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Campaign to Demand Saudi Nationality Gender Equality · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

A campaign aimed at enabling the children of Saudi women to be granted the Saudi nationality is currently underway.
The Campaign to Amend Article 7 of the Nationality Act demands granting Saudi nationality to children whose mother is Saudi and whose father is not. Currently, only children whose father is Saudi are granted the nationality. This means that the children of Saudi mothers, whose fathers are of another nationality, cannot benefit from public education and health coverage, among other perks.
The campaign website shares this example [ar]:
سيف بن يزن، كغيره الكثير، ابن مواطنة سعودية من أب غير سعودي. لا يعرف وطناً غير المملكة العربية السعودية. حصل على الثانوية العامة بمعدل 98٪. بعد ذلك حاول ان يدرس الطب ولكن مُنع من تحقيق هذا الحلم بحجة أنه “أجنبي” لذلك اضطُر إلى أن يكمل تعليمه في احدى التخصصات الأخرى المتاحة للأجانب “في نظر النظام” في ذلك الوقت. فالتحق بكلية الحقوق “القانون” بجامعة الملك عبدالعزيز. وفي عام 2010 تخرج من جامعة الملك عبدالعزيز مع مرتبة الشرف بمعدل 4.69 من 5. ثم قرر مواصلة تعليمه في الخارج. لكن مرة أخرى، برنامج الابتعاث لم يقبل ضمه نظراً لأنه من “الأجانب”. إيماناً بأهمية العلم، قرر والده أن يرسله على حسابه الخاص للدراسة، وبذلك اقتطع والده من دخل العائلة وتحملت العائلة مشقة مالية مُرهِقة. حصل على ماجستير القانون التجاري الدولي من جامعة بوسطن ثم حصل على قبول بجامعة هارفرد وألتحق بها. الآن يعيش الحلم واقعاً بدراسة ماجستير القانون في جامعة هارفرد.
Saif bin Yazen is, like many others, the son of a Saudi mother and a non-Saudi father. He does not know any home but the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He graduated from high school with an overall 98 percentage. He tried to study medicine but he was prohibited from that dream for being a “foreigner” and because of that, he had to join a different field to complete his education in one of the specialties that are open to foreigners (according to the law then). He joined the Rights College at King Abdulaziz University and in 2010 he graduated with an honours degree with a 4.69 out of 5 GPA. He decided to complete his education abroad, but, again, the Scholarship Program did not accept him because he was a “foreigner”. Since his father believed in the importance of education, he decided to pay his son's expenses, which the family had to bear with very expensive costs. He got the Masters degree in International Commercial Law from Boston University and he was accepted to and joined Harvard.
Article 7 states the following:
يكون سعوديا من ولد داخل المملكة العربية السعودية أو خارجها لأب سعودي، أو لأم سعودية وأب مجهول الجنسية أو لا جنسية له أو ولد داخل المملكة لأبوين مجهولين، ويعتبر اللقيط في المملكة مولودا فيها ما لم يثبت العكس.
Those who were born inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or outside it are considered Saudis if their father is Saudi or their mother is Saudi and their father is of an unknown nationality or with no nationality or was born for unknown parents. Illegitimate children are considered born in the Kingdom unless proven otherwise.
The campaign has launched a petition and called people to sign it.
Twitter user @Delilah_SD commented:
#حملة_تعديل_نظام_الجنسية نجنّس لاعبي كورة و مطربين و من ليس لهم انتماء ولم يفعلوا للوطن شيئا و أبناء السعودية المقيمين لا نمنحها لهم!
— Delilah¹³ (@Delilah_SD) January 31, 2014
We grant [the Saudi] nationality to football players and singers, and those who do not belong and who have never done anything for the nation, and the children of a Saudi mother are not grated the nationality!
Abdull Yazan adds:
#حملة_تعديل_نظام_الجنسية المرأة هي نصف المجتمع ، وهي التي تلد و تربي النصف الآخر
— Abdull Yazan (@Y3V2) February 9, 2014
Women are half of society. They are the ones who give birth to and bring up the other half.
And Jameel concludes:
#حملة_تعديل_نظام_الجنسية مش عيب يا وطن؟ مواطنة تراجع الجوازات تجدد إقامة ولدها!!
— جميل (@alkrshamijameel) January 31, 2014
Isn't it a shame when a Saudi woman has to go to the Immigration department to get a visit permit for her own son?

author: Anas Soliman


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Campaigning for Women’s Rights Made Easy · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Women's rights campaigning is the focus of a new info-activism toolkit by Tactical Technology Collective.
The toolkit is particularly useful to women's rights activists, advocates, NGOs and community-based organisations who want to use technology tools and practices in their campaigning.
It includes step-by-step guides from basics like how to launch a campaign to more complex issues such as digital security and privacy.
The Toolkit was developed as part of a project with CREA, along with seven partner organisations
based in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and East Africa. It is now available in English only but will soon be translated into Arabic, Swahili, Bengali and Hindi.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Chinese Dating Website’s TV Advertisement Backfires · Global Voices
Abby Liu

One of China’s biggest dating websites Baihe.com probably never imagined their seemingly smart and touching TV advertisement would backfire and lead to an online protest.
In an effort to promote its offline dating service store, Beihe released a commercial on TV during Chinese New Year. The holiday for family reunions is also a frustrating period for many Chinese singles as the attention and pressure surrounding personal matters from the whole family is simply unbearable. So Baihe’s 30-second commercial comes right in time.
Screenshot of the commercial “Because of love, I won't wait”
It’s about a young single woman who finally gets married for the sake of her dying grandma. Her grandma asks whether she’s getting married each time she goes back home regardless of her successful academic and career achievements. The title reads: Because of love, I won't wait. The commercial only sends one message: Whether or not it’s the right person, as long as you get married, you have fulfilled the family's wish, your personal wish and happiness should be subordinated to the family.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul0KyzDK5Cs
The commercial has triggered a lot of complaints online, saying it’s trying to promote wrong marriage values by taking advantage of family kinship. On Feb 6 2014, netizen “Cai Puning” organized a campaign on Sina Weibo to protest against Baihe. Within less than two days, over 7 million people joined the campaign. They urged that the commercial should be banned and the Baihe website should apologize to the netizens.
One netizen “Lao Chao” commented on Weibo:
在老外婆垂死前一声声催命似地追问下，女孩走进婚姻，又一个鲜活的生命成为亲情的殉葬品，“这是我见过的最恐怖最狼心狗肺的广告”。
Before the dying old grandmother who cries urgently for her marriage, the girl rushed into marriage, and a lively life has become a sacrifice of family kinship. This is the most horrible and ungrateful ad I've ever seen.
Another netizen “Gongda Houyuaner” is more concerned about the gender inequality the commercial conveys:
其实逼婚并没有那么反感，但是通篇表达的性别歧视让人不满。否认女主角事业学业，只承认她的婚姻价值。
Actually forced marriage is not so objectionable, but the expression of gender discrimination throughout annoys me. [The society] denies her academic career, and only recognizes the value of her marriage.

author: Abby Liu


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Discovering Malagasy Diverse Street Food   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Koba, a snack from Madagascar, made from peanuts, brown sugar and rice flour – Public Domain
Malagasy cuisine is a mix of its many diverse influences from Asian, African and European migrants that have settled in the Island. It makes for a rich culinary experience, as seen from its multitude of snacks and street foods. Hanta Ramanatsoa highlights some of those on her facebook page, la cuisine de Madagascar (Malagasy Cuisine). Here is a sample of the street foods and snacks photos shared on her page [mg]:

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Egyptian Satirist Bassem Youssef is Back On Air · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

In Egypt, it may take you airing your show on a YouTube channel and three TV channels to keep it going. In October last year, the CBC channel decided to take Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef's show, El Bernameg, off air. The statement issued by the channel back then stated that the content of the first episode of the show “violated what was agreed upon with CBC”. Blogger Zeinobia summarized the climate then after the first episode was aired:
The Islamists are angry from Bassem Youssef as usual. Already they used to hate him during Morsi so there is nothing new about it. The new thing is the reaction of the Pro-military rule/Pro-El Sisi supporters who used to cheer for Bassem . The Pro-Military supporters are extremely angry because the famous satirist dared and spoke about the general !! He did not even mock him directly.
Bassem Youssef and his show were trending on twitter.
On Friday [February 7, 2014], the show was back on MBC Masr, a channel owned by Saudi businessman Waleed Al Ibrahim.
And, as usual, people were wondering whether Youssef would dare mention Egyptian strongman and Defense Minister Field Marshall Abdel Fattah El Sisi, even before the episode was aired.
طبعا باسم يوسف كالعادة يا ولاد مش هيجيب سيرة السيسي هيرقص علي جثث الاخوان اكتر واكتر
— أحمد علي ما أظن (@A_AHaleem) February 1, 2014
@A_AHaleem: For sure Bassem Youssef will not mention El Sisi, and will dance on the dead bodies of the Ikhwan more and more.
Dr As'ad AbuKhalil, aka The Angry Arab, was also cynical about Youssef's choice of TV channel to air his famous programme:
After a feverish search for free network, Egyptian satirist, Bassem Youssef, has decided that Saudi MBC TV station is the freest of them all. How cute. I am sure that the new boss of Youssef would let him mock the Saudi King and Sisi.
However, Zeinobia, wrote summarized the episode right after it was aired:
The episode started with funny Sketch where Bassem hinted out to El Sisi/army mania in a funny way then it was the big show. Youssef and his team slammed CBC and its owner Mohamed El Amin. He also mocked other pathetic TV hosts who were attacking him exposing their overreactions. He claimed that he would
avoid the one who won't be named showing a silhouetted photo of El Sisi but man he mentioned names several times.
She added:
In the second segment Bassem continued speaking about the El Sisi-Mania in the Egyptian TV that extended to cooking shows and fashion shows.
The question now is for how long will the show continue on MBC Masr, before we hear the news of Bassem Youssef looking for a new channel for his show.

author: Tarek Amr


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Family Reunion and the Chinese New Year · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jocelyn Eikenburg describes how she spent the first few days of the Chinese New Year with her husband's family in China.
I’ve already attended four huge dinners with family, where the dining tables often become a cacophony of laughing and shouting (often because of those drinking games involving baijiu). I’ve learned to steel myself for the inevitable topic of children — which used to be a question (“When will you have kids?”) and has now become a command (“This year, you must have a kid!”).

author: Oiwan Lam


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Five of the Most Celebrated French-Language African Films  · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou or FESPACO) is the largest film festival in Africa, held every two years in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The festival usually takes place in March of every year it is held. Founded in 1969, it has honored a great number of movies whose impact is still felt today. In celebration of the upcoming film festival, below are five of the most celebrated French-language African films (award-winning or not) that have left their mark on an entire generation of movie-watchers.
Ivory Coast: “Bal poussière” (Dancing in the Dust)
Poster for the film “Bal poussière” – Public domain
“Dancing in the Dust” is a 1988 Ivorian film directed by Henri Duparc. Seen by over 300,000 people in France, this satire of polygamy tells the story of Alcaly (a.k.a. “Demi-God”) who, despite already having five wives, becomes infatuated with Binta, a young woman who has returned home from the big city of Abidjan. See a French-language clip from the movie below:
Gapont [fr], contributor on Allociné in Paris, explains what he found striking about the movie:
Un petit bijou de fraîcheur et de spontanéité. Ce film a la candeur du cinéma de Renoir ou de Pagnol. Petit budget pourtant, acteur souvent amateurs, tourné en super 16mm et pourtant la magie est là, on se laisse porter par ces personnages incroyables. Du vrai cinéma.
A fresh and spontaneous little gem. This movie has the candour of a [Jean] Renoir or [Marcel] Pagnol work. Small budget, many amateur actors, shot in Super 16 mm, yet the magic is there, these incredible characters simply carrying us away. Authentic filmmaking.
Ethiopia: “Va, Vis et Deviens” (Live and Become)
Poster for the film “Va, vis et deviens” – Public domain
“Live and Become” is a 2005 French-Israeli film by Radu Mihaileanu. In an Ethiopian refugee camp in Sudan, a Christian mother makes her son Shlomo pass as Jewish in order to survive and be included in Operation Moses, which brought many Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Declared an orphan, Shlomo is adopted by a Sephardic Jewish French family living in Tel Aviv. He grows up fearing that his secret past will be revealed. See the trailer below:
Janos451, an IMDB commenter from San Francisco, loved the movie's dramatic intensity:
What makes the film extraordinary – what creates all the crying in the audience – is its honest and effective portrayal of the young refugee's isolation and loneliness, made worse by his belief that his escape is at the cost of his mother's life
The film is based on the history of the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews) who, despite their efforts, have experienced a great deal of difficulty gaining acceptance after immigrating to Israel. The movie has seen renewed interest recently as many African immigrants in Israel have been demonstrating for their rights.
Chad: “Un homme qui crie” (A Screaming Man)
“A Screaming Man,” originally titled “A Screaming Man is Not a Dancing Bear,” is a film by Chadian director Mahamat Saleh Haroun, released on September 29, 2010. It received the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize in 2010. The original title is a quote from “Notebook of a Return to the Native Land” by Martinican poet Aimé Césaire. The film tells the story of 55-year-old Adam, a former swimming champion turned hotel lifeguard in N'Djamena. When the hotel is taken over by Chinese investors, he is forced to surrender his job to his son Abdel.
The blogger at Words of Katarina explains what makes the movie so compelling:
A Screaming Man talks about loss of self, not as a consequence of happenings beyond our control, but of the choices we make when life throws us off guard. . . It is in fact up to ourselves to decide what kind of person we want to be and how to express and live up to the decision once it has been made.
Algeria/Morocco: “Indigènes” (Days of Glory)
“Days of Glory” is a 2006 Algerian-Moroccan film directed by Rachid Bouchareb. The film tells the stories of one Moroccan and three Algerian soldiers serving in the French army during World War II: Abdelkader, Saïd, Mesaoud and Yassir. While they are disillusioned by the discrimination they experience during the war, the movie also illustrates their emerging sense of hope and political consciousness.
Sarah Elkaïm, French writer and African affairs expert at Critikat explains the film's historical significance [fr]:
Personne ne s’était encore attaché à relater le sort de dizaines de milliers d’Africains, du Maghreb et au-delà du Sahara, qui, au sein de l’armée française, ont participé à la libération du pays qu’ils n’ont jamais, pour la plupart, cessé de considérer comme leur patrie. [..] c’est ce qui fait la force et l’émotion du film : les personnages sont construits, et pas prétextes. Ils sont humains : parfois lâches, peureux, ils sont avant tout des hommes venus libérer leur pays du joug nazi.
No one had yet endeavored to tell the story of tens of thousands of Africans from North Africa and beyond the Sahara in the French army, who helped liberate the country they always considered their homeland. […] That's what makes this movie so emotional and powerful: the characters are fleshed out, not clichéd. They are human, sometimes cowardly or scared. Above all else, they are men who have come to liberate their country from the Nazi yoke.
Madagascar: “Tabataba”
“Tabataba” (“rumblings” or “rumors” in Malagasy, but also the code name given to the events of the 1947 Malagasy Uprising in Madagascar) is a 1988 film by Raymond Rajaonarivelo. The film tells the story of a Malagasy village fighting to achieve independence from French colonial rule. For the villagers, rebellion takes different forms. Some believe in the power of democracy; others believe in the power of arms.
Director Raymond Rajaonarivelo describes how he wrote the screenplay for the film [fr]:
Tout le monde me racontait une histoire, jamais la même. Cela a donné lieu à une rumeur, Tabataba, qui me paraissait refléter ce que j’avais entendu là-bas. Ce sont toutes ces mémoires qui m’ont servi à écrire le scénario
Everyone was telling me stories, but never the same one. This resulted in a rumor, tabataba, that seemed to reflect what I had heard there. These are all memories that I used to write the script.
Valérie Andrianjafitrimo, the reporter of Rajaonarivelo's remarks, adds [fr]:
Car ce qui est crucial, dans ce jeu de balance auquel on assiste entre déni et commémoration, entre interprétation française renouvelée et pluralité des perceptions malgaches, ce n’est pas la vérité de l’historiographie, dont on voit bien qu’elle ne résoudra rien des ombres de la mémoire ni de la dimension symbolique de l’événement. C’est peut-être la voix alternative de la rumeur, ce « tabataba », ce bruit sourd, permanent, varié et variable, tantôt ténu, tantôt éclatant, tantôt victimaire, tantôt héroïque, qui est importante.
For as we try to balance denial and commemoration, the balance between France's reinterpretations of the events and the Malagasy people's various perceptions, what is crucial is not the truth in historiography. That clearly resolves nothing when it comes to the shadows of memory or the event's symbolism. Perhaps it is the rumor as an alternative voice, the “tabataba” – this muffled, continuous, multifaceted sound, ever-changing from restrained to deafening and from victimized to heroic – that is more important.

author: Rakotomalala


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Heavy Snowfall Brings Playtime to Tokyo · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Heavy snowstorms hit Japan on Feb 8, 2014. Twenty seven centimeters of snow fell in central Tokyo, for the first time in 45 years. Moro Miya, a writer and a blogger who specializes in introducing Japanese culture to Chinese readers, collected the photos of snowmen and snow-animals that were posted by the netizens on twitter.

author: I-fan Lin


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“I Am Alive” App Allows Lebanese to Reassure Each Other After Explosions · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

The Lebanese seem to have gotten so used to bombs that an app dedicated to letting your loved ones know you're alive seems inevitable. The app which goes by the name of “I Am Alive” is the brainchild of 26-year-old Sandra Hassan, a Lebanese student living in Paris.
Screenshot of “I am Alive” app
The way the app works is simple: every time an explosion happens, you just open the app and click. This automatically sends out a tweet announcing “I am still alive! #Lebanon #LatestBombing”.
Speaking with NPR blogger Rachel Martin, Hassan explained her motivation for creating the app:
“It was maybe a little bit frustrating that, we in Lebanon at least, that we're living in a situation that makes such an application necessary or useful. My way to express that frustration was to publish this app … kind of as a statement against what was happening, a statement of discontent if you will.”
Responses to the app varied. When famous Lebanese blogger Gino Raidy of GinosBlog asked people what readers thought of the app, most responses were negative:
@GinoRaidy sad and poorly done. There are many other ways to resist and state you are alive
— Uberstreet (@NourKhoury) January 25, 2014
@GinoRaidy dark humor much?
— Lama Miri (@LamaMiri) January 25, 2014
@GinoRaidy i don't like it. It's like they're telling us that we'll never be safe
— Mona (@MonaaSalemm) January 25, 2014
IT blogger Erik Neu from Mondegreen II shared their feelings.
This must be the saddest app ever.http://t.co/S8J9QnKZc0 #Lebanon #LatestBombing
— Erik Neu (@ErikNeu) February 3, 2014
However, PSFK blogger Ross Brooks has a more positive outlook on what the app represents:
“At times when mobile phone networks get flooded with calls from concerned relatives, the internet provides a better alternative to make sure your message gets through.”

author: Elia J. Ayoub


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India’s Solar Vision Promises Clean Energy And Happy Farmers · Global Voices
Rezwan

Array of solar panels at Auroville, Pondicherry, India. Image from Flickr by Amaresh Sundaram Kuppuswamy. CC BY-NC-SA
Around 628 million people around the world do not have access to electricity and 290 million of them are from rural India. Many Indian farmers have to rely on archaic power grids and fossil fuels to run water pumps for their irrigation.
The Indian government is aiming to replace 26 million diesel-powered groundwater pumps with more efficient solar-powered irrigation models. This will save about six billion US dollars a year in electricity and diesel subsidies for the country. This will also help tackle the rising demand for coal as two-thirds of the country's electricity is generated by coal. Additionally crowd-sourcing of unused solar power will also add a lot of energy to the national grid.
India nearly doubled its solar capacity in 2013 to a cumulative 2.18 gigawatts of power. The country plans to install 10 GW of solar plants by 2017 and 20 GW by 2022, according to the the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), India’s flagship solar policy. India is also considering to apply to the World Bank for a 500-million-US-dollar solar loan to build the world's largest solar power plant (4GW) in Sambhar in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Yadav K writes in Indian Public Sector blog details about the 4GW power plant in Sambhar:
The project will spread across 19,000 acres at Sambhar in Rajasthan and will entail an investment of Rs 7,500 crore in the first phase. [..] The solar PV (photo-voltaic) power plant will use PV modules based on crystalline silicon technology and with an estimated life of 25 years, the solar plant can supply 6,400 million units of energy per year. It eco-friendly project will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 4 million tonnes per year.
Katie Fehrenbacher writes in technology blog Gigaom:
As more devices become connected to networks and the Internet — here comes the Internet of Things — more and more of them will seek to have their own power source, and currently solar power is one of the cheapest and most mobile forms of distributed energy available. [..]
If India does reach these numbers of solar-powered water pumps, it would be the largest deployment of this technology in a single country. Reducing the grid electricity usage, and the use of expensive diesel, will not only lower carbon emissions, but it could also help the power grid operators better run their networks and reduce the power costs for the farmers.
Here are more reactions on Twitter:
$1.6 billion of investment in 5 years as the first 200,000 pumps go solar to save India’s Archaic Grid http://t.co/qa3b5fH28P
— Divyam Nagpal (@DivyamNagpal) February 8, 2014
India to build world's largest solar plant – 4,000 MW, 77 sq km area http://t.co/91LsPxZjIG Great…but when?? We are great at announcing!
— Amit Paranjape (@aparanjape) February 5, 2014
Solar energy production cost in India has reduced to half in recent years. It has shrunk to 7.50 rupees per kWh. #1 #solar
— Abdul Azeez (@abdulazeezsk) February 8, 2014
However, the rapid development requires industrial production of Solar plants which may create new bio-hazard:
Millions of tons of lead are dumped into rivers and farmland around solar panel factories in China and India,
— Earth Debt (@DebtSlave7bn) February 8, 2014
Blogger & Solar Energy expert Ritesh Pothan thinks that there are a number of issues that must be resolved if 2014 is to see India make any progress towards its solar ambitions.
More info on India's solar developments can be found in Renewable Energy India and Solar Power India Facebook pages.

author: Rezwan


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Iran: Five Soldiers Abducted near Iran-Pakistan Border · Global Voices
Farid

Five Iranian soldiers were kidnapped on Friday, near Iran-Pakistan border by Sunni extremists. Iranians launched a tweet campaign to support abducted soldiers.Amin Sabeti tweeted
Iranians have started a @Twitter campaign for 5 Iranian soldiers who are abducted by a terrorist group Jaish al-ado #FreeIranianSoldiers
— Amin Sabeti (@AminSabeti) February 9, 2014

author: Farid


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Media Overblowing Extreme Right’s Role in Ukraine’s #Euromaidan Protests · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

Euromaidan protesters sing songs as they warm by the fire barrels near the barricades on Hrushevskoho Street in Kiev, Ukraine on 2 February, 2014. Copyright Demotix
This post is part of our Special Coverage Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests.
A group of domestic and international scholars of Ukrainian nationalism have warned that an increasing number of media reports are misrepresenting the role of Ukraine's far right within the anti-government protest movement Euromaidan.
Ukraine has been rocked by the massive demonstrations for more than two months now, with thousands of Ukrainians from all over the country maintaining a camp in the capital Kyiv and many others joining on weeknights and weekends. The movement began as peaceful, but the short-lived passage of laws limiting the right to protest sparked violent clashes between demonstrators and police.
The movement is highly diverse, with Euromaidan protesters representing a wide range of ages, income, education and abilities.
The scholars’ assessment was part of a collective statement released on change.org titled “On the role of far-right groups in Ukraine's protest movement, and a warning about the Russian imperialism-serving effects of some supposedly anti-fascist media reports from Kyiv”. To counter these misconceptions of protesters’ political affiliations, they stated:
Both the violent and non-violent resistance in Kyiv includes representatives from all political camps as well as non-ideological persons who may have problems locating themselves politically. Not only the peaceful protesters, but also those using sticks, stones and even Molotov Cocktails, in their physical confrontation with police special units and government-directed thugs, constitute a broad movement that is not centralized. Most protesters only turned violent in response to increasing police ferocity and the radicalization of Yanukovych’s regime. The demonstrators include liberals and conservatives, socialists and libertarians, nationalists and cosmopolitans, Christians, non-Christians and atheists.
Anton Shekhovtsov, a blogger and a researcher of far-right movements in Europe, published an extensive investigation into what he alleges is an organized effort to defame Ukrainian Euromaidan protests in the West. He wrote:
Every single  mass political mobilisation in Ukraine has been accompanied by the attempts to compromise the popular uprisings by associating them with the extreme right. And not only uprisings or protests, but big events too. For example, a few weeks before the start of the Euro-2012 football championship, British media hysterically accused Ukrainians of racism and xenophobia, and warned that any non-White person going to see football matches in Ukraine would definitely and immediately be killed. After the championship was over, no British media outlet apologised to the Ukrainian people when it turned out that not one racist incident involving Ukraine fans had been reported during the tournament.
The current campaign to defame the Euromaidan protests is so far the strongest attack on the Ukrainian civil society and democratic politics. Similar attacks took place in the past too [ru], although their intensity never reached today's level. During the “Orange revolution“, the Ukrainian semi-authoritarian regime under President Leonid Kuchma was also trying to defile democratic presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko by associating him with the extreme right.
According to the author, the ongoing defamation campaign involves a number of individuals and groups that form a wide network aimed at promoting anti-Western, pro-Russian and pro-Eurasianist ideas in the EU, Canada and the US. He noticed that several individuals involved in the effort are regular commentators of Kremlin-sponsored Russia Today and Voice of Russia.
Shekhovtsov concluded by demonstrating how the tone of the Euromaidan defamation effort aligns with the official rhetoric of the Russian government:
The large network consisting of pro-Russian authors and institutions is a hard/extreme right breeding-ground of all kinds of conspiracy theories, Euroscepticism, racism and anti-democratic theories. Today, this is also one of the main sources of the articles, op-eds and statements that are one way or another trying to discredit the Euromaidan protests by associating them either with neo-Nazism or with the alleged US expansionism. The rhetoric of these authors fully conforms to the remarks made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who has recently slammed Western support for Euromaidan and declared: “What does incitement of increasingly violent street protests have to do with promoting democracy? Why don’t we hear condemnations of those who seize and hold government buildings, burn, torch the police, use racist and anti-Semitic and Nazi slogans?”.
The Ukrainian government has also persistently referred to protesters as “extremists” and “radicals” [ru]. However, many Internet users are skeptical about such assessments and have humored them with messages like this [ru]:
В украинском доме экстремисты напали на пол – швабрами. Министр МВД обеспокоен. #euromaidan #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/nKNYck15pS
— Про ме///ду прочим (@maxifreedom) January 26, 2014
At Ukrainskyi Dim [an expo center seized by the protesters] extremists have attacked the floor – with mops. Minister of Interior is concerned. #euromaidan #євромайдан
This post is part of our Special Coverage Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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Public Buses Return To Cambodia’s Capital · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Phnom Penh residents in Cambodia have one month to ride public buses which is part of an experiment to re-introduce public buses in the country’s capital in order to reduce traffic congestion.
Promotional poster of the Phnom Penh bus trial.
Phnom Penh has one million motorbikes (motorcycle taxi or motodup) and 300,000 cars but this expanding urban hub surprisingly doesn’t have a mass transportation system.
The Phnom Penh governor hopes the one-month trial which will end on March 4 will help convince Cambodians to use public buses:
…the purpose of this pilot project is to reduce traffic accidents and traffic congestion as well as to change the Cambodians’ habit from using personal cars to public buses.
Public buses were first deployed in 2001 but the program lasted for only two months because of lack of government subsidies and passenger interest. Aside from riding the motor taxis, Phnom Penh residents also use the popular tuktuks.
Abigail Gilbert sees several benefits of using the bus:
The last public bus trial, more than 10 years ago, was not popular, as locals preferred the door to door service of the two-wheeled variety. This new City Bus trial, partly funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, will discover if attitudes have changed. There are some clear benefits for visitors to the city, including the icy air-con, the impossibility of bag snatching, a set fare, and a clearly marked route.
Phnom Penh resident and prominent blogger Tharum Bun welcomes the arrival of the buses:
We’ve talked a lot about traffic jam, too many motorcycles and vehicles, and no public transportation. Starting early this February, the bus will run on Monivong Boulevard. It’s an opportunity for most of us, who are willing to get back on the bus.
But Tharum learned that some motor taxi drivers are worried about the impact of the buses on their livelihood:
The motor taxi driver told me that he’s worried about this this public transportation as he’s got only one source of income.
The trial will involve 10 buses running every day from 5:30am until 8:30pm.
Many Phnom Penh residents were excited about the bus trial and they quickly posted photos of the public buses on Twitter:
Vitou waits for the bus. This is the first time for him. #cambodia pic.twitter.com/JBVAk3cDvU
— Santel PHIN (@khmerbird) February 9, 2014
First day of one month test w/ public bus in #phnompenh #Cambodia View fr my office at Monivong pic.twitter.com/uN6NDR6CUD
— Anna Maj Hultgård (@AnnaMajHultgard) February 5, 2014
One of #PhnomPenh's new public bus stops. Yeah, public bus is coming to town. FINALLY. #Cambodia pic.twitter.com/MTbIunoXdo
— Mongkol T. (@somongkol) January 26, 2014
#Cambodia's capital city Phnom Penh gets a public bus system http://t.co/YpKAvhOTv2 #transportation pic.twitter.com/B12haIY9mO
— M. Ibrahim (@RED_MHI) February 9, 2014
Finally a city bus service has arrived in Phnom Penh #Cambodia but will it get used? pic.twitter.com/cDjBSqjicH
— Khiri Cambodia (@KhiriCambodia) February 5, 2014
*Thumbnail used is from @KhiriCambodia

author: Mong Palatino


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Russian Commentator Apologizes for Mistaking Uzbekistan for Tajikistan · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Renowned Russian sports newscaster has apologized for mistaking the national team of Uzbekistan for that of Tajikistan during a live television broadcast from this year's Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Responding to thousands of angry messages addressed to him through social media sites, Dmitry Guberniev posted [ru] an apology on his website:
Dear residents of Uzbekistan!
I would like to apologize for a mistake I made while reporting from the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Sochi. I will try to be more accurate in future.
I wish your athletes success [at the Games]!

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Tajikistan: Welcome to the “Facebook Republic of Pitzostan” · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

A government committee in charge of enforcing language regulations in Tajikistan has recently caused many laughs by insisting that the word “pizza” should be replaced with “pitzo” on restaurant signs in the country's capital. According to the committee's chair, “pitzo” sounds more “Tajik”.
#Tajikistan has officially renamed pizza “pitzo”. For whatever reason. #onlyintajikistan
— Only in Tajikistan (@onlytajikistan) February 6, 2014
The announcement has earned the committee a lot of ridicule from social media users. Facebook users have even launched a new public group, “Pitzostan,” where users ridicule language innovations and funny mistakes on signs and advertisements. They also discuss a possibility of creating “the independent Facebook Republic of Pitzostan”.


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Tanqeed’s Bi-Weekly List of Recommended Readings On Pakistan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tanqeed, a quarterly magazine on politics and culture on Tumblr, is an experiment in critical reflection on Pakistan. It is a blogzine, a scrapbook and a reporters’ notebook. This year, Tanqeed is accepting recommendations of lectures, essays, articles, videos on a range of subjects including politics, culture and society from Pakistan and beyond and plans to publish them bi-weekly.


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Veteran Sri Lankan Journalist Murdered in Her Home · Global Voices
Rezwan

The home of murdered former Sri Lankan Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist Mel Gunasekera is probed by police investigators at the capital Colombo on February 2, 2014. Gunasekera was stabbed to death after a break-in at her family's home. Image by Tharaka Basnayaka. Copyright Demotix (2/2/2014)
Melicia “Mel” Gunasekera, one of Sri Lanka's most prominent journalists, was stabbed to death in her house in Battaramulla, a suburb Colombo city on February 2, 2014. She was the assistant vice president at Fitch Ratings Lanka and the founding editor of the Lanka Business Online, an online financial news service website. She was a former reporter for French news agency Agence France-Presse and also worked as a freelance journalist.
D. B. S. Jeyaraj notes that Gunasekera was very popular and was loved by her colleagues in the media. A construction worker was arrested within the same day and preliminary investigation indicates burglary may have been the motive. But her fans and followers think otherwise.
Nalaka Gunawardene questioned “Who Really Killed Mel Gunasekera?” on Groundviews blog:
According to police, the killer stole just LKR 1,200 (USD 10) and her mobile phone. No other motive is suspected.
Any death is a tragedy, but what do we make of a killing done for small change and a piece of metal?
The reactions in Sri Lanka after her murder include reflections on how this country has become brutalized. Policy entrepreneur Rohan Samarajiva noted in a eulogy in Lanka Business Online:
She should be writing my eulogy, not me hers. The young should not predecease the old. We should have built a country where a young journalist could take the bus with no fear and spend a Sunday morning in her own house without getting murdered. The war brutalized us. Killing became nothing.
Others mourned the journalist on Twitter:
Mel Gunasekera: we'll never see that dazzling smile or twinkling eyes. Goodbye, my dear spirited friend. @MelGuna pic.twitter.com/784J4SoqtX
— Nalaka Gunawardene (@NalakaG) February 2, 2014
Horrified & saddened to hear that Sri Lankan journalist Mel Gunasekera @MelGuna has been murdered. My thoughts with her family & friends.
— V.V. Ganeshananthan (@Vasugi) February 2, 2014
Colleagues and admirers remember Mel Gunasekera http://t.co/osgUHoVWyd via @thersq
— The Republic Square (@thersq) February 3, 2014


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Why Young Chinese Flock to First Tier Cities? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Offbeat China explains why young Chinese want to migrate to first tier cities in spite of the polluted environment and expensive property price.


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Will the End of the National Dialogue Bring Peace to Yemen?  · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

The National Dialogue Conference (NDC) finally came to a halt, after dragging four months longer than the scheduled six months. While many congratulated Yemen on this breakthrough, Yemenis are apprehensive there would be a real political change and an end to violence on the ground.
The NDC, which ended its meetings on January 21, commenced on March 18, 2013, and was designed to be an inclusive process addressing a multitude of challenges facing Yemen. The 565-member body, representing various political groups, completed 10 months of arguments, deliberations and negotiations, presenting a set of recommendations on various challenges, political conflicts and socio-economic grievances.
The dialogue is a component of the Gulf Cooperation Council Agreement which  granted former president Ali Abdullah Saleh an immunity in exchange for the transfer of power to his deputy Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi.
International observers were thrilled for Yemen.
Turkey's Ambassador in Yemen, Fazli Corman who was present at the closing ceremony tweeted:
The athmosphere is a joyous one in hall for the closing ceremony of the Yemen National Dialogue Conference: pic.twitter.com/mhtt6ZVac9
— Fazli Corman (@FazliCorman) January 25, 2014
Nervana Mahmoud, an Egyptian Blogger and commentator, tweeted:
Congrats! Yemen had done better than others RT @AlArabiya_Eng: #Yemen marks end of thorny national dialogue http://t.co/Wt8EEX2FEZ
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) January 25, 2014
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, also tweeted:
In region of dashed hopes, #Yemen remains a fairly positive story as National Dialogue ends. Next step constitution. http://t.co/nDMqhtf9lA
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) January 29, 2014
British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, congratulated Yemen in his tweet:
Congratulate #Yemen on the closing ceremony of the National Dialogue Conference. Implementation now crucial. Lots more work ahead
— William Hague (@WilliamJHague) January 25, 2014
Yet Yemenis weren't as excited with end of the National Dialogue Conference.
Safa Mubgar, co-founder of London-based Independent Yemen Group, tweeted:
#Yemen (National Dialogue etc) – the audacity of hope!
— Safa Mubgar (@Saphsaf) February 3, 2014
Blogger Alaa Isam, who is apprehensive of the ongoing violence, noted:
Sad about the money spent on the national dialogue in #Yemen, End of #NDCY launched the smell of gunpowder across the country! #SouthYemen
— AlaaIsam (@AlaaIsam) February 6, 2014
Adam Baron, a Yemen-based reporter, added:
"#Yemen's Nat'l Dialogue ends w violence, no election scheduled:" my piece putting today in context for @McClatchyDC. http://t.co/evGOudcCoH
— Adam Baron (@adammbaron) January 21, 2014
Baron rightfully points in his article:
…the conference was intended to provide an inclusive forum to address the grievances of groups ranging from the Houthi rebels, who’d been the target of a series of brutal government wars, to southern separatists to disaffected youths, while undertaking wide-ranging constitutional and administrative reforms…Instead, it became an example of Yemen’s many conflicts. Initially slated to last six months, its work was the subject of repeated disagreements that led to the conference’s extension. Meanwhile, violence continued in much of the country, underlining the persistence of the political divisions.
Danya Greenfield, director of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, also worries that all did not end well. She writes in the Atlantic Council:
Unfortunately, the completion of the Dialogue on its own won’t resolve these conflicts, nor will it improve economic conditions or mitigate malnutrition. These are the daily realities that plague most Yemenis, who worry about the lack of security and meeting their families’ basic needs. They have yet to see the benefits of the political transition or an improvement in the quality of their lives…Now the pressure is on for Yemen’s leaders to put the interests of the country ahead of narrow, parochial interests and make good on the demands of those who bravely put their lives on the line for change three years ago.
After 10 stormy months in Yemen, Yemenis are generally relived that the NDC has finally come to an end. How and when will its resolutions be implemented is the issue, as many Yemenis look to it hopefully not just to manage the political transition, but to fundamentally improve their lives.

author: Noon Arabia


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Yemenis Demand an End to Corruption and Unfair Sales Deals  · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

Yemenis are back on the streets demanding their country's wealth – and holding those who squander it accountable.
Under the slogan “The People Reclaim Their Wealth” Yemen's revolutionary youth joined Yemen's Revolution Electronic Coordination (YREC) to demand the cancellation of what they describe as “unfair” liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales agreements, bleeding the country's resources.
According to on-going agreements, the former regime cheaply sold Yemen's LNG to France's Total and Korean Kogas, costing Yemen more than US$ 4 billion dollars in losses annually. Protesters claimed that LNG is sold below market price to those companies, following corrupt deals. They say that while Yemen sells its gas for US$ 2, the current market price for the gas is US$ 10.
Protesters also demanded compensation for the damage caused by the previous agreement and compelled the government to restore Yemen’s share in the production of LNG. According to the deal, Yemen keeps 22% of its LNG. The rest goes to benefit foreign companies, most notably Total's share of 39%.
On Thursday (February 6, 2014), the marches and rallies were staged across the capital Sana’a and in the western city of Hodeidah.
Protesters in the capital Sanaa marching and holding signs condemning Yemen's LNG sales agreement.
(video uploaded by presstv)
The slogan on the sign held in Hodeida's march reads “the people want to recover their wealth…the people want to recover their gas…the people want to recover their assets”
In Hodeidah, the rally started from the city’s Change Square, roaming a number of streets to mobilize citizens and make them aware of the corruption behind the deal.
The campaign was adopted by the YREC two years ago under the slogan ” The People Reclaim Their Wealth ” to demand the restoration of Yemen's wealth and assets, to fight against corruption and to bring the corrupt signatories of such agreements to justice.
Protesters in Hodeida holding signs demanding president Hadi to review Yemen's LNG deal
The campaign was widely accepted among Yemenis who are suffering from the severe economic conditions that the country is undergoing which has led the deterioration in their living conditions and decline into further poverty and unemployment levels.


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Guyana, U.S.A.: Aviation Security Threat? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Two blogs are reporting that the US has issued a security alert to its citizens about an ‘unconfirmed threat’ to flights from Guyana. Netizens are also sharing the news via Facebook.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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In the Information Age, the End of Status Quo for Morrocan Media · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Hicham Lasri is a film maker from Casablanca, Morocco. In his second movie called “C'est eux les chiens” (They are the dogs”), Lasri talks about the evolution of media in Morocco [fr] with the expansion of information technology:
Moi j'ai grandi dans un pays où les informations à la télévision expliquent que tout se passe bien, qu'on est géniaux [..]Forcément c'est une information qui ne dérange pas, qui ne crée pas de troubles, qui permet d'anesthésier la nation. Le film raconte deux événements : les émeutes de 1981 et trente plus tard, en 2011, c'est le printemps arabe. La première révolte en 1981 n'a pas marché parce que l'information ne circulait pas. En 2011, il y a une chaîne de solidarité qui s'est créée. Les gens sont interconnectés. Quand on tape sur quelqu'un tout le monde est au courant et l'indignation va gagner en ampleur. C'est la fin du statu quo.
I grew up in a country where tv news told us that everything was OK, that we are doing great [..] It was the type of information that did not bother anyone, did not create any troubles and anesthetized the nation. The film tells the story of two events: the riots of 1981 and 30 years later, in 2011, the Arab Spring. The first revolution in 1981 did not succeed because the information could not be shared. In 2011, a chain of solidarity has been created. Now people are interconnected. When someone is being beat up, everyone knows and outrage will rise. It's the end of the status quo.
Here is an interview of Lasri  talking about the movie [fr]:


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INFOGRAPHIC: Pursuit of Happiness in Africa  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The Afrographique blog mapped the happiness index for the African continent. Topping the ranking are Angola and Mauritius who hold the same happiness index as Albania and Russia, respectively. In related news, the  Pharell’ single “Happy” has been used by dancers around the world to celebrate the new year 2014. All the videos are compiled at the blog We are Happy from . Below are the videos from Antanannarivo, Madagascar:
and Cotonou, Benin:
Happiness Value Index for the African Continent via Afrigraphique CC-NC-2.0


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Remembering the Jamaican Cultural Theorist Stuart Hall  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican-born cultural theorist Stuart Hall has died at the age of 82 in England; netizens and academics all over the globe were shocked by the news, though Hall had been ailing for some time.  He reportedly died of complications arising from kidney failure.
The UK Guardian's obituary described Hall as an “influential cultural theorist, campaigner and founding editor of the New Left Review”. One of the founders of British Cultural Studies, he regarded popular culture as capitalist and dominated by the ruling class.  He studied media and its impact on ideology, becoming a major proponent of reception theory and expanded the scope of cultural studies to deal with race and gender.  His work was particularly meaningful to black West Indian immigrant communities, as he explored ideas of cultural identity, race and ethnicity, especially as they related to the diaspora experience.  Rather than viewing identity to be determined by history and culture – and therefore fixed – he saw it as fluid, ongoing and subject to change.
Facebook was overflowing with status updates that reflected the respect and admiration people had for the man and his work. Upon hearing the news of Hall's death, Rhoda Bharath said:
I can't even begin to describe how bereft I feel about Hall's passing… What a loss!
Arc Magazine posted a striking portrait of Hall by Antonio Olmos, adding:
We have just learned of the passing of Stuart Hall, champion of cultural studies and one of the Caribbean's leading intellectuals.
Our condolences are extended to those whose lives he touched with his generous work.
Rest well in peace Sir.
Arc's Facebook update directed readers to its website, where it posted about Hall's life and work in greater detail.
From Jamaica, Annie Paul referred to his death as “horrible news”, and proceeded to post a series of links and photos about his life and work as part of her mourning process, including this video of Hall speaking with C.L.R. James:
In another update, Paul admonished the Jamaican media for not picking up on the significance of his death:
Have yet to hear any announcement on local media of the passing of Stuart Hall…
Stuart Hall (R) reading a copy of The Caribbean Review of Books at at Hellshire Beach, Jamaica; June 2004.  Photo by Annie Paul.
In a blog post that was published soon after the 2012 debut of John Akomfrah‘s film about Hall, “The Unfinished Conversation”, cultural studies professor Nick Mirzoeff wrote:
It’s a remarkable piece of visualizing theory and history. Shown on three screens simultaneously, the film visualizes, in a sense, what it must have been like to be Stuart Hall in his earlier career. The three screens would be showing personal photographs, filmed interviews from various periods, archive film and photography, news footage and so on. Meanwhile the sound would blend music, often jazz, with Hall’s commentary and radio interviews and other sound, such as the sea or machinery. It was a polyphony, edited so that all the sounds and images reinforced rather than disrupted each other.
There were powerfully revelatory moments throughout. It turns out–did I somewhere know this?–that Stuart has Sephardic-Jewish in his family tree. In the film, we see his mother and that lineage is visibly apparent–it’s mine, too, so I’m allowed to say this. Was there some affinity that I had felt, having worked with Hall when I was a young activist and editor on Marxism Today, and always taking his thought to be a lodestone? Perhaps.
He commented on other revelations in the film:
It turns out that Hall was part of a group that opened a radical coffee shop in Oxford in the crisis of 1956. The Soviet invasion of Hungary changed a generation away from orthodox Marxism-Leninism and cultural studies would not have happened as it did without this break. At the same time, Britain and France invaded Egypt over the nationalization of the Suez canal, their last imperial folly.
Sitting in the coffee shop called The Partisan, with its sign designed in impeccable lower-case sans serif font, Hall was interviewed about his views. Time and again, he calmly stressed that he was angry, angry over the invasions, angry over the disregard for young people in Britain, angry that
for fifteen years at least we have been without any kind of moral or political leadership.
Out of that anger came the New Left Review.
Mirzoeff continued:
Watching it now, over fifty years later, I felt intensely that we had somehow let this young man down, that it would be entirely possible for another such young man or woman to sit down today and say exactly the same thing. And it is indeed what we have been saying this past year. The spectre that entered the room was this question: will this demand still be unmet in fifty more years from now? Or was leadership perhaps the wrong thing to ask for? Reflecting back on 1956, a moment he felt “defined” him, Hall noted in terms so familiar to us:
Another history is always possible.
The film ends with this caption
For Stuart Hall. In gratitude. And respect.
My eyes filled with tears. In the crowded screening room, I was not alone.
On Twitter, condolences streamed in from all corners of the globe:
Heartfelt messages of love and thanks for #StuartHall all over twitter. Here's a beautiful portrait of him: pic.twitter.com/Ua8BLuiZFI
— Basia Lewandowska (@mishearance) February 10, 2014
Can't begin to articulate #StuartHall's profound impact on my life. Heartsore. An intellectual giant is no more. #identity #representation
— René Smith (@renealicia) February 10, 2014
Rest in power Stuart Hall http://t.co/LpPYNXKDrT. A friend aptly said this morning that we're in a "season of loss." via @analuciaraujo_
— Alondra Nelson (@alondra) February 10, 2014
#stuarthall has died. Read this: a cruel reminder of the gaping hole he leaves: 'assert the morality of our argument' http://t.co/lhIobGCBNn
— Ruth Serwotka (@ruthserwotka) February 10, 2014
alas, it was not meant to be. but i am grateful for #stuarthall's intellectual & political labors, for opening the space for so many
— josh guild (@wardellfranklin) February 10, 2014
Some Twitter users shared the aspects of Hall's work that affected them the most:
#StuartHall's most powerful idea for me: we can negotiate with the culture we consume. No need for passive spectatorship.
— Cameron Bailey (@cameron_tiff) February 10, 2014
Others suggested what they felt were the most appropriate ways in which to honour his memory:
With due respect to my fellow academics the way to honor Hall is not with a special issue but to engage the political pic.twitter.com/tLVcgu5tV9
— Ben Carrington (@BenHCarrington) February 10, 2014
A tribute to Stuart Hall, who passed today. Let's adapt Joe Hill–"Don't mourn– think, analyze, and then organize!" http://t.co/rA3pkBElVg
— Nicholas Mirzoeff (@nickmirzoeff) February 10, 2014
Some just admitted that the world – and its intellectual space – felt emptier without him:
Thinking Aloud interview with Stuart Hall from 2011. Will miss his laughter and brilliance. #stuarthall http://t.co/pdZyocG7SC
— Kelly Sloane (@kesloane) February 10, 2014
#Stuarthall 's departure is a massive loss for critical intellectual thought. Learnt so much from him in my early postgrad years.
— Sahar Ghumkhor (@SaharGhumkhor) February 10, 2014
Sad to hear #StuartHall has died. Challenged my mind, my studies, my activism & my life as a #migrant. An important #migrantvoice. RIP.
— Jason Bergen (@mryahbut) February 10, 2014
Saddened to hear of death of #StuartHall – great academic & incredibly principled man. Highly recommend this film http://t.co/XD5GBYFm8u
— Helen Pallett (@HelenPallett) February 10, 2014
Gerry Hassan acknowledged Hall's astute analytical powers:
The death of #StuartHall. Changed how we think abt politics, culture, race & identity, analysed Thatcherism & New Labour.
— Gerry Hassan (@GerryHassan) February 10, 2014
One Twitter user, Sean Fernyhough, quoted director John Akomfah:
"One of the few people of colour we saw on TV who wasn't crooning, dancing or running," John Akomfah #stuarthall
— Sean Fernyhough (@Sean_Fernyhough) February 10, 2014
Akomfah's latest documentary about Hall, The Stuart Hall Project, can be viewed here.  A shorter clip is here.
@cfidelmorris acknowledged the great impact of jazz music in Hall's life – specifically the music of Miles Davis:
So #MilesDavis' music represented "the sound of what cannot be" to #StuartHall. Sounds right.
— தோழன் (@cfidelmorris) February 10, 2014
Professor Nicholas Mirzoeff summed up the general feeling with this tweet:
For #StuartHall with love. With thanks. For everything. http://t.co/rA3pkBElVg
— Nicholas Mirzoeff (@nickmirzoeff) February 10, 2014


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Somali Activist’s Personal Account of Female Genital Mutilation · Global Voices
Mariana Parra

Activist Asha Ismail via “Save a Girl, Save a Generation” Facebook page.
Somali activist Asha Ismail recounted her own experience with female genital mutilation (FGM) and her fight to eradicate it to radio Onda Vasca on International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on February 6, 2014 (hear the full interview in Spanish here).
Asha Ismail was born in a Somali village and subjected to FGM when she was just 5 years old. She promised herself that she would never let her own daughter suffer such torture. Currently, she directs the organization Save a Girl, Save a Generation, which campaigns against FGM and other practices that violate women's rights such as forced marriage.
Asked whether about the practice's cultural and religious ties, a factor that could complicate efforts to combat it, she said that FGM violates women's rights and dignity, and in many cases, women stay in situations in which their own will is totally defeated.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted in his message for the day, “Just because a harmful practice has long existed does not justify its continuation. All ‘traditions’ that demean, dehumanize and injure are human rights violations that must be actively opposed until they are ended.”

author: Mariana Parra


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Tajik Bloggers Ask to Meet With President · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Every year, the president of Tajikistan meets with selected members of the national intelligentsia in Dushanbe, in late March. These meetings normally feature long speeches by the president followed by endless praise of his work and his answers to carefully scripted questions from the audience.
As the authorities begin [ru] putting together a list of “intellectuals” to attend this year's meeting with the country's leader, Tajikistani bloggers ask to be invited, too. Shukufa writes [ru]:
We should try and push [the officials] to send invitations to a couple of bloggers who would ask the president real questions. We could discuss the list of real and most pressing questions here [on blogiston.tj], on Facebook, [or other social media sites]. Bloggers are a real force, although the authorities do not understand it yet. We should help them understand this.
Russian Chronicles of Tajikistan, Tomiris, and Digital Tajikistan have supported Shukufa's initiative by re-posting her call on their blogs.


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Why are Rice Farmers Protesting in Thailand? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Hundreds of rice farmers have been protesting in the past several days in Bangkok after the Thailand government has repeatedly failed to provide payments under the rice pledging program. Delayed payments have already reached 130 billion Baht affecting more than a million farmers.
Protesting farmers in front of the Ministry of Commerce in Bangkok. Photo by Karnt Thassanaphak, Copyright@Demotix (2/6/2014)
Introduced in 2011 after the election victory of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the program involved the government buying the rice output of local farmers at high a price before reselling the rice to the global market. The program was meant to improve the savings of farmers.
For five decades, Thailand was the world’s largest rice exporter but it has been overtaken by India and Vietnam in recent years. Critics blame the rice pledging program for the huge financial losses in the rice sector.
The rice protest has intensified the country’s political crisis as anti-government protests continue to gather thousands in the streets of Bangkok.
Majority of farmer-protesters are not affiliated with the People's Democratic Reform Committee which has been the lead organizer of the anti-government protests. In fact, many farmers are from the village strongholds of the ruling party.
The opposition has expressed support to the protesting farmers and has initiated a donation campaign to help sustain the protest in the city. The opposition is also blaming corruption under the Yingluck government for the present suffering of rice farmers.
For its part, the government said it was unable to pay farmers because of the protests which caused the dissolution of the parliament. It urged protesters not to block or occupy government banks.
It assured farmers that the government is finding a mechanism on how to deliver the payments. It also rejected criticism that the rice subsidy program has become a disastrous populist policy:
Ultimate goal of the rice pledging scheme is not the Government’s popularity, but simply the upgrade of income security for the better lives of farmers, and for the better future of our posterity since rice farming means growing the better future on our own land without any impact to the country’s monetary and fiscal disciplines.
But Bangkok Pundit believes a new subsidy program should be implemented by the government:
…some other form of subsidy which doesn’t involve the government being in the business of selling rice is a better option. A direct subsidy of something similar would be a much easier scheme to implement and manage. You can set a budget and you wouldn’t have to go through the problems the government is facing now with trying to issue bonds and who to borrow the money from.
Below are some photos and reaction on Twitter. In this photo, farmers mounted a street blockade near Bangkok, the country's capital.
How many Thai rice farmers does it take to blockade key transportation arteries? Not many. http://t.co/wMu7XMPFLm pic.twitter.com/Hrnjinfqgt
— Andrew Clark (@qandrew) February 6, 2014
Bangkok protesters showed solidarity to the farmers by gathering cash donations:
Protesters donating money to help rice farmers, many of whom have not been paid by govt. since Oct. 2013 pic.twitter.com/RzLRTb8I7O
— teamkorn (@teamkorn) February 7, 2014
@PravitR thinks the Prime Minister should immediately apologize to farmers:
Yingluck should meet affected rice farmers right away & apologize instead of playing hide & seek with PDRC. #Thailand #Yingluck
— Pravit Rojanaphruk (@PravitR) February 5, 2014
This morning I am praying for #rice #farmers that they be paid fairly for all their hard work.
— Stewart Perry (@bangkokpastor) February 5, 2014
Personally think YL govt politicized rice issue2 by blaming late payment solely on protest pressure on banks, ignored own failure 2sell rice
— Waan Chomchuen (@waanspeaking) February 7, 2014


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A Personal Tribute to Jamaican “Interventionist” Stuart Hall  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As tributes to late Jamaican cultural theorist Stuart Hall keep coming, Jamaica-based blogger Annie Paul posts a personal and stirring acknowledgement.
Titled “A Stuart Hall-shaped hole in the universe…”, she begins by saying:
When I saw Stuart at his home in London on December 14, 2013, I knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He had been ill for years and his health had deteriorated considerably since the previous year when we celebrated his 80th birthday at Rivington Place, the art centre born of his inspiration and hard work. All the same his departure comes as a blow. It’s too early for me to come to terms with this loss, for Stuart has been a close friend and mentor since 1996 when he came to the University of the West Indies to speak at the Rex Nettleford Conference.
Paul chooses to share some of her own photographs in the post, which alone makes it extraordinary – snapshots of Hall with Paul herself; with David Scott, the editor of Small Axe magazine; a few pics of him both in England and in Jamaica.  These are rare glimpses into the ordinary days of an extraordinary man.  Paul says:
Stuart Hall was such an extraordinary thinker that his work ranged over a broad field of interests including visual art which was the one thing we truly bonded over. It was a preoccupation that didn’t get much coverage in other interviews which tend to focus more on his activism, his Marxism, and his political interventions.
Stuart Hall at Good Hope Estate, Trelawny, Jamaica, 2004 – Photo by Annie Paul
She links to a post she wrote in November 2013, in which she reviews The Stuart Hall Project, the John Akomfrah film about him, which she hopes will be screened in Jamaica soon.  In it, she says:
One of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century, Stuart Hall, was born and brought up here, made his career in Britain, become an intellectual powerhouse there, and is virtually unknown in the land of his birth.  So true what Jesus said: A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country. Ah well.
Still, she shares links about his life and work in an effort to make “young people here realize that Jamaicans excel not only in track and field and music but also in the intellectual arena…”
Another piece of memorabilia Paul shares in the post is one of her “treasures”:
…a letter Stuart wrote to the Librarian at Birmingham U so that I could gain access to their inner sanctum.
She ends with an upload of an interview she did with Hall, titled The Ironies of History:
The Ironies of History:An Interview with Stuart Hall by Annie Paul
The interview (read it, above) begins by quoting Professor Grant Farred of Duke University:
Such was Hall’s impact on the US, British, Euro pean and Australian academy via cultural studies, mainly through a range of essays he published during the 1980s, that by the 1990s he became one of the preeminent intellectuals in the world. In truth, because of the international rise of cultural studies, Hall came to be regarded as an academic star, an intellectual celebrity, and a philosophical guru: he became the incarnation of cultural studies, first in Britain and then in the United States, widely anointed as the spokes man for the politics – and the endemic politicization – of the popular, the theorist in the fore front of politicizing (all) identity.
In it, Paul discusses with Hall everything from immigration and deportation to dancehall music, black masculinity and homophobia.  He talks about art, architecture and visual culture.  He even talks about himself and his work:
I was an interventionist, my writing is interventionist ok? That is to say I write in order to  intervene in a situation, to shift the terms in which it’s understood, to introduce a new angle, to contest how it has been understood before; it’s an embattled form of writing…a kind of intellectual interventionism.
This is a kind of politics in theory, because it’s interested in struggling thought – struggling in thought. Not interested in the production of pure truth, absolute truth, universal truth. It’s interested in the production of better ideas than the ones we used to have. So it’s a kind of struggle in thought, a struggle with thought and a struggle inside thought, struggle inside thinking to change the terms of reference with which we’re thinking. There’s also a politics of thought in the sense that it wants to make the ideas useful for some purpose; it wants to help people think more clearly about their situation or to help to advance nationalism in a more progressive direction or to help the world become a more equal and just place.


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Argentina: ‘We Increase’ Progress or Corruption? · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

“Don't buy Pantene, 40% increase”; “Don't buy Elvive due to excessive increase” Image by user @AdrianBono on Twitter
A speech on national television by President Cristina Fernández in which she announced a new increase in retirement pensions and in education allowances, among other things, provoked immediate responses among Twitter users who began using the hashtag #Aumentamos (we increase) to give their own account of what has ‘increased’ in the country.
Since the beginning of 2014, for example, one of the issues that most impacts Argentinians is the increase in prices. From the cost of basic household goods to appliances and cars, there have been substantial changes affecting the economy in general.
User casarosada uploaded the February 4 speech to YouTube [es]:
During the speech, Cristina Fernández emphasized the positive gains generated during her tenure:
Aumentamos las medidas que permitieron aumentar: hemos aumentado los puestos de trabajo, 6 millones de puestos de trabajo. Hemos aumentado las fábricas, más de 58 mil fábricas desde 2003; hemos aumentado los parques industriales.
We’ve increased the measures that allowed gains: we’ve increased jobs, 6 million new jobs. We’ve increased the number of factories, more than 58,000 factories since 2003; we’ve increased [the number of] industrial parks.
Fernández continues:
Aumentamos las universidades nacionales, tenemos nueve más; aumentamos el número de escuelas y de aulas […] aumentamos la cantidad de becas y salarios para que los científicos se quedaran en la Argentina; aumentamos la inversión en ciencia y tecnología […] Aumentamos la infraestructura en riego, en camino, en obras que permitieron recuperar miles de hectáreas bajo el agua; aumentamos la cantidad de argentinos que tienen agua potable y cloacas, también aumentamos el pavimento.
We’ve increased national universities, we have nine more; we increased the number of schools and classrooms […]; we’ve increased the number of scholarships and salaries so that scientists will stay in Argentina; we’ve increased investment in science and technology; […] we increased irrigation infrastructure, road works, and works that allowed us to recover thousands of acres of land under water; we increased the number of Argentinians who have potable water and sewer, and we’ve increased [the amount of] paved areas.
And finally:
Aumentamos el número de jubilados en más de 2,5 millones, gente que no tenía una cobertura previsional y que nos convierte en el país de Latinoamérica de mayor cobertura previsional, con 93%; aumentamos los salarios […]. Aumentamos la compra de medicamentos […]. Aumentamos las inversiones en viviendas […]. Aumentamos la cobertura de aquellos que todavía no tienen un trabajo registrado, que están en ese limbo que se denomina trabajo informal […].
We increased the number of retirees by more than 2.5 million, people who had no pension coverage, and that makes us the largest country in Latin America with pension coverage at 93%; we increased wages […] We increased purchases of medications […].  We increased investment in housing […] We increased coverage for those who don’t have registered work, who are in that limbo called informal work […]
She also said that her government has increased ‘consumption capacity’ and added: “I don’t think there are any Argentinians going hungry.”
Following the speech, the phrase “we increased” [es] quickly became a local trend on Twitter, with opinions for and against:
#aumentamos TODO! corrupción, pobreza, odios, bolsillos de funcionarios, caradurismo, bolazo, inseguridad, riqueza suya
— María Lourdes Moro (@EmeLeMoro) febrero 4, 2014
We’ve increased EVERYTHING! Corruption, poverty, hatred, the pockets of officials, shamelessness, lies, insecurity, her wealth
#Aumentamos pobreza, impuestos, corrupcion, ignorancia, inseguridad, desempleo, violencia, etc. El gobierno mas corrupto de la historia!!!
— Candela Checa (@CandeAcade) febrero 4, 2014
We’ve increased poverty, taxes, corruption, ignorance, insecurity, unemployment, violence, etc. The most corrupt government in history!
#Aumentamos en robos, precios, gente que no tiene para comer, inundaciones, muertes. Tranqui igual, Cris dice que a nadie le falta nada(?)
— Alena (@ohh_mills) febrero 4, 2014
We’ve increased theft, prices, people who don’t have anything to eat, floods, deaths. But no worries, Cris says nobody is lacking anything (?)
But those who were in agreement with the national broadcast expressed their support:
#Sra. #Cristina Te bancamos [Estamos de acuerdo contigo] Ayer hoy y siempre! #CadenaNacional #Aumentamos La Alegría y el Compromiso en el Pueblo! #07Apagóndeconsumo
— #El21FTodosaLaPlaza (@LoreArau) February 4, 2014
We're with you yesterday, today and always! Happiness and commitment with the people!
#Aumentamos UNA SOCIEDAD QUE NO ASISTE A SUS MAYORES Y QUE NO ASISTE EN EDUCACION A SUS HIJOS ES UNA SOCIEDAD QUE NO TIENE MEMORIA
— ♥ AnitaArg ♥ (@AnitaaArg) febrero 4, 2014
A society that doesn’t help its elders and doesn’t help educate its children is a society that has no memory
#Aumentamos Que te puedo decir de mi amada presidenta después de escucharla?Que hoy más q nunca: …sigo bancando este proyecto…!
— María Moreaux (@MaraMoreaux) febrero 4, 2014
What can I tell you about our beloved president after listening to her? That today more than ever: we will keep supporting this project!

author: Laura Schneider


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Art Arises From Snow-Covered Tokyo · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

The heaviest snowfall in 45 years hit Tokyo over the weekend. The unusual amount of snow triggered traffic accidents, killing 11 and injuring thousands, and travel was disrupted across the country.
However, amid the cold and white, some used the snow to create beautiful, fun and sometimes strange artwork. RocketNews24 has compiled photos that were taken and shared by Japanese Twitter users.

author: Keiko Tanaka


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‘Blogging Ghana’ to Establish Country’s First Physical Social Media Hub · Global Voices
Kofi Yeboah

Blogging Ghana's proposed Social Media Hub. Photo used with permission.
Internet penetration in Ghana is about 14 percent and has been on the up and up for the last decade as more Ghanaians, especially young people, have hooked up to the web. As a result, the number of Ghanaians on various social media platforms is also increasing rapidly, and some now see a need for a physical social media hub to facilitate the activities of the many people who use social media or want to learn about it.
Enter Blogging Ghana, the country's largest organization of bloggers and social media enthusiasts with more than 100 members. The group launched a campaign on January 20, 2014 to establish Ghana's first ever social media hub, explaining on their website:
A physical meeting place, a hub, will go a long way to provide a platform for the experienced bloggers in the organisation to train students and professionals on how to use blogging for creating #MoreStories and use social media to advance their agenda as citizens in Ghana.
As part of the campaign, Blogging Ghana hopes to raise 10,000 US dollars through crowdsourcing platform Indiegogo. The hashtag used for the online campaign is #morestories. The organisation also launched a video campaign on YouTube:
Africa on the Blog, a multi-author blog by people of African heritage, which is supported by Babs Saul and Sarah Arrow, explained the history of blogging in Ghana:
The blogging and social media scene in Ghana has improved in the last five years. The West African country has seen the number of bloggers in the country grow from just a handful in 2005 to several hundreds this year. This trend was facilitated by a bold step taken by a Swedish blogger who had moved to Ghana some five years ago. Kajsa Hallberg Adu who is now the Chair of Ghana’s biggest association of bloggers brought all the bloggers who were active online under one roof to discuss their passion. With time, this small group of internet users decided to introduce blogging and the use of social media tools to many other people who may be interested but just didn’t know how. This selfish desire to spread such knowledge lead to what has today become the nation’s biggest blogging and social media event.
Edward Amartey-Tagoe, the director of corporate services at Blogging Ghana, also recounted how things were half a decade ago:
Some five years ago, there were only a handful of bloggers in Ghana, since then, bloggers and Internet enthusiasts have been organised under one umbrella body to build capacity, learn and share ideas from one another. Today, we are an influential organisation with a yearly event and awards ceremony who produce local content online on blogs and on various social media channels. We want to share our skills and create #morestories!
ENews Ghana published the campaign on their website:
Bloggers in Ghana are creating Ghana’s first Social Media hub for bloggers and social media enthusiasts to meet, interact and share more local content from and we think it will make a great feature on GOOD.
Social Media is growing in Ghana and we (Blogging Ghana) has over the past 5 years been a leader in Ghana. In 2012, with funding from USAID, UKAID, EU & DANIDA, we used social media to cover Ghana’s elections; raising awareness of the issues and empowering politicians and citizens. We also in 2013 organised Ghana’s first social media awards which was huge success. The organisation’s work has been featured on Joy FM, Citi FM, Mashable, Aljazeera and BBC.
We want to do more and get more Ghanaians to use social media to tell their stories. We want to overcome the internet and power challenges bloggers face.  We have therefore launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a haven/hub with a co-blogging space to and create the much needed local content.
Spy Ghana, an online news agency, quoted Blogging Ghana Chair Kajsa Hallberg Adu (@kajsaha):
It makes sense for a social media organization to use our online network and do crowd-sourcing to fulfill our dreams. We think Ghana in ready for a meeting place for social media enthusiasts and we cannot wait to create #morestories about Ghana for the world to read!
Award-winning blogger Macjordan (@Macjordan) expressed his support for the social media hub on his blog:
BloggingGhana is pleased to launch an Indiegogo campaign towards the creation of a Social Media Hub in Ghana for bloggers and citizen journalists to be trained in Social Media and increase local content creation.
BloggingGhana – Ghana’s largest community/network of bloggers, citizen journalists and social media enthusiasts is reaching out to all and sundry to chip-in and support this worthy cause.
I’m very pleased and honored to be a part of this organization and would appreciate your support in any way.

author: Kofi Yeboah


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Brazilian Activists Fight Back Against Mass Surveillance · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

As the world comes together to take a stand against mass surveillance on February 11, 2014, Brazilian citizens, organizations and collectives are bringing momentum to #TheDayWeFightBack campaign.
Anti-surveillance collective Antivigilancia.tk (@antivigilancia on Twitter), one of the 15 Brazilian signatories of the International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance, has a website with complete information in Portuguese on how to participate in #TheDayWeFightBack, as well as several resources for the day of action, such as banners and memes.
Cartoon by Latuff with D'Incao (2013). Shared by WebWe Want on Flickr (BY SA 2.0)
Well-known Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff took on the challenge launched by Web We Want early in February to create original visual works on digital surveillance and the right to privacy.
Cartoon by Latuff with Operamundi (2013). Shared by WebWe Want on Flickr (BY SA 2.0)
On Twitter, many Brazilians are linking the day of action with the country's pioneer bill of rights for Internet users, the “Marco Civil da Internet” (Civil Framework for the Internet), which will be brought to the floor in a plenary session [pt] in the House of Representatives today. A group of civil society organizations is expected to meet the Minister of Justice [pt] to voice “serious concerns” regarding the latest modifications to the bill, especially with respect to “the right to the inviolability and secrecy of the flow and content of private communications, the right to privacy and freedom of expression.”
Cartoon by Latuff with Operamundi (2013). Shared by WebWe Want on Flickr (BY SA 2.0)
All submissions to the Web We Want contest are available on Flickr.

author: Sara Moreira


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China Central TV Accused of Targeting Vulnerable Women With Prostitution Exposé · Global Voices
Abby Liu

State media China Central Television's (CCTV) report on the flourishing sex industry in China’s manufacturing hub Dongguan City has triggered mockery and ridicule on Chinese social media.
The 25-minute report video details the city’s rampant prostitution. Using concealed cameras, the report showed women lining up for selection by customers in hotels and karaoke bars known as KTVs, and accused local police of ignoring prostitution and allowing the industry to thrive.
After the report, a 6,000-strong force reportedly raided 12 hotels and entertainment venues, leading to 67 arrests.
Dongguan is well-known as a hub for the sex industry, with 10 percent of the population said to be employed in the industry.
The CCTV report was widely watched across China and generated large amounts of comments on social media. On microblogging website Sina Weibo, “Dong Guan” became the most researched word on February 9, 2014. Many online celebrities and netizens wrote that they thought CCTV was reporting an open secret, some even mocking that it serves as a good tourism ad for the city. Others worried that the report is only targeting vulnerable people.
Screenshot of CCTV's report on Dongguan's prostitution (from YouTube)
Tencent news commentator “Liu Yanwei” wrote [zh]:
中国比这类事情重要得多的新闻，从来不见央视记者正经去报道。
There is much more important news to report about in China, I’ve never seen the CCTV reporters reporting it.
Online celebrity “Wuyue Sanren” [zh] commented:
做小姐的是这个社会的弱势群体，我哪怕要曝光此事，也只会找背后的原因，不会用猎奇的手法拍下她们跳艳舞的镜头哗众取宠。一个掌控着巨大媒体资源的机构，它的使命绝对不该是如此做新闻。在你们拍下她们的艳舞之时，难道不明白这是让自己的职业蒙羞、跳了一场精神上的脱衣舞么?
Sex workers are vulnerable in this society, so even if I plan to expose the industry, I will only investigate the reasons behind it. I will not try to attract an audience and gain popularity by shooting them dancing. A huge organization of abundant media resources shouldn’t report the news this way. When you shoot them dancing, do you not understand that you’re embarrassing your own profession and doing a spiritual strip yourself?
“Miracledemocracy” analyzed the stories behind the prostitution:
今天看了央视东莞扫黄的新闻，挺难受的。感想如下：1，可以好好过日子谁也不想成小姐，中国贫富差距过大。2，中国社会有选择性生育以及天天加快经济改革建设，导致男多女少以及很多人背井离乡。3，这是一个上层社会制定制度的错误与结果，却让底层人民买单
Today after watching the CCTV report, I feel very uncomfortable. Thoughts as follows: 1) Who wants to be a prostitute if they can live a good life, there’s such a huge gap between the rich and the poor. 2) Chinese society’s imbalanced gender ratio at birth; the economic reforms and construction forced many people to leave their own homes. 3) This is a mistake caused by the system made by upper society, but the people at the bottom have to pay for it.
“Zhongguo Zuozhuan” echoed the same sentiment:
官僚社会的逼迫迫使很多人走上了这条路 反过来官僚们又假装正义对其打击。。。。。我们更需要的是扫除贪官健全体制而不是官僚人渣的假正经！
The bureaucratic society forced many people to embark on this path, on the contrary, the bureaucrats pretend to show justice by attacking these people. . . . . We need a sound system to eliminate corruption rather than fake justice!
Journalist Liu Xiangnan wrote:
在东莞事件里，我最鄙视央视的一点是，暗访时对那些女孩不打马赛克，警方今晚抓嫖的新闻里对被抓的那些女孩仍旧不打马赛克。这是无视人权与人的尊严!
I despise CCTV for not pixelating the girls in the report during their unannounced visits, same with tonight’s news about the police crackdown on the prostitutes. This is disregard for human rights and human dignity!

author: Abby Liu


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“Dreamlike Kyrgyzstan” As Seen by a Photographer · Global Voices
Mahina Shodizoda

Kloop.kg presents [ru] a collection of photos from “dreamlike Kyrgyzstan” by Russian photographer Danil Korzhonov.
Image from kloop.kg, used with permission.

author: Mahina Shodizoda


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e-Booklets for Syrian Activists  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian activists are now able to access an online archive which lists tactics for resisting tyranny and peaceful ways to revolt.
Dawlaty, an NGO whose name translates to My State from Arabic, provides a series of e-booklets which [ar]:
محاولة لتقديم بعض الأساليب والتكتيكات التي استخدمها وما زال يستخدمها نشطاء سوريا في كفاحهم السلمي.
حاولنا قدر الامكان أرشفة هذه التحركات لتقديمها للسوريين وغيرهم على شكل دليل للحراك الثوري في سوريا.
لربما يلهم هذا الكتيب البعض على إنتاج المزيد من تجارب الأرشفة للحراك السلمي في سوريا ويزود الناشطات والناشطين بأساليب خلاقة في كفاحهم ضد الطغيان.
attempt to provide a number of methods and tactics which were used and are still being used by activists in Syria as part of their peaceful resistance.
We have tried, as much as possible, to archive these movements to present them to Syrians and others, as a guide to the revolutionary movement in Syria.
This series may perhaps inspire some of you to produce more archives for the peaceful movement in Syria, which will provide activists with creative methods to resist tyranny.
Already on the site are Tactics for Revolutionary Activism in Syria [ar] and Transitional Justice in Syria [ar] (this booklet is available in English), among others.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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In Support of Lebanese Skier Jackie Chamoun · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

Lebanon's netizens found themselves having to defend Jackie Chamoun, Lebanon's Alpine Skier representative at the Soshi Olympics, after pictures of a past photoshoot in which she posed topless were released online.
Screenshot of LebaneseBlogs.com showing Lebanese bloggers supporting Jackie Chamoun
The scandal erupted after a video of her photoshoot was released on Al Jadeed TV and escalated when Caretaker Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karam demanded an official investigation into her case.
This resulted in an overwhelming wave of support from Lebanon's netizens.
Blogger Abir Ghattas mocked the minister by suggesting he should sort out his priorities:
The minister is scared on the reputation of Lebanon, you know, Lebanon the country where:
Men beat their wives to death (and walk free)
Armed Militia roam the roads killing on  identity
Tripoli is a live version of Red Alert meets Counter Strike
Ministers, and Deputies, spend years in power with no work done
Corruption is the daily bread of every official
Kids die on hospital doors
Artist’s work is censored
Al Assir appears on Prime Time TV  and his hateful speeches are broadcasted live
Freedom of speech is an illusion
Ministry of tourism ads are borderline erotic
Jackie’s boobs are the national security risk, the bad image of the country and the blow that will break Lebanon’s back, Out-fucking-rageous!
She then went on to say:
“The scandal is not the topless photos of Jackie Chamoun, the real scandal is the low media standards, the patriarchal dinosaur-ish mentality, and sick moral compass that makes a photo that partially show some boobs a threat on Lebanon amazing image!”
Gino Raidy from Gino's Blog took a more aggressive approach:
The horribly backwards reaction to the surfacing of these old photos, makes you all look like savage brutes living in some theocracy in the mountains between Pakistan or Afghanistan, or in Iran, or Saudi. You are in fucking Beirut, the city that placed ads in Playboy Magazine in the 60s, and had its own red light district back in the day. Today, in 2014, you want to turn it into some religious theocracy that’s afraid of sex and hates women unless they’re 72 virgins you get for blowing your stupid self up? Or some savage tribe that still believes women are property and carry “the honor” of the family or whatever it is you call what you congregate yourself in?
Elie Fares from A Separate State of Mind points out the difference in reactions between Beirut and the rest of Lebanon:
When it comes to sex, we have a long way to go. Perhaps things are slowly changing. But there’s more to Lebanon than Beirut and its surroundings.
And he, too, points out that we should sort our priorities:
I can think of so many things that warrant are true scandals about this country, that warrant a discussion much, much more than Jackie Chamoun’s breasts. At the top of my head, I can think of the several explosions that have taken place within the past couple of months alone and the fact that they’ve become second nature to life in this place. I can think of a TV station that figured instagramming the body parts of a suicide bomber was a good idea. I can think of the fact that we haven’t had a decently functioning government for the past year and nor will we have one for the next year, it seems. I can think of the fact that presidential elections are literally in 3 months but we’re still waiting for the savior president’s name to be “inspired” by neighboring countries. I can think of the fact that going to a mall requires you to go through more checkpoint than an airport’s border control. I can even think of the graffiti artist that was arrested only two days ago by some unknown party’s henchmen because of him being at the “wrong” place. I can even think of the many pictures of the living conditions of some Lebanese in the North that should be scandalous.
Tarek Joseph Chemaly from Beirut NTSC reminded us of how Lebanon's own ministry of tourism put an ad in a 1971 issue of PlayBoy featuring Lebanese Miss Universe Georgina Rizk:
“Lebanese Ministry of Tourism uses public funds to put a scantily clad lady in Playboy Magazine to advertise the country at large. Don't believe me? Well, “Meet Lebanon“
Writing on my own blog, Hummus For Thought, I pointed out how the very man who is criticizing Jackie Chamoun blocked a law that would protect women from domestic violence.
“Caretaker” Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami thinks it’s more damaging to Lebanon’s reputation that one of our best athletes, Jackie Chamoun, participated in a photoshoot where she showed as much skin – less, actually – as what we find in every lingerie shop and in every night club rather than his own refusal to sign a law protecting women from domestic violence?
Beirut.com blogger Omar Al Fil listed his top 10 favorite responses to the scandal, among which are:
It's hard to believe some people have more of a problem with a skier who posed for photos than the violence killing #Lebanon #JackieChamoun
— Patrick Galey (@patrickgaley) February 11, 2014
Al Jadeed Breaking News: Woman has breasts and is choosing to do with them as she pleases, you know, because she is free and whatnot.
— Nasri Atallah (@NasriAtallah) February 11, 2014
There're actually nitwits in Lebanon concerned a naked woman is bad publicity for the place? HAVE YOU WATCHED THE NEWS IN THE PAST 40 YEARS
— Joumana Medlej (@joumajnouna) February 11, 2014
Nonetheless, Jackie Chamoun apologized on her Facebook page for offending her more conservative supporters. And her apology was met by thousands of people telling her that she has nothing to apologize for. Echoing their sentiments, Najib from Blog Baladi wrote:
You don’t need to apologize for anyone. We love you and wish you the best of luck in your upcoming races!
And as usual, there was bound to be a Tumblr somewhere responding to a “scandal”.


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International Open Data Day Set for February 22 · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Bloggers, hackers, designers, statisticians and other citizens who are interested in Open Data and Transparency will gather online and offline for the International Open Data Day on February 22, 2014. The event takes place to encourage governmental data openness.
Open Data Day is a gathering of citizens in cities around the world to write applications, liberate data, create visualizations and publish analyses using open public data to show support for and encourage the adoption open data policies by the world's local, regional and national governments.
Anyone can organize a local event in their city as long as the event is open for others to join. The attendees can participate in creating anything related to Open Data, be it with local or global applications, visualizations, scraping data from a government website to make it available for others or even organize a series of workshops with government officials, journalists or other stakeholders affected by open data.
The hashtag that will be used for the even is, #ODD2014. Some Twitter users have already started posting their comments on the hashtag.
#OpenData Day is community powered in a timezone near you. http://t.co/ImmMztmcUM #ODD2014 it's gonna be on 22 Feb so mark your calendar!
— Clarice Africa (@ClariceAfrica) February 10, 2014
Dozens of cities are participating in the hackathon.
International Open Data Hackathon
Announcements are also made on Twitter for local events in different places.
يوم البيانات المفتوحة – مصر http://t.co/PdqDzokxcP #ODD2014
— Yamen Bousrih (@yamenbousrih) February 9, 2014
The Open Data Day in Egypt, http://t.co/PdqDzokxcP
Anything going on in #Cambodia for #ODD2014 ? http://t.co/YQwaz5ETkM @s_channe
— Philippe Ceulen (@pceulen) February 5, 2014
Hurray! Welcome @antoniocuga and Peru to Open Data Day 2014 – #ODD14 #ODD2014
— HeatherLeson (@HeatherLeson) February 3, 2014
Apparently the crew in Japan has decided they are going to OWN #opendata day 2014 #odd2014 http://t.co/IN8gE0dZun
— David Eaves (@daeaves) December 19, 2013
Add your city to the list if it is not already there, and start planning for a local event there.

author: Tarek Amr


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Iran: “Less” anti-U.S. Atmosphere  · Global Voices
Farid

Iran celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Islamic revolution on Tuesday.Some netizens wrote about what hardliners reported after the celebration.Hadi Nili tweeted
Some hardliner #Iran'ian users in social networks shown disappointment about "less" anti-US atmosphere in the annual march of revolution.
— Hadi Nili (@HadiNili) February 11, 2014


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Mapping Conflicts Between Indigenous Peoples and Corporations in Latin America · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Codpi (Coordination for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) has created a map to monitor projects that are affecting indigenous territories, as their website explains [es]:
This map aims to collect cases of conflict that arise due to the presence of transnational corporations -mainly those with headquarters in Spain- in the territories of indigenous peoples in Latin America.
In Otramérica [es], Diego Jiménez from Codpi adds:
It is a tool in permanent construction, which collects some of the most important cases of violations, and that will be completed periodically to reflect a total of 50 identified [cases]. For each [case] a record is published -accessible from the interactive map- that contains basic information about the violated rights, the resistance posed by the indigenous people and a summary of the current situation. We have also included a number of links and additional audiovisual material.
With all this, we don't want to limit ourselves to denouncing a situation of enormous and increasing severity. We also hope that this tool will be useful and effective for indigenous peoples and also for the organizations, social movements and groups working with them.

author: Silvia Viñas