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Brazilian Justice Rules in Favor of Satirical Website After Seven Years of Censorship · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Collage made by the Bocchini brothers with the face of Otávio Frias Filho – owner of newspaper Folha de São Paulo – in Darth Vader's body. Used under CC 2.0
After a court battle that lasted seven years, Brazil's Superior Court of Justice ruled in favor of a satirical Brazilian website taken down in 2010 — a historic decision that put an end to one of the most emblematic cases of censorship on the Brazilian Internet.
The website Falha de São Paulo, created in 2010 by brothers Lino and Mario Bocchini, was a parody site of one of the country's largest newspapers, Folha de S. Paulo. The title is a wordplay with the word “folha” (which means paper in Portuguese) and “falha” (failure).
It published ironic montages of the Brazilian paper and had a “headline generator”, with which visitors could create fictional news with the newspaper's typography and graphic layout.
The intention of the creators was to draw attention to Folha's supposedly biased coverage of Brazil's 2010 elections. The newspaper tends to favor center-right positions and political parties.
After the site had been online for only 17 days, the Frias family, owner of the Folha de São Paulo, obtained a preliminary injunction levying a fine of R$ 1000 (USD 300 as of June 2017) for each day that the website remained live. The suit claimed that the Bocchini brothers had copied the brand and graphic layout of the newspaper and were exploiting them commercially.
The company also filed a lawsuit against registro.br (which manages all domains ending in .br), freezing the domain falhadesaopaulo.com.br so that no one could register it.
On June 21 2017, the Superior Court of Justice reversed previous court decisions on the case, which had upheld the Frias family suit, and ruled in favor of the Bocchini brothers, allowing them to put the website back online.
With four votes against one, the court ruled that patent law allows parody and the right to irreverence and entertainment.
Justice Luís Felipe Salomão, the first to diverge from previous court rulings, invoked Brazilian copyright law, which provides for freedom of parody “as long as they are not true reproductions of the original work.” In his vote he also stated:
O objeto explorado pela Falha, reconhecido inclusive pela recorrida, é a crítica aos posicionamentos políticos ideológicos da Folha, sem qualquer intenção de autopromoção de matérias concorrentes. E isso pelo simples fato de que não haveria em seu sítio eletrônico as mesmas reportagens procuradas pelos consumidores da Folha.
The object exploited by Falha, acknowledged even by the appelate, is the critique of ideological and political views of Folha, without any intention of self-promotion of competing stories. This is based on the simple fact that the website would not feature the same stories sought by the consumers of Folha.
The Bocchini brothers have not yet decided whether to put the site back online again.
In an interview with Caros Amigos magazine, Lino Bocchini said:
Seria muito ruim se prevalecesse a teoria deles de que era uma simples questão comercial – o que não fazia nenhum sentido, pois não havia nenhum banner comercial, anúncios, venda de nada.
It would be very bad if their theory prevailed that it was a simple business question — this made no sense since there was no commercial banner, no ads, nothing was being sold.
The NGO Article 19, which fights for freedom of expression worldwide, welcomed the STJ's decision:
Para a entidade, o processo foi movido com base na intolerância do jornal em relação à crítica que lhe era dirigida.
Nesse sentido, a decisão desta quarta-feira tomada pelo STJ representa uma vitória para o direito à liberdade de expressão e deve ser encarada como jurisprudência em outros casos semelhantes que venham a ocorrer no país.
For the entity, the process was moved on the basis of the newspaper's intolerance of the criticism directed against it.
In this sense, Wednesday's ruling by the STJ represents a victory for the right to freedom of expression and should be considered as jurisprudence in other similar cases that may occur in the country.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Is It the 20th Anniversary of Unification With China…or the Fall of Hong Kong? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

2047 Countdown. No-firework in Victoria Harbor. Image from Add Oil Team.
Saturday, July 1 marks the 20th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China.
Officially, it is a day for the celebration of the end of colonial rule and the unification with the motherland, and that message is reflected in the city’s ceremony decorations and theme songs.
However, many see the day as signifying the fall of Hong Kong to the influence of authoritarian China. It is clear that many Hong Kongers are unhappy for several reasons.
The political dispute over who has the right to vote for the city's top leader (currently, only a select committee of voters are allowed to choose) has not been resolved. Beijing wants to control the nomination of candidates, and only afterward allow the people to vote; the significant number of Hong Kong people, however, want a say in the election from start to finish.
The massive pro-democracy protests dubbed the Umbrella Movement, which took over Hong Kong's downtown for three months at the end of 2014, failed to change Beijing's policy on Hong Kong. Then, the case of five booksellers who went missing in Thailand, China and Hong Kong in 2015, then showed up in the custody of mainland authorities to “assist the investigation of the selling of illegal publication” has further fueled fears that the city's autonomy — enshrined in Hong Kong's Basic Law — is under threat.
With Beijing trying to assert its ideological influence over Hong Kong, culture and education have become fraught. Hong Kong's pro-Beijing and pro-democracy political camps have waged battles over the choice between Putonghua (also known as Standard Mandarin, the official language of the People's Republic of China) or Cantonese (the language spoke by the majority in Hong Kong) as a as the language of instruction, and issues surrounding school curriculums and examination systems.
And as capital from China has rushed into the financial centre of Hong Kong, property prices have skyrocketed and income disparity continues to widen. Instead of trying to fix the situation with taxation and social reform, the government continues to push development as a means to solve the economic stress. The exploitation of green spaces and country parks for development has stirred another round of debate.
Ahead of the handover commemoration day, activists expressed their frustration by covering the city’s iconic Golden Bauhinia with a huge black cloth and staging a sit-in protest at Bauhinia Square where the July 1 ceremony will take place.
Of course, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Hong Kong for three days between June 29 and July 1 for the ceremony and the inauguration of the newly selected city Chief Executive Carrie Lam, did not see the activists’ symbolic action — the 26 protesters were quickly removed from Bauhinia Square and the whole district has been sealed off with huge barricades.
According reports from local media outlets, at least 9,000 police officers will be deployed during the celebrations. In addition to security preparations, they were instructed by their superiors to “prevent leaders from being embarrassed”, which means sensitive political slogans should be kept out of President Xi’s eyesight.
Pro-Hong Kong independence public activity is certainly political sensitive. The pro-independence National Party’s planned vigil at the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower on June 30 was banned.
Even the annual July 1 rally organized by the Civil Human Right Front, a pan-democratic alliance, has been sidelined as the rally’s gathering and starting spot at Victoria Park has been reserved by pro-Beijing group for the Long March 1 Rocket exhibition.
And activists on a watch list have been followed by plainclothes officers and searched on the street. Thus far at least one activist has been arrested for possessing a box cutter, among other tools.
Despite political harassment, activists have still found ways to voice their frustration with their mini acts of resistance in Hong Kong. A graffiti with the Chinese words “the 20th anniversary of the fall of Hong Kong” was sprayed onto some Mongkok street signs and July 1 celebration banners. Police officers immediately arrested three men for spray painting public property.
As the public space have been occupied by official ceremony decorations, banners and police, social media has become a space for alternative commemorations of the 20th anniversary.
Parallel to the fireworks display — worth US$1.5 million — at 8 p.m. on July 1, a group of artists have planned to livecast a “No Fireworks at Victoria Harbour” event between 7:45 and 8:45 p.m. Below is their message on Facebook:
2017年，七一晚上的維多利亞港，該是什麼模樣？在我們心目中，它應該「如實」反映這座城市的情緒、平靜的，而且不可能有煙花。我們邀請各位，在這個現實世界，維港上空煙花盛放之際，來看看我們構想的平行世界中、一個沒有煙花但跟日常稍有不同的維港[…]
What should the Victoria Harbour look like on the night of July 1, 2017? We believe that it should reflect the city’s sentiment — calm, quiet and should not have any fireworks. We invite you to see a parallel world of a Victoria Harbour without fireworks, while in the real world, the skyline of Victoria Harbour is full of fireworks.
Some of the artists involved in this alternative commemoration on July 1 have also been part of the 2047 countdown machine art installation last year (see image at the top of this story). In the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Beijing promised that the “One Country, Two Systems” set-up, which gives Hong Kong its autonomy, would remain unchanged for 50 years, and the controversial installation featured a countdown to that date: July 1, 2047.
Satires of official propaganda have continued to pop up on social media too. @badiucao, a prominent political cartoonist, has drawn several illustrations on the 20th anniversary of “the fall of Hong Kong”. Below is one of his works:
#巴丢草 漫画 【热烈欢迎】香港20周年沦陷，水马林立，政治压抑。习大大今日到港，港人要怎么欢迎他呢？#Badiucao Cartoon with @HongKongFP 【‘Wish Xi a Happy Ride’ 】 #HKSAR20 #XiJinping pic.twitter.com/0GTMy2wt0i
— 巴丢草 Badiucao (@badiucao) June 29, 2017
#Badiucao Cartoon: Welcome to the 20th anniversary of the fall of Hong Kong. Numerous water barricades, political repression. Xi has arrived in Hong Kong today, how should Hong Kongers welcome him?
One of the theme songs of the 20th anniversary released by Chinese government-owned news agency Xinhua has been spoofed by netizens for its chorus. The song, which speaks of Hong Kong's flag, which goes:
最愛紫荆加襯紅色的底
滿載底氣作為內心依歸，
艷美紫荆融入五星永不腿
閃閃星際耀眼之最
I love the Bauhinia [Hong Kong's city flower] paired with red under [background color];
Its spirit will guide our heart,
The beautiful Bauhinia has five stars as its stamens which will last forever,
It will become the brightest star in the galaxy.
The expression of “red under” in Cantonese means “red underwear” or public figures who are underground members of the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong. And hence comes this spoof:
A friend's interpretation of a lyric from the #OneCountryTwoSystems rap: “I love the bauhinia paired up with the red ‘under'”#紅色的底#HKSAR20 pic.twitter.com/zQ1R3xYxpE
— Yuen Chan (@xinwenxiaojie) June 28, 2017

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Oiwan Lam


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Peruvian Sportscaster’s Racist Comments Trigger Outrage Across Two Countries · Global Voices
Shirley Campbell Barr

Screenshot from the television program “ComButters” from Willax Television.
Statements made by a sportscaster have sparked controversy and revived a debate over racial discrimination in Peru.
On June 14, while discussing the pending football match between Peru and Ecuador for the 2018 World Cup qualification, Phillip Butters, the host of a TV program called “ComButters”, referred first to the Afro-Ecuadorian players, and then centered specifically on one of them, Caicedo, calling him a monkey and a gorilla.
His comments, shown in the video below, drew an immediate reaction from the Afro-Peruvian community, followed by a series of statements from the Peruvian government and the Ecuadorian government.
Con los bolivianos en Lima, no hay mayor problema. […] Después vamos a jugar contra Ecuador en Quito. Los ecuatorianos no son negros, son cocodrilos de altura. Tienen bíceps en los párpados hermano. Si le hacen una prueba de ADN a Caicedo y no es humano, es un mono. Un gorila.
With the Bolivians in Lima, there's no big problem. […] Afterwards, we'll play against Ecuador in Quito. The Ecuadorians aren't black, they're mountain crocodiles. They have biceps in their eyelids, brother. If they did a DNA test on Caicedo, he isn't human, he's a monkey. A gorilla.
A wave of opinions followed. There were many demonstrations, in favor and against, across social media and the press.
Lamento decirte q es lo contrario, gran parte de los Peruanos somos como él, por eso tiene tantos seguidores. Nuestra ignorancia lo ensalza
— Uriel Davalos C (@udavalos) June 17, 2017
First tweet: Phillip Butters should apologize! Inexcusable and degrading comments about the Ecuadorian players and every person. For shame!
Reply: I'm sorry to say that it is the opposite, a large part of Peruvians are like him, and this is why he has so many followers. Our ignorance exalts him.
Butters no es ni homofobo, ni racista. Parece que le tienen tirria a @Phill_Butters porque piensa diferente a ustedes.
— Giancarlo Quispe (@gian_511) June 16, 2017
Butters is not homophobic or racist. It seems that you all can't stand @Phill_Butters because he thinks differently than you all.
Afro-Peruvian grassroot organizations and activists signed a press release titled “United against racism and discrimination!”, which not only condemned the sportscaster's statements, but also underlined the systemic racism that the Afro-Peruvian population experiences. It also criticized the show's guests on the day Butters made the comments, Carlos Navarro and Omar Ruiz de Somocurcio, for not challenging the declarations of their host.
The group made reference to the cultural diversity of Peruvian society and demanded compliance with the Peruvian constitution's second article:
La constitución política de nuestro país refiere, en su artículo segundo, inciso segundo, que toda persona tiene derecho a ‘igualdad ante la ley, Nadie debe ser discriminado por motivo de origen, raza, sexo, idioma, religión, opinión, condición económica y de cualquier otra índole’. De otro lado, recordemos que la discriminación es un delito tipificado en artículo 323 del código penal.
Our country's constitution mentions, in its second article, second paragraph, that every person has the same right to ‘equality under the law. No one should be discriminated against because of origin, race, gender, preferred language, religion, opinion, economic position or any other factor.’ Also, lets remember that discrimination is a criminal offense in article 323 of the penal code.
They also added:
En diversos medios de comunicación, la burla, la mofa, cosificación y animalización de la población afrodescendiente es sistemática e impune. En tal sentido, expresamos nuestro más enérgico rechazo y hacemos un llamado a las instancias correspondientes del Estado peruano a fin de garantizar el derecho a la igualdad y no discriminación de la población afroperuana.
Through different kinds of media, taunting, mocking, objectification and animalization of people of African descent is systematic and unpunished. In that sense, we express our most forceful rebuff and we call out the responsible Peruvian state institutions to finally guarantee the right to equality and no discrimination against the Afro-Peruvian population.
The group's statement also emphasized the need to create national plans to fight discrimination and strengthen the organizations that currently work on the issue.
Butters’ comments and the swift reaction of the Afro-Peruvian movement also prompted statements from different government sectors. The Peruvian Federation of Football described the comments against the Ecuadorian players as unacceptable and discriminatory, while noting that they are part of a pact against racism together with the Ministry of Culture and other sports-related organizations in the country. The minister of culture also spoke about the comments:
Ante los denigrantes comentarios del periodista Phillip Butters sobre nuestros hermanos ecuatorianos en su programa “Combutters”, emitido el día miércoles 14 de junio en el canal Willax TV, el Ministerio de Cultura:
- Rechaza toda manifestación racista en perjuicio de cualquier persona o grupo de personas.
- Recuerda que el periodismo y los medios de comunicación cumplen un rol fundamental en transmitir valores a la ciudadanía.
- Recuerda a la opinión pública que el Ministerio ha firmado un pacto contra el racismo junto a la Federación Peruana de Fútbol (FPF), la Asociación Deportiva de Fútbol Profesional del Perú (ADFP), el Instituto Peruano del Deporte (IPD) y todos los clubes profesionales e invoca a la prensa y a la sociedad a sumarse al rechazo de todo acto de discriminación.
En el Mes de la Cultura Afroperuana, el Ministerio de Cultura reitera la necesidad de erradicar estas conductas. El racismo no es normal y es inaceptable, hagamos juntos que esto cambie.
iAsí no juega Perú!
Considering sportscaster Philip Butters’ degrading comments about our Ecuadorian brothers made on Wednesday, June 14 on his program “Combutters” for Willax TV, the Minister of Culture:
- Denounces every damaging act of racism aimed at anyone or any group.
– Reminds the press and the media of their fundamental role in spreading values to the citizenship.
– Reminds the public that the Minister signed a pact against racism with the Peruvian Federation of Football, the Peruvian Football Sports Association, the Peruvian Institute of Sport, and all the professional clubs, and calls upon the press and society to join them in rejecting all acts of discrimination.
During Afro-Peruvian Culture Month, the Minister of Culture reiterates the necessity to eradicate these behaviors. Racism is not normal and it is not acceptable, together let's make a change.
That is not how Peru plays!
The outrage reached the Ecuadorian government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made an announcement in which they stated their disgust over the sportscaster's statements, labeling them as “deplorable” and said they reveal an “attitude of intolerance and bad journalistic practice”.
Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno tweeted a message of support to football player Felipe Caicedo, assuring he is someone Ecuador is proud of:
El color de la piel forma parte de la rica diversidad de este país. @FelipaoCaicedo,eres orgullo del Ecuador.
En la cancha,¡también valores! https://t.co/MpbkX1QzAZ
— Lenín Moreno (@Lenin) June 17, 2017
The color of skin is part of the rich diversity of this country. @FelipaoCaicedo, Ecuador is proud of you.
Values, also on the field!
As a result of the pressure from Peru, as well as from the neighboring country, Willax TV channel suspended the “ComButters” program until the host makes a public apology.
However, the sportscaster refuses to apologize, arguing that he is not racist and that the statements are just part of football slang and in no way have racist implications. Butters gave this controversial response on his radio program, where he went on to attack the Ecuadorian minister of culture, Salvador del Solar, calling him “an idiot” for rejecting the racist insults.
Han armado un muñeco, como consecuencia de una conversación pelotera, futbolera coloquial.
Los ecuatorianos a nosotros nos dicen ‘gallinas’ y nosotros les decimos ‘monos'(…). Nosotros con los ecuatorianos tenemos rivalidades históricas, geográficas, políticas, bélicas y futbolísticas.
They have made a travesty out of colloquial football talk.
Ecuadorians call us ‘chickens’ and we call them ‘monkeys’ (…). We have historic geographic, political, military and football rivalries with them.
For his part, footballer Felipe Caicedo expressed gratefulness on Twitter for all the words of support he received. He agreed that Butters does not represent Peru and rejected racism. Furthermore, he confirmed that he plans to sue the sportscaster given his refusal to make a public apology, in order to:
In an interview for the media outlet Perú21, Afro-Peruvian journalist and activist Giovanna Carrillo Zegarra shared some thoughts on the role of the media in the normalization of racism in light of this case:
Los medios de comunicación tienen una gran responsabilidad con la sociedad, que es no repetir estereotipos, no transmitirlos, ni replicar acciones racistas y no ser el cobijo perfecto para que los comunicadores o quien tenga un programa de televisión considere que tienen el poder de humillar, animalizar ni discriminar.
The media has a great responsibility in society, which is to not repeat stereotypes, not amplify them, not to repeat racist actions, and not be the perfect refuge for reporters or anyone with a television program who believe they have the right to humiliate, animalize, or discriminate.
The controversy isn't over, but many are hoping that this situation starts a discussion that leads to concrete actions to overcome racial discrimination in Peru.

author: Shirley Campbell Barr


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Slimmed Down Garvey Sculpture Gets Thumbs Down From Jamaicans · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

Billboard at Marcus Garvey Square. Photo by Mark Gstohl, CC BY 2.0.
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.”
These famous words were spoken by Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jamaica's first and probably most revered national hero. The words of the Pan-Africanist figure who influenced the black nationalist movement are often quoted, and his face is familiar to most Jamaicans, to whom he is symbolic of strength, self-respect and racial pride.
However, a recently unveiled bust of Garvey provoked a huge wave of protest, both on social media and in the streets. To naysayers, the bust simply did not make the grade.
Jamaicans have generally been ambivalent — and often downright dismissive — about public statuary, especially when it comes to iconic Jamaicans being portrayed. In 1981, following Bob Marley's death, a nine-foot tall, impressionistic statue of the musician created by the late Christopher Gonzalez was soundly rejected by the Jamaican government that had commissioned it, as well as by the Marley family. It was never officially unveiled, and stood at the National Gallery for nearly 20 years before it was moved in October 2002 to the Island Village theme museum in Ocho Rios. A representational statue by Alvin Marriott was erected near the National Stadium in 1985.
The people of the eastern parish of St. Thomas were also generally not amused by a statue of another national hero, Paul Bogle, by esteemed artist Edna Manley, which stood outside the Morant Bay Court House. It was erected in October 1965 and declared a national monument by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust on April 3, 2003. Part of the problem with Bogle is that, unlike Garvey, there is only one image of him, contested by some. However, that statue has also been removed (its current whereabouts are not clear).
So, why was the latest Garvey bust, which was unveiled on May 19, 2017 at the University of the West Indies’ Mona campus, so roundly rejected? For a start, it did not even look like him, Jamaicans declared; Garvey has always appeared in photographs as somewhat rotund, with a plump face, whereas sculptor Raymond Watson's depiction was of a lean-faced man with cheekbones.
Well-known pastor Sean Major-Campbell posted, “Be honest! If you were asked, “GUESS WHO?” Would you have guessed Marcus Garvey?”:
He compared it to a photograph of Garvey:
Round head. Short face. Broad nose. Strong chin. No puckered mouth. Am I right or am I right?
One Jamaican observed in a television “vox pop”:
“It need more identity to prove that it is Marcus Garvey,” says this man. I think many would agree. @djmillerJA #TVJAllAngles pic.twitter.com/ORBdKzBPQF
— Susan Goffe (@suezeecue) June 15, 2017
Yes – he even looks hungry – look how his jawline is lean #TVJAllAngles
— OnthesideofJustice (@Agreewithsegree) June 15, 2017
Noted psychologist Leachim Semaj added:
People are expressing what the “Garvey” bust is “saying to them”. Listen to them. This piece is not giving the right message.??
— Leahcim Semaj (@LSemaj) June 15, 2017
University-based blogger Annie Paul suggested this was “Garvey Lite.” And why a mere bust?
For me, the problem wasn't so much that the bust didn't look anything like the Garvey we feel we've come to know and love. It's the scale and unambitious scope of the representation that bother me. The only other lifelike sculptures on campus are of Mahatma Gandhi (Indian) and Philip Sherlock (white), both full-body representations. Then for the champion of black identity, you have a modest bust. It's a problem, to say the least.
In the weeks since the unveiling, calls have been mounting for the removal of the ‘fake’ statue of Garvey. The Gandhi and Sherlock sculptures were gifts to the university, and it may be that those who feel strongly about this might have to undertake to commission a better representation of Garvey that can be situated at the UWI or some other location.
In future, any public commissions of art should be informed by the well-documented history of responses to public monuments in Jamaica. Edna Manley lecturer and first Stuart Hall Fellow Petrina Dacres has written an entire thesis on the subject. There is no excuse to be caught by surprise like this. Contrary to what many seem to think, commissions of public statuary are not occasions for artists to wield artistic licence and express themselves as they would with work meant for a gallery or private setting.
The messages flooded in from members of the public. Some were very amusing and expressed in typical Jamaican fashion:
#tvjallangles My neighbour just said “Maybe is when Garvey did a dead fi hungry inna prison” lol
— Charles (@Eqlektik) June 15, 2017
Radio talk show host and Pan-Africanist Ka'Bu Ma'at Kheru started an online petition and campaigned vigorously against the bust on her program Running African on Irie FM.
Now On: Yasus Afari and the need for critical thinking to remove the #FakeUWiGarvey bust and provide redress pic.twitter.com/1M8gIIAPMk
— IRIE FM (@IRIE_FM) June 25, 2017
Not everyone agreed that the bust was a disaster. Its creator, art teacher Raymond Watson, was naturally upset by the response, saying that he meant no disrespect to Garvey. Journalist Erica Virtue suggested in her weekly video commentary that Jamaicans have no imagination, and therefore cannot appreciate a different interpretation of Garvey.
A group of Rastafarians — for whom Garvey has a particular significance — protested vehemently at Papine Square, near the University campus:
Large group of Rastafari (some very angry) gathered in Papine sq, St Andrew, protesting what they say is “Fake Garvey Bust” at UWI Mona pic.twitter.com/lpsouhHlTm
— Giovanni R. Dennis (@GiovanniRDennis) June 25, 2017
The university called security to protect the statue:
Update:
Heightened security now mounted around the Bust of Marcus Garvey at the UWI.
Police from Mona Post & Guardsman now on location. pic.twitter.com/JA84JxQaRw
— Giovanni R. Dennis (@GiovanniRDennis) June 25, 2017
Outspoken university professor Carolyn Cooper joined the Rastafarians in Papine. She wrote in her column:
Our images of Garvey have been mostly defined by photographs. We trust that they are accurate. But long before Instagram filtering, photos have been touched up, often to remove melanin. At the unveiling, Professor Rupert Lewis, eminent Garvey scholar, declared in a conciliatory tone, ‘There are many images of Garvey that you can get from his 52 years.’
True! Unfortunately, Raymond Watson's image of Garvey reveals nothing of the authority, passion and power of more full-bodied representations of our national hero. But Garvey seems poorly. His posture conveys passivity. He looks like a weakling. Who approved this diminished portrayal?
The bust should be replaced with an image that inspires unequivocal admiration of Garvey's accomplishments as an illustrious pan-Africanist rallying the black world to affirm pride in race.
The Rastafarians’ protest may have been the last straw. After considerable public pressure, the University of the West Indies has decided to remove the offending Garvey bust, promising to replace it before the new academic year begins.
In a poignant postscript to the controversy, one Jamaican wrote to the newspaper that Jamaicans still do not properly recognise their national hero:
Today, with the 130th anniversary of his birth fast approaching, it seems that all there is to remind us of Garvey is his image on our currency and statues which may not ‘fully represent him’. Garveyism is yet to be taught in schools on a full-time basis; books by Garvey are not necessarily national bestsellers; and worst yet, how we treat each other, as children of Africa, is approaching utter disdain.
Black pride, as well as self-pride, is seemingly on the decline. With all of this staring us in the face, there are more worrying things to be alarmed about than a statue.
There is now more than a hint of anxiety over a sculpture of a more modern day, unofficial hero: sprinter Usain Bolt, and possibly other champion athletes. Is another “statue controversy” brewing? Culture Minister Olivia Grange sought to reassure Jamaicans in a tweet:
Don’t be alarmed by false reporting. Watch this space for the real statue of the Legend @usainbolt #Jamaica55 @Jamaica55th @CGESJA pic.twitter.com/DJ2OFecrer
— Hon.Olivia Grange (@Babsy_grange) June 12, 2017
Cultural commentator Barbara Gloudon commented in her weekly column last year:
Sculpting is not an easy task. The technical dynamics are not unknown to us. Over the years, some Jamaican master artists have shown that they know their stuff.
One challenge which has dogged nearly every sculptor, however, is differing public tastes. An artist’s representation might be, to him or her, a task well done, an accomplishment achieved, but at the same time, onlookers can ‘dismiss’ the finished product. ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ the purists said in literature. What Person ‘A’ sees and showers with praise, Person ‘B’ treats with scorn and outrage.
How often do you see a statue that looks exactly like the subject? What will be the reaction this time around?
So where will the rejected Garvey bust be relegated to now? It will languish in a quiet corner somewhere, and likely be forgotten.

author: Emma Lewis


text:
The Sad State of Tajikistan’s Online Opposition · Global Voices
Salam Aleik

Mountains in eastern Tajikistan. Pixabay, creative commons. Uploaded by user Nadrog.
How does a would-be Tajik opposition leader go about establishing a social media footprint? Abdulmannon Sheraliev, a member of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), has a few ironic ideas.
Sheraliev wrote his Facebook post, republished here in excerpts, back in April. But his guidance — covering everything from strategic selfies through fake followers and their trolling techniques — seems increasingly relevant for political outsiders seeking to cultivate a base of support, whether that is in Tajikistan, or some other country.
Sheraliev's advice begins as follows:
Before further addressing Sheraliev's guide, it should be said that Tajikistan is almost completely lacking a traditional, in-country political opposition, thanks to the ever-growing intolerance of even mild forms of criticism on the part of the Tajik government.
Some of Sheraliev's snobbishness towards the country's prominent online opposition figures — who are based almost exclusively outside of Tajikistan — may indeed be due to his status as a member of the country's last ‘real’ major opposition party.
A moderate opposition force in the parliament up until recently, IRPT's members have been driven underground since Tajikistan's authoritarian government suddenly banned the group in 2015 and jailed a dozen key leaders last year.
But just because Tajikistan's Facebook-based online opposition does not live with the everyday repression that the IRPT endured towards the end of its legal existence in the Central Asian country, does not mean it enjoys a life free of danger.
Umarali Quvvatov, who led the social media-active Gruppa 24 opposition group from abroad, for instance, was gunned down in Istanbul by unknown assailants in 2015, possibly after having been poisoned. Other key members of the group, distributed across various countries, have complained of a cross-border harassment and surveillance campaign.
Tajikistan had already declared Gruppa 24 a terrorist group by the time of Quvvatov's assassination, although the group's main crime appears to have consisted of posting unflattering memes starring long-reigning President Emomali Rakhmon. The group has also called, unsuccessfully, for mass protests in the country of 8.5 million people.
But Sheraliev is certainly right to note that the popularity of posts by Gruppa 24 and similar opposition-minded entities are boosted by fake followers — real social media users are increasingly afraid to ‘like’ posts — giving them a somewhat pathetic appearance.
In his tongue-in-cheek post, Sheraliev also considers how these fake followers should adopt distinctive and consistent online behaviours in order to increase the profile of the would-be-opposition leader.
But what about the real you? Even if these aspiring politicos did live in the country, state media would never show their faces.
National TV coverage is for the regime, and that means online oppositionists have to be everywhere else — and looking very important — in order to appeal to the one fifth of the population with regular internet access.
In recent years, internet speeds have slowed in Tajikistan, and the strengthening political crackdown has turned users away from politicized posts. But even if such posts do attract a loyal following, what then?
As Sheraliev, whose own post attracted 140 likes explains, the life of the country's online oppositionists are defined by a tragic futility:
Дар натиҷа, баъди ин таблиғҳо, як гурӯҳи дигаре аз шогирдони воқеъӣ пайдо хоҳед кард, ки хоҳанд пиндошт шумо ҳамон нафаре ҳастед, ки “шогирдонатон” муаррифӣ мекунанд ва шумо ба як лидери…. фейсбукӣ табдил мешавед. Бале танҳо фейсбукӣ.
If all this propaganda helps you find a group of real followers who accept you as a true object of promotion, you will acquire the status of a … Facebook leader. But it will only ever be on Facebook, and nothing more.

author: Salam Aleik


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In Japan, Paraplegic Man Resorts to Crawling Up Stairs After Being Refused Help Boarding Plane · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Animated re-enactment of Kijima Hideto, a disabled man, being prevented from boarding a flight in Amami, southwestern Japan, on June 14. Screencap from Tomo New Japan official YouTube page.
A disabled Japanese passenger and a low-cost airline made international headlines after the passenger, a paraplegic without the use of his legs, had to resort to crawling up a flight of stairs in order to board an airplane at Amami Airport.
While the airline was forced to apologize and promised to improve services for disabled passengers, discussion in Japan focused mainly on whether or not the passenger had engaged in a publicity stunt, rather than that disabled passengers should expect reasonable accommodation when traveling rather than discrimination.
The passenger, Kijima Hideto, had been visiting Amami Oshima, a small island and resort area in Kagoshima Prefecture in southwest Japan. Kijima had flown to the island from Osaka in central Japan, where he lives, using Vanilla Air, a low-cost carrier that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of All-Nippon Airways (ANA), one Japan's two main airlines.
The airport on the island is quite small, and passengers must climb a flight of stairs from the tarmac to board the plane. While Kijima, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, was able to make the trip to Amami Oshima and disembark from the aircraft with the assistance of friends, when trying to board his return flight home on June 5, Vanilla staff told him they could not assist him onto the plane. Staff also prevented Kijima's friends from carrying him up the stairs. A worker allegedly told Kijima he could board the plane if he could “climb up the stairs on his own without the assistance” of people travelling with him.
At that point Kijima reportedly decided to crawl up the stairs himself. What the Vanilla Airlines staff at Amami Airport may not have realized is that Kijima heads Japan Accessible Tourism Center, a non-profit aimed at promoting travel for disabled people in Japan, and has used 200 airports in 158 countries.
紙面【社会】飛行機搭乗拒否、格安航空会社バニラ・エアの社員から「歩けないと乗れない」と言われ自力でタラップをはい上がらされた問題。車いす男性「周りにも複数」ほか 詳しくは本日(6月29日付)東京新聞朝刊にて pic.twitter.com/qDjG3YbSae
— 東京新聞ほっとWeb オフィシャル (@tokyohotweb) June 28, 2017
Image caption: “How the passenger crawled up the aircraft stairway.”
In today's paper: Passenger prevented from boarding aircraft belonging to low-cost carrier Vanilla Air. “If you can't walk, you can't board,” says airline employee, passenger forced to climb stairway on his own; passenger says he is not the first (to have been treated this way by Vanilla Air). […]
Following his return to Osaka on June 5, Kijima penned a blog post about his experience that he also posted to his personal Facebook page, and described his experience at the hands of Vanilla Air as a violation of his human rights (“バニラエアの奄美空港は人権侵害です”).
He also pointed out, using screenshots from the airline's website, that Vanilla Air promised on its webpage that disabled passengers would be accommodated, which was not his experience at Amami Airport. The problem was that, although Amami Airport has a level bridge that makes wheelchair access possible when boarding, it was in use with a different aircraft when Kijima arrived, and when he attempted to board the plane to depart.
Over the next few days, Kijima continued to work at getting the word out about his experience attempting to return by air from Amami Oshima, eventually connecting with an official in the Osaka government tasked with implementing the prefecture's law concerning the discrimination of people living with disabilities (障害者差別禁止法). Vanilla's flights to Amami Oshima depart from an airport in Osaka Prefecture, and, according to Kijima, thanks to an intervention by the Osaka prefectural government, by June 16 the low-cost airline promised to install a lift at the island airport making it possible for disabled travelers to board the aircraft.
Writing in a Facebook post on June 16, Kijima said:
泣き寝入りはダメですよー。　ちなみに１１月に奄美空港では２本目の搭乗ブリッジが完成予定らしい。そうすれば階段昇降もなくなり、問題もなくなるでしょう。
Don't ever give up and cry yourself to sleep! It turns out that by November a second bridge will be installed at Amami Airport. Once that's completed it will no longer be necessary to climb up stairs (to board the aircraft) and the mobility problem will be solved.
However, by June 28 Kijima's story was being reported by Japan's national media. Vanilla Air made a public apology to Kijima, while Osaka and Kagoshima prefectures pressed the airline to immediately accommodate disabled passengers at Amami Airport, which it has agreed to do.
Besides generating national and international headlines, Kijima's experience has also received a lot of attention on social media. A blogger with the username Cocochan, writing on Naver Matome, a blog and social media aggregation site, collected a number of responses to the story, some positive towards, others skeptical of Kijima.
Some wondered why Kijima hadn't ensured he could board the plane when he made the reservation:
「半身不随で車椅子で生活している木島英登さん。今月３日、友人らと奄美大島を旅行するため格安航空会社バニラエアを利用しました。」
なぜ予約の際にあらかじめ車いす利用と連絡しないのか？#tvasahi #報ST pic.twitter.com/x0WqliZTIk
— きやすめ。第二回偽メール事件 (@ZeroE13A1) June 28, 2017
“Kijima Hideto, who does not have the use of his legs, relies on a wheelchair. On June 3, he traveled to Amami Oshima with his friends using Vanilla Air, a low-cost carrier.”
Why didn't he notify the airline in advance when he was making his reservation that he uses a wheelchair?
Another Twitter user, prominent commentator Tsuda Daisuke, who has 1.34 million Twitter followers, explained why this might be a good strategy:
バニラエアの件は当事者の人がかつてブログで「あえて事前に車椅子であることを連絡しないようにしている」と書いていることが叩かれているけど、記事全部読めばなぜそうしないか理由書かれてるじゃん。事前に伝えることで搭乗拒否などのトラブルに巻き込まれやすいからって。
— 津田大介＠7/2新刊『ポスト真実の時代』 (@tsuda) June 28, 2017
While people have been bashing the person at the center of the Vanilla Air controversy because in the past he wrote on his blog that “I purposefully did not disclose that I was traveling by wheelchair,” but if you read the article he explains why. He says that if notified (staff) about his wheelchair he would be denied boarding and it would just have created a lot of trouble.
As a barrier-free travel consultant, Kijima also argues that, based on the concept of “reasonable accommodation”, there should be no need for disabled people to determine whether or not they will be accommodated in advance:
どうして、日本のバリアフリーは過剰に豪華なのでしょうか？
特別視されすぎること、設置コストがかかりすぎることは、バリアフリーが進まない大きな原因です。
[…]
すべての人が満足できる設備やサービスを追い求める（最小公倍数）のではなく、
費用に対する効果の視点も考慮した現実的な妥協点（最大公約数）が必要です。
合理的配慮　reasonable accommodation　を考えましょう。
Why is Japan's implementation of “barrier free” so excessively luxurious? This view that it has to be so special, and cost so much, is a big reason why it isn't making progress.
[…]
It's not about looking for something that will satisfy everyone (the lowest common multiple), but about a realistic and cost effective compromise (the highest common factor). Let's think in terms of “reasonable accommodation”.”
According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), “reasonable accommodation” means “necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
According to Nagase Osamu, a disability rights expert and a former representative for the disability rights group Inclusion International for the Asia-Pacific region, who was interviewed by Global Voices for this article, Vanilla Air's treatment of Kijima violates both existing Japanese law and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“Vanila Air's policy not to let people who do not walk fly seems a violation of the Act to Eliminate Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities and the CRPD, which Japan has ratified,” said Nagase in an email interview. “If there was no accessibility, the airline was expected to provide reasonable accommodation, though as private company it is only encouraged to do so. This really proves the necessity to promote general accessibility and to secure reasonable accommodation in specific situations.”
David Chart provided a translation for this article.

author: Nevin Thompson


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Moroccan Prime Minister’s Appeal for “Calm” After Clashes Reaps Criticism · Global Voices
Matthew Greene

Screenshot of video ‘El Othmani Appeals to People of The Rif for Calm,’ uploaded on 28 June, 2011 by YouTube user akhbar feakhbar. Source: YouTube.
Morocco’s Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani has appealed for “calm” in the northern city of Hoceima after security forces violently repressed demonstrators on Monday’s Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Clashes erupted after security forces attempted to prevent a demonstration demanding the release of detained activists from Hirak, a popular protest movement centered in the Hoceima region.
Protests in Hoceima have persisted since Mouhcine Fikri, a fishmonger, was crushed to death by a garbage truck compactor in October 2016.
The event sparked a campaign against local authorities and police over authorities’ alleged corruption and abuses of power, but grew steadily into a grassroots movement that encompassed grievances including the economic and social marginalization of the country's mountainous Rif region.
Police fired tear gas and used batons against protesters and were seen throwing punches as they tried to disperse the crowds. Initial reports on Monday evening suggested that as many as 132 people were also arrested, however, there is disagreement over the exact figure.
On Friday, the Arabic-language Rif Akhbar outlet reported 97 arrests, citing official government figures.
El Othmani’s statement to Moroccan media was his first since Monday evening’s clashes occurred. He added that Moroccan King Mohammed VI has devised a course of action that addresses the economic and social demands of the protesters, but stressed the need to “provide an atmosphere of calm in order to work on the ground and persuade investors to operate in the region.”
In the Arabic-language newspaper ‘Hespress’, Moroccan political scientist Bilal Allada criticized the prime minister's desire for a truce as inadequate, and condemned him for failing to address the issue of political prisoners.
It is unclear if the prime minister’s words will impact the popular movement, which has so far refused to send representatives to meet with elected party officials and government ministers for discussions.
Moroccan journalist Souhail Karam doubted El Othmani’s appeal could change the facts on the ground:
How much of a difference will #morocco PM words make? None most likely. His own party members know he's not getting to the bottom of problem
— Souhail Karam (@Massinissa1973) June 28, 2017
Many protesters insist that only a royal intervention from King Mohamed VI can ease the worsening crisis, but the royal palace has yet to engage directly.
Over the weekend, Mohamed VI expressed “displeasure, dismay, and concern” in delays to economic development projects scheduled for the Hoceima. He summoned an investigation into the lack of progress following a government council meeting with high-ranking ministers.
However, as the number of arrests in Hoceima continues to grow, the release of detainees emerged as a key demand of Hirak.
Demonstrations have become more frequent since authorities arrested Mohamed Zefzafi, an activist and prominent Hirak organiser, on May 29. Supporters of Zefzafi are appealing for his release along with around 100 other activists.
El Othmani did not comment on the possible release of detainees, though he did address allegations made by activists and journalists who claimed to have been tortured while in custody, expressing confidence in Morocco’s judiciary system to carry out investigations into all claims and provide due process.
Meanwhile, the Facebook page ‘Rif Original’ announced in a post to more than 200,000 followers that the heads of five local councils in the region resigned in protest against the conduct of state security forces.”

author: Matthew Greene


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Iraqis Travel to Mosul to Celebrate Eid in a Show of Solidarity · Global Voices
Sali Mahdy

Screenshot of Iraqis from across the country visiting newly liberated Mosul to celebrate Eid. Source of screenshot from YouTube video ‘Mosul celebrates first Eid in three years with the Eid in Mosul campaign’ uploaded on June 28, 2017 by the AlMawsleya channel.
A group of around 300 Iraqis recently traveled from south and central Iraq to Mosul to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday with their newly liberated compatriots.
In the summer of 2014, the militant group Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL, and Daesh) drove out Iraqi security forces and seized control of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, in a territorial sweep of much of northern Iraq.
It was in Mosul that the militant group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared an Islamic Caliphate spanning Syria and Iraq.
Since then, life for Mosul's residents has been one of fear, oppression, and hardship.
Daily life changed for the worse with the persecution of minorities, food and fuel shortages, and intimidation and harsh punishment.
An effort to retake the city by Iraqi security forces began in October 2016. After eight months of intense battle just a handful of neighborhoods remain under the group's control, prompting Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to recently declare the end of the Islamic State.
The “Eid in Mosul” campaign was organized by a group of Iraqi activists led by Hamid al-Sayed, Ali al-Touki, and Mohammed al-Raji.
Originally an idea to visit old friends who had been trapped under Islamic State rule, the plan turned into a full-blown campaign after generating enormous interest on Facebook. More than 1,700 people expressed interest in joining the trip but security conditions would only allow 300.
This Eid was the first in three years in which Maslawis (people of Mosul) were able to publicly celebrate. The day was filled with events forbidden under the Islamic State, including poetry readings, theater, and live music. Mosul's visitors also brought a gift of more than 1,000 books from Baghdad as part of the “I am Iraq, I Read” campaign, an initiative promoting culture and a more educated Iraq. This gift is a start to replacing thousands of books destroyed in Mosul's libraries by the Islamic State.
The day was joyous, bringing together Iraqis to not only celebrate the holiday, but to also celebrate the liberation of Mosul. Scenes hit social media of men and women from across the country singing the national anthem and chanting “Brothers, Sunnis and Shia, this country is not for sale,” demonstrating a a feeling of unbreakable unity shared among Iraqis.
While the event was mostly organized by activists, the government stepped in to help providing transportation and security for the event.
وصول #قافلة_الحرية لمدينة #الموصل
يا اهلا وسهلا بيكم أهلنا من بغداد والجنوب الحبيب
شگد چنت أتمنى احضر ? pic.twitter.com/ZKK0ANGBIW
— الموصليBiLAL ?? (@Bilal_Aldulayme) June 27, 2017
The “freedom caravan” arriving in Mosul.
Men and women of Mosul greeted the “freedom caravan” at Mosul University.
بالورد والحب … شباب وبنات الموصل يستقبلون الضيوف من كل العراق…
اكبر ضربة للدواعش والطائفين #عاشت_ايدك#العيد_في_الموصل #قافلة_الحرية pic.twitter.com/g7FjfogGj1
— دَي دَي ?? (@dentist_dalo) June 28, 2017
With flowers and love, men and women of Mosul welcome visitors from across Iraq.
Crowds gather chanting “welcome to Mosul” and singing the national anthem.
Over 1,000 books donated to restock Mosul's libraries.
اعضاء منظمة #أنا_عراقي_أنا_اقرأ يشاركون في تهيئة اكثر من الف كتاب لتوزيعها على الموصليين ضمن قافلة الحرية#العيد_في_الموصل✌?#قافلة_الحرية?? pic.twitter.com/cu416Xmrq8
— محمد الشاكر (@MOHAMED_ALSHAKR) June 25, 2017
Members of the “I am Iraqi, I Read” initiative preparing over one thousand books to deliver to Mosul through the “freedom caravan.”
Ameen Mukdad, violinist from Mosul, plays a traditional Maslawi folk song.
The evening concluded with a fireworks display celebrating Eid and Mosul's liberation.

author: Sali Mahdy


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Myanmar Military Cracks Down on Independent Media, Arrests Three Journalists · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Myanmar protesters call for the release of journalists facing criminal charges filed by the military. Photo courtesy The Irrawaddy's Facebook page.
Media groups and activists are calling for the immediate release of three journalists who were arrested by the military in Myanmar's northern Shan State on June 26, 2017.
The Irrawaddy and DVB are among the few independent media organizations that reported on political issues when Myanmar was still under military rule. The Irrawaddy is a content partner of Global Voices.
Lawi Weng from The Irrawaddy, and U Aye Nai and Ko Pyae Bone Naing from the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) have been charged under the Unlawful Associations Act and could face up to three years in prison if convicted. A colonial-era law that criminalizes membership in an “unlawful association”, the Unlawful Associations Act punishes any person who “contributes or receives or solicits any contribution for the purpose of any such association” with up to three years in prison.
After Myanmar’s military-backed party lost power in the 2015 elections, the former opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) took control of the government, under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi. This inspired hope that media freedom would be protected by the new ruling party, which had struggled for many years to restore civil liberties and democracy in Myanmar.
At the time of their arrest, the three reporters were in an area controlled by the ethnic armed group Ta’ang National Liberation Army, gathering information about drug operations in the state.
Tensions between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the federal government have long run high and turned violent in late June. The TNLA which is fighting for more autonomy for the Ta'ang ethnic group, has not signed the government’s nationwide cease-fire agreement.
Myanmar has more than 100 ethnic groups, some of which are armed and actively assert a right to self-determination. The armed conflict has lasted for several decades, and intensified during the nearly five decades of military dictatorship. The new government, which assumed power in 2016, has pursued a national reconciliation and peace process, but has encountered difficulties in many areas, including Shan state, where the TNLA is most prominent.
Despite losing power, the military continues to wield strong influence in the bureaucracy and parliament through the constitution it drafted in 2008.
Ko Tha Lun Zaung Htet, a member of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, a local group, insisted that the military committed a mistake in arresting the journalists:
Press members must have the right to do their job anywhere. What is important [for journalists] is to report fairly with no bias…It makes no sense to arrest journalists for doing their job and gathering information.
An NLD official questioned the presence of the journalists in the conflict area, arguing that ethnic armed groups should seek the permission of Myanmar's Peace Commission before inviting journalists to cover their activities. The charges that the journalists face are unrelated to such permissions.
Aung Zaw, the founding editor-in-chief of The Irrawaddy, asserted that it is not illegal for journalists to visit a conflict zone:
It has been frustrating to witness authorities’ lack of communication or assurance of the safety of our reporters, and it is absurd that security forces are using outdated laws to silence and punish journalists who have committed no crime.
This must be categorized as an unlawful arrest and detention; under media laws in Myanmar, reporters are allowed to gather news in conflict zones.
Kyaw Zwa Moe, editor of the English edition of The Irrawaddy, warned that the arrest of the three journalists could have a chilling effect on society:
The arrest and charges demonstrate that either Myanmar’s military leaders don’t understand the nature and purpose of the media, or that this was a deliberate act intended to frighten journalists away from covering sensitive issues that could lead to criticism of the armed forces.
If the military arrested Lawi Weng and two DVB reporters due to what they describe as a connection to ethnic armed rebels, they would have to arrest hundreds of journalists who work for independent media across the country.
I am sure that nearly all Myanmar journalists have made contact at least once with members of “unlawful” ethnic armed groups, as all publications across the country have covered the peace process—one of the most important issues facing the nation.
Moe's column was accompanied by a cartoon, drawn by Kyaw Thuyein Lwin, that depicts the military arresting the press, while former pro-democracy leaders who are now part of the ruling party are doing nothing to stop the attacks:
Commentary: The military’s offensive against the media#Myanmar #Burmahttps://t.co/EapicS5NZ6 pic.twitter.com/gN0CkjJgFF
— The Irrawaddy (Eng) (@IrrawaddyNews) July 1, 2017
Aside from the arrest of the three journalists, media groups and activists bemoaned the rise of defamation cases filed by authorities against members of the media. They launched a signature drive calling for the release of the journalists and the repeal of Article 66(d) of Myanmar's telecommunications law, which covers online defamation.
The hearing for the detained journalists is scheduled for July 11, 2017.

author: Mong Palatino


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The Brief Contentious Ministership of Trinidad & Tobago’s Marlene McDonald · Global Voices
Flora Thomas

Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs Minister Marlene McDonald (R) opening a new community centre in central Trinidad on June 6, 2009. Shaking her hand is Village Council President Ancil Diaz. Photo by Trinidad News, CC BY 2.0.
The hiring and subsequent firing days later of a politician as minister of public utilities has some people in Trinidad and Tobago cracking jokes and others grumbling about the questions of corruption and poor governance that her brief stint in the position raises.
Marlene McDonald is not a newbie to politics, but she became a household name in Trinidad and Tobago when, at the beginning of 2016, she was accused of nepotism at her constituency office, using her influence to secure state housing for her common-law husband and starting a fake non-governmental organisation (NGO) in order to access public funds.
Her actions were called into question under the tenets of the Integrity in Public Life Act — in fact, McDonald was still under probe by the country's Integrity Commission when she was sworn in as the new minister of public utilities on June 29, 2017, after a Cabinet reshuffle.
That alone left a bitter taste in the mouths of many netizens, but the cherry on the cake came when photographs of McDonald's swearing-in ceremony became public. One photo from the Trinidad Express newspaper soon began to be shared on social media sites, showing McDonald flanked by her partner and a “community leader” from her constituency. (In Trinidad and Tobago, the term is often used as a euphemism to describe gang leaders.)
McDonald's guest, Cedric Burke, had been arrested a few years ago under a state of emergency called by the previous administration, so Facebook users soon began to post updates that questioned “how an alleged criminal was allowed to enter President's House”. Burke has never been convicted of a crime.
The Office of the President subsequently said that it had asked Minister McDonald to submit a guest list for the swearing ceremony, at which point she asked for two extra invitations, but never provided the names of the additional guests. Upon their arrival, the guests were told that their names were not on the list, and that they were not properly attired. They were made to wait downstairs, but when McDonald arrived, she accompanied them upstairs and introduced Burke as her guest and constituent.
Following the faux pas, there was much discussion on Facebook and Twitter, with many calling for McDonald to be fired.
In a public Facebook post, university lecturer and political commentator Rhoda Bharath commented:
Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson are known financiers of the UNC [the United National Congress party, currently in opposition] and are currently facing the courts. Whether their shirts are tucked into their trousers or not, if they were to have attended the swearing in ceremonies of a UNC Minister people would automatically understand the picture it painted for a UNC Government, the Cabinet, Treasury, white collar crime and violent crime.
This is the central problem with Marlene MacDonald, Cedric Burke and President Carmona being in a photograph together: the lines between the powerful 1% and the criminal class are so blurred that we can no longer guarantee the integrity of our government and the safety of our Treasury.
Unless I am mistaken all three persons, two of whom are government officials, are currently ‘known to the police’, and have access to our Treasury whether through State contracts or their jobs.
We need campaign finance reform. Badly.
#DeViceCyahDone
#StrenkAndPowaz
#MehFriendAndDem
Apart from Burke having been arrested and McDonald being under probe by the Integrity Commission, the president is currently under investigation for receipt of a housing allowance while living in state housing.
While some netizens thought that the security detail at President's House should be under scrutiny, others felt that the fact that McDonald was being reappointed at all spoke volumes about the prime minister's judgement. There was no doubt that Prime Minister Rowley got the message, though — by July 2, it was announced that McDonald had been fired.
Marlene McDonald has been fired from the cabinet again according to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister pic.twitter.com/yedO86fxH5
— Kejan Haynes (@KejanHaynes) July 2, 2017
The political satire website Wired868 had details:
[Prime Minister] Rowley is believed to have asked McDonald to resign on Saturday, less than 24 hours after she was sworn in by Carmona. The Port of Spain South MP [minister of parliament] apparently resisted.
The Office of the Prime Minister gave no reason for McDonald’s sacking but, almost certainly, it was related to her choice of guest at the swearing in ceremony as she turned up with Cedric ‘Godfather Burkie’ Burke amongst her entourage.
The post went on to say that despite his registered businesses, Burke “is also touted as the president of the Rasta City gang and was arrested under the Anti-Gang legislation during the 2011 State of Emergency. He was also arrested, two years later, during a raid in Sea Lots when police described him as ‘a major player’ in the area.” Wired continued:
When Burke was arrested during the State of Emergency, police apprehended him at the Hyatt hotel where he had been paying in excess of TT$900 a night in cash during his stay.
McDonald insisted Burke was a good fellah—in the nicest sense of the word. […]
Rowley apparently disagreed.
Once news of McDonald's sacking broke, Twitter lit up with the hashtag #ThingsLongerThanMarleneWuk, through which netizens shared examples of things that lasted longer than McDonald's ministerial appointment:
#ThingsLongerThanMarleneWuk ..this handshake pic.twitter.com/zi4kxvBcGG
— ImotivateMe (@Lequietstorm) July 2, 2017
#ThingsLongerThanMarleneWuk her community leader's tie in the picture
— Mark Ramjohn (@MARamjohn) July 2, 2017
The conversation between Rowley and Marlene this morning #ThingsLongerThanMarleneWuk
— drama-ed (@RJ_868) July 2, 2017
#ThingsLongerThanMarleneWuk her reign as miss universe ? pic.twitter.com/1rP0ZiVWyt
— Jojo (@jojo_ambitious1) July 2, 2017
#ThingsLongerThanMarleneWuk A Jack Warner s-s-s-entence.
— Text-ting (@QuaceyMUFC) July 2, 2017
Jack Warner is the former embattled vice president of FIFA, who has a speech impediment.
Some Twitter users, however, took the opportunity to focus on the underlying issue that allowed something like this to happen in the first place:
#ThingsLongerThanMarleneWuk the continued acceptance of sub-par governance from both parties ?
— Sarvaani Maharaj (@Sarvaani23) July 2, 2017

author: Flora Thomas


text:
With Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Blocked, Venezuelans Share Tech Advice · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

“Censorship”. Public domain picture.
On the evening of June 28, Internet users from various cities in Venezuela reported that multiple websites and social media platforms — including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Periscope — were inaccessible. According to the digital activism organization Venezuela Inteligente:
Los servidores DNS del proveedor de servicio de internet del estado CANTV no respondían las solicitudes DNS sobre Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram y Periscope, impidiendo el acceso a los usuarios.
Alrededor de una hora después [de las 11pm], dichos bloqueos fueron liberados y el acceso a esos sitios volvió a ser libre. Innumerables reportes de usuarios en las redes se suman a mediciones específicas de los servidores DNS del ISP.
The DNS servers of state internet service provider CANTV were not responding to DNS requests for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Periscope, denying access to the users.
Around an hour later [from 11 pm], the blockages were lifted and access to the sites was back. Countless reports of network users indicate that the blocking was conducted through the ISP's DNS servers.
This is not the first time that this type of blocking has happened in Venezuela. In May 2017, the Index of Censorship published evidence of 41 sites being blocked, including three independent media sites: vivoplay.net, elcapitolio.tv and vpitv.com. This wave of online censorship is happening in parallel with a deep political crisis in which Nicolás Maduro's government faces relentless opposition protests due to the serious economic, food and health crises in the country.
The recent blocking seem to follow the same patterns as on other occasions. According to Venezuela Inteligente:
En el pasado se ha observado el patrón de que luego de que CANTV bloquee un sitio web, siguen los demás proveedores. Volvimos a observar este patrón con el proveedor Movistar que comenzó a bloquear Twitter. Pedimos a la comunidad que estén atentos a futuras noticias relacionadas para ayudar a ejercer presión en caso de un bloqueo más permanente.
There seems to be pattern, as seen in previous blockages, in which once CANTV [the state telecom company, which dominates the national market] blocks a website, the rest of the internet providers follow. We've observed the same pattern with the internet provider Movistar, that started blocking Twitter. We ask the community to pay attention to related future posts to help exert pressure in the event of a more permanent block.
The National Telecommunications Commission (also known as CONATEL, Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones) is the body that all internet providers in the country must answer to.
Taking this into consideration, and in relation to the reported block, journalist and Global Voices contributor Luis Carlos Díaz said in interview with the newspaper El Nacional (The National):
Una autoridad decidió hacerlo sin juicio ni decisión de un tribunal, sino por vía administrativa.
Authorities decided to do it without a judge or jury's decision, but through administrative channels.
On social media, users shared tactics for circumventing web blocking. Journalist Alberto Rodríguez advocated for manually changing one's DNS servers:
Solución para superar bloqueo de ABA CANTV en acceso a #Facebook #YouTube #Twitter e #Instagram: Cambien los DNS #28Jun pic.twitter.com/61Wv49Ttn5
— Alberto Rodríguez (@AlbertoRT51) June 29, 2017
Solution to overcome the blockade from ABA CANTV in relation to accessing #Facebook#YouTube#Twitter e #Instagram: Change your DNS
Jason Voorhees suggested some more user-friendly options:
Repito para quienes NO SEPAN descarguense VPN Gratuitos para PC y Smartphone (burla bloqueo)
-Cyberghost
-HostPot Shield
-TOR
-Tunnel bear
— Jason Voorhees (@Voorhees5Jason) June 29, 2017
For those who DO NOT KNOW download free VPN for PC and Smartphone (mock blockage)
-Cyberghost
-HostPot Shield
-TOR
-Tunnel bear
Luis Carlos Díaz shared on Facebook a call to avoid waiting for the next blockade to be prepared:
Screenshot from Facebook public profile of Luis Carlos Diaz.
Don't wait for Conatel to block the network again like they did last night [to] train yourself in digital security and the use of tools that could help you to win the battle against official censorship.
Last night was madness. It is complicated for the general public to understand what type of connection they have, where the connection comes from, connection configuration and how to differentiate a blockage from another connection issue. Nevertheless, it is time to work on a contingency plan. There are different action levels, and some decent strategies. You do not need magic tools, just the right tool to get around the block without risking your privacy or service speed.
You will not need all of these all at once, but it is important to know how to use them when needed. These won't spare us from a total and definitive shutdown, but we should make it costly for the ones in power… Like last night when they blocked the access through DNS to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram (access was available from mobile applications), and it was back one hour later.
Venezuela Inteligente's director reminded its followers of the seriousness of these blockades:
Nunca minimeces un bloqueo en #internetVE por saber cómo cambiar tu DNS
Es una violación de los derechos de TODOS
— Andres Azpurua (@andresAzp) June 29, 2017
Never underestimate the impact of blocking on #internetVE just because you know how to change your DNS. It is a violation to EVERYONE's rights.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


text:
Marvel’s Queer Latina Superhero Prompts Praise, Criticism and Everything in Between · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

First book covers of America's series of comic books. Taken from Marvel's Digital Comic Shop.
Earlier this year, a new comic book series debuted starring America Chavez, the first female, Latino and queer character to appear in the Marvel Universe.
Many readers celebrated the news, saying the series will open up space for conversations about immigration, identity and sexuality, precisely at a time of high political and social tension in the United States.
Others, however, argued that the focus on identity came at the expense of the story.
The America Chavez series isn't just centered on identity, but also in the idea of self-discovery. According to the presentation on the Marvel website, America is not only a superhero who takes down bad guys, but also one that believes in education and one's own exploration: “What's a super-powered teenager do when she's looking for a little fulfillment? She goes to college!”
Ms. America Chavez. She is Marvel's only running female-led queer solo title and one of the only queer WoC to have had a solo title. (1) pic.twitter.com/FUIjHG3JI8
— ?Mary? (@sapphicgeek) June 10, 2017
The series is written by novelist Gabby Rivera and illustrated by Joe Quinones, and it has called the attention of a wide array of online media devoted to both gay and Latino issues. As quoted in The Huffington Post, America Chavez’s authors wanted the book covers to be a mix of different cultural references with iconic “images from the Beatles to Celia Cruz […] We discussed folks who have tremendous impact on American culture while also existing at the intersection of many identities”:
America Chavez will not be the only character in the book with an intersecting identity,” Rivera said. “She will not be the sole representation of queer people and women and Latinas. There will be communities of folks all around her testing their super powers and finding strength within themselves. We’ve been very intentional with reflecting different body types and gender presentations. Our characters are black, Afro-Latinx, Asian, mixed and everything in between — like literally running the gamut of melanin, you know?
The author underlined how constructing the character also fulfilled the dream of seeing women “like her” in comic books: curvy and complex women of color.
The story and the character, however, have not been free of criticism and controversy. The first issues have received some harsh reviews online, saying the series puts “gender first, story second.” Comments under some of the video reviews and articles about the series were critical of the writing and opined that elevating America Chavez’s sexual and cultural identity to such a degree is actually a disservice to the cause she’s trying to defend:
The dialogue was terrible, the Spanglish was racist (at best), the plot jumped around between various irrelevant points with little connection, the political commentary was a subtle as a sledgehammer, and there wasn't a single character with any sort of development (other than “random girlfriend whom the reader never gave a reason to care about broke up with the protagonist, in what might be one of the least realistic exchanges of dialogue ever written”).
The author is apparently hoping that “MINORITY LESBIAN YASSSS!!” will be enough to cover up for her complete inability to write either characters or plot lines, but this comic is so completely terrible in every aspect that I doubt she'll get away with calling everyone who points out its plethora of flaws “racist/homophobic”.
The complexities of representation were also widely discussed by some of the YouTube users, who claimed that putting certain elements of identity before anything else is not enough to make a reader identify with a character:
As a Latina myself, I am disgusted and insulted by America Chavez. I'm supposed to love and identify with this character? On what grounds? […] Why should I care about her or her story? Because she's a Latina queer? So what? That doesn't make her interesting. There are Latina queers all over the place here. That's not unique at all. […] I DON'T CARE if the main character of a comic is the same race or gender as me! Tell me a GOOD STORY with GOOD CHARACTERS! If the story and characters are solid and well written, then it won't MATTER what race, gender, sexuality, or creed that character is! Labels don't make a character. CHARACTER makes a character! And America Chavez has ZERO CHARACTER.
The YouTube Latino channel Pero Like (associated with BuzzFeed) also featured the character in their video “LatiNoticias” with its own biting analysis:
It's pretty fun that a character with the potential to excite so much hate from right-wing conservatives is literally named America. That's like if I named a new contraceptive Freedom Pills, or if her sidekick was a gender-nonconforming bald eagle. America Chavez was the third choice for the superhero's name after Marvel passed on “Uracis Ifudonlykme” [You’re racist if you don’t like me] and “Sue-Kit White Concervadores” [Suck it, white conservatives].

author: Laura Vidal


text:
‘En Mi Idioma’ Allows Colombian Indigenous Communities to Contribute Online Language Lessons · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Screenshot of the video “Süchikua Woumain – Ruta de la Memoria Oral e intangible del Pueblo Wayuu” by Ramiro Epiayu Morales. Video uploaded to En Mi Idioma and available under a Creative Commons license
For indigenous communities across Colombia, sharing knowledge in their own language can mean ensuring that the next generation has access to important elements of their culture. To facilitate this important education, six indigenous communities have been contributing language lessons, multimedia, and first-hand testimonials to an online platform called En Mi Idioma (In My Language).
The project is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the Colombian non-governmental organization Colnodo. Training is provided to those communities that express an interest in participating, and groups are given the option of making the content available exclusively to community members who are given a special username and password. Some communities, however, choose to make all of their materials freely available to the general public interested in learning more about the language and culture.
Namtrik, Nasa Yuwe, Emberá Chamí, Wayuunaiki, Barí, and Kichwa are the native languages available on the platform, as well as the Palenquero language, a creole language based on Spanish.
For example, in the introduction on the Emberá Chamí sub-site, there is an explanation that contributing to the site also encourages the development of the writing system:
…en nuestro pueblo hay discusiones sobre cómo escribir nuestro idioma, pues durante años fuimos y seguimos siendo culturas de lo oral, pero hoy como estrategia de pervivencia consideramos importante construir un código escrito. Es por esto que encontrarás diferencias en algunos textos escritos en Êbêrâ Β'e'dea, eso no te debe angustiar, por el contrario ¡anímate a enriquecer nuestro idioma con tus aportes!
…in our community, there are discussions about how to write our language, for many years we have been and continue to be an oral-based culture, but as a survival strategy we consider that it is important to build a written code. It is for that reason that you may might find some differences in the written texts in Êbêrâ Β'e'dea (Embera Chamí), but that shouldn’t distress you, on the contrary, we encourage you to enrich our language with your contributions!
Some of the language lessons created by the Emberá Chamí contributors focus on typical foods (“Chi chikorârâ”), animals (“Chi ânimârârâ”) and plants (“Chi ‘Bakururâ”), life cycles (“ariwayu”), and everyday words (“Dachi aribia bedeabari”).
To assist with writing in the language, the Emberá Chamí site also provides a virtual keyboard to reproduce letters that may not be available on some keyboards.
Screenshot of the virtual keyboard for Emberá Chamí.
Recognizing that many who wish to access this content may not have a reliable internet connection, En Mi Idioma is also available in an offline format. This helps to ensure that the efforts by the indigenous communities creating multimedia and language lessons can reach the intended audience.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Erdogan’s Post-Evolutionary Turkey Floods School Classrooms, Threatens Universities · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

Photo of Recep Tayyip Erdogan taken from r4bia.com. Creative commons.
While the earlier education reforms of Turkey's socially conservative AKP (Justice and Development Party) pointed towards inclusiveness, the current ones have a far more troubling direction.
Not content with removing around 45,000 education ministry staff from the government payroll following an abortive coup in July last year, Turkey's ruling party is now looking to take down Darwin.
Last month the government announced that the theory of evolution would be removed from the teaching curriculum at Turkish schools until students reach university.
The announcement adds to evidence cited by concerned secularists who suggest Turkey's education system is being remodelled in line with President Erdogan's bid to raise “pious generations” and forge a “New Turkey”.
Efforts to rejig the country's teaching curriculum along more religious lines are not new, dating back at least as February 2012.
What has changed since is President Erdogan's seemingly unassailable position in post-coup attempt and post-referendum Turkey.
Despite its shrunken majority and the ever-increasing polarization of the Turkish electorate — or perhaps because of these things — AKP is pushing its policy agenda more aggressively than ever before.
Along with the ban on evolution in the classroom, the AKP educational reforms will see the government's narrative on the 2016 coup attempt embedded in school syllabi, while class time dedicated to modern Turkey's secular founder Kemal Attaturk will be reduced.
Forced enrolment of some school-age students into controversial religious imam-hatip state schools is another feature of the new education agenda.
The AKP government won praise from both liberals and conservatives for managing to reverse the country's repressive ban on headscarfs in universities back in 2010. The move allowed women from observant Muslim families to receive further education.
But the imam-hatip schools have faced criticism for discouraging girls from doing that very thing. Secularists see the schools growing role in Turkey's education system as yet another sign that AKP is trying to recast the country in its own traditionalist image.
According to the head of curriculum for the Turkish education ministry, teaching evolution in schools is “controversial”, but opponents of the ban were quick to side with science.
Evrim müfredattan çıkarıldı, biyoloji ders saati %33 azaltılırken din dersi saati % 100 arttırıldı. İran'ı kısa zamanda geçeriz İnşaAllah!
— yavuz özmen (@yavuz_ozmen) June 28, 2017
They have removed evolution from the curriculum, biology class hours have been reduced by 33%, while religion class hours have been increased by 100%. God willing, we are going to get ahead of Iran soon.
Evrim teorisi dersi kalkıyormuş arkadaşlar, arttık neyin dersini verecekler çocuklarımıza onu merak ediyorum ???
— Ugras Coskun Bagcı (@UgrasBagc) June 28, 2017
They are removing evolution theory class. I am not wondering what they are going to teach our children.
Okullarda evrim dersleri okutulmayacak ama şeriat ceza hukuku din dersi okutulacak # işte yeni Türkiye anlayışı
— ATATÜRKÇÜ BİRİSİ (@MehmetEkremVar2) June 25, 2017
There won't be any classes on evolution. But there are classes on Sharia criminal law and religion. This is the meaning of ‘New Turkey’.
Biyoloji dersi ilk ders ilk slayt; evrim bir gerçektir, tartışılamaz. 29 yıldır aklımda. Hoca haklıydı.
— bülent baştürk (@bulent_basturk) April 10, 2017
Biology class, first class, first slide: evolution is real, and cannot be argued against. I have remembered this for 29 years. The teacher was right.
The international response has also been critical:
#Erdogan continues to change #Turkey‘s identity by erasing evolution from the country's education curriculum.https://t.co/tpxK0ekhjR
— HRF (@HRF) June 23, 2017
Currently the evolution ban only applies to schools, but many fear that universities are being targeted for a serious government-led overhaul, too. Thousands of academics were dismissed from their jobs following the military coup, while out of 180 universities currently operating in Turkey, 15 were shut down.

author: Arzu Geybullayeva


text:
Many Mozambicans Aren’t on Board With a Minister’s Idea of Using Old Buses as Classrooms · Global Voices
Alexandre Nhampossa

Photo: Rosino/Flickr CC-BY-SA 2.0
Small entrepreneurial initiatives that seem to hold great potential for social transformation are a journalistic cliché in Africa.
From houses built of bottles to bicycles that charge cellphones – and innumerable applications capable of solving everything, from good weather out in the fields to corruption – these initiatives generally involve some type of superficial solution for serious structural problems and yet are reported with clear enthusiasm.
Recently, when a Mozambican minister suggested using old buses from municipal public transport companies as classrooms, local Internet users reacted with scorn and indignation. “In the end this is how we combat poverty, taking the poor to the trash?” remarked one commenter.
The suggestion was given by Minister of Transport and Communications Carlos Mesquita after visiting the public transport companies of the cities of Maputo and Matola, where he noticed that dozens of old buses are lying unused.
The minister then proposed the idea of using the old buses for the education sector, which is also facing serious problems with infrastructure, leading many students to study under trees. On 22 June the newspaper MediaFax published his statement:
A transformação de autocarros paralisados em salas de aulas pode ser uma solução a dar aos autocarros que já não servem para o transporte. Sabemos que a questão de alunos sentados no chão e ao relento é um problema social que preocupa a todos. Claro que será necessário fazer algumas adaptações, mas as diferentes partes do autocarro podem também ser aproveitadas nesse sentido
The transformation of unused buses into classrooms could be a solution to employ for the buses which now do not serve as transport. We know that the question of students sitting on the ground and in the dew is a social problem that worries everybody. Obviously it will be necessary to make some adaptations, but the different parts of the bus could also be used with this idea in mind.
Rafael Machalela, a Mozambican journalist who was covering the visit, told Global Voices about the reaction of those present to the suggestion:
Aquilo suscitou alguma gargalhada nos jornalistas e na comitiva ministerial por não terem entendido os moldes, em concreto, de como as carcaças seriam usadas como salas de aula.
That caused some laughter among the journalists and the ministerial committee for not having understood how, concretely, the old buses would be used as classrooms.
On social media, the idea provoked negative reactions.
Many emphasized the state’s obligation to provide quality education to the population, pointing to the recent purchase of expensive Mercedes Benz cars for the Assembly of the Republic as proof that public resources could be better used.
On Facebook, for example, Domingos Gundana posed the question:
Eu não entendi a inovação sugerida para albergar os filhos do povo (…) Senhor ministro diz que nossos filhos, sim nós pobres, merecem o lixo das empresas? afinal é assim que combatemos a pobreza, levando os pobres para o lixo? Será que seu neto vai aceitar estudar na escola machimbombo do lixo?Não tenho nada contra a reciclagem, mas sugerir que filhos de pobres sejam entulhados nas carcaças de lixo das empresas, Hummmm, demais não acha?
I did not understand the innovation suggested for sheltering the people’s children […] Mr. Minister said that our children, yes us poor, deserve the companies’ trash? In the end, is it like this that we combat poverty, taking the poor to the trash? Would your grandson accept studying in a school of buses from the trash? I have nothing against recycling, but to suggest that the children of the poor be squeezed into the old buses from the companies’ trash, Hummmm, too much, don’t you think?
Chell Evaristo preferred to talk about the risks that the buses could pose to the students:
Com tantos riscos de oxidação (ferrugem) e acúmulo de muita coisa prejudicial à saúde, esse ministro encheu a boca para sugerir uma coisa daquelas a uma camada tão propensa a doenças? Com um Mercedes daqueles que compraram quantas salas de aulas teriam essas crianças? Enfim, não achei correta essa ideia numa altura em que há pessoas que têm direito de um carro avaliado em quase 5.000.000.00mt [220 mil dólares americanos] e por cima sem pagar combustível e nem manutenção da mesma
With so many risks of oxidation (rust) and the accumulation of many things harmful to health, did this minister proudly suggest something to a sector of society so prone to illnesses? With one of the Mercedes that they bought, how many classrooms would those children have? Anyway, I did not think this idea correct, at a time where there are people entitled to a car valued at around 5,000,000,00mt [220,000 US dollars] and without even paying for their fuel or maintenance.
In a post by university professor Julião Cumbane in which he asked what his followers think of the idea, Rosário Cumbane commented:
Eu penso que esta forma propositada de pensar do ministro é de mediocridade uma vez que revela uma banalização de um sector tão importante qual é da educação. Ele não podia pensar no melhor para educação. Por outro lado, esta tentativa revela também alguma inconsistência na gestão da área do sector de transporte. Na minha opinião, se ele quisesse ajudar em alguma coisa, transformaria os Mercedes Benz em machimbombos para transporte público de passageiros
I think that the minister's deliberate way of thinking is mediocre as it reveals a banalization of a sector as important as education. He could not think of the best for education. On the other hand, this attempt also reveals an inconsistency in the management of the transport sector. In my opinion, if he wanted to help with something, he would turn the Mercedes Benz into buses for public transport for passengers
For their part, the parliament members of Movimento Democrático de Moçambique (Democratic Movement of Mozambique), who act as opposition to the government of ruling party FRELIMO, argued that the idea showed a “lack of creativity” and also alluded to incomes from exporting wood:
A sugestão revela o défice de criatividade, esgotamento de imaginação e sobretudo o desinteresse pela dignidade e bem-estar para os cidadãos. Pois, Moçambique tem todo tipo de recursos para construir salas de aulas condignas, com carteiras de qualidade pois o nosso País é rico em madeira. Mas para nossa frustração essa madeira é enviada para China. Com esta sugestão o Ministro vem provar ao que todo povo já sabe e disso está muito consciente: o governo do dia e o seu partido já não tem ideias para Moçambique.
The suggestion reveals the lack of creativity, the exhaustion of imagination and above all the disinterest for the dignity and well-being of citizens. Since Mozambique has all types of resources for building decent classrooms with quality desks, as our country is rich in wood. But to our frustration that wood is sent to China. With that suggestion the minister proved what everybody already knew and is very aware of: the government of the day and his party now have no ideas for Mozambique.
Similarly thinking of utilizing income from wood, Fabião Agostinho wrote on his Facebook wall:
Mas o senhor tem consciência do que diz..? Porque iremos optar nesta alternativa se o nosso país produz muita madeira capaz de suprir as difíceis de Cadeiras nas Salas de Aula..? Porque iremos imitar sistemas de países com défices de Madeira se nós temos estes recursos em abundante. Se levassem o Dinheiro da Compra dos Mercedes-Benz e edificassem mais Salas de Aulas, não iriam minimizar esta crise..?
But is the gentleman aware of what he is saying? Why would we choose this alternative if our country produces a lot of wood capable of meeting the difficulties of classroom seats..? Because we will imitate systems of countries which lack wood although we have these resources in abundance. If they took the money for purchasing the Mercedes-Benz and built more classrooms, would they not reduce this crisis?
Although they were a minority, there were also Internet users who received the minister’s suggestion positively. For example, Luís Mazoio supported the idea, referencing a dramatic scene he recently witnessed in one of the schools of Mozambique’s capital:
Sr Ministro Mesquita autorize por favor que aqueles autocarros sejam imediatamente distribuídos pelas escolas necessitadas. Passei ontem por volta das 6.30 da manha por uma escola na aldeia Samora Machel no distrito de Marracuene, bem a beira da estrada nacional. Ainda havia nevoeiro pelo que não deu para tirar fotografia. O professor coitado circulava pelo pátio com os meninos procurando por um lugar que já tivesse raios solares para sentar e ensinar aqueles meninos tossindo e congelando de frio. Era de partir o coração. Mande Já as carcaças Sr. Ministro. E hoje são 23 graus de temperatura máxima.
Mr. Minister Mesquita, please immediately authorize the distribution of buses to the needy schools. Yesterday around 6:30 in the morning I passed by a school in the village Samora Machel in the district of Marracuene, just at the edge of the national road. There was still fog so I could not take photographs. The poor teacher went round the courtyard with the boys looking for a place which already had some sunshine to sit and teach those boys coughing and freezing from the cold. It was heart-breaking. Send the old buses, Mr Minister. And today it is 23 degrees temperature maximum.
Muzila Nhatsave was another person who looked favourably on the idea, writing:
Boa ideia acho (…) quantas crianças aqui mesmo em Maputo sentam no chão e com este frio. Só quem nunca sentou debaixo de uma árvore para aprender o ABC pode achar estúpida essa ideia. Aqui na Matola há escolas sem salas de aulas suficientes e bem próximas a empresa a menos de 2 km. Quem nunca viu autocarro a ser transformado em restaurante , take away.?
Good idea, I think […] how many children here even in Maputo sit on the ground and in this cold. Only those who never sat under a tree to learn the ABCs could think this idea stupid. Here in Matola there are schools without enough classrooms and are just near to the company, less than 2 km away. Who never saw a bus transformed into a takeaway restaurant?
Bitone Viage asked ironically that damaged light cars be transformed into rooms for daycare centers:
Parabéns meu Ministro, peço também para avisar aos ministérios disponibilizarem aquelas sucatas de carros ligeiros para serem transformados em creches.
Congratulations to my minister, I also ask you to advise the ministries to make those light scrap cars available to be turned into nurseries.
The suggestion also got some humorous reactions. ” Selling: Classrooms”. Post by Sérgio Chaúque, on Facebook.

author: Alexandre Nhampossa


text:
The ‘Chain of Care’ Allowing Mothers to Attend College in Paraguay Has Nothing to Do with Government · Global Voices
Kurtural

While attempting to obtain a psychology degree, Cristina Moreno Re (25) works in a store, which requires her to be away from home also during the weekends. Photography by Juan Carlos Meza, used with permission.
The following is a republication of a portion of the series #PaísDeLasMujeres, part of a Global Voices partnership with Kurtural.
Clara Guillén was refused the opportunity to take a test at a law school because she took her young daughter to the campus with her. “Come to study when you have finished raising your children,” Concepcion Sanchez, a professor at the National University of Asunción (UNA) told her that day.
In May 2016 Bethania Ruiz Díaz, a student at the same school, endured a similar fate when she went to class with her baby who was only a few months old.
María de el Mar Pereira, the teacher who sent her away, told her:  “[This] is not a nursery, but a university.” She added that she should find someone to leave her son with.
“I could not answer because it left me stunned, I felt powerless and denigrated,” says Ruiz Diaz.
Although the professors changed their positions when the cases were made public, Guillén and Ruiz Diaz, like many other college-student mothers, still face a system that discriminates against mothers who want to study on a daily basis.
The fate of the two mother-students caused the faculty’s students center (CE) to push for the creation of a day care facility, but the proposal was not accepted. According to Alejandro Koopmann, a member of the CE, the project sputtered when President Horacio Cartes vetoed the necessary budgetary expansion, along with the rest of the general budget, in 2017.
Despite the growing participation of women in the labor market in Latin America, their historically assigned roles as carers of children and household labourers has remained unchanged. If not mothers, then it is grandmothers, aunts or sisters who do the region's “unpaid work”.
According to a survey carried out by the General Office of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses (DGEEC), Paraguayan women dedicate more than half of their time to family care and household work, even more than in countries such as Argentina and Uruguay.
“The idea that paid work might release a woman [from caring responsibilities] has not yet occurred,” said Silvia Federici, a writer and feminist activist, in a recent interview with El Diario
“Women now have two jobs and much less time for things like taking part in social and political movements,” she says.
Or studying, for that matter.
Cristina Moreno Re, age 25, is a fourth year psychology student at UNA who also works as a salesperson in a store and is the mother of five-year-old Gaspar.
“Taking care of children is a tiring and energy-consuming work,” she says. But in the eyes of their coworkers, “women cannot get tired of taking care of our children.”
She works a 42-hour week on average, while care for Gaspar is mostly divided between her mother, and the mother of Gaspar's father, from whom she is separated.
She thinks herself lucky. Since Gaspar began kindergarten she has found a schedule that works for the entire family, and can still take him to school every day. This is a privilege in Paraguay, where only three out of ten children have access to pre-school education.
Perhaps most importantly, the fact that Gaspar is going to kindergarten also allows her time to finish her degree. But at the National University of Asunción School of Philosophy there are no alternatives  for mothers of young children.
“Faculty usually allows for children to stay in the classroom. Every year demand for daycare [grows], but the [administration] always argues there is no budget for it,” says Jazmin Colonel, the Vice President of the Student Union for that University.
Although there is no data on the number of students who drop out of school to fulfil their childcare responsibilities, Colonel says that many do so.
The situation of student-mothers at private universities is actually no different. Cristina’s 24-year-old sister, Romina Moreno Re, attends a veterinary school at Columbia University in the capital city of Asunción.
She went into labour right after a school test. Giving birth to her daughter Alicia prevented her from finishing her tests.
“According to them [the provost at her University], it was too late when I applied for a delay [to have an extension],” she said.
Like Cristina, Romina Moreno also depends on her mother to look after her daughter, who is now 20-months-old.
“My mother works in a store […] If her or my sister cannot babysit my daughter, then my husband does. He watches her, but not as much as I do, which is 20 hours per day”, Romina explains.
The difference in society's expectations regarding the time men and women should spend watching their children is reflected in the different lengths allowed for maternity and paternity leave in Paraguay; maternity leave is 18 weeks, while paternity leave is two weeks.
Romina used to work organizing social events, but is only attending school currently. Motherhood has changed many aspects of her life.
“People no longer invite you out, or they ask you to come with your children; if you go by yourself they ask you who you left your children with. [This is] something men are never questioned on,” she says.
If the access to pre-school education is limited, coverage of child care services, whether public or private are almost non-existent. The Secretary of the Children’s Office in the country says that it does not even have data on childcare services in the country.
The resonance of the events that occurred at the law school in UNA inspired a congressional bill that Representative Hugo Rubin initiated. The bill would force both public and private universities to allocate money for day care facilities, but it is still awaiting approval.
Since “the provision of child care has not yet reached the category of a societal right”, says sociologist Karina Batthyány, the greatest challenge is faced by women in the lower and middle classes, who often have to decide between work and attending school.
For mothers such as Bethania Ruiz, and Cristina and Romina Moreno, the traditional ‘chain of care’ — mothers, sisters and mothers-in-law — is the only form of support there is.

author: Kurtural