1. rightness (n) a: accordance with conscience or morality b: appropriate conduct; doing the right thing c: conformity to fact or truth 2. truth (n) a: the state of being the case b: the body of real things, events, and facts
Saturday, November 25, 2006
ONE YEAR
Rojbûna te pîroz be, Rastî,
û gelek sipas bo mêvanên Rastîyê.
12 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Happy first anniversary to Rasti, truly one of the best blogs dedicated to one of the most just causes in this indifferent world. Thanks to Rasti’s detailed, attractive, passionate, highly informed and informative commentaries now I can see many aspects of political life in northern Kurdistan more clearly.
Biji heval Mizgin, dest xwesh u serkeftn jib o gel i bindest i Kurdistan.
This is the best Kurdish blog and right up there with the best of the others.
With its persistent focus on significant issues that are ignored by others, Rasti shows a first class example of the future of Kurdish internet activism.
Uh-oh. Could it be little Miss Blogger-Won't-Let-Me-Post? ;) Thank you.
Thank you, SHX. When one persistently focuses on the important issues that get ignored everywhere else, you feel like the lone voice in the wilderness much of the time.
I think I should think about Kurdish internet activism, or at least the Kurdish internet presence through blogging. In the summer, there was a survey that came out from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, and I meant to try to write something about it, but The Situation takes priority.
We need more in English, especially since English is used almost universally, and because those who are in positions of power and make policies that affect Kurds, tend to be English speakers. Especially in the US there is almost complete silence about Kurdistan, especially North and East. West Kurdistan needs a strong representation, too. If, as the Pew survey shows, 57 million Americans read blogs, then united, as Kurds, in English, all of us could make a difference.
Not only that, but I think that we could also make a difference with regard to political and cultural life in Kurdistan itself. Given how the situation in South Kurdistan is developing, especially for the youth and the gundîs, we need to speak out loudly about that. Loudly enough to be heard as much as KDC's advertisements were heard.
In the 1980s and 1990s, in both North and South Kurdistan, regimes got away with their atrocities and acts of genocide because they enforced a journalistic blackout on the region. With an Internet presence, and the potential of Kurdish internet activism, we no longer have to suffer regime-imposed blackouts on information and events as they happen. Cell phones are another means of getting the information out, and when it does get out, it needs to go up on the Internet as soon as possible.
To be successful at disseminating information from the world of Kurdistan, we must be vigilant that the information we provide is truthful. We must do our best to make sure we have good, reliable sources and that we check out other sources. Gossip and rumor are not acceptable. Let our enemies continue to shoot themselves in the foot with their lies and propaganda, while we rely on the truth and justice of the Kurdish cause.
Look I wholeheartedly agree with everything you are saying. We certainly need more English speaking Kurds to carry the message of the struggle in the North to much greater audience.
I too have often considered to start a blog -and I am sure it wouldn't be as great as yours if I did it- but I am at the moment more focused on writing in Turkish rather than English even though I hate Turkish.
The reason is we need not only to affect and change the world but our own people as well. There are probably dozens of English language Kurdish web sites and blogs now spreading the message. But there are so few websites and so few people who can teach the meaning of freedom, as seen through the eyes of Miss Statute of Liberty, and other liberal democratic values to Kurdish masses in a language they can understand. So you can see the dilemma.
Well that is why we have a division of labour. Do what you are good at.
It gives me pain but I probably will continue to write in Turkish for a while longer. As for you, I reckon you ought to stick to this blog because you do it almost perfectly. -I say "almost" because nobody gets perfect marks from me:) But you are awfully close to it.-
The Kurds entered the internet world just on the heels of the Turks. That is, the Turks (and even Arabs and Farsi) did not have too long a headstart on us Kurds in utilising this instrument. They have a numerical superiority and greater access to the web than us Kurds.
But this time we have one advantage that we did bot have in the past in the battle of public opinion. We now have educated Kurds who are learned in Western ways and they are able to, through this instrument, impart some knowledge cheaply, safely and anonymously. (Hell, even in their pyjamas and nightgowns before going to bed.)
So we are able to directly communicate with fellow Kurds and influence them without involvement of a third party. Most importantly we are setting trends and traditions of internet use for generations of new Kurdish users.
For example, if "Rasti" blog can be sustained for a little longer -and watch out for burn outs- it will make a great example for future Kurdish bloggers who want to write in English. And once we start having people who will maintain a blog in Kurdish, they will have known, thanks to Rasti, how to carry out internet activism, how to research, how to make right attributions, citing sources, persistence, and many other good qualites that if I were to line them up would make you blush in pride.
This is the only blog I visit regularly now, two or three times a week. I have it on my Opera toolbar. It is one click away. I think I like it:)
12 comments:
Happy first anniversary to Rasti, truly one of the best blogs dedicated to one of the most just causes in this indifferent world. Thanks to Rasti’s detailed, attractive, passionate, highly informed and informative commentaries now I can see many aspects of political life in northern Kurdistan more clearly.
Biji heval Mizgin, dest xwesh u serkeftn jib o gel i bindest i Kurdistan.
srusht
Gelek sipas bo te, heval Srusht.
I am very happy to have the chance to write so that you may enjoy it.
Şehîd namirin! Bijî gelê Kurd! Bijî Serok Apo! Yan Kurdistan yan naman!
Has it really been a whole YEAR??? Mazeltov on an intelligent and well written blog.
Gelek sipas, Juanita and Heval.
I should acknowledge Juanita's strong encouragement of my writing. Thanks should go to her for that, or there might not be any Rastî today.
Serkeftin!
Well, if I can't let bygones be bygones on Rasti's birthday, what kind of comrade would I be?
Piroz be to YOU, Mizgin!
Rojbuna te piroz be!
happy birthday Rasti!
Gelek sipas, many thanks, JO, Anonymous, and Lukery.
Your support is much appreciated.
Congratulations HBK. I hope this goes through....
Yes a big Happy Birthday from me too.
This is the best Kurdish blog and right up there with the best of the others.
With its persistent focus on significant issues that are ignored by others, Rasti shows a first class example of the future of Kurdish internet activism.
Well done.
sHx
Uh-oh. Could it be little Miss Blogger-Won't-Let-Me-Post? ;) Thank you.
Thank you, SHX. When one persistently focuses on the important issues that get ignored everywhere else, you feel like the lone voice in the wilderness much of the time.
I think I should think about Kurdish internet activism, or at least the Kurdish internet presence through blogging. In the summer, there was a survey that came out from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, and I meant to try to write something about it, but The Situation takes priority.
We need more in English, especially since English is used almost universally, and because those who are in positions of power and make policies that affect Kurds, tend to be English speakers. Especially in the US there is almost complete silence about Kurdistan, especially North and East. West Kurdistan needs a strong representation, too. If, as the Pew survey shows, 57 million Americans read blogs, then united, as Kurds, in English, all of us could make a difference.
Not only that, but I think that we could also make a difference with regard to political and cultural life in Kurdistan itself. Given how the situation in South Kurdistan is developing, especially for the youth and the gundîs, we need to speak out loudly about that. Loudly enough to be heard as much as KDC's advertisements were heard.
In the 1980s and 1990s, in both North and South Kurdistan, regimes got away with their atrocities and acts of genocide because they enforced a journalistic blackout on the region. With an Internet presence, and the potential of Kurdish internet activism, we no longer have to suffer regime-imposed blackouts on information and events as they happen. Cell phones are another means of getting the information out, and when it does get out, it needs to go up on the Internet as soon as possible.
To be successful at disseminating information from the world of Kurdistan, we must be vigilant that the information we provide is truthful. We must do our best to make sure we have good, reliable sources and that we check out other sources. Gossip and rumor are not acceptable. Let our enemies continue to shoot themselves in the foot with their lies and propaganda, while we rely on the truth and justice of the Kurdish cause.
Look I wholeheartedly agree with everything you are saying. We certainly need more English speaking Kurds to carry the message of the struggle in the North to much greater audience.
I too have often considered to start a blog -and I am sure it wouldn't be as great as yours if I did it- but I am at the moment more focused on writing in Turkish rather than English even though I hate Turkish.
The reason is we need not only to affect and change the world but our own people as well. There are probably dozens of English language Kurdish web sites and blogs now spreading the message. But there are so few websites and so few people who can teach the meaning of freedom, as seen through the eyes of Miss Statute of Liberty, and other liberal democratic values to Kurdish masses in a language they can understand. So you can see the dilemma.
Well that is why we have a division of labour. Do what you are good at.
It gives me pain but I probably will continue to write in Turkish for a while longer. As for you, I reckon you ought to stick to this blog because you do it almost perfectly. -I say "almost" because nobody gets perfect marks from me:) But you are awfully close to it.-
The Kurds entered the internet world just on the heels of the Turks. That is, the Turks (and even Arabs and Farsi) did not have too long a headstart on us Kurds in utilising this instrument. They have a numerical superiority and greater access to the web than us Kurds.
But this time we have one advantage that we did bot have in the past in the battle of public opinion. We now have educated Kurds who are learned in Western ways and they are able to, through this instrument, impart some knowledge cheaply, safely and anonymously. (Hell, even in their pyjamas and nightgowns before going to bed.)
So we are able to directly communicate with fellow Kurds and influence them without involvement of a third party. Most importantly we are setting trends and traditions of internet use for generations of new Kurdish users.
For example, if "Rasti" blog can be sustained for a little longer -and watch out for burn outs- it will make a great example for future Kurdish bloggers who want to write in English. And once we start having people who will maintain a blog in Kurdish, they will have known, thanks to Rasti, how to carry out internet activism, how to research, how to make right attributions, citing sources, persistence, and many other good qualites that if I were to line them up would make you blush in pride.
This is the only blog I visit regularly now, two or three times a week. I have it on my Opera toolbar. It is one click away. I think I like it:)
Cheers
Shexmus Amed
Post a Comment