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Bermuda: Re-Registering to Vote   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Respice Finem contends that the proposal for voter re-registration “seems a not very subtle attempt to take away the vote of working class people.”


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Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho” Causes an Uproar · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

[All the links lead to Portuguese language pages.]
On January 22, the Military Police of São Paulo (PMSP) and the Metropolitan Civil Guard (GCM) of the city of São José dos Campos, in the state of São Paulo, invaded the settlement known as Pinheirinho to comply with an order of repossession issued by the state court. The violent eviction of the community became known as “Massacre do Pinheirinho” (Massacre of Pinherinho) after a demonstration of violence and brutality by the police in the expulsion and intimidation of residents dumped in the midst of a huge legal mess.
Women with children in the lap leave their homes with the fire of the barricades behind. Photo of RDTEIXEIRA for the blog Vírus Planetário, under CC license.
The land of the Pinheirinho, occupied for eight years and where more than 1,500 families live (something between 6,000 and 9,000 people), belongs to the bankrupt estate of the Lebanese-born speculator Naji Nahas and his company, Selecta. Nahas, who has been arrested in the past by federal police for financial crimes, became the owner of the land in the early 80's although there is no information about how the acquisition was made after the unsolved murder of the former owners in 1969.
The government of Sao Paulo had demanded the return of the property in mid-January and several comings and goings in court turned the case into a big mess, with the federal government willing to buy and regularize the land, but with the municipality of São José dos Campos and the government of São Paulo refusing to comply with the agreement.
But the order for the repossession of the land was suspended when the state and federal governments agreed to open a window of negotiation of 15 days for the local government to decide whether to proceed or to turn the one million square meters area into “social interest land”, then passing ownership to the residents, mostly poor workers and their families.
Tropa de choque em posição de ataque. Foto do perfil @PinheirinhoSJC. Uso livre
The agreement, however, was unilaterally breached and without warning the Military Police arrived at the scene with a force of close to 2,000 heavily armed men, and an unknown number of Civil Guards, in order to evict the land. As expected, there was resistance.
Even though taken by surprise, residents tried to set up barricades, setting fire to cars, public buildings and by throwing stones, showing total despair in face of the violent action of the police.
The city hall of São José dos Campos, that in some cases has paid tickets for some residents to return to their hometowns, especially in northeastern Brazil, has housed the families driven from their homes in precarious shelters. The residents were registered and given blue bracelets to allow their entry into the shelter.
The activist Paloma Amorim, on Facebook, denounced the precariousness of the structure available to serve the homeless families:
As tendas armadas pela prefeitura e pelo governo, portanto, foram armadilhas para aglomerar e agredir famílias indefesas que estão há 7 anos ocupando o Pinheirinho, massa falida que só está neste momento sendo reivindicada em função da especulação imobiliária tão contundente nos últimos tempos no estado de São Paulo.
Video that shows the moment in when, at the end of the day, the Military Police advances on the population with extreme violence:
Judicial matter
Existia uma negociação avançada para resolver o problema sem o uso da força. Por conta disso, por duas vezes, o Tribunal Regional Federal (TRF) cassou a liminar que determinava a reintegração de posse: na sexta feira e no próprio dia da invasão, domingo.
Later, the president of the Supreme Court of Justice (STJ), Ari Pargendler decided that the São Paulo state order would prevail against the federal one, despite the declaration made by the national President of the Bar Association of Brazil (OAB), Ophir Cavalcante, denouncing the eviction as illegal. At stake was the defense of private property of a known speculator versus the right to housing for the poor in the country and the social function of the land.
The Supreme Federal Court, the highest court in Brazil, was driven to try to resolve the issue.
Blogger Fabrício Cunha comments:
Quando esse tipo de interpretação do conceito de propriedade privada sobrepõe a dignidade humana, há algo de muito errado em nossa sociedade.
Quando uma prefeitura finge que não vê um número tão grande de pessoas e não as considera em sua gestão, há algo de muito errado com a política.
Quando um prefeito lava as mãos em silêncio diante de um fato que acontece debaixo de seus olhos, há algo de muito errado com um líder.
When this kind of interpretation of the concept of private property overrides human dignity, there is something very wrong in our society.
When a city government pretends not to notice such a large number of people and does not consider them in their administration, there is something very wrong with politics.
When a mayor washes hands in silence before an event that happens under his eyes, there is something very wrong with a leader.
A resident mourns the loss of her home. Photo by Mariana Parra, under CC license
Urbanist and UN Special Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik explains:
Milhares de homens, mulheres, crianças e idosos moradores da ocupação Pinheirinho são surpreendidos por um cerco formado por helicópteros, carros blindados e mais de 1.800 homens armados da Polícia Militar. Além de terem sido interditadas as saídas da ocupação, foram cortados água, luz e telefone, e a ordem era que famílias se recolhessem para dar início ao processo de retirada. Determinados a resistir — já que a reintegração de posse havia sido suspensa na sexta feira  – os moradores não aceitaram o comando, dando início a uma situação  dramaticamente violenta  que se prolongou durante todo o dia e que teve como resultado famílias desabrigadas, pessoas feridas, detenções e rumores, inclusive, sobre a existência de mortos.
Criticism towards the reasons for the hurried repossession and the extreme violence against the population can be explained by the immense appreciation of the value of the land in the last eight years and the proximity between landowner Nahas and powerful political leaders.
Video of activist Mariana Parra shows the beginning of the severe beating and arrest of the MTST militant  (Movement of Homeless Workers) William Boulos who was taken, bloodied, to the police station by Municipal Guards and the despair of the population in face of the violence:
In this link you can watch the violence against the MTST militant from another angle and even the moment where he, bloodied, was taken to a police car. The famous Portuguese academic Boaventura Sousa Santos declared his support for the population of Pinheirinho in a video, rejecting the violent action of the State.
There is no official confirmation of the number of dead or wounded. On one hand, the Military Police and the Department of Communication of the City of Sã0 José dos Campos reports that there are few injuries and there were no fatalities, but various images suggest that at least the number of wounded is high. The Agência de Notícias das Favelas [Slum News Agency] noted the number of dead as seven, while the city's OAB [Bar association] talks about several deaths, including a child, and residents came to point to something between three and four fatalities throughout the day of January 22.
The Metalworkers Union of São José dos Campos compiled images of the beginning of the expropriation of the land:
According to the activist Pedro Rios Leão there are reports that the police and the city civil guard were kidnapping wounded and dead residents in order to prevent them from being counted in official statistics. Captain Antero of the Military Police had stated that there was no record of deaths nor serious injuries in the early evening of the 22nd, but the facts have begun to contradict him, such as the report by the Solidarity on the Pinheirinho Occupation Blog that a resident may be paralyzed after being hit by a police bullet.
The Military Police claimed not to use firearms, only rubber bullets, but the images in both photo and video show that the GCM carried pistols with live ammunition.
“A toast to the real estate especulation”. On the cartoon, the governor of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, the mayor of São José dos Campos, Eduardo Cury, a police officer and judge Marcia Loureiro. Cartoon by Carlos Latuff, under CC license
Além da guerra contra as drogas – que, particularmente na cidade de São Paulo, assume contornos específicos de guerra contra os dependentes químicos -, o estado de São Paulo vem sediando também guerras contra estudantes e contra manifestantes que usam o espaço público para advogar por uma causa qualquer. A recente guerra contra os moradores (que amanhã serão sem-teto) do Pinheirinho não foge a esta lógica de transformação da polícia em exército de ocupação.
Besides the war on drugs – which, particularly in the city of São Paulo, has specific features of a war against the addicts – the state of São Paulo is also hosting wars against students and protesters who use the public space to advocate for a cause. The war against the inhabitants  of Pinheirinho (who will be homeless tomorrow) is no exception to this logic of transformation of the police into an occupation army.
Video of the user DanPerseguim show the moment in which the Military Police throw bombs and use rubber bullets against unarmed people within the area where families must be registered to receive help:
An aide to the General Secretariat of the Presidency was hit by a rubber bullet and went on to say that the Federal Highway Police were forced to hide from bullets fired by the Military Police. A list is being compiled collaboratively with all reports of deaths that can be found.
Blogger Cylene Dworzak sums up the general feeling:
Acima de qualquer ideologia, este é um momento de muita dor pra muita gente.
And blogger Gilson Junior completed:
The blog diário Liberdade picked a handful of videos and photos, added a summary of the situation of Pinheirinho, as did blogger Giambatista Brito. On Twitter, the hashtag #Pinheirinho has been widely used to disseminate information, as well as the profile @PinheirinhoSJC is common source for local information. Photos and videos can be found here, here, here e here.
Journalists Felipe Milanez and Maíra Kubik Mano collected several testimonies of residents during the violent eviction, while writer and activist Celso Lungarette wondered if what was needed was for the federal government to step in and take a position on the missing, the prisoners and the homeless. Meanwhile blogger Gilson Sampaio said that the government of São Paulo and its judiciary branch must be reported to the OEA (OAS, Organization of American States) and the UN. In an interview with BBC Brazil, the program coordinator for the United Nations Housing Rights, Claudio Acioly, said there was a drastic violation of rights in the process of forced eviction in Pinheirinho.
Teacher Chico Bicudo vents:
O Pinheirinho é agora um bairro-fantasma. As quase mil casas serão em breve demolidas. Com elas, cairão também os sonhos e histórias de vida de quase nove mil pessoas. A terra arrasada ficará por lá. Sem as casas, sem os moradores, mas finalmente de volta para seu “dono”.
However, there is talk of possible legal liability of the mayor of São José dos Campos, Eduardo Cury (PSDB) and the São Paulo state Governor Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB), for the extreme violence and possible deaths.
Protests were held to support Pinheirinho throughout the country, and this album by Thiago Moreira has dozens of photos of the demonstration in São Paulo and the website Collective Catharsis has a video of the demonstration.
The situation in Pinheirinho is still critical, with thousands of homeless living in makeshift tents, shelters and churches.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Caribbean: TEDx Shows “Ideas Worth Spreading”  · Global Voices
Karel McIntosh

“Ideas worth spreading.” With this simple slogan, TED.com, which began in 1984 as an annual conference devoted to technology, entertainment and design, has infiltrated the Internet, gathered valuable global mindshare among people interested in changing their communities and empowered people in various countries to spark discussions in local, self-organised, intimate, TED-branded events, dubbed TEDx.
This sharing of ideas has found its way to the Caribbean – in 2011, five TEDx events were held in the region: two in Jamaica, two in Trinidad and one in Puerto Rico, the prelude to which was the hosting of a TED Talk in November 2010 by Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.  TED Talks cover science, arts, politics, global issues, architecture, music and more.  Events can be held in homes, workplaces, schools, universities or public theatres.
Showcasing local live speakers and featuring TED video talks, the Caribbean events each had a different viewpoint.  All TEDx events share TED's format of short, prepared talks on a wide range of subjects to foster learning, inspiration and wonder, and to provoke conversations about the topics for discussion.  Interestingly, for all of the interest they garnered and the reportedly high attendance at each of these events, very few bloggers actually wrote about them, and a survey of the respective events’ hashtags showed a trail of mainly the organiser’s tweets.
The first Jamaican event, TEDxIrie, aimed to “show the world that Jamaica's size doesn’t limit what [they] can contribute globally in all areas of human activity.”  Speakers included Carolyn Cooper, Ebony G. Patterson, Jacqueline Sutherland, Kaiton Williams, Mark A. Jones and Wayne Marshall.
TEDxJamaica, held in October 2011, featured a mix of local and foreign speakers and seemed more business-oriented. The Jamaica-born featured speaker, Barrington Irving, is confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest global solo flyer.  He used the event to announce a global initiative with Brazilian aeronautics manufacturer Embraer to create the world's first Flying Classroom at 40,000 feet in the air.
Other speakers included Andrew Simpson, Information Technology guru expert of CASEWare; former “Apprentice” winner Randall Pinkett, who now heads his own multimillion-dollar company; Simon Benjamin, an artist whose portfolio includes television commercials, music videos and branding for major entities; JJ Geewax, who helped establish the real-time, online advertisement exchange company Invite Media, as a market leader before its acquisition by Google and Divya Narendra of ConnectU, the campus-based, social-networking platform, the central ideas of which would eventually morph (albeit with bitter litigation) into Facebook.
In contrast, Trinidad’s latest TEDx event, TEDxPortofSpain, the theme of which was “Changing Conversations”, attracted a crowd that seemed largely filled with persons from the arts and creative industries.  Featured speakers included Global Voices’ Managing Director, Georgia Popplewell, who spoke about Global Voices’ work around the world; Wendell Manwarren of the Rapso Group 3Canal, who is a singer, writer, producer, teacher, sound designer and director, entrepreneurs Ria Ramkissoon and Kiran Shiva Akal; architect Mark Raymond and Stefan Grosberg, food artisan.
Students at the University of the West Indies also threw their hat in the ring, hosting a TEDx event, TEDxUWI with the theme “Beyond Your Limits” in February 2011. Speakers included students Amilcar Sanatan, Brandon O’Brien, and Stephan Taylor and UWI graduate Omar Mohammed.  Sanatan spoke about youth and culture in Trinidad and Tobago and examined how self-acceptance affects the way we live.
 Taylor talked about new ways of thinking about innovation, discussing how the Caribbean region is developing through fresh ideas, and O’Brien discussed “Compassion as 21st Century Enlightenment”, outlining how compassion can be used to border the differences between different sectors of society and push towards a new unity.  Mohammed focused on the ways in which Caribbean countries are responding to Climate Change.
Local celebrities, Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam, and comedian Learie Joseph, were also featured.  the former beauty queen focused on encouraging the audience to recognize opportunities, while Joseph shared his life's journey, comically illustrating how perseverance can help to overcome boundaries.
The response to the student-led event was so positive that the university held another TEDx event in November 2011 event, themed “Cultural Reality Imitated in a Mutual Environment”.  The focus, inspired by the Trinidad and Tobago's government's imposition of a state of emergency to combat the escalating crime situation, looked at crime “as part of the cumulative narrative of Trinidad and Tobago and its connective ability”.
Finally, higher up the Caribbean archipelago, in December 2011, TEDxSanJuan was about to its mark.  At first, bloggers seemed uncertain about what the event was meant to accomplish and how successful it would be.  Gil the Jenius quipped:
As I write this, TEDx San Juan, first edition, is to start in 17 hours.
I have no idea who's speaking. Or what they'll talk about.
The only information I have is that the theme is “Bursting the Bubble,” referring to My Brethren who are pushing the envelope, boricuas breaking new ground. Good. Marvelous. But to be blunt: so what?
So Jenius, if you're so down on the event, why are you going?
Because I could be wrong. I could be wrong that the agenda, when it is finally revealed, will be a flop, a collection of butt-buddies brought in to present a skewed shadow of “Bursting the Bubble” excellence.
And wrong he was!  Post-event, the Jenius wrote here that “TEDx San Juan was a rousing success“:
As I tweeted: I'll eat some of My words, happily.
Let Me dismiss My off-targets first: I sill don't agree with hiding the speakers line-up until just before the event.
Now for the positives: TEDx San Juan is the first event I have ever attended locally that exceeded My expectations…for My money, every speaker was a huge hit.  TEDx San Juan was interesting, dynamic, moving and impressive. Three thoughts came together during the event:
1) I'm so used to events like these being “what could have been” that I have become too cynical about “what could be.” I won't do that again.
2) I, and We, are not alone. There are plenty of My Brethren who not only want to make a difference, they actually are making a difference.
3) The next TEDx has already begun. And it will be even better than this one.
Dondequiera was excited to attend the event from the get-go and noted that:
2011 has really been a breakthrough year for the Internet in Puerto Rico…everyday, I see more signs that the Internet is gaining broader and deeper acceptance locally. I have two predictions:
We're still on training wheels here in Puerto Rico, but the rollercoaster ride that is the Internet, is just about ready to take off. Look for a more ubiqitious Internet presence in 2012.
The Internet marketing embargo that the local advertising agencies controls, is starting to leak. When the dam breaks, it will break a tidal wave of opportunity.
After the event, the blogger noted that despite the limited number of invitees for the conference, which he called a “barrier [that] caused many local social media users to express their disgust with the process and the exclusion it caused”, there was a bright side:
Pissing people off because they couldn't register for an event is a great problem to have. Let's reframe this. 900+ people in Puerto Rico wanted to attend the TEDx San Juan Conference! People are hungry for ideas. What a optimistic signal!
I talked to one of the organizers and we agreed that, if nothing else we celebrate TEDx San Juan for having told us this one story: I am not alone. You are not alone. They are others. And they're here and in many different places around the world. Many speakers talked of transformation, to becoming fueled by passion.
TEDx is one way in which the Caribbean creative and technology fraternities are getting their ideas out and sharing them with the world – and the phenomenon seems to be a harbinger of innovation for the regional online community.

author: Karel McIntosh


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Cuba, Barbados: Power of the Hunger Strike  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense notes that Cuban dissident Jorge Cervantes has gone on a hunger strike after being arrested for putting up posters protesting the recent death of hunger striker and prisoner of conscience Wilman Villar Mendoza. Barbados Free Press, meanwhile, republishes a letter from a Cuban prisoner who has served his time in a Barbados jail, yet still remains incarcerated nearly a year after he should have been released, saying: “Raul Garcia is a redeemed man! He deserves to be free!”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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El Salvador: New Attack Against Anti Mining Activists · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Voices from El Salvador reports on a new attack against anti mining activists in Cabañas. This time, Father Neftalí Ruiz was attacked by “several young men [who] tied him up in his home and proceeded to search his home, computer files, and cellphones for information and supposed weapons.” Grit and Grace published an English translation of a press release by the National Working Table against Metallic Mining in El Salvador on this attack.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Elizabeth Rivera, Global Voices Author and Translator · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Elizabeth Rivera arrived to Global Voices in 2011 and since then has not stopped translating for Global Voices in Spanish, writing her own articles both for Global Voices in Spanish and Global Voices Online and also translating for Global Voices in English. Curious to know more about her, I decided to send her a few questions which she answered willingly. The end result is this interview that I share with you today.
Hello Elizabeth, tell us about yourself, where are you from, where are you and what do you do?
Hello! I am a citizen of the world that by chance and fortune was born in Mexico City a little over 30 years ago. I live in a multicultural family and I come from one. I have lived in 6 cities in 3 countries and I hope to be fortunate enough to increase that number. Today I am in Santiago, Chile and day to day – as well as collaborating with Global Voices – I earn my bread as a marketer.
How did you hear about Global Voices and what encouraged you to get involved in their work?
With the birth of the Arab Spring, I reactivated my Twitter account. I started to follow interesting people who post regularly, including @JustAmira. I was struck by the Twitbon you had on her profile, so I came to Global Voices. I immediately fell in love with the site, reading the posts they had and their reason for being. I saw the link to work as a translator and said, “here I am.” On the same day you contacted me and the rest is history. Now not only do I translate but I have the opportunity to write my own pieces. I am very proud to be part of this community and hope to remain so for a long time. I have learnt a lot and I have met very valuable people.
Elizabeth Rivera with her little girl. 2011.
How do you have enough time to translate and write?
A little discipline, that is all. When I take a translation I give myself a date or time limit to complete it by. I do not take another until I have finished it. When I'm writing a post I don't do translations. In any case, I am a quick typer on the keyboard and I'm used to doing many things at once (you know, working, being a mother, wife, writing, friends, etc, etc.)  :)
You said you have lived in 6 different cities, tell us about your travels!
Now that I remember, there are 7! In Mexico I have lived in Mexico City, Cuernavaca, San Cristóbal de las Casas and Cancún. In the United States I have lived in Irvine and Chino, both cities in California. In Chile, only in Santiago. Mexico City is the city where I was born and where I have my roots, my people, my identity. I studied in California for several years and it is also a place where I feel at home because my mother's family lives there and I spent my childhood summers with them. In San Cristóbal (or Sancris as it is affectionately known) I had the opportunity to work with a Tzeltal community producer of coffee helping them start a business that allowed them to keep the village in a sustainable way. It is a community, tucked amid the Zapatista zone, poor in material terms, but extremely rich in culture. It was one of the most enriching experiences I have had in my life. So, of all the cities I mentioned, Sancris has a special place in my heart.
Elizabeth Rivera in Dublin, Ireland.
Changing topics, how do you see the Chilean student movement? Will the negotiations between them and the government reach a conclusion?
The Chilean student movement of 2011 is the second part of the “revolución pingüina” (“penguin revolution”) of 2006. In fact, I'm sure many of those who participated in those protests are the leaders of the current movement. I think that, despite many genuine causes, this is what the Chilean society has chosen to express their discontent with inequality and I believe it is right. Education is the foundation of any society. The current system does not seek access to quality education for all of society, from financing to evaluation, training and support for teachers in all schools, especially public ones. It is not just a problem at the university level, the system begins to affect children since preschool.
I think if Chile wants to keep growing and it aspires to be a developed and inclusive nation, it must have an education system that accompanies these objectives. I think both sides, government and students (or rather, society in general) want the best for the country. This must be what prevails in the negotiations. Now, if you want to reach a true solution, the government should stop providing “patch” answers as increasing grants or lowering interest rates, which help, but do not attack the root of the problem; and the students must understand that change does not happen overnight and must be open to options. The youngsters have lit the flame of change, now it's up to the current government to seize the golden opportunity that is in front of them to leave a positive mark in the history of Chile.
And why do you think the government does not want to compromise on the core of its educational model?
There can be many reasons. Both personal and ideological. I think many in the government really believe that such a thorough reform is not needed (we think this is a neoliberal model of education, which is consistent with philosophy of the Right). Others are “afraid” to change the tax laws or think that a reform would be too complicated and/or expensive. Others simply see it as an affront against the government rather than a necessity that is independent of the party in power. And some do not want to budge. The status quo is easier and more comfortable. Maybe that's why for many years of leftist government nothing has been done to change this system. Well, at least this time, the protests have succeeded in bringing the discussion to deeper issues and has not lost the level of pressure, which is already a gain on the previous movement.
How do you evaluate the use and impact of new media in the student movement?
The new forms of media have been key to elevating the discussion and involving all citizens in this matter. Whoever wants to, can comment, discuss, propose. That is always good for a democracy. Also, citizens’ forums and journals have been available to Internet users to analyze other events beyond the traditional media, which have focused mostly on covering the excesses of the protests more than anything else. Even at the beginning of this movement, they were not even covering the protests, instead giving news of anything else, while in the streets there were thousands of people demonstrating. As in the rest of the world, the new media has opened many doors of conversation that did not exist before.
Elizabeth Rivera in Angelmó, Puerto Montt, Chile, 2010.
Why are you volunteering for Global Voices and not another NGO?
For me connectivity is important in every sense. It was the reason I chose my career and why I like to travel. The more we feel the interdependence with our fellow man and our environment the easier it will be to put ourselves into the shoes of others, understanding, respecting and opening ourselves to possibilities. Global Voices has allowed me and allows readers to understand cultures, ways of thinking and news from other perspectives, which is very rewarding making ties stronger, and borders – starting with the language – are gone.
Finally, tell us your favourite activities when you are not working?
I love traveling so I'm always imagining and planning the next “break”. It is normal that my husband, my daughter and I take the bag on a Friday and return on Sunday with no problems. We like to discover places from the “local” point of view, so we explore the markets, we ask the taxi driver “where to eat where the tourists don't go” and if there is a friend in the place, even better! For us it is the best thing to spend money on. In fact, I live intensely by my favourite phrase: “The world is too interesting to stay in one place all the time.” I also like reading, especially historical novels but since my baby was born I have not had much time to devote to reading. I like playing with her and showing her new things, seeing how she learns. Also, as a good Mexican, I organize outings and plans with friends quite often. It is common to see people in my house at lunch or in the afternoon having a beer. Everyone knows that they can just come round.
Thanks Eli! And to show you how true that is, our Latin America Regional Editor Silvia Viñas hopped over to Elizabeth's house for a brief chat:
Make sure you follow Elizabeth on Twitter: @elimaguire.

author: Juan Arellano


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Ethiopia: How Netizens Reacted to Suspension of Athletes · Global Voices
Endalkachew Chala

Did online reactions from Ethiopian netizens contributed to the move by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation to lift the suspension of Ethiopian athletes banned for not reporting for an early pre-Olympic camp? On Friday January 20, 2012 Ethiopian State Television (ETV) broke the news that the Ethiopian Athletics Federation has banned 35 athletes for an indefinite period – including double Olympic champions Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba from the London Games in a dispute over training. The suspension was lifted Tuesday January 24, 2012.
As the London Olympic championship is looming and resentment is fermenting amongst the public over deteriorating results of Ethiopian athletes in the past few years, the news of their suspension captured the interest of netizens.
The decision ignited hullabaloo and mixed reactions online. On January 20 journalist Ermias Amare responded in Amharic to the decision of the athletics governing body on his Facebook page:
Kenenisa Bekele at the World Championship Athletics 2009 in Berlin. Photo courtesy of Erik van Leeuwen.
የፍፃሜው መጀመሪያ እንዳይሆን፡፡ ቀነኒሳ፣ ጥሩነሽ፣ ስለሺ እና ሌሎች 13 ዕውቅ አትሌቶች በኢትዮጵያ አትሌቲክስ ፌዴሬሽን የቅጣት መዝገብ ላይ ሰፈሩ፡፡ ቅጣቱ ከማንኛውም ዓለምአቀፍ እና የሀገር ውስጥ ውድድር አትሌቶቹን ማገድ ነው፡፡ ቀጪውም ሆነ ተቀጪዎቹ ጋር ሥር የሰደደ ችግር እንዳለ በደንብ አውቃለሁ፡፡ የቀጪው አካሄድ ካልደፈረሰ አይጠራም ይመስላል፡፡ ጣጣው ግን ደፍርሶ ያልጠራ ዕለት ነው፡፡ እኔ በግሌ ማንን “ሃይ” እንደምል ጨንቆኛል፡፡
Addis Neger’s Facebook page linked to an article quoting Kenenisa Bekele's agent Jos Hermens:
It's good for forthcoming new athletes, but for people like (double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba) Dibaba or Kenenisa or (long distance great) Haile Gebrselassie, they have their individual programmes so you cannot just put them in a general programme from the federation.
Kiflu Hussain asked:
I wonder how much of this is politics & how much of it is pure matters of sport.
Tirunesh Dibaba at June 2008(2008-06-07), 21:13 Source 	  Exxon Mobil ÅF Golden League Bislett Games 2008. Photo courtesy of Ragnar Singsaas (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The story took another turn when Kenenisa allegedly asked to run for another country after he learnt that he is banned. An anonymous commentator from Eretria wrote:
Eritrea would kill to have him run under its flag. If he is really considering running for another country, who else could be more Ethiopian than Eritrea? Let him run for us and we will give him a thousand soldiers march in as Asmara when he come back victorious. And, Weyanes would learn how to treat a hero.
Sola said:
Ban is a last resort measure .I don't think the EAF is serious banning all those great athletes ,it just want to give a harsh notice .I believe they can sort out a solution.
Jean larque argued that the problem is mixing politics with sports:
It's shame to hear this news from the federation. It's amazing all management staff members are politicians they do everything for the benefit of a leading party in the country. Kennenisa for Abyssinia
This is Micky's analysis of the problem:
Anyone who has ever dealt with officials in Ethiopia knows that the little power they have tends to go to their head.
The Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) said that the suspension was lifted after the athletes apologized. Ethiopia has been a major participant in the Olympic Games since 1956.

author: Endalkachew Chala


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Ethiopia: Reflecting on Corruption   · Global Voices
Endalkachew Chala

A report by Global Financial Integrity shows that Ethiopia has lost $11.7 billion to outflows of illicit funds in the last decade. In 2009 alone, the figure was $3.26 billion, exceeding both the value of its total annual exports and the total development aid it received that year. And it is on the increase.
The report painted the outflows of illegal fund in a more plain language noting:
The people of Ethiopia are being bled dry. No matter how hard they try to fight their way out of absolute destitution and poverty, they will be swimming upstream against the current of illicit capital leakage.
Meles Zenawi (Prime Minister of Ethiopia) at the World Economic Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, May 2010. Photo courtesy of World Economic Forum (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Janice Winter, a South African, wrote an opinion piece on Daily Maverick titled ‘Climate of Corruption in Ethiopia‘, which prompted many responses from both Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians. In her article, Janice highlighted the state of corruption in Ethiopia and called for strict examination of Melese Zenawi’s regime before the release of the Green Climate Fund which was a major point of discussion in COP17 climate talks in Durban.
The Green Climate Fund is a mechanism for transferring money from the developed to the developing world in order to assist the developing countries to counter climate change.
Reacting to Janice's article, Peter Auld said:
It should be fairly self evident that if you pay dictators to be dictators they will remain dictators.
Hopefully the Green Fund will remain at zero, and African begging bowls become a thing of the past.
Gabe A. Adamou praised Janice:
Kudos for Ms. Winters for setting the record straight. It is disgusting to see this blood-soaked tyrant who repeatedly ordered his security forces to shoot on peaceful protesters and who sent journalists and opposition political figures to jail for criticizing his dictatorial rule get a pass in the West, while the likes of Mugabe who are also tyrants but with less human right violations record than Meles are given pariah status. What is more repulsive is to hear that Western leaders and some in policy circles give him all the accolades for “his intelligence” and see that he is given large stage in regional/world affairs. It is encouraging to see independent journalists question the myth about him created by self-serving Western leaders and some lazy Western media journalists who parrot what they hear from official circles.
Al Mariam, a famous Ethiopian political commentator, in his rather extended response to Janice’s article further detailed the state of corruption in Ethiopia. In his article titled ‘Ethiopia: The Art of Bleeding a Country Dry: Ethio-Corruption, Inc. (Unlimited)‘ he stated:
I have long argued that the business of African dictatorships is corruption The devastating impact of corruption on the continent's poor becomes self-evident as political leaders and public officials siphon off resources from critical school, hospital, road and other public works and community projects to line their pockets. For instance, reports of widespread corruption in Ethiopia in the form of outright theft and embezzlement of public funds, misuse and misappropriation of state property, nepotism, bribery, abuse of public authority and position to exact corrupt payments and gain are commonplace. The anecdotal stories of corruption in Ethiopia are shocking to the conscience. Doctors are unable to treat patients at the public hospitals because medicine and supplies are diverted for private gain. Tariffs are imposed on medicine and medical supplies brought into the country for public charity. Businessmen complain that they are unable to get permits and licenses without paying huge bribes or taking officials as silent partners.
But Mulugeta Kassa does not agree with both Janice and Al Mariam:
Here comes Janice with her liberal contemplations and dare I state, jaundiced view of a South African who has turned livid by President Zuma being eclipsed by Meles Zenawi on issues of African concern. Her smear and sneer attack on Meles is nothing more than a punitive action by neo-liberals on an African leader who adamantly refuses to be arm-locked into accepting failed liberal policies. Much to the indignation and chagrin of Janice Winter and her army of befogged individuals from the discredited school of economic liberalism, Ethiopia today is a pluralistic democracy and as such would not sit on its hands while others try to circumvent democracy for there cannot be such thing as lawless freedom. To, therefore, claim that Meles is a dictator is as futile as trying to claim that the world is flat.
As the mainstream media kept on reporting the issue, Ethiopians on Facebook joined the debate. Abiy Tekelmariam, Ethiopian exiled journalist, who shared the link of the story wrote:
Officials of our generous developmental state share our wealth with rich nations.
Another Facebook user, Tessema Belay, reacted to Abiy’s status update:
“Yes!” We are being bled dry” … story of misery goes on…”
Another journalist in exile based in USA posted on his Facebook page:
After serious scrutiny of robbery of construction materials by some Ethiopians, Chinese construction workers said “do Ethiopians have a country called Ethiopia somewhere else?”  and here, following an estimate of $11.7 billion of illicit money outflow, lets ask EPRDFites. “is that “Etvopia” real country geographically located around Malaysia and Arab banks?
Kiflu Hussein, Human Right activist based in Kampala posted the following comment on his page:
Daily stories of corruption in Uganda but no stories of corruption in Ethiopia.Why?Is it because like Joachim Bwembo put it in his recent piece that Meles & Co.are aboveboard & beyond reproach or is it because the press is totally muzzled? After finishing the piece I started, perhaps,I’ll jot down a word or two titled “Seeing Addis or Kigali from the sorry state of Kampala.”That may help to expound what Timothy Kalyegira rightly found a silly comparison between the “dysfunctional & normal “duties of a government.
According to the Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Ethiopia ranks 120 out of 182 countries and territories in the world.


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Ghana: Attorney General Martin Amidu Fired, Ghana Reacts · Global Voices
L. Abena Annan

A recent article published by Tanzanian newspaper, The Citizen, reported that Africa’s Internet use has hit a 2000% growth. It is no wonder that these days any major news in Africa quickly torches the web like wild fire, thanks to Twitter and Facebook, as demonstrated by the January 19, 2012 announcement of the dismissal of Ghana’s Attorney General, Martin Amidu.
Mr. Amidu’s fate came after he alleged that that some key government officials had planned unjustified media attacks on him because they consider him a threat:
My integrity and professionalism as a lawyer was a threat to the concealment of gargantuan crimes against the people of Ghana in which they might be implicated.
President John Evans Atta Mills demanded proof of this statement or Amidu’s resignation.
The article adds:
It appears Mr Amidu has not met the president's demand and the axe has been brought on him.The AG’s statement attracted a sharply divided opinion – while members of the governing NDC’s communications team, riled by the statement, called for his immediate resignation or dismissal, anti-graft agencies and some opposition elements insisted Mr Amidu needed to be allowed to stay to prosecute the people he claimed were committing crimes against the state.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, a member of the NDC communications team who felt insulted by Mr Amidu’s statement that “The ethics of a legal profession and the Bar, of which I am a leader, are more sacred to me than that of young and inexperienced members of a communication team of the NDC who are absolutely ignorant of the functions of an Attorney-General under the Constitution of Ghana,” said the AG’s position in government had become untenable and that he must resign.
Pro-government newspapers – Daily Post; the Informer; the National Democrat; the Ghanaian Lens – described by Mr Amidu as “perverse” and “rented NDC press” joined the calls for the AG’s dismissal with a unanimous banner headline, “A-G Martin Amidu Must Go!”
Opposition elements hailed the AG’s bravery and forthrightness.
Mr. Amidu’s story has stirred emotions in individuals beyond government and media circles. MyJoyOnline’s report of his dismissal received 380 comments from readers, mostly in support of Mr. Amidu.
One comment, by Sir Stefan Klinke reads:
Some of you just need to stop! Has it ever occurred to you that we're being hood-winked? How can a whole A-G, a lawyer of high repute not have evidence. As a lawyer he knows that that's the first thing thats needed: EVIDENCE!
I think he had the evidence but was asked not to continue pursuing Woyome! He had ALL the evidence in hand and was sacked because he didn't want to back down! The evidence made A LOT of people at the presidency uncomfortable. That's it!
Those of you , eg. Yao and Dzifa et al, still supporting this gargantuan crime against Ghana just because its about the NDC: You're suffering from intellectual dishonesty! Take your heads out of the sand and stare reality and truth in the face for once! Had this been NPP time you guys would be crying WOLF from the rooftops!
I repeat: INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY.
Kofi Nyank says:
The crime of Hon. Amidu was that he went out to embarrass the very people Egya Atta does not want to embarrass. Egya Atta you can conceal the “gargantuan crimes against the people of Ghana” but December will come soon. “The inescapable fact is that at the end of the day truth will prevail over falsehood in the Republic of Ghana”. Hon. Amidu God bless you for being there for Ghana. You are a true Patriot. “The charlatans in political disguise” will be uncovered. As for Egya Atta, he is the chief Hypocrite. God is watching and Ghanaians will see the kind of legacy he leaves for posterity.
Yaw says:
Sad sad day for Ghana in its fight against corruption. This is merely a cover up for the massive rot in the NDC government and Martin is a scapegoat. I hope his fight goes on even out of government-he should have the courage to come out with the evidence to expose who are looting state coffers through Woyome. As for Atta Mills I pity him-The small boys are kicking around like a football.
On a Facebook public profile page created for the former Attorney General (it is unclear whether he endorses it),  a follower asks others why he was fired. Lisa Quarshie replies:
Political suicide. In Africa you never ever speak against your party if you want to remain in position. If you're a common floor member that's fine. But when the party has favored you among many to make you minister you shut up and kowtow no matter how offended you are. Sad but true.
Samuel Kissiedu also leaves a statement on Mr. Amidu’s fan page to open up a discussion:
Martin Amidu at crossroads: party or country. When there are “gargantuan crimes against the people of Ghana” must a minister “say it loud” to the entire nation or whisper in the ears of the Prez? Your comments.
Emmanuel Asiedu Acheampong responds:
If you think the prez is aware of it, and is not doing anything about it, my bro, SAY IT ALOUD!
Yuri Schenkov responds to the news with this statement:
Well i think the president could have acted more smarter than to dance to the whimsical noises by small flies within his administration. For me the fact that top gurus in the party and i mean the matured ones not the Felix Kwakye’s and co never commented on the issue should tell you a lot about the caliber of the person Martin Amidu is. It’s rather unfortunate a flimsy excuse has been given for his dismissal but what can we say he is the president so until 7th December 2012 that i can exercise my franchise to kick him out i remain quiet.
Twitter is still ablaze with tweets about the dismissal:
@SamuelObour: Fired A-G, Martin Amidu, reportedly told President Mills “point blank” that he would never resign, or leave office unless Mills sacked him.
@lexisbill: So Attorney General, Martin Amidu didn't know he had been sacked until his driver alerted him that they are talking about him on the radio
@nii_ayertey: State Attorney, Martin Amidu, dug his own grave. Apparently he was the one trying to conceal ministers in cabinet who have committed crimes.
The dismissed Attorney General Martin Amidu has sent a note of caution to government to stop peddling falsehood about him or he would be compelled to spill the beans.

author: L. Abena Annan


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Guyana: Kissoon Firing as “Rodney Redux” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The government and its sycophantic outliers may argue from now until the cows come home that the days of Burnham are over, but this is essentially Walter Rodney redux…”: The Minority Report adds its voice to the outcry over the firing of Freddie Kissoon from the University of Guyana.


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Iran: ‘The pain of sanctions’ · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

European Union has adopted an oil embargo against Iran. Faren Taghizadeh, a presenter at BBC Persian TV posted [fa] in Facebook: This is one of the adversities of being a journalist that you should talk about the pain of your people in details with a smile on your lips. But this smile is not the whole truth.

author: Hadi Nili


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Macedonia: Analyzing Skopje 2014 · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Jasna Koteska published an analysis of the implications of Skopje 2014 project in the light of the concepts developed by foremost contemporary philosophers and other thinkers. Informative and readable, full of juicy details on the use of history to create a new nationalist ideology.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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North Korean Defectors and Their Shattered American Dream · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Marmot's Hole blog  wrote regarding a news report on the hardships North Korean defectors face in the United States. As of 2011, more than 400 North Korean defectors were living in the United States and there was a surge of defectors after 2004 when US passed the North Korean Human Rights Act.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Pakistan: Imran Khan’s Rally A Social Media Milestone · Global Voices
Rezwan

Umair Mohsin thinks that Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek Insaf's successful rally on 25th December, 2011 was a major social media milestone for Pakistan. Umair posts a social media case study on this.

author: Rezwan


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Paraguay: Learn the Correct Use of Social Networks, a Resolution for 2012 · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Global Voices contributor Belén Bogado [es] suggests adding “learning how to use social networks correctly” to your list of new year's resolutions. She gives some local and international examples of the bad use of social networks to encourage her readers to be careful with what they share online.


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Poland: Government Will Sign ACTA Despite Massive Protest · Global Voices
Kasia Odrozek

“The Acta agreement in no way changes Polish laws or the rights of internet users and internet usage” – despite a massive Internet protest and controversies around the secret manner of negotiations, the Polish Minister of Administration and Digitisation, Michal Boni, admitted after a meeting with Prime Minister Donald Tusk that the government would sign the anti-piracy agreement ACTA on January 26, as planned.
In an interview with a radio station, Boni said [pl] that it was impossible not to sign the agreement, because it was too late: Poland joined the negotiation process in 2008 and all the other European countries have already signed it. He added that Poland “should attach a clause to the treaty that would show how we interpret these articles”.
Boni had promised [pl] broad public consultations during the European ratification process. Several Polish NGOshave expressed [pl] their disappointment with the government's stance on ACTA and appealed to change the decision.
Since January 21, online hackers calling themselves Anonymous have been attacking and shuting down government websites almost constantly, in a chaotic protest against the plans to sign the international treaty on Thursday.
User @Anonymouswiki owns up to the web attacks on the websites of the prime minister, the parliament and other government entities. Screenshot: Twitter @Anonymouswiki
Although the hackers still enjoy strong support among netizens, and the attacks were one of the reasons the mainstream media picked up the topic of ACTA, the group also faces criticism from key Polish tech-bloggers.
Maciej Gajewski from Spidersweb calls them [pl] “crying kids worried for their mp3″ and regrets that they became the face of the protest giving the government officials an argument against the movement:
Critics, mistrust and suspicion is one thing, but panic, mumbling and spreading disinformation is another thing. Looking at some finds on the biggest Polish social news platforms, looking at the comments of some readers, I get the impression that the lion's share of the protesters have no idea what ACTA is about. They've made up fantastic stories and are passing them on. The mass is getting crazy “Impale PM”, “Let's burn the Minister on the stake!”, “They will all lock us down in prisons!”. And then also Anonymous, who just make the whole protest look ridiculous in the eyes of mature older voters.
900+ Polish websites go dark on January 24
"This is what the Internet might look like very soon. NO to ACTA" – over 900 Polish websites decided to go dark on January 24 in protest against the treaty. Screenshot: http://spidersweb.pl
As opposed to the web attacks on government websites, Antyweb called [pl] on his blog on January 23 for a protest “in a cultured way, namely, a blackout” and provided a script and an instruction on how to do it. In response, more than 900 websites decided to “go dark” and display an anti-ACTA message.
Allegro, the Polish equivalent of Ebay, placed an “anti-ACTA” banner next to the company's logo. The list of the websites taking part in the protest is available here.
The opposition party, the Democratic Left Alliance, also said the government should not sign the agreement and blacked out its website [pl] in solidarity.
While the global media, with a few exceptions, keep silent about the Polish protest, national information services race to publish dozens of opinions, analyses and the latest reports on the ACTA case. In the meantime, the protest movement seems to be getting bigger and bigger: the anti-ACTA protest event on Facebook Nie dla ACTA has reached over 400,000 fans.
A real-life protest in Warsaw gathered [pl] over 1,000 people on Tuesday, and another one is being planned for Wednesday, January 25.
"Screw corporations, long live the people": many Polish protesters went on the streets on January 24. Photo by Alexey Sidorenko, used with permission.
Vagla, a popular Polish digital rights blogger, shared this hope [pl] on Twitter on January 24:
I guess that slowly people start to understand that this is not a discussion about “piracy” and “thieves” but about the direction in which our civilisation is heading.
Update:
Later on January 24, PM Tusk confirmed officially [pl] at a press conference that Poland will sign ACTA on January 26. At the same time, he stressed that the government will not give in to blackmail, meaning the earlier web attacks. Poland strives for Internet freedom, said Tusk.

author: Kasia Odrozek


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Puerto Rico: Debating Maripily · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

In 80 Grados [es], Melissa Fernández Arrigoitia responds to a controversial column written by Nelson Rivera in the same digital publication on the supposed virtues and failings of the model Maripily.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Puerto Rico: Fear or Loathing? · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger Ed Morales reacts to the column published in Huffington Post Latino titled “Fear and Loathing in the Island that Doesn't Exist,” by Mónica Gutiérrez, which has stirred controversy on how Puerto Rico is depicted, imagined, and constructed.


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Puerto Rico: Vigilance over SOPA & PIPA · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dondequiera says of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA): “Mark my word, this issue is not dead. More like the living dead, a zombie issue, if you like.  Many companies…believe that the only way to kill the intellectual property rights legislation is to out innovate Hollywood and deliver solutions that make their demands obsolete. I wish them the best of luck.”


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Romania: “I, the Citizen” · Global Voices
Oana Maria Dan

Street protests in Romania have been going on for over a week now. People are demanding early elections, and the talk continues in the Romanian online space on who the protesters are, what they want and what the aftermath of the protests will be. People in the streets do not yet have a leader, but they nevertheless have a powerful voice – and change seems to start happening.
On Monday, January 23, 2012, Prime Minister Emil Boc fired the Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Baconschi – a week after the latter posted this on his personal blog [ro]:
One thing is becoming ever more clear for Romanians with common sense. A life-and-death fight has started between the forces of the past and the project of a new Romania. The opposition has finally activated the entire arsenal inherited from the communists: armed punks, misinformation, hate propaganda. […] This year will be crucial for Romania. The choice is simple: reform, responsibility and safety – or involution, populism and the rule of a club. But the choice will be made by the earnest Romania, the hard-working Romania, the forward-looking Romania, and not by the violent and inept slums lined up, just like the miners of the past, behind the heirs of the former communist [Securitate].
Journalist Bogdan Ciuclaru writes [ro] about citizen responsibility, which Romanians, tired of being listened to only during election campaigns, are starting to exercise:
I too am disappointed by Traian Basescu and I am not willing to allow the couple [Victor Ponta and Crin Antonescu, the two main opposition leaders from USL/Social Liberal Union] to do the same thing to me. Traian Basescu was the last representative of the National Salvation Front generation [the first party formed after the 1989 revolution] that I trusted and even liked. In 2004, he was a phenomenon, a skillful political figure, an alternative to a gang, a sort of a chili pepper… I do not think he cheated me – rather, he disappointed me because he turned exactly into what he seemed to want to condemn or fix. After trying out Traian Basescu, I think we have run out of reasonable options, and the only person I can trust now is myself – I, the citizen… I am not allowed to disappoint at home, in my car or in the street. I am not allowed to disappoint the bank, either, if I think about it. For citizens, the rule of disappointment is stricter. If you want to feel good about yourself, you’ll continue playing according to this rule and be careful not to disappoint your parents, family, colleagues, bosses and so on.
[…] Politics seems the easiest way of practising disappointment 100 times more intensely. When you are exposed to such a disappointment, you are left with few alternative options: voting and protesting. Traian Basescu’s evolution and that of other figures he proposed or supported makes me doubt my first option and pay closer attention to the second. For me it’s not enough to be listened to once every four years. That is the reason I took to the streets… If I did nothing, I would feel I’m disappointing.
I believe it’s a good thing people are protesting and expressing their discontent with a louder voice. This is just about the only way the authorities can still take us seriously. There’s no point in having wireless and central heating and buses if we are constantly followed by this frustration of not being listened to by those who we elected to lead us…
Protesters gather in Bucharest to protest austerity measures. Photo by GEORGECALIN, copyright © Demotix (19/01/12).
Romanian society has been quite passive over the past 22 years, and journalist Vasile Ernu suggests showing unity by turning the current protests white [ro]:
It’s getting harder and harder to get people out in the streets. We can, perhaps, gather 2,000, or 5,000, or maybe even 15,000, but it’s very hard. Why? For various reasons. We have forgotten how to protest, we have been fragmented, we have forgotten how to be united and brave, we have forgotten that beyond self-interest there’s a common one, which gives meaning to a society. We have gotten used to being humiliated and we have forgotten that we too can be a force that those in power should fear.
There’s still something we can do… What if we start wearing white ribbons or white scarves? We could wear them on our lapel or pinned on our chest, around our neck or wrist. All of them white. We could hang them outside our windows and cars. At first we would be 5,000, after that 15,000, after that 100,000 and after that one million. There would be more and more of us… Not anyone can take to the streets, but this gesture can be done by anyone who feels revolted and discontented with those in power. At first, we'll be shy and scared, but when you and I meet, we'll recognize each other. At first, there'll be just a few of us, and after that more and more will unite and become brave. Gradually, from me to you, from neighbour to neighbour, from a protester to a gendarme, more and more people will be wearing white ribbons. A minimum effort without violence. […]
Some slogans of the Romanian protesters are against the entire political class. Still, who will the voters choose from in the upcoming elections at the end of the year? Catalin Tolontan imagines life after the protests [ro]:
I do not credit ahead of time any of the new political movements. What I believe is we cannot afford to come to the point when we can no longer hear ideas because of how imperfect the voices expressing them are.
We all live imperfect lives, but we expect of those who lead us to live outstanding lives. In such a case, we, and not them, are the hypocrites. Any one of those people at the University Square – women and men I greatly admire are expressing themselves there – has his or her weaknesses. […]
[…]
I have my own doubts as a reporter and old quarrels with Crin Antonescu [an opposition leader and a future presidential candidate], though I like it that these days he dared to say, repeatedly, that political party members are not inferior to those who took to the streets all over Romania. Party members militate daily in their virtual agorae. What should we tell them? Leave us, we are immaculate! Sure, we can continue to hate the differences and long for a man on a white horse. We look towards the horizon. For now white belongs only to the snow, the only solution for those in power, a homogenous and cold snow in which we lose ourselves pure, unsoiled and isolated.
Finally, journalist Radu Tudor comments [ro] on Crin Antonescu’s statement that the resignation of the USL's MPs from the Romanian Parliament is merely a matter of days:
Personally, I have been asking this for a year and a half. After the dark night of the Romanian democracy, September 15, 2010, when Anastase Roberta Alma [president of the Chamber of Deputies in the Romanian Parliament] together with 80 MPs from the ruling coalition cheated on the vote on the pension bill, the opposition seems to have finally understood that it can no longer remain side by side with the thieves of the current regime. […]
I am very anxious and curious about whether the opposition will honour this engagement.
This would mean total solidarity with the thousands of discontented people protesting all over Romania.
This would probably be the final sprint in winning the elections.
Now intelligence is being sifted out from stupidity. We shall see…

author: Oana Maria Dan


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Russia: The Fake Political Twitter Account Phenomenon · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The Internet not only gives life to citizen activist groups, human bots or lolcat lovers; online anonymity provides perfect conditions for human creativity and humor. Twitter is possibly the best platform for this quality, and in the Russian context this involves mixing anonymity, humor and political reality via a number of accounts belonging either to dead politicians or to those that deliberately avoid publicity.
Faux tweeting
The first Russian fake Twitter users appeared long before other well known faux accounts, like @ArabicObama, @KimJongNumberUn or @Angela_D_Merkel. Some have developed their own particular ironic styles and have become integrated into the socio-political landscape of the Russian blogosphere.
Constantly gaining new followers, Twitter parodies represent a new literary genre: a critical, often sarcastic view on politics, provided from the historical/political perspective of the accounts’ respective ‘owners.’ Some definitely remind of the legacy of Kozma Prutkov, a fictional character of the mid-19th century, who mocked arrogant officials some 150 years ago. Meanwhile, some accounts (like the one of @LevSharansky) mock the opposition and the West.
The dynamics of the fake Twitter universe are overwhelming. Not only do the number of fake accounts grow, so too grows their audience. According to the follower count, the overall number of fake Twitter followers increased by 40,000 followers only in one month from 21 December 2011 – 23 January 2012.
Below is a chronology of some of the most popular fake Twitter parodies:
List of RuNet's Fake Twitter Accounts
Fake Twitter parodies
Profile picture of Lev Sharanskiy
9. @levsharansky [ru]
Lev Sharansky is a parody of a Soviet dissident (the surname refers to Ukrainian and Israeli political activist Natan Sharansky, while on the profile picture Alexander Solzhenitsyn is depicted). Unlike most fake Twitter personalities in the RuNet, this one is run by pro-Kremlin bloggers and mocks the pro-Democracy opposition.
Lev Sharansky's personality is often used in various online polls to discredit online voting (bots and human bots get commanded to vote for Sharansky in order to prove that online voting is easy to hijack).
Sample tweet [ru]:
Чем быстрее Урал, Сибирь, Дальний Восток перейдут под юрисдикцию США, тем лучше не только для россиян, но и для всего мира.
Profile picture of @LeninRussia
8. @LeninRussia [ru]
This fake account of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin [ru], is a Soviet cult object as well as the source of numerous jokes. The tweeting style includes references to atrocities commited by the Bolsheviks.
Sample tweet [ru]:
Судить людей и сажать их в тюрьмы – какая-то средневековая дикость. В конце концов, всех, кто нам с вами не нравится, можно просто сжечь.
Profile picture of @LeninRussia
7. @igor_sechin [ru]
Igor Sechin is a secretive ally of Vladimir Putin, now occupying the chair of Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. Sechin remains one of the least public figure in Russian politics. Exploiting this mysterious aura, his faux account mocks corruption and government officials.
Sample tweet [ru]:
Все хотят дворец за миллиард. Но только Путин нашел смелость его построить.
Profile picture of @tolstoy_lev
6. @tolstoy_lev [ru]
An account for Leo Tolstoy, the Russian literary classic, published philosophical quotes from Tolstoy's diaries wittily chosen to fit with contemporary news stories.
Sample tweet [ru]:
Как тысячелетия слагалась государственная жизнь, так, может быть, тысячелетия она будет разделываться.
Profile picture of @SurkovRussia
5. @SurkovRussia [ru]
The fake account of Vladislav Surkov, former deputy prime minister, plays with his reportedly post-modern and art-loving nature, previously known as the “grey eminence” of the Russian politics, often going into literary explorations and drug experiments.
Sample tweet [ru]:
Если Бог зол, он насылает Сталина. Если Богу всё до лампочки, правит Брежнев. Но если Бог решил поприкалываться – на сцену выходит Путин!
Profile picture of @KremlinCherv
4. @KremlinCherv [ru]
Kremlin Worm is a meme created as the result of a scandal involving Governor Dmitry Zelenin who spotted a worm in his plate whilst having dinner at the Kremlin (read the GV story here).
Sample tweet [ru]:
Если бы меня пригласили в правительство, я бы был вице–премьером, ответственным за мелиорацию.
Profile picture of @NikolayII
3. @NikolayII [ru]
This account is the tweeted diary of the last Russian czar Nicholas II. As in case of Leo Tolstoy's Twitter twin, Nicholas II mainly quotes extracts from his diaries. As many historians had noted, diaries of Nicholas II show complete detachment from wild political life around him while exposing focus on his personal life and personal experiences.
Sample tweet [ru]:
Завтракали в галерее. Вернувшись домой, читал, писал телеграммы и погулял.
Profile picture of @alex_pushkin
2. @alex_pushkin [ru]
A poetic Twitter account resembling the playful style of one of Russia's most acclaimed poets Alexander Pushkin. It skillfully re-masters Pushkin's original rhymes to fit contemporary politics and make his tweets particularly ironic.
Sample tweet [ru]:
Ну что, пора. Итоги года / Привычно странная погода / Навальный, митинги, подтяжки / Год был не скучный, хоть и тяжкий
Profile picture of @KermlinRussia
1. @KermlinRussia [ru]
A fake Russian Kremlin account led by an anonymous Moscow-based businessman, this even got into the Foreign Policy list of the best fake Twitter accounts and has managed to give several interviews, one of them in English. It is also one of the most popular Twitter accounts in the Twittersphere, having at the moment about 224,000 followers.
Kevin Rothrock describes the account's formula that can be more or less applied to the overwhelming majority of Russia's fake Twitter users:
..he regularly posts acerbic, ironic tweets mocking news stories about Russia’s leaders, often rewording the language of tweets by the official presidential Twitter account […], typically reversing or otherwise transforming the meaning of a prosaic Kremlin announcement into something embarrassing, cryptic, or downright evil.
Sample tweet [ru]:
We should make Russsia a better place to leave.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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South Korea: Kids Become Outcasts for Not Having Branded Bags · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Blogger Hangukdrama wrote on South Korean elementary children's craze over expensive and branded school bags and how this behavior has been encouraged by parents, who concerned that their kids would become outcasts if they are seen with ‘cheaper bags’, kept buying the bags.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Sympathy for Manning  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago News Blog posts a round-up of stories about the former Prime Minister's stroke, while Guanaguanare wishes Mr. Manning “peace and love as [he] recover[s].”


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Venezuela: The Essence of African Music in Videos · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Venezuela’s African origins can be strongly felt in the music and culture of the country’s coastal regions. The tradition is great and takes on many forms. As such, with each beating of the Venezuelan drum there is a connection with the coast, the beach, the santería, their celebrations and dances. The different forms of expression vary greatly with each having its own characteristics.
Social networking websites play an important role in helping people to become more familiar with the drum festivals. Citizen media sites, particularly YouTube, feature videos of the music and dancing performed during events such as family parties, national celebrations or weekends on the beach. Here are some examples:
In the video titled ‘Afro-Venezuelans’, unique5589 explains the origins of some of the African influences in Latin America – one of the main themes of this YouTube channel.
There are many occasions throughout the year where you can hear this type of music being played in various different ways.  The instruments and the style of dance can change according to each region.  Watching a few videos on YouTube would be a good start in getting to know the vast world of Afro-Venezuelan music.  The videos enable you to experience the most deeply-rooted and profound customs of the mestizo culture in Venezuela.
A deeper search among citizen media websites will produce a vast amount of videos recording the different types of musical expression. The following videos show regional differences in dances, rhythms and the types of drum that are used:
Drums from the central northern region of Aragua, shared by malajunta:
7 Chimbagueles; a particular type of drum that is played whilst seated to celebrate the feastday of Saint Benedict, shared by Adrián Herrera
Drums from Naiguata, a northern coastal village, shared by Genuinos Venezolanos:
Calypso drums from the Antilles Islands. The video shared by Jameg556 [es] explains the history of these instruments and presents examples of the rhythms that can be produced:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tbeIORHIXmw
Finally, the Venezuelan Christmas tradition: the bass drum – the sound you are most likely to hear during the celebrations in December.  Originally from the west of the country, the rhythms can be heard across the country during the Christmas period. In the video shared by Fools942, you can clearly see the uses of this type of bass drum.

author: Laura Vidal


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Why do I wish to see Hong Kong’s independence · Global Voices
Andy Yee

Amid a series of social and cultural clashes between Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong netizen Marie Meow has written an open letter (English translation here) on Facebook exploring the reasons, possibilities and limitations for a Hong Kong independent from China. The letter has gone viral on the Hong Kong Internet, attracting lots of positive feedback.

author: Andy Yee


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Argentina: Diplomatic Conflict With United Kingdom Over Falklands · Global Voices
Natán Calzolari

Argentina has been claiming sovereignty of the Falkland Islands since 1833, the year in which they were occupied by the United Kingdom. In 1982, the Falklands War broke out, lasting two and a half months and claiming the lives of 907 people: 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers and 3 islanders.
The war was provoked by a dispute between Argentina and England over the sovereignty of the island, which was retained by Britain after its victory in the war.
However, the Argentine government continues to request a dialogue with Great Britain from the international organisations in order to reach an agreement on the sovereignty of the Falklands. These requests have intensified considerably during the last decade, and in 2011, prior to the presidential elections in Argentina, President Cristina  Fernández received a clear ‘no’ from British Prime Minister David Cameron:
As long as the Falkland Islands want to be sovereign British territory,  they should remain sovereign British territory – full stop, end of  story.
The Argentine president took only a few hours to respond, describing the United Kingdom as a “crude colonial power in decline” and the words of the prime minister as “an expression of mediocrity and almost of stupidity”. She also stated that Argentina would continue “tirelessly” with its demand in each and every global forum available.
This was perhaps the moment in which the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands became a recurrent topic in the various news media in Argentina, and an object of analysis and discussion amongst growing numbers of Internet users.
Monument to the Fallen in the Falklands, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Image by Leonora Enkin under licence Atribución-CompartirIgual 2.0 Genérica (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The ebb and flow of the conflict
At the beginning of January 2012, with the aim of pressuring Great Britain into engaging in a dialogue on the Falklands matter, Argentina coordinated a movement along with other Mercosur countries in which access to boats flying the Falklands flag was blocked. On January 12, the Argentine newspaper La Nación published [es] the following:
Por medio de las respectivas cancillerías, Uruguay, Brasil y Chile ratificaron el bloqueo de barcos con bandera de las Malvinas. […] En todos los casos quedó en claro que aquellos buques que tengan bandera de las Malvinas no podrán ingresar en puertos del Mercosur, pero si cambian la insignia por la bandera roja comercial de Gran Bretaña sí podrán amarrar.
It was in the face of these events that on January 18, Prime Minister David Cameron aroused controversy accusing Argentina of being ‘colonialist’, during a session in the House of Commons:
We support the Falklands’ right to self determination, and what the  Argentinians have been saying recently I would argue is actually far  more like colonialism, because these people want to remain British, and  the Argentinians want them to do something else
Prior to this statement, the Member of Parliament Andrew Rosindell had urged the Argentines to remember that they had “lost the war”, words which were greeted by laughter from those present.
These criticisms were received with much controversy in Argentina and condemned by various politicians of the ruling party. The vice-President Amado Boudou made [es] the following comment:
Realmente es muy triste tener que escuchar esta falacia, este exabrupto. […] como mínimo es una falacia histórica lo que Cameron ha dicho respecto del colonialismo. […] Es un exabrupto torpe, ignorante, de ignorar la realidad histórica, nos deja medio impresionados tanta ignorancia. Que vuelva a los libros de historia.
The Foreign Affairs Minister Hector Timmerman added [es] that “Great Britain is synonymous with colonialism”, while the representative for Santa Fe, Agustín Rossi, published [es] on Twitter:
Estoy presentando en Diputados un proyecto de resolución para que expresemos nuestro enérgico repudio a los dichos de David Cameron.
In turn, certain opposition politicians received the criticisms in the same way as the ruling party. The national representative Ricardo Alfonsín said [es] that Cameron's words “displayed an appalling attitude” while the former presidential candidate Hermes Binner stated:
El hecho de que el gobierno conservador británico hable de ‘colonialismo’ suena a broma, dado que no se puede manosear la historia.
National representative Fernando Iglesias, from the opposition, expressed [es] his disagreement with the government's position on the Falklands on Twitter:
Una cosa es el justo reclamo de retiro del Reino Unido y su base militar y muy otra la soberanía argentina sobre un pueblo que no la quiere
In the same way, internet users from Argentina and elsewhere are divided between those who believe that Argentina should abandon its claim for the Falklands and those who support this claim.
Journalist Florencia Etcheves (@fetcheves) published [es] the following comment on Twitter, in relation to the current conflict over mega-mining in Argentina:
Mientras la prioridad es Malvinas , arrasan el [cerro] Famatina. Qué plato.
User Martín Caparrós (@martin_caparros) also made [es] the same observation:
¿No es maravilloso que simulen pelear por las Malvinas mientras le entregan toda la cordillera a las mineras multinacionales? #Famatina
Similarly, TV panellist Gustavo Noriega (@Gus_Noriega) pointed out [es] that there are more important matters to worry about:
#cosascotidianas la mitad del país sin cloacas, agua potable ni gas, pero ahora el tema es Malvinas.
From Chile, journalist Felipe Avello Suazo declared [es] himself to be in favour of the Argentine demand:
Los chilenos apoyamos a los hermanos argentinos: LAS MALVINAS SON ARGENTINAS. Avergonzados estamos por ayudar a los ingleses en los 80.
Bloggers have also been giving their opinions on the matter. Doctor Ana, in her blog ana-guev-logueando [es], reflects [es]:
Interesante y absurdo cruce diplomático con los ingleses, en donde los ciudadanos, argentinos e ingleses, caemos una vez más en la manipulación patriotera. […] Hasta una escandalosa guerra protagonizamos, donde – como siempre – los pueblos ponemos la sangre y los titiriteros ponen las cortinas de humo y los fantasmas. […] Tremenda paradoja de un mundo en donde valen más los quiebres que las comunicaciones, la fachada que la casa, los discursos que los actos, los fantasmas que los hombres.
And Fabio Baccaglioni [es], in a lengthy publication, concluded [es] with irony:
Ese país [Inglaterra] está utilizando la palabra “Colonialismo” para describir a otros, no podemos ofendernos, deberíamos tan sólo cagarnos de risa.
Argentina más bien es un país colonizado. La cordillera le pertenece a Barrick Gold y a otras empresas mineras, no hay casi ninguna mina cuyo beneficio termine en el país. […] El agua poco a poco quedará en terrenos que no nos pertenecen, la patagonia es mitad inglesa o de Benetton, los campos de grandes empresas de afuera […] Tal vez Cameron se equivocó al expresarse y lo que quiso decir es que Argentina era una colonia que se creía independiente.
That country [England] is using the word “colonialism” to describe others. We cannot be offended, we can only piss ourselves laughing.
Argentina is more of a colonised country. The mountain range belongs to Barrick Gold and to other mining companies, there is barely a single mine whose profit remains in the country. […] The water will eventually end up in land which does not belong to us, Patagonia is half English or Benetton, the fields belong to large foreign companies […] Perhaps Cameron made a mistake and what he meant to say is that Argentina is a colony which believes itself to be independent.

author: Natán Calzolari


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China: ‘Anti-American Warrior’ Gets Head Stuck in DC Airport Escalator · Global Voices
John Kennedy

“America is the enemy of all the people in the world.”
So wrote Sima Nan, one of China's most vocal opponents of Western liberal values, before he boarded a plane to Washington, DC, on January 20, 2012. At some point after arriving at Dulles International Airport, Sima leaned over the handrail of an escalator and wound up getting his head pinched between the handrail and an approaching section of wall.
Sima was put in a neck brace and taken to a hospital where he remains today, partially mobile and busy updating his microblog [zh].
The news that the media figure, who has made a career out of bashing the United States, quietly traveled there on the eve of Chinese New Year broke first online and, among other things, led to rumors that Sima had gone stateside to reunite with his wife and daughter. Sima has claimed that no warning sign was posted on the escalator and has said that he will sue the airport.
Sima, who was on his way to a conference, has been mocked to no end over the past week, as dragonwell summarizeshere at the Tea Leaf Nation blog, along with some of what he has written since confirming the news of his injury on January 24.
Image from Rebel Pepper
On the Phoenix TV blog portal, Canada-based blogger Yu Xiaoping has written on the hypocrisy [zh] of Sima's position, regardless of the nature of the conference he had been invited to attend:
刚刚听说反美斗士司马南在美国机场被人认出来还以为是有人在造谣呢，结果网上登出来伤者的照片。而他也在自己的微博当中证实，的确他在美国的机场被滚梯卡住了脑袋。乘坐滚梯不要将脑袋伸到外面，这是正常人都能知道的道理。每天都有成千上万的人往返于这个华盛顿机场，能把个强烈反美的人脑袋卡住，这显得特别不可思议。
对伤者我深表同情，我觉得不宜在这种时候讽刺人家。对网上流传的他是与家人团聚，在未经证实的情况下也不好传播。不可否认的是，很多当年反美的斗士在中国赚足了稿费，然后一家人移民到了美国。
倒是有一点，大家不知是否注意到了。经此人个人微博的表述是去美国开会，而不是与家人团聚。虽然无法证实真假，我觉得这比他的家人在美国更发人深省，一个强烈反美的人，能够得到美国的签证，以工作的理由进入美国，而不是由于家庭团聚人道的理由拿到签证。这在天朝，你能想象吗？
I deeply sympathize with the injured person, and I don't think this is the time to be ridiculing him. As for the rumors online that he'd gone to see his family, it's best not to spread that sort of thing until the situation has been clarified. What is undeniable, however, is that many people who once spent years fighting America from China, have immigrated to the US with their families after having saved up enough through writing earnings.
There's one point, though, I don't know if people have noticed, that he's written on his personal Weibo account that he went to the US for a conference, and not to reunite with his family. Although it's impossible to confirm either way, what's far more telling I think is to know that someone so fiercely opposed to the United States can still receive a visa to go there, for work purposes in particular, rather than obtaining a visa for the humane reason of going to join his family. Can you imagine China doing the same thing?
龙年新气象。认同美国价值的人往美国跑，因为在国内受到了迫害。反对美国价值的人也往美国跑，不是因为在国内受到迫害，而是至少受到美国方面的邀请，这是所有以开会的理由取得签证的人都可以证明的常识。
一个国家是不是强大，到底怎样才能变得强大？就要看他是否能够包容反对自己的人。我们回顾中国历史，真正盛世的时期都是从大臣到老百姓能够胡说八道的环境。为什么？因为皇帝不怕有人谋反，因为你没那个本事，没那个能力，想胡说八道就说吧，变不了天。一朝皇帝只要是根基不稳，则会严格控制老百姓的言论，特别是控制大臣们的言论，采取酷刑政策，怕是有人谋反，每天惶惶不可终日。
Fresh into the Year of the Dragon. Those who accept American values have run off to America, because staying in China they just endure persecution. Those against American values are also running off to America, not for fear of facing persecution at home, but at the very least due to an invitation from the US, which as everyone knows is necessary to obtain a visa to go take part in a conference.
What is it that allows a country to grow to become great? You need only look at whether it can tolerate those who oppose it. If we look back at Chinese history, the truly prosperous periods were all times in which everyone from top officials down to common folk could all say whatever they wanted. Why is that? The emperors weren't afraid of anyone rebelling because no one was capable of pulling something like that off, and knowing that it wouldn't change anything, people could speak whatever nonsense they chose. Only the emperor of an unstable dynasty, meanwhile, will strictly control what people can say, exercising the most control over what top officials say, even employing torture out of fear of a rebellion, spending each day in a panic.
这位司马南到底去参加颂美的会议准备只身去舌战群儒，还是去参加反美的会议，去锦上添花，都代表美国社会的包容。前者是这个会议包容他这个人，后者是美国政府包容这个会议。只有包容才能使一个国家强大，美国不用担心什么，只有虚弱的政府才会担心，不敢让反对者进来。很多异见人士因为不堪在国内的迫害逃到国外，结果中国的护照不能更新，取得国外护照以后拿不到中国的签证，导致再也无法见到国内的亲友，其实这就是一种流放，天朝连文弱的书生都怕，你就可想而知了。
很好奇想知道这位反美的斗士到底去参加什么性质的会议，成果能否和大家分享一下，所以希望伤者早日康复，给大家一个真相。这一现象难道不令人深思吗？
This Sima Nan, was he on his way to a verbal showdown at a pro-US conference, or was he going to take part in an anti-American conference, like the frosting on a cake, a representation of the tolerance within America's society. In the case of the former, it would have been the conference tolerating this individual, and in the latter, the US government tolerating such a conference. Only tolerance can make a nation great, and America has nothing to worry about. Only a weak government would worry about something like this and not let its opponents in. Many dissidents, unable to bear the persecution at home, have fled overseas and found themselves unable to renew their Chinese passports. Similarly, once they receive foreign passports, they can't obtain visas to China, leaving them unable to see their friends and family in the country. What this actually is is a form of exile, and for China to fear even frail intellectuals, you can figure out the rest yourself.
I'm curious to know just what sort of conference this anti-American warrior was on his way to attend, so I hope the injured person recovers soon to share the truth with everyone. Either way, it's gotta make you wonder.

author: John Kennedy


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Cuba: Internet as a Public Good  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In addition to triggering the greatest civic hell-raising in Internet history…the SOPA/PIPA laws have touched a nerve in Cuba’s digital community”: half-wired explains.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Knocking & Entering  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Laritza's Laws laments that people's homes are not a safe haven from arbitrary searches by government officials.


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Djibouti: 2012 Djibouti Whale Shark Expedition · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Seychelles Whale Sharks blogs about the the 2012 Djibouti whale shark expedition: “…Gareth has passed on the important statistics for the last week which yielded a further 369 encounters which makes the total of 1077 over the three weeks of expedition…Also, Gareth managed to deploy two satellite tags, one on a five metre female and the other on a five meter male…”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Egypt: Reactions to Revolution First Anniversary  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Greek blogger Asteris Masouras shares this Storify collection to mark the first anniversary of the beginning of the Egyptian revolution on January 25. It includes links to news stories, photographs, videos and Twitter reactions.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Greece: “I Signed the IMF Memorandum Without Having Read It” · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Shock and awe awaited Greek citizens on Monday January 23, 2012, when Louka Katseli, former minister of labour and social security (2010) and minister of economy, competitiveness and shipping (2009), revealed that she had had only three hours to read the IMF memorandum tackling the country's debt crisis.
Michalis Chrysochoidis, current minister for development, competitiveness and shipping and former minister of citizen protection, admitted on a morning television show interview [el] that he signed the IMF memorandum without having read it at all, arguing that “simply, he had other obligations during that time, as he was fighting against crime”:
Minister Manolis Chrysochoidis. Photo by Flickr user Piazza del Popolo (CC BY 2.0).
News spread quickly on the web reacting to the remarks, including extremely negative comments and derogatory insults from netizens, expressing their disdain for the political system, and mocking the minister's excuse.
Within one to two hours, the case became a world trending topic via the Twitter hashtag #de_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati (I didn't read the memorandum because…):
Global Voices Author and Editor Asteris Masouras (@asteris) made a Storify collection of various posts, photos and tweets. Below listed are some samples of Greek netizens’ tweets and comments:
@agamemnon_st: Αφού δεν ήταν δουλειά σου να μελετάς το μνημόνιο και τους νόμους, γιατί ήσουν βουλευτής;
George Kallis: den exeis tsipa epanw soy na valeis thylia sto  laimo soy !!!! exete katastrepsi olh thn ellada me tis ypografesas
'The Dark Knight returns to fight crime on Athens' mean streets'. Image mocking Minister Chrysochoidis' statement. Photo via Twitpic by @Teacherdude.
@ngeor: #De_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati I was elected to lead, not to read.
@Ovelikios: Δεν έχω διαβάσει το μνημόνιο αλλά έχω δει την ταινία
@natachef: #de_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati δεν άνοιγε το attachment.
@Stathisgr: Mnimonio? LoL, Too busy beating protesters
@mpampaki: “Είχα να αντιμετωπίσω το έγκλημα. Ο Ρόμπιν είχε πυρετό κι ο Τζόκερ είχε απαγάγει το γιο του Επιθεωτητη Γκόρντον.”
@nchrysoloras: #De_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati μόνο ο Τσακ Νόρις έχει διαβάσει το Μνημόνιο
Twitter user @mirsiniloizou posted: "and here, the photo of #didn't_read_memorandum_because". Photo shows "protagonists of the day" Ms. Katseli and Mr. Chrysochoidis.
After the intense criticism, Chrysochoidis published the following Facebook status update (original text in Greek here):
I want to clarify and confirm my point. Yes, I repeat that I didn't read the memorandum. I didn't deal with either the text or the procedures of “supposedly” negotiations. This wasn't declared with pride. Even more, I don;t say this in order to shirk responsibilities. On the contrary. I consider this as one of the biggest errors of my political career; because I appreciated wrongly those critical moments and I was preoccupied with the minor issue, my work as a minister, instead of the major one, my responsibility as a member of the country's leadership. I said that to stress how much everyone has to change. We used to trust every leader, every prime minister; to vote in the Parliament and to agree in the government. Those times belong to the past and this model faded. What is needed is collectivity, personal responsibility and contribution. […]
During last year, the government and members of parliament have been the target of heavy criticism for their acceptance of the IMF memorandum and their inaction against the socio-economic crisis of the country, which has urged many of them to defend their beliefs and political actions.
Another “disclaimer statement” was made on October 2011 by former PASOK MP Thomas Rompopoulos, who argued [el] during a radio show broadcast: “Nobody had the time to read the Memorandum, neither I did nor anybody did; We authorized [Minister for Economy at the time] Papakonstantinou to sign for it. It was a matter of trust”:
In addition to the bold accusations Minister Chrysochoidis himself received, many netizens via social media have also criticized the general political scene, but also the “blindness” of they themselves, who have been conniving with the politicians’ foul actions:
Panagiotis Giannoudis: Ζήτω η Βουλή των Ελλήνων!
@helena_chari: greece doesn't need weapons of mass destruction; it's got its politicians
dangler69: Τελικά το διάβασε και κανένας; Ίσως εκείνοι που διαγράφηκαν.
@Dr_Troy: #De_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati ” και που με περιγελούν τώρα, αρκετοί απ’ αυτούς θα με ξαναψηφίσουν. Ξεχνάνε γρήγορα, βλέπεις…
@cpil: Ενώ όλοι εσείς, το διαβάσατε το μνημόνιο.
@MilitaryRaiden: Όλοι πέφτουμε από τα σύννεφα με ομολογία ανικανότητος Χρυσοχοΐδη αλλά  όχι με τη διατήρηση δικαιώματος ψήφου των ηλιθίων που το εξέλεξαν.
@tgeorgakopoulos: Σσσσ, ακούς; Κάνε ησυχία -ακούς; Είναι ο ήχος 299 εκτυπωτών σε γραφεία βουλευτών. Τυπώνουν το μνημόνιο.
@sVathis: Οι έλληνες ανέκαθεν δεν διάβαζαν user manuals
Finally, during the following day, user Arkoudos concludes bitterly, reflecting the saddest part of Greek economical and social crisis [el]:
@arkoudos: Δεν σας πληρωσα το χαρατσι της ΔΕΗ;Αχχ χιλια συγνωμη,*δεν το ειχα  διαβασει*,ειχα παει να ικετευσω για δουλεια,για να εχουμε να φαμε το  βραδυ
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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Guyana: Protest at University  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bloggers report on protests against the firing of journalist and lecturer Freddie Kissoon from the national university, here and here.


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Jordan: Let it Snow · Global Voices
Ali Alhasani

The long awaited white visitor has arrived to Jordan, after a couple of dry cold fronts it came and quickly melted. It didn't even accumulate but it brought in lots of joy and happiness to people eager for it.
As soon as it started snowing in the mountainous regions of Jordan (around 1,000 meters above sea level), a flow of tweets and Facebook posts, along with photographs and videos, started making the rounds on social media. In Jordan, citizen journalism plays it's role very well since almost everyone owns a smart phone connected to the Internet at all times.
Netizens were not only commenting on the snow and weather, but giving their followers updates on traffic caused by snow as well as warnings of slippery roads here and there.
Hanin Abu-Shamat, @HaninSh, tweeted this photograph of snow falling in her area in Amman:
Snow in Amman, Jordan. Photo credit: Hanin Abu Shamat, shared on Twitpic
Elwan Bader, @kharooof tweeted this picture from Queen Rania Street in Amman, aka University Street:
A photograph of snow on Queen Rania Street in Amman. Photo shared on Twitter by Alwan Bader
@BaselAnabtawi lives in Dubai, UAE, and he tweeted this picture on behalf of his sister who lives in Amman:
Man, the view from our house in Amman! It's snowing .. My sister just sent me this! Mashallah, enjoy it #amman
Snow from Basel Anabtawi sister's house in Amman, Jordan. Photo shared on Twitter
The photograph tweeted by Dima Haddadin (@Haddadin) of a young man directing traffic in one of Amman's traffic lights after it broke down gave Jordanians online a sense of pride of how the everyday citizens can help solve a big problem such as traffic. People talked about the photograph and shared it on all social networks:
A young Jordanian directs traffic after the traffic sign broke down. Photo shared by Dima Haddadin on yfrog
Netizens also shared numerous videos of snowfall across Jordan. Here are videos I shared on YouTube showing snow falling in two different areas in Amman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlX7_mEPf8Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4m9D1oD24Y
All in all, snow brings joy and happiness to the people of Jordan and hope that the upcoming cold fronts would bring more snow to the lower areas in Amman, which fall below 1,000m above sea level.

author: Ali Alhasani


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Mexico: An Interactive Map of the Drug War · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Diego Valle-Jones has created an interactive map of the drug war in Mexico. “You can link directly to cities or whole regions within Mexico and post them to Twitter and Facebook by clicking on the “Share This Map” link at the bottom of the box. You can even compare 2007 México with 2010 México and switch between drug war-related homicides and total homicides,” he explains.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Nicaragua: The Struggle for Food Sovereignty · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Maddy M., a Voices of our Future correspondent for World Pulse, writes about how free trade agreements and other policies have affected the access to affordable, locally-produced, healthy food in Nicaragua. She also highlights citizens who are “working to raise awareness about the need to change the agricultural system in the country.”


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Pakistan: Moral Policing On TV · Global Voices
Rezwan

Raza Habib Raja criticizes moral policing efforts in a Pakistan TV show which generated much controversy.