headers
martin hardie | 1 Dec 2007 22:40
Picon

www.theglobalvote.org

a  colleague has sent me this below. I'm (and he) are interested to see what
people think - what else could be done with it etc etc,

On the site working on a project www.theglobalvote.org could you take a look
at it and let me know what you think? Voting on global issues......  At this
moment soft launch we are having 100 members and need more, any idea how we
can reach out more to political science people around the world?

Martin

--

-- 

#+34 666519359 #

auskadi.mjzhosting.com/

"I was just so relieved that the toxicity of this government had gone, this
dreadful vicious show which had been around for all these years, the active
disparaging of particular classes and groups.

"I felt like you know sometimes you see people at factories, they've been in
a plant that's got toxic stuff on them and they get hosed down later. I felt
on Saturday night like I'd been hosed down."
Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Naeem Mohaiemen | 1 Dec 2007 20:24
Picon
Gravatar

Tintin in Bengal, or Musee Guimet Controversy

Tintin in Bengal, or Musee Guimet Controversy
Naeem Mohaiemen

The two month simmering controversy in Bangladesh over the countroversial
loan of priceless, centuries old artifacts to France's Musee Guimet burst
into the open yesterday. In the early dawn hours of Friday, a day when many
of us are sleeping in, relaxing, addafying, or contemplating unfinished art
projects, a convoy of trucks were loaded with crates of artifacts from the
National Museum. Headed to ZIA airport, en route to Paris. Is Paris burning,
what's the rush..?

The French Embassy and some Bangladesh government officials had decided that
matters had dragged on long enough. The show was supposed to open 24th
October, but Bangladesh citizen groups had thrown a chaku in the works. With
a citizens lawsuit blocking the loan, and an investigative committee
deadline 45 days away, the first shipment got underway in defiance of good
manners and international law. Word leaked out, and protesters gathered.
Gates were scaled, human chains formed, a protester was arrested. But the
dawn tactics had worked. By the time more people arrived on the scene, the
trucks were on their way.

Positions hardened further after the truck fiasco.  On the evening news,
angry phone calls. Apparently some ground staff at the airport did all they
could to block the flight. This actually doesn't take much-- just our normal
airport bureacracy (which I was cursing out only a month ago when my video
camera was falling prey to it) raised a few notches. The Air France cargo
plane sat on the tarmac, missing its midnight rendezvous. But finally five
hours later, in dawn hours of Saturday, up up and away.

When the controversy first broke, many of us were too confused to take
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Geert Lovink | 1 Dec 2007 21:51
Picon
Picon
Favicon

The Price of Priceless Objects

(fwd. on the request of cecile landman. /geert)

http://shahidul.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/the-price-of-priceless-objects/

The Price of Priceless Objects

Stop Press: Ten crates containing rare archaeological treasures of 
Bangladesh have been bundled out of the national museum and are said to 
be bound for Guimet Museum in Paris, via flight AF 6731 (dep: 1205 
Saturday 1st Dec 2007). Preparations had been made to secretly remove 
the items through a shipment order by the French Embassy made to 
Homebound Packers and Shippers. Trucks and forklift arrive secretly in 
museum in early hours of morning. But the news leaked and media 
professionals and protesters gathered outside the museum. Under heavy 
police presence Homebound vehicles (Dhaka Metro Umo 11-0814, pho 11 
3634, U 14 0187) and fork lift trucks all bearing “Save The Children 
and USAID Cyclone Sidr Emergency Relief ” signs were used to remove the 
priceless items. Predictably, and as in the case of all previous 
authoritarian governments, while the story was the lead news in all 
major newspapers and independent television channels. BTV the state run 
television channel which is the only terrestrial channel in Bangladesh, 
failed to report the incident altogether.

--

Letter To French Government & Citizens (December 1, 2007)

To The French Government & Citizens

Subject: Musee Guimet’s Non-Transparent Borrowing of Priceless
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Tapas Ray | 2 Dec 2007 14:57
Picon

Re: Tintin in Bengal, or Musee Guimet Controversy

Naeem,

As you know, I was confused, too. Thanks for clearing it up.

It is absolutely astounding that the government in Dhaka should be 
sending those priceless treasures to a museum with such a record, but we 
are used to scandalous behavior from governments in our part of the 
world. France is different, or should be. One gets the sense that the 
emerging supranational entity called "Europe" is eager to project itself 
to the rest of the world as being liberal, civilised, and humane. If we, 
who belong to the periphery, are to believe this, France should rein in 
Guimet instead of helping it along in a criminally inept or simply 
criminal enterprise as you have described.

If the French want to see those artifacts - and I think that would be a 
good thing for Bangladesh - their government should take direct 
responsibility for the exhibits. It should catalog them properly, since 
the Dhaka museum people have clearly failed to do that, insure them 
adequately, and ensure their safe return after the display.

Tintin should grow up.

Tapas

Naeem Mohaiemen wrote:

> Tintin in Bengal, or Musee Guimet Controversy
> Naeem Mohaiemen
 <...>
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Tapas Ray | 2 Dec 2007 17:27
Picon

[Fwd: Re: Tintin in Bengal, or Musee Guimet Controversy]


PS: It just occurred to me that in the entire process - cataloging, 
insuring, etc. - Bangladeshi archaeologists, accountants, and perhaps 
other experts of proven competence and integrity, should be involved in 
addition to the two governments, since the actions of neither 
government's officials have evoked much confidence so far.

-------- Original Message --------

Naeem,

As you know, I was confused, too. Thanks for clearing it up.

It is absolutely astounding that the government in Dhaka should be 
sending those priceless treasures to a museum with such a record, but we 
are used to scandalous behavior from governments in our part of the 
world. France is different, or should be. One gets the sense that the 
emerging supranational entity called "Europe" is eager to project itself 
to the rest of the world as being liberal, civilised, and humane. If we, 
who belong to the periphery, are to believe this, France should rein in 
Guimet instead of helping it along in a criminally inept or simply 
criminal enterprise as you have described.

If the French want to see those artifacts - and I think that would be a 
good thing for Bangladesh - their government should take direct 
responsibility for the exhibits. It should catalog them properly, since 
the Dhaka museum people have clearly failed to do that, insure them 
adequately, and ensure their safe return after the display.

Tintin should grow up.
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
agent humble | 2 Dec 2007 22:02
Picon
Favicon

fwd: FOSS Codecs for Online Video: Usability, Uptake and Development

Hi,

I'm happy to announce the release of the second draft of this report,  which 
is now available for public circulation. Many thanks go to those who 
contributed their feedback after the first draft.

*- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -*

FOSS Codecs for Online Video: Usability, Uptake and Development*
A review of available tools for the creation, playback and embedding of 
online video using Free and Open Source Software video codecs and a look 
at the most pressing areas for development to enhance their adoption by 
social change video projects on the web.

http://wiki.transmission.cc/index.php/FOSS_Codecs_For_Online_Video:_Usability_Uptake_and_Development_1.2

Or via this Tiny URL:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yofb2g

A version in PDF is also available for reading offline here:
http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/anna/FOSS_Codecs_For_Online_Video_1_2.pdf

*- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -*

*Summary of Recommendations*
For those of you who wish to skip to the good part, there is a Summary 
of Recommendations with links to further information and alternatives 
within the report.

http://wiki.transmission.cc/index.php/FOSS_Codecs_For_Online_Video:_Usability_Uptake_and_Development_1.2#Summary_of_Recommendations
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Drew Hemment | 2 Dec 2007 20:29
Favicon

Quick report on Environment 2.0 Workshop

Quick report on Environment 2.0 Workshop
1-2 November 2007
Lancaster

An Environment 2.0 workshop took place on 1-2 November with a diverse  
range of participants, including artists, technologists and  
environmental advocates. The workshop started with a Pecha Kucha  
session, and the focus was on meeting people, sharing ideas, forming  
new collaborations for potential projects. It followed on from the  
launch of Environment 2.0 at Futuresonic 2007 in Manchester, and was  
organised by Imagination at Lancaster, a new creative research lab at  
Lancaster University.

Plans are underway for a follow up meeting, and for projects.

If you are interested in taking part in future projects please drop  
me a line, stating your interests and what you can bring to a  
collaborative project.

Drew

Environment 2.0 Workshop
1-2 November 2007
Lancaster

Participants:

Adrian Woolard
Alan Dix
Bron Szerszynski
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Paul D. Miller | 2 Dec 2007 23:57
Picon
Favicon

The Algebra of Occupation

This is one of the more intriguing developments of what Slavoj Zizek likes to
call "military humanism." I'm intrigued with the nuances of the colonial
aspects of the Iraq occupation. It's a page straight out of Frantz Fanon or the
film "The Battle of Algiers." There's a great scene in the film when the
general in charge of the French counter insurgent forces is asked if he reads
Sartre. He replies simply: "non."

Paul aka Dj Spooky

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3433/anthropologists_on_the_front_lines/

 Anthropologists on the Front Lines
    By Lindsay Beyerstein
    In These Times

    Friday 30 November 2007

    The Pentagon's new program to embed anthropologists with combat brigades
raises many concerns.

    A pilot program to embed anthropologists on the front lines in Iraq and
Afghanistan has sparked major controversy in the anthropological community. The
program, known as the Human Terrain System (HTS) project, reflects a much
larger trend in the national security establishment, with the military
increasingly hungry for cultural expertise to fight counterinsurgencies and
sustain long, low-intensity conflicts. Anthropologists are struggling to come
to grips with the ethics of research on the front lines.

    The Human Terrain System project is a joint undertaking by the Foreign
Military Studies Office (FMSO) and U.S. Army Training and Doctrine command
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 1 comment |
headers
Benjamin Geer | 3 Dec 2007 12:12
Picon
Gravatar

Re: The Algebra of Occupation

On 02/12/2007, Paul D. Miller <anansi1@...> wrote:

> There's a great scene in the film when the general in charge of the French
> counter insurgent forces is asked if he reads Sartre. He replies simply:
> "non."

I think the scene you have in mind is even closer than that to the
"Anthropologists on the Front Lines" story.  The general is talking to
a group of journalists:

General: ... in Indochina, they won.
Journalist: And here?
General: That depends on you.
Journalist: On us?  Do you intend to sign us up?
General: God forbid!  Just do your reporting, and do it well.  It's
not warriors we need.
Journalist: Then what?
General: A political will, which is sometimes there and sometimes
isn't.  Sometimes it's inadequate.  What were they saying in Paris
yesterday?
Journalist: Nothing.  Another article by Sartre.
General: Why are the Sartres always born on the same side?
Journalist: Then you like Sartre?
General: No, but I like him even less as a foe.

It looks as if the Pentagon has learnt that lesson pretty well.

Ben
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
mark bartlett | 2 Dec 2007 09:18

www.theglobalvote.org

i have to say that, after going to this site, i would recommend   
strongly against it because it asks for all the information that  
telemarketers do. With having even their disclosure about privacy  
rights.... all a wash in any case. Voting is based on anonymity, no?

the way this site offers itself, it could be a direct feed in to the  
US-Stassi surveillance system.

too bad, because a global vote system could be a very powerful tool  
for social change.

how does this kind of post get onto this list?

mark bartlett, phd.

On Dec 1, 2007, at 9:40 PM, martin hardie wrote:

> a little more info re global vote:
>
>  Launch and search for members for www.theglobalvote.org
>
> GlobalVote (www.theglobalvote.org ) has been launched to contribute  
> to the
> debate on decision-making processes within major international
> organizations such as the UN, the World Bank, and the International  
> Monetary
> Fund. This will be done by collecting the opinions of the  
> international
> online community, and by disseminating these polling results to
> International Organizations, universities, the media, and national
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 2 comments |

Gmane