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Egypt: Netizens Rise for the Support of Egyptians on their Day of Rage · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
The countdown for mass protests across Egypt has started, with very little information trickling from the ground after the Egyptian authorities shut down the Internet and virtually all other communication with the outside world. The aim is to clampdown on the protesters and netizens are fearing the worst.
Major demonstrations are being planned across the country after today's Friday prayers, in what has been dubbed the Million Egyptian March, in protest for political and economic reforms, and the end of Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. The Day of Rage will signal the beginning of the forth day of protests, which has seen the death, injuries and the arrest of hundreds of anti-regime activists and mere by-standers.
Despite all this, the buzz online is upbeat, with an international out pour of support for Egyptians protesting against corruption and tyranny. Netizens are being innovative in by passing the blackout, by contacting Egyptians directly and amplifying their voices for the rest of the world to hear their cry.
A graph showing how the Internet was strangled being widely circulated on Twitter
Both Twitter and Facebook were blocked earlier, but the voices of Egyptians are still loud and clear on social networking platforms. Their messages are being broadcast through retweets, such as in this instance where Lebanese Hilal Chouman holds up the megaphone:
RT @SamerKaram: just got off phone with a friend in Egypt: “people r bein kidnapped by police, some return, some haven't returned” #jan25
Suggestions to bypass the block continued. Chouman adds:
Best way to get word out of Egypt is call people you know and then tweet or post online #jan25 calls to cell and land lines still work
Kate Doak suggests:
@monaeltahawy Mona, I suggest that you follow @telecomix.  They are actively pursuing getting HAM radio broadcasts from Egypt web-streamed.
And Layal Al Khateeb from Lebanon pleads:
The people of #Egypt are being blocked from the word..if you can get in touch with anyone there..publish what they have to say online #jan25
Mark Little notes:
Lebanese Jamal Ghosn implies that the blackout will not halt the protests:
Mubarak cuts off web&SMS, Obviously never heard Egyptians talk,  because the 1 place where word of mouth is more than enough is Egypt. #jan25
And mich1mich prays:
RT @mich1mich: My thoughts and prayers go out to all the courageous Egyptians on this blessed Friday.  be safe #Jan25
From the UAE, Sultan Al Qassemi tweets:
Tips from the resourceful @sokkari on how to circumvent the communications blackout in Egypt http://bit.ly/dRoIZY Arabic #Jan25
Ory Okolloh, from Kenya, notes that mass action has gone back to basics:
I like this…back to the basics for mass action organizers in Egypt – leaflets:  http://bit.ly/f9Bkds
Firas Al Atrachi warns:
Rumors that riot police will fire tear gas at first sign of demonstrations … rumor being circulated in #cairo right now #jan25
Chouman adds:
The internet shutdown in #Egypt makes fears from bloodshed today rise. Riot police is expected 2 b in streets 2 attack protestors #jan25
And Salma el Daly reports:
No Mobile phones are working in #Suez only the land lines. #Jan25
Israa El-sakka foresees trouble:
Others are left looking for information. Jordanian Jawaf Safar asks:
can anyone confirm the arrest spree happened during night? anyone? #Jan25 #OpEgypt #Cairo #Egypt
r7aal adds:
Humour is also not lost, given the grave circumstances. Lebanese Imad Bazzi quips:
LOOL kazzafi (Libyan leader Gaddafi) called Mubarak !! it means that its a matter of hours before Mubarak catches the flight to Saudi Arabia :P #Jan25
in reference to the ousted Tunisia strongman Zine Al Abidene Ben Ali, who fled his country after 29-days of massive protests.
And Ramesh Srivats jokes:
RT @rameshsrivats So the government of #egypt has blocked all internet access. The country can now be renamed gypt.
The question remains, what will happen in the dark? Just A Brick concludes:
RT @JustABrick: What happens when u disconnect a modern economy & 80,000,000 people from the Internet? We ll soon find out. #Egypt #Jan25
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


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Egypt: “The People Will Bring the Regime Down!” · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
People around the world were glued to their television and computer screens today, as Egyptians took to the streets after the noon Friday prayers.
The Day of Rage marks the fourth day in a row for Egyptians to demonstrate against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Despite an Internet blackout, news continued to flow through satellite channels, with reports being rebroadcast on social networks by netizens.
Manal Hassan tweets:
according 2 aljazeera big protest in alexandria attacked violently by  riot police imediately after emerging from mosque in sidi gaber #Jan25
Amina ElBehry reports:
Immediate use of tear gas against protesters in Cairo and Alexandria. #jan25 #egypt
and she adds:
Early use of rubber bullets against protesters in Giza-Cairo #jan25 #egypt
Nic Robertson says:
Several hundred riot police w/sticks rubber bullet guns surround central mosque, crowd  500-1000 in street outside-both sides tense nervous
DamoS adds:
Egypt police spray water on protesters in cairo who shouted “down, down, hosni mubarak” – reuters witness
Alaa Abd El Fattah remembers:
the slogan most protesters chant is still “The People Will Bring The Regime Down” #Jan25
Yosra continues:
Eugenie Blasingame reports:
Al Jazeera reporter in Alexandria is being tear gassed live on air; security forces shot tear gas moment mosques emptied #Egypt #Jan25
Sherine Tadros notes:
Egyptian government's shut down of internet and threats of violence seem only to be strengthening the people's resolve #egypt #Jan25
Tamer Salama feels the need to explain:
Egypt uprising is a POPULAR uprising – not religious, not political, not ideological – plain vanilla ‘popular’. #jan25
Supporters from around the world also joined in protests outside Egyptian Embassies.
Ian Rochfort notes:
Mass demonstration started outside the Egyptian embassy in Jeddah now
From Qatar, Omar Chatriwalla tweets:
Around 100 protesters hold funeral prayer a block from Egypt embassy, then disperse, thanking Qatar #jan25 http://post.ly/1XlaN
And in neighbouring Bahrain, Mazen Mahdi reports:
Bahraini police surround the Egyptian embassy in Manama and prevent a protest by Egyptians in support of the protests in Egypt #jan25
Emotions were also raw as the scenes of protesters filled television screens and news continued to pour in. Mona Al Tahawy tweets:
Feel totally helpless. Can't stop crying 4 what's happening in #Egypt. Damn you, #Mubarak. We will unleash a shit storm against you.#Jan25
She adds:
Can u imagine? 20K people in just one part of Cairo taking on bastard #Mubarak security thugs. I bow down before ur courage. #Jan25
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Tweeting the Protests Continues · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
The blackout on the Internet in Egypt was supposed to thwart efforts to let the world know what was happening on the ground, as massive demonstrations against president Hosni Mubarak enter their fourth day. This attempt has failed as the tweets covering the unfolding events in Egypt continued to dominate our Twitterfeed.
As the situation across Egypt intensifies, here's a round up of updates streaming in from Twitter.
A roundup of Twitter posts coming in from sources in Cairo
@alaa: this is the biggest test for the revolution now, will people be able to ignore the curfew? #Jan25
@alaa: police withdrawing and army deploying I'm worried no one knows what this really means #Jan25
@SultanAlQassemi: BREAKING: AL Jazeera Curfew now in Greater Cairo, Alexandria & Suez. #Jan25
@Jan25voices: Live Phonecall: Nile Bridge Closed, El Gamaa bridge closed, Abbas Bridge closed. Trying to divide apart city. #jan25 #jan28 #Egypt
@jonjensen: Things have changed in Cairo. Tens of thousands, maybe 20, have taken midan Galaa in Dokki across from Sheraton. #Jan25 #Egypt
@jonjensen: Cairo smells like tear gas today. My colleagues are reporting severe police beatings, rubber bullets fired. I have not seen this. #Jan25
@Jan25voices: Live Phonecall: reports that powerful, painful water canons are in wide use at Syeda Zainab (poorer neighborhood)#jan25 #jan28 #Egypt
@Jan25voices: Live Phonecall: Balconies filled with people watching. People are going down into the street left and right. #jan25 #jan28 #Egypt
A roundup of Twitter posts coming in from Suez:
@BreakingNews: Egyptians carry the dead body of a protester through Suez after clashes with police, shouting ‘They have killed my brother’ – Reuters
@Dima_Khatib: protesters in Suez have taken control of downtown Army Street. They carry arms that they got from police who pulled out #egypt #jan25
@SultanAlQassemi: Al Jazeera breaking: Protesters take control of parts of Suez & Egyptian security forces are retreating. #Jan25
Updates from Alexandria:
@SultanAlQassemi: Amazing development: Al Jazeera reports that a police officer unit refused orders to fire tear gas bombs at protesters in Alexandria. #Jan25
@AngryArabNews: Alexandria has been liberated: Aljazeera is reporting that police and army withdrew from streets of Alexandria a… http://bit.ly/gu7idh
Protests Spreading Around the Region:
@SultanAlQassemi: Breaking Al Arabiya: Syria suspends internet services
@Esperanza82: Protest in Jeddah #Saudi start by a Woman chanting: “Al-Saud is the Greatest Demon” Riot police surrounding area #Jan25 #Arab #Solidarity
@nmoawad: Protest tomorrow in front of the Egyptian embassy in Beirut at 3pm #Lebanon – send to all groups
@zainalabidean: Started from Tunisia, Yemen and now Egypt…like virus .. who next ???
@rolandsiebelink: Protests in Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt… It sounds exactly like Eastern Europe in 1989. Is the Arab world on its own wave of democratization?
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

author: Gilad Lotan


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Egypt: Videos Are Worth a Million Words · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
In preparation for the fourth consecutive day of demonstrations, activists circulated pamphlets and shared videos via the internet, urging people to join Friday's planned protest. The government has reacted by blocking access to many social media platforms before shutting off the whole network very early on January 28. Loads of video montages are still available on YouTube. A quick roundup:
This clip from hadi15 went viral minutes after it was posted online. Featuring a song from the rock band Thirteen Senses, “Into the Fire,” the video retraces the last three days of street protests, highlighting the diversity among the marchers: young and old; men and women; Muslims, Christians, Atheists, all chant the same slogans; all for one cause.
Anonymous, a loose group of hacktivists advocating for freedom of information online, posted this video on YouTube (Anonymousworldwar3) asking the Egyptian government to cease its censorship activity or else:
sharek2011 posted this video titled Sharek, participate, calling upon people to join the marchers on Friday:
Another video montage from TowardsUnity highlighting the recent days of clashes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25N2HQ86zJg
The main Cairo plaza, Maydan El-Tahrir where this video was filmed by sarahngb, has been the rallying point of Cairene protesters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18l2mAhraQ0&feature=player_embedded

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Egypt: Visualizing Topics Shared on Twitter · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Image by Antonio Ordóñez Forero CC By
Twitter has played an instrumental role in keeping the world abreast of the latest developments in Egypt, where demonstrations against the 30-year rule of president Hosni Mubarak have entered their fourth day.
The following widget shows Twitter content mentioning the hashtag #jan25 over the last three days, and are all related to terms mentioned in people's Twitter messages:
One of the most commonly shared terms ‘Tear Gas’ spiked earlier today when the armed forces utilized tear gas bombs, along with rubber bullets, against the crowds in the streets:
Al Jazeera has been playing a key role in covering the events as they unfolded, broadcasting live from Cairo:
The United Arab Emirate's @sultanalqassemi is one of the key Twitter users spreading realtime updates from across Egypt:
As the effects of the demonstrations spread across the region, we see a huge spike in Twitter data because of an unconfirmed claim that Internet has been blocked in Syria:
Stay tuned for more stories, reactions and analysis from Egypt.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


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El Salvador: Court System Employees End Strike · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Judiciary workers have concluded a week-long strike requesting higher salaries. Voices from El Salvador's Weblog summarizes how the strike ended and its impact.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Haiti: Candidates on Twitter · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“With a measly 199 followers, @Judecelestin10's campaign  seems to have underestimated Twitter as a communications tool”: kiskeacity looks at the popularity of Haitian political candidates on Twitter.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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India: 2011 World Cup Cricket Team Analysis · Global Voices
Rezwan

Greatbong at Random Thoughts Of A Demented Mind posts a hilarious take on the status and chances of the participating teams to win the 2011 World Cup Cricket.

author: Rezwan


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India: Kashmir – Beyond the Troubled State · Global Voices
Rezwan

Maldivian blogger Hassan Ziyau recently visited Srinagar, the capital of Indian controlled Kashmir and blogged about the other side of Kashmir which often fails to capture the limelight.


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India: The Great TriValley University Scam · Global Voices
Rezwan

Runa at Uber Desi writes in details about the scam of Tri Valley University in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, which has now been shut down. Hundreds of Indian students, mostly from Andhra Pradesh, were enrolled in this University and they now face the threat of being deported back home after having lost their student visa status.


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Internet Security Savvy Critical as Egypt Government Blocks Websites, Arrests Activists · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

This guest blog entry by Eva Galperin, EFF International Activist, was originally published on Global Voices Advocacy. This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
As we've seen in Iran and Tunisia, social networking tools have given activists in authoritarian regimes a powerful voice, which can be heard well beyond their own country. But the use of social networking tools has also given their governments ways to identify and retaliate against them. This week we are watching the same dynamic play out in Egypt. This is why it is critical that all activists —in Egypt and elsewhere—take precautions to protect their anonymity and freedom of expression. The protests in Egypt this week also highlight another important point: authoritarian governments can block access to social media websites, but determined, tech-savvy activists are likely to find ways to circumvent censorship to communicate with the rest of the world.
In an attempt to clamp down on Egyptian protesters, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s government is intermittently blocking websites and arresting bloggers, journalists, and dissidents. Like the Tunisians, Egyptian protesters have made heavy use of social media websites to share information about the protests with the outside world and with each other. In spite of the Egyptian government’s blocking of Twitter, tweets from the Egyptian protests in Suez and Cairo provided up-to-the-minute reports about protest activity, the movements of police, deaths and injuries, links to photos on Twitpic, and videos on YouTube. Cooperation amongst protesting citizens has kept communications resilient so far. When protestors in Cario's Tahir Square experienced an outage in cell phone data service, nearby residents reportedly opened their home Wi-Fii networks to allow protesters to get online.
On the first day of protests, the Egyptian government blocked several websites, including Twitter and Bambuser, a Swedish website which allows users to stream live video from their cell phones. By the second day, the government's blocking of Twitter was sparse and intermittent, but there were reports of blocking Facebook and YouTube. It is unclear whether or not the Egyptian government will continue to expand its list of blocked sites in the coming days. Even the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was conspicuously silent during the protests leading up to the Tunisian revolution, has called on the Mubarak government to respect freedom of expression and urged them “not to…block communications, including on social media sites.”
The other dangerous aspect of the Mubarak government’s shameful campaign of silence and censorship has been the arrest and detention of bloggers, journalists, and activists. The Committee to Protect Journalists has reported that the Egyptian government has shut down at least two independent news websites: Al-Dustour and El-Badil. Police beat Al-Jazeera correspondent Mustafa Kafifi and Guardian reporter Jack Shenker, who posted an audio recording of the incident. Policemen have attacked and arrested cameramen covering the protests and onlookers recording the protests with cell phones.
Egypt is no stranger to the arrest of bloggers. Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer was sentenced to four years in prison for “disparaging religion” and “defaming the president” in 2007. In 2009, web forum founder Karim Al-Bukheiri was arrested, tortured, and subject to constant government surveillance. Just last year, the Islamic Human Rights Foundation reported that Egyptian Security Forces arrested “at least 29 activists, including bloggers, lawyers, and human rights activists.” The concern here is clear—if the street protests subside, the Mubarak government could initiate a campaign of retaliation and oppression, arresting and harassing the very bloggers and activists who have been chronicling the protests online. Some countries have gone even further. In Iran two opposition activists were hanged this week for taking pictures and video of the Green Revolution protests and posting them online.
Given the potential dangers, it is absolutely critical that Egyptian protesters take precautions when communicating online. To reiterate, social networking tools have given activists a powerful voice, which can be heard well beyond Egypt, but activists should also remember that the Egyptian government could use these same tools to identify and retaliate against them. We recommend that political activists look at our Surveillance Self Defense International report for information on how to use technology defensively to better protect their anonymity and freedom of expression in Egypt and other authoritarian regimes.

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Iran: Egypt Uprising a Vivid Reminder of Iran’s Green Movement · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
For several Iranian bloggers, the current Egyptian protests and activist use of social media, is a vivid reminder of the 2009 post-election “Green Movement” in Iran.
Egypt's government has apparently also  followed in Iran's footsteps when it comes to repression on the streets and censorship online.
Viona draws parallels between how both Iranians and Egyptians created Facebook campaigns to help organize demonstrations, and says she is  happy to see the anti-dictatorship movement in Egypt growing [fa]. “The Green Wave was a lesson to all freedom lovers around the world,” she writes with high expectations for what will happen as protests continue. “The blood of our martyrs has not been wasted.”
Curiously, Iranian blog Green Reform predicted something like this would happen [fa] in August 2010.
Egypt is nudging towards democracy. Mubarak's regime is sick and people's dissatisfaction is rising. 30 percent of the population is unemployed. The internet and Facebook are instruments for new groups in Egyptian political life and civil society.
Irangreenrevolution says [fa]:
… Democracy is moving forward in Middle East. The uprising in Tunisia is extending to Egypt and Yemen. Why are Iranian Green Movement leaders silent? People can overthrow the  Islamic regime in Iran too.
Tweatter, another Iranian blogger says [fa]:
Tunisia is free and soon Egypt and Yemen will be free too. The opposition leaders and masses in these countries say the same word. ‘Establsihment reformists’ broke the back of the protest movement in Iran.
Meanwhile some of the pro-Islamic Republic bloggers, like Donyaye Syasat, have focused on the Muslim Brotherhood's role in Egypt. He shares an interview in Persian with Ibrahim Munir, one of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, who says the situation in Egypt has so bad that he does not believe the government's military force can stop the people.
On Balatarin, a popular Iranian web community, numerous links have been shared to international news articles about the Egyptian protest movement.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: Free Press Association · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Carrying on the mission of abolishing the monopoly in information in Japan [en], a group of freelance and online journalists founded the Free Press Association of Japan (日本報道協会, Nihon Hohdoh Kyohkai). The name of the non-profit association is still tentative but the first speaker has already been announced: Ichiro Ozawa, a former leader of the ruling party and one of the first politicians who proposed to open news conferences to all.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kenya: New site ranks serial over-lappers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bankelele writes about a new site using Ushahidi platform – Overlap.co.ke ( #overlapKE ) – to rank serial over-lappers and point out over-lapping hot-spots for over-lapping in Nairobi, Kenya.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Liberia: The Liberian Saga · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Aaron Leaf blogs about the Liberian saga: angry court, jailed editor, president's speech.


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Mexico: Relatives of Children Killed and Injured in Nursery Fire Seek Justice · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

On June 2009 a fire killed 49 children in a nursery in the city of Hermosillo. Erwn C. reports that this week 23 people “related to children either killed or injured in the fire” participated in a hunger strike demanding that the government investigate the case. The strike ended when the Attorney General's Office agreed “to move forward with the inquiry and send the case to an investigative judge by next week.”


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Nigeria: A humorous take on kidnapping · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Solomon says that Nigerians have managed to find humor in something as troubling as kidnapping: “Laughter is simply a way of dealing with this most serious issue in Nigerian society. But, this video makes me think of something help.”


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Pakistan: Slogans Of Revolution · Global Voices
Rezwan

iFaqeer opines that the most exhilarating part of a street movement is often the slogans being chanted. This Pakistani blogger urges to the protesters in Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia: “I would like to request, beg, supplicate those on the ground, and watching from afar and who speak Arabic to please post the words, chants, songs, etc. and—as importantly—translate for us what is being said.”


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Philippines: Oldest Catholic University · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Filipino netizens use the #ust400 hashtag to celebrate the 400th year of the University of Sto. Tomas, Asia's oldest Catholic university.

author: Mong Palatino


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Poland: Blogger Prosecuted for Criticizing Local Mayor · Global Voices
Jakub Górnicki

Łukasz Kaprowicz, a journalist working for Fakty Mosińsko-Puszczykowskie, a local Polish newspaper, and a long-time author of the Mosina.blox.pl blog, was sued for defamation after he had criticized Zofia Springer, the mayor of Mosina, in his blog posts.
As he writes on this blog, the sentence he has received obliges him to:
Bloggers and social media users are highly critical of the prosecution and are defending the blogger. A special fan page on Facebook has been created: Popieram Łukasza Kasprowicza skazanego za bloga. Stop cenzurze władzy. (“I support sentenced blogger Łukasz Kasprowicz – stop censorship.”)
Piotr Wajszczak comments on his blog:
Communism is totally back in my city!!! I was not expecting this from the mayor, Ms. Zofia Springer. Apparently, [she] has forgotten that PRL [Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa – the People's Republic of Poland] ended years ago. Łukasz Kasprowicz was critizing the mayor's actions, but what's important is that he was doing it with high standards. He was taking quasi-successes and turning them into tough questions on his blog.
[…] I am shocked by what has happened in Mosina, and that constructive criticism may have been a reason to send a professional journalist and blogger for unemployment. […]
On the other hand, Piotr Vagla Waglowski, a blogger who writes about the Internet and law, tries to define what the term “press material” might mean for the judge and points out various scenarios in which a blog can be named “press material” or not.
If in fact Poznań's court sentenced the man for not doing his professional work as a journalist, that means that the judge thinks that self-publishing on an internet portal (on a “blog”, that is) is in fact doing this job.
Olgierd Rudak highlights different aspect of the case:
The sentenced blogger not only ran for city council with a different committee than the Mayor, but he was writing for a local magazine – and not the Merkuriusz Mosiński, which – suprise, surpise! but how typical – fully supports the mayor's actions. I think that we can say that the judge got somehow involved in a local “political honor” conflict.
Olgierd points out at the end:
To sum it all up, I think we have the first Polish blogger who was banned by a judge to write his blog.

author: Jakub Górnicki


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Puerto Rico: Violence Continues as Students Engage in Civil Disobedience · Global Voices
César Santiago

This post is part of our special coverage Puerto Rico Student Protests 2010/11.
Mother supports her son. Photo by Jesús Vázquez, of Desde Adentro. Republished from Rojo Gallito/Desde Adentro under a CC License.*
On January 20th, students from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) started staging almost daily acts of civil disobedience at the Río Piedras campus as part of their strike against the $800 dollar annual fee imposed by the administration. The Police has already arrested at least 100 students and assaulted journalists who have been covering the protests.
Students also participated in a sit-in on Thursday January 27 in front of and nearby the Capitolio, the building that houses the Legislature, in the capital San Juan.  Students were petitioning senators and representatives to approve legislation that would give funds to the UPR in order to avoid the imposition of the special tuition fee. Regular and special police forces used tear gas and rubber bullets against students and journalists.  The situation turned into chaos and protesters ran into a nearby park where tensions mounted. Here is a video and images of the day:
Arrest during protest in fron of the Legislature. Photo by Aura Colón Solá from Rojo Gallito/Desde Adentro and republished under a CC License.*
Students protest in front of the Legislature. Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz from Diálogo and republished under a CC License.*
Students protest in front of the Legislature. Photo by Aura Colón Solá from Rojo Gallito/Desde Adentro republished under a CC License.*
The site Indymediapr.org [es] documented with video and photos day 2 [es] of the acts of civil disobedience and the clashes with police and arrests.
The online magazine Qiibo [es] informed that the police impeded the press from properly documenting these arrests:
La OPC denunció que el fotoperiodista de EL NUEVO DIA, Xavier Araújo, integrantes de la Fuerza de Choque le patearon su cámara, en momentos en donde se arrestaron a cerca de 44 manifestantes en los predios de la Universidad.
Law professor Érika Fontánez Torres analyzed the validity of using civil disobedience in her blog Poder, Espacio y Ambiente [es] in which she discusses an essay by German sociologist Jürgen Habermas that justifies civil disobedience under certain circumstances:
… es preciso reconocer la desobediencia civil como parte componente de la cultura política de una comunidad democrática. Cuando fracasa la Constitución representativa ante retos (…) los ciudadanos que no disponen de oportunidades privilegiadas de ejercer influencia, han de ejercer las funciones inmediatas del soberano y deben recurrir a la desobediencia civil con la intención de dar un impulso a las necesarias correcciones e innovaciones.
Diálogo Digital [es] captured images of the impressive police presence at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras campus, where SWAT teams and mounted police joined campus police, private security guards, regular officers, and the Tactical Operations Division.
As the number of student arrests during the last week neared the one-hundred mark, including those of student leader Xiomara Caro and the founder of the student radio station Radio Huelga [es] Ricardo Olivera, protesters all the way across the Atlantic Ocean were able to reach Puerto Rican pro-statehood and Republican Governor Luis Fortuño, as he prepared to speak at the University of Valladolid's Law School in Spain.
The group responsible for the protest in Spain explained their motivations via press release, as reported by the student blog Desde Adentro [es]:
Hemos asistido con la intención de dejar en evidencia ante la comunidad internacional y en especial ante los compañeros estudiantes de mencionada universidad que el distinguido conferenciante, es el encargado de la destrucción de la Universidad pública puertorriqueña, de la represión y abuso contra los estudiantes en la UPR, del descalabro socio-político de la sociedad puertorriqueña, la destrucción ambiental y el aumento en la criminalidad en Puerto Rico.
The President of the UPR, José Ramón de la Torre, has announced [es] that 94% (54,000) of the students in the 11 campuses of the system have already registered for this semester, which means that they have already complied with the annual $800 fee.
*Post co-authored with Alfredo Richner.
*Photos from Rojo Gallito/Desde Adentro and Diálogo republished under CC License NC-ND 3.0.
This post is part of our special coverage Puerto Rico Student Protests 2010/11.

author: César Santiago


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South Africa: Debate on secrecy bill resumes · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Parliamentary hearings on South Africa's Protection of Information Bill resumed last week with heated debate over provisions threatening to restrict press freedom and access to information.


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South Africa: Honor Madiba with your actions · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mike Stopforth calls on South Africans to honour Nelson Mandela with their actions: “Soon, Nelson Mandela will die. As I write this post traditional and social media channels are rife with rumours of his ill health and deteriorating state.”


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South Korea: A Photo Exhibition on Abandoned Animals of Yeonpyeong Island · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Pressian posted heartbreaking photos of animals abandoned in the Yeonpyeong island after North Korea's artillery attack. An animal rights group, KARA, held a photo exhibition in Seoul displaying photos of animals left wounded as their owners evacuated the island due to intensified military tension.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Swaziland: My work with social centers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Josh writes about the project he is working on in Swaziland: “Basically, my office operates 4 Social Centers in my town. There are 6 wards but only 4 Social Centers. The basic duties of the Social Centers are first it is a pre-school that operates during regular school days, second is a base for the Caregivers.”


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Taiwan: Ma Ying-jeou on Facebook · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan(Republic of China) opens his official facebook fan page today. At the “About” session it says that the goal of the fan page “…is not to be trendy, but to exchange ideas with all of you, share experiences through wall posts, think together, click ‘like’ for Taiwan…”. Twitter user @irrenhaeusler soon tweeted his comment:”Ma's joining Facebook immediately shows a severe defect in the site's design: there's no ‘fuck’ to click”.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Trinidad & Tobago: More Questions About Ramnarine · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Of the ongoing controversy over the appointment of Reshmi Ramnarine, Jumbie's Watch says: “The failure of the PM to apologise for misleading the country is not merely a stalling tactic. It is an aberration of her promised mantra to “Serve the people, Serve the people, Serve the people”.


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Uganda: Homosexuality not a European concept · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mark notes that homosexuality in Uganda is not a European import: “The irony is that homosexuality existed here long before Europeans had ever set foot on the African continent and it is, in fact, Christianity, a true European import, that has demonized homosexuals.”


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Ukraine: Police Treatment of Foreigners Raises Concerns Ahead of Euro 2012 · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

According to HLTV.org – a leading Counter Strike 1.6 coverage site – Ukrainian police assaulted [ENG] gamer Baljit “zE-” Lal, who came to Kyiv to participate in the Intel Extreme Masters European Championship.
Reportedly, police officers stopped the Danish player outside a club in Ukraine's capital and asked him to show his passport. Baljit Lal did not have the document with him, and was taken to the nearest station, where the policemen asked him for money in return for his release. Upon learning that the player had no cash, the policemen punched him twice and then released half an hour later.
The story on HLTV.org drew mass attention from the website’s users, with representatives of more than 20 countries leaving over 580 comments. Many have expressed their shock and outrage.
User 4v3 from Ukraine writes:
Rly sad… it is the shame for all ukrainians
User marrrk writes:
[…] I’m French and I must say I’m quite shocked to see that in some countries pple may have to [bribe] the police just to be in peace
Some users, however, did not seem so surprised by the incident. Tiago Soares (tiggieLOLCAT) from Australia writes:
Welcome to eastern europe guys :) PS – No hate intended with this comment
User ygos? from Estonia agrees:
[…] These things happen when you are living in a free world and happen to be abroad in not so free world.
User wynn from Denmark wonders if the color of the gamer’s skin had anything to do with the incident:
[…] Anyone know if there was racism involved as well? :(
His concerns are seconded by user APS89 from India:
I dont want to offend anyone but I have heard if you are not white then you get picked upon alot in Eastern european countries like russia, ukraine etc. […] If ZE was white maybe then the police wouldn't have assaulted him
User naffanya from Kyiv, Ukraine, explains:
If you are a foreign person in Ukraine, look like an Asian and don't have the pasport, you may have troubles with them [the police]. […]
While HLTV.org has also noted [ENG] that the police tried the same extortion trick on the German player Roman “roman” Ausserdorfer, naffanya’s suspicions about xenophobia among Ukrainian policemen are not groundless.
For instance, the recent detention of Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Nayem [UKR] has sparked a nation-wide discussion after the journalist mentioned [RUS] that the police justified their actions by his non-Slavic appearance.
The episode was perceived as especially alarming since Ukraine is currently preparing to co-host the 2012 European Football Championship together with Poland.
Users of the Ukrainian e-business and social media marketing website Watcher.com.ua, which covered [UKR] the incident with Baljit Lal, have also actively commented on the story.
Ihor Vispyanskiy writes [UKR]:
Треба знати в кого можна вимагати гроші, а в кого нє :) А взагалі смішного тут мало. На його місці може бути будь-хто. Та й навіть, якщо когось і покарають, то це нічого не змінить в цілому. […] Welcome to Ukraine! Як злодії не обкрадуть, по міліція.
Another user, Vladyslav Bogutsky, ironizes [UKR]:
Українська міліція: підготовка до Євро 2012.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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Ukraine: The Newest Euro 2012 Scandal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes writes about the latest Euro 2012 controversy in Ukraine: “In other words, the Ukrainian national team could find itself banned from the Euro 2012 football tournament that the country is itself hosting…”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Ukraine: YouTube Helps Discipline Traffic Police · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

On Jan. 22, a Ukrainian police officer was filmed [ENG] speaking insolently to a driver he had stopped in the city of Odesa in southern Ukraine, and making offensive comments about the state language. In particular, the video shows the driver addressing the officer in Ukrainian and the policeman replying in Russian that he “does not understand [this] calvish language.”
Although the video documents [RUS] many other offenses committed by the policeman, it is this particular comment that has drawn public attention. In Ukraine, the official state language is Ukrainian, native to 67.5% of the population, according to the 2001 census. The second most used language is Russian, with 29.6% of the population considering it their mother tongue. Although the primary language spoken in Odesa is Russian, according to the country’s Constitution, Ukrainian must be used in the public sphere, in particular, when state officials exercise their immediate duties [UKR].
After the video appeared on YouTube, the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior instructed [UKR] the Traffic Police Department to conduct an internal investigation into the incident, which uncovered that, while fulfilling his duties, the policeman – Sergeant Shvets – has violated at least three laws, including the Constitution. For the police officer in question these findings resulted in an immediate job loss.
This incident, although widely publicized, is not the first case of unlawful actions committed by traffic police exposed through the Internet. In August 2010, for example, a video of a traffic inspector from the town of Haisyn insulting a driver was uploaded to YouTube, after which the officer was fired [RUS]. Another policeman from the Crimean city of Dzhankoy was investigated and then fired [RUS] after a video of him harassing a driver appeared online.
Amidst such cases, the Ukrainian public has learned about a civic initiative called “Road Control.” According to the project’s website [RUS], its central advice to drivers is to know their rights and to openly film their encounters with police officers. For instance, “Road Control” claims [RUS] that it was one of their activists who filmed Sergeant Shvets mentioned above.
After the recent events, the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior has ordered [UKR] additional legal training for its traffic inspectors, while stressing unacceptability of offensive language or signs of discrimination of any kind towards citizens by its employees. Moreover, in a December 2010 interview to the TV channel “1+1″ a spokesperson for the Kyiv Traffic Police Department admitted that the use of cameras was helping both drivers and police officers to “avoid ambiguous situations” [UKR].
While the number of corrupt traffic cops being exposed online continues to grow, more and more Ukrainian drivers install cameras in their vehicles [UKR].


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Vietnam: Saigon earthquake · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Adventure as Miss Saigon blogs about the recent 4.8 earthquake which hit Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Twitterers like MoodyRain, eds_m, and nguyenhimself also tweeted about it.


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Vietnam to expel undocumented foreign workers · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

saigonnezumi discusses the social and economic impact if Vietnam decides to expel about 30,000 undocumented foreign workers.


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Vietnam: Vanishing landmarks · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

TW in Vietnam blogs about the vanishing landmarks in Saigon and the need to preserve historical sites in the city.


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Vietnamese Calligraphy · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

HCMC Today describes a sample of the Vietnamese Calligraphy in Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in Vietnam.


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Albania: Anti-Government Protest in Tirana · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Home of the Albanian Blogger and A Nevada Yankee in King Zog's Court share their thoughts on the Jan. 21 anti-government protests and violence in Tirana.


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Bangladesh: How Much For The Desk Clerk? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Commenting on the corruption in Bangladesh Kazi Rubaiat Imam at The Lunatic Is On The Grass proposes to develop a website where everyone can “see and update the rates of bribes for getting things done at the government offices”.


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Brazil: Ministry of Culture abandons Creative Commons · Global Voices
Diego Casaes

On January 9, Global Voices shared the concern of many Brazilian citizens who wrote an open letter to President-elect Dilma Rousseff and the new Minister of Culture, Ana de Hollanda. The letter urged the Minister to maintain the previous government's policy concerning the inclusive public policies regarding Internet, digital culture and authorial rights.
Two weeks later, on January 20, the Brazilian Ministry of Culture removed a Creative Commons license from its website. The order to remove it was apparently given by Minister de Hollanda and it provoked all sorts of reactions on social networks as well as among bloggers.
Creative Commons Brazil immediately opposed the decision of the Ministry on Twitter (@CC_BR):
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that develops, supports,  and stewards legal and technical infrastructure to maximize digital  creativity, sharing, and innovation. CC licenses are flexible, and the  countries who have legal representation of the institution often adapt  such licenses to their own legislation. Their Brazilian representation reposted an article by Revista ARede [TheWeb Magazine, pt] talking about the enormous political meaning of replacing the line “The content of this website is published under a  Creative Commons License” – on the website since 2004 – to: “User License:  the content on this website produced by the Ministry of Culture can be  reproduced, provided the source”:
Da forma que está hoje, o site do MinC não tem uma licença válida, explica Ronaldo Lemos, diretor do Centro de Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS) da Fundação Getúlio Vargas e diretor do Creative Commons Brasil. “Do ponto de vista jurídico, a frase que colocaram lá não quer dizer nada. Quem utilizar os conteúdos do site com base nela enfrenta um problema de insegurança jurídica enorme”, afirma ele. Além disso, a frase que o MinC deixou no site no lugar da licença CC fala apenas em “reprodução”. “Os direitos do CC são muito mais amplos e melhor formulados, abrangendo a produção colaborativa, o desenvolvimento de obras derivadas, a disseminação e assim por diante. Dessa forma, o site do MinC perdeu muito com a mudança”.
As it stands today, the Ministry of Culture website does not have a valid license, explains Ronaldo Lemos, director of the Center for Technology and Society of Fundação Getúlio Vargas and Lead of Creative Commons Brazil. “From the legal perspective, the phrase that they have put there does not mean anything. Whoever uses the contents of that website based on the sentence faces a big problem of juridical insecurity”, he states. Moreover, the sentence that the Ministry used to replace the CC license mentions only “reproduction”. “The rights of Creative Commons are broader and better elaborated, ranging from collaborative production, creation of derivatives, sharing and so on. In this regard, the Ministry of Culture website has lost a lot with the change”.
On the following day, the Ministry responded to the reaction of groups and individuals online with the official note:
“A retirada da referência ao Creative Commons da página principal do Ministério da Cultura se deu porque a legislação brasileira permite a liberação de conteúdo. Não há necessidade do ministério dar destaque a uma iniciativa específica. Isso não impede que o Creative Commons ou outras formas de licenciamento sejam utilizados pelos interessados.”
Leftist blogger Marco Weissheimer commented on the Ministry's response while comparing the current minister's decision with the work done in the mandate of Gilberto Gil, singer and songwriter who served as Minister of Culture from 2003 to 2008. He said [pt]:
A nota não aliviou as críticas e a preocupação com a continuidade da política iniciada na gestão de Gilberto Gil na Cultura. Durante a gestão de Gil, o Ministério da Cultura aderiu ao Creative Commons. Mais do que isso, Gil se tornou, em 2004, o primeiro compositor brasileiro a ceder direitos de uma canção à licença. O governo federal também passou a utilizar maciçamente as licenças. O Blog do Planalto, por exemplo, é licenciado dessa forma.
In an interview at Fatos Etc blog, the sociologist Sergio Amadeu considers the position of the Minister quite unexpected, pointing out the controversy on the new attribution policy. He contends that the minister herself committed an illegal act, and that her position is in contradiction with the new President's governmental policies [pt]:
A Dilma mantém o Blog do Planalto, instalado, implementado pelo presidente Lula em Creative Commons, e que continua em Creative Commons. E ela, a ministra, fez um ato que é afrontar a política de compartilhamento iniciada no governo Lula e afrontar a própria Dilma, que disse exatamente que iria continuar a política iniciada na gestão do Gilberto Gil e do Lula. Então ela, além disso, cometeu uma ilegalidade, porque não poderia tirar as licenças do Creative Commons das matérias e postagens que já tinham sido publicadas em Creative Commons.
Some bloggers are discussing whether Ana de Hollanda might be benefiting ECAD (Central Bureau of  Collection and Distribution), the organization responsible for  distributing tax revenues on copyright media. Geraldine Juárez, writing for the blog alt1040, comments how the new Minister, a musician herself, has profited from the copyright industry and goes on saying [es]:
El único país que apuntaba en la dirección correcta para reformar de una forma justa para toda la sociedad y coherente con los retos que la digitilización implica, era Brasil. El Proyecto de Ley de Derecho de Autoral y su agenda de Cultura Digital creada por Gilberto Gil han sido uno de los factores que definitivamente ayudaron a voltear y fijar la mirada en Brasil.
On the other hand, writing at the blog Ponto e Contraponto, author Len criticized the reaction of the Creative Commons community and its supporters. He argues that the replacement text and the copyright license helps giving a better understanding of what is feasible to be done with the content of the website for the average public [pt]:
Eu vejo como uma mudança positiva. A gente tem que levar sempre em consideração que são os usuários avançados de internet e os nerds que conhecem o CC e o significado das licenças. A maioria esmagadora que usa a internet e tem conhecimento básico não possui a menor ideia do que aqueles selos significam e muito menos em uma sigla em língua estrangeira. A frase grafada no rodapé da página, escrita em português informa melhor a um número maior de pessoas. As pessoas que não conhecem o significado dos selos da CC podem ter seus sites ou blogs e querer usar material do site do MinC, e com essa mudança eles também vão saber que podem usar o conteúdo, desde que citem a fonte.
The outcome of Minister de Hollanda's actions is still uncertain: while a tough position against Creative Commons is being interpreted by some bloggers as a clear move backwards in the debate about digital culture in Brazil, others believe the change is an opportunity to discuss copyright. As a matter of fact, groups such as the community “Transparência Hacker”, a forum of transparency and open data activists in Brazil, have debated whether or not all content created [pt] by the Brazilian Government should rather be in the public domain, following the principle of dissemination of public information highlighted in the Constitution.

author: Diego Casaes


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Bulgaria: Sofia’s Sugar Factory Tragedy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Maya's Corner writes about Sofia's Sugar Factory, where two people died in 2009 when the neglected building collapsed, and the fate of other landmarks owned by “predator ‘investors’.”


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China: 88% of Chinese trust government? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edelman, one of the top five global public relations firms, released its 2011 Trust Barometer on January 26 2011. The report indicates that China ranked first, with 88% trust, in the world in terms of trust government. On the other hand, the United States fell from 46% to 40%. The full report can be found here.
The news was widely reported in Chinese state media outlets, but most of them did not explain the survey's methodology. Many Chinese netizens found the survey result unbelievable and raised a lot of questions, however, the comment sections of the news article in many portal websites have been shut down, such as this one in 163.com.
Yet when one search in Chinese “Edelman” (愛德曼）for blog posts in major search engines and blog hosting websites, one can find out how the survey has become a public relation disaster for Edelman.
For example, Anjing writes in her blog:
大清早的被网易上面的新闻标题给恶心的早餐都差点吐出来！…
在此，我仅代表我自己，我是另外12%的一员！！！！…
这时候，我不仅蛋疼的发现网易又关闭了评论，还发现，原来调查是一个公关公司搞的！！！！！！公关公司！！！！！你们懂的——不是尼尔森，不是“你的声音”，甚至不是“CCAV”、“人民币网”，而是公关公司！！
于是本人纯属虚构了YY某个情节：一笔数目庞大的“公关费”和一个肮脏的公关公司，于是就得到一个令人反胃的数字：88%！
Heavenly Wolf has re-posted the news in his blog and there are many sarcastic remarks in the comment section, 鄭亞君 says:
有误,应该是百分百,犯人也对政府绝对信任,中国没有一个人敢不信任政府的,是百分百啊,也没有一个人敢在公开场合说对政府不信任.我就在任何时候,包括作梦,都信任.
MZ蓬艾之間 says:
萨达姆的民主支持率是100%，中国政府仍需努力啊
非哥 says
爱德曼（中国）公司，清一色的女性，十足的谄媚公司。这下以为中国政府可以赏赐她们一块肉过年了吧！看它今后在中国如何混。哼~
新浪網友 says:
北朝据说是120%,这才是真正的第一啊!
In Sina Micro-blog, there a number of discussion threads on Edelman's survey result. In the comment section of Morning News‘s post, it has accumulated so far more than 511 comments. Below is a selection:
leerydesign 想讨好 中国政府也用不着这样吧，太TM出彩了(1月28日 11:19)
青天包老爷 哇，一不小心成了少数派！！或者可能已经被88%了(1月28日 00:19)
Chang_年少轻狂 冷笑话？…我表示我对爱德曼公关公司信任度下降到零。幸亏没参加调查，要不然就给国家拖后腿了…（政府不会河蟹我吧…）(1月27日 23:04)
成一语 这个公司太好了，来天朝吧，天朝就喜欢这样的主，天朝有大把的钱可以赚，只要你能是要昧着良心为天朝大唱赞歌就行。(1月27日 17:41)
怡静若斯 没见过把假话说的这么假的(1月27日 17:17)
lee嘵姐 啊呀！还有一项调查，中国90%的人都是不拉屎的！(1月27日 13:58)
双鱼郎 今天是愚人节？(1月27日 11:25)
大贱圣 坑爹呢这是？？？收入排名前25%的高端人群，估计里面有80%是太子党，控制了中国90%以上的资产，他们不满意谁满意？我爸又不是李刚(1月27日 09:49)
Confronted with the public relation disaster, Edelman has posted an explanation to their survey's methodology in their official website:
This post is in response to comments here regarding the findings in China. The 2011 Trust Barometer survey measures a distinct audience – informed publics who meet the following criteria: college-educated, top quartile of income by age group, and follows business/news media and policy issues at least several times a week. Additionally, the study was conducted by phone in three urban areas within China: Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Therefore, the results are not reflective of the general population. The methodology has been consistent for 11 years and is included in all of our printed materials on the study, as well as the website – including a statement on the survey sample.
However, it is unlikely that the statement can restore Edelman's credibility among Chinese netiznes as the result is so far away from ordinary Chinese people's common sense. For example, Anarchy253873 comments after the official statement:
We just find the results incredibly unconvincing. To be precise, the 88% trust meter of China is an absolute joke. 55% percent is my best estimation. The methodology must be serious flawed. This result is totally misleading for people elsewhere. There could be several reasons for that:
1.You have not taken the political situation in consideration. Chinese people so far only have limited freedom of speech, especially when it comes to expressing negative attitude towards the government.But I think that's not the case. Edelman inc could not have made such a rookie mistake.
5 percent chance.
2.You tried to collect some real opinions but are fed with people who are actually representatives of the Communist party. Things like this happen all the time. You are not the first and won't be the last. But still the validity of this survey is poor.
60 percent chance.
3.You cooperated with the Chinese government in exchange for your business profit in China. In other words, you just sold your soul for money, same old story. PR firms sometimes have to give in for survival.But that does not justify a fraud report.
35 percent chance.
So which is it?

author: Oiwan Lam


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Could Nicaragua experience “the Egypt and Tunisia phenomenon”? · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

In an interview with El Nuevo Diario [es], Global Voices author Rodrigo Peñalba was asked [es] if the phenomenon seen in Egypt and Tunisia is “far from the national reality” and if netizens would respond in the same way. He concludes that the newspaper, instead of asking “could this happen in Nicaragua?,” should analyze the national context to see where such a movement would emerge from.


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Czech Republic: The Czech Roma During the Holocaust · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Czech Position writes in detail about “the wartime fate of the Roma” – whose “tremendous suffering and loss [are] often reduced to little more than a historical footnote.”


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Czech Republic: Lawyers Uncertain About Ukrainian Politician’s Right to Asylum · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Czech Position reports that “uncertainty prevailed among [Czech] lawyers on whether [former Ukrainian Economy Minister] Bohdan Danylyshyn merits asylum in the Czech Republic.”


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Egypt: Demonstrations Continue for Fifth Day  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Widespread demonstrations continue to rock Egypt for the fifth day in a row, as netizens around the world continue to closely watch developments on the ground. Reports say the millions of demonstrators are taking to the streets to protest against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
With the Internet still shut in Egypt, the conversation on Twitter relies on users commenting and relaying what they hear on the news. Glued to news channels, news is exchanged in a series of tweets and retweets, by Twitter users worldwide.
Support for Egyptians continues to pour in, as figures of deaths and casualties are revealed. Here is a round up of some of the Twitter messages from a few minutes ago:
From Bahrain, Hussain tweets:
RT @Melshamy: AlJazeera : 50 000 protesters in Tahrir Square #Jan25 #Jan28 #Egypt #Tahreer #Cairo
Saudi Hussain Al Mustafa adds (Ar):
From the UAE, Sultan Al Qassemi continues to pay attention to the reaction of the crowds to the army deployed on the streets:
See page grab from Al Arabiya of Egyptian protesters shaking hands with army officers http://yfrog.com/h3sonucj http://yfrog.com/gzf5zdvj
And Abdu, from Qatar, adds:
Egyptian army reaffirms their resolve not to use force but they warn of a security void. #egypt #jan25
Reports of deaths and casualties continue to pour in. @shmpOngO prays (Ar):
Dima Al Khatib continues to monitor the situation (Ar):
Others are questioning what they hear on the news and are waiting confirmation online. Lebanese Anton Issa asks:
Al Jazeera Arabic reporting that Mubarak's police killing political prisoners in the prisons! Can this be confirmed? #Jan25 #Egypt
And the warnings for Arab regimes which do not uphold human rights continue:
The old men who rule #Arab world are panicking as they watch one of their own come down. You are ALL next. Ur people will ensure it #Jan25
Saudi Mashi 9a7 quips in Arabic: “Oh Egyptian! You don't only shake Mubarak's throne. You are shaking the thrones of all the tyrants.” His tweet was retweeted several times:
It also seems that fear of what is happening in Egypt is spreading around the world:
!!! RT @GregMitch: Al Jazeera says China has blocked the word “Egypt” from Twitter, wary that it could spread unrest.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Government Thugs involved in Looting, Lawlessness  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The world continues to watch the fast paced developments in Egypt, now on its fifth day of demonstrations against the 30-year rule of president Hosni Mubarak.
Despite the Internet block imposed by the government, some Egyptians are back on Twitter today, telling the world what is happening around them in their own words. Others, from around the world, continue to monitor the news, updating their followers on what is happening on the ground.
News of widespread looting and lawlessness is also being reported, allegedly the work of government-backed ‘thugs.’
CNN's Ben Wedeman, who is in Cairo, tweets:
Almost all police stations ransacked, arsenals looted. Suddenly weapons in the streets wielded by thugs. Where is the army?
Brent tells us:
Looting and damage to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo shown on Egyptian television work of “the police & Mubarak thugs” per #Egypt journalist
Habib Haddad tweets what he heard on Al Jazeera:
AlJazeera: Thugs looting are part of the regime. Security Service IDs found on them when held by local residents #Jan25 http://mar.gy/9bzm
Khaled Agrama reports:
Citizens in Egypt have arrested more than 31 thugs that have turned out to be Egyptian police, according to their ID's
Mathhew Cassel, also in Egypt, shares his story:
mubarak's thugs tried to kidnap me and take my equipment and images documenting the revolution, but the people refused to let them!
Meanwhile, here's the latest buzz from the conversation on Twitter. @Sandmonkey, from Egypt, was able to access the Internet. He tweets:
rumors that govt thugs will start vandalizing electricity boxes #jan25
shmpOngO, also in Egypt, adds:
Attempts to amplify the looting to push the demonstrators to return to their homes #jan25
And Snoopynlondon notes:
Some gangs arrested in Alex found to be carrying Interior Ministry ID cards#AREN#jan25 @waelabbas http://curated.by/b/6M
Egyptian Alaa Abdel Fattah is currently in South Africa but is getting information directly from Egypt and tweeting it. Here are some of his reports. Here he writes (Ar):
Wide scale looting has been reported across Egypt – allegedly the work of thugs working for the Mubarak regime.
@hilalchouman: been told to RT: “ssrigany needs help in maadi. ex-prisoners (?) attacking residential area and she's askin that some1 notify army #jan25
@Firas_Atraqchi: Spoke with Egyptian journalists in #cairo who say they are worried by breakdown in order #jan25
@mzaher IMPORTANT RT @noornet: Military Hotline from Inside #Egypt: 19614 for reporting Murders, assaults & lootings. #Jan25
From Bahrain, Hussain continues to monitor the situation:
@hussain_info the demonstrators in Tahrir Square chanted: No to #Mubarak .. no to Sulaiman… not after our revolution #jan25 #Egypt
From the UAE, Sultan Al Qassemi is keeping a close eye on developments in Egypt, with up-to-the-minute tweets:
Al Jazeera: Libyan leader Gaddafi & Palestinian President Abbas call Mubarak to voice support #Jan25
From Qatar, Mohammed Hamad has other regional concerns. He tweets:
I am perhaps most interested in what the (possible) change of leadership in Egypt may mean for the Palestinian situation. #jan25
And last but not least Farrah3m shares this telling image:
Brave little kid
RT @snarkybat: RT @Farrah3m: Check out this brave little kid http://twitpic.com/3uj0x9 #jan25
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


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Egypt in Photographs: From the Streets of Cairo · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Egyptian human rights activist and Global Voices Advocacy contributor Ramy Raoof has been, like many Egyptian protestors, online only sporadically over the past few days.  When online, Raoof has uploaded photos taken on the streets of Cairo: photographs of the demonstrations, of street graffiti, and of soldiers, showing the world the view from the street.
Today, as Raoof was back online briefly, he tweeted a set of new photographs, urging followers to share them with the world:
Ramy Raoof tweets photos to the world
The following are photographs taken by Ramy Raoof on January 28 and 29 and posted to Flickr.  Captions are photographer's own.
Down with Mubarak..Freedom
Army Truck and Soldiers in Tahrir Square, Cairo
Demonstrators on Army Truck in Tahrir Square, Cairo
All photos by Ramy Raoof, made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License
28 January Demo in Cairo

author: Jillian C. York


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Egypt: When Mubarak’s Speech Fires Back · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Mubarak addressing Egyptians. Photo credit: Sultan Al Qassemi
After keeping quiet as protests raged Egypt for four days in a row, a defiant president Hosni Mubarak addressed the nation early today, calling protesters “gangs” and “thugs.” He also fired the cabinet and said that he would reinstate a new cabinet today. Netizens from around the world are not only disappointed, but outraged with his speech.
The Angry Arab News Service's As'ad Abukhalil rants:
Mubarak is speaking live. He is digging a bigger hole for himself. He is insulting the protesters.  HE said that he has been sympathetic to the poor all his life. Is that why billionaires surround you, you dictator?
In another missile, the Lebanese-American writes:
Has called for the resignation of his cabinet. Somebody needs to tell him: it is you that people want to resign, you fool.
And he compares Mubarak's speech to that of ousted Tunisian president Zein El Abidine Ben Ali, who was forced to leave Tunisia after 29 days of protests:
You may compare this speech by Mubarak to the last speech by Bin `Ali. It just made things worse.  He talked as if the people are merely blaming prime minister Nadhif for their misery.  How dictators fight to the last second. I personally think that Mubarak probably would have surrendered power today but the US pushed him to stay in power. I am speculating but I have a feeling I am right. I received information that the US is trying to install the Egyptian Army's chief-of-staff as the new leader.
UAE writer Sultan Al Qassemi, who has been paying close attention to Egypt since the beginning of its protests on January 25, describes his outrage and disappointment in a series of tweets.
He says:
He didn't raise curbs on the internet or the mobile phones. He didn't offer to meet with opposition leaders. He didn't acknowledge Egyptians
and adds:
He didn't even say he won't run again later this year, install his son or dissolve parliament! A new gov controlled by Gamal is all you get
and explodes:
The biggest bullshit speech that any aging dictator has ever made in history. What a load of crap.
Meanwhile, here are more reactions from around the world:
This tweet has been retweeted more than 100 times:
@sivavaid:  To Mubarak, denial IS just a river in #Egypt.
US President Barack Obama too comes under fire for his “lenient” attitude towards what is happening in Egypt:
@SamiraAhmedUK: Mubarak's idea of change at the top:”I've sacked everyone except me.”  Obama's address on the need for “concrete” change pretty weak.
And Vice-President Joe Biden doesn't fare any better:
@evgenymorozov: Joe Biden eagerly labeled Assange as a “high-tech terrorist” but is reluctant to call Mubarak a “dictator”. America at its best.
Some of Mubarak's statements drew laughs and ridicule on Twitter.
@nanawireko: Hahahaha RT @Zichivhu: #Mubarak, “I'm here to protect Egypt”. #YouLie #SOB
@Mayousef: The People just ousted Mubarak as the mayor of Egypt on @foursquare #jan25
@ringlunatic: RT @unessentialist: RT @yasminhamidi: Mubarak: To prove I am not a dictator, I will personally name a new government! #jan25 #egypt
@omarbaddar: Joke of the day — Obama: “Hosni, I think you need to write your goodbye  letter to your people.” Hosni Mubarak: “Why? Where are they going?”
Others went back to the history books to remind us:
@MAlshehri “Mubarak is the third longest ruler in the 5000 year history of #Egypt behind Mohamad Ali Basha and the Pharoah Ramseis II #Jan25 “
If anything, it seems that the speech has created more outrage on the street:
@EANewsFeed: #Egypt: 1st-hand from Cairo “Spirit is defiant. Protests still going on.” http://tinyurl.com/6ysbf9a #Jan25 #sidibouzid
@monaeltahawy: #Mubarak behaves like dictator who deserves his people's fear. Instead, he's  earned their hate & rage. And protesters DON'T FEAR HIM. #Jan25
@AhmadHKh: The images of #Egypt military tanks in Cairo with graffiti on them saying “down with Mubarak” is quite telling #Jan25
And there are more calls for Mubarak to pack and leave Egypt:
@UnitedArabs: #Mubarak, today is a fine day for you to gather your family members and cronies and take a one way trip out of #Egypt
@alykhansatchu: “Mubarak, Mubarak,” they shouted. “Saudi Arabia is waiting for you.” That's when the water cannons were turned on the crowd –
@aqsaaa_: First your people Then the US. Now your army. When your closest allies defy you #Mubarak it would be sensible to step down #Egypt #Jan25
Stay tuned for more coverage from Egypt as massive protests against Mubarak's 30-year rule continue for the fifth day.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


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Hungary: Filtering Foreign Media Content? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum reports that the official Hungarian news agency seems to be supplying other media outlets with “wrong translations” of foreign media content, perhaps trying “to conceal some of the bad news–bad that is from the point of view of the government–from the Hungarian public.” Galamus Csoport, however, offers “accurate [volunteer] translations of articles that appeared abroad about Hungary.”


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Hungary: New Media Law To Be Modified? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Watch reports that “Hungary seems poised to make changes to media law” – but “freedom of the press is still on shaky ground.”


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India: Environment, Common Sense & Social Media · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Munna on the Run hopes that social media conversations will work as a gentle persuading force against the profit-at-any-cost market forces and re-ignite a common sense approach to development.

author: Aparna Ray


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Lebanon: Protest in Support of Egypt  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
A solidarity protest in support of the demonstrators in Egypt is taking place next to the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Similar protests are being reported around the world, as Egyptians continue to rally against the 30-year rule of president Hosni Mubarak.
Twitter user Angie Nassar shares her observations in a series of tweets, with photographs. About 150 to 200 supporters turned up at the event, which is being closely monitored by the Lebanese security forces. The protesters are seen waving both Egyptian and Tunisian flags.
Angie tweets:
A strong protest happening now at the egyptian embassy in lebanon http://yfrog.com/hs5v3nj
Lebanese protest in support of Egyptians next to the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut
In a follow up tweet, she notes:
Lebanese security forces stand behind barbed wire prepared for any outbursts at egypt embassy lebanon http://yfrog.com/h8cy8lbj
Security forces stand in alert
And to prove her point, she adds:
Water cannon pointed at protesters at egypt embassy in #lebanon happening now http://yfrog.com/h4wo6rrj
Water cannons pointed at protesters
The chants, explains Angie, target both Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and the US:
Lebanese Protesters shout against #mubarak being a tool of the americans at embassy demonstration http://yfrog.com/hs56448414j
Lebanese protesters should anti-Mubarak chants
Her most recent tweet shows that the protest is swelling. The crowd now has an estimated 300 people:
Protest at #egypt embassy in #lebanon getting visibly larger. Estimated 300 people
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


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Morocco: The King’s Very Private Visit to France · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

According to a Moroccan opposition journalist interviewed by French news website Rue89 [fr] King Mohamed VI of Morocco arrived Thursday in France for a private visit, and is staying in the castle the royal family owns near Paris. A holiday abroad at this time of general unrest in North Africa and Middle East raises speculations about the real objective of this visit, particularly since an alleged private diner with President Sarkozy is pencilled in.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Netherlands: Dutch-Iranian woman executed in Iran · Global Voices
Percy Balemans

Zahra Bahrami
According to Dutch and international news media, Dutch-Iranian Zahra Bahrami has been executed in Iran after having been found guilty of drug-related crimes and sentenced to death on 2 January. She was arrested on 27 December 2009 when she reportedly attended an anti-government demonstration during a visit to Tehran.
The Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran wrote a letter to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs [en] in September 2010 urging them to make demands to Iran for her release. Amnesty International's Dutch section also took up Bahrami's cause [nl] under strong suspicion that Bahrami never received a fair trial. This morning, they reported the news of her execution on Twitter:
Nederlands-Iraanse Zahra Bahrami in Iran geëxecuteerd door ophanging (via @nrc) #doodstraf #bahrami nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/01…
Dutch Twitter users reacted to the news.
@voetvaeg writes [nl]:
SCHOKKEND: ondertussen heeft Iran de Nederlandse Zahra #Bahrami geëxecuteerd door ophanging! http://bit.ly/hKpnc5
Some people, like @VrolijkRechts, wanted to do more than just tweet [nl] about it:
Beste mensen. Hoe laat zijn jullie bij de Iraanse ambassade om jullie te laten horen? Of blijven wij boos twitteren? #Zahra #Bahrami
Others, such as @bobbraak, called on the Dutch government to take action [nl]:
vanmiddag om 17:00 uur gaat er vlucht naar tehran. Uri, die kan de iraanse ambassadeur mooi nog halen! #bahrami
@Leon_Bosma puts things into perspective [nl]:
Veel verontwaardiging over #Bahrami. Zonder af te willen doen, wat maakt één staatsmoord zo belangrijk versus bv. de ruim 30 in #Egypte?
@BartNijman is skeptical [nl] about the case:
Als op drugsdelicten in Iran de doodstraf staat, waarom zou voor een Iraans-Nederlandse dan wat anders moeten gelden? #bahrami #iran
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran posted a reaction from Bahrami's lawyer [en]:
I am shocked. I was absolutely not informed about this. They should have informed her lawyer of the execution, but I had no idea. I don’t know what to say. Just that I am shocked.
On Saturday afternoon, Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant reported [nl] that the Iranian ambassador in the Netherlands has confirmed that Bahrami has indeed been executed, upon which the Netherlands immediately froze all ties with Iran. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uri Rosenthal, calls the case “a scandal, committed by a barbarian regime”.
Twitter hashtag: #bahrami

author: Percy Balemans


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Philippines: Online debate over SIM registration · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

The registration of cellphone subscriber identification module (SIM) cards has become a hot topic for Filipino netizens as lawmakers pushed for the measure in the wake of a recent bus bombing that allegedly involved the use of a cellphone.
Isaw Monologue believes that strict regulation of SIM card owners would help investigate crimes related to cellphone use:
I was tempted to report the two incidents I undergone last year to authorities. I was so eager to find the person who tried to diminish my reputation to a worthless grain of sand. And perhaps exact vengeance. But how can authorities pin the culprit when his only connection with me was his text messages? My friends had told me the SIM is no longer in use…
With compulsory registration of prepaid SIM owners, the scam-throw-my-SIM scheme would no longer work. You can throw your SIM card, but the cellular number can be traced back to you just like in the movies.
The Way It Is comments that SIM card registration is better than nothing as an anti-crime deterrent:
Oppositors say that identification cards may be open to fraud and counterfeit. Grant that they are. But a repeat of that argument will necessitate a repeat of the counterargument that it’s better than nothing.
One of the objectives of any anti crime program is to make it difficult for perpetrators to commit crime. SIM card registration serves as a stumbling block for those who intend to utilize cellphones in committing crime. It narrows the avenue of opportunity for them to do harm to the general public. It is one of the methods of target hardening.
Quaere Verum suggests some ways in which the registration of SIM cards can be facilitated:
Require that all new SIM card purchases be registered by a reasonable date. Ex. Starting January 1, 2012, all new prepaid SIM card purchases should be registered before activation;
Registration may be done by filling up a registration form containing at the very least the name and address of the registrant. At least two (2) identification cards should be submitted/shown to validate the information submitted;
After the sale has been completed, the retailer should submit the accomplished forms to the network provider for entry into its database, after which the SIM is activated within a reasonable amount of time…say, 24 hours;
For prepaid cards currently in use, require that they should be registered on or before a reasonable deadline. Ex. All current prepaid SIMs should be registered with their respective network providers on or before January 1, 2012;
On registration, the owner shall fill up a registration form and submit/show at least two (2) identification cards for validation. This registration information is forwarded to the network provider;
If the deadline passes and the prepaid SIM is not registered, it is automatically deactivated by the network provider.
Not everyone are in favor of the measure, however. The Law and ICT said that proponents should also look into the costs of the regulation:
Issues on privacy, security and identity theft, and the overall efficacy of requiring the registration procedure, are the considerations which readily come to mind…
My take on this is that such legislation, if at all to be passed, must in turn be counterbalanced with another regulation safeguarding the security of the information and stifling the chances of its misuse… Only then will our law be deemed one step further in keeping up with the advance of ICT while at the same time responsive to the civil libertarian values of privacy and security that our society cherishes and jealously guards.
Tonyo Cruz also cautions against hastily imitating other countries in this matter:
Proponents say that if Singapore and other countries were able to do it, why can’t the Philippines have all SIM cards registered as well.
Well, it is difficult or inappropriate to compare. Take the city-state of Singapore whose population and territory are tiny compared to ours. They also introduced SIM registration early on so by the time the mobile phone numbers boomed, the system was already in place.
If SIM card registration is truly that helpful or miraculous, all countries would have done it as well. But the United States, which is the target of many enemies, has not done so. We should find out why they are not at all bothered by it.
The illusion of peace fears that the proposed measure can be used by government against its critics and lead to more human rights abuses:
Our country has an apalling record of human rights violations. How soon will it be before ruthless government entities, either acting on their own or thru covert orders, would use such information for illegal purposes? Law enforcement and military agencies, not to mention private indivduals with a lot of connections, have a tendency to take illegal shortcuts rather than follow legal procedures. We have a lot of unsolved cases of harassment, enforced disappearance, and yes, murder. Must we make it any more easier for them?
Here are some tweets on the issue:
Karen_DaviLa: Sino ba ang takot sa pre-paid sim card registration? Ang criminal o may masamang balak at ang may tinatago sa asawa!
SagadaSun: I predict the Philippines goes for SIM Card Registration about the same time that the United States does.
inanperillo: On SIM Card Registration: It's a very costly exercise with no way to actually deter criminals. Changes must be done in law enforcement.
redshadow07: @ruffybiazon I don't think we need sim card registration. It's useless. Knives are used everyday in crimes. Should we register it?
IMGoryo: SIM card registration in a country/gov't known for excesses and abuses is hard to accept; not to mention we're all enterprising.@ruffybiazon
TheDaleBacar: That's just naive – Mandatory sim card registration? If a terrorist steals my sim for bombing, poor me ako makukulong.
whizkidmodel: SIM card registration may not be able to deter crime NOW but it's a good start to make crime investigation process in the future easier.
I_amHolo: Hindi ako sang-ayon sa SIM card registration. Lagi akong nawawalan ng cellphone. Not to mention that it's draconian. Scary! #rundown
danrogayan: @jekkipascual SIM card registration is another technology-based process just like PCOS, I think there's nothing wrong if we try it.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Qatar: Qaradawi to Mubarak: “You are blind, deaf and dumb”  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Banished Egyptian cleric Yusuf Al Qaradawi described Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak as “blind, deaf and dumb,” lending his influential backing to protesters calling for a change in the regime for the fifth day in a row.
Yusuf Al Qardawi. Photo by Nmkuttiady (Creative Commons-Attribution 3.0)
In an interview with Qatari Al Jazeera television, Qaradawi, who also holds a Qatari citizenship, ordered Mubarak to step down and encouraged Egyptians to continue with their demonstrations.
On Twitter, Sultan Al Qassemi transcribed the interview in 140-character messages, which were retweeted around the world, as the interview was being aired.
Following are reactions from the Twittersphere.
From the UAE, Sultan Al Qassemi transcribed his interview. Here's an excerpt:
“There is no more room for you anymore Mubarak. I advise you to learn lessons from Ben Ali. Leave Egypt on your feet now”
Tom Gara is excited:
Aweosome. Qaradawi just called Mubarak “deaf, blind and stupid” #jan25
Sam Shakespear is surprised Qaradawi jumped ship:
I cant believe Qaradawi & Amr Khaled nerves.They've been selling “opium” 4 years then suddenly switch sides& denounce Mubarak on the 5th day
And more reactions followed:
@Ghammaaz The shameful silence of Muslim scholars! RT @hamna_: Yusuf Al-Qaradawi asks Mubarak to step down. Any other Muslim … http://tmi.me/668I6
@hamna_ Yusuf Al-Qaradawi asks Mubarak to step down. Any other Muslim Scholars done the same yet? #jan25
@MmedeSevigne Yusuf Al-Qaradawi,influential cleric calls on #Mubarak to resign.Hosni, you're 80+ years old, you're been in power for 32 years,give it up
@jstrevino Point of maximum danger for revolutionary Egypt, per @ChuckDeVore, is when Yusuf Qaradawi returns from exile.
@readyaimshoot Look for Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi to return to Egypt from exile in Qatar & ascend as a religious leader like Ayatollah Khomeini did in Iran.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Protests 2011.


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Romania: Accession to the Schengen Zone · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Kosmopolito writes about Romania's “clumsy way” to the Schengen zone.


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Russia, Ukraine: More Tributes to Playwright Anna Yablonskaya · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At The Guardian's Comment is Free, Natalia Antonova writes about the Jan. 24 suicide bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport and about playwright Anna Yablonskaya, who was killed in the attack. Another tribute to Yablonskaya – at The Guardian's Theatre Blog, here.


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Serbia, Kosovo: Comment on Dick Marty’s Report · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgraded.com comments on Dick Marty's “report on organized criminal activities committed by the Kosovo Albanian side during and after Kosovo conflict”: “As it turns out, there are now at least two things Serbs and Kosovars have in common – people who committed crimes during the war and politicians and other nationalistic dipshits who will always try to hide that fact and claim they are the innocent ones.”


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Ukraine: Photos of Hutsuls · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sergey Maximishin (LJ user remetalk) shares his photos of the Ukrainian Hutsuls and their land in the Carpathian Mountains.


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Ukraine: Support “The Pickle Project”! · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Linda Norris and Sarah Crow are fundraising on Kickstarter in order to be able to return to Ukraine and continue work on The Pickle Project, which “explores contemporary and traditional Ukrainian foodways, introducing fascinating people, practices and places, through photographic documentation, audio interviews and video.”


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Brazil: Exclusive Internet Interview with the Founder of WikiLeaks · Global Voices
Paula Góes

This post is part of our special coverage WikiLeaks and the World.
Brazilian netizens scored an exclusive interview with Julian Assange, founder and editor of the polemical WikiLeaks. The invitation to participate in a collective interview was open to all bloggers and readers of the blog by independent journalist Natália Viana. From the 350 questions sent in, 12 were selected and answered as part of the interview. With the material republished on a number of blogs, Global Voices could not stand idly by.
At the Campus Party, held this January, participants used a mask with Assange's image. Photo from Flickr user kHovsT, published under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.
Various – WikiLeaks worked with the mainstream media. Here in Brazil, Folha de São Paulo and Globo are seen as right wing newspapers. Not only they contribute to media concentration but they also have their own agenda. Isn’t it contradictory to work with these vehicles if WL wants to democratize access to information? Why not work with blogs and alternative media?
Due to resource constraints we are not able to yet to vet thousands of individuals so instead we have chosen to often work with groups of journalists, or groups of human rights researchers who have a significant audience. This often includes established media outlets, however, we do also work with individual journalists. Alternative media outlets and activist organisations, as the situation demands and resources permit.
One of the primary functions of the press is to hold government to account. In the case of Brasil, which has a left wing central government, we felt that a center right newspaper was necessary to properly scrutinise the left wing politicians of the central government. In other countries we have applied the reverse equation. Ideally we like to partner with a pro-government media outlet and an anti-government media outlet.
Marcelo Salles – In your opinion what is the most dangerous for democracy: the manipulation of information by governments or the manipulation of information by media oligopolies?
The manipulation of information by media is most dangerous for when a government manipulates information to the public detriment, but the media is strong, this manipulation can not hold for long. But when the media itself has become debased of its critical role then not only can government not be held to account but the pernicious interests or affiliations of the media or its owners can sway or permit government to engage in new abuses. The clearest example of this in recent times is the US mainstream media-led war on Iraq in 2003.
Eduardo dos Anjos – I’ve been following the recent leaks and didn’t find anything relevant, it sounds like too much noise for nothing. Why should we trust you and WikiLeaks?
WikiLeaks has a four year publishing history. During that time, to our knowledge, we have never described a false document as true. Additionally, neither has any other organisation claimed otherwise. While we currently have a perfect record in judging true documents from false we are, of course, only humans and will someday possibly make a mistake. But at present we have the best record in the business and wish to try hard to keep this good reputation.
Unlike other media organisations that have no public standard of what they will accept and what they will discard, WikiLeaks has a clear and precise definition to give potential sources confidence about whether we will use their material or not.
We take disclosures of diplomatic, ethical or historical significance that are official documents and that are classified or suppressed under some form of legal injunction.
Various – What concrete changes can happen as a consequence of WL in terms of balance of powers between governments, business and the public?
James Madison the framer of the US bill of Rights said that knowledge will forever rule ignorance. So a people who mean to be their own masters must have the power that knowledge brings. This philosophy of Madison's which combines the realm of knowledge with the realm of the distribution of power points to the changes that occur when knowledge is democratised.
States and giant corporations maintain their power over the individual through keeping knowledge from individuals. It is the gap in knowledge which delineates who is inside the most powerful parts of the state and who is inside the powerful parts of a corporation.
The free-flow of knowledge from powerful groups to less powerful groups or individuals is also a flow of power and hence an equalising and democratising force in society.
Marcelo Träsel – After Cablegate, Wikileaks got very powerful. Julian’s declarations about future leaks influence markets and government policies. While it becomes a power, shouldn’t WL create a mechanism of accountability by the public opinion?
WikiLeaks is one of the most responsive global organisations in existence.
It is significantly more accountable to the public than national governments and here is why: The fruits of all our labours are public. We are a publishing organisation. There is nothing that we do that does not end up contributing towards putting knowledge in the hands of the public.
WikiLeaks is funded by the public on a week by week basis. The public votes for us each week with its’ wallets.
Potential sources supply documents to WikiLeaks because they believe that we will protect them and that we will achieve the maximum possible impact for their efforts. Should at any moment sources believe this to not be true, or that we are acting unethically, such contributions will stop.
WikiLeaks is supported and defended by many thousands of generous people who volunteer their time, skills and assets to be used in our endevours directly or indirectly in our defence. These people ‘vote’ for us every day in this manner.
December 2010 – Demonstrators rally to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at a demonstration in front of the British Consulate in  São Paulo. Photo from Panoptico, under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
Daniel Ikenaga – Which information should be secret in your definition?
We often hear this type of question. However, it is better to rephrase it as follows: “who should be forced by the state into keeping information of a particular type from the rest of the population?”
The answer to this question is clearly not everyone in the world and nor should it be, we believe, all persons in a particular state. Rather, say, your doctor is responsible for keeping your medical records secret under most (but not all) circumstances.
Various – In a recent interview to Estado de São Paulo you said WikiLeaks intended to use Brazil as a base for its work. What are the plans? Would accept political asylum in here if it was offered?
I would, of course, be flattered if Brazil offered my staff and I political asylum, we have strong support by the Brazilian people and based on that and the independent character of Brazil from other countries we have decided to expand our presence in the country. Unfortunately I, at this time, am under house arrest in the cold dark winter of Norfolk, England and can not make a home in beautiful, warm Brazil.
Various – Are you afraid of being killed? Is there any mechanism of protection in place for you? In case you get murdered, what will happen to WikiLeaks?
We are determined to continue despite the various threats against us. We have a strong faith in our mission and have not and will not be cowed by the forces against us.
My greatest protection is the futility of any attempt against me. For instance, when I was recently imprisoned for some ten days our publications proceeded unimpeded.
Similarly, we have distributed backups of all our pending publications across the world It is not possible to destroy WikiLeaks’ upcoming publications by attacks on its staff.
Helena Vieira – In your opinion, what was the most important revelation of Cablegate? Did your world vision, your opinion, change in any aspect after reading the documents?
Cablegate covers almost every major event, public and private, and every country in the world so there are many most important revelations depending on where you live. And the majority of these have still yet to appear.
If we must refer to a single most interesting cable in a global context then out of the small fraction that I have read so far (keeping in mind that there are 250,000 cables) it is the cable tasking US diplomats to collect from an extremely wide range of organisations including the United Nations, encryption keys, DNA, credit card numbers, frequent flight numbers etc.
This cable is a tasking order by the CIA and National Security Agency on US diplomats and other embassy personnel. It reveals a shadow of the vast secret US intelligence collection apparatus.
Tarcísio Mender and Maiko Rafael Spiess – Besides Wiki having shaken international relations, what do you think about Time magazine electing Mark Zuckerberg man of the year? Do you see a paradox in the fact that he is praised while you are the “criminal of the year”?
Time Magazine can, of course, choose to award this title to whomever they like. However, for me it what was more important is that the people of the world chose to vote for me twenty times more than the Times editors choice. I won the people's vote, but not the a multi-national media companies vote. That seems correct to me. I also quite liked Saturday Night Live's take on the situation:
“I give you private information on corporations for free and I'm a villain. Mark Zuckerberg gives your private information to corporations for money and he's ‘Man of the Year.'”
Behind the scenes of course, things were more interesting, with a pro-Assange faction inside Time magazine being placated by a really quite impressive Assange cover on the December 13 issue, paving the way for the conservative choice of Zuckerberg a few weeks later.
Vinícius Juberte – Do you consider yourself a man of the left?
I see that there are good people in both sides of politics and definitely bad people in both sides of politics and it is my habit to seek out these good and just people and work with them in common cause.
Politicians, after election gradually become captured by the very government agencies they are meant to control. This is true regardless of their political flavour.
In so far as a power in equality exists between the people and their rulers, we are on the side of the people that phenomena is broadly associated with the rhetoric of the left which gives rise to a view that we are an organisation exclusively of the left. This is not correct. We are an organisation exclusively of truth and justice and we find those in many places.
Demonstrators rally to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at a  demonstration in front of the British Consulate in  São Paulo. Photo  from Panoptico, under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
Ariely Barata – Hollywood will produce a film about your life. What is your opinion about that?
Hollywood may produce many movies on WikiLeaks, as there are nearly a dozen books scheduled to be published. I am currently not involved in any film productions.
However, if we sell the film rights I shall demand to be played by Will Smith. Kristinn Hrafnsson (WikiLeaks’ spokeperson) will be played by Samuel L Jackson, and my beautiful assistant will be played by Halle Berry. We will call it “WikiLeaks Film Noire”.
This post is part of our special coverage WikiLeaks and the World.

author: Paula Góes


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China: Censorship Virus Breaks into PKU Printers · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Peking University's Portal Website calls for urgent attention on the recent introduction of censorship mechanism among the campus printing shops: no political sensitive materials can be photocopied inside the campus.


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Egypt: Al Jazeera Cairo Bureau Shut  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Egypt just shut down Al Jazeera's Cairo bureau, drawing outrage online.
This comes after it switched off the Internet, in a bid to stop the world from seeing its people's revolution, where demonstrations against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule continue for the sixth day in a row.
People have been glued to their television screens, and online streams of Al Jazeera, to keep abreast of developments on the ground in Egypt, particularly after Egypt shutdown the Internet. The Doha-based network was at the forefront of coverage, with many netizens dedicated to transcribing and tweeting its coverage, around the clock.
In a series of tweets Cairo-based Al Jazeera correspondent Dan Nolan tells us what is happening. His first tweet announces:
Aljazeera Cairo bureau has been shut down. Just visited by plain clothes govt security, TV uplink is now closed #Egypt #Jan 25
and then:
AlJazeera official statement being released soon. Jazeera Arabic service now scrambled in Cairo #Jan 25 #Egypt
The move was met with anger and defiance.
From Saudi Arabia, Essam Al Zamil quips:
And the broadcast continues, at least for the time-being. @evanchill notes:
@evanchill: Yes, Al Jazeera is still broadcasting live despite apparent shutdown order. No one knows who would enforce it. #jan25
And Moroccan Hisham tweets:
Aljazeera announces new satellite frequencies (Nilesat, Arabsat, Hotbird) as its original signal is being scrambled #Jan25
Journalist Mark Lynch stresses:
Al-Jazeera condemns Egypt closure of its office, as should everyone else
And a defiant Dan Nolan tweets:
Don’t worry we’ll still report what’s happening in #Egypt no matter what new restrictions they put on us. #Jan25
Here are more reactions from Facebook:
Parlo BigBlack Francois
Network's licences cancelled and accreditation of staff in Cairo withdrawn by order of information minister.
Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau
Network's licences cancelled and accreditation of staff in Cairo withdrawn by order of information minister.
Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar
In many ways, it is Al Jazeera's moment — not only because of the role it has played, but also because the channel has helped to shape a narrative of popular rage against oppressive American-backed Arab governments (and against Israel) ever since its founding 15 years ago. That narrative has long been implicit in the channel's heavy emphasis on Arab suffering and political crisis, its screaming-match talk shows, even
Darold Higa
Hmm, this is an interesting turn of events…instead of covering the news, now Al Jazeera IS the news…oh the brave new world we live in.
Tarek Elmadany
10.56am: Al Jazeera has just been taken off the air in Egypt, license revoked and offices clamped down on
Abdallah Nada
the revolution will no longer be televised al jazeera shut down in cairo :((
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.