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A Feisty 12-Year-Old Shows Us What Life in Nepal Is Like After the Earthquake · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Shreesha Duwal doing chores at the temporary camp in Bhaktapur where she and her family moved after their house was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Credit: Sonia Narang
This article by Sonia Narang originally appeared on PRI.org on April 21, 2016, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
When Shreesha Duwal takes me to her family home in Bhaktapur, outside Kathmandu, there’s just a gaping hole and piles of bricks. The multi-story building collapsed during last year’s earthquake.
“There were 20 houses here, all 20 of them have been destroyed,” she says.
“It pains my heart to stand here. It hurts to see everyone else’s houses gone too.”
Books and clothes, including many of her school uniforms, are buried under the rubble.
Now she lives with her mother, father, brother, and grandfather in a one-room tin shack, in a camp for the displaced that houses 60 families.
Almost a year has gone by since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake destroyed towns and villages across Nepal, on April 25, 2015. It killed more than 8,000 people and left many thousands homeless. But a large number like the Duwal family are waiting for a recovery that's hardly begun. Nepal's government has not yet approved plans for the reconstruction of homes.
In Shreesha's camp, there's no running water and they have to cook outside, making dinner in the dark by the light of the fire. The walls are made of corrugated metal sheets with a tarp for a roof. Clothes hang from long wires next to large bags overflowing with yarn. She and her mother knit gloves for extra money.
Shreesha likes to joke about the giant rats that run around the shack. “We have killed so many already,” she says. “But no matter how many we kill, it seems like we have the same amount of rats.”
There’s no escape from the weather either.
“It’s very hot in here,” she says. “During storms, the wind blows the dust inside and makes everything dirty in our small room. When it rains, water leaks inside.”
As a kid, she’s most annoyed by the fact that the TV doesn’t work properly.
“Only half of the screen lights up when we try to watch TV,” she says. “So, I think, what’s even the point?”
Shreesha is a bright, confident eighth grader, but she finds it hard to study with the never-ending construction noise across the street.
When she’s at school, the other kids taunt her for being homeless.
“You don’t even have a house to live in,” they say. “How are you living in one room?”
The camp for people displaced by the earthquake is meant to be temporary, but the government has been slow in doling out funds for reconstruction. Ironically, Shreesha’s father is a construction worker who spends his days building other people’s homes. What little money he earns, he puts toward school fees for his kids.
“I think we will have to stay here for a long time to come,” Shreesha says.
Shreesha Duwal at the site of her former home in Bhaktapur, Nepal Credit: Sonia Narang
A few days after I meet Shreesha, I join her extended family for the Nepali New Year. They take me up to a tiny, dark room on the third floor of an abandoned building next to their old house. It’s rickety and the floor shakes when anyone walks, but they’re determined to celebrate somewhere outside of the camp.
We drink Mountain Dew soda and eat rice and vegetables. They seem lighthearted, and the meal is full of laughter. Through the window, their old neighborhood still looks like a bombed-out war zone.
When I ask Shreesha what keeps her going, her answer is straightforward.
“It is the dream of having my own house one day, and my own room, that gives me the strength,” she tells me.
After the New Year’s meal, Shreesha, her dad, and cousins lead me through a maze of historical alleyways full of festivities near her old house. We try some of Bhaktapur’s famous “King Curd,” a delicious sweet yogurt, and stop at a temple ceremony to listen to the music.
In this moment, Shreesha seems really happy.
Sonia Narang reported from Nepal with support from the South Asian Journalists Association.

author: PRI/PRX's The World


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Goodnight, Sweet Prince: The Caribbean Bids Farewell to the Consummate Artist · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) . Image by PeterTea, used under a CC BY-ND 2.0 license.
Back in January 2016, with the shock of David Bowie's passing still so fresh, it seemed inconceivable that any other international artist could affect the sensibilities of the Caribbean as much as The Thin White Duke.
Unless, of course, that artist is Prince.
News of the talented American musician's passing plunged the Caribbean blogosphere — like much of the rest of the world — into mourning and sombre remembrance.
Much like Bowie, Prince was an artistic chameleon, conquering the worlds of both music and film. Losing them both in the same year, to many, was a particularly cruel blow.
The region lovingly remembered Prince as a master musician, a compelling performer and the embodiment of all that is funky, radical and different in the world.
A seamless blend of every genre from blues to psychedelic, Prince was a musical genius, writing, singing and producing every song — and skilfully playing every instrument — on his 1978 debut album “For You”.
His risqué lyrics and electrifying live performances grew his following; a mere six years after his debut, Prince released Purple Rain — the album and the film.
His signature style soon became synonymous with Minneapolis sound. The Minnesota-born star even penned hits for other artists, including Sinead O'Connor's mega-hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U”.
Famously, in the early nineties, he announced that he was changing his name to a symbol — commonly referred to as the “Love Symbol” — in defiance of his record label, Warner Brothers, which he claimed was enslaving him through unreasonable levels of control over his creativity and earnings.
He moved to another record label, but in 2000, once again began calling himself “Prince”.
Whatever he conjured quickly turned into gold, prompting Twitter user and Global Voices Managing Director Georgia Popplewell to quip:
“When Doves Cried, and iTunes Went Laughing All the Way to the Bank”: A #Prince headline in search of an article. You're welcome. #PrinceRIP
— Georgia Popplewell (@georgiap) April 21, 2016
Artist Darren “Trinity” Cheewah posted a striking image of Prince on his Facebook page; Prince's hair is intertwined with the all-too-appropriate lyrics of the musician's hit song, “Let's Go Crazy”, saying:
let's go crazy… we gots mad love for The Artist
Portrait of Prince by Darren “Trinity” Cheewah; widely shared on Facebook.
Trinidadian writer Sharon Millar said on Facebook:
Oh Prince. So young. My heart is breaking. My whole teenage life can be summed up by Purple Rain. I dated guys that looked like you, I wanted to ride behind you on that motorbike. I wanted to meet you so badly. Thank you for the memories. #singinheaven #restinpeace
Journalist Laura Dowrich-Phillips was another disciple. She posted an image of a Prince songbook that she used to keep as a teenager:
Laura Dowrich-Phillips’ record of Prince song lyrics, created when she was fifteen; used with permission.
Indeed, many netizens acknowledged that it was the way in which Prince and his music deepened their own self-discovery that made his untimely passing difficult to bear.
Many social media users at a loss for words shared the photo of The New Yorker's eloquent tribute cover:
A picture says a thousand words — the cover of “The New Yorker” magazine in tribute to Prince; widely shared on Facebook.
Others who couldn't quite express their loss turned to the words of American artist and activist Natasha Thomas-Jackson, who wrote on her blog:
And as is the case with all cultural icons, the grief is being felt in all corners, by people of all races, ethnicities, economic classes, gender expressions, etc. There is no doubt that his Purple Majesty touched people all over this world.
For me, Prince was confirmation of the heights one could reach when they weren’t afraid…to be different. Non-conforming. Confusing. Questionable. Nuanced. Hard to understand. Hard to explain. Though I was deeply appreciative of his musical genius, Prince was more of a spiritual psychopomp for me, a shining example of how to obtain the deepest form of liberation: being your damn self.
Prince's damn self was anything but ordinary and Thomas-Jackson couldn't help but note the irony of how many Prince bandwagonists are probably “unapologetically queerphobic, transphobic, homophobic, or against anyone having the audacity to live outside of [the] norms as it pertains to sexual and/or gender expression”.
This kind of intolerance for and lack of understanding regarding gender identity, sometimes takes a violent turn in Caribbean societies.
Dele Adams, who now lives in St. Kitts, showed full solidarity for what Prince stood for, however:
Going to wear assless pants and eyeliner out of respect.
I guess this is why Doves Cry. #Prince
Prince showed a short black kid growing up in a very racist part of the UK that being different didn't mean you had to dim your light any.
At the time of time of publication, no information had been released regarding the cause of Prince's death despite the completion of an autopsy on his body.
To many in the region and across the world, though, the artist's life was already enshrined as legend.
A strong spirit transcends rules.
Prince
— Patricia Worrell (@bytesdog) April 22, 2016

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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How Ukraine Is Dealing With the European Refugee Crisis · Global Voices
Anna Poludenko-Young

The refugee center in Yahotyn, a town not far from the Ukrainian capital, was built to house asylum seekers from all over the world. Image from YouTube.
From “health hazards” to “an opportunity to boost the national economy”—this is the broad range of speculations Ukrainian politicians are using to explain what can happen when Ukraine opens its doors to refugees from countries such as Syria.
“It is a crime to take refugees from other countries if your own country is at war and struggling with economic crisis. We have to take care of the migrants from Donbas,” said Andriy Illienko, a deputy of the nationalist “Svoboda” party, referring to the ongoing armed conflict that the Donbas region of Ukraine has been involved in for the past two years.
“This issue (Syrian refugees asking for asylum in Ukraine – GV) can soon be on our agenda. When Ukraine becomes part of the European Union, it will have to express solidarity on the issue of refugee reception if necessary,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Pavlo Klimkin told Ukraine's Channel 5.
In theory, Ukraine can accept thousands of refugees. While some members of the Ukrainian parliament see in this a potential threat to the health and well-being of Ukrainians, others are already counting the financial benefits promised by the West. Both supporters and opponents of the idea to accept refugees from the Middle East are missing an important detail. Refugees aren't exactly eager to come to or settle in Ukraine.
“Ukraine won’t experience a flood of refugees from Syria. They understand that Ukraine is not in the best shape right now with its own crisis. This is why refugees see our territory as a transit zone on their way to Western Europe,” says Maksym Yakovlev, a political science professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine.
At the same time, some members of the Ukrainian political elite are quite vocal about scores of refugees from Middle Eastern states such as Syria who are allegedly “on their way to Ukraine.” They see the refugee crisis as an opportunity to ask for money and trade benefits from Germany, because this is exactly what the German chancellor Angela Merkelhas promised to those willing to help with the flood of people fleeing conflict, hunger and poverty.
“The EU will do its best to improve export conditions for the countries that carry the burden of the migration crisis in Syria. This includes possible trade benefits,” Merkel said.
There are some refugees from Syria coming through Ukraine, but their stay in the country is brief. More often then not, they use western Ukrainian territories as a transit zone on their way to other Western European countries. Ukraine could keep some of them, but as it is, the country doesn’t have the money. To do that, Ukraine would need at least four billion dollars to rebuild and keep its refugee camps running.
Foreign Minister Klimkin said that although the refugees might not be coming en masse yet, should they decide to, Ukraine will have to accept them and provide them with all the necessary commodities, to show some solidarity with its western European partners.
The National Migration Service of Ukraine supports this idea. It has recently announced that Ukraine is ready to help Europe handle the crisis and would be willing to accommodate some refugees on its territory. The migration experts are currently finalizing their estimates as to how many refugees Ukraine can take in.
Not everyone is happy about the possible newcomers. Members of local right-wing parties and radical civic groups have been the most active in spreading misinformation about refugees in Ukraine. They support and actively promote ideas such as the myth that refugees will bring foreign diseases to the local communities. Most of all, these forces seek to instill in people’s minds the idea that instead of helping refugees from the Middle East, Ukraine should be taking care of its own refugees from the East of the country and Crimea.
The refugee camp in Yahotyn, a town half an hour's drive from the capital city of Kyiv, is the most recent example of how the supporters of right-wing parties are able to fuel ethnic tensions related to refugees among local communities. Recently, the UN representatives responsible for refugee issues and human rights activists came to Yahotyn to explain to the local citizens that the refugee camp that was opening there in a month was built with money from European donors. Its purpose is to host asylum seekers from any country, not just Syria. The decision of who will live in the new camp is based on the needs of people seeking asylum in Ukraine, not their country of origin. Thus, among the first 110 refugees accepted to the camp there will be nationals from Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, and Syria.
During the most recent visit of the UN staff and National Immigration Service representatives to Yahotyn to answer questions from the locals, the right-wing activists organized a protest. While officials were talking to members of the community inside the town’s Culture Hall, members of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps “Right Sector” and the “Azov” Civic Corps gathered their supporters outside. They shouted slogans such as “We are saying NO to the refugee camp in Yahotyn” and told local citizens that at least 200 refugees from Syria would be coming to their town in May. The right-wing activists accused refugees of “bringing all sorts of exotic disease, including the Zika virus,” and speculated that the local crime rate would go through the roof, insinuating there could be terrorist attacks and clashes on religious grounds because of the new arrivals. Both the refugee numbers (200 instead of the official 110) and the warnings had little evidence to back them up, aiming instead to create fear and distrust among the local population.
In their hunt for breaking news and spicy details, Ukrainian media hardly made sufficient efforts to understand and explain the role of Ukraine in the European refugee crisis. According to a study conducted by the media monitoring web-site Detector.Media, none of the top national TV channels covered the Yahotyn refugee camp story in an unbiased, objective way. Most of them didn’t mention that the camp was built with money from the European Union. Some journalists openly used biased language and hate speech, calling refugees “people with doubtful reputation” and “nomads that locals are afraid of because they are wild and will cause much harm.” The study also found that almost every other story drew comparisons between Syrian refugees and migrants from Eastern Ukraine.
In fact, the reality of asylum seeking in Ukraine is different from how it's portrayed in the local media. Every year, Ukraine receives a total of 1,500-2,000 requests for asylum submitted by refugees from 44 countries. Only about 200-300 lucky individuals get their applications approved each year.
“The rest of the requests are denied. That is why Ukraine isn't experiencing a refugee overload like the majority of the EU countries,” said Natalia Naumenko, director of the Department of Foreigners and Persons Without Citizenship at the State Migration Service in her interview to HromadskeTV. “As for refugees from Syria, about 200 to 250 people from this country seek asylum in Ukraine every year.”
In the absence of in-depth, critical media coverage of the issue, politicians and radical anti-refugee activists continue to exploit the public's ignorance on the matter of refugee support, seeking to improve their image in the Western European community or to win further support among Ukrainians, respectively. The refugees themselves, meanwhile, are left in the background, human lives lost among the sea of scare stories and political manipulation.

author: Anna Poludenko-Young


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Jamaica’s Christian Conservatives Point Fingers at International Agencies Over Comprehensive Sex Education · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

A sculpture at Jamaica's UTech university campus. Photo by Janine Mendes-Franco, used with permission.
There are two topics that really get Jamaicans hot under the collar: sexuality and religion. When the two are combined, fireworks are the likely result.
The debate between fundamentalist Christian Jamaicans and those advocating for greater sexual and reproductive rights has been ongoing for the past several years, with an intensity that fluctuates with the news cycle.
Recently, the fundamentalists have “upped the ante,” perhaps seeking to catch the ear of the new political administration.
The leader of the Love March Movement Dr. Wayne West, a radiologist and Chairman of the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, often speaks of his fear of “sexual anarchy” in Jamaica, ascribing the influence of foreigners to this perceived trend.
A year ago during the visit of President Barack Obama to Jamaica, Dr. West criticized the U.S. President for attempting to “normalize” homosexuality, in his view.
Now his group has directed its gaze towards international agencies — in particular the United Nations — in relation to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE).
UNESCO describes CSE as “an age-appropriate, culturally relevant approach to teaching about sex and relationships by providing scientifically accurate, realistic, non-judgemental information.”
The issue of sex education has a controversial history in Jamaica. In 2012, a firestorm erupted in the media and the general public — including among conservative Christians — over the Health and Family Life Education Curriculum  for Grades 7 to 9, a pilot project.
Although the Ministry of Education, then headed by Roman Catholic deacon Reverend Ronald Thwaites, made it clear that international agencies were not involved in drafting controversial sections, it decided to remove one section immediately, and revised the Sex and Sexuality component of the curriculum.
An HIV and health educator commented at the time:
The public uproar over the health and family life education (HFLE) curriculum has done a grave disservice to a programme that addresses many of the social ills plaguing Jamaican youth.
Launched in 2012, the Love March Movement‘s Mission Statement is “to speak and act boldly, creatively and prayerfully in love to protect and restore sexual purity, marriage and family within the borders of our nation. We define marriage as a faithful, monogamous, life-long, heterosexual union. Family should ultimately be based upon the principle of marriage.”
The group currently has a petition circulating around local churches which appeals to the prime minister to keep the country's buggery law on the books. There is also another active petition dealing specifically with the issue of sex education.
In this vein, the group also arranged a public forum at the Covenant City Church in Kingston with the dramatic title: “Keep Us Free From Evil Powers: How International Agencies Are Sexualizing Our Children”. (The first part of the title is a phrase from the Jamaican National Anthem).
About 150 Jamaicans attended the meeting, including a substantial number of representatives from several civil society organizations, who took notes, sought to engage individuals on the issue and made contributions during the Q&A session.
J-FLAG and its affiliate WE-Change, representing the LGBT community; the University of the West Indies’ Model United Nations; the Jamaica Family Planning Association (FamPlan), Eve for Life Jamaica, which supports young women and children living with HIV; and the National Family Planning Board, which will be merging with the National HIV/STI Programme to form the new Sexual and Reproductive Health Authority of Jamaica, were all at the meeting.
A representative of UNICEF Jamaica was also present, although the organization was hosting its own event later that evening under its #KeepChildrenSafe campaign:
#KeepChildrenSafe in School w/ @hmereid LIVE from Versalles Hotel, May Pen 6pm tonight @JANewsNetwork. All r welcome pic.twitter.com/AtllFevGJI
— UNICEF Jamaica (@UNICEFJamaica) April 19, 2016
Organizations and individuals who sought to counter the Christians’ stance included the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, who tweeted:
Tonight, join us! Research shows sex education can DELAY sexual initiation & INCREASE responsible sexual behaviours pic.twitter.com/sSUL9BLqN7
— CVC Coalition (@cvccoalition) April 19, 2016
The Love March Movement on Facebook issued this dire warning:
Comprehensive Sexuality Education EXPOSED. Beware of partnerships with International Planned Parenthood (FamPlan is the regional division), UNFPA, UNESCO and even the WHO.
Eg. UNESCO – teaching children at age 9 about the definition and function of orgasm.
Do not be deceived. The truth is rising!
And, in a further attack on international donor agencies, it tweeted a quote at the forum from Dr. Wayne West:
Dr. W. West – The UN is firmly behind the LGBT, CSE agenda to sexualize our children.
— Love March Movement (@Love_MarchJA) April 19, 2016
Youth advocates also had their say. The Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), in a series of tweets on Comprehensive Sex Education, noted a comment by the local UNFPA office:
“The cultural barriers to effectively promoting CSE further impedes young people’s access to reproductive health services” -UNFPA on Jamaica
— JYAN (@youth_advocate) April 20, 2016
…but added in support of CSE:
Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) provides scientifically accurate, realistic, non-judgmental information. pic.twitter.com/HwsAEEdsfq
— JYAN (@youth_advocate) April 20, 2016
LGBT activist Latoya Nugent shared a copy of the letter to be sent to Education Minister Ruel Reid (ironically speaking at a UNICEF event that same evening), which was circulated for signature at the event.
The letter asks  the newly installed Minister to withdraw the Health and Family Life curriculum and CSE from schools:
Letter to @HMEReid from Wayne West et al. Take a look @Petchary @equality_JA @youth_advocate @CbnDawn #EvilSpirits pic.twitter.com/IwSUfXsvNo
— Stella Gibson (@latoyanugent) April 20, 2016
As the debate raged, the choice of words grew increasingly important. The Love March Movement tweeted:
The redefinition of words is a key part of the LGBT Agenda. Watch out for words like “tolerance”, “diversity” and “discrimination”
— Love March Movement (@Love_MarchJA) April 19, 2016
One commentator retorted:
The redefinition of words is a key part of the bigot agenda. Watch out for words like “love”, “morals” and “family” https://t.co/eqkPajzmr4
— Anya Marshall (@missanyaelise) April 20, 2016
While the discussion was vigorous on and offline, some activists took a more conciliatory, even humorous approach. Latoya Nugent commented in her blog:
I am writing because I want us to start thinking about the way forward in a very practical, conciliatory way.
How can Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) advocates and health practitioners who understand the real world and people of faith who are more preoccupied with the Bible world, reach a point of common understanding for the benefit and welfare of all?
Where can we find common ground?
On what issues do we agree in principle?
What are some possible starting points?
Following the forum I was a part of a group of about six people who were engaged in dialogue about church, Christianity, SRHR, and sexuality. It wasn’t hostile. Views were allowed to contend, even though for some time there appeared to be no common ground. Truth be told, I was really there for the fun at first, but then I recognised the value of the dialogue.
As folks shared their views including some of my young advocate friends (on whose faces I could see the pain and struggle), I realised in that moment just how draining advocacy work can be in religious spaces, and I felt their pain.
JYAN tweeted:
It just makes sense! pic.twitter.com/f0KR6Soa6J
— JYAN (@youth_advocate) April 20, 2016
After all the heated rhetoric and emotional outbursts of recent years on sexual and reproductive rights, the largely non-confrontational forum may, after all, signify a shift towards more reasoned dialogue.
This may be less titillating in terms of media reporting, but would no doubt help to clarify many issues in the eyes of an often confused and poorly informed public.
It remains to be seen what approach the new political administration — and Education Minister Ruel Reid (a former high school principal) in particular — will take to this hot-button issue.

author: Emma Lewis


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Japan Battles to Care for 100,000 Kumamoto Residents Displaced By Quake · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Aerial view of earthquake damage across Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. In this image from April 17, blue tarps are used to cover roofs damaged by earthquakes on April 14, 15 and 16. Record-breaking torrential rains followed the earthquakes. Screencap from Sankei News official YouTube channel.
The quake has so far left 46 people dead and 1,100 people injured.
In the days immediately following the Japanese quakes on April 15 and 16, at least 117,000 people in Kumamoto Prefecture evacuated their damaged homes as the region was rattled by at least 600 aftershocks.
Later in the week heavy rains and fears of landslides forced search activities for possible survivors to be called off. Local news outlet Kumamoto Nichinich Shimbun reported April 22 that more than 290,000 people have been ordered to evacuate from the townships of Mashiki and Minami Aso to the east of Kumamoto City.
Throughout Kumamoto Prefecture water mains are broken, and collapsed buildings and damaged roads made initial delivery of relief supplies difficult.
In the days following the quakes there were some reports of residents in different parts of Kumamoto Prefecture pleading for water.
One photo captured the plight of Kumamoto residents following the massive quakes.
熊本市立江南中学校の校庭に描かれた「のみ水ください」のメッセージ＝16日午後1時56分、熊本市中央区
なんとかならないものなのか pic.twitter.com/U4dnea1jYy
— トマト大好き (@tmato30kcal) April 16, 2016
A message written on the playing field of Konan Elementary School in Kumamoto City reads “Please send drinking water” (photo taken at 1:56PM, September 16, in Kumamoto City Chuo Ward).
However, as time went on, relief supplies started to reach the stricken areas providing a “good news” follow-up:
https://t.co/psWNKtaaz5 【熊本地震】水を求めるメッセージが描かれていた江南中学校。お礼のメッセージが今日描かれていました。今日の午後の写真特集でhttps://t.co/2KEAKLNB07 pic.twitter.com/yEYXnKmxE3
— 毎日新聞写真部 (@mainichiphoto) April 20, 2016
[Words written on playing field] Thanks for the water! We'll keep on truckin'!
[Kumamoto Earthquake; Photo credit: Sugakawa Kotowari] Konan Elementary School, where residents a few days ago asked for drinking water. Today they have written a message of thanks. See the latest photos of the quake aftermath here:  http://mainichi.jp/graphs/20160421/hpj/00m/040/001000g/1
Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV), a Japan-based NGO that specializes in coordinating post-disaster volunteers efforts, reported on its Facebook April 22:
Having exchanged information with local governments, nonprofit organisations, and community members, the team found the situation to be severe, with relief efforts being hampered by heavy traffic, impassable roads, and continuing aftershocks […]
[…] Emergency supplies are arriving from around the country, but are still slow to reach survivors in some parts. There are challenges in sorting through and distributing supplies due to overstretched resources and damaged infrastructure. A government official said that they are having to throw away some food supplies (e.g. bread/rice balls) which are passed their expiration dates […]
[…] There are growing concerns over negative health impacts and sickness in emergency shelters, especially for the elderly and other vulnerable evacuees. Yahoo News reports that in addition to the 48 fatalities from the earthquakes, there have been 11 disaster-related fatalities in the post-disaster phase.
In the first chaotic week after the earthquake there has not been enough covered shelter for evacuees. For the first few nights many slept in the open in outdoor basketball courts and on playing fields.
But, as it began to rain later in the week, many evacuees decided to sleep in their cars, leading to the danger of “economy-class syndrome,” or blood clots and embolisms from remaining in one position for too long.
Exercises help prevent embolism – The Japan News https://t.co/Pk6TBRoluD #熊本地震 #熊本大地震 #KumamotoEarthquake pic.twitter.com/L24Nr3h8VB
— The Japan News (@The_Japan_News) April 20, 2016
After heavy rains and destroyed infrastructure hampered early relief efforts, the Japanese government launched a massive relief campaign involving multiple public agencies to provide water, shelter, hot food and hot baths.
The Japanese Coast Guard has launched relief operations at ports throughout Kumamoto Prefecture:
明日２３日、被災地の皆さんに向け給水・電源供給・入浴支援を実施します。支援場所、時間は次のとおりです。
三角港：午前８時から午後７時
熊本港：午後０時３０分から午後４時３０分
八代港：午前１０時から午後７時
なお、混雑のため希望通り入浴できない事もございますので、ご了承ください。
— 海上保安庁 (@JCG_koho) April 22, 2016
On April 23 the Japanese Coast Guard will perform relief activities to provide water, power and hot bath to those affected by the disaster. The times are as follows:
Misumi: 8A to 7PM
Kumamoto: 12:30AM to 4:30PM
Yashiro: 10AM to 7PM
Please be advised because of high demand not everyone may be able to take a bath at these locations.
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MLIT) used drones to capture video footage of the scale of the destruction.
This footage in and around Kumamoto City and the township of Mashiki to the east demonstrates how widespread the damage was, and why so many people have been forced to evacuate:
Drone footage also shows extensive damage in the municipality of Minami Aso, a rural area to the east of Kumamoto City that has been cut off from help by landslides.
The drone footage shows toppled houses and visible fault lines that were active during the massive earthquake series last week:
While the heavily damaged communities of Kumamoto Prefecture have dominated news coverage of the disaster, some are pointing out that neighbouring Oita Prefecture was also affected by the massive earthquake.
Writing on blogging site Spotlight, user Ichigo Ichie (苺いちえ) has compiled a report on the status of relief efforts in Oita that includes the following Tweets:
ほんとに忘れないでください。。
大分の湯布院も支援物資足りてないみたいです。
うちのばあちゃんの家も半壊で、もう住めません。
熊本だけじゃないってことを忘れないでほしいです。 pic.twitter.com/RvD7N4NRKl
— いけまい (@Nononbiri) April 17, 2016
Please don't forget us. Yufuin [in mountainous western Oita Prefecture] is also running out of relief supplies. My grandmother's house in Yufuin is half-demolished and she can no longer live there.
Just remember that it's not just Kumamoto [that's been affected by this quake].
Another Twitter user for Oita notes:
#熊本の声 #大分の声
（2016年4月21日 朝日新聞34面より）
熊本県内は市町村で
細かく分けて被害状況を出してるけど
大分は大分県一括りですか。
扱い酷くないですか。
被災地は熊本だけとも取れる
この載せ方には憤りしかない。 pic.twitter.com/cjCzQ6NLbA
— とにぃ氏✩熊本♡⃛大分 (@102_12so) April 21, 2016
[I have taken this from the April 21 edition of the Asahi Newspaper]
The status of all of the municipalities [where damage has occurred] in Kumamoto Prefecture is clearly identified. Oita Prefecture is just called “Oita Prefecture.” Isn't this treatment a little shabby? You would think that it's only Kumamoto that's been affected. It's enough to make you angry.
#KumamotoVoices #OitaVoices
The hundreds of thousands of people evacuated from their homes because of ongoing and powerful aftershocks and the threat of flooding and landslides must continue to live with uncertainty.
There are some efforts to provide some psychological relief:
画像送られてきたやつだけども。
英語科の教授の思いやり。笑 pic.twitter.com/TyXqa2Xwpq
— なるみ (@__tkk763) April 19, 2016
I saw this on TV, but the English Department did this one really nice thing, lol.

author: Nevin Thompson


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Malaysia Will Likely Force ‘Political Blogs’ and News Websites to Register With the Government · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Bloggers in Malaysia brace themselves for state-mandated registration. Image edited by Kevin Rothrock.
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Ministry has formally proposed legal amendments to the Attorney General that would require the country's political blogs and online news portals to register with the government. Minister Salleh Said Keruak denies that the legislation amounts to censorship, arguing that the proposal is designed to preserve the Internet as a tool for promoting Malaysia's economic growth, and meant to protect the country against internal divisions brought about by misleading information published online, he says.
Human rights groups and media freedom advocates denounced the proposal as a curtailment of free speech, saying the move reverses the government's earlier stated commitment to promoting Internet freedom.
Critics of Malaysia's ruling political party say the push to force political blogs to register with the state is a desperate tactic meant to silence dissent. Since last year, the government has struggled against a corruption scandal that's sparked mass protests across the country. Internet users, including bloggers, are some of the prime minister's most vocal detractors, accusing him of ill-gotten gains in several dubious transactions. State censors have already blocked a handful of news websites for reporting allegedly ”unverified” information about the corruption issue.
Many bloggers who fear the proposed amendments recall recent comments by the communications minister, who said Internet freedom is a privilege, not a right, and is something the government can curtail.:
…freedom of speech and the expressing of one’s opinion is almost taken for granted. What we sometimes forget, however, is that this must be treated as a privilege rather than an absolute right. And privileges, if abused, can sometimes be withdrawn.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, critics rallied around the hashtag #BiarlahBlog (Let Blogs Be), standing against mandatory registration for political blogs in Malaysia. The legislation's opponents say the amendments don't specify what constitutes a “political blog,” and warn that the new restrictions could be widely damaging to Internet use in Malaysia. Twitter users are calling on the government to reconsider its plan, and instead conduct public consultations, before trying to revise the amendments any further.
Below are some of the points raised by activists, journalists, lawyers, teachers, and bloggers about the issue:
Clearly we have a problem with the definition of “blog” and even “political content”. Can the govt weave such a huge net? #BiarlahBlog
— CIJ Malaysia (@CIJ_Malaysia) April 21, 2016
My blog has information about birds. Birds in forest. Forest being cut down. We protest. My bird blog is political #BiarlahBlog
— Gayathry V (@gayathry) April 21, 2016
Registration will force removal of anonymity – key to expression, esp by vulnerable communities. Big violation #BiarlahBlog @CIJ_Malaysia
— jac smk (@jhybe) April 21, 2016
#BiarlahBlog can’t understand motivation. Surely we also have existing laws to protect from defamation etc. sounds politically-motivated.
— Niki Cheong (@nikicheong) April 21, 2016
We already have rules in place to handle ‘sedition’ & libel so why add more hoops to jump through? #BiarlahBlog
— Erna Mahyuni (@ernamh) April 21, 2016
Govt should focus on good governance, not whether political blogs, websites are bad mouthing them. #BiarlahBlog
— Eric Paulsen (@EricPaulsen101) April 21, 2016
How am I going to encourage my students to write if every single word is being watched? #BiarlahBlog
— Ying Hooi (@khooyinghooi) April 21, 2016
Mere words may result in blocked sites if political blog registration prevails.Upping the ante to suppress #foe unacceptable #BiarlahBlog
— AI Malaysia (@AmnestyMy) April 21, 2016

author: Mong Palatino


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Pressure Mounts on Gambia’s President Over Worsening Human Rights Situation · Global Voices
Demba Kandeh

Protestors in Gambia's capital Banjul. Photo taken from the main opposition party (UDP) Facebook page.
Domestic and international pressure is mounting on Gambia’s long-serving President Yahya Jammeh over his worsening human rights records. Both the United States and the United Nations have called on the government to respect the rights of citizens to peaceful protest. The calls came amid reports of deaths in detention of up to three opposition activists.
The activists had been arrested on April 14 for organising a peaceful protest calling for electoral reforms before the presidential election to be held in December 2016. They are also calling for the resignation of President Jammeh, who has been in power since 1994.
France 24 reported:
The protests began on April 14. Demonstrators want the government to enact political reforms before the presidential election, set for December. The president, Yahya Jammeh, who has been in power since a coup d’etat in 1994, is running for his fifth term in office. Opponents say that the president wants to make sure that the results of this election are predetermined. They point to many recent decisions as proof. First, a politician close to the president was recently chosen to head the electoral commission responsible for organising the elections. But that’s not all. Activists also decry the decision to increase by tenfold the fee for running a candidate – it now costs 500,000 dalasis, which is roughly equal to 10,000 euros.
The Gambia is one of two countries in West Africa without presidential term limits.
In 2015, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) wanted to introduce two-presidential-term limits across the region. The Gambia and Togo forced the 15-member bloc to drop the idea.
Jammeh claims that term-limits are set by God. In 2011 he told the BBC that he will rule for “one billion years”, if God wills it.
Ebrima Solo Sandeng, Youth President for the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), was among more than a dozen opposition figures arrested over the election reform protest on 14 April.
Barely 24 hours after the arrest, Ebrima Solo was reportedly in a state of coma and without due medical attention.
He died shortly afterwards in unknown circumstances.
A statement from the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary General read:
The Secretary-General learned with dismay of the death in detention in Gambia of political activist and opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) member Solo Sandeng and two fellow party members…The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the apparent use of excessive force and the arrest and detention of peaceful demonstrators on 14 April 2016. He calls on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested, including UDP leader Ousainou Darboe, and uphold the rights of the Gambian people to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Shortly after news of the death of Ebrima broke, the UDP leader, Ousainou Darboe, led a protest demanding the body of his party member and the unconditional release of all other detainees.
Darboe was arrested immediately and placed in detention alongside three other executive members of the UDP.
Ousainou Darboe has since been charged in court alongside 40 other protesters.
They are facing up to six charges of illegal protest, incitement of violence, unlawful assembly, holding a procession without a permit and riotously interfering with vehicles.
They have all pleaded not guilty but denied bail. Eyewitnesses say up to four members of the opposition were missing in court, raising fears about their fate.
Darboe is said to have courageously told his supporters:
#GambiaRising “Stay behind me so this way I take the first bullet” Ousainou Darboe, UDP leader arrested together with other party militants.
— Oumie Andrews (@OumieAndrews) April 17, 2016
While Sabrina Mahtani, Amnesty International West Africa researcher, has called for an independent investigation:
The tragic death in detention of Solo Sandeng must leave no space for impunity. The authorities must conduct an immediate, thorough and independent investigation
In the meantime the government has defended the arrests and detentions of the protesters.
Information Minister, Sheriff Bojang told journalists that the protesters were arrested because they violated Gambian law:
Mr. Darboe is a veteran lawyer and he’s quite informed that in the Gambia just like in every other country there is something called the Public Order Act which forbids procession, street protests, meetings, and so forth without first seeking and being granted permission by the police.
For his part, President Jammeh has reportedly dismissed the opposition protests as the “instigation of instability in African countries” adding that The Gambia “will always be peaceful” on his return from Istanbul where he had been attending the 13th session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Gambia is slated to host the OIC in 2018.
The Chairman of the National Youth Council, Ibrahim Ceesay, was fired after he shared a post on social media calling on all youth to join a peaceful protest over the dead activist and continued detention of the activists.
The post has since disappeared.
Gibairu Janneh, a former secretary general of the Gambia Press Union, expressed dismay over the situation in Gambia and called on the Information Minister (his former colleague) to intercede on behalf of the protesters:
I hope the Information Minister who in 2013 stood alongside my humble self to protest against the closure of his Newspaper and for press freedom would cordially inform the Justice Minister that such provisions exist in our constitution. The information Minister at that material time joined me and all other journalists in the street because he was affected by the closure of his newspaper which was put under lock and key without due regard for the law. If he can come to the street to demonstrate his dissatisfaction with that government action, the it must be clear to him that these young protesters and the UDP members have equal rights to go onto the streets to demand electoral reform because it affects them. This is what democracy dictates.
Gambians in Dakar, Senegal and Atlanta, US and their supporters have also being organising protests against the Jammeh regime:
#GambiaRising Anti-govt protest goes global after security crackdown on peaceful protesters. #GambiansInAtlanta pic.twitter.com/ovbpTrYhl1
— Sam Phatey™ (@samphatey) April 20, 2016
#GambiaRising
Gambians in Dakar Renew calls for Jammeh to resign, demand Released all Political Prisoners! https://t.co/5PTVlbj06L
— Sainey M.K. Marenah (@saineymkmarenah) April 23, 2016
The opposition are calling for electoral law reform as the current legislation unfairly advantages President Jammeh.
In the meantime, calm has returned to the streets of Banjul.
However, there is still a heavy security presence on the capital's streets. Activists say that until their colleagues are released and their demands met, there will be more protests.
Jammeh is widely criticised criticised for mistreatment of journalists, opposition members and the LGBT community.
In its 2014 submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Gambia, human rights organisation Amnesty International said: “Since Gambia’s first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2010, the human rights situation in the country has deteriorated. The government continues to stifle freedom of expression and commit other human rights violations with impunity.”
Pan African institutions such as the Banjul based African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and Ecowas have also called for calm.
Follow tweets about the political situation in the Gambia using the hashtag #GambiaRising.

author: Demba Kandeh


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Azerbaijan’s Hunger Games: Independent Media on the Brink · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

Meydan TV homepage. Screenshot taken on April 24.
A strategically-placed oil-producing state in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan hosted the European Games last year, and despite some of the worst authoritarianism in the ex-Soviet region retains healthy relations with the West.
But for what remains of its independent press and beleaguered opposition, life in the country is much more reminiscent of the “Hunger Games” film and book series than any glitzy sporting event.
Most recently, on April 20, the state prosecutor's office launched a criminal investigation targeting Meydan TV, a dissident media outlet founded by former political prisoner Emin Milli and operating from headquarters in Berlin.
The probe alleges the outlet is guilty of illegal profiteering and large-scale tax evasion according to the lawyer representing it Elchin Sadigov.
#MeydanTV under criminal investigation https://t.co/OjemBr9cXP @OSCE @ReporterOG @PressClubDC @KenRoth #Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/fiwy95rAZl
— Meydan TV (@MeydanTV) April 20, 2016
A day later, on April 21, the prosecutor's office named 15 individuals in the criminal investigation launched against Meydan TV, some of whom are journalists based in Azerbaijan.
Fifteen #journalists named in criminal investigation of #MeydanTV https://t.co/SP2YTbIPBF @RSF_Europe @S_Zoppellaro @HRHFoundation @fidh_eu
— Ulviyya Ali (@UlviyyaAli) April 21, 2016
While no one has been officially charged, a number of Meydan TV reporters are facing travel bans and have been questioned.
Along with the Azeri service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), multimedia Meydan TV is one of the few outlets providing regular coverage of the Azeri rights crackdown from inside the country.
The outlet's founder and leader Emin Milli spoke out against the charges on Meydan TV:
Bir daha bəyan edirik ki, Azərbaycan hökuməti bu cür absurd cinayət işi ilə söz azadlığına, jurnalist fəaliyyətinə əngəl törədir və demokratiya mühitini boğur. Meydan TV rəhbərliyi irəli sürülən ittihamları rədd edir və bundan sonra da fəaliyyətini dayandırmayacaq.
We declare yet again, by opening this absurd criminal investigation the government of Azerbaijan is creating barriers to freedom of speech, and journalism activity, as well as suffocating democratic environment. Meydan TV rejects all the allegations and has no intention to stop its work.
Disclaimer: the author of this post is former English language editor of Meydan TV and a regular contributor to the website.
Such heavy handed probes into the activities of independent journalists marks a return to normalcy following the release of 14 political prisoners ahead of President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Washington DC to attend the Nuclear and Security Summit.
Aliyev inherited the presidential throne from former communist boss and father Heydar, and has shown even less regard for freedom of expression and other basic human rights.
As the country's economy suffers under the strain of low oil prices, the regime has looked ever more like the brutal game designers envisioned by American author Suzanne Collins, and later turned into a series of popular films.
Meydan journalists have faced scaled-up persecution since 2014 — the year when global prices for Azerbaijan's main export shrank by half — with detentions, impromptu tax inspections, and other forms of harassment in the last two years.
According to the Index on Censorship's senior advocacy officer Melody Patry:
Meydan TV and its staff have been ruthlessly targeted by Azerbaijani authorities. The charges invoked against Meydan TV are of similar nature to the charges that were used to send [other] journalists and government critics to prison. This investigation confirms the government has no intention of changing its approach toward independent media and free expression in the country.

author: Arzu Geybullayeva


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Cheers and Jeers as Ugandan Female Researcher Undresses to Get Her Office Back · Global Voices
Prudence Nyamishana

Dr. Stella Nyanzi outside her locked office. Photo posted on her Facebook page.
On April 18 Dr. Stella Nyanzi,  a research fellow at the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), stripped naked to get her office back. After undressing, she took pictures and a video clip, which she posted on her Facebook wall.
Professor Mahamood Mamdani, the head of the institute, said that he locked Dr. Nyanzi out of her office because she refused to teach a doctor of philosophy (PhD) class at the institute.
Nyanzi claims that teaching was not part of her responsibilities.
She first used her Facebook page to ask Professor Mamdani to open her office. Three days later, she took matters in her own hands, and early on April 18, she undressed in front of her office. This act prompted the university officials to hand her back her keys.
However, Makerere University subsequently suspended her pending an investigation.
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Ddumba Ssentamu, who accused Prof. Mamdani of effectively forcing Dr. Nyanzi to de-robe publicly, has named an eight member committee to investigate the issue.
This is the second nude protest in Uganda in a space of two years.
In April 2015, the Daily Monitor reported an incident wherein women from northern Uganda stripped naked to protest what they claimed was a land grab in the area where they lived.
Uganda's Wildlife Authority wanted to lease 827 sq km to a private investor who wanted to turn it into a private game park.
For some communities in Uganda, stripping in public is believed to invoke a curse on one's enemy.
Justifying her act, which she called a “sexual mode of expression“, Dr. Nyanzi wrote on her Facebook page:
The weapons of the powerless never make sense to the powerful. You can laugh at and mock me for using my nudity against the illegal eviction from my office, but it was the only weapon I had in my battle against Mahmood Mamdani's insubordination to the DVC [Deputy Vice Chancellor] who asked him to [cancel] the eviction. I am fighting to the death against the oppression and #RotAtMISR.
Dr. Nyanzi's form of protest has sparked heated arguments on social media.
Some Ugandans called Stella insane:
With all due respect to Dr. Stella Nyanzi, she's starting to look very desperate and mad.
— Arnold Kwizera (@TherealKwizera) April 18, 2016
Comorade Otoa was sure that Stella Nyanza needed help:
It is sad that some pple r cheering #StellaNyanzi on.The woman is in need of help.Her actions are worryingly a depiction of her mental state
— Comrade Otoa (@Comrade_Otoa) April 18, 2016
But Allan Ssenyonga, a Ugandan journalist based in Rwanda, scoffed at the hypocrisy:
Women in Northern Uganda undress coz govt is grabbing their land = Yes!
Stella Nyanzi undresses in protest = She is mad
Smh
— Allan Ssenyonga (@ssojo81) April 18, 2016
And Joshua Mali, a former BBC reporter, ridiculed a growing number of people who claimed that what Nyanzi did was a violation of traditional African culture.
Interesting how a society that barely wore clothes just over a few 100 years ago now claims nudity is against their culture! #StellaNyanzi
— Yoshua De DosPaises (@joshmali) April 20, 2016
Our society really needs to stop objectifying women!We need to understand them through the lens of intellectualism not sexism.#RotAtMISR
— Roland Semakula (@fmrsema) April 21, 2016
Among the hashtags associated with the incident, one highlights the apparent degeneration of the once-respected Makerere Institute of Social Research (#RotAtMISR), while another expresses support for Prof. Mamdani in his face off with Nyanzi (#IStandWithMamdani).
The battle lines have been drawn. Two camps are established. #IStandWithMamdani versus #RotAtMISR aka #StellaNyanzi. Goliath vs David.
— Stella Nyanzi (@drstellanyanzi) April 21, 2016

author: Prudence Nyamishana


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Macedonian Crisis Deepens as Protests Increase in Number and Intensity · Global Voices
Anastasija Petrеvska

Protesters holding mirrors to policemen blocking their way on April 23. Photo by Meta.mk News Agency, used with permission.
The political crisis in Macedonia continues to deepen, affecting the country’s international relations as a plethora of protests proliferate across the tiny Balkan state complementing the more general #ColorfulRevolution protest movement.
According to the report by OSCE Election Observation Mission, published April 22, the political climate in the country began to sharply deteriorate after April 12, when President Ivanov pardoned all those charged, under investigation and suspected in a wiretapping scandal targeting members of the country's opposition.
OSCE is not the only institution flagging danger in Macedonia. Both the U.S. State Department and the EU called on Ivanov to reverse his pardon.
In a recent interview with 24Vesti, the EU Parliament mediator for Macedonia Richard Howitt expressed his concern for the country’s welfare if Brussels’ recommendation is ignored by the government in Skopje.
Howitt, along with fellow Members of the European Parliament Eduard Kukan and Ivo Vajgl, as well as Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn released an April 22 statement saying that the government could face sanctions if it continues its authoritarian course.
As part of the trust-building measures sanctioned by the Pržino Agreement — a political compromise reached with Western mediation last summer — the Macedonian parliament appointed representatives of the opposition at the heads of two key ministries: interior and social policy.
But the new Minister of Interior, Oliver Spasov, has warned ruling party apparatchiks within the ministry have staged “a coup” and that his subordinates are refusing to heed orders, answering only to the VMRO-DPMNE faction's leadership.
On April 22, three different protests took place in Skopje, all independent of each other, pointing to a boiling political mood.
In the morning medical students demonstrated under the slogan “We are not lab rats!” as part of a protest against the changes in the Law on Medical Studies, which they claim diminishes the quality of education they receive.
The Minister of Health’s office received representatives of the protesters and told them that no change can be made to legislation while the parliament is not working.
The students say their protest is not connected to the general protest movement sweeping the country.
In the afternoon of the same day, opposition ethnic Albanian political parties held their own an anti-government protest.
This protest complements the Colourful Revolution protests, demanding an end to government corruption, but with a distinct focus on the grievances of ethnic Albanians.
Their slogans — emphasising fabricated court cases against ethnic Albania and targeting the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party –evoked memories of the militant Albanian National Liberation Army, famous for its bitter conflict with Macedonia's security services that peaked in 2001.
Quite a number of ethnic Albanians, have also been at the forefront of other civil protests within the movement #protestiram (#протестирам) AKA the #ColorfulRevolution (#ШаренаРеволуција)
These bigger ‘Colorful Revolution’ protests continue to gain momentum. Every day at 6 pm thousands of people continue to gather in front of the Special Public Prosecutors’ Office, and then march the streets passing various institutions.
More join along the way, especially at points where police block the procession.
All of these protests are non-violent, although an overwhelming police presence — especially when ethnic Albanian opposition parties were on the march — has helped kindle tensions.
Colorful Revolution protesters place stickers with hearts on riot police shields upon close encounters. Photo by Vančo Džambaski, CC BY-NC-SA.
On Friday evening the ‘Colorful’ protest showed that no government building or monument will be spared by the “artists” of the Colorful Revolution.
Protesters seem to agree with OSCE’s take on the deterioration of media, and chucked paint all over the new Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services building on April 22 in a symbolic act of resistance.
Demonstrators chanted: “This used to be a park” while redecorating the facade, condemning both the government’s illegal construction of buildings on public land and the hypocrisy of media legislation.
Ова беше парк #протестирам pic.twitter.com/N9GVRxwjdh
— krpach (@krpach) April 22, 2016
This used to be a park! I protest!
One of the leaked wiretaps that fuelled the political crisis in the first half of May 2015 showed the government destroyed the park in 2013 after the Former Prime Minister Gruevski decided to “beautify” the area with a ‘baroque’ administration building, punishing local residents who did not vote for his party during the previous elections.
A group of civil activists called Parkobrani (“Park defenders”) occupied the park, until a 400-strong police force laid siege to the whole central area and arrested 11 of them.
As Balkan Insight reported, “the demolition took place while Macedonia celebrated the country's biggest national holiday, Ilinden, when the city is half deserted as many residents traditionally go on vacation.”
The facade of the new Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Services in Skopje on April 22. Photo by Vančo Džambaski, CC BY-NC-SA.
On Saturday, April 23, the protest started in front of the Public Prosecutor’s Office as usual, but the demonstrators soon headed to the Constitutional Court building.
A police cordon stopped them midway at the bottleneck of Goce Delchev Bridge. Unable to reach their target the protesters chose to redecorate the statues of bronze lions placed on the bridge in 2010.
Police and ‘Color Revolution’ Protesters facing each other in Skopje on April 23, 2016. Photo by Vančo Džambaski CC BY-NC-SA.
During this protest, citizens of Skopje also held mirrors to the faces of the policemen blocking their way.
The protest ended with demonstrators standing in front of the Government for a further hour.
Bilingual Macedonian-Albanian poster, announcing the upcoming April 26 protest in Tetovo on Facebook.
In other cities, the protest movement continues. Traditionally quiet provincial Tetovo is expecting its first protest on Tuesday, while protests in Bitola and Strumica have been going strong for days.

author: Anastasija Petrеvska


text:
Some Iraqi Refugees Who Made It to Europe Are Choosing to Return Home · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Dana Maghdeed Aziz holds up the identification issued to him by the Germany government. Credit: Rebecca Collard
This article by Rebecca Collard originally appeared on PRI.org on April 21, 2016, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
In September 2014, Dana Maghdeed Aziz decided he could no longer stay in Iraq. ISIS seized control of his town, Mahkmour, and the future looked bleak. He sold his taxi and some of his wife’s jewelry and borrowed money from his family. Then he flew to Turkey.
“In Turkey, I bought a fake passport and tried to get into Bulgaria but they caught me and put me in jail,” Aziz says. “I told them I’m not criminal. I’m just a regular refugee looking for asylum.”
Aziz was taken to a camp in Bulgaria and told he had to claim asylum there. But he didn’t want to stay in the country, so he slipped away.
“I tried everything to reach Germany,” he says over coffee.
In March 2015 he finally made it. His plan was to get asylum in Germany and establish a new life for his wife and two children, who were waiting in Erbil to join him.
But almost a year later, he still didn’t know if Germany would grant him asylum or if his family would ever be allowed to join him. Germany is overwhelmed. Just last year, it received 500,000 new asylum applications.
Dana Maghdeed Aziz’s German identification cards on the table in a café in Erbil. After months in Germany he still didn’t know if he would be granted asylum. Credit: Rebecca Collard
“I had my first asylum interview in July of 2015. They said it would take three months. But in December I still didn’t know,” Aziz says. “Then in January, my children got sick.”
On top of all that, Aziz wasn’t allowed to work while he waited. He was living in government-provided housing with a monthly stipend of 325 euros from the German government (about $365).
Like many of the Iraqis who went to Europe, Aziz was the breadwinner for his family. But now he couldn’t send any money home.
“My wife had to sell the rest of her gold jewelry to support the family,” he says.
In February, Aziz gave up. He went to the Iraqi consulate in Frankfurt to get a one-way travel document and came home.
Dana Maghdeed Aziz holds up the cards through which he received a stipend from the Germany government. Credit: Rebecca Collard
He's one of about 5,000 Iraqis who’ve returned since October with help from the International Organization for Migration. Many more Iraqis have returned on their own, unwilling to wait for assistance.
A security guard at Erbil international Airport says every flight from Germany is carrying some returnees. On one recent trip, there were at least eight Iraqis coming home after making the dangerous and expensive trip to Germany. Among them was Samad, who didn’t want to use his last name. In December, he says, he sold his land and paid a smuggler to get to Germany.
“I just followed the other people. They were saying there’s a better life in Europe,” Samad says. “I wanted to see for myself.”
But the reality was disappointing.
“I was expecting a comfortable life and that they would provide us with help,” he says. “But it was so difficult.”
Like Aziz, he didn’t know if he would be granted asylum or if his wife and three children would be able join him in Germany. And he was trying to support the family from afar.
“We were always in the camp. I shared a room with eight people and I wasn’t allowed to work,” says Samad. “If there was a hope I would get asylum soon, I would have stayed. But there was no hope.”
While Syrians have a good chance of getting asylum in Germany, for Iraqis it's less certain. Samad was so anxious to return, he didn’t wait for help. He spent the last of his money to buy his own ticket back to Erbil.
“I sold everything to go there,” he says.
Back at the café in Erbil, Aziz explains that if his family had been with him in Germany, he never would have come back to Iraq.
His town has been retaken by Kurdish forces now, but it’s still on the front line. And he doesn’t think it’s safe to go back. For now he’s sharing a house with his parents in the city, looking for work.
Aziz and Samad are both starting again from scratch — no taxi, no job, no money. Aziz spent almost a year in Europe and in the end has nothing to show for it.
“Of course I regret it,” says Aziz. “I spent all my money on a goal I didn’t achieve. Now, I’m in my own country and I can’t even buy a cup of coffee.”


text:
These White Butterflies from Nepal are Spreading a Message of Hope and Social Change Throughout the World · Global Voices
Sanjib Chaudhary

A boy looks on from an old abandoned vehicle installed with white butterflies. Image from the Facebook page of the White Butterfly project. Used with permission.
White means peace and these white butterflies from Nepal are spreading their wings all over the world, carrying a message of peace, hope and social change wherever they flutter.
It all started when Nepalese artist Milan Rai let the butterflies loose in the streets of Kathmandu, mostly at old, dilapidated and forgotten locations such as tree stumps, but also on busy streets and famous landmarks.
According to Rai, butterflies, as symbols of metamorphosis, represent transformation and hope.
Rai says the idea for the art installations struck him when a real white butterfly landed on his paintbrush as he was planning a more complicated art project.
Thus his own white butterflies began their journey.
The paper cut-out creatures have evoked strong emotions and empathy for Rai's cause among visitors to his diverse installations.
Recently, he installed 9,000 white butterflies at the premises of Kathmandu’s Kalmochan Temple in memory of around 9,000 people killed by the April earthquake last year.
The temple was completely destroyed by the earthquake.
Earlier, he had installed the butterflies under the bridge of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, expressing hope for the holy river's liberation from uncontrolled pollution.
People of all walks of life are coming together to clean this holy river as part of an ongoing environmental campaign.
The white butterflies installed under the bridge of the Bagmati River. Image from the Facebook page of the White Butterfly project. Used with permission.
This ‘butterfly effect’ has attracted and inspired people from around the world and many have asked him for more butterflies.
In his recent Facebook post, he wrote:
Verena came to visit my studio and took 500 white butterflies with her. She is going to a village called Ghyachchok – the epicenter of earthquake from 11-13 Baisakh. She is taking white butterflies for this community. She had also participated in spreading 9 thousand white butterflies on 6th april at Kalmochan. She is from Australia and works as a Music therapist in a children’s hospital.
Now the butterflies have travelled across the globe, where they have been widely photographed.
His butterflies were seen with children, adults, elders and activists coming together in Brussels to save a park, for instance.
The white butterflies at a park in Brussels. Image from the Facebook page of the White Butterfly project. Used with permission.
And here they are again, in Jackson Height, New York:
Image from the Facebook page of the White Butterfly project. Used with permission.
And again in Cambodia:
Image from the Facebook page of the White Butterfly project. Used with permission.
High-school drop-out Rai has shared his personal story in Portrait of an Artist – Milan Rai uploaded on Vimeo by Kathmandu-based filmmaker Shashank Shrestha.
Recently, he was invited to Harvard University where he talked about his project and installed his famous protagonists in different parts of the famous institution:
Two days ago, I had a meeting with Harvard Divinity school Buddhist ministry students. It was a heart warming experience to share my creative journey with the the Professors and students. I mostly talked about my personal transformation and how a tiny butterfly changed my life. After that we went to spread white butterflies in other departments.
#buddhism #enter the #gate of #wisdom #life #peace #harvard #learning
Image from the Facebook page of the White Butterfly project. Used with permission.
He added on Facebook:
I finished this white butterflies art installation yesterday at the CGIS building (Center for Government and International Studies) ~ Harvard. It starts from the ground floor swirling up to the 4th floor.
My view today- had a great time interviewing Nepali artist Milan Rai about his White Butterfly project @HarvardSAI pic.twitter.com/n7g3C6iu1b
— Meghan Smith (@meghansmith55) April 12, 2016
Nowadays, as Rai tours the world on the wings of his viral art project, he reserves some special words of kindness and appreciation for flight attendants:
Image from the Facebook page of the White Butterfly project. Used with permission.
Usually the flight attendants say, “Thank you for flying with us.” Whenever I meet them I say, “Thank You for flying with me.”

author: Sanjib Chaudhary


text:
Three Brave Women Launch Campaign to Encourage Reporting Acts of Sexual Violence in Mexico · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

“No te calles” (“Don't remain silent”) is the message that these victims of sexual violence in Mexico are seeking to convey in a campaign launched on social networks to encourage people to report crimes of sexual assault.
Gabriela Nava is a student of higher education at the Acatlán Campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Gabriela was a victim of sexual assault near the campus when a man took photos from underneath her skirt with the camera on his phone. It was later discovered that this person was an employee of the university.
Meanwhile, Andrea Noel was attacked by an individual – now identified – who lifted her skirt in the street and pulled down her undergarments, leaving her genitals visible for a moment.
Both Gabriela and Andrea have been subject to countless criticisms and vulgar remarks on social networks from people who blame the events on the way the women were dressed.
Yakiri Rubio meanwhile recounts her experiences after having been the victim of a much more serious crime than abuse: rape. She had to face denied or delayed justice by Mexican authorities and was even accused of having attacked one of her aggressors.
In March 2016, Global Voices dedicated a piece to the disgraceful violence against women in Mexico and the government's consistent strategy of heightening bureaucracy and creating “gender alerts” to give the impression of addressing the problem and complying with their obligations under international law on the subject.
But beyond the demagoguery with which public servants look to confront the violence, this group of brave women stood up to incentivize reporting the crimes and carried with them an important message to social networks:
Cuando nos tocan a una, respondemos todas.
When one of us is touched, all of us respond.
The video came to light at a time when public opinion is vehemently addressing the issue of sexual crimes against women following extensive coverage of what happened to Andrea Noel and the notorious case of “Los Porkys“, in which four young individuals from the social elite of the state of Veracruz (in eastern Mexico) were accused of raping an underage girl.
The alarming numbers of sexual assault crimes in Mexico make campaigns like “Don't remain silent” necessary. According to website Actitud Fem:
Cuarenta y siete por ciento de las mujeres en México mayores de 15 años han sufrido algún tipo de violencia, sea física, sexual, emocional o económica. Asimismo, y por increíble que resulte, 26 entidades del país no penalizan en la actualidad y con todo rigor el abuso sexual pues este delito, en ocasiones, recibe castigos menores que el asignado al robo de una vaca como lo informó el Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres.
Forty-seven percent of women in Mexico over the age of 15 have suffered some form of violence, whether physical, sexual, emotional, or economic. Additionally, incredible as it may seem, 25 of the country's entities do not penalize sexual abuse rigorously nowadays since the punishment for this crime is sometimes less than that for stealing a cow, reports the National Institute of Women.
Consequently, along with the “Don't remain silent” campaign, activist groups supporting women have called for a day of demonstrations on Sunday, April 24, 2016, which will also aim to give strength to the slogan: “when one of us is touched, all of us respond,” as digital media outlet Tercera Vía promoted. Sara Lovera also reported on this event for the independent blogging site Homozapping:
Con el hashtag #VivasNosQueremos todas a las calles, las redes sociales y los grupos organizados de mujeres en al menos 15 entidades del país preparan una movilización para hacer visible la preocupación sobre todas las violencias machistas. Cada día se suman más organizaciones que el próximo domingo 24 de abril estarán en muchas plazas del país.
Dicen quienes promueven la movilización que la violencia machista parece no tener límites y agregan que está en ascenso.
Y si la movilización tiene éxito, habremos avanzado años luz. No importa que hayamos estado parcialmente dormidas. Claro que no, pero este es un golpe fuerte.
With the hashtag #VivasNosQueremos [#WeWantUsAlive], all of the streets, social networks, and organized women's groups in at least 15 of the country's states are preparing to mobilize and show their concern for all of the violence against women. More organizations are joining every day and will be present in many of the plazas throughout the country on April 24th.
Those promoting the movement say that violence against women seems to be limitless and is on the rise.
And if the movement is successful, we will have advanced light years. It doesn't matter that we have been half asleep. Of course not, but this is a heavy blow.

author: J. Tadeo


text:
Visit a Virtual Exhibit of Jewels Confiscated from the Former Philippines Dictator’s Family · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos ruled like a dictator for two decades until he was ousted by a peaceful ‘People Power’ uprising in 1986. He and his family fled the country and went into exile in the United States.
Upon arriving in Hawaii, US Customs seized various items from the Marcos family such as cash, bank deposit slips, paintings, and jewels which were turned over to the new Philippine government.
Marcos was accused of plundering the national treasury during his time in office. His family was also criticized for living in luxury while the majority of Filipinos suffered from extreme poverty.
Marcos’ wife, Imelda, made global headlines in 1986 after authorities discovered that her closet contained more than 1,000 pairs of shoes.
A new English word was even named after her, Imeldific, which denotes ‘ostentatious extravagance.’
To recover the ‘ill-gotten’ wealth of Marcos and his family, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) was created in 1986. Three decades later, the agency continues to search for other Marcos family assets around the world.
As part of its mandate to educate the public about the “excesses and extravagance of the Marcoses”, the PCGG has created an online inventory of the jewels confiscated by US Customs.
Themed “Virtual Jewelry Exhibit, A Story of Excesses: What could have fuelled a nation’s development,” the online portal also provides concrete examples of how the money used to buy the jewels in the collection could have been allocated for the delivery of basic social services.
The Commission believes that it is its duty to remind Filipinos, especially the youth of the real history. Through this online exhibit of the family’s collection of diamonds, gold, even tiaras, the PCGG hopes that the youth can visualize how the Marcoses abused the government coffers, part of history which is not in the history books.
The PCGG urges the public to remember the crimes of Marcos:
These excess wealth and extravagance are the tangible reminder of the insidious evil of plunder and dictatorship during the Martial Law.
Now, this is our call: To those too young to remember, it is not yet too late to know. To those old enough to have known, it is our responsibility to remember.
There is a revived interest in the Marcos era in the Philippines because the son of the ousted dictator is currently running for vice president.
Below are the photos of the jewels uploaded by the PCGG on its social media accounts, beginning with the smallest yet most expensive piece of jewelry in the collection: the pink diamond.
Next is an antique diamond stamped Catchpole & Williams, 510 Oxford St., London, England, circa 1890:
The rest of the collection valued at more than $21 million US by PCGG can be seen below:
Photos of the jewels are also being displayed in schools across the country.


text:
A University Professor Is Hacked to Death, Another Victim of Deadly Intolerance in Bangladesh · Global Voices
Palash Ranjan Sanyal

“What he wrote will be investigated. But someone said he only played sitar.” We Want Justice for Professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique. Poster: Facebook
Rezaul Karim Siddique, 58, an English professor at Rajshahi University, was found hacked to death near his home on Saturday, April 23 in Rajshahi, a northern district of Bangladesh. His death is the second targeted killing purportedly at the hands of Islamist militants this month.
Siddique was waiting for a bus to take him to campus when two or three people attacked him from behind and stabbed him in the neck. He died at the scene.
Online portal At Tamkin, which is aligned with the Amak news agency belonging to militant organization ISIS, claimed that a group called Dawatul Islam carried out the attack because Siddique “used to call people to embrace atheism.”
Bangladeshi Islamist militants have been blamed for a number of murders of secular bloggers and online activists since 2013, including the most recent killing of secular activist Nazimuddin Samad in Dhaka.
Siddique is the fourth university professor to be murdered at Rajshahi University within the last 12 years. He was a writer, sitar player and was involved with several cultural organisations. He lead a cultural group called Komol Gandhar and edited a biannual literary magazine. He also set up a music school at Bagmara, a former bastion of an outlawed Islamist group called Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
Siddique joins the growing list of intellectuals, bloggers and foreigners who have lost their lives in similar killings, using sharp weapons and targeting the head or neck.
According to police, in each of these attacks unidentified assailants hacked the victim to death with machetes or cleavers. Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent reportedly claimed responsibility for the the murder of the bloggers, and ISIS said it was behind the killings of the two foreigners, Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella and Japanese national Kunio Hoshi. Bangladeshi security officials, however, claim that local Islamist groups were behind the murders and that messages from ISIS and Al Qaeda were meant to cover the trail and confuse investigations.
The response of the government to the recent murders leaves much to be desired. As a non-religious parliamentary democracy, Bangladesh has no Sharia or blasphemy law, and anyone who identifies as atheist has the same rights as other citizens in the Muslim-majority country. Under the country's penal code, though, a person with “deliberate” or “malicious” intention of “hurting religious sentiments” can be prosecuted.
Addressing the murder of law student Nazimuddin Samad earlier in April, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan scolded the victims in an interview with US news channel CNN: “The bloggers, they should control their writing. Our country is a secular state. … I want to say that people should be careful not to hurt anyone by writing anything — hurt any religion, any people's beliefs, any religious leaders.”
And on the eve of Bengali New Year, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated that it is not at all acceptable to write something hurting religious sentiments of others.
Police have only arrested some individuals, including members of a banned group called the Ansarullah Bangla Team, for involvement in a few of these murders. In December 2015, two people were convicted and sentenced to death for the 2013 killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider. Haider was hacked to death on the street at the height of the Shahbag Square protests demanding the death penalty for war crimes committed during Bangladesh's liberation from Pakistan in 1971.
But no one else has been prosecuted for the killings of six other men, all of whom were targeted for their secular thinking.
As per the latest reports, police have arrested a student relating to the killing of Professor Siddique.
These killings have sparked outrage at home and abroad, with international rights groups demanding that the government bring the assailants to justice, and to protect freedom of speech and the safety of people of all sects within the country.
Attackers of murdered professor must be swiftly brought to justice: https://t.co/TwRWbl09eo #EndImpunity #Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/TlGxba44wQ
— PEN International (@pen_int) April 23, 2016
Atheist bloggers are not around, all left the country, or hiding. So islamists killing secular progressive people. https://t.co/611jn1AhD6
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) April 23, 2016
এবার কি মন্ত্রী বলবে অধ্যাপক রেজাউল ‘কোমলগান্ধার’ নামে একটি সাহিত্য পত্রিকার সম্পাদনা করতেন। আমরা খবর নিয়ে দেখব… https://t.co/OvcZfm5tFh
— কবির য়াহমদ (@kabiraahmed) April 23, 2016
Will the home minister say this time that we have to investigate what the professor wrote as he edited a literary magazine titled “Komol Gandhar”?
One of Siddique's former students and Editorial Assistant at Poriborton, Mojaffor Hossain, speculated in a Facebook note why Siddique was targeted:
তার কোনো ব্লগ বা ফেসবুক অ্যাকাউন্ট ছিল না। অল্প কিছু কবিতা, ছোটগল্প আর চলচ্চিত্র রিভিউ লিখেছেন। বিশেষ কোনো পত্রিকাতে সেগুলো প্রকাশিত হয়নি। তার কোনো লেখা ধর্মীয় বিদ্বেষমূলক না। সামাজিক বক্তব্যধর্মী লেখা লিখতেন। আর সিটিজেন কেইন, বাইসাইকেল থিপ, পথেরপাঁচালি-চোখের বালি-মেঘে ঢাকা তারা, অমৃত কুম্ভের সন্ধানে, সিনডার লিস্ট– এসব ক্লাসিক ছবি নিয়ে লিখেছেন। তাহলে এভাবে নির্মমভাবে খুন করা হল কেন? অন্তত আমার কোনো উত্তর জানা নেই।
রেজাউল করিম স্যারের মোটাদাগে দুটি সমস্যা ছিল। আমাদের সমাজে ‘চিহ্নিত’ সমস্যা।
এক. তিনি অন্যায়ের সঙ্গে আপোশ করতেন না।…
দুই. তিনি খুব সংস্কৃতিমনা ছিলেন। …
He did not have any blog or Facebook account. He wrote a few poems, short stories and movie reviews. They were not published in reputed newspapers nor were they writings containing religious hatred. His writings had social meaning. Others were written about classic films like Citizen Kane, Bicycle Thief, Pather Panchali, Chokher Bali, Meghe Dhaka Tara, Amrita Kumbher Sandhane and Schindler's List. Then why did they murder him so brutally? I, at least, do not know the answer.
Largely, Rezaul Karim Siddique had two issues, which are identified as “problems” in our society.
One, he would not compromise with wrongdoing.
Two, he was a very cultural person.
Professor Rezaul Karim Siddique. Photo: Facebook
A boycott of classes has been called by the Rajshahi University Teachers Association over the killing:
রাজশাহী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের অধ্যাপক হত্যার প্রতিবাদে বিক্ষোভ মিছিল বের করেন শিক্ষার্থীরা। ছবি: প্রথম আলো – #Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/pxxow534vv
— #Bangladesh News 24 (@bdnews24) April 23, 2016
Students of Rajshahi University carried out a protest march condemning the killing of an RU professor.
On Facebook, writer Nazrul Islam blasted the timidity of some in condemning Siddique's murder:
বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের একজন শিক্ষক খুন হলেন। ছাত্ররা চুপ, ছাত্র সংগঠনগুলো চুপ, শিক্ষকেরা চুপ, শিক্ষক সংগঠনগুলো চুপ।
একজন সেতার বাদক খুন হলেন। সাংস্কৃতিক সংগঠনগুলো চুপ, সম্মিলিত সাংস্কৃতিক জোট চুপ।
একজন সম্পাদক খুন হলেন। লেখকেরা চুপ। সবাই চুপ, কোথাও কোনো শব্দ নাই। …
যে কোনো কথা বলার আগে নিশ্চিত হতে হবে, খুন হওয়া ব্যক্তিটা কি নাস্তেক ছিলো নাকি মানুষ ছিলো? তারপর বাকি কথা সাজানো যাবে
তদন্ত করে দেখা হোক
A university professor was murdered. Yet, the students are silent; The student associations, the teachers, the teachers’ association — everyone is silent.
A sitar player was murdered. Yet, the cultural organizations, their leaders — all are silent.
An editor was murdered. Yet, writers are silent. Everyone is so quiet, not a single voice anywhere…
Before saying a single word, does it have to be checked whether the victim was an atheist or a human? And then the rest can be sorted.
Let's investigate this.

author: Palash Ranjan Sanyal


text:
Japan Gets Ready to Plant Rice During ‘Golden Week’ · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Planting rice in Japan. Much of Japan's rice is produced by small-scale farming, often in suburban neighborhoods. Screencap from YouTube user kazu san.
April marks the start of rice planting season in Japan. Fields are plowed and flooded in preparation for planting new rice seedlings, typically during the extended ‘Golden Week’ holiday in early May.
In the lead up to Golden Week, some Japanese people are posting photos of preparations for ta-ue (田植え), or rice planting.
もう一枚、大山千枚田を。日が昇り、広さ約４㌶の急斜面に田んぼの連なりが一望できた。田は大小３７５枚あり、日本の棚田百選の一つ。田植え前の水が張られた風景は日本の原風景だ。「ホーホケキョ」のウグイスの声が谷間に響く。絶景に魅了された。 pic.twitter.com/Y6dA1v5arK
— 東京新聞写真部 (@tokyoshashinbu) April 21, 2016
Here's another photo of Oyama Senmaida in Chiba [east of Tokyo]. As the sunrises about four hectares of flooded, terraced fields transform into a beautiful tableau. There are about 375 terraced fields, large and small, here, making Oyama Sendai one of Japan's “Top 100 Terraced Rice Fields” (棚田百選). Flooding the fields before planting really makes this a representative scene of Japan. The call of the Japanese nightingale (ウグイス, uguisu) echoes throughout the valley. I am entranced by the scene.
On average a Japanese person will eat 60 kilograms of rice a year. While this amount of consumption is about half of what it was 50 years ago, rice is still an important part of Japan's food culture.
Government subsidies mean many households in regional and rural Japan are able to cultivate rice in relatively small plots, more as a hobby and a family activity than as a business.
Golden Week is a time when many extended families gather to plant rice. The flooded rice paddies of late April and early May signify that spring has truly begun in Japan.
しかし、千葉の田んぼはもう田植えしてるし、海から10km以上離れているのにカモメがいるし、いみわからん…。 pic.twitter.com/vEOqdXQ8dh
— だーしげ@保全日和，です！ (@Hydaticus) April 12, 2016
They're already planting rice in the Chiba. Also, for reason there is a seagull hanging out here even though we're about 10 kilometers from the sea.
The “new green” (新緑, shinryoku) of new leaves combined with the brilliant flooded fields of spring is an irresistible subject for photographers.
広島の県央エリアでも田植えの時期は近い
2016.04.20 2070レ 66 30 pic.twitter.com/JpGeOMSuhm
— ひかりだま (@0keihikaridama) April 20, 2016
Here in the middle of Hiroshima Prefecture, rice planting time is drawing near.
Some regions of Japan plant rice earlier than others. Mountainous areas, as well as Japan's northeast, typically plant rice a few weeks later than in the rest of the country.
おはようライナー
189系N102編成
田植えの時期が近付いてきました。
そろそろあの組み合わせと撮影できる日も・・？ pic.twitter.com/uPHSyhuegb
— えぬ (@Cocoa_189_510) April 19, 2016
It's almost time for plangint rice [here in Nagano, in the mountains west of Tokyo]. Pretty soon I'll be able to take this shot with the train and flooded fields.
Fields, once plowed, must be flooded for several weeks in preparation for planting seedlings.
田植えの準備、水が張られ、逆さ由布の季節。
熊本に大きな地震、知人もいる。無事を祈る。
悲しみ、苦しみ、悔しさのあるのが人生。　だから明るく🙏 pic.twitter.com/lvUcU2bEf2
— 大将の由布院奮闘記！ (@YUFUNANOZEN) April 14, 2016
Getting ready for rice planting, we've flooded the fields, which provides a beautiful refection of the seasons. There has been a large earthquake in Kumamoto and I know people who are affected. I pray for their safety. Sadness, challenges and pain are part of our human existence. So I pray positive thoughts.
The flooded fields reflect the brilliant, warm light of spring in Japan, providing opportunities to capture magnificent images.
「水温む。」　　タテ位置
田んぼに張られた水もだいぶ温んで来た。里山ももうすぐ田植えだ。 pic.twitter.com/ySpWEWmtPw
— 写真の鉄人　橋本正弘 (@hasimot50730552) April 23, 2016
The water flooding the rice paddies is warming up. Soon we'll be able to plant rice here in satoyama.
In some parts of rural Japan, the wide flat valleys seem to be filled with flooded rice fields.
来週末から田植えが始まるので、今日は代掻きです。天気もいいし、脳内で【リバーランズ・スルーイット】の劇伴を再生。 pic.twitter.com/evIcHqVrfP
— 堀川憲司 (@horiken2000) April 23, 2016
We're planting rice next week so right now we're tilling the flooded paddies. The weather's fine and I have the theme from the movie ‘A River Runs Through It’ stuck in my head.
Once flooded, the rice seedlings are planted. While machines have automated much of the labor, some planting is till done by hand, typically in the corners of the rice paddies that are hard to reach on tractors.
早い所ではもう田植えが始まっています。１つ１つに願いを込めて。#NuAns #NuAnsNEO #NEOgrapher #NuAnsNEOで撮影
[NEOgrapher]
By … https://t.co/Vfnr65NVTg pic.twitter.com/Kdes0zbsPs
— NuAns (@NuAns_jp) April 24, 2016
In some parts of Japan they have already begun planting the seedlings. One by one we plant the rice and pray for their success.
The seedlings themselves are grown in greenhouses prior to planting.
28年度の会津コシヒカリの栽培でぅ。。種まきも終わり種をまいた苗箱を田んぼに据え付けしています。５月中旬には田植えが出来るまで芽がでます。。中腰になって据え付けるので腰がいて～(￣▽￣;) pic.twitter.com/9bGOubYpPQ
— 岡野　典生 (@aizu_ginntoki) April 15, 2016
We started growing koshihikari [the most popular strain of rice in Japan that was developed in Sakai, Fukui Prefecture in the post-war years] 28 years ago here in Aizu, Fukushima. First we grow the seedlings under cover here, and then transfer them to the rice paddy in mid-May when they're tall enough for planting.
Sometimes the seedlings are grown in and sold by large greenhouses operated by the local agricultural cooperative.
育苗センターでもいろいろ
みてきたよー(๑و•̀ω•́)و💓
お米ができるまでには88の苦労が
あるらしいけど今日みただけでも
たくさんの苦労があったよー😳
５月の田植えちょっと楽しみになった💓#JAお米アンバサダー pic.twitter.com/deQVZwrrPe
— ʚ麻央ɞ (@mao2_world) April 14, 2016
Here we are at the nursery. It's often said it takes an awful lot of effort to grow rice, and after visiting here today I can see why that is. I am really looking forward to rice planting in May, though!
There are a variety of strains of rice grown in Japan, each developed to match a specific microclimate. Kochijiwase is grown in a corner of Niigata known for a cooler climate.
越路早生 です。
今年は順調らしいです。
21日からは田植えが始まります！ pic.twitter.com/m8uvbQWrsi
— 渡邉 たける (@Takerutti_1021) April 13, 2016
This is a rice strain called koshijiwase. It looks like it's doing well. On April 21 we will be planting it!
The rice seedlings are typically planted by a specialized tractor developed in Japan after World War II.
https://t.co/8uyrHLAnoq 田植え #農業 #ビデオ pic.twitter.com/LSynWhnBCC
— Takeshi Kuro (@kuro_takeshi) April 13, 2016
Planting rice.
The flooded rice fields make for spectacular images.
２年前の同じ場所。
田植えの時期はキラキラで綺麗。 pic.twitter.com/sqFmcTfqav
— もももももももももももももももも (@MFKM_WFWF) April 12, 2016
Before and after shots of planting rice.
Rice planting is also a time for Japanese people to bond as they participate in an activity that is typically linked to Japan's national soul.
ええな、田植え🌾
もっかいやりたい、田植え🌾
幡多農で、みんなで🌾
幡多農の3年生、
放課後部活ある子ははめはずして
こんなんならんように気をつけて（笑）
後々めっちゃ大変やけんね👍🏻@boss14_8 pic.twitter.com/ubO7idAm11
— ゆうな (@kuu_masu) April 20, 2016
Rice planting… I'd like to try again! All of the third-year students at Hata Agricultural High School had an awesome time planting rice as part of after-school clubs. We got a little dirty, though.


text:
Journalist Zoran Božinovski’s Supporters Fear Extradition to Macedonia Puts Him at Risk of Torture · Global Voices
Marko Angelov

Zoran Božinovski. A photo circulated by his family via Facebook as part of appeals for his freedom.
Serbian authorities extradited journalist Zoran Božinovski, who sought political asylum in Serbia months before he was arrested on charges of espionage, extortion and criminal conspiracy, back to Macedonia on April 21. He is currently in a Macedonian detention center, and colleagues and family fear that his life and health could be in danger due to past threats of torture reportedly made against him by high-up politicians.
Božinovski owns the tabloid-style web portal Burevesnik.org, famous for publishing leaked information that seems to implicate prominent members of the Macedonian political elite in a variety of misdeeds.
In 2012 the Macedonian government run by the right-wing party VMRO-DPMNE started a court case code-named “Spy” (“Шпион” in Macedonian) accusing about 20 people, including government critics and whistle-blowers, for spying on behalf of EU members Greece and Hungary. Macedonia did not issue a diplomatic note to these countries for this alleged offence. In fact, three months later, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov gave a medal to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for being “a great friend and supporter” of Macedonia.
The government staged spectacular arrests of some of the accused suspects, leading to conviction of 17 people by October 2014. Božinovski, who emigrated in Serbia some time before for safety reasons, appealed for political asylum there. Macedonian authorities issued an international warrant leading to Božinovski's arrest in Serbia in November 2013. After more than 300 days in prison, he was released by the Serbian Court of Appeals while the case for his extradition continued to be processed.
Leaked wiretapped conversations published by Macedonia's political opposition in 2015 revealed some top politicians seemingly making threats of torture toward Božinovski. In a conversation between Martin Protuger, the right-hand man of Macedonia's then-Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, and the then-Minister of Interior Gordana Jankuloska, the two discuss how to torture him once he's within their power. Protuger requests to pay him a visit “with the CCTV camera turned off in that time.” They also discuss arranging his rape by other inmates as something “that goes without saying.”
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia condemned the extradition, stating that it's “perverse” to extradite a journalist to a country where secret police illegally survey journalists and the president pardons such crimes (President Ivanov announced on April 12 he was granting a pardon to more than 50 top politicians and their associates who were under investigation over the revelations contained in the leaked wiretaps):
Веруваме дека експресната одлука на српските власти за есктрадиција е политички мотивирана и ќе предизвика сериозна штета врз слободата на медиумите не само во Македонија, туку и пошироко во регионот.
Со екстрадицијата Србија свесно го изложува на напотребен ризик новинарот Божиновски иако претходно беа информирани за заканите што врз него ги упатуваа највисоките претставници на власта. Српската влада ќе сноси одговорност ако Божиновски во македонските затвори биде изложен на нечовечки третман.
We believe that the prompt extradition decision of Serbian authorities is politically motivated and that it will cause serious damage to freedom of media not only in Macedonia, but in the wider region also.
With this extradition, Serbia consciously exposes the journalist Božinovski to unnecessary risk, even though they were previously informed about the threats against him by the highest government representatives. The Serbian government will bear responsibility if Božinovski is exposed to inhuman treatment in Macedonian prisons.
In March, the anti-torture committee of the Council of Europe (an international organization for the promotion of democracy and human rights with 47 member states, not to be confused with the 28-nation  European Union) published a report on the conditions within the Macedonian penal system, expressing deep concern due to “numerous consistent allegations of ill-treatment of detainees by custodial staff were received, and there were frequent instances of inter-detainee violence.”
Association of Journalists of Serbia also expressed concern about Božinovski's safety after his extradition to Macedonia.
Anti-government portals in Macedonia accuse the Serbian government of collusion with the Macedonian government. Both countries are currently run by right-wing parties which are members of the European People's Party, a center-right European-wide political party with a presence in the European Union and the Council of Europe. For example, their critics point to an incident in October 2015, when Serbian authorities simply released former Macedonian secret service chief and Gruevski's cousin Sašo Mijalkov after a short detention for smuggling a gun and ammunition on an airplane. The results of an investigation into the case in Macedonia are still pending.

author: Marko Angelov