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Under Pressure, Spain Opens Door to Foreclosure Reform · Global Voices
Lali Sandiumenge

[All links are in Spanish unless otherwise noted]
This article is part of our special news coverage Europe in Crisis.
“We have wrestled out an important victory today. Social media has been ablaze in recent days leaving one thing for certain: the victory is ours and ours alone.” A Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) spokesperson said these words recently in Barcelona to crowds gathered in front of the Popular Party's (PP-the governing party) headquarters in Madrid. For years, the PAH [Platform of People Affected by Mortgages] has lead a public effort in the fight against mortgage-based evictions in Spain.
To the surprise of many, minutes before the vote the Congressional majority announced it would not block the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) proposed by the PAH, which sought to modify the legislation regarding Spanish mortgages. The annoucement was met by a resounding “Yes we can!” from PAH supporters on the ground, on social media networks and in Madrid's Congressional hall, from where a few members of the PAH were expelled.
In the end, the vote was nearly unanimous with 333 voting in favor of the ILP. Only one, from the PP, abstained. The bill (which mandates that the property be the repayment of the debt in full, that bank owned homes be used for public housing, and suspends evictions) garnered nearly 1.5 million signatures in support in a petition that circulated Spanish territory.
The number of signatures collected in support of the new law. Photo taken by @tomstomkitrur.
Members of the PP, who hold an absolute majority, had previously announced their intent to block the bill while the minority parliamentary groups expressed their support. This Storify post chronicles their opinions expressed on Twitter, collected by the citizen platform Qué hacen los diputados [What Parliament should do].
The PP finally backed down after enormous public pressure and PAH's creative campaign, #ILPescrache, inspired by the Argentine protests and launched last Sunday. Also, recently, a retired couple from Mallorca committed suicide after learning they would lose their home. While the numbers are not clear, the PAH estimates that more than  one third of Spain's suicides are linked to evictions.
The #ILPescrache campaign utilized all available resources in requesting PP members to move beyond party lines and vote in support of the ILP. Citizens contacted representatives through Twitter (made available here) and Facebook accounts, via email, or by telephone. The hashtags #ILPoALaCalle, #ILPesDemocracia, #PPcriminales, and #ImPAHrables became Trending Topics in Spain.
The website Querido diputado no desahuciado [Dear Non-evicted member of Parliament] automatically sent tweets to parliamentarians asking: “Will you vote for the ILP or do you prefer to perpetuate evictions?” Another campaign, Oiga.me, sent mass email messages. According to the group's numbers, in two days more than 7,000 people sent nearly one million messages to PP members. In this Pastebin are a list of the campaigns in support of ILP.
Here is one of the photos of the Moncloa, the government's presidential headquarters, that has been widely circulated:
“The person who lives in this house has not fulfilled his obligations in 15 months. When will he be evicted?” Photo by @elpadrecorajede.
Campaigns in support of the approval of the ILP start this Saturday in 46 different cities across the country under the slogan “for the right to a home and the fight against financial genocide.”
The PAH has won the first battle, but has yet to overcome the entire parliamentary process.
This article is part of our special news coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Lali Sandiumenge


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“A Thousand Europeans Staring Back at You” · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Paula Garrido's avatar reads “Europe staring back at itself!”
The Portuguese website Variações Sobre a Europa (Variations on Europe) [pt] invites one thousand citizens to create a digital avatar and to participate with their opinions for the construction of a democratic Europe.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Sara Moreira


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Argentinian Politician’s Cryptic Tweet Leaves Internet Guessing · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

Dr. Hermes Binner – Photo: Laura Schneider
Incumbent president of the Socialist Party in Argentina and former presidential candidate in the latest election, Dr. Hermes Binner, tweeted a mysterious string of letters from his Twitter account that became a trending topic.
The tweet has already been deleted, but local media as well as Infobae [en] published the image of the message:
Un tipeo sin sentido, sólo con las letras “Obvnzfhnhxds” llevaron a Hermes Binner a convertirse en Trending Topic global, el tema más comentado en la red social twitter en el mundo la tarde de este jueves.
A senseless typing, just the characters “Obvnzfhnhxds“, made Hermes Binner a global Trending Topic, the most commented topic on the social network Twitter in the world on Thursday [February 14].
And from there, starting with the message from @HermesBinner, Argentinian Twitter users tried to understand the tweet #Obvñzfhnhxds, just as Wascapp (@MatiRiedel) did, who wrote [es]:
@MatiRiedel: Dicen q. si decís #Obvñzfhnhxds 3 veces frente al espejo, te aparece Binner y el gato que tiene en la cabeza te salta a la cara y te asfixia
@MatiRiedel: It's been said, if you say #Obvñzfhnhxds three times in front of a mirror, Binner appears and the cat he has over his head jumps to your face and suffocates you.
According to Relatos del Presente (@RelatoDPresente), the tweet is a way of conquering the electorate [es]:
@RelatoDPresente: Está bien que @HermesBinner quiera conquistar al electorado ultrakirchnerista, pero con esto de #Obvñzfhnhxds se pasó de rosca [se pasó de la raya].
@RelatoDPresente: It's OK if @HermesBinner wants to conquer the ultrakirchnerist electorate, but with this #Obvñzfhnhxds he went too far.
Nicolás Lichtmaier (@Niqueco) proposed [es] organizing a march with banners and the hashtag #Obvñzfhnhxds. On the other hand, journalist Jorge Lanata (@lanataenel13) said (the tweet has already been deleted):
@lanataenel13: Ustedes se ríen, pero #Obvñzfhnhxds es lo más inteligente que le he escuchado a Binner en años…
@lanataenel13: You are all laughing, but #Obvñzfhnhxds is the smartest thing I've heard from Binner in a while…
Among the speculative messages, @lelulandia alluded to Valentines's Day, tweeting [es]:
@lelulandia: Entre tanta boludez romántica, lo más interesante que leí el día de hoy es#Obvñzfhnhxds.
@lelulandia: Among all this romantic crap, the most interesting thing I've read today is #Obvñzfhnhxds.
Lastly, from his Twitter account, Hermes Binner concluded:
@HermesBinner: Errar es humano, perdonar es divino. Gracias por estar tan atentos #Obvñzfhnhxds
@HermesBinner: To err is human, to forgive is divine. Thank you all for paying attention so closely. #Obvñzfhnhxds
The trend went beyond [es] Argentinian borders.

author: Laura Schneider


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#Shahbag Blogger Hacked To Death · Global Voices
Rezwan

Engineer Ahmed Rajib Haider, a young blogger and online activist participating in the ongoing Shahbag movement in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka was brutally killed a few hours ago, reports Mamur Hossain. Hasib Mahmud writes [bn] that a death warrant was posted against Rajib a few days ago on an Islamist-run blog charging the activist with desecrating religion. Rajib blogged under the alias Thaba Baba on various blogs, including one which satirized religion.

author: Rezwan


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Sina Weibo to ‘Great Firewall’ Architect: Get Lost · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

More than 10,000 Weibo users returned Fang Bingxing's new year greeting with a forward message: Get lost. Fang is the notorious architect of the Great Firewall (internet filtering system) in China. Beijing Cream has the full story.

author: Oiwan Lam


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For Russia’s Comics, it’s Raining Meteors · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Early this morning, high above the city of Chelyabinsk, a meteorite burst through the atmosphere and possibly crashed into the Earth. At the current moment, Russian authorities are still searching [ru] for where the meteorite may have landed, but what's certain is that it caused several sonic booms that shattered windows and other items as it fell. By the evening, Chelyabinsk Oblast officials reported [ru] almost a thousand people injured, mostly from broken glass, including 204 children.
Scores of amateur videos have flooded YouTube. Many clips feature the crash's immediate aftermath, namely the trail of thick smoke left hanging in the sky. Because many Russians operate dashboard cameras in their cars (mainly for insurance purposes), there is also a massive supply of live footage of the meteorite falling. Earlier today, popular photoblogger Ilya Varlamov posted [ru] a large collection of such videos to his LiveJournal blog.
Despite the property damage and injuries resulting from today's disaster, RuNet users have been more eager than ever to crack jokes and spread memes. While comic relief is a natural response to any tragedy, the fact that the meteorite landed in Chelyabinsk carries a certain readymade humor for Russians, given that the city is known, celebrated, and mocked for being a particularly harsh and poor corner of the country. The Chelyabinsk jokes [ru] are a sovereign kingdom in the world of Russian humor—enshrined in the segue to the Ivan Dulin segment of the television show Nasha Russia [ru]. One example of these jokes would be: “the Chelyabinsk subway is so tough, it travels underground without tunnels.”
While the joke formula is hardly new, RuNet users have managed to amuse each other with surprising success [ru]. A fake account representing Russia's Foreign Ministry, for example, tweeted [ru]:
Челябинский цинковый завод настолько суров, что берёт руду прямо из космоса
The Chelyabinsk zinc factory is so tough, it mines ore directly from space.
With the nature of the anecdote and its punchline understood, other Twitter users spread the following implied version:
Челябинский дождь настолько суров… #метеорит
Chelyabinsk rain is so tough… #meteorite
Some public figures also risked a stab at levity. Anna Veduta, press secretary for anti-corruption blogger Alexey Navalny, reposted an e-card from Navalny, which read [ru]:
Жители метеорита с ужасом наблюдали приближение Челябинска.
The meteorite's inhabitants watched in terror as Chelyabinsk neared.
In a spoof of the Russia parliament's draft legislation to ban “homosexual propaganda,” some Twitter users propagated [ru] the phony news that the Duma will soon adopt a “ban on meteorites,” implying that the government's campaign against gays is as irrational as outlawing natural disasters.
Journalist Dmitri Olshansky lamented the state of the nation, writing [ru] on Facebook, “poor, poor Russia, it's always the same thing,” in connection to a report [ru] by Lenta.ru that claims some Chelyabinsk residents are breaking their own windows to qualify for state compensation awaiting meteorite victims.
In addition to all this, RuNet users have booted up their (probably pirated) copies of Adobe Photoshop and composed a series of photoshop, or “fotozhaba” (literally “photo-toad”) mock-ups of pictures of the meteorite as it crossed the Chelyabinsk sky. Some of them are entirely apolitical (such as a running gag that the meteorite resembles a round of Angry Birds or the plot of the 1998 film Armageddon), and others poke fun at Vladimir Putin (and his cult of machismo) or even Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova.
Included below are some of the better disseminated, entertaining examples of the “fotozhaba” reaction to the Chelyabinsk meteorite.
A humorous weather report for Chelyabinsk. An anonymous image widely circulated online.
Putin riding a meteorite. An anonymous image widely circulated online.
The “Russian Postal Service” has finally made its DELIVERY. An anonymous image widely circulated online.
The Chelyabinsk meteorite compared to the popular game Angry Birds. An anonymous image widely circulated online.
A Pussy Riot member is thinking “The Virgin missed”, with the word Chelyabinsk next to the meteorite in the background. The caption reads, “An Interrupted Prayer. An imprecise result.” Referring to Pussy Riot “prayer” to banish Putin. An anonymous image widely circulated online.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Crowd-Source Subtitles for YouTube Videos · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Anyone on YouTube can now sync their account directly to the global subtitling service Amara and invite volunteers to translate videos. Subtitles are created on Amara's platform, but are synced automatically to YouTube.

author: Solana Larsen


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Cuba: Reactions to Pope’s Resignation · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban bloggers, both on-island and from the diaspora, react to the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation here, here and here.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Does Pope Benedict XVI Read Science Fiction? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

GV Author Filip Stojanovski, in a post on his Science Fiction Observer blog, highlights the work of Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer, which is somewhat relevant for the recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI:
In 1995, I predicted next Pope would be Benedict XVI. In 2000, I predicted Pope would resign. Wonder if Ratzinger has been reading my work?
— Robert J. Sawyer (@RobertJSawyer) February 12, 2013

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Ecuador: No Place for ICTs · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

With the elections in Ecuador approaching on Sunday, February 17, blog Bitácora de Calú shares its surprise [es] that “NONE of the candidates [running for the National Assembly] focus their proposals on information and communication technology (ICT) as platform for development, NONE OF THEM”, and goes on on listing the causes for this omission, its consequences and possible solutions.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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Japan’s Conservation Groups Fight to Preserve Wetlands  · Global Voices
Ayumi Nakajima

Damp and marshy, they seem boring and barren. But contrary to their appearance, tidal flats or coastal wetlands are rich in biodiversity and help maintain balance in the water cycle. For Japan, which hosts 46 of the 2,098 registered wetlands worldwide [pdf], their conservation is essential.
Concern for Japanese precious wetlands is international, with Japan belonging to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance treaty, better known as “the Ramsar Convention“, which promotes conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
But community organizations in Japan down on the ground and deep in the mud are the ones who have led the fight in recent years to protect these valuable ecosystems from the encroaching threat of land development and pollution.
A changing landscape
Wajiro Tidal Flat, image from wikimedia commons, photo taken on 2009 (CC BY SA 3.0)
The Save Wajiro Tidal Flat Association [ja], based in Fukuoka city, has fought an uphill battle for more than two decades to preserve the resources of their hometown, the site of the Wajiro Tidal Flat.
The Wajiro Tidal Flat, located in the closed-off section of Hakata Bay, is the largest tidal flat in the Sea of Japan. The flat is also an important stopover and wintering ground for migratory birds.
The landscape of the once tranquil tidal flat in Hakata Bay began to rapidly change around 1994 with the construction of an artificial island. Although Japan's bubble economy was bursting at that time, public officials made development a priority despite doubts over the environmental assessment of the project.
The resulting change in tidal stream has deteriorated the water cycle, with a part of the flat corrupted by algae.
The tidal flat was selected by Japan's Ministry of Environment as a candidate for designation as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2004, but designation was never made official.
‘Wajiro Tidal Flat at Sunset’ KIRIE-Cutting Paper Art by Hiroko Kusuda. Used with permission.
Hiroko Kusuda, a paper cut-out artist who launched The Save Wajiro Tidal Flat Association in 1988, detailed the practical as well as the poetic significance [ja] of the tidal flat in an article in Radix, the newsletter of Kyushu University:
波静かな和白干潟は，子供たちを水で遊ばせ，人々を恵みの海産物でうるおします。四季を通じて魚貝類，エビやタコ，のり等の食物で人々の命を救い，干潟や浅海域の生物たちの営みで海水を浄化してきました。稚魚や稚貝を育て，和白干潟は生き物だちの命のゆりかごだったのです。
私の命一心も体もこの和白干潟を通して育まれました。自然の美しさや雄大さ，そして厳しさは，感性を豊かにします。和白干潟の自然とのかかわりは，私を創作活動へと導いていきました。大人になった今も，和白干潟は心の安らぎを与えてくれます。
The gentle waves of Wajiro tidal flat let children play in the water, bestow the people with a wealth of wild seafood, fish and shellfish, octopus and shrimp, and seaweed throughout the year. The tidal flat has been here to purify the water by taking care of the creatures of the tidal flat and shallow water and nursing young fish and young shelled sea creatures. The Wajiro Tidal Flat has always been the cradle of life. It has nurtured my mind and body. Beauty, grandeur and rigor of nature provide us an emotional richness. My relationship with the Wajiro Tidal Flat led me to creative activities. Now as an adult, the tidal flat still gives me peace of mind.
‘Spring in Wajiro Tidal Flat’ KIRIE-Cutting Paper Art by Hirorko Kusuda used with permission
Continuing with its efforts, the Save Wajiro Tidal Flat Organization conducts water and sand quality studies every month and organizes popular seashore cleanup events for local residents. Local elementary school students are invited regularly to observe the tidal flat to supplement their lessons.
E.I., who helped oversee the elementary school students, wrote [ja] on the Save Wajiro Tidal Flat Association's blog about how the organization piqued the children's curiosities about the wetland:
今日観察した鳥や、植物、貝殻、海藻の紹介の後、子どもたちから拾った鳥の羽の種類の質問や、アシ原になぜカニの巣穴があるの？などの質問が出されました。拾ったピンクや黄色の小さな貝殻は名前がわからないものもあり、守る会の宿題になりましたが、後で調べたら｢ユウシオガイ｣というそうです。和白小学校4年生の子どもたちの和白干潟での観察会はこれで終わりですが、2月末には学校で1年間の観察会の発表会があります。私たち守る会も毎年学校に出かけ、発表を楽しみにしています。
After our staff explained about birds, shells and seaweeds that children observed by themselves today, the students asked questions such as the type of bird feathers they found or why crab burrow is in reed bed. Some small yellow and pink shells found by the students couldn't be identified. It became our homework to figure out what they are. On examination, we found out they are Moerella rutila. Today was the last session of Wajiro tidal flat observation for the fourth grade children. But at the end of February there's an annual presentation of the year’s observation by children in school. It is our pleasure to visit school for that every year. We, members of The Save Wajiro Tidal Flat Association, are looking forward to seeing their presentation.
The ebb and flow of conservation work
In 2011, the Ramsar Convention celebrated its 40th anniversary. Reflecting on the years gone by, Japan Wetlands Action Network advisor Satoshi Kobayashi mused [ja] on JAWAN REPORT about how Japan's long-held belief that it could master nature might finally begin to change. The Japan Wetlands Action Network has fought to conserve wetlands on a national and international scale since 1991:
これまで比較的長い間、日本人は高度な技術を制御し、自然を制御しようとしてきた。そしてそれらは制御できるものと思い込んできた。しかしながら、2011年、その思い込みは逆襲される。技術は時に制御できずに悲劇を生むことがあり、自然もまた制御できない側面を持っていることを思い知らされた。
ここで日本人が踏みとどまり、エネルギー政策、国土計画、公共事業の在り方を軌道修正していくことが出来れば、そして世界にモデルを示すことが出来れば、日本人は行動によって世界を変えていくことが出来るのではないか。
For a relatively long time until now, the Japanese have been trying to control nature by using advanced technologies. We have been clinging to the idea that we could do that. But, in 2011, that assumption was smashed. We realized that technology could go out of control and incidentally, could produce a tragedy. Also we realized that nature, too, could go beyond anyone can handle.
If we pause and think, if we shift to make bold initiatives of change for energy policy, national planning and public works, if we demonstrate a role model by doing so, we could change the world by taking such action.
A year later, the organization attended the Ramsar Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP11) in Bucharest, Romania. After participating in the conference, Mr. Kobayashi explained [ja] that now is not the time for conservationists to pat themselves on the back. Progress in tidal flat preservation is a matter of perspective:
会議の運用規則等事務的な手続きが進む中、午前中の最後には条約の科学技術検討委員会（STRP)の議長ヘザー女史からの報告がありました。前回COP10に末娘8歳を連れて参加していたということで、最初にCOP10会議場の前で撮影された娘さんの写真を出しました。おかあさんはどんな業務に関わっているのか知ってもらおうと、会議の最後の方で数時間だけ、末娘に会場後ろの方で聴いていてもらったんだそうです。そして、韓国からの帰りの飛行機で会議はどうだったと尋ねると、「湿地保全の大事さは何となくわかったんだけど、私が大人になったらほとんど湿地が残されていないんじゃないかと心配になっちゃった」と娘さんが言ったんだそうです。「なんだか湿地の保全というのは、あまりにもゆっくりとしか進まさそうな調子だったし…」と続けられて、COP10が実り多い会議だったと思っていたヘザーさんは、言い返すことができなかったんだそうだ。子供恐るべしですね。
While clerical procedures such as operating rules of the meeting progressed, Ms. Heather the Chairman of Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) told us a story at the end of the morning session. She showed us her daughter's photo taken in front of convention hall of COP10. She took her youngest daughter at the age of 8 to the conference to let her know what her mother's doing for work. She asked her daughter to listen in the conference sitting at the back of a room only for a while near the end of the meeting. Then, in the flight back from Korea Ms. Heather asked her daughter what she thought about the conference. The daughter said “I think I got the importance of wetlands conservation but I have worried now that wetlands might not still be here by the time I am an adult.” she continued “Because it seems the conservation of wetlands barely makes any progress…” Ms. Heather said she had not been able to find anything to say back since she had thought the meeting was fruitful.
Children are sharp, aren’t they?
The Japan Wetlands Action Network promotes a nationwide campaign, Wetlands, Tidal Flats Campaign Day [ja], every spring, organizing a variety of events, such as nature observation, discussions, and art exhibitions to help raise public awareness about the conservation of wetland biodiversity. Registration for participating groups is now open [ja].

author: Ayumi Nakajima


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Kenya’s Presidential Debate Ends on TV, Continues on Twitter · Global Voices
Njeri Wangari

With only three weeks until the country's presidential elections, technology continues to shake up the electoral landscape in Kenya, changing how Kenyans engage with the many candidates grappling for their vote.
On February 11, 2013, millions watched and listened to the eight presidential candidates duke it out for nearly four hours during Kenya's first presidential debate. The debate generated more than 100,000 tweets under the hashtag #KeDebate, according to social media strategist Philip Ogola. He estimated that the number of tweets would double if other hashtags about the election were also tracked.
Kenyans were invited to send in their questions via Twitter in the days leading up to the debate using the hashtags #Debate254 and #KeDebate13 as well as via the PresidentialDebate2013 Facebook page. In fact, the hashtag #Debate254 was tweeted so many times in the hours before the debate that it was one of the top trending topics worldwide on Twitter until news of the Pope's resignation took over the trends.
The Presidential Debate Poster
Twitter users continued to use those hashtags to comment and discuss during the debate as candidates weighed in on a range of topics, including security, education, healthcare, the mortality rate, and tribalism.
@mituriu: irony is discussing free education in a school that is the most expensive in the country… #KEDebate13
@rombokins: my take: martha karua [presidential candidate] handily won the first half. closely followed by linus kaikai [presidential candidate]. #kedebate13 #debate254
@mbuguanjihia: There is no difference btw a poor kikuyu, luo, kalenjin etc…tribe doesnt put food on your table – @MarthaKarua #Debate254 #KeDebate13
@RichardMugarura: The responses by all the candidates on National & Regional security, signal the need of a sound military background in a leader. #KEDebate13
@muthoniBM: Healthcare wasn't well addressed by any candidate..#KeDebate13
Within hours of the presidential debate, web users were already satirizing some of the candidates’ responses and creating memes. Kenyan entertainment blog Ghafla has collected some of them.
Though a relative unknown before the debate, presidential candidate Mohammed Abuda Dida emerged as one of the most talked about candidates of the night. Dida, a 39-year-old former teacher, made waves with his punchy responses and quotes yet despite all the humour managed to ask very pertinent questions that many were afraid to ask. We sample some of his quotes which have gone on to appear in various Kenyan Blogs such as KenyanPost, NairobiWire and NairobiDigest
A teacher is like a lactating cow.
The society that chose Waititu [Ferdinand Waititu is former deputy mayor and an aspiring governor for Nairobi] over Jimnah [Jimnah Mbaru is also an aspiring governor for The City of Nairobi] is a problematic society.
I just expanded my class from 40 to a class of 40 million [Dida is a former teacher].
Its true, when Kanu [Kenya African National Union is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence] … ate, we got the crumbs..these people
even lick the plates!
Twenty years ago, teachers were very important, but today every child has a lawyer.
We don’t dwell on the weaknesses of each one of us…I am not asking you to vote for me, vote for the best.
If your football team fails to score, you can't just change their kit and expect to score.
His responses spawned the hashtag #DidaQuotes on Twitter.
@YthesYaar: Years after being in Government we are still fighting jiggers and Learning to wash hands. #DidaQuotes
@gTownPsycho_: Its true,when Kanu ate, we got the crumbs, nowadays these ppl even lick the plates! #DidaQuotes
@iddsalim: Some of these politicians are devil worshipers. I am not asking you to vote for me, but vote for the best #didaQuotes
@blakaende1: #DidaQuotes Who brought this timetable? Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner If u want to be healthy, eat when you are hungry. @KenyaDebate2013
A second and final presidential debate is planned for February 25 just days before the March 4 elections.
The Uchaguzi logo (Image courtesy of www.uchaguzi.co.ke)
Meanwhile, an online election monitoring and mapping platform meant to keep the upcoming elections free, fair, and transparent launched the same day as the presidential debate. Uchaguzi, a joint initiative between Ushahidi, Hivos, Creco, Umati and SODNET, will rely on citizen observations to shine sunlight on the electoral process in near-realtime, which has been marred by violence and fraud in the past.

author: Njeri Wangari


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China: Foreign Men Are More Romantic · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Rensi from ChinaSMACK translates a forum post about various myths or beliefs that Chinese girls have about foreign men.


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One Billion Rising Flash Mob · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kristin Boekhoff writes how the trainees and workers of Panigram resort organized a dance flash mob in their village as part of the One Billion Rising campaign.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Dr. Kim Mallalieu on ICT · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

ICT Pulse launches its “Caribbean Tech Movers and Shakers” series by profiling Dr. Kim Mallalieu, an educator who has influenced telecoms regulation, mobile applications development and Open Data initiatives.


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Truthloader: New YouTube Show on Citizen Journalism · Global Voices
Bernardo Parrella

Truthloader is a new daily YouTube show, produced by UK-based ITN in partnership with YouTube, that brings investigative and citizen journalism together, focusing mostly on under-reported news stories from around the globe. They also host a weekly live debate on Google Hangout. Yesterday's show asked “Can citizen journalism change the world?” and is archived here. You can follow Truthloader on Facebook and Twitter.

author: Bernardo Parrella


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Who Owns the Copyright for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival? · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

It has been popular in recent years for photographers (professional and amateur alike) to publish their pictures of Trinidad and Tobago's various Carnival activities online, especially on social media sites like Facebook. But now, the Trinidad & Tobago Copyright Collection Organization (TTCO) considers this to be a possible copyright infringement:
‘If you take those photos and post them on Facebook, what you have done is give someone the option of graphics,’ TTCO president Richard Cornwall told the Trinidad Newsday. ‘They can pull these images and compile them in a magazine which could then be used for commercial gain.
‘If that could be traced to your website page, you can be held accountable as the source for the act of infringement.’
However, Wired 868 doesn't consider such threats to be serious:
Whether anyone takes seriously a threat from an organisation that, in 2013, does not have an official website or Facebook page is another matter entirely. And even the Newsday got its name and acronym wrong as the body was incorrectly referred to as the “Trinidad and Tobago Copyright Collection Organisation (TTCCO).”
The Copyright Music Organization of Trinidad & Tobago (COTT) stated that it has no connection to the TTCO, which according to news reports is serving the interests of the National Carnival Development Foundation.
Kejan JJ Haynes, former multimedia journalist at Caribbean Communications Network in Trinidad  and currently a student at Columbia University in New York, explored the legality of the issue:
The streets of Trinidad and Tobago definitely constitute ‘public space.’
Remember, the issue raised isn’t you posting your pictures online. It’s if your pictures are taken without permission and then used for financial gain. That’s why so many photographers place their watermark on their photos before posting them. It’s to keep people from stealing them. So unless you willingly gave someone flagrantly copyrighted material knowing fully well that they were going to cash in, you’re fine.
That being said, if you can prove that someone else has used your pictures for financial gain you have a better chance of getting remuneration because your intellectual property was stolen.
Philip Edward Alexander criticized the position taken by Cornwall and TTCO:
Hogwash! Any bush lawyer would love to face this ‘organization’ in a court of law where rules of evidence applies and challenge their authority or his claim. The fact of the matter is Trinidad Carnival takes place in the public space OWNED by the taxpayers and cannot be constricted as rigorously as these people want it to be. The Carnival is part of the culture of Trinidad & Tobago, and any monetizing must be shared with the people from whom the largess flows or none at all. Perhaps a day can come when bandleaders, in exchange for securing their art, are forced to pay a hefty ransom to enjoy the public space on which their art is transformed into cold hard cash. To quote a legal luminary and doctor friend of mine – ‘If band leaders want to enjoy copyright protection, let them fund the entire festival and utilize private venues for their presentation. As long as I am funding carnival as a taxpayer, and my road is being used for the parade, all rights to images are surrendered by the band leaders and masqueraders.’
Alexander felt that the TTCO was trying to dominate what should be a public event:
This is a brazen attempt to tax the people for the enjoyment of their own culture in their own country after the fact and should be resisted with all patriotism and national pride. The legislation under which this organization TTCO wants to strong-arm the people needs to be repealed, the organization disbanded, and Cornwall and the rest of the supporting cast who attempted this cultural pickpocketing sent on their way.
Nigel A. Campbell responded to Alexander by stating that the situation iss more complicated than it seems:
As defined by our laws, ‘work of mas is an original production intended to be performed by a person or a group of persons in which an artistic work in the form of an adornment or image presented by the person or persons is the primary element of the production, and in which such adornment or image may be accompanied by words, music, choreography or other works, regardless of whether the production is intended to be performed on stage, platform, street or other venue.’
It is irrelevant to imply that because the mas is played on the public street, ‘any monetizing must be shared with the people from whom the largess flows or none at all.’ The law is specific in the definition of a work of mas, and public display and performance is a right enshrined by law. However, there is a lack of specificity in the law as to further details on copyright infringement with regards to works of mas as opposed to audio-visual works, sound recordings and literature. Beyond the statements that a work of mas can't be reproduced and that the producer of the work of mas is the owner, there is a vagueness that muddles interpretation as you have begun to do.
Campbell continued:
This lack of specificity is made clear in Sec 8(1) which prohibits certain acts of reproduction, but does not identify if a photographic reproduction is the same, taking into consideration that a work of mas is an object (‘adornment or image presented by the person or persons’) called a costume! I guess it's like taking a photo of the playable side a CD as opposed to the artwork side and cover which is copyrightable! And, certainly, the law seems more interested in the knowing commercial exploitation without license than mundane reproduction on social media.
Journalist and Cultural Historian Kim Johnson felt that the debate was “surrealistic”, considering the wider challenges facing Carnival:
The ship is sinking and people are sitting at the dinner table arguing over who should have the last slice of cake. Are they mad? This country is dying from the greed of many people, one aspect of which is the stupid, childish idea that there's a dollar to be claimed from anyone who draws from the public well of images. You all should be glad if someone produces books and magazines of Carnival photos, and if they could make that a profitable thing to do they should be given national awards. All you really believe there is original art in the bikini and beads costumes? Or the tired old traditional masqueraders dragged out every year for the tourists? Or that Carnival is the ‘greatest show on earth'? Can't you see in those ideas a delusion that is psychotic in its dimensions?
Taran Rampersad thought that overly stringent copyright restrictions would hurt Carnival:
The present Copyright system has taken most of the relevant bad for T&T from the U.S. without taking the relevant good. The gatekeepers are stoned with their own power. The people who do art in the genre of Carnival do deserve protection, but draconian protection makes the candle cost more than the funeral – and there WILL be a funeral.
Jacqueline Morris thought more emphasis should be placed on the cultural value of creations as opposed to merely the monetary value:
The implementation now with TTCO getting involved sucks. But the principles remain. Better implementation is not that difficult if we agree that all artistic work has value that should provide monetary benefits to the creators. But we don't. Here, the argument is often about the value in the context of a national economic space, not of the intrinsic value of the artistic creation or product itself.
Taran Rampersad quibbled with this assertion:
There we go with ‘value’ again. We don't agree that artistic work has value; we can agree that some artistic work is seen to have monetary value as demonstrated in the pseudo-free market related to ‘mas’. The underlying principle is that if something has *value*, it should have a cost associated with it and protections available to it. That sort of thinking leads to the Copyright system T&T has now. However, not everything created at cost has value. Therefore, one cannot protect everything that has a cost because not everything that has a cost has a value. This tethering to the government seems an extension of colonial law in enactment. We all know Carnival is a lot of money for a few people, and they've been making it regardless of alleged infringements, from petty to severe. They, it seems, understand that when people share works it adds to their *brand*. And brand, by itself, has value but is not directly protected by Law other than through trademarks, copyright and patents. ‘Mas’ is probably one of the most interesting examples of Open Culture – Free Culture, its very ROOTS! – becoming closed by very close-minded people.
Engineer and steelpan innovator Professor Brian Copeland weighed in on the issue of “value”:
One can choose to measure that value in any manner. However, if you have to choose one single measure it would have to be financial. The mas ‘developed’ over time largely due to the prize monies awarded. Panorama helped mitigate a social problem, rivaled only today by gun toting gangs. There is a cost/benefit study somehwere in there! Nothing is free … you pay one way or the other. There is a challenge in managing this ‘cost’ that balances the potential of gaining returns to fuel yet another round of activity while protecting the chaos that is so essential to real creativity. I see GORTT's [the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago] role as that of using public resources to ensure the short and long term growth and development of the arts for the good of all the people — all of the arts. This is why it has to be valued.
Rampersad replied:
in the context of Copyright, not all artistic output has value. You rightly point out that ‘Monetary value is based on what is saleable’, and that's exactly what Copyright is about. Protecting the investment and derivative profits (and debts, mind you) of creators. The distinction between creators and artists is easy. This morning I made some poop, a derivative work of what I ate. It wasn't something I would call art, though some might disagree. When you start talking about artists, you start talking about the definition of art. That's a silly rabbithole to get trapped in. Lets talk about creators and copyright, the value that Copyright is meant to protect (monetary) and so on. Clouding the discussion does not make for better art.
Photographer and journalist Mark Lyndersay addressed some of the issues involved in using pictures for advertising:
Advertisers are traditionally expected to negotiate the rights to any identifiable person or property used in their projects. There are model rights as well as property rights that must be negotiated before such use. The works of mas issue adds a specific wrinkle to such limitations and it's one of the reasons why most agencies use ‘original’ pieces created for ads when they need a Carnival costume. Unless there's a co-branding exercise in play.
The online discussion surrounding this issue will no doubt continue.

author: Matthew Hunte


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State-Sponsored Violence in Angola · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Blogger Claudio Silva argues on Africa Is a Country that a deeper look at state-sponsored violence (urban evictions and crackdowns on protest) is needed to put into perspective two viral videos that recently shocked the country (see Global Voices coverage). He writes “the violence in Angola comes from the very top: the State”.

author: Janet Gunter


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Australian Senator Nick Xenophon Detained in Malaysia · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

From Hussein abdul Hamid's blog Steadyaku47: ‘Federal independent Senator Nick Xenophon has been detained by Malaysian authorities. He was taken into custody on his arrival at Kuala Lumpur airport and told he was considered a security risk.’ He was to meet with the electoral commission and a senior government minister.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bangladeshi Artists Capture Shahbag Protests in Cartoons · Global Voices
Rajib Kamal

The protests in Shahbag square in Bangladesh's capital city, where thousands of people have gathered to demand death for war criminals, rage on for a 12th day.
Every day, hundreds of people young and old, of every creed and color, join the movement calling for those who committed perpetrated mass murder, rape, arson, and other crimes against humanity during the country's 1971 Liberation War to be hanged. Protests have spread beyond beyond Shahbag square to Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Mynmensingh, Rangpur, and other parts of the country.
The square tirelessly buzzes with slogans, chanting, and songs. Throughout the night, protesters organize candlelight vigils, songs, poetry recitals, photo and film exhibitions of the Liberation War, and caricature exhibitions.
Several artists captivated by the movement have put pen to paper to capture the Shahbag protests in cartoon. Below are some of the cartoons that they have shared on Facebook.
Ashim Chandra Ray, a cartoonist from the renowned magazine Unmad in Bangladesh, drew this work:
Artist Niaz Chowdhury Tuli from the daily newspaper Prothom Alo drew a cartoon depicting the hand of justice:
Mehedi Haque from the newspaper New Age drew this cartoon:
Cartoonist Nazmul Masum works at the daily Kaler Kantho. One of his drawings:
Cartoonist Shikha working with Rosh+Alo, a humour supplement from the daily Prothom Alo, drew this:
A work of cartoonist Biplob from daily Kaler Kantho’s humour supplement Ghorar Dim:
Zunayed Azim Chowdhury, an online activist and cartoonist from daily Prothom Alo’s Rosh+Alo supplement, sketched this one:
Not all of the cartoons were drawn on a paper canvas. These artists graffitied caricature in Projonmo Square:
All cartoons featured in this post were used with permission from their respective artists.

author: Rajib Kamal


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Haiti: Will Duvalier Pay?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Kevin Edmonds blogs about Duvalier’s impunity in Haiti and what can be done to end it.


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Horse is ‘Normal Meat’ in Kazakhstan · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

While the ‘horse meat scandal‘ continues to rage in Europe, Chris Merriman (an expat living in Kazakhstan) writes in his blog that horse meat is after all a perfectly edible food:
Here in Kazakhstan, especially by Kazakhs, horse is considered to be a normal meat/edible flesh, in the same way as chicken, beef or fish is. Although horses bred for eating are treated very differently, and indeed look different, to those destined for racing or transport on the steppe, a horse is just another animal that serves a purpose.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Lies, Damned Lies, and Turkmen Statistics · Global Voices
Anna Fergana

When it comes to statistics, the Turkmen government remains committed to the time-honored Soviet principles of book-cooking, data fudging and avoiding the uncomfortable truth at all costs. Five-year plans exist, and the targets set in them are regularly exceeded, while failures such as the abject performance of the country's youth football team at the 2012 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Cup or the deadly explosions at an Abadan arms depot in July 2011 are simply not reported.
But a more stark exhibit of Ashgabat's reckless attitude to facts and data can be seen in the official statistics on the number of people living with HIV in the country. According to Index Mundi, which compiles country profiles on a host of issues based on multiple sources (in this case, apparently, just one), the last HIV-infected person in Turkmenistan ceased to exist – statistically speaking – in 2008. Even prior to that breakthrough, though, the recording of cases seems to have been somewhat arbitrary, with a preference for round figures: 100, 100, 100, 200, 200, 200, 200…
Index Mundi http://www.indexmundi.com
Turkmenistan HIV/AIDS situation
And while HIV-infected people have dropped off the map, the wheat harvest keeps going up. The government-run Turkmenistan.ru website has reported [ru] triumphantly:
Хлеборобы Туркменистана доставили на заготовительные пункты страны более миллиона тонн пшеницы. Достижение этого результата говорит о том, что земледельцы смогут справиться с главной задачей страды-2012 – без потерь собрать богатый урожай хлеба и доставить в закрома Родины 1 миллион 600 тысяч тонн зерна.
Turkmen grain-growers have delivered to the country's procurement centers more than one million tons of wheat. This achievement suggests that farmers will be able to meet the principal target of the 2012 harvest season, that is, to reap a rich harvest without losses and deliver 1.6 million tons of grain.
Turkmenistan.ru added [ru] boastfully that even Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, said he was envious of the Turkmen grain harvest. Another government-run news website reported [ru] that Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov had presented a Cadillac Escalade to the wheat growers of Lebap province, in the north-east of the country.
But back in the ‘real world,’ on the dissident-run media portal Chrono-tm.org, Turkmen netizens are less than impressed with the government's preference for good news over bad. One individual suggested [ru] that despite the ‘rich’ harvests reportedly reaped each year, the price for bread continued to rise.
Several other individuals wondered what the farmers that had received a Cadillac from the Turkmen leader were going to do with it. As one user, Toyli, commented [ru] sarcastically:
Ну и что? Теперь эти хлеборобы будут по очереди ездить на этом Кадиллаке? Ай да Бердымухаммедов!..
So what? Will all those grain-growers now take turns to drive the Cadillac? Great job Berdymuhamedov!..

author: Anna Fergana


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Memorable Moments from the Brazilian Carnival · Global Voices
Inês Pontes

Now that the party is finally over, Brazilian carnival and all its revelry can give way to a moment of reflection on its consequences, both good and bad. Apart from the problems caused by an excess of alcohol, drugs, unsafe sex and violence, there is a whole other side to carnival that had continued to titillate the media: the world of celebrity gossip.
The importance of Carnival in Brazilian culture cannot be overplayed. Love it or hate it, the Party has bestowed joy on its anonymous masses, fired up those with an opportunistic unbridled penchant for the pursuit of fame, and destroyed the reputation of public figures who have lost all reason and personal boundaries.
Carnival sets the scene for many such reports and the Brazilian blogosphere willingly assists in their dissemination. Check out the following for some magical, shameful, irreverent, controversial and entertaining flashbacks from this important Brazilian extravaganza.
1978 – His Majesty and Cinderella Black
Sharing a video of the moment, Alisson Gothz’s blog Trash 80s remembers the year that Prince Charles indulged his inner samba:
Tudo aconteceu quando ele foi conhecer de perto uma escola de samba. Super entusiasmado, Charles ficou encantado com a mulata Piná. Quebrando todas as regras de protocolo real, ele simplesmente se jogou no samba e tentou acompanhá-la, dançando super atrapalhado. Mas o que vale mesmo é a intenção, né?
It all happened when he went to check out a samba school. Captivated by the scene, Charles became charmed by the lovely Piná. Breaking all the rules of royal protocol, he let the samba take him over and tried to follow her, in his own clumsy way. But it’s the thought that counts, right?
Prince Charles tries to samba with Pinah in 1978. Photo by Terry Fincher shared on the Trash 80’s blog
1983 – Schwarzenegger at the Rio carnival: funny or shameful?
Everything happened when Schwarzenegger was invited to make a documentary to promote the Rio carnival. The result was catastrophic. Below, the view of blogger Cris Lasaitis:
Se você achava George W. Bush o joão-bobo supremo da política americana, talvez mude de opinião ao ver este documentário resgatado dum obscuro arquivo televisivo dos anos 70 [sic], estrelado por ninguém menos que o governator da Califórnia, Arnold Schwarzenegger, desbravando a selva de um país mui pitoresco… Quem não viu, morra-se de rir. Ou de vergonha alheia
If you thought George W. Bush was the village idiot supreme in American politics, you might want to think again after watching this documentary, rescued from an obscure 1970s TV archive and starring none other than the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as he braves the jungle of a picturesque country… You’ll either die laughing or crying at the shame of others.
1984 – The Brazilian carnival muse is a man
We are of course talking about the transsexual Roberta Close. The blog Anos 80 Incríveis posted this on the subject:
(…) a revista Playboy estampou-a na capa da edição de maio de 1984. Pela primeira vez na história do periódico, a principal atração não era uma belíssima mulher, mas um “homem”. A chamada da capa da revista era: “Incrível. As fotos revelam por que Roberta Close confunde tanta gente”
(…) Playboy stamped it on the cover of May 1984. For the first time in the magazine’s history, the main attraction was not a beautiful woman but a “man”. The headline of the cover read: “Awesome. Photos revealing why Roberta Close confuses so many people.”
Photograph of Roberta Close, published on the anos80incriveis blog.
1989 – The controversial beggar Christ
Describing “a time, not so long ago, in which extolling the wonders of Brazil was considered a sign of alienation”, the blog Geografia e Tal tells the story of the allegorical float “Beggar Christ” conceived by “the late carnavelesco Joãosinho Trinta [pt] (1933-2011)”:
Procession of the Beija-Flor samba school in 1989. Photograph shared on the Geografia e Tal blog.
foi na mesma [Escola de Samba] Beija-Flor [de Nilópolis], em 1989, que Joãosinho deu um tapa na cara dos críticos ao colocar na avenida um desfile revolucionário, diferente de tudo o que já tinha sido realizado até então, o antológico “Ratos e Urubus, Larguem Minha Fantasia“, quando a Sapucaí foi invadida por uma turba de excluídos, mendigos, meninos de rua e desocupados, regidos com maestria ao som do empolgante samba-enredo interpretado magistralmente por Neguinho da Beija-Flor. Foi uma verdadeira catarse coletiva, de proporções épicas.
(…) O carro alegórico “Cristo Mendigo” foi censurado por ser considerado ofensivo à Igreja e, numa sacada criativa, totalmente coberto com um plástico preto, com uma faixa com os seguintes dizeres: “Mesmo proibido, olhai por nós!””
it was the same [Samba school] Beija-Flor [from Nilópolis], in 1989, in which Joãosinho staged a slap in the face of the critics by putting on parade a revolutionary procession unlike anything that had been done before. The magnificent “Ratos e Urubus, Larguem Minha Fantasia“[pt], saw Sapucaí invaded by a mob of hoodlums, beggars, street children and the unemployed, masterfully choreographed to the sound of rousing samba artfully played by Neguinho of Beija-Flor. It was truly a moment of collective catharsis, and one of epic proportions.
(…) The “Beggar Christ” float was censored because it was considered offensive to the Church, so a creative solution saw it fully covered with black plastic and a banner that read: “Even banned, watch over us!”
1994 – Lilian e Itamar: opportunism trumps ingenuity
On the sex scandal of the then President, Itamar Franco, in the Sambadrome in Rio in 1994, Arthur Gandini blogs this:
Acho que poucas fotos na história da política brasileira causaram tanta repercussão e surpresa.
Com exceção dos flagras de políticos em crimes, só consigo pensar na célebre imagem do ex-presidente Itamar Franco, no carnaval, ao lado da modelo [Lilian] Ramos, mostrando em um ângulo por baixo que a moça não usava calcinha
Few photos in the history of Brazilian politics have resulted in so many repercussions and so much surprise.
With the exception of the occasional snaps of politicians involved in crime, I can only think of the infamous image of former President Itamar Franco, at the carnival, next to model [Lilian] Ramos, taken from an angle that reveals the girl was not wearing panties.
Itamar and Lilian at the sambódromo – Photograph shared by the marcosalfredo blog
2007 – Black Ball Carnival Group (Bloco Cordão do Bola Preta) becomes the Cultural Heritage of Rio de Janeiro
In 1918, a Carnival group was founded with the provisional name of “Only if you drink water.” The members would gather in the bars of the old Galeria Cruzerio in downtown Rio, and pass around a beautiful Pierrette (a female Pierrot) dressed in black-spotted white outfit.  Thus the group’s new name was born – Cordão do Bola Preta [pt] – and in 2007 they were declared a Cultural Heritage [pt] by the City of Rio de Janeiro.
Revellers from the group “Cordão do Bola Preta” celebrating more than 95 years of tradition in Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Sergio Araujo Pereira on Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

author: Inês Pontes


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Mozambique: Mouthwatering Zambezian cuisine · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Afreaka blog [pt] pays homage to food from central Mozambique, from Zambézia Province. They write, besides spice, the secret is “lots of coconut milk, made fresh, grating coconut into hot water”. They describe five unique dishes made with coconut.


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Saudi Charged for “Down with the House of Saud” Tweet · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

Bader Thawab is a Saudi Twitter user who was arrested back in September 2012 after writing tweets calling for the fall of the monarchistic Saudi regime. He was also one of those who live-tweeted from the first few hearing sessions of Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) trial.
Journalist Iman al-Qahtani managed to get a leaked copy of the list of charges that he faces.
She tweeted [ar]:
سأقوم بنشر لائحة الإتهام ضد المعتقل #بدر_ثواب لاحقا وهي عبارة عن صفحتين وصلتني عن طريق التسريب وبصعوبة شديدة
@ImaQh: I will publish the list of charges against the detainee Bader Thawab later on. It consists of two pages and I managed to get a leaked copy with difficulty.
The first page of the charges, via @ImaQh
Today she published the two pages (one and two). The interrogation summery states [ar]:
وبمواجهته أنه ورد في حسابه في التويتر عبارة (يسقط آل سعود) وما قصد منها ولماذا قام بكتابتها، أفاد بأنه فعلا قام بكتابتها في حسابه في التويتر، وأنه يقصد منها أن يسقط كنظام حكم لا كأفراد عائلة حيث أنه لا يؤيد نظام ولاية العهد وتوريث الحكم وأفاد أنه يتابع أشخاصا منهم د. المسعري ود. عبد الله الحامد ود. محمد القحطاني.
..and when he was asked about a statement on his Twitter account, “down with the house of Saud,” and what he meant and why he wrote it he said that he did in fact write it on his Twitter account and that he meant down with the regime, not family members, because he does not support the [presence of a] crown prince and the hereditary monarchy and he said that he follows people including Dr. al-Masari, Dr. Abdullah al-Hamid and Dr. Mohammad al-Qahtani.
All three are political opponents. The first of whom,  al-Masari, has been in exile since 1994. The other two are among the co-founders of the ACPRA.
He was charged:
بكتابة عبارات في موقع التواصل الاجتماعي (تويتر) فيها إثارة وشق للوحدة ومتابعة مثيري الفتنة ومخالفة ولي الأمر.
with writing statements in social media website Twitter that incite public opinion and disturb national unity and following tempters and disobeying the ruler.
The public prosecutor demanded applying Article 6 of the Cybercrime Act [ar], the punishment of which is:
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تزيد على خمس سنوات وبغرامة لا تزيد على ثلاثة ملايين أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين
Imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to three million riyals [~800,000USD], or one of these two punishments.

author: Anas Soliman


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Tajik Civil War ‘Will Continue’ · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

While some opposition politicians in Tajikistan accuse [ru] the Soviet KGB of starting the country's civil war (1992-1997), Blog Avestiyca suggests [ru] it is time for the people of Tajikistan to stop blaming ‘foreign’ enemies and to admit their own role in starting the violence:
Unless ALL the sides [that fought against each other in the 1990s] admit their fault and say, “Yes, we did kill, we did start the conflict,” the civil war will continue…
It looks like we are ashamed of admitting that we are all to blame for the bloodshed.


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Singapore Looks to Bolster Population with Foreigners  · Global Voices
Oddznns

The Singapore government's new population strategy has triggered a debate on whether it should welcome more foreigners to solve its ageing demographics. Discussion also ensued about what constitutes a ‘Singaporean core’.
The government expects a slowing of migrant growth but continued augmentation of the local-born citizen pool to a possible high-end population figure of 6.9 million by 2030. The strategy, unveiled after a year of intensive study and consultation, was cast as an unavoidable solution to the economic slowdown brought about by falling fertility rates of native-born Singaporeans.
The government's unenviable choice, as highlighted by the Minister of the Environment Vivian Balakrishnan, was one of ‘Political Suicide vs Demographic Extinction’ in his blog:
Singapore students. Photo by amasc (Flickr)
I would prefer to have a smaller population of foreigners in our Singapore but ……We are facing the crisis of our lifetime. Our citizen population will halve every two generations. But that… is a ‘long’ term problem. The real emergency is not babies, but ageing. That is why the population will increase in the short term before the inevitable decrease in the long term.
Opposition politician Yee Jenn Jong from the Worker's Party however argued that it was not population growth that would create a dynamic Singapore but that one needed ‘A dynamic population for a sustainable Singapore':
Madam Speaker, I am not against foreigners who wish to become Singaporean. Truly integrating them to become Singaporeans as we know Singaporeans to be, will be take time. To integrate, the foreigner has to spend substantial time here and should make genuine effort to understand our way of life and speak our language. How fast can we make that happen with adult immigrants?
Blogger Oddznns wrote that the real issue is about what Singaporeans want and the trade-offs they're prepared to make.
How do we create national identity, roots and a feeling of belonging even as we try to create a city that provide jobs, opportunity and a tax base to pay for a gentler, kinder country?
A plausible answer can only be arrived at if we go beyond the box of competitiveness and simple economic sustainability. Our best Singapore home is not just one that is economically vibrant. It has to be competitive enough for our hearts to espouse, sustainable in terms of loyalty.
The ultimate nationhood question is – What are we prepared to die for?
But who are the Singaporeans who will be allowed to decide? This is the question asked by another blogger, Singapore Armchair Critic, who states that ‘Holding the Singapore passport makes one an “instant citizen” but does not make one “Singaporean”:
To cite a cliché “home is where the heart is,” time has to elapse before a new migrant develops profound emotional ties – through imbibing local cultures and building a social network of family and friends – that outweigh cold, rational calculations to leave or stay in Singapore should circumstances here take a turn for the worse.
Who indeed is a Singaporean and what constitutes a Singapore Core? The question continues to be discussed around the blogosphere.  Perhaps, only time will tell.

author: Oddznns


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Eurovegas in Spain: Panacea or Plunder?  · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

A few days ago, the definite location of the future city of leisure, Eurovegas, finally became known, falling to Alcorcón, a town near Madrid.
Since the United States casino magnate Sheldon Adelson chose Spain to host their European venture, voices in favor and against this project have flooded social networks. According to the local government of the autonomous community of Madrid, which has carried the weight of the negotiations with Las Vegas Sands (Adelson's company), the advantages of implementing the project are endless. The President of the Community, Ignacio González, talks about the creation of 80,000 direct and indirect jobs [es] in the first phase, and 250,000 more when the project is finalized. Eurovegas's website affirms that “it could generate thousands of jobs both directly and, above all, indirectly for almost 50% of the more than 400,000 unemployed individuals in the region.”
So then why are so many voices raised against this project, which appears to have fallen from the heavens onto a country with over five million unemployed?
A sign opposing Eurovegas on a fence. Photo from «Detengamos Eurovegas Alcorcón» on Facebook
The first statistic that catches people's attention is the number of employees: while understanding that many of the positions being considered are indirect, they end up being quite excessive. As Santi Demajo explains in his post, “Eurovegas: fake positions and other lies” [es]:
Sólo hace falta consultar los datos oficiales de Las Vegas Sands Corporation (LVS) en su web para ver que los 260.000 empleos es una gran mentira. Concretamente el Annual Report 2011 (informe anual) de la empresa indica que los 4 macrocomplejos que Adelson tiene en todo el mundo (en EEUU, Macao y Singapur) dan trabajo a .
You just need to consider the official data from the Las Vegas Sands Corporation (LVS) on their website to see that the 260,000 jobs are a huge lie. Specifically, the company's Annual Report 2011 indicates that the 4 macro-complexes that Adelson has in the world (in the U.S., Macao, and Singapore) create jobs for a total of 40,000 people, an average of 10,000 jobs so far per complex.
Another point that netizens find hard to believe is the investment that LVS will make in the project. Initially, the company should have provided the entire capital for the first phase, € 6.7 billion, but LVS has reduced this number to € 2.7 billion, and claims that banks will finance the rest. Pablo García, in his article, “Eurovegas starts to spin: Adelson cuts more than half of his share for the first phase,” [es] for vozpópuli, talks to us about the reactions that this has provoked:
“(…) implica nuevas concesiones o una contribución más arriesgada de la banca española -se prevé que alguna entidad participe- que al final acabe perjudicando a los ciudadanos”, criticó ayer en conversación telefónica con Vozpópuli la portavoz de Equo en Madrid, Inés Sabanés, una de las voces críticas con el plan de Adelson.
“(…) implicates new concessions or a -it is expected that some entity will participate- which in the end winds up hurting citizens,” said yesterday Vozpópuli Equo spokeswoman in Madrid, Ines Sabanés, one of the voices critical of Adelson's plan, in a conversation over the phone.
Given that the Spansih banks are going through a delicate economic situation, and the government endorses the bailout granted by Europe, it is difficult to understand why these banks would get involved in risky investments of this sort.
But perhaps the point that the fewest appreciate on the social networks is the fact that politicians do not appear to have any problem modifying any number of laws necessary to carry out Alderton's wishes which include, for example:
“Smoking while playing Eurovegas slot machines DOES NOT GIVE YOU CANCER” Meme with the former president of the Community of Madrid. Image from «Ojos de humanoide»
LVS will not be fined for serious misconduct (cheating the casinos)
(Sources: elplural.com and 20minutos.es)
Also criticized are the changes that LVS claims to obtain in labor rights, such as not applying the statute for workers or that Eurovegas enjoy a “light” version of the immigration law to expedite the hiring of foreign workers, which we can read in the article, Sheldon Adelson and Eurovegas: Welcome to the Banana Republic of Spain! [es] from website «Y entre tanto…» (“And meanwhile…”). In the article, the author informs us that:
1.- El Departamento de Justicia americano y la U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission  -Comisión de Bolsa y Valores- están investigando a Mr Shellie por “posibles violaciones de la Ley para la Prevención del Blanqueo de Capitales y la Corrupción Internacional.”
2.- Mr Shellie se enfrenta, a su vez, a varias investigaciones por “fomento de la prostitución de menores en sus complejos internacionales”, concretamente en el de Macao.
(*Mr Shellie es el nombre que el autor da a Adelson)
1.- The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating Mr. Shellie for “possible violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and International Corruption.”
2.- Mr. Shellie faces, in turn, various investigations “promoting prostitution of minors in his international complexes,” particularly in Macao.
(*Mr. Shellie is the name that the author gives to Adelson)
Along these lines, another sector that has openly declared itself against Eurovegas is the religious one. The E-Christians website published a statement [es] that many websites with religious content have echoed. The following is an excerpt of the text:
The future Eurovegas city project. Image from Eurovegas Spain on Facebook.
Un núcleo como Eurovegas implica la presencia de un número muy importante de prostitutas; juegos, bebidas y sexo forman parte del trinomio de atractivo de este tipo de emplazamiento singular. Al mismo tiempo, España es también, por razones de paso  y de consumo, un lugar privilegiado en lo referente a las drogas, y este es también un cuarto componente del atractivo del juego.
A nucleus like Eurovegas implies the presence of a significant number of prostitutes; games, drinks, and sex form a triad of appeal at this type of location. At the same time, Spain is also, for reasons of passage and consumption, a privileged place in relation to drugs and this is also a fourth component of the appeal of the game.
Twitter users like Juan de la Lama [es] and bebe ArmenZaitsev [es] have also commented on the topic:
@JuanLamaV: El Papa no dimite, le han dado el traslado a una capilla “Tipo Elvis” en Eurovegas.
@JuanLamaV: The Pope does not resign, they have transfered him to an “Elvis Style” chapel in Eurovegas.
@Armenmonkey: Próximamente en Tele5: CSI Eurovegas… juego, prostitución, alcoholismo, drogas, ajustes de cuentas, mafias… veréis que risas…
@Armenmonkey: Next on Tele5: CSI Eurovegas… games, prostitution, alcoholism, drugs, settling of scores, mafias… you'll see the laughs…
The truth is that panacea or plundering, opportunity or sales talk, Eurovegas has already received over 6000 job applications [es].

author: Lourdes Sada


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Marco Rubio’s Bitter Drink at the State of the Union Address · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

Marco Rubio, the Cuban-American Republican senator from Florida, was the first senator to speak to the country both in English and Spanish in his televised rebuttal to President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address this past Tuesday, February 12. But his dry mouth played a trick on him, as his taking a sip of water, on-air in the middle of his speech, unleashed a wave of commentary on social media networks.
Rubio had made news in the previous few days thanks to his appearance on the cover of Time magazine, which described him as “savior” of his party. That same party entrusted him with the task of responding to the president following his address, but just 10 minutes after beginning his speech, as he began to approach the topic of foreign policy, he ducked down in order to drink from a bottle of water, without taking his eyes off the camera. For this simple act, Rubio has been the target of jokes across social media networks, such as in this video, entitled “Pásame la Botella” [Pass Me the Bottle]:
Speaking to ABC, Rubio said that it was just a moment when he was thirsty, like any human might be. However, some think that the incident with the water bottle demonstrated Rubio's nerves and ineffectiveness at speaking about the politics separating Republicans and Democrats, since he relied heavily on trite phrases to explain the fiscal deficit and problems arising from “big government.”
These same observations were shared on Twitter by people like Andrés Oppenheimer:
The exact moment when Sen. Marco Rubio took a drink from the bottle without taking his eyes off the camera. Taken from a YouTube video.
@oppenheimera: No le fue muy bien a Marco Rubio esta noche. Parecia [sic] nervioso, y su salida de pantalla para buscar una botella de agua no quedo muy bien.
@oppenheimera: It didn't go well for Marco Rubio that night. He seemed nervous, and exiting the screen to look for a bottle of water didn't look good.
Others like Pedro Navarro (@pedronavarrol) think that the whole “water bottle” issue has been blown out of proportion:
@pedronavarrol: Todo por un poco de agua… Vía @ABC: Marco Rubio's ‘Watershed’ Means He is Ready (Or Not) for Spotlight http://abcn.ws/X52RXD ” [Marco Rubio y su Incidente del Agua Significa que Está Listo (O No) en el Foco de la Atención]
@pedronavarrol: All for a little water… Vía @ABC: Marco Rubio's ‘Watershed’ Means He is Ready (Or Not) for Spotlight http://abcn.ws/X52RXD “
Jaime Villasana D. (@jvillasanad), despite praising Rubio's speech, also agreed that his exiting the screen to take a sip of water was a bit bizarre:
@jvillasand: Buen discurso del Sen. Republicano Marco Rubio respondiendo a #Obama, pero un detalle; toma botella de agua en pleno discurso. Algo muy raro
@jvillasand: Good speech from Republican Senator Marco Rubio responding to #Obama, but one small detail: drinking from a water bottle mid-speech. Very strange
Eduardo Fernández (@Eduardo18255638) offered his support to Rubio:
@Eduardo18255638: @marcorubio Hola Marco Rubio soy cubano-tico y creo que la botella de agua para los envidiosos te dió mas popularidad y simpatía sincera.
@Eduardo18255638: @marcorubio Hi Marco Rubio I'm Cuban-Costa Rican and I think the bottle of water for the envious gave you more popularity and sincere sympathy.
Finally, Mónica Pérez (@mpdelasheras) retweeted the photo that Senator Rubio took of the bottle and later posted to his Twitter account @marcorubio:
@mpdelasheras: “@marcorubio: #GOPResponse #SOTU #gop #tcot pic.twitter.com/rtwJ1nG0” La famosa botella de agua
@mpdelasheras: “@marcorubio: #GOPResponse #SOTU #gop #tcot pic.twitter.com/rtwJ1nG0” The famous water bottle

author: Robert Valencia


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Summer Course: Internet Advocacy · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

The Central European University in Budapest, Hungary is offering an intensive course in Internet Governance, Civil Society and Public Policy Advocacy on July 8-19, 2013 in partnership with the Annenberg School of Communication and Center for Democracy and Technology. Apply online before March 15.

author: Solana Larsen


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500 Reasons to Love Colombia · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The team of travel writers at the Colombia Travel Blog celebrated their 500th post by coming up with a list of 500 reasons they love Colombia.
The truth is, there are hundreds more reasons to come and thousands more reasons that we love the country, but we could also boil it down to just one: Colombia is our home.

author: Silvia Viñas


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A Second Revolution in Libya? · Global Voices
Fozia Mohamed

On February 15, 2011, two days before the scheduled ‘Day of Anger’, Libyan women relatives of the prisoners of Abu Salim correction center, staged one of their usual protests in Benghazi to demand answers to the disappearance and/or death of their loved ones in this infamous Muammar Gaddafi prison. The notorious prison was a place reserved for activists, political prisoners and other individuals Libya's former strongman deemed detrimental to the ‘Jamahiriya’ system.
Having as its backdrop the Tunis and Egypt overthrow of dictators in the wake of the ‘Arab Spring,’ the Libyan Revolution was unlike any other. The rest  as they say is history as Libya descended into an armed revolution, heavily supported by NATO forces from the air.
The ride to democracy has been quite bumpy, though we have had three governments without bloodshed in less than two years. Also against all odds, Libya held a model election in July 2012, which carried with it a message of hope having been won by non-Islamist parties as Asma from @LibyanBentBladi says:
@LibyanBentBladi: Trend setters, that's what we Libyans have always been.Election Results in Libya Break an Islamist Wave http://nyti.ms/Mc1Tk2
Benghazi celebrates the second anniversary of the Libyan revolution. Photo credit: Libyan Youth Movement Facebook page
However, on the second anniversary of the February 17 Revolution as it is now known, the promises of the revolution of turning New Libya into a prosperous democracy have not been achieved. The Libyan government, shunning external aid, has failed to secure the borders and arms stockpiles, making the country the largest smuggling place on earth and Libyans the biggest arms dealers.
Mishandled priorities, the continued shunning of justice and reconciliation and evident gross corruption has put a damper on the euphoria, exacerbating the grievances from various groups and regions. Exiled in Libya's sorrowful rendering of his/her experience as a displaced person is a prime example of unresolved issues:
“Farewell my beloved home,
someday I will return
abode of my happiness – my dignity
solace of my white-haired years
sanctuary of my weary body
will my hand ever turn the key in your door again?
Will my bare feet walk in your fields
sinking into the cool soil once more?
Shall I find the carob tree standing strong
in defiance of the wild winds?
The roses I nurtured against the odds,
the jasmine fluttering in the breeze,
will they be there to welcome me?
the hoopoe at my window- will it remember me?
“I miss you! I miss you,” I cry
The knowing , the belonging
the beauty of the morning lights
the azure of the early nights
I am bereaved, I have lost my home
Uprooted and exiled,
how long must I wander?
How far must I roam?”
Libyans, like Sarah from @LibyafromFrance, were also shocked for example to see that the Supreme Court was able to speed through a law allowing Libyan men to take a second wife without the permission of the first thus repelling the Gaddafi era law which controlled polygamy, yet we are still waiting for a transitional justice law.
@LibyaFromFrance: What a title “@AlArabiya_Eng: Time for men in #Libya to look for a second wife: Supreme Court http://goo.gl/ruqkn “
The growing take over of the Islamists in public spheres and their pandering to militias allowed them to pontificate more and more culminating in the assassination of the US Ambassador to Libya in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. This marked a turning point with increased political kidnappings and killings in Libya, anchoring firmly the view that the elected government was impotent, slow and disconnected from the real Libyan problems. The voices calling for federalism were now stronger till they reached their crescendo a couple of months ago with a planned second revolution on February 15 in Benghazi with the logic that they started it and so could do it again to correct the wrong. The list of demands ranged from the resignation of political figures to installing a federalist system.
Having foreigners warned from traveling to Libya was the last straw it seemed as expressed by Highlander here.
The latest travel advice to Libya makes even me who live there to be scared to travel in Libya
All these negative emotions and disappointments and the increasing security fears from  Gaddafi loyalists succeeding in hijacking this planned protest for their own counter revolution had an enormous toll on Libyans with many like Hanan Saeed from Romana writes not feeling very celebratory.
“What exactly are we celebrating? Seriously?
Chaos maybe?
I do not know, let's see, lack of law and order?
Or perhaps new instilled terror and not being able to leave our houses after Margreb prayers?
Profound hatred for anyone publicly holding a gun?
Or better yet, the new norm of seeing guns in broad daylight?
hmmm I struggle at finding things to add to this list….[…] Until then, for me at least, the 17th of February is nothing but a sad reminder of what we were hoping to be, not what really is.”
Libyans were wondering where had that special mood of unity and victory over evil gone in the run up to the anniversary of the revolution which will be stretching over a long weekend?  But somehow preparation for celebrations started earlier than anticipated and moved to proper celebrations in Tripoli in various districts.
As Ruwida Ashour from Omar Almokhtar's Daughter has posted:
“everyone without any alarm remembered how we  acted those days 2 years back and trying to make their best to make the city safe and happy, I was really a bit worried about my city , not from anything but from those who tries to make the black picture about Benghazi , but with today I'm not just happy , i'm hyper , and again not worried about the great heroes (Benghazi Citizens ) “
Hundreds of young men rose up to the occasion across Libya ensuring security of the cities during in anticipation of the anniversary and earned the gratitude of the population like here from Maimuna  of @fcukruna who tweeted:
@fcukruna: Hats off to all shabab bladi [young men of my country] standing at checkpoints on this cold night, all my love and appreciation to you <3! #Libya
It seems that only when the Federalist Party confirmed they would not be joining the February 15 planned demonstration in Benghazi that the country heaved a collective sigh of relief and went crazy as witnessed by the Libyan Youth Movement @Shabablibya in this tweet:
@ShababLibya: Just Skype'd in to our admin in #Benghazi Shara3 Jamal Street; crazy celebrations!! #libya #feb17 RT
“In a surprise announcement on Al-Ro’ya TV last night, Wednesday, the Cyrenaica federalist block announced that it would not be taking part in demonstrations tomorrow that it had originally instigated. It called on its supporters not to turn up. It had made the decision, it said, “for the safety of our communities, the preservation of national unity, our social harmony and to avoid the public getting involved in conflicts at the behest of various political entities and groups.”
The last point refers to concerns that other groups either opposed to the revolution or with different agendas might try to use the occasion for violence”
I will conclude that yes we are still a long way from human rights for men and women, freedom of speech, reconciliation, justice in all its forms and economic prosperity, but so far we have managed to stave off civil war despite being flooded with arms and kept the unity of the land pulling off a last minute show of solidarity regaining that special adrenaline charged feeling post revolution when all dreams were possible. Could this be the real second revolution?

author: Fozia Mohamed


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Australian Senator Deported for ‘Interfering’ in Malaysian Politics · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Australian Senator Nick Xenophon was detained for 15 hours at the Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia before being deported after he was accused of being an ‘enemy of the state.’ Malaysian officials said Xenophon “could cause disorder and could be a danger to the community.”
Xenophon was scheduled to meet with Malaysia’s Opposition leaders and to prepare as election observer this year. He participated in the Bersih rally a few months ago, a massive street demonstration attended by Opposition personalities.
Xenophon is reported to be the first Australian MP to be deported from any country. The Australian government has expressed disappointment over the decision of Malaysia to deport Xenophon.
Senator Nick Xenophon. Image from Wikimedia
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim condemned the decision to deport Xenophon:
I would like to remind Prime Minister Najib Razak that he has no right to treat visitors as enemies of the state merely because they are critical of his UMNO led administration. Malaysia does not belong to UMNO. It belongs to all Malaysians regardless of political affiliation.
While it is true that Senator Xenophon has raised concerns about the probity of our coming general elections, he has neither violated any written law nor conducted himself in a manner which may be constituted as a threat to our security.
Tholu asks how a democracy like Malaysia can’t even tolerate criticism:
If PM Najib Razak's regime can't even tolerate a comment made in disfavour of our government's running of the country by a national of a foreign country, how can we trust it to transform Malaysia into a modern, developed and truly democratic nation with their attendant attributes of free speech and expression and an impeccable human rights record?
Is the government hiding something, writes Tan Zhong Yan
Maybe Xenophon is right in saying that the Malaysian government is being authoritarian as this has again proves that the government is not able to accept criticism.
The deportation of Xenophon also casts doubt as to what the government is trying to hide as the government need not be afraid if everything is transparent.
Aliran echoes the view that the deportation is unjustified:
Was the deportation related to the senator’s honest criticism of the government’s unwarranted ‘authoritarian’ treatment of Bersih? If that is the case, it is indeed deplorable especially coming from the Najib administration, which once proudly claimed that Malaysia was the best democracy in the world. Surely, any criticism in a thriving democracy, as opposed to a dictatorship, doesn’t warrant the unjustified deportation of critics
But Xenophon was also criticized for interfering in the domestic affairs of Malaysia. Rocky's Bru publishes a piece written by RL who reminds Xenophon that he violated Malaysia’s domestic law when he participated in a rally a few months ago:
…if Xenophon sought to participate as an international observer in Malaysia’s elections, he should have not taken part in illegal street rallies in this country, and he should have adhered to the stipulations required within Malaysian law by applying to be a recognized observer.
Malaysians should also not forget the long reach of deportation power in Australian law, which routinely grants persona non grata status to non-Australians for minor offences. Xenophon’s deportation is an unfortunate incident, but foreigners are required to abide by Malaysian law if they wish to have some kind of presence observing elections or staying in the country, otherwise, it is perfectly acceptable for the authorities to take action in safeguarding political affairs from intrusive foreign elements.

author: Mong Palatino


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Pakistan’s Hazara Shias Demand Arrests, Protection After Deadly Bombing · Global Voices
Omid Bidar

In the latest attack against Pakistan's Hazara Shia minority, a bomb ripped through a busy market in the southwestern city of Quetta in Pakistan on February 16, claiming as many as 63 lives and injuring at least 180 others, including many women and children.
The bombing occurred in Hazara Town, a territory home to the Hazara community of Shia Muslims, who were also the target of an attack last month that left 96 people dead. In that incident, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside a billiard parlor, killing several people. Shortly afterward, as people rushed to help the victims, a car bomb outside the parlor went off.
The banned militant organization, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which allegedly has ties to Pakistan's intelligence agency, has claimed responsibility for the bombings.
As the sectarian violence against Pakistan's Hazaras continue unabated, many across the country have accused the government of deadly inaction, demanding that authorities move off the sidelines and step in to halt the mass killings.
Screenshot of video recorded and published by a witness at the blast scene.
Ali Dayan Hasan, the Human Rights Watch director for Pakistan, criticized the government's absence on Twitter:
@AliDayan: What action has been taken since the last massacre of the #Hazara in January to hold the LeJ accountable? Nothing. #Balochistan
Human Rights Watch noted in its World Report 2013 that the LeJ has ties to the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other intelligence services, writing that “Pakistan’s government has failed to act against abuses by the security and intelligence agencies, which continued to allow extremist groups to attack religious minorities.” Hasan also asked:
If #Pakistan‘s security agencies are neither incompetent nor complicit in the killing of #Hazara Shias, why do they continue to die.
Arif Hussain Hazara warned that inaction would have tragic consequences:
@Arif_Hazara: #HazaraTownBalst not the first, will not be the last unless#ActionAgainstLeJ is being taken, they r strategic poison not asset.
People gather near the bodies of Hazara victims, who were gunned down by unidentified armed men at the Scrap Market on Sarki Road in a targeted killing in Quetta, Pakistan late last year. Image by PPPIimages. Copyright Demotix
Similarly, columnist Mehr Tarar accused the ruling party, Pakistan People's Party (PPP), of doing nothing to protect the Hazaras:
@MehrTarar: #PPP-led govt was asked last month by the slain #Hazaras‘ families to STOP (whatever that takes) the #LeJ. And what happened? N.O.T.H.I.N.G
Haider Changezi, a Hazara Twitterati, suggested on the same day as the market bombing that Pakistani Twitter users unite against the violence under the hashtag #ActionAgainstLeJ:
@Aushpaz: Dear #Pakistan – can we for once agree on #ActionAgainstLeJ – Pls RT if you agree with the hashtag so #PPP gov knows consensus is there!
Following the attack on Hazara Shias in early January, thousands of Pakistani protesters attended a four-day vigil, demanding an “operation cleanup in Balochistan against serial killings of Hazara people.” They also called for the removal of provincial government officials and a handover of the city to the army. Although the army has not yet been called in, a state of emergency was declared in the province.
Imran Ali of the BBC noted that the government has yet to arrest those responsible for the bombings:
After the last bomb attack in Quetta, and the ensuing protests by the Hazara community, the Pakistan government sacked Baluchistan's chief minister, Nawab Aslam Raisani, but has yet to arrest the culprits behind the attack. This came as no surprise to the Hazara community, who have yet to see the Pakistan government take action against the Sunni extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
Yousuf Nazar, a Pakistani author, wrote that joint action by security forces would be the only way to put an end to the violence:
@YousufNazar: A joint army/commando/police operation against TTP/LeJ is the only solution. They don't even spare women & children; U can't talk to animals
Aziz Ali, a Hazara Twitter user, asked why the government hasn't moved against the authors of the killings:
@azizhazara: Why no one come forward from government and announce targetted action [against] the killer and murderer. #ActionAgainstLeJ

author: Omid Bidar


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With Corruption All Too Common, Brazil Pushes Back · Global Voices
Fernando Sapelli

Six years into the Brazilian government's “Growth Acceleration Program” or the PAC, massive allegations of corruption [pt] have arisen. Delta Constructions S/A, one of the leading contractors in the program and the largest receiver of federal resources since 2007 is also involved in a scandal [pt].
Corruption under PAC
When the Brazilian government's Growth Acceleration Program or the PAC launched in 2007, during the second term of ex-president Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva, the goal was to work on major social, urban, logistical and energy infrastructure in the country, to contribute to sustainable development.
In 2011, under the government of president Dilma Rousseff, the PAC entered its second phase. More work and more resources were made available. The idea was simple: more demand for jobs, more jobs, more money in the economy, higher consumption and more infrastructure – a domino effect for the good of the country.
IV Brazil Marching Against Corruption. Photo of the Brazil Movement Against Corruption. (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The contractor Fernando Cavandish increased his revenue from 67 million Reais to 3 billion Reais in nine years, being one of the largest increases ever seen in the country. But in this growth, not only large buildings and soccer stadiums were a part; over billing and high fees contributed to the increase.
When PAC was launched the promise [pt] was:
um conjunto de medidas destinado a gerar mais emprego e renda, desonerar e incentivar o investimento privado, aumentar o investimento público e aperfeiçoar a política fiscal.
a set of measures designed to generate more jobs and income, reduce taxes and increase private investment and improve fiscal policy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud4mXEq0gKY
Already in its second phase, among its ten largest works, most of which are in the energy sector, are the Hydroelectric plants of Belo Monte and Santo Antônio, both criticized for the impact that they will bring upon the indigenous populations. The government wishes to invest, between 2011 and 2014, R$ 955 billion.
Mocking the name of the government program, a PAC-Man-inspired game “Roba Roba” (“Steal Steal”) [pt] has even been created, in which players are corrupt politicians and must take as much money as possible to get through the levels.
Roba-Roba. Image Posted on the Website Tech Tudo – “Be a corrupt politician in Roba-Roba” HOW TO PLAY Top Left: The Press – They try to investivate politicians but are easily distracted. Top Right: Justice Department – Is blind and slow. Goes randomly across the map arresting the wrong people. Bottom Left: The people – FILM ME! Don't have their own opinion. Follow the press and follow the politician. Depends on who is nearby. Bottom Right: Federal Police – Is the smartest among them and generally have political motivations. They mean business. Watch out!
Deviations beyond PAC
According to a study by FIESP (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo), conducted in 2010, and published on the website Desviômetro [pt], that seeks to calculate the value of misappropriated funds due to: corruption, embezzlement, scams, trafficking, and trickery:
[o] custo médio da corrupção no Brasil [é] de 2,3% do PIB, isto é, R$ 69.1 bilhões ano base 2008. Este percentual parece modesto, tendo em vista que as pessoas cuja renda familiar per capita é superior a cinco salários mínimos, 27,8% concordam que o problema mais grave é a corrupção.
[The] average cost of corruption in Brazil [is] from 2.3% of the GDP, this is, R$ 69.1 billion based on the year 2008. This percentage appears modest, taking into account that people whose family income per capita is higher than five minimum wage salaries, 27.8% agree that the most serious problem is corruption.
Desviômetro calculates that from its inception this year until the present day, (and constantly increasing) already more than seven billion Reais have been misappropriated, enough to contract 991,491 high school teachers and build 41,789 affordable homes.
Screenshot of the website Desviômetro: “This is a projection of how much money might have been misappropriated from 01/01/2013 until this exact moment because of embezzlement, scams, trafficking, trickery and corruption.”
According to the organization Transparency International, in 2012, Brazil ranked 73rd among the 182 most corrupt countries in the world. However, not only politicians and the public sphere are responsible for the fraud and corruption scandals. As seen from the grand works of PAC, private business and individuals outside the government are also involved; after all corruption is an illegal and illegitimate form of business that involves as much the private sector as the public sector.
Among the many cases of corruption, the famous mensalão case [pt] is a different story. Considered one of the biggest corruption scandals in Brazil,  the magazine GPS Brasília explains [pt]:
O mensalão foi um esquema montado no governo Lula para comprar apoio de parlamentares e para saldar dívidas de campanha com dinheiro não contabilizado, o chamado caixa 2. Os acusadores entenderam que pelo menos quatro partidos – PT, PP, PL (hoje PR) e PTB – beneficiaram-se do esquema, além da contrapartida para empresários e funcionários de instituições financeiras.
The mensalão scandal was a scheme put together under the government of Lula to buy parliamentary support and to pay off campaign debts with unaccounted for money, the so called caixa 2 (slush fund). The accusers understand that at the very least four political parties – PT, PP, PL (today PR) and PTB -benefited from the scheme, beyond taking into account entrepreneurs and employees of financial institutions.
First reported in 2005, the case was tried at the end of last year.  With an historic result, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) [pt] convicted a large majority of the 38 defendants, including  José Dirceu, ex-ministerial Chief of Staff, Delúbio Soares, Treasurer of the Workers Party (PT), and the  businessman Marcos Valério.
Historical Conviction
Ceremony held by the Minister Joaquim Barbosa. Photo by the Senate Agency (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Despite new cases of corruption that continue to be revealed in Brazil,  much of the population holds a widespread sentiment that impunity prevails among those involved. Convictions such as those of the mensalão case, highlighting the figure of the Justice Minister of STF, Joaquim Barbosa, signal that times may be changing. Even a campaign for the presidential nomination of the Minister has been launched.
With the aim to end impunity, the Brazilian Association Against Corruption and Impunity [pt] was established. In it's mission statement [pt], the association states:
em nosso país a corrupção tende a ser considerada natural, como se fosse crônica e incurável, com a qual estamos obrigados a conviver, embora a maioria do povo brasileiro não aceite a corrupção e mesmo se revolte com o que vê e ouve. (…) É nessa cultura que se apóiam os atos de corrupção que é preciso eliminar da prática administrativa, política e empresarial e da vida cotidiana em nosso país, desde a prática individual de cidadãos isolados até as atuações organizadas de corporações e governos a qualquer nível.
in our country corruption tends to be taken for granted, as if it were chronic and incurable, with which we are obligated to live with, however a majority of the brazilian people don't accept corrpution and in return are revolted by what they see and hear. (…) It is this culture that supports acts of corruption that need to be eliminated from administrative, political and business practices and from everyday life in our country, from the individual actions of individual citizens to the organized actions of corporations and governments at whatever level.
Along the same lines, movements for open governance and transparent administration have emerged in various parts of the country. Brazil, for example, is one of eight countries to found Open Government Partnership, a global effort to improve governments worldwide. The Ethos Institute [pt] also launched a portal Clean Games to monitor the level of transparency of the host cities for the World Cup in 2014. A majority of the municipalities exhibit a very low level.
The challenge that change presents is great.  However, everyone's participation is essential to ensure that new scandals are in fact scandals, and not just daily news.

author: Fernando Sapelli


text:
Brazil: Newspaper and Satire Blog Battle  · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

The main clash is between the version of Folha, which practices censorship under the guise of brand protection, and the version of Falha, which evokes freedom of expression.
Brazilian journalist Lino Bocchini informs [pt] that the case of Folha de São Paulo newspaper against the satirical blog Falha de São Paulo will finally be judged on February 20. A protest has been called on Facebook for the day of the trial.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


text:
Crowdfunders Empty Pockets for Catalan Independence   · Global Voices
Violeta Camarasa

‘L'endemà. Respostes per a decidir‘, a documentary project about Catalonia's potential independence from Spain, produced by Isona Passola [ca], earned a record-breaking €150,000 on the crowdfunding platform Verkami on February 15, 2013. Passola, who produced the award-winning film Pa Negre [ca], hoped to reach that amount in 40 days, but reached that goal in just eleven. Previously, the crowdfunding record in Catalonia was €,50,000, according to the Catalan-language journal Diari Ara [ca].
The project's promoters have eagerly asserted that if they can reach €153,108  the film will be “the most successful crowdfunding project in Europe.”
L'endemà is intended to project “clear, solid, reliable and credible arguments” to combat “the fear of voting YES” in an upcoming referendum for the independence that the Catalan government is organizing, while defying firm resistance from the central Spanish government.

author: Violeta Camarasa