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Argentinian City Awards Schools’ Blogs in Campaign to Reduce Violence Against Women · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

An image from one of the Argentinan blogs to receive an award. Decilenoalaviolencia2014.blogspot.com.
Argentina took an important step in 2009, when it enacted Law No. 26485, which mandates the “prevention, punishment, and eradication of violence against women.” Since then, over the past five years, there's been a blossoming of organizations dedicated to spreading awareness about gender-based violence. Despite these advances, however, the phenomenon continues to grow in Argentina. In 2013, the country recorded 295 feminicides—a 16 percent increase, when compared to 2012 data.
For the third year in a row, the city council of Rosario is doing what it can to fight violence against women, launching a public awareness campaign that bestows rewards on the best blogs that address gender-based violence. The winner this year was Secondary Education Oriented (EESO) No. 572 School. One of the school's videos offers safety tips for spotting an abusive boyfriend:
In another video from the same school, a student named Guido Roldan briefly summarizes Law No. 26485:
The school San Martin de Porres No. 3143 won the second prize for its blog, titled “Decile NO a la Violencia de Género” (Say NO to Gender Violence). In one post, the blog reflects on several cases of gender-based violence that have struck Argentina in recent years. They cite the case of Wanda Taddei, whose husband burned her to death in 2010. The case received special attention mostly because of the way in which the court mitigated the husband's sentence, after his lawyers claimed he committed the crime in “violent emotional state.” The case gained publicity for the discussions about impunity it sparked, and also because it later inspired a “copycat” crime.
Taddei's husband was eventually imprisoned for life, after appeals by her relatives, but a flood of similar crimes across Argentina soon followed.
Y el más reciente, el caso de  “Wanda Taddei” en 2010, cuyo crimen derivó en una condena “ejemplar” de prisión perpetua para su esposo, Eduardo Vázquez, ex baterista del grupo Callejeros, de parte de la Cámara Federal de Casación Penal después de varias apelaciones por parte de la familia de la víctima. A partir de ese homicidio fueron registrados más de 50 casos similares, bajo la modalidad de violencia de género incendiaria.
The Jesus de Nazareth No. 2046 School shared second prize. In its blog, the group writes about gender-based violence's real cases.
Rosario City Council's Vice President, Norma López, said the beginning of the award ceremony:
Esta es una actividad muy querida por nosotros porque vemos el trabajo y el esfuerzo que ponen cada una de las escuelas y la forma en que se organizan, así como el interés que aportan para que nos percatemos que somos iguales, porque de eso se trata cuando hablamos de la violencia contra las mujeres.
For more material on this subject, check out Global Voices’ special coverage on 16 days to end violence at home and around the world.

author: Laura Schneider


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Astrophysicist Shares the History of the Rosetta-Philae Mission · Global Voices
Iñaki García

First image of Philae taken over the comet. Picture taken from Ángel R.Lopez's blog and used with permission.
The comet Churymov-Gerasimenko was discovered on 1969, the same year a mission landed on the Moon. Back then, no one would have imagined that 45 years later a small spacecraft called Rosetta transporting a landing module and the hopes of thousands would touch down on surface of a comet known as Chury.
Astrophysicist Ángel R. López shares on his blog that this interplanetary journey spanned 10 years and 64 billion kilometers. Furthermore, this marks the first time that human inventiveness has made it all the way to a comet.
But this long trip isn't important just for those reasons; it also intends to clear up such transcendental doubts as life on Earth, which could have arrived on board a comet, as several experts claim.
This blogger and astrophysicist also details the cost of the mission:
La misión Rosetta – Philae ha costado a los europeos 1400 millones de euros, repartidos en 20 años. Esto corresponde a solo 3'5 € por europeo a repartir en esos 20 años. Es decir, poco mas de 20 céntimos por año.
Mission Rosetta-Philae has cost European people 1,400 million euros, distributed over 20 years. This means 3.5 € per European citizen to be distributed in those 20 years. Little more than 20 cents per year, that is.
There are also some people that are opposed to this expense, but, as Ángel R.Lopez notes, it's worth it, as a deep and important issue for human beings, if we want to stop living in the past.
You can follow Ángel R.Lopez on Twitter: @El_Lobo_Rayado

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Iñaki García


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Fear of ISIS Threatens Media Freedom in Kyrgyzstan · Global Voices
Zukhra Iakupbaeva

Screen capture from video, widely shared on YouTube.
Weeks after it was published, a news article featuring a video of children training in ISIS camps in the Middle East has been blocked in Kyrgystan. After many days of uncertainty, the country's State Agency of Communications demanded that local Internet service providers (ISPs) block the article from Kloop.kg, a well-regarded independent news outlet. The move is a blow for press freedom in the transitioning democracy and provides further evidence of the pressures journalists living in insecure states face in covering violent extremist groups.
Neighboring Kazakhstan long ago blocked access to the article under a local law enabling censorship of “extremist propaganda”. Now Kyrgyzstan, generally viewed as less autocratic, has followed suit. Entitled “Video of the Islamic State: Children from Kazakhstan Threaten to Kill the Unfaithful,” the article contains “elements of extremism propaganda,” the State Agency of Communications told Kloop.kg on Dec. 10 when justifying the block.
While some ISPs have blocked only the article itself, others, such as Kyrgyztelecom, have blocked the whole website.
Difficulties for Kloop.kg began Nov. 24, when the website's editorial team decided to repost a video that had appeared Nov. 22 on the website of the British tabloid The Daily Mail. The footage itself, of Kazakh minors talking of jihad and toting kalashnikovs, had already been widely shared online, after being distributed by ISIS’ media arm Al-Hayat.
Kazakhstan's state prosecutor wrote to Kloop the same day asking the outlet to remove the article, citing Kazakh domestic legislation and U.N. Security Council resolution 1373, which compels all states to “take necessary measures to prevent the commission of terrorist acts, including provision of early warning to other States with the help of information exchange.”
When Kloop's editors declined the request, Kazakhstan appealed to Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of the Interior and state prosecutor and asked them to open an investigation. On Dec. 10, Kloop editors received a note from the Kyrgyz State Agency of Communications explaining that local Internet providers had been given until Dec. 12 to block the access to the article, and would otherwise be fined.
Public officials routinely cite security concerns when ordering the blocks, but in this case, it is not clear what threat the article — an informative but innocuous description of a video that was already all over the Internet — actually posed to Kyrgyzstan. On Nov. 28, Ministry of the Interior authorities claimed there were also Kyrgyz citizens in the footage, but offered no proof of this allegation.
Kloop.kg editor-in-chief Eldiyar Arykbaev, who wrote the article, told Global Voices that he and his colleagues could not understand which elements of the reportage promoted extremism:
Мы поговорили с аппаратом Омбудсмена и нам объяснили, что наша статья не имеет элементов пропаганды терроризма на территории Кыргызской Республики, в ней нет мнения автора и там просто говорится о самом факте. И в случае возбуждения уголовного дела, аппарат Омбудсмена будет представлять наши интересы в суде.
We have talked to the Ombudsmen Institute. Their lawyers told us that there are no elements [of the article] propagandising terrorism on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic, nor is their any opinion on the part of the journalist; the article just presents facts. If a criminal case is initiated, a lawyer from the Ombudsmen Institute will represent Kloop.
The debate in journalism over how to cover ISIS without inadvertently strengthening the organization's slick propaganda drive has grown more pertinent as the self-styled “Islamic” State — a designation that no state and few Muslims recognize — continues to pump out videos via its Al-Hayat media arm. Central Asian governments, which tend to crack down on the faintest hint of terrorism (or use terrorism as a pretext to crack down on citizens) have received reports of their citizens being killed fighting for radical factions in Syria with understandable unease.
At a Bishkek press event hosted on Dec. 4 by Search for Common Ground, a group dedicated to media coverage of religious issues, an independent Kyrgyz expert in religious affairs, Kadyr Malikov, said he believes that videos such as the one re-posted by Kloop.kg should be accompanied by comments from the state-adjoined Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan [Muftiyat]:
Если подобные ролики попадают в руки журналистов, необходимо хотя бы звонить специалисту, Муфтияту, экспертам, чтобы ролик обязательно сопровождался комментарием осуждения. Обычное вывешивание ролика подразумевает достижение цели террористов. В данном видео, они хотели показать, что у них есть следующее поколение, дети, которые придут вслед за убитыми.
When such videos fall into the hands of journalists, they should call specialists, the Muftiyat, experts, to ask for a comment to condemn it. Just publishing the video means that terrorists achieve their goal to intimidate the public through mass media. In this particular video, the terrorists wanted to show the public that they have a next generation, children, who will follow after them once they have been murdered.
In a telephone coversation with Global Voices, Kloop's Editor-in-Chief Arykbaev disagreed with this view:
Согласовывать с ними публикацию, мы считаем неправильно, так как нарушает нашу редакторскую политику. Мы представили факт… Мы, наоборот, призываем МВД обращать внимание на такие проблемы.
To coordinate the articles together with religious experts is in violation of our editorial policy. We simply presented facts… We call on the Ministry of Interior to pay more attention to such problems [children joining ISIS].
At the same event, Bakyt Dubanaev, an officer from Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Interior, said Kloop's video could help the ISIS recruitment drive:
Такие ролики направлены на поиск жертв. Ими становятся, обычно, две категории лиц. Первое, это люди с ненормальной психикой, которые увидев зверства, творимые террористами, заинтересовываются. И это простые люди, у которых появляется страх беззащитности и паника. Такие ролики направлены на то, чтобы подорвать авторитет правовых органов и показать, что государство не может справиться с ростом экстремизма. И в этом смысле, СМИ – инструмент в руках террористов.
Such videos look to create victims. Usually, these victims are one of two types of people. Firstly, they can be people with a moral disorder who find terrorist atrocities interesting. Secondly, it could be ordinary people who are struck down by fear and panic. These video materials aim to denigrate the reputation of law enforcement bodies and show that a given state is not able to deal with issues like extremism and terrorism. And, in this context, mass media are tools for terrorists.
He also compared distributing extremist videos to distributing rape videos:
Многие из вас могут подумать, мол, что тут такого показать видеоролик? Я разговаривал со своим казахской коллегой вчера и обсуждали этот вопрос. Он мне говорит, вот представь, берет насильник насилует свою жертву, девушку. А потом, чтобы ее опозорить, выставляет ее в Интернет. И журналисты, чтобы показать как мы [Министерство] боремся с изнасилованием, берут и полностью показывают в Интернете как насильник изнасиловал свою жертву. То есть насильник добивается своей цели: насилует и позорит жертву. А журналисты помогают этому насильнику позорить эту девушку. То же самое здесь.
Many of you might think, well, what is the problem in showing a video? I talked with my Kazakh colleague yesterday and we discussed this issue. He said to me, imagine a rapist rapes his victim — a girl. And then, in order to shame her, he puts the video on the Internet. Journalists, willing to show how [police] are failing to fight sexual abuse, cover this video. At this point, the rapist achieves his goal: he rapes and shames his victim. And journalists assist this rapist to disseminate information. It is the same thing here.
In their 2013 Freedom on the Net report, US-based NGO Freedom House notes several attempts by Kyrgyz government bodies to block politically sensitive content or even entire news websites, such as Ferghana.ru in 2011. In 2012, the Prosecutor General’s Office ordered Internet service providers to block access to the controversial “Innocence of Muslims” film trailer on YouTube, and to restrict access to a film festival entry titled “I am Gay and Muslim.”
Kyrgyzstan has long been considered the most open country in Central Asia, a region renowned for unrelenting authoritarianism. The blocking of a reputable and trusted news resource undermines this status and regrettably complements other evidence that the country is falling in line with its neighbours.

author: Zukhra Iakupbaeva


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Happy 10th Birthday, Global Voices! · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

On October 26, the anniversary of our first ever blog post, we recounted the story of the event that gave birth to the idea of Global Voices. It was on this day 10 years ago that that event occurred, making December 11 our official birthday.
As anyone who's ever met a “tween” will know, 10 years old is a critical age. And if that 10-year-old saw it fit to set aside the dystopian novel or whatever it is that occupies tweens’ attention these days, and engage you for a few moments, you'd know it's an age group that regards the world and the future with some curiosity, a bit of apprehension, but also a great deal of hope.
As we said on October 26, it's been an amazing ten years, both for us and for this planet. In addition to having evolved into a vibrant, volunteer-driven community and newsroom that produces content into over 30 languages, and a leader in the fields of digital rights and online media development, we've built a remarkable record of the extraordinary lives of so-called ordinary human beings—at a point in history where rapid change seems to be one of the few constants.
On Monday we kicked off a fresh wave of celebrations with a special edition of GV Face featuring our co-founders Rebecca and Ethan, but Global Voices community members all over the world have been hosting GV birthday events for the past few weeks, and there'll be several more in the days to come—and even more at our sixth Summit, which takes place in Cebu City, Philippines on January 24-25 (join us!).
Birthday presents are welcome too, so if you'd like to support our work, please consider a donation, or purchase some of the NSA-themed Christmas cards (!) designed by our friends at Paper Chase Press (100% of the proceeds go to us).
Happy birthday, Global Voices! Here's to many more decades.

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Jailed Female Photo Journalist on Hunger Strike in Vietnam · Global Voices
Nani Jansen Reventlow

Minh Man Dang Nguyen was arrested over three years ago for taking photographs at a protest and sentenced to nine years in prison on subversion charges. On 28 November, in protest of ill-treatment she has received while in detention, she began a hunger strike.
Minh Man’s case epitomises the current state of affairs in Vietnam, where authorities are systematically restricting freedom of expression by arbitrarily detaining journalists, bloggers and human rights activists.
Minh Man
On 9 January 2013, the People’s Court of Nghe An Province convicted Minh Man alongside 13 other bloggers and human rights activists of plotting to “overthrow” the Vietnamese government, in what experts say was the “largest subversion case to be brought in [recent] years.”
Although trained as a beautician, the 26-year-old is a passionate advocate for social justice and human rights, which she exercised through her work as a freelance photojournalist. Rather than attempting to work within Vietnam's rigid state-run media environment, Minh Man published her photographs online. She would often travel to places where there was civil unrest and public protest in order to take photographs and garner publicity for the events. One such event was the anti-China protests held in Ho Chi Minh City on 5 June 2011
Minh Man was arrested on 31 July 2011 alongside her mother and brother. Their family home was searched by police who confiscated Minh Man’s camera, which has not been returned to her since.
Trial of Minh Man
The trial took place at the People’s Court of Nghe An Province, which has a long history of imbalanced decision-making and lack of due process. Despite the fact that a large number of defendants were standing trial, the trial itself only lasted two days. Defendants were given only five minutes to address the judge, and could only respond to questions with a “yes” or “no” answer. Several independent journalists and international observers were denied access to the proceedings. The court handed down a sentence of nine years imprisonment and three months house arrest for Minh Man. Her mother was given a three-year prison sentence, which is now complete. Her brother endured a suspended sentence of three years.
The harsh sentences of the People’s Court have not only had an effect on Minh Man, her mother and her brother. Minh Man’s father on several occasions has been subjected to coercion, undue pressure and surveillance by the Vietnamese authorities following the arrest of his family. A local police officer even went so far as to dissuade him from seeking legal support or representation for Minh Man, and was ordered to say that his wife and daughter had gone to work in Saigon if asked about the arrest.
Photojournalistic work by Minh Man
Minh Man was sentenced under Article 79(1) of the Criminal Code as an “active participant” in committing “criminal activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” and therefore received a much higher penalty than many of her co-defendants. She currently continues to serve her nine year prison sentence in Camp No. 5, Yen Dinh, in Thanh Hoa Province. Conditions there are severe, and she is made to perform arduous physical labour. On 16 November, Minh Man and three other prisoners of conscience were placed in near-solitary confinement for unknown reasons. On 28 November 2014, Minh Man went on hunger strike in protest of this unfair treatment; she is being held in a cell with triple concrete walls together with one other prisoner.
Minh Man's hunger strike and precarious health situation have increased the urgency of her situation and drawn the attention of international advocates. Last week, a student law clinic in Zagreb, Croatia filed a petition to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) on behalf of jailed photo journalist.
Trained in international human rights doctrine by leading professors from Oxford and Zagreb Universities, the students researched, drafted and filed petitions on behalf of a number of clients. Apart from Minh Man, petitions were also being drafted on behalf of Vietnamese political blogger Dieu Cay, who was released on 21 October 2014, and Myanmar editor Tin San. The Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI), together with Garden Court Chambers and Zagreb University, provided clinical legal supervision to the students at every step of the process.
Despite the fact that Vietnam recognises freedom of expression as a constitutional right, it has consistently received negative press freedom ratings. Reporters Without Borders, for example, has placed only six countries below Vietnam in terms of press freedom. Unfortunately Minh Man’s case is yet another example of the Vietnamese authorities suppressing free speech and dissent by way of vaguely defined or fabricated offences. By filing a petition with the UNWGAD, the law clinic in Zagreb hopes to raise awareness of Minh Man’s position and hopefully achieve the positive outcome that has already been seen this year in the Dieu Cay case.
is the Legal Director of the Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI), a global legal support organization that helps journalists, bloggers, and independent media outlets defend their rights by offering both financial assistance and substantive litigation support.
studied law at Trinity College, Dublin (LL.B), and is a recent graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LL.M). He is a frequent contributor to Inforrm’s Blog, and is currently volunteering at the MLDI.

author: Nani Jansen Reventlow


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Photo of Peshmerga Combatant Breastfeeding Her Child Captivates Kurdish Media · Global Voices
Ruwayda Mustafah

Shared widely online. Photograph by Veronique de Viguerie, September 6, 2014. Veroniquedeviguerie.com.
Kurdish media outlets are abuzz with a photograph of a Peshmerga woman, sitting beside an automatic weapon, breastfeeding her child. The picture has been widely distributed on social networking sites, highlighting the strength of Kurdish women and the resilience of female combatants in the ongoing fight against ISIS.
In contrast to the contentiousness of breastfeeding in many Western countries (most recently in the United Kingdom), Kurdish media outlets have largely welcomed this Peshmerga woman breastfeeding her child, celebrating how the photograph captures her dual roles as a “warrior” and a “nurturer”.
Kurdish Internet users have also praised the Peshmerga woman, whose identity remains unknown. Kemal Taher from Erbil remarked, “I don’t know what to say about this lioness of Kurdistan, wishing them success on the battlefield, May God protect you all”. Shakar Sndy from Sulaymaniyah said, “An example that we’re proud of”.

author: Ruwayda Mustafah


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Argentinan Slums’ Identity Crisis · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

Residents of slums set up a protest tent near Obelisk, 22 April 2014 by Claudio Santisteban, Demotix.
All links without [es] are in English.
Argentina's shantytowns—the villas miserias—are in an identity crisis. Shantytown identity is a culture all its own, but it doesn't enjoy the visibility many other cultures do. Greater recognition would allow these disadvantaged communities to stop living in the shadows and grab hold of some genuine pride. Besides being about socioeconomic status, “slum identity” also has its own unique music, language, and comedy.
Argentina's shantytowns could soon be getting some help to establish their identity, now that the government has preliminarily approved a plan to make October 7 “Slum Identity Day” [es] [Día de la Identitidad Villera]. The date was chosen to honor ‘slum’ priest, Father Carlos Mugica [es].
The product of Argentina's socioeconomic issues, slum identity also has a strong presence in local music, where it's known as cumbia villera [shantytown cumbia], name given by its creator, Pablo Lescano [es], whose blog traces the genre's roots. His music group, Damas Gratis, celebrates this history [es].
Corría el año 1999 y Pablo tiene un accidente en moto por lo que es operado de las 2 piernas y queda postrado en camilla. Es ahi donde empiesa (sic) a formarse la idea de tener un grupo que toque colombianos y haga mover a la gente en el baile. Estando en camilla crea las letras del primer disco de Damas Gratis “Para Los Pibes” , claro que faltaba un cantante. Al ver que no se conseguia cantante para el nuevo proyecto decide darle èl (sic) la voz a la banda. Es asi que nace “Damas Gratis”.
In 1999, Pablo was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him disabled and bedridden. During this time, he began to think of putting together a group that played Colombian music and made people dance. While bedridden, he wrote the words for the Damas Gratis's first album, Para Los Pibes [For the Boys]. He was still missing was a singer, however. Unable to find one, he became the lead vocalist. That's how Damas Gratis was born.
Argentinan slum identity also has its own dialect, better known as Lunfardo Villero [es].
Voy a contarles un poco sobre la jerga villera, el lenguaje con el que se identifican quienes habitan las villas miseria y en el que cristaliza la realidad social, cultural y económica de una clase que suele ser estigmatizada por la pobreza, la delincuencia y las drogas. La música, especialmente la ‘cumbia villera’, es esgrimida como marca identitaria y expresión de esa realidad.
I'm going to talk a little about slum jargon. It is the language that identifies its inhabitants and crystalizes the social, cultural, and economic reality of a people often stigmatized due to poverty, crime, and drugs. Music, especially “cumbia villera,” is considered an important way to express this identity.
Here are some slum terms found on the blog, Español (con Virgulilla) [es] [Spanish (with a Tilde)]:
mechero: persona que roba ropa en las tiendas(del Pequeño Diccionario tumbero)
chamullar: charlar, conversar, generalmente con el fin de lograr algo. Chamullo/Chamuyo es una palabra que el lunfardo tomó del caló (dialecto de los gitanos de España). En “La reina del tango”, Enrique Cadícamo escribió: El gotán se te fue al corazón como un dulce chamullo de amor.
tranza: vendedor de droga
chorro: ladrón
gil (palabra del lunfardo que también deriva del caló): tonto. En su Diccionario del lunfardo, Gobello menciona los aumentativos gilón y gilún, este último con influencia del genovés, así como los despectivos gilastro y gilastrún. También es usual la inversión “logi”
fierro: revólver
mechero: one who steals clothes from a store (from the Pequeño Diccionario tumbero [es] – The Small Dictionary of Prision-isms).
chamullar: to chat or converse with the purpose of accomplishing something. Chamullo/chamuyo is a Lunfardo word taken from the Spanish Gypsy dialect, Caló. In “The Queen of Tango,” Enrique Cadícamo wrote, “Tango struck your heart, just like sweet nothings.”
tranza: one who sells drugs
chorro: theif
gil: (another Lunfardo word deriving from Caló): dumb. In the Lunfardo Dictionary, Gobello mentions aumentatives, gilón and gilún. The latter has been influenced by Genoese, along with the derogatory terms gilastro and gilastrún. Written backwards, logi, is also common.
fierro: revolver
A year ago, Argentina witnessed the first Slum Stand-up [es]—a type of street comedy or monologue about life in the shantytowns. YouTube user Cosecha Roja [es] shared a video about this genre of stand-up:
While the government has approved the plan to celebrate Slum Identity Day, the country's political opposition questions the wisdom of “paying homage to poverty.” The blog, El no soy lo que debería [es] [I'm not who I should be] asks if celebrating the shantytown's “way of life” is rational:
Lo que tiene que hacer el Estado es tener el Norte de que no haya mas (sic) villas. No reivindicar el orgullo villero. Nadie que elija quiere vivir en un lugar con olor a mierda, durmiendo tres generaciones en una pieza, y teniendo escuelas de cuarta y pasando miseria. Nadie quiere elegir la villa.
What the government needs to do is make sure there are no more shantytowns in the North, not uphold slum pride. Nobody chooses to live in a place that smells like shit, where a three-generation family sleeps in one room, where the schools are poor-quality, and everyone lives miserably. Nobody chooses the slum.
Slum 31 Refuge Buenos Aires from flickr user Ever Daniel Barreto Rojas released under (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Panamá Revista [es] [Panama Magazine] analyzed the work of slum priests, which defends their work and why poverty is wrong [es].
Volvamos a decirlo con libertad: la pobreza está mal. Nuestro Estado laico y moderno no puede pensar como los curas villeros, aunque todos valoremos en ellos una expresión cristiana mucho más notable que el puro moralismo de Héctor Aguer. Estos curas hablan de “integración urbana”. Hablan “desde adentro”, porque viven en las parroquias dentro de las villas, y articulan un discurso místico y político contra las intromisiones del Estado y la política. Es posible pensar que en nombre de esa reivindicación que subraya tanto el adentro y el afuera se acentúa un obstáculo para contar con una visión integradora: el reconocimiento prioritario de los derechos que faltan. No sea cosa que la reivindicación cultural de la villa asumida como insolencia contra las culturas elitistas que la estigmatizan, encubra una política conservadora.
Let’s say it again openly: poverty is wrong. Our secular and modern government cannot think as the ‘slum’ priests do, even if we value them as being more Christian than Héctor Aguer’s moralism. These priests talk of “urban integration.”  They speak “from within,” because it is they who live within the village parishes, giving mystical and political sermons against state and political interference. One may think that on behalf of this demand, which affects both in and outside the slums, the obstacle hindering integration is magnified—acknowledging a lack of rights. Let’s not have the cultural vindication of the slums be understood as insolent behavior against the cultural elitists who stigmatize it, and allow this to conceal what is ultimately a conservative policy.


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Booted From Occupy Central, Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Protesters Take on New Battlefields  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

There were more than 100 “We'll be back” banners hanging at the Admiralty protest site before then police clearance on December 11, blogger Au Ka Lun observes. Photo taken by Au Ka Lun, non-commercial use.
As the Hong Kong police removed the last scrap of tarp from the site of the 75-day massive sit-in protest at Admiralty, protesters vowed, “We'll be back!”
More than 200 protesters were arrested on December 11, 2014, after they refused to move from the last of the site. Among the arrested were students, pro-democracy lawmakers, university professors and pop stars.
Since September 28, protesters have been camping out in Hong Kong's financial district Admiralty, demanding that Beijing withdraw the framework it has imposed on the election of Hong Kong's top leader the chief executive.
Beijing had promised Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, a direct vote for the first time in the 2017. But then suddenly introduced this framework, which defeats the purpose, because it requires potential candidates to get majority support from a nominating committee stacked with pro-Beijing (and pro-Chinese Communist Party) members.
At Occupy Central, protesters faced violent attacks from thugs and aggressive police fearlessly, and they started to see that they had to leave the streets and develop other battlefields to push for genuine democratic reform in Hong Kong.
So where's the new battlefield? In these five new strategies:
The most spontaneous reaction to the police clearance has been the Shopping Revolution, a move to peacefully reclaim the protest site and to tell the ruling elites that the political problem is yet to be resolved by window shopping at Mong Kok district.
Similar symbolic resistances can be seen in the yellow banners demanding democracy hanging in school campuses, yellow ribbons worn by pro-democracy citizens’ as part of their daily accessories and yellow umbrellas stretching open at all sort of occasions where government officials are invited.
HKD 6.89 check payable to Hong Kong SAR government. Photo from facebook page “break down tax bill”.
Pro-democracy citizens are using Facebook to coordinate a long term civic disobedience movement. At least two Facebook pages are devoted to tax disobedience. “10 dollar less tax” urges tax payers to pay 10 dollar less tax money as a gesture of their discontent and “Break down tax bill into 689” urges tax payers to break their tax bill into multiple checks of HKD 6.89 or HKD 68.9 or HKD 689 to increase the workload of tax department. The number 689 represents the current chief executive, Leung Chun Ying, who only managed to obtain 689 votes out of the 1200-member election committee.
The street occupation created traffic jams and affected ordinary people's daily life, which the pro-Beijing groups used, through their signature campaigns, to successfully generated public resentment towards pro-democracy protesters. Since mid- October, a number of civic groups and student activist groups have started disseminating pamphlets to grassroots communities to win back their supports.
In addition, some netizens have started planning to run for 2015 grassroots election in districts where the pro-establishment candidates have no competitors.
“Two spoons of sugar in tea” opened a discussion thread in Golden Forum, the most popular online forum in Hong Kong, in early November and the message went viral on social media:
現時有76個區議會席位係自動當選。
高登仔如果全面去自動當選地區參選，縱然贏唔到，都可以極大牽制保皇黨係其他地區既部署。
係選舉既過程中又可以深入自市民解釋香港政制既問題。
甚至一個唔覺意當選，都係一份OK 既工。。。￼ ￼
滿21歲，有10個選民提名就可以參加，按金$3000, 有多過5% 票就可以拎番按金。每個區既人數只係5000-8000 左右，以投票率四成計，最多160票就可以拎番按金，一個區怕有百幾個高登巴絲卦。
Currently there are 70 districts where candidates have the seats without competition.
If Golden netizens participated in those districts, even if we could not win the seat, we could disrupted the pro-establishment groups’ election campaign.
We can make use of the election process to help people understand what's wrong with our political system.
If by accident, you win the election, that would be an OK job…
Anyone who reaches 21-year old, all you need is 10 legitimate voters to nominate you and the election deposit is just HK$ 3,000 dollars [equivalent to US$ 400 dollars]. If you manage to get 5% of the total votes, you can get back the deposit. There are about 5000 to 8000 voters in one district, usually the voting rate is 40%, which means all you need is 160 votes and you can get back the deposit. I think we have enough forum friends in each district [to get the 5% vote].
There have been many reports about the police's use of excessive forces against protesters. In addition to the preexisting human rights organizations, a number of new civic organizations and citizen initiated projects have been launched to monitor police violence and abusive behavior.
Hong Kong Shield, an organization of university professors and artists, including pop stars, was established in October to monitor police use of force and call for an independent inspection body to investigate reports against police. It was stationed at the Admiralty protest site and had issued several strong statements condemning police violence in the past two months.
A number of organizations, including the Professional Commons, inmediahk.net, Cultural Sector Action Group for Violence Monitoring, Civil Human Rights Front and Civic Rights Observe launched a joint project “Police Violence Victim Data Collection” to prepare a “Database of Victims of Police Violence” (DVPV) and a “State Violence Database” (SVD). As the groups point out, “such objective evidence is of utmost importance to stop police abuse and to prevent Hong Kong from sliding into an autocratic society.”
As the Hong Kong government continues its second round of consultation on election reform under the Beijing framework, the political debate will carry on in the Legislative Council. Student activist groups are lobbying for pro-democracy lawmakers to collectively resign and make use of the by-election as a referendum mechanism for the public to vote on the political reform package.
Until the promise of genuine democracy is fulfilled, pro-democracy advocates say they won't back down.
Follow our in-depth coverage: Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution

author: Oiwan Lam


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Brazil Plans to Help Other Countries Fight Amazon Deforestation · Global Voices
InfoAmazônia

Brazilian minister for the Environment Izabella Teixeira (center) presents at COP 20 a help plan to the other countries of the Amazon. Photo by Gustavo Faleiros.
Gustavo Faleiros, editor-in-chief at InfoAmazônia, a partner of Global Voices, is in Lima covering the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 20).
Brazil's more than 30 years experience in fighting deforestation will be replicated in the other Amazon countries. In Lima, Peru, during the 20th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 20), the Brazilian government and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) presented a plan to implement monitoring systems in partnership with the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OCTA).
According to OTCA's secretary-general, Surinamese Robby Dewnarain Ramlakhan, an investment of US$8 million is already ongoing through the Amazon Fund, a reserve of US$800 million managed by BNDES to support projects in Brazil and other countries throughout the Amazon.
Those resources are not reimbursable, that is to say, they are not loans. Announced in an event attended by the Brazilian and Peruvian delegations, the project plans to create observation rooms of satellite data, train 150 technicians and purchase surveillance equipment for the other seven member countries of OTCA.
Additionally, the initiative intends to draw a historic map of the Amazon forest in all of its extension covering the period between 2000 and 2010. Unlike Brazil, which has been monitoring deforestation since 1988, the other countries are still building up their historic database on the forest. OTCA will replicate the methodology already used by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, responsible for calculating the official deforestation rate in the Brazilian Amazon.
“Each country has its particularities. Peru has 90 percent of its deforestation in areas with less than one hectare, which are hard to monitor,” said Gustavo Suarez, coordinator of Peru's National Forest Program. In Brazil, most deforestation occurs in large areas (see the deforestation map below).
Forests in recovery
Also on Wednesday, the Brazilian Minister for the Environment Izabella Teixeira made a speech in the conference's plenary and again praised Brazil's actions to reduce deforestation. She mentioned the last numbers announced by the government — a decrease of 18 percent in 2014 — as evidence of Brazil's commitment with reduction of greenhouse gases emissions.
Land use change (forest fires, deforestation) are still the main source of greenhouse gases emissions in Brazil. The constant reduction in deforestation puts the country in a comfortable position with the climate negotiations — the UN is currently trying to draft a new agreement to mitigate causes and effects of global warming. Next year, in Paris (COP 21), the signing of another treaty with new targets, to go into effect in 2020, is expected.
“Not only have the deforestation rates been reduced by 82% in the last 10 years, but we are also observing a substantial process of forest regeneration,” the minister said. She referred to information released a few weeks back by the TerraClass system from INPE, which reveled that 23 percent of the lands deforested in the Amazon have woods in recovery. “This shows that Brazil has ceased to emit 650 million tons of carbon per year”.
Interactive map of deforestation in the Amazon — data by INPE (Prodes system) and Terra-i system

author: InfoAmazônia


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For Peru, Greenpeace Pulled an Unforgivable Stunt at Their 1,500 Year-old Nazca Lines Site · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Imagen taken from Greenpeace Twitter account
The Peruvian government has refused to accept an apology from Greenpeace for their recent protest stunt at the fragile grounds of the Nazca Lines archeological site.
On December 8, 20 Greenpeace activists from seven countries spread large yellow cloth letters near the 1,500 years hummingbird lines, relaying the message: “Time for change! The future is renewable Greenpeace!”. The heritage site is usually just seen from the sky, even ministers have to seek special permission to tread the grounds with special footwear.
The international environmental organization wanted to capture the attention of delegates attending the COP20 conference on climate change, taking place in Lima.
NOW:@Greenpeace activists at NazcaLines send message to #COP20 leaders #Philippines needs no more #climate disasters pic.twitter.com/SCcxnii6WN
— Greenpeace: 100% RE (@Greenpeace100RE) December 8, 2014
Pictures were uploaded on its official Twitter account showing the placing of the message:
Protest image at the Nazca Lines, Peru, today. Full picture > http://t.co/Ss19i0uOTp #COP20 pic.twitter.com/KTfLbOrAaT
— Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) December 8, 2014
Greenpeace also displayed its intervention on Facebook, where despite having received more than 6,000 likes for its publication, several indignant Peruvians criticized the act. For example, lawyer Erick Iriarte made the following comment:
Ninguna lucha x #ddhh puede violar #ddhh (y nuestros derechos culturales a nuestra historia, son derechos humanos). Luchar violando derechos termina siendo contraproducente. Todos luchamos x que lideres tomen decisiones, pero no tienen ningun derecho a violar mi historia, la historia de mi pueblo, de mis hijos, de mis padres, Y que ustedes crean que caminar sobre zona arqueologica no es dañarla, les informo que tambien la dañan y ciertamente que el kilometro que caminaron para llegar a zona dejaron sus huellas, removieron espacio, y alteraron el, precisamente que defienden, medioambiente.
No fight for #dddh [human rights] can violate #ddhh (as well as our cultural rights to our history; they are human rights). Fighting for human rights while violating them ends up being counterproductive.  We all struggle for leaders to make decisions; however, they have no right to defile my history and that of my people, my children, my parents. You think you can just walk about an archeological sight without harming it; let me tell you that you can. Surely, during the kilometer walk it took to get there, you left behind footprints, shifted things around, and altered what it is you defend – the environment.
The María Reiche Association, named after the German-born Peruvian archeologist who dedicated her life to investigating the Nazca Lines, made the following comment:
The Nazca lines are in a restricted area one is not allowed to enter it, but for a reason. The Hummingbird figure is about 1km away from the nearest highway with some other 1000s of other lines criss crossing up to that area. Can you secure that no damage was done, cconsidering you arrived at the place when it was still dark? The Nazca desert has a few dozen figures but thousands of even more impressive lines.
Greenpeace offered this response:
We can assure you that absolutely NO damage was done. The message was written in cloth letters that laid on the ground without touching the Nazca lines. It was assessed by an experienced archaeologist, ensuring not even a trace was left behind.
However, not everyone accepted Greenpeace's claim.
Nadie esta en contra de los intereses de #greenpeace ,pero creo que esta no es la forma de llamar la atencion!!#nasca pic.twitter.com/pvrSV3h2dw
— Marko Morales (@MarkoMoralez) December 8, 2014
No one is against the interests of Greenpeace, but I don't think this is the way to get attention!
6 años de cárcel para Delincuentes de @Greenpeace por pisotear líneas de Nasca (@MinCulturaPe @MininterPeru) pic.twitter.com/vn2l2giJnT
— Hernán Hurtado (@hernanismo) December 9, 2014
6 years jail for Greenpeace offenders for trampling the Nazca Lines.
Walking along the lines might seem harmless; however, one needs to know how these lines are made in order to understand the damage. Why are the Nazca Lines so fragile? Geologist, Patricio Valderrama, explains:
La pampa de Nazca está compuesta por una finísima capa de material aluvial de origen granítico-volcánico de color rojizo (provenientes del Batolito de la Costa). Este nivel está sobre un nivel de arena gris clara, entonces, si “remueves” la capa superior, expondrás la capa inferior permanentemente, es este contraste de colores lo que permitió que los antiguos Nazca dibujaran sus lineas: haciendo surcos.
The Nazca pampas are made of a very fine layer of reddish alluvial material of granitic-volcanic origin (from Batolito de la Costa). This layer lies above one of light gray sand; therefore, if you “move” the upper one, you permanently expose the one below. It is this color contrast that allowed the ancient Nazcas to draw their lines, that is, making grooves.
State representatives took action after hearing the news.
Verifican posibles daños cometidos por @Greenpeace en líneas de Nasca http://t.co/Z5ENscyG6m pic.twitter.com/jaEIivpMXz
— Agencia Andina (@Agencia_Andina) December 9, 2014
Possible damage of the Nazca lines committed by Greenpeace are being verified.
Following an inspection by Ministry of Culture representatives, Greenpeace was reported to the prosecutor's office for damage to the archeological heritage.  The president of the Congress’ Culture Commission asked that the activists responsible be apprehended. In response, Greenpeace Climate and Energy campaign coordinator, Mauro Fernández, announced that he would place himself at the disposal of the Ministry of Culture and the Peruvian justice system to “resolve any problems”.
The organization apologized to those offended by the intervention. The Deputy Minister of Culture stated that their apologies have not been accepted.
Hernán Hurtado of the Heritage Defense Collective, comments on the Qollur Archeology blog that, “Greenpeace should be known as a non grata institution.” He also emphasized on the problems facing the archeological site:
Este reciente y lamentable atentado, sirva para tomar medidas más eficaces en salvaguarda de nuestro patrimonio arqueológico. En tal sentido exhortamos al Ministerio de Cultura a redoblar esfuerzos en la defensa, protección y vigilancia de las pampas de Nasca y Palpa que son víctima constante de invasiones, huaquería y minería ilegal.
This recent and unfortunate attack serves in order for us take more efficient measures in protecting our archeological heritage.  Whereby, we urge that the Ministry of Culture reinforce efforts to defend, protect, and surveil the Nazca and Palpa pampas that continually fall victim to invasions, looting, and illegal mining.
A few weeks ago a group of land invaders took control of the Cerros Altos and Huaca La Calera II sectors, which also form part of the Nazca archeological zone. The Ministry of Culture because failed to take action, even though they used heavy machinery. Social networks remained rather quiet regarding that incident, to which some protested ironically on Twitter:
Gracias (?), #Greenpeace, por recordarnos que tenemos Líneas de Nasca…y que las autoridades siempre se olvidan de ellas.
— Kathy Subirana (@Catalina_) December 9, 2014
Thanks (?) Greenpeace for reminding us that we have the Nazca Lines…and that the authorities always forget about them.
Again, however, there is a lack of consensus amongst social networkers regarding this issue:
@sgarciaasenjo Nazca está diezmada por invasiones, el uso del transporte, huaqueros, Dakar, etc. Y por esto se ofenden. Tira de hipócritas.
— J (@JotaC) December 9, 2014
Nazca is split into tens due to invasions, transportation use, looters, Dakar, etc. That's why they're offended. Bunch of hypocrites.
Ya salieron pavazos que dicen que xq hay minería ilegal y Dakar en Nasca, no nos podemos quejar de Greenpeace. Ay Dios mío, típico limeño.
— Paola Miglio (@paolamiglio) December 9, 2014
Out come the idiots saying why there's illegal mining and Dakar in Nazca. We can't complain about Greenpeace. Good God, typical Limean attitude.
Beyond the debate, there is hope that the Peruvian authorities will proactively protect the archeological heritage and not just when  they come under media scrutiny.

author: Juan Arellano


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Latin America Tweets to End Violence Against Women · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Image tweeted by Mexican legislator Alejandro Montano Twitter user @lejandromontano.
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women has its origin in Dominican Republic and Colombia, and Twitter users around Latin America expressed their support for the campaign with a series of hashtags.
In 1960, on November 25, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo‘s regime ordered the assassination of three political activists –  the Mirabal sisters. This act marked the beginning of the end of dictatorship in Dominican Republic and became a symbolic date for gender equality.
With the support of 80 countries, November 25 was declared the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women at the first Feminist Encuentro for Latin America and the Caribbean held in Bogota, Colombia, July 18-21, 1981.
Using the hashtags #HeForShe, #DiaNoViolenciaContraLaMujer (#NoViolenceAgainstWomenDay), #PorLasMujeres (ForTheWomen), and #NiConElPetaloDeUnaRosa (#NotEvenWithThePetalOfARose), Twitter users joined the campaign. Colombian actors and couple Mónica Fonseca (@FonsecaMonica) and Juan Pablo Raba (@juanpabloraba) shared the following picture of him showing support by wearing red lipstick:
#NiConElPetaloDeUnaRosa #HeForShe Trabajar por y con los jóvenes como defensores del cambio @juanpabloraba pic.twitter.com/DqjddVOIAP
— Mónica Fonseca (@FonsecaMonica) November 25, 2014
#NotEvenWithThePetalOfARose #HeForShe Work for and with the youth as advocates of change
While TV host and model Laura Pinzón (@AzulaNipron) said:
#PorLasMujeres La mejor campaña es no admitir la impunidad a la violencia contra la mujer #NiConElPetaloDeUnaRosa
— Laura Pinzón (@AzulaNipron) November 26, 2014
#ForTheWomenThe best campaign is not to admit the impunity for violence against women #NotEvenWithThePetalOfARose
Dominican Betty Sanz (@dafen5) recalled our commitment with this issue:
“Todos somos responsables de prevenir y poner fin a la violencia contra las mujeres y las niñas.” #DiaNoViolenciaContraLaMujer
— Betty Sanz (@dafen5) November 25, 2014
Everyone has a responsibility to prevent and end violence against women and girls.#NoViolenceAgainstWomenDay
Mexican legislator Alejandro Montano (@lejandromontano) said a society is better when women are not mistreated:
Una mejor sociedad es la que no toca, no hiere y no lastima a una mujer #DiaNoViolenciaContraLaMujer pic.twitter.com/Wohro3UQIs
— Alejandro Montano (@lejandromontano) November 25, 2014
A better society is the one which does not mishandle, hurt or injure a woman #NoViolenceAgainstWomenDay
While Alessandra Scaniglia (@leiesensuale) expreses that sometimes violence against women came also from other women and in her tweet reflects the complex debates about femininity and feminism.
¿Violencia machista? De las peores violencias q he visto ha sido de una mujer a otra mujer. Sobretodo de una feminazi a una mujer femenina.
— Alessandra Scaniglia (@leiesensuale) November 25, 2014
Macho violence? One of the worst violences I ever saw is woman against woman. Especially from a feminazi against a feminine woman.
And Nachita Arrobo (@nachita_arrobo) staged that the commitment around the topic of gender must be everyone's:
Hijas hermanas tías madres abuelas amigas primas todas juntas #DiaNoViolenciaContraLaMujer pic.twitter.com/hHf3FijECk
— Nachita Arrobo (@nachita_arrobo) November 26, 2013
Daughters sisters aunts mothers grandmothers friends cousins all together.#NoViolenceAgainstWomenDay
Other efforts continued the conversation inside and outside Colombia. “He for She”, the global campaign for the prevention of violence against women led by the United Nations used the Twitter account: @HeforShe. Also, the issue of violence against women is frequently addressed in the journal Humanum.
These are just some of the actions that have taken place to promote gender equality and to fight violence against women. Global Voices follows many of these topics in Women and Gender, paying special attention to dialogues in citizen media.
Also see Global Voices’ special coverage of the campaign16 days to end up gender-based violence.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Lima Offers a Space for Reflection on Climate Change With the People’s Summit · Global Voices
Patricia Carolina Saucedo Añez

As an alternative event during the 20th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP20), with the aim of discussing solutions to reverse climate change, Lima, Peru will host another space for reflection about this issue: the Peoples’ Summit on Climate Change. Unlike COP20, this summit is made up of thousands of young people and individuals belonging to social organizations, trade unions, indigenous communities and rural groups.
Image of Peoples’ Summit on Climate Change, taken from site Claves 21, used with permission.
The People's Summit on Climate Change defines this phenomenon as a direct consequence of the capitalist system, especially the role of providers of commodities the system has given Latin American countries.
Damián Profeta, an Argentinean journalist who is attending both events, sums up the approach of the People's Summit:
Para los participantes de la Cumbre de los Pueblos, el calentamiento global es intrínseco al sistema capitalista y la respuesta a ese problema debe ser cambiar los modos de producción y consumo. En variados discursos, los oradores apelaron a la “Madre Tierra”y repudiaron el extractivismo en los países latinoamericanos.
For People's Summit attendees, global warming is inherent to the capitalist system and the response to this problem should be changing the ways of producing and consuming. In several speeches, the lecturers appealed the “Mother Earth” and condemned the extractivie methods of the countries.
The schedule of the summit includes lectures, conferences and activities, and there is also a community radio and a local manufacturer fair.
Where? Parque de la Exposición, Lima.
When? December 8-14, 2014.
For all those who won't be able to attend, you can follow the event on Facebook.

author: Patricia Carolina Saucedo Añez


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New Distribution of Colonies and Native Nations in Mexico City · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

On his personal blog Hbt, Olivera Herbert writes about a new district distribution (starting on October 2014) and the popular referendum about participatory budgeting 2015 (November 2014), that allowed us to assess and ellaborate a new Catalog of Colonies and Native Nations 2013 in Mexico City.
Herbert has prepared a chart of the 1,753 communities and 40 native nations and invites us to download it here, a *.kml file you can use on a free and open code SIG, such as QGIS. The author explains what a colony means geographically and the so called native nations:
De acuerdo a la Ley de Participación Ciudadana del D.F. la colonia es la división territorial del Distrito Federal y los pueblos originarios son asentamientos que mantienen la figura de autoridad tradicional de acuerdo a sus normas, procedimientos y prácticas tradicionales.
According to the Bill of Citizen Participation of Mexico City, colony is the territorial division of the Federal District and native nations are settlements that keep the figure of tradtional authority under its rules, procedures and traditional practices.
Herbert Olivera's account on Twitter is @oliveraherbert for further details.

author: Milton Ramirez


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Online Entrepreneurship: Interview With Ana Bizarro from ‘Acción Alegría’ · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Andrea Collazo, who we already know from her blog Profesora de Informática (Computing teacher), shares an interview with entrepreneur and creator of accionconalegría.com, Ana Bizarro.
Bizarro's website aims to provide support to “entrepreneur parents, with children and no time, this is, people who are responsible for their lives”. There is no age, gender, condition, let alone religion that may prevent someone to become an entrepreneur, claims the interviewee and discusses the advantages of online entrepreneurship:
La primera, como he adelantado en la primera pregunta, el coste: hace 15 años invertí 20.000€ e hipotequé mi vivienda ¡hoy no lo haría ni loca!
La segunda, el estilo de vida: con una simple conexión a internet y un ordenador puedo trabajar desde cualquier lugar ¡La bomba! Una herramienta vital para la conciliación laboral.
La tercera: el efecto palanca. Me explico, con un simple artículo puedes conseguir 1000 visitas en una semana, o incluso en un día. Eso era algo impensable en la era analógica. ¡¡Ni los mejores comerciales!!
The first one, as I've already mentioned on the first question, the cost: 15 years ago, I invested 20.000€ and got a mortgage on my house. Today, this wouldn't even cross my mind!
The second one, lifstyle: with a simple connection to the Internet and a computer, I can work from anywhere. Great! A vital tool for conciliation.
The third one: the lever effect. This is, with a simple piece, you can get 1000 views in a week, or even in a day. This was inconceivable in the analogic era. Not even the best commercials!!
You can follow interviewer Andrea Collazo on @ascollazo, and interviewee Ana Bizarro on @bizarroana73


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The Ruble May Be Falling, But Russian Memes Are Soaring · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Vladimir Putin makes the most of the ruble's depreciation on currency exchange markets. Image shared widely and anonymously online.
It takes almost twice as many rubles to buy a single dollar today than it did a year ago. The ruble-to-dollar exchange rate was 32.5 in January 2014. Today, it is 58.5. The fall of the ruble is perhaps the biggest news story in Russia now, as the country looks ahead to a looming financial recession and several more months at least of heavy Western economic sanctions, not to mention Moscow's retaliatory boycott against many Western imports.
In a speech last week about the state of the nation, President Putin launched a campaign against currency speculators, raising concerns that Russia will introduce new capital controls, further alarming investors and upsetting the value of Russia’s currency. This week, Russia’s chief federal investigator signaled that police might begin treating certain kinds of currency speculation as a criminal offense.
Amid growing anxiety about Russia’s currency and economy, RuNet Echo has collected several of the most popular and amusing examples of “ruble memes” on Russian Twitter.
Russian designer and animator Yegor Zhgun created a cartoon comparing the ruble’s fall to the death of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the 1997 film “Titanic,” suggesting that Russia’s currency owes its collapse to the declining value of oil.
pic.twitter.com/UaJQmzwmhE
— zhgun (@zhgun) November 27, 2014
Rustem Adagamov is a prominent Russian photographer now living in exile in Prague, after facing bizarre, still unsubstantiated statutory rape allegations almost two years ago. Back in Russia, however, he remains an intensely popular blogger.
Пиф-паф pic.twitter.com/0RHTeyEZP3
— Рустем Адагамов (@adagamov) December 11, 2014
Bang bang.
When the ruble-to-dollar exchange rate reached 50, the popular parody Twitter account KermlinRussia made this joke about the 100-ruble bill:
Говорят, что двухдолларовая купюра очень редкая. Не знаю, я такие каждый день вижу: pic.twitter.com/VuFarRQ6by
— Пeрзидент Роисси (@KermlinRussia) November 28, 2014
They say the two-dollar bill is a rarity. I don’t know about that. I see more every day…
When the teaser trailer for the seventh installment in “Star Wars” dropped in late November, Russian Internet users joined the international frenzy about the return of Jedi knights and Stormtroopers. The new lightsaber depicted in the trailer, whose controversial design has launched countless “debates,” has also proven to be fodder for jokes about the ruble.
Star Wars: The Fall of Ruble pic.twitter.com/2EAw2sSBjk
— Duran / Дюран (@userdie) December 12, 2014
The falling value of the ruble is fueling a panic throughout Russia about the general state of the national economy. Most Russians today live with the memory of two previous financial crises: the moderately bad recession of 2008-2009, under President Dmitri Medvedev, and a devastating collapse in 1998, under President Boris Yeltsin.
For some people, it’s become difficult to take their eyes off the market.
ВЦИОМ сообщает о резком увеличении разводов.. #нефть #рубль pic.twitter.com/PUHHRNWCow
— Beka (@TwitBeka) December 3, 2014
Russian polling agency VTsIOM reports a sharp increase in the number of divorces… #Oil #TheRuble
Others joke that the country just needs to find a way to wait out the troubles ahead.
Тук-тук! К вам #кризис ! #рубль #нефть pic.twitter.com/GKjQ2FShmF
— Sasha Valenti (@muzofil_com) November 12, 2014
Knock knock! The #crisis is here to see you! #TheRuble #Oil [Caption reads, “He’s gonna be a while.”]
“An hour on this planet is equal to seven years on earth” “Excellent! We can wait out the crisis here!” pic.twitter.com/cA2b14lbsm
— RuNet Memes (@RuNetMemes) November 18, 2014
Others on the RuNet seem to think no amount of hibernation can spare the ruble.
From middle age to old age to death. The RuNet jokes about the Russian ruble's lifespan. pic.twitter.com/R89MKYg76i
— RuNet Memes (@RuNetMemes) November 8, 2014
Earlier this month, activists in St. Petersburg donned masks, dressing as high-ranking Russian officials, and carried to the Neva River a large effigy of the ruble on a funeral raft, which they released into the water, where it “free-floated.” (Police arrested three participants in this act.)
В Санкт-Петербурге рубль отправился в свободное плавание. pic.twitter.com/Be0J7vt1gw
— Ukrainian Mistress (@JuMistress) December 6, 2014
The ruble is now free-floating in St. Petersburg.
When it comes to humor about the currency collapse, Internet users have also widely shared work by prominent political cartoonists, particularly Sergei Yelkin.
http://t.co/yHCJlBEUA3 pic.twitter.com/9ZTP07KwPy
— Sergey Elkin (@Sergey_Elkin) October 8, 2014
Closer. Come closer…
Back in Septemer, when the ruble-to-dollar exchange rate was still under 40, Yelkin produced this comic:
pic.twitter.com/sCdQXrPSxS
— Sergey Elkin (@Sergey_Elkin) September 29, 2014
Let’s try for forty!
When it comes to commentary about the ruble, work by many other cartoonists has also appeared on Russian Twitter. In the comic below, the artist adapts a scene from the film “300,” where the narrator explains ancient Sparta’s policy of casting weak infants off a cliff, to purify the city’s genetic pool.
Рубль продолжает падение на новостях об отказе ОПЕК снижать добычу дешевеющей нефти: http://t.co/ugxve9oCCl #новости pic.twitter.com/49HHTk4yYb
— Polit.ru (@POLITRU_) November 27, 2014
Traditionally, the weak and useless currencies were thrown into the abyss…
Much of the Internet’s conversation about Russia’s currency woes is speculation about when the crisis will “bottom out.”
Старое дно: воспоминания о курсе http://t.co/b4EEyRFxxg #деньги #экономика #бизнес #рубль pic.twitter.com/TOtlnrvHXo
— Быстро и достоверно (@finam_blog) October 30, 2014
The old bottom: remembering the ruble’s exchange rates. #money #economy #business #TheRuble [Caption reads, “There it is! The bottom!!”]
No matter how desperate Russia’s currency situation becomes, however, we can be certain that Internet users will forever look for solace in the personality cult of Vladimir Putin, whose reputation for “lifting Russia from its knees,” while riding horses and baring his chest, must now be a great balm for the nation’s troubled spirits.
The real reason Russia has allowed the ruble-dollar exchange rate to spike so suddenly. pic.twitter.com/TQtTsaTQ8R
— RuNet Memes (@RuNetMemes) October 15, 2014

author: Kevin Rothrock


text:
What is Sinology? · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Sinology is still unknown to many people, as Isma Ruiz writes after attending the I International Congress of Sinology in Spanish, last June at the University of Tamkang – Tamsui, Taiwan.
Although the focus was translation and interpretation of classic Chinese books, the necessity of learning a new language when studying a culture or being able to use the language in politics were also addressed. Two lecturers caught the interest of Ruiz, Alicia Relinque and Eduardo Daniel Oviedo. About their talks, Ruiz notes:
Relinque, nos explicó muy brevemente su experiencia personal como traductora y cómo a lo largo del tiempo ha ido cambiando su metodología en función de la obra a traducir e incluso a veces por los requisitos impuestos desde la editorial. Seguidamente expuso varios ejemplos de traducciones de otros autores
[…]
(Oviedo) trataba del papel que juega actualmente el chino como elemento integrador de la sociedad china, así como la lucha que tiene con otros idiomas para ser la lengua hegemónica a medida que crece el poder político y económico de la República Popular China, mientras expande su influencia a otras regiones del mundo de cara a la formación de una lengua global.
Relinque briefly explained us her personal experience as translator and how as time went by she has been changing her methodology according to the text to be translated and sometimes even according to the requirements by the publisher. She then talked about several translations by other authors
[…]
(Oviedo) addressed the role currently played by Chinese language as unifying element in Chinese society, as well as the struggle it has with other languages to be the hegemonic language as Popular Republic of China's political and economic power grows, as it expands its influence to other regions of the world in regards to the formation of a global language.
Now it's time to wait for the second edition on 2016 and the possibility for the Autonomous University of Barcelona to organize it. That hasn't been decided yet.
You can follow Isma Ruiz on Twitter and Facebook.


text:
A Mexican Protester Interrupted the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. Now His Mom Would Like a Word. · Global Voices
Mary Aviles

Mexican student Adan Cortes jumped onstage when the Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai was collecting her Nobel peace prize. Screenshot from YouTube Video.
The mother of the Mexican protester who interrupted the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony has recorded a video saying she doesn't know the details of her son's legal situation in Oslo, and she chastised those would who hurry to discredit his protest act.
Adán Cortés, a 21-year-old political science student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, interrupted Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. Cortés rushed the stage, carrying a Mexican flag, and managed to say, “Please, Malala. Mexico!” before police arrested him and removed him from the building.
The man's brother later posted on Facebook the mother's public appeal, writing, “Here is the video my mother wanted to share about my brother Adàn Cortés’ current situation. Please share. Thanks.” According to his brother, Cortés hoped to draw attention to the disappearance and presumed mass murder of 42 Ayotzinapa school students in Mexico.
John Fredriksen, spokesperson for the Oslo Police Department, told reporters that Adán “is interested in Mexico's current political situation and requested political asylum“, but it was confirmed that the application already has been denied before the Nobel incident and he will be deported.
Cortés’ mother accuses Mexican journalist Joaquín López Dóriga of publishing juvenile images lifted from her son's social media pages in an attempt to turn public opinion against him.
Only 17-years-old, Malala Yousafzai (the woman Cortés interrupted) is the youngest-ever Nobel Prize winner. She won this year's Peace Prize jointly with Indian children's rights advocate Kailash Satyarthi.
Cortés’ brother is updating his Facebook account with the latest information on his brother.

author: Mary Aviles


text:
Australian Prime Minister’s About-Face on Sexism, Two Years Late · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

A tense moment between Prime Minister Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott (25 February 2012)
Copyright © Demotix. Photo by Angus Mordant
In October 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech in the Australian parliament was viewed by millions worldwide. Her target was the then-opposition leader Tony Abbott, who is now PM.
However, his claims on 11 December 2014 of sexism towards his Chief of Staff Peta Credlin have raised the issue again: “Do you really think my chief of staff would be under this kind of criticism if her name was Peter as opposed to Peta?”
Peta Credlin has been criticised for her rivalry with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, as veteran journalist and blogger at The Conversation Michele Grattan reports:
Now the two are in a test of strength. It’s not as electric as has been portrayed this week when they were described as “like two Siamese fighting fish stuck in the same tank” (the expert advice, incidentally, says you need large tanks for those fish).
According to Grattan, the attacks go much deeper:
The objections to the Abbott office are about Credlin’s centralisation and control.
…Credlin was the one closest to him in the trenches of opposition. But her degree of power, her management style, her omnipresence and her high visibility are eroding his authority.
Unsurprisingly, the PM's remarks have met with disbelief and ridicule by many online. This tweet came from a political opponent:
Abbott may be right, some criticism of Credlin may be sexist. Pity he didn't show same empathy for Gillard. http://t.co/oUcxPPUfvb #auspol
— Vicki Ward MP (@Vicki4Eltham) December 11, 2014
Alex McKinnon at news and pop culture website Junkee has not been the only one to use the ‘I’ word, in his satirical piece: Tony Abbott Claims Criticisms Of His Chief Of Staff Are “Sexist”; World Implodes From Irony.
Today will be remembered from now until the world is swallowed by a vastly-expanded sun, for today is the day Tony Abbott discovered sexism exists, and that it is a Bad Thing.
Accusations of hypocrisy have been common. This comment by Juanita Phillips, TV news presenter at the Australian Broadcasting Commission, has been a very popular retweet:
PM tells coalition colleagues to take a “good hard look at themselves” over gender treatment of Julia, oops, Peta.
— Juanita Phillips (@Juanita_Phillip) December 11, 2014
Finger puppets – Gillard & Abbott
Courtesy Flickr user Hil (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Others are more pointed in their comparisons:
Abbott Defends #CREDLIN saying it would be different if she was a MAN! & if she was named @JuliaGillard & he was opposition leader? #auspol
— theEDITOR (@smnaustralia) December 12, 2014
HAHAHA, what a crack up! Abbott's comments about Credlin make me laugh!! This from a man who accused JG of using the “gender card”. #auspol
— Team Australia SUX!! (@trollhater4444) December 11, 2014
Ah okay then. So sexism = okay towards a female PM of the left, but not a female chief of staff of the right http://t.co/eS4roAcISr
— Jingle Bells Brown (@JB_AU) December 11, 2014
It has bemused many people that Tony Abbott has members of his own Liberal Party in his sights, including members of his government:
Extraordinary. In defending Peta Credlin, Abbott accuses his Liberal colleagues of misogyny. Terrible stuff that misogyny. #auspol
— Errol Brandt (@e2mq173) December 11, 2014
Some have wondered if this new approach might bring some positive action:
It’s nice that the PM has recognised sexism is a serious issue in politics. Now, what will he *do* about it? http://t.co/usIraBps7O #auspol
— Santa On Raj (@senthorun) December 12, 2014
There are doubts that the prime minister will be able to put the gender card back in the pack:
Abbott plays gender card over Credlin: THE PM has stoked a new gender war in defence of his chief-of-staff, sa… http://t.co/0w1lrAwzZX
— News 24h AUS (@news24haus) December 12, 2014
Marie Ryan seems to capture the general feeling:
How many other peeps had to pick themselves off the floor when Abbott declared Peta a victim of sexism? http://t.co/SlDL1ACOPu
— Marie Ryan (@cybahound) December 12, 2014

author: Kevin Rennie


text:
Ukrainian Hackers Leak Russian Interior Ministry Docs with ‘Evidence’ of Russian Invasion  · Global Voices
Aric Toler

Images mixed by Tetyana Lokot.
Hacking collectives on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia information war have been instrumental in revealing key facts and documents that some would prefer to remain hidden. The latest leak by Ukrainian hackers purports to reveal new evidence of Russian soldiers’ presence in Ukraine.
On Friday, Ukrainian activist Evgeniy Dokukin and Ukrainian Cyber Forces, the hacktivist group he founded earlier this year, released 1.7GB of files taken from the Russian Interior Ministry. Later, Dokukin released an additional 34GB of data from the Interior Ministry servers, most of which has not yet been fully analyzed by journalists.
As with most leaks, most notably the September hack of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), the majority of the leaked documents are overwhelmingly useless and dull. However, as in the case of the LDPR leak, evidence of Russian involvement in eastern Ukraine can be found buried underneath heaps of bureaucratic minutiae. While most of the files are inconsequential, the fact that they originate from the Rostov branch of the Interior Ministry is intriguing, as the Rostov region in Russia shares a border that spans hundreds of miles with eastern Ukraine.
Dokukin told RuNet Echo that he and the Ukrainian Cyber Forces hacked an e-mail account of the Russian Interior Ministry and two other servers, and that they also gained access to additional information that has not yet been publically released. Dokukin says he has personally not spent much time reviewing the documents taken from the Ministry server, but instead relies on journalists to parse through the gigabytes of information.
The Ministry Files
Even a quick look through the hundreds of documents makes it immediately clear that either all or nearly all of them are the real deal. A truly massive amount of manpower would have been necessary to fabricate the level of detail in the reports and lists in this leak, including metadata that seems genuine. For example, in a randomly selected document from the archive the document’s content and metadata all check out. Take, for instance, an “Overview of the state of the rule of law and public safety during public events held in the first quarter of 2014” from the General Directorate for the Protection of Public Order (GUOOOP). According to the metadata, the document was created on April 29, 2014 by Sergei Lukin, who, according to a number of news articles, is the Deputy Head of the same department. It is possible that a Ukrainian hacker spent months forging thousands of documents that perfectly match the style and content of Russian paperwork, along with matching metadata, but common sense and Occam’s razor would lead one to believe otherwise.
The most interesting document in the cache of files so far may be a police account written on August 26 describing the circumstances of an August 25 battle between Russian soldiers and the Ukrainian National Guard “10 km northwest of the small village of Prognoi.” The reason why the Interior Ministry—and not the Foreign Affairs Ministry—wrote this account is because four of the Russian soldiers sustained injuries and were evacuated to a Rostov garrison hospital. With independent verification, this police account could serve as proof of the Russian government’s knowledge of its military units operating in, or at the border of, a foreign country and firing upon its soldiers. This verification is not terribly hard to find.
Screenshot of the report that corroborates evidence of Russian soldiers's engagement with Ukrainian counterparts. Image from Google Docs.
On August 26, Andriy Lysenko, the spokesperson of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, gave a briefing detailing an attack on Ukrainian border guards in the area of Krasnaya Talovka, which lies almost exactly 10 kilometers northwest of the small village of Prognoi. The Ukrainian account of this battle matches the account given by the Russian Interior Ministry.
Ukrainian account:
25 августа на участке “Красная Таловка” Луганской области была выявлена диверсионно-разведывательная группа, которая пересекла границу с территории России. В 15:00 хорошо замаскированный пограничный наряд автоматным огнем остановил продвижение диверсантов. Для подкрепления к месту боя прибыли дополнительные оперативно-боевые группы пограничников. Ожесточенный бой с российскими наемниками длился 2,5 часа. Диверсионная группа поддерживалась огнем из Российской Федерации – из минометов, 2 БТР и 2 БМП. Кроме того, украинских пограничников обстреляли неуправляемыми реактивными снарядами 2 боевых вертолета Ми-24 Вооруженных сил РФ. Во время боя погибли 4 пограничники, 3 ранены. Благодаря действиям героев прорыв через границу не состоялся. Противник понес значительные потери. Раненых и убитых диверсантов с поля боя в России эвакуировали на БМП под прикрытием огня БТРов и вертолетов.
On August 25 in the area of “Krasnaya Talovka” of the Luhansk oblast, a sabotage and reconnaissance group which crossed the border from Russia was detected. At 3:00pm, a well-disguised border detail used automatic weapons to stop the advance of the saboteurs. Additional operational combat groups of border guards arrived at the battle as reinforcements. The fierce battle with Russian mercenaries lasted for two-and-a-half hours. The diversionary group was supported with fire from mortars, two APCs, and two IFVs from the Russian Federation. Additionally, Ukrainian border guards were fired upon by unguided rockets from two Mi-24 combat helicopters of the Russian armed forces. During the battle, four border guards died and three were wounded. Thanks to the actions of the heroes, a breakthrough across the border did not occur. The enemy suffered significant losses. The wounded and killed saboteurs were evacuated from the battlefield in Russia with an IFV under the cover of fire from APCs and helicopters.
Leaked Russian document:
25.08.2014 около 15.50 при выполнении служебных обязанностей произошел факт получения ранений в ходе боестолкновения с войсками Нацгвардии р. Украина в 10 км северо-западнее х. Прогной Тарасовского р-на рядовыми к/с в/ч №51182 Полстянкиным М. В., Волгиным О. Ю., Алексеевым Ю. А., Герасименко А. А., проходящими службу в в/ч 51182 н. п. Миллерово. В 18.52 25.08.2014 вертолетом Ми-8 ВС РФ раненые эвакуированы в Ростовский гарнизонный военный госпиталь.
On August 25, 2014 around 3:50pm, M.V. Polstyankin, O.Yu. Volgin, Yu.A. Alekseev, and A.A. Gerasimenko, serving in contracted Unit 51182 of the Millerovo locality, suffered injuries in the performance of official duties during a clash with the forces of the National Guard of Ukraine 10km north-west of the small village of Prognoi of the Tarasovsky region. At 6:52pm on August 25, 2014, the wounded were evacuated to the Rostov garrison hospital via a Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian armed forces.
There are additional details from the leaked document that can be independently verified, especially through a Gruz 200 investigation of Mikhail Polstyankin, a Russian soldier who perished during the battle near Krasnaya Talovka. Gruz (Cargo) 200, referencing the code name of the transport for Russian military casualties, is an advocacy group that has documented Russian military casualties in the Ukrainian conflict. Presenting four pieces of evidence, including a Facebook post of a family friend on August 28 reporting the death of a Mikhail Polstyakin on August 25, Gruz 200 makes a convincing case that corroborates the account found in the leaked Interior Ministry document.
This leak is almost certainly genuine and provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Russian Interior Ministry, though limited to the Rostov branch. There are other interesting details in this set of documents, such as Russia’s concern about weapons being trafficked from Ukraine, but the August 26 report documenting four injuries—one of which led to a death—of Russian soldiers confirms what nearly everyone has already suspected: Russia has used its official, enlisted military personnel to engage in combat with Ukrainian soldiers.
Ukrainian Cyber Forces
Dokukin has not exactly been secretive about his part in the ongoing cyber warfare. He frequently gives interviews and boasts of his group’s successes online. Other than his hack of the Russian Interior Ministry servers, Dokukin provided RuNet Echo with a list of ongoing operations of the “Ukrainian Cyber Forces,” including the blocking of accounts belonging to pro-Russian separatists on electronic payment systems, such as Yandex Money Wallet, and performing DDoS (distributed-denial-of-service) attacks on pro-separatist websites, such as novorosnews.ru and novorossia.co.
When asked about how he and the Ukrainian Cyber Forces differ from pro-Russian hacking groups, such as CyberBerkut, Dokukin says that the Russian hackers work under the Russian FSB (Federal Security Service), while his group, he claims, acts independently and is conducting a “Cyber ATO” (anti-terrorist operation) against the “terrorist and Russian aggressors” on the Internet. Furthermore, Dokukin sees Ukrainian Cyber Forces’ work as patriotic, as he believes that what they do “protect[s] Ukraine from their [Russia’s] invasion.”
It's cyber war. And we fight against web sites, e-mails, accounts of terrorists in social networks and their videos and channels on YouTube. But some of our operations [are] related to off-line, like those in June-August with SMS-spamming and call-spamming on terrorists’ phones, and especially blocking funding accounts of terrorists, which decrease possibilities of terrorists in real war.
Dokukin and Ukrainian Cyber Forces say that the goal of the Interior Ministry hack was to “find information about [the] Russian war against Ukraine.” Although a wealth of information is now available online for checking and verification, it is unclear how the Ukrainian law enforcement and security services might use this leaked ‘evidence.’ Russian officials, meanwhile, continue to deny the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine or their involvement in the conflict.

author: Aric Toler


text:
Gezi’s Echo and the Battle for Public Spaces in Turkey · Global Voices
Ece Basay

Screenshot from video shown at the meeting and shared by MODE Istanbul
As noted in a recent Global Voices article, the Gezi protests in Turkey were born in large part out of a desire to reclaim the public sphere, and lay the foundations of a culture of progress through participation. Gezi remains a powerful symbol for people in Turkey who want to have a say in what goes on in their neighbourhood and urban environment.
However, calls for mass participation and collective action in Turkey did not begin with Gezi, and they certainly have not ended with it.
On December 13, like-minded people gathered at the Radical Democracy Urban Encounter, organized by MODE Istanbul, a creative collective. The RDUE is a space for sharing experiences and creating visual products that highlight efforts to make cities work on behalf of the many, rather than the few.
Piano recital during Gezi protests. Shared by takethesquare.
The event took place as part of Which Human Rights? Film Festival, and the main purpose was to discuss different ways of reclaiming public spaces. Within this scope, seven different people from different backgrounds shared their stories and their ideas.
Some of the civic organisations represented at the workshop defined themselves as Children of Gezi, while others have been active for years.
Below are three of the seven public space experiences highlighted at the forum.
A garden for all
One of the best examples of the battle for public spaces in Turkey is the struggle over Istanbul's Kuzguncuk garden, ongoing since 1992.
Kuzguncuk garden has been a public space for 700 years, and a crucial component of its eponymous neighbourhood, where residents grow vegetables and use the area to sit and relax.
However, for more than two decades there have been persistent attempts to convert Kuzguncuk garden into a zone for housing or other purposes. Last year, Kuzguncuk residents opposed alleged plans to construct a private school on the garden's territory.
Bogachan Dundaralp, an award winning architect who spoke at the Radical Democracy Urban Encounter, is actively involved in defending the garden, a process he has tracked on his personal blog.
Amid threats to the garden, Dundaralp served as a bridge between residents and the government, lobbying for the garden to be safeguarded. Thanks to combined efforts the garden seems safe as a public space for now.
Bostan kurtulduysa sebebi bence onleyici eylem & somut alternatif cozum onerisi. Budur! Sirf protestoyla fark yaratilmaz. #kentkarsilasmasi
— Mertalt (@mertalt) December 13, 2014
If the garden is saved, it is thanks to preventive actions & concrete alternative solution proposals. This is it! You can not make a difference only with protests. #urbanmeeting
Taking back the streets
Arzu Erturan is another influencer. She is president of Sokak Bizim association (The Street is Ours). Her main aim is to ensure livable streets that can belong to people. Sokaklar Bizim creates different events in different parts of Istanbul, helping residents identify the obstacles that can prevent residents from enjoying the city's urban landscape. Now passersby regularly find signs reading “where is the pavement?” posted by Erturan's group on cramped thoroughfares, along with other notices calling for more public ownership of the ground beneath residents’ feet.
#kaldırımnerede pic.twitter.com/QzbEopUleE
— Emre Agatay (@EmreAgatay) December 12, 2013
#whereisthepavement
Preserving Istanbul's ecological integrity
Other organisations such as Kuzey Ormanları Savunması (Northern Forests Defense) face struggles without an end in sight. Their cause is the protection of the ecological integrity of the last forests, water basins, cultivated areas, parks, endemic plants, and animals of Istanbul, located in the city's northern part.
Specific projects the group oppose include the third bridge, the new airport, and many roads currently being built in the north. Kuzey Ormanları Savunması taps into the power of residents living close to these projects, and represents their claims.
The situation in the city's north is well summarised by this tweet:
Anlatılan çocuklarının hikayesidir. Kuzey Ormanları Uyarıyor “beni yok ettiniz” http://t.co/WL1qOCizKK #kuzeyormanları #ağlasevgiliyurdum
— Selahaddin Yildirim (@csselo) December 12, 2014
This is your children's story.
Northern Forests warn: “You wiped me out”
#northernforests
#crymybelovedcountry
Civic action against the construction-heavy approach to urban development afflicting Turkey's largest city takes many forms. In addition to the direct campaigning of many of the groups present at RDUE, there are also citizen media portals like 140journos, alternative mapping projects, art collectives, and efforts to document urban life from different perspectives as gentrification proceeds apace.
Each of these efforts has a major role to play in terms of reclaiming and redefining public spaces.
The first RDUE is likely to be followed by many others, as momentum grows towards creating a greener, more social, more democratic existence in Turkey's largest city.

author: Ece Basay


text:
Massive Oil Spill Threatens Bangladesh’s Sundarbans · Global Voices
Rezwan

Spotted deers forage at the Kokilmoni forest in the Sundarbans, a UNESCO world heritage site. Bagerhat, Bangladesh. Image by Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman. Copyright Demotix (5/11/2014)
An oil tanker carrying 358,000 liters (almost 100,000 gallons) of furnace oil sank in the Shela river on December 7, spilling oil over more than 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) of the Sundarbans. Located on in southwest Bangladesh, the Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal mangrove forest in the world, covering approximately 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 square miles), of which 60 percent is in Bangladesh. The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger, and provides sanctuary to many other species.
@stephenfry Pls RT: “Oil spill threatens wildlife esp. rare dolphins & birds of Sundarbans-BD” #SundarbansDisaster pic.twitter.com/WtuoRccvZS
— Faiyaz Taifur (@FaiyazTaifur) December 12, 2014
1st ever @oilslick in the #Sunderbans threatens world's largest @mangrove ecosystem, a @UNESCO World @HeritageSite http://t.co/NrqAVtyRZS
— SALEEM SAMAD (@saleemsamad) December 12, 2014
Disaster in #Sundarbans >> Sela banks turn pitch black Sinking oil tanker was actually a modified and… http://t.co/2YIFoLihPb
— Polash Datta (@polashdatta) December 11, 2014
The #oilspill at #sundarban threatens hundreds of endangered species. @wwwfoecouk @wbclimatechange @the_ecologist pic.twitter.com/Z0G8SKHaAd
— Rumi Ahmed (@rumiahmed) December 13, 2014
According to reports, the new oil spill threatens the Mrigmari-Nondabala-Andharmanik dolphin sanctuary. Mangrove trees are also highly susceptible to oil pollution—indeed, they are expected to start dying after the area's aquatic life, which is typically first to perish. Fahim Hassan has put together an infographic on Flickr explaining the details of the devastation.
According to images Mowgliz Elisabeth Rubaiyat posted on Facebook, the disaster is already killing some animals. Local authorities appear to be outside their depth, never before having confronted so large an oil spill, and lacking the necessary infrastructure to respond properly. Al Jazeera reports several local fishermen have resorted to cleaning up the spill using sponges and sacks.
Many on Twitter have questioned the authorities’ response:
Talk to the org that worked after 2010 Gulf oil spill! Seriously guys … “Authorities clueless in the Sundarbans” http://t.co/z7vZPqVSuf
— Sumaiya Shams (@sumaiya_s) December 12, 2014
A #Bangladesh govt minister says a UK company has offered to clean up 60-km oil slick that is threatening the Sunderbans mangrove forest.
— Sabir Mustafa (@Sabir59) December 12, 2014
#SundarbansDisaster Recovery efforts with pots and pans http://t.co/i3BGDwrw6P
— Faiyaz Taifur (@FaiyazTaifur) December 12, 2014
To help in the relief effort, the government dispatched a ship to the area carrying oil dispersants. If such chemicals are released incorrectly, however, it can harm the local ecology still further. Four days later, the state's efforts seem to have had little effect, exacerbating fears of a lasting ecological disaster.
59 hours gone-by http://t.co/JThyipvfep #Bangladesh starts sparying oil neutraliser in #Sundarbans river #BD #OilSpill #DhakaTribune
— Polash Datta (@polashdatta) December 11, 2014
Bangladesh's Water Transport Minister says locals were able to stop the oil from entering the forrest, using nets, and they're also working to remove the oil from the water, to keep the situation from becoming worse. The national Forest Department is leading the operation with 100 boats and 200 fishermen.
The Forest Department has filed a lawsuit for 1 billion Bangladeshi taka (about $13 million) against the owners of the two cargo ships responsible for the spill.
Just a month ago, before the spill, the Sunderbans mangrove forest looked like this:
Blogger Ahmed Sharif criticizes the government's ill-planned disaster-management strategy, saying it misunderstands the issue:
দুর্যোগ ব্যবস্থাপনা বলতে কি শুধু বন্যা-জলোচ্ছ্বাস বোঝায়? গত দুই দশকে অর্থনৈতিক দিক থেকে দ্রুত অগ্রগতির সাথে সাথে যেসব ঝুঁকির সৃষ্টি হয়েছে, সেগুলির জন্যে আমরা নিজেদের তৈরি করতে পারিনি। নদীতে জাহাজের সংখ্যা আগের চেয়ে বহুগুণ বেড়ে গেছে, কিন্তু তার সাথে পাল্লা দিয়ে তৈরি হয়নি মনিটরিং এজেন্সিগুলি। জাহাজ তৈরি হচ্ছে যথেচ্ছভাবে, যাত্রী নেওয়া হচ্ছে অতিরিক্ত, ফিটনেসবিহীন জাহাজ চলছে, নদীর পানি দূষণ করছে জাহাজের বর্জ্য, নদীর মাঝে পার্ক করে রাখা হচ্ছে জাহাজ, সঠিক যন্ত্রপাতি ছাড়াই চলছে জাহাজ, চলাচলের সময় ঠিক করে দেয়ার পরেও কেউ মানছেনা – কেউ দেখার নেই। কাজেই দুর্ঘটনার সম্ভাবনা প্রতিদিন বেড়েই চলেছে। আর দুর্ঘটনার সম্ভাবনা বাড়লেও সেটার জন্যে প্রস্তুতি নেই আমাদের।
Is disaster-management confined to floods and cyclones? In past decades, the country has seen accelerated economic development and increased risks. But we could not keep pace to prepare ourselves for those added risks. The commercial ships in our waterways have multiplied, but our monitoring agencies couldn't keep up. Many ships are being built outside the proper guidelines, carrying passengers over their capacity. Many ships are unfit to operate, they dispose of waste improperly, they block waterways indiscriminately, they break schedules—nobody is monitors any of this. So there is an increased risk of accidents, and we are not prepared for these accidents and disasters.
YouTube user A. K. M. Wahiduzzaman uploaded a video capturing the devastation of the oil spill:
The body of the first dolphin, a rare Irrawadi dolphin, to die in this incident was discovered last Friday. According to reports, the Padma Oil Company has managed to remove about 10,000 liters (about 2,600 gallons) of oil in its cleanup efforts, so far. The company is offering to pay volunteer cleanup-workers 30 Bangladeshi taka (about 40 cents) for every liter (about 34 ounces) of oil recovered.
Singer and blogger Mac Haque comments on Facebook:
What is perplexing is the rudimentary cleaning operation. With offer of Taka 30/= per litre for furnace oil recovered, thousands have jumped in, not to save the Sundarbans but to eke an existence. Obviously for the poorest of the poor this is a windfall. However, have not heard anyone talk about the risk to human health from dangerous toxins in the furnace oil. Anywhere else in the world the Government would have faced public litigation suit for endangering citizens health. I see thousands of poor and ignorant people dying in the days ahead thanks to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation's myopic decision. Our focus should not only be for hunt of dead dolphins – but contaminated humans!
There have been protests demanding that the authorities ban merchant ships and cargo vessels from using the rivers and channels of the Sundarbans. Absent effective government measures, Bangladesh will have to keep relying on civil society and volunteers in this environmental crisis.

author: Rezwan