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Argentina: The Return of ‘Cacerolazos’, Pot-banging Protests · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

On May 31, 2012, the cacerolazo –a protest where people bang pots and pans– returned to Argentina as a measure of social protest. The same happened in 2001 [es] when citizens got President Fernando De La Rúa to resign from his position. The protest, organized through social networks, focused on insecurity, corruption and the recent measures taken by the government regarding foreign exchange, particularly the United States (U.S.) dollar.
On Twitter the hashtag #cacerolazo [es] became a local trending topic, but the hashtag had been gaining popularity since May 28, as we can see in Camilo's (@ cegooo) [es] tweet, where he asks:
Dicen que se viene un #cacerolazo, es posta??
Quique Rosito (@ocupadisimo) [es] also asks:
Che avisen a que hora arranca el #cacerolazo Es contra el hambre en el mundo? Por mas insumos en hospitales? Ah no? Es para comprar dolares?
Hey, tell us at what time the cacerolazo starts. Is it against hunger in the world? or is it about more medical supplies in hospitals? oh, no? is it for buying U.S. dollars?
Twitter users have been sharing this image to call for a cacerolazo on June 1
New measures for foreign currency
Since October 2011, the Argentine government has been launching a series of policies to regulate the currency market as a measure to control inflation and the outflow of foreign currency. The latest policy affects tourism for Argentinians as well as foreign residents who want to travel outside the country and will need to buy other currency. The RG 3333 [es] (General Resolution) says:
Los sujetos residentes en el país que demanden la adquisición de moneda extranjera para atender gastos en concepto de viajes al exterior por razones de salud, estudios, congresos, conferencias, gestiones comerciales, deportes, actividades culturales, actividades científicas y/o turismo, deberán cumplir previamente con el régimen de información que se establece por la presente.
Through Official Newsletter 3300 [es], the Federal Public Revenue Administration communicates the new measure and the reasons behind it:
Esto es un paso más en el desarrollo de un nuevo paradigma de control, mediante la implementación de herramientas informáticas con el objetivo de “anticipar” el control sobre las operaciones de los contribuyentes, buscando un funcionamiento ex-ante de la Administración Federal.
The Official Newsletter [es] also explains the information that will be required through this new tool:
La herramienta informática solicitará información de los paquetes turísticos que venden los operadores, debiéndose detallar en qué moneda se concertó el pago del paquete, en cuantas cuotas y el CUIT del operador turístico, entre otros datos.
Esta información permitirá conocer en detalle la matriz del negocio de los operadores turísticos y, de esta manera, fiscalizar adecuadamente la renta declarada por los principales contribuyentes del sector, máxime considerando que estos pueden acceder al mercado de cambios sin limitación alguna y luego exigen a los turistas la cancelación en moneda extranjera del paquete.
The software tool will request information from the tours sold by tourism operators. It must clarify which currency was used to buy that tourism package, in how many installments it was paid and the CUIT (taxpayer ID) of the tourism operator, among other information.
This information will reveal in detail the array of business and tourism operators, and thus allow the adequate supervision of the income declared by the main contributors to the sector, especially since they can access the exchange market without restriction and then require the tourists to cancel in foreign currency the cost of the package.
Reactions to the new measures
On May 31, officialist Senator Anibal Fernandez made statements to the press that generated controversy between citizens and opposition parties. Cadena3 [es] publishes the Senator's declarations:
Al ser consultado sobre por qué posee sus ahorros en dólares mientras pide a los ciudadanos que “piensen en pesos”, el senador dijo: “Porque se me antoja, ¿no me acaban de escuchar? Porque se me antoja, es mi derecho, hago lo que quiero con mi plata”.
On Twitter Claudia Rucci (@claudiarucci) [es] reacts to the senator's statements:
Anibal Fernandez, con sus declaraciones, es un gran movilizador de masas…ajenas. Cada palabra es una invitación al #cacerolazo. Qué busca?
YouTube user gloysanty shared a video of the May 31 cacerolazo in Buenos Aires:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGEpcL88AA4
Gerardo Fernández analyzes the protests in his blog Tirando al Medio [es]:
Podríamos hasta llegar a la cuenta de que llegan tarde estos cacerolazos que, además, fueron de una tibieza que asombra. Faltos de ganas, de fe, de convicción. Gritos de viejas crecidas al calor del golpismo gorila, espasmos de  hijos de empresarios del campo domiciliados en las zonas acomodadas de la capital federal.
Fernández continues reflecting on the use of pots and pans as a way of protest:
Si tenés que agarrar la cacerola y salir al balcón es porque no tenés una puta herramienta política a mano y las elecciones de renovación parlamentaria no hacen más que preanunciar que el oficialismo las vuelve a ganar.
While the hashtag #cacerolazo [es] was the leading local trend, reactions started emerging against the cacerolazo with a new hashtag: #yoapoyoamipatria [es] (“I support my country”). Geraldine Panno Burs (@geripannoburs) [es] tells opponents:
Busquen ideas para dos mil quince y en las urnas nos veremos opositores! mientras sigan disfrutando del gobierno popular!#YoApoyoaMiPatria.
Likewise, Totoro (@hcaenrique) [es] writes:
Mira que yo no coincido en casi nada con el gobierno, pero el #cacerolazo de anoche fue una payasada mayúscula. Eso.
And Jose Ruben Sentis (@joserubensentis) [es] says:
#YoApoyoaMiPatria Justa, Libre y Soberana. Ellos al dólar.
After reflecting on the events of May 31 and the call through social networks, the blog Lo que pasa [es] concludes:
lo que vale es el voto y si uso la cacerola me es difícil cocinar, ojala alguna vez aprendamos a crecer…
But, just in case cacerolazos continue, Martin Machuca (@martinmachuca) [es] jokingly promotes a new model of cooking pans:
Vendo Olla automática Rebel Chick 2.0: Mas de veinte ritmos. Programable. Integrada con Twitter, Facebook, iPhone vía Bluetooth. #cacerolazo

author: Laura Schneider


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Brazil: Facebook Censors Photos of the ‘SlutWalk’ · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Not long after the mass publication of photos of the SlutWalk which took place in several Brazilian cities over the weekend of 26-27 May, numerous complaints have emerged about the photos of the women whose bare breasts were on show in protest against male chauvinism. These images have since been deleted by Facebook for “violating the declaration of rights and responsibilities” as outlined by the online service.
Some cases gained more attention than others; in particular, that of the activist Luka Franca in São Paulo, the Facebook page of the SlutWalk of Belo Horizonte and of the  photographer Ananda Luz who took part in the march which passed through Rio de Janeiro, in a case which was condemned by her daughter, Tarsila Luz. Tarsila wrote [pt] on her Facebook profile page:
Galera, a minha mãe Ananda Luz não pode acessar o facebook hoje, está bloqueada porque foi denunciada as fotos que ela fez sobre a marcha das vadias… o engraçado e que retiraram somente fotos que as mulheres com seios de fora estavam em conflito com a polícia. Quem será que denunciou? Será que os mesmos fizeram com outros meios de comunicações? Por que incomoda tanto, nós mulheres, protestarmos? Chega dessa ditadura!!!!!!
It’s possible to compare the photos from Luz’s Facebook album with those which appeared on Flickr and notice, for example, that one of the photos – amongst others – doesn’t appear in the former.  Curiously, the photos featuring men without shirts on were not censored.  The case was also picked up [pt] by the blogger Conceicao Oliveira in her blog.
One of the photos of Ananda Luz which was censored by Facebook.  Used with permission.
The profile of the SlutWalk of Belo Horizonte was also censored and received many complaints.  Speaking on behalf of the group, the Facebook page’s administrator, Débora, commented [pt] that “the threats of beatings, the insults…these weren’t denounced.  They passed by unnoticed, common and accepted as they are in our society.”
Mas os peitos… ah, os peitos, afrontosos peitos, que ainda hoje assustam aqueles que cospem nas tetas que mamaram, esses seres de boa índole que querem ‘proteger sua filha de 5 anos da imoralidade do mundo'; aqueles que te asseguram que você ‘deveria ir marchar contra a corrupção'; aqueles que nos culpam de todas as moléstias do mundo; aqueles que afirmam que é por nossa causa que ‘o Brasil não vai pra frente'; aqueles porcos de alma imunda, por viverem na lama, só têm lama a oferecer às vacas profanas, às putas das divinas tetas, às vadias que têm a ousadia, a impáfia, o atrevimento, a infâmia, a imoralidade, a sem-vergonhice de… mostrar os peitos. Ah, os peitos! Polícia, socorro! Padre, me ajude! Há peitos livres lá fora, alguém me ajude, é urgente, eu tenho medo de peitos!!!
Photos censored by photos returned with black-outs on the profile of the SlutWalk of Belo Horizonte.
Another case which has an even higher profile is that of the journalist Luka Franca whose photo, in which she appears bare-breasted next to her daughter, “was denounced as ‘unsuitable content’ and Facebook agreed with the complaints, barring future posts and messages between the journalist and her friends”, explained [pt] Manu Barem, who blogs for Jezebel:
Mas aí veio a rebeldia: seus amigos compartilharam a foto centenas de vezes na rede social como forma de contestar a postura adotada pelo Facebook em relação ao ativismo de Luka.
Pedrão Ribeira Nogueira, was one of those who posted the photo of Luka on Facebook, and ended up being censored himself.
Photo of Luka Franca deleted by Facebook and jokingly posted “censored”, by Pedrão Nogueira.
The activist herself wrote [pt] on her blog:
Para se retirar uma imagem ou publicação do ar é preciso que esta seja denunciada ao Facebook, mas quando se faz isso o próprio site indica que a imagem pode não ser retirada, justamente por causa do código de boa vizinhança que eles estabelecem – só lembrar que eles incluíram no código a questão da amamentação e das obras clássicas com nudez – ou seja, antes qualquer imagem era considerada pornografia, hoje o que não consta na lista de exceções do FB é suspenso e com 3 suspensões você é expulso da rede social, quase um colégio marista…
Franca still remembers a previous case of suspension from Facebook – that of the activist Kalu, banned for posting a picture of herself breastfeeding.  In a similar way, she condemns the case of the Occupy São Paulo activist, Paula Lion, who was suspended for posting photos of women with uncovered breasts in the São Paulo SlutWalk.
Photo of  Paula Lion, censored by Facebook.
Discussing the concept of the SlutWalk, professor and activist Maíra Kubik Mano said [pt]:
Dentro desse contexto de afirmação da liberdade e do corpo como um campo de batalha política, algumas manifestantes optaram por sair às ruas com os seios descobertos. Uma provocação, claro, para mostrar que a mulher não deve ser objeto de desejo 24 horas por dia, como querem as propagandas de cerveja.
She finishes:
Entendo que a empresa tenha uma política que proteja sua rede, por exemplo, de pedófilos. Mas faltou um bom discernimento para perceber a diferença entre protesto e pornografia.
All the censored photos were considered by Facebook to constitute “nudity and pornography”
Facebook has a strict policy against the distribution of pornography and imposes limitations on exhibiting nudity.  In the same way, we have to respect the rights of people to share content of personal importance to them – be it photos of sculpture, such as Michaelangelo’s “David”, or family photos of a mother breastfeeding her baby.
Facebook, the website of public sharing, clearly does not make a distinction between “gratuitous” nudity, pornography and social activism.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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China: Lives of Kidney Sellers · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alia from ChinaBeat translated a local feature story on the lives of kidney sellers in China. What they gets in return is about USD5600 per kidney.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Permit a moderate amount of corruption · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated state controlled media Global Times’ editorial on fighting against corruption in China and netizens’ response to their idea that people should accept an appropriate amount of corruption in China.


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Egypt: Life Imprisonment for Mubarak  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
The world watched as an Egyptian court sentenced former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and his Interior Minister Habib Al Adly to life imprisonment today for their role in the killing of protesters. The trial took 49 sessions, 250 hours and spanned 60,000 pages, tweeted Sultan Al Qassemi, quoting judge Ahmed Refaat.
The historic verdict was broadcast live, prompting netizens to post reactions online as the court session progressed. Mubarak's two sons Alaa and Gamal were acquitted of corruption, as were Al Adly's senior aides, who were blamed for the death of protesters during the Egyptian revolution, which started on January 25, 2011.
Following the verdict, Egyptian blogger Mahmoud Salem, or Sandmonkey, tweets:
@Sandmonkey: #Mubaraktrial ended in a sham verdict: He and his Minister of Interior received an easily turnable life in prison sentence, every1 else free
Adding:
@Sandmonkey: The same people who have killed and tortured egyptians are now free to go back to their jobs at the MOI. Imagine that #Mubaraktrial
A screen grab shared on Twitter by Sultan Al Qassemi of Mubarak arriving in court this morning
And Gigi Ibrahim reports:
@Gsquare86: Chaos breaks out inside court and chanting “people demand the independence of judiciary” chanting “Fraud!” #MubarakTrial
Adding:
@Gsquare86: I don’t get how head of MOI Aldy charged yet no policeman nor his men get charged with anything?!!!! #MubarakTrial
Journalist Bel Trew sums it up:
@Beltrew: Life time in jail for #Mubarak is not as bad as it seems. He has gardens,swimming pool &an airstrip. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/06/01/uk-egypt-trial-mubarak-idUKBRE85017O20120601 #MubarakTrial
Journalist Patrick Tombola notes:
@ptombola: #Mubarak & Adly convicted for failing to prevent killings not for ordering them.Big distinction & not a comforting one. #Egypt #Mubaraktrial
But Mina Zekri reminds us [ar]:
Asteris Masouras charts netizen's reactions on Twitter here. And Rayna St. collects other reactions on Storify here. Noon Arabia also shares reactions here.
For more reactions, check out the #Mubaraktrial hash tag on Twitter.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Ethiopia: Land, History and Justice in Gambella · Global Voices
Endalkachew Chala

The Global Development blog of The Guardian's (UK) continues its coverage of land deals after the release of the largest public database on international land deals in April.
One of the countries covered in the report is Ethiopia where villagers in Gambella province are forced to settle in state-designated villages to pave the way for land grabbers. Gambella is the poorest region in Ethiopia.
The Reporter, a local biweekly English newspaper, reports that the Ethiopian government has started evaluating the performance of investors who acquired large tracts of land to undertake commercial farm projects. Though this can be taken as an important milestone for anti-land grabbing activists, Ethiopia’s government decision to evaluate the performance of investors who acquired land has received a scant attention from international mainstream media.
Extracts from Fred Pearce's new book, The Land Grabbers: Africa's hidden revolution, show that land grabbing has more impact on the world's poor than climate change. In an interview, Fred Pearce notes that poor people were being moved off the land with little regard for their historical and cultural rights.
Target countries of land deals from the Land Matrix Project
However, an Ethiopian government official counters this argument:
He [an official from Ministry of Agriculture] downplayed criticisms that the land leasing has ‘brought negative impacts on the communities who live close to the farms’, claiming that ‘due emphasis has been given to make these investments free of adverse effect on the society who dwell close to them and this would continue in strengthened manner’.
Land activists have created an online petition and are campaigning using Facebook and Twitter. A petition targeting top USA and UK diplomats reads:
I am extremely concerned about reports of deliberate, persistent, and serious abuses of the rights of Indigenous Peoples in southwestern Ethiopia. The government’s program of “villagization” is forcibly removing at least 200,000 Indigenous people from their ancestral lands in the Gambella region and relocating them in new state-built villages. Although the government promises them better access to jobs, education, and health care in these villages, Human Rights Watch researchers found little or no evidence of these services. On the contrary, displaced people fear starvation since they no longer have access to their farms, forests, and rivers. Those who raise their voices against these abuses are frequently jailed, tortured, raped, and otherwise intimidated by government security forces. Those who try to return to their ancestral lands find that the government has already leased their lands to foreign investors who are hurriedly bulldozing forests, farms, and wetlands in order to grow commercial crops of agro fuels, tea, spices, rice, and sugar cane, mostly for export. The resulting environmental devastation and degradation will further undermine food security for Indigenous Peoples.
A Facebook group called Stop Land Grabbing in Gambella, Ethiopia reads:
A space for the international community to voice its concerns over the human rights abuses and environmental destruction the land grabbing happening in the Gambella region of Ethiopia is causing
Land grabbing is the contentious issue of large-scale land acquisitions; the buying or leasing of large pieces of land in developing countries by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals

author: Endalkachew Chala


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Hong Kong: Complaint Culture · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Everything can be a subject of complaint in Hong Kong, like croaking frogs, flowering trees and tweeting birds. Regardless of the fairness of the complaints, the government and private property management would act on the complaints, this time by catching frogs. (via Bad Canto)


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Kazakhstan Joins the Central Asian Ban on ‘The Dictator’ · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Following in the footsteps of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan has stopped [ru] showing The Dictator, Sacha Baron Cohen‘s latest spoof blockbuster. Baron Cohen's 2006 comedy film, Borat, which ridicules Kazakhstan has also been banned in the country. Responding to the news, @registan_net tweets: ‘Come on, Kazakhstan, people are going to start thinking you hate Sacha Baron Cohen.’

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Kazakhstan: Deadly Incident at the Border a ‘Terrorist Act’? · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Following yesterday's reports about a deadly incident at a remote frontier post in Kazakhstan, Zhanaozenskie Neftyaniki blog summarizes [ru] possible causes behind the deaths of 14 border guards and a civilian. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's president announced [kz] today that the incident was probably a ‘terrorist act’.


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Kyrgyzstan: Challenging the Government-set ‘Subsistence Minimum’ · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Is the ‘subsistence minimum’ a realistic measure of the goods and services that one needs to maintain a basic standard of living? Three Kyrgyz bloggers participate in an experiment to see whether they can limit their monthly spending on food and services to $100 – the country's official ‘subsistence minimum’ – without going hungry. The bloggers share their reflections and record progress on Survival.kloop.kg [ru].


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Nepal: Time To Find Leaders · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ushaft proposes that time has come for a Leaders-for-Nepal initiative. Because election or not, the nation needs a nationwide network of youths committed to some core political and economic values.

author: Rezwan


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Tunisia: Protesting the Military’s Lack of Transparency  and Censorship   · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Tunisian Ramzi Bettaieb (aka Winston Smith) is a Nawaat.org journalist and an activist who has entered his sixth day of hunger strike. He is protesting against the Tunisian military justice's lack of transparency in its handling of the “Martyrs’ Case”. The “Martyrs Case” refers to the military justice investigation into the murder of protesters during the Tunisian uprising which toppled the 23 year rule of Zeine el-Abidine Ben Ali.
Camera in chains photo by Nawaat.org
More than 300 persons died during the uprising, most of them protesters. So far, the military justice, blamed for its lack of transparency and slow pace of investigation, has not convicted any high official for killing protesters.
On 21 May, as Bettaieb was filming a court hearing in “Martyrs’ Case” at the Military Tribunal of El-Kef, an army general confiscated his two cameras accusing him of “collaborating with foreign forces.”
Nawaat tweeted on 21 May:
Army confiscated 2 cameras from @nawaat while covering the trial of the Snipers. “We're watching @nawaat very closely” said the commander!
On 29 May, military officers forced Lilia Weslati, another Nawaat.org journalist, to delete the videos she took. She tweeted [fr]:
Lors du procès des martyrs, les militaires m'ont obligé à supprimer mes vidéos et à signer un papier pour ne rien diffuser #Tunisie @nawaat
Through his hunger strike, Bettaieb is seeking to push the military authorities to permit journalists and activists to cover the legal proceedings in the Martyrs’ case “without any restrictions”. Journalists are only allowed to film for three minutes at the beginning of any court hearing.
In a statement published on 31 May, Nawaat explains [ar]:
Winston Smith on hunger strike photo by Nawaat
Standing in solidarity with hunger strikers:
As soon as news spread about the hunger strike, Tunisian tweeple have been using the hash tags #رجع_الكاميرا  (Arabic for ‘give back the camera’) and #Liberté_de_presse (French for ‘freedom of Press’) to express their support for the journalists’ cause.
Sofien Soulhi (@Suo_Fei) tweets [ar]:
Seif Allah Bouneb (@Seif_AllahB) says [fr]:
je viens de revenir du local @nawaat et g rencontré Ramzi Bettaieb et il a tjrs le moral up !! courage man #Liberté_de_Presse رجع_الكاميرا#
Yassine Ayari, a blogger and activist, has gone on hunger strike in support of Winston Smith. He writes about his decision:
This hunger strike is to support Ramzi Betibi in his fight against military (in)justice which is threatening press freedom.
Political Cartoonists Join Cause:
Tunisian political cartoonists whose works have been flourishing since the fall of the Ben Ali rule have also joined Bettaieb's cause.
Cartoon by Seif Nechi
In this cartoon Bakounawar (character of cartoonist Seif Nechi) is illustrated as freeing two cameras with wings from a bird cage. Bakounawar comments:
consider them [cameras] as canary birds! Do not deprive the man from a Tunisian plate (a popular Tunisian dish), and do not deprive us from knowing what happened (during the uprising).
In this cartoon, by anonymous political cartoonist _Z_, Rachid Ammar, Chief of Staff of the Tunisian Armed Forces, is performing a puppet show. In one hand he holds a police officer, in the other he holds a judge. His eyes turn to a video journalist.
Protest:
A protest in support of Bettaieb is expected to take place tomorrow morning (June 3). The protest's starting point is Beb Bnet, where Nawaat office is located. The protesters will then march to Kasbah square, where the Prime Ministry is.
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Uganda: Netizens Show Support for National Team on Twitter, Facebook · Global Voices
James Propa

The last time the Uganda Cranes participated in the Africa Cup Of Nations was in 1978 when it reached the finals but finished second.
Last year Uganda almost made it, but lost it to Kenya when it was beaten 2:1 in the last qualifying match. This incident broke the hearts of many Ugandans. Many people thought there will be no more support for the Uganda Cranes, but surprisingly it seems people are not ready to give up supporting their team.
This weekend the Cranes will be in Angola to start their 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The match will take place on the same date Uganda celebrates  the Uganda Matyrs’ Day , which is 3 June every year. The Uganda Martyrs were Christian converts who were murdered for their faith in the historical kingdom of Buganda.
Heart-broken Ugandan. Image courtesy of echwaluphotography.wordpress.com/.
Using Twitter and Facebook, Uganda show their undying support for the Cranes:
Twitter:
@256uganda supports Uganda Cranes saying:
@256uganda: We Go We Go #ugandacranes Lets Rule #Luandahttp://www.kawowo.com/index.php/foot …
@polycarpm asks @Since__1986, @tijo5 and @jckato:
@polycarpm: @Since__1986 So what is your game plan, sit and observe? @tijo5 @jckato
@tijo5 replies:
@tijo5:@polycarpm yeah me & @since__1986 twakoowa, we gave up, what do u want us to do, atleast we support #UgandaCranes @jckato
@Pinkett888 points out that Uganda has not played any international friendlies like other national teams in Africa:
@Pinkett888: @WasikeAbdu @ayeshaRR9 every other country on the continent has played friendly games except the UgandaCranes WOW. Lets see what happens!
@256uganda thinks the country may do better this time because politicians are not busy visiting the camp as they did last year:
@256uganda: Wondering were all these politicians who visited #ugandacranes in camp last year are. Baatukuba nebisilani [They (politicians) brought bad luck]
@256uganda hopes fans will get good value for their money:
@256uganda: Hope this time round I'm getting value for my 80000/= [approximately $32] http://www.newvision.co.ug/mobile/Detail. …#FUFA#UGANDACRANES#Wego#Wego
Discussing the same issue of ticket prices, @shawn_mubiru says:
@shawn_mubiru: FUFA don't buy our support by selling us two tickets at once and you cannot buy our royalty to #UgandaCranes if we want, we will come!
@shawn_mubiru is pessimistic:
@shawn_mubiru: Now with these continuing injuries for #UgandaCranes and Bobby Williamson's [Scottish coach for the Cranes] accent will they grant UG a success?
Facebook:
Amanya Osbert warns fans against terror attacks:
What goes around comes back .Dear Friends as we get thru this great weekend remember what happened at Kyadondo rugby ground. An Al-sha-bab has sneaked into da country from Kenya with the help of Kalita bus. Pliz beware and stand warned coz da enemy is around.I wish u all da best as we get to the great 3rd june, enjoy uganda cranes vs Congo brazaville and as we wait for 50 yrs of independence.But most of all, this country still needs you.”FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY” LOL 2 U ALL
William Gumisiriza says:
Jabuuuullaaaaani Africa……….kinako…its our time Uganda Cranes…..Lets do this Baibe…
Asiimwe Lilian is ready to support the Cranes no matter what:
shall we go to support UGANDA CRANES!are u ready!
Niwamanya Eto'o Samuel connects the match to Martyrs Day:
Niwamanya Eto'o Samuel: fellow pilgrims, happy martyrs, day and as you go for those holy prayers, just include in Uganda cranes and wish it all the best during this tough month
Mwiine George believes that Ugandans will prove that they better than Angola in soccer:
Mwiine George: who ever supports uganda cranes, this time we gonna prove to angola that we re a better team. uganda cranes oyeeeeeeeeeeeee. see u there men.

author: James Propa


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Africa: African Perspectives Online · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

African Perspectives is an online platform for Africans on the continent or in the Diaspora – that is People of African Descent – to showcase their very own perspective on a given situation, a cultural event in their region, talk and discuss approaches of investments in their country or how developmental projects are being or should be conducted.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Ecuador: #CasoSatya, Homophobia and Freedom of Expression · Global Voices
Daniela Gallardo

The topic of human rights and freedom of expression is something that is discussed daily on Ecuador's social networks. Currently, the country finds itself shaken by the “Staya Case”: Nicola Rothon and Helen Bicknell are a lesbian couple from the United Kingdom who legalized their civil union in Ecuador; the Registry Office, however, did not allow both of them to register as the mothers of their daughter, Satya, who was conceived via artificial insemination.
The media made Ecuadorians aware of the situation, but it was on the social networks that different reactions arose regarding homosexuality and the rights of “diverse types” of families, as the Political Constitution of Ecuador dictates. Article 68 of the Magna Carta states that “the stable and monogamous union between two people will generate the same rights and obligations that families constituted by way of marriage have.”
In his post, Italo Sotomayor (@ItaloSotomayor) [es] analyzes Nicola and Helen's situation, touching upon the violation of human rights. His article, “Satya, a case of constitutional extreme-supremacy” [es], in blog Periodismo Ecuador, states that:
el Art. 68, reconoce a las uniones de hecho, y al hacerlo, directamente se muestra de acuerdo a las uniones de personas del mismo sexo, por lo tanto, poseen iguales derechos y obligaciones que tienen las parejas constituidas en matrimonio. Entre esos derechos, existe una presunción de paternidad, que indica, que todas las hijas o hijos producto de esa unión, tendrán como madre y padre a quienes conformen ese hogar de hecho.
On the other hand, Father Paulino Toral sent a letter to Vistazo magazine [es], where he vocalizes his complete disagreement with the passage of homosexual unions:
La Ideología de género se ha propuesto el final de la familia natural para lograr la corrupción de los niños y adolescentes. Hay que acabar con la familia – dice esta ideología – porque es en ella donde los niños y los adolescentes captan como algo natural la diferenciación entre varón y mujer.
Flag representing LGBT rights. By Datchler on Flickr. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Following Father Toral's letter, another major controversy was generated on Twitter when Miguel Macías published an article in the daily El Comercio with an opinion similar to that of the Father. The reaction of Twitter users was such, that the daily newspaper viewed it as its obligation to delete the article from its online edition, apologizing for the “lack of filters” in their editorials.
Rafael Méndez Meneses (@KevinHurlt) [es] was able to retrieve the editorial text [es] before it was removed by the newspaper, and published it on his blog, with El Comercio's corresponding apologies.
These days, people continue to discuss the limitations to freedom of expression with respect to topics like homosexuality and same-sex rights under the hashtag #casoSatya [es].
Lawyer and Communication Specialist Pablo Garzón (@pgarzon) tweets [es]:
Nosotros, ustedes y yo, somos la primera generación que abiertamente condena
la homofobia en Ecuador. Para nuestros padres fue/es un tabú.
Assemblywoman María Paula Romo (@mariapaularomo) says [es]:
No se trata d censura previa pero políticas editoriales claras y defensor del lector deberían ser las grandes lecciones para @elcomerciocom.
Ecuadorian writer Eduardo Varas (@eduardovarcar), expresses the following [es]:
¿Molesta que @elcomerciocom quitara el famoso artículo? No entiendo. Para mí no hay cómo hablar de libertad de expresión con mentiras.
Lola Cienfuegos (@lolacienfuegos) refers to [es] a “double discourse”:
Con lo sucedido con @elcomerciocom ha quedado demostrado su DOBLE DISCURSO y su DOBLE MORAL.Escribir sobre CÍRCULO ROSA si es tolerado #plop
Website Gkillcity.com also published an article by Xavier Flores Aguirre (@xaflag) [es], where they support Nicola and Helen; in “Satya and diversity” [es] they write:
hoy la resistencia a esas interpretaciones retardatarias del derecho se pueden hacer con las mismas herramientas jurídicas que el derecho establece (en particular en su Constitución, que es su norma jerárquicamente superior).

author: Daniela Gallardo


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Iran: A Blogger’s Life in Danger · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hossein Ronaghi Maleki,jailed blogger,has started his hunger strike since last Saturday.His health conditions are in dire situation and he was moved for two hours to a hospital [fa].Another political prisoner started[fa] hunger strike to support him.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Kazakhstan: Pay to Get Your Artwork Noticed · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Anara gives [ru] an insider's view on how a young artist can get ‘noticed’ by the art establishment in Kazakhstan. Apparently, talent is not a substitute for lots of money that emerging artists need to pay for presenting their artwork at galleries and having specialized journals write favorable reviews of their work.


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Peru: Mayor of Espinar Arrested Amid Mining Conflict · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Amid a heavy police deployment, the mayor of the province of Espinar, Óscar Mollohuanca, was arrested on May 30 about midday. The mayor had been in hiding after a state of emergency was declared in the area because of the conflict between the community of Espinar and the mining operation Xstrata Tintaya, and especially after learning there was an arrest warrant out for him. Even so, he granted a press interview at the town hall and it was then that the police arrested him.
Following is the video of the exact moment when the mayor is arrested, as reported by Channel N:
At this moment, the whereabouts of the mayor is unknown, although he is presumed to be within a few blocks of the Town Hall. The details of the arrest warrant are not known, though recent statements by the Prime Minister indicate that the recent violence in Espinar, such as the deaths and injuries, the attacks on private property and on law enforcement, and the kidnapping of a prosecutor, warrant a thorough investigation and assignment of responsibility, making it clear that the mayor's arrest is within the purview of the judiciary.
Here are some of the reactions that appeared in the local Twittersphere. [translator's note: all Twitter links are in Spanish] A couple of the first accounts on Twitter were by the journalists Álvaro Sosa (@AlvaroSosaC) and David Hurtado (@DavidHurtadoT):
Policía irrumpe violentamente, rompiendo lunas, en sede de municipalidad de Espinar para arrestar a alcalde Mollohuanca informa Canal N.”
Policia arrestó a alcalde de Espinar En Vivo …gol Canal N http://fb.me/1LJO6Ukqc
The politician and ex-Minister Juan Sheput (@JuanSheput) identified with the people of Espinar:
¡Oscar libertad! clama la gente del pueblo de Espinar ante demostración de autoritarismo del gobierno por detención del alcalde Mollohuanca.
Meanwhile, Maricarmen Colonna (@mcolonnal) notes the contrast between the huge number of police involved in the arrest versus the lack of police dealing with crime:
¡Como 300 policìas haciendo su show para arrestar al alcalde de Espinar. Pero cuando los mandan a buscar delincuentes se les hace aguita
Juan Diego Zacarías (@diegozac) in turn echoes the theme repeated by the people of Espinar:
“Ollanta traicionero” resuena desde Espinar
Twitter users César Ponce (@cesarponcec) and Paola (@yosoypao) exchange views about the actual willingness of the government to dialogue:
dónde está el jefe policial que coordina todo este mamarracho ¿? ahora con quien va a negociar el gob si detienen de esa forma al alcalde ¿?
@cesarponcec el gobierno no está buscando el diálogo, eso queda claro con la captura del alcalde de Espinar.
While an ex-member of the current government, Carlos Tapia (@carlosETapia), believes:
Detención de alcalde de Espinar, impidiendo Mesa de Diálogo, es una torpeza política de Calle y Valdéz.¿no se dan cuenta?
The photographer Silvana García (@sgarciaasenjo) questions the motives for the arrest:
De que se le acusa al alcalde de #Espinar?
Not all opinions were against the action taken, some were in favor, applauding the imposition of law and order, like Sara Delgado (@Saritrovick) and Jorge Berrocal (@Jberroc):
Que se imponga el orden, la ley y la autoridad RT “@canalN_ Ultimo minuto en Canal N, Policía detiene al Alcalde de Espinar….”
User @marconaprotesta reports:
Detención d alcalde d Espinar no fue arbitraria tenía orden d captura x dirigir sucesos vandálicos y tener explosivos en su camioneta
Alfonso Baella (@alfonsobaella) holds that,
En Espinar los problemas son policiales, no ambientales. La ley a los que promueven violencia, muerte y destrucción.
While Mauricio Rozas Valz (@MauricioRozasV) requests:
Todo el peso de la ley para el alcalde de Espinar. Debe recibir condena ejemplar.1:37 PM – 30 May 12 via web
On May 29, with the state of emergency in effect, Espinar had a day of tense calm, knowing that the death toll had risen to four, while at the police station in the Xstrata Tintaya mining camp, 24 were under arrest [es]. It was also reported that police stopped a serenazgo [municipal patrol] truck from Espinar carrying Molotov cocktails, and they also arrested the president of the Front for the Defense of Espinar, Herbert Huaman.
Several congressmen  [es] and Andean parliament members have expressed their concern and distress over the acts of repression, including asking the Prime Minister to resign. Meanwhile, the Minister of the Environment stated that the protests and complaints about environmental pollution in Espinar do not correspond with the zone of influence of Xstrata Tintaya's mining activities.
Representatives of the Minister of the Interior announced [es] the initiation of an investigation of Óscar Mollohuanca, the mayor of Espinar, and other area leaders, responsible for the strikes in the area. The charges include embezzlement in the case of the mayor, and riots, contempt of authority and kidnapping for the others being investigated. Likewise, the Comptroller General's office announced an inspection [es] in the Provincial Municipality of Espinar to verify the charges of alleged use of public assets and resources in organizing protest marches against mining activity in the area.
The latest notices from Espinar indicate [es] that the arrested mayor is giving his statement at the police station at Tintaya. In the afternoon, the mayor of Espinar was transported by helicopter to the City of Cusco, in order to give a statement to the DIRINCRI (Criminal Investigation Unit). More news is expected soon.
To better understand the characteristics of the complex case that is developing in Espinar, it is instructive to read this analysis by Francisco Durand and published in Quehacer magazine, issue 173 (2009): “Tintaya y su gobierno minero” (“Tintaya and its mining government”) [es], which illustrates the absence of the state, and the community/mine relationship, where the latter, for all effects and purposes, replaces government.
El Perú contemporáneo es testigo de un desarrollo espectacular de la gran minería. Se trata de un tipo de explotación intensiva en capital, con grandes ganancias, bajos salarios y muchas exoneraciones tributarias. Estamos frente a un patrón de acumulación más que uno de desarrollo, lo que ha provocado diversos tipos de interpretaciones sobre conflictos sociales y dinámicas redistributivas.

author: Juan Arellano


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Global Voices Podcast: Storytime in Poetry and Literature · Global Voices
Jamillah Knowles

Hello World!
Welcome to another edition of the Global Voices podcast.
In this edition, we’re talking about literature and publishing. You’ll hear some good old fashioned interviews with well-read members of the Global Voices team as well as readings of original work by our authors and the wider community.
Storytime
There’s some lovely stories to be told, so if you are sitting comfortably, Let's begin…
Our first reading comes from Greece. Veroniki Krikoni is a Greek translator for Global Voices online. Her story summons up visions of the sea and the heavens. Tune in to hear her reading in Greek and English about ‘The Agreement of the Stars’.
Our second reading comes from Nwachukwu Egbunike in Nigeria. He told us that he likes to write poetry because it is a format where a lot can be said in a few words.
The inspiration for the poem is a friend of his who sends manuscripts for him to read. Early on in their friendship, the author was afraid that he might take his work and publish it. The writer pointed out that their friendship is based on trust.
Nwachuykwu says, “I don’t know if he has seen the poem. I posted it on my blog. We are good friends now.” So, for the podcast he is reciting his poem, ‘Can I trust you?’
Get excited for Global Voices e-books!
The publishing industry has seen seismic change as digital methods disrupt the traditional market. But digital publishing also creates opportunities and new ways of presenting the written word.
Bernardo Parrella is a translator, writer and is also the Editor of Global Voices in Italian. He is now working on ways to publish Global Voices online material in new ways to make the most of the content.
Global Voices Books is a collaborative project which will provide a selection of rounded summaries for our material.
Translating stories in threatened languages
Language and translation are key elements of Global Voices and supporting under represented languages is particularly important.
Eddie Avila is the Rising Voices Director for Global Voices online, he supports many efforts to highlight languages that we might not otherwise hear online. For the podcast he worked with and read translations of two people who write in threatened languages.
First is Elias Quispe Chura, a language activist and Global Voices Aymara translator in Bolivia. His poem reflects his desire to hear younger Aymara speakers embrace their language. He is encouraging them to speak in Spanish and learn to write in Aymara.
The second work shared by Eddie was made with Irma Alvarez Ccossco coordinator of the Rising Voices project in Peru. She now lives in Lima and says that the poem was inspired by the Baguazo, in Bagua, Peru. This was a time of persecution of the indigenous Mapuche people, and feelings of helplessness are the context for the poem.
Irma says, “These words were my way of helping to find calm, as if all those people could speak in Quechua, or simply to calm myself.”
Russian academic literature podcast
Not only do we have great writers with global voices, we also have great editors. One of our newest editors is Kevin Rothrock who is the editor of Runet Echo. This is a special research project of Global Voices investigating the Russian language Internet.
Kevin is the co-host of a podcast called New Books in Russian Studies that discusses academic literature about Russia with their authors.
More tales and poetry
Danica Radovanovic lives in Europe and comes from a literary and muscial family. So it’s no wonder she also writes beautifully. She's a social media researcher, internet scholar, editor in chief for Australian Science magazine and is about to defend her dissertation in Communication and Internet studies.
Danica says the story she reads for us is an expression of herself at a particular time when she was inspired by events happening inside and outside of herself.
In seeking feedback on the work, Danica says she showed it to a number of women who found a piece of themselves in this story. Let us know in the comments if you recognise yourself in her reading of “You should date a woman who writes”.
In our final readings for this edition we have Njeri Wangari, a Kenyan performance poet, writer and arts blogger. She runs a blog called Kenyan Poet and has been writing poetry for years as well as performing her poems. She kindly reads two poems from her collection entitled, “Minds and minefields, my spoken words”.
Well, that’s all we have time for in this edition of the podcast. Thank you to everyone who took part with their readings, writing, translation and interviews.
The Global Voices podcast, the world is talking, I hope you’ve been listening.
Music credits
In the podcast you can hear lots of lovely Creative Commons music. Thanks to Mark Cotton for his fantastic creations and thanks also to all of the wonderful voice over performances and clips that help to glue the podcast together.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS

author: Jamillah Knowles


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Greece: “Stay in Europe” Movement · Global Voices
Alexia Kalaitzi

A new movement, “Stay in Europe” [el], aims to gather all Greek citizens who want Greece to remain in the Eurozone and European Union in a big demonstration in front of Syntagma Square in Athens one week before elections (June, 10, 2012). The movement has started an online campaign calling all people, regardless of their political views, to send a strong message to the future government.

author: Alexia Kalaitzi


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India, Pakistan: A New Peace Film Project · Global Voices
Rezwan

Teeth Maestro reports that Ali Kapadia, a Pakistani filmmaker, has recently started a film project which talks about Peace between Pakistan and India.


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Mauritania: Students Sacked because of Activism · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

The story of the expulsion of students from Nouakchott University due to their activism has resurfaced again, this time following a decision by the disciplinary council at the Medicine Faculty to sack a group of students who held a voluntary week to clean up the faculty. Also, the expelled students are charged with organising some sports activities students have been organizing annually and finally the distribution of papers containing course material and samples of exam answers.
That decision was met with great disdain by the expelled students’ colleagues, who suspended their studies and announced they will persist with their action until the council retracted its decision, which they considered a threat to all medicine students and an offense to them. Students also staged various protests, the latest being in front of the Presidential Palace.
Below is a video of the demonstration held facing the Presidential Palace, asking for the release of their comrades:
This not the first time such an incident happens at Nouakchott University. Twenty-one other students from various faculties (some of them senior ones) were expelled earlier this year in the aftermath of the protests witnessed by the establishments, which were asking for the fulfillment of some of their demands. Nouakchott University has been transformed this year into a war scene as Mauritanian Security Forces raided the campus on a daily basis, amid a crackdown on protesters and arrested activists. Moreover, officers with their military gear would camp for months at the university entrance. Another scandal hit the institution a few months ago when president's chief of staff Isselkou Ould Izidbih [former president of the University of Nouakchott] tried to bribe some students so that they renounce their activism. Instead, they refused and revealed the case to the media.
Photo of the sacked students
Mauritanian writer and blogger Abbass Braham noted [ar]
He continues:
Blogger Mohaed Abdou also talks about this phenomena in his blog “الكاشف” (The Discoverer):
Mauritania of Tomorrow موريتانيا الغد Facebook Page also tackled the story:
لايزال قرار الطرد الظالم بحق 6 طلاب من كلية الطب ساري المفعول، حسب مقربين من هؤلاء الطلاب فهم مجموعة من المتميزين دراسيا والمتفوقين دائما في كلية الطب حديثة النشأة، الخدومين جدا، تهمتهم أنهم قاموا رفقة زملائهم في نقابة منتخبة بالقيام بمجموعة أنشطة تطوعية من بينها تنظيف الكلية وحملة تبرع بالدم وتوزيع الدروس والامتحانات في أنشطة معتادة كل سنة، وبدل التكريم في خطوة غريبة تمت مكافئتهم بالطرد
Al Dedda Weld Ibrahim tweeted:
The academic year is almost over and the torment of the sacked students is still ongoing
Mohamed Abdou also says:
@medabdou هل تعلم أن الطلبة الذين طردوا من كلية الطب هم طلبة متفوقون بإمتياز دائما، وأنهم طردوا فقط لمزاولتهم العمل النقابي ؟
He added:

author: أحمد جدو


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Mexico, USA: A Photo Essay on “A Long and Silent Border War” · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Todd Miller, from the NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America) blog Border Wars, shares a photo essay titled “A Long and Silent Border War” which documents his 4-month long trip “on the U.S. southern border travelling between Arizona and Texas.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Mexico, USA: Who Will Pay the Price for Wal-Mart’s Corruption? · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
There have been better times to be associated with Wal-Mart. In 2011, for example, it was named one of the top 10 most transparent corporations in Mexico [es]. Yet one of the world’s largest corporations has taken a hit after evidence surfaced that their Mexican subsidiary paid $24 million USD in bribes to Mexican officials between 2002 and 2005. According to an investigation by the New York Times published in April 2012, Wal-Mart kept this information quiet since 2005, when a former employee in Mexico blew the whistle.
Taking every opportunity to call out bad practices at the company, Wal-Mart reform advocacy and employee groups jumped on the scandal, calling on Wal-Mart’s CEO to resign in an online petition started by Organization United for Respect at Wal-Mart (Our Wal-Mart) on Change.org in May.
As the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the United States is more frequently enforced today than it has been for many years, attention now turns to how much Wal-Mart could be fined by US authorities. This is also likely to lead to questions concerning whether the bribes made a substantial contribution to Wal-Mart’s economic development, or whether profits were directly tied to the bribes
How the scandal played out in Mexico
President Calderon (right) met with Walmart CEO Michael T. Duke in Cartagena, Colombia in April 2012 and his office issued a statement and this photo.
A little more than a week prior to the New York Times report in April, the office of Mexican President Felipe Calderon released a photo of Calderon meeting with Wal-Mart CEO Michael T. Duke in Colombia. The Mexico bureau chief for McClatchy Newspapers, Tim Johnson writes in his blog:
They probably wish they could recall the photo now.
At that meeting, Calderon “congratulated Wal-Mart on its commitment to the environment by generating increasing amounts of clean energy” and praised the company for buying directly from Mexican farmers, his office said. Duke, for his part, declared that “Mexico is an example for the rest of the chain worldwide” according to the statement.
Walmart Mexico associates attending lunch in Northwest Arkansas during the 2011 Walmart Shareholders' Meeting. Photo by Walmart Stores on flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Johnson writes that the president’s office issued a “bulletin” on April 23, after the bribery was revealed, that attempted to distance the federal government from the scandal by emphasizing that the bribes were to local and state functionaries. Calderon didn’t become president until after the alleged bribery took place.
Mexfiles analyses what impact the Wal-Mart scandal could have on the upcoming presidential elections, noting that the PAN Party candidate, whose party controlled the federal government at the time of the bribery (and still does) had not commented on the issue. Meanwhile her two leading opponents were calling for investigations. Mexfiles also notes that the Calderon administration passed new anti-trust laws and wonders whether Wal-Mart’s aggressive bribery and expansion practices could be considered unfair competition against both big and small Mexican retail businesses pushed from the market:
One thing not well explained in foreign coverage of the Wal-Mart scandal is that Wal-Mart de México S.A.B. de C.V. consists of several smaller chains of supermarkets like Bodega Aurrerá and Superama, clothing shops like Suburbia, and VIPS restaurants. It has been argued that while some of these existing chains were fairly acquired others were subject to more hostile takeovers.
Culture of bribery?
Marco Antonio Gómez Lovera on Vivir Mexico [es] is incensed that Wal-Mart executives in the United States and Mexico preferred to hide their knowledge of the bribery rather than investigate further and punish those responsible. Meanwhile, Mexfiles and other blogs [es] opined that U.S. media and authorities may be downplaying the Mexican reaction due to a supposed “culture of bribery”.

author: Solana Larsen


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Mozambique: A train journey tweeted in photos · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Mozambican journalist Hermínio José Doce has been tweeting a train journey in southern Mozambique. His photos document the way charcoal vendors arrive in the city of Maputo, supplying residents with cooking fuel.

author: Janet Gunter


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South Korea: Court Upholds Military Ban on “Subversive” Books · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A South Korean court has upheld a Ministry of Defense ban in the army on 23 books labeled as “subversive”, fueling public worries for the protection of free speech.
Seoul Central District Court aquitted a defamation charge filed by authors and publishing houses whose books were classified as “subversive” or “troublesome” by the Ministry of Defense on May 31, 2012. They contended the military's ban on the books infringes on the individual's right to access information, one of democratic rights protected by the Korean constitution. The Korean public echoed their worries and expressed frustration over the court's decision. The 23 books in question include a best-selling book on economics and two volumes by left-wing American linguist, Noam Chomsky.
A book store in Seoul, South Korea (2008) Photo by Christopher Rose on Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
The Defense Ministry instigated the ban in 2008, arguing that the “subversive” writings sympathize with communist North Korea and criticize the economic systems of the United States and South Korea, which could result in dampening the morale of service members. They claim they can ban any books which are considered pro–North Korea, anti–South Korea and anti-American or anticapitalist.
According to one news article [ko] by South Korea's Hankook Newspaper, the court's recent decision was criticized even by moderate conservatives in South Korea for failing to provide enough explanation of on what grounds the books were labeled as troublesome, and ignoring potential profit losses and personal damage of reputations.
Beneath the Hankook news article online, numerous comments lash out against the court's decision.
Chung Jae-hwa commented [ko]:
이게 자칭 보수들의 수준이지…. 신자유주의를 비판하거나 정부에 조금만 비판적이면 불온서적….멀쩡한 좌파도 보수세력의 눈에는 종북세력이 되버리는 현실.
Numerous young internet users seem not to have been aware that such a ban ever existed, while the older generation worries this could be a sign of the revival of the censorship of ideas, prevalent during the authoritative military regimes of the past. The practice of censoring books and films was common from the 1960s to 1980s when the country was ruled by military dictators. Many intellectuals critical of the government were classified as supportive of North Korea before being persecuted.
Twitter user @hanget  wrote [ko]:
21세기에 불온 서적이라는게 있다는걸 오늘 처음 알았다.
@merong2221 wrote [ko]:
지금 제가 70년대에 살고있나요? 불온서적? 이념? 아정말 유신시대로의 회귀내
@blu_pn wrote [ko]:
법원이 국방부가 베스트셀러 책을 포함한 23종의 도서를 ‘불온서적'을 지정한 행위에 대해 기본권 침해가 아니라고 판결했단다. 대체 지금이 몇년도인가? 아무리 보수적으로 보아도 저건 냉전시대 논리로 21세기를 재단하는 문화적 자해행위다. 한심한…
One banned book: Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism, by Ha-Joon Chang.
Seoh Hae-sung, (@jiksseol) wrote [ko]:
법률 이전에 책과 지혜를 가두는 사회를 이성적 문명사회라고 보기 어렵다. […] 이 불온을 판단한 자들이야말로 지식기반 문명사회에서 축출해야 하는 불온한 자들이다. 책을 놓아주어라.
Jeong Yu-mun (@Jymjeong) wrote[ko]:
국방부 지정 불온서적을 읽고싶은 마음이 급 땡기는건… 순전히 판사님 덕분이다.
Many people find it difficult to understand how Chang Ha-Joon's best-selling book on the economy, “Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism”, was ever classified as “subversive”. Chang, a well-known South Korean economist at the University of Cambridge, argues in the book that poor countries should not embrace free trade but rather be protected and supported by government before entering into intense international competition.
Below is a Youtube video of a talk at the New America Foundation in the United States where Chang describes his book.
@100HyeRyun wrote [ko]:
장하준 교수의 ‘나쁜 사마리아인’ 국방부 불온서적 지정은 정당하다는 법원의 판결은 도저히 수긍키 어렵다.인터넷상 경제학 전반에 대한 부담없는 교양경제서라고 소개되어 있고 책 내용도 그러하다.이런 책조차 인정하지 못하는 지금의 우리 현실이 부끄럽다.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Sri Lanka: Towards The Perfect Reconciliation · Global Voices
Rezwan

Elijah Hoole looks at the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka from a different angle. The blogger thinks that a perfect reconciliation process should entail work towards building or rather restoring inter-ethnic relationships and making people care for each other.


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Tajikistan: Why There Aren’t Many Bloggers in the Country · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Harsavor (Donkey Rider) explains [ru] why there are not many bloggers in Tajikistan. Most of the country's young people – the group that typically runs blogs – either work abroad or live in rural areas without internet access. And those who live in the cities and have access to the internet see little use in blogging.


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Tunisia: Netizens Voice Frustration Over Slow Legislature  · Global Voices
Ahmed Medien

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Tunisian netizens are turning to their keyboards and touch screens to voice their frustration with the performance of their representatives at the country's Constituent Assembly. Six months after their election, Members of Parliament and government officials seem to be having serious challenges meeting the people's various, and often exaggerated, expectations of a prosperous post-revolution era where unemployment will shrink to 2 per cent and economic growth reach 5%, like the old days of Ben Ali.
Many Tunisians are posting letters about their dissatisfaction with the performance of their representatives. Some accuse the Ministry of Interior of failing to control Muslim fundamentalists – violent groups posing a serious threat to security in many places in Tunisia. These groups identify themselves with the Salafi movement, who make up hardcore Islamists who believe in a rather stiff interpretation of Islam. Intellectuals are speaking up as the intensity of the Salafist attacks continues.
Olfa Youssef, a famous author and university professor wrote on her blog [ar]:
The Tunisian blogosphere is also making its voice heard over this matter. Reveur Tounnsi – Tunisian Dreamer – condemned the recent violence of the Salafis in Tunisia. He wrote [fr]:
On a rêvé d’un pays libre
On a rêvé d’une citoyenneté à par entière
On a rêvé d’une dignité
On a rêvé d’une  égalité sociale
On a rêvé de la sainte liberté
On a rêvé et c’est grâce à nos rêves  que nous avons avenacé
Lendemain on s’est réveillé sur des drapeaux noirs
Des « takbir »
Sur La violence l’arrogance et l’intolérance
Sur des maisons et des hôtels brûler
C’était la fin du beau rêve
C’était  le début des cauchemars
The failure of the government to address these serious issues and fix the economy has led the opposition in Tunisia to suggest a new “national interest government” to replace the Islamist-led government with independent technocrats. This proposal initiated more commentary. The opposition is now seen as attempting to topple the will of the people who unanimously elected the Ennahda party in the previous elections.
The feeling on the street is that politicians can no longer be trusted as few still listen to their constituents. They say the people have split into aggressors or victims, creating an unhealthy environment to build a genuine democracy and make real policies that will fix the economy.
Tarek Kahlaoui, head of the Institute of Strategic Studies, wrote on his Facebook page [ar]:
The Tunisian collective blog, Nawaat, posted a poll about the performance of the government. The ratings “mediocre” and “deceiving” received 41% and 26% of votes respectively, whilst “good” attracted 13% – a low rate which is far from satisfying.
Meanwhile, the new budget for the interim government is still being drafted at the constituent assembly, further raising the level of frustration among the people. The interim government drafted a budget law at the end of last March – and deputies are still examining its clauses.
The president, Moncef Marzouki, whose appointment was hailed by Tunisians as the first human rights activist president, is also failing to respond to the people's expectations of security and prosperity. The president, according to several laws passed by the constituent assembly, was stripped from many of the powers of the former presidents of Tunisia.
Harsh comments are now addressed to the president such as in this poster, circulated online:
The text, in Arabic, reads:
Another Tunisian blogger, Ons Bouali,  addressed a blog post to the President. The post refers to an incident of a Salafi sit-in in a Tunisian university that interrupted daily courses for nearly two months. She blogged [fr]:
Monsieur le Président, êtes-vous Tunisien?
[…]Sortez de votre silence Monsieur des Droits de l’Homme. Qu’avez-vous à dire concernant la violation d’une institution publique qu’est l’université de Manouba par une poignée d’ignares ? C’est moins « la horde des touristes pacifiques » que l’invasion salafiste qui nous menace. L’amour du pouvoir a-t-il eu raison de vos principes ? Revenez à votre raison Monsieur le Président. « Travail, liberté, dignité ». Il y a à peine un an, ensemble au Trocadéro nous le criions.
Stop being silent Mr Human Rights Activist. What do you have to say concerning the violation of a public institution such as the university of Mannouba by a group of ignorant people. It's a Salafi invasion rather than a horde of pacifist tourists. Did power annihilate your principles? Get your act together Mr President. “Employment, freedom, dignity.” This is what we have been screaming for, for less than a year, together.
The Cabinet isn't the only power stirring outrage at the moment; the Constituent Assembly took some heat after a proposal was raised to increase the salary of representatives from 2,300 Tunisian Dinars ($1,420) to 5,900 TND ($3640).
Amira Yahyaoui, an OpenGov activist, tweeted [fr]:
@Mira404: Meanwhile, François Hollande président de la France est allé au sommet européen à Bruxelles en train. #TnAC #4200
More satirical blog posts appeared contesting this salary raise, which has since been turned down by the government, after long negotiations.
Blogger Weld El Kabaria wrote [fr]:
Salaire de 4200 dinars et quoi encore ?
Je suis un député dans l'ANC et je ne fait que ramasser de l'argent …
900 dinars c'est peu pour avoir une belle villa avec une picine, c'est l'été comme vous savez il me faudra un lieu intime ou je peux me bronzer avec mes amis…
I am a deputy at the Tunisian Constituent Assembly and I don't do a single thing but collect money.
900 dinars (a comfortable salary by Tunisian standards) is little for a nice villa with a pool. It's summer, mind you, and I need a private place where I can sunbath with my friends…
Negative reactions continued to pour online, such as in the photograph below:
On YouTube, this video by Nawaat, polls Tunisians from all walks of life about their opinion on the pay rise for deputies:
All those interviewed were against the raise. “Long live Ben Ali” – the ousted Tunisian president – emerges at 3:00.
In fact, the truth is more complicated than most Tunisians are aware of. Adel Bisli explains perfectly why the constituent assembly is not capable of accomplishing one of its prime missions such as the drafting of the new constitution.
Bsili took some time to explain the complexity of the tasks of the constituent assembly at the moment on his blog [fr]:
Personnellement, je pense que l’ANC a été maudite par son 1er texte qu’elle a adopté : l’OPPP.
Par ce texte, l’ANC s’est attribuée beaucoup taches législatives dont la plupart sont à la fois compliques et complexes dont notamment des textes relatifs à la magistrature, instance des élections, de l’information, de la justice transitionnelle et surtout, le texte électoral.
Avec l’absence de vision claire et précise sur ces questions et la non considération du caractère trop hétéroclite de la Constituante et ses composantes partisanes, l’Assemblée ne sait plus quoi faire en priorité.
La simple lecture du texte de l’OPPP laisse entendre que l’ANC s’est engagée à les adopter avant même la Constitution. Or, il s’avère que tout le monde se rend compte aujourd’hui que l’adoption de tels textes dépendait largement des principes fondamentaux que la Constituante doit se faire de ces questions fondamentales.
Ainsi, si l’ANC adopte dans les semaines à venir de pareils textes, elle va inéluctablement adopter certains principes fondamentaux qui y seront insérés. Par là même, elle se trouvera encore une fois prisonnière de ses choix.
By this text, the assembly has taken many legislative tasks most of which are both complicated and complex, including texts relating to the judiciary, pending elections, information, transitional justice and above all, the elections code.
With the absence of a clear and precise view on these issues and the not-considered too heterogeneous nature of the constituent components and parties, the Assembly does not know what start with.
Reading this text, it may suggest that the Assembly is committed to adopt the above-mentioned texts even before drafting the constitution. However, it turns out now that the deputies realized that the adoption of such texts depended largely on the fundamental principles.
Thus, if the Assembly adopted in the coming weeks such enactments, it will inevitably adopt some basic principles that will be inserted. Hence, it will find itself once again a prisoner of its choice.
Besides this legal aspect of their jobs, deputies are generally depicted of not doing a good job at the assembly. Wafa Ben Hassine, Tunisian-American OpenGov activist, posted on Nawaat:
[…] What ended up happening over the course of these five days, however, only shows how inefficient the assembly can be. Assembly members were incredibly repetitive in their speeches – each echoing the other (especially when the speakers from the same party). Part of the reason why they were so repetitive is that since the conversation was carried on for five days, many members did not catch their colleagues’ speeches – tea, coffee, and cigarettes have a lot to do with why the assembly members can’t be found in the assembly room sometimes.
Other complaints hang in the air.
Meanwhile, Tarek Cheniti, United Nations consultant in Tunisia, posted a complaint on Tunisia's anti-corruption website. The text reads:
Cheniti received no answer after his complaint.
Also, two of the assembly members were caught cheating when voting, but life went on. Such an attitude fueled public opinion – from those who already not satisfied with the slow pace of progress.
The situation remains critical.
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Ahmed Medien


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Turkmenistan: The Karate-Chopping, Record-Breaking President · Global Voices
Anna Fergana

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is not your usual type of a leader. Take his sports accomplishments, for example. The country's self-appointed Arkadag (Protector) holds a sixth dan black belt in karate and a seventh dan black belt in taekwondo. He takes part in (and wins) classic car races. Berdimuhamedov, a dentist and the country's former health minister, has forbidden his ministers to smoke and made it compulsory for everyone to attend the Saglyk Yoly (Walk of Health) every week.
The state-controlled printed press – operating in a country ranked 177th in a list of 179 in Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index – is tireless in praising the Turkmen leader's achievements in promoting sports and health in the country.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.                      Image by Flickr user Kerry-Jo (CC BY-NC 2.0).
It is much more difficult to learn what ordinary people in the country think about their leader and his ‘accomplishments’. Turkmen netizens rarely leave comments on Turkmen-hosted sites, but take the opportunity to participate in online conversations elsewhere, often using anonymizers.
President and his awards
In late May, Berdimuhamedov was awarded a copy of the the Russian Cup, the second major football trophy in Russia, and a gold medal of the country's Premier League by the Chairman of the State Council of Tatarstan, Farid Muhametshin. The award has provoked a lively debate on chrono-tm.org, a news blog and forum set up by Turkmen expatriates.
(N.B If Berdimuhamedov's connection to Russian football and Tatarstan seems obscure, then it should be understood that Kurban Berdyev, coach of Tatarstan's most decorated football club FC Rubin Kazan, which won the Russian Cup this year, is Turkmen).
Commenting on the forum, one reader, Walders, said [ru]:
Татары молодцы, хитрый стратегический ход. Просчитали заранее все слабости. Непонятно только зачем ему российский кубок, тогда бы и с Дакара тоже дали бы, там они тоже преуспели. А может и к лучшему? Вдруг о спорте в целом , а детском в частности, озаботится. Все какой то положительный момент в его правлении появится.
Nablyudatel chimed in [ru]:
Осталось только скафандр торжественно вручить и объявить почётным космонавтом Туркменистана(да пожалуй, не только Туркменистана).
Barhan suggested [ru] ironically:
Возможно он вчера стал чемпионом мира по хоккею,вместе с командой России!
Alexxxgreen noted [ru] similarities between Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and Sasha Baron Cohen's title character in the film ‘The Dictator’ (banned in Turkmenistan), while another reader proposed [ru]:
как ребенка покупают за блестящие игрушки…президент-недоросль!!!самолетики,машинки,лодорчки…титул Будды остался!!!
The small country's big ‘toys’
While many netizens are ironic about presidential awards, some of Turkmenistan's more celebrated achievements are a  source of domestic pride and patriotism. In response to an article about the world's largest Ferris wheel which has recently been erected in the country, user of the Russian-language social networking site Moy Mir, Mergen Annanurov, said [ru]:
This is my city. My wonderful Turkmenistan
Another Moy Mir user, Mr. Nobody said [ru]:
I am proud of my city
In contrast to these sentiments, Turkmenistan's Guinness-directed projects remain objects of ridicule on international networks. A report on the Ferris wheel carried by the Yahoo news aggregator generated a host of ironic comments:
Just go observed:
In Soviet Turkmenistan, the ferris wheel rides you
While Greg joked:
They push you out at the top…
Old Geezer commented:
Amazing a rat hole like Trukenistan doing better than America. You remember don't you? The America that used to build and do big things!
And george S concluded:
90 million seems like alot to pay for a record. I'm sure there are no projects or causes or people in need where that money could go. Dumb
Struggling against a tide of scorn, anonymouse, possibly a Turkmen netizen, reminded the western commenters that other countries also have records to be embaressed about:
So? the US has the world record debt, and probably always will. is this a great country or what?
Note: The Turkmen authorities possibly deserve some credit for not trying to break the same record twice. As reported earlier by Global Voices, Tajikistan now boasts the tallest free-standing flagpole in the world (541 ft). Turkmenistan's version, at 436 ft, has fallen into fourth place. No efforts to ‘repair’ or rebuild the Ashkabad flagpole have been announced.

author: Anna Fergana


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Colombia: The Brutal Rape and Murder of Rosa Elvira Cely · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Last week, Colombia learned about the case of Rosa Elvira Cely [es], 35, who was found on the early morning of May 24 in a remote site at the National Park in Bogotá. She had called the emergency number 123 twice, and it was the noise by a small creek nearby which guided the authorities to the site, where she was unconscious, shaking, with bruises on her face, a stab wound on her back, and impaled, probably with a tree branch. She would die of peritonitis at a hospital in downtown Bogotá on Monday, May 28.
The story first appeared [es] on a tabloid published by Colombia's largest newspaper on May 29, and it was slowly reported on other media. Ms Cely worked as a street vendor in front of the Military Hospital, had a 11-year-old daughter, and was finishing her high school studies, wishing to become a psychologist.
This brutal rape and murder case sparked a new wave of outrage in social media: with hashtags like #RosaElviraCely and #NiUnaMás (“not one more”), Twitter users joined the demonstration and showed their outrage. There were also heated discussions [es] around whether the death penalty or life sentence should be applied to rapists and abusers.
This also prompted a demonstration at the same National Park on the morning of Sunday, June 3. Hundreds of people attended the gathering to demand justice. The event started at 10:00am local time with a concentration, where Ms Cely and many other victims of gender violence (including the women murdered in Ciudad Juárez, México) were remembered. Around 45 minutes later, people walked to the site where Ms Cely was found, where they prayed, shouted, sang songs, and a sobbing man apologized in the name of all men for the murder.
Gathering at the National Park of Bogotá, 3 June 2012
Gathering at the National Park of Bogotá, 3 June 2012
Hundreds of people walk to the remote place at the National Park where Ms Cely was found
A banner with a photo of Ms Cely hangs at a tree close to the site she was found
Flowers, banners, and candles lie at the tree marking the site where Ms Cely was found
This banner reads, in Spanish: 'Enough of murders, rapes, acid burn (attacks), we need more severity with crime'
This other banner reads, in Spanish: It wasn't because of the skirt, booze, hour or place: NOTHING is excuse for a sexual aggression. Not one more!
All photos were taken by the author and posted under a Creative Commons – Attribution licence [Full Flickr set]
More pictures can be found at Mike's Bogotá Blog, Soy Periodista, on Flickr search, and lncognito's Flickr (from Cali).
On the blogosphere, journalist Gloria Ortega Pérez published a post [es] abundant in pictures of the concentration. She also compiles several recent cases of gender violence in Colombia, and states:
Rosa Elvira no murió en vano. Se cercioró, antes de perder la conciencia, de exponer a su asesino, al sistema de “reacción inmediata” que jamás reaccionó, al aparato de salud indecente que estratifica la vida, a la justicia que le garantizó a su asesino la impunidad. Nos expuso a todos como sociedad. A todos, dueños orgullosos de una Constitución magnífica, que solo existe en el papel, pero cuyos fundamentos no son los estándares con los que se legisla, ni los que guían nuestras aspiraciones como sociedad.
Gloria also demands “more justice and less headlines,” claiming she is “tired of war, of violence against our children, of the answer to all our problems to be more concrete, more weapons, more bullets, more men shooting against other men which aren't different but think different.”
Meanwhile, for Iván Andrade the case is just another reflection of Colombian problems [es]:
Los infinitos errores de Colombia unidos para recordarnos que el espanto es nuestra realidad, que es difícil luchar contra seres deleznables y viles como el asesino de Rosa Elvira porque el sistema los deja medrar y actuar a sus anchas. Y entonces solo nos queda la rabia.
Finally, Justellie22 highlights [es] the role played by social media, saving Rosa Elvira from forgetfulness and becoming her voice “which was stolen.”
On Friday, June 1, Police had captured Javier Velasco Valenzuela, 44, the prime suspect of the crime, a classmate of Cely who already had a criminal record [es] (including a sentence for murder and charges for abusing his stepdaughters). A second suspect, Mauricio Rojas Ariza, turned himself in on Sunday, June 3.

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Ethiopia: The Role of Journalists Under Dictatorships · Global Voices
Endalkachew Chala

A video which shows Ethiopian Prime Minster Meles Zenawi being heckled at the latest 2012 G8 Food Security Symposium in Washington, D.C. has ignited a debate about the role of journalists in authoritarian regimes.
Ethiopian activist and journalist Abebe Gellaw is seen in the video shouting “Freedom, Freedom, Meles Zenawi is a dictator, you are committing crime against humanity.” Prime Minster Meles Zenawi who usually enjoys flattering pro-government press coverage at home looks shocked and irritated.
Discussing the video on Facebook, Abiye Teklemariam draws a comparison between the late Romanian dictator Ceausescu and Meles Zenawi:
I have seen a lot of leaders being heckled by protestors. They usually hide their shock and anger so effortlessly. Some of them actually get our sympathies with self-deprecating humor and fake concern for freedom of speech of the heckler. Meles Zenawi though looked utterly baffled and angry. His reaction had an uncanny resemblance with that famous Ceausescu moment, the way the Romanian dictator reacted when he, for the first time since his ascendancy to power, was booed by the normally impeccably obedient people during his speech. This video tells a lot!
Mesfin Negash says:
What an experience to MZ! You never saw MZ so shocked, embarrassed and angry in front of an audience. Journalist Abebe Gelaw made his point beyond proportion and IN PERSON. Must watch moment of MZ! PUBLIC WARNING:- you are strongly advised not to try or improvise this at home unless…! [lol]
However, Daniel Berahane does not think Prime Minster Meles Zenawi was shocked. He shares another video which he described it as “[Unedited] Meles Zenawi's graceful reaction, as Abebe Gelaw barks”:
In a bid to disapprove Abebe Gellaw’s efforts, Daniel further produces an imaginary interview between President Barack Obama and Prime Minster Meles Zenawi:
Barack Obama:…while we are on Ethiopia, I have to raise some concerns about journalists if you don't mind. You know, I receive letters from Congressmen and rights groups alleging that…..
Meles Zenawi:( clears his throat) Pardon me, Obama. I am not following. Which journalists are you talking about….the likes of the one you saw barking earlier?
Barak Obama :(snorts) Well, you have a point. Ok. Let's discuss the Sudan’s, what's your advise on…….
[Meles Zenawi might have said to himself: Thank you, Abebe Gelaw, you made my case.
Facebook image calling for the release of all political prisoners in Ethiopia. Image courtesy of Ethiopia Mitmita Facebook page.
Al Mariam, an academic and blogger based in USA, argues that Zenawi got a taste of his own medicine:
Zenawi was shocked, bewildered, flabbergasted and completely disoriented. It was as though 90 million Ethiopians had lined up pointing an accusatory finger at him and shouting in unison, “Meles Zenawi! You are a dictator!…” In that moment Abebe gloriously realized the true meaning of the tagline of his website addisvoice.com – “A Voice of the Voiceless”. Ironically, the voice of the voiceless rendered speechless the man who had rendered millions voiceless!
–
The expression on his face [Zenawi's] was total disbelief. “Is that Abebe Gellaw? It can’t be! I thought I had him canned in Kality Prison with Eskinder Nega, Reeyot Alemu and Woubshet Taye. What the hell is he doing here?!?”
Hallelujah Lulie does not think journalists should not be campaigners as their professional integrity will be seriously tarnished:
Objectivity is not equivalent to neutrality. I understand the critique on objective reporting supporting the status quo. However patriotic and advocacy journalism is a very bad trend as well. Objectivity should not be about turning a blind eye to injustice and pretending to treat the oppressor and the oppresee in an equal manner. I understand the frustration that pushed Abebe to do what he did,but any effort to rationalize the act from a journalistic perspective is being hypocritical and bending and manipulating the rules and principles we claim to promote, to fit our own political objectives. Supporting the ‘Journalist’ Abebe shouting on Meles, and the Journalistic explanation to it make it look professional make me ask if it is wrong to question and examine the professionalism and accuracy of journalists in authoritarian regimes? How can a so called ‘neutral’ or ‘uninformed’ audience can trust anything Abebe or his alikes reports about Ethiopia? We should be able to look further than events and sensational reactions and worry about the creating a culture and laying a sensible foundation.
Abiye disagrees:
Journalists are supposed to be the purveyors of accurate information and whether overt and vocal opposition to a group might impair this task can be a reasonable topic of debate. But this debate about the boundaries of good journalism – that is, the impartial investigation of the truth – starts with an assumption that the space for good journalism exists. It is a second-order debate. In dictatorships, the assumption has no validity. Journalism in such system is an elaborate con-game that is played to justify a rigged result. Without a reasonable degree of freedom of expression and information, rules and practices against censorship, and a friendly space for journalists, impartial investigation of the truth is impossible. This poses a fundamental either/or question for those who want to practice good journalism: would they go on carrying out their task as if there were a space for their work(which is false) or would they fight to change the space(which demands a serious degree of political activism)? For me, the answer is so obvious. Anti-regime political activism by journalists in dictatorship is what they do to make good journalism possible.
Ethiopian government under the leadership of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi is constantly condemned at home and abroad for its unacceptable treatment of journalists. Endalk sheds light  on the plight of Ethiopian journalists.

author: Endalkachew Chala


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Greece: Community Project for “Authentic Natural Food” · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

“Hippocrates believed food was the human's medicine. Today, food is the reason that people need medicine”. That's what Radiki (‘Chicory’ in Greek) states, a small community project in Raches village [el] in Messenia, Peloponnese. In their website, they argue that people should return to authentic food forms, as they have become too addicted to artificial mass product tastes. The community cultivates only with local traditional Messenian seeds and their products include wild greens, olive oil, trachanas (traditional Greek pasta) and sundried fruits. You can support the project by donating here.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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How Journalists Put Sources in Danger with Poor Digital Skills · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

On Columbia Journalism Review, Matthieu Aikins speaks with media organizations and foreign correspondents who seem to have scant knowledge or appreciation for the importance of digital encryption when reporting from free speech danger zones in the Middle East.


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India: Renewing The Solar Pledge On World Environment Day · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Today, June 5th is World Environment Day and this year's theme is Green Economy: Does it include you? According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), green economy is described as:
one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In other words, we can think of a green economy as an economic environment that achieves low carbon emissions, resource efficiency and at the same time is socially inclusive.
World Environment Day 2012 Logo. Image Courtesy UNEP
Renewable Energy is one of the key sectors of a green economy. In India, growing concerns about energy security have led the government to commit to the development of renewable energy, with special focus on harnessing the abundantly available solar energy. In 2008, during the launch of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change, the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had stated:
Our vision is to make India’s economic development energy-efficient. Over a period of time, we must pioneer a graduated shift from economic activity based on fossil fuels to one based on non-fossil fuels and from reliance on non-renewable and depleting sources of energy to renewable sources of energy. In this strategy, the sun occupies centre-stage, as it should, being literally the original source of all energy. We will pool our scientific, technical and managerial talents, with sufficient financial resources, to develop solar energy as a source of abundant energy to power our economy and to transform the lives of our people.
In line with this aim, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, which was launched on the 11 January, 2010 by the Prime Minister, has set an ambitious target of deploying 20,000 MW of grid connected solar power by 2022. Given that high cost is a key challenge in implementing solar projects, the solar mission aims to “reduce cost of solar power generation in the country through (i) long term policy; (ii) large scale deployment goals; (iii) aggressive R&D; and (iv) domestic production of critical raw materials, components and products, as a result to achieve grid tariff parity by 2022″.
Solar Panels in Uttaranchal, India. Image by Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia. Used Under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
On 24th May 2012, the Union Minister of New & Renewable Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah, while addressing the first meeting of the Solar Energy Industry Advisory Council (SEIAC) in New Delhi, called upon the industry leaders to invest in Solar Energy Projects in the country. He assured them of the full support of the Government in setting up solar projects based on both grid connected as well as off grid applications. At the same time, he asked industry leaders to respond favourably and positively to the incentives offered by the Government in this direction. The Minister said that India has a vast scope for developing solar energy applications as still many parts of rural India do not have access to grid connected electricity. He cited the example of high altitude places in Ladakh where solar energy has changed people’s lives.
Solar panels on the walls of Thiksay Monastery, Ladakh. Image by Jessie Hey. Used under CC BY2.0.
Mr. Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, blogged on the occasion of the World Environment Day. He wrote:
Despite being a power surplus state, Gujarat made great advances in solar energy. Our state was the earliest to come up with a solar policy. Just a few months ago, Gujarat dedicated to the nation 600 MW solar power to the nation along with Asia’s largest solar park at Charanka. Today, Gujarat produces 2/3 of the solar power in India.
One grassroot initiative that has been focusing on popularizing solar electrification in remote, rural areas since 1984, is the Barefoot College of Tilonia, the brainchild of Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy. In this TED video, Mr. Roy talks bout the Barefoot methodology. The Barefoot College essentially “trains a few members of the community to be ‘Barefoot Solar Engineers’ (BSEs)”. These BSEs in turn install, repair and maintain solar lighting units within the community as well as train other community members.  The video below tells the story of the first women Barefoot Solar Engineers of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Today, the Barefoot Solar Engineers are growing in numbers and can be found not only in India but in many countries around the world as can be seen on this map – truly a global movement.
On this World Environment Day, India is renewing its solar energy pledge – to bring down costs, scale up solar infrastructure, train more solar evangelists and perhaps spark a solar revolution.

author: Aparna Ray


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Kazakhstan: Children Behind Bars with their Mothers · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Vox Populi presents a photo essay [ru] on the lives of children who serve time with their mothers at a women's prison in southwestern Kazakhstan.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Peru: March for Peace and the Strike in Cajamarca · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

After learning about the government’s report for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Conja mining project in Cajamarca [es] and the presidential decision that the Conga project is viable, though with better environmental conditions, Cajamarcan leaders have agreed [es] to give more time to the Executive – until May 31 – to declare the impossibility of the Conga mining project; otherwise, they will go on an indefinite regional strike in the region’s 13 provinces.
However, the leaders, citizens and the government have not sat back waiting for the deadline. As soon as they knew about the presidential decision, the Cajamarcan leaders organized [es] protest marches and demonstrations; they also set up [es] defense fronts up to the Cajamarcan villages, in order to facilitate the activity in the region.
Meanwhile, the government organized [es] several dialogue tables in Cajamarca with the Vice Ministers of Environment and Agriculture to discuss the scope of the report. According to the Vice Minister of Agriculture, “an atmosphere of distrust” prevailed [es].
Several organizations from different parts of the country have announced [es] their support to the strike of May 31.  The blog Environmental Defense Front has collected several press releases of organizations, such as, People’s Defense Front of Ayacucho, Amplio Macro Sur Front, Unity Pact, Binational Congress of the Peoples (Peru Ecuador), and Committee of the Lambayeque Irrigators [es], among others. A demonstration in support of the strike has been announced [es] in Lima for May 30, and a regional strike has been scheduled [es] in Arequipa.
May 31 – Strike in Cajamarca, published in the blog Point of view and proposal
The government, in turn, has had an effect [es] on the political aspirations of Gregorio Santos, Cajamarca regional president, affirming that his main objective is the 2016 presidential candidacy, not the interests of his fellow Cajamarcans. This occurred after it was known that Santos was helping [es] set up a political front, something that was also criticized [es] by the president of the Environmental Defense Front of Cajamarca, Wilfredo Saavedra.
Last May 22, different activities, such as marches, demonstrations, and rallies began [es] in several Cajamarcan provinces to protest against the Conga mining project. As a result, police presence increased [es]. A few days later, the president of the Council of Ministers, Oscar Valdes, said [es] that the government will respect the Rule of Law and expects Yanacocha Mining to resume its activities.
Before this, the so-called Cajamarca Collective organized [es] a Peace March, on May 29 in Cajamarca. Soon it gained [es] many followers, especially business people and people related [es] to different economical activities and other organizations [es]. On May 26, Luis Guerrero, former mayor of Cajamarca said [es] that everything was ready for this march and that about [es] 20,000 people were expected to participate in favor of “peace and development.”
And so, on May 29, the Peace March took place. Some media affirmed [es]t hat only a few hundred attended, while others claimed [es] that it was in fact 30,000 people. However, the march had its share of controversy: on one hand, some members of the Collective denounced [es] the presence of violent groups, and on the other hand, the group opposing the mining project denounced [es] the march organizer for not paying his workers employee benefits.
Even though there was an attempted confrontation [es] between the two groups once the march had started, the incident did not escalate, perhaps due to the implementation [es] of security measures. However, some media considered [es] this march as evidence of the divergence in the population about the mining activity, not only in Cajamarca but also in the rest of the country.
In the blog Catarsis and Harakiri, an article published in the Cajamarcan newspaper Panorama is reproduced [es]:
Durante la movilización reinó un ambiente de confraternidad y apoyo entre los que quieren ver una ciudad con desarrollo, exenta de violencia, a favor de las inversiones mineras en la región y en contra de las paralizaciones. Muchos de los participantes acudieron a la misma vistiendo prendas blancas y portando banderolas con mensajes de rechazo a la violencia que se intenta imponer en esta parte del país.
Dicha movilización se da a pocas horas de otra, que tiene intereses totalmente contrarios a la misma, es decir rechazar el proyecto minero Conga, que generará 4800 millones de dólares en inversión para combatir la pobreza que ubica a Cajamarca en el segundo departamento más pobre del país.
During the manifestation an atmosphere of fraternity and support prevailed among those who want the city to develop, to be free of violence, to be in favor of the mining investments in the region and against strikes. Many people attended the march wearing white clothes and holding flags with messages against violence, which is being imposed in this part of the country.
This manifestation takes place a few hours after another with a completely opposite interest, that is, to reject the Conga mining project. This project will generate 4800 billion dollars worth of investments to fight poverty in Cajamarca, the second poorest department in the country.
The blog Reporter W of the RPP radio station reproduced [es] some videos of the march, as well as the attempted confrontation. This video of the manifestation is from user Cajamarca si va [es].
The following video of the confrontation is from the user deatfuck [es].
The blog Caledin Libre reproduced [es] another accusation against the march organizers: some of the participants were allegedly coerced or paid to walk.
Aprovechándose de la POBREZA Y MISERIA que existe en las áreas rurales alrededor de su “zona de influencia”, Yanacocha repartió miles de CUPONES como estos para acarrear en autobuses, combis y camiones a un gran número de campesinos a su llamada “Marcha por la Paz”.
Peace March vouchers
Por su parte, el Gobierno AMENAZÓ a los beneficiarios del programa “Juntos” y a las madres del “Vaso de Leche” a sacarlos de las listas si no participaban en dicha Marcha.
Maybe an unexpected consequence of the Peace March was the one that appeared [es] in the blog Red Verde Cajamarca: the resignation of the recording secretary of the Regional Independent Front (RIF), member of the Cajamarca Collective, once he learned about the pro-mining stance of Luis Guerrero, former mayor of Cajamarca and leader of the RIF.
It is in this scenario that at midnight on May 31 the strike will begin. Even though there is strong [es] police presence from the part of the government, the protesters have [es] the support from people of different towns in Cajamarca. Several delegations coming from other parts of the country have arrived in the city to participate in the strike.