Archive for
October 17th, 2007
Stories
Iranian bloggers say Russia is offering Iran unfair deal
Several Iranian bloggers shared their concerns that Russia wants to allow Iran only a very small share in the wealth of the Caspian Sea. Iran used to exploit 50 per cent of Caspian Sea resources before the collapse of Soviet Union.
The heads of state of all five Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia, and Turkmenistan — met at the Caspian Summit, in Tehran, on Tuesday, October 16th. The five countries failed to agree on differences over how to share the wealth from the sea, which is rich in fish such as the valuable caviar-producing sturgeon, gas and especially oil.
*
Mohammad Moeeni has published [Fa] a cartoon that compares Vladimir Putin to the authoritarian former Soviet Union leader, Joseph Stalin. The blogger has chosen “Get Lost Putin” for the title of his post. He talks about conflicts between Iran and the former Soviet Union and Russian Empire. The blogger says Iran has lost parts of its territories in the last 200 years because of these conflicts.
About the current situation, he writes:
Russia finds different excuses to delay the construction of Busher nuclear reactor or get new advantages. Russia does not say that she is in or out of this business. Concerning the legal status of Caspian sea, Russia has taken a position against Iranian interests. As an Iranian, I then have a right to say, even with a weak voice, get lost Putin.
Yek Yaghyi (means rebel) says that 179 years ago Russia imposed the Turkmenchay Treaty [Fa] and Iranians lost territories and the right to sail ships in Caspian Sea. The blogger asks whether another Turkmenchay Treaty is awaiting us? The blogger says Putin does not believe in the Iranian nation and does not support the Iranian government, although he smiles at Ahmadinejad in front of the cameras. Who can explain the wolf and sheep friendship?
Kaghz Pareh (means piece of Paper) says [Fa] that in order to get Russia's support on the nuclear issue, the Iranian government has put Iran for sale. The blogger says the next generation will suffer for what happens today.
Razeno says [Fa] that Russia only wants to allow 11 per cent of Caspian Sea shares to Iran. The blogger argues that the Iranian government is giving too many advantages to Russia in exchange of this country's “weak” support regarding Iranian nuclear policy.
* Cartoon above is from Badban blog.
Japan: Bloggers respond to kidnapping in Iran
Earlier last week, the first report was made that a Japanese male was kidnapped and in captivity in Iran. Later it was revealed that the abductee is a Japanese university student who was backpacking in southern Iran. The news has reminded many of the previous cases in which Japanese individuals were held hostage in Iraq. These incidents sparked a great deal of controversy. The ex-hostages were criticized for their lack of jikosekinin (自己責任), or self-responsibility, They were also accused of wasting tax payers' money, and the government billed them for the costs of their flights back home after they were released.
This time again many bloggers harshly criticize the young man's “irresponsible” behaviour and write that this is the outcome that he deserves. Blogger aomanaei echoes this view:
イランで邦人学生が誘拐されました。
なぜ、危険なところに行くのでしょうか？
理解に苦しみます。
危険なことは、わかっていたはず。
なのに、なぜ？
かっこいいから？今しかできないから？ジャーナリストのつもり？
旅をすることは、すばらしいことだと思います。
でも、危険と判ってるところに行かなくても。。。
一人の軽はずみな行動で、国が動かなくてはならない。
だいたい、心配する家族がいることをもっと、考えてほしい。
Why did he go to such a dangerous place?
It is hard understand.
He must have known that it could be dangerous.
But then why?
Because it's cool? Because it's something you can do only now? Did he think he was a journalist?
I think travelling is a wonderful thing to do.
However, you don't have to go a place that you know is dangerous…
The careless behavior of one person forces the government to take action.
I want him to remember that he has a family who is concerned about him.
Another blogger shares a similar thought and writes:
行くな！と言っているのにどうして行くのだろう
そのために総理大臣が会見したりイラン政府と折衝したり
ほんとに大変なんだよね何を考えているんだか、ワ・カ・ン・ナ・イ
[…]
でもなるたけ余計なことで無駄に税金や時間を使いたくないよね
Because of him, the prime minister has to hold a press conference and negotiate with the Iranian government.
It really is so much trouble.
I really do not understand what he was thinking.
[…]
But if possible we don't want to waste our tax money and time on unnecessary things.
masaru-iwai responds to those reactions:
ともかく、マスコミが「イランは危険だ」と言おうが、外務省が「退避勧告／注意勧告」を出そうが行く人は行く。行く人によってモチベーションは違うが、基本的に「そこの現実を見たい」ということだろうと思う。その欲望を遮るだけの理由はなんだろう。国民に迷惑がかかるから？税金のムダ遣いになるから？はぁそうか。国民にどんな迷惑がかかるのだろう？税金のムダ遣いって他にも無いの？他のムダ遣いにも目くじらたててるのかな？良く分かんないや（笑）。
Tunisia: Blogger's books confiscated at customs
When Tunisian blogger Zizou from Djerba returned home to Tunis from Cairo last week, he received more than the welcome he bargained for.
At the airport in Tunis, Zizou was surrounded by customs and security officers, his luggage searched, two books purchased in Egypt seized. Zizou's readers were not surprised.
“Ah yes, that's the reality in our country, not what we read in the newspapers,” one reader commented.
Tunisia is notorious for its repression of speech. Books are frequently censored or seized, internet sites blocked, and bloggers harassed or arrested.
Here is Zizou's account of events:
Americas: The Kick Off for World Cup Qualifiers
Note from the Editor: Juan Arellano teamed up with Global Voices authors and editors from across South America to write this latest article about the road to the 2010 World Cup.
The South American World Cup qualifiers for the World Cup South Africa 2010 began this past weekend with matches that come around every four years and that gathers a multitude of people and passion from football fans. The following are opinions and reactions from around the continent and collected with the help of Global Voices authors.
On Saturday the 13th, the first round of matches were played. Uruguay and Bolivia started things off with a result that favored the home side, Uruguay. Bolivian bloggers wrote before and after the game. Rolando Lopez of Rocko Weblog [ES] wrote:
empezar una eliminatoria siempre es renovarse de esperanza y como tal, la confianza de buen fútbol, resultados y clasificación –como en el 94- están puestas en la joven selección Boliviana en estas tierras. Y como en Bolivia, en el resto de países de Sur América vivirán durante 2 años las mas grandes alegrías y las mas horribles tristezas que puede regalar el fútbol, al ver a su selección y su bandera en una metáfora de guerra danzada en el rectángulo verde que hará las veces de campo de batalla donde nacerán ídolos y caerán héroes.
Beginning the qualifiers always renews hopes and confidence in that the young team will play well, will achieve results and qualify as we did in 1994. In Bolivia, as in the rest of the South American countries, they will experience over the course of the next two years the biggest joys and the worst sadness that the game of football can provide to see its national team and flag in a metaphor of war that takes place on a square rectangle that resembles a battlefield where heroes are born and where heroes fall.
After the game, which ended up being a different story altogether, Hugo Miranda of Angel Caido [ES] provided his thoughts:
Como lo dije luego de la Copa America en un Podcast, esto no pintaba bien, pero igual la ILUSION ESTA y CONTINUA POR SI ACASO. Pero luego de lo sucedido estos dias Jueves y Viernes, en los que los Jugadores se PUSIERON A EXIGIR PLATA, por presentacion, por victoria de local (IMAGINANSE SEMEJANTE TONTERIA, PREMIO POR GANAR EN LA PAZ), por empate de visitante (seria milagro), por victoria de visitante (esto seria como ganar la LOTERIA), bueno cuando primero te ocupas de LA PLATA Y TE VALE LA PLANIFICACION (la poca que habia), cosas como estas suceden. Y asi nos fue, acaba de terminar el partido y Uruguay repitio la dosis de la anterior Eliminatoria nos clavo 5.
As I mentioned in a podcast about the Copa America, but this doesn't bode well, however THE HOPE REMAINS AND CONTINUES. After after what happened on Thursday and Friday, in which the players DEMANDED MONEY for each appearance and for a victory at home (IMAGINE THIS ABSURDNESS, PRIZE FOR WINNING IN LA PAZ), for a tie as visitor (it would be a miracle), for victory as visitor (this would be like winning the LOTTERY), when first you worry about money (THE PREPARATION DOES NOT MATTER MUCH TO YOU). That is how it goes, the game just ended and Uruguay repeated the dosage from the last qualifiers and marked 5 goals.
On the Uruguayan side, as they did not hope for anything less, Juan 1989 of Charruaha Hasta Los Huevos [ES] calmly comments as they await the next game:
La celeste “aplastó” al seleccionado de Bolivia por 5-0, con goles de todos los delanteros que jugaro; Forlán, Abreu, Suárez, V. Sánchez y Bueno. Uruguay jugó muy bien contra un seleccionado que no mostró mucho, y jugó mas de medio tiempo con un jugador menos por la expulsión de Ronald García. Dominamos el juego de inicio a fín, y podrían haber llegado más goles.
The blue “plastered” the Bolivian National Team 5-0, with goals from all the strikers that played: Forlan, Abreu, Suarez, V. Sanchez and Bueno. Uruguay played very well against a team that did not show much and played almost half the time with one player down due to the expulsion of Ronald Garcia. We dominated the game from the beginning to the end, and there could have been more goals.
Venezuela-Ecuador did not have a lopsided score as the previous match, but Venezuela won with the minimal difference, but in certain manner it was a surprise the fact that they beat Ecuador in Quito, a city of 2,850 meters above sea level, which means a certain tactical advantage when the play at home, at least it was. Cronista [ES] writes about the initial conclusions regarding Ecuador's defeat.
El mito de Quito déjenlo para las fábulas de don Luis Chiriboga y otros que crearon en torno a la ciudad, una especie de muralla invencible, por la dichosa altura. Estas eliminatorias son distintas. En los dos procesos anteriores, empezamos ganando a Venezuela. Hoy perdimos. Dejen de llorar por la ausencia del TIN. Si don Chucho Benítez, insigne goleador del torneo mexicano, hubiese concretado una de las tres oportunidades que tuvo, creánlo que el marcador hubiese sido distinto.
Leave the myth of Quito for the fables of Don Luis Chiriboga and others that created this myth for the city: a kind of invincible wall, for this supposed altitude. These qualifiers are different. In the two qualifying cycles before, we began by beating Venezuela. Today we lost. Stop crying over the absence of “Tin” (striker Augustin Delgado). If Chucho Benitez, the top goal scorer in the Mexican league, would have taken advantage of the three opportunities that he had, the score would have been different.
On the Venezuelan side, Luis Carlos Diaz of Periodismo de Paz [ES] tells us about some particular characteristics of these qualifiers in Venezuela, which among other things do not arouse many emotions:
La “vinotinto” que ha sido una cenicienta en el fútbol, se ha subido en carrozas de calabaza en algunos partidos de los últimos años. Tras la gran venta mercadotécnica que le hizo creer a medio país que íbamos a clasificar para el Alemania 2006, y tras una Copa América con visos faraónicos en nuestra república petrolera, este inicio de eliminatorias empezó como con poca visibilidad pero nuevas esperanzas. Quizás teníamos que ligar para Sudáfrica 2010 desde un principio, pero aquí somos inmediatistas y apasionados de media hora, así que esta victoria de Venezuela sobre Ecuador es algo que sólo los fanáticos han sabido reconocer, ya veremos el despegue de marketing más adelante. Les dejo tres enlaces: Previo: el despliegue de seguridad del evento, Un parecer del partido, con encuestas de usuarios incluida y un fanático de esos que postea con adrenalina y promete “para después”, pero deja el video del golazo solitario. Lo dice bien este último… aquí consideramos milagros estas victorias. Suerte al resto de los hermanos latinoamericanos… aquí nos va mejor el béisbol.
The “burgundy,” which had been a cinderella story in football, it had climbed aboard a pumpkin carriage during some matches over the past couple of years. Grand marketing made half the country think that we were going to qualify for Germany 2006, and after a Copa America that showcased the petroleum state, this cycle of qualifiers started with little fanfare, but with a new hope. Maybe we should have hoped for South Africa 2010 from the beginning, but here we want everything now and have short attentions spans, so Venezuela's victory over Ecuador is only something that the fanatics can recognize, we'll see the marketing from here on out. I leave you with three links: about the security for the event, about thoughts on the game, which includes a survey, and a video of the lone goal. As the last blogger writes….we consider these victories to be miraculous. Good luck to the rest of the Latin American brothers and sisters … here we do better in baseball.
The third game between Peru and Paraguay ended with no score. The result did convince anyone, and the Peruvian sport bloggers, such as De Media Cancha [ES] writes:
Lamentarse a estas alturas, buscar culpables, cuestionarnos que nos falto Paolo Guerrero, no cabe ahora, simplemente no se pudo, queda solo pensar en el próximo partido ante Chile, ya pasó el debut, se empato a cero goles ante el cuadro guarani, de locales se debe ganar, porque no se gana un punto se pierden dos y eso cuesta en las sumatorias finales. Solo diremos COMO CUESTA GANAR DE LOCAL. Podemos seguir hablando y analizando este empate pero es seguir en lo mismo, la falta de definición como siempre, pasemos la pagina que esto recién empieza.
At this stage, to feel sorry for ourselves, look for the guilty parties, question whether we missed Paolo Guerrero, is not worth it right now. Simply, we could not win, and all that remains is to think abou the next game against Chile. Our debut is over, we tied against the Paraguayan side. As the home side, we should win. We didn't win one point, we lost two points and those add up. We simply say, HOW IT IS DIFFICULT TO WIN AS THE HOME SIDE. We can continue to talk and analyze this tie, but to do so, would be the same. It was the lack of finishing, but let's turn the page so that we can finally start.
The fourth match was Argentina - Chile, which finished 2-0 in favor of the blue and white (Argentina). It was a victory that the entire world expected of course, including the Chileans. As Charla Tecnica [ES] commented:
Lamentable pero esperable derrota, yo tenia las esperanzas de que se podía obtener algo más pero bueno, no se pudo y se ve que hay bastante trabajo por hacer. Puedo destacar algunas cosas como la intención de atacar con harta gente, o pese a estar perdiendo y con 10 hombres, se intentaba atacar y no defender el 2 a 0 como ocurria en procesos pasados. Los rendimientos individuales fueron bajos, especialmente de mediocampo hacia adelante. Fue un equipo largo, que cometio mucha fallas, que no presionó la salida Argentina, que perdio el balón en la salida o en situaciones complicadas en donde no se puede perder. La expulsión fue una “huevada”, y agradezco por un lado la suspensión de “Limitado”.
The loss was unfortunate, but was expected. I had the hope that we could have accomplished something better, but we couldn't and it appears that we have a lot of work to do. I can point out certain things like the intention to attack with a lot of people, and in spite of losing with 10 men, we tried to attack and not defend the 2-0 as had happened in other cycles. The individual performances were low, especially in the midfield and the attack. It was a long team, which committed many fouls and did not pressure the other team and we lost the ball during the attack or in complicated situations where we shouldn't give up the ball. The expulsion was “unfortunate” and on one hand, I am grateful for the suspension of the player.
Jorge Gobbi of Blog de Viajes [ES] writes about the reaction from Argentina.
La primera fecha de las eliminatorias fue muy buena para Argentina, que derrotó a Chile 2 a 0, con goles convertidos por Román Riquelme de tiro libre. Ambos goles fueron muy similares, tal como comentan en Vale Chumbar: “Parecen los mismos videos, pero no es así. Juan Román Riquelme concretó 2 golazos (26 y 45´) de tiro libre casi idénticos para darle el triunfo a la Argentina por 2-0 ante Chile”. Y agregan: “Más allá de ciertos “chistes”, el partido se terminó a los 27´cuando Riquelme clavó el primer tiro libre. Hasta ahí, el equipo de Bielsa -recordemos que es Chile- intentó fiel a su estilo ser protagonista, siendo Suazo su arma más peligrosa. Habrá que ver si cuenta con los valores necesarios para plasmar su idea futbolística”.En Futblogs también destacan la actuación del 10 de Argentina: “Riquelme venía de una inactividad bastante prolongada; actualmente se encuentra en el Villarreal de España, donde su técnico, el chileno Manuel Pellegrini, no lo tiene en cuenta y ni siquiera lo incluye en el banco. Con poca delicadeza, dicen al respecto en Pasión Redonda: “¿Habrá visto el partido Manuel Pellegrini? ¿Se habrá dado cuenta de que su pollo Matías Fernández fue un verdadero desastre y se cagó en las patas? (perdón por las palabras)”.
The first matchday in the qualifiers went very well for Argentina, who defeated Chile 2 to 0, with goals by Román Riquelme on free kicks. Both goals were similar, as commented by Vale Chumbar [ES]: “They appear to be the same video, but they are not. Juan Román Riquelme marked two great goals (26 and 45′) on nearly identical free kicks to give a victory to Argentina by the score of 2-0 over Chile.” And they add” “Beyond certain “jokes” the game ended when Riquelme scored on the first free kick. From then on, Bielsa's team - remember this is Chile - tried to remain true to their style of being a protagonist, with Suazo as his most dangerous weapon. We must see if he has the necessary tools to make his idea of good football a reality. In Futblogs [ES], they also celebrate the play of the #10 of Argentina: “Riquelme is playing after a prolonged inactivity; he currently belongs to Villarreal of Spain, where his coach Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, has not considered playing him, not even including him on the bench, which leads Pasión Redonda [ES] to say with a little bit of delicateness, “I wonder of Manuel Pellegrini watched the game? He would have noticed that Matías Fernández (a Chilean and Villarreal player) was a real disaster and he played horribly (pardon the words.)”
El último partido de ésta fecha se jugó el domingo14 y correspondió al Brasil - Colombia y concluyó 0 a 0. Leamos lo que nos cuenta los amigos colochos de Futblog en el post Editorial: volvió la fe:
The last match on this date was played on Sunday the 14th where Brasil and Colombia faced off to a 0-0 draw. Los Amigos Colochos de Futblog [ES] writes:
La selección Colombia empató sin goles con Brasil en el primer partido de eliminatorias sudamericanas, pero pudo ganar. El resultado es bueno teniendo en cuenta que los puntos conseguidos frente a equipos como Brasil o Argentina pueden ser determinantes en el momento de definir los clasificados al mundial, porque son unidades con los que casi nadie cuenta. Este fue el mejor partido desde que Jorge Luis Pinto asumió su cargo como técnico de la selección mayor, el equipo salió motivado por comenzar bien la eliminatoria, con un rival de la talla de Brasil enfrente y no decepcionó.
The Colombian National Team played to a scoreless draw against Brasil in the first match of the South American qualifiers, but they could have won. The result is favorable considering the points achieved against teams like Brazil or Argentina can be determining factor at the moment of qualifying for the World Cup, because they are points that almost no one counts on. This was the best game since Jorge Luis Pinto took over as coach of the National Team, as the team emerged with motivation to begin the process well with a rival with the stature of Brazil and did not disappoint.
And finally, it can be said that no one has more confidence in the Brazilian team than the Brazilians themselves. GV Portuguese Editor José Murilo writes:
Começam domingo as eliminatórias. O Brasil nunca deixou de ir, e não vai ser agora. E ainda que acontecesse, dariam um jeitinho pra gente participar. A Seleção Brasileira estréia contra a Colômbia, que já não bota medo em mais ninguém. Acho que ganhamos fácil. O segundo jogo contra o Equador, quem diria, é que vai ser mais complicado apesar de ser em casa. Mas ganharemos também.Eliminatórias sulamericanas para 2010 - Blog Extralibris
The qualifiers will start on Sunday. Brazil has never missed a World Cup, and it would not be now. Even if it happen to occur, they would find a way to put us in. The Brazilian team will debut against Colômbia, which is not a threat to anyone anymore. I think it will be an easy win. The second game is against Ecuador, and who would guess it, I think this will be a tough one although we will play at home. But we will win it also.South American Qualifiers for 2010 - Blog Extralibris.
Y este es un comentario sobre los resultados:
Com 45 minutos de atraso por causa da forte chuva que caiu sobre Bogotá, Colômbia e Brasil começaram a partida com perspectivas opostas: os colombianos em busca de jogo, os brasileiros para fazer o tempo passar. Porque 2640 metros de altitude são 2640 metros de altitude… Enfim, num jogo nota 4, com 10 só para a altitude, a grande vilã que a Fifa ameaçou matar mas não teve peito para cumprir, parece justo dar 5 para cada brasileiro em campo, com 6 para Júlio César, e 7 para Dunga que, afinal, conseguiu o que queria. A arbitragem merece 7 e o gramado, quase perfeito depois daquela borrasca, fica com 9. Em La Paz será pior, em Quito será igual, mas bom mesmo será em Lima, em Montevidéu, em Buenos Aires, Assunção, enfim, onde dá para jogar bola, como no Rio, em São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre… Em tempo: que os blogueiros me poupem com comentários do tipo “altitude é frescura”.Faltaram ar e futebol - Blog do Juca
In a game which started 45 min. late because of a rainstorm in Bogotá, Colombia and Brazil displayed opposing perspectives: the Colombians running after the game, and the Brazilians rolling the ball to pass the time. Because 2,640 mts high [Bogota's elevation] still mean 2,640 mts high. Wrapping it up, the game scored a 4 grade, and the only ‘player' deserving 10 is the local altitude, the big villain that FIFA menaced to kill [by announcing the ban of all matches at elevations above 2,500 meters, or 8,202 feet, which was then relented after protests] but did not have the guts to accomplish. It seems fair to give a 5 to every Brazilian in the field, a 6 to Julio Cesar [Brazilian goal keeper], and a 7 to Dunga [Brazilian coach] who finally achieved what he wanted. The referees deserve 7, and the pitch, which was almost perfect after that storm, deserves a 9. In La Paz it will be worse, in Quito it will be the same, but the good ones will happen in Lima, Montevideo, Asuncion, where after all it is possible to play the game, like in Rio, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre… In time: I ask you bloggers to save me from comments such as “altitude is girly talk”.Missing air and football - Blog do Juca
The next round of qualifiers begins on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Nata Blog: A Blog From An African Village
One of the success stories of the power and reach of citizen media in Africa is definitely The Nata Village Blog. It is a blog from Nata village in Botswana. Nata is a village of about 5000 people located on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans, the largest salt pan in the world. The blog is a tool in the fight against the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS in Nata village. It features people living with AIDS, youth groups, clinic staff and social workers and give visitors an inside look at how people live in an African village. It is also used for fundraising.
Unfortunately, HIV/AIDS is having a devastating effect on the people of this small village. Botswana has the second highest HIV infection rate in Africa. The current rate of infection is 37% nationally and Nata's rate of infection is even higher. The pandemic has left Nata with over 400 orphans. Currently, nearly 50% of all pregnant women in Nata are HIV positive. Thankfully, Botswana has free Anti-Retroviral Therapy available for those with low CD4 (t-cell) counts. We also have a Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission program that has reduced the rate of infection from mother to child to about 5%. This website is dedicated to the people of Nata who despite enormous losses and challenges still have the courage and determination to fight the ravages of this pandemic.
In the beginning Nata village had no blog, until…:
The Nata Blog was born as a result of a world traveler, Jon Rawlinson, passing through Nata on the way to the Okavango Delta. The tour books referred to Nata as nothing more than a dust hole and he had no intention of spending any time there. But, as coincidence would have it, he met a Peace Corps Volunteer named Melody Jenkins who is working as an HIV/AIDS educator and community capacity builder. Jon was interested in seeing more than the tourist destinations of Africa and wanted to learn more about the impact of HIV/AIDS on Botswana. After just one night of meeting the locals and hearing first hand accounts of the struggle to control the spread of the disease, Jon was hooked and wanted to help. He has since been back to Nata twice and has been introduced to the Kgosi (chief) and most of the professionals working to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. Nata will benefit from the fact that our world traveler is also a professional producer and editor as well as a website designer. Jon and Melody worked on a documentary about HIV/AIDS in Nata in hopes of bringing the story of Nata to the world. Jon discovered an incredible village filled with the beautiful Mokolane Palm trees lining the Nata River. Unlike most tourists, Jon wanted to do more than just snap a few photos of elephants and giraffes and return home. He wanted to make a difference and offered to design and administer this website.
After much discussion and the frustration of donations going to large organizations that rarely get to those that really need it, Jon and Melody decided to try and help the people of Nata with this website
The posts on the blog are written by Melody Jenkins, a U.S. peace corps volunteer, Martha Ramaditse, a native of Nata and Mr. Seloma Tiro, the Chairman of the Nata AIDS and Orphan Trust which manages the funds generated from this website.
Mr. Tiro has played a critical role in the success on the blog:
This website would not have been possible without his generosity. Since the inception of the website, Mr. Tiro has loaned Martha and Melody his laptop computer for blogging, paid for all calls to access the internet and allowed us to use his server. He has all but turned over his own private office to us. At the birth of this website there were only 3 people in the village with internet access. Mr. Tiro became a co-founder of this website as it would not have been possible without him. Mr. Tiro is a co-owner of the natavillage.org domain and Nata village blog.
The blog was designed and is administered by John Rawlinson.
Recently, the Nata Village blog won the Peace Corps Information and Technology Contest:
Back in January, we entered the Peace Corps Information and Technology Contest. We learned in June that we were one of 9 finalists. It was just announced that we are one of the top three winners named in the contest. The three winners will be featured in the December issue of Worldview Magazine and the projects will be featured in Peace Corps internal and external publications. We've been told that we will also be featured in the Peace Corps Times. We want to congratulate the other winners Heidi Joseph in Zambia and Nicholas Cabiati and Daniel Schier in Senegal. We think it's pretty cool that all three winners are working on the African continent. It just shows that technology is available here and growing everyday. Thanks to Anthony Bloome of Peace Corps for organizing the contest along with all the judges. We need to once again thank Jon Rawlinson of Canada for his gift of this website to Nata village and Mr. Seloma Tiro for his continued financial support of this project. We also want to thank our chief Kgosi Makgesi for taking a chance and allowing his village to be the first in Botswana with a website.
As a result of winning the Peace Corps ICT Contest, the Nata Village Blog got a scholarship to attend the Global Conference on ICT and Youth for Development in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference was organized by The Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU):
To go from elephants in the bush near Nata to Geneva, Switzerland is a big leap. The Peace Corps Volunteers involved with the three winning projects in the Peace Corps ICT contest have been given a scholarship to attend the Global Forum on Youth and ICT for Development in Geveva, Switzerland. Special thanks to Mr. Paul Jhin, Director of Special Inititatives at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. as he is responsible for securing the scholarships from the United Nations on behalf of the volunteers who will be presenting their projects at the International Conference Center in Geneva. The conference begins on September 24th and the volunteers will present on the 26th. This is an excellent opportunity to share the strengths and needs of Nata village at an international setting. The opportunity presented itself on a VERY short notice. It is amazing at which the speed of Peace Corps and the United Nations Development Program arranged for the tickets for us to travel to Geneva. Plenty of photos will be taken so we can share the experience with all of you. A heartfelt congratulations to Jon Rawlinson and Seloma Tiro who are partners in this project. Way to go guys!! By the way, Jon compiled the previous post so it's apparent who the real technical expert is. Jon, thanks for being our technical guru. We hope this opportunity brings more resources to Nata village. This post is being sent from Jo-Berg, South Africa as I patiently wait my 5 hour layover.
During the conference, Google’s interactive presentation included the story of the Nata village blog:
Mr. Delany [from Google] is pictured above showing a part of the Nata video, a village of hope. It's a little hard to see but on the screen is the Nata river. You will never know what pride I felt as I saw our tiny village getting a voice in this arena. Mr. Delany continued to encourage users to use all the technology available to them.
After the conference, Melody wrote “Back to Reality”:
What a great experience it was to represent Nata village in Geneva, Switzerland. We hope the experience will bring more attention to the website and more help to the people of Nata. There were many people from different African countries at our seminar and we hope that additional villages will start their own websites and help more people in remote areas. It's just such a contrast to go from Geneva to Nata. The woman pictured above is eeking out a living selling bananas for 20 cents at the Francistown bus rank. A cup of coffee in Geneva is equal to a days wage for many people in Nata. So, it's back to work for all of us here.
Donations from supporters are used to help people with HIV, orphans, the village clinic, Mabogo Arts and Culture Productions, etc. Currently, they sponsored an essay contest:
With your donations we are currently sponsoring and essay contest for grades 6 and 7 at Nata primary school. The essay topic is: How HIV/AIDS has affected or could affect my life. We will pay $60 for 1st place, $36 for 2nd place, $18 for 3rd place, $9 for 4th place and $5 for 5th place. Certificates will be given to those coming in 6th through 10th place. This is alot of money for a child to win so we hope this encourages them to think about the topic and do their best to avoid contracting the virus. We have nearly 100 essays to read and we will announce the winners at the Standard 7 farewell party at the end of this month. We will post the winning essay with the students photo on this website so you can read how the young people of Nata are thinking about this disease. We try to think of ways to make YOUR donations have the greatest impact. For $127 we have mobilized an entire school to focus on the issue of HIV/AIDS and in the process have rewarded students for their academic efforts. Thanks to all of our donors!! By the way, it took four days to post this!! We really miss high speed internet and a decent server.
Last year, the Nata Village Blog was featured on Typepad:
The resulting Nata Village Blog is a moving effort, with photographs, stories, and amazing videoblog entries. The blog documents both the challenges and the successes of the residents, clinic workers, and educators facing the HIV/AIDS pandemic…Please, just go visit the blog. It offers its authors and its readers alike a chance to do something profound.
The latest post on the blog is about Internet access at Nata Clinic:
Woo hoo! After what seemed like an endless wait, we finally have internet access at Nata Clinic. Pictured above is Nurse Midwife Charity (from Zimbabwe) looking up something on the internet. Officially only the Sr. Nurse, Doctor, and Pharmacist have log in privileges but we hope that privilege will soon extend to other staff members. We're told it's just a matter of registering at our sub-ditrict. It's such a great way for staff to update themselves on medical conditions and treatments. Key personnel are now able to email reports and requests to our sub-district which is 120 miles away in Tutume.
Links for Wed, 2007-10
Salam Democrat informs[Fa] that Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers who started a strike on 27 September,finally received their unpaid salaries.
“It was not me who changed, it was the problem that changed!”, Lebanon Update quoting a Lebanese leader while showing how politicians easily change positions and how religion and the state are mixed.
In Khomeinism blog, we read[Fa] that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the most important exporter of Islamic Revolution,after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini,the political leader of Islamic Revolution and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,the Leader of Iran.The blogger says Ahmadinejad reminds us the words of Ayatollah Khomeini who said “I ask God to give us the power that even in churches, we listen to down with USA and down with USSR slogans”.
Ultra Violet on a recent Bollywood film that relies on stereotypes of women and notions of sexual purity.
Hissyfits on trees, or the growing lack of them in Sri Lanka, and Words Of Wisdom on recycling on Blog Action Day.
Mario Duran of Palabras Libres [ES] provides firsthand photos of bars and nightclubs in El Alto, Bolivia that were burned by neighbors, who accused the establishments of selling alcohol to minors and being centers of crime.
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