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India: Dalit Camera – Media for the Marginalised · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Dalit” is a designated name for a group of communities in India who were historically considered to be “untouchables” as they either held jobs that were considered to be very menial in Indian society, such as shoe making/repair, butchering, washing, sweeping, waste and animal carcass disposal, manual scavenging, cremation etc., or belonged to certain marginalized tribes that consumed beef.
These people were considered socially inferior and faced economic, political and social discrimination – to the extent that they were even denied a status in the traditional Indian caste-rank (varna) system (though they had their own hierarchy of sub-castes or jatis).
In his time, Mahatma Gandhi tried to popularize the term “Harijan” (Children of God) to collectively refer to these communities in an effort towards social inclusion. However, over the years, this name has come to be seen as condescending/depreciating.  Today, the group collectively asserts its identity as “Dalit”, which literally means ‘oppressed’ or ‘exploited’.
A girl of an untouchable community dancing a traditional Indian dance. Jaisalmer, India. Image by Franck Metois. Copyright Demotix (30/6/2012)
While untouchability has been abolished under the Indian Constitution, the Indian Government recognizes the historical disadvantages suffered by these communities and not only protects them by including them under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes categories but also practices the policy of  reservationas a form of affirmative action for their social and economic upliftment.
In the past decades, there have been numerous successes towards minimizing the discrimination against these marginalized groups and the traditional prejudices appear to have largely disappeared in urban areas and in the public sphere. India saw the democratic election of K. R. Narayanan, a Dalit, as the nation's President. However, discrimination against Dalits still exist in many rural areas and in the private sphere.
Instances of everyday discrimination is quite ubiquitous, but they are rarely documented with focus and in-depth coverage in India's mainstream news media. B. Ravichandran of the Dalit Camera, an YouTube Channel, writes:
One year ago, a Dalit (Arunthathiyar) woman Panchayat President was brutally attacked. She did a remarkable job in her Panchayat as a Panchayat President. This was the fourth Dalit Panchayat President who was attacked. She is the only one to survive. The entire Arunthathiyar movement was protesting. I also wanted to contribute to the protest, so I made a documentary [The video below: Ms. Krishnaveni, Panchayat President, Victim of Caste system]. That was the beginning of what is today known as Dalit Camera.
Dalit Camera started to upload videos depicting contributions of the grass-roots level activists and also covering various issues concerning the Dalits, Adivasis, Bahujans, Muslims, other minorities etc. A Facebook note dated 6th July, 2012, reveals:
When Dalit camera was started, the channel had around 4,000 viewers and now, it has crossed 50,000 viewers within few months. All the credit for this growth in popularity goes to the various ground-level activists, who never hesitated to give exclusive interviews to Dalit Camera, ignoring even the mainstream media. Dalit Camera has grown in popularity also because of many friends who keep watching and encouraging the work.
The video channel currently has 137 subscribers and about 75000 video views.
Ravichandran continues:
When Ambedkar statues were desecrated in AP, Dalit and Bahujan leaders were giving press statements which no mainstream media covered fully or extensively. At that point, I recorded an entire press conference and uploaded, to make up for the casteist myopia our mainstream media always exhibits in covering Dalit events. Since then, I have started to record and attend many press conferences organized by Dalits.
In the same article, he explains:
We want to categorically stress that Dalit Camera has not contributed anything new to the Dalit movement. It just took the videos of activists on the ground and also took interviews of people. In that sense, Dalit camera does the work of a chronicler and that of a postman.
Dalit Camera visits a Dalit colony in Kottayam Kerala, along with Prof. Yesudasan, English professor at Kottayam's CMS College.
Outlook Columnist S. Anand recognizes the internet-savvy, and mobile connected Dalit middle class that is making its presence felt:
Still largely kept away from mainstream media, the private sector and our universities—which have undisguised disdain for Ambedkar’s greatest weapon, reservation—the Dalits, in India and abroad, have fashioned their own websites, mailing lists and blogs such as Round Table Conference, Dalit & Adivasi Students’ Portal and Savari, a YouTube channel called Dalit Camera, besides scores of Facebook groups. They no longer depend on corporate media that takes one month to report.
Dalit Camera is mobilizing funds using social media to purchase a professional level camera with an external mike. Here is their Facebook page.

author: Rezwan


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Mauritania: A Diplomat’s Take on the Azawad · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

Mauritanian writer and diplomat Mohamed Mahmoud Weddady writes a series of posts in his blog entitled: “Papers about Azawad” [ar], about history and people of Azawad region. This post, for instance, focuses on the relationship between the Azawad and Libya.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: أحمد جدو


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Mexico: Learning from Macedonian Experiences · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Mexican blogger Pepe Flores considers [es] the Macedonian platform for disclosing violence against women in public spaces React! “a fantastic idea,” applicable to Latin America.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Mujeres Mundi, Interviews with Extraordinary Women · Global Voices
Silvia Vinas

This is the first part of an interview reported on in two parts.
The interviews on the Mujeres Mundi blog highlight the incredible work of women in societal development throughout the entire world — from humanitarian worker Charlotte Dufour from France and defender of human rights Natasha Latif from Singapore, to graphic reporter Mariam Alimi from Afghanistan and animal activist Molly Mednikow from the United States.
Xaviera Medina de Albrand, a native of Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon, is the brains and energy behind this blog. In her profile, she explains that “destiny (and love)” made her leave Peru for Paris, France: “I had never planned to be a globe-trotter but, with destiny hard at work, I flew to Afghanistan, making a detour through the Arab Emirates, Azarbaijan and India.” Now she lives in Brussels (Belgium) with her husband and daughter.
Xaviera explains that she looks to “use the mix of communication, marketing and new technologies as tools to promote awareness and to turn communication into action. As creator of Mujeres Mundi (Women World), I am convinced that this is my first step towards doing that.” Xaviera tells us a bit more about her life and her blog in this interview.
Why the name “Mujeres Mundi”?
El nombre salió de casualidad. Pasé de “Mujeres Trabajando” a “Mujeres Mundi” porque pensé que el primero iba a encerrarme en la idea de mujeres trabajadoras = negocios, quería ir más allá y tocar temas sociales también. Probé con otros nombres como Femina pero tenía la impresión que sonaba a revista de modas, no tengo nada en contra, pero no va realmente con el objetivo principal del proyecto. Luego pensé en Women World, pero ya hay bastante o solo en “W” (por Women) o “M” (por Mujer), al final salió el Mundi y me gustó el sonido.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceAMzegXK-s&feature=plcp
Mujeres Mundi looks to create a consciousness about the capacity we women have to develop society. What led you to focus your blog on this theme?
Mujeres Mundi como idea de proyecto lo tenía desarrollando en silencio, en mi cabeza y el corazón desde finales del 2009, cuando nació mi hija. Luego de mi experiencia trabajando en comunicación social en Afganistán vi la necesidad de comunicar los esfuerzos que muchos individuos realizan en pro del desarrollo de sus comunidades, sobre todo en pequeña escala.
Me explico en este punto: a lo largo de mi carrera como expatriada, tuve la oportunidad de conocer y colaborar con mujeres y varones comprometidos en una carrera humanitaria, poniendo en primer lugar la utilidad de sus acciones sobre cualquier otra consideración. Yo tenía un universo cercano al suyo pero no era el mismo – siempre trabajé para empresas privadas pero manejando proyectos sociales -. Con el correr del tiempo reflexionaba sobre la acción de estas personas y veía sus personalidades y proyectos como ejemplos a seguir con la convicción de que sus ejemplos pueden convertirse en fuentes de cambio en comunidades similares, quizás a kilómetros de distancia.
I had Mujeres Mundi, as an idea for a project, developing silently in my head and my heart from the end of 2009, when my daughter was born. Later, during my experience working in social communication in Afghanistan, I saw the need to communicate the efforts that many individuals made in favor of their communities’ development, above all on a small scale.
Let me explain that point: Over the course of my career as an expatriate, I had the opportunity to know and collaborate with women and men committed to humanitarian careers, putting first and foremost the usefulness of their actions above any other consideration. I had a universe close to theirs but it was not the same — I always worked for private companies but managed social projects. As time went on, I reflected on the actions of these people and saw their personalities and projects as examples to follow with the belief that their examples can become sources of change in similar communities, perhaps only kilometers away.
When did Mujeres Mundi start?
Mujeres Mundi empezó a cobrar forma en febrero del 2012, curiosamente cuando pierdo mi empleo en Bruselas (donde radico desde hace dos años) debido a la banca rota de la empresa. ¡A mal tiempo buena cara!, así que me dije a mi misma “ahora si tengo tiempo para mi proyecto”. Tenía muchas ideas en mente, ¡era como la teoría del Bing Bang pero en mi cabeza! pero había un punto sobre el que estaba clara: quería tocar el tema del desarrollo social, tomando ejemplos de vida, una vez más, para ser tomados como fuentes de cambio. En nuestra época, no podemos hablar de derechos humanos, desarrollo social, salud, política y hasta medio ambiente si no tocamos el tema de la mujer, es como si en cierta forma el tema de la mujer complementa los otros.
Xaviera Medina de Albrand, photo used with permission
Do you consider yourself a feminist?
[…] muchos me consideran feminista y a decir verdad, no me molesta, sin embargo me considero más que nada humanista (con cierta dosis de animalista). Provengo y he vivido en sociedades donde formatean a la mujer a ser menor que el varón y a servir solamente para limpiar los trastos….¡cuando en realidad los trastos los podemos limpiar juntos! No es necesario ser dueña de una empresa multinacional o presidente de un país para ser parte del desarrollo de nuestras sociedades, pero eso es un estado mental.
En Mujeres Mundi se entrevistan mujeres con todo tipo de perfiles, que van desde activistas hasta jefas de empresa, es un mezcla que dice “poco importa donde estés, lo que haces puede tener una repercusión y una importancia tal que no puedes imaginar”. Podría citar ejemplos específicos entre las entrevistadas por el proyecto…¡pero tendría que citarlas a todas porque todas son un ejemplo! Un detalle a mencionar, si bien la mayoría de entrevistadas son mujeres, ha habido también varones quienes en el desarrollo de sus actividades fomentan el rol de la mujer.
[…] many consider me a feminist and to tell you the truth, it doesn't bother me, however I consider myself more than anything a humanist (with a certain dose of animalism). I come from and have lived in societies where they format women to be below men with the sole purpose of cleaning junk… when in reality we can clean the junk together! You don't necessarily have to be the head of a multinational corporation or president of a country to be part of our societies’ development, but that is a mental state.
In Mujeres Mundi, women of all types are interviewed, ranging from activists to company managers, it is a mix that says “it matters little where you are, but what you do can have repercussions and an importance so much so that you cannot even imagine.” I could cite specific examples among the women interviewed by the project… but I would have to cite all of them because they are all examples! A detail to mention — although the majority of those interviewed are women, there have also been men who have promoted the role of women in the development of their activities.
Why interview women instead of simply writing about them?
Porque le da un toque más personal. Incluso yo busco hablar con ellas y, hasta ahora, todas las entrevistas han sido orales. Es cierto que sería mas sencillo ‘googlearlas’, conseguir información y escribir sobre ellas pero yo necesito hablar con ellas, conocerlas. Las entrevistas en realidad al final parecen conversaciones entre amigas, doy mucha importancia al timbre de voz y a las emociones que se muestran cuando me narran sus anécdotas, eso no hay un Google que pueda darme. Además, no hay satisfacción más grande, al terminar el día de haber conversado con ellas. Cada una, a su manera, es una esencia de pasiones por lo que hacen ¡que terminan contagiándome! Son mi dosis de vitaminas.
Has it been complicated getting these interviews as an independent blogger?
Lo que sucede es que tengo la suerte de conocer mujeres fantásticas, heroínas de verdad y es así como salieron las primeras entrevistas, porque simplemente entrevistaba mujeres que ya conocía y que son mis amigas. Seguí teniendo suerte porque muchas de ellas, sobre todo las artistas y activistas aceptaron sin dudar. Hay claro, gente que nunca respondió a mis emails, pero bueno… Lo que me emociona es cuando veo las respuestas positivas de gente que son ya conocidas y que me agradecen por dar a conocer sus proyectos…¡cuando soy yo quien les agradece por aceptarme!
In the second part of this interview, Xaviera tells us about the English and French versions of Mujeres Mundi, and about a project that looks to answer the question, “What is the role of women in your society?”
You can follow Xaviera and Mujeres Mundi on Twitter and Facebook.

author: Silvia Vinas


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On Härnu, Global Voices Helps Connect People · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

A new website that connects people in one-to-one exchanges about global culture, streams headlines from Global Voices in their news section as conversation starters. Härnu encourages people in different countries to ask and answer questions about foreign cultures.

author: Solana Larsen


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Peru: Youth Organize Aid Initiative for Otuzco · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Global Voices contributor Gabriela García Calderón blogs [es] about her nephew's initiative to bring aid to three communities in the Otuzco province in northern Peru. She points out that the group of young people volunteering for this remarkable initiative are working on their own, without any sort of sponsorship.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Russia: U.S. Republican Convention in Context · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Most delegates of the United States Republican National Convention in Tampa last week probably did not imagine that Russian netizens were commenting on the proceedings in real time. The highlight for Russian Twitter users and bloggers was, of course, Clint Eastwood’s speech to an empty chair.
One blogger compared [ru] Eastwood’s monologue to rock musician Andrei Makarevich's recent open letter to Putin [ru], saying that Eastwood administered a “whipping” to Obama. It appears that Russians don’t quite realize the historical connotations the word has in the American context, because Russian online reactions to the incident were couched almost exclusively in terms of corporal punishment.
Clint Eastwood. Lumiere Film Festival, Lyon, France. 18 October 2009, photo by Inediz Reports, copyright © Demotix.
Overall, the reception has been mainly positive. Popular blogger and TV personality Tina Kandelaki liked [ru] Eastwood’s panache:
И скажите мне кто-нибудь,что это не круто!!!
Another blogger went further, lamenting [ru] that Eastwood isn’t running for president himself:
Вообще выборы в Америке были б лучше, если от республиканцев шла пара президент Иствуд-вице-президент Шварцнегер, а от демократов соответсвенно Алекс Болдуин-Клуни
It is unclear if he meant the race would be more entertaining, or whether the celebrity pairs would make better politicians.
Many Russians believe that a new U.S. president will influence internal Russian politics, and consequently have strong opinions about who would be better for Russia. In particular, because it appears that Mitt Romney will take a harder stance with Vladimir Putin (at least judging by his nomination acceptance speech), some opposition-minded Russians hope for a Republican victory.
One LiveJournal user in the Amur region commented [ru]:
Считаю, что было бы лучше, если бы Ромни стал президентом США. Тогда бы Соединённые Штаты жестче стали разговаривать с Россией касательно нарушения прав человека в нашей стране, за отношения с диктаторскими государствами и вторжения России на территории Грузии…
Another Russian web user, this one tweeting from New York, agreed [ru]:
Парадокс… Либералы России должны молиться чтобы здесь избрали консерватора Ромни, а не либерального Обаму.
Indeed, the liberal media outlet Echo of Moscow recently ran an online poll [ru] asking its audience: “Would you want a person similar to American presidential candidate Mitt Romney to helm Russia?” So far, over 5,000 people have voted, with over 60% answering yes.
Other bloggers think that Romney’s election would be beneficial for Putin. According to blogger vegall [ru], this is because Putin is more comfortable speaking the language of power than being diplomatic. If jingoistic Romney is elected, both leaders will be able to escalate diplomatic conflicts to their mutual advantage. LiveJournal user _iga agrees [ru]:
Путину выгоден Ромни.Это даёт возможность “играть на обострение” и дальше повышать градус “патриотизма” внутри России.
Like Romney’s militancy, his Mormonism also appears to cause some concern. A Russian Orthodox online journal recently posted [ru] commentary that alleged that the U.S. State Department uses religious sects as its “agents of influence.” Ominously, Mitt Romney garnered mention as a “high-ranking member of the destructive totalitarian Mormon sect.”

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Spain: “Merkel Go Home” · Global Voices
Elena Arrontes

Poster of the protest, “Merkel go home.”
The Spanish indignant movement has convened a rally tomorrow, September 6, 2012 in front of the European Union headquarters in Madrid due to the meeting between President Mariano Rajoy and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel under the slogan “Merkel go home.” The intentions of the first social protest of September will be commented on social networks with the denominations: #MerkelLlevateaRajoy y #6S.

author: Elena Arrontes


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Angola: From the Highlands to the Coast · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

“From the highlands to the coast, recovery paths” is the title of a photo report by Chico Laxmidas on African contemporary culture website Buala (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5)
See more photos on Buala.org.

author: Sara Moreira


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Cambodia: Living Memory of the Khmer Project · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The  Southeast Asia Digital Library has a project called ‘Living Memory of the Khmer’ which highlights the modern history of Cambodia.

author: Mong Palatino


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Colombia: Five Key Points for Negotiations with FARC · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Bloggings by boz highlights the five key points that President Juan Manuel Santos presented for negotiation in talks with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). One of these key points is,
The end of armed conflict, including disarming and reintegrating FARC combatants into civilian life. This is what the government wants and insists must be the outcome of the negotiations.
Read a previous post on Bloggings by boz about these peace talks between the Colombian government and FARC.


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Costa Rica: Shaken Bloggers Share Earthquake Stories · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Now that the shaking after Costa Rica's 7.6-magnitude earthquake on September 5, 2012 has stopped, Costa Rican netizens are using their blogs to share their experiences during the quake.
Julio Córdoba, from the blog Ciencia Ficción [es], was at a hospital in San José, the capital, when the earthquake began. He writes:
Me sorprendió la serenidad de pacientes y familiares que llenábamos las bancas. El movimiento fue tan largo que me dio chance de filmar como 15 o 20 segundos pero edité algunas secciones por respeto a quienes aparecen en el video.
Julio shares the video in his blog:
He also describes ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’ of his experience in the hospital during the earthquake, and concludes:
Ahora nos corresponde ayudar, buscando los canales más honrados y eficientes, recordando que lo que para nosotros fue un gran susto es un desastre en varias comunidades. Además, hay que tener agua, pilas, foco y el celular cargado para informar en caso de que ocurra alguna eventualidad.
Electric Engineering building at University of Costa Rica after September 5 earthquake. Image shared via Twitpic by user @criperro
Blogger Sole from Anchas Alamedas [es] describes her experience in a lengthy and entertaining post. She says that, like many others, at first she didn't realize that the shaking was due to an earthquake. Sole also writes about a young woman who happened to be with her at the time:
Dicen que las personas que pasan juntas por experiencias extremas quedan unidas por ese vínculo especial para toda la vida. Mi acompañante histérica se levantó a despedirse cuando yo me fui y me dio un abrazo como si hubiéramos sobrevivido un tsunami comiendo carne de ardilla durante un mes completo. Ahora somos mejores amigas.
She adds:
Un dato más: Revisen el orden de llamadas que trataron de hacer y saquen sus cuentas. Dicen que en un temblor, uno piensa primero en lo que le es más querido.
Global Voices authors share their experiences
Global Voices contributors described their experience on our internal email group for the Latin America team. Jenny Cascante was in her home in San José when the shaking began:
estaba trabajando. se empezó a mover mi escritorio pero no estaba segura de que fuera un temblor (mi apartamento solo se mece, pero no suena nada) abrí tweetdeck y alguien había puesto #temblorcr. ahí no me quedó duda de lo que sucedía.
Jenny also shared this video by Dikson Avila Rojas on YouTube:
Diego Molina was also at home in San José. Diego was sleeping and the quake woke him. He says that he felt things shaking, “in a way I had never felt before.”
Global Voices author  Roy Rojas was at work in Santa Barbara de Heredia, talking on the phone with a co-worker who he left “talking to himself,” as Roy describes in his email. When asked how people around him reacted, he said:
De todo un poco, algunos tranquilos, evacuando el edificio, otros asustados y otros corriendo para salir rápido.
The earthquake was also felt quite strongly in neighboring Nicaragua. Author Norman García wrote that the earthquake was felt for a long time in various parts of the country, especially on the Pacific coast:
En los municipios de la costa del pacífico se suspendieron las clases y el SINAPRED (Sistema Nacional de Prevención de Desastres) inició un proceso de evacuación ya que los pobladores reportaron que el agua estaba alejandose de la costa por lo que se esperaba oleajes fuertes pero hasta el momento no se ha notificado de que esto haya pasado.
According to Costa Rican newspaper La Nación, yesterday's 7.6-mangiute earthquake caused only moderate damage [es]. Meanwhile, the Red Cross has reported two deaths.


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East Timor: Insecticide Treated Net · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

@georgedarroch posts a photo promoting the use of insecticide treated net in East Timor
Insecticide treated net in East Timor. Photo from @georgedarroch


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Iranian Women – Saying ‘No’ to Compulsory Hijabs Since 1979 · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The Islamic regime began requiring Iranian women to wear the veil (hijab) in public soon after it seized power in Iran in 1979. Three decades later, Iranian police still carry out veil crackdowns every summer to keep a tight grip on the way people dress.
On 10 July, 2012 a Facebook campaign by “Iranian Liberal Students and Graduates” was launched to say ‘No’ to compulsory hijabs.
The “Unveil women's right to unveil” page has got more than 26,000 “likes” so far. Hundreds of men and women have shared their own photos, experiences and comments, adding the logo of the page. Some like to wear the veil and others do not. But all agree it should be their right to choose whether to wear it.
On the Facebook page we read:
The state enforcement of veil has deprived women of their fundamental rights. By placing special police forces in every corner, street and alley, the government spared no expense in trying to adapt women to the regime's narrow minded measures and standards and making women feel harassed and objectified. Although Iranian women have always resisted and disobeyed this inhumane law and treatment, those enforcing it have never learned their lesson and each year in the summer we witness a new wave of severe crackdown on women.
“Iranian Liberal Students and graduates” announces its “no to mandatory hijab” campaign in solidarity with Iranian women and to emphasize on freedom of attire. We warmly welcome any group or persons who are willing to collaborate and help in this campaign.
Nane Sarma shares [fa] her recent experience in Laleh Park in Tehran, Iran's capital:
I was there with friends and we were laughing, and then the wind blew and my headscarf fell off. The law enforcement officers came over to me. I do not want to speak of their behavior, their threats and so forth… but here's what I observed as I was escorted to exit the park. I saw teenage boys, 13-14 years old smoking cigarettes and bothering people, but they did not get any warning or scolding from security forces. The same ones who previously kicked us out of the park for playing football with both boys and girls. It seems they think we should just find some empty houses, go there to smoke and channel our energies by having sex.
Kamal, an Iranian young man writes [fa]:
I am a Muslim, and I say that according to religious teachings nobody can impose the veil on women.
Nafiseh writes [fa] that she posted her own photo wearing a veil saying, “Even if I wear the veil I don't have right to impose it on others.”
Afsaneh says:
I wish Iran to be a country where the hejab is not compulsory. Those for or against the hejab should be free to choose their way of dressing. Everybody has to respect and accept the other form of living. It is not the problem of women, when (maybe only some) gentlemen get erected by looking at unveiled women. The gentlemen should not be humiliated or offended by such arguments.
Amir Lohrasbi recalls  a time in history in the early days of the Islamic Revolution when Iranian newspaper, Ettelat, quoted Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani, a leading revolutionary figure who rejected compulsory hijab, and a revolutionary prosecutor who said people who bother women without a veil are counter-revolutionary.
The struggle against compulsory veils began 33 years ago when brave Iranian women demonstrated in defiance in Tehran in March 1979 and were stabbed by pro regime forces. Violence triumphed, the compulsory veil was imposed, but women's desire for free choice prevails beyond repression.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: Fukushima Women Gather Against Nuclear Power · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

Former United Nations worker Kaori Izumi called for a “Vote for Solidarity” [ja] in order to change Japan's policies around nuclear energy at a gathering of Fukushima women on August 29, 2012.
This network of women aims to support candidates running for denuclearization and to empower women. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster happened after the major earthquake and tsunami on 11 March, 2011 (see here for Global Voices coverage).

author: Keiko Tanaka


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Kenya: Murder of Muslim Cleric in Mombasa Sparks Riots · Global Voices
Ephraim Percy Kenyanito

The killing of Aboud Rogo, a controversial Muslim cleric, on August 27, 2012, caused riots and unrest in Mombasa, a coastal city and a main tourist destination in Kenya.
These riots, which started on August 27, 2012 and continued until August 30, 2012, saw more than ten casualties. Following the killing of Rogo and the subsequent riots, netizens took to their blogs and Twitter to discuss issues such as extra judicial killings, human rights, religious tensions and lack of employment opportunities fueling anger among the Kenyan youth in Mombasa.
Riots broke out in Mombasa over the killing of Sheikh Aboud Rogo. Churches, passing vehicles were burned and grenades thrown, causing extensive property damage, injuring people and killing two. Mombasa, Kenya. Photo by lawimwaura, copyright © Demotix (27/8/2012)
More images from Mombasa can be found here.
Eberinyama, a Kenyan blogger, wondered if Rogo's alleged linkages with al-Shabab (a militant Islamist group that has been making inroads into Kenya) resulted in his killing. He pointed out that:
Aboud Rogo Mohammed was suspected of being a key recruiter for Kenyan Muslims fighting in Somalia. It is not known who shot him, but he was on a United Nations sanctions list for allegedly financing the militant Somali group al-Shabab.
According to The Canuck FireBrand, Rogo's killing had all the elements of extrajudicial killings that the Kenyan police have earned a reputation for. The blogger reported:
The killing on Monday of Aboud Rogo fits into a pattern of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances of suspected terrorists that is allegedly being orchestrated by Kenyan police, say Kenyan human rights groups… He is the fifth alleged Muslim extremist who has been killed or who disappeared in the last four months, according to human rights campaigners. One corpse was found mutilated and the other four men vanished.
Hassan Omar Hassan, a former deputy head of the government-funded, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, said police had used the strategy of eliminating suspects before.
In a 2008 report, the commission said Kenyan police were to blame for the executions and disappearances of more than 500 people who were suspected of being members of a notorious gang during a crackdown on the gang from June-October 2007.
The police on their part denied any role in the killing and have hinted at the possibility of Rogo having been assassinated either by his rivals or by the members of al-Shabab, the latter possibly having done it to gain sympathy and “galvanise support” among the Muslim youth in Mombasa.
Some netizens on Twitter cautioned that the violence was a ploy to escalate unrest within the country:
Sharon Langat (@MeMyKenya): I am almost certain that the assassination of Sheikh Aboud Rogo is an attempt to put Kenya on the map as chaotic again. Lets not follow suit
Others linked the rioting and unrest to grievances over land ownership and growing frustration and anger among the youth in Mombasa,  given the lack of employment opportunities.
Richard Lough warned that long-standing local grievances in Mombasa could worsen the situation:
The violence could worsen if it taps into long-standing local grievances over land ownership and unemployment, as well as calls by the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) for the coastal strip to secede. The MRC said it was not involved in the unrest.
In this context, Tweets mentioned issues such as youth unemployment and poverty:
Sunny Bindra (@sunnysunwords): Sad to see the young and the stupid ruining #Mombasa for all. Especially themselves. Endless poverty looms
Maria (@MariaOC): “#Rogo #MombasaRiots GOK had you given idle youth some employment then they wouldn't be masquerading and threatening innocent people aaargh!
Terryanne chebet (@TerryanneChebet):Youth causing Mayhem in Mombasa have nothing to loose, if young people are economically empowered, then perhaps this wouldnt have happened.
Netizens also called for a stop to the religious violence being unleashed on the Christian community as a fallout of Rogo's killing:
mmnjug (@mmnjug): Threat of religious violence in #Mombasa must be nipped in the bud http://bit.ly/PCkRlT by @wagaodongo cc @ClanSewe@GSquare94
The YouTube video below, recorded by Kenya's Citizen Television, shows religious leaders from both Christian and Muslim sides and local politicians condemning Rogo's killing and call for calm:
This move was appreciated by netizens who tweeted their approval of this act of interfaith unity and hoped that this would usher in a better and peaceful coexistence of the two religious communities in Mombasa.
Percy Thairu (@inspiredbizblog): @HassanAliJoho is my favorite politician right now. Going out of his way to ensure peace & reconciliation process in #Mombasa happens ASAP
Paul Kinoty (@arapknoty): Good move #Sheikh Ngao, our society could use more leaders like you. #Mombasa Peace initiative
In this context, the following conversation between two Kenyans on Twitter is worth noting:
Kalunde Kilonzo (@Eunicekkilonzo): #Muslims in #Church way to go #VivaMombasa
Daniel Ongera Nyairo  (@Danbelte): It was a good gesture from the Muslim clerics in #Mombasa @eunicekkilonzo
@Eunicekkilonzo: @danbelte yes true…hope it goes beyond the #leaders and to the people as well
@Danbelte: It will.The majority of Muslims and Christians at the coast are peace loving @eunicekkilonzo
@Eunicekkilonzo: @danbelte I come from #Msa and the recent #riots were unexpected…so at this point nothing is #predictable
@Danbelte: All the same,we pray and hope for peace and harmony @eunicekkilonzo
Rogo is the fifth alleged Islamic radical killed in Kenya in 2012. Apart from religious tensions between Muslims and the government in Mombasa, a Mombasa-based separatist group called the Mombasa Republican Council is calling for cessation from Kenya claiming that the Kenyan central government has not done enough to develop the coast.

author: Ephraim Percy Kenyanito


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Malaysia: Discrimination Against Women Workers · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

We want the guarantee of equality and non-discrimination on the basis of gender, etc for everyone in Malaysia. It must be a guarantee enjoyed by all workers, both in public and private sector.
Gender discrimination still persists in Malaysia, according to blogger Charles Hector.


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Mujeres Mundi, “What is the Role of Women in Your Society?” · Global Voices
Silvia Vinas

This is the second and final part of a two-part interview.
Bajo la forma de biografías, Mujeres Mundi es un homenaje a la Mujer: en su rol de madre, luchadora por los derechos humanos, artista, viajera, aventurera, diferente.
In the first part of this interview, Xaviera Medina de Albrand told us about her blog, Mujeres Mundi [Women's World], where she publishes interviews with women around the world. In this second part, Xaviera talks about the importance of sharing her interviews with people that speak other languages. She also talks about a special project entitled “What is the role of women in your society?”
Mujeres Mundi can be read in English, French, and Spanish. Do you do the translations yourself?
Xaviera Medina de Albrand, photo used with permission
Sí. El proyecto es mi responsabilidad de A a Z, las traducciones soy yo, como dije alguna vez, encontrarán errores en inglés y francés, por seguro, y me disculpo por ello. Soy como el personaje Salvatore de la película En el Nombre de la Rosa, ¡hablando muchos idiomas pero ninguno a la vez!
Why did you decide to translate the material that you publish?
Hubiera sido mucho más sencillo trabajar los textos solamente en español a pesar de entrevistar en otros idiomas, lo difícil no es tanto hablar sino dar la forma al texto, sobre todo en idiomas que no son mis idiomas maternales. Pero también quería que las entrevistadas que no hablan español (en su mayoría) sepan lo que escribo sobre ellas, y segundo porque mientras más gente pueda leer sus historias, más gente podrá conocerlas, quizás contactarlas y dar a conocer sus ejemplos. Es un sistema de cadena, mientras llegue a un mayor público, mejor.
There is a section of your blog titled “What is the role of women in your society?” Tell us a bit more about this project.
Se trata de los estereotipos que se tiene de las mujeres en ciertas sociedades. A veces nos hacemos una idea de una sociedad especifica pero esta idea o estereotipo es contraria a la realidad. De manera individual, realizo un estudio sobre los diferentes estereotipos de mujeres en diversas sociedades y las comparo con el rol que tienen en realidad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxDEHUA2ND8
What are the goals of the project?
Este proyecto tiene tres objetivos:
a. Aumentar la conciencia sobre algunos estereotipos creados ya sea por los medios de comunicación o por otras sociedades con respecto a las representaciones de mujeres en diversas culturas.
b. Describir cómo la creciente influencia política, económica y social de las mujeres puede tener un efecto positivo en la sociedad.
c. Describir los problemas comunes que enfrentan las mujeres dentro de su propia sociedad, así como motivar a los jóvenes a participar en algunas de las soluciones a estos problemas.
El lado de investigación lo vengo avanzando sola. Pensé que podría hacer un llamado al público para que participe con textos o con imágenes narrando cual es el rol de la mujer en su sociedad y si creen que hay estereotipos creados. Por el momento el lado gráfico no avanza mucho, tenía pensado realizar un video de presentación con las imágenes para acompañar la investigación. Los resultados los compartiré con organizaciones femeninas o simplemente, con quien lo desee.
a. To increase awareness about some stereotypes created either by the media or by other societies with respect to the representations of women in various cultures.
b. To portray how the growing political, economic, and social influence of women can have a positive effect on society.
c. To portray the common problems that women face in their own society, as well as to motivate young people to participate in some of the solutions to these problems.
I continue working on the research side by myself. I figured I could call upon the public to contribute text or images narrating the role of women in their society, and to share whether they believe there are established stereotypes. At the moment the graphical presentation still needs work, I had thought of making a video with the images to accompany the research. I will share the results with women's organizations or with anyone that wishes to see it.
How can people participate in “What is the role of women in your society?”
Es simple. Solo deben enviar imágenes (fotos, videos o ilustraciones) sobre los estereotipos creados sobre la situación de la mujer en su sociedad, y/o sobre el rol de la misma en la comunidad.
Finally, where do you see Mujeres Mundi in the near future? Have you thought about publishing these interviews in a book or other format?
La primera etapa del proyecto esta en curso, que es la publicación on-line. Dentro de un año y medio se trabajarán los textos y ciertos perfiles en un libro, exactamente. Pero el objetivo final (y a más largo plazo) es de crear un documental con perfiles de ciertas de nuestras entrevistadas, de cuatro a cinco minutos por perfil.
La idea de crear una revista y un organismo Mujeres Mundi ronda mi cabeza, pero es un trabajo mayor y se necesitará de un equipo de trabajo así como de fondos. Quiero que la primera etapa cobre una forma más importante aún para poder subir los siguientes escalones!
You can follow Xaviera and Mujeres Mundi on Twitter and on Facebook.


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Oscar Pistorius and the Paralympic #Bladegate Controversy · Global Voices
Richard Wanjohi

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
South African double amputee and the first athlete to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics Games in the same year, Oscar Pistorius, attracted attention after being beaten to second place in the T44 200 metre men’s final. He had previously set a new world record in the men's T44 200 metre heats.
Ten Percent or Less blog explains how afterwards the athlete, a specialist in the 100 metre, 200 metre and the one-lap 400 metre, stated this of the winner Brazilian Alan Oliveira:
I can't compete with Alan's stride length……it's very clear that the guys have got very long strides
Oscar Pistorius congratulates Brazil's Alan Oliveira after he won the Paralympic T44 200 metres at the London Paralympic games. The favourite Oscar Pistorius came in only second after the world record in the qualification heat. Image by Mauro Ujetto, copyright Demotix (02/09/12).
The blogger earlier gave an introduction of what Oscar Pistorius had previously achieved:
So much of the Olympic and Paralympic coverage has been centered around the ‘Blade Runner’, Oscar Pistorius. He was the first double amputee to compete at the Olympics and in no way was he just making up the numbers, reaching the 400m semi-finals and 4x400m final. Considering the fact he competes with, and beats able-bodied athletes it's understandable that he's always a favourite for any race he enters limited to athletes with below knee amputations.
Going on to give a detailed breakdown of why Pistorius was wrong in making that statement against Oliveira:
Firstly this just isn't the case. Pistorius took 92 strides (49 in the first 100m, 43 in the second), Oliveira took 98 (52 in the first 100m, 46 in the second). Pistorius’ stides are actually longer than Oliveira's, it's Oliveira who can't compete with Pistorius’ stride length.
Secondly Pistorius stated “the guys’ legs are unbelievably long”, an issue Pistorius says he brought up with the IPC weeks before the games. The IPC has a formula to limit the length of blades based on what they estimate the athlete's height would be if they had both legs. Oliveira's blades are completely legal, falling within the measurements allowed by the IPC. Pistorius could actually lengthen his blades if he wished so I'm not entirely sure why he believes Oliveira's blade length is unfair.
Another point to consider is how ‘slow’ Pistorius ran rather than how ‘fast’ Oliveira did. Pistorius covered the 200m distance 0.28 seconds slower than he did the previous day, 21.30 seconds (a new world record) compared to 21.58. Were the comments following the race a result of disappointment from a tired athlete? It's entirely possible, Pistorius running a much slower final would certainly suggest that. Let's not forget Oliveira has been able to prepare specifically for the Paralympics while Pistorius has been competing far more over the last month as well as dealing with substantially more media commitments.
MakeMeaDiva Blog in a post titled “Oscar Pistorius #Bladegate” states:
In case you’ve been on Mars for the last 24 hours, #Bladegate refers to the T44 category 200m final at the Paralympics last night, where Pistorius was narrowly beaten into second place by the Brazilian athlete Alan Oliveira. Pistorius was not expecting to be beaten. Once into the home straight he was in splendid isolation with only the wind for company… until the last 10 metres. Oliveira came roaring up the outside to take the gold medal on the line.”
In case you’ve been on Mars for the last 24 hours, #Bladegate refers to the T44 category 200m final at the Paralympics last night, where Pistorius was narrowly beaten into second place by the Brazilian athlete Alan Oliveira.
Pistorius was not expecting to be beaten. Once into the home straight he was in splendid isolation with only the wind for company… until the last 10 metres. Oliveira came roaring up the outside to take the gold medal on the line.
Still, Pistorius’s remarks were clearly mistimed and made in the heat of the moment; by this morning his head was in back in charge and he made a more measured statement. He still maintained his concern about the fairness of the blades used by his conqueror in the race in his conclusion, saying:
I do believe that there is an issue here and I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the IPC but I accept that raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track was wrong. I am a proud Paralympian and believe in the fairness of sport. I am happy to work with the IPC who obviously share these aims.
There are more details explaining why Oliveira beat Pistorius:
The longer blades do cause athletes to have a slower start, Oliveira was left standing when the gun went off last night and was racing well in arrears, but down the straight the longer blades store more elastic energy allowing the athlete to maintain speed whilst using less energy than someone on shorter ones, like Pistorius… This is probably because the longer blades do give you an advantage in the straight, but this offset by running more slowly at the start and whilst runnning the bend. It’s down to the athlete which tactics they want to employ. Oliveira and his team, by switching to the longer blades only three weeks ago, took a gamble. It paid off, just. Pistorius’s gamble was running a very fast half of the race, he then paid for attacking the first 100m by having to slow down a bit in the closing stages. His gamble did not pay off, but again, it was so close. This would have only made it worse from his point of view.
Pistorius raced on the blades he ran on in the Olympics. Under the rule book he too could go for longer blades – his maximum permitted height on racing blades, as things stand, would take him to 193 cm tall. His current blades means he stands 184 cm. He could add an extra 9 cm to his height and this would mean if Oliveira stuck with his current prostheses at 181 cm, Pistorius could gain a 12 cm height advantage over his rival. Of course, it is not standing taller that necessarily gives the advantage, it is the longer blade being used, and that advantage has to be traded off against the slower start.
The current rules also seem to allow for a huge differential in blade lengths – after all Pistorius could legally add up to 9 cm to his racing blades. He might regret not switching to longer blades in the Paralympics now, but as an athlete who has battled so hard to prove that his blades do not give him a mechanical advantage over a non-Paralympic athlete you can see why he stuck with his Olympic-approved ones.
Oscar Pistorius will be humbled by the defeat and rue the missed chances of holding both the world record and a Paralympics Games gold. But as a Swahili saying puts it, “Asiyekubali kushindwa si mshindani” (Whoever refuses to accept defeat is no worthy competitor).
And on Wednesday 5 September, Pistorius bounced back to help the 4 x 100 metre relay team win gold and break the world record in the T42/46 final. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter on their performance:
@kingsleyhead : Great relay run, no excuses, Pistorius both expected and saw the opposition this time round #oscarpistorius
@AlUtaHitchcock : @ESPNUK how can you cast the same dark shadow that was casted on you, on a fellow fighter of adversaries#OscarPistorius
@WARRIORCHAMPION : Congratulations #OscarPistorius and the South African relay team for winning Gold in the 4x100m relay at the London… fb.me/1yYa5ws8T

author: Richard Wanjohi


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Palestine: Protests Erupt Against High Prices and Unemployment · Global Voices
Ola Anan

Protests are growing in the Palestinian territories, especially in the major cities of the West Bank: Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Nablus. Demonstrators are expressing their anger with the Palestinian Authority, with the high cost of living, and the high rate of unemployment among Palestinian youth.
The protests started after the Palestinian Authority declared an increase of about 8% in fuel and petrol prices in the West Bank, starting from the beginning of September. There was therefore a rapid rise in prices, without any significant increase in salaries or wages in the Palestinian territories.
Aban Idrees witnessed a protest in Hebron and tweeted [ar]:
Blogger Ola Al Tamimi also tweeted from Hebron [ar]:
Ola added [ar]:
Hafez Omar, a Palestinian activist and artist, tweeted [ar]:
Twitter was also flooded with funny slogans by Palestinian protesters. Rana Baker tweeted [ar]:
Another banner was captured by Lamees Suradi:
Twitter user iPalestine tweeted about an attempted self-immolation by a man called Hussein Qahwaji [ar]:
Some reports said that Qahwaji's daughter suffers from cancer, and is actually being treated in Jordan, and that he could not afford to visit her.
It wasn't the first case of a Palestinian using self-immolation as a protest. On September 2, 17-year-old Ehab Abu al-Nada died in Gaza after he set himself on fire, maybe in imitation of the Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi. Ehab Abu al-Nada had left school and used to work for 13 hours a day for just 30 shekels (about US$ 7.4) in order to help his father with family expenses.
The incident gained a lot of attention, especially after a photo was published of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh with Ihab's father; Haniyeh visited to give him “emergency aid” of US$ 2,000 after Ehab's death.
Many wonder if this new movement will continue, and whether it could spread to other towns and cities. John Lyndon asked:
@johnlyndon1: Self immolation in Gaza; Fayyad effigy burning in Hebron; protests in major West Bank cities. Is spring arriving late in #Palestine?

author: Ola Anan


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Portugal: Public Television on the Way to Being Privatised · Global Voices
Hugo Ferro

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Soon after the proposal to privatise Portuguese Public Television (RTP) was announced by government privatisation advisor António Borges in an interview [pt] with TVI on 23 August, 2012, the first criticisms began to appear.
On Twitter, actor Nuno Lopes was one of the first to voice [pt] his outrage:
Portugal vai ser o único país da Europa sem um serviço público de rádio e televisão. Hoje acordei com vergonha de ser Português.
A Public Petition [pt] has been created, as well as a page on the social network Facebook (which had 22,393 “likes” at the time of this translation being published), against the end to RTP2 [pt], the second public television channel, which offers more diverse programming and, according to Borges, will cease to exist.
An event [pt] has also been created calling to keep televisions tuned to the second public station on 6 September to make it the audience leader on this day (and, at the time of this translation being published, was counting on around 16,615 intending to participate).
Although the plan presented by António Borges was not an official government announcement, a protest [pt] was organised against the end to RTP2 and handing over the remaining public television channels to private operators, and was held on 2 September.
The Vice-President of the Regulatory Authority for the Media, Arons de Carvalho, presented a set of ten arguments against privatising RTP [pt] on the site Clique, arguing that granting it to private companies would be unconstitutional:
“Culture is priceless. We all have the right to it and the responsibility to maintain and pass it on. We can't let RTP2 be shut down!” Image shared on the Facebook page “Contra o Fim da RTP2” [Against the End to RTP2].
O serviço público não pode ser exercido por empresas cujo capital seja total ou maioritariamente privado, mesmo que através de uma concessão. No seu artigo 38.º, nºs 5 e 6, a Constituição prevê a existência de um sector público da comunicação social. Acresce que no artigo 82º, n.º 2 se estipula que “o sector público é constituído pelos meios de produção cujas propriedade e gestão pertencem ao Estado ou a outras entidades públicas”, o que torna inconstitucional a sua concessão a entidades privadas.”
Antennas at RTP headquarters, Avenida Marechal Gomes da Costa, Lisbon. Photo from rtppt on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
In the blogosphere, the most active voice against privatising RTP has been that of researcher and President of the Media and Journalism Research Centre (CIMJ) Estrela Serrano who, on the blog Vai e Vem, has presented several arguments that must be taken into account. In the first article, published on 25 August, the researcher presented some interesting data [pt] on “what RTP2 represents in terms of diversity and complementarity”, indicating, for example, that its operational costs per capita are the second lowest in Europe.
In another article, published on 26 August, Estrela Serrano pointed out that “the public service has regulations” and presented [pt] some of their cornerstones:
a) ser detido por uma empresa de capitais públicos; b) ser independente do poder político e do poder económico; c) ser total ou parcialmente financiado pelos cidadãos aos quais se destina, mediante o pagamento de uma taxa (garantia dessa independência); d) ser dotado de um órgão onde têm assento  representantes dos cidadãos escolhidos pelos diversos sectores da sociedade  – Assembleia ou Conselho – com funções de acompanhamento, supervisão, emissão de pareceres sobre planos de actividades e orçamentos, contratos de concessão e relatórios de actividades e contas.
With António Borges’ announcement, the Declaration Against the Privatisation of RTP seems to have gained force, which is led by, among others, director António Pedro Vasconcelos, President of the Portuguese Writers’ Association José Jorge Letria and Bishop Januário Torgal Ferreira, and was published in the newspaper Expresso on 7 July, and reproduced [pt] in full by Joana Lopes on the blog Entre as Brumas da Memória:
os signatários apelam ao bom senso dos partidos do governo e da oposição para que travem uma medida que carece de clareza e de racionalidade e que não pode em caso nenhum ser enquadrada no plano de privatizações, até porque a sua dimensão financeira seria despicienda e totalmente desproporcionada relativamente aos efeitos brutais sobre a indústria dos média e a qualidade e a isenção da informação, da formação e do entretenimento a que os portugueses têm direito.
RTP test card. Photo from rtppt on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
On her personal Facebook page, Maria João Fialho Gouveia, daughter of two historical RTP figures — Maria Helena Varela Santos, who opened the first regular RTP broadcast on 7 March, 1957, and José Fialho Gouveia, who, on 25 April, 1974, read the statement from the Armed Forces Movement that proclaimed the country's liberation from dictatorship —  summarises [pt] the sentiments of those opposed to privatising RTP:
De ora em diante a televisão em Portugal viverá somente para o lucro, seguindo uma espécie de doutrina do neoliberalismo mediático, reflectindo a ideologia política que hoje rege os nossos destinos. Vence o capital; perde qualidade; perde o país.
From now on, television in Portugal will only exist for profit, following a type of neo-liberalist media doctrine, reflecting the political ideology that now controls our fate. Capital wins; quality loses; the country loses.
Not yet completed nor even having an officially established plan, the process of privatising RTP appears to be a very complicated task for the Ministry under Miguel Relvas, who has been significantly weakened in public opinion due to recent controversies over how he managed to get his bachelor's degree in just one year, as well as his alleged involvement in threatening a journalist from the newspaper Público.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Hugo Ferro


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South Korea: Samsung, National Champion or Corporate Evil?  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Sure, Samsung might be seen by some as a national champion, but there are many who also see it as the epitome of corporate evil—and not without reason
Wrote Robert Koehler in his blog post on a poll result showing South Koreans still support Samsung in its patent legal battle against Apple. Click the link to see interesting discussions formed around the post.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Spain: Ecce Homo Cheers Up the Summer  · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

I could not resist writing about the funniest news this summer: Borja's Ecce Homo, which is known as ‘Ecce Mono’ (Ecce Monkey) in social networks. This topic has prompted thousands of articles both in Internet and newspapers.
The news was first posted in the Centro Estudios Borjanos, and Heraldo Aragon also published a post about it soon after. From this blog, the topic was spread to national press and social networks.
For the people who do not know about it, this is the story:  Cecilia Giménez, an old parishioner from the Aragonian town of Borja, Spain, decided to restore on her own a damaged painting of an Ecce Homo by the artist Elías García Martínez in the Sanctuary of La Misericordia. It seems that a parish priest gave her the permission to carry out this task.
The restoration ended up in a terrible mess and the result was seen by the artist's granddaughter who was in the city to donate another painting by her grandfather. Authorities have asked for an assessment of the damages, so another restoration, if possible, could be carried out. Unfortunately, the damage to this picture is clearly noticeable, as can be seen in the picture below.
Ecce Homo: before and after. Pictures by Centro de Estudios Borjanos blog
Some prestigious journals such as Le Monde, The New York Times, The Washington Post or the Telegraph have written articles on this topic, which has also been broadcast worldwide in outlets like Al Jazeera and the BBC.
The administrators of the blog that revealed this news have received phone calls from 160 countries around the world requesting information. Additionally, the blog, which usually had 500 views per day, had 45,000 views on August 21.
Social networks also focused on this news, and Ecce Homo was renamed as Ecce Mono, a twitter trending topic in many countries, with its own profile @eccemono and several hashtags such as #eccemono, #EcceMono, #eccehomodeborja, and so many other addressed to the responsible for the unsuccessful restoration such as #CecilaGimenez, #TodosSomosCecilia, #muyfandelaseñoramayorquequisoayudar,#GraciasCecilia, #TodosConCecilia, #restauradoaescala,#Cecilianismo,#elcuralosabia, #prayforcecilia or #BorjaConCecilia, in which it could be read comments like the ones given by carlos meixide, Sergio Puel y Hombre Revenido.
The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci, Ecce Mono version. This is a meme that circulated throughout the Internet.
@carlosmeixidefl  Ecce Mono turned into ET,  Cecilia Giménez riding a bike
@sergiopuel : “Eccehomocization” nueva técnica pictórica del s.XXI #graciasCecilia Aparecerá en los manuales de arte y libros de historia
@hombrerevenido: Cuando en España restauramos la monarquía tampoco nos quedó del todo bien. #prayforCecilia
marcela hinojosa foresees a very interesting aspect:
@maralhino: En Arco, en unos años, veréis ‘expresionismo borgiano’, ‘Cristo de los flemones’…#prayforCecilia
According to Cristina Delgado:
@Anakrix: La abuela de Borja planeaba alisarle el pelo a la Dama de Elche. “Los rodetes ya no se llevan”, ha declarado #eccemono
Some bloggers like ivan rodriguez lor and Armando el pollo  used this opportunity to make jokes with some other relevant topics in citizen media:
@i_lor: Bosco reconoce haber usado a #Ceciliagimenez para diseñar el chandal de la seleccion olimpica española #eccebosco
@Arma_pollo: La “restauración” del Ecce Homo es una tremenda alegoría de las medidas anti-crisis, aplicadas por alguien sin talento para la tarea
This topic has also spread to Youtube, as a matter of fact,  Ecce Homo Reloaded. The Movie, has been viewed by 600.000 people.
In Facebook, there are many pages focused on this topic such as La señora que pintó el Troll de Borja (The lady who painted the Borja Troll), with more than 1,700 likes:
Propongo el cambio de nombre del pueblo de Borja por “Borja del Ecce Homo”.
And FANS de Cecilia Gimenez (Cecilia Gimenez fans), restorer of   Borja ECCE HOMO with almost 7.000 fans.
Julio Gómez Heredia: Propongo reflejar la nueva imagen en los billetes de 50 euros.
Nevertheless, the most popular, which almost has 16ooo likes, is  Club de fans de Cecilia Giménez la restauradora del Cristo de Borja [es] (Cecilia Gimenez, the restorer of the Borja Christ fanclub, in which you not only can see hundreds of witty comments, but you can also see photoshops illustrating this article).
In Wikipedia, we can read some articles about Cecilia Giménez and Borja Ecce Homo.
Borja: Towers of Santa Maria with the snowy El Moncayo. Picture by jose mari published in MisPueblos.es
What remains clear is that the well-intentioned failure of Cecilia Giménez made Borja the most popular town this summer, increasing the tourist numbers. Those tourists, besides taking pictures with the Ecce Mono, had the chance to find out the excellent wines from Borja Field, the delightful Aragonese meal and the beautiful historic mudejar-style buildings.
If you want to see Ecce Mono personally, you should hurry up because according to restorer's reports it seems there is a possibility to turn it back to normal, so Cecilia's painting will become, in a short time, one of the most popular and temporary art paintings that humanity has ever seen. Nevertheless, there is a request for keeping the painting in its current form in en Change.org  which has now more than 21.000 signatures.

author: Lourdes Sada


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Bangladesh: Vikrampur -The City Underneath · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Unlocked exposes another of the country's ancient secrets – the ruins of 6th and 7th century CE beneath the grounds of Vikrampur city (present day Munshiganj).
Shiva Temple in Vikrampur. Image courtesy Bangladesh Unlocked.

author: Rezwan


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Biking from Tunisia to China for Wetland Conservation · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

Seven months ago, Arafet Ben Marzou, a 31-year-old Tunisian who graduated from a Biological and Environmental Engineering School, gave up his job as a university teacher and decided to pursue his childhood dream – traveling from Tunisia to China on a bike.
He started his journey in Tunisia and crossed the Mediterranean sea to Istanbul. He cycled through Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. He is now in Xinjiang, China.
Ben Marzou has been providing updates about his trip through his Facebook page Tabba'ani (translated as “follow me” from the Tunisian dialect). On August 30, he wrote:
in china… alive.. i will update soon :)))
Xinjiang, China photo via Facebook page Follow Me
This travel project, entitled Wet-bike [fr], comes within the framework of an environmental battle for the conservation of wetlands and their resources. Ben Marzou's West Asia bike tour from one Ramsar site to another aims at raising awareness about the human and environmental value of wetlands and the dangers that threaten such areas. Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Photo taken in Azerbaijan. Via Ben Marzou's Facebook page Follow Me.
On February, 2, the day Ben Marzou hit the road, the World Wildlife Fund Tunis office wrote [fr]:
Pour cette initiative le message transmis est principalement un message d’une dimension humaine et environnementale.
A travers ce périple, il essayerai entre autres de porter une réflexion autour des lacs et des zones humides, et ceci par le partage des photos, vidéos, le contact des gens sur place et le partage de leurs expériences…
Challenges
To make his dream come true, Ben Marzou came face to face with several challenges which he shared via his Facebook page. On July 26, he said:
encore la.. pour le malheur de la route qui reste :))) , des aventures a couper le souffle.. encore en Afghanistan et encore a velo.. merci pour vos messages touchants et sympa, hamdoullah tout va bien, traverser le Hidu kush a becane etait un fort challenge, 5 jours, 120 km et 3400 m d'altitude, sinon je suis quelques part entre kabul et Mazar-sherif
Fortunately, Ben Marzou did not fall hostage to the Taliban. He was rather welcomed to spend the night in an Afghani viallge. Photo via Ben Marzou's Facebook page
One week earlier he shared tips to follow in case he was detained by the Taliban:
Première leçon enseignée dictée et ordonné par les militaires afghans, en cas où je tombe en otage par les talibans, il ne faut en aucun cas parler en anglais, l’arabe peux être très utile, ta religion peux aussi te sauver, si tu arrives à leur faire expliquer que t’es musulman avant qu’ils te tirent dessus, t’a une chance de survivre…
On August 5, he reported [fr]:
la route du Pamir est fermee… cela complique d'avantage le trajet :/ cette incroyable route qui traverse les Himalaya a travers le tajikistan et le kyrgyzestan est temporairement fermee… des affrontement avec les talibans en cause… pour ma part je serai reellement en impasse..
des suggestions..??
On August 10, he disclosed the greatest challenge he faced during this venture [fr]:
je crois que, plus que tout, le vrai challenge dans cette aventure, c'est le fait d'affronter le blocus administratif et reglementaire de ces ex-republiques sovietiques avec mon cher passeport Tunisien
Ben Marzou cycling in Afghanistan. Photo via Facebook page Follow Me
Iran: First encounter with Shia Islam
Shia shrine in Iran
On his Facebook page, Ben Marzou shared with his fans once in a life time experiences, and lessons he learned from this seven month-long journey. As I neither have the space nor the energy to translate all of Ben Marzou's interesting stories, I decided to share with Global Voices readers his Iran journey.
In Iran, Ben Marzou, who comes from a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, encountered Shia Islam. Some differences in beliefs and practices, between the two major Islam sects sometimes led to sectarian violence in countries like Iraq, and Lebanon.
On July 16, he published the following post:
Et c'est la fin d’une aventure persane qui a duré 70 jours, 700 km de vélo et plusieurs milliers de km de route, c’est une des étapes les plus intenses dont je me rappellerai toujours, ce grand pays plein de contrastes, plein de vie et de désir, je me rappellerai toujours de cette hospitalité inégalable, de cet amour du partage, « almousafér 7abibou allah » tel croient les descendants d’Ali…
Ce fut aussi ma première rencontre avec le chiisme, que loin de toute comparaison inutile je respecte…
«T’es chiite ou sunnite » c’est une des questions qui s’est fréquemment posée
« Je suis musulman tout court » tel était ma réponse,
Et là curieusement, et presque toujours, un grand sourire se dessine sur le visage de mon interlocuteur…
It is the end of a Persian experience which lasted 70 days, 700km on bike, and thousands more kilometers driving. It is one of the most intense stages, which I will always remember. A large country [Iran], full of contrasts, of life, and desire. I will always remember this incomparable hospitality, and this love to share. “The traveller is the Beloved of God”, that is how Ali's descendants think…[In Shia Islam Ali is regarded as the rightful successor of Prophet Muhammad]
It was my first encounter with Shia Islam, which away from any useless comparison I do respect(…)
“Are you a Shia or a Sunni Muslim?” was one of the frequently asked questions.
“I'm just a Muslim,” I would answer.
Then strangely, and almost always a big smile takes shape on the face of the person addressing me…

author: Afef Abrougui


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Bolivia: Former Minister Demands Investigation of Indigenous Repression  · Global Voices
Pablo Andrés Rivero

Bolivia's former Minister of Defense, María Cecilia Chacón, wrote a note on her Facebook account [es], which was later reproduced by mainstream media, breaking the silence almost one year after her resignation.
The young former minister left President Evo Morales’ cabinet only hours after news broke about the violent police intervention to the 8th Indigenous March in defense of the National Park and Indigenous Territory Isiboro Secure (TIPNIS in Spanish), on September 25, 2011.
Ms Chacón published this note just as Sacha Llorenti, former Minister of Interior, was appointed as permanent ambassador [es] to the United Nations (UN) based in New York City. During the police intervention to the indigenous march, Mr Llorenti was on duty as head of the police and as the authority directly responsible for safety.
María Cecilia Chacón's note on Facebook
Among the noteworthy parts, former minister Chacón said:
Ha pasado casi un año desde la represión vergonzosa en Chaparina, de aquel día de violencia cometida contra mujeres, niños. Y todo lo que allí sucedió permanece en la impunidad.
¿Qué es lo verdaderamente importante? ¿Quién  preparó el plan? ¿Quién lo propuso? ¿Quién lo autorizó? ¿Quién lo ejecutó?  ¿Quién aplaudió que se ejecutara “limpiamente y sin bajas”?
[…]
Importa todo lo que vimos, pero mucho más lo que no vimos. Fuimos espectadores de lo que se ejecutó, pero todavía no podemos ser testigos de una sincera voluntad gubernamental por enmendar el mal.
It's been almost a year since the shameful repression in Chaparina, that day of violence committed against women, children. And what happened there still remains unpunished.
What is really important? Who prepared the plan? Who proposed it? Who authorized it? Who ran it? Who applauded that it was implemented “cleanly and without casualties”?
[…]
Everything that we saw matters, but what we did not see, matters much more. We were spectators of what had happened, but we still are not witnessing a sincere desire from the Government to amend the damage.
Further down she adds:
El proceso de cambio no es monopolio de un partido o una élite de “iluminados”. La revolución, si es auténtica, no tiene partido, le pertenece a su gente. Nadie debe ser considerado “invitado” del proceso así como ninguno puede creerse más importante que otro compañero. Fuimos fuertes porque fuimos todos, codo a codo. Y ahora todos tenemos el derecho y el deber de defender algo que es nuestro, de luchar por rescatarlo.
Citizens reacted immediately on social networks and blogs, expressing support and demanding that authorities clarify the responsibility of officials and decision makers during the repression of the indigenous march.
Fausto, an anonymous netizen, commented [es] on the Rimay Pampa blog [es]:
Esta carta es la pronunciación más honesta, clara, incisiva, valiente, ecuánime, madura; sin retórica ni figuras ni requiebros pseudo-inteligentes.
Obró correctamente al alejarse del cargo para mantener intactas su ética, y principios.
Le agradecemos mucho exprese diáfanamente lo que el resto de los bolivianos conscientes quisiéramos haber expresado.
This letter is the most honest, clear, incisive, courageous, fair, mature statement; it is not rhetoric, fake or guided by pseudo-intelligent compliments.
She did the right thing in stepping down from her position, keeping her ethics and principles intact.
We greatly appreciate that she transparently expressed what the rest of conscious Bolivians would have liked to say.
On the other hand, the note was also criticised. Rocio Llobet (@rociolloret) [es] commented through her Twitter account:
@rociolloret: Tan sabia la ex ministra Chacón, sabía que la oposición iba a usar su carta, cuando el problema de fondo es otro
While Ingrid Barrientos [es] comments on the very same note published on Facebook [es]:
No estas sola, tu valentía, es la valentía de muchas de nosotras, tu coraje, lo hemos demostrado, y lo seguiremos haciendo, el impulso de Dignidad que has dado, es un punto importante, no somos ni de derecha ni de izquierda, sí queremos un cambio para nuestra Bolivia que parta de nosotros mismos!! Dignidad se la tiene o no, así no mas es.

author: Pablo Andrés Rivero


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China, U.S: GM Rice Experiment  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Stan from China Hearsay blogs about the controversy over the American scientists’ GM food experiment in China.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Chinese Mitten Crabs Invade German Waters · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Cooked Chinese mitten crab. Flickr/ autan (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
An interesting post from China Hush on the problems caused by Chinese mitten crabs in German rivers. To tackle the problem, German fishermen are selling the crabs to Chinese restaurants.


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Colombia: Is the Vice Presidency Still Necessary? · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

[…] in the case of Colombia, the decision to annul the vice presidency should not be based on personal contention. The vice president’s future must be determined based on whether the position places a heavy fiscal burden on taxpayers and its real impact in the decision-making process.
Global Voices contributor Robert Valencia writes in World Policy Blog.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Egypt: Security Forces Destroy Alexandria’s Historic Book Market · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptians woke up this morning to the news of the destruction of bookshops on pavements along Prophet Danial's street in Alexandria by the Ministry of Interior. The raid, at dawn, left netizens angry with the Muslim Brotherhood, which they claim is waging a war on culture.
Security forces destroyed the kiosks and books, causing damage to priceless collections of books and a wealth of culture.
Dr Shadia Metwally objects to the raid [ar]:
Schehrazade is concerned about students who will feel the pinch:
@_Schehrazade: I can't imagine how poor university students will now be able to afford their books. Seriously a most malicious act
What is left of Hameedo's bookshop on Prophet Danial Street in Alexandria after a police raid. Photograph shared by Heba Farooq on Twitter
Heba Farouk Mahfouz explains:
She shares this photograph, right, of the destruction.
Waleed tweets:
And Wael Barakat jokes:
While Ahmed Elsawy asks:
Many openly blamed the Muslim Brotherhood, whose member Mohamed Morsi is now the new president of Egypt, for the attack on books.
Anas Abdelazeem retorts:
@anasabdelazeem: Considering the destruction of books on Prophet Danial's [street] as a Muslim Brotherhood attack on culture is ridiculous because this is a recurring incident
For more reactions on Twitter, check out this hash tag [Ar].
Ahmed Rock shares photographs of the aftermath of the raid on his Facebook page here.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: The Tweeting President  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian president Muhammad Morsi has started officially tweeting from his existing account tonight. The account, which has 162k followers, was also verified by Twitter today. His first tweet reads:
Want to dedicate 1st tweet to martyrs of #jan25 revolution and brave #syrians… Muhammed #Morsi
It seems that Morsi would be tweeting in both Arabic and English.


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Hong Kong: Why Is “National Education” Scary? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Media Project translated a commentary by Chow Po Chung, a professor in the Department of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong reflecting on his 16 years of experience of “national education” in China's public school.


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India: Is Online Censorship Always a Violation of Free Speech? · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Indian government's move to block bulk SMS, MMS, webpages and specific social media urls to contain rumors from spreading in the wake of ethnic clashes in the Indian state Assam has set off an anti-censorship firestorm in the Indian blogosphere (see Global Voices report). In July 2012, an initial absence of mainstream media coverage in Assam spurred citizens to report on the violence and share emergency information themselves. But mischief-makers also took advantage of social media to spread malicious rumors, which led to broad charges by the government that social media helped fuel the unrest.
Netizens have continued to discuss both the merits and failures of the government's actions and citizen perceptions.
Samrat at News Laundry discusses the complexity of the issue and how to tackle the problem:
The difficulty is not in deciding what is right. It is in doing it, because our administration and justice systems are weak, inefficient and often corrupt. The solution lies in fixing them. That is long, hard and boring work so no one talks about it. Everyone just wants to go and outrage on Twitter and TV channels and be done with it.
Police detained around 150 CPI(M) activists in Nagaon who protested against ethnic clashes in Assam. Image by Diganta Talukdar. Copyright Demotix (31/08/2012)
The Home Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, said that the “motivated” online rumours were evidence of terrorists misusing cyberspace. Atanu Dey says its an excuse to repress people:
The UPA government of India wants to dictate once more what people should know and what information is OK for people to handle. It routinely blocks websites, prohibits or limits the use of mobile text messages, and is now threatening to block twitter altogether. The government’s repression of the people is an old habit and it should not evoke any surprise or comment. Yet the fight for freedom of speech and expression is too important to life and liberty that one should not give up merely because one has been on a losing streak for centuries. We, the people, have to win that battle if we have to win the war for freedom.
The blogger adds:
If in a democracy the government makes the claim that information should be carefully controlled, curated and censored for public consumption, it leads to an inconsistency. It means that the people are incompetent and incapable of handling information but yet somehow, even though not fully informed, are able to decide and choose who is to be entrusted with the important task of making public policy. Without the people having the freedom of speech and expression, without the freedom to be exposed to the widest range of ideas and opinions, democracy is a meaningless word parroted by ignorant demagogues for purely self-serving ends.
AmreekanDesi reacts with sarcasm:
I feel proud of the way in which you, our government, dealt with the situation. Bulk SMSes blocked. Youtube videos blocked. Twitter parody accounts blocked. Facebook pages blocked. Well done, you guys. [..]
We are stupid, and cannot recognise good intentions when someone tries to do something. Any child would be able to see how a parody account of our good prime minister could spread all sorts of misinformation that leads to thousands of people overnight packing up their bags and heading to their villages. Completely plausible.
I promise that despite my depressed state, i never worried about the fact that potentially our freedom of speech is being curtailed. Tough times call for drastic measures after all. Look at China. They are doing so well. I think they got about 2 trillion gold medals in the latest Olympics.
Freedom of speech is totally overrated.
Vidyut at AamJanata says that absolute free speech is a myth:
Free speech is about your opinions. Your right to say what you want. However, freedom of information is an important part of free speech. Spreading disinformation is anti-freespeech, because disinformation influences free speech for an agenda. [..]
How easy it is to claim freedom of speech for purposes of communal incitement, something which is explicitly illegal in India. How easy it is to play the victim and overturn feeble attempts at enforcing order. How easy it is to fool citizens who have deliberately been kept in the dark on any dialogue on free speech, that any censorship is a violation of free speech.
There is *always* a line. A line that is drawn with a view to freedoms and tweaked in cases of emergency however needed. When you have people from the northeast from half a dozen cities fleeing, effective or not, the government has the right to take measures it thinks are appropriate – though admittedly the government is not very bright with this. To condemn the censorship as an attack of Freedom of Speech is a fundamental misunderstanding of what Free Speech is.
Silence before the storm considers the Internet to be a ‘self conditioned’ environment: “that is the arbitration mechanism needn’t be external to the system that Internet provides, but internal contradictions will nullify each other.”
The Delhi High Court yesterday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation filed by a group of law students to annul the Indian Government’s notifications of blocking web pages (including pages of Facebook, Google and Twitter) for hosting inflammatory content and triggering panic. Apurva Chaudhary writes:
The plea stated that the notifications (under the Information and Technology Act and its rules) were patently unconstitutional and violated the fundamental rights of the freedom of speech and expression by blocking access to the websites without giving a hearing to the content owners and other affected people.
However, the judges on the bench said that they could not treat the plea as a public interest litigation and that the affected parties should approach the court.


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India: Standing Neck Deep in Water to Protest · Global Voices
Rezwan

Fifty one residents of Ghongalgaon village of Khandwa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have launched a ‘Jal Satyagraha’ protest by standing neck deep inside the backwaters of Omkareshwar dam  on Narmada river. The term Satyagraha (insistence on truth) developed by Mahatma Gandhi is a particular philosophy and practice, which is also known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance.
Usha Hegde reports about the protest:
51 people are staying submerged in water for the 14th day in Madhya pradesh protesting against government decision to opening all the gates of Omkareshwar dam, which will cause their villages to be submerged. They are demanding proper rehabilitation.
Tales of Narmada blog is constantly updating the news of the protests with pictures. Down To Earth has also posted many photos.
Screenshot of the video showing the protest of the evictees of the Omkareshwar Dam project
The protest has been organized by Narmada Bachao Andolan, a social movement consisting of tribal people, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the dams being built across the Narmada river. The Indira Sagar dam project at Narmada was initiated in 1984 and protests against the dam started when the people of the Narmada valley to be displaced began organising themselves in 1985-86. The down stream projects of ISP are Omkareshwar, Maheshwar and Sardar Sarovar Project.
An independent commission constituted by the National Campaign for People's Right to Information to investigate the Indira Sagar dam rehabilitation, finds in a report, “..that vast human rights abuses have taken place and that the Government of Madhya Pradesh in the construction of the Indira Sagar Pariyojana has perpetrated indefensible social, political and economic injustices on the people of the Narmada Valley.”
Sardar Sarovar Narmada dam overflows in Gujarat due to heavy rain in Madhya Pradesh. Video uploaded by Desh Gujarat
According to a recent court order the oustees of the Omkareshwar dam and the Indira Sagar dam are entitled to replacement with a minimum of two hectare of land. Local news papers report that despite thousands of oustees still not having been rehabilitated, the Madhya Pradesh government is allowing a four-metre rise in the water level in the dam from 189 to 193 metres. The move would submerge lands spread across several villages.
A Jal satyagraha protest was launched in Ghoghalgaon by 51 affected people on July 16 to lower the level of the water in the Omkareshwar dam to 189 meter. Their demand is that all the affected people should be given land for land and other rehabilitation benefits.
The following video was made on the tenth day showing the protest of the evictees of the Omkareshwar Dam:
Here are some reactions in Twitter:
@Dibundy: the people displaced by the Omkareshwar dam are a people driven to the edge. … http://t.co/mWykJZLb
@jamewils: Waters of rising Omkareshwar reservoir were almost touching the chins of the protestors on September 3. http://t.co/nbHBfbwX
@HarrietLambFT: so many years later narmada activists still fighting on. RT@httweets:Neck deep in Narmada http://t.co/5kpbdog5
@babayesudas: That which refuses ‘rehabilitation’ in such circumstances, is not a ‘govt!’ It is Goonda Raj. http://t.co/Oinj4c3O
Ved Prakash Singh blames the media for not doing enough:
@vedforgutuk: See this pic and RT . people standing in Narmada river from last 13 day. what is #Media doing. http://t.co/vf6V5Hh1
You can sign an appeal at the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) asking to take immediate action to sustainably rehabilitate the evictees of Omkareshwar Hydro Electric Project in Madhya Pradesh.
Update: According to latest reports heavy rainfall across Madhya Pradesh has caused the Narmada River flowing above the danger level in Omkareshwar and Khandwa. The government has opened all the gates of the Omkareshwar dam to maintain steady water levels which means further trouble for 30 villages in Khandwa district that are already submerged.


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IndieChina, a Website for Indie Music in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ruby from Beijingdaze interviewed the webmaster of IndieChina [zh], an online platform started in 2004 for introducing western indie music to China and helping Chinese indie music band to promote their works.


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Libya: Salafists Wage War on Sufi Shrines  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Libya's Sufi religious sites and heritage are under attack – by the Salafists. The ultra-conservative Islamists have attacked major Sufi shrines and libraries in the north-western town of Zliten, the city of Misrata, and the capital, Tripoli. The attacks, denounced by UNESCO, sparked the anger of Libyans.
According to the UN Press release:
The sites are revered by Sufis, a branch of Islam known for its moderation but considered heretical by some branches of the Islamic faith.
On Facebook, photographer Abdullah Doma shares photographs from a protest in Benghazi against the attacks on Sufi mosques and shrines and the desecration of tombs.
The signs in the photograph below [ar] read:
No to the destruction and demolishing; no to the burning of books; no to extremism; no to Saudi fatwas [religious edicts].
The second sign reads:
No to the Wahabbi doctrines. This is Libya and not Afghanistan
Benghazi protestors angry at the desecration of tombs. Photograph shared by Abdullah Doma on his Facebook page
A second photograph [posted below], from the same protest, shows a woman holding a sign which reads:
Leave the dead and living alone!
A woman protestor in Ben Ghazi holding a sign which reads Leave the dead and the living alone! Photograph shared by Abdullah Doma on his Facebook page
On YouTube, Kalam Research shares a series of videos documenting the damage. Among them is this video , showing the destruction of the Sidi Abdussalam Mosque in Zlient, photographed on August 24, 2012.
The video shows widespread destruction to the mosque, including damage to it's facade, as well as destruction of its pillars and dome from the inside. The mosque is the resting place of a 15th century Sufi scholar and had an historic library attached to it containing priceless books, which were destroyed when the attackers set fire to the library.
Another video, shows the desecration of the Tomb of Sidi Al Makari, on Sha't Street in Tripoli. The footage was also taken on August 24.
A third video details the destruction of Zawiyat Blat, also in Zliten.
And another video features the desecration of  Ottoman Qaramanli Graves: Family of Yusuf Pasha Qarmali on Sha't Street in Tripoli


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Nepal: Hydro-power Sector Marred by Politics · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nepal is experiencing a huge power (electricity) deficit and despite this fact no additional power stations were commissioned in recent times to meet the growing demand. Hydroelectricity has a great potential in the country but the sector needs foreign investment and government support. Democracy for Nepal blog rounds up the latest situation of hydro-power politics in Nepal.


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Self-censorship in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zhongnanhai takes notes from the Asian American Journalists Association roundtable on self-censorship situation in Hong Kong. One of the issue is about the “mainlandization” of Hong Kong media ecology as presented by Claudia Mo, a former journalist and a candidate running for the coming Legislative Council Election.


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Syria: The Flag Debacle  · Global Voices
Rami Alhames

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
The dispute over the Syrian flag started the moment revolution forces chose it as their rebellion symbol. It opened a debate between government supporters, who are now using the current Syrian Flag as their social media profiles, and those opposing the Syrian regime, who are flying the Syrian flag at its independence, at the end of the French mandate, which was first used in 1932.
On Dahnon blog, Khaled Mashriki weighs in:
Mashriki adds:
What do the flags symbolise?
The blog Damascus Tribune illustrates the history of the the Syrian flag:
علم الاستقلال
العلم الذي رُفع في سماء سورية في 17 نيسان من عام 1946 بعد جلاء الفرنسيين عن الوطن واستمر حتى الوحدة بين سورية ومصر. اعتمد شكل هذا العلم وألوانه في المادة السادسة من الفصل الأول للدستور الصادر عن الجمعية التأسيسيّة السورية في 5 أيلول عام 1950 كما ورد حرفياً في دستور عام 1930، ونُشر في الجريدة الرسمية العدد 45 تاريخ 7 أيلول 1950……جاء تصميم العلم السوري غنياً برموز لونية، وهي تماثل ألوان علم الثورة العربية الكبرى، فالأخضر للإسلام عموماً، والأبيض للأمويين، والأسود للعباسيين، والنجوم الحمر للعلياء والبطولة ودماء الشهداء.
Syrian flag raised after last French soldier has departed Syria on April 17, 1946. The Photo from Damascus Tribune blog (CC BY 2.0).
On the other hand, Dr Assad Abu Khalil, from the Angry Arab News Service blog, defended the use of the current flag in a post entitled Syrian flag and bigotry toward Alawites. He writes:
….should be reminded that the so-called “independence flag” was actually adopted in the 1930's, well before independence. Syrian state TV is actually more correct when it describes it as the “French occupation flag”, because that is what it really is. Also, the current flag of Syria is not the Baathist flag. It is the United Arab Republic flag. Just a fundamental history lesson.
Maysaloon says the independence flag refers to a new era that carries hope to Syrians by saying:
Everything about this flag, the background of the movement that made it a symbol for Syria, and the figures that fought for it to become so, is steeped in principles rooted in a hope for a better country that is free and good for all its people. Should the Syrian people decide one day to once again make this flag Syria's official flag, then it is not because the current flag is any less legitimate, but because the independence flag represents that hope. To describe it flippantly as a “colonial” flag is an insult.
The flag is now hoisted as the Syrian “Revolution Flag” and is displayed in many occasions around the world. It was present during the Egyptian Revolution at protests in Tahrir Square staged in support of Syrian protesters:
The Syrian flag of independence decorated Tahrir Square in Cairo. The photo from Syria Matters Blog. (CC BY 2.0)
Also Hamdyarabweb blog posted a photograph which shows the Turkish flag besides the Syrian independence flag. The comment reads:
Syrian independence Flag in Turkey. Photo from Hamdyarabweb blog. (CC BY 2.0)
And it hangs off Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
Syrian flag hangs off of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Photo from See Syria Blog. (CC BY 2.0)
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

author: Rami Alhames


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Venezuela: Is a Natural Disaster Looming Over Mata Redonda? · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Neighbors of the Mata Redonda community, in the Venezuelan city of Maracay, are using citizen media to denounce a possible natural disaster if the contention wall that separates the zone from Lake Valencia were to collapse.
The discussion started after a video posted on YouTube and its dissemination across Twitter and Facebook. This also brought the issue of the pollution of lake Valencia [es] and the lack of sanitation work back to the table.
During recent days, several videos have been shared that point out the possibility of an environment disaster. Potential solutions and prevention measures are also being discussed on citizen media. Many families are worried that they won't have a place to shelter in case of flooding and others are raising the alarm after feeling unheard.
User Ruckyto published the video that netizens are sharing:
Also, Romualdo Hostos filmed the effect of rain on the zone weeks ago:
Hostos comments:
En la noche del 14 de agosto luego de una torrencial lluvia en Maracay Edo Aragua, en la Urb Mata Redonda el Rio Madre Vieja Lindero de la Manzana 29 de la urbanizacion se desborda a traves de las casas de dicha manzana poniendo en [zozobra] a la comunidad, en espera de que el ministerio del ambiente ejecute la sentencia del TSJ.
On the night of August 14, after a heavy rain in Maracay Edo Aragua, in the Urbanization of Mata Redonda the Madre Vieja Lindero river on block 29 flooded around the houses, making the community anxious as they wait for the environmental ministry to execute the sentence of the TSJ [Supreme Tribunal of Justice].
The complaints continued on Twitter, where many wonder if Venezuela is heading towards a new tragedy like the one in Amuay. Sonia Guanipa (@soniaguanipar) [es] says:
@soniaguanipar: ¿Otra tragedia +?…Muro de contención de #MataRedonda #MARACAY: http://youtu.be/tA-u-6SG-xU
@soniaguanipar [es]: Another tragedy?… Contention wall in #MataRedonda #MARACAY: http://youtu.be/tA-u-6SG-xU
Discussions have also included the intense race for October's elections. Many have considered the lack of attention of public institutions as a weak point for President Hugo Chávez’ campaign. Others stressed the responsibility of communities and the solutions already presented, which they say cannot have an immediate effect.
The blog Todos unidos por Venezuela [es] (All United for Venezuela) comments:
Atención, este video tomado hoy muestra la próxima tragedia que ocurrirá. El muro de contención de Mata Redonda está a punto de ceder, y el agua está a mas de 2 metros sobre le nivel de la calle. Apenas el muro se rompa se inundara toda la zona sin que nadie sepa cuales serán los daños. Después chavez aparece echandole la culpa ala cuarta y diciendo que eso no es problema de él. La función debe continuar! [Sic]
Attention, this video shot today shows the next tragedy to occur. The contention wall of Mata Redonda is about to break, and the water is more than 2 meters above street level. As soon as the wall collapses, the entire zone will be flooded and no one knows what the damage will be. Chavez will later appear blaming the “fourth” and saying that it is not his problem. The show must go on!

author: Laura Vidal


text:
Yemenis Organize Marches to ‘Reclaim’ Country’s Wealth from Regime · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011/12.
Yemen is known to be the poorest Arab country. Not many know it has natural resources and a strategic and vital port, which are sources of national revenue that have been mismanaged by the former corrupt regime headed by Ali Abdullah Saleh, which have only benefited him and his regime.
Over the past two months, revolutionary youth and activists have been organizing marches demanding an end to all corrupt deals made during Saleh's reign. A march demanding the cancellation of a liquified gas sales agreement with South Korea under the slogan “the people reclaim their wealth” was initiated by the Yemeni Revolution Electronic Coordination this week.
This comes days after a senior Yemeni transport ministry official said the ministry has begun contacts with Dubai government-owned port operator DP World on cancelling a contract to manage Aden port which the Yemeni Revolution Electronic Coordination had organized marches in the past weeks demanding an end to it.
The march was held in front of the oil ministry in the capital Sanaa on September 3, 2012, demanding an end to the 20 year unfair liquid gas sales agreement between Yemen and South Korea which sold Yemeni gas at a fixed price of US$ 3.20, a considerable lower price than the world selling market price.
Yemenis have been suffering from a food crisis due to the increase in prices, electricity and water cuts, and a shortage in fuel and cooking gas. In these hard living conditions, a gas canister was being sold in Yemen at a high price of 1,500 Yemeni riyals while it was being sold in South Korea for only 400 Yemeni riyals according to the agreement terms.
Photo of the march held infront of the oil ministry in Sanaa taken by Ridan Bahran. The sign in Arabic reads: ‘Our gas: a canister is sold in Korea for 400 riyals and in Yemen for 1,500 riyals’.
Yemeni activist and revolution photographer Ridan Bahran documented the march with a video which he posted on TheRYemen on YouTube:
Another video was posted by samialyemen which featured a statement read by an activist demanding the current government to end all unfair deals which had been approved under the corrupt former government and reclaim Yemen's stolen wealth:
A photo album of the march calling for the cancellation of the gas sales agreement held in Ibb on the same day was posted on the Facebook page of the Yemeni Revolution Electronic Coordination.
March in Ibb courtesy of Essam Alkamaly. The sign in Arabic reads: We refuse the gas agreement which has made Yemen incur huge losses
Another march was organized yesterday, September 6, in Ibb, and Essam Alkamaly posted this video on YouTube showing the protest:
More photographs of the march can be found here. A similar march was also held in Taiz yesterday, and photographs can be seen here.
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011/12.

author: Noon Arabia