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Spain: Are You For or Against EuroVegas?  · Global Voices
Camille Comméléran

Las Vegas in Europe… Do you like the sound of it? A giant complex that wouldn't pale in comparison with its American counterpart with its six casinos, three golf courses, nine theatres and twelve hotels, not to mention a multitude of restaurants and shops.
This is the project being put forward by multibillionaire Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands and 14th wealthiest person in the world according to Forbes magazine. After having conquered America (Nevada and Pennsylvania) as well as Asia (Macao and Singapore), the gambling magnate now contemplates taking over Europe, and more specifically Spain [fr].
The colossal project would create more than 200,000 jobs, attract between 15 and 18.8 billion euros worth of investments up until 2022, and generate more than 15 billion euros from tourism income over ten to fifteen years. It seems an apparent golden opportunity for a country bogged down in the Euro Crisis, as Spain is one of the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain) [fr], a derogatory term used to refer to these economically fragile states.
Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands, picture taken by the7eye.org.il on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Two regions are in contention: Madrid and Catalonia. The presidents of both of these autonomous communities have put their full support behind this project and have claimed to be ready to do anything to win the EuroVegas ‘jackpot’.
In an interview with Spanish radio network Cope, Esperanza Aguirre,  [es] president of the Community of Madrid, has avowed her ‘duty’ to establish EuroVegas in Madrid:
“[…] son 200.000 puestos fijos cuando se acabe, sin contar todos los de la construcción de este complejo hotelero. Hay mucha gente a quien no le gusta esto. Porque a la gente que tiene mi edad, le parece un espanto lo de Las Vegas, del juego, de los casinos… le parece sórdido. Pero la gente joven […] todos han ido a Las Vegas, porque el Las Vegas de hoy no tiene nada que ver con el Las Vegas de hace 40 años. Las Vegas es un lugar donde el juego representa el 18%, el resto son congresos, los mejores cantantes, los mejores espectáculos, los mejores teatros, los mejores lugares de deportes. Entonces es como un parque temático para adultos.”
As for Artur Mas [es], president of the Principality of Catalonia, he regards this project as a macro-investment which would generate quality tourism. In response to criticism by citizens, like Aguirre, he doesn't believe gambling to be a significant detail [es]:
Lo menos importante de todo esto son los casinos. Lo más importante es convertir el área de Barcelona y Catalunya en el primer centro turístico de largo de toda Europa, por encima de París y Londres”.
However, such a favourable prospect requires making some concessions. The Madrid edition of newspaper El País has drawn up a list of all the compromises demanded [es] by the multibillionaire, classified into six categories: labour, investment, infrastructure, real estate and urbanisation, legal framework, and taxation.
These include: the complete renouncement of rights over all public property in the defined zone; exemption from social security contributions for two years; exemption from the Value Added Tax for ten years; the reform of workers’ legal status, notably that of foreign workers; the bearing of the costs by the Autonomous Community for the building of all public transport infrastructure to the complex; authorised access to the casinos for minors and banned gamblers, etc.
Singapore's casino, picture taken by Nathaniel Hayag, Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0).
While the mayor of Madrid seems willing to accept these conditions, the mayor of El Prat de Llobregat (a town in the suburbs of Barcelona where the complex might be established), Lluís Tejedor, is adamantly hostile to the project [es]:
On the Internet, despite a lot of debate in view of future job prospects, the majority of netizens are against EuroVegas. Here is a selection of Twitter comments published under the hashtag #eurovegas:
@jbasagoiti: #Eurovegas es el nuevo “maná” que va a resolver los problemas de Madrid o Barcelona. Yo creo que no es verdad. bit.ly/yJD9Vj
@Brigi34: El interés en #Eurovegas es por sus beneficios en economía y empleo: lavozlibre.com/noticias/ampli… vía @AddThis
@exp_catalunya: Un exdirectivo de Disney avisa a España sobre el tipo de ocio que supone #Eurovegasexpansion.com/2012/03/09/cat… vía @expansioncom
Internet users comment on an article from daily newspaper El País [es]:
yosisoytonto: No escarmentamos ¿Eh?. Lo triste es que piense que este país es como una puta hambrienta. Lo indignante ,que la marquesita se comporte como tal. Este Mr. Forbes quiere un paraíso fiscal para seguir robando con su negocio del juego (estafa confundida con la suerte). Se pide un modelo productivo racional, tecnológico, avanzado y se trae a la mafia Yankee del juego . Sr. Marquesa, no todo vale por la pasta . Cierre usted las piernas ,que es muy desagradable verla de esta guisa a su edad.
asdf111: A mí lo que me parece una vergüenza es que El País intente echar a perder un proyecto que todavía está en fase de negociación. Ojala se construya algún día algo como lo que aparece en esa foto aquí en Madrid. Muchas de las reformas que pide son lógicas y, dado como estamos en estos momentos, necesarias. Tampoco veo por qué criticar ciertas exenciones durante los primeros años (como se hace con cualquier negocio).
An online platform to voice arguments against EuroVegas called ‘EuroVegas No‘ [es] has recently been created and a press conference was organised last Wednesday, 14 March, during which different organisations expressed their opinions. One of the opposition's strongest argument was that EuroVegas will generate a tax haven.
The negotiations conducted between Adelson and the Spanish government should be closed by this coming summer. In the meantime, the debate surrounding the construction of EuroVegas remains highly visible in the media, while celebrities are beginning to take part in it, such as Roberto Saviano [es], the Italian author of a book on the Italian mafia, Gomorra, who wrote on Twitter:
@robertosaviano: Si aprueban el Eurovegas (Las Vegas de la UE), Cataluña se convertiría oficialmente en el centro de reciclaje mafioso de Occidente.

author: Camille Comméléran


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Sudan: Why Clooney’s Arrest is Both Good and Bad  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Moez Alie explains why George Clooney's arrest outside Sudan Embassy in Washington, D.C. on 16 March, 2012 is both good and bad: “I will concede that George Clooney's arrest has shed some light on Sudan's issues, but it's shedding it wrong. Sudan's problems are far more complicated that Mr Clooney might think, and Sudan's situation is extremely volatile.”.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Uganda: Kony 2012 Video Response From Ugandan Prime Minister · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This post is part of our special coverage Kony 2012.
Uganda’s Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has taken to YouTube to respond to a viral video campaign launched by Invisible Children to raise support for the arrest of wanted war criminal Joseph Kony. Contrary to what the video says, Mbabazi argues that Joseph Kony is not in Uganda and that the country is not in conflict.
The video by Invisible Children has received criticism from Ugandan netizens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ye5X9Xdg2CE
Mbabazi's video has attracted over 100 comments. Below are some interesting comments from YouTube users:
jordsa01 says:
there are so many good organizations in Uganda doing so much good. Basically, the Prime Minister is saying give your money to organizations that actually do something. like Watoto Childrens Villages (watoto.com) that focus on the future of Uganda, rather than emotionally bringing up old problems. thank you for this response!
Some netizens think oil has got to do with 2012 campaign.
Mrfreeworld1000 argues:
Just days after oil was discovered in Uganda Obama suddenly declares he will protect the Ugandans from the LRA, which doesn't even exist. It's quite clear that the US government had a lot to do with the Invisible Children movement suddenly going viral
sebek23b writes:
they found oil recently in Uganda so we need military peace mission to take down bad guy and we need to take “care” of oil in order to ensure that bad guy doesn't profit from it.
However, juansayblue thinks Kony 2012 campaign has nothing to do with oil or even Kony:
Uganda Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. Photo source: @amamambabazi.
The hole “Kony 2012″ video had nothing to do with oil or Kony. It just had to do with money for invisible children. They knew ppl would donate and that Kony was gone so they made those boxes you had to BUY. All just a big scam for Invisible Children to take your money
So is OddOpinion:
@sebek23b Invisible Children was around way longer than the knowledge of that oil.
Other netizens like soundbeans turned their criticism to Uganda's government:
Mbabazi the problems of Uganda is all caused by corruption in your government.
marksturgeon writes:
Terribly produced attempted propaganda. If the Uganda ministers wanted Kony arrrested, Kony would have been in prison a long time ago. Uganda denies basic human rights and promoted segregation of races and the most violent homophobia in any state. The foreign office advises to “Avoid all travel to part(s) of country”
Ugacentricity notes that Invisible Children's intentions may have been good, but…:
No doubt, Jason's intentions MAY have been good, but he threw truth and fact out in favour of drama and innuendo. True, he may not have got the 100 million+ viewers, but the end doesn't always justify the means. As a Ugandan who was affected by Kony, I'd rather have had 100 people listening to the truth in my story than 100 million believing the untruths in it.
mixmatchofficial observes that Kony 2012 video is not about Uganda:
the Kony 2012 video is NOT about uganda. it is about Kony. the video DOES make a point to say that Uganda is NOT in conflict any more as it demonstrated by showing Jacob and other Ugandan residents being freed and coming to America. the point of the video is to raise money to develop tracking systems and aid the ugandan army to hunt Kony elsewhere in Africa. this is a classic political response to save face on the side of Uganda, but in no way does it diminish the importance of the IC mission
hpnuevo agrees:
@mixmatchofficial
you said it right mate..its not about Uganda to make things clear..Its about a notorious Ugandan national named Joseph Kony.
MrSmhhc8 wonders why no one is calling attention to atrocities taking place in the US:
There is nothing wrong with wanting to help rid the world of evil like Kony, the problem is that many people will blindly trust everything they see in a well made video and not do any further research. There are unspeakable atrocities going on every day south of the U.S. border or for that matter, in our own country, that you don't hear anyone calling to action about.
AlgerianMAZB thinks Kony 2012 campaign is a bit misguided:
I respect what the “invisible children” charity have been trying to achieve but let not forget that things far worse have been happening & are still happening in the world today. Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan etc. This is something that the Uganda government feels they can control so let them control it. The last thing the Uganda people need is US Soldiers flying in to steal their oil. Again i'm not saying that what the charity is doing is wrong. They're just a bit misguided
Some African netizens critical of the video decided to tweet about “what they love about Africa” with the hash tag #WhatILoveAboutAfrica.
This post is part of our special coverage Kony 2012.


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Video: Studying, Creating and Editing Videos with Cerebral Palsy  · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Christopher Hill is a young man living with cerebral palsy, and through the video One switch. One head. The world. produced, directed and edited by himself he explains how he uses one button to connect to the world through his computer. (via engadget)

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Argentina: Documentary on Indigenous People in Buenos Aires  · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
The documentary Runa Kuti, Urban Natives shows us the stories of four descendants of indigenous communities living in the city of Buenos Aires, and how they struggle with reclaiming their identity, rediscovering their culture and making a place for themselves in the city.
http://vimeo.com/32219379
The film focuses on several descendants of indigenous groups who all live in Buenos Aires. Through their stories they share how they were raised sheltered from their own roots as their parents decided to shelter them from the exclusion and discrimination by not teaching them their indigenous language or customs, others grew up in ignorance of their ancestors origins, and how they have decided to embrace their tradition and culture as a way to empower themselves and take pride in their heritage.
Runa Kuti, Urban Natives, produced and directed by Paola Castaño and Dailos Batista Suárez, has been shown in several film festivals around the region, and in a push to get the message out to the greatest quantity of people, they have released it under a Creative Commons License. They explain on their 12 March, 2012, blogpost [es]:
Hoy estamos de celebración, después de meses de guardarlo en la nevera mientras nos presentábamos a festivales hoy por fin podemos anunciar que ya está liberado completo el documental ‘Runa Kuti, indígenas urbanos’ para que cualquiera pueda verlo y compartirlo, para que su historia y su mensaje lleguen a la mayor cantidad de personas posible.
Lo hemos subido a Vimeo en una versión de baja calidad, y le hemos activado la posibilidad de descarga, así que si querés podes verlo online o descargarlo. Nuestra mayor satisfacción es que este trabajo ayude a mostrar la realidad indígena de Buenos Aires al mundo, así que si lo podés compartir por cualquier red social o email a tus contactos nos harás un gran favor.
Today we are celebrating, after months of keeping it in the refrigerator while we presented it to festivals we can finally announce today that the documentary ‘Runa Kuti, urban natives’ has been completely liberated so that everyone is able to watch it and share it, so that its story and message get to the greatest quantity of people possible.
We've uploaded it to Vimeo in a low quality version, and we have activated the download option, so you can watch it online or download it if you like. Our greatest satisfaction is taht this work will help to show the indigenous reality in Buenos Aires to the world, so if you can share it through any social network or email to your contacts you'd be doing us a great favor.
The trailer for the documentary has already been subtitled into English and they are hoping that people will help and pitch in to create the subtitles for the full-length documentary:
http://vimeo.com/37754616
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.


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Australia: Mining Magnate’s Bizarre Claim of CIA Coal Conspiracy · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

In a “bizarre” outburst mining magnate Clive Palmer joined the ranks of the CIA conspiracy theorists this week during the Queensland State election campaign. Australian bloggers have revelled in his accusations that the CIA funds Green candidates and organisations such as Greenpeace.
Club Troppo’s Don Arthur summarised:
On Tuesday mining magnate Clive Palmer fronted the media and announced that the US Central Intelligence Agency is using the Rockefeller Foundation to fund a campaign to undermine Australia’s coal industry.
His apparent confusion between the Foundation and the Rockerfeller Family Fund brought out a mixture of irony and sarcasm from JD Lang of Independent Australia in ‘Clive Palmer is rich so we should hear him out‘:
It is tempting to dismiss these allegations as the fantastical ravings of an obviously unsound mind; the preposterous and risibly demented squawks of a man possessed by a feverishly overactive imagination, complete lack of general knowledge, and a pitifully underdeveloped cerebral cortex.
…You don’t get to be so very, very, very, VERY rich by living in a complete fantasy world of spooks and conspiracies and reds under the bed all looking to take away your vast, vast, fortune (my precious), do you? Of course not.
In ‘Clive Palmer’s truth is really out there‘, Tory Shepherd seems dogged by conspiracists:
Clive Palmer’s conspiracy is amusing, but not harmless. Every time someone with influence squanders reason, a little truth puppy dies.
Palmer has his supporters. Barnaby is Right doesn’t trust the media to get the story correct:
I am certainly not jerking the knee in a self-glorifying display of imagined-witty insults, spewed bile, and general ad hominem abuse.
Like many journalists.
I am curious to follow up, to decide for myself whether there is any substance to Mr Palmer’s claims.
Especially since my own research over many years suggests there may be more than a little ring of truth in what he has said.
At Pure Poison Dave Gaukroger is also concerned about media, but this time it is lack of coverage by Murdoch platforms:
When a prominent, influential donor and supporter of one of our major political parties announces that the intelligence agency of a foreign power is orchestrating a campaign against Australian interests you think that’d be pretty big news. Apparently not if that person is Clive Palmer.
Colin of whatintheworld is worried about another world order, adding the United Nations to the CIA covert campaign:
It has started with the Carbon Tax and will continue until every resource property and industry is completely under the rules and regulations of the UN all in the name of sustainability.
Watching the Deniers must have been following Colin as he sees parallels with Palmer’s climate scepticism:
Conspiracy thinking and the fear of the “other” runs deep within the denial movement.
In the deniers world bankers, scientists, the UN, Freemasons, Greens and socialists are plotting to take over the globe and reduce our living standards on par with the stone age.
Cartoon from New Matilda: courtesy Fiona Katauskas
Palmer’s claims have raised a number of other conspiracies related to political power. He has a high profile in conservative politics as an active participant in and major financial donor to the Liberal and National Parties. He has been active in his opposition to the Gillard government’s Mining Profits tax. He also plans a High Court challenge to its Carbon price legislation.
His alleged misuse of and influence on the political process has given rise to an ugly war of words with Wayne Swan, Federal Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister. At the academic blog The Conversation, Jean-Paul Gagnon is clearly concerned that money speaks too loudly:
There is great anxiety among scholars over the influence of money, vested interests, and corporate lobbies in most modern governments.
… Swan’s position is more in line with the broad international and deep humanistic ethos of democracy. Palmer has no legitimacy and his comments have served to further erode the power of money, crass materialism and useless greed.
In addition, past accusations of CIA meddling in Oz politics have resurfaced such as Don Arthur’s reference to a right wing cultural journal:
While there’s no evidence that Australian green groups are being funded by the CIA there is one Australian organisation known to have received CIA funding — Quadrant magazine.
Twittter tag #clivepalmer has also added to the conspiracy theories with many wacky contributions.
Finally online advocacy organisation GetUp! has released a video parody of a CIA response:
As they say: One person's conspiracy is another person's reality.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bhutan: The Criterion For Judging the best schools · Global Voices
Rezwan

Passu Diary dicusses what should be the criterion for judging the best schools in Bhutan.

author: Rezwan


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Cape Verde: Calling Out Creative Writers · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Cape Verdean blogger and journalist Odair Varela has launched a creative writing competition [pt] that will last for one month. The first of four weekly challenges consists of writing about how the country will be in the year 2090 [pt]. The essays should be submitted until March 27, 2012.

author: Sara Moreira


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Costa Rica: Hacktivism and ‘Operation Fiscal Plan’ · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

José Medrano from Carepicha Blog [es] writes about ‘Operation Fiscal Plan,’ a Denial of Service Attack planned by Anonymous Costa Rica against government websites to show the public discontent regarding the government's Tax Plan. José also analyzes what the government's response to this attack should be, and concludes: “In this blog we do not support the use of criminal actions for activism, but we also live and let live as long as this does not affect national security.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Ecuador: The ‘March for Life’ Approaches Quito · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The March for Life is approaching the Ecuadorean capital of Quito without major delays. In a previous post the march was near to the Azogues [es], Cañar [es] (where participants discovered and handed over an undercover cop [es] in the march), and  Zhud (es) regions. From there they continued on to Alausí and Gamote [es].
In Gamote they joined up with another march [es] coming from the Amazonian regions of Morona Santiago and el Pastaza, made up of people from the Zápara, Shuar and Ashuar ethnic groups who had recently  broken [es] their alliances with the government.
The March then continued through the cities of Riobamba [es] and Ambato [es], where they rested [es], arriving in Latacunga on Monday. There they met up with [es] more delegates from the Shuar and Sarayacu communities, all the while surrounded by police surveillance in both vans and helicopters.
There were also billboard advertisements on the route with  messages in support of the government [es] and against the protests, in which the marchers were labeled as cowards. The tweet [es] below from Maria Mendoza (@mariamendoza200) shows one example:
Con recursos del ESTADO, se desprestigia el derecho a la libre expresión del pueblo del Ecuador. #marchaporlavida http://pic.twitter.com/jz4aPiQE
"Destabilization is the weapon of cowards" photo by Maria Mendoza via Twitter
Government supporters also condemned [es] the use of alcohol on the march, since in Cuenca, the prefect of Azuay, Paúl Carrasco, gave corn and a bottle of alcohol to his counterpart from Zamora Chinchipe, Salvador Quishpe, leader of the March. But the protesters mitigated [es] this fact by putting it in the context of local traditions and denying the use of alcohol in the march outside of ritual purposes.
Another strategy in the negative campaign [es] that the government is using to detract participants from the March is that of scheduling events [es] and  aid deliveries [es] to the communities where the March is passing, so that the March always ends up having to go head to head with government supporters in a show of strength [es].
Meanwhile in Quito, the government supporters are organizing themselves in anticipation of the arrival of the March for Life and have already occupied of parts of [es] the Plaza Grande (or Plaza de la Independencia), erecting tents in the vestibule of the cathedral of Quito in a sort of vigil.
On the other hand, supporters for the March for Life are evaluating [es] strategies to deal with this. A parallel march originating from Otavalo and Imbabura to the north of Quito is planned [es] and is expected to have 5,000 participants. The March for Life, on the other hand will arrive in Quito from the South.
Poster for the March for Life
In the Ecuadorian blogosphere there is little buzz about the March, aside from those blogs that are already tied to the subject of indigenous people. The extent to which people are blogging about this issue is basically to simply reproduce announcements and other similar articles. Perhaps when the March arrives in Quito the view will change.
Among those blogs that do post on the issue is Crónicas del Despojo, that uploaded [es] the document entitled “the Mandate of the Plurinational March” to SlideShare. Here is an extract:
2. No a la minería a gran escala. Cumplimiento del Mandato Constituyente n°6 (Minero). Exigencia a la Corte Constitucional para que resuelva la acción de incumplimiento de dicho mandato. Derogatoria de la Ley Minera por ser inconstitucional. Nulidad del contrato de explotación minera firmado el día 5 de marzo entre el gobierno nacional y la empresa ECSA Ecuacorriente. Presentación del informe de contraloría de este proyecto.
3. No ampliación de la frontera petrolera. Suspensión de la Décima y Decimoprimera Ronda Petrolera. Respeto a la autodeterminación de los pueblos libres (en aislamiento voluntario) y cumplimiento de las medidas cautelares dictadas por la CIDH. Suspensión de las operaciones en el bloque 31 y plena garantía de intangibilidad del ITT. Suspensión inmediata de la construcción del proyecto Poleoducto [sic] Pascuales – Cuenca.
2. No to large-scale mining. Fulfillment of the Constitutional Mandate No. 6 (mining). Demand that the Constitutional Court resolve the breaching of said mandate. Annulment of the Mining Law for being unconstitutional. Nullification of the mining contract that was signed the 5th of March between the national government and the company ECSA Ecuacorriente. Review of the controller's report on this project.
3. No to widening of the oil zone. Suspension of the tenth and eleventh round of oil bidding. With regard to the self determination of the free people (in voluntary exile) and the fulfillment of the precautionary measures dictated by the CIDH. Cessation of the operations in block 31 and full guarantee of the legal intangibility of the ITT (Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini). Immediate suspension of the construction of the Pascuales-Cuenca Pipeline project.
In Ecuador Contaminada, a press release from Comunicación Ecuarunari, Red de Comunicadores Kichwas -Ecuachaski, that discussed the March's progress through Azogues was republished [es]:
Más de 2000 comuneros y comuneras de la UPCCC del cantón Cañar no pudieron llegar al punto de encuentro dado que el reten policial colocado en la vía hacia Azogues detuvo los vehículos impidiendo su participación. La masividad de la marcha sorprendió a los pobladores locales, que hace años no vivían una concentración tan masiva. Una de las observadoras exclamaba que no pensó que los indígenas tuvieran tanta fuerza aun.
Voces Obreras reproduced [es] a notice from the Government council Sarayaku [es], a Kichwa community in the  Pastaza province [es], in the Ecuadorean Amazon.
Sarayaku como baluarte de la lucha anti petrolera, siempre ha estado inmerso en defender los derechos de los pueblos indígenas y de los pueblos amazónicos, hoy con más razón sale a reivindicar sus derecho a la resistencia y estar en las jornadas convocada por la CONAIE, nosotros como pueblos no dejaremos de luchar para defender nuestra madre tierra
The blog Ecuachaski also posted [es] an article that mentions the reasons why the people of descent Puruway [es] are protesting and joining the march:
Basta señor presidente de seguir entregando nuestras tierras, nuestras aguas, nuestra riqueza a las empresas mineras extranjeras, basta de más impuestos para los pobres, expresó, Salvador Quishpe, prefecto de Zamora Chinchipe, quien compartió las declaraciones realizadas por la Ministra de Secretaria de Pueblos, Mireya Cárdenas, que el areteo a los ganados si es para cobrar los impuestos progresivamente. Contra esta medida gubernamental estamos luchando y caminando hacía la ciudad de Quito, para exigir alto a los impuestos.
In YouTube videos of the march continue to be posted. Users Comunicandonos y manasur3 shared these two videos with music and images of the march:
TVEcuadorLibreRed published this small report:
Finally, 78gigos shares this citizen video of the march in Riobamba on March 16, 2012:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIfleV1CiCQ&feature=player_embedded

author: Juan Arellano


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European Commission’s ‘Clash of Civilizations’ Video Blunder · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

A video parodying the film Kill Bill and building on a “clash of civilizations” theme has been made by the European Commission (EC) to promote enlargement of the European Union to young adults. However, the video was pulled on March 6, 2012, after it made the rounds online and was subject to virulent accusations of racism.
The removal did not prevent the controversy from inflaming blogs and social networks.  At the time of writing, the clip is still available for viewing on Daily Motion [fr] and YouTube:
News website 24heures.ch [fr] described the scenario of the video in detail:
Une jeune femme blanche de peau dans une combinaison qui fait penser à celle d’Uma Turman dans le film Kill Bill de Tarantino, fait face à chaque adversaire mâle arrivant dans l’entrepôt où elle se trouve. L’un est visiblement originaire d’Asie, l’autre d’Inde et le dernier, du Brésil. L’Europe face aux puissances émergentes? Leur attitude est agressive quand la jeune femme ferme les yeux et se dédouble plusieurs fois pour former un cercle autour des combattants, tout à coup doux comme des agneaux.
La symbolique lourdingue du clip se termine par un slogan affirmant: «Plus nous serons nombreux, plus nous serons forts». Juste avant, le cercle de femmes vu d’en haut s’est transformé en un drapeau étoilé de l’UE.
The website comments:
L’incroyable de cette histoire, c’est qu’il y a eu probablement plusieurs hauts-fonctionnaires bruxellois qui n’ont simplement rien vu d’offensant dans ces images. En ligne hier sur quelques sites d’information, ce clip-vidéo a été retiré en début d’après-midi et la campagne annulée.
The Facebook [fr] page of the Parti des Indigènes de la République quotes an article from Regards.fr [fr], the “anti-capitalist monthly”:
Ce stupéfiant petit film, bourré de stéréotypes racistes et essentialistes a été pensé, réalisé puis mis en ligne le vendredi 2 mars par les communicants de la délégation générale de l’élargissement de l’Union européenne de la Commission de Bruxelles. Face au tollé soulevé, il en a été retiré le mardi suivant, 6 mars. Le temps de faire un petit buzz sur Internet mais sans que la presse, en tout cas française, n’en fasse vraiment ses choux gras.
At the other end of the political spectrum the interpretation is different. Jean-Patrick Grumberg, for dreuz.info [fr] states:
Je trouve cette vidéo mensongère, mais pas raciste. Mensongère car je ne vois pas ce que l’Europe fait pour se protéger de l’invasion islamiste, mais je vois, au contraire, ce qu’elle fait pour la favoriser. Je ne vois pas ce que l’Europe fait pour se protéger contre l’immigration d’Africains, mais je vois ce qu’elle fait pour la favoriser, et je ne vois pas en quoi la Chine, que les dirigeants Européens ne cessent d’appeler au secours pour renflouer leurs caisses, représente un danger.
A still from the offending European Commission video
On Twitter reactions have been varied and often impassioned:
@LauraLardy: L'UE fait la promotion de la guerre des civilisations et du racisme…
@sergiomarx: La video de la Commission est-elle vraiment raciste ? Ou est-ce que le racisme ne serait pas plutôt dans l'oeil du spectateur ?
Could this affair become a textbook example for EC trainees? The blog Décrypter la communication européenne [fr] explains the key points of this “conflict of interpretation” while listing the press articles covering this story:
Le communiqué officiel signé par le Directeur général de la DG Élargissement justifie la diffusion de la vidéo en expliquant que la cible a laquelle la vidéo était destinée avait réagi positivement lors des tests de pré-lancement :
“C’était un clip viral, ciblant à travers les réseaux sociaux, un public jeune (16-24) qui comprend l’intrigue et les thèmes des films d’arts martiaux et de jeux vidéo. Les réactions de ces publics ciblés ont en effet été positives, tout comme celles des focus groupes sur lesquels le concept avait été testé.“
The conclusion of the blog agrees with the opinions of most Internet users [fr]:
Quoique la Commission européenne ait reconnu qu’il y avait un problème avec la vidéo controversée en choisissant de la retirer ; la divergence d’interprétation avec les médias sur la raison du retrait montre que la Commission reste sourde à l’accusation d’absence de clairvoyance quant à la potentielle lecture raciste de la vidéo.

author: Suzanne Lehn


text:
Global Voices in Greek Celebrates 1,000 Posts · Global Voices
Asteris Masouras

Launched in March 2011, at a time of increasing hardships and intense international criticism for Greece due to the dramatically unfolding financial crisis, Global Voices in Greek reached 1,000 published translations of Global Voices posts on February 8, 2012 – in just a little over 10 months.
A team of more than 20 volunteer translators, most of whom are young journalists, professional translators and activists, have been working together to bring to Greek speakers a selection of news from around the world.
The project affords its community the opportunity to expose Greek-speaking audiences to a wide range of stories and perspectives from around the world. This is especially pertinent at a time when the financial crisis is gripping people's minds and hearts, and when mainstream media, embroiled in a chronic crisis of credibility besides the financial one, are “downsizing” their coverage of all issues except those directly serving their financial needs.
Global Voices in Greek project logo
Top content
The first translation in Greek was of John Liebhardt's post “Libya: Mourning Mohammed Nabbous” by Alexia Kalaitzi on March 21, 2011; it was a fitting tribute to an iconic fallen citizen journalist. The 1,000th translation was of Silvia Viñas’ post “Chile: NGO Report Reveals Increase in Sex Crimes“, translated by Veroniki Krikoni.
The top 5 posts in terms of number of hits so far have been:
The post on the North Korea prison camps also leads keyword search results, followed by the post on Mohammed Nabbous. Leila Nachawati's first story on the Spanish indignados protestors was a groundbreaking top result (the 217 hits on the following day is our ‘all time record’), as Greek protest0rs quickly followed their example.
Some of the translators of Global Voices in Greek
Posting statistics
The top five translators by number of posts were Asteris Masouras, Veroniki Krikoni, Alexia Kalaitzi, Mirto Dimitrakoulia and Margie Lazou. Unsurprisingly, given the historic uprisings it witnessed in 2011, the Middle East and North African region was the most popular, followed by Latin America and Southeast Asia.
‘Citizen media’ was naturally included as a subject in almost all posts translated, followed by ‘Politics’ (435), ‘Protest’ (298), ‘Human rights’ (273), ‘Digital activism’ (230) and ‘Freedom of speech’ (194).
April through July 2011 were the most productive months of the Global Voices in Greek project, all exceeding 100 posts (169 in June), with September the least productive (46). Almost half of the posts translated (448) were full length articles, as opposed to paragraph-long news updates.
Global Voices in Greek was accessed from over 900 cities around the world
Traffic
Global Voices in Greek has had 18,297 visits and 38,610 pageviews since its inception. Incredibly, hits seem to have come from 918 cities around the world! Diaspora Greeks are spread across the world, and spambots probably account for many of those exotic hits, but the number is still incredible, and hopeful.
Visitors, however, predominantly come from Greece (74%), with a 6% from Cyprus and a smattering of ~2% from the UK, US and neighboring Macedonia. Forty percent of users have Greek as the default language installed on their computers, which means 60% of visitors are multilingual, including Greeks (English has been extremely popular as second language in Greece in recent decades).
Social media is very effective in promoting our work, although 26% of web referrals come from Global Voices itself. An impressive 25% from Twitter, while 16% come from Facebook. Meanwhile, cyprusnews.eu, a Cyprus-based news aggregator directs a hefty 13.1% of referral traffic to the site.
Among sibling projects, Global Voices French and Spanish direct most referral traffic, for which fact we're grateful to both communities. All translations are automatically posted to Facebook and manually to Twitter, while a Google+ page also exists. We would welcome reader suggestions to improve social media use, and you can also follow our translators on Twitter.
Finally, Greece has now provided three Global Voices in English authors (Asteris Masouras, Veroniki Krikoni and Alexia Kalaitzi), with more authors from Greece and Cyprus forthcoming.

author: Asteris Masouras


text:
Hong Kong Chief Executive Election: The Pig, the Wolf or Blank Vote? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Hong Kong Chief Executive “election” is about to take place on March 25, 2012. The 1,200 privileged election committee members have to choose between Henry Tang, nicknamed “Pig” by the Hong Kong press and Chung-ying Leung nicknamed “Wolf”, both of whom have been endorsed by the Beijing government as acceptable candidates. To protest against the undemocratic election system, the civil society is urging the election committee members to give up their privilege and cast a blank vote.
Sin-ming Shaw from Project Syndicate explained the background of the two candidates. Here comes Henry Tang, the ‘Pig':
Tang, the mild-mannered scion of a textile magnate whose father is a confidant of China’s former leader, Jiang Zemin, committed two elementary mistakes. The first was not confessing quickly enough to his having mistresses, one of whom has a college-age offspring whose father is probably Tang… The second error was even more inane. Local papers discovered that he had illegally built a large, deluxe wine cellar with a spa beneath one of his mansions. As a senior public servant, he knew that the construction was illegal, and that he should have taken remedial steps to legalize his actions or to abandon it – a matter merely of money, of which he has plenty.
A satirical poster remixed by Facebook user Rex Lee at Tang's Earthquake Page
As for the ‘Wolf’, C.Y Leung:
The tycoons fear that Leung’s deeply old-fashioned communist values would hurt their oligopolies. The press finds him evasive. The intelligentsia is wary of him as an underground Communist Party member, something that he has denied. And civil servants believe that Leung harbors resentment of Hong Kong’s British colonial legacy, of which the civil service is the most visible.
As Tang's personal scandal is more conspicuous to ordinary people, his popularity has fallen sharply behind Leung. At the same time, local pro-Beijing groups are spreading the news that C.Y Leung has become Beijing's designated future Chief Executive.
Frustrated by his opponent's attack and out of desperation, in a pubic debate on March 16, Tang revealed that C.Y Leung had supported the implementation of Basic Law Article 23 (the so-called national security legislation) by force and was ready to crack down on protesters with riot police and tear gas in 2003. He also revealed that Leung had pressured the Hong Kong government to shorten the license term of a local commercial radio in order to pressurise the media outlet to self-censor their programs.
Disturbed by the news, more and more people supported the ABC position, which means, Anyone-But-C.Y. Leung. Supporters of ABC have been urging the election committee members to do either of the following: 1) to vote for Albert Ho, a token candidate of the pan-democratic alliance who is not acceptable to the Beijing government; 2) to cast a blank vote or give up their vote; 3) to vote for Henry Tang who is unlikely to win as he has revealed government internal discussion to the public.
A major mobilization has been called upon by a civic coalition of more than 30 non-governmental organizations. They urge [zh] the election committee members to cast blank votes:
今年的「特首選戰」只是一場鬧劇，各候選人雖然都提出不同的政綱，但在過程中沒有諮詢並排拒基層市民的參與，更選擇性地接見有權勢有選票的團體。這突顯不論誰人當選，行政長官都只會為一小撮特權階級服務。更荒謬的是，主要候選人只透過互揭醜聞作政治宣傳手段，除顯示當權者缺乏政治誠信外，只不過是富豪階級及大財團的利益代言人，當選後只會將利益向金融資本和大商家輸送，而民間團體及普羅市民一直爭取的社會議題，最終只會石沉大海。
我們現呼籲全港市民以不同形式站出來，以行動杯葛小圈子選舉，而手握一票的人士，以「不投票」的形式，洗淨身上特權的污垢。
Profile picture of the Hong Kong Federation of Student Union's mobilization page
The Federation of Student Union has organized an overnight protest on the night of March 24. Below is an excerpt from their mobilization statement, via Facebook [zh]:
近日，社會輿論都集中在候選人的醜聞和私人生活上，把特首選舉鬧得熱哄哄。傳媒每日上演著一幕幕選戰風雲，給予我們有選擇權的幻象。然而，這無非是一小撮利益集團的權力鬥爭。香港人既沒有投票權也沒有決定權，而基於候選人不必向市民直接負責的關係，一般港人也不會是下屆特首的主要服務對象。…我們希望透過是次行動，將社會近來聚焦的方向，由候選人的醜聞轉移回到問題的根本：制度的不公和小圈子選舉的不平等，從而喚起民眾的醒覺，理解到自己的公民權利被剝削，從而走上繼續爭取民主自由的道路。

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
India: Tweet Fuels Communal Tensions in Kolkata · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Earlier this week, certain areas of Kolkata in West Bengal, India, were brought to a grinding halt by protesters protesting against a certain tweet, allegedly posted by an Indian model, which was in turn published in a leading English daily.
It started innocuously enough. On the 16th of this month, when the Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar scored his much-awaited 100th international hundred in Dhaka, cricket loving fans in India went all out to celebrate the occasion. Adulation poured in from all over.
The model in question, Poonam Pandey, too joined the bandwagon. She tweeted:
@iPoonampandey: Thinking wht pic shud i gif the ”God of Cricket”…
It was in this context that the controversial picture, apparently morphed and put together by one of her fans, came about. It showed a nude Poonam Pandey holding a picture of the Hindu God Vishnu whose head had morphed into Sachin, while a cricketer in green was bowing before the image. Poonam posted the picture on her timeline but it was only after the tweet (along with the picture) was published in the newspaper that trouble started brewing.
Offended by the picture, a section of the Muslim community in Kolkata took to the streets in protest. Soon, communal tensions threatened to escalate, so much so that the Chief Minister of West Bengal, along with opposition leaders as well as religious/ community leaders, had to step in and appeal to the people to maintain peace and harmony and not get provoked.The newspaper in question later tendered an unconditional apology, claiming that the tweet was published due to a ‘technical error’.
Zaidul Haque reported in TwoCircles.net:
Kolkata remained tense throughout Tuesday as protestors showed up at places to block vehicular traffic while some minor sporadic incidents of violence were also reported. Members of the Muslim community were protesting against the publication of nude picture of model Poonam Pandey with a frame showing Sachin Tendulkar as God and a Pakistani cricket player offering sajda before the frame. The image was published on Monday in English daily The Telegraph.
[…] The news of the nude picture spread rapidly throughout Kolkata’s Muslim dominated areas. Traffic was blocked in the Park Circus area, the heart of the city, and people gathered to protest against the newspaper. Rajabazar and Metiaburuz also remained tense….People demanded arrest of the Editor of The Telegraph. Schools in area were closed early. Then police came out on the street and requested people to maintain peace.
Though the mainstream media adopted somewhat of a studied silence, reports poured in through social networks. Tweets flew in, fast and furious:
@prasanto: Major ruckus at ABP, Kolkata now with cops, protesters after Telegraph carried Poonam Pandey tweet and pix
@IamAkimana: #poonampandey's stupid tweet nearly triggered a riot in some parts of Kolkata.Social is getting serious.
@SandeepGhose: The Telegraph published an offensive Tweet allegedly by PoonamPandey that caused outrage among the Muslims of the city Kolkata
A section of the tweeple called into question the possible motivation behind posting such a tweet. Others wondered about the role played by the mainstream media  in this entire episode.
@DebsankarMisra1: A pic uploaded by Poonam pandey cause a communal clash at Kolkata….is it the right way to get fame?
@vschanna: Isn't pic of nude Poonampandey in telegraph, “open porn”? Why has the media underplayed this? The media indeed is “PORNSTRUCK”.mediacrooks
@SreenandaSharma:@Raj_Shake_Her nothing's being reported strangely! maybe they don't wanna escalate it. my office is near Park Circus, so I know first hand.
@SandeepGhose: #Kolkata media largely ignore/down-play Park Circus incident (presumably, in d interest of communal harmony). Is that the right thing to do?
Some of those who were in the vicinity of the troubled area(s) tweeted from the scene. For example, Anushree (@anushrees) posted frequent updates with images from Park Circus – one of the key protest zones.
@anushrees: #Kolkata comes to a stand still thanks to poonam pandey http://pic.twitter.com/ojqFDDWI
@anushrees: All buses and trams have emptied out http://pic.twitter.com/C5jBqaUt
@anushrees: 7 point crossing park circus http://pic.twitter.com/x5FYaY4H
FahdHussein (@FahdHussein), who observed the protests from his balcony, tweeted:
@FahdHussein: Huge mob just started breaking public vehicles randomly in park circus. Stopped now. kolkata
When asked from where he had got the information, he clarified in another tweet:
@FahdiHussein: from my balcony?? It was weird. There was no rage in the mob.. Seemed more like a party.. And orchestrated.
A while later, he updated:
@FahdiHussein: A lot calmer now at park circus. There is police presence so doubt it will spiral out of control.. But avoid moving around.. kolkata
@FahdiHussein: RIOT RUMOURS ARE FALSE.. Park circus is calm. Mob has either dispursed or chilling near 7-point. kolkata
Some of the netizens however, wondered what the uproar was all about.
@SouravMaulik: trust some people to cause blockades due to a photoshopped tweet featured in a local newspaper.
@p_adic_Saurav: I still haven't figured out why a morphed picture of Poonam Pandey, Sachin & a Pakistan cricketer stirred up Kolkata Muslims…
Poonam Pandey, on her part, tried to distance herself from the controversy and commented on the incident as follows:
@iPoonampandey: I am really Shocked and Hurt over the incident in Kolkata, A fan made stupid morphed pic of mine was published by mistake on a News Paper
@iPoonampandey: I am a peaceloving person and I don't advocate any kind of violence… And crazy fans plz stop Morphing my pix
* Thumbnail image from Wikimedia Commons, used  under [CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0].

author: Aparna Ray


text:
Italy: Protests Blaze Over High-Speed Rail to France · Global Voices
Rachele Cinarelli

[all links in Italian unless otherwise indicated]
The debate surrounding the construction of a new railway line linking Turin to Lyon [en], which faces fierce opposition from the “No to Tav” movement, has turned increasingly bitter and an upsurge in protests has brought the affair into the political and media spotlight.
Since 1991, this protest movement, made up mainly of inhabitants of Valle di Susa in Piemonte, has opposed the construction of a high speed (treno altà velocità, or TAV, in Italian) railway line between Turin and Lyon. According to its opponents, the TAV project is not only pointless and costly but will also prove environmentally, socially and economically damaging to the area and its inhabitants, given that construction of the railway line will destroy a wide swathe of the countryside, leaving several villages changed beyond all recognition and resulting in the closure of small local businesses.
The Italian government and the European Union are determined to press ahead with what they consider a strategic project, as it will eventually link Northern Italy with Eastern Europe. The mayors and inhabitants of the communities affected insist that the construction of a new railway line is completely unjustifiable, given that goods traffic on the existent line is minimal. The project is due to cost the Italian state 30 million euro at a time when its citizens are tightening their belts in response to the current crisis.
Suppression of the opposition movement by the forces of order has been particularly severe over the last few months. Following clashes last summer, work on the railway line was restarted on  February  27 with the eviction of protesters from their camp and the fencing off of private land without due legal process.
A "No TAV" march, 25/02/2012, from Bussoleno to Susa. Photo reproduced under Creative Commons License BY-SA
During a recent demonstration against the dismantlement of the movement's camp, one of the best known members of the movement, Luca Abbà, was badly injured when he fell off a pylon, from a height of around ten metres. As a result, a halt to construction was requested. In the video which follows, which is also available on the YouReporter.it website, police officers burst into a bar after demonstrators blocked off a motorway, and proceeded to ID everyone present.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltFytXSsT6s
Police action of this kind and attempts in the national media to characterise opponents of the TAV as “violent”, have been interpreted by many netizens as a excuse to delegitimise the movement as a whole. On his blog Le Parole e le Cose (Words and Things), for example, Mauro Piras writes:
Il problema non è più prendere posizione. Pro o contro la TAV (o il TAV? la divisione passa anche per le parole, i No TAV della valle usano il maschile). E non è neanche quello dei “gruppetti di violenti” contrapposti alla “maggioranza dei manifestanti pacifici”. Questa rappresentazione è ingenua, o costruita. C’è qualcosa di più profondo, qualcosa che sfugge a noi quarantenni della classe media di, diciamo, centrosinistra
The debate has, by now, spread throughout the country, moving from centri sociali (non-profit community spaces, used for a variety of local activities and often centres of political and social dissent) [en] to schools. Students have also decided to demonstrate, as explained on the website Rete della conoscenza (Web of Knowledge):
Crediamo che quest'operazione della polizia avesse come unico obiettivo quello di criminalizzare e screditare un movimento che aveva organizzato una grande manifestazione pacifica (…).
La battaglia No Tav, non è solo una lotta di un popolo in difesa di una valle ma è una lotta di tutti coloro che credono che il territorio sia un bene comune da difendere e non da sfruttare per interessi economici, per questo torneremo in Val Susa e saremo sempre al fianco di chi lotta contro le opere inutili.
The Twitter debate has also been very heated. One of the critics of the the “No TAV” movement, @Axell, writes:
Gli studenti NO TAV dei licei che oggi hanno bloccato Porta Nuova e zone limitrofe sanno dove è la Val di Susa? #SiTav #aveterottoleballe
Among its supporters, however, were @fulviomassa:
“inizia ora la passeggiata verso la Baita Clarea” [where TAV construction work was due to start] forza!
Antonio Ballestrazzi  @pesce2802:
#sitav #notav spiegatemi bene,per migliorare il trasporto delle merci prosciughiamo i fiumi che servono a irrigare i campi che le producoono
@uomoinpolvere:
ma com'è possibile che pure a un sondaggio mediaset il 70% sono #notav e in parlamento e sui giornali sono tutti #sitav? fatevi due domande
Reasons for expressing solidarity with the demonstrators varied. The No Tav movement was placed in the context of the current crisis in Europe [en] on the blog Uninomade:
Il No Tav è un movimento dentro la crisi e contro l’austerity, i suoi temi centrali sono dichiaratamente la lotta ai tagli, al debito e sul welfare. Non contro lo sviluppo e la modernità, ma per lo sviluppo dell’autonomia della cooperazione sociale contro lo sviluppo capitalistico che tenta di imbrigliarla o distruggerla.
Antonio Negri, issued the following invitation to dialogue, which compares the movement to the global Occupy [en] movement:
Qualsiasi persona calma e tranquilla che non viva nel ricordo ossessivo degli anni ’70 come certi nostri dirigenti sembrano vivere, sa che trattare è possibile ed evitare radicalizzazioni inopportune e pericolose è utile. Ma per farlo bisogna che la politica in Italia rinasca e non può rinascere che dalla presa di parola di coloro che, resistendo, aprono a tutti la speranza di una nuova partecipazione democratica.
Throughout the country, solidarity with, and and actions in support of the Valle di Susa, have emerged, including the “Blocchiamo tutto” (Blockade Everything) initiative on the 1st of March when the main stations in Rome and Bologna and other key railway intersections were blockaded. Meanwhile demonstrations in support of the movement have spread across Europe, including to the French end of the proposed Turin-Lyon line.
Anonymous Italia, a hacker collective, has also swung into action, first blocking access to the Carabinieri's website and then to the official sites of the government, the Vatican, Trenitalia [National railway company]  and Equitalia [National fine collector agency]. Below are some reactions to their actions:
Baruda:
#Anonymous e #Trenitalia: niente da fare, io li amo! TANGO DOWN #OpItaly wp.me/pfk0G-2dj #notav
andrea_nicolini:
@Skytg24: #Anonymous attacca #Trenitalia.it: tra il tilt e la normale fruibilita’ del sito nessuna differenza…
Info Free Flow:
Oggi paga #equitalia. #Anonymous riscuote. Ma i conti non sono ancora saldati. pastebin.com/BSX9gNs7
While the judiciary is investigating several demonstrators, charged after the most recent protests, the affair remains uncertain and controversial. The hashtag #notav is more popular on Twitter, while I Fratelli di TAV (Brothers of the TAV) are uploading a series of videos on Vimeo about the movement's history, events and dynamics, including the following video of the blockade, on the 29th of February this year, of the Turin to Bardonecchia motorway:

author: Rachele Cinarelli


text:
Mali: Citizens Stunned by Sudden Military Coup · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Renegade soldiers have announced that they are seizing power in Mali, after taking over the state television building and presidential palace.
They say President Amadou Toumani Touré's government failed to adequately support their troops in an increasingly violent struggle with Tuareg rebels in the north of the country who threaten to seek secession from Mali.
Many citizens are perplexed as to why a coup is being staged so soon ahead of already scheduled elections on April 29, 2012, and there are many theories.
The leader of the coup in Mali Capitaine Sanogo via @Youngmalian
Capitaine Sanogo is the leader of the new National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR) who say they will pilot the transition until the elections in April.
A spokesman of the committee, Lieutenant Kanoré stated that although they have dissolved the current institutions, they have no intention of holding on to power. Fights between soldiers who support the coup and others that remain loyal to President Touré are still ongoing.
Some politicians and high-ranking officers have reportedly been arrested in Bamako, the capital city.
Malians citizens are a bit stunned by the turn of events. Here are some reactions after learning of the power grab by the armed mutiny [fr and en]:
@TheSalifou: J'ai peur pour mon pays…#Mali
@Anniepayep: vraiment! La honte! RT @juliusessoka En Afrique, sortir de l'auberge donne sur les caniveaux. #Mali #PauvrePays
@Abdou_Diarra: Le président malien Amadou Toumani Touré, irait bien et serait « en lieu sûr », selon un militaire loyaliste #Mali
@Youngmalian: #ATT a été élu démocratiquement par le peuple et son mandat se termine en Juin. de quel droit les militaires agissent au nom du peuple #Mali
@ibiriti: democracy is not just about regular elections replacing one incompetent lot with another. it has to deliver goods
@philinthe_: Banks + petrol stations closed in #Bamako #Mali. Talking to taxi drivers who are asking double their normal price. Sotrama still 100-150CFA
@temite: Whatever happens, the loser will inevitably be that unity, fraternal bond between peoples & cultures #Mali
Conspiracy theories abound as to why a coup is being staged only few weeks before the scheduled elections [fr]:
@diatus2: le coup d'état était prévisible au #mali car ATT laissant durer la rebellion touareg pour avoir un 3e mandat
@Giovannidjossou: #ATT ne faisait rien contre les #terroristes au nord #Mali car ces troubles lui permettaient de repousser les #élections de juin prochain !
@Joe_1789: JE DENONCE: Le coup d'Etat ourdi par des bandits armés, à la solde de la Françafrique, contre le Mali et son président démocratiquement élu.
The Twitter account of the Malian presidency has not been updated since March 21 when it refuted the alleged power grab [fr]:
@PresidenceMali: Démenti formel : Le Ministre de la Défense n'est ni blessé ni arrêté. Il est à son bureau où il poursuit calmement sa journée de travail

author: Lova Rakotomalala


text:
Mexico: 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles the Country · Global Voices
Miguel Angel Guevara

On March 20, 2012, around midday, an earthquake hit the south and central part of Mexico. The quake was felt more intensively in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Morelos and Mexico City. According to the Mexican National Seismological Service (@SimsologicoMx) [es] the earthquake presented the following characteristics:
SISMO 7.8 Richter 29 km al SUR de OMETEPEC, GRO 20/03/12 12:02:50 Lat 16.42 Lon -98.36 Pf 15 km
EARTHQUAKE 7.8 Richter 29 km SOUTH of OMETEPEC, GRO 03/20/12 12:02:50 Lat 16.42 Lon -98.36 Pf 15 km
The quake caused anguish among a society that is used to earthquakes, but not as strong as this one. In some areas of Mexico City people panicked as citizens waited on the streets to go back to their offices. Since there were power outages in some neighborhoods, people turned to the Internet to contact family members and report the situation on the ground.
Jazmin Fajardo (@jazminfajardo) [es], for example, said:
En la condesa [barrio al centro de la ciudad de méxico] todos afuera de los edificios polvo y olor a gas
In La Condesa (a neighborhood close to downtown Mexico City) everybody is outside the buildings, dust and gas smell
Nayeli Roldán (@nayaroldan) [es] reported that some took refuge at the Zocalo (the square that sits at the heart of Mexico City) of Mexico's capital city:
La gente desalojando los edificios cercanos al Zócalo
People emptying buildings near the Zocalo
User RankiaoRecordsHD shared the following video of the earthquake on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXBJl5HbY38&feature=related
Juliana Rincón gathered more citizen videos of the quake at a post for Global Voices.
Amidst the panic, the Twitter account of Walmart Mexico (@WalmartComMx) published:
Ahora sí, pusimos a temblar a las otras tiendas con nuestros precios
This is it, we made other stores shake with our prices
The tweet was erased by the company; however Gavo Ayala (@gavowonka) [es] shared a screenshot where you can read the tweet:
@WalmartComMx Borra su tweet pero aqui el print de pantalla #tembor #temblorDF #temblorMexico http://twitpic.com/8z1f55
@WalmartComMx erases its tweet but here's the screenshot #tembor #temblorDF #temblorMexico http://twitpic.com/8z1f55
The deed generated outrage among the Twitter community who strongly condemned it using the hashtag #OfertasWalmart (Walmart Sales)
In the state of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, 25 municipalities reported damages [es], and in the state of Guerrero 800 houses [es] were counted as ruined. Meanwhile in the state of Morelos a church suffered [es] severe destruction.
Despite those damages and some power cuts in Mexico City, the aftermath of the earthquake was significantly less than the disastrous quake of September 19, 1985, after which there were several and serious actions to improve the country's preparation for such events. The efforts seem to have paid off since no casualties have been reported up to the moment this post was published.

author: Miguel Angel Guevara


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Pakistan: Killing of Ahmadis To Be Made Legal? · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Horizon reports that a religious party in Pakistan demanded in an anti-Ahmadiyya conference held in Lahore that “those considered apostate by the Muslims clerics should be put to sword, a view developed through the dark ages of the Muslim Ummah”.


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Portugal: Subversive Priest’s “Homily” to General Strike on YouTube · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

This article is part of our special coverage on Europe in Crisis.
[All links forward to Portuguese articles unless stated otherwise]
Mário Pais de Oliveira, a priest and writer who celebrated his 75th birthday this month, considers all religion to be perverse and all ideology to be a lie. At the same time, he religiously uses social networks to share his very particular- and subversive- thoughts on current events.
Since creating a YouTube channel in March 2009, he has already uploaded more than 1,300 videos which strongly encourage an authentic anti-authoritarian gospel using a Socratic approach.
On his Facebook profile, where he has almost reached 4,500 friends, he also shares his “Thoughts born from Maieutic Political Practices” daily. He presents himself as a citizen of the world, a retired journalist, and a priest who answers to Mass orders from the Church of Porto, though “happily, without any ecclesiastical office”:
Mário Pais de Oliveira, also known as Father Mário da Lixa (Lourosa, Santa Maria da Feira, 8th March 1937). Photo by Leunam Max on Facebook.
De que vale fazer carreira eclesiástica, até ser bispo residencial ou papa, ou ser gestor de uma multinacional, se, para isso, temos de desistir de vez de sermos simplesmente Humanos, outros Jesus?!
During the dictatorship in Portugal [en], which lasted from 1926 until 1974, his refutable spirit and the “suspicion that he was covering up deliberately subversive activities of students (specifically by supporting the associative movement, which was banned by the political regime at the time)”, led to the Diocese of Porto sending him to Guinea-Bissau as a military chaplain for the Portuguese Army in 1967, according to his biography on Luis Graça & Camaradas da Guiné's blog.
However, his participation in the colonial war lasted only a few months. In March 1968:
foi expulso de capelão militar, por ter ousado pregar, nas Missas, o direito dos povos colonizados à autonomia e independência, e regressou à sua Diocese, rotulado pelo Bispo castrense de então, D. António dos Reis Rodrigues, como padre irrecuperável.
“We must come up with new ways to transform society”
Today's general strike- the third to take place in the last year and a half against the austerity measures and the policies of cuts imposed by the government- reminds us of the video published by Father Mário in the aftermath of the general strike of the 24 November [en], which halted, according to government data, fewer than 11% of public services, or more than 3 million workers, according to estimates from the two main unions (CGTP [en] and UGT [en]) that promoted it.
as centrais sindicais e os respectivos sindicatos que as integram parecem coincidir com as igrejas (…) que insistem sempre nos mesmos meios ano após ano para intervirem na sociedade. Não se está a revelar capacidade criativa, capacidade de inventar meios, processos, metodologias, conteúdos, posturas, práticas, que vão de encontro ao Grande Poder Financeiro, ao Grande Mercado Global, que está a arruinar-nos, que está a matar-nos, que está a asfixiar-nos, a levar-nos a pele e o osso. Não há. As centrais sindicais estão esgotadas, os seus líderes estão esgotados. Parece que a imaginação desapareceu. O sistema financeiro que nos mata, que nos asfixia, parece que esvazia as nossas mentes, não somos capazes já de gerar nenhuma saída, nenhuma solução que resulte, que o derrube, que o deite por terra, que o descredibilize. E de cada greve geral, o poder financeiro sai ainda mais fortalecido. (…)
Tenho pena porque a chamada Greve Geral não é Greve Geral coisa nenhuma. Grande parte da população continua a trabalhar. (…) Greve geral seria o país parar, parar! Ficarmos todos em casa, ninguém sair, ninguém fazer compras, ninguém frequentar os mercados, ninguém vir para a rua, não haver trânsito, nem carros particulares. NADA! Era greve geral: TODA a gente PÁRA! Ora enquanto a greve não for assim, não é sinal de nada. Só é sinal de reforçar o poder (…) é que a greve geral é autorizada pelo poder (…) quer dizer, o poder autoriza que se faça uma greve geral, se ele autoriza (…) é sinal de que percebe que essa greve geral – que de geral só tem o nome – é mais ficção do que realidade, por mais que mobilize muita gente a maior parte do país não é mobilizada porque não pára. Então o poder sai reforçado, porque tudo é consentido por ele. No início (…) as greves eram ilegais, não eram permitidas, era a perseguição na rua, a polícia, o poder tinham de mostrar a sua face e sair para a rua. (…) Eram greves a sério, assim não. Assim é um folclore (…). Parece mais uma romaria, uma procissão.
The two main unions, and the respective unions that integrate them, seem to agree with the Church (…) which year after year insists on the same way of intervening in society. They are not about to reveal a creative capacity, the ability to invent ways, processes, methodologies, attitudes and practices that go against the great financial power, the great global market, that is ruining us, killing us, suffocating us and leading us to skin and bone. No. The main unions are drained, and so are their leaders. All imagination appears to have vanished. The same financial system that is killing us, suffocating us, seems to empty our minds so that we cannot come up with an escape plan, a solution that would make it topple, fall to the ground, discredit it. And with every general strike, the financial powers are getting stronger and stronger. (…)
It saddens me that the so-called general strike is not a general strike at all. A large portion of the population continues to work. (…) A general strike would mean the whole country stopping. Just stop! We all stay at home, no-one goes out, no-one does the shopping, no-one wanders around the markets, no-one is in the street, there is no traffic, no cars. Nothing! If it were a general strike, EVERYBODY would STOP! If the strike is not carried out in this way, it means nothing. It only shows the powers being reinforced (…) and that the general stirke is authorised by powers. (…) In other words, the powers allow a general strike to take place. (…) It can be seen in this general strike (which is only “general” in name): it is a greater fiction than it is a reality, as much as it brings forward a lot of people from a large part of the country, they are not mobilised because they don't stop. And so the powers are strengthened, because everything has their consent. At first (…) strikes were illegal, they weren't allowed; it was police persecution in the streets, because the powers had to show their faces. (…) Unlike nowadays, they were serious strikes. Now it's like folklore. (…) This seems more like a pilgrimage, a procession.
Father Mário still edits the monthly Jornal Fraternizar, which since January 2011 has been published exclusively online. His book is due for release on 24th March: “Evangelho de Jesus segundo Maria, Mãe de João Marcos, e Maria Madalena” [The Gospel of Jesus according to Mary, mother of John Mark, and Mary Magdalene].
This article is part of our special coverage on Europe in Crisis.


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Puerto Rico: An Archipelago of Indie Music · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

As part of their constant “exploration of independent sounds in Puerto Rico,” the music blog Puerto Rico Indie [es] has launched their first  video series titled Archipiélago. The series aims to document  the local independent music scene through studio sessions featuring some of the island's most promising performers.
Archipiélago has published three music sessions to date, and plans a total of twelve for its first season to be completed in 2012. Each episode includes live studio recordings and interview segments.
The first episode features progressive punk power-trio Campo-Formio.  The band shared a couple of their favorite songs from their discography – but it was the surprise recording of the unreleased “La Mocosa” that truly made it an essential listening experience for fans. Puerto Rico Indie also recorded a session featuring experimental rock quartet Tach.dé, and singer-songwriter Mima – who interpreted an acoustic version of “Oigo Voices”, written by acclaimed Dominican singer-songwriter Rita Indiana.
Without further ado, Global Voices presents Archipiélago's three first recorded sessions (in order: Campo-Formio, Mima, and Tach.dé). The interviews cover broad topics such as the musician's creative process and the local independent music scene, as a way of showing a bit of each artist's character and letting viewers meet the people behind the music.
The interviews are in Spanish, and the music is, well, universal. Enjoy!
Archipiélago's next episode will feature Dávila 666, a group that has transcended Puerto Rico's local scene, gaining the recognition of the international press during 2011 and having toured worldwide.
Visit puertoricoindie.com/sesiones and youtube.com/puertoricoindie for Archipiélago's current episodes and keep track of updates through their social network sites twitter.com/puertoricoindie and facebook.com/puertoricoindie.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Russia: Madonna Responds to St. Petersburg “Gay Propaganda” Law Controversy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Singer Madonna has responded to the St. Petersburg “gay propaganda” law controversy on her Facebook page (21,226 ‘likes’, 2,372 shares, 1,422 comments so far): “[…] I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community, to support the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels opressed. I don't run away from adversity. I will speak during my show about this ridiculous atrocity.” (Masha Gessen's post on the issue, on The New York Times’ Latitude Blog, is here.)

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Ukraine: Oksana Makar’s Gang Rape Case · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes, EUobserver.com, and Ukrainiana write about Oksana Makar's horrible gang rape case. Media mentions, updates and fundraising info [ru, uk] is here (support site), here (Vkontakte page), and here (Twitter).


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Video: Short Film for Gender Equality Contest Open for Submissions · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

SinGENEROdeDUDAS [es] has launched their call for short films on gender equality for the 6th annual contest. Any films shorter than 20 minutes, even if they have participated and won in other contests are welcome. Details and submission guidelines on their site.


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Armenia: Opinion divided on Eurovision withdrawal · Global Voices
Pervin Muradli

Writing for Ararat Magazine, Global Voices’ Caucasus Regional Editor says that not everybody is happy about Armenia's withdrawal from this year's Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

author: Pervin Muradli


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Azerbaijan: 17 March youth protest in images · Global Voices
Pervin Muradli

Narmin Noqte posts video footage and photos from the 17 March youth protest in Baku, Azerbaijan. The video is subtitled in English and available on Vimeo.


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Azerbaijan: Novruz Bayram · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Alongside Iran and elsewhere, Azerbaijan once again celebrated Novruz, the Zoroastrian or Persian New Year. Usually celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, Novruz marks the first day of Spring, and is one of the most important dates in the Azerbaijani calendar.
As was the case in previous years (see here, here, and here), foreigners blogging from Azerbaijan, as well as Azerbaijanis themselves, naturally introduced the holiday to readers outside of the country. The Girls Guide to Guns and Butter, for example, was one of many making posts in English:
I come from Azerbaijan, an ancient nation on the fiery coasts of the Caspian Sea. The sea coast is literally fiery, boasting some serious crude oil and gas reserves, with the flames naturally bursting from under the ground in certain places. It is for this reason that Azerbaijan was once a center of Zoroastrianism, and the Zoroastrian legacy lives with us to this day through a spring holiday Novruz, or “New Year” in Persian, celebrated on the spring equinox.
While the nation is what you would describe as secular Muslim, this pre-Muslim holiday is still the highest holiday in the calendar, and is the equivalent of the Christian Easter in celebrating Nature’s rebirth.
Azerbaijanis celebrate it by decorating their homes with the platters of sprouted wheat seed (basically pet grass) and a luscious feast featuring some of the nations’ favorite staples – meaty saffron pilafs and delicious middle-Eastern-style sweets, making it a bit of a Mardi Gras as well.
Ethnic Azeri Ashik (troubadour), Novruz in Marneuli, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian 2012
Meanwhile, Aran Erdebilli details how Novruz is celebrated in Azerbaijan:
Novruz was unofficially celebrated in the Soviet period, for the reason that the government prohibited the celebrations and pusuited people. Despite all that each Azerbaijan family followed the hundred years old traditions and celebrated Novruz.
Nature starts to wake in Novruz and Azerbaijan people demonstratively celebrate it month ago. On Tuesdays we celebrate Su Charshabnasi(water-Tuesday), Odlu Charshanba(fire- Tuesday),Torpag Charshanba (land-Tuesday) and Akhir Charshanba(final or wind- Tuesday).according to the folk belief water in the first Tuesday purifies and stirs, fire in the second Tuesday, land on the third Tuesday and wind in the fourth Tuesday awaken the nature, the trees begin to blossom; all this symbolize spring’s coming.
[…]
Celebrating Novruz people in the villages determine the peculiarity of the coming year: weather it will be either arid or rainy and determine the degree of productivity. According to the tradition the first day of Novruz symbolizes spring, second day after it is summer, the third day is autumn and the fourth is winter. If the first day is windless and arid, so the spring is going to be favourable for agricultural works, and if it is rainy and windy so the spring is expected to be the same. On the rest of the days they determined summer, autumn and winter.
Novruz is a joyful and lovely holiday.
Semeni, Azeri Novruz in Marneuli, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian 2012
Sensible and Sensitive, another Azerbaijani blog, also marked the event, explaining the preparation of semeni (wheat sprouts) and xoncha, a tray full of Novruz goodies:
Preparations; a thorough cleaning of house, growing ‘Semeni’(one of the symbols), preparing nuts to cook pakhlava, shekerbura (other symbols) start early, almost a month prior spring begins (20th March). Till that date by each Tuesday of upcoming month devoted to one of the elements –earth, water, wind and fire, you feel closer to upcoming spring. In my hometown-Ganja we celebrate on the 21st of March, however in Baku they do on the evening of 20th. Well, I can say we celebrate two days since we are going back and forth between Ganja and Baku for years.
Cleaning house might not be that much fun, but gathering around the table with cousins to clean nuts one by one was a lot of fun. I remember Mother growing Semeni in different plates for us and relatives. Seeing finally Semeni grows and decorating it with red ribbon was one of those small things that make you really happy on the holiday eve. Yes, decoration of Khoncha (one of the main symbols of the holiday) has already started. You put Khoncha in the middle of a tray, and go on with other elements of it.
And with this year's Eurovision Song Contest due to be staged in Azerbaijan, an introduction to the holiday was also featured in an official video from the competition's organizers.
As already mentioned, interest in Novruz isn't just confined to locals. Foreigners living in Azerbaijan also take a keen interest. Life on the Edge, a Peace Corps blog, details how the holiday was celebrated in the regions of the country:
So Novruz is this holiday in Azerbaijan that is essentially treated as their new year, because it is the beginning of spring, and so, it feels like a new year! The holiday has Zoroastrian roots, though some people here will tell you it's a Muslim holiday, so it's celebrated in Iran too…though I'm not sure how many other countries. I say, the holiday is a bizarre mix between Halloween and Easter.
The buildup starts four weeks before (a little reminiscent of lent), and each Tuesday is a celebration of the four elements, Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. Depending on how traditional the family is, there may or may not be feasts and such on each of these nights.
March 19th/20th is when all the fun begins. On the 19th, after a great city celebration and picnic in the park, Mom and I were sitting innocently on the couch in our pj's watching 30 Rock when I hear a knock on the door and, “papoglari doldurun!” Translated to: Fill the hats. This little tradition is like ding/dong/ditch meets Trick or Treat. Kids run around the neighborhood with hats, throw them at the door, shout, “fill the hats” and then run and hide. The homeowner fills the hats with candy and sweets (yup, they put the buttery syrupy sweets right into the hat), and then closes the door. The kids run back to retrieve their sticky hats and goodies, and then move on to the next house. We were bombed by Jake and some of my students, and then later some rather greedy neighbors…
The 20th was the day I was most looking forward to. The 20th is technically Novruz Eve. […]
Azeri Novruz in Marneuli, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian 2012
Of course, Novruz is not just celebrated in Azerbaijan, but also among ethnic Azeris living in the U.S., Europe, and neighboring Georgia. Kurds and some ethnic Azeris from Iran also celebrate the holiday alongside other Iranians visiting Armenia especially for the holiday each year.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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China: Performance on Losing Weight · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Hush translates a local feature report on an artist's performance on losing weight. Beijing artist Wang Jun is to live on top of an electronic scale for a month, from 18 March to 18 April to show people the weight loss process.


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China: Political Rumors in Beijing · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

With the sudden removal of Chongqing party leader Bo Xilai, rumors continue to spread about the internal power within the Chinese Communist Party. David Bandurski from China Media Project describes the atmosphere of political insecurity in Beijing.


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China: Turning Duck into Goose · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ministry of Tofu translated a local news report about restaurant's trick by giving duck plastic surgery, making it looks like goose so as to making bigger profit.


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Colombia: Eduardo Montealegre Appointed as New Chief Prosecutor · Global Voices
Lully

Blogs [es] and social networks [es]  report [es] and comment [es] on the appointment of the lawyer and Uribe supporter Eduardo Montealegre [es] as new Chief Prosecutor, in replacement of  Viviane Morales. Montealegre said he intends to pass a statutory law to permit the extension of the protection of human rights and stated that he will continue to fight against impunity and corruption.

author: Lully


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Cuba: Bloggers Continue to Speak Out about Papal Visit  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pope Benedict XVI‘s upcoming trip to Cuba will be the first from the head of the Catholic church in more than a decade.  As the pontiff's arrival draws ever closer, bloggers continue to be vocal about their opinions, even as human rights violations reportedly continue.
Pedazos de la Isla dedicated this week (prior to the Pope's arrival, which is carded for this Monday, March 26) to republishing “declarations from numerous Cuban dissidents and activists” as they pertain to the visit:
The question they are being asked is: Regardless if one is in favor or against the visit of the Pope, it is certain that the eyes of the world will be upon Cuba during those three days.  What message would you send to the world and to Pope Benedict XVI?
The blogger began his series by highlighting the perspective of Berta Soler, leader of the Ladies in White:
We are peaceful women and, here in Cuba, we really are in need of that message which the Holy Father will bring- that message of love, peace, faith, and freedom.  The Cuban people need freedom.  But the Pope is not going to bring freedom to Cuba, our freedom depends on us Cubans.  Yet, it would be essential that the Pope know of the situation on the island, and we Ladies in White would like to have at least a minute with the Holy Father so that he knows that in this country there are political prisoners, that human rights are violated, and that there are women who are marginated and repressed by the Castro government simply because they try to assist mass on Sundays.  And also, if I could hand the Pope a list with the names of all current political prisoners in Cuba, I would.
Interestingly, Soler's husband, dissident Angel Moya Acosta, was detained over the weekend, and repeated his call for the Pope to meet with members of the Cuban opposition. Pedazos de la Isla posted this entry to share Moya's perspective, explaining:
Moya Acosta took advantage of the situation and communicated to this blog that he maintains his position regarding Pope Benedict’s visit to the island in just a few days: ‘Pope Benedict XVI is not the liberator of Cuba.  The freedom of Cuba is the responsibility and right of Cubans [in the island] and in exile.  We Cubans have to be protagonists of our own story’.  However, Moya declares that ‘since Benedict will arrive to a country where the peaceful opposition is being violently repressed and harassed, he should dedicate at least a minute to the Ladies in White to listen to their testimonies and so that they can update him on the actual situation on the island’.
Angel Moya reiterated  that the visit of Pope Benedict on March 26th until the 28th will be manipulated by the Cuban regime and that whether he does or does not meet with dissidents depends of Cardinal Jaime Ortega, ‘the maximum religious authority of Cuba.
On that last point, babalu responded with a link to a story about Czech Bishop Vaclav Maly, who has written a letter to Cuban President Raul Castro asking him to release political prisoners:
If Havana had a bishop like the one in Prague… one can only dream of the possibilities.
In another post, the blogger (tongue firmly in cheek) supplied a list of all the ways in which “the Castro regime has dispatched throughout the island its considerable resources to prepare for the papal visit and ensure the scheduled events take place without any embarrassing snags”:
Human rights activist Marta Beatriz Roque is currently under siege and trapped inside her home with Cuban political police surrounding the residence.
Juan Carlos Vazquez Osoria, a peaceful human rights activist, was arbitrarily arrested by Cuban State Security outside his wife's place of employment in Holguin, Cuba.
More than one hundred pro democracy activists were arrested in the eastern Cuban province of Granma when they took to the streets in a peaceful protest.
Berta Soler, the leader of the Ladies in White Laura Pollan, reports that her husband, former prisoner of conscience Angel Moya, is still missing since his arrest by Castro State Security last Sunday.
Karina Quintana Hernandez, a member of the Ladies in White, reports that she along with other members of the group were apprehended and deported from the capital of Havana back to their home towns by Castro State Security agents.
Meanwhile, Armando Chaguaceda, blogging at Havana Times, said that:
The ‘taking’ of church buildings and the preparations for the papal visit to Cuba have been in the news in recent days, and these occurrences have resulted in my having difficult exchanges with my Catholic friends.
In the case of the church occupations, these have nothing to do with people seeking sanctuary or refuge from state terrorism, as often occurred in Central America during the civil wars of the 1980s.
Instead, this is a desperate tactic designed to attract the attention of the leader of the Catholic Church and world public opinion toward the situation of the political opposition here on the island.
Personally, I think such actions miss the mark. On top of all this, these events have resulted in a negative balance for the Catholic Church, which is left indebted to the government for the force required to vacate the buildings.
It is worthwhile to recall that Catholicism isn’t ‘THE’ national culture or religion here…a great deal of our African-based religiosity and community anchoring is being systematically ignored and discriminated against.
In the meantime, the real issues continue to simmer — and get sorted out — among the elites (politicians and the military on the island, the island’s church and the Vatican, as well as exiled business people and politicians).
Yet for ordinary people like me, my family and my friends, we have little to hope for or expect.
Translating Cuba translated an opinion piece from Diario de Cuba, which made the point that “Cuba is not the same as in 1998 when John Paul II made the first papal visit in our history”; in another post, blogger Lilianne Ruz shared her reasons for not going to see the Pope.
Through the Eye of the Needle had the last word, though, on the Pope's upcoming “tour”:
Hearing a journalist talking on the shortwave radio about the upcoming Pope’s presence in Cuba, he referred to it using the word ‘tour’. This gave me much to think about, because the church has taken very good care to emphasize that the visit of Benedict XVI to our country is a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Charity of Cobre. So far so good, but what has bothered the general population, and many believers like me in particular, is the fact that the spokesman for his Holiness has publicly expressed a desire to meet with Fidel Castro.
If he is really coming as a pilgrim to the Virgin, I do not understand what he needs to meet with Fidel Castro, who is no longer the president of this country, and according to what I’ve understood, has been excommunicated by the Catholic Church itself. I understand that the Pope, as the head of the Vatican, would meet with Raul, as they are both heads of state, but why with Fidel and not with the Ladies in White?
If the church is apolitical, as is so much proclaimed, why give a mass for the health and quick recovery of the man who has plunged this people into the most cruel darkness, and they never called for any masses in the church for Zapata Tamayo or Laura Pollan?
I will see the Mass on television. Not because I consider myself a bad devotee. I am a Catholic at heart, but I’m not blind in my faith. I hate to be manipulated by anyone or anything. I believe in God, I am a devotee of Our Lady of Charity, but a few years ago I stopped going to church. But I think that this visit can leave a positive balance: it all depends now on His Holiness Benedict XVI and the public attitude afterwards.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Mexico: Anticipation and Reactions on the Verdict of Florence Cassez · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

On March 21, 2012 the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice, through its First Division, had the task of deciding the controversial case of Frenchwoman Florence Marie Louise Cassez Crepin, who had previously been found criminally responsible for crimes classified as felonies under Mexican law, including the illegal deprivation of freedom (kidnapping).
According to the resolution [es] and the information released on the blog México por Florence Cassez, (Mexico for Florence Cassez) [es] the Frenchwoman has been in custody of Mexican authorities since December 9, 2005, after being arrested on the outskirts of the Federal District in the company of Israel Vallarte, her one-time boyfriend, whom the court identified as a “confessed criminal”.
Cassez was convicted in both parts of the criminal proceedings, and in February 2011 she was denied “the refuge and protection of the federal courts”, upholding the sentence. At that time, the judgment caused diplomatic tensions between Mexico and France, which were addressed by Global Voices in the post which may be accessed here.
In the days leading up to the Supreme Court (SCJN for its initials in Spanish) issuing its final decision, the issue sparked anticipation and divided opinions, since the resolution proposed Cassez’ “immediate and unconditional release”, after establishing that her fundamental rights were violated and that her arrest was staged.
Some Twitter users commented on the issue, [translator's note: all Twitter accounts are in Spanish] addressing the Supreme Court and its justices, in an attempt to be heard; as in the case of Alessia Corcuera (@top_roping_ale), who said:
#NoSeOlvida que #Cassez fue detenida IN FRAGANTI y que una de sus víctimas la identificó plenamente desde el día 1 ccp @SCJN @JRCossio …
Later the same user added:
… los mexicanos esperamos que la @SCJN no sea un instrumento de impunidad. Exigimos castigo a los delincuentes!!! #Cassez ccp @JRCossio
However, other users, like @elmaquiavelo, referred to the case noting that arbitrariness has no place in the pursuit of justice:
no se puede hacer justicia con ilegalidades y arbitrariedades
In that vein, user Alvaro Molina (@a_molinam) quoted a fragment of what he identified as “Law of the Land”, a foreign law, which states in part:
“No Freeman shall be taken or imprisoned, or any other wise destroyed; but by lawful judgment of his Peers” Que se acuerde la SCJN #Cassez
User @Lamb_0f_God, meanwhile, offered an interesting question of whether a Mexican criminal in France would have any prerogatives (beyond that anticipated by the law):
¿Un SECUESTRADOR mexicano detenido en #Francia tendría las mismas CONSIDERACIONES que Florence #Cassez tiene en nuestro país? #Crimen
The author of Blog de la_Morsa [es] acknowledged not knowing whether Cassez is guilty or not, but offers an opinion about the issue:
Yo no sé si Florence Cassez es realmente culpable o no. Conozco cómo nos las gastamos en cuestiones legales en este país, en donde si tienes dinero, la ley se puede estirar tanto como dinero puedas pagar. Aquí las leyes muchas veces se manejan y manipulan en términos de cuánto dinero pueden aportar los incriminados. Es así de lamentable el asunto.
Por otra parte, están los derechos de las víctimas, que han sido violentados. En consecuencia, la Suprema Corte está en un dilema lógico: si libera a Cassez, entonces hará mal. Si no lo hace, hará igualmente mal.
En mi opinión, mañana la Suprema Corte dirá que Cassez debe ser liberada. Eso ayudará probablemente a Sarkozy en su campaña de reelección, pero además, dejará al descubierto una vez más cómo se hacen los procesos legales en México. Ya tuvimos una película/documental, “presunto Culpable”, en donde se puede ver la manera sui generis, para decirlo amablemente, de hacer justicia en nuestro México.
I don't know if Florence Cassez is really guilty or not. I know how it goes with legal issues in this country, where if you have money, the law can be stretched as far as you can afford it. Here the laws are often handled and manipulated in terms of how much money the accused has to spend. It's that bad.On the other hand are the rights of victims who have been violated. Accordingly, the Supreme Court is in a logical dilemma: if it frees Cassez, it will be wrong. If not, it will be equally wrong.
In my opinion, tomorrow the Supreme Court will say that Cassez should be released. That will probably help Sarkozy in his reelection campaign, but also will reveal once again how the legal process works in Mexico. We already had a movie/documentary “Presumed Guilty”, where you can see the sui generis (unique) manner, to put it nicely, justice is served in our Mexico.
In this case Article 19 [es] denounced the alleged intimidation of information professionals because of their coverage of the Cassez case:
En ese sentido, ARTICLE 19 desea manifestar su preocupación por la intimidación de que han sido objeto periodistas de medios nacionales e internacionales que han dado cobertura al tema en los últimos días. Hasta el momento se tiene conocimiento de tres casos de periodistas que han sido víctimas de acoso, seguimientos,  intervención  de comunicaciones y posible daño a su propiedad que pudo haber afectado su integridad física.
The verdict
At about 2:15 p.m., on March 21, 2012, it was learned that per the justices’ votes, Cassez will not be granted “immediate and unconditional release”, at least not yet. The journalist Joaquín López-Dóriga (@lopezdoriga1) reported the following:
Por 3 votos a 2, la 1a Sala de la Corte, rechaza libertad de Florence Cassez.
The matter will be forwarded to another justice for the preparation of the opinion of the court. The jurist Miguel Carbonell (@MiguelCarbonell) clarified the effect of the vote:
Todo sigue igual en #casoCassez Empieza de nuevo el asunto ante la Suprema Corte. El proyecto lo hará un Ministro distinto a Zaldívar.
Not releasing the Frenchwoman led to some Twitter users questioning the Supreme Court. Such is the case with Alice López Franco (@Alice_NLF):
La SCJN no estuvo a la altura.
Cesar Cansino (@cesarcansino) noted:
HOY MÉXICO ESTÁ DE LUTO. LA SUPREMA CORTE TERMINÓ POR MATAR LA ULTIMA ESPERANZA DE JUSTICIA PARA UN PAÍS AGRAVIADO POR LA IMPUNIDAD
User Montserrat García (@montse_garcia23) questioned the fact that the due process violations were taken into account (since the existence of these do not necessarily imply the crime didn't take place):
Las violaciones procesales no afecta la comisión del delito, no le encuentro sentido, volver a iniciar y resolver en una nueva sentencia
However, other users like Rocío (@muy_rocio) were happy with the news:
Que bueno q #Cassez se quedo en la carcel. Es culpable, es secuestradora
Cassez will stay in prison after the vote of the First Division of the SCJN, but her case will keep being talked about in coming weeks, with opinions as divided as those of the justices.

author: J. Tadeo


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Puerto Rico: Happy Birthday · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The feminist blog Mujeres en Puerto Rico is celebrating [es] its third anniversary: “This year will bring important moments for this country's women. If life permits it, we will be here. With you.”


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Puerto Rico: New Podcast on Legal Issues · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The blog Derecho al Derecho has launched a podcast to discuss legal issues. In the first episode [es], legal scholars Erika Fontánez Torres and Hiram Meléndez Juarbe talk about the “legitimacy of the judicial branch and the critique of judicial institutions.”


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Spain: Documentary in Production on the Healing Power of Flamenco · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Sin Ruido, or Noiseless in Spanish, is a documentary on Flamenco Dancer  Inma Lobato and her work teaching and training people with mental problems. The film [es] will focus on the impact the lessons have on the well-being of the students in Spain, Slovenia, Bosnia Herzegovina.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Spain: Planning Actions for May 2012 · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The blog Toma la Plaza announces meetings and assemblies tomorrow March 24 in various cities in Spain to coordinate their participation in the global actions planned for next May.


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Video: Indigenous Communities Document their Growth and Governance · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The Indigenous Territory and Governance Platform [es] is made up of a series of institutions all working together to provide the indigenous people of Latin America the tools and resources to be able to strengthen the governance they have of their territory and their community. A series of short videos is used to document their progress. All links lead to Spanish language sites.
In Colombia, the Association of Indigenous Councils to the North of the Cauca (ACIN) brings together more than 14 reservations and 16 indigenous councils, and through their efforts, the indigenous communities have started taking control of their own economy and environment through small businesses that produce dairy products, fruit juices, cane sugar, bread as well as the commercialization of these products to stock the community stores as well as help other social projects in the community. Through barter systems, training and centralization of products, they mean to provide food security for the indigenous communities as well as provide sources of income.
In Ecuador, the Kichwa of Pastaza have a territory of 1 624 778 hectares (4 014 913.87 acres) belonging to 131 communities. For several years already they've sustainably managed this area, in the next video they share their experiences in developing a Territorial Management Plan based on zoning for a system that will enable them to live off the land without depleting it for many more years while also taking advantage of their constitutional rights to make use of their own lands.
So far only these two videos in the series have been released. Lets hope more are forthcoming in the future focusing on the experiences in other Latin American countries. On their site you can watch different documentaries, films and videos  on indigenous issues.