text:
Australia and New Zealand Score Big Wins in ‘St Valentine’s Day Massacre’ at Cricket World Cup  · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Cricket World Cup 2015 Australia v England
TV screenshot Channel 9 sport
The Cricket World Cup 2015 opened on Saturday 14 February with overwhelming victories for host countries New Zealand over Sri Lanka and Australia over traditional rival England.
New Zealand thrash Sri Lanka by 98 runs in World Cup opener http://t.co/HqUlvvnyDC #NZvsSL #cwc15
— dna (@dna) February 14, 2015
Match#2: #AUSvENG #Australia outplays #England in #CWC15 opening day; wins by 111 runs pic.twitter.com/3tPL8R4kWn
— Bangladesh Fan (@BAN_FAN) February 14, 2015
Image courtesy ICC Cricket World Cup Facebook page
Cricket is a very Twitter friendly game as there are lots of pauses in the action: between overs, dismissal of batsmen, drinks breaks, to name just a few. If you’re new to the sport, try the Beginners Guide.
There are many international formats including: Test matches of five days duration; ODIs (one day internationals of 50 overs per side) and Twenty20. The World Cup competition uses ODIs. For a full list of teams and fixtures, please see here.
Two of the popular hashtags for Australia’s first game were: #CWC15 and #AUSvENG. The first one could be confusing as the timing of the two games overlapped, so your social media sleuth followed the second tag for most of that game.
The thousands of tweets about the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) match fell into a number of clear categories. The majority were descriptions of the action and scores, such as those above. The next most common involved either triumph or disaster. A recurring theme amongst England supporters was the sorry state of their team and their performance:
Getting up early to watch England capitulate in various corners of the world has been a ritual of mine for 20+ years now. #AUSvENG #CWC15
— J Khyber, M.D. (@JKhyberMD) February 14, 2015
I had this horrible nightmare last night. I dreamt that Australia got 342 and we were 94-6 …….. Oh wait !!! #AusvEng
— Mark James (@markjamestattoo) February 14, 2015
Australia are showing that they're in a different league to England. #AusvEng #CWC15
— Simon Emmett (@simonemmett) February 14, 2015
Even the Irish and the Welsh were joining in. Irish cricketer Patrick McDonnell observed:
Months of one day cricket to prepare and this is the best death bowling plan they could come up with #joke #AUSvENG #CWC15
— Patrick McDonnell (@PatrickMcD46) February 14, 2015
‘Right arm over the wicket satirer’ Welshman Matt Owen lamented:
I Tweeted a satire the other day about Australia having scored 350-odd and England being 120-8 in reply. I'm not proud of this.
— Matt Owen (@MJowen174) February 14, 2015
Aussie supporters revelled in their team’s dominance:
What an awesome crowd ! Golden Delight – Go Australia #GoGold ! #cwc15 #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/AyaPb1IBBd
— Ash (@Tenash921) February 14, 2015
“england won the toss and elected to lose”- d cruse (2015) #AUSvENG
— Tim Cruse (@crusetime) February 14, 2015
Doubtful there is a more spectacular sight in world sport than a packed @MCG on a Beautiful #Melbourne Day and the Aussies smashin it #CWC15
— BluesAndRootsRadioOz (@BluesAndRootsOz) February 14, 2015
However, some were unforgiving when it came to individual players:
Watson seriously? Id prefer a dog with a frisbee in its mouth #AUSvENG
— Wobbly Wombat (@AusWomby) February 14, 2015
Cricket commentators and celebrities were frequent targets, especially Oz cricket icon Shane Warne and the Mail Online’s Piers Morgan:
Warne jokes about being a drug cheat. A+ commentary #AUSvENG #CWC15
— Lisa Maurice (@leaseM_87) February 14, 2015
@piersmorgan GET OUT OF BED!! You need to watch this and rediscover your sense of humour!! #hilariouslybad #AUSvENG
— Ken Miller (@Baildonhome) February 14, 2015
A meme soon emerged comparing England to the minor cricket nations:
I reckon Afghanistan are gonna score more runs against the Aussies than England #AUSvENG #WorldCup
— Anthony Kernich (@AntJKernich) February 14, 2015
Australia's performance tonight is going to renew the debate about whether minnow nations should play in the World Cup. #AUSvENG #CWC15
— Bomb Doe (@BombDoe) February 14, 2015
There were many other attempts at wit or humour, including Matt Owen again:
England… Go home, you're drunk #CWC15 #AusVsEng
— M. Friedman Quotes (@MiltonFriedmanS) February 14, 2015
England off to a flyer, 2 off 10 balls #CWC15 #AUSvENG
— Matt (@Mattys123) February 14, 2015
Drinks break. Hard liquor is needed #AUSvENG
— Matt Owen (@MJowen174) February 14, 2015
Judging by some of the reaction it's lucky we don't live in a totalitarian state. They'd all be up against the wall #AUSvENG
— Alec Swann (@RonSwann76) February 14, 2015
There were other more serious political connections. Protesters gained some support online:
Great work at the #AUSvENG #CWC15 tonight, #refugee activists bringing Australia's abysmal asylum seeker policy to the world's attention!
— Kat Moore (@macavitykat) February 14, 2015
There were the predictable comparisons with the government:
England are more of a rabble than tony abbots prime minister campaign #AUSvENG #WorldCup #CWC15
— Russell Eden (@Russ2190) February 14, 2015
Finally, the Valentine’s Day meme popped up numerous times, culminating in the inevitable cliché:
St Valentines Day Massacre #AusvEng
— Zag Neek (@zagneek) February 14, 2015

author: Kevin Rennie


text:
Emerging Threats in Cybersecurity Legislation in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Access, an international human rights organization is troubles by emerging threats in cybersecurity and data protection in Africa. Ephraim Kenyanitto explains:
The Convention was originally scheduled to pass in January 2014, but was delayed for modifications after protests by the private sector, civil society organizations, and privacy experts—all of whom had very little involvement in the drafting process. But a number of countries promulgated harmful new cybersecurity legislation after it was improved in June.
As Access noted in analyzing both versions of the Convention, the Convention has some positive provisions but still needs strengthening. It requires states to consider human rights in implementing cyber security legislation, but it also supports greater government control of private user data. For example, the Convention permits governments to process private data when “in the  public interest,” a confusingly vague standard.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Greeks See Reason for Hope After Anti-Austerity Syriza’s Election · Global Voices
Dora Bouroutzi

“Hope is coming” and “Hope has won”: SYRIZA motto before elections (left) and the message after the winning elections of January 25 (right). Source: SY.RIZ.A. official Facebook page
It was around 7 p.m. on January 25, 2015, when the exit polls showed a clear victory for Syriza in Greece's snap elections, which were the result of the previous parliament's failure to cast enough votes to elect a new president as head of state. The political party's post-victory message? “Hope has won.”
People took the streets of Athens to celebrate the historic shake-up of the country's politics. For the first time in modern Greek history since the transition to democracy in 1974 (known as the Metapolitefsi), the political left had come to government and Greece's two big parties, PASOK and New Democracy, were not a part of it.
#Greece: People gathering in front of #Athens University to attend Alexis Tsipras speech #Syriza #ekloges2015 pic.twitter.com/N5PXTJqRha
— dromografos/ skar (@Skar_) January 25, 2015
The debt crisis hit Greece hard, and the country has limped along under unpopular austerity measures prescribed by the so-called Troika–the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund — as part of the two bailout packages it received.
For many Greeks, Syriza's election has given them a reason to hope for something better.
Syriza formed government with the Independent Greeks (AN.EL.), a conservative populist right-wing party that is “anti-memorandum,” a reference to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Greek government and the Troika outlining the financial conditions that the country would have to meet in exchange for rescue packages.
The newly elected party has since begun pursuing its election promises. On social media, some users expressed their optimism. @kotsos43 tweeted at the new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras:
@atsipras για πρωτη φορα τα τελευταια 5 χρονια μπορει να μην εχω σεντσι στην τσεπη αλλα νοιωθω περηφανος. μπραβο συνεχισε και μην κολωσεις .
— kostas f (@kotsos43) January 30, 2015
For the first time after the last 5 years, I may not have even a cent in my pocket, but I feel proud. Bravo, continue, and do not chicken out.
While @adiasistos made an observation of previous governments:
Πρωτοφανές και απαράδεκτο να εμμένουν σε όσα έλεγαν και προεκλογικά.
— adiasistos (@adiasistos) January 30, 2015
Unprecedented and unacceptable: [the new government] insists on doing what they said they would before elections.
One of the new government's first actions was to remove the iron fences in front of the Parliament in Athens. “The government is not afraid of the people,” said Giannis Panousis, deputy minister of public order and citizen protection. The iron fences were placed there in 2011 in response to protests taking place in the center of Athens, and have remained there since. This symbolic action was the first promise made real by the new government.
Below is a photo of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Greek Parliament, without fences, uploaded by Twitter account Dromografos on Twitter:
Και ο Άγνωστος ανοιχτός pic.twitter.com/YGLSgKI6qB
— dromografos (@dromografos) January 31, 2015
Monument of the Unknown Soldier is also open
Journalist Corina Vasilopoulou wrote:
Βλέπω τα κάγκελα έξω από τη Βουλή να ξηλώνονται & δεν πιστεύω στα μάτια μου. :-))
— Corina Vasilopoulou (@CorinaVasilopou) January 28, 2015
I see the iron fences outside the Parliament stripped out and I cannot believe my own eyes :-))
While user @iKantTweet joked:
αποσύρθηκαν τα κάγκελα μπροστά από τη βουλή. απροστάτευτοι πλέον οι πολίτες…
— δραχμάνινοφ (@iKantTweet) January 28, 2015
The fences were removed in front of the Parliament. Citizens are no longer protected…
The same day, Deputy Minister Panousis announced the removal of police vans from Exarchia district, a “ghetto” neighborhood with intense police presence.
Twitter reactions remain humorous all along. User @periklisp87, who is a member of Syriza, wrote:
Εγώ πάντως διαφωνώ με την απόφαση να πάρουν τις κλούβες από τα Εξάρχεια. Είναι η αρχιτεκτονική του μέρους. Σαν Παρίσι χωρίς πύργο του Άιφελ
— Periklis Pitsolantis (@periklisp87) January 29, 2015
I disagree with the decision to remove police vans from Exarchia. It's the local architecture. It's like Paris without Eiffel Tower.
The measures were put to the test quickly. On January 31, far-right nationalistic party Golden Dawn marched in Athens, starting from Rigillis Square, in memory of the Imia crisis and the Greek helicopter crash in 1996, allegedly caused by Turkish fire. A bit earlier, the anti-fascist movement held a demonstration in Omonoia Square against Golden Dawn.
Riot police presence was discreet, police officers held no guns and tensions didn't boil over. It was the first time in years that demonstrations were held without an intense presence of police, who didn't hesitate to use violence against protesters in the past. Social media took notice:
Αντιφασίστες και χρυσαυγίτες σε πορείες σήμερα στην Αθήνα…και δεν άνοιξε μύτη! Καταλάβατε τώρα ποιοι έκαψαν την Αθήνα τόσες φορές;
— Angie Samiou (@AngieSamiou) January 31, 2015
Anti-fascists and Golden Dawn members in demonstrations today in Athens…no incidents at all! Do you understand now who burnt Athens so many times?
Χωρίς ΜΑΤ pic.twitter.com/xapdKHwE93 — dromografos (@dromografos) January 31, 2015
Without MAT [Riot Police]
Twitter user @n_skyftoulis wrote:
ωραία ημέρα σήμερα πήγαμε στην πορεία και δεν είδαμε μπάτσους πουθενα.Δεν μας σεβαστήκανε ποτέ αυτο αποδείχτηκε σήμερα — Σκυφτούλης Νώντας (@n_skyftoulis) January 31, 2015
A beautiful day today. We went to the demonstration, we saw no cops anywhere. They never respected us. That was proven today.
While user @menacius underlined:
#Athens is transforming from a police-state city to a democratic city. #Greece
— @menacius (@menacius) January 31, 2015
A later demonstration on February 5 in Athens against the European Central Bank's decision not to accept Greek bonds in exchange for funding further proved the point. Citizens took part in a peaceful protest, proving that fences were never necessary.
Unprecedented rallies in #Greece: Pro-government! Police nowhere to be seen #syriza pic.twitter.com/fn0tKKxHtR
— Άρης Πορνοστάρλετ (@Arhsx) February 5, 2015
New Minister of Economy Yanis Varoufakis refused to cooperate with the Troika during his official meeting with Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem on January 30. Greek Twitter was set on fire with comments.
Keep walking Yanis #Varoufakis pic.twitter.com/8XCniWaTSp
— Tassos Vourexakis (@Earedil) February 2, 2015
@giuseppe_vieri spoofed the lyrics “the roof is on fire” in reference to the minister:
βαρούφ βαρούφ βαρούφ ιζ ον φάιερ #varoufakis_songs
— Ό,τινάινερ (@giuseppe_vieri) January 31, 2015
Varouf Varouf Varouf is on fire #varoufakis_songs
@Krogias highlighted Varoufakis’ resemblance to Star Trek's “Spock”:
#Varoufakis appeasing Bankers, Markets, #troika & #eurogroup pic.twitter.com/ZQwaT8tUHy
— George Krogias (@Krogias) February 1, 2015
On Facebook, a page dedicated to the new minister of economy called “V for Varoufakis,” a reference to the film “V for Vendetta,” earned more than 57,000 likes within a week of its creation at the end of January.
Satirical page on Facebook, dedicated to the new Minister of Economy Yanis Varoufakis. Source: Screenshot from Facebook.
Some pointed out that it seemed to be the first time that the Greek government was actively having a say in negotiations about the debt crisis, as previous governments seemed to be submissive to foreign orders. Journalist Kostas Vaxevanis commented:
Αυτό που βλέπετε λέγεται διαπραγμάτευση. Α, και αυτοί που το κάνουν είναι ελληνική κυβέρνηση.
— Kostas.Vaxevanis (@KostasVaxevanis) January 30, 2015
What you see is called “negotiations”. Oh, and the one doing it is the Greek government.
Twitter user Gath advised the prime minister to announce elections again in order to obtain a bigger percentage of votes:
Αλέξη κάνε εκλογές την άλλη εβδομάδα να πάρεις ένα 60% να τους τρελάνεις όλους αγόρι μου ;-)
— Γκαθ (@Gath___) January 30, 2015
Alexis, go to elections next week, achieve a 60% and make everybody crazy, my boy ;-)
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, a self-declared atheist, logged another first with his decision to be sworn in making a political vow, rather than a traditional religious one. There were mixed reactions. Some — mainly his political opponents — considered the move unacceptable, while others didn't seem to be bothered by it or agreed with his choice.
Social media users have also been struck by the refusal of the members of new government, with a few exceptions, to wear ties.
… Στην Ελλάδα οι”χωρίς γραβάτα” στην εξουσία. “En Grèce, les sans cravate au pouvoir http://t.co/nn8JDz58l0” pic.twitter.com/Y6Q1zgBjVt
— ElenaTzouanacou (@elenacou) January 30, 2015
In Greece, the “no-ties” in power.
Περιμένω οργισμένη ανακοίνωση του γραφείου τύπου της ΝΔ_ για το γεγονός ότι ο Τσίπρας πήγε να ορκιστεί χωρίς γραβάτα. — xasodikis (@xasodikis) January 26, 2015
I am looking forward to an enraged announcement from the New Democracy party press office, as Tsipras went to be sworn in without a tie. [ND had previously published an announcement complaining about the prime minister's lack of religious oath]
Ζούμε ιστορικές στιγμές όμως. Πρώτη φορά πολιτικός όρκος, πρώτη φορά πρωθυπουργός χωρίς γραβάτα, πρώτη φορά που κάποιοι έχουν κλάσει μέντες. — Δε Στρέηντζερ (@The_Stranger_gr) January 27, 2015
Indeed, we are witnesses to historic moments. First time: political oath. First time: prime minister without a tie. First time: some have shit their pants.
Τι ξεφτίλα είναι αυτή; Ορκίστηκε ο Τσίπρας πρωθυπουργός χωρίς γραβάτα και με πολιτικό όρκο. Που οδεύει αυτή η χώρα;
— Λεωνίδας Σακλαμπάνης (@LSaklabanis) January 26, 2015
What a decadence! Tsipras sworn in as prime minister with political oath and without a tie. Where does this country go?
In fact, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, while meeting Alexis Tsipras, gifted him a tie. Greek Prime Minister had mentioned before that he will wear a tie only when a “haircut” in debt takes place.
With the new government pursuing its election promises after having won the popular mandate in the elections, much is sure to happen. As Twitter user @menacius pointed out:
Η πολιτική με τον σύριζα έχει γίνει πιο συναρπαστική και από το House of Cards!
— @menacius (@menacius) February 5, 2015
Politics with Syriza has become more exciting even than House of Cards [TV series]!
Will the new government manage to achieve all it has promised? Time will tell. In the meantime, it seems that Greeks have gained back a little hope, dignity and optimism.

author: Dora Bouroutzi


text:
How the Produce Aisle in an American Supermarket Looks to a Migrant Farmworker · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Photo by Flickr user rick. CC BY 2.0
This article and a radio report by Monica Campbell for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on February 4, 2015 and is republished as part of a content-sharing agreement.
In the produce aisle of a supermarket in Madera, in California’s rural Central Valley, Francisco surveys the fruits and vegetables on display in the produce aisle. He’s 40 years old and stocky. He's also undocumented, and he asks to use his first name only.
For years, he’s picked produce in Mexico and along the West Coast of the United States. He’s good at it, but there’s one thing on display here that he wouldn’t mind never harvesting again: the tomato.
It's the crop that “leaves you the most tired,” he says. The tomatoes are heavy and you have to squat all day to pick them. You also have to inspect each tomato to make sure the color is even. It’s hard to work fast.
Plus, they’re messy. “Oh man, you leave the fields dirty. The tomato’s green leaves stain everything and it’s muddy work,” Francisco says.
Then there’s the avocado — also tough. Francisco picked them in Mexico. When he looks at them, he thinks heavy but delicate.
“You have to make sure you pick them at just the right time, when they’re not too mature or too ripe,” he says. “And if you drop them, they’re ruined, even if they still look good on the ground.”
He remembers how much the avocados weigh once they fill up the picker’s bag that's harnessed around the shoulders — a full bag is about 50 pounds. And once it's filled, you then have to lean over slowly, dropping the avocados in the bin without damaging them.
Next, Francisco spots the onions, white and smooth.
“The onion is complicated because you have to hunch down, digging them up from the ground,” he says. You must also remove the onion’s beard, or la barba. “It’s that dark stringy part at the top of the onion,” he says. “We use small clippers to take them off, and you have to be careful not to damage the onion. It’s repetitive and leaves your hands sore. I would exercise my fingers at night to make sure that my hands would be ready to work the next day.”
Which would he rather work with — the avocado or the onion?
“The avocado,” he says right away. He’d rather be on a ladder all day than squatting on the ground between rows of crops. But a fall off the ladder — up to 30 feet high — can be serious.
Then Francisco sees what he really wants to talk about: strawberries. He has mixed feelings about them.
He says the tricky part is to remove the strawberry’s stem and leaves without damaging the berries. And each piece of fruit must be inspected to make sure it’s not too green. But he’s picked berries in Washington state for many seasons and mastered it. He got to the point where he could pick with two hands at once, gathering more than 50 pounds of berries an hour. Fast work means earning a bit above the hourly minimum wage — $7.16 when he worked in Washington.
But fast work in the berry fields, six days a week, has a price.
“You’re sitting, squatting all the time. I don’t like that,” Francisco says. Legs and knees get sore, and he can’t do the work at the moment; he was injured in the fields. But he says he’d pick again.
“I’m proud of the work,” he says. He steps back and looks at the produce aisle like an artist in front of a painting. He likes to see how uniform all the produce looks, even though most of it is too expensive for him to afford. But he knows all the hard work that goes into making it look just right.

author: PRI/PRX's The World


text:
Is Nigeria’s Postponed Presidential Election Really About Security? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The main opposition candidate General (Rtd) Muhammadu Buhari speaking at African Diaspora Conference in London. Some political observers believe that the postponement is a political strategy meant to favour the ruling party. Photo by Michael Tubi, copyright © Demotix (5 April, 2013)
The Nigerian Independent National Election Commission (INEC) announced on February 7, 2015, that presidential election due on February 14 would be pushed back by six weeks because of security concerns in areas held by militant group Boko Haram.
The group has increased its campaign of violence in northern Nigeria. Recently, it conducted what Amnesty International described as the group’s “deadliest massacre in recent history” in Baga, a town in the north-eastern state of Borno.
The chairman of the election commission Attahiru Jega said that security forces would be conducting a six-week special operation against Boko Haram so “they would rather not be distracted by the elections.” The government has vowed to finish off the group in six weeks.
This is the first time in Nigeria’s history that the presidential election is being postponed. However, this is not the first time a national election will postponed in Nigeria. In 2011, we reported the reaction of Nigerian netizens to the rescheduling of the national parliamentary elections.
Since the announcement, there has been many speculations as to the real reasons for the postponement. For example, ‘Gbénga Sèsan, the director for Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, thinks that the electoral commission was forced to postpone the election:
1. It is clear that this postponement decision, by @inecnigeria, was forced. This has a lot of implications regarding #NigeriaDecides
— ‘Gbénga Sèsan (@gbengasesan) February 7, 2015
Henrik Angerbrandt, a PhD candidate in political science and researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute, believes the postponement has more to do with politics than security. He wonders why the offensive against an insurgency that has lasted for six years coincides with the date of the presidential election.
He writes:
Less than three weeks ago, the national security advisor to the president called for the elections to be postponed. However, this was not because the security agents were unprepared but because of slow distribution of voters’ cards. INEC, the responsible authority, replied there was no reason for postponement. Hence, it looks like a last resort has been to return to the security argument, first articulated in September by the PDP Senate President.
There are different theories on what [ruling People's Democratic Party] PDP benefits from the postponement. As the election has come closer, opinion polls have shown growing dissatisfaction with [President Goodluck] Jonathan’s government and [ex-military dictator Muhammadu] Buhari has emerged as a possible winner of the election. A postponement would provide an opportunity for Jonathan to recover some lost grounds. As incumbent party, PDP is furthermore believed to benefit from more resources than [All Progressive Congress] APC, making an extended campaign phase seem preferable. Another possible advantage is that despite long resistance from Jonathan, neighbouring countries are increasingly present in the combat of Boko Haram and some extra weeks may halt the loss of territory to the insurgents. That would make Jonathan have something to show the many critics that have questioned both his capability and commitment to respond to Boko Haram.
He notes that the postponement has been met with widespread disappointment and suspicion. He wonders what will happen if the objectives of the special operation are not met after six weeks:
The initial responses to the postponement express widespread disappointment and suspicion. The opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and major actors in civil society have appealed for calm, but the decision triggers major discontent. Ahead of the decision, Nigerians gathered for protests in the streets in Lagos and Abuja. If there would be nationwide demonstrations, there are many places in which there is a high risk for violence.
The special operation that the military commences is scheduled for six weeks. The record of the military’s operations in the north east in the last six years offers few indications that the situation will have improved significantly in these weeks. The question is what will happen if the objectives of the operation are deemed not to have been accomplished at this time. Will the military call for postponement for another month? The end of April is the upper limit according to the constitutional requirements for when elections must hold. Or, even worse, will there be a suggestion for an interim government?
Moyosore Ayodele also wonders how Boko Haram can be defeated in six weeks after terrorising the country for six years:
6yrs, Boko haram couldn't be won, but we want to win it within 6weeks because of election. So glaring PDP=Boko haram. #nigeriaelection
— Moyosore Ayodele (@mohyur) February 8, 2015
Ruggedman asks:
Plans for d 2015 elections did not start today,who fixed the February date for the millitary activity? #Nigeriadecides #NigeriaElection
— Ruggedman (@RuggedyBaba) February 7, 2015
Twitter user President Obiang notes sarcastically:
After many years, it is good to hear that President #Goodluck Jonathan needs just 6 more weeks to deal with Boko Haram. #Nigeriadecides
— President Obiang (@PresidentObiang) February 7, 2015
According to Alexander Osondu, the postponement is a violation of Nigeria’s constitution:
7. The election slated for March 28 is in flagrant breach of the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria. @Nigeria_Law #NigeriaDecides
— Alexander Osondu (@MovingLaw) February 11, 2015
1. @Nigeria_Law the provision of the Constitution is very clear on the postponement of the elections. S.123(1) #NigeriaDecides
— Alexander Osondu (@MovingLaw) February 11, 2015
Adaure Achumba, the West Africa correspondent for AriseTV, disagrees:
Constitution is clear #NigeriaElection must be held no earlier than 90 days & no later than 30 days before May 29. April 29 last legal date
— Adaure Achumba (@adaure) February 7, 2015
This is one of the reasons some are speculating that led to the postponement:
Start early, gather enough money so that we can out-spend them. Just when it's close, postpone it. They will run out of cash #NigeriaDecides
— Akin Ibitoye (@aibitoye) February 11, 2015
Ryan Cummings, a South African security analyst, says postponing election because of Boko Haram is nonsensical:
It would've been an easier sell to postpone elections due to PVC distribution problems. #BokoHaram issue nonsensical #Nigeriadecides
— Ryan Cummings (@Pol_Sec_Analyst) February 7, 2015
By the time of writing this, 316 Twitter users have retweeted and 16 favourited the following tweet after a call by Voice of America Hausa to its followers to express their opinion about the postponement:
RETWEET if you don't agree with election postponement, FAVORITE if you agree to the postponement #zaben2015 #NigeriaDecides
— VOA Hausa (@voahausa) February 7, 2015


text:
The Release of South Africa’s “Prime Evil”: It’s Time to Confront The Evil of Apartheid · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nicknamed “Prime Evil”, Eugene de Kock was the commanding officer a counter-insurgency unit of the South African Police that kidnapped, tortured, and murdered numerous anti-apartheid activists during apartheid era. He was recently granted parole after serving 20 years of his 212 prison sentence.
Pierre de Vos reacts to his release by arguing that it is time to confront the evil of apartheid, not only of De Kock who defended it:
What De Kock did was monstrous – far more monstrous than anything an ordinary beneficiary of apartheid did. Whether he deserves to be granted parole is, therefore, at the very least, debatable. But singling out De Kock as particularly evil is also comforting for those of us who benefited from apartheid and continue to do so because of its lingering effects.
It’s an archetypal example of “Othering”. We pinpoint one wrongdoer (the torturer in the attic) in order to obscure our own complicity in upholding and benefiting from the system in whose name De Kock committed his crimes.
Supporting the prosecution and conviction of De Kock and his continued incarceration, and insisting on depicting him as uniquely evil, allow us to avoid having to confront the fact that the system itself was evil through and through.
It helps us white South Africans who lived through apartheid (or whose parents did) to retain the idea that we were, for the most part, “decent” people – lawyers, accountants, government clerks, railway workers, doctors, school teachers, insurance brokers – who read and discussed the merits of good books and movies with friends, who went to the opera and the symphony concert, who swooned over the yodelling Briels, who cried when that dog was killed in that children’s movie, who treated our servants with condescending kindness. In our own minds we would never, ever deliberately endorse cruelty and violence towards others.
Yet, we benefited from the system whose very raison d’être was to oppress and exploit others and to uphold and defend the sham superiority of whites and what is ironically termed “Western civilisation” – the same “civilisation” that produced Hitler, Stalin, Vietnam and Iraq, and embraced and benefited from slavery and colonial oppression.


text:
Egypt Bombs ISIS Sites in Libya in Retaliation for the Beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egypt today bombed sites in Derna, Libya, allegedly belonging to the ISIS. Photo credit: @FreeBenghazi (Twitter)
Egypt bombed ISIS targets in Libya today, in retaliation to the grusesome beheading of 21 Coptic Christian Egyptian workers a day earlier.
The militant group shared a video on YouTube showing the beheading of the Egyptian workers, which were abducted over a month ago, creating an out roar in Egypt. Twitter has been flooded with expressions of sadness, sympathy, and anger after the news of the beheading of the 21 hostages spread. A flood of criticism also pointed out the failures of the current Egyptian administration.
According to news reports, about eight attacks targeted camps, training sites and weapon storage facilities in Derna, which has been taken over by an ISIS affiliate last year.
On its account on Twitter, The Libya Observer reported:
#Libya: Benghazi Air Force commander says Egyptian airstrikes were coordinated to target areas he described as "occupied by #IS" in #Derna
— Mohamed Yehia (@yeh1a) February 16, 2015
Free Benghazi tweets photographs, allegedly from Derna, where the airstrikes took place:
Derna friend says 3 jets involved in #Egypt airstrikes over Derna. Lasted 90mins & hit 8 targets in diff areas#Libya pic.twitter.com/Yg18HwVwRJ
— Elle.Horreya (@FreeBenghazi) February 16, 2015
And Taqi Alshlawi, from Derna itself, shares this photograph:
صورة أولية .. #درنة pic.twitter.com/o5zZLs2pPO
— تقى الشلوى (@Tashalwi) February 16, 2015
First images
He also shares this 20-second video on YouTube to show the aftermath of the strikes:
On YouTube, libyatna (Our Libya) shares this 43-second video showing the aftermath of one of the strikes on Derna this morning:
The video shows destroyed buildings, in a residential area, with smoke billowing out of a building.
According to Mary Fitzgerald, who is a journalist and analyst focused on Libya, Derna is a hotbed of terrorists in East Libya:
Derna, eastern #Libya town hit by Egypt air strikes, has long history of militancy. Home to AQ-aligned groups as well as ISIS affiliate hub
— Mary Fitzgerald (@MaryFitzger) February 16, 2015
But in another tweet, she notes:
Egypt air strikes attacked Derna in eastern Libya. Ref in ISIS vid to "wilayat Trablus" suggests Egyptian Copt beheadings took place in west
— Mary Fitzgerald (@MaryFitzger) February 16, 2015
And according to Elijah J. Magnier, AL RAI Chief International Correspondent:
#Egypt coordinated with #Libya to hit #IS in #Libya: 5 houses belonging to #IS commanders and the "IS Islamic Tribunal" hit by airforce.
— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) February 16, 2015
On its Facebook page, the Egyptian Armed Forces shares this footage of its fighter jets taking off for the airstrikes on Libya.
Playing into the ISIS Plan:
For many on Twitter, the ISIS plan of pulling regional players into the conflict has paid off by beheading the 21 Coptic Egyptians in Libya.
Palestinian Iyad El-Baghdadi tells his 38.4K followers on Twitter:
ISIS is regularly getting out of regional powers exactly the (predictable) reaction it wanted and planned for.
— Iyad El-Baghdadi (@iyad_elbaghdadi) February 16, 2015
And he further explains:
Retaliatory strikes aren't a side effect for IS, they're part of their plan. Also collateral damage by the strikes (read: dead baby vids).
— Iyad El-Baghdadi (@iyad_elbaghdadi) February 16, 2015
Proud Libyan says the attacks will only broaden support for ths ISIS in war fragmented Libya:
Strike who & where & what are the consequences 4 us?Cross the border Egyptian intervention will bring destruction & more recruitment 4 ISIS!
— ProudLibyan (@OnlyOneLibya) February 16, 2015
Doha-based Charles Lister, who is a Brookings Doha Centre fellow, chimes in:
#ISIS will have hoped to provoke #Egypt airstrikes in #Libya – this fits perfectly its vision of escalating conflict & chaos in the region.
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) February 16, 2015
And Magnier adds:
This is all #IS tactics to divide the effort against it in #Syria and #Iraq and distract the attention #USA #EU by spreading disorder
— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) February 16, 2015
What do Libyans Say?
For Libyans, the strikes will further complicate a grave situation.
Writing on Libya Liberty on Twitter, Libyan-American microblogger Hend, told her 38.6K followers:
Libyans have been presented w/ a very strong motivation to galvanize behind both an ISIS threat & foreign military intervention – will they?
— Hend (@LibyaLiberty) February 16, 2015
Proud Libyan offers the following advice to his countrymen and women:
Wake up Libyans! Your country is about to become another battle ground as in Syria and Iraq, while our politicians do nothing but bicker!!
— ProudLibyan (@OnlyOneLibya) February 16, 2015
The Twitter user, with around 5,000 followers, adds:
There is no other way than full national reconciliation and unity to face these problems. We said this 2011, now we say it again and always
— ProudLibyan (@OnlyOneLibya) February 16, 2015
And UKWAS tells his 3,000 followers:
لم يعد لدينا وقت.الخيارات محدودة والأفق يضيق أمامنا. على الليبيين الآن التنازل عن عنادهم وعداواتهم والتوحد وإلا فلننس حاجة اسمها ليبيا للأبد
— UKWAS (@Ukwass) February 16, 2015
We no longer have time. Our options are limited and the horizon is getting narrower. Libyans will have to give up their stubbornness and enmity and unite or else we will have to forget that there was a country called Libya forever
Further Reading:
In Arabic, the hashtag #ضد_التدخل_العسكري_المصري_في_ليبيا which translates to Against the Military Intervention of Egypt in Libya has been active.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Egypt in Mourning Over Brutal Execution of 21 Coptic Christians by ‘ISIS in Libya’ · Global Voices
Global Voices MENA

Families of kidnapped Coptic Egyptians protest in front of the Journalist Syndicate in Cairo. The banner reads, “Oh Egypt, stand up …. The voice of your kidnapped sons calls you.
Where is the international community's position regarding the kidnapping of innocents in Libya.” (Screenshot from a YouTube video by Aswat Masriya )
Militant group “ISIS in Libya” beheaded 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian workers who had been abducted in Libya more than a month ago.
The ultimate fate of the 21 Egyptian Christian workers who were kidnapped over a month ago in Libya was unclear when “ISIS in Libya” published photographs of them last week. Then, on Sunday, February 15 a gruesome and bloody video was posted on YouTube that showed the beheading of the hostages.
In the video and in photographs, the kidnapped Egyptian workers are seen wearing the orange jumpsuits that ISIS hostages typically wear before being executed.
ISIS linked websites claimed that the kidnapping was in response to the alleged kidnapping of Muslim women by the Egyptian Coptic Church.
Prior to the execution video's appearance on YouTube, the Egyptian government seemed to have little or no information about their fate.
On Saturday, according to a statement published on the website of the Egyptian State Information Service, Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab met with family members of the hostages and “briefed them on efforts exerted to ensure the safe return of the abductees.”
In a statement, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered the evacuation of thousands of Egyptian workers in Libya.
In another statement published on the same day, an Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that:
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued directives to exert the utmost effort to protect the Egyptians in Libya” and that the government “has urged Egyptians residing in Libya to avoid conflict areas that are controlled by terrorists.
Prior to the meeting between the Egyptian prime minister and the families of the hostages on Saturday, family members of those kidnapped held a protest in front of the journalist syndicate in Cairo denouncing the government's inaction.
On Sunday evening, after news of the video spread, Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for an emergency meeting with the National Defense Council and declared 7 days of mourning.
Twitter has been flooded with expressions of sadness, sympathy, and anger after the news of the beheading of the 21 hostages spread. A flood of criticism also pointed out the failures of the current Egyptian administration.
Egyptian singer Hamza Namira tweeted:
لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله.. ربنا يرحم المصريين الغلابة.. ويرحمنا من اللي بيحصل ده كله..حداد ورا حداد ورا حداد..
— Hamza Namira (@HamzaNamira) February 15, 2015
There is no power but from God.. My our Lord have mercy on the poor Egyptians .. And bestow mercy on us from all that is happening .. Mourning after mourning after mourning.
Egyptian journalist Omar ElHady wrote:
المشير الذى يحكمنا منذ 8 أشهر أغلق المجال العام كله لمكافحة الإرهاب، ولم نحصد إلا الفشل الأمنى والعسكرى.دولة عاجزة وشهداء تهمتهم أنهم مصريون
— Omar Elhady (@Asadx) February 15, 2015
The Marshal who has been ruling for 8 months closed the entire public sphere to combat terrorism and we have only harvested security and military failure. A failed state and martyrs; they were guilty for being Egyptians.
Video journalist Farah Saafan expressed her grief in the following words:
عاشوا غلابة و ماتوا غلابة.. الله يرحمهم — Farah Saafan (@FarahSaafan) February 15, 2015
They lived poor and died poor… May God have mercy on them.
Former TV presenter for the recently closed Al Jazeera Egyptian channel Zein Tawfik wrote:
اللهم اني أبرأ إليك من كل من أزهق روحا او اراق دما بغير حق. الأقباط الغلابة الذين قتلوا في ليبيا ليس لهم ولا لأهلهم الا انت — Zein Tawfik (@zeintawfik) February 15, 2015
Oh God, I absolve myself from all who have killed a soul or spilled blood wrongfully. The poor Copts who were killed in Libya and their families have no one but You.
Al Jazeera Arabic TV anchor Mohamed Krichen expressed his condolences in the following Tweet:
تعازي الحارة لكل المصريين. لا حول و لا قوة إلا بالله العظيم.
— محمد كريشان (@MhamedKrichen) February 15, 2015
My deepest condolences to all Egyptians. There is no power but from God, the Almighty.
Middle East journalist Bel Trew, who has written for The Times and The Sunday Times, sympathized with the families of those killed.
Thoughts and prayers with the families of the 21 Egyptians killed in #Libya by #Isis. When will this killing stop?
— Bel Trew – بل ترو (@Beltrew) February 15, 2015
Former Qatari diplomat Nasser Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa wrote a series of Tweets expressing his grief and view on the horrific event:
قتل الأقباط المصريين في ليبيا جريمه كبيره وظلم كبير وكفر بالدين الحنيف ولا يفعله مسلم ولا يقبله ضمير والفاعل ظلما ملعون الى يوم الدين١
— Nasser H Al-Khalifa (@NasserIbnHamad) February 15, 2015
The killing of the Egyptian Copts in Libya is a big crime and form of oppression and infidelity against the true religion; and no Muslim does such an action nor does any conscience accept it; and the oppressive perpetrator is damned until Judgment Day.
ان الأقباط المقتولين ظلما ذهبو بحثا عن لقمة رزق فاذا بهم يصبحون ضحية امورلا ناقة لهم فيها ولا جمل ولن يقبل اي تبرير لهذه الجريمة الشنعاء٢
— Nasser H Al-Khalifa (@NasserIbnHamad) February 15, 2015
The Copts who were wrongfully killed went searching for sustenance. They have become victims of matters they have no stakes in. And no justification will be accepted for this horrendous crime.
ان من قتلوالأقباط المصريين في ليبيالا يمتون للاسلام بصله وان أدعو انهم مسلمين فيما يفعلون أجرام واستهانة بحق الحياة وتعدي على أوامر الله ٣
— Nasser H Al-Khalifa (@NasserIbnHamad) February 15, 2015
Those who killed the Egyptian Copts in Libya are in no way related to Islam. Even if they claim they are Muslims in what they do, they have committed crimes and belittled the right of life and trespassed the commandments of God.
The April 6 Youth Movement in Egypt, a popular political Facebook group, issued a statement following the news of the beheading expressing its condolences to the Egyptian people and the families of the deceased.
In its statement, the group also said:
We know that the incident is great and we understand very well the gravity of the matter and how hard speaking is on the hearts of the victims’ families; and some may ask us to be silent in respect to the emotions of the families and the nation's loss.
Yet has nothing sent us to that abyss but the silence of the mouths regarding the truth and turning the gaze away from the nation's loss among the living?!
The statement then went on to read:
A system that does not respect its citizens and does not remember them except after their death if it is reminded is a system whose hands have been stained with the blood of its citizens of various ages and affiliations at any occasion that has been granted to him…
…A system that looks upon the citizens as being inferior and does not understand the meanings of a decent life, good governance, and social justice.
A system that kills.
Whether that killing is by the bullet or by negligence or by disregard or by shortcomings.
The April 6 Movement ended its statement by saying:
The only way out for this country is that the current regime departs (from office)… There is no more hope in reforming a corrupt system that takes corruption as an methodology and failure as a beacon. There is no home throughout Egypt that does not have someone lost or injured.
In a televised address Sunday night, El-Sisi said that Egypt reserves the right to respond to the beheading of 21 Coptic Egyptians. He also announced a ban on travel to Libya and ordered the government to secure the return of Egyptians wishing to leave Libya and return to their home country.

author: Global Voices MENA


text:
Malawian Student Makes His Own TV Station · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Chisomo Daka, a student at the University of Malawi’s chancellor college, has created his own TV station, Paul Ndiho reports:
Innovation is happening across Africa, in all different sectors, from education to energy, banking to agriculture and in television broadcasting. In Malawi, a university student has created a community TV station called “analog TV project” one that he hopes will transmit all social events taking place on campus. Malawi TV Project
Chisomo Daka is a student at the University of Malawi’s chancellor college. He is pursuing a degree in education science and he is trying to make his mark in the television broadcasting industry. By his own admission, he says that he is not an engineer by training, nor does he claim to know much about engineering. But his love and passion for tale-communications has inspired him to build from scratch a community television station. Daka says he hopes to use this TV station to broadcast social events and student projects throughout the entire campus.
“We have been able to transmit a video signal and we have been able to capture that. But by the end of the day, we would want to finalize it and make it a full working television station for the campus.”
Before his first broadcasting test signal, he was just a normal student, and few students knew about his innovation. Today, Chisomo Daka has created a name for himself as the new kid on the block. His community TV station is a hit on campus and everybody is talking about him. He says operating out of the norm is what is drove him to be innovative.


text:
Social Media Is Changing How Consumers in India Interact With Companies · Global Voices
Sourabh

Screenshot from the Online Shopping Trends in India, 2013 – A Google India report.
No matter if your phone or hard drive crashed, if bank staff were rude to you or the clothing you ordered didn't arrive, Indian consumers have found a new forum to air their grievances – social media.
With the growing number of smartphone and Internet users in India, customers are increasingly turning to Facebook, Twitter or online consumer forums to vent their anger against brands. Around 25% of India’s online consumers are aware of brands’ social media presence and are posting their grievances online before lodging their complaint in consumer court.
Yo @myntra …stop with the contest and sale nonsense and focus on delivering orders. Still haven't got my order from god knows how long ago
— shahnazb (@shahnazb) January 21, 2015
So @VodafoneIN won’t pull out incoming number of guys who conned me out of 8k. Says they don’t keep tracking of incoming calls. True?
— mitali parekh (@pMitali) January 11, 2015
After all of it @flipkart offered me a compensation of ₹50 Seriously that's how much you “Value” your customers!! #FlipkartSucks #Flopkart
— kashyap kapoor (@Kashyapkapoor20) January 21, 2015
The philosophy behind this trend is simple. Satisfied customers become brand evangelists by spreading positive word about their products and services, whereas unhappy customers can cause harm to the brand by criticizing it and spreading a bad word in their social circle. According to a study by AC Nielsen and AbsolutData, nearly 40 million Indians use online reviews to inform others about what they have purchased and how their experience has been with the brand. Furthermore, more than 67% Indians, who are online, read reviews before taking their purchase decisions.
This makes it absolutely imperative for brands to monitor what’s been said about them online and how to tackle consumer complaints.
Any feedback is good feedback? Companies tracking consumer comments on social media platforms – http://t.co/XzxeVPxmsO
— Business Today (@BT_India) May 7, 2013
It’s not just social media channels. User-generated consumer review and feedback sites[if gte mso 9]><xml><w:worddocument><w:view>Normal</w:view><w:zoom>0</w:zoom><w:trackmoves></w:trackmoves><w:trackformatting></w:trackformatting><w:punctuationkerning></w:punctuationkerning><w:validateagainstschemas></w:validateagainstschemas><w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid><w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent><w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext><w:donotpromoteqf></w:donotpromoteqf><w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:lidthemeother><w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:lidthemeasian><w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:lidthemecomplexscript><w:compatibility><w:breakwrappedtables></w:breakwrappedtables><w:snaptogridincell></w:snaptogridincell><w:wraptextwithpunct></w:wraptextwithpunct><w:useasianbreakrules></w:useasianbreakrules><w:dontgrowautofit></w:dontgrowautofit><w:splitpgbreakandparamark></w:splitpgbreakandparamark><w:dontvertaligncellwithsp></w:dontvertaligncellwithsp><w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables></w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables><w:dontvertalignintxbx></w:dontvertalignintxbx><w:word11kerningpairs></w:word11kerningpairs><w:cachedcolbalance></w:cachedcolbalance></w:compatibility><w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:browserlevel><m:mathpr><m:mathfont m:val="Cambria Math"></m:mathfont><m:brkbin m:val="before"></m:brkbin><m:brkbinsub m:val="--"></m:brkbinsub><m:smallfrac m:val="off"></m:smallfrac><m:dispdef></m:dispdef><m:lmargin m:val="0"></m:lmargin><m:rmargin m:val="0"></m:rmargin><m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"></m:defjc><m:wrapindent m:val="1440"></m:wrapindent><m:intlim m:val="subSup"></m:intlim><m:narylim m:val="undOvr"></m:narylim></m:mathpr></w:worddocument></xml>< ![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml><w:latentstyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"LatentStyleCount="267"><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"></w:lsdexception></w:latentstyles></xml>< ![endif][if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable	{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;	mso-style-noshow:yes;	mso-style-priority:99;	mso-style-qformat:yes;	mso-style-parent:"";	mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;	mso-para-margin:0cm;	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;	font-size:11.0pt;	font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;	mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;	mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}</style>< ![endif] such as Mouthshut.com, Consumercomplaints.in and online forums too have gained a lot of prominence. Customers are increasingly sharing their experiences about everything from gadgets to apparels, plants to delivery efficiency, on online forums. About 10 million Indians are believed to contribute to online forums which is a staggering number considering the country’s online population.
Horrible Maternity/Gynecology hospital experience in Bangalore http://t.co/PYVaBv0WoF pic.twitter.com/kGtD7UMOGZ
— Syed Sadiq (@SadiqmPower) January 18, 2015
Perfect example of paid social media Fail. Read the review and then read the comments: http://t.co/ZNh05wndxB
— Chidiya Rani (@SomeBirdie) January 16, 2015
And brands don’t have a choice either. They ought to monitor their social media channels as well as online forums and participate in these discussions to make sure that the consumers are satisfied with their service. Moreover, the window available for the brands to reply to the customer’s dissatisfaction is quite limited. About 42% of consumers complaining on social media expect a response from the company within an hour.
According to a social media study by Social Wavelength, Twitter is the most preferred social media channel for people to share their shopping experiences. This has made e-commerce stores hyper-active on Twitter; more than 40% of tweets by these brands are replies to the customers issues.
Consider HomeShop18, which is extremely active when it comes to replying to its customers with more than 50% of their tweets being replies. In this study, Infibeam and Indiaplaza fared worst which had more than 80% of their tweets as apologetic replies.
@udian Hi, Kindly share your customer Complaint no with us , so that we can take some action. Regards, Panasonic India
— Panasonic India (@PanasonicIndia) April 15, 2013
Without even registering a complaint, LG India sends me a complaint id. That's some customer service!
— Nikhil Narayanan (@nikhilnarayanan) April 3, 2013
I have, in the past, tweeted about poor customer complaint resolution practises in India. For once, @Airtel_Presence has proved me wrong
— Aman Sharma (@amancool5) May 1, 2013
Unfulfilled orders is the most common complaint received by e-commerce stores, followed by product complaints, exchange policy and website technical errors.
Although this comes across as beneficial for consumers to make their grievances heard and have it solved soon, it is posing significant threat to brands and their reputation. There are many cases where customers are unreasonable and go on a complaint spree on multiple platforms. There have been instances where brands pose as customers and post positive reviews about its products as there are no steps in place to confirm whether someone has actually used a service before posting a review.
Recently, Flipkart got involved in a similar controversy during the launch of Moto E. It had been just 12 hours since the phone was launched and all of a sudden there were more than 800 ratings and 200 comments regarding the phone in just 12 hours.  Most of the reviews were highly positive and the matter was fishy considering that the people commenting there didn't even had their devices with them.
Social customer service, especially in case of B2C (Business to Consumer) companies is becoming extremely significant these days and has become the first point of contact. Customers can get in touch with a brand regarding their problem via phone or email, but the fact that social media and forums bring an added pressure and onus on the brands to resolve a grievance as soon as possible is key to this social CRM (Customer Relationship Management). As India is bringing thousands of people online on a daily basis, this part of social media will become extremely crucial for companies.
[if gte mso 9]><xml><w:worddocument><w:view>Normal</w:view><w:zoom>0</w:zoom><w:trackmoves></w:trackmoves><w:trackformatting></w:trackformatting><w:punctuationkerning></w:punctuationkerning><w:validateagainstschemas></w:validateagainstschemas><w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid><w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent><w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext><w:donotpromoteqf></w:donotpromoteqf><w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:lidthemeother><w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:lidthemeasian><w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:lidthemecomplexscript><w:compatibility><w:breakwrappedtables></w:breakwrappedtables><w:snaptogridincell></w:snaptogridincell><w:wraptextwithpunct></w:wraptextwithpunct><w:useasianbreakrules></w:useasianbreakrules><w:dontgrowautofit></w:dontgrowautofit><w:splitpgbreakandparamark></w:splitpgbreakandparamark><w:dontvertaligncellwithsp></w:dontvertaligncellwithsp><w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables></w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables><w:dontvertalignintxbx></w:dontvertalignintxbx><w:word11kerningpairs></w:word11kerningpairs><w:cachedcolbalance></w:cachedcolbalance></w:compatibility><w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:browserlevel><m:mathpr><m:mathfont m:val="Cambria Math"></m:mathfont><m:brkbin m:val="before"></m:brkbin><m:brkbinsub m:val="--"></m:brkbinsub><m:smallfrac m:val="off"></m:smallfrac><m:dispdef></m:dispdef><m:lmargin m:val="0"></m:lmargin><m:rmargin m:val="0"></m:rmargin><m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"></m:defjc><m:wrapindent m:val="1440"></m:wrapindent><m:intlim m:val="subSup"></m:intlim><m:narylim m:val="undOvr"></m:narylim></m:mathpr></w:worddocument></xml>< ![endif]
[if gte mso 9]><xml><w:latentstyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"LatentStyleCount="267"><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"></w:lsdexception><w:lsdexception Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"></w:lsdexception></w:latentstyles></xml>< ![endif][if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable	{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;	mso-style-noshow:yes;	mso-style-priority:99;	mso-style-qformat:yes;	mso-style-parent:"";	mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;	mso-para-margin:0cm;	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;	font-size:11.0pt;	font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;	mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;	mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}</style>< ![endif]

author: Sourabh


text:
The African Union is Failing South Sudan · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

David K. Deng argues that the African Union is failing South Sudan after deciding that the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS) should not release its report:
On the evening of 29 January, African heads of state gathered in Addis Ababa for a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC). Among the items on the agenda was a presentation by the chairperson of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS), former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo. More than a year after the African Union (AU) announced its investigation into violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in South Sudan, the AUCISS was set to formally present its final report to the AUPSC.
Instead of Obasanjo, however, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, who doubles as the chairperson of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), walked to the podium and raised a motion to defer consideration and publication of the AUCISS report until peace is achieved, saying that it would jeopardise the ongoing IGAD-led peace process. President Jacob Zuma of South Africa seconded the motion, followed by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. With that, the matter was closed and a public release of the AUCISS report was put off indefinitely.
The AUPSC’s decision not to publish the AUCISS report casts doubt on the prospects for justice and accountability in South Sudan. It also raises questions as to whether the AU and IGAD are genuinely committed to ending the impunity that they themselves acknowledge to be a driver of violence in the country.
The AUCISS was formed in December 2013 with a mandate to “investigate the human rights violations and other abuses committed during the armed conflict in South Sudan and make recommendations on the best ways and means to ensure accountability, reconciliation and healing among all South Sudanese communities.” Over the course of six months, from March to September 2014, the AUCISS interviewed hundreds of South Sudanese across the country and in the diaspora. Rumor has it that the report provides a detailed account of war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by all sides in the South Sudanese conflict. It is even said to include a list of people responsible for atrocities, including senior figures from both sides.


text:
Turkey Mourns a Female Student’s Brutal Death · Global Voices
Ece Basay

Picture of Ozgecan Aslan, a 20-year-old woman who was kidnapped and murdered in Mersin, Turkey. Widely shared.
Turkey is in shock after the charred body of Ozgecan Aslan, a 20-year-old university student missing since February 11, was found in a riverbed on Friday. A 26-year-old bus driver has confessed to her murder.
Suphi Altindoken, who now faces murder charges was supposed to be taking her home.  According to his own testimony, he first tried to rape Aslan, and when she resisted and fought back, he stabbed her to death.
Following the attack, Altindoken, his 50-year-old father, and his friend Fatih Gökce, burned the body to dispose of the evidence.
Everyday violence against women
In a country where violence against women has become alarmingly routine, the unfortunate, brutal, and inhumane death of a young woman has lead to a surge in public indignation. Ever since Aslan's body was found, thousands have gathered throughout Turkey to demand justice for her death and an end to violence against women in the country.
A picture taken of a gathering for Aslan in the Black Sea city of Trabzon highlights the extent of public mobilisation over her death:
Trabzon'da binler Özgecan Aslan için sokakta.. pic.twitter.com/wCdBOycSOM — BORDO ∞ MAVİ (@1967_TRABZON_) February 15, 2015
In Trabzon, thousands are on the streets for Ozgecan Aslan.
On social media, people have been using the hash tags #OzgecanAslan, #Ozgecanicinsiyahgiy (wear black for Ozgecan) when discussing the Aslan case.
Can you stand with us? Wear BLACK for #ÖzgecanAslan on FEBRUARY 16 !!! pic.twitter.com/m4mKYBDW48 — Yağmur (@sebihayagmur) February 15, 2015 [Protected tweet]
Kızlara çığlık atmayı öğreteceğinize,erkeklere adam olmayı öğretin #ÖzgecanAslan #OzgecanİcinSiyahGiy — emelço (@emelcanturkan) February 15, 2015
Instead of teaching women how to shout, teach men how to behave. #OzgecanAslan #Ozgecanicinsiyahgiy.
Stories with no end in sight
The murder has also produced a hash tag #sendeanlat (tell your story too) to gather women's experiences of harassment and violence. A Twitter search returns thousands of responses:
#sendeanlat Gece geç saatlerde minibüs, dolmuş veya otobüste tek kadın olduğumu farkedince tedirgin oluyorum #TürkiyedeKadınOlmak — Canan Coşkun (@canancoskun) February 15, 2015
I feel uneasy when I realize that I am the only woman in the minibus, bus, or dolmus [a type of public transportation] late at night. #sendeanlat.
Peki ya durakta otobüs, yol kenarında taksi beklerken arabayla yanaşıp, inatla önünde durup bekleyen herifler #sendeanlat — Hale A. (@hale_akay) February 15, 2015
what about the men that approach you in the car while you are waiting at the bus stop or waiting for a cab by the road? #sendeanlat
#sendeanlat Bir de sürekli gelen psikolojik taciz yöntemleri: ‘beceremezsin’, ‘zayıfsın’, vs vs. — Özge Mumcu Aybars (@ozge_mumcu) February 15, 2015
#sendeanlat And then there are the psychological harassment methods: ‘you cannot do it’, ‘you are weak’, etc.
Bu hashtag'de yazılanlara bakıp, bir de yazılıp yazılıp gönderemeden silinen twitleri düşünün. Dilimiz varmaz anlatmaya. #sendeanlat — feyza (@zfeyza) February 15, 2015
Think about the things written under this hash tag, then imagine the tweets that were deleted without being sent. It is impossible to describe. #sendeanlat
State officials and members of the ruling conservative AKP (Justice) party have been regularly criticised by civil society for their weak stance  on violence against women and gender equality. Although Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that he will do “whatever it takes” to stop the violence against women while taking part in a rally in for Aslan in Antalya on February 15, so far the government has not put forward any concrete proposals to combat the problem.
Amid a lack of ideas on the part of the state, public figures such as university lecturer Nurullah Ardıc have added their voice to the debate. But Ardıc's notion of ‘pink buses‘ — colour-coded public transport reserved only for women — seems to showcase rather than solve the deep rooted gender prejudices in Turkish society.

author: Ece Basay