text:
Being Gay in a Homophobic Caribbean  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Today is being marked as the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The official website explains the purpose of this year's campaign:
After months of outreach and consultation with LGBTI rights activists and allies around the world, as to what to focus on for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, 2014, we found that the most popular campaign call, in diverse country-settings, was Freedom of Expression.
The post detailed instances, across the globe, where vulnerable communities are being targeted and its defenders silenced, and where religious doctrine, cultural norms and archaic laws are being used to rationalise ostracism of the gay community. The statement made the point that while many in the mainstream may be under the impression that such laws and policies are intended for the public good, the reality is very different:
Activists in a number of countries also pointed out that, although these laws might be targeted at LGBTI communities on paper, in practice, they also interlock with the policing, and stigmatisation, of all different kinds of communities including sex workers, migrants, ethnic minorities, the socio-economically at risk, and women.
One Caribbean blog, The Bajan Reporter, has taken notice of today's occasion, saying:
Nelson Mandela reminds us that the dignity of each of us can only thrive if we embrace the freedom of all.
We must respect everyone’s freedom to love who they want to and to express who they are. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people have shown immense courage and are sparking a social transformation.
The blog addressed the issue of the criminalisation of homosexual acts (many regional territories still carry outdated anti-homosexual laws on their books), and made a connection between that attitude and the incidence of HIV:
Criminalization of LGBTI people puts entire communities at risk. It keeps those in need of prevention and treatment services out of reach of life-saving interventions.
Not just in the streets, but in courtrooms, classrooms and clinics.
Stigma and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity drive new HIV infections.
We can only be free when we respect the freedom of our LGBTI brothers and sisters.
Let us walk the road to freedom together.
On this International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, I call on everyone to join the transformation to realize our vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.
Havana Times posted an article written by a gay man, who shared his experience of what it is like to be homosexual in Cuba:
I, at least, have always fought back against those who didn’t accept [my being gay].
Our life is our own, and as long as we don’t harm any other person, all is well. That a man should feel love or idolatry for another man is something that I don’t consider an aberration, much less a mortal sin.
But, of course, that’s my point of view. I think that way because I’m gay and I’ve experienced in my own flesh the results of my obvious homosexuality.
He acknowledged that straight people may disagree:
The person who isn’t gay, nor has a family member with these traits, thinks very differently.
Many still maintain the false idea that we’re sick, that we don’t have the same feelings as other people. And for another large segment of society the possibility of feeling love in a union of two men or two women is seen as shocking.
I’ve known many people, generally heterosexual men, who feel repulsion when they see a person who is too openly gay.
The blogger discussed the pressures that some homosexuals feel to stay in the closet:
Many gay men are not considered gay in the eyes of society because they simply deceive people. They have heard the comments made around them about homosexuals, and because of this they prefer to remain anonymous.
Averse to confronting their families and society, they choose to lead a double life, which not only damages them, but also affects other people.
The issue became personal to him when a former partner was ashamed to let his family know he was “with a man”:
So, once more my homosexuality is a problem, and I don’t know if the problem is his or if it belongs to a society which at this point in the game isn’t capable of understanding that differences exist and will continue to exist forever.
He thought that the braver approach, no matter what society's attitude, was to be true to yourself:
In my opinion, when you’re gay, you’re gay.
The most important thing is to know that however roughly society may treat you; your life is your life…you should live well with yourself and accept yourself as you are.
If others don’t accept us, that’s not a problem we should take on as our own, but rather, it’s their problem.
Perhaps, but when wider society attempts to exclude or punish people for non-conformity, then it becomes a human rights issue. The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is trying to name the problem and raise awareness of the inequity which many  members of society – in the Caribbean and worldwide – grapple with every day.


text:
Bermuda: 12-Step Politics · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Breezeblog thinks that Bermuda's politicians, “being…self-important, self-serving, egotists”, could use some help – but he doesn't hold out much hope for any 12-step programme they could possibly come up with.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Meet Khadija, a Motorcycle Repairwoman Breaking Boundaries in Bangladesh · Global Voices
Rezwan

BRAC blog profiles how girls in Bangladesh are learning lucrative yet unconventional trades for women. Khadija, for example, was forced to drop out of school before finishing fifth grade to help support her family. Not so strange, given that only 55 percent of children in Bangladesh complete their primary education.
But now, Khadija, who has never driven a motorcycle, can fix one as well as any man.

author: Rezwan


text:
PHOTOS: Poui Season in Trinidad & Tobago  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

It has been a harsh dry season in Trinidad and Tobago, with a high occurrence of bush fires that have left hillsides throughout the country shriveled and scarred.
Still, the jewels of the dry season, the pink and yellow Poui trees, continue to shine, offering a last burst of splendour as the entire country looks forward to the rains – and with it, the rebirth of green mountains – hopefully without denudation contributing to the kind of flooding that has paralyzed the country in the past.
Poui Tree: Image by Flickr user Humberto GE, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic CC  license.
Yellow Poui: Image by Flickr user Georgia Popplewell, who notes: “The flowering of the yellow poui normally signals the end of the dry season, but who knows what the weather's really up to these days?”  CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
In Trinidad and Tobago, the blooming of the Pouis is as culturally significant as the cherry blossoms in Japan. People often head to the Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain to picnic under the trees, spreading their blankets on the carpet of fallen flowers.
Poui Carpet: Image by Flickr user janinephoto, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic CC license.
Pink Poui Blossoms: Image by Flickr user janinephoto, used under an an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic CC license.
Cherry Poui; Image by Flickr user janinephoto, used under an an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic CC license.
At Easter, it is traditional to go kite-flying: the sight of scores of colourful kites dancing against a backdrop of Poui trees is as Trinidadian as cricket teams playing friendly weekend matches, seemingly being cheered on by the swaying of the Pouis’ branches.
Kites and Poui Trees: Image by Nicholas Laughlin, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC license.
Poui Flare: Image by Flickr user janinephoto, used under an an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic CC license.
Pouis bloom on hillsides across the country, in both urban and rural areas. The photo below, of a yellow Poui tree that is host to a family of bromeliads, was taken in the Village of Matelot, along Trinidad's north-east coast.
Matelot Poui: Image by Flickr user Nicholas Laughlin, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC license.
The stunning flowering of the Pouis is an annual reminder of hope and renewal, the closest thing to springtime in the Caribbean.


text:
Spanish Government Threatens to Censor Social Media · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

Image uploaded to Twitter by @Serge_Pamies
«We have to combat cybercrime and promote cybersecurity, and to clean up undesirable social media.» These were the words of the Spanish Minister of Interior, Jorge Fenández Díaz, after the wave of comments published on social media about the assassination of Isabel Carrasco, president of the Province of León.
Isabel Carrasco, a member of the People's Party, was shot near her home [es] in León, allegedly by the mother of a fellow party member who blamed Carrasco for truncating the political career of her daughter. Carrasco became famous a few years ago for occupying 13 positions [es] in the administration and private businesses. In 2011, it was revealed that she had increased her salary by 13 percent, but this did not prevent her from justifying budget cuts in 2012, saying that [es] «Everything little thing can't be free». According to La Voz de Galicia [es],
fue condenada en primera instancia por presunto amaño de unas oposiciones en la Diputación de León. (…) La oposición le echó en cara haber pagado facturas de centros de belleza con dinero de la diputación (…). Los socialistas de León la denunciaron por malversación, al sostener que acudía a los consejos de Caja España en coche oficial y con chófer y pasaba facturas de kilometraje.
she was sentenced in first instance for allegedly tampering with the civil service examinations of the Province of León. (…) The opposition accused her of paying bills at beauty centers with money from the province (…) The socialists of León denounced her for embezzlement, arguing that she went to the Caja España board meetings in an official car with a driver and claimed mileage allowances.
Shortly after learning about her death, many Internet users started to leave comments on social media, especially Twitter. Although the majority expressed their condolences to the family of the victim, there were some that took advantage of the moment to openly criticize the politician, including mocking her assassination:
Pues yo me alegro de la muerte de Isabel Carrasco, el dia que muera Aguirre monto una fiesta.
— Espumito Entre Rejas (@espumitomcduff) May 12, 2014
Well I'm thrilled about the death of Isabel Carrasco, the day Aguirre dies I'll hold a party.
Los ciudadanos no consiguieron que Isabel Carrasco se pudriese en la cárcel, pero les queda el consuelo de que ya se está pudriendo en sí. — Secta Nihilista (@SectaNihilista) May 12, 2014
The citizens didn't get to see Isabel Carrasco put in jail, but the consolation is that she's already rotting just the same.
Isabel Carrasco amenazó a gente. Condenada por fraude…Se follaba al marido de la asesina y echó y arruinó a su hija. #jesuschrist — David Marzal (@DMarzal) May 13, 2014
Isabel Carrasco threatened people. She was sentenced for fraud…she screwed the husband of the murderer and ruined her daughter. #jesuschrist
These tweets generated a strong reaction of rejection in certain circles. A few weeks after «Operation Spider» [es], in which the Civil Guard detained more than 20 people for «defense of terrorism», these circles returned to raise their voices to demand regulation of social media. The spokesman of the People's Party, Alfonso Alonso, described social media [es] as a «place poorly recommended». More surprise led a socialist, the spokesman of the Health of the PSOE [Spanish Workers’ Socialist Party], José Martínez Olmos, to write in his blog [es]:
Me parece que ha llegado el momento de regular las redes sociales porque no todo vale y menos cuando se incita a la violencia o se denigra a las personas o las instituciones.
Una regulación que incluya desde un observatorio, un código de conducta, hasta los motivos para actuar y la manera de hacerlo desde los poderes públicos para castigar aquellas conductas que ya lo están cuando de otros medios se trata.
It seems to me that the moment has come to regulate social media because not everything is suitable and less so when it incites violence or denigrates people or institutions.
A regulation should include observation and a code of conduct, so that the reasons for acting and the manner of doing are established for public powers to punish those actions that are already punished when it comes to other media.
The Federal Union of Politics has published a note [es] that proposes a change in legislation with the alleged intent of protecting minors, relatives of victims, and users in general:
Es necesaria y urgente la regulación penal de nuevas modalidades delictivas que van más allá de las injurias y calumnias, tipificar la violencia ejecutada en masa a través de internet.
(…)
Establecer la correcta identidad de los usuarios y castigar específicamente estas conductas podría ser una vía de solución.
It is necessary and urgent to regulate new criminal methods that go beyond libel and slander, and criminalize the violence executed en masse through the Internet.
(…)
To establish the correct identity of users and punish specifically these actions could be one solution.
Imagen uploaded to Twitter by user @lluisahicart
Others are completely against the regulation. According to  europapress [es],
el exjuez Baltasar Garzón ha calificado de “sorprendente” que el Ministerio de Interior “dedique esfuerzos a investigar” lo que se dice en las redes sociales porque en caso de que se lancen informaciones “injuriosas o calumniosas” quienes deben actuar son “quienes se sientan agraviados”.
The ex-judge has been surprised that the Ministry of the Interior “dedicated efforts to investigate” what is said on social media, because in cases where “injurious or calumnious” information is published, those who should act are those who feel offended”.
According to eldiario.es [es], the association of judges Francisco de Vitoria opines that the modification of the law would be «an excuse for the government to cut back freedom of expression,» and that «limitations of this type, to prevent these types of expressions, only exist in China and under dictatorships.» Judges for the Democracy consider the proposal «an expansive punitive action, excessive and disproportionate.»
The History PhD and blogger María Castejón wrote in her blog «Las princesas también friegan» [The princesses also scrub]:
Isabel Carrasco ha muerto a mano de una de las suyas. Salvando las distancias, todo indica a que se debe a una venganza personal como consecuencia de la falta de favores de la víctima hacia sus verduga. (…)
La casta política acude estupefacta y bastante descolocada a la ejecución de una de los suyos. (…) Apuntan a las redes sociales, esas que han verbalizado de forma directa y sincera que el asesinato de Carrasco no lo consideramos como propio, (…). Su objetivo está claro, criminalizar las opiniones que cuestionan y ponen en peligro su régimen.
Isabel Carrasco has died at the hand of her own. Except for the distance, everything indicates that it was a personal vengeance and a consequence of the lack of favor between the victim and her executioner. (…)
The political caste is stunned and a little creeped out by the execution of one of their own. (…) They point to social media, which has verbalized directly and sincerely that we do not consider the assassination of Carrasco as our own, (…) Their objective is clear: to criminalize the opinions that question and put in danger their regime.
For their part, Tweeters have reacted by creating two hashtags, #TuiteaParaEvitarElTalego [Tweet to stay out of Jail] y #LaCárcelDeTwitter [Twitter Prison], through which many Internet-users vent their frustration against politicians who want to silence them:
¿Las cuentas B del #PP también van a ser perseguidas como las cuentas de #twitter? si es así les ofrezco la mía #TuiteaParaEvitarElTalego
— Toñi Segura (@tseguralopez) May 15, 2014
The B accounts of the #PP [People's Party] also are going to be persecuting like the accounts of #twitter? if that's so I offer them mine #TuiteaParaEvitarElTalego [Tweet to stay out of Jail]
#LaCarcelDeTwitter pic.twitter.com/RcADT0ZWE3
— filosofo del morado (@rfwestcoast) May 15, 2014
#LaCarcelDeTwitter [Twitter Prison] pic.twitter.com/RcADT0ZWE3
Si el PP es una mafia ¿quien vote al PP no está haciendo apología del delito? #LaCárcelDeTwitter
— Enrique Bas (@ebasrodriguez) May 15, 2014
If the People's Party is a mafia, who votes for the PP isn't defending the crime?#LaCárcelDeTwitter [Twitter Prison]
Se matan entre ell@s y la culpa es de twiter …#TuiteaParaEvitarElTalego
— Alu-Zino (@libreNoPensador) May 15, 2014
They kill each other and it's Twitter's fault …#TuiteaParaEvitarElTalego [Tweet to stay out of Jail]
Si @gobiernoespa supiera lo que estoy pensando ahora mismo no me salvaba de la cárcel ni la Madre del Amor Hermoso #TuiteaParaEvitarElTalego
— The Chicho (@Kataplaxma) May 15, 2014
Si @gobiernoespa [es] knew what I am thinking right now, not even our Lady of Fairest Love could could save me from jail #TuiteaParaEvitarElTalego [Tweet to stay out of Jail]

author: Lourdes Sada


text:
Sultan Suleimanov on the RuNet’s Last Chance · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

A last stand to save the Web. The RuNet's Tiananmen tweets? Images mixed by author.
What follows is a full English translation of an article by Sultan Suleimanov that appeared in Russian on the website TJournal on May 16, 2014. Suleimanov attended an invitation-only meeting at Roscomnadzor, the Russian government's chief censorship agency, which is tasked with enforcing a series of recent laws that limit the freedom of information online. Suleimanov's account of the event, along with his personal commentary about Russian Internet law, offers valuable insights into Internet regulations in one of the world's most distinctive and fastest-growing corners of the Web. For that reason, RuNet Echo is making the article accessible to English speakers.
Sultan Suleimanov, TJournal.ru.
“We Have a Chance (A Small One),” by Sultan Suleimanov
On May 16, 2014, while all the RuNet went nuts over over a threat to block Twitter and [Dmitri Medvedev’s] demand that state officials turn on their brains, Roscomnadzor hosted a semi-closed meeting: representatives of [Russia’s] Internet industry and agency heads discussed what can be done with the “law on bloggers” to make it somehow more reasonable.
TJournal’s chief editor [Sultan Suleimanov] was at this meeting and now wants to ask readers for help with ideas.
Boring, but important blah-blah-blahing
Just about everyone knows in general terms what the law on bloggers introduces. There are two main provisions: one directly concerns popular bloggers (who attract more than 3 thousand Internet users in a day), and the other addresses “organizers of the dissemination of information.”
The law obligates individuals in the first group to avoid using obscenities, to publish only verified information, to obey the laws, and to identify their true names. Those in the second group must notify Roscomnadzor about the beginning of their activity and store data about users’ activity for six months, sharing everything with any interested state agencies.
Despite the concerns of the Internet industry, both houses of Russia’s parliament and the President all supported the law, which enters into effect on August 1, 2014. The problem is that no one understands how it’s going to work. If you think about its practical application, you’re bound to raise more than a few questions.
1. How exactly does the law apply to organizers of the dissemination of information? Must any website, where users can leave comments, register with Roscomnadzor and store six months of data archives?
2. Must already-functioning platforms and services (yes, apps for exchanging messages also fall under the law) notify Roscomnadzor?
3. Do foreign websites fall under the category of organizers of the dissemination of information? What defines “foreign,” if not? If so, why should foreign platforms react to the demands of Russian authorities?
4. Does this category include online games, where users can communicate with each another using internal chat features and forums?
5. How will the state measure bloggers’ daily audience, in order to separate users with more than 3 thousand readers from their unpopular colleagues?
6. Does the law treat as blogs all collective communities and just any website that “disseminates publicly available information”? And what about social networks on the whole? Should they monitor their users’ every comment and utterance, making sure that no one swears or spreads unverified information?
7. What happens if a user doesn’t want to identify himself or herself, and Roscomnadzor asks the platform to provide data about the individual?
This is far from a complete list of questions, but even here Roscomnadzor has no ready answers. The agency’s deputy head, Maxim Ksenzov (who made headlines on Friday), admitted as much in a private conversation a few days earlier.
Yet, by June 9, the government, Roscomnadzor, and the Communications Ministry are supposed to have completed 13 bylaws that specify all the law’s nuances. For that reason, on May 16, the heads of Roscomnadzor called in representatives of the Internet industry to discuss how to articulate these regulations, in order to make the law somehow more reasonable. Yours truly represented our humble media outlet, TJournal, which joined giants like Yandex, Mail.ru, Google, and Microsoft.
This was only the first meeting, but the agency’s representatives already voiced several provisions that they now favor. For instance, they say the procedure by which bloggers and organizers of the dissemination of information work with state registries should be simple and entirely electronic, without any need to approach state agencies offline.
What kinds of websites won’t be affected by this law and can instead rest easy? For now, the answer is unclear. Closed groups on social networks? Industry-specific multi-authored blogs like habrahabr.ru? Multi-authored encyclopedias like Wikipedia? (Ksenzov has, in fact, proposed classifying Wikipedia as a search engine, thereby freeing it from responsibility under the law.)
In the meeting, it was clear that Roscomnadzor isn’t averse to classifying foreign websites as organizers of the dissemination of information under the new law, if the platforms in question “have influence” on Russian users. True, the agency’s chief, Aleksandr Zharov, affirmed that he isn’t ready to put the whole Internet “under a microscope,” therefore he will focus on working with the websites and services that have 3 thousand or more Russian users. (Why he decided to drag into this conversation the nuances of the provisions for bloggers, I couldn’t make out, but I hope to find some strong arguments against his ideas. Otherwise, we stand to lose access to half of the Western Internet—something the law would allow.)
One of the agency’s officials indicated the kinds of information owners of websites, applications, and blogs that fall onto Roscomnadzor’s registry will be expected to provide. I hope that TJournal later obtains a full copy of this document, but even now we can say that the ultimate goal here includes not just revealing domain names, IP addresses, and the names of owners (and in the case of bloggers, also their home addresses), but additionally asks for design specifications (so authorities can identify mobile applications) and even the programming languages with which a product was created.
The industry, for its part, has some of its own ideas. The Russian Association for Electronic Communications has a few thoughts about how to count bloggers’ audiences: they can abide by Roscomnadzor’s decisions, use existing counters, create some kind of industry-specific meter, or simply work according to the principle, “ask the Web platform for a statistical report.” RAEC, an organization that is supposed to represent the RuNet, suggests resting on the latter two options: an industry-specific meter for daily visits to blog portals and stand-alone websites, and requests to specific platforms for information on social network pages. Roscomnadzor agreed in principle.
Let’s act!
A short remark to start off: I understand that I’m dealing with a state agency, and that our suggestions will most likely fall on deaf ears, though the media will report that “it was discussed with the industry” and “its comments were taken into account.” That much has already happened with discussions about past high-profile laws.
Let me stress something. Like many, I hope, of those who attended the meeting at Roscomnadzor, I am fundamentally opposed to the law on bloggers. It’s harmful, mindless, and has absolutely nothing to do with fighting terrorism (though it was crammed down our throats precisely in the “anti-terrorism legislative packet” after the bombings in Volgograd).
Today at the meeting, Roscomnadzor’s representatives repeated many times the idea that it would first enforce the law “manually.” This means that even inside the state’s regulatory body, officials don’t believe that they can clearly articulate all the rules of the game. It means, chances are, that a metaphorical axe hangs above all more-or-less popular Web platforms and users, and a decision in each case will be made by state officials. Those in a bad mood will mete out punishment, and those in a good mood will show mercy.
Yet, we have a chance to take advantage of Roscomnadzor’s difficult position and to mitigate some of the worst effects of enforcing this law. In the end, it can’t get any worse. Thanks to the government, the RuNet is already begging from the beggars.
In the end of May, Internet industry heads will meet with Roscomnadzor for a second time. They’ll be expecting suggestions from us, so I am calling on TJournal’s readers: let’s think. What could we write into the bylaws that, in a broad sense, would simplify our lives? What could state agencies and the Internet do for us? I’m not promising that I’ll quote every comment verbatim, but I hope that we find some approaches that I can voice there. And maybe they’ll even listen. (This is if I’m invited again, of course.)
P.S. Please, no trolling with comments like “let’s just cancel the whole law” or “Ksenzov’s head belongs on a pike.” I’ve already thought of that, and it won’t fly.

author: Kevin Rothrock


text:
When I Showed Jill Abramson and Dean Baquet Around Karachi · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

Jill Abramson on Seaview Beach in Karachi, Pakistan. June 2011. Picture taken by Sahar Habib Ghazi.
A warm breeze was blowing when I took this photo of Jill Abramson at the end of the two days I spent with her and Dean Baquet on their first visit to Pakistan.
The sun was setting on Karachi, and Seaview Beach was curiously peppered with thousands of clams.
In June 2011, before Jill and Dean took over as the new executive editor and managing editor of the New York Times, they visited Pakistan and Afghanistan to get a feel for the countries that had come to dominate their front page.
I had done some fixing and reporting for Jane Perlez, the NYT’s Pakistan bureau chief, and she asked me to be their guide to Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city.
As we walked against the howling wind on the beach, I remember being struck by Jill and Dean’s thehrao. The closest translation of thehrao that I can come up with in English is “calmness that comes from being wise.” It’s such a beautiful word in Urdu, and completely contradicts the word “pushy,” which has been used repeatedly to describe Jill in reports.
I also recall being so hopeful for women and journalism. A woman was finally going to lead what is, arguably, the most powerful newsroom in the world. And not only did she have plans to innovate, she was truly excited about embracing the digital era.
Back then, I remember thinking: Have we really reached the point that a woman like Jill Abramson – so full of thehrao – can be a leader? Or is the New York Times just that freaking awesome?
That last thought was shattered, like a glass house hit by a single stone, as soon as Jill was suddenly dismissed.
More on that later.
June in Karachi is unbearably hot and sticky. Back in 2011, in Pakistan’s largest city of 20 million people, security wasn't as much of a concern as it is now, but it was still an issue. We travelled in a regular car to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.
For most of their trip I sat sandwiched between Jill and Dean, shuttling between meetings. Jane Perlez suggested this arrangement, so I could point out interesting places as we traveled, and also so I could brief them for our upcoming meeting.
Like anyone else sitting between two strangers, I tried to make myself smaller than I was so I wouldn't be knocking shoulders with them. But Karachi's bumpy roads made that the rule rather than the exception. They took turns making us all laugh about it, and soon, thanks to Dean’s warm, jovial nature and Jill’s sense of humour, they became just Jill and Dean.
I took them to meet Karachi’s leading politicians, security experts and journalists. When we went to the Mohatta Palace Museum and a modern art gallery in Saddar, close to where Daniel Pearl was kidnapped, they admired Pakistan’s talented young political artists. We ate at Karachi’s exclusive Sindh Club and a hip restaurant called Okra.
One of our appointments proved problematic: gangs backed by political parties were clashing, and I had to end up cancelling a visit to the headquarters of MQM, a popular and powerful party often accused of stoking violence in the city. As I tried to calm an MQM politician who was screaming at me on the phone for insulting them by cancelling, Jill showed genuine concern if I’d be OK. Not every journalist shows concern for developing world fixers, so I remember that moment well.
I also remember being hopeful that the New York Times coverage of Pakistan was going to become more nuanced and fair.
Even though I had reported for the Times, I had been increasingly disillusioned with the paper’s coverage of Pakistan. The mere fact that Jill and Dean thought it was important to visit Pakistan and gain some first-hand insight seemed like a positive step.
After their visit I wrote to a friend: “The new executive editor and managing editor were a breath of fresh air. Besides being amongst the nicest, most down-to-earth people I have ever met, they were also the most observant. For two days, like anthropologists, they just soaked Karachi in. There was a calmness and wisdom to the both of them that I have rarely seen in the journalism scene here and even in the U.S. Maybe it comes from both of them being investigative journalists. I have a feeling we are going to start seeing some positive changes in the paper in the coming months.”
And we did. Bill Keller, Jill’s predecessor, paid a visit to Pakistan and wrote a long piece called “The Pakistanis Have a Point.” Declan Walsh, a foreign correspondent who, in my opinion, really gets the country and had spent eight years reporting on Pakistan for the Guardian, was hired as the NYT’s new Pakistan bureau chief.
Unfortunately, Declan seemed to piss off Pakistan’s spies and was expelled from the country two years later. He has continued to be the paper’s Pakistan bureau chief in exile.
I haven’t been in touch with Jill or Dean since their 36-hour tour of Karachi. But that’s more because I was intimidated by their titles, not by them.
When they visited Karachi in 2011, Jill and Dean hadn't yet formally assumed their new positions yet, and were still figuring out their dynamic as a team. When I had cause to introduce them, however, I started with seniority, so Jill first. But almost everyone we met would shake Dean’s hand first. That’s just how things work in Pakistan. We have all these female leaders, but everyone assumes the man in the group must be the lead. Dean seemed uncomfortable with this state of affairs, and, after the second meeting, quickly directed people to Jill. But Jill brushed it off, saying Dean was better dressed—he looked like the boss. We all laughed.
I wasn’t present in the New York Times newsroom these last three years, so I don’t know how Jill and Dean evolved as leaders. I don’t know why Jill was dismissed so suddenly after clearly doing an amazing job the last three years.
Like many women, however, I am upset and suspicious. The speculative reports and rumors out there that made #pushy #equalpay #Abramson #NYT start trending paint an ugly picture.
Jill is being branded as “pushy”, and Dean, who is a really nice guy, is being presented as the man who pushed her out.
Apparently, there was some tension regarding Jill trying to hire Janine Gibson, the Guardian’s editor, to share Dean’s title of managing editor. The Times CEO offered more details about the particular incident.
But the two days I spent with Jill and Dean make me very uncomfortable with all the words that have been used to describe them this week.
Jill and Dean made me hopeful because people with thehrao—down-to-earth, humble and wise—could attain such coveted leadership positions.
Days before I met them, I’d wrapped up a journalism fellowship at Stanford, where, among other things, I took a leadership class at the business school. I never thought I’d take a class called “Paths to Power”, but there I was because I wanted to understand why so many leaders were assholes. Jill and Dean were living proof that good, decent people could rise to the top.
I want to live in a world where leaders aren't just charismatic, where they’re also fair, humble and wise. Like the woman I hung out with back in 2011. Jill embodied thehrao. Dean did as well, but he was also naturally charming and approachable. He told me to drop by the Times when I was next in New York. Jill warmed up to me too. When I was alone with her, she talked to me about her family. As we rifled through the racks at Khaddi, an ethnic clothing store, she spoke to me about the confidence gap.
Her daughter described her best on Twitter last year:
@DylanByers a hugger she isn't. Yes, intimidating & hard to read. But most of all my Mom's a rockstar, a hero for ambitious women. #teamJill
— Cornelia (@CorneliaLG) April 24, 2013
In his talk to the newsroom, NYT publisher Arthur Sulzberger said he believed “that new leadership will improve some aspects of the management of the newsroom.” He said it wasn’t about gender. But the reality is we live in a world where the same management traits that make men “tenacious”, “ambitious” and “forward-looking” make women “pushy” or “bossy”, so maybe he should’ve chosen his words more wisely.
I am still hopeful that the New York Times will try to make its coverage of Pakistan more nuanced. I am also hopeful that Dean will be equally determined and assertive as Jill to make the “digital-first” vision a reality.
I don’t know what’s next for Jill, but the optimist in me is hoping for something bigger, better and more exciting because kick-ass women with her ambition, vision and thehrao need to lead.
Sahar Habib Ghazi is a journalist and the Deputy Editor at Global Voices. You can find her on Twitter @SaharHGhazi or at airports when she's hopping between Pakistan and the US.

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


text:
5 Things You Should Know About India’s New Prime Minister Narendra Modi · Global Voices
Lakshmi Sarah

Narendra Modi expressing his happiness to voters and the media. Photo by Aviral Mediratta. Copyright Demotix (17/5/2014)
Indians have chosen Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a historic landslide victory that unseated the ruling Indian National Congress party and signifies the return of a single-party majority.
Modi will soon be at the helm of the world's largest democracy and an economic powerhouse. He has received criticism from many people, including writer Salman Rushdie and Harvard University professor Homi Bhabha, among others, in a joint statement against his candidacy.
But who is this charismatic but polemic leader? What does he stand for? There are things that are important to know, and not all of them bad.
1. He is controversial for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots
Modi was chief minister of the state of Gujarat in 2002 when riots broke out in the city of Godhra after a train carrying Hindus was burnt down as it was coming from the holy city of Ayodhya in North India. In the ensuring Hindi-Muslim violence, between 900 and 2,000 people were killed, predominantly Muslim.
Modi, a Hindu nationalist, reportedly expressed satisfaction after the dismal events of 2002. His only regret was that he did not handle the news media better, according to the New York Times.
Though he has been cleared by the courts of India, some still believe he allowed the Gujarat riots to rage on. Senior police officer in the Gujarat intelligence bureau Sanjiv Bhatt alleges that Modi told officials that the Muslim community needed to be taught a lesson.
2. He may prove to have a positive impact on the economy
Modi's win is expected to improve trade with the United States and boost the Indian economy. After interviewing 68,500 voters before and after the elections, a group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Endowment and India's Lok Foundation reported that 57 percent of interviewees mentioned economic issues as “most important.”
As chief minister of Gujarat, he oversaw the rapid industrialization of once sleepy areas, a feat he says he wants to replicate elsewhere in India. Modi has used his successes in Gujarat as election leverage, holding up the “Gujarat model” to differentiate himself, as news site Live Mint reported.
If the 2002 riots hurt his campaign, the economic angle helped boost him back up. As Rajeev Malik, a Singapore-based economist, said in a Financial Times column:
It is not as if the 2002 [Gujarat riots] blot has been wiped out; it is just that the broader current urgency of economic well-being has overtaken a dated tragedy.
3. His track record on women's issues may be lacking
Will the role of women improve under a Modi lead government? In an article for the Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, Hardeep Dhillon criticized both candidates for seeing women through the lens of safety, security and education. She argued Modi specifically sees women as passive:
women are imagined to behave, think, and perform in uniformity and their politics are established prior to their emergence on the political landscape. As a result, Indian women are stripped of the very political agency Mr. Modi claims to advocate for, rendering them as passive – rather than active – political actors.
The author also raised concerns about the contrast between Modi’s vocal condemnations of the “rape culture” that led to the 2012 Delhi gang rape and his silence on the treatment of Muslim and minority women in his state. His “secret wife” – Modi had presented himself as a bachelor until this election cycle – has also caused some to question his treatment of women.
4. He maintains an anti-immigrant stance
A significant number of Bangladeshis have migrated to India in the past decade to reunite with family members, for job opportunities, and to escape environmental crises, among other reasons. The wave of people has prompted India to step up security along its border with Bangladesh, including installing barbed-wire fences.
If Modi has his way, he would send all the undocumented Bangaldeshi immigrants back. In a speech on April 28, 2014, Modi threatened:
I want to warn from here, brothers and sisters write down, that after May 16, will send these Bangladeshis beyond the border with their bags and baggages.
The reaction to Modi's speech on social media showed people are listening. Posts under the #deportbangladeshis hashtag made it to at the top of Twitter's trend list in India.
5. His past religious fervor sets a questionable example for a secular India
Modi was a youth member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing, volunteer Hindu nationalist group, and describes himself as a Hindu nationalist. In contrast to his youth as an RSS member, Modi has recently said he does not believe in dividing voters along religious lines.
Yet some still worry his election doesn't bode well for religious tolerance. As Sunny Hundal wrote in an opinion piece for CNN:
The broader context is that India is seeing a rising tide of intolerance whipped up by Hindu nationalist groups that have forced books to be banned, intimidated journalists and threatened people for criticizing their leaders.
French Political Scientist Christophe Jaffrelot, in an interview with Scroll.in, alleged:
Plan A for Modi is to succeed on the economic front, and if that does not work then emphasising on Hindutva politics may be an important Plan B.
Indian author Pankaj Mishra painted a particularly dark picture in The Guardian, saying Modi's election means “a new turbulent phase for the country – arguably, the most sinister since its independence from British rule in 1947.
For his part, Modi has maintained he speaks to all of India, regardless of religion:
For the nation my mantra is 125 crore Indians. Hindu, Muslim, Christians… The country had enough of all these terminologies. The new terminologies will be youth, poor, farmer, village, city, education.
Time will tell if he means that.

author: Lakshmi Sarah


text:
Anti-China Protests Spread in Vietnam Over Oil Rig Dispute · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Protests have escalated in Vietnam over China’s towing of an oil rig ‘inside’ the territorial waters of Vietnam in the South China Sea. According to Vietnam, the Chinese oil rig known as Haiyang Shiyou 98 is 80 nautical miles inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. The Vietnamese government is calling China to withdraw the rig and its more than 80 escort naval ships.
The two countries have been disputing ownership of the Paracel islands in the South China Sea for many years already but the installation of the oil rig was so far China’s most daring attempt to assert control over the resource-rich waters.
China’s oil rig ignited an explosive protest movement across Vietnam. Many of these actions turned violent when workers burned China-owned factories in the southern provinces. Although many factories turned out to be Taiwanese and Korean investments.
As of May 16, 2014, Friday, authorities reported that 140,000 workers of 300 Taiwanese and Chinese companies in industrial parks had not got back to work yet. Fifteen factories were set on fire. About 140 Chinese nationals suffered injuries.
To control the situation, police officials said they arrested 1,000 persons for causing violence. China, for its part, evacuated many of its citizens out of the country; and it suspended some bilateral agreements it had with Vietnam.
The anti-China sentiment is so popular in Vietnam today that even hotels have placed public notices that they will not receive Chinese guests as long as the oil rig is inside Vietnam waters. This Twitter photo shows a shop with a poster informing potential customers that it does not sell Chinese goods.
'We do not sell Chinese products' says new sign outside pottery shop near AFP Hanoi bureau #Vietnam pic.twitter.com/z1lVhEgbOl
— Cat Barton (@cat_barton) May 15, 2014
The anti-China protests are louder and more widespread in the Internet. Vietnamese netizens used Facebook to create and spread memes criticizing China. Below are some of the widely shared graphics:
‘Get out of Vietnam’. From Facebook page of  Vietmeme
“All Vietnamese people are determined to preserve and protect every single piece of our territory.” Notice that the dragon's claws are also protective of Spratly Islands which are being claimed by many countries in the region, including China. Translation by Patrick Sharbaugh
But many netizens are also apologetic over the violent protests that erupted in many provinces. This meme shows several Vietnamese saying sorry for the violence that killed and injured scores of Chinese citizens:
From Facebook page of Giáo dục quốc phòng.
Patrick Sharbaugh analyzed the online protest and its political impact:
China’s ongoing and escalating provocations in the East Sea may be having the unanticipated consequence of forcing government officials to allow Vietnamese Internet users to express themselves openly as a strategy of consolidating national unity.
But it also means that once this latest flare-up has passed, users there will have had a strong taste of what it is like to feel comfortable with expressing political sentiment online.
Meanwhile, the Vietnam Path Movement is appealing for restraint and the use of non-violence methods in the protests:
Considering that this negative behavior may also stem from a deliberate conspiracy to create stressful conditions for which China can use as an excuse to increase its pressure in this dispute, leading to an unnecessary war between the two countries;
In this context, the Vietnam Path Movement therefore sincerely urges all workers, youths, and people in general, to restrain emotions, to refrain from resorting to violence, and to stop all acts of violence before they can lead to unfortunate consequences for the overall situation.
The conflict is expected to continue between the two neighboring countries since China is firmly asserting that the oil rig will stay until August.

author: Mong Palatino


text:
“Ban” From Barbados Central Bank Prompts Defense of Press Freedom · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

DeLisle Worrell, the Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, recently took a controversial decision to not invite The Nation newspaper to any events at the state institution. The move was in reaction to a report in the island's leading daily that the Central Bank had decided to lay off staff.
Unsurprisingly, the ban was initially reported in the Barbados Nation, in a story which quoted the Central Bank Governor:
Consequent upon the lack of professional integrity manifest in the Nation’s Front Page headline of Thursday, May 8, you should be aware that Nation/Sun staff will not be invited to any future Press conference or media event hosted by myself as Governor of the Central Bank.
Wesley Gibbings, head of the Association of Caribbean Mediaworkers (ACM) questioned the basis upon which Governor Worrell made this decision:
is the central bank of #barbados the private property of its governor? http://t.co/NDUtnCrj8J
— Wesley Gibbings (@wgibbings) May 11, 2014
The blog Barbados Free Press was also very critical of this decision:
Central Bank Governor, Dr. DeLisle Worrell, took issue with a story about the central bank as published in The Nation. So does he ask the paper for space to present his thoughts to the citizens? Does he demand an apology, retraction or correction? Does he write an article to be published in the media or on the bank’s website?
Nope… he bans Nation journalists from all bank events.
A few days later, the Central Bank released a statement affirming its commitment to a free press and insisting that The Nation had not been banned:
The Central Bank of Barbados respects and embraces freedom of the press and the importance of the dissemination of timely and accurate information and as such has not banned the Nation Corporation.
The front page of the Sunday Sun of May 11, 2014, carried the headline ‘Cut Off’. The Bank assures media practitioners in Barbados as well as the public at large that it will continue to keep all media houses fully abreast of all developments on economic and other pertinent matters which fall under its purview, including the Nation Publishing Company, as is normal.
The Nation Publishing Company will receive all Press Releases and other communications issued by the Central Bank, and all media houses and the general public have free access to the Central Bank’s website, where all our statements, reports, data and speeches, and all other publications are posted…
At Bajan Reporter, Ian Bourne was not sure about the implications of this release:
There is no indication in this formal statement if Nation Publishing will be privy to any future events held by CBB. The threats against Barbadian Journalism have only just started; [they] will get more strenuous as the DLP [the Democratic Labour Party, currently in power] try to hold on for a third term and all of their beneficiaries seek to rally defenses against real or imagined threats.
Barbados Free Press was still sceptical of the Central Bank's position…
Unless and until Governor Worrell and the Central Bank invite Nation journalists to media events and answer questions from Nation journalists[…]the Central Bank have declared themselves to be enemies of democracy, transparency and accountability.
…while Barbados Underground criticized the statement from the Central Bank Governor:
One is forced to ask who is running the institution. Why issue a press release to state the obvious? Banning the Nation’s reporters at press conferences OBVIOUSLY prevents that media house from probing the Governor et al as they desire, a tenet of practicing freedom of the press.
BU sides with head of the private sector who commented today that the Central Bank appears to be trying to kill an ant with a hammer (our words). It boggles the mind if the Governor felt so strongly on a matter he could not see the light to issue a warning letter. In any event what we are witnessing on both sides is mediocrity at its best.
In a follow up post, Barbados Underground argued that the issue is symptomatic of a larger problem:
The tantrum thrown by the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. DeLisle Worrell, is just more clear evidence that the DLP and its political appointees are not serving Barbados. The unbelievable sideshow of issuing a haughty ban on a media house is a distraction from the much more serious issues of Worrell’s unfitness to hold the position he occupies.

author: Matthew Hunte


text:
Colombia: 32 Children Die in Fire · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Colombian outlets are reporting [es] the death of 32 children caused by fire in a bus, in the township of Fundación, in Magdalena, North of Colombia. The tragic event occured by noon on Sunday, May 18, 2014. Even though the facts are under investigation, there are speculations that the vehicle was smuggling gasoline.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos expressed his grief on Twitter:
Dolor inmenso de padre y colombiano ante tragedia de nuestros niños en Fundación. Solidaridad, oración y apoyo a sus familias.
— Juan Manuel Santos (@JuanManSantos) Mayo 18, 2014
Hugh sorrow as a father and as a Colombian for the tragedy of our children in Fundación. Solidarty, prayers and support for their families.
Lamentamos profundamente accidente en Fundación, Magdalena donde según última información han muerto al menos 15 personas, entre ellos niños
— Juan Manuel Santos (@JuanManSantos) Mayo 18, 2014
We deeply mourn the accident in Fundación, Magdalena, where according to latest reports, at leat 15 people died, among them children.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


text:
Guyana: Remembering Walter Rodney · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

I wish I could wish you a good afternoon. But I believe that if I could hear souls whisper…Dr. Rodney’s soul would say that it is not a good day. How can it be…when our children are being raped, beaten and shot…when the nation witnesses such injustice in silence?
Sara Bharrat presents her speech at the inaugural Walter Rodney Foundation Creative Writing Competition.


text:
Southeast Asian Journalists Speak Out for Press Freedom · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance has asked journalists across the Southeast Asian region to share their thoughts about press freedom; and these were uploaded online as part of the campaign to promote and protect free speech. The views expressed by many reporters highlighted the continuing challenges and even growing difficulties faced by the press in the region. The campaign also reminded us that journalists are effective advocates; and that supporting their cause will benefit the whole society.
We begin with Win Tin, Myanmar's longest-held political prisoner and veteran journalist who died last month. He was released from detention after almost two decades and continued to push for democratic reforms, including media freedom, until his death.
Cambodia's Ghep Navin asserted the need to ensure the safety of journalists
East Timor's Argentina Cardoso wrote how media serves the public interest
Thailand's Pirongrong Ramasoota focused on the role of media in the promotion of truth and transparency:
Myanmar's Nai Nai warned against self-censorship:
Rhaydz Barcia is worried over the media killings in the Philippines:
Malaysia's Koh Jun Lin compared the free press with the boy who shouted that the ‘emperor has no clothes':
Myanmar's Thu Rein Hlaing said that media is the oxygen of democracy:
Melani Indra Hapsari from Indonesia underscored the need to report both the good and bad news:
Every country needs press freedom. Press is the watchdog of government. I can't imagine how I can work without press freedom. I am as a journalist can see myself and other journalists as ‘agents’ of social control by giving important news to audience. Every journalist must work without any pressure, fear, threat, or violence. Journalists must work in press freedom to freely report good and bad news including news about government corruption, bad policy, or other important things that the audience needs to know. Press freedom brings benefit for the country and the region. It encourages democracy, good governance, and good society.
Freedom should come with responsibility, according to Prakaidao Bangsunti from Thailand:
Press freedom is important in any country to make people take control of their human rights, which make each person equal. But in some countries like Thailand, we have a situation where there is too much of a gap between rich and poor that has also led to polarized politics. So that we have a problem about too much freedom, and so many people from both sides using hate speech. In this way, freedom should also come with responsibility.
Zaw Naing Oo is hopeful that more people will be involved in the fight for a free media in Myanmar:
People are all now walking with limited freedom of press in our hand. I say “limited” because journalists are still threatened by the authorities. This means we are not really free.
But, no matter how the oppressors restrict the people, press freedom will eventually usher people toward the right path and become the platform to better lives. Myanmar might just be that example.
May Thittara from Cambodia was not deterred when he received a ‘warning’ over an investigative report:
Press freedom is very important for me as a journalist. In my country when an investigative report that I wrote was printed out, I received a warning letter, even though I did not do wrong on my article. They just wanted to scare me to stop writing about the sensitive story. I need press freedom, I want to have my right to write my own stories freely.
* As of this writing the website of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance is down. Here's the link for further information about the group.


text:
VIDEO: Mining Mogul Brags About the Unbelievable “Deal” He Scored for Zambia’s Copper · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

A video has emerged online in which the owner of an international mining company reveals that he was shocked and pleasantly surprised that the Zambian government sold him one of Africa's largest copper mines for a song, about a decade ago.
While addressing a trade organization in Bangalore India, Vedanta Resources’ owner Anil Agarawal claims the Konkola Copper Mines brings in annual profits of at least 500 million US dollars, even though he only paid a small fraction of that –  25 million dollars- to the Zambian government in 2005.
A video of his talk posted by the international campaign group Foil Vedanta has gotten under the skin of many Zambians. The video which is in Hindi with English captions, has over 10,000 views, and has been largely shared on social and mainstream media. Some Zambians are calling for the repossession of the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) from Vedanta Resources, a company that was founded in India and is headquartered in the UK.
Here's an English translation of the video:
We saw in the newspaper the Financial Times, that Africa's largest copper mine was for sale. The government was privatising it. I got quite interested and consulted a few people. They replied, “Are you insane?” I told them, “What's the harm in talking to them?”
I did some research and it turns out they were a big deal, employing 20,000 people. I consulted a friend at [the international business firm] McKinsey – Ranjit Pandit. I asked him to draw up a formal bid, “make the papers beautiful, professional,” I said. The documents were prepared. We kept our assessment of the mine at 400 million US dollars. But we only had 4 million dollars in our pockets! Take chances in life. Everyone sitting there, take a chance!
Why are we different? Different because we take chances. I told you we have to take a chance. In the document we said,”We will give you 25 million in cash and 375 million we will have to invest to make the machines run.” After sending our bid, we forgot the matter, and suddenly in about a month or so, they invited us. We called up and inquired. They confirmed: “This company is yours.” “Really?”, I said. I took one of our engineers and went to Johannesburg and caught a connecting flight there to Lusaka.
He continued:
When we arrived there, we were surprised to receive VVIP treatment, red carpet, the entire government arrived at the airport to receive us. Surprised at seeing such
arrangements, we asked someone. “It's all for you, sir.” “‘How many people do you have in the delegation team?” There were Ministers, VVIP vehicles, cavalcade…”
We were told, “you will be going to the Parliament today and the president's place as well. Where are your people? It's necessary to meet the president.” Repeatedly, we were asked “Where is your delegation?” I asked “What delegation? We are the delegation.”
We were taken to the president. The president. I said, “your Excellency, we are 30 people in our delegation. But they missed the flight at Johannesburg.” (audience laughs) “Can you wait till tomorrow? They all will come.” “No no no. Parliament is tomorrow, we have to decide today. The key is ready. Are you ready?” “I am ready, I am always ready.” He says “I will handle it.”
And then we saw the parliament for the first time, what a building! I had prayers beads in my hand and the kept chanting “Ram” going forward. With my smiling face. When I sat there with my man, the president came and sat by our side. He told the entire Parliament what great people we are and how great our work is is and that “we [Konkola Copper Mines] will make their lives better. And that we will make schools, colleges make hospitals and blah blah…” We just kept watching, chanting God's name there, thinking “you will make them – not us! ha ha ha ha ha.”
We bought that company. It's been nine years, and since then every year it is giving us a minimum of 500 million dollars and has given us 1 billion in total. It has been continuously giving back, because we took a chance.
Accusing the multinational corporation of tax avoidance during a Foil Vedanta protest outside the Zambian High Commission in London in April 2014, the group demanded:
Foil Vedanta protesters outside the Zambian High Commission in London last April. Picture courtesy of Crossfire Blogradio. Used with permission.
The Government of Zambia must make KCM’s accounts and annual reports public. The Zambian people and the international community demand to know the volume of copper leaving KCM’s plants.
Taking to Facebook, Masheke Akashambatwa wrote:
As a Zambian, i have decided to take a stand on the issue of KCM. I am now believing that His Honor the Vice President, Dr Guy Scot has always been right about Vedanta and its partners. They are here to dupe the Zambian people of their resources. I have engaged the office of Mr. Navin Agarwal in UK to get clarification on his remarks concerning KCM. I am of the view that Mr. Agarwal insulted the intelligence of our leaders and subsequently the Zambian people, therefore, the Zambian government must take action. Join the pressure Group Re-Nationalize KCM…! ..If you want to get your own clarifications on the video, send me a message requesting contact to Mr. Agarwal's office in London.
Patrick Nshindano, an official from local NGO Action Aid, which campaigns against tax avoidance by multinational corporations in the country, was shocked by the video and was quoted by online Lusaka Times saying:
It is disheartening that the KCM boss could talk about buying a national asset for a song with such impunity…. For us at ActionAid, this video confirms what we have always said about the privatization of some of these assets. This goes to mean that there was something fishy about the whole process.
Commenting on the story, a reader by the name of Mandaliza wrote:
Ba [Mr] Nshindano, this is a straight forward issue. This company should be asked to go. Problem in the country called Zambia is that everyone is a political analyst. I want to say this, for as long as Zambians with money are not encouraged or supported to be genuine partners in the mining sector we should forget about genuinely benefiting from it. Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola, DRC and Botswana have encouraged and supported their citizens from private sector to be genuine investors in the mining sector. We view mine participation from a labourer perspective instead of looking at the $500m profit that the mine has been giving the guy and what that money would do to the 13 million plus Zambians.
The country’s Vice President, Guy Scott, told parliament last February that KCM owners allegedly did not mind the company being declared bankrupt or placed under receivership in order for its liabilities to be taken over by government and disclosed that it appeared the company externalized huge amounts of money.
He also revealed that the mining company has liabilities in excess of $1.5 billion, it has not paid its creditors and repaid bank loans and that it owes other mining companies for processing copper.
He pointed out that government has also discovered that there are two companies known by the same name Vedanta, with the one owning KCM not being bound by the regulations of disclosure of the London Stock Exchange and the Financial Services Authority in Britain.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


text:
18 Advantages of Using WordPress · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Are you considering to start a blog or a website and can't decide which platform to use? Andrea Collazo on Profesora de Informática, before detailing the 18 advantages of WordPress, tells us [es] why she prefered to use it.
you have to learn at first, there are some words that were not in my dictionary :-), but in no time I can assure you'll succeed. You don't have to be a technician, designer, programmer nor anything. You just need some notions ans little by little, the whole puzzle gets assembled. You'll see results very shortly. Then the meticuloius stage will come.
The post reviewed here was part of the second #LunesDeBlogsGV [Monday of blogs on GV] on May 12, 2014.

author: Juan Arellano


text:
39 Ideas to Do on the Internet · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Masticable shares [es] 39 creative, fun, active or self-taught ideas to do on the Internet, available to everybody. Here we randomly share three of those ideas:
Don't miss number 30!


text:
A Star Sister of the Sun · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Astrophysicist Ángel R. López-Sánchez blogs [es] on El Lobo Rayado about stars that sisters of the Sun, and the recent confirmation of the existence of one of them, HD 162826.
HD 162826 is located in Hercules constellation and is 15% more massive than the Sun, even though it was already known that it had some similiar features of our star. That was precisely why it was chosen by the research team within a sample of 30 potential candidates to be “sisters” of the Sun.
López-Sánchez adds:
The star HD 162826 can be easily located upon the firmament, particularly during Northern spring, as it part of the Hercules constellation. The apparent magnitude HD 162826 has is 6.5, and that puts it on the limit on watching it at plain sight. But it's easy to locate with binoculars, as long as you have a more or less detailed map.


text:
China’s Diehard Lawyers · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A group of Chinese lawyers who firmly believe in rule of law called themselves diehard lawyers. Recently a key member of the diehard lawyers, Pu Zhiqian was arrested and prosecuted for “provocation” for organizing a conference on June 4 Incident. Tea Leaf Nation introduces China's “diehard lawyers” the readers.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Climate Warriors of the Island Nation of Kiribati · Global Voices
350.org

A girl in Temwaiku sits on what remains of a sea wall, constructed to protect her village from sea level rise. Photo by author.
This article was written by Fenton Lutunatabua for 350.org in March and is published on Global Voices as part of a content sharing agreement.
It is no secret that the Pacific Region is on the frontline of climate change. In a place like Kiribati, its effects on people’s immediate environment are highly visible and impact their daily lives in a variety of ways. Throughout the Pacific, climate change is heightening the intensity of extreme weather events, driving sea levels up and exacerbating droughts. If that’s not scary enough, if the world keeps burning fossil fuels as it currently intends to, this is just the beginning for Kiribati, and it can only get worse.
Last month I travelled to Kiribati to help facilitate a Climate Warrior Training for young people on the island of Tarawa. During my time as a climate activist, Kiribati has always been used as an example of a low-lying Pacific Island country grappling with the effects of climate change.
At the Global Power Shift, a convergence to train climate leaders in Istanbul last year, I had met a young man named Toani Benson, who spoke with passion about the impact of climate change on his people. This validated my belief that the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the safe limit of 350 parts per million (ppm), is without a doubt, imperative.
Sea walls in the coastal village of Temwaiku; one of the most vulnerable villages south of Tarawa. Walls are erected around the village to protect it from the sea are regularly torn down by the ever so ferocious, rising waves. Photo by author.
A Generation of Climate Warriors Stand Up for the Pacific
Globally, 350.org is taking on the fossil fuel industry and it is high time for 350 Pacific to join in this fight too. If we sit back and let the fossil fuel industry further their economic aspirations, then it will be time to bid farewell to many of our beautiful Pacific Islands, along with their people, culture and traditional knowledge.
A large part of what shapes this battle against the giant fossil fuel industry depends on how we build and wield the people power base we have as Pacific Islanders and as nations.
A generation of Climate Warriors is rising to stand up for the Pacific and build on our authentic and inherent truths, strengths and aspirations.
We need to inspire innovativeness and creativity in our young climate warriors, and place an emphasis ‐ like never before ‐ on the unity of our region.
This moment is allowing us the opportunity to show the world that this is a fight based on regional cooperation and pure love for our island homes. We will not be fighting alone. Our allies are many, and collectively we are powerful.
We are at an important point in our history where we have the opportunity to stir up the warrior energy of 14 Pacific Island nations and territories to create a powerful moment that will echo in eternity, declaring “We are not drowning. We are fighting”.
We are developing the capacity of young people across the region to live up to that call and push the envelope a bit by taking our fight to confronting the fossil fuel industry.
This training is not just about raising awareness but an attempt to build the resilience of young people by getting them to understand climate truths and appreciate the heart of the global climate movement. We are giving these young leaders the chance to have a stake in the futures they so rightfully deserve. We are empowering them to be part of the solution and become effective agents of change within their own communities.
As Pelenise Alofa, a long time 350 Kiribati member narrates:
This generation of young people are lucky. They have the means and opportunity to overcome ignorance. What we teach them doesn’t require them having money. We are teaching them traditional knowledge and how they can marry cultural understanding with modern day activism to make the change required. They can be empowered and in turn empower others. I have hope for a future where the Kiribati people not only exist, but live – in every sense of the word.


text:
Costs and Benefits of Brazil’s World Cup  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Daniel Bustos blogs [es] from Colombia on the economy of the World Cup in Brazil and after touching upon the inevitable issue of corruption, states:
Finally, Brazil will serve as a “guinea pig” for the Latin American countries that someday had dreamt of organizing this great event, it will serve to ask if Brazil will have good returns with all of the inverted infrastructure or if, on the contrary, it was a serious and costly error, if it will make countries like ours reflect on what is being done in the governments in matters of infrastructure, employment, education, and of course, investing in the sport all so that one day a World Cup could be organized.


text:
Ethiopia: #FreeZone9Bloggers Trending on Tumblr · Global Voices
Ellery Roberts Biddle

Global Voices Advocacy started a Tumblr in early May to rally support for nine bloggers and journalists — four of them Global Voices members — who are currently being detained in Ethiopia because of their work. Allies from across the globe have submitted photos, messages of solidarity, videos and artwork to show their support for the bloggers’ release. On May 19, the #FreeZone9Bloggers Tumblr began trending on the social media sharing site. Submit a photo to the Tumblr or learn about other ways to support the campaign.

author: Ellery Roberts Biddle


text:
Migrants in Times of Crisis  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Julen at the Artisan Consulting Network points [es] at some of the problems should migrants and their condition of being threatened, strangers, others:
Coy glances, whispered conversations. The other is no longer mine. Maybe he thought that some day he would be. Or not. But not now, it is no longer possible. It is unnecessary. A dispensable human. That is a bother, that usurps, that occupies a space that does not belong to him. Without rights. You are on borrowed time. Get out of here.
He ends with this reflection:
So hard, cruel, and absurd. That is how I have seen and felt it. How hard it is for you and for your family, being who you are. My admiration, migrant. Mi admiration.
The outlined post participated in the second #GVBlogsMonday [es] on May 12, 2014, sent by @jgdelsol.


text:
Mountain Echoes, a Literary Festival in Bhutan’s Mountains · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mountain Echoes, a festival celebrating literature, art and culture in Bhutan, will take place in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu from 21 -24 May, 2014. Among the speakers will be Bhutanese blogger Passang Passu Tshering, who writes on social issues, Bhutanese education and family life.


text:
Murdered Mayor Case Stir Controversy on Ecuadorian Twitter · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Daniela Gallardo posts [es] on Veo y Escribo about the recent murder [es] of elected mayor of Muisne in the region of Esmeraldas, in Ecuador and the comment about it via Twitter by excandidate to the Guayaquil City Hall, Viviana Bonilla [es]:
“Grief and indignation about [what happended to] Walker Vera, many bullets will be necessary to stop the Revolution. Hugs for his family and all Muisne” tweeted Bonilla hours after the news was published. Although by then there was no confirmation of the reasons for the homicide, only rereading the tweet is enough to understand that the comment by the militant of Alianza País is a product of carelessness and, besides that, she grip on the selfvictimization.
Daniela selects some tweets as response:
“They want to stop the Revolution with their terrorist violence, but they won't succeed. We all united, organized. We will win”, @Free19582013 answered her. “Why politicize a tragedy when its causes haven't been investigated yet? There should be more prudence….”, wrote @Calvito_2r. @AndresCrespoA said “what a demagogic, premature, aggressive irresponsible tweet. It sounds like me tweeting. But you are a Minister. Get some advise, please”. And a thread of responses against the tweet is shown on Bonilla's profile.


text:
Music Collective Beirut Open Stage Launches Online Platform · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

“To further its vision of showcasing and promoting as best as it can the local talent”, the Musical Collective “Beirut Open Stage” has launched its online platform.
Their new website, which compliments their YouTube channel, allows live viewing of performances as well as staying up to date with their latest events and spotlights. Aspiring artists can also apply and have their talent recognized by the ever-growing community that is Lebanon’s crazy artists.
Beirut Open Stage has been a leading advocate in promoting some of Lebanon's greatest bands and singers, including Adonis, Allen Haze, BandAge, Charlie Rayne, Eileen Khatchadourian, Elepheel, Etyen, FareeQ el Atrash, Flum Project, Halib el Nawar, Jammit The Band, Joy Fayad, Karim Khneisser, Lazzy Lung, Loopstache, Mashrou’ Leila, Maya Aghniadis, Michelle & Noel Keserwany, OAK, Pindoll, Poly, PostCards, Rama's Whisper, Ramly, Sae Lis’, Sandmoon, Scrambled Eggs, Split Second, Tania Saleh, Tanjaret Daghet, The Banana Cognacs, The BnB Project, The Flying Filangees, The Incompetents, The Missing Pixels, The Wanton Bishops, Vladimir Kurimilian, Wake Island, Who Killed Bruce Lee, Yasmine Hamdan, Youmna Saba and Zeid Hamdan.

author: Elia J. Ayoub


text:
News Coverage with Drones in El Salvador · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

In a piece published on Global Post, Jaime Stark notes how in many Latin American countries it's very frequent to use unmanned aerialvehicle, known as drones, for news coverage. In United States, however, using drone for news and other commercial ends is banned. He writes:
[In Holy Week in El Salvador, as] hundreds of Salvadorans gathered outside El Calvario Catholic Church on Good Friday, two Prensa Grafica reporters pondered how to get their toyish camera drone into the air. They huddled over a remote control, a cellphone clipped on as viewfinder and wifi connection. One reporter held the aircraft over his head until the other revved the propellers skyward with the remote control, navigating the Catholic faithful on the ground and cables overhead.
Not long after, a second drone joined, doubling the aerial coverage and the hornet-like sound over the Holy Week procession. The scene suggested a not-so-distant future when UAVs compete for aerial photo space like photographers jockeying for the best angle.


text:
Not Everything is Cyberbullying in Juvenile Violence · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

From Mexico, as a result of the murder of a teenager by her friend, faeriedevilish writes [es] for SocialTic about children, ICT, and violence in the media:
In every note, it says as follows: a 16-year old girl sends threatening messages to her friend, they seem to have a love-hate relationship. Things get complicated due to an alleged sexual-picture of this girl being shared on Facebook. Eventually, she takes her threats seriously and stabs the other girl to death, 65 times. The media outlets conclusion: all was due to the pictures on Facebook, as it is logical to conclude that a teenager, as a result of her private pictures being spread, may feel “the urge” of murdering violently her friend.
The blogger points out that the presence of pshychiatric disorders is not being explored, and among other things, she recommends:
2) Let's jump into fast conclusions about the role bullying or technology have in juvenile violence. Let's read. Let's reflect. Let's dialogue. Let's find what really happened.


text:
Pakistan’s Sindh Province Still Wants to Censor WhatsApp, Viber and Skype · Global Voices
Rezwan

Aamir Atta at ProPakistani reports quoting local media houses that social media applications like WhatsApp, Viber and Skype may be blocked in Pakistan's Sindh province to maintain law and order. The Sindh government had proposed a similar ban in October last year, citing security concerns.
However, experts say because a majority of IP addresses in Pakistan aren't city-specific or province-specific, so a blockade of social media content is not likely possible.


text:
Tens of Thousands Stranded, Serbians Take Flood Relief Into Their Own Hands · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

The river rising in Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia, on May 17, 2014. Photo by Stanko Pužić. Used with permission.
In May 2014, a natural disaster the size of which officials claim hasn't been seen in over 120 years hit Serbia and Bosnia, when a huge low-pressure cloud system hovered over the region and shed three-months worth of rainfall in only three days.
Many Serbian and Bosnian cities are several meters underwater and have been evacuated, leaving at least hundreds dead and tens of thousands homeless and displaced. In Serbia, the government has been accused of botching relief efforts, while civilian-led movements have stepped up in an impressive way.
Flood warnings for Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were first announced in mid-April 2014 and some minor flooding, not unusual for the region for this time of year, was seen later in the month.
During the week of May 12, a veil of clouds covered the region and rain constantly poured down for several days. By May 15, the first deaths were reported and over 500 people were evacuated from their homes. The rain kept coming in a constant stream in the following days and the many rivers that run through the two countries kept rising.
Five cities, including the capital Belgrade, and 16 municipalities declared a state of emergency on May 15, while the western and central parts of Serbia were hit hardest by the flooding. Rescue operations by military forces were almost immediately implemented, and major evacuations of several cities were quick and mostly successful. Obrenovac, a city just outside Belgrade and a major national power plant, lost several hundreds of lives in the process.
Official relief efforts and placement of evacuees, however, were not as well coordinated as the military and police rescue efforts.
On Sunday, May 18, an op-ed from Druga Strana (Other Side) portal titled “State, We Don't Want to Keep You Any Longer” criticized the poor organization and lack of information provided by the government of the Republic of Serbia during this disaster. It soon began widely circulating on social networks and was reposted in many other locations. The site is occasionally unavailable, allegedly due to the number of visits to this particular article on the site.
The op-ed summarizes the disappointment of many in Serbia regarding what seems to be lack of organization among top government officials during the tragic floods. It begins by praising the highly effective coordination of citizens and several new civic movements during the natural disaster:
Odmah da razjasnimo sledeće: narodu ove zemlje svaka čast. Da nam nije nas, propali bismo odavno. Gledajući silu solidarnosti i samoorganizacije koja se podigla za vrlo kratko vreme, čovek ne može a da ne oseti ponos i da mu momentalno ne postane jasno zašto smo izdržavali sve i svašta kroz istoriju.
Zato što smo, na kraju dana, u najgorim situacijama tu jedni za druge. Možda u normalnim okolnostima to uzimamo previše zdravo za gotovo. Umislimo da smo sami, da se svako bori za sebe, ali to, vidimo ovih dana, i nije baš tako.
Sa druge strane, država je pokazala je neviđenu tromost, nespremnost i potpunu, ali potpunu dezorganizovanost. A kome takva država treba?
Let's clarify the following immediately: all praise to the people of this country. If we didn't have us, we would have fallen through ages ago. Observing the self-organization and force of solidarity that have been raised in a very short time, one cannot help but feel proud and immediately understand on why we have survived all sorts of things throughout history.
Because we are, at the end of the day, there for each other in the worst situations. Perhaps in normal circumstances we take that for granted too often. We imagine we are alone, that everyone fends for themselves, but this, what we are seeing these days, isn't quite so.
On the other hand, the state has shown unseen laziness, unpreparedness, and complete lack of organization. And who needs a state like that?
The post goes on to list a number of faults committed by the government during the floods that can often be heard on the streets in Serbia and seen on social networks these days. Among other things, President Tomislav Nikolić has been criticized for only having addressed the nation through media once during the entire ordeal, while Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, previously accused of repressing media in the country, has been criticized for claiming too much air time and, along with other ministers, taking advantage of the tragedy for photo ops and political points.
In the meantime, people have banded together to create several civic movements to aid in the disaster relief, from reinforcing dams in cities such as Kostolac, where 20 percent of Serbia's power supply comes from, to creating information verification and distribution systems on social networks and sites such as Poplave.rs (Floods) and Nestali.rs (Missing). In the first 24 hours of setting up the site for missing people in the floods, the site had 270 reports of missing people and 11 people found.
A team of journalists, bloggers, IT and PR professionals are behind those two sites as well as others, in a highly coordinated effort to transmit and disperse only verified and up-to-date information to the masses as well as map the flood damage.
Among many tweets criticizing the government and praising civilian efforts during the floods, one by blogger and photographer Dušan Ninković expressed what many have been feeling for days:
Ajde dobrovoljno, kad spasemo ove ljude, da napravimo Koridor 11, autoput Horgoš-Požega, kanal do Soluna i tunel kroz Frušku goru?
— Dusan Ninkovic (@DusanNinkovic) May 18, 2014
Let's voluntarily, after we save these people, build Corridor 11 [a much needed motorway corridor linking Bari, Bar, Belgrade and Bucharest that has been in the plans for years], the Horgos-Pozega highway [a portion of highway from Hungary through Serbia that has previously been linked to allegations of corruption], the channel to Thessaloniki [a river channel leading from Belgrade to northern Greece, the feasibility of which has been questioned by some experts], and the tunnel through Fruska Gora [one of the most important infrastructural projects in northern Serbia, set to begin in 2015] ?
— Dusan Ninkovic (@DusanNinkovic) May 18, 2014

author: Danica Radisic


text:
Stealthily but Publicly, Iranian Women Remove Their Veils Online · Global Voices
Denise Ajiri

A photo from the Facebook page My Stealthy Freedom. The caption says: “I experienced this freedom in my country for a few minutes, after 33 years. Persian Gulf. I will still be a woman even if you cover me with scarves and Chadors. What are you going to do with my eyes?! They are full of love and life.”
Forced for decades to wear headscarves or face arrest, thousands of Iranian women are now taking a chance on the internet and sharing photos of themselves unveiled and in public as an act of defiance.
An online campaign called “Stealthy Freedoms of Iranian Women” has gone viral since Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad launched a  Facebook page on May 3.
The page has more than 303,000 followers and features hundreds of pictures of unveiled women — in the school yard, at the beach, on the streets, and in different historic locations of Iran.
Across social media, photos are shared with the hashtags #mystealthyfreedom or #آزادی‌یواشکی in Persian.
This brave lady has removed her veil in front of one of Grand Ayatollahs'office #آزادی‌یواشکی pic.twitter.com/B2RlZlEobQ
— Mosab Samra (@Mosabysamra) May 14, 2014
Masih Alinejad who now lives in the United Kingdom posted a picture of herself unveiled on Twitter from while she was in Iran. She says she does not oppose the hijab, but explains that, as a woman, when you do not believe it should be mandatory, you will create some “stealthy freedom” for yourself in order not to be destroyed by the burden of coercion.
My hijab covers my thoughts words & deeds, not my head… #آزادی‌یواشکی https://t.co/r1QmGhOJcA pic.twitter.com/HBggGv9YpN
— Maryam Nayeb Yazdi (@maryamnayebyazd) May 14, 2014
One woman shares a photo and a personal experience on the campaign's Facebook page:
A photo shared on My Stealthy Freedom Facebook page.
We were on Nowruz holidays (The Persian New Year). We had set off for Abadan. I could not bear the heat and removed my headscarf subconsciously. Well, and taking photos is an inseparable part of traveling.
What gave me even more joy than the cool breeze blowing through my hair, was the sound of rhythmic horns blown by the cars passing by (as to encourage her) and the happy excited faces of my companions.
Although the campaign has been welcomed by a huge number of Iranian activists, some have also criticized it. Some believe the mandatory hijab should not be the primary political concern of Iranian women, and yet others have problems with the term “stealthy”.
Jila Baniyaghoub, an Iranian journalist who lives in Iran writes, “When something is stealthy, it cannot be called freedom anymore. If we were supposed to be happy by our stealthy freedom, nobody would pursue the freedom.”
Besides creating a big debate among Iranians in the virtual world, the campaign has also created a buzz in the foreign media with countless new stories about the campaign and oppression of women in Iran.

author: Denise Ajiri


text:
The Courageous Career of Slain French Photojournalist Camille Lepage · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Camille Lepage via a Facebook tribute page.
Conflicts on the African continent claimed another journalist last week. Camille Lepage, a 26-year-old French photojournalist, is the latest reporter to pay the ultimate price for trying to inform the world of the violence against unarmed civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Lepage’s body was found on May 15 by French peacekeepers in a village near the town of Bouar, CAR, in a car driven by Christian militia fighters known as Anti-Balaka.
The Central African Republic has been marred by conflict since 2012 when the Muslim faction Seleka and the Anti-Balaka began warring over control of the territory. Lepage is the first western journalist to be killed in the fighting.
She specialized in photojournalism in Africa, notably in Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. She explained that her motivation was to cover news stories that mainstream media tend to ignore. “I can’t accept that people’s tragedies are silenced simply because no one can make money out of them,” she said.
Emotions ran high after the news of her death broke, especially among her colleagues in the news industry and in communities with an interest in human rights and African affairs.
Photography was Camille Lepage's passion. She strove to document abuses against unarmed civilians in war-torn regions worldwide. This photo she took in Jonglei state, South Sudan, was chosen for the cover of the latest Human Rights Watch report. Read the report here.
Writer Gannon Burgett wrote an emotional eulogy on petapixel.com, in which he described Lepage's website as a “leading blog covering the wonderful world of photography”:
Heart-breaking news came out of Bangui, Central African Republic today. It has been confirmed that 26-year-old French photojournalist Camille Lepage, who we had the honor of interviewing just six months ago, has been killed while covering the ongoing crisis there
[…]
She had a passion for shedding light on the world’s ignored conflicts, and her compassion and dedication for her craft and her subject alike seem to shine through with every snap of the shutter. The French Presidency has released a statement saying that, “All means necessary will be used to shed light on to the circumstances of this murder and to find her killers.”
This article elicited several reactions from readers. Commenter “tiger” wrote:
The conflict in Central Africa is very intense and dangerous and what you would call a red zone. It is actually one of the more dangerous areas in Africa. A very dangerous job I doubt many photo journalists would want to take. It was very courageous of her and not only that she was with one of the militia forces. It is very possible that while she was riding around with them, they were flanked by the opposing militia force and taken out by surprise. Very sad for such a young person with a lot of potential.
Based on his personal experience as a reporter in Mexico, “Ridgecity” wrote about how the death of a fellow reporter touched him:
Tragic loss, even not knowing her, seeing a fellow photographer have a tragic death is horrible. There are trendy magazines like Roling [sic] Stone or Vice Magazine that like to cover these human crisis and offer young people jobs like this, and don't even consider their security. Sadly, this happens all the time when photographers think they are untouchable with a extremely dangerous “I'm the press” mentality.
I live in Mexico and this place is the worst ever for journalists and even regular photographers. You ALWAYS have to put your safety first and don't think twice about leaving any place where someone has a weapon. They always target the cameras first. That's something they don't teach you in college.
In the interview mentioned above, Lepage explained to Gregory Eddi Jones how she came to be involved in African affairs:
Since I was very little, I’ve always wanted to go and live in a place where no one else wants to go, and cover in-depth conflict related stories. I followed thoroughly the independence process of South Sudan and was shocked by the little coverage it got… plus all the pessimism around it really annoyed me.
Then, while doing research, I discovered the conflict in the Nuba Mountains. I became even more outraged by the fact that, except from a few media, no one talked about it. It became an obvious choice, I had to go and report from there. Yet, as a first experience in Africa, it seemed like a dangerous one. So I was trying to find alternatives.
I thought about moving to Uganda and going back and forth between the two countries. Then I realized I could probably get a job in a local paper and start within a structure instead of throwing myself out there with no contact, no portfolio and above all very little experience. So that’s what I did.
A reader of the French daily newspaper Le Figaro, Jacques Vissy, wrote the following about Lepage's legacy:
On ne peut qu'être respectueux de sa volonté et admiratif de son courage. Elle est partie jeune mais son sens de l'engagement et de la vérité des faits l'a déjà inscrite comme la digne héritière de la lignée des Capa, McCullin, et autres Schoendoerffer.
One can only respect her will and be in awe of her courage. She left us too soon but her sense of commitment to the facts and the truth already makes her as a worthy successor of such great journalists such as Capa, McCullin and Schoendoerffer.
Before her CAR assignment, Lepage worked in South Sudan. The variety of subjects she covered is impressive. A snippet of her assignments for mainstream media, NGOs and humanitarian institutions can be seen on her blog:
At 26, she had already been published by the following media outlets: The New York Times, Time Magazine, Le Monde, Vice, The Sunday Times,  The Guardian, BBC, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Amnesty Press, LA Times, Al Jazeera, Libération, Le Parisien Magazine, Le Parisien, Le Nouvel Observateur, Jeune Afrique, La Croix, Internazionale, DVAfoto, Le Journal de la Photographie and more.
The following organizations also published her work: Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Amnesty International, Mercy Corps, Handicap International, World Food Programme, Internews, Crown Agents, Solidarité.
The last message she posted on Facebook reported the danger Muslims face in the CAR:
Muslim men take a taxi from the IDP camp in Bangui after the evening prayer to go to the bus station and take a bus to Cameroon on the next day. They have no other choice but to leave at dark so the local population won't see them and hopefully won't attack them.
In Bangui, attacks on Muslims take place everyday in the last 3 areas where Muslim remain. The attackers want them to leave or die and will do everything they can so no Muslim remain in the country.
Merci Camille.

author: Abdoulaye Bah