Today is the Blog Action Day and this annual event aims to unite the world's bloggers where they write about a single topic in a single day to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion on the subject. Some of the members of Rising Voices projects are also participating in this event and we bring to you a brief round-up.

One of the main focus of the Rising Voices grantee FOKO is make the citizens of Madagascar a crucial factor in their unique and threatened environment. Tahina from FOKO Blog Club in Antananarivo, Madagascar writes:

Today is the Blog Action Day about Climate Change, thousands of blogs are uniting to raise more awareness and put pressure on each individual and world leaders to take quick and apropriate actions. The fight is worthwhile since the future of our kids is at stake. I’m pretty skeptical on the direct impact of this online activism here in Madagascar but since blogging has once helped Baby Kambana, why wouldn’t it do the same for all of us. We want to tell the World as well that we do care.

He points out to the action required:

How many of the Malagasy homes are using coal and woods to cook? 80-90%? We just can’t afford other source of energy in the long term. And this is where higher responsibles should take actions.

Patrick from Tamatave, Madagascar: Looking for the right place where to plant a tree

Lyva, another member of FOKO writes [fr] from Antsirabe :

We believe that everyone should be concerned by this problem because no one ever knows what season we see. For example, is this spring or summer? The temperature varies a lot because there is no winter. It drops to 3°C while in spring and in summer it rises to 35°C or more. (machine translation)

Ariniaina tells what prevents people from taking action against environmental damage:

I think that the main problem here in Madagascar is that people are so busy to search for what they are going to eat today. We then become selfish and just think of ourselves. We forget our neighbours and our future generation.

I hope that the Bloggers’Action of today will wake up millions… billions of people… governments… poor countries… rich countries… and then, we will altogether rescue the Earth. What I can and already do now is planting my own trees.

Théophile Kouamouo from Abidjan Blog Camps project in Ivory Coast writes about a a private conversation between him and a 70 years old Ivorian politician:

Originally from northern Ivory Coast, he told me about his childhood and told me that in front of his eyes, two rivers have dried up in his village. He saw that as the deep wells have increased the likelihood of finding water by digging decreased. What is responsible for what farmers see as a disaster or a curse? The desert encroachment, climate change, but also agro-industrial policies requiring irrigation works, all are quite dangerous in the long term.

The politician spoke with conviction, even with fear for the future, because he had seen with his eyes the danger. (machine translation from French)

“Africa is one of the places of the world most threatened by climate change,” warns Théophile.

Cartunelo from Abidjan Blog Camps writes [fr]:

As a web developer there are simple actions we can take to save our planet and make us web developers eco-compatible in Abidjan:

1. Turn off the computer: Use the lowest possible standby and hibernation.
2. Turn off your external hard drives at night
3. Use Eco-friendly Bulbs
[..]

The issue climate change is addressed specifically by another Rising Voices project. Nomad Green trains Mongolian citizens how to spread awareness - both at home and abroad - about their country's environmental crisis. Read their blog to learn more about their activism to stop degradation of Mongolia's environment.

Written by Rezwan
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How do we form our impressions of other countries when we have never visited them and have never met any of their citizens? The answer for most of us is still television - the images we see on the nightly news and in Hollywood's portrayals. For example:

In the video presentation David said:

If only we would listen to each other more and the media less………….

One of the many ideas exchanged in a meeting of the Rising Voices during Global Voices summit in Budapest was to have a monthly blog carnival amongst the grantees in which all the projects write about the same topic/question. The idea is to learn more about the cultures of different countries from first hand accounts.

We requested articles from different Rising Voices grantees communities. The topic of the first carnival is “What is the biggest celebration in your community each year?”

Many of the grantees are undergoing transformation and some of them are facing infrastructural issues. So participation was limited. I thank all those who participated. I hope we will see more participation in our next carnival.

So here we are, I present to you the first carnival of the Rising Voices where the participants describes about their popular celebrations.

Bangladesh:

The Nari Jibon bloggers in Bangladesh were divided in opinions about the biggest celebration in the community. Nilufa Anne writes about the different festivities of Bangladesh and reminds us that Bangladesh is a secular country, where Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists live together peacefully although the majority is Muslim(84%):

In turn of six seasons in this beautiful country, Bangladeshis are overwhelmed with various kinds of festive occasions such as Pahela Baishakh (1st day of new Bengali year), Borshaboron (reception of rainy season), Nobanno Utsab (celebration with new crops at Hemonta), Pahela Falgun (1st day of spring), Chaitra Songkranti (last day of Bengali year), International mother language day (Ekushey February), Independence day besides different community’s religious festivals. But I think Pahela Baishakh is the biggest celebration where festive Bangladeshis of various communities hold a devotional reception of Bengali new year.

She posts some great pictures depicting the festivities of Pahela Baishakh.

Face painting with Bangla alphabet

Floor decoration

Aklima Akter Akhy describes:

Pohela Baishakh is the first day of Boishakh month [1st month of Bengali year]. Baishakhi Fairs are held in the different parts of the country. People of all classes go to the fair…People wear colorful dresses representing Bengali trends and exchange gifts. Businessmen open new books of account on this day which is known as Halkhata.

Designed hands with henna

Rabaya Akter also writes about Pahela Baishakh.

Glass bangles in hands

Taslima Akhter opines that the Muslim religious Eid festivities are the biggest celebration of the community. There are two Eid festivals -Eid-ul-fitr and Eid-ul-Azha each year. Eid means sharing happiness with the family, giving gifts to family members . On this day special foods are prepared, the preparation of which may start few days before.

She describes about Eid-ul-Fitr:

In the morning of Eid day I found my mother and sisters preparing different kinds of delicious items of food and sweets. In the afternoon I went to the house of near and dear ones and exchanged greetings with them. At night I watched different programs on TV on different channels.

And about Eid-ul-Azha:

Last year, my father bought a cow and a goat. I fed them. So, I felt sorry when they were sacrificed.

Nargis Sultana comments that Eid means pleasure and writes:

Eid-ul-Azha is quite different from Eid-ul-fitr. After two months and nine days Eid-ul-Azha comes. It is particularly an occasion of sacrifice. Animals are sacrificed by the name of God and the poor get a share of the meat.

Sujan also describes about the Eid festivities and shares photos of the sacrifice.

Sacrifice

Asia Afrin and Jainub Khanum also thinks Eid Festivities are the biggest celebration in the community.

Sonia Yeasmin differs from all. She thinks the victory day on 16th December is the biggest celebration as it is observed all over the country with various programs.

USA:

David Sasaki joins in with the biggest celebration in his country:

My favorite holiday in the United States is the Fourth of July. It commemorates the independence of the United States from the Kingdom of Great Britain.. It also celebrates the world’s oldest consistent democracy. [..]

My favorite part of 4th of July is when we have a BBQ in the afternoon. I must admit that during our BBQ we drink some beer too and we listen to our favorite songs.

After our stomachs are full and we are happy, we walk back to the beach to watch the fireworks.

Some of the best fireworks are over Sea World, a famous park in San Diego which is like a zoo for sea animals.

Bolivia:

In Bolivia carnivals in February are one of the biggest celebrations. Cristina Quisbert writes [es] about the carnival festivities in La Paz and the decorated procession vehicles.

She also describes [es] the carnival in Tarka:

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