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Bolivia: Interview with blogger Patricia Vargas (@arquitecta)  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Hugo from Serbolivianoes [es] posted a video interview with blogger [es] Patricia Vargas (@arquitecta on Twitter), “one of the first bloggers and one of the most influential Twitter users in Bolivia.” In the interview she talks about the local and international blogosphere, as well as the Bolivian twittersphere.


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Brazil: Abuse and Threats Behind Manaus City’s ‘Garbage Tax’ · Global Voices
Cinthia Sento Se

In the state of Amazonas in the north of Brazil, threats [pt] to freedom of expression and abuse by those who hold economic and political power are not new. Thanks to the Internet however, debates about these issues are at least increasing. In this post, Global Voices tells the story of two local bloggers who have suffered sustained persecution.
‘Garbage Tax’ Controversy
Since the start of 2010, bloggers from Amazonas’ capital Manaus have been following the story of Bianca Abinader, a doctor whose professional life became the obsession of radio broadcasting station CBN Manaus [pt].
Bianca insists she is the victim of political harassment. But the station's owner and host, Ronaldo Tiradentes, says he is simply working for the common good, in his role as an investigative journalist.
A close reading of local blogs, including those authored by Abinader and Tiradentes, can give us enough clues to understand how the whole story began and why the smear campaign against the doctor is still ongoing.
Cloaca News explains the origins of the persecution:
Bianca Abinader era uma das organizadoras de um movimento civil independente que divulgava aos moradores de Manaus os nomes dos vereadores que votaram no Projeto de Lei que instituiu a Taxa de Resíduos Sólidos Domiciliares (TRSD) – mais conhecida como “Taxa do  Lixo”. Ainda segundo o despacho de nosso colaborador, a iniciativa, começada em fins de dezembro, partira de um grupo de manauenses frequentadores da rede de microblog Twitter, e Bianca estava entre eles. A meta era espalhar, em outdoors, uma lista com os nomes dos vereadores que aprovaram a taxa, como forma de protesto. Misteriosamente, as empresas de publicidade, depois de aceitar e quase fechar contrato para a veiculação da lista, mudaram de ideia e recusaram a exibição dos  cartazes, alegando retaliações por parte de pessoas ligadas à Prefeitura de Manaus.
The introduction of the ‘Garbage Tax‘ [pt] established a monthly fee that from 2011 onwards would raise 150 million reais [around 90 million US dollars] per year for the City Hall, despite the fact that it already has plenty of resources for garbage collection in its budget – – approximately 60 million reais [pt] – and still doesn't do it in an efficient manner.
Flyer Furore
Abinader coordinated the advertising board campaign, along with physiotherapist Carolina Coelho and blogger Ismael Benigno Neto. Since this approach did not go ahead as planned however, the watchdog group Manaus de Olho (Manaus is Watching) [pt] of which they are members, released flyers with the names and faces of the politicians who approved the tax. The group was founded on December 22, 2009 and in the beginning of February it started sending out fifty thousand flyers [pt].
Top text reads: "These congresspeople approved the Garbage Tax instigated by Manaus City Hall". Image from Manaus de Olho blog.
Radio station owner Tiradentes started a crusade against Abinader when he arranged the first smear against her in a broadcast on January 4, 2010. More than one year later the host posted on his weblog a new attack:
A obrigação da médica Bianca Abinader era de dar atendimento de segunda a sexta-feira, numa “casinha de saúde”, igualmente aos outros 183 médicos, no horário das 8 às 12 e das 14 às 18 horas. Se preferisse, poderia entrar as 7:30 hs e seguir direto, sem intervalo, até 15:30hs.
Nem uma coisa e nem outra. Bianca Abinader nunca gostou de pegar no pesado, aliás, nunca honrou ao pé da letra o compromisso assumido por contrato com a Prefeitura de Manaus e com o contribuinte que paga o seu salário.
O prazer da médica pública Bianca Abinader, não era dar a contrapartida para o povo sofrido que pagava e ainda paga seu polpudo salário. O prazer dela é ficar na internet 24 horas por dia, participando das redes sociais, escrevendo futilidades (…)
Doctor Bianca Abinader's duty was to see patients from Monday to Friday, in a “small health center”, like the other 183 doctors, between 8am and 12pm and 2pm to 6pm. If she preferred, she could come in at 7:30am and go without a break until 15:30pm.
Bianca Abinader never liked to work hard, in fact she literally never honored the commitment assumed by contract with the Manaus City Hall and with the citizens who pay her wage.
Doctor Bianca Abinader does not take pleasure in caring for the poor and suffering people that paid, and still pay, for her considerable wage. She takes pleasure in accessing the Internet 24 hours a day, participating in social network sites and writing frivolities (…)
In another text [pt] also published in the beginning of 2011, Ronaldo threatens Bianca and her colleagues with apparent evidence doubting their professional capabilities.
When the first complaints against her emerged, Bianca wrote in her blog, O Grito (The Yell) [pt]:
A CBN é uma rádio nacional, sua concessão aqui em Manaus foi entregue a Ronaldo Tiradentes, um homem sem limites e sem ética profissional. Durante a reportagem de segunda, enquanto conversava com um dos meus funcionários, Samara Souza, a repórter da rádio, demonstrava muito constrangimento e dizia que não gostaria de estar ali, que estava sendo obrigada e que sabia que se tratava de um assunto pessoal do dono da rádio. Tenho testemunhas pra provar isso. Portanto, estamos diante de uma rádio com concessão pública que utiliza seu espaço descaradamente para fins pessoais.
Short-lived Truce
In 2010, Bianca moved to another health center and kept some distance from social networks. The truce was short-lived, as blogger Henrique Ramos comments:
Bianca voltou ao Twitter e pelo que pude perceber sua rotina tinha se “normalizado”, os ataques parados, creio que isso era o que ela e todos aqueles em seu entorno pensavam, infelizmente nos enganamos, no amanhecer desse 06 de fevereiro de 2011, seu carro apareceu apedrejado em frente ao seu prédio (…)
The post above generated some comments, this one among them:
@ellenkeepwalkin @diandrade04 Tá acontecendo desde início de 2010. http://bit.ly/fSoXhm É alguém q questiona, como nós! Só q questionou mais a fundo.
Bianca was not the only member of the campaign coordination team to suffer some kind of retaliation. Evidence suggests that Carolina Coelho was fired [pt] as a personal favor to Ronaldo Tiradentes.
Ismael Benigno Neto meanwhile is being sued by Tiradentes for libel, slander and defamation. According to the blogger, it happened because he published official papers in his blog proving that Tiradentes’ companies and relatives are benefited by local government positions and contracts.
Ismael has also reported in his blog a long version of the “Garbage Tax” case, getting into details on Tiradentes’ powerful position in the city:
Planilhas internas da Secretaria Municipal de Comunicação da Prefeitura de Manaus, vazadas de dentro da administração, trazem os pagamentos feitos pela secretaria aos diversos órgãos de imprensa da cidade em 2009. São dados detalhados, que mostram que a CBN Manaus e a Tiradentes FM (outra rádio do grupo de Ronaldo) levaram, juntas, quase R$ 700 mil do orçamento da Prefeitura para a área de Comunicação.
Não é pouco para um relatório que registra pagamentos totais de R$ 8,5 milhões. Grosso modo, pode-se dizer que Ronaldo, sozinho, ficou com quase 10% da verba de comunicação da Prefeitura de Manaus em 2009. Do dinheiro dividido entre as 10 principais rádios da cidade, Ronaldo ficou com quase metade.
Spreadsheets leaked from the Manaus’ City Hall Communication Department show the payments made by the department to several news organizations in 2009. There is detailed information about how CBN Manaus and Tiradentes FM (another radio broadcasting station owned by Ronaldo) earned, altogether, almost R$ 700,000 [around USD 420,000] of the City Hall's budget for communications.
It is quite a lot in a report that records a total payment of R$ 8.5 million [USD 5.1 million]. Roughly, we could say that Ronaldo alone earned almost 10% of Manaus City Hall's budget for communications in 2009. Of all the money shared amongst the ten top radio broadcasting stations in the city, Ronaldo took almost half of it.
Freedom of Expression
At this point it is worth asking: is freedom of expression a reality in Brazil? In a post from October 2010 [pt], Ismael exposes the violence that he and other bloggers suffered when an armed gang broke into his house during an informal party on election day and concludes:
Linchamentos públicos são fascinantes do ponto de vista social, porque são a demonstração da capacidade humana de desligar o disjuntor coletivo da razão, como se num transe coletivo todo tipo de gente, de médicos a jornalistas, de procuradores a professores, de profissionais liberais a operários de fábrica, todos, despidos de discernimento, tivessem dúvidas sobre o que é humano ou não, sobre o que é crime ou não.
(…)
Eu nunca quis ou me importei de ser ouvido, escrevi diariamente os três primeiros anos deste blog sem ter leitores. Não me interessava ser lido, me interessava poder falar.
Eu sei admitir os meus erros.
Este foi um deles.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Cinthia Sento Se


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Brazil: Collateral concerns on newspaper’s “failures” · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Update on GV's Brazil: Newspaper Folha de São Paulo censors satirical blog: Lino Bocchini shares [pt] Leandro Arndt's concerns on intellectual property prosecution. Arndt had created the blog Falha de São Pedro (St. Peter's Failure) [pt] before Bocchini's Falha de São Paulo (St. Paul's Failure) [pt] also aiming to mock with the newspaper's failures.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Brazil/USA: “Can the US shutdown the Internet?” · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

On his blog, brazilian journalist Altamiro Borges writes [pt, en] about the capacity of the USA to shutdown the internet in moments of crisis while commenting on an article by Cuarta Generación (Fourth Generation) [es], which says “US is heavily investing in order not to be surprised by the web”.


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Bahrain: More Gunshots in Capital  · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Reports of shootings in different locations in the Bahraini capital of Manama, flooded social media websites in the afternoon of this Friday 18 February, 2011. The video below posted by Youtube user habib2day appears to show injured protestors in the aftermath of the attack.
Reactions from Twitter have been quick to emerge:
@angryarabiya As the sun sets, many thousands are being attacked by riot police, and police shooting from buildings rooftops! #bahrain #bahrein #feb14
@leildehati my cousin is very close to salmaniya. she is hearing shootings!!!!!! #bahrain
@emile_hokayem Just ran into group of protesters going to site of clashes. They say army firing live rounds in the air.
@rym86 Gunshots outside #Smc .. This is a humanitarian protest.. #Bahrain #feb14
@SuadAK Stop the bloodshed #Bahrain
@BAHRAINIAC The Army #BDF hits the protesters at #LuluRoundabout #Lulu #Feb14 #Bahrain moments ago!!!
@FreedomPrayers Still shooting !! 17:38 #bahrain
@rayyash
نداء الى كل من يملك ذرة إنسانية شعب البحرين يتم تصفيته
@BAHRAINIAC Gunshots fired, clash between protesters and police forces. Pray for no casualties. #Feb14 #Bahrain #PearlRoundabout
@ba7ari Its near salmaneya, its near lulu, army shooting protesters with machine guns #bahrain #feb14 #hrw #un #eu
@DanaTaqawi Pray for no more casualties #pray #pray
@hadeelalsh: Army firing live ammo from anti-aircraft guns from APC's at protesters #bahrain
@hadeelalsh Protesters were carrying flowers saying they wanted to deliver it to police. Were shot instead. Blood on street now #bahrain
@MayMarzooq STOP KILLING BAHRAINIS. #Feb14 #BahraiN
@alialsaeed i cannot believe this! the ARMY is attacking UNARMED civilians?!
@FreedomPrayers ARMY tanks against unarmed civilians right now in sanabis #bahrain
@FreedomPrayers Still shooting 17:45 #bahrain
@Halsitra
صديقي اتصل من الدوار يقول الطائرات تطلق النار و عدد من القتلى
@FreedomPrayers Still shooting #bahrain 17:50
@khalidbmm #bahrain #usa #uk #14feb D army used life bolets to kill protistors where is the free wold from this new Massacre
@FreedomPrayers
first martyr of feb18 confirmed. shot in the head #bahrain via @Wefaqsociety
@FreedomPrayers still shooting 18:01 #bahrain
@AliFingerz  I have lost faith in our system and what it once stood for… Its like we're living in the dark ages now…
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Yacoub Al-Slaise


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China: Chinese police mimic Michael Jackson’s and Korean Wonder Girls’ dance  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The official Beijing police embedded a dance video in their microblog message via their Sina account ‘Peaceful Beijing’ as greetings for Chinese Lantern Festival. As the Ministry of Tofu points out, the police mimic Michael Jackson and Korean Wonder Girls in their dance.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Petitioner burns down his black prison · Global Voices
John Kennedy

One of the earliest in China's first wave of bloggers to take up live reporting of local news, Zhang Shihe (aka ‘Tiger Temple’), is also one of the last of that group still active. Blogging on at 24 hours online, his latest post revisits the issue of China's black prisons, often apartments or shabby motels where petitioners are held illegally or processed for domestic rendition.
Zhang's February 13 post, ‘In an act of righteous resistance against violence, burning down a black prison to awaken people to rule without law’, tells a bit of the remarkable and ongoing story of Hubei petitioner Yan Sen through tweets and text messages:
湖北荆门钟祥市访民阎森等二人，于本月10日当天，被从北京丰台区怡然家园5号院1门201室黑监狱截访返回原籍。（此间疑有截访人员与黑监狱间金钱交换人质）。阎森二人返回原籍后被关押在原单位私设黑监狱内两日，第三日晨，即三小时之前的13日凌晨3:50，阎森向北京发来短信曰“已烧成功”，此前阎森曾讲到要烧毁拘他于其中的黑监狱，以义抗暴，催醒国人，推动中国法治进程！目前阎森二人情况不明，手机已经“关机”……
位于北京丰台区西马场怡然家园5号院1门201室的黑监狱早被附近居民怀疑。只因此间出入人等过于诡秘，线索一时难索，故未被曝光。10日当天，曾有南站访民集结数十人计划集体前往打黑，但听闻有被押其间的湖北籍访民阎森等二人当天已被原籍截访人员“买走”，尚有其余7位被押访民打黑队情况不明，行动暂缓。
阎森被截访回湖北钟祥市后即被再次关押黑狱，此时曾发出短信谈及北京依然家园黑监狱情况“三室一厅，客厅有三张床和两个旧长沙发，到夜晚都可睡人，黑龙江一对老夫妻和一个中年汉子及一个坐轮椅的（贵州省）残疾人在客厅睡。最里一间有三个上下铺（床）上铺全是行李下铺睡人。上下铺的对面是黑监狱刘老板的临时办公室，中间是女室：一名黑龙江女的和一名河北女的，前两天分别被当地接访买走。”阎森是否被“买走”暂时不详。根据最近情况分析，这些黑监狱类似于“中介”，代理各地被截访人员的临时关押业务。想必其间吃住以及看守劳务费用、住房开支等均会于交接访民之时一并结算。访民谓之曰“卖访民”已成平常。
手机被强行拿走。我还隐藏了一部手机。请不要与我联系和发短信。等被释放后我联系你们：阎森
黑监狱是三室一厅。进门室客厅。客厅有三张床和两个旧长沙发到夜晚都可睡人。黑龙江一对夫妻和一个中年汉字及一个坐轮椅的（贵州省）残疾人在客厅睡。罪里一间还有三个上下铺（床）上铺全是行李下铺睡人。上下铺的对面是黑监狱刘老板的临时办公室，中间是女室：一名黑龙江女的和一名河北女的，前两天分别被当地接访买走。
明天早六时我被原单位关黑监狱早已超过二十四小时后，我要烧掉这间黑房子，请你明天七时后告诉访民朋友们：现在可短信联系：阎森：
12日晚间9到12时，我们一直在用短信劝阎森慎行，担心酿成伤害自己灾难且被有关方面抓住把柄，避重就轻，无限放大，结果更糟……但效果似差。
13日凌晨3:50，北京这边收到短信“已烧成功：”悲剧终成！
我与阎森再次联系时，发现手机已经关停。截止目前阎森等二人情况不明。
Zhang has since posted a few updates to the story on Twitter:
湖北访民阎森自今晨烧黑监狱后，手机一直不能联系。据旁人了解当时守在黑监狱外面的有两个人。至此唯一可统计损失是本博在新浪所开博客因发布此消息被封杀。不知道立场站在谁那边。已与新浪交涉中
烧掉黑监狱补充：阎森安全但又被关押，对方很怕走漏消息故不敢报警。进一步情况正追踪中。
黑监狱烧毁后看押阎森的人员增加到4人。阎森短信曰：他们正紧急抢修被烧监狱以毁灭罪证。阎森表示渴望有记者联系他，他已与世隔绝，彻底丧失自由。我正在联系询问他是否可以对记者公开电话。
一小时内，多次联系阎森电话都说“无法接通”
今天早上狱方威胁阎森一要赔偿烧毁损失，二要阎森“小心你的孩子老婆”。但到午后忽然180度逆转迅速释放了阎森。请媒体与我联系，是阎森的要求……
烧毁监狱时，阎森被反锁监狱内，我们担心他会遭“自焚”，阎森属猛汉坚持如此。后来火起渐大，两个看守拼命撞开门。阎森站在外面和看守一起观火。玻璃爆裂、火苗窜起老高。阎森遂向首都发出短信：成功！（意在向祖国报告）
阎森已经自己解放了自己，现在狱方提出还不能走，明日有市上领导找他谈话。阎森在最后烧毁监狱冲出来之前在墙壁上留下了黑狱感言：烧掉黑监狱！落款阎森。目前对方在连夜修复监狱，生怕阎森出去后此事被披露。请大家继续关注，我们胜利了！
湖北荆门阎森正式获自由。狱方所说今天有领导来谈话原来只是阎森的胞弟和妹二人，来接哥哥前遭到恐吓“不许乱说”。阎森则表示“开弓没有回头箭，我将拼死到底！彻底砸烂天下黑监狱。”阎森在此向关心他的推友网友访友表示元宵节的祝福，感谢公民社会！
湖北省高法通知阎森本月22号前往立案庭。但阎森知道时逢此时不过又是一次维稳举措而已，去了也会被通知一个月以后如何，然后天下太平，升官发财。阎森公布了电话，接受关心他的网友和媒体 13277663168 建议短信交流避免资讯堵塞。
阎森冲出黑监狱后，狱方一直在加强黑监狱的建设，其中一项是给内墙贴一层瓷砖，阎森认为疑似防备后来狱民不可在其上刷写反动抗暴标语！准确体现了黑监狱建设的科学观，也是经验所为。
京城黑监狱匪情之一：刘老板是河北人，带三个彪形大汉老乡看守，拥有子弹头一辆专事从市政府开设的久敬庄接济中心拉人到黑监狱囤积。各省地驻京办无能力接返或不耐烦长期上访人员往返运送，故将访民委托关押在此并交付300到400/日不等费用。阎森的被出售费用是400元一天。
京城黑监狱匪情之二：黑监狱里墙上挂着作息表，对活动腿脚和熄灯时间做以规定。一般不打“货物”。监狱有电脑，看守可上网解闷儿。屋子里堆满各省地截访办送的烟酒礼品，要求不得放人在外就算交易成功。黑监狱一旦被网上披露会立刻搬家继续开办。有人报警被没收手机。
京城黑监狱匪情之三：阎森和黑监狱被关押人交谈，对方多呆痴，言辞木讷，惊恐万状，担心有卧底而遭打。一广西女访民偷偷电话110被发现遭打，手机被夺走摔碎。最长有关押20天以上的，省上截访办每日支付黑监狱费用巨额。黑监狱在京城业已产业化。

author: John Kennedy


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China: The Crackdown of the Southern Media Group · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Andy Yee translated Mo Zhixu's explanation on the implication of the recent crackdown of the Southern Media Group marked by the sacking of prominent journalist Chang Ping.


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China: Worst Drought in 60 Years · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
Major agricultural regions in China are facing their worst drought in 60 years.
According to government statistics released January 28, 2011, 7.7 million mu (5,160 million square km) of agricultural land, 2.57 million people and 2.79 million livestock have been hit by the drought. The immediate impact has been rising food prices. Indeed, its implication on food security has prompted the United Nations’ food agency to issue a warning to the world's grain markets.
Despite the drought's serious social and political implications, there hasn't been much concern among opinion leaders on major Chinese web platforms. The online public sphere has been dominated by urban concerns, as Wang Xiaojian points out in Sina micro-blog:
有乡亲上家里问我，是否能让水利部门拨款打口井灌溉农田。我说基本不可能！山东、河北、河南三省130天无有效降雨，冬春小麦基本无望。连续三年粮食欠 收，我妈让我微薄上呼吁，我说无济于事，除非田地开裂、牲畜渴死、危及到人的生命，要不然水利部门基本就不管，微薄上的精英们都在忙着打拐活动。
While a number of microbloggers helped to pass on Wang's message, ultimately there wasn't much of an echo.  Sunwen Susan (孙雯-苏三) commented on Wang's message, pointing out that people care more about the property market than the country's agriculture development, as the former is more profitable:
现在河南省的干旱还在持续，开封郊区和郑州相连的地方，那些农田都被用作开发房地产了，他们八成觉得越干越好吧~(2月6日 11:25)
In order to catch people's attention to the severe drought, He Yanan posted a picture showing poor children drinking dirty water to his microblog:
看看这是干旱地区孩子们喝的水…我们正在遭受60年一遇的特大旱灾，不出意外的话，这将是大多数人有生见过最旱的一年，从＂点滴＂做起，刻不容缓，行动吧，朋友！
Blogger Zhang Teimian also posts some photos showing the situation in his homeland in Shandong in his blog:
没有太多的话，我拍这些照片的时候真的是哭着拍的。。。作为一个农村出生的娃，我深切的知道，庄稼对农民意味着什么。
一直在城市里面，虽然也知道旱情挺严重的，每次打电话回家，爸爸都会叹息，说再不下雨麦子就完了。过年回到农村老家，刚看到麦田，就明白了旱灾的严重，记 得往年春节期间，虽然天气也都很冷，但是麦田里的颜色还都是深绿色的，可是今年却是一片黄绿色。并且今年大年初二就是立春的节气，按照常理，麦苗也要开始 返青了，可是今年。。
走进麦田，看着青青的麦苗，其实很多都已经直接风干了，用手一折就会断掉，近五个月没有降雨，旱情实在太严重了。。。
Now I live in the city but I know that the drought is very serious. Every time I call home, my father keeps telling me that the wheat will die if the rain doesn't come soon. But it wasn't until I went home during the Lunar New Year that I genuinely felt the severe impact of the drought. Last year, although the winter was cold, the wheat was greenish in color. This year, the wheat was yellowish. According to the Lunar Calendar, the second date of the lunar new year was “Spring time”; wheat normally starts grow by then, but not this year…
When walking into the field, the sprouts were totally dry. There hadn't been any rain for five months… the drought is devastating.
Blogger Nanshan Daxian believes that the root cause of water shortage is related to the philosophy of contemporary water resources project and the construction of dams and reservoirs:
我们竟然是走了大禹治水时已经摒弃了的办法。我们使用的是堵截的方式在治水。打开地图看一下就知道，我们早年兴修的水 库无一例外的是在河流的下游把水拦住，然后蓄水成库。当然，兴修发电用的水坝就更是这样了。把江河拦住修水坝，通过提高水位，蓄势发电。这样的治水措施， 让许多的河流干涸了。也让不怎么缺水的地方从此就没有水源。我们要敬佩中国的水利专家，依靠他们的科学思维，终于把几千年来没有治伏的水害给完全的降服 了。然而，他们也作孽呀，是他们把中国变成了世界上最大的缺水国。
On 29 January 2011,  the State Council of the People's Republic of China released a document on water resource reform [zh] to address the problem of water supply in rural areas. It is a good sign that the Central Government is now paying attention to the uneven investment on the urban water supply and rural irrigation, the fundamental philosophy of water resource management is yet to be reviewed.
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.


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Cuba: Reina Luisa Tamayo Arrested  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense re-posts a report of the arrest and alleged beating of the mother of the late prisoner of conscience, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, saying: “Wednesday…is [the] one-year anniversary of [his] death…already, Cuban police — spooked by the calendar and the possible spread of “Egyptian flu” — have launched a new wave of repression, in order to prevent something it won't be able to control because of the anniversary.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Equatorial Guinea: Writer on Hunger Strike  · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The writer and poet from Equatorial Guinea, Juan Tomás Avila Laurel [es], has gone on a hunger strike [es] in protest against the dictatorship of Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Obiang and his family have ruled the ex Spanish colony since 1979.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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India And Pakistan: Ideological Enemies? · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Are India and Pakistan ideological enemies?”  asks Dr. Niaz Murtaza at Pak Tea House. Murtaza thinks that both the countries should resolve their differences maturely by dialogue, not by other means.

author: Rezwan


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Inflation in Argentina: “It’s not inflation, it’s just a sensation” · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

In a post about inflation in Argentina, Simon Kofoed from argen-times writes: “Argentines all over the country are suffering the consequences of rising daily costs and are well aware that in this country, ‘prices go up by the lift and come down by the stairs’; if of course they ever come down at all.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Iran: Whose Martyr is He? · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The Iranian pro-regime and opposition forces have each been battling to claim Saleh Jaleh as their martyr. He was killed by gunfire on February 14 when the opposition demonstrated in Tehran and several other cities.
Sane Jaleh, 26, was a student of dramatic literature at Tehran Arts University. A Sunni Muslim, Sane was from Paveh in the Kurdistan Province.
While Iranian pro-government websites claim he was a Basij militia member, killed by the opposition, opposition sites say he was a protester. Both sides accuse each other of trying to steal Saleh's identity.
Pro-regime sites published his photo and his Basij membership card, while opposition sites published a photo  of him with the late high ranking cleric, Ayathollah Montazeri, a leading anti-government figure.
Reza Sajadi, the secretary of Tehran Arts University’s Islamic Association, and a close friend of Sane Jaleh,  told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that despite threats made against him, he strongly denies his friend’s membership in the Basij organization.
On YouTube, a short film titled ‘A Brick in the Wall’ shows Saneh's participation in a film with a protest message, inspired by Pink Floyd's ‘The Wall’.
Greenofred, an Iranian blogger, says [fa] that today the killers’ of Saleh [referring to pro-government's forces] organised the funeral of their victim while security agents did not let Saleh's classmates to leave the university… In an interview with VOA Persian, his brother said that Saleh was not a member of the militia and that it was his pro-government cousin who misused his photo to make a fake Basij card to publish on pro-regime sites… The family is under pressure.
Faryad Sabz also says [fa] Saleh was buried without the presence of his classmates.
Several pro-government bloggers such as Peynevesht tried  [fa] to provide answers to the doubts of the authenticity of the Basij card.
Saleh's sad story reminds me of a phrase that I heard at the beginning of a famous Western movie involving bounty hunters: “When life has no value, death gets some.”

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica, B.V.I.: Non-Indigenous Species · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Lemurs in the Caribbean? Labrish Jamaica calls on Sir Richard Branson to do the right thing.


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Jamaica: Banton Jury Deliberates  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jury deliberation in the drug trial of reggae icon Buju Banton begins today; YardFlex.com is keeping a close eye on developments.


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Jamaica: Get Up, Stand Up · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Next year…Jamaica will celebrate 50 years of being an independent nation, but unless we take Bob Marley's words to heart and emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, our jubilee will represent nothing more than a fleeting, insignificant figure on time's continuum”: Ruthibelle thinks its time for Jamaica to grow up.


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Jordan: Societal Criticism through Humor · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

Jordanians will tell you that they are not known for being a happy people.  On occasions such as a football victory, with cars honking and shouts of joy, onlookers will point out that, unlike a typical day, Jordanians are smiling.  Participants of the hashtag #Jordanianlies are out to prove the stereotype wrong.  #Jordanianlies features statements Jordanians hear that are often untrue.  Thus, the hashtag uses humor to point out faults in Jordanian society. While the majority of #Jordanianlies posts center on gender relations, work situations, and everyday life, a few have ventured into political criticism.
Ammar Haider posted the slogan that the Jordanian government used to promote participation in November's parliamentary elections.  Humorously calling it a lie, he suggests that the government was not so interested in listening to popular demands:
سمعنا صوتك #JordanianLies
Ola Eliwat also poked fun at an announcement related to November's elections:
#Jordanianlies هذا وقد شهد الأردن عرساً انتخابياً مثالاً للديمقراطية والنزاهة نفاخر به العالم من شرقه لغربه
Ola Abu Salim took aim at the police, posting:
الشرطة في خدمة الشعب! #JordanianLies
Aya Al-Musa criticized a similar slogan:
#JordanianLies النواب في خدمة الشعب
Hazem Dmour joked:
#JordanianLies ما في اي فساد بالاردن ابدااااااااااااا
Ahmed M. Khalel was skeptical about the government's desire for political competition:
#JordanianLies الحكومة بدها معارضة و أحزاب
3TonMantis was similarly doubtful of the government's agenda for reform:
#Jordanianlies الاصلاح السياسي والاقتصادي
Yazan Mousa questioned Jordan's political designation by Wikipedia:
#Wikipedia: #Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with a representative government. #WikipediaLies #JordanianLies
Ala Awaysheh was appreciative of the humorous discussions:
At this stressful time all around.. it's so good to see Jordanians breaking the stereotype of we are not funny ppl #jordanianlies is a proof
And Yazan Shawabkeh, originator of the hashtag, agreed:
Thank you all #JordanianLies for funny tweets, and thanks for retweets, yes #newfact2011 All the Jordanian are funny, thanks again :D #JO
Within a few days, Jordanian tweeps added a new hashtag, #JordanianDreams, featuring things that Jordanians would always hope for.

author: Betsy Fisher


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Jordan: Tweets for Reform · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

For the last several weeks, Jordanians have discussed their own government and society in Twitter under the hashtag #ReformJo.  The hashtag has provided an opportunity not just to criticize Jordan's government, but to provide suggestions to improve Jordan, from anti-smoking measures to educational reform to amending Jordan's constitution.
Anti-government demonstrations in Jordan over price increases. Photo by nader daoud, copyright Demotix (21/01/2011).
Inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, the Twitter community has been resolute in the need for reform within Jordan's monarchy.
Ali Dahmash advocated personal action:
By the way #ReformJo includes every one of us, by loving our neighbor, driving properly, not throwing things from the car, caring about #Jo
Others focused on combating corruption.  Jawad Abbasi asked for laws requiring public officials to disclose personal financial information prior to taking office:
@PrincessPetra81 #Reformjo any public official who wants his net worth and finances to be private, should not assume a public position. Easy
Facade al-Fasad tweeted:
cut down on independent commissions, seize assets from biggest corruption cases, budget deficit solved with a extra change #reformjo
Ahed Al-Adwan agreed:
Corruption in all forms, must be dealt with harshly, corrupted people must be undermined, boycotted and not praised in any way. #reformjo
Others centered their discussions on equality between Jordanians of Jordanian and Palestinian origin, and between genders.  Ali Abu-Nimah wrote:
It would be much healthier for #JO to engage in serious, rapid #ReformJO than to stage contests about who is loyal and who is not.
Nasma Bar recommended:
No more “Aslak falasteeni wila urdoni?” we are all Jordanian. #reformjo
Fida Taher added:
Jordanian women (like myself) should be able to give their children the Jordanian nationality #reformjo
Still others, like Nader Idkeidek, recommended reform to Jordan's state-run media JordanTV:
1st step to #ReformJO is to #ReformJTV, mayb whole pub med. Is it me or we are all skipping JTV, and listening only to Wakeel in the morning
Zein al-Fawwaz agreed:
If we are talking about reform can we please start with Jordanian media? JTV! #reformjo
Bilal Mahmoud was one of many to suggest economic initiative:
Let's all support local businesses, buy made in jordan, fly rj and buy directly from farmers… #reformjo #jo #jordanian #Jordan
Michael Nazzal tweeted:
#Sustainable #tourism provides #Jordanians in their towns and villages with an income from #handcrafts…#Jordan.#reformjo
Hamzeh Nassif wants to see a focus on renewable energy:
Make #Jo a center for excellence in solar energy, see this proposal: http://www.manbaralrai.com/?q=node/96490 #ReformJO #Jo
Sheren joined many calling for education reform:
Considering “TEACHING” as a profession and not a job will improve the outcome of the eduaction system. #ReformJO #education
Many focused on increasing citizen participation in governance processes.  Hussam Soudani wrote:
Enhance public participation in the decision making process and strengthening the role of the civil society institutions. #reformjo
Tareq Abu-Lughod tweeted:
Since our taxes pay for most of Government spending, we'd like to approve, at least monitor Government spending. #ReformJo
Many demanded a new election law that would correct district gerrymandering, currently skewed to favor rural areas that are traditionally loyal to loyalist parliamentary candidates.  Mahmoud Lattouf wrote:
#ReformJo: A just and representative election law taking and allowing the establishment of real political parties
Suleiman Bakhit wrote:
@samihtoukan @myUrdon @AhedAladwan Only issue is speed. We all agree root of all #reformjo is a progressive elections law
Ali Abu-Nimah added:
Return to 1952 constitution (democratic parliamentary regime with constitutional monarchy) emerges as #ReformJO issue http://t.co/bz2jkuO
Discussions of reform in Jordan continue on Twitter at #reformJo, and also at ReformJo's newly-launched website.


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Mexico: Activist’s House Set on Fire in Ciudad Juárez · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Ciudad Juárez, en la sombra del narcotráfico [es] (“Ciudad Juárez, in the shadow of drug trafficking”) reports that on February 16, Malú García Andrade's house was set on fire. Malú is an activist against femicides and human trafficking. Her mother, Norma Andrade, is a co-founder of the non-profit “May our Daughters Return Home.” Malú's sister, Lilia Alejandra, was murdered in February 2001.


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Pakistan: Save The Railway Before Its Too Late · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ahmed Jamal Pirzada at All Things Pakistan opines that the way to save the troubled Pakistan railway by giving up its monopoly and opening up tracks to the private sector.


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Pakistan: Two Great Online Initiatives · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kalsoom at CHUP -Changing Up Pakistan informs about two great efforts – 1) ThinkChange Pakistan, a blog that aims to track the social entrepreneurship and innovation space in Pakistan and 2)  Gawaahi, a new online initiative aiming to archive digital stories of abuse, survival and resistance.


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Puerto Rico: A Travelling Girl · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Kanchita, a seven-year old girl from Puerto Rico, has started a blog [es] in which she is recording her thoughts during her wonderful travels through South America. Kanchita is also posting her photos. Yes, her parents are helping her out!


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Puerto Rico: Congressman Condemns Human Rights Abuses · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger and lawyer Hiram Meléndez has posted the video in which  Illinois Congressman Luis Gutiérrez appears before Congress forcefully condemning the human rights abuses against students and protesters in the Island, the imposed restrictions on free speech at the University of Puerto Rico,  and the crisis of the Bar Association, an institution that has been practically dismantled by the Puerto Rican Legislature.


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Russia-Kyrgyzstan: Mount Putin on the map · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Windows to Russia reports that Kyrgyzstan on 17 February decided to name a mountain peak after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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South Korea: Dead livestock draws a flocks of vultures · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's citizen media, Wiki Tree posted Twitter @Photomaker79's image of a flocks of vultures circling over a burial ground in Kyunggi Province, where dead livestock have been dumped. To slow down the country's worst foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the government culled near a quarter of its herd and buried them on the ground.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Serbia: Modern Architecture · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Block 23 in New Belgrade and other examples of modern Serbian architecture – at Nothing Against Serbia.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Sri Lanka: The Future of the Tamil Struggle · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nirmanusan Balasundaram at Groundviews writes about the present state of the Tamil diaspora and how they will shape up the future of the Tamil struggle.


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Tanzania: Netizens comment on bomb explosions at army base · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

At least 30 people have been killed in multiple bomb explosions after an accident early Thursday at Gongo la Mboto army base in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. At least 22 people died in 2009 following massive explosions at an ammunition depot at Mbagala army base in Dar es Salaam.
A piece of rocket still has blood on it after killing a woman. Photo courtesy of Robert Okanda.
La Princessa calls for God's help:
We bombed ourself twice, accidentally..God help us
Out of Africa, a blogger from California, USA, lives just 15 kilometers from the army base:
Things that go bump in the night… rodents, ghosts, and… bombs?  Probably the biggest breaking news on an international scale last night (that didn’t actually make the news), was the two hour onslaught of bombing that occurred in Dar es Salaam, TZ- only 15km from where we live.
At 9.30pm on February 16th, as Ross and I sat in our bed watching a horror film (of all things), the house began to shake, the doors rattled, and every window in the house pounded.  As a Southern Californian, I immediately thought ‘Earthquake!’  Then the noise grew louder.  A second blast.  A third.  Over and over until the sky glowed fluorescent orange.
Everyone on our property moved outdoors.  The question every one wanted an answer to- is this an attack?  Or is this an accidental bomb detonation from the nearby military camp?
Half the Tanzanians we live with believed it was the former.  Recently, there have been riots at the local universities, and the opposition party, for the first time in 40yrs is gaining momentum in the country, causing political unrest (although this is largely conducted in whispers and unseen gestures).  As we all know, civil war can happen overnight.  Fact.  But there hasn’t been a build up, and this seemed unlikely, especially due to the Muslim holiday.
“The “it was an accident” excuse is so yesterday and lame,” says Habari za Kibogoji:
I guess it is time to start asking questions. Who is reponsible here and who dropped the ball twice? Does someone in the ranks need to resign or atleast held accountable? The “it was an accident” excuse is so yesterday and lame. That’s how people avoid their responsibilities…..blame allah, jesus and god.
On twittersphere, users are discussing the incident using the hashtag #bombsindar.
Shurufu says:
@Tandile @barbarahassan @fettythebest please take lots of pictures and tweet everything you see. Remember the hashtag #bombsindar
At 4000 people have been sheltered at the National Stadium:
National stadium yesterday, bringing water, bananas, biscuits and t-shirts http://plixi.com/p/78342183 #bombsindar
People have sought shelter at the National Stadium. Photo courtesy of  @Mbergsma
A nearby school was hit:
#bombsindar RT @DocFaustine: A direct bomb hit on a school http://yfrog.com/h3s67qnj
Donate blood:
If @mxcarter has donated some blood, (I think) we all have no excuse from donation! Let's go #Tanzania #BombsInDar
Chiume tweets:
RT @shurufu: The army explaining itself to the public. This is unprecedented, I think cc @chiume @JMakamba #bombsindar #tanzania
The accident is a result of poor leadership:
It seems like no one in the leadership is thinking long term or has a proper vision! It's too BAD!
The army asks people not to speculate:
Army: on what caused the explosions, let us not speculate on the reasons. Let's see what the investigations reveals #bombsindar
Are other ammunition depots safe?:
@shurufu Did any journalist ask the General how many more ammo depots we have in residential areas still at risk of blowing up?

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Turks & Caicos: Now Is The Time  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The tcipost is calling on “every Turks and Caicos Islander with access to the Internet [to] please use all the social networks at our disposal to demand our right to self determination and bring awareness to our plight.”


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Uganda: Bloggers Apprehensive as Voters Go to Polls · Global Voices
Rebekah Heacock

This post is part of our special coverage Uganda: Walk to Work Protests.
Ugandans go to the polls on Friday 18 February, 2011 for the country's second round of multiparty elections since current president Yoweri Museveni took power in 1986.  The mood among both Ugandans on Twitter and the blogosphere is apprehensive.
Ugandans line up to cast their votes for President and members of parliament. Lira, Uganda. Photo by Hudson Apunyo copyright © Demotix (18/02/2011).
At Mad and Crazy, Iwaya wonders:
What will happen when Uganda's Electoral Commission led by Dr. Badru Kiggundu, on Sunday 20th February, announces the winner of the Presidential elections as Mr. Yoweri K. Museveni? (Do I hear a scoff about that? Do you actually believe that IPC's Dr. Kizza Besigye might win the contest? He might, but I cannot fathom Dr. Kiggundu announcing anyone other than Mr. Museveni as the winner. It is just beyond the realm of possibility, even science fiction.) But we all have a sneaking suspicion that if this was a free and fair election, conducted strictly according to the rules, Dr. Besigye might have had a fighting chance in it. It is this suspicion that makes many a Ugandan wonder, what next after Friday, February 18, 2011?
While Rosebell Kagumire is fairly certain nothing will change:
I have seen enough with lack of institutions in my country, a place where you have to bribe someone at every stage to get things done. President Museveni has successfully presided over the largest government and his ministers seek to loot the country any chance they get. He largely gives Ugandans what they want in form of districts, expanding his administrative positions to take care of people's tribal sentiments but he will not give them one thing, a democratic Uganda.
Angela Kintu believes that Ugandan political rhetoric and campaigning are to blame for Museveni's 25 years in office:
Tough questions should be asked, with time and space provided for answers. The atmosphere should not be a do or die affair, but recognition that it is just a difference in opinions about how to deliver services to the people. Deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and Salaam Musumba must be commended for recently addressing the same crowd without inflaming their supporters; it seems the women are leading the way in mature politics! A close observation of the voters actually shows that they have grown up and are willing to try and listen to issues if only the politicians will let them. The old rhetoric about the devil you know must stop: we are tired of devils, period.
As the elections near, bribery has become a hot topic among voters.  News broke recently that each member of parliament had received 20 million Ugandan shillings (about 8400 USD) in what many Ugandans believe was an attempt by the ruling party to buy votes.  Ernest Bazanye writes:
The other side has many explanations including “it's a token of appreciation,” it's meant for “monitoring government programmes”, it's typical. MPs get a huge wad of cash at the end of their terms all the time etc.
But the reason I hear from most of those who harp furiously on about this sh20m is that it is bribery. It is an attempt to bribe parliament before the elections.
They say I should be as incensed: a brazen and blatant attempt to compromise the peoples’ representatives in a barefaced bid to subvert the nation's future for the interests of a corrupt etc. But mostly the first thing that hit me was, “Dude. Sh20m! Whoa.”
…I wonder how much an iPad costs.  I should stand for parliament one day.
While Angela Kintu is less impressed:
I will not vote anyone who gave me anything material for my vote — yes, you with the exercise books, do you think my vote is worth a 32-page book? And when the elections are done and I need school fees, will I ever hear from you again? Your mandate is not to solve my financial problems; it is to cause change in Uganda that will allow me to solve my own financial problems.
Less than an hour ago, at 5:43am Kampala time, Tumwijuke at Ugandan Insomniac announced that she would be tweeting the elections:
Follow my twitter feed on the Uganda 2011 elections @uginsomniac.
Have a wonderful, peaceful day.
You can follow her tweets and other election-related tweets throughout the day using the hashtag #ugandavotes.
This post is part of our special coverage Uganda: Walk to Work Protests.

author: Rebekah Heacock


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Ukraine: Kiev architecture in decay · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Sistemny deriban writes about [RUS] the decay of prominent architectural sites in Kiev and how Ukrainian politicians ignore the issue.


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Venezuela: Netizens Comment on Possible Gasoline Use Restrictions · Global Voices
Marianne Díaz Hernández

On February 15, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced possible measures to start rationing gasoline [es]. This matter constitutes a very sensitive issue for Venezuelans, since Venezuela is a country with one of the world's lowest gasoline prices, where according to the government, about 90% of its total cost is subsidized. After the announcement, bloggers and Twitter users reacted in different ways.
Gas station in Caracas, Venezuela. Image by flickr user Eunheui, under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license
Daniel, a Venezuelan blogger, writes an open letter to Rafael Ramirez – president of state-owned oil company PDVSA – in his blog, Venezuela News and Views [es]. He says that the government's previous measures led to an energy crisis and insufficient production of gasoline, and asks:
¿Y ahora quieren imponernos a nosotros racionamiento sin ni siquiera  disculparse? ¿O será que ustedes tampoco son culpables del racionamiento  en el Táchira donde sus militares corruptos hacen todo el contrabando  de gasolina posible con el vecino país?  ¿Eso es lo que quieren, que la  Guardia Nacional se agarre ese negocio y nos revenda a cualquier precio  la gasolina que ellos obviamente serán los que controlarán?
Blogger moctavio, at The Devil's Excrement, said:
rather than eliminate these subsidies and/or increase the price of gasoline, Chavez solution is very simple:
Gasoline rationing. The Government will force us to consume in 2011 100,000 barrels less a day than in 2010.
What’s next? Rationing sand? Because after all, we have had water and electricity rationing, food shortages and now gasoline rationing, all once abundant in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Twitter users expressed all kinds of thoughts on the subject. @Tupacamaru19 tweeted:
El subsidio astronómico q recibe la gasolina está  causando serias distorsiones y más problemas al País y desventajas para  las mayorías..
Tomas Sancio (@Tsancio_vzla) asked:
¿Que preferimos los Venezolanos, que escasee la gasolina o que se nos cobre más por ella? http://bit.ly/erlFtm
Heryck Rangel (@Heryckrangel) said:
La gasolina debería tener un precio más justo y acorde con la realidad. Q sea 20 veces más barata que el agua, debe llamarnos a la reflexión
"A full tank of gas for $3." Photo taken in March 2009 by flickr user Rob Sinclair, Gribiche, under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license
Arturo Claro (DJUnplugged) stated:
Un país que funciona y se mueve a punta de gasolina y no tiene conciencia del racionamiento, quiero verlo con estas ideas locas del gob

author: Marianne Díaz Hernández


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Venezuela: Views of Caracas from the Local Blogosphere · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

A huge number of texts, descriptions, stories and articles have been written about Caracas. It is, without doubt, a city of many faces. From areas of deepest poverty to places full of luxury and excess, nobody can keep their opinion on the city to themselves. In the capital of Venezuela, once labelled ‘the city of red roofs’, reaffirmation of identities, mixing of perspectives, influences and the complex urban social apparatus live side-by-side, in the city which seeks to be the gateway to Venezuela.
Policeman surveying Parque El Calvario in Caracas. Image by Nelson González Leal, Copyright Demotix
Amongst the whirlwind of information provided by the city's residents online, the blogosphere plays its own part in describing Caracas. From the large number of people writing from both dark and light sides of this complex city, we have chosen several who devote themselves to recounting the latest developments in the lives of the Caraqueños, some out of a desire for a better city and a love for its culture, and others from a feeling of nostalgia for the noble Caracas of times past.
The blog Imágenes Urbanas [es] (Urban Images) is an example of an album which attempts to slow down the accelerated life of Caracas in order to admire and appreciate it. Here the most original aspects of the city which illustrate its faces and colours are brought to life. With her blog, Mitchelle Vidal succeeds in creating a compilation of spots which many may not be aware of, but which together make up a collection of symbols through which the new urban art movements present in Venezuela are expressed.
Amo ésta, mi ciudad pero hace rato que me debato entre la rabia de sentir cómo se nos viene encima desvencijada y la dicha de ver [la montaña] El Ávila recortando su cielo sin igual
TNT, author of the blog CARACAS TE ODIO [es] (Caracas I Hate You) shows us the aspects of the city which he considers unusual and which he hopes can be changed. The author describes the blog thus:
CARACAS TE ODIO trata de los desastres de una ciudad reflejados en el rechazo, resignación, desesperación y asombro de cuatro de sus habitantes…a partir de este momento se podrán versar en este sitio todas las ideas represadas sobre nuestra ciudad en todas las formas de expresión artística posibles: dibujo, pintura, fotografía, cine, teatro, música, literatura, etc.
CARACAS TE ODIO significa catarsis corporal y psíquica sobre el organismo que habitamos…
la ciudad es la expresión más alta de la cultura humana…y entonces, qué es lo que genera esta relación de amor inevitable y odio feroz hacia la ciudad en donde vivimos?
CARACAS TE ODIO focuses on the mess of a city reflected in the defeat, resignation, desperation and astonishment of its inhabitants…from this moment on, this site will be a place where all the repressed ideas about our city will be expressed in all possible art forms: drawings, paintings, photographs, cinema, theatre, music, literature,etc.
CARACAS TE ODIO represents a mental and physical catharsis of the organism we inhabit… the city is the highest expression of human culture… and so, what is it that generates this relationship of unavoidable love and violent hatred towards the city we live in?
From another perspective, the blogs Ser Urbano [es] (To Be Urban) and Picnic Urbano [es] (Urban Picnic) share ideas, photographs and plans organised by the authors of these two blogs based in different areas of the city. According to its space on Twitter, @serurbano_org “is a group which organises games in public spaces.” Since its creation, various activities including street parties, picnics and even pillow fights [es] have taken place.
La Buena Vida que se nos vende en la publicidad toma  lugar únicamente en espacios privados como un bar trendy, un restaurant  costosísimo, un hotel de lujo, tu carro nuevo, un resort con playa  privada donde no tienes que mezclarte con la gente del lugar.
Pero hay otro concepto del buen vivir, la idea que una vida bien  vivida significa conocer gente diversa, compartir con los que no tienen y  afirmar nuestros derechos respetando e incluso apoyando al otro, cosas  muy relacionadas al hecho de jugar como locos en las plazas de nuestra  ciudad.
The Good Life which we are sold by advertisers takes place only in private spaces such as trendy bars, expensive restaurants, luxury hotels, a new car, a resort with a private beach where you don't have to mix with locals.
But there's another vision of good living, the idea that a good life means meeting different people, sharing with those who have nothing and reaffirming our rights respecting and supporting others, things which are brought out by playing crazy games in the squares of our city.
Capilla Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, in the Parque El Calvario in Caracas. Image by Nelson González Leal, Copyright Demotix
A record of the Caracas of times past features in the blog Caracas Perdida [es] (Lost Caracas), linked to the Foundation of Urban Memory, whose archive serves to publish photographs of the city in bygone eras. The posts in this log lament the loss of demolished areas and the symbols of the classic architecture of Caracas:
Esta es la cara oculta de la luna de CARACAS. Todo  aquello que amamos de nuestra ciudad, pero que manos salvajes destruyen.  Todo lo hermoso, lo que tenia significado, lo que nos decia algo, y que  hoy luchamos para que sea RECONSTRUIDO algun dia en nuestra ciudad… ese  paraíso perdido, mas no para siempre
Meanwhile, Mirelis Morales Tovar's blog, Caracas Ciudad de la Furia [es] (Caracas City of Fury), has won prizes from various organisations. The blog is based on reports of day-to-day events and on images left by urban movements, of hidden nooks and of projects aiming to develop the city, among other things. The blogger describes herself as:
Ciudadana de a pie, de a moto, de a autobús, de a Metro y de a vehículo automotor
It is no surprise that the reactions provoked by the city are so many and so varied. The immense mass of people who live, work and study in Caracas interacts and struggles with the speed of the flow, urban violence and the city's famous traffic. In Caracas, as in a large number of the great capitals of Latin America, many different types of life can take place at the same time. In any case, the memories of the noble Caracas of times past continue to form a part of the rhythm. To end, we present some of the images shared on YouTube by nostalgic Caraqueños:
Images which contrast with the modern character which is the contemporary face of Venezuela's capital.

author: Laura Vidal


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Armenia: Blind nationalist hatred · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on what appears to be an orchestrated black PR campaign against a local musician in Armenia. One of four finalists in the running to compose the country's entry into this year's Eurovision Song Contest, reports in the local media attack Vahram Petrosyan for considering that Armenian and Azerbaijani music is similar. The blog wonders where “this recent resurgence of ‘bloodthirstiness’ came from?”

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: Corruption crackdown · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

In the wake of popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, the oil-rich former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan has unexpectedly launched a crackdown on corruption. Politics By Other Means analyses the move.


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Bahrain: Army Withdrawing from Lulu Roundabout Area · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Reports coming from Bahrain's Twitter community around Manama on Saturday February 20th of army vehicles withdrawing from Lulu Roundabout where protesters had protested peacefully on Wednesday but were later raided pre-dawn the following morning. On Friday afternoon, protesters headed towards Lulu Roundabout once again only to face live bullets from the military presence at the area.
@mahmood
received confirmation that tanks are being removed from the Pearl Roundabout vicinity, #bahrain #feb14
Meanwhile, blogger Redha Haji, who had already faced an ordeal with police forces for taking photos, has been bravely trying to capture photo confirmation of the withdrawal.
@RedhaHaji #lulu flyover traffic congested. Slow moving. Roads to roundabout closed frm all sides #bahrain #f1 no militray on flyover. gone
@RedhaHaji Enterance to #lulu stil mulitary & tanks prsnt.trucks loading barriers. Seems r packing up #bahrain http://yfrog.com/gzrs4wj
Photo taken on Lulu Roundabout flyover
@RedhaHaji Diff angle #bahrain #lulu #f1 http://yfrog.com/h0ynqtjj
Photo taken from Central Market carpark
@RedhaHaji The central market open. On lookers from fish market onto #lulu r not interfered wt. But no one dares to go close #bahrain #f1 #lulu
Some tweeps have seen army vehicles move south of Manama on Sh. Khalifa Highway confirming they have left lulu Roundabout.
@eyade Tanks and military vehicles seem to be moving south sh. Khalifa highway.
@RshRsho My Friend husband (an Army Man) confirms they are heading back to their units
@funaki: Army going back to base?? http://bit.ly/fMG3Px
Army Vehicles heading south out of the capital Manama
Bahrain News Agency (BNA) officially announced on their Twitter account that the vehicles had indeed left Lulu Roundabout in accordance to the Crown Prince's live appeal on national television for peace and dialogue.
@bna_ar استجابة لمبادرة صاحب السمو الملكي ولي العهد للحوار والتهدئة انسحاب قوات الجيش من مناطق التمركز الاولية
Stay tuned for more coverage from Bahrain.
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Yacoub Al-Slaise


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Bahrain: Mourning the Dead · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
On Friday, thousands paid their respects to the people who died in the Thursday 17 February, 2011, pre-dawn raid at Lulu Roundabout in the Bahrain capital Manama.
The raid led to the death of four men: Mahmood Ahmed Makki (21), Ali Khudhair (58), Ahmed Al-Mo'men (22) from Sitra, and Isa Abdulhasan (61) from Karzakan. Mourners followed funeral processions in Daih, Karzakan and Sitra on Friday morning.
@anmarek Thousands and thousands of ppl here for another funeral in #sitra #bahrain #feb14 #lulu http://twitpic.com/4100cs
@anmarek: Martyr's body covered with the flag of #bahrain , another funeral is starting in #sitra #feb14 #lulu http://twitpic.com/40zx6m
Funeral procession in Sitra
Uploaded by Bambuser account mvoice of the funeral procession in Karzakan.
@emile_hokayem
Went to Karzakan. Quiet after this morning funeral. Now back to Manama. Hear some clashes by salmaniyah hospital
After Friday prayers at Al-Fateh Mosque, thousands of citizens and members of the Indian and Pakistani communities participated in a pro-government pro-King march despite rumours that the march would be canceled.
@iBahrain
اقترح في بداية المسيرة ان تقام صلاة الجنازة الغائب على أرواح أخواننا البحرينيين من المتظاهرين ورجال الأمن #bahrain
@Muneerakhalifa
was going 2 take part in the fateh mosque march in support of govt reform project,but due to yesterdays deaths, finding it insensitive+wrong
@aalman81
The pro rally before it commenced. http://yfrog.com/h3z9ofkj
Pro Government and Pro King Al-Fateh march
@al_shabib
#Bahrain TV now airing a live broadcast of a pro protest in the main AlFateh street. No talks of hindering traffic or illegal gatherings
Bahrain's News Agency announced through their Twitter account that over 100,000 people participated in the rallies.
@bna_ar
اكثر من 100 الف مشارك عبر الأقدام والسيارات في مسيرة الولاء والتأييد لقيادة مملكة البحرين على شارع الفاتح الآن والارقام مرشحة للزيادة
@emoodz
From what is now referred to as the “pro-goverment” rally http://bit.ly/fGHaFF #bahrain #feb14 #lulu
Indian community participating in Friday's rally
A number of tweeps decided to support the injured from the LuLu Roundabout raid by giving them white roses and blankets.
@Sabeeka_A
We're getting white roses and visiting the wounded Bahraini's in Salmaneya at 5pm.. Everyone is welcome to join, let's unit Bahrain. RT
In another unfortunate turn of events, protesters heading towards Lulu Roundabout were shot by military forces and the injured were carried to nearby Salmaniya Hospital which has become the focal point of protesting after the Lulu Roundabout raids.
Uploaded by devilo737 on YouTube
@nadooi_wish
People are in rage!! Salmaniya Hospital. #Bahrain #feb14 #lulu http://yfrog.com/h27vszoj
Protesters numbers swelling in front of the Salmaniya Hospital A&E entrance
@BAHRAINIAC
Casualties continue to rise in #Manama as ambulances keep coming. #Salmaniya Hospital is full and cannot treat injuries. #Feb14 #Bahrain
@RedhaHaji
Thousands at SMC. Crown prince wt authority for progress. Battery low. Hope 2mor new dawn #bahrain http://yfrog.com/h7iu7bxj
Protesters outside Salmaniya Hospital
@khonji
I am Bahraini and I am against brutality. #Bahrain #feb17 #feb14
Bahrain's Foreign Minister prayed for the safety of Bahrain and reconciliation of it's people
@khalidalkhalifa اللهم احفظ بلادي .. اللهم طيب خواطر اهلها
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.


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Bahrain: #NickKristof Bullied on Twitter · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Since arriving in Bahrain on February 15, New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof has joined the many voices on Twitter live-reporting turbulent events. While many have been thankful for his updates, and even worried for his safety when tweeting slowed, others have instead taken to bullying the reporter. The tweets mostly consist of accusing Kristof of lying in the most creative terms.
In constant updates, @nickkristof has been tweeting his experiences over the past days, including the re-telling of stories of victims who were attacked by the army and police. Tensions are high, and state media often tell a different version of events. Twitter users who express opinions that contradict either one side or another are often taunted.
This is just a brief selection of some of the tweets appearing on the hashtag #nickkristof on Friday night:
@Madawibander i would love to know what #NickKristof gets out of spreading his blatant lies. If you know please tell me.
@mDoseri: People raise your hands in favor of hating #NickKristof *RaisingBothHands*
@TalhaOfficial: hahha RT @nickkristof Goodness –I just read tweets suggesting that I've been shot in the neck here in #Bahrain I can confirm that I am fine
@iCallBS_BRN: #NickKristof is probably crying in a corner right now.
There is much more, and worse. In the early morning hours the tweeting stopped with several people signing off and thanking everyone for the barrels of #nickkristof satire and humor.
@Noonieee: A petition has been put up to report #NickKristof ‘s bias to the New York Times Editor http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/NickKristoff
One Bahraini student in London, Hassan Al Bash, created an online petition against Kristof explaining his frustration with the reporter. The petition, signed by 64 people so far, says Kristof failed to report all sides of the story, and allegedly posted unconfirmed information about the Saudi military being in Bahrain.
This issue was not about sectarian hate, the people did not want to overthrow the government. What the people were peacefully protesting for was reform, but Nick Kristof went on to compare the situation to Tunisia’s and Egypt’s. Not once did he mention the opposing point of view, not once did he see look at the situation objectively, and see that both sides were wrong.
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Solana Larsen


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Bahrain: Withdrawal of Police as Protesters Reclaim Lulu Roundabout · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
After the withdrawal of army vehicles from Lulu Roundabout on Saturday, riot polices had been reinstated to the roundabout and have fired tear gas in attempts to disperse protesters who received the news of the army withdrawal.
@Bentalwadi Ppl r heading the surrounding area of lulu celebrating evacuation army, holding bahrain flags and waving victory into the anti riots police
Some protesters marched towards Lulu Roundabout with flowers in hand to show their intention for peaceful protests to the riot police near Lulu Roundabout
@JTheIslander Flowers held up high in front of police. http://plixi.com/p/78571225 http://plixi.com/p/78571231
Protesters raising flowers to riot police near Dana Mall, a few hundred metres from Lulu roundabout
As protesters were marching towards Lulu roundabout, Bahrain's Crown Prince appeared on national TV for the second time in as many days, giving a short address to the Bahraini people reiterating his appeal for calm and dialogue and calling for a day of mourning.
@SultanAlQassemi Bahrain Crown Prince now on TV addressing nation. (Not using Teleprompter, speaking in local Bahraini dialect) http://yfrog.com/h29pmzrj
Crown Prince Sh. Salman bin Isa Al-Khalifa on National TV on Saturday
@Salmaaaaaaaaaan  #Bahrain Crown Prince: we are starting a new phase to discuss all problems in honesty and responsibility
@alialsaeed CP thanks all who called and responded for calmness & protect unity of the nation. calls on new beginning for #Bahrain
@alialsaeed CP stresses to citizens to all cooperate with the authorities and all political parties & allow time to mourn
Bahrain's Twittersphere reacted positively to the simplicity and relaxed approach of Shaikh Salman's brief speech.
@baderkamal Crown Prince's short speech is a simple yet a leading example of comforting words and inspiration of the highest caliber.
@Redbelt عجبني في خطاب ولي العهد إنه نادى الشعب بإخواني وأخواتي، وما ناداهم أبنائي. ولي العهد يساوي نفسه بالمواطنين. #feb14 #bahrain
Shortly after the speech, protesters tweeted that the police started withdrawing from Lulu Roundabout and joyous protesters flooded the roundabout to continue their peaceful protests.
@bahrain #bahrain police retreat allow hundreds into square
@JTheIslander Police cars moved clearing the road from Dana mall to pearl roundabout. http://plixi.com/p/78577641
Protesters heading towards Lulu Roundabout
@salehnass Atmosphere seems joyful. Ppl heading to #lulu
Aerial view of protesting marching from Dana Mall towards Lulu Roundabout (courtesy of @lailaalbeiti)
@mahmood Historic moment for #bahrain #feb14 pearl occupied again. http://yfrog.com/h763kpzj
Protesters reclaiming Lulu Roundabout
@adelmarzooq دوار اللؤلؤة ملك للشعب
blogger @RedhaHaji reaching Lulu Roundabout
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.


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Colombia: Report Reveals 2010 Refugee Statistics · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“A new report shows that 280,000 Colombians were displaced in 2010, and one-third of these were in areas the government claimed were “consolidated.”  Colombia has a total of 5.2 million displaced people, roughly 1 out of every 9 Colombians, and the most in the world,” writes Greg Weeks in Two Weeks Notice.


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Iran: Resistance in Tehran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A film shows how people resisted against security forces on 14th of February in Tehran. They chanted against regime's leaders and threw stones.


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Libya: Benghazi Rises Against Gaddafi (Updated) · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
News organizations and people on the ground have reported that Libya's army have shot at demonstrators in Benghazi protesting against the 42-year-rule of Muammar Al Gaddafi.  Located 1,400km east of Tripoli on the Mediterranean coast, Benghazi is the country’s second largest city.
Updated Scattered reports from Benghazi and in other parts of the country show the death toll of protesters is rising. To keep up with protests in Libya (and government reactions), please view this map created by @Arasmus from “trusted Twitter accounts” to help with communication gap as independent media in Libya is scarce.
Updates from Twitter
@ShababLibya: Confirmation now, that various brigades of the libyan army is now joining protesters to fight #gaddafi #Libya #Feb17
@Arasmus: AlJazeera reporting doctors re civilian injuries in #Benghazi #Libya indicate “Absolutely a shoot-to-kill policy” http://goo.gl/xm6fV #feb17
@SultanAlQassemi: Inside source now says that 150 deaths today in intense fighting. There is one single brigade in Benghazi with Saadi Gaddafi protecting him.
@shaistaAziz: AJE: A doctor in a #Benghazi says state security buildings have been burnt down by protesters.15 bodies received by the hospital #Libya
@abduBREAKING: Al-Fadhil Brigade building in #Benghazi has fallen. This is the last base and the ppl are in control of Benghazi. #Libya
@Gheblawi: Medical Supplies are needed urgently in #Benghazi and all other cities in east of #Libya spread the word
Rumors have spread that the government has used foreign mercenaries to attack protesters. A video uploaded on You Tube Saturday, February 19 allegedly shows Libyans carrying the body of a dead mercenary, whom they believe to be from sub-Saharan Africa, possibly from Chad.
Earlier in the day, CNN's blog reported a doctor told the news organization helicopters were flying above demonstrations and had fired on demonstrators, injuring “dozens.”
It is impossible to verify reports on the ground. Reactions from Twitter are taking place now in this very fluid situation:
@ShababLibya: Confirmation now, that various brigades of the libyan army is now joining protesters to fight #gaddafi #Libya #Feb17
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Confirmed: Snipers in helicopters shooting randomly in #Benghazi #Feb17 #Libya
@abdu: Ahmed from Benghazi says the army is now coming into #Benghazi and people are afraid of a massacre coming up
@EnoughGaddafi: Horrific Violence visited on Libyans by regime, foreign mercenaries attacking protesters and people in their homes in #Benghazi #Libya
@Libyan4life: CONFIRMED: Jala Hospital has no more rm for dead, bodies lined up outside of hospital, helicopters shooting over #Benghazi
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Reports that over 200 dead near Fadhil camp in #Benghazi now! #Libya
On Friday, February 18, 2011, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Libyan authorities blocked Al-Jazeera's website and jammed its satellite transmission. The government also restricted access to Facebook and Twitter. Foreign Policy reported protesters took over a radio station.
This video, uploaded Friday, February 18, shows protests in Benghazi against the regime of Muammar Al Gaddafi.
Al Jazeera English uploaded this video of protesters in Benghazi during the night of February 18.
Libyans have been protesting for five days, since February , against President Gaddafi and his government. Protests began with demonstrations against what protesters described as the country's corrupt rulers.
Stay tuned for more coverage from Libya.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

author: John Liebhardt


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Mexico: Video Game “Call of Juarez: The Cartel” Draws Mixed Reactions · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.
Update (25 July, 2011):
The game's Wikipedia entry explains that the game “released on July 19, 2011 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and it will be released on September 13, 2011 on PC.”
The video game “Call of Juarez: The Cartel” by game developer Ubisoft has drawn criticism from Mexican and US officials; but netizens are at odds about the game and the local politician's efforts to ban it.
According to the game's official website, “You'll embark on a bloody road trip from Los Angeles to Juarez, Mexico immersing yourself in a gritty plot with interesting characters and a wide variety of game play options. Take justice into your own hands in this modern Western shooter.”
Authorities on both sides of the border are concerned that the game will send the wrong message to young players, as The Latinamericanist reports:
Community leaders and law enforcement officials on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are unhappy with the upcoming release of “The Cartel”. “Lots of kids say they want to be a hitman, because they are the ones that get away with everything,” said Ciudad Juarez youth worker Laurencio Barraza to Reuters. Though Ubisoft insists that the game is for “entertainment purposes only” the police chief of Brownsville, Texas accused the firm of trying to “capitalize on the violent situation in Mexico.”
Ismael Flores in Vivir México [es] explains that legislators in the state of Chihuahua –where Ciudad Juárez is located– have called on the Secretariat of Governance and the Secretariat of Economy to prohibit the sale of the video game in Mexico. Ismael wonders:
Si Call of Juarez: The Cartel en vez de ser un videojuego fuera una novela ¿Causaría tanta molestia? ¿También se pediría censurarla impidiendo su venta? Yo me sumo a la opinión de que esta clase de contenidos, como muchos otros, deben ser puestos al análisis individual y, en el caso de estar expuestos a niños, sometidos a discusión con ellos. Creo que puede ser más traumático para un infante sentarlo a ver las noticias que jugar un videojuego. Pero ese soy yo… ¿Ustedes qué dicen?
Pepe Flores in Alt1040 [es] agrees with Ismael’s argument and adds:
Coincido: no es que se trate de hacer una apología del crimen organizado, pero considero que existe una satanización sólo por tratarse, precisamente, de un videojuego. ¿Por qué tanta mala fama? Nunca me lo explicaré, pero tantos estudios cuestionables que pululan y hacer correlaciones forzadas han generado mucha intolerancia hacia los juegos de vídeo.
Vería muy mal que el gobierno federal hiciera caso de esta petición del Congreso de Chihuahua, pues sólo demostraría que están más atentos a la imagen que al fondo. El videojuego, como otras expresiones culturales, refleja y reinterpreta la realidad — por más triste y dolorosa que sea. En lugar de preocuparse por sacar a Call of Juarez: The Cartel de las tiendas, mejor que se enfoquen en lo que en realidad importa: disminuir el clima de inseguridad en la ciudad.
I agree: it is not about making an apology of organized crime, but I think people are making it sound satanic [es] just because it is, precisely, a video game. Why give video games such a bad name? I will never understand, but many questionable studies that make forced correlations [es] have generated much intolerance towards video games.
It would be very bad if the federal government obeyed this request from the Congress of Chihuahua, because it would only show that they are paying more attention to the image than to the content. The video game, like other cultural expressions, reflects and reinterprets reality — however sad and painful it is. Instead of worrying about taking Call of Juarez: The Cartel out of the stores, they should focus on what really matters: reducing the climate of insecurity in the city.
Tim Johnson from Mexico Unmasked gathers several articles and reactions in his post “You, too, can kill like a cartel hit man.” The post begins with the line,
Chalk it up to bad taste, and a strong profit motive.
On Twitter, @PouKii says he wants to play the game, and Drago (@The_Drago) writes:
Yo si jugare Call of Juarez: The Cartel, soy de la frontera con usa y me vale
José Escalante (@canek34) reacts to the attempts to ban the game in Mexico:
@AnaPOrdorica De que sirve que censuren el videojuego de CALL OF JUAREZ si luego lo van a poder descargar de internet.
Ian Nájar (@Mr_LinDowsMac) says:
Usualmente estoy en contra de la censura de los videojuegos, pero Ubisoft es inoportuno y políticamente incorrecto lanzar Call of Juarez
Jose Enrique Lixa (@NY_blackdiamond) tweets:
Ke tristeza k a mi pais le dediquen un juego, “Call of Juarez. The Cartel”… Se que es sarcastico, humor negro, pero #not
The game will be released in 2011 during the the Northern Hemisphere's Summer. You can see images of the game and read more reactions on the “Call of Juarez” Facebook Page.
This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.


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Middle East: The Dictator’s Handbook now in Bahrain  · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
All of a sudden, many ageing Arab regimes found themselves under the fire of their protesting peoples. The previously predicted wave of revolutions that is taking place in the Arab world has forced the rulers there to try all the tricks they know in order to save their thrones. However it seems that all dictators think alike, and copying each other is the dictators best plan.
By the Brazilian illustrator, Carlos Latuff
Eliminating the witnesses
Following the foot steps of the regimes in Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt, the Internet was slowed down in Bahrain. Also journalists on the ground weren't very welcomed there.
Pro-regime Rallies!
A couple of weeks ago, and during the Egyptian revolution, pro-Mubarak rallies were seen in the streets of Cairo, and now there are similar pro-regime ones in Bahrain. Less than two days ago protesters were attacked by Bahraini security forces while they were sleeping. While those pro-regime rallies aren't being stopped, due to the following Twitter update by Hussain Yousif from Bahrain:
State-owned televisions also prefer to focus only the pro-regime rallies. The Egyptian twitter user, Hazemps, referred to it as a scenario that's being repeated in different places.
The Lebanese blogger, Jamal Ghosn, also compared those who attacked the protesters in Bahrain to the ones who attacked the protesters in Egypt:
Pro-regime propaganda
The officials in Egypt, as well as the state-owned TV kept on spreading lies about the reporters and the protesters in Tahrir Square in Cairo. The media then accused the Egyptian protesters of having Iranian, Israeli, and American agendas. They also claimed that they all belong to Hamas and to the Muslim Brotherhood. Abdulla Otaibi from Kuwait wrote how the protesters in Bahrain are accused of having Iranian agendas too:
Egyptian blogger, Mina Zekri, wonders if the Minister of Information of the overthrown Egyptian regimes works in Bahrain too:
Arwa Mahmoud from Egypt as well as Khaled from Bahrain and Jenna Alawi also commented on the sectarian claims:
Saeed Al-Wahabi believes that this photo was doctored in order to prove the Bahraini government's claims. The picture on top is said to be the original one. It's handwritten and the banner carries calls for a peaceful demonstration. While the picture at the bottom – the one believed to be doctored because of the computer fonts on it – carries slogan supporting Iran and cursing Arabs. This incident reminds us with the famous incident that took place in Al-Ahram, the Egyptian top state-owned newspaper, a few months ago.
Photo taken from @S_Alwahabi YFrog account
FroozyO, and in response to the foreign agendas claims, sent on Twitter what's believed to be one the Bahraini martyr's last Facebook status, who said that he is ready to sacrifice his own life for his country.
Dialogue and Negotiations
The King's call for dialogue, and the recent appearance of Bahrain's Crown Prince on National TV are also compared to Mubarak's speeches and Omar Suleiman's calls for negotiations.
Will same route lead to same destination?
Just like the regimes, the demonstrators in the different countries also follow each others footsteps. Even the locations where the protests are held are some how similar. A great resemblance is seen between the Lulu (Pearl) roundabout in Bahrain, and Tahrir Square in Egypt. The Palestinian blogger, Muhammad Abu-Allan wrote about that resemblance in his blog.
But the question is, does this resemblance help the regime to learn from each other's mistakes? Abu-Allan doesn't think they learnt anything:
Michael Habib also wrote:
And finally, Essam El-Zamel from Saudi Arabia, agrees with both Abu-Allan and Habib. He believes that this pattern makes it easy to predict the regimes final destination:
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Tarek Amr


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Morocco: “I am Moroccan, and I Will Take Part” · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
Since the fall of the Egyptian regime, Moroccans have been planning a movement of their own.  Taking place tomorrow, February 20, the “movement for dignity” encapsulates some Moroccans’ frustration with a government that they believe has done little to combat corruption.  The protesters are demanding constitutional reform, the dissolution of parliament, and the lowering of food prices, among other things.
In a video circulating the Web, several young Moroccans explain–in both Moroccan darija and local Amazigh dialects–why they'll be joining the protests:
The video has stirred controversy amongst some who see the protesters as shills for the Polisario, a rebel movement for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco.
On the MoroccoBoard News Service (part of the Moroccan-American Association), someone has posted photos that they claim prove the young people in the video are not Moroccan, and are attempting to topple the government. But as Moroccan-American journalist Laila Lalami points out in an article for The Nation, “…Nothing in the February 20 platform or its promotional video suggests that anyone is asking for the toppling of the monarchy; the focus, however, has been on meaningful constitutional reform.”
In response to rumor, the group of young people behind the first video have issued a second, explaining who they are and what they want:
Cairo-based Moroccan blogger Arabist has posted the video on his blog, and writes:
Above is the second video ahead of February 20 protests for constitutional reform, the dissolution of parliament and the formalization of the Amazigh (Berber) language(s) in Morocco. These videos have been attacked as too well produced to be the work of young Moroccans, which tells you a lot about the contempt the regime has for the country's youth. Incidentally, I think it was a mistake to add the second two requests — the last parliamentary election was fairly clean (even if money played a big role) and the question of Amazigh is a) divisive and b) something parliament can vote for. The real problem is the emasculation of parliament by a constitutional framework that gives all power to the palace. But that just my jouj centimes and I wholeheartedly support the protest movement.
Tomorrow's protest will be joined by all sorts of people, but it seems to me two groups will stand out. One is a network of mostly leftist youth that has been involved with all sorts of activism in the last few years and is close to the human rights world and the AMDH specifically. It gravitates around leftist parties such as the PSU and will probably include disaffected members of the USFP, the historic center-left party. The other group will consist largely of Adl wal-Ihsan, the largest Islamist movement in Morocco, which has long advocated constitutional reform. It is legally banned. Also present should be the wing of the legal Islamist party, the PJD, whose leaders have largely been “Makhzenized” but that has a strong figure of resistance in Mustafa Ramid, a member of parliament for Casablanca. And of course there will be tons of ordinary people with no political affiliation.
In preparation for the demonstrations, Moroccans are–like their Tunisian and Egyptian brethren–taking advantage of social media to spread their message. Aside from the videos, a new website called Mamfakinch has just launched to aggregate news on the protests. Mamfakinch also posts updates on Twitter. A Facebook group called “Moroccans for Change” shares photos, videos, and hosts conversations on the planned protests.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Jillian C. York


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North Korea’s Official Newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, Launches Website · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's official newspaper and the regime's one of the most important propaganda tool, has launched a website, Martyn Williams wrote [en] on the North Korea Tech.


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Tunisia: Who’s to Blame for the Murder of the Polish Priest? · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

News of the murder of a Polish priest near the capital Tunis on February 18 was received with shock and grief by Tunisians. The Polish foreign ministry have said they are treating the murder as “an individual criminal case” without connection to the current state of affairs in Tunisia, but in Tunisian blogs and social media, many theories prevail of who could be responsible and what the motive would be.
The internal state of affairs in Tunisia is still fragile, since the popular uprising that led the fall of a longtime dictatorship. Demonstrations were called today in the capital city Tunis, in support of a secular, free and tolerant Tunisia.
Polish Priest Marek Rybinski was murdered on February 18, in Manouba, near the capital Tunis
Nour (@ZoneInterdite) tweets:
L'assassinat d'un père chrétien… pays de tolérance, c'est inacceptable!!
Mourad (@deepreal) adds:
toutes mes condoléances pour tous les chrétien de la Tunisie suite à l’assassinat du père Marek Rybinskisalésien
However, when it comes to who are responsible for this, Tunisians have taken different positions. Usually, with a crime like this, the first suspects are the Islamists.
On its Facebook page, the Interior Ministry condemned the murder and put the blame on “terrorist Fascists”:
Abdrabbah Yassine (@ayassinov) tweets:
Et voilà que les extrémistes font de la bonne pub pour le tourisme en #tunisie
Ahlem HachichaChaker (@Ahlem_Hachicha) is not happy either:
à kan 1 réaction officielle contre ces débiles d'intégristes? assassinat d'1 père chrétien à la Manouba hier!!!!
Others consider the murder a political game involving religion to demonize the Islamists and damage the image of the country in a post-Ben Ali era. Here, the former ruling party; the RCD ( Le Rassemblement constitutionnel démocratique) is at the centre of the accusations.
Abdallah Belakhoua (@Abdallah__B) tweets:
SCENARIO DEVOILE DES exRCD: CLASH DE CIVILISATIONS POUR COMPTER SUR L'EXTERIEUR ET LE BON VIEUX SLOGAN: ANTI TERRORISME
He adds:
An anti-Islamist (@ilyasTunis) goes even further to accuse Leila Ben Ali, the wife of the former Tunisian president of implication:
Jsuis contre les islamistes (Jsuis musulman) ms c vrai ke c facile de les impliquer. Je pence ke c les milices de Leila
Fadhel (@_fadhel) says:
les mots: integriste, islamiste, barbue. D mots de colons pour tt justifier (guerre:irak,afganistan..)
Nad tupac (@gasscheb) notes:
un prêtre égorgé, pkoi on accuse direct les islamistes? on a des preuves? ça pourrait pas un de ces milliers de prisonnier évadés?

author: Afef Abrougui


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Uganda: A Day After Uganda Elections 2011 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This post is part of our special coverage Uganda: Walk to Work Protests.
Ugandans went to the polls Friday 18 February, 2011 for presidential and parliamentary elections. President Yoweri Museveni is expected to win. Below is a roundup of interesting posts and tweets about the elections.
Museveni is leading:
The electoral commission chairman Eng Badru Kiggundu has just made a third announcement. The results released so far are showing that Museveni is in the lead. Hoever, the votes so far only represent less than 2 million voters out of the nearly 14 millionsThe percenatges of the tallied votes so far are Museveni 71.9%, Besigye 22.3%, Ssali Bidandi- 0.43%, Mao- 1.37
Rosebell Kagumire complains about the marginalization of women's voices when it comes to key public issues such as elections:
To Ugandan Televisions and other media!
The election results are slowly coming in. I have been glued to TV and radios all day trying to get different views. I have watched NTV, UBC and other TV stations and the only prominent female voice i saw was that of Presidential candidate Betty Olive Kamya. The TVs  tell me that Uganda has no females capable of analyzing an election. This blockage of women’s voices is not only on experts but also extends to journalist panels like the one on NTV. We are not seeing women’s voices on air.
This marginalization of women in our media especially when it comes to issues that are vital to the future of our country should not be tolerated.
Maureen Agena writes about the role of social media during the elections:
With  the super fast internet here, all I had to do was open as many windows with websites and readily access information about the election progress. Twitter was first on the list, Facebook, the independent Newpaper,The Kampala Dispatch and The Daily Monitor. I must confess that I was shocked but at the same time impressed by the number of people who were tweeting using the #ugandavotes tag.  It was because of this that I was inspired to quickly write this blog post.
State of Technology in Uganda is still wanting:
Also the fact that Mr. Museveni's (Probably through an automated voice) personal call to people who are subscribed to Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) showed that he had finally appreciated the role of ICTs and will this time (if declared president, which is most likely according to the statistics coming in ),appoint an ICT minister who understands the urgency with which Uganda has to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of technology and not for the sake of appointing.
Rosebell wonders if Ugandan media will maintain their online momentum:
In the last three days we have seen all leading media launch twitter accounts  among them @Newvisionwire @dailymonitor @observerug , @UBCnewsjournal.
We have seen newspapers and magazines push to get their share of attention online.  Uganda’s top tabloid @RedpepperUG launched their twitter account and they have joined The Independent newsmagazine @Uganda Talks  and @dispatchug to consistently update content from different parts of the country. While Red Pepper did a great job on the political reporting they never fail to insert in the sex aspects. Presidential candidate Olara Otunnu did not vote and not much is yet known why but one of the reactions was that the only unmarried candidate is good at abstaining.
Howver radio stations which are the major medium of mass communication in the country are yet to venture into online spaces or it probably their owners who are largely politicians are yet to wake up.
The most prominent elections hashtag #Ugandavotes has been vibrant in the last 48 hours and many Ugandans increased their presence on twitter.
Provisional results from Uganda Picks blog:
Current Results (Total)
Total Votes 323624
Polling stations- 1005
Museveni- 226872
Besigye – 69073
Abed -1582
Kamya -1455
Mao- 4211
Otunnu- 6304
Lubega- 857
A chart of provisional results released by the Electoral Commission. Photo courtesy of @UgInsomniac
Steven Youngblood says that Kampalans had a quiet night:
9:30AM SATURDAY—DAY AFTER ELECTION—Things seem to have been quiet overnight. I haven’t run across any new reports of protests, unrest, or violent incidents. The Daily Monitor reports that as of about 9pm last night, “Kampala City Centre is deserted in the early evening hours as both military police and army deployed heavily soon after elections closed. All the major roads in the centre… are all under close surveillance with foot and mobile military patrols.” (See yesterday’s blogs below for details about the violence, which the New York Times dubbed, “sporatic flare-ups”.)
Ugandans will be discussing for weeks (months) the confusion at the polling places yesterday. Journalist Gloria Laker writes, “I am not happy and very disappointed with the Electoral Commission, not sure of the new name they should be given. Is it, “Electoral Confusion”? Many people could not vote because of missing names, displacement and misplacement of pictures etc and my disappointment is that even now, the EC Chairman has not come out to apologize and explain. This is total confusion from EC. What exactly went wrong with the voter register, is that a smart way of rigging? Not fair for citizens to fail to exercise his voting rights.”
Evelyn says that for the first time she went to the polls and did what was right for the country:
This time, 2011, saw our family divided! My brother who from the beginning always thought differently from the rest of us, did not change his mind. My family was divided with the presidential vote. I had a different perspective of who I thought would lead this nation best, my elder brother felt differently too, and my 2 younger brothers, were still under the wings of mummy.. and trust me she is good with convincing so she had those two do as she said.
The final results are not yet in… but one thing is for sure, the winner is already seen. Whether these will be the best 5 years Uganda has seen or the worst, I have no idea, all I know is that for the first time, I headed to the polls and did what I believed was right for me and the future of Uganda, whether what I thought was right will win or lose, I will live with that.
On Twitter, where the hashtag #ugandavotes is used, @UgInsomniac says:
Good job EC tally center! Wireless, limited hassle & no more running thru muddy fields in the rain. #ugandavotes http://twitpic.com/418w75
Latest figures from @malonebarry:
Latest #Ugandavotes figures put Museveni at 71.15% and Besigye at 23.02% with 6,905 out of 23,968 polling stations counted
Rosebell reports:
Police have stormed the FDC/IPC Election TallyCentre in Nakulabye. interrogated people compiling results. #Ugandavotes #Uganda2011
From @RedPepperUG:
UPDATE: Expect lawsuits and RECOUNTS: Sekandi just won a recount, the speaker win in Bukoto #Ugandavotes
@UgInsomniac tweets:
@lutalo247 Nothing. Kla was v. quiet when I drove thru @ 0300. Almost eerily so. Even the police patrols retired for the ngt. #ugandavotes.
This post is part of our special coverage Uganda: Walk to Work Protests.


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Uganda: Kampala quiet after voting · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Steven Youngblood says that the capita of Uganda, Kampala, is quiet after yesterday's elections. Meanwhile, President Museveni leads his rivals in early provisional results with 72% of the vote.


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Bahrain: Live Ammunition Shot at Protesters (Video) · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
@ba7rainiDXB Mohamed Alshamlan shot in the leg with live ammunition by the Khalifi Army, X-ray picture #Bahrain #Feb14
Reports of shootings in several locations in Manama, the Bahraini capital flooded social media websites during the afternoon of  Friday February 18, 2011. Videos made in different locations show not only the moments when shots were fired, but also the victims in the aftermath (WARNING: graphic images).
This first video shows a familiar face from a previous post: the victim speaking with the reporter was seen carrying a wounded person away from the protest. From the video's description:
Victim speaking with a news reporter after an attack on their protest and get attacked again
Translation not exact”
“We were going there, chanting peaceful peaceful, we even raised our hands (other person:says we even had flowers), they were not kidding, they've had machine guns, not riffles or hand weapons, literally machine guns with tripod, and they open fired, people ran away! A person in front me instantly died after a head shot, I tried to grab him and carry him away, I was in complete state of shock”
People are seen jogging away from the protests and the reason why becomes obvious as the sound of gunfire is heard, causing another flood of runners including children.
This video shows protesters walking towards the Pearl Roundabout (Lulu) chanting “Peaceful, Peacefully” when gunshots are heard.
This next video shows another perspective of the event, capturing images of the aftermath: some protesters lie on the ground, blood around them, while their fellows scream in anguish over their still bodies. (WARNING: graphic images)

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Yemen: Another Life Claimed on Eighth Day of Protests · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Protests in Yemen against President Ali Abdullah Saleh entered into an eighth day on Saturday with more demonstrations throughout much of the country. Clashes between protesters and the military seem to be worsening by the day since the demonstrations began on February 11.
At least six protesters have died in Yemen since February 16, and one more protester was reportedly killed on Saturday, on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen's capital, according to AFP. Al Jazeera reported that a group of roughly 1,000 anti-regime protesters clashed with a group of 300-400 pro-Saleh protesters. Some people said they heard gunshots amidst the crowds. The Yemen Post reported that four people were arrested in Saana.
Saleh has been in power for more than three decades, and protesters complain his regime is corrupt and incited to violence. As protesters in Egypt clamored for Honsi Mubarek to step down earlier this month, Saleh hoped to head-off domestic criticism by promising not to seek re-election when his term ends in 2013. Saleh claims foreign sources have influenced opposition protesters, who may destabilize the country.
Here is a video of street protests and gunshots near Saana University.
The Waq al-Waq blog provided an overview of Saturday's events:
The day started off bad in Sanaa when students managed to beat [ruling party General People's Congress]-paid thugs* to the area outside of Sanaa University. (Michelle Shephard details the day in an excellent report for the Toronto star.) After that things got worse. In addition to the usual stick-wielding thugs, some of the men, reported to be tribesmen, opened fire on the students, wounding several…
But the escalation is a worrying sign, even more so in the light of the fact that many reporters on the ground (local Yemeni reporters) said that they recognized security officials among the plain clothes GPC-thugs.  There were also unconfirmed reports that the government has trucked in tribesmen from outside Sanaa to attempt to put down the students’ protests.
Things were relatively peaceful today in Taizz after yesterday's grenade attack…
Aden was more violent, although some of this was tempered today by security forces moving out of certain areas.  Last night protesters in Aden burned a police station and several government vehicles.
Here are a few Tweets from later in the day:
@shephardm: They have been marching since Sanaa University without incident, following this afternoon's violence. #yemen. #yf.
@nazaninemoshiri: Our Al Jazeera team in #Yemen is being intimidated. Things are so bad they can't leave office.
@HarunAlAmriki: Saba Net: Two deaths, 19 injured in vandalism acts in #Aden http://bit.ly/dHQ4OW #yemen
@WomanfromYemen:Today,#alisaleh threatened people that “he has not sent the police & army to suppress protests yet” what a blatant lie! #yemen #yf
@ionacraig: Hid in an alleyway with @jebboone to escape aggressive riot police. Woman in house above throwing rocks down at us. Home safe #yemen
Reporters Without Borders currently ranks Yemen 170 out of 178 nations in its press freedom index, placing the country between Rwanda and China.
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.


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Afghanistan: EU police training mission risks failure · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick Fielding reviews the report from the UK House of Lords, noting that the EU's mission to train local police in Afghanistan risks failure, as only about 285 experts had been sent by member states to train the Afghan police – well short of the 400 requested.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: The price paid by children for the conflict · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

A UN report testifies that children in Afghanistan have been used both by anti-government elements for suicide bombings and planting explosives, and by the Afghan National Security Forces. It also covers facts of sexual violence committed by armed groups against boys and girls, Nick Fielding says.