Archive for
December 26th, 2008
Stories
Iran: Islamist bloggers support Gaza
Several Islamist bloggers have launched a campaign against the Gaza Strip blockade and to ask worldwide Muslims to help Palestinians. The bloggers have used different tools such as Google bombs and banners to spread in the blogosphere and promote the campaign.
Moreover, an association of Islamist bloggers called Paygahe Blogeraye Arzeshi [Fa] (which means a base of value oriented bloggers) has collected 500 links to already published posts on this issue. Iranian FarsNews [Fa], a conservative and semi official site, has criticized Islamist bloggers for their silence on humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip.
Gaza Google bomb says:
You, oppressed people of Gaza know that we Muslims of Iran and all over the world haven't forgotten you and will not cease until complete breaking of the surrounding of your city. In the path along freedom of Gaza and our common value which is the freedom of Palestine, we will not cease and will go on.
Muslim Bloggers Association [Fa] also published a statement on the Gaza crisis:
این روز ها که در سایه سکوت مجامع جهانی و مدعیان حقوق بشر، غزه به عیان ترین مصداق نقض حقوق اولیه انسانی تبدیل گشته است… اخبار کشته شدن مردمانش بوسیله دشمن صهیونیستی به خبر عادی تلکس های خبری مبدل گردیده
Yadshthyeh Tanhayi [Fa] (which means Lonely Notes) writes:
اینبار هم مینویسم برای تو و کودکان داغدارت برای تو و مردان و زنان رنج دیده ات کمی صبور باش ، آری صبور باش غزه به خدا سوگند آفتاب مهر و عدالت طلوع خواهد کرد. دلم می سوزد برای تو و مردمانت برای مظلومیت بیت المقدست
Egyptian and Tunisian Bloggers against Censorship
In December 2006 frustrated Tunisian bloggers launched the “Action Blank Post” initiative in defense of freedom of speech. Supporting bloggers from all over the world posted a blank on their blogs on the 25th of December, and now bloggers have united again in this anti-censorship tradition.
Bloggers sent out invitations using their facebook group (FR)
En décembre 2006 est née “Action Note Blanche”, une initiative de blogueurs tunisiens, frustrés de voir la censure leur interdire l'accès à de nombreux blogs et sites internet. Ce groupe a pour objectif de réunir tous les blogueurs et internautes tunisiens ou autres qui défendent la liberté d'expression et souhaitent voir la censure desserrer son emprise sur la toile.
Le 25 décembre, comme chaque année, tous ceux qui souhaitent participer devront publier sur leurs blogs, sites perso ou forum une “note blanche”, vide sans titre ou portant le logo de l'action pour cette année.
Défendons encore une fois le message!
and their anti-censorship blog (AR)
التدوينة البيضاء اصبحت للاسف تقليدا سنويا للمدونات التونسية نظرا للحجب المتواصل الذي عانت ولا زالت تعاني منه المدونات التونسية؛ حجب يطال كل مدونة تتخطى الخط الأحمر المرسوم في اذهان “عمال” الرقابة ( و افضل هنا لفظة عامل رقابة على لفظة عون رقابة لاني لا أرى في مهمتهم هذه عونا او مصلحة تذكر)؛فضاء التدوين خلق ليكون مجالا للتعبير الحر نجح الشباب التونسي كغيره من الشباب العربي في السيطرة على تقنياته و خلق بذلك لنفسه فضاء موازيا للتعبير لم يعد مظطرا فيه للعبور عبر القنوات الاعلامية التقليدية؛ فبرزت بذلك لغة جديدة تعبر عن هموم الشباب و مشاكله و اصبحت لما تتميز به من عفوية و صدق تجلب جمهورا سئم اللغة الخشبية السائدة في الخطاب الاعلامي الرسمي؛ نجاح المدونات العربية ما كان ليمر دون عقاب في بلاد لا يسمح فيها بحرية الرأي الا في الرياضة و الفن؛ فكان الحجب المتواصل للمدونات و المواقع؛ بل وصل الأمر الى السجن و الاختطاف كما حصل مع مدونين في مصر و السعودية و المغرب؛ لذا ادعو هنا كل المدونات العربية الى مشاركتنا في هذه الحملة السلمية للتنديد بالحجب و المضايقات التي يتعرض لها المدونون في كل البلاد العربية؛ يمكنكم المشاركة في الحملة بوضع احدى شعارات الحملة و تسجيل تضامنكم معنا في مدونة ضد الحجب حتى نتمكن من احصاء عدد المشاركين و شكرا لكم مسبقا
Out of Egypt, many bloggers supported their Tunisian couterparts. Wael Abbas (Misr Digital), Bella (Scattered Thoughts), Mohamed Hamdy (Blogger Times), Zeinobia (Egyptian Chronicles), Sane on the Land of Insanity (Notepad & Pen), Ahmed Al Sabbagh (Uncle Ahmed Al Sabbagh), Ahmed Abdel Fattah (Yalalaly), An Egyptian Engineer (For the love of Egypt).
Americas: A Look Back at 2008
When a guerrilla camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) located just inside the Ecuadorian border, was bombed by the Colombian Armed Forces, it sparked a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. With Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez contributing to the war of words, it soon turned into a full-fledged border crisis. The Global Voices Latin American team quickly assembled a Special Coverage page that highlighted opinions and thoughts from bloggers from all three countries.
This was just one example of our volunteers authors combing their respective country's blogospheres to highlight voices from across Latin America and provide a view into what bloggers were saying about events and news from the region.
Plenty of activity took place in Colombia in 2008, including the rescue of hostages held by the FARC. One high-profile kidnapped victim was former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, whose release was celebrated across the globe. Due to these deplorable tactics, the FARC was publicly rejected by a well-attended march in many cities across Colombia.
Photo by Mariacecita and used under a Creative Commons license
Marches were a way for the general public to express displeasure at governmental policies or the inaction of its elected leaders. As was the case in Mexico, tens of thousands of Mexicans took to the street to protest the government's inability to control the crime, which is often associated with organized drug trafficking causing brutal deaths across the country and was suspected in the death of one of the country's top crime-fighting officials.
In Argentina, protests, marches and blockades paralyzed the country as exporters sought to reject a new tariff on agricultural exports proposed by the government. However, in the end, the Senate voted to defeat the measure.
Other marches took place not to protest, but to show solidarity and support for the government. Bolivian peasants and social movements walked to La Paz, the seat of government, to ask Congress to call a referendum to vote upon the draft constitution. The march also showed support for Bolivian president Evo Morales.
Presidents across of Latin America enjoy varying degrees of support and opposition. One new president, ex-Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, was elected in 2008 riding the wave of change and breaking a 61-year old hold on power by the Colorado Party.
Elections and national referendums also demonstrated the public's support or rejection of the direction that a president wants to take the country. In Ecuador, President Rafael Correa received a boost when the referendum for the country's new Constitution was overwhelmingly passed.
Other heads of state made the news with actions and where bloggers provided their opinions, such as the decision by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias to ask the spiritual figure the Dalai Lama to postpone his visit to the countrycausing many to wonder whether it was a move to appease China.
Many presidents had their hands full due to disasters caused by Mother Nature. Ecuador was hit especially hard with the eruption of the Tungurahua volcano and heavy floodings, which led to the declaration of a national emergency. Guatemala also was affected by heavy rains leaving the rural and poorest parts of the country especially vulnerable. Landslides and floods in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina left more than 80 dead and was the country's worst environmental disaster in 2008.
Photo by Nelson Piedra and used with permission.
Even though the earthquake the ravaged the cities of Pisco and Ica took place in 2007, bloggers examined the progress or lack of progress in the rebuilding efforts one year later.
These are some of the more serious issues that took place across the region, and which were covered by the Latin American team at Global Voices. The next article will highlight some of the best and more interesting stories published on Global Voices over the past year.
Morocco: A Moroccan Christmas
As Morocco is primarily a Muslim country, the majority of its residents do not celebrate Christmas. Still, bits and pieces of the holiday can be found, thanks to French influence and a good-sized expat community. This year, expat and Peace Corps bloggers share how they celebrated the holiday.
Emily & Jon in Morocco is the blog of two Peace Corps volunteers who celebrated Eid Al Kabir and Christmas this year. They shared photographs from the first holiday, and stories of the second. For Christmas, they shared the American tradition of stockings with their Moroccan host family:
Step two; stockings.
so late last night we told our family about “papa noel” and the tradition of hanging up our sock over the window (no fireplaces here folks). Jon and I demonstrated by draping our socks over the curtain rod. Unfortunately our family didn't follow, until after we turned in for the night. Around midnight we gathered the socks and tried to figure out whose was whose….which we where wrong. we got our bothers' sock mixed up with our Moms' and the two girls where mixed up as well…oops. but besides that, the stockings where a big hit.
The blogger behind From Warp to Weft, who also runs Kantara Crafts (an entrepreneurial fair-trade initiative between Morocco and the US), congratulates a group that helped raise money for the initiative:
December has been quite the month of holidays:
Eid al'Adha- Muslim Festival of Sacrifice. Dec. 8 (more to come!)
Solstice- Equinox Celebration of Changing Seasons. Dec. 21
Hannukah- Jewish Festival of Lights . Dec. 22-29
Christmas- Christian Celebration of the Birth of Jesus. Dec. 25
Kwanza'a- African Heritage Celebration. Dec. 26-Jan. 1All religion aside, however, there is another reason to celebrate. Thanks to the generous donations of shoppers at Oberlin's Alternative Gift Fair, Kantara Crafts raised approximately $120 to reinvest in local education projects in Morocco.
Maryam of My Marrakesh shares her tales of the first Christmas spent in a new place: her family's newly built guest house:
And so it was Christmas. Their very first at Peacock Pavilions. And while this was a milestone, her happiness was tempered by all that surrounded her. By the unpacked boxes, the bare cement floors, and the unlandscaped garden. By the chill of life in winter without heating.
By all that remained undone.
But her dream of Peacock Pavilions remained. In the heat of the Marrakech mid-day sun, it still seemed attainable. It still seemed within reach. It still seemed just around the corner, or at least the corner after that.
And so if this Christmas was not the way she had hoped, there was always the next Christmas. Her children would not yet be grown and Santa would still be real for those who believed.
And believing was half the battle.
Merry Christmas and love from Marrakech.
And Morocco Time shares this hilarious video, from an episode of the American television show “The Office,” entitled “Moroccan Christmas”:
DRC: A “Gloomy” Christmas in Kinshasa
Pour la première fois, j’ai vécu un Noël tranquille à Kinshasa. Pas de guirlandes dans les rues, aucune décoration, pas de musique, bref rien. Les habitants de ma ville natale semblent fatigués et rompent avec l’habitude de se dépasser pour célébrer avec faste la nativité. Dans mon quartier, la SNEL a eu la magnifique idée de nous priver d’électricité. Décidés à faire la fête malgré tout chez moi, nous avons donc renoué avec notre bonne vielle méthode de cuisson des aliments au feu de bois. Pour la musique, mon voisin a utilisé la radio de sa voiture.
Je me souviens des années de mon enfance où les parents étaient obligés d’acheter des vêtements neufs à leurs enfants et de leur offrir des cadeaux pour Noël. En ce qui concerne la bouffe, le 25 décembre, c’était l’occasion de changer les habitudes culinaires et d’offrir des plats spéciaux à la famille. Les choses se passent différemment aujourd’hui. La pauvreté qui touche la majorité des foyers congolais change les habitudes. Ce qui me surprend c’est que les congolais, ne se plaignent toujours pas.
Brazil: Chico Mendes lives on, 20 years after his death
“No começo, pensei que estivesse lutando para salvar seringueiras, depois pensei que estava lutando para salvar a floresta amazônica. Agora, percebo que estou lutando pela humanidade”
On December 15, 1944, Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, also known as Chico Mendes was born in Xapuri, Acre State, Brazil. A rubber tapper (seringueiro, in Portuguese), unionist and environmental activist, not only did he fight against the clearing of land for cattle ranching through burning and logging of the Amazon forest - still a major issue in the area - but he founded the national union of rubber tappers to preserve their profession, was a pioneer in talking about sustainable exploitation of the rain forest and was a leading local member of the Workers Party (PT).
On 6th December 1988, during a seminar about the Amazon organized by the University of São Paulo, Chico Mendes made a famous speech whose last words were a bad omen:
“I don't want flowers, because I know you are going to pull them up from the forest. The only thing I want is that my death helps to stop the murderers' impunity who are under the protection of the Acre Police and who, since 1975, have killed more than 50 people in the rural zone. Like me, seringueiro's leaders have worked to save the Amazonian rainforest and to demonstrate that progress without destruction is possible”.
After being jailed, fined and threatened for his activities during the Brazilian dictatorship, Mendes was shot to death in the chest outside his home on the evening of December 22, 1988 - one week after his 44th birthday - by Darcy Alves de Silva, son of a rancher named Darly Alves de Silva, who had been logging an area planned to become a reserve.
Twenty years later, contemporary seringeiros and bloggers remember his death and revive the spirit of resistance in defense of the Amazon rainforest, recalling a life of struggles in favor of the peoples of the forest - and an unfinished fight. Altino Machado [pt] has always dedicated special posts on his blog to Chico Mendes. On the day that marked the 20th year without Chico Mendes, he published a letter by his daughter, Elenira Mendes:
Infelizmente, ainda continuamos apenas sonhando em busca de uma sociedade melhor. Já se passaram 20 anos desde aquela noite, quando o vi pela ultima vez, se debatendo no chão, tentando nos dizer, a mim e minha mãe, algo que nunca saberei exatamente o que era.
Pai, tenha a certeza de que sua luta não foi em vão. Os seus sonhos já não são somente seus. São também meus e de todos os que ainda acreditam nos seus ideais.
Você ainda é a vanguarda da esperança da Amazônia e do nosso amado Acre.
Father, be sure that your fight was not in vain. Your dreams are no longer only yours. They are also mine and of all those who still believe in your ideals.
You are still the vanguard of hope for the Amazon and our beloved Acre.
Chico and Elenira Mendes, image by Chico Mendes Committee
Blog Babel das Artes [pt] says the cause for which Mendes lived, fought and died is still burning, despite the fact the he has been forgotten by many in Brazil.
O seringueiro Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, o Chico Mendes, defendia o direito à exploração dos recursos naturais, mas sem seu esgotamento. A preocupação com o desenvolvimento sustentável, duas décadas depois de sua morte ainda são necessárias e urgentes.
A luta contra a transformação da floresta em pasto para criação de gado, intensificada a partir do fim da década de 1970, deu visibilidade aos seringueiros do Acre, que liderados por Chico Mendes formavam barreiras humanas para impedir o trabalho das motosserras. Sua figura e suas ações — mais evidentes e comentadas no exterior do que aqui no Brasil — chamaram a atenção da imprensa mundial. Como consequência, em 1987, foi o primeiro brasileiro a receber o prêmio Global 500, da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU).
The fight against the transformation of forests into pasture for livestock, which has been intensified from the end of the 70s, gave visibility to the rubber tappers of Acre who, led by Chico Mendes formed human barriers to impede the chainsaws' work. His figure and his actions - more obvious and commented on abroad than here in Brazil - drew the attention of the international media. As a result, in 1987, he was the first Brazilian to receive the United Nations (UN)'s Global 500 Award.
“Chico Mendes lives!” Image from the Chico Mendes Committee, which has an interview with him translated into English, first published in 1988, the year of his death.
Cândido Cunha [pt] writes an elaborate article putting his death in a broader context, and says that the forest still exists only because of the ancient people, a culturally different population who have the greatest responsibility for the maintenance of the Amazon forest, have been using, without destroying, it.
A morte de Chico Mendes em 1988 significou que na luta de concepções territoriais distintas não estava em disputa “ecologistas” contra “desenvolvimentistas”, mas os povos da floresta contra a expansão capitalista sobre a Amazônia. Não eram homens “bonzinhos” e “conscientes” agarrados misticamente a árvores contra “bárbaros” pecuaristas ávidos por lucrar em cima da floresta derrubada. Eram campesinos florestais contra capitalistas; trabalhadores autônomos de antigos seringais contra a “Sociedade Anônima”; os “excluídos” e esquecidos pelo Estado contra os incentivos fiscais deste mesmo Estado. Portanto, uma luta de classes. A transformação de Chico Mendes em “mártir da ecologia” serviu de alerta para o que vinha acontecendo em regiões remotas do Brasil e sem dúvida deu um novo olhar para a Amazônia. Contudo, não é forçoso dizer que houve um esvaziamento do conteúdo classista da luta, em especial com a espetacularização de sua morte ao mesmo tempo em que outros aspectos da luta eram sintomaticamente obscurecidos.
According to watchdog Catholic Land Pastoral, more than 1,100 activists, small farmers, judges, priests and other rural workers have been killed in disputes over preserving land since Mendes' murder, none of the murderers is serving a sentence today. Still now the destruction of the Amazon continues, as the government mapping system shows a 66 percent increase in areas partially destroyed in 2008, compared to 2007. Meanwhile, Mendes' murders, Darly and Darcy Alves de Silva were convicted and jailed, escaped several years later but were recaptured and confined again. Darly has since been released on the grounds of “poor health”. Darcy remains in jail. Pedro Vicente Costa Sobrinho [pt], who had the chance to meet and interview Mendes, believes that half done justice, in this case, will not last for long:
Os mandantes e assassinos de Chico Mendes não esperavam o clamor que suscitou a sua morte. De todos os recantos do planeta se pediu justiça, punição para os criminosos. Os mandantes e coniventes ficaram impunes. Os criminosos diretos foram presos e julgados, mas poderão a qualquer momento estar soltos. Confiam na falta de memória do povo brasileiro e na impunidade reinante no país.
Marcelo Grossi [pt] wonders:
Assassinado em 22 de dezembro de 1988, Chico Mendes, analfabeto até os vinte anos de idade, escreveu mais um capítulo da tragédia fundiária brasileira. Quanto vale a vida humana e quanto custa a terra?
Chico Mendes started working as a rubber tapper at the age of 9. Image by Chico Mendes Committee
On December 10, 2008 the Amnesty Committee of the Ministry of Justice conceded a postumous political pardon for Chico Mendes and the State begged forgiveness for the persecution he suffered during the years of dictatorship for incitement to disorder and crime.
Links for Fri, 2008-12
Belgraded explains the advantages of celebrating Christmas in January.
The New York Times‘ Clifford J. Levy writes on The Lede about the first anniversary of the paper's interactive Russian-language LJ blog: “The results far exceeded my expectations. The blog has received more than 26,000 comments, and has become an important tool for the newspaper to better understand and explain Russia. The title of the blog is, “Tell Americans and the World about Russia,” and Russians have done just that.”
EthioBlog at Nazret.com posted a list of the top 50 stories of 2008 in this popular Ethiopian news portal. At the top of the list there's a story about Forbes magazine listing Addis Ababa as the 6th world's dirtiest city.
At Groundviews, Ruki shares the experience of being in a Christmas Mass in a Sri Lankan conflict zone.
Manzoor Ali Shah at Pak Tea House argues that the policies of Pakistan government regarding the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) need a paradigm shift.
Tomorrow in Kinshasa, the Congolese national football and a team of Congolese footballers from abroad will play a match to raise money for victims of the violence in the east of the country, Cedric Kalonji [Fr] writes.
Bahraini blogger Ammaro reports on the sudden interest of MPs in ridding Bahrain of anything with the Playboy rabbit on it: “The bunny logo has been spotted everywhere from supermarkets, to perfume and accessories shops, and it renders anyone staring at it for more than 2 seconds to be transformed into an immoral sin-making-machine.”
In Gaza reports on the Christmas celebrations - or lack of them - of Gaza's Christians: “Father Manuel’s Christmas Eve service was lethargic. It was a desperate plea from a priest who has seen too many painful Christmases in Gaza and whose congregation has reached their breaking point.”
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