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Australia: Mixed Reactions to Libya Intervention · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Thought it was worth capturing some of the early reactions in the Australian blogosphere to the Libya No-Fly Zone and intervention. The Australian government has been a strong supporter of the UN resolution.
Hoyden About Town’s tigtog has an open thread:
The Libyan people deserve support in overthrowing their tyrant and protection against his threats of retaliation and further repression, absolutely. But why do the people of Bahrain, Syria and Yemen apparently deserve less from the governments of the West? Is it just that their despots are perceived to wear a slightly less alarming face? Will the intervention in Libya do all that humanitarians wish for it to do? How full hearted is the West’s support for this unprecedented ‘Arab Spring’?
Libya NFZ and selective support for Arab uprisings
Public Opinion’s Gary Sauer-Thompson questions the goals of the intervention:
What is political endgame here? What is the role the U.S. or the Europeans might be expected to play should Qaddafi fall? What steps will follow should the No Fly Zone and indirect intervention not succeed in driving Qaddafi from power? The best answer is regime change — displacing the Gaddafi government of Libya and replacing it with a new regime built around the rebels.
Liberal interventionism + Libya
At his self-titled blog, Middle East commentator Anthony Loewenstein has been a strong voice against the no-fly zone and accompanying air assault:
Hillary Clinton is pushing for a war with absolutely no clue what may happen.
Shame on all the Western journalists and commentators cheering on the no-fly zone with an understanding that goes no further than “we must do something“. If you want to be in the military, get in uniform and fight a war. If not, settle down.
Any thoughts about what our new war against Libya is really supposed to achieve?
Duckpond was faster off the mark than the NFZ coalition. His concerns stop short of opposing the intervention:
The purpose of the attack was to stop Gaddafi using aerial bombing, artillery and tank fire against civilian targets. What happens when the aerial attacks are called off? Is this precedent going to be followed from now on when civilians are subject to military attacks? My sense is that the scale and intensity of the aerial attacks are disproportionate to the intended objectives.
ATTACK ON LIBYA
And they are just some of the progressive bloggers.
Peter at Qohel self-styled as ‘Australia's Leading Independent Conservative Blog’ questions this apparent hypocrisy by the left:
But how is using force to bring about regime change in Libya OK, when using force to bring about regime change in Iraq was not OK, was about oil, meant that George Bush was Satan, or acting for the bushitlerchimphalliburton global industrial machine?
… No matter what the outcome, no matter how good the West’s intentions, no matter how free of commercial imperatives, no matter how driven by humanitarian concern, 1500 years of history tell us we will come out looking like the villains.
Libya vs Iraq
Even right wing Herald Sun journalist Andrew Bolt seems equivocal:
l’m all in favor of preventing a massacre of civilians, but what is the end game here?
… Are the allies happy if Gaddafi staying in control of Libya, apart from the rebel’s enclave around Benghazi? How long will this no fly zone be imposed?
There seems to have been little of the debate about effectively declaring war on Gaddafi as there was about declaring war on Saddam. And there are much fewer Western security interests at stake, too – no WMD programs, no funding of terrorists, no history of invading neighbors.
Libya: but what next?
At News Corporation’s blog site The Punch, Thom Woodroofe is having the pragmatist’s bet each way:
Military options should always be a last resort. But realistically what else was there that we could do?
We should remember that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing and hold our breath that Gaddafi will back down soon before any escalation occurs.
A necessary attack, now for the really tricky bit
Yesterday a friend asked me if an anti-intervention rally was planned for Melbourne this week. I could not find any mention of one on the web. Perhaps he should contact Indymedia where an anonymous writer gives reason for opposing the intervention:
As a leftist who supports the inspiring democracy uprising in Libya I was very disturbed to see the start of military action by France, Britain and the U.S. Let me be crystal clear from the start, I believe Gaddaffi to be an odious ruthless dictator who has no legitimacy and violently oppresses his own people. However I do not believe the intervention is a good thing for the following reasons…
Why military action in Libya is wrong.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bahrain: Expats’ Part to Play · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Like all GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) member states, Bahrain depends greatly on foreign workforce especially from South Asian countries in both high and low level jobs. According to the Bahrain 2010 census, the expat community makes a slight majority with 51 per cent of Bahrain's 1.2 million strong population.
During Bahrain's recent protests and unrest, the expatriate community grew very concerned about their safety as reports of Pakistanis having been attacked in their homes in the capital Manama.
::D::, a journalist and blogger of Indian background who has spent most of her life in Bahrain, writes about her thoughts on the ongoing unrest in Bahrain:
Many expats in Bahrain, like me, have been born and brought up on this island. Our parents may not have the Bahraini passport, nor do we, but I wonder if that makes us any less citizen of this country just cuz the colour of our passport is not red. We are the community that has our origins in India, Pakistan, US or UK. Our parents migrated here decades ago, we have our livelihood here and Bahrain is where we call home.
The blogger at a pro-government rally at Al-Fateh Mosque
We agree that Bahrain is not perfect; we agree that reforms were much needed, in the political front and definitely the media here needed be overhauled and reworked. There were also many who supported the cause of the protesters before it turned into anarchy. We heard their arguments and gave our feedback.
Many in the expatriate community are supportive of Bahrain's government as Bahrain prides itself as being a relatively liberal country that gives freedom to worship to all faiths and religions.
A lot of expatriates also came out in public in support of the Royal family. Many reacted when expatriates stepped out in favour of the government here, saying “it is their internal matter, why do you interfere?” To these critics I have but only one question, “Would you stand back and watch when your house, your country is getting hurt? Would you say it’s not my responsibility and stay away?” When our country is in crisis, it is our right and duty to step forward.
She also points out the developments in Bahrain's media towards the expatriate community.
The media has taken massive strides. We even have a desi private owned station here now. We have multiple newspapers in Arabic and English. Bahrain also prints Tagalog, Malayalam and Urdu newspapers here. Over the last month, state run BTV has struggled to keep us as updated as possible [though it might lean towards the government]. Yes, the media has come a long way but it still has miles to go. This week for the first time in history, BTV showed news bulletins in Tagalog and Hindi.
That in itself is a mark of respect and appreciation to the expatriate community.
She ends her post confident that the government will do their best to keep the expat community safe during these difficult times
For me and my family, the question of leaving does not cross our minds. This is where I was born, where my family had lived for almost thirty years, our home. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bahrain have also assured that they will do the best to keep us safe. I trust them and I trust Bahrain.
The blogger is also on Twitter and can be found at @dilknml
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Yacoub Al-Slaise


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Barbados, Turks & Caicos: Corruption Charges · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the brother of a former Turks and Caicos Finance Minister is arrested on allegations of fraud and money laundering, Barbados Free Press says: “In Barbados when elected or appointed public officials or their family members are found to be engaged in corrupt activities, the politicians will trade some insults in the press or in Parliament but no one is charged. Ever.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bhutan: The Right To Information · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sonam questions the authority of employers who do not allow using social networks during official hour as right to information is a constitutional right for a Bhutanese citizen.

author: Rezwan


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China: Gaddafi Has to Go · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In a short post today, ‘Dictators have no internal affairs,’ the world's most widely-read blogger, Han Han, reflects on the developing situation in Libya:
身边有不少人都很关心利比亚的乱局，甚至还有一个比利亚的球迷一直以为是比利时出事了。中国投了一票支持制裁，一票弃权禁飞，让人欣喜。今天又有不少人为卡扎菲吵的不可开交，当然他们分成了两派，一派的意思是卡扎菲作恶多端，专横腐败，滥杀平民，炸毁客机，应该被联军消灭，还有一派的意思是那是利比亚的内政，其他国家不应该干涉，西方国家无非想从利比亚得到一些石油或者转移自己国家的内部矛盾，居心叵测。
朋友转而问我的观点，我说，我的观点特别简单，独裁者没有内政，杀戮者当被侵灭。昨天正好是十九年来最大的月亮，无论是谁，无论为了什么，代表月亮消灭他。

author: John Kennedy


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Colombia: A Medellín Rapper on Colombian Hip Hop · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Albeiro Rodas writes about hip hop in Colombia: “In the last decade, Colombian hip hop is developing among young people of the poor barrios as a way of expression. I met Mcleoud, a Medellín rapper who talked to me about this music culture in the country.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Cuba: About Gadaffi · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I am ashamed that my country is anxious to defend Gadaffi”: Iván's File Cabinet says that “there is no justification for being friends with such characters” and points fingers at several factions that he thinks deserves the blame.


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France: Worry and Hope in the Japanese Community · Global Voices
Lester Bolicenni

This post is part of our Japan Earthquake 2011 special coverage.
In France and elsewhere, the terrifying pictures of the Friday 11 March, 2011 earthquake and tsunami have made Japanese expatriates around the world worried. Many of them spent the day of the disaster trying to contact their loved ones through the Internet, and since then have been working to bring their compatriots some mental support.
From the beginning, helicopters from Japanese NHK public television channel broadcast the destructive wave's advance live. This footage has been picked up and played repeatedly on French news channels [fr], allowing Japanese expatriates to follow the situation's development live [fr].
Photographer and blogger Tono Mariko, living in Paris, France, describes [jp] how she learned of the news:
フランス人の友人からのメールで起きました。
朝から地震のニュースを見ています。
I was awakened by an email from a French friend.
I've been watching the news since this morning.
Mariko immediately tried to contact her family back home in Japan through the Internet:
なかなか電話が通じませんでしたが、家族とは無事に連絡が取れました。
海外にいながら限られた情報しかないので何も出来ないけれど、今日はネットやTwitterなどのありがたさを実感。
It was hard to get a hold of them by phone but I finally managed to call my family.
I find it hard to get information when I am abroad. But I now know why it is important to use Twitter and the Internet.
Far away from their home country, members of the Japanese community in France have felt powerless during this event.
On her blog, a Japanese woman married to a French man shows her support with pictures of flowers to soften the violence of the images on television, in an entry [jp], whose lack of title reflects the author's shock:
どんな言葉や行為が心を救えるかもわかりません。
ただただ一方的にお心を強く持たれるよう祈ることしかできません。
I can only pray to help them feel stronger.
While danger still remains [fr] in Japan, and with it concern, some expatriates are already stepping back and wondering about the future of their home country.
In an anticipatory entry [jp], the blog Konkatsu in the world imagines what positive effects the earthquake could have on Japanese society:
「あ、死ぬかも」と、思った人がすごく多かったと思います。そういうことを人間が感じる時間が来たとき、やっと立ち止まることができて、「そもそも、自分は何したいんだっけ？」「何のために生きてるんだっけ？」と考えると思うんです。そして、普段以上に「一人じゃ不安。誰かと一緒にいたい」とも。
今回の地震で、よっぽど直接的な打撃を受けてない人たち、つまり東京にいる人たちは 普段以上に、他人と一緒にいることを強く大事だと思ったんじゃないでしょうか？
その上、停電に備えての節電。「停電」、「節電」というキーワードがニュースになり始めたとき、これはベビーブームが来るかもしれないという 淡い思いつきが。。。
Many people have had to tell themselves, “Oh, I'm going to die.” When such events occur, a person can finally stop and start thinking. “Actually, what have I been waiting for in life? What have I done so far?” I think that is the kind of question that can come to mind, some even moreso than usual: “Being alone makes me anxious, I want to be someone.”
For those who have not suffered great damage, I am thinking of people living in Tokyo, maybe it is even more important than ever to have someone at your side?
As well, the Japanese are conserving energy right now in anticipation of the announced power outages [fr]. When I saw the keywords “power outages,” I told myself that a baby boom could happen…
This post is part of our Japan Earthquake 2011 special coverage.

author: Lester Bolicenni


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Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago: On Nuclear Power  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal just doesn't get “the benefits of nuclear power”, while Coffeewallah says: “The nuclear crisis has huge long term implications for the future use of nuclear power world-wide.”


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Hungary: A Visit To Gyöngyöspata · Global Voices
Marietta Le

Activists of IndymediaCalling shared their recent experiences in Gyöngyöspata, a village in northern Hungary that got famous for being ‘occupied’ by members of a far-right paramilitary organization.

author: Marietta Le


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India: Colors of Holi · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

In these troubled times, the world perhaps needs a bit of cheer, and what better than the bright, sparkling colors of Holi, the festival of Spring, to renew our optimism, hopes and joy.
Here are some images of this colorful festival, being played with zest across India.
Flickr photo by Prem Anandh, used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Flickr photo by Anand Nav used by CC BY-SA 2.0
Flickr photo by Komail.Naqvi, used under CC BY  NC-ND-2.0
Flickr photo by pixelfrenzy, used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

author: Aparna Ray


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Jamaica: Legal Wrangling  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The cross-examination of…Minister of Justice and Attorney-General [in the Manatt Dudus Enquiry] continued this week”: Jamaica and the World says, “It was excruciating to watch.”


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Latin America: Website Tracks Progress in Electronic Voting · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Juan Arellano in Globalizado [es] writes about the Observatorio del Voto-E en Latinoamérica (Observatory of E-Voting in Latin America) which seeks to track the progress of electronic voting in Latin American countries.


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Mexico: U.S. Drones Gather Intelligence on Drug Cartels · Global Voices
Deborah Esch

This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.
A story first reported on March 15 by Ginger Thompson and Mark Mazzetti for The New York Times has garnered strong responses from Mexican netizens based at home and abroad. Citing American and Mexican officials, “U.S. Drones Fight Mexican Drug Trade” relayed news that “the Obama administration has begun sending drones deep into Mexican territory to gather intelligence that helps locate major traffickers and follow their networks.”
The Pentagon first dispatched the high-altitude, unmanned drones in February, according to the Times report. The Associated Press later reported that US drones have been flying over Mexico since 2009.
Image of "Predator drone" by Flickr user Doctress Neutopia (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Presidents Obama and Calderon formalized an agreement to continue the reconnaissance flights during the latter's visit to Washington on March 3. During the same meeting, the leaders also agreed to institute a second counter-narcotics “fusion center,” where American authorities would collaborate with counterparts on the ground in Mexico.
Bloggers were prompt to respond to this and subsequent accounts in the mainstream media of what were bound to be contentious developments. Early off the mark was blogger Pepe Flores, who weighed in on Vivir México [es].
…dicho pacto se habia mantenido en secreto por las restricciones legales en Mexico y la sensibilidad en torno a la soberania national.
El NYT destaca algo que es bien sabido en Mexico:  el rol de Estados Unidos en la guerra contra el narcotrafico es cada vez mas grande.
The pact was kept secret due to legal restrictions in Mexico and to sensitivity surrounding national sovereignty.
The NYT underscored something that is well known in Mexico: the role of the United States in the war against narco-trafficking is becoming ever greater.
Having glossed what amount to the bullet points in the NYT‘s report, Flores went on to provide relevant context as well as analysis.
Sin embargo, el clima de cooperacion entre Mexico y Estados Unidos no es le mejor. Si bien la relacion no es fria, si se habla de mucho resentimiento entre ambas partes. Por un lado, Calderon se encuentra muy preoccupado por la percepcion publica, pues esta intervencion podria considerarse hasta anticonstitucional. Sin embargo, si se hace como con la Iniciative Merida, podria tratarse de un acuerdo ejecutivo (executive agreement) – una especia de acuerdo de palabra entre los presidentes, sin necessidad de ratificacion de los Congresos.
On the same day, Erwin in The Latin Americanist published a post entitled “Mr. Calderon goes to Washington – I spy with my little eye…” that took up the matter of the constitutionality of the accords, and issued a cautionary reminder.
Mexico's constitution strictly limits the operation of foreign military and law-enforcement authorities.  Nonetheless, CNN cited a statement from the Mexican National Security Council affirming that the drone activities are “undertaken with full respect to the law.”
It used to be that the Department of Homeland Security flew drones over the U.S.-Mexican border to watch for illegal immigrants.  That proliferation of military technology to a civilian mission isn't without its share of malfunctions:  Not only did the communications systems occasionally fritz out, but on at least one occasion, a small drone – the property of the Mexican government – crashed into an El Paso backyard.
Blogger “boz” was likewise cautionary in his response.
The US insists that everything done with the drones is under the request and direction of the Mexican government.  That might (maybe) make it constitutional.  However, that's not going to stop certain sectors within Mexican politics from being very angry about this issue.
Though it appears easier at first, keeping operations like this quiet due to political sensitivities is the wrong attitude to have.  If we regard Mexico as an equal partner and a democracy, then they should be having this debate about US military assistance openly and transparently.  I realize it's not going to be a fun debate to have in the Mexican Congress and media and that it could lead to the end of these sorts of operations, but Calderon's political comfort is not an operational security requirement.
Besides, these types of operations only stay secret for so long.  Then they're reported in major media outlets like the NYT.  Reading about the US military operations in the newspaper rather than being briefed by the executive branch is just going to make those Mexican politicians and political sectors who will be angry about the issue even angrier.
Blogger “Gancho” put himself in the place of Mexican authorities trying to persuade a reluctant public of the wisdom of inviting the U.S. drones to Mexico.
I think the best argument would be to point to results, assuming there are some and you don't compromise future operations by doing so. Something along the lines of, “Yeah, pinches gringos are nosy as can be, but we caught Beltran Leyva and Tony Tormenta and Nacho Coronel thanks to this program,” would make for a powerful argument.
Meanwhile, links to the New York Times report and subsequent media accounts made their way around Twitter; while most were unaccompanied by editorial remarks, there were exceptions. Diego (@the_eggo) tweeted:
Whoa!  Drones, plausible deniability…Sovereignty Schmovereignty. #narco #mexico #drones.
José Arrache Murguía (@pepe_arrache) wrote:
La intrusión de Drones a #Mexico, muestra ineptitud en guerra absurda sin resultados visibles . Espionaje: el otro enemigo! Tibia respuesta
After recent reports that US drones killed 40 civilians in Pakistan, Julio Izquierdo (@mustanghead) expressed a common concern:
Ojala los drones (aviones roboticos) gringos no comiencen a ocasionar victimas inocentes como en Pakistan
This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.

author: Deborah Esch


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Nigeria’s Golden Opportunity for a Social Revolution Through the Ballot Box · Global Voices
Oluniyi D. Ajao

This post is part of our special coverage Nigeria Elections 2011.
UPDATE 04/03: The nation's election commission just announced that all elections would be pushed back a week, due the late arrival of voting materials.
Oluniyi: Thanks for agreeing to speak with Global Voices Online. Could you introduce yourself to our international audience?
My name is ‘Gbenga Sesan. My area of interest is in the appropriate use of ICTs for development and I run a social enterprise called Paradigm Initiative Nigeria. Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) is a social enterprise that connects Nigerian youth with ICT-enabled opportunities.
We have observed your involvements in several non-partisan initiatives around the forth-coming 2011 General Elections in Nigeria. Why are you involved? What motivates you to be so involved?
I'm involved because I'm an angry young Nigerian who is tired of listening to the story of Nigeria's “potential”, and one that believes that the best time to stop the nonsense, that Nigeria has been thrown into, is now! I have had the chance to see the world and I consider it a shame that with our human and resource wealth, Nigeria is not taken seriously. Rich, yet poor. With some of the best minds globally, yet unable to think. That's why I'm involved with EiE Nigeria (EnoughisEnough Nigeria). EnoughisEnough Nigeria (EiE) is a coalition of individuals and youth organizations committed to instituting a culture of good governance and public accountability in Nigeria through advocacy, activism and the mobilization of the youth population as responsible citizens.
An EiE Nigeria billboard in Lagos Nigeria. Photo courtesy of ‘Gbenga Sesan
I am also motivated by the fear of tomorrow. If things can descend this low, then our children may know Nigeria only as a country that once was. From power to corruption to healthcare to poverty, Nigeria needs change.
I am also aware of the fact that Nigeria is a very young country, with a median age of 19.1 and with over 70% of its population under the age of 35. If change will come to Nigeria, it'll probably need to benefit more from youth input, as the majority. Unfortunately, young people were the silent majority  – and were totally disconnected from the future of Nigeria. That is no longer the case, thanks to technology, series of global events and some recent experiences in the Nigerian nation.
Fortunately, we are in an election year, so I think there's no better time to begin the process of change. I know that the best time to plant a tree was actually 20 years ago but thankfully, the next best time is now. 2011 presents a unique opportunity to restart Nigeria's national clock in terms of how governance works – moving from selected rulers who lord it over a disconnected populace that has basically lost hope and now has a responsibility of building islands of sanity (from private water supply system to power supply and more) to one where the people decide who governs based on the promise of performance and a sense of social contract.
Nigeria has an estimated population of over 150 million people. That puts the youth population (if 75%) at over 112.5 million. How does EiE Nigeria connect or intend to connect to this section of the Nigerian society?
EiE Nigeria does not live with the grand delusion that we can reach ALL young Nigerians but we are keen to (and hope we did) kick-start a national revolution by reaching out to the connected demographic – who can then pass on the urgent national assignment to others within their sphere of influence. Because of the central role played by technology in providing information and access to useful resources, we set out with the plan to reach connected young Nigerians. This includes the over 80% of Nigeria's 44 million internet users, a major percentage of the almost 80 million with mobile phones and almost all of the 3 million Facebook users.
Of course, we didn't stop there. We have since expanded the scope of our work to include those young people that we would normally not be able to reach through our core tools – social media channels. We have hosted Town Hall Meetings, been on radio and TV, encouraged informal discussions and we're glad to see even the unconnected participate.
Given than EiE is relatively a new initiative, and the Nigerian youth have had a culture of indifference towards politics all this while, how much positive impact do you expect to have in the next elections?
We expect a LOT. Not because we think we're miracle workers, but because we noticed that recent events have changed the attitude in Nigeria: from the 2007 sham elections in Nigeria, 2008 Obama election, 2009 court cases that allowed true election winners take over from erring emperors (or state governors as they preferred to be seen), 2010 national uproar surrounding the ex-president's [Umaru Musa Yar'Adua] illness and eventual death, the promising change of guard at the Independent National Electoral Commission and the opportunity to restart the national clock through the ballot box.
Basically, we're at a point in Nigeria's history where collective anger is at its peak, and some of this anger has been translated into social change opportunities. We've seen young people join us at rallies in Abuja and Lagos, and we are excited to build on this momentum.
Again, we're not self-conceited to assume that we're the only youth-led group working for change. We know there are many other youth-led groups, and even those not led by youths. This, in itself shows what may be called the de-freezing of social mobility in Nigeria – borrowing from the words of an outspoken pastor in Nigeria.
We're new, yes, but we're made up of groups that have been at the seat of change for many years. EiE coalition members include Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, The Future Project (organizers of The Future Awards), LightUp Nigeria and many more organizations who know what it means to work for focused change. We're basically combining forces to make 2011 a different experience and an opportunity for change in Nigeria.
How do all the initiatives you are involved with use social media/citizen media. How has the response been?
Our effort for 2011 revolves around what has now become the RSVP campaign. It's the acronym for Register, Select, Vote and Protect. We asked young people in particular to REGISTER as voters (especially as the new INEC launched an effort to create a new Voters’ Register), and we saw some really great response. We used social media to achieve our objectives in this area. From Facebook to Twitter, we engaged youth by providing the required information, motivating them (including asking celebrities to lead registration walks), providing technical solutions to problems (we set up hotlines to address the problems encountered during the exercise) and asking youth to show off their Voters’ Cards by posting pictures on Facebook and Twitter. Other aspects – Select, Vote and Protect – continue to enjoy our social media expertise as we make information available to the electorate on the candidates standing for elective offices.
For example, we've used social media to work with other youth groups to plan the first youth-focused presidential debate in Nigeria. It will take place at 7pm on Friday, March 25, 2011 in Abuja; it'll be live on Channels Television and broadcast live online on our project website – www.whataboutusnigeria.org.
For the major Vote and Protect components, we have worked with a team of volunteers to develop a mobile application called ReVoDa, that will allow each citizen to report incidents, police behaviour, INEC performance and results from their respective polling units. ReVoDa provides untrained citizens with a medium through which they can share their election experiences and it potentially turns the 87,297,789 Nigerians with mobile phones, 43,982,200 with internet access and 2,985,680 on Facebook into informal election observers. Call it crowd-sourced election monitoring, and you won't be wrong.
So, social/citizen media is at the core of our RSVP campaign, and the response has been hugely encouraging. For example, RSVP has become so popular that it is even used in daily conversations by Nigerians (not just the young). For a popular acronym known as Rice and Stew Very Plenty to be rebranded for the elections, all starting out with our social media push, we are smiling  We're also glad to note that the electoral commission now enjoys our service in the management of their social media accounts through interns that we recruited for them. basically, we have seen great feedback from young people and election stakeholders.
This does not mean that we are all excited and think we've reached Eldorado, but the little success inspires us to do more – because Nigeria's need for change is critical.
The logistics of all the activities you have listed above would be a bit costly, considering Nigeria's geography and population. How are the initiatives funded, considering “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”.
We started out by putting our money where our mouth is by using personal resources to fund our efforts but we have now received support from two international foundations (McArthur and Omidiyar) to fund our work. We can safely say that every support does NOT come with strings that can influence the objectives of the campaign, it's actually rather been that each supporter has encouraged us to do what we planned to do – change Nigeria beginning with the 2011 opportunity.
Dapo Oyebanjo (a popular musician in Nigeria known as D'Banj) recently conducted an interview with President Goodluck Jonathan, supposedly on behalf of Nigerian youths. What is your assessment of this interview and isn't it a way forward for the fact that Nigeria's government is ready/open to engage the youths?
It wasn't an interview, it was an advert by a presidential candidate who thought a music icon's brand could help him win the youth votes.
Unfortunately, it doesn't represent the best way to engage young people because one key factor in ‘engagement’ is that both (or more) parties get the chance to speak with each other. The President's action actually attracted a lot of anger – at least as seen via social media platforms. It's also interesting to note that a lot of the comments were based on the context of Mr President's outright refusal to participate in an unscripted debate. We reached out to him and offered a platform to speak to, and respond to questions from, Nigeria's youth but he has yet to respond or indicate willingness to honour our March 25 invitation. So far, he has declined other independent debates and has only stated he'll join the debate to be hosted by the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria.
Do you really think social media would impact the outcome of the general elections?
It is already impacting the results. For example, it had an obvious impact on the registration exercise, and it's clear it has had a huge impact on how people relate with candidates – especially with almost all of the presidential candidates using social media channels to reach out to young people.
The results of the 2011 elections will be tweeted, the pictures of incidents will be uploaded to Facebook and videos that can be used as evidence (just in case) will be available on Youtube.
Fair enough. Are you satisfied with the quality of the candidates offering themselves for the Office of the President?
NO. Some of them are good candidates, but a lot more are opportunists who should have worked with other candidates.
We have few who have been able to articulate the issues, offer solutions, demonstrate capacity and who I can be proud to call Mr President – and be sure he's one who can PRESIDe over the Nigerian ENTerprise. There are, however, many more who only have their names on the list as also-rans.
Any final thoughts?
Well, this is 2011, almost 51 years after Nigeria gained independence. I believe that three forces are aligning for Nigeria's much-needed change: Youth, Technology and Opportunity. With about 65% of registered voters reported to be below the age of 35; technology tools (like ReVoDa) and social media channels becoming more popular for social change; and a unique opportunity through the 2011 elections, change is here. This is 2011, our votes will count! This is 2011, we are restarting the national clock and working towards the emergence of a new Nigeria!
Thanks to platforms like Global Voices, we hope that more young people will join forces with us to build a Nigeria we can be proud to call home – not one we'll be derided for being associated with.
Thanks for your time ‘Gbenga and all the very best with the endeavours.
This post is part of our special coverage Nigeria Elections 2011.

author: Oluniyi D. Ajao


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Russia: First Candidates for the ‘Net Parliament’ · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Novaya Gazeta website publishes [ru] the first results of the nominations for the ‘Net Parliament,’ the virtual project described by its creators as an ‘organ of the representative power of Russian Internet.’ Among the first hundred of the nominated candidates are mostly Moscow-based bloggers.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Human Bots Fight Opposition · Global Voices
Dmitry Davidov

A famous cartoon by Peter Steiner depicts a dog sitting at the computer and saying that “On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.” In Russia, this principle is often used to spin political agenda and replicate public opinion.
Creating the “bots” to do this, and the opening hundreds of fake blog accounts has even became a full-time job for people, who do not hesitate to use the blank spaces of online persona to their advantage.
Graffiti robot. Image by Flickr user jlmaral (CC BY-SA 2.0).
High-profile oppositional blogger navalny (read GV's interview with him here) recently noted [ru] that some comments in his LiveJournal, the most popular blogging platform in Russia, were created by users registered on the same day. The comments usually range from simple offenses (“the author of this post is an idiot”) to argument-like entries (“this navalny doesn't have any information and is too lazy to check facts”).
The issue of someone with numerous fake identities leaving a comment or two does not pose any problem per se. But it does become more than an annoyance when there is a whole army of “bots”  fighting a war with emerging opposition bloggers in the country. The numerous – however silly and out-of-place – comments distract the attention of readers from the discussion of important issues and spam blogs with pages of unrelated comments.
Other bloggers  (dolboeb, man_with_dogs, and aiden-ko, to name just few) got to the core of the issue and came up with a research-like posts [ru] on their LiveJournals. They talked about a peculiar posting on Free-lance.ru, a Russian website with job adverts for people working in the information technology field. The posting has been deleted but man_with_dogs has a saved screenshot [ru] of the original:
“I need 5 people,” the ad says. “Each of them will leave 70 comments a day from 50 different accounts (the accounts need to be live). Urgently. The job is 5 days a week. The duration of this project is 3 months. The payment is every 10 days (Webmoney, Yandex Money [methods of payment – GV]). Total: 12,000 rubles [around $400-G.V.] a month.”
The author of this ad, someone named Vladimir Alekseev (probably a fake name since it sounds too conventional) also provided the details of the “job.” The human bots need to target the blog of navalny:
The task is to create the maximum believable wave of comments to degrade the rating of the journal's author and to form a negative attitude toward him. You need to comment each new post correctly and persuasively. It is also important to create a positive image of “United Russia” party [the ruling party in Russia]. Can you do it?
Interestingly enough, navalny has a long history of accusing United Russia of all kinds of misbehavior. He famously called it “the party of crooks and thieves” and tried to document financial speculations and cases of embezzlement allegedly conducted by the party's members. So it should not surprise anyone that, if the job advert is real, that United Russia has attempted to discredit navalny online.
Of course, those notes and links are far from hard facts. In theory, everyone could fabricate and replicate this issue online and the advert could well be the product of someone who would like to present navalny as a real fighter of corruption (and there is no real fighter without an opponent). But navalny‘s “correct and persuasive” spam problem is an illustration that human bots have become a relatively new trend on the Russian Internet (previously, comment bots were mostly programmed).
More often than not, this turns out to be an effective way to spin or create a “hot” topic. The recent sad, disappointing and embarrassing online “campaign” against Japan is just one example of how an issue can be created out of nothing. Right after the tsunami and earthquake-hit nuclear power plant in Fukushima became internationally known, several bloggers posted a scanned copy of an old  Japanese newspaper [ru] that allegedly talked about the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
According to those bloggers, the newspaper called the Soviets “savages that cannot be let near nuclear energy” and bragged that “the Chernobyl scenario is impossible in Japan.” Hundreds of bloggers commented on this. Many believed the scanned copy was real. It seemed that the issue had been actively promoted online and the topic became one of the top themes of the Russian Internet.
It took only someone who knows Japanese language to translate the real headlines of the newspaper: “New Russian Constitution Adopted at the Congress of the Members of Russian Parliament,” “Uniting with the Project of President,” “Interview with the Chairman of High Committee of Russia Sokolov.” And, of course, no mention of Chernobyl or anything related to it.
Blogger drugoi posted the real translation [ru] of the headlines and soon enough encountered the infamous human bots through comments.
This illustrated the sophistication with which certain forces approach the issue of controlling the web. Human bots in Russia are more effective than good old automatic spam bots. They have a soul and a brain. They logically react to blog posts and they strength in their number.
Evgeny Morozov's idea of  “spinternet”  can be well applied here with the whole practice of promoting certain points of view online  becoming more and more prevalent in Russia. Nobody knows if you are a dog on the Internet but it certainly seems that dogs behave more ethically than some online forces that try to deceive people and discredit the Web as a tool for building a better society.

author: Dmitry Davidov


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Russia: Photos of Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Moscow · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Photoblogger Dervishv publishes [ru] extravagant photos of Saint Patrick's Day celebration: all kinds of green, Moscow hipsters, Irish flags… and police (the parade was officially banned). At least, some parts of the police forces were in green uniform.


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Syria: Protests Continue to Gain Momentum  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Protests continue in Daraa, in the Syrian south, where five protesters have been reportedly killed yesterday and another one today.
While news reports claim that protesters have later on set fire to public buildings, netizens and activists argue that it was the state security forces who have burnt the buildings. Meanwhile, many on Twitter argue that Daraa would be what Sidi Bouzid was for the Tunisians. Sidi Bouzid was the city which sparked the Tunisian revolution which toppled Zeine Al Abdideen  Ben Alii's 23-year-rule.
Syria is the latest country to join the wave of erupting protests across the Middle East. While previous calls for protests on February 5 failed, a renewed call to take to the streets on March 15 managed to bring several hundred people to the streets in multiple cities including the capital, Damascus, and Aleppo. While the numbers might be small, this constitutes a very important precedent in Syria where anti-government protests are unheard of, and any sign of dissent is squashed with an iron fist.
Here are some reactions from Twitter on the latest developments on the ground:
@razaniyat: Five protesters were murdered thus far in #Daraa by Syrian security forces. We will never forget our martyrs. Never. #Syria
@monaeltahawy: #Assad regime – first father then son – doesn't discriminate in detentions: children and adults jailed. #Syria #Daraa #March15
@daniachebib: #Daraa has a video portal now: http://tinyurl.com/6hl7ebx despite sparse int'l media coverage. THOUSANDS in streets TODAY!! #Syria #March15
@gyonis: The Syrian city of Dara'a is in the south of Syria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daraa
@AJEnglish: Syria protesters torch buildings: One person killed as demonstrations in the southern city of Daraa continue for… http://aje.me/eVcW14
@Amaterasujp: Crowds have set fire to the courthouse and other buildings on a third straight day of demonstrations in the southern Syrian city of Daraa.
@razaniyat: Haitham Manna’ on France24:Protesters in #Daraa asked me personally 2 confirm that they did not burn any building. News r inaccurate. #Syria
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Baath Party headquarters torched in Syrian city of Daraa. #Syria
@ZsofiaT: Haytham Manna’ on France24: BREAKING: Protesters did NOT burn buildings in #Daraa, security forces did. #Syria
@AhmadHKh: Will #Daraa become to #Syria what #sidibouzid became to #Tunisia ?
@M_akbik: Ppl of Da'el in the suburbs of #Daraa come 2 join protesters Sunday night http://goo.gl/oZe1X #Syria
@BigAlBrand: 15 kids were arrested in #Daraa. All of them are under 15 years old. This is confirmed by the government. #Syria.
@ZetonaXX: Urgent Daraa: Arrival of more than 200 large military cars fall of armed members of the Republican Guard, wearing black!!#syria
@razaniyat: I'm yet 2 hear Azmi Bsraha and Nassralla speak on #Syria n regime's violations of human rights in #Daraa. Or else I'll be very disappointed.
@Memetak: @SyrianJasmine @generativeid Syrian have limited communicatin, many dont know what happens in Daraa, hope tomorrow will be day of freedon
@maher0007: What happened in #Daraa today is utter vandalism either we agree or not, if I'm extending a peaceful hand even if it's fake. #Syria
@NohaZayed: #Syria Revolution page call for protests tomorrow all over Syria 2 support Daraa & to Celebrate Nayrouz bit.ly/guyAyy
@Salman_Shaikh1: # Syria Worried for #Daraa. A tactical retreat by security services to allow for heavier military action? We must watch Daraa area closely.
In this video, by freeknight2011, injured Syrian protesters are seen carried to the inside of a mosque in Daraa.
The following comment is offered:
Footage of the injured protesters being treated inside the Omari Mosque in Daraa, Syria on 20th March 2011. Government forced fired tear gas as well as live and rubber bullets at crowds of thousands of protesters.
This video, from Dael, which is about 15km away from Daraa, shows a night protest there.
Following is the explanation that comes with it:
The Daraa News Channel is also available on YouTube here.
A crowd map, outlining protests, casualties and deaths is also available here (Ar).
Stay tuned for more coverage from Syria.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Taiwan: The Reassurance of Nuclear Safety is Not Convincing · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Following the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, there are calls now for a review of Taiwan’s nuclear energy policy, particularly as a fourth nuclear power plant is now under construction.
Lin Tsung-yao (林宗堯), member of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant Safety Monitoring Committee, has called upon [zh] the Taiwan Power company to do a thorough reevaluation of construction of its fourth nuclear power plant:
核四廠卻是「拼裝產品」…台電發包設計，國內採購制度最常採取低價標…因產品採購時間及品質不一， 整個興建工序混亂…目前進入試運轉，也面臨原始顧問公司及「奇異」解約問題，缺乏有經驗的顧問監督。
Roodo blogger Evette is also worried about the problems that might occur during assembling of the plant:
我做工業設計的, 各個製造商像日立東芝三菱富士設計圖的小數點進位規格不同是確實的. 而那0.5mm的差別作機構的最清楚. 可以想像核電廠由那麼多上下游工廠出品的組件零件建構在一起, 其中的誤差所造成的後果可不是手機造壞了再造一台那麼簡單!
Despite these safety concerns, Taiwan’s president Ma Ying-jeou has said that [zh] the government has dismissed calls by opposition lawmakers to halt the project, scheduled to go into operation in 2012.
Roodo blogger Summerlake has complained that the government is not responding to professional concerns:
這樣的專業質疑，卻未曾得到重視，反而成為政府公關急著澄清、 掩蓋的＂民眾疑慮＂。
The fourth nuclear power plant under construction. Photo courtesy of Muhchyng under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
On the other hand, when Taiwan’s largest electricity producer and monopoly grid operator, the state-run Taiwan Power Company, was asked what they would do if something like the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident were to happen in Taiwan, the company said they would take drastic measures to prevent a scenario from worsening. However, blogger Summerlake questions if these so-called ‘drastic measures’ are practical in Taiwan:
而台電和原能會所謂的斷然措施，又怎麼以人民為優先呢？說穿了，頂多就是規劃了一個半徑五公里（頂多十公里）的撤退圈，但是也從來沒有演習或明確實施過， 萬一要擴大到二十公里，那就進入大台北範圍，環保團體預估要撤退160萬人，台電和原能會更是從來沒有構想過。到底是怎麼以人民為優先？
台電和原能會言下之意更把核災撤退，當作是暫時傷害，像地震搖過就沒事一樣…可是，核災一旦發生，當地輻射污染可能持續數年，更遑論輻射塵擴散.
Observing the responses of the Taiwan Power Company when it faces the questions regarding the safety issues of the fourth nuclear power plant raised by Yoichi Kikuchi,
Chiong-Yue Li concludes with:
台電過度自滿, 核安最大危機.

author: I-fan Lin


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Trinidad & Tobago: Soca Stars on Twitter  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Outlish has a list of the Top 20 Soca Stars to follow on Twitter.


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Video: Time Lapse Mapping the Global Protests and Uprisings · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

John Caelan from the website The Swamp Post has created a couple of time-lapse videos that map protests from December 18 to March 7, 2011, where the protests and uprisings can be seen spreading out into different countries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogUYigqwKYY
This next one focuses on the Middle East region:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcEMxLwRSqI
On a comment on his website in response to a reader's question he explains how he got the data by searching results of protest and uprising reports from mainstream media.
Generally, the methodology was to sift through the first 1000 results of a news search on any given day and mine the unique events. All of that was copied into Excel by day–the locations were mined from the articles manually, and the icons were the chosen by the best average of reporting, as reporting the actual count of people at any gathering is both intrinsically difficult, regardless of skew involved parties tend to apply. Each day’s sheet was turned into a .csv, and imported into the mapper, which is a free thing from Zee Maps, ’cause I’m poor. The day would be copied, new events added, events older than 5 days deleted, events older than 2 days turned to gray. Each event remains in color for two days, mostly to account for the crossover of timezones.
Mr Caelan, however, is aware of the unreliability of these results in showing worldwide trends, as he explains in a comment on this page. Because protests have caught the attention of mainstream media, he says, this map shows how reporting on uprisings or protests has increased, although not necessarily the quantity of protests themselves.
To find out more about the uprisings shown on the videos, there's also an interactive map where you can click on the different icons and read information on the protest that was recorded at that point.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Yemen: Game Over for Ali Abdullah Saleh? · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
March 18 was the bloodiest day since the beginning of the uprising in Yemen, almost two months ago. Ali Abdullah Saleh called several times for the security forces to protect both pro and anti-government protestors. However, on the ground none of this happened. Indeed, on Friday, armed loyalists to the Yemeni President and security forces opened fire on peaceful protestors at Sana’a University killing at least 46 and injuring dozens. The attack which was intended to bring an end to a series of protests sweeping the country, has increased the compassion with and the support for the protestors.
Protests in Sana'a on March, the 16  photo by Afrah Nasser
On Monday, Ali Muhsen, a high official in the Yemeni army declared his support for “for the peaceful revolution of the young people and their demands.”
Nasser Arrabyee, a Yemeni journalist based in Yemen  writes:
The military commander of the northern region, Ali Muhsen, declared his support Monday for the peaceful revolution against the 33-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The step came after the general Muhsen’s army (armored division1) was deployed around the sit-in camps nearby the university from Sunday 20 March 2011.
He adds:
The step is a turning point in the anti-Saleh protests.
General Mussen, one of the President Saleh's relatives , is considered the second most influential military commander after Saleh.
Ali Muhsen's move might be considered as an indication that the army might take the side of the demonstrators and stand against Ali Abdullah Saleh.
A Yemeni activist  (@yemen4change) tweets:
@RAHB1980 as of now, I believe the army has split, but with many resignations, possibility the rest of the army will join in matter of days
Later on Monday, the step of Ali Muhsen was followed by a massive wave of resignations by Yemeni officials, ambassadors, military Generals and members of Parliament..
Suhail TV  tweets:
نعتذر عن عدم قدرتنا مواكبة جميع الإستقالات المتواليه من الحزب الحاكم ومن القاده العسكريين ومن المشائخ والشخصيات لكثرتها #yemen #suhail
It also reports:
سفراء اليمن في كل من الكويت والصين وسوريا والأردن واليابان والسعوديه وباكستان وغيرها ينضمون لثورة الشعب والشباب #yemen #suhail #sanaa #yf
Tom Finn tweets:
They're falling like flies in #Yemen, 2 military generals, deputy parliament speaker, ambassador to Japan all defect form the regime
Yahya Al-Saryhi, published on (G.C.Y) جيل التغيير اليمني a list of all  those who have stepped down so far and declared their support for the revolution. Hameer Al-Ahmer, the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, the Yemeni ambassador to Czech Republic, Head of the Yemeni Television, and Governor of Aden are on this long list.
The series of resignations are regarded as a hint for the near end of the 33-year regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Ben Wedeman tweets:
Teetering, about to fall: Ali Abdallah Saleh of #Yemen
Wsaqaf tweets:
History in the making in #Yemen with army leaders joining demonstrators. #Saleh expected to resign or flee
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Zambia: Opposition Leader Risks His Political Neck Over Gays · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

Homosexuality is an issue better left undiscussed–if undiscussed is the word–as a Zambian opposition politician has found out for seemingly suggesting that he would allow the practice if he is elected president in this year’s forthcoming presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.
Leader of Zambia’s biggest opposition party, the Patriotic Front, better known by its ubiquitous initials, PF, Michael Sata has been linked to meetings with some diplomats from western donor countries accredited to Zambia where he has allegedly pledged that if and when he is elected president, he will recognise the rights of gays and lesbians in the country.
Zambian politician, Patriotic Front's Michael Sata, arrives at the Supreme Court in a bid to recount the 2008 presidential election. Image by Harrison Tuntu, copyright Demotix (17/02/09).
Ever controversial, Sata, a veteran politician who rose to prominence as the capital, Lusaka’s governor under first Republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s administration in the 1970s and went on to become the present ruling party, MMD’s national secretary and minister without portfolio, arguably the third highest ranking Cabinet position under second Republic president Frederick Chiluba, has attempted the presidency three times since 2001.
Sata formed his own party in 2001 when Chiluba anointed an outsider, Levy Mwanawasa, a former Vice President who resigned his position on account of his differences with Sata between 1991 and 1994, to contest the elections that year, by-passing him after he allegedly hounded out eligible members who had opposed Chiluba’s unconstitutional shot at an unconstitutional third term of office.
For his statements on homosexuality, Sata has been under fire from current Vice President and Minister of Justice George Kunda who attacks the practice at every opportunity including in parliament. Kunda’s incessant attacks of the sexual practice recently attracted a write up on the Zambia News Features website by an American-based Zambian, Henry Kyambalesa.
On Kunda’s continuous reference to the issue of homosexuality against Sata, Kyambalesa wrote:
…the learned Vice President and Minister of Justice needs to take a neutral position on issues which are likely to incite some segments of Zambian society to rise against other citizens. He needs to take the lead in ensuring that whatever he says is not based on his own opinions, or on innuendos, speculations or on promoting hatred for a particular politician or group of citizens.
After all, our country’s constitution does not recognize same-sex unions, same-sex marriages or same-sex adoptions. What Comrade Kunda needs to do is to introduce a Bill in Parliament which will address issues relating to sexual orientation, particularly with respect to whether or not there should be a ban on discrimination of any individual on the basis of his or her sexual orientation.
But what has landed Sata in political soup for which some sections of society such as the church and the media have threatened to de-campaign him for the elections just a few months away, is an interview he allegedly gave to a Danish newspaper in which he stated that Zambian laws in fact recognise homosexuality. He, however, did not specify which parts of the law recognised it. The only laws that talk about homosexuality in Zambia are those that seek to punish it.
The church is very vocal on this issue simply because Zambia is a Christian nation, having being declared so by President Chiluba in the first few months of his presidency in 1991 and is now encapsulated in the Republican constitution.
Part of the interview quoted on one website, Afrique en ligne, Sata is alleged to have said the following:
Mr Sata: “Some people are saying I am talking to you people because I want to bring back gays and sebians, I mean the lesbians, and I tell them that listen, the laws of Zambia recognise(s) the gays. The laws of Zambia recognise(s) the lesbians.
And the Laws of Zambia have provided restrictions and when you go all over the world, there isn't any single country which has not provided restrictions for those things. But those are cheap propaganda. The laws are already there what we need is to implement the laws.”
Question: How do you think the current Government is doing their job in enforcing the law? Mr Sata: “Well the Government, the current Government is so corrupt, when you are corrupt you can't do anything right.
Where you are corrupt you can't do anything right because in English which you and I have learnt, he who pays the piper plays the tune. That is the problem of corruption. That is the problem of corruption.”
As usual, netizens have been thrashing the issue out both in support and against homosexuality. These reactions are especially from an article quoting the Vice President saying that homosexuality is illegal in Zambia. The article appears in one of Zambia's leading online news site Lusaka Times.
says:
The western world has gotten very broken due to Liberalism. Politicians know this very well but cannot dare touch the subject in fear of being booted out of power, especially, in USA, UK, German, France and of course the oldest Gay Temple of Europe which is Greek.
We have groups in Europe that are campaigning that Paedophiles should NOT be locked up but be given professional help and treatment. What kind of foolishness is this?
Now, Am I discriminating the Gay Society? Hell No!!…. Nevertheless, Zambia does not need to invite self-destruction and disown our Culture morals and Christian Values.
agrees:
The laws against homesexual activities should remain unchanged. Enough of this unnecessary liberal talk and political correctedness. Sha!
says:
Firstly , how many christians do we have in Zambia??. I mean real christians by their soul, spirit and deeds, not fake pretenders, and its hard to know them , everyone knows himself or herself if they conform and comply and practice the biblical teachings, and remember that in the book of mathews not all those who shout lord ,lord shall inherit the kingdom of God and the same bible says do not judge others, the teaching further explain that … how do you remove something from your friends eye when u have yours. so first pluck out your wickedness before attempting to look at other people’s morals. I dont support gay business and will not want it to happen in Zambia atleast in our generation. what makes a christian nation is not a political declaration by a political plunderer bt gud…
continues:
so those who want to insinuate that Sata is for Gay business, they have got it wrong, if people dont want to do that they will refrain but if some people want to engage in the dirty business they will do. the world of today will not be the same in the next generation. so SATA clarified his position so whats the fussy about it. MMD is to pack this year full stop.
wonders why Christians want to have it both ways:
Christians want to have it both ways.
They want to be offended and take legal action when an atheist voices his opinion and presents them with anti-religious literature.
Yet they want the right to lecture everyone else about their opinions in the street, through the letter box, in schools, in council meetings, on the radio, on TV, etc.
Once Christians (and Muslims) take the blinkers off and learn that they are not special, then we can begin to sort out these issues properly.
Allow Homosexuality and accept it. The response of the law to this is really a seconday issue. Gays are the same as someone who is left handed, Its a gene, and MUST be embraced
Please lern from me
Thank you
does not understand what the fuss is all about:
I am baffled that in a society where even the talk of heteresexual sex is taboo , this issue of gayism is so much prominent in our public debates nowadays. I really don’t understand what the fuss is all about .
….Our society is very conservative about such things , and we all know that. The impression that is being given that we are under threat of moral decay , implies to me that we are accepting that we cannot think for ourselves and we readily are prepared to let foreigners dictate to us . Yet we know that this is not the case . (or perhaps it could be judging from the paranoia that’s being shown). The real debate should be about why it is a criminal offence or even why it should carry such severe penalties.
does not understand what makes Zambia a Chistian nation:
First of all Zambia being a christian nation is one thing that i have never understood in my life-from the time that thief declared the status.I dont think there is anything sinister about my neighbour being gay for as long as he does not infinge my rights.When two male adults agree on being with each other then leave them.There are many questions that will arise here,however just like polygamy is accepte in our traditional set, when two adults reach a concordance.Yet some people demonise it.I think zambia is the only country in the world where any rational thinking is prevented with a poretext of being a x-tian nation.If we trully are a x-tian nation then lets ban all polygamy marriages, the act of worshiping ancestral spirits etc and criminalise them.
This is not the first time the issue of homosexuality has generated a lot of interest in Zambia. Just over 15 years ago, a coalition of NGOs formed an organisation that wanted to champion the cause of homosexuals which was called LEGATRA or Lesbian, Gay and Transgender Association. The organisation suffered a stillbirth for the same reasons of intolerance and criticism that Sata is now facing. The question is, for how long will it take for another cycle of discussion to come around? Only time will tell.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Africa: African Youths and Internet Governance · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gamel discusses the role of Africa youths in Internet Governance issues: “Young people can play a variety of roles as Internet users: developers, designers, researchers, content builders (bloggers, writers, etc), technical people, policy makers, activists, community coordinators, marketers and end-consumers.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: Democracy in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Computer language explanation of the democratic developments in Africa: “IVORY COAST:  60% [Alert: Virus-Gbagbo detected_Trojan Horse-Ouattarra in Quarantine], CONGO: Connection lost since 1997, NIGERIA: Starting Connection, ZIMBABWE: 404 Error – Server not found…”


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Barbados, Bermuda: Cost of Development  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“As Barbados citizens question the government’s decision to allow development at Cove Bay, our friends to the north in Bermuda are rising against a similar decision by their government to kill green space in pursuit of the almighty dollar”: Barbados Free Press reports.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bolivia: Bike Path Project in El Alto is Rejected · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Blogger Mario R. Duran in Palabras Libres [es] regrets a decision by the Municipal Council of El Alto, La Paz to reject funding from the World Bank to build a bike path (“ciclovía” in Spanish) in that area of the city.


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Brunei promotes Islamic Tourism · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Jan Shim blogs about the Islamic Tourism program of Brunei

author: Mong Palatino


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Caribbean: Caribe Wave 11, the first simulated tsunami alert  · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

On Wednesday, March 23, the first full-scale simulated tsunami alert exercise will take place in 33 countries in the Caribbean to test the effectiveness of alert, monitoring and warning systems (Hashtag on Twitter: EXERCISE – NOT REAL #CW11) . Open Street Map France [Fr] and Crisis Camp Paris [Fr] will join this exercise to encourage awareness and use of social media tools during emergencies in the French speaking West Indies.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Côte d’Ivoire: After Failed Mediation, Is the Worst Yet to Come? · Global Voices
Nemo

This post is part of our special coverage Côte d'Ivoire Unrest 2011.
The meeting of five African Union (AU) heads of states about Côte d'Ivoire's state of electoral deadlock made it briefly possible to believe that a détente in the country's political crisis was within reach. The West African nation has been experiencing a drawn out governance stalemate since two opposing leaders, Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara, both claimed victory in the November 2010 presidential election.
Alas, this mediation, called by many the “last resort meeting”, seems to have failed, after Laurent Gbagbo's representatives in Ethiopian capital Addis-Ababa rejected [fr] the panel's conclusions on March 17, 2011 (the day after the decisions were announced):
“Nous avons estimé que c'est une proposition inacceptable”, a déclaré le président du Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI) Pascal Affi N'Guessan. “Malheureusement, nous avons constaté que le panel de haut-niveau s'est contenté de reprendre ce que nous savons déjà. Le panel est dans l'incapacité de nous donner les arguments qui fondent cette décision.”
Failed Mediation
Supporters of Charles Blé Goudé, leader of the Student Federation of Cote d’Ivoire who has called young Ivorians to arms at a rally in Abidjan. Image by Stefan Meissel, copyright Demotix (21/12/10).
This stance of Laurent Gbagbo came as somewhat of a surprise after his enthusiastic embrace of the 16th AU Summit's decision to set up a panel of five heads of states, in charge of finding a peaceful solution to the Ivorian post-electoral crisis. Gbagbo even welcomed it as a victory, as he had already wished for a high level international commission to come to Côte d’Ivoire to “find out about the truth about the sequence of events during the elections”, and further assess the whole electoral process.
What did the panel recommend that angered Gbagbo's camp so much?
Firstly, it reached the conclusion that Alassane Ouattara won the election and suggests he forms a national unity government; the prime minister, defence and interior ministers would all have to be appointed according to the Permanent Concertation Frame (Cadre Permanent de Concertation [fr] – CPC), of the Ouagadougou Agreements.
The panel also recommends creating a National Security Council (Conseil national de sécurité – CS) to set up a new Ivorian military, as well as institutional changes in the system of parliamentary elections and other upcoming elections.
Moreover, the establishment of a Republic High Council was suggested, the mission of which would be to promote social reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire. To put all this into place, they required the Ivorian Constitutional Council (Conseil Constitutionnel [fr]) to proceed with Ouattara's inauguration as president, and the latter to offer former President Laurent Gbagbo guarantees.
After ratifying these propositions from the panel, the AU Council for Peace and Security asked the President of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, to appoint a high representative responsible for following the implementation of the resolutions on the ground, and ready to take any relevant and necessary steps to apply and enforce the decisions taken.
Media influence
Those measures did not go down well with Gbagbo: in Ivorian economic capital Abidjan, the following days were used by the pro-Gbagbo media to influence the nation towards a complete rejection of the AU panel's decisions. For instance, in a statement to the press the national secretary of the Women's Organization of the Front Populaire Ivoirien (OFFPI), Marie-Odette Lorougnon condemns:
l’incapacité des pays Africains «à se démarquer des injonctions de la France et des Usa » pour piétiner la Constitution ivoirienne
According to her:
la décision du panel d’entériner la victoire de M. Ouattara Alassane ne repose sur aucun fondement. «En le proclamant élu, sur la seule base de la certification de M. Choi, le panel a manqué d’objectivité et de courage…Il a montré l’incapacité des organisations africaines à prendre leurs responsabilités et le refus d’une certaine Afrique de grandir, de prendre sa liberté, son indépendance et d’acquérir sa souveraineté»
Lorougnon's statement was repeatedly broadcast by Ivorian television channel RTI TV and mentioned on the channel's Twitter account (@RTI_Officiel):
@RTI_Officiel: Déclaration de l'OFFPI relative à la décision du Panel de l'UA. – RTI 1ere -http://t.co/V3HISrG via @AddThis
After the recommendations of the last chance negotiation had been rejected, Alassane Ouattara called upon his opponent Laurent Gbagbo in a calm speech on Ivorian television on March 15, 2011:
Au président Laurent Gbagbo, je voudrais dire qu'il est temps, dans l'intérêt supérieur de la Nation, qu'il accepte de se conformer à la volonté des Ivoiriens et aux décisions de l'Union africaine.
Il doit comprendre qu'il s'agit-là, pour lui-même et pour ses proches, de la dernière chance pour une sortie pacifique et honorable. Sa responsabilité est personnellement engagée.
To President Laurent Gbagbo, I would like to say that the time has come for the better interest of the [Ivorian] nation, for him to accept to agree and comply with the will of the Ivorian people and the African Union's decisions.
He has to understand that it is now, for him and those near him, the last chance for a peaceful and dignified departure. It is his personal responsibility.
Laurent Gbagbo declined delivering a speech on television on Thursday March 17. Instead, his spokesperson offered on the same day the proposition of Ivorian talks [fr], calling on the “rebels” to lay down their arms. The Ouattara camp declined this offer, with diplomatic aide Ali Coulibaly stating:
Gbagbo essaie d'endormir la conscience des gens […] sa parole n'a aucune espèce d'importance […] Que signifie une issue pacifique ? On veut que Gbagbo parte c'est tout […] M. Gbagbo a accepté de négocier une issue pacifique de la crise, sans condition préalable
Charles Blé Goudé, leader of the Student Federation of Cote d’Ivoire (FESCI) at a meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Image by Stefan Meissel, copyright Demotix (21/12/2010).
Over the last weeked, the situation in Côte d'Ivoire has taken a turn for the worst. On Saturday March 19, leader of the Student Federation of Côte d'Ivoire (FESCI), Charles Blé Goudé, called on the pro-Gbagbo youth movement Jeunes patriotes (Young Patriots) to enrol in the national Ivorian army (loyal to Gbagbo) this Monday, 21 March, by registering at the Armed Forces headquarters in Abidjan [fr].
During his speech [fr] Blé Goudé, nicknamed the “Minister of the Streets” rallied his troops:
Je demande à tous les jeunes de Côte d'Ivoire [fr] qui se sentent aptes, qui sont prêts à mourir pour leur patrie, qui ne supportent plus l'humiliation que subit la Côte d'Ivoire, de se rendre dès lundi à 07H00 (locales et GMT) à l'état-major pour se faire enrôler dans l'armée afin de libérer la Côte d'Ivoire de ces bandits
End to “bare hands struggle”
This call for war signals the end of the “bare hands struggle” that Blé Goudé has long been calling for against the “forces of occupation” [fr], namely the United Nations peacekeepers and the Force Licorne, a French regiment based in Côte d'Ivoire:
J'ai fait le choix de la résistance aux mains nues, je suis en train de me rendre compte qu'on veut m'obliger à changer de ligne. On veut m'obliger à faire ce que je n'ai pas envie de faire
This call from Blé Goudé contrasts sharply with the “dialogue” suggested by Gbagbo and deeply concerns many Ivorians, such as Twitter user @Marie0531, who tweeted on March 20:
@Marie0531: #Gbagbo‘s conflicting messages:Willing to hold talk with rival and then belies supporters to neutralize the opposition.#CIV2010 Pick one
For many Ivorians and observers, Blé Goudé's statement is a big step forward on the path toward civil war in Côte d'Ivoire.   @nicocerise tweeted on the same day:
@nicocerise: Blé Goudé prévoit d'envoyer à la mort des jeunes patriotes. lundi est une journée fatidique pour la #civ2010 l'heure est gravissime
A call to arms made by a civilian in the absence of military leadership meanwhile, raises questions for @woizo_sp:
@woizo_SP: Lappel au 2e enrolement se fait sans la présence de MANGOU lors du meeting de BLE GOUDE et mieu se fera a la GR.La vérité va sortir #civ2010
Is the worst yet to come? Will Côte d'Ivoire be the stage for a civil war? To recruit and arm young volunteers is a terrifying move and a sinister reminder of the Interahamwe Hutu paramilitary organization during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Even if the bloodshed does not reach the magnitude of the Rwandan tragedy, widescale attacks on civilians are to be feared.
This post is part of our special coverage Côte d'Ivoire Unrest 2011.

author: Nemo


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Cuba: Curating Clandestinity · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In my neighbor city of Holguin, they are about to inaugurate the Museum of Clandestinity”: Crossing the Barbed Wire explains why, to him, it is a “museum of violence.”


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Cuba: Last of the “Black Spring” Prisoners   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense has just learned that the two remaining prisoners of conscience from the “Black Spring” crackdown are scheduled to be released “and presumably allowed to remain in Cuba.”


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Ghana: Are bloggers under threat? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Are Ghanaian bloggers under threat?: “Governments and corporations have approached bloggers and those active in social media in Ghana, to find new avenues to disseminate their information. We can be sure they are doing the same thing in other countries.”


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Guatemala: Presidential Couple to Divorce to Allow First Lady’s Presidential Bid · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

As previously reported, Guatemalan First Lady Sandra Torres announced her candidacy for president; a bid that violated the constitution which forbids that the president's relatives become president. As a result, the presidential couple will get a divorce, and Mike from Central American Politics argues that their decision “is another example of the weakness of Guatemala's political parties.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Haiti: Was Wyclef Shot or Cut by Glass?  · Global Voices
Flora Thomas

Early on Sunday 20 March, 2011, while Haitians headed to the polls for the second round of a historic and controversial presidential election, a story about Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-born hip hop star known the world over for being one third of the now-defunct group The Fugees, monopolized the mainstream media news about Haiti for a good portion of the day.
While Haitian voters waited for voting supplies for as long as four hours in some voting booths, many news outlets reported that Wyclef had been shot in the hand in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince’s Delmas neighborhood on the Saturday night.
Sloppy journalism?
Image of Wyclef's injury, tweeted by his cousin and former bandmate @PrasMichel.
Among Haitian tweeters, many supporters of presidential candidate Mirlande Manigat were skeptical of the shooting story.  Possible reasons for their doubt may include the fact that Wyclef endorsed her opponent Michel Martelly in the race and because, up until election day, those killed in the course of campaigning had been Manigat supporters.
Jean-Junior Joseph (@jeanjuniorj), a Manigat communications attaché, questioned the Wyclef shooting story on Twitter on March 20:
@jeanjuniorj: Regarding Wyclef Jean, I just spoke to Gary Desrosiers the Police Depart[ment] spokesperson, he said Wyclef refuses to see police investgator [sic]
@jeanjuniorj: Wyclef Jean at his hotel does not allow the police dept investigator examine his hand. He can't confirm whether or not it's about “shooting”
Miami Herald’s Jacqueline Charles corroborated these points on the same day, having herself called the National Police:
@jacquiecharles: #Haitian National Policespokesman Garry Desrosier tells @miamiherald“police can't confirm #Wyclef shooting. He refused 2 meet.” #elections
Joseph's tweets went on to imply that CNN published the initial news without first interviewing local authorities:
@jeanjuniorj: In Port-au-Prince, Media commentators still wonder why CNN is reporting the Wyclef Jean's news while the Police Dept can't confirm it
@jeanjuniorj: CNN needs to call the Police Department now. No counter balance in the News for Wyclef. International media needs to contact police sources
@jeanjuniorj: Reuters saw Wyclef Jean. Wyclef is fine. CNN needs to stop propagating the news that Wyclef was [s]hot in hands.
Enter Pras
In a flurry of tweets on March 20, Pras Michel, Wyclef’s cousin and former Fugees band mate, implied that the alleged shooting was an attempt to thwart Martelly’s presidential bid.
@PrasMichel: Thanks for all your support Wyclef is fine one bullet is [not] going to stop us, we going out today to Vote for 8
In a tone reminiscent of gangsta rap lyrics and in the same vein as his previous declaration [kr] that Martelly supporters would burn Haiti in case of defeat, Michel added:
@PrasMichel: Mess  with me, I'll fight back. Mess with my friends, I'll hurt you. Mess  with the ones I love, and they'll never be able to identify you.
Jean-Junior Joseph fired back:
@jeanjuniorj: Just saw Pras Michel's tweet about Wyclef. I want you to know PrasMichel is liying [sic]. Guy C Delva, friend of Wyclef says it's a lie
In fact, Guyler C. Delva, Reuters correspondent in Haiti, corrected CNN’s account after speaking to Wyclef’s doctor, stating that the initial report was “false” and that the police chief of the area in which Wyclef was staying confirmed “that he had suffered only a minor cut to his hand from glass.”
The New York Daily News and others echoed the correction, but news outlets the world over continued to report as late as Monday evening that Wyclef had been shot.
A tendency to ignore local authorities
The alleged failure by CNN to contact the Haitian police chief and corroborate the story, underscores recent observations by Bajan-American blogger and journalist Carla Murphy.  The founder of When the Diaspora and Development Industry Meet, a citizen media project that empowers the voices of Haitian diaspora in Haiti’s reconstruction, Murphy recently highlighted a tendency by foreign journalists to ignore the accounts of Haitian authorities:
Snow wasn’t removed on time after a huge storm this holiday season and  within hours every New Yorker knew the name of the head of the  department of sanitation.  No reporter would’ve covered that story without answering the main question: ‘Who f%$ked up?'—and that’s just  snow.
Unfortunately  [the] ‘no one’s in charge’ message regarding Haiti is the norm.  Foreign journalists and bloggers rarely name officials below the level  of Bill Clinton, René Préval, Jean-Max Bellerive or Nigel Fisher.  (I recall being pleasantly surprised last year when a real-life mayor of Port-au-Prince appeared during a 60 Minutes segment.)
But bureaucracies—as broken, inefficient, corrupt, overwhelmed, under-resourced, under-staffed or disparate as they may be—exist in  Haiti.
Camps have residential leadership structures […] Then of course there is  local government, police and Haiti’s women’s and health ministries as well as the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC).  Journalists undercut any possibility of public pressure on the cogs within the above bureaucracies when we write them out of our stories. […]
But these omissions happen again and again, as is to be expected, when parachute journalists write for parachute readers.  […]
The diaspora is looking for the same ‘naming’ function in Haiti articles that domestic U.S. readers take for granted.
When Hollywood meets Haitian politics
Haitian Twitter user of all political affiliations had a few laughs about all this  drama, often referring to the influence of Hollywood on Haitian-American  rappers with political ambitions:
@Twitjako: La police rejette la these d'attaque armee contre Wyclef Jean. La blessure aurait ete causee par un verre.#hollywood #lie #movie #wyclef
@MasterSunBC: System lan chanje vre,men kounya Haiti tounen Hollywood…Big movie!
@MasterSunBC: Gade yon film … LOL… Mesye respekte pèp la tande!
@SeTawTaw: Kibo wycleff te ye le yo tire bal la? Machine lan blende e vit machine blende paka desann! Kibol te ye?
@ThirdWorldGirl: If Wyclef lied about that shooting all credibility he had is now out the door.
@melindayiti, who was incredulous about the fact that news of Wyclef's injury seemed to be eclipsing the “more important” story of the Haitian election process, summed it up this way:
@melindayiti: @IonError didn't mean to be flip or rude, I just really hate Wyclef's antics and the way they detract from more important Haitian stories

author: Flora Thomas


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India: Exploitation Of Unemployed Youths · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ram Bansal at India In Peril reports that corruption and exploitations are abound in the recruitment of primary teachers in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Unemployed youths are being recruited at one-sixth salary as temporary teachers.

author: Rezwan


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India: Lakme India Fashion Week In Twitter Conversations · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ugich Konitari at Gappa posts some imaginary Twitter conversations describing the Lakme India Fashion Week catwalk event.


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Kyrgyzstan: Political Games and Investment Climate · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Murzaki provides a detailed coverage of the controversy around one of the largest cellular operators in Kyrgyzstan, which had undergone nationalization last year. However, nationalization without led to the situation when all interested parties are trying to get a piece of the pie, he says.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Macedonia: A Requiem for Democracy · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Macedonian bloggers commented on the private meetings between leaders of the biggest political parties as a replacement of public democratic dialog within state institutions.
Volan asked [MKD]:
Why do we need the democratic model of governance? After the dissolution of a one-party state, Macedonia de facto turned into a bi/tri-sultanate. The Constitution and the institutions of the system are adjusted according to the will of the two sultans. It turns out that today’s meeting of the two sultans from the two most powerful political parties is the most important meeting to decide everything. Afterwards the governmental structures will just raise two fingers and rubberstamp – starting from the Parliament, the most shameful gravedigger of Macedonian quasi-democracy. [Quoting Wikipedia:]
Sultan (Arabic: سلطان Sulṭān) is a title, with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning “strength”, “authority”, or “rulership”, derived from the masdar سلطة sulṭah, meaning “authority” or “power”. Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who claimed almost full sovereignty in practical terms…
I propose to legalize the sultanocratic system by changing the Constitution, which at least will notify the people and allow it to adjust to the truth.
Prof. Mirjana Najchevska, a human right expert, lamented [MKD] the consensual murder of the democratic process:
…Yesterday’s meeting between Gruevski and Crvenkovski [MKD] was a requiem over the grave of democracy in Macedonia. The gradual sucking out of power from all democratic institutions and especially from the highest legislative body—the Parliament—finished with the meeting of leaders of the two biggest political parties and their secret negotiations and deals.
The lack of citizens’ understanding that this act means moving of the entire power from their hands (power exercised through their elected representatives in the Parliament) into the hands of two leaders (who accumulate the whole power and decide behind closed doors) results from the enormous ignorance about the basic meaning of democracy, and why it was accepted as a system of contemporary civilization.
The Parliament, democratic institutions, transparency and accountability were invented precisely with the purpose to prevent kings, power mongers, and cockerels from the dumps to bring decisions affecting the lives of the citizens without participation of those citizens, without the opportunity to influence or control the outcomes.
Moving the decision-making process to meetings between the chiefs (in Macedonia, initially promoted by the leaders of ethnic Albanian political parties and overwhelmingly embraced by the leaders of ethnic Macedonian political parties) represents an act of announcing the fact that the state is not democratic any more, but autocratic, or, in the worst case, organized as tribes.
The Parliament was invented as a venue for discussion, negotiation and agreement upon issues. This has to be done through defined procedures, before the public eye, and by representatives elected by the citizens. The Parliament can be vacated in protest, early elections may be demanded, the legitimacy of the elected representatives can be questioned, but it cannot be replaced by another kind of deal-making. In a democratic state, if a political party decides to negotiate, it must be done within the Parliament, through the MPs, at a Parliament session, through an appropriate procedure.
Otherwise, why do we need elections, why should we spend money, time, and energy, when we can have the two chiefs meet and strike a deal? Or, possibly, we should invest in organizing a healthy fistfight that will show who is stronger and who should lead the tribe? Or they should take it outside like [roosters], plucking in the backyard, and the winner would jump to the top of the dump and crow about his victory.
Democracy is dead – long live the cockfight!
(Photo “Cockfight in Otavalo, Ecuador. Spikes fixed at cock's feet.” by Wikipedia user Superbass. Published 2005 under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Licence.)

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Morocco: The Winds of Change · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
For the past month, Moroccans have taken to the streets to call for a reform of the constitution and for the establishment of a democratic parliamentary system.  On March 10, the country's monarch, King Mohammed VI, gave a speech in which he promised revision of the constitution, as well as referendum on further regionalization, guaranteeing the separation of powers and strengthening the role of an elected Prime Minister and Parliament.
Noted Moroccan journalist Ahmed Benchemsi published a piece in Le Monde, which was then posted in English on the website of Stanford University, where he is a visiting scholar.  In the piece, he concluded:
Young Moroccans continue to protest for democracy, Rabat, Morocco. Image by Zacarias Garcia, copyright Demotix (20/03/11).
Yet, despite his ensnared speech and his barely credible commission, Mohammed VI has put himself in a difficult position. Whatever the final draft constitution looks like, it will have to be validated through a referendum. If only because of that, the King will be forced to open the system one way or another. Having the “No” campaigners speak on public TV would already greatly challenge the supposedly untouchable “sacredness” paradigm. How can the royal palace admit that some Moroccans may reject a proposition from the Commander of the faithful? Put under pressure, the monarchy is reaching its ultimate contradiction: Sacred or democratic? It is now time to choose…
…Bigger scale protests are scheduled starting March 20. It seems that the government has no good options. Dropping the mask by meeting the demonstrators with brutal repression may well escalate their anger. Up until now, the King himself was spared by the street slogans. This could change, paving the way to an Egyptian-style scenario, indeed the authorities’ worst nightmare. On the other hand, allowing the demonstrations to happen freely would empower the people and encourage them to hit the streets more, thus increasing pressure on the monarchy.
Sooner or later, Mohammed VI will have to make new concessions. When and to what extent? The highly unstable situation makes that hard to predict. One thing is certain: the democratic Pandora’s box is open, and will not be closed again.
Indeed, March 20 marked another day of protest across the Moroccan Kingdom.  The peaceful protests, which took place in cities both large and small, were well-documented on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and elsewhere, inspiring bloggers in Morocco and the Diaspora to share their thoughts.
Myrtus, who resides in the U.S., praised her fellow Moroccans, writing:
I believe Morocco's is another one that will go down in history as a peaceful revolution…which is kind of unique in and by itself, because it was set in motion years ago with the new king's reforms and gradually evolved into what it is now, undoubtedly influenced into switching gears to accelerated mode by the winds of change sweeping the region in recent months.
Laila Lalami, posting to Twitter, certainly sees change happening:
You know things are changing in #Morocco when journalists from official agency go on strike–and get support from people they often slander.
Mahmoud Seddik, on his blog Flow of Soul, expresses what he sees as a national frustration:
Short-sighted is he who confines Moroccans demands’ only to the staple food and certain political amendments. As a matter of fact, the impulse that took people to the streets on 20th of February is not only their legitimate hope for a social welfare, but for a psychological relief as well. In plain English, as Moroccans, we are in dire need to joy.
All what we need is a nationally celebrated event in which we can amuse, rejoice and unleash our inner emotions as pure Moroccans. We all want to feel the flavour of unity and belonging to the same nation not always through sustaining hardships and failures, rather through experiencing even moments of jubilation, joyfulness and taking delight in a national real festivity. In short, Our crisis is not only economic and social, it's a crisis of joy too.
Under the current regime and for decades, national happiness has been something of luxury to attain. Joy forsook our hearts for years; jubilation abandoned our streets and delight has been a mere rumour. We became easy prey to despondency, stress and dissatisfaction. Snorts and sighs have become part of Moroccan daily language while scrowls and frowns have dotted every Moroccan countenance.
The Moorish Wanderer presents a “radical manifesto,” in which he focuses on a specific policy agenda rather than political symbolism, something he sees as a fault of Moroccan political organizations.  In the manifesto, he proposes three recommendations [abridged]:
I. Political distribution of power: We cannot go on like this. It is a blatant contradiction with basic democratic proceedings to have a monarchy that concentrates all kinds of legitimacy. As it is, hegemonic political power stifles dissent not by repression, but by denying any conceivable mechanism that would allow this opposition to accede to power. As Mohamed Sassi put it most elegantly, the only viable compromise between a hereditary monarchy and a real democracy is a parliamentary kingdom.
II. The Social project: the Open Society; Living in a strict Islamic society is a nightmare for non-Muslims. Living in an open society is merely an annoyance for the true believer. Political diversity calls necessarily for social diversity too. The Umma myth has long since crumbled (with the Pan-Arabism Nasserism, as well as the Islamic Internationale. The Moroccan nations (the plural is not a typo, believe me) do have a strong Islamic identity, but this has turned more into a set of rituals (that merged Islamic beliefs and ancient pageantry the Arab conquerors failed to weed out and had to live with).
III. Economic renewal: Economists in Morocco (those with serious understanding of economics, that is) do their best to disabuse the public: Morocco has slipped into a rent-seeking economy. Its structure does not seek change and renewal. From top to bottom, the trend is in favour of ‘safe endowment’: public service for the unemployed, private monopolies and unproductive investment for the well-off. Numbers are not in favour of Moroccan economics: though we are sustaining good levels of economic growth, benefits of expansion are still concentrated among a core of few privileged (some 10% most affluent that capture 40% of Morocco’s disposable income)
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Jillian C. York


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Myanmar: VoIP calls declared illegal · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Irrawaddy reports that the Myanmar government has ordered internet cafe operators to stop VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls since they allegedly affect state revenues.


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Nigeria: Popular blogger arrested · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) on Sunday arrested popular blogger Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe (ukpakareports.com) for allegedly attempting to blackmail Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, a House of Representatives member representing Aniocha, Njikoka and Dunukofa Constituency in Anambra State.


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Peru: The Presidential Campaign in Videos · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Juan Arellano gathers several videos from this year's presidential campaign in his blog Globalizado [es].


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Russia: Bots To Look For Extremism Online · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Lenta.ru reported that Roskomnadzor, Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communication, intends to use a special software designed to spot extremist content online. The software will check text, audio and video footage on the Web for words and phrases containing calls for violence and social and national hatred, infomation on manufacturing and dissemination of drugs. etc.

author: Vadim Isakov


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South Korea: Students Arrested for Breaking Security Law · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Three members of a college study group were taken into police custody for violating the National Security Law. While the student claimed the group a purely academic one, the police asserted that the organization has ‘praised and aligned with the national enemy- North Korea’. Twitterer @againthedayz posted photos of the scene.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Syria: Implementing Ushahidi to track protests · Global Voices
Anas Qtiesh

Syrian Revolution Map is a new Ushahidi instance launched in Syria to track ongoing protests in several cities based on citizen reports of protests, security patrols, dangerous locations, clashes, and anticipated gatherings. Six protesters have reportedly been killed in Daraa, and dozens have been arrested. The website is in Arabic (some English and French) and allows people to send reports using email, twitter, or a form. The site also enables users to sign up for notifications of reports within 20 Km (12 miles) of any location.

author: Anas Qtiesh


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Tajikistan: President’s Son Will Tackle Customs Crime · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

TajikVoice reports that the Tajik President’s son Rustam Emomali, 23, was appointed to a newly created government post within the Customs Agency to tackle contraband and customs violations.


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Thailand: Bangkok International Book Fair · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Bangkok International Book Fair 2011 in Thailand opens this week at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center


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Thailand film named best Asian film of the year · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Thai film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was named best picture of the year in the 5th Asian Film Award in Hong Kong.


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Trinidad & Tobago: “Bocas” Launches  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Literature doesn’t just mean fiction and poems — it’s also about ideas, questions, and debates, and using the tools of reading and writing to understand the world”: The Bocas Lit Fest announces its programme and list of participating authors for its inaugural event.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Upsetting Issues  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

From the state of health care to advertising campaigns, Plain Talk posts a list of all the things that are upsetting him.


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Turkmenistan: Crackdown on youth · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

As revolutionary tremors continue to be felt throughout the Middle East, Turkmenistan is rolling out its usual assortment of repressive tactics, but with new robustness and an extra anti-youth edge, reports neweurasia’s Annasoltan.


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Twestival Brunei · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Twestival Brunei (or Twitter Festival) will take place on 24 March in support of the Child Development Centre. The beneficiary is an active NGO which provides assistance to special children.


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Uzbekistan: Authorities intensify control over mobile operators · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Abdulfazal informs his readers that Uzbekistan – in clear response to events in the Middle East and Northern Africa – is seizing control over cellular companies in the country. Mobile operators were instructed to report on any suspicious actions by their customers, including any kind of massive SMS distributions.


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Uzbekistan: Govt Shuts Down Human Rights Watch · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Uzbekistan's Justice Ministry shut down Human Rights Watch office in Tashkent after the organization's 15 year presence in the country, reports Christya Riedel.


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Africa: Africans want an African solution · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Rosebell Kagumire's reaction to Uganda's president's criticism of military intervention in Libya: “Africans want an African solution but current leaders like President Museveni who stifle freedoms in their own borders will not deliver us the much needed African solution. And that’s what North Africa has realized and therefore moved to rid their countries of these leaders.”