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Jordan: Alternative Voices on the World Economic Forum · Global Voices
Nadine Toukan

This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.
From October 21 to 23, 2011, Jordan hosted the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Special Meeting on Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Arab World at the Dead Sea. Jordan has had a long relationship with the World Economic Forum (WEF) since the mid-1990s, and a range of projects have been associated with the forum over the years with lots of glamor and hype.
This year as the Arab world continues to awaken and reshape its existence, a vocal and alternative narrative is growing, taking stock of such WEF associated projects in light of Jordan and the region's current challenges.
Over the past few days, I joined forces with an independent group of Jordanians and we co-authored a post published on the WEF's blog titled ‘Voices from Jordan: An Alternative Narrative‘ where we question Jordan's performance and track record with the WEF.
Through embracing a paradigm that strips economics of its political context, glazes over crucial issues with superficial platitudes, and fails to deliver, the economic dogmas of the past thirty years, promoted at institutions like the World Economic Forum (WEF), have failed to regulate markets or ensure equitable and sustainable economic growth.
As a group of Jordanians whose country frequently hosts the World Economic Forum, we have been reflecting on this involvement. Several critical issues arise: Click to read full post.
On Twitter, Farah Ghniem, asks:
Participants captured during the Future of Libya session during the World Economic Forum Special Meeting. Image by Flickr user World Economic Forum (CC BY-SA 2.0).
It doesn't matter that Jordan is full of people with potential. Everywhere is. What matters: why does the system fail them? #OccupyWEF #WEF
Urban activist, Raghda Butros, takes stock:
An education initiative was launched in '03 with #WEF. Today the quality of education in Jordan is in sharp decline. #OccupyWEF
Economist Ibrahim Saif shared his lack of conviction:
I am not very encouraged about the WEF and what it offers to the marginalized, there is a need for a new thinking. That won't come from WEF.
While attending the entrepreneurship lunch, Dina Shoman, head of branding at the Arab Bank tweeted:
10 years of discussion on #entrepreneurship there is a failure to launch from regulatory and governments side #wef #jo
Her Highness Princess Ghida Talal, chairperson of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation commented and couldn't resist retweeting:
Too funny and too true not to RT “@ThorayaER: Schwab at #WEF introducing all Their Excellencies. So many Excellencies, so little excellence!”
For more reactions, join the conversation on Twitter camped on the hashtags #WEF and #OccupyWEF, and on the WEF blog.
This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.

author: Nadine Toukan


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Moldova, Russia: Controversial Russian Blogger Escapes Prosecution in Moldova · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

On June 16, 2011, Eduard Bagirov, a Russia-based blogger and writer of Azeri origin, was arrested in Moldova. Eleven days later, the Moldovan prosecutor's office made the reasons for Bagirov's arrest public: he was being accused of assembling a criminal group and organizing the April 2009 mass riots in Chişinău, which are often referred to as the first “Twitter revolution.” Bagirov was facing from four to eight years in prison on the charges that were formally put to him on October 12.
An Internet troll to change Moldova
Back in April 2009, tens of thousands of protesters went to the streets to demand the recount of the Moldovan parliamentary election votes. The protests led to a political crisis that eventually put an end to the 8-year domination of the Communist party and turned Moldova towards European integration. (Global Voice's 2009 posts on the protests are here, here, here, and here.)
Political arrests – including the arrest of Natalia Morar, an organizer of the initial demonstrations and an investigative journalist expelled from Russia by the FSB -followed; most of the criminal cases against the activists, however, were closed by the new administration.
Some of the unfinished ‘affairs’ lay dormant, though, waiting to resurface.
Eduard Bagirov. A video still from an interview by YouTube user Koroedcom
Prior to the 2009 events, Bagirov had been a frequent guest in Chişinău and is known for a number of statements [ru]  that some observers consider an admission of his role in the post-election situation. In this interview, he claims [ru] his direct involvement:
В Республике Молдова я и еще несколько активных ребят в полгода (ну, чуть больше, строго говоря) поменяли государственный строй — навсегда убрали в прошлое коммунистов
The debates, regardless of whether Bagirov's claims are true or are nothing but irresponsible bragging, continue.
For example, Ilya Barabanov, a renowned investigative journalist at The New Times (and also, at least temporarily, Natalia Morar's husband: read the story of Morar's expulsion from Russia here), wrote [ru]:
поверить в то, что Эдуард Багиров действительно организовывал революцию в Молдавии может, наверное, только сумасшедший пеликан.
С другой стороны, выбранный срок заключения – 3 дня – может говорить о том, что его хотели изолировать именно на время предстоящих выборов. В воскресенье в Кишиневе пройдет второй тур выборов мэра, в котором действующий мэр-либерал Дорин Киртоакэ попытается победить коммуниста Игоря Додона, который обошел его в первом туре на пару процентов, но до 50% не дотянул.
Я примерно представляю, как топорно работают в том регионе ФСБ России и Администрация президента, так что могу предположить, будто Багиров действительно выполнял в Кишиневе некие поручения, пусть и не столь масштабные, как организация государственного переворота)))
On the other hand, the chosen term of detention – 3 days [which was extended first to 30 days and then 30 more] – says that they wanted to isolate him for the time of the upcoming elections. This Sunday in Chisinau, there will be the second round of the mayoral election, in which the current liberal mayor Dorin Kirtoake will try to defeat a communist Igor Dodon, who was a few percentage points ahead of him in the first round, but failed to reach the [winning] 50 percent.
More or less, I can imagine how crudely Russia's [Federal Security Service] and the Presidential Administration work in that region, and I think it's quite possible that Bagirov was indeed carrying out some assignments in Chisinau, though nothing as wide-ranging as the organization of a coup d'etat)))
Later Barabanov claimed [ru] that Bagirov became interested in Moldova only to get closer to Natalia Morar and to find compromising information about her.
Who is Mr. Bagirov?
Why did Ilya Barabanov mention the Russian security services and the top political management of Russia?
The key here is the personality of Bagirov himself: an Internet hooligan, the ‘All-Russia troll,’ a provocateur. Before the Moldovan events, Bagirov had been widely known for trolling, physical violence threats and a rather aggressive digital behavior mixed with hate speech. He is also close to Konstantin Rykov, “one of the first professional Russian Internet producers” and an MP responsible for the ruling party‘s digital campaigns, and Sergey Minayev, a pro-Kremlin publicist, with whom Bagirov runs litprom.ru, a digital literary community.
Andrey Malgin, an investigative blogger and former journalist, described [ru] Bagirov the following way:
Выйдя с зоны, Багиров, по всей видимости, стал милицейским провокатором. Именно в этом качестве он, как приманка для “русских националистов”, нес в инетах чудовищную “исламистскую” пургу, которая сейчас широко цитируется […]. Думаю, реакция на эти высеры тщательно отслеживалась. […]
Целый месяц перед прошлыми парламентскими выборами у него, как и у других рыковских, на юзерпике красовался Путин, и он ездил на агитационном автобусе по провинциям, агитируя за “Единую Россию”. И именно в качестве провокатора он последние два года регулярно наезжал в Молдавию, где мутил воду и был взят за задницу.
For the whole month before the previous [Russian] parliamentary elections [in 2007], he, as well as other Rykov's men [it is believed that Rykov has a team of digital provocateurs like Bagirov], had a userpic with Putin and went to the provinces in a campaign bus, calling to vote for the United Russia. As a provocateur, he'd been coming to Moldova for the past two years, stirring trouble, until finally he was [captured].
Bagirov, however, denies [ru] the accusations (and, indeed, has a convenient justification):
Уже десяток лет эти тексты взрывают мозг сотням тысяч шовинистски настроенным хомячкам из интернетов. Я горжусь этими текстами. Они – мой несомненный писательский успех. Их разнесли по всему интернету, и тычут мне ими в глаза при любом удобном и неудобном случае.
Detention and escape from Moldova
The Russian press and bloggers noticed Bagirov's detention almost immediately. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, issued a statement demanding Bagirov's release only on Sept. 27. Three days later, OSCE also issued an official statement to free Bagirov due to the “the unclear circumstances around his case” that “might have an enormous chilling effect on the media community in Moldova and beyond.”
On October 12, the investigation was over and the trial scheduled. On Oct. 13 Bagirov was released, but placed under house arrest. On October 18, Bagirov “with the help of his friends” left Moldova via Transnistria, a breakaway territory of Moldova, to Odessa, Ukraine, and then returned to Moscow.
Bloggers’ reaction
Despite knowing that Bagirov might be a police or FSB provocateur, even Russian liberal bloggers (Oleg Kozyrev, Rustem Adagamov/drugoi, Alexey Navalny, among others) stood up to defend him. Some bloggers claimed they support Bagirov because he's a Russian citizen, some – because he is a blogger.
Prominent Georgian blogger cyxymu wrote [ru]:
блоггеров сажать нельзя)
LJ user za_rij responded [ru]:
Ога. Типа “я блоггер – ведь у меня есть аккаунт в ЖЖ, на лирушечке и даже на фейсбуке. Меня сажать нельзя, я в домике!”
Many bloggers viewed Bagirov's case as an episode in a fight between an extravagant Internet hooligan and the repressive government of a small neighbor country. The issue that Bagirov could be, indeed, a provocateur has been raised by only a few bloggers. The group identity of the blogger elite has won over the critical thinking.
Bagirov's case once again shows how relatively easy it is to present false information in online space: his provocative statements that he himself describes as ‘literary success’ – thus avoiding responsibility and winning popularity – may in fact allow the security services to monitor other bloggers’ comments and reactions.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Success of National Wrestling System Explained · Global Voices
Donna Welles

Russian wrestlers are often considered to be the best in the world. Citizen media suggest that a possible explanation for this is the relationship between politics and wrestling in Russia as exemplified by Alexander Karelin. Mr. Karelin was an elite Russian wrestler and Olympian and is now an elected official who serves on the Russian Duma's Committee on International Affairs.
Vladimir Anoshenko was a Belarusian National Champion wrestler as well as an American university wrestling coach. He discussed in an entry from last year on his blog why the Russian team is so effective:
2010 was again a successful year for Russian wrestlers. They dominated in all big international competitions. Many people in the international wrestling community (particularly in the U.S.) are trying to figure out the success of the Russian Wrestling System. My opinion of why Russia dominates is that the system is built on deep wrestling traditions with tremendous financial and political support.
Vladimir went on to discuss how American wrestlers start at a younger age and practice more intensely – and thus get burned out before they are able to compete at the international level. By contrast, Russian wrestlers start a little older – between the ages of 10-13. They participate in fewer tournaments and practice for shorter amounts of time per day, instead focus more on their technique, while Americans focus on conditioning.
Later in the post Vladimir Anoshenko introduces the relationship between Russian wrestling and Russian politics:
In Russia, big bonuses and incentives are good motivation to wrestle. Usually all of the best wrestlers are provided with career opportunities by government or businesses. While athletes wrestle or they finish their sport career they know they will have a good job. This is very important for the Russian Wrestling System.
In U.S., wrestlers don't have opportunities like this. Only a few can afford to wrestle 10-15 yrs. at the senior level. The U.S. can beat Russia in wrestling some years. But to dominate the World constantly, the U.S. has to create a wrestling system that is better or at least competitive to the Russian Wrestling System.
Alexander Karelin fits exactly the profile Vladimir Anoshenko described, as illustrated by Mr. Karelin's MySpace blog from 2007. Although he joined the United Russia party and was elected to the State Duma in 1999, he did not officially retire from wrestling until after the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
• Jan 5, 2007
Chronology
..> ..>
1967 Born September 19 in Novobirsk, Siberia
1980 Takes up wrestling at age 13
1988 Wins Olympic gold medal in Seoul, South Korea; also wins European Championship
1989-91, 1993-95, 1998-99 Wins European and World Championships
1992 Wins Olympic gold medal in Barcelona, Spain; also wins European Championship
1996 Wins Olympic gold medal in Atlanta, Georgia; also wins European Championship
1997 Wins World Championship
1999 Elected to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament
2000 Wins European Championship
2000 Wins Olympic silver medal in Sydney, Australia; also wins European Championship
2000 Retires from wrestling
BlogSochi.ru, a blog pertaining to the Winter Olympic Games which will be held in Russia in 2014, shared a video of an interview with Alexander Karelin. He is introduced as an “Olympic Champion” but in the interview his persona reflects more his current role as a state official when discussing the efforts put forth to preparing the city for the Olympics.
Aldar Balzhinimaev jogs a victory lap with the Russian Federation flag in celebration of his gold medal win at the Inaugural Youth Olympic Games, 46kg freestyle wrestling event, Singapore. Photo by Ray Shiu, copyright © Demotix (17/08/2010)
Alexander Karelin is a wrestler from the past, but other citizen media outlets capture current and future Russian wrestlers.
CompoundWrestling.com  posted a video of the 2011 Russian National Championships, which were held in Yakutia over the summer. The author described the video:
Notice all the different angles and methods being used to attack, shucks, fakes, snaps all accompanied by great footwork and position.
The Moscow-based radio station, Voice of Russia, announced on Twitter the results of the Youth World Sambo Wrestling Championships:
Russia reaps gold in sambo wrestling: Russian boys have won 16 gold, 9 silver and 8 bronze medals at a youth world championship bit.ly/pSBniV
Perhaps one of those boys is the next Alexander Karelin in the making.

author: Donna Welles


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Syria : The “Free Army” defies the regime · Global Voices
Madjid Zerrouky

Wearing bullet-proof vests and Kevelar helmets and holding assault rifles, 13 men make their way through an enthusiastic crowd  (AR) which is warmly welcoming them with slaps on the back.  It is the beginning of September in the Boustan al-Diwan district of Homs.  For the towns activists today's “haul” is substantial.  They are deserters from the Syrian army.
These men were on the front line surrounding Ar-Rastan from 27 September to 5 October.  The town, which lies 20km to the north of the large, central Syrian city of Homs, was the target of a major offensive by government forces following the defection of two army battalions.  Almost 250 troop carriers, with aerial helicopter support, took part in the assault and search operation.  According to witnesses, they were opposed by a thousand deserters and armed villagers.  Damascus regained control of the town following violent skirmishes (AR)and the detention of around 3000 people in schools and storage facilities (AR), after some of the worst clashes the country has seen since the beginning of the uprising.
While a move towards armed resistance by a minority of those opposed to the regime is nothing new, according to NGOs some 800 members of the armed forces have been killed since the spring, the emergence of an organised, armed resistance movement drawn from the ranks of ground forces is relatively recent.
The regime was confronted by the first credible warning signs in the region around the large westerly town of Deir-Ezzor.  At the end of July, following the massacre of young officers at the Homs military academy (distressing images) (AR), the 3rd division armoured units rallied rebels, at Deir-Ezzor and in the surrounding areas, into the opposition movement, going as far as marching their tanks on Al-Boukmal, which was in the hands of the opposition.
In a panic, Damascus dispatched reinforcements.  After mediation by the principle families in the region, which still lives according to tribal customs, the mutineers would have accepted returning the tanks in exchange for assurances the town would not be taken over.  The regime violated this accord by launching an assault.  This fighting lead to nearly 100 deaths at Deir-Ezzor and the town was shelled. (AR)
Riad Asaad
Although it's creation by dissident officers had been announced a few days earlier (AR), it was perhaps at this point that the Free Syrian Army (AR) was really born.
Led by Riad al-Assad (no relation to the ruling family), an Air Force colonel now in exile in Turkey, the FSL today claims to have 10,000 men organised into 12 battalions across the territory.  It has also announced that it is in contact with hundreds of officers from active units that are ready to change sides.  While these numbers seem widely exaggerated, actions by the group have intensified since the beginning of last month, notably around Homs, the epicentre of the Syrian revolution.  There is a veiled recognition of this by the regime in their denunciation of the now almost daily attacks by “terrorist groups”.
This presence is confirmed by a resident of the town who reports that “it is now common, in the small hours of the morning, to come across the shells of burned out security forces vehicles destroyed during night ambushes”.  The attacks are attributed to la katiba Khalid-ibn-al-Walid (AR), an already well-known rebel unit led by a former special forces officer.  Within the unit a few hundred men (AR) are divided into groups of between 10 and 30 members, who are increasing their public sorties.
Their chosen name is a reference to the town's largest mosque as well as the head of Mohammed's army which conquered Syria, clearly marking the deserters out as Sunni, even though the group remains ambiguous about its real objectives, contenting itself with stating “that it is not a political organisation nor movement but an alternative to the army serving the regime.  We serve the will of the people, defending their desire to live freely and with dignity and the transition towards a civil and democratic regime”.
While those opposed have always hoped and prayed for a change of position by the army, keeping a certain distance seemed appropriate, however signs of vigilantism and a movement towards acts of violence are gaining ground for militants who are losing hope in the face of the regime's brutality.
Last month the Local Coordination Committees of Syria (AR), one of the protest's leading networks and now member of the Syrian National Council stated “while we understand the desire to take up arms or to call for military intervention, we reject this position. A militarisation of the protest would erode the moral superiority which has characterised the revolution since its inception“.  These words are carefully chosen, but for the partisans of a common and multifaith movement, any slide towards armed resistance has, up until now, been considered disastrous.
Up until 14 October… and the traditional day of weekly mobilisation.  Dedicated to these “free soldiers” who, the previous day, had once again been in heavy confrontation with the regimes forces at Idlib, in the north, and Deraa, in the south. Accordig to  The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (AR) the fighting resulted in 25 deaths.
On Monday morning the army launched a new offensive against the civilian districts of Al-Khalidiye and Adouye in the town of Homs, opening fire on residential drinking water storage tanks, according to the Shaam News Network. (AR)

author: Madjid Zerrouky


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Tunisia: A Crowdmap to Monitor the Elections · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

The Independent Tunisian electoral commission has set up a crowdmap to monitor the voting process in Tunisia, in French and Arabic. Citizens are encouraged to report irregularities they may witness during the October 23 constituent elections. The crowdmap is also accessible from the official homepage of the electoral commission.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Tunisia: A Rendezvous With History · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisian Revolution 2011.
Today Tunisians have been voting for a Constituent Assembly, the body charged with writing a new constitution and appointing a new transitional government. Tunisians everywhere proudly cast their ballots in a democratic test for the country, watched closely by Arabs elsewhere. In the run-up to the elections, bloggers voiced their feelings about the historic moment.
Tunisian vote (Image by European Parliament, reproduced under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Kiffe Grave declared:
Demain  23 Octobre 2011, je vais posé la dernière pierre sur ta tombe!
Demain tu n’aurais droit ni au fleurs, ni au pleure!
Demain, mort et enterré tu seras!
Demain, la dictature on décapitera!
Demain avec des millions de tunisiens nous allons donner de la voix,
Demain avec des millions de tunisiens nous allons donner naissance à la Tunisie Libre.
Demain avec des millions de tunisiens nous allons vivre en citoyens libres.
Demain est un rendez-vous avec l’Histoire,
Demain nous allons écrire l’Histoire,
Demain nous allons faire l’Histoire.
Demain rien ne sera plus jamais pareil,
Demain rien ne devra jamais plus être pareil,
Demain rien ne saura être pareil.
Demain, hommes et femmes seront égaux,
Demain, tous les tunisiens  seront égaux,
Demain, nous seront tous égaux.
Man Gusta wrote:
Je ne voterai pas pour un parti libéral.
Je ne voterai pas pour un parti communiste.
Je ne voterai pas pour un parti islamiste.
Je ne voterai pas pour un parti héritier du RCD.
Je voterai pour une Tunisie libre, arabe et musulmane, juste, égalitaire, progressiste et humaniste.
In a post called “My Declaration”, Zyed said:
Le sommeil boude mes paupieres
Je leve les yeux et j espere
Non.. Je crois, en un avenir meilleur
Mes larmes coulent de joie
Et je ne les retiens pas
pour la premiere fois
J'y trompe ma plume et j ecris
Le reve de toute une vie
Le reve de tout un pays
My tears flow from joy
And I don’t hold them back
for the first time
I dip my pen in them and I write
The dream of an entire lifetime
The dream of an entire country
He went on:
Demain je vais voter
Demain je vais exister
Citoyen je serai
Je choisirai en mon ame est conscience
Le chemin vers la delivrance
Loin des sales maniguances
Mon pays sera libre et fier
Son peuple unis et solidaire
Cherissant cette dignité qui nous est chere
Une nation s'erigera
Des tenebres elle emergera
Son destin elle accomplira
Mon pays, mes frere et amis, a defaut de vous donner mon sang.. Je vous offre ma voix
I will choose in my soul and consciousness
The path to deliverance
Far from dirty scheming
My country will be free and proud
Its people united and working together
Cherishing the dignity we hold so dear
A nation will establish itself
It will emerge from the shadows
Achieve its destiny
My country, my brother and friends, as I failed to give you my blood… I offer you my voice
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisian Revolution 2011.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Tunisia: It is Election Day!  · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisian Revolution 2011.
Tunisians embark on an historic day today. It is election day where they will head to the polls to elect a national constituent assembly, which will be responsible for writing a new constitution, and forming a new government.
All eyes will be fixed on Tunisia today, in what is considered the first democratic test for the so-called Arab Spring.
Around 11,000 candidates, among them seven bloggers are competing for 218 seats in the assembly.
Voters standing in long queues in front of the Tunisian Consulate in Paris. Photo Shared by Imen Braham vis pic.twitter.com
Tunisians living abroad continue casting their votes. Blogger and election candidate, Imen Braham, reported long queues in Paris yesterday.  Today [October, 23] polls open in Tunisia at 7am and close at 7pm Tunisian time.
Here are some of the reactions from Twitter, via the hash tag #tnelec, on election eve:
@Sabbagh_Anas: صبعك أزرق ؟؟ اذا انت تونسي #TnElec #Tunisie
Those who voted had their fingers stained with blue ink –  the procedure chosen by the Tunisian electoral commission to avoid multiple votes and frauds.
@ahmedbn: Proud to be Tunisian & participating for the #tnelec on the 23rd of October. Don't miss it.
@souhail_: Très ému par le déroulement de l'élection de l'assemblée constituante en Tunisie. C'est un tournant historique #TnElec
@Mimouna: Depuis quelque temps.. 2 jours plus précisemment, je me réveille avec un énorme sourire et une pensée : Nous votons! #Tnelec :)
@E_TunisieParis: allez voter les amis, notre Tunisie en a besoin, demain la fierté sera un sentiment commun qd la démocratie remplacera la dictature #tnelec
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisian Revolution 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Tunisia: Long Queues and Mixed Feelings on Election Day · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Today will be engraved in the memories of Tunisian voters, who poured into polling stations, from the early hours of the morning. Tunisians are electing a national constituent assembly to re-write the country's constitution.
Before this election day, there were fears that the rate of turnout would be weak, and disappointing.
On October 17, Tunisian @Arabasta1 tweeted:
Mon cauchemar pour le 23/10 : un faible taux de participation, ce jour là ça sera pas les partis qui perdront mais la Tunisie, ALLEZ VOTER!
On election day, however, voters needed to stand in long queues and wait for hours before they could cast their votes. Kamel Jendoubi, the head of the Independent Commission for the Election described the voter turnout as ”exceeding all expectations.”
The following YouTube video features long queues outside a polling station.
With very little time left before the polls close, voters are still standing in queues to cast their votes in what everyone hopes will be the first free and fair elections in the history of Tunisia.
@Karim2k tweets:
ow.ly/i/jKjR 4pm and people still flooding to the voting centers.
The polls drew people from all walks of life, Tunisians determined to have their voices heard and their opinion heard. Among them was the mother of Mohamed Bouazizi, the vegetable and fruit seller who set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid on December 17, 2011, and sparked a wave of protests which lead to the departure of former President Zine Al Abideen Ben Ali.
Bouzizi's Mother at a Polling Station, pic shared by @nashmiq8 shared via  twitpic
Tears, emotions and feelings of pride and happiness were also present throughout this election day. Here are some of the reactions of Tunisian voters via the hashtag #tnelec.
@MedAliChebaane:My mom never voted before. Had a hard time trying to stop her tears :-) She made my day!
@Styledeouf: I waited about 2h 45 minutes to vote. #worthwaiting #tnelec
@Emnabenjemaa: Ce qui se passe en Tunisie est unique dans le monde. tout le monde est tres content d'avoit un doigt tout sale avec de l'encre bleu #TnElec
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.


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Tunisia: Voting NOT Extended by Two and a Half Hours  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Journalist Yasmine Ryan  She then amended her tweet: “CORRECTION: polls still shut at 7pm, but all those with people still inline are to remain open.”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Turkey: 1,000 People Feared Dead in Van Quake  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit eastern Turkey a few hours ago. Up to 1,000 people could be feared dead from the quake, which hit Ercis, in the mountainous province of Van close to the Iranian border, the hardest.
A Pray for Turkey poster by Twitter user @mbahTonno
On Twitter, users are checking on loved ones and exchanging updates on the toll as well as humanitarian and rescue efforts.
Selin shares live pictures from quake hit Van, taken from news footage on television:
@Selintellect: Live pictures from #Van in Turkey #earthquake
In follow up tweets, she brings us closer to the devastation:
@Selintellect: CNN TURK is currently showing live pictures of a collapsed 8 storey apartment, estimated 50-90 people stuck in the rubble #Van
She adds:
@Selintellect: Man crying on his knees “My wife and my 4-month baby are there, my wife and baby” – #Van
Selin continues:
@Selintellect: Local men in #Van have organised themselves some with shovels some with bare hands, digging into the rubble to find earthquake victims
The toll, though not final, continues to rise.
@Selintellect: 10 dead, 60 injured so far in 7.3 earthquake, in Ercis district of #Van
@Selintellect: 80 buildings in total have collapsed in Ercis disctrict of #Van, death toll is expected to increase rapidly #Turkey
Ruwayda Mustafah says the toll could be in multiples.
@RuwaydaMustafah: 10 confirmed dead but at least a 1000 are expected to be. Many are stuck inside buildings + dozens injured #earthquake #Turkey
This figure is confirmed by news agencies.
Turkish Esra Dogramaci explains:
@EsraD: Van is mostly fine but phones are down. Very few buildings have collapsed. It's Ercis, a district, which has suffered big damage.
And she adds:
@EsraD: Turkish Red crescent sending 1162 tents, 1000 heaters, 4250 blankets, 500 supply kits #deprem #Van #earthquake
Quoting initial estimates, she tweets:
@EsraD: 25-30 building reportedly collapsed including 1 student dormitory #Turkey #earthquake #deprem
JYJTurkey reminds us:
@JYJTurkey: Unfortunately there aren't enough teams in #van to help people out, so everyone is waiting for help from other city's. #prayforTurkey
Meanwhile, people around the world are worried for loved ones.
NPR's Andy Carvin tweets:
@acarvin: So worried for my friend in Van RT @richardengelnbc: #Turkey, hearing many dead in quake near van in the east. Hundreds. phones in area out
On YouTube, user Onur1301 shares a video of the moment the quake hit Van:


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Africa: Africa’s Challenge to Western Homosexuality · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Critical Point discusses Africa's challenge to Western homosexuality: “I feel disappointment when African leaders immediately submit to a foreign concept in order to be assimilated into an “International Community” whose definition of international is decidedly limited! How is it that a relatively recent understanding of homosexuality has predominated over one which existed in Africa hundreds of years before?”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Argentina: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Re-Elected President · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

Presidential elections held in Argentina on October 23, 2011, resulted in a sweeping victory for current President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, according to preliminary results. (See Global Voices’ post on the primary elections held in August to determine the candidates for public office).
Exit poll results began to emerge when the polls closed at 6:00pm, although these results were not official. At 9:00pm a website with official results went live. At the time of writing this port, the current President is leading by a landslide victory of 53%, followed by Dr. Hermes Binner, the candidate of the Progressive Broad Front (Frente Amplio Progresista), with 17%.
On Twitter, which was widely used by candidates and citizens during the campaign, several related trending topics emerged. One hashtag that became a local trending topic was #cristinazo, alluding to the number of votes favoring the President.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Photo: Laura Schneider
@TwGobierno writes [es]:
Hay censura en Twitter, #cristinazo tiene mas Tweets que #binnerazo y no es TT… #twittercensura (difundir cumpas)
Daniela (@DaniK_dorada) celebrates [es]:
Llora llora llora la derecha xk los pibes tamos de fiesta! #cristinazo#plazademayo
The hashtag #yonolavote (“I didn't vote for her), used by those who didn't cast their vote for Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, also became a local Trending Topic.
Daiana Varetti (day_varetti) comments [es]:
que raro que el 1er TT sea #yonolavote y gano cn el 52 % de los votos.. yo tengo mi conciencia limpia y digo verdaderamente que #yonolavote
Cintia V Rojas (@CintiaVRojas) says [es]:
que bueno q #yonolavote sea tt porq significa q todavia qda gente cuerda!!!
Other local Twitter Trending Topics were #Vicepresidente (“Vice president) and #hablacristina (“Cristina speaks”).
The main opposition force in these elections also got their Trending Topic. Netizens used #binnerazo to refer to Hermes Binner, who in a few months of presidential campaigning managed to become the second largest political force in the country, although far from the first.
Hermes Binner with Cristina F. de Kirchner. Photo: Laura Schneider
Javier Alejandro (@Jmaitre) offers encouraging words to Binner followers [es]:
Vamos el socialismo, va creciendo en todo el pais #Binnerazo
While Mariana Calvo (@maariC) shows her disappointment [es]:
yo no estoy contenta tendria que haber ganado binner #binnerazo
Final results will be announced during the week, although the trend shown in preliminary results is not expected to change. Nevertheless, Aldana Formigo (@AldanaFormigo) [es] reflects the thoughts of many Argentinians:
Muy feliz de ser participe de está democracia! #Cristinazo

author: Laura Schneider


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Cambodia: Worst Flooding in a Decade · Global Voices
Sopheap Chak

The heavy rainfall in the upper Mekong River in Laos and Thailand has led to severe flooding in Cambodia. The catastrophe is already the worst flooding in a decade and has left an unpredecented amount of damage in the country.
Many areas have been submerged in floodwaters which have affected thousands of hectares of rice paddies. The floods have also killed more 200 people and destroyed road networks, dams, and other public utilities. Thousands of schools were closed nationwide and voter registration for next year's commune election has been extended.
Radio Free Asia [km] reported the flood impact summarized by the Vice President of Cambodian's National Committee for Disaster Management, Nhem Vanda:
ស្រូវចំនួនជាង  ៤សែនហិកតារបានលិចទឹកជំនន់។ ស្រូវចំនួនជាង  ២សែន៥ម៉ឺនហិកតារទៀតបានខូចខាតទាំងស្រុង។ ផ្លូវលំប្រវែងជិត  ៣.០០០គីឡូម៉ែត្របានខូចខាត។ ទំនប់ទឹកប្រវែងរវាង ៣០០គីឡូម៉ែត្រ ទៅ  ៤០០គីឡូម៉ែត្រ បានខូចខាត។ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋស្លាប់ចំនួន ២៤៧នាក់។  សាលារៀនជាង ១.០០០កន្លែងបានលិចទឹកជំនន់។  គេបានប៉ាន់ស្មានជាថ្មីឲ្យដឹងថា តម្លៃខូចខាតសរុបជាង  ៤០០លានដុល្លារអាមេរិក។
Author's ancestral home in a village of Kompong Cham Province where the flood level is higher than usual
Among the many provinces which experienced severe flooding is Siem Reap, a major tourism destination where Angkor Wat is located. Travelfish gave an update on the situation in Siem Reap:
Throughout most of town, the floods  that have plagued Siem Reap for six long weeks have almost entirely  subsided, and the watery streets are back to their usual dusty selves.
The flood has also led to the cancellation of Water Festival, held every November, which usually attracts more than a million provincial residents to visit the town each year. Last year, the festival ended with great tragedy when more than 300 people were killed in a stampede in Koh Pich island. The anniversary of the tragic incident  has coincided with the flooding, which some analysts fear will make it easy for the government to bypass the question of accountability over the crisis.
There have been various ongoing relief efforts from the local and national levels and including the international community to assist the affected residents of flooded villages. Some of the relief efforts are Caritas, Green Gecko kids flood relief initiative and Japan Alumni of Cambodia's Fund for Flood Relief
Chan Sovannara also writes about the flooding disaster:
Man is strong, he can create modern technology, but recently he has been hit by natural disaster. Some countries along the Mekong River — Cambodia, Thailand and China — are challenged with natural flooding. This year, Cambodia has become a victim of flooding which has left over a hundred people dead, and thousands of households destroyed.
The flood has hit 165,619 households and affected 231,044 families, 1,053 schools, 434 pagodas, 76 health care centers, 304,469 hectares of rice fields, and 10,535 hectares of other crops. The Cambodian authorities are working to find out the exact datas of victims, households, and costing which are damaged by flood 2011.

author: Sopheap Chak


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Cameroon: French Politician Denounces Irregularities in the Cameroonian Election · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Eva Joly, the green party candidate for the French 2012 presidential election, denounced on her blog the re-election  of Paul Biya, Cameroon incumbent president.  She points out  that even the usually prudent US State Department expressed strong reserves with the electoral process. She is surprised that the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs already aknowledged Paul Biya's re-election despite noting many irregularities.

author: Julie Owono


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Cameroon : The First Lady Fake Twitter Account  · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Journalist Beaugas-Orain Djoyoum writes an article entitled ‘The Saucy Chantal Biya‘ [fr] in the Cameroonian IT news portal TIC Mag. He describes the typical updates that can be found on the popular fake Twitter account of the Cameroonian First Lady.


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Chile: Students Storm Former Congress Building · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Robert L. Funk reports on the storming of the former Congress building in Santiago by students during “a Committee meeting to which the Education Minister had been invited”. Protesters refused to leave, and the President of the Senate, Guido Girardi, “declared that as the parliament is a public institution and belongs to the people, he would not have the protesters removed” as Robert explains.

author: Silvia Viñas


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China: Goodbye Gadhafi and Tyranny · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Prominent Chinese blogger, Yang Hengjun says farewell to Gadhafi’s rule and the remaining less than 10%  autocratic rulers at China Media Project.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: New Global Order in Car Ads · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tricia Wang notices the recent Ads of Toyota Highlander showing a white male serving a Chinese couple is reflective of the new global order.


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Colombia: Workers and Students Take to the Streets in Protest · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

October 2011 has been a tense month in Colombia. The upcoming regional elections on Sunday, October 30, the approval of a new Free Trade Agreement with the United States, and a higher education reform have all triggered several demonstrations.
On October 7, unions called for a national strike due to the possible approval of several decrees that would change current conditions for public sector workers.
The  Estudiantes de la Universidad de Pereira [es] (“Students of the University of Pereira”) blog and other websites [es] have published a press release in which labor unions assert [es] that some of those changes would leave a lot of people without a job:
Public worker's demonstrations in Bogota. Image by Luis Gómez, copyright Demotix (7/10/2011).
En cuanto al Paro Nacional Estatal, sus organizadores aducen como razón  principal el incumplimiento del Gobierno en la expedición del decreto  sobre negociación colectiva en el sector Estatal, que reforma el Decreto  535 sobre la materia. El texto del nuevo decreto fue acordado hace 4  meses por el Gobierno, las centrales y los sindicatos estatales, pero  aún no ha sido firmado por el Presidente Santos.
Las otras  razones del paro estatal tienen que ver con otras disposiciones del  Gobierno. Una es que la Comisión Nacional del Servicio Civil se niega a  aplicar el Acto Legislativo 04 de 2011, con perjuicio para cerca de 120  mil funcionarios provisionales; otra es la poca voluntad política para  erradicar la tercerización laboral en el sector público; y una cuarta es  el proceso de reestructuración de entidades estatales, que según los  sindicatos implicará la pérdida de empleos para miles de empleados  públicos.
Regarding the national strike, the organizers of the demonstration believe the main reason is the government's failure in passing the decree about collective negotiation in the State sector, which the 535 Decree reforms. The text of the new decree was agreed upon four months ago by the government, public and state unions. Yet, it has not been signed by President Santos.
The other reasons for the strike are related to other government regulations. One reason is that the Comision Nacional del Servicio Civil (National Commission of Civil Service) refuses to implement the 2011 Legislative Act 04, affecting around 120,000 temporary workers; another is related to the lack of political will to eradicate outsourcing labor in the State; the fourth reason is the restructuring process of the state institutions, which according to the labor unions will involve losing thousands of state jobs.
Daniel Echeverry, from the blog Cosas que se deben cambiar (“Things that must change”), asserts that not only state workers participated in this demonstration, but also high school and university students [es]. In addition, he expressed his concern that people don't know the reasons behind these protests:
Con tristeza nos dimos cuenta de que hay más fuerza pública contratada, que profesores, la gente está más a la expectativa de los conflictos o disturbios que se puedan presentar, y no tiene idea de lo que se está pidiendo ni por qué se está protestando..
Julio Roberto Gomez, a labor leader, affirmed that the government has failed to fulfill an agreement in which it committed to negotiate a collective contract for the 800,000 state sector [es] workers. Some of these workers are under a temporary contract.
The reasons for the strike are summarized in an 8-item list which include “The tough conditions which professionals and public and private health care workers are going through and the right for education and a public university” [es].
Regarding this item, on October 12, university students demonstrated in many parts of the country. The Fosforito blog quotes the following text [es] that has been re-published by other bloggers:
En Colombia más de 250.000 estudiantes dijeron NO a la privatización de la educación; la única respuesta del gobierno son encarcelamientos arbitrarios, heridos y un estudiante asesinado por las habituales fuerzas oscuras del estado colombiano.
The Fosforito Blog also quotes a press release [es] published on October 12 by the Mesa Amplia Nacional Estudiantil (“Student National Board”) [es]:
En el marco de la Movilización Nacional en contra de la Ley 30 y  su respectiva reforma, y por la construcción de un modelo educativo mas  justo e incluyente, los estudiantes organizados a nivel nacional en la  Mesa Amplia Nacional Estudiantil, MANE, acordamos realizar un paro  nacional universitario de carácter indefinido tras la radicación del  proyecto de ley, el cual se mantendrá hasta que el gobierno nacional lo  retire y dé garantías para la construcción de una reforma realmente  democrática y que responda a las necesidades de la universidad y del  país, estableciendo para ello como hora cero, el 12 de octubre del  presente año; dicha jornada se venia desarrollando de manera exitosa,  durante el día de hoy con la participación de más de 200.000 personas  entre estudiantes, trabajadores, profesores y padres de familia quienes  se movilizaron a lo largo y ancho del territorio colombiano.
On Twitter, opinions were published under the hashtags #NoReformaLey30 (“No to reform Law 30) and #NoLey30 (“No to Law 30″). Juan D. Barreto R (@Jdbarretor) [es] writes:
Quiero tu propuesta! quiero tu PROTESTA!!! #NoReformaley30!
Vida Torres (@LaVidaTorres) [es] thanks those who have tweeted with this hashtag:
Infinitas gracias a Tod@s los chicos q han hecho esta protesta virtual #NoreformaLey30 en su TL. Sí a la educación de calidad!!!!
Porfirio Gaia (@idealibertaria)[es] refers to the loans proposed by the higher education reform:
Estudiando, 5 años. Pagando 20 años. #NoReformaLey30
Sharito Otero (@Sharito_O_P) [es] emphatically says:
#NoreformaLey30#NoLey30 !! Vivaa El #ParoNacional Universitario!!
And Katherine Galvan asserts [es]:
Jajaja hoy me preguntaron cuando me iba a graduar, y no estoy segura quizas en el 2089 o 3000 pero todo por una buena causa #NoLey30
Todo lo que hay (“This is it”) published the following video of protests in Medellin [es]:
The worker's strike was considered a success [es] because of the number of people who participated, and because there were neither public order problems nor confrontations with the police. But during the student protest there were confrontations with the ESMAD (Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron) and a student died in Cali due to a potato bomb explosion.
Follow the #Ley30 hashtag to keep up with what happens with education reform in Colombia.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Cuba: Qaddafi’s End · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Two Cuban bloggers share their views on the death of Muammar Qaddafi.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Recounting Repression  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pedazos de La Isla posts two accounts of Cuban dissidents being beaten and detained, allegedly “just for trying to travel within their own country” and “for demonstrating peacefully”.


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East Timor: Petition to Keep the Country Debt-Free · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

The Movimento Kontra Deve (Movement Against Debt) and East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) have launched a joint petition to “For a Debt-Free Timor-Leste”. The Government of Timor-Leste is currently free of debt. Despite current substantial income from petroleum resources, the government has announced plans to begin borrowing.

author: Sara Moreira


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Egypt: Catch the Former Regime Remnants · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Last April, an Egyptian court ordered the dissolution of the political organization that had ruled the nation for decades, the National Democratic Party (NDP). At the time, the verdict was considered by many, including the Egyptian blogger, Zeinobia, as one of the achievements of the revolution, and a punishment for those who contaminated the political life in Egypt during Mubarak's era.
She wrote:
This long waited verdict is the best slap on the arrogance of the NDP members “former members to be accurate” who do not want to give up and admit the crimes they have committed against this great nation.
Since then the word “Felool” [ar], which translates to the “remnants of the former regime”, has become the newest addition to the daily vocabulary of Egyptians. Mohammad Salah described the meaning of the word in more detail:
Between seriousness and comedy, the word “remnants” has become the most frequently used word within Egyptian circles after the Revolution. The remnants are the defeated, or the leftovers of the former regime: whether those who worked within the executive apparatus and assumed high-ranking government positions; prominent figures of the dissolved National Democratic Party (NDP); MPs in the People’s Assembly and Shura Council who would gain their seats through fraud; or people affiliated with the Mubarak regime even if they did not work in the government or engaged in politics directly – such as businessmen, celebrities, artists, football players and people the regime would use to promote itself or to justify certain behavior, allow certain decisions to pass and promote the issue of Mubarak’s son inheriting the presidency!
And while the Egyptians are getting themselves ready for the parliamentary elections in November, the remnants of Mubarak regime became a serious issue to many of them. Some former members of the NDP launched new political parties, and some others will run independently. Even when it comes to other established parties, some of them decided to rely on the popularity of some ex-NDP members to gain more seats in parliament.
Azza Sedky wrote how Al-Wafd – one of the oldest Egyptian parties – is accused of integrating ex-members of the National Democratic Party into its lists.
She explained:
However, even the Wafd seems to be having issues with its lists, as certain members insist on running in the parliamentary polls, while the party's high commission thinks otherwise. Mostafa El-Gendy, who recently resigned from the party, was among those who censured the Wafd for allegedly integrating ex-members of ousted president Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) into its lists.
Also Ramy Mahrous tweeted:
@RamyMahrous: Ayman @ayman_shweky claims some Parliament candidates belong to “Alwast” Party are ex-NDP #Matrouh #Egypt #Parliament #Elections
Issues like this resulted in many arguments either within the parties or between different parties within political blocs, and Bassem Sabry reported one of those example in his blog:
Reasons for the split include ex-NDP members running with the Egyptian Bloc, and also (of course) the allocation of seats within the Bloc.
One of the proposed solutions was a law that bans members of the former Egyptian ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) from running in the upcoming parliamentary elections. However, this caused much controversy as some political forces view it as necessary for a real democracy in Egypt, while others have criticized it for setting a precedent of political isolation.
Such a law is still being studied by the Higher Council for the Armed Forces (SCAF), and it is hard to wait for it with the elections around the corner, so some revolutionary youth came out with another solution. They created a new platform under the name Emsek-flol (Catch the former regime remnants) to list all those former NDP members and the electoral districts they are going to run in. Zeinobia blogged about the website here:
Just like Catch a thief Egyptian political groups and activists including April 6th Youth , Revolution Youth coalition and The Egyptian National Council “Mamdouh Hamza” have launched a great website that called : Emseklflol.com
This fantastic website includes all the names of ex-NDP leaders and important members as well former NDP members of the parliament , local councils and NDP’s headquarters in all our governorates. It is huge fantastic work. You can find names based on governorates with brief details about their positions in the NDP.
The most interesting section is the cadres of the NDP , its leaders. That list includes very powerful businessmen who are untouched up till now. The website includes the names of the parties made by the NDP remnants, of course they are more than 8 now.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

author: Tarek Amr


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El Salvador: A Look at Relief Efforts as Water Recedes · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The rain has stopped and water is starting to recede in El Salvador; Tim's El Salvador Blog now looks at relief efforts after torrential rains hit El Salvador and other parts of Central America.


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Greece: Distributing Food From the Haves to the Have Nots · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

“We can” [el] (@boroume) is an initiative started by volunteers and restaurants to combat excess food waste, acting to utilize it for charitable purposes by supporting the Food Bank foundation.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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Haiti: Enough of Occupation · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Haitian Blogger has had enough of the United Nations occupation of Haiti, saying: “All Haitian's [sic] will start respecting the U.S. and it's [sic] proxy the UN MINUSTAH military force when they begin to put a value on Haitian life.”


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Honduras: Blogger’s Facebook Account is Shut Down · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

‘La Gringa’, from La Gringa's Blogcito, says her Facebook account was disabled because someone filed a complaint about her username (‘La Gringa’, her internet pseudonym) after she published a series of posts on crime in Honduras. She explains why she uses a pseudonym and points out that an online petition to restore her account has been set up at Change.org.


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Hungary: Live-Blogging Oct. 23 Opposition Protest in Budapest · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Contrarian Hungarian live-blogged Sunday's opposition rally in Budapest, which had been organized through Facebook (hu; en) and drew “many tens of thousands” of protesters.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Japan: Steve Jobs, Black Turtlenecks and Uniforms · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

The Tofugu blog looks at school and work uniforms in Japan to explain why they're important, in Japan, Steve Jobs, and the Infamous Black Turtleneck.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Libya: A Convenient Execution · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Alain Gresh outlines in his post on Libya, “An Ambiguous Liberation” [fr], that Gaddafi's execution “puts an end to the possibility of a trial that would have shone light on the support given to Gaddafi by different countries, including France and Great Britain, since 2003.”

author: Claire Ulrich


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Macedonia: Million Tweets – an Existentialist Parody Poem · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Blogger iskra_iskric has dared to adapt a Macedonian rock classic by the band Arhangel to the new digital reality, creating a new poem [mk] on tweetering.
Million Tweets (unofficial translation by F.S.)
Do you believe in me?
For I am an illusion that offers
all possible tweets.
And for a long time, this is not me.
This is someone who follows you
and enjoys tweeting.
Chorus:
Every attempt to follow me
will backfire at you as a retweet,
as a good mentioning.
I am a person who lives from tweeting,
and who's afraid to troll you.
I don't know if there's
any Facebook left in me,
or everything disappeared through the hashtag.
Joyful and tireless, I am tweeting dangerously,
for my million followers.
The only reason for me
to go on living,
and there's no way to change me,
all you can do is retweet me.
Do not think about how much I've changed
and that outside I can find everything I need.
Look! You will see just a mere mortal
eager for tweetup and revolution.
Chorus:
Every attempt to follow me….
The parody refers somewhat mildly to the grim atmosphere of the original lyrics [mk] by Risto Vrtev, published in 1993 as a song of the album “Arhangel 2.”
Million Dollars (unofficial translation by F.S.)
Do you believe in me?
For I am an illusion that offers
all possible shapes.
And I am not me for a long time
This is someone who impersonates me
and enjoys the boredom.
Do not think about how much you've loved
and that love is all you need.
Look! You will see just a mere mortal
without a concept for revolution.
Every attempt to love me
will backfire at you as punishment,
as a bitter fraud.
I am a person who lives in fear,
who's afraid to touch you.
I don't know if there's
any love left in me,
or everything disappeared through time.
Lonely and tired I am desperately
seeking my million dollars,
the only reason for me
to go on living.
And there's no way to change me
all you can do is kill me.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Mozambique: Uniting Small Farmers for a Better Tomorrow · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Our story is from the wild north of Mozambique, a poor country in Africa of roughly 20 million people where 70% of the population are small-scale farmers. Mozambique's post independence history has been a rollercoaster ride of civil war and changing economic models.
Mr. Júlio dos Santos Pêssego, from the province of Niassa, is a survivor. He grew up in a family of small farmers on the banks of a river far from the nearest town, and he describes his childhood as “difficult”. Today, he is one of the principal leaders of the “peasant movement” in Niassa province, working to defend land rights, increase food production and bring prosperity to farming families.
Pêssego, on the far left
A long journey
Pêssego remembers seeing independence in 1975 as a boy in 2nd grade, after having worked for an agricultural company spraying pesticides. In the first years of Mozambican independence, he was forced to abandon his studies and never completed middle school. Later, he says [pt]:
Devido a guerra de resistência, abandonei o meu emprego no ex-complexo agro pecuário e refugie me no distrito de Cuamba onde aparentemente era seguro. Dediquei me na produção de hortícolas para a minha sustentabilidade. Com o fim da guerra, circundei as montanhas para uma zona denominada Mutaco.
In Mutaco, he joined an agricultural association in 1999 with the goal of raising goats. Pêssego landed on his feet and prospered, but had the vision to help other farmers rise with him, encouraging people to face great challenges and yearn for more than just to scrape by.
Pêssego with his friend and colleague Alifa Aide (to his right)
With his dedicated team, he has partnered with major international NGOs, administered grants from European donors, and liaised with government officials on behalf of farmers. He learned to drive for his work, criss-crossing the province which is four times the size of England. He says [pt]:
Mas sublinhar que todo este tempo nunca abandonei a produção de alimentos. Principalmente hortícolas.
Building a national movement
The peasant movement formally emerged from state-sponsored cooperatives after the Mozambican government distanced itself from socialism in the late 1980s. It has been challenging to convince farmers that working together can be something empowering when not imposed from above.
The national umbrella organization is called UNAC, the National Union of Peasant Farmers, and is comprised of small self-help groups from the village level up.
Discussing food prices and community issues with active farmers
Pêssego, a physically imposing father of seven and a man of strong conviction, speaks in soft tones and uses aphorisms, folk tales and jokes when he speaks to communities. His name means “peach” in Portuguese.
One of his favorite adages comes from a regional folk tale about a rabbit and a leopard: “If you would like something, you must ask for it.” He takes this to mean that the powerful use cleverness over brute strength to maintain privilege, and that the weak must outwit them to get what they need.

author: Janet Gunter


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North Korea: Lessons Kim Needs to Learn from Libya · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Blogger Grant Montgomery left a commentary on Gaddafi's fall, correlating it with the future of North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Photos: Flash Mob Encouraging Youth to Vote, South Korea · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korean citizen media Wiki Tree  posted [ko] a video and photos of flash mob encouraging South Korean young voters to participate in the coming election on October 26, 2011.


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Photos: North Korean Theme Park · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The Visual News site introduced photos of North Korean theme park. Its recreational facilities are heavily rusted and the place is nearly deserted.


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Russia: Cursing Policeman Fired After YouTube Video Leak  · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Russian policeman who has been caught on camera [ru] cursing at his colleagues was fired after the video became public, corrupcia.net reported [ru]. Company commander of Omsk traffic police was accusing other policemen of producing not enough violation protocols. The case highlighted the so-called “sticks” system, in which police evaluation is based on the number of violation protocols or reports on solved crimes, or “sticks.”

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Government to Launch Content Monitoring in December 2011 · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Roskomnadzor, Russian telecommunications control body, will launch content monitoring system in December 2011, Kommersant.ru reports [ru]. The system ordered in March, 2011 (see GV analysis here) is now in pre-release condition. Its documented abilities allow the monitoring of up to 5 mln keywords published at the websites registered as online mass media outlets. It will also monitor user comments. The experts fear that the scale of monitoring will extend to non-registered blogs and sites.


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Russia: President’s Visit to Journalism Department Under Attack of Social Media · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

The New York Times explores the role of social media in exposing staged nature of Dmitry Medvedev's visit to the Moscow State Univerisity. The Twitter hashtag #журфак (shortened for Journalism department) as well as many posts on LiveJournal and Facebook made the controversy a trending topic and forced the president's spokesperson to announce Medvedev will visit the department again.

author: Gregory Asmolov


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Russia: ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Demonstration Attracts Only Few · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

“A Just Russia” party staged a Moscow version of the #OccupyWallStreet demonstration, reports Ridus.ru [ru]. The action decorated with printed posters saying “We're the 99%” attracted only 10-15 people. So far it's the only event in Russia to refer to the global protest movement.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Making Anya the Fan Favourite  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The deadline for voting for the Project Runway Fan Favourite is this Wednesday, October 26, at midnight – and Trinidad Carnival Diary is drumming up support for local designer Anya Ayoung-Chee in this post, complete with instructions as to how to upload tweets in bulk.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Poisoned Avocados  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

aka_lol and Plain Talk blog about a “local zaboca farmer who claimed to have intentionally poisoned over 200 zabocas” in a desperate attempt to deal with agricultural theft.


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Tunisia: Provisional Results Suggest Islamists Advance · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Provisional results of the October 23 election in Tunisia suggest that the Islamist party Ennahdha (The Renaissance) has won most of the votes. It is not clear if the party will obtain an overall majority. The Congress for the Republic came second, followed by the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties.
Lotfi Zitoun, a leader at Ennahdha, published his expectations on his Facebook page [ar]:
Counting the votes. Photo by the ONG I watch shared via Facebook
Alarabiya English tweets:
Islamist party says to get 60 seats in 217-member Tunisian assembly #Tunisia
This is according to the initial results in some of the electoral constituencies.
Though Rached Ghannoushi, head  of the Ennahdha, claims that his party is ”moderate,” once the initial results started to spread secularists expressed their worries and fears that conservatives might jeopardise the secular values of the Tunisian state. Here are some of their reactions on Twitter.
@hamdanih:
لوكان جا البوعزيزي حي راهو عاود حرق روحو..#tnelec
@FeveDeCacao: Musulmane…voir les islamistes accéder au pouvoir me fait froid dans le dos. J'espère avoir tort. #Libye #Tunisie #Tnelec
Other Tunisian citizens called for respecting and accepting the results.
Béhéeddine HAJRI writes [fr]:
après ce succès des premières élections libres .. maintenant le travail est lancé .. et au lieu d’insulter le peuple (c le cas malheureusement de la part de certains activistes qui se disent modernistes), il est grand temps d’analyser ces résultats .. de comprendre ce peuple pluriel ..
He adds:
respectons les voix des autres et avançons avec ce pays qui découvre tout un nouveau monde …
@JuveSimo tweets:
عندما اصطّف الشعب أمام الدوائر قالوا شعب مثقف وحضاري! وعندا اختار نفس الشعب النهضة تحوّل الى عربان متخلفة!! كفانا نفافا كفانا #tnelec
@IngMina_ tweets:
يا توانسي، اكبر امتحان ليك توا هو قبول النتائج حتى و لو كانت ضد اختيارك البارح #tunisia #tunisie #tnelec
It is worth mentioning, that counting the votes is still underway, and that they are expected to be released on Tuesday afternoon. Tunisians elected their representatives yesterday in the first democratic election of the so called Arab Spring.
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Turkey: Online Relief Efforts for Van’s Earthquake Victims  · Global Voices
Kubra

Eastern Turkey was hit by a large earthquake of magnitude 7.2 yesterday. The earthquake, whose epicentre was about 16 km north of Van province, devastated the area where many buildings were demolished with many people buried under the ruins.
As the government of Turkey started the official relief efforts, many Turkish citizens both in the country and abroad showed interest in helping those effected on the ground. As a result, within a couple of hours after the earthquake several different campaigns were launched on social networks to help with rescue and relief operations.
One interesting campaign that quickly grabbed the attention of many on social media networks was “EvimEvindir”. The campaign was started by Turkish journalist Ahmet Tezcan when he declared on Twitter [tr] that he was ready to welcome a family which was left homeless due to the quake to his home:
Vanlı bir aileye evimi açmaya hazirim. Kamu kuruluşları bunu da organize etmeli!
Ahmet Tezcan continued to promote the idea and soon another Turkish journalist Erhan Çelik started promoting the campaign strongly. In a couple of hours, hundreds of tweets and thousands of e-mails were received by the two journalists regarding the campaign and Erhan Çelik mentioned his thanks for the attention [tr]:
Mail kutumda 17 bin mail var. Bunlardan ilgili olanları İstanbul Valiliğine iletiyorum. İlginize depremzedeler adına çok teşekkürler!
Soon two new hashtags “#EvimEvindir” [“#MyHouseIsYourHouse” in Turkish] and “#EvimEvindirVan” spread in Turkey and a new website for the campaign was set up at www.evimevindir.com. Ahmet Tezcan reported that Governorship of Istanbul had stepped in to help the campaign:
İstanbul Valimiz H.Avni Mutlu #EvimEvindirVan kampanyasindan haberdar edildi. Çok sevindi. Gerekenin yapilmasi icin talimat verecektir!
According to the campaign's website, the Governorship of Istanbul is now the coordinator of the campaign to locate and connect families from Istanbul to families in the earthquake zone.
Another campaign that was launched on Twitter and gained support via the hashtag “#HaydiGsmciler” [“#ComeOnGsmOps” in Turkish] called on the three leading GSM operators in Turkey, namely Turkcell, Vodafone Turkey, and Avea, to provide free minutes to its customers in the earthquake zone, as it is expected that many victims who were buried alive under the rubble would attempt to use their cell phones to contact for help. Journalist Erhan Çelik avidly promoted this campaign, posting [tr]:
GSM şirketleri de üzerine düşeni yapsın! Deprem bölgesinde kontörlü hatlar ücretsiz olsun, mağdurlar rahatça konuşsun! #HaydiGsmciler
Soon after the hashtag was launched, all three leading GSM operators declared that they would be providing free minutes to their customers in Van, which had suffered losses due to earthquake. Both Turkcell and Avea reported [tr] this news through their official Twitter accounts respectively as follows:
Van'da bulunan ön ödemeli müşterilerimize her yönü arayabilecekleri 100 dk. ücretsiz konuşma süresi ve 100 kısa mesaj (SMS) yüklenecektir
Van'da yaşanan felaket nedeniyle bölgede bulunan tüm Avealı'lara her yöne kullanabilecekleri 100dk konuşma ve 100 sms tanımlanmıştır #van
A few hours after the earthquake, several activist bloggers created a blog, named “Yalnız Değilsin Van” [“You are not Alone Van” in Turkish], to provide information on contact and coordination points for relief efforts in the earthquake zone. Heavily promoted in the blogosphere and Twitter, the blog describes itself as:
This page has been created to keep track of, gather and post updates on the relief efforts towards the 2011 Van Earthquake, including transportation of aid, coordination numbers and a continuously updated list of goods and equipment in demand
The blog contains information in both Turkish and English and also has a Facebook page called: “Van’la Dayanışma” [“Solidarity with Van” in Turkish].
One last addition to web-based help to relief efforts for the victims of the Van earthquake came from Google in the form of Google Person Finder which was activated in Turkish. Zeynep Tüfekçi reported this as:
Google Person Finder now up in Turkish for the Van earthquake: http://turkey-2011.googlepersonfinder.appspot.com/

author: Kubra


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USA: Lawrence Lessig’s “Republic, Lost” · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

@Therealpsmst recommends [mk] the talk by anti-corruption activist, law professor and Creative Commons founder Lawrence Lessig (@lessig): “Republic, Lost” is about the role of campaign contribution racket in the times of crisis and ways to reform the U.S. political and financial system.


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Zambia: Netizens Divided Over Sata’s Apology to Angola · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

When he took over as Zambia’s president after the September 20 election, Michael Sata’s first diplomatic decision, blunder or not, was to turn down an invitation by the Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika to attend a summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
A second potentially explosive diplomatic move which has not been confirmed by State House, is President Sata’s authorisation of a banned radio station in Malawi, Joy FM, to set up base in town of Chipata, which is less than 15 km from the Malawian border. The radio station is apparently owned by the son of former Malawian president, Bakili Muluzi, and intends to broadcast into Malawi.
Dr. Jonas Malheiro Savimbi. Image released under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Wikipedia author Ernmuhl.
But the biggest talking point about the way Sata is handling diplomatic issues, is his apology to the Angolan government for the decision by the former ruling party MMD to support the then Angolan rebel movement, UNITA and its late leader Dr. Jonas Savimbi. Ironically, Michael Sata was at one time Minister Without Portfolio in the MMD government, a position technically third in the hierarchy from the president.
Zambians on the Facebook group, Zambian Peoples Pact, have been commenting. Mambo Phiri says that such issues need to be dealt behind the scenes by career diplomats:
MCS [Michael Chilufya Sata] has essentially admitted that Zambia committed an ACT OF WAR by supplying arms to UNITA'S JONAS SAVIMBI. Ladies, gentlemen, & blind followers can someone explain to the President that there is a reason why we have career diplomats to deal with such issues behind the scenes. Bane (friends) we are already poor in Zambia we do not need tension or war because being a refugee is not a sexy look. Thanx
Stan Booga says:
Is the apology by MCS to the Angolan government over UNITA support, likely to be analysed as admission that Zambia was interfering in Angola by supplying arms? If yes, ANOTHER BLUNDER MCS!
Peter Chavula, without necessarily elaborating, thought that the apology is good. Reading between the lines of his post, he could be suggesting that Zambia could be buying cheaper fuel from neighbouring Angola:
Sata…. Good move on angola
The big picture
On Twitter, @munshyamunshya, whose timeline was critical of President Sata’s apology to Angola, wrote in one tweet:
#Sata should learn diplomacy from Malawi. When he demanded that Malawi apologise to him for the deportation Malawi said no!
Asking about Sata being the third in President Chiluba’s hierarchy, @munshyamunshya asked:
And wasnt Sata the number 3 in Chiluba's government? If he did not like the policy then why did he not resign? #Sata is wrong!
A cynical @BradleysEvents wrote:
ah ah I had no idea we owe Angola an apology
On the Zambian Watchdog website, there were varied reactions to the President’s apology.
Don Corleone saw economic benefits in it:
ECONOMIC corporation with Angola is vital..our neiba has oil and sure we can benefit from them..apologising on behalf of MMD ..we need to link Angola thru our railway system..its a good step Mr President,,,we dont need to go to the middle east for oil when our good neiba has abundant reserves of oil..
Mbingu Wakanaka was very blunt in his criticism of President Sata:
This old man is not presidential material.The things he doing are quite embarasing sometimes.The other day he knelt down to kiss the hand of that British clergy man.Such behaviour is not befitting a head of state.Now he is apologising on behalf of zambians for the wrongs he and Chiluba committed against the Angolans but meanwhile he is distancing himself from blame.The man clearly can not represent us properly home and at international fora because even the way he talks does not potray the status of a head of state. Not that he was the best amongst the candidates!People just wanted change and also Bwezani did not do his homework properly.More blunders and comedy is stock for us and the world at large.Let us wait for the next movie as time unwinds.
Very sad day when a President makes such careless remarks. I am no RB supporter but I think MCS [Michael Chilufya Sata] should be restrained in the things he says. He is not PF President, he is the President of Zambia. He needs to remember that he is not in opposition anymore and he must bear national interests first and PF politics second.
The President was in for another dose of harsh criticism by Peema:
To just say something like that off the cuff is the height of irresponsibility. Incidentally, the Angolan war ended through FTJ’s efforts. The peace treaty is not called “Lusaka Peace Accord” for nothing.
We stand to gain nothing by him being so careless in his remarks. This man needs educating in foreign policy or we are all in trouble. There is a Zambia-Angola joint permanent commission where this could have been discussed. Away from the media.
Incidentally, what happens if UNITA wins elections in a few years? Think first Mr President. We all want you to succeed.
Maurice Makalu had a different view:
I don’t “get it” why use “blunders” in the title. You mean apologising is a blunder, we should have just let the status quo continue?
This is not a blunder. If it were a chess game, Sata has moved a big piece forward to position Zambia for increased bilateral trade with Angola. The people of Western and N-Western Province will be excited that he said this. The immediate next step now is to start talking road and rail construction projects.
This is very excellent your Excellency!

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Zambia: Presidential Immunity Must be Limited to the Term of Office · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gershom argues that presidential immunity in Zambia must be limited to the term of office: “With the revelations coming out regarding the conduct of Zambia’s immediate former president Rupiah Banda in his three short years in office, it is increasingly becoming necessary for people to demand that Mr Banda be stripped of his immunity just like it happened to Zambia’s second president, Frederick Chiluba.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Azerbaijan: Twitter Diplomacy · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The British Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, has announced that newly arrived Ambassador Peter Bateman will take questions via Twitter on Thursday 27th October.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: Launching of Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign · Global Voices
Rezwan

Adhunika reports that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and two foundations in Bangladesh have developed a partnership to support the women in fighting against Breast Cancer through a mass awareness campaign.

author: Rezwan


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Bangladesh: Live Blogging Electoral Debate · Global Voices
Rezwan

The electoral debate of the Narayanganj City Corporation Mayoral candidates is being live broadcast and live blogged, informs Kowshik.


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Bermuda: The Challenges of Buying Local  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

When it comes to buying local, BeachLime says: “Customer service in many of the places here is a pure joke. Local businesses need to adapt – better customer service across the board…”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bhutan: Justifying Police Brutality · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sonam Ongmo writes about the police brutality against an innocent Bhutanese youth and the subsequent politics on this issue.


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Brazil: Journalists Collaborate with US State Department · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Luis Cezar, from the blog Brasil Que Vai, publishes a paper by Helena de Souza which reports on documents released by Wikileaks that link journalists from the main Brazilian TV network and one of the largest in the world, Rede Globo, with the US State Department.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Chile: State Security Law, Violence Deterrent or Repression? · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

On October 18, 2011, Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter invoked [es] the State Security Law to punish the persons responsible for the burning of a bus during protests convened by several of the country's unions to support the student movement.
According to the Minister himself, “this judicial action will be presented tomorrow, the reason is the behavior I hereby described, intercepting this public transportation bus, setting it on fire, terrorizing its passengers, is specifically considered in Letter C of the 6th article of the State Security Law”.
This article punishes those who “incite, promote or encourage” a standstill or damage the operation or prevent the access to public services [es] with a maximum conviction that may vary between five to ten years.
Students protesting in Chile. Image by Sebastian Poch Velasco, The Stroboscope on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
This has caused a huge controversy in social networks, mainly because it brings back memories from both Pinochet‘s dictatorship as well as subsequent Concert of Parties for Democracy (Concertación in Spanish) governments’ use of it to “crack down democratic actions”, as was described by Tomas de la Rementeria (@tomas_dr) in his column in the debate website Sentidos Comunes (“Common Sense”) [es]:
(…) A eso debemos sumar que la Ley de Seguridad del Estado es un cuerpo legal atávico, que representa todo su origen autoritario y antidemocrático (…)
Así la utilizó el ex ministro de la Corte Suprema Servando Jordán para perseguir al llamado El libro negro de la justicia chilena, de Alejandra Matus. La usó el ex senador y hoy empresario explotador Francisco Javier Errázuriz en contra del diario El Metropolitano por dar a conocer una investigación judicial contra el por falsificación de instrumento público.
También, el Comandante en Jefe interino de la FACH, el General del Aire Hernán Gabrielli, en contra de algunos presos políticos los que lo habían acusado de participar en torturas durante la dictadura. Otro caso emblemático es el del ex dictador Augusto Pinochet en contra del dirigente socialista Arturo Barrios por lo cual éste perdió sus derechos ciudadanos por un largo tiempo. En 2008 se le invoco a tres jóvenes que tenían material impreso alusivo a ideas anarquistas y a la fabricación de bombas molotov. Estos casos muy dudablemente ponían en peligro la seguridad del Estado, sino que más bien se trataron de poner mordazas a dichos contra autoridades o a generar delitos en situaciones de estado donde no había ninguna acción violenta.
(…) To that, we should add that the State Security Law is an ancestral legal body, that represents everything from its authoritarian and antidemocratic origin (…)
That is how it was used by the former Minister of the Supreme Court, Servando Jordan, to prosecute the so called El libro negro de la justicia chilena (Black book of Chilean justice) by Alejandra Matus. It was employed by the exploiter businessman Francisco Javier Errazuriz against El Metropolitano (The Metropolitan) newspaper for raising awareness about a judicial investigation against him for forging a public instrument.
It was also the case of FACH's interim Commander in Chief, General del Aire Hernán Gabrielli, against some political prisoners who had accused him of participating in tortures during the dictatorship. Another well known case is that of former dictator Augusto Pinochet against the socialist leader Arturo Barrios, after which he lost his citizen rights for a long time. In 2008 it was invoked against youngsters that had printed material related to anarchism and for putting together Molotov bombs. These cases dubiously put in danger the State security, they were rather gags for statements said against the authorities or crime-generators of situations that were free of violence.
Some Twitter users criticized the over-reaction to this measure, like the journalist, professor and blogger Alexis Cares (@alexiscares) [es]:
Me van a perdonar, pero esto de invocar la Ley de Seguridad del Estado es como salir a matar un ratón con una bomba atómica
Others defended the decision, qualifying the vandalism as an act of terrorism, like Graciela Saavedra V. from Pichilemu (@graciela_sv) [es]:
los que quemaron el el bus no son delincuentes son terroristas. Ley de seguridad interior del Estado es NADA cn su delito.
those who burnt the bus are not delinquents, they are terrorists. The State's Internal Security Law is NOTHING compared to their felony.
Or Angel Lagos (@Miganyan) [es], who supported it with irony:
Quien crea q quema del bus fue acto de protesta, también debería creer q USA invadió Irak para defender democrac.Ley de seguridad del estado
Those who believe the bus burning was an act of protest, must also believe that the USA invaded Iraq to defend democracy. State Security Law
And Hans Rolle (@HansRolle) [es] who echoed the sentimenst of many on Twitter:
Ley de Seguridad del Estado y mano. No puede ser que un puñado de weones sitien la ciudad y causen terror en los habitantes.#eso
State Security Law and that's it. It can't be that a bunch of thugs besiege this city and cause terror on its inhabitants. #period
When Ley de Seguridad del Estado (“State Security Law”) became a worldwide trending topic, many were curious to know what this law was all about. Some Twitter users tried to explain it in 140 characters and others sent links.
Claudio Barrios (@cloud_barros) [es] commented:
Si ocupan la ley de seguridad interior del estado, recuerden que deben encontrar a los sujetos que cometieron el ilicito no ha [sic] cualquiera
If the state's internal security law is used, remember that they have to apprehend the suspects who committed the crime, not just anyone
The Twitter account of Bio-Bio Radio (@biobio) [es] shared:
[ENTREVISTA] Abogado explica la Ley de Seguridad del Estado: “Las penas son grotescamente mayores” http://t.co/JXMTUcwB
[INTERVIEW] Lawyer explains the State Security Law: “The sentences are grotesquely bigger” http://t.co/JXMTUcwB [es]
Other netizens are worried about the consequences the enforcement of this law will have on freedom of speech, like blogger Andreitatop who published the post “La Ley de Seguridad del Estado… bienvenidos a Chile sin derechos” (“State Security Law… welcome to a Chile with no rights”) [es]:
Cada vez que sale la noticia que Hinzpeter quiere aplicar esta ley me da miedo (…) A mi juicio, aceptar la utilización de esta ley es volver a los tiempos donde la libertad era acallada con puños y la voz del pueblo silenciada con sangre. Donde no había derechos que reclamar ni instituciones a las cuales hacer nuestras quejas (…) Es volver a punto cero. Y que este legalmente aceptado.
Every time the news of Hinzpeter wanting to enforce this law comes out, it scares me (…) In my opinion, accepting the application of this law is going back to the times where freedom was cracked down with fists and the people's voice was silenced with blood. When there were no rights or we couldn't claim our complaints to institutions (…) It's going back to the starting point. And that it is all legally accepted.
This measure is a hot topic of conversation. The government meanwhile, through its spokespeople, has responded to criticism [es] pointing out that “what's right is to have all promoters of violence behind bars and not burning buses”.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Cuba: “Exterior” & “Interior” Blockades  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y and Havana Times blog about today's United Nations vote on the US-Cuba economic embargo.


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Cuba: Watching Hurricane Rina · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Circles Robinson, writing at Havana Times, says that “Cuban weather forecasters…envision Rina making a landing as a major hurricane (over 110 mph) sometime Thursday night or Friday.”


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Jamaica: Conflict of Interest with Housing & Environment  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaica Woman Tongue questions whether the National Environment and Planning Agency of Jamaica (NEPA) “[has] the teeth to do [its] job properly”.


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Kenya: Online Reactions to Suspected Al Shabaab Grenade Attacks  · Global Voices
Collins Mbalo

The Kenyan military recently launched a military offensive against the Somali militant group Al Shabaab dubbed “Operation Linda Nchi” in Swahili, which when translated  means ‘Operation Protect The Nation’. Following the offensive, Al Shabaab promised to attack Nairobi.
The Kenyan capital city has already seen two deadly grenade attack incidents: one at a popular entertainment club and the other at a crowded bus stop in downtown Nairobi.
The two incidents have provoked conversation online. A Nairobian Perspective offers “Tips On How To Survive A Grenade Attack”:
This is my own addition and i will put in bold because the vast majority  of Kenyans are just senseless when a disaster happens } Do not go to  the scene of a terrorist attack to watch. Terrorists  like to set off  secondary targets to kill as many police and rescue  personnel as  possible.Furthermore you may hinder or interfere with the rescue efforts  or evidence gathering!
The site of where the pin of the grenade was reportedly found. Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by Jonathan Kalan, copyright © Demotix (24th October 2011).
Gukira warns against developing xenophobic or discriminatory sentiments against Kenyan-born Somalis:
At JKIA, a Somali woman sees me, smiles at her companion, identifies  me as family, begins to ask me a question, but not in English. I smile  regretfully, cursing my limited languages, confess that I am not Somali:  I just look like one. She smiles again and agrees that I look like one.
I recount this incident to my mother: she tells me to start speaking  Gikuyu loudly in public. I have no way to respond. And certainly no  smiles to share.
*
Ethnic chauvinism is being fed and strengthened. A stream of stories  begin to coalesce, to justify this war, because Al Shabaab-Somalis are  threatening.
They steal birth certificates from legitimate Kenyan children.
Living in Eastleigh, in a “nation within a nation,” they refuse to assimilate.
They skirt immigration laws and threaten belonging.
They have too much money, probably from selling weapons.
They are threatening our tourist industry.
Never subtle anti-Somali sentiment is getting bolder, even as our  leaders tell us that this is a war against Al Shabaab, not Somalia or  Somalis. I wonder if the bombs being dropped are as discriminating in  their tastes.
*
We seem to have one color code and it’s green: go and kill, is the command.
Wamathai utters similar sentiments:
Kenyan police clean up fragments from the explosion. Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by Jonathan Kalan, copyright © Demotix (24th October 2011).
Our brothers in Eastleigh, in North Eastern, in Nanyuki, Mombasa, lamu  and Nakuru(Kenyan Towns) are caught in the middle of a bad bad situation. Many of  them, their fathers and mothers, have kept our streets safe in the  police, have fought for kenya since the 1960s in the armed forces. They  are at the heart of our best trained troops, our critical and necessary  anti-stock theft unit. Many of them are risking their lives, right now  in Kismayu, their families right now being insulted and abused in  Eastleigh. They do not have to defend their  belonging. We are in unchartered waters and our behaviour to these  brothers and sisters will define our common future.
IddSalim questions the underlying reasons for the Kenyan military offensive and its timing:
First of all, I do not support the Kenya vs Somalia ‘war’. We can’t beat  them in football, and we challenge them in a cat-and-mouse game they  play EVERY day? But that is NOT the reason for my lack of support.  Somalia Militia (From Somalia, Not Kenya) have been killing Kenyans for  years in the North Eastern parts for ages. Nothing major was done. But  as soon as they Kidnapped some Europeans (Our gods), a full-scale war is  waged. Where is our sense of national pride? Why are we valuing  tourists’ lives more than our own? Aren’t all humans equal?
The site of where the pin of the grenade was reportedly found. Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by Jonathan Kalan, copyright © Demotix (24th October 2011).
On Twitter the word Grenade was trending on Trendsmap Nairobi .
SKibuchi quipson the popular song by Bruno Mars:
al shabaab cnt stop me i gt Bruno Mars 2 catch the grenade 4 me
While many Kenyans are asking themselves whether or not other attacks are to follow, it seems that at least Kenyans online are taking precautions and addressing themselves on how not to develop negative perceptions of their fellow country men of Somali descent.

author: Collins Mbalo


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Macedonia: Advocating Media Freedom Through Music · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

On the occasion of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days, the rock band Reporters, composed of prominent journalists, including veterans of critical investigative reporting who are now out of work due to closing of A1 TV, will hold a concert in Skopje (FB event) and present their new song “Freedom” [mk] . The lyrics are by Saska Cvetkovska, another sacked journalist, famous for revealing the pre-election blackmail scheme.


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Mexico: Nonprofit Supports Low-Income Women Entrepreneurs · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Food blogger Lesley Téllez highlights the work of CREA, “a Mexico City nonprofit that supports women entrepreneurs in low-income communities”. Lesley shares photos of food she made using some of these women's food products.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Mexico: President Signs Law Two Years After Daycare Centre Fire · Global Voices
Miguel Angel Guevara

On June 5, 2009, in Hermosillo, Sonora (Northeastern Mexico), a daycare centre called Guardería ABC burned down; 49 children lost their lives in the fire and 76 were injured. The event caused an outcry in Mexican society and many people asked themselves if it would be just another bitter case of impunity.
The childrens’ parents  ran an astute campaign to find those responsible and bring them to justice before the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice.
In addition, they promoted a bill that would require all daycare centres in the country – public, private or mixed – to meet minimum safety requirements, assure quality standards, and submit to periodic inspections. It also includes the creation of a national register of daycare centres.
This bill has become known as the Ley 5 de Junio (5th of June Law) after the date of the tragedy, and its path to approval has been a difficult one. It passed through the Senate in the last days of ordinary sessions (at the end of April this year), meaning that it had to wait until September to be discussed and approved in the Chamber of Deputies. Nevertheless, after its approval in the Chamber and after being sent to the Executive for final signature and enactment, President Felipe Calderón was reluctant to sign it.
August 2009: Protest by parents of children who died in the fire, photo by Prometeo Lucero (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Faced with this fact, Mexican netizens embarked on a targeted campaign to generate pressure. Thanks to this exercise of collective citizenship, the President has conceded and announced the enactment of the law at his residence yesterday, Monday, October 24. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter.
Daniel Gershenson (@alconsumidor) [es], one of the main promoters of this law on Twitter, couldn't hide his joy:
Nada más fuerte, que el poder de una gran idea cuyo momento ha llegado « #ley5deJunio #GuarderiaABC, VA
Manuel Robles (@mroblesmx) [es] expresses his admiration and respect for these parents who played with the rules of politics to achieve their objective:
Respeto y admiración para los padres de #GuarderiaAbc . Saludo a quienes les han acompañado en su peregrinar #Ley5deJunio.
Jesús Robles Maloof (@roblesmaloof) [es], pointed out the importance of the law:
Increíble que no existiera una regulación integral de todos los centros de atención a la infancia. Gracias a la #Ley5deJunio ahora la habrá
Oscar López (@oscarl) [es] highlights the importance of this citizen achievement:
#ley5dejunio El logro de un movimiento de una tragedia que indignó a todo el país. Es lo mínimo que merece la memoria de aquellos niños(as)
Julio Márquez (@juliomarquez1) [es], father of Yeye, sends out an emotional message in 140 characters:
Gritenlo todos en TW¡¡¡¡ Mañana se publica #Ley5dejunio. Mis lagrimas hoy son de agradecimiento a ustedes, en nombre de mi hijito Yeye y mio

author: Miguel Angel Guevara


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Nicaragua: Journalist Launches ‘The Nicaragua Dispatch’ · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Tim Rogers writes a guest post for the Knight Center's Journalism in the Americas Blog on his recently launched site The Nicaragua Dispatch: “The idea is not only to inform readers about what’s happening here behind the headlines, but also provide people with a virtual meeting place to gather, share ideas and proposals, and discuss and debate issues in a civilized manner – a democratic practice that is not encouraged in Nicaragua.”