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INTERVIEW: Comics that Dispel Black Stereotypes in Brazil · Global Voices
Luis Henrique

This article is part of a series that celebrates Black Awareness Day in Brazil (November 20). Read the first two interviews: Persistent Stereotypes, Latent Prejudices: Black Characters in Brazilian Comics and “People That Look Like Themselves”: A Comic that Celebrates Natural Black Hair
Cover of “Encruzilhada”, by Marcelo D´Salete. Image used with permission.
Seeing a lack of comics dealing with the daily life of young black people in Brazil, Marcelo D'Salete [pt] has striven to fill in the gap. The teacher, author and illustrator who holds a master's degree in art history is the person behind comics such as Encruzilhada (Crossroad) [pt] or Noite Luz (Night light) [pt].
In this interview, D'Salete explains why black people have certainly made progress when it comes to how they are presented in the media, but with many still appearing as stereotypes, there's much work still to be done.
Global Voices (GV): Tell us a little about your relationship with comics. What motivates you? Is there an audience that you aim for?
Marcelo D'Salete (MDS): Realizo HQs [Histórias aos Quadrinhos] há mais de uma década e minha relação com essa mídia é intensa. Além de apreciar boas histórias, me interessa muito observar a forma como uma HQ é contada. As possibilidades são infinitas. Existem muitas maneiras de contar e essa forma precisa estar conectada com uma história. Por outro lado, quando comecei a trabalhar com HQs, notei que havia poucas histórias que abordavam o cotidiano de jovens negros. Uma verdadeira ausência de Hqs sobre esse tema. Por esse motivo, minhas histórias acabaram tratando de temas urbanos e negros. Essas HQs são feitas para diversos públicos, pessoas interessadas em se defrontar com novas perspectivas sobre grupos distintos numa grande cidade, a forma como eles relacionam-se e como conflitos surgem.
Marcelo D'Salete (MDS): I have been creating comics for over a decade and my relationship with this medium is intense. Besides appreciating good stories, I am interested in observing how a story is told in a comics. The choices are numberless. There are many ways for telling a story and a chosen form must be intertwined with the story. On the other hand, when I first started to work with comics, I realized there were few stories which told about the daily life of young black people. A real lack of comics about this theme. For that reason my stories came to deal with urban and black themes. These comics are made for diverse audiences, people interested in coming in touch with new perspectives from different groups in a big city, the way they interrelate and how conflicts arise.
GV: In an increasingly interconnected world, is saying that “we are citizens of the world” enough? Or are the color of one's skin, ethnicity, the assertion of identities and of locations still relevant?
MDS:Hoje falamos de cidadania virtual, mas esse universo ainda é algo que depende de acesso. E quando digo acesso, não é apenas entrar na rede pelo computador, mas saber decifrar e navegar pelos códigos que configuram a rede. Para usufruir realmente desse universo, é preciso conhecer, estudar. Sem isso, é possível que muitas pessoas se percam nos recursos mais superficiais da rede, assim como ocorria com a televisão. Em outro âmbito, identidade etnicorracial ainda é algo marcante na rede e em nossa sociedade. Situações de racismo e preconceito acontecem de forma corrente nas mídias digitais e é preciso combater esses discursos em todas as esferas.
MDS: Nowadays, one speaks of virtual citizenship, but this universe is something which is dependent on access. And when I say “access” I don't mean just joining the network, but also knowing how to make out and navigate through the codes which make up the network. In order to really benefit from this universe, it is necessary to know, to study. Otherwise, it is likely that many people get lost inside the most superficial resources from the network, the same way it used to happen in relation to television. In another realm, ethnico-racial identity is still something remarkable in the Internet and in our society. Situations which involve racism and prejudice occur all the time in the digital media and it is necessary to fight against such discourses at all levels.
GV: As a comics author, do you realize that you have a role to play in the introduction of black characters into the Brazilian comics landscape?
MDS: Minha intenção como quadrinista é problematizar e tornar mais complexas as possibilidades de representação de negros e de sua história nos quadrinhos. Isso não é relevante apenas para os grupos negros, mas para toda nossa sociedade. Precisamos de autores que possam apresentar novas perspectivas e possibilidades de leitura e compreensão do mundo. Isso é necessário no universo das HQs e em todas as artes. Imagino que uma sociedade realmente saudável precisa reconhecer e dialogar com as vozes que surgem de todo seu contorno.
MDS: My intention is to problematize and make more complex the possibilities of representation of black people and of their history within comics. This is relevant not only for the movements that represent black people, but for society as a whole. We need authors who can create new perspectives and options for reading and understanding the world. This is needed in the universe of comics as well as in all arts. I imagine that a truly healthy society must recognize and engage in dialogue with the voices that arise from within its borders.
Cover of NoiteLuz, another publication by Marcelo D´Salete. Image used with permission.
GV: History is full of changes and continuities. Is there a parallel between black characters and the comics from when you were a child and nowadays?
MDS: Os personagens negros na mídia em geral tiveram poucas mudanças nessas últimas décadas. Hoje há personagens negros como protagonistas em algumas histórias e há autores preocupados com essa discussão. Por outro lado, eles aparecem muitas vezes ainda estereotipados, como parte de um grupo subalterno. Basta ver a imagem dessas figuram na mídia, nos telejornais, nas novelas e comerciais. Existe sim algumas experiências novas e autores mais preocupados com esse problema, principalmente no cinema, mas é interessante notar que nossa história também convive com grandes retrocessos.Não é por menos que há pouco tempo um supermercado famoso usou uma escultura de um garoto negro acorrentado como se isso fosse algo natural, inócuo e decorativo. Além disso, nos deparamos com uma propaganda de cachaça que usa uma imagem do J. B. Debret, onde há um grupo de negros escravizados trabalhando numa moenda, como algo glorioso.
Essa percepção racista do negro e sua história está mudando aos poucos. Há poucas semanas, aconteceu uma manifestação em São Paulo onde um grupo de manifestantes atacou a escultura do Brecheret, Monumento às Bandeiras, com tinta vermelha [a obra do escultor ítalo-brasileiro presta homenagem aos bandeirantes, responsáveis pelo assassinato de índios, nos séculos 17 e 18]. Também pixaram a escultura com a frase “bandeirantes assassinos”. Isso tudo é parte de um processo de mudança. Esses grupos exigem uma nova forma de ver a história, e por esse motivo é urgente reavaliar os velhos mitos. As HQs fazem parte desse processo. Existe todo um universo cultural negro, indígena e mestiço que precisa ser pensado e mostrado. Há também um público que está percebendo a necessidade de discutir essas questões e de se ver representado não apenas como personagens secundários ou de modo estereotipado.
MDS: Black characters in the media as a whole went through very little changes over the last decades. Today, one finds black characters as protagonists in some stories and there are authors who are, in fact, concerned with this topic. On the other hand, black characters often still appear as stereotypes, as belonging to subordinate groups. Evidence of that can be seen in images depicted in the media, in TV news, soap operas and commercials. There are, indeed, some new experiences and authors who show more concern with this problem, mainly in cinema, but it is interesting to note that our history also experiences major setbacks. It's no wonder that a short time ago a famous supermarket made use of the sculpture of a black boy in chains, as though it was something natural, harmless and ornamental. Furthermore, one can come across an ad for rum that makes use, as though it was something splendid, of an image by J. B. Debret in which one sees a group of enslaved black men working around a sugar cane mill.
Such racist perceptions of black people and their history are gradually changing. A few weeks ago, there was a protest in São Paulo and a group of demonstrators attacked [pt] the sculpture by Brecheret called Monumento às Bandeiras [the work by the Italo-Brazilian sculptor that pays homage to the explorers responsible for the murder of natives in the 17th and 18th centuries] with red paint. They also scribbled on the sculpture the phrase “murderous explorers”. This is all part of a process of change happening now. These groups demand a new way of looking at history and, therefore, it has become urgent to reassess the old myths. Comics belong to this process. There is an entire cultural universe which belongs to groups of black, indigenous and people of mixed ancestry and which needs to be assessed and displayed. There also is an audience who notices the need to discuss these issues and to see themselves represented not only as secondary or stereotyped characters.
GV:  Do digital platforms like social networks, email and virtual publications help you in any way in the comic business (such as in production, publicizing, etc.)?
MDS: A internet auxilia muito na elaboração das histórias, principalmente na pesquisa de temas e de imagens. Ajuda muito também na divulgação de trabalhos e contato com artistas, revistas e editores. Cerca de dez anos atrás participei de uma publicação chamada Front. Nessa revista, os próprios quadrinistas selecionavam o material que deveria ser publicado. Essa experiência foi muito interessante, permitia dialogar e aprender muito com outros profissionais mais experientes. Era sempre um fórum de discussão muito qualificado e rico. Esse diálogo não seria possível sem a internet. Sobre a divulgação, a partir do site e das redes sociais é possível ter uma proximidade maior com os leitores. Tenho realizado trabalhos que foram publicados de forma impressa, mas pretendo em breve poder publicar de forma digital. Gosto muito do livro impresso, mas tenho me acostumado a ver livros em plataformas digitais.
MDS: The Internet helps a lot in the process of creating the stories, mainly in the research of the themes and of the images. It also helps quite a lot for publicizing the comics and contacting artists, magazines and editors. About ten years ago, I took part in the publishing of a magazine called Front. In this magazine, the cartoonists themselves were responsible for choosing the material to be published. This experience was very interesting, and it allowed dialogue and learning with other more experienced professionals. It was always a well-qualified and rich discussion forum. Dialogue like that would not have been possible without the Internet. As for publicizing, with the use of the site and of social networks, it is possible to gain a closer relationship with the readers. Some of my works have been published on paper, but I intend to be able to publish in a digital format soon. I very much like the printed book, but I have grown used to seeing books on digital platforms.
GV: Could you say something about the audience's response to your art?
MDS: Tenho visto mais trabalhos críticos sobre meu trabalho. Em geral eles apontam para o assunto e pouco para a forma que utilizo para atingir esse fim. Imagino que a crítica especializada de HQs no Brasil é algo ainda em desenvolvimento. Tenho recebido alguns comentários de leitores de várias partes do Brasil. Mas são poucas pessoas que se manifestam. No entanto, é muito interessante receber comentários de pessoas de locais distantes. Isto seria muito difícil antes.
MDS: Lately, I have seen more critiques of my work. In general, they approach the content more than the form I use in order to achieve it. I imagine that specialized comic critics in Brazil is something which is still growing. I have received comments from some readers from different regions in Brazil. But only a few people really express anything about it. However, it is very interesting to get comments from people from far away. This would have been quite difficult before.
The special series that celebrates Black Awareness Day ends with music and visual arts. Enjoy the animation by the artist Marcelo D'Salete made for the track Oranian of the CD Metá Metá by Kiko Dinucci, Juçara Marçal and Thiago França.

author: Luis Henrique


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“Lantern” Helps China’s Web Users Dodge Censors Through Trusted Friends · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

On China's heavily censored web, many web users depend on Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and proxy servers to access blocked sites such as Facebook and YouTube. However, most of non-commercial proxy access points are blocked once the Chinese government identifies their existence. In fact, most of the public access points on Tor, part of a vast volunteer network that conceals a user's location, are blocked in China.
Joining the fight against censorship is a new circumvention software called Lantern, which launched recently. Using peer-to-peer technology, the software allows users to invite friends into a “trust network” and enables members of the same network who have VPN or free Internet access to share their Internet connection with their friends. This “trust network” makes it difficult for the government to discover individual access points as the network is dispersed and distributed. So far the majority of the users and traffic come from within China.
The makers of the free software released a video to explain how the program works, seen above.
Jian Alan Huang, a software engineer, shared the user information of the new software with his friends in Twitter:
#Lantern 的用户数刚刚突破了10000，其中中国境内的用户7500人，占75%。从流量上看，中国流量占90%。因此，按比例估计，中国境外还有1500人左右是为中国用户提供流量的。除此之外的其他地区用户只有差不多1000人左右。
— Jian Alan Huang (@hnjhj) November 30, 2013
The number of #Lantern's users has reached 10,000. About 7,500 come from China, which means 75 percent of its total users. Taking a look at its traffic, 90 percent come from China. My estimation is that about 1,500 users overseas are providing their network to help Chinese netizens to circumvent censorship. Only 1,000 users come from other regions.
Alan is among one of the users providing network access to his friends in mainland China:
打算把一台旧电脑24小时开着专门分享 #Lantern 连接给墙内小伙伴们。欢迎加我。 pic.twitter.com/0pUnbvFV98
— Jian Alan Huang (@hnjhj) November 25, 2013
I am planning to turn on an old computer only for the purpose of sharing. For those who want to get access to the other side of the Wall via #Lantern, please add me.
Many users shared their review on the new tool. Editor of ChinaChange.org Yaxue Cao reminded his friends that #Lantern cannot counter surveillance:
灯笼 （Lantern）是一个为击败互联网审查而共同努力的世界人群网络。灯笼是同伴与同伴间绕开“围墙”的一种新软件。安装和分享这个新软件，从墙内获得被审查和阻挡的墙外信息。 灯笼旨在提供准入，无法保障你不受监控。反监控使用Tor. http://t.co/hSrfFC1zZl
— Yaxue Cao (@YaxueCao) November 26, 2013
Lantern is a network target at defeating Internet censorship. It is a new software for friends to work together to get around the Wall. By installing and sharing this software, you can get access to censored information from outside the Great Firewall. However, Lantern only offers you an open door, it won't protect you from surveillance. If you need to prevent surveillance, you have to use Tor.
@wenyunchao, a Chinese activist based in US, has some suggestions to make:
建议 #Lantern 能有同时有提供连接和使用连接模式，墙外有很多用户想翻回中国看一些网络资源，如果能双向提供，相信可以吸引更多的墙外节点。同时建议能增加共享带宽设置，例如，我愿意分享30%的带宽给不是好友的用户。
— 北风（温云超, Yunchao Wen） (@wenyunchao) November 24, 2013
I suggest that #Lantern provide a mutual connection mode as some users from outside China also want to get access to information in mainland China [that are blocked from foreign IP visits]. I believe this would attract more users from outside China to get connected to their friends on the inside. Also, if possible, the user should be able to set broadband traffic preferences. For example, they can choose to allocate 30 percent of their broadband to acquaintances.
@zuihulu and @MyDF explained why they chose Lantern as circumvention tool. @zuihulu pointed out that the software icon of Lantern light is very symbolic:
试用了两天的Lantern，虽说稳定性和速度都不如我购买的收费VPN或SSH，但是在冬天上网的时候开着Lantern，看着电脑状态栏里面点着一盏灯笼（Lantern的图标），内心居然多了些许的温暖。 #Lantern
— 醉葫芦 (@zuihulu) November 30, 2013
I have tried the tool for two days. The stability and speed is not as good as commercial VPNs or SSH. But lighting up the Lantern while going online this winter, with a bit of candle light shining from the computer monitor, I feel warmer inside.
#Lantern 是翻墙史上最温馨的一次集结，感性的宣传片，漂亮的界面，好友遥相呼应，当看到软件运行时划出的那一道道美丽的弧线，这个冬天你再也不会感到孤独。
— MyDF (@MyDF) December 1, 2013
#Lantern is the most warm-hearted collective action in the history of circumvention. The video is very touching. The interface is pretty and friends are working together. When the software is running, you can see a curve drawn across two continents [friend's network], you won't feel lonely this winter.
The program indicates to the user that they are connected to the network outside China. Image from Lantern.
With the Great Firewall on Sina Weibo, the most popular microblogging website in China, there is little discussion about the new software there. Ken Wang managed to introduce the new tool to his friends by avoiding the use of sensitive words:
介绍一个全新的网络项目Lantern(灯笼)，这是Google Ideas资助的一个计划，旨在通过p2p信任网络实现突破xxx的努力。项目原理类似点对点下载，每一台安装了灯笼的解放区电脑都可以作为proxy帮助沦陷区电脑上网。灯笼的特色在于只有信任的朋友才能互相帮助，以保证proxy的安全
Introduced a new Internet project called Lantern. It is a project sponsored by Google Ideas. It is an initiative to break through the XXX [Great Firewall deleted by Ken Wang to prevent censorship] by building a P2P trusted network. The mechanism is similar to BitTorrent. Computers from a liberated area running the Lantern program can serve as proxy for computers from occupied area. To protect the safety of the proxy, users are only connected to their friends’ networks.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Oiwan Lam


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New Museum in Medellín to Create Historic Memory About Colombia’s Armed Conflict · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The museum, the first in Colombia dedicated solely to the armed conflict, was designed as a space to reconstruct a history shrouded in violence and promote peaceful co-existence, according to [museum director Lucía] Gonzalez. “Remember to not repeat,” she said, is the guiding principle behind the museum.
[…]
“We think that art is a very powerful medium through which you can communicate with people and sometimes touch them in a more profound way than for example through intellectual or rational means,” said Gonzalez.
Philipp Zwehl writes about this new museum [es] in Colombia Reports.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Popular Movie “Lost in Thailand” and the Chinese Dream · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Peter Vernezze from Chengdu Living wrote a very elaborated interpretation of the low budget but record-breaking Chinese movie, Lost in Thailand, by looking into its reflection of middle class Chinese’ dream of personal success.


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Spain Regional Education Minister Steps in it with Translation Gaffe · Global Voices
Violeta Camarasa

Spain's Regional Minister of Education for the Balearic Islands, Joana Maria Camps (@joanamariacamps), has proven herself not very familiar with one of the most important studies on education: the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). In a parliamentary session on November 21, she talked [ca] for some minutes about some important study called “trepitja”, the Catalan translation for the Spanish word “pisa”, a conjugation of the verb meaning “to step”. The mistake, probably the result of her advisers using an automatic translator to translate her Spanish text into Catalan, shows she did not know very well what she was talking about.
A YouTube video offers the audio of Camps’ speech, which ended with the conclusion that a reform in the education system is needed. On Twitter, netizens used the hashtag #InformeTrepitja (Trepitja Report) to post outraged comments and jokes on the tragicomic scene.
Camps is the same minister that dealt with the massive teachers’ strike and protests that took place in the region in September and October 2013.

author: Violeta Camarasa


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Taiwan: Protest Against Legislation on Marriage Equality · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

The Legislative Yuan in Taiwan passed the first reading of the “marriage equality“ bill [zh] on Oct 25, 2013. On Nov 30, more than 300000 people protested against this bill, in particular against the proposal on same-sex marriage. J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based freelance journalist, described what he observed in this protest in his blog.

author: I-fan Lin


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‘The Global Is Enriched by the Local’: New French Webzine X, Y & Z · Global Voices
Emmanuelle Leroy Cerqueira

“X, Y & Z: It's social, it's media, and it's a little bit crazy…” Promotional graphic posted on X, Y & Z's Facebook page
[All links lead to French-language webpages.]
After a month of hinting and mystery in Dunkirk in northern France, a new offbeat webzine for the 2.0 generation was launched. X, Y & Z shared some 40 teasers on Facebook before its kick-off on October 14, 2013, earning their page 1,000 likes before the project had even launched.
Now, their page has more than 1,500 fans, many from the Dunkirk area and throughout France, but also from North Africa, Canada, the United States, and Brazil. That's X, Y & Z's main focus—45 bloggers in the same city, collaborating and connecting with each other around the shared goal of pooling their energies, sharing their passions and being open to the entire world. It's a project bringing talents together and creating a new dynamic that is both territorial and digital at the same time.
The project's founder is Emmanuel Chila, a social networking personality ever since he won a Golden Blog Award for his Chroniques d'un jeune célibataire (Chronicles of a young bachelor). His blog tells the story of a young man in his 30s who considers listening, authenticity and sincerity to be the three pillars of any human relationship, be it real or virtual. These are the values that brought him to X, Y & Z. Global Vocies recently spoke with him about this new adventure.
Emmanuel Chila. Used with permission.
Global Voices (GV):  We talk to bloggers, social media personalities, and internet activists from all over the world. Can you introduce yourself?
Emmanuel Chila (EC):Je suis un maillon d’une chaîne qui prend sa force du fait d’être rattaché à d’autres maillons. Je n’ai d’intérêt à avancer que si je suis lié à d’autres personnes. J’ai créé un blog, le R.O.I des réseaux sociaux qui a permis de faire de la veille sur les social medias et de me faire un réseau de pairs et de mentors du web. Ma passion pour les autres m’a mené à un blog collaboratif dunkerquois, Echange et Partage, pour rassembler des gens autour de différents thèmes : la danse, l’écriture, les réseaux sociaux …ce sont des projets sur lesquels les gens sont prêts à s’investir. Ca génère de la créativité, de l’ouverture d’esprit et de nouvelles compétences. Ensuite, il y a un projet qui me tenait à cœur. Je voulais vraiment parler d’amour. J’ai utilisé les conseils reçus pour créer un nouvel environnement numérique : les Chroniques d’un jeune célibataire. Au final, ce sont plein d’exercices différents qui m’ont mené à X Yet Z.
Emmanuel Chila (EC): I am a link in a chain whose strength lies in its attachment to other links. I am only interested in getting ahead if I am linked to other people. I started a blog, le R.O.I des réseaux sociaux, which lets me observe social media and grow a network of online peers and mentors. My passion for other people led me to a collaborative blog based in Dunkirk, Échange et Partage, bringing people together around different themes: dance, writing, social networking… these are projects that people are willing to invest in. This gives rise to creativity and openness while building new skills. Next was a project that was close to my heart. I really wanted to talk about love. I used the advice I got to create a new digital environment: les Chroniques d'un jeune célibataire. In the end, all these different exercises led me to X, Y & Z.
GV: How did the X, Y & Z project come about?
EC: J’ai besoin d’apprendre, j’ai besoin des autres. Je ne peux pas faire sans les autres. J’ai vu que dans ma ville il y avait des gens avec leur monde. Je me suis dit qu’on pouvait créer une grosse énergie. J’écrivais dans My community manager, un groupe de 20 à 30 collaborateurs qui ne parlaient que de social media. Une machine de guerre il y a trois ans. Je me suis dit qu’on pouvait faire la même chose dans une ville, avec des gens qui touchent à tout : mode, design, musique, voyages… pour montrer de quoi on est capables de parler. Ça crée des connexions, ça met en évidence le talent. Le partage, c’est la base du social. Donner à l’autre c’est ce qui mène à des sphères auxquelles tu ne pensais pas. D’un échange commun, on peut évoluer, on apprend, on découvre une nouvelle vision.
EC: I need to learn. I need other people. I just can't do without others. I saw people in my city who had their own little worlds, and I thought we could create a great energy. I wrote on My Community Manager, which is a group of 20 to 30 collaborators solely discussing social media. Three years ago it was a tightly run ship. I thought we could do the same thing in a city, with people who are into all sorts of things: fashion, design, music, travel… to show what we are capable of talking about. It creates connections and highlights talent. Sharing is the cornerstone of the social world. Giving to someone else is what introduces you to worlds you haven't imagined. By exchanging our views with each other, we can evolve, learn, and discover new ways of seeing things.
GV: The project was born in Dunkirk, France. Do the bloggers have “Dunkirk Spirit”? What do they have in common?
EC: Il y a un « spirit » à Dunkerque ! Les gens pensent qu’on n’a rien, mais on a plein de petits « spirits » : international, vie quotidienne, house, people, urbanisme, amour… Il y a aussi des gens qui écrivent pour eux ! Chaque personne est unique, et dans son écriture aussi. Mais on a une valeur commune : la passion, l’envie de dire. Pour ceux qui parlent d’international par exemple, il y a du vécu, du ressenti, de l’émotion. En musique, il y a des artistes qui n’auraient jamais écrit, d’autres qui rêvaient d’écrire. C’est éclectique, c’est notre force. Avec ce côté décalé. A Dunkerque, on est connu pour être convivial. On sait qu’en travaillant ensemble on travaillera mieux. On connaît l’état d’esprit. Les gens ont dit oui parce qu’on parle d’une cause réelle, une passion. Tant qu’elle est là, il y a la force du collectif. On dit que les nouvelles générations sont égoïstes, sans aucun sens de l’intérêt commun, sans cause. X Yet Z c’est le contraire. On se réunit autour d’une cause dès lors qu’elle nous correspond.
The “spirit” of Dunkirk is alive and well! People may not think so, but we have a lot of different realms of interest in our city: international experiences, daily life, house music, celebrities, urban planning, love… and there are people who write for themselves! Each person is unique, and their writing is unique too. But we have one value in common: passion—the desire to express ourselves. For people talking about travel and life as an expat, for example, you have their experiences, feelings, and emotions. As for music, some artists would have never written anything, while others dreamed of writing. It's eclectic—that's our strength. Along with having a quirky side. In Dunkirk, we're known for being friendly. We know that we'll work better if we work together. We know how people feel. People have agreed to this because we're talking about a real cause, a passion. As long as that is there, the group will be strong. They say younger generations are people without a cause—self-centered and lacking any sense of common interest. X, Y & Z is the opposite of that. When we identify with a cause, we come together for it.
“X, Y & Z is the eXperience of Y for the benefit of Z.” Promotional graphic posted on X, Y & Z's Facebook page
GV: X, Y & Z's content is very general, open to new people and new ideas. You have connections all over the world, while also aiming for a strong local presence in people's real lives. Why this link between the virtual and the real? What is the relationship between the global and the local?
EC: Le local enrichit le global. On ne peut pas s’arrêter sur soi-même, être nombriliste. On peut être un maillon d’une autre chaîne, celle du global. Dans ce souci d’apporter. Si on reste dans notre monde avec notre savoir, on n’évoluera pas. C’est par les autres qu’on apprend. J’aime Paris, Marseille, Rio ou Montréal, mais j’ai un sentiment d’appartenance à ma ville, aux artistes qui œuvrent pour son bien. Notre première communauté, c’est Dunkerque. Les gens qui nous suivent sont d’ici. On ne peut pas le nier. On donnera toujours du temps et de l’énergie pour Dunkerque, tout en cherchant plus loin. On fait le lien entre ce que les dunkerquois n’imaginent pas et ce qu’on est en train de découvrir.
The global is enriched by the local. We can't just focus on ourselves and be self-absorbed. We can be a link in another chain: a global one. We can make a difference. If we stay in our own little world with the things we know, we will not evolve. We learn through others. I love Paris, Marseille, Rio and Montréal, but I have a strong attachment to my city and the artists who work for its benefit. Dunkirk is our number one community. The people who follow us are from here. We can't deny that. We always give Dunkirk our time and energy, while at the same time looking beyond. We make the link between what the Dunkerquois aren't imagining and what we are discovering.
GV: X, Y & Z's style is collaborative and participatory. Has that been the right choice?
EC: Dans le temps, ça évoluera peut-être mais aujourd’hui, on a fait le meilleur choix possible. Tout le monde est là car on s’y sent bien. L’organisation est rudimentaire, on doit réguler la gestion des publications, corriger les fautes…en laissant aux gens la possibilité de tout modifier. On essaie de répondre à tous, si cela va dans le sens du projet commun. Pour le moment il n’y a pas de débordements, il a du respect, de la rigueur. Si des gens sont intéressés par la démarche pour contribuer ou avoir des infos, on est ouverts pour partager notre petite expérience. On est ouvert à toute remarque qui peut améliorer le projet. Si on a une seule demande, c’est de ne pas oublier que c’est un projet de passionnés! Si quelqu’un se sent seul dans sa chaîne, on l’accueillera avec plaisir dans la chaîne X Y et Z. Pour moi, c’est le plus beau sujet de ma vie ! C’est une aventure humaine. Je me prends des bouffées de bonheur, de partage. C’est magnifique ! Si c’est ça l’apprentissage de la vie je suis prêt à faire un master !
It might change in time but for now, we've made the best possible choice. Everyone is here because we feel good about it. The set-up is basic, and we have to make sure the rhythm and frequency of our posts are OK, fix our mistakes, and so on… while giving people the option to alter what they want. We try to respond to everyone, if it is in the best interest of our collaborative project. So far no one has acted out of line; everyone has been respectful and conducted themselves well. If people want to know how they can contribute or get more information, we are open to sharing our experience with them. We are open to any comments that can make the project better. If we have just one request, it's to remember that this project is made up of passionate people! If someone feels lonely in their chain, they are gladly welcome to join us at X, Y & Z. Personally, it's the best part of my life. It's a human adventure. I get to breathe joy and sharing. It's wonderful! If this is life training, I'm ready to do a Master's!

author: Emmanuelle Leroy Cerqueira


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Why Ukraine’s Revolution Won’t Spread to Russia · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

An anonymous image comparing the Ukrainian way of protesting on the left, and Russian on the right. (Reference to “Scrotum Revolt“)
Ukraine's pro-EU-accession protests have taken a violent turn, as protesters clashed with police on December 1, 2013, storming several administrative buildings in central Kiev. Earlier, on November 30, a peaceful rally was forcefully dispersed by Berkut, Ukrainian riot-police, galvanizing the waning movement. East of the border, Russian bloggers continue to take a keen interest in the developing situation, although there is still little consensus about what the protests entail for Russia's own opposition movement.
A rioter armed with a chain attacks Ukrainian riot police in Kiev.
Most agreed that it was the harsh police tactics (which, according to [ru] Moscow municipal deputy Konstantin Yankauskas, were in the “Putinist style,”) that outraged Ukrainians to the point where they began rioting. Journalist Yury Saprykin explained [ru] on his Facebook that Ukrainians may be particularly sensitive to such violence:
[…] ничего подобного разгону митингующих наподобие вчерашнего или прорыву омоновских цепей с булыжниками и арматурой типа сегодняшнего не происходило там ни разу. […] именно поэтому ночной разгон майдана воспринимается как точка невозврата и нечто абсолютно непростительное.
[…] nothing quite like yesterday's dispersal of the protesters or today's breaking through riot police lines with cobblestones and rebar has ever happened there. […] that's precisely why the night-time dispersal of the rally is seen as a point of no return and something completely inexcusable.
Opposition blogger Irek Murtazin thinks [ru] that this willingness to take on the government reflects poorly on the Russian opposition — after all, after the violent crowd dispersal during the May 6, 2012 riots in Moscow, it took an entire week to organize a march in protest, where as the Ukrainians were out on the streets the very next day. Perhaps Russians are simply more inured to such violence from the police?
Meanwhile, the leaders of the Ukrainian protest called the rioting and stone throwing a “provocation” — to the approval of Russian activist Roman Dobrokhotov:
Очень хорошо что Кличко и остальные организаторы сочли провокацией закидывание ментов камнями. Ибо это не тот путь.
— Roman Dobrokhotov (@Dobrokhotov) December 1, 2013
It is very good that Klitchko and the rest of the organizers consider throwing stones at cops a provocation. That isn't the way to go.
Such sentiments, however, draw yet more unfavorable comparisons to Russian protests. DemVybor's Kirill Shulika wrote [ru], with more than a little annoyance, about members of the opposition who are wary of employing violent means to confront the Kremlin:
Провокаторы у них были в Бирюлево, провокаторы в Киеве… Они просто не представляют, что народ можно достать так, что он возьмет трактор и пойдет штурмовать АП, несмотря на силы правопорядка с оружием, шумовые гранаты и слезоточивый газ.
They thought there were provocateurs in Biryulyovo, now there are provocateurs in Kiev… They just can't imagine that you can drive the people to a point where they will take a tractor and storm the President's Administration, not caring about law-enforcement with weapons, noise grenades and tear gas.
Nationalist publication Sputnik & Pogrom seemed to agree [ru] — to them, the reason why the Ukrainian protest is more successful than the Russian, is the fact that Ukrainians embrace radical nationalists who are at the forefront of physical confrontation with the police. In Russia, however, “pansy” liberals are too afraid to be associated with the nationalists to make proper use of them.
Bloggers hostile to the Ukrainian opposition make their own claims [ru] of provocateurs [ru], noting that there is disinformation being spread about the size of the protest. For example, some sources claim [ru] that 1.6 million people have shown up in central Kiev to protest. The number indeed boggles the mind, until one realizes that it is completely made up — even the opposition parties don't claim more than half a million protesters, while eyewitnesses like photo-blogger Ilya Varlamov [ru] estimate that the total number is likely somewhat north of 100,000. Indeed, a photo being circulated around RuNet that purports to show the true size of the crowd, was apparently taken in 2004 [ru].
A 2004 photograph of Kiev's Independence Square is being used to show the size of the Kiev protests.
A December 1, 2013 rooftop eyewitness photo tweeted by @camerakid
Regardless of the success of the Ukrainian protests, many predict a tightening of government control back in Russia. Journalist Yuri Saprykin was particularly dour [ru] about the potential reactionary jolt:
Дико сочувствую всем киевским товарищам – при этом понятно, что в случае победы евромайдана опасения, что после Олимпиады в России начнется полный и окончательный трендец, можно переводить в разряд медицинского факта. Если в результате предыдущего майдана были созданы движение Наши и прочая суверенная сурковщина, а под впечатлением от арабской весны случился третий срок, то о гипотетических последствиях нынешней победы даже не хочется думать.
I am very sympathetic to our Kiev friends — but at the same time it's clear that if Euromaidan is victorious, then the worries that post-Olympic Russia will be a complete hell-hole can be seen as medical fact. If, as a result of the previous Ukrainian revolution we got the NASHI movement and other “sovereign democracy,” and as a result of the Arab Spring we got [Putin's] third term, then I don't even want to think about the hypothetical ramifications of the current victory.
If recent reports [ru] that Ukrainian President Yanukovich is acquiescing to protester demands are true, the Russian opposition might have a lot to worry about.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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A Pastebin for Arabic Content on the Web · Global Voices
Rayna St.

“Arabic is the seventh most spoken language by Internet users but only three per cent of digital content on the web comprises of Arabic material,” estimate experts. Among the most frequent web usages is sharing text, through Pastebin and similar services. Yet these do not properly support Arabic text. Developed by Egyptian Mostafa Hussein (@moftasa), Nota aims at bridging this gap:
Nota has a single purpose and that is to help people share any amount of Arabic text quickly and easily. Text is presented in a clear, distraction free and beautiful way and is highly accessible. There is no need to sign up or register. It will also remain ad free, free of charge and open source.
Nota's source code is on GitHub.

author: Rayna St.


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Australia: Celebrating International Day of People with Disability · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

3 December 2013 is International Day of People with Disability. Award winning blogger Carly Findlay writes about her experiences as a person with the skin condition ichthyosis in Disability has meant finding my tribe:
Disability is showing them – the underestimators. It's a sense of community. It's friendship and a strong sense of empathy with a big dose of laughing at the ignorance of others’ reactions. Disability is a place to belong. It's finding my tribe.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Egypt: Campaigning for Rights of People with Special Needs · Global Voices
Rayna St.

Marginalized Egyptians with special needs have been protesting for their rights both before and since the #Jan25 revolution. However, their grievances are yet to be resolved. At the time when the Committee of 50 is voting on the most recent draft of the Egyptian Constitution, Zayee Zayak campaign, which translates to “I am just like you” from Egyptian colloquial Arabic, has kicked off in Egypt aiming at raising awareness about the constitutional rights of people with special needs in the country.
A 2006 census claimed that almost a million Egyptians suffered some sort of disability, yet dedicated NGOs and international organizations estimate these to be at least 8.5 million. Zayee Zayak campaigners evaluate that as many as 17 million Egyptians have special needs:
You can follow discussions through a dedicated group, ‘Disability Awareness in Egyptian Society’ (En).


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Electoral Authority Agrees to Recount Vote Tallies in Honduras Presidential Election · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro from left-wing LIBRE party has been calling for a recount of the votes from the country's recent presidential election. According to official results Castro won 29% of the votes, placing her second after conservative candidate Juan Orlando Hernandez with 37%.
RNS in Honduras Culture and Politics explains that there will be a recount:
The Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) head David Matamoros agreed to a public recount of the Actas: not the votes themselves, just a recount of the votes as recorded on the tally sheets.
This, of course, is a compromise.  Ballot boxes will not be re-opened; individual votes will not be recounted.
He concludes:
It's a step in the direction of transparency. But not the kind of recount that would put to rest, ultimately, the kinds of doubts that have been raised.


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Five Arab Countries Among Top 10 Corrupt Worldwide · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Five Arab countries have been named among the top 10 most corrupt countries, according to Transparency International's newly released annual Corruption Perceptions Index.
Egyptian Amro Ali reacts:
Congrats Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia & Sudan – 5 Arab states top most corrupt list http://t.co/7rsD6xErlA Egypt needed a break from rankings
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) December 3, 2013
And Sudanese Usamah Mohamed comments:
Iraq is occupied. Syria & Somalia are in civil war. Libya just revolted against the 41-year-old tyranny that mismanaged it. Sudan? #prt
— Usamah Mohamed أسامة (@simsimt) December 3, 2013

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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“I Am a German Street Vendor in Dakar”  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Being a street vendor is not an easy job, especially in Senegal. Yet this is the choice that Sebastian Prothmann, a native of Germany, made after he arrived in Dakar, Senegal a few months ago. The following video shows Prothmann at work [fr]:
Prothmann explains in an interview for the Dakaroiseries blog how he came to this unusual job [fr] in a western African country :
Au début de mon séjour j’ai rencontré un jeune homme qui a lors de notre premier contact manifesté son désir ardent de quitter le Sénégal. J’étais curieux de comprendre son ‘’monde vécu’’ pour aboutir à des interprétations socio-culturelles sur  son envie  d’émigrer. Il était marchand ambulant. Donc, un jour je lui ai demandé si je pouvais l’accompagner dans sa routine quotidienne. Ce qu’il a accepté. Il m’a donc fait faire un premier tour, soi-disant pour mon apprentissage.  Il en  était réjoui, car on a fait de bons bénéfices [..] Avec cet engagement, j’ai eu plus des prises de conscience dans le secteur informel, communément appelé aussi « Dóor waar », qui joue un rôle fondamental pour la jeunesse sénégalaise. [..] j’étais souvent confronté à une incrédulité frappante quant à mes origines. La plupart des personnes n’ont pas cru qu’un homme blanc peut s’investir dans un tel travail. Plusieurs fois j’étais aussi confronté à une confiance plus élaboré á mon égard. Il y avait des considérations selon lesquels moi en tant que Blanc devait vendre des produits de bonne qualité.
At the beginning of my stay (in Senegal), I met a young man who at our first meeting expressed his longing to leave Senegal. I wanted to understand why he wanted to leave and how his everyday life was so I could comprehend the socio-cultural interpretations of his desire to leave. He was a peddler. So one day I asked if I could accompany him in his daily routine hhich he accepted. After he made me do a round as a vendor, supposedly for my training. He was glad because he made some good profits [ ..] With this new work, I had a better understanding of the informal sector here, commonly known as “door waar ” which plays a fundamental role in the lives of Senegalese youth . [ ..] I was often faced with disbelief when it came to my origins. Most people did not believe that a white man can get involved in such work here. Several times I was also granted more trust about my products than the other street vendors. There was a prevailing line of thinking that suggested that a white person must be selling good quality products .

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Arrested Several Tech Writers · Global Voices
Farid

Narenji, a technology and gadget site, announced seven of its writers and technical staff were arrested by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.Narenji suspended its activities on Tuesday, second of December.

author: Farid


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‘Proyecto Arcoiris’ Advocates for Coloring Cuba with the Rainbow of the LGBT Community · Global Voices
Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez Ramírez

This post is part of our series on Gender and Sexuality in Latin America in collaboration with The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA). Stay tuned for more articles.
[All links lead to pages in Spanish.]
In July of 2011, Project Arcoiris (“The Rainbow Project”) was born. This was a new program designed to fight for the rights of people of non-heteronormative sexual orientations and gender identities.
It all began when activist Yasmin Silvia Portales shared her dissatisfaction with the absence, at the time, of spaces for meeting the social demands of sexually diverse persons and for advocating for sexual and reproductive rights.
Mientras, ¿qué hacemos las personas LGBTI a las cuales la filiación política llevó a distintos grupos de la izquierda libertaria y anticapitalista? Nos corresponde ampliar los marcos ideológicos desde los cuales se debate el asunto de la discriminación por orientación sexual e identidad de género, introducir nuestras propias exigencias, aportar nuestras fuerzas, proponer otros caminos. Esto es política, ¿a quién le da miedo decirlo?
Meanwhile, what can we do as LGBT people when political affiliation has led us to different left-wing libertarian and anticapitalist groups? It's our responsibility to broaden the ideological framework for debating the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, present our own demands, join forces, and propose alternative solutions. This is politics. Why are we afraid to say so?
This call to arms, which Portales sent out to a group of friends and e-mail contacts, received a quick response. In my blog, Negra Cubana Tenía Que Ser, I wrote the following on the project in July of 2011:
Lo cierto es que en la Cuba de hoy seguimos asidos a una moral que concibe el matrimonio entre hombres y mujeres y los hijos e hijas para los heterosexuales. Como tampoco me adscribo ninguno de los (pocos) grupos existentes en el país, ni desde el activismo, mucho menos desde la teoría, vislumbro al Proyecto Arcoiris como el ejercicio ciudadano que nos permitirá, a lo sumo, apresurar la ratificación del nuevo Código de Familia, cuya aprobación, por la Asamblea Nacional, se ha retrasado por más de 16 años.
The truth is that in Cuba today we are tied to a moral fabric that conceives of families only as married heterosexual men and women along with their sons and daughters. Since I'm not attached to any of the (few) existing groups in this country, either as an activist, and much less as a theorist, I view Project Arcoiris as a civic responsibility that will allow us, in the end, to expedite the ratification of the new Family Code, whose passage by the National Assembly has been delayed for more than 16 years.
After the group held its first meeting, activist Isbel Díaz Torres from the Critical Observatory Network (“Red del Observatorio Crítico” in Spanish) expressed the following in his column in the Havana Times:
Me pareció captar entre los que asistimos, el deseo de dialogar sin asimetrías con todas las partes. Sería funesto que nos posicionáramos en un estrato superior para acceder al público LGBTI cubano para conocer sus intereses. Tampoco parece factible colocarnos por debajo en nuestras demandas a las instituciones estatales con quienes necesariamente interactuaremos.
In my view, it seemed to instill a desire, in all of us in attendance, to dialog with all parties in a balanced way. It would be fatal for us to position ourselves as superior in order to access the Cuban LGBTI community and better understand their issues. Nor does it seem feasible for us to position ourselves, in our demands, as underdogs to the state institutions with whom we must necessarily interact.
In September of 2012, Project Arcoiris created its blog, in which it immediately published its core concerns, which include the following:
El Proyecto Arcoiris cree que es necesario luchar, porque todavía hoy, en Cuba, es difícil salir a la calle cada día y vivir como personas no heterosexuales. Defendemos el derechos de negarnos a mentir a nuestras familias, comunidades, colectivos de trabajo, amistades; defendemos también el respeto a aquellas personas heterosexuales que nos apoyan contra la homofobia cotidiana.
Project Arcoiris believes that it's necessary to fight, because in Cuba today, it's still difficult to walk around in the streets every day and live as non-heterosexual persons. We uphold our right to refuse to lie to our families, our communities, our employers, and our friends; we also demand respect for those heterosexual persons who support us in our struggle against the homophobia we experience on a day-to-day basis.
And further on, we read:
Queremos para Cuba libertad y autodeterminación, queremos toda la riqueza que podamos producir honestamente, y queremos la prohibición legal de todas las formas de discriminación por sexo, edad, origen étnico o geográfico, religión, orientación sexual o identidad de género.
We desire liberty and self-determination for Cuba; we desire as much wealth as we can produce honestly, and we seek the legal prohibition of all forms of discrimination due to sex, age, ethnicity or geographical origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
In the blog it is also possible to access issues of the digital newsletter Ahí Te Va, created by Arcoiris, which is also sent via e-mail.
Of all the activities carried out by Project Arcoiris, the “Kiss-In for Diversity” has, without a doubt, had the greatest impact on both a national and an international level. Its objective was to commemorate Gay Pride on the island on June 26th; this is a celebration which up to that time had never taken place in Cuba.
The Kiss-In was convened using information and communication technologies, something unprecedented in Cuba, which Portales referred to in a recent interview:
Creo que […] hicimos un punto de inflexión con el uso coordinado de diversos recursos comunicativos electrónicos –teléfonos fijos o móviles y redes sociales con base en Internet.
Varias entidades comerciales habían estado haciendo publicidad a través de los celulares en Cuba, pero Arcoiris ha inaugurado el uso de los móviles para convocatorias de perfil político y emancipatorio explícito, ¡y sin el apoyo del Estado!
I believe that […] we created a turning point with our coordinated use of several electronic communications resources – telephones and mobile phones and Internet social media.
Although several business entities had been doing cellular advertising in Cuba, Arcoiris has inaugurated the use of mobile phones for explicit emancipatory political profile calling, and without State support!
The impact of the preparations for the Kiss-In, and of the event itself, was immeasurable: Martinoticias, Cubanet, IPS, EFE, and Global Voices, along with other media, published articles about this event.
Kiss-In for Diversity and Equality in Havana, Cuba. (Photo courtesy of Jorge Luis Baños.)
The declaration read by Portales just before the Kiss-In began, which takes articles 42, 53, and 54 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba as its preamble, notes in one of its paragraphs that:
Por eso estamos aquí, ocupando el espacio público que la Revolución de 1959 conquistó para todas las personas de la nación sin distinciones, porque la Revolución será feminista, o no será, será antirracista, o no será, será abierta a las críticas de toda la ciudadanía, o no será, será antihomofóbica, o no será. Será, en fin, una lucha absoluta contra todas las discriminaciones, o no será verdaderamente socialista y las vidas de quienes murieron por implantar la dignidad plena del hombre y la mujer en esta tierra carecerán de sentido.
That is why we're here, occupying the public space that the Revolution of 1959 conquered fo all citizens of our nation without distinction, because this Revolution will either be feminist or it won't, it will either be anti-racist or it won't, it will either be open to the scrutiny of all citizens or it won't, it will either be anti-homophobic or it won't. At the end of the day, this will either be an absolute struggle against all discrimination, or it will not be truly socialist, and the lives of those who died to establish full dignity for all men and women in this land will be rendered meaningless.
Because we were interested in knowing what Project Arcoiris is currently focusing on, we interviewed its founder, blogger Yasmin Silvia Portales, and blogger Luis Rondón Paz, who works specifically with updating the project's blog.
Regarding the activities the project is involved with now, Yasmin Silvia commented:
Ahora concentramos esfuerzos en la organización de una delegación cubana a los Gay Games, que serán en agosto de 2014 en Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Cuba nunca ha estado en los Gay Games, y consideramos que es una idea excelente para el proceso de construcción de la comunidad LGBTQ de acá. Por supuesto, que es un proyecto enorme, en cuanto a gente involucrada y recursos. El CENESEX nos ha reconocido como interlocutores y nos prestaron asesoría en los primeros pasos organizativos.
Right now we're concentrating our efforts on organizing a Cuban delegation to the Gay Games, which will take place in August of 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Cuba has never been involved in the Gay Games, so we consider this to be an excellent idea for the process of building up the LGBTQ community here. This is, of course, an enormous undertaking when you consider the number of people and resources involved. CENESEX [the Cuban National Center for Sex Education] has recognized us as partners and has advised us on the first steps to take in organization.
The Project has recently created a blog with the same name and content on the CubaVa platform. The blogger commented on the new opportunities that this space is creating:
Clonar el blog en Cubava.cu es un paso muy importante para acercarnos a Cuba, para socializar las acciones del grupo y generar un espacio de memoria del activismo LGBT. Es pertinente aclarar que el acceso a internet en Cuba tiene carácter limitado (31% de la población) y segregado, pues la mayor parte de estas personas en realidad solo pueden navegar la “intranet”: sitios web dentro del dominio “.cu”. Ahora Proyecto Arcoíris tiene un espacio de activismo LGBT y diálogo potencial dentro de la red nacional, accesible desde cualquier lugar de Cuba. Esperamos entonces que más gente se entere de lo que hacemos y opine, critique –de modo respetuoso– y hasta inicie sus propias acciones en otras zonas de la isla.
Cloning our blog on CubaVa.cu was a very important step in moving closer to Cuba, to socialize the group's actions and creating memory space for LGBT activism. It's relevant to clarify that Internet access in Cuba is limited (31% of the population) and segregated, because most of these people can only surf the “intranet:” websites within the “.cu” domain. Project Arcoiris now has a space for LGBT activism and the potential for dialog within the national network, accessible from anywhere in Cuba. So we hope that more people will find out about what we're doing and offer their comments and criticisms – in a respectful way – and even initiate their own actions in other regions of the island.
Speaking on the same topic, Luis Rondón Paz, founder of the Project, points out:
Pienso que su promoción [del Proyecto Arcoiris] en la naciente plataforma blog al interior de la isla cubana aportaría un granito de arena para la construcción de esa cultura de debate que tanto necesita la futura sociedad socialista diversa, inclusiva, democrática y justa que entre todas y todos deseamos tener.
I think [Project Arcoiris's] promotional efforts to the emerging blog platform inside Cuba could add another grain of sand to the construction of a culture of debate which the coming diverse and equitable socialist, even democratic, society needs, and that we all wish to have.
One very current issue on the Cuban docket is the preliminary draft law of the new Labor Code. Regarding rights protection for sexually diverse persons within the Labor Code, Yasmin Silvia specifies:
Creo que el nuevo Código del Trabajo es un proyecto neoliberal, muy enfocado en facilitar la explotación de la clase obrera cubana en el proceso de reconstrucción del capitalismo. Como tal, esta Ley no tiene una base emancipadora, menos aún de reconocimiento de los problemas específicos de los diversos grupos identitarios que integran la nación.
Fíjate que todo el lenguaje es sexista, y las mujeres solo son mencionadas como madres, y se hace una vaga referencia a la discriminación por color de la piel, pero con el término “raza”. Respecto al Código actual, los mecanismos para la reclamación de justicia laboral han sido limitados, y no se incorporan fenómenos ampliamente reconocidos como problemáticos en el ámbito laboral, como el acoso sexual o moral.
I believe the new Labor Code is a neoliberal project, very focused on facilitating the exploitation of the Cuban working class in the process of reconstructing capitalism. As such, this Law does not have an emancipatory base, and much less a recognition of the specific problems faced by diverse identity groups that make up the nation.
If you think about it, all of the language is sexist, and women are only mentioned as mothers, and a vague reference is made to discrimination by skin color, but utilizing the term “race.” With respect to the Code as it currently stands, the mechanisms for claiming worker justice have been restricted, and issues that are widely recognized as problematic in the work environment, such as sexual and psychological harassment, have not been addressed.
For his part, Rondón states:
Lo triste del Código de Trabajo es que hoy si a un jefe le da el deseo de decir que no trabajas porque eres “flojito” o muy “macho” no tienes a donde acudir, porque en la ley no existe respaldo alguno ante discriminaciones de este tipo […]
The sad thing about the Labor Code is that right now, if a boss feels like telling you that you can't work because you're “lazy” or “too manly,” you have nowhere to turn, because in the law there's no protection at all against that kind of discrimination […] […]
Project Arcoiris also has a page on Facebook which, like the blog, is monitored by several members of the group, with the intention of minimizing the adverse effects that go hand-in-hand with blogging from an island with poor connectivity and extremely slow connections.

author: Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez Ramírez


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The President of the Central African Republic Isolated amidst Swirling Crisis  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Maria Malagardi reports from the Central African Republic News Blog that President Michel Djotodia is increasingly isolated [fr] from his allies as the crisis deepens in his country and a French military intervention is in the works :
Certains de ses proches de passage à Paris ne savent même pas à qui il faut s’adresser à l’Elysée ou au Quai d’Orsay pour évoquer la situation en Centrafrique. Les autorités françaises, visiblement, préférent dialoguer directement avec le Premier Ministre, Nicolas Tiangaye [..] Certes, Michel Djotodia, un temps diplomate au Soudan, n’a pas réussi à ramener la sécurité dans son pays neuf mois après son arrivée. Un échec réel mais qui ne doit pas faire oublier que dans ce pays connaît aujourd’hui des affrontements intercommunautaires d’une ampleur inédite
Many of his close allies do not know anymore whether they should liaise with the French presidency or the Foreign office Ministry to exchange on the situation in the Central African Republic. French authorities seem to exchange directly with the prime minister Nicolas Tiangaye. [..] For sure, Michel Djotodia, who once was a diplomat in the Sudan, did not manage to bring peace and security back in his country nine months into his mandate. It is clearly a major failure but one should not forget that the country has faced an unusual massive number of inter-communities conflicts.
Nicolas Tiangaye, prime minister of the CAR CC-license-BY 2.0


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10 Bangkok Rallies That Almost Toppled the Government · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A temporary truce between anti-government protesters and government forces in Thailand has somewhat eased the political tension in the country.
More than 100,000 protesters have stormed the streets of Bangkok in the past two weeks demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra whom they accused of being a mere puppet of her elder brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was ousted by a coup in 2006 but his party has remained victorious in the polls. He is in exile after being found guilty of plunder by a local court.
But the political crisis is far from over since the pause in fighting was only made in deference to King Bhumibol Adulyadej who is celebrating his birthday on December 5. The King is the most revered figure in Thailand.
One way to analyze how the current crisis will unfold is to review how various political forces reacted in the past when similar provocative rallies also shook the nation. In particular, the massive rallies in 2008 and 2010 can shed light as to why Thailand’s major political parties have failed to peacefully resolve their differences.
These rallies didn’t directly cause the removal of the elected government but they immensely contributed in eroding the legitimacy of the national leadership.
1. August 2008. Yellow Shirts occupied the Government House. In 2008 the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) or Yellow Shirts conducted daring street actions for several months to force the removal of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej whom they accused of being a proxy of Thaksin. PAD adopted the color yellow as their protest color in honor of the King.
PAD was able to occupy the Government House on August. Protests continued until September when the group was able to disrupt the railway operations and Phuket airport.
Yellow Shirts occupying the Government House. Photo by Craig Martell, Copyright @Demotix (8/30/2008)
2. November 24, 2008. Yellow Shirts surrounded the Parliament building. PAD upped the ante on November when they were able to surround the Parliament building.
3. November 25, 2008. Yellow Shirts occupied two major airports in Bangkok. PAD paralyzed air travel in the country by occupying Bangkok’s two major airports. PAD withdrew from the airports after eight days when the country’s top court ordered the dissolution of the ruling party which forced the prime minister to step down. Further, the court disqualified allies of Thaksin from running for public office again. This video below shows protesters occupying Suvarnabuhmi international airport in Bangkok:
4. December 2008. Rise of the Red Shirts. The victory of PAD led to the rise of the Red Shirts who adopted the color red just to differentiate themselves from the Yellow Shirts. The Red Shirts were neither leftists nor anti-royalists but many of them were supporters of Thaksin. They were vigorously opposed to the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva whom they denounced as illegitimate.
5. April 2009 Black Songkran. Songkran, the Thai New Year became ‘Black Songkran’ in reference to the chaotic and violent confrontation between soldiers and anti-government protesters. The Red Shirts adopted the tactics of their yellow counterparts in order to undermine the administration. They often mobilized in the streets in 2009 to call for a new round of elections. This video shows Red Shirts taking control of a tank which was deployed when a State of Emergency was declared by the government:
6. March 2010 Blood protest. Red Shirts have mobilized more than 100,000 in the streets. And the protest became ‘bloody’ when protesters threw blood at government buildings. The following video clip shows a big assembly of Red Shirts:
7. April 2010 Crackdown of protest blockade. The Red Shirts were able to occupy many parts of Bangkok. They established protest camps in the city as they pushed for the resignation of Abhisit. After two months of protesting in the streets, they were forced to disperse when soldiers were deployed to disband the protest barricades. Tony Joh documented the violent clash between protesters and soldiers at Phan Fa bridge.
8. May 2010 Final Assault operation of the military against protest camp. Violence escalated on May 19 during the final assault operation of the military which led to intense street battles, riots, and looting. The retreating protesters also burned several buildings in the city. Scored were killed and more than 400 were injured during the clashes. Abhisit and some military officials were subsequently charged with murder for ordering the protest crackdown.
Red Shirt protest barricade. Photo from @potapotypoter
9. November 2013 Amnesty Bill protest. Abhisit’s party eventually lost in the parliamentary elections in 2011 and he was replaced by Yingluck Shinawatra. She recently supported an Amnesty Bill which critics believe would ‘whitewash’ the crimes of her brother. The senate rejected the measure but it didn’t stop opposition forces from mounting big rallies in the capital last month.
รายงานสด…จากสยาม ม็อบเต้มเลยค่า แนะนำหลีกเลี่ยงเส้นทางบริเวณนั้นค่าาา @traffy @fm91trafficpro @js100radio pic.twitter.com/kBxz3Fzeiv
— Palmanee (@Palmy2u) November 5, 2013
Live reporting….from Siam. Mobs everywhere. Advice to avoid those areas.
10. December 2013 ‘Anti-Thaksin’ protests. Several government buildings were occupied by protesters who have denounced the continuing influence of Thaksin in the Yingluck administration. They wanted Yingluck to step down and set-up a People’s Council. This video shows the size of rally in Bangkok last November 24, the biggest anti-government rally so far.

author: Mong Palatino


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Egypt Mourns Poet of the People Ahmed Fouad Negm  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ahmed Fouad Negm: 84 Years of Revolution . A banner shared on Twitter by @i3atef
Revolutionary Egyptian poet Ahmed Fouad Negm died yesterday at the age of 84. Netizens from across the Arab world mourn his death.
Referred to as Egypt's “Poet of the People,” Negm, whose poems were often chanted at Tahrir Square, the epi-centre of the Egyptian Revolution, spent 18 years of his life in prison. Among them were 11 years he spent behind bars for mocking former president Amwar Sadat's television addresses.
His poem, The brave men are brave, chanted at Tahrir, reads:
The brave men are brave
The cowards are cowardly
Come with the brave
Together to the Square
Negm wrote in colloquial Egyptian, and his words were immortalised in political songs, written for the poor and working class, by Sheikh Imam.
Negm maintained a Twitter account, in which he continued to voice his revolutionary thoughts to the end, often engaging with netizens.
Zeinobia, on Egyptian Chronicles, blogs:
Through his life Negm refused to be the regime's poet insisting to be the voice of the poor and the oppressed and I think this is why he will be remembered more than any poet in our time.
She adds:
Ahmed Fouad Negm has gone but his poems and songs remain as the words of the revolutionaries not only in Egypt but across the world.
On Twitter, an out pour of sympathy is seen under the hashtag #أحمد_فؤاد_نجم  [ar], or Ahmed Fouad Negm.
Egyptian Mahmdouh Hamza writes:
مصر نقصت حته رحم الله أنقي وأصدق الرجال شاعر الثوره الدائمة :   احمد فؤاد نجم
— Mamdouh Hamza (@Mamdouh_Hamza) December 3, 2013
Egypt has lost a piece. May God have mercy on the purest and most truthful of men, the poet of the continous revolution: Ahmed Fouad Negm.
Egyptian television anchor Sherif Amer tweets [ar]:
كان احمد فؤاد نجم خصم الرؤساء.مشكلة الرئيس القادم غياب نجم، و حضور أشعاره ينقلها ويرددها آلاف في حضور ملايين. رحم الله من بقى و من رحل.
— Sherif Amer (@Sherif_Amer_) December 3, 2013
Ahmed Fouad Negm was the adversary of presidents. The next president's problem will be the absence of Negm. His poetry will be repeated by thousands in front of millions. May God have mercy on who remains and who had left.
From the UAE, writer Abdulla Al Neaimi adds:
الراحل أحمد فؤاد نجم، يأخذ عليه البعض عدم اتزانه ! ، لكني أراه أكثر صدقاً من آلاف الشعراء المتزنين ! pic.twitter.com/QztsE80LK0
— عبدالله النعيمي (@AbdllahAlneaimi) December 3, 2013
Many accuse Ahmed Fouad Negm of being unstable. I find his views more frank than thousands of stable poets.
Palestinian Azmi Bishara notes:
كان شاعر المهمشين والمظلومين مهمشا، وحين وعي الشعب  الظلم الواقع عليه أصبح شاعر الشعب كله. أحمد فؤاد نجم شهد هذا في حياته. فهنيئا له. وداعا.
— عزمي بشارة (@AzmiBishara) December 3, 2013
He was the poet of the downtrodden and those facing injustice and he too was marginalised. When the people realised the injustice they were facing, he became the people's poet. Ahmed Fouad Negm witnessed this in his life.
And Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti says Negm will continue to annoy dictators – through his poetry – even after his death:
أحمد فؤاد نجم. ستظل تزعجهم من هناك. الوداع يا صاحبي
— مريد البرغوثي (@MouridBarghouti) December 3, 2013
Ahmed Fouad Negm: You will continue to annoy them from there. Goodbye my friend
His funeral, in Cairo, was attended by thousands of people. Egyptian blogger Zeinobia compiles a Storify of Negm's funeral here.
Further reading:
Al Jazeera: Ahmed Fouad Negm: Writing a Revolution
Some of Negm's poems translated into English can be found here


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Facebook Refused to Delete a Video on How to Make a Petrol Bomb · Global Voices
Rezwan

During the recent political violence in Bangladesh there were many instances of petrol bomb attacks on public transport full of passengers which killed and injured many. A video emerged in Facebook [bn] last May posted by a radical person on how to make a petrol bomb and throw it to political opposition and policemen. The video also included violent messages (in Bengali) which was widely shared. A snapshot of the narrative:
পেট্রোল বোমা বানানোর সহজ টিপস । জামাত, শিবির, হেফাজত সহ সকল ইসলামী আন্দোলনের কর্মীদের বলছি:
অবশ্যই, অবশ্যয়ে, অবশ্যই অস্ত্র হাতে নেয়া মুসলমানের জন্য অবধারিত হয়ে পরেছে.
An easy tip to make a petrol bomb. Calling Jamaat, Shibir, Hefazat and other Islami movement activists:
It has become a must for the Muslims to pick up weapon and hit back..
Journalist Tasneem Khalil tried to report this video to Facebook. But Facebook refused to remove it and replied with this message:
How to make molotov cocktails and burn policemen! @Facebook refuses to delete this video -> http://t.co/jI4MQOGF5j pic.twitter.com/5MHGPK2D3j
— Tasneem Khalil (@tasneem) December 3, 2013

author: Rezwan


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Follow the Money, South Korean Politicians Got Money from Construction Companies · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Newtapa [ko] (Korea Center for Investigative Journalism) published a web feature [ko] which displays list of politicians’ names who received political donations from construction companies involved in the statewide construction project ‘Four Major Rivers Project‘.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Football, Building Social Cohesion in Niger · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

Football tournament organised in the region of Tahoua, Niger. Republished with permission from Mapping for Niger blog
Niger is twice as large as France in area, composed of eight regions and six different ethnicities. It was also the country with the lowest Human Development Index in 2012. These factors make for a fragile social fabric in Niger, due perhaps to increasing inequalities and heterogeneous demographics. Sport is at times an ideal vehicle to reinforce social links in Nigerien communities. This is why the community of Kalfou in the department of Tahoua organise an annual football tournament, bringing together various clubs from around the region.
Hamzajaba, a member of the Rising Voices’ project Mapping for Niger, participated in this tournament. He says [fr]:
Ce tournoi a été organisé par un ressortissant d’un village appelé « Guidan Toudou ». Le tournoi est composé de huit (8) villages qui sont répartis en deux poules A et B. La poule A est composée de : Guidan Toudou, Alibou, Toudouni et Tounga et la poule B est composée de : Samo, Karaji Sud, Guidan Gara et Galmawa. [..] la finale a opposée Guidan Toudou& Karaji Sud avec un score de 3 buts à 0 en faveur de Guidan Toudou suite au forfait de Karaji Sud. Ce tournoi s'est déroulé dans une parfaite ambiance, pleine de faire play et l’objectif a donc été atteint. J’ai rencontré pas mal des jeunes et même des collègues avec qui j'ai été au collège. Guidan Toudou a gagné le trophée avec comme récompense 70 000 FCFA; le 2ème, Karaji Sud, a été recompensé de 40 000 FCFA et le 3ème Galmawa 20 000 FCFA. Toutes les équipes qui ont participé ont bénéficié d’un ballon.
This tournament was organised by the village group Guidan Toudou. The tournament is composed of eight (8) villages who were divided into two groups, A and B. Group A is composed of: Guidan Toudo, Alibou, Toudouni and Tounga and group B is composed of: Samo, Karaji Sud, Guidan Gara and Galmawa. […] the final placed Guidan Toudou and Karaji Sud with a score of 3 goals to 0 in favor of Guidan Toudo, following a forfeit from Karaji Sud. This tournament took place in a perfect ambiance, full of fair play and thus the objective was obtained. I met quite a few young people and even some colleagues with whom I attended secondary school. Guidan Toudou won the trophy with 70 000 FCFA as a reward; the second, Karaji Sud, was awarded 40 000 FCFA and the third Galmawa 20 000 FCFA. All of the teams who participated received a football.
The department of Tahoua, mapped by the project Mapping for Niger.
Football has always been a passion for Nigeriens. One of the most well known celebrities in Niger is a former footballer, Moussa Kanfideni, who was the captain of the national team in the '80s. His name was immortalised in the the creation of the first training center for future leaders in football, the Souley Académie Sports (SACA-Sports). Ousmane Keïta explains the role of this training center and foodball [fr] in general in the education of young Nigeriens:
L’ambition de la Souley Académie Sports est claire : combler un grand vide en contribuant non seulement à la formation du champion, mais aussi de l’intellectuel de demain. En d’autres termes, le centre vise à forger le citoyen modèle, préparé pour évoluer dans l’adversité, la concurrence.
The goal of the Souley Académie Sports is clear: to fill a large gap and to contribute not only to the training of champions, but also to the intellectuals of tomorrow. In other words, the center aims to form a model citizen, prepared to perform in the face of adversity, competition.
Football tournament in the department of Tahoua, Niger. Republished with permission from Mapping for Niger.
Other academies, like Atcha académie [fr], have created programs to target the schooling of young people through sport. Equally, the technical center of the Nigerien Federation of Football (FENIFOOT) was recently established in the north of Niamey, the capital of Niger. News blog A Niamey explains the goals of this center [fr]:
Les premiers pensionnaires du centre sont au total 52 jeunes talents, de moins de 15 ans, qui ont été présélectionnés sur l’ensemble du territoire national. le Niger compte sortir de ces jeunes formés l’équipe nationale qui va représenter le pays à la Coupe d’Afrique des moins de 17 ans prévue en 2015 à Niamey.
The first members of the sport center are in total 52 talented youth under age 15, who were preselected through the national territory. Niger counts on these young trainees of the national team who will represent the country in the uner-17s African Cup in 2015 in Niamey.
The national team is also a vehicle for solidarity and national mobilisation. The following video is a message from members of the Nigerien football team about the famine in Niger:

author: Rakotomalala


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French Strategical Report to Counter China’s Economic Influence in Africa    · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Top Francophone economists & diplomats (namely H El-Karoui from Morocco, T Thiam from Côte d'Ivoire,  L Zinsou from Benin, J-M Severino and H Vedrine from France) submitted a joint report [fr] that outlines the strategy that France should implement to remain competitive on the African Market in the near future. Joel Té-Léssia highlights 15 key points [fr] from the report, one of which is to do away with the “Zone Franc” policy and to allow the regional currency to fluctuate with respect to the Euros. Té-Léssia also underlines the fact that the report is clearly devised to counter  growing influence of China and other emerging nations in the Africa continent. Africa economic growth is projected at 5.2 % in 2014.
Six special economic zones setup by the PRC in four African countries on wikipedia CC-BY-2.0


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‘How Many Burning Bodies Will Satisfy Them?’: Political Violence in Bangladesh · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

[All links lead to Bangla-language webpages unless otherwise noted.]
The violent political crisis currently plaguing Bangladesh is having deadly consequences [en] for the country's people, who have borne the brunt of a series of politically motivated attacks in the last few weeks, such as the November 28 petrol bombing of a bus [en] full of passengers in Shahbag [en], near the center of capital Dhaka.
That attack killed three people, including a 10-year-old, and severely injured 15 others. Similar incidents around the country have claimed more than 50 lives and left 2,000 people injured [en].
The rash of violence began after Bangladesh's election commission declared at the end of November that parliamentary elections will be held on January 5, 2014. The opposition parties—Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party—have rejected [en] the timetable, and are calling for the country's prime Minister to resign and for elections to be held under a neutral caretaker government.
The resulting protests and road blockades have at times turned violence — crude bombs have been hurled at vehicles full of passengers and train tracks have been tampered with, with deadly effects. Several opposition leaders have been arrested during the protests on different charges, but authorities have so far failed to arrest anyone directly responsible for actions that resulted in people's deaths. A number of party activists have also died during violent clashes with the police.
And everyday citizens continue to pay dearly for the discontent. In past weeks, people like Monir, Sumi, Montu Paul, Asad Gazi, Nasima Begum, Abul Quashem and others have lost their lives.
[Warning: Graphic images below]
A patient being taken for treatment at the Dhaka Medical College who sustained burn injuries after an unidentified attacker threw a petrol bomb inside a moving bus in Dhaka. Image by Naveed Ishtyak. Copyright Demotix (28/11/2013)
One day of political violence is described in this Daily Prothom Alo report:
শুক্রবার ভোররাত। ঢাকা-বগুড়া মহাসড়ক। যানজটে স্থবির পাঁচ শতাধিক গাড়ি। স্থানে স্থানে ককটেল, ইটপাথর নিয়ে নির্বিচার হামলা। নারকীয় তাণ্ডব। নারী-শিশু-বৃদ্ধ—কারও রেহাই নেই। আহত শতাধিক যাত্রী।
শুক্রবার ভোররাত। ফেনীর দাগন-ভূঞায় নৈশকোচে হামলা। যাত্রীদের মারধর। টাকাপয়সা, মালামাল লুট। পেট্রল ঢেলে বাসে আগুন।
শুক্রবার রাত একটা। রাজশাহী-নওগাঁ সড়কের দেওয়ানপাড়া। ধানবোঝাই চারটি ট্রাকে আগুন। আগুন ওষুধের গাড়িতেও।
বিএনপি-জামায়াতের নেতৃত্বাধীন ১৮-দলীয় জোটের হঠাৎ ৭২ ঘণ্টা অবরোধের খণ্ডচিত্র এটি। অবরোধের আগপাছ বিবেচনায় নেই। হামলা যেন অনিবার্য। চট্টগ্রামের সীতাকুণ্ড, কুমিল্লা, চাঁদপুর—অবরোধের ডাক দেওয়ার আগে রাস্তায় নামা যাত্রীবাহী বাস, মালবাহী ট্রাকের ওপর হামলে পড়ার একই চিত্র সবখানে। অপ্রস্তুত মানুষের ওপর পরিকল্পিত হামলা। মহাসড়কজুড়ে এক অবিশ্বাস্য রাজনৈতিক বর্বরতা।
Friday [29 November, 2013] early morning. Dhaka-Bogura Highway. Around 500 vehicles were stuck in a traffic jam due to a protesting road blockade. Suddenly, they were attacked by small explosive devices and bricks. Massive violence. No respite for women and children. More than 100 passengers hurt.
Friday early morning. Feni-Dagonbhuiyan night coach attacked. The passengers were beaten, robbed. The bus was torched after pouring petrol.
Friday 1 a.m. in the morning. Dewanpara at Rajshahi-Naoga Road. Four trucks containing rice were torched. A van carrying medicine was not spared.
These are the snapshots of the 72-hour blockade undertaken by the [Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami] 18-party coalition. There is no innovation in the nature of protest. Seems violence and attacks are the norm.
In places like Sitakunda, Comilla and Chandpur, it's a common scene during the blockade that a passenger bus or delivery truck are attacked indiscriminately. Planned attacks on unprepared citizens. Political barbarism on the highways.
That's only one day. Since January 1, 2013, political violence has claimed 348 lives. There have been uproar and condemnation across the country over the bloodshed. Blogger Fatema Johra wrote on Bangla blogging platform Amarblog:
মৃত্যুর মিছিল শুরু হয়েছে আমাদের দেশে।একটার পর একটা নিরীহ মানুষ যুক্ত হচ্ছে সেই মৃত্যুর মিছিলে। মাঝে মাঝে মনেহয় এই বুঝি আমিও যুক্ত হলাম সেই মিছিলে, এই বুঝি আমার স্কুল পড়ুয়া ভাইটা সেই মিছিলে হেঁটে যাচ্ছে।যতক্ষণ পর্যন্ত ভাইটা না ফেরে ততক্ষণ পর্যন্ত কান পেতে রাখি দরজায়, অপেক্ষায় থাকি কখন ও এসে বলবে- আপু, দরজা খোলো।আর অস্থির হয়ে ভাবতে থাকি ঠিক মতো ফিরবে তো ভাইটা! নাকি মনিরের মতো….আবার, হঠাৎ বাবার ফোন আসলে মনেহয়- বাবাই তো! নাকি অন্য কেউ বাবার মিছিলে যাবার খবর দিতে ফোন করল! কিন্তু যখন ফোনটা ধরে শুনতে পাই-“হ্যালো মামুনি” তখন মনটা শান্ত হয় এই ভেবে- নাহ, বাবা ভালোই আছে। কিন্তু তারপরও এক অসহ্য আতঙ্ক নিয়ে কাটাতে হয় সারাদিন,বাবা সুস্থভাবে বাড়ি ফিরবে তো!
A procession of death is marching through our country. One by one, innocent people are joining that procession. It occurs to me that I may be included in that at anytime, or my school-age brother. I anxiously wait for his return every day, wait for the call… “sister, please open the door”. I hope that he would not end up… like Monir. Again… the phone rings and I think… is it Dad… or someone else has a bad news regarding Dad.
Violence during protests organized by Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir left several vehicles damaged at Dhanmondi in Dhaka. Image by Sk Hasan Ali. Copyright Demotix (1/12/2013)
Left-wing political leader and economist Anu Mohammad questioned how much innocent passersby should be forced to bear:
[…] দেশে জমিদারী নিয়ে রক্তারক্তি চলছে। চলছে নানা নিষ্ঠুর খেলা। প্রতিদিন মানুষ মরছে, পুড়ছে! বেশিরভাগ মানুষ শুধু বেঁচে থাকার তাগিদেই বের হয়েছিলেন রাস্তায়। কতজন পঙ্গু হচ্ছেন তার হিসাবও পাওয়া যাবে না। এতো তুচ্ছ মানুষের জীবন! এতো উচ্চ লাটসাহেবদের খাই!!
Bloody violence to secure who will rule this land. A brutal conspiracy is being played. Every day people are being burnt, being killed! Most of these people were out on the streets during the blockade to earn their bread. There is no statistics for how many are losing their limbs due to injuries. How insignificant are these lives? The powerful are so greedy!
Facebook user Shariful Hasan urged the political parties to end the animosity and leave the people out of it:
ঘেন্না হচ্ছে তাদের প্রতি যারা জনগনের নাম ভাঙ্গিয়ে ক্ষমতায় যাওয়ার কিংবা টিকে থাকার নোংরা রাজনীতি করেন। ঘেন্না তাদের প্রতি যারা নিজ দেশের মানুষকে আগুনে পুড়িয়ে মারেন। ঘেন্না তাদের প্রতি যারা আমার এই দেশটাকে অশান্তির আগুনে পোড়াচ্ছে। মাননীয় দেশপ্রেমিক রাজনীতিবিদদের কাছে আকুতি আপনারা ক্ষমতায় যাওয়ার জন্য নিজেরা কামড়াকামড়ি করেন, কিন্তু সাধারণ জনগনকে দয়া করে মুক্তি দিন। আমরা একটু শান্তিতে থাকতে চাই।
I loathe those who play dirty politics with the voters to stay in power. I despise those who burn their own countrymen. I reject those who are destroying peace in our country. My petition to the patriotic politicians: Please free the citizens from your war for power. We want to live in peace.
Sardar Faruk wrote how fear now grips people on their daily commutes to work:
মৃত্যুর ঝুঁকি নিয়েও অফিসে যেতে হয়। আজ সকালে বাসে উঠে সহযাত্রীদের দেখছিলাম। কারো মুখে কোনো কথা নেই, কী এক আশঙ্কায় জানালাপথে তাকিয়ে আছে। নিজেকে প্রিজনভ্যানের এক ফাঁসির আসামী বলে মনে হচ্ছিলো।
We have to run the risk of death to go to the office. I was observing my fellow passengers on the public bus this morning. Nobody was talking, but were rather looking out the window in anticipation of an unknown fear. It felt like I was a death penalty convict in a prison van.
Blogger Arif Jebtik also reiterated the fear of a bomb being hurled by the protesters:
বউয়ের কাজ ঢাকা ভার্সিটিতে, আমি যাব ঢাকা রিপোটার্স ইউনিটির নির্বাচন দেখতে। একই রাস্তায় এরকম পড়লে একটু সময় এডজাস্ট করে দুজনে একসঙ্গেই যাই। আজকে সকালেও ওভাবেই রেডি হচ্ছিলাম।
বের হওয়ার ঠিক আগে বিছানায় ঘুমন্ত বাচ্চাটাকে দেখলাম। আমি বললাম, ‘তুমি আলাদা যাও, আমি আলাদা যাই।’ এই দাহকালে দুজনেই একসঙ্গে শিককাবাব হয়ে গেলে চলবে না। আলাদা আলাদা গেলে অন্তত একজন টিকে থাকতে পারবে আগামী প্রজন্মের জন্য।
My wife would go to Dhaka University campus; I would go to watch the election of the Dhaka Reporters Union. We usually go together when we have to go in the same direction. This morning was no different.
But our sleeping child caught our eyes while we were leaving. I said “let's go separately.” In this crazy time, it's not a good idea to risk being killed together. If we go separately, worst case scenario at least one of us would survive to take care of the next generation.
Blogger Lina Ferdous accused politicians of scheming to climb over dead bodies in order to hold on to power:
আর কত মানুষ পূড়লে সফল হবে এই অবরোধ…আর কত মানুষ মরলে জেগে উঠবে মনূষত্য বোধ…
এভাবে ধুকে ধুকে মরার চেয়ে আসেন সবাই একসাথে পুড়ে মরি…আমাদের চিতায় তারা সিংহাসন সাজাক…
How many men would die to make this blockade a success.. How many would die to awaken humanity?..
Instead of being burnt one-by-one, let's burn together.. Let them decorate their throne with our cremation fire…
On Twitter, Falguni Mitu asked:
How many burning bodies will satisfy them? How much blood they want to see before they stop? #JS_polls #shahbag
— Falguni Mitu (@mashamiah) November 29, 2013
Dipon Mitra and Anulikhon tweeted:
RT @AnuLikhon: অবরোধের মধ্যে ঢাকায় বাসে আগুন http://t.co/dSyGUmWeQ1 আগুন তো খালি বাসেও দেওয়া যায় , সাধারন মানুষের গোয়া মেরে লাভটা কি?
— Dipon Mitra (@light_0n) November 28, 2013
RT @AnuLikhon A bus in Dhaka has been torched http://t.co/dSyGUmWeQ1 You can also torch an empty bus, why the assault on passengers?
Blogger Sohail Jafar (@banglapress) asked the politicians to self-immolate rather than burn others:
বিএনপি নেতারাও দাবি আদায়ের জন্য নিজেদের শরীরে আগুন লাগিয়ে আত্মাহুতি দিতে পারেন… http://t.co/BPRQK6f1Et
— Soheil Zafar (@banglapress) November 12, 2013
The opposition leaders can self-immolate to get what they want….. http://t.co/BPRQK6f1Et
The opposition leaders have said in their political speechs that they are undertaking steps like blockades and strikes to establish democracy. Mahbubul Alam Shohag (@Mahaburs) [bn] criticized this point:
গণতন্ত্র মানার সময় নাই। আগে নিজেকে বাঁচাই।
— Mahabur Alam Shohag (@Mahaburs) November 30, 2013
No time for pseudo-democracy. Let us save ourselves first
Journalist J. E Mamun (@mamunzi) asked:
এর নাম গণতান্ত্রিক অধিকার? বিএনপি, আওয়ামী লীগ, জামাত-শিবিরসহ যারাই হরতাল অবরোধের নামে রেল লাইন উপড়ে ফেলা, আগুন… http://t.co/j7EthXtu9r
— Za E Maumun (@mamunzi) November 27, 2013
Is this a democratic right? The political parties which derail trains by damaging tracks, torching buses…
Shima, who is six-years-old, suffered burns when the bus she was traveling on was attacked by protesters angry that people were working during a strike. Image by Mamunur Rashid. Copyrght Demotix (18/11/2013)
Journalist Shaugat Ali Sagor blames the government, writing on Facebook:
বাসে আগুন দিয়ে মানুষ পুড়িয়ে,রেল লাইন উপড়ে ফেলে সারা দেশে যারা নৈরাজ্য সৃষ্টি করছে, তাদের ধরতে পারছে না কেন সরকার? মানুষের জানমালের নিরাপত্তাই যদি দিতে না পারে তাহলে সরকারের অস্তিত্ব থাকে কোথায়? সন্ত্রাসীদের ধরতে না পারলে সরকারের উচিত জনগনের কাছে ক্ষমা চেয়ে ক্ষমতা থেকে সরে যাওয়া। রাজনীতির নামে এই ধরনের পৈশাচিকতা চলতে দেওয়া যায় না, চলতে দেওয়া উচিত না।
Those who are creating anarchy by burning people, uprooting railway tracks, why is the government failing to nab them? If they cannot provide the security, then what is the purpose of the government? If they cannot catch the terrorists, they should apologize and resign from power. The barbarism in the name of politics cannot continue.
Suman Kaisar asked everyday people to start protesting:
মানুষের তরে কি কেউ নেই ? সবাই কী পশুত্ববরণ করেছে? কোন দল বা প্রতিষ্ঠানের কাছে না। শুধু মানুষের কাছে দাবি জানাচ্ছি রুখে দাঁড়ান। প্রতিরোধ করুন যারা মানুষ পোড়ানোকে রাজনৈতিক কর্মসূচি বলে চালিয়ে দিতে চায়।
আপনার যতটুকু সামার্থ্য তা দিয়ে প্রতিবাদ করুন। যারা আমাদের মা-বাবা-ভাই-বোন বা স্বজনকে পোড়াচ্ছে তাদের বিরুদ্ধে কিছু না কিছু করুন। নিজেকে আর কত লুকিয়ে রাখবেন? আর কিছু না পারেন ওদের বিরুদ্ধে অন্তত ঘৃণার একদলা থুথু ছিটিয়ে দিন। না কি তাও পারবেন না????
Is their no one for humanity? Have we all become animals? No groups or organizations? I urge people to take back the country. Resist those who endorse burning innocent people as a political act.
Please resist them with all your might. Those who are burning our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers or relatives, please do something against them. How long will you be running away? If you cannot do anything, just spit on them. Can't you even do that?
Different groups and organization are arranging small protests against these attack on innocent people. A Facebook event has been created titled “Stop burning people in your war for power” by a group called Citizens Resisting Violence. They arranged a protest rally in Shahbag area on December 3, 2013.

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


text:
Iranian Artist was Arrested · Global Voices
Farid

Several netizens reported that Iranian artist and activist for Hassan Rouhani's presidential campaign was arrested several days ago in Iran.Ali Karami tweeted
Samad Khatibi, activist part of Rouhani campaign staff, was arrested at airport when returning from Holland, according to Kalemeh website.
— Arash Karami (@thekarami) December 4, 2013


text:
5 Places in Santiago, Chile to Remember the Pinochet Dictatorship and Say “Never Again” · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Former torture and detention centre Londres 38 on September 11, 2013. Photo by user Hi Sashi on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In the blog Memory in Latin America, Lillie Langtry has published a series of posts about “places of memory” in Chile's capital, Santiago: buildings or sites related to the military coup d'état that overthrew socialist president Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973, and the 17-year dictatorship led by Augusto Pinochet. This year, 2013, marked 40 years since the coup.
1. Museum of Memory and Human Rights
Museum of Memory and Human Rights. Photo by Giovanni A. Pérez on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC 2.0)
This online tour starts with the Museum of Memory and Human Rights [es], “a large and striking site”, as Lillie explains:
Sadly you're not allowed to take photographs inside, which is a real shame, because the most striking feature for me is the huge wall of photographs of the disappeared reaching up across the entire space. There is also a point where you can stand and look out at it and locate individual names and faces.
On the ground floor various terminals show footage of the 1973 coup and its aftermath. As you move upstairs, different areas cover aspects like exiles and international solidarity, media coverage, and torture – including, chillingly, an electric shock device (made by General Electric – not suggesting they intended it to be used for that purpose!). There are also items made by prisoners and photographs of memorial sites throughout Chile.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, Chile. Photo by Jenn Dyer on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Lillie also notes that, “[T]his is explicitly not a space where you will get some sort of pseudo-neutrality or weighing up of the pro- and anti-Pinochet factions as equal”, and she quotes the museum's catalogue:
“The task of building a memory must be guided by a moral compass; we must build a reading of the collective trauma that goes above and beyond what is evident, a history of victims and criminals, guilty and innocent. The goal in the museum's construction of memory is to become a space that assists the culture of human rights and democratic values in becoming the share ethical basis of our present and future coexistence. Only in this way can we empower our claim of NEVER AGAIN.”
You can see more photos of the museum (including some from the inside) on Flickr.
2. Londres 38
“40 Years of Fighting and Resistance”: Londres 38, former torture and detention centre in Santiago, Chile. Photo by the Municipality of Santiago on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In another post, Lillie writes about a former detention and torture centre called Londres 38:
It was used by the DINA (secret police) as a torture and holding centre for regime opponents, at least 98 of whom died there or afterwards [es]. In front of the building, victims’ names are embedded among the cobble stones (similar to the Stolperstein in Germany).
She adds:
I was initially a little surprised at the condition of the walls, but of course it makes far more sense to see it like this than artificially spruced up. You certainly get more of a sense for the suffering that took place there; although it's also really amazing to think how central the location is. Ilovechile.cl writes that the building was known for the loud classical music coming from it – pretty chilling when you realise what that music was covering up.
Londres 38 on September 11, 2013. Photo by César Castillo on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
3. La Moneda
La Moneda, Chile's presidential palace. Photo by user Alobos Life on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Lillie also includes a post about Chile's presidential palace, which was bombed  during the coup on September 11, 1973.
Francisco Vergara Perucich writes about the bombing in Democracities:
This building, considered a symbol of national independence and republican tradition, a built expression of the social progression, was completely burned and destroyed by the own military forces that swore loyalty to the nation and its constitution. Imagine two F-16s bombing the White House, or two Typhoons bombing Buckingham Palace… A scene really hard to believe. This attack was a sign of the end of a republican and democratic era.
Forty years since the military coup. La Moneda. Photo by Hi Sashi on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
4. Memorial for the Disappeared
Memorial for those detained, those who disappeared and those who were executed for political reasons. Photo by user Nuevasantiago on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
In her last post in the series about places of memory in Santiago, Lillie mentions the Memorial for the Disappeared: “a large, stone wall with a list of victims carved into it”.
She explains that the memorial is inside a cemetery:
Raúl Valdés Stoltze. Memorial for the Disappeared. Photo by Paul Lowry on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 2.0)
Visit Lilie's blog for more posts about memory and human rights in Latin America. You can also follow her on Twitter: @Lillie_Langtry.
5. The National Stadium
Chile's National Stadium. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 2.0)
Finally, we'd like to add one more place of remembrance in Santiago, Chile: the National Stadium (Estadio Nacional in Spanish), which was used as a detention and torture center.
As Pascale Bonnefoy explains in Global Post, “Estimates of the total number of prisoners range from 7,000 to 20,000, including about 1,000 women. […] Torture took place on the cycling track, in administrative offices, in corridors and on fields. There is no solid figure on how many people were killed or disappeared from the stadium.”
Remembering the prisoners 40 years later, on September 11, 2013 at the National Stadium. Photo by Pablo Trincado on Flickr under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 2.0)