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Spain: Investment Scheme of the Rich and Famous Makes Headlines · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

[All links lead to Spanish-language websites unless otherwise noted.]
Discussion of the SICAV [en] investment scheme reignited this summer in Spain, with the debate focusing on some of the well-known people and companies which take advantage of that fiscal tool in order to avoid paying taxes. The SICAV (which in Spanish stands for “investment company with variable capital”) are collective investment schemes with a special tax treatment in Spain which requires only 1 percent be paid on profits.
A few months ago, law and economics professor Guillermo Rocafort published his book SICAV, Tax Haven in which he explains the details of these schemes, which were created to prevent massive amounts of wealth from fleeing the country in search of more benign tax codes.
In an interview with Periodista Digital, Rocafort noted that one of the biggest problems with the structuring of Spanish SICAV funds is that a large part of the capital is invested in foreign counties and therefore does not stimulate the Spanish economy, like French or German SICAVs do, making their capital much more “patriotic” and in a way justifying their tax advantages.
This YouTube video uploaded by periodistadigital on January 2, 2012, shows a Spanish-language interview by Periodista Digital of Guillermo Rocafort, author of the book SICAV, Tax Haven:
By law, each SICAV must have a minimum of 100 stockholders, but in reality, this standard is avoided by naming a series of straw men, known vulgarly as “mariachis,” so that in fact each SICAV is controlled by only one person or one group. The names of those people are usually shrouded in mystery, but Rocafort's book reveals the names of some famous SICAV stakeholders.
The Daughters of Charity, Prince of Asturias Award for Harmony 2005. Photo from the Prince of Asturias Foundation
According to Rocafort, among those SICAV shareholders are large companies such as the owners of Zara, Pronovias, and Mango. Others are closely associated to athletics, such as soccer players Fernando Hierro and Iván de la Peña.
The church also has its SICAV, in the names of Ángel Vallejo, the Daughters of Charity, and the Hospital Brothers. Among celebrities, film director Pedro Almodóvar and Infanta Pilar of Spain, sister of King Juan Carlos.
It is precisely those last two famous shareholders who have thrust the SICAV investment scheme back into the headlines this summer.
On May 3, coinciding with the World Press Freedom Day, the Catalan website Anuari Mèdia.cat [ca] published their list of Media Silences for 2011. It pulls together a compilation of 15 reports about the news or issues which were most censured, or at the least silenced, in the media throughout last year.
The first on the list, a report titled ‘Six Borbouns and Hundreds of Mariachis,’ talks about the SICAV of which la Infanta Pilar and her five children are stakeholders:
Pilar de Borbón y Borbón – Dos Sicilias (…) tiene cinco hijos (…). Ellos cinco son los únicos socios que aparecen censados en la SICAV. (…) El resto de accionistas ni siquiera aparecen. Para que la SICAV sea legal hacen falta un mínimo de cien, y a Labiérnago 2000 le sobran: tiene 237, según la Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), pero 231 no se sabe quiénes son.(…)
(…) Al cierre del ejercicio de 2001 su activo [de la Sicav] ya superaba los 4,3 millones de euros (…) Labiérnago 2000 ganó [en 2009] 392.970 euros, por los que pagó 930 euros de impuestos, según las cuentas de resultados que figuran en los registros. No falta ningún cero. Para que se hagan una idea, si una empresa corriente tiene estos beneficios, debe pagar un impuesto de sociedades de unos 100.000 euros. Si una persona los gana trabajando, más de la mitad de las ganancias, unos 200.000, son para Hacienda. (…)
Si los negocios de Pilar de Borbón no se caracterizan por la ejemplaridad, tampoco destacan por su transparencia. La SICAV labiérnago 2000 no es el único negocio de la infanta. De algún lugar tiene que salir el dinero que invierten allí, pero el origen de la fortuna es desconocido.(…)
Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz, Grandee of Spain, Dowager Viscountess de la Torre (…) has five children (…). Those five are the only shareholders that appear registered on the SICAV. (…) The rest of the stockholders don't even appear. In order for the SICAV to be legal, a minimum of 100 is necessary, and the Labiérnago 2000, as the fund is called, has plenty: it has 237, according to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), but it is not known who 231 of them are (…)
(…) At he end of the 2001 fiscal year, the SICAV assets already had surpassed 4.3 million euros (…) Labiérnago 2000 earned [in 2009] 392,970 euros, on which 930 euros were paid in taxes, according to the financial statements that feature in the records. No zero is missing. In order to give an idea, if an ordinary company earned this profit, it would have to pay some 100,000 euros in corporate taxes. If a person received that from working, more than half of the earnings, some 200,000, are for the Ministry of Economy and Finance. (…)
If Infanta Pilar's dealings are not characterized for their exemplary nature, neither will they be noted for their transparency. The Labiérnago 2000 SICAV isn't the only venture of hers. The money that they invest there has to come from somewhere, but the origin of that fortune is unknown. (…)
The news has infuriated cybernauts. As seen on Facebook:
Alberto Deza Rey: Asi, asi, dando ejemplo, los que más derechos se ponen ante la bandera….puuuaaaajjjjjjj!!!!!!
Susana Martinez Lopez: qué “patriotas” y luego nos piden que arrimemos el hombro y que todos juntos “salimos de esta” JA, JA Y JA!
The second SICAV-related news appeared at the end of August in the online publication El Aguijón on filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar:
Pedro Almodóvar. Taken from Listal.com, under their conditions of republication.
(…) Según ha podido saber Diario El Aguijón, las operaciones económicas de la SICAV de Pedro Almodóvar llevan siendo seguidas de cerca desde hace aproximadamente un año por las autoridades económicas españolas, que investigan los ingresos obtenidos por el director fuera de nuestras fronteras, y que presuntamente podría haber estado blanqueándose a través de la SICAV, y de otras inversiones y negocios, eludiendo así el pago de impuestos. (…)
Of course, the news did not go unnoticed among netizens, such as Ismael Asperilla, who commented on Twitter:
@IsmaelAsperilla: @Riikkki Ah, Almodovar, ¿el mismo que tiene una SICAV y al que acusan de blanqueo de capitales?. Vaya, vaya… ¿y le preocupa lo del IVA?.
Joaquín A. de Toledo, Miguel Rivas and Tomas Harrow pointed out the inconsistencies between the film director's political sympathies and his lifestyle:
@carlossavedra: Para los q no saben qué es la “izquierda caviar”: “La SICAV de Pedro Almodóvar investigada por evasión de impuestos y blanqueo”.
@gauchiberrimo: IZQUIERDA POLITICA VS DERECHA ECONOMICA: La SICAV de Pedro Almodóvar investigada por blanqueo | Diario Aguijón http://www.diarioelaguijon.com/noticia/4486/LOS-AGUIJONAZOS/La-SICAV-de-Pedro-Almodovar-investigada-por-evasion-de-impuestos-y-blanqueo.html …
@ThomasHarrow: #Almodovar, el q no paga impuestos con su #Sicav, usa un aeropuerto público pagado por tos pa su película. Vergüenza de hipócrita progre

author: Lourdes Sada


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Uruguayan Netizens in Numbers · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Gabriel Budiño from the blog DTodo1Poco [es] summarizes some of the key findings in the ninth edition of an investigation [es] entitled ‘Profile of the Uruguayan Netizen.’
Facebook users [in Uruguay] now number more than 1.2 million, 140,000 Uruguayans have a Twitter account and 150,000 publish in blogs.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Silvia Viñas


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USA: Video the Vote Seeks Election Monitors · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Video the Vote is recruiting volunteer videographers to help document voting irregularities on election day across the United States. On November 6, 2012 they will be monitoring voter protection telephone hotlines and dispatching cameras to record any complaints of long lines, list purges, voter intimidation, or malfunctioning equipment.

author: Solana Larsen


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Brazil: Youth Documentary on Pacification in Rio’s Favelas · Global Voices
Debora Baldelli

The Project 5X Favela (5 Times Slum), which aims to give a voice to young filmmakers living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, is now addressing the pacification process in Rio's slums. Their new documentary, 5X Pacification, intends to portray the impact of police units presence in the daily lives of dwellers.

author: Debora Baldelli


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Brazil: Mapping Fires in São Paulo Favelas, Land Values · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

After crowdsourced research on fires in São Paulo's slums and informal settlements, known as favelas, Patrícia Cornils and a group of São Paulo citizens are mapping the fires at a site called “Fogo no Barraco” which translates as “Shanty on Fire”. The site also reveals dramatic increases in land value near fire incidents.

author: Janet Gunter


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China, Hong Kong: Controller of National Education · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hexie Farm's latest cartoon is about the “controller” of national education in Hong Kong. Tens of thousands local residents in Hong Kong protested against the curriculum, some of which is written by “researchers” in mainland China. (via China Digital Times)

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Journalists Leaving the Field · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Many investigative journalists in mainland China are leaving the field. The Tea Leaf Nation picked up and translated some of the discussions in Weibo to look into their reasons.


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China: Political Lexicon · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Qian Gang looks into the political lexicons since the 11th National Congress to show the power plays within the Chinese Communist Party.


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China: Yangtze River Turned Red · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

For some unknown reason, the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia, has turned red last week. China Hush translated the local news story.


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Cuba: Blackout Leaves 5 Million People in the Dark · Global Voices
Mariana Valdés

The Cuban Electrical Union attributed [es] the problem with the electricity service that left five million people (Cuba's population: 11 million people) in the dark from Pinar del Río to Camagüey, including the Cuban capital, Havana, for many hours starting at 8pm on September 9, 2012, to “an interruption in the 220,000 volt line of transmission between Ciego de Ávila and Santa Clara.”
The message, dated after 10pm on September 9, wasn't published in the Cuban state media until after midnight, when the weekly Trabajadores noted [es] on its web site that they were still investigating the cause of the failure.
Various Twitter users residing in Cuba used the battery life they still had on their laptops and their dial-up connections to report on what was happening using the hashtag #apagonazo [es]:
@CubanitoenCuba: Estoy con la batería de mi laptop, veré cuanto me durará #Cuba
@maritovoz: #Cuba Aunque en VC (Villa Clara) ahora hay corriente por grupos electrógenos #Apagonazo sigue
@CubanitoenCuba: Poco a poco, se priorizan los hospitales, en Regla, Marianao, y cotorro ya tienen electricidad #Cuba
@yohandry8787: Durante estas largas horas los vecinos nos reunimos en los portales, azoteas, donde quiera que corriera aire. El calor era agobiante. #Cuba
Black out in Cuba. Photo: JLB. Reproduced with authorization.
After midnight, Yohandry's blog published [es]:
El apagón de todo el occidente de Cuba me sorprendió en Guanabacoa, por lo que tuve que atravesar una buena parte de La Habana para llegar hasta el municipio Playa, lugar donde resido. En los dos ómnibus que tomé,  la gente hablaba de una importante avería que había dejado a casi todo el país sin electricidad. En ningún momento noté pánico, al contrario, vi a las personas colaborando con la cola, para que pudieran montar en los ómnibus la mayor cantidad de pasajeros.
Other Twitter users gave their impressions on the morning of September 10th:
@salvatore300: #Cuba En medio del apagón lo más q hubo fueron chistes-dominó-kinqué #besosdecontrabando .etc en fin q recordé el #PeríodoEspecial
@libiamiranda: Anoche pude ver las estrellas en todo su esplendor desde la ciudad
From the the official web site of Cubadebate some users question [es] the lack of agility of information from the state media:
De verdad no entiendo por qué hay que informar ahora al amanecer de la interrupción cuando media isla quedó apagada y no se recibió información alguna por las emisoras radiales. Pienso que esto es un tema que requiere atención, pues no tenemos un sistema informativo que dé noticias puntuales de estas cosas que tanto nos afectan.
Silvio Rodríguez in concert in Alamar during the blackout. Foto: Iván Soca. Republished under CC License.
Several netizens also noted that the pre-scheduled concert in the town of Alamar, east of the capital, of the important Cuban singer songwriter Silvio Rodriguez was not suspended. On his Facebook page, Iván Soca recounts [es]:
Todo fue bien hasta las 8 de la noche, solo que por primera vez se retrasaba la llegada de la planta eléctrica que se utiliza para alimentar el sonido; (y cuando digo primera vez es de verdad, los conciertos de Silvio son los más puntuales que he visto nunca jamás) Pero todo fue mejor desde el momento en que un “apagón” de proporciones descomunales – que apagó casi la mitad de la isla por varias horas – hizo que se replanteara el encuentro que resulto ser el más intenso de todos. La cita marcaba además el segundo aniversario de la incursión de Silvio Rodríguez en los Barrios de La Habana desde aquella primera vez en La Corbata, además de que tenía como invitados a los amigos de la Trop@ cósmica, un grupo de internautas que una vez, hace ya un tiempo comenzaron a seguir al trovador a través de la naciente red de redes… Y hubo concierto sin electricidad, y qué intenso!!!!
According to the daily newspaper based in Miami, The New Herald:
Aunque los cortes en el suministro eléctrico son habituales en la isla caribeña, no se recuerda uno de semejante magnitud y duración desde hace años. En agosto de 2006, un apagón afectó al occidente del país tras la rotura de un conductor que se debió colocar por la caída de dos torres que había sufrido el robo de partes de su armazón y dejaron el cable dañado.
Sin embargo, la interrupción duró entonces apenas tres horas y se produjo a primera hora de la mañana. En los últimos lustros, sobre todo tras la caída del bloque soviético, que era el principal proveedor de petróleo del país, los cubanos sufrieron periodos prolongados sin luz eléctrica y todavía hoy son frecuentes los apagones, aunque suelen ser breves y casi nunca generalizados como este último.
Although power outages are common in the Caribbean island, we do not remember one of this magnitude and duration in years. In August 2006, a blackout affected the western part of the country after a cable conductor failed. The cable was there because of the theft of parts of the frames of two towers, which left the cable damaged.
However, the interruption lasted three hours and occurred only early in the morning. In recent decades, especially after the fall of the Soviet bloc, which was the main supplier of oil to the country, Cubans suffered long periods without electricity, and still blackouts are frequent, but usually brief and rarely widespread as this most recent one.

author: Mariana Valdés


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Ecuadorian Views on Assange Asylum Case   · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The government’s attitude and journalists’ blatant disregard for their code of professional conduct makes it impossible for us to consider Ecuador as a haven of freedom of expression. Nor can the diplomatic asylum granted Assange be taken as evidence of this.
Eduardo Varas writes in the post “The Assange Case: the View from Inside Ecuador” for the Future Challenges blog.


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Egypt: Teenager Confronts Militarization of Schools · Global Voices
Ahmed Awadalla

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Since the toppling of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and the military commanding the transition period, the military institution has come under mounting criticism. Various revolutionary groups aimed their condemnation at the military abuses and violations. One of these groups is No Military Trials group that has focused its work on advocating against military tribunals for civilians.
A campaign called Military Liars  used citizen media to highlight the use of violence by the military against peaceful protesters. Others focused on the military's control over civilian affairs in general. Also, there has been increasing critique of the military conscription system.
No to Military Services Movement was founded in 2009 and more recently members of the campaign declared their refusal to turn themselves for military service due to their pacifist beliefs.
Ahmed Hassan a blogger and a young member of the group has taken a step further against the military institution by refusing the militarization of schools. In Egypt, some high schools and all public universities require students to attend classes in the subject of military education. The movement considered what Ahmed did an important step as a peaceful move to expose the Egyptian military's violation of international human rights standards through subjecting children to military training.
In this video [ar], uploaded on YouTube, Ahmed explains his work (click cc for English subtitles):
Ahmed started a campaign at his school titled “No to Militarization of Schools” urging students to boycott the subject of military education at his schools in Minia, a city in south of Egypt. In response to his campaign, the school management changed the name of the school from Minia High School for Boys to Minia Military High School for Boys.
He was told that he would not receive his graduation certificate from the school and that he would be punished by serving 15 days of military training at a local military base. However, he persisted in his stance and boycotted the exam for military education. After escalating his cause, he was able to retrieve his file from the school and thus graduate from high school, winning his battle and setting a precedent for such schools.
The No to Military Services Movement has commended Ahmed for his bravery:
The movement welcomes Ahmed Hassan for his bravery and his hanging on to his ideas and principles, and on confronting the penetration of the military establishment in the daily life after the military coup. The movement also calls on the Egyptian military to be committed to the international laws and to stop any military training for minors under 18 years old. The time has come to cleanse the Egyptian schools from all the forms of militarization and militarism.
Ahmed holding “Liars” banner. Image from his Twitter account @S_Takoza.
Global Voices conducted the following interview with Ahmed Hassan:
Global Voices (GV): What motivated you join the movement against compulsory military service?
Ahmed Hassan (AH): I heard about the movement before the revolution and I read about it on Maikel Nabil's blog (The movement's founder) and I found what he's doing brave. After reading more about compulsory military services, I came to believe that it's a form of slavery. After I rejected sitting my military education exam, I was contacted by the movement and then I became a member.
GV: What role can social media play in promoting social change?
AH: Social media is very important especially for young people and I think it plays a successful role in mobilization. But I believe the effects of social media are limited, although I am using it myself to spread the word about my causes and I also use it to mobilize for protests.
GV: How did your parents react to your activism?
AH: They knew about my situation at the school at the end of it, and when they knew they were upset and told me to dedicate my attention to my future. I talked to my father and convinced him about my stance and my rights. However, until now they're not happy about my political activism and I will continue to do it behind their backs!
GV: What other activities are you involved in at your community?
AH: I volunteer with other different youth groups such as 6th of April Movement. I was also part of a project on empowering young students’ participation in schools so they could form student groups and be active in their community. I also started a campaign against sexual harassment and I am also part of other arts initiatives.
GV: How do you wish to see Egypt in the future?
AH: As for the government, I wish it respects peoples’ rights and freedom. As for the people, I wish to see our people fully knowing their rights and actively seeking their realization.
GV: What would you like to say to other young people in your society?
AH: I say to young people of my generation, that we live in a time when people broke the barriers of fear and called for their rights so we must maintain this gain and never give anyone the opportunity to take that from us.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Ahmed Awadalla


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Iran: “Soldiers of Islam” Hack Cartoonist’s Facebook Page · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The Facebook page of a leading Iranian leading cartoonist, Mana Nayestani, was hacked on Tuesday, 11 September 2012, by pro-regime hackers who call themselves “Soldiers of Islam”. The hackers celebrated their action on their own Facebook page (now removed) by posting the following message: “Thanks to God, we conquered Mana Nayestani’s Facebook account.”
On Nayestani's page the group posted several cartoons and images against countries including the United States, Israel and Canada. Nayestani is a very popular cartoonist and his fan page has about 70,000 “likes”. Global Voices has published several of his cartoons and covered his arrest over a controversial cartoon in Spring 2006.
One of the hackers’ cartoons is about Canada's decision to sever diplomatic relations with Iran. It's titled “The impact of the Canadian embassy's closure on Iran” and shows it as being irrelevant:
With another cartoon they ask why the news media cover Syria but not Bahrain?
One of the reasons that Mana Nayestani's page was chosen by pro regime hackers may be because of his political cartoons on Iranian sites such as Mardomak. One of his recent cartoons is about the Non-Aligned Summit in Tehran,  published on Mardomak:
Hacking opposition sites and blogs is not a new tactic. Before, the Soldiers of Islam appeared, the Iranian Cyber Army successfully targeted websites in several countries, illustrating that the internet truly has no borders, and that even big-name websites such as Twitter can be fragile against unknown attackers.
The hacking of Facebook pages, jailing of cartoonists and other kind of repression have failed to curb desires for freedom of expression in Iran, both online and offline.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Kosovo: “Cinematic Darkness Knows No Nation” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Kosovo 2.0 blog, Belgrade-based journalist Dušan Komarčević writes – here and here – about his July 2012 trip to Prizren, Kosovo, to attend the DOKUFEST International Documentary and Short Film Festival:
[…] The cinemas were filled with movie lovers from Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, … Serbs and Albanians together!, will exclaim in unison ethnocentric builders committed to multiply the concept of the Berlin Wall in as many locations as possible. Unlike diplomats from Belgrade and Prishtina, who are seated around the same table by some Brussels bureaucrat […], moviephiles don’t need any intermediaries. Of course, with the exception of celluloid film. […]

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Kosovo: Prizren Comic Book & Cartoon Festival · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

A poster for the 8th Comic Book & Cartoon Fest in Prizren
Macedonian artist Vesna Nichevska-Saravinova blogged about her participation in the Prizren Comics Festival, organized by the Kosovo Comic Book Artist Association, Xhennet Comics [sq]. Four out of 15 featured artists at the festival were from Macedonia, Eddie Rebel reports [mk], alongside colleagues from Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, France, Kosovo, Bulgaria, and Bosnia.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Libya: A Project to Support Blogging  · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

Libyablog is a website that shares what Libyan bloggers write. The group blog is run by a team, from France24, along with l’Atelier des Médias. Some Libyan bloggers are also involved in editing.
The first phase of the co-operation extends for six month, from July 2012 to January 2013. During this phase, the site will hold workshops in journalism and blogging.

author: أحمد جدو


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Madagascar: Killings Between Villagers and Gangsters Rock the Southern Region  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

If the rebellion in the South is not quickly resolved, we risk to see the conflict extend farther and a scenario like the partition in Mali would become a distinct possibility.
Fijery opines on the current fighting [fr] in the Southern region of Madagascar. More than 100 people were killed the past week over cattle theft when villagers carried out vigilante justice against zebu rustlers.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Mayotte, Comoros: Tensions Rise After 36 Refugees Disappear at Sea · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

We cannot be part of the Indian Ocean Community and be indifferent to these tragedies. The solution must involve both countries
Saïd Larifou reacts to the recent drowning [fr] of refugees trying to reach Mayotte  by sea. Currently 36 are missing [fr] after their boat capsized as it approached Mayotte. M. Larifou warns that clashes might arise if the strained relation between Mayotte and Comoros is not repaired rapidly.


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Nepal: Crowning Of Miss UK Nepal 2012 · Global Voices
Rezwan

Lex Limbu comments on the Miss UK Nepal 2012 crowning ceremony:
What a show : Miss UK Nepal 2012. Management and organisation was very poor. The show was quite a bore, too many performances, hosts getting the names wrong. Too many speeches.

author: Rezwan


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Nigeria: First Lady’s Sickness – Fact and Fallacy? · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is currently in Germany but uncertainty is surrounding her trip. SaharaReporters broke the news on September 2, 2012, that Mrs Jonathan was admitted to a German hospital:
Nigeria's First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, has been in a hospital in Germany in the last four days, Abuja State House sources have told SaharaReporters, undergoing treatment for food poisoning. The sources say Mrs. Jonathan, who is also a Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State civil service, was airlifted to the hospital by an air ambulance in midweek under emergency medical conditions. Presidency sources stated that the emergency airlift departed for Wisbanden, Germany, but it is not clear if her treatment was being undertaken in that city.  They said she was only able to speak earlier today, four days after her arrival, because the illness had been so severe that she lost her voice.
First Lady Patience Jonathan of NIgeria. Photo released under Creative Commons  (CC BY 2.0) by Flickr user mdgovpics.
Almost immediately the First Lady’s Media Assistant, Ayo Osinlu, refuted the news saying that Dame Jonathan was not sick but on vacation:
“If you look at her itinerary in August, you will be wondering how she was able to accomplish that. In the course of this week, she will be back home. But remember, it all depends on her plans,” he said. But when contacted yesterday, Osinlu refused to comment further on the matter, saying that reacting to the issue would amount to giving credence to a mischievous report.
The media assistant lied!
SaharaReporters was not deterred by the denial and shed more light on the First Lady’s health trip:
The “food poisoning” condition that landed Mrs. Patience Jonathan in a hospital in Germany reportedly started in Dubai eleven days ago where she had gone to see a doctor because her hands were twitching. Presidency sources said she had gone to Dubai after the recent African First Ladies Summit in Abuja, an event that imposed an unfamiliar and grueling schedule of meetings and late nights on Mrs. Jonathan, saying she needed some rest.
Her visit to Dubai was explained as a vacation but our sources said it involved a medical procedure, while in Dubai, she reportedly had “food poisoning” alongside her medical doctor,  soon after she returned to Abuja last Monday, the emergency broke and she had to be airlifted to Wiesbaden, Germany for food poisoning.
Since SaharaReporters broke the news yesterday, the Presidency has officially kept mum about the First Lady's condition.  Despite a media arm recently fortified to give Mrs. Jonathan a more aggressive press presence, it has provided neither denial nor confirmation.  There have, however, been half-hearted denials and spins in some newspapers and blogs claiming that Mrs. Jonathan is only resting, but none of those outlets have provided her location or shed light on her condition.
SaharaReporter’s position was confirmed by other sources:
Contrary to denials by presidential spokesman Reuben Abati, and the bare faced lie by Dame Patience Jonathan’s spokesman, Ayo Osinlu that the first lady is only “resting” in a foreign country, it has been revealed that the First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, has undergone surgery in a German hospital for ruptured appendicitis. According to THISDAY sources, she was flown out for medical treatment over a week ago.
[…] It was learnt that Mrs. Jonathan, shortly after returning from a trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), took ill, prompting the invitation of the First Family’s medical personnel to attend to her. She was said to have been treated for food poisoning for four days, “but her condition kept worsening by the day,” the source said.
By the fifth day, President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have yielded to the suggestion that she be flown abroad for “thorough treatment.” It was not certain if the inability of the president’s doctors to treat her was because of faulty diagnosis or insufficient facilities.
AllAfrica.com published this:
It was learnt that the Presidency was worried over the heat generated by the First Lady's sickness and the poor handling of the information. […] Close associates of the President, it was learnt, had warned against the backlash of trying to cover up the woman's health condition on the grounds that it was not an offence to be sick.
The source said: “We have made it clear to those who want to hide everything that Dame Jonathan has not committed any offence by being sick since she is a human being. That is why there may be a change of attitude and Dame's whereabouts and type of sickness made clear by her handlers. We do not want a repeat of the Yar'Adua episode [see below] this time around.”
Nigerian bloggers have not ceased speaking and asking questions. TTOwonubi recalls the drama that surrounded the health of late President Umaru Yar'Adua:
This is not the first time the health condition of an important public figure in the country will be shielded from public scrutiny; in 2010, during the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration, Nigerians were regaled with conflicting stories about the fitness of the president and multiple phantom sightings by aides who apparently had something to benefit from the widespread misinformation. We do know that a first lady is unelected and doesn’t hold a constitutional office. However, she is beloved by millions who admire her as wife of the number one citizen of our country, and those people deserve to know what the state of her health is. The waiting game continues.
Health care in Nigeria
Akintunde Oyebode asserts that the First Lady's search for health is not merely a manifestation of health problems at home but also a glaring vote of no confidence on her husband’s government:
The nature of her illness is less relevant; it does not matter if she suffers from exhaustion, food poisoning or a ruptured appendix. The irony is that neither the President nor is wife has shown faith she can be treated in Nigeria. This is a damning self-assessment of the Jonathan administration, and the ones before it. The list of serving government officials that seek solace elsewhere when their bodies show the slightest sign of weakness is endless. To them, the National Hospital in Abuja is a museum that houses medical artifacts.
The Federal Government plans to spend N282 billion on healthcare in 2012. This seems like a tidy sum at first glance, but when you remember that the same government plans to spend over N60 billion on a bogus amnesty program, it is a sign we are yet to understand our priorities. While the aptly named Government Tompolo Ekpumopolo earns over N3 billion to protect pipelines, the National Health Insurance Scheme has a budget of N1.6 billion. It seems surreal that a man who should be locked up in Ita-Oko Prison for an indefinite period is paid more than a National Health Insurance Scheme; we need not wonder why less than 1 in 20 Nigerians have health cover of any kind.
Julius Umogbai was satirical in his ‘Letter to Dame Patience Jonathan‘:
My dear Dame Patience Jonathan, I thank God for your life o! The bad thing that bad people wished on you, food poisoning-appendicitis, did not come to pass! All glory to Jah, the Most High, for spearing your life for Nigeria!
As you are ensconced in the luxurious setting that the German people have created through their building an open, transparent, and democratic society, there are a few things I would like to trouble you with!
How can a presidential medical team, miss it so grossly? Could it be that the long-standing medical personnel, who were probably not from your husband's ethnic group, were replaced with new, inexperienced ones, who are ethnically correct? It is not possible, that such vital positions are now being staffed on the bases of ethnic considerations! I know your husband does not do things like that!
Madam, if you, the Very First, and Only Lady of Nigeria et cetera et cetera et cetera, could suffer such egregious medical malpractice, you can imagine what the rest of us, your always humble subjects, who patronize the popular side, when it comes to medicare, have to put up with!
His letter ends with an appeal:
My humble appeal to you is this, when next you find yourself lying on the chest of your husband, our president (I know it does not happen often, because you are so busy serving Nigeria, and are not given to such worldly matters), tell him to give us hospitals that actually save lives, and not the mere portals to morgues they are gradually becoming!
Please give our love to the doctors that treated president Yar’Adua, you may be shocked to find out, that the hospital is probably owned by a Nigerian who stole public money, and went to Germany to invest!
As you recuperate with delicate Deutsche delicacies, I bid you, auf wiedersehen!

author: Nwachukwu Egbunike


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Nigeria: Lagos Students To Learn Mandarin in Public Schools · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

The Lagos State Education Commissioner has announced that Mandarin – a Chinese language – will be introduced into the curriculum of public schools:
“The knowledge of Chinese language will help students further their studies in China and carry out research in various fields of human endeavour as China has become a success story in the world economy,” she said. Lagos is the first Nigerian state to adopt the Chinese language as a curriculum in public schools.


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Russia: New Competition in Social Media Analysis & Big Data Analytics · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Former presidential staff member Konstantin Kostin [ru] and pro-Kremlin blogger Stanislav Apetian (online moniker: PoliTrash) have released new details about an upcoming initiative from their think tank [ru], the Civil Society Development Foundation. In an interview [ru] with Izvestia newspaper, Apetian says the group is deploying technology developed by the American firm Crimson Hexagon to introduce a “new standard” for the study of RuNet social media. The product is expected to compete directly with Prizma [ru], an existing service offered by the Russian company Medialogia.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Russia: Online Poetry’s Vehement, Apolitical Politics · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Russians proverbially have a soft spot for poetry. After reports appeared that Vladimir Putin planned to lead a flock of endangered Siberian Cranes on an annual migration, while hang-gliding and dressed as a bird, many bloggers responded [ru] with [ru] classic poems about cranes, along with photoshopped images (see below).
It's no surprise that a result of Russians’ widespread interest in poetry is that there are plenty of online communities dedicated to its production and consumption. Stihi.ru [ru] (‘stihi’ translates as ‘poems’), with a user base of almost half a million people, is the largest by far. In fact, this space, dedicated to writing, publishing, and sharing poems, is one of Russia’s largest online communities. Its founder, Dmitri Kravchuk, estimates [ru] that 1% of all users of the RuNet write poetry, and many of them use his website.
One example of RuNet photoshopping addressing Putin's latest act. (An anonymous image widely circulated online.)
More than a decade old, Stihi.ru grew out of a small LGBT forum, but quickly became the hangout spot for thousands of aspiring poets. The sense of community and a well developed system of reviewing and critiquing differentiates publishing there from simply using blogging platforms like LiveJournal. (Though many have found success through LiveJournal, such as young poet Vera Polozkova [ru], who started with posting on her LJ blog and now publishes books commercially.)
Even with its review system, Stihi.ru is designed to be egalitarian and isn't curated. The consequence is that it can be hard to sort out the good from the bad. Accusations of graphomania run rampant, especially from the more elite literary circles. The service also attracts criticism for fostering a space that is so safe, that it doesn’t promote artistic progress. Sometimes this criticism migrates from the online world to real life.
Recently, for instance, three poets blogged about attending the filming of a poetry-themed talk show. One of the two young women reading their poems at the show was a minor Stihi.ru star, who (according to [ru] poet Nadya Delaland) talked at length about the necessity of only giving positive feedback in comments and never criticizing other people’s poetry:
Она говорила, что, как бы плохи не были стихи, нельзя напрямую говорить, что они плохи.
Her own poetry was “predictable” and “banal,” according to poet Boris Kutenkov, who described her in the following way [ru]:
Явно дальше Серебряного века ничего не читано, кроме своих соседей по сайту Стихи.ру, где “поэтесса” благополучно обитает в паралитературной провинции, наслаждаясь своим успехом
Surprisingly, this young poet won the favor of the audience (the talk show had a voting element). But, only because [ru]:
Зал, как выяснилось, был наполнен выходцами со Стихиры, они пришли поддержать Крючкову.
That said, let us leave the judging to the critics. Whatever the overall quality of the work published on Stihi.ru, in the growing vitriol of Russian public discourse, it is refreshing to find a space where arguments can be vehement, but apolitical.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Spain: Storming the Streets (and Web) on Catalonia’s National Day · Global Voices
Violeta Camarasa

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Catalonia's National Day, the Diada Nacional is held every September 11 to remember the defeat of Catalan troops in 1714, during the War of the Spanish Succession, which imposed a rigid centralism in Spain and marked the end of Catalan political autonomy. This year the holiday will be celebrated following a historic surge in pro-independence sentiment, a fact that has been increasingly clear on the blogosphere and social networks.
The lingering effects of the global financial crisis in Spain and the government's new plans for stricter centralization have further strained the already tense relationship between Catalonia and Spain. In fact, a June 2012 opinion poll [ca] showed that 34% favor independence for Catalonia, as opposed to 28.7% who favor a federal Spain, 24.5% who favor regional autonomy (the status quo) and a meager 5.7% who favor a centralized Spanish state, (6.3% had no answer).
To celebrate the Diada, the citizens’ platform Assemblea Nacional Catalana (Catalan National Assembly or ANC, founded in 2009) has organized a joint mass meeting in Barcelona under the overtly separatist slogan ‘Catalonia: a new state in Europe’ for September 11. Massive participation is expected.
“Catalonia, new state in Europe”. Poster for the joint mass meeting on September 11.
Social media storm
On Twitter, an almost countless number of pro-independence hashtags have been born (see below), and new ones continue to surface. Over the last few weeks, hashtags have been directly related to the ANC's Diada rally, including #11s2012 [ca], #11setembre2012 [ca], #marxaANC [ca], and #11sCAT9estat [ca].
A web aggregator [ca] has recently surfaced to channel all Twitter and Instagram activity related to the Diada (also available in English), as well as #1balco1estelada [ca], a collection of user-submitted photos [ca] of the Catalan separatist flag or estelada hanging from balconies.
The organization Catalans al Món [ca] will be offering Catalans in the diaspora who cannot travel to Barcelona the opportunity to virtually participate [ca] in the rally.
Various social and political crises in Catalonia, as well as the ever-deteriorating relationship with the Spanish government have been a constant theme on social networks and the Internet over the past few months. Herein follows a review of recent polemics, debates, and cyber-activism that has stemmed from the conflict between Barcelona and Madrid.
Fiscal crisis
The economic crisis has given way to various online discussions and initiatives. The Twitter accounts @StopEspoli [ca] and @DèficitFiscal [ca] follow the evolution of Catalonia's fiscal deficit with Madrid (that is, the difference between the contribution of Catalan taxpayers to the state and the state's investment in Catalonia).
Pro-independence voters and activists tend to point to the region's precariously high deficit as the main cause of its severe financial crisis. (In the wake of meandering negotiations on Catalonia's proposed economic independence, the region's government recently had to ask for a bailout [ca] by the Spanish government.)
Hashtags like #espolifiscal (#FiscalTheft) [ca] or #espanyaensroba (#SpainIsRobbingUs) [ca] have marked the debate on Twitter. The website espolimetre.cat (“Theft meter”) offers realtime deficit calculations and is available in Catalan, Spanish, English, German, French and Italian. Of course, the unique nature Catalonia's financial crisis is too complex to explain in this post, but we recommend this article, published by the economist Xavier Sala-i-Martin on his blog.
One of the most popular and effective citizens’ initiatives to surge over the past few months was the ‘I won't pay’ movement, which spread like a wildfire thanks to the eponymous Catalan-language hashtag, #novullpagar [ca]. It began in March 2012, when motorist Josep Casadellà i Turon [ca] recorded and uploaded a video of himself refusing to pay a toll on the AP-7 tollroad, protesting disproportionate highway privatization in Catalonia, compared to the rest of Spain.
On the Novullpagar [ca] YouTube channel, as well as on Twitter, there are many videos of users broadcasting their own acts of civil disobedience on Catalan highways. The grassroots movement quickly developed cohesive leadership, who, in preparation for the Diada, have organized [ca] what they hope to be a massive #novullpagar [ca], because, “these highways finance Spain's infrastructure projects and the pockets of our politicians.”
Municipal action and military threats
On September 3, the municipalities Sant Pere de Torelló and Calldetenes declared themselves [ca] to be “free Catalan territories” with the objective of pressuring the Catalan government to aggressively and directly pursue independence.
A few days earlier, on August 31, Francisco Alamán Castro, a colonel in the Spanish military, threatened military intervention [ca] if Catalonia declared independence. His statements, made during an interview with the far-right (and somewhat marginal) online publication Alerta Digital [es], exploded in the blogosphere. Widespread demands for his dimission appeared under the hashtag #DenúnciaAlamán [ca] and an intense debate [ca] circled around article 8.1 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, which states the military's purpose is “to guarantee the sovereignty of Spain, defend its territorial integrity and constitutional order.”
‘Anti-Catalanism’ online
For some months now, the initiative @Apuntem [ca] has monitored an increasingly hostile, anti-Catalan discourse on Twitter. While denounced users tend to be marginal, with no more than a handfull of followers, the frequency and (often openly violent) intensity of highlighted tweets point to a culture of open hatred for the Catalan people that is alarming.
One relevant case is that of Àlex Fàbregas, a Catalan Olympian who mentioned in July that he felt more Catalan than Spanish and only played for Spain because “he has no other option” (there is a Spanish law penalizing athletes who refuse to join the Olympic team). A storm of violent comments towards Fàbregas — including death threats — led the athlete to delete his Twitter account. Sympathetic users created the hashtag #TotsSomÀlexFàbregas  (We're all Àlex Fàbregas) [ca] in response.
Efforts to explain Catalan perspectives
In the last few months, Catalan citizens have stepped up their efforts to explain Catalonia's context to the international community as a contrast to the dominant discourse emanating out of Madrid, where foreign correspondants are usually based. The English-language blog Col·lectiu Emma was founded as a response to the “skewed visions about the Catalan people presented by the international press.”
Celebrating the Diada Nacional, Col·lectiu Emma published an essay in six languages in order to explain Catalonia's social context to their European neighbors. On Twitter, pro-independence, English-language hashtags have arisen, such as #Cataloniaisnotspain or #FreedomForCatalonia. Twitter activists used the former to help organize  [ca] a collective mass tweet on September 10.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Hashtags lead to mainly Catalan tweets, unless otherwise indicated:

author: Violeta Camarasa


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Arab World: Outrage Over Killing of US Ambassador in Benghazi · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.
Arab netizens have condemned the cowardly attack on the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last night (Tuesday 11 September, 2012). Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens were killed when militants fired rockets at them as they were being driven to a safer location after protesters surrounded the consulate building.
News reports say protesters surrounded the Consulate, outraged over a film which ridiculed Prophet Mohammed, produced by an American-Israeli film maker. In Cairo, a similar protest was staged, where protesters scaled the US Embassy walls, tearing down the US flag, and replacing it with an Islamic banner.
The killing of Mr Stevens and three other US Consulate staff has outraged netizens from across the region.
The Libyan Youth Movement asks:
@ShababLibya: What did attacking the consulate last night achieve? Nothing but destruction, violence, & utter tragedy
Abdulraqeeb Al Azzane notes [ar]:
Protesters outside the US Embassy in Cairo last night. Photograph shared on Twitter by @khadrania
Nasr Aldbea says [ar]:
Khalil Agha tweets [ar]:
Saudi Fahad Albutairi reminds us [ar]:
And Libyan Ahmed Misrata agrees:
@AhmedEMisrata: Last night's event was a disgrace to our revolution, our martyrs and most of all, a disgrace to the teachings of the Prophet PBUH #Benghazi
From Egypt, Schehrazade remarks:
@_Schehrazade_: A man doing his job got killed in #Libya because some amateurs made a worthless movie and some freaks valued it. Continue hating.
And from Benghazi, @N_Benghazi writes:
@N_Benghazi: The Prophet (saws) wouldn't have accepted that innocent blood be spilled because people are offended over some nobody's movie. #libya
Egyptian writer Karim El Degwy predicts [ar]:
And still in Egypt, Nadia El Awady concludes [ar]:
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Belarus, Ukraine: No More Gratis UK Visas for Chernobyl Children? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

According to this online petition, bringing Belarusian and Ukrainian children affected by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to the UK for recuperative charity-sponsored visits will soon cost an additional £86 per child in visa fees.
Odessablogger posts an open letter to the UK Foreign Office, questioning the decision to stop issuing gratis visas for Chernobyl children:
[…] It seems strange to be continuing to acknowledge the on-going legacy of Chernobyl by throwing in a few million quid into the EU pot aimed at finally sealing the leaking reactor and yet to be quibbling over the cost of 6 month visitors Visas for a small number of sick children. […]


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Brazil: Threat to the Autonomy of Indigenous Lands · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
Various social movements in Brazil and beyond that fight for the rights of indigenous people [pt] have harshly criticized the issuing of Decree Law 303 [pt] in mid-July 2012 by the Brazilian Federal Government via the Office of the Solicitor-General or AGU. The law seeks to restrict the autonomy of indigenous lands in Brazil.
Luana Luizy of the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) summarizes [pt] the implications of the decree:
a Portaria 303 determina, entre outras medidas, que as terras indígenas podem ser ocupadas por unidades, postos e demais intervenções militares, malhas viárias, empreendimentos hidrelétricos e minerais de cunho estratégico, sem consulta aos povos. Por um mero instrumento, a AGU desconstrói o direito constitucional indígena de usufruto exclusivo da terra de ocupação tradicional.
Those against the measure demand its immediate repeal as they consider it [pt] “an affront to rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and by international instruments like ILO Convention 169, a law in the country since 2004, and the Declaration of the UN on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”.
Indigenous people as obstacles to development
Indigenous protest in Brasilia, 2011. Photo by International Rivers on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The decree comes at a time when the developmental policies implemented by the government of Dilma Rousseff have visibly collided with the rights of indigenous communities in the country. According to data by IBGE in 2010 there were over 800,000 indigenous Brazilians [pt].
The Belo Monte dam [pt] has been in the media spotlight, as it could be the third largest in the world if it is in fact constructed. According to a report [pt] by Global Voices in August, its construction had in fact been suspended by order of the Public Federal Ministry in the state of Pará due to, among other reasons, lack of consultation of indigenous peoples before the legislative decree that authorized its existence. However, the suspension only lasted a couple of days, as on August 27, the Brazilian Supreme Court decided [pt] in favor of the Solicitor-General, which sought the continuation of construction.
Cases like that of Belo Monte expose the fragility of Brazil regarding its positions on its international human rights commitments, as was seen in 2011 when the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights (ICHR) requested by way of a cautionary measure that the Dilma government immediately suspend construction of the dam.
However, given the influence of the country in the Americas, the very interamerican human rights system is put at risk, believes sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos, who has written [pt] about the pressures that the ICHR has unleashed:
O Brasil protesta contra a decisão, retira o seu embaixador na Organização dos Estados Americanos (OEA), suspende o pagamento da sua cota anual à OEA, retira o seu candidato à CIDH e toma a iniciativa de criar um grupo de trabalho para propor a reforma da CIDH no sentido de diminuir os seus poderes de questionar os governos sobre violações de direitos humanos.
Sousa Santos further describes [pt] the line followed by the current “progressive” policies of development in a cutting way:
Os territórios passam a ser terra e as populações que nelas habitam, obstáculos ao desenvolvimento que é necessário remover quanto mais rápido melhor.
The same line of thought was reinforced by M. Marcos Terena, blogger and indigenous activist, who tweeted on the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, August 9 [pt]:
@MarcosTerena: Nós Indigenas lembramos nesse nosso Dia que a Portaria 303 da AGU ve nas nossas terras, ouro, novas estradas, etc, menos nós os Indignas
Zero tolerance
Indigenous protest against Decree Law 303/12 in Manaus. Photo by Fora do Eixo on Flickr (CC BY-SA).
Decree Law 303 has prompted an unparalled unity among various social movements, like the indigenous leader members of the Committee GATI (Indigenous Environmental and Territorial Management), the Indigenous People of Brazil Network (Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil – APIB), the Indigenist Missionary Council (CIMI) and the National Association of Workers for Funai (the Brazilian government's indigenous affairs institution, Fundação Nacional do índio [pt]).
Their objective has been to raise awareness among lawmakers, the judiciary and Brazilian society, not only on the implications of this measure but also on the various actions underway that they consider “demonstrate a context of dismantling of indigenous policies in the country and an attack on indigenous peoples and their lands”, such as:
o novo decreto de reestruturação da Funai, Decreto 7778/12, as PECs [Propostas de Emenda à Constituição] 038, que daria ao Senado a competência exclusiva para demarcação de terras indígenas e, 215, que transfere essa atividade para o Congresso.
More information on these and other measures that work against the rights of indigenous peoples and traditional communities and the environment was shared by the Humanitas Institute UNISINOS on its site [pt]:
@_ihu: Governo Dilma promove a maior cruzada contra os direitos indígenas com trapalhadas jurídicas. http://bit.ly/NiSQjo
In response to actions taken in recent weeks, at the end of August the government proposed the suspension of Decree 303 “until the ruling on the suspension of the sentence of the Supreme Court concerning the judicial action related to Raposa Serra do Sol” (Global Voices reported [pt] on this territorial demarcation in 2009) and the “creation of a Working Group composed of the Ministry of Justice, AGU, Funai and representatives of indigenous peoples, with the objective of discussing the conditions established in Decree 303/2012 and other ways of making viable demarcation processes for indigenous lands”.
The Indigenous People of Brazil Network (APIB) expressed its opposition [pt] to the proposed suspension, believing that this will “make latent the widely occurring risks of land conflict in the country” and promises to “keep on mobilizing and fighting for the full repeal of the Solicitor-General's Decree 303″.
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

author: Sara Moreira


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Chile: 1973 Coup d’etat in 140 Characters · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

How would netizens have followed the coup d'etat of September 11, 1973 in Chile if Twitter had existed? Jorge Baradit (@baradit) [es] made a minute by minute [es] narration of the historic events that took place from August 15, 1973 until the day the coup ended on September 11, when Augusto Pinochet took control of the country. Baradit said [es] the work “was exhausting but it was worth it, I feel better with my country. Thanks to all”.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Cuba: For a Census in Which All Unions Count  · Global Voices
Mariana Valdés

In the last few months, the following slogan has accompanied the preparation process for the National Census of People and Households: “From September 15 to September 24, in Cuba we count everyone.”
Since the Census will be carried out soon, activism on blogs and social networks has intensified, particularly after a supposed change in the instruction manual for survey distributors came to light. Certain crossed out lines have made bloggers and activists in favor of sexual diversity believe that same-sex unions were originally going to be included, but now the question revolves around why they were eliminated.
Maykel González, from El Nictálope [es], asks:
Adaptations of the official logo for the Census for People and Households in Cuba. Photo taken from El Nictálope under CC license.
¿Por qué se abandonó el proyecto original? ¿Quién ordenó -persona o grupo- que se eliminara una pauta incluida por los propios especialistas de la ONEI? Lo que parecía una omisión ahora es discriminación. Afirmar que las parejas homosexuales no serían admitidas era anticuado; incluirlas, luego tacharlas, es discriminatorio. ¿Los responsables sabrán que obran contra la política del Estado?
In his blog, El Nictálope [es], Maykel González refers to the fact that the original manual contained the following phrase: “in this case same-sex couples are admitted, so long as they live in the same household per the Census.” A document that was subsequently circulated by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) [es] included a list of corrections where they ordered the removal of the aforementioned phrase, to be substituted with “couples must be of different sexes.”
González considers the following [es]:
A la medianoche del 14 de septiembre oprimirán el botón y veremos el flashazo. Ya sabemos, sin embargo, que nos harán una foto desenfocada.
When there was still a year left before conducting the Census, Francisco Rodríguez, an activist for sexual rights known as Cuba's Paquito, commented [es] on his blog [es]:
Sería restrictivo, discriminatorio y —además— falso que las personas que conformamos parejas del mismo sexo apareciéramos como solteras o solteros, cuando en realidad vivimos en una unión de hecho o consensual, tal vez no por voluntad propia, sino por la carencia de cualquier otro tipo de vínculo jurídico posible.
According to Mariela Castro Espín, Director of the National Center for Sexual Education (CENESEX) said,
La respuesta de la ONEI ante una solicitud de esa institución al respecto (…) es hasta ahora realizar en algún momento una encuesta nacional más detallada que abarque una información de mayor amplitud sobre toda la diversidad sexual de la población cubana y sobre la base del principio de no invadir la privacidad de las personas.
During a recent encounter with Cuban State press executives, the ONEI director agreed with the blog “Paquito el de Cuba” [es] and took into account that the declaration, on behalf of transexual individuals, “is a very complicated issue to explain to the students who act as survey distributors.”
In this context, the Rainbow Project [es], which defines itself as “an independent, anti-Capitalist, Cuban LGBT collective,” has distributed a flyer via email and its blog to make the fight for sexual diversity in Cuban society known.
Rainbow Project banner. Republished with permission.
El adjunto lo puedes imprimir, usar, discutir, compartir, o reenviar a toda persona que creas puede ser discriminada por omisión en el próximo Censo 2012 o esté interesada en la lucha contra las discriminaciones.
Additionally, various members of the LGBT community on the island [es] and some international media sources [es] have echoed Paquito's recent proposal [es], which sets out the following:
According to  Fernando Rasvberg's blog, the BBC correspondent in Cuba:
Este 15 de septiembre, mi esposa –que es ciudadana cubana- pondrá la bandera del arco iris en el frente de nuestra casa, sumándose a los que quieren construir una nación en la que realmente todos los cubanos y las cubanas cuenten.


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‘Diversity Within the Unknown’, a Conservation Blog in Bolivia · Global Voices
Pablo Andrés Rivero

Few media outlets—mainstream, alternative or citizen-led—pay careful attention, or devote themselves fully, to the subject of conservation in Bolivia. Diversidad entre Pendientes [es] is a blog that offers direct contact with the Bolivian biodiversity, home to mountains and sub-tropical valleys.
The blog's author, Mauricio Pacheco, spoke with Global Voices about his work, and the state of thematic blogs in Bolivia.
Global Voices (GV): Hi Mauricio. Can you introduce yourself and tell us about what you do?
Mauricio Pacheco (MP):: My name is Mauricio Pacheco. I'm not a biologist, nor a forest engineer and, in reality, I'm not a photographer either. Although my job is probably the most boring in the world, I have organised it so that the work doesn't have to be. Professionally, I dedicate myself to planning projects for Cooperación Internacional [International Cooperation] which is what pays the bills.
GV: Tell us about your professional life and its relationship with your blog: Diversidad entre Pendientes. [es]
Tropical mountain forest by Mauricio Pacheco © for Diversidad entre Pendientes. Published with author's permission.
MP: There is very little actually! It just happens that I've always had an unexplainable need to be in the jungle and I think that I've developed some sort of bond at a personal level. I always try to propel from my work those things in which I most believe: the creation of an exemplary lifestyle in harmony with the environment and the co-responsibility we have for what surrounds us, however this isn't always necessarily reflected in the blog.
GV: How and when was Diversidad entre Pendientes born?
MP: A few years ago now, I started as an amateur photographer in order to pass the time and fulfil this profound need that I have of escaping into nature. In one way you start to ask yourself what you're going to do with the photos other than show them to your friends, and so the idea occurred to me to publish a book, which I then started to work on. It took me a few more years to learn about the biology and taxonomy and to understand the jungle, which has now become a sort of obsession.
It just so happens that while I was advancing in this project, I had an interesting conversation on a bus journey. The person next to me suggested that a book of this sort would just end up abandoned on a coffee table in the living room of people completely uninterested in the topic. He must have said it very well, because I left the book to one side and I started to look for an easier way of reaching more people. The blog was born like this; through chance. In fact, I've never been a devoted follower of the blogosphere and neither am I part of it now, really.
GV: What matters are addressed by Diversidad entre Pendientes?
MP: Initially I was only looking for an alternative way to show photos, but I was a little late in realising that photos are only a vehicle and that Diversidad entre Pendientes could inform people too. So I got together everything that I knew about the jungle and the places I go, and I put the photos at the service of this information.
Specifically, it's about the biodiversity close to home; that of the Yungas de la Paz [valleys in central Bolivia] and of any other place that you can visit.
In reality I only travel in my free time, I have to balance work and family, so I don't have many opportunities to travel far. Fortunately, within an hour and a half from La Paz, you can reach some of Bolivia's most important and interesting forests. Nobody knows it: not those who cycle the “death trail”, not even those who have lived all their lives in these valleys know what there is there and the things that we have the responsibility to protect. Currently the situation is critical in these forests.
Inevitably, the blog also has an activist side and its content has been committed to various environmental causes, even if it isn't necessarily its central objective.
GV: Do you take the photos that you publish and those that accompany your posts? Have you taken a photography course?
MP: I nearly always take them. I've been taking photos for some seven years but I've concentrated on nature photography in the last three or four years; it's not anything professional, in fact I'm terrible at promoting myself as a photographer. I learned thanks to digital technology, without formal courses. But yes, I've had mentors, in fact many of the things I know now I have learned from people that I've met through the blog.
Diversidad entre Pendientes has helped me a lot with getting in contact with people involved with conservation matters, as well as biologists and photographers who have been key in this work. As a nature photographer, often the photographic technique becomes secondary because what's really difficult is understanding the species that you want to capture and above all, be able to find them.
Gastrothecan frog by © Mauricio Pacheco for Diversidad entre Pendientes. Published with author's permission.
GV: Are there similar blogs about biology, conservation or science investigation in Bolivia?
MP: I'm aware of very few blogs that follow these subjects regularly. Pajareando en Bolivia [es][Birding in Bolivia], is the blog by the Asociación para la Biología de la Conservación [Association for the Biology of Conservation], or the blog by the Iniciativa Anfibios de Bolivia [es][Bolivian Amphibian Initiative]. Recently activist blogs have increased, above all to do with the TIPNIS conflict [es], and there have been various attempts by nature photographers. Few are updated regularly (neither is Diversidad entre Pendientes updated as much as I'd like), or their formats are neglected, making them hard to follow.
Of course, the conservationist institutions have the best content and give further impetus to the creation of content on the web. It's not a national problem, there aren't many personal blogs like this anywhere.
GV: How would you evaluate the media coverage of issues such as conservation in Bolivia?
MP: I've never considered the Bolivian media as true creators of Bolivian opinion, but they have been able to capitalise on general concerns. Little by little the interest in subjects such as sustainable development and conservation are gaining ground in Bolivia, despite being a country not traditionally known to be concerned with these.
I think the National Government's rhetoric during their first few years, and then the serious contradictions especially with reference to TINIS, have fuelled the debate, the information generation and of course people's sensitivity, above all in the cities. The media has jumped on board, but lack the capacity to interpret what is going well, so in many cases report from a ‘for and/or against’ government perspective.
Although I have seen a lot more responsible disclosure lately,it is still the institutions that bear leadership on what information the public is able to access and how they access it… which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
GV: Are you part of a network, scientific community or conservation group in Bolivia or outside Bolivia? If so, do they publish any web content?
MP: Sadly I'm not part of any network. The truth is that to be part of something like this requires much more time and responsibility, which I cannot give at the moment.
I draw up nearly all of the content but I do have friends that check some things. I hope to convince someone to help me compile content in the future so that Diversidad entre Pendientes is more dynamic, but we'll see.
Viscacha by © Mauricio Pacheco for Diversidad entre Pendientes. Published with the author's permission.
GV: There are those that believe blogs are dying out. What do you think about this?
MP: Much has been written about this. I see it as a ‘quality of content’ issue. I have to say that no one writes in a blog what can be written in a social network. It's logical. It's infinitely easier to write socially on your Facebook wall. The problem is that huge numbers of blogs- those containing questionable content or those that disseminate content created by someone else- end up being forgotten by the person that created them. However, blogs continue to be the tool that offer most depth, that which social networks cannot provide.
On the other hand, the blog's format isn't the easiest to develop for social interaction which can be frustrating, in particular for those only starting one up or those that aren't covering a popular topic. Recently Diversidad entre Pendientes has been trying to integrate itself within different networks, particularly in Facebook [es], which has been significant in increasing the number of people who view the blog. Now when I post something I always receive comments on the Facebook page [es], which isn't a bad thing.

author: Pablo Andrés Rivero


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Ecuador: Orlando Ibarra Escapes After Two Years of Captivity · Global Voices
Gina Yauri

Orlando Ibarra, a 39 year old Ecuadorian businessman, was reunited with his loved ones on Monday, September 10 in a military base in Quito, Ecuador, after 766 days in captivity in Colombia.
Prior to his kidnapping, Ibarra was a manager  [es] at Transcomerinter, a transportation company that operates in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Ibarra was kidnapped on August 2, 2010 at the Transcomerinter offices in Ipiales, Colombia.
The newspaper El Comercio reports [es] on the difficult scenes that Ibarra recounted upon his arrival in Bogotá, Colombia:
“Pasé en cautiverio, privado de la libertad, y vi toda la injusticia que cometen los señores del Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) contra los campesinos. Porque es una injusticia que resulta muy lastimera al verla. Me siento triste y muy apenado (por esto). Y, a la vez, ahora estoy muy feliz porque Dios siempre estuvo conmigo. El secuestro se produjo en el Municipio de Ipiales. Ocurrió en la oficina del trabajo. Llegaron unos cuatro o cinco encapuchados y se dio una emboscada. Fue cuestión de segundos. Tengo entendido que ellos pedían dinero.”
According to reports [es] from the police, his father was murdered on January 31, 2012 in the same city, while he was apparently negotiating his son's rescue.
The Colombian Army explained that the rescue was made possible after a guerrilla member from the National Liberation Army  accepted an offer to negotiate in order to facilitate the Ecuadorian's escape. Orlando Ibarra and the rebel, whose identity has not been released, walked  [es] for four hours until they found the soldiers.
High emotions upon being reunited with his family during his arrival at Quito after more than two years of captivity. Photo shared by Twitter user Ana María Cañizares (@anniecanizares)
The Ecuadorian National Police (@PoliciaEcuador) [es] wrote on Twitter:
@PoliciaEcuador: Gracias a trabajo coordinado por varias instituciones del Estado ecuatoriano se logró la liberación de Orlando Ibarra pic.twitter.com/tZLkyACd
Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ricardo Patiño (@RicardoPatinoEC) [es] expressed the country's happiness:
@RicardoPatinoEC: @KtyLs En nombre del Presidente Rafael Correa y gobierno nacional, un gran abrazo a familia del Sr. Orlando Ibarra. Compartimos su felicidad
@RicardoPatinoEC: Canciller Colombiana Ma. Angela Holguín me informa que trasladan a Orlando Ibarra para entregarlo a autoridades ecuatorianas. Qué felicidad.
Meanwhile, journalist María Fernanda (@MaferSuasnavas) [es] reported:
@MaferSuasnavas: Orlando Ibarra se reencuentra con sus familiares, un momento emotivo tras 2 años de cautiverio en poder de ELN pic.twitter.com/kUINf51z
Just like other Ecuadoreans, Luis Arguello Verdugo (@lu_is_paz) [es] and Esteban Bolaños (@muscaria81) [es] expresed their immense happiness for the freeing of Ibarra:
@lu_is_paz: Sorprendido y emocionado con la liberación de Orlando Ibarra después de 2 años de estar secuestrado por guerrilleros. Pasó encadenado 2 años
@muscaria81: Q alegría leer la liberación de mi coterraneo Orlando Ibarra. Tulcan te espera @elcomerciocom pic.twitter.com/tcjh0NHz

author: Gina Yauri


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Hollister Models Clown Koreans Via Twitter, Offending Asians · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

It is not the first time clothing brand Hollister went under fire for its racial gaffes. Recently, its male models tweeted several racial messages making fun of South Koreans, including photos of model posing with “Asian squinty eyes”. Korea Bang quoted a comment that read :
People talk about how Hollister’s mother company Abercombie also discriminates against Asians and they have been in a ton of lawsuits, I can’t help but laugh as watching Asians give their money to such a brand.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Hong Kong: Anti-National Education Protest, 360 Degree Scene · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

John Choy posted a 360 degree panoramic view of the anti-national education protest on September 8, 2012 outside the government building.
Screen Capture of John Choy's 360 degree shot.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Jamaica: Coral Crisis · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The latest diagnosis on Caribbean coral reefs is dire.
Labrish Jamaica thinks immediate action should be taken.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jordan: ‘Day of Mourning’ as Parliament Approves Internet Restrictions · Global Voices
7iber

Amendments to the press and publications law restricting online expression in Jordan were passed by parliament today [September 12, 2012]. Simultaneously a demonstration was held by activists and journalists in front of the parliament as a majority of MP's voted for the bill.
An improvised coffin plastered with the words “Freedom of the Internet” was carried by activists signalling the anticipated death of the Internet in Jordan. Participants wore black to the funeral-themed demonstration.
The approved law must still receive ratification from the upper house of parliament as well as approval by King Abdullah II, who retains supreme authority and whose signature is the seal of approval to all legislative matters. Member of Parliament, Jamil Nimri, who voted against the bill, in addition to the head of the journalists syndicate, attended the protest and claimed that such laws serve only to restrict freedoms and muffle the voices of the people.
The new law allows for more control and censorship over the Internet. It requires the owners of websites to register with the government and obtain a license, “just like any other publication.” Owners of websites will also be made responsible for the content of comments published by readers on their sites.
Outrage over the proposed law has been simmering for a while and netizens had already staged an online campaign to draw attention to the new law and its repercussions.
On Twitter, netizens expressed their dismay at such a bill.
The beginning of the Internet freedom funeral in front of the Jordanian Parliament. Photograph shared by Mohamed Al Qaq on Twitter
Mohamed Al Qaq tweets [ar]:
He shares this photograph, right, from the protest.
Nizar Samarri adds:
And @godotbasha asks:
@godotbasha: So if I draw parallels between Jordan and police states vis a vis #censorship law I can be subjected to persecution? #freenetjo
Hisham Al Balawneh tweets:
And Hanin Abu Shamat states:
@HaninSh: What's with the #FreeNetJO drama? The Senate (Upper House) has to approve it first… I trust our Senators and not our useless MPs. :) #JO
Shahzeydo reflects:
@Shahzeydo: With one regressive law Jordanian bureaucracy puts a leash on Jordan's knowledge economy. ‘Brilliant’ Govt logic in a recession. #FreeNetJo”
And Majd Yousef continues:
Fadi Zaghmout comments:
While Mohamad Shawash warns:
مش قادر اعبر اكتر عن امتعاضي – مجلس النواب الأردني انتو لعبتو بالنار
Bashar Zeedan links the new attack on the freedom of the Internet to the Jordanian Spring. He says:
And Omar Qudah adds:
Omar Kamel sees the Parliament's decision as a signal to boycott the elections:
Activists launched a petition on Avaaz.com under the title “Save the internet”, which called on King Abdullah II, the minister of information and members of parliament to repeal the amendments to the press and publications law.
Human Rights Watch also published a report on the latest bill passed by the parliament and the restrictions that are to be imposed on Jordanian websites, titled “Jordan: Moves to Censor Online Expression.”


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Lebanon: Angelina Jolie supporting Syrian Refugees · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

American Actress and UN Ambassador, Angelina Jolie is in Lebanon today [September 12, 2012] as part of her tour to support Syrian Refugees in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.
Commenting the event, Ivy from Lebanon tweets:
@ivysblog: Angelina Jolie's in Lebanon today visiting refugees – not only is she the world's most beautiful woman but also a passionate humanitarian.


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Lebanon: What is Angelina Jolie Wearing?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Angelina Jolie in Lebanon: Why are you dressed like this?
UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie is in Lebanon, to visit Syrian refugees. Lebanese Memes, on Facebook, has something to say about her choice of dress.


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Libya: Sorry Chris, Benghazi Couldn’t Protect You · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.
A small crowd of Libyans gathered in Al Shajara Square in Benghazi today [September 12, 2012] to protest against the attack on the US Consulate.
Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens were killed when militants fired rockets at them as they were being driven to a safer location after protesters surrounded the consulate building.
News reports say protesters surrounded the Consulate, outraged over a film which ridiculed Prophet Mohammed, produced by an American-Israeli film maker. In Cairo, a similar protest was staged, where protesters scaled the US Embassy walls, tearing down the US flag, and replacing it with an Islamic banner.
The killing of Mr Stevens and three other US Consulate staff has outraged netizens from across the region.
From Benghazi, Ahmed Sanalla shares some of the protest signs carried by the protesters on Twitter.
He tweets:
@ASanalla: Small crowd gathered in Alshajra square in #Benghazi to protest against attack on US embassy & calling 4 activation of Army & Police #Libya
Among the chants were [ar]:
Here is a selection of the photographs Sanalla posts from the protest.
@ASanalla: Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans. Image from today's protest in #Benghazi #USEmbassyattack #Libya pic.twitter.com/jcCkMTUh
“Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans”. Another sign held at the Benghazi protest today. Photo shared by Ahmed Sanalla on Twitter
@ASanalla: Sorry Chris #Benghazi couldn't protect you. Image from today's protest in Benghazi.
A Benghazi protester carries a sign which reads: “Sorry Chris, Benghazi Couldn't Protect You”. Photograph shared on Twitter by Ahmed Sanalla
@ASanalla: Thugs & killers don't represent #Benghazi nor #Islam. Image from today's protest in #Benghazi
“Thugs and killers don't represent Islam”. Photograph from today's protest in Benghazi shared by @ASanalla on Twitter
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.


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Maldives: Independence Day Celebrations In Male · Global Voices
Rezwan

Buggee posts photos of the recently held official Independence Day celebrations of Maldives in the Galolhu Grounds of the capital Male.
Image courtesy Buggee Photography


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Mali: Mauritanian Preachers Killed by the Army · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

Mauritanians woke up on September 10, 2012, to the news of the killing of 16 members of Jamaat al Daawa wal Tabligh (Society for spreading faith), a movement active in spreading Islamic faith, by the Malian army. Twelve of those killed are Mauritanian citizens. According to the news, the army killed these clerics after two hours of arrest and investigation. The victims were on their way to participate in a conference held in the Malian capital, Bamako, before their car was intercepted by the border guards in the Malian city of Jino.
The news was like a strike for the Mauritanians, who considered what happened as an insult to them by neighboring state army. The relatives of the victims held [ar] a protest in front of the presidential palace denouncing the sad fate the Malian army inflicted to their beloved. They were surprised by the silence of the Mauritanian government, asking it to assume its responsibility in this regard and open a prompt probe in the incident to find more about its circumstances and to bring the perpetrators to justice and punish them for their act. Moreover, various political parties, issued statements [ar] condemning the killing and asking for punishing the culprits.
Photographs of one of the victims posted by his friend on Facebook where we can read: “The Martyr Omaneh Ould Ailt, May the Lord accept him and his friends in heaven along with prophets, good-doers and martyrs”
Mauritanian activists and bloggers reacted the incident. Nasser Weddady, for instance, criticized the Mauritanian President's stance on the case. He tweeted:
@weddady ولد عبد العزيز يتنمر على القاعدة عندما تهدد مصالح فرنسا، لكنه قط وديع عندما يذبح الموريتانيون،المسألة مسألة بيع وشراء لا غير #موريتانيا
Ould Abdel Aziz slams Al Caida when it threatens France's interests (in Mauritania) but he is a timid cat when Mauritanians are slaughtered. The incident is just a sale and acquisition issue and nothing more.
He adds:
@weddady  الحق علينا، من نحن لكي نزعج فخامته؟ وقته من ذهب ولا ينبغي أن نشغله عن جني الأرباح لشركته الرئاسية #موريتانيا #السمسار
It's our fault. Who are we to bother His Excellency? His time is so precious and we shouldn't disturb him from reaping the revenues of his presidential company.
Activist Haydara Ould Mohamed Lehbib expresses his anger towards what happened:
@mhaydaraa دماء جديد وحياة المواطنين في خطر مرة أخرى… طبعا لن يحدد المسؤول أحرى أن يحاسب… رحم الله شهداء الدعوة والتبليغ
More blood and the lives of citizens are once again in danger. Of course no one responsible shall be held accountable. May the lord have mercy on the martyrs of Al Dawaa wal Tabligh.
Tah Ould Habib criticizes the silence of the government:
@tahabib  في #موريتانيا تقتل قوات الأمن المالية 15 مواطنا مسالما ولم ينبس أي مسؤول حتى الآن ببنت شفة
In Mauritania, the Malian army kills 15 pacifist civilians and no official has uttered a word so far
Bab Ould Hourma mocks the weakness of Malian army facing Al Caida and his bravery facing unarmed preachers:
@bHourma الجيش المالي: أسد على الدعاة الموريتانيين العزل وفي الحرب على القاعدة ومقاتلي الطوارق نعامة!!
The Malian Army: A lion on unarmed Mauritanian Preachers and an ostrich during the war and facing Al Caida and the Touareg
Writer and blogger Abbas Braham also commented on the incident:
@abbassbrahamإضافة إلى أن قتل الدعاة ربما يكون جريمة حرب فمن الأرجح أيضا أنه نمطية وعنصرية (يعني قتل على المظاهر وقتل على الهوية)
In addition to the fact that killing the 4 preachers might be a war crime then most probably it is racism (killing them because of their looks and identity).
Activist Ali Ag Al Azwadi denied rumors which claimed that the Malian Army shot the preachers because they didn't stop at their patrol:
@ALIUF حتى في الأفلام ! لا يتم إيقاف سيارة “عصابة” بتصفية 18 شخص دفعة واحدة ! “الجيش المالي أنت أكذوبة”
Even in movies! A gang isn't arrested by eliminating 18 persons in a raw. Malian army, you are liars!
Activist Mohamed El Amine Nagi calls for a protest in front of the Malian Embassy:
@lemine_nagi  لم لايتم التظاهر أم سفارة مالي ومحاصرة السفير عدة ساعات،،السفارة تقع عل شاعر المختار قبالة المخبزة بجوار مطعم الطازح وسفارة اليمن
Why don't we protest in front of the Malian Embassy and surround the Ambassador for a few hours? The embassy is on Al Moukhtar street facing a bakery near Al Tazeh Restaurant and the Yemeni Embassy
Ahmed Ould Bah asks to recall the Mauritanian Embassy in Mali:
@ahmedbah أيها الجنرال ألم تستقبل جماعة الدعوة والتبليغ قبل عدة أشهر وأعلنوا ولائهم لك.. أضعف الإيمان استدعاء السفير في #مالي. #موريتانيا
General, haven't you received Jamaat al Daawa wal Tabligh months ago and they have proclaimed they allegiance to you? The ambassador in Mali should be summoned
Mohammed Ould Jedou tweets:
@mohdjedou  إن مافعله الجيش المالي لايغتفر فقتلهم لأ طهار كل همهم تعليم الناس الخير لهو وحشية وهمجية تستنكف عنها عاد وثمود
What the Malian army is doing in unforgivable because their killing of pure people who only care about teaching good to others is an act of brutality
Mustapha Ould Bab Ahmed fears the exploitation of the case by the Mauritanian President:
@mstaphab للأسف ربما الأفضل أن تصمت الدولة في قضية#مذبحة_الدعاة. لأنها حين تتدخل سيكون الهدف استغلالها واستخدامها من أجل سواد عين الرئيس “المعتصم”
Unfortunately maybe it is better for the state to keep quiet in the case of the #massacre_of_the_clerics because when it will interfere, the objective will be to exploit the case and use it for the interest of the president
The opposition February 25 movement published a statement on its Facebook page, condemning the incident:
لقد طال صمت الحكومة الموريتانية أكثر من اللازم كعادتها عندما يتعلق الأمر بمصالح المواطنين، ومنها في هذه الحالة إدانة ما جرى، والكشف عن حقيقته للرأي العام، واتخاذ التدابير اللازمة لتسوية آثار الفعل الإجرامي المنكر مهما كان من يتحمل مسئوليته، وجبر الخواطر المكسورة لذوي الضحايا. ليس الأمر مستغربا بالنسبة لنا من نظام لا ينشط إلا في خدمة الطغمة الفاسدة من أركانه.
The silence of the government has lasted more than enough as usual when it is about the interests of the citizens like in this case in condemning what is happening and reveal the truth to the public opinion and adopting the necessary measures to fix the impact of this criminal act and appease the victims relatives. But we are not surprised by a regime which is only active in serving his corrupt members.
Wishah blog (Scarf) reports the protests in Mauritanian cities against what the Malian army committed:
طالب سكان مدينة فصالة الجيش الموريتاني بالتدخل والانتقام لذويهم، والثأر، وهدد العشرات من أهالي شهداء جماعة الدعوة والتبليغ في فصالة بالانتقام لذويهم إذا لم يبادر الجيش الموريتاني بالانتقام.
وفي باسكنو أيضا بدأ السكان يتظاهرون احتجاجا على تأخر السلطات في اتخاذ موقف حازم ضد الجريمة البشعة
Fassala residents asked the Mauritanian army to intervene and take revenge for their relatives. Dozens of the martyrs’ relatives in Fassala threatened to take revenge on their own in case the Mauritanian army doesn't. In Bassiknou as well, the citizens started protesting against the delay of the authorities to take a firm stance against the ugly crime
Alegcom also presented its condolences to the parents of the victims:
وبهذه المناسبة الأليمة فإن مدونة “ألاك كوم” إدارة وعمال تتقدم بتعازيها إلى كل الشعب الموريتانى وإلى سكان ولاية لبراكنه بشكل خاص وإلى أسر الضحايا راجية المولى عز وجل أن يتغمد الشهداء بواسع رحمته ويسكنهم فسيح جنانه ويلهم ذويهم جميل الصبر والسلوان وإنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون.
On this sad occasion Aleg Com blog, administration and staff presents its condolences to all the Mauritanian people and to the residents of Brakna region in particular and to the relatives of the victims, praying to God to grant the martyrs his mercy and place them in his heaven and grant their relatives patience. ‘Surely we belong to God and to Him shall we return


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Mexico Also Remembers September 11 Attacks  · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Eleven years have passed since the attacks on the World Trade Center in the city of New York and on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. in the United States of America. On September 11, 2012, President Barack Obama began the commemoration of this date early in the morning in the South Lawn of the White House.
Many opinions on this subject have been expressed around the globe; in commemoration of an event which had global repercussions, the whole world has spoken out in cyberspace to remember the attacks. Mexico has been no exception.
Early on in the day, the President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) [es] expressed his solidarity with the neighbouring country using his Twitter account:
@EPN: Mi solidaridad con el pueblo estadounidense a 11 años de los trágicos eventos del 11 de septiembre.
Another important figure on the political scene, the senator Javier Lozano (@JLozanoA) [es], recalled the attacks:
Monument commemorating the victims of September 11, 2001. Image from Flickr user happyskrappy, under Creative Commons licence (CC BY 2.0)
@JLozanoA: Un día como hoy pero de hace 11 años, más o menos a esta hora, se perpetraron los ataques terroristas sobre las torres gemelas del WTC en NY
The journalist León Krauze (@Leon_Krauze) [es] shared this memory of that September 11, 2001 with his followers:
@Leon_Krauze: Hace once años, terminaba de dar clase de 7 en el Tec. Mi amigo Eduardo Higuera fue quien me dijo lo que había ocurrido en Nueva York.
Besides the many remembrances and displays of support for the victims, some users including Christopher Bello (@SoloQuotes) [es] took advantage of the occasion to look for a more critical angle on the subject:
@SoloQuotes: 11 de Septiembre… La fecha que dio paso a la manipulación del miedo como el arma mas poderosa [sic]
Along the same lines, the blogger Sopitas [es] pointed out:
Hoy, a once años del incidente, ¿qué ocurre cuando llegamos al país de nuestros vecinos del norte, con nuestros compatriotas que cruzan la frontera para buscar una oportunidad, las aerolíneas, qué está sucediendo en el Medio Oriente?
Esta situación derivó en una reacción que llevó a los estadounidenses a sacrificar sus libertades y comenzar las guerras que hoy han generado un importante impacto en su economía. Hoy, once años después del atentado en Manhattan, los estadounidenses han permitido una invasión en su privacidad y en el mundo, todo bajo la consigna “es por tu seguridad” o “para garantizar tu libertad”. La lista es larga y corre desde trato que uno recibe en los aeropuertos, donde uno no puede entrar a un avión con la leche de su bebé o ir al baño los últimos veinte minutos de un vuelo. Viajar se ha convertido en un largo y molesto proceso que se ha convertido en triste espacio de sospechas, hostilidades y abusos… Todo en nombre de la seguridad.
Today, eleven years after the event, what happens when we arrive in the country of our northern neighbours, with our compatriots who cross the border in search of an opportunity, the airlines, what is happening in the Middle East?
This situation has led to a reaction which provokes the Americans to sacrifice their liberties and to begin the wars which today have had a significant impact on their economy. Today, eleven years after the attack in Manhattan, the Americans have allowed an invasion of their privacy and of the world, all under the slogan “it's for your security” or “to guarantee your freedom”. The list is long and runs from the treatment that one receives in the airports, where one cannot board the plane with baby milk or go to the toilet during the last twenty minutes of a flight. Travelling has become a long and unpleasant process which has become a sad space of suspicions, hostilities and abuses… All in the name of security.
The user Francisco MFernandez (@pacomariano) [es] described the American reaction following the attacks in these terms:
@pacomariano: Hace 11 años, EUA fue atacado por cero Irakis y cero Afganos. En respuesta, invadió ambos paises días despues. [sic]
Without a doubt, the loss of human lives in catastrophic events is deeply saddening and the events which occurred in the United States of America exactly 4,018 days ago are no exception. It was a Tuesday which will remain written in history as a day of mourning for a nation, but with subsequent repercussions for the majority of the inhabitants of this planet.

author: J. Tadeo


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Myanmar: Anti-Mining Women Protesters Detained · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

Protest at a police station against the detention of 12 women in Monywa, Myanmar. Photo from Facebook of CJ Myanmar
A dozen women were detained for peacefully protesting against the Copper Mining Project which seized their lands in Monywa, Myanmar. Villagers, students and monks organized a protest[my] at the police station on September 10 to demand the freedom of the activists.

author: Chan Myae Khine


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Palestine: Demonstrations Against Rising Living Costs Continue · Global Voices
Ola Anan

Protests against high prices and unemployment that started almost a week ago are continuing in major cities in the West Bank. On September 10, 2012 there was a call for strikes in public transportation and schools.
International and Palestinian activists have been participating in and writing about the demonstrations on Twitter and other social media platforms.
Activist Scott Campbell summarized the events taking place in a number of Palestinian cities:
@angrywhitekid: No public transport in Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarem… Tires burning in Nablus, Hebron & on road btwn Ramallah & Qalandia
Striking public sector employees gather in front of Prime Minister Fayyad's offices. Image by Twitter user @sheikhNB.
Blogger Ola Al-Tamimi, a resident of Hebron, was participating in and tweeting from the demonstrations. She saw how a peaceful demonstration started with chants against Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, then changed [ar]:
Ola was asked what was really behind these protests, and who was responsible for attacking the municipality building with stones later. She replied [ar]:
These acts of vandalism resulted in clashes between the police and the protesters, as journalist Noah Browning witnessed:
@sheikhNB: In Hebron, police in riot gear are firing tear gas at protestors, trading volleys of stones w them, surging back and forth.
In Nablus the scene was similar, starting with peaceful demonstrations then ending with a riot. Yamama Shakaa tweeted [ar]:
Muhammad Masharqa, a blogger from Hebron, expressed his opposition to the use of violence in peaceful demonstrations. He wrote [ar]:
On September 11, hundreds of Palestinians responded to a call (starting on Facebook) to protest in Ramallah for dignity and freedom and against the Paris Protocol, the economic annex of the Oslo Accords.
Surprisingly, the demonstration was able to reach Al Muqata'a, the presidential headquarters, and protestors chanted against the Oslo agreement, the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas without any interference from or clashes with the security force members standing nearby. Linah Al Saafin had an explanation:
@LinahAlsaafin: By letting protesters reach Muqata'a today, PA showed its “democratic” face to confuse people into not protesting against them.
These demonstrations came right after the Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced that VAT would be reduced to 15% and diesel, gas and kerosene would revert to August prices – an announcement which did not satisfy protesters.
These protests were directly targeting the economic annex to the Oslo Accords, known as the Paris Protocol. The protocol was signed in 1994 between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel and controls their economic relationship, including trade, agricultural products, and imports and exports. Palestinians are currently asking for the revision and modification of this protocol, if not cancelling it altogether. Blogger Raya Ziada has explained in a blog post [ar] why the Palestinians should get rid of the Paris Protocol.
Abir Kopty believes the current events are just a beginning and that Palestinians will move on to target wider political issues, especially the Israeli occupation. She tweeted:
@AbirKopty: I'm really hoping that after this wave of protests, we #EndOslo & move forward towards Israel.
For more reactions on Twitter, follow the hash tag: #PalProtests. For photos see the set entitled Palestinian Social Struggles by Flickr user Activestills.

author: Ola Anan