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From Facebook to the Street: Activism on Cusco’s Walls · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

In the days of Facebook we sometimes forget that there are many real-world walls available to play host to messages, expressions and opinions. The virtual doesn't always replace the real, and in the Peruvian city of Cusco there is a special wall which is used as a point of connection between virtual and “real” action. While this wall is sometimes employed as an art gallery or for exhibitions, at other times it becomes a space in which to generate awareness and debate.
In a recent trip to Cusco we found this wall, located in Cusco's central Plaza de Armas, a much visited part of the city, and displaying only a single invitation:
The Cusco Wall: “Say it out loud.”
Throughout several days it remained untouched. However, in an online search for its virtual counterpart, we found two related Facebook pages. One called Colectivo El Muro Cusco [The Cusco Wall Collective, es], most recently updated on the 22nd April 2011, day it was created. There, we found this photo:
On the second Facebook page – Colectivo Muro Cusco [Cusco Wall Collective] founded on the 9th February 2012 and still active today – we discovered that photos and activist events spanning diverse issues such as national politics to environmental themes, and many more, are shared. There's also a register of a range of activities that the collective has organized and been a part of, as well as those in which the physical wall has been a recipient for allusive posters and messages, such as [translator's note: the following links all lead to Spanish language pages] “521 años y seguimos resistiendo” [521 years [later] and we continue resisting,” informative activity about the situation of the “uncontacted” villages in the Kugapakori Nahua Nanti Reserve, “Fighting for the defense of water and life,” “Vigil in support of Cajamarca and Espinar,” “Miscommunication Media and its Network of Lies and Smokescreens,” and “What are We Celebrating?” (a critique of the current government stemming from the events of the previous national holiday celebrations).
The Cusco Wall: “Are we free?  We're like you, outraged by neoliberal politics.  For this reason, this space of free expression [exists] to tell the truth, denounce and create awareness.  Get involved!
The Cusco Wall: “End death, pollution and sacking!” Vigil in support of Cajamarca and Espinar.
Throughout later days, we saw activity on the wall.  Stuck to it, we found a series of drawings and photos. The drawings belonged to Rafael Ginzburg [es], an Argentinian artists passing through Cusco making use of his stay, and the space, to exhibit and sell his art:
The Cusco Wall: Drawings by Rafael Ginzburg
Beside them, there was a small photography exhibition, belonging to Lima visual artist Neptunia Asesina [es].  She told us that she didn't have to carry out any paperwork in order to display her photos on the wall; she simply used the space. The staff of the auditorium of Cusco's Natinoal University of San Antonio Abad, to whom the wall legally belongs, don't seem to have a problem with the situation.
The Cusco Wall: Photos by Neptunia Asesina.
Days later, we found another type of activity, this time an exercise in generating awareness about the problems currently affecting the people of Cusco – such as bullying, harassment, corruption, domestic violence, gang activity, stress, junk food, rubbish television, etc. – created by students from the National University of San Antonio Abad.
The Cusco Wall: “Be aware and don't wall yourself in – Gang Activity”.
This time we spoke with one of the exhibitors about the exercise. In the following short video, Bryan Mijail Romero Baca from the National University of San Antonio Abad explains how it is that these types of initiatives came about in his studies:
In order to understand more, we turned to Marco Moscoso [es] a communicator and cultural promoter in Cusco, to tell us more about “The Cusco Wall.”
Claudia, a member of the Colectivo El Muro Cusco [es] responded to our queries via email, and among other things, told us:
Con el colectivo buscamos informar aunque sea un poquito de lo que gran parte de la prensa calla, y que la gente que circula por las calles también se exprese, conozca, se solidarize y vea que lo que sucede nos afecta a todos […] también intentamos apoyar a otros hermanos sobre todo de las comunidades con información ágil y sencilla a través del muro o folletos informativos, ya que al parecer muchas veces la información desean que este en manos de unos pocos y se pone lo más compleja posible y en medios no muy accesibles para todos (como es el internet en comunidades campesinas) […] ya que nuestras autoridades, periodistas no quieren hablar… hagamos que los muros del pueblo hablen.
The collective aims to inform, even if only a little, about the great part of what the media silences, and also [hopes that] people who transit through these streets express themselves, are informed, show solidarity and see that what's happening affects us all […].  We also try to support other brothers, particularly from communities, with agile, simple information using the wall or informative flyers.  It seems that often times, the idea is that information stays in the hands of a minority, in a complicated format and using media which isn't very accessible for everyone (like the Internet in rural communities) […] and since our authorities and journalists don't want to talk… let's have the walls in our communities to do the talking.
The initiative, both at the University's end and that of collectives such as Muro del Cusco, takes advantage of physical space to raise awareness in people about important issues which are sometimes manipulated or made to seem smaller by the mass media. The collectives use them [physically], however, those who add the ingredient of “virtuality” in these modern times are necessary in order to connect people, spaces and initiatives.
The above is a valid and a very necessary strategy to locate issues for debate in the public sphere, making use of both virtual and non-virtual tools, which in turn, serves to give significant light to the variety of world visions that inhabit a city as culturally rich and diverse as Cusco.

author: Juan Arellano


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From Iran to the World: Humans of Shiraz · Global Voices
Farid

Who are the people of Shiraz, Iran and what are their dreams? A photographic story of Humans of Shiraz began on Facebook two years ago, inspired by the globally renowned Humans of New York. The page has more than 7,300 followers. These are profile photos with human stories from all walks of life.
Shiraz is the capital of the Fars province of Iran, and it is know as the city of poets and literature. Two world famous poets, Hafez and Saadi were born in here. The city is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens.
Real Madrid
Photo by Humans of Shiraz (used with permission)
“I'm a football player…”
“What's your biggest dream as a football player?”
“To play in Real Madrid.”
To Be a Model Someday
Photo by Humans of Shiraz (used with permission)
“What is your field of study?”
“Electronic engineering.”
“What do you like the most?”
“I like modelling and I wanted to be a model someday…”
“What is the hardest thing of being a model for you?”
“Is that the people around me accept that and cope with with this issue in a good way.”
Heavy Metal
Photo by Humans of Shiraz (used with permission)
“I'm a heavy metal musician, and I play electric guitar… “
From Radiology to Selling Shoes
Photo by Humans of Shiraz (used with permission)

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Farid


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Invisible Walls and Protests in Venezuela · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The Berlin wall was not just physical. There was also an idealogical wall that prevented people from seeing reality clearly. The East Germans were told that the Wall protected the population from Fascist elements conspiring to prevent the peoples’ will from building a socialist state, so it was officially called “The Wall of Anti-Fascist Protection”.
Venezuelan urbanist Carmen Beatriz Fernández [es] writes for Sesión de Control (“Control Session”) and draws a parallel [es] between Germany during the Cold War and contemporary Venezuela:
A state of generalized discouragement covers the country today. Discouragement can blind us from seeing the opportunity of our wall's collapse… In Venezuela there are 15 protests every day, probably more than any other country in the world. There are protests in Caucagua because a bridge fell, protests in the Carpintero neighborhood because a stray bullet killed a girl, protests in Villa de Cura because people demand decent housing. […]
In Caucagua, Villa de Cura, and El Carpintero, people believe that they are protesting different issues. Some of the protesters still have a wall of ideas that prevents them from seeing the reality of a model that collapsed. It is the job of the leadership to make them understand and liberate them from their personal wall. It is not about organizing the protest, it is about accompanying it…


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Nepal Airlines Plane Crashes Killing All 18 On Board · Global Voices
Sanjib Chaudhary

A De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter of Nepal Airlines, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident. Image from Wikimedia Commons by Wolfgang Soshin Drechsler. CC BY-SA 3.0
An ill-fated Twin Otter plane crashed on 16 February 2014 killing all 18 on board in the forests of Masine in mid-western Nepal.
The wreckage of the state-owned Nepal Airlines Corporation plane, which went missing after 1 p.m. Nepal Standard Time (NST) on Sunday, was found on Monday morning by local youths who had been there to play with the snow, reports Nepali online newspaper Setopati. The aircraft may have hit a mountain, which caused the crash.
#NAC‘s 9N-ABB #planecrash site. 2 KM west of SupaDeurali temple of #Arghakhanchidisrtict, mid-west #Nepal.pic.twitter.com/uOGSbL6DPf
— PHALANO™ (@phalano) February 17, 2014
Medico, a medical doctor from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), tweeted:
दुखदखवर।जेनहुनुथ्योत्यहीसुनियोयतात….. नेवानिकोबिमानमारहेकासबै१८ यात्रुकोमृत्युरे….. #planecrash#nepal
— MedicO (@SapphireG29) February 16, 2014
Sad news. What not had to happen, got to know the same. All 18 aboard the Nepal Airlines Corporation plane died.
Journalist Bhabasagar Ghimire tweeted an earlier picture of the plane:
२०६७कोवैशाख११गतेकादिनयोजहाजलेजुम्लाबिमानस्थालमानेपालगञ्जलैजानुपर्नेबिरामीओसार्नखोज्दैथियो। :( pic.twitter.com/dfBLLSjHOy
— Bhabasagar (@Bhabasagar) February 17, 2014
On 24 April 2010 the plane was to ferry a patient to Nepalgunj from Jumla airport.
The plane was 43 years old and was carrying 15 passengers and 3 crew members, blog Mysansar reported. Among them were a Danish national and a child. The aeroplane was scheduled to be decommissioned in 2014.
Rajan Bhattarai from Germany tweeted:
Sad to learn about yet another #planecrash in #Nepal. 43yrs old aircraft of NAC -sums up the story but blame will be on bad weather & pilot
— RajanBhattarai(@RBstrikes21) February 16, 2014
The weather throughout the country was very bad on the day the plane crashed:
यस्तोमौसमभएकोबेलाजहाजचलाउनदिनेलाईतसिधैजेलकोच्नुपर्ने :( #RIP#planecrash#nepal
— Prabin Poudelप्रविण (@LeoPrabin) February 16, 2014
The ones who permitted to fly the plane in such weather should be jailed.
Although being old, the plane had had only one incident of slipping on the runway of Jumla airport on 25 June 1992. The plane was also hijacked by Congress workers 40 years ago to loot the 30 lakhs of Indian rupees (about 4,800 US dollars) that the plane was carrying, reported Mysansar.
The Nepalese aviation industry has seen a huge number of accidents in the recent years, with two fatal plane crashes each year from 2010 to 2012. The European Union has banned all airlines from Nepal to fly into the 28 European nations.
More than 700 people have been killed Since 1949 #PlaneCrash#Nepal
— Anamol Mani (@anamolmani) February 17, 2014
Social media was awash with the news about the crash and condolence messages. Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai tweeted:
Shocked by NAC plane crash & loss of 18 precious human lives. My heartfelt condolence to the bereaved families!
— BaburamBhattarai (@brb_laaldhwoj) February 17, 2014
Pyasi tweeted:
सगरमाथाचढ्नअदम्यसाहसचाहिन्छभनिन्छ, त्योभन्दाहजारौगुणासाहसचैनेपालीप्लेनचढ्नचाहिनेभो!
— Pyasi (@pyasi_37) February 17, 2014
[They say] a lot of courage is needed to scale Mount Everest. Seems thousand times more courage is needed to travel in a Nepali plane.
Indeed, the air journeys in Nepali skies seem more dangerous with the recent air accidents.

author: Sanjib Chaudhary


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On the 11 Wives of Convicted Zimbabwean Preacher · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Following the conviction of End Time Message church leader Martin Gumbura on multiple charges of rape, Sibusisiwe Bhebhe asks whether his 11 wives are victims, villains or victors:
In past weeks, Zimbabwean gossip – from the mainstream media to social media to bars and public transport –  has been dominated by talk of the conviction, on multiple charges of rape, of End Time Message church leader Martin Gumbura’s, and the accompanying fate of his eleven wives.
“Who will now have his women?” asked one online publication.
An interesting question, and  one which suggests these women are in need of rescuing –  and salvation from (sexual) solitude – after their husband has been sentenced to 40 years in prison on four counts of rape and one for possession of pornographic material. It is also quite interesting that while such questioning suggests that these women are “his” (Gumbura’s), it is concurrently implied that these women are now public and charitable goods that someone must take over ownership of.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Race as a Political Weapon in the Caribbean  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Of all the offensive – and unintelligent – statements made in the politics of the post-independence Caribbean, an assertion, that Dr Keith Rowley, the leader of the Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago, is ‘too black’ to be Prime Minister, has to rate as the worst.
Bajan Reporter explains why such a notion “highlights the continuing insecurities in persons and groups in the Caribbean.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Sudan: Blogger Remains in Detention for Criticizing Presidents · Global Voices
Usamah Mohamed

Sudanese blogger and activist Tajeldin Arja has been in detention since his arrest on December 24, 2013 at a joint press conference of the Sudanese and Chadian Presidents in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Arja, a political activist from North Darfur, interrupted the speaker at the opening session and criticized the two leaders, in what Amnesty International described as an effort to “[hold] them responsible for the atrocities committed in Darfur.”
He was then arrested by security guards, as the video below clearly shows. Local and international human rights organization stated that the 26-year-old blogger is at serious risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Activists in Sudan have called for a solidarity sit-in before the governmental human rights commission to demand his immediate release. The sit-in will take place on Tuesday, February 18.
Chadian president Idris Deby was on an official two-day visit to Khartoum to discuss peace, security and border issues in the Darfur region with Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir. On the day before his arrest, Arja, who hails from North Darfur, announced on his Facebook account his intention to attend the presidential press conference and confront the audience whom he described as “opportunist leaders.” He called on other activists to do the same and express their “impressions” about the event and its attendees.
Arja's arrest was widely reported on after video footage of the incident — apparently taken by an anonymous attendee from a mobile phone — was uploaded on YouTube. The video shows Arja standing in the front row and shouting criticism at the two presidents. “You want to fool and deceive public opinion!”, he was heard saying to Al-Bashir and Diby. Security guards immediately seized him and can be seen escorting him outside the conference hall. “You can kill us, torture us…” were his last spoken words on the short video. News sources have reported that members of the security service at the conference confiscated the equipment of international journalists and TV channel crewmen at the event and conducted on-site search of their content in anticipation that the arrest might have been caught on camera.
Amnesty International has issued an urgent action appeal calling on Sudanese authorities to charge Arja with a recognizable criminal offense or to release him without delay, warning that he remains under serious risk of torture and other forms of mistreatment. The organization emphasized that Arja was one of the victims of their ill-fated policies surrounding the conflict in Darfur:
Tajeldin Ahmed Arja is from North Darfur. He was displaced with his family during the early years of the Darfur conflict. Since then, he has reportedly become critical of the Sudanese government and has written and blogged about the situation in Darfur.
Independent online newspaper Al-Taghyeer [ar] reported that a close relative of Arja, who was able to visit him in prison, said that the blogger was held in solitary confinement and was subjected to systematic and continuous beating and torture:
وقال المصدر للـ (التغيير الالكترونية) إن علامات الاعياء والتعذيب ظهرت بوضوح علي المعتقل الذي قال انه ظل يتعرض منذ اعتقاله “لعمليات تعذيب متواصلة توقفت قبل الزيارة بيومين”. وقال عرجة، انه وضع طوال مدة اعتقاله في “حبس إنفرادي وتم تحويله قبل ايام لسجن كوبر في معتقل جماعي”.
وابلغت السلطات اسرة عرجه انها لن تتمكن من مقابلته إلا بعد مرور خمسة عشر يوما علي مدة الزيارة الاولي.
The source has told Al-Taghyeer Online that signs of fatigue and exhaustion were visible on [Tajeldهn] Arja, who said that he has been subjected to “continuous torture since his arrest that only stopped two days before the visit”. Arja said that he was put under solitary confinement during all his detention, and was only transferred days ago to Kober Prison.
A Blow to Government Rhetoric
Blogger and activist leader Amjed Farid wrote a blog post putting Arja's arrest in the context of that state of freedom of expression in Sudan and the upcoming 2015 presidential elections:
It is not only the case of Tajeldin Arja although it is enough to make the point. Sudan government keeps a very harsh censorship on daily newspapers with three of them (Almidan, Rai Alsha’ab and Altayar) prohibited from printing for almost three years now without any official reasons (the first two are official publications of legally registered parties). Moreover, during September and October last year, the regime detained hundreds of politicians and activists from their homes and the reason was their political views and stands. The detention was the easy part of that, others hundreds were killed in the streets in cold blood for demonstrating against price raise and economic measures in September 2013.
The youth movement Sudan Change Now has called on its Facebook page [ar] for the activism community in Sudan to hold a peaceful sit-in on February 18, 2014, in front of the government-run Human Rights Commission (HRC) to demand the immediate release of Arja.
Observers have argued that Al-Bashir's failure to issue an executive order to release all political detainees renders the government's new language of open dialogue, reform and reconciliation “empty rhetoric”, as Tajeldin Arja and many other activists languish in prisons while the perpetrators of crimes and human rights violations enjoy impunity.

author: Usamah Mohamed


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The Millenium Development Goal for Safe Water Is Still Beyond Reach for Many African Countries · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Water source in Mwamanongu, Tanzania. CC-BY-2.0
Virgil HOUESSOU, a Benin-based reporter for the African association for clean water,  is pessimistic about the Millenium Development Goal with respect to safe water. He writes  on the collective blog Wash Journalists [fr]:
A quelques mois de l’échéance de la réalisation des OMD [Objectifs du millénaire pour le développement],  beaucoup de défis restent à relever dans le secteur de l’eau et de l’assainissement. De nombreux pays africains trainent encore le pas et ne sont pas sûrs de les atteindre
A few months removed from the deadline for reaching the MDGs [Millennium Development Goals], many challenges remain in the area of water and sanitation. Many African countries have yet to fully get going on this topic and therefore are quite unsure of reaching their objectives.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Trinidad Lecture Ignites Fiery Discussion on Gay Rights & Religious Freedom · Global Voices
Jason Nathu

The Faculty of Law at the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies recently hosted a public lecture on the topic “Lesbian and gay human rights in the Caribbean: Would decriminalization restrict religious freedom?”
The lecture was coincidentally held a few days after Roman Catholic priest Fr. Stephen Geofroy made a controversial contribution to the national debate on constitutional reform, by suggesting that LGBT rights should be included in the Trinidad and Tobago Constitution. The statement generated discussion throughout the country, including social media:
Support for the legal equality of LGBT people has come from a surprising place during a Trinidad and Tobago… http://t.co/k0Q8JKH3Yw
— CAISO (@CAISOTT) February 13, 2014
On the Trinidad Express Facebook page, a bevy of comments were posted on the issue.
Dale Orsoco registered his opinion about the lack of morality in the society:
All these things would come to pass, Just as in the days of Noah and the days of Lot immorality will reign and mankind will reap the results of such practice those who are proud of this despicable practice of Homosexuality continue on defending that abomination you will be rewarded for your support of it just as those of us will be rewarded for our stance against it, you can brag on how backward we are but the Old way is the Moral way….
Ria Ragoonanan quoted scripture in her comments on the issue:
All this does not surprise me. It is the times, read the book of Revelation. Jesus spoke everything in that book for the CHURCHES and how people will be blinded by the unholy trinity (the Devil, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet). He warns us of what is to come and asks us to repent. Do some research into who today is the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet in Revelation 16:13. I am not surprised at all. All I will say is God loves each and everyone of us but not the sin. Repent before it is too late. God bless you all.
Others supported Fr. Geofroy's statements. Gerard Pinard had this to say:
Equal rights ought to be afforded to ALL citizens of our country, full stop. And, for all those quoting the Bible, remember that it also says ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged’.
Meanwhile, Dwane Salandy was more forceful in his comments:
I am appalled however not remotely surprised by the insanely ignorant, closeminded and uneducated comments on here. All of you preaching and quoting the bible… what about all the other ‘teachings’ in there? If one were to live by the literal example of the bible none of us would have tongues, hands or feet (and that's just one example). So many hypocrites on here. Smh
With a high level of public interest in the issue of LGBT rights and its impact on the society, the lecture at the Faculty of Law attracted a full house. Dean of the Faculty, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine spoke of the role of the law as a tool to shape society, and the commitment of international law to protect against discrimination in all societies:
The feature address was delivered by Professor Robert Wintemute of King's College. The lecture focused on the human, legal and religious aspects of the debate on LGBT rights and religious freedom:
Attendees to the lecture were given an opportunity to ask questions and ventilate their concerns on the topic. The comments were fiery, with both sides of the debate well represented:
Professor Wintemute earlier presented the same topic at the Cave Hill (Barbados) and Mona (Jamaica) campuses of the University of the West Indies. Some netizens who attended the lecture posted their thoughts on Twitter:
Human rts Prof Robert Wintemute says same sex marriage is not an inevitable consequence of decriminalization @RJR94fm #BeyondTheHeadlines
— Dionne JacksonMiller (@djmillerJA) February 12, 2014
A foray into the ivory tower of LGBT human rights work. Lecture by Prof. Robert Wintemute of King's… http://t.co/1jSs6e0ZOJ
— Brendon J. O'Brien (@BrendonJOBrien) February 12, 2014
Do onto others… “Treat the lesbians and gays of Trinidad, how you'd like to see the Christians of Pakistan treated.”
— JN (@jasonnPOS) February 12, 2014
This lecture on gay rights @ UWI is shameful; this audience came straight from church.
— Heidi (@frida_haklo) February 10, 2014
Others posted their views on Facebook. Mike Eskada pointed out:
Religious freedom? They mean oppression ? Discrimination ..funny how these godly people act more like the devil.
The debate on equality and discrimination will no doubt continue to engage the attention of the region.

author: Jason Nathu


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Will Fiji Become Australia’s New Best Friend? · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

A visit by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to Fiji has caused much speculation about the future of Australian's relations with that Pacific islands nation. On 15 February 2014, she met with Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama who has been in charge of the military-backed government since a coup in late 2006.
Many have been left wondering what secrets their pleasant exchange might be hiding:
PM Bainimarama meets Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop
Fiji Ministry of Information's Facebook Photos
Her visit received a mixed reception on twitter. Ron Cato seems content with developments:
Hmm. Ice Queen Julie Bishop seems to have a warm glow in Fiji. Must agree with her. #auspol
— ron chato (@paddo_ron) February 15, 2014
Martin John Carter definitely favours the change:
Julie Bishop move – Good move! Fiji has a unique situation not of it's making. And they seem happy with things. http://t.co/7oB8wKE7EA
— martin john carter (@martinjohncart1) February 15, 2014
But others are antagonistic:
Julie Bishop first ignores the abuses of power in Nauru and now legitimises the military government of Fiji. We really are going backwards.
— DHKM (@KarlGlogauer) February 15, 2014
Greg Ross suspects a connection with Australia’s asylum seekers policies:
So did Bishop fly to Fiji as part of a plan to send boat people to Fiji? Watch for future loans & grants to Fiji from the Abbott government.
— Greg Ross (@GregWRoss) February 15, 2014
Keith Jackson who blogs at PNG Attitude has his own ideas about Australia’s motives:
Australia needs all the regional friends it can get MT "@dfat: FM Bishop & Fiji PM Bainimarama in historic meeting pic.twitter.com/ulgMIB62zg”
— Keith Jackson (@PNGAttitude) February 16, 2014
Keith also retweeted this addition to the asylum seeker theorizing:
Julie Bishop is normalising relations with Fiji because we now love autocratic Pacific dictatorships. Maybe they'll take some boats? #auspol
— George Brandishes QC (@GeorgeBrandisQC) February 15, 2014
At Pacific Scoop, Scott MacWilliam wonders about how easily old foes might be reconciled if there are democratic elections in Fiji:
Despite all their previous rhetoric about the need for Fiji to return to democracy, would Australia (and New Zealand) accept an electoral victory by their erstwhile enemy, no matter how this is achieved?
In the event of Commodore Bainimarama making a successful transition to elected prime minister, could he make a trip to Australia, and be photographed alongside Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Bishop and Immigration Minister Scott Morrison? Would the picture be attached to an account of how Fiji has now agreed to establish a detention centre, paid for by Australia with employment for surplus to requirements Fiji military personnel?
The Fiji Labour Party opposition has election concerns as well:
Labour leader says no level playing field in Fiji elections http://t.co/lgf2Y4WvZ8
— NewsHitterTeam (@N_H_Australia) February 15, 2014
As might be expected from the name, Fijileaks is very unimpressed by the thaw in relations:
Spineless Bunch: Voters and not Bishop will decide dictator's fate if and when Fiji goes to the polls! So ignor… http://t.co/KT3VDgCIna
— fijileaks (@fijileaks) February 16, 2014
At their link, they have some advice based on the foreign minister’s reported remarks:
The Gullible Her Holiness “Bishop”: “At the meeting, Commodore Bainimarama discussed the election process, and indicated he was prepared for whatever role resulted, even if he were to lose the prime ministership”.
Fijileaks Editor to Bishop: “Oh, Yeah, Dream On!”
Fijian lawyer Richard Naidu has a dream of his own:
One day I would really like, while overseas, to be able to say "I am a Fiji lawyer" without cringing:http://t.co/u8zUM54iZW
— Richard Naidu (@RichardKNaidu) February 11, 2014

author: Kevin Rennie


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Zambia Ditches English in Primary School for Government-Approved Local Languages · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

In what is probably the most radical policy change by Zambia's just over two-years-old Patriotic Front (PF) government is the change in the language of instruction in lower primary school from English to local languages.
Lower primary school in Zambia is from Grade 1 to Grade 4 and caters to ages anywhere between three and 12 because there is no policy regarding how old a child has got to be to start or complete school.
The language change has its supporters, but it also has it is critics, and among the latter are chiefs, the traditional leaders who head various ethnic groups as custodians of language and culture of their ethnic groups.
The problem is that there are 73 recognised languages—although most of these can be classified as dialects—in the country, but only seven are recognised for official communication and are broadcast on government-run national radio by the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC). These seven, which are Nyanja, Bemba, Tonga, Lozi, Kaonde, Lunda and Luvale, will be the only local languages of instruction, despite the existence of many others.
An image of the Post newspaper's story on Chieftainess Nkomeshya opposing Zambia's use of the seven “official” local languages in primary school. Image from Zambian Watchdog Facebook page. Used with permission.
A full year before the language policy was rolled out, Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba, who is also the ruling party’s Secretary General, wondered why people insisted on the use of English:
Our education system does not meet the demands of a third-world country. We are producing students who are not relevant to the needs of our country […] It is the policy of the PF to revive vernacular languages because a language gives us identity.
The first signs of trouble for the proposed policy was when pupils in a rural school in Zambezi District of the North-Western Province protested being taught in one of the two languages, Lunda and Luvale, in use in the area. The protest forced government authorities to close the affected school temporarily.
One blogger, Munshya wa Munshya, argued that the policy is based on useless Pan-Africanist motives:
When a government has no tangible plan for development, it begins to couch useless pan-Africanist ideals that have no practical value. Nothing demonstrates this recklessness better than the recent decision of the Michael Sata government to introduce vernacular languages as the sole media of instruction in lower primary school. According to the Hon. Kabimba, government introduced this policy so that Zambia can truly be free from the foreign language of English. The Permanent Secretary in the ministry responsible for education is couching this new policy as “the necessary revision to the educational curriculum.” At close inspection, however, we find this new policy is nothing other than a noisome invention that lacks any proper objectives.
He criticized the policy, calling it absurd:
The government is saying that they have revised the curriculum in such a way that the pupils will now be taught in the “local languages”. This is absurd. In order for this reasoning to stand, we must first deconstruct what is meant by “local language”. The idea that Zambia has seven local languages is perhaps the greatest fabrication to have ever come from the Kenneth Kaunda [Zambia’s first president] dictatorship. Zambia does not have seven local languages. In fact, the seven local languages are not in any logical way expressive of the language status of the Zambian majority. Kaunda picked on the seven languages in an arbitrary manner and imposed them on us.
Chiefs in the mining province of Copperbelt, a very urbanised area of Zambia where Bemba or variants of it are widely spoken, rejected its teaching in favour of their ethnic Lamba which is mostly spoken in the rural areas. Senior Chief Chiwala said in a statement:
We, the Chiefs of the Copperbelt Province observe that it is a violation of human rights to impose on children the teaching of vernacular language that is not their own […] The position the Lambas have taken shall never be compromised and no amount of intimidation shall sway the people of Lamba land from this decision.
Throughout British Colonial and independent Zambia’s history, Lambas have been tolerant and sacrificed enough of their land for the sake of national development, mindful of the fact that Zambia is a unitary state in tribal diversity.
In Lusaka Province, where the capital city Lusaka is situated, Chieftainess Nkomeshya of the Soli, whose indigenous language has largely been sidelined, opposed the training of area chiefs in selected languages. Solis have to learn Chewa/Nyanja instead, a practice that has practically killed off Soli.
Similarly, some people hailing from Central Province have also rejected the use of languages other than Lenje, which is spoken in most parts of the region.
Whether the policy works or not is yet to be seen.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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10 Dishes From Sub-Saharan Africa Everyone Needs to Try · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

We simply cannot let February, which is Food Month here at Global Voices Online, pass without sharing with you ten delicious dishes from Sub-Saharan Africa. Make sure to add them to your recipe collections!
1. Kamba wa nazi (Prawns in coconut sauce)
Kamba (Prawns/shrimp) is loved in the coastal region [East Africa]. Shrimps taste better if cooked for just a few minutes on high heat. In the past I preferred fried shrimp only, but shrimp cooked with coconut milk is something that I would advise everyone to try. Believe me; you may never want fried shrimp ever again if you try this recipe. This recipe is exotic.
Follow the instructions from the YouTube video below from Miriam Kinunda:
2. Efo riro (Nigerian vegetable soup)
Efo Riro is a Nigerian vegetable soup. Photo used with permission from Dobby Signature.
Efo riro” is a Yoruba word which simply means “Vegetable soup” and it’s enjoyed by many. This is because it’s really versatile and could be eaten with meals such as Rice, Yam and any type of Swallow. When I got to the market to buy the ingredients for cooking this meal, I actually got so confused when it came to choosing which Leaf to use for the soup.
3. Ceebu jenn (Senegalese rice and fish)
Senegalese national dish Ceebu jenn. Photo released in the public domain by Wikipedia user KVDP.
There are about as many variations for spelling ceebu jenn (thieboudienne, thiep bu dinenne, ceebujenn…) as there are to making it. This rice (ceeb) and fish (jenn) recipe is the national dish of Senegal and can also be made with beef (ceebu yapp). If the dish looks familiar, it’s because it’s a descendent of paella.
4. Seswaa (Botswana's slow-cooked shredded beef)
Watch the video below to learn from Freedes Em how to make this scrumptious recipe from Botswana:
5. Matapa
Matapa is a typical Mozambican dish prepared with young cassava leaves piled with garlic and flour extracted from the tubers, cooked with crab or shrimp. Many Matapa dishes add cashew nuts and can be eaten with bread, rice or alone.
Cook Guru Mozambique Cuisine has simple instructions for you to make your own Matapa:
Are you ready to eat Matapa? Photo by Brandi Phiri. Used with permission.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of shrimps
– 750 gr of peanuts
– 1 kg of cabbage leaf or cassava leaf
– 1 coconut
– 2 L of water
– salt to taste
6. Ghana's Benne (sesame) soup with guineafowl (or Cornish game hens)
Below are the ingredients needed:
1. Fowl (I'm using 2 Cornish game hens, around 4 lbs, total)
2. 1.5 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3. 1 cup of tahini (or less if you prefer)
4. 3 – 4 cloves of garlic
5. About 2-inch chunk of fresh peeled ginger
6. 1 onion (about 1 cup, red, if available)
7. About 4 habanero, or other milder chile peppers, seeded and membranes removed, if desired. (When ground they should make about 1 Tablespoon of pepper paste). Americans use milder chile peppers, remove seeds, etc.)
8. 6 small-to-medium tomatoes (or about half a large 28 oz can of tomatoes; I imagine this might also be a small can, but I never have them in the house): enough to get 1 1/2- 2 cups when blended.
Read the full cooking instructions from Betumi here.
7. Doro wet (Ethiopian/Eritrean stew made from chicken and hard-boiled eggs)
Watch the YouTube video below made by Makonnen Wolde to learn how to make Doro wet:
8. Injera
Doro wet (above) is traditionally eaten with injera, a spongy flat bread made from the millet-like grain known as teff:
Ingredients
5 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon yeast
enough warm water to make a thin batter
Begin by combining the flour, baking powder and yeast in a large bowl. Add enough water to make a batter the consistency of thin pancake batter. Cover the bowl and set it aside.
Full cooking instructions are here.
Ethiopian/Eritrean injera (flat bread), which can be eaten with dishes such as Doro wet. Photo released under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0 FR) by Wikipedia user Rama.
9. Chapati (flat bread)
Chapati or “chapo” as we fondly refer to them in Kenya, is a very popular flat bread that is a staple in many homes in East Africa. The dish has it's origins in India as do many of our foods in Kenya. This owing to the large Indian population that has lived in Kenya since the 19th century, and whom we consider as our fellow Kenyans. Though this flat bread shares the same name with another flat bread in India, the preparation of the dough and the type of flour used make them different. The Indian chapati is made of a combination of whole wheat flour (atta) and all-purpose flour whereas the East African version of the chapati uses only all-purpose flour. When making the East African chapati, oil is used whereas no oil is used in kneading the dough for the Indian chapati. In that regard, the East African chapati is more similar to the Indian flat bread called “Paratha”. But what's in a name? A chapati by any other name would still be delish :)
Chapati and chapati roll. Photo released under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Flickr user Kalyan.
Learn chapati cooking instructions here.
10. Ndole (spinach/bitter leaves and peanut soup):
Writing about Cameroonian dish Ndole on her blog, food blogger Immaculate writes:
At the top of my favorite Cameroonian food is Ndole, which is always present at parties ,and when cooked properly flies off the table. It is an absolutely irresistible combination of peanuts, bitter leaves (substitute spinach), meat (stock fish, shrimp,) crayfish (dried shrimps) and oil. If I could eat this every day I would, It is rich, high in calories and loved by many. It tastes like a stew spinach dip with all the spices and meat.
Follow Immaculate's instructions here to make your own Ndole.
Sub-Saharan Africa has many more yummy dishes to offer the world than those listed above. Make sure that you explore the blogs linked in this post for more!


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Adapting to Extreme Climate Change in Mali and Madagascar    · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Forest in the Kayes region of Mali CC-NC-2.0
Mali and Madagascar have faced many similar challenges over the past five years. Political turmoil punctuated by coup d'états that saw the removal of their president-elects before the end of their terms. As a consequence, both economies had steep dives in terms of GDP. Today, Madagascar and Mali are both trying to rebuild their broken political systems via newly elected executive branches.
A lesser known challenge that both countries face is their struggle against extreme climate change. Fragile countries are often more vulnerable to extreme weather, but that adage could not be more evident than in the recent evolution of the ecosystem in Madagascar and Mali.
An undeniable impact
In Mali, the forest is slowly given way to the Sahara desert in the north. The Kayes region is symptomatic of the seemingly unstoppable progression of the desert in a region that used to host a buoyant forest and is now home to vast areas of sands and rocks.
Adrien de Chaisemartin and his colleagues from the McKinsey's Johannesburg office reported on the impact of climate change in the Malian region:
Mali is a mostly dry nation, subject to frequent droughts. Increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall tell of a shift in climate zones as the desert moves south over productive land. In these regions, farmers dependent on agriculture and livestock already face trying periods of drought and have few options to overcome them. Many are moving to the cities, others to the country’s less arid south.
Kayes region in Mali at the border with Senegal via wikipedia CC-BY-2.0
Here is how they assess the current situation and the potential economic loss for the country:
The climate zone shift—the combined effect of rising average temperatures and declining average rainfall—has already pushed the country’s agroecological zones to the south over the past 50 years, with average rainfall down by about 200 millimeters and average temperatures up by 0.5°C over the same period. [..] The pessimistic high-change scenario could involve losses of about $300 million annually (some 15 percent of the value of agriculture and livestock); the optimistic scenario, losses of $120 million annually (6 percent)
In Madagascar, the impact of climate change was even more dramatic. Following two consecutive cyclones (Giovanna in 2012 and Haruna in 2013) that made landfall on the island and displaced at least 100,000 people, the southern region was plagued by a locust invasion. How those events are related is explained by Emmanuel Perrin on maxisciences [fr]:
Le cyclone Haruna a touché l’île de Madagascar. Or, son passage a créé les conditions d'humidité favorables à la prolifération de criquets migrateurs. Les autorités n’ont pas réagi à temps et, aujourd’hui, leur population atteint 500 milliards d’individus, estime une récente mission de comptage.
Cyclone Haruna hit the island of Madagascar and its landfall has created the humid conditions that favors the massive proliferation of locusts. The authorities did not react in time, and today their population reached 500 billion in the most recent estimates.
Locust invasion in downtown Fianarantsoa, Madagascar
The World Food Programme states that 60 percent of rice production will be affected by the locust invasion. Cyclone Haruna's direct impact was also dramatically felt by southern farmers as 6,351 hectares of their crop fields were flooded. Raw footage of the floods can be seen in this video from YouTube user ongbelavenir:
How to adapt
So what can local population do to withstand the climate assault on their way of life? Here are a few ideas by Michael Kleine and his fellow scientists or researchers from the International Union of Forest Research Organizations solutions (IUFRO):
New modes of governance should enhance effective stakeholder and community participation, transparent and accountable decision-making, and the equitable sharing of benefits. And strategies for adapting forests to climate change must be coordinated with those of other sectors and integrated into national and regional development programmes and strategies.
In the field, new strategies are dependent on the local context and the type of activities in the region. For instance, declining crop yields can be countered with the following measures: increase crop diversification and plant early maturing crop varieties such as the NERICA rice variety.
Dr. Balgis Osman Elasha emphasized the importance of grasping the local context and gaining buy-ins from community leaders to implement the new measures:
The same policy could yield contrasting results ,for different sectors or different activities in the same sector, e.g. removing subsides on inputs, from agriculture produced positive impact on traditional rain fed sector (using minimum inputs), and negative impacts on mechanized irrigated agriculture (using intensive inputs) [..] Community Leaders are key players in the policy process , they possess a wealth of indigenous knowledge regarding the wise use and conservation of natural resources, moreover, customary rules and orders issued by them , are considered sacred by their local community.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Bermuda: Political Shenanigans · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda deserves better.  Our country is in deep trouble, and you are fiddling away with self-absorption.
Vexed Bermoothes has some advice for the country's politicians.


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“Bring All the Culprits of Ethnic Cleansing to Justice” Says a CAR Citizen of Muslim and Christian Descent   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Here is Moussa Tanko–Tchaibou's take on the ethnic cleansing that is underway in his country, the Central African Republic and what should be done to stop it [fr]:
Je suis centrafricain de confession musulmane avec cette particularité illustrative de la cohésion sociale, celle d’avoir un père de confession musulmane et une mère d’origine chrétienne [..]  Alors que la maison commune est en train de bruler qu’apportent-ils comme contribution afin de mettre fin à cette situation? Rien à part se préparer pour les prochaines échéances électorales, à attiser à distance cette haine contre une certaine catégorie de population [..]  il faudrait que les choses avancent vite, car ne pas traduire les coupables de ces crimes horribles devant la cour pénale internationale laisse la porte ouverte à d’autres massacres.
I am a Central African Republic citizen who happens to be muslim. In what used to be an illustration of the social cohesion of the past in my country, my father is Muslim and my mother is Christian. [..] While the house of Central Africa is now burning, what did that they (political leaders) do to put an end to this situation? Nothing but prepare for the next elections and stir up hatred against a certain group of people [..] The world needs to move quickly (with identifying the culprits), because if we do not bring the perpetrators of these horrible crimes to the International Criminal Court rapidly, we will leave the door open for other massacres to occur.
Hayes Brown unpacks why it is important to better understand the two-way atrocities in the region and whether the use of the term genocide in the media is appropriate. Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch states that without prompt action, the country will be emptied of its Muslim population [fr].


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Miss Online Award in Miss Indonesia Pageant · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Aside from presenting their beauty, charm, talent, and intelligence, contestants of the  Miss Indonesia 2014 beauty pageant also learned to be tech-savvy. Special tech-related awards were given during the contest such as Miss Chatting, Miss Social Media, and Miss Online.

author: Mong Palatino


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New Lebanese Government met with Skepticism · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

When Lebanese politicians announced their new government, Lebanon's online community responded with indifference, mockery and skepticism.
NOW Lebanon blogger Anthony ElGossain wrote a satirical piece entitled “Dear Citizen: Best Wishes from Lebanon’s New Cabinet” in which he writes a fictional letter written by politicians.
At this stage, furthermore, we are not prepared to recognize, promote, or protect communities of conscience: should you choose to identify with other citizens’ word-view, social mores, economic preferences, or political convictions, we invite you to explore emigration, disillusionment, apathy, or radicalism.
Slutterhouse frontman Rabih Salloum asked a question that seems to be on everyone's mind:
Screenshot from Facebook
Gino Raidy from Gino's Blog shared his sentiment:
What a horrible cabinet full of incompetent people in the wrong places…
— Gino Raidy (@GinoRaidy) February 15, 2014
As though to make things worse, it later turned out that the New Cabinet's Protocol Photo was photoshopped:
Picture from Facebook
New Lebanese Cabinet's Protocol Photo Photoshopped : http://t.co/8z39qRQtCy
— Najib@blogbaladi (@LeNajib) February 16, 2014
The photoshopping incident was in itself a controversy. Many felt that it truly showed how little difference having a new government would make. Speaking to Al-Arabiya,  blogger Karl Sharro from KarlRemarks explained:
“Photoshopping the ministers in is a metaphor for how a cabinet that has no clear political program or mandate and only represents the lowest common denominator has been artificially brought together merely as a form of political placebo”.
And add to that the fact that the new Telecom Minister, Boutros Harb, didn't seem to know how to use Twitter:
We're gonna miss having @NicolaSehnaoui as a minister, LOL ~> pic.twitter.com/M7ucu6RXJQ
— Tawa (@TawaNicolas) February 15, 2014
Trying to calm things down and provide an actual analysis into what the new government represent, Eye on the East blogger Marina Chamma wrote a piece entitled “A Warm Welcome to Lebanon's New Cabinet“
When it comes to the business of the nation, the Lebanese shouldn’t grant politicians the benefit of the doubt anymore, very few deserve it. But the least these people can do is listen. As a reflection of the country’s mood, most of which oscillates between the slightly hopeful and the extreme sarcastic hopelessness, here are some welcome questions and self-evident truths for the newcomers. This is really what it all boils down to people, and in no particular order:
Click the link above to read the rest of the post.

author: Elia J. Ayoub


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Shadow of Olympics Evictions Looms Over Tokyo · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

[All links lead to Japanese-language pages unless otherwise noted.]
Photos of an anti-Olympics group in Tokyo posted on Facebook. Banners show messages of opposition to holding the Sochi Olympics on the land of genocide and the 2020 Olympics in Japan. (photo by 反五輪の会[han-gorin-no-kai] used with permission)
While many people in Japan are happy with the country's results of the Sochi Winter Olympics – notably, Ayumu Hirano, the youngest medal winner on the snowboard half pipe and Yuzuru Hanyu, Japan's first Olympic gold in men's figure skating, just to name a few – there are some who are speaking out against the Olympics, present and future.
Given some tens of billions of dollars are used to host the international sporting event, the Olympics are never without criticism. At the opening ceremony for the Sochi Olympics, courtesy of the so called “anti-gay propaganda” law that Russia passed last year, the US President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were among those absent [en]. Human Rights Watch has been urging the International Olympics Committee [en] to investigate over non-payment of compensations for construction workers for Sochi game-related facilities. Animal rights groups are anxious that the stray dogs swept out of Sochi would be killed [en].
But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended. Yuji Kitamaru, a Japanese columnist in New York, referred to the lack of human rights awareness in not just the leader, but its citizen:
ソチ五輪開会式に欧米首脳が一斉に欠席するのは、ロシアへの圧力というより、一義的にはロシアに圧力を加えろという圧倒的な国内圧力があるからだ。これは外交的動きというよりは国内政治なのである。安倍が出席できるのは彼の人権意識の欠如だけでなく日本の国内世論の人権圧力の欠如のせいでもある。
— 北丸雄二 (@quitamarco) February 4, 2014
The reason why all the European leaders being absent at the Sochi Olympics opening ceremony was because of an overwhelming domestic pressure to increase pressure on Russia, rather than the leaders themselves putting pressure on Russia. This is domestic politics rather than a diplomatic move. Abe was able to attend not just because of his lack of awareness of human rights, but also because there is a lack of human rights pressure in Japanese public opinion.
The lesser known problem may be the history of Sochi [en]. The Circassian people has demanded [en] that the Russian government acknowledges the 19th-century Muhajir [en] (Circassian Genocide), during which about 90 percent of the local Circassian population was killed or displaced by Tsar Alexander II. “NoSochi2014“ is a website created to put more pressure on the Russian government and to gather support for the cause.
Japanese anti-Olympics group “Hangorin-no-kai” showed their solidarity with NoSochi2014 and published a message on Facebook[en/ja] declaring that they do not welcome 2020 Tokyo Olympics for the forced evictions it may cause:
To the people around the globe fighting against the 2014 Sochi Olympics, we send you a message of solidarity from Tokyo, the host city of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
We understand that Sochi 2014 is being held on a land where Circassian people were massacred by the Russian Empire, and today Russia is running the games on the biggest budget in the history of the Olympics.
We also recognize that for the Olympics development, more than 2000 people were displaced from their homes and extreme levels of environmental destruction were brought to the land.
[…]
Here in Tokyo the unnecessary redevelopment for the 2020 Olympics has already started with evictions of low-income populations from their homes.
The radioactive contamination by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster is nowhere near stabilisation, let alone “under control” as Prime Minister Abe proudly announced to the IOC.
Tokyo is only swimming in the cloud of an illusion, while the people in Fukushima and many nameless radiation-exposed workers at the power plant are left without sufficient support from the state.
The Olympics is nothing but a nightmare.
What is happening in Sochi today, is what might happen to us in 6 years.
The concerns of the group are the evictions that often take place before hosting large international events. There have been cases where homeless people staying in public parks were forcefully moved out of their tents when big events took place nearby.
The group mentioned [ja] past examples on Twitter: Before the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 World Athletics Championships, homeless people squatting at Osaka's Nagai Park [ja] were forcefully evicted. Prior to the Aichi World Expo, tents of homeless people in Nagoya city's Shirokawa Park [ja] were forcefully removed. And, evictions in Tokyo already started in early March last year with tents and belongings of the homeless forcefully removed when an International Olympic Committee inspection group visited Tokyo.
Protesters organized by an anti-Olympics group march in Tokyo on December 15, 2013. Photo by mkimpo.com. Used with the permission
Eviction is not only for people squatting in public parks. According to AFP [ja], about 2,000 households at the Kasumigaoka public housing apartment in Shinjuku, Tokyo are facing eviction. Most of the residents are elderly.
A blogger named “定年おじさんのつぶやき”, which translates to “Blurbs of a Retired Old Man” wrote about the shadows of the Olympics:
日本での最初の五輪開催は、まさに日本が経済成長を遂げ先進国の仲間入りを果たしたことを世界に誇示する最高の舞台だった。
だが晴れの舞台の陰には多くの人々の犠牲がついて回る。
昔から「開発」という行為には必ず自然や環境の「破壊」ということばがついて回った。
戦争は何も生み出さない最大・最悪の「破壊」行為であるが、五輪開催という大義名分には中々反対の声は上げにくい。
とりわけ立場の弱い人たちは、「お上」の命令には逆らうことができない。
54年前、アジアで初めての五輪開催を控えて都は老朽化住宅の建て替えを始めた。
当時は建て替えられた新しいアパートに再び入居することができたが、そのアパートも逐50年も経ち高齢になった住民は、2020年の五輪に向けて追い出されることになった。
When Tokyo hosted the Olympics for the first time [in 1964], it was a great milestone to show off to the world that Japan has grown into a developed country thanks to economic growth.
But a grand occasion in the spotlight often comes with sacrifices.
Through the ages, an act of development always was followed by destruction of nature and environment.
War is the biggest, worst example of destruction that does not generate anything good, but when it comes to a good reason like the Olympics, it's hard to speak against it.
Especially marginalized people can never go against the orders of authorities.
Fifty-four years ago, Tokyo began reconstruction on old housing prior to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. People who had been asked to leave their old houses were moved to a newly built apartment building.
But that apartment building, now 50 years old, and its old residents face another eviction for the 2020 Olympics.
For Kohei Jinno, a 79-year-old resident of the Kasumigaoka apartment building, it's his second time facing eviction because of the Olympics. According to Japan Times [en], his home and business were torn down to make way for an Olympic park around the main stadium for the Tokyo Games in 1964. Now he has been told he must move again to make way for the stadium’s redevelopment and expansion in time for 2020.
Unlike the anti-Olympics group “Hangorin-no kai”, most people in Japan are not against hosting the games themselves, but some are against tearing down the existing stadium to build a new, larger one.
A YouTube video made by architect Ken Aoki using Google Earth shows a 3D model based on information made public in March 2013 of the new national stadium:
Edward Suzuki, a Japanese architect, suggested on his blog fixing up the already existing national stadium rather than simply building a new one and called on people to join the campaign on online petition platform Change.org. The petition “Saving Meijijingu Gaien and National Stadium for Future Generations (unofficial translation) argues that throwing large amount of taxes away to build a new giant stadium which would be too huge, raising issues with emergency guidance and risk management in the event of disaster, will only prevent recovery efforts for areas affected by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011 and will destroy the city's scenery, such as Ginkgo trees and the blue sky. All this, the petition warns, will become a burden for future generations.
With the city headed toward a development push for the Olympics, Twitter user Nakajimayuki commented on the role of citizens:
新国立競技場もそうだけど、「オリンピックのため」と行われる東京大改造が、同じように不透明なプロセスで行われないよう、東京都の主役である都民が注意深く・強くならないと。
— nakajimamiyuki (@nakajimamiyuki) February 10, 2014
Tokyo residents, as the leading actors for the city, must stay strong and pay close attention to this massive change that Tokyo will go through “for the 2020 Olympics”, not just the plan to rebuild a new stadium, so that such development will not proceed in an non-transparent way.

author: Keiko Tanaka


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PHOTOS: A Dizzying View From the Top of Shanghai Tower  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Vadim Makhorov and Vitaly Raskalov sent a shockwave through the Internet on February 12, 2014 when they posted a video of themselves climbing the Shanghai Tower. The 2,073-foot (632-meter) Shanghai Tower when completed will be the second tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
That's Shanghai interviewed the Russian team about their climbing experience.
Check out these incredible photos that the pair took from the top of Shanghai Tower, and some other snaps of Shanghai. All photos courtesy Vadim Makhorov and Vitaly Raskalov of On the Roofs and republished with permission.

author: Abby Liu


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Seeking Asylum in Australia Is ‘Getting Real Ugly’ · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Gary Sauer-Thompson pulls no punches in his assessment of the latest crisis at Papua New Guinea's Manus Island asylum seeker detention centre. It is part of the so-called Pacific Solution. In a post for his blog Public Opinion, it's getting real ugly, he calls it a
concentration camp… designed to be cruel and that asylum seekers are going to suffer. The Conservative base [in Australia] demands that the asylum seekers live a bare life–a life exposed to death.


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SmartNomination, a Counter to the Binge Drinking Game Neknomination  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The online drinking game Neknomination that promotes binge drinking for teenagers has outraged many people around the world. Neknomination asks participants to film themselves drinking an alcoholic beverage in one gulp, upload the footage to the web and nominate others to do the same. Julien Voinson, a young frenchman from Bordeaux, decided to counter the drinking game with a more positive initiative called SmartNomination [fr]. The idea is to film oneself doing charity work and then nominate a friend to do the same. Created on February 12, the facebook page has already close to 9,000 likes. In the following video,  Voinson explains the details of his project  [fr]:


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To Hell with the Games: Russians Turn from Sochi to Ukraine · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

A woman in Kiev reacts to the sight of two dead bodies (protesters killed in the violence). 18 February 2014. Screenshot from YouTube.
Before the Sochi Winter Games kicked off less than two weeks ago, yours truly told US News & World Report that unrest in Ukraine might divert the attention of Russian Internet users from the Olympics. Today, after a relative lull, violence returned to Kiev’s streets, causing a dramatic shift in RuNet activity. Indeed, the images coming out of Ukraine depict something like a civil war.
While the news from Kiev is making headlines globally, comparative Twitter analytics demonstrate that today’s events in Ukraine galvanize Russian speakers to a degree distinct from the rest of the world. Indeed, in the last 24 hours on Twitter, Russian users’ interest in Ukraine has surpassed their attention on the Olympics. This reverses a trend in place since January 25, 2014, weeks before even the opening ceremony, when Russians last tweeted more about Kiev than Sochi.
The trend among Anglophone Twitter users over the last month is similar, but interest in Sochi has always dominated. Even today, with Ukraine in flames, English-language tweets about Kiev are just over half the more than 200 thousand about the Winter Games.
While it’s no surprise that Internet users are drawn to the revolutionary display in Kiev, it is remarkable that the host of the Winter Olympics seems to have lost its home audience to a foreign event.
Russian-language tweets (click to enlarge):
Russian-language tweets about “maidan” or “kiev” (orange) versus tweets about “sochi” or the “olympics” (blue).
English-language tweets (click to enlarge):
English-language tweets about “maidan” or “kiev” or “euromaidan” or “kyiv” (orange) versus tweets about “sochi” or the “olympics” (blue).

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Venezuelan Opposition Leader Leopoldo López Turns Himself in Amid Mass Demonstration  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López has turned himself in to the National Guard forces, as he announced he would in the video [es] above.
López, the leader of the Voluntad Popular party, had an arrest warrant that was issued against him by a court in Caracas for allegedly being responsible for crimes related to the protests taking place in Venezuela.
The massive demonstration where López turned himself in on February 18 was peaceful, with his followers shouting out [es] refrains supporting him. The following tweet contains a photo compilation of the demonstration and of López turning himself in to authorities in Caracas:
Venezuela – Marcha del 18 de Febrero http://t.co/mPTGZShdwQ via @ famorac
- Juan Arellano (@ Cyberjuan) 18 de febrero 2014
Venezuela- February 18 demonstration
This video [es] captured the moment López handed himself in:
And in this video [es] you can hear López addressing the crowd of protesters from the police armored car that would take him to the Venezuelan Public Prosecutor's Office.
Up until the moment that the Spanish version of this post was written, people were still on the streets protesting [es].


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VIDEO: UN Report on Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Horrible stories about North Korea is nothing new. But this may be one of the most extensive reports worth-reading on the country's abysmal human rights condition. A new report by a UN Commission of Inquiry reveals unspeakable crimes against humanity carried out by the North Korean regime against its own people which include systematic murder, torture, rape, forced abortions, deliberate starvation, and even infanticide. The Human Rights Watch post a short video version of the report on its Youtube channel and it seems rapidly gaining traction.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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YouTube Chefs Are Cooking Up a Storm in Indian Kitchens · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

YouTube chefs are gaining celebrity status in India and abroad.
Recipes are no longer just about cookbooks or top professional chefs hosting cooking shows on TV. A new breed of Indian culinarians are cooking their way to celebrity – via YouTube. As they demystify Indian cuisine and offer step-by-step guidance to creating mouthwatering Indian dishes, these talented men and women are inspiring a whole host of Indians to pick up their ladles and try out various yummy recipes in their own kitchens.
Move over recipe books, the YouTube chefs are here. No longer does the amateur home chef have to flounder with trying to understand what exactly the recipe instruction meant when it said things like, “the batter should be of pouring consistency”. Now you can see the chef demonstrate on video what exactly “pouring consistency” ought to be like.
VahChef
Sanjay Thumma, more popularly known as VahChef, is the founder of food website vahrehvah.com. His prolific recipes channel on YouTube, which he launched in 2007, has catapulted him to culinary stardom.
Screenshot of Sanjay Thumma's VahChef YouTube channel
Over the years, VahChef Sanjay has put up over 1,100 easy-to-follow videos demonstrating mainly Indian (and some international) recipes. Currently, his YouTube channel has about 234,985 subscribers and has clocked 159,266,645 views. On Facebook too, he has garnered about 164,405 likes. Sanjay is also currently hosting cooking shows on a regional TV channel in India.
Food Blog Wandering Spoon notes:
It’s refreshing to watch someone demonstrate mouth-watering dishes with uninhibited joy, a matter-of-fact globalism and minimal make-up. It helps that I love so many cuisines in India, but what immediately appealed to me is his stance as a teacher.
In the video below, VahChef Sanjay demonstrates how to cook fennel and pepper chicken:
Manjula's Kitchen
Manjula Jain grew up in a North Indian vegetarian family. Though she married and relocated to the US in the late 1960s, her family and she remained vegetarians as they were Jains by religion. Since 2006, Manjula has been blogging recipes and creating cooking videos on YouTube that offer “simple and practical recipes” to authentic Indian vegetarian cuisine. Her recipes include vegan and gluten-free dishes as well.
Manjula's Kitchen website and blog
Manjula's Kitchen on YouTube has 146,873 subscribers and has racked up 73,769,313 views. Her Facebook page has 260,833 likes. Recently, Manjula has also published her first book, “Manjula’s Kitchen: Best of Indian Vegetarian”, which is available on Amazon.
In the video below, Manjula shows us how to prepare a tasty snack which is also a popular street food in Mumbai, India: Batata Vada or Aloo Bonda (fried potato dumplings):
Nisha Madhulika
It's not only English-language recipe videos that are doing well online. Meet 55-year-old Nisha Madhulika from Delhi. After she retired from a full-time job, Nisha grew restless and turned to her passion for cooking to keep herself occupied. She started posting recipe videos online in Hindi with English subtitles for the non-Hindi audience. With over 800 videos uploaded to date, plus tonnes of recipes on her Hindi website (there is also a subset English version here), Nisha Madhulika is quite a culinary force.
Hindi website nishamadhulika.com features Indian vegetarian recipes
In the following YouTube video, Nisha shares her story about how she started her journey as a YouTube chef:
As of today, Nisha Madhulika's YouTube food channel has 114,339 subscribers and has nabbed 33,236,034 views. Her Facebook page has close to 40,000 likes.
In the video below, Nisha Madhulika shows us how to make sweet puffed rice balls (somewhat similar to Rice Krispies Treats, but with jaggery instead of marshmallows):
Some of the other popular YouTube home chefs who post videos of Indian and/or South Asian recipes include Bhavna with her “exotic vegetarian cuisine recipes from all around the world with a hint of Indian flavor” at Bhavna's Kitchen (134,091 subscribers, 52,497,677 views) and the Hetal-Anuja team with their “step-by-step and practical approach to South Asian Cooking” at ShowMeTheCurry.com (120,696 subscribers, 65,979,089 views).
Screenshot of India Food Network page on YouTube
In fact, YouTube video tutorials and recipe demonstrations have become so popular that a group of home chefs and food bloggers got together in 2012 to create the India Food Network on YouTube. According to the description on their Facebook page:
India Food Network is your step by step guide to simple and delicious home cooking. From regional Indian cuisine to popular dishes from around the globe, our focus is to make cooking easy
So next time you want to cook your way into someone's heart, don't reach for a cookbook. Log on to YouTube and let some of these new-age celebrity chefs show you the way.

author: Aparna Ray


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10 New Documentaries at the Luxor African Film Festival · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Tom Devriendt lists 10 documentaries to look out for at the Luxor African Film Festival:
The third edition of the Egyptian Luxor African Film Festival again has a wide-ranging programme scheduled for next month. Selected films will be showing in different competitions: Long Narrative, Short Narratives, Short Documentaries and Long Documentary. Below you’ll find a couple of the selected documentaries’ trailers (set in Togo, Senegal, Ghana, Somalia, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Angola) that were recently uploaded to YouTube and Vimeo, plus links to the films’ websites — where available.


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Amendments to Brazil’s Bill of Rights for Internet Users Jeopardizes Privacy · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Recent amendments to Brazil's pioneer bill of rights for Internet users, the “Marco Civil da Internet” (Internet Civil Rights Framework), put net neutrality and users’ privacy at stake. The bill is expected to be voted on by Congress during the last week of February 2014.
“Marco Civil with Article 16: Brazilian government becomes NSA”. Banner from the #16igualNSA campaign.
Activists have launched an online campaign asking for the removal of one of the new provisions, Article 16, that mandates service providers to store personal data of their users. The hashtag in use is #16igualNSA (“Article 16 leans towards NSA surveillance”).
Joana Varon, a Brazilian researcher from the Center for Technology and Society at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, points to an article on the PrivacyLatam blog as the “most accurate post in English regarding changes on #privacy protection at #marcocivil“:
This measure not only contradicts all previous versions of the Bill (which is a work in progress started by a draft generated by a public consultation in 2010). It establishes an unprecedented  duty to all “for profit” Brazilian Internet players who run a site or service to keep private information of their users for 6 months, regardless of any consideration about their users’ consent.
Even if the Bill mention protection measures for the data owners, it is clear that the simple fact of the existence of the mandatory personal data register is, ‘per se’, a danger that users cannot avoid since their free consent would be not taken into account. Moreover, the lack of a general framework for personal data protection makes the whole environment at least very prone to the misuse of personal information.
The Brazilian Institute for Consumer Rights (Idec) created an online petition [pt] asking for “neutrality, privacy and freedom of expression in Marco Civil”. The platform allows sending letters to the Members of Parliament.

author: Sara Moreira


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Assessing Myanmar’s Democratic Transition · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tomás Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, concluded his mission by assessing the country's democratic transition:
For the time being, the military retains a prevailing role in the life and institutions of Myanmar.  State institutions in general remain unaccountable and the judiciary is not yet functioning as an independent branch of Government.  Moreover, the rule of law cannot yet be said to exist in Myanmar.
He also talked aboout the challenges facing the media sector:
I met journalists who described a prevailing climate of uncertainty and fear of arrest, particularly if reporting dealt with issues too close to the interests of the military or other powerful elites.


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China: A Survey of City Pollution · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Greenpeace has released its 2013 survey on air pollution in China. Dan Harris suggested foreign corporates should consider the index before picking their offices’ locations. The summary of the Greenpeace report in English can be found in China Hush.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Protest to Call for Respect for Sex Workers · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Female students from Wuhan University in Hubei province demonstrated on Valentine's Day, calling for respect for sex workers in China. Beijing Cream has the story.


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Empty Office Buildings in Trinidad’s Capital  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The huge potential supply of State-built, unfinished office buildings in our capital is the ‘Elephant in the Room‘.
Afra Raymond confronts it in an effort to address “the viability of the long-term and large-scale investments which have been made in Port-of-Spain by private and public capital.”


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Follow the Escalation of Ukraine’s #Euromaidan Protests Live · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

This post is part of our Special Coverage Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests.
Protests in Ukraine escalated to a deadly stand-off between hundreds of thousands of citizens and government forces in the evening of February 18. Roads to the city were blocked by authorities, and the metro in Kyiv were stopped. The main opposition TV channel reported being taken off air. Fierce clashes between police and protesters around the main square continued through the night. On February 19, the Kyiv Post reported that at least 25 people are dead and more than 1,000 are injured.
In the morning of February 18, 2014, Ukraine's opposition tried to register a bill in Parliament to bring back the old version of the country's Constitution, one that significantly limits presidential powers. The move was backed by the nearly three-months-old Euromaidan movement, which has been protesting daily in several cities throughout Ukraine demanding that the government of President Viktor Yanukovych step down.
Ahead of the session, the protesters marched to the Parliament building. When the speaker of the parliament refused to register the bill, clashes broke out between the people and the police. MPs who support President Yanukovych had left the building, while the president himself was nowhere to be found. Police and special forces then stormed Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independance Square), the protesters’ stronghold.
President Yanukovych has made a statement blaming the opposition for the violence and police crackdown. Overnight negotiations between the protesters and the government failed and protesters once again reclaimed Independence Square in Kyiv on February 19.
A screenshot from Maidan Nezalezhnosti [Independance Square] in central Kyiv, Ukraine. Feb. 19, 2014
EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso released a video statement regarding the latest developments in Ukraine and also tweeted:
Following developments in #Ukraine w/ shock & utter dismay. We expect targeted measures agreed by our #EU MS urgently http://t.co/nsy4JsSKhA
— José Manuel Barroso (@BarrosoEU) February 19, 2014
Citizens and independent media still turning to Internet tools to cover what is happening on the ground and get the news of the atrocities happening in Ukraine to the rest of the world. Live streams of the clashes and protests from Kyiv are available on several online channels:
RFE/RL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObBHW8XQvUQ
Espreso-TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y_LFrMcoEm4
SpilnoTV: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/16555296
HromadskeTV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dh3_1L9XO60
UkrStreamTV: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/16573315, http://www.ustream.tv/channel/17251372
Twitter is also a popular online venue for following updates directly from Kyiv. Global Voices has compiled a list of some of the Twitter accounts with English-language coverage of current events in Ukraine:
https://twitter.com/zeitonline/lists/ukraine
https://twitter.com/ckaratnytsky/lists/ukraine
https://twitter.com/juliacreinhart/lists/ukraine-russia
https://twitter.com/zeynep/lists/ukraine
https://twitter.com/rm867/lists/ukraine-euromaidan
Euromaidan volunteer translators are busier than ever, translating as many updates from the scene of the protests. The most popular blog and Facebook page is that of Maidan Translations:
http://maidantranslations.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EuroMaydanTranslations
Updates from the organizers of the protests, dubbed Euromaidan headquarters, can be followed on their Facebook account in English:
https://www.facebook.com/euromaidanpr

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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Hong Kong Protesters Target Shopping Mainland Chinese Tourists  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

An anti-mainland Chinese protest in Tsim Sha Tsui in February 2014. Photo from United Social Press by Nathan Tsui.
[The author of this post is a volunteer editor for news site inmediahk.net, which is quoted in this report.]
A protest against mainland Chinese tourists took place in the most crowded shopping district in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong on February 17, 2014, with about a hundred protesters yelling at mainland Chinese tourists and calling them “locusts”.
The total number of tourists in Hong Kong in 2012 reached 48 million, with 72 percent coming from mainland China and most of them under the “individual visit scheme“. It has been estimated that the number of tourists would rise to more than 54 million visits in 2013, with 75 percent coming from mainland China and 67 percent under the “individual visit scheme”, half of which were coming from Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Though the huge number of tourists has contributed to Hong Kong's economic growth, it has generated a number of social problems. In addition to the seemingly always overcrowded shopping districts, hopping the border to shop for daily necessities has led to the shortage of goods such as  infant milk powder and medicines. Shops that serve local communities’ needs have been turning into luxury good shops for mainland Chinese nouveau riche or pharmacies that sell infant milk powder and medicines for professional cross-border carriers.
However, as the “anti-locust” action targeted individual tourists rather than policymakers, only about a hundred joined the protest and it ended up in a confrontation with pro-government anti anti-locust protesters. The next day, a number of key government officials criticized the act as “barbaric”.
Indeed, many people disagreed with the action. For example, blogger “Montwithin” found the protesters, who claimed that they were “localists”, unreasonable:
今天的「本土」經常口中念念有詞要「反共」[…]，但從來不敢去挑戰共產黨的軍政機關[…]，對共產黨政權的極權、壓制自由和人權沒有半點批評，反而喜歡攻擊在「中港矛盾」上立場跟他們不一樣的香港人，説穿了祇不過是黨同伐異而已。到現在更變本加厲去騷擾沒有任何反抗能力的遊客，就跟義和拳一樣，是欺善怕惡。
如果要說遊客太多社會不勝負荷，那控訴的對象就應該是政府，問它爲什麽不採取任何措施減少這個問題。
The so-called “localists” in Hong Kong today claimed that they are against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) […] yet they seldom challenge the Chinese communist institutions and criticize the human rights violations and authoritative nature of the CCP regime. Instead, they like to attack those Hong Kong people who don't share their views when it comes to the “Hong Kong and China conflict”. They cannot agree to disagree. Now, they even harass tourists who can't fight back. They act like the Boxer Rioters [in Qing Dynasty] by choosing the weak to attack.
Even if society has been overwhelmed by the huge number of tourists, they should direct their anger at the government and demand policy changes.
But Lam Shui-Bun pointed out that the “barbaric act” is a reaction to the government's refusal to address the problem:
梁振英政府一直對大力發展旅遊業所帶來社會問題視而不見，導致族群衝突的炸彈爆發，有市民竟然要直接向內地旅客表達不滿。因此，香港政府才是族群衝突的始作俑者，是香港的可悲。
不論香港政府如何企圖增加旅遊景點，其實旺角、尖沙咀、銅鑼灣等熱門遊客區也是旅客必到之處，不能夠無限量增加旅客數目。旅客為香港帶來的擠迫，以及社會資源分配問題，香港人每日也感受得到。大力發展旅遊產業，所帶來的資本摧毀了本土特色的小店文化，更帶動了租金和物價上漲，香港人每日也感受得到。旅遊業所帶來的大部份經濟收益，通通流到大財團和資本家的口袋裡，普羅市民根本沒有明顯的得益，香港人每日也感受到。試問香港人又怎會不憤怒呢？
Leung Chun-ying's government had been playing dumb in regard to the problems brought by tourism and the explosion of cross-border social conflicts. [Instead of demanding the government to address the problem], people expressed their anger directly at the tourists. The Hong Kong government should be responsible for such conflict. The incident also reflected the pathetic situation in Hong Kong.
The government wanted to solve the problem by investing in more touristic spots, but the existing shopping districts in Mongkok, Tsim Sha Shui and Causeway Bay are still the “must visit” sites. These districts can no longer take in more tourists. Moreover, the city is overcrowded with tourists and people can feel the uneven distribution of social resources. The capital investing in the tourist sector has killed local shops and pushed up rent and inflation. The economic benefits are in the pockets of big corporations and capitalists, and ordinary Hong Kong people have gained very little. How can they not get angry?
Jonathan Chan, on the other hand, criticized the protesters for ruining the campaign:
一次絕劣的政治行動，又將本來努力構建的理論正當性被推翻了。[…] 這次「驅蝗遊行」另一個秀逗的地方，是參與者口叫「反殖民」，卻舉著港英旗。[…] 不但會含糊了反對自由行的目標，而且「政治不正確」，給建制派扣「港英餘孽」帽子的籍口。
A extremely poor political action has ruined all the justifiable reasons [for policy changes]. A highly funny scene is that the protesters chanted an “anti-colonialism” slogan during the “anti-locust” rally while holding the British colonial flag […] An action like that has distorted the objective of bringing change to the “individual visit scheme”, and it also has provided an opportunity for the pro-government political forces to label them as “colonial leftover subjects” because of the flag's “political incorrectness”.
Judging from the reaction on popular microblogging site Sina Weibo as translated by Mitch Blatt from China Hush, the British flag did generate public opinion in mainland China that may justify the Beijing government's policy in Hong Kong:
洋羽君在倭国：Haha, raising the British colonial flag to oppose colonialism, this wave of Hong Kong people is really cool. Except for yelling the slogans “Chinaman,” “locusts,” and “independence,” what other tricks do you have? Would singing a big imperial country’s national song make you feel strong? God Save the Queer, Oh, no, I mean Queen.
深情拥浮云：Raising the Union Jack to oppose imperialism. That’s a really good joke.
nbcherry：What do they mean by waving the British era flag? Being a dog for your compatriots isn’t as good as being a British running dog?
渣熊josh：I think British people are laughing until they cry.
XDH-谢: Really funny! If all the people holding up the Union Jack could go to England, then Hong Kong wouldn’t feel so crowded!


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Indie Music from Puerto Rico is Rocking the World  · Global Voices
Puerto Rico Indie

Image “Mapa Glitch” courtesy of Puerto Rico Indie
[All links lead to Spanish language pages.]
They say that when times get rough, the music gets better, so today we're bringing you good news for your ears, hips, and feet. While 2014 may well be a year of great challenges for Puerto Ricans, the country's independent music scene shines with an energy and excitement that are not only tangible, but contagious.
In the same week that one of our most beloved veteran musicians succeeded in raising thousands of dollars via crowdfunding for the production of his new album, another is hanging out with the Shakiras and Enrique Iglesiases of the world on the iTunes Store best-seller lists. But that's not all: La Macha Colón will travel to Sweden to play with Los Okapi; vinyls of Macabeo‘s albums are being released in Spain and Germany; and the lineup for Austin Psych Fest includes Fantasmes among the best groups in the genre. The good news just keeps coming, and Moody's doesn't suspect a thing.
Years of growth – slow but continuous, against wind and sea – have resulted in this fertile period for the indie music scene, marked by constant record releases and weekends packed with events. The truth is that in the five years that I've been writing about our artists, it hadn't occurred to me to write an article like this before, if it even would have been possible. But the volume and quality of work you'll hear in 2014 deserve it. The world is already listening to us. It's time to spread the word in Puerto Rico.
AJ Dávila – Terror Amor
February 18th
AJ Dávila, bassist and main composer of Dávila 666, is back with a masterpiece of pop sucio, full of attitude, energy, and catchy choruses. His album features an impressive list of guest artists, from Fofe Abreu (Circo, Fofe y Los Fetiches) to Alex Anwandter of Chile and our favorite Cadillac, Sergio Rotman (Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, El Siempreterno).
Terror Amor will be released on February 18th by Nacional Records, one of the most influential Latin music labels in the United States. Judging by the critical response to the album, AJ can expect a year full of success – and increased attention to the independent music coming out of our country.
Campo-Formio – Here comes… Campo-Formio!
March 15th
After releasing four EPs on their own label, Dead Mofongo Records, this impressive trio of musicians polishes their sound to perfection with their eagerly anticipated debut album. On Here comes… Campo-Formio!, the group shows off their encyclopediac knowledge of the history of rock, expertly blending an infinite spectrum of musical influences from Puerto Rican punk to surf, prog, and post-punk in the same song.
Campo-Formio also stands out by virtue of the attention to detail that goes into their releases, this time producing a colored double vinyl limited edition. One might call it overkill for Puerto Rico to offer another new jewel of Ibero-American rock, less than a month after Terror Amor – but I would call us all very lucky.
Alegría Rampante
Summer 2014
Charasmatic singer-songwriter and performer Eduardo Alegria threw himself into the challenge of creating a new musical identity after the breakup of his former group, Superaquello, one of the most influential and important bands in the history of Puerto Rican rock. The result, Alegría Rampante, debuted in 2011 and took form before our eyes on the stage of La Respuesta via the ambitious and magical conceptual concert series “desde el Hotel Puercoespín.”
The group has been releasing various singles online in past years, but only now are they preparing to complete their debut album, produced with Nicolás Linares at Little Big Audio. To help achieve their goals, Los Rampantes launched a crowdfunding campaign that will serve as a pre-sale for the album.
This post is written by Redod, an entrepreneur, writer, producer and designer based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the founder and editor in chief of Puerto Rico Indie.
Check out the rest of the year's most-anticipated releases at Puerto Rico Indie.

author: Puerto Rico Indie


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Toilets Should Not Be Emptied by Humans Say Indian Sanitation Laws · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Manual scavenging is illegal in India but the practice continues to exist. This lady in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh is carrying human waste for disposal. Image courtesy UNICEF India
Manual scavenging, or the manual removal of human waste from non-flush toilets, continues to exist in pockets of India despite the Indian government's stringent laws against it [pdf]. A team of bloggers, including a member of Global Voices, visited a few villages in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India and learned more about this continuing illegal and dehumanizing practice.
The Indian government in partnership with UNICEF India has been actively pushing an ambitious, community-led total sanitation program – the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA), which aims to end open defecation by 2017. An earlier Global Voices post reported how UNICEF India's #poo2loo campaign has been using innovative methods to engage the urban populace and create awareness about the issue of open defecation.
However, apart from influencing cultural norms to end open defecation and building of toilet infrastructure across the country, the NBA program also deals with hygienic methods of solid and liquid waste disposal. And it is in this context that the blogger team learned how traditional “dry toilets” were unhygienic. Plus, given that these areas lacked proper sewage system for waste disposal, these toilets encouraged the illegal waste disposal method – manual scavenging.
A dry toilet in a village of Uttar Pradesh, India, that needs manual scavengers to clean. Image by Aparna Ray.
The district panchayat officer of Moradabad district in Uttar Pradesh India explained why, according to him, dry toilets (toilets without a flush or wash-away system) were worse than open defecation. He pointed out that open defecation in villages generally took place in open fields and wooded areas away from human habitation, but in traditional dry toilets the waste lay open within the confines of the home, spreading diseases faster within the community (as the waste attracts flies, which then sit on foodstuffs, etc.).
In fact, this was one of the reasons that many families preferred not to have a toilet within the house. Plus, these kinds of dry toilets also require manual scavengers for waste disposal, a job that is “without dignity and illegal”.
Mayank Jain from Youth Ki Awaaz was one of the bloggers on the field visit. He wrote about his experiences:
dry toilet is probably the gravest thing I have encountered in my life. Those who feel shy or don’t want to go out choose this means where they leave their fecal waste in one corner of the house and in the morning, a human scavenger comes to clean it and carries the whole waste on their head to dump it anywhere away from their home. This is done in return for a sum of just 30 rupees for 6 months! This is an inhuman crime being carried out all over the villages and it is a massive source of diseases and health issues. People don’t realize how unhygienic it is to live with their own waste in the house and those who carry on their heads find themselves perpetually ill with diarrhea or poisoning and they still choose to do it for that extra money
Mayank further commented:
The story gets worse once you talk to them about their children and you discover this profession gives birth to huge discrimination and people don’t dare touch them or talk to them nicely because of what they do in the morning. Story of human scavengers brings to light the vicious cycle of poverty and misery but the web is intermingled with shades of caste-ism, religious sentiments, traditions and cultural hierarchies that have grown to this level now.
It is a crime as per Indian law and the women who do it ran away when we tried to talk to them thinking they will be caught or punished and I could only wonder where this country has reached so far.
Three scavenger women in a village of Uttar Pradesh, India, huddled together, a little away from the rest of the villagers. Image by Aparna Ray
Bloggers Ajay Kapoor from Halabol and Sonal Kapoor from the NGO Protsahan have also blogged and tweeted about what they learned from these manual scavenging women, whom they met on the field trip.
Ajay blogged:
Scavengers from a village. No dignity, no respect and worst of all they get pennies for this humiliating work and some stale food.
And Sonal (@ArtForCause) tweeted:
Today visited areas in UP where Manual Scavenging still exists. There are about 340,000 people who work as manual scavengers in India.
— Sonal Kapoor (@ArtForCause) December 14, 2013
Manual scavenging is not just about money/some short-term relief measures. It is a deep-rooted problem with social and attitudinal aspects.
— Sonal Kapoor (@ArtForCause) December 14, 2013
For women I met today at Moradabad: 1st preference: Manual Scavenging, 2nd preference: Prostitution. They picked the 1st, for 2 rotis/day.
— Sonal Kapoor (@ArtForCause) December 14, 2013
The women complained that they were ill much of the time but when it was pointed out that it was because of the work they did, they said that they could see no other viable and respectable alternative open to them.
The Indian government, along with organizations such as Sulabh International which are working in the field of sanitation are pushing for societal change a) by trying to get people to convert their traditional dry toilets to a more hygienic option that does away with the need for daily scavenging and b) trying to create alternative livelihoods for these scavengers.
Conversion of traditional dry toilets
The government along with its sanitation partners is pushing for conversion of these unhygienic dry toilets into flush toilets. However, keeping in mind the lack of proper sewerage systems as well as the impracticality of advocating expensive flush systems, especially in poorer or rural areas, they are opting for technologies such as the self-composting, twin-pit pour flush system.
A dry toilet being converted into a twin-pit pour flush system. Images courtesy UNICEF India
This toilet technology involves building a toilet which is connected to two pits, any one of which is used at a time. Water-flushed waste collects in a pit and when it is filled, the other one is used. The waste gets converted into compost, which can then be used as manure.
Other innovative, alternative sanitation systems are also being explored across India, for example,this ecosan squat toilet system, supported by UNICEF.
A more contemporary format of a waterless flush system was also recently exhibited in India.
Rehabilitating manual scavengers
As more toilets get converted and as opportunities are created for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers by providing them alternative livelihoods, there is cause for hope, though a lot still remains to be done in this area. Be it through the government sponsored “100 days guaranteed work” scheme or self-employment schemes or even NGO-led training and employment generating initiatives, we hope that the manual scavenging community will get reinstated in the mainstream society and be able to live with dignity and dream of a better future for themselves as well as their children.
In this YouTube video, Sulabh International's Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak talks about his organization's initiatives in this direction, saying that the resulting glimmer of change is a “candle in the darkness, a beginning of the beginning”.
In the next post in the series, we will look at how some brave “toilet warriors” are working within their communities to bring about change in attitudes to scavenging, sanitation and hygiene.