, construction, marches, strikes, or simply, the desire of the bus driver to beat the other ones in their [daily] race. So, the landscape is never the same. By the same token, there is always a scandal to talk about and keep us entertained, whether it be political, in sports, or from the Peruvian entertainment world (although, may I add, the boundaries between these three areas are becoming increasingly blurred). Peruvians who live in other countries become so bored they prefer to work. That's why Peruvians have the reputation as hard-working people in other countries.

El Pensieve de Dinorider [ES] in his brief post, “It's cool to be a ‘cholo'! Happy 28th!” shares a video of a beloved character from commercials, and also comments on the small earthquake that hit on at 9 a.m. on July 28^th

Para discursos de 28 de julio me quedo con el de Abuela Rina … A propósito de lo que dice la abuela, eso del himno es cierto, el que actualmente suena no es el que debía ser. … ¡Felíz Día de la Independencia del Perú!

P.D. Alguien sintió el temblor en La Ciudad de los Reyes? Yo estaba en duda si eran los animales jugando o si era temblor en verdad.

As far as July 28^th speeches, I prefer the one by Grandma Rina. … By the way, according to what the grandmother says, that national anthem is the right one, the one we use currently is not the one we should have. …Happy Peruvian Independence Day!
P.S Did anyone feel the earthquake in Lima? I wasn't sure if it was the animals\nplaying around or if it really was an earthquake.

Frenopático, in his diary-like blog, Desde mi Habitación en el Larco Herrera [ES] (Larco Herrera is Lima's main psychiatric hospital) expresses his desires for his fellow citizens in his post Day 233 – Happy 28^th of July!!!:

Feliz 28 de julio pe… a todos… Felices Fiesta Patrias!!!!
Coman su anticuchos y una buena porcion de Picarones
Tomen su chocolate con paneton!!…
Vayan al chifita Cuchitril o al Basuron
o pasen por donde la tia Haydeee para
que prueben su rica razon!!!
no se olviden de su Chelita y el cebichito
o un pan con chicharrron

Happy 28 of July, yeah … to everyone… Happy Independence Day!!!!
Eat your ‘anticuchos' (Peruvian brochettes) and a good portion of ‘picarones' (pumpkin fritters)
Drink hot chocolate and eat panettone
Head out to a chifa (Chinese-Peruvian restaurant) or any hole in the wall,
or to Aunt Haydee's house to sample her homemade cooking.
Don't forget the beer and ceviche
or a pork sandwich.

Turning serious for a moment, the folks at Educando Perú [ES] in their post Happy Day Peru, Happy Day Friends, reflect on what Peruvian is and what it means to be Peruvian. To do so, they recall the time when what we call the Peruvian nation was formed:

Nosotros los peruanos empezamos a formarnos como una sola nación cuando nació el primer mestizo, hijo de español e india. El primer mestizo destacado fue el Inca Garcilazo de la Vega. Él se creía español porque admiraba a su padre y los indios lo veían como tal, pero se sintió indio cuando estuvo entre los españoles porque lo despreciban. Eso somos los peruanos: una fusión de culturas, somos mestizos por la cultura, más que por raza.

Desde el inca Garcilaso estamos forjando nación: El Perú. Ya no somos españoles, ya no somos indígenas. Nuestros nombres y apellidos quechuas y españoles se mezclan libremente y forman nuestra personalidad histórica. Eso somos.

We Peruvians began to form one single people when the first mixed-race child was born, the child born of a Spanish man and an Indian woman. The first mixed-race person of note was Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. He believed himself to be Spanish because he admired his father and because the Indians saw him as such; but, he also felt himself to be Indian when he was with Spaniards because they rejected him. That is what we Peruvians are: a fusion of cultures, a mix of our culture, more than our race.
Since Inca Garcilaso, we have been creating a nation: Peru. We are no longer Spanish, we are no longer Indians. Our names and surnames, which are both Quechua and Spanish, are mixed freely and create our historic personality. That is who we are.

Nonetheless, not everyone feels so patriotic. Pipo, after saying that a country is mostly the people who comprise it, later complains about the people who surround him in his post Patriotism? in which he publishes a list of the excuses young people use in order to… do nothing:

Mentalidad de la gente ociosa y mediocre:
- Fin de semana hay tono, no puedo faltar
- Mi flaca(o) me llama, voas pasar todo el bendito dia con el(la)
- Enero, uy, no estudio, recien comienza el año pe`
- Febrero, ah no! carnavales!, mes de diversiòn y yapla
- Marzo, pucha, que acabe el verano todavia
- Mayo, oh no! dia de la virgencita, mes de reflexion ps
- Junio, dia del campesino, voa la serrania a acompañar a los peruanos trabajadores
- Julio, mes de la patria compare, mi patria antes que todo
- Agosto, cometa ps
- Octubre, me preparo pa hallowen obviamenteee, y pa la cancion criolla ;)
- Noviembre nooo ps, dia de los muertos… solemnidad
- Diciembre, navidad pe, jesusito y los regalos primero

The mentality of mediocre and lazy people:
- There's a party this weekend and I can't miss it.
- My girl/boyfriend calls me to spend all the blessed day with her/him.
- January, yikes, I'm not studying, the school year is just beginning, man.
- February, no way, it's Carnival month, full of fun and beach.
- March, heck, let the summer end first.
- May, oh no! it's the Day of the Virgin, it's a month for reflection, dude.
- June, it's the Day of the Farmers, I have to go to the mountains to accompany the Peruvian peasants.
- July, it's the month of Peru …. my country above all else.
- August, it's for flying kites, bro.
- October, obviously I have to get ready for Halloween and the Day of the Creole Song ;)
- November, nooo way, Day of the Dead… we have to be solemn.
- December, Christmas of course, Jesus and presents come first.

As a counterpoint, El Entrometido [ES] has no problem saying, Excuse me if I am a patriotic, and offers us some of the verses of his work, from which I have taken these lines:

Por tu gente —que es mi gente—,
por tu pueblo —que es el mío—,
por la fuerza de tu río
que atraviesa el continente.
Por cada mujer valiente
que resiste como tú,
por el chamán, el gurú,
el pisco y la marinera,
por tu blanca cordillera,
grito: ¡Qué viva el Perú!

For your people —who are my people—,
for your country —that is mine—,
for the power of your river
that crosses the continent.
For every courageous woman.
who stands as strong as you do,
for the shaman, the guru,
pisco and marinera,
for your snow-clad mountains,
I shout: Viva Peru!

Finally, and for those who ask themselves why so much ballyhoo about Peru and being Peruvian, I am going to leave you with three posts. The first one from marcayuq- crónicas desde un avispero [ES] features some Peruvian beauties in the post titled Peruvian babes!!! (They're all pretty fine!!!) (a post inspired, I think, in the one titled: Peruanazos, an interesting photographic report on everyday Peruvians, by the blogger at menoscanas [ES]). Then, Sad-Bastard-Music [ES] has a post titled Our musical mix for the National Holidays…, which has an excellent compilation of Peruvian rock. (You can also visit pop amor … el problema no eres tu, somos nosotros [ES] to hear cuts from We Are Peruvian Rockers). Finally, Alejandro of Peru Food [EN], in July 28: Happy Peruvian Independence Day!, posts a wonderful video titled Perú Land of the Inkas, which I recommend seeing to those who don't know much about my country. Personally, I can say I have had the good fortune to travel quite a bit within Peru, and I've been to most of the places seen in the video. However, there is still much for me to visit. From Peru, Happy July 28^th to all!!!

plaza2

The photographs used in this post are from the stage set up in Lima's main square, the Plaza de Armas, for the parade held on July 25 in honor of Peruvian Independence Day. I took one in the morning when they were still setting up; and, another in the evening, once the event was over.

Traducido por Alejandro García.

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