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Chile: Massive Protests Continue Against Hidroaysén Power Station · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

This post is part of a series on the approval of the construction of  Hidroaysén hydroelectric power station. Read all about the project, the “for” and “against” arguments and the initial reactions when the news was revealed.
After the approval of the construction of the Hidroaysén hydrolectric power station in the  Aysén region of the Chilean  Patagonia on May 9, 2011, there have been many protests around the country.
According to radio station Cooperativa [es]:
The demonstrations managed to unite 7,000 people in Plaza Italia, in the capital Santiago […] The protests continue in cities like Coyhaique -directly in front of the Environmental Evaluation Commission-, Concepción, Temuco, Valparaíso and  Valdivia, where police dispersed the crowd with tear gas in a protest of about 500 people.
The protests continue daily, as well as a second massive call which brought 30,000 people to the streets on May 13. The online periodical  El Mostrador [es] commented:
Ecological groups have marched everyday against this initiative and the protests will continue until May 21st, the day that the mandate will hand in a published account of the affairs of the project to Parliament.
Medical doctor and Twitter user, Alvaro Rivas (@alvarorivasMD), sent a live link [es] of the march through TwitCasting. With a cameraphone, he attended the peaceful demonstration and witnessed the police repression. He even came to the aid of a woman who was suffering a panic attack due to the tear gas thrown.
Alvaro's narrative was followed and celebrated by many, above all, because national television was not covering the news.
The No to Hidroaysén protest in front of La Moneda. Santiago, Chile 13 May, 2011. Photo by Flickr user Flavio_Camus (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Javier Chijani (@jchijani) made a  comment on the issue:
#NoaHidroaysen#RenunciaHinzpeter Esperando que canales den la Noticia importante del dia. O la pasaran por alto. #Chv #Mega #TVN#C13
Marcelo Aliaga (@maliaga) also commented on the lack of coverage of the local newscasts, adding:
Lo que NO saldrá en el noticiario ni en las portadas de mañanahttp://yfrog.com/h2i9tjfj // no necesitamos una TV vendida.
The protesters informed Alvaro of where to go and helped him by adding information to his Twitter coverage.
Javier Aguirre Mansilla [es] commented on Facebook:
alvaro te estan viendo en santiago concepcion talcahuano arica iquique, vamos buen trabajo
Sebastían Olate (@nostok_) mentioned on Twitter:
Debes cubrir hacia otros lados Alvaro!! Continua por calles alternativas hacia Sta Lucia!!
Besides the live videos, many Twitter users shared photos and their impressions on one of the liveliest marches in Chile in a long time.
No to Hidroaysén March. Taken on May 10, 2011 in Valparaíso, Chile. Photo from Flickr user Trovador Errante (CC BY-NC-NC 2.0).
Journalist Lorena Muñoz Mizon (@loladotcom) commented:
qué bonita marcha!!! la gente sentada haciendo el signo de la paz enfrenta el agua
The newspaper PublimetroChile (@PublimetroChile) informed:
Miles de manifestantes protestan frente a La Moneda por HidroAysén http://bit.ly/lfRrc9#HidroAysen
Sentidos Comunes (@sentidoscomunes) shared:
Ya publicamos las fotos de la protesta #noahidroaysén de hoy. Véanlas aquíhttp://tinyurl.com/3tfvuga
One of the things that netizens emphasized was the strong police repression in the protest in Santiago and other cities across the country.
In Santiago, the blogger of El Beat del Tambor narrated on his/her Twitter account (@elbeatdeltambor):
Gente vomita en metro por gases toxicos arrojados por policia chilena#Patagoniasinrepresas #Noahidroaysen
Angello Poggini (@APoggini) points out:
se supone que la marcha #noahidroaysen estaba autorizada hasta las 9, era todo pacifico hasta que salieron los pacos [policías] a dejar la caga [a arruinarlo].
Programmer  Sebastián Araos (@seba_araos) repudiates the police repression:
@Carabdechile es una verguenza lo que uds hacen reprimiendo una protesta que comenzo pacifica… Uds trajeron la violencia. #noahidroaysen
The same thing happened in other cities in Chile, such as Iquique, where cybernaut Daniela Martínez informed us through the  Radio Bio-Bio webpage [es] of the following:
Asamblea ciudadana contra la aprobación de las termoeléctricas en la ciudad de Iquique convocada a la comunidad de la ciudad y distintas organizaciones sociales para movilizarse y llamar a plebiscito.
Esta terminó en una gran marcha por la ciudad interrumpida por Carabineros con lanza agua y lacrimógenas de forma desmedida
Citizen assembly against the approval of thermoelectric plants in the city of Iquique organised by the community and different public organisations for mobilization and for calling a referendum.
This resulted in a big demonstration throughout the city, interrupted by the Chilean police with water and tear gas launchers in unmeasurable amounts.
The independant daily paper El Navegable shared some videos [es]about the encounters between protesters and police in the protest on May 10 in Valdivia.
Also, there have been international protests in Barcelona, Hamburg, and Rome against Hidroaysén. The Patagonia Sin Represas (Patagonia without Dams) webpage shows a good  summary of the protests [es] in Chile and in the world.
There has been a call for massive protests via social networks on May 21, 2011, the day President Sebastián Piñera will deliver the annual budget message to the nation.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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China: Chinese Gays Profess Their Love On Stage At Beijing Concert · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translates the reactions of Chinese netizens towards the coming out of a gay couple n stage in front of a noisy crowd at the Beijing Chuan Zi Concert.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Oiwan Lam


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Costa Rica: Day Against Homophobia · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Costa Rica celebrated the International Day Against Homophobia on May 17,  and both online and offline people celebrated sexual diversity.
Puppy at the Pride Parade. Image by @jdclarke00 used with permission.
On Sunday May 15, the gay pride festival took place in the capital city of San Jose. Mauricio Rojas [es] made a video showing the highlights of the event including music, vendor stands, dancing and speeches:
The festival was organized as part of the initiative the City of San Jose has begun to make the city free of discrimination, in this specific case, against people of diverse sexual orientation, as was stated in the press conference announcing the festival [es].
Humorous webshow I can't pronounce the R [es] also produced a video for the day, in this case, mocking Juan Jose Vargas, a Costarican politician turned preacher who last year [es] made the news by advertising his center for healing people of homosexuality.
In this video, they make a fake interview with Juan Nose Vainas (Juan I Don't Know Stuff) where he shows the results of the treatment: consisting of training his students in catcalls, fighting for men, oggling men and walking in high heels for women and “getting lucky” with the opposite sex.
Blog ChepeStyle [es], which writes about events in San Jose, was also at the Festival. E. Fernandez wrote a narrative of the event which includes pictures and the following insight:
Estar ahí me hizo entender un poco más porqué el arcoíris es considerado símbolo de la comunidad LGBT (Lesbiana, Gay, Bisexual y Transgénero). Como decimos por acá para gustos hay colores y este símbolo nos llama a apreciar la diversidad y belleza de todos los colores… y todos los gustos.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Côte d’Ivoire: The Investiture of President Ouattara on May 21 · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Abidjan.net details the programme and heads of state invited to the investiture ceremony [fr] of President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d'Ivoire, which is to be held in the political capital Yamoussoukro on Saturday, May 21. Sixty six foreign delegations will be attending.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Cuba: Feelings Toward “Foreigners”  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Yenisel Rodriguez, blogging at Havana Times, tells of an incident of xenophobia that made him “recall stories of the discrimination that Haitians suffer in the Dominican Republic.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: The Capital’s Chinatown  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván's File Cabinet blogs about the evolution of Havana's Chinatown.


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Egypt: I Unfollowed Ghonim Because …  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian cyber activist Wael Ghonim, who shot to international fame after being arrested at the beginning of the Egyptian revolution, is facing criticism from the very same Egyptians who earlier championed for his release.
In a series of tweets today, Ghonim urged the protesters to put their country's economic prosperity ahead of their revolutionary agenda.
He wrote [ar]:
Egyptian blogger Wael Ghonim. Image by Flickr user yamaha_gangsta (CC BY 2.0).
In a follow up tweet, he explained [ar]:
He further added [ar]:
Ghonim concludes [ar]:
This series of tweets was faced with a backlash from Egyptian tweeps, and others from the region, who criticised Ghonim of not speaking up against the Army Council and its actions against protesters, despite the influence he carries, with his almost 156,000 followers on Twitter. The tweets can be found under the hashtag #UnfollowedGhonimBecause
Ghonim shone after his release from prison, when it was discovered that he was the administrator of the ‘We Are All Khaled Saeed’ page on Facebook, which sparked the Egyptian revolution on January 25, 2011. Saeed is a young Egyptian man from Alexandria who was killed after being beaten up by the police. Like Mohammed Bou Azizi of Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia, his murder angered Egyptians and made them rally around the ‘We Are All Khaled Saeed’ group, which along with others, started to plot for a Tunisia-like revolution in Egypt.
Comments on Ghonim's stance came from Egypt and beyond.
Nourhan Ramadan says [ar]:
Arab Spring adds:
#UnfollowedGhonimBecause he seems to care about ‘economy’ more human rights. He doesn't know economy prospers when u have human rights
And Karem Said explains:
i #UnfollowedGhonimBecause he has no vision for a revolutionary transformation of politics and the economy beyond promoting ICTs #egypt
Karima Momen continues:
I #UnfollowedGhonimBecause when i heard about the book. u've been the whole time imprisoned. what do u actually have to say in it!
Amira Khalil is more direct in her criticism and says:
i #UnfollowedGhonimBecause he's a sell-out. Falling for the “economic stability” manipulative tactic!! Forgetting what #Jan25 is all about.
Mohammed Al Daaysi from Bahrain tweets:
#UnfollowedGhonimBecause he became power/fame drunk – really unattractive considering he was just PART of the egyptian revolution.
Kuwaiti Mona Kareem adds:
nothing personal about #UnfollowedGhonimBecause and no one saying unpatriotic. It's just he's famous & he should speak against the army
And Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov continues:
I #UnfollowedGhonimBecause his tweets are incredibly corny & foster myths like “revolution 2.0″. Still have respect for what the guy did.
Others did not share this point of view.
M_Ibrahim_M notes:
Sherif El Saadani adds [ar]:
And Haisam Yehia concludes:
I find it so ironic that @Ghonim tweet of the day is: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation & 5 minutes to ruin it”. Today of all days.
Chirpinator shares a more comprehensive list of Twitter reactions here.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Ethiopia: Are “Land Grab” Deals a Path to Food Security? · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
This post was commissioned as part of a Pulitzer Center/Global Voices Online series on Food Insecurity. These reports draw on multimedia reporting featured on the Pulitzer Gateway to Food Insecurity and bloggers discussing the issues worldwide. Share your own story on food insecurity here.
The push by multinational corporations and foreign governments in recent years to obtain fertile land in African countries such as Ethiopia, Madagascar and Tanzania has spurred debate over whether the move will lead to development or is simply a “land grab” that further threatens the continent's food security.
Worku Mengiste, a farmer in Ethiopia's Ghibe valley. Image by Flickr user ILRI (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Land rush
There has been growing interest by foreign investors to buy or lease large areas of arable land in sub-Saharan Africa, either to grow food for their own countries or to export it for profit. The land rush has been triggered, says an article in South Africa's Mail & Guardian, by worldwide food shortages and food security concerns that followed oil price rises in 2008, water shortages and the European Union’s insistence that 10 percent of all transport fuel come from plant-based biofuels by 2015. Others say population growth is also a factor.
Investors say these acquisitions will fuel development, but opponents call the move a “land grab” that will threaten Africa's own food security and livelihood. Stacy Feldman, writing for SolveClimate News, elaborates on the situation:
Researchers revealed that foreign companies are buying or leasing vast chunks of land in Africa and elsewhere for their own use. In fact, up to 50 million acres have been sold off or soon will be. That's equivalent to about 25 percent of all the farmland in Europe. Much of that land is being bought by emerging nations to raise crops for their growing populations. These countries – China, India, South Korea and oil-rich Gulf states – have land and water constraints at home. They got burned by [the 2008] global food crisis and are turning to Africa as a food security blanket.
In Ethiopia, farmland is being bought or leased on an immense scale. The country has approved 815 foreign-financed agricultural projects since 2007 and land is being leased for approximately $1 per year for 2.5 acres, according to the Mail & Guardian. The country gave out 600,000 hectares (1.48 million acres) to foreign entities between 2004 and early 2009, according to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Meanwhile, Ethiopia remains one of the hungriest countries in the world. Earlier this year the Ethiopian government said some 2.8 million people are in need of emergency food aid in 2011. Forty-one percent of the population is undernourished. This paradox has angered some Ethiopians, including the women behind the blog Mitmita, who compare Ethiopia's prime minister, Meles Zenawi, to a goat:
Look at Prime Minister trying to convince everyone that he isn’t a land hording communist—it's a land giveaway! Are you a foreigner? Do you have cash? Well Melesocracy has a stimulus plan for you! The Mitmita Girls are quite familiar with a few project finance deals ourselves; from what we understand, in these intricate transactions, Third World governments in collaboration with First World financiers orchestrate what are tantamount to beads for Manhattan deals where like the Native Americans, ordinary Ethiopians are bilked out of inheriting our land because a man with an uncanny resemblance to a goat has sold it to the Chinese.
Tabor herb farm, Awassa, Ethiopia. Image by Flickr user Yigal Chamish (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Hi-tech stimulus?
But proponents of these land deals, including the Ethiopian government, say it will bring capital, technology, agricultural knowledge, infrastructure and lots of jobs to impoverished rural areas where subsistence farmers use low-tech tools. One government official, reported Fred de Sam Lazaro in a piece for PBS Newshour that was supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, says that Ethiopia has an abundance of land and barely five percent of it is being cultivated by the country's farmers.
Berhanu Kebede, Ethiopia's ambassador to the United Kingdom, said last month in The Guardian that the country must significantly develop mechanized agriculture to reach the development goals unveiled in Ethiopia's latest development plan, which aims for an average economic growth of 14.9 percent over a five-year period. A doubling of agricultural output, the plan says, will fuel that growth, and so the government has put aside 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land to be leased. The government says the country may not even need food aid within five years.
The blog Govindan Online, written by an former Indian diplomat, calls these land investments a welcome development:
Bringing in large areas of land under cultivation and building infrastructure will generate large scale employment even if these sectors are completely mechanized. Since land utilization in these continents is very low, compared to other continents, there is not going to be any ecological problems. It is also to be remembered that some European countries including Russia have sold/leased out land to foreigners with a view to increase local food grain production.
Speaking out against “land grabs”
Many farmers, land rights advocates, various reports and non-governmental organizations disagree. They call the situation a “land grab” that may lead to environmental destruction, displacement of small, local landholders, worker and resource exploitation, loss of livelihoods and food insecurity. Some say it's a new form of colonialism.
Many bloggers have also spoken out against the land grabs. Devinder Sharma, an Indian food and trade policy analyst blogging on Ground Reality, calls these foreign investors “food pirates.” Woldegb, commenting on Kebede's piece in The Guardian, says it is very unrealistic to believe that foreign investors can improve food security, and Nyikaw Ochalla, posting on Anyuak Media, refutes many of Kebede's claims.
Blog The Africanist says the deals will likely lead to violence and questions the logic of providing food aid to countries that are exporting food. Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, blogging on The Hunger and Undernutrition Blog, points out that little has been mandated to protect the land and the interests of local communities and Ellen Albritton, blogging on CMH 365: Public Health and Social Justice, questions the ethics of benefiting from food grown in Ethiopia while Ethiopians starve.
RAH, commenting on a post on the blog Brown Condor, says there are four questions that should first be answered:
Number One: Will this adversely affect Ethiopian farmers in any major way?
Number Two: Will these foreign countries/companies abuse and or harm the land in any way?
Number Three: Will this drastically cut the water supply to downstream nations that depend on water from the Nile?
Number Four: Will all of this NEW REVENUE truly benefit the people of Ethiopia or just mainly the government?
The FAO says little is still understood about the impact of these international land deals. In response, the organization is drawing up a code of conduct to bring equitable shares for all parties in these deals. Perhaps such a code will help offset what the blog Yene Ethiopia believes is the government's shortsightedness in approving such land deals:
The Ethiopian government makes it seem as if 50 or 100 years from now everything will be as it were before the lease. After producing under highly mechanized, intensive farming, the land will no longer be productive. The sizes being given away are not benign. Is there a plan beyond selling the land that will ensure a generation from now these farmers’ children will not be landless laborers?…Why not empower these people? Help them build cooperatives? Give them favorable loans? Help them get mechanized? No, that would require actually governing and would be hard work.
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

author: Juhie Bhatia


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India: Kerala Election Results With A Subtle Warning · Global Voices
Inji Pennu

As the new seven member state cabinet of Kerala is to be sworn in on Wednesday the 18th of May 2011 there are no obvious signs of celebrations across the ranks.
In the recent State Assembly Elections when the results were out on 13th of May 2011, Kerala was in the brink of creating history. The state has a long standing tradition of voting against the governing party. This time the race was very close, the winning party had to satisfy with just a few more additional seats for the 140 strong State Assembly. The UDF (United Democratic Front) won 72 seats and the LDF (Left Democratic Front) won 68 seats. Kerala is a highly politically active state, democratically electing the second Communist Government in the World after San Marino.
The lackluster victory has dampened the spirits of election watchers in the Internet world as well, as there are very few mention of both the victory and the defeat.
Prasanth M writes,
Kerala Congress Party Workers Celebrate. Image by author.
аҙӘаөҒаҙұаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаөҒ аҙӘаөӢаҙ•аөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁ аҙёаөјаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙҫаҙ°аҙҝаҙІаөҶ аҙ®аҙӨаөҚаҙёаҙ°аҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡ аҙ®аҙЁаөҚаҙӨаөҚаҙ°аҙҝаҙ®аҙҫаөјаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҚ аҙ•аҙҝаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙҝаҙҜ аҙӯаөӮаҙ°аҙҝаҙӘаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аҙӮ аҙ…аҙөаҙ°аөҒаҙҹаөҶ аҙӘаөҚаҙ°аҙөаөјаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙЁ аҙ®аҙҝаҙ•аҙөаҙҝаҙЁаөҒаҙіаөҚаҙі аҙёаҙҫаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аөҚаҙҜаҙӘаҙӨаөҚаҙ°аҙ®аҙҫаҙҜаҙҝ. аҙӯаҙ°аҙЈ аҙөаҙҝаҙ°аөҒаҙҰаөҚаҙ§ аҙөаҙҝаҙ•аҙҫаҙ°аҙ®аҙҝаҙІаөҚаҙІ аҙҺаҙЁаөҚаҙЁ аҙөаҙҫаҙҰаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙЁаөҒ аҙҮаҙӨаөҚ аҙ…аҙҹаҙҝаҙөаҙ°аҙҜаҙҝаҙҹаөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҒ. 2006аөҪ аҙӨаөӢаҙұаөҚаҙұ аҙ®аҙЁаөҚаҙӨаөҚаҙ°аҙҝаҙ®аҙҫаҙ°аҙҝаөҪ аҙ•аөҒаҙһаөҚаҙһаҙҫаҙІаҙҝ аҙ•аөҒаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙҝ, аҙ®аөҒаҙЁаөҖаөј, аҙ°аҙҫаҙ®аҙҡаҙЁаөҚаҙҰаөҚаҙ°аө» аҙ®аҙҫаҙёаөҚаҙұаөҚаҙұаөј, аҙҮ аҙҹаҙҝ аҙ®аөҒаҙ№аҙ®аөҚаҙ®аҙҰаөҚ аҙ¬аҙ·аөҖаөј аҙӨаөҒаҙҹаҙҷаөҚаҙҷаҙҝ аҙ’аҙ°аөҒ аҙЁаҙҝаҙ° аҙӨаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҶ аҙүаҙЈаөҚаҙҹаҙҫаҙҜаҙҝаҙ°аөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҒ аҙҺаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаҙӨаөҒ аҙёаөҚаҙ®аҙ°аҙЈаөҖаҙҜаҙӮ.
Chill_ara writes,
аҙ•аҙҹаөҒаҙӨаөҚаҙӨ аҙӘаөӢаҙ°аҙҫаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙ®аҙҫаҙҜаҙҝаҙ°аөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҒ!
аҙӘаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аөҮ аҙөаҙҝаҙҡаҙҫаҙ°аҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаҙӨаөҚ аҙӘаөӢаҙІаөҶ аҙЁаҙ®аөҚаҙ® аҙҹаөҖаҙӮ аҙӨаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҶ аҙ•аҙ·аөҚаҙҹаҙҝ аҙңаҙҜаҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаөҒ аҙ•аҙҜаҙұаҙҝ. аҙ®аөҶаҙёаөҚаҙёаөҮаҙңаөҚ аҙ•аөҚаҙіаҙҝаҙҜаҙұаҙҫаҙЈаөҚ..аҙ®аҙІаҙҜаҙҫаҙіаҙҝаҙ•аҙіаөҒаҙҹаөҶ “аҙ…аҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙ°аҙӘаөҚаҙӘаҙҡаөҚаҙҡ”аҙёаөҚаҙөаҙӯаҙҫаҙөаҙӮ аҙ®аҙҫаҙұаҙҝ аҙӨаөҒаҙҹаҙҷаөҚаҙҷаҙҝаҙҜаҙҝаҙ°аҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҒ..аҙ…аҙҙаҙҝаҙ®аҙӨаҙҝ аҙөаҙҝаҙ°аөҒаҙҰаөҚаҙ§аҙӨ, аҙҹаөҚаҙ°аҙҫаҙЁаөҚвҖҚаҙёаөҚаҙӘаөҶаҙ°аҙЁаөҚвҖҚаҙёаҙҝ, аҙЁаҙІаөҚаҙІ аҙӘаөҚаҙ°аҙөаҙ°аөҚвҖҚаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙЁаҙӮ аҙ®аөҒаҙӨаҙІаҙҫаҙҜаҙөаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙҫаҙЈаөҚ аҙ•аөӮаҙҹаөҒаҙӨаҙІаөҚвҖҚ аҙӘаөҚаҙ°аҙҫаҙ§аҙҫаҙЁаөҚаҙҜаҙӮ аҙҺаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҚ аҙҲ аҙҮаҙІаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аҙЁаөҚвҖҚ аҙ’аҙ°аөҒ аҙӘаҙ°аҙҝаҙ§аҙҝ аҙөаҙ°аөҶ аҙӨаөҶаҙіаҙҝаҙҜаҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҒ. UDF аҙЁаөҒ аҙҶаҙҳаөӢаҙ·аҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙҫаҙӮ, аҙ…аҙ№аөҚаҙІаҙҫаҙҰаҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙҫаҙӮ, аҙӘаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аөҮ аҙ®аҙұаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙ°аөҒаҙӨаөҚ…аҙ…аҙҹаөҒаҙӨаөҚаҙӨ аҙ…аҙһаөҚаҙҡаөҚ аҙ•аөҠаҙІаөҚаҙІаҙӮ аҙҸаҙӨаҙҫаҙҜаҙҫаҙІаөҒаҙӮ LDF аҙ•аөҠаҙЈаөҚаҙҹаөҒаҙӘаөӢаҙ•аөҒаҙӮ аҙҺаҙЁаөҚаҙЁ аҙ®аҙЁаөӢаҙӯаҙҫаҙөаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаөӢаҙҹаөҶаҙҜаөҒаҙіаөҚаҙі аҙӘаөҚаҙ°аҙөаҙ°аөҚвҖҚаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙЁаҙӮ аҙ®аҙҫаҙұаөҚаҙұаҙҝ, аҙ’аҙЁаөҚаҙЁаҙҫаҙһаөҚаҙһаөҒ аҙӘаҙҝаҙҹаҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаҙҫаҙІаөҚвҖҚ аҙ…аҙҹаөҒаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙӨаөҚ аҙ•аөӮаҙҹаҙҝ аҙҮаҙҷаөҚаҙҷаөҚ аҙӘаөӢаҙ°аөҒаҙӮ. аҙөаҙҙаҙҝ аҙ•аҙҫаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙҝаҙҜ LDF аҙЁаөҒ аҙЁаҙЁаөҚаҙҰаҙҝ!
Najim Kochukalunk writes,
аҙңаҙЁаҙӮ аҙҮаҙӨаөҚаҙ° аҙӘаҙ•аөҚаҙөаҙӨаҙ®аөҒаҙұаөҚаҙұаҙҝаҙҜаҙөаҙ°аҙҫаҙҜаҙҝ аҙ®аҙҫаҙұаҙҝаҙҜаөҶаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҚ аҙӘаҙӨаҙҝаҙөаөҒ аҙңаҙҫаҙІаҙөаҙҝаҙҰаөҚаҙҜаҙ•аҙіаөҒаҙ®аҙҫаҙҜаҙҝ аҙӨаөҶаҙ°аҙһаөҚаҙһаөҶаҙҹаөҒаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаөҒ аҙ—аөӢаҙҰаҙҜаҙҝаҙІаөҶаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаөҒаҙ®аөҚаҙӘаөӢаҙіаөҚвҖҚ аҙҮаҙөаҙ°аҙҫаҙ°аөҒаҙӮ аҙ•аҙ°аөҒаҙӨаҙҝаҙҜаҙҝаҙ°аөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаҙҝаҙІаөҚаҙІ. аҙ…аҙӨаҙҫаҙЈаөҚ аҙӘаөҚаҙ°аҙӨаөҖаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаҙӨаөҚаҙ° аҙ•аҙҝаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙҝаҙҜаҙҝаҙІаөҚаҙІаөҶаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҚ аҙүаҙ®аөҚаҙ®аҙЁаөҚвҖҚ аҙҡаҙҫаҙЈаөҚаҙҹаҙҝаҙҜаөҒаҙӮ аҙӘаөҚаҙ°аҙӨаөҖаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаҙҝаҙҹаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаөӢаҙіаҙӮ аҙҺаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙҜаҙҝаҙІаөҚаҙІаөҶаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҚ аҙөаҙҝ.аҙҺаҙёаөҒаҙӮ аҙҰаөҖаҙ°аөҚвҖҚаҙҳаҙЁаҙҝаҙ¶аөҚаҙөаҙҫаҙёаҙ®аҙҜаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаҙӨаөҚ. аҙ¶аҙ°аҙҝаҙҜаҙҫаҙҜ аҙңаҙЁаҙөаҙҝаҙ§аҙҝ аҙҮаҙӨаҙҫаҙЈаөҚ. аҙ’аҙ°аөҒ аҙЁаөӮаҙІаөҚвҖҚаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаҙҫаҙІаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙЁаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаөҒаҙұаҙөаөҒаҙ®аҙҝаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаөҒаҙұаҙөаөҒаҙӮ аҙЁаҙҝаҙұаөҒаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙҜаөҒаҙіаөҚаҙі аҙ•аҙіаҙҝ. аҙ“аҙ°аөӢ аҙҮаҙһаөҚаҙҡаҙҝаҙІаөҒаҙӮ аҙёаөӮаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аөҚаҙ®аҙӨ аҙӘаөҒаҙІаҙ°аөҚвҖҚаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙҜаҙҝаҙІаөҚаҙІаөҶаҙҷаөҚаҙ•аҙҝаҙІаөҚвҖҚ аҙӨаөҶаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаҙҝ аҙ…аҙ—аҙҫаҙ§аҙӨаҙҜаҙҝаҙІаөҮаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҚ аҙӘаҙӨаҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҒаҙ®аөҶаҙЁаөҚаҙЁ аҙ’аҙ°аөҒаҙіаөҚвҖҚаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙҝаҙҹаҙҝаҙІаҙӮ аҙӯаҙ°аҙЈаҙҫаҙ§аҙҝаҙ•аҙҫаҙ°аҙҝаҙ•аҙіаөҶ аҙЁаөҮаҙ°аөҶ аҙЁаҙҹаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙҫаҙЁаөҚвҖҚ аҙӘаөҚаҙ°аөҮаҙ°аҙҝаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҒаҙӮ.
Biju C.P writes,
аҙӨаҙҝаҙ°аҙһаөҚаҙһаөҶаҙҹаөҒаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаөҚвҖҢ- аҙңаҙҜаҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаҙӨаөҚвҖҢ аҙңаҙЁаҙҷаөҚаҙҷаҙіаөҚвҖҚ аҙ®аҙҫаҙӨаөҚаҙ°аҙӮ
аҙөаҙҝаҙөаҙҝаҙ§ аҙ°аҙҫаҙ·аөҚаҙҹаөҚаҙ°аөҖаҙҜ аҙ•аҙ•аөҚаҙ·аҙҝаҙ•аҙіаөҒаҙӮ аҙёаҙ®аөҒаҙҰаҙҫаҙҜ аҙ¶аҙ•аөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙ•аҙіаөҒаҙ®аөҠаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҶ аҙҡаөҮаҙ°аөҚвҖҚаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҚвҖҢ аҙӘаҙ°аҙҫаҙңаҙҜаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаөҶаҙҹаөҒаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҫаҙЁаөҚвҖҚ аҙ¶аөҚаҙ°аҙ®аҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаөҶаҙҷаөҚаҙ•аҙҝаҙІаөҒаҙӮ аҙ®аҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ• аҙ°аҙҫаҙ·аөҚаҙҹаөҚаҙ°аөҖаҙҜ аҙ•аҙ•аөҚаҙ·аҙҝаҙ•аҙіаөҶаҙҜаөҒаҙӮ аҙӘаҙ°аҙҫаҙңаҙҜаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаөҶаҙҹаөҒаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҠаҙЈаөҚаҙҹаөҚвҖҢ аҙ•аөҮаҙ°аҙі аҙңаҙЁаҙӨ аҙҲ аҙӨаҙҝаҙ°аҙһаөҚаҙһаөҶаҙҹаөҒаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаҙҝаҙІаөҚвҖҚ аҙөаҙҝаҙңаҙҜаҙӮ аҙЁаөҮаҙҹаҙҝаҙҜаҙҝаҙ°аҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҒаҙ•аҙҜаҙҫаҙЈаөҚвҖҢ. аҙ•аөҮаҙ°аҙіаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙЁаөҚаҙұаөҶ аҙӘаөҠаҙӨаөҒ аҙ®аҙЁаҙёаөҚаҙёаөҚвҖҢ аҙҮаҙҹаҙӨаөҒ аҙӘаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙЁаөҠаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаҙӮ аҙЁаҙҝаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҶаҙҷаөҚаҙ•аҙҝаҙІаөҒаҙӮ аҙ…аҙӨаҙӮаҙ—аөҖаҙ•аҙ°аҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аҙҫаҙЁаөӢ аҙңаҙЁаҙҷаөҚаҙҷаҙіаөҚвҖҚаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҠаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаҙ®аөҶаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҫаҙЁаөӢ аҙҮаҙҹаҙӨаөҒ аҙ®аөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаҙЈаҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҒ аҙ•аҙҙаҙҝаҙһаөҚаҙһаҙҝаҙІаөҚаҙІаөҶаҙҷаөҚаҙ•аҙҝаҙІаөҒаҙӮ аҙөаҙҝаҙңаҙҜаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙЁаөҚаҙұаөҶ аҙ•аҙҫаҙ°аөҚаҙҜаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙІаөҚвҖҚ аҙңаҙЁаҙҷаөҚаҙҷаҙіаөҚвҖҚ аҙ®аөҒаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаҙҝаҙІаөҚвҖҚаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙЁаөҚаҙЁаөҶаҙҜаҙҫаҙЈаөҚвҖҢ.
He adds:
аҙ•аөҮаҙ°аҙіаөҖаҙҜ аҙёаөҚвҖҢаҙӨаөҚаҙ°аөҖ аҙёаҙ®аөӮаҙ№аҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙЁаөҚаҙұаөҶ аҙӘаҙ°аҙҫаҙңаҙҜаҙӮ
аҙ•аөҒаҙһаөҚаҙһаҙҫаҙІаҙҝаҙ•аөҚаҙ•аөҒаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙҝаҙҜаөҒаҙӮ аҙңаөӢаҙёаҙ«аөҒаҙӮ аҙүаҙіаөҚвҖҚаҙӘаөҚаҙӘаөҶаҙҹаөҶаҙҜаөҒаҙіаҙіаҙөаҙ°аөҚвҖҚ аҙөаҙЁаөҚвҖҚ аҙӯаөӮаҙ°аҙҝаҙӘаҙ•аөҚаҙ·аҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙІаөҚвҖҚ аҙөаҙҝаҙңаҙҜаҙҝаҙҡаөҚаҙҡаөҒ. аҙөаөӢаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙ°аөҚвҖҚаҙ®аҙҫаҙ°аөҒаҙҹаөҶ аҙ•аөӮаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙІаөҚвҖҚ 50 аҙ¶аҙӨаҙ®аҙҫаҙЁаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙІаҙ§аҙҝаҙ•аҙӮ аҙёаөҚвҖҢаҙӨаөҚаҙ°аөҖаҙ•аҙіаҙҫаҙЈаөҶаҙҷаөҚаҙ•аҙҝаҙІаөҒаҙӮ аҙҺаҙӮаҙҺаҙІаөҚвҖҚ аҙҺаҙ®аҙҫаҙ°аөҒаҙҹаөҶ аҙ•аөӮаҙҹаөҚаҙҹаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаҙҝаҙІаөҚвҖҚ аҙ…аҙһаөҚаҙҡаөҒ аҙ¶аҙӨаҙ®аҙҫаҙЁаҙӨаөҚаҙӨаөӢаҙіаҙ®аөҮаҙҜаөҒаҙіаөҚаҙіаөӮ аҙёаөҚвҖҢаҙӨаөҚаҙ°аөҖаҙ•аҙіаөҚвҖҚ.
The historical defeat of the communist party in West Bengal, the massive victory of Jay Lalitha in Tamil Nadu and the saving grace of Kerala all sends out a clear message to the political parties. People are fed up of the usual gimmicks of money and muscle power; they are rejecting corruption and speaking up finally for their rights. Politicians kindly take note.

author: Inji Pennu


text:
India: Lessons Learnt In The Assembly Elections · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rajesh Jain at Emergic writes about the lessons learnt after the results of the assembly elections in five Indian states.

author: Rezwan


text:
Kazakhstan: Suicide Bombing Hits Provincial Office of Nation’s Security Service · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Yesterday, 17 May, 2011, a suicide bomber exploded himself at the entrance to the regional office of the National Security Committee in Aktobe, a provincial center in Western Kazakhstan. Four people were injured in the blast.
This is the first case of suicide bombing in Kazakhstan, a country known for its inter-ethnic tolerance and for boasting its stability in the uneasy region of Central Asia. Extremists have allegedly been trying to penetrate the country, and occasionally the Kazakh authorities report on arrests of criminal groups that are close to religious extremist groups, like Hizb-ut-Takhrir, and non-traditional Islam groupings.
Megakhuimyak blames [ru] the authorities for employing the “police socialism” model in politics, i.e. the tactics of distracting the society's attention from political fight via institutions, controlled by the state:
[The government] was warned many times not to play with this, but they never listened, and now they get the first suicide bomber […] Isn't that cool. Why didn't the authorities start checking the imams [Islamic leaders] 10 years ago and stop flirting with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia? Now we don't have enough balls to run a full-scale counter-terror [campaign]
Epolet reminds [ru] about the extremism background of the Aktobe province:
Aktobe Court sentenced six locals to 12-17 years in jail for terrorism on September 24, 2009. They were planning to attack foreign oil investors.
Promodj also recollects [ru] that:
recently they told in the news about terrorist camps in West Kazakhstan. There was a joint operation by the Russian and Kazakh special services […] If this is a terrorist act, the authorities would hardly admit it, while terrorists have demonstrated that they can stage a blast near the National Security Committee's office, which would obviously rise the citizens’ anxiety.
“Aktobe is horrified. Apparently, the officer on duty did not let the bomber to enter the building and the blast burst at the entrance. The city is agitated, police cordons everywhere”, danik-akpan reports [ru]from Aktobe.
Gulim Amirkhanova from the citizen media website newreporter.kz writes [ru]:
The blast at 10 a.m. was made by suicide bomber Rakhimzhan Makhatov, 25, citizen of Kazakhstan. He has died […] Internet search returns one link on him, a report on Aktobe music school and about Makhatov as a gifted student: “in 2001 he became a laureate of ‘Zhas Kanat’ [musical competition]”
The discussion in Twitter with hashtags #aktobe and #vzryvkz is pretty sluggish. Facebook users are more active, drawing parallels with the recent explosion in Minsk [Belarus] and reminding that West Kazakhstan has been known for growing radicalism tendencies.
Poops is skeptical [ru]:
It's strange that he attacked National Security Committee… Usually, the goal of terrorists is to intimidate the civilian population by blowing up public transportation, squares and other public areas. Blasts in the buildings of state bodies are commonly perceived as revenge to the power for some unfair or illegal actions.
A spokesman for the General Prosecutor's office told [ru] at the news conference that “Makhatov, suspected of committing several offenses as part of organized criminal group, blew himself up with the purpose to evade the liability”.
The OSCE Chair, Audronius Ažubalis, condemned a suicide bomb attack, calling it a “terrorist act”.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Malaysia: Tweets on the Acid Splasher · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The following message has flooded social media sites in Malaysia in the past several days:
@MelordeLicious: RT @DianaDanielleB: “@nourishamy: Acid splasher on the run,plate no : MAC1841 n WPV4963…ALERT!!! Spread this msg.. -“
But it was a case of false rumor mongering, according to the police. The acid attack, however, is true. In fact, more than 20 cases of acid splashing have been reported already in Kuala Lumpur since March.
More than 20 cases of acid splashing have been reported in Kuala Lumpur since March. Image by Flickr user maticulous (CC BY 2.0).
The issue has scared a lot of residents which prompted the health ministry to announce that corrosive substances like acid will be more strictly regulated. The Cabinet is also set to tackle the problem.
Here are some tweet reactions:
@AleefaMansor: I hope they catch the f*tard acid splasher alrdy..whn I walk alone I get paranoid every time a motorbike passes me!
@Zu878: @kamraslan When will the Acid Splasher be caught? We in M'sia live in fear terrorised by acid-totting motorcyclists, not Al-Qaeda. Silly!
@norulembab: Just got back from school and why is there balai polis bergerak at the bus stop? I'm guessing waiting for acid man to come?
@Maxsterism: @ASTOROBREAK Actually, my main concern is how did the splasher get such easy access to acid… -___-;;
@sameblackshoes: RT @sheerakhairudin: Dear world, good night. Tomorrow, i have ppl to defend, a country to save (?) and an acid splasher to avoid
@tweetingcary: Im thinking this acid splasher thing is a political controversy.Do u really think the cops cant catch the guys when theres so many evidence?
@kyu_mylurve: RT @xuriatee: Why would you wanna splash acid at random women you see in the street? You are so retarded
@Kahyee_H: N i really can't believe that there's people who doesn't know about the acid splasher case. like WTF. R u living under the rock?
Syed Akbar Ali gives a tip on how to catch the culprit:
This is not the first time more than one victim was attacked almost at the same time. I think the reason is because the culprit buys his acid from somewhere and he has to finish the entire batch in one day. Hence the multiple attacks. He has no place to store the acid or he does not want to take the acid home. If the Police can trace the acid and who are the suppliers they may be able to trace the culprit.
LvLiaety Rose echoes the sentiments of many residents in the city
What is his motive doing so? revenge on girls? Whatever his reason is really unacceptable! He only deserve a punishment which equal to what he did to all the victims!
Tekkaus wonders why the police has been slow in capturing the ‘acid man’
I wonder how come this crazy man can be roaming free on our streets just like that? What have our corrupt police been doing besides lustfully raiding  those vice dens and massage parlous to catch prostitutes in the act?

author: Mong Palatino


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Nepal: Social Media As A Civic Activism Tool · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

Following events in the Middle East and in India, where young people harnessed the power of social media to achieve civic goals, Nepali youngsters concerned about the country's political chaos are eagerly embracing this technology.
On Saturday May 7, 2011, hundreds gathered at a public square in Kathmandu demanding that the constitution be drafted by the May 28 deadline. This event was unique to Nepali activism and political scene because social networking site Facebook played vital role in organizing and encouraging the participants.
Human chain by Nepali protesters. Image courtesy Nepal Diary.
Pradeep Kumar Singh at NepaliBlogger said that this  new approach towards activism and organizing is certainly a path-breaking event for Nepal.
I am not sure how many of you among nine thousands that responded to attend this (Come on Youth, Stand Up!) event on Facebook actually went for this event, but still this was definitely a huge one! Nepali Youths organized a peace rally in Kathmandu, today to pressurize the leaders to give full commitment to the constitution writing process and to aware every youth (sic) to raise voice against every misdeed of the leaders.
NepalUnites organized the protest rally. Unlike traditional brick and mortar groups which function offline through traditional communication medium and have still not integrated social media into their operation, NepalUnites is very active at Facebook,Twitter and YouTube. This has helped them reach youth audience, in Nepal and also among non-resident Nepali communities.
Lex Limbu, a full time student who blogs mostly about culture and music, is organizing a similar event in London along with Pradeep Kumar Singh. Under the banner of Nepal Unites London, they are organizing a protest meet on May 27 in front of the Nepali Embassy in London.
If you at home wish to take part in this then please don't think twice and just come and attend the event. While you're at it, why not come with some home-made posters and banners with simple slogans and message's urging the government to ‘Act Up’ or ‘No Work, No Pay’.
We love to complain about the situation in Nepal, blame our politicians and the political frame so I hope all those people who actively blame can take a break from blaming from home but join us – to be a bigger force, to unite and send the message back home. At the end, we shall hand over a letter to the embassy.
Image courtesy Nepal Diary.
While these events are getting positive coverage in the Nepali and international mainstream media, some are not amused. At Mysansar, a popular Nepali blog, Deepak Aryal compared the youngsters who organized and participated in the rally as “fraudsters”:
आफूमात्र ठीक र राम्रो देख्‍दै सभ्यता, इमान्दारिता वा नैतिकता र सदाचारको ढोंग रचेर हामीहरूले अरूलाई गाली गर्न सक्छौं र गरिरहेका छौं, तर हामीले आफ्नो उत्तरदायित्व कति निभाएका छौं? हामी कति इमान्दार र कति ठीक छौं? त्यो कसले जाँच्ने हो? त्यसको वारेमा कसले फेसबुकमा आन्दोलन गरिदिने हो? माथिल्लो क्लासका मान्छेलाई फेसबुकमा अरूलाई गाली गर्न र सुझाव दिन फुर्सद छैन अनि तल्लो वर्गलाई त्यसमाथिको पहुँच छैन।
Aryal views the Facebook revolt phenomena as part of class wars going on in Nepali society. C K Lal, a prominent columnist, echoed similar sentiments through his column at My Republica. His assertion that the protesting youth somehow mirrored Kathmandu's feared gang members has raised many eyebrows.
It was a motley crowd of about hundred to two hundred youngsters. Most of them were in trendy slacks and t-shirts. One demonstrator had made up his hairs to resemble the famed mane of late-lamented Satya Sai Baba (May his soul rest in peace) and apparently did not believe in shouting slogans. Cheerleaders of the rally appeared to be mostly UML-types: The kind who are protected and patronized by Chakre Milan and Dinesh Adhikari Chari, the Marxist-Leninist strongmen of Kathmandu valley.
Judging the vastly different reaction to the Facebook organized rally, it is clear that a tussle inspired by cold war era views on class war, is underway in Nepal. The dislike that Facebook is receiving from a section of Nepali society is not just antagonism towards technology, it represents deeper dissatisfaction towards the perceived class rift.

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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Panama: Remembering Raúl Leis · Global Voices
Clotilde Castillo

On April 30, 2011, Panamanian sociologist and writer Raúl Leis unexpectedly passed away.
After his death, biographies and reviews have been published in newspapers and blogs, all  highlighting his achievements, contributions and commitment to Panamanian society. There are also emotional words of farewell and  reminders of his legacy.
In newspaper La Prensa, Daniel Domínguez [es] explains why Raúl Leis was a ‘complete’ author, and he describes his achievements in several literary genres.
Photo of Raúl Leis, used with Raúl Leis Arce's permission.
Literary blogs Minitextos [es] and Directorio de Escritores Vivos de Panamá [es] updated his biography, where readers can also find his trajectory and thus understand the feelings of all those familiar with his work.
But besides biographies and lists of achievements, bloggers are also discussing the mark that he left behind.
In the blog Internatural [es], Edilberto González Trejos describes how he reacted to the news on May 1:
me sorprende en Argentina, como un golpe bajo, como una mala pasada del hado, la noticia del fallecimiento de RAÚL LEIS.
González Trejos [es] remembers the last time he saw him, highlighting his character and the feelings his death leaves behind:
Lúcido, de trato afable, comprometido y sensible ante el entorno en que le tocó vivir, fue referencia vital desde mis años de secundaria.
Con aquel vacío de la gente valiosa, necesaria que se nos va, no queda si no afrontar los compromisos de mi generación, nuestra generación, tomar la posta.
Lucid, affable, committed and sensitive to the environment in which he lived, he was a vital reference from my high school years.
With this void of valuable, necessary people that leave us, there is no other option but to meet the commitments of my generation, our generation, ‘take the baton’.
The news also reached Spanish journalist Francisco Gomez Nadal abroad, who was deported at the end of February of this year and who, in his blog elmalcontento [es], regrets he could not be in Panama:
Si me hubiera ido por propia voluntad de Panamá, hoy estaría en Panamá. Habría agarrado un vuelo el lunes, al saber de la estúpida muerte de un amigo, no para tratar de llegar a lo ya imposible, sino para estar cerca de los que quedamos vivos.
Gómez Nadal also wrote about his legacy in an article for Otramerica [es], pointing out that:
Su actividad académica ha sido de una intensidad fecunda y su implicación en los organismos de la vida civil panameña permanente.
In the blog Panamanian Literature Today [es], Jose Luis Rodríguez Pitty shares the grief of relatives and friends, posts a biography and links to two short stories by Raúl Leis.
In Medio Cerrado [es], Joao Q writes “Remembering Professor Raúl Leis”. The author shares his impressions on the day he had the opportunity to talk to Raúl Leis. He talks about his ability to explain a complicated topic in simple and humorous terms, making it as simple as “2 and 2 equals 4″ [es]. Joao tells of a piece of advice “the professor” gave him once and,
que me he tomado muy en serio desde entonces: “Hay que dedicar tiempo a la familia y a la recreación. Muchos compañeros (as)  han perdido la cordura y la salud emocional por dejar eso en segundo plano”.
Through  articles, biographies, posts and comments that have been written about this intellectual, his achievements are revealed in the literary field, with  prizes such as the Ricardo Miró in Panamá [es] and the Plural in Mexico, among others;  his plays that were performed and published;  his  professional achievements; his role in Panamanian Civil  Society and above all, his impact on those who personally knew him and  who have the motivation to turn learning into positive action.
As a tribute to his life, the Leis Arce family recently published a website [es] with the work of Raúl Leis. In it, his son Raúl Leis Arce explains:
Esta página es una de las últimas voluntades de mi padre Raul Leis Romero. Un homenaje a su vida, su labor y su ejemplo. Esta página será construida con la mayoría de sus obras y con los aportes de todas aquellas personas que lo admiraron, respetaron y quisieron en todo el mundo. Muchas Gracias a todos.
In Medio Cerrado [es], the author concludes by sharing:
Finalmente, hay que decirlo, aunque ahora pueda sonar un poco trillado: Raúl Leis no ha muerto, allí tenemos a la mano sus artículos de opinión, sus libros, sus obras teatrales, que harán inmortales sus ideas cada vez que las leamos, no está de más decir que en estos tiempos de injusticia aquellas letras no pueden quedar a merced de las polillas y el polvo.

author: Clotilde Castillo


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Puerto Rico: A Cry for Justice, No More Violence Against Women  · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

This year in Puerto Rico, 15 women (two more cases are under investigation) have been murdered by their partners or ex partners. In the context of a population of almost 4 million people, the Caribbean country has one of the highest rates in the world of women murdered by their partners, spouses, ex partners or ex spouses.*
These women are not simple numbers; they are friends, sisters, mothers, daughters, colleagues, neighbors.
Pervasive violence
"Verbal, Sexual or Institutional: All are Forms of Violence."
Violence against women has become pervasive. On the state level, there are a string of examples. The pioneering Law against Domestic Violence (Law 54 of 1989 [es]) has come under attack by recent court decisions that could leave many women without the special protections this law offers.
Recently, two high ranking police officers were accused of domestic violence against their spouses. In a student strike at the University of Puerto Rico, police officers were filmed sexually harassing female protesters [es].
The pro-statehood governor Luis Fortuño, has promoted the controversial campaign ‘Promise Keepers‘, a program criticized for its religious and conservative perspective. The government recently revised the guides for establishing child pensions without considering that 58% of the heads of households are women who live under the poverty line [es], according to the Census.**
The home has become one of the most dangerous places for women in Puerto Rico. The chilling statistics are evidence of this. But in the midst of such desolation, women are also struggling and resisting.
The feminist coalition Movimiento Amplio de Mujeres de Puerto Rico [es] has organized public demonstrations, events, and artistic performances to raise awareness on violence against women. The Movimiento is formed by organizations and individuals involved in an array of social justice issues, against sexism, racism, homophobia, poverty, and xenophobia.
Reflections
Feminist bloggers have also continued their activism through their blogs and social media networks. Although published a while ago, we include excerpts of some of their posts that formed part of the Second Blogging Event: No More Violence Against Women [es], coordinated by Verónica RT, Nahomi Galindo [es] and Global Voices, Puerto Rico. This edition was dedicated to the topic of gender, sexism and the media.
Professor Nereida Rodríguez advocates for using online platforms [es]s for fostering an education focused on justice and equality:
Este proceso puede generarse a través de comunidades de aprendices virtuales que compartan, dialoguen, eduquen y comuniquen por medio de una bitácora electrónica (blog o weblog), periódicos y radio digital, o a través de redes sociales para mantener informados y concienciar a la ciudadanía a favor de la mujer y en contra de la violencia.
María del Mar Vázquez Rodríguez reflects on the power of advertising [es]:
Como consecuencia de la exposición continua a la publicidad sexista, tenemos individuos, hombres y mujeres programados con prejuicios e ideas que funcionan como códigos de conducta social, a los que respondemos más por condicionamiento que por instinto genuino. Sin embargo, nos han convencido de que “nacemos” con dichas características y que éstas son inherentes y “naturales”. Un simple hecho biológico, como lo es el sexo al cual pertenecemos, se convierte en todo un carnaval social de suposiciones sobre el carácter de cada cual.
Kayla S. criticizes [es] the media's double standards:
Es cierto que nos conmueve ver en las noticias la cobertura de un acto violento contra la mujer. Nos indigna. Pero por otro lado, ¿cómo puede eso competir con la perpetuidad que ofrecen los medios de comunicación a la violencia física, emocional, mental y sexual contra la mujer?  Para que los medios sean de apoyo al movimiento que hoy nos une en esta jornada de palabras, tienen que comenzar a depurar  los programas que presentan al público televidente. Deben frenar la violencia mediática.
Nahomi Galindo reflects [es] on how the Telecommunications Regulatory Board of Puerto Rico censored one of Calle 13's songs, while ignoring the many instances of racism, sexism and homophobia in the media:
Ojalá y estuviese más alerta a como se reproducen, se refuerzan, y se representan las desigualdades de género, y más aún, la violencia machista. Algunas personas me dirán que le estoy pidiendo peras al olmo. Pero se trata precisamente de eso; de no conformarnos; de no resignarnos, de exigir peras; aunque nosotr@s mismos tengamos que sembrarlas para cosecharlas.
Verónica Rivera Torres and Aníbal Rosario Lebrón [es] analyze the importance of language and of using more powerful concepts to describe violence against women:
[…} Feminicido no sólo incluye los asesinatos, las violaciones y los maltratos de las mujeres por parte de los hombres, sino que incluye también como actor de la violencia al Estado que maltrata a las mujeres a través de lo que se conoce como la violencia institucional. El término de feminicido ha sido una aportación latinoamericana a la lucha en contra de la violencia machista. Fue propulsado por la feminista mexicana Marcela Lagarde y ha sido adoptado ya por varios movimientos feminista como los de Nicaragua, Perú, Guatemala y Colombia.
The organizers also recognized the groundbreaking work of the many editors and reporters in Puerto Rico dedicated to foster justice and equality through journalism. For a complete list of the entries submitted to the Second Blogging Event: No More Violence Against Women please read here [es].
* For a complete study on global statistics of domestic violence see Centro Reina Sofia's research [es].
** This multi-level analysis was taken from the feminist scholar and social worker Diana Valle Ferrer presented in a conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico (full disclosure: Valle Ferrer is the author's mother).

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Russia: Church of Scientology in Moscow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

English Russia re-posts and translates LJ user ottenki-serogo‘s photo report [ru; over 1,300 comments] on the Church of Scientology in Moscow.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Pictures of Skolkovo Center Design Projects · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Popular photoblogger Ilya Varlamov (zyalt) posted pictures of design proposals for Skolkovo research center, Russian equivalent of Silicon Valley. English Russia has English translation of zyalt's post.

author: Vadim Isakov


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South Korea: Cartoons Commemorating the Gwangju Massacre on May 18 · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

May 18 is the day a mass democratization movement took place in Gwangju city, South Korea. The military regime ruthlessly clamped down the movement and over a hundred innocent civilians were killed. The nation's famous cartoonist, Kang Pull drew  cartoons commemorating this tragic history in order to enlighten youth with poor understanding of recent history.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Sri Lanka: Buddhism And Its Impact On Governance · Global Voices
Rezwan

A Concerned Citizen at Groundviews criticizes the Sri Lankan leadership’s aggressively defensive behaviour on many issues, which do not represent what the Buddha taught.


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U.S.V.I., St. Vincent & the Grenadines: The Caribbean Through a Camera  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A Nation or Nobody admires the work of Nadia Huggins, whom he describes as “one of the artists who is bringing an authentic Caribbean voice to digital photography.”


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World: FIFA Election – House of Knaves or Knights?  · Global Voices
Richard Wanjohi

The last few months football fans  (soccer fans for those in the United States) have been treated to some really interesting times.
The latest is the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) election, which comes at a time when one of the most powerful non-governmental bodies (that scares even nations’ leaders – ask President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria) and is almost a law unto itself, has suddenly started looking vulnerable.
This is thanks in part to revelations by Britain’s Lord Richard Triesman as captured by NottheFootyShow here:
Lord Triesman, the former FA and England 2018 World Cup bid Chairman has come out guns blazing in the Culture, Media and Sport Committee at the House of Commons in London. His accusations into the corruption surrounding the World Cup Hosting rights will not surprise many, but it is sure to make the upcoming FIFA elections all the more interesting
Real Madrid CF Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Image by Flickr user marcp_dmoz (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
The blogger continues:
Triesman gave evidence of “improper and unethical behaviour,” by serial FIFA bad boy Vice President Jack Warner who reportedly put his hand out for money to build an education centre in Trinidad, with cash to go through him, and money to buy Haiti World Cup TV rights, also to go through him. Mr Warner comes out badly in two books on corruption in FIFA – “How they stole the game” and “Foul” – and funding for similar ventures have not seen the facilities intended built
And in total disregards of the claims and seeking to support the incumbent candidate, FIFA’s Vice President Jack Warner (from Trinidad & Tobago) is quoted in BajanSunOnline.com saying:
An election is not a popularity contest and as the world still grapples with shifting economic realities we must ensure that our sport is in a position to withstand any uncertainty.”…. “One must examine all that is proposed; how do you expand football? How do you continue to touch the lives of those who have been denied the opportunity to witness the beauty and simplicity of this game?
TheBigLead makes fun of Sepp Blatter and his mission of ‘saving FIFA and ultimately the universe’:
Sepp Blatter is running for reelection as FIFA’s president. He sent an open letter to fans spelling out his simple, direct case for his candidacy. He believes failure to reelect him will create a “tectonic movement” that will cause FIFA to “be sucked into a black hole.” Said chasm will precipitate “irreversible damage” destroying the organization and, possibly, soccer itself. Apparently, Blatter hires his PR flacks in North Korea.
TheBigLead quotes from some of the correspondence Mr. Blatter shared with the football associations as he sought to get their direction in way of voting:
Is the situation really that dramatic?” you ask. The answer is yes, in theory it is. I am confident I will be able to win the elections with a clear majority of two-thirds of the votes. South America, North America, Europe, Oceania and a considerable part of Africa and Asia will continue to support my ideas. However it is still worth considering what the alternative would be: no one.
Caughtoffside.com (what an appropriate name!) questions Sepp Blatter's ability to run FIFA:
Would you buy a used car from this man, let alone want him running the football’s most world governing body?
Responding to Blatter's solution to FIFA's controversial voting process, Caughtoffside says:
Sepp Blatter is basically admitting that FIFA needs change and that he will definitely look into fixing the problem the moment he is re-elected, which is of course incredibly convenient as previously he said no change was needed. Anyone believe what he is saying?
The reigning FIFA president has stated his desire to adopt an IOC style system for deciding on hosts of major tournaments but what is to stop Blatter from changing his mind once he was once again re-elected? FIFA needs change but it’s pretty much a closed shop and no one stands much of a chance of executing real change in the hugely corrupt body.
Arunava writes about Mohammed bin Hammam, the only other candidate challenging Sepp Blatter, and his recent visit to India:
Current FIFA president Joseph S. Blatter from Switzerland will be facing competition from Qatari Mohammed bin Hamman, the president of the Asian Football Confederation. The 61 year old Mohammed bin Hamman in his capacity as AFC president was in New Delhi last week to update himself on the latest in Indian football as well as speak to the heads of the South Asian Football Federation which represents the eight nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Caughoffside explains why it would be very difficult for Mohammed Bin Hammam to win:
I would imagine that the biggest obstacle to Mohamed Bin Hammam’s election hopes is his insistence that he will throw the doors open and make FIFA a more transparent place and whilst we the onlookers would love such an act to occur, those ensconced in the regime are not likely to be quite so keen. Therefore it would take something of a miracle for anyone but Sepp Blatter to win the presidential race.
The expression “Turkey’s voting for Christmas” has never been quite so relevant.
JohninParis is not optimistic about Blatter's promise to create a ‘clean reorganised FIFA’:
Sepp Blatter wants to oversee the promised reorganisation of FIFA, which of course he did not have time to do during the last 12 years. In previous articles (see this blog dated May 1) it was suggested that a real debate between these two candidates should take place on television and that both candidates should clearly state what they wanted to achieve as President. This simple and practical idea was not taken up.  One can only infer that during the coming years nothing important will change;  things will simply go on as before!
Whichever way, let’s see how the run-up to the election unfolds and what happens next. Wishing all the candidates all the best in their endeavours.

author: Richard Wanjohi


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Mexico: President Felipe Calderon´s Twitter Use  · Global Voices
Felipe Cordero

Pepe Flores [es], writer for ALT1040 [es], reflects on how President Felipe Calderon has used Twitter since he first joined. He points that the Presidency sees sees this medium as a way to inform citizens [es], but not to initiate or participate in conversations that are critical of his performance.

author: Felipe Cordero


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Brazil: Poisoning Homeless People · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Luana dos Santos denounces [pt] several attempts of killing homeless people in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with poisoned food and drinks.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Brazil: Police Crackdown on Street Performer · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Hugo Albuqueque from the blog O Descurvo, posts a video report [pt] on the police crackdown against a street performer in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The local Mayor's decision to prevent the happening, undersigned by Grupo Disparada,  was considered by many as discriminatory.


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Brazil: Special Coverage on Sounds and Colours · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

During the month of May, Sounds And Colours dot Com - an online magazine dedicated to southamerican music and culture – is focused on Brazil. A good opportunity to learn about the “importance of music in Rio de Janeiro” and the “unmistakable tarde and flavour of cachaça“, among other cultural perspectives.

author: Sara Moreira


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Cameroon: Google Android Developer Challenge in Douala · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Bill Zimmerman shared photos on Twitter from the Google Android Developer Challenge which took place in Douala, Cameroon on May 14, 2011. A post is also available on his blog, 27 Months. More pictures were posted by DotCom on their Facebook Page.

author: Julie Owono


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Cape Verde: Creole and Portuguese Languages, an Unofficial Pair · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.
May 5, 2011, was a day to celebrate Portuguese Language and Culture, as established by the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) at the XIV CPLP Council of Ministers held in Cape Verde, in 2009.
The Portuguese language was brought to the uninhabited Cape Verde islands, by the first settlers five centuries before,  in 1460. Though the Portuguese language is official in the country today, the  national language is Cape Verdean Creole, which has nine  varieties of Portuguese-based Creole, and these are the mother tongues of the  population spread across nine islands that make up the country, independent  since 1975.
A  recent speech by the Minister of Culture of Cape Verde, Mario  Lucio Sousa, in Parliament stated [pt] the need “to make the Cape  Verdean language official, as envisaged by the Constitution, pairing with the  Portuguese language.”
Anti-drug poem in Creole. Photo by the artist Joel Bergner, coordinator of the Global Mural Project "Action Ashe!" (used with permission)
Language and social spaces
The linguist Manuel Veiga points out the difference between “the linguistic status of the two languages” on the blog Sibila [pt]:
(…) enquanto a Lp [Língua Portuguesa] é língua oficial e do ensino, da literatura, dos mídia e das situações formais de comunicação, o Ccv [Crioulo cabo-verdiano] é língua de comunicação na família, língua das tradições orais, principal suporte musical, numa palavra, língua da oralidade e das situações informais de comunicação.
Veiga goes further, mentioning in another article, that the politics of  language in education favours the rich, who master the Portuguese language. Despite government efforts to promote Cape Verdean Creole in the country, Veiga says [pt]:
Para ter efeitos a longo prazo, uma política de oficialização teria de ser acompanhada por uma vasta implementação de condições estruturais direccionadas para a valorização do estudo e do uso do crioulo em todos os campos sociais.
The social role of Creole [pt] in education, particularly its adoption in  primary and secondary schools, and also in religion, is often discussed,  as was in the International Mother Language Day on 21 February, when the Comissão Nacional de   Cabo-Verde (National Commission of Cape Verde), linked  to the Instituto Internacional de  Língua Portuguesa (International Portuguese Language Institute), hosted a debate on  the issue and ended with a screening of the movie [pt] “Jesus” translated into Cape  Verdean Creole.
Screbê Kriolu (Write Creole)
(…) alguns puristas da língua portuguesa começaram a considerar o CCV como  meio de comunicação sem regras nem gramática; como mixórdia que não se  pode escrever e que não tem importantes letras do alfabeto, como L de  lei, R de rei, F de fé. Por tudo isto, o CCV constituía, no dizer deles,  um perigo para a unidade do império.
The above quote is taken from the opening note of the blog KrioLUS [pt], from the University of Cape Verde. A  few months before Cape Verde ratified the Reform of the Portuguese Ortography, in 2009, the Unified Alphabet for Cape Verdean Writing (ALUPEC) was adopted, aiming to establish an official standard for the language spoken in the  archipelago, despite the variations of each island.
Diglossia: texts in Portuguese and Creole, Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde. Photography of Francisco Santos with Creative Commons 3.0
In  the comments section of an article on the approval of the ALUPEC [pt], opinions were divided concerning its formalization and implementation. Marta Velozo believed that:
Merecem palmas todas as ações que lutam pela diversidade cultural
As for Pedro V, “the ALUPEC is an aberration”:
Mostra um complexo do colonizado  porque rejeita a origem portuguesa da nossa língua. Qual a necessidade  de reinventar um alfabeto se o que utilizamos para escrever a língua  portuguesa nos serve perfeitamente?
A  Cape Verdean blogger, Et, who has maintained the blog  Lingua di Kauverdi (Cape Verdean Language) [CCV] since 2008 with extensive documentation, research and learning  materials in Creole, advocates [pt] the adoption of ALUPEC and asks:
Como será materializado o desenvolvimento do ensino da Língua Cabo-verdiana em todos os cantos de Cabo Verde? Sem um código (aceitável) convencional, normativo para representar os sons da nossa fala…
On  the blog Coral Vermelho (Red Coral) [pt], Ondina Ferreira comments on one of the final recommendations from the Encontro de Quadros de origem cabo-verdiana na Diáspora (Summit of Cape Verdean Professionals in the Diaspora), held in  Mindelo (island of São Vicente) last month, which claimed  that “Creole should be be better and more taken care of”:
Apenas estranhei, e muito, o facto de nessa mesma recomendação para  servir aos falantes das ilhas, não se ter acrescentado igualmente a de  Cabo Verde cuidar bem e melhor da Língua portuguesa que é também a nossa  língua. (…) Ambas definem a nossa identidade cultural mestiça. Ambas são nossas com toda a legitimidade e legalidade. (…) A Língua portuguesa tão nossa como o Crioulo que nela tem origem, tem a idade da nação cabo-verdiana.
While in Cape Verde the mother language(s) are apparently being valued, researchers believe that the opposite is taking place in East Timor – “strugling so that its co-official language, Portuguese, is mastered by a bigger portion of the population” – , as reported [pt] on the blog Observatório dos Países de Língua Oficial Portuguesa (Portuguese Language Countries Watch). In a future post, Global  Voices will explore the linguistic diversity of the first nation of the millennium, namely their online representations.
This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.


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Cuba: Effects of a Beating · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Crossing the Barbed Wire blogs about his efforts to make a film about “Alberto Lairo Castro, a young Holguin native who in 2007 was a victim of a ‘Double Nelson’ lock applied onto him by the National Revolutionary Police” and was left disabled as a result.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: “El Yuma”‘s Visit · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bloggers have their say about Ted Henken's visit to Cuba.


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France: Anti-Racism Group Expelled from Slavery Commemoration Event · Global Voices
Julie Owono

During a National Slavery Day ceremony in Paris attended by French president Nicolas Sarkozy on May 10, eight members of anti-racism group Alliance Noire Citoyenne [Black Citizens Alliance] were expelled for wearing shirts that said “Anti Negrophobia Brigade”. A video of the action has been viewed more than 600,000 times.


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France: The Fall of Dominique Strauss-Kahn? · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

On Sunday 15 May, 2011, France awoke to a political earthquake: a sex scandal involving the (now former) French president of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, arrested for an alleged sexual assault against a chambermaid in a New York hotel.
On day three after the revelation, French bloggers are still struggling to grasp the implications of this global scandal on French politics.
From “Don Juan” to “pervert”
Front page of the French daily newspaper "Liberation".
The political fallout in France will be enormous. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, known as ‘DSK’,  was the only politician thought to be able to defeat the incumbent President Sarkozy  in next year's presidential election. He was even ahead in recent polls.
Romain, blogging on Lyonitude [fr] is in shock:
Moi qui suis un strauss-kahnien des plus convaincus depuis des années, par beau temps et par orage, je suis effondré si les choses se confirment.
Dorham1er is aghast [fr] at the magnitude of the scandal striking France:
L'affaire Bill Clinton, à coté de tout ce foutoir, c'est le chapitre guimauve d'un mauvais roman de la bibliothèque rose. Il faut sans doute remonter plus loin pour trouver trace d'une affaire aussi grave  […] au tout début des années 80 et à la candidature d'Edward Kennedy à l'investiture démocrate
A few DSK supporters in denial are still sporting “Yes We Khan” banners [fr] and T-shirts on their blogs. One commenter quips:
Yes, we kahn forget (the election)
Focus on media coverage
On day one of the scandal, Sunday, cartoonist Dadou caught the general opinion on the charges facing Strauss Kahn with this sketch: that it could not be true.
The arrest of DSK was written off as harsh local United States laws and as a smear campaign. On Monday, a poll showed that 57%  were still convinced DSK was innocent [fr]. Agnès, on Le Monolecte, commented wryly [fr]:
Après le too big to fail, voici le too powerfull [sic] to rape.
On day three of the scandal, in full media frenzy (with 19 million entries related to DSK on Google France), reality is slowy sinking in – that it could be true.
The testimony of Tristane Banon, a young writer who told in 2007 [fr] how she had been sexually assaulted by Strauss-Kahn in 2001, is now world famous, and she gave another interview [fr] on 18 May, 2011, to citizen media outlet Agora Vox to confirm it. Testimonies are now surfacing daily in France about DSK's alleged passes [fr].
Top French blog Partageons mon avis coins the obvious question [fr] in the post ‘Je le savais’ (I knew it):
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, if you knew that [about] DSK… Why did you  boost his polls and market him as the providential man?
The pressure is now on French journalists who “knew” about DSK's attitude towards women but kept quiet, save for one journalist, Jean Quatremer, a veteran French European affairs journalist and  blogger, who had written on his blog [fr] as early as 2007:
Le seul vrai problème de Strauss-Kahn est son rapport aux  femmes. Trop pressant, il frôle souvent le harcèlement. Un travers  connu des médias, mais dont personne ne parle (on est en France)
Sebastien Rochat pleads not guilty for DSK on the website Arret sur Images, invoking a stringent French law, article 9 of the Civil Code [fr], on the protection of private life:
Comment rester élégant et ne pas être attaqué   en  justice, tout en  évoquant des sujets graveleux qui relèvent de la   vie  privée ? C'est  le dilemme des journalistes dès qu'il s'agit de   parler de  la vie  sexuelle des politiques.
Kerbraz [fr] slams back in a comment:
This debate has got nothing to do with today's topic. What we are talking about today is a rape, it is a crime…
Rue89 information site co-founder, Pierre Haski, has opened an online debate with a frank post, ‘Why journalists didn't talk about Strauss-Kahn's private life‘ [fr], admitting he should have broken this law more than once:
Je savais que Roland Dumas, alors qu'il était ministre des  Affaires étrangères, était l'amant de Nahed Ojjeh, la fille du ministre  syrien de la défense Mustafa Tlass. Fallait-il l'écrire ? Je ne l'ai pas  fait, en rangeant cette information dans le domaine de la vie privée,  alors que, s'agissant du chef de la diplomatie, je ne pense pas que  c'était anodin. J'ai sans doute eu tort.
karlsquell [fr] does not buy it:
Et pourquoi se taire ? Pour pas perdre les interviews, parce que DSK pouvait accéder à la  plus haute marche, par peur, par connivence, par lâcheté, par prudence.
A side debate raging about the French press involve the pictures showing a manacled DSK coming  out of the police station in New York. The law in France forbids the press to publish pictures of manacled suspects  until they are proven guilty, but they were nevertheless published.
Comments on  a thread on newspaper Le Monde‘s website [fr] show a divided opinion on this law:
Henriette: Et dire que Sarkozy veut introduire le système américain. Cela donne des frissons dans le dos.
Irca: Les Français, qui ont guillotiné Louis XVI en public et en sont fiers, ont été choqués par la vue du roi des sondages menotté.

author: Claire Ulrich


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FSU: Deportations of Crimean Tatars and Soviet Colonialism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

J. Otto Pohl of Otto's Random Thoughts writes about the Soviet colonialism (here and here), and about the 67th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars (here and here), linking to his earlier posts and articles on the subject.


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Guatemala: Presidential Divorce Allows First Lady to Run in Elections · Global Voices
Felipe Cordero

In the blog CARPE DIEM [es], Luis Figueroa describes [es] how the approval of President Colom´s divorce by Guatemalan courts may actually be a “violation of a norm.” The granted divorce now allows his wife, Sandra Torres, to run for the presidency in the upcoming September, 2011 elections.


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Guyana: Caribbean Law · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Signifyin’ Guyana interviews regional legal expert Abiola Inniss about her new book and possible “solutions to some of the major issues which plague Caribbean law today.”


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Hong Kong and China: Immigrant discontent · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lucia Lou from China Hush translates a local news story about Hong Kong society's reactions towards the influx of mainland Chinese new immigrants to the city.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Iran: “We are Everywhere” Campaign Against Homophobia · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Arsham Parsi is the founder and director of the Iranian Queer Organization based in Toronto, Canada. In 2008, he told Global Voices, “the Internet has been a gift to us.”
This year, on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, several Iranians, once more used this ‘gift’ to raise their voices by launching a “We are everywhere” campaign, on YouTube, Facebook and blogs against homophobia worldwide.
In Iran, homosexuality is punishable by death.
Iranian blogger Pesar (means ‘boy’ in Persian) writes [fa]:
Today is the international day against homophobia. I am happy to see that many bloggers have published posts and updated their blogs today. I hope one day this kind of discussion will find its way into mainstream media and will not only be confined within the cyber world. I hope one day when I say I am gay, I am not accused of being a sinner or am mistreated.
We Are Everywhere
On Facebook several Iranians declared their homosexuality openly and did not hide their faces.
In another video Shokoofe, a Lesbian, says [fa]:
My queer experience started by falling in love and I believe everybody can feel that in this world. The strange thing was that people around me where thinking it was a joke while I was suffering. The most painful thing was not being able to talk with people close to you. I could talk, but they did not listen. I think we can live in a better world, where you don't face death for being in love with a person. I hope our days have a big sun, a rainbow and loves that can be talked about without fear.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Lebanon: “Mabrouk” to Lebanese Women · Global Voices
Thalia Rahme

Rita Chemaly congratulates Lebanese women on recent progress toward gender equality in Lebanese law. Several laws have been modified to grant women more rights in the areas of income tax, inheritance, and social security. To read her post, Mabrouk! [congratulations], click here.

author: Thalia Rahme


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Mozambique: Portuguese, the Language of Mozambicanness · Global Voices
Jornal @Verdade

This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.
This May 5 in Maputo, Mozambique, the Day of the Portuguese Language and Culture, of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), was celebrated.
One of the great contemporary writers in the Portuguese language, and the most well-known of Mozambican origin, Mia Couto, thinks that after 36 years of independence, with about 40% speaking Portuguese, “only one of the nations of Mozambique lives in the ‘lusophone’ world,” and he argued [pt] in 2001 that “Portuguese is not the language of Mozambicans. But it is however the language of Mozambicanness”.
"Não ao estigma!" (No to stigma!) A bilingual mural in Nampula. Photo by Rosino on FLickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Instrument of domination or trophy of independence?
If in 1975, almost 80% of Mozambicans did not speak Portuguese, more Portuguese is spoken today in Mozambique than at the time of independence.
Thirty years ago, the Liberation Front of Mozambique (FRELIMO), still an anti-colonial guerrilla insurgency, saw the European language as a weapon with which to unify the country and construct the Nation. The instrument that served for colonial domination would be converted, in the hands of the nationalists, to its opposite – a trophy of independence, an affirmation.
In a series of blog entries on Moçambique para Todos (Mozambique for all) [pt], on the book “Descolonização e Independência em Moçambique – Factos e Argumentos” (“Decolonization and Independence in Mozambique – Facts and Arguments”) by Henrique Terreiro Galha, revolutionary leader and the first president of Mozambique Samora Machel is quoted [pt] at the end of 1975, in a rally in the Stadium of Machava, in then Lourenço Marques (today the city of Maputo):
outros dirão mas a língua ainda é portuguesa. É preciso  utilizar a língua do inimigo. A língua portuguesa agora já mudou de  conteúdo, não é aquele português que era falado pelo senhor Governador  em Moçambique. Deve ser o nosso português de moçambicanos.
Galha adds [pt]:
O português era o único veículo de comunicação entre as diversas etnias. Foi uma decisão difícil, tomada a contra-gosto. Num seminário realizado em Mocuba (Zambézia), no início de 1975, com a presença de Joaquim Chissano, foi salientado e relembrado, como tarefa dos grupos dinamizadores, “a necessidade de transformar (sic) a língua portuguesa, de instrumento de despersonalização e opressão, em veículo de comunicação do Povo.”
A warning sign in Zambezia "Beware of the 'N'gona' crocodile. Image by Jornal @Verdade.
A particular Portuguese
While the existing data [pt] show that the majority of Mozambicans communicate using 43 national languages [pt], the Portuguese language is considered one of the elements of national unity. According to Mia Couto [pt], “the Mozambican government did more for the Portuguese language than centuries of colonization (…) its own national interest, to defend national cohesion, for the construction of its own interiority.”
In a debate hosted by the Brazil-Mozambique Cultural Center for May 5, the Minister of Culture, Armando Artur, reaffirmed [pt] that the Portuguese language is part of Mozambique's linguistic patrimony, living along side national languages:
Com o advento da Independência Nacional, ela viu o seu prestígio mais reforçado com a sua adopção como um elemento de Unidade Nacional, passando, deste modo, a ostentar o estatuto de língua oficial em Moçambique.
Artur, member of government and Mozambican writer, added that increasingly, Mozambicans are appropriating the Portuguese language through a process of interaction with national languages, lending it unique aspects, resulting in the consubstantiation of new words and expressions.
However this element of Unity is questioned by a number of sectors in society. In 2009, in a comment on the blog Moçambique para Todos, Elísio Fonseca pointed out [pt]:
The expression "wandering outside is maningue risky" means "to betray is very risky." Maningue is a typically Mozambican word which means "very" and comes from "many" in English. All the countries that border Mozambique have English as an official language. Image by Amanda Rossi, used with permission.
Em nome da  “unidade nacional” o nosso governo colocou um manto sobre a nossa  cultura, menosprezando o ensino das línguas, hostilizando todos os  nossos valores culturais. Há linguistas que consideram isto um erro  tremendo. Para eles, a capacidade de um adolescente moçambicano em  aprender uma língua estrangeira, seja o português ou o inglês, mede-se  pelo domínio que tem da língua nativa. Sem esta base sólida, argumentam,  torna-se mais difícil essa aprendizagem. Mas o erro foi feito, e hoje  reflecte-se no nível do português falado entre muitas camadas da nossa  sociedade.
Max Coutinho, of the blog Etnias (Ethnicities) [pt], gives an example of a “recurrent imprecision” which reflects this “level” mentioned by Fonseca in the use of the official language:
Os cidadãos de Maputo, tanto em solo nacional como na diáspora, confundem os verbos Ir (deslocar-se de um lugar para outro para lá ficar; afastando-se) e Vir (transportar-se para cá).
Fátima Ribeiro, with a degree in Language and Modern Literature, comments [pt]:
O Português falado em Moçambique é diferente do falado  noutros países lusófonos. Nós estamos a construir o nosso Português que  tem várias influências das nossas várias línguas maternas e também do  inglês. É um Português que, em termo de vocabulário, gramática e  estrutura, é diferente naturalmente.
The decision to ratify the Orthographic Accord, which is meant to unify Portuguese spoken in the countries that use it as an official language, has been analyzed for more than two years. In the blogosphere, many question if it is “worth it to spend US$111 million to change a language”, like Eduardo Quive, of the blog Quivismo, in an in-depth report [pt] about the debate on May 5.
At the same time, in recent years, Mozambique has started to introduce national languages into the education system for the educational development in the country. Presently, there are 300 schools teaching in two languages and there 16 other national languages being tested.
This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.
On the Portuguese language and other languages spoken along side Portuguese, also read the following articles that Global Voices published in 2011:

author: Jornal @Verdade


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Puerto Rico: Opening the Flood Gates  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gil the Jenius is incredulous about the cause of his neighbourhood's most recent incident of flooding.


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Russia: Police Requests Data of Users Who Commented on Secret E-surveillance Unit Rumors · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

On April 17th, 2011 Yevgeniy Roizman, Yekaterinburg-based politician, wrote [ru] that police creates secret “I-departments,” new police units that will collect data on Internet users. After local news site URA.ru republished [ru] his post and some users started to mock the idea, the website administrators received an official police request [ru] to provide IP-addresses on the commenters. Police denied the rumor. URA.ru is currently inaccessible.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Sakhalin Island Experiencing Serious Connection Problems Due to Cable Wreck · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Broadband cable that connects Sakhalin island with the mainland has been damaged, Rian.ru reported [ru]. The websites are opening with serious delay (or don't open at all). Unstable Internet connection is still a problem for nearly half a million inhabitants.


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Social media usage in Cambodia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Journalism students from Phnom Penh upload a video which discuss social media usage in Cambodia, including the threat to block websites which are critical to the government.

author: Mong Palatino


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Spain: Photos of Protests · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The photographer Juan Luis Sánchez (@juanlusanchez) of the digital magazine Periodismo Humano is sharing his photos of the protests in Madrid, Spain.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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U.S.V.I.: “The Caribbean Writer” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A Nation or Nobody is enjoying his new copy of The Caribbean Writer: “The topics…rang[e] from the Virgin Islands’ place in the Caribbean community to concerns over the homicide rate in the territory…”


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Uganda: First Female Speaker of Parliament: Should We Celebrate? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ms Rebbeca Alitwala Kadaga was today sworn in as the Speaker for the 9th parliament in Uganda. She is Uganda's first female speaker of parliament. Is it worthy a celebration? Rosebell does not think so: “In a world that cherishes women’s rights and empowerment (or pretends to), this should be seen as a historic moment and many will see it as that. However I don’t see much to celebrate about Kadaga’s election.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Uganda: Walk to Work Protests in Photos · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This post is part of our special coverage Uganda: Walk to Work Protests.
Ugandans are taking to the streets to protest rising fuel and food prices and rapid inflation in the so-called Walk to Work protests, named after a handful of opposition leaders who were arrested back in April as they walked to work in solidarity with those who can no longer afford to take public transportation.
Police have been using pink paint, tear gas and live bullets against the protesters. Here is the story of walk to work protests in photos.
Why are Kenyans and Tanzanians not protesting?
This is the reason why Ugandans are the only ones protesting food  prices in the region. Photo courtesy of Twitter user @mugumya.
Journalists are not safe:
Journalist Micheal Kakumirizi was targeted by Uganda Security Forces while covering #walk2work protest. Photo courtesy of Twitter user @no_dictatorship.
Walk to work, then run for your life:
Uganda police in action. Photo courtesy of Twitter user @no_dictatorship.
Have citizens become wild animals?:
Uganda Army hunting Ugandans. Photo courtesy of Twitter user @no_dictatorship.
Hunger strike for a just cause:
Makerere area councillor Mr Bernard Luyiga went on hunger strike to protest police brutality. he camped outside Makerere University. Photo courtesy of Twitter user @pjkanywa.
Women deserve respect:
Ugandan women telling police to respect women's bodies during arrest. Photo courtesy of Twitter user @vote4africa.
I will sleep here until police respect human rights, says Makerere area councillor:
Hunger strike against police brutality. Photo courtesy of Twitter user @pjkanywa.
Police don't recognise your freedom of movement:
Police in Kampala blocking peaceful demonstrators. Photo courtesy of Twitter user @vote4africa.
Ugandan police have been using excessive force against citizens taking part in the walk to work protests. But guess who was seeing walking to work…
@elijahbee says: guess who I saw walking to work this morning
In conclusion, read Echwalu's post titled “When Cameras Lied to the Country.”
This post is part of our special coverage Uganda: Walk to Work Protests.


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Why China’s left is up in arms? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Bandurski from China Media Project explains why there is a resurgence of China’s hardline Maoist left.


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Afghanistan: “Attorney General Dancing Drunk” scandalous video · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Rumi posts a YouTube scandalous video with Abdul Jabar Sabit, former Afghanistan Attorney General, who “jailed many people in Kabul for calling it crime against Islam”.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Partition of the country as a sensible solution · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Soraab Ferozgar opines on the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, saying that recent events as well as past historical tribulations have illustrated that the only solution for Afghanistan is separation.


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Africa: African Cartoonist Top Somalia Cartoon competition · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

African cartoonists win cartoon competition: “Cartoonists either based in or originally from Africa have made a clean sweep of the prizes on offer during the inaugural edition of the Hadaf Somalia International Cartoon Competition. The competition was organized by the Association of East African Cartoonists (KATUNI).”


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Africa: Will Land Grab Help Africa?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ken argues that the latest land grab in Africa might help the continent: “This latest land grab on the continent maybe the catalyst of an African green revolution. Most African governments gave up on non cash-crop agriculture in the 1970s. Some, like Nigeria, abandoned agriculture wholesale and quickly became a net exporter of agricultural goods. Bad policy (see Bates) and non-agricultural resources (mostly oil and metals) were to blame.”


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Armenia: Royal visit to Ireland as an example for the Caucasus · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Writing on his official blog, Charles Lonsdale comments on this week's historic visit by the Queen to the Republic of Ireland. The Ambassador to Armenia for the United Kingdom says that even if the conflicts in the South Caucasus are different, the visit shows that “even long-running and seemingly intractable conflicts and division can be overcome and that reconciliation is possible.”

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Australia: Journalist Arrest Over Facebook Photo · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Australian journalist arrested and iPad seized! No it’s not Julian Assange.
But Ben Grubb’s brief encounter with Queensland authorities raised several serious cyber issues including social media privacy and security, police powers of arrest and confiscation of digital devices, plus journalists’ rights.
As Tigtog explained at Larvatus Prodeo:
Fairfax journalist Ben Grubb was briefly arrested by Queensland Police yesterday after writing an article about an internet security expert who gave a conference slideshow presentation on the ease of bypassing Facebook’s privacy controls to obtain a user’s photographs without a username or password. The security expert had allegedly sent Grubb copies of some of the “private” Facebook images that he had accessed.
Charis Palmer of Technology Spectator was not only appalled by the police actions:
The transcript of Grubb’s conversation with the Queensland Police officers gives real insight into why journalists should be concerned about the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act, and should as a matter of practice encrypt any source data on the devices they use for work.
But also lamented how tech un-savvy our community guardians can be:
It also shows the real lack of technology knowledge within the police force. At one point during the questioning one of the officers asked Grubb to pardon his “lack of technology” and after being asked a range of technical questions about how Facebook works, Grubb was then left to essentially tell the officer it was not up to him to make his case for him.
Adam Garner works in IT consulting and blogs at TGF. He was at the conference where the photos were displayed and later pondered the legal and ethical questions:
Was what Christian did ethical? In my mind, no.
Was it legal? Probably not.
Did QPS intimidate Ben Grubb? It would seem so to me.
Should Ben Grubb have a case to answer to police? To me, it seems like QPS are shooting the messenger.
Can police just sieze someones iPad like that? They seem to think so.
Not all members of the police force are cyber dunces, as Adam's link to a Queensland Police Service media unit tweet shows:
@QPSmedia: Police can legally seize material which may be evidence of a crime. It will be returned as soon as we can do so.
Geordie Guy's personal blog I'm Not a Ninja, I'm Not Your Ninja echoed Adam’s concerns about police lack of tech knowledge:
Queensland police need to learn how technology works before it becomes police policy to arrest everyone on the Internet when something goes wrong.
The story quickly received international attention on the blogosphere. Paul Sawers posted at UK based TNW (The Next Web):
This case may set a precedent in terms of what constitutes illegal activity online. Althought Grubb isn’t likely to face any further reprimands for receiving the photos, this case does raise some big questions on how the police will handle such activity in the future. Many people have been prosecuted for downloading music illegally, and it seems that procuring images without permission from Facebook is very much in the same ballpark.
Peter Black, senior lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology's Law School, specialises in Internet law. His post on the ABC’s Drum took a deeper look at the legal implications of this incident:
This incident raises questions relating to the scope of Australia’s cybercrime legislation, the questionable judgment of the Queensland Police in deciding to pursue the journalist who reported the story (and not as yet the researcher who managed to obtain access to the private photos), and whether Australia’s laws provide proper safeguards for journalists.
Somehow the original target, Facebook, has escaped close scrutiny so far. However, Nano at JailbreakGuides Guides ‘news, tweaks and hacks about jailbreaking’ reminded us that:
Heinrich supposedly pulled this stunt, to demonstrate that even with the highest security settings, Facebook can still be infiltrated by those who know how.
In their own words:
Ben Grubb’s print media response and audio of the seizure of his iPad is available here: Grubb's story: privacy, news and the strong arm of the law
A video of the police justification is here: Facebook ‘break-ins': police say receiving photos like taking stolen TVs

author: Kevin Rennie


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Azerbaijan: Armenian Eurovision boycott dilemma · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following Azerbaijan's success in Eurovision, Eurotrash or Eurotreasure comments on speculation that Armenia might boycott next year's event to be held in Baku. Locked in a bitter stalemate over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, the blog says that the international music competition could provide both countries the opportunity to improve relations.


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Azerbaijan: Manatvision · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Global Voices author Leyla Najafli posts an English translation of a blog post commenting on Azerbaijan's victory in last weekend's Eurovision Song Contest. Playing with the name of the local currency and Eurovision, the blogger disagrees with the general euphoria otherwise displayed by many of the blogger's fellow countrymen.


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Bahamas: Help with Crime?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Mr Dwayne Cartwright, an employee of the Department of Environmental Health has been murdered by senseless thugs that are running wild on our streets”: Jerome Pinder at Weblog Bahamas wonders if the country is at the stage of needing “outside assistance”.


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Bhutan: Another Royal Wedding · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bhutanese Member of Parliament Sangay Khandu informs in a blog post about the royal address of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (31), in which he declared his wedding with Jetsun Pema.

author: Rezwan