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#SafeCityPledge: Indians Take a Stand Online for Women’s Safety · Global Voices
Rezwan

A Twitter campaign has Indians flooding social media with personal promises to combat sexual harassment and sexism.
On the heels of the brutal gang rape of a young woman in a moving bus in Delhi, volunteer-led community art project Blank Noise invited users during a 24-hour tweetathon on 19 January, 2013 to publish a pledge committing to new ideas that make cities safer spaces for women.
The #SafeCityPledge campaign was one of the top trending topics in India on that day, and the tweets, some featuring photos of users holding placards with their pledge, have poured in ever since.
“I pledge to stand up for my rights, however intimidating the circumstances,” a placard held by a woman in Calcutta reads.
“I pledge to behave like a man and stop behaving like a beast,” another reads, this time held by a man surrounded by his male friends.
P Bharat in Shakhti, a women's rights blog, compiled and summarized some of the ideas and pledges shared, which attacked the culture of patriarchy and the tendency to blame the victim, among other things:
* “I pledge to not be a mute bystander. To intervene. To change the scene.”
* “Staring is not acceptable. Smile and look away. Make others comfortable please.”
* “I will support my friends whenever they feel persecuted by men, I will not let men intimidate women anywhere i am”
* “never vote for parties that have rapists in their midst & justify them.”
* “I pledge to stop making sexist jokes and open conversations about equality of genders at home.”
Submission from Miranda House, Delhi. Image courtesy Blank Noise Blog. CC BY-NC-SA 2.5
Sexual violence against women and girls in India has been under intense scrutiny since the December 2012 gang rape, after which the victim died of her injuries, and similar incidents this year. Faced with public outcry, the government passed a new bill containing harsher punishments, including the death penalty, for rapists.
Fueled by the rash of high-profile incidents, the movement against sexual harassment and sexism has gained steam online and offline. Another initiative called Safecity tracks street harassment in India using crowdsourced reports. The reports illustrate that street harassment of women is still a burning problem in India.
There have also been a number of street protests and rallies featuring pledges for a safe city for women in Goa, Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, and Kolkata organized using social media.
Anu Elizabeth Roche, a volunteer for the non-profit Akanksha Foundation, which works with underprivileged children, wrote on Facebook about one such demonstration in Mumbai:
A number of men and women – young and old – came with their own placards and slogans pledging to promote heightened action against sexual harassment, sexist attitudes and generally spoke for reclaiming their spaces in public spheres especially.
#safecitypledge Delhi. Image courtesy Blank Noise blog. CC BY-NC-SA 2.5
And #SafeCityPledge recently held a workshop at Cambridge School Delhi, with 600 students between 14-17 years participating.
Blogger Sahar Zainab recalls her personal experience reading the #SafeCityPledge tweets with a mixture of hope and hard realism:
I especially love the picture of the woman from Lucknow, dupatta wound tightly around her head, pledging ‘humein baahar aane jaane par kisi ki rokk-tokk manzur nahi’ (we will not accept anyone else's control on our coming and going outside)!
But truth is that there remains a (humongous) faction of women, young girls, and even younger girls in villages, in small towns, in bigger towns, and in even bigger cities, who have yet to muster up such courage.
Check out the #SafeCityPledge campaign on their blog, Twitter, and Facebook.


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Turkmenistan’s White Marble-Clad Capital · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Turkmenistan already has a record-breaking president and ever-rising wheat harvests. But this is not enough for the oil-rich country. Don Croner reports that Turkmenistan's capital, Ashgabat, has recently been awarded a Guinness World Record for the world's highest density of white marble buildings.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Journalists Fight Hired Hooligans and Police Indifference in Ukraine · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

After days of protests from the country's journalists, Ukrainian authorities have disciplined 15 police officers who were captured in photos and on film failing to intervene while a group of men attacked journalists at a May 18 political rally in the capital Kyiv. One of the men allegedly involved in the attacks was arrested and charged with hooliganism, but was released on bail soon after.
The apparent indifference of the police at the scene toward the safety of the press and the government's initial reluctance to investigate the beatings have shone the spotlight on the troubling reality that Ukrainian journalists are facing more and more.
The journalists – TV reporter Olha Snitsarchuk [uk] and her husband, photographer Vlad Sodel [uk] – were attacked after dueling political rallies for the country's ruling party and the opposition, as they were filming a fight that broke out between supporters of the ultra-right opposition party VO Svoboda and a group of young men in tracksuits. Another journalist, Odessa-based Valeriya Ivashkina [ru], was filming and was attacked, too; below is one of the videos she made, which shows the beginning of the skirmish:
The Committee to Protect Journalists gave this quick account [en] of what happened, in a statement issued on May 20:
Several assailants beat two reporters covering an opposition protest outside Ukrainian Interior Ministry headquarters in Kiev on Saturday in view of police officers who failed to intervene, according to local [ru] and international [en] press reports. […]
[…]
Assailants punched and kicked Vladislav Sodel, a photographer with the Moscow-based daily Kommersant, and his wife, Olga Snitsarchuk, a reporter with Kiev's Channel Five television. Sodel said they repeatedly called out for help from nearby police but their pleas were ignored, Ukrainska Pravda reported [ru]. […]
The assailants had clashed with opposition protesters before attacking Snitsarchuk and Sodel, the independent news website Ukrainska Pravda reported [ru]. Images and video taken at the scene show more than a half dozen police officers were nearby. […]
Sodel managed to take some photos while being attacked:
A screenshot of Vlad Sodel's Facebook photo report on the attack.
May 18 was a busy day in Kyiv. Thousands of people gathered there for the opposition's “Arise, Ukraine!” rally (photos), and for the ruling Party of Regions’ march against what they described as “fascism” – though, in fact, theirs was more of an anti-opposition event (photo, video; ru, uk). There were also celebrations of Europe Day; an LGBT rights flashmob (photos – here and here); and the 9th annual Freedom March, whose participants demanded drug policy reform (video; uk).
Within hours of the attack on the journalists, Ukrainian netizens unearthed the VKontakte page photos of the most conspicuous of the assailants – the young man in a black Adidas tracksuit, who featured prominently not just in Sodel's photos, but in this video by Ivashkina as well:
Netizens soon identified the man as Vadym Titushko, nicknamed ‘Rumyn’ (“a Romanian”), a 20-year-old resident of Bila Tserkva, a town near Kyiv. Once a promising junior athlete specializing in various martial arts, Titushko was now using his fighting skills to earn some cash as a security guard at political rallies. As Tetyana Danylenko wrote [uk] on Facebook, such moonlighting appears to be a common practice among young athletic people in Ukraine's small towns:
At Bila Tserkva's fight clubs, what people like [Titushko] do is regarded simply as business. For children who train there, this “business” isn't just inevitable future, but, to some extent, even a dream. […]
In a video statement [ru] that he posted on YouTube on May 20, two days after gaining his dubious fame, he claimed that he and his friends had been hired to protect the opposition rally on May 18:
Iurii Panin and other journalists, however, compiled and presented photo and video evidence that suggested that Titushko and his friends had been working at the Party of Regions’ event that day:
The police initially refused to search for Titushko, and so on May 20, dozens of journalists (as well as some politicians) protested police inaction in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyiv (photos).
Titushko was detained and charged with hooliganism on May 21, but was then released on $2,800 bail [22,940 hryvnias; uk] on May 22 (photos). In his court testimony, he said [ru] that he and his friends had not attacked anyone but acted in self-defense, and that the journalists provoked them with their “incorrect words.”
Ukrainian journalists protest in front of the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv. Photo by ukrafoto ukrainian news, copyright © Demotix (23/05/13).
Even though the police investigation finally appeared to be underway, journalists continued to protest.
On May 22, at a government session at the Cabinet of Ministers, a group of journalists turned their backs on PM Mykola Azarov, to let him and others see the posters attached to their shirts: “Today the [female] journalist. Tomorrow your wife, sister, daughter. Act!” Azarov reacted by ordering their accreditations to be revoked. On May 23, however, another group of journalists staged a protest outside the Cabinet of Ministers to support their colleagues – which must have prompted Azarov to change his mind about the order he had given.
On May 27, a group of journalists, together with activists of the Stop Censorship! Movement [uk], put more pressure on the authorities, by setting up a tent in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, despite some resistance [uk] from the police. They called the tent a “temporary information center” and spent three days and two nights taking turns to guard it. On May 29, they summed up the results [uk] of the ongoing investigation into the beating of Snitsarchuk and Sodel ten days earlier, and dismantled the tent voluntarily.
On May 30, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced [uk] that disciplinary action was taken against 15 police officers who had “failed to act decisively” during the May 18 confrontation.
The issue of the safety of journalists has always been relevant in Ukraine. On Facebook, Kostiantyn Stogniy mentioned [ru] that even though it's been over six months since the attack on TV journalist Anna Petrenko in early September 2012, the perpetrator has not been brought to justice yet. And on May 25, at the height of the public outrage over the May 18 attack, two more journalists were beaten: one, Andriy Kachor, in the town of Brovary [uk] near Kyiv, and the other one, Vyacheslav Konovalov, in Kyiv [ru]. These cases, however, have not received as much attention as the attack on Snitsarchuk and Sodel.
Blogger LEvko of Foreign Notes translated Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Nayyem's explanation [ru] of what the attacks against journalists and the journalists’ fight against violence mean in a broader context:
[…] The feeling of powerlessness and humiliation experienced by my [journalist] colleagues, is, every day and every minute, also experienced by millions of other Ukrainians. Not because they are being hit and sworn at. But because, with the advent of the current authorities, malevolence, rudeness and animal instincts are increasingly winning [the day]. All this is occurring not just openly, but demonstratively and is accompanied with a silent grin by a party which is cultivating total permissiveness based on the rights of greater force.
If it is not stopped, there will be war. But not over slogans, not over parties and not over languages. But over [the right for] basic human dignity. […]

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Workers Occupy Government Buildings in Mauritania  · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

Photo of the clashes, uploaded by Abo Bakr Ahmado on his Facebook
On the morning of Tuesday, May 28, 2013, thousands of workers, who are paid their wages for their work on a day to day basis, started a major protest [ar] in Zouérat, the capital of Tiris Zemmour state in north of Mauritania, demanding proper contracts and rights as well as ending the monopoly of businessmen over the Arab Mining Company (ARMICO). The workers headed to the administrative headquarters of the state before anti-riot units suppressed the protest. The workers retaliated by occupying the state building, the premises of one of the contractor companies, as well as the state radio buildings. The army [ar] intervened to control the situation and stop the workers protests.
Activist Magdy Ahmed tweeted about the escape of the governor of Tiris Zemmour after the workers protests [ar]:
@mejdmr :والي ولاية زويرات الجنرال ول باهية و الوالي المساعد وشرطة المدينة يفرون أمام غضب عمال الجرنالية الذين اقتحمو مبني الولاية والإذاعة الجهوية
@mejdmr: The governor, Ould Bahia, the deputy governor and the police ran away after witnessing the one-day workers anger when they occupied that governorate and state radio headquarters.

author: أحمد جدو


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Leaving North Korea · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Concerns over insufficient protection of North Korean refugees have grown ever stronger as news came out that nine young North Korean defectors have been forced to return to North Korea after being captured in Laos. The Dreamer blog shares a story of a young North Korean defector which explains in detail the kind of life he fled from.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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African Union Celebrates 50th Anniversary · Global Voices
Ephraim Percy Kenyanito

The African Union (AU), the single largest organization of states in Africa, marked its 50th anniversary from May 25 to 27, 2013 at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, sparking debate among Africans throughout the continent over the organization's relevance and effectiveness.
The AU began as the Organisation of African Unity, founded on May 25, 1963 with 32 members. Though often criticised for the inability to enforce its decisions, the organisation played a key role in ending colonial rule on the continent through its aid to rebel groups.
After the African Union replaced the Organisation in 2001, many of the same criticisms – that the union had little real power to tackle the poverty and conflict afflicting the continent – have followed. The AU now has 54 member states.
African Union 50th anniversary logo. Image from African Union Website: http://www.au.int/
The anniversary celebrations encouraged discussions among Africans who followed the events online and dignitaries, civil society, and the youth present. These discussions explored challenges faced by the AU and the successes that it has had.
Webster Madanhi in a blog post at Freedom Trapped commented on AU's successes:
To many Africans, the greatest achievement of the organisation in 50 years has been its ability to stay together at all. If anyone thinks that mine is a harsh verdict, let him be reminded that Africans still need visas – often expensive and time-wasting – to visit each other’s countries.
During an assembly on intergenerational dialogue for children and youth, which was part of 50th anniversary celebrations, Zambian president Michael Sata opposed the idea of one passport for African citizens arguing that it will encourage crime on the continent.
A number of Africans used Twitter to talk about the successes and challenges of the African Union.
Student and amateur photographer Abdul Sharif (@Africathinker) wondered about a single African passport:
@Africathinker: Imagine having a single African passport and currency? #AUat50 #Africaday #Panafricanism
Writer, speaker, and teacher Sunny Bindra (@sunnysunwords) noted that Pan-Africanism means more than getting together for conferences:
@sunnysunwords: #PanAfricanism is not about more conferences; it’s about fewer controls, more exchanges of knowledge, capital and products.
Analyst Abdi Hakim (@Abdihakim) refuted claims that the AU has not achieved anything:
@Abdihakim: False the assertion that @AUC_DPA hasn't achieved anything. Look Somalia it basically pick up from the scratch. Proud #panafricanism
However, others such as financial consultant Ngarawa Gichumbi Sam (@GichumbiSam), were critical of the AU:
@GichumbiSam: To me, AU is the best organ to shape Africa into Pan-Africanism but today's congregants at Addis Ababa are MISPLACED to make [International Criminal Court] an agenda.
His tweet came after some African leaders accused the court of targeting African leaders:
@IamEtiks: AU leaders accuses #ICC of race hunting…..
African leaders have urged the ICC to refer back to Kenya the crimes-against-humanity case against its leaders. ICC President Sang-Hyun Song has refuted claims that the court is targeting African leaders.
Michelle Rosentall, a citizen journalist based in the US, sent the video below to the African Union to be viewed during the celebrations:
Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance is a bold step towards “providing Africa with a chance for renaissance and outline its vision and mission for 2063,” the AU boasted ahead of the celebrations.
Only time will tell whether the African Union will promote unity, solidarity and cooperation of African States to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa.

author: Ephraim Percy Kenyanito


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Central Asia’s ‘Weird, Sad’ World Records · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

As Turkmenistan celebrates a recent Guinness World Record award for the highest density of white marble buildings, Caravanistan writes about the “weird, sad, and revealing” world records held by other countries of Central Asia.


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Chinese Activist Detained After Protesting String of Child Molestation Cases · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A Chinese activist was reportedly beaten and detained by local authorities in Guangxi province of China, a few days after she demonstrated in front of a primary school whose principal allegedly sexually abused six school girls.
Ye Haiyan stood outside the Wanning primary school in Hainan on May 27, 2013 holding a poster that read, “Principals, spare the school kids, get a hotel room with me instead!” A photo of her demonstration circulated widely on Chinese social media, with many emulating the protest.
Later that week, after returning home in Guangxi from Hainan, local police officers had raided her home and were assaulting her while her daughter was present.
In less than one month, the local media have exposed more than eight cases of sexual abuse [zh] of school children. As far as the media reported, the molesters are school principals, teachers, and security staffs.
Ye Haiyan protested in front of a Wanning primary school in Hainan with a banner stating: “Principal, spare the school kids, get a hotel room with me instead!”. Image via @Genderinchina from Sina Weibo
The reported cases are just the tip of an iceberg, according to research from All-China Women's Federation (ACWF). In the past three years, there were more than 2,506 cases of sexual abuse of girls within Guangdong province [zh] alone. Half of the victims are children under 14 and 65 percent of the molesters are acquaintance of their victim's family.
The revelation of the sexual abuse allegedly by the Wanning primary school principal once again legally labelled the child victims as “underage prostitutes” in line with the country's “underage prostitution law”, which labels the victims so when the suspects can prove that they offered money or gifts to the children in the process.
Even though the Supreme People's Court has vowed to crack down child sexual abuse, without legal reform such as the abolition of that law, the criminals will not be brought to justice as rapists.
But the women organization ACWF, which is run by the Chinese Communist Party, has not reacted with calls for legal reform. Instead, it responded to the evil crime by publishing a handbook [zh] to teach school children how to say no to molesters.
As Children's Day on June 1 approaches, Chinese on social media have directed their anger toward authorities, such as the Ministry of Education and the ACWF, for leaving children unprotected and vulnerable to sexual abuse in China.
Many netizens followed Ye's dark-humored protest example on Sina Weibo. Below is a collage of protest photos put together by @genderinchina [zh]:
A collage of protest photos put together by @genderinchina
Weibo user “Speaking genuinely” (@1句實話) wrote that [zh] the current law is protecting the criminals rather than children:
六一儿童节将至，儿童是祖国的花朵，保护儿童，尤其是幼女是国家的责任。1949建国以后，法律尚不健全。但面对强奸幼女的罪犯，国家一律判处死刑。[…] 自从“嫖宿”一词发明后，禽兽开始肆无忌惮，都是谁在保护禽兽？
Children's Day June 1 is coming up. Children are the flowers of the motherland. It is the country's responsibility to protect our children, in particular our girls. Upon the establishment of People Republic of China in 1949, even though at that time our legal system was incomplete, rapists of children would be given death sentence. […] Since the introduction of the term “prostitution”, the beasts have gotten out of control. Who is protecting all these beasts?
Another microblogger, “Exercise Book” (@作業本), also criticized the law as being ridiculous. His post has been republished [zh] 12,041 times and received 4,494 comments on Weibo:
“对儿童性侵犯”可以说成“带孩子开房”、“骗小学女生开房并强奸”可以说成“带女生开房”，“奸淫幼女”可以定罪为“嫖宿幼女”……这样一个把所有人当弱智的社会，会在6.1这天说：神州大地，晴空万里，彩旗飘飘，气球升空，全国各地千千万万的儿童笑逐颜开，喜迎六一儿童节。
“Child sexual abuse” is referred to as “getting a hotel room with children”, “trick primary school girls into a hotel room to rape them” is referred to as “getting a hotel room with school girls”, “raping an underage girl” is referred to in court as “prostituting an underage girl”… A society that treats everyone as an idiot will proclaim on June 1: Heavenly earth with blue sky, colorful flags with balloons, millions of children around the world are happily celebrating Children's Day on June 1.
Blogger “youyou52011″ wrote [zh] a long post to explain why so many have echoed Ye's action online:
這些來自底層的吶喊，無疑是對相關部門不作為的巨大諷刺，體制各種婦女兒童權益組織一應俱全，結果却只做花瓶與擺設，正是由一官辦組織的不作為，才助長了整個社會對婦女兒童權益的忽略、歧視與戕害！「開房找我」讓所有中國人感到了這種痛楚，正是這種共同的痛楚，讓這一行為藝術被無數網友接力。
A grassroots movement is speaking out against the negligence of the authorities. There are organizations dealing with women and children's rights in the system, but they are just vases and decoration. The negligence of officials and government organizations has resulted in discrimination and violence against women and children. “Get a hotel room with me instead” signifies the pain shared by all Chinese people, that's why so many netizens relay such action art.
「六一」兒童節即將到來，試想如果人們要在接二連三的猥褻女生案中迎接這個節日，這個社會怎麼對得住我們的孩子。校園本應是庇知孩子的天堂，老師在校園裡把魔爪伸向自己的學生？「校長，開房找我，放過小學生！」這是當下「性侵幼女」社會暴力的一種黑色幽默式反抗。當女學生被性侵的丑聞衝擊我們的底綫時，葉海燕喊出的更像是泣血之音。
Children's Day on June 1 is approaching. How can we face our children if such incidents of child sexual abuse keep emerging? The school should be a safe place for our kids, how can teachers do such an evil thing to their own students? “Principal, spare the children, get a hotel room with me instead” is dark-humored resistance to the sexual abuse of underage girls. The scandal of the school girls being sexually abused has challenged our moral baseline, what was stated in Ye Haiyan's banner is written in blood and tears.
一百年前魯迅先生反封建禮制吃人的「救救孩子」吶喊，如今仍振聾發聵：一場斬斷校長伸向女童黑手的呼請接力正在進行。「開房找我」的調侃體現更多的是無奈，是對當下「性侵幼女」社會暴力的一種黑色幽默式反抗，是對教育亂象無聲抗議！
One hundred years ago, Mr. Lu Xun cried out “Save our Children” against feudalism. Such cries are still echoing in our time [through Ye's action], this time people are demanding that principals stop putting their evil hands on underage girls. “Get a hotel room with me instead” is a desperate cry, dark humor against the sexual abuse of underage girls and a protest against the education system.
“Volunteer Ma Qi” [zh] (@志愿者马奇) spelled out a plan of action to help the situation:
1、家长会得到一个说法，罪犯依强奸罪拘捕。2、教育部与妇联应有个回应，该肃整队伍的拿出方案来，妇联必须有个态度。3、废除嫖宿幼女罪。
1. Parents want the criminals to be arrested as rapists. 2. The Ministry of Education and the ACWF should comment on the series of incidents. They should put forward a proposal to improve the situation and ACWF should give a public statement. 3. Abolition of the “underage prostitution” law.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Disaster Highlights Roma’s Struggle for Human Rights in France · Global Voices
Marie Bohner

Roma awaiting accommodation solutions after eviction,  Choisy-le-Roi, August 2010 Photo Alain Bachellier son Flickr cc-by-nc-sa 2.0
All links lead to French-language webpages unless otherwise stated.
A violent fire destroyed an abandoned factory in the eastern French city of Lyon squatted by families from the Roma community, killing two women and 12-year-old child. In the aftermath of the tragedy on May 13, 2013, the survivors relocated into a school open only in the evenings, leaving them outside in the rain during the day.
Power in the building where the families had lived was cut shortly before the accident by the administration of the city of Lyon, it was revealed. The fire was caused by candles that the victims had used for lighting.
France has undertaken a controversial policy toward its Roma communities in recent years, and the latest developments show no signs of an improving relationship. In 2010, as described by Global Voices author Suzanne Lehn, Roma were victims of forced evicitions [en] and the destruction of several camps driven by interior minister Hortefeux under the Sarkozy government. In 2012, the new Ayrault government continued the dismantlement of Roma camps while trying to pass a new pro-Roma unemployment policy.
After the fire, some outraged netizens slammed France on social media for their treatment of the Roma. A Mediapart article behind a paywall, “The Roma are just like us, they also need light” in reference to the victims’ lack of electricity, was reposted several times on different platforms.
Alain Philippe described on his Mediapart blog, under the title “La France construit sa politique anti-roms sur des cadavres” (France is building its anti-Roma policy on corpses):
Pendant plusieurs heures, les familles sont totalement abandonnées à leur sort. Une femme perd connaissance plusieurs fois. La police municipale, à quelques mètres reste les bras croisés. Il n’y a aucun médecin, aucun psychologue, aucun soutien.
For several hours a day, the families are completely abandoned homeless. One woman lost consciousness several times (from lack of food intake). Local police, just a few meters away stands idly by. There is no doctor, no psychologist, no support at all.
His outrage on full display, the author added:
Mardi soir, la préfecture du Rhône fait savoir que les expulsions vont s’accélérer dans les jours à venir. La chasse aux Roms est ouverte. La campagne des municipales également. Valls prétend que les roms n’ont pas vocation à s’intégrer en France. En les obligeant à vivre comme des chiens errants à la rue ou à brûler vifs dans des squats il est certain d’avoir raison.
Tuesday night, the district of Rhone (the Region of which Lyon is the capital city) stated that evictions will accelerate in the coming days. I guess, it is open season for the the hunt for Roma. In related news, the municipal electoral campaign has also began. Valls [France's Interior Minister] argues that Roma have no capacity to integrate into France. By forcing them to live as stray dogs in the streets or burned alive in squats, is a sure way to make sure he is right.
In the commentary section of the post , Vertige appeals to individual responsibility  :
Oui, la maltraitance se fait dans le secret des cachots, des lieux de rétention, de détention quels qu'ils soient. Mais elles sont toujours, pour un temps au moins, comptabilisées, écrites, détaillées. Et nous finissons par savoir au moment même où elles sont infligées. Lorsque nous voulons le savoir. Ici, nous savons.
Yes, plenty of abuse occur in the secret dungeons, detention places of the world wherever they might be. They are still, for now, all kept on record somewhere, written in details. And we end up finding out when such abuse happens. That is, when we want to know. Here, we know.
A well-researched article by Grégoire Fleurot on Slate was published in 2010 at the height of the campaign for Roma expulsions during Sarkozy's presidency. It showed how the French administration juggles the limits of the law in trying to define people as communities, without being accused of discrimination against the same people:
La confusion entre les «gens du voyage» et les Tsiganes vient en partie de cette spécificité française qui interdit à l’administration de qualifier une partie de la population sur des critères ethniques. Au début du XXe siècle, le gouvernement français veut surveiller les Tsiganes qui sont alors victimes des pires préjugés, (…) L’appellation «nomades» est alors officiellement utilisée, et la loi du 16 juillet 1912 leur impose un carnet anthropométrique obligatoire qui contient des informations telles que l'envergure, la longueur et la largeur de la tête, la longueur de l'oreille droite, la longueur des doigts médius et auriculaires gauches, celle de la coudée gauche, celle du pied gauche, la couleur des yeux ou encore la forme du nez.(…) Après (la) persécution (de Vichy), le mot «nomades» est devenu inutilisable, et remplacé par le néologisme «Gens du voyage» avec la loi du 3 janvier 1969, qui remplace également le carnet anthropomorphique par un livret de circulation.
The confusion between “travelers” and gypsies comes in part from the unique provision in the French administration that prohibits the description of part of the population along ethnic lines. In the early twentieth century, the French government tried to monitor gypsies, who were then subjected to plenty of prejudices (…) The term “nomads” became the official term. After the Bill of July 16, 1912, compulsory anthropometric notebooks were imposed, containing information such as the size, length and width of the head, the length of the right ear, middle fingers length and left hand atrial, that of the left elbow, the left foot, eye colour and even the shape of the nose (…) After the tragic persecution (of minorities) during the Vichy Regime, the word “nomads” became taboo and was replaced by the neologism “traveler community” with the Bill of January 3, 1969. That bill also replaced the notebooks with a registration document.
Yet it is because the administration was set on defining individual rights according to their communities of origins that the country risks denying the same people their individual rights, as happened during the reign of France's pro-Nazi government installed after the country surrendered to Germany during World War II, known as the Vichy regime.
International Day of the Roma: Demonstration against forced evictions of Roma in Paris on April 6, 2013, by dirtykoala on flickr cc-by-nc 2,0
The fact that some Roma do not adapt to the dominant social model in France despite a prolonged stay there has become the crux of debate in France. L'essor, an independent newspaper of the French military police, addressed the issue of the Roma integration in this article from March 28:
Dans la droite ligne des propos du ministre de l'Intérieur, Manuel Valls, qui avait déclaré mi-mars que “les occupants des campements ne souhaitent pas s'intégrer dans notre pays”, le préfet du Rhône a estimé: “les Roms qui veulent être intégrés, il y a des choses à faire; ceux qui ne veulent pas être intégrés, il n'y a rien à faire”. “Ceux qui n'ont pas vocation à rester sur le territoire français, ceux qui ont une OQTF (Obligation de Quitter le Territoire Français), on ne fera pas d'effort majeur pour les reloger”, a-t-il ajouté.
In agreement with Manuel Valls, the interior minister, who declared in mid-March that “the inhabitants of the Roma camps do not want to integrate into our country”, the Rhone Prefect claimed that: “for the Roma that wish to be integrated, there are solutions to be found, and for those who do not wish to integrate, there is nothing that can be done”. “Those who are not meant to stay on French territory, those who have a OQTF (Obligation to leave French territory), there will be no major effort made by the administration to find them new homes”
Valentine, a frequent reader of the Al Kanz blog (a minority focused website),  comments on the issue of finding homes for Roma on the blog :
On est en droit de s’interroger sur les raisons qui poussent l’Europe à réclamer des millions – 2 milliards en tout – aux français en particulier et aux citoyens européens en général, censés aider la Bulgarie et la Roumanie à aménager dignement la vie de ces roms, et ensuite à réclamer à la France, comme si ça ne suffisait pas, d’accueillir ces populations – travail, logement.. les français chômeurs de longue durée survivant dans des caravanes apprécieront…
We have the right to question why the Europe Union requests millions of euros – two billion in fact –  from France and European citizens in general, for funds that are supposed to help Bulgaria and Romania to develop a dignified quality of life for the Roma and then it also expects from France, as if all the above were not enough to welcome these communities and provide work, homes, etc. The long-term unemployed Frenchmen residing in mobile homes will most certainly appreciate that…
The reply from Al Kanz to this typical commentary came swift and loud:
Les Roms n’ont pas à être méprisés et considérés comme des sous-hommes, tout comme ils n’ont pas à être privilégiés. S’agissant de la Bulgarie et de la Roumanie, je ne suis ni roumain ni bulgare. Je suis français, je dénonce ce qui se passe en France et que je considère indigne. Mon indignation n’est pas facile, elle est humaine.
The Roma are not to be despised as sub-humans, nor do they need to be granted special privileges. With regard to Bulgaria and Romania, I am not Romanian nor Bulgarian. I am French, I denounce what is happening in France and I consider this situation unworthy of France. My indignation is not easy, it is about being human.
“JR” commented on a note on the blog Legal News:
Pour revenir plus précisément sur les roms, à vous lire, l'on croirait presque que ce ne sont que des victimes. (…) Je ne développerai pas sur les enfants auxquels on apprend seulement à mendier, sur les vols (ce sont là des vérités incontestables), et même si vous pourrez me rétorquer, sans avoir totalement tort, que ces pratiques résultent en partie des conditions de vie qui leur sont imposées, je répondrai encore une fois qu'il leur incombe aussi de se prendre en main autrement que par la délinquance.
To return more specifically to Roma, as you read it appears that they are only victims (…) I will not expand on the children that are only taught to beg on flights (these are undeniable truths), and even you can argue that my assertion, without totally being wrong, it can be claimed that these practices are partly a consequence of the lifestyle imposed on them. To this, I would reply that it is their responsibility to take charge of their livelihoods beyond their delinquent behavior.
The politics of stigmatisation have became so well-established in the consciousness of French public opinion that it has made word: “romaphobia“.
Grégoire Cousin wrote in January 2013 about France's Roma policy on Urbarom, a blog that focuses on the analysis of Roma affairs :
Malgré des rappels à l’ordre très fermes de l’ONU, malgré les nombreuses protestations d’ONG françaises et internationales, tout indique que la politique menée par l’état français à l’égard des Roms est raciste et discriminatoire. Il suffit d’observer le nombre élevé de personnes évacuées de force par les autorités (9 404) par rapport au nombre estimé de Roms étrangers présents sur le territoire français (de 15 à 20 000). De fait, selon le Rapporteur Spécial de l’ONU sur les droits des migrants, François Crépeau, « l’objectif ultime semble être l’expulsion de France des communautés migrantes Rom ».
Despite warnings from the UN and countless protests of many French and international NGO's, all signs indicate that France's policy towards the Roma community is plain racist and discriminatory. A mere glance at the high numbers of people evacuated from the Roma community (9,404), compared to the estimated numbers of Roma on French Territory (15 to 20,000) will suffice to illustrate the point. In fact, according to the UN special rapporteur on immigrants rights, Francois Crepeau, “the goal seems to be the complete expulsion from France of the migrant Roma communities”.
It is difficult to imagine victims of a fire from another social group being treated with such indifference. Isn't it up to European democracies to prove that they are capable of protecting the rights of any individual, regardless of their community of origins?

author: Marie Bohner


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Guinea: Special Guest at the 2013 Turin International Book Fair · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

The 26th International Book Fair took place in Turin, capital of the Italian Piedmont region, between May 16 and May 20, 2013. The Francophone West African country of Guinea was the sole representative of the African continent to be invited as a special guest country. This news did not pass unnoticed in Conakry and on the Guinean blogosphere – both at home and abroad.
Maria from Babia gave her opinion of the Guinea exhibition stand on blog guineeconakry.info [fr]:
Pour marquer sa participation à ce Salon International du Livre de Turin, les Guinéens ont tablé sur l’organisation de conférences-débats avec les auteurs invités, l’exposition-ventes d’objets d’art  et les rencontres informelles avec les enfants, les jeunes et les personnes âgées. Par exemple, le caricaturiste Oscar Ben Barry  a pu croquer quelques invités en compagnie de petits italiens ; tandis que Tierno Monemebo et Salif Keïta, Justin Morel Junior et Cheick Oumar Kanté débattaient de l’avenir de la littérature guinéenne.
Amadou Tham Camara wrote on website guineenews.org [fr]:
Le stand exotique guinéen, très achalandé, a suscité beaucoup de curiosités. En marge des visites du stand, les auteurs Thierno Monenembo, Cheick Oumar Kanté et le sénégalais Pap Khouma ont animé dans l’après-midi une conférence sur la problématique de la culture orale et de la culture écrite en Afrique occidentale….
A la faveur de la crise économique et de son corollaire de délocalisation, la ville de Turin est en train de remplacer son industrie automobile par une industrie culturelle. A la Guinée, unique pays africain présent à ce salon du livre, de s’en inspirer pour mettre son industrie culturelle à la place de… rien.
Here is a video showing Guinean Culture on display in Turin
Website laterzapagina.net covered [it] the presence of Guinea at the book fair and the hope that it would encourage the country to become next year’s ‘guest of honour.’:
La Guinea è ospite speciale del Salone 2013 e presenta la propria candidatura quale Ospite d’onore per il 2014.
Il progetto OnGuinea è curato dall’Associazione italo-guineana [Nakiri] in collaborazione con il Ministero della cultura e del patrimonio storico della Guinea, il Ministero degli affari esteri e dei Guineani all’estero e il Ministero del Turismo della Guinea.
Numerosi gli incontri con personalità guineane fra cui l’ex ministro dell’informazione e comunicazione Justin Morel Junior, scrittori, giornalisti, antropologi.
Fra i temi affrontati: la cultura orale, le guerre, la cultura come motore di sviluppo per l’Africa.
Letture, poesia e musica e sabato 18 alle 21, per il Salone Off, al Jazz Club di via Giolitti 30 concerto dei Ba Cissoko, uno dei gruppi musicali guineani più famosi nel mondo.
Koumanthio Zeinab Diallo Kazédi, Guinean post, photo used with her permission
Among people who came from Guinea to take part in the Book Fair were poet Koumanthio Zeinab Diallo Kazédi who website onguinea.org introduced as follows [fr]:
Elle est l'héritière d'une tradition poétique peulhe extrêmement riche. Son premier ouvrage est dédié à ses enfants, Dalanda (Lynda), Ousmane (Mawdo), Mamadou (Vieux) et Tiguidanké (Nene). Koumanthio Zeinab Diallo est fondatrice de la section guinéenne du PEN Club International, membre du Comité International des Femmes Ecrivains et de plusieurs autres associations littéraires. Elle a obtenu un premier prix de poésie pular en 1990 et Les rires du silence a reçu le prix du président de la République de Guinée au concours littéraire organisé par la Pan Africaine des Ecrivains en 2005.
Tierno Monénembo, author of around ten novels, also took part. Website fr.starafrica.com introduced him [fr]:
Guinea's Exhibition Stand at the Turin Book Fair. Photo from Facebook page On Guinea with their permission
Après l’étape de Casablanca, Monénembo est attendu successivement à Paris et à Genève pour la réception de différents prix remportés par son tout dernier roman « Le terroriste noir ».
Le 15 mai prochain, il est attendu à Turin en Italie, pour animer des conférences, tout en prenant part au Salon International du livre de Turin où seront notamment exposées ses œuvres traduites en Italien.
Monénembo a écrit les Crapauds-brousse (1979), Les Ecailles du Ciel (1986), Un rêve utile (1991), Un attiéké pour Elgass (1993), Pelourinho (1995), Cinéma (1997), L’Ainé des orphelins (2000), Peuls (2004), la Tribu des gonzesses (2006), le Roi de Kahel (2008) et le Terroriste noir (2012).
Guinea’s preparations for participation in the fair started several months ago. In January 2013 Mame Diallo wrote on website boubah.com [fr]:
Parlant de la participation de la Guinée au Salon du Livre à Turin (ex-capitale italienne), M. Adramet Barry, président de l’Association Nakiri dira que « la Guinée après sa phase d’essai va bénéficier cette fois-ci en tant qu’invitée spéciale d’un espace plus large de 90 mètres carré ». Pour ce dernier, cet espace qui aura l’occasion d’être visité du 16 au 21 mai 2013 par une moyenne de 360 000 personnes permettra à la Guinée de mettre en valeur son patrimoine culturel.
Dans l’espoir d’être les invités d’honneur en 2014 avec un stand de 300 mètres carré, les représentants guinéens entendent gagner le pari cette année et sollicitent pour ce faire, l’appui financier, technique et moral du gouvernement guinéen et de tout le peuple de Guinée.
Naby Soumah recalled [fr] on website galanyi.com that the invitation had been confirmed in Conakry during the celebration ‘des 72 heures du livre’ organised each year to commemorate World Book and Copyright Day [fr]:
L’information a été donnée ce matin au cours d’une conférence à la maison de la presse par le Président de l’association ‘’Nakiri’’, Adramet Barry en provenance de l’Italie. Pour cette association composée de guinéens vivant à l’étranger, la Guinée est invitée spéciale cette année en Italie au salon de livre de Turin.
Ainsi, la Guinée va être représentée par le comité des 72 heures libres, qui aura à présenter les œuvres guinéennes sur cette place. Pour l’association, à l’Edition prochaine, la Guinée aura le titre d’invité d’honneur à cette grande Edition. Ensuite, elle pourra être présente au salon international du livre qui se tiendra en Italie en 2014. Une véritable aubaine pour la promotion de la culture guinéenne.
The capacity of the Italian-Guinean Nakiri Association [fr] to organize this participation is proof that when Guineans forget political tension they can give the country a more positive image.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Is There Still a President in Madagascar ?  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Patrick Rajoelina argues that [fr] by law, if the president of the transition Andry Rajoelina still wants to run for the upcoming presidential elections in Madagascar, he can no longer be president, according to the road map signed by all Malagasy political parties in 2011. The current prime minister Beriziky stated on 30/05 [fr] that Andry Rajoelina is no longer eligible to seat at the government meetings because he should have already resigned from his position.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Macedonian Journalist’s Arrest Stirs Protest · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Who's next for Liquidation?” – a poster at today's journalist protest in Skopje, referring to the official code name of the operation (“Liquidation”), in which journalist Tomislav Kezarovski was captured along with others on May 28. Photo by Biserka Velkovska/@bvelkovska, used with permission.
Macedonian journalists gathered [mk; video and text: sq, mk] in front of the Criminal Court in the capital Skopje today to protest against the arrest of their colleague, Tomislav Kezarovski, according to this note [en] posted in the Macedonian Facebook group titled “Journalists and citizens in defense of the right to freedom of information.” It appears that the official reason for Kezarovski's 30-day detention is a story he wrote five years ago for a publication that no longer exists. On the other hand, he has been investigating the death of Nikola Mladenov, publisher and editor of an independent media outlet, for the past two months.  Although the official cause of Mladenov's death is a “classic traffic accident,” much remains unclear in the case. Kezarovski wrote an article [mk] about Mladenov's last hours, based on the evidence found by the Nova Makedonija daily's team, revealing that after the police left the heavily-guarded crime scene, much evidence was left there, including paid toll bills and parts of the vehicle.


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Mauritania: Protests in Nouakchott Harbour · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

Protesters holding tear gas used by the authorities against them. Photo by activist Abdel Fetah Ould Habib on his Facebook page.
On the 22nd of April, the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, witnessed a wave of protests [ar] by dockers which ended in the authorities cracking down on them and arresting some, resulting in injuries among the crowds.
These workers are demanding some improvement of their precarious conditions and monthly wages instead of getting daily pay.
Poet and activist Cheikh Bellameche expresses solidarity with the protesters [ar]:
@cheikhbella أنا مع الحمالين و ضد ظلمهم، أنا ضد مصاصي الدماء و ضد مراعاة خواطرهم بضرب المستضعفين ، أنتَ ما موقفك ؟ تكلم و إلا فالساكت عن الحق شيطان أخرس
I stand with the dockworkers against the injustice they are facing. I am against vampires and against indulging them by cracking down on the weak people. And you? What is your stance? Speak up because a mute bird makes no omen.


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Oz Cyber Security Czar Ignorant of Tor · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

IT website Delimiter reports what would seem inconceivable to most people with an interest in Internet security: a senior Australian public servant responsible for cyber security policy has confessed to not being familiar with the Tor encryption service.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Qatar: New Cyber Crime Law Could Threaten Online Speech · Global Voices
Omar Chatriwala

Qatar is looking to shore up its legislation regarding cybercrime, including punishment for accessing sensitive government data, but a draft law recently approved by the country's cabinet also puts limits on online expression.
The state-run Qatar News Agency published a brief about it (http://www.qnaol.net/QNAEn/NewsBulletin/Pages/default.aspx — have to click on date, May 29 and find the “Cabinet” update):
“[The cabinet] approved a draft law to enact a law on fighting cyber crimes and to refer it to the Advisory Council. The law punishes anyone who manages, via the internet or any information technology means, without a right, to enter an electronic website and informational system of any of the state's organs, institutions, authorities or otherwise affiliated bodies or companies thereon, and anyone who establishes or runs an electronic site via the internet or any information technology means, or publishes false news with the aim of jeopardizing the state safety, its general order, internal or external security.”
But more importantly – as far as online freedom of speech is concerned – QNA reports:
“The law also punishes any one who infringes on the social principles or values or otherwise publishes news, photos, audio or visual recordings related to the sanctity of the private and familial life of persons, even if they were true, or infringes on others by libel or slander via the Internet or other information technology means.”
No further information about the draft law has been released yet, but it's clear that the language is sufficiently vague enough to have wide-reaching implications about what you can and cannot say online in Qatar.
Last year, the UAE passed strict cybercrime laws that activists say “stifle free expression” and “attacks free speech”, and the fear is that Qatar's new bill could go the same way.
Reaction in Qatar has obviously been pretty negative so far:
On Twitter, writer Christine GerberRutt called it “unacceptable”:
@JustKooki1: Unacceptable. Under the new law that one word could get me in prison for 3 years. #qatar #freedom http://fb.me/B2pTUWll
While others express fear:
@scampyfries:  Be afraid, be very afraid! Qatar's new cybercrime law raises concerns over freedom of online expression http://tmblr.co/ZJn_jxmACWo6
@JohnLaprise: This is problematic. Qatar’s new draft cybercrime law raises concerns over freedom of online expression http://dohanews.co/post/51710659718/qatar-new-draft-cybercrime-law-raises-concerns-over#.UacYkrR7UZQ.twitter … via @dohanews
Commenting about the draft law on Dohanews.co (my website), Joh Laprise, a professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, expands on this a bit:
“Given national privacy norms, if I read this correctly, any individual capturing any content which depicts or records individuals must get their express permission or potentially be punished.”
Another commenter, going by the name iamthexxx, responds:
Not surprising! The only surprise is why they haven't banned Facebook and twitter and all social media?
Another law to suppress critics! way to go!
Things are getting better day by day!!
While on Twitter, blogger and web designer Xtian guesses he won't be able to write much anymore:
@xtian001: No more bad reviews of services, restaurants, hotels when Qatar  Cybercrime Law gets passed? No more horrendous parking photos either!
In conversation with Sultan AlQassemi, Emirati professor Abdulkhaleq Abdulla
adds:
@Abdulkhaleq_UAE: @SultanAlQassemi it is getting tight all over the place. Enjoy it before it gets more restrictive.
So, get it out of your system while you can!

author: Omar Chatriwala


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Taiwan Copyright Bill Worse Than SOPA · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

An online poster against Taiwan copyright amendment. via Billypan
It said the U.S Stop Online Piracy Act demands IP blocking requests to be determined in court while the Taiwan copyrights amendement filter list will be managed by a government administrative body.


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Tajik Constitution’s ‘Fairy Tales’ · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Mardikornoma blog comments [tj] on the constitution of Tajikistan, suggesting that it has become more of a fairy tales book than the country's supreme law:
As I skim through the pages of Tajikistan's Constitution, I cannot help thinking that this document must be from some other country.


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What’s Going on in Michoacán, Mexico? · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

President Enrique Peña Nieto ordered Mexico's armed forces to enter Michoacán, to reestablish order and fight general lawlessness, in a state besieged by organized crime, the self-defence groups [1] or “ community guards” [es] formed to fight them, and religious fanaticism.
Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 32 states that make up the United States of Mexico; it consists of 113 municipalities, and is found in the central-west zone of the country. The Michoacán crisis and an armed response from the government is not new; for years organized crime has taken the lives of hundreds of people in the area.
José Gil Olmos [es] commented on this latest armed campaign launched on 20 May 2013:
La obsesión de Felipe Calderón Hinojosa por acabar con la violencia en Michoacán a paso de botas militares ha quedado plenamente transferida a su sucesor en la Presidencia. En una medida desesperada, Enrique Peña Nieto, reprodujo el arranque de la guerra calderonista: el domingo 20 envió más de 6 mil efectivos militares y cientos de policías a esa entidad. Al caos y al desgobierno que han impuesto los cárteles de la droga, Peña Nieto responde con medidas apresuradas y comete sus primeros errores tácticos.
Felipe Calderón's obsession with ending violence in Michoacán by way of the military has been thoroughly passed on to his successor in the Presidency. In a desperate measure, Enrique Peña Nieto reproduced the start of the Calderón war: on Sunday the 20 he sent more than 6 thousand military troops and hundreds of police to that state. To the chaos and lawlessness that the drug cartels have imposed, Peña Nieto responds with hasty measures and commits his first tactical errors.
During the previous six-year presidential term of Felipe Calderón, various operations were carried out with the intention to impose order, but many people doubt they were successful. Like Journalist Joaquín López-Dóriga [es] who writes:
Michoacán está hoy mejor que hace seis años? Desde mi punto de vista, que no tiene importancia alguna, no. Pero desde el de cientos de miles de michoacanos, que son los que cuentan, hoy están peor que entonces en lo que, sin duda, ha influido que en menos de seis años hayan tenido tres gobernadores y un olvido que pasó de la atención volcada al abandono de regiones.
Y aunque pueda molestar a algunos, hay que empezar de nuevo para superar el estado, sin duda fallido, en Michoacán, situación que si no se atiende puede convertirlo en un estado perdido.
Is Michoacán better today than six years ago? From my point of view, which isn't important, no. But from the point of view of hundreds of thousands of Michoacán people, who are the ones that count, they are worse off now than before, undoubtedly influenced by the fact that in less than six years they have had three governors and it's an oversight that went from focused attention to the abandonment of regions.
And although it might offend some people, we'll have to start again to win over the undoubtedly failed state of Michoacán, a situation that if not dealt with will turn it into a lost state.
The description of failed state that López-Dóriga labelled Michoacán with adds to the remark made by the leader of the main left political force in Mexico Jesús Zambrano [es], who recently argued that “from 2015, Michoacán could be a narco-State, in which organized crime could occupy the 113 municipal presidencies’.
The Nuklear [es] portal also refers to the chaotic situation Michoacán finds itself in:
En la entidad impera la violencia y la inseguridad debido a las constantes protestas de normalistas, las agresiones de grupos de autodefensa y enfrentamientos del crimen organizado. Michoacán se ha caracterizado por ser blanco de la delincuencia organizada, pero la inseguridad se ha visto acentuada, luego de que el gobernador, Fausto Vallejo, pidiera licencia para ausentarse tres meses del cargo, a fin de atender sus problemas de salud. Y a pesar de que el secretario de Gobierno, Jesús Reyna, funge como gobernador sustituto, en la entidad impera un estado de ingobernabilidad.
Violence and danger reign supreme in the state because of the ongoing student teacher protests, attacks from self-defence groups and organized crime conflicts. Michoacán has become characterized by being the target of organized crime, but the insecurity has been accentuated since the governor, Fausto Vallejo, asked for a licence for three months absence from his job to attend to his health problems. And despite the Government secretary, Jesús Reyna, acting as substitute governor, a situation of lawlessness rules the state.
Another of the problems that the state faces has to do with religious fanaticism, which is present in a community known as “New Jerusalem [es]”. Events like that told by Zayín Dáleth Villavicencio [es], where the followers of the religious group prevent [es] the State from offering basic education, have become common:
Con el argumento de haber recibido un mensaje de la Virgen del Rosario, alrededor de un centenar de personas del grupo religioso de la Nueva Jerusalén del municipio de Turicato, en Michoacán, bloquearon desde la mañana de este lunes el predio en el que se pretenden reconstruir las aulas de preescolar, primaria y telesecundaria que fueron destruídas el pasado 6 de julio.
Con esto, se vuelve a encender la alerta ya que los pobladores que se apoderaron del terreno para impedir el arribo de material de construcción, se oponen a la impartición de la educación laica dentro y en las inmediaciones de su comunidad. Situación que derivó en un conflicto que a casi cinco meses no se ha logrado dirimir.
On the basis of having received a message from the Virgen del Rosario [Our Lady of the Rosary], since this Monday morning about a hundred people from the Turicato municipality's New Jerusalem religious group in Michoacán have blocked the piece of land on which the reconstruction of the preschool, primary and Telesecundaria [a Mexican TV project launched to expand secondary education] classrooms that were destroyed last 6th July were supposed to be rebuilt.
With this, the alert has been reignited, because the inhabitants took charge of the area to prevent the arrival of construction material, they opposed the secular education within and around the community area. It's a situation that has resulted in a conflict that hasn't been resolved in nearly five months.
On Twitter, the Human Rights defender Jesús Robles Maloof (@roblesmaloof [es]) launched the next conundrum upon discovering that the PAN political party (National Action Party) has mentioned that a removal of powers should be declared in the state in question:
@roblesmaloof: El PAN en el Senado pedirá la desaparición de poderes en #Michoacán ¿En qué estado inició Felipe Calderón su “guerra contra el crimen”?
@roblesmaloof [es]: In the Senate, PAN will demand the removal of powers in#Michoacán [es] In which state did Felipe Calderón start his “war against crime”?
Juan Carlos Pueblita (@jcpueblita [es]) from Michoacán made the following comment about this “new” strategy to Michoacán's recovery:
@jcpueblita: Las medidas militares de contención en #Michoacán son sólo eso, de contención. La verdadera solución es mejorar su gobierno
@jcpueblita [es]: The military containment measures in #Michoacán [es] are just that, containment. The true solution is to improve the government
And in order to better understand the situation exisiting in “New Jerusalem”, the user elissarima (@tlanemani_tlan [es]) shared the following photograph that showed the restrictions to access the school controlled by the group:
@tlanemani_tlan: Las reglas de la escuela en La nueva Jerusalén, Michoacán –> pic.twitter.com/9nzZiUqIma
@tlanemani_tlan [es]: The rules of the new Jerusalem school, Michoacán –> pic.twitter.com/9nzZiUqIma
The rules of the new Jerusalem school, Michoacán. Photo shared by @tlanemani_tlan en Twitter. Attention. The entry of women with short skirts or low-cut, sleeveless dresses, wearing trousers, make-up, with painted nails or an uncovered head is prohibited. Also men with long hair or those dressed indecently.
Will order be restored in Michoacán? Will the State guarantee the fundamental rights of the Michoacán people, among them that of education? Is militarizing the zone the best option to reduce violence? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, the families besieged by extortion and executions cannot wait any longer for peace to return to this damaged state.

author: J. Tadeo


text:
France’s Employment Law Tries to Please Businesses, Workers · Global Voices
Laurent Delors

France's National Assembly approved a new law on employment on April 9, 2013 after months of negotiations that attempts to give businesses the flexibility to better weather the country's stagnant economy while at the same time preventing worker layoffs.
The National Interprofessional Agreement bill was adopted by a vote of 250-26 [fr]. The legislation is supposed to allow companies to negotiate a reduction of employee salaries but while having the same number of employees on the payroll. It would allow companies to reassign employees to a different location or department as long as they compensate with consolidated health benefits and other social welfare benefits.
The French economy is in a tough spot, with the unemployment rate at 10.6 percent, double the rate of its neighbor Germany. The country slipped into a recession in the spring 2013, the second in five years [fr]. On top of the alarming unemployment rate and recession, the stalling of its GDP over the long run is the main cause of concern for French economists [fr]. The government believes the eurozone crisis is one of the main factor for its reduced growth rate [fr].
The employment agreement was the product of months of negotiations between the three trade unions (CFDT, CFTC, and CFE-CGC) and employer associations (MEDEF, CGPME [fr], and UPA [fr]), under economic emergency conditions.
Meanwhile, the left of the left gathered throughout the country to denounce a text that they consider to be “criminal”. The blog France-Amérique explained the viewpoint of the unions [fr] opposing this bill:
Les modifications apportées au projet par l'Assemblée sont loin de satisfaire la CGT et FO. “Le fond demeure”, en particulier tout ce qui concerne la “flexibilité” du travail, a souligné auprès de l'AFP M. Mailly. [..] Le leader de la CGT a reproché au gouvernement d'avoir “une oreille droite bien ouverte” aux revendications du Medef et “une oreille gauche un peu bouchée”.
The amendments made to the bill by the Assembly are far from satisfying CGT and FO. “The basic principles are unchanged,” especially anything that concerns job “flexibility”, [Jean-Claude] Mailly stressed to AFP [Agence France-Presse]. . . . The CGT leader criticized the government for having “a right ear that is very open” to hearing MEDEF's demands and “a bit of a clogged left ear”.
French Labor Code via wikipedia – Public domain
Negotiations on this bill have been underway since July 2012 when the government held round table discussions with trade unions and employer federations. Five months later, the negotiating sides came to an agreement, which was drafted into legislation.
The agreement signed on January 11, 2013 is a first in French social history. Not only did the state refrain from intervening — it simply issued an ultimatum urging the negotiating parties to reach an agreement together — but these negotiations were successful, leading to this law with support of the workers organizations, with the exception of CGT and FO. Juriguide wrote [fr] about the agreement:
Jusqu'ici, le gouvernement français avait toujours été porteur des propositions de réformes, soumises en aval aux partenaires sociaux qui avaient le choix de les refuser ou non. Un triangle décisionnel inadapté à un pays où il n'y a pas de culture du compromis. Cette fois-ci, l’État [..] n'a pas été force de proposition. Résultat:  syndicats et patrons ont échangé sans intermédiaire et, à l'instar de l'Allemagne, se sont laissé la possibilité d'adapter l'accord aux réalités du terrain.
Up to this point, the French government had always made reform proposals, submitted downstream to the social partners who had the choice to refuse them or not. This decision-making triangle was unsuited to a country where there is no culture of compromise. This time, the state […] was not the source of proposals. The result: unions and employers exchanged unmediated views and, as in Germany, allowed themselves the option of adapting the agreement to the realities on the ground.
Small-scale protests were organized against the bill, but they did not disrupt day-to-day operations [fr] even though the agreement went back on significant social benefits. In this case, the demonstrations were not on the same scale as those that France experienced when it came to reopening discussions on social security funding (1995), retirement pensions (2003), wages and the 35-hour workweek (2005), or even the First Employment Contract (2006).
Unemployment is the issue that the crisis-weary French want to tackle first and foremost [fr], according to a recent poll by the Institut français d'opinion publique (French Institute of Public Opinion). Olonnescom, a community platform of the concerned citizens of the French southwest region of Olonnes, wrote a plea to parliamentarians [fr] following the Cahuzac tax fraud scandal, in which the former Socialist budget minister was revealed to have hidden money in a Swiss bank account, and the demonstrations against marriage equality that have overwhelmed parts of the country:
Messieurs, Mesdames nos parlementaires, Messieurs, Mesdames de la presse…STOP CAHUZAC, STOP AUX REFORMES dites SOCIETALES qui ne font que diviser les français ou amuser la galerie occupez-vous du CHOMAGE, le vrai problème !
Ladies and gentlemen of the parliament, ladies and gentlemen of the press… STOP WITH CAHUZAC, STOP WITH THE so-called SOCIAL REFORM that does nothing but divide the French and entertain onlookers. Deal with UNEMPLOYMENT, the real problem!
These provisions break away from the negotiating approach that has prevailed in France until now and engages a reform dynamic suitable to businesses lacking competitiveness. With more flexibility in the way they can manage their employment, they can also expect substantial improvements in terms of taxation and administrative procedures.
Indeed, April 9 saw the opening of the Interdepartmental Committee for the Modernization of Public Action [fr] (Comité interministériel pour la modernisation de l'action publique or CIMAP), which is led by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and aims to send a “shock of simplification” through administrative standards and procedures.
Additionally, the fiscal reform already initiated by the government through the Tax Credit for Encouraging Competitiveness and Jobs (Crédit d'impôt pour la compétitivité et l'emploi or CICE) will most likely continue. An online calculator [fr] developed by the medium-sized business association ASMEP, allowing the user to compare the benefit of CICE to tax increases since 2010, will likely shed new light on businesses’ tax situations and lead to new developments.
The effects of this peaceful collective negotiation will likely go beyond the scope of employment. The hope is that they will spill over into the country's overall economic health–and the employees who will not have to regret the temporary adjustment of their social benefits.

author: Laurent Delors


text:
Indian Filmmaker and Gay Icon Rituparno Ghosh’s Death Stuns Fans · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Gifted Indian film director, Rituparno Ghosh, winner of many national as well as international awards, died in his sleep due to a massive cardiac arrest on Thursday morning, May 30, 2013.
Known for his masterly storytelling and sensitive portrayal of human relationships, Rituparno was equally known for the bold flamboyance with which he celebrated his alternate sexuality and gender choice, be it in the way he dressed, or, of late, the stories he told in his films and even the characters he portrayed in a handful of films in which he appeared as an actor.
His sudden death has shocked not only the Indian film fraternity but also cinema enthusiasts as well as members of the LGBT community who saw in Ghosh an activist/icon championing their cause. Later in the day, Ghosh was cremated with full state honors in his home city, Kolkata.
Rituparno Ghosh (August 31, 1963 – May 30, 2013) Image by www.bollywoodhungama.com CC-BY-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The suddenness of his death hit hard. Just two days prior to his death, the 49-year-old director (@rituparnoghosh) had tweeted that he had wrapped up the shooting of his much-awaited, latest Bangla film, a crime thriller based on a popular Bengali detective series. He wrote:
@rituparnoghosh: Wrapped up the shoot of Satyanewshi, a crime thriller in the molten glow of the pensive falling afternoon.
Social media was abuzz with feelings of sadness and disbelief at Rituparno's death, with people discussing his life and works and also ruing the fact that many stories would now remain untold because of his untimely death.
A self-confessed “cinemaniac’, blogger twopull penned a detailed, reflective post on the filmmaker and his art on his blog Breathe – Ramblings of a Lazy Bong. Describing the impact Ghosh's cinema has had on him, twopull wrote:
I am not a film director, or an actor or a cinema worker. I never knew him personally.  I cannot feel him as a co-director as a teacher or an object of criticism. I cannot remember him with the intimacy of a friend… I feel him through his cinema. His cinema which has been talking to me for the last two decades of my growing up and growing old to this threshold of middle age.  Educating me and reminding me of the human condition. Not through complex pedagogy. But simple straight forward yet touching, subtle and intimate vignettes.
Film critic and columnist Raja Sen, blogged about his recent meeting with the film maker and his impressions of the craftsman that Ghosh was. On his personal blog, Sen City, he wrote:
Over the last twenty years, Ghosh has been an incredibly important Indian filmmaker, a sensitive craftsman who did not allow his perfectionism to stand in the way of his dizzyingly prolific output. There are many films  — and we all have our favourites — but what characterises Ghosh’s filmography, in my opinion, is a certain tenderness to the whole. It was as if he genuinely loved the characters he peopled his films with, and dealt with them fraternally, maternally, and like close friends. Just because a minor character was a plot contrivance doesn’t mean they could be brushed aside. They mattered to RituDa, and especially in several silent bits of his films, this fondness clearly shows.
And when not silent, the words crackled.
Blogger Debolina Raja Gupta felt that Ghosh's untimely death was “a sad day not only for Indian cinema, but for the entire cinema loving world”. She blogged:
He has always been and shall remain my favourite director, and yes, I was one among those many who would be looking forward to what's coming new from his magical vision. Rest In Peace.
Popular quiz master Derek O'Brien, who is also a member of parliament from Bengal, recalled how Rituparno had started his career in advertising before moving on to pursue his passion – film making. Describing the person himself, Derek wrote on his personal blog:
A brave, courageous man, willing to defy orthodoxy, Rituparno was comfortable with his personal choices and his sexuality. He grew particularly close to my wife and camaraderie blossomed. Many evenings were spent discussing movies, advertising, the Bengali milieu, the gay movement, the economics of culture. Every time, Rituparno was the life of the adda.
Comments and condolences also poured in from the LGBT community. On Gaysi, the Gay Desi Blog, blogger Chicklet reminisced how Rituparno influenced the dialogue on homosexuality through his portrayals of gender fluidity in his films. Chicklet wrote:
His works have made people think anew about homosexuality. They haven’t been about sex, but the heart & the mind.
Rituparno’s reputation among his peers was ironclad. He was not only sensitive, liberal, fluid, and well respected, but mysterious. He loved wearing kajal in his eyes. He could adorn jewellery over a kurta, & attend a social do better than anyone I know. He was a true hero. He was out there. He accepted his femininity with grace. He considered himself privileged because of his gender fluidity; the fact that he was in between. He didn’t associate himself with any gender. I think he left us all with a voice!
He shall remain in our memories forever; his masterpieces a reminder of what we had or what we lost.
Twitter was flooded with messages. making Bengal trend through the day. Some of the Bengali cinegoers confessed that at a time when they had lost interest in Bangla cinema, given it's eroding quality and sensibilities, Rituparno came as a breath of fresh air and brought back cinema lovers to the movie halls:
@oindrila_007 (Oindrila Nag): His films were the reasons I started watching Bangla films all over again.Can't get over the fact that he is no more. R.I.P Rituparno Ghosh.
Tweets also showed that Rituparno's appeal, though a large number of his films were made in Bangla (only a few were made in Hindi/English), was not limited to regional Bangla cinema goers but that his stories had a pan-India appeal.
@devrup16das (Devrup Das): 12 NATIONAL AWARDS at just an age of 49!NOT a JOKE!!what a genius…R.I.P RITUPARNO GHOSH
@PKambey (Pratap Kambey): Rituparno Ghosh was one of greatest director in our country,not only Bengal.We miss him so so much…
@shaneem (M Shaneem): Raincoat remains the only film of Rituparno Gosh I've seen..And what a soulful experience it was..
RIP Rituparno Ghosh. You died too young, leaving so many stories untold.

author: Aparna Ray


text:
Is the Russian Opposition Playing a Losing Hand? · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

On May 27, 2013 blogger, professional poker player, and municipal deputy Maxim Katz has left the Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition [ru], proclaiming the e-democracy project [GV] a failed experiment. He is the second Council member to leave the body in two months — former Soviet dissident Andrei Piontkovsky quit [ru] in early April. Katz said he was happy to have participated as long as he did — especially in the election and debate process last fall — but that the Council was essentially crippled from the start by its “ideological curiae,” groups of representatives that were voted through according to ideological quotas for liberals, nationalists, and leftists. Katz complained [ru]:
курии позволили пройти в КС людям, которые очень отличаются по взглядам, подходам и целям как от основной части координационного совета, так и от поддерживающей аудитории.
the curiae allowed certain people into the C[oordinating] C[ouncil] who are very different in their views, approaches and goals from both the main part of the Coordinating Council and from its supporters.
This, in turn, according to Katz, broke the system and turned the Council into a reactive, rather than proactive, body:
На нескольких первых заседаниях КС занимался тем, что реагировал на тактические события, происходившие за несколько дней до заседания […] На нескольких последних заседаниях КС не просто не начал думать о стратегии, а он даже перестал реагировать на тактические события — он теперь реагирует на производимые самим собой события.
At the first few meeting the C[oordinating] C[ouncil] was concerned with reacting to tactical events, which happened several days before the meeting […] At the last few meeting the C[oordinating] C[ouncil] not only did not start thinking about strategy, it even stopped reacting to tactical events — now it reacts to events that it itself produces.
Katz concluded by saying that because individual members of the Council are much more effective than the body, the Council should be disbanded, and its “sensible” members should form smaller bodies tasked with forming a political strategy.
Although Katz's luscious locks and firecracker rhetoric may remind one of Comandante Che, he is no fan of leftist opposition members. Image remixed by author, using a YouTube screenshot of Katz and Che Guevara by Alberto Korda, public domain at Wikimedia Commons.
These reasons are close to the ones Katz gave in February, when he was already considering leaving the Council. Back then [ru] he also complained about the curiae, but also said that he did not really see a point in such “hodgepodge” body of people meeting in the first place, simply to argue about ideology on a regular basis. Instead he suggested that it meet only when something needs “coordinating” — like an opposition rally for instance.
Katz is a polarizing figure. Although he has a relatively large fan base of blog readers, who seem to approve of anything he does, some have criticized him for the move. For example, Yekaterinburg blogger Konstantin Chelyudskih noted [ru] that Katz's complaints are essentially silly: politicking and intrigues between rival factions is what real parliamentarism looks like, so the smart thing to do would be to try to learn from such problems. After all, a democratically elected government isn't some club, it is explicitly a place for people who are “very different in their views.”
Popular blogger Maksim Aleksandrov (who used to blog under scandalmax in the early 2000s), on the other hand, questioned [ru] Katz's identity as a member of the opposition in the first place:
О том что в политической игре он участвует не для того чтобы добиться политических изменений и не для того даже чтоб поднять бабла, а изсоображений более хитрых – говорят давно и вслух все.
The fact that he is part of the political game not to effect policy changes and not even to get some dough, but because of more sly considerations, is something that everyone has talked about forever now.
Maybe it's Katz's perceived slyness that is to blame for some of the more negative opinions about him; opinions held by many, as DemVybor's second-in-command Kirill Shulika claims [ru]:
я общаюсь с рядом членов КС, и вот они в один голос говорят, что там не было более ненавидимого человека, чем Кац, он даже Ксению Собчак обошел в этой номинации.
I interact with a number of C[oordinating] C[ouncil] members, and they all say that there was not a more hated person there than Katz, he has even passed [socialite and TV personality] Ksenya Sobchak in this category.
An artist's impression of how Max Katz made his money. Remix based on A Friend In Need by C.M. Coolidge, public domain, and YouTube screenshot of Katz.
Shulika proceeded to lambaste Katz for allegedly dodging the Israeli draft by moving to Russia when he was 17, and for making his money playing professional poker (Katz apparently runs a poker backing firm now — lending out money to other players). He also criticized Katz for calling himself an “urbanist,” or an expert in urban planning and development, without having the requisite professional education or experience. Katz has apparently only completed a 5-day urban planning course, but regularly weighs in on Moscow's transport problems. Indeed, according to Shulika, it was this interest that prompted his exit from the council.
Shulika claims that the real reason for Katz leaving was his connection [ru] to Moscow's transport department [ru] and tram manufacturers, on behalf of whom he was essentially engaged in lobbying over the past year in his blog. Since the Coordinating Council technically frowns on lobbying, says Shulika, Katz was finally forced to make a choice. In this view, Katz's rhetoric about lack of Council functionality is just so much tinsel, aimed to distract. Whatever the case may be, we can be sure that he will keep his poker face.

author: Andrey Tselikov


text:
Protests Over ‘Religious Tolerance’ Award for Indonesian President   · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Some Indonesians think their president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or SBY, does not deserve the World Statesman Award given to him by the US-based interfaith group Appeal of Conscience Foundation in New York on May 30, 2013.
When the award was announced, many people immediately pointed out that SBY has done little to address the growing religious intolerance and religious violence in the most populous Muslim country in the world. Indeed, attacks against minority religious groups have risen in the country in recent years.
Imam Shofwan, a Jakarta resident, initiated a petition on Change.org:
Nama saya Imam, seorang Muslim dari keluarga Nahdlatul Ulama. […]Sebagai Muslim dan warga Indonesia, saya malu dengan banyaknya kekerasan atas nama agama di bawah pemerintahan saat ini. Kelompok ekstrim dibiarkan membunuh warga Syiah dan warga Ahmadiyah. Di beberapa daerah mayoritas Kristen di Indonesia, mulai ada masjid yang dipersulit pembangunannya. Pemerintahan lokal menghambat pembangunan gereja-gereja Kristen, termasuk HKBP Filadelfia dan GKI Yasmin, dekat Jakarta. […]Saya minta pada ACF untuk menunda penghargaan tersebut sampai SBY bisa memperbaiki kinerjanya melindungi minoritas di Indonesia.
My name is Imam, I'm a Muslim from Nadhlatul Ulama family. […] As a Muslim and Indonesian citizen, I'm embarrassed by the numerous cases of religious violence under the current government. The extreme groups are allowed to kill the Shiah and Ahmadiyyah followers. In several Christian majority areas, building mosques is becoming difficult. The local authorities restricted the development of Christian churches, including HKBP Filadelfia and GKI Yasmin near Jakarta. […] I ask ACF to postpone the award until SBY can improve his performance to protect the minorities in Indonesia.
His petition received support from a Catholic priest, Fr. Frans Magnis Suseno:
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF),[…] Do you not know that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during his up to now 8 1/2 years in office has not a single time said something to the Indonesian people, that they should respect their minorities? That he has shamefully avoided responsibility regarding growing violence towards Achmadiyah and Shia people? Hundreds of their people have under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's presidentship been driven out of their houses, they still live miserably in places like sports halls…
A few days before the awarding ceremony, victims of religious violence gathered in front of the State Palace in Jakarta to present President Susilo with the “Statements Award”.
The Statements Award presented by victims of religious violence. Photo courtesy of GKI Yasmin, used with permission.
Interfaith protesters presented the Statements Award to the President. Photo courtesy of GKI Yasmin, used with permission.
Meanwhile, Indonesian migrants in New York organized a sit-in protest in front of the hotel where the award event takes place.
Indonesians in New York protesting the award given to SBY. Photo by @Fitrimohan, used with permission.
Spontaneous protest by Indonesians in New York. Photo by @Fitrimohan, used with permission.
Abdul Muchtar claimed he was bribed to express support for the award:
menjijikkan!
saya dihubungi agar mau mendukung pemberian award buat SBY di NY.
Saya diberikan uang US$ 100,- plus dijemput dan diantar pulang pergi, serta disuapin dengan lunch dan dinner.
ternyata teman2 saya lainnya di NY, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Virginia, DC, dan Maryland juga telah dihubungi dengan iming2 yang sama.
mau muntah saya, sangat menjijikan
Disgusting. I was contacted to support the award for SBY in NY.
I'd be given US$100 plus return transport, lunch and dinner.
Apparently my friends in NY, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Virginia, DC, and Maryland have been contacted, offered the same perks. Makes me nauseous, very disgusting.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C, issued a statement to deny the claim in an article published by the Pedoman news website about the supposed recruitment of supporters made by the embassy:
KBRI menegaskan bahwa berita seperti yang disampaikan di www.pedomannews.com TIDAK BENAR SAMA SEKALI. KBRI Washington, D.C., dan seluruh KJRI di AS serta seluruh staf tidak pernah memberikan iming-iming atau menjanjikan uang atau bentuk janji-janji lainnya kepada warga Indonesia untuk hadir dan mendukung pemberian penganugerahan ‘World Statesman Award’ kepada Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono oleh the Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF) tanggal 30 Mei 2013.
[…]
karena faktanya justru sebaliknya: kemarin pihak kami mendapat laporan dari sejumlah sumber yang dipercaya bahwa ada orang Indonesia menelpon orang-orang diaspora Indonesia di AS dan membujuk mereka untuk ikut mendemo Presiden SBY di New York dengan bayaran $100. Mereka tersinggung dengan tawaran tersebut dan melaporkannya kepada staf KBRI.
The Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) wish to state that the news quoted by www.pedomannews.com was completely untrue. The Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C., its Consul General in the USA, and the staff have never promised monetary reward or other promises to Indonesian citizens to attend and support the granting of ‘World Statesman Award’ to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF) on 30 May 2013.
[…]
The fact is the opposite: Yesterday, we received reports from several trustworthy sources that there was an Indonesian calling Indonesian diaspora in the USA and luring them with $100 to join a protest against the President in New York. People were offended and reported this to the Embassy.
On his post, Daniel HT said:
Di laman resmi Appeal of Conscience Foundation ini tertulis filosofinya sebagai berikut: freedom, democracy and human rights are basic principles.
Sedangkan slogannya adalah: “A crime committed in the name of religion is the greatest crime against religion.” Suatu kejahatan yang dilakukan atas nama agama adalah kejahatan terbesar terhadap agama.
Dari filosofi dan slogan yayasan ini saja, SBY sudah tidak memenuhi kriterianya.
In the Appeal of Conscience Foundation official web page, it is said that their philosophies are as follow: freedom, democracy and human rights are basic principles.
While its slogan is: “A crime committed in the name of religion is the greatest crime against religion.” Based on their philosophy and slogan, SBY has already failed to meet the criteria to deserve the award.
On Twitter, reactions vary:
@Abdan_dj: Selamat ut Bpk. Presiden @SBYudhoyono atas penghargaan World Statesman Award dari organisasi nirlaba Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF).
@Abdan_dj: Congratulations to Mr. President @SBYudhoyono on World Statesman Award from non- profit organization Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF).
@adhe_cj: Silakan ambil, tpi itu sbnrnya adlh tantangan!!RT @tempodotco: SBY Dapat World Statesman Award, Beri 4 Janji http://bit.ly/17Ctydb
@adhe_cj: Go ahead and take it but frankly it's a challenge.
@dinopattidjalal: Pemenang Nobel Daw Ang San SuuKyi puji kemajuan demokrasi Indonesia yg inspiratif+dukung pemberian World Statesman Award kpd Presiden SBY
@dinopattidjalal: Nobel Prize winner Daw Ang San SuuKyi praised Indonesia's democratic progress as inspiring and supported World Statesman Award to President SBY.
@DukungMahfudMD: Pemberian World Statesman Award kepada SBY tidak sesuai dengan fakta lapangan. Jika berintegritas, dia akan malu untuk nerima.
@DukungMahfudMD: Bestowing World Statesman Award to SBY is different to the facts in the field. If he's a man of integrity, he'll be ashamed to accept.
@daanandraan: SBY dapet penghargaan “kebebasan beragama” dr ACF (Appeal of Conscience Foundation) ?? I'am Atheist now.
@daanandraan: SBY got an award for “religious freedom” from ACF (Appeal of Conscience Foundation)? I'm an atheist now.
@jery_tbn: Selamat Pak @SBYudhoyono mendapat penghargaan World Statesman Award terhadap negara yg kehidupan toleransi beragamanya masih dipertanyakan..
@jery_tbn: Congratulations Mr. @SBYudhoyono on the World Statesman Award for the country with questionable religious tolerance.

author: Juke Carolina


text:
Spaniards Vote for Universal Healthcare in Popular Referendum · Global Voices
Diana Moreno

More than 99% of Spaniards reject government plans to privatize healthcare. This was the result of a popular referendum on healthcare [es] carried out by various independent groups in Madrid in which almost 1 million people voted for the type of healthcare system they prefer.
The results will be presented at the European Court in Brussels.
The government of the Community of Madrid, whose president is Ignacio González, has made decisions regarding healthcare without consulting citizens and ignoring their protests. This has led the group “Marea Blanca” [es] (The White Tide), together with other organizations, to organize the most democratic event possible by listening to the people's voice regarding the health policies.
Between May 5 and 10, 2,500 ballot boxes filled the Spanish capital for the healthcare referendum which took place in 103 municipalities in Madrid. Everything was completed by volunteers who also took time to inform the public about the vote. The concise question to be answered by any citizen over the age of 18 was:
A ballot box in a local shop. Photo courtesy of Consulta por la Sanidad [es].
CITIZEN CONSULTATION ON HEALTHCARE
Are you in favor of a strong, universal healthcare system managed publicly and against privatization and the laws that permit it? YES/NO
According to data collected by the event webpage [es], 935.794 people voted during those six days, leading to the following percentages:
929.903 personas, un 99,4%, han respondido que SÍ
3.558 personas, un 0,4%, han votado que NO
1.454 personas, 0,2 % han votado en blanco
y se han producido 879 votos nulos, 0,1%
929.903 people, 99,4%, responded YES
3.558 people, 0,4%, responded NO
1.454 people, 0,2%, left the ballot blank
and there were 879 invalid votes, 0,1%
Organizers considered the voting process successful due to both the participation and the results, as they express on their website:
En esta Consulta, los ciudadanos hemos sentido que formamos parte del pueblo. Que tenemos voz. Estamos teniendo numerosas emociones positivas.
(…)
Según la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos, el derecho a la salud y la asistencia médica es uno de los derechos fundamentales. Según la Constitución Española “se reconoce el derecho a la protección de la salud”. A su vez, dice que “La soberanía reside en el pueblo”. Por tanto el pueblo es el que tiene todo el derecho a decidir.
In this referendum, we the citizens have felt that we form part of society. That we have a voice. We are experiencing many positive emotions.
(…)
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to health and to medical assistance is one of the fundamental rights. The Spanish Constitution “recognizes the right to health protection.” It also states that “Sovereignty resides in the people.” Therefore, the people are those who have the absolute right to decide.
Polling Station. Photo courtesy of madridiario.es
Reactions
Despite having spread vastly through media and social networks like Twitter and Facebook, the initiative has, logically, not convinced others. Javier Fernández-Lasquetty, healthcare advisor for Madrid, has tried to disqualify the referendum by calling it a “parody” and a “mock referendum,” and has argued that it does not truly represent the will of the people. He has further reported that those who have tried to vote in favor of privatization “have been subject to insults and harassment.”
On the other hand, parties such as Izquierda Unida [es] (United Left) have celebrated the success of the initiative, and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) has rejected [es] the privatized model of the Popular Party (PP), which has led to a constitutional appeal. Gregorio Gordo, from Izquierda Unida, snapped [es] at Ignacio González, saying that if the PP justifies their actions based on the results obtained by the ballot boxes, they should give credit to citizen consults of this nature:
El millón de madrileños y madrileñas que han votado la semana pasada sí sabían lo que votaban, y el millón y medio que les votaron [al PP] el año pasado no sabían lo que iban a hacer con sus votos.
The million men and women of Madrid who voted last week knew exactly what they were voting for, and the million and a half that voted [for PP] last year did not know what would become of their votes.
Against an exclusive model
Despite the critiques, it is plausible that the results reflect the public's dissatisfaction toward healthcare reform that would privatize (or “externalize”, in the words of politicians) 27 public hospitals just in Madrid. People are especially conscious of such hot-button issues like the Decree 16/2012, that left undocumented immigrants without healthcare coverage: hundreds of immigrants have been, due to the approval of this decree, placed in danger of neglect [es], according to Médicos del Mundo (Doctors of the World). Recently, people have been moved by such incidents as the death of Alpha Pam, a Senegalese immigrant, after being denied medical attention, or the case of María Concepción Amaya, or finally the Hospital de Burgos, where a pregnant immigrant was charged 1900 euros [es], later miscarried, and now the Ministry of Finance wants to seize another 2.555 euros.
With respect for the first incident, which has already led to the dismissal [es] of the director of the hospital where the Senegalese immigrant died, the platform Yo Sí Sanidad Universal [es] (Yes to Universal Healthcare), an initiative that has been fighting against the decree and private healthcare model for some time, commented:
Image courtesy of Yo Sí Sanidad Universal [es]
Está bien que haya responsabilidades. Pero no nos olvidemos que los últimos responsables de estas injusticias son el Ministerio de Sanidad, que gestó el RDL 16/2012, y las Consejerías de Sanidad de las comunidades autónomas que lo aplican. Abajo el RDL 16/2012.
It is fine to have responsibilities. But let's not forget that the those responsible for these injustices are the Ministry of Health, that passed RDL 16/2012, and the Ministries of Health in the autonomous communities that have put the RDL 16/2012 into effect.
However, even leaving aside these extreme cases, citizens still have motives to reject a healthcare system with budget cuts that have led to a loss of a quality that can already be seen, for example, in the case of the Hospital de Navarra that has a privatized kitchen service where fecal matter was found in the food. The press has also reported a deterioration in the feeding of patients in that hospital.
Image from the Marea Blanca's Facebook page [es]
Precedents and thinking of the future
This initiative follows a trail marked by a previous experience: the case of the Consulta Social del Agua, a citizen poll [es] against privatization of Canal de Isabel II in the Community of Madrid, that was “a complete success” in spreading its message and in participation and whose result, according to Marea Blanca, was “so clear (99% against)” that they were able to stop plans to privatize. On that occasion a lawsuit was submitted, in conjunction with the votes, that was acknowledged, and remains today the legal tender at the European Court in Brussels.
Marea Blanca wants to send the million votes [es] to Brussels, to “demand respect from institutions and politicians regarding the will of the people.” They also plan to meet with political groups in the next weeks to explain their proposals and demand that the voice of the public be heard once again.

author: Diana Moreno