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Spain: Creative Counter-Campaign Spreads on the Net · Global Voices
Lali Sandiumenge

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
The general elections campaign that will be held this Sunday in Spain has an entirely different version online.  The digital anti-campaign, propelled by the 15-M movement, is hyperactive and rapidly spreading through social networks.  Although it is directed toward all voters, it can have an impact on the undecided and those who lean towards expressing their dissatisfaction and anger through non-participation.
Although the predominant mindset in the country is that everything is already decided — polls reveal the defeat of the governing PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) and give absolute majority to the PP (People's Party) — Internet users are promoting reflection, and a responsible, well-informed vote in a heated debate against the clock. Their slogan advocates participation through the selection of minority options to break the bipartisan system and the consolidated power shared by socialists and populists during the past decades.  They remind us that abstention does not count and blank votes are detrimental to small political groups.
Journalist and blogger Mónica Solanas summarized this feeling a few days ago in a tweet [es]:
@monicontomate:  Todavía nos queda una semana para dar un vuelco a lo que parece  inevitable. Podemos hacerlo. Debemos hacerlo. #PPSOE #nolesvotes  #votaaotros
Other Twitter users express themselves as follows [es]:
@CarlosCAlvarez: Votar en blanco es como votar PP y PSOE, porque pone más alto el listón para los partidos pequeños #20N#reinicia
@ bufetalmeida:Votar  a quien recorta libertades y derechos no saca de la crisis, solo  recorta libertades y derechos #nolesvotes #votaaotros #aritmetica20n
@ivanbreve:  Tinc dues opcions per votar. Per suposat que no es el #ppsoe. Decidiré el mateix #20N
@AiTask:  Mi hijo de 5 años me pregunta qué habrá en la Tierra cuando nos  extingamos como los dinosaurios. Le he dicho: políticos y banqueros.  #2oN
Ateneapensativa: Lo bueno es que después de las elecciones nos quedarán 4 años para seguir peleando por una democracia real ya @DRYmadrid ;)
One of the campaign's posters.  Freely distributed.
Countless initiatives are discussed online under hashtags #20N (#Nov20), #PPSOE, #nolesvotes (#donotvoteforthem) or #votaaotros (#voteforothers), that add up and place counter-campaigners on top, including those who promote protests and actions on the streets in defense of public education (#forthepublic [es]) or against the eviction of citizens who cannot pay their mortgages (#stopevictions [es]).
Real Democracy Now (DRY) [es], the platform that sparked the first protest on May 15, is one of the most active and has made its position clear [es]:
Democracia  Real Ya no anima a la abstención, al voto nulo, al voto en blanco ni al  voto a ningún partido en concreto, animamos a la elección informada y  en conciencia. La opción más eficaz para debilitar a los  partidos mayoritarios es el voto a otros, aunque se puede interpretar  como la aceptación del sistema de votación.
Op20N [es] defends a similar stance that anonymous people have put forth, much like Do not vote for them [es], a very active initiative online that rose in February to denounce the Sustainable Economy Act (Sinde Act), and encourages others to not vote for any of the main three parties in the Parliament, adding the nationalist Catalan party CiU (Convergència i Unió) to that list, in addition to the PP and PSOE.  Its page has already attracted more than 4,680,000 unique followers:
No  te pedimos el voto por ningún partido o ideología en concreto, sino que  te informes para comprobar si existen alternativas políticas que quizás  representan mejor tus ideas, y lo que los ciudadanos concebimos como  democracia. La democracia no son los grandes partidos: la democracia  eres tú, y millones como tú. Sin tu voto no son nada. En las próximas  elecciones, NO LES VOTES.
The platform links to blog AritmEtica20N [es], which calculates which minority parties have more options to be selected in each district and suggests not voting according to color or programs, but rather an objective to complete:  “Make the PP, PSOE and CiU monopoly collapse and stop the PP from governing by absolute majority.”
The DRY anti-elections campaign is quite versatile: they have done everything from creating educational tools [es] to making voters conscious and explaining how the seat distribution functions according to the D'Hondt system that Spain uses, to massive actions of protest like the so-called DoriYakiTu [es] operation, which, under its exotic name, proposes that voters present a complaint to the polling stations to show discontent between the voting system and the vote count, which is considered “unjust and disproportionate,” given that it penalizes minority representation.
The portal Socvot [es] (that derives its name from Social Vote but also means I am the vote in Catalán) also aims to shed a bit of light on the system and inform voters about available options.  It also demonstrates how Congress would be divided if it were a “single district” on Twitter or Facebook, allocating seats based on the number of followers that each party had on the two social networks.
Other platforms center on political corruption, such as País corrupto [es], that compiled a map fo Spain showing the cases of corruption in which the parties are implicated, or Huele a Corrupto [es], an aggregator of sorts for news, blogs and comments on social networks that include the terms “corrupt” or “corruption.”
Here is a YouTube video that uses Pink Floyd's “Money” to show Congressional and Senatorial candidates who were charged, investigated, or presumably involved in cases of abuse of power:

author: Lali Sandiumenge


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Thailand: Impact of Flooding on Colleges · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Suluck Lamubol writes about the impact of the Thailand flooding disaster to the country's higher education system. Aside from damages in facilities, many schools are postponing the start of the new school semester.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Mong Palatino


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UAE: Female Twitter User Rowda Hamed Summoned for Interrogation  · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

Twitter avatar of UAE female twitter user Rowda Hamed
On Wednesday morning, a female Twitter user from the United Arab Emirates called Rowda Hamed (@Rowda_Hamed) tweeted saying that she has been summoned for interrogation. She is one of the few Twitter users from the UAE supporting the five detained activists who recently went on hunger strike, which she joined in to show support, according to her older tweets. Blogger Khalifa Al-Nuaimi (@Alnuaimi_k) started the hashtag #RowdaHamed to support her and spread her case through Twitter. Many tweeps, especially from outside the UAE, have tweeted to show solidarity. Rowda wrote explaining how the summoning came [Ar]:
Saudi female blogger Nouf Abdullaziz (@nofah1) wrote one of the early reactions to Rowda's ordeal:
From the UAE, Ibrahim Alharam (@IbrahimAlharam) condemned such action against activists:
Rashid Al-kaabi (@rashid580) wrote in criticism of Gulf leaders:
Qatari lawyer Ahmad Alkhanji (@aalkhanji) has also criticized the Emirati authorities on this:
Active Saudi Twitter user (@SAUDI_LIBER) referred to the case of Rowda as an example of what Gulf rulers do:
Abdullah Al-Balasi (@3bdlla) draws a comparison between his country, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE:
An Emirati engineer called Tariq Alhammadi (@Tariq_Alhammadi) asked a logical question:
Emirati Sami (@bnt3bdallah) wrote to clarify and admit:
@bnt3bdallah: I don't believe that the UAE is at this level of oppression.. BUT I don't think its fair that we r n the dark about the 5 convicts.
Another Twitter user (@dankendonuts) from the UAE wrote in optimism:
Several Twitter users from the UAE with anonymous identities were bashing Rowda and the five detained activists too. This one for example, which uses the same conspiracy theory popular in the region now, which is to claim that anyone who opposes the regime is an Iranian:
This one, on the other hand, brought the common Emirati charge which puts any one from the opposition as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood group:

author: Mona Kareem


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China: United States Begins ‘Pacific Century’, Online Nationalism Follows · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Most of China's popular blog portal sites have sections for military news, often buried below panels for entertainment and love/relationship stories. Starting roughly in October with the quiet story that India continues to build up its presence along the border with China, posts on military topics seem to have grown in number and prominence on major blog hosting sites, reaching a peak this past week with reactions to United States (US) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US President Barack Obama's Pacific swing, which wrapped up in Indonesia on Saturday.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao insists that China is a good neighbor, but much of what's been written in many recent blog posts and comment threads sort of suggests otherwise.
Earlier on Wednesday, Obama's assertion while in Australia that he doesn't fear China became the headline in Chinese reports of his plans to expand US military presence there, and has had emotional comments voted to the top of comment threads on sites such as Tencent [zh], where readers are usually a mix of the liberal and cynical:
奥巴马说话太牛气中国现实需要一个年轻时期的诸葛亮
求求中国那些懦夫们不要在发言了，羞死国人！气死我了！！！！！！
为丧失国土而哭！为美债而怒！为汉奸论而怒火冲霄！
我愿为中华民族而拔刀。。。。。。。。。。
Obama didn't explicitly say this past week that his recent moves are aimed at checking Chinese power in Asia, but Chinese nationalist sentiment has taken them not just as confirmation of a larger strategy to encircle China, but also an expanded approach.
Australian writer and international affairs scholar Yang Hengjun wrote on that [zh] this week:
美国要对付中国，军事围堵当然少不了，而且他正好可以消化十年反恐中剩下的军力。这对于中国是很不妙的，我们过去20年经济大发展就得力于相对和平的国际环境，一旦北京决策者像年轻人一样头脑发热，要在军事上应战，像前苏联一样勒紧裤腰带、穷兵黩武，那么离苏联曾经走过的路就不远了。
在目前的国际环境与历史时期，我认为中美之间开战的可能不是没有，但战场是在经济领域。真正能够打得起来的战争其实是“经济战”，或者说“经济冷战”，军事部署只不过是美国人的大战略的一部分，决定胜负的是经济——是民众的生活水平能否提高，民众是否感到幸福，人心向背等等。其中最关键的因素是价值理念等“软实力”、“巧实力”的交锋。
At this point in history and in this international climate, I don't think that war between China and the US is impossible, but rather that it will be war in the economic sense. The true war that will be fought will be an economic war, or an ‘economic cold war’. Deploying troops is just one part of America's overall strategy. What will determine who wins or loses is the economy, whether people's standard of living is increasing, whether or not the public is satisfied, popular support, etc. The key confrontations will be over things like values and soft and smart power.
[…]
如果我没有说错，中美在经济领域的前哨战已经打响了。事实上，我们已经看到美国在经济上全面出击了。我们告别了“中国可以说不”的时代，迎来的却是“世界开始对中国说不”。
And from comments on Yang's blog post:
不知要到何时中国人成能真真站起来，做一个有尊严的人！！
我们要在软实力上战胜美国，先得战胜国人的心。
美国对中国是从希望到失望。国人只知道美国军舰进入太平洋，只知道希拉里去菲律宾，奥巴马进澳大利亚，美国大兵进驻澳洲，可就是不知道他们为什么来到这里，是谁把他们引到这里来的。
All of ASEAN, it seems, but the Philippines in particular, as it took aim at China during last week's summits in Indonesia.
“Since the US is serious about this,” reads the comment voted most popular (by a large margin) on a Tencent story on Hillary's recent commitment to provide military support to the Philippines if it's ever attacked, “then we'll meet them head on. We won't allow being put through another century of humiliation, even if it means killing Americans.”
Now bloggers are posting possible conflict triggers and resolution scenarios to mainstream blog portals, not just the regulars at the usual nationalistic niche online communities. On his Phoenix blog, Shi Weisong writes that as the number of disputed territories grows, China needs to start getting proactive in finding ways to prevent a crisis. Military presence needs to be strengthened, he writes, and military and economic means need to be used to rope in neighboring countries and keep them from leading the US on.
North Korea can keep keep South Korea distracted and be used as leverage against the United States and, similarly, movement toward reunification with Taiwan will take away America's advantage. As for the South China Sea, Shi writes, we need to find an opportunity to strike as well as an appropriate opponent, a role which suits the Philippines.
美国力量进入东亚地区是不可避免的，也是无法避免的。中国如何与美博弈，保障自身利益与战略空间，特别是周边国家借此翻江倒浪，将是中国无法躲避的问题。

author: John Kennedy


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Côte d’Ivoire: Pregnancy and Lifestyle · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Kingsuy blogging from Côte d'Ivoire writes in this post [fr]:  “Fad or symbol of unconsciousness of some mothers? Either way, it is difficult to figure why so many young pregnant women are still drinking so much while attending “maquis” (local eatery);  but many of them will still find a way to convince you that this is no big deal”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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D. R. Congo: The Stolen Future of the Pygmy People · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Marie wrote the following in a blog post to comment [fr] on the Greenpeace report: Stolen Future: Conflict and logging in the heart of Congo's forests – the Danzer case : “This action denounces both both an ecological and a human crime. It is time that nations take concrete  measures against logging companies that destroy tropical ecosystems and violate human rights. “


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Interview with Izumi Mihashi from GV Lingua Japanese · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Izumi Mihashi has been a profilic member of the Japanese Lingua team since early 2009 and currently splits editor duties with Hanako Tokita. With “Japan: a case of an exposed online pseudonym”, she published her first English post on Global Voices this September. Izumi tweets in English at @en_izumi.
In this interview, we learn about Izumi, her success in leading recruitment and team building at Lingua Japanese, its next steps, and thoughts on the Internet landscape in Japan.
Global Voices (GV): Please tell us about yourself!
Izumi Mihashi (IM): I recently quit my job of two years at a major electronic manufacturing company, which I had started after getting my master’s in mathematical engineering. I plan to go back to school next April to research the world of human perception.
Izumi Mihashi
GV: How did you get involved with GV?
IM: I graduated from university in September but had a bit of time until I started my job in April. I was working on a translation job for a book on mathematics, but was looking for another project. I saw an entry on the Uncategorizable Blog [a popular Japanese blog by GV contributor Taku Nakajima] that introduced Global Voices, and was attracted by its concept.
GV: What is your current role?
IM: I used to be in charge of the communication with new volunteers [Note: The Lingua Japanese team has a trial process to screen for quality.], but I’ve passed that role to someone else now.  I guess you could call me a cheerleader for our team now!
I have a lot of ideas for improving operations for the Lingua Japanese team, but haven’t had a lot of time to execute them. So that’s what I’m working on right now – implementing the improvements.
GV: Can you share some of your reform ideas?
IM: I have lots of ideas! They can be split into two categories: promotion and sharing tasks.
We’re not very good at promotion at the moment, and I think we’re missing out on readership even though the content is compelling. For example, it’s a bit difficult to tell on the Lingua sites that Global Voices is amplifying voices that are not picked up by traditional media… maybe it looks like a translation site for foreign media sources? I’m always thinking about how we can improve the presentation so that we can effectively communicate GV’s concept.
I also feel that the content can be a bit “distance” from our Japanese audience. In the Japanese blogosphere, there are a lot of articles concerning accessible topics that heavily feature the author’s opinion. GV is the opposite, in that the author is neutral and introduces many facets of the discussion. Also, many of the happenings covered in GV articles occur in a place that’s physically distant from Japan. I believe that Lingua translators can play a bigger role in bridging Global Voices and our Japanese audience.
Last but not least is how to split tasks within the team. We tweaked our messaging to bring the call for volunteers upfront and as a result, our team welcomed a sharp increase in numbers. Management becomes more complicated though, so the Japanese Lingua team is testing out new processes.
A recent meetup in Tokyo
GV: What do you enjoy most about GV?
IM: What makes me happiest is for the members of Lingua Japanese to enjoy translating articles! Recently, we started doing translation reviews on the internal mailing list. In the beginning, people were more interested in translating than reviewing, but now we have a good rhythm. Everyone can follow the communication between the translator and review on the mailing list, and I think people have started to enjoy this part of the work as well.
In September, I made my author debut on GV and look forward to exploring this road, too.
GV: Here’s a crazy question for you – if GV Lingua won the lottery, what would you do?
IM: Hmmm, actually I don’t think that the Lingua project and money really go well together. I’m especially against financial aspects having a place in the translation work itself.
It might be nice to have a bit of cash and have someone handle the administrative work such as responding to inquiries, tending to Facebook, starting a newsletter etc. but that’s not really an issue of money. I’m also interested in doing a comparison analysis of GV and other media to explore future opportunities for Lingua Japanese but this is also more a matter of time!
There’s something I’d love to do with the web in general, though.
Japan is an affluent country, at least in terms of materialistic wealth. Even if someone can’t afford Internet access at home, they can get it for free at the public library. The Internet can be a saving grace if you’re isolated in your school or workplace. On the other hand, it can be a dangerous place, with flame wars and personal information leakage.
I believe that we can change many lives by creating a safe place for people with lower Internet literacy skills to get together online. The system would need to be designed to preempt problems and have community managers that can intervene and facilitate. It’s a very complex problem to tackle but it would be fantastic if we could accomplish this!
Thank you, Izumi!

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: Clouds over Tokyo · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

@yoisin compiled [ja] a list of over 70 tweets with photographs that capture the ominous clouds that drifter over Tokyo today.


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Japan: Top 60 buzzwords this year · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Gakuranman explains (translation+context) to each of the words that made it into the annual list of top 60 Japanese buzzwords from the publisher Jiyu Kokuminsha.


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Kazakhstan: 2,2 percent of population have Facebook accounts · Global Voices
Ekaterina

Kazakh blogger sympaticus writes [ru] that the number of Facebook users from Kazsakhstan is now 340 660 people, making up the Facebook penetration in Kazakhstan to 2,2 percent. During the last 6 months, the number of the FB users has grown by 18,5 precent.

author: Ekaterina


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Liberia: Giving Free Press a Second Chance · Global Voices
Counselor Track

The judgment in the controversial media closure case in Liberia gave justice a rare opportunity to prevail. On November 7, 2011, the Liberian government shut down three media houses (Love FM/TV, Power FM/TV and Kings FM) for allegedly spreading hate messages likely to incite violence.The closure of the media houses was met with criticism from many Liberians.
The stations were forced off the air following a complaint filed by Justice Minister Christiana Tah and Information Minister Cletus Sieh.
However, Judge James Zota ordered the re-opening of the closed media outlets arguing that though the respondents action is being punishable under the law yet the court thought it befitting not to impose punishment against the respondents in an effort to guarantee press freedom in Liberia.
Giving a summary of the ruling on Liberia Elections 2011 Media Monitoring Group, Mohammed Ali wrote:
The Criminal Court A has just rule in the case putting the media institutions in the wrong on the basis of the pieces of evidence provided by Government. The Court said that the pieces of evidence provided by the government proved that the 3 media institutions were actually engaged in preaching hate messages. However, the Court has said that since this was a conference between the 3 Media Institutions and the government and not a trial, the media institutions should be reopened with the strongest warning that they will be closed permantly if they should ever repeat those hate messages again.
Reconciliation is the way forward: Two members of main politican parties in Liberia shaking hands. Photo courtesy of Photos of Liberia Elections 2011 Media Monitoring Group.
A commentary posted on African Election Project blog dismissed the “cowboy style” closure and kangaroo style “pardon”:
Perhaps it wouldbe more honourable to begin by first joining others to categorically decry, condemn and reject both the cowboy style closure of three local media entities and the rather bogus and kangaroo process that attended their “pardon”. It is shameful and troubling that Liberia, having endured a cataclysmic civil conflict due to political tyranny and elective justice, would be forced to down the dark paths.
Why did the government turn a blind eye to “a magazine without known editorial management” which “dropped from the sky”?:
A day or so before the November 7 inferno, a magazine without known editorial management dropped from the sky and distributed free of charge describing some Liberians as trouble mongers, charlatans and risky. The Government made no single shriek about it. It was patriotic Journalism. During the campaign and even today, the government's “dangling media” continue to demonize some parties and politicians. Those publications are neither “handate messages” nor ” anti-peace”…
A Molotov cocktail was thrown at Love FM in post-election violence. Photo courtesy of the Press Union of Liberia.
Vote4Africa an advocacy group summarized the case in the tweet below:
@vote4africa : #Liberia: 3 media outlets found guilty of inciting hatred, no penalty given:
R.S.W. Chea, a Liberian advocate, educator and clergyman chose to address the issue on Cafe L.I.B social network from its root while discussing Liberia three-fold problems facing Liberia: corruption, ignorance and illiteracy [Cafe L.I.B is a global networking platform for Liberians & friends of Liberia, which requires login]:
In  light of the current destruction of private and public properties, this  problem should be the concern of every Liberian beyond politics and  party lines.  In light of development, we are already way  underdeveloped, and how much more undeveloped can we get?  All these  burning down of media outlets, buildings and government vehicles are  only setting us back economically, socially, and psychologically.  This  is part of the reason we are where we are.  We have many issues in  Liberia and they all result for the absence of nationalism, but on top  of the list are three major problems, namely corruption, ignorance and  illiteracy.  However, I will only address ignorance and illiteracy very briefly and continue on the issue of our non-nationalistic attitude and behavior.  Note that the two (ignorance and illiteracy) are not synonymous, but distinct, yet they compliment each other.
@africareview summed up the case in a few, yet meaningful words:
Court gives # Liberia broadcasters second chance
@Leo_Johnson, a young and emerging Liberia progressive tweep said:
Media found guilty of spreading hate messages in Liberia
Even before the court ordered the re-opening of the media entities, Liberians in the Diaspora voiced out their views from different standpoints. Jerome Gayman of Fort Pierce, Florida, United States (US) wrote:
When I went to work that Tuesday morning the first thing my boss  asked was ‘What happened to the freedom of the press? What happened to  the human rights? “This time around I was leaning towards Ellen’s re-election because  she has done a lot of good stuffs in that country like the kind of  developments under her that we had not seen in our times. And I was  impressed under her administration on three issues that I had given her  very high marks on: freedom of the press, economic development and  women’s right. But I was shocked when I heard what happened that  Monday.
The protestors have the right to protest. That reminded  me of the April 14 Rice Riot and I couldn’t believe that could happen  under her. I mean of all people, how could that have happened under her?
Unlike Jerome, Moses Dolo of Tigard, Oregon, United States, clarified and chose a different path:
We regret the death of any Liberian, but the government has the responsibility to protect the majority of the Liberian people. Politicians and media should not incite our people to violence for their own selfish objective.
Kadiatu Henry, a Liberian lady residing in Pennsylvania, US, was far more elaborate:
In my mind, the government over-reacted. The police needed to be a  bit tolerant and even if provoked to shoot, should have only shot in the  air and not into the people especially after they had used tear gas. For the media houses closed down, it is difficult to maintain a  balance between freedom of the press and misuse of that freedom. While  it may have been wrong to shut them down, the government too may have  sensed much danger coming out of their frequent playing of those ugly  scenes over and over again, especially where election was slated for the  next day.
Trouble Sayeh of Columbus, Ohio, US, suggested that this could be a sign of more troubles ahead:
In my mind, those two actions of police brutal killing and clamp down on media only convinced me now that Ellen was only soft during first term to pat the Liberians. Now with a second term, she might show her worst since she will no longer need the Liberian people’s vote. “
“Honestly, I’m surprised but again not because she is just another African leader who is capable of any change at any time even if it means from better to evil. Let’s watch her second term. It could be a sign of more troubles.”

author: Counselor Track


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Nepal: First LGBT Movie  · Global Voices
Rezwan

XNepali reports that the first Lesbian movie from Nepal is in post production stage and will be released shortly.

author: Rezwan


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Pakistan: The Second Blog Awards · Global Voices
Rezwan

S.A.J. Shiraji  reports that nominations are closing on Monday (21 November 2011) morning for the second Annual Pakistan Blog Awards. The theme for 2011 is “Colors of Pakistan: Celebrating the New Media Spaces” and voting will run till November 25, 2011.


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Russia: Nationalist slogans get spread · Global Voices
Ekaterina

Fergananews writes [ru] on popularity of Russian nationalist slogans against immigrants from Central Asia amidst the looming parliamentary elections: “25 percent of high school students approve of nationalist actions of their classmates.”


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Sri Lanka, India: Biography of LTTE Leader Prabhakaran · Global Voices
Rezwan

D.B.S. Jeyaraj tweets about an upcoming 1000 page biography of Veluppillai Prabhakaran, leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The book is being written by Nedumaran, a well-known politician from Tamil Nadu in India and he is the leader of the Tamil National Movement, which is supportive of the LTTE.


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Tunisia: Execution of a Tunisian in Iraq Divides Netizens · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

In the early hours of November 16, 2011, Tunisian prisoner Yosri Trigui, aged 27, who was convicted of terrorism by the Iraqi authorities, was executed in Iraq. Trigui had entered the Iraqi territories when he was only 19 years old.
On May 20, 2006, he was arrested by United States (US) forces, and later on in that same year he was sentenced to death by a court in Baghdad for his alleged involvement in the bombing of one of  Shi'a's holiest sites al-Askari shrine, in the city of Samarra, and the killing of a journalist from Al-Arabiya channel, Atwar Bahjat. The bombing lit the flame for sectarian violence between the Sunnis and Shi'ites in Iraq.
In 2009, and due to lack of evidence, the death penalty was overturned, and Trigui was sentenced to 15 years in prison for entering ”the Iraqi territories illegally.” His family claims that, in February 2011, and in a phone call he told them that he had been sentenced – in absentia – to death, again.
His father wrote [ar], before the execution of his son on the Facebook page, ‘Tous pour que Yosri Trigui rentre chez lui, en tunisie’ (All united so that Yosri Trigui returns home to Tunisia) [fr]:
In July, 2011, Amnesty International appealed to the Iraqi authorities to commute the death penalty against Trigui, who ”was sentenced to death following a trial which appeared not to meet international standards for fair trials”, said the organization in a statement.
According to Amnesty, Trigui, was among 11 people convicted of terrorist acts, to be hanged on November 16.
The execution of Trigui divided Tunisian netizens. There are those who believe, that for his involvement in the killing of dozens of innocent people, he deserved the punishment he got.
@djerbafr tweets [fr]:
avant de pleurer l’exécution de #yossritriki ayez une petite pensée pour la famille des centaines de ses victimes!
Le supplice du Pal adds [fr]:
ce n'etait q'un terroriste… pourquoi s'indigner
Those who sympathized with Trigui's plight claim that his trial did not meet international standards, and that he might have been brainwashed to commit such atrocities.
Blogger Tarek Kahlaoui blamed the current interim government for not doing enough to save him [ar]:
Tarek Kahloui urged the Tunisian authorities to intervene in order to save the lives of other Tunisians sentenced to death in Iraq:
Tarek Cheniti notes [fr]:
Dégouté par l’annonce de l’exécution de Yosri Trigui en Irak. Stop à toute cette violence y’en a marre.
Page of the Iraqi Oil Ministry after being hacked. Photo of Yosri Trigui with a message from the hacker.
In protest against the execution, a Tunisian hacker known as GlaDiaT0R hacked a page of the website of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. ”We do not forget, we do not forgive, we are not anonymous, we are Tunisians. Expect us” was the message published by the hacker, in an imitation to the style of the international hacking group Anonymous.
Meanwhile, the writer of the blog Boukornine puts the blame [fr] on Yosri, his father, the Islamist leader Rached Ghannouchi, and the Tunisian elite:
J'accuse Yosri Triqui de naïveté, de bêtise, d'avoir été embobiné, endoctriné, manipulé (…)Je l'accuse… d'avoir faussement rassuré l'opinion publique(…)J'accuse l'élite tunisienne de ne pas guider cette jeunesse (…)J'accuse le père de Yosri Triqui de glorifier la mort bête et inutile de son enfant, de ne pas s'avouer qu'il a échoué dans son éducation, qu'il n'a pas été là pour le guider quand il a commencé à avoir ces idées macabres (…)Ton départ me torture, Yosri. Ton exécution me hante, je te regarde mais ne vois pas de terroriste.
The writer finishes the post with a message to all parents:
Expliquez à vos enfants que le plus intense et le plus glorieux des djihad est de réussir à l'école, de devenir un bon citoyen, de trouver un boulot, de fonder une famille et de vivre heureux

author: Afef Abrougui


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Ukraine: Netizens Appeal to Lithuanian President to Postpone Her Visit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainian netizens drafted an open letter to the Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, asking her to postpone her visit to Ukraine, currently scheduled for Nov. 22, the seventh anniversary of the 2004 protests known as the Orange Revolution, and explaining that a court's decision to ban citizens from gathering for commemorative events on Kyiv's Independence Square that day was partly due to Ms. Grybauskaitė's visit. The letter is posted [ru] on the Facebook Wall of Denis Oleinikov, a Ukrainian businessman now based in Croatia (more on his case here and here) – as of now, the post has 376 ‘likes,’ 219 comments, and 79 ‘shares'; the letter has also been re-posted [ru] on iPetitions (30 signatures so far); the appeal in English and Lithuanian is here.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Ukraine: Starbucks, Social Media Marketing, and “Language Issue” · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

Last month, a fake Starbucks Ukraine Facebook page caused a scandal on the Ukrainian Internet.  The administrators of the instantly popular page where Starbucks, an international coffee and coffeehouse chain, supposedly announced its upcoming entry into the Ukrainian market, later posted a note found offensive by many Ukrainian netizens.
A copy of the note is provided [ru] by Watcher.com.ua:
Dear fans of Starbucks Ukraine!
The page will be administrated in Russian only because the majority of our subscribers are Russian-speaking.
In no way do we mean to offend the Ukrainian-speaking fans of the brand or provoke a conflict. You may post on the wall in [any language], even in Swahili. Starbucks is an intrenational company – we understand all languages.
Have a nice day!
The page gathered hundreds of negative comments and appeals by angered Facebook users.
Here is one such appeal [en] by TV host Oleksandr Zinchenko:
Dear Sir/Madam,
My appeal is in regards to Ukrainian (I don't know if it is separate Office or combined with Russian) Office. The page of Starbucks Ukraine in Facebook ( [www.facebook.com] )posted all info in Russian language with justification that Ukrainian people all understand it and they don't need translation into official Ukrainian language. Also derogatory comment of that kind: you can write your complaints even on Swahili if don't want to use Russian- we don't care.
Other netizens were unhappy as well.
Twitter user @povnatorba wrote [uk]:
Ukrainophobes at Starbucks Ukraine http://povnatorba.com/ukrajinofoby-v-starbucks-ukraine/
Soon, the page was taken down by Facebook. Starbucks’ U.S. office confirmed that it was indeed a fake.
However, according to the analysis [uk] by Serhiy Pishkovtsiy of Blogoreader.org.ua [uk], it is not uncommon for Ukrainian as well as foreign brands in Ukraine to run their social media accounts in Russian. His chart illustrates [uk, ru, en] the situation:
Pishkovtsiy writes [uk]:
I understand that the selection of business may not be (or even surely is not) representative – the companies are of different business areas and scale.
However, it opens our eyes to the so-called “language issue”: only three companies Sony Ericsson, McDonald’s and Pepsi administrate their accounts exclusively in Ukrainian. Curiously, none of them has been established in Ukraine.
Pishkovtsiy concludes [uk] that Russophone social media marketing (SMM) accounts alone are unlikely to disturb the Ukrainian Internet audience. Unless, of course, the language in which they are maintained is aggressively paraded around.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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Ukraine: Tymoshenko Called “Unindicted Co-Conspirator” in Lazarenko Case · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana comments on a former Assistant U.S. Attorney calling ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the case of another Ukrainian ex-PM, Pavlo Lazarenko, who is currently serving a 9-year sentence at a U.S. federal prison: We [U.S.] jail your former PM [Lazarenko] = prosecution. You [Ukraine] jail your former PM [Tymoshenko] = persecution.”


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Africa: Open Doors 2012: Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Open Doors 2012 focuses on Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: “Following on from India in 2011, the next edition of Open Doors, the Festival del film Locarno’s co-production lab, will be devoted to francophone  Africa…Application forms for Open Doors 2012 are available on www.onopendoors.pardo.ch  and are restricted to projects from francophone Sub-saharan Africa”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Belarus: Petition to Halt Execution of Minsk Subway Blast Convicts · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Over 18,000 people have already signed the “Innocent until proven guilty! 15 days left to stop the Belarussian executions” petition, posted on The Petition Site, demanding to halt the Nov. 30 executions of two Belarusian men, Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou, who were found guilty of the April 11 explosion on the Minsk subway (GV's Apr. 12 texts are here and here).


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Chile: Citizens Fight to Save Valparaiso’s Emblematic Elevators · Global Voices
Katie Manning

In 1945, Eduardo Reyes, then 16, hopped aboard the Artillería funicular elevator, overlooking the rocky coast of Valparaíso, Chile. As a fresh  navy recruit, it was the first day of a life full of rumbling rides up  the metal rails that belong to an exclusive community of UNESCO World  Heritage Sites.
“I never considered the elevators as a tourist  attraction. In those days, I was just worried about getting back to the  barracks late,” said Reyes.
For Reyes and his neighbors, the elevators provide an essential  service, cheaply lifting and lowering residence during their morning and  evening commute, but now Valparaíso’s elevators are teetering on the  brink of extinction. The World Monuments Fund named  them one of the world’s 100 most endangered historical treasures.
About  130 years ago, there were 30 elevators. Now, only five are still  cranking, which is why residents are fighting to ensure that the local  government makes good on their promise to purchase and repair the  elevators.
Photo by Katie Manning
The wooden boxes, passing each other on parallel tracks, wear many  hats. Up to about a dozen passengers peer through the carts’ wraparound  glass goggles. Tourists snap up memories of Valparaíso's seemingly  perpendicular slopes, layered with crayon-box colored houses.
Over the  years, the elevators allowed workers to migrate upward and outward and  grow the city beyond the shore.
Reyes, now 82, stayed put after his service, working as a professor  at the University of Chile in Valparaíso and a scientific journalist. He clips newspaper articles about repair plans and recognitions that the  elevators won over the years.
He said, “They are in our heart and in  our spirit. Having them is necessary. It contributed to the the history  of our city and how it developed.”
Many Porteños, or Valparaíso residents, live in the less-pricey  hilltop perches and work down on the shore. They shell out only 100 to  300 Chilean pesos a ride (25 to 50 U.S. cents). But the elevator's cheap  price doesn't turn enough coins for their upkeep.
Consequently, 10 remain out of service leaving Porteños searching  for alternate transportation.  Reyes explained that many can't afford to  take a taxi. The roads often cut off suddenly, which means a  sweaty-uphill climb between bus routes. This makes for a long commute  and poses an obstacle for the elderly.
Reyes said, “Valparaíso is poor.  It's not like the beach resort towns next door. And it's not just the  practicality, the elevators are also a point of pride for our  community.”
UNESCO sites the antique elevators in the first paragraph of it's explanation  of why Valparaíso made the list of World Heritage cities. It reads:
The  colonial city of Valparaíso presents an excellent example of late  19th-century urban and architectural development in Latin America… The  city has well preserved its interesting early industrial  infrastructures, such as the numerous ‘elevators’ on the steep  hillsides.
The “Elevator Users” (Los Usarios de Los Ancensores) disagreed  that the elevators are “well preserved.” Hermann  Cabezòn, 41, leads the  group because their rusty state burdens residents and falsely advertises  one of the cities premier attractions, he said.
“They're an important emblem of what it means to be from  Valaparaiso. We deserve the elevators, and they deserve to be  maintained,” according to Cabezòn.
The group said their  social media and picketing campaign encouraged  the Supreme Court's 2009 mandate that the government purchase the rest of the elevators from  private owners. In January this year, Chile’s President Sebastián  Piñera officially announced the government's purchase, recovery and  repair 10 elevators: Florida, Cordillera, Larrain, Mariposa, Monja,  Villaseca, Santo Domingo, Artillería, Concepción and Espíritu Santo.  According to the city's regional governor (el Intendente) Raúl Celis,  they've set aside 2.4 billion Chilean pesos, or U.S. $4.8 million to  buy them. This month marked the tentative deadline for the purchase.
“We hope that in the shortest possible time – we believe that by the  end of this month or early December – we'll be able to make the legal  transfer of the elevators and sign the deed,” according to Celis.
Photo by Katie Manning
Reyes said he's not convinced the deal will go through considering  how much time has passed since the court's decision. He laid down a  photocopy of a local newspaper from 2006 onto a coffee-house table in  central Valparaíso. The paper mentioned a proposal to buy the elevators  four years ago.
Reyes now writes for online citizen-journalism site, El Martutino [es],  to spur the municipality to keep their promise. He faulted authorities  for lagging past the deadline of the Barron elevator's repairs. He wrote,
¿Dónde y cómo se fija un valor patrimonial?
Reyes and other citizen journalists at El Martutino [es] are bringing attention to the struggle to save Valparaiso's elevators.
The Elevator Users, under @ValpoAncensores, tweeted [es] a photo to their nearly 500 followers showing evidence of the  municipality's as yet unfulfilled pledge to patch up Barron.
REALIDAD DE ASCENSOR BARON,VALPARAISO,CHILE pic.twitter.com/onDKI3KW
Alongside  the Twitter account, they organized a Facebook page [es] with 3,540 followers.
While the Elevator Users focus on the practical use for residents,  Reyes also mentioned that the elevators attract crucial tourism dollars.
One  rider from Toulouse, France, 69-year-old Michel Aymeric bobbled down  the Concepción elevator while on day fifteen of a 20-percent wine  business and 80-percent pleasure trip. He skirted out of the capital to  drink in Valparaíso’s coastal view and “find a nice girl.” He said, “In  Valparaíso, you have both the soul and something that’s joyful.”
His desire for a convenient route to a “touristy” café convinced him  to step onto the oldest of the elevators. He mimicked the rumbling of  the elevator with roughed-up noises from back of his throat. It was  “fantastic and original. We French people like old things, so we like  that. It's a pity that they haven't fixed the rest.”
Tourists stare at the view and Citizens worry about their commute,  but the elevators’ 130-year-old story seems to enchant all. The Elevator  Users Facebook group debates [es] whether changing out the cars – rather then repairing the battered  originals – would injure their monumental status.  Reyes’  expressions  grew more colorful as he rattled off century-old facts from their  transport role in Valparaíso's seaport history that, he said, makes them  unique and demands preservation.
Cabezòn said,
For now, this  historical image of our city is a lie. It is a false emblem until the  government fixes our main means of transportation, which everyone comes  to see, but not enough can ride.

author: Katie Manning


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Chile: Domestic Workers Protest Demanding Dignity at Work · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Domestic workers protested demanding dignity at work on Sunday, November 20, in Santiago. The blog Centros Chilenos en el Exterior [es] posted a video of the march produced by Prensa Opal [es].

author: Silvia Viñas


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China: Nude Protest · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chinese netizens post their nude pictures on the internet after Beijing police started investigating dissident-artist Ai Weiwei for spreading pornography online. (Via Shanghaiist)

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: Ladies Detained Again  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Ladies in White were once again attacked this weekend as they tried to attend Mass, babalu reports; two of the group's members are allegedly “still being held in a Castro prison.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Overseas Voting  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The attention with which the Spanish community on the Island follows the Spanish electoral process is surprising,” says Generation Y, suggesting that “among voters here there is a clear intention to push the policies of Madrid’s Moncloa Palace so that, in turn, something will move in the Plaza of the Revolution.”


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Egypt: Battle for Tahrir Continues for Third Day  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
The battle for Tahrir continues to rage for the third day today. Protesters who camped at Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the Egyptian revolution in downtown Cairo, have been clashing with police in a bid to reclaim the square, and continue demonstrating to press for achieving the demands of the revolution.
Among the chief demands is calling for a civil government, to take the place of the Supreme Council for Armed Forces, the military establishment which has installed itself as the defacto ruler of Egypt after former President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February.
Reports say that up to 20 people have been killed over the past three days. The unrest and clashes with police have also moved outside Cairo to the different provinces, where the people are raising demands, which echo those being made in Tahrir. Hundreds of people have also been injured, and activists in particular, are said to be targeted, amidst fears that the legislative elections which begin on November 28, could be disrupted if the clashes continue.
The mood amongst supporters of the revolution is tense. Journalist and activist Nora Younis just tweeted:
@NoraYounis: Dropped my son at nursery. Heading to #tahrir . Will not stand injustice anymore. Death has never been that close to me
And minutes later she tweets:
@NoraYounis: 2 standing in frontline Mohamed Mahmoud St fell with birdshots and taken to field hospital #tahrir #martyrstreet http://pic.twitter.com/GhL6KkWK
Nora Younis posts this picture of protesters being carried to the clinic after being hit with birdshot
Field hospitals at the square are packed, with continuous calls on social networks for drugs and volunteers to provide emergency care for those injured in the clashes.
Mohamed Abdelfattah, on Twitter, was at one of the field hospital at Tahrir minutes ago and shares these observations.
@mfatta7: Tahrir field clinic now
http://twitpic.com/7hai0r
A scene from one of the field hospitals at Tahrir Square. Photograph by Mohamed Abdelfattah uploaded on Twitter minutes ago
@mfatta7: The injured keep arrived at tahrir field hospital after we heard barrage of tear gas http://twitpic.com/7hajec
More victims brought to the field hospital. Picture by Mohamed Abdelfattah
@mfatta7: Clouds of tear gas http://t.co/kULwr9A1
Clouds of tear gas rise at Tahrir as police contonue their assault. Photograph by Mohamed Abdelfattah
And he adds:
@mfatta7: Casualties keep coming. Reports of live ammo
Also on Twitter, Occupy Tahrir posts a photograph of a doctor weeping. He writes:
@Occupy_Tahrir: This picture is taken of a doctor at #TahrirHospital as he weeps for life he couldn't save. #Tahrir #NoSCAF #Occupy http://t.co/JFbjkQyt
Occpy Tahrir shares this photograph of a weeping doctor at one of the field hospitals set up to treat the injured
This video, uploaded on YouTube, by Egyptian daily Al Masry Al Youm, shows the security forces and army at work – beating up protesters with no mercy:
And activist Ramy Raoof also shares a video from live streaming service Bambuser showing police targeting demonstrators, in their upper bodies, not not their feet or the ground, to disperse them. He tweets:
@RamyRaoof: in this video from 0:38 – 0:47 you will see police officers targeting demonstrators in their upper body http://bambuser.com/v/2140945 #Egypt #Tahrir
The events at Tahrir are fast-paced and netizens on the scene are active keeping people around the world updated with developments as they happen.
Stay tuned for more reports from Egypt as the developments continue.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Revolutionaries Shrug at Cabinet Resignation  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
The Cabinet of Dr Essam Sharaf has just asked if it could resign and the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF) is yet to decide whether it would accept their resignation or not. For activists and protesters battling police and the army for the third day in and around Tahrir Square, the news does not bring anything new to the table. Their main demand is for SCAF to leave power and hand over authority to a civil government.
In February, SCAF took over after Hosni Mubarak was ousted after Egyptians demonstrated for 18 days. Since then, Egyptians complain that the new military rulers have worked against the revolution and its goals. Chief among the protesters’ cries is the resignation of Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, SCAF's commander-in-chief.
Mona Eltahawy tweeted earlier today:
@monaeltahawy: During #Jan25, army watched as police shot protesters. Now army shooting alongside police. Clear whose side #SCAF is on #Tahrir
This sentiment is clear from the way Tahrir received news of the Cabinet's pending resignation. Mohammed Effat tweets from Tahrir:
@3effat: someone just spread the news of the Cabinet's resignation, people didn't even pay attention to him #Tahrir
and adds:
@3effat: protester said: “its Tantawy and SCAF the problem not the fuckin cabinet” #Tahrir
Over the past few minutes, conflicting news continued to flow on both news and social media outlets.
UAE commentator Sultan Al Qassemi tweets that SCAF has just accepted the cabinet's resignation:
@sultanalqassemi: Breaking Al Jazeera: SCAF accepts Egyptian government resignation
Soon, journalist Hind Hassan reports:
@hindhassan: So Egyptian State TV says cabinet resignation has NOT been accepted by #SCAF despite earlier reports to the contrary. #EGYPT
On Twitter, netizens react to the news.
Journalist Blake Hounshell reminds us:
@blakehounshell: The cowardly and toothless Egyptian cabinet has offered to resign: last time this happened they stayed in their posts.
The ploy is not lost on Mohamed El Dahshan. He writes [ar]:
Political commentator Shadi Hamid wonders whether the parliamentary elections, slated to begin on November 28, will be effected. He notes:
@shadihamid: Hope this chain doesn't happen, but it might: PM resigns, new govt appointed, elections delayed. #Egypt
The Arabist adds:
@arabist: The resignation of Egypt's cabinet can only quell unrest if the one that replaces it has credibility.
And Egyptian Amira Salah-Ahmed concludes:
@Amiralx: If resignation is rejected and ministers go back to work then they're weak and complicit in violence. Pack ur shit and get out of office!
Meanwhile, the action continues in downtown Cairo, around Tahrir – as well as in other provinces across Egypt.
Jon Jensen just reports:
@jonjensen: Police firing heavily at crowd on Mohamed Mahmoud. Can hear the shotguns pellets ricocheting off buildings and barricades. #Egypt #Tahrir
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.


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Egypt: The Revolution is Back! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Up to 100,000 people are said to be in Tahrir Square now, as police and the army continue to battle with protesters calling for an end to Egypt's military rule. Protesters have had running battles with the armed gunmen working serving the Egyptian government since Friday and are now adamant to stay in the square until their demands are met. So far, reports say that 35 people have died in the clashes.
Among the chief demands is calling for a civil government, to take the place of the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF), the military establishment which has installed itself as the defacto ruler of Egypt after former President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February.
NBC's reporter Richard Engel tweets:
@richardengelnbc: #egypt. Perhaps 100 k now in #Tahrir. Big tents going back up
Emirati commentator uploads pictures from Al Jazeera Mubasher showing the crowds:
@SultanAlQassemi: Tahrir square now – time in Cairo 10:40pm on Monday
The scene at Tahrir. Picture by Sultan Al Qassemi from Al Jazeera Mubasher
And Jack Shenker adds:
@hackneylad:
Tantawi effigy hangs from a #Tahrir lampost, same one that held up a Mubarak effigy in January: pic.twitter.com/h7zjZu9s
Tantawi's effigy hanging from a lamp post in Tahrir. Picture by Jack Shenker.
Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi is SCAF's commander-in-chief and demonstrators have been calling for his resignation for months.
Marian chants:
@Maroo84: Home! :) Egyptians are amazing! High spirit in the square! WE WON'T SURRENDER! WE WON'T RETREAT :) #tahrir Down with SCAF
But trouble is lurking around the corner, be it from the use of excessive teargas, birdshot or even live ammunition.
Yasmine G shares a photograph of bullets, one made in the US and the other Italy, used against protesters.
@_YasmineG_: Made in Italy and Made in USA these are a kind of bullet that releases a lot of smaller ones #Tahrir #nov19 yfrog.com/nu6gngnj
Bullets made in the US and Italy used to kill Egyptian protesters. Photo by Yasmine G
Bel Trew admits:
@Beltrew: We're checking for snipers using night vision cameras #tahrir
Jonathan Rashad tells us:
@JonathanRashad: Intensive live ammo being used against us now in Mohamed Mahmoud street. The battle has been going on for 57 hours. Casualties are so high.
And Josh Shahryar shares this telling image with us:
@JShahryar: How bad has gunfire been at Tahrir? This image explains it quite well: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/374922_310620258948089_279164165427032_1277693_48204579_n.jpg #Egypt via @Elazul
Picture shared on Twitter by @Elazul showing the extent of the gunfire in Tahrir
Meanwhile, activist Mona Seif visited the morgue where many of the martyrs killed in the police attacks on protesters are kept. She reports:
@Monasosh: All martyrs here at the morgue were murdered by live ammunition,except 2 suffocation from tear gas, & one shattered skull #Tahrir #Mashra7a
adding that there were 23 bodies there [ar]:
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.


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El Salvador: Calle 13 Performs for Rice and Beans · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Puerto Rican music duo Calle 13 performed in El Salvador on Saturday, November 19; the ticket fee, as Voices from El Salvador reports, “was a donation of rice, beans or other grains that will be distributed to flood victims.” Hunnapuh [es] blogged about Calle 13 and the controversy around their concert in El Salvador.


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Georgia: Photoblogger Reports on Presidential Elections in South Ossetia · Global Voices
Ekaterina

Russian photoblogger Mitya Aleshkovskiy publishes [ru] pictures taken during the South Ossetia presidential election that took place on 13 November 2011. He writes on his impressions after visiting the region and points out: “There will be a new president here, but the regime will stay the same.”


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Iran: Ahmadinejad’s top adviser under pressure · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian judiciary officials raided, government's official newspapers’ building and tired to arrest Ali Akbar Javanfekr,top aide to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Monday.Here is a film showing this attack in You Tube.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Emergency Experience  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Chronicles from a Caribbean Cubicle suggests that Trinidad and Tobago could learn a thing or two from Jamaica when it comes to getting into emergency mode.


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Japan: A Blogger’s Top 5 WWII Literary Works · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

The Reading Life blog share their experience in exploring Japanese WWII literature, for people who want to go beyond Haruki Murakami and read more Japanese literary work.


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Kenya: Africa’s Story of Mobile Conquest  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Africa’s story of mobile conquest & why utility beats ‘coolness’: “Why was MPESA [mobile-phone based money transfer service] such a success? Simply put – it was a necessity. Pre-MPESA (sounds like when someone asks ‘how did we ever survive without Google?’), people still had to do all the things that MPESA has enabled them to do.”


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Madagascar: Population Grows Tired of Power Outage  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

For the past week, Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar, has experienced scheduled daily  power outages [fr]  that lasted on average 2h and 30 minutes in the evening and it seems that it could get worse [fr].  Several bloggers have expressed [fr] increased frustration [mg] with the ongoing situation that was also reflected on many twitter updates.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Malawi: The President Talks Better in English Than Chichewa  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gregory Gondwe argues the Malawian president talk better in English than Chichewa, a Bantu language widely spoken in Malawi: “Whether it is a piece of fortune or a curse it is not for me to say. I believe there is evidence that two of our three Executive Heads that have presided over the country had experienced or experience problems to communicate in proper vernacular Chichewa.”


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Morocco: Online Debates Rage Days Ahead of Parliamentary Elections  · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
Morocco will hold parliamentary elections on Friday, November 25, 2011. The poll is the first since a referendum, in July 2011, led to the adoption of a series of constitutional amendments introduced by the King and intended, officially, at reducing his prerogatives in favor of a democratically elected legislature and government.
Voters will elect members of the Lower House of the Moroccan parliament, or Assembly of Representatives, for a term of five years. The elections do not involve the Upper Consultative House, or Assembly of Councillors, which is elected indirectly in a separate process by trade unions and local councils.
The new Constitution provides that the king chooses the future prime minister, among the party that comes out first in the poll. The government is then to be constituted according to a parliamentary majority.
The Lower House is elected through a closed party-list proportional representation system. This means that people will vote for party lists rather than individual candidates. According to official figures, 13 million Moroccans have registered to vote.
The electoral campaign was officially launched on November 12 and runs through November 24, the night before the election.
Some attribute the constitutional changes introduced by the king and the speed with which the reforms were carried out, to the pressure brought to bear by the February 20 movement, which has been leading street protests for the last nine months. Others, on the other hand, think the movement has lost its momentum and its appeal with the public ever since the referendum in July.
Actively calling for boycott during an electoral campaign is considered illegal in Morocco. Several activists distributing leaflets containing inscriptions such as “I will boycott. How about you?” were briefly detained in cities like Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier.
The February 20 Coordinations (the name that designates the local committees of the movement) in Casablanca and Rabat and other major cities issued a statement calling for the boycott of the upcoming poll. On Sunday, thousands of protesters answered the call by marching across the country.
Online debate
Moroccan netizens are using the internet extensively to discuss the issues raised by the upcoming legislative elections. Part of the discussion is revolving around the electoral programs of the competing parties, the question of whether to boycott or participate in the poll and the role played by the pro-democracy youth movement, February 20. The debate has been raging across social networks and blogs, and it is not uncommon to see discussions taking a confrontational turn.
Khalid Zriouli calls for a more reasoned debate. He writes [ar]:
Among the 395 seats of the upcoming Chamber, 60 are reserved for a national list of women.
Houda says she will vote. She doubts the measures taken to increase female representation in parliament can work if women do not vote on Friday. She has this to say to fellow Moroccan eligible female voters [fr]:
On nous leurre avec une égalité de surface et une parité chimérique. On nous promet constitutionnellement un droit qui n’a plus besoin d’être argumenté […]
Votez citoyennes, les citoyens  qui comptent vous gouverner, ont maintenant la conscience tranquille.
The 2011 United Nations Development Program's Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Morocco at the 130th place, below many comparable Arab countries. Visiting Norway, the country that topped the UNDP ranking, Ayman could not help but make the comparison. He says he will vote but deplores the incumbent government's record. He writes [fr]:
La Norvège m’a fait pâlir de jalousie à un point où je suis devenu allergique aux déclarations ridicules d’un gouvernement qui nous a fait perdre 4 place en 4 ans et qui continue de nous faire rougir de honte par les programmes électoraux flous de ses ministres qui ont mis maintenant la casquette de leurs partis périmés.
Many citizen-driven initiatives have emerged during this election period, among them Wlad Cha'ab (Children of the People), a podcast platform co-founded by Khaled Abjik and which offers the opportunity for participants to share their arguments for or against participating in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
The following video [ar] is the first in a series. Some participants are calling for the boycott, others say they will vote to change the political establishment. Others parody political parties’ electoral campaigns.
And there is no shortage of creativity between opponents and proponents of the vote who have been waging a tit-for-tat battle on social networks.
On YouTube, pro-vote and pro-boycott videos are being uploaded. The following video was posted by the3doors. It asks viewers to participate in the poll “because one voice is not enough”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b6g9T2Q3FU&feature=channel_video_title
In the following video, posted by DIRIKTEtv, and shot during a pro-boycott demonstration, interviewees express various reasons why they will not turn out on Friday, among which endemic corruption and the lack of trust in the political class.
Citizen watch
The upcoming elections will be monitored by local as well as accredited foreign observers. Some citizens, however, have decided to take matters into their own hands. Marsad.ma is a platform launched by the Moroccan Human Rights Organization (OMDH) allowing citizens to monitor the election and report on incidents or irregularities occurring during the poll using various tools such as Twitter or SMS text messaging. The website draws from the experience of the renowned Ushahidi platform.
Riad Zany interviews one of Marsad's team members:
“This year, given the changes occurring across the region and the importance of the internet as a citizenship tool, we decided to explore digital technology and new media,” said Mounir Bensalah, an observer and member of the Marsad team.
Campaign 2.0
Political parties are also trying to take advantage of the widespread use of social media by young people. Many parties and political leaders have launched their own Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. But they are late in the game according to Marouane Harmach who writes [fr]:
La forte pénétration des médias sociaux parmi les jeunes (merci le printemps arabe), a poussé les organisations demanderesse d’audience large : les entreprises, les organisations associatives, les partis politiques et …. les politiciens à utiliser ces canaux dans leur communication à l’adresse des militants et du large public.
Au Maroc, les politiciens et les organisations politiques ont compris – un peu tardivement – l’intérêt des médias sociaux et ont commencé à l’investir de manière très souvent gauche et maladroite.
La raison de cette « gaucherie » est la déconnexion des politiciens des attentes et des pratiques des catégories les plus « connectées ».
The high penetration of social media among young people (thank you Arab Spring), pushed organizations seeking a larger audience (businesses, NGOs, political parties and …. politicians) to use these channels to communicate with activists and the general public.
In Morocco, politicians and political organizations have realized -belatedly- the value of social media and started to invest in it in an often clumsy way.
The reason for this clumsiness is the disconnection of politicians vis-à-vis the expectations and practices of the mostly “connected” youth.
Internet, a space for public debate
Parliamentary elections are creating a passionate debate in Morocco, especially among young people. An increasingly important part of that public debate is occurring on the Internet.
It is not yet clear what role the Internet is having in real politics in Morocco, but one thing is certain: political organizations as well as activists are beginning to rely more and more on social media. The Arab revolutions may have played some part in this evolution.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Nigeria : Homes made of Plastic Bottles · Global Voices
Boukary Konaté

In the village of Yelwa — North of Nigeria — a new style of construction intrigued the curiosity of the locals. Noorinfo publishes photos of rounded huts [fr] built with plastic bottles. These new constructions look like a potential alternative to  the old-fashioned bricks.

author: Boukary Konaté


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Peru: Iquitos Against the Chaos Caused by Sewage Works · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The beautiful and warm city of Iquitos, in the Loreto region, is going through several problems; the most worrying and annoying for the inhabitants is the chaos caused by controversial sewage works. There is not only [es] traffic chaos, lack of water and noise pollution from the heavy machines, but also dust and piles of dirt invading roads and homes everywhere.
YouTube user jhonerickrm posted a video [es] which he says is, “a sarcastic view of the reality of the city of Iquitos and the profit of our local government representatives, allied with a Chinese company … Loreto Apocalypse!”:
In June 2010, the Regional Government of Loreto signed [es] a contract with China International Water & Electric Corp. – Peru, in order to accomplish the construction work of the full sewerage system of Iquitos, an investment of about 500 million Peruvian Nuevo Soles (approximately 190 million US dollars). This contract was questioned [es] almost immediately for reasons [es] such as overvaluation, technical and range failures, financing and others.
Although company representatives exposed [es] the technical qualities and benefits of the project, the civil society of Iquitos was not convinced. Soon came some problems [es] with the construction sector and others [es] with the administration and supervision of the work. However, the real problems for the population started when the Chinese company subcontractors stopped [es] working because of many irregularities in the execution of the works, and also because of the many abuses committed against these contractors, as they declared. This caused the work to stop for several days, affecting traffic as well as the public and private ornament of the city.
Soon things got worst with people who live near [es] the Terminal zone threatening to take the company’s machines, demanding the streets were repaired; residents of Távara street [es] along with Lieutenant Pinglo forming a committee in order to protest; accusations [es] of responsibility for the waterlogging that happens with surges of heavy rain; meetings and strikes [es] in protest against the broken and not properly closed streets; mototaxi drivers asking [es] the Chinese company to get the roads in good condition; residents [es] of San Antonio street demanding the company’s compliance with the percentage of jobs promised; and more complaints [es] from the residents of Nauta, Pevas Condamine Loreto and Raimondi streets, etc.
With such a background, the Amazon Collective [es] has decided to issue a civic statement directed to the Regional Government and Provincial Municipality of Maynas, requiring the compliance of several agreements.
This statement can be fully read [es] in the blog En la Calle by Fernando Montalván Tuesta; also in the blog A viva voz, José Manuyama includes a list [es] of supporters. Another blogger, Ramiro Celis, writes [es] about these works, considering it “a case of political corruption” and also adding that “despite the complaints from the residents and the community, no authority says: ENOUGH!”
Es lamentable que una ciudad que se promociona como  “turística” no tenga pistas adecuadas para el tránsito vehicular y menos  autoridades preocupadas por el tema. Desde que los chinos llegaron a  Iquitos luego de ganar un concurso público manoseado, se afincaron en un  lujoso hotel, compraron (o alquilaron) camionetas 4 x 4 y contrataron  al personal necesario para romper inmisericordemente las pistas con el  aval de una autoridad regional preocupada más por su cargo en la  Federación Peruana de Fútbol que en el Gobierno Regional de Loreto.
More than a year ago, Yosef’s blog republished [es] an article by Fernando Nájar, which exposed several dubious aspects of the financial part of the contract for the sewage works:
El Presidente de la Región Loreto, sin consultar a nadie,  arbitrariamente y subestimando a todos los loretanos, implicó hasta el  2023 los fondos de 51 municipalidades loretanas, de la  Universidad  Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana y del Instituto de Investigación de la  Amazonía Peruana ¿Qué tiene que ver la UNAP y el IIAP en obras de  canalización que competen a las municipalidades en cualquier parte del  mundo. ¿Por qué los flacos fondos de las provincias y distritos del  interior  de la Región tienen que financiaruna obra que solo beneficiará  a Iquitos y en parte a los distritos de San Juan, Belén y Punchana.
As anthropologist Albert Chirif poses [es]: “At this point, discussions about the sewage are no longer fitting. The company must respect the citizens and we must demand that from the authorities.” Working in this direction, The Amazon Collective [es] is promoting its Civic Statement and this Saturday, November 12, a meeting was scheduled to give information and get signatures in support of the cause. There’s also a group on Facebook: “Let’s talk about Iquitos sewerage. Your opinion. Is everything.”[es]

author: Juan Arellano


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Peru: Rain Causes Flooding in Iquitos · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Rains have once again caused flooding in the city of Iquitos in the Amazon Rainforest. The blogger behind De la Selva [es] attributes the flooding to sewage works and posts Facebook pictures of the flood.


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Russia and Tajikistan: Pilots Sentenced and Migrants Deported · Global Voices
Ekaterina

This story began in March 2011, when the crews of two Antonov An-72 planes owned by the airliner Rolkan Investmens [sic] Ltd were arrested in Qurghonteppa, Tajikistan. The planes had arrived from Kabul, Afghanistan. Both planes and their crews were inspected without incident by the customs and border services of Tajikistan. However, later all eight members of the crews were detained by representatives of the republic's Committee on National Security and placed under arrest.
One month later, the captains of the aircraft were indicted and the remaining members of the crews were released. The trial of the pilots began in mid-October, 2011.
Sentencing the Russian pilots
On November 8, 2011, both pilots, Vladimir Sadovnichy (a Russian) and Aleksei Rudenko (a citizen of Estonia) were found guilty of smuggling contraband airplane parts, violating the norms of international air travel, and illegally crossing the border. The court sentenced them each to 10.5 years in a maximum security facility. The sentence was reduced to 8.5 years for each pilot on the basis of a law on amnesties for those convicted. Both Antonov An-72s and a jet engine were confiscated for government use.
According to [ru] a representative of Rolkan Invesmens Ltd, Viktor Pfefer, “a half disassembled engine, which was located amongst the pilots’ belongings and was declared [by Tajikistan] to be contraband, could be considered such if it was unloaded on the territory of Tajikistan, but it was not”.
Tajiks: Russia's new enemies?
The reaction from Russia's side was immediately forthcoming. After the Ministry of Internal Affairs failed to solve the problem through unofficial channels, the authorities decided to change tactics. As the website of [the pro-Kremlin Youth Group] “Molodaya Gvardiya” reports [ru], on  November 12, activists from the group picketed the embassy and consulate of Tajikstan in Moscow.
Picketing by the movement "Molodaya Gvardiya" at the embassy of Tajikistan in Moscow. The sign reads "Don't bite the hand that feeds you". Photo taken from the movement's website.
Moreover, two days after the guilty verdict, representatives of the Federal Migration Service announced [ru] the arrests of 300 illegal Tajiks whom they planned to deport. However President Dmitri Medvedev refuted claims that a “revenge campaign” was being carried out, stating [ru] that “citizens who break the law must be deported from the country”. Many raised the question of why this hadn't been done earlier. After all, it's not as if illegal immigrants only became a problem yesterday.
Whats more, the Russian authorities justified the deportation of the Tajiks by declaring [ru] the common incidence of Tuberculosis and HIV in migrants from Tajikistan. In total 300 Tajiks were detained in Moscow over the course of three days. The Internet community  discussed the massive campaign against immigrants from Tajikistan. Internet users let touches of xenophobia slip in their commentary, such as proposals to introduce a visa regime with Tajikistan, or to indiscriminately deport all Tajiks. All the same, there was criticism [ru] directed at Russia.
наблюдатель
Какая “молодчина” Россия – выгораживает своих. Но, когда так же поступили в Узбекистане в Корепановым, в США с Бутом – душонки не хватило их защищать? […] Стало очевидно: Москва боится сильных стран, и предпочитает не замечать проблему.
Rahmon
Россия ведет себя как истеричная женщина. То все ок, то все из рук вон плохо. Эти горе пилоты сидели шесть месяцев, никого это не волновало, и вдруг такая шумиха.
Nablyudatel’
Good on you Russia, for looking after your own. But when the same thing happened in Uzbekistan with [Yuri] Korepanov or in the US with [Viktor] Bout did you lack the spirit to defend them?[…] It's become obvious: Moscow fears powerful countries and prefers not to draw attention to the problem.
Rahmon
Russia is behaving like a hysterical woman. One second everything is fine and the next everything is hellishly bad. These poor pilots were in prison for six months and no one carred, but now suddenly there's all this commotion
Some bloggers say Russia is using the same problem-solving methods it once used with Georgia or with Ukraine during the Yushchenko period: firstly the indignity of “the blatant disregard for international norms” and then the undertaking of “disproportionate” measures.
There is a connection to be found in these events with the upcoming elections. The editor of Ferghana, Daniil Kislov commented on the action of the action on his personal blog on radio station Ekho Moskvy's site [ru]:
Еще отвратительнее то, что отчеты о массовой депортации подозрительно смахивают на заигрывание с ксенофобски настроенной публикой в рамках начавшейся предвыборной кампании.
Inter-user Dilshod went even further in his observations and wrote that he wouldn't be surprised if “Rahmonid [President of Tajikistan Emomalii Rahmon] turned out to be the co-director of this farce, entitled “Saving Private Sadovnichy”.
Economic analyst Boris Grozovsky doesn't agree that the deportations of Tajiks are somehow connected with the pre-election campaign, but reckons [ru] that the Russian authorities have used one of the most amoral means of responding to Tajikistan's actions, despite the existence in world politics of “a wide arsenal of responding to stupid actions undertaken by another state”.
Hidden motives
There are at least two other supposed reasons for the scandal around the pilots and the deportation of the Tajiks. According to the first version, proposed by the analyst Innokent Adyasov, by sentencing the pilots Tajikistan is attempting to “make Russia reconsider its position on the construction of the Rogun Dam, a pet project of Emomalii Rahmon”.
According to the second version, published in Izvestiya [ru], “the pilots became the hostages of ‘international raiders’ and shady deals, which the owners of the airline used for tax evasion”.
As things stand, the real reasons behind the scandal can only be guessed at by most of society. However, the uproar around the “pilots’ affair” has played into the hands of these same pilots: on November 16, a press release [ru] was issued in which the procurator of Tajikistan's Khatlon Province criticised the sentence handed down to the pilots, calling it disproportionately severe. And once again there appeared signs of interference from forces within: firstly the state prosecutor asked the court to increase the sentence to 13 years and then the procurator adopted the position of his coworker.
It is still not yet clear how this story will end. Never-the-less, one would like to hope that it will not end up impacting on either imprisoned pilots or the disenfranchised Tajik immigrants.

author: Ekaterina


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Russia: Kostroma Police Closes Discussion Board For Criticising Governor · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The server of the Kostroma-based discussion board “Kostroma Jedis” (jedi.net.ru) had been confiscated by the police on November 16, 2011 (see police acts here [ru] and here [ru]). The website, which audience was about 12,000 visitors daily, was taken by the police ‘as an evidence’ in the investigation of libelling against Kostroma governor Igor Slyunyaev [ru]. Ridus.ru reported [ru] that forum users that tried to get together to sign a petition were dispersed by the police on November 20.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Singapore GovCamp 2011 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Themed “Connecting People, Data and Ideas”, the second GovCamp of the year in Singapore was held a few days ago.
GovCamp Singapore focuses on positioning government as a platform to engage key sectors of a country to come together in one conference and to jointly collaborate on how to improve citizen engagement and services using technology. With the proliferation of digital natives, there is an increasing expectation from the general public and new tension created in the public sector to respond faster and more efficiently to citizen concerns.
After the main panel discussion, breakout sessions were held on topics that were crowdsourced and voted upon by the public. Calvin summarizes the online reports about the event. Using the hashtag #govcampsg, below are some of the views of the attendees
@kixes: Prof Lall: You can't assume that all you will get from online comments are garbage. Eg. Iceland crowd-sourced it's Constitution.
@lucian: Gov agencies, don't patronise citizens by soliciting feedback without wanting to give a response.
@nanyate: Social media is not about tools. It's about the mindset – having open, authentic dialogue btwn gov & ppl. Is gov ready for this?
@broadbandjohn: panel discussion: social media should b less beauty contest,and more substantive dialogue.–that's an ideal n opportunity
@sharonite: we need “Open Leadership” in Open Data, it's all in the mindset & culture of the Leaders of this nation.
@kazitoshi: Social media is a nice front and all, but if backend systems and procedures aren't functional/agile then you can't manage.
@calvin_s: Governments should be FAST. Flatter; Agile; Slim; Tech-enabled
@sianjon: #GovCampSG Society 2.0 This breakout session is starting to sound like a Conference What happened to the Un in Un-conference?
nickpan.com was a participant who enjoyed the discussions in the GovCamp
This session gave me 2 ideas:
Why not have a website to allow commuters to volunteer their commuting habits. Where they live, when they travel, from where to where, what do they use. If there is a sizable sample size, this publicly collected data could allow the authorities to better plan public transport?
Local developers at GovCamp mention that most data available at data.gov.sg is not really usable, hence not possible to use or create anything. However, I think why think about just Singapore? Why not use available data overseas to create the app ideas and just show the relevant authorities locally and tell them if the data is available in a particular format, then the application can immediately be used in Singapore as well.
But the assumption is of cause the application is a good one.
Overall, I really enjoyed this GovCampSG and hope that it will be even better next year with even more breakout sessions and constructive ideas exchanges.
Roan Yong was a speaker who talked about gamification and collaboration
Collaboration is the most spoken word in private and public sector. But it is also the most misunderstood word. A lot of people take collaboration for granted. They assume that collaboration works like magic. And that open data, shared purpose, and similar ideas work like magical ingredients for collaboration.
In my talk, I intend to share my thoughts on why collaboration fails and what we can do to make collaboration works. I propose gamification as potential solution to the issues of collaboration.
Kirsten Han is an activist who facilitated a session
Singaporeans often appear to feel helpless or disempowered, as if there isn’t anything that they can do to change things they’re unhappy with. Yesterday we discussed this and more at the sessions, going into issues of self-censorship, peer censorship, fear (or at least the perception of there being something to fear) and whether society is really changing.
If you decide to join civil society in Singapore, or become an activist/volunteer, chances are that you’ll end up hanging out with the same lot of people a lot of the time
It was also wonderful to be able to meet people who never really knew much about civil society and “lesser-known” Singaporean issues before, but who made the effort to find out.

author: Mong Palatino


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South Sudan/Sudan: Refugee Narrates Her Emotional Story · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Amanda Hsiao talks to Miriam, a Sudanese refugee in Ethiopia. The post is part of a series based on Enough interviews with Blue Nile refugees in Sherkole refugee camp and Kurmuk, Ethiopia. Details of these testimonies are impossible to verify, but accounts Enough heard have been generally consistent.


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Tanzania: How Not to Launch a Data.gov · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mbwana Ally explains how not to lauch a Data.gov: “Checking my twitter stream I saw that the Tanzania Government had launched a Open Data website initiative (Kiswahili)…The complaints on twitter started mounting and I gladly participated. Where is the data? The SMS no. set up does not work. The site was loading slow or not at all for a lot of people.”


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Tanzania: The Faces That Rocked Swahili Fashion Week  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Missie Popular shares photos of models who rocked Swahili Fashion Week in Tanzania: “Swahili Fashion Week 2011 provided quite an experience! We witnessed all types of walks and poses on the runway….”


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The Netherlands: A Holiday Season of Festivities, Costumes… and Racism?  · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

Zwarte Piets in The Hague, The Netherlands, November 2010, by Flickr user Gerard Stolk (CC-BY-NC)
In the winter season in The Netherlands a character named Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) accompanies Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas, the original inspiration for Santa Claus) for a yearly feast that is celebrated on the evening of December 5 or morning of December 6 with sweets and presents for all good children. This traditional holiday rivals Christmas in importance.
In recent years the role of Zwarte Piet has become part of a recurring debate in The Netherlands as some citizens take offense at holiday costumes with black painted faces. The story goes that the companions of Saint Nicholas are Moors who help carry the presents brought to children when he arrives by boat from Spain.
The tradition continues to be popular, though some have been moved to protest against what they see as racist imagery. On November 12, 2011 a protester wearing a t-shirt that said ‘Zwarte Piet is racisme’ (Black Pete is racism) was arrested in Dordrecht amidst accusations of police brutality. The t-shirt campaign has its own Tumblr blog with photos and a Facebook page with more than 800 followers.
The blogger at Stuff Dutch People Like wrote in 2010 about the tradition of Zwarte Piet:
You know it’s that time of the year again in Holland, when you are greeted by some Dutch person on the street, whose face is painted completely black and is sporting an afro wig, bright red lips and a ridiculous clown-like costume.
Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet, The Hague, The Netherlands, November 2008, by Zemistor (CC-BY-ND)
Dutch graffiti artist and blogger BNE posts some photos of Zwarte Piet, and asks: Is The Dutch Holiday Of Sinterklaas’s Tradition Of “Black Pete” Racist?:
This “tradition” has evolved throughout the years, partially due to increasing protests from groups that find these depictions offensive. Nowadays, it is claimed that the Black face is due to the fact that the helpers have gone through chimneys and as a result, their faces are covered in soot. What again, nobody can clearly explain, is what kind of soot leaves such a uniform and evenly spread residue. Or worse, why these “chimney dwellers” speak in a fake accent that parodies the Black population of the Dutch former colony of Suriname.
Anthropologist and blogger Martijn de Koning of CLOSER explains in Jolly Black Servant – Tradition and Racism in the Netherlands:
I dont expect a change in this tradition very soon. It should be clear however that Black Pete is a construction, and invention that has already changed in history. The current tradition has lost many of negative connotations which is partly positive but the negative side is that this makes the racism more hidden. Nevertheless, I think this Dutch tradition lends itself perfectly for teaching young children about racism, colonialism and religion throughout history. Maybe that would be a starting point for some change in the future?
On travel website Off Track Planet, Anna Starostinetskaya gives this answer to the question, What the F*ck is Zwarte Piet?:
So is Pete a children’s tale or a racist figure? We promise no definitive answer exists. We’re not saying this tradition is not objectifying black people in a racist way and it is understandable that Americans have the strongest feelings on the topic because Zwarte Piet is visually too close to what our racist roots look like. But Americans must also realize that our own history drives us to apply what we know about our own racist past on traditions that may not have anything in common but black face paint. Although it may be racist in some way, we cannot just superimpose our own racist history atop another country’s tradition and say it’s the same. Either way, we hope a happy medium exists that doesn’t involve smurfs, midgets or complete Americanization of world traditions.
Sinterklaas arrives by boat in Arnhem, November 2011, by Bas Boerman (CC-BY-NC)
On the blog Tiger Beatdown, beneath Flavia’s post “If you protest racism during Black Face season in The Netherlands, you will be beaten up and arrested” a comment by Elfe echoes the above:
I read your post because I needed to understand why I do not find this tradition racist …The “slaves” or “helpers” are you refer to them are not ridicule: these are pages not clowns and they are wearing nice clothes, they are not parading around half naked with a bone across their nostrils like some savages (or like Josephine Baker and her banana skirt). … Like “Tintin in the Congo” the Zwarte Piets are a reminder of the past. … I know it is very insulting for Blacks in America to see White people with their face painted in black (but it took me to live in the US to understand why: a period when black were not even allowed to play their own role in theater). …Like the rappers who have decided to own the N word we can just ignore this tradition if it annoys us, personally I could not care less. Being African I don’t see the Zwarte Piets as Blacks (they don’t look like me or like any African I know) … To feel insulted by them you really need to have a really poor self-esteem. Sorry for being politically incorrect…

author: Anna Gueye


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Trinidad & Tobago: Flood!  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago News Blog has reports on the flooding that plagued northern Trinidad this past weekend, here and here.


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Blame Game  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Plain Talk is “flabbergasted” by a statement made by the Minister of Works calling for “an end to what he calls the ‘blame’ game because there is…critical work to be done”, saying: “No Jack sorry, we cannot put an end to the ‘blame’ game, it's the only game we have.”


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Barbados: Applauding Anya  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Skip to Malou* admits she's “a bit behind on the Project Runway hype”, but says of the winning designer from Trinidad and Tobago: “[She] seems like a down to earth island girl with a big personality and serious determination and we all love to see a West Indian do well for themselves.”


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Bulgaria: New Protest Against Shale Gas Planned · Global Voices
Ruslan Trad

A new protest is being planned for Nov. 26 in Sofia, part of a series of protests against Chevron's shale gas extraction in northeast Bulgaria. On Nov. 20, nearly 500 people attended a rally in the coastal city of Varna, which didn't receive adequate media coverage. Several Facebook groups have been created: Sofia: BULGARIA can count on us – not shale gas! [bg, 740 members], We are against a Bulgarian Chernobyl – shale gas extraction [bg, 30,815 members].

author: Ruslan Trad


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Colombia: Bogota’s Ignored Street Art · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

After participating in the ‘Bogotá Graffiti Tour‘, blogger Vicki Kellaway from the Banna Skin Flip Flops writes about the “other” street art in Bogotá, “the kind that’s moulding and rusting away as we speak. Yes, I’m talking about sculpture and, for that matter, statues. When was the last time you noticed any?”


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Comparing China and Other Countries · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

He Bing posted a set of photos comparing China with other countries. Archer Wang from Ministry of Tofu explained the context of the comparison.


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Cuba: Censoring “El Chupi” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y blogs about El Chupi Chupi, a hugely popular song in Cuba right now, which has been panned by the Cuban Music Institute, saying: “Controversy will arise, of course, and generate debate, but no public official will be able to erase it with the stroke of a pen, because musical tastes don’t change through censorship.” Translating Cuba posts the video for the song, which has been nominated for a Lucas Prize, here.


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Ghana: Visual Artist Meets Nicest People on Earth · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Christine M. Rose, an actor and visual artist from upstate New York, writes about her trip to a Ghanaian village: “They were literally the nicest people on earth…They literally fed, clothed, and sheltered me with no expectation of recompense.”


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Global: 1 of 7 Billion Short Film Competition · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The 1 of 7 Billion Short Film Competition is open to submissions for videos exploring one of the seven issues targeted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 7 Billion Actions initiative. Global Voices Online has been writing about the different actions that individuals  and small organizations have been taking to improve the lives of their communities.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Guatemala’s Alarming Femicide Statistics  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“According to official statistics, seven hundred women have been murdered so far this year in Guatemala (see here and here). According to CONAPREVI, 838 women were murdered in 2010. Therefore, if women continue to be killed at the same rate in November and December as they have been all year (an average of 70 per month), the number of victims this year will be nearly identically to last year's numbers (840).” Mike reports in Central American Politics.