At the end of February, the process of cutting down some 400 plane trees began on Belgrade's longest street, the Boulevard of King Alexander. The trees were planted there in the 19th century, and the tree-lined path represented one of the oldest and most beautiful green oases in the center of Belgrade. A municipal company Gradsko Zelenilo, which is in charge of all city parks and tree-lined paths, has announced plans for complete eradication of the trees on the boulevard, explaining that they were old and sick.

This action has caused protests of citizens and a lot of reactions by Belgrade’s writers, artists and other famous people in the press and on the internet. They expressed doubts that all the marked trees were sick. They fear it is yet another excuse for expansion of parking areas or another project that will be revealed only later, after the giant plane trees have been destroyed.

The director of Gradsko Zelenilo, Radovan Draskic, said that the cut had started and that citizens should be aware of the danger of sick trees left standing. The website Balkan Insight published his statement; here is part of it:

We chose this part of the boulevard because it has the most problems. Why? It isn't difficult to prove; when you look at the outside of the [trees], they look healthy, but studies have shown that they are rotting. You can see that a metre or two is healthy and then the rot starts.

A group of citizens who opposed the cut called for a petition to be launched. They sent a letter to the Belgrade mayor Dragan Đilas. Among other things, they wrote:

Besides aesthetic, historical and cultural significance, the trees, as you know, also clean the extremely polluted air in this neighborhood. There are engineers from the Faculty of Forestry and Horticulture among the signatories of our petition. The engineers believe that, contrary to the assertions of the director of Gradsko Zelenilo, the trees are not actually sick, as was the case with certain previous cuts.

A Facebook group titled REMEMBERING BELGRADE CHAIN SAW MASSACRE!!! already has more than 800 members. Here's the group's description:

Belgrade City Hall has cut down over 400 trees in the longest boulevard in the city.
They have given us some lame excuses about “sickness of the trees” But the truth is more ugly.
It is, as you may imagine all about… money

Dusan Pavlovic from the NGO Zeleni Srbije told Balkan Insight that such a decision was tragic, but that it was too late to change anything now:

This shouldn't have happened without consultations with relevant organisations and experts. Now that the damage is done it is too late to stop and therefore we will try to press the authorities to do what they promised to do afterwards, namely plant new trees.

Bloggers also reacted to the event.

Nune Popovic wrote:

[…] If plane trees are really sick and present danger to the lives of Belgrade’s citizens, as mayor Đilas said, and that some of the experts contested […], a logical question arises: why is the study by experts from the Faculty of Forestry […] not revealed? What is the obstacle for an open public discussion about the issue in which the international experts should be included too? […]

[…] Đilas’s behavior looks like he enjoys the requests that are sent to him to check the decision about the cut of plane trees, like Milosevic enjoyed in 1991. When Đilas, as a leader of student protest, asked him to do a favor to his people and withdraw from the power.

That’s why I suspect the decision that the plane trees should be cut is more sick than the trees whose cutting Đilas supports, and instead, it is in the public interest to make sure that everything possible is done so that the trees are treated and saved.

Blogger Srđan Mitrovic writes about the building plan for the Boulevard and explains why more people didn't join the protests:

[…] Sincerely speaking, I would be surprised to learn that any of those who live on the Boulevard participated in the protests. Probably, they can hardly wait for their buildings to be torn down, so that they can get money or square meters from investors [who have intention to make new buildings in the area].

Blogger Albicilla published a few photos from the cut of plane trees and invited citizens to gather next to the Vuk Monument in order to light candles for the trees:

Let's say good-bye to plane trees in a dignified way, with many honors and respects.
Let’s light candles on each venue of their merciless and unfair massacre.

Inviting all volunteers to gather themselves, today, on Sunday, March 7, next to the Vuk Monument, and bring candles, matches and cigarette lighters. […] Let’s send a picture into the world that we regret what's happened to our plane trees and that we are not monstrous killers. […]

Vladimir, a young man (25) from Belgrade’s area Braca Jerkovic, who calls himself as a “self-styled lawyer,” is on duty every night in order to save one of the plane trees in the Boulevard. He is also collecting citizens' signatures in order to petition the municipal authorities to start treating his plane tree. Blogger Albicilla, in another post, published Vladimir's explanation:

I am aware that there is a minimal chance that a plane tree, which is entered in the proposal under the number 191, will survive […]. It’s obvious that those who made a decision about it will go to the end. It is my initiative, no one stands behind me, only my plane tree. Though I don’t live on the boulevard, I can’t be idle. I am hurt when I see how plane trees disappear.

Kenya, and specifically Nairobi, has in recent months become the technology heartbeat of Africa with conferences, launches, meet ups, summits and unconferences all running in quick succession.

The beginning of the year saw the announcement of a new technology hub for all techies, hackers, investors and tech companies. The announcement was made by Erik Hersman (Hash) who runs the blog Whiteafrican, which focuses a lot more on technological advancements in IT though he terms it as a white African's view of the world.

This is what brought about the idea of the iHub,
A number of us in the Nairobi tech community have been discussing the need for a physical nexus for the tech community here for a couple years, so it’s great to finally be so close to uncorking the bottles and celebrating a big step forward for all of us.

That announcement was made on January 25th via his post, iHub: Nairobi’s Tech Innovation Hub is Here!

February 3rd marked day one of the Mobile East Africa Conference (MWEA10) held at the KICC in Nairobi. The 2 day event was aimed at harnessing the potential of the internet and applications on mobile devices. It was attended by various mobile developers,mobile company CEOs as well as other stakeholders in mobile telephony.

Bankelele one of the bloggers who was in attendance gave this detailed recap of the 2 days here .

Kahenya Kamunyu had this to say about the event

“The best conference I’ve attended so far. Very well organised.”
Kahenya Kamunyru, CEO, ViRN Instruments

Hash did a stream post of the conference while attending.

Wilfred Mworia of Afrinnovator blog also attended the conference and was one of the speakers

“Very enlightening”
Will Mworia, Founder, African Pixel & Afrinnovator

Kachwanya also covered the the conference in his Ten Conclusions blog post.

The iHub - Nairobi's technology hub - was launched on 3rd March bringing together over 200 tech lovers from Nairobi.Ndesanjo has given a review of the even with views from the various bloggers who attended.

Tandaa an initiative by the Kenya ICT Board with the sponsorship of Google Kenya office held a one day symposium on 8th March, the first in a bid to spur the interest in generation of local digital content.

ICANN, the body that governs the assignment of domain names is currently in Nairobi for a 6 day annual meeting - ICANN no.37.

The meetings which started on 8th will end on the 12th March. The choice of Nairobi over other African cities has largely been due to the high speed internet fiber links that are now available to Kenyans. This is a factor that many other IT event organizers have considered in their choice of venue.

However, the presence of too many heads of state has caused concern with the organising committee with the fear that it was causing major disruptions to the community members

Rebecca Wanjiku a technology journalist and blogger based in Kenya atended the annual ICANN meeting. Her posts on the 2 days can be read here and here

White African and Mworia have also written posts on this ongoing event.

Just 2 days after the ICANN 37 meeting is the AfriCamp - a forum that allows the participating youth to showcase their work in their respective regions. In addition, the camp includes training segments that will allow youth to acquire skills in creative social messaging techniques that they can apply to their work. The Youth Initiative sees added value in convening the AfriCamp to not only act as facilitator and sponsor, but most importantly, to raise the profile of the work young people are doing under challenging conditions.

The AfriCamp will bring young activists together so that they can learn from one another while we learn from them. It is integral for the YI to identify these local actors and collect this information to inform the OSI network. It will allow young activists to gain hands-on training in new media that could be translated to their advocacy efforts in their given fields. The participants will be recruited across the sub-Sahara Africa with ages ranging from 18-29 years.

The camp will take place at Lukenya, a camping site in the outskirts of Nairobi from the 14th to the 20th of March.
The camp is based in the barcamp principle of Unconference and will have the input of various youth from all over Africa

Some of Kenya’s well known bloggers like Mental Acrobatics and Mark Kaigwa will among participants

Pan Africa Media Conference 2010 an event being organized by one of Kenya’s biggest media houses, the Nation Media Group is set to take place in Nairobi on the 18th and 19th of March.

The aim of the event is to reflect on the past, present as well as look for any future prospects for Media in Africa. New Media is one of the things that will be discussed.

Ory Okolloh, a blogger and one of the forces behind Ushahidi – a crisis crowd sourcing project, will be the moderator.

Various other Kenyan bloggers like Rafiki Kenya , Rebecca Wanjiku, Intelligensia, Cold Tusker, Paula Kahumbu, Bankelele, Hash and myself(KenyanPoet) have been invited to participate in this conference.

I have written a post on this significant step for Kenyan bloggers in giving the future of media in Africa.

Barcamp Nairobi 2008 ( photo courtesy of White African)

Plans for Barcamp Nairobi 2010 are in top gear with tentative dates of either 26th March or 12th – 13th June being voted for on the PBworks page.

Having been gone on a 1 year hiatus, there are suggestions to make the event a proper 2 day camp outside of Nairobi. Some of the topics that attendees would like to hear are: using GPS enabled cell phones to avoid traffic, cloud computing applications in Kenya, hardware hacking among others.

Lastly, Maker Faire Africa is coming to Kenya on the 6th & 7th of August this year.

The event is a celebration of African ingenuity, innovation and invention. It was first held in Accra Ghana, as a brain child of Emeka Okafor of Timbuktu Chronicles Blog.

All these technology events happening and only 3 months into the year is an indication that there will be an immense growth of the ICT space not just in Kenya but across many countries in Africa. We can only say ‘Watch this Space – the cyber space’

Siberian Light looks at the BBC News “infographic about internet access in Europe” and wonders “why a relatively authoritarian country like Belarus has managed to get more than 1/3rd of its people online, whereas Ukraine has only managed 1/10th.”

The February 27 earthquake in Chile left more than 2 million displaced, at least 497 confirmed deaths [es], and an estimated US$30 billion in damage. However, the lawlessness that ensued after the quake also left Chileans with a moral question: Is Chilean society a just one?

After the quake hit, a majority of Chileans helped others, assisted their neighbors in need, shared their food surpluses, and donated money in unprecedented ways. Nevertheless, a minority, however small, looted non-essentials, robbed homes, and intentionally set fire to department stores, despite the fact that the Chilean government allowed people to take essentials, such as milk, baby formula, bread, and flour.

Photo of empty supermarket in Concepción by heedmane and used under a Creative Commons license.

Chilean TV stations brought this reality to the homes of millions in a fairly accurate fashion [es], and so Chileans saw how some helped themselves to plasma TVs, refrigerators, and DVD players. The images of crime and looting, and especially the looting of non-essentials, began a national debate about existing social and economic inequalities in Chile.

In an article titled “What type of wood are we made of? [es],” Ricardo Carbone, a blogger, professor, and Director of the Center for Social Reflection and Action [es] at Alberto Hurtado University, argues that the quake exposed major social problems, and that it brought down the facades and appearances of Chilean society. Here, Carbone refers to the facades of people who looted non-essentials and worsened an already difficult situation:

…al igual que en los edificios que cayeron, la fachada era de ciudadanos bien formados y conectados con el mundo y el consumo, pero el interior no estaba soportado por valores sólidos ni principios fuertes. Rápidamente y ante la primera dificultad corrieron a tomar lo que pudieron.

…like the fallen buildings, the facade [of Chileans] was one of well-educated citizens that were connected with the world and consumerism, but their interior was not held by solid values or strong principles. Swiftly, and at the first sign of trouble, they hurried to take what they could.

The blogger exhorts Chileans to not only rebuild their infrastructure, but also to reinforce values that would create a better, more inclusive society. He also asked readers:

¿podemos esperar algo distinto en un sistema que genera segmentación y exclusión social?, ¿es el producto de una sociedad que obliga a competir y arreglárselas solo?

Can we expect something different in a system that generates segregation and social exclusion? Is it a product of a society that forces competition and to fix things oneself?

Most readers of this blog post agreed with the notion that Chile needs to do a lot of groundwork in education and the inculcation of values. One such reader was Alejandra Muñoz:

Se nos rompio la burbuja y duele ver la verdad. Ahora hay que entenderla, asumirla y trabajar por recontruir nuestros edificios y nuestra sociedad. Se puede perdonar, pero no podemos olvidar lo que ha pasado, ya que habra una proxima vez y no nos puede pillar sin aprender de lo errores.

Our bubble burst and the truth hurts. Now we ought to understand it, accept it and work for the reconstruction of our buildings and society. We can forgive, but we cannot forget what has happened, for there will be a next time and it cannot catch us without learning from our errors.

Though most Chileans agree that the public education system has not succeeded at providing equal opportunities to all Chileans, the looting of non-essentials could not have only been caused by a lack of strong “good values.”

Coyuntura Política [es], a Chilean blog, published the article The Earthquake and the Fractures of Chile by José Aylwin , Co-director of Observario Ciudadano [es], a Chilean human rights nonprofit located in Araucanía region. With regard to the looting of non-essentials, Aylwin writes:

Tales saqueos, al menos en algunos casos, encuentran su explicación en la percepción de injusticia que existe en sectores de la población que, en momentos de emergencia como este, consideran válido vaciar los estantes de las grandes tiendas y supermercados que, con el aval del estado, han acumulado riquezas a sus expensas, mientras ellos permanecen empobrecidos.

These lootings, at least in some cases, are explained by the perception of injustice that exists in segments of the population that, in moments of emergency such as this one, consider it legitimate to empty the shelves of superstores and supermarkets that, with the backing of the State, have accumulated wealth at their expense, while they remain poor.

In the article Collateral Damage [es], Patricio Navia, a blogger and professor, explains that in similar natural disasters in other countries, disorder has occurred too. To him, the fault lies with the government:

De haber actuado en consecuencia con el discurso de la normalidad democrática y asumiendo como realidad las repetidas arengas sobre el buen funcionamiento de nuestras instituciones, Michelle Bachelet hubiera tomado las medidas necesarias- incluido el envío de tropas a las zonas afectadas- para asegurar la paz y el orden … mucho antes de que las imágenes de saqueos y pillajes se hayan convertido en parte dolorosa -y evitable- de esta tragedia que enluta al país en su bicentenario.

Had Michelle Bachelet acted in accordance with the rhetoric about the democratic normalcy, and assumed as reality the repeated passionate speeches about the correct functioning of our institutions, she would have taken the necessary measures, including the deployment of troops to the affected areas, in order to ensure peace and order … long before the images of looting and pillage became a painful and preventable part of this tragedy that cast a shadow on our country in its bicentennial anniversary.

Video by YouTube user IORITER1 taken in Concepción:

In the blog Humanism and Connectivity [es], Andrés Schuschny posted an article titled Earthquake [es]. He describes the looting as follows:

Es terrible como una catástrofe natural desenmascara el rostro de la desigualdad de un país cuyos dirigentes no quieren asumirla. Porque, por ejemplo, si el 10% de los ingresos del cobre se hubieran, hace años, destinado a la educación pública y los servicios sociales (deudas siempre pendientes en la región) y no a incrementar los presupuestos militares, las compras de armamento sofisticado y el pasaporte a vidas de lujo por parte de los militares de alto rango, tal vez otra sería la historia y los “comunicadores” del sistema no estarían ahora refiriéndose “al LUMPEN” como una caterba de extraterrestres desbocados que afloran sin razón.

It is terrible how a natural catastrophe unmasks the face of inequality in a country whose officials refuse to acknowledge it. Because, for example, if 10% of copper revenues had been, long ago, destined to public education and social services (debts always outstanding in the region) and not to increase military budgets, the purchase of sophisticated weaponry, and a passport to a life of luxury for high-rank militiamen, maybe history would be different and the “communicators” of the system would not be referring to the “LUMPEN” (lowest social group) as a horde of loose aliens that surfaced with no reason.

Chile, with a prosperous and growing economy in the past decades, is considered to be a country with “high human development” by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Nonetheless, this economic growth is somewhat tainted by the country’s income inequality. The data in the UNDP’s Human Development Report for 2009 (.pdf format) shows that out of 147 countries with an available Gini coefficient (measure used to calculate income inequality), Chile ranks 124, despite the fact that it is ranked number 44 in terms of human development.

HumanRightsUN posts a video of part of the presentation made by Ruslan Asadov, co-founder of the OL! Azerbaijani Youth Movement [AZ/EN], at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights, Tolerance and Democracy. One of the other co-founders of OL!, video blogging youth activist Adnan Hajizade, is currently in prison on what most observers consider politically motivated charges. OL! has also uploaded an English version of its promotional video. The full segment on Young Rights Defenders and the Blogosphere from the conference (split into ten parts) can be found here.

Unzipped comments on plans to demolish Yerevan's only open air cinema hall to make room for the construction of a new church. Although the cinema itself was constructed after the demolition of a previous church standing in the same spot, the blog says that there are enough churches in the capital and all focus should be on saving what it considers to be one of the finest buildings in the city.

The BBC sparked a storm this week with a story claiming millions of dollars sent to help starving people in Ethiopia's 1980s famine were used to buy arms by rebels.

The rebels, who now dominate Ethiopia's government, and some aid groups dismissed the story. Bob Geldof, the Irish rock star who helped raise a lot of the money in the 80s with his Live Aid campaign, said it was “simply not the case”. Britain's Independent newspaper published a blog saying the claim was a slur, cooked up by enemies of Ethiopia's government ahead of looming elections.

Ethiopian blog Ethiopian Recycler, clearly not fan of the country's current regime, begged to differ and defended the BBC story in two posts Aid money, arms, and Sir Bob Geldof and Live Aid money did pay for weapons:

Millions of aid money raised in the 1980s was indeed diverted to buy arms and had provided rebel leaders with a lifestyle that was inhuman and extravagant even by today's standards. That is no news. Thousands of the hungry from Tigray were forced to trek to the Sudan in the course of which many perished. And hundreds that were resettled in southwestern Ethiopia were returned to Tigray through the Sudan [hundreds of which perished en route]. That is no news either. The fact that yesterday's BBC report is followed by the question whether this scam ever took place is simply absurd.

Another aspect of Ethiopia's relationship with the aid industry came under the spotlight in an article highlighted by Addis Ababa-based blogger Owen Barder. Aid blog Hand Relief International cast an ironic eye over the difference between the luxury of the capital's Sheraton hotel, where many aid officials stay, and the visible poverty just outside its walls:

One of the meetings I attended last week was in Addis Ababa where my stay in the dignified Sheraton Hotel was slightly spoiled by the vista behind the reassuring fence, where people in rags seemed in general to be enjoying slightly less comfort … Thankfully, the local drought did not affect the water pressure at the fountain systems around the hotel where we took the edge off with regular dips in the heated pool, usually before high tea. The theme of the meeting was “Drought and Famine - HRI opportunities for 2010″

“Why did it take a quarter of a century for the truth to be told publicly,” wonders Samuel Ketema at ABBAY Media: The Ethiopian Information Bank:

If there is one thing that people should be surprised about, it must be why it took a quarter of a century for the truth to be told publicly. Otherwise, particularly the deception of the TPLF is something that the Ethiopian public know them for. How REST (Relief Society of Tigray), which is a multibillion conglomerate today, was formed is not such a big secret to the Ethiopian public. Then there is also what the CIA knew from the beginning and the American government supported it.

The two former rebel commanders, who exposed this truth, mentioned this before in different interviews they gave in Amharic. Nothing is new about this. How did TPLF win the largest and well equipped army in sub-Saharan Africa then? Meles Zenawi, as many in the west, including Bob Geldof and Bono described him, is a very smart guy, actually much smarter than his admirers in the west can understand.

A reader at Ethiopian Curret Affairs Discussion Forum, Sarah, notes that Ethiopians were not surprised by the news:

Ethiopians who knows the nature of the ruling party in Ethiopia wasn’t surprised by the news at all what surprised them was how comes the western medias start talking? and Bob Geldof acting like the Ethiopian dictators lire cadres.

The “aid for arms” story, argues Mebre, is very well known all over Ethiopia:

The story you mentioned is very well known all over Ethiopia but it gives a factual evidence for the West that a dictator that do not have a moral character for his own people can give peace prosperity and freedom to the nation.We all insist the West that don’t armed dictators….give support for the poor…the poor needs freedom than anything…..

For the past two years, a seafront promenade in Varna known as the First Alley has been a cause of confrontation between civil society organizations and TIM Group, which runs projects throughout Eastern Bulgaria and owns many of the hotels on the coast. The activists are fighting against large-scale construction and are trying to protect the Sea Garden landscape park in Varna.

A protest poster: “Sea Garden is not for sale!”

One of the most vocal opponents of the construction project is Kalina Pavlova, a local architect. She is considered “the face” of civil society in Varna by some. Together with other citizens and NGOs, she actively works to let the public know about the circumstances of the sale of 122 acres of the Varna coast to “Holding Varna”, a TIM Group company, and about the support that private investors are getting from the municipality as they are trying to build a whole new city by the coastline of Varna: seven hotels, some 500 bars and 300 shopping centers (more graphics and photos from the location - at view.point, Pavel Yanchev's blog; BUL). In 2009, Ms. Pavlova received a special award from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee for “exclusive civil courage in protecting the public interest against the illegal acts of the local institutions in favour of private corporations.”

User mok wrote this [BUL] at Arhitektura.bg blog on Oct. 9, 2009:

[…] This is one of the many deals struck in our dear fatherland, that everybody knows is illegal, but is deemed legal by the ones who can make it so. You are aware of our current government's motto (besides dealing with the crisis) - fighting corruption. As funny or as trivial as it may seem, we are witnessing the annulment of old deals, swaps, etc., from [the times of the Triple Coalition], found to be illegal. All that has to be done in this case was for the deal in question to be reviewed, declared illegal and therefore void. Yes, but not quite. No one's ever going to do something that's not in their interest. As long as there isn't enough uproar anyway. Is that all? Is this how things should be? Should deals contrary to the common interest be made, can't the same beautiful architecture be build with a lot of money, but in a manner not only intended to satisfy the interest of the investors?

Here is a comment from one of the readers:

It is very interesting how in this article has been highlighted that the new government reviewed the old deals, but unfortunately did not follow the new deals - I wonder why? The game [corruption] does not stop, only the players [the government] put on new faces.

Jurgen Roth, a German journalist, wrote this about TIM Group:

“[It] represents the most advanced form of organized crime, an example of what is indicated by the term “Mafia Borghese”- a structure penetrated in the higher spheres of society.”

Mr. Roth is the author of a book on organized crime in Bulgaria and is currently being sued for slander by Rumen Petkov, Bulgaria's former interior minister (earlier GV posts about the situation with Mr. Petkov are here and here). Mr. Roth chose not to show up for the second hearing of the trial this past Monday, due to threats from Mr. Petkov that he claims to have received.

Attempts to intimidate anti-construction activists in Varna have also taken place. Blogger Toross reported (BUL):

[…] Architects and organizers of the protests Nikolay Tsvetkov and Kancho Bonev were attacked - with this message, “We know what you do.”

[…]

NGOs protesting against the controversial deal sent an official letter to the prosecutor general and [PM Boyko Borisov]. No reaction. […]

Ms. Pavlova is quoted saying this (BUL) in Mirela Veselinova's text on the mafia's new project that appeared on e-vestnik.bg, an online news site:

[…] There is just no other way to live a decent life - to make a home for yourself, build a career. If you are too afraid to stand up for your rights, then you might as well leave the country. […]

Thoughts on the Road comments on recent news reports that $44 million in real estate deals were recently made in Dubai in the name of a 12-year old who happens to have the same name and date of birth of the Azerbaijani president's son. Another $35 million worth of deals were also reportedly made in the name of the president's two daughters. Learning to Walk in Stilettos also comments on the news by saying that while the reports might be new, the problem of corruption in the oil-rich country is not. Meanwhile, Emotions on Air, Mind Mute, a blog in Azerbaijan, simply responds to the news by quoting the lyrics of the song ‘F**k You' by Lily Allen.

Emmanuel Midi blogs about “formation, animation, discovery” for children in Haiti's disadvantaged Cité Soleil and Bas Delmas communities after the January 12 earthquake.

East Timor possesses only 0.04% of the world's known oil reserves - with its known reserves around only half of those of Brunei, according to one estimate. But for a small, poor nation of roughly 1 million people, this is still very significant.

When the country gained independence in 2002, revenues were already streaming into Timorese coffers from the area south of the island called the Timor Gap. Even though Australia and East Timor have yet to agree on final maritime boundaries, the oil coming from Timorese oil fields is already the country's greatest source of revenue. (There is also yet-to-be-exploited natural gas in the Timor Gap.)

Image by SkyTruth shared under a CC license

Donors and Timorese leaders were keen to prove that petroleum resources could be a blessing and not a curse, calling in experts from Norway to learn from that country's famous Sovereign Fund.

The basic idea: set aside the massive influx of revenues and spend only what is earned from careful investment of that revenue. A sovereign fund, called the Petroleum Fund, was designed and its existence even alluded to in the Constitution. The subsequent Petroleum Fund Law has very strict and specific wording in relation to what can be withdrawn from the fund.

As Lu Olo, formerly a resistance leader, said in his (unsuccessful) 2007 presidential campaign [tet]:

Osan ne‘e foin maka iha tinan ida ne‘e, liu husi Orsamentu Jeral do Estado, nebé hasai husi Fundo Mina Rai. Osan mira rai nian, fahe tuir kanal estadu nian, la‘os fahe arbiru deit, hanesan esmola ne’eb’e ema riku fó ba ema kiak. Osan Mina Rai nian pertense ba povu.. Povu iha direito ba hetan benefísius dezenvolvimentu nian. Timor-Leste nia. ósan, fo tuir Fundu Komunitáriu nian, la‘os halo karidade. La halo hanesan, foin dadaun ema balu fahe mantas nebé mai husi rai seluk. Fundu Komunitáriu simu osan nebé transfere tuir leis, tuir direitos povu nian, hahú kedas hó Asembleia Konstituinte. Ne‘e osan povo nian ba ajuda povu. Ne maka independénsia. Hamrik no tani nafatin prinsipius nebé hamanas ita nia laran no halu ita luta ho brani iha Frente Armada, iha Frente Klandestina nor Frente Diplomatika Ne‘‘e maka nasionalismu lolós, ne maka independensia lolós.

The money goes to the people at a grass roots level, for sustainable projects in agricultural development. This money only became available in this years budget because of the Petroleum fund. This money is being distributed through proper institutional channels, not thrown around like gifts from the rich to the poor. This money belongs to the people. Development is the people's right. This is not charity, like giving away blankets that come from foreign powers. This is transferring funds legally and constitutionally, according to the rights that our people have under the Constitution I steered through the Constituent Assembly. This is the peoples own resources going back to the people. That is what independence is. Standing up and remaining true to principles that have inspired us and have made us brave in our struggle in the Armed Front, the Clandestine Front and the Diplomatic Front. This is true nationalism, this is true independence.

The Petroleum Law states that no more than the Estimated Sustainable Income (ESI) shall be drawn down in any given year from the Petroleum Fund. The Law allows for the exceeding of this Income only with Parliamentary approval. The ESI is the key mechanism by which future generations are guaranteed benefits from the natural resources long after they have run out. On any given year the value of the ESI depends on the price of oil and other factors.

The current coalition government in Timor, which came to power in 2007, controversially drew down more than this “sustainable income” in 2008 and 2009 - invoking a clause in the Petroleum Fund Law allowing for exceptional transfers from Fund. The issue was taken to the highest level of the Timorese judiciary in late 2008.

Increases in recurrent expenses, such as subsidies for food and salaries for civil servants and parliamentarians, along with large infrastructure projects have dramatically increased government budgets.

West Timor's local petrol stations by Ernst Neumeister

In its Annual Report for 2009, local NGO Luta Hamutuk refers to people from Ermera District asking questions about the oil money during a community briefing

Participants asked for clarification in respect of petroleum fund law […] since reality had showed that government had taken beyond 3% [ESI] to be put into state general budget. Why after such money being taken, still that many of infrastructure projects like roads, schools, and clinics have been performed inappropriately? Where does the money go? Is there any indication of corruption?

Even powerful international institutions have sounded the alarm in their own way. La'o Hamutuk, an NGO set up to monitor Timor's post-independence development, quoted the World Bank's Country Director as saying in April 2009

If expenditure continued to expand at 25 percent per annum, and if medium-term oil prices were to stabilize at about $60 per barrel, which is not impossible, then the Petroleum Fund would be completely exhausted within 8-10 years.

Blog Loron Ecónomico pointed out [pt] that the Petroleum Fund's value actually decreased for the first time between November and December of 2009:

Por ele se pode verificar que entre o fim de Novembro e o fim de Dezembro passados o Fundo viu o seu capital baixar de 5.464,4 milhões de dólares para 5.376,6 milhões. Isto ficou a dever-se principalmente à combinação de dois factores: uma perda de valor dos títulos que constituem o Fundo Petrolífero devido à queda das bolsas internacionais, por um lado, e e à transferência para o Orçamento Geral do Estado de um pouco mais de 150 mil dólares.

Verificou-se, pois, uma queda do valor do Fundo durante o mês de Dezembro de 2009.

[The report] shows that between the end of last November and December the Fund saw its capital drop from US$5.464 billion to $5.376 billion. This was due principally to the combination of two factors: a loss in the value of securities that constitute the Petroleum Fund due to the drop in international markets, on one hand, and the transfer to the State Budget of a little more than US$150 million. There was also then a drop in the Fund in the month of December 2009.

This year, the Petroleum Fund Law is up for review and this could lead to significant changes in the management of Timor's oil wealth.

Another potentially huge change is the creation of a National Oil Company. There may be political consensus around the idea, given that the current government is moving boldly ahead with the creation of the National Petroleum Authority, and the opposition while in government also appeared to favor a National Oil Company.

Last year, Vice Prime Minister (and one-time Governor of Indonesian Timor) Mário Carrascalão said to an international conference on the topic

80% of state revenues come from oil but those revenues are not produced by us. We are just watching other companies develop our resources. It is like before under the Portuguese occupation. It was the same; we just watched. It was also the same under the Indonesian occupation; we just watched. Now there is no occupation. But we are taking the rewards for work done by others.

For sure, we are lacking experience. But the time is right, now.

One real concern is that a National Oil Company would probably pay better than government regulatory bodies, and could draw away all of the talent from regulating the oil and gas sector. Besides a lack of trained people to work for the Company, one of the issues will be how it pays for capital investments necessary for its growth. (The suggestion that capital could come directly from the Petroleum Fund has some worried.)

Along with the issue of Land, debates over the Petroleum Law and the National Oil Company will likely be heated this year, and continue to gain importance over the coming years.

(Des)envolvimentu by Timor Cartoon shared under a CC license.

Poet “Minarai” (meaning “Oil” in Tetum) shared a sobering sentiment on the group poetry blog Timor Do Norte ao Sul [pt]

QUANDO O PETROLEO DORMIA
NO NOSSO TEMPO DE INFANCIA
PAZ E AMOR SEMPRE EXISTIA
POBREZA NAO TINHA IMPORTANCIA

AGORA LIQUIDO INFERNAL
QUE ACORDASTE EM TERRA MINHA
TROUXESTE GRANDE VENDAVAL
MATANDO O AMOR QUE A GENTE TINHA

While the oil lay dormant
When we were still just kids
Poverty was not so significant
Love and peace always existed

Now infernal liquid mess
That you awoke in my home
You brought a great tempest
Killing the love that we'd grown

This post was the first of a series of two on Timor's natural resource wealth. The second post will look at the ongoing negotiations over maritime boundaries, future natural gas exploration in the Timor Sea, and the issue of a pipeline.

The iHub, an innovation center for techies, developers and innovators was launched in Nairobi this week. What exactly is the iHub?:

iHub – Nairobi’s Innovation Hub for the technology community – is here! It’s an open space for the technologists, investors, tech companies and hackers in the area. This space is a tech community facility with a focus on young entrepreneurs, web and mobile phone programmers and designers. It is part open community workspace (co-working), part vector for investors and VCs and part incubator.

Several leading bloggers attended the event and here are their stories, photos and videos.

VC4Africa describes what the iHub will be about:

High speed internet, a comfortable and cool working environment, and a space for events and meetings to take place is what the iHub is about. It's run and managed by members of the local tech community.

It isn’t just a business. The end goal of the Innovation Hub in Nairobi is not to make money and be more profitable. Instead, it is to grow a stronger technology community in Nairobi, one where developers, designers, VCs and businesses are all better connected and mutually benefiting from the growth.

Bankelele considers the event a Nairobi Tech Moment:

iHub Nairobi: Our fabulous friends at Ushahidi are in the news for their recent technological endeavors which have been used in earthquakes rescue & relief in Haiti and Chile. But back here in Kenya, is something even more momentous, which is the unveiling & launch of the Nairobi iHub on March 3 2010.

The event, Sheila writes, was Geek Heaven in Nairobi:

Last night I went to Geek Heaven in Nairobi….and it looked kind of ordinary at first…. except we were in some kind of room in a building, with the skyline of Nairobi as the backdrop. It was the IHub Launch www.ihub.co.ke in Nairobi, Kenya and the evening was packed full of geeks, super geeks, TEDsters, futurists and a number of possible “Post humans” – people with artificially enhanced intelligence.

iHub, she argues, is a celebration of the power of ideas in Africa:

The IHub celebrates the fact that here in Africa we are beginning to value and invest in the power of ideas, as the essential currency for future progress and change. The iHub is a realization of the “Mindstep” or paradigm shift towards the areas where technology approaches a barrier, and new technologies emerge to cross it.

Njeri witnessed the launching and posts photos from the event:

The launch of IHub - Nairobi's Innovation Hub was yesterday at the Bishop Gatimu Magua Centre on Ngong Rd. The vent brought together the tech community in Nairobi as well as lovers of technology.
I was the unofficial blogger paparazzi and I can assure you that anyone who was in that event was captured on still.

Lone Ranger says iHub is simply what developers need:

This is the way to go, as there are a lot of smart guys out there with no means of putting ideas into action. This is just amazing. I attended the launch of iHub jana and it was good to see who is who in the IT field was there. The amazing thing was that almost all of the guys there were of age 40 and below, or 90% of the guys were 40 and below.
This is just what us developers need.

Kenya Christian writes:

This space is a tech community facility with a focus on young entrepreneurs, web and mobile phone programmers and designers. It is part open community workspace (co-working), part vector for investors and VCs and part incubator.

Nikolas was not invited to the event so he decided to watch TV instead. It was an invitation only event.

Now since i missed an invite to the premier iHubnairobi launch event of the day i shall sit about over here watching TV and regaling you lot with the most minute minutiae of my life currently and the current search for a one in all cell service provider.

Things you should know about the event:

■There will be eight lightning-style 5-minute talks done by local techies as part of IgniteNairobi (see Global Ignite Week for more)
■Keeping up to date with the event, we’ll be live streaming it via Ustream here.
■The first 100 attendees – who are on the list as confirmed -will get one of the new iHub t-shirts designed by the guys at The Ark and printed by Bonk. (Yes, they are incredibly cool).
■The floorplans and layout for the iHub are about done, but no buildout has started happening.
■We’re having a cocktail tonight, so it’s drinks and bitings/hors d’oeuvres.

Sam is happy that the event was given good TV coverage by KTN:

Launching of Ihub was quite phenomenon for the technical community. The fact that KTN gave it such a good coverage and substantial air time on Financial Markets live was quite encouraging.

Ihub creates a platform for Kenyan software and web developers as well other techies to meet and collaborate to bring out various innovations. The facility is equipped with a host of resources including fast internet provided by KDN and Zuku.

What will it take for the iHub to succeed?:

For iHub to succeed it has to become self-sustaining knowledge ecosystem. A place which will continuously appeals to great minds and produce wonderful applications, systems and ideas. Not all animals were equal in animals Kingdom and the same will applies here but in a good way. Yeah the doers will be given priority over the talkers. The reason is bright, innovative people like to be around other bright, innovative people. According iHub blog:
“We have never promised equality within the iHub, doers will be given preferential treatment to talkers and browsers. It’s a meritocracy, where those who create new and cool things are given more and better access.”

The Role of Government is critical in this, and it was refreshing to hear Mr.Paul Kukubo pledging that the government through ICT Board will be actively involved as a partner in iHub.

According to White African, the iHub isn't completely built yet:

The new iHub in Nairobi isn’t completely built out yet (in fact, it’s still basically just concrete and few painted walls…), however that won’t stop us from having a party to celebrate the opening of the new innovation hub here! It starts at 5:30pm (Kenya time) at the iHub (map).

Here is Njeri's web album of the event. Afrinnovator has posted videos of the event.

Security, in the Caucasus and beyond… prepares for International Women's Day by chronicling key developments in women's rights in the region. However, with many traditional practices slow to die out, the blog says that changes in societal values brought about during the Soviet years have been overturned since independence. In particular, it notes, this includes the custom of women retaining their virginity until marriage, domestic violence, and the resurgence of patriarchy.

ANTV, an online citizen media site co-founded by imprisoned video blogging youth activist Emin Milli and recently awarded for its contribution to freedom of the press in the region, posts a video report on the chaotic urban development in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

Victor's list of 15 annoying things in Malawi: “The frequent power failures by the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM). One ends up buying countless bundles of candles or if you can afford purchase and run a generator!”

A web site for the first ever Social Innovation Camp in the South Caucasus has been set up at http://sic-caucasus.net. The event, aimed at promoting the use of social media to implement actual projects for civil society and activists in the region, will be held as part of the Social Media for Social Change conference held at the beginning of April in Tbilisi, Georgia.

“The book is not only the door to other wonderful world[s], but it is the best teacher, university and source of wisdom”: Dominica Weekly extolls the benefits of reading.

Rajesh wonders whether the FIFA World Cup 2010 will be an opportunity for nation building in South Africa.

The force exerted by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that rattled Chile in the early morning hours of February 27 has shocked a country that is used to the earth shaking underneath their feet. Quakes are commonplace in Chile; since 1906 and counting this most recent earthquake, Chile has experienced 28 earthquakes [es]—without counting the smaller in magnitude but still frequent seismic activity that is often felt around the country. The three biggest earthquakes that many Chileans can still remember left 30,000 dead in 1939, 3,000 in 1960, and 177 in 1985.

The international community together with Chileans living abroad have praised Chile’s preparedness in front of this devastating situation, which could have had an even higher casualty total.

Cory Hunt in the blog Better Now than Never wrote a post on February 28 about the earthquake in Chile. The post begins by saying:

I have been following the events that have taken place in Chile today, as well as the subsequent tsunami warnings that have spread across the Pacific. The Chilean government, society, and people should be praised for their readiness in dealing with such a catastrophic natural disaster…as of this writing, Chile has still not appealed for international help even though the death toll has topped 300.

Destruction in Santiago, Chile after earthquake. Picture uploaded by flick user Ignacio Nuñez C. and used under a Creative Commons license.

El Pollo from the blog De Cualquier Vaina [es] lived in Santiago for six months in 1998 and felt three earthquakes while he was there. He describes what he saw during one of them and the importance of the building structures for safety:

En mi estadía sentí 3 y en uno de ellos vi, -mientras estaba despertándome en mi cama-, como por la ventana de mi apartamento en Apoquindo, se asomaban los edificios que tenía enfrente y el mío se mecía como un columpio. Estaba impresionado con las edificaciones ya que estaban en su mayoría construídos bajo estrictos códigos para mantenerse en pie ante los movimientos telúricos. Los chilenos dicen que en cada década había un terremoto fuerte que dejaba “la escoba”. Es decir, que volvía un desastre las ciudades.

During my stay I felt 3 and during one of them I saw –while I was getting out of bed- how the buildings in front of me appeared through the window of my apartment in Apoquindo (street in Santiago) and how mine rocked like a swing. I was impressed with the buildings since most of them where built under strict codes to remain standing during seismic movements. Chileans say that every decade there was a strong earthquake that left the city “la escoba” (like a broom) . That means, the earthquakes turned cities into disaster zones.

The Puerto Rican blog Puerto Space [es] compared Chile´s experience to that of Haiti during their recent earthquake, and wonders how such an event would affect Puerto Rico:

Pero, por que al ser el terremoto de Chile mas grande que el de Haiti, hubieron menos muertes? Todo se trata de la preparación del país para manejar la situación. Chile es un país en la costa pacifica de América del Sur, con una economía solida en América del Sur y una gran historia con los sismos. No es la primera vez que un gran terremoto extremece a Chile, pues este es el tercer terremoto de sobre 8.7 en Chile. Haiti es un país mas pobre, y no estaba preparado para un gran sismo como Chile. Las autoridades de Haiti estiman los muertos en los 220,000 mientras que en Chile son en los cientos. Ahora la pregunta que nos preguntamos en Puerto Rico todos los días. Estaremos preparados para un gran terremoto?

But why during the earthquake in Chile which was larger than the one in Haiti, there were less casualties? Everything is due to the country’s preparation to manage the situation. Chile is a country in the Pacific coast of South America, with a solid economy in South America and a large history of earthquakes. It is not the first time that an earthquake has hit Chile, this being the third earthquake over 8.7 magnitude in Chile. Haiti is a poorer country, and they were not prepared for a big earthquake like Chile. Haitian authorities estimate 220,000 casualties while in Chile casualties are still in the hundreds. Now the question that we ask every day in Puerto Rico. Are we ready for a big earthquake?

Damage after earthquake. Picture uploaded by flickr user todosnuestrosmuertos and used under a Creative Commons license.

In the midst of devastating news from around the world regarding other natural disasters, Chile’s preparedness stands as an example, showing that –despite the casualties and physical damage it has suffered—a much worse scenario was avoided thanks to infrastructure built to withstand earthquakes and a well-established government prepared to answer to disaster.

Felipe Vallejos, a Chilean living in the Dominican Republic, pointed out on his blog El Rincón del Chileno [es] that even with Chile’s physical preparation, the emotional damage is something no one is ever prepared for. He finishes with high hopes that his country will rebuild itself like it has so many other times:

Aunque siempre se destacó la preparación que Chile tiene para este tipo de fenómenos naturales, nadie puede ser preparado para perder la vida, nadie puede ser preparado para apurar la despedida, ni nadie será preparado para vivir la impotencia en los ojos de una señora que no pudo salvar a su hija, en la desesperación de saber que debajo de los escombros hay vidas que pueden ser salvadas, o en vivir en la incertidumbre más desoladora de la que se tenga memoria.

Chile se ha recuperado antes, pero el dolor ha sido irreparable. La naturaleza se ha ensañado una vez más con uno de los países más sísmicos del mundo, pero la fuerza de su gente, la energía positiva y todo el cariño de la comunidad internacional, harán que el pueblo chileno pueda sanarse, aunque para ello, necesite tiempo, esfuerzo y amor propio por su tierra.

Although Chile's preparation for this type of natural phenomenon has stood out, no one can be prepared to lose their life, no one can be prepared to hasten goodbyes, and no one will ever be prepared to experience the helplessness in the eyes of a woman who couldn't save her daughter, the desperation of knowing that under the rubble there are lives that can be saved, or living under the worst uncertainty anyone can remember.

Chile has recuperated before, but the pain has been irreparable. The force of nature has shown itself one more time in one of the most seismic countries of the world, but the strength of its people, the positive energy, and the affection from the international community, will make the Chilean people heal, even though it will take time, effort, and love for their country.