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Peru: 20 Years Later, Bloggers Remember Bomb Blast in Tarata Street · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón

At 9:15 pm, on Thursday July 16, 1992, a bomb blast took place in the small and then almost unknown Tarata Street, in the Limean district of Miraflores. Days before the blast, Lima experienced many bomb blasts, but none had the same impact as the blast in Tarata.
Miraflores is a middle-class commercial district, and Tarata is located in the middle of the whole activity. In those days, due to the terrorist bombing campaign in the Peruvian capital, the government had implemented a curfew for vehicles and no cars were supposed to circulate on the streets after 9 pm.
That evening, residents of the buildings located in the second block of the two-block long Tarata Street were about to enjoy dinner or watch a program on TV when the first blast rattled their homes. A few seconds later, they felt a second and stronger blast. The shock wave extended for 300 meters, and the only thought back in those days was: “where could it have been this time?”
Two trucks, each packed with 1,000 kg of explosives, exploded on the street at 9:15 pm, killing 25 and wounding up to 200. The blast destroyed or damaged 183 homes, 400 businesses and 63 parked cars. The explosive payload was 400—500 kilograms of ANFO mixed with dynamite. The buildings most affected by their locations near the center of the blast were El Condado, San Pedro, Tarata, Central Residential and San Carlos.
Terrorism had been hitting Peruvian highlands for 12 years, but this attack was a wake up call for many residents of the capital.
A view of Tarata Street Memorial. Photo taken by the author.
Twenty years after, bloggers remember and reflect on that day.
Yanina Patricio, on her self-named blog [es], posts pictures and notes:
Sendero luminoso  había demostrado una vez más el salvajismo con el que actuaba. Lo hizo durante muchos años con los pobladores de la sierra peruana, asesinando a quienes no siguieran sus ordenes. Consideraban que los peruanos debían revelarse [sic] contra la clase opresora.
Marilú Villanueva, the blogger of Cenizas en la Oscuridad [es] (Ashes in the darkness), writes a long post sharing her story. She lived in a fourth floor in one of the most affected buildings in Tarata Street:
Somos muchos los testigos de esa noche… cada uno tiene una historia que contar… En mi caso, muchas veces a lo largo de mi vida, he tenido la necesidad de hablar de esto… de sacarlo de mi alma y de compartirlo. A veces no sabía con que propósito… pero sentía esa necesidad… la última vez que hablé sobre esto ante la prensa era una niña, tenía seis o siete años… era inocente, llena de esperanza porque pensé que todo había terminado… y que por fin la paz había llegado a mi país y eso, a por algunos años me dio fuerzas para seguir adelante…
[…]
Vivíamos en una época muy difícil para nuestro país: los años 90. No eran raros lo apagones, las explosiones, las trágicas noticias en la televisión… el famoso toque de queda que aún recuerdo… en donde no se podía salir a partir de las 6 de la tarde, porque podían detenerte o dispararte… siempre se me quedarán grabadas esas palabras “toque de queda”, es algo al mencionarse me lleva a esa época en un instante. Muchas veces, tenía que hacer mis tareas a la luz de una vela, una pequeña luz que iluminaba en medio de la oscuridad…
Many of us witnessed that night… each one with a story to tell… As for me, many times during my life, I've felt the need to talk about this… to take it away from my soul and share it. Sometimes, I didn't know what was the point of doing so… but I felt that urge… the last time I spoke about this I was a little girl, I was six or seven… I was innocent, full of hope, for I thought everything was over… and that my country was finally in peace and that, for some time, gave me strength to go on…
[…]
Our country was living hard times: the 90s. Blackouts weren't a rare thing, blasts, tragic news on TV… or the infamous curfew, which I still remember… when you couldn't go outdoors after 6 pm, because you could be arrested or killed… I'll always have that word carved, “curfew”, when mentioned, I go back in time in an instant. There were many times I had to do my homework with candle lights, a small light that lit amidst the darkness…
She continues:
Eran aproximádamente[sic]  las 9 y 20 p.m. cuando de pronto, hubo un ruido  fuerte y según recuerda mi mamá también se oyeron disparos y gritos… Yo tenía miedo… no entendía bien qué estaba pasando, o mejor dicho no me daba cuenta de que tan cerca estaba el peligro… Mi mamá y mi papá empezaron a preguntarse ¿dónde había sido esa bomba?, al darse cuenta que había sido muy cerca. Mi papá se paró y dijo :-Voy a ver.
En ese momento el miró hacia donde estaban mi mamá y mi hermano y estaba a punto de decir algo. Y de pronto, se oyó un ruido mayor y salió una llamarada del departamento de la vecina. Las luces se apagaron, hubo un fuertísimo movimiento de piso… pánico… las ventanas habían estallado… vidrios por todos lados…
[…]
Mi mamá se levantó y se cayó en la puerta del departamento. Vio pasar a unos vecinos y les pidió que nos bajen a mí y a mi hermano y ellos le dijeron que no podían porque estaban heridos. Le preguntaron por mi papá:
-¿Y Antonio? Ella les respondió:
– Está muerto.
It was about 9:20 p.m. when all of a sudden, there was a loud noise, and as my mom remembers, shots and shouts too… I was afraid… I didn't understand what was going on, or I didn't realize how close danger was… Mom and dad started to wonder where had this bomb exploded?, when they realized it had been very close to us. My dad stood up and said:- I'll take a look.
He looked towards my mom and my brother and was about to say something. And then, a louder noise was heard and a sudden blaze came out from the neighbor's apartment. Lights went off, the floor moved very strongly… panic… the windows had been blown out… glasses everywhere…
[…]
My mom got up and fell down at the apartment's entrance. She saw some neighbors passing by and she asked them to take me and my brother with them downstairs, and they answered they weren't able to because they were injured. They asked about my father:
-¿And Antonio? She answered:
-He is dead.
Dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives on July 16, 1992. Photo taken by the author.
Twitter is also abuzz with people remembering that day.
Neron Heliogabalo (@_EMPERADOR_) [es] urges young people:
@_EMPERADOR_: #Tarata Jovenes de esta generacion demostremos que no solo nos interesan las cosas banales aprendamos de nuestro pasado Nunca mas el terror!
Marko Pacheco (@MarkoPacheco92) [es], regrets:
@MarkoPacheco92: A 20 años de #Tarata no hemos aprendido nada. Jóvenes desinformados que apoyan al #Movadef, Terrucos libres y con beneficios, etc, etc
And Flor Gimenez (@fmgimenez) [es] tweets:
@fmgimenez: Los jóvenes tenemos memoria. A 20 años del atentado en #Tarata #TerrorismoNuncaMás
Carla Arata (@carlita_ita [es]) takes it personally:
@carlita_ita: Recordar #Tarata y todos los atentados de esos años me duele muchísimo aun. No sé ustedes, pero yo lo siento “personal”. #TerrorismoNuncaMas
While Mario Chuquillanqui (@Mario_ChC) [es] reflects:
@Mario_ChC: Hoy se cumplen 20 años del atentado terrorista en #Tarata. Recordémoslo siempre, porque eso nunca mas debe suceder. #TerrorismoNuncaMas
Claudia Drago, from the blog Miralara, shares her final reflection [es]:
Hoy les cuento estas cosas a mis hijas. Debemos crear conciencia en ellos. Que sepan que no la tuvimos facil como ellas. En su mente inocente de 6 y 7 años, no se si logran imaginar y entender lo que les cuento, pero algo quedara. Me encargare de recordarlo todo el tiempo.
On the day of the bomb blasts in Tarata Street, Peru was 12 days away from one its gloomiest Independence Holidays.

author: Gabriela García Calderón


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Russia: A Law to Regulate Volunteer Efforts · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Last week, Russia's Public Chamber [en] announced that it is preparing the foundation for a draft law designed to regulate volunteer activities. The latest in a series of controversial legislative efforts, the Public Chamber's initiative seeks to “regulate legal responsibility” between volunteers and volunteer organizers. Critics of the idea claim that the law — like recent bills raising fines for illegal demonstrations and ‘blacklisting’ parts of the RuNet — is another government attempt to suppress the political potential of civil society (specifically the strengths of Internet-enabled activists).
The Public Chamber's Idea
In the text of the draft law's “concept” (published [ru] online by opponent [ru] Ilya Ponomarev), the authors describe its “fundamental idea” as follows:
[…] установление системного и полного правового регулирования общественных отношений, возникающих в сфере деятельности волонтеров (добровольцев), повышение эффективности деятельности социально ориентированных, в том числе благотворительных, некоммерческих организаций, содействие развитию гражданского общества в России, совершенствование законодательных основ, обеспечивающих эффективное функционирование и развитие волонтерского движения в современных условиях, развитие благотворительности и гуманизация российского общества.
Particularly worrying to oppositionists is language found later in the document, where the Public Chamber seems to imply that Russian society's faith in nongovernmental organizations has waned. (This sentiment, of course, was the engine for a recent law that requires politically-active NGOs to advertise prominently any foreign funding, as well as be subject to heightened police scrutiny.) The draft text on the volunteers law reads:
[…] принятие закона о волонтерстве призвано сыграть важную роль в решении следующих важных задач: […] 5. Восстановление общественного доверия к власти; 6. Повышение доверия к НКО и другим институтам гражданского общества; 7. Повышение общественного престижа НКО, добровольчества и благотворительности.
Another controversial aspect of the law is the idea that a legal contract would be required for any cooperation between volunteers and volunteer organizers. Yesterday, Daria Miloslavskaia, the draft text's chief author, appeared [ru] on Echo of Moscow to defend her proposal, arguing that critics are mistaken when they claim that the law would necessitate a formal written agreement for all instances of volunteer work. She explained that the law is a chiefly an effort to facilitate the legal status necessary for certain nonprofit tax exemptions, which currently do not extend to situations where formal organizations reimburse volunteers for logistical expenses, except (thanks to Russia's underdeveloped legal norms) in narrow charity cases and work relating to the 2014 Olympic Games:
Хочу сказать, что нам нужно регулировать взаимоотношения волонтеров и организаций, которые готовы компенсировать их расходы. Если они компенсируют их расходы, страхуют их жизни, проводят им какой-то технический инструктаж, покупают им необходимое оборудование, на это будет распространяться законопроект. Если это просто 25 человек, 25 тысяч человек, которые пошли искать бабушку в лесу, закон не будет распространяться.
The Public Chamber drafted the legislative concept with the nonprofit group “Lawyers for Civil Society,” which in a post [ru] on its website reiterated Miloslavskaia's point that the legislation would be limited to situations with “monetary relations” (specifically addressing the income and social insurance tax exemptions for money spent on volunteer work).
The Public Chamber & the Public
In the press and online, reactions to the volunteers law has been almost universally negative. Much of this is undoubtedly due to the timing of the announcement (coming just days after the Duma approved the RuNet ‘blacklist’ law and reinstated an anti-libel statute). The newspaper Vedomosti published an editorial [ru] slamming the legislation as an “obvious continuation of the spring-summer series of laws addressed at Russian civil society” that would “make it even more difficult [for citizens] to assist one another.” Bloggers have drawn similar conclusions, with Anton Nossik calling [ru] the law a “muzzle for volunteers” and Mikhail Solomatin declaring [ru] the “strangulation of civil society.”
Others have expressed a certain desperation with Russia's legal climate. Saying she has known her for years and believes that her original intentions were pure, journalist Irina Yasina writes [ru] in her LiveJournal that the endorsement of the authorities effectively means that Miloslavskaia's work will be used for “dark purposes.” In a separate blog post [ru], Roman Khakhalin expands that pessimism, arguing that Western legal norms in general have no potential for good in the hands of Russian officials:
[…] опыт показывает, что наша власть, когда берет в европейском или американском законодательстве условный «микроскоп», четко осознает, что сама будет использовать его исключительно как тупой тяжелый предмет для убийства.
In her Echo appearance, Miloslavskaia took the opportunity to mention a July 16 blog post [ru] by activist and entrepreneur Alena Popova, who has recently been coordinating volunteer work in Krymsk, where thousands have been displaced by flooding. That Miloslavskaia cites Popova's article is peculiar, given that it has little if nothing to do with the monetary relationships supposedly at the core of the volunteer law. Popova writes, for instance, that “democracy in an emergency situation is the worst possible thing,” and goes on to explain how her on-the-ground experiences have convinced her of the necessity for military discipline during humanitarian operations. While Popova also advocates the need for control over supply deliveries (to protect against marauders and profiteers), she does not address tax obstacles to facilitating volunteer work. More than anything, Popova complains that the state should have been more active in training and coordinating volunteers, who often arrived without the tools or information to maximize their effectiveness.
Volunteers bring drinking water to Krymsk residents, Krymsk, Russia (11 July 2012), photo by Maria Pleshkova, copyright © Demotix.
That Miloslavskaia offers Popova's sentiments as an endorsement of the volunteers law is as curious as it is confusing. Does Miloslavskaia wish that the legislation required the state to equip, train, and coordinate volunteers? Did she only mention her because Popova has worked with Ilya Ponomarev, who published the law's concept text online and initiated its negative publicity? (Consider, also, that Miloslavskaia was debating Gennady Gudkov, a member of Ponomarev's political party and another oppositionist deputy in the Duma.)
Volunteerism Then & Now
While it seems more explosive today than at any time recently, the political and social dilemma of volunteerism in Russia is not new. Back in November 2010 (a full year before Russia's “snow revolution” protest season), former Global Voices editor Gregory Asmolov addressed [ru] precisely the opportunities and dangers associated with cooperation between Internet-organized volunteers and the Russian state:
В идеале, государство должно относится к сетям как к ресурсу, который можно подключать к решению проблем. […] С другой стороны, возникают ряд вопросов. Во-первых, мотивация самоорганизации в российском случае частично базируется именно на ощущение бездействия государства. […] Ну и кроме того, конечно, в российской политической ситуации трудно поверить, что государство действительно начнет искать конструктивные (а не политизированные) механизмы сотрудничества с сетевыми структурами.
The Public Chamber's text is expected [ru] to enter the Duma as draft legislation in the next few weeks. Will the bill be whittled down into the tax policy revisions that Miloslavskaia describes, or is the parliament preparing another disruptive state intervention into the mechanics of civil society? The month of August, historically a time of troubles for Russians, promises answers, but for many remains far from promising.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Russia: Facebook and “Gay Propaganda” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Alexandra Evans of FP's Passport blog links to an RT news item about a group of Russian Orthodox activists who are campaigning to have Facebook blocked in Russia because of the recent introduction of same-sex marriage status icons, which the activists consider “gay propaganda.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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South Asia: First Pakistan-India Social Media Summit Wraps · Global Voices
Faisal Kapadia

It was a very hectic Friday and Saturday in Karachi at the Pakistan-India SOCMM12 summit. With sessions starting from 9:30 am and going on till 5:00 pm with only a one hour break for lunch/prayer, the community was busy discussing, networking and learning from the panelists. The attendance was quite high with many calls coming in to gain admission, so the organizers decided to open doors for all, midday on the first day. However this summit was not without its difficulties of which the major one was obtaining visas for the Indian delegation.
Beena sarwar at Journeys to democracy wrote:
Recounting the difficulties related to the visa issue,  Sabeen Mahmud of Peaceniche, the non-profit organisation behind the event, thanked the Pakistan High Commission staff in New Delhi who stayed back till 10 pm to process the papers, as well as Interior Ministry Advisor Rehman Malik, who went out of his way to expedite the visas.
Bina shah commented on this event:
The highlight of the weekend was meeting the guests that were invited from India, who were able to attend thanks to (former) Senator Rehman Malik's personal influence in getting them visas. I met a cricket writer, a journalist, an educator. One of them had even read my novel. We compared notes about Karachi and Bombay. Social media, as they said, knows no boundaries or visas, but meeting our neighbors in the flesh was incomparable to anything else.
The summit also came in for some criticism from bloggers in Pakistan who chose not to attend this gathering citing several reasons including sponsorship by the U.S consulate and the invitees belonging to one particular class.
Kashif Aziz wrote at Chowrangi in a post titled “trolls liberals and wannabes”:
The Social Media Mela (aka SOCMM12) was an apparent attempt by the US Consulate PR department to win the hearts and minds of Pakistani Social Media. However, the bunch of enthusiasts grouped at the venue does not represent Pakistani Social Media per se. The so-called influencers have an out reach mainly to the English speaking part of Pakistan, and that too in a small percentage.
Casim Butt tweeted about this fact as well:
@casimbutt: guess what? SOCMM12 is being hosted by #USCG Lahore and Karachi=) told you it's totally disconnected from the rest of #Pakistan, Great work=)
Despite the criticism this social media summit managed to include not just people from India but a sizable contingent from Lahore as well as Karachi.
Sajshirazi wrote on his blog making sense of social media:
This year, Social Media Mela (#SOCMM12) is being held again in Karachi. Heavy contingent of Lahore Bloggers, tweeps, writers and activist (including Ali Aftab Saeed, Ali Dayan Hasan, Amin Shah Gillani, Ammar Aziz, Assad Zulfiqar Khan, Faheem Zafar, Faiza Sultan Khan, Khurram Siddiqi, Mehmal Sarfraz, Mehreen Kasana, Mira Hashmi, Nabiha Meher Shaikh, Nighat Dad, Nuzhat Saadia Siddiqi, Raza Rumi, Saba Gul, Shehryar Khalid, Syed Muneeb Ali, Taimur Rahman, Tuba Mehmood, Yasser Latif Hamdani, Rub Nawaz, Hasan, Abdul Majeed Abid and your truly) is expected to be there. These are the vibrant people who belong to a community, which follows common values and goals. No?
The melas popularity was also witnessed across nearly all major newspapers of this country as it was given page length print space.
Express tribune's coverage
Dawn's coverage
Also of note were the musical performances in this social media mela, with Qawalli (traditional sufi music) being performed at the end of the first day and Laal band's performance at the end of the second day.
All in all, it was pretty clear that the people present were quite thrilled at this meeting of minds and enjoyed the opportunity given to them to their fullest. The underlying theme of peace was reiterated again and again impromptu in several sessions with calls for an ethical code for social media made by bloggers and responsibility key in them. You can photos of the event in its Flickr account.
Will the countries of India and Pakistan find peace through summits of this nature? Obviously not as that demands a political solution, but lines of communication must remain open and there is no better way of doing that then to have the netizens of both nations unite at opportunities given to them. The participants of SOCMM12 achieved that.
Ellia khan, a volunteer at SOCMM12, says:
@elliak: Day 2 of #socmm12 was fantastic! Going to miss the craziness!
Venkat Ananth the cricket columnist on yahoo visiting from India speaks of Karachi on twitter:
Onir, the independent filmaker who visited SOCMM12, tweeted:
@IamOnir: After the three days conference. #SOCMM12 the common desire is “ease the visa regulations on both sides and let common ppl meet each other”

author: Faisal Kapadia


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Spain: Controversy After Supreme Court Nullifies Catalan Immersion  · Global Voices
Joan Antoni Guerrero Vall

Protest in Barcelona against the Supreme Court Ruling. Image uploaded by Twitter user @jordiborras
Note: The hashtags referenced in this article are #somescola and #ANCat. #somescola translates into #WeAreSchool, while #ANCat is for tweets supporting Catalan independence from Spain.
Once again, the debate over language in Catalonia has heavily occupied the blogosphere, after the Spanish Supreme Court's recent ruling [cat] that nullifies linguistic immersion for children between three and six-years-old. Linguistic immersion has been the educational model that guarantees proficiency in Catalan for native speakers of other languages.
Certain online commentaries highlight a strong sentiment among diverse sectors of Catalonian citizens that the ruling was the latest in a series of attacks on the Catalan language by the Spanish government, which has arguably contributed to rising support for secession among voters. Querbosch, on his blog El Mont [cat], asserted that the Supreme Court's ruling will do nothing more than solidify the possibility of independence:
Així que ja poden començar a prohibir el Català, que així començarem  més aviat a costruir l'Estat català.
Ramon Farré, also wrote about the case on his blog, Coca de recapte [cat]:
Altre cop el Suprem torna a sentenciar en contra del català. Així de clar. Sense subterfugis. La sentència afegeix una nova càrrega a l’ús normal del català a l’aula. I de l’aula, a la societat.
Aside from blogs, the Court's decision has made way for a surge of passion on Twitter, with the new hashtag #somescola (#WeAreSchool), defending the use of the language in Catalonia's schools:
@PerLaGarrotxa Recordem que la comunitat educativa està organitzada entorn a #SomEscola per defensar l'escola catalana. Més info: http://www.somescola.cat
@Nuriastorch Els resultats de les PAU demostren la igualtat de condicions en què hi arriben alumnes catalanoparlants i castellanoparlants #somescola
@assemblea No acatem la sentència!! No és el nostre tribunal, no és la nostra constitució! http://www.assemblea.cat #ANCat #somescola
@cupnacional “Només amb la independència dels Països Catalans podrem garantir el futur per la nostra llengua” http://ow.ly/bRwFn #somescola
Public opinion seems to be in step with the many Catalan bloggers and tweeters who expressed anger at the ruling. The Centre d'Estudis d'Opinó's (Center for Opinion Studies) most recent public opinion poll [cat] indicates that 51% of respondents support independence for Catalonia, the first time in decades that a plurality of voters responded this way.

author: Joan Antoni Guerrero Vall


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Sri Lanka: News Websites Targeted And Journalists Threatened · Global Voices
Rezwan

On June 29, 2012, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka raided offices of two news websites, the Sri Lanka Mirror (srilankamirror.com) and Sri Lanka X News (srilankaxnews.com). They arrested nine journalists, including the editor, and seized equipments on the grounds that the websites were “propagating false and unethical news on Sri Lanka.” The Sri Lanka X News is known as the official news website of the Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP).
Patta Pal Boru questions the process:
The raid on Friday June 29th at the offices of both Sri Lanka Mirror and Lanka X news was not legal. The Police stated that those people were taken into custody under Section 118 of the Penal Code. But, since this Section on the Law of Criminal Defamation has been repealed under Act No. 12 of 2002, the Magistrate ordered to release them all on Police bail.
The blogger adds:
It is obvious that there is no real check to see if what the police does is legal as they seem to be blindly taking orders, not knowing if they are actually legal. What kind of country is this for the police to act in this way?
A statement issued by the srilankamirror.com site said the site would resume from July 2, 2012.
On the other hand Maryam Azwer informs that Thevanayagam Premananth, the editor of a Tamil newspaper Uthayan was summoned to court and he was asked to apologize for a published article.
Remembering fallen journalists on press freedom day 2012 in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Image from Flickr by Sampath Samarakoon (Vikalpasl). CC BY-NC
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Frederica Jansz, the editor of The Sunday Leader newspaper was threatened by the defense secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa during an interview. Ms. Jansz contacted the defense secretary to find out if he was aware that the management at Sri Lankan Airlines had taken a decision to change a scheduled aircraft to a smaller one so that a specific pilot could personally fly the aircraft that would carry a ‘puppy dog’ for the Defense Secretary from Zurich. Mr. Rajapaksa, who is the brother of the incumbent president, at one point become furious and used abusive language threatening the newspaper to not to write about this matter. Mr. Rajapaksa defended his position here.
Indi.ca opines that irrespective of the subject matter:
This type of tirade is an embarrassment from a public official.
The blogger also writes:
All too often, this is how the government play goes. Someone, usually a Rajapaksa, says something ridiculous. In this case, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa called a journalist a ‘pig who eats shit’ and said ‘people will kill you’, all over a puppy story. I know. Then, rather than dialing down on the issue, in this case media freedom, the government dials up the crazy, this time by imposing an onerous tax on online media. [..]
[..] the Media Minister is asking online media to pay Rs. 100,000 to prevent ‘raw filth’. It’s mind boggling because this is what the Defense Secretary was speaking, including threats to violence, which should be taken seriously cause the last Editor of the Sunday Leader was killed.
According to JDS (Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka) the Sri Lankan government has said that it will amend a decades-old media law in order to bring in all news websites and electronic media under regulation. In addition to the registration requirement of news websites, the government is now asking that they should also pay Rs. 100,000 for the privilege, plus Rs. 50,000 annual fee. Indi.ca comments:
This tax is terrible because it inhibits anyone trying to express themselves or create websites after all. After all, what exactly is a news website? Is this blog? If I hired two writers would it become one? Who knows? What if you have not a news website but a popular Facebook page?
The Human Rights Watch has asked the Sri Lankan government to stop harassing the media. A number of Sri Lankan journalists and activists have staged  a demonstration, protesting the government's repression of media and the intimidation of dissenting journalists.

author: Rezwan


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Syria/Turkey: Syrian Refugees Protest Water Shortages at Kilis Camp  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
Syrian refugees at the Kilis Refugee Camp, on the Syrian-Turkish border, protested against water shortages. Four policemen and 10 refugees are reportedly injured.
@Fixer_Turkey, who describes himself as a freelance journalist, who works as a fixer/translator for foreign media in Turkey, tweeted:
@Fixer_Turkey: In Kilis camp where more than 11.000 Syrian refugee stay, around 500 refugees protested water problem, 4 policemen and 10 refugees injured
Kilis, a city in south-central Turkey, near the Syrian border, along with southern Hatay, Sanliurfa and Gaziantep, have set up camps to receive Syrian refugees, escaping the carnage in their country.
@Fixer_Turkey continues:
@Fixer_Turkey: Syrian refugees in Kilis did a protest in the camp demanding more water, they broke windows of management buildings and injured 4 policmen
He then shares a photograph of Syrian refugee children carrying plastic bottles and buckets to get water at the Kilis camp:
@Fixer_Turkey: Syrian refugee children going for drink water with plastic bottles and buckets in Kilis refugees Camp
Syrian refugee children getting water at the Kilis camp. Photograph shared on Twitter by @Fixer_Turkey
Turk4Syria confirms the incident:
@Turk4Syria: Hundreds of Syrians started protesting in container camp in Kilis last night, saying that they receive too little water. #Syria #Turkey
In a previous tweet, he explains:
@Turk4Syria: 1080 Syrian refugees have crossed the dangerous mine fields to enter Turkey via Kilis in the past 72 hours. #Turkey #Syria
As the turmoil continues in Syria, Syrian refugees who have escaped to camps continue to battle humanitarian conditions while they wait for security back home.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Thailand: University Launches E-Bookstore · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Chulalongkorn University, Thailand's oldest university, has recently launched an e-bookstore as part of its program to become a digital university within four years

author: Mong Palatino


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Ukraine: Politicians and Parties on Facebook · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Watcher.com.ua reports [uk] that the ruling Party of Regions now has a Facebook page [ru]. For more on Ukrainian politicians’ and parties’ Facebook presence, see this Watcher.com.ua's ranking (uk; updated daily).


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Ukraine: Ukrainian Wikipedia’s Traffic Hiked as Russian Wikipedia Striked · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Watcher.com.ua reports [uk] that on July 10, when Wikipedia's Russian-language section suspended its service [en] for one day to protest the Russian draft law “On the Protection of Children From Information Harmful to Their Health and Development,” the Ukrainian-language Wikipedia saw a five-time traffic increase. On that day, according to Wikimedia-Ukraine Foundation [uk], there were over 103,000 visits to the uk.wikipedia.org homepage, which normally receives 20,000-25,000 visitors daily: “The Russian-language Wikipedia's strike shows that Ukrainian Wikipedia has a significant potential, which is not revealed because many Ukrainians prefer [to use Wikipedia in Russian].”


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Vietnam: Bad Politics and the Economy · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Geoffrey Cain thinks that the economic woes faced by Vietnam can be partly attributed to the “rotten politics and in-fighting within the Communist Party.” The author also looks into the dynamics of decentralization and ‘recentralization’ of state power in the country


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Yemen: TEDx Finally in Sanaa! · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

There is great excitement in Yemen and among netizens that TEDx has reached Sanaa after the license to stage the event was finally obtained on July 13, 2012. “The TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level,” says the program.
Thus many Yemenis will get the chance to share their dreams, experiences and ideas with each other and the world in December 2012.
This video posted by TedxTalks explains in short powerful words what Tedx is all about.
Here are some of the Yemeni reactions on Twitter:
@Dhman_1: Finally #TEDxSanaa #Yemen SoOn ^__^ https://www.facebook.com/pages/TEDxSana
@Ghatis: i always said, that no news is good news, specially in the last Year, but finally i heard something good about #Yemen #TEDxSanaa
Countdown for TEDx Sanaa begins
@Afrahnasser: One of the most popular “ideas worth spreading” events around the world is going to #Yemen – #TedxSanaa is i http://instagr.am/p/NCTUOWKDE5/
@Sarah_Sanaa: Reason why I am excited abt #TEDxSanaa is that it is a great way to fight extreme ideologies simply with a platform for knowledge #Yemen
@A4Mai: @tedxsanaa is having the 1st Tedx in Sanaa to highlight innovative ideas and entrepreneurs. Join in to showcase your big idea.
@WomanfromYemen: Support @tedxsanaa by providing ideas for inspiration, thoughts & support. #Yemen #tedxsanaa
@tedxsanaa: The countdown has begun for the preparation of the first #TedxSanaa conference in #Yemen. Join our page on Facebook now http://on.fb.me/LVv2AX
This is the first promotional video posted by TEDxSanaa announcing that TEDx is finally coming to Yemen on December 31, 2012.
For more updates you can follow TEDxSanaa on Twitter and on this hashtag #TedxSanaa and join their Facebook page.

author: Noon Arabia


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Africa: African Women on Fire · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Rumbidzai Dube explains why 2012 is the year for African women: “2012 has been a progressive year for African women in global politics. In April Joyce Banda of Malawi became the first ever female president of Malawi and the Second Female president in Africa […]Just yesterday, Dr Nkosana Dhlamini-Zuma became the first female Chairperson for the African Union Commission.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: Nelson Mandela, an Icon Transcending Differences · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

On his 94th birthday, the entire world is celebrating Nelson Mandela, and the internet users of Francophone Africa are no exception. In the current context of crisis for many nations of the region, and for a continent always in search of true leadership, Nelson Mandela remains an absolute icon of the African renaissance, throughout the continent. Francophone bloggers have praised the life of the man whom they affectionately call “Madiba”, and the lessons learned from his struggle.
An icon beyond geographic and linguistic barriers
If the story of Nelson Mandela still resonates with young Africans, 22 years after his release, it is also an indication that his struggle is still relevant for many who aspire to a broader future, in an economic context which still limits the fulfillment of their capabilities. Many internet users of various Francophone countries were keen to pay tribute to him:
In Sénégal, Babacar, of Gri Gri News, wishes a happy birthday [fr] to “Madiba” :
Toute l'équipe de rédacteurs de notre magazine en ligne Panafricain souhaite un joyeux anniversaire à Nelson Mandela à l'occasion de ses quatre vingt quatorze ans. Intiment nommé “Madiba”, Nelson Mandela est le symbole de de l'Afrique du sud et de toute l'Afrique pour sa lutte contre l'apartheid avec l'ANC
In Madagascar, The Liberty 32 Association quotes Mandela,
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”  – N. Mandela
and adds  [fr]:
Alors, allons éduquer les jeunes, les citoyens et pourquoi pas nos dirigeants?
Cammile Chauvet of Naif WebZine explains why this birthday  is of particular importance [fr] :
Les hommes naissent. Les hommes vivent Les hommes meurent. Les mauvais ouvriers ont droit à l’oubli. Ceux qui œuvrent encore. Ceux qui ont œuvré doivent être toujours présents dans nos pensées et dans nos actes, nous devons en permanence les vénérer, et Nelson Mandela est de ceux que nous devons vénérer…
Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, Gauteng, on 13 May 1998 from the Wikimedia Commons
In Togo, Renaud Towe addresses the post-Mandela era [fr] of the ANC:
à partir de 1996, Thabo Mbeki prend la gestion quotidienne du pays et en décembre 1997 la présidence de l’ANC. Mandela lui laisse progressivement le pouvoir, en douceur, ce qui contribue à la stabilisation politique du pays. Il quitte complètement la tête de l’État le 16 juin 1999, date anniversaire des évènements de Soweto (..) (Cependant) le manque de cohésion sociale, les injustices, les inégalités économiques entre Blancs et Noirs persistent, malgré l’apparition d’une classe moyenne noire. Cette situation déclenche une certaine colère parmi les dirigeants noirs, particulièrement ceux de l’ANC, à présent divisé entre les adeptes de la coexistence pacifique avec la minorité blanche et les partisans du règlement de compte, des nationalisations, des saisies de fermes (..) Le rêve d’une « Nation arc-en-ciel » n’est plus véritablement la priorité au sein de l’ANC.
54to1 pays tribute to Mandela and to the concept of Ubuntu
A man who transcends ideological divisions
Mandela's ability to overcome political divisions, and to honor his role as statesman, seems to be the legacy that has most impressed African bloggers:
In Brazzaville, Congo,  Mingwa Mia Biango publishes in French the entire inaugural speech of Nelson Mandela from 1994, and adds [fr] :
Président d’une Afrique du Sud assumant sa diversité, il alternera, au fil de son mandat, les succès et les échecs mais saura, à l’issue de celui-ci, ne pas s’accrocher au pouvoir et céder la main, donnant ainsi un dernier exemple à d’autres leaders du continent.
[Mandela as] the President of South Africa, while embracing its diversity, alternated between success and failure throughout his mandate. But at the end of his term, he knew not to cling to power, and let go of his position, and thus gave one last example for other leaders of the continent to follow.
In Côte d'Ivoire, Ben Ismael, on the website  l'Intelligent d'Abidjan, marvels [fr] at Mandela's ability to surpass ideologies and to organize :
Nelson Mandela était le véritable exemple de l'opposition politique, apaisée. Ce grand animateur des ”agoras” de l'ANC, en compagnie de Olivier Tambo, n'a jamais voulu prendre le pouvoir politique, ni à la tête de l'ANC, ni à la tête de l'Etat Sud-africain par les armes, jusqu'à son emprisonnement. Même prisonnier, Nelson Mandela avait mené une opposition civilisée, face au ”pouvoir blanc” sud-africain dont la gouvernance se reposait sur le développement séparé, ou l'apartheid. Excellent opposant, Nelson Mandela parlait aux Blancs sud-africains avec politesse, courtoisie. Même réputé grand combattant, il avait le respect pour ses adversaires et avait fait sa spécialité, la liberté des noirs sud-africains.
The Congolese website “Events RDC” conclude the tributes to Mandela by saying [fr] :
Il n’ya pas de meilleur hommage que nous puissions rendre à l’héritage de Madiba que le développement de notre nation dans une société civile active qui roule de façon désintéressée, retrousse ses manches et fait une différence.

author: Rakotomalala


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China: Blogger Shorts SINA to 8% Shares Plunge With a Tweet · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

On July 16, 2012, famous Chinese blogger, venture capitalist and social media researcher Isaac Mao wrote on Twitter [zh] that he would be shorting $SINA every day from June 17, in reaction to SINA Weibo's (a Chinese microblogging platform) deletion of his user account.
As he has used StockTwits special tag “$+ stock symbol” in his tweet, his message has been delivered to investors from all around the world via the investment communication platform. On the next day, July 17, SINA's NASDAQ listed price dropped by 8%.
SINA Share price drived on July 17, 2012. Non-commercial use of image from isunaffairs.
Isaac Mao: Short $SINA's share
Below is Isaac's Twitter message [zh] from July 16:
Isaac Mao
自6月17日新浪微博刪除我賬戶以來，以每天平均10條微博，10美元/條的低價索賠，並發分析新浪審查自毀的信件給全球基金經理建議“削” $SINA 股票
In his letter, Isaac further explains why he has decided to short SINA's share:
I'm shorting $SINA everyday since 6/7 along its downhill, then spending the earnings to buy other stocks.
Why? Unlike your thinking on Sina's climbing up with it's “growing” number of Weibo users, instead, it's going downturn in any ways:
1. Sina is boasting the biggest user based in China on microblogging, however, the data is questionable. In my guess, 1/4 of its accounts are zombie,1/4 frozen,1/4 spammer,1/4 guided voices
2. Sina keeps deleting high quality but political-sensitive accounts in hundred of thousands rate a month, but keep them in census to advertisers. Sina reportedly make fraud by itself by faking million-follower accounts to mislead advertisers.
3. Sina deployed a series of regulations on real name verification and community peer watch rules, all failed now since never has a consistent principle. Real users are losing interesting posting relevant information there
4.QQ weibo is catching up, outpacing Sina as the top microblogging service, though Sina still keeps some celebrities there. Most of those public voices have dual account on both QQ Weibo and Sina Weibo.
5. Apart from user's counting complains, Sina itself has to face the risks from authority as well. In a leadership transition year,Sina may not be able to keep Weibo service live, most probably.  There will be several big inflexions upcoming in China, keep eyes open.
The power of #socialnomics
This is not the first time Isaac Mao has campaigned against global corporates [zh]:
2006年抵制MSN Space聲援@mranti等網誌作者，這個服務在2009年自廢；2007年公開信警告谷歌不要自我審查，否則會自推到角落，谷歌2010年退出中國市場。新浪自以為玩轉本土，其實是更深的自掘
社會性媒體其實與經濟的對應關係正在勾連起來，這個研究領域叫做#socialnomics ，也就是社會力量對經濟指標的影響，品牌正邪與價值的對應關係會越來越明顯。新浪自以為刪除某個帳號無所謂，殊不知這種信號就是走衰的開始。
Back in 2006, there was a campaign to show netizens’ support for bloggers such as @mranti at MSN Space [whose blogs were removed [zh] as Microsoft was eager to enter the China market] and the service was crippled in 2009. An open letter was issued to Google warning it against self-censorship practice in 2007, Google decided to leave the China market in 2010. Now that Sina thinks it could do whatever it likes back home, it is digging a deeper grave.
The connection between social media and economics is getting tighter, in a field called #socialnomics. It is about the impact of social force on economic index. The image of a brand would affect its value. SINA thinks it is OK to delete their users’ account. This is a signal for its demise.
As Isaac Mao's action has resulted in such a visible consequence, his account at StockTwits was suspended on July 18 at 00:35 Beijing time.
Chinese netizens have been pressuring SINA against its censorship practice, such as the mandatory real name registration system, since 2011. A few months ago, a number of Chinese netizens also issued an open letter to the investors of Sina, which also urged investors to cut their shareholding in SINA:
The Chinese government’s policy on Weibo has a significant effect on the prospects of Sina. Holding the shares of Sina Corp entails tremendous uncertainty. On 20 September 2011, the share price of Sina dropped by 15.17% to US$92.76, the greatest daily drop since December 2008. Sina’s market capitalization has shrinked by US$1 billion to US$6 billion. Market commentators attribute this drop to concerns over regulatory risks.
On 17 October 2011, Beijing Daily published an anonymous op-ed titled “Lack of credibility will mean the end of Weibo”, which calls for a real-name registration system for Weibo.6 The article criticizes the serious shortcomings which come with the rapid growth of Weibo. If left unchecked, these problems will threaten the society. It urges the government to purify the Internet through more comprehensive and targeted measures so that new media will be responsible for ensuring integrity. It suggests that the government should fully implement a real-name registration system for Weibo and an accountability system for online media. Guangdong’s Southern Metropolitan Daily thinks that “a strict real-name system may drive away users.”
In a recent interview with CCTV’s program Economic Half-hour, Sina CEO Charles Chao commented that Weibo will be the future driving force of Sina.8 China’s regulatory policy towards Weibo will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the prospect of Sina. As social conflicts are becoming more acute, the government’s control on the society will tighten, and the space for free speech will shrink. In this context, Internet censorship will undoubtedly be strengthened, and the possibility of the Chinese government shutting down the microblogging services will always be with us.
Perpetrators and their collaborators should be punished. We hereby urge investors to reduce their shareholding in Sina based on both moral and rational judgments, thereby indirectly applying pressure to Sina and its microblogging service to get them onto censorship practices based on clear and transparent principles.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Draft Rule to Prohibit Citizens from Monitoring Air? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A draft rule on the management of environmental monitor [zh] may result in the prohibition of citizens and NGOs from monitoring the air quality in China. Charles Zhu from Tea Leaf Nation explains the background of the rule and politics at play.


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China: State-run Media’s English Forum · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Beijing Cream looks into the “harmonious” interaction of a newly launched English Forum under State run media, Xinhua's website.


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Colombia: “We are going to end with darkness in Congress” · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

On Facebook the Primary Constituent movement [es] is calling [es] for a gathering at Plaza de Bolívar (Bogotá's main public square) to protest corruption of politicians and demand that Emilio Otero is not reelected as secretary of the Colombian Congress. The gathering, called “We are going to end with darkness in Congress,” will be held on July 20 at 5:30 pm, local time in Colombia.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Croatia: Anja Mutić’s “Local Voices Croatia” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Back in April, Anja Mutić of Ever the Nomad (blog; Facebook page) launched the Local Voices Croatia series, which now has eleven interviews with “people who are making a difference, the masterminds behind interesting places, projects and events” – “local “artists, visionaries, foodies, adventurers, nature enthusiasts… The creative cream of Croatia, so to speak.”


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Egypt: Egyptians Give Advice to Syrians  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Egyptians are dishing out advice to Syrians – on Twitter. Under a dedicated hash tag, the advice ranges from “do not take photographs with tanks” to “take advice from someone else.” The move follows news from Damascus this afternoon that three of Syrian president's inner circle have been killed in a bomb blast in Damascus. They include the Defense Minister, whose successor has since been named.
Yousry Salama notes:
Ibrahim Elgarhi advices:
Esraa Mahfouz has more:
@esraamahfouz: Don't forget Bashar's wife. She should be buried with him. Do not leave her free and do what some idiots I know have done
And on a serious note, Salma Mubarak tweets:
@PiercedMajesty: Do not expect the struggle to be over in a year & a half, do not expect it to be perfect, do not give up & whine.
Many netizens tried to reason why the hash tag was created.
Mamdouh Jalal explains:
@FinalRule: This hash tag pokes fun at us really … because in reality Syria's rebels are carrying arms and are freeing their land and not like us sitting on Twitter
Israa Elsakka shares a similar sentiment:
@IsraaElsakaa: this hashtag in which Egyptians advice Syrians …shows how Egyptians r frustrated.”peaceful revolutions” r naive
Egyptians were the second to oust their dictator this so-called Arab Spring, when the got rid of Hosni Mubarak's 32-year reign in February 2011. The Tunisians were the first. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled Tunisia with an iron fist for 23 years, fled to Saudi Arabia in January 2011. The Libyans rid themselves of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's 40-year reign in October 2011. And the Yemenis saw the back of Ali Abdulla Saleh in January 2012, after he granted himself immunity from prosecution for crimes he committed during his 33-year rule. Should the Syrians succeed in toppling Al Assad and his Baath regime, they will be Arab country number five to score a victory.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.


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El Salvador: President Funes Airs First Weekly Radio Program · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“Conversando con el Presidente” (Talking with the President”) is a “weekly radio call in program to let citizens call and talk to their president,” as Tim's El Salvador Blog explains. Blogger Hunnapuh [es] gathers citizen reactions to the first show (aired Saturday, July 14, 2012), and shares his own opinion about the program.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Israeli Tourist Bus Attacked in Bulgaria · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

At least seven people were killed in an attack against Israeli youth on a tour bus in Burgus Airport in Bulgaria.
UPDATE:
@BarakRavid:
Bulgarian FM spoke with FM Lieberman and told him the investigation found the explosion was caused by a bomb hidden in the trunk of the bus
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu stated that “all signs point to Iran” and that Israel will respond fiercely.
@ruslantrad:
bTV showing photos from attack against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria
Shoshi, Israeli who witnessed the blast said:
We passed immigration and got onto bus #4 outside the airport. We placed our bags, and after two minutes bus #2 went up in flames. We were evacuated into a secure room.
Her son added:
Survivors from the bus had to jump out of the bus so as not to step on bodies. We saw the bus, one Israeli took a photo of it. We saw its trunk explode. We were quickly rushed into the terminal.
On his Facebook page, foreign minister Avigdor Liberman posted:
I just spoke with Bulgaria's foreign minister, Nikolay Mladenov, about the blast. Mladenov is heading to the location and will give me updates when he gets there.
A tweet from @MokedNews claims:
One of the killed in the Bulgarian attack – a Bulgarian tour guide who was with the Israeli tourists as the blast happened. (source: Bulgarian TV)
Excellent live blog coverage on Haaretz in Hebrew (more frequent updates) and in English.
Tweeps to follow for live updates:
@BarakRavid – diplomatic correspondent, Haaretz newspaper
@ruslantrad – Syrian-Bulgarian blogger & MENA analyst
@MokedNews – Israeli news feed

author: Gilad Lotan


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Jamaica: Is Bolt still as fast as lightning?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Annie Paul republishes a piece she wrote for Newsweek on Usain Bolt's chances at the London Olympics.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Kyrgyzstan: Patriarchal Society as Seen by Artists · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Although artists anywhere in the world tend to be at least a little unconventional, the Kyrgyzstani art group ‘705’ is all about breaking the country's cherished social norms and conventions. Describing [ru] itself as a ‘nomadic theater’, the group experiments with multiple arts, including theater, hand-drawn animation, radio drama, and drawing. The role and status of women in a patriarchal society and the problem of authority are two big themes addressed by ‘705’.
In this interview, the art group's head Marat Raiymkulov talks to Global Voices Online about the group.
Marat Raiymkulov, the head of the art group ‘705’. Personal photo, used with permission.
Global Voices Online: ‘705’ describes itself as a ‘nomadic theater’ created to ‘promote the idea of an individual as a theater’. What does this mean?
Марат Райымкулов: Группа «705» появилась в 2005 году… Поскольку у нас не было театральной плошадки, то мы ставили на улице, на окраинах города, в подвалах. В этом смысле мы не привязывались к определенному месту, но всегда находились в поиске все новых и новых мест. Это стало некоторой традицией нашей группы…
За все время существования состав группы многократно менялся… Театр мы воспринимаем как средство выражения. В таком случае, каждый участник не часть театра, а театр часть жизни участника. Если участник нашей группы сумел вынести свое понимание театра, то он словно отпочковывается и продолжает жить и развиваться, возможно развивая театр как средство выражения. В этом смысле мы пытаемся придерживаться открытости – находясь в постоянном изменении состава, способа выражении и работы. В этом смысле мы рассматриваем себя как номадический театр.
Marat Raiymkulov: The group ‘705’ was created in 2005… Because we did not have a theater venue, we had to perform in the street, on the city's outskirts, in basements. In this sense, we were not tied to a particular venue but have constantly been looking for new venues. This has become our group's tradition…
The composition of the group has changed many times… We view theater as a mode of expression. In this sense, it is not that each member of the group is part of a theater, but that theater is part of each member's life. If a member of our group develops her or his own understanding of theater, then the member [separates from the group] and continues to live and grow, perhaps further developing theater as a mode of expression. Thus, we are trying to remain open-minded, constantly changing the group's composition, modes of expression, and work. In this sense, we view ourselves as a nomadic theater.
Current members of the art group ‘705’. Image provided by Marat Raiymkulov, used with permission.
GVO: The oppression of an individual, particularly a woman, in a patriarchal society figures prominently in your art. Where does this interest come from?
Марат Райымкулов: Эта тема стала явно вырисовываться в прошлом году… Хотя мы много ставили спектаклей о власти и угнетении, не показывая, о какой власти идет речь, тем не менее мы подразумевали нашу центральноазиатскую систему…
Поворотным моментом стал спектакль «Король Крыс», в котором рассказывается о самодурствующей системе патриархов, которые воспринимают женщин как второсортных, и располагающих своими подчиненными как своей собственностью. История оказалась про нашу жизнь, про догмы и стереотипы, привитые с детства. Так появился проект «Осень патриарха»… В этом проекте мы пытаемся говорить об этой системе через различные средства выражения – через посты на блоге 705.kg, через рисунки, мультфильмы и спектакли.
Marat Raiymkulov: We began focusing on this theme last year. We staged different performances that focused on the authority and oppression. Although we did not explain which authority we meant, we implicitly talked about the Central Asian system…
The turning point was our [2011] performance, ‘The King of Rats,’ which exposed a despotic system of patriarchs viewing women as second-class [citizens] and treating subordinates as their property. This has proven to be a reflection of our real life, with the dogmas and stereotypes that we have had since childhood. That was the beginning of our project, ‘The Autumn of the Patriarch'… In this project, we talk about the patriarchal system, using different media, including our blog 705.kg, drawings, cartoons, and performances.
Photo from a recent showing of animation films produced by the art group ‘705’. Image by Joshik Murzakhmetov, used with permission.
GVO: Who is your audience?
Марат Райымкулов: Пожалуй, нашей аудиторией являются те, кто стремится сделать свою жизнь лучше, освободиться от угнетенности и отчаянности, которые переживают за свой город, за свою страну. Они здесь живут, здесь у них друзья, близкие. Они хотят ходить по улице с поднятыми головами, не боясь осуждения. Мы надеемся, что наши работы делают свой скромный вклад не только в искусство, но и в общественное развитие.
Animation films (‘We all live this way…’)
GVO: Short hand-drawn animation movies are perhaps what ‘705’ is most know for. Can you talk briefly about these movies?
Марат Райымкулов: Мы разработали две серии анимаций: «Патриарх» и «Кухонные истории». В серии «Патриарх», мы пытаемся говорить о патриархальной системе, в которой некоторое лицо выступает как сосредоточение власти… Иногда это вовсе не лицо, а общество, которое навязывает определенные нормы поведения – об этом мы говорим, например, в мультфильмах «Эл эмне дейт?» («Что скажут люди?»), «Мешок» и «Кто я?»
Серия «Кухонные истории» («Как такое возможно?», «Пылесос») возникла в результате нашего взаимодействия с Бишкекской Феминистической Инициативой СКью. Здесь мы пытались говорить о патриархе в быту, где женщина занимает угнетенное место.
Marat Raiymkulov: The animation movies we have produced fall under two [thematic categories], ‘Patriarch’ and ‘Kitchen Stories’. In cartoons that fall under the ‘Patriarch’ category we talk about a patriarchal system where a certain individual serves as an embodiment of authority… Sometimes this is not even an individual but society that forces certain norms of behavior [upon individuals]. For example, we talk about this in cartoons such as ‘What Would People Say?’, ‘Sack’, and ‘Who Am I?’.
The cartoons that fall under the ‘Kitchen Stories’ category (‘How Is This Possible?’,'Vacuum Cleaner’) have been produced in cooperation with the Bishkek Feminist Initiative SQ. In these cartoons, we tried to talk about patriarchs in everyday life, where women are oppressed.
The cartoon ‘What Would People Say?’ [ru, kg] focuses on how a patriarchal society forces certain behavioral norms upon individuals. [Transcript: There is a very big man. Everyone calls him ‘the people’. We look back at him and ask ourselves, ‘What would he say?’ He can say, for example, that we do not respect elders. An acquaintance of mine has once told me that he had attended a funeral where, by tradition, everyone had to cry. He did so only in a formal way [without enthusiasm]. Then, an [older man] approached him and said, ‘Hey! Cry louder and more naturally! You are an artistic person. What would people say?’].
The cartoon ‘Who Am I?’ follows the same theme.
The following film, ‘Sack‘ [ru], focuses on the role of women in a patriarchal society. [Transcript: She was a very independent [person]. She put food on the family table and solved [everyday] problems all by herself… But, for some reason, everyone pitied her. They used to say, ‘She does not have a husband. Poor thing! It must be difficult for her’. Then she got a husband, with whom came additional responsibilities. And she had to keep silent about him sleeping until midday, drinking, and being unfaithful to her. They had a big argument. But now she can't leave him, because people say, ‘Be patient and the love will come’. We all live this way.]
The cartoon ‘Vacuum Cleaner?‘ [ru] exposes the role of women in a patriarchal society. [Man on TV says: ‘Constitution guarantees freedom and equality [for everyone]’].
The next cartoon ‘How is this possible?‘ [ru], focuses on domestic violence which is commonplace in patriarchal societies. The film begins by showing a man sitting at a table and watching television news about several incidents of violence against girls and women. As the man's wife joins him at the table and expresses her disapproval of the reported incidents, the man smacks her on the head and growls, ‘Shut up! Live your own live peacefully!’
(Other cartoons produced by the art group ‘705’ can be watched here).

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Lebanon: Mixed Feelings Following Syria’s Bombing · Global Voices
Thalia Rahme

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Today's Damascus blast cost the life of Syria's deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat and other top officials of president Bashar Al Assad's inner circle. As usual, the blast had its direct repercussions on Lebanon.
It all started in northern Lebanon, in Tripoli, where Bab al Tabbaneh anti-Bashar regime residents opened celebratory gunshots to mark the occasion.┬аAccording to Naharnet website, one person was killed by a stray bullet.┬аA child from the neighbouring Alawite Jabal Mohsen was also injured.┬аThis pushed the army to deploy in the region so as to prevent the escalation of the situation.┬аThe news also went viral┬аamong Lebanese netizens.
Muslema,┬аfrom Tripoli, is overjoyed [ar]:
Journalist Sawsan Abou Zahr exhales:
Jihad el Murr, owner of MTV's Lebanon station, also shares her views:
I have a feeling that our Martyrs in Heaven above are beginning to smile :)
Sarah Assaf wonders:
So where is Bashar Al Assad now?
She gives the answer herself:
Bashar. Don't go anywhere. Just stay where you are. They're coming for you..
Some are shocked following some Lebanese Channels reactions (mainly pro-Hezbollah, Al Manar). Political analyst Hadi El Amine tweeted:
╪╣┘Ж ╪╡╪п┘К┘В┘К:”┘И╪╡┘Б ┘В╪к┘Д┘Й ╪╣┘Е┘Д┘К╪й ╪з┘Д┘К┘И┘Е ╪и╪з┘Д╪┤┘З╪п╪з╪б╪╣┘Д┘Й ╪и╪╣╪╢ ╪з┘Д┘В┘Ж┘И╪з╪к ╪з┘Д╪к┘Д┘Б╪▓┘К┘И┘Ж┘К╪й [╪з┘Д┘Д╪и┘Ж╪з┘Ж┘К╪й] ╪к┘В┘Д┘Д ┘Е┘Ж ╪е╪н╪к┘Е╪з┘Д ╪и╪┤╪▒┘К╪й [ ╪г╪╡╪н╪з╪и ┘З╪░┘З ╪з┘Д┘В┘Ж┘И╪з╪к ]”
Nader Haddad seems to think in a different way:
Manar & NBN should start rethinking communication strategy: Chawkat shldnt be branded as a martyr.
Tom Fletcher, British Ambassador to Lebanon, also used Twitter to voice his concern about the bombing's repercussion on Lebanon:
Appears that Syria in new phase. Vital that Lebanon maintains policy of disassociation, and that international community back it concretely.
Imad Atwi, on the other hand, points the finger elsewhere. He tweets:
Alqaida тАк#QatarтАм тАк#TurkeyтАм along with their terrorist agents in тАк#SyriaтАм assassinated Syrian figures.may be тАк#KSAтАм has some thing 2 do too
However, what is most making the news is the anticipated speech of Hassan Nassrallah, Hezbollah's leader, tonight.
Antoun Issa writes:
Hassan Nasrallah re-writing his speech, scheduled for tonight. No doubt his most important speech yet on Syrian crisis.
Lebanese politician Antoine Haddad tweeted:
Nasrallah in quiet critical situation: How will he deal w/ Damascus dramatic events in 2night's speech? Denial, condemnation or support?
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Thalia Rahme


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Malaysia: ‘National Harmony Act’ Greeted with Cynicism · Global Voices
Tessa Houghton

The Malaysian social and alternative media sphere is describing an impending ‘National Harmony Act,’ as “Orwellian” and “draconian.”
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced that Malaysia's Sedition Act of 1948 is to be repealed, and replaced with the National Harmony Act (NHA.)
The Sedition Act, a hangover from Malaysia's era of colonial rule, was originally introduced to quell opposition against the British, but is infamous for its vague definitions and use by the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition to silence political opposition.
Rather than celebration, there is widespread concern that the new National Harmony Act will not prove any better than its predecessor. Barisan Nasional has dismantled several existing laws only to replace them with barely improved or even worse versions. For example the Internal Security Act, the Peaceful Assembly Act and the Evidence Act amendments.
Many Malaysian netizens are concerned that the NHA is yet another example of double-talk.
Mustafa K. Anuar, writing for Aliran describes it as a ‘Seduction Act in the offing’, identifying the widespread cynicism towards the new Act as predictable:
In the recent past, the promise of a repeal of certain undemocratic laws such as the equally draconian Internal Security Act turned out to be a nightmare for Malaysians, especially human rights activists, as the replacements are either the same or even worse than the laws they replaced.
A political cartoon by well-known Malaysian cartoonist Zunar, depicting what many Malaysians fear from the planned National Harmony Act. (Image from ‘Zunar Kartunis Fan Club’ Facebook page owned by Zunar – click image to be taken to the page)
Phil Robertson, the deputy director Human Rights Watch's Asia division,  also summed up this worrying legislative trend in the alternative media website The Malaysian Insider:
He said “the government should realise that change for change’s sake is not enough”, adding that the drafting of replacement laws “has gone on behind closed doors with little input from civil society.”
As reported by Malaysiakini (paywall-protected site), Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing (as well as Lim Chee Wee, head of the Malaysian Bar Council) has suggested that the government should just repeal the Sedition Act, rather than replace it with more legislation prone to selective enforcement:
“We have seen a politician or two and some religious leaders raise the bogey of Christian proselytisation of Muslims and proffer no substantive proof in support and yet they have not been hauled up for seditious speech.
“Don't replace obsolete laws with newfangled ones, especially if you cannot be counted on to enforce them with equity,” he contended.
Commenters on the Malaysiakini article seem to agree:
Hang Babeuf: Of course, the National Harmony Act provokes scepticism. Just look at the name.
Absalom: If you want national harmony, you don't need an Act, for that's all it is, an act.
Ez24get: National Harmony Act – harmony for whom? Harmony for the corrupt BN as nobody could question or take away their gravy train?
Similar sentiments are expressed in yet another Malaysiakini commenter round-up:
Kee Thuan Chye: The Sedition Act should be repealed, not put into a new wine bottle with a nicer-sounding name. A repressive law by any other name still stinks just as bad.
Abasir: Deja vu! We've been here before. Remember how he introduced the so-called Peaceful Assembly Act following which a well-publicised peaceful assembly of citizens was deliberately trapped, gassed, beaten by gangs of unnamed men in uniform and thugs in mufti?
Kgen: Knowing Najib, the false democrat, the new Act will be even worse than the old Act. Just like the Peaceful Assembly Act, which is even harsher than the existing Police Act.
However, PM Najib Razak claims that the Act will “ensure the best balance between the need to guarantee the freedom of speech for every citizen and the need to handle the complexity of plurality existing in the country”, as reported by the state news agency Bernama:
“With this new act we would be better equipped to manage our national fault lines. It will also help to strengthen national cohesion by protecting national unity and nurturing religious harmony… and mutual respect in the Malaysian society made up of various races and religions.”
Najib also stated that the government wants to invite views and opinions from Malaysian individuals and organisations on the legislation, naming the Attorney-General's Chambers as the agency responsible for consulting with such stakeholders.
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, a minister in the Prime Minister's department, stated that unlike the to-be-repealed Sedition Act, the NHA will allow for criticism of the Malaysian government:
There should be no absolute freedom to the extent we can call people pariah, pimps and so on.It is [obvious] we want to protect the Institution of the Malay Rulers. They are above politics and this country practises Constitutional Monarchy
According to Mohamed Nazri, the new Act is not expected to be tabled until next year. It is therefore likely that the Sedition Act will remain in place until after the 13th Malaysian General Election, which must be held before March 2013.

author: Tessa Houghton


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Mozambique: Scholarship Students Kicked Out of Sudanese University · Global Voices
Jornal @Verdade

Five out of 30 Mozambican students enrolled at the African International University in Sudan with scholarships have returned to their home country. In April 2012, they signed and shared a complaint [pt] on social media regarding the social and financial difficulties they were facing in Sudan.
In the letter, published [pt] on April 27 on the Facebook profile ‘Moçambicanos no Sudão’ (Mozambicans in Sudan), the students – sent abroad by Muslim charity organizations – requested their government's intervention for the resolution of a situation perceived as “extremely chaotic”:
falta de fundos para pagamento de vistos de estadia, propinas, material escolar, material de higiene individual, seguro de saúde, e não deixando de lado a falta da variação alimentar, visto que os estudantes têm único tipo de alimentação de um de Janeiro a trinta e um de Dezembro de cada ano, Arroz e um caril muito esquisito (batata doce e abóbora).
Khartoum University Library, Sudan. Photo by Book Aid International on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The students's complaint generated a stir [pt] in Mozambique's national press and social media, which made the University urge the students to write a new document [pt], denying their previous statements.
The students, who refused to give into Sudanese pressure, were expelled from the University and sent back to Mozambique on June 29.
After seven hours at Maputo's International Airport with nowhere to go, the students were welcomed and lodged by the Youth Parliament (PJ), a non-governmental organization which became their most visible supporting figure [pt]. During a press conference at the Youth Parliament headquarters, the students spoke about the conditions they had faced and a possible connection to Al-Qaeda in Sudan.
Students kicked out of Sudan. Photo by Víctor Bulande, used with permission.
Social media was full of criticism regarding the government of Mozambique and its distant attitude to the issue. Minister of Education Zeferino Martins [pt] stated the government “has no responsibility towards scholarship holders studying in Sudan, since those young Mozambican citizens went abroad financed by Muslim organizations to pursue religious education.”
Students go to Sudan intermediated by individuals linked to Muslim religious organizations based in Mozambique, mainly in the capital Maputo. According [pt] to the Ministry of Education, the students in question received symbolic support from the Sautul Islam organization.
Despite the minister's statement, the ‘Liga das ONGs de Moçambique’ (League of NGOs of Mozambique) published [pt] a note saying that the government should have taken a stand:
Admitindo que, eventualmente, os estudantes sejam vítimas das medidas de contenção de custos, seria importante [o Governo] ter um diálogo com eles e ajudá-los no desenho de cenários que possam mitigar o sofrimento dos estudantes.
And adds:
esta situação pode chamar a atenção para mudança ou revisão das políticas públicas com relação a atribuição das bolsas e as respectivas condições dai subjacentes.
Similar cases have occured before, as pointed out anonimously by a Mozambican student in Vietnam in a comment to the article on @Verdade Newspaper. He deplores the “situation of students in Sudan, Algeria and Russia”.
Carlos Cantinho comments [pt] in another article:
os bolseiros na Argélia exigiram o que lhes prometeram (recambiaram-nos para casa) estes no Sudão que decerto estará entre os mais pobres dos pobres,e dizem que não tem a ver com o ministério da educação mas sim com as tais organizações islamicas (madrassas). Nos países civilizados quando se fazem estes protocolos de cooperação no domínio da educação (cumpre-se). Pelos vistos neste caso ninguém se responsabiliza.

author: Jornal @Verdade


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Russia: “Spasibo!” the Russian Charity Thrift Shop · Global Voices
Teplitsa

For Europeans, charity thrift shops are well-loved retailers. While this model is still relatively unknown in Russia, the appearance of the “Spasibo!” (Thank You!) community has sparked the development of a new movement in this direction. Today, the charity shop Spasibo! brings together active people running innovative social projects. The charity thrift store, Russians are learning, can be an effective model for distributing extra clothes and attracting funding for charitable causes.
Главная страница “Спасибо!”
Spasibo! has several locations in St. Petersburg, all operating under one simple principle: citizens bring in whatever items in good condition, and afterwards they are sorted and distributed to stores and charities. The project’s team settled on the following “distribution” formula: 90% of all donations are sent off to different kinds of urban charities, and just 10% land on the store’s shelves, where they are resold. Any profits remaining after expenses have been covered are also donated to charity.
User Lakomka shares [ru] her opinion:
Я очень рада, что у нас есть такой замечательный магазин. Обязательно внесу свой скромный вклад в его деятельность, ведь после того, как делаешь добро, на душе становиться тепло и хорошо! =)
Promoting the idea of charity shops across country, the Spasibo! project has helped several other stores open outside central Russia. The project’s directors are ready to provide all possible assistance to anyone interested.
Social Projects
Spasibo! is engaged in cultural, educational, and environmental initiatives, including training volunteers, creating projects, and enlisting interns.
Spasibo!’s activities occur in real-time. The project’s website provides online support for the store, and is accompanied by a mobile app. Spasibo!’s site is a place where users can find exhaustive information about the charity thrift store model, find out more about any news concerning the project, and see its future events calendar.
Original [ru]

author: Teplitsa


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Russia: Yaroslavl Court Blocks Access to LiveJournal · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Subscribers to Netis Telecom in Yaroslavl (an estimated 6,000 people) can no longer access LiveJournal, Russia's most popular blogging platform, after a local court today agreed to a request from the Kirovskii raion Prosecutor's office and banned the online resource [ru] because of extremist content on a specific LJ webpage. Internet-providers have vowed to appeal the ruling, which is also opposed by the federal monitoring agency, Roskomnadzor.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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South Africa: Happy Birthday Tata Nelson Mandela · Global Voices
Muhammad Karim

One of the world's greatest icons of the modern age, Nelson Mandela, known fondly in South Africa as Tata [father] Madiba, celebrated his 94th birthday today. In today's constantly changing political landscape world-wide, South Africa stands as a beacon of change when it comes to transitioning governments from tyranny to democracy. This transition is hugely credited to the work and sacrifice of one great man, Nelson Mandela.
Blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the other of social media platforms across the world and particularly in South Africa have been trending with hashtags: #Madiba, Qunu, Happy Birthday Mandela, #67Minutes, #LeadSA67, #MandelaDay and a few others.
A potrait of Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Photo relesead under Creative Commons  (CC BY 2.0) by Flickr user Abode of Chaos.
We begin in the South African blogosphere we lead with a gpost from SA- Experience it:
Today is Madiba’s birthday (Madiba is Mr Mandela’s Xhosa Clan name) so we thought we’d share this stunning beaded craft work of Mr Mandela that we found at Streetwires in the Bo Kaap with our readers on this very special day.
But today is not just Mr Mandela‘s birthday it is also Mandela Day.
The objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, by devoting 67 minutes to community service.
67 is the number of years Mr. Mandela served his country.
Happy Birthday Madiba!
Visit the blog above to see beautiful pictures of sculptural artwork done for Madiba.
Then we have Bowl Philosophy and Inikak who link to a video called “Mandela Day” which shows how the life and struggle of Mandela would have unfolded in this age of social media, a very pertinent and moving video of his life.
Inikak writes about the video in the post titled “Mandela Dag” (Mandela Day) in Afrikaans:
Baie geluk Madiba! 94 jaar oud vandag!  Hy is beslis een van my rol modelle.
Hoe sou dit gelyk het as Madiba al die jare op sosiale netwerke sy verhaal kon vertel het? Hier is ‘n baie oulike video wat jy sal geniet…
Vernon Chalmers celebrates Mandela's birthday by saying:
Tata Madiba, who has bowed out of the public life, was last seen in pictures sent out last week when President Jacob Zuma visited him in his rural home in Qunu in the Eastern Cape. He had visited him after touring the construction site of a bridge that is being built in Madiba's honour to increase access to Mvezo village.
President Jacob Zuma reported that he was in good health, happy and content.
At 8am this morning, millions of South Africans, including learners from the country's schools, prominent artists and personalities, will unite their voices in song to wish the country's favourite icon good health and a blessed day – a gesture of love and appreciation that will be broadcast on national TV and by most radio stations.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will lead learners in song from a school in Limpopo.
Approximately 12.5 million school children are expected to participate in the initiative, which is part of LeadSA in partnership with the Department of Basic Education and the Nelson Mandela Foundation — supported by Shout, Brand SA and Proudly South African.
“Life is Savage” shows the popular  restaurant, Nando's, recent print ad which shares their message to Mandela referencing the generally “trouble-making” tone in which all their advertising is based:
My previous two posts have both been Mandela related and i’m still amazed that one man is so loved that he gets millions of birthday messages from around the world. What other person on this earth recieves so much attention on their birthday..none. That’s why i said he is THE greatest living human being.
Even Nando’s have showed their respect and instead of their normal tongue in cheek posters they have released this poster honouring the great man.
Nando's ad for Nelson Mandela's birthday. Image linked from lifeissavage.com/
From a younger perspective, Complete Disbelief discusses the 67 minutes campaign:
What are you going to do?
Tomorrow across the country we celebrate Nelson Mandela’s Birthday by each devoting 67 minutes of our time to something good. This incredible man has inspired so many and will continue to do so into the future.
And no, that is not a picture of Mandela, it’s a picture of a teddy I got from the boyf which I love and reminds me of kids and my days as a volunteer back in High school.
Finally, and bringing in our transition into Twitter, Memeburn has a post  titled “Twitter Madiba a happy birthday”, which covers some major south African brands and celebrities posts about Mandela's birthday:
Nelson Mandela is trending worldwide on Twitter, not surprising at all. After all today is the living legend’s 94th birthday and the world wants to celebrate with the global icon of freedom, democracy and peace.
Many users of social media have changed their avatars to an image of Mandela in tribute to the celebrated statesman. There has been an overwhelming outpouring of tributes on Twitter and videos on YouTube. Today South Africans around the world also honour the man by dedicating 67 minutes of their time to doing something good for their community or a community.
We thought we would pick out some tweets wishing Madiba happy birthday.
*Sings* Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Madiba. Happy birthday to youuuuuuuu! #MandelaDay #MadibaMeans
— Nedbank (@Nedbank) July 18, 2012
Happy Birthday Madiba, thank you for all that you have done for our beautiful country.Congratulations on your 94th cap. The Sharks #mandela
— The Sharks (@TheSharksZA) July 18, 2012
Facebookers have also been wishing Madiba a happy birthday. Here are a few of them from my Facebook timeline:
A picture from the AlJazeera News Room covering Mandela's Birthday.
Showing some Love for Mandela on his Birthday.
Many have updated their cover photo's to mark today.
A company's contribution to the 67 minutes campaign…
A funny take on things referring to Morgan Freeman playing Mandela in the movie “Invictus”…
and finally…
Since Mandela is part of the “The Elders”, they've updated their cover photo to honour him on this day.
Global Voices community wishes Madiba a happy birthday.

author: Muhammad Karim


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Syria: Live Blogging from Midan  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi was live blogging from the Midan neighbourhood in Damascus. Here's her take.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Syria: Netizens Say Countdown for Bashar Begins  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
Twitter is abuzz with news of the beginning of the end of the Assad regime, following a bomb explosion in Damascus in which three senior members of president Bashar Al Assad's inner circle were killed.
CNN's Arwa Damon reports:
@arwaCNN: free #syria army says attack was explosive device planted inside meeting room & triggered w/remote control
Emirati pundit Sultan Al Qassemi notes:
@SultanAlQassemi: Syrian Baathist child killing tyrants dropping like flies today.
Syrian blogger Yazan Badran is suspicious:
@yazanbadran: Something strange is going on. Is a solution finally being implemented? #Syria Either way, may they never rest in peace.
Syrian The 47th needs evidence:
@The47th: Just a question, anyone actually heard that specific explosion in Damas? friend I called in Rawda said he heard nothing.
BBC's Lina Sinjab tweets:
@BBCLinaSinjab: Residents very close 2 building said they haven't heard any sound of explosion or gunfire, haven't seen insured being removed either #Syria
adding:
@BBCLinaSinjab: Just walked around national security building and saw no sign of explosions, no broken window, no heavy security presence #Damascus #Syria
And Rafif Jouejati first asks:
@RafifJ: Internal elimination of potential defectors? #Syria
Then announces:
@RafifJ: Regime is in total disarray. Go out NOW and protest, celebrate, sing songs, hoist Independence Flag, & shout: YALLA IR7AL YA BASHAR [Come on. Leave Bashar] #Syria
And she adds:
@RafifJ: Get people out on a massive scale: IT'S HAPPENING! Don't look back on today 20 years from now and remember that you stayed silent. #Syria
This video, posted by aldoghem on YouTube, shows celebrations on the streets of Damascus, following the attack:
Hiba Sarraj is waiting for news on a bigger target – Bashar Al Assad. She tweets [ar]:
Libyan Ismael has some advice:
@ChangeinLibya: Guys, if Syria|n State TV plays a documentary about taking care of your home & cooking, you should know it's over. @LibyanStateTV #Libya
From Bahrain, Ali Al Saeed wonders:
@alialsaeed: Arabs either have psychopath generals or religious nut-jobs as leaders. There's no middle ground!?
And Jordanian Ali Hasani sums up the hash tags to follow on Twitter for this breaking news story:
@_AHA: Hashtags to follow what's going on: #Syria #DamascusBattle #Damascus #AssadEnd #AssadCountDown
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Irresponsible Advertising  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The new tagline for the rum’s advertisements was ‘When it pours, you reign.’ My brain exploded. Really? Show images of soaking wet, drunk-looking women, in a campaign that explicitly gives complete domination to the “you” to whom the ads appeal?” Lisa Allen-Agostini wonders “what on earth [the advertising agency was] thinking.”


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Ukraine: “Opposition Talk” Vs. Reality · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Taras of Ukrainiana posts a video of the roundtable discussion by the Ukrainian “united opposition” (which took place on July 17 and lasted 3 hours and 37 minutes) – as well as videos featuring “Dnipropetrovsk subway construction workers who have gone without pay for six months” and a Dnipropetrovsk woman who fell out of a jam-packed public mini-bus: “It's all talk and no action for Tymoshenko apparatchiks. […] Just like the Yanukovych crowd, they all want to talk their way back into Ukraine’s parliament. Does anyone of them feel like talking about how they screwed up? Not really. Just vote for them again, OK?”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Zambia: More Officials Than Athletes Travel to London Olympics? · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
BBC’s Farayi Mungazi recently tweeted about Australia sending the smallest delegation to the London Olympics after the 1992 Olympics, at the strength of 410. I responded to that tweet by asking if that delegation was small because Zambia was only sending 10. As it has turned out, it is a seven man contingent.
One netizen on Facebook, Durban Kambaki, took the country’s lack of seriousness in any sports discipline with some sarcasm:
Watching the Junior IAAF championships in Barcelona in the last few days, questions keep on ringing in my head. Zambians can't throw anything (Juveline, discuss, shot-putt (sic). Can't do anything in water, drop, swim etc where are our Lozis and ba ku Luapula (swimming and diving) [Lozis and Luapulans are riverine people], we can't run? (Watch the boys at Manda Hill chase for their money even vendors running away from LCC). So many poachers and not one can even go into shooting competition. So many people fighting we can't compete in judo, boxing, or wrestling. We only can, but can't be good at anything?
United States-based Prince Mumba will be representing Zambia in the 800 meters at the London Olympics. Photo source: daily-mail.co.zm
After a number of postings on the thread, Kambaki came back and wrote:
We shall be the only country with more officials than athletes. Remember there is always an international meeting that takes place during the games and we have to attend. So that's 4 committee memebers, one Judo coach, one swimming coach, three boxing staff, two running coaches and delegation leader and the usual accounts guy from the ministry. NOTE: THIS IS THE MINIMUM I AM STATING
Apparently, Kambaki was reacting to a story quoting the Sports and Youth Minister Chishimba Kambwili in which he said Zambia did not expect any medals from the London outing:
For the Olympic Games, as Government we want them to win but it will be expecting too much to think that our athletes can win gold.
We are going there just to participate and meeting the numbers. The London Games will also help expose our athletes for the future. We are just wishing them well.
Former world 400-metre hurdles champion, Samuel Matete, was the last Zambian to win an Olympic medal at Atlanta 1996 while the first medal was at the Los Angeles 1984 Games through boxer Keith Mwila.
Zambia will be sending light-welterweight boxer, Gilbert Choombe, judoka Boas Munyonga, swimmers, Jade Howard and Zane Jordan and runners, Prince Mumba, Gerald Phiri and Chauness Choosha.
Choosha, a wild card entry, replaced long-distance runner Tony Wamulwa, whose London ambitions went up in flames after getting injured in a road traffic accident recently.
Zambia’s participation at previous Olympic games is recorded here.
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Bahrain: Tweeting Appalling Conditions at Jaw Prison · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Bahraini netizens are rallying online to draw attention to appalling conditions at the central Jaw Prison, which houses political detainees, among others.
Following the crackdown on Bahrain's February 14, 2011, uprising, hundreds of people were arrested, put on trial and imprisoned for taking part in anti-government protests.
Lawyer Reem Khalaf uses Twitter to share the agony of some of those languishing in prison this summer and the humiliation they are subjected to.
She tweets:
She adds:
المعتقلين في البحرين يتم سجنهم في سجن جو مبنى ٤ حيث ماء الاستحمام يغلي من حرارته و درجة حرارة الجو تفوق ال٥٠ درجة #Bahrain #سجن_جو
In another tweet, Khalaf notes:
المعتقلين في البحرين يتم سجنهم في سجن جو مبنى ٤ حيث لا يوجد ماء صالح للشرب #Bahrain #سجن_جو
And she continues:
@lawyerreemkhalaf: Those detained in Bahrain are imprisoned in Jaw Prison, where one building has no air-conditioning. The temperature here exceeds 50 degrees Celsius
Sayed Hassan adds:
@WLEXT: At this heat & hot weather remember the mass torture of #Bahrain's Political Prisoners n #JawPrison no AirConditioning #JawPrison_without_AC
For more reactions, check out this hash tag [Ar].
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.


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Bangladesh: Mourning the Death of a Legend · Global Voices
Rezwan

A few hours ago, Bangladesh's treasured and most well-known Bangla writer and film maker died from colon cancer leaving millions of fans mourning. Humayun Ahmed (64) was a popular author, playwright and film director who captivated millions of people with his famous characters Himu, Misir Ali, and Baker Bhai in Bangla literature, TV and film over the last three decades.
Humayun Ahmed studied at the Dhaka University, where he later joined as a Lecturer in Chemistry. He went on to obtain a PhD in polymer chemistry from the North Dakota State University in the United States. In the mid 1990s he left his job at the University to devote all his time to writing and producing film.
Humayun Ahmed. Image courtesy Wikipedia. From public domain.
When his first novel Nandito Noroke (In a Blissful Hell) was published in the early seventies, he came into the limelight. His second fiction “Shankhanil Karagar” (Shankhanil Prison) is dubbed as one of the greatest works of fiction in the world by his compatriots. He has published more than 200 fiction works and plays which are well read among Bangladeshis.
During the 1980s he started writing ‘dramas’ [note: serious TV serials are  known as dramas in South Asia] such as “Eisob Dinratri” (These days and nights), “Bohubrihi”, “Kothao keu nei,” which were immensely popular in the country.
He ventured into film making during the 1990s both as screen-writer and director. His first film “Aguner Parashmoni” (Philosopher's stone of fire) won the National Film Award in eight categories, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Tributes are pouring in to social networking sites from his mourning fans. Here are some  reactions on Twitter:
@Bhalomanush: Just heard Humayun Ahmed, a stalwart of #Bangla literature, is no more… Today we are all Himu. pic.twitter.com/gbty0UfL
@iv1ii (Iyad Chowdhury): Rest in peace Humayun Ahmed. You'll be missed. Bangladesh lost one of it's greatest sons. #HumayunAhmed #Bangladesh #Bangla #literature
@hsami (Hassan Sami Adnan): R.I.P. Dr. Humayun Ahmed. A true legend of modern Bengali literature. A huge loss for us all that'll never be replaced.
@shirinAkhter: People like Humayun Ahmed never dies.He will live as long as the Bangla literature will live. he has a space in every booklovers heart.RIP
Aminul Islam Sajib, an eager fan, expresses in one line his feelings “For Bangladesh, it’s like the moment when pop singer Michael Jackson died”. He narrates in his blog:
He wrote many stories, short stories and novels that touched our minds. [..] He made characters. Characters that we — Bengalis — know like the world knows superheros. He wasn’t limited to any single genre. He wrote horror, he wrote thriller, he wrote mystery, he wrote romance, he combined many genres in one single story. He had that ability. He had the amazing gift to get into the readers’ mind and force them to keep reading until the story is finished.
He was not only a writer, but also a film director. Yes, many writers can write so that readers can draw the image on their mind. But not everyone can grab that image from the readers’ mind and come up with an exact screen version of that. Apparently, Humayun Ahmed knew how to do it.
Image courtesy Radio Foorti. A collage from a picture of Faisal Masum.
Many acknowledge how his work created a generation of avid readers. Sajib writes in another post:
He turned many people into bookworms just by the magic of his words.
Humayun Ahmed, as a person, was not far from controversy although he had a huge number of passionate devotees. Some claim that his work was popular-appeal but had lesser literary merit than his compatriots.
However, Nazrul Islam [bn] writes on Facebook:
যে লেখকের মধ্যে কোটি মানুষ নিজের কণ্ঠ খুঁজে পান… তাঁর মৃত্যু বেদনা ছাড়া আর কিছু দেয় না!
Proloy Hasan [bn] acknowledges in Facebook:
একটা পুরো জাতিকে, বিপুল সংখ্যক মানুষকে, একটা তরুন প্রজন্মকে বইমুখী করা, পরিবারের লোকদের হলমুখী করা, এসব বিরল ও অসম্ভব কঠিন কাজগুলো তিনি করে গেছেন। সবাই এটা পারেন না।
Here are some of his works translated into English:
* 1971
* Gouripur Junction

author: Rezwan


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Bulgaria: Security Services “Do Not Serve the Public” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Maya M of Maya's Corner comments on today's deadly bus explosion in the Bulgarian city of Burgas: “[…] While I understand that even the best intelligence can overlook the preparation of a terror act, I am angry, because our “services” are overstaffed and overfunded. They have generous subsidies even in the worst crisis, they receive more than the entire Bulgarian Academy of Sciences just to monitor telephone communications… and still they do not serve the public (to say the least) and do not provide the security which is their function.”


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Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Compared · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Katie Going Global visits the South Caucasus and compares Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Assessing the three countries on many levels, the travel blog considers that Georgia is the most tourist-friendly.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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“Copy, Paste, Create”, a Free Online Book in Spanish on Open Culture and Piracy · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Venezuelan writer, lawyer and Global Voices contributor Marianne Díaz Hernández has published the first installment [es] of her book “Copy, Paste, Create: Why I defend piracy and think that open culture is a good strategy for creators” [es]. Marianne will publish her (free) book in various installments on her personal blog.


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Egypt: No to a Military Funeral for Omar Sulieman  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Hosni Mubarak's vice president and Egypt's former head of intelligence Omar Suleiman is dead. News of his death has triggered a storm of reactions on social media networks.
The man, who ran for Egypt's presidential elections but was disqualified for failing to secure enough signatures for his candidacy, has reportedly died in Cleveland, US, while undergoing medical examination.
On Twitter, netizens from around the Arab world, couldn't find much good to say to lament his loss.
Samar Dahmash Jarrah tweets [ar]:
Deena Adel notes:
@deena_adel: Omar Suleiman was responsible for countless torture cases & human rights abuses. I have no sympathy for his death, but I won't gloat either.
Sara Salem compares Suleiman with ordinary Egyptians:
@SaraMSalem: Omar Suleiman died while having medical tests in Cleveland. Most Egyptians can't afford to go to a crappy Egyptian public hospital.
Meanwhile, Medhat Rali wonders [ar]:

Veteran Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas started a hash tag #لا_لجنازة_عسكرية_لعمر_سليمان on Twitter in Arabic which translates to No Military Funeral for Omar Sulieman.
Feedo Ahmed reacts:
#لا_لجنازة_عسكرية_لعمر_سليمان لو عملوها نجيب رقصات من شارع الهرم وشوية طبل علي كام واحد من فرقة حسب الله ونزيط بقي في الجنازة
Ramy Bakazaboka adds:
@ramy_bakazaboka: There is no point in this. Let them have their funeral which will be attended by his friends the butchers who will lament the loss of the leader of the revenge period
And Ahmed Sabry concludes:


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Georgia: Elections Portal Goes Online Ahead Of Parliamentary Vote · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Democracy and Freedom Watch reports on the launch of an online monitoring platform ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2012. The site, Elections Portal, is available in Georgian and English at http://www.electionsportal.ge.