Author: Veronica Khokhlova

An expat's homemade wine production diary from Moldova – at Moldovarious.com.

A Diaspora Serb's views on collective blame, collective guilt and other relevant issues – at Balkan Anarchist.

Belarus Digest reports that “the Belarusan-American Association starts a new campaign with compelling slogan ‘Are you proud you’re Belarusian? Identify yourself on the 2010 census form!'”

English Man in Moscow recounts his family's Filipina babysitter's ordeal with the Russian police.

A detailed account of the ongoing “battle for Khimki Forest” – by Yevgeniya Chirikova at OpenDemocracy.net: “The plan to construct a section of the new Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway through the legally-protected Khimki Forest Park will destroy a rare eco-system. Dogged local resistance has turned this into a national, even international issue. But it has not derailed the plan.”

Links related to the March 17 European Parliament hearing with Mustafa Dzhemilev, former Soviet dissident and Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People: Dzhemilev's speech (.pdf file); an overview at Window on Eurasia; an overview at Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO); a written address by MEP Heidi Hautala at her Human Rights Diary; an RFE/RL article by Ahto Lobjakas – “Going Nowhere Fast — Crimean Tatars In The EU.”

Andrei Loshak's much-discussed text about corruption and “the normal functioning of an irrational system” in Russia has been translated into English by OpenDemocracy.net (the Russian-language original is at OpenSpace.ru).

Kirk Johnson of Americans For Bosnia reacts to retired NATO commander John Sheehan's homophobic comment on the Dutch troops' performance in Bosnia in 1995: “Regarding the Srebrenica Genocide; there are many things for which we can hold the Dutch military at fault, but allowing gay Dutch citizens to serve their country in the military is not one of them.”

Information Policy writes about a Belarusian blogger's failed attempt to run for Minsk city council, the use of internet in his campaign – and the new internet regulations that might soon be introduced in Belarus: “Lipkovich noted that his video interview in which he had announces his intention to step forth as a deputy candidate ‘gathered 17 thousand downloads in one day'. […] However, only 3 of 153 undoubtedly legitimate signatures were gathered via the Internet. […] ‘Internet and social networks don't hold any influence whatsoever in our country. Those who prepared decree N60 are really just paranoid people who are afraid of their own shadow.'”

Photos of “how Russian bread is being baked” – at English Russia.

Leigh Turner, UK Ambassador to Ukraine, writes about London's “intense interest in what's going on in Ukraine.” Belarus Digest reports that UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband (whose blog is here) “singled out Belarus in his introduction to the Foreign Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights 2009.”

Scenes from the Sidewalk announces – here and here – a fundraising effort for CrossRoads Foundation: “If you want to be a part of a group of people who are doing amazing work with street and at risk children in Ukraine, please consider helping us raise money.”

Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes about a book-burning rally in Crimea – and a book-recycling rally in Lviv. The latter was in protest to the appointment of Ukraine's new minister of education and science, and LEvko of Foreign Notes has more on it.

RUSSIA! Magazine's blog reports that DHL has suspended shipping to Russia.

Giorgi Kvelashvili of Jamestown Foundation Blog and Vadim Nikitin of Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog comment on the mock news broadcast on the Russian invasion of Georgia, aired on Imedi TV channel last Saturday.

The Economist's Edward Lucas writes that “for once, the anniversary of a wartime battle in Latvia should pass off peacefully” on March 16. Juris Kaža of Free Speech Emergency in Latvia reports on the ban on “all marches and gatherings at the Freedom Monument on March 16, the day that the Latvian Legion, formed under German occupation in 1943, is commemorated.” In a comment posted on Lucas' blog, Kaža adds: “But there is a big row building. The supporters of the Legionnaires are angry about the ban […], the nationalists of varying intensity are angry, the ‘anti-fascists' are not pleased (they, too, are banned) and supporters of the freedom of speech and assembly, such as myself are angry, too.”

Belarus Digest writes that, unlike in Ukraine, “groups potentially advocating a unification with Russia have never been too active in Belarus.”

Morning in Moldova writes about the issue of Moldova's military neutrality: “In Moldova's case, neutrality has just made the country weak and defenceless in the face of very real aggressors who control a large chunk of the country's territory (the Russians and Transnistrians) […].”

A Yankee-in-Belgrade post a photo and writes about Stevo Radelic – “a Serbian refugee who has been living just outside of Belgrade now ever since he lost his home in Croatia at the beginning of Yugoslavia's break-up”: “He's made a new life for himself, although a difficult one, creating works of art from pieces of oak.”

Window on Eurasia reports: “The Internet petition campaign launched last week calling for the Vladimir Putin’s departure from office not only has already collected some 7500 signatories but nearly 80 percent of these have given their names, their professions and their place of residence, thus opening a window onto the attitudes of various Russian groups toward the powers that be.”