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‘Developing Latin America’: Open Data Projects · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

[All links lead to Spanish language pages except when otherwise noted]
Previously we reported on [en] the ‘Developing Latin America’ competition (Desarrollando América Latina), or #DAL, a public hackathon that aims to create technological solutions to problems in education, security and public budget, in six countries in the region. Now it's time to report its results.
The Intelligent Citizen Foundation [en] (Fundación Ciudadano Inteligente), which organised the event, determined that there were local winners, in addition to the general and regional winners, so the competitiveness in each venue was an added ingredient to the challenge of managing to complete an interesting application based on existing open data, within the time limit.
CitiVox [en] and OpenDataMx talk about the event in Mexico:
Part of the Mexican team. Photo by Desarrollando América Latina.
participaron poco menos de 50 jóvenes, de varios estados de la república, desde Sonora hasta Oaxaca. Se formaron diez equipos que trabajaron en 30 horas en diversos temas, desde seguridad pública hasta la transparencia de la nómina estatal. Finalmente presentaron sus proyectos ante un jurado formado por Mónica Aspe (Coordinación de la Sociedad de la Información y el Conocimiento, SCT), Eric Gundersen (Seed Development) y Andrés Lajous (revista Nexos). Después de escuchar las presentaciones de los equipos y de deliberar se anunció que el segundo lugar sería para el proyecto Nuestra Info por su vanguardia y potencial para presentar datos públicos difíciles de accesar. El primer lugar fue para Xmatch por hacer accesible la información y la visualización comparativa de datos en mapas.
Fayerwayer did the same on the Chilean side:
En Chile, el evento […] se llevó a cabo en la Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, concluyendo con la presentación de nueve proyectos de Santiago y cuatro de Temuco. […] Los tres primeros lugares fueron:
Part of the Peruvian teams. Photo by Maru Panta/Escuelab.
In Perú, Escuelab reports about the winners from the 12 participating groups (Disclaimer: I [Juan Arellano] was part of the DAL panel in Lima):
El jurado otorgó el primer lugar al grupo #OTA por el proyecto Quiero Ir! que mediante un punto de inicio indicado manualmente o usando el GPS muestra en un mapa las rutas (líneas de transporte público) que llevan al usuario hasta el destino seleccionado. La aplicación ofrece además información referente a la empresa de transporte (número de ruta, distrito inicial, distrito final, etc) así como una foto referencial de la unidad.
En segundo lugar se eligió al equipo SEUSS. Su aplicación presupuestando.pe, brinda información de manera dinámica acerca de los indicadores presupuestales de los gobiernos regionales y locales proporcionando un fácil acceso a la información incentivando la participación ciudadana. (Presupuesto a nivel nacional). El proyecto se puede ver aquí: http://bibliotecuss.iideasperu.org/presupuestando/
En tercer lugar se eligió a ¡Salvemos las Huacas!, una plataforma web de mapeo ciudadano orientada a la defensa, conservación y protección del patrimonio arqueológico ante la amenaza del desborde urbano en nuestra ciudad.
The panel awarded first place to the #OTA group for the Quiero Ir! (I want to go!) project that, by means of a manually- or GPS-inputted starting point, mapped the (public transport) routes that would take the user to their selected destination. The application also offered information about the route (route number, starting point, final destination, e.t.c) as well as a reference photo of the vehicle.
The SEUSS team was given second place. Its presupuestando.pe application offers information in a dynamic way about the budgetry indicators of the regional and local governments, providing easy access to the information and encouraging citizen participation. (Budget at national level). The project can be seen here: http://bibliotecuss.iideasperu.org/presupuestando.
Third place was given to ¡Salvemos las Huacas! (We save the tombs), a web platform for a citizen map orientated towards the defence, conservation and protection of our archaeological heritage against the threat of  urban overflow in our city.
In Argentina the winning projects were: 1- Del boletin (The Bulletin), 2- Datos Universitarios (University Data) and 3- Qué Sabemos de? (What do we know about…). In Brazil the Onde Acontece? (Where does it happen) project is reported to have won; and in Uruguay the following projects won: 1- Gobierno transparente (Transparent Government), 2- Reporte de Mapas (Map Report), 3- Moña Azul (Blue Bow). Finally the #DAL organisers announced the regional level winners:
1. Brasil – Onde Acontece. Team: São Paulo Perl Mongers. Team Leader: Thaigo Rondon.
2. Chile – Escuela Popular. Team: Oleyna. Team leader: Oleh Burkay.
3. Uruguay – Moña Azul. Team: Moñita Azul. Team leader: Fernando Briano.
DAL also added that “The developers, designers, engineers, professionals from the most diverse areas, gave a lesson to the world. Boundaries do not exist when it comes to solving real problems for our towns, nationalities don't exist when it comes to trying to solve problems that bring all Latin Americans together.”
Visualization of traffic accidents in Montevideo. Photo by Desarrollando América Latina.
Some of the developers that took part in the competition published their thoughts on their blogs. For example, Uruguayan developer Francisco Castro comments about the project he collaborated on:
Estuve participando en un grupo que busca acceder a la gente de “a pie” la información del parlamento. Datos interesantes, como las asistencias, los proyectos que presenta cada parlamentario; tanto los gastos suntuosos, como los pedidos de informes que estos parlamentarios realizan a las diversas dependencias del estado; … Transparencia. Darle al público también la posibilidad de opinar al respecto de cada asunto, de que la gente pueda indicar qué temas le interesan, y así informarse cada vez que se presenten proyectos, notas, etc… al respecto.
Sylvia, from the blog El mundo frente al mar, is another Uruguayan developer that took part in the competition. Out of all the things that the experience has given her, she mentions:
Also, Fernando Briano, another Uruguayan, in his blog Picando Código talks about his experience in #DAL and he concludes:
Me alegro de haber podido aportar mi granito de arena en algo mucho más grande que cada uno de los participantes, pero realizado con el trabajo colaborativo de todos.[…] Sabemos que estos proyectos, así como los proyectos de otros países, se segurián desarrollando. Próximamente habrán más hackatones de este estilo, donde espero ver más gente participando. Personalmente hoy estuve trabajando un poco en procesamiento de datos xls, ods y Google docs, y sé que Juan Manuel iba a mirar cosas de OCR para PDF y Fran estuvo mirando DJango (por influencia directa del evento). Sé que los demás equipos también piensan seguir el desarrollo, lo que marca el inicio de esta nueva etapa que comentaba. No hay que perder el impulso
Exhibition of one of the Mexican teams. Photo by Desarrollando América Latina.
This competition has, in equal measures, served to encourage the idea of hackathons [en] and public hackers in the region and to organise the community of people from diverse disciplines with experience in the use and exploitation of open data bases.
This might be a good starting point both to generate similar replicas or more ambitious activities from civil society organisations interested in these issues, as well as for the simple spread of the concept of open data, e-government and the social use of IT amongst the developers of the region and others who are interested. Hopefully these types of initiatives will become widespread throughout all Latin American countries.

author: Juan Arellano


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Egypt: Reaping Legal Victories as the Revolution Continues  · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
About ten days ago, the Egyptian military forcefully pushed away the protesters demonstrating outside the Egyptian cabinet. More than 15 people were killed and another 300 people were injured. The videos showing men in military uniform savagely beating protesters and beating and undressing a woman brought the Egyptians esteem and hope for the future of their revolution to its lowest point.
However in the past two days, the Egyptian revolution achieved two new victories but this time in the halls of courts of justice and away from Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the Egyptian revolution in downtown Cairo.
Among those victories is the release of Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdelfattah, who had been detained for 56 days. And the importance of Alaa's case comes from the fact that he refused to be interrogated by the Military Prosecutor, in protest against the legitimacy of Military Trials for Civilians. He was later transferred to Civil Court and yesterday Alaa was released but pending investigations as Wael Abbas highlighted in his tweet:
@waelabbas: Egyptian blogger Alaa Seif is free pending investigations
As soon as he was free, Alaa paid Tahrir Square a visit, and Mohamed Abd El-Hamid reported the sentiments in the Square then.
@MohAbdElHamid: #Tahrir is happy that @alaa is back and cars were honking in support. #AlaaIsFree
Photo by @Monasosh
Alaa is not the first blogger to refuse to submit to a military court, he was preceded by blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad who was arrested in March. However the importance of Alaa's case comes due to his both local and international fame and charismatic character.
Adham El-Deeb summarizes in the following tweet the importance of Alaa's release despite the fact that he hasn't been declared innocent of the charges against him, which include inciting violence against the military, stealing a weapon and destroying military equipment during the October 9 Maspero massacre, in which 25 Egyptians, mostly Copts, were killed in clashes between the military poilce and protesters demanding answers for the burning of churches in Sohag and Aswan.
One day later, the revolution scored another victory, this time by Samira Ibrahim. Samira (@SamiraIbrahim4) is one of the 18 girls who were arrested during the March protests in Tahrir Square to have virginity tests administered on them, and has since filed a lawsuit against the Egyptian military for sexual assault. The military initially denied that the virginity tests took place, however the court ruled today that the virginity tests on women in the custody of the military is illegal. The importance of the verdict is that it confirms that the assaults actually took place.
@sallyzohney: Case approved and they admit the #VirginityTests against the girls :) road is long though #NoSCAF #SupportSamira
On the other hand, the court has made any further similar assaults illegal.
@nellyali: Forced virginity testing is now officially ILLEGAL in #Egypt! Thank you, #SamiraIbrahim #SupportSamira
Photo by @HebaAfify
Egyptian writer Ibrahim Farghali saluted Samira's courage, especially in a society that makes it hard for a woman to admit being a victim to such assault, let alone file a lawsuit.
@IbrahimFarghali: The Beauty made the Victory over the Beast.. YES WE CAN
Finally, during a TV interview he made few hours after his release. Alaa pointed out that the revolution isn't just the demonstrations in Tahrir Square, but it's also about strikes, elections and legal victories.
Egyptians are reclaiming their rights, one battle at a time. Stay tuned for more coverage from Egypt as the Egyptian revolution continues.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Tarek Amr


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India: A Photo Journey to Hatu Temple in Himachal Pradesh · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Photo Journey captures the Hatu Temple, situated in Himachal Pradesh, India, in all its glory.

author: Aparna Ray


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India:Call for ‘Back to Basics’ in Kashmir · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

AL-HAQU-MURUN visits Kashmir and senses a growing, socio-religious conflict within the Muslim community. He feels that, if left unattended, this could have serious repercussion in the coming days.


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Latin America: Youth Unemployment · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Bloggings by boz looks at youth unemployment in Latin America, concluding that “with growth projections decreased for 2011 and 2012, the current situation for youth unemployment is almost certainly getting worse. That could have major economic, political and social implications moving into 2012.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Morocco: The Tale of the February 20 Movement in 20 Videos · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
Some videos in this post contain pictures that are graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is advised.
In January this year, following the success of the Tunisian revolution, a group of Moroccan activists launched a debate on Facebook around the question of change in Morocco. They created a group called “Freedom and Democracy Now.” A couple of days later, the group issued its first “founding” statement [ar]. It was directed at the King.
The king of Morocco Mohammed VI enjoys large constitutional prerogatives that make him an absolute monarch who traditionally reigns and rules. In a country where the head of state is considered sacred, the activists’ move was unprecedented. Their message was seen as bold and risky at the same time. They ran the risk of a confrontation with the establishment but they also conveyed a message many Moroccans wanted the king to hear: make “the necessary changes in the political system to allow Moroccans to rule themselves by themselves”; “break with the past for real and irrevocably.”
Sunday, February 20, was chosen for a nationwide, non-violent demonstration to be held in all Moroccan cities. The date will mark the start of the pro-democracy movement in Morocco and thereafter so its name.
Mainstream media, mostly owned or under the influence of the government, ignored the appeal. Only a handful of independent print and online newspapers [ar] carried the message. Activists had to turn to the internet, making full use of a powerful social media tool to get their messages across, though video.
While videos were used by their opponents to discredit the movement, activists had the nerve to reveal their identities, face the camera and tell their stories themselves. They filmed protests, performed pro-change songs, live-streamed demonstrations, parodied their detractors and rallied fellow citizens to their cause.
Following is a selection of the 20 most popular and viral videos that marked the course of the February 20 Movement over the past 10 months.
First call
The first video posted by “Freedom and Democracy Now” shows Oussama Lakhlifi, one of its founders, outlining the main demands of the group [ar] (video posted by Lakomechannel):
“I am a Moroccan and I will join the protest”
A fierce online debate ensued opposing those for and against the planned demonstration. Some officials embarked on a campaign to discredit the youth-based movement while some other public figures supported it openly.
A week before the beginning of the protests, activists released a well produced video to explain why they were taking to the streets. The film immediately went viral and is believed to have played a significant role in rallying a large number of supporters around the movement [English subtitles] (video posted by Mouvement20fevrier, directed by Montasser Drissi):
Montasser Drissi's film created a meme that was copied by other activists across the country and beyond (Paris, Montreal, etc.).
“Who we are and what we want”
In an attempt to put an end to rumors [ar] and accusations activists released an “explanatory” video about the movement two days before the start of the protests [English subtitles] (video posted by Mouvement 20 Fevrier, directed by Montasser Drissi):
February 20
On the day of the protest, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched across the country. With the exception of a few instances of vandalism in Marrakesh, the protest ran peacefully, contradicting claims that the demonstration would degenerate into chaos. The movement appeared to have achieved its first victory. Veteran blogger Larbi wrote [fr]:
Le mouvement du 20 février a donné beaucoup de gages aux autorités marocaines. Charge au pouvoir marocain de ne pas être sourd et aveugle, de se montrer responsable et de répondre aux aspirations légitimes des manifestants. A chacun de prendre ses responsabilités. Et aujourd’hui le sens de responsabilité se place du côté des manifestants pas du côté du pouvoir marocain.
The king's speech
On March 9, the king appeared to respond for the first time to the protesters when he gave a speech announcing constitutional reform and pledging to relinquish some of his prerogatives to elected representatives.
For activists, the announced reforms fell short of what they had expected. They released a new video [ar] announcing a “week of action and community service to raise awareness about public service shortcomings.” The week would start with a blood donation campaign and end with a nationwide demonstration (video posted by Moroccans For Change):
A new clip [ar] was posted on the internet calling for a mass protest on March 20 (video posted by Mouvement 20 Fevrier, directed by Montasser Drissi)
March 20 saw a record number of protesters take to the streets and rally the movement in virtually every city and town across the country.
The March of “Loyalty”
In April, an obscure pro-regime group announced it was conducting its own rally. The group called for a March of “Loyalty to the king.”
The following video [ar], directed by Ghassan El Hakim, was awarded the Best Drama Award at the Paris-based Yallah Film Festival, which celebrates short films dedicated to the Arab revolutions. The actors play the roles of a supporter and an opponent of the “March of Loyalty.” The two eventually agree they will not participate after all (video posted by Che Ghassan, directed by Ghassan El Hakim):
The Makhzen
Many of the slogans raised during the protests targeted the corrupt elite in Morocco, or what Moroccans like to call the Makhzen. In the following video posted by Mamfakinch , a little Einstein explains the notion of the Makhzen in more details:
Hoba Hoba Spirit
The Moroccan pop music band Hoba Hoba Spirit then released a song in support of the February 20 movement. The song revisited the Tunisian national anthem: “When the people will to live, Destiny must surely respond. Oppression shall then vanish. Fetters are certain to break” (video clip posted by Mamfakinch):
Bloody May
On May 15, pro-democracy activists decided to march to an alleged secret detention center [fr], dubbed Guantémara  and located in the outskirts of the capital Rabat. Protesters were met with a heavy-handed police response [fr].
A week later, police violently disrupted protests beating and chasing demonstrators across the streets of Rabat and other major cities. Hilana Rizky is a member of the February 20 movement. She posted the following testimony on YouTube where she describes what happened on May 22 (video posted by Moroccans For Change):
May was marked by a change in the attitude of the authorities vis-à-vis the protesters. Citizen media platforms like Mamfakinch.com played a significant role in curating and disseminating material that documented police brutality. Parody as well played a role in documenting that violence as shown in the following clip [ar], posted by Zorro of Morocco:
Songs of the revolution
Art has been a frequent resort for activists who used it to denounce police repression. In the following video [ar] rappers Mouad “L7a9ed” and Jihane sing “Mellit!” (I'm fed up!) (Video posted by l7a9d):
Moad “L7a9ed” was arrested on September 9, 2011, on charges of assault. Many believe his detention is politically motivated, and has more to do with the lyrics of his songs which openly criticize the regime. A campaign was launched calling for Mouad's immediate release. More information can be found at L7a9ed.com).
“The Ax Man”
Towards the end of May, the following video [ar] quickly became an internet sensation. It shows an anonymous ultra-nationalist threatening February 20 activists with an ax, calling them traitors (video posted by insansarih):
Change? What change?
On June 17, the king gave a second speech outlining the constitutional reform. State TV and mainstream media outlets were mobilized to convey pro-reform views. Little airtime was dedicated to opponents of the proposed amendments who had to rely on the internet to get their point across.
The following video parodies the kind of blind and uniformed enthusiasm for the reform that was often portrayed by state TV (video posted by nordahhan):
For the February 20 movement the proposed reforms fell short of their expectations. They released a new video calling for the boycott of the referendum (video posted by Mouvement 20 Fevrier, directed by Montasser Drissi):
Other videos were released to call for the boycott of the referendum including this short film [ar] directed by young filmmaker Nadir Bouhmouch:
On the day of the vote, activists armed with their cameras and cell phones spotted irregularities and posted pictures and videos on the internet. The blog 24-Mamfakinch published the following video that quickly spread across online outlets. It shows unidentified individuals, tampering with a ballot box well after the closure of the polling station and before any votes were even counted (Video posted by Referendum Maroc):
Faux reform
The new Constitution was overwhelmingly adopted but activists seemed undeterred. They released a new video in early September, calling for a nationwide protest to denounce what they consider as a faux-reform and a Constitution that would leave the monarch with a veto power over elected representatives (video posted by Movement20Fev, directed by Montasser Drissi):
Mamfakinch!
In October, prominent Arab bloggers and activists gathered in Tunis. They had this message for their Moroccan counterparts: Mamfakinch! (We won't give up!) (video produced and directed by Mamfakinch.com):
“My Makhzen and Me”
Nadir Bouhmouch is a young Moroccan filmmaker based in California. He has been following Februrary 20 young activists throughout the summer and is about to release a new film called “My Makhzen and Me!”, a film that “investigates what gave birth to the revolt and the obstacles it encounters on its struggle for freedom, democracy, human rights and an end to corruption and poverty.” Here is the trailer:
Next year, inchallah
The February 20 movement has been a driving force for change in Morocco throughout 2011. As in other Arab countries, it has used social media and the internet extensively to coordinate the efforts of its members and carry out its message. But despite the reforms conducted by the regime (a new Constitution in July, a newly elected parliament in November and a coalition government led by the Islamist PJD party that should be announced this week), the king remains the absolute ruler, with his entourage holding tremendous political and economic powers.
What role will the February 20 movement be able to play next year as revolutionary fatigue begins to gain ground? Will it be able to be creative enough to keep pace?
Zineb Belmkeddem, one of the most recognizable faces of the February 20 movement, vows to continue the struggle. She sings “long live the people!” (video posted by MoroccanYouth):
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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North Korean State Websites Started Praising the Heir after Kim’s Death · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

North Korea’s state-run websites have begun to print the regime's young heir, Kim Jong-un's name in a style previously reserved for lately deceased dictator, Kim Jong Il, reported North Korea Tech blog.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Pakistan: The Night Benazir Bhutto was Killed · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Sami Saayer looks back the night of 27th December, 2007, and reminisces about the incidents he witnessed around him after the news of Benazir Bhutto's assassination spread.


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Peru: Afro-Peruvian Christmas Music · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Christmas, a celebration that came to Perú with the Spaniards at the beginning of the sixteenth century, was adapted over the years by the different communities of the country.  One of those in particular, the black community, which arrived at almost the same time as the Europeans, and was fervently Christian, managed to include their own individuality in the festivities, expressing their particular experiences in the artistic creations made to honor the holidays.
Perhaps modern-day Lima, now virtually mestizo and Andean, no longer reflects the important influence of blacks in Lima for hundreds of years, so much that during colonial times it was known as The Old Zamba [es].  As noted by the great black folklorist Nicomedes Santa Cruz:  “Lima was an enclave more tied to the Caribbean than the rest of Perú, because it had developed a mixed race culture in three hundred years behind the scenes. There were no mountain people. Nobody talked about Huaylas or Muliza. There was one name: ‘Serranitos, serranitos are dancing’.”
We can learn something about the black culture in Lima from this “Christmas Dance”. The Festejo is one of many Afro-Peruvian dances that still exists and has become popular throughout the country.  The lyrics of this song mention several old districts of Lima, as well as its cuisine and flora, among other things.  Eva Ayllón's interpretation dates back to 1999.
The following “Criollo Style Christmas Carol Waltz”  while certainly being part of what is known as “Criollo style music”,  is not without elements of black music in it. The voice belongs to Marco Romero and the master musician Carlos Ayala is on lead guitar.
“Feliz Navidad” (Merry Christmas) is a modern festejo version of the well-known Christmas song, this time in the hands of the popular Pepe Vasquez,  Jose de la Cruz (Guajaja) and Marco Romero.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPzoElZq1RE&feature=player_embedded
The following two videos, according to their descriptions on YouTube, are  “Depictions of Afro-Peruvian Christmas. Adoration of the Baby Jesus based on the celebrations of Cañete, Chincha and Pisco. Christmas carols sung by the Black Troupe (Hatajo de Negritos) of Sur Chico.” The blog Cañete –  Arte y Folklore Negro del Perú, explains [es] more:
Por otro lado, Perú Negro realiza cada cierto tiempo un  espectáculo llamado Navidad Negra. El número consta de tres partes, la  primera consta de unos versos compuestos por el poeta César Calvo, con  acompañamiento de guitarras; la segunda parte muestran los villancicos  recopilados en El Carmen; y en la última parte se danzan los panalivios  de los Hatajos de Cañete y Chincha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V39J6wN6LAQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PAMuHGD5XHk
César Calvo,  mentioned as the author of the lyrics of the first part of Black Christmas, was a Peruvian poet of loretano (Loreto District) descent, who, without being of the black race, became Artistic Director of the famous Black Perú Folkloric Ensemble. In this tribute blog to Calvo, the lyrics of said song are the lyrics posted: [es]
Navidad Negra – Lamento
César Calvo autor de Letra y Música
Lavado con noche
igual que yo y tú
nació entre los negros
el Niño Jesús.
No bajes, Niño,
no de tu altar,
no sea que el amo
te haga azotar.
Su cara morena
es morena Luz,
único consuelo
en la esclavitud.
No bajes, Niño,
no de tu altar,
no sea que el amo
te haga azotar.
Washed by the night
Just like you and me
Born among blacks
the Baby Jesus.
Don't come down, Baby,
from your altar,
lest the master
has you whipped.
Your dark face
is dark Light,
the only comfort
in slavery.
Don't come down, Baby,
from your altar,
lest the master
has you whipped.
There is no better way to end this post than with the aforementioned  Nicomedes Santa Cruz. In the following performance, also called Black Christmas, Nicomedes starts with a “jolgorio” [es], then moves on to recite some décimas very much in his style, sounding like the speech of old Lima blacks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Re3wCJ8Do&feature=player_embedded
This is only a small sampling of the large heritage of Afro-Peruvian culture, and there are also more examples of how Christmas in Perú has been adapted to some of our many cultures and artistic expressions.


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Russia: The Opposition in St. Petersburg Fails to Reach Understanding · Global Voices
Maria Lelyuk

This post is part of our special coverage Russia Elections 2011.
December 2011 post-election protest events consist of two elements: ‘professional oppositioners’ and concerned citizens. In Moscow those two elements managed to get together to hold one of the most massive peaceful manifestations in the history of the country. In St. Petersburg, however, the meeting was let down by one of the parties. Citizens responded with confusion and disdain.
What change do protests bring?
What has changed since December 5, 2011, when the first post-election protests were held? Is there any sense in participating in protest demonstrations organized by the opposition? These are the questions people were asking as the day of another all-Russian meeting – December, 24 – was approaching (the detailed map of meetings in Russian and foreign cities is here [ru]).
Several organizations gave the following answer in their Vkonakte group [ru]:
In his address to the Federal Assembly Medvedev proposed a “complex reform” of the political system (in comparison with the last year's address when he dedicated only three minutes to political issues). The proposal includes controlled regional governor elections, simplified registration of the political parties, single mandate constituencies…
"No voice. No choice." Photo from St Petersburg meeting. Photo by Maria Lelyuk
Another achievement of the previous protests is that the Presidential Council on Human Rights called for the dismissal of Vladimir Churov, head of Central Election Committee.
No one can say which of these initiatives, if any, will be brought into effect but we cannot deny one obvious fact that there has been a response from those in power. It seems that the authorities expected post-election meetings and protests to come to an end quite naturally as time passes and the tension eases.
Some claim that the President's address to be nothing more but a handout for citizens. Therefore, there are voices that call everyone still to take to the streets until the goal – fair re-elections – has been achieved. The user @WakeUpR (the official account of the organizating committee of the December 24 Moscow rally) tweeted [ru]:
Нам Медведев столько всего наобещал сегодня. Теперь ведь мы никуда не пойдем? Правда? Посидим тихонечко, подождем, пока выполнит.
Protest in St. Petersburg: split by politicians
In St. Petersburg opposition has split resulting in two separate meetings instead of one, which were held with a difference of only one hour (one at Pionerskaya Square and the other at Academic Saharov Square). According to the official statements, the majority of the organizations including political parties and movements during coordination meeting on December 22, voted [ru] against  having nationalists as participants in the forthcoming meeting due to the provocations from them during the previous two meetings (on December 10th and 18th). In Moscow the danger of disrupting the demonstration was also quite high, although the protesters managed to reach a consensus.
Another explanation for the break was that the opposition has been fighting over power which none even possessed (illegally tapped conversations of Boris Nemtsov reflect the nature of relations between opposition politicians). Due to the lack of mutual trust, the demonstration failed to gather a lot of people who didn't want to be played. The majority of the protesters do not belong to any party but feel it necessary to defend their constitutional right to vote.
The rally at Pionerskaya Square started as planned at 1pm. People faced the first confusing surprise of that day – the scene was decorated with the emblems of just one party – A Just Russia, although the demonstration was organized by many activist groups. Moreover their hymn played before and after the meeting, making the whole demonstration look like their own creation.
The stage with emblem of A Just Russia. Photo by dugwin (dugwin.net) (Used with the permission of the author).
Such monopolization of demonstration symbolics (beneficial to A Just Russia, and particularly Sergey Mironov who will be running as a presidential candidate in March 2012) evoked rejection and repudiation among the participants. @dark_vovich exclaimed [ru]:
And added [ru]:
@Andrey_Seryakov tweeted [ru] about the outcome of such actions:
Справедливая Россия сегодня, похоже, окончательно отбила желание у Петербуржцев ходить на митинги.
This meeting gathered from 2,500 to 5000 participants, significantly less than in Moscow. The protesters, however, are not discouraged. Moderators of Vkontakte group “Saint-Petersburg for fair elections” addressed [ru] “A Just Russia” politicians who had jeopardized a citizen initiative:
Мы выходим на улицы не потому что мы идем за вами, а потому что мы сознательные граждане, которые хотят, чтобы законы их страны соблюдались и чтобы выборы были честными. ЭТО НЕ ВЫ ВЫВОДИТЕ НАС НА УЛИЦЫ, ЭТО МЫ ВЫВОДИМ ВАС!
This post is part of our special coverage Russia Elections 2011.

author: Maria Lelyuk


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Singapore: Animal Lovers Rally to Save Stray Dogs · Global Voices
Kirsten Han

After a jogger was scratched and bitten by a pack of stray dogs on December 14, 2011, at a new park in Punggol in Singapore, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) has stepped up efforts to round up the stray dogs around the area. Almost 30 dogs have been caught. About four have been deemed aggressive and been put down.
Since then, animal-loving Singaporeans have rallied to the cause, setting up a Facebook page appealing to Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Member of Parliament Ms Penny Low and the AVA to stop the culling.
There are so many ways we could meaningfully reduce the homeless animal population. Actively discouraging people from abandoning animals. Letting people give animals a home in their flats. Supporting and encouraging sterilization of animals. All of these solutions would be better than killing tens of thousands of homeless animals under the guise of ‘public safety’.
Volunteers have also begun to rescue dogs from culling, putting their photos up on the group to seek fosterers and adopters.
One of the dogs rescued and now in need of a home. (Image from Hawk Cut Weis on Facebook).
Haslinda hopes that the episode won't put people off visiting the area:
Those who are familiar with this place may have seen the stray dogs several times. I hope this news have not turned off anyone from visiting this place. Just wish to point out some locations where I had seen the dogs. So don’t be surprised if you see them loitering around. They won’t attack anyone without reason.
@jolantru blogs about her opposition to the culling of strays:
…seeing them being culled hurts. It feels like SARS all over. I adopted Meow, a kitten picked up from the streets during that fateful year, and he is with me now, a healthy and extremely affectionate tom. Cat lovers were shocked and outraged by the indiscriminate culling. Perhaps, AVA was just doing its job – but killing wasn’t the answer.
However, the AVA has cited the need to ensure the safety of Singaporeans, as well as to control and prevent the spread of rabies.

author: Kirsten Han


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Taiwan: Crowd-funded investigative journalism website kicks off · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

weReport, a Taiwan media project that tries to boost disappearing investigative journalism using crowd-funded and crowd-sourced mechanism, kicks off today with its first fully funded proposal proposed by China famous blogger Zola. His proposal to investigate the situation of registration fee for cross-strait marriage derives from his personal experience.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Algeria: What Independence means · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian algerianna, at Patriots on Fire, asks readers to share their views on the true meaning of their country's independence.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahrain: Message to Netizens  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif shares this message with fellow netizens: “[T]emper your attacks and choose your battles wisely. Refrain from childish attacks on the very bridge who can help your cause. The last thing we want .. is to continue to shout at each other, rather than find the platform to engage and talk to each other to fix the situation and move forward.”


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Barbados: too many cars · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Barbados Underground asks: how can the island solve its perennial traffic problem? “Barbados is 166 square miles and at some point commonsense will have to take root. The number of vehicles on our roads cannot be allowed to go unregulated for much longer.”

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Bermuda: rethinking ties with Britain? · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

The British government is reviewing its relationship with its overseas territories, writes Catch a Fire, and inviting Bermudans to share their perspectives. “I think we need a new Constitutional Convention to modernise and reform our relationship with the UK … and I would like each Overseas Territory to have a representative (an MP) in Westminster.”


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Bethlehem: Armenian and Greek Clergy Clash at Christmas · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Armenian and Greek priests have once again clashed, but this time at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, much to the astonishment and amusement of social media users worldwide. Apparently stemming from a dispute over which priests would clean which part of the church, such brawls are nothing new.
In November 2008, for example, Armenian and Greek Monks clashed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Lisa Shafer: A Writer's Blog comments.
Okay, so Christmas is one of the biggest holidays of the year for the Christian world — even though most of how we celebrate Christmas is actually pagan (Dec. 25, trees, greenery, lights, gifts — all pagan.  Gotta love that irony, too.).  And Bethlehem is where it all began…..
So, I found this pic on yahoo today: Greek and Armenian priests, cleaning up a Bethlehem church they share with Catholics, broke into an all-out broom war this week over who was cleaning whose part of the church.
The whole thing had to be broken up by Palestinian police, who are, presumably, Muslim. The layers of irony here are just too much.  It'd be hilarious if it weren't so petty and childish — and sad.
Twitter users particularly enjoyed reporting on the brawl.
@pixie_pete: Will Bethlehem priest tag fighting become a new Olympic sport? […]
@TCofLondon: Rival priests in Bethlehem brawl. This really is hilarious! […]
@metalvicar Rachel: It's a turf war…Priests tell each other to ‘get off my manor, you muppet’ BBC News – Priests brawl in Bethlehem […]
@meneedbeer: Greek or Armenian priests: who's better at sweeping a Church floor? There's only one way to find out- FIGHT!! […]
@AhmNoHere: “No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God” WTF?!? […]
@Rohypgnosis: Phew! A good job they're all full to the brim of the ‘Love of Jesus’ or it might have got REALLY nasty :D […]
@nickjtaylor: Peace on Earth indeed: […] Just one more reason I can't take religion seriously.
Fr Ray Blake's Blog, however, took a moment to reflect:
Greeks and Armenians fight in the sanctuary: is this a brawl, muscular Christianity or just two factions convinced they are right. Such outbreaks in the Holy Land are not unusual.
Even so, Fr Stephen Smuts Blog was not impressed:
[…] this time it’s between clergy in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity. Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic priests and monks who were armed with brooms got into it while cleaning the Church. Palestinian riot police were called in:
[…]
What a pathetic witness. See for yourself:
Globalisering, christendom en het Midden-Oosten, however, attempts to go deeper into reasons for the scuffle:
This is interesting stuff, especially because I suspect that today's broom fight reflects some of the increased tensions over the restoration of the church, badly needed for many years, initiated by the Palestinian Authority a year or so back, boosted by their recent UN bid, and contentious among the communities that use the church. Not that they are not convinced something has to be done, but paying for repairs, as much as cleaning, may alter the rights of usage of each and everyone in the church. Who’s to pay for what and when? Some tension over these major changes is quite understandable, as is some brawling by young and eager monks …
However, most of today’s commentators seem to have missed both its rituality and its link to current Palestinian affairs and this therefore does not explain the world wide fascination with these scuffles. Part of the fascination, of course, is the obvious tension between Christianity's ideals of peace on earth and its reality of fighting clergy – especially when the fighting is so visually satisfying with nice new brooms that seem to have been bought just for the occasion. No deaths, no seriously wounded … we all love to watch a good fight, especially when it confirms our preconceptions about Christianity, clergy, and the Holy Land – yes, of course, it must also have something to do with the fact that it happens in Bethlehem, in the Church of the Nativity, in the week following Catholic and Protestant Christmas, in preparation for Orthodox Christmas – if a fight seems out of place, then this one, there and now.
Indeed, any politics behind the incident were lost on most others, especially coming as it did at Christmas.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Cambodia: Impact of Organic Farming · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Maylee Thavat studies the impact of organic rice farming and fair trade production in Cambodia. The author warns that it could ‘impose First World consumer ideals and tastes that are out of step with the larger realities of agrarian transition’ in the country

author: Mong Palatino


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Cambodia: One Province, One Product Trade and Exhibit · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sreisaat blogs about the One Province, One Product Trade and Exhibit in Koh Pich, Cambodia. Some of the featured products were giant cassava crops and squash from Kampong Speu, assorted gemstones from the mine pits of Pailin, and mixed spices from Siem Reap.


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Cambodia: Petition to Withdraw Pardon of Convicted Pedophile · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A petition is being circulated urging the Cambodian government to withdraw the pardon given to convicted pedophile Alexander Trofimov who had been serving an eight-year sentence for sex crimes against 17 under-age girls.


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Cuba: LGBT Rights on the Way · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger and LGBT activist Paquito el de Cuba writes about the lastest news on the status of the bill [es] that will amend the Family Act in Cuba to include more rights for the LGBT community.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Cuba: on writer Achy Obejas · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Montague Kobbe profiles Achy Obejas, a Cuban-American writer who “constantly challenging her readers to (re)think their positions in relation to the most basic principles that govern our attitudes towards each other.”


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Cuba: The First Book on Afro-Cuban Women · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

NegraCubana interviews Daysi Rubiera and Inés María Martiatu [es], authors of the first comprehensive book on the “history, thought, and cultural practices” of Afro-Cuban women.


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Cuba: #Twittsaneo · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The blog El Microwave writes about the initiative #Twitsaneo [es], convened originally by El Taburete [es] and organized by a group of avid Cuban twitter users. #Twitsaneo was the name given to the event last December 26 when a group of people got together to clean sections of the coast of La Habana.


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Cuba: Waiting for Change · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Yasmín Portales writes that she is still waiting for radical changes [es] and different governance strategies and practices in Raúl Castro's Cuba.


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Dominican Republic: The History of Bachata · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Deepak Lamba Nieves, PhD student who investigates Dominican transnational migration, writes about the show in Boston of famous bachata singer Luis Miguel del Amargue, and also about the history of this music genre [es].


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Egypt: FAQ about the political situation in Egypt · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Blogger KarShaf, from Egypt, shares this quick FAQ about the political situation in Egypt.


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Ethiopia: Swedish Journalists Handed 11-Year Prison Sentence · Global Voices
Sven Hultberg Carlsson

An Ethiopian court handed prison sentences of 11 years on Tuesday 27 December, 2011 to Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson, two Swedish journalists on trial for supporting rebel forces in the country. The sentences are shorter than the minimum of 15 years the judge Shemsu Sirgaga had previously called for on 21 December.
No relatives were present in the courtroom when the sentences were handed down. The announcement caused a small crowd of protesters to gather outside the Ethiopian embassy in Stockholm [sv].
Neither the Swedish prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, nor the foreign minister, Carl Bildt, commented the sentence on Tuesday, but many others spoke out on Twitter.
Johan Persson (left) and Martin Schibbye. Images © Kontinent Agency AB, used with permission.
Jonas Nordling, chair of the Swedish Union of Journalists, commented:
@jonasnordling: The Swedish government now has something to prove. Will they stand up for journalism today? #EthiopiaSwedes
Josefin Hammarstedt demanded a ministerial statement:
@Klockarbarbro: Sorry. But are the prime minister and the foreign minister are declining to comment the sentence? DECLINING? Why? #EthiopiaSwedes
Anders Jorle, spokesman for the Swedish foreign ministry, commented:
[The sentence] is regrettable in light of their journalistic assignment. The Swedish government's view is known, among other things through the prime minister's statement last week.
Schibbye and Persson's defence team, which consists of one Swedish and two Ethiopian lawyers, now has until 10 January to appeal the decision. An alternate route is to plead for clemency with the Ethiopian state.
Kjetil Tronvoll, a professor at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights who specializes in Ethiopia, told [sv] Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter about the journalists’ chances of pleading for clemency:
A clemency process is an informal political negotiation once the verdict has been handed down. That would be the easy way out.
It is relatively unthinkable that the Supreme Court, which is even closer to the government and more political in its judgements, would acquit Schibbye and Persson.
A plea for clemency would mean Schibbye and Persson recognize their guilt in supporting terrorism, a charge they denied during the trial.
Schibbye and Persson were found guilty of entering Ethiopia illegally and of supporting terrorism in the country. The pair had entered Ethiopia from Somalia embedded with Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) forces on 1 July. The Ogaden province has long been the scene of a bloody conflict between the ONLF and the Ethiopian government.
The Ethiopian government, headed by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, has been criticized for of its recently-adopted “deeply flawed anti-terorrism act”. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have claimed the law is used for “stifling peaceful dissent”.
Over 100 journalists and opposition leaders are currently awaiting trial under the new law. Among them are Reeyot Alemu and Woubshet Taye, who were detained six months ago.
Karin Schibbye, the mother of Martin, told Swedish public television SVT [sv] that it is now down to the Swedish and Ethiopian governments to find common ground in the case of Schibbye and Persson:
The government has the solution.  A negotiation process has to start. I think that the issue Johan and Martin have been caught in is much larger than just them, that it's a game being played by our two governments. How the government acts going forward will be decisive in the outcome of this issue.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Ethiopia trails only Eritrea among Africa's worst jailers of journalists.

author: Sven Hultberg Carlsson


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Guyana: crime and insecurity · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

“Travel around coastland Guyana and you will see it too,” writes Imran Khan: “burglar bars, grillwork, heavily armed company security forces, reinforced doors, guard huts, watchmen, security lights, CCTV cameras.” He muses on the relationship between crime, underdevelopment, and political leadership.


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India: A Blogger’s Travel Tales – via Images · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Charukesi looks back on 2011 and shares  stories of her travels – through some vibrant photographs.


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India:The Need to Look Beyond the Middle Class · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Supriyo Chaudhury argues that in order to re-define it's future and grow to the next level, India must look beyond it's Middle Class and create a more inclusive, broad-based society.


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India:Wannabe Trends of 2011 · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Greatbong takes a tongue-in-cheek dig at some of the ‘most infuriating’, wannabe trends of 2011.


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Jamaica: missing children · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Where are the more than 500 children reported missing in Jamaica this year, asks Petchary — and why are more people not paying attention to “a serious issue which, at the best of times, is brushed aside as if it is nothing of great importance”? “How many are alone, hopeless, despairing, struggling? We don’t know.”


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Lebanon: Electric Xmas Decorations  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Lebanon, Habib Battah draws our attention to Christmas decorations in Lebanon, where the decorations are lit and and the electricity in the street lamps is switched off during the night, and on during the day. Check out the photographs accompanying the post.


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Libya: Celebrating Xmas now that Gaddafi is Gone · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Libyan blogger Highlander, at From the Rock, shares some observations on Christmas in Libya, now that Gaddafi is gone.


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Mauritania: Earth’s Bulls Eye  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian-American Kal, or The Moor Next Door, shares this interesting geographical tidbit about Mauritania: “f readers ever get into space, they may  find themselves looking for Mauritania, or its enormous Richat Structure, sometimes called ‘Earth’s Bulls-Eye.’”


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Meet Raafat Rohaiem from Global Voices in Arabic · Global Voices
شمس أحمد

Raafat Rohaiem [ar] joined Global Voices in Arabic in 2007. He is the one who translated the “About Us” page into Arabic language. He blogs on Raafatology [ar] and can also be found on Facebook and on Twitter.
Introducing himself he says [ar]:
ولدت في مصر ولكني انطلقت الى الولايات المتحدة بعد الانتهاء من المدرسة. ثم تلقيت باقي دراستي في الولايات المتحدة.
I was born in Egypt but moved to the United States right after school and pursued my higher education there.
What attracted you to volunteer for Global Voices ?
Raafat Rohaiem
بدأت التدوين في سنه 2005 مع بداية دخول التدوين لمصر. وفي يوم ما قرأت مقالة لأميرة الحسيني وكانت تدعو إلى الإنضمام إلى فريق الأصوات العالمية (Global Voices) لأنها كانت في بداية تكوين قسم اللغة العربية. واتصلت بي من كندا حيث كانت تقيم. وبدأت العمل في الصفحة العربية.
I started blogging in 2005, with the start of blogging in Egypt. One day I read a post by Amira Al Hussaini inviting bloggers to join Global Voices since she was in the beginning of developing the Arabic Section. She called me from Canada where she used to live and this is how I started contributing for the Arabic page.
Is your work related to blogging and writing ?
لا فأنا حاصل على درجتين علميتين، واحدة في إدارة السفر وأخرى في إدارة الأعمال. وماجستير في إدارة الأعمال تخصص تسويق. كما أنني انتهيت للتو من دراسة في التسويق الرقمي ووسائل الإعلام الاجتماعي. حالياً أعمل مديراً للتسويق الرقمي في مجموعة شركات متخصصة في استثمار الفنادق.
Not really since I hold a BA in Travel Management and another in Business Management (Marketing). And I just completed studies in Digital Marketing and Social Media. For the time being I am working as a digital marketing manager for a group of companies dealing with hotels investments.
Why did you decide to live in the States rather than in Egypt ?
أنا أعيش في نيويورك بعد أن حصلت على الثانوية العامة في مصر، أي منذ 15 سنة تقريباً. تعلمت هنا وعملت هنا.
I have been living in New York after having completed my high school studies in Egypt, i.e. almost 15 years ago. I have studied here and worked here.
Have you attended any of GV summits ?
للأسف لا، لم أحضر أي مؤتمر للأصوات العالمية. وآمل أن أحضر المؤتمر القادم إن شاء الله.
Unfortunately none. But I hope to attend the next one.
What do you think about the latest events and changes in Egypt ?
ما يحدث في مصر الآن هو ثورة شعبية مجيدة من صنع شباب مصر الأبطال. وفي رأيي إن هذه الثورة قد تأخرت بضع سنوات ولكنها تمت والحمد لله. الشعب المصري شعب عظيم ويستحق أن يعيش في حرية ورخاء وأمن دائم. أنا في غاية الفخر لكونى مصري في هذا العصر والزمان.
What is happening in Egypt is a blessed popular revolution made by the Egyptian heroic youth. In my opinion this revolution is a bit a late, it should have happened years ago, but yet it did take place thanks God. The Egyptian people are a great people and deserve to live in permanent freedom, prosperity and security. I am very proud to be Egyptian in this period of time.
Have you faced any problem upon your return to Egypt ?
من حسن حظي أني حضرت لمصر من نيويورك يوم 19 يناير قبل بداية الثورة. ولكن كان المفروض أعود لنيويورك يوم 1 فبراير، لكن كل الرحلات تم إلغاؤها. وانا في غاية السعادة لتبكير عودتي لأنى أردت أن أكون موجوداً في مصر لحضور الثورة ومتابعة الأحداث عن قرب.
I was lucky to get to Egypt from New York on the 19th of January, before the start of the revolution. I was supposed to be back to New York by February 1 but all flights were cancelled and I am very happy because I wanted to be present in Egypt to take part in the revolution and follow closely the events.
How did the January 25 events affect you ?
كنت موجود في مصر منذ التاسع عشر من شهر يناير. وحضرت ميلاد الثورة المجيدة من أول هتاف. الثورة غيرت تاريخ مصر الحديث فمصر قبل 25 يناير بلد وبعد 25 يناير بلد آخر.
I had already been in Egypt since January 19 and witnessed the birth the of glorious revolution. The revolution changed the modern history of Egypt. Egypt before January 25 was a country and after that date it is another one.
Finally, how do you see yourself in 10 years ?
في الواقع أنا لم افكر ماذا سأفعل في العشر سنوات القادمة. أنا سعيد بعملى في التسويق الإلكترونى والإعلام الاجتماعي وسعيد بكونى مدوّن أيضاً. ربما بعد عشر سنوات قد أكون حصلت على الدكتوراه التي أقوم بتأجيلها سنة تلو الأخرى.
Well I haven't really thought about what I will be doing in the upcoming 10 years. I am happy with my work in electronic marketing and social media and happy also to be a blogger. Maybe in 10 years I would have obtained my PhD which I keep postponing year after year.
Special thanks to Raafat, I really enjoyed interviewing him in the conditions which Egypt is going through.

author: شمس أحمد


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Mozambique: On the City of Quelimane, New Epicenter of Politics · Global Voices
Jornal @Verdade

[All links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.]
The announcement of the candidacy of Manuel de Araújo for the  by-elections of last December 7 [en] in Quelimane, Mozambique, provoked a range of opinions. After the resignation of the mayors of Cuamba, Pemba and Quelimane nobody expected that the ex-member of Renamo [en], historical opposition party, and well-respected academic would “fight” for a two year term.
A first reaction was offered up by historian and analyst Egídio Guilherme Vaz Raposo:
Manuel de Araújo é de facto um novo penteado na política Moçambicana. Activista nato, político e académico com créditos firmados, surpreendeu-me e acredito a outros também, ao ter anunciado a sua candidatura pelo MDM [Movimento Democrático de Moçambique, partido formado em 2009, a partir de um ramo da Renamo]. A novidade em mim não é necessariamente da sua candidatura e sim do partido com o qual alinha.
A minha opinião sobre o MDM é publicamente conhecida. Pela forma como conheço o Manuel, dificilmente pensei que pudesse um dia aliar-se ao MDM seja para que missão fosse. Isso, prova mais uma vez que (1) em política vale tudo; (2) nós conhecemos muito pouco os nossos amigos e (3) motivos conjunturais devem ter “empurrado” Manuel Araujo a candidatar-se ao município, avaliadas as condições e possibilidades para a vitória…
Manuel de Araújo is in fact a “new look” in Mozambican politics. Born activist, politician and academic with strong credentials, he surprised me and I believe others as well, on announcing his candidacy for MDM [Democratic Movement of Mozambique [en], party formed in 2009, from an offshoot of Renamo.] The news for me is not necessarily his candidacy but instead the party to which he aligns himself.
My opinion on MDM is publicly known. In the way that I know Manuel, I hardly would have thought that he could one day ally himself to MDM whatever the mission. This proves again that (1) in politics anything goes (2) we do not know our friends very well and (3) and circumstantial reasons must have “pushed” Manuel  Araujo to run for mayor, taking into account the conditions and possibilities for victory…
"Welcome to the market of MDM" – In Akima Market (Quelimane). Photo by Dercio Taveira on Facebook
Egídio claims in his text that an independent candidacy would bring together more support, but let it be known that de Araújo's allying himself with MDM was not completely disinterested:
Porém, a sua decisão não é tão inocente quanto parece, do meu ponto de vista. É que concorrer como independente implica muitos recursos financeiros, humanos, etc, coisas que, a avaliar pela “urgência”, seriam difíceis de mobilizar em tão pouco tempo. Pelos meus cálculos, ele precisaria mais ou menos de US$ 3000 000, 00 (três milhões de dólares) para organizar uma campanha de 15 dias; e um movimento cívico suficientemente vibrante que num espaço muito reduzido de tempo, nascer e consolidar-se muito antes da data. Assim, concorrer pelo MDM conferiu a ele o acesso à toda infraestrutura já montada para o efeito…
After the debate generated on Facebook , that had more than 111 comments, the issue ended up on blogs.
On the blog Moçambique para todos (Mozambique for all) the debate was lively. José Carlos Cruz wrote in the comments section:
Ninguém mais vai entrar nestas eleições intercalares além de Frelimo e MDM. Porquê?
Porque já ninguém acredita na Comissão Nacional de Eleições e respectivas Comissões Provinciais e Distritais de Eleições. Ninguém acredita no STAE, Serviço Técnico da Administração Eleitoral.
Estes são órgãos especializados para realizarem as eleições, mas completamente viciados para sempre dar a vitória à Frelimo ou a quem a Frelimo quiser que vença…
No one else is going to enter these by-elections but Frelimo and MDM. Why?
Because nobody believes in the Comissão Nacional de Eleições [National Elections Commission] and respective Provincial and District Commissions. Nobody believes in STAE [Technical Services of Electoral Administration].
These are institutions specialized in putting on elections, but completely addicted to giving victory to Frelimo or whoever Frelimo wants to win…
The electoral process in Quelimane had as a dominant theme the imbalance of strength between the two political structures that supported Manuel de Araújo and Abubacar Bico, the candidate of Frelimo.
Campanha eleitoral em Quelimane. Foto de Rui Lamarques (cortesia do Jornal @Verdade)
Sociologist Carlos Serra concluded that Quelimane, as Araújo had predicted, had become the political capital of the country:
A velha cidade de Quelimane parece ter-se tornado na placa giratória das eleições locais, mesmo ao nível da internet. Por ela têm passado figuras séniores da Frelimo, mas também do Estado, numa frente estratégica enorme para fazer face a Manuel de Araújo do MDM, com a sua corte de jovens a pé e em táxis-bicicletas. É uma autêntica luta entre duas concepções de mobilização: a do desfile motorizado/comício e a da porta-a-porta pedestre e bicicleteira…
Never was an electoral campaign so followed on the internet than that of Quelimane. The advisers of Lourenço Abubacar [candidate of Frelimo, the party in power] created a profile on Facebook to try and head off the popularity of Manuel de Araújo who had opinion formers on social networks like Edgar Barroso, Palmeirim Chongo as supporters.
The former, as Global Voices reported, wrote a letter to the people of Quelimane and the latter was a true reporter in the service of change and citizenship.
Palmeirim went around to voting tables as they were counting votes. He received threats, but never gave up. It was via his Facebook profile that many outside of Quelimane stayed informed:
Hoje por duas vezes fui “aconselhado” pela policia a estar longe dos postos de votacao, primeiro no benfica e depois namuinho, tenho 2 criancas para cuidar…vou acatar o conselho…estou a trabalhar com fontes alternativas
At the end of the process, Palmeirim announced the victory of Araújo and reported on the party. Edgar Barroso also revealed his contentment and wrote on Facebook:
Bom dia! Viram as imagens passando na TVM, mostrando o povo de Quelimane a proclamar e a festejar efusivamente a sua vitória nas eleiçoes intercalares de ontem?
É só o início. Deus que nos dê inteligência, saúde e determinação para PROSSEGUIR COM A LUTA DE LIBERTAÇÃO DE MOÇAMBIQUE! Sem armas nem pedras ou paus, apenas votando e protegendo o voto. Chega de dormir.
Good morning! Did you see the images on TVM [State TV], showing the people of Quelimane proclaiming and effusively celebrating the victory in the by-elections yesterday?
It is only the beginning. God give us intelligence, health and determination to PROCEED WITH THE BATTLE OF LIBERATION OF MOZAMBIQUE! Without arms, or rocks or sticks, just voting and protecting the vote. Enough of sleeping.

author: Jornal @Verdade


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Pakistan: Some Observations On the Recent Political Rally in Karachi · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

On 25th December, Imran Khan's political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), held a rally in Karachi. Kalsoom at Chup! – Changing Up Pakistan makes some observations about the event.


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Philippines: Blog of Detained Cultural Worker · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Jailhouse Blog is the online prison diary of Ericson Acosta, an artist and activist who was arrested by the Philippine Army while conducting human rights documentation in Samar province. He faces charges of illegal possession of explosives.


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Puerto Rico: Investigating Monsanto · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The Center of Investigative Journalism published a three-part series on the little known operation in Puerto Rico of the multinational biotechnology corporation Monsanto, the principle producer of genetically engineered seeds.


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Puerto Rico: Redefining Gender · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Jorge “Yoryie” Irizarry embarks on a personal reflection on gender [es] and homosexuality.


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Puerto Rico: The Latest from El Macabeo · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Orlando Vélez from the blog El Punto [es] interviews the lead singer of the salsa band Orquesta El Macabeo [es] about their most recent album “El Entierro” (The Burial).


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Puerto Rico: The Local Music Scene Live · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The music blog Puerto Rico Indie has launched “Archipiélago,” a series of videos of live sessions of some of the “best artists in the local music scene” in Puerto Rico. “Archipiélago 101″ features the band Campo-Formio.


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Russia: Moscow Election Committee Calls to Prosecute Popular Blogger · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Moscow Election Committee had issued an official letter to the Prosecutor's office and the police to start an investigation of probable defamation against Oleg Kozyrev, one of the top Russian bloggers, blogger reports [ru]. The letter is the reply to Kozyrev's complaint letter he had sent to the Committee earlier.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Social Network In-Between Security Services and Free Market · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

This post is part of our special coverage Russia Elections 2011.
As social networks in Russia like Vkontakte play an ever increasing role in communication between post-election protesters, so too grows the interest of the security services to limit them. This conflict leads to a hard choice: whether Vkontakte should respond to security service requests, or allow its users uncontrolled protest activity.
Given the previous history of Vkontakte, many believed it would choose to submit itself to the claims of the FSB (Federal Security Service). Vkontakte, however, has decided to choose a different side.
Most popular social network
During the post-election protests (see Global Voices coverage here), many Russian Internet users had to move to Twitter and Facebook, since LiveJournal and other important Russian news portals were heavily DDoS-ed [Distributed Denial of Service attacked].  The one social networking platform that had no significant functionality issues was Vkontakte, the most popular social network in the country.
Vkontakte was founded in 2006 [ru] by Pavel Durov, inspired by Facebook and commonly accused of being a “Facebook clone”; it seems that currently there is no conflict between the two networks though, as recently Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Durov “friended” each other on Facebook. The ownership structure of the Saint Petersburg-based company remains unclear (39.99% owned by London-listed Mail.Ru Group Ltd).
Vkontakte has always had a complicated and questionable reputation; it is one the biggest music and video sharing platforms in Russia. Issues with unrestrained pornography sharing, allegedly [ru] including child pornography, have also been reported.
Another controversy regards Vkontakte's cooperation with the Russian security services. In 2010, the creator of the Mezhdurechensk protest group was summoned [ru] to the FSB, then the group's online presence on Vkontakte was shut down. Vkontakte has also closed several other groups, for example the ‘Anti-religion’ group with nearly 8,000 members in July 2010. In July 2011, after several moderators of protest groups in Belarus were detained, Vkontakte closed a group called ‘Future Movement’, which had over 216,000 members.
Security services against protest groups
Prior to the December 10 post-election protests, over 130 Vkontakte groups were created to organize the simultaneous protests in Russia and the world.
On December 6, members of the most numerous Vkontakte group, ‘Rospil – a war against corruption – Alexey Navalny’ (over 100,000 participants), realized they were not able to post new comments or messages. An administrator of the group ‘Eduard’ (username EDVVVARD) suggested it was due to a request from the security services and asked for help from the founder Pavel Durov on Twitter. Surprisingly he received an immediate response.
Durov wrote [ru]:
The group is restricted due to “Vkontakte” limit of 16,384 posts in 24 hours. Now, we are changing the algorithm for you.
Twenty minutes later the group started to work again. Later Eduard published [ru] this conversation on his blog. Durov wrote:
Everything's OK. Recently the FSB [Federal Security Service] asked us to close opposition groups, like yours. By principle we don't do that. we don't know yet how it will end for us, but we're standing
In response, Eduard asked to publish what Durov said in his blog and Navalny’s group. He argued that it will “disperse the myth about cooperation between Vkontakte and FSB, while the publicity will protect Vkontakte from further FSB’s attacks.”
Durov clarified [ru] that Vkontake was a non-political company which supported neither the government nor the opposition. Durov added that Vkontake blocks and will continue to block only those users who call to physical violence.
Even whilst Durov refused to cooperate, the authorities found their ways to prevent the growth of at least some groups. In Bryansk, user @w3drt46523trc26 reported [tweet deleted] that the FSB approached one of the administrators of its local protest group [ru] and forced them to move the group to the closed mode (the group is now functional again). In Nizhny Novgorod user @allsergeev reported [ru] that their group [ru] was hacked and the event cancelled. In Tver, the police detained [ru] creators of the Tver group, Sergey Shilov and Sergey Osipov.
That wasn’t the end. Later Durov published an official letter [ru] from the Saint Petersburg FSB branch that requested the closure of two events and five groups. Durov not only shared the document but also published what he called an “official response”: a dog with a sweater and his tongue out.
Network turns down FSB request
Durov immediately became a hero of the Russian Internet. Eduard concluded [ru]:
Durov's response to the FSB request. Screen shot 2011-12-14 at 12.47.04
Не надо заставлять Павла Дурова отключать неугодные вам группы. Павел Дуров – профессионал, инноватор и гордость нашей страны. В отличии от вас – жуликов и воров. […]
Хорошие люди объединяются через интернет для добрых дел и порицания зла. Именно этого больше всего на свете вы и боитесь – жулики у власти. Именно поэтому вы блокируете ЖЖ и вводите цензуру в сети. Именно поэтому вы запрещаете митинги и протесты.
Бесполезно. Процесс пошёл и его уже не остановить.
Do  not force Pavel Durov to block groups that you don’t like. Pavel Durov  is a professional, innovator and the pride for our country, unlike you,  crooks and thieves. […]
Good people unify via the Internet  to make good deeds and to blame evil. This is what you are most afraid of, you ruling crooks. That’s why you block LiveJournal and impose  online censorship. That’s why you prohibit demonstrations and protests.  It is useless. The process has started and it can’t be stopped.
Durov started to receive invitations to talk at oppositional rallies. He politely declined them by saying that he was only ready to participate in apolitical flash-mobs.  He received however one more invitation of a different nature. The next day after his “Dog-message” he was summoned [ru] to the St. Petersburg's prosecutor.
Durov never went to the prosecutor. A few days later, however, he published an online letter that some observers believe to be a response to the FSB invitation and an attempt to find a peaceful solution to the issue.
Between Scylla and Charibdis of Facebook and the FSB
On December 12, Lenta.ru published this open letter [ru] where he expressed his surprise about the fact that after many years of harsh critique he suddenly became a people’s hero. As a response he decided to explain why he declined the FSB request and made it public against all expectations:
Разговоры о голосованиях, выборах, митингах и гражданской позиции мы считаем формой массового развлечения […] Сначала пользователи столкнулись с проблемами при проведении массовых опросов; затем бурлящие оппозиционные сообщества вошли в ограничение на количество ежедневных комментариев; наконец, интересная нам аудитория обратила внимание на более удобный сервис проведения мероприятий у наших конкурентов. Во всех случаях мы отреагировали модернизацией соответствующего сервиса с задержкой от 15 минут до двух дней.
Те, кто бросились благодарить нас за содействие политическим протестантам, теряют из вида простое обстоятельство. Если бы в те же дни мы стали проигрывать в конкурентной борьбе из-за отсутствия какого-нибудь сервиса виртуальных массовых репрессий, нам бы пришлось ввести и его. И будьте уверены – наши репрессии были бы самыми массовыми и самыми кровавыми на рынке.
We approach discussions about voting, demonstrations and civic position as sort of mass entertainment […] First users were facing problems with conducting public polls, than the buzzing oppositional communities crossed the limited of daily comments, and eventually, our target audience found a more convenient service for conducting events at the competing platform [Facebook]. In all these cases we responded with modernization. It took us from 15 minutes to two days.
Those who rush to thank us for help to political protesters, ignore this important factor. If in these days we would lose the competiotion due to the lack of some service for mass repressions, we would have to launch it. And be sure – our repressions would be the most massive and most bloody on the market.
According to Durov, the FSB request was a significant threat to the capacity of Vkontake to participate competitively in the global market of social networks.  This situaton could lead to a “slow death“ of Russian social networks (as opposed to a “fast death”, like a sudden closure of a social network by the security services). His goal was to preserve fair competition rules, and attract attention to the local FSB requests. By Durov's reckoning, if Russia wanted to protect its own Internet industry, requests to block oppositional content should not be acceptable.
In Homer's famous legend, Odysseus tries to steer his ship between two sea monsters: Scylla and Charybdis. If he goes closer to Charybdis, he will lose the entire ship. The price of going closer to Scylla is also horrible, but acceptable: in this case he will lose only six members of his crew. Vkontakte had to choose between obeying the FSB and pushing its users to Facebook or rejecting the FSB's request. In this case, Vkontakte decided that Facebook is Charybdis and FSB is Scylla, as it is better to be summoned to the prosecutor than to lose thousands of users migrating to Facebook.
How to reconcile business and censorship
Aside from sending a clear message “we can still cooperate” to the FSB, Durov's letter can also give a hint to the security services on where the censorship could be possible, according to the market rules. Durov wrote:
Пока они применяют разные стандарты к разным видам цензуры, наша позиция остается неизменной и сводится к одному утверждению: бессмысленно удалять с одного интернет-сайта то, что можно быстро найти на других.
In other words, if Russian users can’t find opportunities to express their independent political opinions on other web platforms, then Vkontakte might satisfy the FSB's requirements.
The letter also contains a direction to an even more concerning scenario. If protests and a struggle for freedom is not different form a game like “Angry Birds” or watching pornography and it all can be measured within the same perspective of profitability, how far can companies go to satisfy the consumer and win the competition over the audience?
Science fiction brings at least a couple of dystopian examples of violence or even murder used as a tool for even more entertainment. History, however, proves that it's not only science fiction. There are many examples when entertainment crossed any ethical limits, and was used as a way to satisfy and control ‘the crowd.’ For example, ancient Rome with its “Bread and games” (Panem et circenses) in the Colosseum and other arenas. Even when there were no gladiator fights, public executions were an important factor of both social control and entertainment for hundreds of years. Even today, the same logic is used by terrorist organizations that distribute execution movies online (one can also mention some governments doing that).
If the Russian government gets Durov's message that any type of entertainment that brings profit can work, it can possibly adopt the entertainment to its own needs. If a social network will do everything to entertain audience, given it doesn't break the law, we shouldn't be surprised to witness new forms of state-sponsored or state-inspired online entertainment and the emergence of a new networked Colosseum. The same tactic was used in the case of Russian television, when the significant element of the control policy was not censorship alone, but sponsoring popular yet shallow reality shows and dramatic programmes about crime, to distract viewers from the real issues.
It looks like Vkontakte will be happy to satisfy simultaneously both the state and the public. From the business perspective it's all a question of demand and supply. In this case, the networked repressions from Vkontakte might be indeed, the most massive and the most bloody on the market.
This post is part of our special coverage Russia Elections 2011.

author: Gregory Asmolov


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Southeast Asia Indie Music · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Southeast Asia Indie aims “to unite and promote the great indie scenes in the Southeast Asian Region: Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.” It specializes in releasing free digital mp3 compilations and singles that include indie tracks from the region.


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Sri Lanka: Learning Lessons By Counting Costs · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Mahesan Niranjan at Groundviews writes a satire, with hard-hitting underpinnings, on the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) set up by the Sri Lankan government – to look into the events of the Sri Lankan Civil War during the period between February 2002 and May 2009.

author: Aparna Ray


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Syria: What it deserves · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yazan, on KABOBfest, tells us what Syria deserves in this must read post. “This is not, and should not become, a sectarian war. The state is controlled by a family and their friends, which goes beyond sectarian lines, and those who are challenging or supporting them are not defined purely by sect. This is a conflict between the have and have-nots,” he writes.


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Africa: 12 Predictions for Africa’s Tech Scene in 2012 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Read Mbwana Ally's 12 predictions for Africa's tech scene in 2012: “New models of mobile money will be explored that are less dependent on mobile operators, such asPagatech in Nigeria, but their growth will be slow given the lack of a strong agent network to begin with.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: African Arguments Online · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

African Arguments Online is “a multi-blogging site that covers both contemporary African events as they unfold, and develops debates on themes we believe are centrally important to an ever-changing continent.”


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Bangladesh:Hot Air Balloon Show in Dhaka · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

On 28th December, a hot air balloon show was held in Dhaka. In this context, photojournalist Monirul Alam discussed the history of hot air balloons.


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Cape Verde: The Musical Legacy of Cesária Évora · Global Voices
Debora Baldelli

On December 17, 2011, Cesária Évora, a musical ambassador of sorts for Cape Verde, left us. There was an abundance of tributes and declarations by her faithful audience, present in almost every corner of the globe. The singer, as well as the music of her country, were the focus of the blogosphere in recent days, and in the twittersphere Évora became a Trending Topic on the day of her death.
Julio de Magalhães, from the blog Do Médio-Oriente e afins (From the Middle East and the like) [pt] commented on the departure of the singer and highlights the music of her country:
Foi uma voz de Cabo Verde escutada e aclamada em toda a parte e, de alguma forma, um símbolo nacional. Dotada de um inconfundível instrumento vocal, como aliás grande parte dos cabo-verdianos, apresentou-se nos principais palcos do mundo sempre com extraordinário sucesso.
photo shared by twitpic user @huygui
For Brazilian journalist Mauro Ferreira, of the blog Notas Musicais (Musical Notes) [pt] “a sweet voice of deep feeling has been silenced”. On her music, he says:
Voz que destilava a fina melancolia impregnada nas mornas – espécie de samba-canção da terra da intérprete – que entoava em crioulo, um idioma que misturava português, francês e dialetos africanos. Évora também deu voz às coladeiras, outro ritmo cabo-verdiano, mais dançante e próximo da pegada caribenha.
The blog Palavras Todas Palavras (Words all Words) [pt] commented in retrospective on the success of the album La diva aux pied nus (The Barefoot Diva), recorded in 1988, which alludes to the way she appeared on stage:
O álbum foi aclamado pela crítica, e em 1992 gravou Miss Perfumado, e passou a morar na França. Tornou-se uma estrela internacional aos 47 anos. Em 2004 recebeu um Grammy, de melhor álbum de world music contemporânea. Foi a cantora que recebeu maior reconhecimento internacional na história da música cabo-verdiana.
The Portuguese blog Repórter a Solta (Reporter on the Loose) [pt] emphasized her great energy on stage based on a report from her shows in London:
Cesária não pára. Desde que, aos 48 anos, começou, em França, a sua carreira internacional, passa a maior parte do ano em tournée pelo mundo. Não está cansada? “É preciso aproveitar, agora que há trabalho”, diz-nos ela, como inconsciente de ser uma estrela mundial, como se vivesse nos tempos miseráveis dos bares do Mindelo. “Enquanto puder, não páro”. Na plateia, (…) são raros os caboverdianos, ou mesmo os espectadores de origem africana. São britânicos na sua maioria, famílias, casais, jovens, de meia-idade, classe média-alta…” Eles não percebem nada do que eu canto”, diz-nos Cesária. “Ninguém entende crioulo. Mas não importa. A música diz tudo. Entendem a música”. (…) Como faz ela aquilo? É um truque? Um sortilégio? Ninguém sabe explicar, mas está lá todo o fascínio de Cabo Verde.
Poster in homage to Cesária Évora written in creole distributed all over Lisbon, Portugal
In retrospective, and in a critical tone, anthropologist Miguel Moniz, guest contributor to Southcoasttoday, wrote about the space occupied by the singer on the international scene:
Cesaria Evora left Mindelo, Sao Vicente, to sing the morna on the world's great stages, winning a Grammy and becoming a chevalier in the French Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur along the way. Although she had been performing on and off since the 1950s, it was not until the release of two albums in the 1990s that Cesaria would emerge to international acclaim in the “world music scene,” a ubiquitous though absurd catch-all category that seems to mean “music made by people from some weird place I've never heard of.”
Still on the likely unfamiliarity of the international audience with Cape Verde, the blog Passaport to wrote:
Not too many people know much about (or have even heard of) the tiny, 10-island West African country of Cape Verde. But even though relatively few actually understood her song lyrics, plenty in Europe, Africa, and the rest of the world certainly knew and loved its most famous native daughter. (…) But the lady has left behind a gorgeous legacy (…) that have taught the world about Cape Verde’s distinctive national music, called morna.
The directions of Cape Verdean music
Cesária and Maria de Barros. Photo shared by Maria de Barros on Facebook
And with Cape Verde in focus, a debate has arisen over who will take her place as musical spokesperson of the country.
The current scenario is quite far from that found by Cesária Évora. Attention was drawn to the fact that the majority of representatives of Cape Verdean music of the new generation are “daughters of the diaspora”:
As candidatas à sucessão de Cesária Évora como “a voz de Cabo Verde” são cabo-verdianas nascidas em outras partes do mundo, na maior parte dos casos em Lisboa. Mayra Andrade, a mais bem colocada, nasceu em Cuba e vive em Paris. Se Cesária Évora, falecida no sábado, era, é, “a voz de Cabo Verde” e o maior emblema internacional do país, o desaparecimento físico da diva dos pés descalços deixa vago, de certa forma, o lugar que a filha do Mindelo até aqui ocupava no panorama musical internacional. As candidatas à sucessão são várias e mais ou menos conhecidas, tendo em comum o facto de, ao contrário de Cesária, não terem nascido em Cabo Verde e serem, antes, filhas da diáspora crioula.
Among the names cited are Mayra Andrade, Lura, Nancy Vieira, Sara Tavares, Carmen Souza, Maria de Barros, Danae and Isa Pereira. Some were born in Cape Verde, and others were not, some spent time in the country and others have not, and with various musical influences, as the case of Carmen Souza, who mixes Cape Verdean traditions with jazz, or Maria de Barros, with influence of Latin music, principally salsa.
There appears to be an effort to renew Cape Verdean music and make connections with other music, but with strong links to the roots of musical tradition of the country. What is notable is that the doors for Cape Verdean music were opened by Cesária Évora and the strength of her work, that in one form or another appears influential in the work of all of those singers cited above, be it musically, be it by inspiration and love for the country and for its language. And it is hoped they will continue on with her legacy in one way or another.
Whatever the future directions of Cape Verdean music internationally, the presence of Cesária Évora was unique and will always leave Sodade. Tom Devriendt, of the blog Africa is a Country, explains the meaning of one of the most beautiful words of the Portuguese language: “Saudade” (“Sodade” in Creole) – also the title of a song that made her famous throughout the world – and he shares the video for the song “Dor di Sodade” (The Pain of Sodade) from the album “Radio Mindelo” (2009) with old photos of the singer:
One of the many meanings of “Sodade” — that most difficult to translate Creole word — is a feeling of loss.

author: Debora Baldelli


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China: Dairy Company’s Website Hacked by Angry Netizens · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The latest round of tainted milk scandals broke out last week in China. The country's biggest dairy producer, Mengniu Dairy Co., admitted that some of its milk products contained aflatoxin – a cancer-causing substance.  To express their anger, Chinese info-activists hacked Mengniu's official website last night (December 28, 2011).
Below is the message posted by Simple International Infosec Team and Simple Safety Team at Mengniu:
Once upon a time, Mengniu had strengthened Chinese people and we were proud of this Chinese company. Now it buries itself.
Are you cheating your dad and dad and dad? One liter per day and many Chinese people are killed.
This is your principle? How many catastrophes have you caused? How many Chinese people have you harmed?
We are one family and you are hurting your family members.
Do you have a conscience? Today the raw material is below standard, tomorrow it is cancer causing, you may as well put in poison directly to the milk the day after.
This is what you Mengniu have benefited the world?
Won't you be apologetic to your milk cow? Problem with the feed, what an excuse.
Hoh hoh
This is Mengniu Dairy Company.
As a Chinese, you should wake up. And our task, the task of millions of netizens is to wake you up, wake China up.
This is the shame of our nation.
Wang yangxin changed a Mengnui advertisement  to express his anger. It said: one liter milk per day get Chinese people killed.
Back in 2008, at least six children died and nearly 300,000 suffered from kidney diseases because of melamine tainted milk produced by major dairy companies in China, including Mengniu. This time, although there are no victims identified, netizens are outraged by Mengniu's irresponsible comments on the incident. Mengniu's spokesperson's response on TV has been screen captured and circulated around the Internet (via Family Magazine at Weibo):
【蒙牛：我们控制不了奶农用霉变饲料，就像国家控制不了杀人】蒙牛乳业发言人副总裁卢建军表示：毒牛奶原因是奶农所用饲料霉变 但乳企对奶农用的饲料不能控制。就像国家立法说不许杀人 但有人就是要杀人 那你怎么办？没有一家厂家的饲料是不霉变的，这只是个案，好比你家里馒头会发霉。
There are more than 1,400 angry comments in the discussion thread, below is a selected translation of some:
狼剑士： 总裁你蒙牛喝多了，喝脑残了吧？
迎风破浪花：受教了！是我们不好，没能把关住奶农的饲料，就跟看见有人杀人我没能上去制止一样！跟蒙牛一点关系也没有！以后你们蒙牛就自产自销吧，老子不陪你玩了！滚！
剑客800：谁杀了人国家要枪毙他,现在蒙牛以强致癌物杀人,是不是也应该被枪毙呢???
一苇渡江的微博：我们阻止不了蒙牛的无耻，难道我们还管不住自己的嘴么？
While assuring to overseas media in a press conference, that its export products have better quality  Mengniu has stirred up nationalistic sentiment. Tiny Song interpretes the news statement in her Weibo:
【蒙牛郑重承诺：我们只祸害内地人】在对香港媒体的新闻发布会上，蒙牛解释道：我们销售到香港的产品，其质量和出口的产品是一样的，保证比内地（大陆）的产品质量更好、更安全！不止蒙牛说，商务部长陈德铭也说过，供应到香港的猪肉绝对比内地的安全。
Famous blogger WuYueSanRen also picks up the nationalistic sentiment and tries to inject new meaning into it:
五岳散人：什么是真正的汉奸？在蒙牛出事的时候讨论保护民族企业、在印尼排华的时候不干涉他国内政、在批评自己国内有些问题得不到解决时说“美国也没解决好”的人，是这个国家真正的败类。
A light-hearted micro-story around the Mengniu scandal has been widely circulated online (via syclops)
太狠啦！刚在公司电梯里听到三个人在聊……甲：办公室还有两箱蒙牛，怎么处理呢？ 乙：粉碎掉，不能扔了，那是害了流浪的人。丙：送领导，领导看人民日报，不会知道这事的……

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Dream and Reality · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu translated a local feature story on Chinese photographer Fan Shunzan's photo series, How Much Time Does the Reality Allow For A Dream. In the photo series, the reality of common people is placed against the backdrop of their dreams, which results in a striking contrast.


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China telecommunications market · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tricia wang discusses about the anti-monopoly infringement investigation against the China Telecom and its implications on the China telecommunications market.


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Colombia: Salsa Song Criticizes Bus Rapid Transport System · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

A salsa song and video documents the suffering that travelling in the Transmilenio public transportation system of Bogota represents for its users.
With humor and precise lyrics and accompanied by images of overcrowding and abuses users suffer daily, the salsa song “What we don't have are seats” its making its rounds on the web. Although no artist is credited for it, it was uploaded by YouTube user emmamikor with a Creative Commons Attribution license. On the Colombian forum of Skyscrapercity where they discuss transportation infrastructure, transmillen3mundista already transcribed the lyrics, which describe the experience of getting into a full Transmilenio.
Incómodo voy en Transmilenio, que incómodo voy,
cuidado con las lozas rotas, pilas con los huecos.
Una vieja se subió, de muy mal genio y con mala cara
¿Qué es lo que pasa aquí, que hay tantas damas paradas?
¿Quién me cede un asiento? ¡aquí parece que no hay caballeros!
y yo me sentí indignado, pero con mucho respeto le dije:
Aquí hay caballeros señora, lo que no hay son asientos.
Aquí hay caballeros señora, lo que no hay son asientos. ¡Lo siento!
Next is the video with Spanish and English subtitles:
Although Bogota's transportation system Transmilenio has been used as an example of positive urban development for years, it seems the city has outgrown the system. For example, take this video made by Streetfilms which calls Transmilenio “the world's most advanced bus rapid transit system”. In the video, the team is taken around by the former mayor's brother and shown the system by those who work in it, and it certainly looks like a completely different system than the one shown in “What we don't have are seats”. At the end, they do mention that they did notice the crowding throughout the day, and by the looks of it, none of it was recorded during rush hours…
The passengers aren't the only ones suffering the torment of transmilenio: when the news channel Caracol sent a journalist to cover the struggles passengers face when traveling on Transmilenio… his wallet was stolen. Insecurity isn't the only issue, as YouTube user Punkie54 expressed through the remix combining images and footage of travelling in the transmilenio with the reggaeton song “Making love with Clothes On”:
Finally, transmillen3mundista wraps up what the problem with the Transmilenio system seems to be: it hasn't evolved.
La ciudad cambia continuamente, todo evoluciona. En 12 años seguimos con lo mismo de años atras, los mismos puentes, las mismas estaciones, el espacio publico. Han habido pocos cambios como el remplazo del piso de las estaciones y puentes por lozas de concreto, y otros detalles menores.
Los cambios son necesarios o caemos en la rutina, por otra parte no falta los que digan que si hacemos algo nuevo son mas costos.
El transmilenio se lleno todo de ese gris maluco; las lozas, estaciones, puentes, portales, humo, etc. Seria bueno un cambio que disminuya tanto gris, como integrando cubiertas verdes, pero ademas con un cambio profundo en el diseño de las dichosas troncales en pro de las zonas verdes…

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Egypt: A Letter from Maikel Nabil  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

No Military Trials for Civilians, a collective blog aimed at raising awareness about the military trial of civilians in Egypt, publishes a must read post by jailed Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil, who has been on hunger strike for more than 120 days.


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Ghana: Azonto Dance Craze Goes Global · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A Ghanaian dance called Azonto is making waves around the world and threatening to spawn its own YouTube industry as dance enthusiasts try to out do each other by posting the most hilarious and most accomplished Azonto moves on the video channel.


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India: A Letter to the Home Minister, Protesting Forced Eviction · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

William Gomes writes an open letter to the Union Home Minister, Mr.P.Chidambaram, protesting against the recent police action against campaigners who were holding a protest rally demanding the repeal  of the controversial Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act, 2006.


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India: Looking Back on 2011 · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Shashi Shekhar at Offstumped looks back on the year 2011 and finds that it has been anything but predictable.