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In Venezuela, Still No Justice in Indigenous Leader’s Murder · Global Voices
Rachael Petersen

All links in Spanish unless otherwise noted.
Two months after the assassination [en] of Yukpa indigenous leader Sabino Romero in Venezuela, activists and community members question why no one has been charged for the murder.
On Sunday 3 March, 2013, indigenous leader Sabino Romero was shot [en] and killed in the western Venezuela state of Zulia. Two men on a motorcycle approached Romero’s vehicle and fired, killing the leader and injuring his wife.
He died only days before the death of former Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez. Many feared the president’s death would overshadow the investigation process. Foro por la Vida, a group of Venezuela’s most prominent human rights organizations, called for an “exhaustive, transparent and quick investigation” to determine who was responsible.
Sources immediately suspected that the incident was a hired killing. Romero was an emblematic leader in a long-standing conflict between landowners, ranchers and indigenous peoples in Zulia. He championed the demarcation of Yukpa ancestral lands and protested against coal mining projects planned in the Perija mountain range bordering Colombia.
Yukpa leader Sabino Romero at a 2012 protest. Image by Flickr user lubrio (CC BY 2.0)
Almost two months after his death, no suspects have been charged in the killing. Activists and community groups organized an event on 24 April, 2013 in the Centro Cultural of the Central Park in Caracas to revive the search for justice.
The event, titled “El legado indocampesino: Homenaje al Cacique Sabino en Caracas” (The legacy of the indian-peasant: homage to the leader Sabindo in Caracas) brought together artists, musicians, academics and activists to commemorate Sabino Romero’s life. The alternative Venezuelan news site Apporea has photos from the event on their blog. As they point out, It is still unknown who ordered Sabino to be murdered.
The Latin American Bureau reported one possible reason for the delay in justice on their blog [en]. Quoting long-time Yukpa ally and coordinator of the NGO Society Homo et Natura Lusbi Portillo, they state:
CICPC [Body of Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations] is investigating Sabino’s death but the police and cattle ranchers are disrupting the process. Every time they bring someone in for questioning, the police and cattle ranchers start to protest, closing the roads and burning tyres. So every time someone is questioned there is a rumpus.
However the blog VenezuelaAnalysis.com, an independent Venezuelan politics blog, is reporting [en] that a committee of seventeen Yukpa met with the minister for foreign affairs, Elias Jaua, on 25 March, 2013. Jaua promised to make payments to the Yukpa people within sixty days so their lands could be inhabited by them.
A graphic arts collective named Trinchera Creativa (@TrincheCreativa) first tweeted an image of Sabino Romero with the caption: How many dead leaders does Venezuela justice need to wake up and condemn murderers?
The Associated Press is reporting [en] at least eight murders involving the Yukpa tribe in recent years, usually arising from conflicts over land rights. In 2008 Sabino’s father José Manuel, a Yukpa elder over one hundred years old, was beaten to death. Some sources now report that the daughter of Romero is also facing danger [en] due to her public efforts supporting the Yukpa people, noting that in 2012, her “brother was murdered after having his eyes gouged out with wire. To this day, no one has taken the blame for this crime.“
The Yukpa have fought for years to reclaim ancestral land now occupied by ranchers and farmers. Lusbi Portillo has a long-running blog at Soberania.org chronicling the Yukpa struggles as far back as 2004.
Despite official government propaganda in support of the indigenous peoples, little progress has been made in the demarcation of indigenous territory. On their blog, Foro por la vida notes that only 3% of the Yukpa territory has been demarcated to date.
In 2008 during an episode of his unscripted talk show “Aló President,” ex-president Hugo Chavez made the following statement in support of the Yukpa:
“…Que nadie tenga duda: entre los hacendados y los indios, este gobierno está con los indios, no hay duda de ningún tipo, no hay duda de ningún tipo… Los indígenas Yukpa deben ser protegidos por el gobierno, por la Fuerza Armada y por el Estado. … esas tierras estuvieron ocupadas por los indios Yukpa durante mucho tiempo, produciendo ganado, carne y leche, y fueron echados de ahí. Yo no estoy hablando de la conquista de los españoles, estoy hablando de hace treinta años… ahora aquí hay una Revolución: La Fuerza Armada, los cuerpos de inteligencia, el gobierno, todo, apoyando a los indios. Hay una Comisión de Demarcación, Yubirí, que tiene una deuda pendiente, tiene una deuda, debe estar allá, hay que demarcar porque eso está en la Constitución y en la Ley.
“Let there be no doubt: between the landowners and the Indians, this government is with the Indians… there is no doubt. The Yukpa people should be protected by the government, by the armed forces and by the state…these lands have been occupied by the Yukpa for a long time, gainfully producing meat and milk. They were thrown out of their land. And I’m not talking about the Spanish conquest. I’m talking about the last thirty years… Now we have a revolution. The armed forces, intelligence agencies and the government are now all supporting the indigenous peoples… There is a demarcation commission with a pending obligation. They should go demarcate [the territory] because it’s in the constitution and the law.”
You can watch the whole statement below:
However, Marino Alvarado, executive director of the Venezuelan human rights organization PROVEA, points out that the Yukpa struggle went beyond official rhetoric against large landholders and confronted mining in the region:
La lucha de Sabino Romero era contra el modelo de desarrollo extractivista energético. La demarcación estaba paralizada no solo por la “presión de la oligarquía ganadera” –como afirma cierta propaganda oficial-, sino porque en tierras indígenas de todo el país hay recursos ya negociados a futuro.
Sabino Romero's fight was against the extractive energy development model. The demarcation [of the Yukpa territory] was paralized not only because of the “pressure of the landowning oligarchy” – as certain official propaganda affirms – but also because in indigenous territory in the whole country there are resources already sold.
According to the International Working Group on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Venezuela [en] has around 27 million indigenous peoples comprising over 40 different groups. The 1999 constitution explicitly recognized the multi-ethnic nature of the country and included clauses to encourage the participation of indigenous peoples in all levels of politics. Venezuela has also ratified several international measures supporting indigenous rights including ILO Convention 169 [en] and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples [en].
National legislation includes the Organic Law on Demarcation and Guarantees for the Habitat and Lands of the Indigenous Peoples and the Organic Law on Indigenous Peoples and Communities (LOPCI).
However, the relationship between the government and indigenous peoples remains paternalistic, ignoring local needs and decision-making structures. The lack of progress in indigenous rights – particularly the demarcation of indigenous territory – has caused groups to mobilize against the government. The Yukpa await to see if they will receive justice for the killing of their people and taking of their ancestral lands.

author: Rachael Petersen


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Avoid Mycetism, Mushroom Pickers! · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

Postage stamps featuring some of Kyrgyzstan's wild mushrooms – edible and non-edible. Images taken from ianbek.kg, used with permission.
“Never eat overripe, clammy, flabby, wormy or spoiled mushrooms,” writes Ian Claytor, translating advice from Kyrgyzstan's Department for Disease Prevention and Expertise in his blog, Postcard from Bishkek. With the mushroom picking season underway in the former Soviet state, the Ministry of Health have come up [ru] with guidelines to help pickers enjoy the pastime safely.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Chris Rickleton


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Crowdsourcing a Fair Election in Bulgaria · Global Voices
Ruslan Trad

The government of Boyko Borisov fell on Feb. 20, 2013 after a month of incessant protests, and in less than five days, on May 12, Bulgarian citizens will elect a new parliament (an in-depth GV text is here).
There are doubts, however, about the fairness of the upcoming vote. To help monitor the violations of the electoral process, Bulgarian activists have created several online tools.
On Twitter, netizens can report violations and post updates using these hashtags: #bgizbori2013, #izbori2013, and #izbori (izbori means ‘elections’ in Bulgarian).

author: Ruslan Trad


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Dar Sketches: Art for Sustainable Development · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dar Sketches is part of the Street Level project in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania initiated by artist and illustrator Sarah Markes:
It is a celebration of the cultural and architectural heritage of Dar es Salaam as well as an effort to raise awareness of the threats to this heritage posed by rapid and unplanned urban development.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Gas Tanker Explosion in Mexico Leaves at Least 19 Dead · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

The explosion of a gas tanker has left at least 19 people dead and 36 injured, according to the latest reports. The blast occurred in Ecatepec de Morelos County (State of Mexico) early in the morning of May 7, 2013.
Ecatepec is part of Greater Mexico City.
Mexican newspaper El Universal [es], on its online version, was one of the first outlets to break the news:
Una pipa que al parecer transportaba gas explotó la madrugada de hoy en el perímetro de la comunidad de San Pedro Xalostoc, lo que provocó un número indeterminado de heridos y muertos así como el incendio de varios vehículos a la redonda, informó Protección Civil Municipal de Ecatepec.
El secretario de Seguridad Ciudadana del Estado de México, Salvador Neme Sastré, informó que hasta el momento el saldo (es) de 13 personas fallecidas y 13 lesionadas, así como 15 vehículos afectados y 20 domicilios que presentan diversos daños.
A truck that was carrying what seems to be gas exploded this morning in the outskirts of the San Pedro Xalostoc community, causing an undetermined number of injuries and deaths and setting several vehicles on fire, reported Ecatepec County's Civil Protection.
The state's Secretary of Citizen Security, Salvador Neme Sastré, informed that up until now the death toll is 13 people plus 13 injured, as well as 15 damaged vehicles and 20 houses.
Milenio [es] on its online version reported the cause of the accident:
Picture shared by @NoticiasMVS on Twitter
El incidente ocurrió debido a que uno de los tanques de gas de la pipa, que era de doble remolque, se desprendió del vehículo, lo que generó el estallido y después el incendio.
Bomberos de Ecatepec reportaron afectaciones en inmuebles aledaños por el fuego y la onda expansiva, además que de que se registraron al menos otras dos explosiones de tanques estacionarios de las casas que se incendiaron.
The accident occurred because one of the gas tanks was twice the size of the trailer; it detached itself and exploded, and consequently caused the fire.
Firemen from Ecatepec reported buildings around the area were damaged by the fire and the blast wave. Also, there were two explosions from gas tanks in nearby houses.
The blog Sopitas [es] also informed that the person responsible for the accident was taken into custody by the authorities:
Ya han detenido al chofer de la pipa, está hospitalizado en el Hospital Magdalena de las Salinas, su nombre es Omar Díaz Olivares. La empresa de la pipa es Termo Gas. Ya se contabilizan 18 muertos, 40 heridos 23 domicilios afectados y 15 vehículos calcinados.
The truck driver was arrested and he's at Hospital Magdalena de las Salinas. His name is Omar Días Olivares. The company that owns the pipe is Termo Gas. There are already 18 people dead, 40 wounded, 23 houses and 15 vehicles damaged.
On his Twitter account, the Secretary of Citizen Security, Salvador Neme (@NemeSSC) [es], has been updating the numbers of this accident:
@NemeSSC: La cifra que se actualiza es de 18 personas fallecidas y 36 lesionados por la emergencia que se presentó en Ecatepec.
@NemeSSC: The current figure for the incident in Ecatepec is 18 people dead, 36 wounded.
Jenaro Villamil (@jenarovillamil) [es], blogger and journalist, took the opportunity to remind everyone that the state governor, Eruviel Ávila, is on a trip to the Vatican:
@jenarovillamil: Fallecen 18 personas, 36 están heridas, 13 graves, ante la explosión en la carretera México-Pachuca, en Ecatepec. Y Eruviel en El Vaticano.
@jenarovillamil: 18 people die, 36 were wounded, 13 in critical condition after the explosion on México-Pachuca's highway, in Ecatepec. And Eruviel in the Vatican.
User AdryBird (@adyvalencya) [es] recognized first respondents who aided those who couldn't ask for help:
@adyvalencia: Mi reconocimiento a los paramédicos que rescataron, ayudaron y auxiliaron a los perros quemados en la explosión de Ecatepec
@adyvalencia: Let me recognize the paramedics who rescued, helped and cured the dogs burnt at the Ecatepec's explosion
Federico Muñoz J. (@fmunozj) [es] said the following:
@fmunozj: Terrible lo que pasó en Ecatepec. Las imágenes lo dicen todo.
@fmunozj: What happened in Ecatepec is terrible. The images say it all.
As it is already common among Mexicans, there were some who showcased their classism and denigrated those affected by this tragedy, like Ana (@AnaFloresJ) [es] who made reference to the occupation (according to her) of those who died:
@AnaFloresJ: 13 muertos en Ecatepec:
-3 albañiles.
-4 chóferes de combi. [operadores de unidades de transporte público]
-2 boleros. [personas que asean el calzado]
-1 viene-viene [acomodadores de automóviles en vía pública]
-3 asaltantes
@AnaFloresJ: 13 people died in Ecatepec:
- 3 masons.
- 4 public transportation drivers.
- 2 shoe cleaners
- 1 parking lot aid
- 3 thieves
Ecatepec is located in a densely populated area and doesn't have enough basic services; San Pedro Xalostoc (where the accident occurred) is one of the 8 towns that form the county and according to Wikipedia, it hosts many people who lost their home in the 1985 earthquake.

author: J. Tadeo


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Congolese-Italian Woman Joins Italy’s Cabinet  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

[All quotations are translated from the original French articles, except the Twitter quotes, which were originally Italian]
Two months after the February 2013 Italian general election, Prime Minister Enrico Letta, selected by the President Giorgio Napolitano to create a consensus government, revealed the members of his team. Among the surprises was the nomination of  Doctor Cecile Kyenge, specialist in Opthamology, as Minister of Integration. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), she is the first immigrant ever to accede to a ministerial position in Italy.
News website oeildafrique.com described her [fr] as follows:
Cecile Kyenge, member of the Democratic Party, was born on August 28, 1964 in Kambove in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She arrived in Italy in 1983 and is now an Italian citizen. She obtained her degree in medicine and surgery at the Catholic University of Rome, before specialising in opthamology at the University of Modena.
Dr Cecile Kyenge, photo from her Facebook page
Although elected into the left wing Democratic Party during the recent elections, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, she had already become the first woman of African origin to win a seat in parliament, when she was elected provincial councillor in Modena for the Democratic Party. In an article published on afrokanlife.com [fr], Rene Kouame wrote:
The honorable Cecile Kyenge is not taking her first steps in the political life of Italy. She has been a councillor since the last legislature of the Emilia Romagna regional council. At the heart of the Italian Democratic Party she occupied the role of responsibility for the immigration forum for several years. As a human rights supporter, Cecile Kyenge has fought for several years to gain respect for the rights of immigrants in Italy. She is spokesperson of the national movement March First (a national organisation fighting against any kind of discrimination and for respect for the rights of immigrants).
The following video [it] shows Cecile Kyenge swearing in before President G. Napolitano at the Quirinal Palace in Rome:
She has fought for many years for better immigration laws, notably for repeal of the crime of illegal immigration which has filled Italian prisons with people whose only crime, for the most part, is to not have identity papers. News website auxinfosdunain.blogspot.fr covered her journey [fr]:
Minister of the Democratic Party, the first woman of African origin to win a seat in parliament was in the middle of preparing a file on ‘institutional racism’ in Italy. She was also fighting for repealing the crime of illegal immigration and wants to make the job market more accessible to foreigners.
According to Cecile Kyenge, it is also necessary to ‘fight against violence of a sexist, racist, homophobic, or any other, nature.’ Mr Letta, who also belongs to the Democratic Party, exulted in this choice which ‘clearly demonstrates belief in a more integrated, truly multicultural Italy.’
Blog jolpress.com said this [fr] about her:
She owes her position as a M.P. to her engagement at the heart of the Democratic Party in the Emilia-Romagna region. In particular, she looked after immigration questions – the portfolio that she will be in charge of at the heart of the new government.
At the heart of her political, associative and militant combat lies the free circulation of people and the desire for a new citizenship law. What is more, in September 2010, she became national spokesperson for the March First movement where she promoted human rights, including those for migrants.
Before the elections Cecile Kyenge defined her combat objectives [fr] in an article published on blog starducongo.com:
My candidacy represents and gives a voice to the ‘New Italians’ (term designating foreigners who become Italian), these foreigners who only ask to become a citizen. As a minister of the republic, my voice must also defend the community of Italian citizens, because I believe intermixing can and must be an added value in our culture and not an obstacle like some would have us believe for so long.
Of course, as soon as the composition of the government was published, right wing extremists and xenophobes unleashed themselves to denounce her presence among the other ministers. @adilmauro cited Roberto Maroni, ex-Minister of the Interior and leader of the Northern League, on Twitter:
@adilmauro: Cecile Kyenge is not Italian, say those who want to make Italy change. Here we have the League who ‘march on racism’ (said Maroni)
Journalist Enrico Grazioli (@engraz), also on Twitter, commented on the racist reactions :
@engraz: Cecile #kyenge has ‘already been welcomed by the worst of Italy as we should have expected. But she will not be afraid http://t.co/96IdxqSHGV #governoletta

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Lebanon’s Happy Offshore Oil Billboards · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Qifa Nabki writes:
“Lebanon’s Ministry of Energy and Water has launched a new [billboard] campaign promoting the benefits of off-shore oil exploration for the average citizen. The ads contain shots of smiling people aside captions like: “My children and I are staying in Lebanon“ or “I’m going back to work in Lebanon!“”
He continues, sarcastically “Why stop there? I think the Ministry needs a nudge in a more ambitious direction” and suggests adding: “Streets free of traffic jams, private jets, manaqeesh (a pizza-like Lebanese dish) with salmon and caviar, space exploration” etc.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Lebanon’s First Social Media Awards · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Najib at Blog Baladi won the “Blog of the Year” award in Beirut's first Social Media Awards event. He wrote this post about the ceremony in general with comments on some aspects of its organization. He also includes comments about the attitudes of some of the attendees such as those of celebrity Haifa Wehbe, among others.


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Social Media and Sarcasm in Lebanon · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

The Eleventh Room posted some funny tweets about Beirut’s first Social Media Awards event. They said the Social Media Awards  hashtag #SMABeirut was going strong on Twitter days after the event. They added:
“As we were going through them, we couldn’t help but laugh out loud at some pretty sarcastic/hilarious ones. So, we thought we’d share them on our blog.”


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Lebanon’s Migrant Workers Mark May Day · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

KAFA (Enough Racism and Violence) posted [Ar] that the migrant domestic workers in Beirut celebrated Labor's Day by holding a demonstration in which they demanded an end to the Kafala System [Sponsorship System]. The demonstration culminated with a gathering in a public park where the workers shared different aspects from their respective cultures.


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Mozambique Activist Withdraws Candidacy  · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

Lack of transparency and professionalism when choosing candidates, besides a tendency to determine in advance who will take the institution's positions. Those were the reasons given by the human rights activist, Benilde Nhalivilo, to give up candidacy for a seat on the National Elections Commission of Mozambique[pt], a body responsible for overseeing elections in the country. Information on the A Verdade newspaper[pt].

author: Thiana Biondo


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New Captain for West Indies Cricket  · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

The West Indies Cricket Board has announced its team for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy, but what has the region talking is the decision to replace St. Lucian Darren Sammy with Trinidad-born all rounder Dwayne Bravo as captain of the One Day International (ODI) team.
On the Facebook group West Indies Cricket Fans Association (WICFA), Shaka O'Neal wondered about the reasoning behind the decision:
How can you justify taken (sic) the captaincy from Sammy in limited overs, 50 overs but keep him in the 20/20 and test makes no sense to me.
Ezra Hinds understood the rationale but didn't understand the specific appointment:
I support the change from Sammy at the top in the ODI because I have long said that I would like to be able to groom someone in this format. ODI cricket is really losing importance. I see it being slowly and painfully phased out so no bother really.
My problem is the lowered intelligence required to even consider DJ Bravo as a captain of the WI. I really hope one of the franchises calls him during one of the tours later in the year and I hope that Sammy doesn't take it back. We certainly have not done any worse under Sammy as captain and to give that as the reason for the change is very unfortunate.
Randy Wilson wondered who will be the new scapegoat when the team loses:
Sammy out of (sic) Captain so who will people pick on.  when wi start losing [they] don't even got Dr Smith in de team to pick on.  I really don't think Sammy[‘s] captaincy is wi problem.  wi problem is de team consistency in performance. I [hope]…that [in] this champion trophy that wi prove me wrong [and] win the final one.  Sammy[‘s] captaincy have (sic) put de foundations and another captain will build de building.  Sammy have (sic) setup a very [good] attitude in wi – the nver give up attitude – and now lead by a nxt captain can carry wi forward. I'm just hoping for the best in wi [and] to have two troph[ies] in a round in de cabinet of wi.
Sunil Asokan didn't see why there was a need to change leadership at this time:
I don't see the point of a captaincy change. In my opinion Sammy adds more value to the limited overs teams then he does to the Test team. So for me he's an automatic pick for the limited overs versions of the game (both). Man just led the team to a freaking world cup. I have no problems in general with him tactically. A few things here and there that I disagree with but nothing to throw a hissy fit over. If he makes the team he should lead it as far as I'm concerned.
David Springer felt that nationalism and insularity were behind the decision:
I am not surprised at this, the trinis have played their cards well. We now have a captain with a background of refusing to commit himself to the WI and of playing his heart out for the IPL [Indian Premier League] and coming home and reporting tired for WI duty. We have basically put one of the old guard who supported the lack of professionalism that was taking us nowhere back in charge with all of his lieutenants present. Only person missing is Chanderpaul and that's a possibility now too. The regression of WI cricket is about to begin. Next will be the removal of Sammy from the test captaincy which will be followed by the voluntary departure of Gibson as coach.
Meanwhile, over at the Facebook group Saint Lucians Aiming for Progress (S.L.A.P),  Wendy Michael thought that this decision may be for the best:
The silver lining is that he doesn't carry the weight on (sic) the world and everyone's expectations on his shoulders anymore; that couldn't have been easy. He can't be blamed for the sky going grey, or the players’ lack of enthusiasm or the wind blowing in the wrong direction!
Finally, Simeon Christophe maintained that Sammy had done well under pressure:
You see folks from day one they criticized Sammy and questioned his ability both as leader and as player but time after time he proved himself, kept his composure and did the job. The kitchen called West Indies cricket ain't easy and only the best cooks can stand the heat. Sammy stood the test of time as far as I am concerned. As my mother always says, time is longer than twine. One thing for sure, Sammy will continue playing cricket just as he did when he was criticized by all local regional and international, from players to media officials and supporters. I am sure today those very former critics are questioning this move because over time Sammy did prove his worth as leader. You gotta give jack his jacket.

author: Matthew Hunte


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Photos of Modern-Day El Salvador · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

These are not pictures for tourism purposes — these are pictures to educate and illustrate issues facing modern day El Salvador.
Tim's El Salvador Blog links to a collection of photos on Global Eyes Media. The project by Jeff Hammond, Noah Bullock, and Doriana Westerman, “focused on documenting Salvadoran themes that institutionalized poverty and inequality in the country.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Remembering Dennis Kimambo · Global Voices
Janet Feldman

Rising Voices note: This tribute post was written by Janet Feldman, upon learning about the death of Dennis Kimambo of the Rising Voices grantee project REPACTED on April 29, 2013. At the time of publication, the circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated.
When I first heard the news that Dennis Kimambo had been missing for over a week, I was worried, but envisioned him in a rural part of Kenya, conducting an HIV/AIDS educational outreach, or in Dubai, where he had been invited at one point to play in a golf tournament, one of his favorite pastimes.
After the news came that his body had been discovered on April 29, and that he had met a violent death, I could not fathom or accept it. Stan Tuvako, a close friend of ours and the person who actually introduced us, said in the aftermath of the announcement: “it was shocking how much violence this man of peace encountered.”  That this courageous soul faced violence and death again and again over the decade I knew him, and continued to do the work for which he seemed born, was just one of the remarkable qualities we so loved and admired in him.
Dennis had a motto: “humanity before politics.” During the 2007-2008 post-election conflict in Kenya, which threatened to spiral into civil war, Dennis and many others faced threats to their lives and safety on a daily basis, yet continued to reach across political and cultural lines in attempts to quell the violence and encourage tolerance, understanding, and cooperation.
Dennis Kimambo
I knew Dennis virtually for many years before we met in 2007, the only time I would ever see him in person. Our relationship was forged via email and phone, and built on several mutual passions, including the use of arts and media to address HIV/AIDS and health issues, the empowerment of young people, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. I was a mentor in the beginning, but felt like a student myself as he forged ahead in the many forms of activism that distinguished his brief but meaningful life.
Dennis began his career in several youth groups based in his hometown of Nakuru, Kenya. After we met, he became one of the mainstays in the ActALIVE arts coalition I founded in 2002, whose mission was to bring together artists and others using creative approaches to health and development issues, specifically focusing on HIV/AIDS.
In 2001, Dennis and young theatre artists from the Nakuru Players Theatre Club founded the theatre-for-development nonprofit, REPACTED (Rapid Effective Participatory Action in Community Theatre Education and Development), which uses a new and unique form of audience participation and interaction–called “magnet theatre”–to educate young and old, women and men, prisoners, and people already HIV-positive on health issues, behavior change, stigma and discrimination, and self-empowerment. The “Mr. and Miss Red Ribbon” contest, held each year on World AIDS Day (December 1), is an innovative beauty pageant emphasizing the importance of self-esteem and healthy lifestyles for those who are HIV-positive.
Several other opportunities emerged that would carry Dennis and his peers in new directions, including a grant from the MTV “Staying Alive” Foundation that funded HIV/AIDS education and prevention efforts among the male and female inmates at the prison in Nakuru. The grant also allowed community-theatre outreaches to young people to educate them about HIV/AIDS, encourage use of prevention measures, and promote voluntary counselling and testing (VCT).
Dennis (on the right) and colleagues at the REPACTED offices in Nakuru. Photo by David Sasaki and used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.
Dennis and other members of ActALIVE in Kenya, India, Thailand, Nigeria, USA, Uganda, South Africa, and elsewhere became involved in 2005 in the first World AIDS Day activities of the Global Peace Tiles Project, an arts endeavor using collaged tiles as a means to convey messages about peace, health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, and sustainable development.
In 2007-2008, Dennis and other peace activists in Kenya faced perhaps their greatest challenge to date:  quelling the violence that was threatening to kill thousands and destroy the fabric of Kenyan society. He and a group of Kenyans and others from around the world, myself included, became involved in a project called “Pyramid of Peace,” a name coined from an acrobatic act created by the Nafsi Afrika Acrobats based in Nairobi, whose theme is peaceful co-existence among the various tribal groups in Kenya.
The Pyramid of Peace, created under the auspices of the Lithuania-based think-tank Minciu Sodas, helped members in Kenya to confront violence and seek peaceful resolution to conflict. One unique feature of this endeavor was the use of cellphone credits to help us communicate with each other and also to distribute within areas of conflict to the various factions. Dennis credited this approach with saving his life at one point, when he was confronted by an angry mob.
Dennis Kimambo. Photo by David Sasaki and used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.
REPACTED began to incorporate the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) during this time, and the two Rising Voices grants the group received helped immensely to increase and improve their efforts. The first grant enabled the purchase of equipment (video and photo cameras, a computer, and a modem) that allowed REPACTED to introduce a group of 27 young people to the digital world. Blogging was a focal point, and this resulted in invaluable participation in RV's “Blogging Positively” project, which has produced an e-guide, a map of bloggers who write on HIV/AIDS themes, and follow-on discussions about next steps, such as development of a curriculum.
The Rising Voices grant also allowed REPACTED to organize a Youth Media Consultative Forum, to train local residents to gather news and stories and share them with an international audience. Various forms of citizen media were envisioned and used in this project, and magnet theatre formed a central part of these efforts. In addition, REPACTED helped Kenyans displaced by the civil disruptions of 2007-2008 to tell their stories, and in more recent times has organized civic-education activities regarding elections, voting, and constitutional matters, all in hopes of ensuring that history does not repeat itself.
The REPACTED weblog at RV contains four years (2007-2011) of informative and insightful postings about the group and their work.
“Denno,” as his friends often called him, has been described in recent days as a loving father, a wonderful husband, a leader of great vision, a cherished friend, a person of “light,” a force for good, an activist who helped change hearts and minds. He had the dreams of a Martin Luther King, and the courage and determination of a Gandhi. He was a hero to so many of us, and he will be always.
In trying to find a way to recover the inspiration and hopefulness he embodied, and move forward with the work to which Dennis gave his life–and perhaps for which he gave his life (a police investigation is now ongoing as to the motives behind his death)–I am reminded of the lyrics to a song I know he would have loved, called “Times Like These” (Foo Fighters):  “it's times like these you learn to live again, it's times like these you give and give again, it's times like these you learn to love again, time and time again.”
Thanks so much for teaching us how to live, to give, and to love, Dennis! You were and always will be a man for times like these, and what you gave to the world will be remembered and cherished time and time again.

author: Janet Feldman


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Spanish Aristocrat is Link Between North Korea and the World · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

Alejandro Cao de Benós, born in Tarragona, Spain in 1974, is a descendant of the barons of Les in the Aran Valley in northern Catalonia, the earls of Argelejo, and the marquises of Rosalmonte.
Besides his rather unusual lineage, it is unlikely that his name would be widely known if this 39-year-old Catalonian was not an important foreign spokesperson for the North Korean regime.
Founder and president of the Korean Friendship Association (KFA), he is an honorary special delegate of the country, where he is known as Cho Son-il, meaning “Korea is one”. In an interview with Tribuna Popular [es] he explained the origin of his relationship with the Asian country:
Con 16 años tuve posibilidad de conocer a mis primeros camaradas de la RPD de Corea que residían en Madrid (Representación Permanente ante la Organización Mundial del Turismo). El interés se convirtió en pasión y me identifiqué plenamente no sólo con la ideología del Presidente Kim Il Sung, sino con los principios y valores morales del pueblo coreano.
When I was 16 years old I had the chance to meet my first comrades of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea who were living in Madrid (Permanent Representation to the World Tourism Organisation). The interest became a passion and I fully identified not only with the ideology of President Kim Il Sung, but also the principles and moral values of the Korean people.
It is surprising that a regime as secretive as that of North Korea trusts a foreigner. However, Cao de Benós has been awarded honours thanks to this trust, such as being a special delegate of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, an honorary member of the Workers’ Party of Korea, an honorary member of the Korean People's Army and an honorary journalist for North Korea.
Screen grab of Alejandro Cao de Benós's Facebook page
But some people in the media doubt the actual influence of Cao de Benós, who is considered to be an outsider that Pyongyang uses to clean up its image abroad. They believe that in reality he only has contact with minor officials and can not access any relevant information, which seems to confirm his comments on the succession of Kim Jong Il in a letter to the newspaper El Mundo [es] on September 18, 2010:
Kim Jong Un es un total desconocido tanto para la población como las autoridades de la RPD de Corea. En 18 años de trabajo, jamás he visto su foto o leído un libro sobre él. Si existiera, nunca sería aceptado por el pueblo o el ejército.
Kim Jong Un is a total stranger to both the people and the authorities of the DPRK. In 18 years of work, I have never seen a photograph of him or read a book about him. If such things existed, he would never be accepted by the people or the army.
A year later, however, after the death of Kim Jong Il and the succession of his son Kim Jong Un, he radically changed his opinion in El Confidencial:
Es muy joven, pero es un general muy bien preparado (…) Ha aprendido mucho de su padre, le ha seguido de cerca profesionalmente, como es tradición en Corea del Norte y en la filosofía confucionista.
He is very young, but he is a very well-prepared general (…) He has learned a lot from his father, he has followed him professionally, as is the tradition in North Korea and in Confucian philosophy.
Cao de Benós has been very busy recently, since he is the only foreigner with official permission to discuss the North Korean regime, and he has been giving interviews and lecturing non-stop. On April 18, 2013, the following declarations were made in the Diari de Tarragona [es]:
[¿Sería capaz Corea del Norte de atacar al propio Estados Unidos?]  También. Podemos alcanzar cualquier punto del país. Tenemos capacidad tecnológica para ello. Colocamos tres satélites en órbita para usos pacíficos, pero podemos emplear la misma tecnología para usos militares. (…)
Si Estados Unidos se atreve a usar uranio empobrecido contra nosotros, no dudaremos en responder con armamento nuclear. Y esto afectaría a todo el mundo.
[Would North Korea be able to attack the United States itself?] Also. We can reach any part of the country. We have the technological capacity to do so. We placed three satellites into orbit for peaceful purposes, but we can utilise the same technology for military purposes. (…)
If the United States dares to use depleted uranium against us, we will not hesitate to respond with nuclear weapons. And this would affect the whole world.
But it is not the first time that Cao de Benós has made controversial statements. Back in September, 2010, he spoke about Amnesty International in an interview with the newspaper El Imparcial [es]:
Alejandro Cao de Benós working in Pyongyang in 2011. Photograph taken from his Facebook page.
(…) cada año publican una lista de los países que más violan los derechos humanos y en la que el primer lugar lo ocupa, casi siempre, Corea del Norte. Pues bien, AI no ha visitado jamás el país. (…) Esto demuestra que estas supuestas ONGs no son más que instrumentos políticos de Estados Unidos y la CIA.
(…) every year a list is published of the countries that most violate human rights, and in first place, almost always, is North Korea. Well, AI has never visited the country. (…) This shows that these so-called NGOs are nothing more than political instruments of the U.S. and the CIA.
When asked about the North Korean regime's concentration camps by El País [es] in December, 2011, Cao de Benós responded:
No existen. Son campos de reeducación donde los presos trabajan y estudian la doctrina del régimen (…) Yo mismo he mandado a dos personas a campos de reeducación.
They do not exist. They are reeducation camps where prisoners work and study the doctrine of the regime (…) I myself have sent two people to reeducation camps.
Although North Korea is a secretive country where the Internet is prohibited, Cao de Benós, who lives in Spain, is extremely active on the web. He has a Twitter account, a Facebook page and a blog [es] that he uses to express his ideas and attract supporters. And that is precisely what he has been doing recently; he launched an ipetition to organise international support groups for North Korea. On March 11, 2013, he tweeted:
@DPRK_CAODEBENOS: Show your support by joining the DPRK International Defense Brigade! * Apoye la brigada de defensa de la RPDC!
A conference given by Cao de Benós in the Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain) on March 15, 2012. Photograph taken from his Facebook page.
In a few days the petition had reached 1000 signatures, and since then enrollment in these groups can be made by email, as Cao de Benós explains in his blog [es].
But that is not all he has been doing. Cao de Benós also organises trips to North Korea through the country's official website, which he administers. The trips, which cost around $3100 for American citizens and $2450 for everyone else (not including the plane from Beijing), last for 8 days and cannot be taken by people related to the media.
On Twitter, opinions on Cao de Benós are divided, as these two tweets from Ragnarok (@Ragnarok_Madrid) and Sr. Sawa (@Pornosawa) show:
@Ragnarok_Madrid: Acabarás siendo el Bin Laden español grandullón, no sé qué beneficio sacas de tus declaraciones, yo que tu lo dejaría..
@Ragnarok_Madrid: You'll end up being the overgrown Spanish Bin Laden. I don't know what benefit you get from your statements, if I were you I'd leave it…
@Pornosawa: Cao de Benós está reclutando una brigada internacional con españoles para defender Corea http://t.co/odG5HwWodE @agarzon TEN HUEVOS Y ÚNETE
@Pornosawa: Cao de Benós is recruiting an international brigade to defend Korea with Spaniards. http://t.co/odG5HwWodE @agarzon HAVE GUTS AND JOIN.

author: Lourdes Sada


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Spanish Blogger Goes After Anti-Catalan Prejudice in Viral Video · Global Voices
Cristina Simón

A YouTube video featuring an Andalusian Spanish blogger criticizing xenophobic attitudes in Spain toward the region of Catalonia has gone viral.
Blogger Mel Domínguez (@focusings) uploaded the video [es] to her Youtube channel [es] on April 8th, 2013 as a response to anti-Catalanism she has encountered in Spain. It has so far garnered more than two million views and more than 35,000 comments.
The video comes at a time when tensions are high between Spain and the autonomous community of Catalonia. With economic crisis ravaging the Iberian peninsula, the movement for independence in Catalonia has gained popular support, straining relations between the region and the rest of the country.
Domínguez, a 23-year-old Huelva native, has been living in Barcelona for two years. In her video, titled “¡A mí me hablas en español!” or “Speak to me in Spanish!”, she deconstructed what she called “false myths” about the Catalan people:
She began by asserting:
Estoy en contra de los españoles que odian a los catalanes por inercia, pero también estoy en contra de los catalanes que odian a los españoles con la misma intensidad.
She asserted that, in her native Andalusia, she was “raised to hate” the Catalan people and Catalonia as symbols of all Spain's ills. Domínguez explained that after moving to Barcelona, she came to believe that another people's desire for political independence is perfectly valid:
¿Es que están ofendiendo a alguien por pensar que su tierra merece un estado propio? Mientras no sean radicales que van insultando a España, su pensamiento independiente me parece totalmente respetable. […] Cuando crecí y empecé a conocer esta tierra, me di cuenta de que es una tontería odiar por odiar.
Domínguez also sought to set the record straight about “false myths,” such as a commonly held belief that Spanish speakers in Catalonia are marginalized and face discrimination, or that the Catalan-language is a dialect of Spanish:
Un dialecto es el andaluz, el canario, el murciano. El catalán se rige por sus propias reglas ortográficas, sus propias conjugaciones verbales, su propia escritura.
Domínguez also explained that when she was young, her desire to watch the Catalan-language television program “Crackòvia” [ca] led to often heated arguments with her father, who would say, “I'd watch English television before anything in Catalan” — an attitude Domínguez qualified as radical: to hate “just because”, in her own words. She concluded:
Sé que no voy a cambiar el mundo grabando este vídeo, pero me he desahogado.
Chica, et felicito per la teva inteligència, simpatía i sentit de l'humor. M'has fet pasar una bona estona. Si hi haguès a Espanya molta gent que pensès com tu tot aniría millor. Moltes gràcies guapetona!!!!
Lawyer Sergi Atienza [ca] (@SergiAtienza_) tweeted:
@SergiAtienza_: Una mica d'aire demòcrata i respecte des d'Espanya. Viva la madre que te parió, y gracias! @focusings http://dlvr.it/3D9Z87 @catalanofobia
Nevertheless, despite clarifying her position against all forms of radicalism, Domínguez wasn't able to evade criticism — and in some cases, personal insults — from those who don't share her vision. It should be noted, however, that her detractors continue to fall in the minority of those who reacted to her video.
Víctor García Glez (@uvejeje) wrote on Twitter:
@uvejeje: Su vídeo sobre la “catalanofobia” me parece una de las chorradas más imbéciles y victimistas que vi en años. Enhorabuena.
Some netizens, such as Twitter user Santiago Sánchez (@murcianista77) went as far to question her own national authenticity:
@murcianista77: si eres andaluza no eres neutral, gilipollas.una buena andaluza es antiindependentista.
Beyond the blogosphere, various media outlets, such as El País [es] and television channel 8 TV [ca], have reported on Domínguez's video. La Vanguardia [es] has even hired her to offer her videos as scoops to its readers.
This video coincides with a broader initiative in Catalonia to fight perceived anti-Catalanism. Beyond displays of national and cultural pride, such as the region's traditional Diada holiday and last summer's controversial grassroots translation of Twitter's interface, activists have been deliberately pushing back against a rising tide of anti-Catalan sentiment in Spain's public and private spheres.
Aside from the Domínguez video, a notable case has been the website Apuntem.cat [ca], which has had far-reaching success in denouncing anti-Catalan activity online by collecting and sharing racist tweets and blog posts.

author: Cristina Simón


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The Team Tanzania TV Drama Series · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Team Tanzania is a TV drama series about:
[…] Ms. Wito, a dynamic civics teacher, who turns the world of 3 teenagers upside down when she challenges them with controversial questions like “Who are you”? The three 16-year olds, who have known each other all their lives. On the edge of adulthood, they are searching for their own identities while facing family and cultural pressures.


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The Voice of Africa From All Over the World · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Africa on the Blog is a blog by people of African heritage:
The  big deal for us here is that we as Africans are telling our stories in our own words as well as talking about issues that affect us.


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Turf War Brewing in Brazil Over Corruption Investigations · Global Voices
Débora Medeiros

[All links lead to Portuguese language pages, except when otherwise noted.]
On the heels of a landmark corruption case[en] in Brazil that saw former members of ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government convicted of participating in a vote-buying scheme, a proposed constitutional amendment in Brazil would hand over much of the investigative powers of the public prosecutors’ office, which prosecuted that case, to police.
Under discussion in the House of Representatives, the proposed amendment[en], dubbed by critics as the “bill of impunity”, aims to restrict the authority of carrying out criminal investigations to police. Currently, the prosecutors’ office can lead investigations just like police can, a measure enacted[en] after Brazil's military dictatorship to counter the country's culture of corruption with another level of accountability.
Former Police Commissioner and Federal Deputy Lourival Mendes, who authored the proposal, has defended the amendment, saying that one institution, not two or more, should be in charge of investigations. The Public Ministry[en], as the federal public prosecutors’ office is called, should be limited to prosecuting cases that originate from evidence gathered by the police, according to Mendes.
But the independence of the prosecutors’ office has paved the way for many major cases, such as the prosecution of former Judge Nicolau dos Santos Neto who was convicted of bribery, embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering in 2006, as prosecuting attorney Janice Ascari (@JaniceAscari) highlighted on Twitter:
@JaniceAscari: Importante: o caso do Juiz Nicolau foi investigado diretamente pelo MPF e sem nenhuma participação da Polícia. #PEC37
@JaniceAscari: Important: the case against Judge Nicolau was directly investigated by the Federal Public Ministry and without any participation from the Police #PEC37
“Against the PEC 37″. Illustration publicized by the site “Brasil contra a impunidade” (Brazil against impunity).
Many institutional bodies would be affected by the so-called PEC 37, including the Secretariat of the Federal Revenue of Brazil [en], the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources [en], and the  Central Bank of Brazil [en], but it is the Public Ministry which has spoken out against the measure most, headquartering their mobilization on the website Brasil Contra a Impunidade [Brazil Against Impunity].
An Avaaz petition has already gathered more than 96,000 signatures opposing the proposed amendment as of May 4, 2013, and the prosecutors’ office in the Brazilian state of Ceará has released a song supporting cause.
On April 22, 2013, the prosecutors’ office in the state of São Paulo called for protest against the amendment on Twitter. Using the hashtags #NãoPEC37 and #PEC37, many Twitter users have spoken out their opinions on the subject.
Lawyer Renato Buosi (@renatobuosi) raises the question:
@renatobuosi: A quem interessa fazer com que o Ministério Público não tenha competência para investigações??? #Brasil #NaoPEC37
@renatobuosi: Who is interested in making the Public Ministry powerless in investigations??? #Brasil #NaoPEC37
Blogger Cláudio Fontes (@Claudioffontess) ruled out the need for such a law:
@Claudioffontess: O Brasil não precisa de #PEC37, de Copa do Mundo, de Olimpíadas e muito menos de CORRUPÇÃO, o Brasil precisa de SAÚDE, SEGURANÇA E EDUCAÇÃO!
@Claudioffontess: Brazil does not need the amendment #PEC37, the World Cup, Olympics and CORRUPTION, Brazil needs HEALTH, SAFETY AND EDUCATION!
Some police organizations are leading campaigns in defense of the amendment, such as the National Association of the Federal Police Commissioners and the Association of the Police Commissioners of Brazil, which is responsible for the website PEC da legalidade [PEC of legality].
Even among police, however, there are those who are against the bill, such as federal police agent FC Garisto (@FCGaristo) who affirmed:
@FCGaristo: Na POLÍCIA FEDERAL somente os delegados defendem a IMUNDA #PEC37 – 90% da PF é Contra essa Vergonhosa PEC que defende a corrupção !
@FCGaristo: In the FEDERAL POLICE force, only police commissioners advocate in favor of the DISGUSTING #PEC37 – 90% of the Federal Police are against this Shameful PEC which defends corruption! !
Journalist Decio Neves (@DecioNeves) pointed out one of the possible motivations behind legislators voting in favor of the proposal in a special committee of the House of Representatives, where the PEC 37 was approved with 14 votes on November 21, 2012:
@DecioNeves: LEGISLANDO EM CAUSA PRÓPRIA: Dos 14 deputados que aprovaram a #PEC37 9 estão sendo processados com ajuda do MP http://twitpic.com/ck95kf
@DecioNeves: TO LEGISLATE FOR THEIR OWN CAUSE: From the 14 deputies who approved the #PEC37 nine are being prosecuted with the assistance of the Public Ministry http://twitpic.com/ck95kf
The proposal is ready to be voted on in the House of Representatives. If approved, it will be forwarded to the Senate. Concerning that, Twitter user De Olho na Serra (@todolho) foresaw:
@todolho: Na votação da PEC37 se verá quem é quem. Corruptos serão pró. Os ainda com esperança de salvação votarão contra.
@todolho: We will see who is who in the PEC 37 voting session. Corrupt will be in favor of it. Those who do still have hope of salvation will vote against it.

author: Débora Medeiros


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US Invitation to Sudanese Official Draws Wide Condemnation · Global Voices
Usamah Mohamed

The United States government faced a wave of criticism when news surfaced about an official invitation it has extended to a senior delegation of the Sudanese government, particularly including Nafie Ali Nafie, Sudan's ruling party controversial strongman and Presidential adviser to President Omar Hasan al-Bashir.
In late April, a Department of State official told the Associated Press that Nafie and other officials have accepted an invitation to Washington DC for a “candid discussion on the conflicts and humanitarian crises within Sudan.” Another top State Department official explained to AFP that the U.S. had invited Nafie “after he voiced an interest in traveling to Washington”.
Considered a reward to the Sudanese government despite its ill-reputed record of undemocratic conduct and committing of war crimes in Darfur, the invitation drew wide criticism from the Sudanese activist community at large, as well as US congressmen and US-based Sudan advocacy groups, questioning Nafie befitting to be honored such an invitation.
Dark history
In the early 1990s, a time at which securing its grip on power was the Sudanese regime's top priority, Nafie headed the notorious National Security and Intelligence Service, NISS, during which he was a mastermind of the practices and policies that shaped the ongoing legacy of the security apparatus. Specifically, Nafie is widely believed to be the architect behind establishing what is commonly known in Sudan as “Ghost Houses”, off-the-record detention safe houses at which security agents hold political activists captive without due process or judicial oversight.
Mass human rights violations reportedly have been documented to take place in these ghost houses, including but not limited to torture, rape, disappearance and killing that thousands of political activists faced.
Reports also accuse Nafie of personally participating in committing such violations, including in one incident the beating up of a detainee during interrogation sessions! In a 2008 interview, Nafie bluntly admitted and endorsed the torture of political dissents in his presence, arguing that his mission was to protect the regime, “not play cards with them”.
Unpopular
Nafie is arguably one the most disliked officials among Sudanese people. Well-known for his provocative speeches and statements in which he publicly scoffs Sudanese opposition at large, he is also credited for displaying contempt for any calls for political reform or change in Sudan.
“Lick your elbow!”, an expression he once used to ridicule what he believes is the opposition's inability to overthrow the regime became a remarkable reminder of his ill-mannered and disrespectful attitude towards the Sudanese. During the June-July protest movement of last year, dubbed on social media as #SudanRevolts (See Global Voices Online's special coverage of #SudanRevolts), protesters nicknamed one of the Friday protest days the “Elbow Licking Friday”, in an act of defiance and to challenge Nafie's assumptions.
In early 2012, a young student activist walked into a discussion panel held at University of Khartoum, which Nafie was addressing as a guest. Standing a few feet from Nafie, the activist delivered a speech, in which he harshly criticized Nafie for corruption and other wrongdoing. A video of the incident was uploaded on the Internet, and went immediately viral, viewed by hundreds of thousands online, making the activist an idol among Sudanese for standing up to the fearsome Nafie.
The activist was subsequently arrested and spent a month in prison before he was released without charge.
Bitter disappointment
It is no wonder then, that for a man with such qualities, so to speak, and such history, the US invitation came off as surprising, if not quite shocking, to many Sudanese who suffered and continue to suffer from Nafie's and Sudan government's ill-fated record of oppression, brutal human rights violations and crimes. The non-violent youth movement Girifna (translates to “We Are Fed Up”) wrote a strong-worded Open Letter to US President Barack Obama, describing Nafie's invitation as a “big mistake”.
The letter went on explaining the miscalculations the US government makes by succumbing to the regime's propaganda machine that portrays the ruling National Congress Party as the sole guarantor of peace and stability in Sudan, before concluding:
The Sudanese people yearn for and believe in an alternative: democracy, justice, accountability and peace. If the US government is interested in helping the Sudanese people achieve this alternative, it must not stand in our way. Talking to this regime is one thing, but legitimizing it is a mistake.
The youth movement also launched an online campaign on Twitter, urging those concerned about Nafie's invitation to voice their objection to US government and officials, using the hashtag #NafieTheButcher. Many responded.
@TheDooda: Shame on @StateDept @USEmbassyKRT @BarackObama for inviting #NafieTheButcher for “talks”… He has blood on his hands, literally! @girifna
Azaz Shami, a Sudanese journalist and activist explained on Twitter that “whoever made the decision to invite Nafie is unforgivably unacquainted with Sudan complexity”, as having him “will do anything but bringing peace”:
@sudanesedream: #NafieTheButcher z nastiest NCP member who enjoy insulting #Sudan ese pple. he isnt representing us @AmbassadorRice @BarackObama
@MuzanAlneel: I am v. happy about the invitation of #NafieTheButcher to USA, maybe finally it'll be clear that America is no friend of the people of Sudan
@yasirya7ia: Lesson learnt, no matter how bloody your hands are, you are still welcome in the US
Cc @BarackObama
@AmbassadorRice
#NafieTheButcher
Khalid Ewais, a Sudanese activist, renowned novelist and journalist at Al Arabiya TV, asserted [Ar]:
@KhalidEwais: واشنطن ترتكب خطأً أخلاقياً وسياسياً بالغاً وفادحاً بدعوتها مساعد الرئيس السوداني، نافع علي نافع، أحد “جزاري” نظام البشير، لحوارٍ معها !
Washington commits a moral mistake and grave and fatal political one by its invitation to the Sudanese President adviser, Nafie Ali Nafie, one of Bashir's regime “butchers” for dialogue!
The real deal?
The question that begs itself for many in Sudan however, remains whether the US invitation to Nafie and his delegation is a fit of enthusiastic albeit misguided diplomacy, or rather a thought-out policy shift in which the US considers the current regime in Sudan an ally, despite its public pro-democracy rhetoric.

author: Usamah Mohamed


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Wiretapping Scandal, Voter Disillusionment Ahead of Bulgaria’s Elections · Global Voices
Nevena Borisova

Bulgarian citizens will have to make some difficult choices as they go to the polls on May 12, 2013 to vote in the parliamentary election.
The election had originally been scheduled for July, but the date was changed after the Feb. 20 resignation of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s government, following the nationwide protests against high electricity prices, low living standards and corruption scandals. On March 13, President Rosen Plevneliev appointed an interim cabinet, which will work until the election.
There are 240 seats in the Bulgarian Parliament, and a party would need 121 seats to form a majority. After a series of scandals and protests, the issue of the potential winner is a divisive subject for the Bulgarian society. The main political forces competing in the polls include [.pdf] the former ruling party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB); the Socialist Party, which is currently the main opposition force; the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which represents the country’s Turkish minority; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria, led by the former PM Ivan Kostov; Bulgaria for Citizens Movement, led by the former European Commissioner (2007-2009) and former Foreign Minister (2002-2006) Meglena Kuneva; and the far-right party Ataka.
Bulgarian Roulette, featuring logos of the parties running in the upcoming election. Image by Vladimir Doychinov, used with permission.
Ivan Bakalov, editor-in-chief of E-vestnik.bg, a Bulgarian alternative online media outlet, comments [bg] in an editorial:
Who is going to win the election? For now, the answer is – nobody. A research by the sociology agency BBSS Gallup International (March 7-12) showed that GERB and the Bulgarian Socialist Party are almost equal on votes.
Elections 2013. Image by Vladimir Doychinov, used with permission.
A reader named Georgieva expresses her mood in this comment [bg]:
For the first time I feel a complete disgust with all kinds of political parties. I don’t want any familiar face, neither from the left nor from the right, from none of the points of the political spectrum. […]
Similar comments can be found on Facebook. User Radosveta Dimova, for example, writes [bg]:
[…] People who hope for a savior to come and are not self-reliant, people who want someone else to “fix” them, they are not right-wing, left-wing or centrist. They do not know what they want, they do not want to learn how to achieve it and they do not want to work as they should and to vote for whoever they should. These people are not interested in democratic values, they do not recognize them, and they haven’t lived in a society with that kind of values. […]
A number of political scandals taking place alongside the election campaign have complicated the Bulgarian electorate’s moods even further.
At the end of April, the Bulgarian media received an anonymous report, written in shorthand, of a meeting between the ex-PM Boyko Borisov, the former Minister of Agriculture and Food Miroslav Naydenov and the Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov. The letter, sent from boykonaydenov@gmail.ru, began this way:
If you think the former Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov has stopped spying on you after February 20, 2013, you are wrong. But I’m nearly certain you know it. Because I am one of those spying on you. I am an employee of SDOTO (Specialized Direction “Operative Technical Operations); I still work there, and do what chiefs order me to do. With this email I am informing you about the last case of illegal spying in which I was involved. […]
The sender elaborated on the focus of the wiretapped conversation:
[…] At the beginning of April, my colleagues and I eavesdropped on a discussion between Borisov, former Agriculture Minister Naydenov, and Sofia City Prosecutor Kokinov, on how to drop corruption charges against Naydenov and a number of other things important for the country. We were told we were on a “training mission” on Tsvetanov's order, despite the fact Petya Parvanova was already caretaker Interior Minister. Why did we agree to become involved? There is one word to explain it – FEAR!
After all these things at the office to which I am dedicated, honestly, I am sick and tired. I consulted attorneys and they told me what the law says about this conversation we taped – those being recorded and those recording have committed a crime. It is clear about us – we have snooped illegally regardless of the person – be it the former PM or a waiter from the pub next door. But from what the attorneys told me, I think what is more important is the crimes committed by Borisov, Naydenov, and Kokinov, while chatting. All three are accomplices in crime, according to the Penal Code, as they have plotted to spoil criminal proceedings in order to help someone avoid prosecution and punishment. This calls for 1 to 6 years behind bars. I am still somewhat confused though about another crime – leaking State secrets. Was it committed only by Kokinov, or all three are guilty of it? This is punishable by 2 to 8 years of jail time. […]
The disclosure happened a day after the former Interior Minister swore he had not conducted phone tapping. As a result of the scandal, City Prosecutor Kokinov resigned, and, a few days later, criminal proceedings started against four high-ranking officials in the Bulgarian Interior Ministry.
Meanwhile, a recent poll conducted by sociologist Mira Radeva states [bg] that the former ruling party might win most of the votes. The alternative publication Offnews.bg accused [bg] Radeva of pro-government bias.
E-vestnik.bg's Ivan Bakalov makes these forecasts [bg] in another editorial:
[…] It seems that Borisov’s party is beginning to fall into isolation. What is the alternative? Many people don’t want to vote for this party, but they don’t find a relevant alternative. What are the opportunities?
[…]
What are the arguments against the Socialist Party? [They] promise to build the Nuclear Power Plant in Belene, which is a risky investment for a state in a difficult financial situation. And it is a risk from the ecological point of view as well. […]
Bakalov points out that the Socialist Party has also “promised to lift the smoking ban in Bulgaria” – which, according to him, is “populism.” As for Bulgaria for Citizens Movement, Bakalov writes:
[…] This is another party that has a chance to enter the next Parliament (in addition to the Socialist Party, the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, and “Ataka”). This is the party most attacked by the media controlled by GERB. […]
Bulgaria's ex-PM Boyko Borisov sitting on top of a citizen, luring him to vote. Image by Vladimir Doychinov, used with permission.
Bulgarian journalist Ivo Indzhev writes [bg] on his blog, in a post that has been re-published in a number of alternative media outlets:
[…] One of our leading national specifics is obviously that here the bell is really ringing twice for the deaf people in order for them to open their eyes. This is an explanation of the marked tendency of GERB to be the winners in the polls, although, according to the logic of democracy, they should lose catastrophically […].
[…]
Borisov understands what attracts people to him, and he tells them: “The more wiretapping devices are used, the stronger we become.” In translation, he is appealing to everyone who does not care about the democratic procedures to unite under his direction as the “proletariat” against the democracy. When someone is so candid, how can one not believe in the conspiracy statements that GERB had organized the wiretapping scandal themselves? […]
Reader PETQ left this comment [bg] for Indzhev:
Mr. Indzhev, the closer the election is, the more GERB supporters mobilize. It’s visible even in your blog. Recently, the first comments under almost all of your articles are written by people who support GERB. I’m sure these are not your usual readers and there are thousands of more suitable sites for Borisov's fans to write at. However, obviously a lot money is paid in order for the public opinion to be manipulated on the Internet. And they obviously expect that the people who read your blog will say: “Well, even here people have changed their minds and it seems most of them are going to vote for GERB.”

author: Nevena Borisova


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Yemen: Open Letter to Obama  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yemeni blogger Noon Arabia writes an open letter to US President Barak Obama in which she says:
All Yemenis are against terrorism and condemn Al-Qaeda, yet are also  against the violent and unethical use of predator drones in combating  them. We are against the death of civilians, whom you refer to as  collateral damage in the war against terror. We are against the  long-term effects on their communities and their lives. We are against any extrajudicial killings.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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After Fatality, May 6 Displays Troubles & Resilience of Russian Protest Movement · Global Voices
Daniel Alan Kennedy

The Russian opposition, it seems, can't catch a break. Sometimes, this is because the Kremlin's political technologists outmaneuver them. Other times, it is thanks to internal bickering. On May 6, 2013, however, the culprit was plain bad luck. On May 6, Muscovites planned to assemble at Bolotnaya Square for the largest rally in a year, in order to commemorate the anniversary of the now infamous protests at the same location on May 6, 2012, when demonstrators and riot police clashed violently for the first and only time in Russia's 2011-2012 protest season. Investigators have charged twenty-eight people with varying degrees of involvement in the “rioting,” making this group a cause célèbre for the Russian opposition, which views them as political prisoners.
Demonstrators through the sanctioned opposition rally on Bolotnaya Square in downtown Moscow, 6 May 2013, photo by Alexander Chernavskiy, copyright © Demotix.
After months of preparation and weeks of wrangling with the Moscow authorities for permission to hold the protest, a tragic fatality marred the event before it could even begin. When the rally's start was just six hours away, a falling speaker crushed to death 25-year-old Maksim Melkov, a volunteer helping to set up the stage. When police declared the stage area a potential crime scene, it seemed possible that organizers might have to cancel the entire event. Shortly thereafter, however, the Mayor's office announced the demonstration could continue without the stage. Amidst the confusion, anti-opposition spambots flooded Twitter with messages bearing the hashtags “sick of protests” [ru] and “the opposition has faded away” [ru].
Twitterbots simultaneously tweeting the hashtag “the opposition has faded away”
Such tactics failed to distract Ekho Moskvy journalist Serguei Parkhomenko, who quickly took to Facebook, where he tried to coordinate alternative logistical arragements in a post [ru] that attracted over 130 “shares”:
Друзья, пожалуйста, прекратить битья головами об углы и причитать,”какой кошмар”. Да, случилось ужасное несчастье. Но именно потому, что оно ужасное, сейчас не истериковать нужно, а очень слаженно работать, чтобы в создавшейся ситуации ситуация не пошла вразнос.
Ситауция таков: поскольку трагедия случилась в самом начале работ, сцены нет, и звука нет. Место монтажа оцеплено полицией. Организаторы (не я) продолжают переговоры с мэрией о том, как быть дальше […]
Итак, нужны:
1) Большой грузовик с откидывающимися бортами
2) генераторы
3) мощные динамики
4) усилители
5) пульт
6) кабели для всего этого
[…]
Если кто-то может помочь – немедленно пишите мне в личные сообщения.
И пожалуйста, не истерите здесь больше. Не накачивайте друг друга, не орите истошно. Просто помогите.
Friends, please stop beating your heads against the wall and proclaiming “what a disaster.” Yes, a horrible accident has occurred. But, exactly because it is horrible, we don't need to get hysterical. Instead we need to work as a team, so the situation doesn't get away from us.
The situation is this: insofar as the tragedy happened at the very beginning of the work, there is no stage and no sound. The rigging is cordoned off by police. The organizers (not me) are in talks with the mayor about how to continue. […]
And so we need:
1) A large truck with removable sides.
2) generators
3) powerful speakers
4) amplifiers
5) a mixing board
6) cables for all of this
[…]
If someone can help, quickly get in touch with me.
And please, no more hysterics about this. Don't work yourselves up, and don't lose your heads. Just pitch in.
Some oppositionists were keen to turn Melkov into something of a martyr. User social_hipster[ru] tweeted:
Максим Мелков – жертва режима!
Maksim Melkov is a victim of the regime!
Pro-regime netizens were less impressed by oppositionists’ handling of the tragedy. Twitter user xstazik was happy to take the opportunity to troll the protestors:
погиб человек, а этим лишь бы помитинговать #6мая #ОппозицияСдулась
A person has died, but these guys just want to have their rally #6may #TheOppositionHasFadedAway
Blogger alekssidor [ru] also disapproved:
Организаторы готовят аппаратуру к митингу на крови
The organizers are setting up the equipment for their protest on blood
While organizers did manage to acquire a truck and a sound-system, a lack of adequate amplification plagued the event's speeches. Journalist Oleg Kashin, perhaps given the circumstances, decided to forgo a speech. Instead, he sang an a capella version of seminal Soviet punk band Grazhdanskaya Oborona‘s best known song, “Everything is going to plan” [ru], to the apparent bafflement of many in attendance.
The confusion was shared by others online, as well, including those who enjoyed it. LiveJournal user langobard wrote [ru]:
сказать откровенно, я Кашина после вчерашнего зауважал.
Хотя один мелкий обывательский вопрос все равно мозолит мозги. Все-таки он бухой был или нет? Ну чего уж, ну принято интересоваться про это в таких вот случаях.
I can honestly say that I respect Kashin after what happened yesterday.
Just one little parochial question all the same pops into my head. Was he wasted or what? No big deal, it's just interesting to know in such cases, that's all.
Kashin, of course, is an extremely prolific tweeter [ru] and occasionally posts entire song lyrics, 140 characters at a time. SimonKostin [ru] noted the collision of the journalist's online and offline personae.
Похоже, Кашин перенес свои принципы ведения твиттера в реальную жизнь
It's as if Kashin has carried his tweeting principles into real life
The event finished with a speech from Alexey Navalny, who appeared onstage alongside his wife. In a straightforward address, which Navalny himself admitted contained “nothing new,” he promised to continue to fight the criminal charges against him and the corruption and excesses of the government. He closed with “Russia is our country! Russia will be free!” The crowd repeated the slogan in a shout, and Navalny's speech was over.
Though the final attendance of the event (estimated to be around 27,500) was much smaller than the mass demonstrations of December 2011 and early 2012, the turnout does testify that that there are still people in Russia willing to come out on an unseasonably cold day and make their displeasure known to the regime, despite accidents, soundsystem failures, and the ever-present fear of arrest and provocation. Despite its setbacks, the opposition has not faded away, which—a year on from Putin's reinauguration—could be an achievement in and of itself.

author: Daniel Alan Kennedy


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Lebanese Police Arrest Four During Gay Club Raid · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

‘Ghost’, a gay-friendly club in Dekwaneh, Matn, Lebanon, was raided by 12 policemen under the order of Antoine Chakhtoura, the municipality's head. Customers were reportedly bullied out of the club and four individuals were arrested in the incident which took place last month.
Later on, those four individuals were forced to undress and have their pictures taken. Among those was a transgender woman who was kept unnamed and was quoted by NOW Lebanon's Nadine Elali as saying:
They hit me and pushed me around and insulted me by using derogatory terms like ‘faggot’ and ‘half-a-man,’ then they asked demeaning questions such as how much do I make per hour and whether I enjoy ‘sucking on it,’ then asked me to strip naked and then took photographs of me.
Another one of the victims, a Syrian gay man, was interviewed by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) in the following footage released by Raynbow Lebanon on YouTube.
They were still insulting and cursing them. And they said, ‘so what if you do that stuff in Syria’. Look at what Syria brings us’. Then they started filming us and hitting my friend and me. They were about 5 hitting us.
Lebanese and Arab netizens were quick to respond and condemn Chakhtoura's unlawful behavior.
Blogger ‘Aristophanes Jr’ wrote a satiric piece entitled “The Fortress” and published it on his blog:
The Mayor Knight had no shame in justifying his crime on national television. A clear violation of the constitution itself as many professionals in the field of law indicated. Will this crime pass unpunished ? Will the Knight be spared from the dungeons ?
Blogger and Women's Health advocate Dr. Hasan Abdessamad jokingly begged France to ‘re-colonize’ Lebanon, citing the contrast between the French mandate-era law condemning sexual relations that are “contradicting the laws of nature” (Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code) and France's recent legalization of Gay marriage:
The country that gave Lebanon’s Penal Code article 534 now gave all its citizens the right to marry.
He also released a video condemning the mayor's actions, calling them “a crime” and demanding legal repercussions. Furthermore, the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH), of which he is a member, released a statement condemning Mr Skakhtoura's raid.
The Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH) strongly condemns the acts undertaken, based on orders from Mr. Shakhtoura, the Mayor of Dekwaneh on April 21st 2013.
Beirut blogger Elie Wafi warns against similar incidents in the near future:
Shakhtoura and his minions aren't happy with what they saw. Gays all around. Kissing and holding hands. OMG! But above all what angered them is the sight of cross dressers, transsexuals and Syrians that walk on their two legs after 7 p.m. After 7 p.m., how could they?? Abomination!
Mr Shakhtoura almost fainted, he ordered his minions to arrest these creatures. But this isn't over, the sex of these transsexuals needs to be determined. Enno chou hawde? Rjel aw chou? [Translation: What is this? A man or what?] The case cannot wait, Lebanon's reputation is at risk, especially of its fortress: Dikwene.
This is not the first time something like that happens and I fear it won't be the last.
But why? Well the answer is simple, we are a marginalized minority. Though we might not consider our sexual orientation as an identity but when you are persecuted because of that, it suddenly becomes one.
Twitter users expressed their outrage as well:
@Egayptian: What “morality” and what “religion” gives you the right to forcibly strip people and take pictures without their consent?
@fafpink: As if closing a gay club wld make the gay community disappear #DekAbuse http://shouldiexist.blogspot.com/2013/04/lets-just-talk-human-rights.html?spref=tw … #lebLGBT #LGBT #lebanon”
@eli_beik: #DekAbuse & #LebLGBT Am gay and Proud! soon protesting against aabuse against LGBT
@DannySeesIt: LGBT persons living in Lebanon face legal and social challenges. They deserve equal rights now! #LebLGBT #DekAbuse http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Gay_rights_in_Lebanon/?wWvCEeb …
@JoSamuelAoun: I admire when homophobes start their homophobic phrase with “With all my respect to those people and to human rights” #LebLGBT
Lebanese Human Rights NGO ‘Alef’ released a statement that was re-tweeted by Daemion El Hajj:
جمعيّة ألف تدعو القوى المختصّة للتحقيق بما فعله شختورة والشرطة البلديّة في الدكوانة #LebLGBT #DekAbuse pic.twitter.com/W1wv6wFUbs
@DaemionElHajj: Alef (NGO) calls on the appropriate authorities to investigate what Shakhtoura and the municipality police did in Dekwaneh
Finally, on Facebook, activists have been posting on the page of the City Council of Parramatta, a sister city of Dekwaneh:
Dear Sir, Madam,
We would like to bring to your attention the violation of Basic Human Rights done by your sister city, Dekwane, Lebanon. The city mayor, Mr. Antoine Chakhtoura, has ordered, illegally, the closure of an LGBT-friendly club called Ghost. The closure came with the arrest of four individuals, among them a transgender person, who were taken to the police station in the police cars’ trucks, and subject to insulting and humiliating acts such as stripping them nude, taking pictures of them without their consent, and violate them verbally, physically, and even sexually.
Knowing that your city is one of the proud cities of Australia, a country known for its tolerance and respect for Human Rights; we call upon you to act publicly and show support to the LGBTQ community in Lebanon.
This is not the first time, and maybe won’t be the last time, such discriminating act might take place in Lebanon, where the road towards equal rights for the LGBT community is still ahead of us. Yet, we as a community would love to hear your support to our cause, and would appreciate any and all help you can give us.
Join us in our righteous fight, be there for us, now that no one else might help us.
Best wishes,
A sit-in was organized by Helem, the Lebanese Gay Rights NGO for April 30.

author: Elia J. Ayoub


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Let’s Talk About Blogs · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Argentine blogger Maira [es] has posted a two-part series entitled “Let's talk about blogs” (I, II [es]), where she lists useful questions about blogging and then shares her answers. Readers can also answer the questions in the comments section.


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Obama, Minister of Chinese Petitions? · Global Voices
Abby Liu

The White House petition for the Zhu Ling case has received 137,676 signatures by May 8, 2013. Some web users have made light of the fact that Chinese have turned to an American petition site seeking justice. The following image shared on Sina Weibo is Obama in the Oval Office, which has been re-imagined as China’s Letters and Visits Office. CHINA MEDIA PROJECT has more details.

author: Abby Liu


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Police Raid Navalny’s HQ in Kirov · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

At this very moment, Kirov police are searching [ru] Alexey Navalny's local headquarters, established to coordinate the blogger's public outreach in the city where he currently stands trial for embezzling roughly half a million dollars. The case has attracted international attention as the latest in a long series of politicized Russian judicial proceedings, including the trials of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, three members of Pussy Riot, and others. Using the website ustream.tv, “citizen journalist” [ru] and blogger Roman Pomych is broadcasting a live video feed [ru] of the raid, as police officers seize Navalny's leaflets (stuffing them in large plastic garbage bags) and question volunteers about their reasons for being in Kirov. Giggling and asking the police what they hope to find, Navalny's staff seems to be in some disbelief that it is at the center of a breaking news event. Indeed, for several minutes, someone played the “Bad Boys” theme song from the American TV show “COPS,” in an apparent effort to mock the unwelcome guests. According to ustream, almost 900 people are currently tuned in to Pomych's video feed.
Screenshot of Pomych's ustream feed. Police seize newsletters from Navalny's Kirov HQ.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Politically Divided Pakistan Rallies Around Injured Imran Khan  · Global Voices
Salman Latif

This post is part of our Special Coverage Pakistan Votes 2013.
Popular cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, whose hopeful campaign promise of a “New Pakistan” has drawn large crowds of young people and urban voters to his rallies ahead of the country's general elections, fractured three vertebrae and a rib after falling off a 15-feet high forklift just before a scheduled speech.
Khan, who was at a rally in the city of Lahore, was immediately rushed to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital. Within a few hours of being hospitalized, he regained consciousness and managed to make a powerful political speech to the journalists at his bedside.
With the country's hotly contested elections on May 11, 2013 only days away, Khan's dramatic fall comes during the final campaign push. He is leading Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a newcomer that could be a strong contender for the people's representation in the upcoming elections.
But phenomenally, the incident shows signs of bridging the bitter political divides across the country, with political rivals, critics, and opponents putting aside their differences to wish Khan good health.
Imran Khan falling off the lifter.
Image courtesy PTI UK official Facebook page
The news instantly replaced all other headlines on TV channels and social media were soon abuzz with it. People from all sorts of political affiliations, from his staunch rivals, Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, to international celebrities such as Brian Lara, spoke up to wish Imran Khan a speedy recovery.
West Indies cricketer Brian Lara (@BrianLara) tweeted from his account on May 8, 2013:
@BrianLara: Imran Khan injured @ rally fell off stage… Out of danger Thank God!! Get well soon great man. Continue striving in what u believe in.
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahbaz Sharif posted on his Facebook page:
Just visited Imran Khan in the hospital and conveyed best wishes of Mian Nawaz Sharif… He is Alhumdulillah fine and recovering mashaaAllah… Prayers for him and his family!!!
Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif), the daughter of PML-N's chief Nawaz Sharif, also resounded similar sentiments:
@MaryamNSharif: Got the sad news while campaigning. Our prayers and wishes for Imran Khan Sahib's early & complete recovery.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Shaukat Khanum Hospital where Imran Khan was being treated. Image by Saad Sarfraz Sheikh. Copyright Demotix (8/5/2013)
Dr. Tahirul-Qadri (@TahirulQadri), who recently led a sizable crowd to protest against the outgoing Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government, stated:
@TahirulQadri: My heartfelt sympathy goes out to PTI chairman Imran Khan on sustaining injury. I pray for his better health.
Rehman Malik (@SenRehmanMalik), former interior minister in the outgoing PPP government, tweeted:
@SenRehmanMalik: I pray for early recovery of Imran Khan. May Allah bless him with fast recovery.
In Punjab, Khan's party is locked in a bitter political tussle with Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N). Despite this, PML-N head, Nawaz Sharif, expressed his grief over the incident and decided to stall his party's election campaign for a day, as a show of solidarity with Khan.
Many have gone on to claim that Khan has united a divided nation with his fall. The incident, Hammad Siddiqui (@hammads) wrote, also hints that Pakistani politicians have matured:
@hammads: Altaf Bhai was the first one to cancel his address and prayed for Imran Khan – Followed by NS this shows political maturity #GetwellSoonIK
The incident has also triggered mass support and sympathy for Khan's political party, with many speculating that it may turn the tables in the party's favor. Hassan Belal Zaidi (@mightyobvious_), a media consultant, penned a post titled “Fall to Grace” for Pak Votes. In his post, Zaidi wrote:
The truth is, Imran might just end up winning this one. I can smell a victory for the Cricket Bat a mile away. It may not be a massive win, it may not be a rout, but for a first time party, it will definitely be a victory. I just hope that this (excuse the pun) knock on the head will be the wake-up call many in our country need. I do not support the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, nor will I be voting for them. But I do wish their party and their leader the best of luck.
While many have criticized Imran Khan for having rightist leanings, the unfortunate fall has yet again highlighted the fact that Khan has politically stirred the nation, especially the youth. And when all is said and done, such mobilization is a very welcome change in a budding democracy.

author: Salman Latif


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Catalonia’s Sovereignty Declaration Suspended · Global Voices
Violeta Camarasa

The Spanish Constitutional Court just suspended Catalonia's Declaration of Sovereignty, which the regional parliament of Catalonia approved by majority on 23 January, 2013. Amid rising tensions between Spain and Catalonia, the decision has generated strong reactions on offline and online media.
Thanks to a diverse team of collaborators, the online Catalan-language publication Vilaweb [ca] offers the Declaration of Sovereignty in 50 languages.

author: Violeta Camarasa


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A Push for Political Ethics in Trinidad & Tobago · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

However you want to define it – principles, a moral code, character – ethics boils down to doing the right thing. With Trinidad and Tobago falling to the number 80 ranking in Transparency International‘s 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index, a few local bloggers have been discussing the issue of integrity.
The Eternal Pantomime started the ball rolling by providing some legal context:
The Integrity in Public Life Act will turn 13 in November of this year. Most of us view the Act and the Integrity Commission as useless.
The opening sentences of the Act states that the Commission’s purpose is to provide “for public disclosure, to regulate the conduct of persons exercising public functions; to preserve and promote the integrity of public officials and institutions…” What many of us don’t know is that the Integrity Commission has real teeth. Their duties don’t just stop at publishing a list of miscreants and submitting a report to the Senate every year. Their power reaches far beyond financial disclosure.
The folks over at the Integrity Commission can scrutinise any person in public life or exercising public functions. This includes the Prime Minister, the AG, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, members of state boards, and persons working in the Public Service, Judicial and Legal Service, Police Service, Teaching service, Statutory Authorities’ Service Commission, Diplomatic Service and Advisers to the Government.
If you re-read that list slowly and digest its importance you will realise that the Integrity Commission has oversight of the activities of so many sectors of our country that if the Commission was properly staffed and working efficiently it should, theoretically, be able to root out a lot of the corruption and inefficiency prevalent in our society.
She then honed in on the relevance of the Act to Jack Warner, the recently-resigned Minister of National Security and former Vice President of FIFA who has been plagued with allegations of misconduct in public life:
Mr Warner has been serving in public life since November 5th, 2007. His activities as a member of the Caribbean Football Union, Concacaf and FIFA are public knowledge. Since becoming a member of government in 2010 there have been allegations and speculations hovering over Warner. We have an Integrity Commission in Trinidad and Tobago that is at least a decade old. Why did it take a report from Concacaf to unearth information that Warner has been less than forthcoming about his business interests and financial transactions dating back from 2006?
Back in November 2012 there was a local newspaper report indicating Warner was the subject of a probe by the IC. When questioned about the nature of the probe, Martin Farrell, the Registrar of the IC, responded saying: ‘The Integrity Commission is not in a position to comment on your request. As you will appreciate, having regard to the nature of its mandate under the Integrity in Public Life Act, the Commission is required to treat with all matters with the utmost confidentiality.’
Fast forward now to April, 2013, in the aftermath of the report from Concacaf’s Integrity Committee and there is still a deafening silence from the various bodies and authorities here. The last we heard from the DPP on the matter of Warner, the police had been instructed to look into whether Warner had breached Customs and Excise laws. The probe by the AG into Warner seems to have stalled. And the Integrity Commission remains as enigmatic as ever. Saying little, but alluding to an ongoing probe that has thus far yielded little satisfaction to the public.
Plain Talk, tongue firmly in cheek, added:
The acceptable definition of ethics is – ‘moral principles that governs a person's behavior.’ The Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute…has made recommendation that Government should establish an ethical protocol for members of the Cabinet which includes an agreement that any Cabinet member facing serious allegations must step down, which was clearly a recommendation made without much understanding of the nature and culture of our local politics and politicians as they would have understood that a rule like this could ruin a government and empty the Cabinet overnight.
But The Eternal Pantomime wanted answers:
After reading the Concacaf Report you have to ask yourself what exactly is the problem with us here that we can have so many institutions and systems in place, and have them constantly fail us. Why is investigating Warner and making him answerable to the public so difficult? Why does an Integrity Commission, enacted with so much power on paper, often seem so weak? When exactly are these bodies responsible for public oversight actually going to start earning their keep? Or are we going to have to launch a probe not just into Warner, but into the integrity of our Commissions?
aka_lol couldn't provide answers, but referring to Jack Warner's bid to be re-elected as the candidate for the now vacant Chaguanas West seat (from which he voluntarily resigned), the blogger did take a shot at predicting more of the same:
The Prime Mister, unable to ignore credible evidence for a change, finally expressed shock and horror which angered or embarrassed Jack into resigning. Nobody knows. This report has probably worked in his favor as now no one can say they think Jack Warner was a dishonest man.
From the full page ads and reports reaching this blog, Mr. Warner, like the UNC [the United National Congress, the political party that comprises the majority of the ruling People's Partnership government] executives, will go down fighting. Jack has popularity among the poor and romantic as his weapon, and the UNC, it seems, has the ability to victimize anyone who is observed to be part of Jack’s motorcade and support. Both sides are wielding big sticks against each other with the end result favoring Jack over the pretentious but powerful. Jack’s secret weapon is well known and that is to go as an independent candidate thus leaving the seat open for the Opposition to grab. Let the games begin.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Smoking Ad Loophole · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

I don’t think this cigarette newspaper ad was necessary and it was in very poor taste.
aka_lol takes issue with a cigarette advertisement, which apparently found loopholes around the prohibitions applied to such advertising under the Tobacco Control Act.


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Chinese Communist Party’s Benevolence? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The term Party's benevolence is frequently used in political propaganda in China. Mary Ann O'Donnell looks into how's the term being used in ordinary people's daily life.

author: Oiwan Lam


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A Sad Story of a Nepali Migrant Worker · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ujjwal Acharya tells a sad story of a Nepali migrant worker who was denied to board onwards by Air Arabia at Delhi airport because she did not have a return ticket. They did not offer any food or accommodation for 72 hours until she managed her fare back home from that transit point. She is one of many migrant workers who are regularly exploited by different quarters.

author: Rezwan


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Bahamas: Too Free on Facebook?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Facebook is free for all, but it doesn’t mean that we are liberated to slander others with impunity – or to make vile threats…without consequences.
POLITICAL BAHAMAS BLOG discusses “potentially criminal Facebook behavior.”