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Ecuador Rallies in Defense of Yasuni National Park · Global Voices
Gina Yauri

*All links lead to posts in Spanish, except where otherwise indicated.
Hundreds of people in several Ecuadorian cities have mobilized in defense of Yasuni National Park, demanding that its crude oil reserves remain beneath the ground.
Protests erupted in the wake of President Rafael Correa's decision this past August 15th to terminate the Yasuni ITT Initiative, in which world powers were asked to contribute economically so that the the Yasuni ecological reserve could be left undisturbed. Correa promised “responsible extraction” in only one tenth of one percent of the Yasuni.
However, the government's promises have not convinced all Ecuadorians, and many have taken to the streets and used social networks in defense of the Yasuni.
Ecuadorian artist Fausto Miño (@faustominoz), who collaborates with the Yasuni ITT Initiative, stressed that none of the artists who have appeared at promotional events for the initiative have done so for personal gain.
Aclaro que ningun Artista ecuatoriano cobro un centavo por defender al #Yasuni. Fue nuestra causa comun y la perdimos. Punto.
— Fausto Miño (@faustominoz) August 21, 2013
I want to make it clear that no Ecuadorian artist has charged a cent to defend the #Yasuni. It was our common cause and we lost it, end of story.
Conectados Loja (@ConectadosLoja) published a photograph of a group of indigenous people who joined a march in support of the Yasuni.
#Loja Grupos de indígenas como de FEUNASSC levantan su voz en contra de la explotación del #Yasuní [en] cc @eluniversocom pic.twitter.com/C373odU5rU
— Conectados | Loja (@ConectadosLoja)  August 27, 2013
#Loja Indigenous groups like FEUNASSC [National General Federation of Rural Social Security Affiliates] are raising their voices against the exploitation of the #Yasuní
From Cuenca, radio station @ondasazuayas announced a vigil for August 21st:
#notoquenelyasuni : por el Yasuní: hoy, 21 de agosto, nueva velada a las 18h00 en el Parque Calderón, Cuenca pic.twitter.com/de0nUUEbdS
— ONDAS AZUAYAS (@ondasazuayas) August 21, 2013
#notoquenelyasuni : in support of the Yasuni: today, August 21st, a new vigil is set for 6:00 pm in Calderón Park, Cuenca
Carolina Iza ♥ JH (@CaritoIza) stated that even Guayaquil wants to protect the Yasuni.
Guayaquil también respira de la Amazonía #notoquenelyasuni pic.twitter.com/XXpJLLIBtS
— Carolina Iza ♥ JH (@CaritoIza) August 27, 2013
Here in Guayaquil, we breathe from the Amazon, too. #notoquenelyasuni pic.twitter.com/XXpJLLIBtS
Nature lover Majito Lasso (@majitolasso) published a photo of a vigil in Quito:
Plaza Grande! Velada por el Yasuní! A pesar de las amenazas aquí está la gente! #notoquenelyasuni pic.twitter.com/H4cc01OtF3
— Majito Lasso (@majitolasso) August 23, 2013
Independence Square! Vigil for the Yasuni! Despite all the threats, people are here!
Producer Michel Kammoun (@MichelKammoun) shared a photograph of police officers who erected barricades to block protesters from entering Independence Square on August 27th.
Policías crean barreras para q no lleguen a la plaza grande #marcha #notoquenelyasuni @ECTV_Noticias @elcomerciocom pic.twitter.com/AFbKnXNa6n — Michel Kammoun (@MichelKammoun) August 27, 2013
Police officers build barriers to prevent people from entering the main plaza #marcha #notoquenelyasuni @ECTV_Noticias @elcomerciocom
Finally, announcer Marcos Torres (@MarcosT182) wrote:
Si hay consulta popular sobre el #notoquenelyasuni #ITT yo votaré para q el petróleo se quede en el suelo así de simple digan lo que digan
— Marcos Torres (@MarcosT182) August 27, 2013
If they held a referendum on #notoquenelyasuni #ITT I'd vote to keep the oil in the ground. It's that simple, no matter what they may say.
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author: Gina Yauri


text:
Ghana Awaits Judgement in Legal Battle for Presidency · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Ghanaian Supreme Court will decide today August 29, 2013 whether Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama was legitimately elected following presidential polls held on 7 and 8 December, 2012. The petition is considered the biggest legal battle in Ghana's history.
President Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the election with 50.70 percent of the votes, beating his main challenger Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who polled 47.7 percent of the votes.
The opposition NPP challenged the results arguing that there were gross and widespread irregularities at more than 10,000 polling stations.
NPP's projected the results showing Nana Ado winning. Photo source: Nana Ado (NPP's presidential candidate) Facebook page.
The hearing of the petition began on 16 April, 2013. The petitioners are NPP's presidential candidate Nana Akuffo Addo, his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and NPP national chairman Jake Obetsebi Lamptey. The respondents are President John Mahama, the Electoral Commission and the ruling National Democratic Congress.
Ghanaians and friends of Ghana have been tweeting messages of peace as the whole country anxiously await for the verdict. In an attempt to create atmosphere of peace ahead of the verdict, Ghana's political parties played a football match with former national football team players on 26 August, 2013, to pledge peace and unity.
Tweeting about peace, Viasat 1 Ghana (@Viasat1Ghana) wrote:
As the Supreme Court rules on the Election Petition case today, let's show the world that we are a peaceful nation, no matter the verdict..
— Viasat 1 Ghana (@Viasat1Ghana) August 29, 2013
The Obroni (@I_LoveAzonto) advised:
later today when #Ghana SC gives their decision, remember spread love not hate. Only love can move us forward, hate is what brings us down
— The Obroni (@I_LoveAzonto) August 29, 2013
Esau Yakub (@MisterYakube) reminded Ghanaians about Martin Luther King's message:
#Ghana remember Martin Luther King's effective message of peace going into tomorrow's #ElectionPetition #NPP #NDC #MLK #AfricaUnite
— Esau Yakub (@MisterYakub) August 28, 2013
DKS (@DoWuSem) prayed:
The verdict on the #ElectionPetition is today. “God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong…”
— DKS (@DoWuSem) August 29, 2013
Akua Blakofe (@MsBlakofe) pleaded with fellow Ghanaians:
no politician is worth killing or dying for.So pls let's accept the verdict tmr.God bless our homeland Ghana.#ElectionPetition #theverdict
— Akua Blakofe (@MsBlakofe) August 28, 2013
As expected, security personnel are on high alert as Ghana Elections (@ghanaelections) reported:
Security men on high alert as they deploy more personnel to known flash points across the country @MetrotvGhana #electionpetition
— ghanaelections (@ghanaelections) August 28, 2013
Some businesses will not sell alcohol today, Martin Asiedu-Dartey (@martincitifm) reported:
#ElectionPetition: Drinking spot operators in #Ghana say they would “not sell” alcohol as their contribution to the process. #peace #verdict
— Martin Asiedu-Dartey (@martincitifm) August 29, 2013
Police sirens have been blazing since morning, tweeted web developer A Hesse (@ArmahH):
Police Sirens blazing since 5am. #verdict #judgementday #pressure #Accra #ElectionPetition #Ghana
— A Hesse (@ArmahH) August 29, 2013
The streets were empty early morning today in Accra, the capital city:
its 4:25 am in accra ghana and all streets are empty waiting for our venerable judges to deliver their verdict on the election petition case
— jesse oteng eric (@OtengJesse) August 29, 2013
It looks like a holiday, noted Sylvester Addo (@silverscholar)
My street is so void of the usual early morning workers, looks more like a holiday morning. #supremecourtverdict #electionpetition #Accra
— Sylvester Addo (@silverscholar) August 29, 2013
According to broadcast journalist Benjamin Tetteh (@benjieluv) in Accra, shops are closed and even markets are empty:
#Accra Business District virtually empty today. Market folks opt to stay home and follow declaration of #ElectionPetition verdict today
— Benjamin Tetteh (@benjieluv) August 29, 2013
Nnenna (@nnenna) asked:
Does the silence and “peace” in Ghana today prove that noise is generated by politics? Think before you answer #TheVerdict #ElectionPetition
— Nnenna (@nnenna) August 29, 2013
winvoyah wñ (@nderba_nderba) stated why he thinks the judgement is important:
Today the supreme court rules on #electionpetition #Ghana. Its big deal, its a matter of who gets to spend my taxes with his family/friends
— winvoyah wñ (@nderba_nderba) August 29, 2013
Nnenna (@nnenna), an activist and trainer, asked:
Anyone in #Ghana will livetweet #electionpetition decision tomorrow?
— Nnenna (@nnenna) August 28, 2013
Ghanaian writer and blogger Jemila Abdulai (@jabdulai) announced:
What: The @GhanaDecides SC Verdict G+ Hangout | When: Friday, August 30 at 1pm GMT | Follow @GhanaDecides, #TheVerdict #ElectionPetition
— Jemila Abdulai (@jabdulai) August 28, 2013
Kofi Yeboah (@kofiemeritus), Ghanaian blogger and Global Voices author, warned foreign media:
Be warned foreign media! Report authentically on the upcoming pronouncement of #TheVerdict in Ghana. #ElectionPetition
— Kofi Yeboah (@kofiemeritus) August 29, 2013
Martin Asiedu-Dartey (@martincitifm) said that Ghanaians have been asked to celebrate in moderation:
#ElectionPetition: National #Security cordinator asks “victors” to celebrate in moderation. #Ghana #verdict #Peace
— Martin Asiedu-Dartey (@martincitifm) August 29, 2013
Finally, Nnenna (@nnenna) had a dream:
I have a dream. That today, judges that will give #theVerdict of Ghana's #electionPetition will read it at 2:33 PM and make it #233moments
— Nnenna (@nnenna) August 29, 2013

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Ghana’s Supreme Court Tosses Case Challenging President’s Legitimacy  · Global Voices
Kofi Yeboah

The Supreme Court of Ghana ruled today, 29 August, 2013, that the country's president was validly elected in presidential elections late last year, a highly anticipated judgment in what's been described as the biggest legal battle in Ghana's history.
After President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the December election with 50.70 percent of the votes, beating his main challenger Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who polled 47.7 percent of the votes, the opposition NPP challenged the results arguing that there were gross and widespread irregularities at more than 10,000 polling stations.
The judges unanimously dismissed their petition today, according to GhanaDecides, an initiative that works to better inform the electorate. The verdict raised mixed reactions within the Ghanaian online community.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. The country's supreme court has ruled that Mahama's election in December 2012 was valid. Photo courtesy Chatham House. Used under CC-BY-2.0 license.
GhanaDecides (@GhanaDecides) tweeted from the courtroom just few minute before the pronouncement:
The Supreme Court judges are seated, ready to pronounce #TheVerdict on #ElectionPetition. Apologies for delay, saying “not a light matter”
— Ghana Decides (@GhanaDecides) August 29, 2013
Laura Frempong (@Lauriedat) described the peaceful silence just before the pronouncement of the verdict:
Ghana is dead quiet #theverdict #electionpetition
— Laurie Frempong (@Lauriedat) August 29, 2013
Some Ghanaians cracked jokes to ease the tension, such as Kobbie (djkobbie):
Today, tweets will mainly be about #theverdict in the #gargantuan #electionpetition in #Ghana. Apologies, Normal Service will resume soon. — Kobbie (@djkobbie) August 29, 2013
Mahama himself (@JDMahama), who immediately prior to the elections had served as vice president, then president for four months when his predecessor died, commented on the verdict moments after it was handed down:
The Supreme Court has spoken and validated our Dec2012 victory. Let peace rein. This is a victory for Ghana's democracy. Long live #Ghana. — John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) August 29, 2013
Writer Jemila Abdulai (jabdulai) noted the brevity of the court's pronouncement:
I must admit that #TheVerdict pronouncement was a bit anticlimactic. Didn even realize it happened until moments later LOL. Ghana for peace! — Jemila Abdulai (@jabdulai) August 29, 2013
African and world literature blogger Kinna (@kinnareads) tweeted about the acceptance of the verdict by the opposition leader, Nana Addo Dankwa:
Nana Akufo Addo, after the reading, said he had accepted the verdict and everyone should do the same. #ElectionPetition #TheVerdict
— Kinna (@kinnareads) August 29, 2013
IamAKAKPO (@Devyphylx) ridiculed international media in his tweet:
On behalf of all Ghanaians, I apologise to BBC & CNN reporters waiting for us to fight after #theverdict. You dialled the wrong number. #233 — IamAKAKPO (@Devyphylx) August 29, 2013
Patrick Quantson (@PatrickQuantson) disagreed with the judgment of the court:
Sad day for #GH democracy. Always knew we were stuck with #Mahama but surely petition shd hv instigated electoral reforms. #ElectionPetition — Patrick Quantson (@PatrickQuantson) August 29, 2013
Blogger Claudia Andrews (@Claudieandrea) advised:
Now that the verdict on the #electionpetition has been given, we can now focus on more pressing issues.
— Claudia Andrews (@claudieandrea) August 29, 2013
Ekow (@ekowmaisse) advised the electoral commission to reform the system:
One thing was very clear from the #ElectionPetition and that is Ghana's electoral system need to change. There need to be electoral reforms.
— Ekow (@EkOwMaIsSe) August 29, 2013

author: Kofi Yeboah


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Hong Kong’s Civil Disobedience Campaign Seeks Inspiration from Martin Luther King · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau asked Hong Kong people “What is your dream?” on the eve of the 50 anniversary of Martin Luther King's speech “I have a dream…”
The anniversary of Martin Luther King's “I have a dream…” speech is on August 28, 2013. Hong Kong local media outlets have given it quite large coverage because Martin Luther King's civil disobedience campaign has been widely discussed and debated among the society as a result of the call made by the city's democrats to “occupy Central” as a mean of struggle for genuine universal suffrage – the right of citizens to nominate and vote for the head of government in 2017.
What's more, Martin Luther King III appeared in an interview with a local newspaper, the Apple Daily News, and gave some advice to Hong Kong people: The key to success is to have faith and determination to carry on the action until the goal is accomplished.
The advocates of “Occupying Central” believe that civil disobedience is the best strategy to deal with the Beijing government which is in control of the interpretation of the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the city's constitution. On the other hand, the pro-China groups label “Occupying Central” as a planned riot under the euphemism [zh] of “love and peace”.
One of the anti-occupy central groups, “Speaking for Hong Kong”, is headed by a number of opinion leaders and university professors who claim to represent the “Silent Majority” [zh]. The group launched [zh] their anti-occupy Central campaign with a political statement using broken windows theory in major Chinese newspapers in Hong Kong on August 13:
到今天，有人說要佔領中環，那等同投向民間的第一塊石。打破中環窗戶，代表民間窗子也守不了。風雨一來，全無遮擋，受苦受傷就是香港市民！這是我們想要？我們接受嗎？
Today someone has advocated occupying Central. Such action is like throwing a stone at the society. When the windows in Central have been broken, other windows will share the same fate. We don't have shelters from rain and wind anymore. Hong Kong people will suffer from the consequences. Do we want this? Can we accept it?
To prove that “Occupying Central” is harmful to Hong Kong, Chow Yung, a former radio host and an iconic figure of the anti-occupation group, argued [zh] in a newspaper commentary on August 14 that the campaign has violated Martin Luther King's principle:
馬丁路德金最漂亮非暴力抗爭一役是「向華盛頓進軍」。25萬來自美國各地的人，在1963年8月28日聚集在林肯紀念碑，聽覑「我有一個夢想」的演辭。這促使美國國會一年後通過Civil Rights Act，廢除種族歧視。
問題是進軍完畢，有否因利乘便馬上來個「佔領華盛頓」（Occupy Washington DC）？
事實是馬丁路德金和一泷領袖在集會完畢後，馬上和甘迺迪總統會議。25萬民泷呢？慶祝一夜後和平地回家去了。
The most beautiful non-violent struggle of Marin Luther King was the “March on Washington DC”. 250,000 people from all across the U.S gathered around the Lincoln Memorial on 28 of August 1963, listening to the speech “I have a dream”. The action has led to the legislation of the Civil Rights Act and abolition of racial discrimination.
After the march, no occupy Washington DC had taken place.
The fact is that Martin Luther King, among other leaders had a meeting with President JFK soon after the assembly and the 250,000 protesters went home after a night of celebration.
He successfully struggled for the Civil Rights Act by meeting with President Kennedy after the peaceful assembly in Washington DC on August 28 1963 where he delivered his “I have a dream” speech rather than occupying Washington DC.
In respond to the group political advertisement and Chow's argument, Chan Kin Man, a sociology professor from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and an advocate for the occupying Central campaign wrote [zh] on August 16:
馬丁路德金在華盛頓集會上喊出「我有一個夢想」前，經歷幾多折磨和唾罵。當時美國南部實行種族隔離政策，一個黑人女士因拒絕在巴士讓位予一位白人男士而被捕。馬丁路德金便發起一場杯葛巴士運動，呼籲黑人徒步上下班，對抗二等公民的待遇。這個運動持續380多天，巴士公司瀕臨破產，連巴士司機（有黑人和白人）的生計都受到影響。政府以至教會內都有人指摘馬丁路德金破壞經濟，製造衝突。
Before Martin Luther King cried out “I have a dream”, he had faced a lot of attacks and accusations. At that time, the Southern part of the U.S still had racial segregation policy. A black lady was arrested because she refused to offer her seat to a white man. Martin Luther King launched a bus boycott campaign to protest against the discrimination and urged his fellow Americans to walk instead of taking a bus for work. The campaign lasted for 380 days and the bus company was at the verge of bankruptcy. It also affected the work of bus drivers (both black and white). The government and the church both attacked Martin Luther King for destroying the economy and creating conflict.
由於杯葛行動被視為觸犯當地法律，馬丁路德金被捕下獄。但為了實踐人人平等的精神，他在伯明翰繼續組織一連串「佔領行動」，前前後後被捕29次。公民抗命的確造成短暫的經濟和社會波動，是否值得承受這個代價端視乎社會的價值觀。[…] 他慨嘆在爭取平權的路上最大的對手不是三K黨之流，而是那些緊抱表面秩序的中產階級。
As the boycott violated the law, Martin Luther King was arrested and jailed. In order to enact the spirit of equality, he had organized a number of “occupying actions” in Birmingham and was arrested 29 times. Civil disobedience will create turbulence for the economy and society. Whether the society is willing to take up the consequence depends on its value.[…] [Martin Luther King] he said that the biggest obstacle to the struggle for equality was not the Ku Klux Klan but the middle class who firmly embraced the superficial order.
The debate is an educational process for Hong Kong people and has served as an early celebration of the 50 anniversary of Martin Luther King's speech. The question posed is “what is your dream”, which was coincidentally posted by the U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau on its Facebook fan's page on August 24. The Beijing government will definitely find most of the answers outraging. Among the 654 responses, about 70% calls for independence of Hong Kong.
In the campaign page of “Occupy Central with Love and Peace” [zh], one can see that Martin Luther King's dream continues to serve as an inspiration for the emerging civil disobedient movement in Hong Kong.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
“Me & My Shadow”: Protecting Data on the Net · Global Voices
Teplitsa

The Internet, mobile phones, and other such achievements of progress have become essential aspects of human existence, and have simplified communication between people and integrated them into a new space. By registering on websites, filling in surveys on social networks, or uploading photos to Instagram, we are inevitably adding to the overall database, continuing the story of our virtual life. The people with whom we communicate, the places we call from, and what we enter in search engines—it's all undoubtedly confidential information, but it's available not just to us.
There are many examples of Internet users’ data being used. One of the most obvious cases is linked to PRISM, a US government program often mentioned in the news today. The matter has landed in court, and companies have begun encrypting their data archives more urgently. Some businesses succeed in protecting confidential information, but many are forced conceal government requests, leaving their users vulnerable.
For help, many are turning to the Tactical Technology Collective, a project that unites technology professionals, designers, programmers, lawyers, and activists based in Europe, Asia, and Africa on matters concerning information rights. On the group's website, it is possible not only to find out what information third parties are using, but also to stock up on defensive technology in the fight for digital rights.
The Collective's managers warn that encryption is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it reduces your “shadow,” ensuring a basic level of protection. On the other hand, it can attract even more attention, if you decide to be completely invisible. Therefore, it is important to be use selectively the available tools and resources, which have grown vastly. The website “Me & My Shadow” has gathered together the best of these instruments.
A screenshot of the site “Me and my Shadow”
The site assigns each app or program a category, offers a short description of its function and speciality, and a link to its designer's site. “Me & My Shadow” endorses a list of Internet browsers and, curiously enough, its top choice of sites is Mozilla's Firefox, created by an established, non-profit organization, allowing encryption via various add-ons that are freely available to download. As a point of interest, Google's Chrome does not boast any great concern for users, and it's not difficult for third parties to collect user data by connecting to Google profiles.
The best search engine according to “Me & My Shadow” is “Duck Duck Go,” as there are no circumstances under which it will share your search request data with any third party—something that cannot be said confidently about Bing or Google. “Me & My Shadow” also lists recommended programs for video chat, email correspondence, resources for cooperative work, and so on. It also hosts a full catalog of other useful tools, and boasts an interactive, comfortable website design.
In addition to technological support, visitors can subscribe to receive updates about important information. They can find out how their information might be used, what is written in user agreements, read excerpts of memos on confidentiality from Facebook, Yahoo, and Instagram, and much more.
The game, “Data Dealer,” found in the site's resource section, is particularly interesting. In the game, users must build their own information empire by any means necessary, legal or illegal, selling information to insurance companies and key interest groups, and providing protection from hackers, activists, and the mass media. Although it's far-fetched, the game really shows the workings of this unstoppable, huge system.

author: Teplitsa


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Peruvian Merchants Burn Clothing to Protest Chinese Imports · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Merchants from the Gamarra [es] area, a well-known center of textile manufacturing and commercialization in Lima, burned imported Chinese clothing [es] in the streets as a protest over the low priced Chinese garments which, according to them, make their businesses go bankrupt.
On Twitter, Alfredo “Alial” (@Alfredo_jch) [es] implied a better use for those burnt clothes:
En Gamarra queman la ropa China, en Puno la gente muere de frío. #Perú
— Alfredo ”Alial” (@Alfredo_jch) August 28, 2013
In Gamarra they are burning Chinese clothes, in Puno people are freezing to death. #Perú
This last weekend, the Carabaya province, located in the department of Puno, experienced the worst snow storm in a decade, affecting more than 1,200 families, leaving people missing and causing the death of animals that are the livelihood for the people in the area.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


text:
Serbian National Parachuter Ejected from Team for Disgruntled Facebook Comments  · Global Voices
Tamara Gocmanac

A Serbian national parachuter has been let go from the national team after he criticized officials for leaving the team high and dry at the week-long FAI European Freefall Style and Accuracy Landing Championships in Cheboksary, Russia without accommodation, practice runs and permission to use training materials.
Serbian national team parachuter Aleksandar Cvetković [sr] described on his Facebook profile how he and the rest of the team, not suspecting to be abandoned by their own at the Aeronautical Federation of Serbia, travelled to Russia only to find that the Federation had not prepared or paid for anything. The championships lasted from August 20-27, 2013.
The whole delegation experienced tremendous discomfort during their stay there, to say the least. Their accommodation in the hotel was neither registered nor paid for by officials and the Serbian athletes were finally, after explaining the situation, received at the hotel through the generosity of the championship hosts and with no word from the relevant Serbian Federation or Ministry.
Aleksandar Cvetković – From Russia With Love
On his Facebook profile, Cvetković reacted publicly, overcome with outrage and disappointment over the abasement:
Samo da znate sta se desava !!! Presao sam 4000 km i dosao da predstavljam SRBIJU na “SAMPIONATU EVROPE” u padobranstvu. Dosli smo 3 dana ranije da bi smo trenirali i spremili se za sto bolje rezultate ali… Na recepciji hotela se desava prvi sok ! Saznajem da su nas Celnici naseg Vazduhoplovnog saveza poslali bez ikakvog dogovora sa oragnizatorima u vezi naseg dolaska i trenaznih skokova i NARAVNO ni jedan jedini evro nije uplacen za nas i nase ucesce na ovom prvenstvu ! Dobrom voljom domacina smo primljeni u hotel da ne bi smo spavali na ulici…hvala bogu sto su Rusi “nasa braca” a onda sledi porazavajuca cinjenica da ako hocemo skakati trenazne skokove moramo sami placati iz svog dzepa. Naravno dok su danas sve Reprezentacije skakale i trenirale ja sam sedeo na zemlji i sve to posmatrao . Najruzniji i porazavajuci osecaj na svetu dok novaca ima za skupa putovanja ,hotele i poslovne ruckove pojedinih mi sportisti smo osudjeni na ovakve situacije koje se desavaju po ko zna koji put ! TO JE LICE SRBIJE gde se gleda Farma i gde je Ekrem Jevric glavni junak Nacije !!! Sada vi procenite s kakvim motivom i voljom cu ja nastupati i predstavljati Srbiju …
Just so you know what's going on! I have travelled 4,000 kilometers to represent SERBIA at the “European Championships” in parachuting. We came three days earlier in order to train and prepare for better results but … At the reception we received our first shock! I found out that the leaders of our association sent us without consulting at all with the organizers about our arrival and training jumps and, OF COURSE, not a single euro is paid for us and our participation in this championships! Thanks to the good will of the host we have been taken into the hotel so we would not end up sleeping on the street … thank God that the Russians are “our brothers”, then this was followed by the devastating fact that if we want a training jump we would have to pay for them out of our own pockets. Of course, while all the other teams trained and jumped today, I sat on the ground and watched it all. The ugliest and most devastating feeling in the world – while the money goes for expensive travel, hotels and business lunches of certain people, we athletes are doomed to these situations which are happening who knows how many times! THIS IS THE FACE OF SERBIA in which Farma [a low-budget “farm” version reality show similar to “Big Brother”] and Ekrem Jevrić is the top hero of the nation!!! Now you evaluate with what motivation and will I will perform and represent Serbia …
In response to his Facebook rant, this young athlete has received a number of encouraging comments, including numerous condemnations of Serbian authorities, who often seem to forget some of the nation's most successful athletes.
A couple of days later, Aleksandar showed true sportsmanship and sent greetings from Russia with smile:
Ipak ja branim boje svoje zemlje,pa kakva god da je ! Pozdrav iz Chebuksara – Cuvaska Republika ;)
I defend the colors of my country after all, regardless of what it is like! Greetings from Chebuksara – Chuvash Republic ;)
The Aeronautical Federation of Serbia did not cover any of the costs for the national team's participation in the European Championships and, due to this, the team had no opportunity for any training jumps before the competition. Despite all odds being against him, Aleksandar Cvetković finished the competition and ranked 46th out of 65 competitors. His positive attitute and previous public comments on the matter were not well received by Serbian officials, however. That same day, he received news from the national team selectors that his talent would no longer be needed on the national team:
2 2 11 2 2 3 3 3 =28 cm . 46.-to mesto od 65 takmciara, to je moj ucinak na Prvenstvu Evrope. Uz sve muke koje sam doziveo ovde i ovo je odlicno. OBAVESTENJE !!!! Uz svu bruku i sramotu koju sam doziveo ovde obavesten sam od strane selektora da cu zbog svog ponasanja biti izbacen iz REPREZENTACIJE od strane Celnika Vazduhoplovnog Saveza Srbije . Tako da je ovo ipak moje oprostajno takmicenje za Srbiju !! Ziveli
2 2 11 2 2 3 3 3 =28 cm . 46th place out of 65 competitors, that is my ranking at the European Championship. In view of all the trouble I've had to live through, this is excellent. NOTE !!!! After all the embarrassment and shame I have gone through here I have been informed by the selectors that I will be thrown out of the NATIONAL TEA due to my behavior by the officials of the Aeronautical Federation of Serbia. So this is after all my farewell competition for Serbia !! Cheers
Views of Serbians on this issue are perhaps best described in a Facebook comment by Srdjan Mitrović:
Mogu da nam “oduzmu” takmicenje…mogu da nam “oduzmu” pasose…ali ne mogu ono sto imamo…..i nosimo u srcu…..
They can “take away” our contest … They can “take away” our passports … but not what we have ….. and carry in our hearts .. …

author: Tamara Gocmanac


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South Koreans Call for Medical Checkups for Rescue Workers Dispatched to Fukushima · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

As it turns out radioactive water leaks at Japan's Fukushima plant are ‘much worse than‘ the authorities are willing to admit, South Koreans call on government to provide regular and thorough medical checkups for 108 Korean rescue workers dispatched to Fukushima immediately after the crisis. An online petition [ko] urging medical care for the rescue team has gathered less than seven thousand signatures so far.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


text:
Teacher Protests Over Education Reform Paralyze Mexico City · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Mexico's capital has been hit by the protests organized by the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) in recent days.
The CNTE protests have become violent at times, causing property damage [es] on the premises of the San Lázaro legislative palace, for example.
The CNTE is a different labor union from the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) whose former leader, Elba Esther Gordillo, finds herself subject to criminal persecution for her alleged responsibility in the commission of the crime commonly known as “money laundering.”
CNTE union members oppose the education reforms already passed, seeking to repeal them, and simultaneously refuse to have the knowledge and skills of teachers be evaluated, as currently proposed.
Among the actions of protest carried out by the CNTE is the blocking of the United States Embassy, cuts to road traffic near Mexico City International Airport [es], and the occupation of the Zocalo [es].
The #CNTE march on August 28. Photo shared by @reformanacional on Twitter
The CNTE protest has caused widespread dismay among citizens, who have said said the following via Twitter:
User @lonsor@y@do (@alonsorayad0) [es] referred to the mobilization of CNTE members and supporters who march towards the Official Residence of Los Pinos as such:
los del #cnte ya van a Los Pinos por $500 que les pagan diariamente los de #morena ,desquician la ciudad
— @lonsor@y@do (@alonsorayad0) August 28, 2013
those with the #cnte are already going to Los Pinos for the $500 that those of [political movement led by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador] #morena pay them daily, they are unhinging the city
Edgar Cabrera (@ecabrera78) [es] ironically mentioned that the CNTE is right while simultaneously calling them vandals:
Tienen razón los de la #CNTE, México no tiene presidente, si tuviera, ya hubiera hecho algo contra estos vándalos. pic.twitter.com/3SFqqEMrXH
— Edgar Cabrera (@ecabrera78) August 28, 2013
The #CNTE is right, Mexico has no president, if it did, s/he would have already done something about these vandals.
McPhisto (@McPhisto_77) [es] rebuked the Head of the D.F. Government for his inactive stance against the traffic closures and disturbances that the CNTE has caused:
oye @ManceraMiguelMX de qué se trata? CNTE cierra lo que quiere y todos tenemos que aguantarnos porque tú no quieres hacer tu chamba?
— McPhisto (@McPhisto_77) August 27, 2013
listen, @ManceraMiguelMX what is this about? The CNTE closes whatever they want and we all have to deal with it because you don't want to do your job?
Fernanda Arce Amaré (@FerAcerAmere) [es] also spoke out against those who hold executive power (local and federal), and briefly recounted the CNTE's actions in recent days:
Aeropuerto, San Lázaro, televisoras, zócalo. Ya va un muerto gracias a la #CNTE. Cuándo piensa actuar @epn? Porque @ManceraMiguelMX no puede
— Fernanda Arce Amaré (@FerArceAmare) August 28, 2013
Airport, San Lázaro, television, zócalo. There has already been a death thanks to the #CNTE. When does @epn [President Enrique Peña Nieto] plan to act? Because @ManceraMiguelMX cannot
The CNTE mobilization has not only caused a severe disruption to traffic and work activity of many of those who live in the capital, but it has also led to the suspension of the classic football match [es] between the Club Universidad Pumas and the Club America Eagles, scheduled for Sunday, September 1. BernardoBernardo Altamirano (@beraltamirano) [es] expressed the following regarding the issue:
Ahora el GDF pide cambiar el Pumas-América x marchas! Osea, todos los ciudadanos nos ajustamos a una #CNTE, q no quiere ajustarse a nada!
— Bernardo Altamirano (@beraltamirano) August 27, 2013
Now the Federal District's Government is asking to change the Pumas-America because of the protests! Come on, all of us citizens are adapting to the #CNTE, who doesn't want to adapt to anyone!
Sarcastically, Adriana Valero (@adrianavr) [es] remembers that traffic problems are not unusual in a city like the Federal District:
Maldita sea la #CNTE por generar tráfico en esta ciudad que se caracteriza por no tenerlo.
— adriana valero (@adrianavr) August 27, 2013
Damn the #CNTE for generating traffic in this city that is characterized by not having it.
User Salva (@alfarosalvador) [es] noted the fact that the CNTE does not have an official website:
Tanto que exige la #CNTE ser escuchada y no se han molestado en levantar una página de internet.
— Salva (@alfarosalvador) August 28, 2013
As much as the #CNTE is demanding to be heard, they have not bothered to create a webpage.
PsicotravelMx (@PsicotravelMx) [es] remembered that not only those who live in the capital, but those who fail to receive the education that CNTE members should provided, are also affected:
Cual es la sanción para quien viola el derecho humano de educación a un niño, como lo hacen los porros de la #CNTE #CNDH
— PsicotravelMx (@PsicotravelMx) August 28, 2013
What is the punishment for those who deny the human right of education to a child like these members of the #CNTE #CNDH
Users like Pawmuerta (@pawmuerta) [es] point out that all of this is simply a television strategy to get people to hate the CNTE:
¿Están conscientes de que suspenden el fútbol para que la gente tenga más razones para odiar a la #CNTE? Estrategia televisiva, otra vez.
— Pawmuerta (@pawmuerta) August 28, 2013
Are you all conscious of the fact that they are suspending football so that people have more reasons to hate the #CNTE? Television strategy, once again.
The CNTE plans to continue camping out in the Zócalo in Mexico City and to have demonstrations in the coming days. It appears as though for now those in the capital city have no choice but to tolerate these protests and show their discontent through social networks.

author: J. Tadeo


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‘The Worst Tours’ Unveils Darker Side of Portugal’s Top Travel Destination · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Named by Lonely Planet as the top 10 European travel destination for 2013, the city of Porto in the north of Portugal “has emerged as a vibrant arts capital that’s rightfully getting a lot of buzz as a great value destination”, according to the travel guide publisher. But there is more than meets the eye in this picturesque city home to a World Heritage UNESCO site, flavourful wines and hospitable people and weather.
While the country's afflicted economy welcomes the money flow from visiting foreigners, the average tourist experience often doesn't show much of what daily life really is like for the people who live under times of austerity.
Enter The Worst Tours, “a low-rated tours agency” for those who wish to look beyond the shiny surface of Porto, the second largest city in Portugal:
Austerity killed the economy. Three out of work architects facing sudden economic destruction refuse leaving town and decide to open an unlikely walking-tours-agency – Porto, big picture, good and bad: Architecture, History, Politics, Urbanism, Slow food, and Hearsay.
We’ll show you the alleys, the abandoned buildings, the squares, the mean streets, the old markets, the cheap ‘tascas’ of spicy petiscos, the stories behind them all and have great discussions on very partial points of view.
The Worst Tours makes fun of statements by Portuguese politicians – such as “lower your expectations” or “live within your possibilities” – by using them as slogans for their tours.
The Worst Tours takes tourists to places that give an idea of how the economic crisis dramatically changes the lives of people in Portugal. In an interview for the Sustainability Stories blog, they say that one of their most popular tours goes into the typical “islands” of Porto, a type of collective housing that “appeared with the Industrial Revolution as a way of accommodating the cheap labour arriving to the city”. They further explain that their aim is “[to show] a city that despite being a ruin is a beautiful ruin”:
The crisis is easy to see: the city is eroded due to austerity, it is abandoned, empty, it has poverty… and it has very interesting buildings and places too. It has contrasts; it is not a postcard, not even an illustrated one. We think that tourism is a damaged and commodified word. To travel is to let yourself involve in the places you visit. To go beyond the contradictions-free, clean and shiny touristy circuits.
The Worst Tours flyer
Global Voices author Stanislas Jourdan visited the city and was deeply impacted by the paralyzed housing market, the lack of opportunities for people as unemployment grows, and the figures of emigration (“the city of Porto has lost 65,000 inhabitants since the 1990s”, he says). After a “worst tour”, he wrote on his blog about “Porto, a ghost town in the making”:
The first hours of my stay in Porto left me a great impression of the city. I could admire the beauty of the city and its amazing bridges from the train or from the nice terrace where I ended up first before catching another bus to Lisbon. But there was a dark side of the city I only discovered the next day of my arrival.
More than anywhere else in Portugal, Porto is turning into a ghost town. In every street, dozens of empty houses with broken windows, or ‘for sale’ posters are popping up. Plenty of them have been for sale since decades, and it is not rare to find ruined houses in the city center. According to 2011 figures, 12.7% of all houses in the Greater Porto area is vacant, and it is even higher to 18.8% inside the municipality of Porto.
“Bleeding houses grafitti against state violence”. On July 2013, the mayor violently evicted poor people from their homes at the Fontaínhas neighbourhood in Porto, then “someone” painted solidarity grafitti on the abandoned houses. The dwellers have since been displaced to “social housing” with no River Douro Views. Check the Facebook page of The Worst Tours for more pictures.
People of all ages, activists or not, coming from countries as diverse as Australia, Thailand and Germany who simply want to get to know the city through a different lens, have joined The Worst Tours. That was the case of Eva V., who wrote on her blog after a trip to Porto:
if you're into alternative touring and like to support these out of work architects, check out their website and book yourself a Worst Tour! Disappointment guaranteed. ;-)
You can listen to an interview in English with The Worst Tours on the audio portal of German community radios, or through this map, prepared in a hackathon-like workshop by Global Voices for German language broadcasters willing to tell more stories about creative alternatives rising in face of the European economic crisis, with special focus on the countries from the south. The radio segment was produced at the Free Radios Camp, and broadcast live from the shores of Lake Constance on May 9, 2013.

author: Sara Moreira


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Don’t Be Fooled by His Smile: Yekaterinburg’s Evgeny Roizman Is Mad As Hell · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

It seems likely that Russia’s fourth largest city, Yekaterinburg, will soon have as its mayor Evgeny Roizman, one of Russia’s most peculiar public figures.
Roizman’s LiveJournal and Facebook blogs are like the records of a priest or a sheriff. Have a look and you’ll find an archive of his meetings with random members of the city. Roizman opens his doors, and locals visit him throughout the day, waiting patiently outside his office, before entering and asking for help. Parents come, begging him [ru] to take their drug-addicted kids into his rehab centers; others come, when they’ve been cheated out of the deed to their home [ru]; and sometimes neighbors even turn up, seeking arbitration in disputes [ru] about spoiled vegetable patches and the stink of homebrewed cheese.
Evgeny Roizman, screen shot from his campaign website.
Roizman is a former Duma deputy and the founder of a 14-year-old anti-drug-addiction organization called “A City without Drugs.” In his blog posts about the various locals who flock to see him, he describes himself as an overwhelmed but determined public servant. “I don’t know,” he said [ru] characteristically to one widower asking about government aid programs, “but if you’re not hitting the bottle, I’ll help you.”
Much like Moscow mayoral candidate Alexey Navalny, Roizman is on bad terms with the nearest, most powerful authorities. Navalny and Roizman both face a similar challenge: their mayoral race opponents are proxies of their true enemies. Navalny takes on Sergey Sobyanin, not Vladimir Putin, and Roizman opposes Yakov Silin, not Sverdlovsk Governor Evgeny Kuivashev.
This week, Roizman’s feud with Kuivashev produced another clash, when television station Channel 5 aired a special episode (see above) of Andrei Karaulov’s investigatory show, “Moment of Truth,” presumably [ru] orchestrated by Kuivashev and dedicated to exploring Roizman’s alleged ties to the criminal underworld. Roughly half the show consisted of an interview with Kristina Leontyeva, a former detainee in one of the rehab centers run by “A City without Drugs.” (She says the centers are slave-labor prisons.) Roizman later wrote [ru] in his blog that Leontyeva is a “burnt out drug user and dealer, who didn’t stop shooting up even while she was pregnant.”
The show also featured interviews with Sverdlovsk oblast police officials Konstantin Stroganov and Oleg Mezitov, who accuse Roizman of maintaining active ties with the region’s mafia gangs. Mezitov even supplied the show with audiotapes from police wiretaps on phones belonging to two known gangsters, who claimed to have good access to Roizman and expected to benefit illicitly if he wins the election. Later, in a press release [ru] on its website, Sverdlovsk oblast’s police headquarters corroborated the accusations aired on “Moment of Truth,” and invited Roizman’s lawyers to review the incriminating evidence.
On August 30, 2013, the judge in the trial against Roizman’s domestic partner, Aksana Panova, unexpectedly delayed [ru] proceedings until September 9, a day after Yekaterinburg’s election. Outside the court building, Roizman told reporters [ru] that certain officials had approached him with an offer: drop out of the race or Panova will be convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.
Despite such threats, Roizman’s mayoral campaign continues, with Panova its manager. Tomorrow, August 31, 2013, the pair will lead a mass morning jog [ru], which is set to begin outside Kuivashev’s residence. Just today, August 30, the online news portal Lenta.ru released a short documentary video [ru] about Roizman’s mayoral run, which includes footage of his stump speeches to small groups of Yekaterinburg locals. In the video, Roizman’s frustration—not just with his persecution, but also with his compatriots’ political mentality—is palpable. At one moment, he nearly shouts at his audience:
Самое подлое и противное что мне слышать, когда говорят “Да. Вам хорошо, а мы вот это, а мы вот это.” БЛЯДЬ! Терпеть не могу зассанцев. Ето наша страна. Если мы здесь кого-то будем бояться, нам тогда сваливать надо. Мне отсюда некуда валить, поэтому я сопротивляюсь.
The vilest and ugliest thing I hear is when people tell me, “Yeah, you’re doing okay, but for us it’s this, and for us it’s that.” F**K! I can’t stand these a**holes. This is our country. If we’re going to live in fear, then we should just leave. I have nowhere to go, so I’m making a stand.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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How Vietnam Got its Name · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Le Minh Khai traces the history of how Vietnam got its name and explains the inaccuracies in some historical accounts about the origins of the name.
Ultimately, the name Việt Nam is related to the Nguyễn clan’s southward expansion of the Lê Dynasty realm. What it signifies is that the Nguyễn created and ruled over something bigger than An Nam. It is a recognition of imperial expansion.

author: Mong Palatino


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South Korea: 4500 Catholic Leaders Protest Against the Spy Agency Scandal · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Prominent citizen journalist Media Mongu posted a Youtube video of Catholic leaders denouncing the state spy agency's interference in the presidential election. His description read ‘an unprecedented number of 4502 clergy members have gathered at Sogang University, the alma mater of the current President Park, to release a manifesto that calls on President Park’ to investigate and apologize for the spy agency scandal.


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The Politics of Moscow’s Migrant Crime Statistics · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

In addition to highlighting local issues, Moscow's mayoral race has generated lively discussions of various national topics. Front and center among these is Russia's immigration and migrant worker policy. Of course, the mayor of Moscow has limited influence over such policy — the large number of migrant workers in Russia is mainly an outcome of visa-free travel agreements with much of the former Soviet Union. This does not stop some candidates [ru] from promising to adopt Moscow-specific immigration controls in the form of passport requirements, or, in the case of opposition front-runner Alexey Navalny [ru], to “make a suggestion” to the federal government to “limit migration.”
A Central Asian janitor cleaning a Moscow street. Many Muscovites would suspect him of being an illegal immigrant. YouTube screenshot.
Nevertheless, if immigration itself is largely out of bounds, candidates must find other aspects of the “migrant problem” to address. Last week, in an interview with Echo Moskvy [ru], Navalny spoke about immigrant crime rates, making the somewhat outlandish claim that 50% of all crime in Moscow is committed by migrants. He was immediately fact-checked by liberal journalist Elena Kostyuchenko on her blog [ru].
Kostyuchenko pointed out that the number apparently came from a report that 50% of all crimes are committed by non-native Muscovites — i.e. the number includes Russians living in the Moscow region, and Russia in general, in addition to any migrants. Kostyuchenko did the math, and found that last year the proportion of crimes committed by immigrants was closer to 20% for all crimes, and around 15% for “serious” crimes (administrative crimes like lack of registration disproportionately affects migrants).
When Kostyuchenko aired her grievances on Twitter, Navalny's policy aide, Ruslan Leviev, explained [ru] that the statics used by Navalny came from police district reports, which they feel are more accurate, since the overall official statistics necessarily only include crimes that have been solved. The problem with that, as Kostyuchenko found, is that these reports are calculated on the basis of “witness testimony” — which is inherently problematic.
DemVybor's Vladimir Milov, an unapologetically anti-immigrant politician, blogged [ru] in response to Kostyuchenko:
[…] даже если бы всего 17% преступлений совершались иностранцами – то простой вопрос, а зачем нам здесь иностранцы, которые такое существенное количество преступлений совершают и создают нам криминальную обстановку? Да даже если бы и 3%? Ведь это же очень много, очень существенный довесок к нашей преступности!
[…] even if only 17% of crimes were committed by foreigners, the simple question is why do we need foreigners who commit such a sizable number of crimes and create a criminal environment here? So what, even if it's as low as 3%? This is also a lot, a sizable addition to our crime rates!
Meanwhile, another one of Navalny's comments in the Echo Moskvy interview sparked more discussion. Still on the topic of migration, he said that he if elected mayor he would institute a ban on the public dancing of lezginka, a traditional dance from the North Caucasus often danced at impromptu social gatherings, sometimes on the street. These performances sometimes disturb Muscovites. For example, shortly after the interview aired, journalist Dmitry Bavyrin wrote [ru]:
Вы будете смеяться, но ровно сейчас у меня под окнами началась лезгинка под мобилку и гортанные крики. Считаю это незаконной агитацией за Навального.
You're going to laugh, but right now, outside my window, there is lezginka with cellphone music and throaty cries. I think this is illegal campaigning for Navalny.
Two men dancing the lezginka on a Barnaul street. YouTube screenshot.
Putting to one side the entire concept of banning the dance (rather than, say, disturbing the peace, or making loud noises), Navalny's comment is curious. After all, most of the people dancing lezginka in Moscow aren't immigrants, they are North Caucasians — Dagestani, Chechen, Ingush — i.e. Russian citizens, with as much right to be in Moscow as anyone else. Suddenly it becomes clear that much of the complaints about immigrants in fact stem from internal migration — something that can't be stopped without resorting to Soviet-era movement controls. Alexey Navalny isn't doing anyone any favors by pandering to such obvious fears of the ethnic other, couched in worries about lost Russian jobs and the perils of “illegal migrants.”

author: Andrey Tselikov


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UNICEF India Sounds the ‘Red Siren’ to #ENDviolence Against Children · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

A new social media campaign from UNICEF India is seeking to raise awareness and mobilize a collective effort to #ENDviolence against children, with special focus on sexual violence against girls.
On 19 August 2013, UNICEF India launched the ‘Time to Sound the Red Siren’ campaign in an ongoing effort to raise awareness about violence against children. The month-long social media campaign is an effort to break the silence around sexual abuse and violence against children, girls in particular. It calls upon citizens to help #ENDviolence and create safe, protective environments for children. On their campaign page, UNICEF India explains the campaign's raison d'etre:
There is no place for sexual violence against children in the 21st century. Yet it continues to destroy lives in every country and at all levels of society. Too often, however, it is an invisible problem because it occurs within homes and families or because people turn a blind eye to it, or simply fail to report it due to fear or stigma.
The #ENDviolence campaign Initiative seeks to bring together new ideas, new thinking, and new examples of where people can focus their efforts and energies to raise awareness about sexual abuse in India and bring about an end to it.
This is not a one-off effort, but a collective effort and a sustained initiative that will shine an ever brighter light on an issue that has remained invisible for far too long.
Red Siren Campaign Poster. Taken from UNICEF India's Facebook Page.
In a public service announcement video, Bollywood legend and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan came out strongly in support of the Red Siren campaign and pointed out that “just because you can't see violence against children doesn't mean it isn't there”. He appealed to citizens to “make the invisible visible” and speak out against child abuse.
On Twitter, netizens are using the campaign hashtag #ENDviolence to tweet, retweet and speak up against child abuse. UNICEF India is using the platform to educate and raise awareness, not only by sharing data pertaining to crimes against children and girls, but also breaking some of the commonly held beliefs and myths pertaining to child abuse:
Of the total 24270 reported cases of rape in 2011, 7112 – 30% are children. Help raise awareness #ENDviolence #India
— UNICEF India (@UNICEFIndia) August 19, 2013
#Myth ‘Sexual abuse does not happen at home': Abuse can happen anywhere – schools, work, in the community and also at home. #ENDviolence
— UNICEF India (@UNICEFIndia) August 23, 2013
Children need to be equipped to deal with violence and speak up against violence and sexual abuse, Dora Giusti, UNICEF India #ENDviolence
— UNICEF India (@UNICEFIndia) August 22, 2013
Sonia Sarkar (@soniasarkars), an advocate for health and development issues, spoke about the discrimination and abuse faced by a large section of girls in the Indian society:
Millions of girls in India face obstacles in their lives, experiencing various forms of discrimination, exploitation and abuse.#ENDviolence
— sonia sarkar (@soniasarkars) August 22, 2013
Women's Web (@womensweb), a community of progressive Indian women, tweeted:
#EndViolence: 1 in 2 girls do not complete grade 10 in school, 20% of girls aged 15-19 (and married) have suffered sexual violence at home
— Women's Web (@womensweb) August 28, 2013
Red Siren Campaign Poster courtesy of UNICEF India's Facebook page
An active conversation is underway on UNICEF India's Facebook page with netizens discussing protective environments for children and how to empower them against sexual abuse and violence.
Nahid Akhtar from Calcutta, India wrote:
Educate ur children whom nd wen to say No or yes nd in wat situations.Talk to children,make them confident thru talks,tel dem d pros n cons of tricky situations,be a gud frnd to kids alongwith responsible parents
Yo Singh Chauhan also underlined the importance of communication. He wrote:
communication can play a major role in stopping this darkest of dark crimes . we should constantly communicate with our young ones and make them aware of the differences between the touch of love and the touch of a pervert mind.
Interestingly, the week also saw the launch of the Parliamentarians’ Group for Children (PGC) in India where parliamentarians came forward to champion the cause of child rights. According to the invite issued by the group:
Children lighting the lamp to launch the Parliamentarians Group for Children (PGC) courtesy of UNICEF India's Facebook page.
Furthermore, Smt. Vandana Chavan, the convener of the group, pointed out that the PGC would also be a mechanism for both protecting child rights as well for monitoring various children-related programmes across the country. She said:
“Through this group Parliamentarians will be able monitor programmes in their constituencies, push for enhanced resources for children’s programmes and advocate for child-centric policies. The PGC will work as a mechanism for the promotion of awareness, fulfilment and protection of the rights of all children, and have an India fit for children,”
This is indeed a heartening first step in the journey to secure child rights in India, to provide children with a safe and secure childhood, free of violence, abuse and the silence of shame and denial. It is indeed time to sound the Red Siren.
You can learn more about the Red Siren campaign on Facebook, Tumblr and campaign website. You can also join the conversation on Twitter (#ENDviolence).

author: Aparna Ray


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1100 Year Old Hindu Temple Discovered in Bangladesh  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Unlocked reports that archaeologists from Jahangirnagar University (JU) have excavated an 1100 year old Hindu temple from the Pala dynasty at a village in Dinajpur district of Northern Bangladesh. The post contains pictures and details about the finds.

author: Rezwan


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A Letter on Syria to Western Narcissists  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Lebanon, Sean Lee, of The Human Province, pens a letter to Western narcissists on Syria:
But please, don't let the conflict in Syria be about opposing America. Let it be about Syria, and what might actually help Syrians – you know, the actually existing people who are dying by the tens of thousands in this brutal war. But if you can’t do that, then do me a favor, and please shut up.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Crowdsourcing Malaysia’s 2014 Budget · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Malaysian government has put up a special website where citizens can share their ideas on how public funds should be used next year. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak encouraged Malaysians to give suggestions in drafting the 2014 budget which will be tackled by the government on October:
As a government elected by the people, I believe everyone deserves a say on how we as a nation will progress next year.
…we will be providing a platform for the rakyat to come together and share their views on the 2014 Budget. The discussions will focus on several topics including cost of living, housing and urban living, healthcare, public safety and other issues close to the hearts of the people. We will continue collecting your input until the 8th of September, after which they will be sent to the Finance Ministry for consideration.
Aside from making comments, netizens can also vote in favor or against the ideas given by others. For example, the proposal of hazratie to build a casino was rejected by 22 people:
Build a casino with Chinese architecture to attract millions of Chinese tourists to Sabah, this will contribute towards enriching Sabah government from casino tax and tourist expenditures to beat competition from Macau and Singapore, this casino should be complemented with adult entertainment clubs such as the Playboy club and gentlemen club.
There are various categories that people can choose in making suggestions. Under the education category, Nur Syafika Sukuri suggested that student allowances should be provided by the government:
As we know, the living costs are expensive for those full time students who are unemployed. The government should give some allowances to decrease expenses that we spend. By doing this, it will encourage student to do their best without worried about the money.
Meanwhile, Mohd Fadzlan Bin Failul Rahman wanted government ministers to be blood donors:
I am proposing that blood donation is performed by the Ministers of the government including our YAB Datuk Seri Najib Razak. People are accustomed to the phrase; “Follow the Leader”. Thus, it will be a good move in encouraging the people to be a blood donor. When is the last time we see our Ministers supporting blood donation by being a donor themselves? Plus, those who donate regularly will get the advantages of free medical treatment
OTL urged the government to end property speculation:
House price maybe a very very very big burden to those middle and lower income earners. Sometimes its even mission impossible for a layman to own a landed property. A house is one a the most important criteria to build up a happy and healthy family. I would suggest government try whatever ways to stop property speculation, this is for the benefits of rakyat, bankers, government and property developers.
Ayesha Adam has a simple demand: a safe and affordable kindergarten for children:
Is it truly too much to ask for a government kindergarten that is safe, and well maintained? All we working Malaysian parents need is a safe place for our children to learn and to be taken care of while we work. Not everyone can spare thousands to get a maid, or a playschool that cost almost 1k a month. With government assistance, and fees as low as 100 -200 per child a month, i don't think this is a big ask.
Sunny has a proposal on how to increase rice yield in the country:
It is very sad to see Malaysia every year need to import rice from other country while we have plenty of land. It is suggested the government to give subsidies / tax exempted / cheap rental for vacant land around the nation for agriculture purpose. In short run, this might be a burden for the government but in the long run, we will be able to sustain our food supply and perhaps can export as well.
Using the hashtag #bajet2014, here are some ideas given by Twitter users:
sir @najibrazak jobseeker allowance! tax incentives for private sector tt practiced diversity in hiring policies. #bajet2014 #budget2014
— Ainul Aizat (@ainulaizat) August 30, 2013
Gradual dismantling of energy subsidies to be channeled to infrastructure development aimed to the masses/needy such as cheap mrt #Bajet2014
— Mohd Hazwan A Wahab (@mhawhazwan) August 29, 2013
#Bajet2014 Govt abolish d 10% service charge imposed by restaurants. Some restaurants r charging 10% eventho they dont qualify!
— Zafri Aiman (@zafri_aiman) August 28, 2013
Every municipal shud have a hub for public transport. From here ppl frm the municipal can go anywhere with bus or LRT. #bajet2014
— Edward Diong JY (@ED_Diong) August 27, 2013


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Egypt Goes Quack Over #SpyDuck  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

@CairoGossip shares this photograph of #SpyDuck on Twitter
Egypt today announced it had arrested a “duck” – with a spying gadget attached to its feathers. The duck turned out not to be a duck, perhaps a swan [ar] – and the tracker on it was for a study. And now there is a new twist, the duck or swan may be a stork. On Twitter, netizens grab the occasion to quack up jokes.
Victor Salama notes:
No, i'm not on drugs: It says here that #SpyDuck arrested in #Egypt is a swan & that it actually migrated from France http://t.co/6iEoSqFMYi
— Victor Salama (@VicoSalama) August 31, 2013
But the duck – now swan – may not even be a duck or a swan, says Mostafa Hussein:
'Spy' swan is a White Stork. Common migratory bird in autumn,spring. Passes Sinai, Hurghada & Nile sth of Qena. https://t.co/c7FjQ0Cmq9 #pt
— Mostafa Hussein (@moftasa) August 31, 2013
Hussein, who changed his avatar on Twitter to one of a .. erm .. bird, also calls for freeing the bird – whatever it is:
Free the poor bird RT @deenahsn: The spy swan behind bars!  (half white, half black just like Natalie!) pic.twitter.com/1ZniggA9RV
— Mostafa Hussein (@moftasa) August 31, 2013
Mahmoud Salem jokes that there is more to the situation than meets the eye:
The curfew went from starting at 7 pm to starting at 11 pm the same day the #spyduck got arrested. Coincidence? Don't think so!
— السيد مانكي (@Sandmonkey) August 31, 2013
And Austin G Mackell says the duck story could be a decoy:
Now worried the #SpyDuck was a deliberate distraction and while we were all laughing they sold the #Suez canal to america or something…
— Austin G Mackell (@austingmackell) August 31, 2013
Timothty E Kaldas chuckles:
Salafi Abu Quacker message to #Egypt: I'm fighting sale of foie gras bc it's not halal & tortures my bros hence my attack on Gouna. #SpyDuck
— Timothy E Kaldas (@tekaldas) August 31, 2013
While Tarek Radwan quips:
Anti-coup coalition calls for protests demanding release of Abu Quacker and son, Nour still debating implications. #SpyDuck
— Tarek Radwan (@tradwan) August 31, 2013
For more laughs, check out the hashtag #SpyDuck.


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Iran: Facebook Diplomacy · Global Voices
Farid

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, posted a short piece with six questions about Syria on his Facebook page which received 1,100 comments as of Friday, August 30. Some called Zarif on the hypocrisy of criticizing Western intervention as intervention, when Iran has its own presence on the ground.

author: Farid


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Justice Goes Mobile for Residents of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa · Global Voices
Fakiha Hassan Rizvi

It is said that justice delayed is justice denied, and in Pakistan's northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), which is generally plagued by too little education and too much terrorism, justice can often get delayed.
That's where mobile courts come in. These buses painted with the colors of the Pakistani flag have been launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's capital of Peshawar by the provincial government under the flagship of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), according to Saach TV. The court aims to bring expeditious and low-priced justice to the doorsteps of the people.
KPK is the province well-known Pakistani teen activist Malala comes from; it shares a border with the drone-targeted tribal areas and Afghanistan and has been affected by war, terrorism and floods the last few years. Repeated hearings in clogged courts situated far from home are an expensive affair for many citizens. Eleven such mobile courts for swift justice have been planned for the province with financial and technical support from the United Nations Development Programme.
It's not the first time that mobile courts have been introduced in Pakistan. President Asif Ali Zardari issued a decree in 2009 to create mobile courts so that justice could be delivered quickly and to the doorsteps of individuals living in far-flung areas of the country. However, opposition parties at the time feared that mobile courts might target their activists during anti-government protests led by the lawyers’ movement to restore Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was ousted by the country's former president General Pervez Musharraf. But Asif Ali Zardari's mobile courts ordinance was labeled as ‘unconstitutional’ by lawyers, and at that time PTI chief Imran Khan called them “kangaroo courts” that would suppress democratic norms. Under pressure, the president and the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) retreated on the idea.
Social media users have actively discussed this new justice delivery system. Nadia Naviwala (@NadiaNavi) announced:
Pakistan's first mobile court starts dispensing justice http://t.co/nEtlH6ujog
— Nadia Naviwala (@NadiaNavi) August 29, 2013
Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) posted a picture:
A mobile court van is parked at PDA Building during a hearing in Peshawar. Mobile Courts in KP passed the 1st verdict pic.twitter.com/RvrGn6At1e
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) August 27, 2013
The Express Tribune tagged it as “Justice on Wheels”. Dunya TV reported:
The mobile court has been established in a special bus and has been completed with financial assistance provided by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Such courts will hold sittings at town, union councils, police stations or other places specified by the high court on rotation basis as may be directed by the district judge.
WATCH: Pakistan's new mobile court in session. How does day one look like? http://t.co/Ul4SOBucJO #ROL4GOV
— UN Development (@UNDP) August 29, 2013
On its first day, the mobile court heard 30 cases in Peshawar. According to news reports, it freed juveniles from jail, heard property disputes and imposed small fines.
1st mobile court of Pakistan settled 28 cases out of 30 cases in its 1st camp in Hayatabad Peshawar.
— Pervaiz Khattak (@Pervaiz_Khattak) August 28, 2013
Mobile courts have received a warm reception in the province as well as in the rest of Pakistan. News anchor and journalist Wajih Sani (@wajih_sani) tweeted:
Mobile Courts In Peshawar a very postive initiative by KPK Govt (PTI) must be appreciated. Geo News covering this News
— Wajih Sani (@wajih_sani) August 27, 2013
Twitter user @TheNewNormal_ shared a photograph published by The Express Tribune on its Facebook page the day mobile courts were functional:
Mobile Courts started working…..#KPK pic.twitter.com/EtnnImW7Jd
— حسام (@TheNewNormal_) August 28, 2013
A working journalist from Peshawar, Musaratullah Jan explained in his personal blog that how journalists were oriented about the mobile courts by the KPK government.
The opponents of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) like Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), even lauded the initiative. Syed Ali Raza Abidi (@abidifactor), a Muttahida Qaumi Movement party member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and a blogger for the Express Tribune, tweeted in the following words:
Mobile court bus at KPK is a great step by the Government. But I hope they have planned a strategy to keep it safe from terrorist attack.
— Syed Ali Raza Abidi (@abidifactor) August 27, 2013

author: Fakiha Hassan Rizvi


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Lebanon: The Smell of Death  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

On August 23, two bombs exploded in outside two mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. Forty-seven people were killed, and over 500 injured.
Joey Ayoub, at Hummus for Thought, shares a must-read testimony of the heartbreak at the hospital of a friend who was in Al Salam mosque when the explosion happened.
The friend writes:
Perhaps the biggest pain they caused wasn’t the dead, nor was it the injured. The injured will heal, the dead will be martyrs. The biggest pain they have caused us to feel is the feeling of helplessness and confusion, wondering if we can do anything to make things better only to realize that we never can.


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Secrets To Enjoy Your Traffic Jam · Global Voices
Rezwan

Traffic jam at the overcrowded mega-city Dhaka is one of the most irritating problems in Bangladesh. Karim at Amader kotha shares some secret tips to utilize those boring moments of immobility when you are stuck in a jam.


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Turkmenistan’s National Cycling Day: Traditionalists, Penny-Pinchers and President-Pleasers · Global Voices
Farida Yoony

If you are a citizen of Turkmenistan, you had better be ready to don the Lycra and mount a bicycle: September 1 has been slated as National Cycling Day.
In Turkmenistan people face regular surprises in the form of strange initiatives dreamed up by their authoritarian president, Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov. Berdymuhamedov, dubbed the record-breaking president by Global Voices last year, often attends and invariably wins many sporting events in the country. Early in August, the president held his right arm aloft when he crossed the finish line in a cycle race filmed (and edited) for Turkmen state television. Shortly afterwards, the republic's “protector” ordered citizens to purchase bicycles for National Cycling Day.
State media tries to represent the authoritarian president as fit, active and healthy – Berdymuhamedov has been shown fishing, jet-skiing, and riding a scooter on holiday in the past. The August bicycle race was far from Berdymuhamedov's first triumph. Altyn-asyr, a government media outlet, covered him winning a horse race in the capital Ashkhabad in May. While state television cut to the crowd, the hidden video camera of a foreign tourist proved that the “master jockey” had actually fallen off his horse shortly after the win.
Berdymuhamedov kept his kingdom after falling off his horse, but will he manage to stay on his bicycle? (screenshot from video uploaded by anonymous tourist)
Berdymuhamedov's predecessor, Sapurmarat Niyazov was also keen on enforcing healthy habits among his citizenry, with one of his most famous exhortations to exercise being the Walk of Health, a concrete stairway built into the Kopet Dag mountains. But while the Walk of Health was free, bicycles are a significant outlay for the majority of Turkmen families, who typically earn less than $200 per month. .
Moreover, Chrono-TM.org, an independent news and blogging outlet set up by Turkmen expatriates reported:
Prices for bikes have sharply risen in the country. By any means, all able-bodied individuals, pupils and students should have bikes by 1 September
People are getting ready anyway
But people are purchasing bicycles regardless of rising prices. Chinese-made bicycles previously cost 300-500 Turkmen Manats (equal to 110-175 US Dollars), and have now increased to 350-550 TNMs. Vendors of helmets, gloves, eye wear and clothes are also doing a fine trade. Interviewed in an article for RFE/RL's Turkmen service, bicycle seller Daýanç said [Tm] happily:
Öňler bir günde 5-10 sany tigir satan bolsam, şu günler 20-25 tigir satýan mahalym hem bolýar. Meniň dükanym kiçi, köplenç alyjylaryň isleýän görnüşi gutaryp galýar. Beýleki käbir söwdagärler has köprägem satýar.
It has been really good for me and for my fellow bicycle traders. I used to sell 5-10 bikes in a day. Now, I am selling 20-25 of them. Sometimes I can't meet the demand.
But many women have opposed the initiative, since in Turkmen culture, adult women are not supposed to ride bicycles. This has created tension within families given that all government agencies are expected to supply men and women in equal numbers. The husband of one reluctant female cyclist, Bagul, gave [Tkm] her an ultimatum regarding her participation in cycling day:
Welosepid sürmeli edildim diýemde, meniň adamym hem ýa – welosiped ýa-da – men diýdi
When i told my husband that i had been forced to attend cycling day, he replied “choose either one, the bicycle or me”
Finally, women face the very real threat of losing their jobs if they do not participate. RFE/RL's Turkmen service reported [Tkm]:
Paýtagt Aşgabadyň 1-nji saglyk öýüniň özüni Gyzylgül diýip tanadan işgäri öz islegi boýunça işden çykmak barada arza ýazanlaryň biri. Emma, mesele ula ýazansoň, onuň deregine başga biri welosiped türgenleşigine iberilipdir
Gyzylgul, a worker at No.1 hospital in Ashgahbat, deliberately resigned from her job. But it didn't make a difference. She was merely replaced by someone else prepared to take part in the cycling.
As usual, the initiative led to a lively debate on Chrono-TM.org.
On reader, using the name Citizen said [ru]:
Жалко, если эта акция будет одноразовой. Может обяжут чиновников ездить на работу на велосипеде?
Such a shame it is a one-off. Could we force state officials to go to work on bicycles?
While Vladimir chimed [ru]:
Ничего плохого в этой акции нет. Вот так и надо маленькими шажками и приучать народ к здоровому образу жизни. Через 5-10 лет , если хватит смелости ,еще спасибо скажете. Такие и подобные вещи надо постоянно , но ненавязчиво внедрять в сознание народа .А затем процесс приобретет необратимый характер, войдет в привычку.
There is nothing wrong with this initiative. It is necessary to teach the people a healthy way of life through small steps like this. In 5-10 years, if you are brave enough, you will say thank you [for the initiative]. Things like this are needed on a regular basis to gradually change people's outlook. Then these processes will take on a permanent character, becoming ingrained habits.
But an anonymous poster took issue [ru] with Vladimir's vision for a healthier Turkmenistan:
Как только вы станете спонсором закупок всего этого спортинвентаря, так мы сразу скажем спасибо.А пока, простите, я не имею лишних пятиста долларов, чтобы покупать ненужный мне металлолом, который после поездки сгниет в гараже. Я лучше на эти деньги смотаюсь на неделю в Турцию, позагараю, покупаюсь в море, здоровья больше прибавится, чем буду рысачить по солнцепёку на китайской поделке.
As soon as you become the sponsor of such sporting initiatives, we will immediately say thank you. But for the moment, excuse me, I don't have a spare $500 to buy a hunk of metal that will waste away in the garage after the trip. I would better spend this money on a week in Turkey, get a tan, swim in the sea, and benefit my health a lot more than I would cycling under the baking sun on a Chinese imitation [bicycle]

author: Farida Yoony


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VIDEO: A Portrait of Equal Marriage in Brazil · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Liberdade na Rede blog shares [pt] a short documentary by Brazilian journalist Alicia Peres on equal marriage, called Meninas (Girls). The documentary portrays moments in the lives of Priscila and Juliana:
São menos de cinco minutos, com a música de Hermeto Pascoal e imagens que registram esta forma de amar e ser feliz, ainda considerada “diferente“.
Watch it below, with English subtitles:


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VIDEO: Angolan Prison Authorities Crack Down on Prisoners · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

A video showing what appears to be prison guards and firefighters beating a group of prisoners in Luanda (warning: graphic) has been widely shared on Angolan social media. Amnesty International reacted saying that the footage “is shocking and must be investigated,”
The footage, recorded on a mobile phone and distributed via social media, is 5 minutes and 39 seconds long and is believed to have been recorded earlier this month. It shows a group of prisoners sitting on the ground as law enforcement officials and fire fighters drag them from the group one-by-one, kick them and beat them with sticks and leather straps.
The footage appears to have been taken in Viana Prison, in the country’s capital Luanda, where similar footage had previously been uncovered.
Angola's Ministry of the Interior stated on August 27, 2013, that a commission of inquiry would be opened to investigate the case, “the latest in an increasingly disturbing pattern of brutal conduct by Angolan prison authorities”, the human rights organization says:
Given the recurrence of these incidences, it is clearly not enough that a commission of inquiry is opened into such cases.