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Russia: #OccupySeliger? · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

This post is part of our special coverage Russia's Protest Movement.
Earlier this week, popular blogger and photographer Dmitri Ternovsky starred in the latest Nashi controversy, announcing on his LiveJournal that he has agreed to lead the “Politics and Civic Society” section [ru] of pro-Kremlin group Nashi's 2012 summer festival at Lake Seliger [en]. Dubbing the initiative “#OccupySeliger,” Ternovsky says that he hopes to expand the opposition's message to a new audience, promising that the event's organizers have agreed to welcome anyone from the protest movement. Well aware that his decision to cooperate with the Nashi-pioneered Seliger forum would provoke a strong backlash, Ternovsky offered the following defense:
У Селигера за последние годы сложился не лучший имидж, и большинство тех, кто не идентифицирует себя со сторонниками правящей власти, стараются избегать любых контактов с его организаторами и участниками. Но для себя эту проблему я давно решил – если эти контакты способны принести пользу, я готов пострадать своим имиджем в глазах тех, кто совершенно не приемлем подобное сотрудничество. Для меня важнее всего достижение цели. […] я был и остаюсь прав в том, что без диалога с властью у нас ничего не получится.
The logo of the "All-Russia Youth Education Forum" Seliger, CC BY-SA 3.0; Wikimedia Commons.
Appearing on the web-based television station “Rain” (Dozhd), Ternovsky repeated [ru] his commitment to ‘results’ at the expense of reputation, telling viewers that opposition leaders “need to forget a bit about themselves, about their own ambitions, and think somehow about the larger picture, and how [#OccupySeliger] could benefit everyone.”
The Movers & Shakers Respond
Among RuNet figures and in the Russian media, initial tweets, blog posts, and headlines addressing the Seliger controversy focused on Ternovsky's invitations to activists from RosPil and RosYama (two citizen initiatives created by Aleksei Navalny). Many observers erroneously interpreted Ternovsky's LJ post and Dozhd appearance to indicate that Navalny himself would attend the festival. Contributing to the confusion, Navalny and Ternovsky exchanged several friendly tweets [ru] on the subject of #OccupySeliger. In typical form, Navalny appeared to tease Ternovsky, asking him how much the Seliger sponsors were paying him, remarking, “You're probably not organizing this for free?” (Navalny perhaps only skimmed Ternovsky's text, as Ternovsky makes it clear that he will be paid for his Seliger work.) By the afternoon, Navalny's press representative, Anna Veduta, finally clarified over Twitter that neither Navalny nor any of his projects’ coordinators would be accepting Ternovsky's invitations to Seliger. “There were no agreements of any kind,” she announced plainly.
Several other bloggers and activists have since weighed in on Ternovsky's initiative. Earlier in May, Oleg Kashin quite vociferously denounced [ru] Ilya Varlamov, another popular photographer-blogger, for being in the pocket of the authorities. In his response [ru] to the Ternovsky story, Kashin appears to be growing exhausted with what he characterizes to be ‘Nashi schemes.’ Dismissing #OccupySeliger, Kashin writes:
Когда Россия беременна революцией, Россию, мне кажется, не ебет судьба очередного смешного волосатика. […] Глупости, в общем. Итак, не думайте о Терновском, не думайте о Якеменко. Их нет.
Anton Nossik was less critical than some, highlighting [ru] the noble principles behind Ternovsky's Seliger effort, but he too rested cynically on the impossibility of productive cooperation with the authorities:
Теперь можно, конечно, подождать и посмотреть, как быстро его оттуда выпрут, или доходчиво объяснят, что политика – это искусство реального, и нужно учиться разумным компромиссам (таким, например, Якеменко вместо Навального и Хинштейн вместо Кашина). Но сам он верит пока, что люди, которые его позвали, всерьёз хотят перемен.
Liuba Sobol, a member of RosPil, expressed [ru] her relief that Navalny had refused Ternovsky's invitation to Seliger. She quoted a recent Kommersant article [ru] by Gazeta.ru reporter Ekaterina Vinokurova, which cited anonymous Kremlin insiders claiming that recent reformist signals from the government are intended to be nothing but insignificant compromises devised to divide and conquer the opposition. Sobol also recounted the failures of RosPil's past interactions with Medvedev's “Big Government” initiative, which was supposed to create a big tent coalition to serve modernization, anti-corruption, and the various other watchwords of Medvedev's brief presidency.
Ternovsky, on the other hand, has encouraged direct contact with Medvedev. In November 2011, he attended a special forum [ru] with the then-President, where Ternovsky discussed “A Country Without Nonsense” [ru], the civic organization he and Varlamov created in 2010 to defend Russian civil rights (particularly the right to photograph public spaces). Indeed, the regime-friendly online tabloid LifeNews recently reported [ru] that prominent oppositionists former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasianov and leftist activist Sergei Udaltsov would be willing to debate Medvedev publicly at Seliger, if granted the opportunity.
Sobchak, Azar, & Adagamov Tangle
Two days after Ternovsky published his #OccupySeliger appeal, Lenta.ru ran an Ilya Azar story [ru], where he collected reactions from oppositionists for and against the idea. Ksenia Sobchak, television-diva-turned-activist, is quoted as having expressed conditional support for attending Seliger, provided her “program” was accepted. “I can give a lecture on the subject of censorship on the national TV channels and in the mass media,” she offered. That same day, however, Sobchak criticized Azar on Twitter, denying that she would attend Seliger under any circumstances:
Для всех заинтересованных лиц.я НЕ планирую ехать на селигер.хватит пиарить за мой счет ваш собантуй! Учитесь понимать иронию.
Azar also came under attack from Roustem Adagamov, who tweeted a link to the Lenta.ru piece, commenting, “Ilya Azar is a tiny nitwit just like Ternovsky, incidentally. :-).” Though Adagamov later apologized for his remark, Azar went on to debate Omsk activist Victor Korb on his Facebook page [ru], defending the quality and accuracy of his work. “All told,” Azar concluded, “Sobchak and Adagamov have made fools of themselves, but oh well, it was fun for everyone!”
Conclusions
Though some bloggers and activists have expressed their support for Ternovsky's Seliger campaign (Nossik hosted a poll [ru] on his LJ, where 58% of readers sided with Ternovsky), there seems to be a general perception that he is either being naive (because the authorities will never engage in substantive collaboration) or conniving (because he is secretly a paid Kremlin provocateur). Is #OccupySeliger a true opportunity for the opposition to ‘speak truth to power’ and reach a new audience among the Nashists? Or do Ternovsky's ties to suspected ‘murzilki’ (RuNet slang for fake oppositionist bloggers) like Varlamov and his habit of discouraging protesters’ “personal political ambitions” demonstrate that #OccupySeliger is merely the latest attempt to drive a wedge between dissidents and distract the political class with another meaningless Nashist diversion?
Activists of the Nashi pro-government youth movement during a concert (4 Dec 2011), photo by MARIA PLESHKOVA, copyright © Demotix.
Discord about Seliger 2012 might be seen as a measure of the protest movement's tenuousness. Conversely, perhaps it is a testament to the group's open, transparent politics. However one evaluates the reactions to #OccupySeliger, Nashi-sympathetic bloggers have been quick to accommodate figures like Sobchak in their enthusiasm for “irony.” LiveJournal user a_oslpoff, for instance, has highlighted [ru] another amusing incongruity: Navalny refuses to attend Seliger, but he gladly marches alongside Russian nationalists (including neo-Nazis) every November on Unity Day. “It's really quite strange,” Oslpoff explains, “Navalny himself, after all, declared that there are no Putin supporters, but only people whom he's yet to reach. So what's the problem?”
This post is part of our special coverage Russia's Protest Movement.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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South Sudan: Blogging the Newest Country in the World · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

South Sudan declared its independence on 9 July 2011 to become the world's newest country.
South Sudan held a referendum on January 9, 2011, on whether or not it should remain a part of Sudan as part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Khartoum central government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement.
Below is a list of blogs with regular reports, analyses and opinions relating to South Sudan. They cover a variety of subjects such as politics, language, health, humanitarian work and gender.
1. African Arguments: Making Sense of Sudan:
Making Sense of Sudan [and South Sudan] is the leading site for critical online debate and discussion about Sudan. Started by Alex de Waal in 2007, MSS has become an institution for those wishing to understand the country and the many issues raised by its politics, humanitarian crises and international engagement. Including cutting edge debate, book reviews and commentaries on current issues, the blog seeks to place Sudan in a wider context, and to highlight many of the internationally important issues identifiable by seasoned observer and occasional watcher alike.
Children at South Sudan independence celebrations. Photo courtesy of Matata Safi.
2. PaanLuel Wël: A South Sudanese blogger and a newspaper columnist based in Washington DC, USA.
A blog by South Sudanese bloggers for, and about, South Sudan
3. Sudan Reeves:
Eric Reeves is Professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. He has spent the past thirteen years working full-time as a Sudan researcher and analyst, publishing extensively both in the US and internationally.
He is also at work on a longer-range project surveying the international response to ongoing war and human destruction over the past 25 years (“Sudan – Suffering a Long Way Off”). The project will survey not only the history of Darfur, and the world's failure to halt the first genocide of the 21st century, but the substitution — for over two decades — of humanitarian aid for diplomatic resolve to end conflict in South Sudan and the transitional areas along the North/South border.
4. David Majok:
This is David Majok. My blog will be totally devoted to the cause of peace and advancing new thinking in the political discourse in South Sudan. This blog will attempt to look at political, economic, social and philosophical discourse in South Sudan by sharing my insights, objectively and frankly about the way forward. I will try to engage the world to look at South Sudan and the potential it presents for the people of the region in making and remaking what was lost through the years of struggle.
5. Enough Project: South Sudan:
The Enough Project fights to end genocide and crimes against humanity, focused on areas where some of the world’s worst atrocities occur. We get the facts on the ground, use rigorous analysis to determine the most sustainable solutions, influence political leaders to adopt our proposals, and mobilize the American public to demand change.
6. South Sudan Medical Journal:
The South Sudan Medical Journal (SSMJ) was started in February 2008, as the Southern Sudan Medical Bulletin (SSMB), a joint venture between Southern Sudanese and British doctors who wanted to make a free, accessible journal for all branches of healthcare in South Sudan. It published regular quarterly journals that were distributed and read by healthcare staff in government and non-government organisations (NGO’s) throughout the region.
On the 16th April 2009 the SSMB became a charity and was renamed  the Southern Sudan Medical Journal.
In line with South Sudan’s independence in July 2011 the charity was renamed South Sudan Medical Journal. This is the charity’s official blog where you will be able to find interesting and relevant news relating to health matters in South Sudan.
7. John Akec:
I am an academic from South Sudan. Currently, I am vice chancellor of a newly instituted university of Northern Bahr El Ghazal in Sudan. I hold degrees in engineering including a doctorate in mechanical and manufacturing engineering. I have also received postgraduate training in environmental sciences and entrepreneurship. My teaching and research interests span mechanical design, robotics, control engineering, artificial intelligence, web development, multimedia systems, environmental impact assessment (EIA), and e-governance.
8. Free South Sudan Media Center:
The Free South Sudan Media Center is an information resource for media and non-governmental organizations, to provide access to country reports, analysis and experts on the January 2011 South Sudan referendum for independence.  It is a project of the U.S. Task Force on South Sudan, a coalition of NGOs, academics, reporters and individual Sudanese citizens.
9. Oh Yeah, Sudan!:
Oh yeah, SUDAN! brings you more of the Africa they never show you by highlighting the positives of the Sudan and South Sudan that they never show you. If you are looking for more negativity, there is plenty elsewhere. Otherwise, welcome and enjoy all things Sudan, all the time! *If you have any images, articles, or media to share please submit them at ohyeahsudan.tumblr.com/submit! *Disclaimer: This Tumblr does not own most media posted, but references are always included whenever possible.
10. Sudan Decides:
Sudan Decides is a blog run by Tom Law an independent freelance journalist covering Sudan, South Sudan and East Africa. Tom is also Associate Editor of Sudan Tribune, an online newspaper based in Paris.
Sudan Decides was initially set up to cover Sudan’s 2010 elections and South Sudan’s referendum on independence in January 2011.
The blog attempts to focus on Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, the three areas which had special status under the peace deal that led to South Sudan’s independence.
11.Martin Garang:
Articles on this blog are arrays of opinions aimed at various vantage points of socio-political and cultural paradigms and their objectivity can be debated.
12. Learn Dinka blog:
Kudualduɔ̈n Muɔnyjäŋ në pinynhom ageer! Welcome to the Dinka blog, the only one of its kind on the World Wide Web!
I hope you will join me në yïknhialde Thuɔŋjäŋic!! Comment, participate, criticize, advise, object, argue, and above all, JOIN me as either an author, contributor or a follower!!!!!!
13. Bored in Post-Conflict:
Bored in Post-Conflict
…..because its better than being terrified in conflict (South Sudan)
*This list is by no means exhaustive. If you know any blogs focused on South Sudan, please let us know: africa (at) globalvoicesonline (dot) org

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Sri Lanka: The Difficulty Of Getting A Chinese Visa · Global Voices
Rezwan

Indi.ca writes about the difficulty of getting a Chinese Visa in Sri Lanka.

author: Rezwan


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Syria: Curating @TweetWeekSyria · Global Voices
Leila Nachawati Rego

Have you heard about Rotation Curation? It is the process of rotating the spokesperson on a social media account. It was originated in December 2011, when a project called Curators of Sweden was launched, handing the official Twitter account @Sweden to a new Swedish person every week. Now this initiative has reached Syrians, who will take turns to manage the collective account @TweetWeekSyria, starting on June 1.

author: Leila Nachawati Rego


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Trinidad & Tobago: What Have We Accomplished?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Coffeewallah suggests that when it comes to how the country is governed, “perhaps we need less public holidays, less ‘celebrations’ and more concentrated effort.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Uzbekistan: Facebook Clone is Launched · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

YouFace is a new social networking site launched in Uzbekistan. Its interface is strikingly similar to that of Facebook except that YouFace quotes Uzbek President Islam Karimov on its welcome page. Another local social networking platform, the Uzbek-language Muloqot.uz, was established about a year ago.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Aung San Suu Kyi Visits Thailand · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Ronald Reagan was still president of the United States the last time Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi left Myanmar. That was 24 years ago. This week she travelled to Thailand where she delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Bangkok. Suu Kyi’s historic visit instantly grabbed global media attention.
Netizens, on the other hand, use the #assk hashtag to monitor Suu Kyi’s travel to Thailand
@Juarawee: RT @JonahFisher: Thousands await the arrival of #ASSK just outside Bangkok. Flowers. Singing. It's a celebration.
@sdmireland: Standing ovation for #ASSK at #WEF and I am sure lumps in throats…
Suu Kyi at World Economic Forum. Photo from Flickr page of WEF
@WattaneeNYY: “It's true that we are behind everybody else, but that means we can learn from the mistakes of everybody else.” #ASSK #WEF
@YossieBistro: Welcome #ASSK to Thailand. Having you here is not just a visit. It certainly is one important step in the history of politics.
@OliverLaceyHall: #ASSK at #WEF on landing in Bangkok after 24 years: “I was fascinated by the lights. Burma needs an energy policy”
Suu Kyi is referring to the power blackouts which hit several key cities of Myanmar last week. The electricity shortage triggered several peaceful protests in the country.
Big crowd welcomes Suu Kyi in Thailand. Photo by @seacorro
Suu Kyi visited a town in Thailand where 300,000 migrants, mostly from Myanmar, are residing. Many people waited for hours to hear her speech:
@newley: The atmosphere was electric in Samut Sakhon, where Aung San Suu Kyi spoke to migrants from Myanmar this morning, @Anasuya tells me.
@JonahFisher: First morning outside Burma in 24 years and chooses to spend in with some of the poorest and most desperate. That's Aung San Suu Kyi.
Thai InnoMemes: ”Cheers!!!”….Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi kicked off her historic first trip overseas in more than two decades with a visit to meet Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand
@tonravee: She said the ultimate goal is to create a situation in Myanmar so our migrant workers can come back and work in our own country peacefully.
@ThanongK: RT @wayne_hay: Chaotic scenes in Samut Sakhon as #ASSK arrived at community centre. She was jostled and pushed.
Suu Kyi won a parliamentary seat this year and her party also succeeded in achieving a landslide poll victory. Suu Kyi’s release from detention last year and her participation in mainstream politics are hailed by many people as promising indicators of reforms in Myanmar.

author: Mong Palatino


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Brazil: Most Violent State in the Country Protests for Peace · Global Voices
Paula Góes

As I write this post, I read a piece of news [pt] about a teenager who was shot dead on the city streets of Maceio, Brazil, on the night of Tuesday May 29, 2012, while at least three other bodies of victims of violence were received at the capital's institute of forensic medicine. Just a few hours before these recent crimes, thousands of people – mobilised through social networks – took the streets in the “Walk for Peace”, an appeal to end violence in the city's coastal state of Alagoas.
For a long time the population of Alagoas has become indignant by the trivialisation of life and the growing number of murders for trivial reasons [pt]. The last straw causing the mobilisation was the assassination of 67-year-old doctor José Alfredo Vasco Tenorio on the afternoon of May 26, following an armed robbery. In the same weekend alone, 17 other people came to violent deaths in Alagoas.
The floor where the doctor was murdered was stained with 'blood' footprints. Photo published in Facebook by Del Valle Allves.
The untenable insecurity of the situation led people to protest on the streets in a demonstration organised through the Facebook group Alagoas – Estado de Emergência (Alagoas – State of Emergency) [pt]. After the protest on Monday evening, Silvana Chamusca [pt] provided a summary of the event, with an overview of the debate that followed the peaceful walk “whose single goal was to show our indignation, without looking at social class”:
Participamos de um primeiro movimento, poderão ser organizados outros, então sugira, tenha iniciativa, levante dados, organize no seu bairro, ou em qualquer outro bairro, que garanto que eu estarei lá.
The group, which was created on Monday, has already over 60,000 members. While a new protest is being organised for June 5, Toninho Cajueiro [pt] asks:
O que foi conseguido de CONCRETO após a caminhada? Quais as providências que serão tomadas após este evento? A verdade é que a grande mobilização que precisamos fazer é na URNA, na ELEIÇÃO deste ANO, escolhendo de forma CORRETA e SEM INTERESSE os nossos políticos. Com educação de qualidade e geração de emprego se muda esse Estado.
While mobilising again, people engaged in a lively debate about the roots of violence, social class conflict, politics and the general feeling of the population. Mauricio Carvalho [pt] believes violence is a very complex issue and should not be treated with a simplistic view:
A morte do Dr. Alfredo serviu de estopim, um símbolo, um mártir, aquele que nós esperamos que tenha sido a última vítima dessa violência desenfreada. Ninguém é cego, todo mundo sabe da situação caótica que Alagoas chegou, a reclamação era unânime. Ninguém é insensível ao ponto de quantificar a importância da morte de uma pessoa independentemente do lugar do planeta que ela resida ou sua classe social.
"It is not enough to speak – you must get out of your home". Artwork published by Fabrício França de Oliveira in the Alagoas, Estado de Emergência group.
Eulália Lima [pt], although living in another state, followed the debate closely, saying it was high time social networks were used “for something indeed useful”:
Que sigamos bem mais longe, pelo simples fato de que o pouco que fizermos já significará um passo enorme para um Estado e um povo tão castigado. Aprender a usar o voto e a importância dele, saber que tem direitos, lutar por eles e deixar o egoísmo e o conformismo para trás, pode transformar o mundo. O ALAGOAS – ESTADO DE EMERGÊNCIA é um exemplo disso. Sair do sofá e interagir pode render gratas recompensas. Estou nessa! Parabéns a todos pelo primeiro passo!
A petition demanding immediate intervention from the Public Ministry [pt] in the state was launched on Tuesday 29, and has already gathered over 2,000 signatures. After adding his name to it, Nilton Resende [pt] asked, “What intervention do we want? What intervention do we need?”:
Os vereadores aumentaram seus salários e nós não pedimos uma intervenção. Nós somos vilipendiados constantemente pela corja de políticos que diz nos representar, e não pedimos intervenção.
Mas, queremos uma intervenção sobre os bandidos – os bandidos pobres, que matam num átimo. Pedimos essa intervenção, sem nos lembrarmos dos bandidos que nos matam lentamente há décadas.
É preciso uma mudança geral. Não adianta uma intervenção apenas repressora sem mudar a base causadora do estado de penúria de nosso Estado. Sem nos tirar da tortura constante a que somos submetidos, como eu disse no post anterior: .
Passeemos por outros estados brasileiros, e veremos as UPA’s – Unidades de Pronto Atendimento. Quais foram construídas em Alagoas? Quais foram construídas em Maceió? E onde está o dinheiro que foi destinado a isso?
Na verdade, precisamos de diversas intervenções.
Local councilors have raised their salaries and we did not ask for intervention. We have been constantly vilified by the gang of politicians who are said to represent us, and we do not ask for intervention.
But we ask for intervention when it is about the bad guys – the criminals in poverty, who kill in an instant. We ask for intervention, without remembering the bad guys who have been killing us slowly for decades.
We need an overall change. There is no use for just a repressive intervention without changing the basic cause of the penury of our State; without taking us away from the constant torture that we are subjected to, as I said in a previous post: Torture: Tortures [pt].
If we go to other Brazilian states, we see Emergency Care Units [a type of medium complexity hospital deployed in several Brazilian cities]. Where are they in Alagoas? Where are they in Maceio? And where is the money that was allocated for that?
In fact, we need different interventions.
Vertiginous growth
Graphic of the 2012 Map of Violence showing the growth rates of homicide in Alagoas in the last 20 years. The red color indicates the national index, pink covers Maceió and metropolitan area, and Alagoas as a whole is shown in yellow.
Crime in Alagoas has shown an accelerated and continued growth, according to the 2012 Map of Violence [pt], published by the Instituto Sangari. In the 1999 report, the state boasted a moderate level of violence, with a rate of 20.3 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants (below the national average of 26.2) and ranking 11th.
In 2010, the rate of 66.8 homicides per 100,000 secured Alagoas the title of the most violent State in the country for the fifth consecutive year. While the average Brazilian rates of violence remain unchanged, Alagoas’ grew 228.3%, more than tripling in the last 10 years.
Despite these calamitous rates, the small state does not make the headlines in the country's mainstream media. Thallysson Alves [pt] demands the due attention:
Pessoal, já que a imprensa nacional não vem a nós, vamos a ela. Enviem links que relatam a mobilização para os sites, jornais, TVs, revistas e rádios de fora do nosso Estado. Quem conhecer jornalistas de fora, adicionem ao grupo, informe. Vamos pressionar de todos os lados para que, enfim, sejamos ouvidos.
The people of Alagoas are tired and want peace. Kika Chroniaris [pt] suggests a way to show this:
Coloquem fita branca em seu carro e uma faixa na fachada de seu estabelecimento ou casa. Seja em qualquer lugar da cidade, precisamos mostrar que a cidade toda clama por PAZ.
Alagoas cries out for peace. Photo published by Marilene da Silva in the Facebook group.

author: Paula Góes


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Brazil: Expropriation Approved for Slave Labor Properties · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

[All links in Portuguese unless stated otherwise.]
In order to combat exploitative slave labor, the Brazilian Congress approved the Proposal of Constitutional Amendment Number 438 (PEC 438) last May 22, 2012. The approved proposal, ensures the immediate expropriation of properties without right to compensation where “the government's inspectors prove the existence of slave labor or similar forms of exploitation of manpower in certain properties, whether rural or urban”.
Until the recent approval, confiscated land would go for Agrarian Reform and in the case of the urban environment, the properties would go to housing programs. It was the addition of urban real estate to the project that made a second round of voting necessary in the House of Representatives, which took seven years to happen.
The vote on the PEC, according to Deputy Dr. Rosinha, was delayed at least 37 times and waited a whole 17 years to be passed between modifications, additions, votes in the Senate and House of Representatives and delays on the part of the “ruralistas” that when approaching the moment of voting, sought to empty Congress and perform various maneuvers to avoid policies that could get the necessary votes for approval of the proposal.
Deputies celebrate the approval of PEC 438. Photo by Rogério Tomaz Jr, used with permission
Activist Rogério Tomaz Jr gives the details:
Dois mil, oitocentos e quarenta e um dias. Sete anos, nove meses e onze dias.
Esse foi o tempo decorrido entre a aprovação em primeiro e segundo turnos da proposta de emenda à Constituição (PEC 438/2001) que expropria terras onde for constatada a prática do trabalho escravo.
Originalmente proposta em 1999 por um baiano – o senador Ademir Andrade (PSB-PA) – e aprovada numa sessão da Câmara conduzida por um gaúcho, o deputado Marco Maia (PT-RS), a PEC do Trabalho Escravo foi uma rara (e acachapante) derrota dos ruralistas num Congresso onde eles, via de regra, aprovam ou desaprovam tudo que querem.
Two thousand eight hundred and forty-one days. Seven years, nine months and eleven days.
This was the time between the approval for first and second rounds of the Proposal of Constitutional Amendment (PEC 438/2001) which expropriates land where the practice of slave labor is found.
Originally proposed in 1999 by a Senator from Bahia, Ademir Andrade (PSB-PA), and adopted in a session in the House of Representatives led by Dep. Marco Maia (PT-RS), from Rio Grande do Sul, the PEC of Slavery was a rare (and overwhelming ) defeat  for the “ruralistas” in a Congress in which they, as a rule, approve or disapprove all they want.
The original design of the PEC 438 dates back to 1995 (in the Chamber of Deputies) when Deputy Paulo Rocha of the Workers Party of Bahia proposed a project for the expropriation of rural property on which was found the use of workers under conditions similar to slavery, and 1999 (in the Senate) by the hands of Senator of Pará, Ademir de Andrade. In 2001, the proposal was amended by Senator Ademir de Andrade and was transformed into PEC 438, designating the confiscated land to land reform; he has since battled for its approval.
The proposal was approved in the Senate and in the first round in the House of Representatives in August 2004, with 326 votes in favor, 10 against and 8 abstentions. Proposed amendments to the constitution require two rounds for approval, which should gather the votes of at least three fifths of the total of 513 federal deputies. Members of the so called Rural Caucus – often criticized for its “regressive” policies in the Brazilian agricultural sector and agribusiness- kept delaying the second ballot of the PEC 438, but it ended up being adopted now, with 360 votes in favor, 29 against and 25 abstentions, a total of 414 votes.
Survey of NGO Reporter Brasil with photos and names of Deputies who voted against the PEC 438.
On Twitter, the tag #PEC438 was widely used especially by supporters of the proposal.
Federal Deputy of the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) Chico Alencar (@DepChicoAlencar) counted the parties that voted against the PEC, including those who abstained and those who declared obstruction:
Dos 55 votos NÃO, ABSTENÇÃO e OBSTRUÇÃO contra PEC trab escravo 40% foram do PSD, 30% do DEM, 25% PP, 24% PMDB, 18% PTB, 17% PR
Journalist George Silva (@George_wos) indicated the number of dissenting votes for each party:
DEM (5), PDT (1), PHS (1), PMDB (7), PP (4), PR (1), PSC (1), PSD (7), PSDB (1) e PTB (1). Os 29 votos contra à #PEC438 http://bit.ly/JHwclW
Professor Idelber Avelar published via Twitter the full list of votes in the House of Representatives. The website Trabalho Escravo (Slave Work), created by NGOs that supported the approval of PEC 438 also compiled a list of legislators who voted and those who were absent and also posted the names and photos of each one of them.
At the same time, legislators who supported the approval celebrated, such as Jean Wyllys (@jeanwyllys_real) from PSOL, and Paulo Teixeira (@PauloTeixeira13) from PT:
#PEC438 aprovada! Vitória histórica! Vitória da democracia e do Brasil que deseja se desenvolver sem explorar a mão de obra escrava!
Blogger and activist Leonardo Sakamoto commented on some of the reasons why the vote was so hard and time consuming:
Os ruralistas e contrários à proposta defendem a aprovação de uma lei que defina o conceito de trabalho escravo, diminuindo as situações possíveis de caracterizá-lo. Os favoráveis à proposta e o governo afirmam que não há necessidade e que o conceito de trabalho escravo já é claro no artigo 149 do Código Penal, defendendo a aprovação de legislação infraconstitucional apenas para regulamentar a expropriação, garantindo que ela ocorra após decisão judicial transitada em julgado.
Deputies celebrate and sing the national anthem with the Brazilian flag. Photo of Thiago Skárnio under CC license
The ruralistas and those against the proposal argued the approval of a law that defines the concept of slave labor, diminishing the possible situations to characterize it. Those in favor of the proposal and the government say there is no need and that the concept of slavery is already clear in Article 149 of the Penal Code, advocating the adoption of constitutional legislation to regulate only the expropriation, ensuring that it occurs after a final court decision .
Conservative journalist Políbio Braga applauded those who voted against the PEC, stating that:
O artigo 149 do Código Penal, fala em condições “exaustivas”, ”degradantes” e “análogas”, mas não conceitua nada. Para efeitos de expropriação da propriedade rural ou urbana, tudo ficará submetido ao arbítrio do fiscal da DRT [Delegacia Regional do Trabalho].

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Brazil: Government Cuts on Public Healthcare System · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

The Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff decreased [pt] by 50% the salaries of physicians in the Healthcare System (SUS) through a ‘provisory measure‘, in May, 2012. Conceição Lemes, from the blog Vi o Mundo, reports on the new measure that affects 48,000 doctors and quotes the President of the Regional Council of Medicine from Rio who says that “it is getting harder to attract doctors to the SUS”.


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Côte d’Ivoire: Controversy as Manager of National Football Team Replaced · Global Voices
Kanigui

[All links forward to French texts unless otherwise stated]
On Monday May 28, 2012, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced a change at the top of the national football team:
La Fédération Ivoirienne de Football informe de ce que, à partir de ce jour, Monsieur Sabri LAMOUCHI est nommé Sélectionneur et Entraîneur de l’Equipe nationale A, en remplacement de Monsieur François ZAHOUI.
Sabri Lamouchi and Didier Drodgba during the introduction of the new Côte d'Ivoire football coach
This announcement unleashed a wave of reaction in the Ivorian press as well on the internet and social networks. On his blog, Cyriac Gbogou wondered:
Pourquoi Zahoui François a t-il été limogé?
A  Facebook page demanding the return of François Zahoui has been created. Similarly, An Internet petition to say ‘No’ to Lamouchi has even seen the light of day.  Bamba Moussa invites Internet users to read the petition:
@Be_hem: Si toi aussi tu n'aime pas les foutaises de la FIF http://fb.me/1sROmb5Uw
On Twitter, the comments were not kind. The Ivoirans struggled to understand why the FIF replaced Zahoui with a less experienced manager, as shown in this tweet from Christian Roland:
@chroland: @ConstyBlack  @macmady mieux vaut un #zahoui qui a des resultats qu'un lamouchi qui viens se faire la main
Although some people believed Zahoui needed replaced, hardly anyone approved of the choice of Lamouchi, for example @Kadotien:
@Kadotien: @Lord225 je suis contre lamouchi sans etre pour Zahui. Zahui c syndrome domenech lamouchi c Zero #civ2010
or @Justice who complained:
@Justice: Alors qu'il n'a aucune expérience comme entraîneur, Sabri Lamouchi succède à François Zahoui à la tête de la #civ2010 http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actua …
This FIF video reports on the end of François Zahoui's tenure at the head of the Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire:
The series of complaints continued with this from Lord225 who condemned these impetuous replacements of managers by the FIF:
On ne construit pas une équipe forte en remplaçant l'entraîneur après chaque compétition #civ2010 #foot #zahoui
As for Antoine Mian, he was struggling to understand the thinking behind this decision:
@Mianseh: Je n ‘arrive pas à suivre la logique de la #FIF RT @FernandDdeh @djiboua7 Zahoui a été remplacé par Sabri Lamouchi à la tête des Eléphants.
At the time of writing, reactions follow reactions and on the official page of the FIF announcing this change, the indignant comments continue.

author: Kanigui


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Greece: Neo-Nazi “Golden Dawn” Supporters Attack More Immigrants · Global Voices
Alexia Kalaitzi

A gang of 15-20 young supporters of Golden Dawn, the startlingly successful Greek neo-nazi political party, attacked an approximately 30-year-old Pakistani man on May 29, 2012 in Athens, in the metro station of Agios Nikolaos, a neighborhood known for its large immigrant population.
Golden Dawn supporters hold flares in Thessaloniki, Greece on election day (May 6) when the party won 7% of the vote. Photo by Alexandros Michailidis © Copyright Demotix
The gang entered the station shouting fascist slogans like “You will never become Greek!” They targeted the man, threw him on the ground and beat him, as shocked passengers looked on.
In a TVXS news report, an eyewitness narrates the story [gr] and explains what happened when he reacted to the brutality of the group:
Την ώρα της επίθεσης, βγήκα στην πόρτα του συρμού και άρχισα να φωνάζω εναντίον τους και να τους βρίζω, απειλώντας ότι θα τηλεφωνήσω στην Αστυνομία. (…) «Προδότη φύγε από τη χώρα», «κομμούνι θα σε μαχαιρώσουμε»
He concludes by saying:
Μικρός μέσος όρος ηλικίας για τη φασιστική αυτή ομάδα, μεγάλος δυστυχώς ο φόβος των επιβατών. Αν είχαμε μιλήσει όλοι μαζί θα τα είχαν μαζέψει και θα είχαν φύγει σίγουρα…».
The average age of the fascist group was low, unfortunately the fear of the passengers was great. If we had all reacted together, they would have disappeared for sure.
Blogger, Fragkiska Megaloudi, comments beneath the  news article on the absence of the police during the incident:
Δεν μου κανει εντύπωση πως οι ψυχοπαθεις φασιστες της Χρυσής Αυγής κανουν αυτα που κανουν με ατιμωρησία διοτι δεν περιμενω και προστασια απο την ελληνική αστυνομία που κατα το ήμισυ τους εχει ψηφίσει…
Other attacks were reported in Athens on May 29, the same day that a Golden Dawn rally was held at noon in Syntagma Square in memory of the fall of Constantinople in 1453 after an Ottoman attack. The leader of Golden Dawn, Nikolaos Mihaloliakos, announced in writing four days before:
Συναγωνιστές και Συναγωνίστριες, ψηλά τις Σημαίες. Έρχονται ημέρες δύσκολες, στις οποίους και θα κριθεί ποιοι είναι οι αληθινοί Έλληνες, ποιοι είναι οι Εθνικιστές και ποιοι οι προδότες.
After Golden Dawn was voted into Greece's parliament on May 6 receiving 7% of the votes, random attacks on immigrants, especially in the center of Athens, have increased significantly. However, the party itself has never taken responsibility for such racist attacks.
June rallies and demonstrations are being organized in Athens and Thessaloniki against racially motivated attacks and the extreme right wing.

author: Alexia Kalaitzi


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Kyrgyzstan: Civic Initiatives Seek to Tackle Bride-Kidnapping · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

Since the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, ala kachuu, or bride kidnapping, has become a common occurrence in Kyrgyzstan's provincial towns and villages. Although registered as a crime under Kyrgyzstan's criminal code, the government has consistently lacked the political will power to punish perpetrators, many of whom – mainly rural men – have come to regard the act as a ‘tradition’ and a birth-rite.
In recent months, civil society organizations and creative troupes have been harnessing the power of performance to try and educate the population and clamp down on the practice.
Screenshot from video, ‘Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan’, uploaded on January 17, 2012, by YouTube user Vice.
Kyrgyzstan's Ombudsman, Tursunbek Akun, says that up to 8,000 young women are kidnapped annually. Of those cases, only a handful ever make it to court, partly due to the disinterest of local police and state prosecutors, partly due to cultural norms that discourage families to take back their daughters once kidnapped.
Kyrgyzstan's parliament, dominated by men from the regions, voted against legislation that would ban Islamic clerics from blessing unregistered marriages (such as those which occurred via abduction) earlier this year.
International interest in the phenomenon ebbs and flows, and global rights organizations rarely have the cultural toolkit to suggest appropriate responses to a problem that polarizes village communities. For this reason, initiatives such as the March video-making workshop [ru] for young people overseen by the Kyrgyz NGO Open Line, and taught by “social advert” guru Georgi Molodtsov, are particularly important as a way of conveying messages about the practice in terms that are accessible to local communities.
The four videos below, uploaded on MsBeknazarova's YouTube profile on April 4, 2012, are some of the results of the workshop:
The above video in Kyrgyz and Russian reminds people that bride-stealing is illegal and punishable by law. The white marriage scarf held by the gold-toothed women on the left-hand side of the video is ceremonially placed on the head of a kidnapped bride to affirm the in-laws ‘claim’ on a kidnapped woman.
This video fights against the stigma attached to taking a daughter back once stolen. Many families face heavy pressure from relatives to accept the outcome of a kidnapping. Last year, two kidnapped brides in Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul region committed suicide, leading local people to launch a campaign against ala kachuu titled “Spring Without Them.” The Russian and Kyrgyz text in the above video reads: “You were always there to support your daughter. Now let her make her own choice.”
The video above homes in on the character of Kurmanjan Datka, the most famous woman in Kyrgyz history. Kurmanjan Datka herself escaped an arranged marriage to become the “Queen of Alai”, a mountainous region in southern Kyrgyzstan. The advert encourages young Kyrgyz women to take their destiny into their own hands and resist forced unions, taking inspiration from “Kurmanjan's choice”.
This video encourages Kyrgyzstani youth to use their mobile phone's “main function” and dial “102” – the hotline for kidnapped brides – when they witness woman-theft. Rather than filming the kidnapping to show their friends later, they should remember that “every girl is someone's daughter or sister”, the advert advises.
The final video in Russian and Kyrgyz, posted by Chalkan TV on its website on May 17, 2012, is not connected with the workshop. The video is of a theatrical performance held by students in the provincial town of Karakol in May – “Women are not Livestock!” Interviewed after the performance, Jypargul Kadyralieva, one of the organizers, explained [kg] the decision to hand out white marriage scarfs with the number “155”, to the audience, as well as the reason for including the word “livestock” in the performance's title.
There is an article in the criminal code – 155 – that should punish the stealing of women for marriage. We want this law to work. For some reason, [in Kyrgyzstan] when someone steals livestock, he is sternly punished, but when he steals a woman, he isn't punished. We want to get across to society that a woman is a person deserving of love…we want to lobby the parliament so that [law 155] works, or to change this law [from “abduction of a woman with the aim of entering marriage”] to simply “abduction of a person.”
According to research by the non-governmental organization Kyz-Korgon Institute, up to 45% of women married in Karakol in 2010 and 2011 had been kidnapped against their will before entering into the marriage.

author: Chris Rickleton


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Mexico: #YoSoy132 Youth Movement Generates Debate · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

All links lead to Spanish-language websites unless otherwise noted.
As we previously reported [en], a movement now identified as #YoSoy132 emerged in Mexico on May 11, 2012, taking shape amid the ongoing electoral process to choose the next president. It is a youth movement, perhaps a student mobilization, non-partisan according to its press releases, incipient but powerful, and has succeeded to draw thousands of people to its events, as well as its meetings and marches.
Attorney Miguel Carbonell (@MigelCarbonell) anticipated, in a tweet from May 24, 2012, one of the challenges for this movement:
El movimiento juvenil tiene enfrente el gran desafío de pasar de la protesta a la propuesta.
The blog Sendero de Fecal published this text in which some of the movement's objectives are mentioned:
El movimiento se plantea evitar que un candidato presidencial pueda ser impuesto por la oligarquía del país y los poderes fácticos presentes en los tres poderes del gobierno de la república, así como organizarnos para responder a un probable fraude electoral diseñado con antelación.
Este no debe ser un movimiento solo de coyuntura electoral, sino es un movimiento que busca cambiar el país, encausar las demandas de justicia de la población y se plantea resolver los graves problemas que padece el país en todos los sectores que atañen a la sociedad mexicana.
The movement means to prevent a presidential candidate from being imposed by the country's oligarchy and the powers-that-be present in the three branches of government, as well as means to mobilize ourselves in advance in order to respond to likely electoral fraud.
This should not be a movement only for election time, but also a movement that looks to change the country, carry out the demands for justice from the population and move to resolve the grave problems that afflict the country in all sectors that concern Mexican society.
Moreover, the blog Kaniwa described the youth movement like this:
Movilizados en torno a demandas -en realidad, desde hace mucho, exigencias irreductibles- muy específicas (democratizar los medios, alentar la competencia real en las telecomunicaciones, rechazo a la imposición de uno de los candidatos por parte del duopolio televisivo conformado en México por Televisa y TV Azteca, garantizar el derecho al acceso a Internet para toda la población, eliminando con ello la brecha digital que mantiene a más de la mitad de la población sin acceso a estos medios), decenas de miles de jóvenes universitarios de todo el país, encabezados por una “masa crítica” que lo detonó todo, de entre los estudiantes de la Universidad Iberoamericana, están retando al país a despertar, a rechazar el control manipulador de los grandes medios masivos de comunicación, usando los instrumentos de su generación: Facebook, Twitter y Youtube.
First #YoSoy132 general assembly. Photo: J. Tadeo
For many it is inevitable to recognize some elements of the discourse of one of the candidates for the Mexican presidency in these descriptions of the movement; the fact that the members of #YoSoy132 point specifically to a candidate or support another has led to conflicting opinions among Twitter users.
Carlos García (@imaurum), whose profile picture features an illustration that contains the phrase #YoSoy132, took note of the widespread disapproval that according to his view exists for one of the candidates, while not wasting the opportunity to denigrate him with a description:
En redes sociales, en la calle, en las universidades, en el super, en tofos lados desaprueban al PRI y a su títere Peña Nieto [sic]
Given the persistence of statements such as these, Twitter users such as attorney Gerardo Laveaga (@GLaveaga) have questioned if #YoSoy132 in effect supports or is against any candidate:
Sólo para entenderlo mejor: ¿ #YoSoy132 es un movimiento para apoyar a #AMLO o para combatir a @EPN ?
Kazbam blogged about this discourse of “non-partisanship” and other topics that have made him distance himself from the movement:
Ahora bien, los 132 dicen que son apartidistas. Pero también dicen que son anti-PRI y anti-Peña Nieto. Me gustaría que me explicaran cómo poder rechazar a un candidato y a un partido sin apoyar a los otros contendientes. Ser apartidista no es no apoyar a un partido, es eso y no rechazar a uno en particular.
He concluded, breaking it down:
Ah, y ya nada más quiero aclarar, para que no haya confusiones, que no por considerarme fuera del movimiento de los 132 estoy a favor del candidato del PRI. No voy a votar por “el copetes”, no se confundan.
Abel Alejandro Heras (@aheras) reached the point of denouncing the insults he had received from sympathizers of a political party for having expressed his opinion about the movement:
Cuando opiné de la #MarchaYoSoy132, lo menos que obtuve fueron mentadas [insultos], con marcado tinte Perredista [del PRD], no mejor paso.
In the same way, the blogger from Cachitos de mi Vida made reference to the insults and asked:
¿Queremos un país más tolerante y democrático? ¿Entonces por qué denostar a aquellos que van a votar por X, Y o Z? Una cosa es criticar la trayectoria política y la plataforma de un candidato y otra muy diferente es insultar a quienes eligen determinada opción política.
#YoSoy132 calls for a strike on July 2. Photo: J. Tadeo
Jaime Benítez (@El_Mesie) looked (like many others) to demarcate the movement with the use of the #YoNoSoy132 hashtag, while accusing the movement of having been “kidnapped” by the National Regeneration Movement (“MORENA”) which promotes on of the presidential candidates:
Desvirtuada la #MarchaYoSoy132 x ahora ser d #MORENA dejo de ser apartidista,Rucos como @epigmenioIbarra la secuestraron #YoNoSoy132 #mexico
For his part, Gerardo Arellano (@ARELFC) wrote about the “hijacking” of the movement by a group with socialist tendencies, and even shared a photograph to prove it:
Terrible. La #MarchaYoSoy132 es secuestrada ya por gente que se asume como socialista. pic.twitter.com/WPXbO6Pv
Representing another frame of mind, Rafael Medina (@rafilla_rm) questioned why the “student” movement doesn't demand that educators (who have protested throughout the country having to submit to a job evaluation) should return to their classrooms:
@CarlosLoret Por que no han salido los #yoSoy132 a exigir que Los maestros regresen a clases y acepten la evaluacion?
Given all the activism over the last few days that has spread over Twitter and other networks, user Osvaldo Suarez (@paul_suco) reminded:
Tenemos que ser conscientes de que un voto razonado no se construye desde las redes sociales.
There are 31 days left until the people of Mexico will have to choose their next president. The #YoSoy132 movement certainly has established itself among public opinion in a quick and timely manner; nevertheless its reach, its objectives and its commentary have generated exchange between those with differing opinions. We can only hope that it is understood that elections are won with votes (in the ballot boxes) and not with tweets.

author: J. Tadeo


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Peru: Conflict Between Espinar Community and Mining Company · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

A list of social conflicts about to explode in Peru country has just recently announced in the media. However, the socio-environmental conflict going on in the province of Espinar, Cusco region, between the community and the mining operation Xstrata Copper, which was not even on the list, is the one that made headlines this week. The Ombudsman's Office defines [es] this case in its recent report (pdf, pag. 40) as follows:
La Provincia de Espinar demanda a la empresa minera Xtrata Copper – Proyecto Tintaya Antapacay ampliar los aportes al desarrollo socioeconómico; cerrar o reubicar la presa de relaves de Huanipampa; y asumir compromisos ambientales ante posibles impactos susceptibles de generarse como consecuencia de sus actividades en la zona.
At the time of this writing, the conflict enters its eighth day of indefinite strike by the community, and the protests are escalating in both violence and repression. But this is not a new conflict. In the magazine Willanakuy Cusco's blog, there is a timeline [es] of the events that led to the current situation:
1. A partir del año 2000 la población de Espinar se moviliza exigiendo a la Empresa Minera (en ese entonces BHP Billiton) suscribir un acuerdo; para establecer reglas claras de convivencia con la actividad minera, debido a la existencia de denuncias por contaminación ambiental y violaciones a los derechos humanos; como resultado de varias movilizaciones sociales, finalmente el año 2003 se suscribe un acuerdo, que ahora se conoce como Convenio Marco. […]
5. En el año 2010, cobra mayor fuerza la necesidad de una revisión del Convenio Marco y se plantea claramente la fiscalización económica y un balance de los compromisos y actividades asumidos por Xstrata Tintaya dentro del Convenio Marco; […] En este mismo año 2010, continúan las denuncias sobre apariciones de nacimientos de animales deformados, acusando a la actividad minera de ser la causante.
1. Since the year 2000, the population of Espinar has mobilized, demanding that the mining company (at that time, BHP Billiton), sign an agreement to establish clear rules of coexistence with mining activity due to the existence of complaints of pollution and violations of human rights; as a result of several social movements, an agreement was finally signed in 2003, now known as the Framework Convention. […]
5. In the year 2010, the need for a revision of the Framework Convention is increasingly felt, and the questions of economic control and a balance of commitments and activities undertaken by Xstrata Tintaya within the Framework Convention are raised; […] Also in 2010, complaints of the births of deformed animals continue, accusing the mining activities of being the cause.
Among the most recent facts are:
8. El 28 de noviembre del 2011, la Municipalidad Provincial de Espinar, cursa una carta notarial a los representantes de Xstrata Tintaya; adjuntando la propuesta de Reformulación del Convenio Marco.
11. El 10 de febrero del 2012 […] se conoce en Espinar el estudio de riesgos a la salud por exposición a metales pesados en la provincia de Espinar, […] en este documento se advierte la necesidad de realizar monitoreos permanentes en la población, “…28 personas con valores superiores al lìmite de referencia con mercurio; 24 personas con valores de arsénico superiores al límite referencial y 10 personas con valores de cadmio por encima del valor referencial; las muestras de agua tienen concentraciones de arsénico y mercurio por encima de los estándares de calidad ambiental…”
8. On November 28, 2011, the Provincial Municipality of Espinar sends a notarized letter to the representatives of Xstrata Tintaya, attaching the proposed reformulation of the Framework Convention.
11. On February 10, 2012, […] Espinar finds out about a study about health risks from exposure to heavy metals in Espinar province, […] this document notes the need for permanent monitoring of the population, “…28 people with levels above the normal limit for mercury; 24 people with arsenic levels above accepted limits, and 10 people with cadmium values above accepted limits; water samples have concentrations of arsenic and mercury above environmental quality standards…
The current strike is the result of an agreement reached by the community on March 22, in view of the fact that after several meetings with the mining company, there has been no agreement reached on whether or not the Framework Convention will be reformulated. The strike started [es] on May 21 and on the 22 it was reported [es] that there wasn't much support for it. However, reports from the second day noted [es] two gunshot injuries when protesters tried to take over the water pump house near the mining company camp.
The third day saw a confrontation at the entrance of the town of Marquina, when police ejected townspeople who occupied the public street, resulting [es] in 11 injured citizens and some arrests, also requiring [es] the presence of the President of the Council of Ministers in the area. For his part, the Minister of Energy and Mines stated that Xstrata “has taken sufficient environmental and social responsibility” and added that “there are groups which may have other reasons to create conflicts.” The company reported in a statement that at all times they have promoted dialogue.
On the fourth day of the strike there was a march [es] to the Xstrata camp, which provoked new confrontations [es], this time resulting in seven injured [es], among them the mayor of Espinar. A government representative stated [es] they could not install a high-level commission because of the lack of safety.
The fifth day of the strike witnessed a complete shutdown of the city and road blockage but also an announcement [es] by the executive branch that a delegation had been sent to promote dialogue and establish a working agenda, and the  the statements by President Humala that in Espinar “there are groups like Cajamarca, violent, trying to carry out an extremist agenda.”
The sixth day of the strike revealed that Espinar is losing [es] 200,000 soles (US $75,000) per day of the strike, and also that the talks between the community and the executives who had arrived the night before, had stalled [es]. And while the protesters asked [es] that the meetings of the Deputy Ministers be public, the ministers asked the protesters to stop the strike and not delay the talks.
The seventh day of the strike was relatively peaceful, although the city remained paralyzed [es] and there were pickets in several areas, while the mining camp was guarded by over 100 police officers. The Deputy Minister of Mines ruled out [es] closing the mine, y and also stressed [es] that the strike “was the same model” as Cajamarca.
For his part, the president of the National Mining Association said  that Xstrata Copper is willing to talk, adding that there is “a concerted policy to reject private investment in the country, and this is an important project, because we are talking about an investment of more than 4 billion dollars.”
Prime Minister Óscar Valdes in a press conference about events in Espinar (Cusco). Image by Flickr user Presidencia Perú (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The eighth day of the strike started with the Prime Minister declaring that the “protesters in Espinar just want to radicalize their protests.” He then confirmed the rumor that ten mining concession workers had been detained by the demonstrators yesterday, and set free today (Monday). Later, at midday confrontations [es] between protesters and police were reported in the hills near the Xstrata Tintaya mining camp, which ended with the tragic death of two protesters and at least six injured. [es]
Later in the afternoon it was learned that  the regional prosecutor of Espinar had been kidnapped by people who also set fire to the car he was traveling in and that they had taken him barefoot to the town of Yauri (it was later reported [es] that he was safe). It was also reported that the Tintaya Foundation site in Espinar had been set on fire. The Minister of the Interior reported [es] that so far, 76 police officers have been injured in these confrontations. Given these acts of violence, the government decided, during the night, to declare a state of emergency for 30 days in the province of Espinar.
One of the reports coming out of Espinar that has most affected the local tweetosphere [es] is of a video where you can see a police sniper aiming at and shooting a cameraman, which records up to the moment the bullet hits (seg. 33) [Warning: graphic images]:
The mining operation Xstrata Tintaya has stated [es] it will not give in to the economic demands by the mayor of Espinar, however, will continue to opt for dialogue. It should be noted that the province of Espinar received [es] 300 million soles (US $111,000,000) from the 2011 budget, but the poverty level remains at 64.4%. So it is conceivable that the problem is not the resources but how they are used, and how they are administered. This is quite apart from the problems and environmental damage that the mining activities in the area may be causing, and which the community demonstrates in these videos. [es]

author: Juan Arellano


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Poland, Ukraine: Euro 2012 and Racism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Football fans across Europe have been presented with quite a list of reasons not to travel to Poland and Ukraine for Euro 2012, which is scheduled to begin in a week. Ukraine “options” to choose from include mass killings of stray animals, hotel price gouging, the threat of “beautiful Ukrainian women,” homophobia, and the plight of Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's jailed ex-PM. The newest item recently added to this extensive and diverse negative publicity menu is racism – and it is relevant for both Poland and Ukraine.
On Monday, May 28, BBC One aired Panorama's Euro 2012: Stadiums of Hate, a documentary that, according to BBC, “reveals shocking new evidence of racist violence and anti-Semitism at the heart of Polish and Ukrainian football and asks whether tournament organiser UEFA should have chosen both nations to host the prestigious event.” After watching the footage that “Panorama spent a month filming at matches in both the joint host nations,” Sol Campbell, a retired English footballer, advised fans to “stay at home” and “watch it on TV”: “Don't even risk it… because you could end up coming back in a coffin.”
The BBC documentary has caused many heated discussions online. The article on Campbell's advise to fans, mentioned above, has generated over 950 comments. The Periscope Post reviewed tweets by “some key sports commentators [who] insisted that the film has irresponsibly overstated the countries’ societal problems, while others welcomed the BBC’s expose.”
Below is a selection of excerpts from English-language blogs commenting on the BBC documentary and the issues it raises.
LEvko of Foreign Notes commented on the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's inept response:
[…] A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oleh Voloshyn, today stated the BBC should apologise for the programme. He claimed ‘the British side’ has never officially protested about the racist displays by Ukrainian fans.
[…]
He should have declared: there will be zero-tolerance at Euro 2012 of racist behaviour, either by home fans or by visitors, and left it at that. His statements will merely dissuade even more England fans from travelling to Ukraine.
Polska Dotty wrote about the need to address the problem of football racism:
[…] On the one hand there has been criticism of the programme that it caricatured the problem, giving the impression travelling to Eastern Europe would be like stepping back into the Third Reich. […] Some of the many bloggers in the two days since Panorama was shown have suggested Poland has concentrated too much on the stadiums and other infrastructure needed for Euro 2012 and not enough on clamping down on the racism/hooliganism amongst fans. I think that has to be right. In UK we had terrible football hooliganism in the 70s, but it was addressed. To be fair, it took time, so we should be careful how we judge others. If the Poles stamp out the unacceptable behaviour quickly from now on, encouraged to act by the spotlight that has been shone on them, this will be a result. […]
Odessablogger explained the use of the word “negr” in Russian and Ukrainian:
[…] Now there is no denying that there is a racist element amongst certain fans and in particular those associated to certain football clubs in Ukraine.
[…]
However, this heated debate between the Ukrainian Expat community and traveling English fans has now centred over the word “nigger/negro” (негр).
It is time to be crystal clear. In Ukraine and Russia there is no racial derogatory slur attached to the word “nigger/negro”.  It is not an insult here and neither is it meant to be insulting!
Despite the negativity attached to the word in the UK and other nations, historically and currently, the word nigger has no such undercurrent in Ukraine or Russia. It is not a word that Ukrainians or Russians would use to insult a black person.
[…]
Cultural, linguistic and historical awareness is a necessity if you are looking for an excuse to call racism over words like nigger in Ukraine. Wonder if the BBC or UK media will actually highlight this, or whether they will simply be so ignorant as to see it as a racial insult – that it isn’t?
On Thenews.pl's Euro 2012 Blog, Peter Gentle wrote, among other things, about a seemingly minor cartography blunder and the effect it might have on the audience:
A screenshot of the map shown in BBC Panorama's documentary, which misplaced and misnamed some countries.
[…] And Panorama would never have got off to a bad a start in its pomp as Stadiums of Hate does, by displaying a map at 2.28 minutes into the programme of Poland sharing a border with … Austria! Unless there have been huge changes in borders and peoples around Europe, in secret, that only the BBC knows about, then Austria does not border Poland. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has slipped south, and borders with a large country which appears to be Yugoslavia.
Maybe, Panorama's confused idea of the map of Central Europe is not such a big deal in the context of the vile imagery the programme presents: but imagine if you are a Pole watching this […] and having to take seriously a programme that doesn't even know which countries Poland borders with. […]
In her “Letter from Tennessee to Poland and Ukraine,” Kim Green wrote:
[…] Poland and Ukraine, it isn’t going to be easy to do this. But I implore you: sit down and watch the video. Get mad. Get embarrassed. And then, move on. Clean house. Let your wrongheaded rednecks know that you think they’re complete jack@$$es, and you’re not going to put up with the swastikas and the ridiculous anti-semitic t-shirts and the incoherently designed hatemongering banners. And then, you can welcome the world to your cities for Euro 2012 and show them who you really are. […]
Michał Zachodny, who writes about Polish football on his blog and on Twitter, had this to say on The Independent's sports blog:
[…] But there is something Poles and Ukrainians can thank the BBC for. By making the problem much bigger than it is in reality, by showing that both countries are struggling with the issues, by compromising the governing bodies, they made them react. Strong reaction, even if forced, is needed to help fans prove that their response to, and disgust at, the Panorama show, is not based on empty promises and hopes. Because however scandalous and unfair the treatment was perceived to be during the programme on Monday night, it is now up to the hosts to prove the BBC wrong and the European championships are just the start.
At Polandian, Paddymokotow wrote:
[…] Poland shouldn’t be afraid of the world’s attention. We should be glad the world is holding a mirror up to this wonderful country. Now let’s show the world its true reflection.
[…] The Polish Government has taken the policing and security of this event extremely seriously – they know how important it is to Poland’s reputation. You should take the same care you’d take visiting
any unknown city as a tourist, but not more.
Which reminds me of my trip to South Africa for the World Cup. The UK media spent a lot of time talking about the rampant crime, terrifying HIV rates and extreme poverty in the run up to the football- saying some England fans were ‘virtually certain to die.’ But not one
England fan was arrested or killed in that month. But proving the media wrong about South Africa doesn’t prove them wrong about Poland –
that’s up to everyone Polish person when kick off begins. […]
On The Guardian's Comment is free, Natalia Antonova wrote this about the situation in Ukraine:
[…] Law-enforcement officials are keenly aware of the possibility of scandal. My source in the Ukrainian police told me this week: “People being picked up by the police for crimes are being told that should they cause any trouble during the tournament, there will be hell to pay. And officers themselves are being cautioned to think twice about harassing foreigners.”
It may be that during Euro 2012, Ukraine will be a safer place for foreigners than for citizens. As a friend of mine who is a former prosecutor told me this week: “Some parents are worried that their children will fall prey to foreign sex-tourists during the tournament! As you can see, these kinds of safety concerns can go both ways. But Kiev is ready for the fans, the city is spruced up, and I think all will turn out well.” […]
One of the 220 comments to this post, by Definatelynotashark, reads:
Can anyone name me a major sporting event that didnt have these headlines in the run up?
Are people in Europe watching documentaries showing the Tottenham riots and warning them of the dangers of London in advance of the Olympics?
Go to Ukraine, take reasonable precautions, act sensibly, enjoy!

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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RightsCon: Future of Digital Rights in Latin America and Beyond · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Activists, business representatives, thinkers and policy makers are meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Human Rights and Technology Conference, hosted by Access in partnership with the Center for Technology and Society from Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil.
Speakers and participants discussed everything from social movements and digital natives, to Net Neutrality and the digital divide.
Andrew Mclaughlin from Tumblr described the most relevant threats to a free Internet:
Here are the key battles: Censorship and political control, which is the erection of a technical architecture of control that can be used for ill. Surveillance and piracy is battleground number two, where we see within the rule of law, outside the rule of law, and by companies themselves. And finally, the structure of the internet is under attack, the battles around network neutrality, wireless network neutrality, competition or the lack thereof, and the legislation that would control it, like SOPA/PIPA, ACTA and CISPA.
Jochai Ben Abi from Access at Rightscon Picture by Paulo Rena under a Creative Commons License
Brett Solomon, director of Access, highlighted the importance of Latin America in shaping the future:
We acknowledge the leadership in Latin America on the many things that are taking place. The marco civil in Brazil, the Costa Rican recognition of access to the internet as a fundamental human right.
Via video conference, Marietje Schaake, MEP for the Netherlands, told attendees we are entering a new era of diplomacy:
A new era of global Internet politics kicked off with the introduction of the idea of the ITU managing the Internet. I don’t believe that a UN body could regulate this effectively, and I don’t believe that government alone, without a multi-stakeholder approach, could govern the Internet. And we must be careful that emerging economies don’t push human rights off the agenda, when economic growth is on the table. Western companies must stop providing technology for censorship and surveillance. IT is a fundamental misunderstanding of the rule of law.
A roundtable also discussed how digital natives are changing the World, using the #yosoy132 movement in Mexico as an example.
While discussing privacy and security, computer expert and activist Jacob Appelbaum advocated for strong protection of privacy and cautious use of social networks. He said:
Facebook in some ways is Stasibook–you report on your friends all the time.
He later explained the importance of security technologies being available for all, even for the “bad guys”:
As a planet, I think we need to make a decision to all be secure, even some bad guys, rather than to all be insecure, and policed by governments which are not good at self-regulating, and are not transparent or accountable about what they do with this information.
A small delegation of Global Voices authors is attending the conference, including Ellery Biddle and Jillian York from the U.S.A., Claudio Ruiz from Chile, Diego Casaes from Brazil, and Elaine Diaz from Cuba.
During the conference The Guardian Project, an initiative which aims to create technologies and hardware to protect communications and personal data from intrusion and monitoring, organized the Free Bird Event, a one-day workshop that aims to empower mobile technology users with greater knowledge about security and privacy.
At the conference, the Access Innovation Prize was announced, which will distribute USD100,000.00 around the World. The deadline to apply for the prize is August 15, 2012 and anyone in the World can apply for any of its five categories. The award's website explains:
The Access Innovation Prize is designed to discover and reward ideas that demonstrate unique promise, opportunity and possibility. You can submit a near to complete project, improve an existing tool or create something totally new.
The conference ends today, June 1, with a discussion on the future of digital rights in Latin America and beyond, but the conversation around theses issues is just starting.
Liveblogging has been facilitated by @krmaher; Live-streaming has also also available, and the Twitter account @rightscon –tweeting in three different languages– is more active than ever. Anyone around the World can send a question to specific panels, so start the conversation and share your comments on how businesses can improve and side with citizens while defending digital freedom.

author: Renata Avila


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Singapore: Bloggers Analyse Hougang By-Election · Global Voices
Kirsten Han

On 26 May, 2012, the Worker's Party (WP) once more defeated the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) at the polls in the by-election at Hougang Single Member Constituency in Singapore. The 10-day campaign had been closely watched not just by residents of the constituency, but by all Singaporeans. Many felt that it would be a “report card” on the performance of the PAP a year after the 2011 general election where it had received its lowest vote share in history.
The PAP tried their hardest to win over voters, with their candidate Desmond Choo giving out free porridge at a temple, setting up free legal clinics and promising all sorts of upgrading work to be done in the estate. Even Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean stepped into the fray, doing his best to highlight the shortcomings of the WP and to question the ability of their candidate Png Eng Huat, asking why Png had not been chosen by his party to be a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) after the general election.
Hougang by-election. Photo from The Online Citizen
When Png replied that it was because he had indicated that he did not want to be an NCMP, a leaked copy of the minutes of WP's ballot for NCMP was published in the mainstream media showing that Png's name had been on the ballot sheet, although he had only received one vote. DPM Teo then took this opportunity to question Png's integrity. WP's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang labelled DPM Teo's comments as an attempt to “sabotage” Png's campaign.
Despite the PAP's efforts, Png won the election by 62%. Singapore's socio-political bloggers began to analyse the results, and what it may mean for both parties and Singapore in general.
Alex Au from Yawning Bread feels that this result will further damage PAP's ability to recruit:
The PAP’s defeat in Hougang with hardly a budge in vote share only underlines the fact that electoral calculations have now changed irrevocably.
Potential candidates approached by the PAP will be asking themselves whether the investment the party expects of them – in time, energy, loss of privacy, suffering possible attacks in new media – will pay off. What if the party places them in Aljunied or Hougang at the next election? Or some other constituency that suddenly becomes a hard fight, such as East Coast or Tanjong Pagar?
The Online Citizen praised Desmond Choo for having run a good campaign, but felt that his own efforts had been undermined by that of his party bosses:
At a youthful 33 years of age, Mr Choo unflinchingly took on decades of Hougang history where even more seasoned politicians would have blanched. The energetic Mr Choo has certainly been an improvement from the forgettable (indeed, now very much forgotten) Eric Low.
Mr Choo’s campaign had much to commend it, but he must surely be rueing the day his party bosses put their foot in it.
Dr Wong Wee Nam disagreed with the PAP's attempts to characterise the result of the by-election as being specific to Hougang rather than a reflection on Singapore as a whole:
Much as they would like to think so, how can the results not be partly the result of national sentiments? With the PAP promising the voters many programmes that are likely to be fulfilled by the resources at their disposal, purely local considerations could have given the PAP a resounding victory.
The PAP would be seriously mistaken if they believe that the result of the Hougang by-election does not reflect the unhappiness of Singaporeans in general.
Every Houganger has relatives or friends living outside Hougang. The problems these people face in their daily lives are the same. With the thousands of Singaporeans thronging the opposition’s rallies, the collective support must have had some strong influence on the minds of Hougang voters.
This election is, therefore, also a referendum on the PAP’s policies and its style of management. The PAP must take the bitter pill and change if they are going to make any future headway. The message from the result is clear. In the eyes of the voters, the PAP has not changed much since the last general election as reflected by the vote.
Ng E-Jay criticised the mainstream media for their double standards when it comes to reporting on different political parties:
I have just a couple of questions for Mr Wu. Would he have done the same thing had the issue concerned a PAP candidate and the leaked minutes concerned a PAP internal meeting instead? Or would he have waited for the PAP’s clarification before proceeding to publish the story?
I think the answers to these questions are pretty obvious. The MSM’s track record is very clear: they have never crossed the line with the PAP before, and if the issue concerned the alleged conduct of a PAP candidate or alleged information about internal PAP matters, they would most assuredly NOT have published anything until and unless due clarification came from the PAP.
I do not think there is any doubt whatsoever that the MSM would have given the PAP enough time to respond, at the PAP’s own discretion, should the issue have involved a PAP candidate.
But once it involves an opposition candidate, such rules no longer apply. Suddenly, the media is free to speculate, rumour-monger, and publish stories from anonymous sources who in some instances could very well be telling lies.
Tang Li at publichouse.sg highlights that the PAP seems unable to adapt to the change in Singapore's electorate:
If one looks at the by-election, it seems that the PAP remains unaware of how times have changed. Previous tactics of promising money and threats or challenges to sue might have worked in the past. Unfortunately, the public no longer accepts these sort of things.

author: Kirsten Han


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South Korea: Petitions Signed to Remove a Network TV President  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

It has been almost four months since South Korea's biggest network TV, MBC, went on an indefinite strike against censorship on news contents and the company president's multiple allegations. Starting from May 31, 2012, MBC union workers have started gathering citizens’ signatures to pressure the president to resign. One twitter user tweeted a photo of the scene.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Spain: “Wanted: The Ones Responsible for the Crisis”  · Global Voices
Chris Moya

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Following the departure of Rodrigo Rato as chairman of the financial institution Bankia, with over a million euros in indemnity payments and without any kind of explanation as to why the bank has ended up in its current state, groups of activists linked to the 15M movement have created a digital platform called 15mparato [es] (which literally means “15M for Rato”, but “rato” in Spanish also means “quite a while”: “15M for a while”). With this digital project they aim to follow the Icelandic model and make the people responsible for the crisis accountable, and even to be prosecuted for how they managed the financial institutions which have caused the current socioeconomic crisis.
The hashtag #nurembergfinanciero (#financialnuremberg) has been created on Twitter to raise awareness of the causes and the culprits of the crisis:
@DRYmadrid: Los crímenes económicos deberían ser tipificados como de lesa humanidad. Esta crisis es producto de un plan macabro #nurembergfinanciero
@Psicodromo: Se buscan para el NurembergFinanciero pic.twitter.com/HeBk24w4
Chief executives of banks and their indemnities.
Meanwhile the staging of #15MpaRato [es] was being prepared on Twitter, with the aim of exposing to public opinion the abysmal management by the now-resigned president of Bankia and ex-president of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), from which he also resigned early with his mandate attracting public criticism this week.
@madrilonia: Sino es él ¿Quién? Si no es ahora ¿Cuándo? Si no somos todas ¿Quiénes? Desmontando a un estafador #15MpaRato #hagamoscomoIslandia
Extract from the website of 15mparato [es]:
Bankia no dura ni dos años; ¿Cómo puede ser que #RR [Rodrigo Rato] deje su cargo sin más, a toda prisa y recibiendo una indemnización millonaria (2,1 millones de euros) sin que nadie haya preguntado institucionalmente absolutamente nada antes, nadie haya pedido ninguna explicación, nadie haya exigido ninguna investigación? La clase política española está de acuerdo en tapar cualquier cosa que haya podido suceder y, lo más preocupante, volverá a hacerlo.
¿Por qué se sigue contando con #RR y su opinión económica si salió del FMI sin acabar su mandato y con un informe demoledor en contra de su gestión en el terrible momento en el que se desencadenó esta “crisis”?
¿Por qué Bankia en su breve existencia bajo la presidencia de #RR ha sido el banco más implacable con los hipotecados damnificados, en cuanto a no permitir las daciones en pago?
Bankia didn't even last for two years; how can it be that #RR [Rodrigo Rato] leaves his post just like that, as quickly as possible and with a millionaire indemnity payment (2.1 million euros) with nobody institutionally asking anything else at all, nobody asking for any explanation, nobody demanding an investigation? The Spanish political class has agreed to cover up anything which might have happened, and the most worrying thing is that it will continue to do so.
Why were they still relying on #RR and his economic opinion at the terrible time when this “crisis” erupted when he left the IMF without finishing his mandate and with a devastating report against his management?
Why was Bankia, in its brief existence under the presidency of #RR, the bank which was most relentless with its toxic mortgages as regards not allowing datio pro soluto (handing back the keys to the lender and ending the mortgage agreement)?
Wanted: Rodrigo Rato, for causing the crisis and for looting Bankia. Image: Antonio Marín Segovia.
The citizen complaints platform miniLeaks [es] has envisioned a five-year citizen plan (2013-2017) with the following objectives are pursued:
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Chris Moya


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Taiwan: Flying Fish Season on Orchid Island · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Every spring, when flying fish are carried to Taiwan by the Kuroshio Current, many fishermen are waiting for them. The most famous traditional flying fish festival is on Orchid Island, where the Tao people have lived for generations.
The influence of the flying fish on Tao culture is immense. Tao people call their island the home of the flying fish (‘ali bang bang’ in the Tao language), and even their calendar is closely related to the flying fish season: Spring is ‘rajun’ (the flying fish season), summer and autumn is ‘teteka’ (when the flying fish season ends), and winter is ‘aminon’ (when there is no flying fish).
The flying fish season on Orchid Island [zh] starts in March. When Cheilopogon unicolor fish (‘sosowon’ in Tao language) arrive, Tao people catch them at night using light to attract the flying fish. Researchers at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Taiwan described [zh] how only a few other Asian islands share this fishing technique with the Tao people on Orchid Island.
以火把誘引飛魚的捕撈法，除蘭嶼外僅見於菲律賓巴丹諸島及日本；以上島嶼均屬於黑潮海域，因此日本黑潮文化學者國分直一曾提議將這些島嶼列為「火把捕撈飛魚法的文化小國」。
Flying fish hung up to dry on Orchid Island. Photo by Grillmagic. CC: BY-NC-SA)
In April and May, the most important flying fish is Cheilopogon spilonotopterus (‘papatawan’ in Tao language). Among all the flying fish swimming to Taiwan, the Tao people consider the Cheilopogon cyanopterus (‘mayaeng’ in Tao language) to be the most respectable because they believe that ‘mayaeng’ is the soul and chief of all flying fish species.
The fishermen preserve the fish by drying them in the sun. Flickr User Grillmagic took some photos of the fish-drying scene on Orchid Island in May 2012.
This year, YouTube user paudull accompanied by several residents of the island recorded the festival on his camera:
Below is a brief description of the video with corresponding time stamps:
As a backpacker to Orchid Island, Chia-Chi Tseng made a short film about the flying fish festival, ‘Libangbang’ (flying fish in Orchid Island), which was entered into the Golden Harvest Awards for films and documentaries. Below is the trailer.

author: I-fan Lin


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Uganda: Is Uganda Becoming a Monarchy? · Global Voices
James Propa

Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been in power since 1986. Before the last elections in 2011, some people thought he was not coming back for the third term, but he surprisingly showed up and worn the election.
He then said he would retire at 75. When his third term comes to an end in 2016 he will be just 72, meaning he will still be capable of standing for the fourth term.
A few weeks ago, citizens started speculating about who will succeed the president if he does not come back in 2016 for a forth term.
Yoweri Museveni with Ugandan MPs at Parliament. Photo courtesy of ugpulse.com.
Some of the names listed in the speculation included his wife Janet Kataha Museveni, his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Amama Mbabazi, the current Prime Minister and Museveni's close friend, and Rebecca Kadaga, the current speaker of Parliament.
Rumors started moving round in Uganda that the president was supporting his wife Janet for succession. Ugandans quickly took to social media platforms to discuss the rumors.
Twitter:
@Since__1986 thought Janet Museveni has been a virtual president all along:
@Since__1986: Janet Museveni for President? What are Ugandans Smoking? Chic has been virtual president for 26yrs!!! Oh God!.
@kristinrawls asked:
@kristinrawls: @mjwilkerson What are your thoughts on Museveni endorsing his wife for presidency? Is it legitimate support? Will he just stay in office?
@mjwilkerson answered:
@mjwilerson: @kristinrawls No worries-Janet could contend but truth is Musevenino longer has political capital to dictate who's next, just influence it
@shopetie_101 thought Janet succeeding the president is a sign of greed:
@shopetie_101Uganda president,Yoweri Museveni wants wife,Janet Museveni to succeed him..black pple n greed!
Facebook:
Sseguya Gerald wrote:
Uganda’s Museveni grooms wife, Janet, to succeed him ., They never learn, do they? The wise learn from the mistakes of
Emeruwa Nkere suggested that African leaders should undergo compulsory psychiatric examination:
Ugandan President wants wife to succeed him at the end of his tenure- The SUN 31 May, 2012. It is reported that President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda wouldn't go beyond the official age limit of 75 years in office. Oh! what an African gentleman one would say. But this gentleman President wants his wife JanetMuseveni to succeed him and opposition is coming from nowhere. I want to agree with somebody sometime who suggested that African rulers- in fact African politicians including or especially Nigerians, aspiring to rule should undergo compulsory pyschiatric examinations to ascertain their mental balance since MOST of them behave like mental patients. Don't you agree? I do
Benon M Gowa compared Janet Museveni to other female politicians in other parts of the world:
Eehm, Mama Janet Kataaha Museveni(nee Kainembabazi),the country's First Lady since May 1986 has fast drawn out quite an impressive C.V, elevating her status from a mere itinerary mother figure to an elected M.P representing Ruhaama County then State Minister for Karamoja Affairs(16th February, 2009) currently to Cabinet Minister for Karamoja Affairs(27th May, 2011) AND no serious thinker should doubt the pending reality, that with the restoration of Presidential Term Limits, it will all then be within the bounds of possibility that she could be fronted by ruling NRM as the Party's flag bearer to run for Presidency jest like with Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentina's current president who was annointed by her husband's Party(Frente Para La Vietoria) to replace him after his tenure expired in 2007 though the Democrats(in the US)outrightly rejected Hilary Rodmahn Clinton…
Medo Joseph wondered whether Africa will ever develop with this kind of “African madness”:
Medo Joseph President Yoweri Museveni is stepping down,First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni has emerged as the preferred successor to the president!AFRICAN MADNESS!When will Africa Develope?

author: James Propa


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Uruguay: Students Recall Receiving First “Ceibalitas” Five Years Later · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

In a video [es] published on YouTube, the first generation of Uruguayan students who received their “ceibalitas” -the OLPC XO-1 laptop computers that are part of Plan Ceibal (Ceibal Project)- look back five years to recount their experience representing the first primary students in the whole country to receive these laptops.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Zambia Donates Five Million Litres of Fuel to Malawi · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
Years of diplomatic incidents between Malawi and Zambia culminated recently in Zambia’s donation of five million liters of fuel to Malawi. The gift was ostensibly for the funeral of the country’s late President Bingu wa Mutharika, who died on 5 April 2012, after a heart attack. The political wrangling that has led up to this gesture, however, has a complicated backstory.
In 2007, Michael Sata – then the Zambian opposition leader – travelled to Malawi for a private visit, but was deported on arrival at Chileka Airport and driven 400 kilometers back to Zambia. Four years later, Sata was elected Zambia’s president.
At the time of his deportation from Malawi, Sata reportedly joked that Bingu had given him a fully fueled Lexus GX with a private chauffer (i.e., the immigration officer) for the journey, which was far more than Levy Mwanawasa, then the President of Zambia and Sata’s political opponent, had ever done.
Shortly after Sata’s election as President he was automatically invited to attend a heads-of-state summit for COMESA, the Common Market for East and Southern Africa.   As the summit was being held in Malawi, however, where Sata’s deportation was still pending in the courts, the new Zambian president declined to attend the summit, telling a Malawian special envoy:
“His Excellency Bingu wa Mutharika is aware of the predicament I am in. I would have loved to take this trip as my first official foreign visit. I thought you were bringing the revocation [of the deportation case] but you have not. Once you have rectified those issues I will come some other time.”
In Sata’s place, the Zambian government sent its Vice President Dr Guy Scott to the summit. The next time Sata would meet the Malawian leader was in South Africa at the centenary celebrations of the ruling African National Congress.
At that event, both Zambian and Malawian media reported on a chance meeting the two had. As the Zambian Post reported:
Zambian President Sata meets Malawian President Mutharika in South Africa. Picture courtesy of ZodiakOnline
“As President Mutharika, who arrived late for the dinner, walked past where the Zambian head of state sat at the VIP table, President Sata stood up and the duo – previously regarded as enemies – hugged, exchanged “kind words” and laughed.
After they hugged, President Sata asked Mutharika, “kumunzi kuli bwanji? How is the village?” and the Malawian leader responded: “kuli bwino. Nanga mubwela liti? The village is okay. When are you coming (to Malawi)?
In his response, President Sata told Mutharika, “tizamu uzani. We will tell you.”
Zambia and Malawi share common languages and customs along their border, which stretches from Mozambique in the south to Tanzania in the north.
A few months earlier, however, Joyce Banda (then the vice-president of Malawi, and now the president) had been to Zambia to attend the neighboring country’s independence celebrations on a trip that did not go down well with the Bingu administration.  When she arrived in Malawi, she was threatened with arrest allegedly because her trip had not been officially authorized by the Malawian government.
Unfortunately, President Bingu died shortly thereafter, leaving behind a shattered economy in the grips of serious shortages of foreign exchange, electrical power and fuel, with Joyce Banda taking over as president.
The afore-mentioned donation of fuel to Malawi was the first significant display of Zambia’s acceptance of President Banda’s new government. The irony of all ironies, though, is that, in the Banda administration, Zambian President Sata’s Malawian lawyer, Ralph Kasambara, is now Malawi’s Justice Minister.
Regarding the donation of fuel, Zambia’s Energy Minister Christopher Yaluma, who had travelled to Malawi, said in April:
“This flagging off [for the shipments of fuel] being witnessed today is a mere donation towards the funeral arrangements of the deceased president. Yesterday 15 fuel tankers left and will have reached Malawi this morning.”
Because of the shortage of electricity to power refrigeration facilities in Malawi, President Mutharika’s body was transferred to South Africa, where he was buried on April 23.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu