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Panama: Baseball Fans React to Mariano Rivera’s Injury · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

Mariano Rivera entered his name amongst the greatest baseball professionals when he broke the the saves record in major league baseball [es] last year. The Panamanian pitcher achieved 602 saves last year, breaking the record of  601. (In baseball, when the pitcher enters into the eighth or ninth inning with the advantage of three runs or less and if he succeeds in maintaining the advantage, it is known as a ‘safe’.)
Mariano remains part of one of the most important teams in the world of baseball: the New York Yankees. On May 3, from their Twitter account, the Yankees (@Yankees) sounded the alarm over the veteran pitcher's possible injury:
BREAKING: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera injured during batting practice tonight in Kansas City. More details to come.
Mariano Rivera, image courtesy Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
The Yankees would later confirm that he was being treated for a serious injury, crossed ligaments [es], and that it was very possible that it would be the end of the season for Mariano, or perhaps, taking into account the age of the pitcher, 42, the end of his career.
Reactions came quickly and soon Mariano Rivera became a worldwide Trending Topic. The hashtag #MarianoRivera was created, where the majority of the people showed the appreciation that they felt for the pitcher.
Even those that don't support the New York Yankees showed their appreciation and respect for the pitcher. For example, Randy Savage (@ltzrandysavage), who admits to hating the Yankees, wishes Mariano a speedy recovery.
To be honest. As one of the biggest Yankees haters, this is one of the worst things to happen in baseball. #MarianoRivera#GetWellSoon
Sara Hamling (@shamlingdesign) voiced a similar opinion:
I hate the Yankees but I respect Mariano Rivera a lot and it's incredibly sad if this is how his fantastic career ends.
Ryan Kellog g  (@Ry_Kellog) considers it a show of Rivera's grandeur that his injury had become a worldwide trend:
You know you're an impact player when you get hurt and you trend worldwide on twitter#marianorivera
However, for Panamanians, feelings towards Mariano are mixed. On one hand, there are those that admire him and thank him for holding Panama's name on high, and then there are those that haven't forgiven him for not agreeing to wear the Panama t-shirt for the Baseball World Classic. The pitcher argued that he was being careful with regards to his injuries, but for many Panamanians, it was a show of arrogance and deplorable disdain. José Barria (@JoseBarria_) [es] writes:
Lamento mucho la lesión de Mariano Rivera. También lamento mucho que nunca haya querido jugar por Panamá en un Clásico Mundial.
Others even think that his injury was a product of karma, like Itzel Chavez (@itzelch_07) [es]:
No se desea mal ajeno pero hasta la arrogancia la castiga el karma #marianorivera
Dennis Allen (@Dennis27Allen) [es], on the other hand, is surprised by the love and solidarity that U.S. fanatics have shown to the Panamanian, even when his homeland he isn't so loved:
cha la gente en Panamá odia a Mariano Rivera, y ahora que el man se lesiono te das cuenta como los gringos lo AMAN..
Others such as Eduardo Reyes (@Eduardo_1691) [es] haven't lost hope that the Panamanian will recover and finish his career pitching and representing Panama:
Pienso que mariano rivera tiene que retirarse en el clasico mundial usando la camiseta de panamá
Despite the differences in point of view, the Panamanian pitcher's injury has caused chaos in the world of baseball. Many people, like Alexander Da Silva (@Adasilva507) [es], refuse to believe that this could be the end of Mariano Rivera:
Me rehuso a pensar que la carrera del panameño Mariano Rivera terminara de esta forma…

author: Ariel Moreno


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Russia: Open Hostility in Moscow Surrounding Putin’s Inauguration  · Global Voices
Donna Welles

Both civilians and those charged with keeping order in the city displayed open hostility on Sunday, May 6, when protesters took to the streets of Moscow in anticipation of Vladimir Putin's inauguration.
Russian LJ user gyperbol provided [ru] readers with a detailed city map where the events of the day took place, along with the following numbered explanations:
1. Демонстранты пришли по Большой Полянке.
2. Поперек улицы Серафимовича от «Ударника» до угла сквера тянулась тройная цепь ОМОНовцев и солдат внутренних войск.
3. Болотная площадь также была оцеплена и никого туда не пускали. Демонстрантов загоняли на Болотную набережную.
4. Мосты, ведущие в центр, были перекрыты грузовиками и огромными кордонами ОМОНа.
5. Сцена находилась далеко в стороне, в конце узкого коридора Болотной Набережной.
6. Проход к сцене был перекрыт рамками металлоискателей. […]
The Russian blogosphere has surged with photographs and videos of the events that followed when protesters clashed with police.
Police beat a detainee at the May 6 opposition rally in Moscow. Photo by ALEXEY NIKOLAEV, copyright © Demotix (06/05/2012).
LJ user berendeishche published several photographs of the more peaceful events of the day, including the sit-in.
Twitter users spread around a ridus.ru article [ru], which included several powerful photographs of people being arrested. One video that appeared (see below) on Twitter showed a giant crowd pushing against a police barricade. (More of May 6 Twitter reactions [ru, en] are here.)
http://youtu.be/Ohoe70Rom8A
Novaya Gazeta's Facebook page posted photographs from one of their articles [ru]. User Nickolai G. Bondarenko, in a comment, included a link to a YouTube video (see below) that showed police using force.
RIA Novosti, a state-owned Russian news agency, published an article on Sunday titled, “Moscow Riots Show Anti-Putin Drive Sustainable – Pundits” along with a photo gallery of images from the day.
Many bloggers have already begun to analyze both the immediate and long-term causes of the clash.
Activist Yevgeniya Chirikova discussed [ru] what she viewed as the two immediate causes of Sunday's events:
1)Сотни тысяч людей вышли зимой на площади с вполне конкретными, осмысленными  и реализуемыми требованиями – реформы избирательной системы, перевыборов, отставки Чурова, освобождения политзаключенных. НИ ОДНО из этих требований не было выполнено
2) Преступное и бессмысленное решение полицейского руководства начать разгон “сидячей забастовки” (вероятно, санкционированное на “самом верху”, судя по заявлениям Пескова)  – которое, собственно, и запустило насилие
LJ user drugoi further condensed [ru] the causes of Sunday's events:
Я думаю, что настоящий виновник произошедшего — нынешняя власть, которая, выкрутив народу руки, устроила жалкое посмешище из основного инструмента управления демократическим государством — выборов. Сначала парламентских, а потом президентских. Люди чувствуют себя обманутыми и точка кипения вчера пришлась на Болотную.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Donna Welles


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Saudi Arabia: Twitter Hacking Prevention Tips · Global Voices
طارق عمرو

Online accounts are frequently hacked and stolen. We often hear of those who hacked someone's email or stole someone's email password. Twitter is no different, so the Saudi tweep and blogger Manal Al-Sherif, who has worked as a Information Security Consultant in an oil company for years, shared her tips on how to protect Twitter accounts from being hacked [ar].

author: طارق عمرو


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South Korea Seized Infant Flesh Capsules Made in China · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korean authorities had confiscated tons of dried flesh of dead infants that was being capsuled and smuggled out of China. Whilst almost every blog and media responded to this horrendous news with pure disgust and accusation against Chinese high abortion rate, one PR and communications agency defined this case ‘a sad story of misinformation and miscommunication’.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Syria: Revolution and Calcification · Global Voices
رامي الهامس

Lebanese blog Beirut Walls has written about [ar] the accusations made against the Syrian revolution in a new light. “Maybe hard water, which is very common in Lebanon, is calcifying the mind. There is no other obvious explanation for the recent trend of inhuman or illogical accusations against the Syrian revolution. Let's try to find a reason that justifies this judgmental and offensive way of thinking.”

author: رامي الهامس


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Thailand: Grandfather Jailed for Lese Majeste Dies · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Amphon Tangnoppakul, the 62-year-old Thai jailed for Lese Majeste (royal insult), died in prison today. His 20-year jail sentence was criticized by human rights advocates who are also demanding an amendment of the controversial law.

author: Mong Palatino


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Zambia: Netizens Sceptically Hail Draft Constitution  · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

The Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambian Constitution which was constituted in November 2011 to write the country’s new constitution released the first draft of the document on 1 May for discussion by citizens some of who sceptically called it only a “draft.”
The consolation about the document, which has been given 40 days for public discussion, is that it would not be submitted to government which has in the past rejected recommendations in draft constitutions through Cabinet white papers.
Zambian coat-of-arms. Courtesy of nKani News.
Paul Shalala, reflects on the constitution making processes Zambia has gone through in the past:
Reading through the 227 pages of the Michael Sata-appointed Technical Committee’s first draft constitution, am reminded of the struggles, pickets, war of words and insults that the people of Zambia have gone through over the past years on this seemingly unending constitution making process.
This draft constitution has come at a time when most Zambians seem to be tired with the words “a constitution which will stand the taste of time.”
He notes the inclusion of what have been contentious issues in the past:
It is however, interesting to note that almost all those contentious issues are included in the first draft constitution released by the Technical Committee in April 2012. These are the 50 plus one presidential election threshold or the majoritarian electoral system, the Vice Presidential running mate, proportional representation, the appointment of ministers from outside parliament and others.
The other contentious issue is the Christian nation clause.
He concludes:
In its current form, the first draft constitution is progressive, it appeals to most people’s aspiration despite a few shortcomings. Therefore, stakeholders who will take part in conventions, should ensure that all progressive clauses are maintained so that a constitution we all want can be enacted into law and will “stand a test of time.
But some Zambian netizens could not help but express pessimism with the draft constitution considering that the country has undergone four constitution review processes including the last exercise whose draft constitution was in early 2011 defeated in parliament by the opposition led by the Patriotic Front (PF) now in government and leading the constitution-making process.
Commenting on the Facebook group, Zambian People's Parliament, Nawa Mukwati Sibongo, writes:
My speaker sir, like many I am pleased to see the draft constitution. But I need to remind the house this is only a draft. As members we need to make a strong and solid representation for articles that we approve and voice concern where we feel the constitution has fallen short with well thought and articulated alternatives.
Another netizen, Isaac M. Mwanza notes the absence of women and youth representation in parliament in the draft:
Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that the 1st draft Constitution has not provided for women and youth representation in parliament by numbers. So far the constitution is so vague on women and youth representation and with a complicated PR system, it is possible that we may not have numbers in parliament if the Constitution does not specifically provide for number of seats for women and youth. I beg to move.
Elisha King Musoma, commenting on the Zambian Peoples Pact Facebook group disagrees with the removal of the parental clause that exists in the current constitution barring citizens whose parents were not born in Zambia from ascending to the presidency:
CURRENT PARENTAGE CLAUSE SHOULD STAND
The current parentage clause which forbids Zambians with foreign parents to stand for president in Zambia should not be tempered with as it didn’t come from late president Dr Fredrick Chiluba, but from the majority Zambians at large which included Sata himself, and Dr Kaunda just happened to be a victim. It was a cry of many Zambians for too long that Zambia like any other sovereign state should be ruled by indigenous Zambians and that’s why when MMD came into power, they enacted the law accordingly.
They were not targeting KK as such as his sympathisers are trying to portray, as he was no longer a factor after he left office in the manna he did, very embarrassing indeed. Was it going to make sense for the country to fail to heed the cries of the people because of one person? I believe it was going to be utter stupidity on our part, as it is going to be if we go ahead and amend this clause in order to please a few people like Mr Simon Zuka, Dipak Patel and Dr Guy Scot among others just because they are friends to the Post News Paper and Sata.
On Twitter, most tweeps pick out elements they agree with in the draft constitution:
@luchi7: 50 plus 1 included in the draft constitution #Zambia
@MadridistaLombe: So Finally Zambia will allow Dual-Citizenship if this Draft Constitution is approved. Oh, The endless possibilities.
One politician, writing on the Zambian Watchdog website, was however harsh with his verdict of the draft constitution:
The draft constitution released by the Patriotic Front Technical Committee of Experts on Constitution is a corrupt version of the National Constitution Conference –NCC version which the National Assembly rejected not long ago. When you compare the PF-TCE draft constitution with the one that was rejected by the National Assembly, you will notice that, the earlier version had people at heart. Unlike the current constitution under review which is politically motivated by way of giving the central government more power, the earlier version was flexible and had provisions of democracy in it.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Africa: Review: The Chicken Thief · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nana reviews The Chicken Thief by Fiona Leonard: “The Chicken Thief (2011; 340) by Fiona Leonard has been described as a political thriller of sorts. Set in an unnamed African country, it provides a different take on the struggle for independence in a southern Africa country.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: White-Collar Crime, a Danger also for African Countries · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Honoré Kouassi  wrote [fr] on the webpage of L'intelligent d'Abidjan: “African countries, particularly those of Sub-Saharan African, are not shielded from the financial crime that has developed over the past ten years in various forms. This crime is a danger, not only for the economic and financial system, but for political and social stability in the states as well.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Africa: Will Local Content Policies Help Avert the Oil Curse? · Global Voices
Julie Owono

This post is part of our special coverage International Relations & Security.
In recent years, major reserves of oil have been discovered at various locations across Africa. If this ‘black gold’ represents an opportunity for economic growth, the fear that the windfall may not benefit the local populations – and maybe even become a curse – is shared by Sub-Saharan African citizens and experts alike.
In 2009, Modern Ghana’s Nana Adjoa Hackman suggested a possible solution:
It is common practice for oil and gas producing countries to negotiate local content agreements with interested IOCs [International Oil Companies] in an attempt to secure for the country a higher share of the value from oil and gas projects. This trend has surfaced as a result of the realization of the poor economic performance of many resource rich countries despite their vast wealth.
Tullow oil camp, Uganda. Image by Conservation Concepts on Flickr (CC BY 2.0).
Taking the example of Ghana, he explains:
As part of measures being undertaken to put in place the framework for Ghana's oil and gas production, a Bill entitled the Ghana Petroleum Regulatory Authority (GPRA) Bill was released in October 2008. (…) Sections 100 to 105 inclusive of the Bill deal with the promotion of local content, specifically, the involvement of the state oil company, provision of goods and services by local entrepreneurs, as well as the employment and training of citizens of Ghana.
The adoption of the local content policy framework in Ghana followed in 2010, however it is still pending parliamentary endorsement. The latter is now more urgent than ever, as finding employment is a preoccupation for an increasing number of Ghanaian citizens.
Commenting on an article entitled ‘Youth Angry-Over Elusive Jobs In Oil Industry‘, Christiane Badgley writes:
Oil brings in huge amounts of money, of course, and along with that come expectations of many, well-paid jobs. The problem is that the industry – at least as it exists in Ghana now – doesn’t generate much work. (…) We’ll have to wait for details on how the government intends to increase local content and participation, which is easier said than done. Training, education, quotas, regulation, penalties, taxation, incentives – the government has multiple options for addressing the question.
In Uganda, the same move towards the adoption of a local content policy is being made, as explained on the In2EastAfrica website:
Uganda wants a strong local content in the nascent oil and gas industry for its citizens to gain skilled manpower and a competitive supply edge. This is in an attempt to ensure revenues trickles down, averting the resource curse.
Indeed, avoiding the oil curse is important for Uganda, particularly if it helps to prevent the emergence of other Joseph Kony- like characters. Petroleum was, after all, discovered in the north-west, near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the epicenter of the 30 year long conflict led by the Lord's Resistance Army chief. A local content policy would hopefully create employment for local populations and distract them from the path of war.
In Kenya case, where oil was found earlier this year, Local Development Network of Africa asks on Twitter:
@ledna: How far have discussion on #Ghana “local content” for the oil and gas sector gone? #Kenya (new found oil) could learn from that
Günther Schulze, professor of economics at the University of Freiburg, Germany, adds another perspective on the World Bank blog:
The biggest -but most important- challenge is to build and maintain good institutions. (…) transparency will be the most powerful lever for accountability. If Kenyans know exactly how much oil is being produced, how much royalties oil companies pay this would already be a major step in the right direction. (…) Kenya’s strong civil society and creative industries, especially in ICT, can play a strong role in monitoring the oil revenue flows and proposing solutions on how to spend the money well. Then the resource curse can be turned into a blessing.

author: Julie Owono


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Armenia: Bar Targeted By Suspected Nationalists In Arson Attack · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

At around 5.30am on 8 May, 2012, Yerevan's D.I.Y. bar found itself the target of an arson attack. Popular among alternative types and widely known for its gay-friendly policy, it is suspected that nationalists, possibly part of a new Neo-Nazi group, were responsible.
However, allegedly because of the bar's reputation as one of the few spaces for women's rights activists and members of the local LGBT community to gather in, much of the local media failed to report on the incident. Instead, news was spread on Facebook and Twitter.
@unzippedblog: Alleged arson attack towards my favourite #Yerevan bar DIY. Motives not clear yet, possibility of #hatecrime but not confirmed #Armenia
@onewmphoto: No sooner than posting a photo from last week of DIY in Yerevan http://bit.ly/KihKPd I hear of possible arson http://on.fb.me/JthxGQ #shocked
@unzippedblog: #Yerevan bar #DIY under arson attack. Suspected nationalist #neonazi This is a #hatecrime #LGBT #HumanRights #Armenia
@ArmenianWomen: DIY pub has been vandalized and burnt early this morning, according to the owner, they have been targeted by… http://fb.me/1pMuaAvSL
D.I.Y. Bar, Yerevan, Armenia © Onnik Krikorian
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) caught the attack on video.
Unzipped: Gay Armenia also made a post, noting how the attack coincided with Victory in Europe Day:
On 8 May 2012 when countries in Europe, former Soviet Union and elsewhere started marking the anniversary of the end of World War II, Armenian neo-nazi elements decided to mark it with an attack towards the oasis of freedom in Yerevan, my favourite venue – DIY bar. A place, where all the alternative types feel at home. A place, welcoming free-spirited people, sub-cultures, experimental things. Gay friendly.
[…]
It took the police 12 hours (!) to finally show up and take the matters seriously. Good news is that thanks to CCTV image and insights provided by DIY owners and employees, at least 2 suspects have now been detained (at the time of writing this post).
Fire damaged bar, D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi
Ianyan made specific mention of a campaign to raise money to pay for repairs:
DIY bar sustained heavy damage to its front half, where the bar was located. An air conditioner was completely melted, with the only thing that ironically stayed in tacked being a bottle of Kilikia beer, sources said. Though the fire was put out, police took around 12 hours to arrive at the scene, a move that is being criticized by supporters.
Supporters have been gathering at the bar for the majority of the day, making posters with slogans such as “Your bombs don’t affect us,” DIY – no to fascism” and “I am DIY. Other bar owners in the area have dropped by to share their condolences. Messages of support were also left on the group’s Facebook page. Boxes to collect funds in order to start rebuilding are also being distributed. The bar did not have insurance.
Calculator melted into bar, D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi
Light fitting, D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi
Messages of support have also been left on the bar's Facebook page [ar]:
Խոսքեր ուղղակի չեմ գտնում վիրավորանքս ու զայրույթս արտահայտելու կատարվացի ու կատարողների վրա: ԱՄՈԹ!!! ԱՆՈՂՆԵՐԻՆ. հուսով եմ որ օրենքի ամբողջ խստությամբ կպատժվեն նրանք ովքեր կազմակերպել են այդ ամենը:
Donation box, Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi
Although many media outlets ignored the attack, some online outlets such as News.am and Lurer didn't. CivilNet also posted a video report which features an interview with LGBT and Women's Rights activist Tsomak Oga, one of the bars owners and the front woman for Pincet, a local Armenian Punk Rock band.
With two men identified on CCTV now in police custody, supporters are now closely following what happens next. However, even if the arson attack also put the lives of families living above the D.I.Y., some have also expressed doubts that they will receive adequate punishment for what the bar's supporters are already calling a hate crime.
Later the next day, in part organized on Facebook, clients and friends of the owners gathered to clean up and fund raise to repair damage currently estimated at around $4,000.
D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi
D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi
D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi
D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi
D.I.Y., Yerevan, Armenia © Nairi Hakhverdi

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Armenia: Campaign in Support of Bar Targeted by Nationalists · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following an arson attack on D.I.Y., a bar frequented by activists, progressive youth, and alternative writers, musicians and artists, as well as members of Armenia's LGBT community, Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that a campaign to raise funds to pay for the damage inflicted by local nationalists has now been launched.


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Bahamas: Bloggers Comment on Election Results  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The result of Monday's general elections in the Bahamas has given the country a new government: the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), which previously occupied the opposition bench in Parliament, was voted into power in what bloggers are calling a “landslide” victory.  Rick Lowe at Weblog Bahamas gave a quick overview of the results:
Reports are the PLP have won at least 27 of the 38 seats and will form the new government of The Bahamas defeating the governing FNM [Free National Movement].
The upstart DNA [Democratic National Alliance] did not win a seat but might have been the spoilers for a couple of the seats that were expected to be won by the FNM. However, I do not think they caused the FNM to lose.
Congratulations to Mr. Perry Christie and the Progressive Liberal Party.
His gracious congratulations to the winning party came a day after he wrote this post, in which he took issue with the now-Prime Minister Perry Christie's brother “attempt[ing] to defend [the former's] economic record” by quoting the blogger “completely out of context” in his capacity as a fiscal expert:
The point being made at the time, (February 2012), was that even with such high revenue as a result of the world's super charged economy back then, it was egregious for government to be running such huge deficits. It's patently clear this was not defending the governments fiscal or economic policies.
Mr. Christie has every right to defend his perception of his brother's economic track record, but that does not give him the right to distort comments from other people.
One priority of any government should be intellectual honesty so they do not make the same mistakes twice.
On election day itself, Blogworld posted some musings about different factors that would likely have an impact on the outcome:
This is the most fascinating election period that has occurred in a long, long time, and because every prediction out there has to contend with a new, unfamiliar curve ball: the rise of the third party movement.
Note I didn’t say the DNA. That’s because the Democratic National Alliance is just capitalising on something that has changed in the country, something that I believe is going to continue to grow, even if the two-party acolytes succeed in killing the DNA off. It’s the fact that the split between two major parties in The Bahamas has developed almost by default. Its roots are in that most ancient and powerful division in our nation: the centuries-long categorisation of Bahamians of colour as “natives” (white Bahamians were “residents”) whose purpose was to serve their betters—not to lead. The FNM-PLP split, for better or for worse, is buried in this dichotomy, and for decades one could fairly safely assume that PLP supporters tended towards the privileging of black Bahamians, while FNM supporters advocated the One Bahamas movement (by which I mean the recognition that Bahamian and black are not necessarily synonymous). As a result, anyone who has voted in two or more elections should recall that no election season till this one has been allowed to pass without the invocation of race—whether from rally platforms, in letters to the editor, or by reference to the American TV miniseries Roots.
The third party movement has queered that pitch. The 2012 election is historic in any number of ways, but one of the most significant is that I have not noticed any real reference to race in the campaigns…The simple fact is that race is no longer a major issue for most Bahamians. I am not saying that it is no longer relevant in our society; what I am suggesting that it is no longer a primary determinant of one’s ability to succeed in The Bahamas. And because of that, the principles on which both the FNM and the PLP were founded are growing obsolete, and both parties have for some time been losing their ‘base’.
The post continued:
There’s something else that’s important here, and something else that the pundits appear to have overlooked. The greatest obstacle to the ability of a third party to gain traction among Bahamian voters was its ability to get its message out. Until the by-election in Elizabeth in 2010, third parties needed considerable sums of money simply to make their voices heard. The advent of Facebook and Twitter, however, has changed the ground completely…much of what has enabled the green wave to continue to gather has been the presence of third-party candidates on the internet, their activity, their accessibility, and their willingness to engage in dialogue with potential voters. This is quite different from the traditional Voice-of-God politics that the older parties continue to practise.
Because of that, I think this election is too close to call. I believe anything could happen when the results start coming in an hour from now. Anything. A landslide victory for the FNM, say with the 4 x 7 sum of 28 seats? Sure. A landslide victory for the PLP, with the same numbers? Definitely. A split house, with (say) a tie between the FNM and the PLP, with the DNA holding the balance? Possible. A minority or coalition government, with the DNA calling the shots? Even that.
As it turned out, her second prediction was the most accurate.  Weblog Bahamas concurred that the election was a “landmark” one, saying:
This particular Election, unlike the 1992 Election, demonstrated a coming of age for the Bahamian people (c.f. 1992, when we embarked on a course of political maturity, having harboured a single political party for far too long, so were mere political adolescents in the process).
What 2012 shows, however, is that the process is complete and we, as a people, are finally mature politically.
The blog, in a post by Edward Hutcheson, also suggested that this was “an historic opportunity for Mr. Perry Christie”:
Mr.Christie is getting a chance that few men get so late in life, and his effective use of this opportunity will require that he takes a few pages out of the political playbook of his outgoing nemesis.
The promises made, the grandiose ‘belief driven campaign’, the pastoral crew who have gone on record as wanting to get even with those who have done them wrong, the MP’s who think they have an ordained right to be Cabinet ministers, these and many other demands will require a Percival Gladstone Christie that we may have envisioned but never seen. He can play it safe and let it be business as usual, but to the miss the opportunity of being counted among the number that only Bahamians can number? To be mentioned in the same breath as Pindling and Ingraham will take putting “believing” and ‘putting Bahamians first’ into a context where there is no separation between what a leader is saying and what he is prepared to do for all Bahamians.
But there was another outcome of these elections that bloggers have been discussing – the resignation of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham as leader of the Free National Movement and his announcement that “he will not be sworn in as the member of Parliament for North Abaco and he will not swear in as leader of the opposition”.  Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit commented:
Of course, Ingraham has been down and out before – in 2002, when the entire FNM cabinet was wiped out. But this time there will be no return – age and circumstance will see to that…In addition to doing the right thing and resigning as party leader, Ingraham also said he would not take up his North Abaco seat, throwing the FNM into an immediate leadership quandary…
Ironically (and sadly for some), Ingraham's retirement from public life came only one day after he asked the Bahamian people to give him a final chance to complete ‘the work of my lifetime’, by re-electing the FNM to a fourth non-consecutive term.
Ingraham's swan song as prime minister was a time of immense progress and much-needed infrastructural investment. But the fall-out from the Great Recession also made it a time of economic stress for average Bahamians, who expressed their discomfort by voting in sufficient numbers against the party in power.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bangladesh: Movie Theaters Are Dying · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

Watching movies in theaters was once a favorite pastime for Bengalis. The custom was to go to the movies on the holidays or special days. It was popular culture to follow the fashion and postures of the stars of the new released cinemas.
But cinema-loving Bengalis do not go to movie theaters nowadays and the country's cinema halls are closing one by one, as new shopping malls are being erected in their place. According to reports in the past decade, hundreds of cinema halls have been closed down [bn]. There also used to be approximately 100 cinemas built each year, which has now decreased to 30-40 [bn].
Darashiko blogs on cinema regularly. Here he shares the latest state of the Bangladeshi film industry [bn]:
Shyamoli Cinema Hall is just a memory. A 14-story shopping mall is being built in its place. Image courtesy Wikipedia
The Bangladeshi cinema industry is going through its worst time. In 1990-91 the number of cinema halls were around 1230. But in 2010 the number has decreased to 742. Out of 44 cinema halls in Dhaka 33 are surviving. Huge building were erected in their place. Big names like, Gulistan, Shyamoli, Naz, Lion, Star, Shabistan, Tajmahal cinema etc. went into oblivion. With Lack of quality script and mediocre performance the cinema industry managed releasing of 100 movies per annum. In 2010 the number was 63, one of the lowest in the decade. Its getting much worse. In 2011, in first six months only 19 cinemas were released and only 300 million Taka (US $3.6 million) was invested. Newspaper reports say that this year only 45 films will be produced and the next year it would be only 30.
But why are movie theaters being closed down? Why are audiences not going to movie theaters? Megh Roddur writes [bn] about it:
Of course I want to go to the movie theaters to watch movies. It hurts but the truth is that most of the movies are not of my taste. Why should I watch a movie full of weird costumes and blunt themes. Why should I go and watch repeating stories? Why should I go and watch copycats and gross copypaste movies?
The building behind the sculpture was once the famous Gulistan Cinema Hall. Now its a clothes market. Image by Ranadipam Basu. Used with permission.
A guest blogger at Sachalayatan reminisces about his childhood memories of going to cinemas with family. The blogger blames the film distributors for lack of viewers in movie theaters:
Now we don't watch movies in Theaters with family. I would not blame low quality pictures. I would place the blame on the environment of the movie theaters. There are a few good movies still being produced. Still we cannot go with the family to watch them in this environment.
Lekhajoka Shamim cites three reasons for the demise of this industry:
The low quality of the local cinema, indecent movies and the environment of the movie thater are the causes of lack of movie viewers.
Once the thought of going to movie theaters was an exciting thing. Many had keen interest. Russel Ashraf tells one such story:
Me and my uncle went to see the movie “Aguner Poroshmoni”. We thought that there would be no rush and went a few minutes before the start. But alas, we saw that the queue was extended to the road. What to do! Waited in the queue for the tickets and manged a seat in front of the screen. I could not move my neck for three days in pain.
To save the film industry and bring more viewers in movie theaters, the government decided to remove the ban on Indian cinema (it should be noted that Indian movies have been banned here since 1965). This move attracted sharp criticisms online.
Balaka cinema hall besides Dhaka New market. Image from Wikipedia by Ragib Hasan
Nazrul Islam says in a post in Amrabondhu blog:
Not from the hatred of Hindi language films, the government has to back down from such wretched decision to save a dying industry.।
But there are also those who favor import of movies:
One blogger (Fahmidul Haque) says:
To me its a right of a citizen to be able to watch local and international movies of different tastes. Lets not limit this right with the debate of saving of local industry by stopping the import of Indian movies.
Due to much criticism the government decided to reverse the decision to withdraw ban from the Indian movies.
Kallol Mustafa has specific suggestions on how to revive the local film industry:
We need government institution support, financial responsibility, institutionalization of the industry and mandatory show of international movies (not only Indian) in a week each month in every theater.

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


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Brazil: Plans for a democratic vote on the Acquario Ceará · Global Voices
Débora Medeiros

The construction of the Acquario Ceará, which has provoked many a discussion lately about transparency in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza, will be subject to a democratic vote [pt] this coming October, 2012. Adísia Sá had already suggested [pt] that the general public had a say. Meanwhile, a movement known as Quem Dera ser um peixe (“I wish I were a fish”) [pt] launched an online petition [pt] against the project.

author: Débora Medeiros


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China: Al Jazeera’s Beijing Correspondent Expelled · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Al Jazeera English's Beijing correspondent Melissa Chan's press credential were revoked by the Chinese government on May 8, 2012, resulting in the shutting down of Al Jazeera's English Bureau in Beijing.
The incident marks a setback for press freedom in China with the previous expulsion of an accredited foreign correspondent dating back over a decade to 1998.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei offered little explanation for the expulsion, but online speculation points to Al Jazeera's 2011 documentary “Slavery: An 21st Century Evil”, highly critical of China's labour reeducation system, or the so-called the “state sponsored slavery”, and which features undercover filming from inside China labour reeducation prisons. However, Melissa Chan was not involved in the making of the film.
Melissa Chan reporting on illegal land acquisition in Zhejiang province. Via FMN
Isaac Stone Fish, who worked with Chan on the board of the Foreign Correspondent's Club of China, believes that the China government targeted Chan due to her Chinese heritage:
But Chan also fits into the troubling pattern of the foreigners Beijing has targeted over the last decade: those the Chinese government views of having less protection because of their ethnicity and nationality; often with Chinese backgrounds. It appears that someone in the Chinese government wanted to give a warning to journalists without causing an international incident; Chan, a Chinese-American working for a Qatari-based television station, seemed to be an appropriate target. The thinking seems to be that a foreign government will more loudly protest the mistreatment of a citizen who is both born and raised in its own country and working for a domestic company.
Victor Yang also points out that when Chan reported [zh] on Chinese black jails, guards at the scene called her a “traitor”. Blogger Charlie Custer from ChinaGeeks is very frustrated:
The expulsion of @melissakchan is cowardly, childish and pathetic….just what we've come to expect from the Chinese government.
Foreign journalists based in China have expressed serious concerns regarding the Chinese government's attitude. Kathleen McLaughlin wrote on Twitter:
Sad as I am to see @melissakchan go, I hope this exposes China's larger efforts to censor foreign media via visa manipulation.
Mark MacKinnon has has pointed out that the fate of foreign journalists is intertwined with local journalists:
This false freedom given to reporters working in China is much more important than Melissa’s case or the careers of any of the foreign correspondents based in China. What’s at stake is not only the outside world’s (already poor) understanding of this rising but paranoid superpower, but also the future of journalism inside China. Chinese journalists have told me that they watch the foreign correspondents with envy, wishing they could report about their own country as freely as we do. Our fight to do our job is intertwined with their fight to do theirs.
There are relatively few discussions within the Chinese blogosphere. Lao Rong gives an update of the situation in Sina Weibo [zh] and was able to spark some discussion:
@毛聊：“半岛”怎说也是第三世界媒体，不依附西方媒体，这样都容不下，何以服第三世界。
@看看看看1：因为敢于报道事实而失业的记者，恐怕只有中国吧。被中国驱逐的记者，应该得到重用才是
@nurundini：在对中国政府的报道中，半岛应该是几个大的新闻媒介中较客观的，某些西方媒体甚至批评半岛亲共。当然，美联社就不会出现现在这种情况。
赵佑诚：谷歌也不想离开，还不是离开了，呵呵

author: Oiwan Lam


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Colombia: A Visit to Karmata Rua Indigenous Reserve · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
Multimedia web channel TodoLoQueHay (All There Is) [es] from Colombia recently posted a short visual journey in the Emberá-Chamí indigenous reserve previously known as Christendom, whose inhabitants are now trying to make known by its ancestral name instead: Karmata Rua.
At the reserve, located between the towns of Andes and Jardin, recording a short documentary for the channel, Daniel Quintero took the opportunity to capture the short, almost wordless, video:
Estando allí, Daniel Quintero usó su tiempo para apuntar su cámara y capturar colores, actividades y gestos de los habitantes de este resguardo que cuenta alrededor de 150 años de existencia y hoy acoge a cerca de 1600 personas.
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Cuba: Lady in White Faces “Disobedience” Charges  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A member of the Ladies in White has been charged with “disobedience” and could face prison time for marching with the dissident group; bloggers hope to raise awareness of the case.


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Cuba: Radio Marti Editorial Controversy · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Radio Marti last week published and broadcast an editorial, ‘The Cardinal’s limits,’ that asserted that Cardinal Ortega is involved in ‘political collusion’ (contubernio) with the Cuban government…”: The Cuban Triangle suggests that Radio Marti also has its limits.


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Georgia: Lazika, Facebook, and the Constitution · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Despite growing concerns about plans to build a new city on swamp land, Democracy and Freedom Watch says that Lazika will be included in the country's Constitution. With no transparency in the decision-making process, the blog sarcastically notes that for now the city exists only in the form of a Facebook page.


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Hungary: “Oligarch” is the New Buzzword of the Hungarian Net · Global Voices
Atlatszo.hu

József Ángyán, the former Hungarian State Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development, started his own fight against corruption. Ángyán resigned in January and since then he has been raising concern [hu] about the shady relations between the government and some Hungarian ‘oligarchs’ – Lajos Simicska and Zsolt Nyerges [en], who are often referred to as PM Viktor Orbán's close allies and members of the highly influential business elite.
Mr. Ángyán is now struggling now to draw attention to the inconsistencies in state land lease tenders that show that certain influential people's companies are having more auspicious positions. But it looks like it's a sensitive issue, and he has to face retaliation of the powers others also had tried to call into account.
Prior to Mr. Ángyán's initiatives, journalists from time to time also had a chance to discover that the ‘oligarchs’ in Hungary were able to control the media. One of these journalists was Attila Mong, also known for his fight for free media in the country. He published a post on his blog titled You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named [hu], in which he summed up the mentions of Zsolt Nyerges and Lajos Simicska in the mainstream media based upon the data of a Hungarian media monitoring agency. He drew the conclusion that these two persons had become “the Voldemort” of almost every media outlet in Hungary.
Mr. Mong later quit his job at Origo.hu, a Hungarian news site, and joined atlatszo.hu, where he explained [hu] what happened after the You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named post on his blog and a Facebook page he started right after publishing it:
[…] Since I thought it was not right like that, I started a Facebook page at that time to reveal how many people would be interested in [reading] a real, in-depth, bold interview with them. The aim was and still is to lure them out. If they have no problems with public money flowing into their companies then they might not have any problems with journalists posing questions to them and demanding transparency on behalf of the public. The Facebook page I want to meet Lajos and Zsolt became very popular in a couple of hours.
I apologize to those who soon saw that the page was not there anymore.
It turned out I'm not strong enough for that.
I'll share the details one day in my memoirs. […]
Demonstrating how some citizens were disturbed by the opaque ties between the oligarchs and the governing party, stickers with the text “Who is Lajos Simicska?” started popping up in the toilets of random Budapest bars.
Lajos Simicska and Zsolt Nyerges became really popular with the Hungarian netizens, who produced funny pictures and animated GIFs using their old portraits published in dailies. Gergely Karácsony, an MP with the LMP “Politics Can Be Different” Party, used one of the funny pictures with a cat on skis on his blog [hu] (cat on skis is a pun on the name of Mr. Simicska in Hungarian). Mr. Karácsony published the post titled “What makes the state different from a bunch of gangsters?” after Transparency International Hungary's release of the National Integrity Study, which stated that the Hungarian state had been captured by private interest groups. In addition to the former State Secretary's claims, Mr. Karácsony listed the cases when the two influential businessmen might have received remarkable shares through their company which way too often turned out to be the winner in public procurement tenders.
Last Wednesday, Mr. Ángyán had to face quite a sophisticated attack in the battle for justice. Kettős Mérce blog reported [hu] that the Hungarian news agency MTI was referring to a blog in their article about Mr. Ángyán which was created not long before the publication of the text. Kettős Mérce authors shared a screenshot of their Google Search without any result. From 14:20 “till 16:30 no one was able to find the blog on the internet but then it showed up,” wrote Kettős Mérce. HVG.hu news site eventually was able to obtain the link [hu] to the blog from MTI. Napraforgoblog has only one post [hu] about the former State Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development. Napraforgo's post lists some fishy cases in which Mr. Ángyán allegedly was involved. The title of the post is “Whose Mercenary Was Ángyán?”, and so far it has more than three hundred comments. Hungarian netizens were shocked over the strange practices of the newswire and also complained that they lost their trust in the Hungarian media.
Even the Hungarian Parliament started this week with a discussion of the ‘oligarchs’. Mr. Karácsony questioned PM Viktor Orbán about the ties between the influential business elite and the government [video, hu].
Véleményvezér blog reported that the PM's first reply to the question was to change the meaning of the word ‘oligarch’ to something meaning a capitalist or a tycoon. Véleményvezér wrote [hu]:
[…] In reality, an ‘oligarch’ means a wealthy person who is able to systematically distract the state's politics from serving the public interest to serving his private interests. An oligarch is a tycoon, too, but he has mainly been gaining and maintaining his fortune by sucking the state's resources (hunting for shares), meanwhile, in the case of other tycoons, the main source of income is not the state. […]
Mr. Orbán tried to avoid giving a real answer to Mr. Karácsony. The blogger wrote:
Although the debate ended there in the Parliament, it's hardly possible that the question of the oligarchs would fade away. Viktor Orbán's reply clearly demonstrates that he has no proper answer to the accusations of [having close ties with] the oligarchs.


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India: Mysterious Village of Twins People · Global Voices
Rezwan

Undiscovered Indian treasures Blog reports that Kodhini, a town in Kerala, India, with a population of only 2000 villagers has around 350 twins. This rate is 700 times of the global average.

author: Rezwan


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Israel: Mofaz Derided for Joining Unity Government · Global Voices
Elizabeth Tsurkov

Israel's biggest news story of recent months happened in the early hours of May 8: the head of the opposition and new chairman of the centrist Kadima party, Shaul Mofaz, agreed to join Benjamin Netanyahu's government, thus postponing the early elections Netanyahu had announced just days before.
The new unity government has 94 members out of 120 members of the Knesset. In exchange for joining the government, Mofaz was promised the title of a Minister Without Portfolio for the (non-existent) peace process with the Palestinians.
The surprising news came as the Israeli public was gearing up for early elections on September 4. The unity government is designed to ensure that the Netanyahu government will remain in power for the next 15 months, and will make it the first government in decades in Israel to complete its full term. Mofaz, who had at first insisted he would never join Netanyahu's government, was apparently worried about taking part in elections since all the polls predicted his party would greatly diminish in power.
Shaul Mofaz. Image posted on Flickr by Tzipi Livni (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Israelis turned to Twitter, Facebook and blogs to comment on the surprising news. Many of them referred to Mofaz's harsh criticism of Netanyahu up until the moment he entered the government under Netanyahu's leadership. For example, on March 3, Mofaz's official Facebook page posted:
Israeli journalist Tal Schneider wrote on her blog about the winners and losers of this deal. Listing Mofaz as a loser, she explained:
Leading leftist blogger Yossi Gurvits commented on the implications of this move for the Kadima party:
Kadima, a party whose motto may well have been, “We took corruption out of Likud (and brought it to a new home),” also seems to be finished. Why would anyone vote for it again? During the 2009 elections, Livni managed to con the voters into believing she would prevent a Netanyahu government. Livni is out of office, but the party is now in Netanyahu’s lap. If Kadima was looking at 10 seats before Mofaz’s latest schtick, it has now sunk near the level of Ehud Barak’s Atzmaut party (which polls at zero seats).
Dr. Yuval Dror, a widely-read Israeli blogger, wrote:
Amir Schiby posted this altered campaign banner for Mofaz, which in a few hours was shared on Facebook over 1,500 times:
Mock campaign banner. Image posted by Amir Schiby on Facebook.
The text reads:
Mofaz. Because everyone can piss from the springboard [Israeli saying that means showing complete disregard]. Shitting from it [on the public] is art.
Gil Osser posted an image of a chair, with the text:
Minister's chair. Image posted by Gil Osser on Facebook.
An unprecedented sale for members of the Kadima party:
Minister's Chair*
An orthopedic chair made of elephant skin, particularly suitable for the spineless. The chair moves forward [Kadima], backward, right and left and can be found in various colors.
Price: Principles | Payment method: 15 months [the length of time this government will remain in power thanks to the deal]
*The same model sold to members of HaAtzmaut Party in 2011.
Noy Alooshe, the Israeli musician behind Gaddafi's “Zenga Zenga” remix, produced a new remix of footage in which Mofaz proclaims Netanyahu is a liar:
While the overwhelming majority of reactions online were negative, blogger Tal Yaron disagreed. Yaron mentioned the agreement between Mofaz and Netanyahu, which stipulates that the new coalition will pass a law to draft the ultra-Orthodox to military/community service (which they're currently exempt from) and to institute changes in Israel's electoral system:

author: Elizabeth Tsurkov


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Jamaica: Better to Give  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The Bobo Shanti youth are well spoken and have a serene gentleness about them…[they] are excellent ambassadors of Rastafari”: Jamaian litblogger Geoffrey Philp finds himself “drawn to how they greet each other and me with the words: ‘Blessed Love.'”


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Kenya: Chronicles of a Kenyan Farmer Online · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

E.K. Kamwenji is a Kenyan blogging farmer residing in Nyeri. Kamwenji worked in different sectors unrelated to agriculture before he realised the importance of using latest technologies for networking and marketing of farm produce.
He explains his journey into farming:
Kenyan blogging farmer. Photo source: Kamwenji's Facebook page.
Thus I am a farmer by profession. The undergraduate course took 4 years and after graduating I ventured into job hunting. Initially, I was employed in a small farm. I was in charge of production but after 14 months, I quit due to low pay which was irrespective of performance as per the agreement.
During this period I was searching for another better paying job but I found myself working in areas that are not related to horticulture. These included sales at an auto shop and programming at an IT company. It was an eye opener as I realized that farmers are generally looked down upon especially the small scale ones.
I also got to know that it was important to incorporate other concepts of business into agriculture to transform it, to bring it to per with the current state of things i.e. use of latest form of technology in order to improve on not just the farming techniques but also on the networking and marketing of farm producers and produce.
How did Kamwenji become a blogging farmer?:
I started my blog not so long ago, mostly as a therapeutic way of ‘telling someone’ about my challenges, joys, disappointments, mistakes and progress. Many of my friends ask me why I choose farming yet there are many other appealing professions out there. I love farming. I desire self reliance especially when it comes to food and most of all following my calling. I find more fulfillment tending to my livestock or crops even with its many setbacks than many of my friends do seated behind desks in offices.
My blog is to not only to record my journeys as a farmer but also to serve as an encouragement to the many jobless youth in Kenya of whom many if not most have migrated and many more still migrate to the capital cities in search of white or blue collar jobs leaving their family farms with no one to till.
My Blog does not give a daily account of my activities in the farm as most are redundant. Rather it gives highlights of the ups, the downs, the learning points and setbacks in a summarized form.
It’s quite hard finding time to even update my blog on a weekly basis leave alone daily thus I just jot down a few notes in the evenings and come up with a more holistic post afterwards.
In one of his last year's posts, Kamwenji discussed his plans for operating a successful livestock project:
My main objectives are to fully operate a sustainable farming venture. The major project is to have the livestock up and going. This is important since this department is not affected by the weather and market for the produce such that one can have a proper plan with.
The cows and goats are for dairy production. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, in the next 2- years they should have multiplied and the milk production should not be less than 60 litres. If they happen to delivery young ones that re male, these are to be raised up to an age where they can be sold at a good value enough to acquire heifers and does(she goats)
In the geese section, the aim is to have twenty adult females. There are adequate to ensure that they lay ad hatch enough chicks unlike poultry Chicken) geese tend to stay long before laying and only lay 5-7 eggs before becoming broody. The good thing is that they do have a better market.
In another post written this year, Kamwenji shows how environmental degradation in Kenya affects farmers:
Talking of weather, the region I come from (or undertake most of farming for that matter) has been in the news due to frost affecting the tea farms both small-scale and large scale. It is quite tragic if you ask me because for the longest time Kenyans have been ignoring the calls for environmental conservation. The haphazard weather patterns we have seen in the last 5-10 years have been worrying especially considering our country is smack in the middle of the tropics.
Tree-cutting has been the order of the day and recently the area around Mt. Kenya – which is less than 20 miles from the farm – had a wild fire which was contained after more than 3 days. A similar but less serious situation was also reported along the Aberdare Ranges. These two highlands provide the area around Central Kenya with much of its water and this also trickles down to the other parts of the country in Nairobi, Eastern and Coastal regions. Reduce the acreage of trees on these areas and you drastically affect the water table and patterns downstream. I'll not lecture you on this for now.
In addition to blogging, Kamwenji uses YouTube to share stories about his farm. The two videos below are from his 5-part YouTube series:
This is a 5 part series video of my farm in Karatina Nyeri. You will get to see; The dogs, Goats, Cows, Calves, Geese as well as the foodcrops; Bananas, napier grass, beans, maize and fruit trees.
I also take you through how I use the manure generated from the cows into the farm.
Join me as I take you on a tour of  my farm.
Kamwenji is also on Facebook and Twitter. His blog was nominated in the Agriculture Category in this year's BAKE Blogger Awards.


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Lebanon: Uproar Over Homophobic Article in University Newspaper · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

Following the Alem Dechasa scandal that opened the eyes of many Lebanese to the horrible conditions in which migrant workers live, now an article about homosexuality in a university newspaper has stirred up a fierce debate online.
Mohamad Sibai, a student at the American University of Beirut (AUB), wrote a short opinion piece entitled “Please me at any price” in the university's newspaper, Outlook, restating all the traditional homophobic accusations and insults. He began by saying:
The other day, I saw a couple holding ands along Hamra Street. Normally I would never look twice, but something was not right. They both had short hair, facial hair, and rough voices. The sight was disturbing. Call me sexist, call me whatever you like, I couldn’t get that image out of my head for the whole day. I couldn’t believe what I saw, I know that Lebanon aims to be an ideal “secular” country, but if this is what “secular” is then maybe it’s not such a good idea.
Holding hands. Image by Guillaume Paumier on Flickr (CC BY 2.0).
Mohamad's ideas were not new or original, but the strong reaction to his post was interesting. Shortly after someone copied the content of Mohamad's article online, the Lebanese LGBT Media Monitor put out a call on its Facebook page for bloggers to post their responses online, promising that it would publish them.
Elie Wafi wrote:
So you saw a gay couple holding hands? Suddenly, you world is shattered, Lebanon’s long lasting problems becoming so insignificant, and the Earth will stop spinning until we solve that matter. Is it so important that two guys held hands? Did it stop you from crossing the road, or going to work, or driving your car, or eating your lunch, or cutting your hair, or buying a new pair of jeans, or partying hard at night with your friends? I don’t think so.
Antoine Atallah addressed the newspaper's editors:
It pains me to know that AUB's official newspaper has become the tribune for homophobic statements to be freely expressed, published and spread to the entire AUB community. I will not even talk about the false-facts, arrogance and skewed logic that Sibai has expressed. Anyone has the right to express all the fallacies that please them, this is what freedom of speech is about. However any sort of freedom stops where the freedom of the others starts. To insult, ridicule, stigmatize a significant portion of a population is not called freedom.
Article by Mohamad Sibai. Image taken from al-bab.com.
Elie Fares responded to Mohamad's claims one by one:
I felt it is my duty as a holder of a biology degree with an interest in psychology, two domains that Mr. Sibai is apparently very fond of citing, to say a few things, respectfully of course. […] Mr. Sibai, twin studies have shown that their is a genetic correlation for homosexuality. It’s not a linear correlation but there is an effect of genes on a person’s sexual orientation, whether you like to admit or not. […] Mr. Sibai, the rate of STDs is not correlated with homosexuality in any way whatsoever.
Gino described the piece as “silly”:
The sheer ignorance, arrogance and homophobia makes me embarrassed to say I probably shared a few classrooms with the writer.
Beirut Boy explained why he loves Mohamad Sibai:
I love you Mohamad Sibai because you’re just a kid who shared his raw opinion, which is exactly the opinion of the majority of the people in this country. You just had the balls to speak up. (Even though you’re wrong).
I love you because I have that much love to give to someone who has some growing up to do.
I love you because you showed me just how much support the gay community has from straight people online!
Alloush at the group blog Homos Libnani wrote:
We, as Homos Libnani, will not dignify this article with a response because, firstly, we do not want to fight hatred with hatred, and second, we do not want to contribute to Sibai’s 15 minutes of fame.
The most moving response was undoubtedly by a man called Raja Farah, who invited Mohamad to have coffee with him. He wrote:
I’m a 33 year old gay man. Everything you’ve written in your article is something that I have read or heard a million times before, here in Beirut, as well as in Los Angeles, Paris, London, and South Africa. To be honest, you haven’t said anything groundbreaking, and more importantly, you haven’t said anything that hasn’t been debunked hundreds of times. I have learned to not get upset when I read such blatant homophobia. It hasn’t been easy, and you can imagine what having to deal with this on a daily basis can do to someone. I’ve gotten used to the stereotypes, to the fears, to the hatred. I’ve even gotten used to people inciting others to be violent towards me, which you have also done in your article. […] I don’t know about you, but, and this may be the gay in me speaking, I think a world full of love is better than a world full of hate. Have a coffee with me. Let’s talk about anything you want. We can talk about hate, religion, and faggots, or we can talk about cars, travel, and happiness. We can even talk about love, dreams, and hope. Let’s just talk. Like two human beings. You’ve accused me of not being human. I am responding in a way only a human can: by reaching out.
It should be noted that there were some people who sympathized with Mohamad's views. Others, although disagreeing with and condemning the content, stressed that freedom of speech should be granted to all. However, most bloggers spoke out strongly against the piece. A list of responses can be found on Brian Whitaker's blog and at Homos Libnani.
Lebanese media failed to report the case, with the exception of Al-Akhbar who interviewed a gay rights activist.
Outlook's Editor-in-chief, Lojine Kamel did apologize, as did AUB's Dean of Student Affairs, Talal Nizameddin.

author: Elia J. Ayoub


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Mali: Ansar Dine Islamists Wish to Salvage School Year in Gao · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Aissata Ahmadou wrote [fr] on Maliweb.net: “The students remaining at Gao will not lose their school year. The Ansar Dine Islamists, in collaboration with a few important figures and teachers on site, have decided to organize the end-of-year exams and allow various students preparing for their Fundamental Studies Diploma and those preparing for the Baccalaureat to avoid losing a whole year.”


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Nepal: Shristi Shrestha Crowned Miss Nepal 2012 · Global Voices
Pradeep Singh

Discussions about Miss Nepal echoed in all social media channels recently as organizers selected Shristi Shrestha as Miss Nepal in the Grand Finale of the beauty pageant of this year. The event was organised at Hotel de l’Annapurna in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu.
Sixteen participants made it to the final competition of the most popular beauty pageant in Nepal. Shristi Shrestha who stood bold and confident was declared Miss Nepal 2012 in the 17th edition of the pageant. She will represent Nepal in Miss World 2012 which will be held on August 18, 2012, in Inner Mongolia, China. Subeksha Khadka and Nagma Shrestha were crowned Miss Nepal International and Miss Nepal Earth respectively in the pageant. Watch the video of the crowning here!
Although an annual event, this year’s contest occurred after seven months so that the winners get sufficient time to be groomed and sent to international beauty pageants. Nepal has yet to see any significant achievements from international beauty pageants.
Miss Nepal 2012, Shristi Shrestha, the name that was on everybody's lips for the night, was already an established professional model and was often referred as British-Nepali model as she had spent a long time living in the UK. Shrestha replaced former Miss Nepal Malina Joshi who had the crown only for seven months.
Shristi Shrestha – Miss Nepal – Image via Naresh Shrestha, Himalayan Times (used with permission)
One thing interesting with Miss Nepal however, is it never fails to be controversial. Be it protests from women right activists or the way it is organised, controversies soar for each contest. And then there are post-contest personal reasonings behind who deserved the crown better.
In a post titled “Reasons why I Missed Miss Nepal 2012 and Consequences”, Sworup Shakya writes:
Turns out Miss Nepal 2012 was already decided, long before it even stared. I found out that there were multiple pages and blog posts that were supporting one lady, Shristi Shrestha for the crown.
The event of the Miss Nepal Grand Finale was organised outdoors for the first time and in relations to that another blogger – Samriddhi Rai, who herself was a Miss Nepal participant once and brought the title of Best personality Award home from Miss Tourism Queen International 2011 – comments:
The stage was bad. I mean it was so, you know, school-functions-have-better-stage-than-that types. I at least assumed that it must've looked good on TV but NO, people who watched the event on TV had the same notion.
Justifying the criticisms, Miss Nepal 2002, Malvika Subba, one of the most popular Miss Nepal ever, writes on her Facebook page:
Grapes are sour cried the fox and that's what some people remind me of when they criticize others win and things that they could never achieve. I wonder if u had achieved the same status, would you still be saying grapes are sour!!!!
Miss Nepal criticisms are one thing that will continue forever. Who was more deserving in the contest will also keep varying on individual’s views and the discussions will keep on going. But what really matters is whether the country see some progress from the winners in international pageants. This year’s winner on my view deserved the crown and so under the sub heading “Shristi Shrestha – a New Hope“, I wrote on my blog:
Shristi Shrestha is a new hope for Nepal in international beauty pageants, especially when the country has yet to see some notable achievements in crucial pageants like Miss World. Congratulations to Shristi – She deserved it!
What do you think about Miss Nepal 2012 – Shristi Shrestha?

author: Pradeep Singh


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Russia: Charity Crowdfunding · Global Voices
Teplitsa

Private Charity: the Situation in Russia
The main representatives of the ‘third sector economy’ are non-profit organizations and independent voluntary bodies. Despite the obvious importance of the contributions from volunteers, charities, and NGOs to the resolution of social, ecological, and legal problems (among others), their status is extremely unstable. The activities of NGOs are severely restricted by legal regulations, and their financial situation depends mainly on the generosity of individual donors and businesses.
Last year, Russia moved up from 138th to 130th place in the annual ‘World Giving Index’ [ru] compiled by the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF). Each country's ranking is based on several indicators: private individuals’ donations, voluntary work, and impromptu charitable acts (for example, giving money to beggars). Despite Russia's moving up on the list, the situation cannot be considered favorable for the charity sector.
In terms of charitable donations in Russia, business contributions remain incomparably higher than private donations. This can be explained by the fashionableness of corporate social responsibility (which in one form or another exists today even in small businesses), as well as the fact that large corporations are obliged to fulfill certain budgetary redistributions in the regions where they maintain a presence.
No provision is made in Russia for tax breaks or other incentives for donors, and — despite the best efforts of the non-profit sector to expand through social media and the wider mass media — there are very few successful cases. This is possibly because ideas about mutual aid and voluntary participation in the resolution of problems that are not one's ‘own’ have yet to become mainstream.
According to the research carried out, only 5% of those questioned across Russia donate to charity. Certainly, on a national scale, this seems insignificant. But this is not to say that there is a lack of successful ‘people’ projects, financed by private philanthropy. While much activity exists only in cyberspace, the effects of charitable organizations’ work is quite tangible and real, and confidence in these groups is undiminished. The proof: the Tugeza [ru] (“Together”) community.
“Togetha: Suddenly Inflicting Good!”
The section on the official Tugeza site, titled ‘Who Is Doing This?’ states the following:
Нас часто с опаской спрашивают: «Кто вы, ребята?» Мы теряемся, краснеем и не знаем, что ответить в двух словах. Мы не религиозная секта, не политическая партия, не благотворительный фонд, да чего уж там, мы даже плохо знаем друг друга.
Tugeza began its life on the blog dirty.ru [ru] and eventually became, on August 7, 2010, a volunteer project. The names of the organizers are not a trade secret, but finding them is practically impossible. This is on purpose, as Tugeza is not a hierarchical structure but a ‘charitable anarcho-syndicate,’ as it is called by its creators.
Screenshot of Togeza's website, 9 May 2012.
Tugeza is now a community without leaders. The running and moderation of the portal is handled by coordinators: the founding fathers and newer volunteers, whose participation is strongly encouraged. Sometimes this coordination is carried out on a regional basis and the monitoring of activities being carried out is taken on by volunteers who live not far from (or at least closest to) to the location where the aid is being directed.
Tugeza helps to attract financing for projects all over Russia that are diverse in both theme and scale: at the moment, volunteers are raising funds for a rehabilitation and education complex in Kaluga [ru] and last month helped an equine therapy center in the Pskov region [ru].
The technology on which the work of Tugeza is built is called crowdfunding [ru]: the collective collaboration of people who voluntarily pool their money or other resources (as a rule, via the Internet) in order to support the efforts of other people or organizations.
How Tugeza works
It all begins with a discussion through the community's social networks: who needs help? And what kind of help? Each project is jointly organized, so that anyone wishing to can make a contribution and share what they have to offer — transport, for example, or the possibility of helping not by collecting money but by donating unneeded clothing, a drumkit, for instance, or bringing friends along to volunteer. This way, as practice shows, significant resources can be shared: time, as well as money.
Next comes the most interesting part: information about the new project is posted on the Tugeza site, such as how much money must be raised and the timeframe involved, what it is being spent on, and who is being helped. Sometimes the beneficiaries are located in isolated rural regions where there is no Internet access, without the chance to comment on what is going on or take part in the fundraising themselves. In such cases, this work is undertaken by Tugeza organizers, who more often than not remain behind the scenes.
All funds are raised virtually, via e-wallet. On the one hand this complicates fundraising (not everyone has an e-wallet) but, on the other, it makes it simple to keep track of things. Tugeza fights the mistrust of e-payments and, even moreso, of ‘e-philanthropy’ as best they can: they have released data regarding the proceeds of their Yandex e-wallet, so that everyone can see that their donations have been received. After the completion of the project, they can see on the same site how their money has been spent.
Original [ru]

author: Teplitsa


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Russia: Putin’s Return Rouses Online Polemics · Global Voices
Donna Welles

In the wake of protests against Vladimir Putin's inauguration, the reactions of Russian bloggers demonstrate a wide spectrum of opinion online. That oppositionist activism has suddenly taken on a more radical tone has only further inflamed the passions of already polemicized observers.
In the Eyes of History
Certain bloggers have raised vivid, though not always convincing, historical analogies in their posts about the May 6 protests.
Vladislav Naganov, oppositionist blogger and frequent author at Novaya Gazeta, authored a post [ru] titled, “This is War,” where he compared police brutality on May 6 to the French invasion in 1812, as well as the Nazi offensive in 1941:
Скажу сурово, без прикрас – как оно есть. Это – война. Идёт битва за Россию. Я надеюсь, что каждый, кто до сих пор этого не понимал – теперь, наконец, это понял. Уже сброшены все маски. Расставлены все точки над «i». Отныне война народу объявлена публично.
In a post [ru] titled, “The Bloody Sunday of the 21st Century,” blogger Sparkman likened the violence outside Bolotnaia Square to the 1905 massacre [en] of protesters outside Tsar Nicholas II's Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.
Собственно, ведь и демонстрация 9 января 1905 года рассматривалась не как начало Революции, но как последний всплеск петиционной кампании, начатой осенью 1904 года – сперва банкетами во славу призывов к реформам, затем принятием либеральных обращений от имени земств, адвокатских и профессорских собраний.
What It Means For the Future
Putin and his wife in the Kremlin's Cathedral Square in Moscow after the inauguration ceremony, (7 May 2012), photo by the Presidential Press and Information Office, CC BY-SA 3.0; Wikimedia Commons.
Rather than turn to the Imperial or Soviet past, other bloggers have focused instead on what the current protests mean for Russia's future.
Viacheslav Egorov, who blogs as jurist_egorov, discussed the recent violence in a post [ru] titled, “Who Scares the Authorities?” exploring possible motives for what he believes was excessive police force:
Чего она боится, заставляя полицию применять слезоточивый газ, избивать митингующих, задерживать спокойно сидящих на земле оппозиционеров Навального и Удальцова, задерживать сейчас спокойно митингующих на «народных гуляниях» Алексея Навального и Ксению Собчак??? Чего боится Власть? Чего боится Король? Революции? Бунта уставшего народа? Так бунт неизбежен, если Власть будет так вести себя. Революция неизбежна, если Правительство (новое) и Король (старый новый) не станут прислушиваться к своему народу!!!
Blogger Nazavrik reviewed [ru] a controversial statement made by President Putin's Press Secretary, Dmitri Peskov, who said that police displayed too much self-control and should have used greater force against the May 6 protesters. Nazavrik posted photos of similar police measures used against crowds in Italy and Chile, arguing cynically that Moscow's police are increasingly eager to hone their skills studying the West's police history:
Он прав. У нашего омона пока ещё недостаточно опыта для разгона массовых мероприятий. На Западе давно уже отточены все действия по применению газа, резиновых пуль, провокаторов, водомётов и прочей спец.техники. На Западе в этом плане и законы жёстче и полномочий побольше. […] Но теперь, когда стабильность вновь воцариалась в стране, наш омон быстро нагонит зарубежных коллег и все приёмы, годами репетируемые на учениях, отработает на протестующих, действуя жёстко в угоду переживаниям Пескова.
A Digital Delusion?
Other bloggers have pointed out that Moscow's street demonstrations are far from the concerns of average citizens, dismissing as hysteria rumors about “revolution.” In a reversal of the typical oppositionist claim that digital and citizen media breaks through censorship to reveal a truer picture of everyday life, Dmitri Kotukov argues [ru] that protesters have constructed a false reality by tweeting and writing endlessly about their adventures with the police:
Несколько дней практически не открывал ноутбук, не использовал айпад, короче как и положено в праздники – отдыхал. Сегодня открыл ленту и удивился. Читаю все эти надрывные истории о столкновениях непонятных людей с ОМОНом, какие-то нелепые призывы куда-то выйти, про марши миллионов-триллионов, революции […]. […] Что самое удивительное, эта видимость существует только в инете. В реалии люди отдыхают, радуются весне, гуляют, встречаются на праздники.

author: Donna Welles


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South Africa: Remembering Brenda Fassie · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Abena remembers an African icon: ‘”The late great South African musical icon Brenda Fassie may be remembered by some only for her infectious hit Vulindlela that took the African continent by storm in the late 90s and early '00s.”


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South Korea: Broadcasters’ Strike Marks 100th Day of Protest  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's major broadcasting station, MBC marked 100th day of protest on May 9, 2012. Its union workers uploaded another Youtube video [ko] blaming its president of embezzlement and filtering news criticizing the current government and its anchors tweeted photos of their protest/fundraising event today.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Spain: Historic Battle of Almansa Remembered in Valencia · Global Voices
Violeta Camarasa

On April 25, 2012 it was hard to miss the soccer world's surprising news: FC Barcelona had been eliminated from the Champions League. Online and in the streets, everyone was talking about it — that is, except certain Valencian netizens, who used the internet to take part in an annual remembrance of April 25, 1707: the day that Valencia lost its political autonomy to the Kingdom of Spain.
Every year, this commemoration has been purely civic; the day has never been institutionally recognized [ca] as one of historic importance. This year, the Valencian parliament (Les Corts Valencianes), controlled by the right-wing People's Party, preferred to pay homage to the Valencians who participated in the Cádiz Cortes during the French occupation of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars and the drafting of the Spanish Constitution of 1812.
Popular portrait of Philip V of Spain hung upside down in remembrance of his orders to burn the Valencian town of Xàtiva
Those who wished to celebrate April 25 in a different way took to the streets that Saturday, as part of a contemporary tradition, a series of protests and concerts organized by Acció Cultural del País Valencià [ca] (Cultural Action for Valencia or ACPV). Others took to the internet and honored the day through social networking.
Every spring, Valencians remember the fateful moment in their history, when Archduke Charles of Austria suffered military defeat at the hands of Philip d'Anjou‘s army at the Battle of Almansa, against the backdrop of the Spanish War of Succession: a continental battle for control of Spain, in which Franco-Spanish soldiers fought against the allied armies of England, Portugal, The Netherlands and Germany.
Given the international ramifications of the conflict, it's understandable that traditional narratives tend to overlook the serious consequences the War of Succession had for Spain's Catalan-speaking regions–Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia–where the event is remembered as the main reason for the loss of political independence (for a comparison of historical perspectives, see the differences between Battle of Almansa articles on Vikipèdia [ca] and Wikipedia).
Certain blogs, like Hic Sunt Leones [ca], explain the history:
La victòria de les tropes del Duc de Berwik, favorables a Felip d'Anjou, sobre l'exercit dels partidaris de l'Arxiduc Carles d'Àustria va marcar l'inici de l'ocupació borbònica del Regne de València i de la de la resta dels Països Catalans. Anys després, amb l'aplicació dels Decrets de Nova Planta i “por justo derecho de conquista”, els regnes de la Corona d'Aragó van veure suprimit el seu autogovern i les seues lleis i institucions van ser substituïdes per les de la Corona de Castella.
The defeat at Almansa was the first in a series of fatal blows to Spain's Catalan-speaking regions: September 11th (Catalonia's National Holiday) of 1714 saw the fall of Barcelona and July 11th, 1715, of Majorca and the rest of the Balearic Islands. After his victory, Philip d'Anjou became Philip V of Spain, the first in a long line of Bourbon kings. Following France's tradition of monarchical absolutism [ca], Philip V implemented a series of sweeping administrative reforms to centralize his kingdom and foment a cohesive Spanish state.
He promulgated the Nueva Planta Decrees, which abolished the unique legal and cultural institutions of states pertaining to the old Crown of Aragon. This included Valencia's four-hundred year-old political and legislative system, the Furs of Valencia, as well as all bodies of sociopolitical representation, such as the Corts or Generalitat. A popular Valencian saying commemorates these events: “Quan el mal ve d'Almansa, a tots alcança,” or, “When evil comes from Almansa, it reaches everyone.”
On Twitter, the hashtags #25dAbril and #25Abril bridged the sentiments of Tweeters with very different profiles:
@ferran_campos: La història ens fa entendre el present i per això cal rememorar-la. Contra l'oblit, memòria i record. #25dabril #1707 #PaísValencià
@fraferfa: Bon dia! Fa 305 anys valencians i valencianes perdérem els nostres furs i amb ells la nostra sobirania. Recuperem-los! #25Abril
@ForcaJoves: #25dabril Sentim-nos orgullosos de les nostres arrels, la nostra cultura i la nostra història com a poble. País Valencià. #ForçadelsJoves
@mirodavid: Avui #25abril cal recordar que els valencians estem a punt de perdre la Generalitat per segona vegada.
@melderomerAV: “He juzgado conveniente abolir y derogar todos los fueros, privilegios, práctica y costumbre en los reinos de Aragón y Valencia” #25abril
@VicentFlor: Sabeu què us dic? Que no podran amb nosaltres! Ni Felip Vé, ni Joan Carles I ni els qui vindran! #25Abril
@Feliuventura: #25Abril 305 anys aguantant caçadors d'elefants.
@trencalos: Tota política que no fem nosaltres serà feta contra nosaltres. #insubmissió #jonovullpagar #Fuster #25dabril
Neither on Facebook nor Twitter did anyone forget the popular portrait of Philip V hung upside down (which is still on display at the Almodí Museum [ca] in Xàtiva, in remembrance of Philip's orders to burn the city), nor did they forget the references to songs that pay homage to this event, both new and old, like Cant dels Maulets, by Al Tall or Viure, by Obrint Pas.
@vicarlos: #25Abril Felip V tal i com està penjat en un museu de Xàtiva http://instagr.am/p/J0eirFJDpR
@jvdasi: 25 d'abril “… , els peixos en l'aigua i els amos al clot. I si no l'empara el Nostre Senyor, tallarem la cua a Felip de Borbó” #25abril
@Ingridlafita: “Les velles cançons, les noves emocions, el #25abril construïm les il·lusions!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF_GzJIhSrY
Every year, the official time for commemorating the Battle of Almansa is 6:00 PM on April 28th at the Plaça Sant Agustí. Bloggers and tweeters spread the word with the hashtag #25dAbrilDiallibertats.

author: Violeta Camarasa


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Stunned by Suicides  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

And Still I Rise is saddened by “news of three suicides by hanging have stunned the nation.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Three Score and Ten  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Two Trinidadian bloggers – one living on island and the other a member of the diaspora – have come to the difficult realisation that their parents are growing old. In this post, they discuss the issue of ageism while sharing their mixed emotions and fears…
Denesia Venus, blogging at Outlish, says:
As adults, we sometimes neglect our parents. We get so caught up in our lives that we forget to look out for the same people who took care of us, without expecting too much in return.
When we were sick, who was the one person we wanted to take care of us? Our mummy, daddy, or a guardian who would dutifully be at our side, whether it was to rub us down with Vicks, feed us soup, or coax us to swallow some sort of ungodly concoction they conjured up, thinking it would make us better.
But, I often wonder about how many of us would be willing to reciprocate this, when our parents have aged, and they become ill (God forbid). When incontinence has set in, and they can no longer take care of themselves. What is it worth the life of a man, if, when he becomes ill, he is abandoned by his offspring, or his relatives?
Trini Like Salt, who lives in Boston, is aware that the geographical distance between him and his parents “doesn’t really allow one to observe their aging”:
I see that in intervals.  I won’t see my mom for a year, my dad for longer than that (that’s a long story in and of itself), and when I do see them, I’m struck by what’s happening.  My mom, especially, gives me pause.  She was always the energetic one.  She had to be, with 2 kids to raise pretty much on her own.  But now, she’s definitely slowed, and slowing, down.  She takes longer to get anywhere.  She sometimes has to pause on steps.
I know it’s the order of things, but it’s still a helluva thing to watch your parents age – especially when you can see it clearly because you don’t see them for months at a time, and when you do, they’ve visibly changed.
Outlish, meanwhile, finds the number of elderly patients in hospitals to be a disturbing phenomenon:
I have realised that most of the warded patients are elderly persons, who have passed the designated three score and ten, and who have contributed what they could…until society casts them aside. They became ill, and their care quickly becomes the responsibility of someone else – especially if they live in homes. Not everyone has a spouse who is alive and well enough to take care of them, or children who can care for them.
There are the persons who live alone or with family, who are taken to the hospital, and are warded, and their relatives do not visit them. It is ironic, though, that when a warded patient’s pension cheque is received, relatives turn up for them to sign it.
She tells a sad story about “a lovely, yet severely ill, aged man [who] was hospitalized”:
His condition eventually improved steadily. Hospital staff even grew quite fond of him. A relative might visit him every other day or so – until, one day, he was discharged.
The patient was quite happy and excited to go home, after all he had been anticipating it for some time. The only thing is…no one ever came to pick him up. Calls to his relatives remained unanswered. The patient eventually realized what was taking place, grieved, and died a few days later. I was surprised to learn that this was not an unusual case in the hospital.
For the blogger, the story raises an important question:
Not that many aged people have relatives who are concerned enough to go the extra mile to care about them, and this got me thinking…Do we love and respect our elders the same way we did, as children? If your parents or grandparents were to become really ill, would you sacrifice your usual routine to take the time to care for them to the best of your ability?
I think that we do still love and respect our elders, but the relationship certainly is not the same. At times we are rude, disrespectful and impatient with our parents, but the reality is that – at times – when we are far from our parents, we tend to cherish and appreciate them more.
Trini Like Salt certainly seems to cherish his parents, especially his mother:
I think my mother is aging, but happily.  I can’t know what it’s like to reach an age where the statistical fact of death is staring you in the face – but she has, and she doesn’t seem phased by it.  I will someday, though, if I’m lucky.
Outlish ends by suggesting that distance – both physical and emotional – can be reduced by forging meaningful cross-generational relationships:
Sometimes if you take a little time to sit and have a chat with an elderly person, you will be amazed by how much they can tell you. Their stories may fascinate you, while bringing feelings of warmth, joy and nostalgia to them. Even if you heard the story a thousand times, let them have their moment. They have lived the very same lives we live, and they have struggled the same way we struggle. What makes me laugh is that sometimes we grow up to be almost just like them.
Taking care of your elderly loved ones is a serious responsibility, but I’m sure that when they pass on, you’d be much more comforted knowing that you did your best to help them, when they needed you the most.
In my humble opinion, just because we are young, and moving on, that doesn’t mean that we should turn our backs, and ignore the elderly. And we should be prepared for the day, when our parents need us to return the favour, and take care of them in their weakened years, just as they did for us.


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Video: Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards Voting Open · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards is a competition to showcase the work the Adobe Foundation is doing with underprivileged communities around the world. Empowering youth in school or out of school programs where they can learn how to use multimedia tools to express themselves, show their potential, share their ideas and lead change in their communities.
The Adobe Youth Voices global network currently includes more than 750 sites and a large, expanding number of grantees and organizations in 50 countries. Since its inception, Adobe Youth Voices has engaged over 150,000 youth and 8,200 educators in schools and out-of-school programs.
The 160 finalist products including video can be viewed and voted on by sharing them through online social networks such as facebook and twitter. Every category, such as documentary, music video, poetry, audio, graphic design, narrative, animation and photography has an audience award, for which each share, tweet, retweet and like count as one vote. Voting closes on 8 June, 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbnAXzLMaoU
For example, this documentary by 18 year old Stella in Uruguay, sharing her experience with her sister with Down Syndrome, raising awareness about what it means to have this syndrome for their lives.
Finding Home is a narrative by Iraqi Mair Maher tells the story of his family's immigration due to violence and war, with many stops around the world before finding a new home in Canada.
Jeanvier Janga from Bonaire shares an animation on how change starts by one person changing themselves.
The Adobe Youth Aspire Awards


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Bahamas: Power of the People   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It no longer feels like hatred for me when the PLP wins, it no longer feels like time to panic”: A reflection on the country's recent elections, from Womanish Words.


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Bolivia: Development at What Cost? New Conflict Over TIPNIS Road · Global Voices
Pablo Andres Rivero

This post is part of our special coverage International Relations & Security.
A proposed road project in Bolivia that plans to cross right through the middle of Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS for its initials in Spanish) is once again generating conflict and protest. Indigenous organizations, TIPNIS inhabitants and their supporters began a new long march on April 27, 2012, from Trinidad to La Paz demanding an end to the road project.
Plans for the 306 kilometer road are the result of an $415 million agreement [es] signed by the Presidents of Bolivia and Brazil in August 2009. The Brazilian company OAS was initially awarded a turnkey contract [es] to build the road in 40 months with financing from the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES).
TIPNIS march arrives in La Paz in October 2011. By Szymon Kochański on flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In October 2011, after a large march of indigenous peoples and protestors arrived in La Paz, President Evo Morales passed a bill declaring the TIPNIS “intangible” or “untouchable”, which was understood by environmental campaigners and indigenous organizations as the final word on the issue.
However, in February 2012, Bolivia's government gathered pro-road supporters and supported a different march that proposed a new law calling for “prior consultation” that would allow indigenous peoples a greater say. Indigenous inhabitants of the TIPNIS –  supported by the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia (CIDOB) claim that such constitutional mechanisms should have been conducted before any agreement or contract was signed.
Morales eventually announced the cancellation of the contract for the road with the Brazilian company OAS at the beginning of April, but protestors still reject the terms and conditions of the proposed consultation.
A large number of indigenous organizations and citizens acknowledge that Evo Morales – an indigenous and coca grower's leader himself – has improved their situation. Still, indigenous organizations emphasize that their protest is about their right to be consulted [es] before policies concerning their territories are implemented.
This video shows interviews with indigenous TIPNIS residents and their views on the road project.
The environmental impact of the road is another issue sparking protests [es], particularly among Bolivia’s urban and middle classes.
Nevertheless, Bolivia's government insists on the benefits of a road that would link the central zone of the country, beginning from where most illegal coca is produced and where Evo Morales garners grassroots support. Coca-grower organizations are openly supporting the road as it may provide opportunities to expand production into the TIPNIS National Park. Inevitably, this generates further suspicion among environmentalists, international organizations and public opinion.
Debates also continue on social media platforms, particularly on Twitter (under the hashtag #TIPNIS). One of the questions simply asks “are you in favor or against the road #TIPNIS?”
Among the replies was:
“I think the country must be integrated, if [it] is…best to go through the TIPNIS, so be it, the road should go through where is the best for Bolivia.”
Criticisms are also leveled at the relationship between the road project and the Brazilian-supported Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA), a development plan to link South America's economies through new energy, transportation and telecommunication projects.
According to researcher Gustavo Soto's post on the CEADESC [es] blog:
The 2010-2015 MAS (Evo Morales’ political party) program aligns the Bolivian economy to the emerging global capitalist interests of the 21st Century… expressed in mega-energy… road and extractive projects mostly encapsulated in the IIRSA II that inevitably lead to the violation of indigenous rights.

author: Pablo Andres Rivero