text:
This Project Is Helping France Unlearn Its Stereotypes About Romania  · Global Voices
Annick Lederle

Banner of the Newsroum website. Used with their permission
Most links lead to French-language pages.
Misinformation abounds in France when it comes to Romania, and the Newsroum project, an online initiative that sought to present different perspectives on Romania than have been shown in France's mainstream media, wanted to do something about it.
Indeed, clichés abound in France about the eastern European country and especially about the Roma community. As previously reported on Global Voices, the Roma community face the stigma of being thieves or not being willing to follow society's rules in France. To be clear, Romania is not the same as the Roma community, who live throughout Europe, but the confusion is common and the prejudices hurt both the Roma community and the citizens of Romania at large.
Newsroum, a project driven by CELSA (a French journalism school at La Sorbonne in Paris), sought to help French people know Romania better. For 11 days until May 30, 22 journalism students researched the country in order to understand the nation better against the backdrop of the European elections.
The project presented four main themes that contained multimedia content and long-form articles: everyday lives of Romanian citizens, the country's economy, the land and its borders, and Romanian cultural treasures and ideas. The 22 students were all based in the capital Bucarest and traveled Romania from east to west for their research. Here are highlights of their findings.
Children in the village of Craica. Used with permission
Crossing into Tiraspol*, capital of Transnistria, Sophie Gautier looked into the underlying separation between citizens of Romanian descents and other communities. Back in Baia Mare,Romania, Gautier looked into the complex relationship of the city with its Roma community:
Les communautés roms ne parlent pas d’une même voix. À Craica, les habitants tiennent à leur campement de fortune, synonyme pour eux de liberté. Dans les logements sociaux d’Horea, certaines familles Roms ne pensent qu’à une chose : réunir l’argent nécessaire pour rejoindre la France.
When it comes to their views on life in this region, the Roma community is divided. In Craica, some of them would not leave their camps for anything in the world because it is the symbol of their freedom. In the social housing of Horea, some families have a different take and their main goal is to save enough money to go to France.
Other students wanted to understand the role of the all mighty and ever-present Romanian Orthodox Church. Clémence Leleu reported:
The Salvation of the Nation Cathedral. Photo by Clémence Leleu.
L’Eglise intervient aussi sur les questions d’éducation. En 2006, elle a notamment réussi à faire supprimer la théorie évolutionniste des manuels de biologie. Sa capacité d’influence s’étend aussi à la politique.
The church here has a say on the issue of education. In 2006, it was able to remove the theory of evolution from biology textbooks. Its sphere of influence extends to politics as well.
Other students researched corruption within Romania's media and other issues that Romania's civil society combats on a daily basis. For instance, Carole Blanchard reported on the village of Pungesti's fight against a fracking project in their region:
Les conséquences écologiques liées à la fracturation hydraulique inquiètent les habitants. La méthode consiste à injecter à haute pression de l’eau et des produits chimiques pour libérer le gaz.
The environmental consequences of hydraulic fracturing are a major concern for residents. They worry about this method, which consists of injecting high pressure water and chemicals for releasing shale gas.
Gheorghe Munteanu, an 81-year-old resident, added:
Je suis né ici et je mourrai ici. Je veux juste que l’eau reste claire et la terre pure pour mes enfants.
I was born here and I will die here. I just want to keep the water clean and the land unsoiled for my children.
“We do not want fracking!” Photo by Carole Blanchard
To give additional exposure to this project, the students appeared on a few radio broadcasts like RFI Romania and organised some cultural events in France about the Timisoara theater scene or the art design factory in Cluj.
*An earlier version of this post misspelled Tiraspol and said that it was located in Romania. It is, in fact, located in neighboring Transnistria. Thanks to Tiberius Alexander for spotting the error.

author: Annick Lederle


text:
#NoBakchich, a Cameroonian App to Fight Administrative Corruption  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Paul Biya, president of Cameroon – Public Domain
Corruption is a well-documented issue in Cameroon. For decades, political scandals have infamously stained the public administration due to multiple embezzlement charges, which in turn led to the creation of a special task force to fight corruption named  “Operation Epervier“.
The outcome of the task force has been mixed so far. Therefore, Cameroonian citizens have taken it upon themselves to report and combat corruption more effectively. A group of IT programmers created an app called NoBakchich that crowdsources all the information related to administrative procedures so that citizens have a clear picture of how to get paperwork done and how much it should cost. The app also allows citizens to report any bribes that they have had to face:
Ainsi, chacune d'elles est gratifiée d’une notation, baptisée «compteur de tchoko»,informant les autres usagers des bonnes ou mauvaises pratiques.
Each administrative procedure will be given a notation, called  “Tchoko (bribe in local language) counter” informing other users of public services involved in bad practices.
Le Griot reports that $600 million US dollars are lost annually because of corruption, one-third of which is from illegal logging of the national forests.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Lova Rakotomalala


text:
Packaging and Ecosystem · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Image from blog Esturirafi, used with permission.
Are you someone who cares about the packaging of the products you buy and use? Biologist Rut Abrain Sánchez does, and on her blog Esturirafi she shows six examples of ecological packaging of some products in Asia, Europe and North America. To understand the scope of this issue, Abrain quotes the definition of ecodesign:
El Ecodiseño, también conocido como Diseño para el Medio Ambiente, es una metodología que considera el medio ambiente como un criterio más a la hora de tomar decisiones en el proceso de diseño de productos industriales, adicionalmente a otros tradicionalmente se han tenido en cuenta (costes, calidad, …).
Ecodesign, also known as Design for Environment, is a method that considers environment as another guideline when making decisions in the process of designing industrial products, besides other traditionally taken into account (cost, quality…).
This means ecodesign considers the reduction of material, using biodegradable material and the reduction of emissions into the atmosphere.
To get updates about this, visit Rut Abrain Sánchez's website or follow her on Twitter at @esturirafi.

author: Milton Ramirez


text:
Who Is Sachin Tendulkar? Don’t Ask Tennis Champion Maria Sharapova · Global Voices
Subhashish Panigrahi

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar at a press conference in Mumbai. Image by Ravindra Hande. Copyright Demotix (17/11/2013)
With two small words, Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has managed to anger “god of cricket” Sachin Tendulkar‘s army of fans.
When asked if she knows who Tendulkar is during a press conference at Wimbledon late last month, the five-time Grand Slam winner admitted, “I don't.” Tendulkar had watched the tennis tournament from the Royal Box with other famous athletes like David Beckham.
Angry Tendulkar fans have flooded Facebook and Twitter, and the hashtag #WhoisMariaSharapova has been trending since the news went public. Her Facebook page was at one point receiving approximately 50 comments per minute.
Who is Maria Sharapova? This is Sachin Tendulkar who respects his game. Learn from him. pic.twitter.com/3sCZ8Ir8qN
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) July 2, 2014
Cricket legend Tendulkar retired after a 24-year career in November 2013. He was ranked by the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack as the second greatest test batsman ever after Sir Don Bradman. The cricketer was conferred India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, for his lifetime contribution to cricket along with many other Indian and international awards.
Disgruntled Tendulkar supporters have labelled Sharapova a “cricket atheist” for the gap in her knowledge. Some have created memes, like this one of tennis great Roger Federer listening to Tendulkar humbly with crossed arms:
Dear Sharapova learn something from your tennis mate BTW who is Maria Sharapova pic.twitter.com/c252wm3Ehr
— Johar VMR (@SRTrendulkar) July 3, 2014
Others have defended Sharapova, saying her ignorance is normal being from a non-cricket playing country.
http://youtu.be/QtkpNOTrJCU
In the comments section of the above YouTube video, uploaded by Worlds Best News, Manish Bhatia commented:
I don't see what's the big deal. She didn't disrespect Tendulkar in any way. She did say they met before, but didn't know who he was. We have to realise that cricket isn't played at all in Russia (where she was born) and the US (where she currently lives).. Though she's guilty of having poor GK [general knowledge].
We are really a hypocritical bunch of people. We criticise her for not knowing Sachin yet almost none of us know the names of any Hockey player, even though it's our national game.
Facebook news page The Logical Indian encourage fans to stop attacking Sharapova:
The Logical Indian denounces the act of Indians trolling Maria Sharapova‘s Facebook profile, inundating it with profanity. Think people, think! Would Sachin ever want us to indulge in profanity on his behalf? Are we not indulging in behaviour that he would find extremely embarassing?
While Cricket is a popular sport in a handful of commonwealth countries, we must realise that it is unknown to most other countries.
There is no doubt that Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest cricketer to have walked the earth, and a living sporting legend. But why should a tennis player from Russia – a non cricket playing country be expected to know about Sachin?
So far, neither Sharapova nor Sachin have reacted on their Twitter pages respectively or spoken to the press about the matter.

author: Subhashish Panigrahi


text:
The Pleasure of Friendship  · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Karla comments on Mujeres Construyendo (Women Building) about her weekend meeting with some girlfriends, and her reflections on changing decades and friendship:
He reído con muchas ganas y creo que eso es lo que me ha llenado de vitalidad, de jovialidad y de ganas de continuar tomando todo de forma positiva.[…] En contra de lo que muchas mujeres piensen, este año es una preparación para recibir mi si siguiente decada de vida buscando lo mejor…y si es con todas esas lindas amistades creo que ya tengo más de la mitad ganado.
I've laughed out loud and I think this has filled me with vitality, jolliness and with the disposition to take everything positively.[…] Opposed to what many women think, this year is a preparation for me to receive my next decade of life looking for the best…. and if it will be with these beautiful friends, I think I am more than halfway.

author: María Romina Mascareño


text:
Yes, I Wear a Bra, and It’s Visible. So? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nivedita N Kumar, a journalist, posts an emotional Facebook note which has gone viral. Here is an excerpt from the powerful essay that lashes at the notion of the Indian patriarchal society that clothes provoke rapists:
Why? Why do you do that? Stare at my breasts like they are cute babies calling out to be cuddled. Strip me naked, slowly, every time I enter the bus? Try to glimpse into my cleavage when I am sitting and reading in the metro.
Who gives you the right? To grope me in the crowded bus? To fall on me “innocently” when I buy popcorn in the theater. When I sit cross legged in the auto and you stop your bike and look hungrily at my legs.
A piece of meat, am I?
How do you think I feel? When I have to continuously watch over my shoulder, because it is 10 pm and there is nobody at the bus stop, except you. Staring at my neck.
The post itself got more than 35000 shares and after it was shared by the Logical Indian, it has so far received more than 260000 likes and more than 64000 shares.

author: Rezwan


text:
Bahrain Kicks Out Visiting American Human Rights Official  · Global Voices
Noor Mattar

Bahrain's opposition held ‘Democracy for Everybody’ protests in capital city Manama on
19 March 2013. Photo by Satraawi Bahrain. Copyright Demotix.
A visiting American government official was ordered to leave Bahrain immediately after he met with a few prominent Shi'ite opposition leaders earlier this week.
Malinowski's Twitter profile image.
According to Bahrain's state news agency BNA, Tom Malinowski, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour had “intervened flagrantly” in the country's internal affairs.
The small oil-rich island kingdom is a strategic US ally and has long provided a military base for America's navy in the Middle East.
Bahrain, ruled by the Sunni al-Khalifa family, has been facing criticism for its human rights record, ever since the military cracked down on Shi'ite Muslim-led protests against the government in 2011. Low-level protests have continued to simmer, with the country's majority Shi'ite Muslims complaining of political and economic marginalization and demanding more power from the Sunni-led government.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke arrives for a port visit in Manama, Bahrain. From the Official US Navy Flickr page. Photo taken May 13, 2014. CC BY 2.0
Malinowski himself explained in a tweet that has so far been retweeted 255 times and counting:
Seems #Bahrain government decision not about me but about undermining dialogue. Those committed to reconciliation should not be deterred.
— Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) July 8, 2014
Human rights activist Ahmed Ali, who lives in Cardiff, in the UK, says:
#Bahrain pro-regime media claims US Assistant Sec @Malinowski at the airport leaving #Bahrain. pic.twitter.com/mbOUmf1PF8
— Ahmed Ali احمد علي (@ahmedali_) July 8, 2014
This pro-government newspaper was owned by the Bahraini King's media advisor Nabeel Alhamer, who previously tweeted [ar]:
البحرين تعتبر مساعد وزير الخارجية الامريكي لشئون الديمقراطية وحقوق الانسان شخصا غير مرحب به وعليه مغادرة البحرين لتدخله في الشئون الداخلية
— NABEEL ALHAMER (@nalhamer) July 7, 2014
Bahrain considers the US Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor as an unwelcome person and he should leave Bahrain for interfering in its internal affairs
The move was met with an international outcry. In a series of tweets, Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth, notes:
In expelling top US rights envoy @Malinowski, #Bahrain shows he had it right when he described its “prison island.” http://t.co/qKWxBm9fxy
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) July 8, 2014
#Bahrain expels US rights chief @Malinowski for meeting w/ wrong people-presumably indep activists, not govt parrots. http://t.co/qTKJlR2KzD
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) July 7, 2014
And he adds:
One #Bahrain goal of expelling US rights envoy @Malinowski: preventing him from meeting rights leader @NabeelRajab. http://t.co/O4HV62RX3s
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) July 8, 2014
Leading human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, just released from jail after serving three years for a tweet, said this to his 231K followers [ar]:
سيبقى الصديق مالينوسكي شخص محترم وان ما حصل له في #البحرين هو مؤشر على نزاهته وشرفه وان طرده اليوم سيزيد من احترام الناس والحركة الحقوقية له
— Nabeel Rajab (@NABEELRAJAB) July 7, 2014
My friend Malinowski is a respectable person and what happened to him in Bahrain is an indication of his honesty. Getting expelled today will increase the respect people and the human rights movement have for him
And US-based George Washington University Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication fellow and commentator for the BBC and Daily Beast Philip Crowley clarifies:
What is most remarkable about #Bahrain expelling Asst Sec Tom Malinowski is its clarity. No one can pretend Bahrain is open to reforms.
— Philip J. Crowley (@PJCrowley) July 8, 2014
On the other hand, pro-government netizens voiced their support for the move. Member of Parliament Khalid Almalood told his 2,700 followers on Twitter [ar]:
مساعد وزير خارجية أمريكا المطرود كان مدير منظمة هيومان رايتس ووتش التي كان نبيل رجب ضمنها والتي كانت تكتب تقارير سيئة عن #البحرين للعلم فقط
— MP Khalid Almalood (@kh_almalood) July 8, 2014
The US Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor who was kicked out [of Bahrain] was the director of Human Rights Watch, which Nabeel Rajab was part of, and which wrote bad reports about Bahrain
The Riffa Youth Group tweeted to its 25.5K followers:
نشكر وزارة خارجيتنا لقرارها الشجاع بطرد مساعد وزير خارجية أمريكا للشؤون الديمقراطية وننتظر شجاعة أكبر وذلك بطرد السفير الأمريكي من البحرين
— قروب شباب الرفاع (@shababalrifaa) July 7, 2014
We thank our Foreign Affairs Ministry for its courageous decision to throw out the US Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and are awaiting more courage for it to kick out the US Ambassador from Bahrain
And this is not the end of it. Leading opposition group Al Wefaq member Ali Alaswad, who has 64.1k followers, tweets:
After @StateDept rejection of removal of @Malinowski now #Bahrain moving on to target @ALWEFAQ, summoning @KhalilAlmarzooq & @WefaqGS
— Ali Alaswad (@am_aswad) July 8, 2014

author: Noor Mattar


text:
Bermuda: Who’s the Murderer?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Two Bermudian bloggers raise interesting questions about carnage on the nation's roads, even going so far as to call road fatalities “murder”.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Braving High Risks and Heavy Censorship in China, Tibetan Musicians Sing Their Love for Tibet · Global Voices
Dechen Pemba

Popular Tibetan singer Gepe was arrested after singing in a music concert. Screen shot from YouTube video.
Gebey, a Tibetan singer who had been detained at the end of May following a live performance in Ngaba Prefecture, eastern Tibet, has been released from detention. Gebey (sometimes spelled Gaybay or Gepey) has chosen a dangerous profession in Tibet – he has been arrested and re-arrested for his music many times in recent years.
Tibet, which has been under Chinese control for over 60 years, has seen large scale uprisings against Chinese rule as recently as in 2008. These, combined with ongoing self-immolations which have taken place all over Tibet as a form of political protest since 2009, have resulted in frequent heavy military lockdowns and routine blocks on communications. Tibet is an area the size of Western Europe, without a single foreign journalist stationed, no diplomatic representations, restricted access to tourists, no free media, and heavily censored internet. Even though China officially only refers to the area of central Tibet as Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibetan areas that are now integrated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan are often the epicenters of resistance to Chinese rule. Even so, censorship and imprisonment of cultural figures extends to all areas of Tibet.
It is amongst this backdrop that the singers, artists, and writers in Tibet today have to work. Despite all of these restrictions, Tibetan cultural expression is flourishing today. Gebey is just one example of an impressive output of new songs, singers, music videos and live performances.
According to Radio Free Asia, following the release of his album in October 2012, Gebey went into hiding to avoid contact with the police after “Chinese authorities […] banned and confiscated a recording he released that year which was deemed to contain nationalist themes”. Here are a few translated lyrics from Gebey's song Victory to Tibet:
Victory to the Gods!
Victory to Tibet!
Today, victory to an auspicious day!
Today, wish-fulfilling day, victory to Tibet!
For the reunification of Tibetans, home and abroad, victory to us!
Separatist activities, ethnic feelings, and nationalist themes
When it comes to sentencing singers to prison terms, the accusation of “separatism” is met with the heaviest punishment. For example, for “separatist activities,” singer Tashi Dhondup was ‘sent for one year and three months’ hard labor from December 3, 2009 to March 2, 2011, in accordance with Clauses 4 and 13 of the re-education through labor policy of the State Council of China.
Artists in Tibet have to tread an incredibly fine line in their creativity and artistic expression. The themes that inspire great artistry are often also the most politically loaded. This has been the case with several artists, including young singer Lolo, who was sentenced to six years in prison in February 2013 following the release of his album Raise the Tibetan Flag, Children of the Snowland, which carries politically charged lyrics that refer to the banned Tibetan flag, self-immolations and Tibetan independence.
In March 2012, Radio Free Asia reported a story about the detention of Ugyen Tenzin, a young singer from eastern Tibet who released an album titled, An Unending Flow of My Heart’s Blood. Duldak Nyima, a Tibetan who is living in exile but continues to be in touch with Tibetans in Tibet, has been quoted as saying that, “Before the release of the album, [other Tibetans were worried about] the album’s consequences and advised the singer against distributing it.” Although Tibetan singers rarely provide direct commentary, instead letting the work speak for itself, the album’s DVD features Ugyen Tenzin speaking openly about his reasons for releasing his album. “[Tenzin] also said in the DVD that he is doing this for the religious and political cause of Tibet; he was … discussing the Tibet issue and Tibetan identity,” said Nyima. Despite being aware of the consequences, Ugyen Tenzin released the album. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
The censorship of music within both Tibet and China has been known to reach absurd heights. In April 2011, China’s State Council Information Office issued a directive for websites to delete Shapaley – a fun and clever viral rap video by Gamahe Danzeng, a young Tibetan from Switzerland, about Shapaley, a kind of Tibetan food. The directive The Song Meat Pancake stated: “All websites, particularly those with video and audio channels, are to look for and delete the song ‘Meat Pancake (Rou bing)’ by Gamahe Danzeng,” While not explicitly political, the lyrics asserted Tibetan identity and imbued a sense of pride in being Tibetan – sentiments clearly not to be tolerated.
Since there are no public lists of banned songs, ringtones or music videos, they are disseminated freely until a detention or crackdown takes place. In a piece titled What Kinds of Songs Are ‘Reactionary Songs’?, written in 2009, Tibetan writer and blogger Tsering Woeser described how “Lhasa’s deputy police chief had announced in a press conference that they had just detained 59 rumour-mongers who had been ‘inciting ethnic feelings.’” Their method of rumour-mongering? “Illegal downloading of reactionary songs from the internet in CD, MP3, MP4 and other electronic formats, for sale to the public.”
These detentions show that songs carry potential risks at every level, from the producers of the music, to those who acquire the music, to those who then share it. Further, detentions do not require a trial or to be processed by a government agency – as with this case, if the local police chief perceives a work to be “sensitive,” its author is subject to punishment.
Popular music, coded language
Since the end of 2012, the online translations project High Peaks Pure Earth has been translating music videos from Tibet on a weekly basis. [Editor’s note: The author of this post is a founder of High Peaks Pure Earth.] The project translates music videos of various musical styles and genres – some are highly politically sensitive, while others are widely available all over Tibet, but they are all popular videos that have all been available online at one point or another.
Music for sale in Lhasa. Photo from Woeser's blog. Used with permission.
Common themes of these music videos include calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, calling for unity amongst all Tibetans, hoping for a reunion of Tibetans inside and outside Tibet and, most recently, recalling and celebrating Tibetan origins and history. Often, Tibetan singers will use metaphors to evade censorship, such as referring to the sun to mean the Dalai Lama, the moon to mean the Panchen Lama and the stars to mean the Karmapa (the head of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, currently living in exile in India). Here are a few translated lyrics from Tashi Thaye's The Auspicious Triple Gathering:
The day of auspiciousness
The sun, moon and stars gather
An auspicious day
A wish-fulfilling day
When the sun, moon and stars gather
Tibetan loyalty won’t be forgotten
When the sun, moon and stars gather
Tibetan loyalty won’t be forgotten
Tibetan scholar Lama Jabb has written, “Popular music indicates the tentative formation of an embryonic public space within which Tibetans are expressing their common concerns and collective identity under difficult political circumstances. Popular songs provide a channel for voicing dissent, while also reinforcing Tibetan national identity by evoking images of a shared history, culture, and territory, bemoaning the current plight of Tibetans and expressing aspirations for a collective destiny.”
These music videos from Tibet carry important messages to the outside world, as well as assert and reify a collective Tibetan identity. In the introduction to the recently published report by Voice of Tibet and Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy titled Banned Expression: Stifling Creativity and Dissent in Tibet, influential Tibetan poet Yidam Tsering is quoted as having once called on artists and intellectuals “to love their people by representing their joys and sorrows, hopes and despair, pain and pleasure.”
It is therefore quite moving to see Tibetan singers taking on this role as unofficial spokespeople for their society. Their work does not come from a standpoint of anger or bitterness, but from an immeasurable pride in Tibetan history and confidence in their convictions and in Tibetan identity.
How you can help: Sign UK-based organization Free Tibet's petition; and follow the “Banned Expression” Facebook page by Voice of Tibet, High Peaks Pure Earth and Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.

author: Dechen Pemba


text:
Brazilian Police Say These Two Men Had Explosives During an Anti-World Cup Protest. Photos and Videos Tell a Different Story · Global Voices
Paula Góes

“Fighting is not a crime”. Image by “If We Do Not Have Rights, There Will Be No World Cup” Collective, used with permission
Brazilians activists are using photos and videos to show that police have allegedly forged evidence to incriminate two protesters who were arrested in São Paulo at the end of an anti-World Cup protest in late June.
According to a police report about the arrest, obtained by Human Rights Watch, officers claimed to have found “a homemade explosive device” in Fabio Hideki Harano’s backpack and a “bottle of yogurt that smelled heavily of gas” on Rafael Marques Lusvarghi on June 23, 2014. They were accused of possessing illegal weapons, resisting arrest, conspiring to commit crimes, inciting crime and disobeying police authority.
The two men have denied the charges. Police have not produced evidence of the alleged explosives.
In a press statement the day after the arrests, Fernando Grella, the chief of public security for Sao Paulo state, said that the pair were “the first cases of ‘Black Blocs’ caught red-handed encouraging criminal acts,” labeling Harano and Lusvarghi as members of an anarchist group that has been known to vandalize property during protests.
Grella also defended shots with real ammunition fired by a police officer during the arrests to disperse the crowd.
Painting a different picture
However, eyewitness accounts and various videos and photos published online seem to challenge the official narrative.
Student and public servant Fabio Hideki Harano was on his way home when he was arrested inside a subway station by plainclothes agents from DEIC, the police force investigating organised crime. He was searched in front of several people, and he shouted desperately for whoever had cameras to film the arrest in order to show that he was not carrying anything illegal. A video by Karla Oliveira shows the moment of Hideki's arrest and search:
Another video by The Activists Lawyers Collective, formed by lawyers who are in the streets defending demonstrators, shows police officers making a second search on Fabio, this time outside the subway station, where nothing seems to have been found.
Professor Rafael Lusvarghi's arrest was his second during the anti-World Cup protests in June. This video by Testemunha do Caos (Chaos Witness) shows four officers taking him down. In a detailed post about the protester, one of the site's bloggers reported his own witness account:
Ao final do ato as pessoas foram se dispersando, uns indo pela calçada, outros indo em direção ao metro. Do lado da estação Consolação, atrás de uma banca de jornal, uns policiais do DEIC – GARRA fizeram uma tocaia e foi onde prenderam Lusvarghi. Uma arma de fogo foi disparada pelo menos duas vezes. O manifestante foi jogado no chão, enquanto o CHOQUE fazia uma formação em linha que, no meu entendimento, era para “limpar a rua das pessoas”. Isto posto, o Choque também deu tiros ali, mas não acertou ninguém. Fiquei surpreso que Lusvarghi tinha sido acusado de porte de explosivos. Ele não portava nenhuma mochila, a saia não tinha bolso, então a bomba estava aonde, enfiada no cu?
At the end of the protest, people were dispersing, some walking down the street, others heading towards the tube. Behind a news stand next to Consolação station, a few police officers from the State Department of Criminal Investigations (DEIC) – Armed Group for Repression of Robberies and Burglaries (GARRA) forces ambushed and arrested Lusvarghi. A firearm was shot at least twice. The protester was thrown on the ground, while the riot police lined up to, in my understanding, “clean the street of people.” That said, the riot police also fired shots there, but they did not hit anyone. I was surprised that Lusvarghi had been charged with possession of explosives. He was not carrying any backpack, and was wearing a skirt with no pockets, so where was the bomb, stuck up in his ass?
The Activist Lawyers Collective has curated many photos of Lusvarghi throughout the demonstration to show that he had no bags or pockets:
No entanto, à noite, já no DEIC – delegacia responsável pelo inquérito das manifestações – “surge” um explosivo nos objetos de ambos. A acusação torna-se mais que estúpida, talvez criminosa, isto é, a possível realização de flagrante forjado pela Polícia Civil do Estado de São Paulo.
However, in the same evening, at DEIC – the department responsible for investigating demonstrations – an explosive “appears” among both men's belongings. The charge is more than stupid, perhaps even criminal, i.e. a possible flagrant forgery by the civil police of the state of São Paulo.
The collective also offers a long report about the protest on June 23 in English.
Tear gas and rubber bullets for supporters
On the night of July 1, demonstrators convened in downtown São Paulo to demand the release of the two men. The peaceful protest was met with tear gas and rubber bullets from police. Award-winning writer Ricardo Lisias, one of the speakers at the public meeting there, said on Facebook that he saw a police officer shoving a camera in people's faces to film them:
De repente, um negócio me deixou pasmo: dois policiais sem identificação entraram no meio da manifestação e se colocaram na frente da mesa onde a gente iria falar! Um deles tinha uma câmera (bem obsoleta, parecia câmera de VHS) e ficava filmando o rosto das pessoas.
Repito: dois policiais entraram no meio da manifestação para intimidar o pessoal. Foi a mais ou menos três metros de onde eu estava. Aí um grupo ficou tenso e começou a gritar. Os dois policiais continuaram enfiando a câmera na cara das pessoas em clara atitude de intimidação e na verdade ainda uma outra coisa: para causar um incidente. Bastava que um jovem caísse ali na frente dele e um policial escorregasse para que os cavalos viessem em cima da gente.
Por sorte o ato estava bem organizado e não houve incidente. Dois advogados foram presos (pasmem!!) sem que houvesse qualquer tumulto. Vou repetir o que eu vi: o protesto era pacífico, não havia ninguém com o rosto coberto, não havia nada sendo depredado e a polícia de fato tentava a todo custo causar um incidente.
Suddenly, something left me stunned: two undercover policemen got in the middle of the demonstration and placed themselves in front of the table where we would speak! One of them had a camera (a much obsolete one, it looked like a VHS camera) and was shooting people's faces.
Again, two policemen came in the middle of the demonstration to intimidate people. It was about three metres from where I was. Then a group tensed and started screaming. The two officers continued shoving the camera in people's faces in a clear attitude of intimidation, and actually for another reason: to cause an incident. It only needed a young man to fall there in front of him and a police officer to slip too for the horses to come down on us.
Luckily the act was well organized and there was no incident. Two lawyers were arrested (behold!) although there was no disturbance. I'll repeat what I saw: the protest was peaceful, there was no one with covered face, there was nothing being vandalised and it was the police that actually tried at all costs to cause an incident.
At least six people were detained at the protest, and at least one of these was the arbitrary arrest of Silvia Daskal, a member of the Activist Lawyers Collective, as shown in this video:
She later explained what happened:
A tenente já veio pra cima de mim me enforcando e quase quebrando meu pulso. Quando me levaram para perto da viatura eu vi que o outro detido era nosso companheiro, o advogado Daniel Biral, que estava no camburão sendo agredido por diversos policiais. Ele estava algemado, gritando e se debatendo na tentativa de se defender.
The lieutenant came on me almost choking me and breaking my wrist. When they brought me closer to the car I saw that the other detainee was our colleague, lawyer Daniel Biral, who was being beaten by several police officers in the police van. He was handcuffed, screaming and thrashing in an attempt to defend himself.
Making scapegoats of protesters
The Activists Lawyers Collective has described the arrests of Fabio and Rafael as very timely for the police. DEIC, the police department responsible for investigating “Black Bloc” protesters — who dress in black, cover their faces and committed acts of vandalism during anti-government protests last year — has received criticism for not being able to produce sufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution against anyone. The collective accuse police of seeking out scapegoats to save face.
While the mainstream media has given attention only to the police version of the facts, demonstrations continue in São Paulo. Another protest is scheduled for tomorrow, July 10.
“The great quadrille”. Image by “If We Do Not Have Rights, There Will Be No World Cup” Collective, used with permission

author: Paula Góes


text:
Cuban Architect Mario Coyula Remembered · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bloggers mourn the passing of prominent Cuban architect Mario Coyula, who died at 79 from cancer.


text:
Deported Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers Speak of Mistreatment by Australian Authorities · Global Voices
Rezwan

Thirty seven Sinhalese and four Tamil asylum seekers from Sri Lanka sailed in a boat towards Australia and were intercepted west of the Cocos Island late last month by Australian authorities. They were returned to Sri Lanka, their point of origin, and they appeared in a court in the country's southwest yesterday.
Journalist Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai reports that the Sri Lankan deportees claimed that they were mistreated. He also tweeted (@DushiYanthini) photos and news from the ground:
“Australian officials were cruel&inhumane to us”~Sujeewa Saparamadu,wife of Daluwatte Don Ranjith. #SriLanka #LKA pic.twitter.com/vV59p27N78
— DushiYanthini (@DushiYanthini) July 8, 2014
Citizen journalism site Groundviews also commented:
#Australia Govt is *such* a good friend of #srilanka: It feeds our people expired food & gifts us retired boats http://t.co/MQayLkuVe0 #lka
— Groundviews (@groundviews) July 9, 2014


text:
Young People Could Have a Tremendous Impact on Indonesia’s Elections. So What Do They Think? · Global Voices
Seelan Palay

Letter to the President: A young man writes a letter to the Indonesian president.
Over one-third of the more than 186 million eligible voters in Indonesia's landmark presidential election will be casting a ballot for the first time in their lives on 9 June, and this new generation of voters could affect the outcome in an important way.
Some are too young to remember the brutal New Order regime, presided over by the authoritarian Suharto who ruled Indonesia for 32 years until he stepped down in 1998. Nevertheless, leaders from the period are trying to make a comeback this time around, the country's third direct presidential election in its history.
It comes as no surprise then that both presidential candidates have been running creative online campaigns in an effort to woo young voters. The emphasis on Facebook on Twitter in this election has led to it being dubbed the “social media elections”, and has shown Indonesian youth to be polarized in their choices.
With this in mind, EngageMedia launched Suara Baru (New Voices), which invited young filmmakers, activists, citizen journalists to create video stories in order to understand youth perspectives on the elections, its candidates, and ultimately their hopes and aspirations for the country.
The videos, which offer subtitles in English, are being presented on online and offline channels to empower youth and encourage discussion about issues and programs raised during the election. Click on the screengrabs to watch on EngageMedia's site.
The Hopes of Papuan Youth: Young people in Raja Ampat, West Papua, want the next Indonesian president to deliver progress.
View from the Edge: A candid video exploring why some young Indonesians are not voting in the 2014 presidential elections.
Elections and Conflict: Why do the Indonesian presidential elections turn youth who were friends into enemies?

author: Seelan Palay


text:
Featured Posts on #RedViajAR This Week · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Every week, Argentinian blogger network Red Viajar posts a review of the most important articles of the week. This time, among the recommendations is this post dedicated to Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl in Mexico:
Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl es un pequeño pueblo que se encuentra en el municipio de Tepoztlán (Morelos) De su vecino pueblo con título de pueblo mágico, Amatlán no tiene nada que envidiarle. Debe su fama a que varixs historiadores (y por supuesto las personas que allí habitan) consideran que aquí nació hace unos 3 mil años Cé Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl, uno de los dioses más importantes de las antiguas culturas mesoamericanas.
Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl is a small town located in the municipality of Tepoztlán (Morelos). Amatlán is just as good as its neighboring town with a magic name. It's famous because several historians (and, of course, people who live there) think that it was here where Cé Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl, one of the most important gods of the ancient Central American cultures, was born 3,000 years ago.


text:
Gmail Now Offers 71 Languages, From Afrikaans to Zulu · Global Voices
L. Finch

A screenshot of Gmail's language options.
Google has added 13 new languages to Gmail, bumping up the total languages available in the email service from 58 to 71.
The new languages include Afrikaans, Zulu, Armenian, Azerbaijani (Azeri), Chinese (Hong Kong), French (Canada), Galician, Georgian, Khmer, Lao, Mongolian, Nepali, and Sinhala. The tech giant, which rolled out the changes on Tuesday, says Gmail now covers 94 percent of the world’s Internet population.
To compare, a quick count of the display language options for Yahoo's free email service puts their total at 69, while Microsoft's free Outlook.com lists 107.
Afrikaans and Zulu were already offered on Google's Search, Maps, Drive, Docs, and YouTube.

author: L. Finch


text:
Guyana’s Foreign Minister Comes Out Swinging After the US Ambassador Criticizes the Lack of Local Elections · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

A street in Georgetown, Guyana. Photo from Wikipedia Commons.
Guyana's Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Priya Manickchand has come under fire for sharp comments she directed at outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Guyana D. Brent Hardt during an American independence celebration at his residence in Georgetown.
Manickchand was responding to Hardt's criticism of the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) administration for failing to hold local government elections for 20 years. She accused opposition media and diplomatic colleagues of supporting Hardt's “dedicated attack on the president and the government”.
She continued:
Like his President Barack Obama, there exists a red line. This Ambassador has crossed that line. Unlike his President, we are resolved, we have resolved and we so advise our partners, with whom we share conventions and symbiotic relations, this is our red line. Behaviour such as this would not be tolerated within the boundaries of mutual respect, diplomatic relations and inter-government collaboration.
Manickchand's statements drew boos from the audience:
Many commenters used this incident to express their displeasure with the the minister and the People's Progressive Party, which has been in power of the country, one of the poorest in the Western hemisphere, since 1992.
On Facebook, Ruel Johnson responded to a critic who claimed the minister was defending Guyana's sovereignty:
This isn't about fanaticism shown the US. This is about a Minister of Government shamelessly using sovereignty as a weapon against a foreign emissary for calling for the very thing that Guyanese themselves have also been calling, which is local government elections. You might have missed the part where she also took the time to dismiss the efforts of Blue CAPS, a group of Guyanese young people. And all that bullshit history lesson to say that the government will continue to ignore the call to hold local government elections.
Ralph Ramkarran, a former PPP stalwart, also critiqued the idea:
Ambassador Hardt has been accused of being disrespectful to the Head of State, President Ramotar, by pointing out what he saw as seeming inconsistencies in his defence of the Constitution. He pointed out that President Ramotar rejected the Local Government Commission Bill on the ground that it is unconstitutional but defends not holding local government elections which violates the Constitution.
By relying on ‘feral’ responses by an invited ‘warrior’ to the Ambassador’s home, the President lost the opportunity of defending his position, which he is quite capable of doing. While the Ambassador’s public remarks about the President’s inconsistencies may not be usual, public figures are expected to defend themselves, which is what the Ambassador no doubt expected.
Map of Guyana. Wikipedia Commons.
Ramkarran also referred to a historical incident, involving the PPP's founder and former Guyanese President Dr. Cheddi Jagan:
Guyana has already accepted the precedent for intervention in its internal affairs in relation to elections. In December 1989 Cheddi Jagan, in a letter to President George H. W. Bush, urged his support for free and fair elections in Guyana. President Bush, as if in response but without saying so, expressed the hope to President Hoyte on Republic Day, February 23, 1990, that the elections would be free and fair. The message was repeated by the State Deparment and six Senators later wrote Secretary of State James Baker requesting that US aid be tied to free and fair elections.
President Hoyte’s initial reaction to President Bush’s and the late Senator Edward Kennedy’s letter making the same call was similar to the reaction of our Government now. In fact, President Hoyte said that he had thrown Senator Kennedy’s letter in the garbage. But President Carter then entered the picture and free and fair elections came under direct American tutelege. Apart from national elections, the PPP fought for local government elections since 1970 when they were last held under the [People's National Congress] PNC. If the US is inconsistent, what about Guyana?
The reference to Dr. Cheddi Jagan is significant not only being he was the founder of the PPP but also because when the PPP was first elected in 1953, the colonial authorities of what was then British Guiana suspended the constitution due to their fears of Jagan's leftist leanings. Britain and the United States are also accused of pressuring the PPP into accepting proportional representation during the negotiations for independence in 1963.
It was felt at the time that the PNC (People's National Congress) lead by Forbes Burnham would be a more reliable partner during the Cold War than the PPP. This decision played into the racial dynamics of politics in Guyana: the PPP's base was within the Indo-Guyanese community while the PNC was mainly supported by the Afro-Guyanese population. Many PPP supporters believe that the decision to adopt a system of proportional representation diluted its support and was instrumental in keeping them out of power. This explains why many in the PPP are wary of what they consider to be outside interference in Guyanese politics.
Some on Twitter thought Manickchand's words were undiplomatic:
I used to like Priya Manickchand but she needs to have several seats. She's been so outta control lately! That was NOT the time or place.
— ♔ Sean Rodrigues ♔ (@MrSeanRodrigues) July 3, 2014
The Government of Guyana owes the US Ambassador, Brent Hardt an apology. That's all.
— ♔ Sean Rodrigues ♔ (@MrSeanRodrigues) July 3, 2014
Priya Manickchand's behaviour towards US Ambassador D Brent Hardt proves she has no diplomacy. #politicians #guyana
— Samuel Sukhnandan (@timothygy) July 3, 2014
The leader of the opposition, David Granger, has called for Manickchand to apologize for her statements along with the third largest political party Alliance For Change (AFC).

author: Matthew Hunte


text:
Will India’s Search for ‘Black Money’ Stashed Abroad End in Fortune or Frustration? · Global Voices
Nikhil Dhingra

Yoga guru Ramdev protests in New Delhi against black money and corruption. Image by Rohit Gautam. Copyright Demotix (12/8/2012)
$1.87 trillion. That is the value of India’s GDP from the last fiscal year. In comparison, $1.34 trillion is the amount of money that Indians have allegedly stored overseas in Swiss bank accounts in order to avoid paying taxes, dubbed by the government as “black money.”
Up until now, that reported $1.34 trillion seemed practically unreachable due to legal barriers and a lack of effort from politicians in power. However, with the recent election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the search for Indians’ hidden funds seems to have taken a new direction.
Last month, in one of the largest democratic elections ever recorded, India elected Modi, the former chief minister of the Gujarat state, as their new prime minister and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as their ruling party. With the BJP’s overall domination in these elections and combined with a populous that is starving for change, Modi is expected to bring the spark that India has been searching for as they strive to become a more developed country.
Modi began this campaign less than 24 hours after being elected, when he announced that he would create a special commission tasked with the location and retrieval of India’s infamous black money.
Since about two-thirds of India’s GDP rely solely on cash, black money has been a commonly overlooked issue in India. But Modi has vowed to locate these hidden funds and use them to revitalize their developing economy. As of June 30, he had already made a request to certain banks in Switzerland (where the money is believed to be held in) asking for specific bank details and names of Indians who have unaccounted money stored in their facilities.
According to Arun Kumar, author of ‘The Black Economy in India,’ the investigation will “send out a loud and clear signal to all tax evaders.”
Many, like Sukant Singh from OneIndia News, believe that once the black money is found it will help revitalize the Indian economy. Singh points towards India’s massive foreign debt which is leading to high fiscal deficit in the country. According to Singh, if the black money was recovered, all of India’s foreign debt could be repaid within 24 hours.
But for some, Modi's moves are not enough. Blogger Shrinidhi Hande criticized all the hype instead of actual action:
Why give so much publicity to the issue and so little action? Is it not possible to send an envoy to Switzerland, make the Swiss Bankers pull out the list from their computers, simultaneously raid those people back in India, freeze their accounts and seize their properly till further investigation? Is it not the right way to act? Of course Swiss bankers may not be willing to comply- but with some diplomatic and international pressure, it is very much possible.
Soutik Biswas, a blogger affiliated with BBC News, feels that the cause of the lack of action on the issue stems from the politicians themselves and their corrupt policies:
[The government] also talks about a new amnesty scheme for ‘black money,’ which is really a slap in the face of the honest tax payer. Since independence, the government has offered ‘voluntary disclosure schemes’ six times, most recently in 1997. Less than $1bn was declared, which most experts believe was a fraction of the black money in the market at that time. India’s autonomous federal auditors once remarked that the disclosure schemes encourage people to become “habitual tax offenders”, knowing full well that they can hoard money without paying income taxes.
However, some people such as Chandrahas Choudhury from Bloomberg View believe that Modi is embarking on a pointless search which will not end in the “fairy tale” fashion that Choudhury believes many Indians are holding out for.
Choudhury dispelled the popular assumption that recovery these funds could be the key to ending all of India’s problems as they would be considered a national asset and would go straight into the hands of the state. He pointed to a recent report that cited that Indians held no more than $2 billion in the Swiss banking system: a fraction of the original estimate.
The widely debated issue of the hunt for the black money funds has been become even more intense in the past few weeks. The issue has not only been debated on various news outlets, but also within social media as well. There are many Indians who are not only curious as to how the hunt will end, but where the money is actually being held to begin with.
A public policy commenter tweeted:
This bringing black money from foreign banks is a wild goose chase. Focus on measures tht ensure no new creation of black money; stamp duty?
— हम भारत के लोग (@India_Policy) July 8, 2014
Sameer Bhagat, a member of the Indian National Congress, believes that the black money that India is searching for is actually hiding in plain sight:
Swiss accounts are a diversion. Bulk of black money is right here in India – TOI – http://t.co/gWytfYSn9L #AccheDin for #BlackMoney in India
— Sameer Bhagat (@iSameerBhagat) July 7, 2014
Others, such as Amrita Dasgupta, a resident of Varanasi and Delhi, are seeking answers from the politicians who are directly involved in the investigation:
What is the reaction of #BJP, #Ramdev and #Subramnyam Swami on #GOI ‘s announcement on #Blackmoney?
— Amrita Dasgupta (@amritdasgupta) July 7, 2014
While it is unclear how the hunt for black money will end, the idea of finding $1.34 trillion in hidden funds has definitely caught the attention of many. For the Indians who may have black money stored overseas themselves, they will have to wait and see how the money ends up getting used by the government. Until then, most Indians can only speculate if the new prime minister will follow through on his promise and find the black money that has been haunting India for far too long.

author: Nikhil Dhingra


text:
Peruvian Singer Pisko’s Viral Hit Gets People Talking Patriotism · Global Voices
Alex Pashley

The tousled-haired Pisko in a still from ‘Peruano’. Source: YouTube.
“God, I insist, please let me see Peru in Russia 2018,” read the plea of one fan at the Spain-Netherlands match in Salvador, Brazil on June 13. The sentiment was sure to resonate with Peru’s weary football supporters, stuck in a 32-year World Cup rut that last saw them feature in 1982.
But few would have expected that this fan, Piero Campaña, aka ‘Pisko’ to be the country’s new Internet sensation weeks later. His viral hit, ‘Peruano’ –a rapping homage to his country of birth over rock guitars– has had over 750,000 YouTube views in a week as of July 8.
The song has drawn praise for its showcasing of Peru’s best features, such as the Nazca Lines, Cusco, and his rousing call to unite all Peruvians. “I’m Peruvian, I live in Peru. I’m Peruvian, I live like you. And with the same shirt you were born with,” he blasts in the chorus.
Pisko at the Spain-Netherlands match, republished by user @terra.pe.
Critics, however, say Pisko — who presumably takes his name from the country's signature liqor, Pisco — is an opportunist using the patriotic paean to launch his music career. The shout-outs of cities and odd words in Quechua, an indigenous language, don't disguise the marketing spin ahead of its 193rd celebration of independence from the Spanish at the end of July, they add. It has nonetheless stirred debate about what it is to be Peruvian, with over 3,000 comments written on the video-upload site.
Lima daily newspaper El Comercio notes the number of views are an “achievement few Peruvian artists can expect to boast about”.
The Andean country of 30 million is ethnically diverse, possessing indigenous populations in its mountain and jungle regions, to mestizo and fairer-skinned people of European ancestry on the coast.
Excelente el mensaje de #Pisko pero la canción mmmm ahí nomás. Si sirve para que nos identifiquemos un poquito más con el Perú, bienvenido.
— Felix Ravn (@FelixRavn) July 7, 2014
The message is excellent, but the song, hmmm. If it means that we identify ourselves more with Peru, for me it's welcome.
típico marketero calabazon “@Luces_ECpe: La historia detrás de #Pisko, la nueva estrella peruana de #YouTube http://t.co/D90ETPkHoy
— Yazmin Vela (@minyazve) July 6, 2014
Typical marketeering shallow-headed.
@dakowaro Muy bonito el video, solo hay que contarle a #Pisko que la #capoeira es de #Brasil, no es una danza tradicional peruana #musica
— AZPITIA (@Azpitia) July 7, 2014
The video is very nice. We should tell Pisko Capoeira is from Brazil and not a traditional Peruvian dance.
Quién es este chico blanco que canta sobre el Perú y no sabe rapear. #pisko #peruano
— dahiana (@Dahiana_3) July 4, 2014
Who's this white guy who sings about Peru and doesn't know how to rap?
But some aren't too endeared to Pisko:
me averguenza saber que el video de pisko puede ser visto en otros países
— Dario Van Woof (@trainsporking) julio 7, 2014
It's embarrassing that Pisko's video can be seen in other countries.
Elemental Visual Media, Pisko's advertising agency, said “the affection [Pisko] has for the country isn't cheap talk, nor opportunist speech.”
Whether self-publicist chancer or genuine patriot, Pisko's training as an economist is apparent in the video's graphs on gross domestic product and education rates. How many other artists can claim to have those credentials?

author: Alex Pashley


text:
Russia’s Armchair Warrior Turns on Ukraine’s Rebel Leader · Global Voices
Aric Toler

Russia's armchair warrior? Sergei Kurginyan earns himself a meme on the Russian Internet. Images mixed by Kevin Rothrock.
Russian supporters of the insurgency in eastern Ukraine are panicking after rebels fled from their stronghold in Slovyansk last week. Igor Strelkov, the retired Russian military intelligence colonel who commands the rebel militia, has come under fire from erstwhile admirers for “surrendering” the city to national troops. On July 5, after the retreat from Slovyansk, some Russians turned on Strelkov, suddenly questioning his wisdom and even his motives.
The internecine spectacle was fodder for critics of Ukraine’s insurgency, who seized on a particularly scathing video blog (see below) by Sergei Kurginyan. (Read the Russian transcript here.)
Kurginyan is something of a Renaissance man, having worked as a political scientist, geophysicist, theatre director, and television host. More than three years ago, he founded a “patriotic movement” called “Essence of Time,” which has attracted more than 9 thousand subscribers and 2.2 million views on YouTube. Over the past week, Kurginyan has used the Essence of Time’s YouTube channel to rain down hatred on the government in Kiev.
When Strelkov withdrew from Slovyansk, Kurginyan turned his ire on the rebel commander, going so far as to fault him for failing to defend the city to the death, like Sparta’s King Leonidas. The video criticizing Strelkov has attracted almost 300 thousand views in three days.
A day after Kurginyan posted his tirade, Alexey Navalny’s Twitter account challenged Russian Twitter users to create an Internet meme using a still image from the video. (The image Navalny selected features Kurginyan holding up his hand to swear an oath to his audience that Strelkov, contrary to frequent complaining about a lack of resources, has received all the necessary support from Russia.) An anti-corruption activist and vocal critic of Russia’s support for Ukraine’s insurgency, Navalny is also a hyper-popular blogger, with 674 thousand followers on Twitter.
Navalny was quick to point out that Kurginyan, at one point in the video, also lashes out at “armchair loudmouths” who dispute his version of events in Ukraine. As it happens, Kurginyan delivers this message from a couch, seated alongside two automatic rifles, looking very much the poster child of armchair analysis.
Сергей Кургинян обрушился с критикой на “диванных болтунов” pic.twitter.com/pgmnat4aa7
— Alexey Navalny (@navalny) July 6, 2014
Sergei Kurginyan lashes out at “armchair loudmouths.”
Oleg Kashin, a journalist and prominent figure in Russian social media, noted Kurginyan’s ‘bravery of being out of range,’ highlighting the hypocrisy of criticizing Strelkov’s military strategy from the comfort of a sofa.
Кургинян не имел права ОБВИНЯТЬ Стрелкова, сидя на ТЕПЛОМ диване.
— Kashin⚓Kashin⚓Kashin (@KSHN) July 8, 2014
Kurginyan did not have the right to DENOUNCE Strelkov while sitting on a WARM couch.
Even Konstantin Rykov, one of Twitter’s most popular pro-Kremlin users, joined in on the fun, reframing Kurginyan’s rant as sports commentary on Brazil’s crushing defeat in the World Cup:
Кургинян: «У меня два простых вопроса: зачем отдали мяч сопернику и кто дал проход Клозе?»
— Константин Рыков (@rykov) July 8, 2014
Kurginyan: “I have two simple questions: why did they surrender the ball to their opponent and who let [Miroslav] Klose get through?”
Others on Twitter have contributed photoedited images, taking up Navalny’s challenge to transform Kurginyan’s odd gesture into a meme.
Стар трек pic.twitter.com/JxXfuUwy4D
— Pavel Senko (@senko) July 6, 2014
Star Trek.
Извините. pic.twitter.com/qWyf8gG6cv
— Хуевый Эмигрант (@ReggaeMortis1) July 6, 2014
I couldn’t resist.
Раз все Кургиняна постят pic.twitter.com/nMTAQTWUL0
— RIP Новости (@riarip) July 6, 2014
Since everyone’s posting Kurginyan pics…
The online antics don’t stop at Twitter, either. Days ago, a fanciful petition to conscript Kurginyan into the Donetsk rebel militia appeared on Change.org, where 744 people have already endorsed the idea.

author: Aric Toler


text:
The Irreplaceable Personal Student-Teacher Relationship · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Image by www.audio-luci-store.it on flickr (CC BY 2.0).
Under the section Educational Relationships on the blog No hay mejor maestra que la vida (There is no better teacher than life), Luis María Llena León shares his experience with his high school students in Spain. What follows is the conclusion after an exchange between one of the students and the waiter in the place where they met to celebrate the end of the academic year:
No puedo añadir mucho más a las enseñanzas de aquel amable camarero. La educación se basa en una relación interpersonal; cuando esa relación fluye con facilidad y generosidad, la educación es más sencilla y fructífera; cuando hay dificultad en la relación, la hay en la educación. Mantengo una buena relación de amistad con algunos de los que fueron mis educadores y la mantengo, también, con algunos de quienes han sido mis alumnos a lo largo de todos estos años; todas enriquecen mi vida.
I can't add much more to the teachings of that nice waiter. Education is based in an interpersonal relationship. When it flows easily and generously, education is simpler and productive. When the relationship is difficult, the education is difficult as well. I keep a good friendship with some of my educators and I also keep it with some of my students all along these years. They all enrich my life.
Follow him on Twitter at @luismariallena.


text:
Bangladeshi Sex Workers Take Cow Steroids To Mask Their Real Age · Global Voices
Rezwan

ActionAid, a British charity, mentioned in a recent report that 90% of commercial sex workers in Bangladesh are addicted to Oradexon, a steroid meant for cattle. Diaspora Bangladeshi blogger Anushay Hossain explains why they use this drug:
This medicine meant to fatten cows has become the preferred drug among the madams [employers of sex workers] of Bangladesh. They are using the pills to mask the real age of the underage girls working for sex in their brothels by making them appear older and at the same time making the more ‘seasoned’ sex-worker look plum and voluptuous.


text:
This Woman Is Leading Baloch Students in Their Struggle for Independence From Pakistan  · Global Voices
Jahanzeb Hussain

Banuk Karima Baloch, chairperson of the Baloch Student Organization-Azad (BSO-Azad) at a rally in Karachi in June. Screenshot from a YouTube video uploaded by DeraBugtichannel.
This might come as a surprise to people who follow mainstream media’s coverage of Pakistan: one of the most controversial student organizations in the country is led by a woman.
Banuk Karima Baloch is the chairperson of the Baloch Student Organization (BSO-Azad), the largest ethnic Baloch student body in the country, which was banned by Pakistan in 2013 for being involved in “terrorism.”
Karima's organization plays a major role in mobilizing young dissidents and separatists in Balochistan, the country's southwestern province, which is plagued by poverty, sectarian violence and an insurgency against the Pakistani state.
BSO-Azad was established in 2002 by Allah Nazar Baloch, a well-known separatist fighter. He is currently the commander of the banned Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), the most active militant group in the Baloch armed resistance against the Pakistani state.
Besides these very pertinent ground realities, women in Balochistan face additional challenges: they live in Pakistan's least developed province, where men dominate public life; maternity mortality rates here are among the highest in Asia and female literacy rates in the province are the lowest in the country.
Yet in recent years, Baloch women have been at the forefront of trying to call attention to Balochistan's “missing people“, one of the ugly and underreported aspects of the insurgency in Balochistan. In 2013 alone, 116 bodies were found across the province, 87 of which were identified by families who accused Pakistan’s security agencies of abducting their loved ones. According to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, since 2010, the bodies of hundreds of Balochistan’s missing men have turned up bearing torture marks.
In May, Karima spoke about Baloch women, their role in the current freedom struggle and her aspirations for Balochistan in an interview conducted in Urdu. I translated the original interview into English for my blog Collateral Damage. Below is an excerpt of the translated interview.
This is the first time a woman is the head of a student organization in Balochistan. What are your feelings on being called to lead BSO-Azad?
Banuk Karima Baloch (BKB): Since in our organization there is no gender discrimination, men and women are participating in the national struggle side by side. During my time as the leader of the organization, I have never felt that I am different or inferior based on the fact that I am a woman. However, I am happy that the participation of my Baloch sisters in the freedom struggle has changed the thinking of the Baloch society toward women. With the resurrection of the national movement, many conservative traditions have now disappeared. Baloch women are, compared to the past, a lot more free and active.
In the present situation where the margin for legal political activities in Balochistan is becoming thinner and thinner, what strategy do you plan to adopt?
BKB: For us, peaceful struggle has been turned into a lethal poison. During the previous three years, many of our members have been brutally killed and thousands have been abducted. Two months back, the chairman of my organization was kidnapped right in front of my eyes. Before that, in 2009, the vice-chairman of our organization Zakir Majeed was kidnapped by the secret services while he was attending a crowded procession. He is still missing. Alongside the BSO-Azad, Majeed’s family struggled tirelessly for his released but in vain.
What I want to say is that the noose has been tightened around our necks. But regardless of that, we continue to persist. Even if the state continues to behave toward us as if it has no conscience, we will not relent from our peaceful and just struggle. Peaceful struggle is our right under international law. The more the savagery of the state, the more we will continue to resist, persevere and rise.
Women of Balochistan are playing an important role in the campaign for missing people. What impact will this phenomenon have on the Baloch nationalist movement? How does the Baloch society react to the participation of women in political activities?
BKB: As I stated, attitudes toward women in the Baloch society have evidently changed. Today, people feel proud at the participation of women in the national movement. Banuk Farzana, Banuk Sami Baloch and the rest of the sisters, due to their brave efforts, are looked upon as the symbols of the national movement. If you look at it, our population is small and is geographically dispersed; and so the women, who are half of our population, have played an instrumental role in solidifying our movement.
I also want to point out that the state and its agencies are left scratching their heads thanks to this trend. They are trying to come up with new ways to harass and threaten Baloch women so that their progress could be curtailed, so that they are unable to participate in the national movement. Last year, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, in the Baloch area of Quetta, carried out a bomb attack inside a girls’ college. The creation of a new Islamic group in Panjgur recently and the threats to shut down women’s education are other examples of the state policy. Last year in Turbat, Pakistani secret and security services raided a couple of education institutes, destroyed all the education materials, and later sold those institutes. These were those institutions where education and progress of women was encouraged and preferred.
What is your view on the present social and economic condition of women in Balochistan? What are the main challenges and how can they be overcome?
BKB: Despite being laden with natural resources, Balochistan is one of the least developed areas in the world. It is not just the women who are affected by the colonial rule Pakistan has imposed on us; every single Baloch person is forced to live a life of a second-class citizen. According the government’s own statistics, 52.2 percent of of the population of Balochistan is suffering from malnutrition. But in reality, a far higher number is malnourished. Apart from that, the UN Population Fund has noted that the infant mortality rate is at extremely dangerous levels. Every 20 minutes, a woman dies during childbirth.
The point that I am trying to make is that it is due to the oppressive system Pakistan has imposed on us and the public’s ignorance about it that people are under so much suffering. If Balochistan does not free itself from Pakistani rule, it will continue to suffer from poverty, destitution, and social and cultural decay.
Is there any particular female figure in the history of Balochistan who inspires you?
BKB: In Baloch history, I pay tribute to Hatun Bibi and the sacrifices she made in the struggle against the occupiers of Balochistan in Iran. She bravely fought alongside her family, especially Dad Shah, against the enemies.
Are there any efforts in hand on your part to contact the student organizations of other provinces, particularly Sindh, in order to enlarge your solidarity base?
BKB: Various student organizations have helped us in our campaign to demand the release of BSO-Azad’s chairman Zahid Baloch. In Karachi and elsewhere, they held protests and rallies in our support. In many areas, human rights groups have shown deep solidarity with us and with Lateef Johar, who is on a hunger strike unto death. We are trying to increase our collaboration with these groups; at least on the grounds of solidarity, we should remain associated and keep our relations going.
What message would you like to convey to the people, especially to the women of Pakistan?
BKB: I would like the Baloch people, especially women, to focus on education and become part of the fight against tyranny and slavery, so that Balochistan can be freed and made into an exemplary nation where there is no discrimination based on ethnicity, caste, gender, class, etc.

author: Jahanzeb Hussain


text:
Empowering Girls Through Sports in Bolivia · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

The blog El clavo en el zapato (The nail in the shoe) visited District 4 in El Alto, where the project “Niñas con altura” (Girls with height) is fostering the participation of high school girls in sports. It's funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the foundation Save The Children:
Fue muy emocionante observar a 200 beneficiarias del proyecto, dialogar e intercambiar con un par de personajes singulares: Maitte Zamorano, atleta y futbolista […]. La acompañó Iris Uriona, una de las primeras mujeres árbitras de la Liga Profesional del Fútbol Boliviano.
Ambas compartieron sus sueños, recuerdos, ilusiones y retos. Para estas niñas alteñas, el tener tan de cerca a dos mujeres que con esfuerzo y trabajo, han logrado romper los moldes que se esperan de una joven boliviana, una de ellas con la capacidad de ser la goleadora del continente y la otra siendo jueza y voz de autoridad ante un conjunto de varones, que sin embargo han recibido poca atención mediática.
[…]
Iniciativas como las de “Niñas con altura” están poniendo las bases para tener una juventud que pueda soñar con llegar muy arriba, incorporando precisamente lo que han aprendido jugando: liderazgo, autoestima y participación en la comunidad.
It was very exciting to watch 200 beneficiaries of the project, conversing and exchanging with two unique figures: Maitte Zamorano, athlete and football player […]. With them, there was Iris Uriona, one of the first female referees in the Professional Football Bolivian League.
Both of them shared their dreams, memories, excitement and challenges. For these girls from El Alto, having two women who through effort and hard work have been able to break the mold that is expeccted of young Bolivian women, one of them with the ability of being the continent's top goal scorer and the other a judge and authority among a group of men, that nonetheless have gotten little attention from the media.
[…]
Initiatives such as “Niñas con altura” are setting the foundations for having a generation that can dream of being on the top, incorporating precisely what they have learned by playing: leadership, self-esteem and community participation.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


text:
Budget Cuts Leave Barbados’ Health System Gasping for Air · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Who in their right mind believed that a 35 million dollar cut to the health budget 2013 would not have adversely affected healthcare delivery in Barbados?
Barbados Underground fears that the primary medical facility in the country, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is on its death bed.


text:
If You’re an Artist in China Who Wants to Perform Abroad, Your Life Just Got More Complicated · Global Voices
Owen Guo

Chinese singer Tanjing at the Golden Hall of Vienna in 2006. Screenshot from YouTube.
China has announced directives to crack down on organised performances on foreign soil by its art groups, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday, as a widening austerity drive launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping spills over into the realm of cultural exchange programs.
The move came as the anti-corruption campaign has ensnared a number of high-ranking Communist Party officials accused of economic-related crimes. Since becoming Chinese President in 2012, Xi Jinping has vowed to fight endemic corruption and tried to present a government that is humble and abstemious.
“In recent years, some art groups and social organisations have frequently gone to performing avenues like the famous Golden Hall of Vienna or headquarters of certain international organisations to perform in the name of cultural exchange,” Xinhua wrote.
“Some activities have used government funds with no consideration of cost, who the audience is and the potential effect,” it added. “Such activities have wasted money and human power and they have also damaged the dignity of national art and encouraged formalism, which has had a very bad social impact.”
During non-performance seasons overseas, the directives state, Chinese art groups will be banned from going abroad for shows at famous performing venues. Also forbidden are shows that are either self-financed or government-funded, the agency cited the Chinese Ministry of Culture as saying. Individuals and art groups must seek approval from cultural administrators if they wish to perform at “headquarters of international organisations.”
Though the ministry announcement made no mention of the type of art groups that they are targeting, the news is likely to send chills across the culture sector as it has already taken a hit from the government's austerity drive.
At least 10,000 performing companies have gone bankrupt or suspended their operations, a culture scholar told the Beijing Times this month.
Despite all this, China's State Council, the cabinet, issued a document in March that pledged to increase China's cultural exports and bolster investment in the country's culture sector.
Following the Xinhua report, Chinese social media has been filled with a wide spectrum of opinions.
Huoxu Wendu wrote on Sina Weibo, the popular Twitter-like microblogging site:
据我所知，现在甚至有一些私人民办小学、中学也组织学生合唱团去维也纳演唱打响知名度。不好说是坏事还是好事。
As far as I am know, some privately-owned primary and middle schools are also organising student choirs for Vienna to seek fame. I don't know if this is a good thing or bad thing.
A prominent Shanghai-based dancer, Jinxin, who has 1.6 million followers on Weibo, applauded the move:
早该如此，才反应过来啊？花了多少纳税人的钱！赞一个！
This should have been implemented long time ago, why did it take so long for [the government] to realise? How much of the taxpayers’ money had already been spent? Thumbs-up for [the policy]!
Ma'er had a different take:
镀金没关系，市场决定了价值。只怕这一禁止，剩下能去的又成了某些团体的指定配额。很搞笑，明显的商业文化行为，又为什么出台这么多不切实际的龟腚。其实，人家维亚纳都不在意，只不过淡季创收而已。这种所谓的禁止令，是否又存在阻碍中国软实力的外销。
It's OK to go abroad to learn, market determines the value. I am afraid that once the ban is implemented, the number of people who can actually go will be seen as set quotas by certain groups. It's funny, it's just a purely commercial undertaking, why bother to roll out such an impractical regulation. In fact, Vienna couldn't care less, it just wants to increase its earnings during low seasons. Also, will such a ban impede China's sale of its soft culture?
Jia Kuizhi wrote that it was a good decision:
国有文化单位体制改革，是解决问题的根本方法。文化单位又不提供公共产品，没有理由财政供养。
Structural reform of state-owned culture companies is the fundamental way to fix the problem. Cultural products are not public products, there is no reason for financial support from the government.

author: Owen Guo


text:
Sparrows in China Died From Eating Too Much Rice? Chinese Netizens Are Skeptical · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A large number of sparrows died after eating rice spilled on the ground from a shipment at a dock in Yichang city, Sichuan province. A local food security expert said that the sparrows probably just ate too much and burst. Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated the news as well as Chinese netizens’ responses.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Activists in Hong Kong and Taiwan Are Sharing Tools to Map and Live-Stream Protests  · Global Voices
Ronald Yick

Prior to the July 1 march, Code4HK prepared maps showing the locations of booths of different political organizations and locations of WiFi hotspots, toilets, recycling bins and dispensers. Screenshot from Code4.HK's Hackfoldr site
The Taiwanese Sunflower Movement, which saw protesters occupy the island's legislature in March over a secretly negotiated trade deal with China, demonstrated to world how technology and information can win public support and facilitate a mass mobilization against authorities.
Can this be duplicated in other Chinese communities? Two Hong Kong tech teams, Resistance Online and Code4HK, are working with their Taiwanese counterparts to do just that.
During the July 1 rally in Hong Kong, which gathered a half a million people to protest for universal suffrage, democracy and autonomy from China, the teams tested a set of tools that were used earlier in Taiwan including mapping, live-streaming and Hackfoldr, an information hub that allows different files and formats to be organized and shared easily.
Code4HK engages developers and citizens who advocate open-source coding, open data, and transparent government. The group makes use of maps or graphics with data to report and put all the links of live streams to hackfoldr as archive. The map above was the group's contribution to the July 1 rally.
Screenshot of the Facebook page of Resistance Online, which shows live updates on the July 1 rally.
Resistance Online, on the other hand, focuses on instant reporting and live-streaming from the protest scene. They archive all the live-streams and reports in a Hackfoldr with the support of Code4HK.
Initially, Resistance Online approached Taiwanese activist “indietaiwan” to help set up the live-streaming system for the protests against the Hong Kong government's  Northeast New Territories development plan back in June. Leo Yiu, a member of Resistance Online, explained the background of the Taiwanese-Hong Kong collaboration an interview with Global Voices. He was inspired by the live-streaming of occupation of Legislative Yuan and wanted to see the same effect in Hong Kong:
直播很重要，讓沒辦法到現場的朋友也可以參與擴大運動的影響力。我們就是把兩者結合，文字和影響，還有中英，以及hackfolder把各方資訊放在一起。要讓不懂廣東話／中文的人也能參與到各種抗爭活動中。
我們看到Code4HK之前做了hackfolder網站，然後一個朋友先去問。然後具我所知是Code4HK幫忙我們的hackfolder整理。基本上hackfolder內容也是我們搭，但一些進階的技術（例如不讓影像網頁跳出，而是embed），還是仰賴Code4HK的支援。
Live-streaming is so important for those who cannot attend the protests. It can also expand the influence of movements. We collect texts and videos in both English and Chinese and organize the information into a Hackfoldr. We need to engage those who do not know Cantonese/Chinese into protests.
We noticed that Code4HK had set up Hackfoldr before, so we asked them for more information. Now Code4HK helped us to maintain the infrastructure of Hackfoldr, while we fill in the content. Code4HK provides more advanced skills, such as how not to embed video in the Hackfoldr.
Eventually “indietaiwan” travelled to Hong Kong for the July 1 rally and led a live-streaming team. With the help, Leo learned how to send digital videos to a computer and get access to the Internet through a mobile router.
So far, several thousand netizens have visited Resistance Online's July 1 Hackholdr, mostly from Taiwan.
After the march, Code4HK has continued to recruit developers who are willing to engage in social issues with their data-mining and programming skills. Resistance Online, has prepared for live-streaming and building up a hackfoldr for the mobilization against the Northeast New Territories development plan.
The driving forces between the Taiwan-Hong Kong collaboration, in addition to the growing influence of Beijing in the two regions, is the formation of a cross-border Chinese activist community. For Leo, the tie between Taiwan and Hong Kong is more related with the exchange of popular culture and activist experience:
我覺得為什麼台港的結連會有那麼強烈的結連，背後並不只是所謂的中國因素，背後是很複雜的，可能人人都不一樣，像我自己，我是看台灣的電影、聽台灣的歌、看台灣的書長大的，然後在之前的工作，也跟台灣的娼妓運動、性別平權運動有結連，很多很好的朋友也是台灣人，所以在我心裡是對台灣有很強烈的感情，背後我覺得是因為長期文化交流、互動的影響，因為喜歡、欣賞台灣的一些文化，所以會關注太陽花、文萌樓、台獨、原住民等等的議題，就希望能在香港也出一分量，支援台灣的各種守護各種文化的抗爭行動，因為那些文化，我也會受用、也對我有很大的影響。
The strong link between Taiwan and Hong Kong, I think, is not due to the so-called China factor. It is a complex story. For me, I watch Taiwanese films, listen to Taiwanese songs, read Taiwanese books. I work for the rights of sex workers and gender equality. I have good Taiwanese friends. That is why I have a strong attachment with Taiwan. The long-term cultural exchange. I like Taiwanese culture. Therefore, I am concerned about the Sunflower Movement, the Wenmeng Building issue [the protest against a real-estate investor’s plan to evict sex workers], the sovereignty issue, and indigenous people. I hope I can support cultural movements in Taiwan from Hong Kong. It has affected me a lot.
As for Ted, who is a Taiwanese student in Hong Kong and also a member of Resistance Online, he wished that the cross-border collaboration could help the activist communities from the two regions to learn from each other:
我有個動力是來自於如果有機會盡量讓台灣朋友看多一點不同的香港。舉個例子來說，有些台灣朋友看到衝進立法會，直覺會說台灣佔領立法院帶領香港運動。但其實有影響，可是不是簡單的觀點，這觀點只是台灣說給自己爽，沒看到土地議題經營很久。新界東北是香港人其中的一種生活方式，不應該被摧毀。特區政府和地產霸權想用強權謀利，是必需要被反抗、推倒。
I want to let Taiwanese see Hong Kong in different ways. For example, some Taiwanese friends contended that Hong Kong was following in Taiwan's footsteps when protesters in Hong Kong attempted to force their way into the Legislative Council [on June 20 and 27 against the Northeast New Territories development plan]. Such a view obviously neglected the effort of various groups in advocating the idea of “land justice” in development. We should protect the lifestyle of residents in the Northeast New Territories. The government and property developers join their hands to reap the profits from land development. This should be stopped.
The 614-hectare development plan in the Northeast New Territories was put forward by the Hong Kong government in the chief executive's policy address in 2013. Opponents fear that if the government refuses to reduce the size, the project will destroy Hong Kong's remaining farming communities in the New Territories. While the government argues that the project will provide new homes for the Hong Kong people, opposition groups points out that only less than 96 hectares (16 percent) of the land is allocated for residential purposes.
Some argue that the new development area is intended to be a border city to serve mainland Chinese tourists or the cross-border business sector. A series of protests against the development plan started in June when the government tried to pass the budget plan in the Legislative Council and more protests will follow as the government moves forward and acquires the land with force.
The Taiwan civil society is a step ahead of Hong Kong in the advocacy of land justice, in addition to the use of technology and tools, so there will certainly be more exchanges among activists in the future.
Follow our in-depth coverage: Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution

author: Ronald Yick


text:
“I Increasingly See More People Looking Like Zombies” · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Image by Áthila Armstrong on flickr (CC BY 2.0).
Its aim is to make you think a little, or at least, get a smile. This is the description of the blog Se hace camino al andar (You make the road as you go) managed by Andres Mayorquin who from Merida, México, explain us why some people look today so much as a zombie:
Seres humanos profundamente insatisfechos con lo que han sido, con lo que son y con lo que parece, serán, pero intentando a toda costa aparentar que todo va bien. Pero les ves los ojos y estos no brillan. Platicas con ellos y se quejan de todo. Miras su facebook y sólo lees dramas, personales o ajenos. Convives de cerca y notas cómo se dedican a perjudicar al prójimo, o por lo menos a ignorarlo. Más preocupados por tener que por ser y estar. Seres sin conciencia de lo que son.
Muchos hemos olvidado, por el diario trajín, por el exceso de información que nos rodea, por la llegada de un estímulo externo tras otro, qué es lo que le da sentido a nuestra vida. Tenemos memoria pero no tenemos historia; contamos con recuerdos y anécdotas, pero desconocemos el hilo conductor que los une e integra; vemos un árbol, y otro y otro más, pero somos incapaces de darnos cuenta del bosque en el que estamos.
Human beings unsatisfied with what they have been, with what they are and what it looks like, they will be, but trying hard to look as if everything is OK. But you look at their eyes and they don't shine, You talk to them and they complain about everything. You look at their Facebook accounts and there is oinly drama, personal or other people's. You live close to them and you realize how they engage themselves in affecting their fellowmen, or at least ignoring them, They are more worried for having to being. They are not conscious of what they are.
Many of us have forgotten, due to daily life, the excess of information that surrounds us, for having an outside incentive after another, what gives sense to our life. We've got memory but not history, we have memories and accounts, but we ignore the thread of the story that unites and integrates. We see a tree, and another and another but we can't appreciate the woods that surrounds us.
You can read other interesting stories on his personal blog or in his Twitter account.

author: Milton Ramirez


text:
Mexican Senate Passes #LeyTelecom Laws and Reforms · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Protest against LeyTelecom, Mexico City. Flickr picture by user kinoluiggi. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Mexico's Senate passed two laws related to the constitutional reform on telecommunications broadly known as #LeyTelecom (Telecom Law) on June 4, 2014. The next step in the legislative process is to have the Congress receive the Senate-approved document to continue the discussion and eventually sign it.
In an extraordinary period of meetings, the Senate approved two draft laws: the Mexican State Public System of Radio Transmissions  Law and the Federal Telecommunications and Radio Transmission Law.
Also, some changes to other laws related to the same topic were passed. The group of reforms has caused controversy and discussions among citizens for several months now, because such changes will impact a wide range of stakeholders and activities like Internet use, content broadcasting in open television channels, competition among open television and cable tv providers, fixed and mobile phone rates, media access to handicap people, radio, among others.
Blogger Sopitas and a group of activists began a dialogue with government agents around the proposed reforms on April this year. Regarding the Senate-approved law they stated:
Sobre los cambios en el tema de Internet las leyes secundarias #LeyTelecom
Libertad de expresión
: Se garantizará el libre acceso a la información en la red e Internet se mantendrá como un espacio libre para la expresión de las ideas más allá de los medios de comunicación tradicionales.
: Como existía ambigüedad en la iniciativa de ley en el tema de Internet, la solución fue suprimir los apartados que le preocupaban a la sociedad.
: Internet no es lo único preocupante de la Ley de Telecomunicaciones, SEGOB seguirá siendo el encargado de filtrar contenidos en radio y TV.
Inclusión de personas con capacidades diferentes y grupos vulnerables
: Se incorporarán diversas disposiciones que harán las telecomunicaciones más incluyentes para las personas con capacidades diferentes y para las comunidades vulnerables.
: No existe un mecanismo que obligue a los proveedores de acceso a internet y a los medios de comunicación a que cumplan con requisitos de accesibilidad.
: Tanto el tema de accesibilidad y los contenidos en otras lenguas deberían ser un tema prioritario.
Espionaje gubernamental telefónico
: El objetivo de estas modificaciones a la ley será garantizar la privacidad de todos los usuarios, no se aceptarán la intervención de conversaciones telefónicas privadas sin la orden de un juez.
: No es que no queramos confiar en la buena voluntad, ni que creamos que esto no se hacía antes sino que es preocupante ese espacio de colaboración con las empresas proveedoras de servicio y el gobierno.
: En el país de los presuntos culpables, ¿Cómo podemos estar tranquilos si México, carga con historias de desapariciones forzadas, censura, persecuciones políticas y encarcelamientos injustos? (Incluso bajo criterios de jueces).
Regarding the changes on the Internet proposed by the secondary laws of #LeyTelecom
Freedom of Expression
: Free access to information on the net will be guaranteed and Internet will remain a space for freedom of expression of ideas beyond those shared by traditional mass media.
: Since there were apprehensions on the draft law regarding Internet related issues, the solution was to erase the articles that worried citizens.
: Internet is not the only thing to be worried about on the Telecommunications Law. SEGOB (Interior Ministry) will continue to be in charge of filtering content in radio and TV.
Vulnerable and handicap people inclusion
: New dispositions were incorporated that will make telecommunications more inclusive for handicap and vulnerable population.
: There isn't a mechanism that forces Internet access providers and mass media to fulfill the accessibility requirements.
: Accessibility and underrepresented languages should be a priority issue.
Government Phone Espionage
: The objective of these reforms will be to guarantee privacy for all users. Phone tapping will not be allowed without a judge's order.
: We are not saying we don't trust the good will, or that we believe that this wasn't done before, but we are worried about the collaboration space between private providers and the government.
: In the country of the presumed guilty, how can we be calm knowing Mexico carries on its shoulders a history of forced disappearances, censorship, political prosecution and unjust imprisonments (even under judge's criteria)?
The reforms passing caused the following comment by El Zappo [es]:
Pero sin duda, el golpe más duro de esta semana, fue la aprobación de la que muchos han dicho es una contrarreforma: las leyes secundarias en materia de telecomunicaciones. Contraviniendo el espíritu de la reforma original, expertos en el tema como el senador Javier Corral han dicho que es un “arcón de regalos” a Televisa.
No doubt the hardest blow of the week was the approval of what many say is a counterreform: the secondary laws on telecommunications. Going against the spirit of the original reform, experts on the subject like senator Javier Corral have said that it is a “gifts chest” for Televisa.
The said Congressman, Javier Corral [es] pointed out on Homozapping [es]:
La reforma que se aprobó la madrugada de este sábado (4 de julio) trastoca dos de los principales ejes de la reforma constitucional en Telecomunicaciones y radiodifusión: promover la competencia, la pluralidad y la diversidad en los medios de comunicación, porque echa por la borda dos de sus grandes definiciones: la de las telecomunicaciones y la radiodifusión como servicios públicos de interés general, y su concepción en materia de derechos humanos, centralmente el derecho a la información.
El Ejecutivo federal recupera por la vía de la ley secundaria atribuciones que la Constitución otorgó de manera directa y exclusiva al IFT en el artículo 28.
El caso más delicado en relación con las libertades de expresión y de información, se produce en materia de vigilancia y sanción en la transmisión de contenidos de la radio y la televisión, así como en la administración de los tiempos de Estado. Se le devuelve a la Secretaría de Gobernación en el artículo 217, fracciones VI, VII, VIII, IX y X, facultades de supervisión, monitoreo, reserva gratuita de canales, verificación y sanción de las transmisiones, así como establecer lineamientos específicos que regulen la publicidad pautada en la programación destinada al público infantil.
The reformed passed on this Saturday night (July 4) disrupts two of the main axis of the constitutional reform on telecommunications and radio transmission: allow competition, plurality and diversity on mass media because it throws away two of its greatest definitions: the telecommunications and radio transmission as public services of general interest, and their definition as human rights mainly the right of information.
The federal Executive regains power over the responsibilities that the Constitution had given directly and exclusively to the IFT (Federal Telecommunications Institution) in article 28.
Regarding freedom of expression and information, the most sensitive case is on the matter of surveillance and censorship over radio and television content, as well as management of the State's air time. The Interior Ministry gets back article 217, fractions VI, VII, VIII, IX and X which are the faculties of supervision, monitoring, free channel reservation, verification and transmissions approval; as well as the establishment of guidelines that rule advertising in children programs.
Before #LeyTelecom was approved by the Senate, Twitter user Alberto Lujambio wrote:
Hace mucho tiempo no estaba tan avergonzado del país de mierda en el que vivimos. Corrupto, burdo, mediocre, bananero. #LeyTelecom
— Alberto Lujambio (@lujambioalberto) July 3, 2014
It's been a long time since I wasn't so ashamed of the shitty country we live in. Corrupt, raw, mediocre, third world. #LeyTelecom
Later, he added:
Nuestros legisladores son unos bandidos, nuestros periodistas unos ignorantes y nosotros, esclavos serviles. Siempre agachados, silentes.
— Alberto Lujambio (@lujambioalberto) July 3, 2014
Our congressmen are thieves, our journalists are ignorant, and we are fawning slaves.
Mony de Swaan, former chief of the country's telecommunications ruling body, pointed out congresmen who voten in favor of #LeyTelecom:
Que Senador por Chiapas @zoerobledo vote a favor de #LeyTelecom que insulta a radios indígenas, evidencia la distancia con sus representados
— Mony de Swaan (@Mony_de_Swaan) July 4, 2014
Chiapas’ senator @zoerobledo voting in favor of #LeyTelecom, which insults indigenous radios, is an evidence of the distance he has over his constituent
Twitter user Mark Randolph James spoke of the difficulty of exposing these issues to a global audience:
Que difícil y frustrante es explicarle a un extranjero que sucede en nuestras Camaras con la #LeyTelecom La palabra Monopolio es tan ajena
— Mark Randolph James (@MarkJamesMx) July 7, 2014
It is difficult and frustrating to explain a foreigner what is going on in our Congress with #LeyTelecom. The word Monopoly is so strange to them
User tavoselvas suggested that the issue will not be fully understood by the Mexican community:
Como todo lo demás q sí importa, la #LeyTelecom es un tema tan ajeno, lejano y críptico para nuestro pueblo q jamás verá sus efectos reales
— tavoselvas (@tavoselvas) July 7, 2014
As with everything that matters, #LeyTelecom is so unknown, distant and cryptic to our people that they'll never be aware of its real effects
The telecommunications reform, as well as the energy reform and the one that created the #NuevoIFAI (New Federal Institute of Information Access and Data Protection) resulted in a thorough review of the Constitution. Now, the passing of the so called “secondary laws” is having the Legislative Power busy and worrying the citizens. The people will be watching closely every stage of the process.

author: J. Tadeo