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India: Euthanasia Debate Re-kindled · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

The Indian society is buzzing with mixed emotions after the Supreme Court of India rejected the mercy killing petition filed by journalist Pinki Virani on behalf of Aruna Shanbaug who has been cared for and kept alive for 37 years at the KEM hospital, Mumbai, India.
Who is Aruna Shanbaug?
Widely used picture of Aruna Shanbaug
Way back in 1973,  Aruna Shanbaug was a 25yr old pretty, bubbly nurse, working in Mumbai's KEM hospital and dreaming of marrying her fiance – a young doctor colleague. Then one night her world was shattered when a ward boy, who resented being castigated by Aruna for his misdemeanors, decided to extract a cold blooded revenge.  He attacked her one night in the hospital basement as she was changing out of her uniform before going home. He tied a dog chain round her neck, choking her, cutting off the blood supply to her brain and sodomized her. Then he left her lying there and went away, but not before robbing her of her earrings.
Next day, Aruna was discovered by a cleaner, unconscious, lying in a pool of blood. It was then realised that the assault and resulting asphyxiation with the dog chain had left her cortically blind, speechless  and paralysed due to a brain stem and cervical cord injury. The ward boy got a 7 ear sentence for attempted murder and robbery. He was not tried for rape as the matter of anal rape was then concealed at the time, perhaps fearing social repercussions on the victim.
Since then, Aruna Shanbaug has been lying in a ‘vegetative state’ in a ward at the KEM hospital. Her own family gave up on her and for these 37 years, she has been kept alive and cared for by the nurses at the KEM hospital. She faded from public memory untill 1998, when journalist Pinki Virani wrote ‘Aruna's Story’, a book that brought her back into the public consciousness.
The issue being debated today
Pinki Virani, on Aruna's behalf, filed a plea with the Apex Court to end Aruna's life and requested that the hospital be asked to stop force-feeding Aruna. The plea was admitted in the Supreme Court in December 2009. The plea was opposed strongly by the doctors and nurses at the KEM hospital as well the Indian government.
On 7th March, 2011, the Supreme Court after a lot of deliberation, rejected the plea of mercy killing for Aruna but, in what is being seen as a landmark ruling, allowed for passive euthanasia in exceptional circumstances, to be decided by High Courts on a case to case basis.
The case has rekindled the debate on euthanasia in the Indian society, with people expressing mixed reactions to the Aruna Shanbaug verdict. Questions have been raised as to whom a mercy killing really benefits. Also, there is a lot of anger on knowing that the perpetrator of the crime got just 7years in jail while his victim got 37years of agony and counting. The conversations have also gathered momentum online with netizens discussing it on Twitter, Facebook, blogs and forums.
Most of the reactions and conversations were highly emotion-laden. Pinki Virani, for her part, drew a lot of flak from a section of netizens for entering such a plea in the first place. Those opposing her argued that since she was neither a blood relative nor a long-term caregiver, she had no right to file a mercy killing plea on behalf of Aruna, that too a request to stop her feeding.
Rajanna Venkatraman writes on his blog:
Pinki Virani, a writer who  wrote Aruna's story filed a writ petition in supreme court to stop  feeding Aruna. I do not understand the fact. Why should Pinki move to  the court to stop feeding Aruna? Isnt it better that Aruna is euthanised  in a much better way using the medicines available. Why should we  torture her more and make her emaciated and undergo the pain of hunger  when she cannot even express it? The nurses who feed her said that Aruna  likes non veg food and they understood it from her gestures. Why should  she be killed? Do we, for sure, know that Aruna wants to die?
Blogger unfairandlovely comments on her blog
if Aruna has a “friend”, it is not Pinki Virani who has so conveniently appropriated the tag for herself, but this group of tireless, selfless people [her caregivers at the KEM hospital]… Aruna's “blood realtives” disappeared from her life a very long time ago. Nobody really knows why and without knowing those reasons, we are in no position to judge them. But it doesn't matter, because Aruna's real family at the KEM hospital never left, staying with her and supporting her for every single day of her life. I am very proud of the Supreme Court of India, because what it took into account while passing the verdict rejecting the plea to end Aruna's life was the only testimony that mattered – that of Aruna's “family” that has cared for her these 37 long years.
According to Deepika at Fan-Attic
Pinki Virani has written a book on Aruna Shanbaug's life, which is titled, “Aruna's Story”. The book higlights the plight of Aruna and what events led to her vegetative state. Writing a book is one thing, but filing a mercy petition is another. There are several points to be noted, Aruna is not on life support system, she's looked after by a staff of trained nurses, she has shown signs of life. Let nature take its own course, she has survived these last 37 years with love and care of trained nurses, when her family abandoned her.
Tweets discussed Pinki's plea, Aruna's condition, comments supporting or questioning the apex court verdict and also anger at the limited sentence that the rapist received from our halls of justice. For example:
@dreambubbles81 Malabika Ghosh – Who is Pinky Virani to plead euthanasia for Aruna Shanbag, when people taking care of her day in and day out are happy to continue?
@rawaldhiraj77 dhiraj rawal – good judgement by SC on Aruna Shanbag case.Hats off 2 the staff of KEM
@abhishinde abhijeet shinde – Aruna Shanbag's heart still beatin.dat means she still wanna live.no1 can take this right frm her….NO ONE!
@MaribMariya Khan Mukhtar – We need to make Govt re asses fate of Aruna lying in Kem hospital.She communicates well she needs treatment not killing by mercy
@subratabhatta subrata bhattacharya – Feel sorry for Aruna Shanbag as SC rejects mercy killing petition.
@keshavsathaye Dr.Keshav Sathaye – Euthanasia petition for Aruna Shanbag dismissed by Supreme Court. Is it not an injustce to a woman who is in bed for last 37 years ?
@atulkasbekar atul kasbekar – All those who r against Aruna Shanbaug's mercy killing plea should pl spend just one week in her state, immobile in a bed. Then talk
@sanjitasingh sanjita singh – Is Passive euthanasia really a better verdict Aruna Shanbaug? I am wondering for the lady who is in a dilapidated state from past 37 years!
@ajayaprabha jayaprabha anipindi – aruna shanbag ! its not u , it is our dormant legislative system became vegitable. it couldnt make any potential law to punish the rapist. .
@SANJAYMANJREKAR SANJAY MANJREKAR – aruna shanbag story brings tears to the eyes…no easy answers..but deserves the greatest respect and understanding possible for mankind.
@fayesalins Faye Salins – Indian courts allow passive euthanasia.aruna shanbag may have been a vegetable for the past 37 years,but she just made history!!!
Some continue to speculate on the fate of the rapist – whether he walks free, working anonymously in another hospital, whether he died a horrific death (some would like to believe that he did). Debate continues to rage whether passive euthanasia is really the more humane option as manywish us to believe and whether the court's order regarding passive euthanasia would really work in practice.
…and it the midst of it all, Aruna Shanbaug, now 62yrs,  continues to lie on her bed at the KEM hospital…unable to live, unable to die.

author: Aparna Ray


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International Solidarity Campaign: the “Acqua for life challenge” · Global Voices
Bernardo Parrella

“The Acqua for Life project aims to provide tens of millions of litres of clean water to the communities who most need it. The operation is due to start in Ghana and will support the Smart Water for Green Schools project. In this west African country, almost 40% of the rural population doesn’t have access to clean water.” From 1 March, the campaign (promoted by Giorgio Armani and by the NGO, Green Cross International) rose public awareness, thanks to a net of solidarity and support, particularly on the internet, through such websites as Facebook. The campaign website offers continuous updates on the developments, amounts and results gathered, as well as other information on the subject, amongst which include the anniversary of World Water Day on 22 March.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Bernardo Parrella


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Japan: In Tokyo after the Earthquake · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
On Friday, March 11, 2011 at 2:46:23 p.m. local time, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan, the largest in recorded history.
It's been more than 5 hours since the earthquake hit, and many Tokyoites are still trying to get home on foot. The train system shut down for the day.
@Kenji_Hall:
still walking like everyone else in Tokyo. trains stopped. taxis full. long lines at bus stops. need to get north but stuck in Tokyo. #quake12
Lines for the bus, by @durf
Twitter user @oohamazaki is compiling a Google Map of possible evacuation locations in the Tokyo area.
The sun has gone down and hotels, schools, restaurants, and more are opening up their doors.
@tsuyoshi_ide:
【拡散希望】 新宿南口の文化服装学院が、非常食と宿泊受け入れ準備中です！ #jishin #jisin #shinjyuku
@gmsq:
【拡散希望】立教大学は一晩中教室を開放することを決定しました！宿泊可能です！ 大学関係者以外の方ももちろん利用可能なので、お困りの方は立教大学までいらして下さい！僕宛にリプライいただければ、なにかお困りの際はお手伝いします！ #rikkyo_raise
Photo by Global Voices Japanese Language co-editor Scilla Alleci:
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: Russian Twitterers Report the Earthquake · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The attention of Russian twitter-o-sphere is riveted on six Russian-speaking Twitterers that are currently reporting from Japan (all of them situated in different locations of the country): @msvetov, @japanreports, @mig22k, @sanmai, @touzoku, and @harunoko.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Japan: Tsunami Strikes Coast, Leaves Nothing in Wake · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
Following the country's largest earthquake in recorded history, Japan is being hit by it's most ferocious tsunami. People across the country are glued to their TV screens as scenes of a tsunami measuring more than 7 meters in height sweeping away cars and buildings flashes across the news. Meanwhile, other parts of the world are bracing for the worst, with Hawaii ordering an evacuation of coastal areas and warnings issued in at least other 20 countries. The Guardian is posting live updates on the disaster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWgvX1FGK4I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSimeWFiuYc
A picture of a giant whirlpool in Ibaraki (via @gakuranman):
Just a sampling of messages on Twitter.
Tinystar323 writes:
津波は「波」じゃなくて、「コンクリートの壁が猛スピードで突っ込んでくる物」だと思って下さい。人間にどうにか出来る代物じゃないです。絶対に興味本位で見に行ったりしないで下さい。
An unconfirmed report from @nishi_0024 claiming that the Pacifico Yokohama convention center is not accepting people anymore:
【緊急拡散】パシフィコ横浜は津波の危険があるため、受け入れ中止だそうです！
From @edamamicky, a victim of the tsunami:
津波被害あり。自宅2階にて母と弟と近所の男性一名と救助を待っています。怪我はありません。1階は浸水して自力では外に出れません。電話も繋がりません。
For up-to-the-minute coverage of the earthquake aftermath, follow NHK's official ustream.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Chris Salzberg


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Japan: Tweets From Lviv, Ukraine · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukraine-based @hiranotakaci (Hirano Takaci) tweeted this (UKR) and this (UKR) a while ago: “As for the earthquake in Japan, it's chaos in my feeds now. No gas and electricity, fill bathtubs with water, metro trains aren't running. Don't go to the coast. […] Announcements that trains and metro won't be running in Tokyo today. People say they'll be spending the night at the offices.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Largest Earthquake in Recorded History in Japan · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
Photo from March 11 earthquake in Japan shared by @mitsu_1024 (via wikitree.co.kr)
On Friday, March 11, 2011 at 2:46:23 p.m. local time, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan, the largest in recorded history.
Here are some online resources that people are using to get in touch with each other:
Hashtags being used in the Japanese Twittersphere are #sendai and #jishin. #prayforjapan is being used to send prayers in the English Twittersphere.
Many people on Twitter are trying to stay calm and sharing advice, especially based on experience from the Great Hanshin Earthquake or the Chuetsu Earthquake.
@asahi_chousa:
【拡散希望】電気屋さんからの忠告！です。　ただ今地震で停電している地帯の方はブレーカーを全て落として下さい。通電されたら小さなブレーカーを一つづつ入れて下さい。漏電ブレーカーが落ちるようでしたら、無理に入れず、電気事業者等に連絡をとって下さい。漏電による火災を防ぎましょう。
@take23asn:
@take23asn 【タンスの下敷きになった人を助ける方法】タンスが頑丈なのは全面と上部、側面だけ。背の面は薄い板でできている。その薄い板を蹴破り、そこからすべての引き出しを抜き取る。そうすれば簡単にタンスを解体できる。
@Grpa_Horiuch:
【 緊急 】 手話が必要な方に教えて上げてください。「目で聴くテレビ」でNHKのニュースに手話をつけて放送中。このURLから「緊急災害放送」をクリックしてください。 http://t.co/KQPhc1r　#jishin #NHK
@hibijun:
FMわぃわぃは多言語で地震・災害情報を放送中。インターネットでも聴けます。http://bit.ly/eaV16I%20 在日外国人の皆さんに伝えてください。 #saigai#eqjp #earthquake
@kuilne
iPhoneの電池を少しでも長持ちさせる方法。
1.wifiを切る
2.位置情報サービスを切る
3.通知サービスを切る
4.Bluetoothを切る
5.画面の明るさを一番暗くする
6.余計なアプリを切る
@Tranquil_Dragon in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture posted this screenshot:
@wanchan11 posted an image of the flooded Sendai Port:
Some videos from Tokyo:
Many thanks to the GV Japan Team for coming together during the quaking to collaborate on this article.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.


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Libya: Sub-Saharan Africans in Serious Danger · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

This article is part of our special coverage on the uprising in Libya.
The crisis in Libya since the uprisings against Colonel Mouammar Gaddafi has not only had dramatic consequences for Libyans, but also for Sub-Saharan African citizens residing in Libya. Thousands of refugees are exposed to terrible conditions on journeys to the nearest borders, and numerous black Africans currently do not dare to leave their homes, not even to find something to eat. Why is this?
The digital portal for the civil society of Maghreb e-Joussour.net explains in an article [fr] published on March 2, 2011:
De peur d'être pris pour des mercenaires à la solde du pouvoir de Mouammar Kadhafi, les migrants subsahariens vivant en Libye se cachent depuis le début de la répression sanglante, au risque de se retrouver oubliés dans ce pays qu'ils veulent quitter.
Hundreds of thousands have migrated to Libya from all over the African continent, notably from the countries within close proximity, such as approximately 300,000 from Chad, 50,000 from Nigeria and 10,000 from Mauritania. In an article on Mediapart [fr] (subscription required), Carine Fouteau remarks:
Regrouped according to nationality in certain areas of the larger cities, they are calling for help but are not heard. ‘The Sub-Saharan Africans are afraid. After the information we received from the Malians, they gather together as much as possible, up to 10, 20 or 30 at a time. They cannot get out, they live underground. Anyone with black skin is in hiding because certain individuals have experienced some abuse”,  reports Alassane Dicko, one of the co-ordinators/leaders of the Malian Association of Deportation (AME), situated in Bamako.
Global Voices previously shared citizen videos related to the African mercenary question.
Al Jazeera English shares a video report on the dangers faced by black Africans in Libya.
In a report of Malian testimonies on the website Bamanet.net, Abdou Karim Maiga recounts the experience of certain individuals [fr] who are refusing to flee.
Mamadou Diakite, who is around thirty and works as a civil servant, recounts that “since the beginning of the conflict, we have been persecuted and especially since the press began to speak of the implication that many blacks are mercenaries working closely with Gaddafi. People here say that our president supports Gaddafi and therefore we are viewed as traitors.
Another Malian, Chaka Sidibe, arrived in Libya just four months ago. He affirms that for several nights he and his friends have not slept and adds that [fr]:
We have been abandoned by our Chinese bosses who have been evacuated by their country and their villagers have asked us to leave as quickly as possible. We came together and crossed the Egyptian border by foot.
The website Relief Web reports real life stories of people who have attempted to save their own lives:
Fearing for their lives, given the targeting of Sub-Saharan Africans, and desperate to leave Libya, they had paid a human trafficker to take them to Egypt in a sealed and refrigerated truck.
The information agency of the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Irin News, reports the experience of some Somalis [fr].
Their food reserves are almost totally exhausted, he explained, “The landlord did the shopping for us but we are missing a lot. We had a little bit of money when the troubles first erupted, but we are labourers and it has now been 12 days since we last worked.
Additionally, it is the women who have paid the heaviest price during this conflict, Shamso Mohammed, a Somali refugee, told IRIN in the same article:
The Somali women are particularly worried about what might happen. “I arrived here almost a year and a half ago in order to try to get myself to Europe, but so far I have not succeeded and now I find myself in the exact same situation I was trying to escape from by fleeing Somalia.”
Maryan Ali, who lives under the same roof as Shamso, has said that she fears they may come and attack them in their homes. “The residencies of several Somalians would have been, in effect, the target of attackers”, she added.
Three of her friends disappeared five days ago, she revealed. “We called them for work and they went; the last news we have of them is that they were taken by a car driven and accompanied by armoured men. We have no idea what the men have done to them and we have no one to turn to for help.”
Boukary Daou wrote in an article published on Maliweb.net:
On this Wednesday, (2nd March), there are around 134 migrants, who have trampled the soil of home. But this is just a small fraction of our compatriots living in Libya.
According to the last administrative census carried out by the vocational electorate of the civil State, (Ravec) there are more than 9000 Malians still to be accounted for.
The site Podcast Journal signaled other sources of worry for the HCR and the OIM:
Melissa Fleming, spokesperson of the HCR, made known to the HCR some concerns over the destiny of a ‘large number of refugees of Sub-Saharan African origin who are not yet authorised to enter into Tunisian territory.’ This is an issue equally signalled as a concern by the spokesperson of the International Migration Organisation (OMI), Jemini Pandya, who also works to help with the evacuation process of non-Libyan nationals.
In another article by Carine Fouteau on Mediapart (reproduced on Centrafrique Presse), Jean-Phillipe Chauzy, spokesman of International Organisation of Migration (IOM), explains:
Those who do not have any official papers are literally restricted over there. What’s more is that there are copious levels of people in this situation; from Mali, Guinea, Nigeria, Niger, Toga, Benin, Burkina Faso etc. Without a passport it is improbable that they would be authorised to leave the country. Their situation is a particularly pressing issue.
This article is part of our special coverage on the uprising in Libya.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Maldives: Fostering Extremist Ideas · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hassan Ziyau is not happy with Maldive's efforts to suppress extremist ideas where “hate preachers continue with hate mongering and brain washing the youth”.

author: Rezwan


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Nigeria: Nigeria Votes 2011 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Myweku.com speaks with Bayo Lambo about his new site, NigeriaVotes2011: “It’s a website and platform where potential voters and the curious alike can visit to view, research and indeed review all the candidates running for office in the 2011 elections.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Philippines: Tsunami Monitoring and Quake Hoax · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued a tsunami warning that could affect 19 coastal provinces in the Philippines.
Filipino netizens helped in advising the public to evacuate the coastal areas of the country. They also complemented the efforts of the mainstream media in giving regular updates on the situation in the ground.
For example, the Computer Professionals’ Union has created the Philippine Tsunami Monitoring page using the ushahidi platform. Below is a google map showing areas in the Philippines with tsunami alerts.
Through its official page, the government has been regularly issuing situation and preparation updates and evacuation efforts.
Based on initial reports, small waves hit some towns in the eastern side of the Philippines but so far no casualties or major damages have been reported yet.
@chresza15: RT @abscbnnews: BREAKING: Strong waves recorded along Isabela coastline; First wave also recorded in Ilocos Norte, Batanes #TVPatrol
@iamtaraaa: 3 meter waves have reached Batanes, Philippines
@whizkidmags: RT @TourismPinas: Tsunami that hit Davao at 8:45 PM is .44 meters or 44 centimeters. Highest so far recorded is in Baler at 70 centimeters. (via @raffytima)
#batanes became a twitter trending topic today. It refers to the northernmost province of the Philippines where a tsunami alert has been raised.
@nonnycarlos60: RT @ninacorpuz: Thank God Batanes is safe but officials advise those who live in coastal areas not to return home til tom.
@theperpetualkid: my relatives in Batanes are safe, but my tita said they're preparing just in case. they're in basco, so they're not near the beaches.
#samar also became a global twitter trending topic because of a report (which later turned out to be false) that an earthquake struck Samar province, located in the central part of the Philippines.
zaikenhuo: please refrain from saying that it quaked at Samar coz it did not
@KiiNDZ: RT @JULIUS_SEGOVIA: RT @cesarAPOLINARIO: Mayor from Allen Samar says there's no truth about the earthquake in our province #gmanews
@melsungit: If the Samar quake isn't true, then why did Inquirer tweet it?
@18_PM: RT @AbsCbnChannel2: Rumors about Samar getting hit by an earthquake are unconfirmed/possibly false. how come people can make fun of this? #pray
@clarilove: SAMAR is trending on twitter just coz some people are spreading false news about earthquake! WHAT THE F*CK.
Filipinos are also using the #tsunami hashtag to send their message of solidarity to the people of Japan.
@fueledbycola: glad that we seem safe from the quake+tsunami. Here's hoping for no more incidents, and a swift recovery for Japan and other affected areas

author: Mong Palatino


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Photos of Quake in Japan, by Tweeps · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Puerto Rico: Violence in the University · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The Puerto Rican Association of University Professors of Puerto Rico (APPU) condemned the physical attacks  [es]  a group of students perpetrated against the Provost of the Río Piedras campus, Ana Guadalupe. The University of Puerto Rico has been in turmoil due to budget cuts and tuition hikes.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Quake in Japan: Tokyo Tower Bent by Quake · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Twitter @tomoakiyama posted a photo of Tokyo Tower, one of Japan's famous landmarks which appears to be bent by strong earthquake.


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Russia: Ramzan Kadyrov’s Brazil Game · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Siberian Light comments on the “football match between an ageing team of Brazilian World Cup winners and a Chechen team featuring […] Ramzan Kadyrov,” which took place in Grozny, Chechnya, earlier this week: “The money to pay all these Brazilian superstars came from somewhere – and I’ll bet most of it was illegally obtained. Brazil’s players, along with [Terek Grozny's coach], should be ashamed for taking part in this charade of a match […].”


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Russia: Sochi Mascots, Politics, and Some Twitter · Global Voices
Yelena Osipova

Since the whole deal with the public vote for the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi began back in September [RUS], the issue seems to have been all but “non-political”: from the selection of 11 emblems-finalists at the end of the solicitation period to the actual call-in and SMS vote on February 26 2011, televised [RUS] on the state channel ORT. In an unprecedented move, the Sochi 2014 Olympic Committee was going to let the Russians participate in the choice of the mascots, from their creation to the very selection.
Image of the Olympic Talismans, Russian Olympic Committee, republished from The Moscow Times.
There were many controversies, yet it seems that the final five – the snow leopard [RUS], the polar bear [RUS], the rabbit [RUS], and the Ray-and-Snowflake couple [RUS] – are trying to benefit from the momentum, utilizing the mysterious ways of Twitter to gain acknowledgment and popularity.
Whether official or not, the people behind these Tweets are obviously well-acquainted with the Russian Tweet-o-sphere, following [RUS] not only their prime online competitor, the blue Olympic hypno-toad “Zoich” (@Z0I4) [RUS], but also the Kremlin Worm (@KremlinCherv) who made some headlines back in October.
Zoich, an alternative mascot created by popular designer Yegor Zhgun, deserves special mention here. Intended as political satire [RUS], it quickly gained popularity [RUS] around the RuNet and seeped in [RUS] to the traditional media [RUS]. After getting more than 24,000 submissions from the public (in September-December 2010), the mascot selection committee chose 11 candidates that were supposed to “campaign” throughout February before the final vote. Although Zoich did not make the cut, he got “special mention” on the  unofficial online voting site and even got more support there (21,215 votes) than one of the call-in vote winners – the rabbit (10,107 votes).
Image by Yegor Zhgun
Zoich, perhaps more correctly spelled as “Z0I4,” is derived from the mix of the numbers “2014” and the combined reading of Latin and Cyrillic characters. Its author, Egor Zhgun, is a designer and a satirist, who often provides sharp graphical commentary on his website [RUS] and blog [RUS] (Take a look. Highly recommended!). He told Lenta.ru [RUS] that the psychedelic frog idea came from “Futurama”‘s Hypnotoad, although he also tried alluding to the Russian folk tale about the “Czarevna Frog” (Russian version of the “Frog Prince” folk tale): hence the Czarist crown. In an interview with Kommersant newspaper, Zhgun said that the Olympic rings in the eyes symbolized the “promotion of Olympic ideals,” while the crown referred to “nationhood and spirituality,” which were among the submission criteria put forth by the committee.
Zhgun said he was surprised that, given its political connotations, his masterpiece was allowed into the general “competition” in the first place. Encouraged by its initial popularity online and the fact that the selection committee let it stay at the top of the unofficial Internet chart (which, according to him, was heavily moderated), he started harboring serious hopes and even made a video that soon went viral. Gradually, Zoich was adopted as the political opposition's symbol in the mascots’ selection process. Yet, it was clear from the start that the process was not going to be all that democratic, as the selection committee was going to be the one to choose the nominees for the final round. As Zhgun predicted in his interview, the “sanitized” polar bear was among the winners precisely because of its political attributes.
As expected, the final choice of the mascots received a lot of criticism, too. Firstly, there was the issue with the polar bear. Not only was it seen as too similar to the symbol of the ruling “United Russia” party, but it was also criticized for being a rip-off of the original Moscow 1980 Olympic Misha. President Dmitry Medvedev had expressed his preference for the polar bear, which the St. Petersburg Times went as far as to suggest, was also due to his last name (derived from the Russian word for “bear” [medved’]).
Can the similarities be a mere coincidence? Sochi 2014 Mascot; Misha, 1980 Olympics Mascot, logo of United Russia ruling party, collage by Yelena Osipova
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, did not abstain from comment, either (as usual). According to him: “The bear is the dumbest animal, the leopard is bloodthirsty, and the hare [is] a coward who always runs away.”
The greatest controversy, however, seems to be surrounding the snow leopard: after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly stated his preference for the mascot on the day of the vote, its popularity skyrocketed (despite much smaller prior support), getting 28 percent of the votes and making it the callers’ top choice. Funnily enough, just two days later, President Medvedev mentioned that the vote was unfair, since there was a significant “dissonance between the online and call-in voting results”. In line with the President's declared commitment to modernization and innovation, Zhgun suggested that the “official” voting should have been done online.
Zoich at Mascots Home, screenshot of the talisman.sochi2014.com
But would it be a realistic expectation to hold?
Although there was a semblance of “democracy” in the entire process, it did take on a “Russian” tinge with clearly demarcated limits of “acceptable.” The fact that Zoich got so much attention – online, in the media, during the televised show on February 26 [RUS], and even at the official mascots’ “web home” (which, the committee said [RUS], was added to make the website “more fun”) – already seems to be a sign of an unprecedented level of tolerance. But would that tolerance go as far as accepting it as the official Winter Olympics mascot? After all, even the official polling data [RUS] from back in November suggested that 36 percent of the Russians would not vote for Zoich under any circumstances. Nonetheless, as a political pun, it certainly did raise some questions and, perhaps, tested some limits.
The “international image of Russia” aspect of the story is also an interesting side note here. While some online commentators seemed to be excited [RUS] about the possibility of Zoich representing Russia internationally, the authorities clearly tried to manage the situation, not only largely ignoring the issue, but also providing some commentary on their international mouthpiece, Russia Today TV. Just to quote a line:
Russian Internet is not the whole of Russia, and users from political opposition, while they are numerous, are not the whole of the Russian internet [sic].
Whether or not it would have been a success in terms of public diplomacy is arguable. After all, a blue hairy hypno-frog would have made for great satire. But what would it say about Russia? The mascots are a symbol, and as such, were taken seriously by the authorities, and although they arguably tried keeping politics out of it, all the hype surrounding the process was bound to get political. Just as Zhgun himself told Lenta.ru when responding to a question about the point of the vote in the first place:
[It was done] perhaps to sublimate yet another election. There was Zoich, and opposition, and all that…
He also compared the tolerance towards Zoich to that towards Zhirinovsky, who currently serves as the Deputy Speaker of the Duma.
As for Twitter, all the five official mascots, as well as Zoich, are slowly but surely gaining a number of followers. Funny: they all started tweeting on February 26, they follow each other, have conversations among themselves, and seem to be unofficially soliciting “name” ideas for the three still anonymous mascots. Would be interesting to see where it all gets and whether any of them – especially Zoich – would be able to match the 4,000+ followers of the official account of the Organizing Committee. To do that, however, they first have to start really tweeting.
So far the polar bear seems to be in the lead, with 461 followers at the time of this writing, despite the fact that the snow leopard obviously had stronger ties “at the top.”
@Leo_sochi:
I am Barsik! Please call me Leo! Let's be friends and follow each other! Greetings to all from Uncle Vova!

author: Yelena Osipova


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Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival Excess · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Plain Talk thinks that this year's Carnival celebrations will be remembered “not for elevating as a nation and rising as a people, but for demonstrating what greed does to human nature in its most base and unattractive form…”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Pacific Tsunami Warning · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Just days after the morning of March 7 2011 when the costume, “Pacific Tsunami” won the 2011 King of Carnival title at the Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain…an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Japan's northeastern Honshu Island…and a six-meter tsunami warning was issued”: Guanaguanare says it's a case of life imitating art.


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Yemen: Did Government Use Nerve Gas on Protesters? (Videos) · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Tweeps, reporters and netizens are investigating the possibility that Yemen's security forces may have used nerve gas when they attacked protesters on Tuesday, March 8. The attack, which government later said was to prohibit Yemeni tribesman from bringing weapons to the student sit-in protesters who have gathered near Sanaa University calling for the resignation of long-serving leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.
One protester reportedly died in that attack, and up to 70 were injured. Protesters say that security forces also used what they thought was tear gas to disperse the crowd. However, a few doctors treating the injured said they had never seen these symptoms with people affected by tear gas, including convulsions, loosing muscular control and even paralysis.
Here's a tweet from local reporter Jeb Boone:
@JebBoone: Tear gas said to be odorless. Gas used in #Yemen demos smelled of sulfur, similar when after a gun fires, what I initially thought it was.
And from reporter Iona Craig, who was present at the hospital with injured protesters.
@ionacraig: I'm no chemicals expert but symptoms last night did not inc. eye & skin irritation like teargas. Ppl just passed out after trouble breathing
The Chemical Weapons Convention outlaws the production, stockpoling and use of various chemical weapons, including nerve agents. Presently, 165 countries have signed the United Nation's convention including Yemen, which ratified it in 2000.
Oliver Holmes, a freelance reporter based in Yemen, provided a video of a grenade found at the scene:
He asked via Twitter:
@olireports: Can anyone confirm whether a green rubber Smith & Wesson gas grenade is illegal. Is it teargas or nerve gas? @YF @Yemen
Holmes then reported:
@olireports: The grenades I saw were not nerve gas. #YF #Yemen
Here's a video of more of the ammunition found after the March 8 attacks.
A Tweep responds:
@Dmangoman: @kasinof the round canister normally contains standard tear gas; CS or CN;unless the canisters have been manipulated or are counterfeit
This is not the first time Yemen's government has been accused of using nerve gas. In 2005, reporter Jane Novak  published claims from people on the ground that the country's military may have used nerve gas to quash the Houthis rebellion in Sahdaa.
Highly respected religious scholar Mohamed Almansour wrote a letter to President Saleh in March 2005 which stated, “We condemn all things that happened in the previous months such as excessive use of force by the Government forces and the use of internationally prohibited weapons.”  In May, Alquds Alarabia reported that rebel leader Abdelmalik al-Houthi said, “The government attacked us with internationally prohibited weapons like chlorine gas that caused an inability to breathe.” He also referred to “colored gas.” An article in the opposition newspaper al-Shoura in June listed the names of imprisoned children, including Bader Aldeen Abdula Moslih who was described as “12 years old, very ill from nervous system and skin damage as a result of chlorine gas used by the army in the first war last year.” In an internet interview the same month, a Houthi partisan and purported eye witness described “some special missile which turns into many particles, yellow and then red. The cloud goes up slowly. When it explodes it is yellow, when the particles come down they are red.” The cloud caused an inability to breathe, he reported.
Yahya al-Houthi, former Member of Parliament in the ruling party and brother of slain rebel leader Hussain al-Houthi, wrote in an email: “Most of the injured persons have died especially those who were hiding in Suleiman Cave. They were exposed to chemical gasâ€¦The area surrounding Suleiman Cave is still closed by the Army to prevent any one from taking samples to be analyzed by chemical weapon experts. The Army also burned all bodies in that area so they donâ€™t leave any evidence for the international community.
In lengthy reports on the conflict, neither the International Crisis Group or IRIN mentioned these assertions.
Some Tweeps continue the claim of government use of some gas agent on Tuesday night.
@alguneid: @WomanfromYemen #saleh ,son&nephew troops used low level nerve gas.Causes cerebral oedema (water inside brain cells).Coma–>death #War crime
Other Tweeps find it difficult to sort out the facts.
@JebBoone: Gas used in #Yemen also may have been CR gas, riot control gas stronger than tear gas. Has a pepper odor.
@ionacraig: Four people ended up in ICU with brain edema from the gas last night, according to doctor. #yemen #yf #sanaa
@CarvajalF: #Yemen – friend frm SciTech Univ in Sanaa still didnt confirm use of nerve gas @ Sanaa Univ – getting mixed comments frm ppl –
@prince640: @CarvajalF There might be other agents with some of the same effects? #Yemen
@Dirk2112: RT @joshuafoust: http://t.co/Ct40njU “nerve gas” thing reeks of rumor and exaggeration. I suggest deep caution before believing. #yf #Yemen
@theriverfed: I hope the ICC is paying attention. RT @leloveluck Doctors in #Yemen say nerve gas used on protesters: http://t.co/Ct40njU
@CFKlebergTT: Source in #Yemen told me about use of nerve gas. HRW can't confirm or deny. More in a bit…
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: John Liebhardt


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Azerbaijan: More Protests, More Arrests… · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following yesterday's protest by youth activists in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, supporters of the opposition Musavat party today staged their own. Also inspired by pro-democracy protests in Egypt and Tunisia, the demonstration might not have been as large as those, with estimates ranging only from a few to a several hundred people, but it was certainly intense.
There also wasn't as much online coverage on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, but what there was still managed to tell the story of a short-lived attempt to flout severe restrictions on freedom of assembly in the oil rich former Soviet republic.
While the protest was underway and demonstrators were being arrested en masse, one Azerbaijani youth activist even noticed senior members of the ruling Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyası (New Azerbaijani Party) looking on from a nearby restaurant.
Photo: Abbas Atilay / RFERL
However, numbering in their hundreds rather than  thousands, protesters were no match for the police and no sooner had the demonstration begun than it ended less than two hours later.
At that point, however, a number of live broadcasts from mobile showed journalists still at the scene even though protesters had left. Slowly, however, the situation seemed to get a little tense until the broadcast by youth activist and blogger @ilkin_alisoy unexpectedly stopped.
Word eventually spread on Twitter that Alisoy had been detained along with others before confirmation came that he had been sent to court. Between 50 to 100 others were also detained according to different sources, and like several youth activists yesterday, Alisoy and at least one other were sentenced to 8 days detention.
Ironically, however, judging from his own video streamed via Bambuser, Alisoy was not even part of the demonstration and was simply reporting on it alongside journalist friends and colleagues.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Belarus: Petition to Move 2014 Ice Hockey Championship Elsewhere · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Pyotr Kuznetsov posts a petition (RUS, ENG) to the International Ice Hockey Federation, drafted by Lithuania-based Belarusian opposition activists, in which they are proposing “to change the location of the [2014 ice hockey championship] from Belarus to another country” – because “[t]he atmosphere in Belarus and the actions of Mr. Lukashenka are incompatible with the principles of sport and the mission of IIHF.”


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Egypt: Leaked Documents Reveal Dirty Games of Former Regime · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
When a number of Egyptian protestors attacked  the headquarters of the hated State Security in different Egyptian cities, their aim was not to show their contempt for the unpopular institution, a symbol of Mubarak’s regime, but it was rather to rewrite history.
A large number of secret documents
The offices of the State Security represent a haven for secret documents and historic facts which the regime of Hosni Mubarak intended to hide from the public. Those who got into the offices managed to save a large number of top secret documents, though some of the documents were burned and destroyed. The secret documents revealed details of gas deals with Israel, human rights abuses, and the involvement of the Interior Ministry in terrorist acts.
The Facebook page “We are all Khaled Said” reports how the Egyptian authorities used to keep an eye on all Egyptians who were politically active.
Egypt's state security used to create a file for each & every Egyptian they come across. Activists, opposition, Islamists, Muslim Brotherhood, Atheists, communists, active union members, everyone who is politically active had a file for them at the SS. In some cases, people who prayed early morning prayers (Fajr) in a mosque had files opened for them.
Some leaked documents disclosed the involvement of the Interior Ministry in carrying out terror attacks in Sharm Al Shaikh in July 2005. The following document of the Interior Ministry reveals the details of the attacks.
و اتفقنا على جميع بنود الخطة الموضوعة لتنفيذ التكليف 231 بتاريخ 29/1/2005 و قداتفقنا على ان تستهدف ثلاث سيارات ملغومة منطقة نعمة على ان تنفجر الاولى بمدخل فندق موفنبيك والثانية بالمنتجع القريب من الفندق والثالثة بقرية موفنبيك المملوكين جميعا للسيد حسين سالم
This top secret document reveals the involvement of the Interior Ministry in the Sharm Al Shaikh bombings http://yfrog.com/hs9zzmfj
Another piece of evidence proving the involvement of Mubarak http://yfrog.com/h7t6lvdj
The news site Al Jarida has managed to have access to other secret documents disclosing another scandal committed by Jamel and Ala, the sons of Hosni Mubarak:
تنشر ‘الجريدة’ اليوم قصة واحدة من أخطر فضائح عصر الرئيس المصري السابق حسني مبارك، التي ستكون محلاً للتحقيقات خلال الفترة المقبلة، إذ تكشف أن جمال وعلاء نجلَي الرئيس حصلا على عمولة من إسرائيل مقابل إتمام صفقة تصدير الغاز المصري إليها.
وتبيَّن أن مفاوضات سرية جرت في مدينة شرم الشيخ طوال شهر يناير من عام 2005 لإتمام الاتفاق على كيفية تقاسم عمولات الوسطاء التي كان أطرافها من الجانب المصري وزير البترول سامح فهمي ورجل الأعمال المقرب من الرئيس حسين سالم بالإضافة إلى نجلَي مبارك، وأن هذه الاجتماعات شهدت خلافات طاحنة بين جمال مبارك وسالم، بسبب اتفاق الثاني مع الإسرائيليين على زيادة نسبته مقابل تقليل عمولة الأول، وهو ما أدى إلى قبول جمال في النهاية بحصوله على 5 في المئة فقط من قيمة الصفقة بدلاً من نسبة الـ10 في المئة التي كان يطلبها في البداية، بينما حصل شقيقه الأكبر علاء على 2.5 في المئة.
Another leaked document discloses that the Interior Ministry was behind the bombing of two churches in Alexandria
ReSo blogging at Revoltology writes:
One of the leaked documents protesters found in State Security showing that the SS planned and implemented the attacks on Two Saints Church in Alexandria on the Christmas eve. The document is describing in details who, when and how to operate it..
According to the leaked document, the aim of the attacks on the church was to paralyse the Coptic community and bring an end to their protests.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


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El Salvador: Thoughts on International Women’s Day  · Global Voices
Omar Nieto

Traditionally, International Women's Day has been a time for congratulating women on their day, but it is also a day that demands reflection and a call for gender equity. 2011 finds El Salvador with the highest rate [es] of femicides in the word, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais. Some Salvadorean bloggers have made their own reflections on the day and what it means for women in El   Salvador.
Ixquic, female, lawyer, political scientist, dancer and single mother, published a post titled “Violence just for being a woman” [es] on her blog Xibalbá [es]. Ixquic says that violence against women is an ingrained cultural attitude, protected by the misconception that women are objects or inferior beings, a misconception that defines power relations in all areas of our life as a nation.
No es necesario seguir contando muertes, ni golpes, ni humillaciones. Las agresiones –porque somos mujeres— ya no deben seguir.
Mario France, author of the blog Quo vadis? [es], in his post “The reality of femicides in El Salvador,” [es] offers two solutions. The first is to rearrange the penal statistics to clearly establish criminal offenses, accompanied by a campaign to support the allegation of domestic violence with a 24/7 hotline. The second solution is that courts reduce the time to oversee these cases and that the trials be public.
No es natural que en un país con poco más de 21.000 km2 y con una población que oscila entre los 6 y los 7 millones de acuerdo al último censo, se disparen 197% las muertes en mujeres. Y si vamos a hablar lo ideal, no es natural que un ser humano la quite la vida a otro -aunque eso es material de otra discusión del tipo axiológico que en este momento no tiene cabida- pero ese es el tema que nos ocupa.
Aniuxa writes a brief  [es] and heartfelt post in her blog: “Nunca falta alguien que sobre” [es] (There’s always someone extra), reflecting on the twisted interpretation that businesses give to the day and how difficult it is to witness how much of the gained ground has been lost to marketing and consumption.
Terrible es cuando los discursos de la luchas se vuelven parte del marketing y el consumo. El listón morado y el orgullo por tener vagina como una celebración de muchachas solteras en las discotecas. ¡Feliz día de la mujer! Porque en lo efímero de la fiesta se ha perdido una revindicación y la conmemoración de la desigualdades entre hombres y mujeres.
Mural in favor of the economic justice for women in San Marcos, El Salvador. Image from Flickr rosaamarilla (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Aldebaran's in his blog Enfrentamientos [es] (Clashes) calls for two things in his post “For women and men“[es]: He tells women to not put aside the struggle for human, labor and gender rights, because nobody else will do it for them; and he tells men to work to reduce machismo and the “caveman” that they harbor within.
Por mucho que algunos hombres estemos de acuerdo con sus reivindicaciones y siempre nos apuntemos a luchar a su lado, ustedes deben llevar la batuta en esta tarea. Ojo: no todos los hombres somos sus enemigos y algunos podemos ser sus aliados en esta lucha. Por supuesto, no todas las mujeres son igualmente conscientes en este esfuerzo.
Rodrigo Amaya from the IT blog Mr. Byte [es], remembers the date with a post [es] in honor of Ada Lovelace, the first female programmer. In the same post, he salutes “IT” women and those “who support IT guys.”
On the blog [es] that supports the leftist political party Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a group of organized women in the maquila sector take the opportunity to denounce the Secretary General of FENASTRAS [es] (National Federation of Salvadoran Workers), one of the oldest and most militant union organizations of El Salvador. They accuse [es] the Secretary General along with his wife of “selling” lists of their members to companies so that their owners reject any woman with a history of union participation. Also they reported harassment, abuse and even murders of women working at the maquilas.
…lo mas grave de todo es cuando algunas compañeras trabajadoras han aparecido muertas y nunca hemos sabido ni el porqué ni quienes las asesinaron siendo no muy casual que esto ha ocurrido en compañeras que se han negado a ser abusadas sexualmente e incluso cuando sus maridos se han enterado de la situación y han intentado exigir investigación y justicia…
Victor in his blog Alta Hora de la Noche (In the Middle of the Night) posted “Femicides, the root is within us” [es] where he joins the echo of self-criticism on the issue. He closes his deep reflection with the famous, always current words of Monseñor Oscar Romero, a Salvadoran priest known for defending human rights:
Antes de iniciar este post me preguntaba yo qué diría Monseñor Romero alrededor de este tema. Me doy cuenta que ya nos lo dijo antes:
“Los nombres de los asesinados irán cambiando, pero siempre habrá asesinados. Las violencias seguirán cambiando de nombre, pero habrá siempre violencia mientras no se cambie la raíz de donde están brotando todas esas cosas tan horrorosas de nuestro ambiente.” (Homilía 25 de septiembre de 1977, I-II p. 240).
La violencia hoy aparece también con este nombre. Y la raíz está, más que nunca, en nosotros
Before starting this post I wondered what Monseñor Romero would say about this topic. I realize that as we said before:
“The names of those killed will change, but there will always be murdered. The violence will continue to change in name, but there will always be violence until you change the root from which these horrific things spring up in our midst.” (Homily September 25, 1977, I-II p. 240).
The violence now also appears with this name. And the result is, more than ever, within us.
Virginia [es] in her post “Appliances and homicide: ‘Happy March 8!?'” [es] denies that the day is used for anything positive. She also argues that sexism is so ingrained in our society that it trivializes violence against women and it makes horrible femicides look normal.
Es normal que a una mujer le piten “porque está bien rica”. Es normal que a una estudiante de Medicina se le acose sexualmente “porque está en una profesión de hombres”. Y es esta normalidad las que nos impide alarmarnos ante las tasas de feminicidio, las mismas que han subido un 200% en una década, las que nos otorgan el pomposo primer lugar en la escala de asesinatos de mujeres en el mundo. Hurra por la sociedad protomacha. Y más vítores para las mujeres, tan vulnerables y delicadas, quienes son las que prolongan el machismo mediante los modelos de crianza. Hurra. V.Lemus
Hunnapuh-Comments [es] published the post “Femicides, a shameful reality” [es] which reviews mortality statistics against female deaths to prove that indeed femicide in El Salvador has tripled in less than a decade:
…la tendencia hacia el crecimiento de los feminicidios persiste bajo la mirada tolerante de TODA nuestra sociedad, que mantiene vigentes los principios y valores machistas en todos sus niveles, por lo que este mal debe atacarse con rigor desalentando la impunidad ante la violencia intrafamiliar…
Roxana Ellerbrok, from the blog Conversations with Neto Rivas [es], makes a historical review of the date and notes that although women are the majority in Latin America, their opportunities to influence the political and economic sphere does not equate to those of men, despite that in many cases women are the family's sole breadwinner.
Y si bien es cierto, muchas cosas han cambiado en 100 años y las conquistas en todos los ámbitos han sido innegables e impresionantes y pese a todo el bombo y platillo que pueda tener la fecha, la verdad existen asignaturas pendientes y urgentes tales como la falta de oportunidades laborales y sociales por la preeminencia que todavía ostenta el varón sobre la mujer, es decir, el Machismo.
Finally, David Mejia calls for reflection and greets [es] women on their day:
Es muy importante tomar acciones inmediatas y planes a corto, mediano y largo plazo, porque muchos no lo ven, pero la violencia y el maltrato hacia la mujer tiene muchas consecuencias, no solamente directas para con ellas, sino que genera más violencia en toda la sociedad…
Other voices:
- Que Joder: “On special dates like today” [es]
- Xibalbá: “To hell with the celebrations!” [es]
- Tiene que ser susto: “International Women's Day: Olympia” [es]
- Farabunterra: “Country of Death” [es]
- Evangelizadoras de los apóstoles: “Churches must break silence on issues of violence against women” [es]

author: Omar Nieto


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Japan: Fear in Fukushima · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
The day after a 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan, an explosion at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 150 miles north of Tokyo, is causing both fear and confusion online about what may happen next. So far, the nuclear reactors themselves are alleged to be unharmed, and the worst radiation is contained. Still, thousands of people are being evacuated from around two nuclear power plants in the Fukushima Prefecture. Many references have been made to the devastating Chernobyl disaster in the USSR in 1986, but it's still not clear how big the damage will be in Japan nor how many human lives it will cost. As an indicator of worry, one of the latest new hashtags is #save_fukushima.
Distance from Fukushima on mapped on Google Earth map of Japan – shared by bizenjirapid213 on Twitpic
Fear in Fukushima
Certainly people working inside the Fukushima plant and those living nearby are facing the greatest risk. On Twitter, there are several messages of support and concern.
@take_c: 福島原発で、必死で戦う現場作業員に敬意を払う。家族も恋人もいるだろうに、自分の家も被害を受けているだろうに。爆発・被爆の恐怖とも戦いながら、必死で戦う現場作業員に、敬意を。
@Soc214:友 達のご主人がここの制御にあたるため福島向かったらしい…着いてないと良いな…不謹慎だけど知り合いが危険な所に居ない事だけをまず祈ってしまう…。とり あえずテレビ報道下手すぎて状況分からず… 新聞はスピード面で大敗を期す模様。私は無力～ㅜㅜㅜ
Mami (まみ), a university student, tweeted from Fukushima saying she was scared:
@mamionbiscuit: 福島です。怖いです。もうやだ。どうして原発なんかあるの？どうして福島にあるの？ひとが作った物なのに、ひとが安全を確保できない物なんて必要ないよ。悲しいことが増えるだけ。なんもいいことないよ。ほんと怖い。怖いよ。
Can we trust the news?
On Friday, the day of the earthquake, television news barely mentioned nuclear power plants. Online, there has been both idle speculation and several hoaxes. Many people feel concerned they are not hearing the full truth from the government, who may be playing down dangers to avoid both panic and blame. On Saturday, the government issued an evacuation order for Fukushima residents within 20km radius from the plant.
On Twitter, Takeshi Funyu (@tksfn) speculates on whether the government is holding back information.
@tksfn: 実家があるいわき市勿来の母とまだ直接話せてはいないが、姪っ子のメールで安否確認はできた。しかし次に福島原発の危険性も出てきた。政府の情報開示に疑問だな。
@yyyhonda: 福島原発の問題は、世界が注目しているから政府もさすがに情報隠蔽はできないだろう。 本気で情報が収集出来てないとしたら、それはそれで大問題だが…
Advice on how to deal with radiation was compared to dealing with hay fever on NHK national television, said @ydme286.
@ydme286:（福島原発）ＮＨＫ等で出てる注意事項を覚えきれないという方がいたら「花粉症の時みたいに」と考えてみて下さい。なるべく屋内、マスクする、家に入る時は衣服を払う、手・顔を洗う等、実際にやる事は花粉症の人が普段する行動と結構似ています。＃save_fukushima
Urging for calm
Many urged people to refrain from spreading rumors and fueling panic.
@marquee77: 福島第一原発のニュース、正式発表があるまで、ツイートを控えましょう。不安をあおるばかりで、何の益もありません。
@PABUR0216: 僕個人の考えでは原発の爆発は天災だと思っています。誰が悪いなんてありません。twitterだからこそ自分の発言には責任を持つことが必要だと思います。
Follow us on Twitter
Several Global Voices authors and editors live in Japan and a few are writing constant updates about the post-earthquake situation on Twitter. You can follow them all on this Twitter list.
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Solana Larsen


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Japan: Fukushima Reactor Has Different Design Type Than Chernobyl · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

@BrianDunning, author of a science podcast Skeptoid, explains: “Fukushima nuclear plant does NOT have a combustible graphite core like Chernobyl. A total meltdown should flow into underground containment.” (This explanation has been retweeted by over 100 people already.)


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Japan: Hashtags for Earthquake Related Tweets · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

The official Japanese Twitter blog has published a list of earthquake related hastags, along with special search queries that “filter out noise and provide the clearest results”.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: Iodine Distribution Needed · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

@Traysizzzle writes: “I hope #Japan starts distributing #iodine asap to anyone close to the radiation…it's not #Chernobyl but its prognosis is not good…”


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Japan: Official Profiles of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

From Roy Berman: “Some bad info regarding Fukushima plants is going around so I translated the official profiles of BOTH plants.”


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Japan: Onagawa, the Hometown I Once Knew · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
Twitter user @kombu_s evacuated to Sendai from her hometown of Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture.
Here is her profile:
現在、宮城県女川町で見てきた範囲のみの情報をツイートをしています。※ツイート履歴を確認してください。※　不安なのはとてもわかるのですが、私が見た範囲でしかわかりません。通ってない地区や個人の安否等はわかりません。車で第一保育所まで行き、総合体育館まで瓦礫の中を歩いて家族を迎えに行っただけです。
http://twitpic.com/photos/kombu_s
After reaching safety in Sendai, she posted photos that she took along the way on March 12.
@kombu_s: ※リプライはしません。見たことしかしりません。普通の一般人が自分の家族を迎えに行っただけです。当然、他の個人の安否は名前や住所を聞いてもわかりません。今ツイートしてる本人は仙台にいます。ツイート履歴を見てください。 #onagawa #save_miyagi_onagawa
The following is a selection of tweets in chronological order.
@kombu_s's first earthquake related tweet was on March 10th:
地震で何回も起きたから眠いよー
On March 11 she tweeted:
@kombu_s: あ、生きてます けど街は死んでるし部屋もぐちゃぐちゃ
Her following tweets are all from March 12.
@kombu_s: 無事です。生まれ育った街が、家が、すべて波に流されました。写真は本来、住宅街だったところです。 http://twitpic.com/48q6zl
@kombu_s【RT希望】宮城県女川町についての情報です。地元民が本日現地に行きました。町は清水地区まで津波に流されほぼ壊滅状態です。避難した町民は総合体育館 に集まっています。町内がケータイ圏外の為、連絡することが不可能に近いです。繋がらないと不安にならず、ご家族の無事を信じてあげて下さい。
@kombu_s: 家族と仙台の私の家に戻りました。皆さんありがとうございます。ご心配をお掛けしてすみません。ここは電気のみ復旧してます。
@kombu_s: 地元女川町の情報を出来る限り流していくつもりです。もしよろしければ、可能な範囲でRTしていっていただけるでしょうか？苦手な方はリムお願いします。これを見てどうしても聞きたいことがある地元民の方はDMしてください。見た範囲、可能な範囲のみですが、対応します。
@kombu_s: 女川駅の線路です。右奥にある白と緑の車両は第二小学校の下の墓場まで流されています。
@kombu_s: 正午に総合体育館に到着。一中の体育館が屋根にひびが入って危険なため、生徒も含めそこに避難した人は全員総合体育館に移動したそうです。その時点では食糧や防寒対策が不足し、とても疲れた様子でぐったり横になっていました。 #onagawa #save_miyagi_onagawa
@kombu_s: 正午の時点の話ですが、被災してから食糧は汁物一杯と小さな羊羹を２～３人で分けるよう言われたとしか聞いていません。毛布ではなく、みんなカーテン？を巻いて寝ていました。個人的に物資の供給は十分ではないと思いました。 #save_miyagi_onagawa #onagawa
@kombu_s: 正直、熊野神社から下の風景を見た時は何も言葉が出ませんでした。涙が出てきたし、乾いた笑いが込み上げるだけでした。そのくらい悲惨な状態です。でも逃げ延びた人々は自分達よりも町の外の親戚や知人のことを心配していました。　#onagawa #save_miyagi_onagawa
@kombu_s: その時点ではケータイも圏外、ワンセグも対象外の地域で見ることが出来ませんでした。ラジオのみでは詳細が分からず、女川から無事を知らせることも出来ないことにとても心を痛められていました。連絡出来ないので不安になるとは思いますが、ご家族を信じてあげて下さい。 #onagawa
@kombu_s: 毛布や暖房器具、食糧や水、あとはトイレ事情が最悪だったのでトイレットペーパー等、生きるのに必要な物資の供給があれば助かると思いました。あとはやっ ぱり情報が欲しいと思います。テレビもケータイも使えませんので。女川の外の状況を動画や写真で伝えてあげる手段があればいいと思うのです。
@kombu_s: というのも、どうしても田舎ですから、比較的高齢の方が多いので…ラジオや新聞じゃ耳が遠かったり目が見えずらかったりする方も多いとおもうので、映像っ て大事だと思います。災害掲示板や災害ダイヤルにしても、高齢の方にはややこしいと思うのです。そもそもその時は繋がらない状態だったのですが
@kombu_s: 祖母やその友人の方たちから、残酷な話もたくさん聞きました。ただそれは田舎特有の横のつながりで広がってきた話ですので、正確性に欠けるかと思いツイー トを控えています。実際不安からの想像もいくつかあると思いますので。ですが、そんな話も出ている、ということは事実です。 #onagawa
@kombu_s: 女川病院から、マリンパル通り？下はマリンパルから女川高校へ登っていく坂で商店街だったところを撮影 実際歩いたとき生魚がたくさん落ちてました http://twitpic.com/48s41e
@kombu_s: そういえば、体育館へ向かう途中、小さく火が出ているのを見ました。石巻で、11日夜に無理矢理女川へ向かった知人の方から、赤い光と煙がいくつか上がっ ているのを見たとも聞きました。何とかしたくても消火活動が行える状況ではなく、そのまま見過ごすしかありませんでした #onagawa
@kombu_s: 指入ってる＞＜　熊野神社から女川病院への階段下りたらいきなりこんな感じでした…街灯も根本から折れてた http://twitpic.com/48sk5z
@kombu_s: 解りづらいですが、女川病院に自衛隊のヘリが降りてきたところ　病院関係者が誘導してたみたいですが、病院の中は見てないのでどんな人達がいたかはわかりません http://twitpic.com/48sosz
@kombu_s: 私たちが女川に着いた時にはいくつかの避難場所から総合体育館や第一保育所に移動している方々とたくさんすれ違いました。高齢者は多いけれど、お互いに助け合って、男性陣は女性や子供、お年寄りの避難の補助をされていました。本当に良い町です。 #onagawa
@kombu_s: 言おうか言わまいか迷っていることがたくさんあって　不安にさせたくてツイートしているわけじゃないから、本当にどうしようって　さっきの中学生についてもちょっと悩んだけど、無事でいてほしいからツイートしました　心配ですよね、不安ですよね、本当にごめんなさい #onagawa
Her last tweet was past midnight in Japan.
@kombu_s: う、わたしも寝ておくかな…　また何か思いだしたりリプ見て何か言えることあったら起きてから呟きますね～＞＜　おやすみなさい！
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.


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Japan: The earthquake, as I experienced it · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Miu tells her experience [en] during the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck north-eastern Japan yesterday. The blogger says she was in a department store in Tokyo and thought that “things didn't seem terribly abnormal”.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Pakistan: Say No To Violence And Ensure Our Civil Rights · Global Voices
Rezwan

Beena Sarwar informs that Citizens for Democracy arranged a mass letter-writing campaign in Karachi today. The letters urge the Pakistan authorities to take appropriate actions to reverse the erosion of civil and human rights and to uphold the rule of law without fear or favor.


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Portugal: A Protest Generation, Foolish and Scraping By · Global Voices
Ana Vasquez

Hostilities have commenced. On March 12, in many cities across the country and outside Portuguese delegations throughout the European Union, youth are taking to the streets. According to the organization, the Geração à Rasca [The “Scraping-By” Generation] Protest is a “non-partisan, secular and peaceful protest, aiming to strengthen participatory democracy in the country” [pt]. It emerged as a spontaneous event on Facebook and, in less than a month it has gathered more than 50,000 [Update: 64.639] intentions to participate:
Poster for the "Scraping By" Generation Protest from the event created on Facebook
Nós, desempregados, “quinhentoseuristas” e outros mal remunerados, escravos disfarçados, subcontratados, contratados a prazo, falsos trabalhadores independentes, trabalhadores intermitentes, estagiários, bolseiros, trabalhadores-estudantes, estudantes, mães, pais e filhos de Portugal. Protestamos:
– Pelo direito ao emprego! Pelo direito à educação!
– Pela… melhoria das condições de trabalho e o fim da precariedade!
– Pelo reconhecimento das qualificações, competência e experiência, espelhado em salários e contratos dignos!
Underemployment in context
Last December, TSF Radio News [pt] broadcaster reported on a data set from INE (National Institute of Statistics) which pointed out that “more than 300,000 young people have no [economic] activity”. In its website, the same radio broadcaster said, on February 24,  that “23 percent of the youth is unemployed, 720,000 have short-term contracts, and there is a further 14 percent increase in use of recibos verdes [workers earning in self-employed tax regime] recorded in the last three months”.
On the blog Epígrafe (Epigraph), Ricardo Salabert, from FERVE Movement (BOIL, an acronymn for Sick of these Recibos Verdes) [pt], explains this kind of relationship to labor markets:
Os recibos verdes  são um modelo de facturação aplicável aos trabalhadores independentes,  i.e., às pessoas que prestam serviços ocasionais para entidades várias  (empresas ou particulares). São exemplo disso os médicos, os arquitectos  (entre outros) que podem passar recibos verdes aos seus clientes, não tendo de se estabelecer como empresa.
And so grows the share of workers who lack any kind of social protection (in sickness, pregnancy, death of relatives), without any holidays or other types of subsidy. These workers can be sent off by the employer at any time since, by law, they have no ties with the enterprise. There are tens of thousands of Portuguese, from all generations, with the status of “false recibos verdes” who are providing services to companies under the same conditions of those with an Employment Contract, as laid out in the Labor Code (article 12) [pt], that keeps them “precarious”.
Music fueling action
Some might call them the Neither-Nor Generation, as Rui Rocha explains [pt], on the blog Delito de Opinião (Crime Opinion):
Nem estudam, nem trabalham. (…) Tipicamente, esta é uma  geração potencialmente melhor preparada do que as que a precederam  e, aparentemente, muito segura de si. São, todavia, presa fácil da  degradação do mercado laboral e não conseguem encontrar uma saída  airosa, nem combater este estado de coisas. Os sociólogos identificam  uma característica muito comum neste grupo: a inexistência de qualquer  projecto de vida. As manifestações mais evidentes são a apatia e a  indolência.
Around the end of January, the musical group Deolinda presented in its tour an unreleased piece that came to stir up emotion, giving a name and a voice to what has become, thereafter, known as the Foolish Generation.
Sou da geração sem remuneração
E nem me incomoda esta condição
Que parva que eu sou!
Porque isto está mau e vai continuar
Já é uma sorte eu poder estagiar
Que parva que eu sou!
E fico a pensar,
Que mundo tão parvo
Onde para ser escravo é preciso estudar…
Satire to Isabel Stilwell's article, on the Facebook page "artº 21" (article of the Portuguese Constitution which refers to the right to resist)
Deolinda's song, with an increasing number of 345,000 views on YouTube, spontaneously became a hymn to the “(now) foolish generation”.
A few days after, the editorial [pt] of a free daily newspaper in Portugal,  in the words of its director, Isabel Stilwell, said that “if they studied and they are slaves, they are fools indeed. Fools for having spent their parents’ money and our taxes to study and ending up not learning a thing”. In response she received thousands of comments, multiplying across social media.
The hymn then became the gunpowder that ignited the fuse for everyone who feels is paying for mistakes made by the generation that came before [pt].
Many problems, few solutions
If on one hand this has brought some together in common resistance, on the other hand many others have distanced themselves. It has awoken some semi-dormant debates.
While the blog O Jumento (Jackass) reflects on the inter-generational solidarity (or the lack of it) [pt], Helena Matos, on the blog Blasfémias (Blasphemy), questions the legitimacy [pt] of this generation to claim the same rights as their parents:
Preparam-se agora os ditos membros da geração à rasca não para exigir que os mais velhos mudem de vida mas sim que também eles possam manter esse tipo de vida. Quem vier depois que se amanhe. A prosseguirmos, dentro de alguns anos, assistiremos a protestos de gerações que se dirão bem pior do que à rasca.
Luis Novaes Tito appeals for a change [pt] to the status quo, on the blog A Barbearia do Senhor Luis (Mr. Luis Barber Shop), making a warning though regarding the conflict of generations:
Concordo que, em vez de chorarem pelos cantos embalados pelo faducho do “já não posso mais”, vão para a rua gritar que é tempo de mudar, antes que os mandem embalar a trouxa e zarpar.
From posts and comments, to editorials and opinion pieces in traditional media, there are also those who keep trying to push society to the heart of the problem: causes and solutions (knowing that it is easier to agree on causes than solutions). So the discussion has extended to the role of the State and the legislator, and also to Universities and institutions of higher education.
And so goes Portugal, “a country of mild manners”, whose basket of conformism may have filled up once and for all. Far from finding a platform for consultation between the political class, civil society and the very Generation in question, the movement that grew and spread against the odds now seeks the path to maturity. Today is its first major test to go through, and, given the fragility of counting on numbers from social networks, we will only know the true extent of this generation's will to change a country when the hour comes. And we wait. Anxiously.

author: Ana Vasquez


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Sri Lanka: On The Cup That Counts · Global Voices
Rezwan

Indi.ca writes about two thrilling matches in the ongoing cricket world cup, which is being hosted in three South Asian countries.


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Taiwan: Reflection on Japan Earthquake · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
When the 5th strongest earthquake ever recorded hit Japan yesterday, Taiwanese were also shocked. Taiwan and Japan share a lot of geological similarity and both countries are very vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquake and typhoon. The 921 earthquake that took 2,415 lives in 1999 and permanently changed Taiwan geological structure, remains vivid in most people's memory.
While reading the live-updates on the Japan earthquake and tsunami from Twitter, apart from expressing their sympathy to their neighbor, Taiwanese netizens also reflect upon their own disaster alert and relief system. Below is a selection of  Tweeters's immediate responses and reactions:
briian:
日本強烈地震後的馬路比台灣還平 +1
kengao says:
沒打算刻意去比較，可是我們這種每年都要來個幾次瘋狂大天災(我說的是颱風)的，其實沒必要一直想著人家這種災害發生在我們這會有多慘多惡劣，我寧可相信這塊土地和人民都是足夠堅強的
But he also alerts:
地震包急難包你準備好了嗎？面對現實，這是一個超級擅長遺忘的國家。
gcaataiwan:
位在地震頻繁與斷層遍佈的台灣，地震的高風險與核能安全間的關聯問題，實在沒有條件讓我們輕忽。台灣核電廠，先天上耐震設計已較美、日兩國為低，營運者面對地震對核電廠的威脅，卻滿是鴕鳥心態。
torrentpien asks:
這是不是動用第二預備金啊？”總統：1億元助日 救難隊待命 – 中央社即時新聞”
Now that Taiwanese netizens are exposed to a diversity of overseas news and first hand updates channeled through social media, they are getting more and more critical of the mainstream Taiwanese news reports:
tzangms said:
看著新聞幾乎每台報導一會後就會說: 「似乎就跟電影所預言的一樣」 幹, 你們是娛樂台是嗎?
irrenhaeusler compares the Germany's news coverage with Taiwan's:
德國兩家公共電視的晚間新聞因為報導日本大地震而延長播出時間，其中一半篇幅關注福島核電廠的安全。台灣的電視新聞好像除了用各種方式告訴觀眾地震很可怕日本人很慘以外，到現在還不知道該把重點劃在哪裡。
Subing:
要捐錢我會直接捐給日本在台協會 決對不會捐給各家電視台跟慈濟
MrFriday:
我好怪，看那麼多災難照片都覺得還好，但看到這篇日本人如何防震災的努力卻有點想掉淚 “Japan’s response to quake offers lessons to the world” http://t.co/9IRThBR
thecarol adds:
最必須祈福致敬的，是那些冒著必死決心留下來搶救的工作人員！ RT @FNN_News: 政府、福島第2原発についても原子力災害緊急事態宣言　半径3km圏内の住民に避難指示　http://fnnne.ws/fvTcYK #FNN
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Ukraine, Japan: Drink Red Wine to Reduce Radiation Toxicity · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

@DJLoli shares a health tip that was popular in Ukraine in 1986: “If u r in the area affected by Japan radiation: drink red Wine to get it out. It what helped us in Ukraine during #Chernobyl. […]” (Here's an article on a 2008 study that showed that “resveratrol, the natural antioxidant commonly found in red wine […], may offer protection against radiation exposure […].”)

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Albania: “The Civil Alternative” Website · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Albanian Blogger writes about a new website, The Civil Alternative (ALB), which aims at “engaging people in dialogue and raising awareness as well as producing action about major issues affecting the Albanian people and the country as a whole.”


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Bangladesh: Internet In An Evolving World Of Faith, Religion and Spirituality · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladeshi blogger Sadiq M. Alam at Inspirations And Creative Thoughts writes how seekers of faith are increasingly using Internet in their seeking.

author: Rezwan


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Global: Thoughts on the World Day Against Cyber-Censorship · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Map of cyber-censorship from Reporters Without Borders 'Internet Enemies' report, published March 2011.
Joining forces against censorship
March 12, 2011, was the World Day Against Cyber-Censorship, an international day of action “intended to rally everyone in support of a single Internet without restrictions and accessible to all”. Throughout the world, bloggers spent the weekend commenting on a new report by Reporters Without Borders on the state of online freedom of expression, joining forces to raise awareness about censorship and sharing tips to overcome it.
The 100-page report, which identifies ten countries as being ‘Internet Enemies’, is available for free online [en]. As the rsf.org domain name is blocked in many countries, users experiencing problems can also check the organisation's mirror website.
Doja Daoud, a blogger who advocates human rights, reform and better living conditions in Lebanon, has issued a call for bloggers to join the conversation:
German blogger Paul-Christian Britz took the opportunity to share advice on how to make the most of data available online:
Of course, in order for data journalism to be most effective in finding out the hidden relations in information, it is essential that there is free access to this information! So fight online censorship!
Internet censorship threatens freedom of information and more. Image by valorfreedom blog.
Website blocking and filtering, and the adoption of repressive Internet laws, are some of the tactics used by governments to manipulate online information and remove critical content – but there are ways to circumvent them.
From Cameroon, where Twitter by SMS has been reportedly banned by the government, Djia Hervé [fr] draws attention to a new piece of technology designed to fight attacks against freedom of expression: he explains how the Open Mesh project works:
Un réseau sans fil, dédié, quasi impossible à bloquer ou à filtrer. L’objectif étant de réussir à créer un réseau Internet secondaire (grâce aux routeurs mobiles reliés entre eux) où téléphones portables et ordinateurs personnels de se connecteraient. Une fois les personnes connectés, il suffirait alors de les relier au reste du monde. La mise en place de connexions intermittentes par satellite leur offrirait la possibilité de mettre en ligne et de télécharger les informations avec l’extérieur.
Consequences of circumvention
If circumventing is possible, there are consequences to be born. In many corners of the world, people using the Internet to exercise freedom of expression, face harassment, online surveillance or threat of arrest. This censorship grows proportional to the increasing importance of the Internet as a tool for the promotion of human civil rights. Global Voices Advocacy author Marianne Diaz [es] explains:
Los recientes acontecimientos con Wikileaks y las revoluciones en los países árabes son, quizás, las pruebas más evidentes e inmediatas de la magnitud y  alcance de las herramientas proporcionadas por la web, en manos de  ciudadanos que desean ejercer sus derechos fundamentales. No son las  únicas, sin embargo: a lo largo de todo el planeta, los internautas no  sólo utilizan la red para ver fotos de gatitos, sino también para hacer  que sus políticos rindan cuentas, para organizarse en torno a las  elecciones o para denunciar las violaciones a los derechos humanos.
Internet censorship is a very common practice worldwide, although this reality is not one that many people are aware of. Blogger Mind Soup only discovered this after being fired because of an opinion piece published on his personal blog; this weekend, he has been helping to spread the message against cyber-censorship:
I want the world to realize how freedom of expression is important and how even the most advanced and democratic countries in the world (US and Europe included) contribute to cyber-censorship. I want to raise awareness about the limitations that we still have in this world at a time when mankind has achieved so many technological and evolutionary advances. We are in the 21st century! You would think that people would at least have the freedom to say what the want. I guess there's still a looooooong way to go!
Enemies of the Internet
Amended 'Internet Enemies' map, as seen by robinlea blog.
According to the report by Reporters Without Borders, at least 117 people around the world are known to have been detained for expressing their views online. Furthermore, one in three Internet users in the world does not have unrestricted access to the web. Around 60 countries currently censor the Internet.
Considering these figures to be conservative, John Francis Lee has decided to recolour the cyber-censorship map (see above). He elaborates about it in a post called ‘No state is a “Friend of the Internet”‘:
Very interesting. Reviewing my own countries’ behavior over the past several years, and every mindful of Izzy Stone’s dictum : “All governments lie”, I was inspired to recolor rsf‘s mapping …
Read the ‘Internet Enemies’ report free online now.

author: Paula Góes


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India: Implications Of Fukushima Reactors · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Acorn assesses the accident at Fukushima nuclear reactors as a result of the recent earthquakes in Japan and its implications for India.


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Indonesia: Flash flood in Aceh · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A flash flood hit the District of Tangse, Pidie Regency in Aceh, Indonesia a few days ago killing 21 people and destroying properties worth US$ 114 million.

author: Mong Palatino


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Iran:”Basij hackers will attack enemy websites” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Ali Fazli, a Basij leader, said that Basij (Islamic Republic's militia) hackers will attack enemy web sites.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: Info on earthquake for Chinese residents and tourists · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Tomitamakoto set up an information website in Chinese with news on the earthquake and suggestions on what to do in these circumstances.


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Japan: Social Translation in Times of Crisis · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
When disaster struck on March 11th, Japan was thrust onto the global stage. As inquiries, goodwill, advice, and donations pour in from around the world, citizens have responded in kind through various forms of social translation.
Earthquake manual
This is a basic manual on how to protect yourself during an earthquake, translated into 24 languages by students from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
This project started from just one TUFS university student from statement on Twitter. Since the magic of twitter, a large number of people turned into strong supporters who built up number of teams to make all the translation, more than 24 languages. Thanks to everyone who support this project.
They even have a Japanese easy version with katakana.
English wiki about earthquake information
This straightforward wiki contains practical information about the earthquake in English.
Japanese translations for #prayforjapan
Tweets with #prayerforjapan have been a source of great comfort to the people in Japan, and Noda Yuuki kicked off a crowdsourced project to translate the flood of tweets into Japanese. He is using tweetvite, his personal blog, and of course Twitter to call for people to pitch in. Translated tweets are bundled here on Togetter.
Spreading happy energy
Gen Taguchi, of 100shiki blog fame, tweeted this on March 10th:
元気の出るつぶやきを集めました・・・ – http://bit.ly/h52EM9
Professional translator/interpreter @vida_es_bella responded:
@taguchi タグチさん、ありがとうございます。これ、英訳しても良いですか？「日本人すごいね」みたいなのは、あまり強調しすぎるとイヤミになりますが、ならないように気をつけて。海外の友達にも知らせたいです。私は同時通訳者・翻訳者です。すでに翻訳中なら一緒に！
Here are a few selected tweets, with translations by @vida_es_bella.
@yunico_jp:
バスが全然来ない中、@saiso が、バス停の前にある薬局でカイロを買ってきて、並んで待ってる人みんなに配った！
@HASUNA_Natsuko:
日本人すごい！！こんな時にも山手線ホームできれいに整列してる …涙。有楽町駅を上から眺む。
@endless_6 in Fukushima Prefecture:
スーパーで無事買物出来ましたヽ(´o｀； でもお客さんのほとんどが他の人の事を考えて必要最低限しか買わない感じだったのが感動しました（涙）
Read more in English in this Google doc, or find French, German, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Korean versions here.
Multilanguage Aggregator
This site aggregates tweets with the hashtag  #jishin_{language} in 11 languages.
2011 02 11 Earthquake JAPAN disaster information on Twitter in MULTILANGUAGE
このサイトは個人が立ち上げ、多くの個人が賛同して無償で通訳・情報提供を行っています。命令・指示に従うのではなく、ご自身の有機的な判断で参加してください！手伝ってください!!
Blogs
Many bloggers have also put their language skills to good use, highlighting useful resources and positive messages in their own languages.
Hatena blogger herbe published an English list of the frequency channels for NHK Radio 2(AM), which offers English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish broadcasting.
Jiro Ohmizu translated 50+ tweets from celebrities abroad into Japanese on his site.
Roy Berman published a post entitled Who can and can not donate blood in Japan (and more):
There has been a lot of confusion over who exactly is allowed to donate blood according to Japanese regulations, especially foreigners. To try and clarify the situation I have translated the entire list of categories of persons who are NOT allowed to donate blood in Japan, from the Japanese Red Cross official web page.
Non-fiction writer Minetoshi Yasuda has set up a bulletin board for Chinese language speakers:
中国国内のミニブログで流れている
日本に留学や仕事で行っている中国人の安否を尋ねる情報を、
ツイッターで、留学生の樹八さん（@hathiko8）という方が集積している。
以下、中国から見られるうちのブログに転載しておく。
元ツイート等で携帯番号の記載があるものは、
場合が場合なのでそのまま載せます。
台湾とか香港の人探し情報も受け付け。
Images
And of course, words need not be spoken (or translated!) with images. Webstagram has a filtered view for Instagram photos with #prayforjapan. There is a Naver page that has bundled images, too.
If you know of other good resources, please add them in the comments.
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.


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Japan: Toxic Rain, Earthquake Weapons and Other False Rumors · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
Following the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on March 11th, Twitter has seen an outpouring of prayers and information. #prayforjapan and #Fukushima have become trending topics, and several official hashtags have been set up to better share regional or topical updates.
On the downside, there have been numerous online rumors that making the rounds on Twitter, as well as chain mails. Some spread like wildfire, as idle curiosity and malicious intent meet with a strong dose of anxiety, exhaustion, and simple inexperience.
Prolific blogger, editor and critic Chiki Ogiue (荻上チキ) posted a comprehensive roundup of such online hoaxes about the earthquake (東北地方太平洋沖地震、ネット上でのデマまとめ), while dispersing logical advice on how to improve one’s instinct for sniffing out falsehoods, and what everyone can do so as not to add to the confusion. Ogiue is the author of several books about Internet culture.
The following is an excerpted translation of his blog post as of March 13th, 13:00 JST, published with permission from the author. All links lead to Japanese sources unless otherwise stated.
1. Take a deep breath
2. Check the timeline of whomever RTed the tweet and confirm that they haven’t published any updates or corrections.
3. Ask yourself if that information requires you “yourself” to spread
4. Use the offical RT function unless you’re adding something new information. Always include the link of the source
5. Correct any mistakes, using the official RT function as much as possible
I understand the urgent need to help. Think about it this way, though – there’s absolutely no sense in someone without relief experience charging headfirst into an affected area and becoming a victim himself. It’s the same way with information, where damage is done by having a hand in flooding impertinent information or spreading falsehood.
Unless you’re a professional rescuer, it’s unlikely that the help required must be provided by you alone. Those not in affected areas can play an important role by leading a “normal” day. There will be many opportunities for activities that everyone should and can take.
It’s imperative that we work to obtain probable information from statements made by public institutions such as telephone companies and electricity companies, and experts speaking within their domain of expertise.
Numerous online rumors have spread after Japan's deadly earthquake, such as a toxic rain threat. Image by Flickr user andi.vs.zf (CC BY-ND 2.0).
This was a typical tweet:
“[Please spread the word] From my friend living in Chiba Prefecture. The weather forecast says it will rain from Monday. People living around Chiba, please be careful. The explosion at the Cosmo oil refinery will cause harmful substance to rise to clouds and become toxic rain. So when you go out, take your umbrella or raincoat, and make sure the rain doesn’t touch your body!”
Cosmo Oil made an official announcement claiming against this information.
Press room from Corporate Communication department Cosmo Oil Ltd:
Today, an e-mail with the title “Information for preventing secondary disaster from Cosmo Oil” was distributed to the general public. The e-mail says that “Because of the explosion of the oil refinery, toxic substances have dissolved into the clouds and will fall with the rain.” There is no basis for this statement. The tank that exploded contained LP gas, and it is highly unlikely that any gas generated by the burning will cause harm to human bodies.
We heavily apologize to the residents near the factory and to those involved for causing inconvenience and anxiety. “
The Twitter account for the PR department of Urayasu City in Chiba Prefecture also made a statement to back up Cosmo Oil's claim.
Please note that this hoax is separate from the issue of radioactive contamination.
“Foreigners might commit crime” is a rumor that always makes its way after a crisis. It's happened in Japan again and again, and is quite common overseas as well. For example, think of the prejudiced news against black people during Hurricane Katrina in the United States.
Here is a bundle of tweets concerning “People spouting prejudice amidst the earthquake confusion”.
Warnings that call for safety and offensive terror-invoking phrases that carry the possibility of creating specific scapegoats are two different things. Don't let history repeat itself. I know it's a difficult time, but creating an enemy that is easily understood might invite false accusations and gratuitous violence.
There's also the tendency to bad mouth politicians. We're all unhappy but let's discuss “what a policymaker should do now” instead of claiming “this is why so-and-so is no good”. Pursuing accountability can come later.
With global attention came many unfounded rumors of the deaths of famous Japanese people.
Some examples:
“The creator of Pokemon died today in the #tsunami, #Japan. RIP: Satoshi Tajiri. #prayforjapan.”
“The Creator of Hello Kitty, Yuko Yamaguchi, died today in Japan. #prayforjapan”
This type of tweets almost always have no links to a source. There is no news reported in Japan, and again there is no information about its origins. Diffusion of incorrect information as a result of actions that stem from kindness is not limited to Japan. In order not to increase the amount of people abroad obtaining incorrect information from the Internet, it’s important to have assistance from an English speaker.
As seen on this post:
There’s a copy-paste [email] going around which claims that the Self-Defense Force (SDF) and others are appealing for support in distributing relief supplies. In the email, it is written that “friends of the SDF …” but there’s no way that individuals are supposed to do this.
There is no confirmation of this on the websites of news agencies or the SDF. Here is a post describing how blogger k_ma_calon debunked it.
On top of this, the announcement below was posted on the Fukushima Prefecture website:
Relief aid from individuals
In order to avoid confusion, we ask that you please refrain [from distributing relief supplies].
On March 13th at 10am, I phoned the Ministry of Defense. They aid the copy-paste email going around the web is a hoax, that the SDF is not accepting [relief supplies]. They said that while local prefectures may themselves coordinate such collection of supplies, at the moment the prefectures are in a state of confusion. They stressed to please be careful with chain or copy-pasted emails. And they asked that people who receive such chain emails let the sender about this [hoax]. When I told them about the coverage, they said: “Thank you. Please help us avoid this [rumor] from spreading further.”
I wonder if they’ve already got lots of inquiries. I was able to communicate with them briefly. They already knew about the situation with the chain mails. They said that if they were really looking for help like this, there would have been an appropriate announcement from the media, from the government, and from administrative agencies. There’s no need to rush and do anything until that happens. If you absolutely want to do something, look for honest groups that are collecting donations, and donate to them.
Here are other examples of hoaxes. Full translation omitted for the sake of brevity.
With a disaster like this, the lack of information, unstable emotions, and high levels of interest create a situation where it becomes easy for people to believe and re-distribute false information. That a certain amount of people will be deceived is inevitable. Minimizing the damage is the key. Pointing fingers to hoax distributors can result in fanning panic and disbelief. Let's try to handle information with calm.
In order to stay away from re-distributing unfounded rumors, don't instinctively react to the phrase “it seems” and try to get the official announcement of public organizations. Still, there may be no source but word-of-mouth if you're in an area with no information coming in. I repeat, don’t bash the information poor. The challenge here is to share factual information.
Note that there’s no such thing as an ‘information rich’ person who is never deceived. Or if you really are ‘information rich’, you should think about helping the poor first. Keeping in mind that you may be deceived.
Ogiue is continuously updating this post, as well as tweeting at @torakare.
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.


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Japan: “Why do we need nuclear power?” · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
Debates over the risks and benefits of nuclear power plants have sparked worldwide, since an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on Friday, 11 March causing widespread fear that the nuclear reactors of at least two power plants near Fukushima may be at risk of melt down. Thousands of citizens in areas at risk of radiation in the North East region are being evacuated in case the very worst should happen. There was an explosion at one plant in Fukushima on Saturday, 12 March.
Throughout the day, Japanese citizens shared their concerns on Twitter. Some urging against alarmist tweeting that could cause panic, and many more venting frustrations over safety risks.
Takuya Kawai (@himanainu_kawai) a teacher and leading social media personality in Japan belongs to the former category:
@himanainu_kawai: 原発では被爆しながら作業してくれている人がいる。そのことに感謝し場違いな原発批判は控えましょう。
Satellite image showing earthquake damage at the Fukushima Dai-Ni nuclear power plant. Image credit: DigitalGlobe www.digitalglobe.com (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Others have questioned the wisdom of developing nuclear energy in such an earthquake-prone country as Japan:
@saltfish_nsk: 電力会社は、地震が原発にとって最悪の事態を引き起こす事は百も承知。そもそも日本は地震国。何故それが必要なのか、事故は原爆と同じ事。お上は過去から何を学んできたのか。
A blogger who describes himself as a pacifist and former officer of Japanese self-defence forces (@BND7) leaves little room for debate:
@BND7: 日本に原発は必要です
A magazine editor and spare time musician says:
@gocci0515: 普段使いたい放題電気使ってるクセに、こういう事態になると「原発原発」ってよく知りもせずに毛嫌いする。じゃあ他のエネルギー源を教えてくれ。自分たちの存在自体が必要悪だって言いながら、事故に遭ってる関係者の気持ちを考えろ！原子力に代わるものがあればいいのにと一番願ってるのは彼らだ。
Who is to blame?
Some critics have placed the blame for the catastrophic situation on the energy demands of large cities such as capital Tokyo.
@mokko0307: 福島とか新潟に原発があるのは東京とかの人のためなんだよね。無駄な電気使わなければ原発必要なかったし今こんなことにもならなかったのに・・・って思うと(´；ω；｀)　ほんとに電気の無駄遣いとかまじめに考えるべきですね・・・
Anger has been directed by some at a perceived last of interest or concern in the disaster and affected people, particularly in Tokyo. This tweet is from Saturday:
@cobayasu: こと渋谷に関して言えば、オーロラビジョンもいつも通り流れていたし、TSUTAYAも開 いていた。パチンコ屋は土曜日ということもあって混んでいた。福島の原発や、被災者の方々の現実とは無関係のように、渋谷は日常を取り戻そうとしている。 街にTwitter上の一体感や危機感は見えない…
Referring to how few companies had switched off their electric signs on the night of 12 March, @MasaKawaKAKA tweeted:
Japanese company Glico pays respects to quake victims with advert blackout. Image posted by Twitpic user @MasaKawaKAKA.
@MasaKawaKAKA: この中で、状況を理解している企業は「グリコ」だけだ！ http://twitpic.com/48r1o9
What to do?
As new problems with the emergency cooling systems of nuclear power plants continue to surface, there are many fearful tweets:
@WindyxLady: あの映像、原発やばいでしょ。風向きは被災地側。最悪の状況か？ 海外に原子力に精通する作業のエキスパートの支援が必要なのでは。 国民にも話せないほど深刻な問題なのだろうか？
A web programmer in Fukuoka Prefecture takes a fatalist stance:
@sino1945: まぁ…遠くにいる私が福島原発の詳細を知る必要は、ない。知ったところで、ね。現場の健闘と無事を祈るのみ。
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.


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Jordan: Bloggers Celebrate Their Country · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

March 12, 2011 marked the fourth annual Blog for Jordan day. Jordanians, foreigners living in Jordan, and Jordanians living abroad, all pitched in to write about their love for Jordan and their hopes for its future.
SimSim wrote a list of Jordanians’ demands, which read in part:
The People want more freedom of speech !
The People want to know where the money goes !
We r all Jordanians ….. The People want equality, No biased and No mind manipulating
Iconic Jordanian heritage – the Monastery at Petra. Image by Flickr user betta design (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Rain, too wrote about the desire for change in Jordan:
بحلم باليوم اللي بنوصل فيه كأردنيين لاختيار صحيح لمين بيمثلنا و بيحكي باسمنا
Qwaider compared the unrest across the Arab world to a tsunami, saying that Jordan would undoubtedly be affected, and must move past Jordanian/Palestinian identity divides:
The waves of human will and might are breaking shore in every Arab capital, and despite my solidarity with all my brothers all over the Arab world, today, I dedicate myself to my small nation of Jordan. Small in size, but great in every other aspect.
It's time for Jordan as a nation to grow out of its infancy and embrace modern statehood, which has room for everyone. From the Iraqi immigrant who landed 60 years ago, to the descendants of Kurds, Persians, Circassians, Chechnyans, Bosnians, Afghanis, Pakistanis, Egyptians, and yes, Palestinians.
Saraj al-Madi also focused on identity issues, writing about his experiences with discrimination as a Palestinian-Jordanian.  He concluded affirming his love for Jordan:
نعم أنا أردني من أصل فلسطيني … ولكنّي إنسان مسلم عربي قبل هذا وذاك … مستعد لدفع حياتي ثمناً لرفعة الأردن وآمنه و آمانه … أدعوا الله كل صباح ان يتقدم الأردن بأهله و شبابه وناسه ليكون من افضل دول العالم … فمن شرب من ماء الأردن و اكل من خيراته لايمكن إلا أن يحب الأردن …
Jim Wright blogged about his warm welcome as a foreigner living in Jordan:
As I move around the kingdom in search of history and stories I meet a great many people; shop owners, neighbors, family friends. I am innundated with invitations to their homes for meals or coffee. When chatting in the street someone will inevitably press a cup of coffee or a juice into my hand. When stopping in small shops to browse, the owner or manager will invariably prepare coffee to enjoy as we negotiate. Everywhere I go I am received as a friend, completely without suspicion or mistrust. Coming from the West, it took some time to accustom myself to this unique hospitality.
Kinzi wrote about her appreciation for Jordanian men:
From a khalto’s [aunty's] point of view. I am usually highlighting the worst acts of gender-specific violence, but rarely affirm the best of male Arabness found in the majority of our friends. And my readers :).
Who? Arab men, Muslim and Christian (Atheist too?)  men who have used their strength to protect, undergird, supply for and delight in the women in their lives. Men who know when to fight, how to fight fair, when to cry, what is worth raging over and what is best left til later to fix. Men who are devoted God-fearers, who would never dream of striking a woman, and who know how to build women up and free them to be their best without abandoning them in the process. Men who are not intimidated by female strength, but inspired by it.
Three Beans introduced her reasons for loving Jordan with the following words:
Ahhh, Jordan. It's that time of year again, spring breezes blow, the region goes haywire, and Blog About Jordan Day come around.
Haitham focused on Jordan's best environmental asset:
Actually, I believe that if the Nile was God's gift to Egypt for real, then passive solar design is definitely his gift to Jordan. By simply positioning the buildings in the right direction, and installing cheap shades, we can save up to 60% of our energy bills. It is that simple. No need for futuristic technologies or piles of money.
Ali opted to post a video instead of writing an entry [Ar]: Ali's Blog for Jordan Video Post
5hadz blogged his opinion that the best kind of reform does not target the government, but of each person.
We live in a country with no natural resources at all, the only thing that we have is ourselves, the first thing we should reform should be our own selves. I can sit here all day and speak of how beautiful our country is, how beautiful Jordan is, but that would not bring about change… I will not sit aimlessly, watching as we’re fed lies about change and reform when all I see is different asses on the same old seats.
Khadijah boasted about Jordan's rich history:
فعرفت الممالك العمونية والأدومية والمؤابية والنبطية واحتلها من بعد المصريون والآشوريون واليونان والفرس والرومان إلى أن انتهت إلى الإسلام في الفتوحات، ولم تنسَ كلُّ هذه الحضارات أن تترك وصمتها على أرضه في القلاع والحصون والقصور والمسارح وغيرها.
Rand wrote about her newfound discovery of the Jordanian blogging and Twitter spheres:
And while other bloggers are getting creative in blogging about Jordan, I’m gonna blog about something I only discovered last year in Jordan, its bloggers!
My blog turned one year old last January, and during this past year I have had the pleasure to get to know many amazing bloggers and tweeps, and actually meet some of them as well.
Follow Blog for Jordan day on Twitter at #B4Jo.

author: Betsy Fisher