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Syria: Petition Urging Men to “Cover Up” Launched

Amira Al Hussaini · 20:29 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → ar · fr · it

Syrian blogger Omniya [Ar] has heard enough about people ordering her to cover up and that women are to blame for falling victims to sexual harassment. Now is her turn to launch a campaign calling for men to cover up and lower their gaze.

She explains her reasoning behind launching the campaign as follows:

مفردة التعري أصبحت ملازمة للفتاة التي قررت لأي سبب كان أن تتخلى عن اللباس الموحد الذي يلتزم به مجتمع ما ، كل مجتمع يعتقد أنه بهذا اللباس الذي فرضه قد قام بصورة أو أخرى بتنفيذ أمر الله في آيته الكريمة التي تخص الحجاب. هو لباس موحد حرفيا يدخل في أدق التفاصيل حتى في لون الجوارب التي يجب أن نرتديها والحذاء. و أذكر هنا بقهر إدارة مدرسة في دمشق رفضت تعييني ، لأني رفضت لبس الجوارب” الشرعية ” والخفافة السوداء أثناء الدوام المدرسي!!!! متذرعين أنهم لا يريدون للطلاب أن تفرق معلمة عن أخرى.
يتغير معنى هذه المفردة من شخص/ة لأخر . هناك من يعتقد أن مجرد” كشف الرأس ” هو تعري.

The word naked/nude has become synonymous to any woman who has decided, for any reason, not to adhere to the common costume worn by society. Every society believes that the dress code it imposes in one way or another implements the the order of Allah in the Quranic verse on the Hijab (Islamic headscarf for women). This is a unified code of dress, where all details are taken care of, down to the colour of the stockings and shoes you wear. I recall with fury how I was refused a job in a Damascus school because I refused to wear the Shariah-compliant black stockings while at school. The school's excuse was that it didn't want the students to differentiate between teachers. This idea differs from one person to the other. There are some who believe that exposing the hair is nudity.

Omniya explains how the Shariah (Islamic law) complaint dress code changes from one country to the other:

كنت في بداية عشرينيتي أظن أن اللباس الذي استيقظت عليه عيناي منذ صغري، والذي تلتزم فيه معظم الفتيات في دمشق حاليا هو اللباس الصحيح المذكور في القرآن. ولكن عند خروجي من دمشق صدمت عندما رأيت اختلاف اللباس الشرعي من مجتمع لآخر ومن بلد لأخر.في مصر مثلا ، الحجاب يعني أن يكون غطاء الرأس طويلا بحيث يقوم بتغطية الجزء الأعلى من الجسم حتى الخصر. وهم يستغربن لبسنا للمعطف الذي ندعوه “المانطو ” هنا في سوريا ، و عني استغربت هذا الطول حتى قامت احداهن بش بالتعليل.في الأردن نظام الحجاب يلتزم بمفردات الآية “الجلباب” أي يجب أن تكون الياقة عاليا لتغلق أو تستر على الرقبة ويأتي “الشيلة ” من الأعلى بشكل دائري حول الوجه. في تونس وبسبب منع الحجاب ، فأن الحجاب يوضع بشكل تظهر في الرقبة والشعر. في الكويت ، اللباس الموحد هو العباية الفضفاضة و غطاء الوجه كاملا، حتى العينين.

In my early twenties, I thought that the dress code I was raised on, and the one most of the girls in Damascus follow, is the dress code stipulated by the Quran. After I left Damascus, I was shocked when I saw how Shariah-compliant dress codes changed from one society to the other and from one country to the next. In Egypt, for instance, the Hijab means that the head cover is long enough to cover the top part of the woman's body, down to her sides. They are surprised at the long jacket we wear here in Syria. In Jordan, the Hijab means covering the entire body with a robe which covers the neck and a scarf which goes in a circular motion around the head. Because of the anti-Hijab law in Tunisia, those wearing it, show their neck and hair, while in Kuwait, the uniform dress code is a loose Abaya (cloak), and a complete cover on the face, which also covers the eyes.

Not covering up, argues Omniya, exposes women and girls to sexual harassment:

عني كأنثى مسلمة، السبب الرئيسي في ارتدائي الحجاب كان أولا وأخرا شعوري بالذنب كلما تعرضت للتحرش الجنسي المباشر او بالكلام في الباصات او المكيرو أو في الشارع . الفكرة السائدة حتى لآن أن الفتاة( كائن ما يكون شكلها) هي المسبب الرئيسي بجعل الذكر يتحرش بها. و إلى الآن ورغم اقتناعي التام أن لا ذنب لي ، فأني اشعر بالذنب عند خروجي بكامل زينيتي و السير بالشارع لأنتهي بكلام التلطيش على طول الطريق .

As for me as a Muslim woman, the main reason why I wore the Hijab was mainly because I felt guilty every time I was sexually harassed directly or verbally, on the bus or shared taxi or even on the street. The widespread idea until today is that the girl (however she may look) is the main reason why she would be sexually harassed. And this is why, even though I am no longer convinced that I am to be blamed, I still feel the guilty when I leave the house dressed up in a manner which showcases my beauty, and get verbally assaulted as I walk down the street.

If that is the case, argues Omniya, why are women who are not considered as beautiful also harassed?

ذكرت مفردة ( كائن ما يكون شكلها) رغم قرفي لهذه المفردة ، لأن المفروض أن الشاب يثار جنسيا في حال مرور أمامه فتاة جميلة ، فلا يمسك نفسه و يتحرش بها، صح؟ طيب في حال أن الفتاة لم تكن جميلة أي أنها لا تثير من يقابلها فلم يتم التحرش بها؟

I have used the phrase (however she may look) despite my despise for it, because in reality a man is sexually aroused when he comes across a beautiful girl and he can't hold himself back and harasses her, right? If that is the case, why do they then harass women who are not beautiful?

النقطة التي أريد بصقها بوجه كل من يقوم بالتحرش، هي أن الشاب أولا واخرا لم يثار من مجرد مرور الفتاة أمامه، هو أصلا خرج من بيته مثارا بعد قضائه الليل بطوله على الأفلام الجنسية ، يرى ما يرى و يمارس ما يمارس مع نفسه او مع الحائط . ومن ثم يلتصق بأول من تخرج بوجهه في الميكرو أو في موقف الباص ليس لأنها أثارته بجمالها الفتان أو بتعريها أو بعفتها ولكن لأنه هو بيده يثير نفسه يوميا، فلم تلومون الفتيات يا سادة؟ لم لا تلومون أنفسكم.؟
هذه الفتاة التي خرجت بوجهك ليست التي كانت ترقص وتخلع منذ قليل على الشاشة!!

The point I want to spit out in the face of all those who harass women is that men are not aroused simply when a girl passes in front of them. They actually leave their homes aroused, after spending their nights watching adult movies, seeing what they see and doing what they do to themselves or the wall. They then attach themselves to the first woman who comes out of the shared taxi or bus, not because she had aroused him with her beauty or her nudity or her chastity but because he had already aroused himself with his own hands. Why do you then blame women? Why don't you blame yourselves? This girl you came across wasn't the girl who was dancing and taking off her clothes on the television screen a few minutes ago!!!

ثانيا ، لم يعد والحمد لله من هم في عقول الشباب الذكور منهم والأناث سوى أداء فريضة الحجاب . يعني باقي الفرائض مش مهمة ، نحنا انشالله حندخل الجنة وهموم الأمة ستحل و القدس ستحرر، كل هذا مربوط بسترة البنات.

Secondly, there doesn't seem to be any concern in the minds of men and women other than fulfilling the Hijab order. This means that the remaining rituals (of Islam) are not important and we will all go to heaven by the will of God, solve the problems of our society and liberate Jerusalem - but all that is related to the chastity of our women.

تعثرت أمس بهذه الحملة ، (ِشارع آمن للجميع!!)هذه ليست المرة الأولى التي اقرأ فيها عن هذا النوع من الحملات . شباب مصر و دول الخليج وشاشات القنوات الفضائية مستنفرة بهذه القضية . شعرت بالحنق في عروقي لأن هذه النوع من الحملات وصل لسوريا والحمد لله . أذكر السنة الماضية توارد صفحات الأخبار لتعرض عدة فتيات مرتديات للجينز في شوراع دمشق للرش “بمية النار” على أرجلهن .هذا الجنون توقف لا أعلم لماذا!

Yesterday I came across this campaign entitled a Safe Street for All, and this isn't the first time I read about such initiatives. Young people in Egypt, the Gulf and all over television are mobilising their forces for this cause. I felt elated that such a campaign has found its way to Syria and thank God for that. I remember the previous year, there was news in the papers that some girls wearing jeans were attacked on the streets of Damascus with “fire water” which was splashed on their legs. This madness was stopped and I don't know why!

هنا أصل إلى مرداي من هذه التدوينة، ” من أجل شارع آمن للجميع وبما أني وحدة من الجميع و بحب أمشي بالشارع..لماذا ليس هناك حملات تدعو الشباب “السافر”للتستر أيضا ؟ لماذا هذه الحملات تقتصر على البنات فقط ؟ لم لا تقوم الشاشات بمهاجمة الشباب الذين يخرجن على أكمل زينة ؟ ألم تنزل الآية على المؤمنين والمؤمنات؟ أين اللباس الموحد الشرعي للشباب؟ لم لا يفرض عليهم تطويل القميص و لبس الجورب الشرعي والحذاء الأسود؟ ألا تنظر الفتاة أيضا؟ ألا تشتهي؟ لم لا تمسك مجموعة بنات بأبر “مية نار” أيضا وترش على كل شاب يمر أمامها ممن يلبسن التي شيرت و الجينز الضيق في الشعلان و الحمرا؟

This is where I get to the point of this post. For the sake of a street safe for all, and as I am one of all, and love to walk on the street, why are there no campaigns asking men who expose their bodies to cover up as well? Why are those campaigns restricted to girls only? Why don't television stations attack men who leave their homes looking handsome? Doesn't the verse from the Quran refer to both men and women? Where is the unified Shariah-compliant dress for men? Why don't they have longer shirts, and a Shariah-compliant socks and black shoes imposed on them? Don't girls have eyes too? And don't they get lustful? Why don't girls carry injections with ‘fire water' in them and spray men who pass by them wearing jeans and tight t-shirts?

Taking it a step further, Omniya, launches a petition here, and urges all her readers to sign it. The petition says:

Since females in the Arab region should wear a special uniform, since there are dozens of petitions asking females to cover themselves from top to toe, I think that arab men should do the same.

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Guyana: EPA - To Sign or Not To Sign?

Janine Mendes-Franco · 17:26 · Americas

lingua → pt · bn · es · zht · zhs

2008 heralds the beginning of a new era of Caribbean trade as the European Union ushers in the first phases of a new trade pact between regional territories and the 27 members of the EU. What's the big deal about a little trade agreement? Just the fact that the new rules change the fundamentals of how these two trade blocs relate. The CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement replaces the 2001 Cotonou Agreement, which had been largely constructed on protected trade. The new EPA is based on reciprocity - which means that for the first time, the playing field will be level.

Stakeholders and special interest groups have been quite vocal about the entire affair, with some regional governments - like Guyana - insisting that they will not sign the EPA as it stands. The problem is, there's a deadline involved. Sign, or have your goods slapped with higher entry tariffs, which immediately makes them more expensive and therefore less marketable. A few Guyanese bloggers have been speaking out…

Guyana 360 suggests that the nation is being misled:

BHARRAT JAGDEO has been less than TRUTHFUL about the EPA deal. All the fuss about Guyana not signing on to the EPA just got dashed when Dougie Brew, a trade police advisor at the European Commission in Brussels told the BBC that Guyana had written the Commission in March stating its strong support of the EPA and had requested help with its implementation.

In a follow-up post, he underscores his point by linking to audio of the BBC interview.

Propaganda Press simply links to an Inter Press Service news story, which suggests that Guyana may be “punished” should it not sign the agreement; while Living Guyana, tongue firmly in cheek, wants answers:

Oh Mighty Bharrat tell we what yuh doin. We trust you. We leave everything with you for you are the wise, the mighty, the great, the leader. You are our leader. You know best.

So Oh Mighty Bharrat - to sign or not to sign?

The agreement will affect things like market access, trade related issues, services and investment and legal and institutional issues - and if Guyana does intend to sign the EPA, it will need to do so by tomorrow.

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Korea: Hangeul Proclamation Day

Hyejin Kim · 15:39, October 14th, 2008 · East Asia

lingua → bn

On the 9th of October, the day to celebrate the creation of the Korean writing system [Hangeul] returned. Since it was canceled as a national holiday, every year there has been a voice arguing that it should be made again as a national holiday, so that people can recognize the importance of the birth of the Korean alphabet. More emphasis on English in Korean society raises netizens’ concerns and opinions about the anniversary this year.

Designlog’s concern:

한글, 우리나라 글 맞는 걸까?

아름다운 한글 창제를 기리는 562돌 한글날을 맞이했다. 한 나라의 언어이자 그 우수성을 세계에서 인정받은 우리의 한글. 지난 해 561돌 한글날을 맞이하여 “한글날이 왜 공휴일이 되어야 하는가?”글을 통해서 한글날이 국가 공휴일로 지정되어야 하는 필요성을 시사하기도 했었다. 그러나 정작 정부는 이러한 의미깊은 한글날을 국가 공휴일을 지정하려는 움직임은 전혀 보이지 않고 있고, 또한 모든 국민들이 한글의 우수성을 고취시키고 한글 문화 향상을 위한 노력도 미약하기만 하다. 옛 선조들이 나랏글이 없어 서러움을 받을 백성과 후손들을 위해서 세계의 문화유산으로 인정받을 만큼 우수한 나랏글인 아름다운 한글을 창제해 물려 주었으나, 그 소중한 문화유산을 널리 기리고 육성하지 못하고 오히려 외국어 보급과 육성에 국민의 혈세를 투입하고 있으니 선조들께 후손으로 송구스럽고 부끄러울 마음이 앞선다. 어제 오후에 발행된 경향신문 보도자료 “영어엔 1861억, 한글엔 119억… 예산 24배 차이” 란 기사를 읽으면서 그 실망감이 너무 커 어이상실할 지경이었다. 영어 교육 사업에 눈 먼 대한민국 정부를 향하여 자국어인 한글의 가치와 한글이 어느 나라 말인지? 를 되묻고 싶은 심정이다. 물론 글로벌 경쟁력 향상을 위한 영어교육에 힘쓰는 것도 나쁘지 않다고 생각하지만, 자국어인 한글도 제대로 모르면서 외국어인 영어만 잘하면 글로벌 경쟁력은 절로 강화되는 것은 분명 아니라고 생각한다. 또한 영어를 못해서 지금까지 대한민국이 글로벌 경쟁력이 떨어졌다고도 생각되진 않는다.
국민의 세금으로 조성된 예산을 지자체들은 앞다투어 영어마을 건립과 원어민교사 지원에 쏟아 붓고 있다. 더군다나 16개 광역지자체 중5개 지자체는 아예 한글 사업에 땡전 한 푼 예산을 배정하지 않고 있어 주객이 전도된 정부의 정책일로를 바라보는 국민들의 반감을 사기에 충분하고, 외국인의 눈에는 이런 정부의 정책이 이해되지 않는 되지 않는 나라로 비춰지진 않을까? 적지 않은 우려감도 앞선다. 그렇다면 562돌 한글날을 맞아 국내 포털들과 미디어, 그리고 민간단체들이 앞다투어 대대적 한글날 관련 행사로 분주했음에도 불구하고 정부 부처의 인터넷 홈페이지는 어떤 모습일까?

Is Hangeul really our national script?

We celebrated the Anniversary 562nd Hangeul Proclamation Day. As the language of a nation, Hangeul is recognized in the world. Celebrating the 561st Hangeul Proclamation Day last year, I put a post, ‘Why should the Hangeul Proclamation Day be a holiday?’ and explained why it should be a holiday. However, the government doesn’t intend to appoint such an important day as a national holiday. In addition, the people don’t make enough efforts to inspire the excellence of Hangeul and improve Hangeul culture. Our ancestors created it for the people and descendants so that they can have their own national language. But we don’t admire and foster such a precious cultural heritages, but we waste our money to distribute and foster foreign language. I feel ashamed and sorry to ancestors. After I saw a report from Kyunghyang Newspaper, “186.1 billion to English, but 11.9 billion,” [kr] I was stunned with disappointment. I would like to ask the government about the value of Hangeul. Of course, in order to improve our global competitive power, English education is important. But I don’t think that global competitive power will be bigger while we speak English well and don’t speak Korean well. In addition, I don’t think that the global competitive power of our country has been weaker because we are not proficient in speaking English. Local autonomous entities are busy spending budgets from people’s tax to establish English villages and to support English native speakers. On the other hand, 5 of 16 local autonomous entities don’t even allocate any budget for developing Korean language, Hangeul. The attitude of the government is like ‘putting the cart before the horse.’ What do people here and foreigners think about government policies? For the anniversary, Internet portal sites, media, and non-governmental organizations have been busy preparing events. How about government websites?

Why are netizens worried?

대화를 하거나 글을 쓸 때, 외국말을 섞어 사용하는 사람들 심상치 않게 볼 수 있다. 무턱대고 비난할 수 없다. 나 역시 예외일 순 없으니까. 교육, 기술, 문화 환경 등 다양한 요소에 의해 외국말에 쉽게 노출 된 상황에서 사용 빈도는 늘어나는 건 필연적이고 사람마다 선호하는 언어가 같을 수가 없으니, 자유주의 국가에서 무조건 언어 사용시 모국어만 사용하게 만들 수 없다. 그렇다고 외국말의 지나친 남용을 눈뜨고 지켜보자는 이야기가 아니다. 뭔가 괴상한 국적 불명의 외래어를 자제하고 우리말을 사랑하고 정확하게 사용하게끔 유도해 나가야 되지 않나 생각된다. 이런 일은 가정, 학교 그리고 사회 곳곳에서 일어나야 된다고 생각한다. 그렇다고 외래어를 무조건 한국어로 바꿔서 가르키고 사용하자는 것은 아니다. 자국엔 없고 외국에서만 있던 혹 만들어진 개념을 우리나라 말로 억지로 만들어 오히려 의미전달을 떨어뜨리는 것 보다 그대로 사용하게는 나을 수도 있다. 다만, 무분별하게 사용되는 외래어 사용을 자제하자는 것이다. 너에게 들려주는 스토리, 패밀리가 떴다와 같은 국적 불명의 합성어, 외국어 발음 그대로 적어놓거나 병행 표기도 아닌 외국어로만 표기해 놓은 간판. 한 미국인이 고개를 갸우뚱하며 이런 말을 한 적이 있다. 왜 한국제품들 이름을 보면 전부 영어를 사용하냐고, 왜 한국어를 사용하지 않냐고. 물론 언어가 어느 정도 유연성이 있어야 외부에서 오는 충격도 받아내고 앞으로 다가올 시대에 대비할 수 있다고 생각되어지나, 굴러온 돌이 박힌 돌을 빼내는 주객전도 상황이 일어나선 안된다고 생각한다. 요즘 너무 심하다.

It’s easy to find people who mix foreign words while they speak and write. We can’t blame them because I’m not exceptional either. In diverse parts, such as education, technology, and cultural environments, our lives are more exposed to foreign words. Each person has a different taste of using words. In a liberal country, they can’t control the people to use their own mother language. But it doesn’t mean that we should disregard over-using of foreign words. I think that we should control ourselves to use words of strange and unknown nationality and encourage the people to value our language and to use accurately. It should start from the house, school and society. It doesn’t mean that we should change loan words to Korean words without any questions. It might cause wrong and weak delivery of words. But let’s self-restraint from abusing use of loan words. We use compound words, such as ‘Neo-e-ge deul-ryeo-joo-neun story (Story that I would like to tell you)’ and ‘Family ga ddeot-da (Family appeared),’—famous TV programs at present—and board signs in foreign languages without any Korean. An American I know asked me why Korean products all have English names, not Korean names. Of course, language should be rather flexible, so that we can be more flexible to prepare shocks from outside and to the future. But ‘putting the cart before the horse,’ for example a new stone could kick an old stone away, could happen. Recently, it’s too much.

Why was it eradicated as a national holiday?

1991년에 한글날이 공휴일에서 제외되었다. 당시 이유가 다른 나라에 비슷한 경우가 없다는 것이었다. 이해가 되지 않는 이유다 […].

In 1991, the Hangeul Proclamation Day was excluded from being a national holiday. The reason was because other countries don’t have such a national holiday. I really don’t understand.[…]

The mistake of the President can’t be missed by netizens.

오늘이다. 제 562번째 한글날. 세종대왕님께서 ‘나랏말싸미 쭝궈와 달라…' 고민하시며 한글을 창제하신 역사적인 사건을 기념하는 날. 오늘 본인은 영어몰입교육을 국어교육보다 중시하는 사태에 한번 슬프고, 한글 창제국의 대통령의 오타에 또 한번 슬프다. (그러나 솔직히 말하자면 공휴일이 아닌점이 제일 슬프다 -_-;) 어쨌든, 오늘만이라도 우리는 한글을 사용하고 있다는 점에 감사하고 또 감사해야 한다.

It is today. The 562nd anniversary of Hangeul Proclamation day. The day to celebrate historical time that King Sejong made Hangeul with the reason, ‘Language which we use is from that the Chinese use…’ Today I am sad because English immersion education is regarded more important than Korean language education and (honestly speaking, I am sad the most because it is not regarded as a national holiday.) I am sad that the person, the representative of the nation, even wrote the wrong spelling of Hangeul.[kr] Anyway, today we have to appreciate the fact that we use Hangeul.

A netizen’s conversation with English:

그래, 잉글리쉬 너 잘 다들랬다. 오늘 마침 한글날인데, 내 니 본짐에 한마디 하꾸마. 니는 우찌된기 이나라 사람들을 그리 괴롭히노? 니 때문에 골머리를 앓는 사람이 몇이며 쏟아 붓는 돈이 얼매고? 심지어는 샛바닥을 째가며 몸까정 혹사시키는 아들도 있다카더만. 올 봄에는 또 니한테 모든거를 몰입한다고 캐가꼬.이나라 정치계, 교육계를 발칵 카디메 놓티마는 얼마전에는 또 니를 모리마 골프도 몬치게 한다 카대. 니를 쓰는 사람들은 골프를 말로 치나?으이? 기가 막힌다. 언어란기 뭐꼬?사람들이 원할하이 소통할라꼬 있는지 언어 아이가?사람들 괴롭힐 라마 있을 이유가 없다 아이가?오죽하마 니를 씹어무가메까지 그 한을 삭힜던 사람이 어디 한 둘이가?[…]

Ok, you English… Today I got you. Today is Hangeul Proclamation Day. I would like to talk with you today. How come you’re torturing our people so much? Do you know how much the people suffer and how much they spend money because of you? Even some people tear their children’s tongues apart for better English. This spring, people are talking about immersion program for you. Because of that, political and educational sectors are noisy. Then I heard that if we don’t know you well, we can’t play golf either. Do people who use you play golf with their mouths? I am stunned. What’s the language? Isn’t language for helping people’s communications? It’s not for torturing people. Even some people chew you in order to solve their stresses – there was a saying that some students memorized vocabulary of each page of an English dictionary and ate the page in the past (editor) – […]

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Georgia: Peace Corps Volunteer Blogs

Onnik Krikorian · 11:35 · Americas , Eastern & Central Europe

Although Georgia was not the first country in the South Caucasus where the U.S. Peace Corps started working after the collapse of the former Soviet Union, it was until recently the most active in terms of blogs. Although 255 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have been stationed in Georgia since 2002, as opposed to 583 in Armenia since 1992 and 195 in Azerbaijan since 2002, blogging has been more active there since volunteers were allowed to post about their experiences from 2006 onwards.

In part, this is perhaps because of all the republics which make up the South Caucasus, Georgia is arguably the most open and Western-leaning. Indeed, since the 2003 Rose Revolution, ties between the country and the United States have strengthened considerably as The Georgian Life explained upon stepping foot in the country this summer.

In an age where being an American abroad is a liability and safety hazard, and where it is in your best interest to not speak in English and to lie and say you’re Canadian, living in Georgia is absolutely refreshing. America is generally loved here by many Georgians. We constantly hear about how great of friends America and Georgia are. President Bush has a higher approval rating here than he does in America. The main road from the airport going into Tbilisi is even named “George Bush Avenue” and has a giant mural dedicated to him and to America. […]

But the fact that we’re American isn’t the reason for their hospitality, they are just famously and genuinely nice and accommodating people.

Since that post made in July, however, the situation in Georgia for the Peace Corps has changed considerably. During the short-lived war with Russia over South Ossetia, PCVs were evacuated to Armenia with no prospect for return in the near future. As with other PCVs, Gretchen's Great Adventure used her blog to let family and friends know that she was safe.

For a person that loves to travel and wants to see the world…I am pretty sad to be in Armenia. Peace Corps Armenia has been incredibly kind to us. The country is pretty and we are staying in a safe place.

I am at a loss for words right now, so I apologize if this is boring in comparison to older posts. The news leaves our ability to re-enter completely up in the air. Basically we are all sitting ducks, hoping that Washington D.C. will tell us what our options are soon. We are all really safe.

[…]

My heart hurts for the people of Georgia right now. Our staff is absolutely amazing and I am beyond grateful. There is not much more to say right now. There are about 80 volunteers hanging out in this random hotel in Armenia…but we're safe. :(

Others such as Its All In The Journey wrote accounts of the outbreak of war prior to their evacuation.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The day started like any other – I got up around 7:00, used the outhouse, had porridge and tea for breakfast, and brushed my teeth at the well. […] That morning I heard that some fighting had broken out in South Ossetia but I was not too surprised or concerned as current volunteers had warned us that this often happens, especially in August. […] We heard from host families and Georgian friends that the Ossetia’s had pushed the Georgians back and were invading Georgian towns in South Ossetia. Around 5:00pm we got a text from Peace Corps telling us that there was an emergency meeting in Khashuri – the home base for Peace Corps training this year. As we drove the 30 minutes from Gori to Khashuri we passed convoy after convoy of Georgian soldiers and equipment – hundreds and hundreds of soldiers, tanks, and field artillery.

I went back to Agara not too concerned about the situation. […]

Friday, August 8, 2008

Around 2:00am I went outside to use the bathroom and I could hear the boom, boom shelling and the sharp bangs of gunfire in the distance. Friends of mine in villages closer to the conflict later reported that the shelling and fierce fighting started around 11:30 and that their houses were shaking from the blasts. […] I checked my phone but there was no word from Peace Corps so I went back to sleep. […] Phil, a friend of mine, lived so close to the conflict that he went up on the hill behind his house and watched the Georgian troops move into South Ossetia.

[…]

This attack and the upcoming invasion has shaken my view of the world, like 9/11 - you just don't think something like this should happen to a beautiful, hospitable nation who wanted nothing more than to be a part of Western society and who's location made it ideal for a gas pipeline which would bypass Russia.

One PCV who had just finished his service in Georgia a week prior to the start of hostilities was not of the same opinion, however. Cuttino's Georgian Life blamed both sides.

A few people have asked about my opinion of this situation, and I can give it now that I am a private citizen. As I see it, no side is innocent in this conflict. The Georgians were reckless to initiate the conflict in South Ossetia. The siege of Tskhinvali (the South Ossetian capital) was brutal and probably unnecessary. If the Russian statistics are true, the death toll of the battle will be around 2,000. Of course, the Russian response has been totally disproportionate and totally out of line with any international norms. The Russian regime has proven itself to be a brutal, oppressive 19th century-style power. The West owes it to Georgia and all emerging democracies to stand up to Putin and Medvedev.

In the meantime, the innocent civilians of Ossetia and Georgia are caught up in the crossfire. These people have been my friends and family for two years and it is heartbreaking to see what is happening to them. Fifteen years of progress is in jeopardy. […]

Following their departure from Georgia, The Georgian Life details how difficult it was to leave and especially when it came to informing his host family that he would not be returning.

The hardest part for all of us are the phone calls we receive from our Georgian families and co-workers asking us when we are returning. “The Russians have left our village, the bombings have stopped,” they explain to us, pleading with us that it is safe to return. How do I explain to them, in my limited language abilities, that it isn't my decision to return, and that the situation still isn't very safe or stable?

However, while one representative of the Peace Corps in Georgia confirmed to Global Voices Online that it is uncertain when PCVs will return, the blog also notes that some have decided to continue to be involved with the country as private citizens. Working under the auspices of The Megobari Project, a blog has already been established to detail the post-conflict work they hope to undertake in the country.

Johanna Holtan spoke to Global Voices Online about the project.

The Megobari Project, working on establishing The Megobari Foundation in America, is run by returned PCVs who are now working seperately of the Peace Corps. I work for the same organization, doing the same thing. Rumors are flying about when the new PCVs will come to Georgia, but I can't be sure. Maybe the spring? Of course it all has to be approved so we can't be sure as of yet.

Until then, there is a list of past PCV blogs from Georgia at http://www.peacecorpsjournals.com/gg.html. The blog of The Megobari Project is here.

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India-USA Relationship Enters A New Era

Kamla Bhatt · 09:41 · South Asia , Americas

lingua → bn · zht · zhs

Earlier this month the US government lifted its 30 year moratorium on nuclear trade with India. US President Bush signed a bill that allows US assistance to India's civilian nuclear energy program and in return India will allow its nuclear facilities for inspection by International Atomic Energy Association.

Riding the Elephant thinks that with this deal the US-India relationship has reached a new era, a new watershed. Is it true? Certainly, many in mainstream media think so and there has been a lot of heated debate both in India and US about the deal, but it is very puzzling as to why there is very little debate among Indian bloggers on this important subject.

Jayashree Bajoria of Council on Foreign Relations spells out the pros and cons of the US-India nuclear deal (also known as 123 agreement) which she points out is a watershed in the relationship between US and India.

DeepitA of Desicritics writes, “This (the nuclear agreement) has been among the most heated and debated agreements in recent times.” She highlights the opposition that both countries faced for pushing through the agreement and notes:

“The United States also had to face opposition internally, both within the Administration, and outside in the strategic community; people were reluctant to approve any exemptions to the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty); thought was that this gave India the right to use its uranium resources to push its military weapons program; also that this gave the wrong signal to others such as Iran and Pakistan.”

Here are a couple of observations from an American perspective about the agreement. Interestingly, both the Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain were in favor of the agreement writes Siddharth Varadarajan in his blog post.

Shashi Tharoor, who was formally with the United Nations, has this to say in his post ‘Why India Loves Bush‘:

“The fact is that the Indo-US relationship may well be the Bush administration's most significant (or perhaps only) international achievement of the last eight years. Look around the globe, and all you see are foreign policy shambles: five years of war in Iraq, accompanied by Abu Ghraib, torture, and rendition; a never-ending “global war on terror,” with Guantánamo a symbol of the Bushies' disregard for international law; rock-bottom opinion polls across Europe; a seething Middle East, a glowering Russia; and hostile powers from Iran to Venezuela. If there is a glimmer of light - one place in the world where the Bush administration leaves a better relationship than the one it inherited—it can only be India.”

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Ecuador: Residents Mourn the Death of Chelito the Giraffe

Eduardo Avila · 08:31, October 14th, 2008 · Americas

lingua → fr · bn · es · zht · zhs

Ecuador is well-known for its biodiversity and boasts many species of interesting plants and animals. However, there is one beloved animal that is not native to the country, and residents of Loja are mourning its recent death. A giraffe named “Chelito” was found dead near his pen in the Loja zoo, where he had been living since 2003. One of the region's most recognizable tourist attractions, Chelito was the only giraffe in Ecuador and was proud symbol for residents of all ages. See here for a tourism poster designed by Sur Ecuador [es].

The cause of death is still unknown pending the results of an autopsy, but many are speculating that he may have been poisoned. Others are blaming poor zookeeping and conditions within the zoo. Regardless of the cause, many Loja residents are sad and some local bloggers remember their experiences at the zoo.

Photo by Nelson Piedra and used with permission.

Angel Gualán has fond memories of the animal [es]:

Todos vamos extrañar su gran amabilidad para recibir a los turista que tenia este animal, hace algunos meses atrás fue mi ultima visita a su morada, era muy amigable siempre se acercaba para que le den un poco de alimento y dejarse acariciar tranquilamente.

We are all going to miss the animal's friendliness towards tourists, a few months ago during my last trip to see him, he was very friendly and he always came close so that others could feed him and easily pet him.

An ex-pat blogger at Dispatches from the Equator also saw the appeal of Chelito:

When I first came to Loja for my site visit in the beginning of September I was told I had to go to the local zoo and see the giraffe. The giraffe, Chelito, was like a celebrity in town, the only giraffe in Ecuador and perhaps the only animal non-native to Ecuador on display. I did go and see all the children and adults hanging around outside its fence feeding it grass and leaves, very content spending time with their favorite town animal. Here the zoo only costs about 25 cents so regular visits to see Chelito were very feasible for everyone.

Blame for the death cannot be placed until the results have returned, but Sur Ecuador [es] accepts some of the blame.

Es muy tarde para establecer culpables por su muerte, pero creo que todos tuvimos un grano de culpa, por no reclamar una compañera para su jaula, por no tomar mayores precauciones en su cuidado, por dar por sentado que estaba bien, por solo tenerlo como un ícono turístico para tomarnos fotos y realmente no realizar una campaña para su bienestar.

It is too late to establish blame for his death, but I think we all have some share in the blame, for not pushing for a mate for his pen, for not taking larger precautions for his care, for thinking that he was fine, for only having him as a touristic symbol to take photos and not truly taking part in a campaign for his well-being.

Following the animal's death, residents took to the streets of Loja calling on the local government to provide better care of the animals in the zoo. Voces Lojanas [es] writes about the diverse support from those who took part in the march:

Pancartas, globos anaranjados y amarillos, figuras de cartón, niños vestidos con disfraces de jirafa, camisetas con mensajes relacionados al motivo de la marcha recorrieron las pricnipales de la ciudad en una multitud que cubría fácilmente las cuatro cuadras. Los mensajes que se leían fueron: “Cuidemos el zoológico”, “Respeto a los animales”, “Salvemos el zoológico” y “Devuelvan a Chelito”.

Signs, yellow and orange balloons, cardboard cut-outs, children dressed in giraffe costumes, shirts with the march's message all walked through the principal city streets that easily took up four blocks. The messages were strong: “Let's Take Care of the Zoo,” “Respect the animals,” “Let's Save the Zoo,” and “Give Chelito Back.”

Even though a giraffe like Chelito seems out of place in a South American country, it was still a big part of life in Loja. Yet, Café de Chucho [es] who is also lamenting the loss wonders, “Why would a small town even want a giraffe?“