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Seditious iPhone Reviews? Iran Arrests 7 from Tech News Site · Global Voices
Farid

Narenji.ir published a list with the names of those arrested, which was quickly removed.
As though Iran were running short of human rights activists to arrest, revolutionary guards have now set their sights on people who write about gadgets.
The technology news website Narenji.ir in Kerman reported on December 3, 2013 that seven of their writers and technical staff were suddenly arrested with no information about where they were taken. A list of names of those arrested was removed from the site a few hours after it was posted (see screen shot).
The way Iran's Mehr News told the story, a total of 16 cyber activists were arrested in Kerman, accused of acting against national security and collaborating with foreign networks, providing content for counter-revolutionary sites.
Nariman Gharib informs us on Twitter that at least one blogger was among those arrested.
He  tweeted:
Amir Sadeghpour, a popular blogger in #Iran – arrested two days ago by Iranian revolutionary guard. #narenji #نارنجی
— Nariman Gharib (@ListenToUs) December 4, 2013
The Islamic Republic has a long record of  repressing digital freedoms, but the mass arrest of people writing about gadgets and technology, can be considered a new chapter.
A Facebook campaign has been launched to support Narenji's arrested staff, and netizens tweeted about new wave of arrests.
Ali Nemati Shahab tweeted [fa]:
الان اخبار بیست شبکه‌ی خبر، اتهام بچه‌های #نارنجی رو اقدام علیه امنیت ملی و براندازی نرم اعلام کرد … هیچی نگید فقط براشون دعا کنید :(
— Ali Nemati Shahab (@gozareha) December 4, 2013
Narenji's staff were accused of acting against national security… Do not say anything, just pray.
Oriana tweeted [fa]:
اتهام های بچه های #نارنجی رو که می خونم نمی دونم به مسخرگیش بخندم یا گریه کنم!
— Oriana (@fallaci_sr) December 4, 2013
The accusations are so ridiculous, we do not know if we should laugh or cry.
AmirHossein tweets [fa]:
#نارنجی رید با این خبر زدنش، همین خبری که زد با عنوان دستگیری الآن براشون گرون تموم میشه. -تشویش اذهان عمومی اونم نسبت به سپاه
— امیرحوسین (@amirhosseinag) December 3, 2013
Narenji's post writing that revolutionary guards arrested them will cost them a lot.


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“The Outside World Frightens Putin”: Russians Talk Ukraine · Global Voices
Gina Lentine

Ukrainian protesters braving the cold. YouTube screenshot.
Over the past week, massive protests unfolded in Ukraine following President Viktor Yanukovych's decision not to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. They rapidly grew in size, morphing into a country-wide effort to influence their government, with citizens sharing developments and other information via Twitter and Facebook using the hashtags #євромайдан, #евромайдан, and #euromaidan. Despite the violence, there have been some positive developments. Twitter user @Dbnmjr, who aggregates Ukrainian and Russian-language updates alike, wrote:
Шевченковский суд отпустил ВСЕХ студентов, судьи признали незаконность всех задержаний, боятся и выносят правовые решения #Євромайдан
— Євромайдан (@Dbnmjr) December 2, 2013
The Shevchenko Court has released ALL [arrested] students, the judges recognized the illegality of the detentions, [they] are afraid and make rulings in accordance with the law.
Russians continue to be divided about the protests. President Vladimir Putin, for example, remarked that the protests seemed “more like a coup than a revolution.” Activist Oleg Kozyrev (@oleg_kozyrev) responded, tweeting:
Извне пугает Путина
— Олег Козырев (@oleg_kozyrev) December 2, 2013
The outside world frightens Putin.
Young opposition activist @berillii quipped:
Путин, к сожалению, сумасшедший.
— никогда не сдавайся (@berillii) December 2, 2013
Putin, unfortunately, is crazy.
Pussy Riot lawyer Mark Feygin (@mark_feygin) noted that Ukraine's President Yanukovich is acquiescing to protester demands:
А Витя Янукович-то, потёк…
— МАРК ФЕЙГИН (@mark_feygin) December 2, 2013
Hey, Viktor Yanukovych is melting away…
Others were frustrated with armchair experts writing about Ukraine from Moscow. Photo-blogger Ilya Varlamov (@varlamov), who was on the ground in Kiev on December 1, griped:
А нет плагина для Тви, чтобы сразу выпилить из ленты всех политологов, которые, сидя в уютных московских кафе, рассуждают о судьбе Украины?
— Ilya Varlamov (@varlamov) December 2, 2013
Is there a Twitter plugin that can be used to cut out all the political commentators who, sitting in cozy Moscow cafes, discuss the fate of Ukraine?
Some joked about the ramifications of expanding the ailing EU even further. Roman Dolzhinskiy posted the following on his Facebook [ru]:
Про Украину вот что думаю. Я категорически против ее евронтеграции. Потому что мне жалко Евросоюз. Он уже чуть не подавился Румынией-Болгарией, а Украиной точно подавится. Не выдержит, не прокормит.
Here's what I think about Ukraine. I am categorically against its integration into the EU. Because I feel sorry for the EU. It has nearly choked on Romania and Bulgaria, and it will certainly choke on Ukraine.
Irek Murtazin, a Moscow journalist, blogged [ru] about the epitome of the two-dimensional way in which Russians view Ukraine, in a piece titled “Blondes Discuss What's Happening in Ukraine.” Murtazin overheard a conversation between two girls in the Moscow Metro — one of the girls expressed the opinion that Ukraine is Russia's for the taking, while the other had some sympathy for those with European aspirations:
Иду на работу и думаю, девушки «по разную сторону баррикад», но в головах у обеих – винегрет и упрощение ситуации в Украине до абсурдности. Не правы обе. Но ведь подобный взгляд на события у наших соседей и братьев сформировался не только у этих девушек, точно так же думают миллионы. И есть серьезная опасность, что усиление поляризация Украины может стать еще одним фактором поляризации и России.
I am walking to work and thinking, these girls are “on opposite sides of the fence,” but both have a completely mixed up and absurdly simplified understanding of the situation in Ukraine. Neither of them is right. But these girls are not the only ones who have formed these opinions; in fact, millions think this way. And there is a serious danger that the increased polarization of Ukraine could become another factor in the polarization of Russia.
In the end though, most people simply wish Ukraine all the best, as twitter user Pavel Senko (@senko), who simply tweeted:
Хочу, чтобы у народа Украины все получилось.
— Pavel Senko (@senko) December 1, 2013
I hope everything works out for the people of Ukraine.

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Gina Lentine


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Traffickers Force Smuggled Refugees to Rape Each Other in Sinai  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Eritrean refugees protest in front of the US embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel (25 Nov 2011) demanding protection of human rights on way to Israel via Sinai desert, Egypt. Photo by: Oren Ziv/ Activestills.org (used with permission)
About 30,000 people have been trafficked to Sinai, Egypt, over the last five years. Cairo-based journalist Bel Trew tweets from a Press conference on the matter, to shed light on “a hugely under-reported issue.”
She tweets:
At a press conference for human trafficking in the #Sinai : a hugely under reported issue #egypt
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Bel Trew explains:
“Since June 30, Sinai has become more unstable and made a huge impact on human trafficking in the Sinai” #egypt — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
And then provides staggering figures:
Between 25,000 and 30,000 people have been trafficked to the Sinai between 2009 and 2013 #egypt
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Out of those people trafficked, 95 per cent are from Eritria:
95% of those trafficked are Eritrean, due to many youth fleeing military service, exodus from Eritrea,human rights situation #Sinai — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
In a series of tweets, Trew provides a horrific insight to what those trafficked go through:
#Trafficking victims supplied w/ phones by traffickers to call home, they're often tortured at same time to push family to pay more quickly
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
#trafficking has serious consequences in Eritera. Ransom collection leads to extreme poverty in these already impoverished areas #egypt — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
#trafficking victims are hung,electrocuted, body parts cut, bottles melted on their skin, forced to rape other victims, raped by traffickers
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Female #trafficking victims often leave the #Sinai torture houses pregnant after being raped multiple times. — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
She provides a chilling testimony of one refugee:
Just heard testimony of 1 #Trafficking victim, born 1993, he says he was forced to rape other victims,burnt with iron bars…
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
#trafficking victim relates how 1 friend was burnt badly on head and body, insects starting living in the wounds and he died. — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Victim of #trafficking “they beat us with scissors, electrocuted me on tongue & penis. Forced us to rape each other. Burnt me on my abdomen”
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Victim of #trafficking “they left the bodies of my 2 dead friends in the store with us for 2 days, then fed the bodies to the dogs” #Sinai — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
And this is not all. Trew adds:
Refugees who escape #trafficking often detained by Egyptian or Israeli authorities,imprisoned then forced to pay their own deportation fees
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
#Trafficking victims are still threatened by their traffickers, when they escape to Cairo, who are in the capital — Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) December 4, 2013
Further reading:
Jadaliyya: Human Trafficking in the Sinai: Refugees Between Life and Death
Spiegel Online: Imprisoned, Tortured, Killed: Human Trafficking Thrives on Sinai Peninsula
Sign the Petition:
Take Action to Stop Human Trafficking in Sinai

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Artist Project Illustrates “Fear and Folly” of Nukes · Global Voices
Gerda

A map created by Japanese artist Isao Hashimoto – 橋本公 – shows all the 2,053 nuclear explosions which have taken place between 1945 and 1998.
According to the CTBTO website that hosts the time-lapse video, the artist created it with the goal of showing “the fear and folly of nuclear weapons.”
Hashimoto has also created a video that simply lists the names of all the atomic bombs launched in the past century.

author: Gerda


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Christian Orthodox Old Believer Community Exhibit Charms Visitors in Lithuania · Global Voices
Герман Панцеров

Vasiliy Degtyarev. Photo of the author.
The public library in Klaipėda, Lithuania hosted the opening of a historically informative exhibit on September 8, 2013, dedicated to the works of Old Believers of Lithuania, a religious fraction that separated from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms in the 17th century.
The centerpiece of the exhibit was a display of photographs by cinematographer and photographer Vasiliy Degtyarev. Degtyarev, who is also a representative of the Old Believer cultural community of Lithuania, has long wanted to share his creative work with the people of Klaipėda. This initiative did not occur by chance, as Klaipėda is home to about 4000 Old Believers.
The history of the Old Belief has always been a complex one. Fleeing the repression that appeared as a result of the Church schism brought about by Patriarch Nikon in 1666, many of the followers of the old orthodoxy left Russia and continue liturgical practices that the Russian Orthodox Church maintained before the implementation of these reforms. By the late 17th century, the first Old Believers had appeared in Lithuania.
The antiquated Russian traditions of this unusual community still provoke great interest, even among Lithuanians themselves, who were unable to hide their fascination at the wonderful works of the organizer of the exhibit.
Exhibit. Photo of the author
Vasiliy Degtyarev himself agreed to reveal the essence of Old Belief away from the photographic lens, and shared his thoughts in a short interview:
— The author Platonov gave an interesting response to this question. He said that Old Belief is more diverse than we have been in the habiting of thinking. It held and continues to hold much that is beneficial for the soul. After all, all of the cultural values that Old Belief advances come from Father Christ himself. And if Christ himself has not changed in all these years—and change he could not—then how could the cultural values of Old Belief, which carry within them the teachings of the Heavenly Fathers and God himself, change? Now more than ever, a crisis, not only of the soul, but also of the consciousness, is taking place. We are witnessing a kind of Homo Misguided: he does so much, has a good time so much that he has lost such concepts as “secrecy”, “holiness” and “life.” We need people like Dante, Virgil, who will guide this straying European and even American society out of this dead end. With regard to the second part of the question, it would be best to start with the fact that Old Belief itself is very diverse. Several sects have survived: the Pomorians, Fedoseevtsy, Belokrinichniki, Chasoveniye, and others. As an artist, I get along with everyone, but the Pomorian understanding is closest to my own. Let’s examine the circumstances—I take photographs of Russians who pray in Orthodox, as well as Old Believer temples. In both cases—Russians, but between them there is a big difference: genetics, construction of the skull. We have many with blue eyes, which indicate a typical Russian genotype.
—
We are living through a period in which, on the one hand, the prince of darkness is trying to destroy the last islands of piety. For instance, everyone knows of the lake Svetloyar, where God is hiding the islands of holiness from this corrupt world. On the 6th of July of this year, I was lucky enough to visit that region for a holiday service. About 15,000 pilgrims gathered, and in the evening the procession around the lake started. People would stop at designated islands to read prayers. In our time, when all moral values have been destroyed and the soul is completely deformed, these islands remained. They exist everywhere: in America, Europe, Asia. In Russia itself there are relatively small corners, hidden from civilization, where not even passports are wanted, with their modern chips. Everywhere we find signs of the Antichrist and the question is: what to do? Is it worth it to accept these passports and other innovations? By the teachings of Old Belief, and more specifically by the teachings of Isaac Sirin, the Antichrist is an invisible, spiritual entity that rules over the world through his assistants. But we will survive this phase, though now it may be difficult. One need only remember the words of that very Chizhevsky, “how good, that it was difficult!”, or “how good, that there was prison!” etc. We will survive; it is true, but at what cost? It is unclear.
— “By your faith you will receive,” said Christ. We see miracles—when in the times of the cruelest repressions, the Church was suddenly restored. God told us to survive all our strife, and so we did. Recall the Second World War: so much aid was derived from icons, from prayers. It is equally worth distinguishing several figures of the Orthodox Church—those like Nikola Guryanov, who suddenly decided to carry out a religious procession on a plane around the borders of Russia. And given this, it doesn’t matter what sect you pertain to—Old Believer, Orthodox, or Catholic, there are so many of these bringers of light, and on them all hope lies. There are many examples, and any Orthodox, Catholic, Old Believer, or even Muslim can be one. The Antichrist does not choose based on religious confession—he absorbs everyone and everything. This is an animal that doesn’t possess love, and where there is no love, anti-love appears.
—
In the '30s, the cruelest repressions were being carried out against all, including the Orthodox believers as well as the Old Believers. An enormous amount of priests, monks and simple believers were exiled. Here it is worthwhile to remember St. Seraphim Solovetskov, who being in exile, continued to give sermons. He was feared and respected by all of those soldiers, who were, in truth, simple youths, forced to work for the regime. He redeemed many prisoners; today they were killing, but tomorrow even they were being killed. If we consider our own time, our shared concern is: will faith continue? “Will I find faith on Earth, when I again return?”—said God. And he doesn’t care about the length of your beard or hair—he looks at the heart and at how you acted and continue to act. Now is not the time to create discord between Orthodoxy and Old Belief. Each individual must be in his own place and do that which he must do.
—
They appear from time to time. Not too quickly, but this is happening. In our time, capital lies in the hands of the atheists. Our dark enemy has even thought of this. But changes are occurring. Here's a simple example from Lithuania. There is one businesswoman and Old Believer by the name of Lidia Lyubene. She created a successful business, the income from which amounts to millions. Once, she saw a program on the television in which they spoke about a fire in the church of the Kaunas Old Believer community. Lidia immediately contacted representatives of the church and forwarded a million litas for its restoration. Such are the people that stand with us. They exist in Russia as well—they simply don’t manifest themselves in a way that is visible to the public. Another example—Shalgunov Anatoli, president of the Vilnus Automobile Enterprise. He helps not only Old Believers, but also takes part in all kinds of charitable acts for children and orphans. We shouldn’t say “I am an Old Believer and assist only Old Believers.” Help everyone—there are so many poor people all over Russia. God showed us the relationship. Do not look to nationality or religious views. If the opportunity presents itself—help.
—
Such is the current phase, but we will survive it. “By your faith, you shall receive” – said Christ. Today the Christian faith finds itself attacked on all sides by dark forces: false priests, false Christs. There are so many different sects that invoke the name of Christ, but in reality bring nothing but evil. Mormons and such, who pull people into their spider webs. The rest we can see for ourselves: some are seeking salvation in their basements; others are building something or other. And for what? Live, as God commanded, in a normal house, pray, do good, follow the Ten Commandments, repent if you have sinned. It was, is, and will be thus. Do not wait for an ideal society, and don’t try to create one. It is precisely because of the impossibility of its attainment that we call it ideal.
Exhibit. Photo of the author.
Exhibit. Photo of the author.
The interview and photographs were prepared by the human rights activist German Pantserov.

author: Герман Панцеров


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5 Energy Treasures in Africa You Haven’t Heard About · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

Electricity supply problems are once again news in several African countries with recurring power outages in Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire and Madagascar, to name just a few of those most recently affected.
In Benin, a private Nigerian company supplies much of the country’s electricity.
A report on the Kongossa blog [fr] describes the current situation in Cameroon.:
Malgré des investissements réalisés ces dernières années par la firme américano-camerounaise AES-SONEL chargée de la production, du transport, de la distribution et de la commercialisation de l’énergie électrique, le problème est loin d’être résolu.[..] Si à Douala et Yaoundé, les coupures d’électricité durent en moyenne quatre à six heures, dans d’autres localités des pays, notamment dans les zones rurales, des témoignages concordants rapportent que les coupures d’électricité peuvent durer jusqu’à trois jours d’affilé
In Côte d’Ivoire, outages are so frequent that they are listed on the Facebook page of an imaginary supervillain, Delestron [a play on words with the French term for outage], created by Ivoirian internet users.
Finally, in Madagascar, many communities are furious with the national electricity company Jirama, accused of frequent failures to meet requirements. For example, in the community of Ambohibao Iavoloha [fr]:
Par exemple, la coupure totale sans avertissement qui a eu lieu entre le 06 et 11 novembre dernier. A partir du 11 au 15 novembre, les habitants ont été confrontés au délestage et l’électricité ne revient que le lendemain vers 2h du matin. Tel est le cas de l’électricité mais la faible pression de l’eau de la Jirama fait aussi grogner les habitants.
Rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa are the worst off since only 8.4 percent have access to electricity. However, in light of the growth projected [for Africa], the needs of the continent are certainly going to increase. In 2007, annual energy consumption from primary sources was only 15.4 British thermal units (Btu) per person. By comparison, global energy consumption per person per year was 70.8 Btu while that of Americans was 337.1 Btu (almost 22 times that of the mean in Africa).
However, the African continent is not lacking in natural resources which could meet the energy requirements. Any problems are exacerbated by the global intensification of the race towards energy independence. Many countries are turning to the natural resources of the African continent to supply their energy.
Programs for production and transportation of electricity in Africa by 2040. Map by PIDA, used with their authorisation.
Here are five of the lesser known energy sources  on the African continent:
Although Madagascar oil remains relatively unknown internationally-speaking, it has been the object of much speculation. Despite the political crisis, interest in the oil of Madagascar [from overseas] has never lessened. Madagascar news website author Antsa explained [fr] Japan’s interest:
Une délégation japonaise a rencontré les responsables du ministère des Hydrocarbures, à la recherche d'information sur la situation actuelle du secteur des ressources pétrolières, ainsi que des lois et règlementations en vigueur. «Malgré la crise politique, les investisseurs sont restés et d'autres viennent encore pour l'exploration de pétrole. Même s'ils ne sont que dans la phase d'exploration, des avantages sont déjà acquis, à l'exemple de la création d'écoles, d'hôpitaux, l’amélioration et le renforcement de capacité, etc. De plus, le gouvernement ne paie rien, malgré le partage de production», a informé le DG des Hydrocarbures. Notons que trois compagnies pétrolières japonaises ICEP, Jog Meg et Mitsibushi, s'intéressent actuellement à Madagascar.
This growing interest from petroleum businesses could however bring risks. Holly Rakotondralambo, Madagascar partner of Friends of the Earth, explained [fr]:
Alors que les prix du pétrole et des métaux sont de plus en plus élevés en raison d’une demande mondiale croissante, les grandes entreprises et les investisseurs se ruent sur Madagascar. Dans un contexte politique très fragile, ce phénomène risque d'exacerber des conflits avec les populations et de dégrader, encore davantage, des écosystèmes très riches déjà en sursis.
Natural resources of Madagascar and the companies competing to exploit them. Map published by the OMNIS agency on Facebook, used with permission
Tar sand deposits are an important source of synthetic crude oil. However, they are difficult to exploit and controversial because of their environmental impact. Italian company ENI is the first oil company to exploit the African tar sands. In the Congo, ENI collects tar sands 70km from Pointe-Noire, Congo-Brazzaville, in the Tchikatanga and Tchikatanga-Makola regions. Exploitation of these bitumen-rich sands can be risky, as explained here by the blog Vivement la désintox [fr] [I can’t wait for the detox]:
Exploiter les sables bitumineux est la façon la plus sale, la plus chère et la plus énergivore de produire du pétrole. Extraire 1 baril de pétrole bitumineux nécessite 5 barils d'eau et émet jusqu’à 5 fois plus de gaz à effet de serre que le pétrole conventionnel. L’extraction des sables bitumineux est également synonyme de déforestation et de pollution des eaux. En effet, afin de séparer le pétrole du sable, les compagnies injectent des solvants qui polluent massivement les sols et les rivières.
The Cape Verde islands are the site of the largest windmill farm in Africa. The electricity production equipment on four of the islands could lead to the greatest supply of electricity from wind energy in the world (in proportion to the size of the country), as explained in the following video:
Juan Cole explained the country’s wind energy gamble:
The lack of electricity and its high price have been serious obstacles to economic development and job creation, and thus major reasons for mass emigration of the population. Whereas European wind power often depends on substantial subsidies, the project in Cape Verde is based on strong winds. Electricity generated from wind power is distinctly cheaper than the power sources used hitherto in the islands.
With energy consumption growing rapidly in Benin, (and estimated to grow by 11% in future years by the state Electrical Energy Company), lack of investment in the sector coupled with losses during distribution and transportation (of around 18-30%) are the main reasons of the current necessity for controlled outages. Leomick Sinsin, a blogger from Benin, described the potential advantages of investing in photovoltaic energy [fr] in his country:
Avec un rayonnement variant de 3 à 6 kWh par m² selon la position géographique, le principal atout d’une installation solaire en Afrique est sa capacité à fournir suffisamment de puissance pour répondre aux besoins quotidiens. D’autre part, l’avantage d’un système solaire est la décentralisation du système de production. Quand l’on connait la vétusté des infrastructures existantes, nul ne saurait contredire le bien fondé d’un système où le site de production juxtaposerait le point de consommation. Le bon exemple est la maison isolée avec des modules surplombant la toiture. [..] Le dernier argument et pas des moindres est le travail d’efficacité énergétique qu’ impose une installation solaire. Un système solaire est une énergie intermittente qui dépend de plusieurs paramètres comme la météo, la qualité de l’installation etc. De ce fait, la consommation implique un recours vers des appareils sobres et peu énergivores. Nous réduisons ainsi le niveau de consommation tout en préservant le même niveau d’utilité.
Recently, several energy companies have stressed the importance of geothermic energy as both a response to the energy needs for countries within the Horn of Africa [Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia] and the Rift Valley as well as an integral part of the program for “green growth”. SciDev.Net reported that Djibouti could become a major player [fr] in geothermic energy:
Le potentiel d'énergie géothermique de la région du Lac Assal de ce pays, qui se trouve dans la vallée du Rift, est à l'étude [..] La production d'énergie sur le lac Assal pourrait commencer en 2018 pour un coût de US$ 240 millions, générant 40 à 60 mégawatts. La BAD recommande que les partenariats entre les secteurs public et privé développent ces projets d'énergie en raison de leurs coûts élevés.
G. Pourtier added that Ethiopia is also starting to explore thermal energy [fr]:
Située à 200 km au sud d'Addis-Abeba, la capitale éthiopienne, la nouvelle centrale produira d'abord 20 MW à partir de 2015, puis 500 MW en 2018 et enfin 1 GW quelques années plus tard [..]. La surface acquise par Reykjavik Geothermal en Éthiopie couvre 6500 km2, dont 200 km2 ont déjà été identifiés et où la température s'élève à 350°C.

author: Rakotomalala


text:
Heavy Shootings between Seleka Soldiers and Bozize Loyalists in Bangui, CAR · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

On the morning of December 5 in Bangui, heavy weapon fires were heard in several districts of Bangui, the capital city of the Central African Republic. Eye witnesses and journalists are reporting on twitter via the hash tag #Bangui. Here is an update by Vianney Tricou on site at 9:51 am local time :
#Centrafrique #Bangui. Violents combats à Boy-Rabe, quartier Fouh (Hôp de l'Amitié) et Gobongo. Antibalakas présents dans le 4e arrondt.
— Vianney Tricou (@viantricoff) December 5, 2013
Violent clashes in Boy-Rabe, the Fouh district (around Amitié Hospital) and Gobongo district. Antibalakas (ed's note: literally, anti-machettes men, armed men close to former president Bozize) are present in the 4th borough.
@peggybrug posted the following photo of Sekela soldiers patroling the city :
Les ex #seleka patrouillent dans #Bangui #centrafrique situation "très incertaine" selon Unicef sur place pic.twitter.com/YeL8sdG99l
— Peggy Bruguière (@peggybrug) December 5, 2013
Ex-Seleka  soldiers in the city. Very worrisome situation in #centrafrique according to UNICEF on site
One of the villagers Issa Roua reports on the recently attacks  [fr] via Christophe Boltanski :
Les assaillants étaient près de quarante. Ils venaient des villages environnants. On a reconnu deux d’entre eux. Ils ont encerclé le campement et commencé avec les enfants
There were about forty attackers. They came from close by villages. We recognized some of them. They circled the camp and started with the kids..

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Hirokazu Tanaka: One Name, Many Different People · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

Hirokazu Tanaka [ja] was 25 years old when he stumbled upon a news clipping that another Hirokazu Tanaka was drafted as a professional baseball player in 1994. This announcement, in which a prominent baseball manager read the shared name aloud, made the long-time baseball fan feel like a dream had come true.
Since then, he embarked on a journey to find other people named Hirokazu Tanaka, learning about the different lives of people sharing the same name. The coincidence continues to fascinate him and bother him. Once, he almost failed to have a loan application approved because the bank was not able to distinguish him from another Hirokazu Tanaka who had bad credit history and the same birthday.
Image of some Hirokazu Tanaka, screenshot from http://www.tanakahirokazu.com/
Through the Internet, Hirokazu Tanaka continued to meet other Hirokazu Tanakas. After 20 years, there are 104 Hirokazu Tanakas recorded by the organizer of this Hirokazu Tanaka movement [ja]. Fourteen Hirokazu Tanakas with completely different job titles ranging from apple farmer, graphic designer, composer, and engineer, appear in the book titled “Mr. Hirokazu Tanaka” [ja], literally, a compilation of Hirokazu Tanakas.
Organizer Hirokazu Tanaka continues to meet more Hirokazu Tanakas, hoping one day to beat the number of people named “Jim Smith“, one of the most common name in English speaking countries.

author: Keiko Tanaka


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Iceland Grieves After Police Kill A Man for First Time · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Police in Reykjavik, Iceland. Photo by Christopher Porter on flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
This article and a radio report by Traci Tong for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on December 03, 2013 and is republished as part of a content sharing agreement.
It was an unprecedented headline in Iceland this week — a man shot to death by police.
“The nation was in shock. This does not happen in our country,” said Thora Arnorsdottir, news editor at RUV, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.
She was referring to a 59-year old man who was shot by police on Monday. The man, who started shooting at police when they entered his building, had a history of mental illness.
It's the first time someone has been killed by armed police in Iceland since it became an independent republic in 1944. Police don't even carry weapons, usually. Violent crime in Iceland is almost non-existent.
“The nation does not want its police force to carry weapons because it's dangerous, it's threatening,” Arnorsdottir says. “It's a part of the culture. Guns are used to go hunting as a sport, but you never see a gun.”
In fact, Iceland isn't anti-gun. In terms of per-capita gun ownership, Iceland ranks 15th in the world. Still, this incident was so rare that neighbors of the man shot were comparing the shooting to a scene from an American film.
The Icelandic police department said officers involved will go through grief counseling. And the police department has already apologized to the family of the man who died — though not necessarily because they did anything wrong.
“I think it's respectful,” Arnorsdottir says, “because no one wants to take another person's life. “
There are still a number of questions to be answered, including why police didn't first try to negotiate with man before entering his building.
“A part of the great thing of living in this country is that you can enter parliament and the only thing they ask you to do is to turn off your cellphone, so you don't disturb the parliamentarians while they're talking. We do not have armed guards following our prime minister or president. That's a part of the great thing of living in a peaceful society. We do not want to change that. ”

author: PRI/PRX's The World


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Guatemalan Q’eqchi Indigenous Face Ongoing Violations of Their Rights · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The threatening, violation and denial of the undeniable rights the Q'eqchi [indigenous Maya community] have over the land they acquired by their own means so many years ago, together with the stunning violation of basic human rights by evidence of abuse of force, not possibly rested on legal means, are unacceptable crimes and require immediate counteraction by the international community.
On the website Intercontinental Cry, Juliana Maria Soares writes about the ongoing attacks on the Q’eqchi community Saquimo Setana of Coban in central Guatamala. These attacks, “including arson of houses, physical attacks on community members and the arrest of community leaders under false charges,” were reported by the Guatemala Solidarity Project. The organization has put together a petition on Avaaz to demand an end to these attacks.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Presseurop, a News Website on European Affairs on the Verge of Termination · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

The European Commission will stop financing Presseurop, the largest news website on European affairs on December 22. The website curates the top international news and translate it in 10 different languages. Readers can share and comment the news in the language of their choice thanks to its multilingual platform [fr]. The blog Décrypter la communication européenne worries [fr] that this decision is symptomatic of the increasing isolation of European affairs in the media. An online petition to support Presseurop can be found here.

author: Suzanne Lehn


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1,000 Days Since 2011’s Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami   · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

December 4, 2013 marked the thousandth day since a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that hit the island of Japan on March 11, 2011, killing more than 15,000 people, devastating parts of the country, and causing a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. According to a survey conducted last month by the Reconstruction Agency, it is reported [ja] that there are still 277,609 evacuees who have not returned to their homes; 84 percent of them are from Fukushima prefecture.


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17 Pieces of Wisdom from Nelson Mandela that Everyone Needs to Read · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nelson Mandela was the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Photo released by South Africa The Good News under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa and a Noble Peace Prize laureate, died on December 5, 2013 aged 95. Mandela spent 27 years in jail for his struggle against South Africa's system of racial segregation known as apartheid. Freed from prison in 1990, he became president four years later, and left office after serving only one term, a rare gesture in African politics.
The internationally beloved statesman had an impressive way with words. One of his most famous quotes comes from a defiant speech he made in court during his Rivonia treason trial in 1964, in which he said:
I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
Apart from his Rivonia trial speech, Mandela leaves behind many memorable and wise quotes made throughout his life. Despite his passing, he continues to speak to the world through Twitter users, who have reacted to news of his death by sharing his words.
On judgement:
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”- Nelson Mandela #RIPNelsonMandela
— Kate Gonzales∞♥ (@ReeeyPJr) December 6, 2013
“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” – Nelson Mandela
— Alfredo Flores (@AlfredoFlores) December 6, 2013
On hate:
“Hating clouds the mind. It gets in the way of strategy. Leaders cannot afford to hate.” — Nelson Mandela http://t.co/lUjOnHI7Jh
— Simon Jones (@mrjonesinsf) December 6, 2013
“If they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” #NelsonMandela
— John Roberts (@JohnRobertsFun) December 6, 2013
No one is born hating… _Nelson Mandela pic.twitter.com/nzs8zxNKrw
— Joseph Attieh (@AttiehJoseph) December 6, 2013
On forgiveness:
“Courageous people do not fear forgiving for the sake of peace.”#NelsonMandelaquotes
— ♠I_am_tobi☺™ (@AsvpNast) December 5, 2013
“You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution” #NelsonMandelaQuotes
— Sagittarius Queen (@Phin_Dee) July 18, 2012
On sports:
“Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.” #RIPNelsonMandela http://t.co/6TFhK8H6jb pic.twitter.com/ymmPVXCbDo
— HuffPost UK (@HuffPostUK) December 6, 2013
On leadership:
“Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.” ― #NelsonMandela #NelsonMandelaQuotes pic.twitter.com/4woa35MpEB
— Move! magazine SA (@MoveMag) December 6, 2013
On racism:
“I detest racialism because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man.” #NelsonMandelaQuotes
— Gabriel Le Roux (@gabrielpleroux) December 6, 2013
On determination:
‘it always seem impossible until it's done.’ #NelsonMandelaQuotes pic.twitter.com/mSKP0LBrRX
— melike futtu (@bilendikcebilen) December 6, 2013
The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.- Nelson Mandela, Long Walk To Freedom, 1994
— JHB STUDENTS (@JHBSTUDENTS) December 6, 2013
“Honour belongs to those who never forsake the truth, even when things seem dark and grim.”-Nelson Mandela 1969 #RIP
— ANC_LECTURES (@ANC_LECTURES) December 6, 2013
On freedom:
“For to be free is not to merely cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. “#RIPMandela
— Angisiwe Mafumana (@Angi_M_) December 6, 2013
On education:
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~Nelson Mandela RIP.
— Chris (@Valandir) December 6, 2013
On imprisonment:
“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.” ― #NelsonMandelaQuotes
— RISE NETWORKS (@Risenetworks) December 6, 2013
On duty:
“When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people & his country, he can rest in peace” ~ Nelson Mandela #RIPNelsonMandela
— Melv73™ (@Melv73) December 6, 2013

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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As Ukraine’s Protests Escalate, #Euromaidan Hashtag Lost in a Sea of Information  · Global Voices
Tanya Lokot

Protesters gathered under flags in Kyiv to demand that the Ukrainian government reverse its policy decision and sign a landmark agreement with the EU. Photo by Sergii Kharchenko. Copyright Demotix.
Protests in Ukraine, which started on November 21, 2013, when President Victor Yanukovych and his government reneged on promises to sign an association agreement with the European Union, are the most populous since the 2004 Orange Revolution. New media and social networks have played a key role in both the initiation and development of the Euromaidan protests, as they are known.
But as the movement has escalated, it has become harder to follow solely on the Internet.
Euromaidan, observers say, was made possible in large part thanks to social media. Facebook and Twitter in particular have emerged as key platforms for coordinating protest activities and sharing information, photos and videos about protest numbers, locations and issues such as police violence and provocation from all sides.
The hashtags initially used (Ukrainian #євромайдан, Russian #евромайдан, and English #euromaidan) emerged immediately on the first evening of the protests and were highly useful as an instrument of preliminary coordination and for informing online users both in Ukraine and in other countries. They gave people a sense of the scale of events – during the initial stage of protests, some 3,200 tweets were published per hour on November 25 and up to 4,800 per hour on November 30, the day of the first violent police crackdown on protesters.
But as protests escalated, with law enforcement violently dispersing a group of protesters camped out in the main square of Ukraine's capital Kiev in the early morning hours of November 30, and massive crowds blocking and occupying key government buildings the following day, triggering violent standoffs in some instances with riot police, the hashtags began to disappear from many tweets about Euromaidan protests, making them harder to follow remotely.
A large number of tweets about the unrest still use the hashtags, but there are many Twitter users who are dropping what was once a tool to unite protesters and disperse information further:
.@andresmh @emmaspiro Sure, hashtags are useful initially, but people drop them like a hot potato once agenda is set. Not good for analysis. As sociologist Zeynep Tufekci noted during a conversation on Twitter:
— Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) July 2, 2013
Sociologist Zeynep Tufekci quoted above observed when she followed the Gezi protests in Turkey that as the #occupygezi events unfolded, the popular hashtags used to coordinate people and set the protest agenda gave way to conversations among people in what most of them viewed as an already established network of like-minded citizens. Discussion and action on and offline remained very much alive and just as important to the outcome of the protests, but it continued on without the hashtag. She added on Twitter:
@andresmh @emmaspiro For ex, in the Turkey case, once “Gezi” became absolutely dominant as convo, people dropped hashtag. Total opposite.
— Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) July 2, 2013
@andresmh @emmaspiro No, the conversation totally stayed on Twitter. It was absolutely dominant on Twitter. Yet, no hashtags.
— Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) July 2, 2013
Popular sources of information on the Euromaidan protests, like the newly hatched online public television outlet Hromadske TV, which provided one of the few live streams from the protests, and key online news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, simply assume that those who are interested in following the protests will follow them anyway or retweet their updates to their own networks, so they don’t bother with hashtags that take up more characters that can be used instead for additional information most of the time.
The same line of thinking applies to already consolidated activist efforts in spreading information about the protests, such as Twitter accounts @euromaidan, @EuroMaydan and their English-language counterpart @EuroMaydan_eng. As events have progressed, those who manage these accounts stopped attaching relevant hashtags to every tweet, using them only occasionally.
Hromadske TV presented evidence of the beating of one of its reporters:
Побитий у Маріїнському парку журналіст Громадського Дмитро Гнап ДЕТАЛІ ТУТ: http://t.co/hbNpcHwZ41 pic.twitter.com/9ON1lqKq5y
— Hromadske.TV (@HromadskeTV) November 29, 2013
Hromadske journalist Dmytro Gnap, who was beaten in Mariinsky park DETAILS HERE: http://t.co/hbNpcHwZ41 pic.twitter.com/9ON1lqKq5y
Ukrainska Pravda shared useful information for injured protesters:
Травмованих учасників протесту прийматимуть Київська лікарня №17, Київська лікарня швидкої меддопомоги та Олександрівська лікарня.
— Українська правда (@ukrpravda_news) December 1, 2013
The protest participants that have been injured will be accepted by Kyiv Hospital no. 17, Kyiv Emergency Medical Care Hospital and Oleksandrivska Hospital.
— Українська правда (@ukrpravda_news) December 1, 2013
The English-language Euromaidan account relayed the latest traffic news:
The intersection by Mikhalivskya is full of drivers demonstrating support https://t.co/Qq3OApDaq2
— EuroMaydan eng (@EuroMaydan_eng) November 30, 2013
In the meantime, some netizens have assembled lists of reliable sources of information and live streams of the events in an attempt to help members of the general public who may not be as web savvy or understand the events and development of the Euromaidan movement.
Foreign correspondents covering affairs in Ukraine, like Christopher Miller, the English-language editor of the Kyiv Post, or Mashable's Executive Director Jim Roberts, along with other local and international journalists, rarely add the internationalized #Euromaidan hashtag. Most often, they simply using the general hashtags #Ukraine or #Kiev in their tweets to localize the events that they are describing:
Very worrying. Ten protesters sent to prison, dozen missing as street protests enter third week http://t.co/Gk76eMvuV9 #EuroMaidan #Ukraine
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) December 5, 2013
Meanwhile, explosions in #Kiev. Incredible live stream of #Ukraine protests: http://t.co/x7CvyJo1P6 pic.twitter.com/LEvRtZkRzK
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) December 1, 2013
Nataliya Gumenyuk, a journalist with Hromadske TV, translated her Ukrainian tweet into English to spread information to foreign media:
near president admin.opposition tries to calm people. there were provocations, BUT there are a lot who don't listen @HromadskeTV #ukraine
— Nataliya Gumenyuk (@ngumenyuk) December 1, 2013
Christopher Miller of the Kyiv Post combined the popular #Euromaidan hashtag with the more general location keywords:
Role of social media in #EuroMaidan movement essential http://t.co/S5v8lyaQFV #Kyiv #Ukraine
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) December 1, 2013
Lately, it seems, protesters and those on the ground in Kyiv can't spare the time or space to include a hashtag. Events occur too quickly, unfold unpredictably, and valuable space and time for informing the public is paramount. Yet these behavioral trends in regards to hashtags mean that researchers aggregating data about protests who typically use related hashtags to follow the story are missing a lot of important content. Data gathered this way may distort the scope of the protests, their tone and message, possibly resulting in glaring omissions of key voices present in the civic and political activity around the protest.
Mainstream media most often still refer to the Euromaidan protests as pro-European Union and sometimes as anti-Russian, and they continuously focus on the politics of the protests, seemingly unaware that the sentiment among Ukrainian citizens today, in particular after the police brutality that began on the eightth day of protests, represents a battle for social equality, change in government and, as many protesters have stressed, a means of “taking back” their country. As user James Bray tweeted, using an entirely different and unrelated hashtag:
Yatsenyuk also tells us Ukraine protests are a “fight to remain a sovereign nation”. #newsnight
— James Bray (@JamesEBray) December 4, 2013

author: Tanya Lokot


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Caribbean: Farewell, Nelson Mandela · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

It's not like Caribbean – or global – netizens haven't been preparing themselves for news of Nelson Mandela's death.  The former South African president and anti-apartheid activist was, after all, 95 years old and in poor health, having been hospitalised several times this year for recurring respiratory infections.  Still, the announcement, when it came late yesterday, dealt a hard blow.  Regional bloggers and social media users shared their thoughts about the passing of one of the world's most enduring icons of peaceful resistance.
Bloggers, for the most part, seemed lost for words, preferring – at least for the moment – to share news reports or quote official statements about Mandela's passing.  Guyana's Propaganda Press republished excerpts from President Jacob Zuma's address to the people of South Africa, along with a short biography of Mandela, while The Bajan Reporter posted a tribute to the late president by former Commonwealth Secretary General Sir Shridath Ramphal.
The majority of Caribbean netizens chose to share their reactions on Facebook and Twitter.  Raynier Maharaj, a member of the Trinidadian diaspora and a journalist, commented on Facebook:
OK, if it seems I am dwelling on Mandela's passing, it is because it means a whole lot to me. Of all the ‘famous’ people I have met in my life — and this includes the Queen and the Dalai Lama — meeting Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest privileges in my life. He was the epitome of dignity and grace.
Another Trinidadian journalist, Vernon O'Reilly Ramesar, noted:
A testament to his importance that even the US media break into programming to announce the passing of Nelson Mandela.
Facebook user Skye Hernandez was saddened to hear of his death:
I feel strangely sad at the news of Madiba's passing. He has finally gone to his rest and that is surely a good thing. But his story and South Africa's have been so inspiring, sometimes so vexing, always riveting. He's been with us for all of our lives. Travel well, Nelson Mandela.
Franz Gillezeau suggested that people:
Mourn the man, but remember to celebrate the legend.
Facebook was also filled with newly uploaded photo albums chronicling Mandela's regional visits – this one, courtesy the Jamaica Information Service, of his visit to the island in the early 1990s, and this one, by Amber Media Productions, of his 2004 visit to Trinidad and Tobago.
On flickr, Georgia Popplewell posted a photo of Mandela, noting:
I fear it will be a long time before we see another leader of his calibre again. Farewell, dear Madiba. #Mandela
Nelson Mandela; image by caribbeanfreephoto
Not everyone agreed with this assessment, however.  Over at the Cuban diaspora blog babalu, drillanwr wrote:
History will remember his life, to be sure.
While I appreciate and respect Nelson Mandela's struggles and his being a political prisoner within his own country for a large part of his life, I am not unaware of his post-prison political ideology and all the friendships he held with some of the world's nastiest leaders.
In a follow-up post at the same blog, Carlos Eire suggested that:
Mandela's sainthood falls short of universal acclaim, especially among Cubans. While he dedicated himself to a noble and righteous cause – ending discrimination against black Africans in South Africa – Mandela was not at all opposed to employing violence as a means for his cause. Worse than that, he expressed nothing but admiration for Fidel Castro and his noxiously racist tyranny, and never stopped singing Fidel’s praises.
In striking contrast, Capitol Hill Cubans shared this perspective:
Nelson Mandela is no longer physically among us, but his legacy of sacrifice, perseverance and freedom will endure forever.
Despite first espousing violence during the early days of his activism, Mandela's life journey demonstrates the transformational power of peaceful, civil disobedience.
His passing is also a reminder of the sacrifice of the world's historic political prisoners, such as Cuba's Eusebio Penalver Mazorra, the longest serving political prisoner of African descent in modern history, having served 28-years. Sadly, Penalver passed in 2006, without seeing his beloved homeland free.
Along with former Czech leader Vaclav Havel, Mandela is the ultimate representation of a political prisoner-turned-freely elected leader. From Cuba to North Korea, his extraordinary life gives endless hope to the democratic aspirations of dissidents, political prisoners and activists throughout the world.
Rest in peace and freedom.
Twitter users – world-wide – have been using the hashtags #mandela #death to offer their condolences.  The Caribbean blogosphere will undoubtedly have much more to say about Nelson Mandela and his legacy once the reality of his death sinks in; the GV Caribbean team will provide updates accordingly.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Chairman Mao Is Greater Than Nelson Mandela, Chinese Leftists Say · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) declared ideological war on online public opinion leaders on popular microblogging site Sina Weibo in August, many liberal bloggers have withdrawn from the platform while leftists and fans of China's red culture are more vocal than ever.
With the death of Nelson Mandela, the internationally beloved former president of South Africa, on December 5, 2013, that political tilt was on full display as Maoist and nationalistic left-wing Weibo users took the opportunity to praise Chinese communist revolutionary and Mandela inspiration Mao Zedong and, surprisingly, criticize state-controlled media outlets for giving too many compliments to Mandela.
Screen capture from Chinese Central Television's news feature on the life of Nelson Mandela
During its review of Mandela's life, Chinese Central Television (CCTV) highlighted [zh] that Mandela had cited first generation leaders of the Chinese Communist Party—Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai and Zhu De—as sources of inspiration for his struggle in South Africa. According to the broadcast, Mandela even celebrated China's October 1 National Day with his prisonmates while incarcerated.
On Weibo, Maoists and left-wing nationalists, who are critical of capitalistic China and are in favor of more Maoist-style socialism, knocked CCTV's gracious treatment of Mandela and praised Chairman Mao instead.
“Mr Ouyang”, a microblogger upholding Marxist and Maoist thought, wrote:
曼德拉是一位民族主义者,他长期为种族平等自由而努力。他的逝世,值得悼念。但是,中国媒体过度拔高炒作他,让人不屑。曼的影响力很少,他没有思想,更无号召力。而中国的毛泽东,无论是在世界的影响力还是对世界人民的贡献,都是无与伦比的。曼自称是毛主席的学生。有些人处处想拿外人比下毛泽东,结果无效!
Mandela was a nationalist and had fought for equality and freedom for his race. We should mourn for his death. However, the Chinese media has given him too many compliments. Mandela's impact is limited and did not not develop any coherent thought. He was not even charismatic. The impact of China's Mao Zedong on the world and contribution to people of the world are outstanding. Mandela called himself a student of Chairman Mao. Some people want to downgrade Mao Zedong by comparing him with others, they are wasting their time.
Comments like this are more common thanks to the revival of Mao‘s legacy as a communist leader under current President Xi Jinping. Members of China's New Left are now taking every opportunity to reestablish the “greatness” of Mao, and Mandela's death is the latest excuse.
“Windy Valley”, who used Mao's selected writings as his profile picture, also criticized CCTV for giving too much credit to Mandela, writing:
说实话，至今我都弄不明白，印度甘地，南非曼德拉他们所受到的赞誉怎么会那么高？当然他们都很了不起，也很伟大，但也仅此而已。毛主席远超于此。在毛泽东的名字前添加的不仅是伟大，更是神圣和唯一。曼德拉只能看到种族歧视和隔离，毛泽东更是看到了种族问题背后的阶级矛盾和斗争。这就是差距。
To be frank, I don't understand why India's Gandhi and South Africa's Mandela receive so much praise. Of course they were great, that's all. But Chairman Mao surpassed them all. We should place words like “divine” and “unprecedented” in front of Mao Zedong's name. While Mandela saw racial discrimination and segregation, Mao Zedong saw the class conflict and struggle behind the racial problem. This is the difference [between the two].
A portrait combining the images of current President Xi Jinping and Chairman Mao to capture the revival of Mao. Image uploaded to Twitter by @feng37
“Red River”, also a self-proclaimed Maoist, recited CCTV's report and added his own comment:
曼德拉：毛泽东、周恩来、朱德等老一辈革命家和中国人民对南非人民争取独立、反对种族隔离制度的斗争给予了很大的支持，长征和中国革命一直鼓舞着南非人民。曼德拉在南非人民心中的崇高地位就像毛泽东在中国人民心中的崇高地位一样，高山仰止，世代永尊！
Mandela: Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, the old generation's revolutionists and the Chinese people lent support to the South African people's struggle against racial segregation and for independence. The Long March and Chinese Revolution gave the South African people inspiration. How the South African people hold Mandela in their hearts is like how Chinese people hold Mao Zedong in their hearts, their images are loftier than the highest mountain and will last forever.
In response to why Mao does not enjoy the same praise both within China and worldwide, @risingfromash, who is a self-described patriot youth, said:
全世界只有毛主席领导人民砸烂了一切束缚中国人民的枷锁，使人民真正地站了起来。而曼德拉，如同甘地一样并没能使人民真正地赢得一切。所以西方极为痛恨和惧怕毛泽东思想，却大力吹捧甘地和曼德拉
Mao Zedong is the only one in the whole world to have broken all the chains that enslaved the Chinese people and helped them to stand up. Mandela and Gandhi did not help their people to win all that they deserved. That's why the west hates and fears Maoist thought, but keeps flattering Gandhi and Mandela.
@guojizhuanjia, who used the Maoist slogan “anti-Soviet, prevent a capitalist revival” in his profile description, highlighted Mandela's view on the Tibetan independence movement:
曼德拉应该是一个向种族主低头。他对世界的看法完全是白人的立场和观点。虽然他被白人关入监狱，但是也放弃了向种族主义斗争到底的决心。他把藏独分子看成民权运动，这就是大错特错了。是一个黑皮香蕉
Mandela had bowed to racism. His views on world politics resemble white people's. Although he was put in prison by white people, he gave up his determination to struggle against racism. His consideration of the Tibetan independence movement as a human rights movement was a big, big mistake. He is a banana with dark skin.
Some stuck up for Mandela in the face of racially charged taunts. Huang Yen, a IT worker, was angry at the Maoist comments:
不要拿毛泽东来羞辱曼德拉。虽然同样是治国无方，但曼德拉上台没有搞文革，没有集体化弄出饥荒。曼德拉更是不恋栈退休而从事防治爱之病等公益事业，把政权民主和平的交给年轻一代。
Please don't insult Mandela using Mao Zedong. Both did not have antidotes for solving their countries’ fundamental problems. Mandela never launched the Cultural Revolution and never implemented collectives which resulted in famine. Mandela did not indulge in power, he chose to retire and contributed to charity works against the spread of AIDS. He passed on the government to the next generation in peace with a democratic system.
Writer Meng Qingde commented:
曼德拉或许研究过毛泽东，但他没有成为毛泽东，这是南非的大幸，否则，南非会上演一幕幕阶级仇民族恨的惨剧，曼德拉也就不会为世界所敬重和怀念了。
Mandela probably had studied Mao Zedong. But he did not become Mao Zedong. South Africa is lucky, or it would have gone through a series of tragedies related to class struggle and national resentment. If that happened, Mandela would not be respected and missed by the world.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Ecuadorian Government Shuts Down Environmental NGO Pachamama · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The Ecuadorian government ordered the closure and “dissolution” of the NGO Fundación Pachamama [es], dedicated to the defense of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest and opposed to oil exploitation without prior consultation in the region. The government alleged that the organisation was “affecting the public peace”.
The action, ordered by the Ministry of the Environment and carried out through the Ministry of the Interior and the Police on the 4th of December, 2013, is based [es] on the allegation that the Foundation has fallen into “deviation from its statutory purpose and objectives; and for interference in public policy, threatening the internal security of the State and affecting the public peace”, according to a note [es] published on the Ministry's website. Furthermore, the Ministry published via Twitter the Ministerial Accord 125 [es] where the reasons for the closure are explained (See 1, 2, 3 and 4) [es]:
Acuerdo Ministerial No 125 se disuelve Fundación de ONG Pachamama http://t.co/d2eQ70bS3k 4/4 pic.twitter.com/dX9jRvIrQJ
— Min Interior Ecuador (@MinInteriorEc) December 4, 2013
Ministerial Accord No. 123 dissolves the NGO Foundation Pachamama
These justifications allude to the recent indigenous protests [es] carried out in the context of the XI Ronda Petrolera [es] (XI Oil Round), an activity where the government put out a tender for 13 blocks of hydrocarbon exploitation in the Southeastern part of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest.
During these protests some foreign representatives were the target of mockery and insults by the protesters. In response President Rafael Correa drew attention to the Police for not taking the necessary measures on his TV show on Saturday, and offered a public apology [es] to those foreign workers and representatives who were attacked.
Yasunidos [es], another environmental defense group, in this case focused on the Yasuní National Park, was one of the first to draw attention to what was happening:
@ecuavisa Urgente! Este momento Policias llegan a Fundacion Pachamama. Rechazamos cualquier represalia a quienes luchamos por #Yasuni
— Yasunidos (@Yasunidos) December 4, 2013
Urgent! Right now Police are arriving at Fundación Pachamama. We reject any retaliation against those of us who fight for Yasuni
The Minister of the Interior himself published photos of the closure of Fundación Pachamama:
Alerta: en estos momentos operativo para dejar disueltas ONG's vinculadas en agresiones recientes @PoliciaEcuador pic.twitter.com/PzhbhjXqkg
— Min Interior Ecuador (@MinInteriorEc) December 4, 2013
Alert: right now an operation to dissolve NGOs linked to recent attacks
Fundación Pachamama's staff immediately organised a protest action, as seen in these photos:
Funcionarias Fundacion Pachamama amordazadas por el cierre de organización hace pocos momentos vía @eluniversocom pic.twitter.com/OjQXE8Xpws
— christian zurita (@christianzr) December 4, 2013
Fundación Pachamama's staff gagged by the closure of their organisation a few moments ago
Belén Páez (F.Pachamama) “Nos cierran x denunciar violaciones DDHH indígenas: Taromenane, 11ronda petrolera” pic.twitter.com/CJQlfvherq
— Jean Paul Bardellini (@JBardellini) December 5, 2013
Belén Páez (F. Pachamama) “They are closing us down for denouncing violations of indigenous human rights: Taromenane, 11 oil round”
Some Ecuadorian internet users expressed their approval of the measure:
@LPTEJADA @Yasunidos @ALBERTOACOSTAE por finnnnn desaparece esa ong corrupta grande correa jajjaja
— yeahh (@CArLosxD3) December 4, 2013
Finally this corrupt NGO is disappearing well done [President] Correa hahaha
But others expressed their anger and disagreement on Twitter:
@ppsesa solo ejecuta las órdenes de @MashiRafael Aquí les recuerdo cómo expresó el sábado su enojo con @FPachamama_Ec pic.twitter.com/Y5cRnM3aIR
— Francisco Garcés (@panchogarces) December 4, 2013
[The Minister of Interior] is just following orders from [President Correa]. I remind you how on Saturday he expressed his anger with [Fundación Pachamama]
La disolución de la Fundacion Pachamama es una confirmación del autoritarismo ¡qué indignación¡ pic.twitter.com/rvFfbJ5M0p”
— Farith Simon (@farithsimon) December 4, 2013
The dissolution of Fundacion Pachamama is a confirmation of authoritarianism, what an outrage!
¿Cerraron Pachamama con un juicio sumarísimo? ¿Hubo notificación previa y derecho a la defensa? ¿Estamos en un Estado de Derechos o ya no?
— INREDH (@inredh1) December 4, 2013
They closed down Pachamama with an urgent summary trial? Was there prior notification and a right to defense? Are we in a State governed by the rule of law or not?
Cerrar una organización opositora amparándose en la seguridad nacional de #Ecuador recuerda a tiempos pasados de horror en América Latina
— Manuel Bayón (@angrygeographer) December 4, 2013
Closing down an opposition organisation under the excuse of Ecuador's national security brings back memories of Latin America's horrific past
Also protest actions were starting to be organised against the government measure:
URGENTE: Vigilia al rechazo de la disolución de la @FPachamama_Ec y rechazo al Decreto 16. 5pm, Plaza San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/7TAs6mq4bS
— Resiste YAsuní! (@ResisteYAsuni) December 4, 2013
URGENT: Vigil in rejection of the dissolution of [Fundación Pachamama] and in rejection of Decree 16. 5pm, Plaza San Francisco
PRONUNCIAMIENTO http://t.co/E8Dq11BZ96 Convocamos a una rueda de prensa, este jueves 5/12 11am en Alejandro de Valdez N24 33 y Av. La Gasca
— Fundación Pachamama (@FPachamama_Ec) December 4, 2013
STATEMENT http://t.co/E8Dq11BZ96 We are calling a press conference, this Thursday 5/12 11am in Alejandro de Valdez N24 33 and Av. La Gasca
Fundación Pachamama's statement following the closure classifies it as arbitrary and indicates that they neither support nor participate in any acts of violence, distancing themselves from the acts they are accused of. The statement also announced that they will contest the decision and added:
No permitiremos que la agresión de que somos víctima, desvíe la atención y el debate del tema de fondo que es la violación de los derechos colectivos de los pueblos indígenas amazónicos y de los derechos de la Naturaleza, por una ronda petrolera realizada contra la voluntad de los legítimos propietarios de los territorios afectados, a través de una “socialización”, no una consulta.
We will not allow this aggression that we are victims of to draw attention and debate away from the issue at hand which is the violation of the collective rights of Amazonian indigenous people and the rights of Nature, due to a round of oil tenders conducted against the will of the legitimate owners of the affected territories, through a “socialisation”, not a consultation.
The Ecuadorian Coordinator of Organisations for the Defense of Nature and the Environment (CEDENMA), also released a statement [es] condemning the events:
Rechazamos esta decisión intempestiva del gobierno nacional y exigimos se garantice el derecho a la legítima defensa de la Fundación Pachamama. Exhortamos a todas las organizaciones nacionales e internacionales que trabajan por los derechos humanos, colectivos y de la naturaleza, se pronuncien ante este acto represivo. Todo nuestro apoyo a Fundación Pachamama.
We reject this untimely decision by the national government and demand that Fundación Pachamama's right to a legitimate defense be guaranteed. We urge all national and international organisations working for human rights, collective rights and nature's rights to speak out against this repressive act. We offer all our support to Fundación Pachamama.
Fundación Pachamama conducted a press conference together with other environmental organisations at 11am on December 5th:
Fundación Pachamama no se limita a una oficina física! Seguimos adelante. HOY rueda de prensa, 11h,Alejandro de Valdez N24 33 y Av. La Gasca
— Fundación Pachamama (@FPachamama_Ec) December 5, 2013
Fundación Pachamama is more than just a physical office! We will keep moving forward. TODAY press conference, 11am, Alejandro de Valdez N24 33 and Av. La Gasca
Inicia rueda de prensa sobre el cierre que se realizó ayer a @FPachamama_Ec @Yasunidos #Yasuní pic.twitter.com/x7LfDM3PJ3
— Antonella Calle (@Ant0Calle) December 5, 2013
A press conference is beginning on the closure of [Fundación Pachamama] that was carried out yesterday
“Nos cierran porque denunciamos q pueblos en aislamiento están también en bloque 79 licitandose en Ronda petrolera” http://t.co/EzCWdENdMS
— wambra radio (@wambraradio) December 5, 2013
“They are closing us down because we denounce the fact that uncontacted peoples are also in block 79 which is being put to tender in the oil round”
“Se ha violado el debido proceso no solo para procesos judiciales sino tambien administrativos debieron notificar a Pachamama” Dr Trujillo
— wambra radio (@wambraradio) December 5, 2013
“Due process has been violated not only for judicial processes but also administrative processes. Pachamama should have been informed” Dr Trujillo
Exigir una consulta popular, que sea el pueblo el que se pronuncie por el #Yasuni no es delito! Violencia es limitar la participación
— Yasunidos (@Yasunidos) December 5, 2013
Demand popular consultation, it is not a crime for the people to to speak out for Yasuni! Limiting participation is violence
After the press conference the Foundation shared a petition on Avaaz [es] to demand that their “freedom of association and expression” be protected:
http://t.co/Fr7yC071pb Ayúdanos a revocar la clausura de nuestra organización con tu firma! #SolidaridadPachamama
— Fundación Pachamama (@FPachamama_Ec) December 5, 2013
Help us to revoke the closure of our organisation with your signature!

author: Juan Arellano


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#GVMeetup: Global Voices in Real Life · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

You've been reading their stories and have been following them on Twitter for years, but have you ever met the Global Voices authors and translators covering your countries?
This winter we launched our first official global in-person ‘meetups’ led and facilitated by Global Voices members, who live and know those local communities in six countries.
And we are already half-way through!
In this week's episode of GVFace, I spoke to:
Eddie Avila, Director Rising Voices, live from Cochabamba, Bolivia
Mohamed ElGohary, Lingua Coordinator Global Voices, live from Egypt
Faisal Kapadia, Lingua Urdu Editor, live from Karachi, Pakistan
Sara Moreira, Portuguese Language Editor, live from Porto, Portugal
They shared their experiences of bringing the virtual Global Voices mission, energy and love to very real offline audiences in their countries.
In Karachi, Kampala, Cairo and Skopje dozens of participants have already met GV members who facilitated peer learning and knowledge sharing in the field of citizen media. And #GVMeetup facilitators are getting ready to woe audiences in Porto and Phnom Penh next!
More information on our Google + event page.

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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Like Father, Like… Kyrgyz Opposition Leader’s Son Gets Arrested · Global Voices
Anna Fergana

Former Kyrgyz MP Kamchybek Tashiev is mostly known for his radical nationalist rhetoric. He believes that Kyrgyzstan's leader should be a “pure blooded Kyrgyz” and refuses [ru] to give interviews in Russian. Last year, the politician almost ended up in prison after attempting to “get to his place of work” (the parliament) by climbing over the fence of the legislature with a band of some fifty young men, an event that a local judge ruled was a coup attempt (although Tashiev's shoe-throwing supporters later persuaded him otherwise). In a feint nod to the rule of law, Tashiev was sacked from the parliament after the incident.
The nationalist politician largely lost the spotlight after losing his seat in the parliament. On December 2, however, Tashiev found himself back in the center of public attention after police arrested [ru] his son for alleged theft of car wheels:
Kamchybek Tashiev holding a child. Public profile image from Tashiev's Twitter account.
в Бишкеке 1 декабря во время рейда “Автовор” в 5-м микрорайоне были задержаны 4 студента столичных вузов. Как сообщается, они пытались снять колеса с автомашины “Хонда-Аккорд”.
В момент задержания молодые люди находились в автомашине “Мерседес-Бенц”, которой управлял сын экс-депутата Тимур.
On December 1, four students from [Bishkek] universities were detained during a police raid in the fifth mikrorayon [city district],  The young men reportedly attempted to [steal] wheels from a Honda Accord.
The young men were arrested in a Mercedes Benz driven by the son of a former [parliament] deputy, Timur [Tashiev].
In a move resembling political strategies of the supporters of Tashiev the senior, Timur's friends tried to bail him out after the arrest. The young man's “classmates” and “friends” took to social media and news web sites, claiming that Timur has been a victim of false identity, that he was in Russia during the incident, that he was a “good boy”, and that the Tashiev family was too rich for such petty crime.
However, police soon released a footage [ru] of Timur's interview in custody, in which the young man confessed to an attempted theft of car wheels, explaining that he had done that because he needed money.
Timur Tashiev in police custody. Screen capture from YouTube video uploaded by Kiyalbek Toichiev on December 2, 2013.
Online reactions to the news of Timur Tashiev's arrest came thick and fast. “Like father, like son” was the most popular theme in the majority of netizen comments.
Under a news report about the incident, Eles announced [ru]:
это наследственное
this is genetics
Another reader wrote [ru] in an apparent reference to the Tashievs’ reputation for corruption:
бедняжки..уже нечего воровать что ли??
poor things… they have nothing else left to steal or what??
“Pravda” asked [ru]:
и вот такие дети и их отцы хотят управлять страной?!!!теперь вы видите очевидность дебилизма???что они сделают со страной и с нами??!!разграбят…
these children and their fathers want to rule the country?!!! do you see the idiotism now??? what would they do to the country and to us??!! [they would] plunder…
Burul added [ru]:
яблоко от яблони, как говорится
the apple [doesn't fall far] from the tree, as they say
Bermet chipped in [ru]:
куда отец туда и сын…
the son is following in his father's footsteps
There were also rare voices doubting the official account of Timur Tashiev's arrest and suggesting that the incident might have been a “set-up” to exert pressure on his father. It remains to be seen whether the controversial politician's son will end up in prison. After all, his father was allowed to get away with much more serious charges.

author: Anna Fergana


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Lonely Chinese Men Are Looking to Vietnam for Love · Global Voices
Freya Wang

Unlucky in love on the mainland? Why not go to Vietnam, where Chinese bachelors can find “true love”, or more specifically, where they can “search for brides who won't demand apartments or private vehicles as a precondition for marriage.” This, according to an advertisement from a famous Chinese group-buying website 55 Tuan offering a free trip to Vietnam for a number of lonely hearts in celebration of China's Bachelor's Day on November 11.
Faced with the increasingly high cost of marrying Chinese women, whose families often demand expensive gifts in exchange for their daughter's hand, and the country's imbalanced ratio of men to women, more and more bachelors in China are looking abroad for love. All together, 28,629 hopefuls participated in 55 Tuan's give away.
Advertisement from website 55 Tuan offering a free trip to Vietnam for a number of single men in celebration of China's Bachelor's Day on November 11.
China's competitive and expensive marriage marketplace
In the past few years, more and more men have expressed their frustration on the Chinese web with the high cost of marriage in China. It is customary that the Chinese bride’s family will make a list of very specific demands for the future groom as a pre-condition of the marriage. The ownership of an apartment and a car as well as a steady job with a high salary are the top priorities on the bride's parents’ wish list. But it is almost impossible for a bachelor of average income to buy an apartment all by himself.
In contrast, it only cost tens of thousands of yuan (approximately a few thousands US dollars) to marry a Vietnamese girl, which is affordable for most Chinese bachelors. Plus, a popular notion says that Vietnamese girls are hardworking, simple and devoted to the family.
China's imbalanced sex ratio also contributes to the shortage of brides on the Chinese marriage marketplace. According to an article [zh] on ifeng news, the current ratio of men to women in China is 119:100. In some regions, that the ratio reaches 130:100. The imbalance is rooted in feudal Chinese culture, which values boys more than girls. Coupled with the one-child policy and modern technology that allows parents to know the gender of a baby early on in the pregnancy, the preference for boys has resulted in extremely lopsized gender ratios in newborns, particularly in some remote rural areas. For example, the ratio among infants in Wuxue (武穴) Hubei province is as high as 198.3:100, according to China's fifth population census [zh].
In the case of Vietnam, it once was the opposite — women outnumbered men. But in recent years, the male population has slightly outnumbered the female, and that problem has been exacerbated as more and more Vietnamese girls choose to marry foreigners in order to seek a better life. Since the end of last century, more than 294,000 Vietnamese girls from poor areas have married foreigners [zh], among which Chinese and Korean are the most popular choices.
Nevertheless, the frequency of Vietnamese-Chinese cross-border marriage fraud has increased [zh]. More and more Vietnamese brides flee their Chinese husbands soon after they arrive in China. In some cases, the arranged marriage agents are involved in the scam. In response to the situation, the Chinese police department has claimed that [zh] they will crack down on commercial Vietnamese bride arrangement services.
‘Why not marry a foreign girl for cheaper?’
Against such a backdrop, 55 Tuan's advertisement stirred up a lot of discussion online. The website defended that the lottery event was to provide a free group tour for lucky bachelors to Vietnam. The marriages, if any, will be purely based on love.
While commercial cross-border arranged marriages and mail-order brides are considered by global civil society to be a form of human trafficking and thus immoral, a substantial number of Chinese netizens on popular microblogging website Sina Weibo are against the police crackdown on these “marriage services”.
Writer Shang Jianguo believed the Chinese consumers’ desire for “group buying” of Vietnamese brides only reflected the escalating problem of the imbalanced gender ratio and its impact on the marriage market:
团购越南新娘折射剩男问题。第六次人口普查数据显示，80后非婚人口男女比例为136:100，70后非婚人口男女性别比例206:100。30-39岁男性中有1195.9万人处于非婚状态。同龄女性中有582万人处于非婚状态。
The phenomena of “group buying of Vietnamese brides” indicates the social problem of leftover men. According to the sixth population census, the gender ratio of unmarried post-80s generation is 136:100, 206:100 for post-70s. 11,959,000 males between 30 and 39 years old remained single, while only 5,820,000 females are single.
@Zhazi77 has reached marriage age and has started worrying about his future:
作为一个研究森不知道能不能毕业，毕业能不能找得到超过两千五一个月工资的穷人家的小孩，我要是能在三十五岁之前结婚就真的感谢全世界了。
I am a master's student. Born into a poor family, I don't know if I can earn more than 2,500 RMB (approximately 400 US dollars) per month upon graduation. I would be thankful to the whole world if I could get married before I reach 35!
Jiu Hengxing, an IT business microblog account, wrote that marriage is a form of economy and thus it is rational to seek brides overseas:
在大城市里，没有房子、车子，相亲成功概率低，就算姑娘同意，还要过丈母娘这关！随着国内结婚成本的增高，一些中介抓住了空子，比国内结婚更省钱又能娶到国外老婆，有何不可？
It is very hard to find a bride on a blind date if you don’t have an apartment or car in a big city. Even if the girl is willing to marry you, you still have to deal with her mother. Since the cost of marriage has increased, why not marry a foreign girl for cheaper?
As the marriage economy is tied up with property development in China, “Big eye brother” mocked the police intention to crack down on “group buying” of Vietnamese bride as serving the interest of property developers:
当然要严打，都去娶越南新娘了，内地的房地产经济怎么办？
Of course the police need to take action [against the Vietnamese bride arrangement services], because if all men marry Vietnamese women, what would we do with the real estate economy in mainland China?
But Yuan Yi, a journalist, did not think that such relationships will last long:
看完纪录片对越南新娘嫁到台湾全程有了解，因为贫富悬殊很多越南美女嫁往台湾内地。异国婚姻克服文化习俗差异才能长久。
I learned about the whole process of marrying a Vietnamese girl after I watched a documentary on Vietnamese brides in Taiwan. Lots of Vietnamese beauties marry a man in mainland China or Taiwan because of the wealth gap. But cross-border marriages can only last long if the couple can overcome their cultural differences.

author: Freya Wang


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Music Lovers Remember King of Congolese Rumba Tabu Ley Rochereau · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The undisputed King of Soukous, Congolese musician Tabu Ley Rochereau, died of stroke on November 30, 2013 in Belgium at the age of 73. He was a prolific songwriter and one of Africa's leading vocalists who internationalised Soukous by creating a fusion of Congolese folk music and Cuban, Caribbean and Latin American rumba.
Congolese legend Tabu Ley Rochereau. Photo release by Kingjumbo under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) .
Reacting to the news of his death, radio producer and DJ Minna Zhou remembered how Tabu Ley experimented with diverse music styles, which includes incorporating Jimi Hendrix's guitar techniques and producing a cover of The Beatles’ “Let It Be” in Lingala, a language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
Throughout his 50-plus-year-long career, Tabu Ley never stopped innovating and keeping himself open to sounds from around the world. In the same 1993 interview cited above, he spoke of changing the more intellectual, refined feel of L’African Jazz to create something that could appeal more readily to the masses. In 1972 after a tour of Senegal, he came back with a new rhythm for rumba called “Soum djoum,” which some say was inspired by Soumbedioune, Dakar’s largest fish market. When Jimi Hendrix approached the man in London as a fan of Dr. Nico, they exchanged musical ideas, which led Tabu Ley to incorporate some of Hendrix’s guitar techniques into Afrisa International. He made a Lingala cover of The Beatles’ “Let It Be”. He experimented with synths as a stand-in for likembe [a thumb piano, which is also known as Mbira]. He also created a hugely successful back-up dancer group “Les Rocherettes,” which included the sensual and honey-voiced Mbilia Bel who became an integral part of the Afrisa International [Tabu Ley's band] sound.
Below is a YouTube video of one of his greatest hits titled “Muzina”:
http://youtu.be/J2GCPUArIwI
Minna continued:
It was only in 2008 that the King of Soukous moved to Paris where his family had immigrated years prior. He sought his family’s support and medical help for the stroke from which he would never truly recover. As if prescient, the twin capitals Kinshasa and Brazzaville held a months-long tribute to Tabu Ley just last year in 2012. The DRC’s Chancellor of National Orders honored the living legend with two gold medals — one for civic merit and the other for his deep cultural contributions to Congolese arts, sciences, and humanities. In November of 2013, he was admitted to l’Hôpital Saint-Luc in Brussels, where he spent his last days.
Kenyan blogger Ken Opalo wrote the following after hearing the news of Tabu Ley's death:
The Rhumba legend Tabu Ley has passed on. For Kenyans of my generation his songs are a reminder of a childhood marked by our parents’ great love of Congolese music (dominated by Tabu Ley and Franco Luambo Makiadi). Back then Kinshasa seemed like the most fun place on the planet (and probably is/was, as I have never been) and a bustling centre of cultural production. We didn’t know what the songs were about, but we knew the lyrics (or what we imagined them to be). I particularly grew to love “Muzina.”
On Twitter, Zichivhu  pointed out that the only major Western media that covered his death was France24:
The only major Western news network to carry the death of #TabuLey was France24…we Africans really do need our own “AlJazeera”. *sigh*
— Zichivhu (@Zichivhu) December 1, 2013
Activist and founder of activist @SavetheCongo, Vava Tampa wrote:
This #TabuLey song~>>http://t.co/lxOYt88vPD was probably his first recorded song after he left #GrandKale‘ band. I want it played in funeral
— Vava Tampa (@VavaTampa) December 1, 2013
Naomi Mutua described why Tabu Ley is a legend:
#TabuLey composed over 2000 songs and produced over 250 albums. Now that's a legend. #RIPTabuLey
— Naomi Mutua (@AKenyanGirl) November 30, 2013
Below is a YouTube video of King of Congolese rumba Tabu Ley and Congolese singer M'bilia Bel, known herself as the Queen of Congolese rumba, singing “Shauri Yako”:
ĔĎ ђØŦĔҎ reported that Tabu Ley has a son who is a rapper:
I didn't know DRC legendary #TabuLey‘s son (Youssoupha) is a rapper: http://t.co/iHYXpwHv he has an album #NoirDesire comin out this month
— ĔĎ ђØŦĔҎ (@EdOG_Azaza) January 15, 2012
Kenyan artist Suzanna Owiyo mourned:
Africa has lost a true legend in the music fraternity. #Tabuley‘s music inspired many both young & old.We will dearly miss you.May you RIP
— Suzanna Owiyo (@SuzannaOwiyo) December 3, 2013
funk of 40k years noted:
Tabu Ley was the first African artist to play at the Olympia ( in France) [prestigious and oldest music hall in France] and he played for a month straight. #DRC #RDC #TabuLey
— funk of 40k years (@antwoman1) December 1, 2013


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Nigerians Celebrate Nelson Mandela, ‘A Source of Inspiration for People’ Everywhere  · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa who played a crucial role in that country's dismantling of apartheid, died on Thursday, December 5, 2013 at the age of 95. The beloved statesman and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who is often referred to as Madiba, spent 27 years in prison for his political activities during the country's white minority rule before becoming president.
Since the news of his death broke, Nigerians have been celebrating the life and times of the man some call Africa's greatest gift to humanity. Within the African world view, the departure of a sage is no time for mourning, but a time of reflection on and appreciation of a worthy legacy. Eulogies have continued to stream in on Nigerian social media since the announcement of his death.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Photo released by South Africa The Good News under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Oluwatosin Olaseinde, an accountant and auditor, captured this succinctly:
Today shouldn't be a day of mourning, it should be that of celebration. Mandela has lived a great life, he was full of age, Rest In Peace
— Oluwatosin Olaseinde (@PrincessTosin87) December 6, 2013
Oby Ezekwesili, formerly vice president of the World Bank's Africa division, wrote:
Would b a “long walk” 4 many African leaders to “inherit” the VALUES ESSENCE of #Madiba. Greater shall be those who dare to take d 1st step! — oby ezekwesili (@obyezeks) December 6, 2013
Twitter user @ba55ey celebrated Mandela:
A source of inspiration for people in almost every country of the world #Madiba — bmc! (@ba55ey) December 6, 2013
Journalist Abang Mercy-Asu shared a video of Madiba's “Freedom Speech”:
VIDEO: Nelson Mandela’s Freedom Speech http://t.co/tYblZ45j3y — Abang Mercy-Asu (@AbangMercy) December 6, 2013
Writer and blogger Nze Sylva Ifedigbo shared a post from his blog:
Apt day to share this (Archives)»» LEARNING FROM THE WORLDS MOST LOVED MAN #NelsonMandela | Nzesylva's Corner http://t.co/4AYcPPp7uU — Sylva Nze Ifedigbo (@nzesylva) December 6, 2013
User @KwamiAdadevoh called for personal introspection:
I am at about the age that #Madiba was when he got imprisoned. Physically and mentally could I survive 27 yrs and still affect the world? — #Madiba46664 (@KwamiAdadevoh) December 6, 2013
User @WilDeji, a dog trainer, tried to capture the historic date of Madiba's release from prison:
“They have released Mandela”- do you remember the very moment you heard this statement made? What were you doing…? #Madiba
— 46664 || Just Pets (@WilDeji) December 6, 2013
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a politician and prominent member of Nigeria's opposition, asserted that:
Leaders celebrate Mandela, but lack his discipline and morale fortitude They stand in the way of their people and make Africa laughingstock
— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@AsiwajuTinubu) December 5, 2013
Nnayelugo called for “Mandelaness”:
Nigerians should start first (on their path to ‘Mandelaness’) by resuming at work at the appropriate time. — Nnayelugo (@eloka51) December 6, 2013
Literary critique Lord of the Gourds’ tweet was sarcastic:
Any Nigerian “leader” caught weeping crocodile tears over Mandela should be sentenced to 14 years breaking rocks in Kirikiri [Maximum security prison in Lagos, Nigeria]. @AsiwajuTinubu
— Lord of the Gourds (@ikhide) December 6, 2013
User @nnamdiarea did not spare African leaders:
The worst thing about Mandela's death will be the long, dull speeches by African leaders who want to praise him but not learn from him. — Geek. (@nnamdiarea) December 6, 2013
Social commentator Jason Kayode thought that it's not as much about leadership as it is about good citizenship:
Question: Which Nigerian leader can be like #Madiba. Answer: Which Nigerian CITIZEN can be like #Madiba
— Jason Kayode (@KayodeJason) December 6, 2013
RamblersINC, a blogger and literati, summed up Mandiba's legacy thus:
The lesson here is that a good name is better than wealth, fame, or power. The worth of a man's life is not in the abundance of possessions.
— RamblersINC. (@tee_hidee) December 6, 2013
Mojisola Sodeinde wrote:
Today he ranks above his jailers, above all world leaders, above royalty, in death he is larger than life ~ Nelson Mandela
— Mojisola Sodeinde (@mojisodeinde) December 6, 2013
Molara Wood (@molarawood), a writer, journalist and editor, summed up the sentiments of Nigerians in this poetic tweet:
Mandela is gone. The sun has set. The elephant has fallen. More than words. Farewell, Madiba. Go well. — Molara Wood (@molarawood) December 5, 2013
Madiba will dance to the cadence of this dirge, written by Nigerian poet, Tosin Gbogi, as he approaches “heaven's gate”:
Nelson, neon lights cast upon the night
Eons heavy with caste of memories,
Language bares to its final sole.
Soweto remembers the penal boundaries of up-rising
On a night like this, Nelson, a night like this when
Neon lights cast upon the world a cast of
Memories: a massacre so sharp
And vile: A Botha bold to a brainless core
Night on his lips, pronounces his race into the hate of
Dawn that brings Robben Island to its knees.
En route, Nelson is finally en route to Free(dom)Town
Let him have eternal peace, oh
Angels Biko and Brutus, quicken his pace to heavensgate

author: Nwachukwu Egbunike


text:
On Twitter, Peruvians Remember Song Dedicated to Mandela · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

When South African leader Nelson Mandela was released from prison in the 90s, Spanish-Peruvian musician Miki Gonzáles [es] wrote the song “Liberaron a Mandela” [Mandela was released]. Peruvian Twitter users remembered the song when they learned about Mandela's passing:
Temón de Miki Gonzales cuando liberaron a Mandela, allá x los 90s https://t.co/OWrzCd4ZmR recordaba la tonadita pero no la letra
— CésarPonce (@cesarponcec) diciembre 6, 2013
What a hit by Miki Gonzales when Mandela was released, back in the 90s. I remembered the melody but not the lyrics.
El homenaje de un músico peruano a un ícono de la libertad : MIKI GONZALES LIBERARON A MANDELA: http://t.co/o8CBwKvSuh vía @youtube
— luis jaime cisneros (@ljcisneros) diciembre 6, 2013
Tribute by a Peruvian musician to a liberty icon: Miki González, “Mandela was released”

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


text:
4 Stories from Volunteers in Typhoon-Hit Philippines That Will Move You To Tears · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A street full of debris in Tacloban. Photo from Tudla
Also see Haiyan Devastates the Philippines, our special coverage page.
Almost a month has passed since super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) hit the central part of the Philippines. Many towns were completely devastated by the storm surge which killed more than 5,000 thousand and left millions homeless. Typhoon survivors initially complained about the slow arrival of food, water, medicine and other urgent aid. Remote towns couldn’t be reached because of bad roads and other logistical problems.
Responding to criticism, the national government assured the public that it is doing everything to extend assistance to all disaster victims. The widespread destruction caused by Haiyan inspired a global relief and rehabilitation effort. In the Philippines, thousands volunteered in relief and repacking centers. Many also travelled to the typhoon-hit villages where they documented the extent of damage left by Haiyan while providing much needed assistance to refugees.
These volunteers were able to share photos, videos and stories of what they witnessed in Samar and Leyte. Their documentation validated earlier reports about the deadly impact of Haiyan and the slow response of government offices. Here's are four stories from the ground.
1. Michael Beltran described the scene outside Tacloban airport. Tacloban is capital of Leyte and the ‘ground zero’ of the typhoon disaster:
The first image of our week in Leyte was an airport with people shivering and hungry on the one side, being ignored by the military and US Navy, and boxes and boxes of goods on the other. Apart from any physical structure that’s barely standing, what struck me the most was the grass and trees. Absent of any pigmentation, still upright, dry, no mud, just dead plants as far as the eye could see; trees with branches and leaves, frozen in the opposite direction of the wind brought by the supertyphoon. The image becomes permanently embedded in your mind right before you become acutely aware of the smell.
2. Activist Renato Reyes hit the slow recovery of dead bodies in the city:
After the pictures of the body bags in the public market in Tacloban, I stopped taking shots. I had to comprehend the fact that 2 weeks after Typhoon Haiyan, bodies were still being recovered, people were still living near decaying corpses, and there's an effort by the national gov't to downplay the casualty count and cover up official incompetence in dealing with the calamity.
3. Tent and candle towns are rising in Samar and Leyte, wrote environmentalist Leon Dulce:
We personally witnessed tent and candle towns rising above the debris amidst persisting rainfall. Fisher folks lost all their boats and other implements to the storm surges, while farmers can only stare at the hectares upon hectares of uprooted coconut trees and flooded rice fields.
Many survivors waited for several days before aid was provided to them. Photo from Antonio Tinio
A curfew was imposed in many typhoon-hit villages to maintain peace and order, specifically to prevent widespread looting. Photo from Antonio Tinio
Electricity will be restored in two to three months. Meanwhile, electric cables are still useful for those who need to dry their clothes. Photo from Antonio Tinio
4. Thousands of typhoon survivors are leaving Samar and Leyte.
Many are migrating to Manila and other urban centers like Davao. Professor Mae Fe Templa explained how migration also reflected the loss of trust in the government:
The migration of survivors indicate the rising problem of people having lost trust in government. The movement of Yolanda survivors from Leyte to anywhere in the country indicates two things: One is government inaction as people lose trust in government. Two, is the people’s initiative to transform their own lives and redefine ways of living under extreme conditions of poverty and climate change
Grounded ship along Anibong road in Tacloban City. Photo from Tudla
Many farmers also lost their livelihood in Marabut, Samar. Photo from Tudla
A damaged house in Hernani, Eastern Samar. Photo from April Val Montes
A typewriter was one of the salvaged things in Balangkaya, Eastern Samar. Photo from April Val Montes
A mass grave marker in Palo, Leyte. Photo from Pher Pasion
Also see Haiyan Devastates the Philippines, our special coverage page.

author: Mong Palatino