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Mexico: Massive Civil Lawsuit at ICC Seeks Drug War Justice · Global Voices
Geraldine Juarez

This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.
On November 25, 2011, Mexican human rights lawyer Netzai Sandoval filed the biggest civil lawsuit ever presented to the International Criminal Court (ICC), demanding a probe for those responsible for systematic human rights  abuses and crimes against humanity during the Drug War launched by President Felipe Calderon five years ago, at the beginning of his administration.
The complaint was signed by 23,000 Mexican citizens on paper and through an online petition [es]. The petition demands an investigation on both sides involved in fighting the drug war in Mexico:  the heads of the cartels, like ‘El Chapo Guzmán‘ and the government of President Felipe Calderon, including the president, commanders of the army and the Secretariat of Public Security.
President Felipe Calderón at International Forum on Latin American Security 2011 by Organización Demócrata Cristiana de América, under and Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license.
The lawsuit doesn't mean that the ICC will take the case or even go forward; first they need to analyze if there are conditions to take the case.
However, the group representing the 23,000 Mexicans  argue the government does not have the  will to prosecute drug war crimes. Most of these crimes, like recruiting children as sicarios (hired assassins), are not considered a crime in Mexico.
The blog AmericanThinker compiled some of Sandoval's declarations:
We are petitioning that the court investigate forced disappearances, the recruitment of children under 15 as hit-men, extrajudicial executions by soldiers, mutilation as a form of intimidation, attacks against the civilian population, forced displacements, the raping of women and girls, acts of torture perpetrated and tolerated by the army, attacks targeting drug rehabilitation centers, and the kidnapping, sale and enslavement of migrants by Mexican immigration authorities.
[…]
Action by the Court is only justified when a state cannot or will not  institute a criminal action to punish certain crimes defined in the  Rome Statute … Neither of these two premises applies in this case,
The complaint prepared for the ICC includes more then 400 documented abuses committed by the Mexican army, some already exposed by Human Rights Watch in the report ‘Neither Rights, Nor security‘, presented November 9, 2011.
Reuters featured some important considerations regarding this lawsuit:
“There are a large number of boxes that the prosecutor would need to check off before he could actually open an investigation,” said Richard Dicker, an international justice expert with Human Rights Watch. […]
ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo will have to decide if the  crimes presented in the activists’ complaint, such as the torture of  criminal suspects, qualify as crimes against humanity.
“The crimes would have to be widespread or systematic, carried out by a state or organization in attacks on a civilian population,” Dicker said.
“It's certainly very arguable,” said William Schabas, professor of international law at Middlesex University.
Law Professor John Ackerman (@JohnMAckerman), involved in promoting this case, published in Proceso [es]:
Moreno Ocampo solamente podría negarse a dar entrada a la denuncia si la  petición fuera “frívola” o “motivada políticamente”. Aquí es importante  señalar que los que promueven la iniciativa son exclusivamente  académicos, periodistas, artistas y abogados de la sociedad civil. A los  políticos no les interesa el tema, porque saben perfectamente que una  investigación de la CPI podría revelar la profundidad de la  interrelación entre la clase política entera y el crimen organizado.
Opinions are divided, like the country itself. Many citizens consider this a “political move” of the left to shame Calderón. However, many with no particular political party affiliation or sympathy for the institutional political forces also signed the petition.
Victor Beltri (@Vbeltri) [es] calls the complaint a “manipulation”:
El #JuicioaCalderón, notoriamente improcedente, busca más crear ruido político en México que una solución real a la violencia. Manipulación.
Others, like @thinkmexican, consider it a step forward in changing the country:
Let no one ever says Mexicans are doing nothing to fix Mexico. Todays suit with the International Penal Court ends that argument!
Netzai Sandolval @Netzai_Sandoval [es] tweeted after filing the suit in the ICC at The Hague today:
Se nos reclama no ser propositivos, pero la propia denuncia ante el fiscal CPI señala los temas que hay que corregir en Mx #juicioaCalderon
On his Twitter timeline he listed at least 10 priorities the law suit considers, like the need to typify war crimes [es], such as forced rendition, in all states in Mexico.
A few weeks ago, Daniel Hernández, prominent blogger and up-and-coming journalist on Mexico's Drug War conflict, wrote at the Los Angeles Times blog World Now:
The plan is certainly bold, but is it even plausible to take a sitting Mexican president to face war-crimes charges at The Hague?
ISP News,  the Toronto Star and Reforma [es] published reports on this complaint which represents civil society's outcry for the justice the Mexican government is not providing.
All the information about the trial that 23,000 Mexican citizens are seeking at the ICC can be found in the blog Juicio Penal Internacional a Calderón [es].
This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.

author: Geraldine Juarez


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More Pressure on the Chinese Government, Not Less · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chinese Human Rights Defenders argued against the “quiet diplomacy” approach put forward by Chen Min in New York Times on November 16, 2011 by looking into the case of blind activist Chen Guangcheng in Shangdong.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Oiwan Lam


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Pakistan: The Death of Nusrat Bhutto  · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

The recent demise of Nusrat Bhutto, former first lady and wife of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was mourned across the country. At the age of 82, Nusrat Bhutto died at her deceased daughter Benazir Bhutto's residence in Dubai, after a long battle with Alzheimer's.
Cafe Pyala‘s heartfelt tribute gives a historic perspective of Nusrat Bhutto's legacy for the youth that did not witness her era:
But I do want to write a couple of lines for those who did not live through the times that really defined her (and most Pakistanis now, it should be recalled, were born after 1993) and who wonder what the massive outpouring of emotion at the death of an 82-year-old woman who had not been seen in public for more than a decade is all about.
To understand the connection that millions of people – and not just the supporters of the Pakistan Peoples Party – feel with Nusrat Bhutto, one must understand how her grace under pressure and in the face of overwhelming tragedy – here was a wife and mother who lived to see most of her immediate family wiped out – inspired countless others with her fortitude. Hers was a human story that transcended her class or her position in the elite stratosphere of politics.
Nusrat Bhutto (second from right) at Japan Consulate dinner. Image from Flickr by Altaf Shaikh CC BY-NC-ND
A country-wide mourning was announced, declaring a public holiday on Monday 24 October, 2011; banks, educational institutes and even courts remained close. This triggered a wave of reactions from people questioning the government's logic behind declaring a national holiday, that would inevitably hurt the country's already battered economy.
@Reallyvirtual: Son's school declared a holiday tomorrow… they waste our lives when they're alive, they waste our lives when they die.
@lablinks: When a country becomes family business, shutting down the shop upon a death in the family is to be expected.
@ReallyVirtual: and they damage the economy of the country, consecutive three bank holiday. Shame.
@jehan_ara: So Cabinet Meeting will not be held on Wednesday. Can someone explain how that will honour Begum Nusrat Bhutto? Mourn but why stop working?
@bhopalhouse: I should like to live in a Pakistan where Nusrat Bhutto's death would mean more Alzheimer's research rather than a pointless public holiday.
@umairjav :My facebook timeline is full of angry ‘youths’ cursing the PPP govt. for conferring a posthumous award on Nusrat Bhutto. Yep, we're doomed.
@sarahnaq : When we are happy, we announce a holiday, when we are sad, we announce a holiday. Friday we don't work, Sunday is obviously holiday..#pakistan
@akchisti: Nusrat Bhutto was great & I condole her death but, declaring a holiday is just “unfair” & contrary to perhaps her own views. #PPP #Pakistan
@shakirhusain: RIP Nusrat Bhutto. I wish there was a better way for the State to celebrate her than a public holiday. #Pakistan
@thekarachikid: There needs to be a countrywide SMS alert system set up to sort out these holiday announcement issues. #pakistan
Even though a number of government officials actively use Twitter, none of them used it to engage on the issue. Nevertheless, Nusrat Bhutto is known and respected for her struggle against one of the most brutal dictatorship in the country's history. Even those in disagreement with her politics paid tribute to her legacy.
Ghazala Akber on Paktea house wrote an obituary:
Love them, loathe them, praise them, abuse them — our opinions are impassioned and divided when it comes to the Bhuttos. But wherever we are located on the political spectrum – however polarised our views — and – whatever our feelings regarding the present government – in this we generally agree: that in the annals of our cataclysmic political history, in the epic battle for Democracy against Dictatorship – the House of Bhutto has paid a huge and hefty price in blood, sweat and tears.  [..}
One would have to have a heart of stone not to feel a tinge of sadness and remorse at the passing away on October 23 of its doyenne, Mrs. Nusrat Bhutto — former First lady of Pakistan, wife of a Prime Minister, Mother of a Prime- Minister and Mother-in-law of a President.
Nusrat Bhutto's husband, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged during the dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq. History remembers Zia-ul-haq not only as a dictator but for his era that witnessed the Soviet invasion, the ISI and CIA alliance that led to the creation of the Taliban.
Cafe Pyala recalls the moment in time:
At the same time, one must also acknowledge her symbolism, for those who mourn today, of a bygone era, before religious fanaticism and guns and venal corruption came to define this country's politics. When she stood, with blood streaming down her face from wounds inflicted by the sticks of General Zia's goons, she stood with a defiant moral authority that needed no certification from the media, maulvis or armed security guards.
Nusrat Bhutto, rest in peace.
As Pakistanis pay farwell to Begum Nusrat Bhutto hopes linger that acknowledging her symbolism may give strength to a nation plagued with extremism.

author: Sana Saleem


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Russia: Siberian Light’s This Week in Russia Blogs #1 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Andy of Siberian Light presents This Week in Russia Blogs #1, a revamped version of Russia Blog Roundup weekly series. Anglophone posts highlighted in the current edition include A Good Treaty's take on the efficiency of the RuNet activism and Putinania‘s analysis of the United Russia’s prospects for the Dec. 4 Duma election.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Trinidad & Tobago: Anya’s Section Launch · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The rumour turns out to be true: Trinidad Carnival Diary says that designer Anya Ayoung-Chee's section in the Carnival band TRIBE's 2012 offering launches tonight.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Men and their Role  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“International Men's Day kind of came and went without much fanfare here, even though the darn thing was actually ‘inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago'”, says West Indian Mother, who wonders whether “we [are] denying good men their role.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Netizens Sceptical about Assassination Plot  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It seemed that the majority of online readers, if you read the comments following the Express’ first article on the alleged assassination threats, chose not to believe the government of Trinidad and Tobago”: Guanaguanare thinks that “the lack of evidence helped to destroy the credibility of this latest threat to national security”; Jumbie's Watch agrees.


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Yemen: Mixed Reactions as Saleh Finally Signs GCC Deal  · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
After backing out three consecutive times, Yemen's President Saleh finally signed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) brokered deal for him to step down and transfer power to Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in a ceremony in Riyadh on November 23, 2011, attended by Saudi King Abdullah.
There have been mixed reactions amongst Yemenis and others towards the signing of the deal; some are disappointed and skeptical, while others are joyful and relieved.
Mixed reactions
Revolutionary youth Ibarhim Alsaydi expresses the country's young people's rejection clearly in a interview on Al Jazeera English (video posted to YouTube by revaluationvoice):
Twitter user @samwaddah tweets an article by Reuters, which highlights the concerns of many analysts regarding the deal:
Analysis: #Saleh, quitting or dancing on the heads of snakes reuters.com/article/2011/1… #Yemen
The official copy of the GCC deal was not published and many do not know what it consists of. So far only the mechanism of the deal has been revealed.
@samwaddah tweets:
Until this moment, Yemenis are still kept in the dark on the actual #GCCdeal. Only the mechanism was published, not the actual deal #Yemen
Omar Mashjari points out his objection to the deal in his blog post:
@OmarMash: New BLOGPOST! – What does the GCC Initiative mean for the Yemeni people? by @OmarMash #Yemen #Saleh #GCC bit.ly/uRrE3j
@C0C0SASA tweeted a photo of a Arabic newspaper AlRai showing Saleh's image on the front page alongside the headline “Former President”:
Arabic newspaper AlRai's front page depicting Saleh and the headline "Former President". Image by Twitter user @C0C0SASA.
الرئيس السابق…. #yemen #Saleh pic.twitter.com/0D5LoNxH
Columnist Nick Kristof sarcastically expresses his cautious relief:
@NickKristof: After 33 years of misruling Yemen, Pres. Saleh is stepping down. Let's hope that the pieces can be put together again.
@Nadaa2124 tweets Brian Whitaker's article in the Guardian, pointing that there has been no concrete change:
Yemen's Ali Abdullah #Saleh resigns – but it changes little | Brian Whitaker gu.com/p/33tjz/tw #Yemen #yf #GCC
@Nefermaat admits that not much has been achieved but encourages people instead to focus on what lies ahead:
#Yemen now that #Saleh signed (even if no change) maybe we'll be able to focus on more important things for the future of our country
@AbdulazizSakkaf – supporting the deal – points out:
Like the #GCCdeal or not, it saved your house, job and existence.
@Dory_Eryani who also supports the deal, claims:
There is media war by Janadi&others to make ppl refuse the #GCC deal ..Don't believe them..Saleh lost a lot when he signed it! #Yemen
However @RealistChannel points out what some Yemenis are simply overlooking:
#Saleh signed the #GCC's initiative because he knew his rule isn't over. Not that complicated. #SupportYemen
Anti-deal protests
Many of Yemen's young people rejected the deal and planned to go on marches across Yemen to protest it. @yemen_updates tweeted:
A strong movement at #Sanaa Change Sq. against the JMP & Islah for signing the #GCCdeal that grants #Saleh immunity from prosecution. #yemen
The day after the GCC initiative signing, violence continued in the capital Sanaa, as pro-Saleh supporters shot at peaceful protesters who were marching to reject the deal. In this video the cameraman himself is shot at towards the end of the clip. (video posted to YouTube by mediacentersanaa):
@YusraAlA aslo tweeted:
A day after #Saleh signed #Gulf Initiative, his thugs attacked march in #Sanaa resultin in death of 5 n injury of more than 30 #Yemen #yf
@samwaddah said:
5 martyrs so far, many injured in today's march in #Sanaa! This is the first fruit of the #GCCdeal #Yemen
The Saudi orchestrated GCC initiative clearly does not address the demands of the country's young people, who are the backbone of the revolution; what will it really accomplish for Yemen; does it really end Saleh's rule or does it hide more unpleasant surprises?
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: Noon Arabia


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Bangladesh: The Perils Of Dividing Dhaka City Corporation  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sazid Khan thinks that the decision of the Bangladesh government to split the Dhaka City Corporation into two zones will create more problems rather solving the existing ones.

author: Rezwan


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Bhutan: The King Visits Japan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dorji Wangchuk posts a photo essay on the recent state visit of the Bhutanese royal couple to Japan.


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DR of Congo: How Will the Elections Unfold?  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The presidential elections in the DRC are scheduled for November 28, 2011. The stakes are evidently high, given the history of civil conflict (the 2006 presidential elections were facilitated by UN peacekeepers).
The  2011 campaign officially began on October 28 [fr] and includes 13 candidates in a country that has as many as 400 political parties. Many observers have highlighted the major events during the campaign, and attempted to forecast how the elections will unfold.
Radio Okapi highlights the difficulties [fr] encountered by the CENI (the Independent Commission for the National Elections) in the days before the elections:
Au cours d’une conférence de presse tenue vendredi 25 novembre, son rapporteur Matthieu Pita a déclaré que 33 aéronefs n’ont pas pu décoller pour des raisons météorologiques. Ces engins devraient servir au déploiement du matériel électoral dans les provinces.«Vous êtes un peu déçu, mais rassurez-vous que ce n’est pas de mauvaise foi. C’est pour des raisons opérationnelles », a ajouté Matthieu Pita.En dépit de ces difficultés logistiques, Matthieu Pita a annoncé que les élections auront bel et bien lieu le 28 novembre.
Radio Okapi also notes that 50,000 voters in the region of Rutshuru of Northern Kivu  still did not know where they would vote [fr]:
Des sources rapportent qu’au moins 18 centres n’ont toujours pas de listes d’électeurs. Cette situation inquiète les électeurs de ce territoire. [..] Député élu de la circonscription électorale de Rutshuru, Sekimonyo wa Magango appelle ses électeurs à l’apaisement.
«J’ai contacté la haute hiérarchie de la Ceni. Toutes ces autorités viennent de me rassurer que les listes électorales vont nous arriver avant les élections. Tout détenteur de la carte électorale à Rutshuru va voter lundi. C’est la garantie qu’ils m’ont donné et je voudrais que toute la population de Rutshuru s’apaise», a rassuré le professeur Sekimonyo Wa Magangu.
Voting Booth in DRC on Flickr by FredR (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
In Bunyakiri, the blog Local Voices also raised concerns about the fact that electoral lists and voting ballots are still to be dispatched [fr] to 160 polling stations.
Jason Stearns sums up the growing fear of delay:
A last-minute delay in the election appears to be likely, according to several separate diplomatic sources in Kinshasa. The sources, who wished the remain anonymous given the insistence by the election commission that elections will be held on November 28, said that it would extremely difficult to deploy all necessary materials on time. However, one of the diplomats suggested that the commission thinks it will be less controversial to present the various actors with a fait accompli: a brief delay of the polls.
However, other sources, including the election commission and the UN peacekeeping mission, believe it is still possible to hold elections on time.
The logistical task for the election commission is daunting. The last election materials are reportedly arriving today or tomorrow and have to be distributed to 210 distribution centers. The United Nations has mobilized its substantial fleet of airplanes and helicopters, but the materials will have to be distributed to 64,000 polling centers. In addition, the Congolese government has been able to obtain crucial support from both the Angolan and South African governments, who are deploying aircraft to the country, as well.
In the absence of reliable opinion polls, Jason Stearns also attempted the difficult task of forecasting the outcomes of the elections (Stearns also clarifies that he does not attempt to predict a winner but merely identify the trends in the campaign). He sums up his analysis thus:
If you take these projections and weight them by the population of the provinces, you can conclude that it will be a close race between Kabila and Tshisekedi. Turnout will be crucial, as will the extent to which disaffection with the current government will translate into votes for opposition candidates. A last-minute endorsement by Bemba and coalitions among opposition candidates could also sway the vote.
Didier Muhama who blogs at Now African, reports on an informal poll conducted in almost all the neighborhoods of Goma (except Mugunga):
Out of a bit over 500 people from 18 to 24 years old, the following question was asked: who will you vote for? Out of the 500 participants, Joseph Kabila got 52, Vital Kamerhe 323 and Tshisekedi 120 while the other 8 candidates got a total of 25. I decided to conduct my own little inquiry…
“Vital Kamerhe, because his project is valuable compared to the so-called five sites that Kabila had promised to undertake during his presidency. I don’t trust Kabila anymore, he didn’t keep his mandate promises.” explains Sammy W., student at UNIGOMMA university.
Incumbent President Joseph Kabila has been in power since 2001. He took office ten days after the assassination of his father. In 2006 he was elected as President opening the door to widespread violence.
Sarah K., 19, from the Mabanga neighborhood: “I will vote for Kabila, mainly because he is handsome” she blurts out with a timid smile, “then he also brought peace to our region and the country as a whole! I think he needs more time to accomplish the promises the made in 2006.” she ends.
Alex Egwete writes about worrying reports of phantom polling stations:
The electoral commission is in the midst of yet another controversy, this time over the discovery of phantom polling stations in the “cartography” of polling stations CENI recently published. Some opposition groups and journalists have given CENI Chair Rev Daniel Ngoy Mulunda 72 hours (commencing yesterday) to come up with a coherent explanation for those phantom polling stations.  Pro-opposition RLTV, which is airing again after a short ban stemming from the infamous phone interview with Tshisekedi in which the UDPS leader proclaimed himself DRC president, gave evidence of a half-dozen of those phantom polling stations in Kinshasa alone, including bars and private residences whose occupants were flabbergasted to find out that their homes were listed as polling stations

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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India: The Camel Fair Of Pushkar · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nisha J shares her experience of spending a day at the famous Camel Fair of Pushkar, a holy town of the Ajmer district in the state of Rajasthan, India.


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India: Youth Slaps Minister Over Price Rise and Corruption · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

On 24 November, 2011, India's Agriculture Minister, Mr. Sharad Pawar, was slapped on the face  by a youth as he was leaving a government building. The youth, Harvinder Singh, was apparently fed up of the growing inflation, corruption and graft cases in the country and decided to hit out at the Union Minister in protest. Incidentally, Mr. Sharad Pawar is the President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a breakaway faction of the Indian National Congress. He is also the current President of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The Indian Government and the political fraternity have strongly condemned the attack on the veteran politician and minister. However, there was mixed reaction among ordinary citizens to the incident and it was reflected in the opinions expressed on social media. Netizens spoke out via blogs, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Sharad Pawar, Image courtesy Wikipedia
There were some who denounced the action, saying that getting violent and expressing grudge against politicians in this manner was not the civil way of protesting and would achieve no positive result.
@mnidhi90:I strongly condemn this attack on Sharad Pawar. After all he is a union cabinet minister. This expression of protest is totally unaccepted.
@prasoonkmr1: Well…I am not a supporter of Sharad Pawar….but any form of violence is ethically unacceptable…!!!
@Amvarsh: Slapping Sharad pawar is not gonna solve problems.
@aneesinha: Slapping Sharad Pawar is not a solution, hold this anger n show it during elections n vote the right people n use the rights in better way.
@Naren_reddy23: Whatever it is, slapping ex def minister Sharad Pawar is a mad thing to do. Protest some other way. Tom he might even slap president or pm.
However, others saw this act as a common man's rising anger against politicians – given the rising cost of day-to-day living and the stories of scams, corruption and lack of accountability among politicians holding public office. There were also questions about the government's political will regarding the formulation of a strong Lokpal Bill, the proposed anti-corruption bill to reign in the pervasive corruption in public life.
It seemed significant that the Agriculture Minister was targeted, given the continuous price rise of food and other essentials, while on the other hand farmers continued to commit suicide, burdened under debt and poor returns. Perhaps, it was a combination of all these factors that led to an overwhelming resonance and public support for Harvinder Singh's actions, on social media.
@kenylalan: @BDUTT Almost everyone on twitter and FB has welcomed this attack on Sharad Pawar. What's happening??
@rokul59: Is there any doubt that slapping of Sharad pawar reppresents frustration and deep anger among youth of India against corrupt? #akparivartan
@rajshrestha75: Sharad Pawar slapped! Violence isn't appreciated but see what the big picture means! Good morning Indian Politicians!
@ishwetatiwari: Wow “Somebody slapped corruption on the face”. Listen to Anna Hazare now & pass the janlokpal. #janlokpal
@realsachin007: Every Indian shud follow hurvinder Singh's act against sharad pawar.. All politicians deserves it.. Heads off to ur courage bro..
@AjitVirk: Sharad Pawar deserves this CHANTA (slap),he is mainly responsible for suicide of farmers and this MEHNGAYEE (rising cost of living).
In a video posted on YouTube, 2WardsABetterIndia shares his views regarding the incident. He feels that this should be a ‘wake up call to the Indian government’ to assuage the growing public anger.
Soon enough, the incident drew the ire of the NCP party supporters who went on a rampage in Maharashtra – the party's stronghold.  There was also some attempt to give a communal colour to the incident. Citizens reacted strongly to these developments.
On his blog The Common Man Speaks, blogger Keyur Seta wrote:
The incident would have not gained this much attention if the NCP  party-workers hadn’t reacted in this manner. By damaging public property  (setting tyres ablaze, breaking shops, etc) and doing rasta-roko,  they have made the incident more famous. In other words, the party-men  made sure Pawar’s humiliation became a much bigger one than it was  intended to be.
Blogger Pooja Mahimkar at Sernedipity commented:
So Sharad Pawar got slapped by a common man Harvinder Singh. And NCP  blows it out of the hand by creating riots and bands all over Mumbai,  Pune and Satara.. I mean really? How is that going to help anyway? By  doing all this you are basically piling on to the miseries and problems  of the common man, exactly the reason why Harvinder slapped Sharad  Pawar. And honestly does this even justify anything? I mean millions of  people get slapped everyday if we start doing riots and strikes… you can  imagine what kind of dangerous world it will be then. Now you might say  that Sharad Pawar is a big political personality and everything which  is why this becomes national news, to which I would only ask you one  question.. “Really???? “ I mean name me one thing he did that was good  and beneficial for our country.
Tweets came in, fast and furious, denouncing the retaliatory action by Sharad Pawar's party workers. Some tweeters also uploaded images of the rampage.
@raunakn_09: #NCP protesters torch Pune-Mumbai Expressway;both sides blocked!Police just watching.. #Pawar #HarvinderSingh #LivePic pic.twitter.com/eeqEMosk
@fR0DDY: Entire Navi Mumbai is closed. All shops and malls. Thanks to Sharad Pawar led NCP. Avoid travelling if you can. #navimumbai
jhunjhunwala: NCP has called for a bandh in Pune. No bandh for inflation,black money,corruption or Farmer suicides but 1 slap & a shitstorm
@primary_red: Attacking Sikhs in Mumbai because some lunatic slapped Mr Pawar in Delhi is asinine. Identity politics makes us truly stupid. Weep, India
@ayushmannk: Harvinder Singh didnt  slap Pawar as a representative of Sikhs. He's a common man with a common  grievance. Stop giving it a communal twist!
In another video, 2WardsABetterIndia urged fellow citizens not to give a communal colour to this incident and see it for what it is, a common citizen venting his anger at the political establishment. You can watch the video here.
The mainstream media has also received some flak for what some people see as giving too much (undue) importance to the incident, especially by showing it time and again on the TV channels.
@aanandkharde: Sharad Pawar was slapped once by a man. But, how many times did the media slap him by repeatedly  telecasting the footage?
@jithinyujin: Sharad Pawar was slapped once. TV Channels show it again & again & again. That's like slapping him 1000 times!!
@anilkohli54: Sharad Pawar is an  experienced politician he will take this slap in his stride as an  occupational hazard media shud not over hype the issue.
@ashokepandit: While I condemn attack on Sharad Pawar, I request the media not to play that visual of his attack  as it will create unrest.

author: Aparna Ray


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Iran: Social networks blamed for terror plots · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Police says social  networks have been used for terror plots in Iran. Esmaeil Ahmadi  Moghadam has urged ECO countries to establish a unified intelligence system to thwart these crimes.

author: Hadi Nili


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Japan: WordCamp Tokyo is Tomorrow · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

WordCamp Tokyo 2011 will be held November 27th. The organizers are running a relay blog [ja] that describes why you should go and what's happening behind the scenes.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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“Let Us Dream”: Demonstrating Against Unified Job Hunting in Japan · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Each spring, the job hunting season starts and Japanese students in their third year of university start preparing by suiting up, attending seminars and job fairs, and having bouts of soul searching. They apply to dozens of companies, each with multiple  rounds of examinations and interviews, until they receive one or several job offers.
The process can take up a large chunk of the last two years of school; a mentally and physically draining time that eats into one’s self-confidence.
"Job Hunting Seminar for Sophomore Students" by Flickr user shinyai (CC BY-NC 2.0).
On Labor Day, students held demonstrations in Tokyo and Kyoto to rally against this system, expressing anger towards the irrational hoops and hurdles that impede on studying time. The demonstration also criticized the commercialization of job hunting, pointing fingers to several major online student/company matching services that play a big part in the ecosystem of the practice.
The organizers used blogs and Twitter (@syukatsu_tokyo and @S_demo_Kyoto) to call for support, and eventually round up more than a hundred demonstrators.
@syukatsu_tokyo: 【拡散願】とうとう後2日！就活ぶっこわせデモ、水曜日13時半アルタ前集合です！！行こうか行くまいか迷っているそこのあなた！！遠目に見てるだけでも構わない！ぜひ新宿アルタ前に！ #就活デモ
This is one of their messages:
@hosyukakumei: 競争はあってもいいと思うんんだけど、共生を目指したいんです。同じ日本人通しで勝ち組とか負け組とかいうレッテルを貼りあうのはもういい加減やめませんか？少なくとも私はそういう不毛な争いに疲れました。 #就活デモ
The Tokyo organizers report that more than 1,000 people watched the live stream, while the archived footage garnered over 6,000 views.
The demonstration gathered attention in the online sphere. Many commented that the intent of the demonstration was unclear, although there were some that supported the act of having a demonstration.
@yatabe_: 就活ぶっこわせデモを傍観してきたけど（参加はしてない）主張がなくて何が言いたいのかわかんなかった。試みは面白いだけに非常に残念。「就活くたばれ」「○○ナビ潰れろ」「ゆとりにゆとりを」「夢を見させろ」って叫びながら歩いてたけど、わがまま言ってるようにしか聞こえなかった。　#就活デモ
@hgkent: でも個人的にはやる意味は十分あると思う　頭の良い人は就活が労働全般の構造問題だってわかってるし、それを変えるにはデモだけじゃ足りないってことも　だから生半可に考えてるならやめろってことかもしれない　でもでも、気づいてない人のほうがたくさんいるんだよ　それが問題なんだよ　#就活デモ
@kobayashiokamu: 明日の就活デモ、思ったより議論が深まってなくてちょっと残念なところもあるけど、とりあえず今の就活はシステムだけじゃなく独特な習慣や作法的な部分がキモすぎるからそこはぶっ壊し希望。
Here are some voices that question the futility of tearing down this system.
@chakist: 新卒採用枠をなくしたところで既卒の採用枠が広がるとは思えないし、広がったとしても何の経験もない新卒者の門戸がさらに狭まると思うけどね。既卒として経験者募集の求人ばかり見てる身としては。 #就活デモ
@Harnyan726: 就職できない人、社会のシステムからこぼれ落ちる人がいるので生活保護なり何なりで野垂れ死にを防止しましょう、というなら分かるのだが、就職できない人がいなくなるような就活システムってそれ社会主義だから
Photo of the demonstration from the official blog
It’s a catch 22 situation for students. Rebelling against the system – no matter how wrong you think it is – is probably not going to help your chances of getting a job. And if you've managed to secure a job, would you be so passionate about this cause? It makes people curious and dubious about who exactly is participating.
@sankakutyuu: 「高学歴の俺様に相応しいクリエイティブでファッショナブルな仕事寄越せ」なんつー無理筋な話じゃなくって「一生居酒屋バイトでも所帯を持って幸福の内に生命を終えることができる世の中にしろ！」と声を挙げることが何故できないの？ #就活デモ
@hatiue46: 就活システムに関しても、変えられるのはこの就活システムによって職を得た人たちなわけだが、いざ就職できてしまうと就活時に理不尽さを感じていても、変えようという気がなくなってしまうのだと思う。こういったのを変えられるのはベンチャーくらい？


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Maldives: The Changes The 17th SAARC Summit Brought · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hassan Ziyau describes how the preparations for the 17th SAARC Summit brought astonishing changes in Addu and Fuvahmulah, the two atolls where the summit was held.


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Mali, Niger: Tuareg Voices Barely Heard Over the Sounds of War · Global Voices
Philippe Léveillée

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.
Since the break out of the Libyan war, many security and political experts have warned against potential threats posed by the Tuareg nomads of the Sahara, particularly in Mali and Niger. Is it a real threat or mere speculation? For the moment, the only place to hear the voices of the Tuareg is on the Internet.
It all began with substantial migration from Libya to its neighboring countries. Long ago, many observers believed that former Libyan leader Gaddafi may have recruited Tuareg people to secure the south of the country and sustain a booming Libyan economy, while taking advantage of a (mostly cheaper) alien workforce. The death of Africa's “King of Kings” (Gaddafi's nickname) has now pushed thousands of Tuareg people to return to Mali and Niger.
Realistic threat?
The return of the well-armed fighters as well as empty-handed civilians, has fed all sort of rumors in the region. There were rumors that the son of Muammer Gaddafi, Saif al Islam, was hiding in the region, however, these turned out to be false. On November 11, 2011, 14 Tuareg fighters returning from Libya were allegedly killed after exchanging fire with security forces from Niger at the border of Niger and Mali.
It is mostly local and international media that is highlighting the, as yet non-existent, threat of a rebellion coming from the north of the region. Media chatter is awash with the supposed anxiety of the authorities, who allegedly fear a Tuareg rebellion. Both Mali and Niger's governments are stepping up their military presence [fr] and initiatives to ensure order in the Tuareg regions. Missing amongst all this are the voices of the Tuareg people themselves.
Isolated and voiceless
Geographically, the region inhabited by Tuareg people is thousands of kilometers away from the Malian capital Bamako. The isolation of the Tuareg people is reinforced by the fact that the Al-Qaeda organization in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has kidnapped many foreigners in the region, which has discouraged most visitors to venture into the Saharan region.
The isolation is as much a psychological one as it is a geographical one, which makes the exploration of the area and the understanding of it by outsiders even more more difficult.
More effective than communiqués and declarations, YouTube has made it possible to realize that something has been stirring in the region. In Kidal, a town in north-eastern Mali, an unofficial number of Tuareg people marched to claim the autonomy of the Azawad region on November 1 (uploaded by YouTube user amassakoulable on November 2):
Others in the towns of Menaka, Gao and Tombouctou also marched in solidarity with the call by MNLA – a French acronym for the National Liberation Movement of Azawad – for autonomy.
MNLA is well organized on the Internet where it delineates its objectives on its website [fr]:
[The MNLA] aims to reinforce human and social relations between communities of the region and the rest of the nation in a democratic process. It has chosen a policy to push its agenda via legal actions and democratic spirit and therefore it condemns all sorts of violent actions.
Their demands are not quite well defined yet. They are asking for autonomy but they do not illustrate what this autonomy would practically entail.
Blogger Kal-Azawad highlights the pacifist purposes of the MNLA movement. He speaks about a social movement, not a rebellion and he also denounces the circulating rumors [fr]:
This is addressed to the national and international public opinion:  know that the combatants returning from Libya do not intend to play the AQIM games, nor will they ever be tempted to do so in anyway. On the contrary, our compatriots hold a myriad of projects: the sustainable development of their territory and the security of the Azawadi populations and all its components: Songhai, Tuareg, Arabs, Fula people, the protection of their properties against rogue cases of vandalism and other car hijacking by insignificant uncontrolled armed groups, a massive campaign to raise awareness against any sort of indoctrination by the Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and the reconstitution of a local social base in order to reunite the people of Azawad!
An observer [fr] of French television channel France 24, explains that the discussion revolves around a political conflict for self-determination and not for revenge regarding Gaddafi's death or a partnership with AQIM.
The Tuareg people are still quiet regarding the panic that is taking over the region. However, it is yet to be seen how they will react to the post-Gaddafi panic.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.

author: Philippe Léveillée


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Mozambique: Poetry on trees · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

The Mozambican literary collective Movimento Kuphaluxa has shared on Facebook and on its blog a series of poems exhibited on the city of Maputo's historic acacia trees. Some well-known writers like Mia Couto are featured (FB link), but most poems are from younger writers.

author: Janet Gunter


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North Korea’s Cellular Network Surpasses 800,000 3G Subscriptions · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The North Korea Tech wrote about a surge of new sign-ups for Koryolink, North Korea’s nationwide 3G cellular network. It is believed 809,000 North Koreans have subscribed to Koryolink whose 75 percent of stake is owned by the Egyptian company, Orascom Telecom.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Russia: “Anti-Gay” Bill Postponed Till Nov. 30 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Siberian Light reports that the second reading of the “anti-gay” bill in the St. Petersburg City Duma has been postponed till Nov. 30 – “to allow time for a face-saving review of the legislation’s wording.” The AllOut.org's petition calling “leaders around the world to reach out to their counterparts in the Russian government” has now been signed by 219,368 people; the new goal is 250,000. LJ user madw posted a photo report [ru] from the Nov. 20 rally in St. Petersburg: 150 people protested against the bill; some got attacked and beaten when the rally ended.


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South Korea: Judge’s Facebook Post Criticizing Free Trade Deal Went under Fire · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A judge's Facebook post criticizing the current President and the free trade agreement with the United States went under fire. The Supreme Court has decided to refer him to the ethics committee for violating political neutrality. Some citizen journalists have secured the judge's deleted post [ko] in their blogs.


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Video: Plural+ 2011 Awards Young Filmmakers · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Youth from around the globe were awarded in New York for their thought-provoking short films showing their proposals for making society more peaceful and multicultural by addressing the topics of diversity, migration and social inclusion.
Multicolor handprints on white cloth. Image by Flickr user John-Morgan (CC BY 2.0).
The Plural + Youth Video Festival set out to recognize youth as powerful agents of social change; in the Awards Ceremony they commended young filmmakers for their winning efforts.
Let's see some of the winning videos:  GIFT was created by Pang Jia Wei, Ryan Tan Chuan Min and the Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Malaysia and the video won in the 18-25 year old category. In it, we can see and hear how it takes diversity to build a nation.
The New Portuguese is a short documentary on immigrants in Portugal: whether they are immigrating to the capital city of Lisbon from their hometowns or whether their parents moved to Portugal where they were born, they all struggle for acceptance and a place in the city and country they call home.
Wish is a short film about families in China. It tells the story of a boy living with his grandfather while his parents work in a far away city, and how doing what is economically best for a child may turn out to be more challenging than planned.
I am Quiaqueña is the musing of a young woman born in the border between Argentina and Bolivia, and how belonging somewhere is not as easy when geography and politics get in the way.
Having many similarities may not be enough when there is a difference that is considered greater… that is the case of Between Us Two, from Israel.
Our Hood has the Wafalme Crew, a musical group composed of street kids who live in the ghettos of Nairobi, Kenya sing and tell the story of how music changed their lives for the better, teaching them about how to rise up to challenges and keep a positive outlook in life.
A young man writes to his father who has spent his whole life working far away from his home in Exile Song, reminding him that when he wishes to hear the thrushes and see the palm trees… all he has to do is come back home.
In Belong, different immigrants in Finland discuss their experience in living away from their homelands, and what are the things that make them feel that they belong in their new home.
You can see the other winning videos on the Plural + Youth Video Award Page.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Japan: Coworking Magazine Launched · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Cowarp [ja]: There's been a surge of interest around coworking spaces and its culture, and now there's a brand new online magazine for it.


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Malaysia: Opposition to Peaceful Assembly Bill · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

An online campaign was launched to pressure members of Parliament of Malaysia to reject the proposed Peaceful Assembly Bill which activists believe will curtail freedom of expression and the people's right to organize in the country

author: Mong Palatino


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Philippines: City Launches Online Codification of Ordinances · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The General Santos City Council has launched a website which features a project to codify ordinances from 1948 to the present. General Santos is located in southern Philippines


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Thailand: Profile of Lese Mejeste Violator · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

May Adadol Ingawanij links to a Thai article which provides a profile of Mr. Amphon, a 61-year-old Bangkok resident who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for insulting the Royal Family.


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Vietnam: Deadly Legacy of Agent Orange  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

De Tran writes about the deadly legacy of agent orange in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, more than 20 million gallons of herbicide were sprayed over the rural communities and jungles of the country.


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Vietnam: Questions on the ‘New Seven Wonders’ Contest · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tim of Come and Go Vietnam questions the credibility of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’ contest. Vietnam's  Halong Bay was included in the initial list of winners.


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Zambia: Cash Dug Out From Ex-Minister’s Farm Shocks Nation · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

Zambia’s investigative units, the Zambia Police, Anti-Corruption Commission and Drug Enforcement Commission recently dug out K 2.1 billion – nearly US$ 466,000 at the exchange rate of US$ 1= K 4,500 – buried in the ground at a farm belonging to former minister, Austin Liato, who was in charge of labour before the September 20 elections which saw a new government voted into power.
Even in an inflationary environment like Zambia, K 2.1 billion is not exactly small change and the discovery of the money, which was buried under concrete in an unfinished house in Mwembeshi, some 50 km west of the capital, Lusaka, has shocked the nation in which the majority of the population are classified as living in poverty.
Zambians on various social networking sites have reacted to these and other disclosures of suspected corrupt activities under the previous administration with a sense of shock and anger.
One Facebook user, Shalala Oliver Sepiso had this to say about the money found at the former minister’s farm:
Zambia Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela (r) displays part of the K 2.1 billion discovered underground at former Minister of Labour Austin Liato's (inset) farm. Photo courtesy of Chibaula Silwamba.
The cache find on Liato's farm, if it was not stage-managed, has to be lauded has evidence in fighting corruption and no sane Zambian with a keen interest in seeing Zambia develop would say anything against this. However, it does not takeaway the fact that this Government is still witch hunting and persecuting former MMD ministers. Liato is an individual and although I do not believe he is the only one involved in this, he should be treated as a single case and not an indictment against Mwale, Siliya, Musokotwane and everyone else who has been locked up for being found with campaign materials.
Again no sane Man can argue that MMD had many corrupt elements. We all know that they were many but it is unearthing scams like this that will justify the arrests and subsequent prosecutions.Not class acts and insinuations and innuendos.
However, not everyone vilified Liato, a former trade union leader before he joined politics. Limbikani Msamba wrote:
Unless Liato is incredibly stupid (i suspect he aint), he'll be able to easily explain his stash. Of course k2.1bn (around $420,000) is an awful lot of money to the average Zambian, but not unusual for a man in his (former) position. This guy wasnt payin no bills on top of his huge salary as MP & minister, numerous allowances, gratuities, bribes from the chinese (lol), and it would be strange to suggest neither he nor his wife engaged in any form of enterprise. So i say lets chill out folks. All this hype is much ado about nothing, as far as i am concerned. Hoping to be proved wrong ;)
Readers on the Zambian Watchdo website were unforgiving of Liato’s act. Joe Zuze wrote:
Liato suerly is this what you can call witchunt? If the monies were obtained genuinely why burrying it instead of taking it to the bank where it can earn interest. You are the same idiots who were wrongly advising the old man.
For now, no more comments but to urge you to corperate with the law inforncement agencies so your side could be heard fairly. ‘m sure you knew what you were doing.
Hopefully the GBMs, Kambwili, Willie Nsanda (PF government leaders) and the like are learning something.
This is disgusting!
Shimpundu called for the caging of those found wanting:
I am urging all those condeming the team fighting corruption to give them a chance and do their work as there is more to come,and they know what they are doing?how can Ruphia fail to buy property worth $700,000 when a minister can burry so much money under ground?what about the properties he has aquired which you will soon come to know and money he has put outside Zambia?lets open our eyes and support the policeand government on fighting corruption and cage everyone of them found wanting
Lady Gogo came to Liato’s aid with this tongue-in-cheek comment:
C’mon who doesn’t kip a few billions at th house,u guys ar a bunch of haterz.
Some tweeps turned the find into a joke:
@simunza: Correction: These MMD fellas had some serious ambition. The former hon Minister Austin Liato buried K2.1bln on a farm #GetRichOrDieTrying
Another one used a promotional message used by mobile phone company MTN to laugh about the seized money:
@Deejaylbc: RT @lafontee: So apparently MTN Zambia forgot to announce that Austin Liato won their MTN BEEG (BIG) promotion. Twice.
@missbwalya wondered jokingly whether the reason behind hiding the money was witchcraft:
@missbwalya: @luchi7 He probably buried the cash with some charms in the hopes of tripling the amount. Better rates than Euro banks. :-)
Liato has since been suspended by the former ruling party MMD for which he is national executive committee member in charge of labour.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Bangladesh: Climate Change to Increase Hunger and Malnutrition · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

This post was commissioned as part of a Pulitzer Center/Global Voices Online series on Food Insecurity. These reports draw on multimedia reporting featured on the Pulitzer Gateway to Food Insecurity and bloggers discussing the issues worldwide.
As governments gear up for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17) in Durban, South Africa, which starts today, experts are warning that among climate change's greatest consequences in developing countries such as Bangladesh are risks to the agriculture sector, including an increased risk of hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity.
Hunger and malnutrition on the rise
A Bangladeshi farmer re-transplanting his field due to flooding. Image by Flickr user IRRI Images (CC BY 2.0).
Forecasts predict that climate change could reduce agricultural production and increase food prices, raising the risk of hunger and malnutrition. A World Food Programme report says that by 2050, climate change is expected to increase the number of hungry people by 10 to 20 percent, and the number of malnourished children is expected to increase by 24 million – 21 percent more than without the effect of climate change.
Most of the increase is expected in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia and Central America, as detailed in these maps. Already, the report says, natural disasters are more frequent and intense, land and water are becoming more scarce and difficult to access and it is getting harder to achieve increases in agricultural productivity.
At least ten countries are highly vulnerable to a climate-related food crisis, an ActionAid report released last month showed. Among the five most vulnerable countries, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, South Africa and Haiti, is Bangladesh. Composed largely of low-lying land and islands with a high density population, little arable land, and frequent natural disasters, Bangladesh has been described as the “'ground zero’ at the intersection of climate change and food security” by bloggers from the World Bank and Aid Data.
Mirza Galib, a lecturer at Bangladesh's Primeasia University, expands on the potential implications in The Daily Star:
Scientists tell us that the most profoundly damaging impact of climate change in Bangladesh will take form in floods, salinity intrusion and droughts, all of which will drastically affect crop productivity and food security. We will also face riverbank erosion, sea water level rise and lack of fresh water in the coastal zones. The prognosis is more extreme floods in a country already devastated by floods; less food for our country in which half our children already don't have enough to eat; and less clean water for where waterborne diseases are already responsible for 24 percent of all deaths.
Bangladesh has made progress in reducing hunger, with its number of undernourished people dropping to 27 percent as of January 2011, and its annual rice production tripling over three decades. But since agriculture is a key economic industry, making up nearly 20 percent of Bangladesh's gross domestic product (GDP) and 65 percent of the labor force according to a World Bank report, climate change threatens to erode these gains.
A blog post on Farming First elaborates:
Climate change is predicted to reduce rice production, Bangladesh’s main crop, and increase the country’s reliance on other crops and imported food grains. Crop production is potentially set to decline for at least one crop in each region…Overall, agricultural GDP in Bangladesh is projected to be 3.1 percent lower each year as a result of climate change.
Call for action
While the Bangladeshi government has some good adaptation plans in place, to further help combat climate change's impact on agriculture, the ActionAid report calls for efforts such as greater investment in small farms in poor countries, the immediate delivery of “climate cash” to help poor farmers climate-proof their agriculture, creating a system of pan-regional food reserves, and binding cuts in rich countries’ carbon emissions.
The World Food Programme report estimates that substantial international action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could halve the increase of hunger from climate change.
ActionAid also wants to eliminate biofuel targets that are driving “land grabs” in developing countries. In a September roundtable session with bloggers, former United States President Bill Clinton said he also opposed countries such as China and Saudi Arabia buying and leasing land in developing countries, as this undermines long-term agricultural sustainability. Instead, he proposed a food sustainability model to improve food security and help developing countries build their own agricultural capacity. During the session he said:
The U.S. and Canada and Europe, because we have the capacity to produce big [food] surpluses, and Brazil and Argentina, the only places on Earth with 20 feet of topsoil…, we should offer longer-term contracts to the Chinese, the Saudis and others for basic grains at prices that will guarantee decent profits, but not exhorbant ones, and stop price spikes but keep prices high enough to get investment into agricultural activities in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia…Until you develop a sustainable agricultural framework in these countries, they not are going to benefit.
Shammunul Islam and M Mizanur Rahman, in a post for Bangladesh's New Age, also call for sustainable agriculture, since agriculture is a contributor to the greenhouse gas effect. Sahidul Haque, in an opinion piece for Bangladesh's The Financial Express, says more higher yielding seeds are also needed, as well as varieties that can grow in drought and saline conditions. Researcher Winston Yu, in a Q&A by Gudrun Freese on the blog earthscan, says fortunately many of the current solutions to minimize climate change's impact on Bangladesh, whether it's flood management or new crop varieties, will also benefit the country in the future.
To improve awareness of climate change issues among Bangladeshis, as well as voice their stories of climate change, gender and food sovereignty, two groups have organized a climate change caravan that is currently traveling across the country. One hope is that these stories will help motivate solutions from Western countries, which often use a much larger share of the world's food, water, energy and carbon than developing countries, according to the ActionAid report. For example, each U.S. citizen consumes an average of 260 pounds of meat per year, about 40 times more than the average Bangladeshi.
Natasha Haider elaborates on this discrepancy in her blog:
Bangladesh has one of the lowest per capita carbon dioxide emissions in the world. There are two principal reasons for such low emissions. First, Bangladesh does not have many energy intensive industries such as steel and aluminum manufacturing. Second, nearly 70 percent of the commercial primary energy comes from natural gas. Therefore, the solution to global warming is largely out of its hands and lies with developed countries or rapidly industrializing ones, mostly in the West.
In the meantime, Nazifa Islam, blogging on South Asian Generation Next, says Bangladesh has already become an innovative source of solutions:
While developed countries are scratching their heads over how to reverse climate change or how to deal with it, Bangladesh already has a head start. From growing rice in saline waters to creating mobile homes, the people of this nation are calling upon every innovative idea to assist in survival. If anything, the most terribly affected place has become a “thinkbowl” for solutions to climate change. Prone to natural disasters from what seems like the beginning of time, Bangladesh has become very good at dealing with all that Mother Nature decides to throw at her, bending like bamboo but never breaking.

author: Juhie Bhatia


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Bangladesh: Corporate Social Responsibility – A Half Truth · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shahriar Amin opines that in implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR), the primary objective of any organization is not doing the welfare of community but to provide welfare of the brand. So CSR is really a kind of half truth.


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Bangladesh: Interview Of Photographer Shahidul Alam · Global Voices
Rezwan

For PopTech 2011 Kris Krug has taken an interview Shahidul Alam, the renowned photographer of Bangladesh. You can read it in Shahidul Alam's blog.


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China, Macedonia: Chinese Netizens Outraged by School Bus Donation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The news of a Chinese government donation of 23 school buses to the Republic of Macedonia on 25 November, 2011, has outraged Chinese netizens, who are mourning for the death of 19 preschool kids in a car accident in Gansu province on 16 November, 2011.
The Gansu school bus accident
The so-called “school bus” in the Gansu car crash is a minivan originally consisting of 9 seats but modified to accommodate 64 kids. In the accident, the van collided with a truck causing the death of 2 adults and 19 kindergarten kids.
This is not a random accident as the overloading of school buses has been a long-standing issue in China. Below is a music video, ‘Blood Stained School Buses’, uploaded by Youtube user Angelcat1921 soon after the Gansu accident:
Chinese netizens’  reactions on the crash have been recorded and translated by Jing Gao from the Ministry of Tofu:
畅游山海间：In China, 99.9% of children who take a school bus to school are kids of ordinary people. Kids of politicians and party cadres always have government-owned cars or specialty cars to ride and are very safe. This is the “greatness, glory and correctness” of our party. And the advantage of the socialism with Chinese characteristics.
晚霞中的骊歌: Ensuring safety of little children is the bottom line of a country, a society and a government that protect its people. If this bottom line cannot be met, I am not sure if this country, this society and this government still deserve to be there. Huh huh!
高劲涛: A country with money to burn cannot even protect little children. What is its point of launching manned spaceships? Child car seats, let alone school buses, remain still unregulated. Our country has become the world champion in automobile production! This microblog post is getting disturbing.
China donates 23 school buses to Macedonia. Image from Macedonia Government Website
School buses donated to Macedonia
While people are still angry about the government's inability to protect the country's future generation, the propaganda of the strong middle kingdom handing over 23 well-equipped school buses to Macedonia has added oil to the fire.
Weibo user Wu Shuping struggles with the Sina censor and keeps re-posting [zh] his angry message:
吴淑平：删后再发：不给自己国家的孩子买校车，甘肃20个孩子的尸骨未寒，居然一口气给马其顿共和国捐赠23辆校车。中国大使说：“这些校车为35座，符合所有安全标准，自动车门、灭火器，每个座位都配有安全带。”//这里，老朽忍无可忍，只送你一个排比句：去你妈！操你妈！滚你妈！
Christopher Jing further interprets the government's logic [zh] for its action:
克里斯托夫-金：宁赠友邦，勿与家奴，惊闻中国昨天向欧洲富国马其顿捐赠2百辆豪华校车，要改善其学习环境，崔大使送车上门，奴颜卑膝啊，自己裸露还要赠衣，贫富巨差还要慷慨解囊，不可理喻，有这么多金色校车，为何不接济自己的穷学校苦孩子？为何眼睁睁中国孩子在运牲口的破校车里担惊受怕？Shame on you!奇耻大辱！
Even a host of state-controlled media television, Zhao Pu, points out [zh] that the government has chosen the wrong timing for the donation handover event:
赵普：马其顿是一个欧洲小国,并不算富裕,但老百姓享受的福利和手中的财富,比我国人民还是好很多。向其捐校车以示友好,本来也没什么,咱干过的出力不讨好的事多了去了。但,能不能考虑下时机？能不能照顾下国人的情绪？能不能别让泉下的孩子咒骂我们？他们可还没来得及学脏话呢！
In order to pacify people's anger, the Propaganda Department asked media outlets to withdraw the news, but it was too late. Han Zhiguo points out [zh]:
韩志国：【 处理公共事件不能掩盖真相 】 向马其顿无偿赠送23辆校车,不在数量,而在取向：中国政府对外国中小学生的关爱超过本国孩子。甘肃校车事件灼痛国人之心,赠车事件此时发布,其愚蠢显而易见。面对公众不满,＂有关部门＂又故伎重演：所有的赠车新闻一瞬间在网站上消失。微博时代,民众岂能如此被骗？

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: Entrepreneurship & Home Ownership  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y wonders whether the country's new wave of entrepreneurs will survive, while Laritza's Laws is concerned that “the housing regulations, recently enacted by the government of Cuba…leave intact regulations that impede the full exercise of the right of ownership.”


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East Timor: Building One Country Out of Many Languages · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.
On November 28, 1975, Timor Leste unilaterally proclaimed its independence, after nearly four centuries of Portuguese colonization. Though the declaration was read in Portuguese, only a few days after, Indonesia invaded the country and the use of that same language would be forbidden for the twenty four years that the occupation lasted (1975-1999).
When East Timor became an independent country in 2002, both the Tetum and Portuguese languages were chosen as official for the newborn country. Nevertheless, the number of national languages is up to 16, and dozens of other dialects are used on a daily basis by Timorese citizens.
Idiom(s) of identity
Hau nia lian, hau nia rain (My language my homeland). Photo by Sapo Noticias Timor Leste (public domain).
In practice, Tetum, the lingua franca of East Timor, is the most widely spoken throughout the territory. On the other hand, “Portuguese is not the language of unity, but it is the language of identity”, said Mari Alkatiri, the leader of Fretilin (the opposition party), in an article [pt] from 2007 by the Portuguese journalist Paulo Moura, republished on the blog Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa (Cyberdoubts of Portuguese Language).
Moura further explains why after the independence there is an “overwhelming majority of the population” that does not speak Portuguese:
Aprendeu bahasa Indonésia e inglês como segunda língua e fala tétum em casa, além de alguma outra língua timorense, como o fataluco ou o baiqueno. É a chamada geração “Tim-Tim”, do nome Timor-Timur, que os indonésios davam à sua 27.ª província. Muitos estudaram na Indonésia ou na Austrália, e é difícil explicar-lhes, hoje, a importância do português. Pior ainda, como vêem que as elites políticas, privilegiadas, falam português, e como lhes é vedado o acesso aos empregos na administração pública, por não falarem a língua agora oficial, estes jovens criaram alguma hostilidade em relação a Portugal e à língua portuguesa.
The World Bank's 2011 report on the progress of the country over the last decade illustrates that “Portuguese was spoken by only 5 percent of the population” and adds that “by 2009, more than 70 percent of students tested at the end of the  first grade could not read a single word of a simple text in  Portuguese. This is a dismal record after 10 years of efforts (…). A full cohort of the population may be functionally  illiterate.”
Online documentation of languages
According to the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, there are six Timorese languages threatened by extinction.
Languages of East Timor. Map from the website Fataluku Language Project.
In the scale provided, Adabe (from the island of Atauro), Habu (from the Manatuto district), and  Kairiu-Midiki and Naueti (from the Viqueque district), are considered  vulnerable, as “most children from the areas speak the language, but it  may be restricted to certain domains”, such as home and traditional life.
One level above is Waima'a, considered critically endangered – “children no longer learn the language as mother tongue in the home”. On the northeast tip of the island, Maku'a language, which according to the Atlas had only 50 speakers in 1981, is critically endangered and it may even have become extinct. There has had only been one booklet ever published in this language.
Some of the languages of East Timor however have been making their way into new media and online platforms, which may support their continuity.
Such is the case of Fataluku, a Papuan language spoken by 35,000 people in the eastern most district of Timor, which has been quite well documented on the websites Fataluku Language Project and Fataluku Community. A group of young artists from the region of Lospalos have been using it in their musical and performative works:
A research project for language documentation from the University of Hawai, has promoted several Timorese languages with the help of exchange students such as Osoroa and Fatumaka dialects of Makasae – the “major language in the eastern part of Timor-Leste” – as well as Waima'a, Fataluku, Mambae and Tokodede. The latter has been occasionally used by the Portuguese linguist and translator João Paulo Esperança on his blog Hanoin Oin-oin (Diverse thoughts) [tet].
An East Timorese girl speaking (from clockwise) Bunak, Tetum, Fataluku and Portuguese. Translation: "In Bunak/Tetum/Fataluku/Portuguese, we say: I am in Dili. I have some money. I do not have any money." Image by Joao Paulo Esperança (public domain).
Another blogger in under-represented languages is Abe Barreto Soares, who was interviewed for Global Voices in 2009, and besides writing in English, Tetum, and Bahasa Indonesia, has also kept a poetry blog in the Galole laguage from the Manatuto district called Limusan.
A bit further to the South, Idaté language is featured on the blog of Ildefonso Pereira. Facebook has also been used for communicating in Timorese languages, as for instance this group in Naueti.
Last year a proposal was made to use mother tongues first in the national educational program, as this short film entitled Lian Inan (Mother Tongue) [tet] points out,  highlighting “the importance of a child's first language in helping them to  learn to read and write, to respect the culture of their parents and  community, and to become fluent earlier in the official languages of  Timor-Leste”:
This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.

author: Sara Moreira


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Egypt: The Country Votes · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Elections 2011.
Egyptians are voting in parliamentary elections on November 28 and 29, 2011, and despite calls for a boycott, it seems that most people have chosen to participate.
Not all of Egypt votes on these dates; the elections are staggered across three stages, each covering nine governorates. The first stage includes the cities of Cairo and Alexandria.
Some people are not voting on principle, such as blogger and journalist Sarah Carr, who writes:
In case you’re asking I won’t be voting. Neither will several of my acquaintances. While there is a strong argument against a boycott (it might help keep out religiously conservative forces) it doesn’t sway my conviction that taking part in the election gives legitimacy to a regime that doesn’t deserve it, that has treated Egyptians like foolish children and whose only display of creativity during this never-ending transitional process has been in methods of killing people and building walls.
Ismail Naguib has also chosen not to vote:
For me, not voting has little to do with apathy. I believe that people should demand that an untainted civilian (perhaps in the form of a strong PM) or civilian council (perhaps in the form of Presidential Council) should be the authority to oversee the ministries who will manage parliamentary elections. Until that is the case I cannot, with a clear conscience, participate in parliamentary elections that grant legitimacy to a dictatorial force whose self interests are above those of the country.
Towards the end of the first day's voting, Mostafa Hussein was not convinced:
@moftasa: The voting was mostly free for a parliament that isn't.
And Sherief Gaber says:
@cairocitylimits: No matter who you vote for, the regime gets elected. #Egypt
Nevertheless, a great number of Egyptians have been voting, and there were long queues all over the country.
Waiting for voting papers to be delivered. Image by Twitter user @Selnadeem
Pakinam Amer was not put off by the queues:
@pakinamamer: Two hours on, still standing in line. You know, democracy is hard (!) #lol #egyelections
Nor was Twitter user @CokiCoussa discouraged:
@CokiCoussa: When u see the queue, u think it has no end, but it's not that boring neither is it that bad, it's actually motivating :)
Nada Heggy had a question:
@NadaHeggy: Why we can't vote online instead of standing in long queue that consumes hours and hours #Egyelections. #Egypt
Queuing to vote in Alexandria. Image by Twitter user @mfatta7
Mohamed El Dahshan remembered how this moment had been reached:
@TravellerW: Alright. Off to vote now, with our martyrs, protesters, and innocent prisoners in mind. #EgyElections #Tahrir
In the Cairo suburb of Zamalek, Fatenn Mostafa met other voters remembering those who were killed:
@FatennMostafa: A lot of women are wearing black in the zamalek queue! They answered: In memory of our #egymartyrs. #egyelections #Egypt
Despite the long waits, the complicated voting process, and accusations of violations, there has been a sense of excitement.
Voters in Assiut. Image by Twitter user @LaurenBohn
Canadian journalist Firas Al-Atraqchi spoke to voters in Cairo:
@Firas_Atraqchi: From talking to some of those in the queue I get an impression they are invested in the election process. They want to be heard #Egypt
Mosa'ab Elshamy was upbeat:
@mosaaberizing: Went to 5 different polling stations today. People are enjoying the queues and voting with a smile. Despite the violations, glorious day.
Mohamed Soliman was also optimistic:
@msoliman7: Proud of every Egyptian who stood or continues to stand in line to vote, the future is in your ink stained hands. #EgyElections
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Elections 2011.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Greece: 1973 Uprising Newspaper Headlines · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

‘Third Day for Polytechnic School Occupation by Protesters’, ‘Athens Surrounded’, ‘Tanks Emerge’, ‘Dozens of Injuries From Both Sides’, ‘Tanks Descend to Town’, ‘Thousands Remain Inside Polytechnic School’, ‘1,500 Inside Polytechnic School’. On the 17 November, 2011 – the anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic school uprising in Greece – youth portal neolaia.gr [gr] uploaded some front page stories from newspapers of the day.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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Guatemala: Survivors’ Testimonies Help Define Genocide in Online Documentary · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Mike shares Spanish-language documentary “Our Voice, Our Memory: The genocide in Guatemala,” which is available in full on YouTube. He adds: “The  documentary […] uses survivor and expert  testimony to explain the concept of genocide, demonstrating how the  atrocities committed by the Guatemalan military against indigenous Maya  communities satisfy the requirements of the international legal definition of genocide.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Guyana: Election Day  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana: Freedom Under The Law asks his compatriots to “VOTE intelligently on issues and right reason NOT RACE” in today's elections, while Guyana-Gyal explains why, despite the “thin thread o’ fear been tightening ‘round town since election date announce”, she isn't scared.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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India: Advani Should Exit Gracefully · Global Voices
Rezwan

Atanu Dey opines that NDA leader L. K. Advani should scrap his ambition to be the next Prime Minister of India and exit gracefully.

author: Rezwan


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India: The Ink Conference 2011 · Global Voices
Rezwan

This year's INK Conference will be held this year in Jaipur city, Rajasthan, from December 8th – December 11th. Read all about it here.


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Iran:“Battlefield 3″ in Tehran  · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

Ali Nazifpour, believes  Battlefield 3, a video game which includes a search for nuclear bombs in a future Iran,  portraits a very inaccurate, ridiculous picture of Iran.An online petition launched against this game.


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Iran: TinTin in Tehran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Here is a satirical look at “Tin Tin in Tehran” published in several Iranian blogs.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Tehran Before the Revolution · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Estekhdam has published several photos showing Tehran before Islamic Revolution in 1979.


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Jamaica: Bad Medicine?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica and the government are at loggerheads following an interview in which the President of the association expressed concern about “the acute shortage of qualified pharmacists in the system”.  She was sent on half-pay leave soon after.  Active Voice says: “We await further developments with bated breath. Hopefully people’s lives are not at risk in the meantime.”


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Madagascar: Exiled President Returns as a Government of National Unity Forms   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Andrianjorar reflects on the recent return of exiled former president Ratsiraka in Madagascar [fr]. In the meantime, a government of national unity headed by PM Beriziky has been formed [fr] but its final composition is still disputed regarding the attribution of several key ministries.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Morocco: Islamist PJD Victory in Post-Reform Parliamentary Election · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
Moroccans took to the polls on Friday 25 November, 2011, to elect a new parliament. It is the first election since a constitutional referendum in July approved a series of amendments introduced by King Mohammed VI.
The youth-based pro-democracy movement, known as February 20, have criticized the new constitution for leaving the King with a strong veto power over the government, and have called for the boycott of the elections.
Voter turnout
According to the Moroccan Interior Ministry, 45% of registered voters cast their votes on Friday – a low turnout – and the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) recorded a clear victory.
Based on official data, Reda Lemniaï (@Redalinho) posts a comparative graph visualizing voter turnout in the Moroccan election, as opposed to Tunisia and Spain where legislative polls were conducted earlier this month. He tweets [fr]:
#Infographie : Résultats des #Intikhabates au #Maroc wp.me/p1fQiD-g7
Graphic posted on Twitter by @Redalinho
According to the graph, 63% (13.5 million) registered to vote and only 29% of the total potential 21.6 million Moroccan eligible voters cast their ballot.
Mahjoub Feryate (@feryate) posts [ar] the following graph showing the evolution of voter turnout in legislative elections in Morocco since independence in 1956:
Voter turnout in Morocco since independence, posted on Twitter by @feryate
According to official figures, 20% of the votes were blank or canceled. Mahjoub Feryate (@feryate) posts this picture taken in a polling station during the vote count. An official shows a spoiled ballot:
Picture posted on Twitter by @feryate
Reactions to the participation rate were mixed.
Khalid Aarifi (@khalidaarifi) tweets [ar]:
Ichrak Ma (@ichrak_ma), however, tweets:
@ichrak_ma: I am proud to announce that the vote turnout in my family is 0% :) #intikhabate #Morocco poke @Tama_Hanich
And the winner is…
As the first preliminary results were announced, the Twitter account of the PJD party, @PJDofficiel, started gathering new followers and attracting the attention of Moroccan Twitter users. Mehdi TAZI (@passiondcrire) tweets [fr]:
Les marocains ont voté à 45% pour #intikhabates mais je suis sur que l'attention de plus de 50% des marocains est porté sur @pjdofficiel.
Soon, the hashtag #PJD started trending, as highlighted by Okbi Moncef (@zeplintor) who tweets:
#PJD en trending TOPIC mondial sur twitter d.pr/2Efg sur tweet stat bit.ly/PyWVm #intikhabates
Okbi Moncef posts the following screenshot, supposedly showing the main topics trending globally on Friday night:
The unprecedented victory of the Islamist party elicited many responses amongst Moroccan tweeps. Wasseem Kabbara (@kabbara) is quick to remind the winners of the following:
Let us not forget that a true democratic system respects the minority and is responsible to offer equal opportunity.
Ibn Kafka (@IbnKafka) wonders:
Does @pjdofficiel have it in them to evolve like the AKP and challenge the “deep state” institutions? I doubt it #morocco #intikhabates
Reda Lemniaï (@Redalinho) is skeptical. He tweets [fr]:
Au 1er de l'an 1433, le #PJD gagna les élections au #Maroc. Cela ne changea rien, le Royaume étant une monarchie absolue. #Intikhabates
Moroccan expats
Moroccans living abroad and willing to vote, had to cast their ballot by proxy. Samia Errazzouki (@charquaouia), a Moroccan living in Washington DC, demonstrated in front of the White House to express her frustration for not being able to vote for herself. She tweets:
Since we couldn't vote today, me and @ManalBou decided to protest instead! http://yfrog.com/ny7xghtj #intikhabates #morocco
Samia posts the following picture on Twitter:
Picture posted on Twitter by @charquaouia
“A joke is a very serious thing”
Very late on Friday night a hashtag spread like wildfire on Twitter: #fakepress. As press releases announced the victory of the PJD, Twitter users started tweeting fake and humorous headlines, playing with popular clichés and stereotypes.
Rajae blogging on twitto ergo sum collected [fr] some of the irreverent tweets:
Benkisition !
Vote pour un, voile pour toutes
Après le printemps arabe, l'hiver islamiste
Some have celebrated the PJD victory in the most unexpected places. Late on Saturday night, Yacine Baroudi (@FasTake) tweets [fr]:
L'exception #Marocaine: #Photo célébrant la “victoire” du PJD dans… la boîte le “Silver”!!! #Marrakech http://fstk.it/xppvp #intikhabates
Picture posted on Twitpic by @FasTake
PJD's victory in the parliamentary elections is a first in Morocco. Also unprecedented, is the way Twitter and social networks in general, have been used to monitor the poll and engage with political figures.
As an increasing number of Moroccan political parties, public figures, government and non-governmental organizations join online network, it is very likely that these channels will play a greater role in the future political life in the country.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Panama: Women Marched on International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Panamanian women marched on Friday, November 25, the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. “So far this year, 53 women have been murdered in Panama, 35 at the hands of their partners, La Critica reports. The most recent case of femicide occurred Wednesday morning in Villa Lucre. The protesters also asked for a stop to labor discrimination and pay inequality,” The Panama Digest reports.


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Russia: Mount Athos Monastery Photo Exhibition · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

The State Historical Museum of Moscow is hosting an exhibition of 240 photographs from the Mount Athos Monastery of St Simon's collection, dated between 1848-1963. The inauguration of the photo exhibit took place on 8 November, 2011, and was attended by political and religious representatives, as well as artists from Russia and Greece. The exhibit will last until the 28 November; entrance is free.


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Togo: Another Tragedy Strikes the Togolese Football World · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Nadege Mambe mourns the third tragic loss [fr] for the Togolese football world in 5 years. After the plane crash in Sierra Leone that took the live of the Minister of Sports 5 years ago and the attack of the team bus in Cabinda by Angolese separatist guerillas in 2010, 8 players from the defending national champion l’ Etoile Filante de Lomé [fr]  died when the team bus capsized and burnt on their way to the town of Sokodé a couple of days ago.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Assassination Claim Red Herring? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian bloggers weigh in on news of the alleged assassination plot against the Prime Minister, here, here and here.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Blogging Tips  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

TECHTT has some advice for blogging, here.


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Understanding the Implications of the Kidnappings of 6 Westerners in Mali · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The Wal-Asat blog attempts to figure out the implications of the recent slew of kidnappings in Mali.  Didier François highlights the mysterious background and activities [fr] of the two kidnapped Frenchmen while AllAfrica points out the poor regional coordination between the nations combating this issue.


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Venezuela: World Meeting of Body Art Takes Over Caracas  · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

The Sixth World Meeting of Body Art took place this year in Caracas, and some of its most striking expressions were shared online through citizen media. Among these creations, body art by indigenous people of Venezuela played an important role.
Photographer Camilo Delgado Castilla wrote in Demotix:
From 17 to November 20 the Sixth Meeting of Body Art [was held] in the city of Caracas, with the participation of 18 countries: Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, USA, Spain, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, New Zealand and Venezuela.
Body painting, tattoos, body modifications, lectures, movies, piercing, Indian painting, dance, ritual suspension, origami dresses were at the meeting with the human body as its centerpiece.
"A woman from a Venezuelan indigenous community paints the arm of a spectator." by Camilo Delgado Castilla, copyright Demotix
"A woman from a Venezuelan indigenous community has her face painted", by Camilo Delgado Castilla, copyright Demotix
"A woman from a Venezuelan indigenous community paints the face of a spectator" by  Camilo Delgado Castilla, coypright Demotix
Also, Manuel Enrique's Flickr photostream shows interesting views on the festival and the artists’ works:
Archangel Blue, by Manuel Enrique. Used with permission
Through citizen videos like this one by Luar Aleman, we can take a look at some of the different art forms presented in the festival:
Also, thanks to Caracas Musical we can see some of the exhibitions:
You can see images of previous body art meetings held in Caracas through Demotix image galleries by Camilo Delgado Castilla (September 2008; October 15, 16 and 17, 2010) and Nelson González Leal (October 2010).

author: Laura Vidal


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Venezuela’s Slow Internet · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Luis Carlos Díaz blogs [es] about Venezuela's slow internet broadband, reporting that Venezuela ranks 163 out of 174 countries in download speed. Luis Carlos argues that Venezuelan netizens are settling for too little, and that anyone who aspires to the presidency for the 2012 elections should add this issue to their agenda “if [they] really want to run a country of the XXI century.”


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ActionAid: halve world hunger by 2015 · Global Voices
Bernardo Parrella

“Let's fight climate change & hunger. Together” is a new video released by ActionAid & produced by the LatteCreative team, to support the world food crisis campaign and keep the ‘pressure on governments to deliver on their promise to halve world hunger by 2015′.

author: Bernardo Parrella


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Barbados: Response to Crime Affecting Tourism? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press questions the role of the local police “in what has become an all-too-familiar story of covering up crime against tourists.”


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Brazil: Census “Reveals” Majority of Population is Black or Mixed Race · Global Voices
Paula Góes

[All links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.]
For the first time in Brazilian history, the national census has shown that the majority of the population, 50.7% of a total 190,732,694 people, is black or mixed race. The 2010 census revealed that most of the black population is concentrated in the north and northeast of the country, and that it has the highest rate of illiteracy among the over-15 age group (between 24.7% and 27.1%).
Research has shown that there is still marked inequality in terms of income throughout the country, with the richest strata of society earning 42 times more than the poorest. Half of the Brazilian population lives on less than 375 reais per month [approximately USD $200], an amount less than the minimum wage (510 reais [approximately USD $275] at the time that the studies were carried out). Of the 16.2 million people living in extreme poverty (approximately 8.5% of the population), which is classified as having an income of 70 reais [approximately USD $38] per month or less, 70.8% are black.
In short, the average wages for black and mixed race Brazilians are 2.4 times lower than those earned by citizens of white and Far Eastern origin. In addition to this, they die younger as a result of difficult living conditions, violence and poor access to healthcare. Released on the eve of Black Awareness Day [en], these figures give rise to concerns about the situation of the Brazil's black population.
Photo by Jean Marconi, taken at Cavalcante (Goiás), published on Flickr with a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Some people believe that the black population is actually even larger, as race is often confused with skin colour in Brazil. Marcelo Paxu recounts the conversation that he had with the researcher when his turn came to respond to the census:
- Qual a sua cor????
Eu perguntei o que ele achava e ele respondeu que eu é que tinha que responder qual cor eu preferia, respondi que preferia AZUL, ele então mudou a pergunta….
– Qual é a sua raça??
Respondi que era Negro ele me olhou de cima abaixo e indagou:
– Mas o Sr.é branco!!!!!!!!
Eu irritado respondi: …Meu amigão sei que não tem culpa, mas vou lhe explicar uma coisa…..sou neto de NEGRA, filho de NEGRA ,irmão de NEGRA e meu tio avó era tão PRETO que chegava a ser AZUL (cor que tinha dito a ele que mais gostava) e você ainda acha que sou branco??????
Mulling over the figures in a post to mark Black Awareness Day, Lari Carvalho talks about an increase in awareness, although not necessarily amongst the black population:
Na realidade, a consciência da importância da cultura africana para a história nacional, bem como o orgulho do brasileiro de ser descendente de negros têm aumentado nos últimos anos.
Prova disso são os resultados do último censo do IBGE, que indicam que a proporção de brasileiros que se definem como negros ou pardos aumentou de 44,7% para 50,7%, desde 2000. […]
O grande avanço que o resultado do último censo revela é a consciência da valorização da própria identidade entre os afro-brasileiros.
The fact is that awareness of the importance of African culture in our national history and Brazilians’ pride in their black origins have increased in recent years.
This is borne out by the results of the last census, which show that the proportion of Brazilians describing themselves as black or mixed race has increased from 44.7% to 50.7% since 2000.
This means that for the very first time since the census was first carried out, the official statistics show that black and mixed race citizens make up the majority of the Brazilian population.
The major change revealed by the last census is the way in white African Brazilians are showing an awareness of the value of their own identity.
Lays Santos is bemused that in a country where the majority of the population identifies itself as black, there is a need for a specific day to draw attention to black awareness. She thinks that “something must be wrong if we’re finding ourselves “obliged” to celebrate this day“:
[…] a sua essência está justamente em chamar atenção para inserção do negro na sociedade brasileira. Logo, podemos imaginar que ainda a população negra sofre desvantagem quando o assunto é o exercício da cidadania.
Claro que sim. Infelizmente esse problema das relações raciais no Brasil que influenciam na construção do ser social e no exercício da cidadania, está camuflado pelo mito da Democracia racial. Onde se acredita não haver desigualdade social devido à diferença étnico-racial. Quando na verdade, as estatísticas nos mostram o contrário. Como entender que a maioria da população é discriminada pela sua origem cultural? Como entender que o povo que ajudou a construir nosso país seja ainda discriminado por causa da cor da pele? Não é o Brasil um país de todos? Ao menos devia ser… O censo 2010 mostrou que ainda a desigualdade social está ainda associada a cor da pele. E isso precisa ser combatido com urgência!
[…] In essence, the precise purpose of this day is to draw attention to the inclusion of black people in Brazilian society. This leads us to suppose that the black population still suffers from disadvantages when it comes to exercising their citizenship.
This is clearly the case. Unfortunately, this problem of race relations in Brazil, which has an impact on social identity and citizenship, is camouflaged by the myth of racial democracy – the belief that there is no social inequality based on ethnic or racial differences. In reality, however, the statistics show us that the opposite is true. It is hard to comprehend how the majority of the population is discriminated against due to their cultural background, or how the people who helped to build our country are still discriminated against on the basis of their skin colour. Isn’t Brazil a country for everyone? It certainly should be! The 2010 census showed that social inequality is still linked to skin colour. We urgently need to fight this state of affairs.
Photo by Jean Marconi, taken in Cavalcante (Goiás), published on Flickr with a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Clecyo considers the results of the census, racial prejudice and the living conditions of the black population in a long, thoughtful post, which begins and ends as follows:
No dia da Consciência Negra, quero esquecer das inúmeras vezes que a cor da minha pele foi critério de julgamento. Quero esquecer que os números de uma pesquisa indicam que 97% dos brasileiros dizem não ter preconceito racial, mas também que 98% dos mesmos entrevistados disseram conhecer outras pessoas que tinham. Se pudesse, queria saber como ficar transparente, de vergonha. […]
E neste dia Consciência Negra, queria realmente esquecer que dos 16 milhões de brasileiros vivendo em extrema pobreza (ou com até R$ 70 por mês), 4,2 milhões são brancos e 11,5 milhões são pardos ou pretos. E esquecer também que as mortes entre os brancos estão mais concentradas nas idades avançadas, como resultado de câncer. Porque entre os brasileiros negros, morre-se mais entre os jovens de 15 a 29 anos, principalmente entre os homens, por conta de causas externas, como acidentes e mortes violentas. Minha memória me questiona porque apenas dos 10% de brasileiros mais ricos, apenas 20% são negros, ou porque na base da pirâmide social, 73% dos negros fundamentam os 10% dos brasileiros mais pobres.
On Black Awareness Day, I want to forget about the countless times that I have been judged on my skin colour. I want to forget that the study shows that 97% of Brazilians claim that they do not harbour any racial prejudice, yet 98% of the same interviewees say that they know other people who do. If only it were possible, I would like to be able to turn transparent, out of shame. […]
Today, on Black Awareness Day, I also really want to forget that of the 16 million Brazilians who are living in extreme poverty, on less than 70 reais a month, 4.2 million are white, while 11.5 million are mixed race or black. I also want to forget that white deaths are concentrated in old age, as a result of cancer, whereas more black Brazilians die as young people, especially men in the 15–29 age group, due to external causes such as accidents or violent death. I don’t want to remember that of the richest 10% of Brazilians, only 20% are black, while at the bottom of the social pyramid the poorest 10% of Brazilians comprise 73% of the country’s black people.
Photo by Jean Marconi, taken in Cavalcante (Goiás), published on Flickr with a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Researchers from the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) visited 67.5 million households in 5,565 towns from August to October last year. The very first Brazilian census was carried out in 1872, with the population classified in only two groups: free people and slaves. The latter group, comprising indigenous people and the descendents of African citizens, made up 15% of the population.
Black Awareness Day is celebrated on 20 November, a date chosen in honour of Zumbi dos Palmares [en], a symbol of black resistance and the struggle for freedom, who died on this day in 1695.

author: Paula Góes


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China: Economic News Roundup · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The China Digital Times has a news roundup about potential economic risks in China.


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China: Regulation on Entertainment excessiveness · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Recently the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has issued another regulation,  the prohibition of interruption of dramas with ads, to address the issue of “entertainment excessiveness”. The China media project further discusses how the institutional nature of the television networks that will be impacted by the SARFT policy.


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China: Sina’s Credibility Crisis · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

B.Bishop looks into Sina's credibility crisis with its investors and offers some suggestions to the company.


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Côte d’Ivoire: Bloggers React to the ICC Warrant Issued for Gbagbo’s Arrest  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Kouamouo writes that the ICC has issued a warrant today to arrest former Ivorian president Gbagbo [fr]. In the comment section, Akpe wonders why Gbagbo has to be sent to Europe and not tried in Côte d’Ivoire.


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Cuba: Mariela’s Red Light Comment  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Ernesto Morales Licea takes issue with Mariela Castro's now infamous statement to Radio Netherlands during her visit to Amsterdam's Red Light District.


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DR of Congo: Citizens Organize Unofficial Polling as They Await Election Results  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Colette Braeckman writes in her blog [fr]: “Congolese citizens have  become experts in election monitoring; they are grabbing pens and notepads, going from one voting polls to the other and sharing the results they observe to friends via SMS.”


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El Salvador: ‘Encachimbados’ Lead Occupy Movement · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Danielle Mackey writes about the Encachimbados (meaning “indignant”), El Salvador's occupy movement: “They  call the attention of both the U.S. and Salvadoran governments to the  free trade model, regional militarization strategies, and environmental  destruction and climate change—all policies that the Encachimbados see as designed by a transnational elite, and which result in a low  quality of life for the majority of the population of the Americas,” Mackey explains in Upsidedown World.


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Guyana: Calling Violence Against Women by Name  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

CODE RED “felt very frustrated yesterday when someone told [her] that to say ‘violence against women’ is discriminatory, that it should be called ‘relationship violence'”, explaining: “There are a range of gendered ways in which women are targeted for violence, not all of which are ‘domestic’.  Erasing the language feminists have invented to describe the harms women disproportionately face is an attempt at silencing women.”


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Iran: Raid on UK embassy · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

Amin Sabeti, blogger, linked to a picture which shows a man taking a poster of Pulp Fiction movie out of the UK embassy, wrote [Fa] in his Friendfeed page: “Look at this police! How strong he was reacting toward protestors!”

author: Hadi Nili


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Iran: The Storming of the British Embassy  · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

Somayeh Tohidlou, talks about the storming of British Embassy compounds by Iranian protesters. She writes [fa] in Friendfeed: “Are they wrong about the date? This is 2011, not 1979 [when  protesters took the US embassy in Tehran] and the regime is 32 years old now, not new-born one.”


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Jamaica: Sabina Park & Lawrence Rowe · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Active Voice gives a Twitter follower a tour of Jamaica's famous Sabina Park, and makes a plea for the powers-that-be to bring back the Lawrence Rowe Players Pavilion.