Global Voices Digest

Peru: APEC Summit an Opportunity for the Country

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum will attract 21 member countries to Lima, Peru, which will have the opportunity to put on display its recent economic accomplishments, investment opportunities, as well as its tourism potential. Many Peruvian bloggers are excited about this showcase opportunity, in spite of the logistical nightmares such a large gathering might produce.

Egypt: King Abdullah’s Glass of Wine

A rumor has been spreading in the blogosphere, accompanied with a photograph of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia showing him seated beside US President George W Bush while holding a glass of wine in his hand. And as you all know, alcohol is prohibited in Islam, and it is a sin to drink or even stay in a place where it is being served or available. Following are reactions from Egypt.

Madagascar: Brides-for-Sale just one harsh reality of poverty

Lova Rakotomalala translates the Malagasy blogosphere as it talks about the extremes people can be driven to by poverty.

Egypt: Convicted for being a Blogger

Is blogging a serious crime? And is speaking up for others something which warrants punishment? Egyptian Marwa Rakha translates a post from Arabic which discusses bloggers and blogging in Egypt.

Egypt: American University in Cairo’s New Campus Sparks Debate

Designed to accommodate 5,500 full-time students and 1,500 faculty and staff, the American University in Cairo’s new $400 million, 260-acre campus is technologically advanced and environmentally friendly. Students say that it was a premature move as they suffer sexual harassment and expensive food, among many other issues. Marwa Rakha reports.

Rain in the Middle East

It’s raining in the Middle East and bloggers are taking to their keyboards to register their thoughts at the change in climate. Here’s review of what some bloggers in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Kuwait, the UAE and Israel had to say about the rain.

Egypt: No More Natural Gas to Israel

An Egyptian court has banned the export of natural gas to Israel. Marwa Rakha briefs us about the deal, and what an Egyptian blogger is writing about the court order in this post.

Brazil: Attempts to censor a documentary about censorship

Gagged in Brazil, a documentary about the relationship between politics, media and censorship in Brazil was taken off the Current TV networks after a political party’s complaint. After a full investigation into the sources, the film is back online – but media censorship in Minas Gerais is an old and ongoing issue.

Kazakhstan: Political Economy and Blocked Blogs

It has been more than a month since Kazakhstan’s telecom monopolist blocked access of the users to Livejournal, the most popular blog platform in the Central Asian country. At the same time, the networks of online discussions did not get bleaker, still providing speedy reaction to the socio-political and economic developments and vibrant activity of the blogosphere.

Macau: Say No to Article 23 and White Terror

Macau SAR government issued a draft bill enacting Article 23 of the Macau Basic Law in October. The Law is very sensitive and it would affect every citizen’s freedom and rights. Now it is supposed to be the public consultation period, but it seems that the government has been giving pressure to independent social groups, organizations and universities to prevent them from having open discussion. However, in spite of all the pressure, activists urge to rally on 23 of Nov (this weekend) against the legislation.

Japan: Revision of the Nationality Law

On the 4th of June, on the occasion of cases filed in 2003 [en] and in 2005 whose protagonists were 10 children born out of wedlock to Japanese fathers and Filipino mothers, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional an article of the Nationality Law[en] because it infringes on Article 14 of the Constitution [en], which grants the right to equality. According to the article, while a child born in wedlock to a Japanese father and a foreign mother is in every respect recognized as a Japanese citizen, before the June 4th decision children born out of wedlock were only recognized as Japanese citizens if paternity had been confirmed before the child’s birth.

Religious unity: The Charter for Compassion

As children we may all have heard the Golden Rule expressed in many different ways, but the basic idea is: Treat others as you would like to be treated. This is Karen Armstrong’s TED wish, to create The Charter for Compassion, a platform in which the different Abrahamic faiths could focus on what was common to all, the moral backbone of all their faiths towards a greater unity and better communication among people of different faiths.

Bolivia: Recent Lynchings Cause Concerns

A string of lynchings around Bolivia has caused concern around the country. The latest case in Achacachi involved 11 accused thieves, who were set ablaze by town residents. Defenders of the indigenous tradition of “community justice” argue that what took place in Achacachi was very different and it should not involve taking another’s life, although others see any acts of taking justice into one’s own hands can lead to these types of tragedies.

Rising Voices is a nominee for the Best of the Blogs!

As you may know, Rising Voices has recently been nominated for a “best of the blogs” award in the category “best weblog”. At the moment we are trailing behind almost ALL the other nominees in spite of having such a big, powerful, and active community.You don’t need to vote in all the categories to have your vote recorded. Just click on the project you would like to vote for, enter your name and email – and click send.

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