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Mauritania: Using Twitter to Mock the President · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

On August 6, Mauritanian President General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz appeared [ar] on national television. During that televised appearance, police assaulted [ar] a journalist while he was covering the arrest [ar] of, and the aggression towards a guest who called upon the General to leave. Mauritanian Twitter users followed the events in real time, and reacted via the hash tag #مسرحية _الجنرال [ar] (The General's Play).
All this took place during a live transmitted and long TV show under the title “Encounter with the People.” The televised appearance [of the President] coincided with the anniversary of the 2008 coup d'état, which led to the overthrow of Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, Mauritania's first civil and elected President.
The President was insulting the opposition, and accused it of serving the interests of foreign parties. He also ridiculed the opposition's demand which called upon the regime to leave. The Movement of Mauritanian Youth [ar] staged several protests against the televised appearance of the General, and called for the fall of his regime. Dozens of I.R.A.[Abolitionist movement in Mauritania] activists staged a protest [ar] in front of the Justice Ministry building, and the Mauritanian Radio headquarters in protest against the President's slavery declarations during the TV show. They considered his statements as a denial of slavery in public, while standing by the side of slave owners in private.
Mauritanian President, photo published by alkachiv blog
Activist Abdel Fetah Habib mocked the President's low education level:
@afetah لم يتكلم عن إنشاء جامعات عليمة بل يفهم فقط في التكوين المهني. هذا مستواه #مسرحية _الجنرال
Activist Baba Ould Deye echoed similar sentiments. He tweeted about the General's failure to obtain even the lowest educational qualifications:
@babadeye العالم الليلة يتابع حدث نزول مسبار كيوريوسيتي علي #المريخ،ونحن نتابع #مسرحية _الجنرال الذي لا يمتلك شهادة ثانوية #Curiositylands #موريتانيا
Writer and blogger Abu Abbass Braham mentioned the General's history:
@abbassbraham مازال الذكي يتهم المعارضة بالانتماء للنظام السابق، رغم أنه كان حارسه مدة عشرين عاما.
Sidi Ettaieb Ould Mojteba commented on the President's lies:
@mojteba الجنرال يتحدى كل من يقول أن في موريتانيا يوجد بها قمع، ويبدو أنه نسي قضية المشظوفي الذي قتل بدم بارد
Khalil Ould Jdoud, Al-Arabiya correpondent, commented on the same thing:
@KHjdoud مسكين مسيلمة وجدنا من يزايد عليه في الكذب، يستحق العريف دخول الموسوعة العالمية وأن تضرب به العرب المثل
Ahmed Ould Ennahoui mentioned a caller who accused the General of lying:
@nahmedou متصل رائع كذب الجنرال #مسرحية _الجنرال #موريتانيا
Mejdi Ahmad expressed his lack of interest towards the General's televised appearance:
@mejdmr علي العموم أنا لم اتابع #مسرحية_الجنرال ولا أبحث عن إعادتها إطلاقا !!
Mohammed Abdou inquired about the destiny of the young man arrested at the TV studio:
@medabdou شباب هل لديكم خبر حول المعتقلين في #مسرحية_الجنرال البارحة ؟ ماهي أخبارهم هل أطلق سراحهم؟ #موريتانيا
Activist Bab Ould Hourma pocked fun at the TV host:
@bHourma اللحظة التاريخية يا منت اليلي لم تحن بعد.. يوم تحين تلك اللحظة ستهربين كما فعلت هالة المصراتي!!
Journalist Yacoub Ould Mohamed Salem also commented on the TV host's lies:
@YacoubBHD أحدهم اتصل عبر الهاتف.. بدأ ينتقد انقطع الاتصال فاعتذر المقدم لأن المتدخل اختار قطع الاتصال بنفسه #مسرحية_الجنرال #موريتانيا

author: أحمد جدو


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Mexican Constitution Translated into Indigenous Languages · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Ileana Fernández from Vivir México [es] reports that the Mexican Constitution was translated into Mayan and other indigenous languages.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Silvia Viñas


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Puerto Rico: Digital “No” Campaign Takes Off · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The campaign in favour of voting “no” to the limitation on the right of bail in Puerto Rico's coming referendum on August 19 has taken off on the Internet. The feminist blog Mujeres en Puerto Rico [es] (“Women in Puerto Rico”) and the Facebook page No es lo mismo [es] (“It's not the same”) are offering essential information on the implications of limiting the right to bail, which would require the amendment of Puerto Rico's Constitution. In these upcoming elections there will also be a vote for or against reducing the number of legislators, which would also require a constitutional amendment.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Russia: Ugly Side of Olympic Nationalism · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Russia came away from the 2012 Summer Olympics with 24 gold medals, a slightly higher count than what it ended up with in Beijing four years ago. But, during the first few days it was touch and go. There were only three gold medalists, all of them judo wrestlers. All three also happened to be Russians of South or North Caucasus heritage. This predictably caused an immediate outpouring of hate from Russian nationalists. Here is a particularly odious gem [ru]:
Честно говоря, мне, как чистокровному русскому и патриоту России неприятно смотреть на этот позор. Лучше уж никаких медалей, чем такие Чемпионы, которые еле говорят по русски […]
There is also a hunt for reasons “other” than talent, training and hard work, which can explain the success of the sportsmen.
Nationalist ideologue Konstantin Krylov writes [ru]:
Тут люди удивляются – как же это так происходит, что всё золото для России добыли кавказцы. […] А всё просто, даже совсем простенько. В кавказскую борцуху вкладываются НЕМЕРЯНЫЕ деньги. Любогом мускулистого зверька облизывают и осыпают деньгами, его самого и его семью.
Meanwhile, according to Krylov, ethnic Russians don’t get a as much funding.
If it’s not money, it’s something else. There is an article by a Russian wrestling coach [ru] making the rounds on LiveJournal which alleges that wrestlers from the North Caucasus use fake passports to lower their age, win junior competitions, all to easier move into national teams. This is why men from the Caucasus are over-represented in the Russian Olympic team, claims [ru] nationalist blogger Egor Prosvirin.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union some Russians have struggled with the tension between civic and ethnic Russian identity. In this case, the nationalist reaction is exacerbated by the fact that many of the men and women who win medals for former Soviet republics like Kazakhstan, are ethnic Russians.
This has prompted an online poll [ru], comparing an ethnic Armenian competing for Russia and an ethic Russian competing for Kazakhstan. The poll asks a simple question: “What do you view as a victory? The gold medal of Russian Federation citizen Arsen Galstyan? Or the gold medal of ethnic Russian Aleksandr Vinokurov?” Over eighteen thousand people have voted so far, and the results are 80% in Vinokurov’s favor. Coincidentally, ethnic Russians make up around 80% of Russia’s population.
There is, of course, plenty of other ethnic tension in Russia. Recently a Dagestani wrestler and mixed martial arts champion Rasul Mirzaev, punched a Russian man in a night club. The man fell down, hit his head, and later died in the hospital. Mirzaev is currently on trial for manslaughter. Nationalists have used the case in their usual “Russians are being killed by [insert ethnicity]” way.
Russia's Olympic medalists and MMA fighter Rasul Mirzoev in his prison cell. Collage appearing in LiveJournal blog jurialhaz.livejournal.com. Screenshot, Aug 14, 2012
The reaction may only get worse, now that it looks that Mirzaev is likely to get away with two years of parole [ru]. After all, there are already signs of tying his case [ru] to the Olympic medalists:
[…] поражает изменение отношения к делу Мирзаева со стороны государства после получения олимпийского золота бойцами с Кавказа – теперь ему на 2 года просто запретят ходить по ночным клубам и убивать людей […]

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Video: What Egypt, Congo, Uganda and Colombia Have in Common · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The search for justice in the wake of conflict is what Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Colombia have in common. The Case for Justice is a series of videos debating on the relevance of  what is known as transitional justice, a set of systems that is put into place to allow for accountability in the wake of massive human rights violations.
From the International Center for Transitional Justice site:
The complexity of this debate is best illustrated by the different myths that abound within it. Some contend transitional justice is “soft justice,” an alternative to pursuing criminal justice in the wake of mass atrocities or repression; others equate it solely with criminal trials, fully focused on perpetrators. Some view it as a key obstacle to reaching successful peace agreements; others regard it as a kind of a magic wand, a quick cure for the scars of war and abuse.
The Case for Justice video lands on these different views of transitional justice through the recent history from Egypt, Uganda, Colombia and the DRC:
The following video explains the reasons behind transitional justice and how it can help to give a community a voice and provide those who suffered human rights violations not only public recognition as victims, but also give them the chance to recognize in themselves the right to pursue justice and to be treated as equal citizens with equal rights.
However, transitional justice is no magic wand: it is not capable of solving all the problems. Even with a truth commission, even with trials against dictators who committed heinous crimes against humanity, even with systems in place to redress victims: sometimes it takes decades or generations before justice can be served, and not all will get to see it. But the fact that it isn't magical or immediate should not detract from the fact that it has helped people who are seeing justice and restitution for the damage suffered through war, natural disasters or conflict.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in what has been called the Third World War due to the great number of victims, a process is being established to recognize the massive human right violations and systematized rapes by a mixed tribunal with Congolese and international judges as a way to give the victims a voice and hopefully change the trend where impunity has made certain segments of society believe that rape is a normal part of society.
More in-depth video interviews and explanations on Transitional Justice can be found on the ICTJ website for The Case for Justice.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Côte d’Ivoire: Armed Men attack Army Positions in Abidjan, Dabou and at the Liberian Border · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Bernard Assandé narrates the latest attack [fr]  on the Force Républicaine de la Côte d'Ivoire (FRCI, the national army of Côte d'Ivoire) in Dabou on August 15. The army regained control of the city after a night of confrontation.  On August 6, 7 people were killed in Abidjan [fr] after similar attacks. Fighting were also reported on August 13 in the Pehkan Military Barracks close to the Liberian Border.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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DR of Congo: Congolese Star Koffi Olomidé Indicted for Assault and Battery  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Congolese renown rhumba singer Koffi Olomidé was indicted for assault and battery [fr] on his producer in Kinshasa. His trial begun on wednesday. Olomidé was previously charged with rape and sequestration in february in Paris.


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Ecuador Grants Political Asylum to WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

#AsiloAssange (Assange Asylum) is a local Trending Topic on Twitter in Ecuador as netizens from all over the world react to Ecuador's decision to grant asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. “Gracias a Ecuador” (“Thank you Ecuador”), the words tweeted by an unofficial Julian Assange account (@JulianAssange_), is a worldwide Trending Topic.


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Ecuador Grants WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Asylum · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

After much anticipation, Ecuador announced it will grant political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño made the announcement at 7am local time in Ecuador, 1pm London time, on August 16, 2012. As Justice for Assange explains:
Assange is currently under the protection of the Ecuadorean embassy. He has requested asylum based on a well-founded fear of persecution, torture or death in the United States in connection with the publication of truthful information of matters of interest to the public through his work with WikiLeaks.
Citizen journalist James Albury (@alburyj) has been live-streaming from outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
The Twitter account for Justice for Assange (@swedenvsassange) wrote:
@swedenvsassange: A Latin American country of 13 million people has taken a decision to protect the right to know of the entire world's population. #assange
Press stand opposite the Ecuadoran Embassy in London on August 16, 2012. Photo by See Li, copyright Demotix.
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (@foreignoffice) reacted immediately to the announcement:
@foreignoffice: We are disappointed by the statement from Ecuador’s Foreign Minister that #Ecuador has offered political asylum to Julian#Assange.
@foreignoffice: Under our law, with Mr Assange having exhausted all options of appeal UK authorities are under binding obligation to extradite him to Sweden
@foreignoffice: We shall carry out that obligation. The Ecuadorian Government's decision this afternoon does not change that. #Assange
@foreignoffice: We remain committed to a negotiated solution that allows us to carry out our obligations under the Extradition Act.#Assange
In response to these tweets, WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) wrote:
@wikileaks: Which is of course just spin. The UK is under a binding obligation to recognize asylum, the rights of refugees and its other UN agreements.
Netizens from Ecuador and all over the world have been discussing the matter since yesterday, August 15, when Ecuador received a letter from the UK. Patiño said on Wednesday, as reported by the BBC: “Today we received from the United Kingdom an express threat, in writing, that they might storm our embassy in London if we don't hand over Julian Assange.” WikiLeaks released a statement on this threat, pointing out that:
Any transgression against the sanctity of the embassy is a unilateral and shameful act, and a violation of the Vienna Convention, which protects embassies worldwide.
After news broke of this letter, Jacob Appelbaum (@ioerror) urged people in London to support Assange:
@ioerror: Are you in London? Go to the Ecuadorian embassy to support Julian Assange,#wikileaks and the right of asylum seekers everywhere!
Meanwhile, human rights and foreign policy writer and analyst Josh Shahryar (@JShahryar) tweeted:
@JShahryar: Not a Julian #Assange fan, but the British threats to storm the Ecuadoran Embassy in London is shameful and disgusting beyond words.
A policeman asks the man to move further away from the Ecuadoran Embassy on August 16, 2012. Photo by See Li, copyright Demotix
After Ecuador announced it would grant asylum to Assange, user @robertito1991 [es] from Guayaquil, Ecuador, wrote:
@robertito1991: Ecuador es el país mas famoso del mundo x darle una cucharada de su propia medicina a USA y a UK #AsiloAssange @LegionJJ @anonopshispano
But not all Ecuadorians are happy with the news, and some recalled President Rafael Correa's tumultuous relationship with the media, like @GiannyMoc [es] and Fer Cascante (@FerCascante) [es]:
@FerCascante: Por Dios en que pais vivimos dan #AsiloAssange y no se respeta la libertad de prensa, que contradiccion!
Others, like Elías Suárez (@Slashzer) [es], are suspicious:
@Slashzer: Algo quiere Correa que Assange tiene, no lo duden.
Yet others are celebrating and congratulating the Ecuadorian government, like David Jimenez Abad (@DavidJimenezA93) [es], from Cuenca, Ecuador:
@DavidJimenezA93: Bien por Ecuador al otorgar #AsiloAssange y no ceder a presiones internacionales
As security researcher Dillan Beresford (@d1n) points out, this case is not over:
@d1n: It's not over yet. Political asylum *should* but does not guarantee Julian Assange safe passage into Ecuador.
The Guardian‘s live coverage recently reported that “Sweden has summoned Ecuador's ambassador to Stockholm, calling the granting of asylum to Assange ‘unacceptable.'”


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Ecuador: WikiLeaks Releases “Statement on UK Threat to Storm Ecuadorian Embassy” · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

WikiLeaks has released a “Statement on UK Threat to Storm Ecuadorian Embassy and Arrest Julian Assange.” The statement reads: “In a communication this morning to the government of Ecuador, the UK threatened to forcefully enter the Ecuadorian embassy in London and arrest Julian Assange. […] This threat is designed to preempt Ecuador’s imminent decision on whether it will grant Julian Assange political asylum, and to bully Ecuador into a decision that is agreeable to the United Kingdom and its allies.” James Albury has been live-streaming from outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.


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Greece: August 15 Celebration Overshadowed by Brutal Athens Murders · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

On August 15, 2012, as user @northaura points out: “Greece celebrates the Assumption of Mary, one of the biggest Greek orthodox days”, yet “2 people are found murdered thrown in a dustbin”. Journalist and human rights activist @NikoAgo had earlier tweeted [el] about the discovery of two murdered people in an Athens neighbourhood, probably of Polish or Romanian origin [el]. One of them was found inside a dustbin [el] tied up with wire.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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Iran: Disparity between conservative opinion blogs  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A report in Storify shows the disparity between conservative bloggers in Iran, from Ramadan to murder of Muslims in Myanmar.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Mourning for earthquake’s victims · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A video film was posted in You Tube where a series of earthquakes’ photos are exposed and people are invited to stop all activities in all places including economic, educational and trade centers on Thursday, 16th of August.Two earthquakes hit the northwest region in Iran, East Azarbaijan province on Saturday, at least killing 250 people.


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Pakistan: Attack on Military Base in Kamra · Global Voices
Salman Latif

In the early hours of August 16, 2012, gunmen launched an attack on Minhas, a high value air force base located in Kamra, near the capital Islamabad in Pakistan. After a fierce battle that lasted five hours, Pakistan's military was able to regain control of the base.
The attack
At 2 am several militants wearing military uniforms and suicide belts stormed the base and reportedly hurled grenades and used RPGs, one of which damaged a plane. The operation by the Pakistani army pinned the terrorists to a corner of the facility, where nine attackers were killed. Later a search operation was launched in the area to apprehended any other possible suspects. The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) confirmed that one soldier was killed and the base commander who was leading the counter-attack was injured.
Tehreek-i-Taliban claim responsibility
Within hours of the attack, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella organization of multiple Islamist militant organizations accepted responsibility for the attack, stating that it was to avenge the killings of Baitullah Mehsud and Osama bin Laden.
In the recent past, Pakistan army has contemplated initiating an operation in the North Waziristan region, which is considered a stronghold of Taliban in Pakistan. Pakistan army's chief, General Kiyani, in a recent statement said that this war was our own and that ending the scourge of terrorism and militancy was absolutely essential for the country.
As if in response to the planned North Waziristan assault, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), launched this attack on Pakistan Air Force's Minhas base. The base in Kamra is considered one of the most significant and important facilities of PAF, particularly because it hosts a number of jets and a nearly Aeronautical Complex is the manufacturing site of these jets.
Faizan Lakhani tweeted:
Two days before #KamraAttack USA claimed that Pakistan will soon launch operation against militants in North Waziristan. Possible reaction?
TV channels started reporting on the attack instantly and social media was abuzz with the news and updates were actively shared.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) assembles the first Pakistani-built JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft in Kamra Airbase. Image by Sajjad Ali Qureshi. Copyright Demotix (29/6/2009)
Madeeha Syed reported:
“#Kamra Airbase (also known as Minhas Airbase after Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed) is currently under attack #Attock #Punjab #Pakistan.”
Karachi Post hinted at why the Minhas Air Base is a critically important facility:
“Base is home to Pakistan's most prized aviation asset the Saab 2000, which costs $300 Million dollars each, #PAF has 4 Saab 2000 #Kamra.”
The bigger picture
Intel reports in the past had signalled that such an attack on the Air Base in Kamra was expected. While some tried to call it an intelligence failure, a number of reports until very recently suggested that intelligence agencies were well aware of the threat. It is precisely for this reason that security, it is reported, was on high alert in the base.
Usman Zafar said:
#KamraAttack: The assault had been anticipated by intel reports before. Tribune report on Aug 10 warned of attack on 16th: http://bit.ly/NijEST
A similar attack was launched last year on the PNS Mehran Base in Karachi, another high-value facility for the Pakistan military. The base incurred significant losses, both in term of human lives and destruction of planes and equipment. That time it took the military 17 hours to regain control. It was reported by Journalist Saleem Shahzad that the attack was made possible by inside help from PNS's own officials. Shahzad was later found murdered and his death was largely blamed on Pakistan's intelligence agencies. In that vein, Umar Cheema wrote:
#KamraAttack couldn't have been carried out without cooperation from people within security forces. Those think otherwise must wait!
In a letter to the editor of the Express Tribune titled ‘Kamra attack — so who is our real enemy?’, a retired Pakistani army officer writes:
The initiation of army operations in North Waziristan may not necessarily guarantee victory in the war on terror but the inability and unwillingness of the army to do this is surely a guarantee of failure/defeat. Destroying safe heavens in Fata is central to the military making any headway in the war on terror […] Attacks like the one on Kamra are only a reminder to the armed forces, the public and their elected representatives that this war is very much our own and we will not win it unless we don’t fight it.

author: Salman Latif


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Pakistan: Shia Target Killings Continue · Global Voices
Faisal Kapadia

On August 16, 2012, gunmen stopped a passenger bus in Mansehra, pulled 20 Shia Muslims off and killed them in cold blood. This is the third incident of targeted killing against the Shia community in Pakistan in the last 6 months.
The bus was en route to a popular tourist destination in the north of Pakistan Gilgit, from Rawalpindi, a city close to the capital Islamabad.
According to police official Shafiq Gul the gunmen were masked and the victims were pulled from three separate vehicles:
They stopped three vehicles, searched them and picked up people in three batches of five, six and nine and shot them dead. They were all Shias.
The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accepted responsibility for the attack.
In a similar incident on February 28, gunmen in military fatigues hauled 18 Shia Muslim men off buses travelling from Rawalpindi to Gilgit and killed them. On April 3, a Sunni Muslim mob dragged nine Shia Muslims from buses and also shot them dead in the town of Chilas.
The social media in Pakistan were quick to react. Activist Ali_Abbas_Zaidi was among the first to report this incident:
Activists of Majlis e Muslimeen Pakistan hold a protest against Shiite target killings in Gilgit & Quetta. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright Demotix (10/4/2012)
@Ali_Abbas_Zaidi: Passengers were (again) made to stand out of the buses, identified and shot. 18-20 reportedly killed #Gilgit – Most probably #ShiaGenocide
@Darveshh expressed  his horror that the incident took place in the Islamic month of Ramadan:
@Darveshh: 20 funerals. 20 families. It's 27th Ramzan. Three days into Eid. Think of each child, mother, father, sister and brother. #ShiaGenocide #Gilgit
More reactions:
@sheerazhaider: #ShiaKilling This is 4th time in 4 months,1st one kosistan,2nd chelas,3rd manwar gilgit,and last babusar naraan today.CJP Are You Awake?
@yaroun1: RT @moeidhaider: @AwkwardShia @Marwa_313 : almost everyday shias r being brutally killed in pakistan (quetta gilgit) & majority is silent & yes media as well
@zahaibnabeel: Strongly condemn targeted killing of 20 Shia Muslims in Gilgit. Need to spread Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)'s msg of peace & harmony among all.
@Aushpaz Imagine if the first target killing incident in #Pakistan was dealt with judiciously, we would not have been mourning #gilgit today!
@AnjumKiani: if u want to call it a  #ShiaGenocide then call It, If u want to term it as a  #SunniGenocide Do it. For me its a  #MuslimGenocide. #Gilgit
@javhb: RT @AnjumKiani: The 16 martyred in #Gilgit by Khawarji terrorist were neither 16 Sunni's or 16 Shia's, They were Pakistani Muslims. Full Stop!

author: Faisal Kapadia


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Peru: Amazon Officially Inaugurated as Nature’s Wonder · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.
On Monday, August 13, 2012, the city of Iquitos was the scene of colourful celebrations marking the Official Inauguration of the Amazon as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, promoted by the New7Wonders organization. On November 11, 2011, the organization announced the wonders of nature, as previously reported by Global Voices.
The celebrations were staged at the confluence of rivers Itaya and Nanay. Important Peruvian political figures were there, such as President Ollanta Humala and Peruvian Ministers of Foreign Trade, Environment and Culture. The Regional President of Loreto was also present.
Subsequently, Bernard Weber, President of the New7Wonders Foundation, unveiled a 120-kilo brass sheet at 28 de Julio Square, to perpetuate this acknowledgement.
This is what some bloggers had to say about the news.
Republishing an article from newspaper La República [es], the blog Chiclin [es] reports on what President Ollanta Humala said in the ceremony:
El presidente Ollanta Humala agradeció por el reconocimiento que recibió la Amazonía como una de las Siete Maravillas del Mundo Natural por parte de New Seven Wonders.
[…] “Lucharemos por la igualdad, por el desarrollo rural a través de las vías de comunicación y el medio ambiente. También trabajaremos a través de los proyectos sociales”, señaló.
President Ollanta Humala thanked the acknowledgement given to the Amazon as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World by New7Wonders.
[…] “We will fight for equity, for rural development through means of communication and environment. We will also work through social projects,” he pointed out.
Amazon, Peru. Photo by Matt Wootton (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
The blog Enlace regional [es], serving as a liaison between regional and local governments, shared the words of Yván Vásquez Valera, the Regional President of Loreto:
[…] el propósito de esta iniciativa es que “toda la región participe y se involucre en el certamen, será un día de fiesta”, anotó.”Las actividades se realizarán en las siete capitales de provincia, siendo Iquitos la sede central. Cada capital, de manera simultánea, va a desarrollar diversos certámenes y se van a movilizar estudiantes y la población en general”, manifestó.Refirió que se llevarán a cabo alegorías, homenajes, verbenas, concursos de canto y poesías dirigidos el Río Amazonas/Bosque Tropical.
Meanwhile, based on the note published by state news agency Andina [es], the blog Mejor hablar de ciertas cosas [es] reviewed Bernard Weber's words as he unveiled the brass sheet:
Weber afirmó que “estamos viviendo un momento histórico”. “Nunca antes en la historia de la humanidad ha sido posible tener un voto global, tener un consenso en todo el mundo y nunca antes la naturaleza ha alcanzado la misma consideración global como las siete maravillas construidas por el hombre”, resaltó.
Dijo que el resultado de la convocatoria del concurso de las Siete Maravillas Naturales del Mundo revelan la participación activa de los ciudadanos en cada uno de sus países y de todas las personas que los apoyaron alrededor del mundo.
Weber stated that “we are living a historical moment”. “Never before in the history of humanity has it been possible to count on a global vote, to have a worldwide consensus and never before has nature reached the same global considerations as the built-by-men seven wonders,” he highlighted.
He also said that the result of the Seven Natural World Wonders contest reveals the active participation from the citizens in each country and from every individual that supported them all over the world.
Amazon Boat Ride, Iquitos, Peru. Photo by Sam Blanco (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
On CaribeNoticias [es] there are some optimistic projections for the tourism sector, as it republishes a note from El diario de Yucatán [es]:
El director de la fundación New7wonders, Jean Paul de la Fuente, la cual tiene sede en Suiza, consideró que tras este reconocimiento habrá un excelente impacto turístico en la selva peruana.
‘Se espera que haya un crecimiento de 10, 20 o 30 por ciento de la afluencia turística cada año’, precisó en declaraciones a una emisora local.
Actualmente la región Loreto recibe unos 250 mil turistas y se espera que en este año aumente en 25 mil turistas más.
Switzerland-based New7wonders Foundation Director Jean Paul de la Fuente, considered that after this recognition, there will be an excellent tourism impact on the Peruvian Rainforest.
‘An increase of 10, 20 or 30 percent on the yearly tourist influx is expected,’ he declared on a local radio station.
Today, Loreto Region gets about 250 thousand tourists and it is expected that this year that number will grow in 25 thousand extra tourists.
Benzo Gaspar Reategui Ruiz in the web page Amazonia [es] compares this recent recognition with what happened in Mexico some years ago:
El turismo es una actividad compleja que para su éxito requiere el concurso de todos, empezando con la educación de calidad con currículo orientado a esa actividad, tal como hizo México con Cancún, que hace cinco décadas era una isla desierta que pocos conocían. Fue el presidente Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, que propulso un Plan de desarrollo turístico y ahora es lo que es, un famoso destino turístico mundial de América.
La declaratoria de Maravilla mundial, es un buen inicio, para el necesario punto de quiebre que la gestión del Gobierno regional de Loreto requiere a gritos.
Tourism is a complex activity, and for its success depends on everyone's involvement, starting with high quality education with a program focused on that activity, as Mexico did with Cancun, which five decades ago was a deserted island known only by few people. It was President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz who pushed a Plan for tourism development and now it is what it is, a world famous touristic destination in America.
This recognition as wonder of the world is a good starting point, for the needed breaking point that the regional administration in Loreto so urgently requires.
But not everyone was happy, and Twitter users had their share of opinions too.
User Selva Trágica (@SelvaTragica) [es] addresses the mayor of Maynas, province where Iquitos is located:
@SelvaTragica: No pueden pintar el Boulevard de Iquitos con toda esta publicidad del Amazonas? Pffff al alcalde!!
While user @primerafuente [es] speaks to President Humala:
@primerafuente:  #EstimadoPresidente Esta en iquitos metiendo un floro que no se entiende y en cajamarca solo necesitan que diga una palabra: PAZ.
During the last months, Cajamarca has been experiencing strikes, riots and turmoil due to antimining protests.
Amazon, Peru. Photo by Pearl Vas (CC BY 2.0).
On the other hand, user Grinder (@BestiaStoner) [es] sends an inclusive message:
@BestiaStoner: @SickboyRawrs @PercyMeza Iquitos es también la población que, pese al descalabro local solo atina a bailar por lo del rió amazonas.
And he also tweets about the Regional President:
@BestiaStoner: @PercyMeza Estan mostrando las cifras de accidentes y muertos gracias a la empresa china que contrato Ivan Vasquez? eso tb es Iquitos ah.
The NAPA blog [es] shares this final reflection:
Todo chévere con esto, pero ¿tenemos que esperar que un concurso internacional haga que valoremos nuestra Amazonía? Y es que en el Perú, son 13 familias etnolingüísticas que hablan más de 60 lenguas y muchas de ellas están olvidadas por el Estado.
Muchos no adultos indígenas sufren en carne propia este abandono. Ocho de cada 10 niñas y niños menores de 5 años ashánincas, por ejemplo, presentan desnutrición crónica.
Everything is cool with this but, do we have to wait for an international contest to make us appreciate our Amazonic Region? In Peru, there are 13 ethnoliguistic families speaking more than 60 languages and most of them have been forgotten by the State.
Many indigenous minors suffer directly from this neglect. Eight out of ten Askaninka children under 5, for instance, have chronical malnutrition.
The post adds:
Además más 15 mil habitantes de los pueblos Wampis y Awajun en Amazonas son afectados por los trabajos de la minera Afrodita que no respeta su medio ambiente y daña el agua de los ríos. Y son 103 empresas mineras que realizan trabajos en la Cordillera del Cóndor y ponen en riesgo la salud de adultos y no adultos de comunidades indígenas de la selva.
Encima, muchos indígenas Candozi mueren por hepatits B al contagiarse de trabajadores de empresas que llegan a sus territorios. Y el Estado hace poco por atenderlos. ¿Podemos celebrar con todo esto?
Besides that, over 15 thousand inhabitants from Wampis and Awajun peoples are affected due to the works on Afrodita mining, that disrespects their environment and damages the river water. And there 103 miner corporations working on the Cordillera del Cóndor that jeopardize the health of adults and minors from indigenous communities from the region.
Moreover, many Candozi indigenous die of Hepatitis B when they get infected from the workers that get to their territories. And the State does so little for them to get attention. Can we celebrate with all this?
This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

author: Gabriela García Calderón


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Puerto Rico: An “Activated” Space for School Athletics · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

Much has been said in Puerto Rico about the fact that the key to creating a better society is investing in our youth, creating spaces and opportunities so that they can express themselves — whether it be in the arts or in sports — and so that they have a place to channel their energy in a beneficial way.
This is precisely what photojournalist José Jiménez is doing with his project, Activao [es] (slang for the Spanish term “activado,” which means “activated”). This website is the only space in Puerto Rico dedicated entirely to school athletics, where young people can get professional photos taken of their performances in sports, which include swimming, basketball, ball playing, volleyball, athleticism, and soccer, among others. In the company of his two faithful canine friends, Maximiliana and Mila, Jiménez spoke in detail about what exactly the Activao project is:
José Jiménez (JJ): Parte de una premisa que es una plataforma donde es un contenido puramente positivo, para tener como un espacio donde la juventud se coja un break de toda esta información negativa que, por la razón que sea, están siendo bombardeados constantemente por los medios tradicionales. Aquí siempre se ha hablado mucho de que las noticias positivas no venden y yo he probado que eso es falso. […] No es que no se cubra la parte negativa. Yo lo que creo es que se le da demasiado protagonismo a la criminalidad en los medios. […] Entonces, yo parto de esa parte, de crear un espacio que sea un proyecto social para la juventud. Ese es el fin del proyecto.
© José Jiménez. Used with permission.
Activao has existed since 2010, but José says that the project has really only been developing for closer to one year, not counting the months it was inactive.  Nevertheless, the project has truly caught the attention of much of the public:
JJ: Nosotros empezamos en octubre de 2010 […] Tenemos sobre 15,000 friends en Facebook. Sobre 85,000 personas han visto la página. El primer año […] toda la plataforma era en Facebook. Yo vine a abrir la web en abril del 2011. La web, de abril de 2011 hasta hoy, la han visto sobre 85,000 personas. Pero esa web estuvo bien inactiva de abril a octubre del año pasado, porque todo yo lo hacía en Facebook. De agosto 2011 hasta ahora, que es prácticamente un año, es que en verdad esa web ha estado activa. […] Así que el primer año fuimos una plataforma puramente Facebook y social media, y el segundo año estuvimos en la web y se posteaba en Facebook.
Interestingly enough, the project exists on different platforms online, each one as if a branch from the same tree, taking you to another branch:
JJ: Yo aproveché la plataforma de Facebook para crecer. […] Yo uso Twitter, pero es simplemente para anunciar que se posteó una nueva galería. Yo no pongo ningún tipo de mensaje. Es simplemente para los followers que tengo en Twitter que ellos se enteren que yo acabo de postear una galería y ellos pueden ver.
Photo by José Jiménez (©). Used with permission.
With respect to the minimal presence that the coverage of school athletics has in traditional media, I commented that, after having seen his website and having been able to appreciate the large quantity of activity that there is in this field, it seemed strange to me that other forms of media did not pay as much attention to this as one might imagine:
José Jiménez (JJ): Parte de una premisa que es una plataforma donde es un contenido puramente positivo, para tener como un espacio donde la juventud se coja un break de toda esta información negativa que, por la razón que sea, están siendo bombardeados constantemente por los medios tradicionales. Aquí siempre se ha hablado mucho de que las noticias positivas no venden y yo he probado que eso es falso. […] No es que no se cubra la parte negativa. Yo lo que creo es que se le da demasiado protagonismo a la criminalidad en los medios. […] Entonces, yo parto de esa parte, de crear un espacio que sea un proyecto social para la juventud. Ese es el fin del proyecto.
With school athletics having such a small presence in other forms of the media, I ask him how they learn about events that can be covered for Activao:
JJ: Son tantos, que no es difícil enterarse. Yo no sabía que había tanto deporte escolar. […] Y ya la gente, pues me conoce y constantemente en el wall del Facebook los nenes están posteando […] y ellos piden que Activao los cubra.
Talking a bit about future plans for Activao, José reveals that he would like to expand what he does to go beyond solely photographing sports:
JJ: A la larga, me gustaría producir eventos para seguir creando plataformas positivas para la juventud. […] Yo me he dado cuenta que a la juventud, si tú no le haces algo diferente, no le va a llamar la atención. Ellos están tan y tan bombardeados de tanta información y mucha de esta información se le presenta de manera bastante repetitiva.
José ends with his thoughts on social media networks, particularly Facebook:
JJ: Facebook es la plataforma más impresionante que hay ahora mismo para informar al público. No hay nada, nunca ha habido nada como Facebook. Y en Puerto Rico se va a mantener así por mucho tiempo. […] 50% de todos los jóvenes que tienen Internet que tienen una cuenta de Facebook en Estados Unidos […] ven noticias por Facebook, no van a las páginas. […] Los periódicos migran su gente de su Facebook al periódico. […] Para mí Facebook es sinónimo de pregonero; él te entrega la noticia. […] Eso no lo hace nadie. En términos de medios, es el pregonero más eficiente del mundo. […] Eso es lo increíble de Facebook. Nada en el mundo es tan eficiente como eso.

author: Ángel Carrión


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Syria: #InMySyria the Streets Will Be Full of Freedom · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
Syrian netizens are dreaming of a new dawn for their country, where people breathe freedom, live in equality and sectarianism is a thing of the past. Check out their vision for the future under the hash tag #InMySyria on Twitter.
Dana Barakat looks forward to a future of freedom:
@dandoon167: #InMySyria the streets will be full of freedom, not bloodshed.
Rafif Jouejati dreams of accountability:
@RafifJ: #InMySyria leaders are accountable to the public, not the other way around.
Hadi Madwar adds:
@hadimadwar: #InMySyria, you enter medical school because you're a diligent student, not because your parents are wealthy
And Nora Basha looks at a future where intellectuals will be an asset to the country:
@Nora0315: #InMySyria intellectuals won't be locked up in Assad prisons being tortured for years, they will be out building a better future for Syria.
While Damascus Tribune hopes people will not be afraid to voice their opinions:
@SamascusTribune: #InMySyria tweeps & activists will use their real names & will not fear arrest. #Syria
Jasmine Roman envisions a future with no sectarianism. She tweets:
@JasmineRoman01: #InMySyria Christian-Alwaite-Durz-Sunni-Ismaili-Yezedi-Shiite-Arab-Assyrian, Kurd-Armenian-Syriac-Circassian-Chaldean-Turkman.. All are ONE.
Mouhannad Abdulhamid continues:
@MohanadSYR: #InMySyria … Everyone is equal under the law.
And Adam Akkad looks for an Arab entity with no borders. He tweets:
@Abou_Charlie: #InMySyria Amman, Beirut, Damascus and Jerusalem will be in the same country.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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The Nazi Past of the Father of Colombian Anthropology · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Cristina Vélez posts [es] her thoughts about “Nazi intellectuals” in her blog after it was revealed [es], at an academic Congress in Vienna, that Austrian-born Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff (1912-1994), considered the “father of Colombian anthropology,” had been a member of the Nazi party and the SS in Germany before World War II, as cultural magazine Arcadia reports [es].

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Uganda: Anonymous Backs Gay Pride, Hacks Government Websites · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The international hactivist group known as Anonymous has hacked the website of the Prime Minister of Uganda and the database of the Uganda Justice Law and Order Society in support of Ugandan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) rights activists.
Anonymous is a loosely associated hacktivist group, which started in 2003.
The group took control of the website of the Prime Minister posting photos of Uganda's first Gay Pride events, an official recognition of Gay Pride Week and a formal apology to gay people from the Prime Minister. It also revealed encrypted admininstration passwords for Uganda's Justice Law and Order Society.
A screen shot of the hacked website of the Ugandan Prime Minister.
Anonymous claims that its operation in Uganda will target Ugandan government sites and communications until the government of Uganda treats all people including LGBT equally.
The first Gay Pride in Uganda was organized on August 4th in Entebbe. It was a series of events held at Entebbe, including a party, a beach parade and a film festival.
Anonymous emblem. The image has been released into the public domain by its author, Anonymous.
On 14 October, 2009, David Bahati, Member of Parliament, introduced an anti-homosexuality bill (known also as “Kill the Gays bill”) which criminalised same-sex relations and stipulated that a  person considered as homosexual would receive the death penalty, or life imprisonment. After being met with resistance and criticism, Bahati re-tabled the bill in February this year with some changes.
A message posted on 14 August, 2012, by the group says:
Today's hack and deface of the Ugandan Prime Minister's site was the latest in a long list of actions against the government and infrastructure of Uganda for crimes against LGBT people.
We currently have full control of the President of Uganda's website.
We will not stand by while LGBT Ugandans are victimized, abused and murdered by a ruthless and corrupt government. #TheEliteSociety and #Anonymous will continue to target Ugandan government sites and communications until the government of Uganda treats all people including LGBT equally and with respect, dignity and immediately ends the arrest and harassment of LGBT.
Melanie Nathan, an international LGBTI activist, fears that the action by Anonymous might harm Uganda's LGBTI activists:
While I support all protests against the anti-gay Ugandan Government, I fear this may cause a backlash to the LGBTI community of activists who so bravely showed their faces at Pride.
In fear that they have failed to consider the particular sensitive issues involved to the Ugandan LGBT gay community.
A Ugandan gay rights activist, Val Kalende, said the following to Melanie:
My concern is the manner in which Anonymous claim to speak on behalf of Uganda LGBT activists with no consultation whatsoever. Has SMUG [Sexual Minorities Uganda] or any other organization asked them hack government websites? Do they understand how their actions could be perceived by Ugandans? I question the motive of Anonymous.They need to be advised. Those well-meaning interventions can cause severe backlash for activists on the ground. Hacking government websites to “help” victims of state-sponsored homophobia? Who does that? I think this extremist violent intervention MUST STOP. I would advise you speak to activists on the ground for their views on this.
Nathan also points out that the photo used by the group on the hacked website is harmful:
The photo used by Anonymous which is now all over the internet is harmful and should not have been used in that fashion. I have tweeted anonymous asking for a remedy. G-d knows how it can be changed at this time.
It seems Anonymous may have used those photos without authority and so in their attempt to help the Ugandan gay community, may in fact be causing more harm to the actual brave activists who put themselves on the line.
One Twitter account of the group defends their action saying:
@DramaSett3r: @danlittauer @PinkNinj4 @gaystarnews Id like to add that our entire operation #OpFuckAfrica #OpFuckUganda is soley based on defending LGBT
There are reports that Anonymous has also targeted the websites of RedPepper (Ugandan tabloid), the Uganda Stock Exchange and Uganda Prison Service. In August 2006, Red Pepper published names of alleged Ugandan homosexual men.
@PinkNinj4: @RedPepperUG > http://www.prisons.go.ug looks broken & your stock exchange was hacked :O prisons.go.ug http://pastebin.com/EMRnviLx #OpFuckUganda
@PinkNinj4: ohai @RedPepperUG remember when u printed names & addresses of ‘queers’ in 2009? I didn't forget :) Your site is now f*** x #OpFuckUganda
You can follow other operations in Africa by Anonymous here.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Brazil: Belo Monte, the Film · Global Voices
Elisa Thiago

The film Belo Monte, Announcement of a War was recently launched in the Internet. It is the result of a collective effort that involved the independent producer, Cinedelia, and a crowdfunding campaign mobilized by Catarse. The film shows the reactions of indigenous people, inhabitants of Altamira, Pará, Brazil, and  activists against the construction of the hydroelectric of Belo Monte, the most controversial work of the federal government nowadays.

author: Elisa Thiago


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Bulgaria: The Red Army Supports Pussy Riot · Global Voices
Rayna St.

On the day of the verdict in the Pussy Riot trial, Russian embassies worldwide are seeing demonstrations in support of the incriminated punk band members. The Red Army Monument in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, has joined in: a picture of it with some of the soldiers wearing Pussy Riot-styled hats has spread on social networks this morning. The Macedonian outlet think.mk publishes a short post [mk] comparing this political art expression with the previous one, when the soldiers were painted as comics characters.

author: Rayna St.


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Cambodia: Khmer Language Books Now Online · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Digital Library for International Research has made available more than 50 publications of Khmer books and educational materials from Cambodia.

author: Mong Palatino


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Cambodia: Promoting LGBT Rights  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Nayheak Khun writes about the efforts of some groups in Cambodia to promote the rights of homosexuals.


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Colombia: Online Campaign Seeks to Reform Health System · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

In their YouTube [es] channel, the group Todo lo que hay [es] posts the story [es] of a Colombian cancer patient whose treatment has not been continuous due to various administrative procedures that are part of the health system in the country: “Jorge Mario's call is similar to that of many Colombians who are united in a struggle to reform the health system to ensure comprehensive coverage for all citizens.”

author: Cati Restrepo


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Ecuador Reacts to Assange Asylum  · Global Voices
Gina Yauri

WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, has been holed up in the Embassy of Ecuador in London since June 19, 2012. As we reported earlier, on the morning of August 16, 2012, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño announced that his country would grant diplomatic asylum to the creator of WikiLeaks. Ecuador has based its decision on 11 considerations.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the United Kingdom will not grant a safe passage for Assange to leave the Ecuadorian Embassy, and stressed that the UK's legal obligation “is to extradite him to Sweden”, as reported by the BBC [es].
Assange is wanted by the Swedish authorities for two alleged sex crimes in 2010. In December of the same year, Assange was arrested by the British police on a warrant issued by Sweden. On December 16, 2010 he was granted a conditional bail that would keep him from leaving the country.
As Renata Avila explained for Global Voices Advocacy:
Assange was facing imminent extradition to Sweden for interrogation about sexual allegations he has not been charged for, where he would have been detained upon arrival in solitary with no right to bail, according to Fair Trials International. At the last minute he decided to exercise his right of seeking asylum. He walked into the Embassy of Ecuador and has stayed under diplomatic protection while the country's President Rafael Correa reviewed his case.
The Ecuadorean government based its decision on past and current attacks on WikiLeaks, its founder and even volunteers, which have been unprecedented both in scale and severity.
Assange supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London on August 16, 2012. Photo by Yanice Idir, copyright Demotix.
Efren Guerrero of the Aura Neurotica [es] blog wrote about the case before the announcement of the decision to grant asylum to Assange. Efren explained Ecuador's two options if asylum was granted:
a. Dejar de manera indefinida al asilado en al embajada en Londres, o b. Transportarlo a territorio ecuatoriano. En el segundo caso hay la necesidad de un salvoconducto, que como han indicado las autoridades inglesas, no se va a dar.
La Corte Internacional de Justicia subrayó en varios fallos que “la seguridad que surge del asilo no puede ser interpretada como una protección contra la aplicación regular de las leyes y contra la jurisdicción de los tribunales legalmente constituidos “.
Twitter reactions on the part of Ecuadorians have been mixed. For example, Mauricio Rodriguez (@maurisec) [es] opined:
@maurisec: #asiloassange Bien sustentados “argumentos” del asilo pero no lo justifica. No m siento representado x estos “dignatarios” y sus decisiones
Ivanna Rodriguez Mori (@irodriguezmori) [es] has dedicated several tweets [es] to the subject, showing her disagreement with the decision of the Ecuadorian government:
@irodriguezmori [es]: Rebuscar leyes internacionales para otorgar asilo o velar por los derechos de una persona que no lo merece. Ese es mi Ecuador.
Referring to freedom of expression in the country, Jorge Gonzalez (@clever_george) [es] writes:
@clever_george: #AsiloAssange, hablan tanto de libertad de expresión cuando en nuestro propio país NO EXISTE!!!
Journalist Xavier Reyes (@xavivire) [es] asks from Quito:
@xavivire: El presidente q rompe periódicos, q enjuicia e insulta a periodistas, q solo acepta SU verdad da asilo a #Assange… ¿Paradojas? ¿intereses?
Similarly, journalist Marce Riera (@marceriera) [es] asks:
@marceriera: Y los periodistas ecuatorianos seremos igualmente defendidos por el gobierno en algún momento??? #AsiloAssange
However, on the same subject, Carlos Wiilkapy  (@ve_to) [es] tweets:
Supporters of Julian Assange outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on August 16, 2012. Photo by Yanice Idir, copyright Demotrix.
@ve_to: Todos los Periodistas Ecuatorianos se Creen Igual de victimas #asiloassange
Various Twitter users defended the decision of the government, like Chelo Moreira (@moreirachelo) [es]:
@moreirachelo: Lo felicito una vez mas Presidente q orgullo ser ecuatoriano y q nos represente se ve lo humanista q es al darle #asiloassange @MashiRafael
Meanwhile, Assange fans feel happy in Ecuador, as evidenced by Jose Rafael (@raphael7252) [es] and Felipe Ortiz (@Felo_777) [es]:
@Felo_777: Julian Assange es un héroe contemporáneo #freeassange#asiloassange
Others, like @oscgamb [es], celebrated:
@oscgamb: que viva ecuador como patria soberana!!! #Asiloassange
The newspaper El Comercio [es] reports that Assange's mother, Christine Assange, thanked Ecuador for granting asylum, “but is concerned about the fate of her son.”
Ecuador has called for urgent meetings [es] with the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and the Organization of American States (OAS) to discuss Assange's case.

author: Gina Yauri


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Guyana: Linden Protests Intensify  · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

The protests in Linden, Guyana have intensified with the recent burning of buildings – including the One Mile Primary School, The Ministry of Agriculture offices for Region Ten, the Guyana Energy Agency, regional offices for the Guyana Revenue Authority and a building owned by prominent People's Progressive Party supporter Philip Bynoe.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, released a statement condemning the burning of the One Mile Primary School, but her apportioning of blame drew the ire of some activists, who wondered why protesters were being blamed for the fire before investigations were complete – especially after the government failed to be so forthright after the three men were killed on July 18th or after ten-year-old Nkosi Henry was struck in the face by a rubber bullet while standing in his yard in One Mile Wismar, during an alleged Joint Services operation on August 12th.
Former boxer Randy Tello of Half-Mile, Wismar was also shot in the face with a rubber bullet. The police claimed that Tello was involved in tossing missiles at them, a claim his family denies. The police also reported that a knife and quantity of marijuana were found on Tello. Bloggers reported that controversial Police Superintendent Errol Watts had been pulled from Linden following this operation, though the police released a statement denying this. The Joint Services Coordinating Council also released a statement denying involvement in that particular operation.
“One People, One Nation, One Destiny”, Linden, Guyana; photo by nicholaslaughlin
Alliance For Change leader Khemraj Ramjattan, a former member of the governing PPP, asked Lindeners to not stop protesting and speculated about the origins of the fires:
I used to be taught at Freedom House how Hitler burned the Riechstag and then throw the blame on the opposition. It could very well be that that is what is happening (in Linden). I know their (PPP) operations and their methodologies. It is my firm view, I can’t prove it, but my firm opinion that there are state agents involved (in Linden) operating under the arrangements of some of the people in senior government offices that are creating these burnings. I cannot believe that Lindeners are going to burn a school that 800 students go to. It has to be state agents doing that. The PPP thrives on these situations and the situation has the capacity to bring back their supporters into their wagon and they want that to happen.
The state-owned newspaper, Guyana Chronicle, condemned Ramjattan's statement with an editorial entitled “Ramjattan has gone into pure, unadulterated evil” :
There have been agent provocateurs in this tragic and unfortunate series of incidents that will set Linden and the residents of Linden decades behind in its development; but they came directly from the joint opposition and their satellites in the private media and their affiliate NGOs, especially the WPA/APNU women’s arm, the Red Thread and the notorious Guyana Human Rights Association, which never has  sympathy for the victims of thieves and murderers, but show all concern for the rights of criminals, including those in the opposition collective.
In an article entitled “APNU [A Partnership for National Unity] Mis-opportunity” Gordon W.A. Richards wondered if there was a connection between the fires and the police actions; Carl De Souza republished it on his Facebook page (it is re-posted here with permission):
The burning of a school would be condemned by all right thinking citizens. The MOE put it over in such a way that the ill-informed would assume that the Linden protesters burnt down their own school as part of their protest. So the inaction of the APNU have allowed the PPP to create the impression that the Linden protest has moved from a peaceful protest against the high electricity increase and general economic marginalisation TO an anti-government, anti-PPP and eventually an anti-Indian protest. It is the job of the PPP infiltrators on the ground to create that mind-set by burning down strategic government buildings.
From the 19th of July to August 9th there was relative quiet in Linden and there were no other acts of arson. However, and with the clear intention to derail the talks scheduled to continue later that day, the police launched Operation Final Push at 2 am on the 10th August, 2012 at Wismar. The police fired tear gas in to people’s homes and at residents gathering at the bridge. Pandemonium broke out, and in the ensuing chaos, suddenly the arson starts again.
Also on Facebook, Alliance For Change leader Nigel Hughes laid out his case for rejecting the Government's terms of reference for the impending Commission of Inquiry, which included an investigation into the events leading up to the protests on July 18th:
In its simplest form if a citizen wants to protest against any issue however trivial he has a right to do so.
If he wants to protest against his neighbour’s green roof he can do so.
If he wants to persuade the rest of his neighbourhood to protest against his neighbour’s green roof he has to right to solicit their support.
If he succeeds and the entire community comes out against his neighbour’s green roof, they have a right to do so.
If they then peacefully assemble unarmed at the community bridge to protest where they are shot dead in cold blood by the local police how relevant is it to any investigation into the shooting to death of innocent community members that a neighbor started the protest over a green roof.
It was his right to do so.
Hughes further warned:
We would be entering very dangerous territory if we start to apportion blame for the organization of an activity expressly guaranteed by the constitution.The real reason the Government wants this included in the TORs is that they want to deter citizens from attending protests which are anti-government thereby effectively restricting the exercise of their constitutional right.
Bauxite mining operations in Linden, Guyana; photo by nicholaslaughlin
At Barbados Underground, the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy endorsed the Alliance For Change's position:
The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) fully supports the AFC’s complete and unequivocal rejection of the PPP’s second proposed term of reference for the commission of inquiry into the Police killings of the three Lindeners.
This additional term proposes to inquire ‘into the role and involvement’ of ‘other forces’ in organising, mobilising and promoting the protest actions from their commencement and immediately after the shooting on July 18th 2012.
This is a back-door attempt by the PPP regime to investigate organizers of the protests, who broke no law and committed no crime. The only crimes committed were the murder and unlawful shooting of unarmed, innocent citizens by Police officers.
Yesterday, President of Guyana Donald Ramotar visited Linden in an attempt to squelch the ongoing protests. President Ramotar held a sparsely attended meeting with members of the community at Watooka House before visiting the Wismar-MacKenzie Bridge and the Bosai Bauxite Company.

author: Matthew Hunte


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India: Pictures of Varalakshmi Vratham Festival · Global Voices
Rezwan

Anuradha Shankar posts a photo essay on the Varalakshmi Vratham (a festival to propitiate the goddess Lakshmi), which is popular in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamilnadu.

author: Rezwan


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Indonesian Street Art Database · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Indonesian Street Art Database is a project that documents street art and urban art culture in Indonesia. One of the themes in the past was to promote tolerance in response to religious violence in the country


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Iran, Israel: ‘Not Ready to Die in Your War’ · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

From mainstream news headlines it seems Iran and Israel are on the edge of war. Israeli politicians continue to threaten attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and Iranian authorities recite their old slogans that Israel will ‘disappear from the map.’
But as the noise of war rises from both sides, so does activism for peace.
Recently, Israelis demonstrated for peace in their capital city of Tel Aviv  and used the Internet to send a ‘no to war’ message.
“So once again, load and clear, we are saying NO to this war.” From the Israeli-Loves-Iran Facebook campaign.
Peace lovers also continue to join a Facebook page that was launched on March 19, 2012 by Israeli Pushpin Mehina (also known as Ronny) that tells Iranians, ‘Israelis love you and will not bomb your country.‘ The page currently has more than 70,000 likes. On the same day, Iranians  launched the Facebook page ‘From Iran for Peace and Democracy‘, which soon started a campaign to tell Israelis, “We are your friends.”
Both campaigns came together again when the Iranian page reposted the following message from the Israeli Facebook page:
We are millions of people who will be hurt. Will be drafted, will have to fight, lose our lives, our relatives. We, parents from TelAviv and Tehran will have to run with our children to the shelters and pray the missiles will miss us.But they will fall somewhere, on someone. These last few days the sound of war is becoming louder. So once again, load and clear, we are saying NO to this war. We saying to the people of Iran: We Love You.
On Wednesday, August 16th, over 400 people, including university professors and human rights defenders, signed an online petition calling on Israeli pilots to refuse to bomb Iran, if they are ordered to do so.
The online petition reads:
the pilots we regard a decision to launch an attack on Iran as a highly mistaken gamble, which would entail severe risks for the State of Israel and would not solve the basic problem. As already mentioned, even the best operational success would not stop the Iranian nuclear program but only delay it – and for this temporary delay all of us would have to pay an exorbitant price, possibly a terrible one. You, the Air Force pilots – more than anyone else – have in your hands the real power to avert this disaster.


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Italy: Uncertain Future for Polluting Ilva Steel Plant – and its 12,000 Employees · Global Voices
Annalisa Merelli

[All links point to Italian sources except where otherwise stated].
On July 26, 2012, six operating facilities at Ilva, Europe's biggest steel plant situated in Taranto, Italy, were put under judicial seizure on the grounds of pollution. This is only the latest chapter of an ongoing struggle involving the plant's high pollution and environmental risks (and related occupational issues).
According to Wikipedia [en]:
In 1991 Taranto was declared a high environmental risk area by the Ministry of Environment. As a consequence of the poisons discharged into the air by the factories in the area (most notably the ILVA steel plant), Taranto is the most polluted city in Italy and western Europe. Only 7% of Taranto's pollution is inhabitants-related: 93% is factories-related. The European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER) showed that in 2004, estimated dioxin emissions from the ILVA plant were responsible for 83% of Italy's total reported emissions.
This is how Davide Maria De Luca describes the current situation:
Fondato nel 1961, è un impianto siderurgico a ciclo integrale, dove cioè avvengono tutti i passaggi che dal minerale di ferro portano all’acciaio. Il fulcro della produzione sono i cinque altoforni, dove viene prodotta la ghisa. Ognuno è alto più di 40 metri e ha un diametro tra 10 e i 15 metri: al momento quattro altoforni su cinque sono attivi.
The neighborhood of Tamburi, Taranto, opposite from Ilva. © Molnàr, used with permission
Emissions-related issues
The results of two investigations, undertaken in a trial against the owners and directors of Ilva, showed that over a span of seven years more than 11,000 people died and nearly 27,000 were hospitalized in and around Taranto for conditions whose origin could be linked to the emissions generated by the factory.
Due to this, the entire plant may shut down, leaving about 12,000 unemployed in the area of Taranto, a figure which equates to over 30% unemployment; Ilva Taranto is, by itself, responsible for 75% of the area's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 0.15% of Italy's.
The Italian government eventually decided to withdraw a formal complaint against the tribunal's decision to confirm the seizure, announced on August 7, while close to 1,000  people took the streets to acknowledge worker Cataldo Ranieri as leader of the protest against industrial pollution.
A reader of newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano explains in these terms the choices that the workers, even before the judges and government, have to make:
Morire di lavoro o morire perché non c'è lavoro?
Taranto, rally on August 2nd, 2012.  © Molnàr, used with permission.
Physicist and engineer Filippo Zuliani, from the Centre for Research and Development Tata Steel Europe, writes on his blog:
La vicenda dell’ILVA è complessa e dolorosa: da molti anni gli abitanti di Taranto sospettavano (eufemismo) dei problemi causati direttamente o indirettamente dallo stabilimento siderurgico, e le due perizie chimica e medico-epidemiologica disposte dal gip hanno liberato frustrazioni a lungo represse. Il sequestro dell’ILVA ripropone l’annosa dicotomia tra produzione e tutela dell’ambiente.
Zuliani adds that when national television news on channel TG3 asked a few workers of Ilva, ‘what would be the better choice: closing the factory or not’, they replied:
Non siamo noi che dobbiamo indicare la soluzione, noi rivendichiamo il nostro diritto a lavorare in sicurezza, in un ambiente sano per noi e per le nostre famiglie.
For others, worried about the environmental and medical consequences of Ilva's activity, there is no alternative but closing down the plant for good.
On Il Fatto Quotidiano, Fabio Balocco writes:
Se una fabbrica produce veleni deve essere chiusa, perché prima di tutto, e non lo dico io ma la Corte Costituzionale, viene l’ambiente e la salute. Prima di tutto, anche dell’economia e quindi anche del posto di lavoro.
On the other hand there are those who, even acknowledging the seriousness of the environmental situation, support the right to work and side with the workers who are opposing the closure of the plant, asking that the owners and directors of Ilva pay for the damage they caused, investing in the conversion of the factory.
Taranto's Ilva, November 2, 2010 @ 22.39. Photo by Ilaria Longo from Facebook
Expressing their “solidarity with the fighting workers of Ilva,” La Rete delle Reti writes:
Nessuna azienda deve essere chiusa, nessun lavoratore deve essere licenziato, a ogni adulto deve essere assegnato un lavoro utile e dignitoso. […] È possibile imporre sia la difesa dei posti di lavoro che la tutela della salute e dell’ambiente! Riva deve risarcire un intero territorio dei suoi crimini a scopo di lucro e i soldi dello Stato vanno usati per avviare immediatamente la bonifica del territorio impiegando tutti i lavoratori, i precari e i disoccupati del territorio
Online protests
Meanwhile, protests and discussions are firing up online, including several groups on Facebook, such as NO all’Ilva di Taranto and TARANTO dice NO a ILVA, ENI e CEMENTIR !!! the biggest, counting 2,450 members.
Writing on Global Project the founders of a “spontaneous and politically unaffiliated committee” called ‘Free and Thoughtful Citizens and Workers,’ accuse the State as well as Riva, for the current situation:
Siamo uomini e donne stanchi di dover scegliere tra lavoro e salute. Imputiamo all'intera classe politica di essere stata complice del disastro ambientale e sociale che da cinquant'anni costringe la città di Taranto a dover svendere diritti in cambio del salario. […] Pretendiamo che chi ha generato questo dramma, lo Stato prima, la famiglia Riva poi, paghi per il disastro prodotto.
Controappuntoblog.org lists the workers’ requests, from Operai Contro website, in a more direct fashion:
Noi operai dell’ILVA vogliamo il salario completo anche se l’ILVA deve restare chiusa per dieci anni per la bonifica.
The committee, together with the main local unions, organised a rally on August 2, explaining:
Tutti coloro che considerano una vergogna il ricatto occupazionale a cui siamo stati costretti fino ad oggi e che vogliono immaginare e costruire insieme un'altra idea di città, a scendere per strada e a sfilare dietro il nostro striscione: “Sì ai diritti, No ai ricatti: Salute, Ambiente, Reddito, Occupazione.
During the rally, however, there have been clashes between two different groups of unions and protesters – Cobas (independent unions) and the representatives of self-managed social centres have blocked the rally, using teargas to stop the other unionists from speaking, with the motto “no to those who poison.”
On August 4, Italy's government allocated, as an emergency measure, 336 million euro to upgrade the factory, and the Minister of Environment declared a decree law to accelerate the renovation of the plant. On August 7, the Tribunal of Taranto confirmed the seizure of the plant, allowing the factory to work only towards conversion.
Taranto rally of August 2, 2012. © Molnàr, used with permission
On Informare Per Resistere (Inform to resist) blog, Maria Ferdinanda Piva writes:
La bonifica promessa dal Ministro dell'Ambiente Clini sa tanto di bluff.
For many, hope is long gone. The son of a worker from Taranto who died of cancer writes in a comment to newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano with the pseudonym of 9Nuer:
Sono andato via da Taranto venticinque anni fa. Mio padre morto per un tumore al cervello, mio suocero per un cancro allo stomaco ( guarda caso due tipi di tumore che hanno provocato un incremento dei decessi, secondo la perizia medica ). […] Un consiglio alle nuove generazioni. Andate via. È doloroso, ma è la soluzione.
What will be the destiny of the workers and whether it will be possible to convert the plant has yet  to be seen. Meanwhile, the damages provoked by Ilva's operations this far won't cease to affect the population, who will pay with its health for many more years for the consequences of decades of pollution.

author: Annalisa Merelli


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Malaysia: Government Vows to Review Web Censorship Law After Protest · Global Voices
Jerrenn Lam

Update 18/8/2012: The Cabinet has upheld the amendments made to Section 114A of the Evidence Act.
On the August 14 2012, thousands of Malaysians participated in an online protest against the recently introduced Section 114A, an amendment in the law that is deemed by many as a threat to internet freedom.
A blog specially created for this cause, posted details about how this law would affect Malaysians:
Titled “Presumption of Fact in Publication”, Section 114A holds the following people accountable for publishing content online:
(1) those who own, administrate, or edit websites open to public contributors, such as online forums or blogs;
(2) those who provide webhosting services or Internet access; and
(3) those own the computer or mobile device used to publish content online.
In other words, if allegedly defamatory content is traced back to your username, electronic device, and/or WiFi network, Section 114A presumes you are guilty of publishing illicit content on the Internet.
But what if you were the victim of identity theft and a hacker wrongfully used your Twitter or Facebook account to post defamatory content?
Under Section 114A, you are still considered guilty until proven innocent.
The campaign seeks to have influential bloggers and news sites insert a pop-up in their respective websites on August 14 to inform their readers about 114A, so that awareness of this would be spread to as many Malaysians as possible to protest the enactment of this law.
Shannon Chow, a lifestyle blogger in Malaysia, supported the campaign:
I am supporting STOP 114A. Internet should be an independent platform, however, with Section 114A not only did the law encourage hackers or identity theft to get away by posting to another person account be it on social networks or through devices and even Wifi, the person who is innocent will be guilty only until proven innocent. This is unfair!
The massive online protest has even prompted the Prime Minister, who rarely comments on national affairs, to post a tweet on the issue:
I have asked Cabinet to discuss section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950. Whatever we do we must put people first .
Below is a video of the Centre for Independent Journalism explaining the dangers of the 114A amendment in the law
Malaysiakini reported that #Stop114A became a trending topic worldwide on Twitter. Among some of the Tweets on the issue are the following:
@magskl75: @NajibRazak if U claim “whatever we do we must put people 1st” then the discussion shld have taken place b4 the amendment to EA
@FaktaBukanAuta: If your government shuts down the internet, keep calm and shut down your government.
@davidlian:If you're Malaysian, online and love using Facebook / Twitter etc. you should read this and write your MP. http://ow.ly/cWRCL
@zulhilmisalleh: Every free wifi access page will have an extra clause in the terms and condition in which exclude liability. but we wouldn't know.
@JustinTWJ: @netraKL I'm so proud to play a part in this campaign! #stop114A. Had 3 hours of sleep last night then off to school. Feeling great now.
A Facebook page has also been set up for this cause, which at the time of writing has garnered 47,000 Likes. It has also gained attention worldwide with reports from global news networks such as the BBC and Forbes. The Stop 114A blog also has a list of resources on the issue, such as media coverage and information on the law, including the chronology of the passing of the law.

author: Jerrenn Lam


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Malaysia: History of Islamic Education · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Azmil Tayeb gives a brief overview of the history of Islamic schools in Malaysia. The author also discussed the role of the state in providing Islamic education in the country.


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Nepal: KFC and Pizza Hut closed in Nepal · Global Voices
Rezwan

Chandan Sapkota informs that the closure of KFC and Pizza Hut in Nepal due to militancy shown by ad-hoc committee of All Nepal Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union-Revolutionary (ANHRWU-R) will have impact in the foreign investment in the country.


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Paraguay: Struggles and Threats Over Aché Indigenous Lands · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

For the past nine years, sixty families from the Aché indigenous community of Kuetuvy have been fighting to reclaim their ancestral lands located in northeastern Paraguay. Some 4600 hectares of this territory called “Finca 470″ were finally transferred back to this community by the Paraguayan government on July 26, 2012.
These lands are especially important because they are located within a protected area of the Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, as declared by UNESCO. These lands contain rich biodiversity including many species of medicinal plants, which is something that the Aché people pledged to preserve as part of their agreement with the Ministry of the Environment.
The Aché celebrating the granting of land titles. Photo courtesy Aché djawu.
This month was supposed to be one of prolonged celebration with the land titles now in the hands of the Aché. Margarita Mbywangi, a blogger from the Rising Voices grantee project Aché djawu, wrote about this sense of pride  of finally accomplishing their goal [es]:
Fue una lucha muy sufrida, hemos recibido mucha discriminación institucional, pero el pueblo Aché pudo sostener esta lucha hasta el final.
However, an ongoing conflict with peasant groups that claim that this land should be ruled in excess has put a damper on this joyous occasion. Many of the peasant groups have begun to construct settlements in hope of being awarded this land, as well as taking part in illegal logging activities. For those Aché that have attempted to stop these activities, as well as journalists that have entered to cover the story, the peasant groups have issued death threats [es].
Ricardo Mbekrorongi, who is also a part of the Aché djawu project, has been updating the community's Twitter account (@AcheKuetuvy) [es] via SMS with occasional updates about this turn of events. On August 5, 2012, he tweeted:
@AcheKuetuvy: Los Ache de kuetuvy preocupado por la invacion de los campesinos, donde ya fue transferido a los ache
In the group blog, Mbekrorongi also uploaded photos from a visit by journalists [es] that went to investigate this illegal logging.
Journalists visiting illegal logging activities. Photo by Ricardo Mbekrorongi.
And most recently, community leader Mbywangi received a threatening phone call saying that if young Aché hunters would venture out into these lands that they would be killed. Her son, Mbekrorongi was the first to publicly denounce this threat on the group blog [es]:
Ayer a la 19:30 hora de la tarde en un descanso en su casa nuestra lider Margarita Mbywangi recibe amenaza de muerte en su celular, donde el sujeto se identifica que es campesino, en su llamado dice a nuestra lider Margarita que si los jovenes van de caceria cerca de ellos lo van matar. Margarita se lamenta ante esta llamado, y mientras tanto nuestras autoridades no hacen nada.
Members of the six Aché communities across Paraguay are coming together in solidarity asking government officials to enforce the removal of these peasant groups from the lands that now rightly belong to the Aché people. They hope that they can resume the celebrations that were scheduled to take place in commemoration of the historical awarding of the land titles.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Russia: Millions of Taxpayer Rubles Earmarked for Facebook “Likes” · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Earlier this week, blogger and anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny took aim at a pending state tender [ru] for advertising services to aid the state-owned broadcasting company The Voice of Russia (VoR). Next month, an auction will be held through Sberbank [ru] to find a firm capable of meeting VoR's publicity targets. The maximum price tag has been capped at 7 million rubles (220 thousand USD).
On his blog, Navalny highlights [ru] the seemingly large amount of government money needed for this campaign, and mocks the fact that VoR's metric for success is accruing more “likes” on Facebook for its various language divisions. (Navalny singles out Portuguese as a particularly worthless branch, though German is actually VoR's lowest priority in pure “like” numbers.)
Characteristic of his muckraking work, Navalny also lashed out personally at the malefactor's chief, in this case Director Andrei Bystritskii, facetiously pleading with him to “remember his conscience” and “take caution” before wasting government funds on social popularity that ‘should occur organically.’ In a flash of populism, Navalny even attacked Bystritskii for diverting funds that might otherwise have been dedicated to struggling provincial hospitals.
Facebook changes user emails to unique Facebook email account, 25 June 2012, by Alex Milan Tracy, copyright © Demotix.
Within hours, Bystritskii went on Echo of Moscow radio station and responded [ru] to the accusations, explaining that working with social networks is essential today to any modern media company. After correcting Russia's preeminent blogger on the issue of VoR's independence from VGTRK (another broadcasting company, which Navalny mistakenly credited with owning VoR), Bystritskii finished his Echo appearance by patronizing Navalny, calling him a “rosy-cheeked little critic” prone to exaggeration.
The next day, Navalny responded [ru] in kind, calling Bystritskii “a kook” and questioning his position [ru] at the Higher School of Economics (where Bystritskii is a professor). Navalny also promised to file still more substantive claims against VoR's approaching tender. (So far, his only formal complaint [ru] about the auction has been to protest a paperwork discrepancy in the official documents.)
In response to the scandal over Facebook “likes,” some of Navalny's critics have rehashed [ru] a story [ru] from February earlier this year, when several large groups on the Russian social network Vkontakte were simultaneously hijacked and transformed into pro-Navalny collectives. The accusation is that Navalny (or his supporters, unless one considers the incident to have been a setup) is practiced at manipulating online media to boost his own celebrity, not unlike Bystritskii and the Voice of Russia.
In this environment of suspicion and conspiracy, all online fame is reduced to marketing techniques — mostly deceptive tactics that obscure the ‘ultimate Internet truth’ that people are really only logged on to seek out entertainment.
Bots and trust
On Twitter and LJ, Navalny has approvingly cited analysts who also object to VoR's Facebook strategy, though some among them think it is too expensive, while others think the auction spends too little. Blogger Egor Kotkin, for instance, argues [ru] that 7 million rubles is unnecessary to buy just 1 million advertisement “clicks” and 24 thousand new VoR “fans” on Facebook. He argues that the job could be done for just a seventh of the cost (though he seems to believe that any ad firm inevitably will defraud the government and use “bots” to inflate returns dishonestly).
Facebook, incidentally, is still reeling from “bot” accusations by an American start-up out of Long Island, which recently pulled all advertisements from the website, after discovering that the vast majority of its Facebook ad clicks resulted from artificial accounts, rather than genuine human users.
Meanwhile, Denis Terekhov of Social Networks Agency told Vedomosti newspaper that the 7 million ruble payout is actually too low to offer any ad firm much of a profit. Incidentally, Terekhov estimates the number of new Facebook fans specified in the state tender to be about 17 thousand people (5 thousand less than Kotkin's figure, for whatever reason). Vedomosti reports [ru]:
Правда, найти агентство, которое будет готово взяться за такую работу, будет непросто, считает он: прибыль будет невысокой, а еще нужно держать отдельного менеджера, который будет вести кампании на разных языках.
The dispute surrounding the Voice of Russia and its Facebook marketing strategy reveals much about how Russians understand online popularity. Perhaps the RuNet's single greatest star and one of the individuals who has benefitted most from social network mobilization in Russia, Navalny is quick to denigrate the need for outreach on Facebook. The basis for that confidence is the concept that Navalny's online support is ‘organic,’ whereas an advertising campaign for a state-owned media company is ‘unnatural.’ That, of course, is why Navalny's critics are eager to prove that not all his support is genuine.
Paranoia about “bots” and incongruous perceptions about how much marketing actually costs also demonstrates Russian netizens’ extremely low faith in the honesty of their network. The Voice of Russia, Navalny's logic goes, should not invest in Facebook advertising because Facebook should be a raw measure of what Internet users “like” without outside manipulation. Marketing and manipulation are eternal, however, and the popularity of online players — be they million-dollar media companies or scrappy oppositionist bloggers — will forever be in doubt.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Russia: Pussy Riot’s Guilty Verdict · Global Voices
Donna Welles

Russian and anglophone Twitter users responded to the guilty verdict and two-year prison sentence handed down to Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich on August 17, 2012.
The women were arrested last March after a February performance inside Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, just before Vladimir Putin retook the Russian Presidency amid charges of election fraud.
Russia's Pussy Riot found guilty, Moscow, 17 August 2012 by Maria Pleshkova, copyright © Demotix.
Setting the stage
It took the judge several hours to read out the guilty verdict fully, before announcing the two-year sentence. Prosecutors had requested as many as seven years in prison for the women, two of whom are mothers to small children.
Journalist and former New York Times Moscow Bureau Chief Glenn Kates tweeted:
@gkates: Great, great photos by @hegtor of #pussyriot before this incredibly long reading began. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=450091
Specialist in Russian politics, Francesca Mereu tweeted:
@francescamereu:  The theater of absurd:three beautiful young women handcuffed like criminals; judge reading swear words #freepussyriot
Radio Freedom (Радио Свобода) tweeted a link to an article highlighting the now global awareness about the trial [ru]:
 @SvobodaRadio: Полсотни городов мира – для Pussy Riot http://goo.gl/nVivO
Verdict announced
Blogger and activist Alexey Navalny reported that music heard during the reading of the verdict originated somewhere outside on the street, but succeeded in reaching the inside the courtroom. Some Twitter users observed that the three defendants began smiling.
@navalny:В зале заиграла песня PR. С улицы, но очень громко.
A Twitter account representing the anglophone ‘Free Pussy Riot’ LiveJournal blog added to its regular courtroom updates a note about the music:
@Eng_Pussy_Riot: In the courtroom song of #PussyRiot is playing. From the street, but very loud. #Freepussyriot
Mental health issues
The Guardian's Moscow correspondent, Miriam Elder, provided live updates throughout the reading of the verdict:
@MiriamElder: We're now talking about the women's psychological health. Have entered hour three.
Denis Parfenov responded to debate about the defendants’ sanity:
@parfenov_:Dear #pussyriot's judge: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” ~ Krishnamurti @MiriamElder
Other twitter users detailed the judge's psychological assessment, highlighting choice absurdities:
@ioffeinmoscow: Psychological expertise determines Tolokonnikova has “partial personality disturbance,” bc “makes decisions based on personal experience.”
The sentence is read
@TelenL: Толоконниковой – 2 года, Самуцевич – 2 года, Алехина – 2 года. #Хамсуд.
Some microbloggers recalled a statement President Putin made at #London2012, where he expressed his hope that the women would not be “judged too harshly:”
@RusPoliceWatch: So Putin's “not too harshly” translates into two years in jail. #PussyRiot
Other Twitter users speculated about the trial's historical significance:
@ioffeinmoscow: The judge said one of the reasons for a “real sentence” was to “caution others.” And now you know. #PussyRiot
@ForeignPolicy: Pussy Riot: already the most politically influential punk rock group ever http://bit.ly/MVh8DL
Wisconsin-based Jacob Turk tried to remind readers that the Pussy Riot members are not the only Russians facing prosecution for political activism:
@randomdijit: Deserves a RT. Not all of Putin's “guests” are photogenic young women. And some get much worse than 2 years rferl.org/content/russ … @RFERL
Finally, an American expat living in Russia, Timothy Post, caustically observed that the duration of the sentence means that Pussy Riot could incite more controversy during the 2014 Sochi Olympic games:
@timothypost: So that means #PussyRiot will STILL be in jail during the #Sochi2014 Winter Olympics. Does NOBODY on Putin's team understand modern PR?!?!!

author: Donna Welles


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Thailand: Olympic Boxing Defeat Disappoints Fans · Global Voices
Aim Sinpeng

This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics.
The 2012 London Olympic Games was a disappointment for Thailand. Since 1996, the Southeast Asian country has won at least one gold medal at the Olympics. This year, Thailand won two silvers and a bronze.
Compared to its neighbors, however, Thailand did relatively well. Indonesia and Malaysia each snatched a silver and a bronze, while Singapore managed to gain two bronze medals. Others left the Games empty-handed.
Sirikaew Pimsiri, locally known as “Nong Taew,” was a favorite to win in the Olympic Games. She took home a silver for women's weigh lifting (58kg). A native of Khon Kaen province, she brought such pride and glory to her home town that there have been talks about naming a local street after her. Upon returning home she was also presented with the ‘Most Grateful Daughter’ award on Mother's Day from provincial authorities.
Chanatip Sonkham, or “Nong Lek,” grabbed a bronze for women's taekwondo (49 kg.). Nong Lek had a lead in the semi-final match, but lost her way towards the end resulting in her defeat. Nonetheless, she was still dubbed “a heroine” and was also paraded through her home town, Pattalung, as she returned from London.
Thai boxer Kaeo Pongprayoon. Photo from Wikipedia.
The most controversial medal winner of all was Men Light Fly's Boxing, Kaeo Pongprayoon, who took a silver.  Kaeo's defeat came as a surprise to most Thai fans who couldn't believe that the Thai boxer was adjudged as the loser in the fight. Zou, 31, defended the title he won in Beijing four years ago, but he won the final match this year courtesy of a controversial decision. Even the crowd at London's ExCel Arena jeered the final score while Kaeo wept openly in the ring, according to a reportof the Bangkok Post.
The defeat caused a storm among Thai netizens who took to various social media outlets to vent their frustration and disbelief.
“I know why Kaeo cried…I watched it and I cried myself. I'm so angry,” said Jeb Jai Wah on Sanook Sport web board.
Angry fans took their message online. This poster appeared in English on www.keelamun.com:
“Thank you very much for breaking his heart, ‘Kaeo Ponprayoon,’ the man who gave his life for boxing. He wait this chance for more than 10 years to make his dream come true but you just destroy it in 9 minutes of fight. Everyone know that he won this fight. But no, not you, AIBA you made him lose. You are very unfair. AIBA you just destroyed respect and the spirit of boxing” from Boxing Fans.
Despite the disappointing overall performance, Thai Olympians are still praised by the public and the media for their “heroic acts” for the nation. After all, the Olympics, in the eyes of many, is about sacrifice, dedication and hard work. Olympians are thus often paraded by the state authorities as exemplary role models.
Apart from the cheers and the accolades, medal winners were also showered with financial awards, largely from private donations. Nong Taew took in an estimated 15 million baht ($500,000). Kaeo is looking to take in at least 24 million baht ($800,000), while getting promoted to sub lieutenant by the army chief.
This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics.

author: Aim Sinpeng


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Trinidad & Tobago: 50, but not really Independent · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago's upcoming 50th anniversary of independence prompts aka_lol to suggest that “we have become a nation so taken up with running our own affairs our  National Watch Words have unofficially become ‘Run Something Nah’.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Vietnam: Unpublished Letter of Hồ Chí Minh · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Matthew Parsfield discusses the historical importance of the discovery of an unpublished letter of Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam's nationalist hero and statesman.


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Bulgaria: Syrian and Iraqi Refugees on Hunger Strike  · Global Voices
Ruslan Trad

Bulgarian newspaper Dnevnik reports [bg] that 25 asylum seekers (21 Syrians and four Iraqis) went on hunger strike to protest the slowness of the asylum-granting procedures at the detention center for foreigners in the Bulgarian village of Lyubimets. Comments to the Dnevnik article reflect the general indifference to the plight of refugees, as well as anti-immigrant and xenophobic attitudes.

author: Ruslan Trad


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Cameroon: Contesting Magazine’s “Failed States” Report  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Francois-Xavier from Cameroon wrote: “Foreign policy in collaboration with the Fund For Peace has issued the eight annual failed states index and a joint photo essay which they titled Postcards from Hell. The report has stirred much controversy and citizens mostly from the countries topping the report have reacted negatively to it. I think I’ll join them and gather a few commentaries on the issue.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Colombia: 13 Years Since the Assassination of Jaime Garzón · Global Voices
Lully

Jaime Garzón, a Colombian lawyer, journalist, comedian, teacher, pacifist, political scientist, sociologist, activist, and critic, won the hearts of his countrymen via various television and radio programs where he expressed, prolifically and with great vision and foresight [es], the daily happenings of the country.
Garzón was murdered on the 13 August, 1999, allegedly by paramilitary and high-ranking military officers [es] including a former director [es] of the Administrative Department of Security (DAS). Colombians  remember him [es] on  every anniversary [es] of his assassination.
More recently, with the growth of citizen media, each year his name [es] once again appears among the locally trending topics on Twitter, and blogs renew their outcry at the impunity of his assassination – just as La Pastusita does in her post “Lo mismo que antes” [es] (The Same as Before).
Lab Social Blog criticizes Colombians for having become desensitized to death and  reflects [es] on the indifference and the impunity surrounding Garzón's murder:
“Sin Olvido Jaime Garzón” (Remembering Jaime Garzón). Photo of Flicker user Gert Steenssens, under license from Creative Commons
Pasan los días, los años y solo contamos de forma repetitiva en los diarios que ha pasado un año más de impunidad y que aún no se desenmascaran los verdaderos autores de los grandes magnicidios de nuestro país.
In her blog “Thinking Without Side-effects,” Rosa Cristina pays homage to Garzón [es] and remembers many of his contributions, among them, his effort to help raise the consciousness of a better country:
Jaime se esforzó al máximo y de todas las formas que tuvo a su alcance, por despertarnos, por puyarnos para que nos moviéramos por impulsarnos a ser conscientes a ser actores de nuestro presente y futuro.
The author of the blog Proyecto D, who calls himself “Zorro del Desierto”,  calls for the building of a better country [es] by following the legacy of Garzón:
Garzón creía en la vida, creía en las instituciones, en la Constitución del 91, a pesar de todo creía en una nueva Colombia, creía en que esto se podía mejorar. El mejor homenaje que se le puede hacer hoy a Jaime, a todas esas víctimas anónimas, es el de hacer posible esa patria mejor, porque haciendo ese homenaje, a ese personaje que era Garzón en realidad estamos construyendo también Patria, democracia, o como sea que se llamen esas cosas, “tener un país, mínimamente más agradable”.
Olga Lucía Lozano in La Silla Vacía also pays tribute to Garzón by publishing the “Garzonpedia” [es] with thirteen of his famous quotes. Lozano finishes with a quotation from Garzón that Catalina Arbeláez also shares on her blog [es]:
En este país, el Estado existe o no existe. Existe para cobrarle a uno impuestos, IVA, valorización; pero no existe para darme seguridad social, empleo, seguro social, seguro médico, nada. Ahí no existe el Estado.
Others have remembered Garzón by republishing articles  [es] that the mainstream media has published, or sharing videos on YouTube.
His memory and legacy live on in the hearts of those Colombians who continue to remember him and call for justice in his case.

author: Lully