This evening I’m preparing for a podcast covering the current state of Nepal, with the help of an excellent Nepalese blogger. It’s not often you’ll find information about the struggle taking place in that country on the cover of the NYtimes or on the latest post from your favorite A-list bloggers. Yet the fate of a nation and its 27.6 million people hang in the balance, and there is a whole other part of the blogosphere that is paying attention.
I’m going to wake up at 5 in the morning, which is something I haven’t done.. well.. in years, to get a chance to speak with one of the people behind “United We Blog! for a democratic Nepal.” While reading lots of posts from that blog, I’ve also been consulting the blog of an expat in New York City – Democracy for Nepal, who I should probably also consult for a followup and another point of view, later on.
As I browse all these blogs, I keep coming across the google ad, in Dutch, about taking a trip to Mount Everest. Which got me thinking: so many westerners admire and pursue the idea of climbing everest, yet how many give a shit for what happens in the country where the mountain is located? The challenge of climbing a mountain=cool. The challenge of encouraging human rights and quality of life=not a priority.
Or perhaps I’m wrong. Maybe all the Everest tourists have a deep concern for Nepal. Maybe they write their representatives and urge them to get informed and involved at some level. Maybe they donate to organizations that work in Nepal to enhance life and basic rights.
Tomorrow I shall perhaps learn the answer to some of this and much more. Any questions you’d like me to ask, write them in the comments Radio Open Source style.