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Peru: Four Years Since the Indigenous Protests in Bagua · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

June 5 marked the passage of 4 years since the “Baguazo“–the protest [es] of indigenous communities against certain legislative rulings that the government of the then president Alan García promulgated as part of the adaptation of Peruvian laws to the Peru-United States Trade Promotion Agreement.
While the beginning of the protests dates back to October 2007, it was in April 2009 when the protests became more intense, faced with the government's lack of intention to repeal the rulings that the indigenous peoples considered an attack on the property rights of their lands.
Finally, on June 5, 2009, the government sent the police to clear the area known as “devil's curve”, where the indigenous people were protesting. The operation ended with 23 police officers dead and an uncertain number of indigenous people dead, estimated to be between 9 and 40, along with about 155 civilians wounded.
These four years come in the midst of uncertainty regarding the legal status [es] of the 53 indigenous people accused of the deaths of 12 police officers, along with those of the family members of a police officer [es] that they still consider missing, in spite of the fact that a court declared [es] him deceased. They also come in the midst of the astonishment that still arises from knowing that not a single political authority has been made responsible [es] for what happened.
Image from Cyberjuan on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Rolando Luque Mogrovejo, Deputy Ombudsman for the Prevention of Social Conflicts and Governability, Office of the Ombudsman, wonders [es] on the blog of the Ombudsman about the relationship between the state and the ethnic groups that were protesting in that moment. He also points out that no one asked these people about the rules that would impact their lives, in spite of the fact that the Ombudsman had given warnings, 14 months earlier, of the growing severity of the conflict.
Se puede entrever elementos de menosprecio que menoscabaron su condición de interlocutores; un afán desmedido por ubicar las inversiones en el lugar más alto de la escala de valores; y, ciertamente, el viejo problema de creer que las políticas y hasta el sentido de la historia del Perú se irradian desde Lima, ignorando la complejidad y el vigor con que discurren los procesos sociales y políticos locales.
Así como hay autoridades en la centralidad del poder también hay apus en las comunidades. El Estado democrático debe tener tiempo para hablarles de tú y vos.
You can make out elements of disdain that undermined their role as representatives; a disproportionate eagerness for placing the investments on the highest spot of the value scale; and, certainly, the old problem of believing that the policies and even the essence of Peru's history came from Lima, ignoring the complexity and the vigor with which the local social and political processes are carried out.
Just as there are authorities in the central area of power, there are also apus (leaders) in the communities. The democratic state should have time to talk to them personally.
Santiago García de la Rasilla Domínguez S.J., Bishop and Vicar Apostolic of S. Francisco Javier de Jaén, reflects [es] on the blog Yo soy Bagua (I am Bagua) on the hope for justice that the indigenous communities continue to have and the injustice that he sees in the process following the events in Bagua:
No puede ser que los únicos culpables se encuentren entre los indígenas y que las autoridades del gobierno y de la policía de entonces hayan quedado limpios de polvo y paja o a lo más con una sanción administrativa. No puede ser que los únicos todavía “encarcelados”, aunque se diga que dos de ellos están con arresto domiciliario, sean tres indígenas a quienes no les han probado los delitos de los que les acusan. No puede ser que se pida cadena perpetua o condenas gravísimas para quienes, según todos los testigos, su único delito fue reclamar unos derechos y luego tratar de impedir que se derramara sangre inocente en ambos bandos.
It cannot be that the only guilty ones are found among the indigenous peoples and that the authorities from the government and the police of that time have gotten off scot-free, or at the most with an administrative penalty. It cannot be that the only ones who are still “incarcerated”, even though it is said that two of them are under house arrest, are three indigenous people who haven't even had the crimes they are accused of proven. It cannot be that they are asking for a life sentence or serious sentences against those whose only crime, according to all the witnesses, was demanding a few rights and then trying to keep innocent blood from being spilled on both sides.
On the site Enlace Nacional (National Link) they interviewed [es] Maricamen Gómez Calleja, also a missionary from the Vicariate of San Francisco Javier de Jaén, “who started the ‘Yo soy Bagua’ (‘I am Bagua’) campaign that looks not only to remember what happened 4 years ago, so that it doesn't happen again, but also to find justice for the innocent accused people”:
A topic related to Bagua is that of the prior consultation [es], a legal mechanism that various sectors saw necessary after what happened. Nevertheless, just as Emma Gómez points out [es] on the blog of the magazine Bajo la Lupa (Under the Magnifying Glass), there are some worrying facts: news of exempting 14 mining projects from the consultation process, and backward steps for the publication of the database of indigenous peoples:
Esto devela que el actual Gobierno sigue sin entender el derecho a la consulta en su real dimensión y lo sigue viendo como un obstáculo para la inversión. Los logros a la fecha han sido más formales que reales y las demandas de los pueblos indígenas siguen sin ser atendidas, agudizando en muchos casos las situaciones de tensión en todo el territorio nacional. Además se han dado declaraciones de ex autoridades y del propio sector empresarial que han señalado que la ley de consulta atrasa las inversiones (1) o que han considerado que la ley es “una trampa en la que se ha metido el Estado”.
This reveals that the current government still does not understand the right to consultation in its real dimension, and it continues to see it as an obstacle to investment. The achievements so far have been more formal than real and the demands of the indigenous people continue to be ignored, worsening in many case the tense situations in the whole national territory. There have also been declarations from ex-authorities and from the business sector itself that have pointed out that the law of consultation delays investment (1) [es] or that have considered the law to be “a trap that the State has gotten itself into”.
On the other hand, Ricardo Marapi Salas wonders [es] on Spacio Libre: “Does the risk exist that the Bagua massacre could be repeated?”
Las condiciones sociales, políticas y económicas siguen siendo similares a la de hace cuatro años. Sin embargo hay que reconocer que Humala no es García. Éste último hizo todo lo posible para expresar su desprecio hacia el destino o la misma existencia de los pueblos indígenas. Las políticas interculturales prácticamente no existieron durante su gobierno. La indiferencia de García y sus ministros frente al gran malestar indígena que se venía gestando en Bagua, son una clara evidencia. Humala no es García pero a veces prefiere gobernar siguiendo la inercia de su predecesor y en estos últimos meses no ha mostrado medidas decisivas para revertir aquellas condiciones políticas y sociales que devinieron en la masacre de Bagua. Es la gran deuda que aún sigue cargando.
The social, political and economic conditions are still similar to what they were four years ago. Nevertheless, we must recognize that Humala is not García. García did everything possible to express his disdain for the fate or the existence itself of the indigenous peoples. The intercultural policies practically did not exist during his government. The indifference of García and his ministers towards the great indigenous unrest that had been developing in Bagua is clear evidence of this. Humala is not García but sometimes he prefers to govern following the inertia of his predecessor and in these last months he hasn't shown decisive measures for changing those political and social conditions that led to the Bagua massacre. It is a great debt that still burdens him.
In Bagua the people commemorated [es] the four years since the Baguazo, and in the native community of Wawas the Awajún natives enjoyed food from a shared pot. In Yurimaguas there was a large demonstration [es] led by indigenous leaders, which other organizations joined and in which they chanted phrases such as “No to the criminalization of social protest!”.
In Lima there was a vigil [es] held in front of the Palace of Justice on the night of June 4, organized by the group “Yo soy Bagua” (“I am Bagua”), and made up of civil society organizations along with members of the Awajún and Wampís peoples.
On Youtube the user Bagua zo uploaded this video of an intervention on the sidewalk in front of the Palace of Justice.
During the vigil that took place in Lima, the previously mentioned group Yo soy Bagua (I am Bagua) expressed [es] its commitment to fighting for the justice of the indigenous people. One of them says:
3. En el Perú, la Amazonía representa más del 60% del territorio nacional, colocando al país como uno de los ocho países mega diversos; en ella, existe milenariamente una gran diversidad cultural que requiere un desarrollo con rostro humano; nos comprometemos, junto con las poblaciones que la habitan, a cuidar este pulmón de la única casa común que tenemos.
3. In Peru, the Amazon makes up more than 60% of the national territory, making the country one of the eight megadiverse countries. In it, there has existed for thousands of years a great cultural diversity that requires development with a human face. We are committed, along with the people who inhabit it, to caring for this lung of the only shared house that we have.
Other related posts:
Peru: Four Years of Uncertainty for Defendants in ‘Baguazo’ Clashes
Blogging about Bagua [es]
Reflecting on Bagua [es]
Peru: A Year Since Bagua
Peru: Attacks to human rights and freedom of expression
Strike in the jungle, protests in Lima [es]
Bagua: The voices of the people [es]
Bagua: Reasonable doubts [es]
Bagua, What should be done now? [es]
Peru: Responsibility for the Casualties in Amazon Conflict
Peru: Clashes Break Out in the Amazon Region

author: Juan Arellano


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President Mugabe Unilaterally Declares Zimbabwe Poll Date · Global Voices
Madalitso Mwando

Ignoring protests from his coalition partners and Zimbabwean citizens, President Robert Mugabe has unilaterally declared 31 July, 2013 as the date the country will hold elections.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been in a coalition government with President Robert Mugabe since 2009, says he will not accept the date.
Political parties have been pushing for a later date since last month when the Constitutional Court ordered Robert Mugabe to hold elections by July 31 following a successful application by Jealousy Mawarire, Director of the Centre for Elections and Democracy in Southern Africa (CEDSA). Five main opposition parties immediately protested the time-frame set by the court arguing that more time was needed to implement major electoral reforms to guarantee a free and fair election.
President Robert Mugabe will be the second oldest presidential candidate in Africa. Photo released to the public domain by the U.S. federal government.
However, a human rights activist Nixon Nyikadzino has filed an application with the Constitutional Court seeking to compel President Robert Mugabe to proclaim an election date after complying with the constitutional requirements. He argues that it is legally and constitutionally impossible to hold elections by July 31, 2013 without infringing his rights.
Immediately after the announcement, Zimbabweans took to Twitter to express their reactions.
Conor Walsh (@ConorMWalsh) pointed out that it was Mugabe who “ordered the court to order”:
@ConorMWalsh: @Mavhure @DrMupakati Gushungo [Gushungo is President Mugabe’s totem] will enforce Court order because seasoned observers know it is the order Gushungo ordered the Court to order.
Busie Bhebhe (@BusieBhebhe) posted:
@BusieBhebhe: @hoperuswa @zenzele I hope he invents a voting machine that cannot be manipulated since he will be free from politics
Nqaba Matshazi (@nqabamatshazi) asked:
@nqabamatshazi: Is the declaration of an election by Mugabe an act of brinksmanship, or a calculated gamble?
NewsDay Editor Consta Chimakure (@cchimakure) noted that Mugabe bypassed the parliament:
@cchimakure: Mugabe used presidential powers to amend electoral act and proclaim election date bypassing parly
Crisis Coalition (@crisiscoalition) explained the legal basis of the announcement:
@crisiscoalition: Mugabe used the Presidential Temporary Powers to choose a date,Presidential Powers (Temp Measures Amendment of Electoral Act) Regulations'13
mandlenkosi mpofu (@mdutshwa) asked:
@mdutshwa: @nqabamatshazi @NcubeNjabulo is this a bluff or is he for real? cant say whether its arrogance or confidence
Stanley Kwenda (@stanleykwenda) reported:
@stanleykwenda: PM (Prime Minister Morgan)Tsvangirai goes to court to overturn Mugabe proclamation & urges claim among Zim's
Finally, Marko Phiri, blogging at Kubatana blog, asked, “Democracy, what democracy?”:
One certain thing about this latest declaration is that it entrenches apathetic attitudes to electoral processes as some say if Mugabe can unilaterally call for polls despite Tsvangirai’s own earlier declaration that he holds the keys to elections, what is to stop him (Mugabe) from declaring himself a winner in the elections, or as he did in 2008 refuse to accept defeat.
Yet that should be motivation enough for Zimbabweans who have heeded the call to register and also check the voters roll to exercise their franchise to the fullest and show the power mongers who is in charge, or else attempting to kick Zanu PF in the butt will equate to just another fool’s errand.
Look who’s laughing now. Democracy, what democracy?

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Madalitso Mwando


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Russia’s Commodification of Political Prisoners · Global Voices
Nina Jobe

In a ruling that came as something of a surprise to his supporters, on May 31, 2013, Moscow’s top court overturned businessman Alexey Kozlov’s previous “conviction on the charge of money laundering.” Kozlov’s lawyer, meanwhile, announced that a “compromise decision was exactly what we expected.”
Released a few days later after the new court ruling, Kozlov regained his freedom not without additional struggle that included threatening a hunger strike [ru], and both his wife and lawyer journeying to the prison in Ivanovo, where he was incarcerated [ru].
Kozlov’s wife, journalist-activist Olga Romanova, argued [ru] that the case against him was fabricated by his old business partner, Vladimir Slutsker [ru], who happens to be a former member of the Federation Council (Russia’s senate). Romanova contended [ru] that her husband was a political prisoner, explaining that he became a target because of her own work as a journalist, specifically because of an article she wrote in The New Times about Alexei Mordashov, chief of the Russian steel and mining company Severstal. Former Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov supported Romanova's claim, saying, “Literally, of course, we don’t have political prisoners, we don’t have charges, say, for anti-Soviet propaganda or anti-Putin propaganda…. But the political nature of many criminal prosecutions is perfectly obvious.”
Upon his release from prison, Kozlov gave a round of interviews to the press [ru], saying [ru] that he viewed his victory in court and release from prison as a sign to keep fighting, and pledged to do so. After commenting for Politvestnik.tv, Kozlov's interviewer wrote [ru] on YouTube:
Бизнесмен Алексей Козлов уверен в том, что государственная система, перемалывающая судьбы людей, готова отступить лишь перед тем человеком, кто стоит до конца.
Businessman Alexei Kozlov is certain that the state system, which is designed to crush people's hopes, is prepared to back down only before a man who stand to the end.
In the comments below the YouTube clip, one user cynically responded:
А Магнитский? Стоял до конца, и что? Государственная система отступила? Нет
And Magnitsky? He stood until the end, and what? Did the state system back down? No.
Alexey Kozlov and his wife, Olga Romanova, 21 September 2011, screenshot from YouTube video by slonruvideo.
Blogger Anton Nosik was more positive [ru], commenting on both Kozlov’s case and another recent court victory by activist Vadim Korovin:
Обе новости достаточно неожиданные на общем фоне нашей удручающей судебной практики. Но их пример — отрадное свидетельство: даже в насквозь прогнившей системе квази-правосудия находятся смелые люди. Как бы мало их там ни было, они все же есть.
А значит, не все потеряно.
Both pieces of news are quite unexpected against the backdrop of our depressing jurisprudence. But their example is welcome evidence that, even in the rotten system of quasi-justice, there are brave people. However few there are, they are still there.
And so all is not lost.
This received some disparaging responses, including one comment [ru] crediting an upcoming G8 meeting with the courtroom surprises:
Так и при СССР делалось во время саммитов. Хотят избежать неприятных вопросов. После саммита все наверно станет как обычно…
And in the USSR this was done during summits. They want to avoid unpleasant questions. After the summit, everything will be like always…
Yet another comment [ru] referred to the Bolotnaya Square trial, which threatens over a dozen opposition protesters with serious prison sentences, if convicted:
создают фон для московских процессов—вера в доброго царя
They laying the groundwork for the Moscow trials—faith in the good tsar.
Is Kozlov's unexpected release from prison a beacon of hope for Russia's embattled “political prisoners,” or are the cynics right when they observe an only temporary (and thoroughly expedient) lull in Russian jurisprudence?

author: Nina Jobe


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Syria: 18 Journalists Killed in January  · Global Voices
Rami Alhames

Freedom of the Press worldwide in 2013. Source: Reporters without Borders on Facebook
The Syrian Journalists Association (SJA) on Facebook [ar] reported that January 2013 was the deadest month for journalists since Syrian protests erupted in March 2011.
According to the page:
كانون ثاني/يناير الأعنف بحق الصحفيين والنشاط الإعلاميين منذ انطلاقة الثورة
في حصيلة هي الأعنف بحق رجال الإعلام منذ بداية الثورة السورية، وثقت لجنة الحريات الصحفية في رابطة الصحفيين السوريين والمعنية برصد وتوثيق الانتهاكات بحق الصحفيين والنشطاء الإعلاميين. وثقت مقتل /18/ صحفياً وناشطاً إعلامياً في شهر كانون ثاني يناير 2013 ليرتفع بذلك ضحايا الإعلام /127/
January has been the most violent month against journalists and media activists since the beginning of the revolution. The freedom of Press committee at the SJA has been able to document the murder of 18 journalists and media activists during the month of January 2013, making the number of victims climb to 127 journalists.
Syria ranked as the 176th country out of 179 countries in the Press Freedom Index, in the Reporters Without Borders’ 2012 report. Its president Bashar Al Assad is also regarded as one of the world’s 38 “Predators of Press freedom”.

author: Rami Alhames


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Syria: Criticizing Arab Silence  · Global Voices
Rami Alhames

Steadfast Syrians, Silent Arabs. Source: Political farce page
Political Farce posted a photograph on Facebook criticizing the silence of Arabs over developments in Syria.


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Syria: Old Homs Under Siege for a Year  · Global Voices
Rami Alhames

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests
This month marks the first anniversary of the siege of the old city of Homs, often described as the capital of the Syrian Revolution. Homs, one of the first revolutionary Syrian cities to revolt against the tyranny of Bashar Al Assad, along with 14 neighborhoods and districts of the old city, including Baba Amr, Bab Sbaa, Khalidiya and Deir Balba, has been subjected to bombardment by the Syrian regime, shelling and raids for more than two years, making the daily survival even harder as food and medical supplies dwindle.
Homs…city under siege
by abdulrahman-romano
In November 2012, Global Voices Online ran a post entitled Homs, A Revolutionary Syrian City in Ruins. The “siege” of the 14 neighborhoods in Homs is a special case – and is not similar to other Syrian cities. It is a reminder of the siege of Gaza. However, in Homs there are no secret tunnels to smuggle basic supplies, medical aid and injured and sick people. In Homs, a few thousand people are trapped in an area where there were 400,000 people residing. jeydt23 reported on Storify:
What is being called the Siege of Homs is arguably the most intense war zone in all of Syria at the moment. The siege has been going on for months with the death tolls on both sides of the conflict adding up daily. Below are pictures, tweets, and videos of the people striving to survive.
In old Homs, there is no agricultural land to grow vegetables and fruit, resulting in shortages in food supplies. This video shows children picking leaves and complaining about the lack of food:
There is also no hospital or medical center, [Al Amal Hospital was fully destroyed on April 1, 2012]. Instead, some [warning: link to graphic video showing an injured person undergoing an operation without anesthesia] makeshift hospitals rely on trainees to serve patients.
The government has also cut services such as electricity, water or communications in the besieged neighbourhoods. Instead, the survival of the inhabitants depends on water from wells, electricity generators and the use of satellite communications. There are no schools, universities or educational institutions. Instead, hundreds of children are living daily bombings and continuous daily shelling by mortar, rocket launchers, long-range missiles, tanks and warplane raids.
Syrian activists posted this video on the Facebook page of Break the siege of Homs on June 6, 2013, revealing the destruction of the city.
The blog Greater Syria posted a heart-breaking story under the title Yasin and Maryam Sabbagh…End the Siege on Homs, which describes the murder of a brother and sister (Yassin and Maryam) who were killed by a mortar bomb, fired by the regime’s forces in pro-regime districts, while playing outside their home. A video of their martyrdom with an emotional comment said:
A short while ago, a piece of news stabbed my heart hard and petrified my eyes in disbelief. […..] Maryam and Yassin Sabbagh drawing what their life has been limited to: mortars, shelling, darkness, fear, and destruction; deprived from education, from schools, from having friends and neighbours to play with, from enjoying the blessings of life like world’s children, from food and sanitary water, from electricity, from everything..
Break the siege of Homs. Source Facebook page
On his Facebook page, Yazan Homsi calls upon Syrians to support the revolution and not let the martyrs down. He posted a letter written by an activist who reminded all Syrian activists of their pledge to protect the revolution until it achieves its goals:
عتب شهيد على كل متخاذل ….
تاريخ الكتابة 9-6-2013 حمص – المنطقة المحاصرة
تاريخ الشهادة 10-6-2013 حمص – المنطقة المحاصرة
A reproach from a martyr for everyone not living up to his duty…
Written Date 09/06/2013 Homs – the besieged area
Martyrdom Date 10/06/2013 Homs – the besieged area
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests


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The Daily Sexism that Women Face · Global Voices
Camille Comméléran

A woman leaves an airport and feels naked in the face of the looks that every man throws at her on the way out. All women have experienced this to the extent that it seems normal. An article entitled What a Woman Feels [pt] by Cláudia Regina sheds light on this day to day life of a woman, from the sexist comments and inconveniences she must put up with, to the violence, family oppression, and society that she has to endure throughout her life.

author: Camille Comméléran


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Anger Over Attacks Against Myanmar Migrants in Malaysia · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

The ethnic violence in Myanmar seems to be spreading in nearby countries.
Some Myanmar Buddhist migrants in Malaysia have been attacked in recent weeks which many people believe are related to the ongoing ethnic and religious tension in Myanmar. According to Eleven Media, 6 died and 12 were hospitalized with injuries during the violent attacks against Myanmar nationals in Malaysia from May 30 to June 8.
Myanmar's Embassy in Malaysia initially dismissed the news which angered many Burmese netizens. Ye Htut, Myanmar's Deputy Minister of Ministry of Information clarified[my] the report:
(We) read the news on the Internet about the clashes near a Myanmar monastery at KamPung and Selayang and that some Myanmar nationals died. (We) immediately asked the Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia about this issue at 5 pm and again at 8 pm via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ambassador said the news was false. […]
A Myanmar national put 11 red roses in front of Malaysia's Embassy in Yangon in honor of Myanmar migrants killed in Malaysia. Photo – Ye Moe's Facebook.
Wai Lin Oo expressed[my] his frustration with the Embassy's response:
It's actually happening! If you want to approve Embassy's words, just prepare a flight in Myanmar to carry the dead bodies back.
Fang Ran asserted[my] a similar point.
People are suffering. They are just simply liars who don't even go outside the Embassy. And they charge us extreme taxes. I can't even mention in words how they often reprimand ( citizens who are seeking refuge in the Embassy). […] When can we depend on Myanmar government? It's really discouraging. Where is respect for human rights of Myanmar nationals?[…]
Myo Set compared[my] how the governments of other countries are behaving when faced with a similar situation:
When a Japanese was killed in 2007 in Myanmar, a Japan Minister came at once. When Myanmar workers had issues with a Korean factory owner, the Korean Embassy suddenly became involved in the case. North Korea cleared away the books about Kim Jong Ill from book shops in Myanmar. What a shame! US came down to Myanmar once there were issues of Yettaw.
Our turn?
In Malaysia, the Ambassador's mouth got a stroke. Ministry of Information is crippled and Myanmar government is paralyzed.
We are Burmese, a community page of Myanmar citizens around the world questioned the silence of NGOs and media regarding the abuses suffered by Buddhists in Malaysia:
On June 4, when voices became louder and attacks became more serious, the Myanmar government issued an Aide Memoire to Malaysia's Ambassador in Myanmar urging the Malaysian government to investigate the issue immediately and take legal actions against responsible persons. On June 6, Malaysia reported that 900 Myanmar nationals were detained during a security sweep. Myanmar government is preparing[my] to send a team of special representatives to Malaysia.
Since some of the injured Myanmar migrants cannot afford the hospital bills, the Malaysia Kampung Free Funeral Service Social Team (Kampung FFSS) gave donation to the victims. U Aung Ko Win, President of the Kanbawza Bank who also runs Myanmar Airways International (MAI) donated[my] $50,000 US dollars and cut the MAI air ticket fees of the Malaysia-Myanmar route by 50% for the convenience of migrants who wish to go back to Myanmar. Another well-known wealthy personnel, U Zaw Zaw, who is President of Myanmar Football Federation announced[my] that he will donate 1,000 air tickets for those who want to go back to Myanmar, plus additional $20,000 US dollars donation to Kampung FFSS.
Many netizens on Facebook changed their profile pictures to black to grieve the deaths of Myanmar citizens in Malaysia.

author: Chan Myae Khine


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Australian DJ Asks PM if Partner is Gay  · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Mia Freedman of popular website Mamamia attacks the “disgraceful” behaviour of shock jock Howard Sattler when he asked Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard whether her partner Tim was gay. [Wikipedia: ‘A shock jock is a type of radio broadcaster or disc jockey who entertains listeners or attracts attention using humor and/or melodramatic exaggeration that a notable portion of the listening audience may find offensive.’]

author: Kevin Rennie


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PHOTOS: Hundreds Arrested in Brazil’s Bus Fare Protests  · Global Voices
Davi Bonela

[All links lead to Portuguese language articles]
The fourth protest of the Free Fare Movement, which took place this Thursday, June 13, in São Paulo was met with police repression in the form of pepper spray, rubber bullets and tear gas. According to the latest news, at least 235 people were arrested during the protests.
Nearly five thousand protesters gathered in front of the Municipal Theater as part of continued protests against the bus fare increase from 3.00 BRL  (1.40 USD) to 3.20 BRL (1.50 USD). Protests have been ongoing since June 6 in response to the increase that was put into effect four days earlier. The case has already gained international attention.
The movement has been using a Facebook page to organize, and demonstrations have followed in other Brazilian state capitals that are also protesting fare increases for public transportation. Journalists and other opinion leaders have been discussing the fare increase in the national media, while citizens have been expressing their opinions through the internet. The protesters, who suffered police brutality during the protests, were referred to as “vandals”, by Governor Geraldo Alckmin and criticized by Mayor Fernando Haddad (currently in Paris). Nonetheless, both the state and city governments confirmed they will maintain fare increase.
The video below shows the police attacking members of the press.
Sao Paulo
The protests along Consolação Street can be viewed through footage from the security cameras that monitor the city's streets, was possible to watch the protests live at Consolação street.
The website O que não sai na tv (What They Don't Show on TV) is following the protests and posting in real time.
Protester hold a poster: “Who doesn't fight for what it wants…Accepts what it comes” Photo: Vinicius Victorino/ oquenaosainatv.tumblr.com
Protest brought thousands of people to the streets. Photo: Vinicius Victorino/ oquenaosainatv.tumblr.com
Tear gas along Paulista Avenue Photo: Lais Peterlin/http:/oquenaosainatv.tumblr.com
Rio De Janeiro
Protesters occupy the area around Rio de Janeiro's State House. Photo: Pedro Rajão / Facebook.
Pepper vs. Vinegar
Brazilian netizens on Twitter are protesting under the hashtag #pimentavsvinagre (pepper vs. vinegar). The words refer to the police's indiscriminate use of pepper spray and the vinegar-soaked cloth or bandanas that some protesters wear to counter the effects.
Another trending hashtag is #Consolação, the name of the street where the protests are taking place.
Sao Paulo resident Gabriela Reimberg (@gabyreimberg) tweeted:
@gabyreimberg: Brasil mostra a tua cara #pimentavsvinagre
@gabyreimberg:Brazil, show yourself #peppervsvinegar
Advertising agent Luis Salsicha (@LuisSalsicha) said:
@LuisSalsicha: e que esses manifestos não parem por aqui… hora de mostrar de quem é esse país! #pimentavsvinagre
@gabyreimberg:Hopefully these protests won't stop here… it's time to show (the world) who this country (really) is! #peppervsvinegar
Blogger Rafael Takano (@telefone) commented:
@telefone: Bombas em direção de fotógrafos e do posto de gasolina no cruzamento entre consolação e Maria Antônia. Agora mais… http://fb.me/2SpxemWOX
@telefone:Bombs being thrown at photographers and at the gas station located at the cross streets of Consolação and Maria Antonia. And now more…http://fb.me/2SpxemWOX
Brazilians are posting Passe Livre SP comments as part of online protests on the Free Fare page on Facebook. The social movement's posts have been receiving an average of 1000 replies from netizens per post, like this one calling for a fifth demonstration  on Monday, June 17.
In collaboration with Luis Henrique. Proofread by Melissa Mann

author: Davi Bonela


text:
European Award for Helping Victims of the Spanish Mortgage Crisis · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

[Links are to Spanish-language pages except where otherwise indicated.]
The European Parliament announced the winners of this year's European Citizen's prize. One of the awards went to the Mortgage Victims’ Platform (PAH in Spanish), a grassroots organization dedicated to alleviating the suffering of people in Spain who have been affected by the subprime crisis and evicted from their homes. According to the European Parliament's website [en], this award is given to individuals and organizations that
personas u organizaciones excepcionales que luchen por los valores europeos, promuevan la integración entre ciudadanos y los Estados miembros o faciliten la cooperación transnacional en el seno de la Unión, y a los que día a día tratan de promover los valores de la Carta de Derechos Fundamentales de la UE.
either facilitate cross-border cooperation within the EU or promote better mutual understanding and closer integration between citizens and member states. It can also be awarded for day-to-day activities reflecting the values enshrined in the EU's charter of fundamental rights.
Collecting signatures for the ILP petition in Berriozar (Navarra). Photo from the PAH network in Navarra
One of PAH's important undertakings was the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP in Spanish), a petition that seeks to modify the current mortgage law to allow homeowners to transfer the title of their residence to their financial institution and thereby write off their debt, even in cases where the property is worth less than the loan.  According to polls, it has the support of close to 90% of Spaniards. Although the petition obtained almost 1.5 million signatures and was accepted for consideration by the Parliament, PAH decided to withdraw it when it was discovered that the Government intended to approve a law that elicited the following comment from PAH spokesperson Ada Colau:
nos parece inaceptable que el Gobierno pretenda utilizar su mayoría para aprobar una ley que nada tiene que ver con nuestra propuesta. No queremos que lo haga en nuestro nombre. Nosotros la seguiremos defendiendo a través de nuestras campañas de desobediencia, sin renunciar a seguir presionando al Gobierno
we consider it unacceptable that the government should use its majority status to pass a law that has nothing to do with our proposal.  We do not want them to do it in our name. We will continue to defend it through our campaign of civil disobedience, without relinquishing pressure on the government.
PAH has favoured controversial campaigns such as the escraches [en] [a form of targeted public demonstrations] against political figures in order to garner their support for the petition, which resulted in the Partido Popular leadership branding PAH activists “Nazis” and accusing them of supporting pro-ETA groups.
Criticism by netizens of the PP's reaction. Image uploaded to  Twitter by user Rafael Muñoz
Politicians from the governing Partido Popular (PP) have reacted angrily to the awarding of the prize, announced on 6 June 2013. Spanish MEP Carlos Iturgaiz declared:
hoy ha sido Ada Colau, mañana nos pueden traer a Arnaldo Otegi y con el voto de la izquierda salir adelante y dar un premio a Otegi.
Today it was Ada Colau, tomorrow they can bring us Arnaldo Otegi and with the leftist vote go further and get a prize for Otegi.
[Arnaldo Otegi [en] is the historical leader of Herri Batasuna, the political arm of ETA].
Many netizens, criticized the MEP's comment. Cavendish and Tony S.A.G. replied on Twitter:
@lowcost12: -Quién ha dicho que después de Colau vendrá Otegui? -Iturgáiz -No, me refiero a si lo ha dicho alguien con cerebro
@lowcost12: – Who said that after Colau there would be Otegi? – Iturgáiz – I'm not asking whether it was said by someone with half a brain
PP”hoy ha sido Ada Colau,mañana nos pueden traer a Arnaldo Otegui” hoy es el PP, mañana nos pueden traer la vuelta del Generalisimo.
PP “today it was Ada Colau, tomorrow they can bring us Arnaldo Otegui” today it's the PP, tomorrow they might bring back the Generalisimo.
Bosco Martín Algarra, on his blog treinta y muchos says:
Ningún político en su sano juicio, salvo Iturgáiz y algunos compañeros de su partido se atreve a comparar a la PAH con ETA y a Ada Colau con Otegi. Resulta tan desproporcionado que hasta muchos simpatizantes del PP evitan criticar en público a la PAH para no ser identificados con opiniones tan absurdas como las de Iturgáiz. Y lo peor de todo: es Iturgáiz, precisamente alguien que ha padecido el acoso etarra como él, quien utilice de manera tan irresponsable argumentos tan superficiales.
No politician in his right mind, except for Iturgáiz and a few of his fellow party members would dare to compare the PAH to ETA and Ada Colau to Otegi. It is such a disproportionate reaction that many PP sympathizers avoid publicly criticizing PAH so as not to be identified with opinions as absurd as those of Iturgáiz. And worst of all is the fact that someone like Iturgáiz, who has actually suffered harassment by ETA, is using such superficial arguments so irresponsibly.
The Partido Popular's MEPs have indicated they will request the prize be revoked although the European People's Party, to which they belong, supported the prize being awarded to PAH. The Socialist
“In Spain, the prize awarded to anti-eviction militants infuriates the right.” Screen shot of the French daily Le Monde. Tweet by Carmela Ríos
Enrique Barón, former president of the European Parliament and the only Spaniard on the jury commented in an interview with Eldiario.es:
Se aprobó todo por unanimidad y en el caso del premio a la PAH no hubo ningún tipo de debate. Los populares europeos estaban de acuerdo.
Everything was unanimously approved, and in the case of the PAH prize there was no debate of any kind. The European People's Party agreed.
Meanwhile Rafael Hernando, a PP legislator, tweeted:
@Rafa_Hernando Baron PSOE hace trampas para quitarle el Premio del Parlamento Europeo a una discapacitada medallista olímpica y darselo a Colau vaya jeta!
@Rafa_Hernando Baron PSOE is conniving to revoke the European Parliament prize given to a Paralympic medallist and award it to Colau some nerve!
Hernando is referring to Teresa Perales [en], a Spanish Paralympic swimmer and winner of 22 medals—as many as Michael Phelps—who was also nominated. The jury justified its decision arguing that
Los deportistas no reúnen los requisitos de este galardón porque ya tienen su propio reconocimiento en su actividad.
Athletes do not meet the criteria for this prize as they have already received recognition for their endeavours.
The sports spokesperson for the PP , Miriam Blasco, expressed her opinion:
Se quiere castigar al Gobierno pero se le da una patada al deporte paralímpico
They want to punish the Government but Paralympic sports is taking the hit.
To which netizen JAVI responded:
Ya está el PP en pleno en el papel de víctima (el que más les gusta despues del de embusteros) y manipulando a los minusválidos para intentar crear en la opinión pública la sensación de injusticia. Se puede caer más bajo?
The PP is already playing the role of victim (their second favourite after liar) and manipulating the disabled in order to foster a sense of public injustice. Can you get any lower?
Spain's Minister of External Affairs, José Manuel García Margallo, has said he considers that it was an “error on the part of Parliament” to award the prize to PAH alleging that “it has encouraged so-called escraches.”
Image on Facebook from the PAH webpage in the Sant Boi municipality
Although the ruling party is concentrating on the escraches organized by PAH as part of its campaign in favour of the ILP, their platform is above all that of an interest group trying to defend a constitutional right to housing and alleviate the tragedy of foreclosure and eviction—which in 2012 alone left more than 30 000 families homeless (data from the Colegio de Registradores)—by offering legal aid and psychological support to the victims of the housing crisis. Even the European Central Bank, in a report published on May 26 recommended the following to the Spanish government:
«debería adoptarse un conjunto de medidas más amplio que aborde las causas subyacentes de las dificultades relacionadas con las hipotecas y que trate de evitar, en la medida de lo posible, las ejecuciones hipotecarias»
a series of broader measures should be adopted to address the underlying causes of the problems related to mortgages and that try, insofar as possible, to avoid foreclosure.”

author: Lourdes Sada


text:
Kazakh Minister Fired as Netizens Criticize Pension Plans  · Global Voices
Bermet Zhumakadyr kyzy

A Facebook-driven reaction to the government's attempt to ram through a pension reform without public discussion has given people approaching retirement age in Kazakhstan a rare voice. The republic's Social Affairs Minister was toppled after a gaffe at a public appearance made him an object of ridicule, while Kazakhstan's strongman president Nursultan Nazarbayev has since undersigned several amendments to the bill.
The unpopular pensions bill would introduce significant changes: it would increase retirement age for women from 58 to 63, it would make currently voluntary retirement contributions to the state pension fund compulsory, and it would increase the government's role in handling retirement money vis-a-vis private pension funds. The bill has been met with fierce opposition from the public, especially the proposal delaying female retirement age for women, given that average life expectancy in Kazakhstan is only 67. Growing social and economic inequality in Kazakhstan provide a fiery backdrop to discussions about the bill.
One of the main spokespersons for the pension reform, Serik Abdenov [ru], ex-Minister of Labor and Social Protection, has emerged as a caricature of official incompetence ever since the bill first became public knowledge. Back on April 26 he was pelted with eggs during a press conference on changes to the pension system. Later, when addressing a group of concerned workers in the town of Temirtau, he was asked why women should work five extra years. Abdenov replied [ru] “You have to work and work, because, my dear fellow countrymen, because, because.” The video went viral and “патамушта-патамушта” – “because-because”, misspelled for comic effect – became a meme, with women posting pictures of themselves holding a sign that says “I have to work until I'm 63 because because”.
A woman is holding a sign that reads “I have to work until I'm 63, because-because…. Widely shared. Originally posted on the public facebook group “патамушта-патамушта”.
“Because, because they do whatever they wish”
The general feeling among netizens is that the reforms are being introduced by complacent officials who do not care enough to even explain the purpose for the reforms.
Assel Khodzhi posted [ru] on the Facebook page of the public group “Because Because”:
Патамушта у нас всё через патамушто, творят, что хотят, а на народ наплевать!
Because everything is done just because, they do whatever they wish to and do not care about people!
Other netizens go further, accusing uncaring officials of misusing public funds. WoOTTw commented [ru] on a newsreel uploaded onto YouTube video by national broadcaster Channel 7:
денег мало им видать,всю страну разворовали и продали,теперь деньги где брать? только у народа забирать последнее […] правительство ВОРы и ему по барабану на народ,тоесть на нас всех
Apparently they are short on money, after robbing the whole country, where else would they get more money? Take what is left from the people […] the government is a THIEF and it doesn't care about the people, about any of us
Another commenter иван иванов is certain [ru] that public monies are being appropriated by Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan:
[…] На самом деле законопроект антинародный, преступный. Так и хочется спросить нашего дорогого (в прямом смысле) Леонида Ильича Назарбаева : зачем такой злой, зачем как собака. Он сейчас собрал со всего мира, любителей пожрать и потанцевать на халяву (за деньги народа Казахстана) […]
[..] The bill, in fact, is anti-people, criminal. One would like to ask our precious President Nazarbayev: why he is so mean, why he is such a dog. He has now gathered, from all over the world, those who love dancing and devouring free food (all at the expense of the people of Kazakhstan) […].
By far the most unpopular aspect of the bill is the proposal to delay retirement age for women from 58 until 63. Gauhar Suleimenova, also commenting under the Channel 7 clip, condemns [ru] this:
Не у всех женщин легкая работа, есть,которые убирают помещения, есть, которые бегают по всему городу разносят квитанции, есть,которые стоят целыми днями на базаре, потому что нужно прокормить своих детей,им прикажете тоже заниматься всем этим и в совсем зрелом возрасте?Задумайся,Серик Абденов, если в голове хоть капелька мозгов у тебя есть.Задумайтесь и те,которые приказали ему говорить такие глупости.Женщин нужно беречь,мы – матери,а это уже огромная заслуга,чтобы к нам относились с уважением!
Not all women have easy jobs, there are those who clean buildings, there are those who run all around the city to deliver the receipts and bills, there are those who stand all day in the market, because they need to feed their children – will you order them to keep doing the same when they are old? Think, Serik Abdenov, if you have some brains left in your head. Also, those who ordered him to say such silly things, think too. Women should be nurtured, we are mothers, and this in itself is already a huge achievement that earns respect!
In this demotivator (left), a young boy asks ex-Minister Serik Abdenov why his grandma has to work until she is 63. The response: “Because, boy, because”. On the right, the new law is likely to increase a sense of vulnerability among Kazakhstan's elderly (images shared via public facebook group “Патамушта. Патамушта”)
Serik Abdenov, owing to his “because-because” gaffe, has rapidly become a target for Internet ridicule and humor.
@_script tweeted [ru]:
а можно некоторые пункты трудового договора в РК заменить на #патамуштапатамушта?
can we replace some parts of the labor code of Kazakhstan with #because-because?
To which he got a reply [ru] from @GoogleRoma:
@_script Нет, нельзя. А знаешь почему? #патамуштапатамушта
No. And you know why? #because-because
@Miyatov remade the words of a famous Soviet song to poke fun [ru] at the minister's gaffe:
#патамуштапатамушта мы пилоты, небо наш, небо наш родимый дом. Первым делом, первым делом на работу. А пенсия? А пенсия – потом!)))
#becausebecause we are pilots, the sky is our home. Work comes first. What about our pensions? And pensions – afterwards!)))
The battle is over, the war goes on
In what might be seen as a victory for Internet humor, as well as more old-fashioned expressions of public discontent such as egg-throwing, Serik Abdenov was fired [ru] on President Nursultan Nazarbayev's orders on June 10. On the same day, Nazarbayev blasted [ru] the government and the National Bank's “clumsy” handling of the “socially important” bill.
Previously the bill had been approved by the parliament and sent to the president. However, in the wake of growing public ire, Nazarbayev returned [ru] the bill to parliament with an amendment [ru] proposing step by step increases to the retirement age beginning from January 2018, not January 2014 as proposed by parliament. The lower house of the Kazakh parliament has already approved [ru] the President's amendment, and the upper house is expected to do the same.

author: Bermet Zhumakadyr kyzy


text:
More Violence for Russia’s Gays, Supporters · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Between increasingly strident homophobic rhetoric, violent hate crimes [GV], discriminatory firings [GV], and now the newly-passed federal law that makes “propaganda of homosexuality” illegal [ru] (being an administrative infraction, perpetrators of such “propaganda” will be fined, rather than criminally prosecuted), everyone can agree that it is a difficult time to be part of Russia's LGBT community. In fact, these days supporting LGBT rights can earn you a trip to the hospital.
At least this is where Maria Baronova, a blogger and opposition activist, ended up after attending a protest against the “propaganda of homosexuality” law on June 11. Baronova, who recently made a splash on the RuNet [GV] by writing a rather naughty public letter criticizing Other Russia leader Eduard Limonov, is one of the defendants in the May 6 civil disorder case [en] and an old hand at participating in opposition rallies. This one in particular proved to be her downfall.
The protest, which took place in front of the Duma, the Russian house of parliament, turned violent from the start. Photo-blogger Ilya Varlamov, who documented the day's events in a LiveJournal post [ru], tweeted [ru]:
У Думы очередной пиздец. Православные бьют ЛГБТ
Sh*t's f*cked up again near the Duma. The Orthodox are beating up the LGBT.
Journalist Tikhon Dzyadko also reported [ru] that religious anti-LGBT activists were out in force:
Было несколько стычек. “Православные” скандировали “Москва не содом”, “ОМОН, дави пидрил”, “Бей пидарасов”, “Христос Воскресе”, “Слава русскому ОМОНу” и проч. ЛГБТ-активистов закидывали яйцами, крапивой и презервативами с говном.
There were several clashes. The “orthodox” chanted “Moscow isn't Sodom,” “SWAT the f*gs,” “Kill the f*ggots,” “Christ has risen,” “Glory to the Russian SWAT” and so on. LGBT activists had eggs, nettles, and condoms filled with sh*t thrown at them.
A scuffle erupts between an LGBT activist (in yellow) and man who threw a condom filled with feces at him. YouTube screenshot. June 14, 2013
Also participating in the pogrom were teenage hooligans, some of them reportedly as young as twelve years old [ru]. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that the police and SWAT teams ostensibly there to control the crowd were largely inactive in stopping assaults on protesters.
It appears that Baronova was a victim of one such assault where the perpetrator was allowed to escape. She tweeted [ru] shortly after the incident, describing how the police were in the process of releasing a detained anti-LGBT activist:
Только что из ОВД Тверское вывели человека, сломавшего нос Адику 22 января. Стали заводить за угол. Я пошла за ними. Тоже зашла за угол В этот момент меня обогнал мужчина в рубашке и галстуке ростом 190+ и резко ударил в живот кулаком, сотрудники Полиции в кол-ве человек 5ти Стали удерж.мужчин,которые его пытались задержать.
Just now from the Tverskoe Police Dept. they've led out the man who broke Adik's nose on January 22. They took him behind the [building] corner. I went behind there as well. At this time I was overtaken by a man wearing a dress shirt and tie, 190 cm tall, who abruptly punched me in the stomach with his fist, and the 5 policemen present at the scene tried to restrain the men who were trying to apprehend him.
According to Baronova, the police did not even try to apprehend the man who assaulted her, and to make it worse, they blocked bystanders who tried to do just that. She described [ru] her assailant on twitter (“Very handsome young man, Russian, 185 cm tall or higher, in a lavender shirt, gray slacks and brown shoes.”), but so far no one has identified him. That's not to say there aren't theories —  for example, Twitter user @basilla_the1st asked [ru] Baronova if she thought it could have been the “cucumber” that punched her (she doesn't think so), referring to an incident last week, when Baronova spit in the face of a man dressed as a cucumber [ru], who was picketing outside her courtroom and demanding prison sentences.
The human cucumber, who many suspect of being a Kremlin-paid plant, before the spitting incident. YouTube screenshot, June 14, 2013.
Self-described journalist and photographer, @willysever, also made reference to the spitting incident, tweeting [ru] cynically:
Ни в жисть не поверю, что г-жа Баронова никому там в глаз не харкнула хотя бы, перед тем, как огрести…
I don't for a second believe that Ms. Baronova didn't, at the very least, spit someone in the eye, before getting jumped…
Baronova was taken to a Moscow hospital for observation, but appears to be doing fine [ru] — she tweeted that no internal organs were damaged, although she is feeling nauseous and has had several spasms. The man who punched her will likely never be found, but Baronova is more concerned [ru] with what her experience says about LGBT rights in Russia. It's nothing good:
Слушайте, обычные активисты и сочувствующие. История с ЛГБТ-протестом совсем другая. Вот совсем. Поведение полиции другое. Агрессия другая Я этого никогда не замечала, но это какая-то абсолютно параллельная реальность, в которой полиция себя ведет иначе.
Listen up, conventional activists and sympathizers. The story with the LGBT protest is completely different [from the regular political protests]. Completely. The police behavior is different. The aggression is different. I never notices this, but it's some kind of utterly parallel reality, where the police behaves completely different.

author: Andrey Tselikov


text:
Orphaned in US, SOPA Finds Home in Russia · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

America’s controversial Stop Online Piracy Act is back—and it’s poised to become law in a matter of weeks. SOPA, however, isn’t coming to the United States, where a wide coalition of Internet companies, human rights organizations, and concerned citizens defeated the legislation with a massive protest campaign in January 2012. A law that creates similarly harsh penalties for online copyright violations is on the cusp of finding a home in Russia, where it is called “Bill № 292521-6 [ru]: Amendments to the Russian Federation’s Laws Protecting Intellectual Property Rights on Information-Telecommunications Networks.” The media, understandably, is just calling it “the Russian SOPA.”
The lower house of Russia’s parliament, the Duma, approved [ru] a first draft of the legislation today, June 14, 2013, with a vote of 257 to 3 (plus one abstention). This move by lawmakers comes despite unanimous opposition from Russia’s Internet companies, which have rushed this week to publish detailed reports on the legislation’s potentially catastrophic damage to the RuNet.
This image was created by Kevin Rothrock using Vladimir Putin's official portrait by the Russian Presidential Press and Information Office, 2006, CC 3.0.
Russian SOPA’s nuts and bolts
Indeed, Russia’s SOPA-clone contains a number of worrying clauses. The law’s regime for notifying Internet service providers of copyright abuses, for instance, is laughably inadequate. Copyright holders do not need to provide ISPs with the specific location of an infringement (not even a URL address), forcing Internet companies to conduct constant monitoring for possible misuses of (potentially) copyrighted materials.
The law also revises the conditions of limited liability, exposing ISPs and other Internet intermediaries to legal responsibility in situations where they exercise no control over the content in question. Russian search engine Yandex warns [ru]:
[…] позволяет прийти к абсурдному выводу о том, что, получив уведомление правообладателя о потенциальном нарушении, имеющем место при передаче материала, провайдер, осуществляющий передачу, будет обязан каким-то образом прекратить такую передачу в отношении конкретного материала, что технически невозможно.
[The law] allows us to come to the absurd conclusion that, having been notified by the copyright holder of a potential violation occurring in the transmission of materials, the ISP, which performs the transmission, will be required somehow to stop the transfer of some specific material, which is technically impossible.
The Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC), which participated in the Culture Ministry’s working group [ru] on the anti-piracy legislation, has also criticized [ru] the law’s lack of consideration for possible fair use of copyrighted materials. Additionally, the RAEC protests, the law creates circumstances wherein ISPs must take provisional measures before copyright holders have filed a formal claim with the courts. Many opponents of the Russian SOPA cite this aspect of the law as an example of extrajudicial censorship. The reality of the law’s provisions is more complicated.
According to the legislation, the Moscow City Court would serve as the court of first instance in all civil cases involving online copyright infringement. Copyright holders first appeal to the court with a complaint that their property is being misused online, attaching (1) proof that they own the materials in question, and (2) proof that someone else is using them. (The court is supposed to take no action, without these attachments.) The court then determines a deadline, not to exceed fifteen days, by which the plaintiff must file a formal statement of claim, which actually launches the legal suit.
In the two weeks between the initial appeal and the option to file a suit, however, the law empowers the Moscow Court to force ISPs to take “interim measures” to remove the content in question, or risk having their entire IP address blocked, if they fail to comply within three days. If the plaintiff fails to file suit after fifteen days, the court dismisses the case and lifts the order for interim measures.
The RAEC claims that there is nothing in the legislation to prevent copyright holders from appealing to the Moscow Court every two weeks, without ever filing a formal suit. In other words, determined plaintiffs could keep in force what are supposed to be interim measures, by using the law as a rotating door. The RAEC explains in its report [ru] on the legislation:
Правообладатель имеет возможность не подавать иск, а каждые 15 дней обращаться за применением новых предварительных обеспечительных мер, и никакой ответственности за подобную практику не установлено.
The copyright holder has the opportunity not to sue, but every fifteen days [it can] appeal for the application of new interim measures, and [the law] establishes no responsibility for such behavior.
However, there is a provision in the law that allows ISPs to sue for losses incurred when executing the interim measures, if the plaintiff fails to file a formal suit within the fifteen-day period, or if an arbitration court later rejects the copyright holder’s claim. The current legislation [ru] reads:
Организация или гражданин, права и (или) законные интересы которых нарушены обеспечением имущественных интересов до предъявления иска, вправе требовать по своему выбору от заявителя возмещения убытков […], если заявителем в установленный судом срок не было подано исковое заявление по требованию […], или если вступившим в законную силу судебным актом арбитражного суда в иске отказано.
The organization or citizen, whose rights and (or) lawful interests are violated by ensuring the [plaintiff’s] property interests before the filing of a claim, has the right to demand their choice of indemnity for losses suffered […], if the plaintiff did not file a claim in the required time period […], or if a valid court decision by an arbitration court rejected [the plaintiff’s] claim.
Finally, the RAEC complains that the law creates a jurisdiction overlap with existing arbitration procedure code, and generates an inconvenient and inefficient legal bottleneck by forcing all parties, regardless of their location, to deal with a Moscow court.
Stakeholders propose changes
The new anti-piracy law also calls for blocking entire IP addresses, in the event of noncompliance with court-ordered interim measures. The push for blacklisting entire IPs is surprising, given the growing consensus that this method is more likely to damage legitimate websites than the Web’s copyright infringers, who can easily circumvent an IP blacklist by changing hosts, adopting dynamic IP addresses, and so on. While Internet service providers and industry experts have long criticized IP blocking (which came packaged in Russia’s legislation last year to blacklist online materials harmful to children), even Roskomnadzor—the government body responsible for administering that blacklist—recently acknowledged the inefficiency of IP blocking in a post [ru] on its new public outreach website, “WeCanTrust.net.”
The Duma’s Committee on Culture has also proposed a series of controversial amendments that could appear in the next iteration of the legislation. The Committee’s suggestions include an expansion of the law’s applicability to search engines; the creation of a new blacklist for all websites containing illegal materials; and applying the law not just to audiovisual content, but also to “books, articles, photographs, and other copyrighted objects.”
Yesterday, on June 13, 2013, Yandex sent [ru] the Duma its official list [ru] of comments and suggestions for revising the anti-piracy law, as the bill heads back to committee for more amendments, ahead of its second and third readings on the parliament floor, which could take place as early as next week [ru]. In a blog post [ru] that also sharply criticized the new legislation, Google Russia’s Director of Government Relations, Marina Zhunich, announced that Google, too, has shared with the Duma its recommendations for eliminating the most radical aspects of the draft legislation.
Both Google and Yandex are calling for amendments that would render the Russian SOPA more similar to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, another American law, passed in 1998 by a unanimous vote in the United States Senate and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Unlike the anti-piracy law that Russian legislators are now considering, the DMCA exempts from liability Internet service providers and other intermediaries under a regime in which copyright holders directly notify ISPs of infringement claims, without the application of automatic censorship or state-administered blacklists.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Parliament Restricts Kyrgyz Women’s Rights · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

After lengthy debates, the parliament in Kyrgyzstan has adopted legislation banning young women from travelling abroad without parental consent. On Registan.net, Alisher Abdug'oforov suggests that the new legislation not only violates the country's constitution, but is also unlikely to solve any problems it is designed to address.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Pastor for South Korea’s Biggest Church Charged with Financial Crimes · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in South Korea and the world, Yoido Full Gospel church, has come under fire as its founder and senior pastor Cho Yong-gi along with his two sons await trial on embezzlement and tax evasion charges.
Pastor Cho Yong-gi, often referred to as the “Pope” or near god-like figure in his an iconic, mega-church with more than 20,000 worshipers attending his church in each of seven Sunday services, now faces ugly accusations, including breach of duty and tax evasion involving tremendous amount of money.
The Prosecutors’ Office indicted Cho on June 9, 2013 on charges [ko] that he caused 15.7 billion won (14 million US dollars) worth of losses by directing church officials to buy stocks privately owned by his son, at prices four times higher than market value.
Image of Yoido Full Gospel Church, The red building complex all belongs to the church (several minor buildings don't appear in the photo). Image by Flickr user uselesswork (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The pastor, additionally, is accused of evading 3.5 billion won (three million US dollars) in taxes. His eldest son, former chairman of daily newspaper Kookmin Ilbo which was launched by the Yoido Full Gospel church [ko], is already in prison on charges that he embezzled the company's money. Among several minor lawsuits surrounding Cho's family, there is an even incident that a Kookmin Newspaper's labor union leader was fired for criticizing Cho family [ko], but he eventually won the lawsuit.
South Korea ranks as one of the most Christian countries in East Asia. Over the last decade, however, the number of Protestants has made a sharp downturn [ko] and it has become increasingly unpopular among the younger generation as more disturbing news came about on several pastors’ sexual assault cases and prominent churches turning partisan in favor of the ruling political party.
@jirisan99: 여의도순복음교회 조용기 목사 삼부자 배임혐의로 나란히 법정에 서다. http://goo.gl/6eXY4  세계최대 단일교회로 기네스에 올라있다더니 역시 스케일이 남다르군.
@jirisan99: Yeoido Full Gospel church’s Pastor Cho Yong-gi and his two sons will all be standing before the court for breach of duty charges Link to article [ko] The church made into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the biggest single church in the world- no wonder the sheer scope of [their failure] is unprecedented.
@syh24: 순복음교회 조용기 목사와 두 아들이 모두 법정에 서게 됐다고. 죄명은 돈과 관련된 배임과 탈세. 하나님의 법정이 아닌 세속의 법정에 서게된 목자, 세속의 작은 법도 지키지 않으면서 어찌 하나님의 큰 말씀을 설파할 수 있나요? 부끄럽지 않으세요?
@syh24: Senior pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel church and his sons are being summoned to the courtroom, under the charge of breach of duty and tax evasion. This pastor, came to stand up in front of a secular court, not the god’s court. How can you preach God’s word when you can't even follow ordinary secular law? Aren't you just ashamed of yourself?
The Yoido Full Gospel church released a statement [ko], arguing the “church’s decision-making process is different from a regular private company” and “the senior pastor does not have a great knowledge in professional areas such as taxes and stocks”. About 160,000 church members have filed a petition [ko] that they don't want any legal punishments for Cho.
However, net users have questioned such claims and pointed out it may not be a simple mistake or unintentional error:
@pattyy0098: 조용기 목사 탄원서 쓰시고 항의 하시는 성도님들…지금 조용기 목사가 십자가 메고 골고다 언덕을 올라가는거 아닙니다. 부정한 일 저질러서 검찰에 조사 받으러 가는겁니다.  한 두번이 아닌거 잘 아시잖아요.
@pattyy0098: Those church people signing the petition and protesting back, [please wake up.] It is not like Pastor Cho Yong-gi is climbing up the Calvary carrying a cross. He is going to meet a Prosecutor for investigation because he did something wrong. And you already knew that it is not his first time. [read previous GV article]
@iron_heel: 조용기 탄원서에 16만이 서명했단다. 아마 이 사람들은 자신들이 하느님의 일을 한다고 굳게 믿을 것이다.
@iron_heel: 160,000 have signed a petition defending Cho Yong-gi. These people would firmly believe that they are doing “God’s work” by doing so.
@ddanziabba: 장로 28명 조용기 고발,  조용기 고발한 장로 28명 징계 결정,  조용기 150억대 배임혐의 불구속기소, 한기총 조용기 노벨평화상 후보 추천 결의, 교회라서 철저하게 [인과응보]는 배척하나? 대체 이 시퀀스를 어떻게 이해하란거지?
@ddanziabba: [quick timeline] The 28 church elders have sued Cho Yong-gi. Cho decided to punish those 28 elders. Cho was indicted for breach of duty. The Christian Council of Korea (CCK) suggested Cho to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. How can we understand this timeline? Do they think they can totally ignore the “consequences of their actions” because they are the church?

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Tajik President is ‘A Real, Normal Man’ · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

A video of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon signing and dancing at his son's wedding was uploaded on YouTube about a month ago and has gone viral since then. While the video has led many people in the country to criticize the Tajik leader, some netizens suggest that there is nothing wrong with his joyful behavior at the wedding. On Blogiston.tj, Shakhlo asks [tj]:
Why can't a father be happy at his son's wedding? Why can't he sing and dance with all the joy he has?
Tomiris on her blog writes [ru]:
On the video from [his son's] wedding, Emomali Rahmon shows himself as a real, normal man – he has fun, dances with joy, and encourages everyone else to do the same. Don't all our men behave the same way at their sons’ weddings?


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Anonymous ‘Baba Jukwa’ Facebook Dishes Dirt on Zimbabwe Politics  · Global Voices
Madalitso Mwando

A new Facebook phenomenon has Zimbabwe talking as elections approach. An anonymous character calling himself Baba Jukwa (BJ) has become a major talking point as Zimbabweans hungry for political intrigue visit “his” Facebook wall to get the latest on what is happening in President Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) political party.
BJ, as he is called, is said to be a member of ZANU-PF’s inner circle and describes himself as a “Concerned father, fighting nepotism and directly linking community with their Leaders, Government, MPs and Ministers” and is dishing the dirt on the party, much to the delight of his followers.
It is however suspected that BJ is a group of people who post regular updates from different parts of the country, but whatever the case, BJ, with 144,104 Facebook likes at the time of writing this post, has forever changed Zimbabwean politics and how social media is appropriated in contemporary political discourse ahead of elections expected this year.
Baba Jukwa's profile photo. Photo source: Baba Jukwa Facebook page.
Most of his revelations include the names and sometimes telephone numbers of politicians, intelligence officers and army officials. In one of his posts, he talks about corruption involving a Chinese firm and officials from the president's office and indigenisation office.
Whilst Zimbabwe is saying China is here to help, only government officials and Zanu goons are benefiting. Can I share with you this information; there is a company which is being run by a Chinese guy Tsao Xuecheng. It has been operating for the past 5 years. It’s the company that installed new elevators at Zanu pf recently. Shamu and other Zanu goons got their shares in this deal. On the 14 of May the company was paid US$250 000 as deposit to install a new CID HQ. The material is on its way from China. This Chinese guy works with Kasukuwere and Neville Mutsvengwa from indigenisation office.
In another post, he names an ICT expert trained in surveillance who pretend to be working for a railways company:
Patrons at Belgravia sports club are advised that there is an operative who is spending much time there these days by your place. He is an ICT guru and covers by working for a Railways company. He is well trained in tracking, and very good those close to the Prime Minister Tsvangirai.
He names the people who were behind Zimbabwe involvement in the Second Congo War:
Zimbabwe do you know that the Zimbabwe National Army’s involvement in the DRC conflict was motivated more by Mugabe, Mnangagwa and the military junta’s desire to enrich themselves on Congo’s rich natural resources? Among them was Robert Mhlanga, a former Air Force Vice-Marshal and Mugabe’s personal helicopter pilot, who retired a millionaire shortly after his tour in the DRC. This thug Robert Mhlanga was also a key state witness in the treason trial against MDC President, Morgan Tsvangirai in 2003.
He describes Zanu PF's planned tactics to rig this year's election:
Those who follow this page would remember that some weeks ago i posted that Zanu Pf's rigging machinery is divided into three stages, namely registration and inspection,campaigning and finally voting and counting.
I told in the first stage has been confirmed by the most unlikely source,Amai Mujuru […] Be that as it is, my message today is that Zanu Pf has recently resolved to shift a gear up in its rigging strategy,that is,stage 2, Campaign Stage,thereby prompting me to come back to you Zimbabwe so that you won't duped by these cunning old people.
His mysterious air and revelations have got many talking. Zimbabwean comedian Carl Joshua Ncube (@CarlJoshuaNcube) wrote:
@CarlJoshuaNcube: my non Zimbabwean friends asking me who Baba Jukwa is and I am like “all I know is that he is a short little white
man with a walking stick”
Zimbabwean journalist Mike Madoda (@mikemadoda) described BJ's popularity:
@mikemadoda: I dare say this Baba Jukwa fella is now more popular/infamous (depending on ur affiliation) than Jonathan Moyo [Jonathan Moyo is the much maligned former Information Minister] was at his zenith.
Citizen journalism site Living Zimbabwe asked Zimbabweans on Facebook:
Given the nature of the content that Baba Jukwa shares with the world, do you think he (or they) could have an impact on Zimbabwe's political landscape?
Because of what appears to be BJ's incredible insider knowledge of ZANU-PF, Twitter user Madzibaba Sir Revita (@AwkwardZimbo) made a request:
@AwkwardZimbo: Baba Jukwa should do us all a favour and expose Bona Mugabe's [Bona is President Robert Mugabe’s daughter] Instagram account
A not-so-impressed Conor Walsh (@ConorMWalsh) asked:
@ConorMWalsh: Does Baba Jukwa really think a terminally deformed formation like ZanuPF can reform itself?
The state broadcaster (@zbc_news) made fun of BJ’s growing popularity:
@zbc_news: While y'all busy counting the number of “likes” on Baba Jukwa's fb page, we are already counting our votes for the next election – Zanu PF.
Mushongera (@GMushongera) poked fun at the powers-that-be:
@Mushongera: Accessing Baba Jukwa right in front of the parliament. Tapanduka! [We have rebelled] — Africa Unity Square: an Internet hotspot http://t.co/FBTcA8YnF6
And the influence and popularity of BJ seems to have reached others shores outside Zimbabwe. Blogger Sir Nigel (@SirNige) reported:
@SirNige: @stanleykwenda: So some young boys in UK are setting up a Baba Jukwa & Mai Jukwa fashion label” //Serious?
According to Jeffrey Smith (@Smith_RFKennedy) BJ has started blogging:
@Smith_RFKennedy: #Zimbabwe: Notorious & increasingly popular ZANU-PF mole, promises “darker secrets,” starts new website:
http://zimbabwean-at-heart.com/ @BabaJukwa
Eve Queeniie Parkes commented on Facebook that BJ has made Zimbabwean politics more interesting:
FROM MAKANDIWA AND ANGEL [popular local “prophets”] TO MAI AND BABA JUKWA ZIM POLITICS GETTING INTRESTING [sic] LIKE NEVER BEFORE WAS SO TIRED OF THEM FAKE PROPHETS SICK STUNTS….
The BJ excitement has been irresistible for even non-Zimbabwean bloggers such as Joel B. Pollak who thinks BJ's impact could have been widespread if more people had access to Internet in the country:
If only more than 1 in 6 Zimbabweans had Internet access, it might make more of a difference.
Visit BJ's Facebook page for what is happening behind the scene in Zimbabwean politics.


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India’s Dysfunctional Public Health System  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kushik Sanyal at Polity In India Blog tries to find out what ails India’s public health delivery system.

author: Rezwan


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Iran Elections: Celebration Now, A Long and Unpredictable Path Ahead · Global Voices
Arseh Sevom

By Tori Egherman
In the past few days there have been threats against the families of BBC reporters. The Internet in Iran was slowed to a crawl. The Iranian Cyber Army launched botnet attacks against a number of media sites including BBC, Radio Farda, and Radio Zamaneh. Pundits predicted a win for Saeed Jalili, calling him the Supreme Leader's favorite. Others predicted a run-off between the conservative mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Qalibaf and the most moderate candidate Hassan Rouhani.
VOA reporter Negar Mortazavi tweeted:
Analysts who think slower than the People, should change their career. #Iran #IranElection
— Negar Mortazavi (@negarmortazavi) June 15, 2013
Which prompted this response from the director of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center Gissou Nia:
.@negarmortazavi maybe i'll career switch TO an analyst cuz i called Rouhani win in our office bet… now my colleagues owe me free lunch :) — Gissou Nia (@GissouNia) June 15, 2013
Well…no one was more surprised than Iranians themselves by the results (except for Gissou Nia). Today, Hassan Rouhani was declared president with more than 50% of the votes. The Internet is back on and images and videos are flooding out of Iran.
Four years ago today we were on the street in disbelief, chanting ‘Where is My Vote’. This is a different kind of disbelief. #iranelection — Tara Aghdashloo (@taraaghdashloo) June 15, 2013
Financial Times Journalist, Borzou Daraghi writes on Facebook that hardliners had so thoroughly convinced themselves that they really “won” 2009's elections that they were completely caught by surprise:
When you begin to believe your own lies, you become extremely vulnerable.
Khabar City shares images of voters on their blog along with this tidbit:
به گزارش خبرنگار خبرگزاری فارس از شهرستان ساری، مردم ایران بار دیگر با نشان دادن شناسنامه و حضور در انتخابات لرزه بر اندام دشمنان انداختند. 90 درصد مردم مازندران در انتخابات شرکت کردند.
The Fars News stringer reporting from the city of Sari  said that just by voting, the people of Iran have made their enemies shake in their boots. 90% of voters in Mazandaran cast their votes.
Celebrations of Election Results in Tehran taken by Instagram user roozbehonline
On Saturday, June 15, people all over Iran went into the streets to celebrate the election. New York Times journalist Thomas Erdbrink tweeted:
There is no police, no ‘komiteh': tonight the Islamic republic rocks Rowhani style.
— Thomas Erdbrink (@ThomasErdbrink) June 15, 2013
Photos from the celebrations are being shared at lightning speed on Instagram and Facebook. Mehr News, which operates in Iran, has an entire page of pictures that can be seen here.
Photo from Instagram user alirezamalihi of celebrations at Tehran's bazaar
During the campaign, Rouhani's campaign rallies rocked with chants of “Political prisoners must go free” “Mir Hussein, ya Hussein!” (for the 2009 candidate Mir Hussein Moussavi who is currently under house arrest). In the streets following the announcement of the results, people have been chanting as well.
Female=Male reports:
الان، خیابان های تهران: ای خواهر شهیدم، رای تو پس گرفتم
Now in the streets of Tehran: Yo my martyred sisters, we got your vote back.
Tehran Bureau adds this one:
“It's the spring of freedom, too bad Neda isn't here.” slogan, Vanak, Tehran, #Iran via @Vahid
— TEHRANBUREAU.COM (@TehranBureau) June 15, 2013
We miss Neda (referring to the young woman whose death during the 2009 demonstrations was caught on camera)
On her blog Sidewalk Lyrics, Pedestrian wrote of the struggle between the state and the people in Iran, the desire of Iranians all over the world to remain part of the changes happening in their country, and the coalitions and reassurances that made the vote possible.
I think today we were a witness to such a moment where unquantifiable victories are won. When people’s decisions for calm and pragmatism is reflected in their physical space and in the life for which they aspire. When despite the absolute agony they have suffered, they can still look ahead with grace, dignity and promise.
Many are speculating on the meaning of the elections. Will they bring about change?, is a question being asked by many. Persian Banoo speaks for many when she tweets:
الان نه خبر بد میخام بشنوم نه میخام با کسی بحث کنم، درست یا غلط مهم اینکه که اکثریت مردم انتخاب کردن و الان خوشحالان و این دمکراسی یست.
— Persian Banoo (@persianbanoo) June 15, 2013
I don't want to hear any bad news or engage in any discussions with anybody. Right or wrong, the fact is a majority of people made a selection, and I am happy. This is democracy.
Finally, the grassroots group Havaar shared this post on their Facebook page:
Hassan Rouhani has officially won the election in Iran with 18 million and 600 thousand votes. Many people are celebrating in the streets at this very moment. A long and unpredictable path is ahead but there is still hope.

author: Arseh Sevom


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Islam and Authoritarianism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Why there is apparently a link between Islam and authoritarianism?
- Asks Pakistani blogger Raza Habib Raja.


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#4M Social Media and Journalism Conference · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

Claire Ulrich moderating the workshop “What role for bloggers and citizen journalists within newsrooms?” at 4M 2013 Montpellier (photo by Suzanne Lehn)
#4M2013, the third Journalism and Social Media meetings organized by French CFI (Canal France International) were held from 12 to 14 June, 2013, in Montpellier, France. Numerous experts from 35 countries in Asia, Africa, Caucasus, the Balkans and the Arab world debated around the theme : “How has digital development transformed the news? Has there been any improvement in the quality of news provided?” The conference was covered by eight young bloggers from Thailand, Egypt, Syria, Azerbaijan, Georgia and France. You can find the complete coverage here [fr], in French, English and Arabic, their coverage of the debates, as well as interviews and pictures. More meetings are planned in 2013 in Nairobi (Kenya), in Georgia and, later, in Lebanon.

author: Suzanne Lehn


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A Puerto Rican Musician Follows His Muse to Instagram · Global Voices
Alfredo Richner

Fernando Samalot is, among other things, a gifted musician from Puerto Rico's independent music scene, known for his participation in the experimental group tachdé [es]. The guitarist and vocalist launched his first solo effort, inner, a couple of months ago, after a series of intimate concerts that resulted in its production. The album's cover, an image of Samalot extending his hand towards a setting sun, points to another one of his great artistic interests: photography.
Through his Instagram profile (instagram.com/simonebirch), Fernando began exploring this new passion while sharing the results -a collection of genuinely inspiring photos, filled with adventure, spirituality, and plenty of heart- with the rest of the world. Now living in Los Angeles, he continues to share his explorations into nature and other discoveries and observations through the most popular online social network for photography, which has become one of his main avenues for expression.
We sent Fernando a few questions about his incursion into photography through Instagram and asked him to shine a bit of light into some of our favorite photos from his collection.
Global Voices (GV): How did you get into Instagram and what inspired you to use the medium as a new vehicle for expression?
Fernando Samalot (FS): Instagram has played an important role in my life for the past two years. Its significance and its purpose has evolved through time, in tune with my needs at the moment. Originally, it came into my life thanks to my good friend Ferdy Valls (of the electronic duo GRLS) – in October 2011, during a Portishead concert we attended in New Jersey. I didn't have any previous experience with photography so at first I simply took pictures of whatever caught my attention.
Months later, I found myself at a crossroads after the end of a relationship and the separation of my band, tachdé, where I had spent all my life – and my Instagram turned into a photo-diary of sorts where I could channel all my processes. It was then that I began to use it as a vehicle for artistic expression, although it was really more like therapy.
Once those wounds had healed, it became a diary of my adventures in Puerto Rico. By then I had more followers on Instagram and I knew nothing else that I would want to share more with the rest of the world than Puerto Rico's treasures. I was interested in being like an ambassador, showing off a side of our island that many don't know. I wanted to share all the peace and inspiration that I found in its rivers, beaches, valleys, and mountains. It was definitely one of the most beautiful times of my life.
Since then, having moved recently to California, I've maintained a big part of that aspect in my photography – it's still a photo-diary of my adventures. I've documented many trips and explorations, both external and internal. It's the channel where I've manifested myself the most emotionally, spiritually, and artistically.
I owe a great deal of my development in photography to Instagram, since by being exposed to so many incredible photographers from around the world I've been able to develop my “eye” and found my own style. Instagram has been a great source of inspiration, my school, my gallery, and main social link – and contrary to my experience on other social media sites, it has opened many doors and has invited me to explore, learn, connect, experiment, and grow.
GV: How would you describe your image “feed”?
FS: My feed consists largely of landscapes, portraits, and self-portraits. There's an abundance of sunsets, silhouettes, mountains, valleys, forests, and whichever beautiful landscapes I've had the good fortune of visiting. I try to capture to the best of my abilities the magic and serenity I feel in these places. Since my feed is so personal, each photo usually carries an emotional charge. It's been therapeutic and liberating for me, being able to share my processes through photography and even more gratifying my musings resonate with others.
GV: What qualities do you look for in a photo before sharing it?
FS: The most important quality I look for in a photo is for it to transmit a real and honest emotion – whichever it may be.
GV: Can you walk us through part of your process?
FS: All of my photos are taken and edited on my iPhone 4S. They arrive spontaneously, I seldom think of a photo I'd like to take beforehand. I usually capture moments when my subjects are off-guard, and that gives them a more organic and natural feel. When I'm the subject, I ask whoever might be my companion at that moment to take the picture for me, taking into account some directions I give them in terms of composition. In this way, a lot of my photos are collaborative efforts between my friends and I.
Then comes the editing. It is one of my favorite parts of the process and might very well be its own art-form. I love sitting down with an image, little by little transforming it until it gets to where I want it. Although I try to maintain as much fidelity to what I saw with my eyes as possible, sometimes I find myself taking the images to a more dreamlike plane.
GV: How do you edit them?
FS: The three main apps I use, for color, contrast, and lighting, are “Snapseed”, “PicFX”, and “Afterlight.” Sometimes I also use “Superimpose” for a double exposure effect.
The editing process allows for so much experimentation that each image presents numerous possibilities. This keeps the process refreshing and prevents me from falling into a formula. A lot of times I end up with nine versions of each image, and then comes the most tedious – but funny – part of the process: choosing just one.
GV: One of these images ended up as the cover to your debut EP as a solo artist, “inner”. The music you produced as part of tachdé is very cinematic as well. How does your music relate to image? And have you ever thought about the music that would accompany one of your photographs as you work on it?
FS: Good question! I feel there is an energy that flows between my music and photography, as both are born from a deep space within me and I feel they resonate with the same sensibilities. My intention is the same as with any art I practice, transmitting an honest emotion that passes through the superficial veil and gets to the root of our true nature. Be it as it may, I want to share my love with everyone. I've seen the healing and transformative effects this can have on other people, strangers and friends alike – beginning with myself. Many times I've seen an image so beautiful or listened to a song so stunning that it inspires real change within myself. Music and photography both have served as my medicine. It's with that same intention that I share them with others, hoping that they might help others as much as they've helped me. In the end, all the love you put into your work is what people will receive – that's why I put so much of me into mine, because I want to be an instrument of light at the service of others.
Perhaps I veered off topic a bit, but to answer your second question: few times I've imagined the music that could accompany my images, although in more than one occasion I've found myself remembering Fripp & Eno's album, Evening Star, as I stare into a beautiful sunset. It's one of my favorites. There is something in those repetitions and melodies that I've found perfect for meditation. It's just the type of feeling that I wish to induce in others.
The following are a small sample of the images found in Fernando Samalot's Instagram gallery, which you can visit at instagram.com/simonebirch.
This photo was taken at Angeles Crest, the mountains to the north of Los Angeles. It was my first day out adventuring in California and one of the most spectacular sunsets I've seen. That day we ended looking at the sun until it disappeared into the Pacific. It was majestic. When the time came to choose a cover for my first solo album, this photo popped out from the others. I feel it captures much of what I wanted to say with the album. The exterior light reflecting the interior.
My first week in California, and thanks to Instagram, I made a friend who invited me to Joshua Tree to spend the day. I think I had never seen such a vast landscape. It was very moving and just a preamble to all the other places and beautiful moments that were waiting for me.
I was sleeping on a flight to Puerto Rico when I woke up agitated from a dream where I was falling. This was my attempt to channel that dream. It was very symbolic for me, specially at that moment when I was about to make the decision to leave the island, of facing my fear and jumping into the unknown.
My last months in Puerto Rico were filled with adventures. This photo was taken in Orocovis, in the river known as The Hippie. It was cloudy out but for a moment when the sun came out. I was able to capture its reflection on a pool that glowed with colors I had never seen in a river. A real treasure in every sense of the word.
In 2012 I had the good fortune of traveling to Spain for the second time. This was taken at the Natural Park in Peñalara, to the north of Madrid. In this forest I contemplated my future, which at that point was still uncertain. The photo was taken by my great friend Mariola Rosario, one of the photographers I most admire and respect. Then I cropped and edited it. It ended up being one of my favorites and just looking at it takes me back to that place.
This photo is definitely one of the most charged I took following my move to Los Angeles. It was a really intense time when I didn't know I had made the right decision. I'll share the caption I wrote for it: “Remember, you chose this. You chose to be a ghost.” – I need to get my head straight. I'm all over the place. Floating in a sea of uncertainty with nothing to hold onto and no solid ground to stand on. My mind escapes me. It waits until I'm most vulnerable and then runs off to those same old familiar places… as if comfort and nostalgia ever shared a bed. Well, I don't want to go back there for anything, anymore. I don't have to. I just want to be here, now. As afraid as I am, just be here now. In that moment of loneliness and uncertainty I found a strength I didn't even know I had. That's when I found that life's darker moments are precisely when your light has the most potential to shine. This was three months ago and since then my entire life has changed. I am grateful of having this chronology of events and processes, of being able to look back and see the progress. It's funny to think of what a little app on my phone has brought about all these events. Incredible, perhaps – but that's what happened.
…and the story continues…

author: Alfredo Richner


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Association for World’s Mobile Operators Opens Africa Office · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The GSMA, the global association for the world’s mobile operators, opens an African office in Nairobi, White African reports:
Back in 2010 when the iHub first opened, we had some of their staff who were in Kenya working out of the iHub and using the space for different meetings. They loved the vibe and makeup of the Kenyan tech community and wanted to figure out how they could connect and be a part of this same energetic space, while at the same time fulfilling their obligation to Africa’s mobile operators.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Follow ChinainAfrica Open Mic Hangout Online · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The #ChinainAfrica Open Mic Hangout on Chinese miners in Ghana and China-Africa relations is live online. Watch it on YouTube and follow it on Twitter using the hashtag #ChinaOpenMic.


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India Stops 160-year-old Telegram Service · Global Voices
Rezwan

India's state-owned telecommunications company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced that it is discontinuing its 160-year-old telegram service.
Although thousands of telegrams were still being sent each day, BSNL's telegraph service was incurring huge losses. Only last year the telegram charges were revised down to address declining revenues, but it wasn't enough.
The service, which is the last large-scale telegram service operating in the world, will cease on 15 July, 2013.
The history of telegram in the country dates back to 1850 when the first telegraph message was transmitted between Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Diamond Harbour, a distance of about 50 km.
Blogger and journalist Shivam VJ described the dying state of the service:
At their peak in 1985, 60 million telegrams were being sent and received a year in India from 45,000 offices. Today, only 75 offices exist, though they are located in each of India's 671 districts through franchises. And an industry that once employed 12,500 people, today has only 998 workers.
Indian Telegraph receipt dated somewhere around 1900-1904. Image from public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Blogger and journalist Sidin Vadukut predicted five years ago at Live Mint the industry's bleak future. As newer technologies have made telegrams redundant, the service is facing an expected death.
Many in social media have reminisced over the telegram's rich history.
Asha Perinchery remembered those golden days on her blog:
Even for my wedding in 1983, I remember getting only telegrams for best wishes from those near and dear ones who could not attend the function.
Michael at Mobile Marketing Watch claimed that the SMS and mobile phones have officially killed the telegram. More than 900,000 Indians now own mobile phones and 120 million people use the Internet.
Media company MXM India wrote:
Advancements in technology saw the demise of the various Ts. Trunk call first. The telex and teleprinter and now the telegraph.
More reactions were seen on Twitter. Twitter user @TeeKay_Inc wrote:
@TeeKay_Inc: End of an era. Stop. India scraps the telegram. Stop.
Hindustan Times journalist Madhavan Narayan (@madversity) contrasted the cost of telegrams and smartphones:
@madversity: In 1960s/70s, it used to cost 10 rupees for a two-word telegram from north to south India. Now we are video-calling real-time almost free
Technologist ManasRM (@ManasRM) eulogized the service:
@ManasRM: R.I.P India Post telegram service – a bearer of good or bad news for me during my grad days.
The status of telegram services worldwide is available here.


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Iran: “Happy My Vote Was Counted This Time” (Videos) · Global Voices
Farid

‘Happy they counted my vote’. Via Sokot-E-Sardi1
Iranians on the web and on the streets of Iran (photo above) say [fa] they are happy that this time their votes in the presidential election on Saturday have been counted. After the 2009 presidential election there were widespread accusations of fraud and protests against the regime.
Hassan Rouhani, a 65 year old cleric and former nuclear negotiator won the election on a platform of “hope and prudence”. Rouhani, who was supported by Iranian reformists in the presidential election, faced five conservative rivals. He has represented Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, on Iran's security council since 1989.
Iranian citizens celebrated Rouhani's victory in different cities. Some also remembered the citizens who died four years ago, in the mass protest movement that erupted after the controversial election.
Joy in Tehran
Tehran: Political prisoners should be released
Nama Jafari has shared a a video where people chant, “In the spring of freedom, Neda's place is empty” referring to the young woman Neda Agha Sultan  who was killed in a protest four years ago.
“Basij attacked a young man”
Another video claims Basij paramilitary forces attacked a young man celebrating Rouhani's victory in Vanak Sqaure in Tehran.
Dancing in Mashhad
Celebrations rocked several cities beyond Tehran. In the religious city Mashhad, people can be seen dancing to celebrate Rouhani's victory in this video.

author: Farid


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Iran:Remember Jailed Opposition Leader · Global Voices
Farid

Several people who celebrated Hassan Rouhani's victory in presidential election in Shiraz chanted slogans to support Mir Hussein Mousavi, an opposition leader who has been under house arrest for several years.


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Mozambique: Medical professionals end unsuccessful strike · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

After striking for 27 days, Mozambique's medical professionals announced the end of their collective protest over inadequate compensation, without any concession from government. The strikers claimed they wanted to end the suffering of the nation's people. On @Verdade's Facebook page, readers expressed their frustration with the situation, speculating about how services will be affected by low morale.

author: Janet Gunter