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Across Rivers, Atop Mountains: A Constituency Unreachable via Internet · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Mong Palatino is an activist who represented the youth sector in the Philippine Congress for two terms. He is Southeast Asia Editor of Global Voices.
Three hours across a river highway, Mong Palatino reached this upland village in Malapatan, Sarangani in January 2012 (Photo shared by Mong)
What are the duties of a party list legislator? Draft laws, participate in plenary debates, and yes, even climb mountains.
A lawmaker’s job is to articulate the demands of a constituency. Therefore, a lawmaker must regularly consult his people. In the context of a Third World agrarian archipelago like the Philippines, this means reaching out to villages living in remote hinterlands, small islands surrounded by active volcanoes, and even flooded river valleys.
Ideally, we could maximize Internet tools to connect the rural and the urban. Connectivity is increasing, but we cannot deny that a significant part of our population is still disconnected from wireless or even dial-up technologies.
Beautiful landscape of Upper Suyan, Malapatan, Sarangani (Shared by Mong)
Crowd-sourcing must be interpreted literally. In other words, citizens must still be physically gathered in an assembly where they can freely express their opinions. A lawmaker must sometimes cross hanging bridges, dirt roads and mountain trails to be present in these assemblies.
In the past four years, I had the privilege of attending numerous community meetings organized by students, farmers, fisherfolk, workers and indigenous peoples. I went to coastal barangays (villages), day care centers, reclamation sites, land reform zones and protest camps of striking workers. It was truly a marvelous experience to see the majestic islands of the Philippines; but it was also heartbreaking to witness the inhumanity of numbing poverty in both the countryside and Mega Manila.
Through my participation in these assemblies, I felt as if I was enrolled in massive, open offline courses on Philippine geography, social history, public administration and political science. They reveal what official government reports are excluding. They are testimonies of policy failures. At the same time, they provide a glimpse of grassroots democracy in action.
My most memorable non-official function was a trip I made to Sarangani in 2011. Located in the southernmost island of the country, Sarangani is famously represented in Congress by world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. It’s a poor province, yet blessed with abundant resources. It’s situated in the country’s tuna capital region and parts of the province are said to contain one of the largest gold deposits in the world.
Perhaps because of intensified mining activities, there is a military occupation in many villages to secure mining operations. The immediate impact was the deployment of troops in upland villages that negatively affected the lives of B’laan tribal communities, including the schooling of children.
I was invited by a non-governmental organization to visit a school taken over by the military in the municipality of Malapatan and to help deliver medical and food supplies in the area. After traversing a ‘river highway’ for three hours, we arrived in the upland village. The village chief was close to tears when he told me that I was the first member of Congress and the highest official of the land who had visited their region.
“The vehicle we used to cross a ‘river highway’ to reach Upper Suyan, Malapatan, Sarangani” January 2012. (Shared by Mong)
Indeed, the location is so remote that it’s not even included in the map of the municipality. Another part of the village can only be reached after trekking for more than five hours.
I saw the dilapidated conditions of the school. I met the teachers who expressed their frustration about the absence of vital social services in the village. I got the chance to interact with B’laan students. Later, I learned from the provincial education authorities that the situation in Malapatan is almost the same in other upland towns of the province.
This exposure inspired me to be more aggressive in Congress in demanding more funds for provincial public schools. It reminded me that the fundamental solution in addressing the crisis of Philippine education is to provide the basics of primary schooling: more investments for teachers, infrastructure and student support. But beyond these demands, I realized too that education reforms would be rendered meaningless if not accompanied by concrete poverty eradication measures.
The world may be advancing thanks to the wonders of IT but there are local spaces whose need for connectivity is not directly related to the Internet or social media. Indeed, a request for Wi-Fi connection would be quite laughable in a waterless community.
My term in Congress has ended but I continue to think about the upland village I visited in Sarangani. As legislator and politician, I admit my failure to provide direct and sustained assistance to the village residents, especially the children. But as an activist, my work continues and I am happy that I am joined by friends and strangers in the continuing struggle to end inequality, injustice and oppression in the world.

author: Mong Palatino


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Is Japan Ready to Host the Paralympics? · Global Voices
Ayako Yokota

For this year’s Blog Action Day, contributors from Global Voices Japan got together online to write about human rights for the disabled in Japan. Is Japan really an accommodating place for people with disabilities? Ayako Yokota and Ryan Ball co-authored this post.
Braille block floor in Japan helps guide the visually impaired. By Miki Yoshihito on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Preparations have begun for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The construction of beautiful new architectural structures and facilities is an important part of this preparation, not least to accommodate very diverse visitors to Japan from around the world.
Tokyo is often criticized for poor wheelchair access and for not developing enough facilities for handicapped people. The scarceness of land in a city known for being “compact” may sometimes fall short of offering universal access for people with disabilities.
Kazuko Itoh, the editor of Challengers.tv [ja], a sports news website by non-profit organization STAND, says they no longer present disabled athletes a in category of its own. Partly this it to help prepare the local sports community to host the Paralympics, but also because there appears to be genuine interest. Japan is a hyper-aging society, and this is likely a contributing factor for expanding the idea of universal design to larger public.
Kazuko Itoh writes [ja] in a recent column article:
私は、オリンピックの開催に何の不安もありません。日本、そして東京は、十分にその力があるからです。しかし、パラリンピックはどうでしょう。現状では一般の人たちの理解・興味は、オリンピックには及びません。これからの７年間で、すべきことはここにあると考えています。さらにオリンピック・パラリンピックは決してゴールではありません。より良い社会をつくるスタートです。それができてこそ、真の「平和の祭典」となるのです。パラリンピックを含めた、日本らしい、そして日本にしかできない「2020東京」の開催をしっかり準備していく必要があります。
I am not worried at all about Japan hosting the Olympics. This is because, I am sure that Japan and Tokyo are capable enough of doing so. However, how about the Paralympics? At this moment, most of people are not that interested in nor have a good understanding of the Paralympics compared to the Olympics. This is something I think we should work on changing over the next seven years. In the first place, the Olympics or Paralympics are not the final goal. It is a step towards creating a better society. Only when this is accomplished, can the Olympics and Paralympics realize their true meaning as a “Festival of Peace”. Therefore, Japan has to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics & Paralympics with full attention to detail and create an event that is unique and authentic to Japan.
She quotes Mr. Junichi Kawai, a blind swimmer who has competed in the Paralympics 6 consecutive times and has won a total of 21 medals (5 gold medals, 9 silver and 7 bronze):
誰だって年を取れば、目も悪くなるし、体のいろいろなところにガタがくる。そう思えば、僕たち障害者を“人生の先輩”と思ってもらってもいいんじゃないかな。自分たちが高齢者になった時に僕たちと同じような状況になるかもしれない。だから既にそれを経験している僕たちの意見を聞いてもらえたら、高齢者にも住みやすい社会ができるんじゃないかと思うんです
Everyone finds something wrong in your body when you get old, for example your eyes. Knowing that, how about considering us challenged people as “your life teachers”? When you become old, maybe you will be involved in a situation that is similar to ours. If you listen to those of us who are already ahead of everyone and know what everyone will experience in the future, maybe a society in which elderly people can easily live in will be realized.
Kazuko adds in her post that the benefit of the impaired is equally beneficial to general public, especially when the country faces with a hyper-aging society.
つまり、多くのパラリンピアンや、国内外から観戦に訪れた障害のある人が長期間快適に過ごすことができるまちづくりは、ひいては私たちが直面している超高齢社会のまちづくりに直接つながるということです障害のある人が暮らしやすい日本を見て、高齢になったら、日本で豊かに暮らしたい、と世界中の人に思わせる社会をつくることができるのです。
In other words, creating a city where Paralympic athletes and visitors with disabilities can stay comfortably will directly lead to a city that is better prepared to cater to a hyper-aging society. Once you can make the city comfortable for persons with disabilities, people around the world will nod and say they too want to live a happy life in Japan once they get old.
History of Providing Solutions for the Disabled
In fact, Japan has made efforts to accommodate the disabled since long before becoming the host of the Olympics. It was in Japan that braille block, bumpy tiles set in public areas to mark the path for the blind were first invented.
The braille block was first implemented 46 years ago in Okayama city by a hotelier and inventor named Seiichi Miyake [ja]. After witnessing in person how a visually impaired person was almost hit by a car, Seiichi came up with the idea of braille blocks through discussion with a visually impaired friend, Hideyuki Iwahashi.
Twitter user E-Ken who describes himself as 3D-CAD data architect commented [ja]:
馬耳西風:＜その４２＞点字ブロックここに始まる＝氷置恒夫 http://t.co/a3o0y8Zu 点字ブロックって日本発祥なんだ。今でこそ普通に見かけるけど、当初は普及がなかなか進まなかったのか。最初に動いた人は偉大だな。
— E-Ken (@e_ws) October 19, 2012
So braille tiles are a Japanese creation!? It’s normal to see them now but I guess it took them a long time to catch on. The people who first spread the word are really great.
Another user, Whisky, also commented [ja]:
点字ブロックの歴史。全く知らなかったなぁ。社会を住み易く、人に優しくするのは、国が何かしてくれると待つのでなく、一人の人の強い心なんですね。感謝。　馬耳西風:＜その４２＞点字ブロックここに始まる＝氷置恒夫 http://t.co/PXmoPo6o
— whisky (@whiskybon) October 19, 2012
Braille tile history… I knew completely nothing about that.  Waiting for the government to act won’t make society a kinder, easier place for people to live; it  takes the strength one person’s heart. I’m moved.
Japan's Ice Sledge Hockey Captain Takayuki Endo with Silver Medal (March 2010). By Leanne Scherp © Copyright Demotix
Blogger Teevtee, who blogs about amusement parks at Parkeology.com, writes about the myth of Japan being inhospitable for people with disabilities.
In fact Japan has many aids for people with different disabilities. One will find not only the standard Braille in elevators and so on, but also audible beeps at cross sections alerting people when the walk sign is on, and tactile paving throughout most public streets and train stations that guide those without sight where to walk and warn them of intersections. The tactile paving was invented in Japan in the 1960’s and is now ubiquitous throughout the country, not just at crosswalks but throughout huge swaths of cities and public spaces.
New Challenges for Solutions
Japan’s effort to achieve barrier-free, universal access are also seen among technology inventions.
Japan's Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Japan, and the National Printing Bureau is putting together a smartphone app [ja] for the visually impaired to recognize paper money bills.
There is also an iPad app for remote translation of signs implemented by Japanese Railways East [ja] for both foreigners and the visually impaired.
But technology may not be enough. It will take real human awareness to further enable universal design among the Japanese.
The Paralympics Ice Sledge hockey athlete Daisuke Uehara writes in his blog [ja]:
先日練習に行くときに私の目の前で中学生くらいの子供を連れたお母さんが
平気で障がい者駐車場に車を駐車しました。
親が子にモラルの無さを教える今。
パラリンピックも行われるわけですから、
アスリートが「ドリーム」に「チャレンジ」していくように
世界のアスリートを迎える上でこのような恥ずかしい事が平気で出来る人達も
「チェンジ」していく「チャレンジ」が必要ですね。
On my way to practice, I saw a mother with her child in junior high school parking her car at section for a disabled person. [where she shouldn’t be parking her car unless she has a disability]
That’s like teaching her child the exact opposite of morality.
As a country that will host the Paralympics,
we need to change these people who conduct such shameful activities,
and be courageous to challenge just like the athletes challenge their dreams.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ayako Yokota


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Asylum-Seekers Continue Hunger Strike in Hungary · Global Voices
Atlatszo.hu

Sixty asylum-seekers went on hunger strike yesterday in a southeast Hungarian detention camp for asylum-seekers, atlatszo.hu investigative journalism site's blog reported in their Blog Action Day post [hu] on human rights. The Office of Immigration and Nationality confirmed that the strike was started by five Malian citizens who were joined by 55 others requesting their replacement in an open camp. As of July 2013, Hungary places the undocumented asylum-seekers in detention camps. The five initiators continue the hunger strike.


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Australian Catholic Cardinal Center of Child Sexual Abuse Scandal · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

This Human Rights post is part of Blog Action Day on 16 October 2013.
Two sisters were repeatedly raped by their parish priest in an Australian primary school. One later committed suicide. The other became a binge drinker and is disabled after being hit by a car. Their parents want laws to make the Catholic Church look after victims properly. Their mother told the story in her book Hell On The Way To Heaven.
Since its publication in 2010, action is finally being taken. There are currently three government inquiries in Australia into institutional responses to sexual abuse of children.
As Clerical Whispers reported in May 2013, the State of New South Wales investigation followed police whistleblower Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox's allegations of Catholic church cover-ups in the Hunter Valley region.
In the State of Victoria, the Family and Community Development Committee of parliament has the task of reporting:
…on the processes by which religious and other non-government organisations respond to the criminal abuse of children by personnel within their organisations
The committee was set up after admissions by the Catholic hierarchy of forty suicides among 620 victims of child sexual abuse by its clergy. It is due to report in November 2013.
Then Prime Minister Julia Gillard established the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in late 2012. The commission is examining:
…how institutions with a responsibility for children have managed and responded to allegations and instances of child sexual abuse.
…any private, public or non-government organisation that is, or was in the past, involved with children, including government agencies, schools, sporting clubs, orphanages, foster care, and religious organisations.
Despite the broad brush of the terms of reference, the Catholic church has taken the brunt of public criticism so far. In particular, the Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell has been the centre of the controversy for his approach to offenders and victims over an extended period. His appearance at the Victorian committee in May 2013 created a storm when he admitted church cover-ups.
Ian Richardson's reaction was typical of the twitterverse:
#Australia‘s Cardinal “I Knew Nothing” #Pell digs deep hole for himself and #Catholic church at child abuse enquiry: http://t.co/8HtxEH3ka8
— Ian D. Richardson (@ian_richmed) May 27, 2013
Rock in the grass was incensed by the Cardinal's moralising:
Cardinal George Pell: An embarrassing example of clerical blindness when it comes to child abuse. http://t.co/kiuMPS2vMx“
— rockinthegrass (@rockinthegrass) May 29, 2013
Sam Butler made the inevitable comparison with Rupert Murdoch’s evidence in 2011 to the British parliamentary committee concerning the phone hacking scandal:
Pell's “apology” is every bit as laughably insincere as Murdoch's “most humble day of my life” quip: http://t.co/s5sEXoMA5U
— Sam Butler (@samsonjbutler) May 28, 2013
It was just one of a multitude of tweets linking to well-respected journalist David Marr’s report for the Guardian.
Meanwhile Cartoonist Jon Kudelka had his usual eye for The Details:
Cartoon – The Details. Courtesy Jon Kudelka
At The Conversation blog Judy Courtin assessed Pell’s apology:
If we were to rate his performance as an actor with his apology he would have just passed as an actor. The apology, along with any empathy or compassion, was entirely lacking.
Subsequently David Marr has written an in-depth essay for the September Quarterly magazine: The Prince: Faith, Abuse and George Pell (Essay 51):
He [Pell] knows children have been wrecked. He apologises again and again. He even sees that the hostility of the press he so deplores has helped the church face the scandal. What he doesn’t get is the hostility to the church. Whatever else he believes in, Pell has profound faith in the Catholic Church. He guards it with his life. Nations come and go but the church remains.
Jeremy von Einem's tweet is representative of the general reaction to Marr’s essay:
Just read David Marr's @QuarterlyEssay piece on George Pell. Shameful covering up of sex abuse in the Catholic church. Disgusting to read.
— Jeremy von Einem (@jvoneinem) October 5, 2013
John Lord captured the revulsion and the anger that many readers felt:
Whilst reading it I had to stop many times and reflect on the enormity of the sins of the fathers. More than once I shed a tear whilst uttering the word, bastards.
But this essay is as much about Pell (I don’t feel the need to be particularly aware of protocol and use his title) the man as it is about child abuse. When all is stripped back we see a man of very little love for flock but great love for the institution of church, the privileges that come with it and the power it commands. Consequently Pell is adored by the church but despised by the people.
Cardinal Pell responded to the essay with a written statement:
A predictable and selective rehash of old material. G.K.Chesterton said: ‘A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; a bad novel tells us the truth about its author. Marr has no idea what motivates a believing Christian.
The Prince has its critics. Andrew Hamilton is consulting editor at Eureka Street, the online publication of the Australian Jesuits. In his analysis Marring the Cardinal's image he sees the essay as “elegant” but “unfair”:
The limitations of Marr's account are the obverse of its virtues. It is not a dispassionate judgment but a prosecution brief. It sifts Pell's motives and words but not those of his critics, and simplifies complexities.
Kate Edwards at Australia Incognita is a critic of Cardinal Pell but thinks Marr missed the ‘Real Story’:
The article provides no new insights on the Cardinal's various disastrous interactions with victims and the laity in relation to the scandal; no new insights into just why he and many others in the Church were so reluctant to listen or act. To me that seems a great shame.
Despite being the central player in the sordid history of abuse and cover-up, the Catholic Church was not first case study off the rank at the Royal Commission public hearings. That dishonour went to the Scouts, reinforcing a long-held stereotype.
The Catholic Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council has made a lengthy submission to the Commission’s Towards Healing processes. Meanwhile, an appearance at the inquiry by Cardinal Pell is eagerly awaited by both critics and supporters.
Outside the Victorian inquiry, support group CLAN (Care Leavers Australia Network) spoke for people brought up in “care”:
Care Leavers Australia Network outside Victoria's Parliament House. Courtesy CLAN website
The Royal Commission is expected to take several years to complete its investigations and make recommendations to the Federal government.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bosnia-Herzegovina’s World Cup Qualifying Win Unites Region in Celebration · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Fans celebrated the historic win on the streets of Sarajevo throughout the night. Image courtesy of Bosnia-Herzegovina national team's “Zmajevi” Facebook fan page, used with permission.
Some 12 hours after Bosnia-Herzegovina secured its direct qualification to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Bosnians are still celebrating this historic moment. Social networks are flooded with comments of joy from Bosnians and support from other nations.
Last night and today, October 16, 2013, no one can tell by looking at social networks and regional news sites that Bosnia still has a very troubled political life, or that the EU is threatening the small Balkan country with sanctions. The only topic on people's minds and timelines is that of Bosnia-Herzegovina's 1-0 win over Lithuania in the World Cup qualifiers. Even the official Twitter account of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina dropped all other matters last night to announce the team's win:
Ibisevic fires Bosnia-Herzegovina to @FifaWorldCup in #Brazil2014 http://t.co/Z3PECyYkYf #BiH
— OSCE Mission to BiH (@OSCEBiH) October 15, 2013
All across Bosnia-Herzegovina, fans are emotional about their countries historical placement in the largest sporting event in the world. Twitter user @samrich_ from Sarajevo says:
Moj tata plače, života mi. #BosnaiHercegovina #Brazil #BiH #Bosnia #Football
— Morning star (@samrich_) October 15, 2013
My dad is crying, [I swear] on my life. #BosnaiHercegovina #Brazil #BiH #Bosnia #Football
— Morning star (@samrich_) October 15, 2013
This win came, almost “miraculously” as some on social networks put it, on the Kurban Bayrami religious holiday widely celebrated in Bosnia-Herzegovina, also known throughout the Muslim world as the feast of sacrifice. Some social media users gave the traditional Bayrami holiday greeting used to commemorate the end of Bayram and Hajj “Bayram Sherif Mubarek Olsun” (“May the holy Bayram be blessed”) a World Cup twist, and no one seemed to take offense. On the contrary, tweets like this one from Nikola Bajčetić from Montenegro were greeted with humor and good spirits:
BRAZIL SERIF MUBAREK OLSUN ! :))) Sve čestitke #BiH ! #fudbal
— Nikola Bajcetic (@Nikola_MNE) October 15, 2013
BRAZIL SHERIF MUBAREK OLSUN ! :))) Many congratulations #BiH ! #fudbal
— Nikola Bajcetic (@Nikola_MNE) October 15, 2013
The match seems to have brought the entire troubled region together, as Serbian, Croatian and Montenegrin fans congratulated Bosnia-Herzegovina and celebrated the win with them online. After last night's 2-0 loss to Scotland, Croatia still has a slim chance of qualifying in the playoffs. Serbia, however, lost any chance of making it through to the World Cup several months ago after possibly one of the worst qualifying campaigns in its sporting history. But Serbia beat Macedonia 5-1 on October 15, 2013, thus sinking any dreams Macedonians may have had of reaching Brazil next summer. Fans from all three countries, amid their own losses, joined in celebrating Bosnia-Herzegovina's unique win. Nikola Radović from Montenegro joined in by saying:
Dok gubim glas na stadionu Pod Goricom za #CrnaGora, javljaju mi da je #BiH otisla u Brazil. Navijacu za njih. Bravo Bosno!
— Nikola Radovic (@NowitzkiCt) October 15, 2013
While I'm losing my voice at Podgorica stadium for #CrnaGora [#Montenegro], I'm getting word that #BiH is off to Brazil. I'll root for them. Bravo Bosnia!
— Nikola Radovic (@NowitzkiCt) October 15, 2013
Bosnia-Herzegovina's national football team now faces the likes of England, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and other top teams in Brazil next year and has an unlikely chance of getting very far in the competition. However, many say that further results for Bosnia at the World Cup are now irrelevant, as this is the country's first time to qualify as an independent nation, a historic moment worth more than any title. The video below shows what Sarajevo looked like throughout the night as people took to the streets to celebrate:

author: Danica Radisic


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Brazil and Germany Debate ‘Democracy in the Digital Era’ · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

Poster of the symposium Democracy in the Digital Era
Experts and scholars from Germany and Brazil will get together at a symposium to discuss Democracy in the Digital Era [pt] from October 17 to 18, 2013 in Salvador, the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia. The event will be broadcast live via video stream.
In the morning of the first day, a debate with Christoph Bieber (@drbieber), Vinícius Wu (@vinicius_wu) and Sivaldo Pereira (@sivaldop) will address challenges and perspectives of digital democracy.
In the afternoon, Fabiano Angélico (@FAngelico), Jan-Hinrik Schmidt (@janschmidt) and Kathrin Voss will discuss social participation and public transparency in the digital world.
October 18 will see Wilson Gomes (@willgomes) and Jamil Marques (@marquesjamil) debating few forms of online politics. In the afternoon, Gerhard Vowe and Camilo Aggio (@camilo_aggio) will analyze political campaigns in digital media. The entry is free.

author: Thiana Biondo


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Chinese Party Paper Bashes Former Google China Chief Lee Kaifu · Global Voices
Abby Liu

China’s Party magazine “Party Building” recently published a piece titled “Ten Questions for Lee Kaifu”[zh], questioning former Google China chief and online celebrity Lee Kaifu’s citizenship status, his motives, his public comments and political views.
The piece, written by Zhou Xiaoping,  a self-claimed macroeconomics analyst, criticizes Lee’s moral integrity and political views, including Lee’s advocacy of freedom of speech online and support for Chinese young liberals such as Han Han. He even questioned if Lee is really suffering from lymphoma.
With over 51 million followers on Weibo, Lee is an outspoken online celebrity who comments on various issues in China and interacts with China’s youth. Lee encourages independent thinking, which often challenges traditional Chinese values. He writes[zh] on Sina Weibo:
A screenshot of Lee Kaifu's Sina Weibo Page
中国人总是把“乖” 、“听话”当作一个孩子的优点。但是我希望我的孩子不要只做听话的孩子，我要他们成为讲理的孩子。听话的孩子可能只是盲从，而不见得懂道理，而且以后这样盲从的人如何进入社会。讲理的孩子因为觉得你有理而“听话”，而不是畏惧你而“听话”。那不就是更好吗？
Chinese people always consider “obedience” as a good quality in a child. But I want my children to be reasonable children instead of obedient ones. The obedient child may blindly follow others, but not necessarily understand the truth, how can such children deal with the issues in society when they grow up. Reasonable children will listen to you because they think you are right, not because they are afraid of you, isn’t it better?
Lee was picked by Sina as China's most influential micro-blogger earlier this year. However, a shadow fell over the Chinese Web when Lee KaiFu announced that he was diagnosed with lymphoma in September, 2013.
Zhou, in his critique writes:
您经常说自己是传播正能量和引导青少年走向成功的心灵导师。但您所推崇的所谓年轻偶像却无一不是道德品格败坏，四处散播绝望情绪和煽动仇恨主义的极端分子。
You often said you are spreading positive energy and guiding young people, but all the young people you endorsed have bad morality, spreading desperate emotion with extreme hatred for China.
The piece was soon picked up by Chinese media and spread on Sina Weibo. A search of Lee Kaifu’s Chinese name on Baidu yields articles and comments questioning his integrity and motives.
Although most Weibo users dismiss the criticism, there are a lot of comments demanding Lee’s response, which were believed to be paid for by the 50 Cent Party, an organization which some believe Zhou is a member of.
Blogger “GK Tongrenyuye” wrote[zh]:
我不粉李开复，但是#十问李开复#这种文章也太过了。我不相信大V们有什么阴谋或者什么秘密使命，其实是网民选择和成就了他们。你不能不承认他们贩卖的鸡汤其实都是正能量-能带来正反馈，让人越读越想要与之为伍。李开复的微博能让读者产生自身可以变强的错觉，而官煤的文章只是反复强调政府很强。
I’m not Lee Kaifu’s follower, but the “Ten Questions for Lee Kaifu” is too much. I don’t believe Big Vs have any hidden agenda; in fact, it’s the users who have raised them up on their shoulders. You can’t deny that Lee’s comments radiate positive energy, which generates positive feedback. The more people read the posts of people like Lee, the bigger the conversation gets. Lee Kaifu’s microblogging leads readers on to the idea that individuals can become strong, while the state media says only the government is strong.
Some bloggers came up with a similar piece titled “Ten Questions for Zhou Xiaoping”[zh], further questioning Zhou’s motivation.
Lee didn’t respond online directly to the criticism. On Oct 14, he quoted a line from T.H. White's “The Once and Future King“:
治疗悲伤最有效的方法就是去学习一些东西。当你受到打击，经历挫折，从骨子里颤抖，看到你的世界被人摧毁，体验你的荣誉被踩进下水道，发生这些事情之后，你要学的只有一件事情。学习世事为何如此变化，发生了哪些变化。这是唯一可以让心永不疲惫，永不疏离，永不后悔的事情 – T.H. White
The best thing for being sad is to learn something. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.

author: Abby Liu


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Tajikistan Introduces Controversial “Ethics Code” For Internet Users · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

A set of “ethical” guidelines for the users of internet services and personal electronic devices has been developed in Tajikistan. The “Ethics Code for an e-Citizen”, presented in Dushanbe on October 11, seeks to provide the country's information and telecommunication technology (ICT) users with a moral framework for using familiar ethical standards while talking on the phone or surfing the internet.
Tajikistan Monitor has translated the document into English:
We, the members of digital information society, adopt the Ethics Code for an e-Citizen and urge [everyone] to follow in virtual space ethical standards they use in real life.
The norms of this Ethics Code apply to instances of communication via a mobile phone and on the world wide net…
The document was developed jointly by the president's office, state-run telecommunication agency, organizations representing the country's internet and mobile service providers, and several NGOs. According to Radio Ozodi [tj], a working group including representatives from these organizations will shortly put together a commentary to this brief document.
Although mainstream media in the country have largely ignored the presentation of the Ethics Code, netizens did notice the document. On Twitter, several Tajikistani users have discussed possible consequences of the adoption of this document.
В Душанбе рассмотрели «Этический кодекс электронного гражданина» http://t.co/QRubDp2iQA #Таджикистан
— Шапараки Овора (@du15yak30) October 12, 2013
An “Ethics Code for an e-Citizen” has been discussed in Dushanbe http://t.co/QRubDp2iQA #Tajikistan
Это шутка или как? Как они собираются знакомить людей с этим кодексом? Как наказывать тех, кто не соблюдает? http://t.co/QRubDp2iQA
— Шапараки Овора (@du15yak30) October 12, 2013
Is this a joke or what? How are they going to make people aware of this code? How will they punish those who do not observe [it]? http://t.co/QRubDp2iQA
Jasur Ashurov suggests that the authorities might have developed the ethical code in order to justify the blocking of websites that are used to disseminate content critical of the government. He recalls that Tajikistan has blocked access to several websites, including Facebook and YouTube, over the recent years:
@du15yak30 Увидели что оппозиция вся на фейсбуке и в одноклассниках вот и засуетились. Теперь будут блокировать сайты по причине неэтичности
— Jasur Ashurov (@jashurov) October 12, 2013
@du15yak30 They see that the opposition is actively using Facebook and Odnoklassniki [Russian social network service] and now all this hustle. They will now block websites due to their being unethical.
He also revisits a recent story when Beg Zukhurov, the director of the country's state-run telecommunications agency, invited Facebook's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to visit him and discuss the reasons why the social network was blocked in Tajikistan:
@du15yak30 Или же Бег будет звонить Цукербергу и просить того удалить определенных пользователей, ибо этический кодекс не соблюдают (:
— Jasur Ashurov (@jashurov) October 12, 2013
@du15yak30 Or Beg [Zukhurov] will be calling Zuckerberg and asking him to delete certain users’ profile for not observing the code (:
This image portrays smiling Tajik President as saying, “Have you read the Ethical Code? It was written by Beg [Zukhurov]”. Image from Digital Tajikistan blog, used with permission.
On this image, Tajikistan's infamous telecommunications agency chief Beg Zukhurov is portrayed as saying, “Have you seen this Facebook? It is totally unethical”. Image from Digital Tajikistan blog, used with permission.
Digital Tajikistan suggests that the development of the Ethics Code reflects a broader trend in Tajikistan:
@jashurov @du15yak30 Вообще власти взялись за интернет. Нужно бы теперь поосторожнее быть в выражениях. Большой брат смотрит за нами!
— Digital Tajikistan (@DigitalTajik) October 13, 2013
@jashurov @du15yak30 Overall, the authorities are now paying much closer attention to the internet. Now we have to be more careful about what we say. The big brother is watching us!
Some netizens do not know what to make of the Ethics Code given that it tries to regulate so many things at once. Arzanda writes:
This document looks like a salad, with everything mixed in it, from ‘Thou shalt not be loud when speaking on the phone’ to ‘Thou shalt speak Tajik’ to ‘Thou shalt not plagiarise’.
Yet some believe that the country does indeed require such a document. Zukhra comments [tj] on Radio Ozodi:
Бисьёр хуб мешуд, одоби муомилаи интернетиро ба тартиб меовардед, хеле беодобихо бисьёранд, ин хел муомила миллати точикро хеле ба пасти мезананд, баъзан чунон хакоратхои кабех ба назар мерасанд, умед дорам чорахои бехтарин ба ин хел инсонхо насиб мегардад!, ки дар оянда чукуртар фикру андеша карда баъд менависанд.
It will be very good if you create some order in discussions on the internet. There are many uneducated [impolite] people there. Their discussions bring shame onto the Tajik nation. Sometimes they use terrible swear words. I hope [these] good measures will be to such people's benefit and will cause these people to think carefully before writing [content on the internet].
On this image, Tajik president is portrayed as telling a boy using a computer, “Before you open Facebook, read the Ethics Code”. Image from Digital Tajikistan blog, used with permission.
It is not clear at the moment whether and how the authorities are going to use the ethics code. Tajikistan Monitor concludes:
It remains to be seen what the authorities are going to do with this document. The code is not a law, which means that netizens cannot be formally penalized for not observing it. Yet, in Tajikistan with its unpredictable way of reacting to criticism on the internet, you never know.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Infant Girl Who Sparked Bosnia’s ‘Babylution’ Dies · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

The day after baby Belmina's death, activists placed a black sheeth over a new monument in front of the Parliament building in Sarajevo. Image courtesy of #JMBG za sve (“#JMBG for All”), used with permission.
They are calling her an angel and a heroine. Seven-month-old Belmina Ibrišević, the baby that started the #JMBG protests in Bosnia early in the summer of 2013, passed away in a hospital in Germany on Tuesday, October 15, 2013.
After extensive treatment in Germany, where Belmina was transferred after finally receiving her passport, her parents and doctors made the difficult decision to take her off life support. The treatment Belmina required almost immediately after birth for a serious immune disease was not available in Bosnia, and the child could not be issued a passport for several weeks due to the Bosnian government's failure to pass a new law on identification (JMBG, which stands for Unique Master Citizen Number) numbers after the old law expired in February 2013.
In June, as reported by Global Voices, thousands marched on the Parliament building in Sarajevo, demanding that children born after February 2013, especially those who need to travel abroad for medical treatment, be issued Unique Master Citizen Numbers immediately so they could apply for necessary documents to travel and receive necessary medical attention. The movement was dubbed the “Babylution” in reference to Belmina.
Although it was first reported on July 18 that Bosnia-Herzegovina's Parliament passed a temporary law on Unique Master Citizen Numbers during an emergency session, some parliament members then stopped the full new law from being passed. Al Jazeera Balkans reported [ba] on July 23 that Halid Genjac of the Democratic Action Party (SDA) had “requested protection of vital national interests”, citing procedural irregularities in the process of bringing the proposed new laws up for vote:
Sporni predmeti sada se upućuju Ustavnom sudu BiH, koji će po hitnom postupku ispitati da li ima nepravilnosti u postupku i da li je povređen interes Bošnjaka.[…]
Ukoliko Sud zaključi suprotno, dovoljno je glasanje vladajuće većine u oba doma Parlamenta da zakoni prođu.
Sljedeća sjednica Ustavnog suda zakazana je za 30. septembar i nije jasno da li će ovo pitanje biti stavljeno na dnevni red.
The questionable items are now being sent to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which will inspect whether there were any irregularities in procedure and whether the interest of Bosniaks has been damaged. […]
Should the Court decide to the contrary, the votes of the ruling majority in both houses of Parliament will be sufficient for the laws to pass.
The next session of the Constitutional Court is scheduled for September 30th but it is not clear whether this matter will be on the docket.
In the meantime, participants of the #JMBG protests were brought in for questioning by police [ba] in late July.
Social networks are overflowing [en][ba] with criticism of the Bosnian government and notes of condolences from the entire region regarding the infant's death. Many, like Twitter user Arnesa from Bosnia, simply lament the death of another child as well as promise to remember Belmina:
Little Belmina that was the reason for the #JMBG protests in Bosnia has passed away. :( Very sad news, Nek joj je rahmet duši.
— Arnesa (@_arnesa_) October 16, 2013
Little Belmina that was the reason for the #JMBG protests in Bosnia has passed away. :( Very sad news, May her soul rest in peace.
— Arnesa (@_arnesa_) October 16, 2013
The still active Facebook fan page of the #JMBG protesters [ba] announced earlier this week that the decision to shut down baby Belmina's life support had been made. The page also announced that Belmina's parents would not be able to afford the cost of transferring Belmina's remains back to Sarajevo and asked for donations in the total amount of 2,500 euros (approximately 3,500 US dollars).


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Léonarda, 15, Arrested During a School Trip and Deported   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Léonarda Dibrani, 15, was on field trip with her schoolmates when she was detained by the french police, near Levier, France. She was later deported with the rest of her family [fr] to Kosovo as illegal immigrants. The Dibrani family fled Kosovo about five years ago because they are Roma. Léonarda tells the story of her deportation andthe conditions in which she lives now[fr], not being able to speak Albanian nor Serbian. In a social context where Roma population is frequently stigmatized, the french government has promised to conduct an investigation on the conditions of the arrest. The hash tag #Leonarda has been a trending topic on French social networks since the arrest and more 3000 people have already signed a petition for her return. Many observers have noted that the law has been applied appropriately in this particular case.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Media Factory Accepting Applications for New Media Projects in Latin America · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Media Factory, a startup accelerator focusing on “the business of online news and journalism”, is accepting applications from journalists who want to create a digital news outlet in Latin America, as Angela Buenrostro explains in the Journalism in the Americas Blog:
Teams must have an idea of what they want to do to create a strong and professional digital media outlet. Teams should prove any successful journalism experience in generating an impact such as building an audience, political influence and creating revenue.
Selected teams will relocate to Buenos Aires from January through June 2014 and will receive an investment of $75,000 to create their company. In return, Media Factory will take between 17 and 18 percent of each company’s shares.

author: Silvia Viñas


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On Blog Action Day, Thousands of Blogs on Human Rights · Global Voices
Maria Grabowski

Today, thousands of bloggers join forces for Human Rights. It is Blog Action Day – a massive event that reaches a collective audience of millions and unites bloggers around the world.
Global Voices is a partner of Blog Action Day again this year, and we have been looking forward to another round of dedication to an important and ever-relevant topic. Some Global Voices contributors have also taken part in the event, and below you'll find links to their personal blogs.
To participate in Blog Action Day, you can register your own blog on Blog Action Day's website. On Twitter, the hashtags to keep an eye on is #BAD13, #HumanRights, #Oct16.

author: Maria Grabowski


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Once Welcomed Malawian Judge Faces Time In Zambian Jail · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

A Malawian High Court Judge who was invited to chair a judicial tribunal appointed to probe two High Court judges and one Supreme Court judge in Zambia sometime last year in a curious twist of fate now risks going to jail for contempt of court after ignoring Zambian High Court orders.
The Malawian judge, Lovemore Chikopa, might end up in a Zambian prison cell if found guilty. Photo released under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0) by Flickr user Tim Pearce
The Malawian Judge, Lovemore Chikopa, has camped in Zambia for over a year waiting to hear the cases of High Court judges Nigel Mutuna, Charles Kajimanga and Supreme Court judge Philip Musonda, who has since resigned, for alleged professional misconduct. In the same period, Zambian President Michael Sata appointed two other tribunals to probe two High Court judges Emelia Sunkutu and Timothy Katanekwa.
The tribunal appointed by Sata, who invited Chikopa from neighbouring Malawi to chair it, has been hit by legal challenges at every turn with the three judges fighting their case in court.
In this latest development, the High Court in Ndola, Zambia’s third largest city about 400 kilometers from the capital Lusaka, stopped the tribunal from going ahead after Mutuna and Kajimanga challenged the tribunal’s constitutionality. An earlier challenge in May 2012 saw the three judges seek an injunction to stop the tribunal.
Musonda was granted leave to seek judicial review by High Court judge Florence Lengalenga over the Chikopa tribunal following his resignation as a Supreme Court judge. Chikopa had, however, wanted to continue hearing Musonda’s case.
Whether out of ignorance or impunity, Chikopa continued sitting even after he was handed the order to stop him from going ahead.
The story was reported by both Zambian and Malawian online media. Reported the Zambian Watchdog:
Judge Lovemore Chikopa and his secretary Magaya Katunasa are expected to appear before Ndola High Court judge Mwiinde Siavwapa to answer to a charge of contempt of court and explain why they should not be sent to jail or suffer other sanctions for disobeying a lawful court order […] Lawyers representing judges Nigel Mutuna and Charles Kajimanga are preparing final papers for the committal of Chikopa and Katunasa for their disregarding of an order stopping their tribunal.
Zambian Reports, questioning how the tribunal which has faced criticism right from the beginning would continue with such obstacles, wrote:
It still remains to be seen how the ‘kangaroo’ tribunal will proceed in light of these developments […] However, Chikopa, who has been holed up in Zambia after being imported from Malawi, on government money has shown more than usual zeal to go on with proceedings regardless of the obstacles.
Nyalubinge Ngwende, on his blog, Brutal Journal, criticizes the president for allegedly trying to protect his friends who owe the Development Bank of Zambia, which lends money to businesses, over 14 billion Zambian Kwacha (about 2.6 million US dollars) in a matter that was handled by judges Mutuna, Kajimanga and Musonda at one point or another. Nyalubinge pointed out:
The Lovemore Chikopa tribunal is one obvious case of President Sata trying to punish judges for his friends […] Mutuna, Kanjimanaga and Musonda are victim of their bold decision in a case in which Mutembo Nchito (now DPP [Director of Public Prosecution]) and Fred M'membe (owner of the Post Newspaper and confessed friend of Sata) were told to pay back K14 billion they had borrowed from a public bank, Development Bank of Zambia.
Nchito and M’membe ran an airline, Zambian Airways, which later went burst.
Ngwende also quoted what Sata said when appointing the Chikopa Tribunal:
My office has received numerous complaints about Justices Philip Musonda who is a Supreme court Judge, Charles Kajimanga and Nigel Mutuna who are High court Judges, from the Law association of Zambia, Lawyers within the judiciary and members of the public […] The terms of reference would be based on the allegations that the trio interfered with a case involving the Post newspapers, Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ and JNC holding limited and Mutembo Nchito.
In the meantime, Zambians, especially those that have seen the Chikopa Tribunal as an unnecessary undertaking and a waste of public resources, await the day the Malawian judge would stand in a Zambian court as an accused person and probably end up in a Zambian jail as a convict.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Portugal: A Digital Narrative Around Food, Crisis and Territory · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

“Returning architecture back to the city” — Screenshot of the website MundoMouraria.com (also on Facebook).
The historical Mouraria neighborhood in Lisbon, Portugal, can now be explored in a ground breaking web documentary, Mundo Mouraria. In a true digital narrative form, the documentary makes a map available to help visitors wander the streets, sounds and flavors of Mouraria while getting to know the stories of six local dwellers. Its synopsis reads:
Here is a handful of interrogations: What does it mean to inhabit? What is the dialog between space and life solutions for the here and the now (the ‘crisis’)?
Miloca, Joaquim and Nina are the human geography of dreams. Or better, they are evidence: the geography is (also) dreams and the space of now is already being nourished – literally – through the hopes of a future. A clandestine Guinea, a Latin America for hymns, a Portugal with self-employment.
Precious lesson taught to us by Rita and Leader: To preserve is to reinvent. Language, work, knowledge, knowledge transformed into flavors.
Salvino is memory-geography. All the Callicians of his generation have already left or died. He is here to look straight into our eyes in the presented perfect of “has beens”, “has comes” and “has hads” which are historic proof of existence.
And life always surprises the route: Mundo Mouraria, should be understood as worlds, as plural. The global world at every corner, in local answers to challenges that are out there, somewhere in the global undefined.
Mundo Mouraria was launched on October 15, 2013 at the Lisbon Architecture Triennale, and marks the debut of the recently launched co-op Bagabaga Studios. Paulo Querido, a leading figure of online journalism in Portugal, has described [pt] this multimedia narrative as “pioneer in the history of Portuguese journalism”.

author: Sara Moreira


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Saving Mothers and Babies in Laos · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The group CleanBirth.org is committed to improving the maternal health care situation in several Laos rural villages by providing birth kits, training of new nurses and mobilizing village volunteers. In a recent update, the group highlighted why many rural Laotians are choosing homebirths over delivery at health centers. Among the reasons are ‘distance and cost of transport, poor treatment, desire for family to be near, and desire for traditional birth practices.


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‘Thinking with Our Own Heads, Walking with Our Own Feet’ in Guinea-Bissau · Global Voices
Asociación Extremeña de Comunicación Social - AECOS

This article, written by Silvia Arjona Martín, was originally published on the AECOS website with the title “Fresh Air for Guinea-Bissau” [es] on 26 August 2013. Read the first part on Global Voices: Fresh Air for Guinea-Bissau: A Country in Search of Prosperity.
Democratic presidential elections in Guinea-Bissau have long inspired insecurity and distrust amongst the country's citizens. Few people believe that voting will go off without a hitch, including voting in the upcoming elections formerly scheduled for 24 November 2013.
Paula Fortes, an Afro-Brazilian journalist with Guinean roots, declares herself to be skeptical while waiting to see what will happen. She does not believe that things will change, although she hopes that they will, but she sees the future in her country as very uncertain due to its continuing lack of political stability. It may be that the experience of living through the 1998 war – when she had to leave Bissau at age 14 with a bag containing her most personal belongings and go quickly to the port in search of the boat which would take her to Cape Verde – that prevents her from seeing a prosperous future. She recalls those events with a great deal of sadness, as if they were a big scar on her life.
It is for this reason, and because of the shame which she still feels when she sees that they are “interfering with” her country (referring to the latest coup d'etat) that she began to form part of the Movement for Citizen Action (MAC) [pt], a movement created after the coup by a group of young people outraged by so much unjust political insecurity. The movement follows the slogan exhorted by the national hero Amílcar Cabral during his era:
pensar por nuestras propias cabezas y andar con nuestros propios pies
thinking with our own heads and walking with our own feet
The aim was to question what was happening and how to come up with constructive solutions “leaving aside the imaginary world”, because according to Fortes, it is necessary to differentiate the world of ideas from the world of actions. To show the importance of social activism as a means of bringing about change, she says:
Una cosa es decir que estoy pensando en plantar un árbol y otra cosa es decir yo planté un árbol, es decir, puse una semilla y estoy obligada a regarla todos los días para que la planta no muera
It is one thing to say that I'm thinking about planting a tree, but it is quite another to say that I planted a tree, that is, I planted a seed and I was obliged to water it every day so that the plant wouldn't die
The young journalist also believes that the level of reflection in Guinea-Bissau is “low” and that the preferred option is always to turn to international assistance to resolve problems. But “we must all be the protagonists of change in our country”, she exclaims with a confident gaze and raised voice in one of the rooms of the Guinean League for Human Rights in Bissau from where she now works.
Changing the names of some streets and junctions in Bissau has been one of MAC's actions in protest following the coup d'etat. Photo courtesy MAC
Elizabeth Myrian Fernandes, another memberr of MAC who usually participates in the radio programme which they broadcast on Sundays, also feels that she is planting a seed, above all with the djumbais (a Creole word used to refer to a meeting where people can express themselves freely and without any restrictions) which they carry out in the interior of the country with Guinean youth. “What is political transition?” and “What do they expect from democracy?” are two of the key questions in these dynamic and highly participatory meetings whose aim is to empower young people and to reflect collectively about what is happening in Guinea-Bissau.
The latest djumbai was held in the capital of the Biombo region, Quinhamel, where some 25 people shared the problems which they observe in their town as well as the responsibility which they have for resolving them. Amadú Mbalo, 22 years old, claims that the main problem in the region is the lack of social organisation to tackle these difficulties and the local authorities themselves, as a result of the lack of political will which they show towards the community. At the end of an intense day of debate and discussion, he was convinced of the importance of the djumbai because “it has allowed us to think about future action and to bring together more young people with the aim of working harder and better for our region”, he said smiling and proud of the day.
A group of young people from Quinhamel particpate in the djumbai organised by MAC. Photo by Silvia Arjona
This movement, which has a horizontal structure and self-finances its activities, is considering the path which it will take following the end of the political transition, although the decision of how it will do so is yet to be taken.
The recent invitation to participate in the international day of active citizenship entitled DEEP Global Conference “Building a Global Citizens Movement”, which will be held in Johannesburg at the beginning of November and where they will share their experience of social and political activism, has prompted an increase in their strength, enthusiasm and appetite to continue their fight. A fight which has not always been easy – some of the people involved remain anonymous for fear of potential political reprisals – but which they believe must be continued because of the breath of fresh air that it brings to the country. And because, with movements such as this, the dreams of all of Guinea-Bissau could be achieved very soon.


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Video: Colombian Artists Sing in Solidarity With Farmers · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Image from music video. Photo shared by Papa con Yuca on Facebook. Used with permission.
Colombian artists have come together to show their support for farmers who held a nation-wide strike to protest the government's agricultural policies.
Although protests stopped after the government and farmers established national negotiation tables in September, the farmers’ struggle for land rights continues.
As Global Voices contributor Robert Valencia explained in the World Policy blog, “the farmers complain that free-market reforms in Colombia have made their lives harder.”
In particular, they blame their current plight on the recently signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States and other similar agreements with countries like Canada in recent years.
[…]
Although Colombia’s economy has grown steadily over the last decade, rural households are three times less likely to generate the same income as average urban households. Most of the campesinos (Spanish for peasants) demand cheap fertilizers and other agrarian products, cheap credits from the Agrarian Bank, and the democratization of land ownership.
A group of artists under the name Papa con Yuca (“Potato with Yuca“) wrote a song about the farmers’ struggle and shared it on YouTube:
The blog Rythm & Roots wrote about the video and the Papa con Yuca initiative:
While the government recently came to an agreement with the farm leaders, the protests have brought the issue of land rights disputes back to the forefront. Though not gaining the same level of global media coverage as similar movements in Turkey and Brazil, the Colombian protests have stood out for their universality. The movement evolved from a farmers demonstration into a nationwide call for change. Much as the students stood next to the farmers on the picket lines, a group of musicians, artists, video producers and bloggers came together to add their voice to the multitudes with #YoQuieroPapaConYuca.
The post continues:
The project celebrates Colombia’s rich agricultural tradition and remains as a reminder that, though the protests are over for now, the pressure for change still exists. In the words of Yo Quiero Papa con Yuca:
No hay tiempo para cambiar mañana. Cambiemos hoy!!!
There is no time to change tomorrow, let’s change today!!!
On Twitter Colombians are sharing the video and voicing their solidarity with the farmers with the hashtag #yoquieropapaconyuca:
#yoquieropapaconyuca porque prefiero familias que empiecen a ser autosuficientes que un montón de paquetes de transgénicos en las alacenas.
— juanita delgado (@juanitadelgadoj) September 12, 2013
Because I prefer families starting to become self-sufficient rather than a bunch of transgenic packages on cupboards
El paro continúa. Colombia resiste. El campesino reclama. El político manipula. #yoquieropapaconyuca
— juanita delgado (@juanitadelgadoj) September 12, 2013
The strike continues. Colombia resists. The farmer protests. The politician manipulates.
.#YOQUIEROPAPACONYUCA Significa protestar pacíficamente frente a la problemática de los campesinos colombianos http://t.co/hP5fgbmkTc
— cartelurbano (@cartelurbano) September 16, 2013
It means protesting about the issues affecting Colombian farmers peacefully.
Por la dignidad del campesinado colombiano y la todos nosotros #yoquieropapaconyuca http://t.co/rbksq9wBEO
— Camila Macías (@maciascamila) September 11, 2013
For the dignity of the Colombian farmers and for our own dignity.
#yoquieropapaconyuca El arte como herramienta para el rescate de nuestros recursos locales. A (@YouTube http://t.co/obz6UqCMKt)
— Andres Alvarez O  (@andalva) September 27, 2013
Art as a tool to rescue our local resources.
You can follow Papa con Yuca on Twitter [es] and Facebook [es].


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After a Fatal Car Crash, Tajik President is Told to “Get His House in Order” · Global Voices
Mahina Shodizoda

There are not many netizens in Tajikistan that have remained silent about a recent car crash in Dushanbe involving a relative of President Emomali Rahmon. The incident has demonstrated once again that powerful and well-connected individuals are above the law in the country. But it has also shown that simple technological devices and social media can help expose the wrongdoings of the elites.
Blogger Temur Mengliev summarizes [ru] the incident and the role played by social media in preventing the powerful family from covering it up:
Рано утром 9 октября БМВ с номерами “20-20 РТ 01″ на огромной скорости врезалась в другой автомобиль в центре Душанбе. В результате трое человек из второго автомобиля погибли сразу, и еще трое оказались в больнице с тяжелыми переломами. Из ночного клуба по соседству с местом аварии выбежали люди, которые вызвали скорую помошь и сняли произошедшее на мобильные телефоны.
Дальше все развивалось по принципу “такое возможно только в Таджикистане”. На следующее утро представители милиции заявили, что за рулем машины, устроившей аварию, находился племянник Амонулло Хукумова, зятька президента и раиса железной дороги. Эта версия наверно так и осталась бы официальной, если бы молодные люди, ставшие свидетелями аварии и запечатлевшие все на мобильные телефоны, не стали писать в Одноклассниках и на Фейсбуке, что за рулем автомобиля на самом деле был сын Хукумова, Расул Амонулло. Об этом говорили и выжившие участники аварии. Отмазать этого хукбача было невозможно еще и потому, что он сам на своей странице в Интсаграме выкладывал фото с автомобилем БМВ с номерами “20-20 РТ 01″ и хвастался, что разгоняет его до 300 км в час.
Early in the morning on October 9, a BMW with number plates “20-20 PT 01″ driving way over the speed level crashed into another car in central Dushanbe. As a result, three passengers in the second car died immediately, and another three passengers ended up in a hospital with serious injuries. People soon ran out from a night club near the site of the crash, calling the ambulance and recording [photos and videos] of the incident on their mobile phone [cameras].
Since then things have developed based on the principle “it is only possible in Tajikistan”. The next morning police announced that the car which caused the crash had been driven by a nephew of Amonullo Khukumov, a [relative] of the president and head of the [Tajik] railroad company. This version would have probably remained official if it wasn't for young people who witnessed the crash and recorded it on their mobile phone [cameras]; these people stated on Odnoklassnili [Russian-language social networking service] and Facebook that the car had actually been driven by Khukumov's son, Rasul Amonullo. Individuals that survived the crash said the same thing. Also, they could not help this piglet [Rasul Amonullo] escape punishment because he himself had posted photos on Instagram with the BMW, number plates “20-20 PT 01″, and bragged about driving the car at 300 km per hour [about 186 mile per hour].
Three people died and another three are in hospital after the deadly car crash in Dushanbe. This photo from the scene of the crash has been circulating in social media.
The photos the blogger mentions and screen captures of Amonullo's comments have since been publicized by many independent media outlets in Tajikistan (see here and here, for example). Some of these photos depict the young man holding a pistol or smoking a hookah with the pistol lying on the table beside him.
The blogger continues [ru]:
Затем было еще интереснее. Милиции пришлось признать, что виновником аварии действительно был Расул Амонулло, но вот родственники пострадавших почему-то отказались писать заявление против него в милицию… Милиции также пришлось признать то, о чем пользователи Фейсбука уже давно рассказали: что сам Расул немедленно после аварии вылетел за рубеж. Оказалось, что хукбача лечит руку в Германии. Теперь милиция заявляет, что не могли его задержать, так как ему всего 16 лет. А вот в Фейсбуке и в Одноклассниках снова поправляют: не 16, а 18, так что судить его нужно по полной.
What has come afterwards is even more interesting. Police had to admit that the crash was Rasul Amonullo's fault, but the relatives of the victims have for some reason refused to file complaints against him. Police also had to admit what Facebook users had been telling earlier – that Rasul left the country immediately after the crash. It turned out that the piglet is getting medical treatment for an arm injury in Germany. Now police states that they could not detain him because he is only 16. But Facebook and Odnoklassniki users correct them again: he is 18 rather than 16, so he should face the punishment to the full extent of the law.
Police has admitted that the deadly car crash was Rasul Amonullo's fault. This photo served as Amonullo's profile image on Instagram.
“Tajikistan does not have the law…”
The crash has dominated social media discussion in Tajikistan over the past five days. Netizens have criticized the authorities, including the country's president, for letting the wealthy and the well-connected to escape punishment. They have also criticized law-enforcement agencies for turning a blind eye to offences committed by the elites.
Below are just a handful of comments that are typical of hundreds of posts left on social networks and news forums during the past several days.
Anis Kodirov writes [tj] in the comments section on ASIA-Plus:
Конун надорад точикистон хамаш сумай(пул)мо шохиди бисйор аваряхо хастем одам мурдестай болотаракош бизнес пулчам кадестан…
Tajikistan does not have the law. Money is everything. We have witnessed many car crashes [like this]. Ordinary people die while the powerful continue making money…
Umar adds [ru]:
Еще раз убедился, что в Таджикистане законы принуждают соблюдать только бедному народу, а авторам этих законов, он не писан в том числе сыновьям чиновников и прочим руководителям этой коррупционной страны…
This has reinforced my conviction that only the poor people in Tajikistan are forced to obey the law. Those who write our laws, including the children of senior officials and other leaders of our corrupt country, are above the law…
On Facebook, Parvina Khamidova highlights [ru] the role of social media users in disallowing the authorities to cover up the accident and compares life in Tajikistan to a reality show:
Спасибо социальным сетям за историю с Хукумовским отпрыском – киллером на колосах. Благодаря им мы узнали стопроцентно чья была машина и сколько она стоила. Своими глазами увидели, что делает с человеком, даже совсем молодым, безнаказанность и вседозволенность…Я  так понимаю если родители в суд не пойдут, убийца так и не сядет? Если это так, то каждый выход на улицу для “простых смертных” прошу приравнять к эпизоду шоу на выживание “последний герой”. С той только разницей что игра ведется всерьез. Когда в стране не работает закон. Ну вообще никак. Она превращается в джунгли а жить позволяется только тем, кто пройдет естественныйй отбор.
Thanks to social media for [publicizing] the real story of Khukumov's offspring, the murderer in a car. Thanks to [social media] we have learnt who actually drove the car during the crash and how much the car cost. We have also seen for ourselves what permissiveness and impunity do to people, even the younger ones… Do I understand correctly that if the parents [of the victims] do not take the issue to court, the murderer will not go to prison? If this is so, then each time we leave our homes should be considered equivalent to an episode of survival show “Last Hero” [Russian reality show, based on the American “Survival” show]. The only difference is that our game is real. When a country's law does not work, the country turns into a jungle where only those who survive the natural selection process are allowed to live.
Responding to Temur Mengliev's blog post, “Advokat iz Dushanbe” [Lawyer from Dushanbe] suggests [ru] that the authorities need to get some facts straight:
На мой взгляд, ключевым в этой истории является возраст Расула и именно в этом нужно разобраться. Если Расулу действительно 16 как сейчас утверждают, то он всего лишь ребенок. Да, испорченный, наглый, обнаглевший, но ребенок. В данном случае в отношении него должны применяться более мягкие меры, чем те, которые предусматривает уголовный кодекс. Но если ему 18, то конечно он должен понести наказание как взрослый человек, по всей строгости УК. В любом случае, нужно теперь разобраться в том, почему ему разрешили покинуть страну после совершения преступления.
In my view, the key question in this whole story is Rasul [Amonullo's] age, and this is where we need to get our facts straight. If Rasul is really 16, as they claim now, then he is just a child. Yes, a spoiled, pushy, and impudent child, but still a child. In this case, he should face milder punishment than the one provided for by the Criminal Code. But if he is 18, then certainly he should face the punishment as an adult, to the full extent of the law. In any case, we now need to find out why he was allowed to leave the country after committing an [alleged] crime.
Many netizens argue that Rasul's parents, particularly his influential father Amonullo Khukumov, should be held responsible for their underage child's wrongdoings. Netizens demand action under the Parental Responsibility Law which was initiated by President Emomali Rahmon and adopted in 2011. In a further comment to Mengliev's blog, Fariza writes [ru]:
ну а если ему 16 то наказание должны нести его родители, не так ли? мы ведь приняли закон об ответственности родителей, сам президент столько за него выступал. тогда отвечать должен хукумов. у него нужно спросить: 1) почему его несовершенолетний сын в 2 часа ночи разъезжает на машине? 2) где его несовершенолетний сын взял деньги на бмв? 3) как его несовершенолетнему сыну удалось получить права? 4) где его сын взял пистолет с которым он понтуется на всех фото? 5) почему его несовершенолетний сын курит (все есть на фото)?
If [Rasul Amonullo] is 16, then his parents should bear responsibility for his actions, shouldn't they? We have adopted the parental responsibility law for which the president advocated personally. In this case, [Amonullo] Khukumov should be held responsible. He should be asked the following questions: 1) Why does his underage son drive a car at 2 a.m.? 2) Where did his underage son get the money to buy a BMW? 3) How did his underage child get a driving license? 4) Where did his son get the gun that he displays on all his photos? 5) Why does his underage child smoke (it is all on the photos)?
President “should get his house in order”
Fariza also recalls that Khukumov's older son, Rustam, had been imprisoned in Russia for 10 years on charges of narcotics trafficking. After his release from Russian prison and return to Tajikistan, Rustam sued a newspaper that speculated about the reasons why he was freed.
She proposes [ru]:
эти вопросы должен первую очередь задать сам президент, тем более хукумов ему родственник. это уже не первый раз этот мразь позорит нашу нацию. все забыли что его старшего сына посадили в россии за героин? этот случай как тревожный звонок президенту что ему нужно навести порядок в своей семье.
The president himself should be the first to raise the above questions, particularly because Khukumov is his relative. This is not the first time that this scum is dishonoring our nation. Have you all forgotten that his older son was jailed in Russia for heroin [smuggling]? This accident should serve as a warning call to our president that he should get his house in order.
Marat agrees [ru] on ASIA-Plus:
Что скажет наш уважаемый президент по этому поводу ? Самое время прилюдно наказать обнаглевших родственников. От этого зависит его будущая репутация и уважение народа к нему.
What will our respected president say about this? It is time for him to punish publicly his insolent relatives. His reputation and whether people will continue respecting him is at stake here.

author: Mahina Shodizoda


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Arbitrary TV License Decision Undermines Hong Kong Freedom of Speech · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Two new free-to-air television licenses were issued on 15 October 2013 to PCCW Ltd and I-Cable Communications Ltd. The decision should have been seen as a big step to opening up the monopolized local television market, yet the screening out of Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV), regarded as the most promising new competitor by the public, encourages people to believe that the Beijing government is operating behind the scenes.
As PCCW and I-Cable are existing paid-TV operators, the government's decision has not changed the monopoly nature of local media ecology – the most important public demand reflected in a consultation in 2009 carried out by the Broadcasting Authority. Frustrated by news, some netizens created a page, Support Hong Kong Television, and within two days, more than 437 thousand people have joined.
Facebook Group, Support HKTV called for a protest on October 20. Protest poster said: I want TV box, not black box.
Monopoly of the TV market
As a global city, Hong Kong only has two free-to-air television companies and one of them, the Television Broadcasts Limited has monopolized the market for more than 40 years. For more than two decades since the early 1990s, the civil society has been demanding that the government issue more free-to-air TV licenses to new competitors. But so far it just issued one cable TV permit (operated by I-Cable) in 1993 and a broadband TV permit (operated by PCCW) in 2003. Both are paid services.
In response to the 2009 public consultation on the local media environment, the Broadcasting Authority called for public application of new free-to-air TV licenses and reviewed three applications in 2010. The Authority then suggested that the Government Executive Council issue three new permits in 2011. Since then the three applicants, in particular the HKTV, have been preparing to enter the market and the local people are full of expectation. However, the government eventually screened off the only new competitor, HKTV, from entering the TV market without giving any concrete explanation.
320 workers dismissed
Soon after the result was released, the entrepreneur behind HKTV, Ricky Wong, revealed in a press conference that he received an invitation to make the application back in 2010 and the high-level government source was very optimistic that he would get a license. To prepare for the venture, he sold City Telecom in 2012 and so far ahs invested more than one billion HK dollars to prepare for HKTV. Soon after the government announced the result, HKTV was forced to dismiss 320 workers. A drama director from HKTV, So Man Chong, expressed his frustration towards the Hong Kong government in an interview [zh] with the House News, an online blog portal in Hong Kong:
全隊人用年幾兩年時間、比荷里活制作更加認真，做咗一件無愧於心嘅事情，但係而家被扼殺，原因不明，好唔岔氣。冇後悔（加入HKTV）；唔關香港電視事、唔關王生事，我地完全係輸咗畀政府。對政府好失望、痛心，原本唔想去佔中，而家都想佔中。
Our production team spent up to two year time [to produce one drama], our production is more professional than Hollywood. We devoted our heart [to prepare for the new TV station]. But the whole plan was screwed without giving any reason. So frustrated. I don't feel regret (for joining HKTV); The fault does not lie with HKTV and Mr. Wong. It is the government's responsibility. I am so disappointed with the government. I didn't want to join the Occupy Central in the first place, now I want to.
Another junior script writer, Chong Yuen Ping, shared [zh] in Facebook:
由零至開立一間電視台的風險可想而知，仍然堅持下去是因為相信香港有很多觀眾渴求高質素的電視劇集。由內容貼緊社會現實(普通家庭不再住千呎大宅)，全實景拍攝，不避談政治話題等等，都是希望為民發聲，回應社會。
Operating a TV station from ground zero is very risky. The reason why we can still cling on is that we believe Hong Kong people demand better quality TV drama. The content should be more in touch with reality (ordinary families won't be living in 1000 square feet apartments). Use real life settings and don't avoid political topics. We want to speak for people and react to social concerns.
昨天，所有的夢想都幻滅了，當中蘊藏的政治意味，當權者利益欲蓋彌彰。但更難過的是否定了我們一直以來的努力。今早，公司開會宣佈裁減過半數員工，王生入場時，我們都拍手，因為我們清楚知道這個決定對他而言亦很沉重，有人問他是否知道不獲發牌原因，他說只有一不敢說的原因，大家都知道這是甚麼原因了吧！
Yesterday all our dreams shattered, hidden among the political overtones, the interests of those in power trying to hide something. The decision has denied all our efforts. This morning the company announced plans to cut more than half of its employees. When Wong entered the room, we all clapped because we know that the decision is very heavy for him. Someone asked if he knows what is the reason behind the permit, he said the only reason is the unspeakable reason. Everyone knows what is the reason!
Political screen out
According to a leaked consultation document revealed by local newspaper Apple Daily [zh], HKTV was ranked number 2 in term of competitiveness and major government officials were supportive of the decision to issue three new licenses. Yet the recommendation from the government administration was over-ruled in the Executive Council. Many believe that the decision is political in nature and the final decision was made by the Beijing government.
Lam Shiu Bun pointed out [zh] that all media tycoons in Hong Kong have to win the trust of the Beijing government. Although Ricky Wong is a successful businessman, Beijing government may feel threatened by his management style:
王維基在2008年1月至2013年1月曾經擔任浙江省政協委員，有一定程度的親中背景，不過他作為「魔童」的言行實在是難以估計，他在2008年出任亞洲電視行政總裁，強調亞視不應背靠大陸，說過「不做中央電視台」、「親共的電視沒有人看，只有反共的電視台才有人看」等言論，嚴重得罪紅色資本。另外，又有傳王維基與黎智英關係密切，未來的免費電視台隨時變成反共的機器。
Although Ricky Wong was appointed as CPPCC member of the Zhejiang province between 2008 and 2013 and has a pro-China outlook, it is difficult to predict the “magic boy” [Wong's nickname in the business field]. Back in 2008, he acted as the CEO of Asia Television [two of the current free-to-air television stations, Beijing mouthpieces in Hong Kong]. Back then, he stressed that ATV should not depend on mainland China and should not become another Central China Television channel. He also pointed out pro-communist TV does not have the market and people like anti-communist opinion. He had pissed off the red capital [mainland Chinese capital]. There are also rumors that Ricky Wong is familiar with Jimmy Lai [an anti-CCP media tycoon in Hong Kong] and that the future free-to-air TV would become an anti-CCP machine.
Many civic groups have spoken out against the government's decision. The Hong Kong Journalist Association issued a statement [zh] demanding that the government reveal the  decision making process in detail. The Chinese University School of Journalism and Communication also issued a statement, believing the decision will eventually bring adverse effects for free speech in Hong Kong as the government can control the media organization by its arbitrary decision making process:
今次事件，造成極壞先例。發牌制度決策不透明， 將令有意加入廣播行業的經營者卻步。現正營運並有意續牌的廣播機構，也將要面對不明朗的處境。長遠來說，會影響本港的資訊和言論自由。
The incident has set an extremely bad example. The decision lacks transparency and will discourage future competitors from joining the broadcasting industry. Even for the existing operators, they have to face unpredictable circumstances when they renew their licenses in the future. In the long term, it will affect Hong Kong's information and freedom of expression.
The Support HKTV Facebook group has decided to launch a protest against the decision on October 20.

author: Oiwan Lam


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‘Can We Call Ourselves Free?’: Indians Talk #HumanRights On Blog Action Day · Global Voices
Rezwan

For Indian bloggers on Blog Action Day on 16 October, a day in which thousands of bloggers from around the world write on a single topic, this year's theme of #humanrights hit home. The fight for human rights in India, where child labor, indigenous exploitation, entrenched stereotypes and other violations remain a problem, is far from over, they wrote.
Richa Singh shed light on the lack of human rights considerations in the tourism sector, especially involving the indigenous population:
Safari. Human. Human safari. What do these two words explain to you? Put etymology to it and despite that, the worrisome details of this ‘trip’ will not be exposed.
Jarawa tribes. Andaman Nicobar islands. Does this not bring to mind the gory details of that video which went viral all over the internet and finally surfaced on the news channels.
Fifteen thousand rupees (US $250) that's it. That is all it took a couple of people to go on a human safari. Where they could watch scantily clad women dance, men beg for food and of course poor children also not spared in this. This particular tribe has been an endangered species for quiet sometime. And Supreme Court of India has repeatedly been demanding a closure of the highway which leads to their inhabited areas. But govt has been reluctant to follow through because there could be possible ‘connectivity’ issues.
Irish expatriate blogger Maria Perry Mohan, a blogger and mother of four who lives in India, focused on child labor in India:
Because India is in the far east and is technically what is known as a developing country, westerners find it very hard to believe that many people here live in unimaginable comfort. There are kids who have laptops, access to modern educations aids, smartphones, pizza delivery, digital television, even a fancy vehicle to move around in – you name it, they have it.
The very same kids often live in homes where there is flagrant use of child labour. I kid you not. Because of the profusion of dust, the harsh climate and a cooking system which is still quite labour intensive, pressure cookers notwithstanding, a housewife's work is never, ever done. So for those who can afford it, domestic help is a must.
Ural Rahul, 15 years old, works in a garage in Dimapur, Nagaland, India. Image by Caisii Mao. Copyright Demotix (12/6/2013)
Columnist, writer and blogger Shaksi Nanda described human rights violations in the mental health sector:
Despite progressive legislations and zealous spread of awareness, conflicts and vagaries arise when human rights of the mentally ill are under question, not just in India but universally. [..]
Grey areas remain in the legal technicalities and implementation, questions of ethics and professionalism. Grey areas are also housed within our own minds, and mentalities, in our social attitude towards our mentally ill. These being the two biggest deterrents in ensuring human rights of the mentally ill.
Rajlaksmi talked about discrimination based on skin color and body size. She asked:
How about just being human for a while, accept and appreciate people for what they are?
Ashrayam Rural Development Society distributed food and clothes to much needy tribes of Nelliampathy Palakkad, India. Image by Prashanth Randadath. Copyright Demotix. (24/8/2010)
World Food Day also fell on 16 October. The right to food is also an essential human right, yet many in India cannot afford three meals a day. Writer and blogger Nischala suggested ways to bring about a change:
* Eat to live ; and not live to eat. Don't make food the focal point of your life every single day
* Don't throw away food. Learn ways to re-use as-is or in new ways. There are so many interesting things one can do with left-overs. Google it!
* You have the power to control food waste – Stop your friend from doing it
* Skip a meal 1 time in a week. It can be the fodder for someone else, and does wonders to your perspectives on “food”
* At a regular frequency, sponsor the meal of someone who can't afford it (In your community, in a religious place, in a social welfare group, etc.)
Kalpana Solsi commented on education and the amount of work that remains to be done to perfect the sector. Despite implementing the Right To Education Act and the recognition of education as a basic right, there are many illiterate people in India.
Journalist Vishal Bheeroo blamed the lack of political awareness for failing to ensure universal human rights in India:
Today, the fight for universal human rights is a real challenge since there are so many people who are deprived of proper meal, exploited by the middlemen, don’t have access to good education, proper sanitation and healthy living. They are also deprived of justice and fairness in society because of their social, caste or sex status. It’s a tragedy since lack of political willingness and mindset in the system permeates discrimination in society. Can we call ourselves Free? I’m sorry to say no and universal human rights seems to be a distant dream.
You cannot ignore human rights because human life matters. It's not just about the state of being alive, but also the quality of life. Bloggers Shilpa Garg and Rainbow Hues collaborated on publishing the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in simple language, courtesy of Youth for Human Rights. There are 30 human rights that are not optional, including the right to life, no torture, no discrimination, the right to an education, and a free and fair world for all. Everyone deserves them, and no one can take those rights away.
As Nischala says:
BE HUMAN first
The RIGHTS will FOLLOW
It starts with YOU!
Please check the Write Tribe for links to more posts on Blog Action Day 2013.

author: Rezwan


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Chilean Students March to Demand Education Reform One Month Before Elections · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The Confederation of Chilean Students (Confech) called for a march on October 17 to demand free and high quality education for all Chileans. Photo shared by Prensa Opal on Facebook.
Chilean students participated in protests calling for education reform exactly one month before the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for November 17, 2013.
The protests are part of ongoing mobilizations calling for an overhaul in the country's education system.
The day before the protests, the University of Chile Student Federation (Fech) posted a video [es] relating the student's struggle to the national football team's efforts to qualify to the 2014 World Cup:
No one said it would be easy. Yesterday we made a big step. Today, a new stage begins. There are still matches left to win. Never again without us. See you on the 17th.
The site Revolución 3.0 [es] gathered citizen photos and live streamed the march. They also explained:
Esta marcha tiene como fin emplazar a los nueve candidatos a la presidencia de la república, sobre las medidas que tomarían en un eventual gobierno. El vocero de la Cones, Moisés Paredes, dijo que el “llamado que se le hace a todos los candidatos es claro, acá no se necesitan consignas de que van a hacer una gran reforma educacional, sino que se necesitan propuestas claras”.
The goal of this march is to summon the nine candidates for the presidency of the republic, regarding the steps they would take in a new government. Cones [National Coordinator of Secondary Students] spokesman, Moisés Paredes, said the “call to all candidates is clear, we don't need slogans saying they will carry out a great educational reform, we need clear proposals”.
TeleSur reporter Raúl Martínez wrote on Twitter:
Estudiantes advierten a candidatos presidenciales que si no hay soluciones a sus demandas seguirán movilizados #Chile pic.twitter.com/lHJlt1j07q
— Raúl Martínez (@RaulteleSUR) October 17, 2013
Students warn presidential candidates that they will continue to mobilize if there are no solutions to their demands.
Citizens and media outlets shared pictures, reports and reactions with the hashtags #NosVemosEl17 [es] (See you on the 17th) and #marchaestudiantil [es] (student march):
RT @Revolucion3_0CL: Son miles los estudiantes que comienzan a marchar este #MarchaEstudiantil #Yomarchoel17 pic.twitter.com/GaZH7gwpZt
— Revolución 3.0 (@Revolucion3_0) October 17, 2013
Thousands of students begin to march.
Desde la Alameda #NosVemosEl17 pic.twitter.com/7oUxGLJhPs
— Comunicaciones FECh (@la_Fech) October 17, 2013
From the Alameda [main avenue in downtown Santiago]
EDUCACIÓN GRATUITA gritan estas estudiantes secundarias sin temor a la represión. SEGUIMOS EN la marcha estudiantil pic.twitter.com/vm5lZ6DSuQ
— Piensa Prensa (@PiensaPrensa) October 17, 2013
FREE EDUCATION these secondary school students yell without fearing repression. We continue in the student march.
Thousands took to the streets of Santiago for today's @confech march. Photo by Sam Edwards/ The Santiago Times pic.twitter.com/SdOWfN2rM9
— The Santiago Times (@SantiagoTimes) October 17, 2013
Others reacted to reports of violence during the protests:
Apoyó la causa del movimiento estudiantil pero para que caer de nuevo en incidentes q al final es de lo único q hablan #MarchaEstudiantil
— Eduardo Barrientos (@yaoxz) October 17, 2013
I support the student movement's cause, but why incidents again when in the end that is the only thing they will talk about
Y los tontitos, delincuentes de siempre salen a generar desórdenes tras #MarchaEstudiantil … Justo a la hora de las noticias,que “curioso”
— Rodrigo Adrián (@adrianrx) October 17, 2013
And the same dumb delinquents go out to cause disturbances after the student march…Just in time for the news, how “curious”
According to reports by the University of Chile Student Federation, 50,000 people participated in today's protests:
Hoy marchamos porque seguimos siendo valientes! 50 mil personas en la calles. Porque sin nosotros no hay reforma! pic.twitter.com/neCldmmR0s
— Comunicaciones FECh (@la_Fech) October 17, 2013
Today we march because we are still brave! 50 thousand people on the streets. Because without us there is no reform! [Photo: “The students teach us to be brave”]


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China’s Agenda in the World Media Summit · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Bandurski from China Media project reported on the World Media Summit which took place in Beijing between October 8-10.
To sum up, the World Media Summit, this ostensible back-slapping affair offering an opportunity for media leaders to talk media strategy, is fundamentally about China projecting its influence over global media agendas.


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Ecuadorian Women March in Defense of the Amazon · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

[All links lead to Spanish-language pages unless otherwise noted.]
The Ecuadorian president's decision to suspend the Yasuní ITT environmental plan [en] continues to generate mobilizations [en] and initiatives from civil society and activists interested in the preservation of the Amazon. This time, it is the women leaders of the various communities of the Pastaza [en] who have organized and launched a “Mobilization for Life”.
A press release from the organizers of the mobilization, which was republished in the blog Amazonian Commune Youth Organization (Organización Juvenil Comuna Amazónica), states among other things:
Hoy somos las mujeres quienes tomamos la posta en esta lucha como dadoras de vida. Somos las abuelas, madres, hijas y hermanas quienes hemos decidido salir en defensa de la vida por la femineidad que nos conecta con la fuente primordial de la existencia humana. Nosotras, desde las bases, buscamos revivir el vínculo fundamental que nos une a este vasto organismo vivo y cuyo ultraje solo ha creado situaciones de miseria para quienes vivimos en la selva.
Today it is we, the women, who take the lead in this struggle as givers of life. It is we, the grandmothers, mothers, daughters and sisters who have decided to stand up for life for the womanhood that connects us with the primordial source of human existence. We women, from the grassroots, seek to revive the fundamental link that joins us to this vast living organism, the affront to which has only created situations of misery for those of us who live in the rainforest.
Prior to the mobilization, the assembly “Women Keeping Vigil for Life” was held on October 10th and 11th in Fátima parish in the city of Puyo, to socialize the proposal of mobilization towards the city of Quito, as well as to discuss other issues. After the assembly they declared:
1. Nosotras las mujeres de las nacionalidades amazónicas nos declaramos en movilización hacia la ciudad de Quito en oposición a la explotación petrolera y demás formas extractivistas, por ser atentatorio contra toda forma de vida en nuestra región y en defensa de la vida, de nuestros territorios y de nuestros derechos.
2. Exigimos al Gobierno Nacional la no ampliación de la frontera petrolera, en el marco de la XI ronda petrolera (Ronda petrolera Centro Sur), la expansión del bloque 10, la concesión inconstitucional de los bloques 28, 78 y 86, a la empresa estatal Petroamazonas ni la explotación del parque nacional Yasuni (bloques 43 y 31).
1. We, the women of the Amazonian nationalities, declare ourselves in mobilization toward the city of Quito in opposition to oil exploitation and other extractive forms, for being prejudicial against every form of life in our region and in defense of life, of our territories and of our rights.
2. We demand that the National Government not engage in the enlargement of the oil frontier, in the context of the 11th oil round (Centro Sur oil round), the expansion of block 10, the unconstitutional concession of blocks 28, 78 and 86 to the state-owned company Petroamazonas nor the exploitation of Yasuní national park (blocks 43 and 31).
The Huangana Collective, “a channel of self-mobilization of the AMAZONIAN WOMEN of Ecuador in defense of their ancestral territories and against oil exploitation”, made the following video:
On Saturday, October 12th, the mobilization was initiated, departing from the city of Luyo and arriving at night on the same day in Tungurahua. On Monday, the approximately 110 marching women were in the city of Ambato, and then in Latacunga.
Finally, on the morning of Wednesday, October 16th, the march reached the capital city of Quito, beginning their circuit from the locality of Guajaló, in the south of the city, and finishing in Arbolito Park, in the northern part.
On Twitter, the account @Yasunidos has been one of the most active ones spreading the march and its details:
#MujeresPorLaAmazonia, por su casa, por su vida, por el #Yasuni a recibirlas con los brazos bien abiertos!!! pic.twitter.com/vgkRcZxF3z
— Yasunidos (@Yasunidos) October 16, 2013
[Photo: “Walk with us (Oct 16) Guajaló Bridge: 8:00 Arbolito Park: 12:00”]
#MujeresPorLaAmazonia (Women for the Amazon), for your home, for your life, for the Yasuní to receive them with wide open arms!!!
Felipe Bucaram for his part made a comparison with the recent ranking of the Ecuadorian football team for the World Cup:
#MujeresPorLaAmazonia llegan mañana a Quito a defender su tierra! Eso me da MUCHÍSIMO más orgullo que la clasificación.
— Felipe Bucaram (@felipebucaram) October 16, 2013
Women for the Amazon arrive this morning in Quito to defend their land! This makes me MUCH more proud than classifying [to the World Cup].
Various users were tweeting photos of the route of the march on Wednesday:
@Yasunidos en minutos se dará inicio rueda de prensa, movilización de mujeres de la Amazonia en defensa de la vida pic.twitter.com/dCC53qnX3R
— Estuardo Vera (@fotoestuardo) October 16, 2013
in minutes a press conference will start, mobilization of women of the Amazon in defense of life
@Yasunidos #MujeresPorLaAmazonia ambiente en el puente de Guajalo pic.twitter.com/CuUQeeW58p
— Estuardo Vera (@fotoestuardo) October 16, 2013
[Photo: “Only we, the WOMEN of the AMAZON RAINFOREST, know what life is in the rainforest – NO MORE OIL EXPLOITATION!”]
the atmosphere on Guajaló bridge
Mire esos rostros, de mujeres valientes, Sarayacu, que sí me representan pic.twitter.com/5jQMGmzqRw #MujeresPorLaAmazonia @cviterigualinga
— MaríaMendoza (@MariaMendoza200) October 16, 2013
Look at those faces, of courageous women, Sarayacu, who do represent me
Te compartimos nuestra foto. Mujeres de la #Amazonía inician marcha. pic.twitter.com/SEm7bRRnMO
— Diario La Hora (@lahoraecuador) October 16, 2013
We share our photo with you. Women of the Amazon start a march.
“Tenemos chicha, tenemos maíz, fuera petroleras de nuestro paísPAIS”, gritan las #MujeresPorLaAmazonia. @lahoraecuador
— Andrea Grijalva O. (@andreagrijalva) October 16, 2013
“We've got chicha, we've got corn, oil companies out of our countryCOUNTRY”, shout the Women for the Amazon
#MujeresPorLaAmazonia avanzando hacia el Parque del Arbolito pic.twitter.com/7g8PdbfYgd
— ¡MiAU! (@Amaaranth_) October 16, 2013
Women for the Amazon advancing towards Arbolito Park
“No podíamos fallarle a nuestras mujeres… Ellas son las protagonistas de esta marcha.” #MujeresPorLaAmazonia pic.twitter.com/wSc7Ks5kQE
— Diana Amores Moreno (@Diana_Amores) October 16, 2013
“We can't let our women down… They are the protagonists of this march.”
Women living in cities also joined the march:
Así caminamos luchando, naciendo, creciendo en la lucha! #MujeresPorLaAmazonia pic.twitter.com/sknGDvStHO
— ¡MiAU! (@Amaaranth_) October 16, 2013
Thus we walk struggling, being born, growing up in the struggle!
Although one of the objectives of the march is to gain an audience with Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa and representatives of the National Assembly to deliver the manifesto to them, so far it is unknown whether such meetings will take place. Some media report that the march has impeded vehicular traffic in some parts of the city.
More photos of the march in this set on Facebook, and up-to-the-minute happenings under the hashtag #MujeresPorLaAmazonia on Twitter.

author: Juan Arellano


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Happy Ending This Time for Iran’s Nuclear Crisis ? · Global Voices
Farid

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif (Source: ISNA)
Nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers in Geneva ended on Wednesday, after two days of intensive dialogue. Both Iran and its counterparts gave a positive review of the negotiations and now prepare for a further round of talks in November.
According to diplomatic sources, the Iranian delegation said Iran is ready to scale back sensitive atomic activities in exchange for urgent sanctions relief.
Iranian netizens shared their feelings and opinions on the saga that has now continued  for ten years. Talk after talk, city after city, while the crisis persists.
Will there be a happy ending this time?
On Twitter, Arash Sobhani, says with irony that:
انرژی هسته ای حق مسلم ماست ولی مفاد مذاکرات در مورد حق مسلم ما محرمانه میمونه! فقط 5+1 میدونن و نظام / دانستن حق مردم نیست عجالتاً
— arashsobhani (@arash_sobhani) October 16, 2013
Nuclear energy is our absolute right [the Islamic Republic has repeated this slogan for years] but details of the negotiations about this absolute right remain confidential. Only the regime and the world powers know what happened. Knowing this is not the people's right.
Also on Twitter, Madyar is hopeful and says :
از مذاکرات ژنو خبرهای خوبی می رسد؛ به نظر اولین گام های #عملی در حال برداشته شدن است
— madyar (@madyar) October 16, 2013
Good news is coming from Geneva. It seems the first practical steps are taken.
Korosh says the top nuclear negotiator, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, has a real problem beyond the negotiations: back pains that force him to sit in wheelchair. Korosh writes:
کمر درد و پادرد زمین گیرش کرده ولی با لبخند میره جلو تا دشمنا فکر نکن کم اورده و نمی تونه حق ملت ایران رو بگیره #ژنو pic.twitter.com/hEJY4vuiVc — Korosh (@Korosh6606) October 16, 2013
Despite his back pain, he moves forward with a smile to make enemies know he is able defend the rights of Iran.
Also on Twitter, Drekshepherd thinks the negotiations can open a new era in Iran-USA relations:
از این به بعد بجای شعار مرگ بر آمریکا بگوییم: درود بر صلح و انسان, از آمریکا تا ایران #ژنو #ظریف #اشتون
— صابر←درِک شپرد (@derekshepherd_2) October 16, 2013
From now on instead of “Down with USA”, let's chant “Long live peace and humanity from Iran to USA.”

author: Farid


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Here’s An Effective Way To Change Bangladesh: Community Building Via Facebook Group · Global Voices
Rezwan

With 5.6 million users (September 2013 Data) Facebook is very popular in Bangladesh. Badrud Doza reports that a Facebook group and a TV show titled ‘Aamrai Bangladesh’ (We are Bangladesh) are changing the face of Bangladesh.
The group is dedicated to connect the young people who are involved in community works and committed to social service.
They are acting as a platform to organize the largest network of online blood donation groups in the country. They also focused on the other community support work-service to the poor, collect money for the critical patients to cover their costs, connect police to people etc.