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Africa: Of Misunderstandings, the Best Laid Plans and Language Challenge · Global Voices
Paula Odhiambo

I know, I know. Months after my last post, here I am, sneaking quietly back into my Global Voices space to post another article like nothing happened, as though it has not been months since you last heard from me. I know you’re waiting to hear the chorus. Here it comes… say it with me: It’s been a while.
Well, let's get right to it, because if we don't, it will probably be a while before all men get to understand what Kenyan blogger Wanjiku Ndungu is hoping they will internalize someday. According to her, we women are not as complicated as we may seem. For instance, her ideal man has three simple but very important qualities: he knows God, he is honest with the little and the big things, and he can listen. If, in addition to these things, he can loosen up and make her laugh, she will be in relationship heaven. “With men,” Ciku shares, “It's all mixed up!”
She continues:
A man might ask you out and have you thinking, ‘Wow, he likes me, or he wants to know me,’ only for you to find out that he was plotless or he just didn’t want to go to the movies alone, or his friend stood him up so he decided to call you!
Not all women are after your money! Relax!! And me offering to pay for dinner or lunch doesn’t make you less of a man, or it doesn’t mean I’m trying to show you that I’m independent. I just want to treat my man as well.
“I’m tired of my brothers using the visual creature excuse on us, a thousand centuries later. Please. You are the man, you’re in control, zip it!! And on the same note, stop ogling at me as if am a piece of meat you want to eat!
Looks like the misunderstandings do not end with men and women – Neefemi has a very important point to make in a stern message addressed to all tweeps who think they are better than bloggers:
So i missed the gist and i'm not curious enough to ask, but its another episode of war against bloggers on twitter. I am tired of it, the stereotype is extremely annoying really. I am a proud blogger, i blog about everything and anything. If i tell you that i blog and its reason enough for you to not talk to me, GOOD RIDDANCE. I am looking for any reason to not talk to guys anyways, so out the door you go, don't let the door hit you. Yes, i am sure my blogging has possibly affected my life ,friendships and  relationships. I DO NOT CARE. You just do not have to read. Finish..
Her irritation with the blogger-tweep drama is just  one of many incidents in this Nigerian unpaid intern’s life. She moves on quickly, sharing the other things that are going on. Apparently, guys are now sexually attracted to her (they might want to read Ciku’s post first). She has exams, and she got a piercing on her neck. One would think being an intern – an unpaid one at that – would mean no adventure, but this is not the case at all, as you will discover when you hit Neefemi’s blog.
Gee's 30-day challenge. Image from Gee's blog.
Gee is taking the 30-day challenge, and apparently,  on Day 8, she was on a diet.
Well… kind of:
…Whenever I make egusi I always end up making stew. Plus I now added pasta sauce also and somewhere along the line, I remembered how my beans rocked so I added it. Its not like I don't eat all these foods at all o, because of the fat and oil it all takes, so I just decide to stay away or make substitutes like what I call leaf soup(with no egusi and palm oil), LoL. But of course this weekend the real deal was needed. Also that Hawaiian bread I said I wont eat again(because it is too sweet and once I start the pack of 24 rolls I finish it instantly), I bought it too this weekend, cuz my guest requested for it, even though I had more than half of it still. Finally there is something that comes with taking walks in the parks and one the riverside with your Boy friend, that thing is called Ice cream!
Laurenta is also participating in the 30-day challenge. Her Day 3 post is dedicated to the first novel she ever read, which is about the cunning tortoise who stole porridge in his cap and wore it.
First novel Nigerian blogger Laurent read at the age of 6. Image from Laurenta
She writes:
I have decided to go back to the very beginning, when my love for books and reading began at the very young age of 6years when i was in Primary three, we had this book club in my primary school that was sponsored by Lantern Books, they subsidized the prices of their books for anyone that wanted to join the book club and my parents registered me in it, every week we got a new book. This helped my understanding of the English Language so much, by the time i was out of primary school my reading speed was through the roof, i could devour an entire novel in hours, even to this day people marvel at how fast i read and write.
Sugabelly has come up with language challenge where Nigerian bloggers have to make an audio post in traditional dialects.
Here are some of the rules:
1. It DOES NOT MATTER how well you can speak your language. The goal is to speak regardless. So don't worry if you don't speak that well or you have to include lots of English words. ALL language levels are welcome.
2. Video posts or Audio posts are strongly preferred. This is because the point is to hear and enjoy the spoken language. Written posts are frowned upon but will be accepted too. ^_^
3. Please always provide a translation for your readers of other ethnicities! Translations should be in English and can be in the form of captions under a video post, or written transcripts for audio and written posts.
This is the transcript of Sugabelly's language challenge entry:
Hi …. It's Sugabelly… This is my post. I want to thank all the people who've said they'll participate in my Language Challenge.
Everyone please do your best because it will be really great for us all to hear all the various Nigerian languages on Blogville.
I'm really happy because we've already got a few entries in three languages: Sting did hers in Pidgin, Aseni did hers in Yoruba, and IphyIgboGurl did hers in Igbo.
Meanwhile, I've put links on the Language Challenge page so you can see who's already done theirs.
It’s quite comforting to discover that I’m not the only one whose plans have fallen through from time to time!

author: Paula Odhiambo


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Bolivia: Fighting Cholitas in the Spotlight · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Female wrestling in El Alto, Bolivia, has captured the attention of locals and visitors for more than ten years. These women add a bit of tradition to this popular sport: where else would you see colorful skirts with petticoats, fringed shawls, thick braids and bowler hats battling it out in a ring?
Indigenous 'cholita' Bolivian women wrestlers. Image by cholita wrestling by Flickr user funkz CCBy (CC BY 2.0).
Sara Shahriari and Tim Clayton have collaborated on the following video about Yolanda the Amorous, a female wrestler in El Alto, who despite her mother's concerns, climbs the ring to fight for her right to be more than what society deems “appropriate” for women.
From the video's description:
Yolanda la Amorosa is a member of the ‘Titans of the Ring’ wrestling group who perform every Sunday at El Alto's Multifunctional Centre. Bolivia. The wrestling group includes the fighting Cholitas, a group of Indigenous Female Lucha Libra wrestlers who fight the men as well as each other for just a few dollars appearance money every weekend. Yolanda lives with her her two daughters Adriana and Carmen in the hills overlooking La Paz. Bolivia.
(Version in Spanish available here)
Grace, who blogs on Pinay on the Move went to see the Cholitas in El Alto and wrote about it in Battle of the Skirts:
Then with one swift movement she turns away from the ring, places her hands on the top rope and climbs to the second rope. She proceeds to bounce on the rope until she began to throw her legs and body outwards. As this happens she releases her grip which sends her flying outwards and downwards on top of her opponent’s torso. The result was a puddle of petticoats and braids on the center of the ring.
I had just witnessed a corner slingshot splash from one of the Fighting Cholitas in Bolivia and I thought: “the battle of the petticoats is in full swing!”.
This following video shows a fighting cholita winning against a male wrestler:
Watching the female wrestlers in El Alto has become not only a pastime for locals but also a tourist attraction; the evidence is clear in the dozens of uploaded videos on YouTube featuring the cholitas.
Mike Powell writes in Bolivia for 91 days about his reactions on receiving “special treatment” when going to the arena:
By the time we took our seats, I was fairly annoyed. We had been redirected to the “foreigners line”, where tickets were over three times the regular price. Still only about $7, so no big deal. But upon entering the arena, we were told to sit in a special “foreigners” section. No thanks! Jürgen and I slid off to the side and sat down in the “regular” section next a couple young Bolivian wrestling fans, who peppered us with questions in between fights.
Nevertheless, it didn't dampen his enjoyment:
The Lucha Libre is a quintessential Bolivian experience, and we can highly recommend it. Neither of us expected to be so entertained… my stomach hurt from laughing so much. Although it’s clearly fake, the sight of women getting slapped around by men can be a little shocking, so dour feminists might want to stay away. But if you don’t mind a little violence with your humor, definitely check it out.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Brunei: E-government portal launched · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The e-Darussalam website was launched by the Brunei government. It's a single web portal where Internet users will have access to all of the government's online services.

author: Mong Palatino


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Brunei International Defence Exhibition 2011 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

EmmaGoodEgg blogs about the Brunei International Defence Exhibition or BRIDEX 2011, a bi-annual defence exhibition. It's also the premier defence and security event in Southeast Asia


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Canada: “First Nation, Last Served” · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Writer Mike Morey in Canada questions whether Canada's aboriginal communities will ever be rewarded with the degree of self-governance they seek.

author: Solana Larsen


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Cuba: On Queue  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The queue in Cuba…is our music, our magic, our politics. It is the place where we philosophise…the campfire around which we perform our daily routines: conversing, falling for and out with people and, quipping”: A Cuban in London says you haven't seen a real line until you line up in Cuba.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Race and Sex  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Racism in Cuba has several faces. And variations.  But when it comes time to “play the tune”…skin color disappears as if by magic”: Iván García is concerned that “the race issue in Cuba is a real time bomb.”


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East Timor: Arts and Creative Industries in Focus · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

With the main purpose of launching the future Academy of Arts and Creative Industries of East Timor, a series of cultural events and an international conference are taking place in Dili until the 17th of July. The organization's website Tatoli ba Kultura includes a media map featuring unique works by Timorese artisans.

author: Sara Moreira


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El Salvador: Interview with Zaira Navas, Inspector General for the National Civilian Police · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Tim posts a video produced by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) of an interview with the Inspector General for El Salvador's National Civilian Police (PNC), Zaira Navas: “Under Navas’ leadership, the Inspector General’s Office in El Salvador has investigated and recommended the dismissal of hundreds of police officers suspected of wrongdoing and criminal activities, including high-level police officers.” The video is in Spanish with English subtitles.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Guatemala: Neighbors Affected by Giant Sinkhole Still Unable to Return Home  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Luis Figueroa says [es] that neighbors of Ciudad Nueva, victims of a giant sinkhole that opened up over a year ago, are still unable to return to their homes. He explains that the “risk warning” has not been lifted because reports on the work that has been done to fill up the hole are still being evaluated.


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Iran: A blogger was sentenced to 17 months in prison · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Peyman Roshan Zamir, a blogger and political activist from southern city Ahwaz was sentenced [fa] to 17 months of prison. He was accused of insulting Islamic republic's Leader and propaganda against regime.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: Coming Out  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Jamaican attitudes towards homosexuality are shifting,” explains Active Voice, adding: “Those who militate on behalf of gay rights here and elsewhere need to respond to this, rather than to non-existent straw men.”


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Japan: Indie Music Rocks the Nukes · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

This page is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
With a spreading nuclear crisis and related issues such as radiation fears, new energy policies on the horizon and an uncertain future for the operating reactors, Japanese netizens have started a revival of music videos with a clear anti-nuclear message.
Below is a ‘hit parade’ of the biggest successes [with English subtitles] whose genres go from reggae, to folk, to rock music. Here too is a complete list [ja] of the most popular anti-nuclear Japanese songs of all time.
You Can't See It, And You Can't Smell It Either by Rankin & Dub Ainu Band.
The song spells out the dangers of nuclear power and was produced by Rankin Taxi who is considered one of the forefathers of hip-hop in Japan and the Dub Ainu Band, whose musicians belong to the Ainu minority.
Summertime Blues  by RC Succession.
After the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, this song – first released in the mid-80s – now is  considered prophetic. According to the Youtube user who subtitled the video, the song “was scheduled to be released by Toshiba EMI on 6th August 1988, but the release was suddenly canceled.” August 6th marks the anniversary of the dropping, on the city of Hiroshima, of the first atomic bomb.
Love Me Tender, by RC Succession.
This song also was apparently produced in the mid-80s, after the Chernobyl accident.  RC Succession's frontleader, Kiyoshi Imawano (忌野清志郎), revised the original Elvis Presley song making the Japanese lyrics sound like the English words.
It Was a Lie All Along, by Kazuyoshi Saito (斉藤和義).
In this song the singer denounces the myth of safety that has accompanied nuclear power in Japan for over 40 years.
The lyrics of this song have already been translated by Global Voices and can be found here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b01yohRgfyc&feature=player_embedded
Let’s Join TEPCO , by anonymous.
This song is a revised version of the famous anti-war folk song Let's Join the Self-Defense Forces (Jieitai ni Hairou) performed by Takada Wataru in 1968.
As explained Paul at Tokyo Progressive – who is also the author of the translation below -, “the title, ‘Tōden ni hairō (東電に入ろう)’ in Japanese, puns on “tōden ni hairo (倒電に廃炉),” which means ‘Tepco (Tokyo Electric Power company or Tōden) overthrow, nuclear decommissioning.'”
Among all of you people here
who wish to join Tōkyō Electric?
who wish to try your chance?
Tōden’s looking for men of ability.
[refrain]
I want to join Tōden, Tōden, Tōden
I want to join Tōden, it’s a place I adore,
the manliest of men all without exception
join Tōden and scatter like blossoms.
Those of you wishing to engage in atomic power
please come over to Tōden any time.
Uranium, Plutonium, we have everything
Just use subcontracting, and all’s fine.
[refrain]
Those of you who promote nuclear power generation
please gather beneath a nuclear reactor,
nothing immediately affects your health
fine if you shower and wash it away.
[refrain]
Nuclear power plants mean clean energy
Plutonium isn’t such a scary thing
it may emit radioactivity
but its half life is only four and twenty thousand years.
[refrain]
To support Japan’s energy
we must depend upon nuclear power,
some amount of radiation exposure can’t be helped
just drink povidone iodine and you’re all fine.
[refrain]
Collect all spent energy rods
and pack them away in drums, and we’re safe,
we’ll cool them in Rokkasho-mura’s pools
all you need is a mere 300 years of patience.
[refrain]
Water’s leaking but don’t make fuss
smoke is spewing but don’t panic
roofs blew away but we’re absolutely safe
anyway we’re cooling the unit with salt water.
[refrain]
It’s not that anything’s in imminent danger
let’s throw away both milk and vegetables,
government higherups are saying:
let’s use taxes to pay for the damages
[refrain]
Geiger counters all sold out
you have no need to own such things,
we’ll announce radiation values
believe and thou shalt be saved.
This page is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kazakhstan: WordPress banned because of two blogs · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Information about the WordPress ban in Kazakhstan is slowly trickling out. On 15 July, it was revealed that the ban is ostensibly due to two WordPress blogs that fell afoul of Kazakh censors, Schwartz writes.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kazkahstan: The Sting of Criticism · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

KZBlog reports that famous singer Sting, who was scheduled to play for the Kazakh president's birthday and the Day of Astana (capital of Kazakhstan) festivities, cancelled his engagement after Amnesty International apprised him of the situation with human rights situation in Kazakhstan.


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Mexico: Supreme Court Rules Civil Courts Take On Military Abusers · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Adam Isacson writes about a recent ruling by Mexico's Supreme Court: “civilian judges must take on military human rights violations”. A decision he calls a “strong blow in favor of human rights and civilian control of the military.”


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Peru: Congressmen Remove Signatures from Moratorium for GM Seeds · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Global Voices Translation Manager and author Juan Arellano reports [es] that 9 congressmen from the APRA political party have removed their signatures from a 10 year moratorium for genetically modified seeds. The issue will have to be debated again by the incoming congress. Juan shares reactions to the news via Storify [es].


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Philippine Digital Strategy 2011-2016 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tonyo Cruz uploads the five-year Philippine Digital Strategy plan of the government's Commission on Information and Communications Technology. The aim is to make the Philippines a digitally-empowered nation in 2016.


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Russia: Autocrats and Balancers · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Streetwise Professor argues that power in Russia is about projecting an image of the leader as an autocrat, whereas “he” in real terms is a balancer between conflicting interests with little influence over bureaucracy.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Russia: Government Company to Bring Internet to Largest Island in Norway · Global Voices
Dmitry Davidov

Russian government company “Kosmicheskaya Svyaz” plans to bring fast Internet and digital TV to Spitsbergen, the largest island in Norway, news website Lenta.ru reported.

author: Dmitry Davidov


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Russia: Internet Audience Continues to Grow Rapidly  · Global Voices
Dmitry Davidov

RuMetrika sums up the recent survey of “Public Opinion Foundation” on the Internet audience in Russia. According  to it, the audience grew 7 percent (versus predicted 3.7) in the first three months of 2011. During the last year and a half, the monthly Internet audience increased by 27 percent.


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Russia: Lasting Legacy of Landladies · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Natalia Antonova writes about her Moscow landlady as an example of the constant problems lasting Soviet mentality creates in everyday life.


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Russia-Middle East: Comparing the Fall of the Wall and the Arab Spring · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Dr. Sean's Diary compares the difficulties of area studies in handling the fall of the commnist bloc in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s with that of the current Arab spring, against the backdrop of a recent Foreign Policy article.


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Russia: Military Police to Stop Penalism in Armed Forces · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Streetwise Professor reports of plans to found a Military Police corps to fight penalism and violence in the Russian Armed Forces, and argues that combining two of the most violent institutions in Russia is not a good idea to get rid of violence.


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Russia: New Statistics of Social Network Users · Global Voices
Dmitry Davidov

Russian collaborative blog Habrahabr.ru publishes statistics on the users of Vkontakte.ru, the most popular social platform in Russia. According to the data, Alexander (for man) and Ekaterina (for women) are the most popular names of users. The most users are from Moscow or Saint Petersburg.


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Russia: News Website to be Closed Because of Racial Clashes Coverage · Global Voices
Dmitry Davidov

URA.ru, an information agency and website that became popular after it extensively covered clashes in a small Russian village Sagra, is on the verge of being closed down by the authorities. It is said that because of URA.ru, the coverage of Sagra clashes became “too extensive” in media.


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Russia: Notorious Foundation Clashes with “Forbes”  · Global Voices
Dmitry Davidov

Infamous “Federaciya” foundation accused “Forbes” employees of contacting the internationally famous guests of a Russian charity event and trying to persuade them not to attend, “Forbes” reported on its Facebook page. The magazine denies any involvement in the issue.


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Russia: Photoblogger Covers Drug Addiction in Afghanistan · Global Voices
Dmitry Davidov

Popular Russian photoblogger Ilya Varlamov (zyalt) traveled to Afghanistan where (among other things) he covered drug addiction in Kabul.


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Russia: Putin-Stolypin Liberalism · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Sean's Russia Blog writes about Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin inaugurating a monument to his early 20th century predecessor Pjotr Stolypin, and discusses how this link serves the interests of advancing a specific type of Russian liberalism.


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South Korea Aims to Regulate Bloggers Getting Paid by Companies · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has decided to regulate incentives given to influential bloggers who write favorable reviews for companies. Francis Tan of the Next Web site commented on the purpose of the regulation and its possible side effects.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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South Sudan: Messages of #LoveFromSudan  · Global Voices
Mahid (Sudanese Guardian)

This post is part of our special coverage South Sudan Referendum 2011.
On the eve of the independence of South Sudan, a group of young Sudanese started a movement that is trying to start a conversation between North and South to create mutual friendship between both sides and link young citizens of the two countries.
Mo Elzubeir is the main person behind the #lovefromsudan videos, audio and Twitter messages and is very active in promoting friendship and relationship between Sudan and South Sudan.
He wrote:
With the official birth of the new nation that was once a part of Sudan, many of us feel heartbroken. Not because of the rich resources that are now gone (and there is plenty of that). We are heartbroken because a part of us, a culture, a people, many peoples, have gone their own way.
But the truth is, I have nothing but love for the people of South Sudan. I wish them the best in their new nation. I wish for them to prosper and cherish the freedom they have fought and struggled for.
This is an open call to any Sudanese who would like to send a message of love to our brothers and sisters of South Sudan. A video and/or audio message of no more than 10 seconds from as many as possible to put together to show our support for the people of South Sudan.
Below are two video clips, A Love Letter to South Sudan and With Love From Sudan, that #loveFromSudan youth group made and several tweets about #love from sudan:
With Love From Sudan Initiative:
#LoveFrom Sudan – A Love Letter From Sudan:
#LoveFromSudan Tweets:
@cpaschyn:
#LoveFromSudan – A message of hope from North Sudan, on South Sudan's independence day. http://fb.me/10vyg0PO4
@elzubeir:
#LoveFromSudan should hopefully spin off and result in people realizing that with loss comes a new opportunity to appreciate what we have.
@HanaOsman:
Wow! mashallah seems the #LoveFromSudan video might hit 1000 views in less than 24 hours very soon … well done team! http://ow.ly/5Az0D
@bechhamilton:
And my blog shoutout to #LoveFromSudan here: http://t.co/CQejmMP #2Sudans
@MImzMimz:
#LoveFromSudan – A Love Letter to South Sudan http://t.co/BffBDXc
@simsimt:
LoveFromSudan wasn't exclusively about showing love. Semantics doesn't matter. It was more about respect of choice and bidding good wishes.
@Cameroon_Com:
#LoveFromSudan: A Love Letter to South Sudan http://t.co/r344h9P via @elzubeir! Hope the politians would watch & listen to their people!:)
@leighleighsf:
Congrats South Sudan! The world's newest country (#193) & Africa's 54th state, http://t.co/K7jLA85 The #LoveFromSudan tweets are inspiring.
@elzubeir:
Enough about us though. I hope the people of #SouthSudan break the African trend and build their new nation without fighting. #LoveFromSudan
This post is part of our special coverage South Sudan Referendum 2011.

author: Mahid (Sudanese Guardian)


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Sex Education  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The public reaction to Abeni‘s T-shirt, emblazoned with the words “Sex nice, but de AIDS ting…”, leads her to conclude “that HIV education has to overcome so many prejudices. The reluctance to talk about sex in a holistic way forces the young and not so young to accept myths as the gospel.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: FIFA Report  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Globewriter posts what he believes to be FIFA's preliminary report on the Jack Warner and Bin Hamman controversy, which led to Warner's resignation as vice-president.


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Turkmenistan: Explosion of online activity · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust comments on the recent news about the emergence of new social groups forming online in Turkmenistan, and argues how effective they can be at gathering information.


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Turkmenistan: Israel’s trip over geopolitics  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Few observers are aware of Israel’s strange diplomatic dance with Turkmenistan, which has involved the Tel Aviv’s attempts to court Ashgabat as a potential lever against Iran, Emerson reports.


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Uzbekistan: World-known brands to denounce child labor · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Wal-Mart, Macy’s, Eileen Fisher, Nautica, Gear for Sports, The Jones Group, Liz Claiborne and Nike are among the first companies to sign a pledge boycotting the use of Uzbekistan-sourced cotton until the International Labor Organization determines that forced child labor is no longer an issue in the country, reports Abulfazal.


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Bahamas: Road Works · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Weblog Bahamas‘ Jerome Pinder wonders if the New Providence Road Improvement Project is a “road to nowhere…”


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Bermuda: Out of Sync Development  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Of the controversial Bazarian development, Vexed Bermoothes says: “We have some screwy priorities in this country.  We refused to plan for housing that our international executives could buy…and then we give concessions in order to develop the same thing under the guise of tourism.”


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Bermuda: The Good Governance Act  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The Web has been around for 20 years now.  It’s a pity the Bermuda Government has yet to use it to distribute the bills that have been tabled for debate in the House of Assembly…”: Still, Vexed Bermoothes manages to get a copy of the Good Governance Act and shares his thoughts.


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Bhutan: Legalizing Abortion · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Abortion is not permitted in Bhutan because we are Buddhist, isn’t it more Buddhist to forgive a woman for her mistake and give her a new life instead of letting her die along with child, which we were trying to protect?” – comments Bhutanese blogger Passu.

author: Rezwan


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Bhutan: No Uncontested Winners In Election · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bhutanese democracy has an unique system. Tshering Tobgay informs that according to the constitution of the country voters have the right to accept or reject a candidate through vote even if that candidate is the only candidate in that constituency.


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China: DIY I-Pad 3 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A young man spent 15 days to compose a I-Pad 3 himself. Jing Gao from  Ministry of Tofu puts together the video of the DIY process and netizens comments.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: High-speed rail · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Many Chinese raised serious questions about the safety, comfort and efficiency of the new high-speed rail line, in particular after the three malfunctions[zh] in the space of four days (Between July 10-14). (Details from China Media Project)


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China: Why Weibo? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Charlie from Chengdu living explains to his readers the benefits of using Weibo.


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Colombia’s Armed Conflict Threatening Indigenous Peoples · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“The continuation of Colombia’s internal armed conflict threatens the  survival of Colombia’s indigenous peoples, and their experience is  shared by the millions of other Colombians affected by the conflict”: writes Anthony Dest in a guest post for Just the Facts about the Nasa indigenous people getting “caught in the crossfire” between the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the Colombian military.


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Cuba: Interview with Palacios · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

the voice of el morro interviews Hector Palacios, a name associated with “the internal opposition in Cuba.”


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Germany: Rocking the Wall of the GDR · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

James Shingler at The View East writes about East German rock and pop music and its subvertive role in changing society during the 1970s and 1980s.


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Hungary: Legislating Religion · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Eva Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum reports on the adoption of a new and criticized law on religions and religious communities in Hungary.


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Malaysia: Facebook Netizens Want Prime Minister to Resign · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Facebook page 100,000 People Request Najib Tun Razak Resignation has already gathered almost 200,000 supporters in Malaysia a few days after it was created. The resignation of the Prime Minister was demanded on the same day when thousands of people marched in the streets during the Bersih 2.0 rally last July 9.
The Bersih (clean in local language) event was organized to push for electoral reforms. It was declared illegal by the government and police arrested more than one thousand participants in the city. Bersih has now evolved into a political movement which could undermine the leadership of Prime Minister Najib.
Facebook campaign against Najib
Lim Kit Siang writes about the Facebook page
A large part of the virtual congregation is made up of Bersih 2.0 supporters, many of whom have used the official Bersih 2.0 profile badge.
The page was set up on Saturday, the day of the Bersih 2.0 rally, to serve as a platform for netizens to voice their grouses against the government. However, no information is provided on who created the page.
Supporters who expressed surprise with the rapid rise in ‘likes’ are now calling for the target to be increased to a million.
The page has also inspired several other copycat pages on Facebook with similar titles
The Bersih leadership has officially denied any link to the Facebook campaign insisting that the group only wants electoral reforms.
Meanwhile, Malaysian netizens are surprised to see a picture of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a yellow dress when she met Najib at the Buckingham Palace yesterday. Yellow is today’s protest color in Malaysia and police forces are still arresting persons who are wearing yellow Bersih t-shirts.
Queen wears a yellow dress, the protest color in Malaysia
Here are some twitter reactions
@amanonfire: RT @ericmc90: What's Najib gonna do to Queen Elizabeth II and her yellow dress? :P #bersihstories http://twitpic.com/5q27j3
@lxiongmau: #bersihstories Queen E wore yellow blouse n skirt when she met Najib. Photo in the The Star today!!!!. We have another supporter in UK.
@peacefulman2009: Queen shows support for Bersih. Go Yellow go “@kyip: Kaw kaw Yellow ! Long live Her Majesty #Bersihstories http://t.co/YDlF2et”
@_hafiz: “@wansaiful: Is the Queen trying to make a point re #bersih? :) http://bit.ly/o4dBrn (expand)” I should have not come lol #bersihstories
@cheahcs: @ericmc90 @bersih2 #bersihstories Coincidence or otherwise, the Queen is doing Bersih 2.0 a big favour by donning a yellow dress.
@ajib33: Believe me, People!! We'll never walk alone. Queen Elizabeth II with us.., for real :D #Bersih #Bersihstories http://t.co/g0Oq3jt
@yonghaotan: Queen wearing yellow greeting Najib http://t.co/Nniqzed quick RT before mainstream media photoshop into another color #bersihstories
Jebat Must Die provides a briefer of the Bersih movement. DannyLoHH reminds the police that wearing a Bersih shirt is not a crime in a democracy
Wearing a Bersih shirt or shirt with the word ‘Bersih’, or even just the Bersih logo should not be illegal as we are a democratic country. Wearing a Bersih shirt does not mean we are a member of the ‘outlaw organisation’ nor does it necessarily mean we're providing (material) support the organisation.
It merely shows that we are supporting the cause of the organisation, which is calling for free and fair elections. Are the home minister and police declaring that the call for free and fair elections is illegal?
RantingsbyMM responds to the claim that the Bersih rally gave Malaysia a bad international image
There are also some people claiming that the world now has a bad impression of Malaysia because the foreign media (and the local media for that matter) reported only about the teargassing and water-cannoning. I think people are confusing the government with the people. Yes, the world now has a bad impression of the Malaysian government because it has handled this whole issue so badly. They don’t have the same impression of the Malaysians who stood up for their rights and their cause.
Bhavan Jaipragas, a Singaporean student, witnessed how state forces employed violence during the Bersih march
While Prime Minister Najib Razak on Sunday claimed that the police had used ‘minimum force on demonstrators’, this was hardly the case from what I witnessed along Jalan Pudu Lama. Policemen chased after unarmed protestors clad in the symbolic yellow of the Bersih 2.0 movement, and others who were draped in the Malaysian flag. On at least one instance, I saw a policeman use his baton to subdue an unarmed protestor trying to evade arrest.


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Morocco: A Personal Tale of Protest · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
Since February 20, 2011, Moroccan activists have been campaigning to demand democratic reforms in their country. The February 20 Movement was born on the Internet and quickly became a mobilizing force on the ground. Across the country, committees affiliated with the movement (or “coordinations”) have been listening to the people and translating their grievances into formal demands and slogans regularly chanted during marches conducted every Sunday.
In an attempt to quell protests, the regime concocted a constitutional reform ostensibly presented as a bid to reduce the powers of the absolute monarchy. The reform was overwhelmingly passed in a referendum held on 1 July. Activists have been protesting against the proposals, which they feel do not go far enough. They also denounce what they say was an unbalanced referendum campaign.
Stamping out pro-democracy?
Casablanca protest, May 15, 2011. Image by Flickr user Magharebia (CC BY 2.0).
Beyond the controversy surrounding the draft constitution, observers believe the regime is now trying to stamp out the pro-democracy movement by denying it access to public media and conducting a smear campaign against it.
The movement primarily uses the Internet to explain its position and its ideas. Promotional video campaigns, news releases, press conferences are organized by the movement every now and then in an attempt to communicate with the public and keep the February 20 Movement going and its voice heard. But sometimes it is the personal story of its own militants that impacts the wider public more starkly.
The personal account of Younes Loukili, a young sociologist and supporter of the movement, is a prime example. Younes wrote a moving letter that he shared via the Internet, in which he explained his background and how he went from being a skeptic of the movement to one of its staunch supporters. The document spread like wildfire in the Moroccan blogosphere and was quickly echoed by several platforms including the militant group blog Mamfakinch! [ar].
Younes writes:
قبل خمسة أشهر لم أكن مساندا لعشرين فبراير رغم حضوري يومئذ في ساحة الحمام بالبيضاء كمشاهد مهتم بقضايا الوطن والتغيير، كما يُلزمه تخصصه العلمي بمتابعة أحداث المجتمع والناس.
حينها، عاتبني شخصان: أولهما زوجتي التي ناقشتُ الأمر معها طويلا، كنت ملحا أن المغرب استثناء، لأنه فعلا تقدم بإصلاحات ستجهض كل محاولة لتقليد تونس أو مصر. كان موقفها مخالفا إذ رأت أن الاستبداد والفساد في السلطة والثروة ما زالا قائمين بل تفاقما أكثر، وألحت أن تحضر معي يوم 20 فبراير، فرفضتُ لظروفها الصحية. والثاني: صديقي الصحفي السعودي نواف القديمي، الذي اتفقنا أن نحضر معا إلى مسيرة الرباط، لكن تخلفت عن الموعد بعد أن استيقظت متأخرا، فهاتفني معاتبا: أفي هذا اليوم يا يونس تستيقظ متأخرا؟!
[…]
رغم ذلك أصررت على موقفي، ولم أحضر منذئذ لأي تظاهرة.
Five months ago I was not supportive of the February 20 Movement, despite my presence that day (February 20, 2011) in the central square of Casablanca as a viewer, concerned with national issues and change, and as someone interested in the scientific observation of events and people.
At the time, I was challenged by two people: first, my wife, with whom I discussed the issue at great length. I insisted that Morocco was an exception, because it is conducting genuine reforms that would kill any attempt to mimic Tunisia or Egypt. My wife protested considering that tyranny and corruption within power circles continued to exist and that in fact it was even worse than ever. She insisted she wanted to attend the February 20 protest but I refused because of her poor health. The second to challenge my views was my friend, the Saudi journalist Nawaf Qudaymi. We both agreed to go together to a march in Rabat, but I failed to wake up early that day. Nawaf called me: “How can you wake up late on a day like this Younes?” he complained.
[…]
Regardless, I stood firm on my position, and did not attend any protest since then.
But an unforeseen event would change the vision of Younes irreversibly. He writes:
يوم الجمعة 11 مارس، نقلت زوجتي، وهي لم تكمل شهرها السابع، على جناح السرعة إلى مستشفى ابن رشد بالبيضاء، حوالي الساعة العاشرة ليلا بعد أن ساءت حالتها إثر ارتفاع الضغط الدموي، وتسببه في نزيف دماغي، وأجريت لها عملية قيصرية حوالي الواحدة ليلا لإنقاذ الجنين، وطلب منا نقل الوليد إلى الحاضنة الزجاجية في الحال، لأن الأماكن غير شاغرة، وليس أمامنا إلا مصحات خاصة يصل فيها سعر الليلة إلى 2500 درهم، طبعا إن لم تملكها عليك انتظار أقرب فرصة لتعيد و زوجتك إنتاج ولد آخر،-بعدئذ عرفت أن الوسائط و الرشاوى يمكنها أن تجد مكانا-، لكن استطعنا نقله إلى جمعية قطرة الحليب بثمن معقول. أما زوجتي فبقيت على ذلك الحال طيلة السبت والأحد، وكلما سألت طبيبا مقيما أو داخليا عن حالتها، يطلب مني الدعاء!!
وصبيحة يوم الاثنين 14 مارس اتصل الطبيب يبلغني ضرورة القدوم من أجل إجراء فحوصات بالأشعة، ولم يفته أن يعلمني أن ثمنها 3000 درهم! فعلت ما طلب، وعلمت أن زوجتي مصابة بنزيف دماغي، والمطلوب إجراء عملية جراحية، وانتظرت إلى غاية العاشرة ليلا، ولم تجرى العملية بعد…الخ.عرفت بعد أيام أن زوجتي بقيت 48 ساعة بدون فحص، و أزيد من 72 ساعة بدون عملية، فسألت وتساءلت، فأدركت وفهمت أن قسم الفحوصات لم/لا يعمل يومي السبت والأحد، والطبيب لم/لا يعمل يومي السبت والأحد. لقد اكتشفتُ أن زوجتي تعرضت لإهمال طبي وااضح..وتأكدت في الحال أن المواطن العادي غير مسموح له بالمرض يومي السبت والأحد.
On Friday, March 11, at about ten o'clock at night, I carried my seven month pregnant wife to Averroes public hospital in Casablanca after her condition worsened due to high blood pressure. She underwent a Caesarean section at around 1 am to save the baby. We were asked to move the newborn to an incubator in another hospital because the places were full. The only option I had left was to go to a private clinic but I learned that the price there was up to 2,500 dirhams per night (US$250). Of course, if you can't afford it, I was told, all you have to do is wait, with your wife, for the earliest opportunity to conceive a new baby. It was then I realised that connections and bribes could have found us a place. Fortunately, we were able to move the baby to a clinic belonging to a charity for a reasonable price. My wife stayed in a critical condition over Saturday and Sunday, and whenever I asked a doctor or an intern on her status, they asked me to pray!
On Monday morning, March 14, I got a call from a doctor urging me to come to the hospital because a CT Scan was needed. The doctor did not fail to inform me that the price for the test was 3,000 dirhams ($US300)! I did what I was asked to do, and I learned that my wife had a cerebral hemorrhage and required surgery. I waited until 10pm at night but the operation was not carried out. I learned a few days later that my wife was left for 48 hours without examination and more than 72 hours without any intervention. I asked and wondered. I realized and understood that the ward did not/does not work on Saturdays and Sundays, and that the doctor did not/does not work on Saturdays and Sundays. I discovered that my wife was victim of a clear medical negligence and I came to the conclusion that the average citizen is not allowed to fall ill on Saturdays and Sundays.
Younes continues:
Younes concludes:
لقد دفعت حياتها ثمنا كي أقتنع عمليا بوجهة نظرها: الفساد مازال قائما، وأننا ندفع ثمن وجوده بالتقسيط، في الصحة، وفي الشغل، وفي السكن، وفي التعليم…
بعد كل هذا عرفتُ
عرفتُ..أنني ليس إلا مثال مكرر لآلاف الحالات اليومية في هذه البلاد..
عرفتُ.. أن صمتي كان يعني انتظار الدوْر
[…]
عرفتُ..أن حركة عشرين فبراير الصيغة الوحيدة القادرة على تغيير الوضع في المغرب الراهن..
عرفتُ.. أن حركة عشرين فبراير وقفت حين جلس الجميع..
عرفتُ..أن حركة عشرين فبراير جرأة تستحق المستقبل..
عرفتُ..أنني لا بد أن أظل عشرينيا..
وليرحمك الله يا فاطمة
My wife has paid the price with her life so as to convince me of her point of view: Corruption still exists, and we pay the price of its presence in installments, in health, employment, housing, education…
After all this I know now that what happened to me is just one example of thousands of cases happening daily in this country.
I know that my silence meant waiting for my turn to come.
I know that the individual demands ought to evolve into social then political demands.
I know that the February 20 Movement is the only one able to change the status quo in Morocco.
I know that the February 20 Movement has stood up while everyone else sat down.
I know that the February 20 Movement's courage is worthy of a better future.
I know I will stay a February 20.
God bless your soul Fatima.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Nepal: Budget 2011/12 · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nepal Blogs provides a roundup of reactions of Nepali Twitter users on Nepal’s budget for fiscal year 2011/12 which was presented in the parliament today.


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Paraguay: Congress Rejects Amendment That Would Allow Presidential Re-Election · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Americas Quarterly in its Daily Focus blog reports: “The Paraguayan Congress on Thursday rejected a constitutional amendment that would allow presidential re-election […] Several supporters of the amendment walked out of the hearing in protest of the decision, including Senator Carlos Filizzola, who said, ‘We are turning our backs on the country, they have smacked the citizens.'”


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Peru: Transportation Strike in Lima: A Campaign Against the Mayor? · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The mayor of Lima, Susana Villarán of the political party Social Force Decentralization Party [es], has experienced an outpour of all kinds criticism at the six month mark of her term; from the fact that she has only executed 1% of the budget [es] (which she later clarified [es] referred to the regional government of Lima), her unkept [es] campaign promises and even a request that she prematurely vacate her post, to nicknames coined by the general public.
Add to that her decline [es] in recent polls, an obvious communication problem [es], and what supporters of the Social Forces Decentralization Party call [es] “a political and media campaign against her”, and evidently the mayor's situation is not the best at the moment. To make matters worse, on July 13 she faced a transportation strike [es], triggered –according to protesters– by requirements that are difficult to meet, such as a bus standard established by the Management of Urban Transportion of the Municipality, something that has been denied by the respective authorities.
As always, in the blogosphere we can find more varied opinion than the apparently biased media opinion and the official version which reveals little self-criticism. For example, Francisco Canaza of Apuntes Peruanos commented [es] on the legality of the possible request that the mayor step down:
Más allá de cómo se evalúe a Susana Villarán -y habrá quienes por diversas causas prefieran defenderla, igual que otros tantos quienes encontrarán sus falencias- lo cierto es que el mecanismo de revocatoria de autoridades municipales existe, que es un mecanismo de participación ciudadana totalmente válido y que posee casuística en todo el país.
Susana Villarán, alcaldesa de Lima. Photo by Juan Manuel on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
And Eduardo Jesús Plascencia in BLOG PARA MAESTROS…y Estudiantes wrote:
Ahora periodistas mercenarios insultan constantemente a Susana Villarán, hasta el mismo presidente la agredió la semana pasada, bajo pretexto que no hace “obras”. Apenas tiene 6 meses de gestión y sin embargo, quieren ver “obras” de cemento y no lo que sí se sabe que hace: En cuanto a participación social supera ampliamente a la anterior gestión, ha hecho del Cabildo Abierto una notoria participación ciudadana.
There are also varied opinions on the issue of transportation. Protesters have been carrying posters with the slogan “Strike July 13 against the abuse of the Municipality of lima”, but the union does not enjoy much citizen favor due to the continuous accidents [es] and abuses  [es] by informal carriers, like Sonia Luz Carrillo comments [es] in the blog Habla Sonia Luz:
Inconcientes de la  gravedad de  la situación  calamitosa del servicio  del transporte  masivo y en defensa de su ‘derecho’ a seguir contaminando gravemente el ambiente; maltratar al usuario al hacerlo viajar en condiciones infrahumanas (agresiones, inseguridad, estrechez, suciedad, ruidos molestos) ; continuar con el caos en las rutas; hacer lo que les da la gana en las pistas, infiernizando la ciudad, algunos transportistas aseguran que paralizarán Lima.
And while some media outlets informed [es] that 85% of carriers would abide by the strike in Lima, others signaled [es] that the strike would be political and that the president of the National Corporation of Business and Transportation of Peru (Conet) only represented 20% of Lima carriers. Meanwhile, the “Union of Road Transportation Workers of Peru SINTRATTP” published in their blog that this was a business strike and not one of transportation workers:
Estos empresarios buscan llevar agua para su molino y quiere que los trabajadores del transporte y propietarios luchen en forma gratuita para que los integrantes de su asociación empresarial sean los únicos beneficiados por la Alcaldesa Villarán. Los trabajadores y propietarios no deben dejarse manipular, por el contrario deben organizarse para que el transporte urbano de pasajeros sea resuelto con inclusión social.
On Twitter users shared opinions even before the strike started. Jose Carlos Aldama (@josecarlosaldam) wrote:
Osea que los transportistas no quieren multas, no quieren orden, no  quieren control, les gusta el caos y encima amenazan con disturbios !
Meanwhile, Carlos Salina Ruiz (@crsalinas92) opined:
Linda manera de protestar #NoAlParo como si los transportistas estuvieran metidos en twitter para leer a la gente a ver que dicen.
In the early hours of July 13 one could already read some tweets about the strike. Aldo Arnao (@aldoelio) reported:
En el cono sur de Lima  todas las líneas de transporte acatan el paro. Taxis y colectivos  aprovechan la situación para subir tarifas
User @pitugatocalato turned to the mayor:
@susanavillaran cómo vas a subir el 100% de las multas? eso es 1 de las cosas por el cual habrá paro hoy…
Like Vlado Barr (@tllevo):
@susanavillaran La felicito por enfrentarse con autoridad a los transportistas. Ya es hora de que den un servicio decente y digno.
Users then began to report various problems with corresponding photos, like reporter Eduardo Juarez (@ ejuarez_capital). You can find more reactions, images and citizen reports on Storify [es].
Finally, Geraldo Gutierrez Risce from the blog Derecho, Arbitraje Y Conciliación Extrajudicial reflects [es]:
Lo que debemos esperar de los profesionales que tienen la importante tarea de manejar o implementar medidas o proyectos de mejoras en la forma de vivir de la sociedad es que sean i) buenos comunicadores, ii) buenos mediadores y iii) buenos vendedores. […] En conclusión, señores del gobierno (local, regional y central) por favor, cultivemos esta cultura, nos va a ayudar a todos, no solo a los usuarios frustrados que tendrán dificultades para movilizarse, no solo a los transportistas que encontraran a una aparato estatal más atento y no solo a la autoridad que tendrá un pasivo menos en su gestión, sino más bien al Perú que no perderá la movilidad diaria que tanta falta nos hace por estas épocas para que la economía siga rotando positivamente.

author: Juan Arellano


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Philippines: Presidential Photo Goes Viral · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

A photo of Philippine President Benigno Aquino posing in his office in the Presidential Palace has gone viral, reaping mostly negative reactions from netizens who criticized the presence of a cigarette box and a large ashtray in an almost empty desk.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Russia: Clashes in Sagra · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Kevin Rothrock of A Good Treaty discusses the recent “ethnic” clashes in the little south-Russian town of Sagra and how these are exploited by various political and nationalistic interests.


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Russia: Illusory Economic Stagnation? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Anatoly Karlin of Sublime Oblivion argues that the view of Russian economic stagnation is illusory, if taking demography, development level, etc into account.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Impressionistic Art  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Woman of Color blogs about a new artist who paints impressionistic landscapes.


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Australia: Regime Change Rupert Murdoch Style · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

It is a sign of the times when John Hartigan, News Limited’s head in Australia, has to defend his newspapers’ aggressive approach to the Gillard government. Murdoch’s Oz media have been accused of abusing their power with a campaign for regime change. The announcement of the carbon pricing and emissions trading scheme is the latest battleground.
The aptly named Loon Pond tracks the former Australian with vigour. The last two posts by ‘Dorothy Parker’ are typical of the criticisms. In ‘News Corp, Jack the insider and blood on the wattle redux …‘  he started by comparing the way their online blogsite The Punch has treated the News of the World hacking scandal with their coverage of the carbon tax:
It's carbon tax all the way at The Punch, like a robo bunny with a heavy duty battery, plus the usual mindless frivolities and nary a bleat about the Murdoch follies which have entranced every other website around the world.
This was followed by a detailed analysis of other Murdoch media. His post on Friday 15 July, ‘John Hartigan, and time for some bold as brass strident coverage of all that strident coverage …‘  continued this theme:
The comedy stylings at News Corp get better and more entertaining by the day, and none more so than that adept humorist John Hartigan.
…Leading the way, naturally, is the anonymous editorialist, who explains how A medieval world view does not help the planet in Black, white and green all over. And who holds this medieval world view? Why greenies of course, as the anon edit flings around such finely balanced words as zealots, preconceived ideas, dogmatism, blinkered world view, monochromatic world, and so on and so forth…
Matt de Silva at Happy Antipodean ponders their aggressive editorial policy in an untitled post:
Watching John Hartigan perform on the ABC's 730 program…  There's an exceptionalism at play here in Hartigan's words that probably serves a lot of the troops in the organisation well at different times, especially when they feel besieged as a result of run-ins with external entities. When the time comes to making a stand it's therefore easy for journalists to say “We're different and, yes, this will be unpleasant but we're performing a public duty here”.
He anticipates a backlash:
This attitude can only inflame the situation because a wild animal when cornered will always turn and fight. So every headline and every editorial, every story placement on the corporate website and every picture selection – designed to depict, say, the prime minister as domineering or cowed – is animated by a preemptive supposition that thousands of people out there in the Australian public sphere hate what you are doing.
In confession time at News Ltd Gary Sauer-Thompson at Public Opinion bemoans the level of public debate about climate change that results from the relentless pursuit of their own agenda:
News Ltd's newspapers are well known for them providing a platform for the denial of climate change, opposition to a carbon tax, hostility to making the polluters pay for the greenhouse emissions that heat up the planet, and their antagonism to using renewal energy. They are also partly responsible for the low standard of public debate on the need for Australia to shift to a low carbon economy. News Ltd basically want the taxpayer to pay the polluters big money to keep on polluting.
Open and Shut’s Peter Timmins links current scrutiny of News td in Australia with its UK implosion In ‘Murdoch's UK woes bring Australian debate centre stage‘:
The debate about ethics, responsibilities and journalism standards and broader issues concerning the media that seemed a long way off a week ago is now well under way, and unlikely to stop anytime soon.
…We have Greens leader Senator Bob Brown calling for a Senate inquiry into Australia's media ownership laws and into the ethical standards of journalists.
The Greens position is no surprise given the open attitude of The Australian, Murdoch’s flagship down-under.  Jeremy Sears at Crikey, quoting their editorial argued last year that it wants to destroy the Greens (and hence the minority government):
You can take pretty much everything The Australian says about the Greens in that context: they are not interested in giving them a fair hearing, or listening to what they have to say, or presenting their arguments for public assessment: they want them “destroyed”.
At The Drum former Democrats and Labor parliamentarian Cheryl Kernot criticises:
…politicians in Australia who have been, and currently are, in thrall to the power of media proprietors and shock jocks; seeking to court support, in the belief that a newspaper's endorsement is one of the powerful keys to election success. The trade-off is timidity in the face of a newspaper's “policy line.”
She hopes for a change from past practice:
Many former and current Australian prime ministers and opposition leaders have publicly courted Rupert Murdoch with their ritual pilgrimage to worship at the Murdoch shrine on visits to the US. Media commentators have used this as a (perverted) measure of “success”.
Stephen Mayne, former publisher of Crikey, doesn’t pull any punches on their platform:
At some point, the creeping and insidious influence of the Murdochs over Australian media needs to be wound back and there is no better time to start than now. If the Pommy politicians can belatedly develop some spine with some US Democrats following suit, why not their jelly-backed equivalents in Australia?
There didn’t appear to be any posts on the Oz blogosphere defending Murdoch’s local media from these accusations. It’s hardly surprising given the kind of week Murdoch is having in Britain.  However, Columnist Joe Hildebrand from News Limited's Sydney tabloid the Daily Telegraph has struck back on The Punch with ‘Gillard and Brown are shootin’ the messenger‘:
The argument … is that a Government which has driven itself into uncharted depths of antipathy in the public’s view, should still be treated generously by the newspapers, even though their readers and the electorate are overwhelmingly opposed to it.
…Governments can usually get by on good policy or good spin; the best have both, this one has neither. Using the appalling behaviour of UK tabloids as an excuse to pursue a political agenda against the Australian press is just more proof of that.
The last word goes to media specialist Margaret Simons in a short video for the InDaily predicting “the end of the big media empires”:

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bangladesh: Sexual Assault By A Teacher Triggers Student Uprising · Global Voices
Rezwan

Recent events at the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNC), a prestigious girls educational institution in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, has stirred much buzz in the Bangladeshi blogosphere. Porimol Joydhor, a teacher in the Bangla department of the school's Bashundhara campus, was accused of raping a female student of class ten at VNC while giving her private tuition.
According to reports Porimol recorded the incident in his mobile and threatened the victim that he would post it on the Internet if she divulged the matter. As the investigations began, more shocking information were revealed. The incident took place in late May 2011 and the school headmaster at Basundhara branch did not take any action against the teacher after the victim reported it in a letter.
Students hold placards denouncing sexual abuse at their school, as they gather at the Central Shaheed Minar. Image by Safin Ahmed. Copyright Demotix.
Guardians alleged that because Porimol was a student leader of the ruling party the authorities ignored these allegations. When the news broke out in the media [bn] in early July the school governing body was put under a lot of pressure. Porimol was sacked and went into hiding. The committee also suspended two other teachers for their alleged misconduct with girl students.
The events and subsequent student protests caused much uproar in the country and more drama unfolded as the students continued their protest which led to the replacement of the school principal. The mainstream media was accused of using sensationalism and politicizing the events. But some students continued to share their sides of the story via blogs and Facebook.
Bloggers like Bengal Masud posted pictures of the protests and provided regular updates. He posted [bn] on July 6:
অবশেষে ব্লগ-ফেসবুক এবং রাজপথ এই ত্রিমুখী আন্দোলনে পরিমলকে গ্রেফতার করতে বাধ্য হয়েছে পুলিশ। বুধবার দুপুর ১২টার দিকে কেরাণীগঞ্জে এক আত্মীয়ের বাসা থেকে পরিমল জয়ধরকে গ্রেপ্তার করা হয়।
The students were still in doubt whether the victim would get justice however, and continued with their protests. Their   demands included:
Many people became furious as the school principal was accused of saying that it was mutual sex. Xabir vents his anger [bn] at Amra Bondhu Blog:
আপনার কি জানা আছে মিউচুয়াল সেক্স হওয়ার জন্যে “কনসেন্ট” নামে একটা জিনিস লাগে। কিন্তু মহামান্যা মাথামোটা অধ্যক্ষা সাহেবা, ১৮ এর নিচে (ক্ষেত্র বিশেষে ১৬) একজন নাবালিকা কখনোই সম্মতি দিতে পারে না।
Moreover, the blogger reveals that the section 5 of Sexual Offences Act (2003) says “a person commits an offense if he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person with his penis and the person is under aged.”
An anonymous ex-student of VNC recalls [bn] in her blog that her Alma mater was not like this. She posted [bn] on the 8 July about the student protests online and offline:
আমাদেরকে স্বীকার করতেই হবে যে, যে সব ছোট বোনেরা ফেসবুক এ ইভেন্ট খুলেছে তাদের উপর যথেষ্ট চাপ থাকবে কালকে।এতক্ষনে হয়তো আমাদের গায়ে মানে না আপনি মোড়ল; হোস্নে আরা বানু তোমাদেরকে টিসির ভয় দেখিয়েছেন। পুলিশ প্রশাসনও হয়তো কালকে ভাড়াটে গুন্ডার মতই ব্যাবহার করবে। তারা হয়তো আত্মরক্ষার জন্যই চাইলেও অনেক কিছু করতে পারবেনা। আমাদের সেই সব বোনদেরকে বলছি – আপুরা তোমরা একটুও ভয় পেয় না। আপুরা আছি, আপুরা তোমাদের সবার পাশে আছি।
On 9 July the students of VNC along-with parents and ex-students formed a human chain demanding the resignation of the principal. Bengal Masud posted [bn] videos and pictures of the event.
Students hold placards denouncing sexual abuse at their school, VNC, Bangladesh. Image by safin ahmed, copyright Demotix (12/07/2011).
Soon the protests gathered more support from other members of the civil society. Also many teachers from VNC joined [bn] in the protests.
Blogger Alim Al Rajee is posting [bn] regular updates on this. This Facebook page is also providing updates. Some students are providing updates [bn] on how the interim principal is being accused of belonging to a political party and how the girls are being threatened by different quarters.
Shimul Kibria at Choturmatrik Blog writes [bn] about the trend of blaming the victim in a rape incident; some are blaming the student of VNC rather than Porimol:
কিছু মানুষ তাদের পারিপার্শ্বিকতার নারীদের চিনেছে নিছক একটি ভোগ্যপণ্য হিসেবে। তাদের চিন্তামতে/বিবেচনায় নারী মাত্রই ক্ষুদ্র মননের, স্বল্প ক্ষমতার একটি প্রাণী যা আসলে পুরোপুরি পুরুষের অধীন!
He continues:
প্রতিবাদ এখানেই শেষ নয়; পরিমল ও তার মদদ দাতাদের কঠোর বিচারকার্য নিশ্চিতকরণ, নারী ও শিশু নির্যাতন আইনের যথোপযুক্ত প্রয়োগ নিশ্চিতকরণের জন্যে এই মঞ্চ আরো এগিয়ে যাবে; এটা আমার মতো আরো লক্ষাধীক মানুষের প্রাণের চাওয়া।


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Bangladesh: The Link Between Aid Work And Islamic Extremism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shawn Ahmed at Uncultured.com writes about the link between aid work and Islamic extremism in developing countries providing examples from Bangladesh.


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China: NetEase’s business · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

iChinaStock.com has written a post and some slides for introducing a Chinese web-portal company, NetEase’s business model, financials, management, and user experience. NetEase was listed on the Nasdaq in 1999 and its market cap was $6.1 billion in July 2011.


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China: The development of investigative report · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wang Keqin, a prominent journalist in China, has written an article in China Media Project on the development and political impact of investigative report in China over the past decade.


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Czech Republic: Czechs Head European Marijuana Use  · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Tanja of Czechmate Diary reports that a recent EU-study reveals that Czechs have the most widespread marijuana use in the European Union.


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Guinea: Mass Slaughter of Cattles After Ethnic Clashes · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

According to guineelibre.com [fr] “Over 1,200 cattle were slaughtered after ethnic clashes between Fulani and Malinke – the minority groups of Guinea – reported residents of the village of Thiakoro, in south-eastern Guinea.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Hungary: Changes to Constitutional Court and Electoral Law · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Max Steinbeis of Verfassungsblog writes about [GER] changes in the composition of and requirements for Hungary's Constitutional Court as well as the process towards changes in electoral law in the country.


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India: Bomb Blasts In Mumbai – A Preliminary Assessment  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nitin Pai at the Acorn posts a preliminary assessment on the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai.


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Indonesia: Minister Revives Plan to Control Social Media · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Tifatul Sembiring, Indonesia's controversial IT and Communications Minister, said that social media sites like Twitter and Facebook must be strictly controlled since they can be used to destabilize the government. He added that countries like Tunisia and Libya suffered from uprisings because their governments failed to control social media.
Indonesia has one of the biggest and most active Twitter and Facebook communities in the world.
Tifatul Sembiring. Image by Flickr user Ikhlasul Amal (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Outspoken blogger, known as Treespotter, reacted via Twitter.
@treespotter: Dear Pak @tifsembiring, pergolakan dari Tunisia sampai Malaysia karena Pejabat gagal mengelola Negara – bukan gagal mengelola Twitter.
@Tifsembiring: @treespotter nangkapnya agak keliru trees, jadi sy bilang socmed bisa mempengaruhi politik, ekonomi bahkan struktur sosial. Kita hrs amati
@treespotter @tifsembiring saya setuju betul bahwa Pemerintah penting mengamati, belajar sama sama, sebagai aset Indonesia. Bukan ancaman kekuasaan.
After being criticized in the media, Tifatul made a statement through his favorite communication outlet, Twitter, and complained that reporters have misquoted him again. Later on he also wrote a short clarification on his Facebook page, saying that his statement about social media control in front of public elementary school teachers was about emphasizing on adult supervision on children's internet browsing experience, language use decency and anti-pornography browsing.
Blogger Ross1948 who blogs at Rossrightangle said:
[…]
but outlandish though his pronouncements sometimes are, he’s not a moron. He IS recognising that an active and unfettered internet, bloggers galore, would be a thorn in the flesh of a shariah-freak state. And rest assured, readers, a shariah-freak state is exactly what Tifatul and the PKS would like to see in Indonesia.
Naturally, his urge to shackle social media, which includes blogs like ours, at once provoked both oppostion and even ridicule. Detik.com quotes Tjipta Lesmana, a political communication expert, as describing Tifatul’s words as “It’s nonsense to think that social media can be controlled. This may be Tifatul’s personal view or the President’s. If the latter, SBY should not be afraid. If he is, there’s something wrong in the government.’
Tifatul Sembiring is the former chairman of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), an Islamist party often criticized for its highly conservative agenda. In the past, PKS staged rallies supporting the establishment of Palestine state and protesting against the United States of America and its allies.
He is also known to champion the highly controversial Cyberlaw Bill that prosecuted Prita Mulyasari, a homemaker who was slapped with defamation charges for writing and publishing a complaint email against an international hospital chain.

author: Juke Carolina


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Russia: Public Transport Safety · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Streetwise Professor reflects upon safety of public transport in Russia, against the backdrop of the recent “Bulgaria” boat disaster.


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South Korea: Class Action Lawsuit Against Apple Draws About 20 Thousands · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Around 20 thousand South Koreans have joined a class-action lawsuit against Apple via Sue Apple Korea [ko] website. Apple faces allegations that it violated local laws by tracking and storing iPhone user's location information without consent.


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Tunisia: Police Brutally Disperse Peaceful Protesters · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Tunisian police brutally dispersed protesters outside the headquarters of the Cabinet yesterday (July 15). The protesters were calling for reform and were planning to launch a third sit-in at Kasbah square, which is the epicenter of protests in the Tunisian capital Tunis.
Amongst the demands of the protesters were the departure of the Minister of Justice whom they consider unable to fulfill his duties and, “bring to justice the killers of the revolution martyrs”, and the Interior Minister, Hbib Essid, who held key ministerial positions during the regime of Ben Ali.
Police in Tunisia. Photo by Kissa online blogspot.
Protesters also raised slogans condemning the exclusion of youth from the decision making process, and calling for the independence of the judiciary.
Security forces used tear gas and batons to prevent the protesters from gathering and launching the sit-in. On Twitter, Tunisians continue to record and update people around the world of developments on the ground.
@walidsa3d:Police is trying to disperse protesters using tear gas #kasbah3
@tunisien:Unhappy Tunisians are trying to start a peaceful sit-in and the police welcomes them with violence. #Kasbah3
Security forces also stormed into a mosque and used batons to beat protesters taking refuge inside it.
@walidsa3dCops stormed into the Kasbah mosque and drove out protesters using batons #Kasbah3
@ByLasKo:Les flics ont forcé la porte de la mosquée, tabassé et expulsé les gens qui s'y étaient réfugiés #kasbah3
The following YouTube video features protesters taking refuge inside a mosque near Kasbah Square, chanting “Faithful to Martyrs’ Blood”. Some of them got suffocated by tear gas.
Dozens of protesters were also arrested. A message to free all those arrested was published on the blog Kissa-online:
نطالب بنفس الصوت العالي إطلاق سراح كل المؤقوفين (يبدو أن عددهم 48) وخاصة منهم المدونين الفايسبوكر محمد شايح و شهيد بلحاج وأمان الله منصوري.
@wa_evolution:
الإفراج عن 26 من معتقلي القصبه, إحالة 20 على القضاء و تجنيد 35. #kasbah3 #kasba3 #tunisie #tunisia
The brutal methods of the police in dealing with the protesters angered Tunisian bloggers and reminded them of the old methods of the former regime. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter.
@maroo_king: la #Kasbah3 n'était pas grand-chose (300 personnes) ! je suis pas d'acc avec ce sit-in mais je suis aussi contre la violence de la police !
@guellaty: Je crois que les policiers n'ont pas compris qu'on sortait d'un état policier.
@Marwen:Sinon, je ne me reconnais pas dans la #Kasbah3, mais pour moi la pression de la rue est indispensable et les lacrymos n'ont aucune justif.
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Bangladesh: Incompetency And Negligence Of Doctors Go Unabated · Global Voices
Rezwan

A Bangladeshi journalist Syed Tashfin Chowdhury, shares a tragic personal experience – how his seven-month old daughter died because of incompetency and negligence of doctors in a private hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.


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China: Independent Candidates Busy Building Up Support · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Carrying on from the incident in which three independent candidates for local level People's Congress elections in Jiangxi were prevented from taking part in their election, candidates from other areas around China have yet to enter election periods but face no shortage of problems of their own.
The candidacy wave remains small, but is still a top discussion topic online.
More prominent participants in the movement such as media workers Li Chengpeng and Yao ‘Wuyue Sanren’ Bo have become less vocal about their individual campaigns (Yao recently quietly announced his resignation from the China Daily newspaper, ostensibly to work on his campaign) in recent weeks. One candidate who has moved more into the limelight has been Hangzhou-based post-80s advertising agency employee and locally-known commentator on the real estate market, Xu Yan. The focus on Xu seems driven largely by his civics lesson approach to campaign preparation.
In early July, Xu began weekly posting of videos [zh] online in which he discusses in detail issues that he plans to address, if elected, as well as educating on topics such as division of powers in the current system and the particular responsibilities which come with the role of district-level People's Congress representative. As with most other independent candidates around China, Xu's been busy on Weibo, organizing volunteers, constituent meet-ups and answering questions.
One recent exchange Xu had on Weibo suggests that [zh] one of his immediate challenges will be in overcoming skepticism:
//@everyoneisfree1:如果徐彦真的得到了浙江省人大的支持，我建议大家人肉一下徐彦和政府部门的关系，99.99%的可能性是里面有猫腻。
哈哈，我跟政府当然有关系1、政府应是民众选举；2、财政是纳税人提供。另，人大不是政府，参选也不用得到人大的支持，是要得到选民支持。
//@everyoneisfree1:回复@人代参选人徐彦: 全国的独立候选人都遭到了打击，唯独你得到了人大的支持，这一点，你不要说什么官话套话，瞎子都能看见
回复@everyoneisfree1:我是有后台，如果我做得好，选民就是我的后台。另外，选举不是看人大机构支持，而是选民支持。当然，欢迎你的质疑，也欢迎你调查。
Then on July 14, Xu came on Weibo with an update on his plans for an offline meet-and-greet with local voters:
【调整第一阶段选民集中拜访的安排】原计划7月16日起开始进行的选民集中拜访安排，调整为电话、邮件、微博私信等方式约定拜访时间、拜访方式后进行“一对一”拜访。详见下图，
Xiamen-based independent candidate Yao Jincheng also had the idea to start meeting with local constituents and has said he will take his campaign to people's doors. Today, he merged a Q&A outside a coffee shop with an apparently aimless donation drive [zh] he organized on Weibo to collect local residents’ old and used clothing. Yao received a fair amount of clothing donations for his unspecified purpose, and the event went off without a hitch.
In Shanghai, businessman Xia Shang has not been so lucky. Xia wrote on Weibo that he was visited on July 12 by China's Ministry of State Security, and announced the following day that he was notified that two companies he runs, one in interior design services and the other selling Pu'er tea, have been randomly selected for a tax audit. Xia says his companies had no problem passing China's annual tax inspection, which concluded last month.
Also in the election prevention news, Li Chengpeng, mentioned above, has had Internet service to his home cut off since July 3, and continues to complain on Weibo that numerous daily calls to his service provider have had no effect. Reportedly, one netizen had their Taobao store shut down and was investigated by police after printing and selling this t-shirt with the independent election campaign's unofficial ‘One person, One vote, Changing China’ slogan:
In Jiangsu province, post-80s independent candidate He Peng has also been questioned by police—not due to his candidacy, he says, but for blog posts regarding local politics. He is among those considered by some to to more entertainment than serious would-be legislators. He's been more active on Weibo, promoting himself and trading one-liners with followers, than he has been in formulating a vision for his campaign. But He is also one of the few announced candidates to have made their own adverts. When challenged, he has brought forth his strong views on the current political system and democracy in general. One recent exchange touched on the fear which many share—not that the current regime will collapse, but one which still stretches back to the Cultural Revolution—that with any change to the current system comes the possibility that extremists will take over the country again:
田哞的微博 “体制、民主”是人民的政权，是人民的。谁要来反？坚决人肉他！(7月12日 17:28)
棍客 回复@田哞的微博:那倒不必。告诫我的人也许是出于好意。可他们也许忽略了“宪政民主”正是解决一切民生问题的根本。或者只将参选一事单纯理解为草根进入体制而可为平民发出呼声。实际上参选的最大意义在于告知大家，我们可以通过珍惜自己手中的一票，来逐步达成某种权利上的平衡。西瓜与芝麻的道理。(7月12日 21:41)
He: Well, there's no need for that. The people who warn me about the dangers involved probably mean well. But they may also have overlooked the fact that “constitutional democracy” is at the center of resolving people's livelihood issues. Either that or their understanding of the civic participation in elections trend is simply that the grassroots are gaining a voice for the common person by becoming part of the system. In fact, the greatest significance in taking part in the elections is that it tells people that by valuing the votes which we hold in our hands, we can gradually bring some balance to certain interests. It's like the sesame seed vs. the watermelon.
He, however, seems OK with the idea of a change in the political system. From another exchange:
作为一个基层人代参选人谈“体制、民主”是对本身定位不清，你应该做的是调研并解决选区民众关心的问题。
——在我看来这完全是舍本逐末。当下中国没有什么比“体制、民主”问题更严重的伤害我选区人民的利益。另任何人也都有资格和必要谈论“体制、民主”问题，无论他是否参选人代。
He: To me, this would mean completely ignoring the purpose of being elected and focusing on the trivial. In today's China, there isn't a single bigger threat to the interests of my district's voters than problems with the system and democracy. Everyone has both the qualification and the obligation to talk about the system and democracy, regardless of whether or not they're seeking to be elected as a representative.
Commenting on He's campaign ad (left), one reader makes the perennial claim that people just aren't civilized enough to handle things like freedom, human rights or democracy without sending the country down the toilet. He replies:
回复@清风入帘:有时候，乱也未必是一件坏事。如台湾的乱，为了选票或观点政客打架公民看戏、即使总统贪腐也得关进监狱等，大约在很多大陆人眼里已经“乱”得不成“体统”了，但其公民社会保障体系是大陆任何城市都无法相比的。
可大多数人并不会有这样的见识。所以就需要不停的重复常识，告诉那些笑话台湾议会打架的人：打架是伤害不到普通公民的，相反可能为他们带来好处，因为打架者只有更多考虑公民权益才被认可。而举手和睡觉却绝达不到这样的效果。政客的面子跟我们无关，政客的政绩我们却得验收。
And down in Guangdong province, where declared candidates include high school and university students and lawyers, Shenzhen-based lawyer Li Zhiyong's (left) approach has been to merge canvassing with his lawyer work. Last weekend, at an outdoor legal advice clinic, Li found himself in trouble after using the venue to discuss his politics:
在为社区居民提供法律咨询的时候，宣传了选举法律知识，告知居民我准备参选区人大代表。社区工作站领导说不可以告诉居民自己参选的事。不再为我服务居民提供方便。OK.以专业服务居民，还是我的宗旨。我将继续通过各种方式为居民提供公益法律服务。

author: John Kennedy


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Egypt: Building a Nation in a Square · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Egyptian blogger Sandmonkey wrote how the sit-in in Tahrir square turned out to become exercise in building a small nation from scratch within the boundaries of the square.

author: Tarek Amr


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Hungary: Times to Spend and Times to Save · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Eva Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum takes a critical look at governmental investments in the energy industry, and asks whether they are wise, looking at the country's increasing economic reliance on foreign lenders.


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Jordan: Photos and Audio of July 15 Protest  · Global Voices
Nadine Toukan

Reform protests in Amman picked up some heat on Friday after a relatively quiet few weeks. Here's a summary of part of the day as witnessed by Lina Ejeilat, multimedia journalist, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Jordanian citizen-media platform 7iber.com.

author: Nadine Toukan


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Macedonia: Media Allegations Against George Soros · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Filip Stojanovski of Razvigor reports on disinformation in Macedonian media allegations that American businessman and philantropist, George Soros, would have sponsored the Albanian side during the Kosovo war to exploit new business opportunities.


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Puerto Rico: DJ Marcos Boricua in Madrid · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

El Punto Es [es] publishes an interesting interview with the Puerto Rican DJ Marcos Flores, who lives in Madrid, Spain.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico at the Biennale · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Melanie Pérez Ortiz comments on the fact that the artists [es] representing the United States at the art Biennale in Venice are based in Puerto Rico: Jennifer Allora, from the United States, and Guillermo Calzadilla, who was born in Cuba.


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Puerto Rico: Remembering Ricardo Alegría · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Writer Mayra Santos Febres honors the memory of Ricardo Alegría [es], the famous Puerto Rican scholar, cultural anthropologist and archaeologist.


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Russia: Defence Paradoxes · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Streetwise Professor discusses development of Russian military technology and weapons procurement and the paradoxes they pose to the Russian Armed Forces.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Russia: Putin as a Liberal · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Sean's Russia Blog continues his argument on Putin as a liberal after reactions to his previous discussion on the subject.


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Bolivia: New Road Threatens Indigenous Territory of Isiboro Sécure · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights and Forest Focus: Amazon.
“Like it or not, we are going to build this road,” [es] announced Bolivian President Evo Morales during a speech in the town of Sacaba on June 30, 2011, in reference to a controversial project to build a new road that would go through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS for its initials in Spanish).
The plans and subsequent preparation for the construction of section two of the country's ‘national road’ has attracted strong criticism from indigenous groups whose lands would be affected. The project is calling into question Morales’ commitment to autonomous indigenous rights and environmental protection, two issues that Bolivia's first indigenous president proudly has claimed as pillars of his administration.
Controversial construction plans
Map of the TIPNIS area
With a 332 million dollar loan from neighboring Brazil, Morales signed a law that would begin the construction of a road from the town of Villa Tunari to San Ignacio de Moxos in the Department of Beni. The territory is not only protected as a nature reserve with rich biodiversity, but also protected as the home of members of the indigenous communities Moxeños, Yuracarés, and Chimanes. Isiboro Sécure was declared a national park in 1965 and named an indigenous territory in 1990.
At the XXIX Gathering of Corregidores (council members) of TIPNIS [es], the participants developed a statement regarding their stance on the proposed project. Their resolution was republished in the blog Defendamos el TIPNIS (Let's Defend the TIPNIS), in which the residents “conclusively and non-negotiably reject the construction of the road from Villa Tunari to San Ignacio de Moxos or any stretch of road that affects our territory, our large home”, and states:
3. La decisión de la construcción de la carretera se ha tomado sin seguir los procedimientos técnicos y legales, sin un estudio de impacto ambiental previo, sin aplicar el derecho a consulta de los pueblos indígenas dentro del TIPNIS, transgrediendo la misma Constitución Política del Estado Plurinacional (CPEP) recientemente aprobada en sus artículos 30 y 343, además de transgredir las leyes que preservan el medio ambiente.
Puzzling response
The lack of consultation with indigenous groups whose lands and livelihood would be directly affected is puzzling for those accustomed to seeing President Morales as someone who has put the rights and interests of indigenous communities at the forefront of his government. Blogger Pablo Andrés Rivero has been writing about this subject in a number of posts, and mentions the concept of indigenous autonomy that has been given increased importance in the new Constitution approved in 2009. Rivero writes:
Within this context, one of the major changes constitutionally introduced is the Indigenous Autonomy, a particular figure of self ruling and decision making criteria for indigenous peoples to decide, directly and in full capacity, over the natural resources and ways of development according to their traditions, history and own decisions in the regions where they live for centuries.
[…] The government, is worth remember, is not ruled by white-mestizo elites any more. Instead is Evo Morales, a indigenous himself, who came to power claiming to bestow indigenous dignity back once and for all, claiming to make sure we all live in balance with nature and respecting peoples decisions or, as he discursively put it “governs by obeying the people”.
The decision and determination shown by Morales to go ahead and build the highway regardless of the opposition also contradicts his place on the international stage as a defender of the environment. At the United Nations, Morales promoted resolutions that would promote  “a holistic approach to harmony with nature, and an exchange of national experiences regarding criteria and indicators to measure sustainable development in harmony with nature.”
His full backing of the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth that took place in early 2010 is also confusing; his actions regarding the road construction are incompatible with these international stances on the protection of the environment. Rivero adds:
Morales has travelled the world arguing -and glorying- Bolivia's decision of living in balance with the Pachamama, publicising his ‘Mother Earth’ Bill and demanding effective actions -and economic compensation for poor countries- against climate change from industrialised countries.
"The jungle is life, the highway is death." Stencil art found on the streets of Cochabamba. Taken by Patricia Vargas and used with permission.
The government defends the project by stating that these communities are too isolated, and that the road would help bring about increased development and a “greater State presence,” which would help provide better access to health, education, and commerce. However, the road may also mean increased access by those committing illegal activities that would further harm the environment and threaten the indigenous communities’ way of life.
There are some studies that show that the road may cause 65% deforestation over the next two decades [es], due to illegal logging and land clearing, which is already a problem in many of these areas.
Other critics predict that the growth of illegal coca plantations by settlers into the area may also increase drug trafficking activities. The former Vice-Minister of Land in the Morales administration, Alejando Almaráz said that the road provides greater opportunities [es] for “massive land-grabs and an uncontrolled business of illegal coca, this is serious, devastating for the indigenous communities and for nature because those coca crops are planted where there were once woods.”
And it is here where Morales’ attention to residents in the southern part of TIPNIS that appear to be a conflict of interest. Many of those settlers are “already involved in land dealings with cocaleros,” [es] as pointed out by respected anthropologist, Xavier Albo. Morales’ start in politics came about from his syndicate work with the coca growers, where he still retains the position of president of the Six Federations of Coca Growers.
The Bolivian government claims that the indigenous communities are being influenced by European NGOs [es] that are pushing the groups to ask for money. However, (@hormigoazul) believes that the opposition is not a political maneuver [es]:
El problema del #TIPNIS no es esencialismo ecologista, ni protección de ni intervencionismo tipo ONG, ni jugada política de la oposición.
The resistance from indigenous groups is a cause being supported by many from the cities, as Majo Ferrel (@lamajoferrel) states [es]:
El proyecto carreterro V.Tunari a S.I.Moxos no solamente es cuestionado por los del TIPNIS tb por gran parte de la sociedad civil !!!
As a result of this opposition, the Bolivian Confederation of Indigenous Peoples (CIDOB) is organizing a national march to begin on August 2 that will depart from Villa Tunari towards the seat of government in capital La Paz. They have received support from the National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Qullasuyu (CONAMAQ) [es].
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights and Forest Focus: Amazon.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Brazil: Belo Monte March in Images · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

Renata Takahashi published dozens of photos of a march – #MarchaBeloMonte - that took place on July 17 in São Paulo, and in six other Brazilian cities, against the Belo Monte Dam and the New Forestry Code. The protest ended with a sit-in in one of the main avenues of the Sao Paulo, the Paulista.

author: João Miguel Lima


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Cambodia: Blog About Cambodian Women Who Inspire Others · Global Voices
Kounila Keo

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
Born in Cambodia and educated in the United States, 20 year old Sreyneath Poole has begun documenting “inspiring Cambodian women” in her blog. Currently studying International Relations at University of Redlands, California, she hopes to encourage Cambodian women to stand up and make their voices heard.
The Tumblr blog Inspiring Cambodian women disputes the traditional belief that Cambodian women belong in the kitchen. I had a chance to email-interview Sreyneath, and inquired what was the incentive that brought the blog to life.
Global Voices (GV): Please tell us a bit about your personal and academic life.
Sreyneath Poole
Sreyneath Poole (SP): I was born and raised in Phnom Penh. Before my mum’s second marriage, I lived near Psa Chas (Old market) and attended Norodom middle school and Chaktomok middle/high school. When my mum remarried in 2000, I was enrolled into International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP) until 2005 when my family and I moved to New York. I finished and received my high school degree in New York and moved to Redlands, California to continue my undergraduate education at the University of Redlands. Within the university, I am enrolled in a program called, The Johnston Center for Integrative Studies. This program allows me to create my own major. The title of my major is (as of right now) is “Living with political conflicts through the lens of international relations and Asian studies.” My major is largely built around after learning about the atrocity that happened in Cambodia more than thirty years ago.
GV: What inspires you to start the project? What is the purpose of the “Inspiring Cambodian Women” blog?
SP: It came from an essay that I have wrote for a class about Cambodian women and discrimination particularly in the public service. After discussing the issue one conclusion I came to was that Cambodian women needed role models and somebody suggested setting up a web site, so hence my blog began. As I wrote on my blog, the purpose of “Inspiring Cambodian Women” is set up in the hope of inspiring the world, especially Cambodian women, to stand up and make their voice be heard; to be active in their community or in the world.
GV: How have you gone about reporting on strong Cambodian women? What criteria do you use to select each to write about?
SP: When I wrote my first post on “Inspiring Cambodian Women” I had a few women in mind. Since I did not expect many readers at the beginning, I thought that I should write about women who are my personal heroines. Some of the women that I truly admire are Mu Sochua, Chhom Nimol and Loung Ung. My dad also helped me by suggesting a few names to me. At one point I ran out of women to research about and showcase on my blog. I thought that my project was finished! As I tried to research on more Cambodian women to write about, I started to send my blog to friends and family to read and help spread the words about the blog. As the blog started to get more readers, I began to get requests from my readers to write about a women who they considered to be their personal hero or inspiring. My readers’ suggestions are pretty much my criteria on how I go about showcasing wonderful Cambodian women. Writing this blog has been such a great learning experience for me. I did not realize how many courageous and incredible Cambodian women who are out there, against all odds, fighting to do something that they truly believe in hoping to make a positive difference in their community. Every time I research about these women, I become more inspired!
GV: What challenges do you think need to be addressed in your “Inspiring Cambodian women” blog?
SP: The first challenge that I see is spreading the words about the blog to as many people as possible, especially to the Cambodian community, both in Cambodia and abroad. I know that this is a challenge because not everyone can access the internet. So therefore, my blog can only reach those who have access to the internet.
The second challenge also relates to the easy access of my blog. I wanted to have the blog both in Khmer and English. Since my Khmer writing is not too good, I am working with my aunt to help me write the blog in Khmer. This has been a slow process. Having all of the posts be in Khmer is a goal that I’m hoping to achieve very near in the future.
The third challenge that is needed to be addressed is trying to showcase more local Cambodian women and their work. This is a very difficult task to do from abroad. When I return to Cambodia in the near future, I’m hoping to meet women who are making a positive difference in their local community and write about their work.
GV: Last but not least, what do you want your readers to understand after they read your blog?
SP: My target audience is Cambodian women worldwide who wish to be a positive force in their community. I want to present these women so that they can have a role model to look up to. Being a positive change in the community does not necessarily mean you have to go out and start a big project. It can be anything that you want it to be. Find something that you are truly passionate about whether it’s writing, singing, or playing a sport. Find a way of overcoming the obstacles that you will face. You can make a difference by bringing something that you are truly passionate about to your community.
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

author: Kounila Keo


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China: Campaigning for the Release of Female Activist Wang Lihong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Chinese government has been arresting human right activists and political dissidents since February 2011 under the pretext of the Jasmine crack down. Many of the detainees have been released, including the prominent artist activist Ai Weiwei. However, a female activist, Wang Lihong has been detained for 117 days, with the court finally deciding to prosecute her last week.
A number of prominent bloggers have decided to break the silence and campaign for the release of Wang Lihong even though the political climate is still tense. Independent documentary maker, Ai Xiaoming has written a biography [zh] for Wang Lihong in her blog:
Who is Wang Lihong?
Wang Lihong
王荔蕻，1955年10月出生于青岛一个军队干部家庭，在北京读完小学和中学。1975年4月赴陕北延安插队，1978年10月至1982年7月就读于延安大学中文系。大学毕业后回到北京，在北京市某机关工作。1991年起离职，后下海经商。2008年王荔蕻退休后居家，有了更多时间上网并开始参与公益活动。
Wang was arrested on March 21, 2011, under the charge of “inciting social unrest”. Later in the official arrest document issued on April 22, 2011, the charge has been changed to “disturbing public transportation in a crowd”. Many believed that the police referred to the “surrounding gaze” flash mob action in Fujian, back in April 2010 (see below).
Below is an incomplete list of social activities that she has participated in since 2008.
Wang's citizen practice
During her detention, the police have asked Wang to make three promises for a probation arrangement: 1. to never meet sensitive people again; 2. to never travel to sensitive regions again; 3. to never get involve in other people's business again.
She refused to sign the document and made a statement instead (via @Wanyanhai [zh]):
我是一个有良知的人，我不能保证面对苦难时保持沉默，我不能保证面对像钱云会、唐福珍、李淑莲……这样的悲惨事件假装看不见。 假如我面对苦难和恶行保持沉默，那么下一个被恶行打倒的就是我自己。
Prominent citizen reporter, Tufuwugan, has encountered with Wang in various public incident since  2009 and he has written a blog post on his impressions of Wang [zh]:
是的，我和她两种风格，她总是据理抗争，一点妥协都不愿意。我和这帮流氓打交道总是嬉皮笑脸，胡说八道，玩世不恭的态度。正因为这种原因，我喜欢这个耿直疾恶如仇的大姐，喜欢她那种纯粹，喜欢她那种喜怒写在脸上的大姐，喜欢她的对人的真诚不做作。…她是一个真正的优秀公民，但她是那些没人性不是娘生的混蛋眼里的眼中钉肉中刺。
What Tufu and Wang have been doing all these years has opened up a new political space in China. Ai Xiaoming wrote another blog post about the significance of Wang Lihong's citizen action [zh]:
但他们由于网络相识，开始身体力行地履行公民责任。全国敢于为底层发声的专家学者，也许屈指可数，但无数普通人以网民的身份参与，带来了新的政治。这正是这个国家不曾有过却已然开始的美好生活，公民通过网络连接起来，参与公共事务。无论地位身份如何，人们以网友的名义聚集在一起，无需相识，无需实名，只要有共同的关注。代之以无力感和麻木不仁的是，网友觉得无名小卒可以做一点事情，哪怕是为无辜入狱的网友喊一嗓子。“围观改变中国”的想象在推特上传扬，2010年，福建马尾法院开庭审理期间，法院门口聚集了来自全国各地的网民，而在网上凝聚起来的签名关注更达到五千之多，正是源于这样的想象。北京独立纪录片导演何杨的作品《赫索格的日子》详实记载了这场前所未有的政治景观，人们凭着朴素的信仰，自八九之后第一次（至少在我是第一次看到）走上街头高呼：言论无罪，自由万岁！
Free Wang Lihong
A blog, Free Wang Lihong [zh], a Facebook event page [zh] and a Google Group [zh] have been set up to collect articles and news reports about Wang and campaign for her release.
Back in Twitter, @weiquanwang has created a signature petition page [zh] for the release of Wang Lihong. Children's rights activist @zhaolianhai [zh] also helps collecting signatures via a Google Spread Sheet [zh].
Some netizens have claimed that they will surrender themselves to the police if the court sentences Wang to imprisonment. @tufuwugan [zh] is among one of them and there are more, he reports via Twitter:
刚才云南朱承志大哥来电话说，如果王荔蕻大姐被判，他准备去自首，叫我了解一下自首法律相关问题，是的，我也是这莫须有罪里的主犯，大姐如果有罪，我们也是有罪，我们会陪她有罪，不就是想通过治罪让人害怕吗？那我们主动接受你们的迫害，满足你们这帮畜生的迫害人的欲望。
Yin Longlong has written a poem, ‘Search for Wang Lihong‘ [zh] to pay his tribute to Wang. Below is the translation of the poem's first verse:
我寻找我的骄傲，一把锉
一根绳子。宫殿外面的海已经没过摩天大厦，公主和美人鱼
在上上世纪
我只寻找王荔蕻，告诉她王朝的飘零
告诉她我们选择了沉默是因为他们不值得聆听
告诉她泥土里有姊妹死亡的气息
告诉她
夏天牢房里的动物昆虫


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China: Netizens response to Barack Obama’s meeting with Dalai Lama  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Olivia from China Hush translated Chinese netizens’ angry response to U.S President Barack Obama's meeting with Dalai Lama on July 16, 2011 at the White House.


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Cuba: Female Activists Reportedly Beaten/Detained   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Reports of harassment of the Ladies in White and other female activists, here and here.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Stowaway Dies  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There is no thermometer that measures human despair and each person has his own threshold of resistance”: Yoani Sanchez and Babalu blog about the sad fate of some who try to escape Cuba.


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East Timor’s Strategic Development Plan · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The East Timor government has drafted its Strategic Development Plan which envisions a double digit annual GDP growth in the next two decades. La'o Hamutuk gives an initial analysis and some suggestions to improve the plan.

author: Mong Palatino


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Ecuador: Campus Party Quito · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Natalia Cartolini shares a video [es] promoting Campus Party Quito [es], which will take place from October 19-23 in the Ecuadorian capital.

author: Silvia Viñas