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Anti-Government Protests Rock Bulgaria’s New Leadership · Global Voices
Nevena Borisova

The appointment of a controversial deputy from Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish political party as the head of the country's National Security Agency has set in motion a huge wave of protests throughout the country. Against the only two-week-old government.
More than 10,000 people gathered in the capital city of Sofia on June 14, 2013 after Delyan Peevski, a media magnate and a member of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), who has been involved in several corruption scandals in recent years, was confirmed for the key post after just a 15-minute vote in the National Assembly without any debate.
The enormous protest was organized within a few hours through social networks and, although torrential rain poured on the city, thousands of people showed up in front of government headquarters. Protests were organized in provincial areas of the country as well. Six days later the protests continue.
Thousands gather to protest in the streets of Sofia. Photo from Saprotiva (Resistance) website. Used with permission.
After the first day of the unexpected mass protests, Peevski announced that he is ready to withdraw from the post.
Despite his announcement, in the following days the demonstrations continued on an even larger scale. On June 16, 15,000 people gathered for an anti-government protest against the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party and the allied ethnic Turkish MRF Party, who had previously endorsed Peevski's appointment.
The demonstrations are putting pressure on the new government, which only came to power with the May 12, 2013 election after the resignation of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's government in February. That government stepped down following nationwide protests against high electricity prices, low living standards, and multiple corruption scandals. Those still recent protests, unprecedented at the time, are now being rivaled by the enormity of the current demonstrations, which appear to be even bigger.
Bulgarian blogger and journalist (including in GV)Ruslan Trad expressed [bg] his own observations about the protesters this time around on Facebook:
Не мога да отрека едно много важно нещо за сегашните протести – профилът на недоволните е различен. Видях много мои любими хора, приятели, познати, някои от които никога не са протестирали. Представете си колко мотивация им дава правителството, за да излязат на улицата?
I cannot deny one thing of high importance related to the protests – the profile of the indignant is different now. I saw many of my beloved people, people I know, some of whom have never protested. Imagine what motivation they have because of the government in order to go out in the street?
Journalist Luboslava Russeva had this to say [bg] about the events and Peevski's background, marked by a streak of scandals and controversies:
Да се коментира този чудовищен цинизъм изглежда трудна задача, така че ще пробвам да загрея с някои факти от възходящата кариера на „силната ръка“.
„Капитал“ припомня, че най-големият скандал, в който е замесено името му към онзи момент, е свързан с приватизацията на столичната зала „Универсиада“ и спортния комплекс „Тотошанс“ в Златни пясъци.
Историята е следната:
Майката на Пеевски – Ирена Кръстева, е шеф на Българския спортен тотализатор. Покрай нея, синът се сближава със спортния министър Васил Иванов-Лучано. Така имотите се оказват апортирани от държавната фирма „Олимпика“ ЕАД в смесено дружество, в което участва частна фирма, свързвана със самия Лучано.
It seems to be a difficult task for one to comment on this monstrous cynicism, so I will try to warm up with some facts about the progressive career of Mr. “Strong Arm”.
The Bulgarian weekly newspaper Capital reminds us of the biggest scandal which Peevski's name is attached to, which is related to the privatisation of Universiade Hall in Sofia and a sport complex in the seaside resort Goled Sands.
The story goes as follows:
Peevski's mother – Irena Krasteva, is the head of the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator [Bulgarian national lottery organization]. Along with her, Peevski became close to then Minister of Sport Vasil Ivanov – Lucano. And that is how these properties are revealed to have been separated from a state company into public-private partnership, in which a private company participates, and Lucano's name is related.
In recent years, corruption scandals such as the one described by Russeva above have become common practice and common knowledge among Bulgarian citizens. Among other such scandals, Delyan Peevski was fired in 2007 from his then post as Deputy Minister for Disaster Management after a corruption row. As Sofia Echo reported then, Peevski was restored to the post of examining magistrate in Sofia by a decision of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on November 14, 2007. Due to this history, Peevski's appointment for the head of the National Security Agency earned strong reactions online.
A protester in Sofia carries a sign saying: “The lack of evolution in you leads to a revolution in us!” Photo by Ivaylo Nenov. Used with permission.
Another Bulgarian journalist, Svetlana Georgieva, lamented the appointment [bg] of Peevski in an editorial in the daily newspaper Sega:
Най-тежките ни кошмари се сбъднаха. България вече не е демократична парламентарна република. След избора на Делян Пеевски за председател на Държавната агенция “Национална сигурност” (ДАНС), след най-вонящата сделка на века, България е с олигархично държавно устройство.
One of our worst nightmares became reality. Bulgaria is not a democratic parliamentary republic anymore. After the appointment of Delyan Peevski as Head of Bulgaria's National Security Agency, after the most repulsive deal of the century, Bulgaria has an oligarchic structure.
Christo Komartnitski, one of Bulgaria's most famous caricaturists, wrote [bg] on Facebook:
Добре де, като се замислих, каква новина е, че мафията си има държава?
Okay, when you think about it, what kind of news is this – the mafia has its own country.
Ivan Bakalov, editor-in-chief of E-vestnik.bg, a Bulgarian alternative online media outlet, commented [bg] in an editorial about the ruling class:
Те напълно изпариха впечатлението, че има нещо експертно в този кабинет. Дори някои министри заради избора на Пеевски станаха смешни и търпят негативи, че участват в този кабинет.
Умряха надеждите, че България има що-годе разумно правителство, което ще спасява страната след управлението на ГЕРБ.
They [the politicians in power] absolutely destroyed the impression that there is any expertise in this cabinet. And even some ministers became ridiculous because of Peevski's appointment and they suffer of the negativity they are part of this particular cabinet.
The hope that Bulgaria has a relatively reasonable government, which will save the country after the ruling of GERB [the former ruling party], has died.
Bakalov added:
Орешарски и БСП имаха звезден миг, който изпуснаха – можеха да се опънат на натиска на ДПС за Пеевски, с цената на отказ от правителство, нови избори наесен и т н. И щяха да оберат овациите и да получат подкрепа от избиратели извън своята периферия… Сега правителството е под въпрос. Не може да се предвиди кога ще има избори.
Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski and the Bulgarian Socialist Party had its moment of fame, which they lost – they could have resisted MRF's pressure for Peevski to be chosen and the cost would have been their resignation and new elections in the autumn. And they could have been applauded for that and have received support from voters out of their perimeter. Now the government's existence is questionable. And one cannot predict when elections will be called.
As the previous government resigned and called for an early election following protests, it seems the same is expected of this government or rather of part of the ruling majority, the Socialist Party. Some, as Bakalov above, are revolted that the Socialist Party seems to be giving in to the pressure of the MRF, with whom they have formed the ruling majority, to preserve this new government. The protests and mass dissatisfaction with the government in Bulgaria continue.

author: Nevena Borisova


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Belize: Conservation Limits?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Belize is facing a difficult balancing act when it comes to determining the limits of environmental and cultural conservation.
Kevin Edmonds at nacla blog explains.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bermuda: A Milestone for Human Rights · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

‘It’s kind of absurd to me that we’re even having this discussion. The God I serve says we are to love one another.’
Breezeblog comments on Bermuda's “pass[ing] [of] the amendment to the Human Rights Act making it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation.”


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Brazil: “Gay Cure” Approved by Chamber of Deputies · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

The proposed law allowing psychologists to undertake treatment to reverse homosexuality was     approved yesterday, June 18, by the Human Rights Commission of the Chamber of Deputies. The     commission president, anti-gay preacher Mr Marco Feliciano, took the opportunity of promoting this issue while everyone was protesting against the issue of reducing the bus fares to approve the ‘gay cure’ project [pt]. There are many online petitions [pt] against the measure.

author: Thiana Biondo


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‘China Open Mic’: Examining China’s Development Footprint in Africa  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Ghanaian government arrested about 169 Chinese illegal miners early June as part of a crackdown on illegal mining in Africa's second largest gold producer. All 169 miners were later released after talks involving the two countries. However, 1,072 Chinese gold miners in Ghana have returned to their homes since the crackdown.
The arrests and the release of the miners were the topic of the very first China Open Mic Google hangout organised by China Open Mic Sunday, June 16, 2013.
China Open Mic logo. Image source: chinaopenmic.com
China Open Mic (@ChinaOpenMic) is an open space that aims to inform and transform thinking on China in global development in the digital age, and to explore how China’s development can benefit all. It offers an open and comprehensive perspective that connects currently divided narratives on a rising China in international media.
Introducing the topic, Andy Shuai Liu, founder and editor of China Open Mic and a communications consultant for international development, wrote:
The recent arrests and release of Chinese miners* in Ghana have started another round of debates over China’s growing presence in Africa. Much has been covered in international media. Many discussions have looked at issues such as China’s foreign investments and Chinese labor in Africa.
One of the ideas that the discussion explored was, does it matter if the cat is white or black?:
If we look back at the recent history, we will be reminded that Deng Xiaoping, the reformist Chinese leader, encouraged economic development by all means when he opened up the Middle Kingdom to the world in 1979.
“It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice,” said Deng.
Today, we may be in a world that is just a bit different. Can we then still say, “Don’t mind the illegal miners, so long as they’ve got us gold”?
Below is the recording of the hangout posted on YouTube:
The panel was composed of specialists in China-Africa relations:
Jemila Abdulai (@jabdulai), founder and editor of Circumspect, a blog on Ghana, Africa and development
Shuang Bin (TBC), scholar in democracy and governance with a focus on China-Africa relations
Hongxiang Huang, freelance journalist for Southern Weekly and the Atlantic, founder of China-South Dialogue and business representative for a Chinese company in Kenya.
Merlin Linehan (@MerlinLinehan) (TBC), founder of advisory firm China in Africa and specialist in trade and investment in China and other emerging markets
Winslow Robertson (@Winslow_R), historian, specialist in China-Africa relations, and founder of the Sino-Africa DC group
The panel addressed the following questions:
What are the historical linkages between China and Ghana?
How are the poor in Ghana and in China related to the escalation of the dispute over gold mining?
What are the challenges for both China and Ghana to ensure that their development efforts are fair to, and can benefit, all?
Looking ahead, how can China, Africa and international communities work together to strengthen the rule of law and promote good governance for optimal development outcomes?
In this post, Andy Shuai Liu, who was the moderator of the hangout, shared a summary of what he learned:
1. How do local people think of illegal mining and Chinese miners in Ghana?:
Jemila Abdulai: Foreign investors, including Chinese ones, make profits with Ghana’s gold but do not invest back in local communities where people’s livelihoods largely depend on gold
2. How is the Western media covering these issues?:
Winslow Robertson: Media coverage in the U.S. and Europe is split between balanced reports linking to the facts and reports that might be over-interpreting the issue
3. How have China and Ghana interacted historically?:
Winslow Roberts: This is one of the situations where the Chinese government and the Ghanaian government have friendly relations; but then Chinese citizens and Ghanaian citizens in different sectors might have different relations.
4. According to Deng Xiaoping, the reformist leader who opened up China to market economy and foreign investments in 1979, “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice.” Does it matter now which cat catches the mice?
Hongxiang Huang: Yes, the black cat and the white cat can both catch mice. But maybe in the long run, the black cat, [for example]… does not only catch the mice. It can also damage the furniture… and cause other problems.
See the full summary here.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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China Shoots Down Accusations that Edward Snowden is a Spy · Global Voices
Owen Guo

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower behind the revelations of the United States massive Internet spying program, turned to the Guardian newspaper once again, this time for an online Q&A, shortly after China broke its silence over the leaking scandal and said that he was not a spy for the country.
Chinese Foreign Ministry has been tight-lipped for the past week on the Snowden saga. Its belated response—still very much carefully worded— came amid intensified media frenzy on what many believe to be the biggest intelligence leak in US history.
The Ministry’s spokeswoman Hua Chunying denied that Snowden might be a spy for China, calling such allegations “sheer nonsense”. She also urged the US to heed the international community’s concerns about the surveillance programs and offer a “necessary explanation”.
Daily News Briefing at Chinese Foreign Ministry. Photo by Owen.
In the 90-minute Q&A session with British newspaper the Guardian on June 17, 2013, the 29-year-old former CIA worker retained his strong-willed demeanor: “All I can say right now is the US government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me. Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.” Snowden is believed to have conducted the online chat in an undisclosed location in Hong Kong, where he is currently seeking refugee.
The furious debate over privacy versus security initiated by Snowden’s explosive revelations has the potential to spill over into a diplomatic dilemma for Beijing. China under newly appointed leadership has been carefully navigating the treacherous waters of Sino-US relations, making the handling of Snowden's case a high-stakes game.
Some US politicians have pushed for an extradition of Snowden for him to face prosecution back home. But half of Hong Kong residents believe Snowden should not be extradited, according to a poll in the Sunday Morning Post.
Despite a cautious response from the government, China's online world has been abuzz with chatter surrounding Snowden.
Zui Mowen is now residing in US. On popular Chinese microblogging service Sina Weibo, she ranted about what she believes to be unbalanced reports in the US media:
美国大部分媒体报道Snowden事件，几乎完全不提及Prism计划及其具体内容，多半以“泄漏国家重要文件”的方式报道。少数提及了泄露的是国家关于安全监控方面的计划……
Most US media reports of Snowden practically made no mention of Prism programs and its content, they reported [the incident] in the context of “leaking state secrets”. Only a handful mentioned that what has been leaked is associated with security surveillance programs by the state.
China's national broadcaster CCTV posted the official response on its Weibo:
CCTV NEWS【斯诺登：我不是中国间谍】斯诺登昨日接受全球网友提问时，明确表示他不是中国间谍。他强调自己只与媒体合作，没有接触过中国政府。中国外交部发言人华春莹当日表示，说斯诺登可能与中方有合作，是中国的“间谍”，这完全是无稽之谈。美方应该给国际社会一个必要的解释
CCTV NEWS【Snowden: I am not spy for China】In answering questions from questions filed by netizens across the globe, Snowden said he is not a spy for China. He stressed that he only cooperates with media, and hasn't contacted the Chinese government. The idea that Snowden is a “spy” for China and might be cooperating with the Chinese government is completely unfounded and groundless, spokeswomen for Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying said on the same day. She also said US needs to give the international community an explanation.
Former head of Google China Kaifu Lee urged non-partisan perspective when examining the Snowden case:
最近发了几条斯诺登和Prism的微博，批评美国政府，并讨论网络时代人权脆弱，惊见有人对我评论：“李开复打右灯向左拐，意欲如何？难道要走五毛的路？” 左右派的朋友们：我们都有思考能力，何不就事论事呢？无论美国中国，做得好的就赞赏；做得不好的就批评。不明事理站队，只能证明自己没有思考能力。
I wrote a few Weibo postings on Snowden and Prism and criticized the US government, I also ranted about the weakening human rights in the Internet era. I was shocked to see how some people responded to me: “Kaifu Lee looks one way but rows another? What does he mean to do? Is he trying to promote the communist party online?”  Friends from both the leftist and rightist faction: We all have the ability to think, why don’t we judge a case as it stands? For both US and China, we should applaud when they do good things. And we need to criticize when they mess things up. To choose one faction without making sense of the whole situation only proves that you lack the ability to think.
Li Mu, a columnist residing in Canada, was very hawkish:
斯诺登是卖国贼，可能是中国间谍——这是美国前副总统切尼的最新声讨。还以为美国人能骂出什么花样呢，也不过就这德性……
Snowden is a traitor, or he might be a spy for China—This is the latest accusation leveled at him by US former Vice President Cheney. I thought the US might come up with a new way to name call, look at yourself [what you have done]…..
Jingying_Dong_Ras from Beijing wrote:
斯诺登会不会成为下一个阿桑奇，北京和港府需要认真权衡得失利弊。华盛顿引渡斯回国的决心已定，能否促成还要看北京如何去考量这件事的短期和长远影响。目前能够看到的是，北京和香港一直在踢球。有意思的一点，足球场上成为笑柄的北京这次或许有可能在中美外交中真正“亮剑”。
Will Snowden be the next Assange? Beijing and Hong Kong need to carefully calculate. Washington is determined to extradite [him], whether that will materialize or not will depend on how Beijing would gauge the short-term and long-term repercussions of it. What we can see for now is that Beijing and Hong Kong have been “passing balls” to each other. Interestingly, Beijing just failed a football match, but perhaps it will show some skills in China-US diplomacy.

author: Owen Guo


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Colombia: Learning from Vallenato · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Amongst Colombian users of Twitter, the trend of publishing phrases from Vallenato songs -under the tag #Elvallenatomeenseñó [es] (Vallenato taught me)- has emerged, with the intention of highlighting famous lyrics immortalised in songs that reflect different life lessons.
As a musical genre, Vallenato is defined in Wikipedia as “native folk music from the Colombian Caribbean Coast […]. Traditionally, it is played with three instruments: the  Diatonic Button Accordion, the Guacharaca and the Caja Vallenata drum. Vallenato has five different rhythms which are the , the , the , the  and the . Vallenato is also played with the Guitar and with the same instruments as Cumbia in cumbiambas and groups that play with the millo”.
Vallenato forms a fundamental part of Colombian culture and it could be said that it is one of the most characteristic features of the country's history.
Alexandra Osorio (@alexaaOsorioo) [es] published:
@alexaaOsorioo: #ElVallenatoMeEnseño que si me llego a morir, no la culpen a ella culpen a mi corazón que se enamoro sin conocerla ♪
@alexaaOsorioo: #ElVallenatoMeEnseño (Vallenato taught me) that if I die, don't blame her, blame my heart that fell in love without knowing her. ♪
Margy Salgado (@Mar_FisioUMB) [es] also joined in with the Vallenato song “Parranda, Ron y Mujer” (Party, Rum and Women):
@Mar_FisioUMB: #ElVallenatoMeEnseñó yo gozo mi vida y otro que la sufra, porque con lamentos no se gana NADA (Diomedez Diaz)
@Mar_FisioUMB: #ElVallenatoMeEnseñó (Vallenato taught me) I enjoy my life and another suffers, because with moaning, you gain NOTHING (Diomedez Diaz)
For her part, Gabriela Nava (@gabyNava12) [es] maintains that it is impossible not to love Vallenato:
“Impossible not to love you, Vallenato of my soul. You turn my sadness into happiness”. Image shared by @gabyNava12 en Twitter.
The user ‘David no existe’ (David doesn't exist) (@Tuunicoacosador) [es] remembers one of the most emblematic Vallenatos in the history of this genre: “Obsesión” (Obsession) by the group El Binomio de América (The Binomial of America).
@Tuunicoacosador: #ElVallenatoMeEnseño que quisiera que el mundo girara al revés, para hacerme pequeño y volver a nacer, y así no tener que extrañarteee.
@Tuunicoacosador: #ElVallenatoMeEnseño (Vallenato taught me) that I want the world to turn the other way, in order to make me small and to be born again, and thus not have to miss youuu.
Valentina Montoya (@Valenmontoyaa) [es], sings “La indiferencia” (The Indifference):
@Valenmontoyaa: #ElVallenatoMeEnseño que esa indiferencia tuya es la que me domina, me hace perder la calma, me hace sentir cosquillas.
@Valenmontoyaa: #ElVallenatoMeEnseño (Vallenato taught me) that your indifference controls me, it makes me lose my calm, it gives me butterflies.
Silvestre Dangond (@Dangond_Ochoa) [es] too, expresses:
@Dangond_Ochoa: #ElVallenatoMeEnseño que no es la plata es el corazón …
@Dangond_Ochoa: #ElVallenatoMeEnseño (Vallenato taught me) that it's not about money, but the heart…
Finally, Dana (@unaejtupida) [es] mentions various, famous young singers and composers.
@unaejtupida: Silvestre me enseño, Kaleth me enseño, Martín Elías me enseño………………..mejor #ElVallenatoMeEnseño.
@unaejtupida: Silvestre taught me, Kaleth taught me, Martín Elías taught me………………..best #ElVallenatoMeEnseño (Vallenato taught me).
More Vallenato
The following are blogs dedicated to Vallenato:
You can also visit the post  that Global Voices published in relation to the festival of the legendary Vallenato that is celebrated annually in Colombia.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Documentary Brasslands Premieres in US  · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

The Guča Trumpet Festival, also known as the Dragačevo Assembly, prepares for its 52nd annual edition in Central Serbia, as a documentary following a group of Balkanophile musicians from the U.S., who participated in the festival four years in a row, premieres in Los Angeles and New York.
Brasslands follows this 12-piece band of enthusiastic American-born musicians from New York, as they travel to Serbia to be the first Americans to compete at the renowned Guča festival. For one week of every year, this otherwise insignificant Serbian town explodes with the riotous sounds of half a million brass music fans as bands compete in the world’s biggest trumpet contest.

author: Danica Radisic


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Ecuador Passes Controversial Communications Law  · Global Voices
Gina Yauri

After almost four years of debate, with 108 votes in favor and 26 against, the Ecuadorian National Assembly passed a controversial Law of Communications propelled by President Rafael Correa.
While government authorities have celebrated [es] the passage of the law, journalistic organizations and the opposition consider [es] it a “gag” on freedom of expression in the country.
The law creates a Council of Content Regulation “in order to craft and implement communications policies and regulate media,” as Tania Lara reports on the Centro Knight blog.
As an article [es] on DW explains, the Council on Content Regulation “will have power in spheres such as access to information, content and time slots, development of regulations and reports for the allocation of frequencies, among others. The council will regulate media content that is discriminatory or related to violence. For the media that broadcasts this content, the council would be able to impose sanctions that range from public apologies on behalf of the editors to heavy economic fines.”
The law [es] also prohibits “media lynching,” the spread of information “destined to discredit a person or legal entity or reduce their public credibility.” The regulation also distributes radio and television frequencies, “reserving 33% of these frequencies for public media operations, 33% for private media operations and 34% for community media operations.”
Photo from @PoliticaEc, The official account of the National Secretariat for Policy Management – SNGP reported from the festival that occurred in the outskirts of the Assembly following the passing of the law.
Andrés Páez (@andrespaezid) [es], an assemblyman of the opposition, labeled July 14, 2013, the day that the law was passed, as a “day of mourning”:
@andrespaezid: Hoy es un día fúnebre para el Ecuador. Hoy en la Asamblea Nacional se firma el acta de defunción de la libertad… http://fb.me/MNRlMYk6
@andrespaezid: Today is a day of mourning for Ecuador. Today, in the National Assembly, the act marking the death of freedom was signed… http://fb.me/MNRlMYk6
Mercy Castro (@Mercy2ACastr) [es], journalist for the daily La Hora, a private written publication, wrote in an outrage:
@Mercy2ACastr: Ver al oficialismo festejando la aprobación d la #LeydeComunicación, es tan desagradable como ver a ancianos y niños mendigando en ls calles
@Mercy2ACastr: Seeing government authorities celebrating the passage of the #LeydeComunicación [#LawofCommunications] is as unpleasant as seeing the elderly and children begging in the streets
On the other hand, Isabella Buchelli B. (@IsaBuchelli) [es] reacted as follows:
@IsaBuchelli: Los que se quejan de la #LibertadDeExpresion y de la #LeydeComunicación son los que mas insultan…
@IsaBuchelli: Those who complain about #LibertadDeExpresion [#FreedomofExpression] and the #LeydeComunicación [#LawofCommunication] are the most insulting of them all…
Gabriela Rivadeneira (@gabrielaespais) [es], President of the National Assembly, appeared content upon the passage of the law:
@gabrielaespais: Desde hoy, l@s ecuatorian@s van a tener la voz para reclamar sus derechos que los medios monopólicos les han quitado #LeydeComunicación
@gabrielaespais: As of today, Ecuadorians will have a voice to demand the rights that the media monopolies have taken away from them #LeydeComunicación [#LawofCommunications]
President Rafael Correa has maintained a tense relationship with the press. According to Tania Lara on the Centro Knight blog:
The Correa administration has been characterized by the use of defamation laws to sue journalists and long official messages that interfere with the programming of independent media, according to report by the Committee for the Protection of Journalists.
Last year the Committee for the Protection of Journalists published this video about “Confrontation in Ecuador under Correa”:
The law, which contains 119 articles, now needs to be ratified by President Correa.

author: Gina Yauri


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Egyptians Plan Protests for #June30 to Topple Muslim Brotherhood Rule · Global Voices
Nermeen Edrees

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Egyptians are back to the drawing board planning protests for June 30 to “topple the regime.” The date, being circulated on social media under the hashtag #June30, marks the first anniversary of the rule of President Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood candidate, who was elected after massive protests started on January 25, 2011, had uprooted Hosni Mubarak.
During this year, many Egyptians believe that Morsi's rule has brought more woes to Egypt. The utter deterioration in all aspects of the state is igniting the building anger, which will be the backdrop of the #30June protests, which are planned across the country. The main demand of the protests is “down with the president and the Muslim Brotherhood Rule.”
Despite the strong calls and the general agreement on the cause, yet there is an equally strong feeling of discomfort as well as uncertainty clouding up the whole scene.
One of the most common and most important questions being brought up is, do we have a plan? M.J.Y popped the question:
@sotsoy: So what's the plan for #june30? Does the opposition have something in place if they succeed? #tamarod
In a reply to the same question, Ziad M said [ar]:
@ZiadM: يعنى فى الفتره اللى فاتت مفيش ولا حزب سياسى نجح انه يقدم كيان قادر انه يقدم حلول بديله لمشاكل اداره البلد !! كله كلام عايم
During the past period not a single political party has proved capable enough to offer alternate solutions to run the country, they just talk.
Blogger Zeinab Samir believes that participating and encouraging the street to say no is a duty. She wrote in her blog post [ar]:
إنت نازل عشان البنزين أو العيش أو الكهربا أو النيل أو قناة السويس أو الديون أو الجنود اللي بتتخطف أو العيال اللي بتموت في حوادث أتوبيسات أو عشان نازل تقول لأ للإسلاميين اللي صدموك
You are going to protest because of the lack of fuel, electricity, the Nile dilemma, Suez Canal, our debts, our kidnapped soldiers in Sinai, and those who die in bus crashes everyday, or are you protesting to say no to Islamists.
Another side talk about the huge participation of the “felool” or the old regime supporters, who are said to be supportive of the return of the military rule. Yet again, that is not hailed by the masses who were out in the streets throughout a year and half to end the military rule, confirms Egyptian Poet Amin Haddad [ar]:
@AminFHaddad: نطالب بانتهاء حكم الإخوان لا بانتهاء الإخوان ونطالب بأهداف الثورة لا بعودة حكم مبارك والعسكر.
Our demand is to end the Muslim Brotherhood rule and attain the revolution goals and not to have Mubarak or the Supreme Council for Armed Forced (SCAF) back.
In a positive affirmation, Wael Eskandar wrote:
@weskandar: Felool are loyal to their businessmen and Islamists are loyal to their leaders but most revolutionaries are loyal to their values.
The perplexed and hesitant tone however has certainly vanished; whether a revolutionary, felool, decided, or undecided – they have changed their position shortly after a provocative speech given by the Egyptian President in Solidarity with Syria. Fathy Saad, who was hesitant about his participation, said:
@fathysaad: شكرًا #مرسي فقد كنت متردد في النزول يوم ٣٠ يونيو ولكن بعد سماعي لخطابك الغبي حسمت امري وسوف انزل بإذن الله
Thank you Morsi, I was hesitant whether to go down to the streets on June 30th or not, yet after this stupid speech, I have made up my mind, I will take part.
We are 10 days away from #June30, and most governorates have already started daily protests – and the wave of anger seems a bit closer than planned.
For more reactions from Twitter, check out the hashtag #June30.

author: Nermeen Edrees


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Interview: “How Are Things in Bamako, Mali?” · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

Following a long silence after the ninth edition, the tenth video of the series has been just put on line:
Anna Gueye used the opportunity to ask Anne Morin some questions.
Anna Gueye (Global Voices): Why did you create this series?
Anne Morin: Je ne pouvais pas juste rester là à attendre des infos de la presse et je voulais rester en lien avec les amis du Mali et Awa en particulier qui est une amie récente mais avec laquelle je partage beaucoup de choses car elle est aussi réalisatrice de documentaires.
C’est une conversation entre Awa et moi; ce qui moi me soucie c’est par rapport à notre projet d’adoption d’un enfant malien.
Why Mali?
Mes beaux-parents (70 et 75 ans) font de l’humanitaire dans le pays Dogon depuis 10 ans. Ils ont créé une association Jean d’Argile qui en association avec via Sahel a monté un laboratoire biologique dans l’hôpital de Sangha. Cela fait donc des années que je vais au Mali.
In the videos above you say that international adoptions have been stopped in Mali. Why is that?
Tout a commencé avec la promulgation du nouveau code de la famille, en janvier 2012, dont l’article 540 limite l’adoption-filiation aux seuls ressortissants maliens. Pendant quelques mois, malgré tout, l'adoption a continué comme avant. Mais en novembre, la Ministre de la Promotion de l’Enfant, de la Femme et de la Famille, Madame Alwata Ichata Sahi, a décidé d’arrêter les adoptions internationales. Il s’agissait alors de répondre à une lettre du Secrétaire de la Convention de La Haye, traité international régissant l’adoption et dont le Mali est signataire. Cette lettre demandait aux autorités maliennes de se mettre en concordance avec le traité international [qu’elles ont signé] et proposait deux alternatives : (i) soit arrêter les adoptions internationales vers des non-Maliens puisque la  nouvelle loi nationale l’interdisait ; (ii) soit de modifier la loi. Les autorités maliennes ont choisi la première alternative, et sans préavis aucun.
How many prospective adopters are affected?
A l'époque, environ 150 dossiers de candidats étrangers à l'adoption (Français en majorité, Italiens, Espagnols, Canadiens…) avaient été dûment sélectionnés sur des critères moraux et matériels. Leur probité avait alors été reconnue. Ces candidats sélectionnés, attendaient, en confiance, parfois depuis des années, que le Mali leur confie un enfant abandonné. Existait alors un engagement mutuel entre eux et le Mali.
Was a transitional policy considered?
Malheureusement non. La Convention de La Haye est pourtant très précise : Retarder le placement familial permanent d'un enfant, surtout dans les cas de transition pourrait être contraire  au principe supérieur de l'enfant. Or, aucune politique transitoire n'a été mise en place. Les placements n'ont pas été retardés, ils ont brutalement cessé. Et ce qui était cyniquement prévisible advient désormais: l'adoption par les ressortissants maliens étant dérisoire, les pouponnières souffrent d'un effectif pléthorique. Autrefois financées en grande partie par des ONG étrangères de parents adoptifs et candidats à l’adoption, elles ont vus, avec l'arrêt de l'adoption internationale, leur budget fondre. Ce qui signifie, très pragmatiquement qu'elles manquent de tout : eau, lait, nourriture, l'essentiel pour survivre, sans parler de couches ou de biberons ; cela signifie qu'elles ne peuvent plus rémunérer leur personnel, que les enfants manquent de soins (*).
En outre, on soupçonne une recrudescence des infanticides, l'abandon étant interdit au Mali et les pouponnières étant surchargées.
Ce constat ne vient pas de nous. Il est admis de tous les acteurs de l'adoption au Mali qui se sont rassemblés du 16 au 18 mai à Bamako, à l'initiative du Ministère de la Promotion de la Femme et de l'Enfant, lors de l'Atelier de concertation sur l'adoption. Tous se sont accordés sur la nécessité absolue de solutions d'urgence humanitaire.
How might the situation change?
La seule recommandation que préconise le ministère est une modification de la loi et ce après les prochaines élections, prévues  en juillet. Au mieux, ce ne serait donc pas avant de nombreux mois que les apparentements et les adoptions reprendraient.
Les enfants sont déjà en attente et manquent de tout depuis 8 mois. Dans la vie d'un nourrisson, 8 mois sont une éternité. La temporalité de la démarche législative, pour légitime qu'elle soit, ne doit pas venir en opposition avec la temporalité d'un nourrisson.
La solution humanitaire d'urgence est pourtant à portée de main : apparenter les candidats déjà sélectionnés,  ceux-là même qui se sont engagés à aimer et élever dans leur foyer un enfant du Mali dans le respect de sa culture d'origine.
C'est peut-être une lecture interprétative de la loi mais elle a déjà été faire au début du mois de mai 2013 : 8 jugements d'adoption d'enfants apparentés avant octobre 2012  auprès de familles européennes, ont enfin eu lieu. Dans l'intérêt supérieur de l'enfant, et parce qu'il y a urgence, qu'il y a non-assistance à personne en danger, cette interprétation-là est la bonne.
(*) Gifts are regularly sent to nurseries for homeless infants and there, 4 thousand litres of milk has been made up – diapers and clothes should be able to go next week. There are one hundred children available for adoption in Bamako.

author: Anna Gueye


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Miguel Bosé on Peruvian Cuisine · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Spanish singer and artist Miguel Bosé, currently visiting Peru, became a trending topic on Twitter with the hashtag #PreguntasParaMiguelBose [questions for Miguel Bosé] when he refused to answer if he had tried pisco sour and cebiche during a press conference.
Then, Bosé answered tongue in cheek, as reported by website Diario16 [es]:
Bosé dijo con cierta ironía sobre los potajes peruanos: “No sé lo que es el pisco sour ni el cebiche”.
“¿Alguien se cree lo que me está preguntando? […] Las causas [es], la papa a la huancaína. Tengo una excelente cocinera peruana en mi casa. Imagínese si no conozco la comida peruana. Imagínese cuántas veces me he emborrachado con pisco sour desde hace 37 años. ¿Es eso lo que usted quiere saber?, ¿lo que quiere que le cuente?”, indicó Bosé a una periodista.
[…] “Hay que desechar de una vez esas preguntas que se le hacen a una niña o niño de doce años de cuál es tu color preferido”, agregó.
Tongue in cheek, Bosé said about Peruvian dishes: “I don't know what pisco sour nor cebiche are”.
“Is someone listening what she is asking me? […] The causas [es], the papa a la huancaína. I have an excellent Peruvian cook back home. Go figure if I don't know Peruvian cuisine. Go figure how many times I've got drunk with pisco sour for the last 37 years. Is that what you want to know?, what you want me to tell you?”, noted Bosé to a journalist.
[…] “We have to dismiss once and for all those questions posed to a twelve-year old child asking about their favorite color”, he added.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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Russians See Themselves in Turkish Protests · Global Voices
Daniel Alan Kennedy

While Istanbul continues to be rocked by mass demonstrations [en] against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the RuNet has been actively observing and discussing the events. Turkey is a popular holiday destination with Russians, who are drawn there by its beaches, proximity, low prices and a visa-free travel agreement with Russia. Last year alone nearly 3 million Russians visited Turkey. While some interest in current events there can therefore be chalked up to concerns for non-refundable travel packages, Russia itself has been no stranger to street protests in the last two years. Many Russians were quick to draw parallels: both between the two protest movements and the two political leaders.
From the start, most Russian sympathies have tended to be with the protesters, a phenomenon the controversial writer and head of the Other Russia opposition group Eduard Limonov ascribed [ru] to the Russian national character:
Мы, российские граждане, всегда надеемся, что восставшие против своих правительств победят, всегда инстинктивно встаём на их сторону. Объясняется этот феномен крайне просто. Поскольку мы ненавидим своё правительство и всё руководство нашей страны, и хотим, чтобы оно оставило нас, как можно быстрее; мы солидаризируемся инстинктивно с любой борьбой против правительств.
We Russian citizens always hope that those rising up against their governments will win, instinctively flocking to their side. This phenomenon is quite easily explained. As we hate our government and all those who rule our country and want for them to leave us, the quicker the better, we instinctively express our solidarity with any struggle against the state.
“Unrest in Istanbul”, June 11, 2013, Photo by Eser Karadağ CC2.0
Limonov, however, went on to explain that in Turkey's case the sympathy was not just a reflex. Noting the centrality of environmentalism to sparking the Taksim protests, Limonov wrote “the Turks appeared very similar to us, like Chirikova and her Khimki Forest [en].”
Limonov wasn't alone, as many Russians took to Twitter and LiveJournal to express their support of the protesters. Arkady Babchenko, a Russian journalist who blogged about the Istanbul protests from the ground, was highly critical [ru] of Erdoğan's response (he was later detained, beaten [ru] and deported from Turkey [en].)
По поводу переговорщиков (вчера одиннадцать человек ездили к Эрдогану на переговоры, насколько я понял, ни о чем не договорились, но это не точно) – не то, чтобы разброд и шатание, но разговоры уже начались. Очень грамотный ход со стороны Эрдогана. Разделяй и властвуй. Умно. У Путина учится.
As for the negotiators (yesterday [June 12, 2013] eleven people went to Erdoğan for negotiations, as far as I known they haven't reached any agreement, but that's not clear) — it's not so much confusion and disharmony [that they've caused], but people have already started to talk. An expert move on Erdoğan's part. Divide and rule. Clever. He's learning from Putin.
Comparisons of Erdoğan to Putin abounded, particularly on Twitter. Real_Estate_Mos [ru] tweeted:
Эрдоган – это такой турецкий Путин..
Erdoğan is a sort of Turkish Putin
Riffing on both leaders’ fondness for presenting themselves as public servants, sergeiolevskii [ru] tweeted:
Эрдоган: “я слуга народа”.
Путин: “я как раб на галерах”.
Чего же так сложно избавиться от этих слуг и рабов?
Erdoğan – “I'm a servant of the people”
Putin- “I work like a galley slave”
Why is it so hard to get rid of these servants and slaves?
Pro-Putin Russians were reticent to voice their support for Erdoğan, under whose premiership Russo-Turkish relations have soured, particularly over the issue of Syria. Nevertheless, Nikolai Starikov, a hard-line Putin supporter, writer, and conspirologist stated [ru] that the protests had been whipped up by the Americans in order to create disorder in Turkey and force the government to support Syrian opposition fighters, which Starikov alleges they have been trying to avoid:
Не хочет – нужно заставить. И вот «турецкая весна» на улицах. Погромы, драки с полицией, попытки штурма офисов правящей партии. И все из-за планов сноса одного парка, как говорят нам СМИ? Полная чушь. Цель беспорядков – заставить Турцию активно вписаться в сирийский конфликт и помочь исламистам.
[Turkey] doesn't want [to get involved] so they need to be compelled. And there you have it: “The Turkish Spring” is on the streets. Pogroms, clashes with police, attempts to storm the offices of the ruling party. And all from plans to demolish a single park, as the media says? Complete rubbish. The aim of the disturbances is to force Turkey to sign up for the Syrian conflict and help the Islamists.
In the past Starikov has repeatedly claimed the US State Department is behind Russia's opposition movement, as an active means of weakening the country.
Twitter user aliciamillor [ru] made an argument in a series of tweets [ru] that since Erdoğan had offered to hold a referendum on the park, he was better than some other western politicians:
Браво! Эрдоган предложил провести референдум. Того же самого требовали фр-зы по поводу гей браков. Олланд отказал в груб форме,собаками и газом. Вывод – Эрдоган больше демократ чем Олланд.
Bravo! Erdoğan has proposed holding a referendum. The French demanded the same thing for gay marriage. [French President] Hollande refused this very rudely, with dogs and [tear] gas. Consequently, Erdoğan is a bigger democrat than Hollande.
One Russophone group that did seem to mostly support Erdoğan were citizens of the Central Asian republics, most of whom are Turkic peoples, ethnically and linguistically related to the Turks of Anatolia. One user [ru, uz] in Uzbekistan (whose own president responded to popular protest in 2005 by massacring [en] hundreds of people) applauded Erdoğan [ru] for his relative restraint:
Эрдоган поступил правильно , предупредил , не отреагировали , и теперь выгнал всех нахрен !!! и вообще можно было без предупреждении
Erdoğan has acted correctly, he warned [the protesters], they didn't react, and now he's gotten them the hell out of there!!! and anyway, he didn't have to warn them
Another user, Eva_Alli [ru, kg] of Kyrgyzstan, whose country has also been plagued by unstable government, also praised [ru] Erdoğan's steadfastness.
Эрдоган красавчик. нам бы такого. знает, что делает, имеет свою точку зрения и ни перед кем не пасует. лев в мужском роде. одним словом.
Erdoğan is one cool dude. Would that we had someone like that. He knows what he's doing, has his own point of view and nothing gets past him. A sort of a lion, in a word.
Leonine Erdogan is anything but cowardly, according to some RuNet users. YouTube screenshot. June 18, 2013.
Each of these groups of RuNet users perceives Turkey through the prism of their own domestic concerns: members of the opposition see an example to follow, while regime supporters see the disturbances as evidence of foreign meddling and western hypocrisy. Conversely, Central Asians seem to envy their Anatolian cousins for having a more moderate or more decisive leader than they do. While social media has clearly made it much easier for users to closely follow and discuss events thousands of kilometers away, their concerns suggest that for many, all politics is still local.

author: Daniel Alan Kennedy


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Russia’s Bid For International Prestige: A White Elephant? · Global Voices
Nina Jobe

Russia’s President Putin placed his country’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Yekaterinburg last week in a short video posted to his official website. For unexplained reasons, Putin’s appeal was in English and did not contain subtitles.
Many in the Russian blogosphere found the President’s appeal embarrassing, with several noting that Putin was only reading text on a teleprompter and had not memorized the speech [ru]. Another blogger criticized his accent [ru]:
Какой ужасный акцент у него на англ.
What a terrible accent he has in English.
Sochi's Olympic Mascot, 21 February 2010, photo by Jennifer Jones, CC 2.0.
Another joked:
лет ми спик фром май харт. ин инглиш
Let me speak from my heart. In English.
This line previously made the rounds online after Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko gave Russia’s 2018 World Cup acceptance speech in broken, heavily accented English.
Meanwhile, more details emerged about rising construction costs and growing corruption in Sochi, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov released a report on corruption surrounding the games titled, “Winter Olympics in the Sub-Tropics: Corruption and Abuse in Sochi” [English translation here]. In the report, Nemtsov reminded people that the budget for the Olympics has now exceeded $50 billion.
As Nemtsov traveled the press junket, the head of Russia’s Development Bank (VEB) said in an interview [ru] that many of the loans given out for Olympic construction projects are unlikely to be paid back, and that the Russian public will have to make up the difference.
LiveJournal blogger Andrei Malgin posted [ru] a similar story [ru] titled, “The Curse of the White Elephants.” According to folklore, the King of Siam used to gift a white elephant to those he wished to ruin.
Белые слоны почитались как священные животные и не должны были работать, но стоимость содержания слона разоряла получателя такого подарка.
White elephants are revered as sacred animals and should not have to work, but the cost of keeping the elephant ruined the recipient of the gift.
This prompted someone to comment:
А впереди ещё ЧМ-18. Уууу…
And there is still the World Cup in 2018. Oooo…
The budget news for the 2018 World Cup is not promising, either. Russia’s Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, said last week that Russia could not afford to sign a blank check for the World Cup. He cited [en] the Winter Olympic games in Sochi next year as a precedent for setting limits on spending for the World Cup in 2018.
The experience we have in other major events such as Sochi shows that there may be cost-increase issues for some events and proposals to add more items…. For this reason we think it will be reasonable today to make the decision that the sum of additional spending — 250 billion rubles — is final.
When Russia won in December 2010 the privilege of hosting the 2018 World Cup, Putin pledged funding from oligarchs like Roman Abramovich (owner of Chelsea Football Club), saying [en]: “I don’t rule out that Mr. Abramovich may take part in one of these projects…. Let him dip into his pocket a bit. It’s no big deal; he won’t feel the pinch. He has plenty of money.”  Whether or not Abramovich has paid out remains unclear.
Putin dressed as The Joker, standing over Sochi, burning Russia's Olympic cash. Image by Petr Leycans, 13 June 2013.
Commenter Valery Tyukhtin saw something more sinister behind Putin’s bids for international prestige:
России нужны не PR-акции мирового масштаба, а национальные проекты с реально полезными результатами: внедрение передовых технологий, строительство новых современных предприятий, улучшение ЖКХ и т. п. Но Путин, как какой-то диверсант, придумывает всё новые сверх затратные проекты, от которых не будет никакой пользы народу.
Russia does not need these PR projects of a global scale, but national projects with real useful results: the introduction of advanced technologies, the construction of new modern enterprises, improvement of housing and communal services, etc. But Putin, like a saboteur, comes up with all these new super costly projects, which will not benefit the people.
As Putin continues to pursue his policy of using international events to show that Russia is worthy of investment, the country's taxpayers are coming to realize that they are the ones footing the bill.

author: Nina Jobe


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Song, Video Shed Light on Congo War · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

‘In the Congo’ is a song and video that shed light 20 year conflict over minerals used in mobile phones and electronics:
The video is produced and directed by Zavara Mponjika, the respected hip hop pioneer and filmmaker from Tanzania and features New York based female hip hop group Rhyme Like A Girl and Los Angeles based Kenyan Afro-Soul artist Nasambu.


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A Year of Demanding Justice in Paraguay: What Happened in Curuguaty? · Global Voices
Gabriela Galilea

A year after the clash that resulted in the death of 11 farm workers and 6 police officers in Curuguaty, Paraguay, organizations that defend human rights and farm workers point out that the criminal case investigating the incidents is partial and that there were several human rights violations during proceedings, such as executions and subjecting farm workers to torture as acts of revenge.
They suggest that the evidence to support the accusation of 14 farm workers by criminal association, invasion of property, and homicide is insufficient and in some cases “prohibited,” according to the Paraguayan Criminal Procedural Code. The defense and defendants themselves continue claiming that the snipers that infiltrated the campsite were those ones who initiated the fire, which led to the deaths of the first police officers, who were unarmed.
A complete report from the PEICC (Platform for the Study and Research of Farm Worker Conflicts) can be downloaded on Scribd [es]. The report will be used as the basis for the defense of some of the farm workers during criminal proceedings and mentions comprehensive details of the massacre in addition to everything that occurred subsequently.
The facts
On June 15, 2012, Curuguaty, a city located in the Canindeyú department almost in the center of the Republic of Paraguay, was the protagonist in a clash between the police and farm workers following an eviction proceeding.
Since January 18, 2012, close to 50 people found themselves occupying lands known as Marina Cue (a phrase in guaraní that refers to the lands that “were of the navy” due to the fact that the navy used them for some time after being donated to the Paraguayan government). The property of these lands to this day remains the focus of litigation between Campos Morombí S.A. (a company belonging to the politician Blas N. Riquelme) and the Paraguayan government.
The eviction [es] sparked political destabilization throughout the entire country, which led to the impeachment of President Fernando Lugo, a former bishop elected president in 2008. The impeachment trial that was carried out in 24 marathon hours and one that some sectors within as well as outside the country categorized as a “parliamentary coup,” resulted in a temporary suspension of Paraguay from the Mercosur bloc, among other international policy implications.
A video from the program “Algo anda mal” [es] (“Something is wrong”), shared on YouTube and led by Paraguayan journalist Santiago González [es], presents a chronological version of the tragedy from the scene with testimonies from the protagonists and key actors in the conflict:
Another shortcoming involved in the defense of the detained farm workers and the sectors that support them is the inexistence of “invasion of foreign property” as a crime, which they were accused of since these lands are found under litigation and their ownership is still being disputed in court, as previously mentioned.
Nonetheless, prosecutor Jalil Rachid assures that he has sufficient evidence to prove at trial that the farm workers who were on these lands came planning the clash beforehand and that it was not a random episode.
In this documentary, filmed by Daniela Candia [es], a summary of the legal situation of the lands in dispute can be seen along with testimonies from families and farmers involved in the occupation and killing.
Today the 14 farm workers find themselves deprived of their freedom as a precautionary measure and are awaiting the first trial hearing, which was suspended a second time this week by the judge on the case, Janine Rìos. The judge sustained that the cause for suspension is that “the time periods from which the Court of Appeals rejected the request for pre-trial, where it should have been resolved if the lands belong to the State or Campos Morombi, were not respected,” as official daily Ultima Hora [es] reports in its online edition.
The first anniversary of Curuguaty
Last Friday, June 14, in commemoration of the first year since the tragedy, residents, human rights defenders, and artists united to pay tribute [es] to the deceased and demand justice.
Numerous actions were carried out, ranging from commemorative acts where the incidents took place to various documentaries that appeared on digital platforms with testimonies from families, witnesses, and the accused farm workers today.
Additionally, important artists from the local scene gave their support through a short film directed by Sandra Kukú Flecha circulating on the Internet since Saturday, June 15, that was released in honor of the anniversary of the confrontation. In the short, filmmakers, actors, singers, and dancers give their points of view with respect to what they believe really happened, and the feelings this dark episode in Paraguayan history produced for them as citizens as well as the consequences they expect immediately and in the future.
Spontaneous interventions in the streets, painted murals, parades and the inevitable posts on the timelines of those who support the campaign entitled “What happened in Curuguaty?” [es] has already become an emblem of those who seek to attain clarification on the facts of what truly happened that June 15.
What really happened in Curuguaty? Were there infiltrators? Did the farm workers receive military guerrilla instructions? Was it all planned? Was the impeachment part of the plan or just a consequence? Will we know someday?
If you want to know more about this case and the campaigns that support the uncovering of the truth as well as respect for human rights, visit quepasoencuruguaty.org/ [es].

author: Gabriela Galilea


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ABRE LATAM: Open Data Unconference · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Fernando Briano from Picando Código informs [es] about the upcoming unconference ABRE LATAM [es], organized by D.A.T.A. [es] and Ciudadano Inteligente [es], on June 24 and 25 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The event hopes to “bring together representatives of different sectors of Latin American civil society who work with Open Data on issues like transparency, citizen participation and the extension of civil liberties.” You can follow them on Twitter [es] and Facebook [es].

author: Juan Arellano


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As Kabul Gets a Bomb Attack, the Taliban Open an Office in Doha · Global Voices
Samea Shanori

A suicide bomb explosion shook a western district of Kabul, Afghanistan on June 18, killing at least three and injuring more than twenty. The explosion took place shortly before the international coalition (ISAF) forces were due to officially transfer responsibility for security of the remaining districts of eastern and southern Afghanistan to the Afghan national security forces. As Afghans reeled from the news of the attack, the Taliban opened their smart new Headquarters in Qatar.
As Al Jazeera reported, the insurgents’ target was Mohammed Mohaqiq, a popular Afghan cleric, politician and member of the High Council of Peace, whose convoy was making its way to the parliament at the time of the blast. The explosion did not harm him, but destroyed one of the vehicles in the convoy and injured at least four of his guards.
After the explosion, Mohaqiq spoke to local people and Afghan elders confirming that he had been threatened previously and was not supposed to travel around the city, but had to go to parliament due to some pressing government business. The news quickly circulated on different social media, attracting a series of reactions from Afghans. Former Pakistani diplomat Mosharraf Zaidi (@mosharrafzaidi) tweeted:
Ustaaz Mohaqiq one of kindest, gentlest leaders I've ever met. Prayers for his long life & health. Enemies of Afghanistan will never win.
Pakistan condemned the attack as well. The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman (@PakSpokesperson) tweeted:
Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the convoy of Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq
June 18, 2013 marked one of the most crucial days in Afghan history, as aside from the shift of security responsibilities from international to national forces, the Taliban Headquarters was opened in Doha, Qatar, where representatives from the Taliban and the Qatar government addressed the media.
A plaque marking the opening of the office of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” adorns the wall of the Taliban's Doha HQ. (Screen shot from Al Jazeera reportage)
Lina Rozbih-Haidari, Voice of America Ashna TV anchor, posted a picture of a Taliban representative at the opening ceremony of their Doha office on her public facebook page, to which hundreds of angry Afghans responded, condemning the apparent legitimization of Taliban through the office opening. Lila Ali wrote [fa]:
چه دنیایی بی انصافی! برای آدمکش ها اینقدر قدر داده می شود
What an unjust world! Murderers are given such respect.
Amir Emal commented [fa]:
افراد که از طالبان پیشتیبانی میکنند یکبار تصاویر از مرگ افغان های بیچاره که در این حملات طالبان ازبین رفتن سر خم کرده و عدالت کنید و ببینید که ایا قتل اولاد وطن و قتل غریب و بیچاره وطن قابل قبول است ؟ ایا قابل انسانیت است ؟ ایا جذ اساسات اسلامی است؟؟ ایا وقتیکه از گروه طالبان پیشتیبانی میکنی ایا از دین خبر داری ؟ ایا به وطن و مردم خود محبت داری ؟ خون در رگهایت جریان دارد ؟ خود را انسان میدانی ؟ اگر جواب منطقی داری خوب پس مهربانی
Those who support Taliban should take a look at the images of those who were killed by the Taliban's attacks and then decide whether you are accepting murder of your poor and innocent children and countrymen. Is it humanity? Is it according to Islamic principles? When you support Taliban, are you aware of your religion? Do you love your country and people? Is blood running in your veins? Do you call yourself a Muslim? Please enlighten us, if you have a logical reasoning for it.
Concerned over the future of Afghanistan, Abd Bassir ZoMar highlighted [fa]:
Ms. Rozbih, I am aware of the worries that have occupied your thoughts. After the establishment of their office, they [Taliban] have gained more political power and an opportunity to get financial assistance from Arab states. Now Afghanistan has two governments: the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan….. a sign of the past. It is unfortunate that people haven't recognized that [Taliban] have shed the blood of hundreds of humans. Today, once again, everyone is silent.
Another angry comment from Zakir SakhiZada reads [fa]:
This should not be called an ‘Office’, but a ‘Zoo’. Doing a huge service to Afghanistan, Qatar has opened a zoo gathering these rare animals to exhibit them to the world.
This post is part of the GV Central Asia Interns Project at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

author: Samea Shanori


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Thousands Are Joining Bosnia’s ‘Babylution’  · Global Voices
Tamara Gocmanac

People in Bosnia-Herzegovina are crossing the country's deep ethnic divides by the thousands to protest against the government's failure to remedy a lapse in the law that is preventing newborns from being given an identity number and, by extension, travel papers and healthcare.
The protests, which began on June 5, 2013 and have been dubbed “Babylution”, were sparked by the story of a gravely ill three-month-old girl, Belmina Ibrišević, who at the time could not leave the country to get the stem cell treatment abroad that she needed, even though her health was critical and necessary treatment could not be provided in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Days later, the unrest intensified following the news that one-month-old Berina Hamidović [sr] died at the Institute for Mother and Child [sr] in Belgrade, Serbia of sepsis after the medical treatment she needed was delayed.
The baby could not leave because of the country's failure to pass a new law on ID numbers after the old law expired in February. Thanks to this legal gap, newborn babies only receive a temporary number which impedes them from receiving travel documents, which would be necessary to seek medical treatment abroad.
Protesters began speaking out against lawmakers’ inaction under the hashtag #JMBG, which stands for the Unique Master Citizen Number. On June 6, demonstrators gathered in Sarajevo and blocked the Parliament building, refusing to allow politicians and foreign guests inside to leave the building and demanding the urgent passing of the Law on Unique Master Citizen Numbers.
Suad Baručija posted a video on YouTube of supporters arriving from Zenica to join the Sarajevo protesters, in which they are heard chanting “We want change!”:
On Twitter, the news quickly spread under the hashtag #jmbg, as those present at the peaceful protest or nearby transmitted the events of the evening live. Director of Communications at International Center for Transitional Justice Refik Hodžić (@ledenik1) tweeted a picture of a person leaving the Parliament building through a ground-floor window:
@ledenik1: #BiH parliament staff escaping through windows the building surrounded by protesters instead of joining them. #jmbg pic.twitter.com/NhdMNaGCxv
Twitter user Irma Plavčić (@Irma_A_P) clarified the reasons behind the protest:
Od borbe za ljudska prava i #jmbg,preko krsenja istih,medjunarodnog skandala do unistenja prilike za ulaganje kapitala.Sve za 1 dan #BiH
@Irma_A_P: From the battle for human rights and #jmbg, the violation of those, international scandals to the destruction of opportunities for investment capital. All in 1 day #BiH
A video on YouTube posted by Cyber Media Technology titled “We want JMBG!” summarizes the first days of the #JMBG protests:
The following day, protests stopped briefly [ba] in Sarajevo and the Parliament building was no longer blocked by citizens standing guard out front. But those involved in the protests created the website JMBG for everyone! [ba] with this message:
Mi smo građani i građanke ove zemlje – roditelji s djecom, studenti i studentice, domaćice, radnici i radnice, nezaposleni i nezaposlene, penzioneri i penzionerke, bez obzira na pripadnost etničkoj ili religijskoj skupini, ili bilo koji drugi status, te nam je zajednički interes da se poštuju prava svake osobe, a prije svega djece. Obraćamo se svim građankama i građanima, koji/e žele da žive u državi u kojoj političari i političarke rade svoj posao i izvršavaju zakonske obaveze. Državi u kojoj su nacionalni i stranački interesi sekundarni, a u prvom planu je dostojanstven i siguran život građana i građanki.
We are the citizens of this country – parents with children, university students, housewives, workers, the unemployed, pensioners, regardless of ethnic or religious groups, or any other status, so it is in our common interest that the rights of every person be respected, those of children above all. We address all male and female citizens who wish to live in a state in which politicians do their jobs and complete their legal obligations. A state in which national and partisan interests are secondary and the dignified and safe lives of citizens are primary.
The website also details the demands of citizens regarding legislature related to Unique Master Citizen Numbers and the creation of a fund for the treatment of threatened categories of the population.
Even though baby Belmina's parents eventually managed to get her across the border for treatment, the death of one-month-old Berina Hamidović due to this bureaucratic obstruction to her medical treatment, as Bosnian news outlets reported [ba], further fueled protests.
Citizens throughout the region paid their respects to the little girl, while the story shook with tremendous strength and speed Berinda's birth country of Bosnia-Herzegovina and neighboring Serbia where she died. From that moment on, the situation escalated quickly: from minute to minute on social networks, web portals and blogs, bitter citizens organized for protests, united and calling for support anywhere they could get it.
#JMBG is among the first to show the power of the new Facebook hashtag feature, while the JMBG fan page already has close to 23,000 fans on this social network.
The protests in Sarajevo continue, now under the name “Babylution” – a peaceful revolution that managed to bring over 10,000 people into the streets on June 18 with the support of public figures [sr] and musicians from the former Yugoslav republics who have expressed their grief and revolt.
Citizens are invited to attend the peaceful protests every day beginning at noon until demands are met.
Protesters in front of Parliament. Photo by Almir Panjeta, courtesy of “JMBG za sve” Facebook fan page.
Zoja BB (@skejtas) on Twitter shared a picture of a gathered crowd:
@skejtas: #JMBG protest today was huge. Hope ‘they’ feel the pressure… pic.twitter.com/NrHljS4qaS
Protester Davor Stanković (@Dastko) described the evening:
Veče za pamćenje. Bez mrlje i najmanjeg problema. Umoran sam, ali bih uz ove ljude ostao koliko god je potrebno. Borba se nastavlja! #jmbg
@Dastko: A night to remember. Without a stain or any minor problem. I am tired, but I would stay with these people as long as necessary. The fight continues! #jmbg
Editor Nenad Memić (@NenadMemic) added to the description:
@NenadMemic: Around 10,000 people at a protest concert for #JMBG in #Sarajevo tonight! Spread the good vibe! :) pic.twitter.com/jrqHI2VEfT
Once an identification number, #JMBG has now become a hashtag, a meme, and a call for revolution in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Politicians have been given a deadline until June 30 to pass the law and create a solidarity fund for those who need medical treatment. Should Bosnia's Parliament fail to meet this deadline, citizens have vowed, among other actions, to organize the first Facebook hashmob [cr], a novel concept described as a hashtag-driven flashmob.
Until then, the “Babylution” continues.

author: Tamara Gocmanac


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Czech PM Resigns Amid Sex Scandal · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

What Australian website Crikey calls “a sensational scandal involving sex, gold and espionage” brings down the current Czech government and it seems early elections can be expected in this Central European republic:
Petr Nečas during a 2012 commemorative event on the occassion of 17 Nov. 1939 anniversary at Hlávka dormitory in Prague. Photo: David Sedlecký; used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
[Prime Minister] Nečas’s resignation follows the arrest of his chief-of-staff, Jana Nagyova, who is apparently also his mistress, on charges of bribery and corruption. Several former MPs and the head of military intelligence have also been arrested, and the police have seized large quantities of cash and documents plus “tens of kilograms of gold.” Among other things, Nagyova is alleged to have bought off dissident MPs with government jobs and ordered surveillance of her boss’s estranged wife. No brief summary could do it justice: the BBC reports from Friday and last night are the best, but the Telegraph and the Age also have the story.


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Disabled Persons ‘Disrespected’ in Kyrgyzstan · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Blogger Dmitry Efremov writes [ru] about the negative attitudes that people with disabilities confront in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan:
It is terrible to realize that some people among us disrespect persons with disabilities.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Man Disappears in Uzbekistan Police Custody · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

On Registan.net Noah Tucker reports that the 71-year-old father of an Uzbek opposition politician has disappeared in police custody in Uzbekistan. The authorities intimidate the elderly man (as well as scores of his relatives) apparently because his son founded an opposition party that had been quite successful in mobilizing supporters in the Central Asian nation.


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Elections 2013: Challenges Ahead for Nepal · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Nepalese government has announced dates for the 2013 Constituent Assembly polls which will be in November this year. Siromani Dhungana at ‘United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal’ discusses the challenges and opportunities ahead for Nepal.

author: Rezwan


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Inter-oceanic Canal Project Leads to Doubt and Rejection in Nicaragua · Global Voices
Norman Garcia

The announcement that the Nicaraguan government has granted a concession to the Chinese company HK Nicaragua Development (HKND) to build an inter-oceanic canal has caused controversy and discussion in all areas of Nicaraguan society, and to date there are more questions than answers.
The President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, signed the law granting the concession – the law of the Statute of the Great Inter-oceanic Canal, or Law 800 [es] – on June 14, 2013, sparking discussion in the country's blogging and Twitter community. Some users have shown their support for this initiative, but most of the reactions on the internet were of discontent.
The programme De Humo TV prepared a report on the subject, explaining what the canal project consists of and the environmental impact it could have on the country.
Although the law for the construction of the canal has been passed, feasibility studies have not yet been conducted, and environmental impact studies on effects of the construction are pending.
Blog La Nicaragua Linda [es] shared an opinion article by Nicaraguan politician Edmundo Jarquín:
Como todos los nicaragüenses, quisiera que el canal por Nicaragua sea factible, porque sería una palanca poderosa para impulsar el desarrollo del país, pero no son pocas las razones que cuestionan la realidad del anuncio.
En primer lugar, su factibilidad. El propio asesor ambientalista de Ortega, y principal científico nicaragüense, Jaime Incer, salió al paso del anuncio de Ortega diciendo: “Un estudio medianamente serio, descartaría su posibilidad”.
Like all Nicaraguans, I would like to believe that a canal through Nicaragua is feasible because it would be a powerful lever for promoting the country’s development, but there are many reasons to question the validity of the announcement.
Firstly, its feasibility. Ortega’s environmental assessor, and principal Nicaraguan scientific advisor, Jaime Incer, deviated from Ortega’s announcement saying: “a reasonably serious study should rule out the possibility”.
The matter of expropriation of lands through which the canal would pass and the invasion of indigenous territory on the country’s Atlantic coast has also been discussed by Nicaraguans. The blog Bitacora de un nicaragüense [es] shared:
Primero: las comunidades indígenas, su forma de vida, su forma de propiedad, y todos los derechos especificados otorgados por el estado bajo el estatuto de autonomía; a las que no se ha consultado y dada la posibilidad de expropiación ha de hacerse sin dilación…
Segundo: El daño medioambiental será indudable, todo proyecto tiene esa carga, están los derivados de la mera construcción como el despale de reservas de la biosfera, de la destrucción de zonas de reproducción de fauna como es el caso de las tortugas marinas que además se encuentra en peligro de extinción, de la reconducción de agua dulce para la funcionalidad del canal mismo que puede dar lugar a desecación de cuencas hídricas agredidas por el proyecto. Luego, el peligro a largo plazo es la contaminación irreparable de nuestras cuencas por vertidos de sustancias nocivas, como los hidrocarburos, en especial de ese inmenso patrimonio que es el lago Cocibolca; sin menospreciar el nocivo efecto que tendrían los sonares en la fauna del gran lago.
Tercero: De ponerse en marcha el proyecto se estaría violando la ley general del agua, especialmente en lo que se refiere a la condición actual del Cocibolca en el que se especifican sus usos y su protección en el Título VII; de la protección de las aguas; queda recogido del siguiente modo:
Artículo 97.- Es responsabilidad del Estado con la participación de los Gobiernos Municipales, Asociaciones de Municipios, Sector Privado, Organizaciones No Gubernamentales y población en general, la protección, conservación y destino de las aguas del Gran Lago de Nicaragua o Cocibolca.
First: Indigenous communities, their way of life, their form of ownership, and all specified rights granted by the State under the Statute of autonomy, have not been consulted and given the possibility of expropriation this should be done without delay…
Secondly: Environmental damage will be unavoidable, every project has its burden, there are by-products of construction like clear-cutting of reserves of the biosphere, the destruction of wildlife breeding areas, for example of sea turtles that are also in danger of extinction, of the renewal of fresh water for the functionality of the same canal that can result in drying of water catchment areas harmed by the project. Next, the long-term danger of irreparable contamination of our waterways, especially of the immense heritage area of Lake Cociboca, by dumping harmful substances such as hydrocarbons, not forgetting the harmful effect sonar would have on great lake’s wildlife.
Thirdly: Starting the project would be a violation of the general water law, especially in what refers to the current condition of the Cocibolca which specify its uses and its protection in Title VII; protection of waters which is outlined as follows:
Article 97 – The protection, conservation and destination of the waters of the great Lake of Nicaragua or Cocibolca is the responsibility of the state with the participation of municipal governments and associations, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and the general population.
“Ortega – Seller of Our Heritage” Photo shared by Mildred Largaespada on Facebook.
Rodrigo Peñalba [es] also wrote about the project on his blog. Rodrigo pointed out, among other things, the history of the company's spokesman:
El grupo HKND, responsable del proyecto del canal (por cuya licencia pagarán solo U$100 millones de dólares a Nicaragua por una concesión de hasta 100 años) estrenó sitio web. Ahí podemos conocer a su vocero: Ronald Maclean-Abaroa.
Maclean-Abaroa es un político boliviano, 4 veces alcalde de La Paz, ministro de información durante el gobierno de Hugo Banzer, candidato presidencial de ese mismo partido en el 2002. En el año 2000, mientras era parte del gobierno, se aprobó la ley 2029 que privatizó los recursos hídricos, desencadenando fuertes protestas nacionales. Por ejemplo, esta ley permitía a la empresa aguadora cobrar hasta por recoger agua de lluvia para uso personal. […]
¿Si este es el vocero, qué podemos esperar de sus jefes en HKND con licencia para cambiar la ley?
HKND, which is responsible for the canal group project (whose license will pay only US $100 million to Nicaragua for a grant of up to 100 years) premiered its website. There we can meet its spokesman: Ronald Maclean-Abaroa [es].
Maclean-Abaroa is a Bolivian [es] politician [es], four times Mayor of La Paz, Minister of Information during the Government of Hugo Banzer, presidential candidate from the same party in 2002. In the year 2000, while he was part of the government, the 2029 law privatising water resources was approved, triggering strong domestic protests. For example, this law allowed the water carrier company to charge for collection of rain water for personal use. […]
If this is the spokesman, what can be expected of their bosses in HKND licensed to change the law?
Hashtags #canalnica [es] and #canalinteroceanico [es] are being used to comment on the project on Twitter.
Azucena Castillo (@azulchena)) [es] shared a video of the “March in defense of National Sovereignty and Nicaraguan dignity”. The video [es] from YouTube user Nicarao Libertario [es], shows images of the march that took place on June 13 against the project.
El 19 digital [es], a digital government diary, published an article in favour of the construction of the canal:
Geográficamente, este canal tiene mucho sentido. Sólo son 12 millas del Pacífico hacia el lago de Nicaragua, y posteriormente de ahí se conecta al Atlántico. Pero aún se desconoce si esa será la ruta que tendrá el Canal.
Para Nicaragua, este mega-proyecto tiene mucho sentido. La construcción doblará el Producto Interno Bruto per cápita de la nación, siendo el año pasado, 3,300 dólares al año. Pero [¿]porque [sic] construir un Canal, cuando ya existe otro a poca distancia?
Buena, aquí está una razón…Existe mucha demanda en el Canal de Panamá, al punto que el average de tránsito de una punta a la otra, es de 12 días. Otra de las razones, es que los barcos más grandes que pueden transitar en Panamá son los llamados PANAMAX. Cada uno de estos barcos puede llevar 4,500 contenedores.
Pero existen nuevos barcos llamados POST – PANAMAX, de ellos, habrá un Modelo llamado TRIPLE-E, que pueden llevar más de 18 mil contenedores, o sea, 4 veces más que los barcos de PANAMAX.
Geographically, this canal makes perfect sense. There are only 12 miles from the Pacific towards the Lake of Nicaragua, and then from there it connects to the Atlantic. But it remains unclear if that is the route the canal would take.For Nicaragua, this mega-project makes a lot of sense. Construction would double the gross domestic product (GDP) per head in the nation, which last year was 3,300 dollars. But why build a Canal, when there is already another so nearby?
Well, here is a reason…There is a lot of demand for the Panama Canal, to the point that the average transit time from one end to the other is 12 days. Another reason, is that the largest ships that can pass in Panama are the so-called PANAMAX. Each of these boats can carry 4,500 containers*.
However, there are newer, POST-PANAMAX, ships, among which will be a TRIPLE-E model capable of carrying more than 18 thousand containers, or 4 times more than PANAMAX vessels.
The Nicaraguan government wishes to secure a GDP increase of 15% by 2015 and even double the economy in the year 2018. It will not be until next year, 2014, when the feasibility studies and environmental impact report are conducted, that the viability of this mega-project can be properly assessed.

author: Norman Garcia


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Malaysia Launches Dengue Web Portal  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

To fight dengue, Malaysia's Ministry of Health launched a GIS-based web portal called I-Dengue, “which aims to provide the public with the latest information on dengue hotspots and preventive measures on how citizens can avoid getting the disease.” Dengue is a tropical virus with no known cure that is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Malaysia has already recorded more than 10,000 dengue cases this year

author: Mong Palatino


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Peruvian Rock Band Wins Festival in Russia · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

The website TimonRock announced [es] that Peruvian rock band Contracorriente was awarded first place in the St. Petersburg White Nights Festival in Russia. The website also posted videos and images of the band:
Music band Contracorriente, won today [June 15, 2013] one of the most important festivals in Europe, St. Petesburg White Nights Festival in Russia. Artists from all parts of the world take part in the festival, from Brazil, Italy, China and Portugal, among others.


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Tajikistan Leader’s Visits Force Road Repairs · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

After covering the Tajik president's tour of the country's northern province of Sughd a year ago, blogger Rustam Gulov (aka Teocrat) now reports [ru] about the preparations that the provincial authorities are making for a new visit of the president:
Khujand [Sughd's capital] prepares to welcome the president again. Banners, posters, and fixed roads [are there] again. I can only be happy about the latter! I would love to see the president come to Khujand as often as possible – this would force the authorities to fix the roads. It is a pity, however, that only part of the city's roads are fixed – that part along which the president's cortege will travel. The rest of the roads have been neglected for years.


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‘Qandisha’, the Women’s Webzine that is Ruffling Feathers in Morocco  · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

A webzine for women in Morocco is causing a stir for its frank treatment of religion and sexuality.
A year and a half ago, Fedoua Miski, who lives in Casablanca, launched Qandisha [fr], a magazine for women in Morocco and beyond. For the 32-year-old trained doctor, her involvement in human rights propelled her to get involved in citizen journalism. The magazine has since earned a strong following in Morroco and abroad, but along the way its web site has been hacked twice and attracted its share of disparaging comments and threats in response to its coverage.
Global Voices recently caught up with the founder of this “magazwine”, as Miski calls Qandisha to bridge the words “magazine” and “webzine”, during her trip to Montpellier for the third instance of  4M [fr], a conference attended by members of the media on both sides of the Mediterranean, organised by CFI (Canal France International) and Montpellier.
Fedoua Miski, founder of Qandisha “Magazwine”. Photo by author
Global Voices (GV): Why did you create this webzine for women?
Fedoua Miski (FM): Pour apporter quelque chose de différent. Il y a beaucoup de webzines au Maroc, mais c'est le premier webzine féminin sans le trio beauté-mode-cuisine habituel. C'est aussi un magazine collaboratif. Notre rédaction, c'est notre lectorat. Le sentiment d'appartenance au journal est plus important. A travers les sujets qu'on aborde, on a une étiquette engagées-militantes assez évidente. Les valeurs universelles, le respect des droits humains, des libertés individuelles. Plus concrètement, on voudrait pousser toutes les femmes qui le souhaitent à discuter et commenter l'actualité, qu'elle soit politique, sociale : encourager la prise de parole féminine. Dans nos pays arabo-musulmans, conservateurs, les femmes ont moins l'habitude de prendre la parole.
To bring in something new. There are plenty of webzines in Morocco, but this is the first woman's webzine that is not about the typical beauty-fashion-cooking trio. It's also a collaborative magazine; our writers are our readers. That sense of belonging to the magazine is very important. Through the subjects we cover, there's an activist branding that's pretty evident. Universal values, respect for human rights, individual liberties. More concretely, we want to give a boost to all the women who want to discuss and comment on current events, whether political or social –  to encourage women to speak up. In our Arab Muslim conservative countries, women are less inclined to make their voices heard.
GV: What does the name Qandisha mean?
: C'est le nom d'une démone dans la mythologie locale. Une femme diabolisée parce qu'elle a dérangé. On savait qu'on allait être diabolisées, donc, on a pris ce nom d'une femme diable. La légende dit que cette femme rendait fou les hommes, les ensorcelait. En réalité, ce devait être une nana très belle ou très forte. On voulait l'isoler, donc, on l'a diabolisée.
It's the name of a demon in the local mythology. A woman who is demonised because she causes a stir. We knew we would be demonised, so we took up this name of a female devil. Legend has it that this woman drove men crazy, she bewitched them. In reality, she must have been a very beautiful, strong woman. They wanted to isolate her, so they demonised her.
GV: What has been the most-read article on Qandisha?
FM: Le témoignage d'une jeune femme à qui le syndic de son immeuble interdit de recevoir des amis hommes chez elle, à Agadir. On ne la laissait plus accéder à son appartement avec ses amis. Nous l'avons soutenue et encouragée à porter plainte, ce qu'elle a fait et cela a entraîné un débat sur la moralité et sur les libertés individuelles.  La femme marocaine n'a pas de libertés dans l'espace public, mais elle n'en a pas non plus chez elle. Les réactions ont été très diverses. Certains hommes et des femmes l'encourageaient à faire respecter ses droits, d'autres lui conseillaient de se plier aux règles sociales.
The account of a young women in Agadir who was banned by the management of her building from allowing male friends to visit her. They wouldn't let her enter her apartment with her friends. We supported her and encouraged her to report it to the authorities, which she did, and that sparked a debate on morality and individual liberties. The Moroccan woman has no liberty in the public space, but she has none in her own home, either. The reactions were very diverse. Some men and women encouraged her to demand that her rights be respected, others advised her to bow to social norms.
GV: Who reads Qandisha?
FM: Peu de magazines ou webzines féminins au Maroc peuvent se targuer d'avoir autant de lecteurs masculins que nous. Parce que nos sujets sont sociétaux, politiques. Les hommes seraient plus tranquilles si on se consacrait à la mode, à la beauté et à la cuisine, ça les rassurerait. Et en même temps, beaucoup d'hommes nous soutiennent, au Maroc même. Il faut arrêter de croire que le Marocain est un macho primaire, il y en a beaucoup qui soutiennent l'émancipation de la femme. Dans nos statistiques, nous voyons que c'est de Casablanca que viennent le plus de lecteurs, et, au second rang, de Paris…Nos articles ont été repris par Courrier International, par Rue 89. Nous avons maintenant des contributrices françaises, tunisienne, algériennes. Ce serait génial si des femmes d'autres origines écrivaient (en français ou en arabe) chez nous.
Few magazines or webzines for women in Morocco can claim to have as many male readers as us. Because our subjects are societal, political. Men would be more relaxed if we just focused on beauty, cooking, that's reassuring to them. But at the same time, a lot of men support us, even in Morocco. People need to stop thinking about the Moroccan male as a simplistic, macho type; many of them support women's emancipation. From our stats, we see that the highest concentration of readers is in Casablanca, and then Paris… Our articles have been republished by Courrier International, by Rue 89. We now have contributors from France, Tunisia, Algeria. It would be great if women from other origins would write (in French or Arabic) for us, too.
GV: Have you encountered any problems due to the causes you're involved in or the subjects your articles touch upon?
FM: Le site a été piraté deux fois, en représailles d'articles portant sur la religion ou sur la sexualité. Il a été piraté juste après la publication du témoignage d'un jeune homosexuel qui vit au Maroc. On a des commentaires anonymes, des menaces mais on s'y est habituées. Le camp adverse n'a pas d'arguments solides, il se sent ébranlé dans ses convictions.
The site was hacked twice, in reprisals for articles on religion or sexuality. We were hacked right after we published an account of a young homosexual living in Morocco. We get anonymous comments, threats, but we're used to that. The opposite camp lacks solid arguments, they end up with their convictions shaken.

author: Claire Ulrich


text:
Brazilians Poke Fun at Intelligence Agency Spooks · Global Voices
Paula Góes

[All links lead to Portuguese-language webpages unless stated otherwise.]
Brazilian netizens are in fits of giggles at the news that the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) [en] has hastily launched an operation to monitor the Internet [en]. Caught off guard by the demonstrations that are popping up around the country, the government has deployed intelligence officials to check the activities and movements of protesters through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
While people across Brazil prepare for upcoming protests, the movement leaders have started to be followed on social networks by civil servants, who have been tasked with analysing the temperature and scale of upcoming demonstrations using Mosaico, a monitoring system that tracks about 700 topics identified by the Government.
Whilst Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are partially open, depending on the level of user privacy, for instant messaging application WhatsApp, only users included in a given conversation can read the exchanged messages. For this reason, the news was met with mockery on social networks. Nick (@NickEllis) begins:
“ABIN monitora Whatsapp” Hahahahaha!!!
“ABIN is monitoring Whatsapp” Hahahahaha!!!
Guilherme Jedi (@JediBR) replies:
@NickEllis @azaghal é, eles ficam dando F5 pra ver se sai update. :P
@NickEllis @azaghal Yeah, they keep pressing F5 to check for updates. :P
Marcos Gomes (@marcogomes) agrees that the Government has taken on an impossible mission:
O Gov. está TÃO perdido que a ABIN acha que consegue monitorar WhatsApp (impossível, WA não está no BR) http://ow.ly/mduMa  #protestosbr
The Govt. is SO out of touch that ABIN believes they can monitor WhatsApp (impossible, WA is not in Brazil) http://ow.ly/mduMa  #protestosbr
Marcelo N (@neozeitgeist) also jokes:
Qdo q se fala em “serviço de inteligência brasileiro”, é tortura ou piada. Agora a Abin diz q vai MONITORAR Whatsapp http://t.co/RbWc5q027x
When “Brazilian intelligence service” is mentioned, it is either about torture or a joke. Now Abin says they will MONITOR Whatsapp http://t.co/RbWc5q027x
E t. c. grocho (@elgroucho) also pokes fun:
abin monitorando twitter e facebook já prevejo detidos nos próximos protestos por posse de gif
With Abin monitoring Twitter and Facebook, I can just see many being held in the next protests for possession of .gif
Leonardo Farias (@leofariasrj25) has a suggestion:
Rapaz, eu acho que o que os sistemas da ABIN devem ser apelidados carinhosamente de Gambiarra.
Mate, I think that ABIN systems should be affectionately dubbed ‘cock-up’.
Nobre (@nobreceara) takes the opportunity to check on his followers:
Que garantia eu tenho que essa pessoa com avatar de cachorro de peruca, não é na verdade, Seu Tenório, 52 anos, araponga do governo?
Who could guarantee that this person with a wigged dog as avatar is not actually Mr. Tenorio, 52, a government spook?
Stephano Souza (@stephanoFSouza) reacts with sarcasm:
Ola, ABIN, estão confortáveis ai em suas cadeiras lendo nossas mensagens??? #vemprarua #ogiganteacordou #protestobh
Hi there ABIN, are you sitting comfortably out there reading our messages??? #vemprarua #ogiganteacordou #protestobh
Some people were angry at the news, such as Roberto Soares:
Certo…
Caros amigos, porque diabo vocês não vão fiscalizar as contas publicas?
Porque não fiscalizam as ligações entre políticos e suas empresas fantasmas? Já que monitorar MILHÕES de brasileiros é fácil… gastando assim nosso dinheiro…
Gastem com responsabilidade…
Fiscalizem nossos políticos e suas empresas… Fiscalizem nossas obras publicas…
Façam o cumprimente de suas obrigações com responsabilidade e “inteligencia”, quem deve ser fiscalizado neste país são os POLÍTICOS e os BANDIDOS… suas contas, seus telefones, emails e whatsapp logico, Porque nenhum deles utiliza um celular de 100 reais que serve só para ligar e receber…
Right…
Dear friends, why the hell don't you go inspecting public finances?
Why don't you investigate the links between politicians and their ghost companies? Since monitoring MILLIONS of Brazilians is easy… [you are] spending our money on it, so do it responsibly…
Monitor our politicians and their companies… Monitor our public-sector buildings…
Meet your own obligations responsibly and with “intelligence”, those who should be checked up on in this country are POLITICIANS and GANGSTERS… their bank accounts, their phones, emails and of course their whatsapp, because none of them has a cheap $100 mobile phone that is only good for making and receiving calls…
ABIN and CIA as Big Brother. Image by @PartidoPirataBR
CIA Made in Brazil
There were plenty of comparisons between the Mosaico, the system employed by Abin, and PRISM, the system used by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States (CIA). The Pirate Party of Brazil (PartidoPirataBR) publishes the image on the right to compare the two systems, explaining:
Abin intensifica monitoramento de ativistas na Internet, em função dos protestos contra o aumento das passagens. pic.twitter.com/P4shYQDZOz
Abin intensifies monitoring of activists on the Internet due to protests against the increase in bus fares. pic.twitter.com/P4shYQDZOz
Sérgio Pavarini (@pavarini) says that the U.S. president, Barack Obama is “making school”:
Abin monta rede para monitorar internet http://t.co/VsBhIq1otK escolinha do prof. obama
Abin deploys network to monitor internet http://t.co/VsBhIq1otK Professor Obama's little school
Finally, Cardoso says that Abin “is less informed than that aunt of yours who accesses the internet via dial-up once a week to check email.” To him, every country has the Prism it deserves:
Antes que comecem, não há nada de ilegal nisso. Vão colocar um estagiário no emprego dos sonhos de qualquer jovem da Geração Desocupada: Sentar na frente de um computador o dia inteiro piranhando pelas redes sociais. Só resta saber se vai usar o nick @NaoSouDaABIN, @MarioFofoca, @ABIN_USER_246 ou @JamesBond22331
O mais assustador de tudo é o Governo ter sido pego desprevenido. Não pela incompetência da Abin, mas pela total alienação dos primeiros escalões. É mais que claro que a atual administração não liga pra Redes Sociais…
Before we begin, there is nothing illegal about it. They will employ an intern in the dream job of any unemployed of the young generation: sitting in front of a computer all day long checking social networks. The only question is whether they will use @ImNotABIN, @MrGossip, @ABIN_USER_246 or @JamesBond22331 as avatar.
The scariest thing of all is that the government has been caught off guard. Not by Abin's incompetence, but because of the overall alienation of the top dogs. It is more than clear that the current administration doesn't give a damn about social media …
Infographic by @Cardoso, published with permission

author: Paula Góes


text:
China’s Undercover ‘Street Vender’ Sting Exposed · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Urban management officers, also known as Chengguan, have been under much media scrutiny lately. A recent story of a Chengguan going undercover as a street vendor at night went viral online. The seeming PR campaign drew wide skepticism among netizens. Offbeat China explains.

author: Oiwan Lam