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Violent Crackdown on Monks Protesting China-backed Mine in Myanmar · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

During the Buddhist celebration of the Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone, Myanmar riot police violently dispersed the protest camps set up by Buddhist monks and villagers who are opposing the China-backed copper mine project in Monywa, Sagaing Division. The mining protest began last February.
The project is a joint venture between the government-backed Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. (UMEHL) and Wanbao, a Chinese company. UMHEL reportedly compensated displaced farmers with US$610 per acre. But there are villagers whose farms were leased out to the Chinese company without proper notification and they have been very vocal in urging the government to stop the mining project.
On November 27, 2012, the government ordered protesters near Latpadaung and Kyayzintaung area of Sagain Division to leave the six protest camps. When protesters refused to leave the camps, the riot police used water cannon and tear bombs to disperse the crowd. But there are unconfirmed news reports that the police also used other weapons such as fire bombs or phosphorus bombs and even Napalm.
About 50 monks were badly injured with burned skin.
A monk hospitalized with burn injuries. Photo from CJ Myanmar Facebook page
Myanmar netizens immediately condemned the use of brutal force to disperse a peaceful protest. Myo Set notes that right after the historic visit of United States President Barack Obama to Myanmar, the government showed its real attitude in dealing with protesters and dissenters:
Dear Hilary, as a Burmese citizen, I would like to clearly inform you that the Burmese Government is now brutally cracking down the mass protest led by monks, activists and farmers against Chinese copper mining investment in Central Burma near Monywa.
It is the first response of Burmese government since the U.S. has abolished its sanctions on Burma.
No negotiations were carried out despite the appeals from protesters.
Ko Htike condemned[my] the duplicity of the government:
They could have easily foreseen that the situation in Latpadaung would deteriorate and deliberately failed to consult the public.
Now, it's clear both parties can't step back. Public has no choice but to move forward. If brutal crack down continues, Latpadaung region would be a cursed place.
The question for Latpadaung is that will U Thein Sein play the same trick as he did in the Myit Sone Dam issue?
The Myit Sone Dam project was suspended by the government after it was vigorously opposed by residents. But construction work has been restored, according to news reports.
Lwin Aung Soe requested[my] President Thein Sein to defuse the tension in the area:
I'm requesting President U Thein Sein who is supposed to protect the public welfare to grant their wishes.
1) Please hold a press conference regarding the crack down of protest camps asap.
2) Please exert strong leadership to stop the threats and brutal crack down against the protests.
3) Please find an acceptable resolution by forming a committee as agreed by the Parliament to solve the Latpadaung Copper mine issue asap.
Some netizens are comparing how the government responded to the mining protest and the riots in Rakhine state. Here are some comments on Facebook.
Phyoe Pyeat Min[my] : What courage! Perhaps their courage is only for locals of same nation. They are worshipping rioters in Rakhine. The army dogs…
Rainy Casper[my] : They never used such methods of cracking down during the riots where locals suffered. Now the monks are treated in such way. Inhumane animals..
Maynadi Oo[my] : For the sake of China, they are beyond cruelty when dealing with public. Where on earth did that Ministry of Home Affairs go during the riots in Rakhine state??
The riots involving Rohingya and Rakhine peoples have displaced thousands of villagers. The government was criticized for its failure to end the riots and resolve the conflict
The president's office issued a statement justifying the decision to end the protest in order to uphold the rule of law and develop stronger friendship between China and Myanmar which later become a sarcastic joke among netizens. Alex Rain asserted[my] that the protest went peacefully without any kind of rioting.
The peaceful protest and rioting is not the same.
Police have to use weapons to resolve the rioting. Force is necessary to stop rioters from destroying public places etc. It is to keep the whole public safe.
Now, they burn sleeping monks at 3 a.m. and still claim it's for the rule of law, like a fool.
A few hours later after receiving numerous harsh comments criticizing the government, the same website announced[my] that the statement has been revoked and taken down from the website.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi went to meet up with Wanbao company representatives and residents in order to negotiate between government and the protesters. She spoke in the rally and agreed to assist in the negotiation.

author: Chan Myae Khine


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From Jerusalem to Damascus  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

On Twitter, @prometheus_92 shares this photograph of the Syrian revolution flag near the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem as part of his participation in the hashtag [ar] #هنا_دمشق, which also has an English equivalent #This_Is_Damascus. The aim of the hashtag is to draw attention to Syria's blackout – after the Internet and communications with the outside world has been cut off for the third day in a row.
#This_Is_Damascus.. The Syrian revolution flag flies high in Jerusalem. Photograph shared on Twitter by @prometheus_92

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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India: Haryana Rape Cases Prompt March Against Violence · Global Voices
Lakshmi Sarah

Marching with Candles in Hisar, Haryana, India Courtesy of Asha Kowtal, Dalitweb.org
In recent months, rape in the Indian state of Haryana seems to have become commonplace.
In October, the Deccan Chronicle, in an article titled ‘The Haryana horrors‘ mentions Haryana as the “rape capital of India” for 19 reported rapes in one month. As a result of the rapes, women have been advised to avoid going to a pub, using mobile phones and wearing jeans.
According to Tehelka, rapes have nearly doubled in Haryana in the past seven years. From 386 cases in 2004, it has jumped to 733 in 2011.
In many cases, rapists have targeted Dalit women and girls. As the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), says “Dalit women are particularly vulnerable to such crimes.” In addition, according to IDSN 90 percent of crimes against Dalit women are not reported because of a fear of social consequences and personal safety.
Dalit activists sent a fact finding mission to Haryana and organized a march. Starting from November 1, 2012, the nine day long Karwan titled Dalit Mahila Garima Yatra (Dalit women pride march) traveled through towns and villages of Haryana meeting rape survivors, officials and community members. It “expressed solidarity with the rape survivors and outrage against the institutionalised sexual violence against Dalit women.” As Asha Kowtal writes on Savari (a facebook page for adivasi, bahujan and dalit women):
We are all energised by the process and of course we are once again reminded of our very small role/contribution in the struggles of our community. Often, we tend to make the mistake of burdening ourselves, but instead the resilience of our community and survivors of violence shows us the way ahead.
Marchers assemble outside a local village office, Haryana, India Courtesy of Asha Kowtal
A collection of responses from Dalit Activists can be seen on Dalit Web. A photo essay of the march is posted here.
Kalpana Sharma, a columnist, wrote in The Hindu, and is quoted in the New York Times saying, “If you are a poor woman who is raped, you cannot even imagine a life where there will be justice,” she adds “If you are a poor woman and a Dalit, then the chances of justice are even slimmer.”
From Twitter:
@dalitcamera (@Ravichandran): I uploaded a @YouTube video http://youtu.be/oWYkzwbr-9I?a  Asha Kowtal speaks in detail about Haryana dalit rape cases
@HollabackCHD: http://toi.in/Q3jAjb  After gang-rape, two accused commit suicide #rohtak#haryana

author: Lakshmi Sarah


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Kim Kardashian Does Kuwait and Bahrain · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kim Kardashian completed a visit to Kuwait and is now visiting Bahrain. Here's Brian Whitaker's take on her visit.


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Meet Mohammed Mursi Hosni Mubarak! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A protestor carries a sign which reads [ar]: Name: Mohammed Mursi; Profession: Mohammed Hosni. Photograph from the We are all April 6 Facebook group
The We are all April 6 page on Facebook posts this photograph from a protest in Egypt against sweeping powers newly elected Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi has granted himself. The sign held by the protestor [ar] reads:
Name: Mohammed Mursi
Profession: Mohammed Hosni.
Mohammed Hosni Mubarak is the former Egyptian president, who ruled Egypt for 32 years and was forced to resign after massive protests calling for an end to his regime, which started on January 25, 2011.


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Nepal: Social Media Training For Journalists · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ujjwal Acharya posts some observations of two day long journalist training on Social Media that took place in five cities of Nepal. Acharya comments that journalists in Nepal are not alien to social media but only use them for personal purposes.

author: Rezwan


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North Korea Announces Next Satellite Launch · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

North Korea’s state media announced that the country's 2nd satellite launch is planned around December 10-22. North Korea Tech wrote a post about it with links to related stories.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Political crisis in São Tomé and Principe · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

[All links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.]
In recent days the political sphere in São Tomé and Principe has plunged into a crisis situation involving a motion to censure government, scenes of fist fighting in the National Assembly, and a mass protest calling for early elections.
On November 21, opposition parties – Movement to Liberate São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP), Democratic Convergence Party (PCD) and the Democratic Movement Force of Change (MDFM) – presented a motion to censure the minority government led by Patrice Trovoada [en] (of Democratic Independent Action, or ADI), that was approved by the Assembly on November 29.
It is the second time that Patrice Trovoada as Prime Minister has been the target of a censure motion, the first in May 2008, three months after the beginning of his first term. In his second term since August 2010, this time, among the list of accusations presented by its signers, were alleged “acts of corruption, taking on negotiations overseas with ‘private companies sidelining the respective ministers with oversight, without the awareness of other sovereign bodies, and even less so with public knowledge'”, as newspaper Jornal Vitrina informs, adding:
O governo, não obstante ter um orçamento aprovado pela assembleia nacional, ignorou pura e simplesmente as alterações aprovadas pelo plenário da assembleia nacional e executou um orçamento completamente à margem das dotações orçamentais, facto que refletiu de imediato na falta de medicamentos nos hospitais, bem como no desprezo total do governo para com os necessitados.
Fight between parliamentarians (click to see the video, skip to 04:50).
The government, despite the budget approved by the National Assembly, quite simply ignored the alterations approved by the National Assembly and executed a budget that entirely side-steps budget allocations, an act that resulted in an immediate lack of medications in hospitals, as well as a total disdain by the government for the most needy.
The underlying political conflict came to life in a parliamentary session on November 23 in scenes of “fist fighting” between MPs, as can be seen in this video (at 04:50). The unheard of events led the then President of the National Assembly, Evaristo de Carvalho (of the party in power), to resign, and on Wednesday, November 28, the opposition elected Alcino Pinto (do MLSTP/PSD) to take the post.
In a message to the country on November 26, the President commented on the conflict reigning in Parliament, in which he appeals for a dialogue “as the only democratically legitimate way for different points of view to confront each other.”
Alda Santos, a citizen of São Tomé, laments what happened in the parliamentary session:
A Representatividade do Povo de S.Tomé e Principe no Parlamento tornou-se uma autentica palhaçada e o Parlamento transformou-se num Circo onde sai palhaço, entra palhaço e por esse andar, assim vai sendo o dia-a-dia no Parlamento!
The representation of the people of São Tomé and Principe in the Parliament has turned into an authentic clown act, and the Parliament has turned in a Circus where when one clown leaves another comes along and this is the daily life of the Parliament!
On November 29, rejecting the approved motion and the nomination of the new President of the Assembly, the government called for a protest on its behalf, that brought thousands of people coming from various districts in São Tomé and Principe. They made their way through a number of main streets of the capital city towards the seat of government, where they concentrated with posters and slogans saying “The People Put [You There], The People Remove [You]”, “Patrice Falls, Pinto Falls”, and “Early Elections Now!”, among others who showed their support for the party:
The current Minister of Education, Olinto Daio, member of the government targeted by the impeachment measure, shared a series of photos on his Facebook page.
Sociologist and digital activist Humbah Aguiar recorded a video in which he comments on the current situation:
S.Tomé e Principe vive uma crise política parlamentar. Os deputados da oposição que constituem a maioria, derrubam o governo aprovando uma moção de censura, numa sessão parlamentar que contou com ausência dos deputados do partido no poder. Por um lado os partidos na oposição não desejam eleições e o partido no poder deseja eleições antecipadas.
S. Tomé and Principe is living a parliamentary crisis. The opposition MPs which constitute a majority, have brought down the government by censuring it, in a parliamentary session in which the MPs from the party in power were absent. On one hand the parties in the opposition do not want early elections and [on the other] the party in power wants them.
In the message, directed at the Prime Minister, at the opposition parties and at the President, he appeals for dialogue between politicians and for the scheduling of early elections:
Lauro José Cardoso, on Facebook shared a note entitled Patriotism vs Unpatriotism:
A nossa bandeira democrática está perdendo o sentido e sinceramente duvido q alguma vez tenha tido porque a realidade mostra que o passado não serviu de bússola nem de inspiração. todavia, o presente necessita de uma revolução mental e todos os santolas que se encontram realmente preocupados devem lutar a favor desta revolução contra os homens da picarreta. Heróis precisam-se e não falo do batman, spiderman ou superman, falo de nós seres humanos defensores da nossa pátria do leve-leve. O patriotismo é a principal solução .Não haverá mudança sem aliança nem haverá esperança sem confiança. Por conseguinte vamos fazer o caminho inverso em relaçao a esses chavalões da picarreta, vamos colocar barros no bauracanço e consertar esta balburdia!
Our democratic flag is losing its way and I sincerely doubt that it ever knew the way at all because reality shows that the past has not served as a compass or even as inspiration. However, the present needs a mental revolution and all São Tomeans who find themselves really worried should fight for this revolution against these con men. Heroes are needed, and I'm not talking about Batman, Spiderman, or Superman, I am talking about us, human beings, defenders of our homeland from the leve-leve [generally meaning “easy, easy” the phrase describes “the delightful, easy-going demeanor of the citizens of São Tomé and Príncipe”]. Patriotism is the main solution. There will be no change without an alliance, nor will there be hope without trust. So let's take the opposite route from these tricksters, let's fill in these potholes and fix this mess!
The President Manuel Pinto da Costa is expected to give his findings on the impeachment measure soon. Everything indicates that there will be early elections in the country.

author: Sara Moreira


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Saudi Activist: “This is an inquisition, prosecuting us for our opinions” · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

The seventh hearing session of the ongoing trial of the two prominent human rights activists Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid was held today [Dec 1, 2012] at the Riyadh Criminal Court. In the last hearing session, the defendants responded to the charges, and today, the public prosecutor provided more ‘clarifications.’ Seventy-nine supporters attended the session, including three women. Moreover, correspondents from Al Jazeera, Sky News and AFP were present.
The public prosecutor started by explaining that the two activists were not actually accused of “impeding the country's development”, but rather “trying to impede the country's development.” He said that “the difference between the two is very obvious to those with brains.” He said their demands of peaceful demonstrations and political parties are strong evidence. He also said that: “anyone that follows what the two are writing, finds no mention of any positive aspect. This proves that they are only looking for flaws”.
The public prosecutor added new evidence to prove Dr. al-Hamid's disrespect to state clergy: misspelling the last name of Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen, who is a very respected ultraconservative cleric. In one of his tweets, al-Hamid was accused of spelling Uthaymeen's last name in a way that makes it sound like “Muhammad, the son of the sterile.” One Saudi Twitter user showed that iPhone's ‘autocorrected’ the Arabic spelling of ‘Uthaymeen’ to make it read like ‘sterile’. Saudi activist Sultan al-Fifi sarcastically expressed his surprise:
لم أكن أعلم أن ملاحقة مرتكبي الأخطاء المطبعية من صلاحيات هيئة التحقيق والادعاء العام :) #محاكمة_حسم
@SultanAlfifi: I did not know that tracking misspellers was one of the tasks of the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution :)
The attendees, after the end of the session. via @alajmi01
In the previous session, the judge said that he had CDs of video recordings for the two activists and he read some tweets by Dr. al-Qahtani, who raised his concern today that the judge might by talking to the public prosecutor outside the courtroom, which violates neutrality. The judge said that he had obtained these tweets and CDs through ‘official channels’. Dr. al-Qahtani responded: “All evidence must be presented here, before us.” The judge said that they only wanted to waste time by such objections. Dr. al-Hamid said: “We are not trying to influence your ruling, but there are procedures that must be followed.”
Dr. al-Hamid then asked:
To those who say that demonstrations are prohibited, what have you achieved? Have you been able to restore stolen lands? Peaceful struggle is the way… This is an inquisition, prosecuting us for our opinion. You are prosecuting us because we believe in peaceful struggle.
When the judge said that the two activists were not able to prove the arbitrary detainment of over 30,000 people. They said, once again, “open the prisons and you will find out.” “It is like asking someone to count camel hair” they added.
The judge asked al-Hamid, “what do you mean by peaceful struggle?” al-Hamid responded:
هذه محاكم تفتيش تحاكما على آرائنا. تحاكمنا لأننا نؤمن بالجهاد السلمي. أقسم بالله أنك إن سجنتنا 3 أشهر أو 30 سنة فلن نبالي وسنحتسبه جهادا سلميا وسيكمل الشباب من بعدنا المشروع.
This is an inquisition, prosecuting us for our opinion. You are prosecuting because we believe in peaceful struggle. I swear to God that whether you sentence us to three months or 30 years in prison, we will continue our peaceful struggle and young people will follow on after us.
The courtroom, full of young men, erupted in applause, which made the judge very frustrated. He ordered the policemen to get all attendees out of the courtroom and he ordered the detainment of one of them for 24 hours, but he canceled the order after Dr. al-Qahtani had asked him to do so.
Al-Qahtani tweets:
@MFQahtani: #ACPRA_trial ended @ 10:30 am, after audience violated court order by clapping &chanting during hearing, details are latter. #Saudi #acprahr
The next hearing session will be held next Saturday, December 8.

author: Anas Soliman


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Syria is Back Online  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syria is back online – at least parts of it are, according to Syrian netizens abroad, who have been trying frantically to connect with loved ones during a three day communications and Internet blackout.
Rime Allaf breaks the news on Twitter:
@rallaf: Several Syrian friends have just gotten back online from Damascus, welcome back! #Syria
Blogger Razan Ghazzawi exclaims:
@RedRazan: What is happening now on FB [Facebook] is extraordinary: our friends are posting now, we're watching our homepage with joy. #InternetBackinSyria #Syria
She doesn't hide her happiness:
@RedRazan: I am speaking to several friends based in Damascus. I sound like a child but I am just so happy! #InternetBackInSyria #Syria
And she adds:
@RedRazan: “Imagine how happy we'll be when Assad falls,” is what many Syrians are posting on Facebook now that #InternetBackInSyria #Syria
Meanwhile, Brian Whitaker quips:
@Brian_Whit: It's Saturday, and Asma wants to do some online shopping #syria
Asma Al Assad, wife of Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad, is allegedly a keen Internet shopper.


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Africa is a Woman’s Name · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

MyWeku shares a documentary titled “Africa is a Woman's Name“:
Synopsis: The lives of three extraordinary African women from different social levels and origins determined to bring about radical transformations in their day to day realities: Kenyan attorney and reputed lawyer Njoki Ndung’u, Puthi Ragophala the committed school principal of a remote South African village and Zimbabwean housewife-entrepreneur, Amai Rosie.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Day 1 of Developing Latin America 2012 · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

[All links lead to Spanish language pages unless otherwise noted]
Finally, December 1 saw the start of Developing Latin America 2012 (#DAL2012). This year, the regional hackathon organised by the Ciudadano Inteligente (Intelligent Citizen) Foundation [en] is being carried out [en] in 8 Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
Chile, home to the Ciudadano Inteligente Foundation headquarters, has seen various media outlets covering the topic. For example, the website of radio Cooperativa reported:
La iniciativa que busca la creación de aplicaciones que intenten solucionar problemas sociales, se realiza a esta hora en Santiago, Viña del Mar y Temuco, ciudades donde desarrolladores web, periodistas y diseñadores son los creativos encargados de crear la mejor aplicación al servicio del desarrollo social del país y la región.
The initiative, that looks to create applications that aim to solve social problems, is currently being carried out in Santiago, Viña del Mar and Temuco; all cities where web developers, journalists and designers are the creatives in charge of producing the best application that serves both the social development of the region as well as of the country.
Team of developers. #DAL2012 Lima headquarters. Photo shared by Escuelab on Facebook.
Two of the main activities that characterised the first hours of the day were the organisation and the fine-tuning of the participating teams, and the expert exhibitions in a variety of fields, such as public transport, education, budgets, and more technical aspects such as web mapping and data licensing amongst others.
In Escuelab, the hackathon headquarters in Peru, these were some of the speakers that contributed as much with their experiences as with their suggestions:
1.- Cynthia Yamamoto from www.transitemos.org 2.- Rosa Gutierrez from www.las3renmiaula.com 3.- Victor Luyo from the Municipality of Lima, Assistant-Manager in Informatics 4.- Javier Casas from www.sumaciudadana.org and www.llenametuagenda.pe 5.- Camila Bustamante, La Factura and Datea.pe 6.- Yannick Warnier from Chamilo Association
Team of developers. #DAL2012 Headquarters La Paz. Photo shared by Developing Latin America -Bolivia on Facebook
In Buenos Aires, Wingu, the organisation in charge of #DAL2012, said:
@desdewingu:  Estamos terminando de presentar las ideas, 26 ideas y todas muy buenas!, ahora a armar los equipos!! #DAL2012
@desdewingu:  We are finishing presenting the ideas. 26 ideas and all brilliant! Now to assemble the teams!! #DAL2012
From Uruguay via Twitter, DATA (@DataUY) reported on their work teams:
@DataUY:  5 equipos: defensa del consumidor, servicios publicos, derechos infantil, seguridad y medio ambiente los temas elegidos en #DAL2012 #Uruguay
@DataUY:  5 teams: Consumer Protection, Public Services, Children's Rights, Security and Environment are the topics chosen in #DAL2012 #Uruguay
#DAL2012 Headquarters Sao Paulo. Photo shared by Desarrollando América Latina on Flickr
And in Chile Anca Matioc [en](@AncaMatioc) from Ciudadano Inteligente commented:
@AncaMatioc  Excelente turnout en #DAL2012 #Chile Más de 13 equipos hasta ahora y todavída siguen llegando! Vamos!
@AncaMatioc  Excellent turnout in #DAL2012 #Chile More than 13 teams to date and still more are arriving! Let's go!
Early in the afternoon Maikol Porras from Costa Rica (@maikolporras)  updated:
@maikolporras:  Cae la tarde en Costa Rica y los equipos siguen desarrollando y avanzan con sus aplicaciones sociales #OpenData #DAL2012
@maikolporras:  Afternoon is already upon us in Costa Rica and the teams continue developing and advancing with their social applications #OpenData #DAL2012
A little afterwards, a round of reports was introduced, commenting on how the different work teams were advancing in each headquarter. Here for example, the report from Mexico via Juan Manuel Casanueva:
Video streaming by Ustream
OpenDataMx shares a summary of what happened at its headquarters in Mexico. A bigger selection of tweets and photos of the events of the day can be found here.
To finish, we leave you with  a tweet from @sotojuanjo in Chile that sums up the spirit of #DAL2012:
@sotojuanjo:  #dal2012 es muuucho mas que apps, es una red latinoamericana de profesionales buscando soluciones a problemas comunes
@sotojuanjo:  #dal2012 is sooo much more than just apps, it is a Latin American network of professionals looking to find solutions to common problems
Soon we will bring more news and results from #DAL2012!
Other related posts: [All in English unless otherwise noted]
Developing Latin America 2012
What Exactly is a Hackathon? And What is Open Data?
Hackathons in Droves: How is a Hackathon Organised?
Developing Latin America Hackathon Draws Near!
What is web mapping? [es]
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro Demands Better Sanitation
Crowdmapping Water Contamination in Peruvian Indigenous Communities

author: Juan Arellano


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Everyone Wants to be the New Mexican President · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

On December 1, 2012, Mexico got a new president; Enrique Peña Nieto was sworn in, bringing the PRI –the party that ruled the country for more 70 years– back to power after 12 years of the PAN party holding the presidency.
After several hours sharing mixed feelings and following the protests [es] against the new president, netizens began using the hashtag #SiYoFueraPresidente [es] (If I were president) to share their own views about the most pressing issues affecting the country.
Juls Caesars (@JulsCaesars) [es], for example, expressed his concern about poverty in Mexico:
@JulsCaesars :#SiYoFueraPresidente en lugar de hacer una “guerra contra el Narcotrafico”, encabezaría una Guerra contra la Pobreza.
@JulsCaesars: #SiYoFueraPresidente (If I were president) instead of having a “War on Drugs” I would lead a “War against Poverty”
Adriana Llabres (@Adrillabres) [es] said that her priority as president would be the ethical treatment of animals:
@Adrillabres: #siyofuerapresidente Pondría leyes muy severas a aquellos que maltratan a los animales. Tortura y carcel por abusivos.
@Adrillabres: #siyofuerapresidente (If I were president) I would implement very severe laws against those who mistreat animals. Torture and jail for them.
Enrique Peña Nieto meeting with now former President Felipe Calderón in September 2012. Photo by Flickr user Gobierno Federal (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Meanwhile, L. Fernando Rdz. (@BlackNahual) [es] challenged the president's closeness to the Mexican people:
@BlackNahual: #SiYoFueraPresidente legitimo, festejaría con el pueblo.
@BlackNahual: #SiYoFueraPresidente (If I were president) a legitimate one, I would celebrate with the people
And Casablanca (@aalms) [es] listed two important issues:
@aalms: #siyofuerapresidente EDUCACION y LIBERTAD DE EXPRESION para TODOS
@aalms: #siyofuerapresidente (If I were president) EDUCATION and FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION for EVERYONE
Mafer Marin (@MaferMarin) [es] referred to the few employment opportunities available for new University graduates:
@MaferMarin: #SiYoFueraPresidente los egresados de universidad tendrían más oportunidades de trabajo en sus áreas y no se exigiría “experiencia”.
@MaferMarin: #SiYoFueraPresidente (If I were president) college graduates would have more job opportunities in their areas and “experience” would not be required.
Maribel Rodriguez (@candyro8819) [es] criticized the corrupt governments that don't keep their promises:
@candyro8819: #SiYoFueraPresidente no haría promesas al aire … ni mentiria por convivir … solo verdad y hechos…
@candyro8819: #SiYoFueraPresidente (If I were president) I would not make fake promises…or lie just to coexist…only the truth and facts…
Alex Kuzado (@pormistuits) [es] joked about the national beverage, Tequila, and San Lázaro, where the Chamber of Deputies is located and where Enrique Peña Nieto was sworn in as president:
@pormistuits: #SiYoFueraPresidente tequilas gratis en San Lázaro
@pormistuits: #SiYoFueraPresidente (If I were president) free tequilas in San Lázaro
Finally, Teacher R Valdes (@ricky_black) [es] said the best way to govern is not with words but with actions:
@ricky_black: #SiYoFueraPresidente no me quejaria tanto de lo que hacen los demas, habria que dar un buen ejemplo de como hacer las cosas
@ricky_black: #SiYoFueraPresidente (If I were president) I would not complain so much about what others are doing, I would set a good example of how to do things
Mexicans also used the hashtags #CambioDeGobierno2012 (change in government 2012), #MéxicoNoTienePresidente (Mexico doesn't have a president), #transición2012 (transition 2012), and #EPN (for Enrique Peña Nieto's initials) to share reports and express their thoughts throughout the day.

author: Andrea Arzaba


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Italy: Clandestines in prisons without dignity · Global Voices
Bah Abdoulaye

Explaining why 35,6% out of the prison population is constituted of immigrants, according to  “Without Dignity” : The Observatory report [it] of the Antigone association, the website cronachediordinariorazzismo.org writes [it]:
The presence of foreigners in Italian prisons is mostly due to recent charges in immigration laws, that effected greater flows within the prison system; so much that one of the proposals for improving the inmates conditions in particular related to overcrowding as indicated by the monitoring report requires a need for ‘drastic intervention on three of the laws that produce –  without any benefits for collective security –  the largest influx in prison: the ex-Cirielli law, the Fini-Giovanardi law and the Bossi-Fini law.

author: Bah Abdoulaye


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Kim Kardashian, Tear-Gas and Milkshake in Bahrain · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

American socialite and TV reality star Kim Kardashian was in Bahrain yesterday to open a milkshake shop. Hardline Salafists protested her visit – and were dispersed by police.
Even before her visit, preachers were rallying people against her visit from the pulpits of mosques. On Friday, Suhail Algosaibi tweeted from the weekly Friday prayers [ar]:
الخطيب ينتقد زيارة كيم كرداشيان الى #البحرين و يصفها بالعاهرة…
@SuhailAlgosaibi: The preacher criticised Kim Kardashian's visit to Bahrain and called her a whore
Praise for Bahrain: A screen shot of @khalidalkhalifa‘s RT of Kim Kardashian
Many found the government forces throwing stun grenades – other reports say tear-gas – at the Salafists, who have been on the government's side in its crackdown on pro-democracy protestors, well, funny. Saudi Ali Mohammed tweets:
ههههههههههههههههه اجل متظاهرين ضد كيم كردشيان ورموا عليهم غاز مسيل ، أحد قال لكم تطلعون على ولي أمركم وتفسرون حكمته غلط !؟ #البحرين
@alahlawy29: hahaha! Protestors against Kim Kardashian were hit with tear-gas. Who told you you can go against your guardian (ruler) and misinterpret his judgement?
Meanwhile, the Kardashian visit's promoter, Sheeraz Hasan, whose Twitter profile reads: “Sheeraz, Inc has the authority to bring deals and investment opportunities from around the world to present directly to the Royal Families of Qatar and Bahrain,” brushes off the protests and tweets:
@sheerazhasan: NEW VIDEO: WHAT PROTESTS?? Kim Kardashian loved by the people of Bahrain & wants to return!! http://youtu.be/aE36X2lV85o
He links to this promotional video on YouTube, which shows screaming fans at the milkshake shop opening:
Also, activist Maryam Al Khawajah has written an open letter to Kardashian, inviting her to meet with human rights defenders while in Bahrain.
Wafa Alsayed comments on in inviting Kardashian to dabble with politics saying:
@WafaAlsayed: No offense, but asking Kim kardashian 2 comment on the political situation in Bahrain is like asking a chipmunk 2 prepare a 3 course dinner
Kardashian, Bahrain's international reputation for the excessive use of tear-gas and milkshake generated a few chuckles on the hashtag #TearGasMilkShake.
Ethan Zuckerman tweets:
@EthanZ: The new national drink of Bahrain: @KimKardashian's Tear Gas Flavored Milkshake. Try one today! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241568/Kim-Kardashian-starts-riot-Police-officers-Bahrain-tear-gas-protestors-angry-reality-TV-stars-presence-Gulf-kingdom.html?ito=feeds-newsxml … #TearGasMilkShake
While in Bahrain, Kardashian spent some time on Twitter, posting her photograph with camels in the desert. She also tweeted praise to Bahrain – calling it “the prettiest place on earth,” before deleting it [see screenshot of Bahrain Foreign Minister's Khalid Alkhalifa‘s retweet of the original tweet].
Kim Kardashian posing with camels in Bahrain. Photograph shared by .@KimKardashian on Twitter
And it seems that Kardashian's posters are still flying high in Riffa. Dr Basem Amer tweets his objection:
بعد الانتهاء من حفلة رمز الإباحية #كيم_كارديشان ما زالت صورها معلقة في شوارع الرفاع جهاراً نهاراً ألا تراعون مشاعرنا كمسلمين ؟ #البحرين
@BASEMAAMER: After completing the party of the symbol of pornography Kim Kardashian, her photographs are still hanging on the streets of Riffa in broad daylight for all to see. Don't you have any respect for our feelings as Muslims?
Further Reading:
UNCUT: Why is Kim Kardashian going to Bahrain?


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Enrique Peña Nieto Sworn in as Mexico’s President Amid Protests  · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

On December 1, 2012, Enrique Peña Nieto took oath as Mexico's president amid riots and protests nearby the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro as well as the Independence Angel and the Zocalo in downtown Mexico City.
Protesters wanted to let the world know about their disapproval to what they call the imposition of Peña Nieto as president. Inside the House of Representatives, congressmen hung [es] a huge banner that read “Consummated Imposition, Mexico is Grieving”.
Also, on Twitter netizens expressed their discontent about the inauguration using the hashtag #MexicoNoTienePresidente [es] (Mexico does not have a president) which became a worldwide trending topic. They also discussed the change of command that took place at midnight, inside the Presidential Palace and away from the media.
The movement #YoSoy132 (I am 132) published on Facebook a list of protest events [es] in Mexico and abroad.
Banner hanging in one of the fences that protected San Lázaro for the presidential inauguration. Picture by Flickr user Eneas (CC BY 2.0)
In Mexico City, young protesters started gathering at the Revolution Monument around 4am with the objective of occupying San Lázaro (headquarters of the House of Representatives and traditional place where presidents are sworn in) to ‘welcome’ Peña Nieto.
On the other hand, foreseeing upcoming protests, a week before the government closed [es] 5 subway stations close to the compound and installed fences to cover the Legislative Palace.
The protest started moving peacefully from the Revolution Monument, but once it reached San Lazaro clashes with the police broke out. Many protesters claimed the violence was due to infiltrated agitators and bad police training to stop the aggressions. The hashtags #OcupaSanLázaro [es] (Occupy San Lazaro) and #1DMx [es] gathered many of the reports.
Bloguer NickOps (@nickops) [es] shared:
@nickops: Entre consignas avanza contingente sobre Eje 1 norte para llegar a #ocupaSanLazaro http://twitpic.com/bi2mf1
@nickops: Amid with chants, the protest is marching on Eje 1 North heading to #ocupaSanLazaro http://twitpic.com/bi2mf1
Political Science academic Mafer Rodríguez (@Marifeeer) [es] stated:
@Marifeeer: RT @felipetuiter: Gas y golpes de federales en #OcupaSanLázaro http://pic.twitter.com/iRR7NtMa #MexicoNoTienePresidente // #NosTienenMiedo
@Marifeeer: RT @felipetuiter: Gas and hits from federals (police) in #OcupaSanLázarohttp://pic.twitter.com/iRR7NtMa #MexicoNoTienePresidente // #NosTienenMiedo (They are afraid of us)
Journalist Epigmenio Ibarra (@epigmenioibarra) [es] informed:
@epigmenioibarra: Tregua en #OcupaSanLazaro. La PF hizo tiros directos con granadas de gas lacrimigeno. El muro fue derribado tres veces.
@epigmenioibarra: Truce in #OcupaSanLazaro. The police made direct shots with tear gas canisters. The wall was torn down three times.
Writer Hermano Pher (@Teotihuachango) [es] reported:
@Teotihuachango: Estuve en #OcupaSanLázaro y de ahí fuimos al zocalo. Represión al máximo, un policía en moto intentó golpearme.
@Teotihuachango: I was at #OcupaSanLázaro and from there we went to the Zocalo. Repression was over the top, a policeman riding a motorcycle tried to hit me.
Blogger [es] and Twitter user Pateando Piedras (@PateandoPiedras) [es] asked for help to stop the violence:
@PateandoPiedras: La seguridad somos todos identifica a los violentos, usa Zello el canal es 1dmx, esto va para largo. Toma agua y ayuda a los heridos
@PateandoPiedras: Security is about everyone. Identify the aggressors, use Zello the 1dms channel, this will go for a while. Take water and help the wounded
User @ThinkMexican shared the following video by gruporeforma [es] to show the organization of the infiltrated thugs:
In this other video @PateandoPiedras [es] spoke about the day's events:
At the closing of this post, clashes continue and the Zocalo has been closed [es] to protesters. Several persons have been reported severely wounded [es], including a man who lost an eye due to a rubber bullet shot by the police. Furthermore, many police officers were wounded and others were intoxicated with their own tear gas.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Syria: “This Is Damascus!” · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
After a two-day blackout, internet services resumed  on Saturday in and around Damascus and in major cities according to press reports from inside Syria.
The communications outage made it difficult to follow the situation on the ground as fighting reportedly intensified between pro-government and rebel forces, especially in the area close to the Damascus international airport.
With the conflict showing no signs of abating and communications becoming increasingly difficult or unreliable, a “spontaneous campaign of solidarity [ar] with the silenced Syrian people,” started on the internet.
In a show of support for the Syrian people, netizens started tweeting under the hashtag “#هنا_دمشق”, Arabic for #This_Is_Damascus. During these times of siege and blackout, people from cities around the world are invited to offer Damascus a temporary refuge.
The campaign is a reminder of the “From Damascus… This is Cairo!” call, that was broadcast from Syria at the height of the Arab-Israeli war of 1956 when French and British fighter jets, eager to prevent the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt's Nasser, attacked Radio Cairo transmitters, successfully silencing Egyptian broadcasts.
BSyria tweets:
#This_is_Damascus is the most thoughtful, touching, and historically-rich hashtag that has come out for the Syrian revolution thus far.
#This_Is_Damascus.. The Syrian revolution flag flies high in Jerusalem. Photograph shared on Twitter by @prometheus_92
Some people inside Syria were also able to join the campaign. As in 2011, Google and Twitter re-activated Speak To Tweet, a service that allows users to post an audio tweet by calling a designated international phone number and leaving a voice message, like this anonymous caller who simply called to say:
“This is Damascus!“
Some reactions:
farooos writes:
Damascus has been around since the beginning of time. No blackout, no amount of Assad bombardment will bring us down #This_Is_Damascus #Syria
Rime Allaf writes:
You can take a Damascene out of Damascus, but you can never take Damascus out of our hearts. #This_is_Damascus
Razan Ghazzawi writes:
Our hearts ache not only in worry for our comrades, those legendary comrades. Our hearts ache for longing for their posts, their thoughts, their power and contagious strength. Oh you’ve just missed a revolution, if you think they’re offline.
Syria is not offline.
The rest of this world, is.
I miss you, comrades. It hurts.
Sarab tweets:
you cannot unplug the revolution. #هنا_دمشق
Taher Ishaid adds [ar]:
عندي شعور قوي جداً ان نهاية بشار اقتربت ، ولاكن اتمنى بعد رحيله ان تحافظ سوريا على وحدتها #هنا_دمشق
I have a very strong feeling that the end of Bashar [al Assad] is approaching, but I hope that Syria will maintain its unity after his departure, #This_Is_Damascus
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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The Muslim Brotherhood Rule in Egypt · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

In Inanities, Sarah Carr blogs:
I am anxious about the future, but there was an inevitability about Muslim Brotherhood rule at some point in Egypt’s history and unfortunately, I am alive to experience it. The only positive thing about the Muslim Brotherhood in power is that they are spectacularly shit at it. Just like the Egyptian army and their foray into direct rule they have used up almost all their store of good credit with non-MBers in an incredibly short amount of time.


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The State of Comedy in Kenya · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Chege discusses the state of Kenyan comedy:
I’ve been observing with both curiosity and amusement the on goings of the comic industry in Kenya. Comedy in Kenya has been around since time immemorial even before the yoke of colonialism….


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Voting for the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

An annual competition has been launched for the public to vote for the seven best natural wonders of Africa, with the voting currently underway. The competition is organized by global grassroots endeavor Seven Natural Wonders and at this point includes 12 sites from across the African continent.
Discover the shortlist and other suggested contenders which didn't make the cut this year.
The Okavango Delta, Botswana
Hippos bathing in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, the world's largest inland delta by John on Wikipedia CC-license-by
The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta, created from the rains that fill the Okavango River. The Namibian government has plans to build a hydropower station which would regulate the Okavango's flow, but environmentalists fear that this project could destroy most of the fauna and flora in the Delta.
The Red Sea Reef, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its Reef stretches over 1,240 miles along the coast of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea and contains more than 1,100 species of fish.
Anthia goldfish in the Red Sea from Wikimedia commons. Image in the public domain.
Mount Kenya, Kenya
Mount Kenya wall by Radu vatcu (CC BY-3.0)
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. It was covered by an ice cap for thousands of years. The Mount Kenya ecosystem provides water directly for over two million people. The park receives over 16,000 visitors per year.
The Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar
Local people on the Avenue of the Baobabs, Morondava, Madagascar. Image on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)
The Avenue of the Baobabs is located between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in the Menabe region in western Madagascar. Baobab trees, up to 800 years old, stand about 30 meters in height and this particular species is endemic to Madagascar. The site was present in the news recently because it was victim of a wild fire that burnt down newly planted trees around the giant trees.
The Stone Forest of Bamaraha, Madagascar
Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve in Madagascar. Image on Wikipedia (CC BY-3.0).
Tsingy de Bemaraha is a nature reserve located near the western coast of Madagascar in the Melaky Region. This National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the main attraction is the stone forest that is composed of limestone needles originating from erosion patterns from groundwater and winds.
Zuma Rock, Nigeria
Zuma Rock near Abuja by Jeff Attaway on Flickr (CC-BY-2.0).
Zuma Rock is a 725 meter high monolith found in Nigeria on the road out of Abuja. Its nickname ‘Gateway to Abuja’ is derived from this road.
The Peak of Furnace, Réunion Island
Eruption at the Peak, April 2007 on FlickR by zatiqs (CC BY-NC-SA).
Le Piton de la Fournaise (The Peak of Furnace) is a shield volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
The Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles
Aldabra Island, Seychelles on FlickR by Johny Shaw (CC-BY-2.0).
Aldabra is the world's second largest coral atoll and forms part of the Seychelles. Aldabra is almost entirely free of human interference and is home to the world's largest population of giant tortoises.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Kibo on Mt Kilimanjaro by Chris 73 (CC-NC-BY).
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world at 5,895 meters. The current shrinking and thinning of Kilimanjaro's ice field is similar to other glacier retreat in mid-to-low latitudes across the globe. At the current rate, Kilimanjaro is expected to become ice-free some time between 2022 and 2033.
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
A young male lion at the hunt in Ngorongoro Crater by Brocken Inaglory on Wikimedia (CC-BY-3.0).
The Ngorongoro Crater is a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera located in the west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The crater plays host to almost every individual species of wildlife in East Africa, with an estimated 25,000 animals within the crater.
The Serengeti Migration, Tanzania
Wildebeest crossing the river by Stefan Swanepoel in Wikipedia (CC-BY-3.0).
The Serengeti migration is the longest and largest overland migration in the world. Each year, the great wildebeest migration begins in the Ngorongoro area of the southern Serengeti of Tanzania in January to March, when the calving season begins; some 750,000 zebra precede the migration of 1.2 million wildebeest.
The Sahara Desert
Camels in Guelta d'Archei, Ennedi, north-east Chad. Image on Wikipedia (CC-BY-2.0).
The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world. The desert encompasses, at least in part, the countries of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Tunisia. The southern border of the Sahara is marked by a band of semi-arid savanna called the Sahel.
Bloggers’ suggestions
A number of natural wonders were omitted from the shortlist, so a few bloggers have added their own suggestions via their blogs. A slight controversy was the fact that a few countries were featured several times while others were not mentioned at all, despite having worthy candidates.
The Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe
The Victoria Falls at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe is already selected as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Swimming at the edge of Victoria Falls in a naturally formed safe pool, accessed via Livingstone Island. Image on Wikimedia Commons, released into public domain by Ian Restall.
Blyde River Canyon, South Africa
The Blyde River Canyon is located in Mpumalanga and forms the northern part of the Drakensberg escarpment. It is 16 miles (26 kilometers) in length and is on average around 2,500 feet (762 meters) deep. The Canyon consists mostly of red sandstone.
The Weeping Face of Nature located in Blyde River Canyon. Image by Ptosio on Wikipedia (CC-BY-3.0).
Feel free to add any sites that you feel were omitted in the selection process in the comments section below.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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14 Mexican Women are Murdered Each Day · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Fourteen Mexican women [die] each day as a result of violence according to a report published [es] by the Fundación Origen women’s’ rights group.
Erwin C. highlights this report in a post about violence against women in Mexico in the blog The Latin Americanist. Erwin also looks at the record of the newly sworn in president, Enrique Peña Nieto, on this matter.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Brazilian Immigration Policy Faces New Challenges  · Global Voices
Richard de Araújo

Whereas the subject has long been debated in Europe and the USA, the issue of immigration has only recently gained prominence in Brazil. Known until recently as a country of emigrants, this new reality which the country has been experiencing in recent years poses a series of new challenges, with clear impacts on the economy, foreign policy and the law, for which both Brazilian society and government must urgently prepare themselves if predictions of Brazil's rise on the global scene become reality.
The Brazil of immigrants and emigrants
Like all the European ex-colonies in America, Brazil has received various waves of immigration from many parts of the world. The first began with the Portuguese occupation of Brazilian territory in the XIV century, followed by the importation of slave workers from Africa and after the abolition of slavery in 1888, the substitution of the African workforce with European immigrants. Since then, Brazilian society has changed radically as a result of these immigration flows, giving each state its own ethnic and cultural characteristics.
Vila Maria, São Paulo, 2008. Photo by Leo Caobelli on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
As for the first Brazilian emigrants, they initially migrated to neighbouring countries, but it did not take long for them to reach the USA, Europe and Japan. Amongst the reasons for leaving the country were the poor prospects for social ascension, unemployment and rampant inflation which affected Brazil in the 1980s. At the same time, there was the existence of established social networks which facilitated the settlement of these emigrants in countries such as Japan (where the dekasegis settled) and Portugal. The number of Brazilians seeking better living conditions abroad has increased exponentially since that time and today they total around 3 million, including both regular and irregular migrants.
The current situation: the return of Brazilians
With the current economic crisis, many of these emigrants are now returning to Brazil, and particularly to the states of São Paulo, Paraná and Minas Gerais. The blog Geo-Conceição [pt] presents some interesting statistics in relation to these immigrants:
(…) 65% dos imigrantes são, na verdade, brasileiros que retornaram ao país. São os chamados “imigrantes internacionais de retorno”. Em 2000, os brasileiros que voltavam para casa representavam 61% do total de imigrantes.
O maior número de brasileiros retorna principalmente dos Estados Unidos, Japão, Portugal, Espanha, Paraguai e Bolívia. Alguns dados sobre a imigração de retorno chamam atenção, como o fato de 84,2% dos imigrantes dos Estados Unidos serem de brasileiros voltando ao país. No caso do Japão, esse percentual chega a 89,1% e no de Portugal, a 77%.
(…) 65% of immigrants are, in reality, Brazilians returning to the country. They are the so-called “international return immigrants”. In 2000, Brazilians returning home represented 61% of the total immigrant population.
The majority of Brazilians return primarily from the United States, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Paraguay and Bolivia. Some of the data on return migration is surprising, such as the fact that 84.2% of immigrants from the United States are Brazilians returning to the country. In the case of Japan, this proportion reaches 89.1% and where Portugal is concerned, 77%.
Some sectors of Brazilian society are attentive to this return movement. For example, the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Businesses (SEBRAE) has said that it has signed an agreement [pt] with the MRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to establish a partnership to assist Brazilians who are returning to the country:
O Sebrae em Minas Gerais e o Itamaraty [MRE] firmaram nesta sexta-feira (23) uma parceria de auxílio a brasileiros que vivem no exterior e pretendam abrir e gerir um negócio próprio quando retornarem ao Brasil. Com a atual crise econômica nos Estados Unidos e em países da Europa, a expectativa é de que aproximadamente 500 mil dos cerca de 3 milhões de emigrantes retornem ao país dispostos a tocarem seus próprios empreendimentos.
The SEBRAE in Minas Gerais and the Itamaraty (MRE) signed this Friday (23rd) a partnership to offer support to Brazilians who live abroad and intend to open and run their own business when they return to Brazil. With the current economic crisis in the United States and in European countries, the expectation is that approximately 500,000 of the around 3 million emigrants will return to the country ready to start up their own enterprises.
In a recent declaration [pt], minister Moreira Franco of the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic (SAE), stated that laws on immigration are anachronistic and hinder the absorption of skilled workers who lack opportunities in their countries of origin.
É claro, conforme destacou Moreira Franco, que a educação é a melhor ferramenta para o País alcançar o desenvolvimento necessário. Mas esse é um caminho mais demorado. Por isso, ele salientou a importância de o Brasil aproveitar este momento de grande oferta no cenário internacional.
It is clear, as Moreira Franco emphasised, that education is the best tool in order for the country to reach the required level of development. But this is a slower path. That is why he stressed how important it is for Brazil to make the most of this moment of strong supply [of skilled workers] on the international scene.
The minister's statement is paradoxical, as one of the long-standing demands of the lower classes in Brazilian society has been precisely better access to education. Consistently present among these demands has been the granting of scholarships to students from poor backgrounds, the valorisation of the teaching profession through clear career plans as well as decent pay and cheaper books.
The list is long, and taken together with what has been said previously, shows the extent to which Brazil has wasted its own population. The minister considers that urgent alterations of the laws which govern work visas for foreigners and special programmes for their integration in a new country – including learning the Portuguese language – would not be necessary if a plan was formulated to facilitate foreigners’ return while simultaneously increasing investment in education for young people in Brazil.
Celebration of Oktoberfest by the German community in Rio Grande do Sul. Photo by Pedro Rocha on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
By entering into this race for foreign brains, Brazil comes to compete with countries like Australia and Canada, especially Quebec [fr], which have programmes designed to attract highly-skilled immigrants to cover the deficit caused by their ageing populations. Their case is quite different to that of Brazil, which still has a relatively young and numerous population of around 200 million, and without large demographic gaps as in these countries, besides the 3 million emigrants living abroad who wish to return to their country.
Professor of International Relations Oliver Stuenkel of the Fundação Getúlio Vargas ponders [pt] what scenario the future will bring:
O número crescente de pessoas do exterior em busca de emprego mudará a forma como o Brasil se relaciona com estrangeiros. Visitantes do exterior são bem quistos no Brasil, pois são poucos, ricos e não costumam ficar por muito tempo. No futuro, os imigrantes virão em maiores números, serão relativamente pobres, e terão a intenção de se instalar no Brasil. […] Embora possa levar décadas para que imigração ao Brasil chegue às proporções conhecidas na Europa, resta a ver quão bem o Brasil lidaria com uma nova onda de imigração, e os desafios que a acompanham.
The rising number of people from abroad looking for work will change the way in which Brazil relates to foreigners. Visitors from abroad are well-loved in Brazil, as they are few in number, rich and do not usually stay for long. In the future, immigrants will come in greater numbers, they will be relatively poor, and they will intend to settle in Brazil. […] Although it may take several decades for immigration to Brazil to reach levels seen in Europe, it remains to be seen how well Brazil will manage a new wave of immigration, and the accompanying challenges.
One possible scenario is that Brazil will replicate the same erroneous policies which prompted those 3 million Brazilians to emigrate: concentrating income in the hands of sections of society which are uncommitted to social justice. Another scenario is that the country will have learnt the lesson of the “years of lead” [the most repressive period of the military dictatorship in Brazil, from 1968 to 1974] and will pay attention to the debt which it owes both to those Brazilians who have emigrated and to those who remain in Brazil, above all with regards to access to education, and consequently, the right to decent work.

author: Richard de Araújo


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China: Netizens Call for Abolition of the “Black Jail” System  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Ordinary citizens in China will choose to take the path of petition visit or Shangfang to voice out their grievance. In response, many local government officials would hire agents to detain the petitioners from their home provinces in “black jails” before they have a chance to complain to the Beijing authorities. A recent “fake news” about the 10 agents being sentenced by a court exploded on Weibo, China's twitter on December 2, 2012. TeaLeafNation covered the story with a lot of background information.

author: Abby Liu


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Chinese News Podcast  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

For those who are interested in alternative news and commentary related to China, Sinica podcast runs a series of English podcasts focusing on Chinese politics, economics, international relations and how it all relates to China.


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Curuguaty’s Deadly Clashes Continue to Resonate Across Paraguay · Global Voices
Belen Bogado

On June 15, 2012, one of the most tragic events in Paraguay's recent history took place. A police raid aimed at ridding a 2,000 hectare (nearly 5,000 acres) forest reserve in the city of Curuguaty, located northeast of the capital, of an alleged illegal encampment of farm workers resulted in the deaths of six policemen and eleven farm workers.
The defunct mission, which is reported to have sent in some officers with no weapons or body armor, has caused outrage from the public and authorities alike. The commanding officers were ultimately dismissed and the event served as one of the main triggers for parliament's decision to impeach then president Fernando Lugo, who was ousted by a overwhelming majority of congress.
In the only eye-witness video [es] that exists of the tragedy, which has been circulated through the entire local media circuit, one can see police officers being ambushed by the supposed violators.
The investigation has led to the detainment of 24 people suspected of involvement in the killings; however, the persisting lack of clarity regarding what happened that tragic day has generated growing controversy in public opinion.
Curuguaty, Paraguay, August 2012. Photo credit: Flickr user, June 15th, under the Creative Commons license agreement (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Four of those arrested have since been granted house arrest [es] after participating in a hunger strike for more than 60 days as a means of claiming innocence and petitioning for freedom.
Public opinion remains divided about the actual happenings of the event, with polarized opinions found within the blogging community. Most, however, find consensus in criticizing the government for the lack of clear and relevant information and accuse the prosecutor of conducting an insufficient investigation. Jota Efeb writes on his blog Viva Paraguay [es]:
Pasaron 5 meses y nada. La sangre de los muertos en la matanza de Curuguaty no interesa a nadie dentro del Estado. Cuanto más rápido deje de hablarse del tema, mejor. Hace rato que intentan echar tierra encima y evitarse mayores cuestionamientos.
Five months later and still nothing. The blood of those that died in the massacre in Curuguaty interests no one in our Government. The faster they can change the subject the better as they try as hard as they can to sweep this under the rug and prevent further questioning.
But among the differing opinions of what happened that day is the belief that the entire attack was premeditated by a vigilante of trained snipers, not the farm workers being investigated.
Worried about the detainees on hunger strike, Pai Oliva [es] wrote on his blog:
Dos cosas: Primera no podemos dejarlos solos y que todo este asunto de Curuguaty termine con la condena de dos personas como ”chivos expiatorios” y luego pase al olvido…
Segunda, con este tipo de justicia, que condena antes del juicio, todos nos sentimos amenazados. Es la demostración más clara de que la justicia se compra o se presiona políticamente para que sea una justicia a la carta.
Two things: The first is that we cannot leave the detainees to fend for themselves and allow this entire tragedy to end with two scapegoat convictions and then allow the whole thing to be forgotten…
Second, with this type of justice- the justice that condemns first and tries later- we are all threatened. This is the clearest indication that the “justice” we have is one that can be bought or politically bent thereby creating a justice a la carte.
Some question the validity of this version, like news commentator Naranja Mecanica in an article published in ABC [es]:
Según algunos comentaristas había francotiradores con armas de guerra en el campamento, incluso algunos dicen que estaban escondidos en ramas de árboles; otros sostienen que estaban escondidos entre los matorrales. ¿Como es posible que los campesinos permitieron que los francotiradores entren en el campamento? ¿Porqué no denunciaron la presencia de francotiradores? ¿Entraron de día o de noche? ¿No los vieron entrar? La única respuesta que veo es que los francotiradores eran miembros de los campesinos invasores, y desean culpar al actual gobierno de esta masacre; con esto protegen a los verdaderos culpables
According to some, there were armed snipers at the encampment, claiming they were hidden among the trees; others say they were hidden in the bushes. Is it really possible that the farm workers allowed the snipers to enter the encampment? Why wouldn't they have reported the snipers? Did the snipers enter in plain daylight or sneak in at night? Did the farm workers not know they were there? The only possible answer I can come up with is that the snipers were actually members of the illegal community who wanted the government to be blamed for the killings. To such an extent, the real culprits remain protected.
While the public opinion remains divided about the actual happenings of the terrible event that changed Paraguay's course for the future, the investigation that began five months ago continues without any clear evidence of who is responsible for the massacre in Curuguaty.

author: Belen Bogado


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Kenya: Deadly Violence Threatens to Polarize Country · Global Voices
Ephraim Percy Kenyanito

A recent outbreak of deadly violence pitting police officers and soldiers against civilians has claimed the lives of dozens of Kenyans and sparked debate over the increasing insecurity in the region.
Cattle bandits ambushed police in Baragoi Area of Samburu county on 10 November, 2012, leaving 42 officers dead and others wounded in what has become the worst attack on Kenyan law enforcement officers by civilians in the country's history. Journalist Joseph Kariuki reported:
Bodies of the more than 40 Kenya police officers killed in an ambush in Baragoi on Saturday are rotting in the open after the police helicopter that went to pick them developed a mechanical problem. Due to the heat the bodies had started to decompose before a few of then were taken to Baragoi District Hospital mortuary which has no capacity for such a massacre. By yesterday night 17 bodies were still scattered in the Suguta Valley slaughter field.
A screenshot from NTV video on YouTube showing police and medical personnel carrying a dead body of a police officer resulting from the Baragoi killings.
Photo by: NTV Kenya
Police Spokesman Erick Kiraithe said as he was being interviewed for the position of Inspector General of Police,  as shown in a Youtube video by NTV Kenya, that the policemen had been tactless in pursuing the Turkana cattle raiders:
The massacre of police officers was shortly followed by an incident in which a traffic police officer in Kisumu shot and injured a matatu [public transport vehicle] driver on 24 November, 2012, sparking protest from motorists and the public along the busy Kisumu-Busia road. Capital FM News wrote on their blog:
Following the shooting, motorists joined members of the public who witnessed the shooting to block the road forcing other motorists to find alternative routes. Most vehicles were pelted with stones as the demonstrators barricaded the road using rocks. Police later managed to contain the situation and normalize transport along the road.
KTN Kenya analyzed the degenerating state of security in Kenya through their Youtube channel:
The incidents of violence in Kenya are increasing, as KenyaForum reported. In Garissa Town, Kenya Defence Force soldiers became the target:
There are initial media reports of three Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers being shot dead in Garissa Town today, Monday 19 November, 2012. The attack comes a day after seven people were killed in an attack on a matatu [public transport vehicle] in the Eastleigh district of Nairobi, although the two events may not be connected.
The attack on the soldiers led to Army officers going on rampage in Garissa town. NTV Kenya posted a graphic video showing the Army opening fire on citizens. In the video, the Minister of State for Defense responded by simply stating that “it is very serious” if the raid was carried out by the Army.
Some have blamed Kenya Defence Forces for creating tension in the town by harassing residents and burning property while in pursuit of the attackers. Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the government will compensate residents whose property was destroyed. However, Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi said her ministry has no money to compensate victims of the Garissa chaos.
This state of affairs has sparked heated debate on Kenyan television and radio shows as to whether the extrajudicial killings are justifiable in the wake of such violence against law enforcement.
A number of Kenyans on Twitter have joined in on the discussion, lamenting the country's insecurity and pointing fingers at police:
@ahmedsalims: Kenya insecurity is at it’s peak…. Every other night someone somewhere is being attacked if not shot dead by thugs. What is happening?
@nmmata: it was MRC, then the Baragoi massacre, then the Eastleigh and Garissa violence, now this matatustrike nonsense…is Kenya dying?
@momanyibernard: Lack of proper command of the police to blame for rampant insecurity, including blasts experienced in Kenya.
@brizztolife: BREAKING NEWS: SANTA CLAUSE declines to come to kenya due to insecurity
@mirajmiskiz: Time to Get Out from#Kenya , Insecurity everywhere, Hello Zanzibar AmOnMyWay
In2EastAfrica Reporter wrote on his blog that the rising insecurity threatens to polarize the country:
With memories of the 2008 post-election violence still ringing in the minds of Kenyans, the eruption of violence, killings, destruction and displacement of people is a cause for concern……..Last Sunday, an explosion ripped a minibus carrying passengers in Nairobi’s sprawling Eastleigh suburb, leaving nine people dead and scores injured.
Recently, violent clashes erupted in Tana River Delta pitting Pokomo and Orma communities leaving more than 120 people dead and thousands displaced. While a major security operation was mounted in the area and some suspects were arrested and charged in court, the matter is yet to be satisfactorily resolved, although a commission of inquiry is now completing its work. Then there is the violence and insecurity associated with Mombasa Republican Council, which grounds its case on historical injustices and has threatened to disrupt voter registration in the Coast region.
There are also militia groups like the Mungiki in Nairobi and Central Kenya, Sungu Sungu and Chinkororo in Kisii and Nyamira counties and illegal gangs that have sprung up in Kisumu.What is happening? Has Kenya’s security been compromised? Where is the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) that seems to have been caught off guard by all these happenings? These are the questions that Kenyans are asking. Internal Security Minister Katoo ole Metito has linked fatal incidents of violence and insecurity to politics. He says politicians may be inciting groups to cause violence for political gain by causing displacement and instilling fear to gain control of newly created electoral units. “We haven’t ruled out political incitement to these incidents of insecurity. Some of these animosities can’t be delinked from political incitement. Politicians take advantage of animosity to gain mileage,” the minister told a news conference.
On the lookout for the next possible conflict, the National Steering Committee (NSC) on Peace Building has released a map that identifies issues, such as disputes about land, boundaries, and ethnicity, that can potentially ignite in all the 47 counties in Garissa.

author: Ephraim Percy Kenyanito


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Message from Hong Kong to Tibet · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Gil said: Keep fighting but don't hurt yourself! Screen capture from Message from HK Youth to Tibetan Youth
A group of young activists from Hong Kong made a video to express their concern about Tibetan‘s struggle for autonomy.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Portugal: Digital TV Controversy · Global Voices
Hugo Ferro

The process of implementing Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Portugal, which has replaced the traditional television transmission signal since April 2012, has brought the population countless problems and has, in many cases, deprived it of access to the four general free-to-air channels.
A PhD thesis on the process of implementing DTT, presented on 30 October, 2012, at the University of Minho, indicated that the National Communications Authority ANACOM favoured private company Portugal Telecom (PT) in the DTT tender and did not take action in some cases which exploited the population.
Screenshot of Portugal Telecom's DTT page: “From now on, if you don't have DTT, you don't watch TV”.
Thesis researcher and author Sergio Denicoli, former journalist at Rede Globo, published a short article on his blog Televisão Digital em Portugal (Digital Television in Portugal) which summarises [Pt] his research work:
Analisei detalhadamente mais de 70 documentos, li centenas de livros e artigos científicos, entrevistei especialistas e, por fim, pude constatar que a TDT portuguesa parece ter sido influenciada pelo que os teóricos chamam de “captura regulatória”. Ou seja, há indícios de que a ANACOM, órgão regulador das comunicações, teria trabalhado de forma a favorecer a Portugal Telecom, que foi muito beneficiada com a implementação do sistema televisivo digital.
I analysed more than 70 documents in detail, read hundreds of books and scientific articles, interviewed specialists and, finally, I found that Portuguese DTT seems to have been influenced by what academics call “regulatory capture”. In other words, there is evidence that ANACOM, the communications regulatory body, worked in such a way as to favour Portugal Telecom, which benefited greatly from implementing the digital broadcasting system.
In the same article, Sergio Denicoli asserted that:
É preciso passar Portugal a limpo. O país merece ter à frente das suas instituições pessoas íntegras que trabalhem em favor da população e não o contrário.
Acredito que cumpri o meu papel enquanto cidadão, aliás, enquanto ser humano. Não podemos ficar calados quando estamos do lado da verdade e vemos pessoas simples, humildes, idosos, enfim, pessoas que necessitam da nossa atenção, serem usadas como meios de garantir lucro para grupos poderosos.
Portugal needs to be cleaned up. The country deserves to have institutions headed by people with integrity who work to benefit the population rather than undermine it.
I think I have fulfilled my role as a citizen, indeed, as a human being. We cannot remain silent when we are faced with the truth and see people who are simple, humble, elderly, in short, people who need our attention, being used as a means to guarantee profit for powerful groups.
Image shared on the Facebook page Eu apoio Sergio Denicoli contra o lobbie PT/Anacom (I support Sergio Denicoli against the PT/Anacom lobby): “500 on one page, millions in Portugal, supporting Sergio Denicoli against the PT/Anacom lobby”.
In response, PT and ANACOM announced [Pt] that they will take the researcher to court for defamation. The news has generated a wave of indignation among those who have come together in the creation of the Facebook page [Pt] supporting Sergio Denicoli.
The University of Minho, the institution where the thesis was defended, has disassociated itself from the investigation, claiming that work is the exclusive responsibility of researchers. The news, reported by the newspaper Público, has generated a second surge of indignation and led to a group of researchers creating a petition for freedom of academic research, which already has more than 7,500 signatories [Pt – all links]. Above all, the signatories advocate no limitations on academic research.
Os abaixo-assinados entendem ser seu dever afirmar que seria da maior gravidade que os académicos fossem condicionados ou amordaçados na sua liberdade de investigação, como se tivessem de ser avaliados por critérios outros que não os científicos.
The undersigned consider it their duty to state that it would be of the utmost seriousness if academics were limited or threatened in their freedom of research, as if they had to be evaluated by criteria other than that which is scientific.
The thesis defended by Sergio Denicoli has come to strengthen the population's indignation and outrage at the process of implementing DTT in Portugal which, in contrast to what has happened in other countries, has not demonstrated the claimed benefits [Pt], especially with respect to improving image and sound quality. To receive the new digital signal, viewers who did not previously have TVs equipped with a digital decoder have been obliged to buy a decoder to be able to receive it. The same four free-to-air channels have remained, but in many cases with worse reception than when the signal was analogue.
Abandoned TV. Photo from Therealdigitalkiwi on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
A good example of DTT's poor operation in some parts of the country is ironically shared [Pt] on the blog Aventar:
Há dias estive pelo Baixo Mondego onde vi in loco a nova televisão digital. Uma miséria. Com a TDT, todos nas aldeias para os lados do Pranto se queixam do mesmo: a imagem fica parada aos quadradinhos. Ainda bem que com a TDT, como diziam na publicidade, o som e a imagem ficam com maior qualidade. E posso confirmar. De cada vez que esses quadrados aparecem, posso comprovar que têm as arestas perfeitamente definidas. E a falta de som decorre maravilhosamente ausente de interferências. Viva o progresso.
A few days ago I was in Baixo Mondego where I saw the new digital television broadcast in loco. Woeful. With DTT, all the villagers near the Pranto River complain about the same thing: the image breaks up into little squares. Just as well that with DTT, as they said in the advertising, the sound and image are higher quality. And I can confirm this. Each time these squares appear, I can vouch that they have perfectly defined edges. And the lack of sound is wonderfully free of interference. Hooray for progress.
In an article [Pt, pdf] published on 5 November, 2012, in a free newspaper, Luis António Santos, a university lecturer, presented the case of an elderly lady who, plainly and simply, did not have television:
Na pequena localidade onde costumo passar parte dos meus tempos de descanso, numa zona interior do distrito de Braga, há uma senhora de idade que, nos últimos meses, adotou uma nova rotina de vida. Depois de jantar, todas as noites, a Srª Augusta, lá arruma a cozinha, veste um agasalho, fecha a porta e percorre a pé umas quantas dezenas de metros a caminho da casa da vizinha para ver televisão.
In the small town where I usually spend some of my free time in the Braga district countryside, there is an elderly lady who, over the past few months, has adopted a new routine. Every night after dinner, Mrs Augusta tidies the kitchen, puts on a coat, closes the door and walks a few dozen metres on the way to her neighbour's house to watch TV.
As early as May 2012, an article [Pt] on the blog TDT em Portugal warned about situations of exclusion and inconsistency in the process of implementing DTT:
A forma como a Televisão Digital Terrestre foi introduzida em Portugal não permitia esperar outro resultado. Os cidadãos em geral e as populações mais desfavorecidas em particular foram altamente lesados com a migração para a TDT. O processo de migração português foi concebido e implementado com quase total desrespeito pelos cidadãos, ignorando por completo as experiências de outros países, as recomendações de especialistas e as graves dificuldades económicas da maioria da população.
The way that Digital Terrestrial Television was introduced in Portugal did not allow any other outcome to be hoped for. Citizens in general, and the most disadvantaged populations in particular, have been seriously aggrieved by the move to DTT. The change-over process in Portugal was designed and implemented with almost total disrespect for the citizens, completely ignoring experiences from other countries, specialists’ recommendations and the serious economic difficulties faced by most of the population.
In June 2012, a public radio programme [Pt] reported a number of serious cases where people were advised by PT to buy a decoder that did not work and ended up buying a satellite reception set.
Thanks to the controversy generated by Sergio Denicoli's PhD thesis, the population seems to be more mindful of the whole process of implementing DTT and is united in pursuing and demanding improvements to a service which it would like to see free and universal.

author: Hugo Ferro


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Russian LiveJournal Announces Grant Program · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

LiveJournal, owned and managed by Russian company SUP Media, just announced [ru] a grant program that will target the development of “interesting, but less well known blogs.” The grant funds could be used by a starting blogger to promote their blog through various paid “promo” services run by the company.
While it is at its core fairly transparent advertisement for these promo services, the $300,000 fund distributed through the grant “community” lj-grants.livejournal.com [ru] represents a sizable investment into RuNet. It remains to be seen whether programs like this will manage to maintain LiveJournal's alpha-dog status in RuNet, a status which faces stiffening competition from Facebook, VKontakte, and stand-alone blogs.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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São Tomé & Príncipe Accedes to the New York Convention · Global Voices
Mário Lopes

In February 2013, São Tomé and Príncipe will become the fourth Portuguese language country undersigning the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, announced the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. Last June, Law Professor at the University of Macau, Fernando Simões, recommended the accession [pt], claiming that it “promotes confidence and security of international trade agreements”.

author: Mário Lopes


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Signature Campaign Against the Revival of Oligarchic Politics in South Korea · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

South Korean NGO, National Association of Professors for Democracy (NAPD), initiated a signature campaign calling for the support of academics in Asia against the revival of oligarchic politics in South Korea and other Asian countries in times of economic crisis and regional political instabilities. The statement is in reaction to the upcoming South Korean presidential election in which the conservative candidate, Park Geun-hye, appeals to the voters for reviving the glorious tradition of his father's military dictatorship era. (via inmediahk.net [zh followed by en])


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Social Media Unites To Stand Up For Saving Colombo’s Trees · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Sri Lankan capital Colombo has a reputation to be greener than many South Asian cities mainly due to the plants and trees grown by the roadside. In the last week of November a number of old trees across Reid Avenue were cut by the authorities. Some of those trees were over a century old and were designed to create a ‘garden city’ in Colombo. The fallen trees caused heavy traffic congestion in that area.
Subha Wijesiriwardena shares her feelings:
When I heard that the large, beautiful trees that pave Reid Avenue in Colombo were being felled, my heart broke. I was so stirred inside – and it was hard to explain to anyone else why this particular incident had moved me so much.
The authorities had provided the following reasons for the removal of these trees:
- The roots of these trees have damaged the concrete pipes/ sewer systems/ roads
– Some of the roots of the trees were cut off to tackle the situation and that had made them unstable there after
– Now they need to be cut for public safety
Fallen trees in Colombo. Image by Suganya Puskaran, courtesy Stand Up For Colombo's Trees Facebook Page.
These trees fell prey to the kind of ‘development’ that Colombo, and some other parts of Sri Lanka, are now facing. Subha adds:
All across Sri Lanka, from Kalpitiya to Pasikudah, there’s development taking place at an alarmingly efficient rate, and it all looks frighteningly badly thought out. Beaches are ravaged and luxury resorts are built with no heed paid to the damage to surrounding ecosystems and environment, small local businesses are brought down and boutique restaurants and hotels replace them. Roads are widened, bridges and highways are mushrooming across the parts of the country that the government cares to develop and homes and indeed trees are removed to make way for these.
It is also claimed that the authorities made no efforts to enlighten the residents of Colombo city about the reasons for cutting down these trees. So a number of netizens created a Facebook page titled “Stand Up For Colombo's Trees” to protest and raise awareness:
This group is created by caring and saddened citizens who want to make sure that no more trees are cut in the future. We also want to appeal to relevant authorities to make the protection of the existing trees a priority in city planning.
Soon a Facebook event was created on November 29, 2012 to gather in the Reid Avenue in front of the Arts Faculty, University of Colombo to  protest the cutting of trees.
Protesting against cutting trees at Reid Avenue, Colombo. Photo from Twitpic by Dushiyanthini. More photos can be found at Passion Parade blog.
More than a hundred people stood with innovative placards in several main roads of Colombo joining in a silent protest. Savan was there and writes at Yamu:
Thinking about this senseless destruction actually made me angry so I was thrilled to see that a group of concerned Colombars – led by Jan Ramesh and Indika Arulingam were organizing a protest against wanton tree felling in the city. For the first time in my life I resolved to attend a demonstration and actually participate- not cover it as a journalist or gawk with a sense of irony.
He continues:
It was surreal spending two hours on the side of a busy road holding placards for trees. Having spent my whole adult life sniping at hippies suddenly I was a tree hugger. But well I’m a Colombar more than anything else and this city needs to cling to every bit of greenery it has. A protest in this case is honestly not a futile or self-indulgent exercise (or doesn’t have to be). A complex decades old war is one thing but cutting trees is different. It doesn’t take too many people to make a difference- 200 people on the street and thousands more angry and the government may well decide it’s just as well to keep some fairly harmless trees in place.
Subha Wijesiriwardena concludes her post with:
In a country where you can’t say how much you hate the way things are, maybe it’s the trees for which you can use your voice. Save the trees, because it may be all we can save.

author: Rezwan


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2012 China Internet Report  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

How is Internet in China different from the rest of the world? IDG Captial Partners, a China-focued investment company offered us a glimpse into the internet situation in China in its 2012 China Internet White Paper.


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Anti-Fascism Unites Hungary · Global Voices
Marietta Le

On Sunday, Dec. 2, thousands of Hungarians stood united against anti-Semitism at a protest rally in Budapest. Politicians from the ruling and opposition parties were there, too, speaking up against the controversial remarks by MP Márton Gyöngyösi, a member of the far-right party Jobbik, which has nearly 17 percent of the seats in the Hungarian Parliament. Gyöngyösi, on Nov.26, called “for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security.”
This was the second such rally. The first one took place on Nov. 27, but was nowhere near as numerous, with just a few hundred people attending.
A foundation called All Together For Jerusalem had organized the Dec. 2 protest [hu], which, according to Reuters, drew around 10,000 people. (For the sake of comparison, according to the Hungarian police's estimates [hu], on the National Holiday in October, ca. 150,000 attended the government-organized event, 20,000 showed up for the citizen movement's protest, and a couple of thousand people came to the far-right party's rally.)
Gyöngyösi later apologized for his remarks, but the public debate on the far right gaining more and more support in Hungary has been re-opened – and, to some extent, it has united the Hungarian nation.
Kopó of Koppány mondja blog wrote [hu] that this was the end of Jobbik playing it nice in the Parliament:
[…] If he [Gyöngyösi] wasn't a Nazi, he wouldn't say anything like this. If Jobbik wasn't a Nazi party, they would hoot him, or at least distance themselves from him, and disqualify him from the party. But this didn't happen. Because Márton Gyöngyösi is a Nazi, and Jobbik is a Nazi party. […]
Balázs Böcskei of the Institute for a Democratic Alternative (IDEA) wondered in a post on his blog [hu] why none of the 386 MPs left the room when “the darkness drenched them” (i.e., when Gyöngyösi was making his notorious statements).
Hungarian Spectrum wrote that on Nov. 27, one day after the incident, four MPs, including the presiding speaker, protested in the Parliament by wearing yellow Stars of David on their clothes – and so did some of the protesters outside, at the rally that took place that same day, as well as during the Dec. 2 rally.
A yellow Star of David on a protester's coat. Dec. 2, 2012. Photo by Redjade, used with permission.
At the Dec. 2 rally, the following politicians addressed the crowd: the current faction leader of the governing conservative Fidesz Party, Antal Rogán; the former ‘acting PM’ Gordon Bajnai; and the Socialist Party's chairman, Attila Mesterházy. The largest Hungarian online citizen movement, ‘One Million for the Freedom of Press in Hungary’ [hu, en], noted on their blog [hu] that the time had come for Hungarians to think over the situation in the country:
[…] The joint protest is a good opportunity to express not only our indignation and the deep denouncement of the Nazi speech revoking the darkest times, but also a chance to ask ourselves this question: why and how has Hungary got so far that today the educated world is a shocked observer of what's going on in the Parliament in Budapest. […]
Protesters at the Dec. 2 rally. Photo by Redjade, used with permission.
The bloggers of Kettős Mérce pointed out [hu] that the speakers hardly talked about the issues concerning Roma or LGBTQ people in Hungary. The bloggers also suggested to put the blame for the current situation in the country on all political parties:
[…] And though many sentences have been said about what kind of mistakes committed by the Hungarian right wing and the conservatives resulted in Hungary getting this far; it was sad that the mistakes of the Hungarian left wing and the liberals have hardly been mentioned. Yet they share the responsibility!
If next time someone is protesting against discrimination and fascism, we hope these things will come to their minds, so then we will have a chance to attend an even better protest.

author: Marietta Le


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Australia: Plain Cigarette Packaging a World First · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Australia’s new precedent-setting plain cigarette packaging law, which began on 1 December 2012, has been greeted with pleasure by most onliners. The twitter hashtag #plainpackaging and search “plain packaging” have had few negative tweets. The Huffington Post reflected an international interest in this world first:
Cigarettes packed in plain packaging have hit the shelves in Australia, making the Oceanic country the first in the world to have banned all tobacco company logos and colors from cigarette packets.
Tobacco plain packaging laws come into effect in Australia
Photo by Maria Nguyen © Copyright Demotix 1 Dec 2012
Andrew Dixon’s blog Sex, Drugs & Politics sits somewhere in the middle:
The tobacco companies are saying publicly that it won’t work. My studies of brand equity say it most certainly will. The government calls it “a win for families,” which is what they call everything they do. Welcome to Brand Wars, where the fight over the right to brand an offering has just been lost.
But he is having it both ways. He argues that:
Without question, plain packaging is a positive outcome for public health.
But Andrew is also concerned about the legal and commercial aspects:
But it sets an unacceptable precedent for the government to steal (or destroy) incredibly valuable private intellectual property.
Blogger Don Aitkin wonders ‘Are plain cigarette packets a great public health achievement?':
I am no supporter of the nanny state, and see the plain packaging of cigarettes as a success for would-be regulators more than as a great victory for public health. Perhaps it will reduce even further the tendency for young people to take up an expensive and unhealthy habit. But I would have preferred the path of more good information, treating people as rational, rather than as dummies.
However, there appears to be an irrational aspect to the reactions of smokers to the changes. Apparently some smokers believe that their cigarettes from plain packets taste worse than those from the old branded ones. Some people believe that it was just spin by the Health Minister.
Not Mr. Leopold. He started the Olive green smoke packets…different taste ? thread on the ausrc.com/forum [rc=remote control]:
Any of the smokers out there see a different taste in their smokes from the original packs to the new *** green packs ?? The green packs don't taste the same and taste like ass
It's not mental thinking as I even dumped new smokes in an old pack I had that was still half full and mixed em up and they are noticeabley different ?
Adam Ferrier, a communications and marketing guru from advertising agency Naked Communications tries to explain this unlikely phenomenon on Unleashed:
When we taste something we are not recording what it tastes like, we are creating the taste – making it up, depending on the information we have to hand.
… When tasting a cigarette, all advertising contributes to the taste of that cigarette.
Anyway, he’s a supporter of the legislation:
Every government initiative – from banning advertising, to limiting distribution, to raising taxes, to plain packaging – is having an impact.
If this is the hallmark of a nanny state, then as the son of a smoker who died of cancer way too young I happily say “Goo goo ga ga. Keep looking after us.”
Other countries such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand have been considering the introduction of similar anti-smoking packaging laws. The Huff received over 400 comments when it asked for U.S. feedback on the idea.
LorentDiscard's response is very positive:
This is a great development. Already there is anecdotal evidence suggesting that even hardened, addicted, smokers seem to enjoy their brands less.
I don't believe in prohibition, but strongly believe in our collective responsibility to protect our children, and there we'll see the major impact.
Hgcohan has a more libertarian view:
Nannie State, intrusive government. Freedom means ‘free to be’. How in the world has government found a path into ruling on packaging for cigarettes? This is gross evidence of government over-stepping boundaries.
The tobacco industry has argued that plain packaging will increase illegal trade and smuggling. This is reflected in the current U.K. discussion.
It will be interesting to see if another country will follow Australia’s lead in the near future.

author: Kevin Rennie