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‘Stadium of Exception’: Brazilian Police Arrest Anti-Cup Activists · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Collective Midia Ninja denounces [pt] that activists against the World Cup are being arrested in the city of Rio de Janeiro one day before the kick-off of the matches. These arrests are meant to prevent “future crimes in an attempt to intimidate” those who are willing to go on the streets and protest:
A Polícia Cívil do Rio de Janeiro acaba de executar uma série de detenções. Na manhã de hoje as ativistas Elisa Quadros (conhecida como Sininho), a advogada Eloisa Samy e o cinegrafista Thiago Ramos, foram presos em casa , e estão sendo levados para investigação na DRCI – Delegacia de Repressão aos Crimes de Informática. Na última semana em Goiânia, mandatos de busca e apreensão ja haviam sido utilizados como forma de cerceamento ao direito de manifestação e tática de coerção contra a parcela da população que pretende manifestar suas indignações durante o evento da FIFA.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro has just executed a series of arrests. This morning, activist Elisa Frames (known as Tinkerbell), lawyer Eloisa Samy and cameraman Thiago Ramos were arrested at home and are being taken for questioning in the DRCI – Delegacy for the Repression of Informatic Crimes. Last week in Goiania, search and seizure warrants were already used as a means of curtailing the right to protest and as a tactic of coercion against the people who wish to express their outrage over the FIFA event.


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This Guy Kept Calm While Gunfire Close to Karachi’s Recently Attacked Airport Rattled Pakistan · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

Security forces conducting a wide search operation after three-four people open fire at the Airport Security Force academy. Image by ppiimages. Copyright Demotix (10/6/2014)
Two days after a deadly Taliban attack claimed 36 lives at Karachi's Jinnah International, reports of “another round of gunfire” close to Pakistan's busiest airport rattled Pakistanis on social media and sent residents in the country's security-strained city into a panic, almost instantly.
But Jawad Nazir, a 25-year-old volunteer running an unofficial Twitter account for Pakistan's top air traffic authority, tried to keep everyone calm.
While chatting with me on Twitter he said, “I just think defusing tension at times [like these] and taking all the criticism can also keep people calm.”
After speculative tweets and reports about “gunfire at the airport, again” started spreading on Twitter and Pakistan's vibrant but frantic TV news channels, Jawad, a college student, volunteer wilderness trainer and social entrepreneur based in Rawalpindi city, tweeted this from the unofficial “Civil Aviation Authority Pakistan” (@AirportPakistan) account:
#Jinnah Airport is safe, #ASF academy is under attack. Please remain calm and patient, will be updating you accordingly.
— CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 10, 2014
Later he reported from the same account:
Flight operations at #Jinnah International Airport are SUSPENDED.
— CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 10, 2014
The reported gunfire was from 3-4 people who allegedly opened fire at the Airport Security Force Academy and ran away. The training academy is a few miles from Karachi's Airport, which the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had finally cleared for travel less than 24 hours before, following a brazen 6-hour battle between security forces and militants in the early hours of June 9.
Within a few hours of the reports of shooting, Pakistan's chief military spokesman tweeted:
#Kci Airport:Latest update;3 to 4 terrorists fired near ASF Camp,ran away.No breach of fence,no Entry.Chase is on,situation under control
— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) June 10, 2014
The situation seemed to have settled within an hour, after which the Taliban claimed responsibility for the firing. With this latest attack at the airport, however, rumours continued on Pakistan's social media, following the authorities’ decision to suspend air travel temporarily and put security blocks on roads close to the airport:
All roads leading to #KarachiAirport sealed. (Via @JaagAlerts)
— Karachi Traffic Upd (@KhiTraffic) June 10, 2014
Within 40 minutes of the “flight operations suspended” notice, @AirportPakistan tweeted:
Operations resume at #Jinnah International of #Karachi.
— CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 10, 2014
One Twitter user angrily responded:
Dear @alijawadnaqvi, understand your concern but my job is to only pass on the transmitted information. @asmashirazi
— CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 10, 2014
Karachi-based journalist Omar Quereshi tweeted:
Civil Aviation Authority is as good on Twitter @AirportPakistan as it is bad in real life — and that's saying a lot
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) June 9, 2014
I got in touch with the man behind @AirportPakistan Jawad Nazir, who kept things calm on Twitter and he agreed to answer a few of my questions quickly because he had an exam in 5 hours.
Jawad is also a volunteer wilderness trainer with Youth Impact. Photo from Jawad's Public Facebook page.
I asked him why he runs the account on his own time and money, and he replied, “My motivation for this account is to ensure some decent image of Pakistan globally. We are already not in a very good book of foreigners :(“. He continued:
I've seen major international airports tweeting to their passengers on a daily basis, so I thought ‘why not from Pakistan?’ So I started back in January this year, by updating delays and cancellations of flights on a daily basis.
He continued about his response to the 6-hour Karachi Airport siege:
Now in this situation of the attack I was expecting people to storm their questions towards the CAA account so despite my exam on Monday morning, I stayed up all night long answering people and trying to defuse the situation. It did work, and I also kept people informed about the [latest updates].
Jawad has college degrees in journalism and political science, and is working on another degree in business administration. The journalism degree clearly helps him sift through misinformation and maintain a neutral tone. After the Karachi airport attack had ended and rescue operations were still underway for trapped employees of a cargo company, he tweeted:
Ladies & Gentleman, please remain calm & patient. Rescue efforts are in progress at the cold storage for past couple of hours. #Karachi
— CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 9, 2014
I went through a log of tweets from @AirportPakistan during the Karachi airport siege and attack, and it seems Jawad respectfully and tactfully, answered hundreds of queries from concerned travelers in a span of 18 hours. He got some strong endorsements from a few leading journalists about his updates too:
Round of applause for @AirportPakistan, done a hell of a job. Not an easy job.
— Shaheryar Mirza (@mirza9) June 9, 2014
Photo from Jawad's Instagram.
While we were messaging over Twitter, Jawad added that he is also “a struggling aviator, a rejected cadet pilot from a commercial airline. They said I am color blind. I don't believe [them].”
The brief firing incident delayed Karachi Airport's already recovering flight schedule, which Jawad monitored continuously, despite his impending exams. Journalists, like BBC's Amber Rahim and official Twitter accounts from leading international airlines, retweeted his posts, too:
“@AirportPakistan: #EK601 departs from #Jinnah International of #Karachi for #Dubai. pic.twitter.com/yX055HQPPH“
— Amber Rahim Shamsi (@AmberRShamsi) June 10, 2014
@flysrilankan Flights to and from Colombo to #Karachi are on hold.
— CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 10, 2014
@AirportPakistan what about tomorrow? Do you recommend we shift our seats from Cathay to Thai? Going to Singapore.
— aamnaisani (@aamnaisani) June 10, 2014
Back in March, a online newspaper for London’s business community, wrote a piece on @AirportPakistan, assuming it was an official account, with the headline “Pakistan’s official airports Twitter account is the most optimistic and brilliant in the world“.
Jawad is trying to get in touch with the right person at Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority to get their endorsement to run an official Twitter account. (They currently don't have one.) Jawad gets his flight information from the official CAA website and tracks flight statuses through some online “trade secrets”.
Jawad is just one example of the many young entrepreneurial Pakistanis staying resilient despite their military and government's failure to reign in the Taliban and provide peace and security to the country.
Sahar Habib Ghazi interviewed Jawad Nazir for this report. Sahar is the Managing Editor at Global Voices and she divides her time between Karachi and San Francisco.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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Why You Should Pick France as Your 2nd Favorite Team at the 2014 World Cup  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Graham MacAree at SB Nation posts an entertaining comment on why one should pick the French national team as their 2nd favorite team after their home team at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil :
You'll want to watch France games because if they're on, they'll be lovely to watch, and if they're off it's downright hilarious. The way to get the most out of a combustible team is to follow them closely enough to enjoy all the details but keep emotionally far away enough so that the explosion doesn't singe you too badly.
MacAree also mentions that the French team trolled Usain Bolt after they beat Jamaica in a warm-up match. Here is a photo on twitter of the aforementioned trolling from French player Paul Pogba's twitter feed:
French Lightning!!! @Benzema @AntoGriezmann @usainbolt (The Pogfamily) pic.twitter.com/mZBMEppxS9
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) June 8, 2014

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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What About Bermuda’s Unsung Heroes? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda's Flag; image by dmitri_66, used under a CC license.
National Heroes Day is a tradition celebrated in a few Caribbean territories, but in Bermuda, there is online discourse over the purpose and history of the national holiday. Ironically, the Bermudian government decided not to name anyone as the subject of this year's celebration, even as it emphasized its importance.
The contradiction confused the blog catch a fire, who noted that the holiday, ever since its inception in 2008, has been controversial. The blogger recapped why there has been so much public scepticism:
The holiday has been the subject of criticism…by those who think it’s an insult to the monarchy (officially replacing the Queen’s Birthday Holiday, the parade of which continues on the same day anyway), or that it was a conspiracy of reverse racism by the PLP [Progressive Labour Party that currently sits in opposition], or that it failed to set out a clear way to select a hero each year (the first national hero, Lois Browne-Evans, was the subject of the day from 2008 until 2011 when three additional heroes shared the day – Pauulu Kamarakafego, Dr EF Gordon and Henry Tucker; and Mary Prince was the subject for 2012, and, by default, 2013).
The process involved in selecting national heroes was also in question:
I understood that selection would be through nominations to a board/committee – related to the Department of Community & Cultural Affairs – which would then provide a short-list of candidates for the Minister to select from, and that this would be annual.
That has not been the case, and it remains unclear how the hero is to be selected – or, more frequently, not selected.
Which is disappointing.
Vexed Bermoothes thought that politicians only convoluted the issue:
The problem with ‘national hero days’ is that the politicians promptly name themselves as heroes. That’s not the way it works guys.
catch a fire agreed that the whole point of the occasion was:
To commemorate living national heroes…and…past national heroes who may otherwise be forgotten, and so help build an appreciation of our heritage.
Historically, he felt that issues of race had an impact upon the awareness of some aspects of Bermudian heritage:
Due to the racial power imbalances prevalent in our history, ‘Black’ history has been largely erased from the historical record – indeed, ‘actively suppressed’ may be a better phrase than simply ‘erased’.
And this largely means that key national heroes are simply unknown – they weren’t recorded and so aren’t recognised. Our history has, rather literally, been White-washed – as well as filtered in a sexist way to boot.
Despite this, there are plenty of heroes, historical and present, who can, and should have, been the focus of National Heroes Day, complete with a coordinated public education campaign, across races and sex.
The blogger ended by suggesting alternative approaches to celebrating the day so that there will be more national heroes to acknowledge in the future:
For those unrecorded heroes of the past we could have had a generic ‘themed’ day where focus would have been on past injustices and the resistance against them.
Alternatively, National Heroes Day could be a generic one (which it appears to be this year) where everyone’s left to determine their own national hero.
Which has its merits, but I feel it misses out on a pedagogical opportunity to highlight our collective heritage (living or other) and help inspire people to become future national heroes.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bermuda: Kicking Off the World Cup  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Breezeblog is thrilled that the World Cup is finally here – and makes a cheeky prediction: “Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, Argentina will beat Brazil in the final.”


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Jamaica: 32 Teams…Who Will Win the World Cup? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaipanese blogs about his favourite teams at this year's World Cup: he has some interesting picks and convincing arguments for why they might be the ones to watch.


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Kazakhstan Has an Antelope That Can Predict the World Cup Winner (or Does It?)  · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

Kazakhstan's most mischievous satirical blog, Kazaxia, is up to its old tricks again, reporting on the saiga antelope that has potentially ruined bookmakers worldwide by predicting the winner of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with its timeless steppe wisdom. As Kazaxia writes:
A shaman contacted kazaxia about the psychic saiga – it points a horn at one of two lamb bones bearing an etching of the national flags of the competing teams to select the winner. The unnamed saiga predicts that Argentina will triumph over England in the final. Brazil and Germany will be the unlucky losing semi-finalists, with the Germans grabbing third place on penalties.
For the competition’s opening match between Brazil and Croatia the long-nosed antelope refused to select a bone, suggesting the game could be a draw. For more predictions you can follow @psychicsaiga on twitter.
Saigas, which are members of the antelope family, once roamed the Eurasian steppe from the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains and the Caucasus into Mongolia and Dzungaria. Their numbers are now critically endangered with herds restricted to  areas of Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Rather uncharitably, given that the satirical saiga is out to promote a good cause – saving itself from extinction – @pete_leonard chided:
Psychic Saiga (@psychicsaiga) in Kazakhstan predicts England to be World Cup runners-up http://t.co/HGqqqEfwcx Stupid as well as endangered.
— pete_leonard (@pete_leonard) June 12, 2014

author: Chris Rickleton


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Russian Emigration in the Internet Age · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

“The Last of England” by Ford Madox Brown, remixed by author. Public domain.
Russia is witnessing a new kind of emigration today. Two factors more than any (the rise of the Internet and the Kremlin’s post-Medvedev crackdown on political freedom) are motivating some of Russia’s most creative citizens to get out of the country. This exodus has been described as the “Fifth Wave” and the “Emigration of Disillusionment,” though relatively few Russians express an interest in leaving, and the far fewer who actually go tend to remain passionately engaged with Russian society and politics.
Last year, two of the most prominent men in Russia’s media world, Oleg Kashin and Rustem Adagamov, left for Europe after experiencing problems at home. Kashin, who was beaten nearly to death in 2010 and subsequently persecuted on the job market, moved to Switzerland. Adagamov, who became involved in what seemed to be trumped-up statutory rape charges, fled to Prague.
Following Kashin’s relocation, Leonid Bershidsky, a former chief editor of the Russian news site Slon.ru, wrote a blog post for Snob.ru, titled, “It’s Time to Forget about Emigration.” In that text, Bershidsky argued that modern technology—particularly the Internet—has shrunk the world to such a degree that our physical location is almost irrelevant. In other words, “emigration” as it’s generally understood has become an obsolete concept. People might leave Russia, but Kashin’s articles and Adagamov’s photographs still populate your Facebook feed, appear on your favorite websites, and flood across Twitter. It doesn’t really matter where you are, says Bershidsky.
Today, June 12, Bershidsky wrote again about emigration—this time his own. A text he says was meant for Snob.ru, but “fate” prevented from appearing there, Bershidsky posted his article on Facebook, announcing that he is leaving Moscow for Berlin. In the post, he says he’s “suffered defeat” and slams Russia’s mainstream media (both Kremlin propaganda and liberal “hobnobbing”) for stifling journalism’s ability to “protect the weak from the strong.” Moreover, German taxes may be three times higher than Russia’s, Bershidsky writes, but at least they won’t be subsidizing Russia’s “theft” of Crimea.
Maria Baronova, October 9, 2013. Facebook.
In the last month, two other notable Moscow intellectuals have promoted the idea of leaving Russia. On June 4, Afisha Magazine’s chief editor, Alexander Gorbachev, announced that he is quitting his post to go study journalism in the United States for the next two years. On June 12, Maria Baronova—a former political prisoner and a vocal Putin critic—invited Russians to escape Moscow’s stifling political atmosphere by traveling to Kazakhstan.
In an interview with the website Colta.ru, Gorbachev said that his urge to leave Russia first crystallized with the sentencing of Pussy Riot. In a Facebook post about his departure, Afisha’s chief compared himself to Boris Yeltsin, whose resignation in 1999 is often summed up as “I’m tired and I’m leaving.” It’s not the job at Afisha that’s exhausted Gorbachev, he says, admitting, “It's that I’m tired of life in Russia.”
In Kazakhstan, Baronova says Russians can find good work and plenty of outlets for entrepreneurial creativity. “As you walk in the morning to your office,” she writes, “you’ll [pass buildings] and want instantly to open a couple of shoe repair stores and cafes, running to the mayor’s office with [ideas for] public relations projects and ways to enrich the city’s cultural life.” Perhaps just as importantly, the compulsion to be involved in politics withers away. “Since you’re in a different country,” Baronova explains, “you simply stop worrying about the immediate introduction of honest elections and all that.”
In all the cases above, however, nobody expects to be gone from Russia forever. Indeed, Kashin frequents Moscow more often it seems than the winter snow. Gorbachev, in all likelihood, will move back after his graduate studies in Missouri. Bershidsky and Adagamov maybe have emigrated for longer, but the work that makes them significant to Russian society—their intellectual labor—will still roam the Internet, where their audiences were always.
And this, it seems, is Russia’s new emigration. People leave—to escape, to explore, and to unwind—but nobody really disconnects.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Salam, Brazil: Muslim Football Fans and FIFA World Cup · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Image by Willard on Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Colombian United Arab Emirates-based Marcelino Torrecilla describes [es] the particulars of Muslim football fans in the 2014 FIFA World Cup:
se espera para el mundial la llegada de 50 mil musulmanes provenientes de países tan diversos como Irán, Nigeria, Argelia, Estados Unidos, el Reino Unido, Malasia y muchos otros de la región del Golfo Arábigo, que de seguro abarrotarán las más de ochenta mezquitas que existen a lo largo y ancho del extenso país brasilero;
For the World Cup, the arrival of 50,000 Muslims from countries as diverse as Iran, Nigeria, Algeria, United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia and many others from the Gulf is expected. For sure, they all will pack the 80 some mosques throughout the length and breadth of this huge country;
And he adds:
En seis de los 32 países en contienda en este mundial, el islam tiene una presencia significativa. Entre dichos países se encuentra a Bosnia-Herzegovina, Camerún, Irán, Costa de Marfil y Nigeria.
In six out of the 32 countries in competition, Islam has a significative presence. Among those countries we have Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cameroon, Iran, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
You can follow Marcelino on Twitter.

author: Juan Arellano


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‘The Time Has Come!’ Brazil 2014 World Cup · Global Voices
Luis Flores

Image by Francisco Carbajal on Flickr. CC BY-ND 2.0.
Mexican communication specialist Samantha Michelle Martínez [es] expresses her excitement for the kicking off of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, remembers the buzz around previous tournaments and invites readers to support the teams [es]:
Fuera de la polémica sobre el escandaloso proceso que la Selección Mexicana tuvo para poder calificar a Brasil 2014, nos permitimos olvidar un rato, queremos dejar de ser imparciales, sentir que nuestro ego se infle tantito. Qué más da, en el mundial todos lo hacen. Y es permitido, ya que esta fiesta sólo ocurre cada cuatro años y es de lo más selectiva.
Leaving aside the controversy about the boisterous process the Mexican national team went through to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, let's just forget for a while that we don't want to be unbiased, we want to feel our ego puffing up a little bit. Whatever, during the World Cup everybody does that. And we are allowed to, as this party comes only once every four years, and it's very selective.
She writes often about sports and her favorite tourist destinations. If you are interested in updates during the World Cup, follow her blog Tarjeta Azul [es] and her Twitter account.

author: Luis Flores


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A Handbook for Protesters During the World Cup in Brazil · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

As the 2014 World Cup begins in Brazil, protests against FIFA's interventions and the Brazilian government's spending are taking place all over the country, especially in the host cities.
Concerned about excessive police reaction during protests, citizen's counselling organization Urucum, which works on human rights, communication and justice issues and is based in the city of Fortaleza, published a “Handbook for Protesters” in Portuguese (“Manual de Pessoas Manifestantes”).
The e-book gives advice about items protesters should carry inside their backpacks and offers a list of recommendations on attitude and behavior during the demonstration itself. It also shares a list of civil rights and addresses how to proceed in case a protester is stopped for a police search or detained.
The booklet is a product of the online platform Na Rua [pt] (On the street), which monitors human rights violations perpetrated by the government in Fortaleza during protests related to the World Cup.

author: João Miguel Lima


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INTERVIEW: Taking a Closer Look at ‘Boteros,’ Havana’s Private Taxi Drivers · Global Voices
Elaine Díaz

Silvia, a “botera” (private taxi driver) in Havana, Cuba. Photo taken by Yisel Martínez and Lisandra Andrés.
Lisandra Andres and Yisel Martinez, journalism students from the Universidad de La Habana (University of Havana), have launched a citizen media project about Cuba's private taxi drivers, popularly known as “boteros.” The project aspires to address the complex matter of taxation in Cuba.
Lisandra and Yisel describe their undergraduate thesis (in their case, the Boteros in Havana project) as: “the most awaited and feared assignment for every student while studying their major.”
Boteros en La Habana (Boteros in Havana) invites users to send their stories to Facebook [es], Twitter, and the project's official blog [es], where they also publish brief articles on the research process. Global Voices spoke with the two to learn more about the project.
Global Voices (GV): What is the actual panorama of taxation in Cuba?
Yisel y Lisandra: Uno de los primeros sectores en incorporarse al pago de los tributos fueron los trabajadores por cuenta propia. Según el informe presentado a la Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular de Anteproyecto del Presupuesto del Estado para 2014, los ingresos recibidos del sector del trabajo por cuenta propia rondaban los 1.132.1 millones de pesos. Si bien este aporte al presupuesto no es representativo cualitativamente, constituye una cifra significativa desde el punto de vista de la cantidad de personas obligadas al pago de tributos.
Actualmente existen en todo el territorio nacional aproximadamente 448 mil 303 cuentapropistas inscritos en el Registro de Contribuyentes para el cierre de febrero de 2014, de los cuales más del 25% se concentran en la capital. Dentro de las actividades autorizadas a operar, el transporte de carga y pasajeros agrupa, según el Registro del Contribuyente, a 47.983 transportistas y 7.943 radican en La Habana.
Yisel and Lisandra: One of the first sectors to incorporate taxation was the self-employed. According to the report presented to the Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular de Anteproyecto del Presupuesto del Estado [The National Popular Power Assembly's State Budget] for 2014, the revenue received by the self-employed was about 1.1 million pesos. Although the contribution to the budget is not qualitatively representative, it nevertheless constitutes as a meaningful figure from the perspective of the amount of people who are obligated to pay taxes.
In actuality, self-employed workers exist all over the nation. There were approximately 448,303 self-employed workers enrolled in the Registro de Contribuyentes [Taxpayer Record] at the end of February 2014, those of which more than 25% are in the capital.  Within the activities allowed to operate, there are 47,983 drivers for both cargo and passenger transportation. According to Registro de Contribuyentes, 7,943 reside in Havana.
GV: Why were you interested in private taxi drivers, or boteros, as they're known on the island?
Yisel y Lisandra: En el caso de los taxistas particulares de la capital, existen muchas inconformidades con los métodos presuntivos que utiliza la ONAT [Oficina Nacional de Administración Tributaria] para calcular sus ingresos y con las multas por incumplimientos en pago, a partir de la entrada en vigor de la Ley 113 del Sistema Tributario . Este fenómeno está estrechamente vinculado a la falta de cultura tributaria tanto de los contribuyentes como de los implicados en la legislación y aplicación de la misma. De esta manera, resulta muy fácil valerse de los resquicios que deja la Ley para eludir impuestos, máxime si no se tiene conocimiento del uso social de los mismos.
Según plantea este sector cuentapropista, no se tiene en cuenta la capacidad real de trabajar de cada persona, su edad, las condiciones de los vehículos, los altos precios del combustible y las piezas de repuesto, así como una serie de condiciones de trabajo que les impone la regulación. Sin embargo, un principio universal de los tipos impositivos es que estos se aplican por igual a todas las personas, haciendo variable solo la deducibilidad de los gastos.
Yisel and Lisandra: Regarding the capital's private taxi drivers, since the entry of Law 113 of the Sistema Tributario [Taxpayer System], many disagree with the presumptive methods utilized by ONAT [National Office of Fiscal Administration] to calculate their income and with the failure of payment citations. This phenomenon is closely linked to a lack of fiscal culture, taxpayers and those involved in the legislation alike, along with its application. This way it becomes very easy to take advantage of the law's loopholes in order to elude taxes, especially if one doesn't have knowledge of their [taxes] social use.
According to this self-employed sector, every person's actual work capacity, age, the vehicle condition, the high gas prices, and the replacement parts are not taken into account, along with a series of work conditions that imposes regulation upon them. Nevertheless, a universal principal on taxation rates is that they are applied equally to everyone, only varying in the deductibility of expenses.
Old American cars are called “almendrones” in Cuba. They are the most commonly used cars by boteros.  Photo taken by Yisel Martínez and Lisandra Andrés from Boteros in Havana's Facebook page.
GV: What was the journalistic set-up for Boteros de La Habana like?
Yisel y Lisandra: La investigación, vinculada a la producción, desarrolla un reportaje hipermedia concebido desde y para Internet, debido a la amplitud del tema, a las renovadas exigencias del periodismo hipermedia y las posibilidades discursivas que este tipo de producto comunicativo ofrece.
Con la pretensión de hacer del usuario un ente más activo en la red, se convocaron a los internautas y lectores a participar en la ampliación, selección, distribución, y modificación de los contenidos. Esto conllevó a que el público no solo opinara y compartiera sino que además fuera capaz de crear contenidos. De esta forma, se pusieron en práctica nuevas formas de interacción en la red durante todo el proceso de realización del producto siguiendo las concepciones de la web 2.0.
Las características esenciales de la comunicación en red: interactividad, hipertextualidad y multimedialidad permitieron, mediante diferentes formatos, exponer una significativa cantidad de datos relacionados con el tema que no solo posibilitó al usuario una mejor comprensión, sino que también le brindó la posibilidad de interactuar con las nuevas herramientas propias de Internet, visualizar infografías, videos, fotos, dejar comentarios, así como compartir las informaciones más relevantes con otros usuarios.
Yisel and Lisandra: The research, linked to the production, develops a hypermedia report conceived from and for the Internet. This is due to the subject's importance, the renewed demands of hypermedia journalism, and the discursive possibilities that this form of communication offers.
With the intention of making the user a more active entity on the network, net users and readers convened to participate in the contents’ amplification, selection, distribution, and modification. This resulted in the public not only sharing and giving their opinion, but to also be capable of creating content. This way, new methods of interacting on the network were put into practice during the product's entire developmental process, following Web 2.0 conceptions.
The essential characteristics of network communication – interactivity, hypertextuality, and multimedia -allowed, by means of different formats, to expose a significant amount of information related to the subject and not only made it possible for the user to have better comprehension, but it also gave him/her the possibility to interact with the new tools owned by the Internet, to visualize computer graphics, videos, photos, to leave comments, as well as to share the most relevant information with other users.
“Boteros de La Habana. Una mirada a los tributos en Cuba” (Havana's Boteros. A Look into Cuba's Taxes) represents not only the final assignment of the authors’ academic studies, but the possibility of showing how day-to-day life can bring about interesting stories for journalism.

author: Elaine Díaz


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Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are Blocked in Iraq · Global Voices
Advox

Screenshot of block message from EarthLink ISP in Iraq.
Bahar Jasim, Mohamad Najem, Afef Abrougui, Collin Anderson and Ellery Roberts Biddle contributed to this report.
UPDATE [June 13, 2014, 22:00 UTC]: The original version of this article reported that Google search was being blocked in Iraq. Updates from the ground indicate that these services are still accessible.
Internet users in several provinces of Iraq are reporting that they cannot access major social media and other websites. Local media [ar] and at least one ISP said on June 13, 2014 that the Ministry of Communications ordered Internet providers to shut down “Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.” Observers suspect that blockages and slow speeds online are due to the country’s deteriorating security situation.
One journalist tweeted that the blocking happened because the government feared the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terror group (ISIS) was using social media to “organize and mobilise.” ISIS indeed has been using social media platforms to communicate. On June 12, they announced on Twitter [ar] that they had killed 1700 soldiers in Tikrit.
#Iraq Tigrisnet Internet Service Provider confirms Ministry of Communications has ordered the blocking of #Twitter. pic.twitter.com/8xqV1DUlDT
— Collin Anderson (@CDA) June 13, 2014
An error message from ISP TigrisNet indicated that it was blocking Twitter in response to an order from the Ministry of Communications (MoC). Although journalists are reporting that Facebook and Twitter are still accessible in Baghdad, some say the Internet is getting progressively slower in country’s capital city. Blogger and social media expert Qais_Qazaz tweeted that the Internet is expected to be shut down in Kirkuk province, where he resides. Friends communicating with Qais have since lost contact with him and suspect that the cut has already been implemented.
Screenshots below show, taken on June 13, show error messages that users in Iraq are receiving when trying to access Twitter and Facebook.
Screenshots of Twitter, Facebook block messages.
On June 9, network monitoring firm Renesys reported that 141 networks in Iraq had experienced an outage, though most were reportedly restored in the following days.
The Facebook page for Iraq’s Ministry of Communications posted a message earlier today announcing an impending gradual shutdown of the Internet throughout Iraq on June 15 for “maintenance of fibre optic cables.” It is unclear whether today’s blockages are related to these plans.

author: Advox


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Fighting for the Human Right to Water in Mexico City · Global Voices
Elvira Herrera

Cover of the third publication in the series of books about the human right to water.  September 2010.  Photo by Flick user Ongawa. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
The scarcity, contamination and discrimination in the distribution of water throughout the world has become one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. In Mexico, the problems regarding water are realities that we experience every day, especially in rural communities and in city outskirts. Today, 38 Mexican cities suffer from supply problems, 90 percent of rivers are contaminated, and the country lacks a solid culture of water conservation.
In the Valley of Mexico, the area with the most urban density in the country and the most populated,  the demand for water exceeds the availability, a situation that has required the liquid to be obtained from increasingly farther distances and through the over-exploitation of aquifers.
Water is a non-renewable resource, essential for life and for the achievement of other human rights (food and health, for example). It is therefore a determining factor for human development, which must be a priority in the design of laws and public policy.
In Mexico City, the water management model is being discussed in the state legislature as a result of six initiatives to reform the city's water laws presented during the past few months.
En otras cosas de las que estar pendientes, necesario enfoque de DDHH Iniciativa #LeyAguas del #GDF http://t.co/aRJWU1GmLI (sí, me da miedo)
— Sofía de Robina (@SofiadeRo) May 27, 2014
Among things to be aware of, necessary focus on [the water initiative] (yes, I’m afraid).
Academics and civil organizations have issued opinions in various forums, though there have been no formal spaces for deliberation of the initiatives. Neither has the initiative announced by the head of state in March, the so-called “Law for Water and Water Sustainability,” been publicly disclosed despite having already been ruled upon.
COMDA exige info clara sobre cambios en participación de iniciativa privada en servicio de agua en DF http://t.co/3zhnvxWmIf @raguirrediaz
— Claudia Campero (@claucampero) April 25, 2014
COMDA [Coalition of Mexican Organizations for the Right to Water] requires clear info on changes in private sector participation in water services in Mexico City.
According to the media [es], the initiatives were to be decided in the first extraordinary period (June 9-10), although according to some notes, the final discussion was postponed [es] until the end of June in the second extraordinary period. Faced with the risk of “fast track” approval, organizations from the Coalition of Mexican Organizations for the Right to Water mobilized this past Monday against the legislature.
¡Movilización lunes a las 12 pm frente a ALDF para exigir que no voten la Ley de Aguas que ni siquiera se ha publicado en Gaceta!
— Claudia Campero (@claucampero) June 7, 2014
Mobilization Monday at 12 p.m. against ALDF [Legislative Assembly of Mexico City] to demand they don’t vote on the Water Law before it has even been published in the Gazette!
The decentralization of the Water System of Mexico City, the  increase and change in the private initiative, [es], the determination of rates, and the incorporation of the human right to water, are only some of the topics covered in the initiatives.
Es muy importante impulsar un proceso participativo de revisión y discusión de la legislación en materia de agua… http://t.co/Qz4dIUqJ7K
— Areli Sandoval Terán (@AreliSandovalT) June 9, 2014
It is very important to promote a participatory process of review and discussion about water legislation…
From some spaces, such as the Coalition of Mexican Organizations for the Right to Water, or the Space for Participation in the Human Right to Water, of the Monitoring and Assessment of the Human Rights Program of Mexico City  [es], the impact and scope of the initiatives are already being discussed. However, because water is a highly technical and specialized topic — although fundamental as a human right — it is little known and receives little attention from most of the public.
Desde el #EP derecho al agua del @PDHDF_CDMX se verifica enfoque #DDHH en 6 iniciativas de modificación a #LeyAgua #DF presentadas en #ALDF
— Claudia Romero (@Viraviendo) June 9, 2014
From the Space for Participation of Mexico’s Federal District Program for Human Rights, the approach for 6 initiatives to modify the water law in the Federal District were presented in the District Legislature.
While those of us who have had access to the various initiatives know that they offer both positive and cutting edge elements that potentially violate the human right to water, it is necessary that other defenders and protectors of human rights —not only those related to the environment and water— autonomous human rights agencies, academics and ordinary citizens join the discussion and dissemination of information on a subject that concerns us all and directly impacts everybody.
If you are interested in the future of water in your city follow, share and contribute to the hashtags #LeyAgua / #LeyAguas/ #LeyAguaySustentabilidadHídrica. Let's be informed and talk about it.

author: Elvira Herrera


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Do #IWantToBelieve in Mexico’s National Football Team? · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Image by Esparta Palma on Flickr. CC BY 2.0.
On his blog Se hace camino al andar (We walk to make the way), Mexican Andrés Mayorquín expresses his opinion [es] about the participation of Mexican national football team in Brazil FIFA World Cup 2014 and the hashtag on Twitter to support it #Quierocreer (I want to believe):
Personalmente se me hace una campaña ridícula, tan lastimera que da pena, pero por lo menos es realista. La ha de haber hecho algún publicista recomendado por algún político encumbrado, como el que dijo “Yo sí robé, pero poquito” y que ha llegado a donde está gracias a eso, al simplismo emocional de muchos mexicanos. […] La Selección tuvo tan pésimos resultados durante la eliminatoria mundialista y hasta la fecha, que de verdad se necesita un acto de fe extraordinario para pensar algo positivo de ella.
I personally think this is a ridiculous campaign, so pitiful that is sorrowful, but at least it is realistic. Surely it was managed by a publicist recommended by some lauded politician, just as the one who said “I did steal, but a very little bit” and who is where he is thanks to that, to the emotional simpleness many Mexicans have. […] The national team did it so badly during the qualifying round and until now that a really extraordinary leap of faith is necessary to think positively about it.
He adds:
Hay muchos quejosos sobre el tema del Mundial. Que si es un distractor, que si aturde a los mexicanos, que es un complot para mantenernos embobados, etc. Seré sincero, si tengo oportunidad, veré los partidos de futbol, como hice con los partidos anteriores, pero sin muchas expectativas. Creo que le pondré más interés a tratar de entender la reforma energética, o si con el empujón del Banxico ahora sí levanta la economía, o si puedo ser Consejero Electoral. Lo haré porque no #QuieroCreer, quiero ver resultados.
Many complain about the whole World Cup issue. That it is distracting, that numbs Mexicans, that it is a plot to keep us all besotted, etc. I'll be honest, if I have the chance, I'll watch the matches, as I did in previous matches, but not with high expectations. I think I'll be more interested in trying to understand the energy reform, or if with Banxico [Banco de México, the central bank of Mexico] the economy now gets better, or if I can become an Electoral Counsel. I will do it because I don't want to believe, I want to see results.
Follow him on Twitter.


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Thailand’s Coup Regime Tries to Woo People With Free World Cup Telecasts and Massages · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The “Happiness” Festival offered selfies with dancing women soldiers. Photo by Steve Storey, copyright @Demotix (6/4/2014)
As part of its commitment to “return happiness to the people”, Thailand’s coup regime is broadcasting all 64 World Cup matches live on the country’s free television station.
Since last week, “happiness” festivals have been organized across the country providing free haircuts, free food, free massages, and free health check-ups. Soldiers entertained big crowds in traditional protest venues.
The junta was been taking these steps to improve public support for the coup. The free telecast of World Cup games was cheered by many Thais, a number of whom were unable to watch the games in 2012 due to TV licensing issues.
When the army launched a coup on May 22, 2014, it quickly seized control of TV stations and allowed only the airing of army announcements and patriotic songs from the Cold War era. It has since then eased restrictions on some TV programs but mainstream media remain strictly regulated.
The junta also announced the free screening of “The Legend of King Naresuan”, a film about a revered leader who defended and expanded the reach of the Thai kingdom. The proposed train fare hike was also delayed to make the people happy.
With the aim of restoring “happiness” to the Thai people, the Army held its first afternoon entertainment festival at Victory Point. Photo by Steve Storey, copyright @Demotix (6/4/2014)
Earlier, Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha delivered a speech defending the coup and vowing to “return happiness to the people”:
We understand that we are living in a democratic world, but is Thailand ready in terms of people, form and method? We need to solve many issues; from administration to budget system, corruption, and even the starting point of democracy itself – the election. Parliamentary dictatorship has to be removed. All these have caused conflict and unhappiness among Thai people.
What we are doing today is to try and bring everything back to normal. We intend to return happiness to everyone living in Thailand, both Thais and foreigners.
In order to achieve reconciliation, some activities will have to be carried out including recreational and entertainment activities so the people are relaxed and ready to talk. We want to stop all conflicts.
The government has set-up numerous reconciliation centers in a bid to end the conflict between warring political forces.
Prior to the free airing of the World Cup games, the junta ordered TV stations to play the song “Return happiness to the people” written by the army general. The lyrics of the song, allegedly penned in just one hour, reflected the message of the army to the people. Below is an unofficial translation of some parts of the song:
Let us be the ones who step in, before it is too late
To bring back love, how long will it take?
Please, will you wait? We will move beyond disputes
We will do what we promised. We are asking for a little more time.
All we ask of you is to trust and have faith in us
The land will be good soon
Let us return happiness to you, the people
A military doctor hands medicine to a man who attends the reconciliation event at Victory Monument. Photo by Yostorn Triyos, copyright @Demotix (6/4/2014)
General Prayuth also asked anti-coup protesters to raise five fingers instead of the three-finger “Hunger Games” salute:
There have been gestures of holding 3 fingers in protest – that is fine. I have no conflict with you. But perhaps it would more appropriate if you can do this within your homes rather than in public. But how about if we all raise 5 fingers instead – 2 for the country, and the other 3 to signify religion, monarchy and the people. Raising 3 fingers is copying foreign films, but we should be proud of own identity.
Since day one of the coup, the army has banned protests and the public gathering of five or more people. Despite this prohibition, however, many Thais continued to organize creative forms of protest actions.
A variation of the three-fingered protest salute:
This woman protester, trying out a new three-fingered salute, shouted “I love Thailand.” pic.twitter.com/45ZmqehkdM
— Andrew RC Marshall (@Journotopia) June 8, 2014
But General Prayuth has his own version the three-finger sign:
NCPO Chief Gen Prayuth makes ‘I Love You’ sign before leaving Thai Army Club via: @duangtip_TPBS pic.twitter.com/eYnAnzjDxY
— ThaiPBS English News (@ThaipbsEngNews) June 13, 2014
To contain the protests, the junta deployed soldiers in crowded places, including trains:
Soldiers on BTS looking out for potential protestors #thaicoup pic.twitter.com/68hiq29e5t
— georgehenton (@georgehenton) June 8, 2014
After the “Hunger Games” salute was outlawed, protesters tried a different form of action:
Thai anti-coup protesters cover their mouths during a demonstration at a shopping mall in Bangkok. Notice that they didn't make the “Hunger Games” salute and they were less than five people in a public place. Photo by John Vincent, copyright @Demotix (6/8/2014)
Meanwhile, the junta continued to summon hundreds of Thais suspected of being critical of the army. But Col. Werachon insisted that those ordered to report to the army are not being detained since they were provided with amenities like “air conditioning” and “good food”. He also explained why the army is confiscating the communication gadgets of the “detainees”:
We talk to them, we try to convince them to put the country’s interests before their own. We don’t want them to have information from the outside. We just want them to be on their own.
But Prachatai interviewed some of those detained by the army and shared their harrowing experience:
Activists who had been summoned told Prachatai anonymously that they were interrogated in front of at least ten officers whose identities were not revealed. The officers asked them opinions about the monarchy, the coup and explained the necessity for the military to carry it out.
One activist was forced to log into his Facebook account and let the authorities browse through his activities and examine which groups of people he was connected to. Another, an independent online broadcaster who was thought to film that play, was also forced to give his Facebook account to the military. The officers checked his Fanpage where he put up hundreds of clips on political events and seminars.
Social media regulation
The government has repeatedly warned netizens not to criticize the army and the coup regime. But so far, the army has been unable to stop Thais from sharing critical information and even protest announcements. Recently, a senior police officer threatened dissident netizens that they will be tracked down, arrested, and charged for violating the law.
Also, it has been confirmed by a Norway-based company that it blocked Facebook in Thailand for one hour on May 28 after it was requested by Thai authorities. It contradicted the claim of the government that the blocking of Facebook was caused by a technical glitch. The Telenor Group based in Norway issued this statement published by The Next Web:
This restriction, which was implemented at 15:35, potentially had impact on dtac’s 10 million Facebook-using customers. Telenor Group believes in open communication and regrets the consequences this might have had for the people of Thailand.
Perhaps to assure the international community, the army announced June 13 that it will set up an interim government in August or September. It also lifted the curfew in more than 20 provinces. Regardless of what many people feel about the coup, it achieved the effect of restoring a sense of normalcy in many parts of the country, especially for tourists:
It's a fact that since the coup in #Thailand, it's safer for tourists than it was before. No more daily shootings, bombings or mass protests
— Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) June 13, 2014

author: Mong Palatino


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The Launch of Rising Voices Amazonia Microgrants · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Are you a community working for, from, or in the Amazon and have an idea of how participatory media can help tell your story? Do you need funding and support for it to become a reality? Do you want to be part of a network that helps bridge the digital participation gap in the Amazon?
If you answer “yes” to all three questions, then we invite you to take part in the 2014 Rising Voices Amazonia Project.
NEW INITIATIVE
Rising Voices, the outreach arm of Global Voices Online, supports people in sharing knowledge and skills about citizen media for digital storytelling and citizen participation. Since 2007, we have supported 45 small-scale citizen media projects with funding and mentoring and welcomed them to the Global Voices community.
These projects have helped local leaders introduce new and underrepresented voices to the global digital conversation, shining a light on issues that are important to their own communities.
Beginning in June 2014, with support from Avina Americas, Fundación Avina, and the Skoll Foundation, Rising Voices will launch a microgrant and network-building project focusing on supporting new voices using citizen media from communities in the Amazon Region.
Deforestation, infrastructure projects with little to no prior consultation, and threats to unique cultural ways of life are just some of the challenges facing Amazon communities across South America. While the Amazon, a region that spans nine South American countries, has provided rich subject matter to academics, researchers, and traditional journalists, these important issues are also increasingly appearing in online citizen media and on social media. Yet, there are many more stories that are worth telling about and by the very communities that face these realities.
We believe that through the use of citizen media tools, mentoring, and networking opportunities that these voices can help empower citizens to tell their own stories.
MICROGRANT GUIDELINES
We will be awarding up to six micro-grants up to USD $3,500 to projects with a strong and clear idea for how to utilize participatory media tools to tell the story of issues important to them. These funds may be used to start a small-scale project that includes an important training component designed to include the local community in the creation of this digital content. New grantees will join the Rising Voices network and will be featured prominently on Global Voices.
Rising Voices seeks proposals that share our mission of using online participatory media as a tool for self-empowerment, understanding between people, and social change.
We are looking for projects that:
1. Actively engage members of the local community. We are especially looking to support leaders who themselves belong to these Amazonian communities and know how and why citizen media could benefit community members. If the applicant is not a member of the community, local residents or community members must be a part of developing and implementing the project.
2. Provide training, mentoring and leadership. We want project leaders who are eager to share their knowledge and skills with others. Through hands-on training in citizen media production and storytelling techniques, participants will feel equipped and confident to take full advantage of the tools. Ongoing support is essential in the formation of a productive digital storytelling community.
3. Tell digital stories about issues important to the Amazonian community. After participants take part in training workshops they are ready to share their voices with the world. We are looking for stories that give insight to the community, their challenges or successes, told from a uniquely personal perspective.
4. Use free and widely available citizen media tools and social media platforms. This may include blogs, microblogs like Twitter, free software like Audacity for editing audio, SoundCloud, Audioboo, or Radioteca. Video sites like YouTube and Vimeo, or mapping with OpenStreetMaps. You might also consider using social networking sites like Facebook to distribute your content.
We encourage you to be creative and ambitious, yet realistic in your proposals. See the Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.
To apply, please visit the “Submit a Proposal” page in Spanish or Portugese, where you will find short questions that will help you outline your project plan. We encourage concise answers (with specific character limits) to help you organize your thoughts into what matters most.
AN OPEN PROCESS + NETWORKING
We encourage you to share your applications publicly on our online platform. Our hope is that communities working near each other, or on similar issues, can connect and collaborate. Following the open call for proposals, we will work to help facilitate connections and provide other resource-sharing between communities from the same geographic region or that share similar challenges and contexts.
If you are not able to share your application openly for security reasons, you have the option to submit privately.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The competition will follow the following timeline process:
Open for Applications: Friday, June 13, 2014
Applicants submit their initial proposal via the online platform in Spanish or Portuguese. However, if you wish to submit the proposal in another language of the region, please contact us in advance and we will every possible arrangement to accept proposals in other regional languages. Once the proposal has been published online, we invite applicants to share their proposal with their networks, to solicit comments and receive input from others.
Please make sure to read the Frequently Asked Questions about the application process.
All proposals will be reviewed by a committee of individuals from the Global Voices community, and from Avina.
Application deadline: Friday, July 18, 2014 at 23:59 GMT
Winners will be announced: September 1, 2014 (subject to change based on the number of proposals to be reviewed).
Please feel free to ask questions by leaving a comment or by sending an email through our Contact Form.
Good luck!

author: Eduardo Avila


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Nigeria Mourns ‘Fearless’ Woman Who Took on Counterfeit Drug Lords and Survived Two Assassination Attempts · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

“I believe in Nigeria almost in a fanatical manner, because this is a country that has made who I am today… I therefore always have that strong feeling that I can never sacrifice enough for this great country.” – PROFESSOR DORA AKUNYILI (1954-2014). Image: Efizyblog
Admired public servant Dora Nkemdilim Akunyili was well-known for her stellar performance in public office, her patriotic fervour and her courage to speak up – qualities that are considered rare in the Nigerian public sphere.
Akunyili died on Saturday, June 7 at the age of 59 after a “long battle with cancer“. The distinguished pharmacist, pharmacologist and university teacher was a recipient of Nigeria's National Honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and was formerly the director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Nigeria's minister of information and communication.
News of her passing was confirmed and widely shared on social media. For example, ElTV tweeted:
We lost a warrior yesterday. Professor Dora Akunyili died at 59 years old after a two year battle with cancer. pic.twitter.com/75IIAiFBss
— ELTV (@EbonyLife_TV) June 8, 2014
Akunyili stood out for her integrity, competence and an unabashed love for Nigeria. In 1998, Akunyili took the nation by surprise when she returned 17,000 US dollars of unspent medical funds to the treasury, money which was sanctioned to her for undergoing a surgery in the United States. When doctors in the US told her that a surgery was not needed, she returned the money. This act of honesty was seen as a rather ‘strange’ occurrence in a country strife with endemic corruption.
In 2001, Akunyili was appointed the director general of the National Agency for Drug and Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Akunyili took up her new job with an outstanding zest, becoming the enemy-in-chief of kingpins dealing in fake and adulterated food and medicinal products. The scope of the problem of fake and counterfeit drugs in Nigeria prior to 2001 is summarized as follows:
Akunyili confronted these problems head-on, and as a result of which, she received over 400 local and international awards. However, it was not simply all accolades; she survived two assassination attempts, as well.
Her courageous role during the “political limbo” surrounding the failing health of former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and his unwillingness to hand over power to his then deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, shot her back into public consciousness. Akunyili wrote a memo to her colleagues in the federal cabinet insisting that they respect the constitution and declare Jonathan as the acting president because “Yar'Adua's aides are deceiving Nigerians“.
The outpouring of emotions on the news of her death have been continuous and also not surprising. Saatah Nubari described her as the seventh stanza of the first verse of Nigeria's national anthem:
Your days as NAFDAC boss, reminds me of the stanza of our national anthem that says “To serve with heart and might”. That’s you Dora; you were “heart and might” moulded into flesh. I can’t comprehend the number of Nigerians walking the streets today, strong and healthy. That Nigerian heart and might you possess, which has almost gone into oblivion, made it possible. That for decades, we lived or thought we were living; taking drugs and foods we never knew were draining us of the little life we had… Your stint as NAFDAC boss is one we’ll forever remember – I pray we actually do remember. How many of us would’ve lost mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, we’ll never know.
Bayo Oluwasanmi described her as “light in Nigeria's darkest hour“:
It was a time when the life of sick Nigerians – the poor and the vulnerable, the frail and the infirm – were filled with shadow. Dora was the light and the sunshine. […] Dora was to Nigeria public office as light is to stained glass. She was intelligent, strong, unrelenting, and a fearless advocate in her pursuit of justice. She was a surrogate for hard work and persistence.
Blogger Bukola Adeolu-‘Dele praised her love for humanity:
Dora started on the path of integrity right from her growing up years and as a young wife who was not concerned about just herself and family but how to bring a change into the lives of the average Nigerian, not for fame, not for gain, but for the love of humanity. This, I can relate perfectly with!
Adbul Mahmud, a lawyer and public commentator, tweeted:
I remember Dora Akunyili with fond memories. Patriot, public servant and a mother, she radiated all that is good in our country 1/
— Abdul Mahmud (@AbdulMahmud1) June 7, 2014
She was an embodiment of hope in a united Nigeria, says a Twitter user in Abuja:
People like Dora Akunyili are reason why this country MUST NEVER BREAK UP!!! We owe their sacrifices that much. #RIPDora — that_Igala_boy (@countfreemont) June 7, 2014
Chief Ekene Ngwu shared a poem he wrote for Akunyili in 2004:
I wrote this for Dora Akunyili, published in my 2004 poetry book, “Echoes of the Mind”. May her soul rest in peace pic.twitter.com/pOXoRFeFLO
— Chief Ekene Ngwu (@KenisCruise) June 7, 2014
Even in her sick bed, Akunyili reportedly prayed for Nigeria and the release of the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram:
In her sick bed, according to Peter Obi – #DoraAkunyili was still demanding the release of #ChibokGirls and prayers for #Nigeria. Peace!!!
— Perkins, Onome Abaje (@Operko) June 7, 2014
Mark Amaze, a writer and political blogger, asserted that:
Dora Akunyili. An amazon goes home. Rest well. Nigeria will always remember you.
— Mark Amaza (@amasonic) June 7, 2014
The touching tribute by Chidiogo, Akuniyli's daughter, summarized the sentiments of Nigerians:

author: Nwachukwu Egbunike


text:
Why Some Minorities in France Vote for the Far-Right Political Party Front National · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

“The right and the left broke everything!” Front National 2007 election campaign poster trying to appeal to minority voters. Public domain.
[All links lead to French-language pages unless otherwise noted.]
When France's Eurosceptic right-wing Front National (FN) party topped the country's polls in last month's European elections, it had its hardline immigration stance to thank. A whopping 91 percent of people who voted for the Marine Le Pen-led FN said immigration was the most decisive factor, according to an opinion poll carried out by the French Institute of Public Opinion.
It may come as a surprise then, that some of their 25 percent of votes came from minorities, the very target of some of their proposed policies.
France prohibits any public statistics based on race or ethnicity, so a definite report on voting according to ethnicity isn't available. But for instance, in the French West Indies, where the majority of the population is black, the Front National came third in Guadeloupe and second in Saint-Martin/Saint-Bathélemy. In Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, they came fourth.
Christophe, who lives in Poitiers, France, wrote in Le Plus Nouvel Obs blog that he used to vote for the left-wing party, but voted for the FN this time around:
J'ai traversé une période de rejet du politique, il y a environ 10 ans. J'ai arrêté de voter, je n'en voyais plus l'utilité. Je n'accordais plus aucune confiance aux hommes politiques ou à leurs actions. Avec Marine Le Pen, j'ai recommencé à y croire [..]  J'en ai marre que nous, électeurs du FN, on se fasse traiter de facho ou de raciste [..]  Je ne suis pas raciste, je suis nationaliste.
About 10 years ago I went through a period when I just rejected everything to do with politics. I did not vote because I did not see the use of it anymore. I no longer trusted any politicians or their actions. With Marine Le Pen, I started to believe again [..] I'm fed up of FN voters being pegged as fascist or racist [..] I'm not racist, I am a nationalist.
The rise of the FN seems to stem from continued disenchantment with the declining economic status of France and the increasingly precarious situation of its lower class. An interactive infographic via Le Nouvel Observateur on the results of the 2014 European elections in France shows that FN came out on top for people earning less than 3,000 euros (about 4,500 US dollars) per month.
On seneweb.com, “Diop” expressed gratitude for the opportunities given to his father in France and warned about the country's economy:
Quand mon père est arrivé, il a débarqué du Galsen sans un franc en poche. Car il n'y avait pas l'euro à l'époque mais le franc français et il y avait du travail, il a pu faire sa vie, acheter une maison et les prix étaient beaucoup moins cher. Toute la merde actuelle c'est la faute à l'Europe. La France a été dans le top 3 mondial en continue pendant 600 ans avant l'intégration européenne puis l'euro. Aujourd'hui nous sommes 5ème et dans 50 ans d'après les prévision nous serons 8ème seulement. Il faut savoir dire stop quand on le peut encore.
My father first arrived from Senegal without a franc in his pocket. As the euro didn't exist in those days, the currency was the French franc and there was work, he was able to make a life for himself, buy a house and prices were much lower. The shit we're in right now is Europe's fault. France was one of the top three global powers for 600 years until they joined the European Union and adopted the euro. Today we've been relegated to fifth place and according to predictions we'll be eighth in 50 years time. We have to know when to say “stop” while we still can.
Nadir, who was born outside France, added in the Observatory of the Extremes in the Europe blog that he voted for the Front National because he felt they were more “real” :
Le FN, c’est des gens comme nous. Ils sont proches de nous. Ils nous comprennent. Ils n’ont pas fait de grandes études.
The FN is made up of people like us. They are close to us. They understand us. They have not attended elite universities.
‘Why are they voting against themselves?’
This isn't the first time the FN has drawn votes from people of migrant origins. In this article taken from Egalité et reconciliation (Equality and reconciliation, via the Swiss newspaper Le Matin), a group of girlfriends of North African origin explain why they became members of FN in 2011 prior to the 2012 presidential elections. Zoubida, about 50, wears a veil; she and Kheira share the same outlook on FN:
Elles ne veulent plus, non plus, d’une immigration qui, selon elles, « profite » des aides sociales, qui applique la formule en trois points : « Les mamans sont les porteuses, la rue éduque, les allocations paient. »
Zoubida, assistante maternelle, gagne 1500 euros par mois. Son loyer s’élève à 505 euros. Elle n’en paie que 200 grâce à l’aide personnalisée au logement. « J’en ai ras-le-bol de voir des étrangers obtenir un logement HLM trois ou quatre ans seulement après leur arrivée en France », s’insurge-t-elle.
They've had enough of this type of immigration which, according to them, “capitalises” on state benefits and which applies the following modus operandi: “women have babies, the streets bring up the children and state benefits bring in the paycheck.”
Zoubida, a nursery assistant, earns 1,500 euros per month. Her rent has increased to 505 euros although she only pays 200 thanks to housing aid. “I'm fed up of seeing foreigners getting subsidized housing only three or four years after arriving in France,” she protests.
If the FN got its way, the country would have much tougher immigration policies. The blog mediapart.fr summarised the key features of FN's manifesto:
Parmi les mesures les plus extrémistes, elle veut remettre en cause le droit d’asile, mettre fin à la libre circulation au sein de l’Union européenne, interdire les régularisations des sans-papiers, les expulser «systématiquement» et empêcher «les manifestations de clandestins ou de soutien aux clandestins», rétablir la double peine, supprimer l’aide médicale d’État, réduire la durée des cartes de séjour, revenir sur le droit du sol et réformer le code de la nationalité, faire du «racisme anti-Français comme motivation d’un crime ou d’un délit (…) une circonstance aggravante» qui «alourdira la peine encourue» et subordonner les aides au développement à la limitation des «flux» migratoires, voire à leur arrêt… en ce qui concerne les «pays du Maghreb».Selon un sondage IFOP pour des médias français, 80 à 82 pour cent des électeurs du FN ont justifié leur choix par leurs sentiments à l'égard de l'immigration.
Amongst their most extreme measures, they want to review the right to asylum, put a stop to free movement within the European Union, ban the regularisation of illegal immigrants, deport them “systematically” and stop “their demonstrations or demonstrations in support of them”. They also want to restore a double penalty system for immigrants, stop their state medical assistance, reduce the duration of residency permits, reverse jus soli laws and reform the Nationality Act. Furthermore, anti-French racism as the motivation of a crime would be considered an aggravating circumstance and therefore the crime would carry a higher sentence. The FN would also like to make development aid to North Africa conditional on reducing or putting a cap on immigration to France. According to an IFOP opinion poll for the French media, 80-82% of FN voters justified their choice based on their feelings towards immigration.
What explanation is behind these unlikely voters? Writer Maloud Akkouche explains this phenomenon on the blog blogs.rue89.nouvelobs.com by suggesting that voting for a party like the FN lets people feel like they are rejecting their association with undesirable populations, which in the minds of many French people fit the classic profile of Arab, African or Muslim immigrants:
Des citoyens issus de l’immigration aussi radicaux que les identitaires. De plus en plus, des Maghrébins ou Africains d’origine affichent leur vote FN. Pourquoi ce vote contre soi ?
Peut-être parce que leur reflet dans le miroir ressemble à celui de quelques lascars pourrissant la vie des quartiers populaires, ou aux profils de certains barbus-intégristes « bouffeurs » de laïcité. Une laïcité à ne jamais brader ! Pas facile de se raser ou se maquiller chaque matin devant un visage aussi négatif, pointé du doigt en permanence.
Comment échapper à cette culpabilité ? Prouver que, malgré la ressemblance physique, ils ne brûlent pas de voitures, ne dealent pas, ne lapident pas des femmes, ne portent pas de ceinture d’explosifs, ne pissent pas dans l’ascenseur… Bref, qu’ils n’emmerdent pas leurs contemporains. Une bagarre quotidienne usant même les plus intelligents.
Citizens of migrant origin are just as prone to radicalism as certain ‘born and bred French people’. More and more North and Sub-Saharan Africans are voting for the FN. So why are they voting against themselves?
Perhaps because their reflection in the mirror resembles those shady characters responsible for the decay of low-income suburbs, or the profile of certain bearded fundamentalists who gnaw away at French secularism; a kind of secularism that the French will never give up. It's not easy to shave or put makeup on every morning when your face is the constant victim of negative finger-pointing.
How can they escape this sense of blame? By proving that despite their physical appearance, they don't burn cars, deal drugs, stone women, strap bombs to themselves or piss in the lift… In other words, they don't bother their neighbours; a daily struggle which exhausts even the most well-educated people.
There are other reasons for voting for the FN, particularly for voters originating from countries where homosexuality is punishable by death. Ousmane was persuaded to vote for the FN during the 2014 European elections to express his rejection of homosexuality and globalisation. He claimed that:
J'ai voté pour toi Marine! Félicitations! Tous ces européiste, lobbyistes pro-gay, mondialistes ont perdu!
I voted for Marine! Congratulations! All these pro-Europe, pro-gay lobbyists and internationalists lost big time!
Commenting on a post on Alexandre Thomas blog dealing with why sons and daughters of immigrants would vote for the FN, Narcisse, who was born in Senegal, wrote:
Quelle que soit l'origine de ce vote dit de sanction, l'important c'est surtout de faire comprendre aux fils d'immigrés que le FN ne veut pas d'eux en France et qu'en votant pour eux ils donnent du pouvoir à ceux qui ont établi leur notoriété sur le rejet des différences.
Whatever the reasons for their votes were, the key is most importantly to make second-generation immigrants aware that the FN does not want them in France and by voting for them, they're giving power to those who have built their reputation on rejecting difference.
Pape Diouf was born in Chad, grew up in Dakar in Senegal, and has lived in the southern French city of Marseille since he was 18. He was the president of a first division football club and was in charge of the club of his adoptive city for many years. He explains why he can understand the voting decision of members of the African diaspora and Arab and Muslim communities during the municipal elections in Marseille in March 2014 (in which he was a candidate). He proposed a solution:
Ainsi, lors de mes différentes descentes sur le terrain, j'ai rencontré des gens admirables, qui s'occupent bénévolement des jeunes et des femmes isolées et sans qui la grogne sociale aurait fait exploser tous les couvercles sociaux. Pour eux, la politique politicienne est la cause et l'explication de leur ralliement extrême au FN. Paradoxalement, beaucoup d'électeurs du FN sont d'origine du Maghreb et d'Afrique Noire. Un geste désespéré dans lequel on ne saurait souscrire….
Ma stratégie à moi, pour endiguer l'avancée du Front national, serait d'aider ces personnes en difficultés à sortir du mal logement, à mieux éduquer leurs enfants, à mieux les former aux métiers d'aujourd'hui et de demain, à mettre en place une vraie sécurité sanitaire ou à rendre les transports beaucoup plus accessibles, etc.
During my visits to the community, I found admirable people who voluntarily take care of young people and women who have been cut off. Without these volunteers, discontent in society would reach its limit. For them, party politics is the cause and reason for their radical support for FN. Paradoxically, many FN voters are of North- or Sub-Saharan African descent; a desperate act that is difficult to understand. To halt the growing support for FN, my own strategy would be to help people who are struggling to get out of poor housing, provide better education for their children and better training for present and future jobs, establish a real public health service or improve access to public transport, etc.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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How a Spat Over Prize Money Nearly Kept Cameroon from Playing in the World Cup · Global Voices
Dibussi Tande

Cameroonian national team captain Samuel Eto'o. Photo released under Creative Commons by soccer.ru.
Cameroon's national football team, the Indomitable Lions, have finally arrived in Brazil some 24 hours later than scheduled after a last-minute bonus row, which threatened to scuttle the team’s participation in this year's World Cup, was resolved.
On Sunday June 8, the Indomitable Lions refused to leave their hotel unless they were paid their share of the World Cup prize money that FIFA gives to each participating country. FECAFOOT, Cameroon’s football federation, eventually yielded [fr] to the players’ demands, giving each player 5,800,000 CFA francs (about 12,000 US dollars) in addition to the 50 million CFA francs (104,000 US dollars) already promised by the Cameroon government.
The dispute over bonuses is an old one that has bedeviled Cameroon’s participation in practically every international tournament since the 1980s. As Patrick Suffo, a former Cameroon international who was part of the 2002 World Cup campaign that was also marred by disagreements over bonuses, tweeted:
Different Era and same old problems for the #cameroon Team . No Bonus No travel to #Brazil2014 . #Team237 #LionsIndomptables
— patrick suffo (@patsuffo) June 8, 2014
The player revolt generated very passionate and divisive debates in and outside of Cameroon. Many argued that the players were selfish and unpatriotic. Self-described football fan Bouba Kaélé was unequivocal on that point:
Il faut qu'on soit d'accord cette histoire est la faute d'un gouvernement qui tolère un chantage associé à une prise d'otage parmanente
— Bouba Kaélé (@bubakaele) June 8, 2014
Let’s agree that this is the fault of the government which tolerates blackmail by the players associated with permanent hostage taking
Another user, Peter Khoo, shared a similar view:
The Cameroon players should be ashamed, getting paid £61,000 to play for your country at the World Cup isn't enough for you?
— Peter Khoo (@PeterKhoo_) June 8, 2014
An article, which appeared in the online journal NdjanguiPress, accused [fr] the players of “high treason”, insisting that:
Un joueur qui va à la Coupe du Monde est un soldat au front. S'il sait qu'il n'a pas de munitions pour le combat, ou qu'il est mal nourri, qu'il se déclare forfait avant d'embarquer. Ne pas mouiller le maillot sur fond des revendications est une haute trahison qui mérite sanction !
A player who goes to the World Cup is a soldier on the front lines. If he knows that he doesn’t have ammunition or that he’s been poorly fed, then he should withdraw before heading to the battle. A player who does not give his best against the backdrop of [unreasonable] demands deserves to be punished!
Equally passionate were those who felt that the players’ demands and actions were justified. @ankiecool in Zimbabwe wrote:
@onuhjohno @BBCFarayi my heart bleeds when i think of those boys who toil for nothing and greedy adminstrators
— anxiousmpini (@ankiecool) June 6, 2014
The theme about greedy administrators was echoed by an article [fr] on the Cameroon-footbuzz website which argued that:
Dans la configuration actuelle, il nous apparaît plus juste que les footballeurs, principaux acteurs du football, bénéficient du fruit de leur labeur plutôt qu'il ne revienne aux médiocres qui gravitent autour de la sélection, vraisemblablement dans le but de s'engraisser…
Plutôt que de les vitupérer, ne devrait-on pas en être fiers ? Fiers de ces jeunes gens qui nous montrent la voie. Ces enfants qui, dans cette république particulière et répressive, n'ont pas manqué l'exceptionnelle opportunité de dire « STOP !!! »
In the current dispensation, it is only fair that the players who are the main actors in football benefit from the fruits of their labor instead of the mediocre individuals who gravitate around the national team with the aim of enriching themselves…
Shouldn’t we be proud of these players instead of punishing them? Proud of these young men who are showing us the way. These kids who, in this peculiar and repressive republic, did not miss the unique opportunity to say “Stop!!”.
In the same vein, blogger Ngimbis explained [fr] why in Cameroon the call for patriotism is always a one-way street:
Pourquoi lorsqu’on parle de patriotisme, on en demande toujours plus aux sportifs, aux musiciens et autres artistes et non au fonctionnaire lambda ou au dirigeant x ? C’est simple : leur aura et leur talent ne sert qu’à cautionner le vol de hautes personnalités cachées dans l’ombre et qui les utilisent comme des marionnettes pour servir de caution à leur cupidité, leur avidité, leur malhonnêteté. Créateurs de richesses qu’ils ne mangent pas, voilà leur « devoir ».
Why is it that when we talk of patriotism, we always ask more from athletes, musicians and other artists, than from regular civil servants or those in power? The reason is simple: the aura and talent of these athletes and artists provide cover for theft by high-ranking government officials in the shadows who use them as puppets to shore up their cupidity, greed, and dishonesty. The “duty” of the players and artists is be creators of wealth who do not share in that wealth.
National team captain Samuel Eto’o summed up the debate with a brief message which he posted [fr] on his Facebook page as the national team finally prepared to leave Cameroon:
Dommage pour ce beau pays qu'est le Cameroun, on a certains dirigeants amateurs quand même… mais malgré tout, nous gardons le sourire et surtout sommes fiers d'être Camerounais et de représenter notre pays dignement et valablement.
It is a pity that our beautiful country, Cameroon, has some very amateurish leaders… Despite everything, we keep smiling, and we are indeed very proud to be Cameroonian and representing our country in a dignified and genuine manner.

author: Dibussi Tande


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Back Without the Birds: Antigua & Barbuda Gets A New Government  · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

The island of Antigua. Photo by Daniel Wendell, used under a CC license.
On Thursday, the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) won the country's general election by 14 seats to three, defeating the ruling United Progressive Party, which was attempting to win a third consecutive term in office. ABLP leader Gaston Browne was yesterday sworn in as Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. It is the first time that the party will form the government without being led by a member of the controversial Bird family.
Lycie Jollygirlsailor Riley voiced her enthusiasm about the win on Facebook:
It's not Black Friday in Antigua & Barbuda it's Red Friday!!!! Ok tired now from all the jamming and celebrating gonna crash mind at ease ready to rebuild #ABLP
Once the results broke, discussion about the elections continued online, especially on Twitter:
The Antigua Labour Party has won, defeating the United Progressive Party 15-2. Only Baldwin Spencer and Wilmouth Daniel won their seats.
— hamletmark (@hamletmark) June 13, 2014
Some users were thrilled about the results of the polls…
Congratulations to the Antigua Labour Party for taking back POWER of my island! #Change #Future
— Jaime Newell (@JaimeNewellPT) June 13, 2014
Congratz to our new Prime Minister Hon Gaston Browne
— ♥Tanya Dorsette♡ (@Cancer91Diva) June 13, 2014
…while others still needed to be convinced that the ABLP's victory was a positive development for the country:
I weep for Antigua… I hope Gaston and Labour prove me wrong…
— Triz (@Optimus_Primus_) June 13, 2014
The ABLP campaigned on key issues affecting the island nation: the economy, escalating crime, public health facilities, and education – and netizens were eager to see the party make good on its promises:
Dear Antigua Labour party, does this mean we will actually get the taxes lowered and more jobs?
— Dr. Evil (@Sithvere) June 13, 2014
The Twitter feed for the Antigua and Barbuda elections is here.

author: Matthew Hunte


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How to Stop the Dhivehi Language From Dying · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dhivehi, the national language of Maldives, is a pidgin language spoken primarily by the Maldivians. However, practically every Maldivian speaks English, the unofficial second language, because it’s the language used in Maldivian school curricula.
Lack of proper language standards is impeding the growth of Dhivehi. Aishath Khashia at Work of Art discusses the challenges the Dhivehi language is facing and how to develop and spread it.

author: Rezwan


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Social Media Sites Unblocked in Iraq, But is the Worst Yet to Come? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Iraqi Ministry of Communications blocked social media sites yesterday. This message states that Twitter has been blocked “due to the security situation in Iraq.” Photo source: Collin Anderson, shared on Twitter
Reports are circulating online about a partial lift of the blockage of major social media and other websites across Iraq.
Global Voices Advocacy yesterday reported that the Iraqi Ministry of Communications ordered Internet providers to shut down Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, among other websites, as well as services, such as Skype, and VoIP services like Viber and WhatsApp.
Minutes ago, Iraqi blogger Hamzoz reported [ar]:
شركة الجزيرة نت للأنترنيت رفعت الحجب عن المواقع والتطبيقات ولكن شركة #ايرثلينك وهي الاكبر لم ترفعه لغاية الآن ومازالت تحجب #insm_iq #العراق
— Iraqi Blogger (@Hamzoz) June 14, 2014
Jazeera Net has lifted the blockage on sites and applications but Earthlink, which is the largest, hasn't yet and continues to block sites
But Lebanese activist Mohamad Najem warns:
Apparently blockage of social media sites were removed now in #Iraq, the fear is that the Gov is getting ready 2 cut the Internet! #insm_iq — Mohamad محمد (@MoNajem) June 14, 2014
According to journalist Martin Chulov, Facebook was blocked in Iraq to stop members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, currently fighting in Iraq, “to organise and mobilise.”
Another explanation comes from the Facebook page for Iraq’s Ministry of Communications, which posted a message yesterday announcing an impending gradual shutdown of the Internet throughout Iraq on June 15 for “maintenance of fibre optic cables.” It is unclear whether the blockages are related to these plans.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Colombians Reelect President Juan Manuel Santos · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

With 98 percent of the votes officially counted in Colombia's presidential election, incumbent President Juan Manuel Santos (nicknamed Juanpa) has 5.7 percent more votes than his opponent Oscar Iván Zualuga:
Ganó ‘Juanpa’. http://t.co/lZQ5PWMPQD pic.twitter.com/x3XImN3mHO
— El Espectador (@elespectador) junio 15, 2014
‘Juanpa’ was elected.
Zuluaga reconoce derrota y felicita al presidente Santos http://t.co/2HAWb3aNYd #ColombiaVota
— NOTICIERO CM& (@CMILANOTICIA) junio 15, 2014
Zuluaga acknowledges defeat and congratulates President Santos.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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#DontMessWithMexico: The “Halconazo” Massacre, 43 Years Later · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Image by Jacobo Nájera, used with permission.
Alberto R. León, a blogger from Mexico specialized in free software, literature, and transmedia stories, shares on website MasDe131 (More than 131, es) how Mexico City remembered the 43rd anniversary of the Corpus Christi massacre, or “Halconazo“:
Diez de junio ha sido un día complicado en las calles de la Ciudad de México, ya que en las avenidas del centro se conmemoró un año más de aquel fatal 10 de junio de 1971, cuando por órdenes de la presidencia, fuerzas policiales reprimieron con brutalidad una manifestación de estudiantes de universidades y preparatorias que exigían cosas no muy distantes a las que se exigen el día de hoy: libertad a los presos políticos, libertad de expresión, alto a la represión, mejor calidad de vida, mejores trabajos y por supuesto, mejor educación. Aquel hecho […] dejó como resultado la sangre de una juventud indignada, muerte, desapariciones y una gran cantidad de lesionados. […] La acción del día diez nos dejó algo en claro, tenemos que manifestarnos, sí, pero también darle un giro a la lógica para hacerlo. […] El fomento de la creatividad, la participación activa de las personas, la integración y la pluralidad son tan sólo algunos de los aspectos que este tipo de acciones pueden tener.
June 10 has been a hard day on Mexico City streets because downtown they commemorated one more year since that fateful June 10, 1971, when police forces following presidential orders brutally suppressed a high school and university student rally, which had demands not that different from today's demands: release of political prisoners, freedom of expression, the end of repression, better quality of life, better jobs and, of course, better education. That incident […] ended in the blood of outraged youth, death, disappearances and a great number of injured people. […] The actions on the 10th made something clear, we have to protest, yes, but also rethink how to do so. […] Fostering creativity, active participation by some individuals, integration and plurality are are just some of the aspects these kind of actions can have.


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‘Inner Monologue, Turning Point in Spanish Prose’ · Global Voices
Luis Flores

Image by ∗FranJa on Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
On her blog, author Ma. Gemma Romero analyzes the changes in Spanish prose from the evolution of the inner monologue as literary resource. In her article, she takes into account Luis Martín-Santos Ribera's works:
El monólogo interior […] rompe con el realismo de los años cincuenta y entra en escena la verdadera crítica social. Un libro y un autor son los responsables principales de este cambio: Martín Santos y su novela “Tiempo de silencio”; en ella aparece el componente esencial del monólogo interior para reflejar un montón de realidades que sirven para completar la rica descripción de ambientes y lugares de Madrid.
Inner monologue […] gets separated from 1950s realism and the real social criticism enters the scene. A book and an author are the main people responsible for this change: Martín Santos and his novel “Time of silence”, where the fundamental part of the inner monologue appears, to reflect many realities that complete the rich description of circles and places in Madrid.
Although the works by late psychiatrist Martín Santos are just three novels, two essays and an unpublished collection of short narrations, along with psychiatric texts, he is remembered for the important changes on Spanish literature thanks to his writings. As Gemma Romero says:
Leer sobre una época es la mejor manera de conocerla.
Reading about an era is the best way to know it.
Besides her blog, you can follow this author on Twitter.


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Meet Valentin Agon,  Pioneer of Local Cures Against Infectious Diseases in Benin  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Valentin Agon is the creator of the Api-Palu pill, a locally produced remedy based on endemic plants. He was just awarded [fr] the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Award for his new product against malaria. Pascal Hounkpatin reports for La Presse du Jour:
De la cueillette des feuilles au produit fini (gélules en boite), en passant par le contrôle de la qualité, la fabrication et le remplissage des gélules, rien n’a été caché. Pour Agon, Api-Bénin a la capacité technique de produire pour près de 4 milliards de nos francs par jour.
From the start of the process, picking leaves to the finished product (capsules in the box), via the quality control and the manufacturing, the entire process was revealed to the public. Agon asserts that Api-Benin has the technical capacity to produce nearly 4 billion CFA francs [about 45 million US dollars] of the product on a daily basis.
The inventor decided to give his prize money, 1 billion CFA francs (about 11 million) to the next winners of the inventors competition. Here is a video of Agon winning the ARC of Europe prize in 2010:

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Nicaragua and the State of its Information and Communication Technology · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

When any of our countries is behind in digital development, its citizens have reasons to be worried. This is precisely what is going on with Carlos R. Fonseca M., who comments on his Guión Abajo (Underscore) about the reality Nicaragua faces when it comes to information and communications technology, coverage and Internet access.
Although Nicaragua was one of the first countries in the region to register a domain of its own (.ni) on the late 80s, as Fonseca notes, it's been lack of political will that has had an impact on the digital gap that the Central American country faces:
Podríamos discutir sobre, ¿cuántas personas utilizan los sistemas de banca en línea actualmente?
[…]
También se podría investigar sobre el uso que dan al Internet los estudiantes universitarios. La Universidad Centroamericana, por ejemplo, incluye en sus encuestas a estudiantes de nuevo ingreso preguntas sobre los conocimientos que tienen en informática, cómo realizan investigaciones en la Web, entre otros temas. Imaginaría que otras universidades privadas y estatales hacen investigaciones similares. Sino las hacen, ¿por qué no?
Más allá de esto, en el país existe un ecosistema, aunque no voy a negar que reducido, de empresas que se dedican a desarrollar sistemas Web para empresas, software, sitios Web institucionales, aplicaciones para teléfonos inteligentes, brindar servicios de marketing, capacitación y asesoría a empresas e instituciones (yo trabajo para una de ellas), etc., ¿cómo lo hacen? ¿qué locura los impulsa a seguir adelante entre tanta adversidad? ¿por qué mejor no siembran frijoles?
We could discuss, how many people use online banking systems today?
[…]
We could also investigate about how college students use the Internet. The Central American University, for instance, includes in its surveys recently admitted students who are asked about how much do they know about computers, how do they conduct researches on the web, among other issues. I think other private and public universities conduct similar surveys. And if they don't, why not?
Beyond this, in the country there is an ecosystem, I won't deny reduced though, of firms specialized in developing web systems for businesses, software, institutional websites, apps for smartphones, marketing services, training and consultancy to firms and institutions (I work with one of them), etc. How do they do it? What kind of madness drives them to keep going amidst that many setbacks? Why they don't grow beans instead?

author: Milton Ramirez


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Quinchao Mapuche Community and the Covunco Stream Pool · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Image by Wenceslao Bottaro, used with permission.
Argentinian journalist and travel blogger Wenceslao Bottaro describes [es] the experiences during his trip to Neuquén Province, department of Zapala, specifically the Qinchao township [es], home of the namesake Mapuche community. He notes that the tourist attraction in Zapala appear in any guide nor travel agency. That's why he traces the direction and show photos of what would be the journey on the Route 40 (Argentina):
El pozón del Covunco se encuentra a unos 25 km de Zapala y está ubicado en un tramo del arroyo que atraviesa el territorio de la comunidad mapuche Quinchao.
[…]
Sentado en la cima de una extraña roca horadada por el tiempo, pensaba en Zapala. Pensaba que su clima y su geografía ponían a prueba la voluntad de los habitantes, pero también que, como un dios algo sádico aunque benévolo, recompensaba su persistencia en querer habitarla con joyas naturales como el pozón del Covunco.
The Covunco pool is located 25 km from Zapala in a part of stream that flows through the territory of the Quinchao Mapuche community.
[…]
While I sat on the top of a strange rock perforated by time, I thought about Zapala. I thought its climate and geography tested the will of its inahbitants, but also that, just as a sadist though benevolent god, has rewarded people's persistency by populating it with natural jewels, as Covunco river pools.
Bottaro ends up his story inviting everyone to Neuquén, on the way to Caviahue, or South, on the way to San Martín de los Andes. Please, visit at least for one day the department of Zapala.
You can follow Wenceslao on Twitter.