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Brazil: Student Protests Against Bus Fare Increases in Piaui · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

All links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.
Since the beginning of the year, thousands of students  have been protesting against the increase in bus fares in the city of Teresina, the capital of the state of Piaui. The demonstrators are forcefully kept down by the RONE (specially trained troops) of the Military Police. They have reacted by setting fire to at least one bus, and dozens of students have been arrested.
Photo of the first days of the protest, students ransack a bus in response to the police violence. Photo by Regis Falcao (permission granted for use).
The protests, however, had begun back in August 2011 and there was a short truce at the end of the year because of the Xmas and New Year festivities, as the blogger Filipe Saraiva explains:
Desde o dia 29 de agosto, uma segunda-feira, estudantes e moradores de  Teresina fazem manifestação por qualidade no transporte público  municipal. Serão agora, 5 dias consecutivos de manifestação. O estopim  do ato foi o aumento do preço da passagem no apagar das luzes do dia 26  de agosto, sexta-feira, que elevou a tarifa para R$ 2,10 [O valor anterior era de R$ 1,90 – Nota GV].
The blogger goes on to explain that the Teresina buses have been running without further tendering since 1988, and since 1994 a spreadsheet has been used to justify increases. Yet no local resident has seen it and it has come to be seen as fictitious.
Every year there are peaceful demonstrations, with the exception of the 2005 protests, when the police opened fire on students, who responded by setting fire to the buses in the city streets. The protests aren’t only about the increase in fares, but also about the upkeep of the buses:
Teresina é uma cidade pequena, esse aumento não se justifica!
Uma mãe que ganha um salário mínimo não tem condições de pagar essa tarifa absurda.
Ônibus lotados.
Ônibus atrasados.
Ônibus sujos.
In 2011, the Piaui Public Ministry managed to get a court order to agree to put a stop to the fare increase and insisted on carrying out an audit of the doubtful spreadsheet, but the city council ignored the passing of this ruling. So the protests started again in the midst of the police violence. There were also denunciations of police infiltration into student groups who accuse the police of pinpointing the movement leaders to arrest them, in an effort to dismantle the protests.
This year, history repeats itself
According to the journalist Renato Rovai, after the measures promoted by the mayor Elmano Ferre of the PTB (Brazilian Worker Party) – ‘increase in bus fares and integration of casualties into the local public transport’, ‘Teresina streets have become a war zone’ and ‘the students have been treated like criminals by the local media’.
The blogger Romulo Maia opens up about the police violence, and has also produced a series of videos about the protests:
Polícia Militar truculenta. Fotos e  vídeos mostram jovens sendo pisoteados pelos coturnos da tropa de  choque. Spray de pimenta no rosto de manifestante sem reação. Bomba de  efeito moral em gente sentada. Bala de borracha também. Intimidação.  Celulares quebrados. Dedo na cara. Gritos autoritários.
Video from the user AcessePiaui shows images of police repression on the second day of protests:
Dozens of students have been arrested since the beginning of the protests, and as well as the Military Police, extra security guards contracted by the Teresina Urban Transport Companies Union are also keeping the students down.
For the photo journalist Regis Falcao ‘it’s worth the fight’:
Os métodos são válidos e a realidade do movimento não é aquilo que você vê de longe.
Incomoda? sim, muito! e deve incomodar! parar o trânsito, atrapalhar a ida e vinda de terceiros faz parte. Infelizmente não há como ser brando quando a questão é tão séria.
Restam duas opções: continue criticando o movimento, os “estudantes arruaceiros” do conforto de sua casa, do frescor do ar-condicionado de seu carro, alienado pela própria ignorância, pela própria falta de vontade de fazer alguma diferença no mundo, acorrentado pelo seu comodismo vergonhoso ou vá pra rua e veja com quantos gritos se faz uma mudança.
Student hit by shrapnel from police bombs. Photo by Leonidas Freire J (@leofreirejr), on TwiPic. More photos of the protests can be seen here.
Regis Falcao shared a number of his photos in his Facebook album, in which he calls the students ‘outraged’, like Igor Prado, who posted photos on the fourth day of the protests. Sinesio Soares posted a photo of law student Lucas with his face covered in blood after being savagely beaten by the police.
On Facebook, some users, like police officer Gilberto Carlos de Sousa, criticised the demonstrators:
A TROPA DE CHOQUE BOTOU PRA QUEBRAR , MOSTROU PRA QUE VEIO, BOTOU VAGABUNDO PRA CORRER , PRENDEU VÂNDALOS E ANARQUISTAS , BELEZA , A POPULAÇÃO QUE SOFREU POR CONTAS DESSES VÂNDALOS, AGRADECE , VALEW MESMO!!!!
The blogger Herbert Sousa criticised the demonstrators too:
A população de Teresina ficou atônita com a onda de terror patrocinada  por partidos reacionários de esquerda, que tem como ideologia o  Stalinismo.
Vice magazine published a series of photos about the protests on the second day, in which one could see the police hitting unarmed and peaceful protesters. And the Centre for Independent Media published a number of photos on the second and seventh days of the protests here, here and here.
The journalist and blogger Leonardo Sakamoto comments on the inability of the police to accept the rights of the people to protest:
No Brasil, há governos que não entenderam que o direito de protestar é  parte da democracia. E que o povo não serve apenas para votar a cada  quatro anos, pagar impostos e fornecer mão-de-obra barata. Mas, como se  vê pela notícia acima, o Estado nos lembra diariamente que não somos  cidadãos mas gado, que pode, eventualmente, ser marcado para  identificação.
The protest on 10th, the seventh of the series, may have been the most violent of all and was called #MassacreTeresina and #DiadoLuto (Mourning Day). The profile @contraoaumento (against the protest) which has been gathering information about the protests and helping in its coordination, states:
@Contraoaumento: São 17 presos na Central de Flagrantes. Cada fiança é de R$ 6.220,00, o que totaliza R$ 115.740,00. #contraoaumento #massacreteresina
Students and even journalists were attacked by the Piaui military police. The user YouTube akase51 posted a video showing the extent of the police violence against the peaceful students on the seventh day of protests:
Other videos showing the exact moment when the military police started to attack the students can be seen here and here.
On Twitter, there were criticisms of the police too, with accusations of extreme violence, and to the politicians and to the media, accused of being favourable to the repressions and revolt, as expressed in the tweet by Daniel Solon, UESPI professor:
@Daniel_Solon: Neste momento, o Piauí tem 16 presos políticos. Foram criminalizados por lutar #contraoaumento da passagem de ônibus.
The students will stand trial by the state.
Cornered students being attacked by the police. Photo taken from the CMI site – Centre for Independent Media. Copyleft.
The journalist Daniel Santini compiled a list of other cities which had undergone public transport increases and criticised the lack of public investment in the sector, as well as incorrect decisions by politicians, like the President Dilma Rousseff.
And the journalist Renato Roval states that the number of arrested students, which he calls ‘political prisoners’, has reached eight. Their names are on his blog.
The tags #Contraoaumento and #ContraoaumentoTHE continue to be frequently used by demonstrators and interested parties for spreading information, videos and photos. The sites #Contraoaumento and Forum Estadual em Defesa do Transporte Publico are a constant source of news.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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India: Did BBC Top Gear’s India Special Really Offend Indian Sensibilities? · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

On 28th December, the BBC aired a 90minute, Top Gear India Special episode . It featured the irrepressible Jeremy Clarkson, who, along with his 2 colleagues, undertook a 1300mile drive across India in what was apparently intended to be a “light-hearted road trip” whose “key ingredients will be [India's]  beautiful scenery, busy city scenes, local charm and colour within these  locations, areas to illustrate the local car culture that exists in  India.”
The programme showed Jeremy on “a trade mission” to India – in an attempt to promote British Industry and British products which would be relevant to the Indian market.  So you saw him driving around in a Jaguar XJS with a toilet fitted to the boot of his car, because, as he declared “everyone who comes to India gets the trots.” Another part of the episode showed him stripping down to his underpants to demonstrate the use of a British trouser press (which, according to him could double up as a naan or flatbread maker). Then there was the bit about advertising British products on Indian trains.
Screenshot from Youtube video by Gamerguyali
Initially, all seemed well. However, after a while, it appeared that Clarkson's brand of humor had not gone down well with the Indian administration. The Indian High Commission formally complained to the BBC, saying that the programme “was replete with cheap jibes, tasteless humour and lacked    cultural sensitivity that we expect from the BBC.” Soon the incident got escalated to the extent that the British Prime Minister David Cameron, who appears briefly in the beginning of the program asking the team to ‘stay away from India’, had to distance himself from the controversy.
However, in this instance, the netizens have not sided with the government's outrage on this issue. Discussions in the social media have largely felt that all this official hullabaloo over the program's content was  over-the-top and uncalled for. Many of the comments on Twitter reflected this sentiment.
@vinnie_three: Just watched the top gear india special and it is funny as hell. #topgear
@sanidhya: I actually quite enjoyed the Top Gear India Special. Don't get what all the controversy is about. When did we become so touchy as a country?
@sanjay_ankur : me is watching the Top Gear India special episode. It's freakin awesome!
@Annapakshi: Top Gear made a complete ass of itself in the India special program. Dont know what the fuss is all about! #BBC #Topgear
@gkjohn: Why do we Indians have such a low tolerance for humour? Was funny when they made fun of the Mexicans but when it's us.. tgr.ph/ApkYP6
@HoeZaay:  What !? BBC's Top Gear came to India and depicted us in “bad light” ?!  Make them apologise ! Only Indians are allowed to do that.
Some of the Tweeple also stated that there was no harm in showing  some of the realities of India, for example the ‘heart-in-your-mouth’  driving displayed on the highways, the difficulty of driving on a dual  carriageway etc., which have been captured in the episode. Others felt that the Indian administration, in seeking an apology  from BBC and Britain was being unduly over-sensitive  over a non-issue  when they had other serious issues to deal with both in the UK and in India.
@kabeermahajan:anybody  who is questioning Top Gear india special should try and drive fast on a  dual carriageway in India… (BOM – POONA expway excluded)
Reflecting the sentiment that there were more serious issues that the administration should spend their time on, Yogesh Sarkar, in the India Travel Forum – BCMT touring, wrote:
The real irony I guess is the fact that an Indian student had been murdered in  UK in a racial crime, while another was found dead in mysterious circumstances  and Indian High Commission is busy paying attention to the work of Jeremy  Clarkson!… I had seen the episode and didn't really found it to be insulting. I mean, when  we laugh on the episode related to Albanian Mafia, what right do we have to  stand up in arms over an episode filmed in India? If any thing, I believe the  last section about the drive in Himalayas would just be an advertisement for  Incredible India and more and more foreigners would love to come and see it.
On the same discussion thread, referring to other controversies that has plagued Top Gear over the years,  forum member Hacket commented on the India episode:
Top Gear India – humorous credit line. Screenshot from Youtube video by jack390
I didn't find the episode offensive. Mockery was more towards the boys  themselves,Britain than India. Secondly, TG,Orangutan and co. always mock and  been in several controversy. BBC keeps replying back to take it in a light  humorous way.
Another member, Anup Mathur, felt that Indians were gradually becoming intolerant and incapable of taking things lightly. He said:
Finally, the verdict seems to be that this was a storm in a teacup and it was time to get over it. What should be India's response then? Perhaps, it has been best encapsulated in this tweet:
@madversity: Don't seek apologies from those who you should be mocking back. But then, your humour has to be in Top Gear

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Aparna Ray


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Myanmar’s ‘Beautiful Friday the 13th’ · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

Myanmar President Thein Sein proved that the new government is serious in implementing democratic reforms by releasing almost all political prisoners today. According to a news report by a government television channel, a total of 651 dissidents were released from detention.
The release of prominent political prisoners is cited as an important step towards the Myanmar democracy journey. Among those who were freed included 88 generation activists Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Mya Aye, Jimmy, and Ni Lar Thein, monk activist Ashin Gambira, the former Prime Minister Khin Nyunt and his sons, and the blogger Nay Phone Latt. Both local and exile news agencies have interviewed some of these well-known personalities after their release.
Hundreds of Myanmar political prisoners were released on 'Beautiful Friday the 13th'
Khin Nyunt, the former prime minister, agrees [my] with Aung San Suu Kyi, the global democracy icon of Myanmar, that the recent decision of the government is a step in the right direction. Here's the report from the Eleven Media Group:
Current government is great. Because they have met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. And the efforts made by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, efforts made by the president, the efforts made by both of them would lead to the good future of the country, I think.
The Democratic Voice of Burma posted the speeches of Min Ko Naing and Ni Lar Thein. Min Ko Naing was welcomed by more than a thousand people:
Thank you all, I have been in prison for about 20 years. But I am still quite healthy as you can see because of the love of the public. For the democracy that the public is hoping, we promise that we will carry on till we get to the target.
But Ni lar Thein also confirmed she hasn't signed any document for the release.
Many people around the country expressed their elation on social networks after the release was announced. Brownboy commented on the news update of Eleven Media Group :
Now people are happy inside & out. Appraising our Government… This is really tangible result that everyone can see..
Why they didn't do it the first place…?
Anyway, this is the moment we should celebrate…
Long live our People & Country!!!
KHZ1994, another commenter, expressed [my] his happiness :
I couldn't even go out for lunch. Because I am reading this news and the comments. Today is the day for the public with tears of happiness.
Myanmar netizens on Facebook posted status updates such as “Beautiful Friday 13″, “We are free”, “Thanks Mr. President” and “Today is a fairy tale” in reaction to the news. Some netizens even opined that substantial change will define Myanmar's immediate future.
Maung Maung San posted an artwork for the president saying:
That's a really bold move Mr. Thein Sein. I can see removal of sanctions  and economic boom in a short future. A good friday the 13th.
TeZa Hlaing posted [my] his belief on facebook:
2012 is not the year the world would end but the year Myanmar would start.
SG_Lion mentioned [my] his thoughts on the country's future:
Let's try for our country to be able to stand proudly in the world by forgetting the past. Sanctions would be removed and Europe, US and international investments will improve in Myanmar. May the day when we can say “I'm Myanmar” proudly arrive very soon.
According to The Myanmar Times, Aung San Suu Kyi commented [my] after meeting with a U.S Congressman :
I have mentioned that they would be released. And now, they are free.

author: Chan Myae Khine


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Philippines: Malong and Typhoon Sendong Evacuees · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Journalist Keith Bacongco writes about how Typhoon Sendong evacuees in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao uses the malong, a traditional Muslim blanket, to cope with the disaster.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Philippines: Revolutionary heritage · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

The Museo de Santisima Trinidad curator reviews Angela Stuart-Santiago’s Revolutionary Routes: Five Stories of Incarceration, Exile, Murder and Betrayal in Tayabas Province, 1891-1980. The book is a history of her family and the revolutionary struggles against the Spanish, American, and Japanese colonizers up to the early years of the Philippine republic. It is based on the memoir of her grandmother originally written in Spanish.


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Slovakia: 25,000 Euro for National Gallery’s Website? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Slovak netizens are discussing the overpriced new website of the Slovak National Gallery [sk, en]: SME.sk reports [sk] that the “minimally designed” [en] site cost Slovak taxpayers some 25,000 euro (allegedly, 20 times the price of the website of the Czech National Gallery in Prague [cz]); SME.sk blogger Martin Palšovič has already sent an inquiry to the Slovak audit/control office [sk] (links via Tibor Blazko).

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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The Balkans: Potential Reactions to Angelina Jolie’s Film · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Back in Dec. 2011, Belgraded wrote on how Angelina Jolie’s In the Land of Blood and Honey is likely to be received in Serbia.


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Ukraine: Borscht (and Other Food) · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Semkee/Seeds writes about the Ukrainian borscht experience: “How to prepare your borscht is a serious topic and not to be taken lightly. No, it is not just a bowl of soup. It is borscht! Respect your borscht! It is a concept!” More Ukrainian food-related posts – at The Pickle Project (e.g., here and here).


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Ukraine: Gasprinsky Crimean Tatar Library · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Back in Nov. 2011, Peace Corps volunteer Barb Wieser guest-blogged about her work at the Ismail Gasprinsky Crimean Tatar Library in Simferopol, Crimea, at Uncataloged Museum blog.


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Bangladesh: The New Pravda · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ishtiaque opines that the Bangladeshi national TV channel has become a state propaganda machine like the Pravda.

author: Rezwan


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Bangladesh: The Treasure Chest At Wari Bateshwar · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Unlocked reports that the 11th season of excavation has opened at Wari Bateshwar archaeological site, in Narshingdhi near Dhaka.


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China: Prostituting to Defend Sex Workers’ Rights · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Well-known blogger and feminist activist Ye Haiyan, also known as Liumang Yan (Hooligan Sparrow), decided to provide sexual services to rural peasant workers on January 11 in defense of sex workers’ rights after she witnessed a recent raid by police officers in a brothel in Guangxi province.
Liu wrote about her day of prostitution on her Sina Weibo account on January 12 and while her posts were removed by Sina employees, Liu has a backup of her writings on Tencent's Qzone personal diary site. Her account illustrates the lives of the lowest strata sex workers in China. Below is a reconstruction of her deleted Sina microblog posts taken from Qzone:
我今天在十元店潜伏做调查，正好遇上一个姐妹被警察抓走。这些姐妹与顾客一次性交的价格在10元至20元之间，属于低价交易，年关难过。希望警察按照中国法律的要求，酌情，从轻处罚，不要为了从中捞取好处，而选择最高量刑。也希望大家帮忙呼吁，使姐妹们免受合法抢劫。事发地，广西博白。
这个姐妹十分热心，她辛苦赚钱，交完房租，准备回家过年。刚刚打好了洗头水，说洗完头就回家，结果就被警察抓了。 我想看看，中国政府，是以罚款为目的，还是为了解决民生治安为目的。性工作者在隐蔽的场所，解决了农民工的性需求，也解决了自己的生存问题，而中国政府在做什么？
孟建柱老师：希望您能体谅民间的疾苦，不要从性工作者身上，谋取行政经费。特别是贫困的性工作者。希望公安部能在内部发个通知，对于贫困性工作者，在年关之际，少下黑手。 中国民间女权工作室叶海燕，深切恳求。
Ye Haiyan in a 10 dollar sexshop
我从现在开始，对来这里的农民工提供免费的性服务，一是以免他们被警察抓，处以高额经济处罚，被合法抢劫，二是为解决基层百姓的性需求，缓解社会压力做出努力。三是用我的高风亮节对比政府的麻木无情。希望对他们有所触动。活动明天结束。
今天我提供第一个免费性服务的是一个18岁的农村孩子。他在门口转悠，问我多少钱？我说，你给多少钱？他说，十块钱可以吗？我问他多大，他说18岁，为什么来这种地方，是不是处男？他似乎听不懂，扭头要走。我说，来吧，我跟你做，不要钱。然后帮他带上套子，告诉他出门去玩一定要带安全套。
我为四个人提供了免费的性服务。其中一个老人五十多岁，他穿着很破旧，因为在下雨，他穿着雨衣，雨鞋，脸上满是皱纹，我说不要钱，他问为什么？当他看到我白嫩的身体，我相信他不理解这是怎么回事，我说我是北京派来的。这个社会有许多的不平等。起步，机会，权利,发展不平等，…性，居然也不平等。
老百姓，只是打个炮而已。他打一次炮，只花十块钱,他开支得起。这对他的生活，不会有任何影响，对社会也没影响。他也许娶不起老婆，娶不到老婆，可去找个小姐，满足一下生理需求，你们却要在他身上抢劫三千，你们这些流氓强盗已经把他们逼到这样的角落，你们还要在暗地里，敲诈一笔，会不会太狠了点！
那个准备回家的姐妹今天出来了，罚了三千。她必须接150个客人。才能还清罚款。我觉得自己帮不上她，心里难过，不敢见她。我觉得自己很没用。看着这些姐妹被警察打劫，我却一点办法没有。
大家可以将心比心，回想一下，一个人，因为生存，而天天担心受怕的心情。她想要这20块钱，可在角落里，有一双眼睛却虎视耽耽盯着她的钱包，想要她的三千。她会快乐吗？最可恨的是，钓鱼执法，谁知道面对的这个男人是真正的嫖客，还是警察的线人。到底是会赚到20，还是会损失三千？
是什么人在消费十元店的姐妹？达官贵人会去十元店找那些老妈子吗？他们永远不会踏入他们认为肮脏，低级的地方！他们视这里面的人为猪狗。只有农民工会走进这里与大姐们平等相处。我的农民工客人，衣服里三层，外三层，件件都破了，我抱着他，心里充满了悲哀，难道生活紧迫到连补衣服的时间也没有吗？
那里的男人说，我是最温柔的小姐。其实我不是温柔，是我懂得尊重他们，把他们当成自己的兄弟，亲人，没有看不起他们，把他们当成像“大老板”一样的男人。不管他的衣服多么破旧，身上多少泥水，我把他抱进怀里，安慰他。让他感觉到自己是有人喜欢的。

author: Oiwan Lam


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India’s Current Leadership · Global Voices
Rezwan

Atanu Dey comments on India’s current leadership: “it appears that the primary requirements for holding political power in India are a lack of common sense, common honesty and common decency.”


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Iran: A cleric blogger on hunger strike · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohammad Sadegh Honarvar Shojayi, a blogger and cleric started his hunger strike on Monday. He was arrested by the Prosecutor General on charges of conducting an interview with the reformist Kalameh website.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: A former military commander under fire · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A former Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Alae who dared to warn the Supreme Leader about the consquences of repression is under fire.There was a protest gathering in front of his house.Hamdel praises [fa] his bravery and ask Iranians to support him.


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Iran: A homeless Iranian killed in Canada · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian bloggers reported  [fa] Farshad Mohammadi, a 34 years old homeless Iranian in Montreal was killed by a policeman. Canada's  police says the victim had attacked a policeman with knife.


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Iran: Enthusiasm over ‘A Separation’ in Golden Globe · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

Iranian users are showing enthusiasm in Facebook over a photo which shows Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian director of  ‘A Separation‘, a Golden Globe foreign language nominee, beside Pedro Almodovar and Angelina Jolie, other nominee directors who are very famous in Iran.

author: Hadi Nili


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Iran: We can not achieve freedom with virtual world · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Ghorghrou says [fa]” we can not achieve freedom with virtual world…we make a mistake thinking   all Iranians in country are as informed as a group of Iranians in Facebook or Balatarin.”


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Iran:Bread price soars · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Harfayi az Tahe Del writes bread price [fa] soars in country and a Sangak cost about 1000 tomans.The blogger reminds [fa] us before revolution, 33 years ago, a Sangak was just one toman. The blogger asks if our parents had known one day Sangak becomes so expensive, would they have chanted down with Shah?


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Morocco: Activist Rapper Freed · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests.
Mouad Belghouat aka “Al Haked” (The Indignant), a 24-year-old Moroccan rap artist and outspoken critic of Morocco's monarchy, was released on Thursday from prison, where he had been held since last September.
Mouad was officially charged with assaulting a pro-regime protester but his supporters claim the charges were trumped up in an attempt to silence growing discontent. His lawyers repeated bail requests were rejected by the judge, who adjourned the trial six times.
The rapper is one of the most recognizable figures of the leaderless pro-democracy February 20 Movement, the local extension of the so-called Arab spring.
In reaction to the movement's regular protests, King Mohammed VI introduced a series of constitutional amendments in July prompting early legislative elections in November which put the Islamist PJD party at the helm of the government. But the youth-based movement vowed to continue its protests, denouncing high-profile corruption, political arrests and a monarchy that still enjoys extensive executive powers.
The announcement of Mouad's release on Thursday spread like fire on Facebook and Twitter. Several Al Haked supporters rushed to the Okacha prison in Casablanca to welcome him. A defiant Mouad walked out of prison shouting “long live the people”.
Larbi, who campaigned for the release of Mouad, shares the first pictures of the freed rapper:
Picture by Omar Radi, shared on Twitter by @Larbi_org
Shortly after his release, the rapper returned to the stage. In an improvised concert in his neighborhood, he performed in tune with a jubilant crowd of supporters (video posted by direlibghiti):
Omar Radi describes the scene [fr]:
Les gamins du quartier chantent par choeur avec #Freehaked. Concert improvisé, sono pourrie, mais tout le monde est joyeux.
Aida Alami was also there. She tweets:
Mouad on the stage… Big celebration in mouad's neighborhood to celebrate his new freedom
Hasna Ankal thinks activists should capitalize on their “success” and call on the release of more “political prisoners.” She shares this poster on Twitter:
Al Haked is Free, Now Free Everyone – Posted by Hasna Ankal
When on Thursday, the judge decided to release Mouad, the efforts led by activists seemed to have finally paid off. For months they ran a consistent campaign both online, through their website, Facebook page and Twitter accounts, and offline, organizing press conferences and sit-ins, rallying more supporters and prominent public figures around their cause.
But Thursday's court ruling remains a “bittersweet victory” for activists like Maria Karim, who was at the forefront of the Free Haked campaign. The judge in fact pronounced  [fr] the rapper guilty of assault on a royalist supporter, but decided to release him because he served his sentence of four months.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Video Highlights: Activism, Freedom of Speech, Identity and Culture · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This section aims to showcase interesting and recent posts in Global Voices that show the many ways in which videos are helping people tell stories all around the world. You can follow the activity by regions in our YouTube channel or by clicking on the regional header links.
Yemen: The Amazing Life March Arrives in Sanaa
From Yemen we have the amazing story of the historic 264km Life March, which is the longest since Mahatma Gandhi's 390km long  Salt March in 1930. During the Life March, villages and towns came together to give food and drink to the thousands of people who marched for four days straight through winding mountain passes protesting the immunity that outgoing President Saleh asked for himself and his aides and family for the killing of protesters in the Yemen uprisings.
However, the march didn't seem to sway the newly formed cabinet members who approved the bill: it will now go on to parliament for it to become a law.
Yemen: Saleh Gets Away With Murder…He Gets Immunity
It is those martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the rest of Yemen to live a life of freedom and democracy, whom Yemenis feel they must never be forgotten nor should their blood go in vain.
This next video is a silent remembrance for those who died during the peaceful uprising:
Some online activists are also promoting an online campaign against a stimulating herb chewed by many Yemeni men and women for hours on end, sometimes daily. The campaign is for a day without using the leafy green plant, Qat:
Yemen: January 12, a Day Without Qat
As blogger @Afrahnasser, proposed on Twitter:
An average citizen in Yemen wastes 8 hrs in searching money for qat, another 8 hrs in chewing qat & the rest 8 hrs in sleeping @NoonArabia
The idea of the campaign is to turn those hours spent on qat into active endeavors which build up Yemen.
Ethiopia: Swedish Journalists Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges
Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson crossed from Somalia to Ethiopia illegally which caused the Ethiopian authorities to detain and put them on trial for supporting terrorist activities and crossing illegally into the territory, although the defense claims that they were performing their duty as journalists to report both sides of the conflict. This next video was used as evidence during the trial, where the journalists are seen planning their journey as journalists
Spain: Fighting for the Right to a Home
Families who got into debt to buy a home and ended without jobs or income to pay for them are being helped by an organization aiming to stop families from being evicted and to give them temporary homes in foreclosed and empty houses when they aren't able to stop the banks.  The video on this post shows their success in avoiding an eviction and keeping a man and his 13 year old son off the streets.
Hungary: Memories of Barvalipe Roma Pride Summer Camp
Growing up Roma in Europe can make children feel stigmatized and rejected by their peers, causing them to hide their origins and feel ashamed of their heritage. The Barvalipe Roma Pride Summer Camp aimed to give Roma youth a chance to discover their roots by learning the language, history and cuisine of the Roma people.
Hong Kong: Protest Against Luxury Brand to Defend Local Identity
A luxury brand which doesn't allow for photographs to be taken of its store is not news, but when they stated that the rule only applied for local residents of Hong Kong and not tourists from Mainland China, the people of Hong Kong made their anger known through a flashmob outside the store.
Chile: Wildfire in Torres del Paine Shocks Netizens
The wildfire in one of Chile's top touristic spots, National Park Torres del Paine had netizens blogging and tweeting about the fire, both as experienced by those inside the park at the time of the evacuation and recorded it on video as well as from concerned people following the news and updates.
Central America: LibreBus Project Presents its Documentary
The documentary follows the activists who climbed on board a bus driving through 5 different Central American countries to spread the message of free software, the defense of freedom of speech and content sharing.
Colombia: Salsa Song Criticizes Bus Rapid Transport System
Public transportation makes it easier for people to get from one location to another without having to use their own vehicle, however, when that public transportation system is overcrowded, it can become a torture instead of a relief. The salsa song (with translated captions here)  shows what it is like for people to use the popular Transmilenio System in the capital city of Bogota.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Argentina: President Cristina Fernández’ Controversial Cancer Diagnosis · Global Voices
Natán Calzolari

On December 27, 2011, the Casa Rosada revealed that Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was suffering from a papillary thyroid carcinoma in the right lobe of her thyroid gland. The cancerous growth had been detected during a routine checkup on December 22.
During the following days, the most important newspapers reported [es] on this subject (many of whom made it a headline) and explained [es] that the operation would take place on January 4, 2012; a day after, vice president Amado Boudou would act as President for the following 20 days.
Headline of Argentine newspaper La Nación on December 28, 2011,"The President will have an operation for thyroid cancer."
Many users reacted to the news on social networks by showing their affection for the President and wishing for her recovery using the hashtag #FuerzaCristina [es] (Be Strong Christina), which quickly turned into a trending topic on Twitter. Also, hours after the operation, a group of active Kirchner supporters gathered in front of the Austral Hospital, where the operation was scheduled to take place, as reported by the daily La Nación [es].
Journalist Florencia Etcheves (@fetcheves) tweeted [es] in response to this movement:
Me parece un delirio la vigilia, pero deseo q esto que le pasa a la Presidenta sea sólo un mal momento y que pase rápido #FuerzaCristina
User Nicolás Aboaf (@nicodebrandsen) said [es]:
Sea cual sea tu identidad política, es nuestra Presidenta… #FuerzaCristina.
On the other hand, quite a number of political officials including those of the opposition expressed their support for the President via Twitter. National Deputy Fernando Iglesias (@feriglesias), from the Coalición Cívica (Civic Coalition), said [es]:
Le deseo a la Señora Presidenta una pronta recuperación. Al país, también.
Presidential candidate, Hermes Binner (@HermesBinner), said [es] on his Twitter account:
Pronta recuperación de la Sra. Presidenta es nuestro deseo.
On January 4, as planned, the surgical intervention of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner took place in the Austral Hospital. During the following days, post-operation procedures were published on the President's official Twitter account (1, 2, 3, 4) [es]. These medical reports were also read in front of groups of journalists and militants by the presidential spokesperson, Alfredo Scoccimarro, announcing the success of the operation. The next day, Ámbito Financiero published [es] in their online version:
Cristina de Kirchner fue operada ayer en una clínica de Pilar de un carcinoma en la tiroides, en una intervención que los médicos responsables calificaron de exitosa. La Presidente ingresó al hospital a primera hora de la mañana y fue internada para los preparativos de la operación, que comenzó a las 8 y se prolongó durante tres horas y media. […] En ese piso hubo sólo médicos, asistentes y algunos familiares (hijos, cuñada). En un segundo círculo se movieron el secretario presidencial, Oscar Parrilli, y el vocero Alfredo Scoccimarro, quien cerca del mediodía dio un informe de los médicos en el que se detallaba que se le había extirpado la glándula tiroides, que la mandataria se había recuperado de la anestesia y que la intervención podía considerarse un éxito.
Senator Anibal Fernández (@fernandezanibal), among other political figures, tweeted (1, 2) [es]:
Gracias a Dios, concluyó sin complicación alguna la intervención quirúrgica que se realizó en el Hospital Austral a @CFKArgentina
La Presidenta ya está despierta y la atienden en el área de atención general del Hospital Austral.
Finally, on January 7, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner thanked (1, 2) [es] the people for their well wishes:
Ya desde Olivos, agradecemos a todas las personas, ciudadanos, militantes y personalidades, por las muestras de afecto y preocupación.
Agradecemos a Dios y a todo el pueblo argentino por las bendiciones recibidas…
Controversy
However, the same day, Argentine daily Perfil reported [es] that the last part of the submitted medical report of the procedure unexpectedly changed the diagnosis of the President: it no longer mentioned a papillary carcinoma, but rather a follicular adenomas, a benign tumor.
Se esperaba un alta médico, pero no un cambio en el diagnóstico. […] En su lugar, el informe de los médicos del Hospital Austral de Pilar leído por el vocero presidencial, Alfredo Scoccimarro, hablaba de “adenomas foliculares”.
“El adenoma puede estar en cualquier órgano, es un tumor benigno. Uno de los más comunes son los que se encuentran en una mama (en el caso de la mujer) o en la próstata (en el hombre)”.
A medical record was expected, but not a change in the diagnosis. […] Instead, the medical report from the doctors at the Pilar Austral Hospital, read by the presidential spokesperson, Alfredo Scoccimarro, spoke of “follicular adenomas”.
“An adenoma can appear in any organ, and is a benign tumour. One of the most common are the ones that appear in the mammary glands (in the case of women) and the prostate (in the case of men)
La Nación published [es] a medical testimony from an anonymous source about the change of the diagnosis:
“Fue un falso positivo”, resumió a LA NACION una fuente muy cercana al equipo médico de Cristina Kirchner. […] “Esto sucede en un porcentaje mínimo de pacientes y, en este caso, le sucedió a la Presidenta, pero fueron cuatro y no sólo uno los especialistas que coincidieron en que la punción era compatible con un carcinoma papilar”, sostuvo la fuente.
Jorge Carrascosa, the director of the Maipú Diagnostic Centre explained [es] that this was the first case of a “false positive” in the entire history of the establishment, since 1983. Similarly, because of this turn in the President's diagnosis, netizens reacted with all kinds of comments. Google+ user Ana Inés Hermida, commented [es]:
[…] inventar un cáncer, nada menos. […] Mientras tanto, el hospital cancelaba turnos de gente para quimio en serio.
On the same note, in La Nación user Charlot stated [es] her opinion by saying:
Con o sin cáncer todo esto fue un circo. Y una falta de respeto total para con las personas internadas en el Hospital Austral.
In view of the controversy, the Austral Hospital expressed its stance about the faulty diagnosis, explaining [es] that the results of the exam on December 22 were not sufficiently detailed, and that the original report was yet to be changed.
Upon final inspection, Twitter user Jorge Asís (@CayetanoAsis) tweeted [es]:
Salud, comunicadores oncólogos. Que Cristina no tiene cáncer no puede convertirse en una noticia más impactante que el anuncio de tenerlo.

author: Natán Calzolari


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Bahamas: Need for a Voters’ Manifesto  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It’s 2012 and the silly season is officially upon us”: Blogworld notes that “it’s a rare situation this election. For the first time in 35 years, it’s a proper three-way race…[yet] predictably, and unfortunately so, the discussion is progressing the way football hooligans support their favourite teams.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazil: Cultural Debate as ‘Oh if I Catch You’ Song Goes Global · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

If you keep track of the latest international trends in music, if you are really fond of Brazilian music or if for instance you are a Cristiano Ronaldo supporter, you have probably heard the song ‘Ai se eu te pego’. Or perhaps its English version, ‘Oh if I catch you’.
Brazilian singer Michel Teló has begun the year of 2012 with a major worldwide success with this song. Surprisingly or not, Brazilian netizens have been critical towards Teló’s music to show a certain concern about the international view of Brazilian music these days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PvfvCU7tNKE
‘Ai se eu te pego’ has made his way to the top of the international billboards with record-high marks of downloads on iTunes. The most impressive marks are definitely in Europe, where Teló has reached number one in Portugal, Italy and Spain, countries where he will soon present his hit song in his first international tour.
Michel Teló in concert. Shared via Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 2.0 license.
From Brazil to Telobalization
Michel Teló, 30 years old, represents sertanejo universitário (university sertanejo), the newest subgenre of ‘sertanejo‘, a musical genre with roots in the caipira culture of south-central Brazil.
Teló's career started back in 1997 with the band Grupo Tradição, until he decided to pursue a solo career in 2008. National success came with the hit ‘Fugidinha’, but nothing comparable to ‘Ai se eu te pego’. The official video on YouTube has reached the impressive mark of 107 million visits and counting.
Football players have adopted the song for celebrating goals. Brazilian footballer Neymar (of Santos F.C.) has even appeared on the videoclip. Marcelo Vieira and Cristiano Ronaldo (of Real Madrid C.F.) celebrated a goal dancing the song's choreography in October 2011.
In light of the song's success, Michel Teló translated ‘Ai se eu te pego’ to English, and thus was born ‘Oh if I catch you':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qs1ZGyJr8Hk
Nevertheless, the most interesting effect so far is the appropriation  of the song for new versions in different languages, sometimes with the  same lyrics translated, such as this one in Polish:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t8MAz1FejJY#!
Why not Dutch?
The tumblr account Telobalização (as in ‘Telobalization’ – Teló going global) aggregates the diverse expressions of ‘Ai se eu te pego’ throughout the world, presenting videos of the song in Guaraní, French, German, Spanish, and even in Libras, the Brazilian sign language.
Europe in crisis (feat. Michel Teló)
Others are making very creative versions of Teló's music, such as the following video, adapting the lyrics to say “Troika, Troika, you're gonna kill me”, in a complaint against the austerity policies impacting the lives of Portuguese citizens imposed by the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission:
The Europe crisis seems to be a common joke take on Teló's music. Some suggest this might be the reason for his success in the continent. Brazilian user Valdete da Silva (@amigavaldete) tweeted a similar [pt] assessment:
michel teló fazendo sucesso é a prova que a crise na europa tá pior que pensávamos
Sr Piadas (@OPiadas), a Twitter profile devoted to making jokes, compared Europe and Brazil [pt]:
Europa is the new Brasil (está quebrada, ouvindo Michel Teló e jogando o melhor futebol do mundo)
Spokesperson of Brazilian culture?
Bruno Medina, a member of the Brazilian rock band Los Hermanos, which is currently in hiatus, wrote on his biweekly column an open letter to Michel Teló [pt], explaining how he had spent New Year's Eve annoyed with ‘Ai se eu te pego’. He compared the song to his band's first success in 2002, ‘Anna Júlia‘, which used to be played everywhere, all the time. He said he hoped Teló would “be able to build a consistent musical legacy” and urged him not to create another dance tune.
He added:
Aliás, não seria mau se você resolvesse passar logo todo o ano de 2012 viajando pelo mundo. Nada pessoal, é só uma precaução com o meu cérebro.
The post received more than 1,500 comments, and while most of them criticize Bruno Medina as being envious, a considerable number of users agreed with him and took it as a cue to go further. Cristina said:
Não tenho nada contra o Teló, porém essa música é um pé no saco (saco esse que nem tenho!) sou prof de educação infantil e é triste ver meus alunos cantando essa música como se fosse um mantra: \”ai se eu te pego, ai ai se eu te pego…\”).
Raquel B. said:
Eu não gosto da música do Michel Teló, o conteúdo é vergonhoso, jamais podemos achar que isso se trata de cultura. Temos que valorizar o que tem de bom no Brasil, músicos ótimos, letras que fazem bem ao ouvido. E se ele esta fazendo sucesso la fora é porque lá a cultura musical anda bem precaria também.
For music critic Pedro Alexandre Sanches, Brazilians are considering [pt] Michel Teló unworthy of international success and furthermore unworthy of presenting himself as a star of Brazilian music. He argues that Brazilians must deal with their “underdog complex” and accept that perhaps Michel Teló deserves his success. Considering Brazil's proeminence, what should we expect next?

author: João Miguel Lima


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Caribbean: Thank You, Dr. King  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Today, the United States marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day – a floating holiday which celebrates the birthday of the late civil right leader.  The occasion resonates with Caribbean bloggers, both at home and throughout the diaspora and a few of them share their thoughts…
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp, who lives in Miami, Florida, acknowledges the impact that Dr. King's “Letter from Birmingham Jail” has had on his life, noting that his latest book “include[s] a few of the lessons that [he] had learned from reading and teaching Dr. King's letter to [his] undergraduate students at Miami Dade College”.  He calls Dr. King's letter “one of the great moral texts of the twentieth century, [which] should be required reading in the training of young minds.”
Cuban diaspora blogger Michael Pancier put his tribute into “a little photo and video montage”, made from images he took during a visit to The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia.  His compatriot, Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter, also acknowledges the importance of the day:
The critiques against Martin Luther King Jr. and nonviolence are of importance today because around the world in Egypt, Tunisia, Burma, Cuba and elsewhere movements have emerged that are inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s example of nonviolent struggle. In the United States elements within the Occupy Wall Street movement have embraced Martin Luther King Jr. and are organizing acts of remembrance on his birthday.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Live De Life uploads a video of Will Kimbrough performing the “Ballad of Martin Luther King”, saying:
Figured this was appropriate for the holiday.
Finally, Afrobella posts a heartfelt “thank you” to Dr. King…”for everything”:
Dr. King was assassinated 44 years ago, and in the sands of time it is easy to forget that Dr. King was a real person. A man with a beautiful wife and family. A man who became the public face of a movement. A man who tirelessly worked, marched, got arrested, spoke eloquently on the topics of peace, love, and justice — and ultimately gave his life to the cause of racial equality.
Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Without you, who knows where we would be today.


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Colombia: Protesters Say ‘No More’ to Bullfighting · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Mike's Bogota Blog shares pictures of a protest against bullfighting which took place in Colombia's capital. He explains: “The animal rights protesters, who call themselves anti-taurinos, were bolstered by new Mayor Gustavo Petro's comments that Bogotá should consider banning bullfighting, and that the city would no longer provide financial support for it.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Cuba: Citizen Media Workshop  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Crossing the Barbed Wire blogs about a recent workshop “about the basics of citizen journalism and what could be done with the new information technologies”, adding: “The importance of what we now refer to as ‘citizen journalism’ gives human rights activists, social promoters, and dissidents in general a push…”


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Cuba: Tackling Racism  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván's File Cabinet profiles “two of the most lucid and coherent voices on the map of Cuban opposition”, who are fighting for democracy and “racial integration for the those of African origin in all social strata in Cuba.”


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El Salvador: Top Stories of 2011 · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Tim's El Salvador Blog summarizes the top stories from El Salvador in 2011.


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Estonia: The SS-Trap Revisited · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Kloty of Gedanken über Estland portrays [ger] Estonia's ambivalence over its historic past, as rumours and denials recur that the government wants to declare Estonians who fought in German uniform during the Second World War freedom fighters.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Guatemala: President Calls on Military to ‘Neutralize Illegal Armed Groups’ · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Bloggings by boz comments and reports on “a new top priority,” issued by the newly sworn in President Otto Perez Molina, for the Guatemalan military: “‘Achieve an interdiction of external threats and neutralize illegal armed groups, through the use of military power, by regaining and maintaining control of the air, maritime and land domains.'”


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Hungary: Right-Wing Pro-Government Demonstrations · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

The Contrarian Hungarian reports that three right-wing demonstrations in support of the Hungarian government have taken place only this weekend, in protest against increased international pressure on Hungary for its defunct economy and political turmoil.


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Iran: A group of Iranians celebrate win at Golden Globes · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Here is a film shows a group of Iranians celebrating “A Seperation” win at Golden Globes.


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Iran: Celebrating The 1st Golden Globe For Iran · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

Iranian users in Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed and other social media are celebrating that Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi's drama ‘A Separation‘ won the award for best foreign language film at the 69th Golden Globes. Aysan posted in her Facebook: This is about 3 years that our Facebook profiles have been full of pain and suffer but now we are all happy and proud because of this award.


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Iran: Jailed Islamic Cleric and Blogger on Hunger Strike · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In the last 33 years since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has been a kind of paradise for Islamic clerics who gained power and rule over the country. But not for all of them. Mohammad Sadegh (Arash) Honarvar Shojayi, a cleric and a blogger is one who is currently sharing the pain of imprisonment for his ideas and writings along with many other prisoners. Has the Islamic Republic democratized repression? In October 2011, after one year of jail, the blogger was sentenced to four years in prison and lashes.
Arash Honarvar Shojayi had online profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and a  blog. He is a critic of the concept of Guardianship of the Jurists (Vlayat Faqih), which means leadership under one cleric, the position currently held by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was accused of propaganda activities and activities against national security, as well as defaming the regime and the clergy. He was released recently due to health problems, but arrested again after an interview. He has been on hunger strike since last Monday.
Youth for Human Rights blog says [fa]:
Arash Honarvar Shojayi had been among political prisoners in section 350 in Evin Prison but he was transfered to section 325, among jailed clerics who do not share his critical ideas. The authroities warned if he continues his hunger strike, nobody in that section has right to receive any phone calls. Such warnings are made to provoke other prisoners to raise pressure on Mohammad Sadegh Honarvar Shojayi.
In 2010, Mohamad Sadegh Honarvar Shojayi published several posts regarding human rights violations in Iran against Shi'a religious leaders. The blogger quoted Amnesty International's 1998 report on Iran:
Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979 serious human rights violations have continued. Victims have included a broad range of political opposition from members of left-wing groups to monarchists, as well as ethnic and religious minorities. There has also been a pattern of restrictions placed on Shi’a religious leaders opposed to fundamental tenets of the Iranian political system such as velayat-e faqih.
In the Islamic Republic, even some clerics, do not favor of the regime.


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Jamaica: Blog Awards · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“This award didn’t depend on electoral machinery…and for that I’m proud to accept it”: Active Voice wins a Jamaica Blog Award and thanks the organizers for “doing what’s necessary to popularize and publicize what we all do online…”


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Jamaica: Tribute to Nembhard · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

National Gallery of Jamaica Blog pays tribute to the artist Hylton Nembhard, who recently passed away, calling him “a significant figure in the context of Jamaican art.”


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Lebanon: Building Collapses in Ashrafieh · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Najib is reporting about the collapse of a building in the Ashrafieh neighborhood of Beirut. Rescue workers are removing rubble while trying to save about 30 inhabitants who were in the building when it fell.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Lebanon: Her Veil · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“And when I made up my mind and ran to my mom screaming ”baddi it7ajab” [I want to wear the veil] she looked at me and said if you wear it now will you ever take it off ? I paused and asked her ”Are you ever going to take it off  mama?” she said no, well I will never take it off either I said. And that is how I wore my veil,” says Esraa in her blog 7ijabi [my veil] which she started to raise awareness about the discrimination that she, as a veiled woman, faces.


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Lebanon: Snow Haiku  · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

As snow falls on Lebanon's mountains, Haiku from Lebanon posts its latest:
“The tender snow
Has wiped away
The weeping willow's tears”


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Madagascar: After the Land Grab Affair, Is Daewoo Back in the Country ?    · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Sam posts an open letter to Andry Rajoelina written by Mamy Rakotondrainibe that demands more transparency on the return of Daewoo Logistics in the economy of  Madagascar [fr].  Mahefa Rakotomalala provides more context on this return [fr]. The South Korean company is notorious for an attempted land grab deal that provoked the fall of former president Ravalomanana. Other land deals are still supposedly in the work in Madagascar.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Panama City Mayor Resigns · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

The resignation of the Mayor of Panama's capital city, amidst still unclear circumstances, marked the start of the 2012 political intrigues. Newspaper La Prensa [es] reports on its website:
El alcalde capitalino Bosco Ricardo Vallarino presentó este jueves, 12 de enero, su renuncia a ese puesto, mediante una carta enviada a la gobernadora de la provincia de Panamá, Mayín Correa.
La información se confirmó a través de un comunicado de prensa enviado vía correo electrónico, en el que se adjuntó una copia de la carta firmada por Vallarino. Vallarino explicó que está obligado a someterse a un tratamiento radioactivo que pueda revertir dos severas afectaciones que pesan sobre su salud.
The Mayor from the capital Bosco Ricardo Vallarino presented on Thursday, January 2, his resignation to that office, through a letter sent to Mayín Correa, Governor of the province of Panama.
The information was confirmed in a press release sent via e-mail, with a copy of the letter signed by Vallarino [es] attached.  Vallarino explained he must undergo radioactive treatment in order to revert two severe issues affecting his health.
The news arrives in the midst of confusion because the now former Mayor belongs to the centre-right Panameñista (Arnulfista) party,  which had been allied to the ruling party (right-wing Democratic Change, or Cambio Democrático [CD] in Spanish) until last year when they broke relations. The Panama City mayorship is one of the most coveted political positions, and the office will now be occupied by Roxana Méndez, from the ruling party.
Panama City. Picture from Wikimedia Commons, under Creative Commons Attribution 1.0 Generic licence (CC BY 1.0)
Bosco Vallarino was severly criticized during his administration, and in several occassions was publicly warned by President Ricardo Martinelli. His resignation also occurs in the midst of a Supreme Court ruling which could revoke his citizenship, and therefore his position. Vallarino had adopted US citizenship voluntarily without being entitled to it by birth or family relationships, which, according to the Constitution, forbids him from being a Panamanian citizen. Nevertheless, this fact had been ignored during the elections, and after winning a law was passed which restored his citizenship and all his rights, including being elected Mayor.
Two years later, the law was about to be revoked; Vallarino preferred to resign before the Court's ruling and after a meeting with the president where there were allegedly conflicts and arguments. This was denied by the president, who wrote on his Twitter account (@rmartinelli [es]):
Altercados o discusiones no he tenido con nadie en el dia ayer
The resignation has caused all kinds of reactions on social networks, from those who agree with Vallarino's decision, to those who see the action as an abuse of power by the president.
Lulu’s Cake (@lulu20cake [es]) thinks the resignation was a blow to democracy and wrote on her Twitter account:
No pertenezco a ningún partido político, pero todo este caso de Bosco, es un golpe muy duro para nuestra democracia. Muy injusto.
Jose Blandon (@BlandoJose [es]), deputy to the National Assembly and advisor to the now former mayor, wrote a tweet along the same lines:
Habrá quienes se vanaglorien y piensen q Bosco perdió. Perdió nuestra democracia. Pero la lucha por defenderla, debe continuar.
Ubaldo Davis (@DavisZone [es]) comments that if Vallarino had nothing to fear he wouldn't have resigned, no matter how much pressure was put on him:
Dicen q la verdad Bosco renuncio por presión, el que no la debe no la teme, la plata jamás le ganara a la verdad
There were also tweets that handled the ex-mayor's situation humorously; for example, Delmiro Quiroga (@delmiroquiroga [es]) refers to the participation of the former mayor in the Panamanian version of Bailando por un sueño (“Dancing for a dream”) and tweets:
El gobierno falló, debió haber puesto que la gente llamara a un número o mandara un chat si querían salvar a Bosco.
Gina Lee (@nowginalee [es]) jokingly writes about the way Bosco Vallarino went from being a widely criticized Mayor to becoming a popular personality:
everybody loves raymond es un detalle a lado del nuevo show panameño everybody loves bosco.
The Mayor's party, the Panameñista party, made a statement where the vice president reminded President Ricardo Martinelli that he would be judged by the Panamanian people. La Prensa reports [es]:
“El mismo pueblo que te eligió te verá juzgado y derrotado”. Este fue el mensaje que le envió esta tarde el vicepresidente de la República y presidente del Partido Panameñista, Juan Carlos Varela, al presidente de la República, Ricardo Martinelli, tras reaccionar a la renuncia de Bosco Vallarino como alcalde de Panamá luego de presiones del mandatario.
Finally, blogger Joao Q reflects on this resignation and writes on his blog MedioCerrado [es]:
Sí, podrá decirse que una vez más se pisotea la institucionalidad y la legalidad dentro de gobierno, pero en honor a la verdad esto era como el título de una famosa novela de García Márquez, Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada. En buena parte nosotros mismos como votantes nos buscamos eso (ustedes porque yo voté por Bernal) al votar por Bosco, por ser como dice Andrés Vega “Domplin”: un pueblo demasiado emocional, por olvidar las razones al llegar a las urnas y estampar el gancho en la casilla del que tiene más cara de bonachón, por el que más llora o más caridad hace frente a las cámaras de televisión. Esta debe ser una lección para nosotros, un castigo por ser un pueblo que gusta del dramatismo y del escándalo. Bosco es la personificación de todo eso llevado al extremo y ya fuimos testigos de su tragicomedia que en buena parte también es la nuestra.

author: Ariel Moreno


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Peru: Cápac Raymi, The Andean Christmas · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Before the introduction of nativity festivities to Peru, the Incas would hold celebrations around the same dates of modern day Christmas festivities. The celebration Cápac Inti Raymi Killa [es], which coincided with the winter solstice, was “a religious festival in honour of the Sun and took place towards the end of December. Together, the Incas made animal sacrifices, drank chicha de jora, chewed coca and danced. This festivity corresponded to the first month of  the Incan calendar [es] and it was on this day that the ashes of the sacrifices were gathered and thrown to the rivers, in order to be taken out to the sea, to Viracocha, as an offering to their maker.
The Travel blog for Peru tells [es] a bit more about the story of Cápac Raymi:
En las celebraciones del Cápac Raymi se realizaba el “Warachikuy” una ceremonia de iniciación de los varones jóvenes del Tawantinsuyo y los sacerdotes ofrecían sacrificios de animales. Alonso Ramos Gavilán (1621), hace una referencia sobre el este culto pre colombino el cual se sucedía en la península de Copacabana (lago Titicaca), debemos recordar que toda esa área es considerada sagrada, como lugar de origen de los fundadores del Tawantinsuyo, Manco Cápac y Mama Ocllo.
Cápac Inti Raymi
On this page, Qapaq Raymi examines [es] the reason for the significance of this ancestral festivity that is still celebrated nowadays in various Andean villages:
WARMI PACHA / KAPAK RAYMI – TIEMPO FEMENINO. […] Este tiempo es  completamente femenino y hasta nuestros días es llamado como  Warmi-Pascua, una pascua femenina. En este tiempo, los padres y madres  de nuestras comunidades acostumbraban a seleccionar los destinos de los  hijos e hijas de acuerdo a las destrezas y habilidades que habían  demostrado en sus primeros años de vida, desde antes de su concepción  hasta aproximadamente seis o siete años de edad. Era el tiempo del  Mushuk-Wara, es decir los varones recibían su primer “pantalón”, porque  hasta ese entonces eran vestidos con anaco, y las mujeres su primera  “cinta” para el pelo, lo que indicaba el inicio de un nuevo ciclo en sus  vidas. A partir de ese momento iniciarían a perfeccionarse en las  habilidades y destrezas que hasta ese entonces habían demostrado tener  mayor inclinación en sus juegos, imitaciones, gustos, comidas y otros.
Cápac Raymi is no longer celebrated as it once was in pre-colombian eras, greatly due to the process of cultural syncretism. In present day, there are elements in these festivities that are as much Incan as they are Christian and they take place around similar dates in various towns of the Peruvian Andes. For example, in the following video one can appreciate the parade for the festivities of Qhapaq Raymi in the village  of Chavín, in the Ancash region, in 2008.
With regards to Christianity and the traditional part of Christmas, it has been centuries since Andean art has incorporated its own elements in artistic expressions. For example, such elements that can be seen in the painting Cuzco School (Escuela Cuzqueña). Today, it is through diverse works of craft that one is really able to appreciate this particular cultural fusion. A bit of it can be seen through these slides by Frida Bibi:
The music of the Andes must not be forgotten; with the traditional Christmas carols and their respective pairs, together with the instruments and rhythms of the Andes. The following video entitled, “La Siwar Situy” (“Luminous Sun”), identifies the sun, or as the Incas called it, Inti, as the main Incan deity. The video deals with the quechua cusqueño carol, interpreted by the Children and Adolescent Choir and Orchestra of the Qantu Cusco Cultural Association.
The following video is the cusqueño carol “Haku Wayqellay” (“Come brother”), as interpreted by The Polifónico Cusco Choir and the Aires Cusqueños Group, dated 1965.
The following video does not indicate the name of the quechua carol which it portrays, but shows images of the central Plaza in Cusco during a Christmas festivity. Year unknown.
The next video corresponds to a presentation by a group of students from Arequipa, interpreting a song in quechua:
The following is also a carol in quechua: “Llullu huahuacha”, although presented in a different musical style. The carol is interpreted by the association of Santa Cecilia of Chopccapampa, and performed by young boys and girls during a Catholic closing ceremony in Chuñupampa, Chopcca, Huancavelica, during December 2008.
In the mountains of the San Francisco de Querco Community, and also in the region of Huancavelica, researcher Claude Ferrier spent ten years investigating Christmas in the Andean villages. Ferrier maintains that although the Andean Christmas may assume different forms and expressions, it is celebrated with the same intensity and grandeur as in other parts of the world. In the blog, BOOKS – Libraries San Francisco, parts of the book that Ferrier published, “Christmas in the Andes,” are described [es] in detail. The blog also includes a video:
Para explicar la continuidad de la Navidad en los Andes el autor hace una relación entre la antigua celebración de la fiesta del Qhapaq Raymi prehispánico y la actual celebración de la Navidad en muchos pueblos andinos. Particularmente en la comunidad rural de Querco, la fiesta navideña comienza casi una semana antes del 25 de diciembre y se extiende hasta el día 27, a diferencia de su contraparte urbana y capitalina. El libro describe en detalle la fiesta, las comparsas y la música que impregnan de espíritu comunitario al distrito de Querco, haciendo hincapié en las técnicas utilizadas por el arpa andina y la coreografía del zapateo, protagonistas centrales de la Navidad en esta comunidad.
Finally, in Ayacucho, in the town of Laramate, Christmas is celebrated by dancing in a similar way to the famous danza de las tijeras (“dance of scissors”). This video is entitled: “Laramate Christmas- contrapunto de Atocata versus Patachana en el morro de chajtarumy”.
Related Post: Peru: Afro-Peruvian Christmas Music
Post originally published in Juan Arellano's personal blog, December 24th, 2011.

author: Juan Arellano


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Peru: Citizens Welcome Last Phase of the 2012 Dakar Rally · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón

On Sunday, January 15, Peru's capital city, Lima, and its residents were all abuzz about the 2012 Dakar  Rally. That day, the world-renowned rally was coming to an end with just a short, 29 km [18 miles] final stage remaining  between Pisco and Lima.
During the previous days, Peruvian media outlets covered the event, giving the audience input on what had happened on the early stages and some background. For example, Peruvian news agency Andina posted on its website:
The  Dakar Rally is being held for the fourth straight year in South  America. The endurance race took place in Africa from 1979-2007. It was  moved to Argentina and Chile after fears of terrorist attacks in  Mauritania led to a cancellation of the annual event in 2008.
Following  14 stages – one of which was cancelled due to snow – and more than  8,000 kilometers [4,900 miles], including more than 4,000 kilometres [2,485 miles] of timed  specials, the race is to end Sunday in Lima.
[…]
Peru became on Thursday  the 27th country to host the race in the history of the Dakar Rally. In  its territory, participants met sand dunes which provided for plenty of  excitement.
Other websites, like the blog Tacneños [es], shared how the rally entered Peruvian territory, from the Southern department of Tacna, on Thursday, January 12. Authorities even declared that day a holiday [es]:
En una explanada a unos 3 kilómetros del balneario Boca del Río, en  Tacna, se dio inició esta mañana a la decimo primera etapa del Rally  Dakar 2012, que de esta forma empieza correrse en suelo peruano.
[…]
Aproximadamente unas 5 mil personas se dieron cita desde la noche de  ayer y la madrugada de hoy para ser parte de esta fiesta deportiva y  alentar a los mejores corredores del mundo.
On a leveled area about 3 kilometers [1.8 miles] away from the seaside town of Boca del Río, in   Tacna, the eleventh phase of the 2012 Dakar Rally kicked off, and it starts its Peruvian stage.
[…]
About 5,000 people gathered since yesterday night and very early today morning to be a part of the sport celebration and cheer for the best drivers in the world.
Dakar 2012, Ica, Peru. Image by Telmo Cáceres under Creative Commons license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The blogger behind Caminantes del Perú [es] expresses his disappointment due to the disorganization he witnessed in Ica, where he arrived to see the participants:
Lo curioso fue que uno de nuestros compañeros, el cual tiene familia  en Ica, mandó a preguntar sobre las ofertas turísticas del Dakar que  hubiese allí, y grande fue su sorpresa cuando no encontró información  sobre paquetes turísticos =/, en realidad si pudimos encontrar ofertas  turísticas pero enfocadas más en el turista del exterior con paquetes de  200-300 dolares o.O,  me parece que se olvidaron del turista interno #fail.
Quizás hubó falta de planificación sobre la llegada del dakar a Ica  y recién el día viernes o el mismo sábado abunden las ofertas del tipo “vea el paso del rally Dakar en las dunas de Ica”.
The curious part was that one of our colleagues, who has family members in Ica, asked about special touristic rates for the Dakar there, and he was really surprised when he couldn't find any information about tour packages =/. Actually, we were able to find some good touristic deals, but more focused on foreign tourists with prices raging from 200-300 dollars o.O. It seems to me the domestic tourist was forgotten. #fail
Maybe some planning was lacking for the arrival of the Dakar to Ica   and only on Friday (January 13) or on Saturday there will be plenty of deals like “watch the rally Dakar passing by from the dunes in Ica”.
Others took a more personal approach, like Columna 17's Cyrano [es], who remembered some things from his childhood and described his present excitement:
Acompañaba a mi padre a cuanta carrera de moto o auto había en Lima y él siempre me llevaba a la zona de pits. Todos los corredores y mecánicos eran mis tíos de cariño y la pasaba muy bien entre el olor a aceite quemado y caucho que se percibía en el ambiente.
[…]
[Mi amigo] Manolo y yo estábamos tan cerca de los coches que hasta pude percibir el olor del aceite quemado y caucho. Retrocedí años en el tiempo, lo que me transportó a otra dimensión.
Me di cuenta de lo bonito que es vivir para ver que un sueño se cumpla. Ayer pude ver el París-Dakar en vivo y en directo, a escasos metros de mí, como cuando era niño y mi padre me llevaba a los pits.
I used to go with my father to each and every race, whether bike or car, that was held in Lima, and he always took me to the pit zone. All the drivers and mechanics were my adoptive uncles and I had great times among the scent of burnt oil and rubber that was all over the place.
[…]
[My friend] Manolo  and I were so close to the cars that I was even able to feel the smell of the burnt oil and the rubber. I went years back in time, and I was transported to another dimension.
I realized how beautiful it is to live to see a dream come true. Yesterday I was able to see París-Dakar live and in person, a few meters away form me, just as when I was a boy and my father used to take me to the pits.
You can check the results of the 2012 Dakar Rally on this website [es].

author: Gabriela García Calderón


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Russia: Choosing Blogger of the Year · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

LiveJournal started online voting [ru] in several nominations trying to identify the most important events in the Russian blogosphere. Voting, however, couldn't avoid controversy, as “Blogger of the Year” nomination [ru] didn't include many activists, Alexey Navalny among others. Sergey Muhammedov decided to start alternative voting [ru] that included much more citizen bloggers.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Overview of Top RuNet Trends and Events in 2011 · Global Voices
Dmitry Davidov

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.
2011 was full of important – and sometime surprising – events in the blogosphere and social media scene in Russia. Having effectively replaced the ‘kitchen talks’ of Brezhnev’s era, blogs and social networks became a place where millions of Russians discuss the country's present and contemplate its future.
Russia's booming Internet community is now the largest in Europe [ru] with at least 52.9 million monthly visitors – a very important milestone in itself with countless implications. The country's netizens are rapidly becoming more confident and – with the wall of Soviet-style censorship and propaganda largely failing online –  more dissatisfied with political stagnation.
At the end of this turbulent and inspiring year, RuNet Echo editors present you with a list of events that had a profound impact on the Russian Internet in 2011 and serve as important steps in the development of the country's online community.
7. Domodedovo airport bombing.
This tragic event at the beginning of 2011, highlighted the fragile security situation in Russian airports (in 2011 Russia had been recognized as the most dangerous airspace) and incompetence of the authorities in face of a crisis. It showed how fast and effective social media can be in the coverage of breaking events.
As a counterweight to heavily censored traditional media, blogs and social media sites effectively presented an up-to-date picture of what happened in the airport and became a space to vent frustration with the lack of adequate coverage of the event on Russian TV and radio.
6. Troubles with newspapers
The rise of the Internet inevitably led to the start of newspapers’ demise. Although the situation with traditional journalism platforms in Russia is far from being as bad as in the United States, newspapers seem to be more aware of the roles they are asked to play in the era of the information abundance.
More and more often, blogs and social media become places for reporting breaking news (as in case of Domodedovo airport bombing) and traditional media merely follow the Internet in their coverage of important events.
5. President Medvedev recognizes the power of online communities
A two-and-a-half hour meeting between Dmitry Medvedev and representatives of Russian Internet community  highlighted the importance of growing Internet in the eyes of the Kremlin. Earlier, Medvedev publicly praised Gdecasino.ru, an online crowdsourcing project identifying illegal casinos in the country. This stood as a contrast to the official policy of ignoring the Internet in previous years – Vladimir Putin famously bragged about not using the Web.
4. Successful crowdsourcing projects
Along with Navalny's anti-corruption website Rospil.info, 2011 saw the growing popularity of crowdsourcing projects such as Gdecasino.ru and Kartanarusheniy.ru, a project mapping violations during the recent parliamentary elections in the country.
Other notable projects include LizaAlert.org, a volunteer community dedicated to saving missing people (read Gregory Asmolov's interview here), numerous Fix-my-street startups (RosYama.org, Map of Potholes, and others), democracy2.ru, a citizen-funded open source e-democracy platform, platforms against bribes (vzyatochnik.info and roskomvzyatka.ru as well as minor ones), emergency-related mapping platforms (holoda.info, rynda.org, radiation.crowdmap.org). Our author Marina Litvinovich talked about Russia's crowdsourcing initiatives in her article in March.
3. Online attacks
“Russian online space is getting more violent,” Alexey Sidorenko, an editor of Global Voices RuNet Echo, wrote in April. Indeed, DDoS attacks against Livejournal.com, the most popular bogging platform in the country, demonstrated the vulnerability of the Internet and led to re-shaping of the blogosphere. It also motivated numerous discussion on Internet politics.
The use of “human bots” to fight the opposition online has also contributed to the notion of intensifying efforts to discredit the Internet as a democratic platform.
2. Rise of blogger Alexey Navalny.
Largely unknown outside of the RuNet in 2010, controversial blogger and civic activist Alexey Navalny (see his interview with Global Voices here) turned into “Putin’s greatest challenger” by the end of 2011. Due to his extremely popular online crowdsourcing and crowdfunding project Rospil.info, Navalny positioned himself as a fierce fighter against corruption in the government.
“The Party of Crooks and Thieves,” Navalny's name for the party of power, United Russia, became the most recognized Internet political slogan that has effectively migrated to a real life. In the country with tightly controlled political opposition, Navalny's rise would have been impossible without the Internet.
1. Post-electoral protests
The end of 2011 was marked by widespread demonstrations against allegedly rigged results of the parliamentary elections (see Global Voices’ extensive coverage here). Blogs and social media played an extremely important role in coordination of the protests.
The Internet became a place for failed attempts to compromise opposition leaders and a platform for mobilizing the opposition supporters. It was also a key tool in promotion the information about the demonstrations and their purpose. As a result, strictly censored traditional media outlets had no choice but to report on the protests.
Without any doubt, the role of the Internet in these demonstrations is the most important milestone in the development of RuNet whose ripples we are very likely to feel for years to come.
Bolotnaya rally, Moscow, December 10, 2011. Photo by Dmitry Chistoprudov. Courtesy of Ridus.ru
This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.

author: Dmitry Davidov


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Russia: Rooftop Krasnoyarsk Pictures · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Raskalov_vit shares mind-blowing rooftop pictures of snowy Krasnoyarsk, city in Siberia. On the pictures: bridges, snow and heating steam, multi-storey houses mixed with industrial landscapes.


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Russia: Twitter Clone Launched · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Mail.ru group (owner of Blogs.mail.ru and a significant share of Vkontakte social network) had launched today futubra.com, a social network ‘inspired’ by Twitter.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Don’t Blame the Women  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Every now and again politicians make comments that are mind numbingly stupid”: Abeni calls out St. Vincent's deputy Prime Minister for her plea to “Vincentian females not to dress in a manner that tempts men.”


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Three trends on China’s internet in 2011 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Media Project translated Beijing University Professor, Hu Yong's article regarding three major trends on the development of China internet in 2011.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Trinidad & Tobago: Joy in the Ordinary · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

West Indian Mother is combating indifference with a sense of wonder.


text:
Ukraine-Russia: Gas Conflict Heats Up Again · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Streetwise Professor speculates on whether there is a new gas war coming up between Ukraine and Russia or if Kiev finally will cede its pipelines to Gazprom to get a price-cut on gas deliveries.


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Ukraine: Wikileaks Transcripts Published · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Ukraine Today draws attention to a new blog – Wikileaks Ukraine – where the leaked cables of the US Embassy in Kiev during the Yushchenko era are published.


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Uruguay: How to turn waste into a wallet · Global Voices
Paula Góes

After running into a Uruguayan artisan who turns waste products into beautiful and useful objects, Lucía Terra shows how to turn an empty coffee bag into a wallet by upcycling. “And 10 minutes later had my own upcycled,  colorful, waterproof wallet with triple compartments for coins, small bills, and large bills. On top of everything, it smells like coffee. Isn't that much nicer than dirty coin smell?”

author: Paula Góes


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Belgium, D. R. of Congo: Miss Belgium 2012 on Gay Marriage · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

The website Congo LOL reports that “On twitter, the hastag #plusoumoins (#moreorless in english) has created quite a buzz (in DR of Congo). The reason ? The answer given by Miss Laura Beyne (Miss Belgium 2012) on a question on gay marriage. “I think they [homosexuals] are human beings (…) they can do “more or less” whatever they want. I am “more or less” in favor of gay marriage. “

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Black Women in European Politics: from Struggle to Success  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Nowadays, it is a common occcurence to witness African-born women having successful careers in Europe. Despite the evident challenges, many of them have also distiguished themselves in politics. Still, it was not so long ago that such success would have seemed impossible. To achieve greatness, these women have often come a long way, both literally and figuratively.
In order to better appreciate the progress made, one needs to think back to the 19th century and consider the image of black women in Europe then. For the purpose of this article, we will only address the story of women from the African diaspora who have been elected to positions of leadership in countries other than the colonial powers that previously ruled their home countries.
A history of racism
The story of the “Hottentot Venus” is symptomatic of the relationship between the West and African women in the last two centuries. Sébastien Hervieu, an Africa correspondent for Le Monde newspaper in France, tells the story of Sarah Baartman from South Africa, better known as the “Hottentot Venus”. In an article published in October 2010 in his blog afriquedusud.blog.lemonde.fr, he reviews [fr] Abdellatif Kechiche's [fr] film about her tragic story, Black Venus:
Postcard depicting Sarah Baartman, Wikipedia (public domain)
Au début du XIXème siècle, cette servante est emmenée en Europe et devient un objet de foire en raison de ses attributs physiques proéminents. Certains “scientifiques” utilisent sa présence pour théoriser l'infériorité de la “race noire”. Lorsqu'elle meurt à seulement 25 ans, ses organes génitaux et son cerveau sont placés dans des bocaux de formol, et son squelette et le moulage de son corps sont exposés au musée de l'Homme à Paris. C'est seulement en 2002 que la France accepte de rendre la dépouille de Saartjie Baartman à l'Afrique du Sud, concluant ainsi un long imbroglio juridique et diplomatique
Sarah Baartman died in Paris on 29th September 1815. More than 100 years later, the Khoïkhoï people in South Africa called on Nelson Mandela to demand the restitution of Sarah's remains. The demand was met with the refusal of the French authorities and the scientific community citing the inalienable heritage of science and the state, but France eventually repatriated the body to South Africa where, in accordance with the rites of her people, it was purified and placed on a bed of dried herbs which were set alight.
Norway
Two centuries later, the position of black women in Europe has drastically changed. Amongst others, many have now been elected to political office.
Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen on Wikipedia (Norway)  (CC-BY 3.0)
Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen in Norway is one of these women, and one of the most interesting because she shows the contradictions that still exist within some countries. She had to step down from a ministerial post in the Norwegian government just four months into her job. An article on Grioo.com sets out her career [fr]:
Originaire de l’Ile de la Martinique, à 44 ans, Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen a obtenu son poste de ministre de l’Enfance et de la Parité au sein du gouvernement de centre-gauche norvégien le 18 octobre 2007[…] Elle est mariée avec Terje Osmundsen, un homme politique membre du parti conservateur norvégien. Après son mariage, elle a pris la nationalité norvégienne et renoncé à celle de la France. Le pays n’autorisant pas la double nationalité.
In an interview with Patrick Karam from the website fxgpariscaraibe.com in 2008 she explains [fr] some of the things that played in her favour in being appointed and why she stepped down following a controversy over an alleged conflict of interest in the hiring of a political appointee:
En Norvège, il y a obligation de représentation des deux sexes dans les conseils d’administration, 40 % de femmes au minimum. Nous menons aussi une politique pour inciter les hommes à prendre plus de responsabilité dans le foyer pour laisser les femmes entreprendre professionnellement. J’ai travaillé aussi sur l’enfance en danger, les violences, les maltraitances… J’ai travaillé quatre mois sans être critiquée, c’était une expérience réussie. Les critiques sont venues avec la nomination d’une médiatrice. Avec du recul, tout le monde voit que c’est une bagatelle. J’ai cédé au pouvoir de la presse.
Sweden
Nyamko Sabuni [fr] is a former minister in Sweden, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Born in Burundi in 1969, her father fled the country due to persecution. She was elected to the Riksday as a member of the parliament in 2002, and at 37 years old became a Swedish goverment minister from 2006 to 2010. An article published on congopage.com sets out [fr] her progress.
Nyamko Sabuni, Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA)
En 1981, à l’âge de 12 ans, elle est arrivée en Suède avec sa mère et trois de ses cinq frères et sœurs. Là, elle a retrouvé son père, un opposant politique plusieurs fois emprisonné au Congo (actuellement République démocratique du Congo), venu dans le pays nordique grâce à Amnesty International.
The Netherlands
The Hirsiali blog presents a profile of Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wikipedia (public domain)
Née en Somalie en 1969, excisée à l’âge de 5 ans, Ayaan Hirsi Ali est scolarisée dans un lycée musulman pour filles. Soumise à ses parents, à son clan et à sa religion jusqu’à l’âge de vingt-trois ans, elle profite d’un passage dans sa famille en Allemagne, pour s’enfuir et échapper à un mariage forcé. Réfugiée aux Pays-Bas, elle adopte les valeurs libérales occidentales au point de devenir une jeune députée à La Haye et de s’affirmer athée. Pour avoir travaillé dans les services sociaux du royaume, elle connaît, de l’intérieur, les horreurs tolérées à l’encontre des femmes au nom du multiculturalisme.
A fierce apponent of some of the aspects of Islam and African traditions that go against basic human rights, she founded an NGO whose aims are set out, on her website Ayaan Hirsiali in the following terms:
In response to ongoing abuses of women’s rights, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and her supporters established the AHA Foundation in 2007 to help protect and defend the rights of women in the West from oppression justified by religion and culture.
Italy
The first black person to be elected to the Italian parliament is Mercedes Lourdes Frias from the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. This is how she is described [en] on the blogging site Black Women in Europe:
Mercedes Lourdes Frias was born in the Dominican Republic. She was the first black person elected to the Italian Parliament in 2006 where she served through April 2008. She was a member of the Commission on Constitutional Affairs and the Parliamentary Committee on the Implementation of the Control of Schengen Agreement, and the Control and Surveillance on Immigration. She works on anti-racist activities and welcoming immigrants. From 1994 1997 she was a member of the Council of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy. In the town of Empoli Ms Frias served a councilor for the environment, rights of citizenship, equal opportunities.
The blog stranieriinitalia.it (foreigners in Italy) gives a brief outline of her career [it]:
Il primo sindaco di colore in Italia ha la camicia verde. Sandra Maria (Sandy) Cane si è aggiudicata con appena 38 voti di scarto la fascia tricolore a Viggiù, cinquemila anime in Valceresio, tra Varesotto e Canton Ticino. Alle sue spalle, una lunga storia di migrazioni. Di Viggiù era originaria la famiglia materna del neosindaco, scalpellini emigrati in Francia, dove durante la seconda guerra mondiale arrivò il padre, un soldato statunitense afroamericano. Il neo sindaco è nata a Springfield, nel Massachussets, nel 1961, ma a dieci anni, dopo la separazione dei genitori, ha seguito la madre nel paesino d’origine.
This, according to the blog associazioneumoja.wordpress.com, is how she found herself [it] in politics, with a rather unlikely ideological platform:
Della Lega sono sempre stata sostenitrice, anche se mai vera militante. Quando ero ragazza morivo dal ridere a vedere i loro manifesti, curiosi e di forte impatto. Poi quindici anni fa, più o meno, mi sono avvicinata di più. […] Vedo come «molto americana» anche la Lega, per la richiesta di rispettare rigorosamente la legge, anche per i clandestini. Anche se a Viggiù, precisa, non ci sono problemi di integrazione, nè tantomeno di sicurezza. Tra le priorità, guarda al rilancio turistico del paese, con manifestazioni e attenzione alla cultura.
Despite the marked progress in the inclusion of African women in European politics, they represent isolated cases as, beyond the difficulties they face due to racism or culture and religion, even within their own families and their own societies, they also have to face up to the challenges that all women across the world face [fr]: domestic violence, the challenge of bearing children, marginalisation and under-representation.


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Bolivia: New Judges Face Systemic Challenges · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The 56 judges elected during the October 2011 judicial election in Bolivia were sworn in on January 3, 2012. Emily Achtenberg, from the NACLA blog Rebel Currents, writes about the election process and the obstacles the new judges will face.


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Brazil/Portugal: “Word of Mouth” Launches Online Channel · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

On January 16, Portuguese-Brazilian independent media collective Passa Palavra (Word of Mouth) [pt] launched the website PassaPalavra.tv – an online channel that brings together independently produced audio-visual materials. Through sharing video, audio and image, the website aims to collaboratively report on “social struggles and denounce oppression and abuse by public and private authorities”.

author: Sara Moreira


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Bulgaria: Protests Against Shale Gas Exploration · Global Voices
Ruslan Trad

On Jan. 14, some 15,000 protesters came out in the streets of at least 12 Bulgarian cities, as well as in London, Paris and Copenhagen, to call for a moratorium on shale gas tests through hydraulic fracturing and to demand a new law that would ban this potentially dangerous practice. Facebook group “We are against a Bulgarian Chernobyl – shale gas exploration” [bg] now has nearly 56,000 members; a photo from the rally in Sofia, posted by one of the group's members, is here. One of the videos from the rally is here.

author: Ruslan Trad


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Costa Rica: I’m Happy In That Water · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This wordless short film follows Doña Norma, a 78 year old woman who goes to swim every day at a local swimming pool outside of the capital city of San José.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Film Camp Cambodia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cambodia's first Film Camp will take place on March this year.

author: Mong Palatino


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Iran: Another Blogger in Jail · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

According to confirmed reports from Tehran, Parastoo Dokouhaki, Iranian blogger and journalist, is arrested by authorities. Parastoo is a women activist as well. She writes in her blog  “Zan-Nevesht” and in its English version “The Remains of the Day“.

author: Hadi Nili


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Iran: Gender based books for schools · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian authorities announced that school books to be changed and written based on gender. Azar Todnar says gender discrimination becomes institutionalized in Iran.

author: Fred Petrossian


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South Korea’s Richest Conglomerate Criticized for Environmental Pollution · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

An activist organization, Public Eye Group nominated Samsung, South Korea's richest and most powerful conglomerate, for the People's Award 2012. The award is given to raise public awareness on corporation's decades of environmental pollution, trade union repression, corruption and tax flight.

author: Lee Yoo Eun