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The Unbearable Heaviness of American Student Debt · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

The state of US student debt, as presented by a participant on Day 3 of the protest Occupy Wall Street in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park. Photo by David Shankbone (CC BY 3.0)
When I was 17, and applying to university, my parents told me we’d be splitting the cost. For me, and for them, this meant taking out US federal loans that would be repaid over the next decade or more.
I was relatively lucky. As a lower-income student, I was eligible for a federal Pell Grant, and was accepted into an excellent state university which, at the time, cost just a little more than $10,000 per year in tuition fees. I kept my debt down by working part-time to cover expenses, and was grateful for any help my parents could offer. After graduating from university, I participated in a year-long national service program, earning a $5,000 award that went toward repaying my loans.
In the end, it took me eleven years to repay my student loans. I made my final payment on July 3 of this year.
Today, US students leave university with an average of $29,000 in debt. That figure goes up for students who attend universities in larger cities—the average graduate in Washington, D.C. carries a whopping $41,000 of student loan debt.
This state of affairs has led to what many pundits and scholars in the US are calling a “crisis,” with those hardest hit often students with smaller debts but dismal job prospects. For young graduates, the unemployment rate last year was 8.5%. The math is simple: If recent graduates can’t get jobs, they can’t repay their loans.
Shortly after I moved to Germany in 2014, the state of Lower Saxony became the last region to nix tuition fees, making university education free for all, including non-citizens. Several other European countries (such as Finland and Slovenia) offer free university education, as do Brazil and Argentina.
It’s hard to underestimate what this idea means to an American. From the time we’re old enough to dream about college, those of us without means are also worrying about how we’ll pay for it, while others can’t fathom being able to scrape together enough just to afford the down payments. In a country where 1.2 million primary and secondary school students are homeless, a college education is an extraordinary privilege.
Although the Obama administration has made significant changes to the way student loans work, for many, it’s still not enough. A four-year university education in the US costs between $40,000 per year on the low end (for a student attending a public university in his or her home state) to more than $125,000 for students attending private universities—and that’s only tuition fees. Add to that the cost of housing and other life necessities, and it’s no surprise that students are opting out altogether. Which is fine—so long as it’s truly a choice.
But in today’s economic environment, it really isn’t. Last year, university enrollment in the US fell by nearly half a million. Economists say that when the economy is doing well, fewer people attend colleges and universities, but when it isn’t, higher education becomes a “safe harbor.” In other words, young people are choosing the most likely path to self-sufficiency.
And yet, with so many jobs requiring a four-year degree, despite the high cost of attendance, not attending university can, in the long run, cost so much more in lost wages. The Pew Research Center estimates the earning gap between a high school graduate and a graduate of a four-year college or university is around $17,500.
We should all be able to choose our own path. University isn’t for everyone, nor should it be. But the choice, the ability to attend should absolutely be a right extended to all, without the burden of decades of debt.

author: Jillian C. York


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This Invention by Burkinabe and Burundian Student Scientists Could Save Thousands from Malaria · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Screen Capture of Niyondiko and Dembele’ video at their presentation at Maker Faire in Rome, November 2014
Saving thousands of lives doesn't have to cost millions of dollars. Two students in Africa recently demonstrated that it takes as little as 59 cents to keep some human beings alive, and the solution can be as simple as a bar of soap.
Moctar Dembele, a native of Burkina Faso, and Gerard Niyondiko, born in Burundi, are students at the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Dembele and Niyondiko are no strangers to the threat of malaria, which is the leading cause of death in Subsaharan Africa. Every year around the world, about 600,000 people die from malaria—a disease caused by parasites that are spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The symptoms typically include fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches.
To help counter the disease, Dembele and Niyondiko invented a soap made from locally sourced herbs and natural ingredients, like Shea butter and lemongrass oil, that repel disease-carrying mosquitoes. They called it the “Faso soap”. The concept has the appeal of being both highly practical and affordable:
To help them with their initiative, UC Berkeley's Global Social Venture Competition recently awarded Dembélé and Niyondiko $26,500.
The science behind the idea is quite straightforward, explains Hugo Jalinière, a science reporter at Sciences et Avenir, a French science magazine:
Le savon possède deux caractéristiques: D’abord, une capacité à repousser les moustiques par son odeur. Mais il contient également un composant intérieur qui tue les larves et empêche leur prolifération dans les eaux stagnantes. Les tests effectués sur un échantillon de la population à Ouagadougou se sont en tous cas révélés assez concluants.
The soap acts as a repellent in two ways: its smell and an inside component that kills the larvae and prevents their proliferation in still water. The tests performed on a sample population in Ouagadougou [the capital of Burkina Faso] turned out quite promising.
According to the World Health Organization, there are about 200 millions cases of malaria infections annually, resulting in roughly 660,000 deaths. There is no vaccine yet against malaria, but a plethora of antimalarial medications are available as treatments for the various symptoms. Prevention measures are plenty, but there is no full-proof protection against parasite-carrying mosquitoes and repellents are part of the combination of preventive measures used in the region.
Scientists have extensively studied different plant-based repellents against mosquitoes. Sarah Moore, a scientist from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says the results of studies on such repellents’ efficiency are so far are inconclusive, but their use has gained in popularity because of the rationale behind such measures:
The field of plant-based repellents is moving forward as consumers demand means of protection from arthropod bites that are safe, pleasant to use and environmentally sustainable. It is also extremely fertile due to wealth of insecticidal compounds found in plants as defences against insects. The modern pyrethroids that are the mainstay of the current malaria elimination program that is making excellent progress are harmless to mammals.
Screen Capture of Interactive Africa Map of Artemisinins data via WWARN
Dembélé and Niyondiko are also painfully aware of the economic obstacles to fighting malaria. Niyondiko's home country, Burundi, is currently in the middle of a grave humanitarian crisis and the nation ranks 167th among 177 countries on the UN Human Development Index. Burkina Faso went through its own political upheaval recently and about half of the population lives on less than 1.25 USD a day.
Any sustainable solutions to malaria in Africa must be especially affordable, given the region's history and ongoing struggles. With this in mind, Dembélé and Niyondiko sought to design Faso soap to be as low cost as possible.
The project, moreover, could not come at a better time, as the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network recently warned health agencies that resistance to the antimalarial drug artemisinin is on the rise:
As of February 2015, artemisinin resistance has been confirmed in 5 countries [..] In the large majority of sites, patients with artemisinin-resistant parasites still recover after treatment, provided that they are treated with an ACT containing an effective partner drug. However, along the Cambodia-Thailand border, P. falciparum has become resistant to almost all available antimalarial medicines. There is a real risk that multidrug resistance will soon emerge in other parts of the subregion as well.
Dembélé and Niyondiko know the road ahead is still long, but they say they are prepared for an extended fight. Dembélé says the battle is about more than beating the disease; it's also about giving Africa brighter hopes for its own future. After winning the award from UC Berkeley, he said:
Je suis très content que ce prix revienne en Afrique et particulièrement au Burkina Faso. C’est la première fois qu’une équipe non américaine remporte ce prix. C’est la fierté pour la jeunesse, c’est la fierté pour l’Afrique. Ça doit encourager la jeunesse à aller de l’avant.
I am very happy that this award is also a victory for Africa and particularly for Burkina Faso. This is the first time a non-American team has won this award. This award is to honor of all the youth of Africa. We hope it will inspire others to move forward.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Three Issues That Undermine Chile’s Once Popular President · Global Voices
NACLA

Chile's President Michelle Bachelet, once on the top of popularity now has to deal with a disapproval rating of 65%. Photo taken from the Flickr account of Oscar Ordenes under Creative Commons license.
This article by Consuelo Cortés Abad was originally published on NACLA's website and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
Chile’s Socialist president, Michelle Bachelet, was once one of the most popular leaders in Latin America, but a year into her second term in office her popularity has plummeted. One cannot engage in political discussion anywhere in Chile without hearing strong criticism of her government. According to the Santiago-based Center for Public Studies (CEP), by late April just 29% of respondents approved of her leadership, while 56% disapproved. More recent polling has her disapproval rating up to 65%. These levels of disapproval are almost as high as those obtained by her predecessor, the conservative Sebastian Piñera.
Bachelet was elected with 62% of the vote, so what explains the current downturn? The strongest public disapproval—much of it predictable and ideological—has come from right-wing and middle-class business owners, and has been directed at recent tax and education reforms. Indeed, bills introduced during her new term focusing on education, tax reform, labor, and the decriminalization of abortion, have all proven unpopular. But the wave of political scandals that has made headlines in recent months may be more telling as they have alienated her from much of her center-left base.
The tax reform approved in September of 2014 is intended to increase tax revenue in order to finance education, health and other public services. While it reduces the highest tax rate from 40% to 35%, it aims to significantly increase the taxes paid by businesses. Beginning in 2018, business owners will be taxed on total profits, as tax exemptions on reinvested profits, via the Taxable Profits Fund (FUT), will cease. While the FUT has been used to defer paying taxes, sometimes indefinitely, pro market critics say it has served as an important tool for spurring investment.
These conservatives say this reform will cause instability, leading foreign investment to decline. However, an Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) study notes that despite Chile’s recent economic slowdown, foreign direct investment rose by 14% in 2014, while it dropped by 16% in the rest of Latin America. ECLAC’s Alicia Bárcena noted in an interview: “Chile is not the only country in Latin America that has enacted tax reforms.… Foreign investors come from countries that have adopted similar reforms…”
The situation became complicated for Bachelet in 2014 when tax reform and fraud converged in what became known as the Penta case. Internal Revenue System officials were accused of colluding to help 122 taxpayers obtain fraudulent tax refunds from the FUT. In return, the officials received kickbacks from the individuals who benefited. One of these was Hugo Bravo, director of Penta Bank. Prosecutors discovered that controlling partners of the Penta Group, Alberto Délano and Carlos Eugenio Lavín, claimed greater expenses than they actually had. When Hugo Bravo was dismissed from his post, he revealed to prosecutors that payoffs had been made to political campaigns—mainly those of the right-wing party, the Independent Democratic Union (UDI).
Even though in Chile it is legal for companies to donate money to political campaigns, this is supposed to be done anonymously in order to avoid influencing a candidate’s future decisions. During the Penta investigation, prosecutors discovered fraudulent receipts belonging to Sebastian Pinera’s undersecretary of mining, Pablo Wagner. This led to a case against a mining company called Soquimich, whose main shareholder is Julio Ponce Lerou, former son-in-law of Augusto Pinochet. Ponce Lerou stands accused of issuing illegal false receipts to finance political campaigns on both the right (UDI) and the left (the governing New Majority).
Another scandal involves President Bachelet´s son, Sebastián Dávalos, who is married to the owner of the real estate company Caval. As project manager, Dávalos planned the purchase of three plots in Machalí in southern Chile, with full knowledge that the land’s value would multiply after rezoning and new urban development. Caval needed $6,500 million pesos upfront, which they used their political connections to obtain through Andrónico Luksic, vice president of Banco de Chile and one of the richest people in the country. Later, Dávalos and Compagnon sold the land for $9,500 million pesos, pocketing a windfall of $2,500 million pesos.
The case went public when a consultant sued Dávalos for non-payment, provoking an investigation. Dávalos subsequently resigned as director of the Social-Cultural Area of the Presidency and from his membership in the Socialist Party.
In response to these scandals, President Bachelet commissioned a report from a Presidential Advisory Commission, “Comisión Engel”, which proposed guidelines to regulate the financing of political campaigns, links between business and politics, conflicts of interest, and influence peddling and corruption. While the commission’s guidelines are merely considered recommendations, the public expects to see these reforms implemented.
Michelle Bachelet’s education reforms, for different reasons, have provoked ire from both the right and the left. The right has objected to reforms that involve banning profits, tuition fees, and selective admissions in privately owned primary and secondary schools which receive state subsidies. But the proposed reforms have also provoked discontent among university students and led to widespread protests, resulting in serious injury to Pontifice Universidad Católica student Rodrigo Áviles, who is currently in critical condition as a result of police violence. Teaching accreditation will be changed and a controller’s office will be created to oversee universities.
On May 21, President Bachelet guaranteed free, complete and effective higher education, without grants or loans, to many of the most vulnerable students enrolled in public universities. However, leftist students complain that this reform will benefit only a minority of the approximately 720,000 students currently enrolled in the country’s university system. According to the NGO Educación 2020, students who attend private and autonomous universities (an estimated 340,000) will remain excluded, which means just over 386,000 students will benefit.
However, another requirement has been added: students must be from the 60% of the most economically vulnerable sectors of the population. Only families with a maximum of $200,000 pesos per capita qualify, meaning that the total number of students who will now have access to free education will be just over 232,000. These changes were strongly criticized by students because they do nothing to end the profit motive in the education system, nor do they fully satisfy the demand for free education.
Disappointment in Bachelet’s second government is widespread and growing. Small entrepreneurs believe that they will not benefit from tax reforms. Recent political scandals only contribute to a general mistrust of the government. Education reforms are promoted under the banner of “free education for all,” but in fact serve only a minority of the most marginalized students. It remains to be seen how Bachelet will weather this discontent, and whether or not she can effectively deal with the corruption that threatens to undermine her ability to govern.

author: NACLA


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Zambia’s Crippling Energy Crisis Is Changing Life for Everyone. And Not for the Better. · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

The Kariba Dam. Photo by Adam Ojdahl, March 9, 2015. CC 2.0.
A near-nationwide power outage hit Zambia earlier this year, knocking out electricity in both the capital in Lusaka and the Copperbelt mining region in the north. A few months later, the power utility company Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation, better known by the acronym ZESCO, introduced “load-shedding” throughout most of the country to ration the power supply.
The rationing of power has not only affected ordinary consumers, whose new struggles range from watching television to keeping groceries from spoiling, but is also hurting commercial enterprises that rely on electricity to operate. Some mining companies are even threatening to lay off workers, after ZESCO announced further reductions to the electricity it can supply to Zambia's mines.
Most of the country's electricity is generated at the Kariba Dam, on the Zambezi River bordering Zimbabwe, and at Kafue Gorge on the Kafue River, not far from Lusaka.
Some groups have expressed suspicions about the official reason offered for the energy cutbacks: low water levels at Lake Kariba and Lake Itezhi Tezhi, upstream of Kafue Gorge.
Edith Nawakwi, the leader of the Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (and a former minister of energy in the 1990s), dismissed low water in the reservoirs as the reason for load-shedding, saying:
By the way this story that there is no what in the Kariba is just a story because I was Minister of Energy and I must remind people that in 1994 we had no rains for two consecutive years and we didn’t have this nonsense. The problem that we have now is that this government has made ZESCO a cash till were they walk in and collect money to pay government salaries and therefore when ZESCO needs cash to buy transformers and repairs have to be done they have no cash.
The non-governmental website Zambian Watchdog offered an entirely different reason for the large scale load-shedding, blaming the generators that were installed at both Kariba and Kafue Gorge during recent renovations.
Sino Hydro Power, the Chinese Company that the PF government engaged to upgrade and rehabilitate Kariba North Bank and Kafue Gorge power stations installed substandard, cheap equipment that have lower capacity than the original British made machines they found and replaced…. This is what is causing the load shedding, according to highly placed ZESCO and government officials.
Zambian Watchdog also quotes sources stating that the money used for the rehabilitation of the two power stations came from the 2012 Eurobond:
This company removed the British machines and components that were installed some years back. But instead of expanding the machine capacities, the specifications were changed due to corruption and Zambians were cheated that bigger machines were being installed yet they were of the lower capacity and substandard compared to the original machines. It’s like putting small tyres on a bigger vehicle carrying same or more load.
The ongoing load-shedding has increased the prices of charcoal and bread, according to the Facebook-based news forum Zambian Day:
The toll taken on Lusaka residents by the current power rationing by state power utility firm Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has not included vendors of Charcoal locally known as ‘Malasha’.
The vendors have increased the prices due to high demand. A 25kg bag that usually costs K35 [US$4.5] has been hiked to K40 [US$5.1] while a 90kg bag that normally fetches K120 [US$15.3] has gone up to K150 [US$19.2].
Caught out in the power cuts have also been bakeries whose production schedules have been disturbed with production dipping posing a possible bread shortage that may translate in increased prices.
Those whose bakeries which lie in areas where load-shedding is at odd times have resorted to changing the working schedule of their workers to keep in business.
Lusaka has been experiencing straight 8 hour power-cuts a day in the ongoing ZESCO load management attributed to low water levels in the Kariba Dam a main source for power generation in Zambia.
One Facebook user, Gift Tako Linyada Mbewe, added a humorous twist to the load-shedding, making ZESCO into the butt of the joke.
YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT LOAD SHEDDING KANSI [when] IT IS WORSE WITH ZESCO ITSELF.
IF ZESCO HAD CONTINUED WITH 8 HOUR LOADING SHEDDING IT WAS NOT GOING TO PAY ITS WORKERS. PEOPLE HAD STOPPED BUYING UNITS.
LOAD SHEDDING IS HAMMERING ZESCO ITSELF HARDER THAN THE CONSUMERS. THEY HAVE REDUCED HOURS JUST TO RAISE ENOUGH FOR SALARIES AND OPERATION COSTS.
Zambia's power company has over time changed the way it sells electricity, especially to domestic consumers who now have to pre-pay for service. With load-shedding, many people have stopped buying electricity altogether, it seems.
Judging by what many are writing on social media today, significant numbers of Zambians have apparently resorted to gas for cooking and using generators for standby power. Some groups have also renewed efforts to get the government to remove the import duty on solar power equipment.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Developer, President, Gamer: the World Says Goodbye to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata · Global Voices
N'Donna Russell

Satoru Iwata at Nintendo's 2006 E3 press conference. Image courtesy Wikipedia, uploaded by user DSCUBED~commonswiki
Passionate gamers in Japan and all over the world are reeling from the sudden loss of former game developer and current Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. The company issued a press release announcing his passing on July 11, 2015, due to a bile duct growth.
Today, there was a rainbow over Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters: http://t.co/MtLuSqbBdW pic.twitter.com/ZTNKwoODHm
— Kotaku (@Kotaku) July 13, 2015
ありがとう、お疲れさまでした。#岩田聡 #nintendo pic.twitter.com/Hpv7Wp50mV
— 東宮 輝 (@senzanE721) July 13, 2015
Thank you very much for all your hard work.
In addition to being the first president who had no relation to the Yamauchi family, the Kyoto clan that founded Nintendo more than one hundred years ago, Iwata presided over several of the company’s major console releases, starting with the Gamecube in 2000, and continuing on with the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the 3DS, and most recently the Wii U.
Never shy of keeping a high profile, Iwata became a beloved figure within the gaming community as the face of “Nintendo Direct”, a live Internet stream devoted to the company’s upcoming releases.
“Video games are meant to be just one thing. Fun. Fun for everyone.” pic.twitter.com/7amdej5YdU — Jason Caffoe (@jcaffoe) July 13, 2015
Born in Sapporo, Japan, Iwata had an early interest in electronics. In addition to pursuing computer programming while still in high school, he studied computer science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Iwata got his start in video games at HAL Laboratories, a gaming company that at the time developed games on Nintendo’s Famicom system, first as freelance programmer and then a full-fledged employee.
When HAL Laboratories went bust in 1992, Iwata accepted a role as president of the company. A lover of video games, Iwata strived to promote ease and accessibility in games that would appeal to the masses. For example, Kirby’s Dreamland, created by fellow developer Masahiro Sakurai, featured Iwata-approved gameplay that could be picked up and played by any type of gamer, no matter their gaming level.
Play Kirby's Dream Land and remembering Iwata http://t.co/MeR33SMI6g pic.twitter.com/LkzFFWuwQl
— kevin cassidy (@GoNintendoTweet) July 13, 2015
The concept of “accessible” gaming would be his hallmark, and would follow him to Nintendo, where he took a position in 2000. Two years later, Iwata became the company’s fourth president, succeeding Hiroshi Yamauchi.
Through his savvy, as well as his experience with game and tech development, Iwata presided over the runaway successes of the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii System. Furthermore, Iwata went out of his way to court third-party developers to create games for Nintendo, such as Capcom, Platinum Games, and even former rival company SEGA.
All these pictures of Iwata in the morning Japanese newspapers have me teary eyed. pic.twitter.com/qiLKNOpc6r
— Kyle McLain (@FarmboyinJapan) July 13, 2015
Throughout his tenure as president of Nintendo, Iwata maintained a visible presence within the gaming world. At “Nintendo Direct” events, Iwata displayed his friendliness and good-natured humorous side. His catchphrase, “Direct to You”, complete with a complimentary gesture, was an instant hit with fans.
At this year’s E3 event, the company collaborated with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to create puppet versions of Iwata, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, and prolific Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto.
Iwata also provided a platform to highlight the work of game-developing teams.
In the feature “Iwata Asks”, Iwata interviewed various developers about the creative process of soon-to-be released games. The former developer was once interviewed himself, too.
I'll miss Iwata Asks more than anything. There's still not much like it. http://t.co/ByhVUHg5Jp pic.twitter.com/eOuwMbb0Fu
— Ethan Lee (@flibitijibibo) July 13, 2015
Iwata’s tenure at Nintendo was not without its struggles. In 2011, Iwata willingly took a fifty percent pay cut after taking responsibility for the sluggish sales of the Nintendo 3DS. While that system's popularity would eventually bounce back with stronger sales, Iwata would take another pay cut in 2014, due to the poor sales of the WiiU console.
Iwata also assured gamers that the company would address the issue of Amiibo toy stock shortages.
The Amiibo toys, created in the likeness of the company’s signature characters, add new dimension to games, such as the ability to save game progress, access new powers, and unlock hidden content. Fans were displeased with the rarity of certain Amiibo figurines, which often sold out quickly.
Amazon delays amiibo announcement until tomorrow due to Iwata's passing http://t.co/t15UFxgqQD pic.twitter.com/vGgGLjDs01
— kevin cassidy (@GoNintendoTweet) July 13, 2015
After initial resistance, Nintendo joined forces with Mobile game developer DeNa to develop new mobile games in March 2015, to counter sluggish console sales. Iwata boldly stated that mobile gaming would provide another stream of revenue to the company. He also said he wanted these games to appeal to a wide range of gamers, rather than to a devoted and lucrative mobile fanbase.
Iwata raised eyebrows last year in 2014, when he sent a press release stating that he would be unable to attend E3.
He later admitted to undergoing surgery to remove a tumor from his bile duct. At a Nintendo shareholders meeting in October 2014, Iwata shocked Japanese fans with his sickly appearance. However, a few days later, Iwata went on to reassure fans of his improved health.
[岩田]私が痩せたことが心配とのコメントを複数目にしました。大きな手術で痩せたのは事実ですが、お蔭様でこの２ヶ月半ほど体重も安定しており、経過は順調です。応援してくださるみなさんや、お医者様や病院のスタッフのみなさんには本当に感謝しています。#NintendoDirectJP
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) November 6, 2014
There have been several comments regarding my rapid weight loss. The truth of the matter is, while I've lost weight due to a surgical procedure, my weight has stabilized within the last two-and-a-half months and my progress has been favourable. To my doctor, as well as the hospital staff, you have my utmost gratitude.
Iwata's basic love of video games continued long after taking the helm at Nintendo. He will be remembered for his devotion to Nintendo and his friendly demeanor and accessibility. As a result, tributes to Iwata have crossed rival lines and language barriers, as people all over the world have come together to say goodbye to a beloved figure.
Thank you for everything, Mr. Iwata.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 13, 2015
Just wow. Thank you Mr. Iwata. pic.twitter.com/prwVWtdaDh — Kyle McLain (@FarmboyinJapan) July 14, 2015
ゲーム音楽は、ゲームの楽しかった思い出と一緒に心の中にしまわれている。岩田聡さんのお言葉、大切にしてきます。ご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。
— なるけみちこ＠C88日曜西”る”29b (@narupon) July 13, 2015
The memories of game music and the fun of playing the game will always live on in my heart. I will always cherish (your approach to video games and to life), Iwata-san. Rest in Peace.
Iwata was 55 years old.
#ThankYouIwata from Tofugu pic.twitter.com/9ePJk6Ax7J
— Tofugu (@tofugu) July 13, 2015

author: N'Donna Russell


text:
From Village Girl to World Ultramarathon Champion: The Inspiring Story of Nepal’s Mira Rai · Global Voices
Sanjib Chaudhary

Mira Rai, trail runner from Nepal. Image by Flickr user rpb1001. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Trail running, one of the difficult and enduring sports, is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, it comes natural to Nepal’s Mira Rai. Recently, she won the 80-kilometre Mont-Blanc race, recognised as one of the most technical and difficult races in France, completing the distance in 12 hours and 32 minutes.
Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai congratulated Mira on Twitter:
अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय म्याराथन जित्न सफल नेपाली चेली मीरा राईलाई हार्दिक वधाइ! सेना समायोजनमा ‘अयोग्य’ भनिएकी पूर्व… http://t.co/jHEoWR8Byh
— Baburam Bhattarai (@brb_laaldhwoj) June 27, 2015
Congratulations Mira Rai on winning international marathon. Disqualified in the army integration, the former…
Having joined the Maoist rebel army as a teenager, she was disqualified during the army integration process.
Introduced to trail running just a year and few months ago, she is poised to become one of the finest ever athletes in trail running. Her sports journey started with the Himalayan Outdoor Festival 50-kilometre race in Kathmandu in March 2014. She won without much preparation and went on to win the Mustang Trail Race the following April.
Outside Nepal, she began her winning spree with Sellaronda Trail Race (57 kilometres) and Trail Degli Eroi (83 kilometres) in Italy in September 2014.
In October, she won the 50-kilometre Ultra Marathon Mountain Race in Hong Kong. Since then she has never looked back.
Lloyd Belcher, a photographer and filmmaker based in Hong Kong, tweeted:
Mira Rai @TrailRunNepal faces the waiting cameras after winning the @Skyrunning_com HK 50k race ©lloydbelchervisuals pic.twitter.com/qGYQ6hlY7a
— Lloyd Belcher (@lbelchervisuals) February 9, 2015
Mira comes from a small village in Bhojpur district of eastern Nepal. She credits her success to the hardships through which she went as a child.
In one of the interviews, she says:
As a young girl I was not very interested in doing household chores, which is why my mother gave me the physical tasks like bringing water from the river, which is two hours down and three hours back home. I also used to carry a bag of rice to the market to sell and bring money home. I grew up running.
She trains hard and that keeps her fit and strong. Her daily routine comprises waking up early, running 10-12 kilometres in the morning and 10-12 kilometres in the evening. She also does rock climbing and cycling.
Mira, now an established name in trail running, is an inspiration to aspiring ultra-marathoners. And not to forget, the millions of boys and girls back in Nepal for whom climbing up and down the treacherous pathways in the hills carrying loads on their backs is natural.
She has a precious piece of advice for them:
‘Opportunity is like a leaf on a river, if you don't grab it fast enough then its gone forever!’ – #MiraRai #YoungBodyOldSoul
— peterj (@peterjohnmoses) July 9, 2015

author: Sanjib Chaudhary


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Global Voices Partners with Sin Embargo México · Global Voices
Global Voices Latin America

Global Voices Latin America recently join forces with Mexican news site Sin embargo.
Global Voices Latin America and Mexican news site Sin Embargo recently agreed to join forces to spread original stories form Mexico and Latin America to a global audience.
Sin Embargo is a Spanish language news site based in Mexico that produces original journalism and investigative stories. The site was founded in 2011, under the slogan “rigorous journalism”, and is among Mexico's top news sites. Every month the site averages 4.6 million unique users and 10 million page views.
While many digital news operations aggregate content from other sites, founder and publisher Jorge Zepeda Patterson believes that “the only possibility for generating significant traffic is by creating your own content.”
Starting July, Global Voices will translate and publish stories from Sin Embargo on its Spanish and English language sites. Some stories may get translated into up to 30 languages through our Lingua translation project. This is the first story Global Voices published as part of the cooperation: Mexico Was Hacking Team's No. 1 Client for Spyware.

author: Global Voices Latin America


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‘The World Has Changed’: Bold Statements From Iranian Newspapers in Reaction to Iran Deal · Global Voices
Mahsa Alimardani

Almost every front page of Iran's daily newpapers covered the nuclear deal on Wednesday 15 July. Screenshot from www.jaaar.com.
Iran's media landscape  is typically a place to gauge what differences lie across the country's political factions. However, on Wednesday, July 15, the country's various publications seemed to be on the same page, so to speak, as the news of the previous day's historic nuclear deal dominated almost every cover.
Across many different types of factions, it seemed that news of the agreement between Iran and the P5+1 countries (the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China) was welcomed. The deal is expected to pave the way for economic progress in Iran as it means lifting international sanctions in exchange for the country limiting its nuclear program.
The boldest statement came from Etemaad, a reformist publication that claimed “The World Has Changed” as its headline-grabbing statement. It described the Persian date of 23 Tir 1394 (July 14, 2015) as the day of a “diplomatic revolution”. The editor-in-chief of Etemaad (which means trust in Persian) is Elias Hazrati, a well-known reformist figure close to Mehdi Karroubi, one of the leaders of the 2009 Green Movement still under house arrest.
Refromist newspaper Etemaad explains, “A diplomatic revolution on the date of 23 Tir 1394. The world has changed. The rounds of negotiations reach an agreement after 12 years.”
Indeed, reformist sentiments and allusions to the 2009 Green Movement dominated many of the celebrations in the streets Tuesday night in response to the news of the agreement. Dancing and jubilant honking were followed by chants to release Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, the still detained opposition leaders and presidential candidates from 2009.
RT @mrezarostami: ppl chanting “Our message is clear! Home Arrest [of Karroubi & Mosavi] have to end” #iranDeal pic.twitter.com/RVBEvfSDnn
— jadi (@jadi) July 15, 2015
The majority of Iranian newspapers didn't mention such celebrations on their front pages, but focused on the news from a policy standpoint.
The well-known hardline newspaper Kayhan even came out with neutral coverage of the agreement. Over the past few months, the newspaper has been extremely critical of the negotiating team and the concessions offered to Western countries in efforts to reach the deal.
Many often see Kayhan as an informal mouthpiece for the office of the Supreme Leader and hardline conservative sentiment within Iran. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Hossein Shariatmadari, is directly appointed by Khamenei. Shariatmadari is associated with Iran’s intelligence services and is a former Revolutionary Guard official. Kayhan is also recognized as a security organization in charge of building cases against the opposition and those critical of the regime inside the country and abroad.
The Tuesday cover of Kayhan asked with explanation marks if this was the final phase of the negotiations after a 12 years, in contrast to its typical biting criticisms of the negotiating team, and process. It should be noted that the 12-year period that Kayhan refers to is the one starting with the beginning of the Ahmadinejad presidency, when Iran began to engage the international community over its nuclear program. In 2006, the UN Security Council finalized these discussions by imposing sanctions after Iran refused to suspend its uranium enrichment program.
صفحات نخست روزنامه‌های تهران در روز سه‌شنبه، ۲۳ تيرماه، که پيشاپيش به استقبال توافق هسته‌ای رفته‌اند. pic.twitter.com/5UcoR20Ije — RadioFarda راديوفردا (@RadioFarda_) July 13, 2015
The front page of Tehran's newspaper's on Tuesday 23 Tir, that anticipate and support the finalization of the nuclear agreement.
Following the completion of the deal, their Wednesday cover ran with this headline: “180 degrees of differences from two stories in one deal,” recognizing the achievement in the historic deal amongst traditional foes.
Kayhan's front page from Wednesday, July 15 exclaimed “180 degrees of difference from two stories leads to one deal”.
Other newspapers took a more nationalist stance towards the results of the negotiations. Ebtekar is a reformist newspaper that has experienced some turbulence since the beginning of President Hassan Rouhani's administration with a few forced closures in April 2014. It ran an attention-grabbing headline comparing the Javad Zarif, the foreign minister at the helm of the negotiations, with Iran's famous nationalist Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Mossadegh was famous for nationalizing Iran's oil industry in 1951 out of the hands of the British government.
The image displayed compares what Mossadegh did for Iran's oil, with what Zarif did for the nation's nuclear program with the headline “The Iranian Age.”
Ebtekar's front page likens what former Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh did to nationalize Iran's oil industry, with what Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has done for Iran's nuclear program.
Whether such proclamations of a new era are accurate remains to be seen. Many on social media have already indicated ‘cautious optimism’ for what this will mean for the day-to-day lives of Iranians. One telling chant on the streets of Tehran captured this sentiment perfectly:
A nice chant from last night #IranDeal ” This deal is done, next deal is our civil rights”. #توافق بعدی ما، حقوق شهروندی ما
— jadi (@jadi) July 15, 2015

author: Mahsa Alimardani


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This Chinese Singer Dared to Publicly Propose to Her Boyfriend · Global Voices
Patrick Wong

The Chinese web was caught by surprise with 30 year-old singer Zhang Liangying's public marriage proposal to her boyfriend Feng Ke, an entertainment firm CEO, at a concert in Changsha on July 4.
Screen capture from YouTube. Chinese female singer, Zhang Liangying proposed marriage to his boyfriend during her concert on July 4.
It is still uncommon for women in China to take the initiative in relationships. Men are usually the first to ask women out, and they are the first to propose. And it isn't usual for women to openly talk about being thirty and single. When women are unmarried and in their 30s, they can derogatorily be called “left-over women” or shengnü in Chinese.
But gender roles aren't as fixed as the used to be in China. And Zhang's very public proposal, where she mentions her age, shows this transformation.
With tears in her eyes, she said emotionally at the end of the concert:
我想说从我的人生十八岁到三十岁，我没有在等，因为一直有一个人陪着我。[…]我已经三十岁了，我想今天刚好在长沙，我想做一件我二十岁就想做的事情，我今天想清楚了，我不想再一个人过了，过去十年，你们陪伴着我，这个人也陪伴着我，我现在想好了，若你希望娶我，现在请走到台上。
I want to say, between the last years 18-30 of my life, I hadn't been waiting, because someone has always been there for me. […] I am 30 now, today I am in Changsha again. I want to do something I wanted to do when I was 20. I have considered throughout, I don't want to be single. In the past 10 years, you fans have accompanied me, and this person has accompanied me. I have made up my mind, if you want to marry me now, just come to the stage.
Her boyfriend then joined her on stage and gave her a tight hug and a long kiss. Zhang’s fans bursted into cheers.
Afterwards, many people debated whether it is acceptable for women to take initiative in relationships. In the opinion page of a government party affiliated newspaper The Beijing News, an article by Hou Hongbin posed a question to critics who accused Zhang of taking advantage and putting her wealthy boyfriend on the spot. The article “Are women proposing marriage really taking advantage of men?“ supported Zhang’s move:
我知道，有著名的情感专家一直在声称：女人就不能主动，主动就低人一等，不值钱了，以后就注定被抛弃。基于同样逻辑的理论还有，女人不能比男人有钱，不能比男人学历高，不能比男人聪明——如果是，那请你假装不如男人，否则他们就会有压力，就会自卑，就会厌恶你。
…
最开始，我以为是张靓颖的尴尬，现在看来，却变成了张靓颖的荣光。女性努力奋斗多年，终于成了女神，不就是为了可以主动过上自己想要的生活，在自己高兴的时候，主动挑选可以共进退的事业和人生伴侣吗？
I know that some famous affection experts have been claiming — [in relationship with men] women should not take initiative, otherwise women will become worthless, and doomed to be abandoned by men. The same logic applies to the saying that compared with men, women should not be richer, have higher education degrees, or be smarter. Women should pretend to be lesser than men, otherwise men would have pressure, feel low self-worth and hate women.
…
Initially, I thought Zhang Liangying’s act may have embarrassed herself. But now, it makes her shine. Women struggled for many years and finally become goddesses [stars]. Don't these women just want to have the life that they have been pursuing? Don't they just want to select careers and lifelong companions that can advance and retreat altogether?
Some critics have opposing stance. In this comment on China’s Twitter-like Weibo, a concerned user pointed out the risk of women's marriage proposal:
以我活了13年的经验来看，男人想娶你，一定会主动求婚或者跟你商量婚期，绝对不需要你明示暗示甚至逼迫。身边女性朋友们逼婚的下场不是分手就是成功但一直在家地位偏低。年轻姑娘们请一定看看我的话。也许有例外，但是不多。
In my 13-year life experience, if a man wants to marry you, he must propose marriage to you or talk with you about the wedding day. It is totally unnecessary for a woman to clearly indicate or hint to a man. My female friends, who had forced their boyfriends into marriage, resulted in either splitting-up or success, but this woman [who had succeed in proposing marriage] has low rank in the family. Young girls, please pay attention to my words. Some may succeed in proposing marriage, but few do.
In the 1960s, the proof of men's readiness to get married was to prepare for the “three indispensable things” or sandajian (三大件) – a watch, a bicycle and a radio. As China’s economy has been speeding up in recent decades, now, sandajian has become a house, a car and bulk of money.
“No house, no marriage” has become the cardinal advice for Chinese men. According to a survey published by a China’s dating website in 2014, about 71.8% of women thought they are worthy of being married to men who have houses. But the high price of real estate is plaguing most single men in China. For many Chinese men without love nests, a dating relationship is unlikely to lead to marriage.
Given these circumstances, this article encourages women to be more courageous in proposing marriage:
其实，许多男人之所以迟迟不提结婚，不是排斥婚姻，而是在顾虑自己不那么雄厚的实力能否给女人幸福。女人则应该在这个时候及时而准确地“出击”，捅破这层窗户纸，给男人结婚的信心。
Actually, the reason — men do not want to talk about marriage with women — is not because they oppose marriage, but they are worried whether they have the wealth to give women happiness. At this point, women should actively “propose marriage.” By poking a hole in a paper window, women give men confidence [they need to pursue] marriage.

author: Patrick Wong


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Travel Back in Time With These Photos of Early 20th-Century Cambodia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Elephants in front of the Royal Palace
The French Archives’ nationales de outré-mer (Centre for Overseas Archives) has digitized thousands of photos in its collection, including historic documents related to French Indochina. We searched the digital library and found rare images of Cambodia in the 1920s and 1930s.
Cambodia became a French protectorate in 1867 and gained its independence in 1953. The photos reveal everyday life in Cambodia during French colonial rule. They are significant resources for those who are interested in learning more not only about Cambodia’s colonial past but also its rich culture.
Some of the rural scenes are familiar but many of the urban landscapes featured in the digital archives are already gone, evidence of the rapid evolution of Phnom Penh and other cities of Cambodia.
Below are some of the photos that highlight the charm of old Cambodia, which was once known as Pearl of Asia:
Ruins of Angkor
Aerial view of Angkor Wat temple
Phnom Penh public library
City market of Battambang
Kampot fish market
Monks at the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh. Photo by Têtard (René)
Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh. Photo by Têtard (René)
Photo by Têtard (René)
The National Assembly in Phnom Penh. Photo by Lebailly
Market square in Phnom Penh. Photo by Lebailly
Ophthalmological Institute. Photo by Busy (Léon)
A hospital in Phnom Penh. Photo by Busy (Léon)
Ville de Phnom Penh. “Le Royal Palace”. Photo by Busy (Léon)
A school session in Phnom Penh
A Chinese school building in Battambang. Photo by Service Ciné Photo (Bureau presse information)
School examination in Phnom Penh

author: Mong Palatino


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Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Refuse to Be Silenced Despite Crackdown · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Activists protested outside the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles on July 12. Photo from Voice of America
At least 190 human rights law practitioners have been arrested, detained or interrogated since the debut of a nationwide crackdown in China over the past few days.
Overseas human right groups and activists have responded with protests in front of a number of Chinese consulates to call attention to what they deem a reckless affront to civil liberties in mainland China. In addition, they've launched a petition calling for the United States government to cancel Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit later this year.
China's Ministry of Public Security coordinated the crackdown, which started on July 9, according to a story in the state-controlled China Daily on July 11. The newspaper reported that the Beijing Fengrui Law Firm, the major target of police operations, is accused of running a “criminal syndicate”, having a hand in organizing over 40 “sensitive incidents” that led to social disorder and undermining the credibility of the authorities.
The firm, headed by Zhou Shifeng, has employed several of the country’s most courageous lawyers. One of the firm's lawyers, Wang Yu, began representing a follower of banned spiritual practice Falun Gong in June 2015 and sued authorities on her client's behalf for illegal sentencing. On July 9 at 4 in the morning, police raided Wang's home and arrested her and her husband, Bao Longjun, who is also a lawyer in the firm. Two days later, the police revealed that six lawyers and staff from the firm were in criminal detention.
In its report, China Daily also alleged that using popular mobile messaging app WeChat, human rights lawyers and activists formed an ad hoc group to “frame” a police shooting death in Qing An in May as a state effort to maintain social stability by jumping on the fact that Xu Chunhe, the man who was shot dead, was a petitioner. In China, petitioning is a system for ordinary people to appeal to the provincial or central government to investigate abuse of power or corruption committed by local authorities.
The newspaper suggested that the lawyers’ intent was to boost their reputation and make a profit.
Since 2009, the Chinese government has suppressed the citizens rights movement. In January 2014, Xu Zhiyong, a human rights lawyer and leading figure of the movement, was sentenced to four years in prison, and in the arrest of prominent lawyer Pu Zhiqiang in May 2014. Thus far, the persecution has been on a case-by-case base, but the current nationwide crackdown of law practitioners is unprecedented.
After the arrest of lawyers and their staff, including from the Beijing Fengrui Law Firm, the police moved on to detain and interrogate other lawyers who called publicly for their release. According to China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, at least 190 law practitioners have been detained, arrested, summoned or cut off from communication. To date, 11 have been put in criminal detention or house arrest, 19 have disappeared or been cut off from communication, and 160 have been released after police summons and interrogation.
Despite the police threat against posting messages on the raid, law practitioners continue to speak out. Below is a selection of quotes from the law community in China (via China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group's Facebook page):
The police came to my home at night and warned, “Don't show your support. No online hyping. Be responsible for what you said.” It is absolutely cruel and inhumane to ignore your beloved friends. Even Satan will look down on such person. Caring your friends is not a hype. It is a necessary responsibility. — Lawyer Feng Yanqiang
In an attempt to strengthen its control on the society, the feature of this type of “New Politics” is to restrict freedom of speech, blackmail the press and intensifying punitive measures. As of now, all the blackmailing and regulating of the human rights lawyers stem from that, with the authority intending to tighten its grip on the social discourse from within and beyond China. — Lawyer Lu Liangbiao
My e-mail and phone can be monitored, I can be followed and my internet can be hacked. But I can ignore them because I have nothing to hide. I will do fight back and I welcome the monitoring and tracking, because I did nothing to harm this country. Please do not go behind my back, please attack me or arrest me! — Professor Chen Taihe, Guilin University of Electronic Technology Law.
Punish by way of trampling all over the law is fundamentally destroying the legitimacy of the government. Even though there might be a temporary effect to the stability, but it is a process of sowing hatred. You get temporary peace, but sooner or later the volcano will erupt, the flood will drown all. — Professor He Weifang, Beijing University.
In the perspective of the public authority, lawyers’ importance are often disregarded and discriminated against, some even alienated the lawyers, this is totally wrong. Lawyers should stand up tall, move forward with courage. Because we have the strength of rule of law. Rule of law cannot do without us.
Overseas human rights activists have protested in front of Chinese consulates in major cities including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, calling for the immediate release of the lawyers. They also used the US government's online petition platform to ask the White House to put pressure on the Chinese government by canceling Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the US:
Since Xi Jinping came to power, China’s human rights record has kept worsening. Under his reign over 1000 dissidents have been arrested. We urge President Obama and the U.S. government to investigate this case of severe human rights infringement, and, on humanitarian ground, take strong measures to intervene. Xi’s state visit to the U.S. scheduled for September this year should be cancelled, and all official exchanges with the Chinese government should be suspended until this matter is resolved.
In an email statement, Marco Rubio and Chris Smith, chairs of the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China, described the crackdown as a “bold disregard” for human rights and that the wave of repression represents an undeniable setback in US-China relations.
Meanwhile, activists are sharing the latest information on the crackdown via social media hashtag #freethelawyers.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Despite Protests, Japan’s Ruling Coaltion Rams Through Controversial War Powers Legislation · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Protesters in Tokyo hold signs reading “We will not permit Japan to wage war.” Screencap from 朝日新聞社 (Asahi Shimbun) official YouTube channel.
Japan's ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, cut off debate and pushed the Legislation for Peace and Security through the House of Representatives’ special committee on security legislation on July 15, 2015.
This paves the way for the legislation to be passed into law later this summer. Once passed, the Legislation for Peace and Security will greatly expand the overseas role of the Self-Defense Forces and allow for Japan to exercise its “right to collective self-defense” and participate in military operations with other countries such as the United States.
The legislation is technically unconstitutional, contravening Article 9 of Japan's post-war Peace Constitution.
The move to cut off debate in committee and ram the legislation through the Diet was deeply unpopular, both in Japan's parliament and with the public at large. Opposition politicians protested the move in Japan's Diet, while thousands of people took to the streets.
【速報】安保法案、明日強行採決へ　東京・日比谷公園では１万人が絶対反対叫ぶ pic.twitter.com/R2vQ3bZFai — Thoton & The News (@Thoton) July 14, 2015
[Tweet] BREAKING: Tomorrow ruling government to use cloture to pass Legislation for Peace and Security [in the Diet's Lower House]. More than 10,000 come out to protest in Tokyo's Hibiya Park.
Opposition politicians, including Japan Communist Party leader Kazuo Shii, were on hand to speak to the crowds:
この国の前途を真剣に考え、行動する若者たちの姿が輝いています。ここに日本の希望ある未来があると信じます！ pic.twitter.com/csFUXL87ll
— 志位和夫 (@shiikazuo) July 15, 2015
When we seriously consider where our country is headed, the youth of Japan are taking the lead. I firmly believe that the future that Japan hopes and yearns for is right in this very spot!
Police were also mobilized to deal with protesters:
安倍晋三から日本を守れ！
A video posted by @tikisani on
Protect our country from Shinzo Abe!
Eventually police put up barricades to prevent the large crowd from spilling onto the grounds of the Diet.
警察官が壁を作り、国会前に人が行けないようにしてる。 pic.twitter.com/2lEeVmpjUn
— 白井圭太 (@keikei_keita) July 15, 2015
Police have erected barricades to make sure no one can reach the front of the Diet building.
The large crowd protesting cloture and the eminent passage of the bill into legislation spilled onto the street.
国会前、車道を一部解放したみたいですね。 pic.twitter.com/4ze6lYAWrr — るな (@LunaRainbow8) July 15, 2015
We're in front of the Diet. [The crowd has] taken over the street.
The crowd was so large that people gathered wherever they could find space.
国会前、北庭先頭は決壊 pic.twitter.com/vu0qXB6wJW — やまブし(羊の皮を被ったヤギ) (@neo_yamabusi) July 15, 2015
The protest has spilled over into the Parliamentary Garden.
Many protesters who gathered in front of the national Diet building expressed dismay and fear over where Japan is heading:
国会前。この国はどこへ行こうとしているのか。深く憂う7月15日。 (@ 国会議事堂前 in 千代田区, 東京都) https://t.co/6aQYn0YaFz pic.twitter.com/iizOqIwY2C
— 能勢謙介 (@nose_kensuke) July 15, 2015
In front of the national Diet. On what path is this country now headed, I wonder? July 15, 2015: a day of dread.
どれだけ爆音で叫んでもこの柵の向こうで話が進んでいく。国会に民意を投げつけるには声を上げる以外に何かあれば知りたい。これではこの国は危ない。戦争を許すな平和を訴えなければ！
A video posted by afracolores (@afracolores) on
No matter how much we protest and shout out here, on the other side of the barricades they will carry on [turning the bill into law]. I'd like to know what other way there is to make our will be known besides protesting in front of the Diet. As things stand, our country is in danger. We will not accept war, we must always pursue peace.
In order to avoid a lengthy constitutional revision process that could affect the outcome of the Upper House elections next year, Japan's ruling coalition has sought to “redefine” military deployment in terms that are somehow compatible with Japan's Peace Constitution.
At the beginning of July, in an interview with Shingetsu News Agency‘s Michael Penn on behalf of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, Japan Communist Party Leader Kazuo Shii remarked that Japanese legislators were “debating concepts here that are used nowhere else in the world:”
[Shii] suggested that the government was forced to employ tortured logic and to create entirely new legal concepts that no one had ever heard of […]
[…] The most amusing example that Shii posited was the Abe government’s concept of “the use of weapons.”
The prime minister argued in Diet debate that should the Self-Defense Forces come under attack while providing “rear area support” for a foreign military force, that it would be perfectly allowable that they have recourse to “the use of weapons” to defend themselves.
At the same time, however, Prime Minister Abe staunchly refuses to acknowledge that “the use of weapons” can be regarded as a practical synonym for “the use of force” – which is, of course, explicitly banned by Japan’s Constitution.
Public support for the ruling coalition, made up of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (Japan's “natural governing party”) and junior coalition partner Komeito, has plummeted because of new security legislation.
It has been noted there are similarities between Shinzo Abe's efforts to pass the new security legislation and his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, who worked to sign a revised security treaty between the United States and Japan in 1960.
Riots broke out in Tokyo in January 1960 when the new Kishi-backed Japan-US security treaty was signed. Six months later Kishi, also a former cabinet minister in Japan's wartime fascist government, would be forced to resign due to his unpopularity.
There is some anticipation that Shinzo Abe himself may be forced to resign himself before long to take responsibility for the unpopularity of the new Peace and Security legislation prior to the 2016 Upper House elections.

author: Nevin Thompson


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Mexican Newspaper Launches Mayan-Language Edition · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Photo of the Mayan edition of La Jornada daily newspaper in Mexico, published on Twitter by @YUCATANALMINUTO.
La Jornada, one of the main newspapers in Mexico, has recently launched an edition with content in Mayan. It will be published daily in Mérida, the state capital of Yucatán, in Mexico's southeast.
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico, Mayan is the country's second most spoken indigenous language, with about 800,000 speakers, after Náhuatl. Today, the largest populations of Mayan speakers can be found in the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Chiapas.
The institute indicates that in Mexico around 6.6 million people speak an indigenous language, which in 2010 represented 6.5 percent of the Mexican population, a reduction since 1930, when this figure was around 16 percent of the population.
Mayan is also spoken in the Central American countries of Belize and Guatemala. It forms part of the legacy of the Mayan culture, which was famous for its literary and architectural wealth, such as the structures of Tikal in Guatemala and Chichen Itza in Mexico.
This is how La Jornada referred to their new Mayan-language edition:
Con dos plataformas, una digital y otra de papel, la franquicia más reciente del periódico nacional La Jornada se publica con la intención de responder a las necesidades informativas de la sociedad yucateca, cambiante, diversa y culta, con todas las herramientas del periodismo.
Echamos mano de la noticia que no se conforma con la versión oficial, sino en presentar todos los ángulos de los hechos; la perspectiva editorial insistirá en dar voz a movimientos y actores sociales; la vocación del periodismo crítico; la crónica que narra hechos sin perder capacidad del asombro; el reportaje que profundiza y cuestiona; la entrevista que indaga y sostiene diálogos inteligentes y amenos con los actores políticos, sociales y culturales; el editorial, el artículo y la columna rigurosos e independientes.
With two platforms, one digital and one print, the most recent franchise of the national newspaper La Jornada is published with the intent to respond, using all the tools of journalism, to the information needs of the diverse, changing, and educated Yucatan society.
We don't deal with news that conforms to the official story, instead we present facts from all angles; the publication insists on giving a voice to social movements and figures; the profession of critical journalism, the feature that tells a story without losing its ability to astonish, the report that goes deeper and asks questions, the interview that investigates, and maintains intelligent and enjoyable dialogues with political, social, and cultural figures; the accurate and independent publisher, article, and column.
Website Chilam Balam questioned the initiative to distribute this daily newspaper in Mayan:
Un periódico diario editado en lengua maya y en español, destinado a toda la Península de Yucatán… ¿Es esto en verdad posible? En un contexto donde la cultura maya se ha usado sólo para “vender” turismo, en un contexto social donde la gente la han avergonzado de declararse maya y las instituciones educativas menosprecian nuestra cultura y especialmente nuestro idioma ¿es esto en verdad posible?
A daily newspaper in Mayan and Spanish, destined for the entire Yucatan Peninsula. Is this really possible? In a context where the Mayan culture has been used for nothing more than “selling” tourism. In a social context where people have felt ashamed to call themselves Mayan, and educational institutions look down on our culture, and especially, our language, is this really possible?
On the importance of having a publication in Mayan, linguist Enrique Martín Briceño emphasised:
Todavía hoy son muchos los que ignoran que el maya yucateco es un idioma –como el español, el náhuatl, el inglés y el chino– y que lo hablan más de 800 mil personas en Yucatán, Campeche y Quintana Roo. Muchos son también los que no saben que el maya peninsular es la lengua indígena mexicana con el mayor número de hablantes y que cuenta con una importante literatura colonial y una floreciente literatura contemporánea (el Premio Nezahualcóyotl de Literatura en Lenguas Mexicanas 2014 lo obtuvo la narradora maya Sol Ceh Moo).
Still today there are many who ignore the fact that Yucatan Mayan is a language, like Spanish, Náhuatl, English, and Chinese, and the fact that there more than 800,000 speakers in Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo. There are also many who don't know that Peninsular Mayan is the indigenous Mexican language with the greatest number of speakers and that it has important colonial literature, and its modern literature is flourishing (the Mayan storyteller, Sol Ceh Moo, won the 2014 Nezahualcoyotl Prize for Mexican Language Literature.
He also added:
Así pues, en una región donde la lengua maya tiene tal número de hablantes –no se trata de una lengua minoritaria, sino de una lengua minorizada–, en una zona donde la cultura indígena tiene tal vitalidad –y no solo en el medio rural: Mérida y Cancún son en gran medida mayas–, la presencia del idioma y la cultura originarios no puede reducirse al ámbito familiar y a los contados espacios públicos que hasta ahora se les han otorgado.
Therefore, in an area with such a high number of Mayan speakers, we are not talking about a minority language but a marginalised one. In an area where the indigenous language has such vitality, not just in rural environments – Merida y Cancun are in a large part Mayan – the presence of the original culture and language cannot be reduced to merely the family environment and the few public spaces that up until now it had been granted.
Twitter user Martin del Mar celebrated the newspaper going into circulation:
El mejor diario de México llega a la Península Yucateca: Circula desde hoy La Jornada Maya en #Mérida https://t.co/Q2w8rSikYC ¡Felicidades!
— Martín del Mar (@VonMarti) julio 6, 2015
The best Mexican newspaper arrives in the Yucatan Peninsula: From today La Jornada Maya will go into circulation in Mérida. Congratulations!
Chakz Armanda announced that he will be one of its contributors:
La Jornada Maya arranca en Yucatán, donde estaré colaborando periódicamente. Consigan su ejemplar de cortesía ya!… http://t.co/HK90kBa2uM
— ChakzArmada (@ChakzArmada) julio 6, 2015
La Jornada Maya begins in Yucatán, where I will be contributing periodically. Grab your free copy now!…
The national version of La Jornada is a tabloid with a critical stance toward the government, constantly aligned with the discourse of the country's political parties that identify themselves as “leftist”, among those, the Party of the Democratic Revolution, and the more recent National Regeneration Movement. Clarin (Chile) and the BBC (United Kingdom) are some of the organisations that are associated with the national edition of the publication.
In its second stage of distribution, La Jornada Maya plans to reach the states of Quintana Roo and Campeche in the southeast of the country. If it prospers, it will be one of the most interesting initiatives that has been undertaken to preserve and give presence to an Amerindian language at risk of falling into disuse — and perhaps extinction.

author: J. Tadeo


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Politics Overshadows Trinidad & Tobago Footballers in CONCACAF Gold Cup · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“A time to make friends.” Trinidad and Tobago's “Soca Warriors” play at the FIFA World Cup in 2006 in Germany. Photo by Kirt Morris, CC 2.0.
Following the recent arrests of several high-ranking members of FIFA's leadership, many soccer fans in Trinidad and Tobago have become extra observant about the goings-on in national football. Even as former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner (named on the US Justice Department's long list of world football governing body executives wanted for fraud, racketeering, and conspiracy) awaits his extradition hearing, the popular satirical website Wired868, which prides itself on intelligently covering sports and politics, had its eyes on a brewing dispute between the country's minister of sport, Brent Sancho, and the president of The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), Raymond Tim Kee.
In an official statement, Minister Sancho noted that it was time to “correct the misinformation put into the press by Mr. Tim Kee”, who has previously called Sancho a bully and accused the Ministry of Sport of being unsupportive of local football. In his retort, Sancho quoted a 2011 statement by his beleaguered predecessor:
“The TTFF is the worst-run sporting organisation in Trinidad and Tobago, they flout all rules and procedures. They totally disregard all checks and balances that are here at the Ministry of Sport and the Sport Company. Checks and balances are very important for transparency, accountability and making sure we get value for money. This is taxpayers’ money we are dealing with.”
These are not my words, they’re the words of Minister of Sport Anil Roberts in 2011.
Yet here we are in 2015 and the same rings true.
Some may find it ironic that Sancho chose to quote Roberts on issues of transparency or good governance, considering that Roberts was forced to resign in the wake of a corruption controversy surrounding a ministry-funded programme for disadvantaged children. Sancho and Tim Kee also sit on opposite ends of the political divide, with the former holding a key position in the current coalition government led by the prime minister's United National Congress, and the latter holding the position of treasurer of the opposition People's National Movement. The country's upcoming general election, which is shaping up to be a close race, will take place on September 7. As voters grow weary of political maneuvering, many suspect that the tiff has more to do with electioneering than sport.
Sancho continued:
Mr Tim Kee was an important part of the TTFF administration which was controlled by Jack Warner, the master puppeteer. As a vice-president and, at one point, chairman of TTFF’s finance committee, it is impossible to believe that Mr Tim Kee’s curiosity would not have been aroused by huge transactions entering and departing TTFF accounts under the orders of Mr Warner.
[…]
From 2007 to 2009, over TT$17.7 million was paid to Warner controlled accounts from TTFF’s Long Circular Mall Republic Bank account alone, yet Mr Tim Kee, the current PNM Treasurer, was apparently completely oblivious.
And now I have to ask: Is Jack back? Is Mr Tim Kee the new reincarnation of Jack Warner?
The minister's statement went on to detail Tim Kee's alleged missteps, ending with a challenge for Tim Kee to “show us the books”.
Wired868 has been following the actions of Tim Kee as they relate to local football for years. Despite all the squabbling, however, Trinidad and Tobago's national football squad, the “Soca Warriors”, has just managed to secure a place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals for only the third time in the country’s history. The blog lamented that “with history beckoning, Trinidad and Tobago’s Gold Cup team was again distracted by off-field matters”:
Warriors manager William Wallace admitted that there was some anxiety in the camp since, unlike the 2013 Gold Cup, players are not receiving match fees after each game as they are still awaiting funding from the Sport Ministry.
And Wallace revealed that, for the first time in a Gold Cup tournament, the TTFA did not offer win bonuses or financial incentives for qualifying for the quarterfinal, semifinal or even winning the entire thing.
Wired868‘s Lasana Liburd noted that, while the sports ministry has said it will honour its commitments to the “Soca Warriors” and the National Senior Women’s Team, “the Sport Minister did not promise any assistance to the TTFA beyond that, which would include the Warriors’ Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign”.
There was a lively discussion about the squabble inWired868‘s comments section. Ronaldo Rollocks thought the whole debacle was “Politics and Football at its best!”:
I hope the players remain focus (sic) and give of their best!…Hats off to our dedicated sportsmen and women!
There was some anti-Sancho sentiment and many readers regarded the whole affair as “politicking”. Reader Pearce Robinson noted:
I’ve always thought that the PNM’s choice of TTFA President Raymond Tim Kee [as party treasurer] was misguided, simply because of his association to Jack Warner and being embroiled in the whole FIFA scandal involving the soca warriors.
Kirwin Weston responded:
This is pure politics and egos battling. Football is the unfortunate ancillary culprit!
Some readers felt that the situation was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Ann-Marie Charles suggested that, if Sancho was accusing Tim Kee of being another Jack Warner, Sancho himself could be accused of being another Anil Roberts. Renaldo Smith added:
Brent who took money from the government when the people already give him $1 million dollars and talking about repaying the government when jack pay him. Since when the government is a lending agency? Brent Sancho. When you took that money you lost all credibility.
Lasana Liburd summed up the situation this way:
It looks like only the elections would calm things down. Either Gov't elections in September or TTFA elections in November.
But neither election would solve the underlying problem.
Last night, Trinidad and Tobago held Mexico to an exciting 4-4 draw that brought to a close the group stage of the 2015 Gold Cup, with the “Soca Warriors” sitting proudly at the top of Group C. Lasana Liburd wrote of the accomplishment:
For the first time, the Warriors went into a Gold Cup without a negotiated bonus scheme for wins or advancing past the group stage. And Sport Minister Brent Sancho, a former 2006 World Cup player, has not been in a particularly generous mood towards the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) of late.
There will be pressure on Sancho now to loosen the purse strings for the national players and staff at least.
The Mexico Football Federation’s annual budget is believed to be in the region of US$150. The Warriors make by with whatever former Sport Minister Anil Roberts left behind, which was roughly TT$5 million or US$0.8million.
Imagine what Warriors coach Stephen Hart could do with a properly functioning football body behind him?
Trinidad and Tobago's national football team will play Panama this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in New Jersey.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Some Nigerians Don’t Think Obama’s Nigeria Snub Is Such a Bad Thing · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Protesters took to the streets in Abuja on April 30, 2014, to demand urgent action from the government in finding 200 school girls kidnapped in Chibok. Photo by Ayemoba Godswill. Copyright Demotix
The visit by the US President Barack Obama to Ethiopia this month has not come without controversy. While human rights observers argue that Ethiopia is a wrong choice because of its gross violation of human rights, others wonder why Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy, is not on his itinerary.
The United States is the largest foreign investor in Nigeria, with the money concentrating in the petroleum, mining and wholesale trade sectors. But that's not enough, it seems, to bring Obama to Nigeria.  Obama has not been to Nigeria on an official visit even though he's met with former president Goodluck Jonathan and will soon meet with the new president Muhammad Buhari in the US.
In addition to Ethiopia, Obama will also visit Kenya on his final Africa trip before his term ends. His first trip to Africa nearly two years ago took him to Senegal, Tanzania, Egypt and South Africa.
Some political observers have taken the time to make a case for Obama's Nigeria visit. The late Mwangi S. Kimenyi, who was a senior fellow and former director of the Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) at the Brookings Institution, argued earlier this year that by visiting Nigeria, Obama could articulate a strategy to fight violent militant groups across the continent:
Nigeria, a country characterized by serious governance problems compounded by ever-intensifying incidents of terrorism imparted by Boko Haram, would not pass the “safe bet” test. Notwithstanding the failures and challenges that Nigeria faces, and regardless of how the 2015 elections turn out, this is the country that deserves a visit by President Obama.
The president could use the visit to articulate a strategy to fight terrorism not only in Nigeria but also across the continent. Fighting terrorist groups should be a key focus of the president’s trip in Nigeria but also during the visit to other countries given the increasing threats posed by these groups and the fact that they have potential to grow and export terror outside Africa.
In addition, this is the place where the president can focus on the importance of strengthening the institutions of governance for peaceful co-existence among the country’s very diverse ethnic and religious groups.
John Campbell, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies who tracks political and security developments across sub-Saharan Africa, explained why this was the time for President Obama to visit Nigera:
While far from perfect, the March 28 elections were the best since Nigeria’s restoration of civilian government in 1999. The elections resulted in the first democratic transfer of power in Nigeria’s post-1999 history from an incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, to the opposition presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. Most Nigerians, including President Jonathan, have accepted the credibility of the election results.
The Obama administration was heavily invested in the success of the elections. Senior administration officials repeatedly denounced potential election related violence, which Nigeria has historically experienced. The administration also supported the efforts by Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, to conduct elections that were free, fair, and credible. The Department of State has made it clear that those who promoted violence or interfered with the elections could expect to have their U.S. visas revoked. On March 23, President Obama directly appealed to the Nigerian people to insist on credible elections.
Under these circumstances, a presidential visit to Nigeria would be a continuation of U.S. support for Nigeria’s developing democracy.
While these two non-Nigerians maintain that Obama should visit Nigeria on his last Africa trip as a president, many Nigerians commenting on the issue think otherwise, accusing Obama's administration of not doing enough to support Nigeria in the war against Boko Haram militants who have killed many innocent civilians and kidnapped, among others, 200 school girls.
Commenting on Campbell's post, a reader going by the name tim asked where Obama was when Nigeria needed him the most:
Obama…a day late and a dollar short. Where was he when the people of Nigeria really needed U S help to defeat BH [Boko Haram]?
Charles Emejulu argued that Nigeria needs time to reflect on its relationship with the US and that they are waiting for “President Hillary Clinton”:
Frankly speaking, in my own opinion I don’t think that Nigeria has the appetite for a President Obama visit.
Those packaging President Obama to come to Nigeria should please stop that.
Nigeria should be allowed some time to reflect and articulate the kind of relationship it wants or needs to have with the United State of America.
In that regards, in my opinion, in think that Nigeria have moved beyond President Obama and that Nigeria is impatiently waiting for President Hilary Clinton to press the restart button of US Nigeria new relationship after redefining the basis of this new relationship to be in consideration of our mutual areas of interest such as trade and finance, AFRICOM, UN Security Council seat for Nigeria, etc… […]We are happy to receive John Kerry and maybe Uncle Joe Biden.
A commenter using the name king of kings said Nigerians do not want him in Nigeria anymore:
I think Obama should not come to Nigeria at all, we Nigerians dont want him in Nigeria anymore, where was he when Boko haram was winning the fight with Nigeria military, where was he when Nigeria military wanted to buy wepons from American??? they refused to sell to Nigeria, Cos they wanted to disgrace our beloved country Nigeria b4 the world
Dare Akangbe castigated Obama for arrogance in his diplomatic relationship with Nigeria:
Obama is not welcome in Nigeria for many many reasons…forget about the elections…he was a very arrogant president in his diplomatic relationship with Nigeria. He didnt treat us the way even other white president has done in the past. His policies to Nigeria is very hard to understand. He openly meddle in the politics of the country and quite frankly hypocritical in his approach to our nations affair.
Obama has been “a disappointment to Africa”, noted Charlie:
Presidenet Obama had been nothing short of a disappointment to Africa. After his 2008 victory, Africa celebrated his victory in the misguided hope that a golden era of US-Africa relationship had been born. How wrong could anyone had been. Whether it is accurate or not, Nigerians will remember President Obama as the US President that bluntly refused to assist them with Ebola, Boko Haram and economic issues.
A Nigerian-American who voted for Obama, bigbang, suggested that former US President Bill Clinton should be the one to visit Nigeria:
Send Bill Clinton, I don’t think it will be a good idea to send Barrack Obama to Nigeria. He is a disappointment. As a Nigerian American I regret voting for him. I like Bill Clinton, he is charismatic and a true friend of Nigeria and Africa.
Noting that Obama's visit to other countries is a top-down initiative, Jim Sanders shows how useful such a visit could have been to Nigeria:
Yet an Obama visit might still be useful, if it is structured to focus on ordinary Nigerians and not elites.[…] Obama might strengthen [Nigerian President] Buhari’s hand by appealing to common people and avoiding exclusive focus on a small number of key officials.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Trinidad & Tobago’s Chinese Community Is Dog-Tired of Racial Stereotyping · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Pepper Mango”, a beloved Trinbagonian preserved fruit delicacy that was “inspired by the Chinese”. Photo by Priya Saihgal, used under a (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
Last week, Chinese cuisine made headlines in Trinidad and Tobago, not because of its tasty chicken recipes, but rather, because of a video that went viral on social media of a man — allegedly associated with a Chinese restaurant — skinning a dog.
Whatever level of alarm the sharing of the video managed to raise, public officials soon bested it via mainstream media. While a measured response came from the Trinidad and Tobago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TTSPCA), which said it was trying to find out more about the video and its circumstances and suggested that the perpetrators could be liable under the country's Summary Offences Act which deals with cruelty to animals, the minister of health gave an interview in which he equated his assessment of the reduced stray dog population with the increase in menu items at Chinese restaurants.
“I would be very particular”, he warned the public, “because I know in China, rats are eaten, dogs are eaten, rodents, cats and other things”. He went on to suggest that migrant Chinese workers have brought these cultural customs to Trinidad and Tobago “and there is little that can be done to stop it”.
The backlash against Khan's statements was almost immediate. Employees of several Chinese restaurants condemned his views as inaccurate and irresponsible, while the satirical website Wired868 had a field day with the health minister's comments:
Question: How to turn a potential problem into a crisis?
Answer: Ask Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan for help.
And so, after the curious sight of an Asian couple skinning a dog in what may or not have been Trinidad and Tobago, Health Ministry tried to put out the fire with kerosene.
The post continued:
Khan is suggesting that Chinese people will eat anything without an ID card and are probably kidnapping pothounds, masking their flavour and charging us to eat them under false pretence.
And all this based on an old custom in parts of China, one skinned dog and the fact that he does not see many strays on his drive to Parliament.
[…]
It is what President Anthony Carmona recently referred to as ‘rum shop logic.’ […] And, although Carmona is one of its leading ideological practitioners, he is not the person who is wielding its powers at present.
Rum shop logic is: when the Health Minister makes Chinese restaurants seem as desirable to diners as a US visa is to Jack Warner, but then doesn’t send health workers en masse to investigate their kitchens on our behalf;
Rum shop logic is: when the Health Minister has more theories about Chinese food recipes than rampant fraud at the multi-million dollar Children’s Life Fund Authority (CLFA)
Still, some netizens took the bait and began to paint all Chinese people with the same brush — there were, regrettably, many myopic Facebook posts calling for them to “go back to China” — but like the wonderful tool that it is, social media also became the vehicle through which Trinidadians of Chinese descent retaliated against these racial stereotypes.
On Facebook, Lily Kwok posted a photo of herself with a placard reading: “I will not ‘go back to China’. I am a Trinidadian.” Using the hashtag #IAmAPerson, she invited “any and everyone to join me in taking a photo sending a positive / constructive message on social media to combat ignorance, xenophobia, intolerance and racism”:
Jenny Lin Hulder followed suit:
Lee Ann Beddoe added her voice to Kwok's and called on like-minded people, even if they were not of Chinese descent, to speak out. She explained:
The Chinese have contributed to Trinidad & Tobago since they landed over 200 years ago and continue to do so in their minor numbers whether here ages ago or newly arrived.
Rhoda Bharath changed her profile picture to the image of Kwok, saying:
I'm inviting my like minded friends to use my current profile pic as theirs for a few hours.
Time to take a public stand on the stereotypes and racisms here.
Khan's statements brought back a flood of memories for Andrea Cwh-Coutain, who says “racism towards Chinese people never ended, it is just magnified by one publicized incident!”:
What was baffling to me was the fact that a Government Minister could go to the public and quickly make aspersions without investigation? THAT IS MOST DETRIMENTAL OF ALL!
DID MINISTER KHAN APOLOGIZE AS YET? IF NOT, MINISTER FUAD KHAN NEEDS TO APOLOGIZE TO THE ENTIRE CHINESE POPULATION!!! […]
This issue has moved beyond ‘Chinese migrants eating a dog’ it has now become an attack against Chinese businesses and Chinese people.
As at the time of publishing, Minister Khan had not yet made any formal apology for his statements.
Update: On July 20, it was reported that the minister said he was sorry and that his statements came about as a result of “erroneous information”.


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After 6 Years in Jail, the Iranian ‘Blogfather’ Says Today’s Internet Has Changed—for the Worse · Global Voices
Mahsa Alimardani

A newspaper article featuring Derakhshan from 2007. From Hossein Derakhshan’s Flickr page. Some rights reserved.
Have you ever heard the saying “living under a rock”? Probably as a sarcastic context, but imagine taking this perspective, multiplied by six years, to criticize the state of the Internet today. That's exactly what Iranian-Canadian journalist and blogger Hossein Derakhshan did this past week with his Medium Matter essay entitled “The Web We Have to Save: The rich, diverse, free web that I loved – and spent years in an Iranian jail for – is dying.”
Derakhshan, a former Global Voices writer, was incarcerated from November 2008 until this past November for his blogging. He is known for being Iran's “blogfather”. The blogging revolution that overtook Iran in the early 2000s is often mentioned with some reference to Derakhshan. In his first English-language piece since his release from prison, Derakhshan's essay delves into how the Internet has transformed since his days as one of the Iranian Web's most widely followed writers. The main crux of the essay tackles issues that many Internet activists such as Global Voices co-founder Rebecca McKinnon, Global Voices board representative Jillian York, and Zeynep Tufecki have been criticizing for years — that is the loss of power to Internet corporations like Facebook, Twitter and Google.
Must read for the day: @h0d3r on how the internet went from links to likes while was in jail in Iran for blogging. https://t.co/2vapyXYLPN
— Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) July 15, 2015
Derakhshan's main metaphor to convey this message is television, describing our current Internet structure as “television-internet”.
But the Stream, mobile applications, and moving images: They all show a departure from a books-internet toward a television-internet. We seem to have gone from a non-linear mode of communication — nodes and networks and links — toward a linear one, with centralization and hierarchies. The web was not envisioned as a form of television when it was invented. But, like it or not, it is rapidly resembling TV: linear, passive, programmed and inward-looking. When I log on to Facebook, my personal television starts.
The dominance of social media and their associated corporate control structures are defined by Derakhshan as the main threat to online freedoms, despite the heavy price he has had to pay for his right to freely express himself online by the Iranian government. While he does not criticize Iranian policy, Derakhshan does point out a country such as Iran's helplessness in this new “television-internet” order.
Being watched is something we all eventually have to get used to and live with and, sadly, it has nothing to do with the country of our residence. Ironically enough, states that cooperate with Facebook and Twitter know much more about their citizens than those, like Iran, where the state has a tight grip on the Internet but does not have legal access to social media companies.
The piece underlines leading concerns that define our current Internet age, already discussed by numerous analysts and researchers. What Derakhshan does that makes his essay stand out is relating these debates to his own unique experiences, from his persecution for his online activities to his defining position within the evolution in the Iranian web sphere.