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Spanish Youth in Exile: “We’re Not Leaving, They’re Kicking Us Out!” · Global Voices
Elena Arrontes

Youth unemployment in Spain, one of the tragic consequences of the crisis that this country is living through, stands at 55.6%. Last year, the European Union called for urgent action to combat this alarming number. After 15 months in office, the People's Party (PP) finally presented a Plan for Youth Employment [es] (with a Twitter account at @empleo_joven) while simultaneously assuring that the country will overcome the crisis. They have talked about “green sprouts” as a symbol of the supposed economic recovery. The people feel otherwise, and insecurity continues to expand [es] since the last labor reform. Spanish labor unions have given warning that if this plan does not tally with the growth measures, its effect could be limited.
In 2012, the number of Spanish youths (between the ages of 15 and 29) residing abroad rose to 302,623 [es], not counting those who have not registered in their host countries’ consulates. Many have gone abroad for economic reasons related to the lack of employment in Spain or poor contract conditions. The Juventudes sin Futuro (Youth Without a Future) movement has launched a campaign entitled “We're not leaving, they're kicking us out” [es], with a Twitter hashtag with the same name, in response to the current labor problems. The initiative debunks statements from Marina de Corral that attribute the exile to “young peoples’ spirit of adventure.” [es] The campaign's blog has different sections, one of which is dedicated to mapping out young people looking for a better future in different parts of the world, with some never finding it. They explain it in the blog in the following way:
El Diagonal Homepage.
Si bien es cierto que la media europea de paro juvenil (un 22,5%) es muy inferior a la española, encontrar trabajo no está garantizado. Y más allá de Europa, l@s jóvenes españoles están empezando a optar por otros destinos como Latinoamérica y Asia. Generalmente, los trabajos que realizan l@s jóvenes en el extranjero también se encuentran caracterizados por la precariedad, con jornadas laborales muy largas y sueldos muy bajos que no aseguran una vida digna, y menos un futuro.
While it is true that the average youth unemployment in Europe (22.5%) is much less than its equivalent in Spain, finding a job is not guaranteed. And beyond Europe, Spanish youths are starting to opt for other destinations such as Latin America and Asia. Generally speaking, the jobs that young people get abroad are also characterized by instability, with long working hours and low wages that do not ensure a decent life, and even less so a future.
Youth in unstable conditions. Photo taken with permission from gritopolítico.es
By clicking on various points on the map [es], we are able to access the stories and experiences of the young people in exile:
Marcos, 26, has gotten an indefinite contract as an Engineer of Roads, Canals, and Ports in Austria. He explains his motives behind his decision to leave Spain:
Tras casi un año buscando, recibiendo negativas (los pocos que contestaban) y perdiendo el tiempo, decidí transformar la desesperación en nuevos retos.
After almost a year of searching, receiving rejection letters (from the few that responded), and wasting time, I decided to transform despair into new challenges.
Others have not been so lucky. Such is the case of Alex, an unemployed emigrant in Romania, who would like to return home since his situation is not improving:
Llevaba viviendo en España desde los 14 años y este año después de hartarme de pedir para comer, migre a Rumanía donde tenía familia. Esto te destruye mentalmente ya que mi vida se construyó en España donde tenía amistades, conocidos y todo mi mundo. Ahora me quedan los recuerdos de lo que un día tuve.
I had been living in Spain since I was 14 years old and this year, after getting tired of asking for money for food, I emigrated to Romania where I had family. This destroys you mentally since my life was built in Spain where I had friends, acquaintances, my entire world. Now all I have left is memories of what I once had.
Raquel, 25, previously a teacher in Spain, has to conform to having a job without a contract in Ireland as an au pair:
Después de acabar la carrera de Magisterio y un Máster empecé a trabajar como maestra en España. Con el tiempo empezaron los recortes en educación…y luego se acabó el trabajo para los más jóvenes. Después de malvivir con trabajos temporales (cuando los había) durante un año decidí que era hora de hacer las maletas e ir a buscar nuevos objetivos. Aquí estoy ahora, en contacto con la “educación” y mejorando mi inglés… Más de lo que podía pedir en mi tierra!
After receiving my undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, I began working as a teacher in Spain. With time came cuts to education… and later the jobs ended for most young people. After barely making it with temp jobs (when I could get them) for a year, I decided it was time to pack my backs and go in search of new objectives. Here I am now, in contact with “education” and improving my English… More than I could ask for in my country!
Many wish to return to their country of origin but are aware that Spain, at the moment, does not offer stability nor the prospect of a decent future, but rather a greater dependency on family and unstable work conditions, if any at all.

author: Elena Arrontes


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Accidental Email Exposes Trolls of Governing Party in Spain · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

Opinion-givers, commentators, indoctrinators or more commonly trolls, are collateral damage of the new forms of communication. These are people who leave comments on social networks, forums and news sites to try to influence public opinion in some way. Sometimes they volunteer and sometimes they are paid. Companies, organizations and political parties use them, as much to favor the consumption of a product as to support their own political decisions or criticize those of another party. They spend several hours a day leaving messages of this kind using one or many accounts and they change their identity often to avoid being connected to these activities. The companies and political organizations firmly and systematically deny having anything to do with these opinion-givers.
On February 21, 2013, the online newspaper Renovación Balear.es [es], from the Periodista digital (Digital Journalist) [es] website, published an article entitled The Balearic PP employs a group of ‘opinion-givers’ who comment online [es] [PP is the acronym for the Popular Party], in which it affirmed:
Desde las esferas de las distintas administraciones, aunque también desde el mismísimo Parlament, reciben todas las mañanas correos electrónicos con argumentarios claros y precisos sobre cómo rebatir las noticias que, de alguna manera, perjudican al Partido Popular balear.
(…)
Los protagonistas y destinatarios pertenecen a una especie de legión compuesta por una veintena de personas que deben rebatir, a saco, las libres opiniones que navegan en Internet de la mano de los ciudadanos, y que se vierten en los inevitables foros que emergen al pie de todas las noticias que publican los digitales locales.
From the spheres of the different administrations, although from the Parliament [es] itself as well, they receive emails every morning with clear and precise arguments about how to rebut the news that, in some way, is detrimental to the Balearic Popular Party.
(…)
The protagonists and receivers belong to a type of legion composed of about twenty people who must rebut, intensely, the opinions that freely navigate the Internet at the hand of the citizens, and that are poured out in the inevitable forums that emerge at the foot of all the news pieces published on local news websites.
It only took a month for these suppositions to be proven true. On March 15 the Popular Party of the Balearic Islands [es] accidentally sent an email [es] to the media which was meant for its trolls. This email included instructions about the news that they should comment on and advice on how to intervene in the commentary. Here are some extracts from the leaked email (the complete message can be read in the image that accompanies this text):
Buenos días OPINADORES,
Estas son las noticias del día para comentar:
Ayer el Gabinet de comunicación envió una nota de prensa de desmentido de lo que está diciendo la oposición (…). Si queréis tuitear la noticia os dejamos el tuit que pusimos ayer desde GPP [Grupo Parlamentario Popular]. Y para comentar en los digitales en la nota de prensa tenéis todos los argumentos para su defensa!
(…)
Máximo respeto hacia aquellos que quieran secundar la huelga. Desde el PP creemos que ante la situación en la que nos encontramos las cosas no se solucionan haciendo una huelga.
(…)
El presidente Bauzá y el conseller Company presentan esta mañana a las 11h el Plan de Alquiler para 2013. Es muy importante estar atentos al twitter para poder difundir a tope por redes esta buena noticia. (…).
Good morning OPINION-GIVERS,
Here is today's news to comment on:
Yesterday the Communication Cabinet sent out a press release to refute what the opposition is saying (…). If you want to tweet the news we will give you the tweet that we sent out yesterday from the GPP [Popular Parliamentary Group]. And to comment on the press release on digital media here are all the arguments for its defense!
(…)
Maximum respect for those who want to support the strike. We at the PP believe that, faced with this situation which we find ourselves in, things will not be solved with a strike.
(…)
President Bauzá and Minister Company will present the Rent Plan for 2013 at 11am this morning. It is very important that you pay attention to Twitter to be able to spread this good news at full speed.. (…).
Shot of the leaked email. Image from the blog diseccionandoelpais with license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 ES
The news, published by several media outlets, was spread quickly by social networks, forums and online newspapers, which are the first victims of these trolls.
Paco Bello [es], on Iniciativa Debate (Debate Initiative) [es], informs us about the website where the Balearic PP finds its opinion-givers, who they call changers:
No os perdáis la página de captación de trolls (no quiere esto decir que todos acaben siéndolo): http://www.canviadors.org/es/pp-balears-se-un-cambiador.html
Pero que solo en Baleares ya tengan 2051 miembros, significa que en todo el Estado la cifra puede ser escandalosa.
Don't miss the page where the trolls are drawn in (I don't mean to say that they all end up being one): http://www.canviadors.org/es/pp-balears-se-un-cambiador.html [es]
Considering that in the Balearic Islands there are already 2,051 members, in the whole country the number could be scandalous.
Litio5000 [es], on Foro Coches (Car Forum) [es], sharply reminds us of the last PP corruption scandal:
Yo me vendo al mejor postor ¿cuánto se pilla? ¿en sobre o declarado?
I will sell myself to the highest bidder. How much does one make? Under the table or legally?
In Menéame, where this piece of news was the most read and voted on, jonasleioi [es] comments that the methods could be much worse:
Me siento raro. Me está gustando que paguen a opinadores, o que tengan una legión de fan boys. Me gusta que intenten convencer.
Hasta no hace mucho, habrían elegido medios más violentos y amenazas para dominar a una población que se les subleva.
Es un avance.
I feel strange. I like that they pay the opinion-givers, or that they have a legion of fan boys. I like that they are trying to convince people.
Up until not long ago, they would have chosen more violent and threatening ways to dominate a population that rises up against them.
It is a step forward.
On the same site, momentoflector [es] makes a satirical point:
Esta noticia es falsa, opino que no deberían publicarse falsedades.
Lo importante es que vamos a salir de la crisis con las medidas del gobierno.
PD. ¿lo he hecho bien? ¿Qué hay de lo mío?
This news is false, in my opinion lies should not be published.
The important thing is that we are going to come out of the economic crisis with the measures of the government.
PS Did I do a good job? Now what's in it for me?
Twitter also echoed news about the accidental email. Lupe and Noógrafo tweeted:
@Lupe_: Acabo de leer lo delLapsusMail. Cada vez estoy más convencida de que la comunicación del PP la lleva el PSOE.
@Lupe_: I just read about the Accidental Email. I am becoming more and more convinced that the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) is in charge of the PP's communications.
@noografo: ¿Es cierto que son tan rematadamente idiotas en el #PP o solo nos están entreteniendo? ‘Lapsus mail': Opinadores http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2013/03/15/baleares/1363344620.html …
@noografo: Is is true that they are so utterly stupid at the #PP or are they just entertaining us? ‘Accidental  email': Opinion-givers http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2013/03/15/baleares/1363344620.html …[es]
A good part of those tweeting expressed their indignation about these practices, like David Lopez Canales and Diego Obiol:
@Lopezydavid: @TCAvendano@elmundoes y lo peor es que esto lo tienen todos los partidos. Y lo aún peor que hay ‘opinadores’ que llaman para pedirlo…
@Lopezydavid: @TCAvendano@elmundoes and the worst thing is that all of the parties have this. And even worse is that there are ‘opinion-givers’ that ask to do it…
@dobiol: Lapsus-Mail, #elconcepto y #laevidencia > la maquinaria de des-información del PP nutrida de opinadores en nómina.
@dobiol: Lapsus Email, #elconcepto and #laevidencia > the dis-información machine of the PP fed by paid opinion-givers.
The website Renovación Balear.es [es], which as was mentioned at the beginning, was the first to denounce these practices on the islands, ventures:
Esta mala praxis, se deduce, se extiende por ende a todas las comunidades autónomas, y deja bien a las claras cómo se las gasta el partido y de qué forma se afana por controlar y manipular desde la sombra lo más elemental: el derecho a expresarse libremente sin interferencias ni distorsiones.
This bad practice, it can be assumed, therefore extends to all the autonomous communities, and leaves quite clear how the party spends and how it makes an effort to control and manipulate from the sideline the most elemental thing: the right to express oneself freely and without interferences or distortions.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Lourdes Sada


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Happy Nowruz from Central Asia! · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

How do people in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan celebrate Nowruz today? NewEurasia.net bloggers have produced a video that gives you an idea.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Chinese Microblogger Detained After Questioning Dead Pigs Scandal · Global Voices
Abby Liu

A Shanghai poet was detained for questioning by Chinese police after she posted to popular microblogging site Sina Weibo calling on her followers to take a stroll en masse along the Huangpu River to bring attention to the waterway where nearly 15,000 dead pigs have recently been found floating.
The dead pigs scandal and the resulting fears of contaminated tap water have become a hot topic of discussion online since the first carcasses were discovered on March 7, 2013. Web users have posted sarcastic pictures to poke fun at the situation, and some have questioned the government's management of the incident.
But outspoken poet Pan Ting was detained by police and banned from Weibo after she published on March 14, 2013 for her 50,000 followers a call for an organized walk along the Huangpu River [zh], although she mentioned that it was meant as a “pure stroll” without any banners or slogans.
Soon after, local police visited her home. Pan was forced to hand in all her communication devices and “drink tea” with police, a term used to describe interrogations by police about a person's online activities.
Pan Ting wrote on her other Weibo account “Pan Ting's backyard”: “The police has come to my home, and my mom is crying.”
After she was released, Pan commented on her other Weibo account “Pan Ting's backyard” [zh]:
诗人潘婷的后花园: 之前被禁言，我还愤愤不平打给新浪客服问刑期，短信给好友求声援。這次，我没有！因为我彻底鄙視了，一个连呼吁家园污染、和你們息息相关的声音，你们也关押！我倒要看看你们能关我多久！茶叔至少还说了一句：理解您的初衷。
When I was banned on Weibo before, I used to call Sina customer service with anger and ask how long it would take. I also asked friends to spread the message on Weibo to support me. However, this time I didn't do that. I feel very disappointed. You even shut out a voice concerned about local pollution and your own lives. I will see how long you will shut me out. At least the tea uncle said to me: I understand where you are coming from.
Before proposing the walk, Pan ran into trouble with Weibo's censors, who repeatedly deleted questions that she posted on March 14, 2013 directed at the Shanghai municipal government regarding the dead pigs.
Pan wrote [zh]:
今天，我居然被删哭了…第一次。虽然开博两年來被删过无数。但今天实在受不了。为家乡的黄浦江爭取一份干净，有错吗？
Today, I even cried when my posts were deleted … the first time after having posts deleted for the past two years. I can not stand it. I just want to fight for a clean Huangpu River in our hometown. Is there anything wrong with that?
Many Weibo users showed support for Pan Ting. Writer Zhao Chu called for [zh] more people to pay attention to Pan and her situation:
上海的朋友们，特别是律政和媒体朋友，请关注下有位@诗人潘婷 姑娘。谢谢。PS，有关部门：不必对一个年轻人正常的公益关切搞得那么过敏，阳光明媚，天气晴好，个别人最轻微地表达下对切身环境的意见，这是值得大大赞扬的好事情，没必要风声鹤唳，你们毕竟也是喝黄浦江水的。
Friends in Shanghai, especially friends in law and the media industries, please keep an eye on @Poet Pan Ting. To a certain department: You don't need to be so sensitive with a young girl who just shows her concern about the environment. Some individuals only voiced their opinion; this should be praised. It's not necessary to panic at the slightest sound. After all, you also drink water from the Huangpu River.
Writer Li Minsheng demanded [zh] an explanation for Pan's detention:
一个文弱的小女子，因死猪问题说了几句良心话，却被禁言、禁私信，被迫上交所有通讯方式，甚至还被“失踪”3 小时！她唯一的请求是：“请你们不要再大清早或半夜按我家门铃，让我妈妈害怕。”办过世博会的大上海，为何容不下一个诗人？潘婷触犯了那条法律，请上海面对全国，作出回应！
Just because a young woman said a few honest words about the dead pig issue, she was detained, banned, and forced to hand in all her communication devices. She was even “missing” for three hours! Her only request was: “Please do not come ring my door bell early in the morning or in the middle of the night to scare my mom.” As a big city that has hosted the World Expo, why can't Shanghai tolerate a poet? What law has Pan Ting violated? Please respond to the whole nation, Shanghai!
Xu Qiuhong echoed [zh]:
就五万粉，说了些人话，如临大敌立刻封嘴，所谓的新政原来是一场戏罢了！静观落幕
She only had 50,000 followers, she just said a few words, and she was banned immediately as if she were a big enemy. The so-called “new government” is just a show. Looking forward to seeing all of this come to an end.
While many showed support for Pan Ting, some also questioned the absence of male voices on this issue. Some Weibo users were particularly disappointed with two famous online personalities Han Han and Zhou Libo who have kept silent on the issue. Sports journalist “Lanzhou Banzhuan Ershi” [zh] criticized Shanghai men:
@诗人潘婷 因为追问死猪事件被禁言，有熊猫上门，我在支持她的同时顺带发问——上海有男人吗？至少在潘婷之前我没有听到过有上海男性因为追问这个事情而惹毛政府…..
Poet Pan Ting questioned the dead pigs incident and she was banned. While supporting her, I also want to ask: “Are there any real men in Shanghai?” I haven't heard about any guys in Shanghai getting in trouble with the government by questioning this incident…
Earlier this week Seeing Red in China raised the question as to why Shanghai residents have remained calm about the threat of contaminated water. Perhaps Pan Ting's detention is at least part of the reason.

author: Abby Liu


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Coca Cola Machine ‘Out of Order’ in Australia · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

A nationwide campaign against Coca Cola has followed their successful legal challenge on March 4, 2013 to container deposit legislation in Australia's Northern Territory. Robin Tennant-Wood summed up on The Conversation blog:
After the introduction of the Northern Territory’s CDL scheme last year, multinational beverage giant, Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA), announced that it would mount a legal challenge against the scheme.
… In the wake of the court decision, industrial sabotage activist group, Out Of Order, responded by putting “Out of Order” signs on CCA vending machines in all capital cities.
Out of Order on the Gold Coast – Image: Out of Order facebook page
The Out of Order Facebook and Twitter accounts give their location as Hobart Tasmania, at the opposite end of the country. Its Facebook page explains that they have two other campaigns, namely ones against Banks ANZ and HSBC for their investment in coal and coal seam gas.
A petition at Sum of Us has over 110,000 signatures:
Stop fighting container deposit programs and drop your lawsuit against Australia's Northern Territory.
That’s about the same number of adults in the NT.
Out of Order is prepared to flaunt their arguably illegal activity, comparing themselves with the online activists Anonymous:
@itsoutoforder: But then again, maybe #outoforder are #anonymous , industrial sabotage activists… maybe we should ask #popefrancis
It’s not clear how the Pontiff can help. Like the Holy See, Australia’s Coca-Cola Amatil is getting a new CEO.
Take 3, a clean beach initiative posted a collage of photos on Facebook:
Out of Order Collage – Photo: Take 3 facebook page
There is a similar group called Container Savers who even have their own App for photographing container rubbish:
Container refunds are the most effective mechanism for increasing recycling and reducing litter. The beverage industry opposes container refunds – let‘s show them where their trash ends up.
When you see drink container litter on the street, in a park, on the beach – or anywhere it shouldn‘t be – take a photo and upload it to the CS map.
For some reason their website has been suspended but their Facebook page and Twitter account are active. A sample of their work:
Container Litter – Photo: Container Savers facebook page
The Out of Order protest action is probably meant to have more of a symbolic impact than a financial one. Karen Marshall pointed out in Comments on the Out of Order Challenge photo album:
I checked the share prices yesterday and was alarmed to see they are not going through the floor but have risen since the beginning of this.
Nigel Arnold responded with concern about innocent victims:
I think this is a little unfair to the middle man. Most vending machines are privately owned.
Award winning cartoonist First Dog on the Moon aka Mr Onthemoon tweeted:
@firstdogonmoon: IS THAT LEGAL?!!? RT @itsoutoforder: Just heard about someone switching off twelve #coke machines as part of #OutOfOrder Coke Challenge.
His cartoon appeared on Crikey.com.au on March 5:
‘Unregulated markets will kill us all!’ Courtesy: First Dog on the Moon/Crikey
Greenpeace Australia Pacific has also been campaigning and has yet another petition:
@GreenpeaceAustP: .@CocaCola smashes popular 10 cent recycling scheme in NT. Tell the govt this is unacceptable http://bit.ly/stoptrashingaus_tw … #cokefail
Meanwhile the NT government has taken steps to support the deposit scheme until Australian governments can consider laws to enable its implementation. Clean Up Australia, organisers of Clean Up Australia Day, are very pleased:
@Clean_Up : Congrats to the NT government for underwriting the cash for containers scheme for the next 8 weeks and pay everyone their 10cents! #cokefail
Coca Cola Australia has thanked their critics and responded on their Facebook page. On 6 March they announced:
…a continuation of our commitment to recycling, a $5 million investment with our industry partners, for the Northern Territory to boost recycling rates and reduce litter.
For all the details – http://bit.ly/13FJWr0
Nigel Mitchell’s view seemed representative of the negative reactions amongst the 600+ comments so far:
So, if the COAG [Council of Australian Governments] meeting decides to support national implementation of a CDS, will Coke support this, or will they continue with their anti-environment and anti-democratic policies?
In fact, there wasn’t a neutral or supportive comment in the first hundred or so. What do the silent majority think? We know what they drink – Coke's Aussie facebook page has 936,000+ Likes.
The State of South Australia passed container deposit legislation in 1975 and has had a scheme since 1977.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Colombia’s Indigenous Set Development Goals · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

1) the protection of indigenous territory;
2) indigenous self-government;
3) the self-development of indigenous communities on the basis of equilibrium and harmony;
4) free, prior and informed consent as a condition for developments on indigenous land; and
5) the ‘institutional redesign’ of the state in its relations with indigenous peoples.
Colombian indigenous organizations have presented five new development goals in response to the Millennium Declaration. Read more about these goals in a post by Robin Llewellyn at Intercontinental Cry.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Cuba: A Pope from the Americas · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

How do Cubans feel about the new pope?  Iván's File Cabinet gives us an idea.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Dominican Republic Wins World Baseball Classic · Global Voices
Pamela Martínez Achecar

The hearts of the Dominicans are rejoicing thanks to their incredible performance during the III Baseball World Classic. On Tuesday, March 19, 2013, the Dominican team obtained the definite victory of the III Baseball World Classic 2013, after defeating the Puerto Rican national team [es] 3-0. This is the first time that a team that is undefeated throughout the Classic wins the championship. The last week has been a timely distraction from the social, economic and political uncertainities the nation currently faces.
The Dominican streets were flooded by people frenzily celebrating the team's victory. Even President Danilo Medina enjoyed the Dominican achievement. On the Twitter account, the Presidency shared:
@PresidenciaRD: ¡La bandera dominicana ondea por todo lo alto! ¡República Dominicana se corona campeona del Clásico Mundial de Béisbol 2013! #MangúPower
@PresidenciaRD [es]: The Dominican flag is highly fluttering! Dominican Republic hits the top on the World Baseball Classic 2013! #MangúPower
Fans, and even those who aren't, have coined slogans such as “Plátano Power” [plátano is a kind of banana and a typical vegetable in Caribbean cuisine] and on social networks with the hashtag #ManguPower, refering to one of the main typical dishes, an important part of the diet of every Dominican.
The sports webpage En Pelota posted this image, from some fans at the stadium, where the enthusiasm is evident. Republished with authorization.
Also, cartoonist and illustrator Cristian Hernández [es], shared some images with his followers mentioning the great achievement:
Naked Dominican lady: “We won, we defeated the United States!”
The most influential figures have echoed the frenzy this tournament has caused. TV host Tania Báez told her followers:
@TaniaBaezHG: Cero Dieta! El MANGU tiene el verdadero POWER!
@TaniaBaezHG [es]: No diet at all! MANGU has the real POWER!
Very well respected journalist and communicator Huchi Lora also shared his joy using verses:
@HuchiLora: El plátano power pesa / y en duelo de tú a tú, / el poderoso mangú / hoy se comió la hamburguesa!
@HuchiLora: Plátano power weights/ and on a one on one duel / powerful mangú / ate today the hamburger!
On March 18, and after a not very promising first minutes for the Dominican Republic, when Netherlands was winning 1-0, the Dominican team managed to score four runs in the fifth inning, thus getting an advantage it never lost and going undefeated the whole tournament. In 2009, the Dominican team experienced a surprising defeat when the Netherlands got them off the competition, and then played against Cuba. Even the Dominican Baseball League posted on its Twitter account:
@LigaDomCom: Buenos días fanáticos.. Hoy llego el día de la verdad para nuestra selección Dominicana, hoy vida o muerte con Netherlands. #ManguPower
@LigaDomCom [es]: Good morning, fans… Today is the day of truth for our Dominican national team, today life or death with the Netherlands. #ManguPower
Vicepresident Margarita Cedeño de Fernández shared her excitement through her Twitter account by saying:
@MargaritaCDF: Qué gran equipo! #ArribaDominicana! #MangúPower imparable! #OrgulloDominicano
@MargaritaCDF [es]: What a great team! #ArribaDominicana! [Go Domincan] #MangúPower unbeatable! #OrgulloDominicano [Dominican pride]
Below, the timeline of the invincible Dominican team:
March 8: Dominican defeats Venezuela (9-3)
March 9: Dominican Republic defeats Spain (3-6).
March 11: Dominican Republic beats Puerto Rico (4-2) and becomes leader of Group C.
March 12: Quisqueya goes on undefeated after winning Italy (5-4).
March 14: Dominican Republic defeats United States (3-1).
March 16: Puerto Rico is defeated once again (2-0).
March 18: Victory against the Netherlands (4-1).
March 19: Final victory over Puerto Rico (3-0)
*The cover page image was taken from the Facebook page of World Baseball Classic.

author: Pamela Martínez Achecar


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Nowruz on Uzbekistan’s Tower of Silence  · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

About 20 countries and communities almost all over the world celebrate Nowruz today. Commonly known as the ‘Persian New Year,’ Nowruz has its origins in the ancient religion Zoroastrianism. Don Croner celebrates the holiday on the ruins of the so-called ‘Zoroastrian Tower of Silence’ in Uzbekistan. The blogger writes about the history of the festival and posts photos from the venue where people celebrated the holiday centuries ago.


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Google Myanmar is Now Online · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

Google Myanmar is now available in local domain at www.google.com.mm a few days before the arrival of Google CEO Eric Schmidt in Myanmar. Google play store which is inaccessible in Myanmar also seems to have been unblocked for now.

author: Chan Myae Khine


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Guinea-Bissau is Second Worst Democracy · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

The Democracy Index 2012 from The Economist Intelligence Unit, published on March 19, 2013, places Guinea-Bissau second to last in the ranking, just before North Korea. The same day a coalition of civil society organizations released a roadmap with concrete proposals for the restoration of constitutional order following the military coup of April 2012. The report is available [pt] in the blog of Casa dos Direitos (House of Rights)

author: Sara Moreira


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Hong Kong’s Coffin Homes · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

As the property price and rent are so high in Hong Kong, many lower class Hong Kong people are now living in the so-called “coffin Homes”, which means a tiny compartment just big enough to fit in a bed within an apartment. Photography blog Hong Wrong blogs  Ko Chung Ming’s aerial shot series featuring “coffin home” families who's monthly income are around HKD8000 (approximately US1100).

author: Oiwan Lam


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How Russian Villagers Can Terrify the Kremlin · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Russia’s leading political party, United Russia, continues to face declining popularity and mounting evidence that Vladimir Putin is slowly but surely migrating away to a newer coalition movement, the All-Russia People’s Front. In recent weeks, the country’s chattering classes have even resuscitated buzz that the Kremlin might dissolve the federal parliament, sacrificing United Russia to appease the nation’s malcontents. This week, with the “party of power” more vulnerable than at any time since its infancy, a small group of citizens in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk province briefly succeeded in seizing the moment to grab national headlines for their crusade against the head of a small district.
The ploy was simple: Andrei Turinov, a town councilman [ru] from Novouspenskii, posted to the Internet an open letter [ru] addressing Dmitri Medvedev, declaring the exit of 60 United Russia members from the party. Initially, there was much confusion about whether or not Turinov meant that all signatories to this mass exodus were office-holding councilmen or run-of-the-mill citizens. As the Aban district is home to roughly 21 thousand people and has only 100 United Russia local deputies in total [ru], this was an important detail. The document, published on March 18, 2013, on open-letter.ru, explains that this action was to protest the fact that United Russia increasingly welcomes “scammers, thieves, slicksters, and embezzlers.” The proclamation very clearly adapts a meme popularized by anti-corruption blogger Alexey Navalny, whose “party of crooks and thieves” epithet for United Russia has entered the common lexicon of Russian political discourse.
Around the same time that Turinov’s letter appeared on open-letter.ru, the regional news portal Sibinfo.su obtained scans [ru] of the signatures, though many of the names are printed illegibly. United Russia’s leadership was quick to respond [ru], with Krasnoyarsk district Duma deputy Viktor Zubarev immediately calling the move a “provocation.” Another party figure, Valery Semenov, hurried to Aban, where he seems to have confirmed Zubarev’s hunch: there was no mass exodus of members in the district—it was a ruse. Indeed, Turinov and his entourage capitalized gloriously on United Russia’s hypersensitivity to possible dissension in the ranks, inflating a story about a collapse of rural party confidence, in order to highlight corruption allegations against a local political enemy, Aban district head [ru] Mikhail Krivitskii.
Semenov’s discovery borders on comedy. The “list of sixty” names actually contains only fifty-nine. (Whoever did the counting skipped “#26” on page two.) When Semenov sat down to question signatories in person, most of them had no idea [ru] that they’d signed a document promising to quit United Russia unless Krivitskii was fired. At least three of the people who signed the letter were already out of the party, having been booted out eight years ago. At least one was never a member. In comments to another online portal, press-line.ru, Semenov claimed [ru] that the open letter was the work of a certain “seven deputies.” According to the Krasnoyarsk district’s website [ru], the Novouspenskii local council (where Turinov serves) has exactly seven councilmen.
The open letter itself complains of rampant corruption in Aban, highlighting the embezzlement conviction of Sergei Pronin [ru], a rumored friend of Krivitskii, as well as mafia control over the area’s logging industry. The authors even allege that Aban’s support for United Russia in recent elections was sustained by illegal administrative tactics.
Political cartoon depicting Krivitskii's “stubborn refusal” to leave office, from local online newsletter, Namedni, 4 February 2013, screen capture.
Just days before the open letter hit the Internet, local newspaper Krasnoyarskii Rabochii published an op-ed [ru] by Viktor Resheten, chastising a group of Aban district councilmen who have been stonewalling district proceedings for months now, in an attempt to force the body’s dissolution [ru], along with Krivitskii’s ouster, by judicial decree. (Resheten points out that, in this scenario, Krivitskii would actually remain in office until by-elections later in the year.) The campaign against Krivitskii is indeed well organized. In fact, there is a whole newsletter distributed locally and available online, called Namedni (“The Other Day”). The most recent issue [ru] (from February) contains multiple attack pieces against Krivitskii, in addition to a long open letter by a local man named Viktor Gerasimov, announcing his exit from United Russia in language almost identical to Turinov’s March 18 open letter. (Gerasimov’s name appears on Turinov’s list, too, just below his.)
In comments [ru] to Gazeta.ru, former Kremlin ideologist Alexey Chadaev surmised that the Aban district is characteristic of United Russia’s municipal branches. “Any local branch,” he explained, “is [composed of] a few warring clans or a few warring financial groups, crammed into one party when the [power] vertical was being set up. But the conflicts between them didn’t go anywhere.” In a tweet [ru] the next day, Chadaev was even more cryptic:
В Абанском районе Красноярского края, по слухам, живет коррупция. Больше там никто не живет.
In Krasnoyarsk province’s Aban district, rumor has it that corruption lives there. Nobody else does.
United Russia functionaries like Semenov have promised to investigate the corruption allegations raised in Turinov’s open letter. Even if the party also decides to discipline the Novouspenskii councilman (or whomever was behind this “provocation”), it seems clear that Russia’s political center is severely weakened these days. That means copycat stunts are likely in the future, as other rural and regional schemers—often neglected in a large, centralized country—get wise [ru] to the fact that the iron is hot, the sun is shining, and the wind is fair. As that realization dawns, the RuNet will undoubtedly host a new wave of similar revelations, leaks, and denunciations.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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North Korean Refugee’s Escape Experience · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hyeonseo Lee, a refugee escaped to China from North Korea in 1997, talked in TED conversation about her experience in the escape and how she ended up becoming an activist for fellow refugees in South Korea.


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Nowruz as Tajikistan’s Official New Year? · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

The celebration of Nowruz has been an increasingly important part of Tajikistan's culture and politics since independence in 1991. Tajikam blog proposes [tj] that it is time to elevate the holiday's status by redrawing the calendar:
If we want Nowruz to serve the goal of the [cultural] revival of our nation, the holiday should mark the official beginning of a new year in the country…


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PHOTOS: Once Upon a Time in Madagascar  · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

Africa's history is rich but often poorly documented. To fill these gaps in Madagascar, the civil society has started a project digitally archiving its historical events.
With the same desire to honor and archive Madagascar's history, two Facebook pages are archiving vintage pictures of the cities and the Malagasy people: Madagascar Hier (Yesterday's Madagascar) and Il était une fois Madagascar (Once upon a time in Madagascar) [both links fr].
Here is a round-up of some of the pictures posted on these pages that not only depict a not so distant past, but also fuel nostalgia for a simpler time, when poverty and the hardships of daily life seemed less obvious. To view more pictures, visit the archives’ Facebook pages.
Archival photos of Antananarivo, the capital
The Garden of Andohalo
The University of Ankatso
Garden of Andohalo [fr] in Antananarivo via Madagascar Hier
The University of Ankatso in Antananarivo
The Zoma street market
The Zoma street market via Il était une fois Madagascar
Archival photos of the east-coast city of Toamasina
Toamasina, Rue du commerce
Young Betsimisaraka girls
Young Betsimisaraka girl
Archival photos of the west-coast city of Mahajanga
Mahajanga seashore – Boulevard Poincaré
Archival photos of the city of Fianarantsoa in southern Madagascar
Fianarantsoa city hall
Antandroy dancers, southern Madagascar
Antandroy dancers in southern Madagascar
Archival photos of the city of Antsiranana, northern Madagascar
Cap Diego
Antsiranana – Cap Diego
Imagery from the colonial war of 1895 in Madagascar
Illustration in the Petit Journal about the colonial war in Madagascar
These two initiatives, as well as other projects striving to preserve Malagasy history, are worthy of note. Readers also provide these pages with pictures of other regions.

author: Rakotomalala


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Panama Bids Farewell to ‘Red Devil’ Buses · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

Panama City is currently undergoing the process of modernizing its public transportation system.
For many years, transportation consisted of second-hand school buses that were responsible for covering all of the routes in the capital. These buses were known as “Diablos rojos” (“Red devils”) and were characterized by being painted in traditional, artisanal style, as Peter Szok tells us in his blog Folk Art [es]:
Como la mayoría de las unidades del transporte público, es un viejo autobús escolar, importado de los Estados Unidos y remodelado por artistas panameños. Cientos de estas galerías estruendosas circulan por las calles de la capital y se les conoce comúnmente como los “diablos rojos”. Su nombre proviene de las danzas coloniales que los españoles utilizaron para introducir el cristianismo en el istmo y que se bailan en fiestas religiosas con la actuación de demonios igualmente asombrosos.
Red devils, Panamá. Photo by Gaby Maldonado on Flickr, under the Creative Commons LIcense (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Like the majority of the public transportation units, it is an old school bus imported from the United States and remodeled by Panamanian artists. Hundreds of these thundering galleries circulate throughout the streets of the capital and are commonly known as the “red devils.” Their name comes from colonial dances that the Spaniards used to introduce Christianity to the isthmus, which were performed during religious festivities and featured monsters that were equally as astonishing.
Club 700 [es] describes the red devils and adds a comment on how the bus drivers handled them:
Su nombre delata su reputación. Los autobuses de la capital de Panamá son los más populares, pero también los más polémicos. Aunque su apariencia colorida los hace diferentes, parecen haberse contagiados de un mal que afecta las calles de América Latina, la falta de prudencia.
Their name denounces their reputation. The buses in the Panamanian capital are the most popular, but also the most controversial. Although their colorful appearance makes them different, they seem to have been infected by something foul that affects the streets of Latin America – a lack of caution.
Nonetheless, efforts to remove these controversial vehicles began two administrations ago, as an article from the Nuevo Herald [es] from 2001 reminds us:
El ministro de Gobierno y Justicia, Winston Spadafora, ha decidido poner fin a
uno de los mayores purgatorios de los panameños, el transporte, y para ello
mandó al infierno a los “diablos rojos”, los autobuses bajo cuyos neumáticos
han muerto cientos de peatones.
The Minister of Government and Justice, Winston Spadafora, has decided to put an end to one of the Panamanians’ greatest purgatories — transportation — and to do that he sent to hell the “red devils,” the buses under whose tires hundreds of pedestrians have died.
Still, it was not until last Friday, March 15, 2013, that they officially stopped running the “red devils” as part of the current government's project to modernize the transportation system, which also includes the creation of a subway.
The company MIBUS [es] has been in charge of starting to circulate modern transportation units that include payment exclusively with a card. Nevertheless, adaptation to the new method of transportation has been traumatic for thousands of people who use it on a daily basis. La Estrella de Panamá [es] reports on it as follows:
Las quejas de los usuarios incluso los ha llevado a cerrar calles debido a la desesperación, no obstante la empresa Mi Bus desmiente que no hayan suficientes buses para cubrir la demanda de pasajeros. Así lo hizo saber en declaraciones en TVN Noticias del gerente de la empresa Mi Bus, Miguel Cardona, que explicó que se trata de un sistema en el que se tienen que organizar algunas cosas, pues no se pueden hacer “de la noche a la mañana”.
Complaints from users have even led them to close streets due to the despair, but Mi Bus denies that there are not enough buses to cover the demand of passengers. That is how it was made known in statements to TVN Noticias from Mi Bus manager, Miguel Cardona, who explained that it is about a system in which certain things have to be organized and this cannot be done “overnight.”
President Martinelli has apologized and asked for patience from riders, according La Prensa [es]:
Debido al caos, el presidente, Ricardo Martinelli, salió al paso pidiendo disculpas y paciencia a la población, mientras se adapta el nuevo sistema.
Due to the chaos, the president, Ricardo Martinelli, spoke out asking for forgiveness and patience from the population while they adapt to the new system.
The president also used his Twitter account (@rmartinelli) [es] to ask the company to “get its act together”:
@rmartinelli: Metrobus sigue causando problemas al usuario. Favor ponganse las pilas que este es un monopolio muy caro para brindar un mal servicio.
@rmartinelli: Metrobus continues to cause problems for riders. Please get your act together since this monopoly is far too expensive to afford poor service.
The ground transit and transportation authority (@ATTTPanama) [es] also used the same medium to warn people that adjustments will be made “on the go”:
@ATTTPanama: Metro Bus ha ingresado la totalidad de las rutas. De existir algún ajuste, se realizará sobre la marcha. Disculpas por los inconvenientes.
@ATTTPanama: Metro Bus has paid for the entirety of the routes. Should any adjustments come up, they will be made on the go. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Red devils, Panamá. Photo by Karen Sheets de García on Flickr, under the Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Metrobus users have taken advantage of social networks to complain and even yearn for the service given by the red devils. For example, Pebbles Sanjur (@pebbles_mily) [es] comments on her Twitter account:
@pebbles_mily: Akbo d ver un diablo rojo en la klle esto q es? Pero saben q bn hecho xq metrobus tra dando un pesimo servicio
@pebbles_mily: I just saw a red devil in the street, what's this? But you know what, well done because metrobus is providing disastrous service
Janneth Rodriguez (@Tupolluela16) [es], on the other hand, is happy with the service:
@Tupolluela16: Super contenta con los #Metrobus de C.Bolivar espero que sigan a si! @Traficologo @TrafficPanama
@Tupolluela16: Super happy with the C.Bolivar #Metrobus I hope they continue this way! @Traficologo @TrafficPanama
Vía Noticias y más (@traficologo) [es] recognizes that despite the problems, the current government has decided to confront a situation that had become unsustainable.
@traficologo: Hay que admitirlo, @rmartinelli hizo lo que otros no se atrevieron: lidiar con crisis transporte. Inició @elmetrodepanama, impulsó MetroBus
@traficologo: You have to admit @rmartinelli did what others did not dare: fight the transportation crisis. He started @elmetrodepanama [Panama's subway] and propelled the MetroBus
This way, a change to an archaic and dangerous system like the red devils has been initiated. The Panamanian population is waiting for the system to establish itself and provide the service that everyone deserves.

author: Ariel Moreno


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São Tomé and Príncipe: 12 Reasons to Return · Global Voices
Mário Lopes

Carmen Alvarez Vilas, founder of the NGO Cooperación Bierzo Sur, posted on her Facebook page an album titled “12 Reasons to go back to Sao Tome and Principe”. Each image selected – from a set of photos taken when she and her team volunteered in the country in the summer of 2012 – focuses a reason to return, like nature, landscapes and art.

author: Mário Lopes


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African Presidents Active on Social Media · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Dapa Arnaud gives a list of the 10 most active african presidents [fr] on social media. At the top of the list is  president Paul Kagame in Rwanda:
In place since 2003, the president of Rwanda is the most active on the internet.  According to the Ecofin agency, Paul Kagame interacts with many users on Twitter through his account @PaulKagame. His personal website named “The Journey Continues, Dukomeze Imihigo” is also one of the most visited websites in the country. His presence is also quite strong on other social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, Flickr or YouTube.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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US Rape Case Resonates in France · Global Voices
Lou Flandrin

The ramification of the Steubeunville rape case has had an impact beyond the US borders.  Following the sentencing of the perpetrators for rape of a minor, CrêpeGeorgette [fr] tries to unpack the rape culture [fr] that has sneaked in in today's society.
The fact is that we are living in societies that find excuses, normalize and tolerate rape.

author: Lou Flandrin


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VIDEO: Tokyo Gives Harlem Shake a Whirl · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

Harlem Shake in Shibuya crossing
Popular Internet video meme the Harlem Shake [en] has hit Tokyo. A verison organized by a Latino under the pseudonym Saw was filmed on March 17, 2013 in Shibuya, the heart of Japan's youth culture, and the video was uploaded on YouTube a few days later. Portal Mie [pt], an online portal that serves Portuguese-speaking foreigners in Japan, has more details [pt] .

author: Keiko Tanaka


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A Peek Into Uzbek Pop Music Scene · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Uzbek Music Friday is a (rare) feature in which I post a pop music video from an artist in Uzbekistan. It could be catchy, annoying, funny, insightful, brilliant, awful, or anything in between. It’s what’s playing on the radio, what all the cool kids are listening to these days… [It] gives you a glimpse into how pop music is done on this side of the world.
Ivory Pomegranate blog, which has long offered a weekly peek into Kyrgyz pop music scene, now also features latest music hits from Uzbekistan.


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Analysis: North Korea Behind Hack Attack? · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A cyber attack hit South Korea's major broadcaster and bank websites. North Korea Tech blog tells more on the attack pattern and the possibility of North Korea's involvement.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Cries of Censorship as Brazilian Satire Blog Ordered Shut Down    · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

A Brazilian court has ruled that satirical blog Falha São Paulo [pt] must remain shut down because its name is too similar to the newspaper it mocks, a move that critics decry as a dangerous legal precedent for freedom of expression.
The dispute began in September 2010 when newspaper Folha de São Paulo, one of the largest in Brazil, won a court order to have the blog shuttered, claiming that the site, which parodied the newspaper, its reporters, and its directors, was an infringement of the newspaper's brand. The two parties met for their first court battle in September 2011, which resulted in a tie.
The following year, brothers and creators of the site Lino and Mario Bocchini countersued the newspaper to unfreeze the site's domain and overturn the censorship.
But on February 20, 2013, the brothers lost the case in court to the newspaper in what the Bocchini's and their supporters call a defeat of freedom of expression.
Lino Bocchini before the Falha de São Paulo trial. Photo by the Fora do Eixo/PósTV collective. Free to use.
Journalist Felipe Rousselet explained [pt] the consequences of the ruling:
O Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo decidiu nesta quarta-feira, 20, que o blog Falha S. Paulo deve continuar fora do ar.
A decisão de manter a CENSURA ao Falha de S.Paulo deixou de lado todo o debate sobre liberdade de expressão e se baseou apenas nas leis de Mercado. O desembargador Edson Luiz de Queiróz manteve o blog fora do ar com a justificativa da similaridade entre o nome Falha de S.Paulo e a marca registrada pela Folha de S.Paulo.
Além de um caso óbvio de censura judicial, a manutenção da CENSURA ao Falha de S.Paulo abre um precedente perigoso para a liberdade de expressão, principalmente em relação a sátira e a ironia.
The Court of Justice of São Paulo decided on Wednesday, 20, that the blog Falha S. Paulo should remain shut down.
The decision to keep the Falha de S Paulo CENSORED set aside any debate about freedom of expression and relied only on the laws of the market. The judge Edson Luiz de Queirozg kept the blog shut down on the grounds of similarity between the name Falha de S Paulo and the trademark by Folha de S. Paulo.
Besides a clear case of judicial censorship, the maintenance of the CENSORSHIP against Falha de S Paulo sets a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression, especially in relation to satire and irony.
Folha de São Paulo's argument rested on the claim that the blog was an “imitation” and therefore an “unacceptable” misuse of the newspaper's trademarked brand.
The Bocchini brothers, on the blog Desculpe a nossa falha (Forgive our Failure) and in court, countered the accusation [pt]:
De nada adiantou o defensor da Falha, o advogado Luis Borrelli Neto, defender que, fosse essa a interpretação, “nomes como UOL, Bol e AOL, por exemplo, jamais poderiam conviver na internet”. Também não adiantou lembrar que o próprio juiz de 1ª instância, Gustavo Coube de Carvalho, já havia afirmado que “nem mesmo um tolo apressado seria levado a crer que trata-se de um blog ligado ao jornal”. Também não foram dado ouvidos ao argumento de que programas de TV e tantos outros sites, jornais e revistas fizeram ou fazem o mesmo, no Brasil e no exterior, sem problemas. Borrelli Neto ainda lembrou que “a paródia não está apenas no conteúdo, mas também no domínio. Subtrarir [sic] do apelante o direito de utilizar o domínio significa atentar contra a liberdade de expressão ou, pelo menos, enfraquecer a paródia”. Vale lembrar que a Falha não tinha sequer banner publicitário ou fim comercial, o que também enfraquece –ou derruba– o argumento de “concorrência parasitária” utilizado diversas vezes pelo jornal.
It did not help Falha's attorney Luis Neto Borrelli, to argue that, [if Folha's claim is imitation], “names like UOL, Bol and AOL [internet service providers with similar names], for example, could never coexist on the Internet.” It also did not help remembering that the judge in the first round, Gustavo Coube de Carvalho, had already stated that “not even a fool in a hurry [pt] would be led to believe that this is a blog linked to the newspaper.” Nor was the argument heeded that TV shows [pt] and many other sites, newspapers, and magazines [pt] have done or are doing the same in Brazil [pt] and abroad [pt], without problems. Borrelli Neto also noted that “the parody is not only in content but also in the domain. Subtract from the appellant the right to use the domain means attacking the freedom of speech, or at least weakening the parody”. It's worth remembering that Falha had not even an advertising banner or commercial purposes, which also weakens – or knocks down – the argument of “parasitic competition” used several times by the newspaper.
Worse than the decision itself, say the Bocchini brothers, is the jurisprudence opened in which newspapers can legally prohibit parodies and critiques by removing websites and blogs from the Internet, using their economic power to persecute those who dare to raise a voice against information published by the mainstream media.
At the decision “it was determined that Falha remains censored. According to the understanding of Folha and the judges, it is forbidden to use the Internet address falhadespaulo.com.br, Falha's logo, or any partial reproduction of stories – even if the original purpose was to criticise”.
Journalist Renato Rovai from the alternative portal SpressoSP added [pt]:
Este julgamento transformou uma questão de liberdade de expressão em um debate comercial com um único objetivo: calar os críticos do jornalão da família Frias. Ou alguém consegue ser ingênuo o suficiente para acreditar que o que incomodou a Folha foi a questão comercial, a similaridade do seu nome com o domínio de um blog sem nenhuma publicidade ou outra modalidade de retorno financeiro?
This trial transformed a matter of free speech into a business debate with a single goal: to silence the critics of the newspaper owned by the Frias family [which owns the publication]. Or can anyone be naive enough to believe that what bothered Folha was the trade issue, the similarity of its name with the domain of a blog with no advertising or other form of financial return?
The Bocchini brothers before the trial. Photo by Beatriz Bevilaqua, used with permission.
The entire hearing was recorded [pt] by the team of PósTV and can be seen on YouTube. PósTv also chronicled [pt] the trial on its Facebook page:
Em um voto mais do que simbólico, um desembargador, de dentro de sua toga, disse o lugar comum mais equivocado do direito: “um direito acaba onde começa o do outro”. E deu ganho de causa à Folha alertando que paródias como a da Falha de S. Paulo poderia “abrir caminho para a anarquia”.
In a more than symbolic vote, a judge, from inside his robe, said the most misguided common place of law: “a right ends where the other begins.” And gave the victory to Folha warning that parodies such as the Falha de S. Paulo could “pave the way for anarchy.”
Psychology doctoral candidate Matheus Paul, writing for the blog Vi o Mundo, talked about [pt] the reasons for censorship and the real concerns of the newspaper Folha de São Paulo:
[…] se o blog visasse tão somente gracejar de forma pueril e light com o jornal alvo, enfocando em questões menores, como somente os nomes dos cadernos, por exemplo, repetimos: o jornal, muito provavelmente, não daria atenção alguma ao pequeno sítio paródia. O escárnio propagado pelo blog, porém, teve uma ressonância quase que imediata, uma vez que questionava algo caro aos veículos jornalísticos de comunicação: a tão propalada (e diríamos até ilusória) isenção total.
[…] If the blog were merely intended to joke in a childish and light way with the newspaper, focusing on minor issues like only the names of the sections, for example, we repeat: the newspaper, most likely, would not give any attention to a small parody site. The derision propagated by the blog, however, had an almost immediate resonance, since it questioned something expensive to journalistic vehicles of communication: the much touted (and we might say delusional) total exemption [of news reporters who claim to not promote any ideology from criticism].
Ivan Valente, a Socialism and Freedom Party congressman from São Paulo, issued a statement [pt] of condemnation the ruling:
Não parece difícil entender que paródias, vistas em grande volume nesta mesma mídia, são recursos legítimos do debate democrático, a que todos nós estamos sujeitos. Artistas, celebridades, jornalistas, políticos, todos são alvos da livre manifestação do humor crítico. Por que não a própria mídia?
It's not difficult to understand that parodies, which are seen in a very large volume in this same media itself, are resources that are legitimate in the democratic debate, to which we are all subject. Artists, celebrities, journalists, politicians, all are targets of the free expression of critical humor. Why isn't the media itself?
Bocchini brothers and supporters posing for a photo before trial. Photo by Beatriz Bevilaqua. Used with permission.
Journalist Beatriz Bevilaqua talked [pt] with Lino Bocchini after the trial, who said they will try to continue the legal battle together in the Supreme Federal Court:
Não é simples, o STJ (Superior Tribunal de Justiça) e o STF não recebem uma ação qualquer. Mas a gente vai estudar de que forma se pode recorrer. Nossa intenção é ir para os tribunais superiores
It is not simple, the STJ (Superior Justice Court) and the STF (Supreme Justice Court) do not receive just any action. But we will consider how we can appeal. Our intention is to go to the higher courts.
Global Voices will to watch for any developments in the case.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Hardline Buddhists Drive Sri Lanka to Drop Muslim Halal Labeling  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Islamic clerics facing massive protests from militant Buddhists in Sri Lanka have put an end to the island's widespread halal labeling system for food.
New Sinhalese Buddahist group Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Strength Force) staged large rallies throughout February 2013 calling for the abolition of the Muslim halal system of certifying that foods and other goods follow Islamic dietary guidelines.
Food manufacturers in Sri Lanka, especially those who export to Middle Eastern countries, have long made all their products using halal methods to avoid the costs of two separate production lines. The products were labeled with the halal certificate, issued by Islamic body All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU).
But protesters argued that it was unfair that Muslims, less than 10 percent of the Sri Lankan population, should force the majority Buddhist population to eat food prepared according to Islamic law.
Halal Logo. Image courtesy Groundviews
In an effort to quash rising religious tensions, All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama announced on March 11, 2013 that “in the interests of peace” it would stop issuing its certificate locally.
Twitter user “MajlisW1″ (@majlisW1) published ACJU President Al Shaikh Rizvi Mufti's statement:
@majlisW1: Those days Halal logo was a Must, now due to tense situation, the logo will not be compulsory but the companies can print it or leave it – Rizvi Mufti
Officials from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said in a press briefing that after consultations with Buddhist and Islamic clergy, the decision was made that all Sri Lankan producers would drop the halal logo immediately.
News blog dbsjeyaraj.com reported that according to the Bodu Bala Sana, authorities have since promised to set up special police units to inspect shops still selling halal products.
Religious violence in Sri Lanka is on the rise. The conflict with the Tamil Tigers may have ended but more and more hardliner Buddhist attacks on Muslims and Christians are being reported.
Shenali Waduge made the argument on community news site Lanka Web why non-Muslims should not have to accept halal products:
Most eating houses, restaurants never fail to display “halal certified, no pork” boards. Whilst the cow is a sacred animal for both Buddhist and Hindus, how can it be acceptable to eat beef but not pork? Why is it that only the religious preferences of just one ethnic community decides for the rest of the population when [the Buddhist] population is over 70%?
[…]
In any case there should not be any fee charged for Halal certification and no non–Muslim should be charged one cent or coerced to pay from his hard earned money to produce a benefit that accrues only to Muslims.
But citizen journalism website Ground Views noted that the protests against halal food have more to do with rise in anti-Muslim sentiment by Sinhala Buddhist nationalists than fairness:
In recent months there has been an increased outpouring of virulent anti-Muslim sentiment by persons claiming to speak for all Sinhala Buddhists. Organized groups led by Buddhist monks have held public meetings, distributed pamphlets, and made press statements. Articles in mainstream Sinhala and English newspapers have propagated ethnic and religious hatred. […] The attacks on Muslims have been directed at everything: the certification of food products as halal; the practice of hijab, abhaya and nikab among Muslim women; the beard worn by Muslim men; the azaan or call for prayer from the mosques; the Muslims’ practice of closing businesses for Friday prayers; the prevalence of certain sectarian differences among Muslims;and the ongoing debate regarding methods of slaughter for the consumption of meat.
Citizen journalist Riza Yehiya wrote extreme Buddhists are hijacking the Buddhist community, souring Buddhist-Muslim relations:
This threat to the Muslim community is a challenge to this nation. This is not from the mainstream Buddhist community that has a time tested relationship with Muslims. It is from purpose made Buddhist extremist groups working as mercenaries to prop up failing political elites, consciously or unconsciously serving foreign interests than the hallowed purpose of protecting Buddhism.
Blogger R.M.B. Senanayake accused Sinhalese nationalists, including some Buddhist monks, of carrying out a hate campaign against Muslims publicly and on social media, chronicling recent incidents on his website.
Image courtesy Say No To Halal Facebook Page
Political blogger Indi Samarajiva wrote on his website Indi.ca that opposition party United National Party has contributed to the halal controversy, also calling for an end to the halal logo “in line with racist Sinhalese interests.”
There is no Muslim conspiracy to take over Sri Lanka with halal food, citizen journalist Hejaaz Hizbullah noted. Businesses have made their decisions when it comes to halal:
It’s certainly not the Muslim consumer but the businesses that crave for halaal recognition.
He continued:
What does worry many Muslims is how this ‘non-issue’ is being banged about by a fringe few and made into a national problem. What we see is not an ‘issue’ but an agenda and a campaign of hate with ‘halaal certification’ merely an excuse. They are waiting to pick a fight and so they pick on anything.
Blogger Patta Pal Baru opines that the campaign against ‘halal’ was unnecessary.
Kasun Adikari urged Buddhists to practice tolerance with fellow Muslims:
As Buddhists, we must know how to regard other religions and their practices as we belong to the religious group that accepts and appreciates the reasonable teachings of every religion. Buddhists can also tolerate the practices of other religious, cultural traditions and customs, although they may not necessarily wish to emulate them.

author: Rezwan


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Kazakhstan’s ‘Moribund Opposition’ · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

For anybody that has ever wondered whether Kazakhstan even has a political opposition, the answer is that it does, but not a very useful one.
Ekspeditsya explains why the political opposition in the oil-rich Central Asian country is ‘moribund’ as well as ‘hapless and helpless’. The country's government does not have a clear picture of where it is going either, according to the blog.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Vietnam Police Question Activist Over Article · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

According to a Radio Free Asia report written by Y. Lan and Rachel Vandenbrink, Vietnamese activist Le Cong Cau of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam was accused by the police of spreading subversive propaganda in connection to an article he wrote espousing political pluralism.

author: Mong Palatino


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Russian Nationalists Rally Behind Subway Shooter · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

These days Russian courts have a pretty bad rep, partly because of notorious cases like Magnitsky and Pussy Riot. But, as if it wasn't bad enough already, sometimes it seems that Russian judges are actively working to sabotage their own credibility. After all, how can one not react with outrage upon learning that Alexandra Lotkova, a pretty, twenty-one year old college student, got three years in prison for using a non-lethal gun [ru] to protect herself from knife-wielding thugs, who had already stabbed one of her friends! Not only that, but the thugs were never even charged with anything! Even though Lotkova's non-lethal gun-shot did in fact penetrate the lung of one of her alleged victims, he survived, and anyway, surely he had it coming?
Outrage was precisely how people reacted when blogger Vlad Naganoff, a colleague of Alexey Navalny and gun rights activist, represented the news in this fashion [ru], citing security camera footage of the incident (it occurred at a subway station) and adding a flattering photo of Lotkova. His post was picked up by Navalny and quickly spread through tweets and reposts, as did the outrage at the corrupt court system, the Putin regime, and Russian law enforcement's views on use of force for self-defense. As it turned out, what seemed like a clear cut case of judicial incompetence and/or corruption, was a bit more complex. As often is the case with RuNet, bloggers were quick to jump to conclusions, preferring emotions to facts.
A meme distributed in nationalist circles, labeled “Criminal” on the left (Lotkova), and “Victim” on the right (one of the men she shot). Anonymous image freely distributed online.
For example, one group particularly outraged by the verdict were RuNet nationalists. These bloggers latched on to the Tatar name of one of the people involved in the fight — Ibragim Kurbanov. Kurbanov was part of a group of three young men involved in a physical altercation with Lotkova's friends, and was shot in the stomach by Lotkova in the process. She later alleged he had a knife, which he was using to stab her friends. This was apparently all that was needed for nationalist publication Sputnik & Pogrom [ru] to fashion Lotkova into some form of racial hero defending Moscow from Muslim foreigners and other “darkies”:
Сашенька поступила как русская. […] без травмата Сашеньки страшно пьяный погром чурбанов точно бы кого-нибудь зарезал, и Саша сделала все правильно, остановив порыв души прекрасного гостя столицы.
Sashenka [Alexandra] did as a Russian would. […] without Sashenka's air-gun the horribly drunk darkie pogrom would have stabbed someone to death, and Sasha did everything correctly, stopping the impulse of the lovely guest of the capital [regular nationalist euphemism for migrant].
That the chief investigator and the prosecutor in the case also had Tatar names also means that conspiracy is in the works [ru]:
Разве могут быть у Дианы Гайнуллиной претензии к Ибрагиму Курбанову?
Can a Diana Gainullina have any complaints about Ibragim Kurbanov?
Others, like journalist Sokolov-Mitrich, made the comparison [ru] of Lotkova's case to that of Rasul Mirzoev, the Dagestani MMA fighter accused of manslaughter who was released last year with a very mild probationary sentence. Sokolov-Mitrich insinuated that Mirzoev was let off easy on some affirmative action or corrupt basis, while Lotkova got the full brunt of the law because she is Russian and one of her victims is “ethnic”. Nationalist blogger Natalia Holmogorova also made a list [ru] of comparative cases where the ethnic Russians seem to have gotten the short end of the stick.
Beyond the irony that Kurbanov was with his two ethnic Russian friends (one of whom got the punctured lung) during the fight, there is also the fact that apparently all those involved, on both sides [ru], were antifa [ru]. Antifa, or afa, is short hand for anti-fascist — an anti-racist, often left-wing sub-category of the skinhead movement that has gained traction in Russia over the years. Contemptuously called “curs” (shavka, from shAFka, шАФка) by rival nationalist skinheads (fa, bones, boneheads, боны), antifa use street tactics to combat racism and Nazism and, like many skinheads, are no strangers to a fight. Indeed, at first some people assumed [ru] that if Lotkova's friends got into a disagreement with Kurbanov, who is apparently a well known antifa [ru], then Lotkova's group had to be fa, or nationalist skinheads.
If Lotkova indeed identifies herself as a member of either group, she is hardly the “modest, and even shy person” as described [ru] on Facebook by the provost of her school, the prestigious Plekhanov Economic University, Sergey Markov. The fight wasn't at all defenseless university students pitted against a group of street thugs (one of whom apparently happens to work at a bank). Upon close examination, the rest of what happened also becomes less outrageous. Some people went back to the source footage, and started to have second thoughts about the whole story. In the words [ru] of journalist and activist Arkady Babchenko:
Что-то при более детальном рассмотрении записи у меня сомнения появились. Как-то здесь не все так гладко, как она описывает, по-моему.
So after a more detailed view of the recording I've started to have doubts. It seems that it's not all as smooth as she describes.
Grainy security footage of Lotkova firing off a shot. Screenshot, MK.
Not only do the two groups appear to be evenly matched, apparently there was no knife involved in the fight. This observation was made by people [ru] who have reviewed [ru] the full eight-minute video [ru], particularly internet media-baron and EdRoss Duma deputy Konstantin Rykov on his Twitter account (a collection of his tweets on the subject was collated by the LiveJournal user politcreative [ru]). The fact that Rykov and other pro-government bloggers are picking apart this incident is, of course, suspicious — there is certainly an incentive for them to mitigate the scandal. However, they do seem to have a point, especially when taking into consideration the first hand account of one of the participants of the fight, Ivan Belousov, found on a public VKontakte discussion [ru]:
Все это выдумка про ноживые ранения хворостова про мифический нож которым якобы Ибрагим махал и кричал что всех убьет. В ходе следствия были дапрошены не только та и другая сторона, но и полицеский, стажер кторый был рядом сним, девушка с парнем которые оказывали первую помощ белоусову, дежурный по эскалатору и не кто из них некокого ножа не видел!
It's all made up about Khvorostov's knife wounds about the mythical knife Ibragim supposedly waved around and threatened to kill everyone. In the course of the investigation both sides were interrogated, as was the policeman in training who was near by, a guy and girl who gave first aid to Belousov, the escalator operator and none of them saw any knife!
No knife was found after the fight. The wounds allegedly inflicted on Lotkova's friend turned out to be merely a scratch [ru] — one that hardly looks like it was inflicted with a blade. In fact, none of Lotkova's friends reported their injuries to the police. Furthermore, Lotkova's claims of self-defense are weak at best, since most of the shots were fired while she herself was not being attacked physically.
Meanwhile, the buzz and indignation spreading through RuNet seem to have had an effect. People are gearing up for a rally [ru] to free Lotkova on March 23, and the President's Human Rights Council is taking her case under review. Hopefully it helps — whether Lotkova is actually guilty or not, and whether or not her case is getting exploited by nationalists, she probably did not deserve as harsh a sentence as she got. Russian prisons are no joke, even for a skinhead.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Shedding Light on Macedonia’s “Black Monday” · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

“Black Monday”: Dec. 24, 2012
In order to shed light on the events of Dec. 24, 2012, when journalists and opposition MPs were thrown out of the Macedonian Parliament [en, es, mk], Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia (@fosim) published a study entitled “Black Monday” [.pdf: en, mk, sq], with testimonies of witnesses and participants and analyses by relevant experts. Video from its promotion, with an extensive discussion, is also available online [mk].

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Travel Blogging in Vietnam · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Pham Hoang Mien is disappointed that only few Vietnamese bloggers are writing about the country's tourism potential. She notes that most of the travel bloggers writing about Vietnam are either expats or international tourists. She wants local netizens to blog more about tourism.


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Working for Rural Development in Myanmar · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

A video about a young girl living in a remote village in Myanmar who was trained by ActionAID as a youth leader working for rural development went viral among Myanmar Facebook users.
Video about rural development which went viral in Myanmar

author: Chan Myae Khine


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Bolivia: Book Bill Excludes Copyleft · Global Voices
Pablo Andrés Rivero

Bolivian activists are on alert [es] and writing a collaborative proposal [es] on the new Book and Reading Act [es] in the Plurinational Legislative Asemply (Parliament). The bill seeks to encourage the production and reading of texts of various kinds in the country; however, the bill passed by the Lower Chamber excludes Copyleft and instructs the absolute use of Copyright.

author: Pablo Andrés Rivero


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Close of Google Reader: Google’s Dark Side?  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Last week Google annouced that on July 1 it will close its RSS feed reader service, known as Google Reader.
Google Reader, like other feed readers (RSS or Atom, mainly) is a very practical way to keep up with new content that is published on the blogs and websites that have this ability. In a later announcement Google added:
There are two simple reasons for this: usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products. We think that kind of focus will make for a better user experience.
On the technology blog Alt1040, Javier Lacort wonders if it really is an underused and costly service, and he qualifies [es] the move as:
un movimiento sorprendente dada la cantidad de usuarios que usan este servicio diariamente. Por otro lado, lo cierto es que llevaban mucho tiempo sin actualizar el servicio, e incluso retirándole funcionalidades, como los Share o los Me gusta. […] El problema es que a veces Google hace movimientos bastante difíciles de comprender. Sobre todo, de un tiempo a esta parte, cuando se basan en potenciar el uso de Google+ a cualquier precio. En este caso, con el cierre de Google Reader, despidiéndose de uno de los servicios más usados en el día a día por muchísimos usuarios. Y lo que es peor, obligando a estos mismos usuarios a despedirse de él.
a surprising move given the number of people who use this service daily. On the other hand, it is true that it has been a long time since they have updated the service, and they were even taking away functions, such as Share or Like. […] The problem is that sometimes Google makes moves that are pretty hard to understand. Above all recently, when they have been based on increasing the use of Google+ at any price. In this case, with the close of Google Reader, it is saying goodbye to one of the services most used in the day-to-day of users. And what is worse is forcing these same users to say goodbye to it.
But is it true that it is a service that is in decline? In Geek's Room they republish [es] a report from Buzzfeed Network that shows that Google Reader produces many more references than Google+ (to talk about products from the same company), which can be seen in the following graph:
Enrique Dans calls Google Reader an irreplaceable tool, even though he makes it clear that he does not think it is a mass product, but one that is directed at users that are “advanced in their relationship with information”, and he wonders [es] about its viability in the times of social networks:
Enterarse de noticias a través de Facebook o de Twitter resulta cada vez más habitual. Sin embargo, pensar en sustituir Reader con alguna de estas herramientas supone enfrentarse a un entorno muchísimo menos eficiente, que depende de procesos de descubrimiento social. Frente a disponer de las fuentes en un formato sencillo y accesible inmediatamente, es sencillamente otra cosa: una posibilidad para quienes “se encuentran” con las noticias, pero no para quienes “vamos a buscarlas”.
Finding out about news through Facebook or Twitter is becoming more and more common. However, to think of substituting Reader with one of these tools means facing an environment that is much less efficient, that relies on the processes of social discovery. When you have the sources available to you in a format that is simple and immediately accessible, it is simply something different: a possibility for those who “find themselves” with the news, but not for those who “are looking for it”.
The user community has not taken Google's announcement passively, and a petition on Change.org with more than 141,555 signatures asking for the service to not be closed is proof of it.
Cony Sturm comments [es] on Fayerwayer that other services that depended on Google Reader, like FeedDemon, also announced their close because of their dependence on the Google system. He also translated into Spanish a part of the petition letter by Daniel Lewis directed at Google by way of Change.org:
Nuestra confianza en los demás productos de Google – Gmail, YouTube, y sí, incluso Plus – requiere que confiemos en que ustedes respetarán cómo y por qué usamos sus otros productos. Esto no es sólo sobre los datos en Reader. Esto es sobre nosotros usando sus productos porque los amamos, porque hacen mejores a nuestras vidas, y porque confiamos en que no los destruirán”, afirma. “Por favor, no destruyan esa confianza”
“Our confidence in Google's other products – Gmail, YouTube, and yes, even Plus – requires that we trust you in respecting how and why we use your other products. This isn't just about our data in Reader. This is about us using your product because we love it, because it makes our lives better, and because we trust you not to nuke it”, he writes. “So, please don't destroy that trust.”
But in case this is not successful, we must look at alternatives, like Bárbara Pavan does on Bitelia, where she publishes [es] a list with 10 alternatives to Google Reader (Pavan also shares a shorter list that is more current).
In fact, some companies like Digg have announced [es] that they will replicate the service. And even if Google closes its feed reader, that does not mean the death of the format, to whose creation the recently deceased Aaron Swartz contributed.
What is made obvious once again is that the interests of the users are not the same as those of the company, and, as Enrique Dans says in the previously cited article:
Con el cierre de Google Reader, Google muestra su peor cara: la del desprecio absoluto a sus usuarios. La de la empresa de la que jamás te puedes fiar. Algunos ven el cierre como inevitable, pero retirar una herramienta con una base de usuarios tan fiel sin proponer siquiera un reemplazo digno de ser tenido en consideración es una manera de demostrar que esos usuarios te traen completamente sin cuidado, que no te preocupan lo más mínimo.
With the close of Google Reader, Google is showing its dark side: that of complete disregard for its users. That of a company in which you can never trust. Some see the closing as inevitable, but taking away a tool with such a faithful user base without even proposing a replacement worthy of consideration is a way of showing that those users do not concern you, that you are not worried about them in the slightest.
Don't be evil.

author: Juan Arellano


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Ethiopians Jailed for Protesting Italy’s ‘Butcher of Ethiopia’ Memorial · Global Voices
Endalkachew Chala

A group of 43 protesters were detained in Ethiopia after demonstrating against a small Italian village's publicly funded memorial to Rodolfo Graziani, a general under fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini whose war-time atrocities earned him the nickname “the Butcher of Ethiopia”.
Authorities claimed that the protesters did not have permission to demonstrate and rounded up the group as they rallied in front of the Italian embassy in the country's capital Addis Ababa on 17 March, 2013. The group was forced to stay the night in prison until their release the next day.
Rodolfo Graziani – The Butcher of Ethiopia. Image: Public Domain
The construction of a mausoleum and a park in honor of Graziani in the Italian village of Affile, unveiled in August 2012, has touched a nerve in Ethiopia. A ruthless military commander, Graziani led the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935. Within the year, he had defeated Ethiopian forces and the country was made an Italian colony.
After a failed assassination attempt in 1937 by two local resistance fighters, Graziani ordered the massacre of thousands of Ethiopians.
This was the first protest against the memorial in Ethiopia. Befeqadu, a blogger and Global Voices Amharic translator who was one of protesters detained, published an account of his brief time in one of the filthy prisons. He refuted claims that police had no notice of the demonstration [amh]:
የተቃውሞ ሰልፍ ለማድረግ የሚያስፈልገው ቅድመ ሁኔታ ለመስተዳድሩ ማሳወቅ ሲሆን፣ መስተዳድሩ ደግሞ በ24 ሰዓት ውስጥ ‹‹አይሆንም›› የሚል ደብዳቤ ካልጻፈ እንደተፈቀደ ይቆጠራል፡፡ ስለዚህ ሰልፍ ማድረጉ ሕጋዊ ስህተት የለበትም፣ ጉዳዩ ባንድ ጀምበር የተወለደ ሳይሆን ጋዜጦች ዜና የሰሩለት፣ ቁጥቦቹ ሬድዮዎች ሳይቀሩ ያወሩለት ጉዳይ ስለሆነ ወንጀል ነው ፍርድ ቤት ሊያቀርቡት አይችሉም/አይገባቸውምም፡፡
In a widely circulated blog post, attorney Kiflu Hussain criticized the reaction of Ethiopian authorities to the protest:
Can you imagine the Israeli government being indifferent if the Germans decide to erect a monument for Adolf Eichmann? At present, we Ethiopians not only have indifferent “Ethiopian” rulers. Rather, since May 1991, we have a bunch of sellouts in the Menilik Palace [the palace, which is near the parliament in Addis Ababa, was built by Emperor Menelik] who do the bidding of our worst enemies, some of whom have been blacklisted by history as war criminals and criminals against humanity. Just yesterday, March 17, 2013, the Ethiopian regime rounded up scores of Ethiopians who attempted to peacefully protest the erection of a monument to a Fascist criminal in front of the Italian Embassy in Addis.
Exiled satirist blogger Abetokichaw added [amh]:
ጣሊያንን የተቃወሙ ኢትዮጵያውያን በገዛ መንግስታቸው ታሰሩ እኔ የምለው… እንዴት ነመው ነገሩ ጣሊያን ከኢትዮጵያ አልወጣም እንዴ…?
Patriotic Ethiopians who went up against the fascist were incarcerated…I am just wondering are the Fascists still in Ethiopia?
However, alleged pro-government blogger Daniel Berahane questioned if the demonstration was genuine and defended their incarceration on his Facebook page:
#Ethiopian #opposition politicians staged a little drama today.
I never heard a word from them for more than 6 months on the #statute constructed for fascist #war #criminal #Graziani in #Italy. There is no press statement on their websites either at least since September.
Today, they came out of nowhere and wanted to conduct demonstration on the matter.
Apparently, they didn't fulfill legal requirements, thus the police put the situation under control and detained some of them for investigation (probably released by now).
So….what was this really about?
1/These guys are planning to go the diaspora for fund-raising, so they need to put up a show to claim they are alive.
2/They are under pressure from supporters, journalists, diplomats, etc. for not holding public events, so they need one case to say: “see, this dictatorship doesn't even let us oppose Graziani”.
3/May be they are hoping they can galvanize substantial political support by making Graziani a domestic political agenda.
———
P.s.- I wouldn't say conducting a legal demonstration is a piece of cake, but I strongly object resorting to illegal attempts – esp. when no one went to court complaining denial of legal permit.
In a hilarious and biting commentary on the matter, Girma Tadesse wrote a post for The Gulele Post in which he imagined the dialogue that would be exchanged between various monuments to prominent people including Graziani. Others included former Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who was hailed as a visionary leader by his party and ethnic group but condemned as a ruthless dictator by others, and Sir Alex Ferguson, the current and longest serving manager for the Manchester United football club:
[Rodolfo Graziani] – hi everyone…sorry I’m late; I was watching out for some street protesters
[Alex Ferguson] – ciao Grazziani [sic]; how come you don’t look scared around these guys?
[Graziani] – why would I be scared?
[Ferguson] – you murdered their citizens a while back!
[Graziani] – hold on here; first of all I didn’t murder them I only gave the order after I got an order. Second, that’s a long time ago, 77 years. You guys still live in the past? Why don’t you ask these two, they executed and enslaved their own citizens yet still stand tall?
[Ferguson] – who do you mean?
[Meles Zenawi] – RG is trying to point fingers at me and MII. Listen to me old master, I didn't murder my own citizens; there are no citizens of mine in Gambella and very few outside Tigray. I’m pretty sure Menelik didn't massacre or enslave his ‘own people’ either. So get your facts straight.

author: Endalkachew Chala


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Fixing Taps to Save Water In India · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Author and painter Aabid Surti may have won awards for his writing and art, but he has also made a mark in another field: water conservation. For the last seven years, the 77-year-old has spent his Sundays going to apartments in Mumbai, and volunteering to fix leaking taps.
The Alternative, a Bangalore-based website seeking to chronicle and support social development in India, is currently running a campaign on sustainable water conservation called Catch Every Drop (#catcheverydrop). At The Alternative, Kirti introduces us to Aabid Surti's work:
The 77-year-old celebrates Sunday like none else, picking a building in Mumbai’s far-flung suburb Mira Road and, with his plumber and a volunteer in tow, searching it for leaking taps to plug. Free of charge. His reward? “A lot of water saved. And sometimes, an offer for lunch,” he says simply. Surti’s non-governmental organisation, Drop Dead, has just one employee – him.
Aabid Surti, from Aalif Surti's blog (CC BY-NC 3.0).
Aabid Surti's son Aalif Surti (@SuperAalif) has told the story of how it all began:
“I read an interview of the former UN chief Boutros Boutros Ghali,” Aabid recalls, “who said that by 2025 more than 40 countries are expected to experience water crisis. I remembered my childhood in a ghetto fighting for each bucket of water. I knew that shortage of water is the end of civilized life.” Around the same time, in 2007, he was sitting in a friend’s house and noticed a leaky tap. It bothered him. When he pointed it out, his friend, like others, dismissed it casually: it was too expensive and inconvenient to call a plumber for such a minor job – even plumbers resisted coming to only replace old gaskets. A few days later, he came across a statistic in the newspaper: a tap that drips once every second wastes a thousand litres of water in a month. That triggered an idea. He would take a plumber from door to door and fix taps for free – one apartment complex every weekend.
Of course there was the issue of covering costs:
As a creative artist, he had earned more goodwill than money and the first challenge was funding. “But,” he says, “if you have a noble thought, nature takes care of it.” Within a few days, he got a message that he was unexpectedly being awarded Rs.1,00,000 ($2,000) by the Hindi Sahitya Sansthan for his contribution to Hindi literature [an award from the government of Uttar Pradesh]. And one Sunday morning in 2007, the International Year of Water, he set out with a plumber to fix the problem for his neighbors. He began by simply replacing old O-ring rubber gaskets with new ones, buying new fixtures from the wholesale market. He named his one-man NGO ‘Drop Dead’ and created a tagline: save every drop… or drop dead. Every Sunday, the Drop Dead team – which consisted of Aabid himself, Riyaaz the plumber and a female volunteer Tejal – picked the apartment blocks, got permission from the housing societies, and got to work. A day before, Tejal would hand out pamphlets explaining their mission and paste posters in elevators and apartment lobbies spreading awareness on the looming water crisis. And by Sunday afternoon, they would ensure the buildings were drip-dry. By the end of the first year, they had visited 1533 homes and fixed around 400 taps. Slowly, the news began to spread.
Not only does the project help save water, it empowers the community:
As Aabid rings another door-bell on yet another Sunday in Mira Road, seven years into his one-man mission, he says: “Anyone can launch a water conservation project in his or her area. That’s the beauty of this concept. It doesn’t require much funding or even an office. And most importantly, it puts the power back in our own hands.”
Pappu (@bhanchik) praises Abid's efforts on Twitter:
@bhanchik: Heads bow down for Mr Aabid Surti for his one man mission to preserve water in these trying times when 11 districts are drought hit.Wakeup.
Now Aabid Surti would like similar initiatives to be started in others parts of India, so that as much water as possible is saved.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


text:
Nepal’s Politics in Crisis Once Again · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nepal’s political parties have again failed to respect the people's mandate to elect a prime minister and instead have installed Chief Justice (CJ) Khila Raj Regmi as the head executive (chairman of the interim electoral council of ministers). Shiromani Dhungana at United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal writes about the predicted political crisis of the country.


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Panamanian Opposition Parties Elect Presidential Candidates · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

[All links lead to Spanish language pages, except when otherwise noted.]
The two main opposing political parties in Panama, the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) [en] and the Panameñista Party [en], recently held their primary elections and now have their candidates to run for president in the elections which are to take place in May 2014.
The Democratic Revolutionary Party, the biggest political party in the country, was the first to carry out its primary elections which took place on Sunday 10th March. It proclaimed the former mayor of Panama City, Juan Carlos Navarro, as the winner, who expressed his gratitude via his Twitter account (@juancanavarro):
(@juancanavarro): En nombre de Cuqui, de mis hijos y de mi familia; En nombre de mi equipo de campaña, del CEN [Comité Ejecutivo Nacional del PRD] y del partido: ¡MUCHAS GRACIAS! JCN
(@juancanavarro): On behalf of Cuqui, my children, and my family; and on behalf of my campaign team, the National Executive Committee for the PRD, and the party: THANK YOU! JCN
Photo shared by Juan Carlos Navarro (@juancanavarro) on Twitter
Telemetro gives the exact figures on its webpage:
Según las cifras finales, Navarro ganó con 163 mil 531 votos a su favor, de los 177 mil emitidos.
According to the final figures, Navarro won with 163 531 votes in his favour out of the 177 000 votes cast.
The Panameñista Party held its primary elections on 17th March and Juan Carlos Varela, the current vice-president of the country who has been identified as opposition for rupturing the government alliance, was announced the winner. The candidate also used his Twitter account (@JC_Varela) to express his thanks for the support he received from the other members of his party:
(@JC_Varela): Gracias a todos los dirigentes y miembros del Partido Panameñista por su respaldo hoy y al pueblo panameño por su cariño #JuntosVamosaVencer
(@JC_Varela): Thanks to all the leaders and members of the Panameñista Party for your support today, and thanks to the Panamanian people for your affection #JuntosVamosaVencer (#TogetherWeAreGoingToWin)
Photo shared by Juan Carlos Varela (@JC_Varela) on Twitter
Blogger Ernesto Cedeño took stock of the positive and negative points of Varela’s acceptance speech:
1.       Da esperanzas de planes sociales que piensa concretizar de llegar a gobernar.
2.       Anuncia inversiones para contribuir con el progreso del país.
3.       Desea mejorar la educación en el país.
4.       Implementará paliativos para reducir el alto costo de la vida.
5.       Desea mejorar el sistema de justicia en Panamá.
6.       Establecerá las auditorias de los gastos públicos realizados.
7.       Reconoció que como funcionario, cometió errores en su vida pública.
1. Providing hope for social plans as he aims to become president.
2. Announcing investments that will contribute to improving the country.
3. Expressing his desire to improve education within the country.
4. Aiming to implement measures to reduce the high cost of living.
5. Intending to improve the justice system in Panama.
6. Declaring that he will carry out audits on public spending.
7. Recognising that as a civil servant, he has made mistakes in his public life.
Vivian Torrijos (@VivianTorrijos), a Democratic Revolutionary Party activist and the former First Lady for Panama, described the speech given by the Panameñista candidate as “good”:
(@VivianTorrijos) Buen discurso el de Juan Carlos Varela que hoy ya es candidato a la presidencia de Panamá. Inicia su campaña con ideas y propuestas.
(@VivianTorrijos) Good speech from Juan Carlos Varela as he is now a presidential candidate for Panama. He starts off his campaign with ideas and proposals.
The Panamanians have closely followed both elections and are hoping for a high-quality contest.
Nicolle Ferguson (@nicolleferguson) tweeted:
(@nicolleferguson) Ambos discursos de @juancanavarro y @JC_Varela OK. Ahora queremos saber cual es la estrategia para cumplir con las promesas de campaña
(@nicolleferguson) Speeches from both @juancanavarro and @JC_Varela were OK. Now we want to know what the strategy is to fulfill these campaign promises.
And although a year still remains until the presidential elections take place, the surveys are already becoming a prominent feature. The latest one conducted by Ditcher & Neira shows that the Democratic Revolutionary Party candidate, Juan Carlos Navarro is at a slight advantage. Larissa Samaniego (@LarissaYSam) tells us this via Twitter:
(@LarissaYSam) Encuesta de marzo de Dichter & Neira: @juancanavarro 30% @JC_Varela 22% los del CD 5% el #nuevopanama ya viene!
(@LarissaYSam) Ditcher & Niera March Survey: 30% @juancanavarro 22% @JC_Varela and 5% for CD (Democratic Change Party) #nuevopanama  (#newpanama) is coming!
Panama is still waiting to find out who will be the elected from the governing party [en] in order to be clear of their options for 2014.

author: Ariel Moreno