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Nepal: Salary Hike For The VVIPs · Global Voices
Rezwan

Guffadi reacts to the salary increase of Central Assembly members, Ministers and Heads of the State by saying that they should not get more than the average income of the Nepalis since they have a lot of perks and amenities.


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North Korea: Kim Jong-il’s Yachting Holiday · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Michael Madden from the North Korean Leadership Watch published a post on North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il's lavish lifestyle in the impoverished nation. It is believed Kim’s fancy life has not  changed despite international sanctions banning the sale of yachts and  other luxury goods to North Korea.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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North Korea: Speculation Looms over Kim Jong-il’s Visit to Russia · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Net user 100gf from Politics and Computers blog posted a brief summary on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's visit to Russia, a rare official visit for the first time in nine years. As Kim is expected to hold talks with President Dmitry Medvedev regarding energy and denuclearization issues, speculations have sprung up in the blogosphere.


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Rwanda: Interacting With the Tweeting President · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

My Twitter timeline boasts of one of Britain’s richest entrepreneurs, Lord Alan Sugar, rapper 50cent and CNN’s Piers Morgan, but receiving a response from a president of a promising African country is just staggering, even to an experienced journalist and blogger like me.
The problem with celebrities like Lord Sugar usually called Shugs by his followers on Twitter, Morgan called Piersy by his army of followers and 50cent with his overly ambitious project to feed one billion Africans (literally the entire population of the continent)  in the next five years, is that they rarely, if ever, respond to tweets.
Paul Kagame: Rwanda's tweeting President. Photo source: Kagame's Twitter account.
A few days ago, just as a joke and coming from a cautionary position of the number of fake and spoof Twitter and other social media accounts of celebrities and famous people, I responded to a tweet which mentioned Rwandan president Paul Kagame to which I did not expect a response from him. If anything, the response I expected was to come from the original poster.
Admittedly, it was a banal exchange on why he carries a whole range of gadgets from an iPod to a Blackberry to an iPad which more or less serve the same purpose.
The exchange went thus:
@RobertAlai:
@paulkagame uses iPad 2, BlackBerry Torch and an iPod. #Mindspeak
I responded:
@RobertAlai: @paulkagame uses iPad 2, BlackBerry Torch and an iPod. #Mindspeak” I thought an iPad had an iPod provision. Lol.
It is the next few tweets coming from Paul Kagame, whose bio simply states, “President of the Republic of Rwanda, write to: paulkagame@gov.rw” also giving his website as http://www.paulkagame.com, that surprise me. Apparently, he writes in conversational style with one tweet running into the next and so on:
@PaulKagame:
@GNdhlovu. But one was obtained long after the other…and have the freedom to use one as I want even if in some aspects they may serve same
@PaulKagame:
@GNdhlovu …purpose! There are definately some overlaps on all of them….how u use them is your bizness!
@PaulKagame:
@GNdhlovu. And have difrnt convinient uses too…!
I responded before I saw his timeline to show that he has actually been talking about why he uses all these gadgets:
@GNdhlovu:
@PaulKagame: @GNdhlovu. And have difrnt convinient uses too…!” Agreed HE [His Exellency]. The ipod fits in the pocket nicely. Tx for rspnse.
Upon realising that since the topic is on iPods/iPads, I then quickly followed it up with a question on the type of music on his iPod to which, unfortunately, he has not responded–yet.
@GNdhlovu:
@PaulKagame As a matter of interest HE, what type of music is on yr iPod & who r yr most popular musicians on it? Any Rwandan acts on it?
Going through President Kagame’s timeline, it appears that he engages in regular exchange with other netizens on a wide range of subjects. For instance, in the exchange below in what seems to be a question on the Rwandan economy, he elaborated how his government has been going about improving the economy.
@PaulKagame:
@ramaisibo. Both procedure and outcome are important-better to get both right-if one was to turn out not so good it shdnt be the outcome!!
He brought his Minister for Finance into the discussion:
@MinFinanceRw. Tell him more abt how strategy has started bearing fruit as well-bcse export earnings have grown steadily! I would have..
@PaulKagame:
@MinFinanceRw …expected frm @ramaisibo more in terms of ideas (contributing to a solution) than asking the kind of question, tho !
@PaulKagame:
@ramaisibo. I am wondering whether this debate between ppl like u is helpful in this way it being done!!!! If @ramaisibo lacked forum ..
@PaulKagame:
@ramaisibo ..in which to express his ideas-I would understand! I am sure u will only end up going back and forth w/out much else…!!
@PaulKagame:
@ramaisibo …years has been on a v.sound footing! Inflation being also lowest in the region and beyond,if u may not kno! So,really I am ..
@PaulKagame:
@ramaisibo …only advising that there is a better way of contributing to the debate(that has alwz been there all along)!!!
Kagame’s Twitter exchange with netizens is surely innovative and puts him far ahead of his contemporary African leaders who are, at best, unreachable by the majority of citizens and, at worst, they just don’t bother listening to their citizens, let alone netizens regardless of whether or not they are their citizens.
On May 5, 2011, Paul Kagame became the first African leader to be interviewed on YouTube World View. Early this year, a Kenyan blogger based in Rwanda invited Paul Kagame via Twitter to visit children at The Ibirunga Tennis Court in Musanze Town. President Kagame replied to the tweet and ended up visiting them.
Paul Kagame Twitter account displays a “Verified Badge”. Twitter uses verification system to establish the authenticity of identities of Twitter users.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Somalia: Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan In Mogadishu · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

afrik.com reports [fr]  on Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's visit in Mogadishu: “The prime minister, his wife Emine and other [Turkish] political and business leaders, as well as artists, are in Somalia to meet the victims of the drought and famine raging in the country.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Spain: Brutal Police Repression Against Journalists Covering “Secular March” · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The police's brutal response [es] to the protests Madrid, Spain, which started since the beginning of the month and came into full force with the detention of journalist Gorka Ramos [es] (subsequently freed [es]), has led to a disproportionate persecution of journalists and reporters [es] covering the protests. Repression was unleashed during the Secular March [es] on August 17, sparked by the Pope's recent visit [es] to Spain.  But, what is the “Secular March”? Francisco Blanco Prieto explains [es] in his blog:
No es una manifestación anti-Dios, ni anti-Papa, ni anti-Rouco, ni  anti-religión, ni anti-cristiana. Es una marcha en defensa de la  Constitución que consagra un Estado laico, liberado de subvenciones,  injerencias, servidumbres, condenas y bendiciones de toda doctrina, sea  ésta cual fuere.
Nevertheless, this protest was accused [es] of being “intolerant” and an act of provocation [es].  With these antecedents, it was almost logical to expect some type of confrontation between those in favor of the Secular March and members of the 2011 World Youth Day who also marched in the surrounding area of Madrid's square Puerta del Sol at the same time.  The event finally concluded with a harsh police reaction [es] against the 4000 to 8000 protestors.  Nonetheless, something that was not expected were the actions taken by the police against the journalists in charge of covering the events.
Pau Llop from Bottup [es], a site of citizen journalism in Spain, tells us about the police's violent strategy to quiet journalists and witnesses of their citizen repression in an article titled: “Ahora te vamos a pegar sin que te vean, ‘periolisto'” (“Now we're going to beat you while no one is watching, you clever journalist”) [es]:
“Te duele, ¿eh?, ahora sí que te vas a enterar…” Me hacen mucho daño. Me estampan la cabeza contra la puerta de la furgona, con las manos atrás.
“Ya os decía yo que iba a ganar la porra“
“Si te decimos que te pongas a la pata coja, te pones, entendido“
Tanto el titular de este artículo como las frases que lo empiezan son  palabras recogidas por dos de los periodistas agredidos ayer por  agentes de la Unidad de Intervención Policial (antidisturbios) en el  centro de Madrid, a escasos metros de la Puerta del Sol y en el  recorrido de la manifestación laica -legal y autorizada por la  Delegación del Gobierno- contra los gastos de dinero público ocasionados  por la visita hoy del Papa de Roma a la capital española para presidir  la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud.
“It hurts, huh? Now you will really feel how badly…” They caused me so much pain.  They slammed my head against the van door, with my hands behind my back.
“I already told you that I was going to win the draw“
“If we tell you to hop, you hop, understood?“
The title of this article, as well as the dialogue that opens it, are words recounted by two of the journalists who were assaulted by agents from the Police Intervention Unit (riot police) in the center of Madrid, barely meters from the Puerta del Sol, along the path of the secular demonstration — legal and authorized by the Delegation of the Government — against the spending of public funds for the Pope's visit from Rome to preside over the 2011 World Youth Day.
In the following video from August 4, viewers can already observe the type of confrontations between the police and the demonstrators, including journalists [es]:
Accounts from some of the detained or assaulted journalists are also circulating on the Internet, such as that of Jonás Candalija [es] after being released from the police, and Lidia Ucher [es], a journalist that was also seen being struck by the police.  This video from Youtube user patriciahorrillo [es] portrays an instant in which the reporter is carried away by the police [es]:
This other video from Youtube user Miguelmandril [es] shows the police patrolling the streets of Madrid in search of protestors and the aggressive actions they take against those who they believe to have taken part in the demonstrations, as well as those who report on the events [es]:
In the publication Periodismo Humano (Humane Journalism), a note [es] can be found regarding the previous video, with commentary from the journalist who was hit after photographing the police aggression against an adolescent girl walking along the street.  There are already some who are asking for proof of identification (TIP) from police officers and riot agents [es] as a result of these events.  The prior link includes a petition to Antonio Camacho, the Spanish government's Minister of the Interior.
Youtube user periodistadigital [es] has uploaded various videos, among them one of which shows the verbal encounters between the participants of the Secular March and the members of the Catholic youth, and another that portrays the police repression that followed [es]:
In August alone already six journalists have denounced police aggression [es], and given that the government assures that agents act with “prudence and determination,” it does not seem that the situation will get better any time soon.

author: Juan Arellano


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Ukraine: 20 Years of Independence · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

As Ukraine is about to turn 20 years old, Alexander J. Motyl of Ukraine's Orange Blues and Vasyl of uaMuzik sum up the current political and social situation in the country.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Ukraine: 47,000 Doctor Vacancies · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

There are 47,000 vacancies for doctors in Ukraine, Odessablog reports.


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We survived a day in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Victor H. Mair, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at the University of Pennsylvania translated an internet cartoon to show how Chinese social criticism and black humor at work. (via DANWEI)

author: Oiwan Lam


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Arab World: “Assad, You are Next After Gaddafi!”  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011 and Libya Uprising 2011.
As Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's hours are quickly running out, Twitter users are issuing their warnings to Syrian president Bashar Al Assad to take heed, and leave power.
Sultan Al Qassemi, from the UAE, tweets:
@SultanAlQassemi: Are you watching Bashar? You're next. #Syria
Libyan Libeeya cautions:
@Freedom_7uriyah: All i've got to say to Assad is watch #Libya closely, ur next. #AssadLies will get u nowhere
Picasso Kat warns:
@Picassokat: Assad can you hear foot steps? Gaddafi's fate will be decided within hours & then all the eyes in the world will focus on you #Syria #Libya
And CBS journalist Toula Vlahou wonders:
@ToulaVlahouCBS: What's Syria's Pres. #Assad thinking as he watches #Libya fall?
Terrorist Donkey offers Al Assad some advice:
@TerroristDonkey: #Assad you should record few speeches just like #Gaddafi because your day is coming. #Syria #Libya
While Syrian Maysaloon last night tweeted:
@Maysaloon: There is one man watching events in Libya very closely tonight. Bashar al Assad #Syria
Will Assad be the fourth Arab leader in line to fall after Gaddafi, Tunisian Zine Al Abedine Ben Ali and Egyptian Hosni Mubarak? Stay tuned for more reactions from social media.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011 and Libya Uprising 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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D.R. of Congo: End Congo Rape Campaign Launched Online · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

End Cong Rape online campaign has been launched: “The aim of this site is to inform people on the plight of women in the east of the Congo, as well as to encourage people to get involved and donate.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Guinea: Slow Blogging  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

After a year of blogging on blog platform Mondoblog, Sow shares [fr] how difficult it is to connect from his hometown in Guinea, located  500 km from the capital Conakry: “This country is plagued with a standard access to the Internet that breaks every record of slowness. If you add the age-old problem of power shortages, blogging from a GSM mobile connection in these conditions is far from a picnic. Up to a full day to write an article, edit it, upload images and dispatch the link across social networks! Some ask me: “So, did you find a job?” The answer is no, knowing that I already have one: blogging!”


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Lebanon: Smoking Banned · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“The Lebanese Parliament endorsed a law that bans smoking in public or closed spaces. The law also bans any sort of tobacco advertising and promotions….” reports Moudz, who added that “Non-smokers have been overjoyed today with the news filling up the social timelines with their expressions of approval.”

author: Moussa Bashir


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Libya: Bloggers Between Dictatorship and War · Global Voices
Fozia Mohamed

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
It's been six months since the Libyan uprising began. How was the Libyan blogging scene before the February 17 revolution, and how has it evolved over the last few months?
Sometime in 2009 and way before the Feb 17 Revolution as it is now known, a large number of the Libyan blogging community members had shifted their conversations to Facebook and later on to Twitter, which they felt was more interactive and ‘immediate’. In this regard, the different English and Arabic blogs were a bit like an empty house with occasional updates on what seemed to be very important events in their life or when ‘guilt’ would prevail. However, this did not mean that the scene was empty but simply that it was somehow less spicy – apart from the usual suspects or hardcore earliest bloggers such as Khadijateri and  Imtidad, as well as those who actually loved to write long prose, which was more than 140 characters.
Khalid Al Jorni, a Libyan blogger who had since closed shop, had deployed a great effort in aggregating a large number of the Libyan blogs and Libyan related blogs in one place called All Libyan Blogs. He even classified them in English and Arabic and whoever was administering the site kept doing so until February 2011 at least. Khalid's writing from inside Libya bordered on what could be considered acceptable criticism of the government and its economic policy and the social situation in Libya. The only reason I could think for him to stop blogging and delete his blog because he was very popular with the younger generation. He once wrote, and I am here paraphrasing, that talking about Libya's rich past  and ancient ruins was nice, but that the youth wanted to see a modern Libya with functioning metropolises. I'm sure that if he could he would be online now.
In previous posts we had shared with you on Global Voices the various topics discussed on the Libyan blogosphere.  This community is divided into three main groups: (1) Libyans residing in Libya (these also include  foreigners married to Libyans), (2) Libyans temporarily residing abroad for various reasons and (3) Diaspora Libyans.  The majority started blogging in English, some moved to Arabic , while others only blogged in Arabic.
Touring the Libyan blogs now, we notice that the percentage of Arabic language blogs seems to be higher, but they are less well known on the non-Libyan non Arabic speaking sphere because they have less exposure. Their voices too need to be heard as they bring up a complementary aspect of Libya. While they both have a personal theme and do speak about society, culture and politics, their audience and background would be different except for the dual language  individuals who are straddling both sides.
The Arabic language bloggers seem to focus more on stories, poetry, Libyan society themes, essays etc… while theEnglish speaking bloggers have a slightly higher individualistic trait treating the blog as a diary to reveal their personalities, lives and aspirations.
It is in joining both conversations that we are able to get a fuller picture about Libya, which has been and remains largely a mystery to the outside world.
The third category of bloggers, i.e. those living in the Diaspora, were the only Libyans to openly criticize and ridicule the  Libyan government and even their compatriots back home. They were safe and established abroad.
Category 2, Libyans temporary living overseas, spoke a lot about what they did bringing up family stories and very general things about Libya unless they had decided to join the opposition and so they stopped being shy of saying their opinion loudly.
Category 1, people blogging directly from the homeland, were the ones taking the most physical risk and so were being careful in wording their sentences in a way that would not be threatening to the regime but that would still convey the image. Their blogs ranged from the diary type of “I did this and that today and passed my exams, met friends, went shopping, got engaged” to other more serious issues like environment, pollution, rubbish collection, economic projects and corruption. I think any criticism that they managed to dish out was an exercise in subtlety and understatement. Here is an example by Khadijateri:
This is just getting ridiculous. It's like when you step in chewing gum, or even worse, dog poo, and it gets stuck on the bottom of your shib-shib [ar] (slipper) and you can't get it off. No matter how hard you try; you rub your shib-shib on the ground, on the grass, on the edge of the street curb, or you get a stick and try to push it off. But it just doesn't want to go.  The solution: It's time to throw those shib-shib away!  [sic]
Even the now infamous Hala Misrati had a soapy blog called Nazf or bleeding about romance  and lost love which was actually quite a daring and bold blog.
Blogger Ghida was also one of the subtly outspoken ones  with journalistic types of reports until she  ended up exposed  after the Feb 17 Revolution on national TV in the talk show of Hala  Misrati with her private life and phone calls  to be heard by all the Libyans or anyone watching satellite TV. It was rumoured that she and Hala were colleagues and friends.
Her old blog is gone and only the one with poetry is left up.
Six months on and it is heartbreaking to look at how eerie the Libyan blogosphere is, row upon row of bloggers in Libya are silent because of the on-going war. From the silent ones you realize that they are in the cities under Gaddafi control and therefore have no access to the internet.
The Libyan war though has brought some of the bloggers out of the woodwork at least those that had left the country for studying. Like Happymoi who says:
I watch the news and my heart is full of pain. I feel everything inside of me is broken to pieces. So many people are dying. Libya is famous now, everyone knows of it, everyone. It is the tragic situation that made it so well known. I wish things were different. I wake up every morning thinking about Libya. I wake up every morning wishing things were different.
But you realize that any one blogging from the old crowd is either abroad  now or in Benghazi such as Starlit who laments: ” ive been through stuff ive never thought I would experience.[sic]”
or Benghazicitizen who writes :
I close my eyes ,I see those who were killed ..
I see the tired face of my mother..
The shocked face of my sister..
The anger in my brother eyes..
The determination in my father's..
And I see faces from my life…
My friends..some of them will never come back..
I can see a nucleus of what freedom has brought to Libyans in the posts coming from what the media is calling the liberated territories. The evolution is palpable most notably in Omar Al Muktar's daughter. In March she was still anonymous and fresh from the shock of the liberation of Benghazi:
what happened in Benghazi & libya was really a new page & an impossible mission we never believed that Libyan  young men could do it ………….& they did it [sic]
But by June she was confident to put her real name and surname (Ruwida Ashour) and that is something not many Libyan bloggers inside Libya dared to do before.
So if you are in the liberated parts of Libya you can expect to express yourself freely against the Gaddafi government which PH just did by putting up a carpet with a Gaddafi photo used as a doormat.
I don't know yet if you can criticize the National Transitional Council though!
The last posts from Tripoli were made by Khadijateri and Highlander  four months ago. They carried some hope when the Internet was very briefly reinstated.
But there are also some new bloggers  on the scene and  which describe the Libyan's perspective from a fresh angle. The Harimna Notes is a blog in Arabic which chronicles the events of the Feb 17 revolution from day one. It consists of the stories collected by a Libyan individual who wishes to remain anonymous and repackaged by famous opposition writer Ashur Shamis.
The chronicler was inside Libya and left about two months ago, so now his diary consists of daily opinions on the current events in Libya.
There is also the war blog of the Displaced Libyan who is unable to return home.
I’m not sure how to start as it’s now going to be almost two months since the wall of silence broke. I have kept a diary with some notes, I’ll be using that as skeleton plan and flesh it out along the way. I also have a lot of comments about what I’m reading in the media. I realize that many may feel out of their comfort zone when reading me , but that is just who I am… Never one to comply or follow blindly. Beware I’m very opinionated but don’t take it personally.
If you are tired of propaganda from both the pro Gaddafi and the anti Gaddafi camps then you will find the blog ‘refreshing’ though the posts are quite long.
Another Libyan blog chronicling the war is Libya SOS. It is one of the few blogs which is not with the rebels.
If posting from Libya then it must be manned by Gaddafi's electronic army because ordinary Libyans in Tripoli do not have access to internet unless they got hold of a  VSAT or Thuraya phone. However, obviously the person running the blog is putting a lot of effort into finding news, links and photos that aim to counteract the news in the MSM about rebel gains. It shows us another aspect of this war and makes one stop to think about everything that we hear or read about. Regardless of our stand in this war it is good for us to see the other side of the conflict, which is why it is featured in this article.
The blogger is wondering why his or her voice is not featured in the media:
Very interesting LibyaSOS can not be on  CNN, BBC, AlArabiya, Al Jazeera, SkyNews, France24… Twitter list ? WHY?! Why not ?!? Because I don't speak English very well like @Sbhafreedom @FreeLibya @FreeBenghazi … Is it reason ? or.. because I am not so fancy like NATO-led rebels [sic]
Whatever the result of the Libyan war of 2011, it has allowed all Libyans to find their voices once again and if their voice was silenced before, it is now more confident and definitely very opinionated. They will no longer be muzzled.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

author: Fozia Mohamed


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Libya: Gaddafi’s Right Hand Abdessalem Jalloud Flees to Italy · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
News from Libya is raining on the world, as one city after another are being taken by the revolutionaries. The big news came when Libya's former number two Abdessalem Jalloud left the country to Italy on a Maltese plane through Tunisia, as confirmed by a Tunisian senior government official. A lot of people see Jalloud's defection as a good sign for the end of Gaddafi. However, a lot have not forgotten to state on social media that Jalloud is still a criminal of the Libyan regime and should be facing court. Few others have saluted his defection and said that Jalloud has previously tried to oppose Gaddafi. Here's more of the conversation from Twitter.
Libyans in Tunis celebrate the "Beginning of the End". Image by Sghaier khaled, copyright Demotix (22/08/2011).
Palestinian Twitter user Nour (@nourj48) wrote saying:
@nourj48: Really, #Jalloud? NOW #Gaddafi betrayed the people? where was your loyalty to the people the past 42 years? Go to hell.
Asma Magariaf (@LibyanBentBladi) suggested that Jalloud might be working for Gaddafi from Italy:
@LibyanBentBladi: Less than 24hurs after defection, Jalloud already out of Libya. Is it unsafe 4 him to remain? is he more valuable operating from outside?
Fadwa El-Gallal (@Douuu) made a comparison between Jalloud and National Transition Council of Libya :
@Douuu: Jalloud defected frm Gaddafi in 1987 While many NTC members defected this year, if thy r heroes, I guess he is too!
Twitter user nicknamed Hancker (@hankerton) found it too late for Jalloud to defect:
@hankerton: A little too late #jalloud now it's ‘our’ revolution?! U r useless now. U will also be on trial.
Maimuna Aghliw (@fcukruna) tweeted several times about Jalloud and wrote a piece of information about him:
@fcukruna: Jalloud has actually been under house arrest for a number of years.
Other Twitter users went on commenting on Jalloud's interview for Al-Jazeera and his attitude:
@libya_Horra: omg did u see what #jalloud did.. just took off the mic after saying what he wanted to say, once a prick always a prick.
Libya 7orra (@libya_Horra) has also made another comment on the interview saying:
@libya_Horra: Jalloud saying all of tripoli shud come out together, well then why the fuck did u run .. u shudve stayed in tripoli & fight
Muham Marc Sugiono (@Lokaltermin) wrote a sarcastic tweet for Jalloud:
@Lokaltermin: If you want start a politically career in Libya try to be eccentric.The next pres. should wear a pink Tutu and dance while shouting
Henry Smith (@TH_Smith) looked at Jalloud's defection as a key in the Libyan revolution:
@TH_Smith: Importance of Jalloud defection overstated. Defections among coercive forces are the key.
Another Twitter user named Alaa (@ehkayy) has also viewed Jalloud's defection as a positive sign and took it to another level:
@ehkayy: Regardless of what others think, I think he's being sincere and this has been stuff he's been wanting to say for a long time.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

author: Mona Kareem


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Libya: Game Over Gaddafi  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
Libyan revolutionaries are in Tripoli, the country's capital. The thrill is evident online, with Twitter abuzz with joy and jubilation as tweeps countdown the hours in which Gaddafi will leave power. Reports are already circulating that the battalion responsible for his protection has surrendered and decided to lay down arms.
Foreign Policy‘s Blake Hounshell tweets:
@blakehounshell: GAME OVER. #Libya
And Shabab Libya adds:
@ShababLibya: Martyr's square formally known as ‘green’ square is now home to Freedom Fighters. Game Over
Tweeps are also sharing snippets of what they are watching on their TV screens of live footage from Tripoli.
Hind Hassan writes:
@hindhassan: Can hardly hear @SkyNews Alex Crawford speak because of celebrations, sound of car horns, gunfire & fireworks behind her #Libya #Tripoli
NPR Senior Strategist Andy Carvin quotes Crawford:
@acarvin: “They feel liberated. Fireworks going off, guns going off, truly an amazing site.” -Alex Crawford, Sky #libya
@acarvin: Crawford: “This is going to be the biggest party tripoli has ever seen. Look at these people – do they seem worried?” #libya
The Guardian‘s Brian Whitaker has more news:
@Brian_Whit: Numerous reports claiming Said Gaddafi has been captured. Can't confirm. #libya
While Al Jazeera‘s Evan Hill has questions:
@evanchill: So I'm heading into west Libya in a couple days. I wonder who'll be running the country by then.
Meanwhile, Cindy A. shares a sentiment we are all having tonight:
@Organica_: I wish there were more Libyans on Twitter. I'd give them all hugs. #Libya #Tripoli #Greensquare
Stay tuned for more updates from Libya.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.


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Libya: Libya State TV Broadcast Disrupted  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
With the fast-paced news coming out of Tripoli, social media enthusiasts are weeding information coming out of Libya to keep us abreast with what is really happening there.
Andy Carvin, NPR's senior strategist, is one such clearing point. In a recent tweet he notes:
@acarvin: Not confirmed. One of many rumors. Captured, dead, fled, hiding. RT @technosailor: Gaddafi captured. Is this confirmed? #libya #tripoli
Libyan State TV goes off air. Picture by Sultan Al Qassemi
Sultan Al Qassemi, who monitors news coverage from the UAE, is another valuable source of news on Libya. He shares a screen shot of the Libyan State TV now.
@SultanAlQassemi: Al Arabiya: Libyan State TV broadcast disrupted #Libya
@SultanAlQassemi: Breaking Al Arabiya: The Libyan revolutionaries flag has been raised on Tripoli's government buildings #Libya
Back on Twitter, the euphoria is building up online as tweeps share their thoughts and feelings on developments in Libya.
Lebanese Hilal Chouman quips:
@hilalchouman: My dad comment on #Libya: “The hulk is down”. lol.
Meanwhile, Ruwayda Mustafah, a British Kurdish activist, is waiting for evidence:
@RuwaydaMustafah: Take a breather everyone. Waiting to receive image + footage of Gaddafi's body & son being imprisoned. #Libya
And Egyptian Mona El Tahawy concludes:
@monaeltahawy: The real #Libyan revolution is about to end #Gaddafi's reign of butchery before he celebrates 42nd anniversary of his fake “revolution.”
Stay tuned for more coverage from Libya.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.


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Libya: Remembering Mohammed Nabbous  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
Tribute is pouring in on Twitter, in memory of Mohammed Nabbous, the founder of Libya's AlHurra TV. Nabbous was killed in a firefight while he was filming on March 19.
Known as “Mo” to his many fans, Nabbous brought the Muammar Al Gaddafi's violent crackdown of protesters home to viewers and listeners around the world. From his AlHurra TV livestream and during taped conversations with a variety of international media, he spoke candidly about the situation from his base in Benghazi.
According to his many fans, Nabbous’ spirit is celebrating today's developments in Libya.
NPR's Andy Carvin notes:
@acarvin: Mo Nabbous, wherever you are: it looks like you're winning the battle. And your candle never went out, because it's everywhere.
Al Jazeera's Ali Hashem tweets:
@alihashem_AJA: In this day I would like to remember the great Mohammed Nabbous, I am sure you r watching them from the skies with a smile…RIP hero
Elisabeth D-Nilsen says:
@bettan13: Impossible to watch todays events without thinking about Mo Nabbous! RIP! You did not lose!! #Libya #Tripoli
And Friedrich Kauder recalls:
@fkauder: I remember watching Mo Al Nabbous’ first broadcast. His dream is finally coming true. #Tripoli #Libya
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.


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Mexico: Following Javier Sicilia’s Footsteps · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

This page is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.
Activist Javier Sicilia, leader of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity [es] has continued operating through talks with members of the Executive and Legislative powers, by marching and protesting peacefully.
His activities have sparked, as expected, the most diverse citizen reactions on the internet.
Manuel Robles, writing for the blog Experto de la Nada (Expert in Nothingness), analyses the reactions of those who complained about Sicilia's meeting [es] with President Felipe Calderón on June 23, 2011, displaying their distaste and disappointment.
Me imagino que quienes critican el rumbo que ha tomado el Movimiento esperaban un asalto al Castillo de Chapultepec, con un Sicilia empuñando un libro de versos y una plumilla entre los dientes al grito de “¡Que no quede uno vivo!” lidereando con su embestida el apaciguamiento de la ira popular degollando funcionarios federales. De otra manera no me explico la decepción que les causó un acto cívico.
Talks between the President and the Movement. Image by Flickr user Gobierno Federal (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Additionally, Robles expresses his opinion about said meeting:
No soy historiador, más bien soy un Experto de Nada, pero me parece que el intercambio que tuvo verificativo entre representantes de la sociedad civil sin partido político y sin bandera electoral, con el titular del Poder Ejecutivo y miembros de su gabinete en un acto público no tiene precedentes en el país, sobre todo en su carácter de denuncia de viva voz, en donde cupieron las réplicas a los funcionarios públicos. Tal vez me equivoque, ya habrá quien me enmiende la plana, pero no me cabe la menor duda de que ha sido un evento histórico.
Weeks after meeting with the President, Sicilia and other members of the movement held talks with members of the Legislative Powers. One of the issues discussed was “constitutional reform” which also discusses the “lower house”. On this subject, blogger and analyst John Ackerman [es] labelled Sicilia's position as prideful and dismissed it as a display of total disregard for the democratic system.
Javier Sicilia y el pequeño grupo de jóvenes que el miércoles pasado asistió a la Comisión Permanente pecan de soberbia: “No venimos a pedirles, sino a exigirles que aprueben la reforma política. Si tienen que convocar a un periodo extraordinario o trabajar horas extras es su problema: la aprueban, es un mandato ciudadano… Apruébenla como se las mandó el Senado”. Los manifestantes demuestran un preocupante desconocimiento de los procesos democráticos al erigirse en representantes de un inexistente  y exigir que en lugar de discutir las reformas los diputados se comporten como meros levantadedos.
This “constitutional reform” is not the only item on the legislative agenda that drives the movement lead by Sicilia. The discussions on the amending of the National Security Law (previously reported on Global Voices) have elicited reactions from Sicilia which have been reported by Jenaro Villamil [es]:
El tiempo del cachondeo y los testimonios ha terminado. Ahora inicia la verdadera negociación entre el movimiento ciudadano encabezado por Javier Sicilia y los legisladores en torno a una de las leyes más polémicas: la Ley de Seguridad Nacional. Invisibles, pero presentes, también están en el proceso los representantes de las Fuerzas Armadas (Ejército y Marina), los asesores de Calderón en su “guerra” y el silencio que pesa de 50 mil muertos en una estrategia polémica.
Las palabras fueron duras por parte de Javier Sicilia: “traidores”,  “nos han dado la espalda”, “no se puede negociar con quienes no hablan  con la verdad”. Estas fueron las frases más difundidas por los medios y  que cayeron como bomba después que los integrantes de la Comisión de  Gobernación, presidida por el diputado panista Javier Corral, aprobaron  en lo general una minuta proveniente del Senado, que fue discutida  durante meses y “congelada” en la Cámara de Diputados.
The time for jokes and testimonies has passed. Now begins the true  negotiation between the citizen movement, headed by Javier Sicilia and  the legislators in the case of one of the most controversial laws: the  National Security Law. Unseen, but present, are also representatives of  the armed forces (Army and Navy), Calderon's consultants in his “war”  and the silence of the weight of 50,000 dead in a polemic struggle  included in the process.
In the harsh words of Javier Sicilia: “traitors”, “they've turned their backs on us”, “we can't negotiate with people who don't speak the truth”. These were the words that spread most throughout the media and dropped like a bomb after the members of the Government Commission, presided over by panista (member of the PAN) government representative Javier Corral,  generally approved the bill that came from the Senate and was debated for months and then “frozen” in the House of Representatives.
Javier Sicilia, image by Pepe Rivera on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The most recent of the protests pushed forward  by the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity was the march that  took place on Sunday August 14, 2011. As a result, the portal  Pateando Piedras [es] (Stepping Stones) stresses the notion that the movement seems weakened and provokes the question of whether Sicilia will be heard:
No fueron muchos, apenas unos centenares, pero esta vez  frente al senado Javier Sicilia recapituló el infierno y la gloria del  Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Diginidad y puso en el centro del  debate la cuestión del debate legislativo sobre la Ley de Seguridad  Nacional, prueba de fuego para su agrupación cívica. En resumen, habrá  diálogo si la voluntad de trabajar sin albazos ni trampas se concreta y  se escuchan otras propuestas para una Ley de Seguridad Ciudadana y  Humana.
El reto está planteado, el movimiento debilitado en las calles y la  gran capacidad de interlocución de Javier Sicilia con los poderes del  estado ha sido convertida en un reto de claridad y juego limpio por el  propio poeta doliente.
Son, pues, horas de definición.
¿Le harán caso esta vez o se concretará el albazo?
They weren't many, just a few hundred, but this time in front of the Senate Javier Sicilia reignited the furnace and the glory of the movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity and put an emphasis on the legislative National Security bill debate in question, a walk over hot embers for his civic movement. All in all, there will be talks if the willingness to work without just skimming through the process or without deception are actually sincere and if they listen to other proposals for a Citizen and Personal Security Law.
The challenge has been met, the movement debilitated in the street and the great skill and charisma of Javier Sicilia coupled with the powers of state has turned into a challenge of clarity and fairness by the afflicted poet himself.
These are, therefore, crucial moments.
Will they make good of their promises or will they just skid through this?
On this same vein, blogger Sopitas, informs about the movement's next activity:
Esta marcha fue particularmente triste, no sólo por los testimonios de las víctimas, sino también porque esta manifestación tuvo una cantidad muy reducida de asistentes. Quizá no apoyen a Javier Sicilia o cualquiera de los movimientos contra la militarización, corrupción o violencia, pero es importante que la gente sepa y esté conciente (sic) de lo que está sucediendo en el país, principalmente que dejemos de ser una sociedad indiferente a la situación en la que vivimos.
La marcha concluyó con una invitación a toda la gente para que asistan a la Caravana del Sur, la cual partirá la segunda semana de septiembre y llegará hasta Guatemala, con el objetivo de recopilar las historias y consolar a todas las víctimas del sur de nuestro país y nuestros vecinos centroamericanos.
This march was particularly sad, not only because of the testimonies of the victims, but because the protest had such a reduced number of participants. Maybe they don't support Javier Sicilia or any other movement against military rule, corruption or violence, but it's important that the people know or be conscious [sic] of what took place in the country, mainly that we have stopped being an indifferent society about the situation that we live in.
The march concluded with an open invitation to come to La Caravana del Sur (Southern Caravan), which will head out on the second week of September and reach as far as Guatemala, to compile stories of victims and to offer consolation to those in the south of our country and neighbouring Central-Americans.
The activities of the once poet and journalist Javier Sicilia, as well as the organisation he runs, are commented upon and followed on the internet by analysts and bloggers, generating contrary opinions for which the only common denominator is the hope that the situation in Mexico may change for the good of all Mexicans.
This page is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.

author: J. Tadeo


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Mexico: Football Match Interrupted by Gunfire · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Realidadtorreon uploaded a citizen video recorded inside the stadium where a football match was cancelled after “gunmen opened fire on police outside the stadium in the northern city of Torreon”, as reported by The Associated Press. Eduardopolis [es] blogged about the incident and how it was covered by the media and by citizens on Twitter.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Russia: “Democracy Without Balls” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleg Klimov writes [ru] that Mikhail Gorbachev, speaking on the 20th anniversary of the Soviet Union's collapse, said that “Putin is no dictator – he has just castrated democracy by depriving citizens of the democratic right to choose.”


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Russia: State News Agency Calls PM Putin “Increasingly Autocratic” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Siberian Light notes that RIA Novosti, a Russian state-owned news agency, has called the Russian PM Vladimir Putin “increasingly autocratic” in an article on the visit of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il to Russia.


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Serbia: Belgrade’s New Bridge · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Bill's Blog and A Yankee-in-Belgrade write about and post pictures of the Serbian capital's recently completed new bridge across the Sava River.


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Ukraine: Yuri Lutsenko’s Case “Falling Apart” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes writes that the criminal case against Yuri Lutsenko, Ukraine's former Minister of the Interior, is “falling apart.”


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Armenia: Artificial smiles and a beauty pageant · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on the closing ceremony of this year's Pan-Armenian Games, an irregular sporting competition intended to bring together young Armenians from all over the world. The blog criticizes what it says was “the most boring, pathetic and tasteless ceremonies I have ever seen in Yerevan.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bermuda: Who’s Driving the Bus?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

a bermudian's view weighs in on the country's bus strike.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bolivia: An Indigenous March Against an Indigenous Government · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Sueños para Atar [es] says Bolivians are wondering “Why are indigenous people marching against an indigenous government?” and “Why does an indigenous government refuse to listen to indigenous people?” as indigenous groups march towards La Paz protesting a road threatening the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS).


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Caribbean: Watching Irene · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bloggers are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Irene in Jamaica, Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Haiti.


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Chile: New Partnership Between Global Voices and Mi Voz · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Global Voices and Mi Voz – a Chilean network of online citizen newspapers – have just launched a new partnership. Every month Global Voices will publish an article with stories from Mi Voz, amplifying the voices of their citizen correspondents to an international audience. Meanwhile, Mi Voz will publish an article prepared by Global Voices with content agreed on by the editors of both organizations. In addition, both will share any additional content freely, in accordance with Creative Commons policies.
Global Voices readers have had a little taste of Mi Voz thanks to the  articles written Katie Manning, a reporter for Mi Voz and the first contact that helped us initiate discussions to start this partnership. Katie will continue to share content from Mi Voz in English on Global Voices.
With this partnership Global Voices will enhance its coverage of Chilean news from a hyperlocal citizen perspective focused on news outside the capital, Santiago. Mi Voz has more than 10,000 citizen journalists reporting for their 18 media outlets from 14 regions across the country. Founded in 2005, Mi Voz say that they are moved by “the goal of generating media where all those different actors shaping  the local reality can actively engage on dialogue, take action on the issues they care about, and open new doors as they push local agendas.”
Mi Voz announced this partnership on their site El Paradiario 14 [es].


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Chile: Police Prevent Reporters From Covering Raid on Mapuche Community · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Two Mapuche and a police officer were shot when “on Thursday, August 18th, the police raided sixteen Mapuche homes in search of weapons”, Ryan Seelau reports in Indigenous News. He adds that police “initially would not allow [the Radio Bio-Bio] vehicle to pass [es] in order to view and report on the incidents as they occurred” although other media outlets were allowed through. The police allowed the reporters through after the radio station spoke on the air about the incident.


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China-Africa Project Hope  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Media Project translated some local news about some doubts and questions about the 26-year-old chairperson, Lu Xingyu, of the China-Africa Project Hope, who defends herself against public criticism by describing her position as “second-generation benevolent”.


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China: Teahouse Culture in Chengdu · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sascha interviews a Sichuan comedian, Li Bo Qing abou the teahouse culture in Chengdu. The city's teahouse is similar to the salon in France where citizen would spend the afternoon talking about current affair.


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China: the first gay wedding in Shenzhen · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

DongXia He from China Hush translated a report from Southern Metropolis Daily on the wedding of a gay couple in Shenzhen. It is the first gay wedding made public in the city.


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Cuba: Oh, the Horrors! · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Rebeca Monzo blogs about what she calls Cuba's architectural and monumental horrors.


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India: A Twitter Poll On Popularity Of Political Parties · Global Voices
Rezwan

Harini Calamur conducted a Twitter poll on the current popularity of Indian political parties. Get the results here.

author: Rezwan


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India: The Root Cause Of Alcoholism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sukant Khurana at Youth Ki Awaaz writes about the root cause of alcoholism in India and the possible solutions to prevent it.


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Iran: “Tonight, the Islamic Regime’s Generals will Have Nightmares” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian cyber activists celebrated the victory of anti-Muammar Gaddafi forces in Libya, and compared it with the situations in Iran and Syria. They shared in the joy of liberation with Libyans, but also expressed their anxieties for the future.
23 Khordad published [fa] a photo of Gaddafi between two high-ranking Iranian revolutionary guard officials and writes that tonight, “the [Islamic] regime's generals will have nightmares, bad ones!”
Hamdel writes [fa]:
Have no doubt, important news is on the way. The fall of Gaddafi and a possible overthrow of Assad [in Syria] is making dictators in the region lose their sleep. In my opinion, where people do not want their regimes, and feel they're ruling against their interest, and display their will that the dictators have no other option than to go, then the international community will help them.
Celebrating the fall of Gaddafi outside the Libyan embassy in Tunisia. Photo by Sghaier Khaled © Demotix (22/08/11)
Freedom Messanger says on Facebook:
Gaddafi was toppled and Assad will fall too. Let us not give any rest or opportunity to [our] dictator. Let's chant Allaho Akbar [God is Great] on the rooftops on Thursday.
UniIran writes [fa]:
Gaddafi, a half-crazy dictator, was overthrown. It is much more difficult to overthrow a religious dictatorship rather than a non-religious one.
Andishe  says [fa}:
I cannot express how happy I am for Libyans. Another dictator was toppled and people move toward freedom, but I worry about the extremist Islamist groups who may take over control.
Sareweshteman celebrated Libya's revolution and tweeted with some regret, “Where are the Libyans today, and where are Iranians now?”
Alireza 222 writes [fa]:
I am happy for Libya but feel concerned for the future. Maybe being born in a Third World country means that such feelings are embedded in you. I hope they do not follow the path of the Iranian revolution in 1979.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Madagascar: Expectant Mothers, Beware  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

In an interesting post on “Fady” (cultural taboos)   in traditional Malagasy society, blogger Ariniaina lists a few “do not” tips for pregnant women [fr], for example:  “Do not carry fish in a basket on your head (and do not eat it) otherwise, your baby could grow scales on its skin”.


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Nepal: The Taslima Nasreen Controversy · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladeshi writer in exile Taslima Nasreen was drawn into a controversy and had to cancel her trip from India to Nepal after she tweeted to her Nepali friends that she didn't consider Nepal a foreign country. Read more about the debacle at Ushaft's blog.


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Nigeria: Two Satellites Launched  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Wadr.org  reports [fr] that ” Nigeria announced on Thursday that it had launched two satellites to monitor natural hazards, such as drought and floods, as well as to improve agriculture and security”.


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Pakistan: Help The Flood Affected People · Global Voices
Rezwan

The recent floods in Pakistan has displaced over a million people. Beena Sarwar highlights the relief efforts so far and lists the ways you can help the flood victims.


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Pakistan: Islamic Televangelist Caught Out by Behind-the-Scenes Video · Global Voices
Salman Latif

Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain, a Pakistani Islamic televangelist and host of numerous religious shows, has become the epicenter of bloggers’ criticism lately after a behind-the-scenes video was released. The video depicted Dr. Amir, a notable religious scholar who otherwise poses as a humble, moral man, uttering abuse and profanities as well as religious blasphemy.
The footage has caused a storm among Pakistani netizens, and has been pulled from most online sources since Geo TV, a channel where Dr. Amir started his career as the host of religious program ‘Aalim Online’ (Religious Scholar Online), claimed the copyright. Nonetheless, this was not to deter the online audience from heaping bitter criticism and sarcasm on the man.
Twitter profile picture of Dr. Amir.
Cafepyala wrote a detailed post about the leaked video, the prospective culprits who accomplished this feat and a cross-analysis of the response to this video generated by Dr. Amir. Liaquat himself:
What it reveals is the utter hypocrisy of not just Mr. Jaahil Online [Ignorant Online] himself but also of those in direct charge of the ‘religious’ programming and indeed of the overall broadcaster itself.
Commenting on the video response and the way he refuted the video, declaring himself a peace-lover and pious person, Cafepyala writes:
Recall that Aamir Liaquat once condoned on his program ON Geo, a declamation that Ahmadis were wajib-ul-qatl (those whose killing can be justified), which was followed by the subsequent assassination of two Ahmadis and Aamir Liaquat’s live telecasts being suspended by Geo. “The tongue that speaks of the Prophet, Peace by upon him,” he says in his most recent program on ARY, “could never utter obscenities.” If that is not the worst form of hypocrisy in the name of religion, I don’t know what is. Has this man no shame at all?
Teeth Maestro, the blog which coined the term of ‘Jaahil Online’ (Ignorant Online) in place of the actual ‘Aalim Online’, condemned the televangelist with the following words:
The video I feel may have emerged to blackmail him somehow as some segments of the clip are from quite a few years back but even then, it’s interesting to note that under the garb of the humble religious Islamic scholar breeds a dirty mouthed person who seems to be deliberately making fun of the religion of Islam and has been known to breed hatred to an extent as to incite violence against Ahmedis as well.
The issue referred to by the two excerpts above, concerns a telecast by Dr. Liaquat which incited hatred against Ahmadis. Within days of the telecast, two Ahmadis were assassinated in Lahore. Nearly all media critics held Mr. Liaquat responsible for this tragic incident.
A post at Jazbablog notes about the leaked video:
An off the record video of Dr. Amir Liaqat’s show has been revealed the devil character of this so called Aalim, who has impressed millions of people from his versatile anchor’s skills. The video which clearly is not fake, has shown him abusing his producer, supporter staff and even the guest Molvies, who he invited in his show to speak about Islamic issues.
Dr. Liaquat, who tweets via @AamirLiaquat, has claimed the video was dubbed and heavily edited:
@AamirLiaquat: Everyone knows it is a world of technology. They have manipulated and tempered few clips and dubbed the abusive worlds in my voice
The masses were quick to respond to his tweet-replies. Samad Khurram (@SamadK) an ardent Pakistani tweeter, asked him:
@SamadK: @AamirLiaquat can you give us audio samples of abusive words in your voice so we can compare them with the dubbing?
The debate has also brought to light a number of other issues. Where should the line between public life and private life of a celebrity be drawn? Perhaps Dr. Amir’s ex-employer Geo TV is to be held far more responsible over this because it was the one who launched his career and brought him immense fame.
There has been no response from the government or the electronic media regulatory authority of Pakistan (PEMRA). And Amir Liaquat continues to host his show at ARY.

author: Salman Latif


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Peru: Customers Show Support for Ripley Department Store Employees · Global Voices
Isabel Guerra

All links are for Spanish language sites.
Peruvian social networks are buzzing with talk about the temporary closing of one of the Ripley stores from the Chilean department store chain Grupo Ripley Corp. S.A. Although the closing of the store is officially in accordance with the lack of a security certificate  issued by the Civil Defense, it has come about in the middle of a long conflict with its employees, who have been protesting for workers’ rights and a raise in salary similar to the Ripley employees in Chile.
The employees, who have declared an indefinite strike soon, allege that not only have their salaries been very low since the past 14 years, but also that the company has ordered them to lie to customers, pressuring them into purchasing insurances and/or sign up for cards without being provided complete information on contract terms, as well as making misleading statements.
Ripley store closed by the municipality of Surco (Photo: Pablo Secada, @psecada)
The company, which has been fined in the past by the Labor Department for participating in bad business practices by not paying employees for their workers’ rights, has responded with a public statement  in which they deny all of the accusations.
The blog La Otra Orilla describes the alleged practices in question of Ripley stores:
Esta semana, sin embargo, se han ido revelando otras informaciones acerca del modus operandi de tiendas RIPLEY  que señalan, por un lado, que tienen una política laboral, por decir lo menos, precaria (con sueldos de hambre que no superan los 100 soles [US $35] y despidos intempestivos que no reconocen ni compensanciones por tiempo de servicios ni indemnizaciones laborales) y, por el otro, que tienen una política comercial, azas [sic] abusiva, que alienta el sobreendeudamiento de los clientes y el pago de cuotas exhorbitantes a través de la modalidad, también denunciada en otros países, del pago a cuotas a través de la tarjeta de crédito.
Eduardo Jimenez from the Tips Legales blog comments on the topic and states:
Creo que si en algo se condice el espíritu nacionalista del actual gobierno sería en la protección de sus connacionales, y en el Caso Ripley tiene una magnífica oportunidad para demostrarlo, vía el Ministerio de Trabajo, a fin de determinar las condiciones laborales de los trabajadores PERUANOS de la conocida cadena de tiendas.
I believe if there is anything in line with the nationalist spirit of the current government, it would be the protection of its fellow citizens, and in the Ripley case it has a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate it, through the Labor Department, to be able to determine the working conditions of the PERUVIAN workers in the well known chain of stores.
The media coverage of the so-called “Ripley Case” has moved many Ripley customers to take the opportunity to express their disappointment with the company, organizing a Facebook virtual event called “Campaña para no comprar en Tiendas Ripley” (Campaign Against Buying from Ripley Stores):
Ellxs se llenan los bolsillos a costa del consumo de sus clientes, te invitamos a promover esta campaña virtual en solidaridad con lxs trabajadores para que esta semana no tengan consumo y bajen sus ventas. Demostremos quienes realmente tenemos el poder. Que no se atrevan a despedir ni a intimidar a lxs dirigentes sindicales, ni a lxs afiliados, la sindicalización y el derecho a huelga están amparados por ley.
The case is becoming significant because a fairly large sector of the public is echoing the workers’ demands and expressing their support, like Marcelo Robles:
Este es el momento de mostrar nuestra solidaridad con las demandas laborales de nuestros hermanos trabajadores de la transnacional Ripley!! No comprar nada es estas tiendas,es buena medida de lucha en contra de esa patronal explotadora.
Some are asking Ripley stores to give greater and more transparent information about its work policy, like Ivonee L.G. @ilazo):
sería interesante que puedan mostrar un contrato modelo de Ripley con un trabajo o vendedor promedio, quizás se aclare más el asunto(?)
It would be interesting if they could show a model contract from Ripley for an average salesperson or job, perhaps that would clarify things more (?)
Others, like Cathy Martinez (@cathy_laura) don’t hesitate to mention cases they know personally:
Mi prima como cajera no ganaba mas de 900 mensuales cuando trabaja [sic] en Ripley.
My cousin didn’t earn more than 900 [$328 USD] a month as a cashier when she worked at Ripley.
YouTube user Marciel Soto (Marcialsotosanchez) uploaded this video from the union protests, recorded with his cell phone:
Bertha Ma. Carrillo (@BmariaCarrillo) wonders if the abuses denounced by Ripley workers are also occurring in other large stores:
@karreb: ¿Lo q pasa en Ripley, no es lo mismo que pasa en SAGA, Oeschle, TopyTop, Él, Vea, Vivanda, Metro, etc y etc?// Todos hacen lo mismo
@karreb: Isn’t what is happening in Ripley the same as what happens in SAGA, Oeschle, TopyTop, Él, Vea, Vivanda, Metro, etc, etc? They all do the same thing.
Pablo Diego Ayllón echoes her sentiment, calling on authorities to intervene:
RIPLEY= abusivos!!! esa cadena tiene que desaparecer del Peru, es un insulto a la dignidad laboral del trabajador peruano. Lamentablemente esto no es novedad, la mayoria de cadenas, mineras extranjeras y empresas transnacionales (como Ripley y Telefonica) que operan en el Peru EXPLOTAN de manera cruel a sus trabajadores. Una verdadera vergüenza!!
RIPLEY=abusers!!! This chain has to get out of Peru, it’s an insult to the dignity of the labor of the Peruvian worker. Sadly, this is nothing new; the majority of chains, foreign mining companies and transnational businesses (like Ripley and Telefonica) that operate in Peru EXPLOIT workers in a cruel way. It really is shameful!!
On the other side, the local newspaper El Comercio has been questioned about the scarce or nonexistent coverage given to the Ripley workers’ conflict. This is attributed to the fact that Ripley stores tend to contract a great deal of publicity in this newspaper, as pointed out in a tweet by Javier Fernandez (@javi270270):
El Comercio IGNORO completamente la huelga de RIPLEY. Para ellos su divisa es la publicidad. Despues la noticia!
El Comercio completely IGNORED the Ripley strike. For them, publicity is their source of income-the news comes second!
The closed Ripley store (as of August 17) is located in the Jockey Plaza mall, and will not be able to reopen until it obtains the certificate it lacks, a process that normally takes about three days.
The Ripley workers’ union continues its protests on the streets as well as on its Facebook page.

author: Isabel Guerra


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Peru: Spanish Media and Prostitution in Iquitos · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Global Voices author and Spanish Translation Manager Juan Arellano comments [es] on recent reports about the Amazon from Spanish media. He shares Peruvian's reactions to an article from Spanish newspaper La Razón [es] which describes Iquitos as a “brothel city”.


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Russia, Libya: RT’s Coverage of the Conflict · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Democratist writes about Russia Today's coverage of the situation in Libya.


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Russia: Memories of 1991 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Kim Green of The Greenery shares her memories of living in Russia in 1991 as a student, right after the August Coup 20 years ago.


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Russia: Police Refused To Start the Criminal Prosecution Against LiveJournal DDoS Attackers · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Russian police acknowledged the DDoS-attacks against LiveJournal blogging platform in April 2011, but refused to start a criminal prosecution against the attackers, gazeta.ru reported [ru]. Police wrote to the source that it was ‘unable to identify attackers.’ Aside from paralyzing the Russian blogosphere, DDoS attacks against LiveJournal led to nearly 188,000 US dollars of losses by SUP company (operator of LiveJournal).

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Trinidad and Tobago: Debating a State of Emergency · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

The unexpected declaration of a national state of emergency to deal with a high rate of crime has taken citizens of Trinidad and Tobago by surprise. At a press conference on the evening of Sunday 21 August, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that “after much deliberation it has been agreed that Government will impose a limited state of emergency in hot spots across the country.” This legal step, which affects a broad range of civil rights, has triggered widespread debate about the roots of violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago and the implications of the government's latest strategy.
The state of emergency requires a presidential proclamation under conditions specified in the Trinidad and Tobago constitution, as noted by KnowTNT.com. It gives the authorities special temporary legal powers to arrest and search citizens without a warrant. It also imposes a curfew on the capital city, Port of Spain, and its immediate suburbs, as well as the major urban centres of San Fernando, Arima and Chaguanas, restricting residents to their homes between 9 pm and 5 am. Other Emergency Powers Regulations [PDF] affect habeas corpus and citizens’ rights to freedom of movement, assembly, association, speech, and privacy.
Over the past decade, the murder rate in Trinidad and Tobago has increased dramatically, fuelled by the rise of criminal gangs, the illegal drug trade, and the widespread availability of illegal guns. Successive crime-prevention plans, heavy investment in surveillance technology, and even the hiring of a Canadian police commissioner have had little effect. In recent days, the country was horrified by a series of murders — 11 in a four-day period. Announcing the state of emergency, Persad-Bissessar said: “The current crime spree dictates that more must be done and stronger action must be deployed now…it must be a response that will hold the current spike in gang activity and crime in general in the shortest possible time.”
Some Trinidadians online welcomed the government's strategy. “Regular readers of this blog will know this is something I called for on many occasions and am strongly in support of,” said blogger Jumbie's Watch. “Many have been calling on the government for firm and decisive action and like it or not, this is it,” noted Plain Talk. On Twitter, @taramjohn declared her “support of the #stateofemergency #lockdown:
Prefer be @ home by 9pm than feel unsafe in d country I live in. #patience
Others questioned the efficacy of a state of emergency, the implications for civil rights, and the possibility of abuse of emergency by the authorities. Twitter user @AsaMarie91 wryly noted:
i think the idea of calling a #stateofemergency in #trinidad is great!……If we were fighting vampires >.<
@tsaboca asked:
What happens if yuh enemies have police friends?
And @fakekamla — a Twitter account satirically impersonating the prime minister — naturally weighed in:
Dengue still killing me. Slept all day and only just got up. Dreamt I declared a state of emergency and confused the shit out of everybody.
The economic effects of the state of emergency, and in particular the curfew, also came under scrutiny. “If this country was a corporation, our share price would be heading south just about now,” remarked @30daysnFebruary via Twitter. “Poor tourism industry,” said @Track7Music. “It was already in shambles and making like what.. $10 a year…. Now its sure to be jus extinct.”
In the hours after the state of emergency was announced, many Trinidadians were bewildered by an absence of reliable official information. The measures were scheduled to take effect at midnight on 22 August, but the Emergency Powers Regulations were not released until several hours later. An inaccurate list of areas under curfew was circulated online and via mobile networks.
As is usually the case in Trinidad and Tobago's social media sphere, the liveliest debate unfolded in the semi-privacy of Facebook, which was also a channel for spreading news and rumours. Facebook user Brendon J. O'Brien posted a note that attracted several dozen responses (quoted with explicit permission from the writer):
I, for one, am left wanting a much more serious explanation for such serious (or at least serious-sounding) measures. Mrs. Persad-Bissessar says that the current rate of crime proves that “government must respond to in the most definitive manner possible.” This would be completely understandable if it were … capable of being fully understood. While crime is a real issue for Trinbagonians, I believe we can all agree that much more still stood to be done within calm reason. This, however, is simply a mad rush to the extreme…. many have already begun to warn friends and family of possible excessive force, and to say that they fear the policeman more than the thief. This will shape how we respond to an elevated state of protective force, and should've been taken into consideration when this plan was coming together…. The end result in the next few days could only be confusion.
On Twitter, Trinidadians quickly adopted the hashtags #stateofemergency and #stateofemergencytt. The curfew regulations — the aspect of the state of the emergency most likely to affect regular citizens — came in for particular attention. Comedian @Buhwamoder wrote:
For everyone who is doubting that this curfue will actually help just remember that you can't get murdered in the daylight.
@AdVerse4490 was more defiant:
Eh…Kamla…I LETTING YUH KNOW, if I feel to leave MY house, I GO LEAVE MY HOUSE. Yuh unders?
@oilandmusic76 pointed out that the regulations were aimed at specific communities considered to be gang “hotspots”:
Now the scary part is that this is a ‘limited state of emergency” in only certain areas. Read:poor/black.
@ _Kavira_ expressed a widely held view:
Doesn't the designation of hotspots mean that crime could potentially migrate to the other areas?
@AltonBertie added:
but i still hvnt heard any viable solutions to crime. how r they gna prevent crime AFTER the #stateOfEmergency
And writer B.C. Pires, who tweets from @ToBCorNotToBC, reacted to a statement by the acting commissioner of police that the media are not considered an “essential service” for the purpose of issuing curfew passes:
Why would anyone think journalists are essential in a state of  emergency? You don't want people to find out what you're doing, do you?
If you allowed journalists to cover  your police beatings, intimidatory  arrests etc, what would be the point of a state of emergency?
One commenter at Trinidad and Tobago News Blog suggested the state of emergency may also have something to do with current negotiations between the government and the main public service union, which have included threats of a general strike:
All to avoid civil unrest due to industrial action, not human rights…. What is really happening? Let us not be emotional but objective. This move will stop the labour movement in their tracks first and foremost before it addresses any criminal elements!
Meanwhile, developments in Trinidad and Tobago attracted attention elsewhere in the Caribbean region, where other nations have struggled to control levels of crime and violence. Writing from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, blogger Abeni questioned the wisdom of the Persad-Bissessar government's actions:
While I agree that escalating violence in the region is cause for great concern this move strikes me as being panicky, ill thought out and silly. It may be that there will be some short term gain but when this limited emergency is lifted I am sure it will be business as usual. So rather than place limited state of emergencies and interfere with people's basic rights Caribbean leaders better sit down and identify what is driving this upsurge of violence in their respective islands.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Trinidad & Tobago: Dr. Pat Bishop Passes On  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Just as the netizens of Trinidad and Tobago were coming to terms with the loss of one of its patriots, they learned of the death of another: artist and musicologist Dr. Pat Bishop, who collapsed during “a meeting with a cabinet appointed committee of high level experts on culture and the arts” this past Saturday and later died at the Port of Spain General Hospital.
Bishop strived for excellence in everything she did, from art to advocacy, creativity to commentary.  She was intelligent, quick-witted and well-read, knowledgeable about a plethora of subjects, and passionate about art and music…with a special affinity for the music of the steel pan, Trinidad and Tobago's national instrument.  A believer in the power of the arts to transform and uplift, she was a staunch cultural advocate and was awarded the country's highest honour – The Trinity Cross – for her outstanding contribution to the cultural life of Trinidad and Tobago.
Online tributes soon started to pour in.  KnowTnT.com‘s Christian Khabay noted that:
With the passing of Dr. Bishop…the flood of eulogies and commendations will follow in the coming days. Replete with the obligatory parcels of tiredly worn clichés – “national treasure”, “cultural icon”, “sorely missed”- many commentators and public figures will latch on to these often times too easily regurgitated insincere platitudes that ironically [don't] even measure up to Dr. Bishop’s contribution…
From Carnegie Hall, to Despers Panyard, to Queen’s Hall to Naparima Bowl Dr. Bishop’s tireless pursuit of beauty and art has heavily cauterized the eternal bloodletting that has characterized our national strife for artistic mediocrity. With rare genius as hers comes an irreverent, unapologetic impatience with mediocrity.
In her final moment, not surprisingly, she was, though earlier feeling unwell, in service of her nation, in company of some of her peers…
The blogger went on to chastise successive governments for not having proper protocol in place to honour the country's heroes:
As with Sir Ellis’ death, Prof. Kenny’s recently and now Dr. Bishop, opportunities keep presenting themselves for the establishment of a national space dedicated to our heroes and patriots as recognized by the National Awards.  An archive of biographies, achievements and recognition is badly needed as part of a wider framework for national rehabilitation.
From Barbados, B.C. Pires wrote about Dr. Bishop's selfless contribution to her country:
It seems you can’t wake up nowadays without hearing that another good, hardworking person has bit the dust, leaving more of them and fewer of us. Of course people are dropping all around us like flies every day, but so few of them, in these West Indies, and particularly in an increasingly selfish Trinidad, work for others, not themselves, that you tend to notice the passing of someone who cared for more than the main chance.
Sorry to see you go, Pat Bishop. The music is less, now, as is the place.
TOO.MUCH.EYES simply republished an old photograph that was posted on Facebook, of Pat Bishop with Carnival designer Peter Minshall.  Twitter also had its fair share of netizens posting their condolences:
@ChutneySharon: RIP Pat Bishop. Cultural Icon Pat Bishop Passes Away http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=5560
@Trinifood: RT @De_real_dwears RIP #T&T's Pat Bishop, u will be missed! – Very sad news. Great memories and amazing contribution to TT.
@MsPaigeMusic: Trinidad has lost a cultural icon. RIP Pat Bishop – we thank u for ur contributions, which will forever live on
@marionettes: We are stunned & saddened to hear of the passing of Pat Bishop. Our deepest condolences go out to her family,… http://fb.me/Jbii5jvy
Local celebrities and musicians tweeted their reactions to the news:
@wfitzwilliam: Today I say a prayer of thanksgiving for the life of the iconic Pat Bishop! Gone but never will be forgotten rest in peace Pat.
@DestraGarcia: R.I.P. Pat Bishop…will love u forever! Thanks for your talent and all your contributions to music.
Artist, photographer and writer Tracey Chan was a former student of Dr. Bishop's and had warm memories of her:
A woman of great talent, abundant knowledge and with a beautiful soul, she is one of our country's most important cultural icons. Oh gosh, Miss Bishop, who gonna fill yuh shoes? I hope we can do something. We must.
As one of my lecturers at UWI almost a decade ago, Ms. Bishop's classes, were the most dreaded but in hindsight, the most appreciated and significant…Pat's memory was insanely acute. I marveled at her ability to recite entire passages of classic literature. She loved her Shakespeare and history. I swore at one point she knew everything.
Most important to Chan, however, was the continuation of Bishop's legacy:
She left us doing what she loved, passionately fighting tooth and nail for our culture, for our rights to art and expression, for the ability to do what we do. She reminds us to look at where we come from; how this affects us, our culture, our lives, our creativity. We are not to mourn, but to celebrate a wonderful person, a full life and to recognise her landmark contributions to this country. We should perhaps take this as an opportunity to start examining ourselves even closer, to see what we are doing, why we are doing it and approach our ‘hows’ in new ways. Historically, our cultural icons like Pat, have been beaten down, then lauded, and at the end of the day, terribly ignored again. We, as practitioners and supporters may continue to be the underdogs, but what else can we do? There's nothing heroic in shrinking and giving up. Saving our artistic heritage and culture in order to save ourselves from a seemingly crumbling cultural space is of great importance. In our relatively small efforts we must continue to be a part of a forward movement.  Ms. Bishop, may your spirit stay with us as we try to carry your torch.
Funeral arrangements are still to be announced.


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U.S.V.I.: The Power of Film  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Is there any artistic medium that raises more ugly questions of representation and power than film?” In the context of this, A Nation or Nobody blogs about film and neo-colonialism.


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Azerbaijan: Tourism – from potential to realization · Global Voices
Pervin Muradli

Having returned from an enjoyable vacation in Indonesia, Aaron in Azerbaijan compares the experience with what Azerbaijan has to offer and notes such problems as the quality of customer service as well as the infrastructure in place. While the blog notes that the country has much potential for tourism, it concludes that Azerbaijan has a long way to go before turning it into realization.

author: Pervin Muradli


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Cameroon: Strength in Diversity   · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Africavox  published  [fr] a dossier on the differences between  the 250 ethnic groups in Cameroon. It states that  “mixed marriages, cultural adaptation to their neighbors’ practices and a relative appeasement of the political climate have led to greater tolerance and understanding among Cameroonians.  While ethnic diversity is now widely seen as a national asset,  ethnic differences were utilized in the recent past to divide the country for political gains.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Caribbean: Irene’s Path  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

More updates about Hurricane Irene: Havana Times is relieved that its “projected path is taking it further away from Cuba”; Weblog Bahamas acknowledges that she is “a serious threat”; Pwoje Espwa is praying “that Haiti be spared more tragedy” and U.S.V.I. bloggers report on the aftermath of the storm.


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Chile: Artists Protest at UNESCO Headquarters in Support of Students on Huger Strike · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Artists protested peacefully outside the UNESCO headquarters in Santiago in support of students on hunger strike. El Mostrador reports [es] that 4 musicians entered the building to deliver a letter in favor of the students. Jose Miranda (@JPMirandaM) live streamed the protest via Twitcam. The ‘toma’ ended at 2:00pm local time.


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Chile: Expats Unfazed as U.S. Embassy in Santiago Issues “Emergency Message”  · Global Voices
Katie Manning

The U.S. Embassy in Santiago emailed an “emergency message for U.S. citizens” registered in Chile to keep out of the frequent and increasingly violent protests, but foreigners in Santiago don’t seem to be losing sleep over the roaring demonstrations.
“While the majority of the protests have been peaceful, in some cases masked protesters have destroyed property and clashed with authorities,” according to the security message. The U.S. Embassy in Santiago isn’t aware of any North Americans injured in the protests according to spokesman Paul Watzlavick, but he wrote that the alert was in “anticipation of upcoming events.”
A flood of union workers, estimated to include up to 200,000 demonstrators, plan to descend upon Santiago on August 24 and 25. The Unitary Central for Workers (CUT) alongside about 80 other unions are fighting, they say, for social justice and to advance democracy. The U.S. Embassy expects September 11, the day of Chile’s 1973 military coup against the government of Salvador Allende, to bring another wave of demonstrations.
A Californian in Chile, who writes Don’t Call Me Gringa, blogged:
Right now, there is a feeling in Chile that this balance is out of whack and that people won’t stand for it anymore. While I may not agree with some of their methods or even some of their messages, I admire those who are passionate enough about their causes to go out into the streets and demand change.
The unions aren’t the only protestors on the block. Hundreds of thousands of Chilean students, demonstrating for a high-quality, free public education system, have been a fixture in headlines since June.
Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera, whose approval tanked to 26 percent in July, tried to strike a deal several times, but the university students say they are holding out until their demands are met.
The students sleep in school without attending class, march en masse, hunger strike, run laps around the presidential palace and stage kissing sessions all to protest what they call their unequal education system.
Mentiraproducciones uploaded this video on YouTube featuring students in the education march:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nPpDAKnCVw&feature=channel_video_title
Robert L. Funk, an assistant professor at the University of Chile's Institute for Public Affair blogged:
This video says a lot about what is going on in Chile. While the government has tried to portray the students as ideological, or manipulated by ideologies, or just as molotov-throwing criminals, here we see something else. It is, of course, somewhat romanticised, but it is not too far off, and portrays something far closer to what most Chileans see than to what the government is suggesting
The U.S. Embassy urges its citizens to stay away from the action and “use common sense” when faced with potentially dangerous situations. But Eileen Smith, an American expatriate from Brooklyn, New York, brought her camera into the heat of the August 9 student protest comprised of, who she called, “149,999 of my closest friends.”
Smith wrote on Bearshapedsphere:
The teargassing was my fault. I was at a lovely, kms-long protest with singing and drumming and pretty pretty signs and great cleverness, and I went to go investigate what I knew to be a conflict zone. Bad me.
Several others from outside of Chile also said they side with the students on education reform. Lebo Sililo, an English teacher in Santiago from Johannesburg, South Africa, said, “I don’t feel threatened. I would join them if I wasn’t a foreigner.”
Adrien Fallou, 21, flew away from his home near Paris to intern in the upper-class neighborhood of Las Condes, Santiago, for the past two months. He said, “I don't really feel that the protest make the city any more dangerous because what you actually see is mostly peaceful students marching.”
Many other embassies, such as France, Ireland and South Africa have not alerted their citizens in Chile to avoid the marches.
Fallou said that he has crossed paths with protesting students and riot police stationed on street corners in Paris, while studying in the 6th arrondissement. “I don't think students protest that often in the US, so I guess it's not surprising the U.S. Embassy would issue a warning, as American citizens might be more easily surprised when arriving in Santiago.”
Although clashes between police and demonstrators destroyed millions of dollars of property, so far, the marches “have had a minimal impact on travel and business,” and the U.S. doesn’t advise against traveling to Chile according to Watzlavick.

author: Katie Manning


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Cuba: Amnesty Reports on “Las Damas”  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Ladies in White are on Amnesty International's radar.  Read more, here and here.


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Guyana: Supporting T&T’s State of Emergency · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Demerara Waves reports that Guyana has officially declared its “support of Trinidad and Tobago’s limited state of emergency that has been imposed to quell a spike in drug-related murders and other forms of violence.”


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Haiti: Grim Housing Situation  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Haiti Grassroots Watch investigates whether “the 634,000 people still living in Haiti’s 1,001 camps, and the undoubtedly tens of thousands of others living in unsafe and even condemned structures [will] soon move to safe housing” and discovers an upsetting answer.


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Honduras: A Call to Protect the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Oscar Alberto at MelWars condemns [es] the deforestation and illegal logging taking place in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a rainforest recently added to the UNESCO's World Heritage ‘danger list‘.


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Iran: Online Petition for jailed Green Leaders · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Green Movement has launched an online petition on 11th of August to demand freedom for two opposition (Green) leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi.


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Iran: Young men sing in Isfahan · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Here is a video film in YouTube showing young Iranians gathering under a bridge in Isfahan every afternoon to sing.


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Jamaica: Obama Rejects Plea for Garvey Pardon  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Geoffrey Philp is surprised by the Obama administration's rejection of the request for a presidential pardon for Marcus Garvey on the grounds that “it would be ‘a waste of time and resources’ since Garvey had been ‘dead for ages‘”, saying: “Marcus Garvey has joined the ancestors. So this plea for…exoneration is for us to show our magnanimity and gratitude. By honoring Marcus Garvey, we honor ourselves.”


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Lessons Gaddafi Should Have Learnt from North Korea · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Joshua from One Free Korea, in comparing the North Korean situation with the fall of Gaddafi, explains about the importance of the nuclear deterrent in sustaining the North Korean regime and its dictator, Kim Jong-il.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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North Korea Kicked out South Korean Workers in Joint Resort Facilities · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

North Korea kicked out South Korean workers from joint mountain resort in North on August 23, 2011. Robert Neff from the Marmot's Hole blog commented on the existing worries on such outcomes and an analysis on what prompted North to take a drastic action.


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Singapore: GDP and economic realities · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Despite its high GDP, many Singaporeans are experiencing economic difficulties. The Logic of Faith believes that there is a “fundamental disconnect between abstract categories and concrete realities.”

author: Mong Palatino


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Singapore: Rising number of families seeking financial help · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Leong Sze Hian of The Online Citizen writes about the rising number of Singapore families seeking financial help from the government.


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Spain: Pope’s Visit Leaves a Violent Trace in Madrid  · Global Voices
Chris Moya

This article is an update of Spain: Brutal Police Repression Against Journalists Covering “Secular March.”
From August 17-18, 2011, anti-riot police charged into the center of Madrid, Spain, against demonstrators organized under the slogan “Against public financing and support of institutions for the Pope's visit” [es], organized by Europa Laica (Secular Europe), and supported by over 150 organizations.
These organizations highlighted the fact that during Pope Benedict XVI's visits, he has not held back against criticizing measures adopted by the Spanish government, including stem cell research, legalizing abortion, euthanasia or same-sex marriage.
Poster with photos of Stéphane Hessel, author of the book "Indignaos" and inspiration for the movement and Pope Benedicto. Photo from Juan Luis Camacho, taken from www.laicismo.org.
Following the unusual police violence on August 17 during the so-called ‘Secular March,’ a mass of people came together on August 18 to denounce the befallen events of the previous day. In this second demonstration, protestors encountered a second army of police officers, who were much more aggressive.
As explained on  http://stephanegrueso.blogspot.com, on August 18 in the afternoon, the police presence continued to grow adding up to 30 trucks and over 120 officers.  Photo republished under the CC BY SA license.
What is happening in Madrid?
Pope Benedict XVI arrived on August 10, 2011, in Madrid amidst cheers from thousands and thousands of followers coming from all over the world to take part in the 2011 World Youth Day (WYD). Many of them spent several days basking in the sun, visiting museums, enjoying nightlife parties for participants and taking advantage of many opportunities that Madrid institutions offered them. This included an 80% discount on public transportation tickets for those registered for WYD, which is expected to cause a decline in income of around 20 million euros [es] for the state. (Similar article available here in English).
The cost of the Pope's visit, according to the financial director of the organization, Fernando Giménez Barriocanal, is estimated at 50 million euros, financed (according to the organization) by private contributions, registration and donations from companies that rely on tax exemptions, given that the government has designated this event as one of public interest. It is worth emphasizing that the public expenditure is aimed at the cost of hundreds of police officers to assure the Pope's security, as well as that of the thousands of event participants. Much like the cession of more than 600 scholarly centers and public spaces.
A public interest issue that spanned a number of days before the Ministry of Education of the Community of Madrid, personalized by Educational Advisor Lucía Figar, to display posters with Christian slogans in her windows [es], an act that could go against the Constitution, since it impedes the exercise of civil rights to use a public space for propaganda of a certain religious agenda.
Over the course of the “secular” demonstration on the 17 August, the first encounters between the demonstrators and participants of the Christian movement came underway. With a fixed path, agreed on by Madrid institutions and formed by citizens that demanded that the public decide where its money goes, it was inevitable that the Catholic attendees came closer, provoking demonstrators and cutting through their path in some streets in Madrid's center, screaming “This plaza belongs to the Pope!”
The police guarded a line of minimum separation between both groups, as a violent disaster could have erupted at any moment.  It did not occur between the two camps and although they threw insults, pushes and even punches, it did not escalate further.
@almu_en_Sol: RT @fanetin Y claro, unos y otros se encuentran. Extraña maniobra policial. Algún empujón ya… ains! #17A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_t1EPlaApU
Once the main body of the demonstration arrived at the Puerta del Sol, demonstrators and WYD members confronted one another once again, at which point the police began separating the two groups and positioned themselves around the plaza to continue breaking them up. Once cleared of WYD members and with the plaza full of demonstrators, a brutal police attack began, in which a number of journalists were detained and insulted [es] despite showing their credentials.
The following day, the press echoed the news in quite a special way.  @kurioso – http://twitpic.com/68021q
On August 18, the organizers returned to find themselves with the WYD members after quite a strange movement on behalf of the police, breaking the police cordon.
@fanetin: Hablan de varios heridos en Sol, Tirso y c/ Atocha. Carreras por las calles. No tengo fuerzas ni pila pa ir a mirar… #18A
The most harsh and violent case of these attacks came at the moment in which a group of anti-riot officers walked along the street, turned halfway, while a couple and one of the officers crossed, and without uttering a single word, the officer punched the girl in the face while his friends detained a photographer [es] who was doing his job.
The reactions did not wait and groups like Real Democracy Now! [es], the Madrid journalists labor union [es] and other political groups have made public press releases in which they ask for the accountability of the Delegation of the Government and the Interior Ministry, which to this day has not officially admitted the actions of excessive police zeal.

author: Chris Moya


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Sri Lanka: Grease Devils Targetting Women In The North And The East  · Global Voices
Rezwan

D.B.S Jeyaraj shares a report of the The Womens Action Network (WAN) on the attacks on women by assailants posing as the mythical character “Grease Devil”. The attacks have occurred mostly in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka and the victims are generally Tamil speaking Tamil and Muslim women.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Honouring Pat Bishop  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Bishop would have wanted the government and corporate Trinidad and Tobago to act on their words, making real investments in sustainable, sensible projects that would educate our intellectual potential, promote our best cultural works and engage so many lost minds in their creative legacy”: Mark Lyndersay thinks that the most fitting tribute to Pat Bishop would be to “respect her wishes.”


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Uzbekistan: Journalist Harassed in Tashkent Airport · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Elena Bondar, Young Uzbek journalist, was detained at the arrival to Tashkent airport after attending a course on modern journalism tools, organized by OSCE and Deutsche Welle in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Fergana News reports [ru].  After thorough examination of her documents and baggage, the customs officials let the journalist go home, but confiscated CDs and USB flash drives with training materials.


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Video: Women Transforming Communities · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
Voices of Women Worldwide brings together people from all over the world interested in promoting the voices of voiceless women, young girls and children using all the different media they have available: blog posts, audio, video and visual journalism.
A search on the video selection uploaded by members brought up several fascinating projects that focus on the power of women to transform communities and improve them.
The town of Poso in Sulawesi, Indonesia has been the focus of inter-religious violence for more than a decade.  A woman from Poso decided to start a Peace Academy for women so they can be catalysts for change. The next video clip is a trailer for a documentary telling the story of how Christian and Muslim women are coming together to forge a peaceful future for themselves and their community:
An extraordinary grassroots school is being held on a womans front porch in the post-conflict zone of Poso, Indonesia. Lian Gogali is teaching female survivors of nearly a decade of communal violence how to transform themselves into agents of peace for their families and communities. The Peace Agency is an emotionally powerful and thought-provoking film, documenting the difficulties women face and the triumphs they can achieve in Indonesia. It captures the blunt realities of living on the margins of a country still struggling to embrace the concept of womens rights and inter-communal harmony.
The Peace Agency Feature Documentary Trailer from Spotted Frog Productions.
In San Francisco, USA, Latino mothers are coming together to learn about how LGBTQ children and their families can find safety and love in a community that accepts them, while sharing their hopes and fears. Somos Familia presents their organization's views through this next video [es] with English subtitles:
Somos Familia has also produced other videos called “Drops of Water” where latina mothers of LGBTQ youth share their “coming out” stories:
In Kenya, a group of women dared to dream of a future where they could earn enough money to send their children to school and secure their futures. Pooling together their meager resources they helped one another start small businesses and through their trial and error they started discovering that they could do much more than they had thought. Through crowdsourcing online, donations came and they were able to buy 3 cows and have materials to start their dairy farm, a group goal they had dreamed about. The ongoing story is told in this blog post  and  this video [en] tells their tale:
This is a true story from the African Journal about how choices do create futures. It is a story of 20 single Kenyan mothers creating lives of meaning and purpose from virtually nothing. It is a story of a group of people from around the world choosing to give enough to “jump start” a dream and then to stepping back to watch it grow. It is the story of people helping people to create something special out of nothing. It is a story to remind everyone to that our choices well create who we will be and our future.
More of these inspiring videos and stories can be found on the Voices of Women Worldwide website.
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


text:
Vietnam: “Police are investigating” · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Saigonist observes that many English-written news reports in Vietnam often end up with this conclusion: “Police are investigating”. A Tumblr page was created to gather these stories.