Archive for
June 16th, 2009
Stories
Iran: More citizen video from protests
More than 100,000 people marched in Tehran on Monday in support of reformist presidential candidate, Mir Hussein Mousavi and his demands for an annulment of the election results that declared incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of the election on June 12. The march ended in bloodshed. At least 7 people lost their lives.
According to a report on Britain's Channel 4 television, (aired in spite of a foreign reporting ban) a crowd threw rocks and set fire to a building that belonged to the pro-government Basij militia. A helmeted militiaman on the roof fired his AK-47 rifle into the air before retreating from a shower of stones. On YouTube there is more citizen video of how this attack happened:
The morning after this shooting, the staff of Rasool Akram Hospital in Tehran demonstrated against the killings. One demonstrator holds a placard that says: “8 martyrs”
Shootings or repression have not stopped the protest movement, and thousands marched again in Tehran on Tuesday. Demonstrations are growing in other cities too. In Shiraz, protesters shown in this video burned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's photo.
Ecuador: Galapagos Islands Advance in 7 New Wonders Competition
After the second round of voting, Ecuador boasts two candidates for the online competition for the Seven New Wonders of the World: The Galapagos Islands (B-Islands) and the Amazonian Region (F - Forests, National Parks and Nature Reserves). Many are more familiar with the Galapagos, an archipelago comprised of 125 large and small islands of volcanic origin and in which 97% of the territory is a protected area under the category of National Park.
This zone in the Pacific Ocean is easily recognizable because of its fauna like Solitary George, the 70-year-old giant turtle who is unable to find a suitable mate. He is in danger of extinction because he is the only type of this turtle still in existence. Other species in danger of extinction include the medium tree-finch (pinzón) [es] and the pink iguana [es]. Many of these were the basis of Charles Darwin's studies.
Ecuadorians are congratulated for its early success in the competition, and the government claims that such success can be attributed to the Minister of Tourism, Veronica Sion and her fight to get the UNESCO to review its decision in 2007 to include the Galapagos Islands on the list of heritage places in danger.
A warning notice to all visitors placed by the Commandant of the 2nd. Ecuadorian Naval Zone. Photo used under Creative Commons license by http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonpearce/
Ecuadorian bloggers like Waldemar Verdugo Fuentes of Islas Galápagos, Reserva de la Humanidad [es] are especially proud of the Islands and he relates what it was like to be on the islands for a second time. He also observed some changes caused by more residents and increased tourism on the island.
Otro problema igualmente grave es la migración de colonos del continente, que son atraídos por el “dólar fácil” del turismo. La tasa de crecimiento poblacional de la provincia de Galápagos asciende a 6 por ciento anual, la más alta de Ecuador (promedio nacional 2.08). Actualmente, 16 mil habitantes pueblan la región. Demasiados colonos para unas islas que exigen una rigurosa disciplina de vida. Los asentamientos urbanos conllevan la sobreexplotación de los recursos marinos, la acumulación de desechos, introducción de enfermedades, plantas e insectos, avispas, babosas, pulgones, 21 especies de vertebrados foráneos (chivos, perros, cerdos, gatos, ratas) y 261 plantas introducidas desde el continente, como la guayaba y la mora.
Pond full of tortoises, relatives of the Islands symbol at Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Photo used under Creative Commons by http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathb/
Carlos Jordan, writing for Tecnodatum [es] explains what other islands the Galapagos are competing against, and stresses the importance of the economic impact if they emerge as one of the New Wonders. However, he expects the flow of tourist will increase, and hopes that this does not destroy theses islands.
Xavier Loor has been following the event and encouraging the vote for the Archipelago of Galapagos [es]. He says this is only a possibility that will become a reality only with support of all of his readers. In just a week, it went from being in the 8th position, and it is now No.1 in Group B (Islands), followed by Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and Ometepe Island (Nicaragua).
Despite all of the excitement of the Galapagos Islands, Ayllyn N. Franco of Bludger Hecha Letras [es] makes a point to let everyone know that Ecuador also has the Amazonian region in the competition. She believes Ecuadorians must support his or her country and shows the voting path to follow.
In mid-July we will know the 77 finalists for the best places in the world to visit, with the winners announced in 2011. For those interested in supporting the Galapagos Islands vote here and vote for the nine countries linked by the Amazon, River/Forest, which also includes Ecuador.
Brazil: Petrobras Blog Versus Mainstream Media
Petrobras - one of the biggest oil companies in the planet.
Brazil's giant, semi-public oil company Petrobras, which faces likely investigation under many accusations by the Brazilian Congress through a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI), has just entered the blogosphere, causing mixed reactions from bloggers, government and mass media.
According to the company itself, Petrobras Fatos e Dados blog [Petrobras Facts and Data, pt] aims to provide up to date information about the company and its attitude towards CPI activities. In its first week [pt], the blog highlighted the Internet repercussions and mass media's position against this initiative, stating:
Nosso blog completa uma semana, com 145 mil visitas, 31 posts e 1.700 comentários, e já conseguimos um espaço considerável de repercussão. Acreditamos nas mídias sociais como um importante canal de conversação direta entre a Petrobras e a sociedade. Infelizmente, continuamos a ver na imprensa comentários equivocados que desconhecem a própria lógica das mídias sociais.
In addition to the first blog posts about the company's activities, on June 4th Petrobras also released a set of questions posed by journalists from two major Brazilian newspapers and the corresponding answers. This caused a great commotion among newspapers and journalists that in turn repudiated the blog, arguing it was a threat to press confidentiality.
Some bloggers think establishing a direct communication channel between Petrobras and society is actually a good thing. Reading information given by the company itself makes it possible for people to check whether newspaper headlines about the same subject using the same raw material as that released by Petrobras are correct or not.
Carlos Castilho presents his thoughts about this Petrobras initiative on the Observatório de Imprensa blog (Press Observatory), suggesting [pt]:
A Petrobras resolveu fazer aquilo que nos Estados Unidos já é uma rotina, até mesmo por parte de órgãos do governo federal. A empresa ingressou na blogosfera ao montar um blog no qual publica a íntegra de seus comunicados e entrevistas fornecidos à imprensa. […] A irritação dos jornais vem do fato de que o blog da Petrobras permite uma comparação entre o que a empresa forneceu aos jornalistas e o que foi publicado. Com isto é possível identificar erros de contexto, omissões e equívocos de transcrição.
On the other hand, newspapers have criticized the Petrobras blog stating its position is illegal, unethical and aggressive. One of the newspapers, O Globo, published an editorial [pt] on June 8th, after Petrobras' decision to publish media inquires, claiming that questions sent to the company are the property of newspapers and their employees and that Petrobras was wounding the Brazilian Constitution.
Blogger, professor and lawyer Tulio Viana [pt] clarifies readers' doubts about whether copyright of questions is plausible or not with regard to the constitution. Analyzing Brazilian copyright law, he explains [pt]:
De onde O Globo teria então tirado a tese jurídica de que perguntas jornalísticas são propriedade de quem as faz? Será que é pura e simples desinformação do jornal ou mais uma daquelas mentiras que se pretendem tornar-se verdade ao serem repetidas centenas de vezes? Para que não reste dúvida quanto o absurdo da tese, vamos ao art.8º da mesma lei: III – os formulários em branco para serem preenchidos por qualquer tipo de informação, científica ou não, e suas instruções [não são passíveis de Direitos Autorais] ; Incrível a cara-de-pau do jornal de publicar uma informação completamente falsa em seu editorial, inventando sem o menor pudor um novo inciso para o art.7º da Lei de Direitos Autorais e revogando o art.8º, III, da mesma lei.
Petrobras blog is hosted on a Wordpress.com site.
Transparency being the aim of journalism itself, bloggers have also praised the Petrobras initiative while highlighting a point made by the press in which it expressed concern that the oil company's attitude would weaken its relationship with newspapers and their readers. Liberal Libertário Libertino blog (Liberal, Libertarian, Libertine) summarizes the facts. In its point of view [pt]:
A Petrobras não tem nada que confiar na imprensa. A imprensa não tem nada que confiar na Petrobras. Não devem haver acordos tácitos ou relações sigilosas entre a mídia e a Petrobras. As relações entre eles devem ser públicas e transparentes. Daí a celebração.
Commentator Fábio Couto stresses [pt] how he understands Petrobras' initiative and the press reaction:
Não vejo problema do Petrobras se defender via blog. O problema é divulgar perguntas de apuração antes da matéria ser publicada. […] Não há nada de ilegal, mas não é ético e abre um fosso entre a empresa e a imprensa. […] Mas se a divulgação de perguntas e respostas fosse feita depois das matérias publicadas, certamente o efeito poderia ser mais bem entendido.
While stressing that it does not have proper market research value, Folha de São Paulo newspaper, one of the biggest in Brazil, published a poll asking its readers whether they approved or not of Petrobras' decision to “leak” on its website newspaper questions and answers before publication. On Twitter, Idelber Avelar [pt] observed that the use of the word “leak” by Folha de São Paulo was already biased, but that, nevertheless, the poll showed that its readers were not buying it. At the time of publication, the results are as follows [pt]: out of 5,315 votes, 4,548, or 86% of voters, backed Petrobras, whilst 767 or 14% said Petrobras stance was wrong.
Folha de São Paulo Poll online since June 9th. Screenshot, June 16th.
Handling the situation carefully and highlighting positive and negative issues regarding the facts, journalist and columnist of the Estado de São Paulo newspaper Pedro Dória expresses [pt] some opinions:
Se o único objetivo da Petrobras fosse realmente transparência, era muito simples resolver: publica perguntas e respostas logo após os jornais levarem ao ar suas informações exclusivas. […] A questão real, a discussão principal da qual esta polêmica é só um capítulo, é a relação entre imprensa, empresas, governo e público. Estou longe das redações, então não sei como essa discussão está sendo encarada nas diretorias. Se eu tivesse que chutar, apostaria que ninguém está percebendo: a credibilidade da imprensa brasileira está lentamente sendo minada.
Commenter Bruno Stern adds [pt]:
Há uma coisa muito clara nessa história. A Petrobras chegou a conclusão de que, se depender do espaço na mídia tradiocional para defender suas posições, terá muitos problemas. Se há um partido da mídia, não sei. Mas que veículos como O Globo e Folha [de São Paulo] já entram nessa história com suas posições definidas tenho certeza.
On its blog, Petrobras also released [pt] the content of a letter from the Brazilian Press Association (ABI), an excerpt of which says:
A ABI considera legítima a decisão da Petrobras de criar um blog para divulgação das informações que presta à imprensa e especialmente aos veículos impressos, uma vez que as questões relativas ao seu funcionamento e aos seus atos de gestão interessam ao conjunto da sociedade, que não pode ficar exposta ao risco de filtragem das informações típica e inseparável do processo de edição jornalística. A empresa tem o direito de se acautelar, através das informações que difunde no blog, contra as distorções em que os meios de comunicação têm incorrido, como a própria ABI registrou em matéria publicada da edição de 31 de maio de um dos jornais que agora se insurgem contra o blog da empresa.
Emerson Luis expresses [pt] hope in such practice becoming part of private and government companies, and other institutions in Brazilian society, :
Importante: não basta somente que os órgãos públicos façam isso. ONGs, empresas, OCIPS, instituições, todas tem o direito de repetir a mesma prática, de divulgar suas informações na íntegra, antes das interpretações ruins ganharem as ruas. Todos tem o direito de se antecipar ao estrago iminente. É o direito, e, antes de tudo, de informar claramente.
In conclusion, the Brazilian journalism scene might be changing little by little, whilst Petrobras' stance represents something negative for some, to others it is the perfect solution for transparency and an actual democratic state and information.
Japan: ‘1Q84′, the new bestseller by Haruki Murakami
“In your sky how many moons are floating?”. This the catch phrase of 1Q84 [ja], Ichi Kew Hachi Yon, (Q in Japanese reads the same as 9), the new 2 volume work by the bestselling writer Haruki Murakami, that in less than two weeks has already sold more than 960.000 copies.
1Q84. By Flickr usr id:semicolon
Thanks to a cleverly silent promotional campaign, in which merely the title and the release date were announced, only those who bought it know what kind of world Murakami has created for his readers this time.
The book will be soon translated into other languages but in the meantime some Japanese bloggers, who devoured the book in few days, have already been debating the eagerly awaited novel.
Fushigi quotes what Murakami said in an interview appearing on Time magazine last September.
I've been writing that book for close to two years and it's going to be the biggest book I've ever written.
All my books are weird love stories. I love weird love stories. And this book is a very long, weird love story.
But how did the readers actually interpret the story and what fascinated them most? Below we present some quotes of bloggers who analyze in their posts the atmosphere, the message and the content of 1Q84… making sure not to reveal any significant details of it!
The blogger at Life is a MacGuffin seems to highlight the mysterious atmosphere of the plot.
いやあ、面白かったです。ある意味で自分の期待を裏切るような方向に話がどんどん進んでいったんですけどね。もちろん村上春樹作品なので、普通のミステリーのように最後に全てがきれいに解決するわけじゃないと覚悟はしてました。
[…]
この作品では、2つの月が浮かぶ夜空が出てきたりして、虚構であるところはあくまでも虚構でしたけど、特定の団体（連合赤軍、ヤマギシズム、オウム真理教、エホバの証人）や、若い女性作家に芥川賞を取らせようとするところ（綿矢りさor金原ひとみ？）など現実世界の事象を容易に想起させる記述もありました。そういう虚構と現実のバランスがすごくよかったです。
Such a combination of fiction and reality is well balanced.
As in the post above, many readers noticed the significant influence in the novel of those ‘new' religions and the associations to them related, on which Murakami investigated when he wrote the nonfiction work Underground in 1997.
Geiheimagent analyses what, in his opinion, is the message implicit in 1Q84.
もっと言ってしまえば、ポスト・オウム的な小説である。
[…]
また、治癒をとりあげて作品を眺めてみると、この作品全体が治癒の物語と呼ぶこともできよう。おそらくそれは斎藤環がうんざりする類の典型的な「トラウマ話」と呼ぶことができる。このような物語は、言ってしまえば『リーサル・ウェポン』と同様だ。しかし、『１Ｑ８４』では治癒が最終的な救済として描かれることはない。
[…]
とどまり続けることがこの作品のなかでは肯定されているのだろう。あちら側に足を踏み入れることなく、別な生き方を選択することの可能性が提示されている、と言っても良い。全面的かつ最終的な救済はありえない。しんどいことは再びやってくる。しかし、それを受容しなければ、また別な幸福の可能性もあり得ないものとなる。それは的を射た意見だし、同意もできる考え方だと思う。
Yumi51 invites people who haven't read the book yet and don't want to know the underlying details not to read this post further. (However, because we don't have any intention of spoiling it for the reader, we will only translate some innocent comments)
下巻の最初の方で村上春樹自身が以前に、この１Ｑ８４について「恐怖」がテーマの一つとなる作品だみたいなことを言ってたらしい、ということを思い出して、納得した。
その恐怖って言うのも、派手なものじゃなくて、だんだんと得体のしれない何かが、自分を蝕んでいったり、身の回りにおかしなことを起こしたりする、っていう感じの「恐怖」。
映画で例えるなら「シャイニング」？
最近読んだ本で例えるなら「ねじの回転」？
主人公たちのまわりが少しずつおかしくなって、だんだんと親しい人がいなくなるあたり。
恐怖が忍び寄ってくる感じは印象的だった。
That fear is not represented in a theatrical way. It is an enigmatic and creeping sense; a weird indefinite something that causes strange happenings in the people around you. If it was a movie, I'd say maybe ‘The Shining’ or to compare it with a book I read recently I'd say ‘The Turn of the Screw‘.
The people surrounding the protagonists get weirder little by little and one by one people disappear.
The obscure fear that creeps up on the reader left in me a very deep impression.
[…]
１Ｑ８４が今までにない、というか新鮮だなと自分が感じたのは「私には愛があります」みたいなことを言えちゃう主人公の存在。
大事なところで、そんなストレートで暗示的じゃないことを言う主人公は今までいなかった気がする。
１Ｑ８４の主人公は、そもそも女だし。
The important thing is that it is a protagonist who speaks straightforwardly and without ‘beating about the bush’ and, above all, the protagonist in 1Q84 is a woman!
South Africa celebrates Youth Day and remembers the past
June 16, which is now referred to as Youth Day here in South Africa is day when we remember the past. On June 16, 1976 the Soweto uprising occurred sparked by laws that would force all education to be delivered in Afrikaans.
On the morning of June 16, 1976, thousands of black students walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium for a rally to protest against having to learn through Afrikaans in school. Many students who later participated in the protest arrived at school that morning without prior knowledge of the protest, yet agreed to become involved.
It is estimated that between 300 and 600 people lost their lives during the uprising, which became a defining moment in the resistance against apartheid.
On the blog Redemption Time the author reflects on the day:
I could say a lot about this day, but will restrict my words to making these few points.in all of history, the apartheid system and what it did to the people and youth who were oppressed under it will forever remain one of the worst tragedies to befall humankind. i therefore give full respect to those youth, who on this very day, challenged the apartheid forces and neglected bantu and afrikaans medium instruction in 1976. hector peterson and those whe were at his side, standing up for their rights, will forever be remembered and honoured in this country.
At the Platform 2 blog, the author writes about celebrating rebellion on June 16 and music as a form of protest:
The Hip-Hop nation will know that on June 16 a son was given to us, in a form of a rap legend, a rap genius was born from the political activist Afeni Shakur and Mzansi nation will also know dat on the same day of 1976 history was made. It is a blessing to commemorate this day not only as a young South African but as Hip-Hop fanatic. The music we listen to bring as much revolution as the young freedom fighters that took their rage to the street. They fought a different cause relevant to their political struggles but with the same intentions of liberation as of the youth of today. Well, we might not be as mobilized as the young people of ’76 but the truth is, we need the same things, we need our freedom, this was evident during our April voting period as young people voted in majority. We came together to defend our liberty, we voted because we wanted our pains and struggles to be heard. After we nearly had our intentions twisted with xenophobia, crime and drug abuse, we fought back positively like the Hector Petersons rebelled against the Bantu education system we brought our own rebellion to the voting station.
Fabulosity writes that the issue was about more then just education in Afrikaans:
The issue however, was not so much the Afrikaans as the whole system of Bantu education which was characterised by separate schools and universities, poor facilities, overcrowded classrooms and inadequately trained teachers.
Thando Tshangela discusses the effects of the protest:
This started an era of student and youth activism that culminated in the 1980?s unrest in black townships and the crisis in the culture of learning and teaching as the student took the battle against apartheid to the streets. The aim was ?to make the country ungovernable? and ensure that freedom was achieved at all costs even if it meant their education had to suffer. Their motto was ?liberation first and education later.?
Bermuda, USA, UK: Fallout over Guantanamo
Bermudian bloggers still have not stopped talking about their government's agreement to have four detainees of Guantanamo Bay to resettle on the island. Most of their focus seems to be on the fallout that Premier Ewart Brown is facing following the controversial decision.
Breezeblog reports that “Bermudians are being urged to take to the streets on Tuesday in an unprecedented ‘people’s protest' against Premier Dr Ewart Brown”:
The call, circulated by e-mail and social networking sites throughout the Island, states that a march on Parliament will take place on June 16 at 12.30pm. The organisers – who seem to be a mixed grassroots bunch led by an insurance clerk, Janice Battersbee – are calling for the Premier to resign and for the “Gitmo Four” to be returned immediately.
Realistically, they are unlikely to succeed on either count but the fact that this protest is taking place at all is an indication of the widespread anger and disgust people here have for Brown right now.
With the UBP having tabled a motion of no confidence in Brown – and no doubt he will try and stifle that debate next Friday if he lasts that long – its going to be an interesting week in Bermudian politics. A watershed even.
Bermudians are not the only ones unhappy with the Premier. Mainstream media sources are reporting that the U.K. is reviewing “the legal basis of its relations with Bermuda” following the debacle, questioning Brown's right to even negotiate the deal without Britain's input. According to the Guardian story, “under a 1968 understanding known as the general entrustment, Bermuda has the right to conduct external relations ‘on behalf of' Britain, on condition that London is consulted before agreements with other states are entered.”
Meanwhile, The New York Times piece that shows some of the former detainees cavorting in the Bermudian ocean has done little to foster goodwill. Vexed Bermoothes, referring to a BBC report, actually wonders if the Premier “got played”:
You can read this in several ways – one view is that Dr. Brown was looking for an angle to push the independence agenda with the UK. Another view is that Dr. Brown got played way out of his league:
* The US knew they had an anti-UK zealot with a huge ego and hunger for attention and exploited it. They offload a few Uighurs, create plausible deniability for their real ally (the UK), and leave Ewart to deal with the mess he’s created.
* Or they really don’t give a rats ass and are just shoving Uighurs in any tin pot country that will take ‘em, screw the consequences.Dr. Brown doesn’t come out looking very good. Even if you don’t believe that Dr. Brown was used, it is undeniable that his little games with the Constitution have badly undermined the Rule of Law in Bermuda.
The blogger also stresses that:
This fuss is not really about the uighurs. It’s about the consistently murky and inappropriate behaviour of our political leadership.
Dr. Brown's reaction to the public outcry has not helped. Vexed Bermoothes comments:
That sums up his philosophy. So far, he’s been able to count on Bermudians forgiving or forgetting every one of his transgressions without any consequence. By creating diversions, or going on the offensive, he’s been able to avoid accountability on so many issues.
So … are Bermudians going to ‘let things pass' yet again with Dr. Brown? Each time he gets bolder, and the damage greater.
Catch a fire adds:
The issue is solely on how this fiasco came about, and what it implies. This decision has been made contrary to our Constitution, which makes it all the more ironic that not only a few weeks ago the Party Leadership was desperately clutching to the Party Constitution rules to fend off a Leadership challenge. What is more, there is growing evidence that could see the decision as being seen as an act of treason and an attempt by the USA to undermine the constitutional sovereignity of our island and, by extension, the UK.
The greatest irony of this is that out of this fiasco Dr. Brown may have actually finally given birth to a greater level of national consciousness and unity as a result. ‘This too shall pass' says Dr. Brown. No doubt, in time, it will. There will be seething public anger over the immediate week or two, and then this anger will calm down, at least superficially. The Uighurs will face some unfortunate public backlash, but in time the vast majority of the people will accept that they are pawns and victims of this affair. But just as this fury shall pass, so shall Dr. Brown’s leadership and those opportunists that cling-on to his coat-tails.
Interestingly, after giving the situation some thought, Catch a fire decides that the “no confidence” vote in the Premier being put forward by the UBP is not worth supporting for two critical reasons:
If the No Confidence Vote is successful it would see, in short order, a move to send the Uighur detainees back to Guantanamo Bay, or, worse, the People’s Republic of China. While there may be some populist reactionary support for either of these actions, to do so would in my opinion be unethical and inhumane.
The main issue why I have changed my opinion on the No Confidence Vote however is because the more I think about this fiasco the more I become convinced that the US and UK have acted together in such a way as to benefit themselves at the expense of Dr. Brown. In short, I believe that part of this fiasco is a plot to see Dr. Brown scapegoated and his Premiership ended.
But 21 Square is not convinced by the conspiracy theories. Instead, he claims that “the blatantly obvious has been far too readily discounted”:
Premier Brown may be said to be many things but he is not an idiot when there is something to be gained. He has proven far too cunning to be caught up in a move of simple ignorance to the potential fallout of a so called ‘humanitarian’ act gone wrong. Is it really likely that Brown was so corrupt in his self belief in this being a good idea that he would not only disregard the biggest complaint that has ever been lodged against his leadership but also do so in such a grandiose fashion that turned this into an international incident? This to take such a massive gamble for something to which he negotiated no upside aside from ‘doing the right thing’? This simply doesn’t fit.
The controversy has even reached the attention of other regional bloggers. From Trinidad and Tobago, Mauvais Langue says:
The islanders of Bermuda are angry and outraged, and who could blame them.
I wonder how much it took for the Premier to sell his soul?
I only hope that this does not spread to other islands in the Caribbean, especially Trinidad. The last thing Trinidad & Tobago needs is this.
Breezeblog, on the other hand, is quite happy to post a video entitled “Time To Go - An Ode to Ewart Brown” as he tries to take a humourous look at the situation. And the comedy continues, courtesy the “fake” blog The Secret Blog of Patrick “Patos” Manning, which claims to be from the mind of Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister. The blogger inisists that he received a letter from U.S. President Barack Obama asking for cooperation in taking a few Guantanamo Bay detainees:
I originally consulted the Minister of National Security on the matter, but his most innovative idea had to do with sending the detainees to live in Sobo Village and hoping they die of smelter-related illnesses within a few years. So I’m opening this one to you, my dear friends. Participatory government is alive and well in Trinidad and Tobago! Help me choose a Gitmo detainee! Or four!
Should we grab some Chinese separatists, like Bermuda? Or would that get us into trouble with our Chinese friends and bring the local construction industry to its knees? And if any of you know any women we can fix these fellas up with, please leave a note in the comments section.
To Bermudians, of course, the entire affair is no laughing matter:
Bermudian reactions to this range from the bewildered to the outraged.
Links for Tue, 2009-06
Russian-language blog of John Beyrle, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation: http://beyrle.livejournal.com/.
Mahmood reports on a get-together of Bahraini bloggers, after a long break.
Moroccan blogger Badr Al'Hamry on Agora [Ar], expresses his solidarity with Idriss Shahtan, director of Al Mishaal weekly newspaper, and president of the Khenifra branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights [Ar] who will stand accused of publishing a dossier that is discourteous to a relative of the king of Morocco in a court trial on June 16. The blogger quotes a declaration by an ad-hoc solidarity committee [Ar] and links to several other solidarity web pages [Ar].
Persian Kiwi twittered that Mir Hussein Mousavi, Iranian opposition leader, asked his supporters to demonstrate in Haft Tir Square in Tehran and offer flowers to Basijis, a governmental paramilitary force.
Even after eight years of the Nepal Royal Massacre, Nepalis are still confused what happened on that dreadful day. Maya has more on this.
Posting photos and videos on his Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor reports from a demonstration staged outside the Iranian Embassy in Yerevan protesting Friday's disputed presidential election.
Media Helping Media informs that Shahidul Alam, internationally renowned photojournalist from Bangladesh, blogger and founder of the Drik picture network has been detained by the Indian border security while working on the Bangladesh side of the border. Updates on this news are being posted in Unheard Voice Blog.
This site is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Please read our attribution policy.
Asteris Masouras4 posts 
Bhumika Ghimire31 posts 
Sylwia Presley11 posts 
Eman AbdElRahman119 posts 
Rebekah Heacock30 posts 
Minax1 posts 
Oiwan Lam3349 posts 
Ayesha Saldanha460 posts 
John Kennedy740 posts 
Sinisa Boljanovic36 posts 
Paula Góes579 posts 
I-fan Lin38 posts