text:
DIY Galaksija Computer, Bedrock of Serbia’s IT Industry, Turns 30 · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Voja Antonić and his colleague Jova Regasek putting together the Galaksija prototype in 1983. Public domain.
The Galaksija (Galaxy) computer, created by inventor and author Voja Antonić in 1983 with detailed instructions for anyone to put together a personal computer with standard parts, is nothing less than legendary in the former Yugoslavia. The DIY home computer may not have matched the quality or high-tech readiness of most brand name computing machines of the time, but it inspired a country and a generation to plunge deeper and farther into the IT industry that was just beginning to develop worldwide.
As legend would have it, in the summer of 1983, a young journalist with a flare for all things tech and scientific, Voja Antonić, was vacationing in Montenegro. At the time, importing computers and such machinery into Yugoslavia was close to impossible for the average citizen due to complicated customs laws and licenses. Such technology didn't come cheap in the 1980s either. A standard PC in 1983 cost about an average Yugoslav worker's monthly salary, which was among the highest in Europe at the time.
Cover of the January 1984 edition of “Računari u vašoj kući” magazine. Public domain.
Antonić plunged into some summer reading on the Montenegrin coast that year about a new brand-name computer that had just been released on the global market. As he looked at the schematic, he realized that most of the parts of standard PCs had become readily available at most hardware stores throughout the country. Within months, the young Antonić had put together a schematic for anyone who wanted to build a do-it-yourself computer. He then contacted a few manufacturers of such parts and partnered with them to create DIY packages with all the necessary parts that any ordinary consumer could order for and put together at home.
Initially, the team involved believed they could sell as much as several hundred of the Galaksija kits, a number they thought to be highly optimistic but possible. Antonić knew he would also have to publish the schematic in a place where wider audiences could see it, for those who didn't want to order the ready to build Galaksija kit, but would rather purchase the parts on their own. He teamed up with Dejan Ristanović, who was barely 20 years old at the time and putting together a magazine about the latest in PC technology, “Računari u vašoj kući” (“Computers in Your Home”). Together, Ristanović and Antonić released the full diagram and instructions for the Galaksija personal computer in the first January 1984 edition of the magazine, published in December of 1983. Within a year or so, over 8,000 Galaksija kits were sold in Yugoslavia, while the number of those who purchased parts on their own and used the schematic to build their custom Galaksija were never recorded. That same year, Galaksija computers were introduced into elementary schools throughout the country. The year was 1984.
A tech revolution was incited. Ristanović, Antonić and their team also used radio and television to promote the Galaksija and everything computer-related, teaching average users how to customize both their hardware and tweak code here and there. The video below is one of  Antonić's countless popular television appearances in which he sat down to explain some gaming basics to Galaksija and other PC users:
Thirty years later, Antonić is a world-renowned inventor, speaker and writer, while Ristanović is the editor-in-chief of one of the country's most popular geek magazines, PC Press, and co-founder of one of the first Internet providers in Serbia. Today, Serbia is known among those in the IT industry as a place of great potential and well-rounded developers and innovators, despite the recent decades of political, social and economic troubles. In a recent post, Eurogamer.net elaborated on how the Galaksija revolutionized the use of personal computers on several levels. Radio DJ Zoran Modli came upon the idea at the time to distribute software for the Galaksija and other similar machines – through the radio ether. As the Eurogamer.net article explains:
Like the ZX Spectrum and other computers of the time, programs were loaded onto the Galaksija from an audiocassette recorder. This gave Jova Regasek, the editor of Računari, an idea for a bold experiment. He got in touch with Zoran Modli, who hosted the show Ventilator 202 on Radio Belgrade. Modli's show was a mix of local bands and contemporary chart music, but he also had an interest in computers, and Regasek's idea was to broadcast the sound of a computer program that listeners could tape and then load up on their home machines. In effect, this was wireless downloading long before the days of wi-fi.
In the year of Galaksija's 30th anniversary, every school in Serbia is equipped with computers for students, the Internet penetration rate was close to 65 percent in 2012, and visitors are often surprised to find that wifi is readily available almost anywhere in every city and town in the country. Over one-third of the country's adult population uses the Internet daily, and the statistics are just as or more impressive for Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia, with Bosnia-Herzegovina lagging somewhat. With much to make up for after the turmoil of the last two decades and the global IT industry developing rapidly, the region has yet to catch up with some other high-tech markets. With the Galaxy to mark its past, many are confident that the region has a bright future ahead.

author: Danica Radisic


text:
Former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko Officially Supports #Euromaidan Movement · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

According to her official website, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has officially joined the Maidan Civil Movement, a newly formed civilian organization stemming from the Euromaidan movement, just as the protest that began in Ukraine in November 2013 enters its second month.
Tymoshenko, jailed in 2011 for allegedly “exceeding authority”, is considered by many around the world to be a political prisoner, while Ukrainians are divided on their opinions of her. Most Ukrainian citizens condemned her imprisonment in 2011, some claiming that the current regime's only reason for doing so was to remove her from politics after current Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych won the 2010 presidential election, with Tymoshenko as his opponent in the run-off round, by just 3.5 percent.
In a YouTube video posted by Ukrainian Channel 5 and released on Tymoshenko's official site, the founders announce the new Maidan Civil Movement's inception before thousands of protesters gathered in Kyiv's Independence Square:
Tymoshenko's photograph has been gracing many posters and billboards related to the Euromaidan protests in recent weeks, and the jailed former prime minister's daughter has recently, along with other supporters, demanded the immediate release of her mother amid the growing anti-government demonstrations in the country. Other protesters are requesting that Tymoshenko's image be removed from any Euromaidan-related visual materials, not explicitly against Tymoshenko's person and image, but rather as a continuous request by the civilian movement to keep the protests unrelated to any political party or figure.
A recent post titled “Yulia Tymoshenko Isn't Who You Think She Is”, Policymic.com explains Tymoshenko's role in the country and the on-going protests:
Ongoing protests are not about Tymoshenko. Although, how she was treated has further undermined people's trust in the president and his regime, and this is reflected in their calls to keep politics (existing slogans of political opposition) out of Maidan. As an example, a petition was recently started on Avaaz to remove her portraits from the infamous Christmas tree. Currently, people see existing political opposition, including Tymosehko's “Fatherland” party, as part of the political problem rather than its solution. However, as of yet, the civil society is unable to offer new leaders of their own. A workable solution will have to come from their collaboration, but an effective recipe has yet to be found.

source: news-globalvoices

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


text:
Iran: Calligraphy Art · Global Voices
Farid

Farrah Joon tweeted about Iranian female artist,Azra Aghighi Bakhshayeshi.You can see her calligraphic oil paintings of Arabic lettering here.
Calligraphy art by #Iran-ian artist Azra Aghighi Bakhshayeshi http://t.co/d2EusaVUxn pic.twitter.com/IHPosjGCXh
— Farrah Joon (@Farrah_Joon) December 23, 2013

author: Farid


text:
Iran: Revolutionary Guards “Hacked” Opposition Sites · Global Voices
Farid

Revolutionary Guards in Kerman province claims its cyber forces hacked nine opposition sites. A few weeks ago, several netizens were arrested in Kerman,accused of acting against national security and collaborating with foreign networks, providing content for counter-revolutionary sites.


text:
Is it Fair that Thousands of Health Workers in Senegal Receive No Pay? · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

This article and a radio report by Amy Costello for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on December 19, 2013 and is republished as part of a content sharing agreement.
Community health worker Awa Diagne volunteers in her village in Senegal. Photo by Amy Costello for PRI (used with permission)
In many parts of Latin America, Asia and Africa, there aren't enough doctors and nurses to care for everyone who is sick. So charities and governments have enlisted thousands of volunteers to serve as community health workers.
These volunteers provide much-needed care, and because they draw no salary, they offer a cost-effective solution in impoverished places. But who is looking after the interests of the volunteers?
I traveled to the West African nation of Senegal, which is rolling out a national health program that relies on volunteers.
Only Sundays off
I headed to Ngueringne Bambara, a village about an hour outside Dakar, the capital. I walked into a bustling medical clinic. The clinics are called “health huts” in Senegal, but this one was brick and mortar.
Inside, I met Awa Diagne, a volunteer who was tending to that day's patients.
She took the pulse of a sick infant. She treated a man with a nasty gash in his leg. She saw a woman with wounds across her back that she had sustained in a car accident a few weeks earlier.
Watching Awa Diagne in action, I was impressed. She and her colleagues delivered care with kindness and concern and efficiency.
Frankly, I hadn't expected to see this level of professionalism at a clinic run by volunteers. I figured things would be more ad hoc — that the volunteers might open their clinic a few hours a week. I was wrong.
“We work from Monday to Saturday,” Awa Diagne said. “We only take Sundays off.”
And she and her colleagues never really go off duty.
“You can knock on their door at any time, even in the middle of the night,” said Mame Ngone Fall, a woman I met at the clinic. “They never complain.”
The more I heard, the less this sounded like a volunteer gig. It seemed like a job.
In fact, I learned that Awa Diagne has been doing this work, without pay, for a very long time — more than a decade.
Personal satisfaction
The health huts program here in Senegal is administered by ChildFund International, an American charity.
“Our role is to help support the health system,” said ChildFund's national health coordinator in Senegal, Mamadou Diagne (no relation to Awa Diagne). “We extend the work of the health ministry to the village level, where there aren't any healthcare facilities.”
He said his program provides care to some 9 million people. It uses 20,000 health workers.
“They don't receive a salary — it's volunteer work,” he said. “But they receive training and the feeling that they're helping their communities.”
Volunteers gain personal satisfaction from the work, he said, as well as respect from their neighbors. They're given certificates of appreciation at community ceremonies.
Awa Diagne, the volunteer I spent time with, says these nonmonetary benefits have kept her going over the past decade.
“We do this because we love the community. Not for money,” she said. “We want to help people.”
But many of the volunteers are impoverished themselves, without much money or time to spare. Awa Diagne has five children. Her husband is a bricklayer who sometimes can't find work.
“Sometimes we don't even manage to have three meals a day,” she said.
A ‘controversial’ issue
Impoverished people like Awa Diagne volunteer for an untold number of international health charities around the world. Is it ethical to ask such desperately poor people to give so much of their time, for free?
The World Health Organization calls this issue “controversial.” A 2007 paper commissioned by the WHO contended that, “as a rule, community health workers are poor and expect and require an income.” In another paper a year later, the WHO made a strong recommendation that community health workers should receive “adequate and appropriate incentives, including wages.”
So why isn't Awa Diagne paid? I asked the representative of ChildFund.
“I think everyone deserves to be paid,” Mamadou Diagne said. “But with the state of development here, we can't afford it. Take the 20,000 volunteers. If you give each one of them, not much — say, $100 — that adds up to a lot of money.”
But ChildFund's work here is paid for by a wealthy benefactor — the US government — which has given $40 million to the health huts program.
So I headed to the American embassy in Dakar and tracked down Ramatoulaye Dioume. She's been working for the US government on community health activities here for 15 years. I told her about Awa Diagne and the other volunteers who have been working six days a week for a decade.
I asked, “Is it ethical to ask them to do that for free?”
“I can turn the question,” she responded. “Is it ethical to leave them without any services? Can we [leave] the community without anything?”
Here's the problem. The US government could presumably pay volunteers in Senegal with a portion of its aid money, but that would be a short-term solution because the health huts program will soon be handed over to the Senegalese government. If Senegal can't afford to transfer those workers to its payroll, what happens to the country's healthcare system?
“If you pay the volunteers for a few years and then stop, the workers will not accept that,” said ChildFund's Mamadou Diagne. “They will organize into pressure groups — a kind of trade union — and then the government will have to find the money to pay them. Or there's a risk that everyone will just stop working.”
This is something I heard a lot in Senegal: The government simply cannot afford to pay its health workers.
Questioning assumptions
When I got back to the United States, I called Kenneth Maes. He's an anthropologist at Oregon State University who studies community health volunteers in Ethiopia.
“It's easy to say we can't afford [community health workers],” he said, “but it really takes a change in ideology, a change in values, a commitment to raising the money and convincing various players in international health that this is something worth putting money into.”
He added, “Raising the money and standing up to this unquestioned idea that it's just not possible and not sustainable [to pay thousands of workers] — I think that's the first step.”
A few governments have already taken that step. Ethiopia has hired about 40,000 community health workers, making them full-time, salaried employees. Brazil has hired even more — about 250,000 across the country.
Maes said these governments instituted the programs not only to improve the health of the public, but also as job-creation measures.
Awa Diagne, the Senegalese health volunteer, is proud of the work she has done for her community, for free, for a decade. “The government should be aware that any program they organize — vaccinations, HIV, malaria — those programs cannot be successful without the help of community workers,” she said.
“Look at our work and our activities,” she added, “We deserve to be paid. The government needs to find solutions to help us.”
Have you volunteered for a nonprofit organization? Share your own experiences and follow the hashtag #TrackingCharity on Twitter to discuss.
Amy Costello is a former Africa correspondent for PRI’s The World. She now hosts Tiny Spark, a podcast that investigates the business of doing good.

author: PRI/PRX's The World


text:
#Lobbytweet, a Push for More Transparency in Germany’s Politics · Global Voices
Mario Sorgalla

In many countries, growing numbers of users have made Twitter the second most important social network, just behind Facebook. Yet Twitter’s popularity in Germany doesn't even come close to the levels it enjoys in countries like Brazil, the United States, Spain or Turkey.
The Economic Miracle Bag. A gift from the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (New Social Market Economy Initiative) to Green Party MP Tabes Rößner. Photo published on Tabes Rößner’s Facebook page.
In Germany, the number of Twitter users is similar to that of the considerably smaller Netherlands—despite having a population almost five times the size. An Economist magazine blog has already raised the question “Why Do Germans Shun Twitter” and comes to the conclusion that the transparency of Twitter comes in conflict with the German need for privacy.
Now the transparency of Twitter could provide a way to shed more light on the darkness of lobbying in German politics. In his blog Hamburger Wahlbeobachter [de], political advisor and blogger Martin Fuchs recently called on German politicians to publicize their meetings with lobbyists on Twitter using the hashtag #Lobbytweet. Some politicians already post these meetings on their websites; Green Party MP Tabea Rößner posts a selection of bizarre lobbyist presents on her Facebook page [de]. The posting of lobby tweets would aggregate these types of meetings and give citizens, journalists, and NGOs a peek—if not a window—into the extent of lobbying in Germany.
The initiative proposed by Hamburger Wahlbeobachter originates with a tweet by Green Party MP Agnieszka Brugger, who routeinly returns gifts from lobbyists to their senders. In October, Brugger sent back one particular gift from the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM), or New Social Market Economy Initiative in English, and tweeted:
#INSM, dein Geschenk geht zurück. pic.twitter.com/nrpLlnjZzV — Agnieszka Brugger (@agnieszka_mdb) October 23, 2013
#INSM, your gift is going back.
Hamburger Wahlbeobachter keeps a running list on his blog with all MPs at the state and national level who agreed to use #Lobbytweet to report on their meetings with lobbyists. So far, seven parlamentarians have signed on to the initaitive, some from the national parliament, Bundestag, and some from state parliaments. It remains to be seen if more politicians will follow.
The first politicians who expressed interest in using #Lobbytweet were given a euphoric greeting from Fuchs, the man behind the initiative:
Großartig, mit MdB @marcobuelow & MdLs @netnrd @mmarsching nutzen erste Politiker #LobbyTweet http://t.co/Ke26ZF1w1c #PIRATEN #SPD
— Martin Fuchs (@wahl_beobachter) December 18, 2013
Terrific, with MP @marcobuelow & State Parliamentarians @netnrd @mmarsching the first politicians are using #LobbyTweet http://t.co/Ke26ZF1w1c #PIRATEN #SPD
Reactions on Twitter have so far been very positive. Jona Hölderle tweeted, mentioning Fuchs (@wahl_beobachter):
Einfach mal Transparenz twittern: http://t.co/q4pjQMgP4R Schöner #LobbyTweet Vorschlag vom @wahl_beobachter!
— Jona Hölderle (@Pluralog) December 18, 2013
Just tweet transparency: http://t.co/q4pjQMgP4R Nice #LobbyTweet suggestion from @wahl_beobachter!
Yannick Dillinger appears to be excited about the #Lobbytweet initiative:
Gute Aktion! MT @wahl_beobachter: “Mit Foto von @agnieszka_mdb ging's los.Transparenz im Lobbyismus -> http://t.co/Hnu5Ukaze7 #LobbyTweet”
— Yannick Dillinger (@ydillinger) December 19, 2013
Nice move! MT @wahl_beobachter: “It kicked off with a photo from@agnieszka_mdb.Transparency in lobbying.-> http://t.co/Hnu5Ukaze7 #LobbyTweet”
Journalist Claus Hesseling (@the_claus) also found the idea worth recommending:
Great idea from @wahl_beobachter: Politicians should tweet about presents they get from companies #LobbyTweet http://t.co/KLYR8l84uH
— Claus Hesseling (@the_claus) December 18, 2013
The #Lobbytweet initiative does not exonerate politics from its obligation to pass legislation for greater transparency. The nonprofit organization LobbyControl and other organizations have long put pressure on politicians to create a mandatory lobby register and to pass a law to prevent bribery among parliamentarians. Still, the #Lobbytweets could be a small step in the right direction.

author: Mario Sorgalla


text:
River Yamuna Needs Its Own Manifesto  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Devotees gather on the banks of the polluted River Yamuna to immerse idols of Hindu goddess Durga during the Durga Puja festival. Image by Burhaan Kinu. Copyright Demotix (24/10/12)
Yamuna, the only major river flowing through Delhi is deteriorating in health over the decades. In the recent Delhi Assembly elections major political parties mentioned Yamuna saving plan in their election manifesto.
South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (sandrp) blog analyzes these manifestos and suggests that the parties need to consult Yamuna's own manifesto, penned by two river experts, Himanshu Thakkar and Manoj Mishra, and edited by Ravi Agarwal and Till Krause:
A bilingual (Hindi and English) publication, combining the views of activists and artists, blurring boundaries between fact and the imaginary, it is an attempt to widen ideas around ecology, to re-territorialize it, and to move beyond binary narratives of catastrophe and untouched nature, to one of multidimensional reframings. The political parties can possibly benefit from it.

author: Rezwan


text:
Sri Lanka’s Census On War Dead – A Step Towards Transparency and Reconciliation · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tamil Demonstrators held a rally in UK. Image by LK Aldama. Copyright Demotix (2/11/2013)
The Government of Sri Lanka has started a census on the deaths, missing people and damage to property in the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam affecting the Tamil minorities from 1983 to 2009. Serendipity blog hopes that the counting would be done properly:
Whilst the press and the HRC and other bodies are hailing it as a first step, I personally would like to see a proper accounting of ALL people NOT accounted for since 1982, as it also may include the 30,000+ people missing during the second JVP uprising, whose remains have NOT yet been found.


text:
4 Women Journalists Defying the Odds in Mexico City    · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

This post is part of our series on gender and sexuality in Latin America and the Caribbean in collaboration with North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA).
Despite the low salaries and the dangers that come with being a reporter in the most dangerous country for journalists in the Americas, some Mexican female journalists continue working and thriving in this profession.
In this post, we introduce you to four of these brave female journalists. With anecdotes about migration, politics, dreams and gender equality, these reporters have given us a glimpse into their lives to see what it's like to be a female journalist in Mexico City.
Nicole, a journalist born in Germany, moved to Mexico City when she was starting her bachelor's degree. Today, she works for a non-governmental organization during the day, and at night she works as a freelance journalist covering mainly food and travel. She also started her own recipe blog, called La cocinera con prisa [es] (“A cook in a hurry”).
Her first encounter with journalism happened at age 12, when she designed a magazine with a friend. Nicole explains that her friend would look for pictures in magazines, while she wrote imaginary stories for each image. “I still keep that magazine with me”, she says proudly.
Nicole says that Mexico City has given her the same opportunities given to any man: “I was born in a generation and within cultures in which I no longer question whether I can vote, study or practice my profession any different than men. I am fortunate to have German and Mexican roots, which [my parents] are very open and supportive with my career.”
For her, the main problem journalism faces is low pay: “Some people need to understand that if they want someone who is dedicated and that has good experience, she or he should be treated as such, getting paid at the right time and [the right] amount. It is a profession that requires commitment and self-sacrifice, and sadly, it is not well paid”.
Follow Nicole on Twitter: @NicMedgenberg
“I cannot say I've ever been subjected to any discrimination or preferential treatment for being a woman. I believe it has more to do with the consciousness of my own rights. I would not allow that to happen”, Elia replies when asked if she's been treated differently as a female reporter.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Elia works as a freelance journalist. She starts her day between 4:30 and 5 a.m., when she dedicates 30 minutes to reading a book of her interest (she does not have time later). She then reads the news and prepares her daily schedule. At 10 a.m., she is already interviewing people and investigating possible stories. She stops working at 10 p.m.
Elia always dreamed about being a journalist. She saw journalism as one of the most exciting jobs in the world, always relating it to far-away lands. During high school, she worked in her school's newspaper, and she got her first job as a journalist at age 18.
In her work with the network Periodistas de a Pie, she writes with a human rights and gender perspective: “I always prefer to write from the perspective of equal rights for all, and I just emphasize gender when it is clear that there was a violation of women's rights”. In her organization, they opt not only to write about complaints, but also to find examples of success stories that break the tradition of victims’ misfortune and empowers citizens with their own success stories.
Elia declares herself a feminist; although she's not convinced about all feminist theories, they are a part of her personal and professional growth. For her, the biggest challenge that journalists, both male and female, face in Mexico today are low salaries and labor conditions, “which make it difficult to do real investigations”.
Follow Elia on Twitter: @eliabaltazar
Originally from Toluca, a city 40 minutes from Mexico City, Sandra is the editor of the music and technology section at Swagger [es]. A normal day for her in the newsroom consists of editing the articles for the website. She also investigates topics to suggest them as possible stories for journalists on her team.
“I am not a big fan of covering music scandals, things related to Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus, but our audience is very interested in that and I have to write about it”, she confesses. Sandra wants to continue her career by reporting on sports. She is a big fan of the local football team Diablos Rojos, but she knows it might take more time to pursue a career as a woman in that field.
Sandra knew she wanted to be a journalist since she was in high school. She says she always wrote for herself, and when she was 16 she started to feel interested in writing for others. For more than six years, she has been traveling every day from Toluca to Mexico City and back, and even if she doesn't live in the city, she says she feels from ‘DF’ and there is no other place she would rather work as a journalist.
“The greatest challenge I see for journalists in Mexico City is that sometimes they forget to be truly objective, at least as much as they can. Journalism in Mexico will not have a big improvement if the ego of journalists keeps on growing”, she concludes.
Follow Sandra on Twitter: @sandiapolinar
“I always try to balance the voices I write about. If I have interviewed four men, I try to look for the same number of women. I like to bring justice to my texts in those matters”, Daliri explains.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Daliri comes from a family that has worked in the circus industry for generations. She is the only journalist in her family, and she feels proud about it. Daliri has lived in many neighborhoods in Mexico City, from San Rafael to La Roma, from La Tabacalera to Buena Vista. She is in love with Mexico City, and even if she travels to other cities to study, she confesses that she will always come back to DF.
“I am a woman who likes to experiment with her work. I want to try new things, and I am always looking for new stories, new voices to represent.” Sandra has written several stories about the indigenous people from southern Mexico in the state of Chiapas.
For Daliri, trying to bring an equal number of male and female voices is her contribution to gender equality. “I am not a feminist, but I always want to write about women in my stories”, she says. One of her favorite and most recent stories looks at daughters of politicians who are also working in politics, an investigation she pursued to explore a “minority of a minority.”
“There are differences between men and women when we talk about journalism. Sometimes some men think you can't do a good job as a reporter, but you should not let those comments affect your work. These people are ignorant”, she emphasizes, concluding that working as a journalist is her passion and that there's no other thing she'd rather be doing.
Follow Daliri on Twitter: @Dal_air

author: Andrea Arzaba


text:
7 Rallies that Rocked Southeast Asia in 2013 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

1. ‘Million People March’ Against Corruption in the Philippines. Filipinos were outraged after a whistleblower exposed how legislators have been systematically stealing from their pork barrel allocations. Netizens called for a massive gathering in Luneta, the biggest park in the country’s capital to push for the abolition of pork barrel. Days before the August 26 rally, the president and congress vowed to abolish pork but it didn’t stop citizens from joining the event. It turned out to be the biggest rally during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.
Aerial photo of #MillionPeopleMarch earlier by Paulo Alcazaren. Find me! pic.twitter.com/2cAsg5gDn3
— Cedie Lee (@muntingprinsipe) August 26, 2013
2. Thailand protest against the ‘Amnesty Bill.’ Various sectors, including those supportive of the government, rejected the controversial ‘Amnesty Bill’ which was approved by the parliament on November 1. Opposition to the bill emerged after it was reported that the amended version of the measure would benefit corrupt politicians and human rights violators. In particular, the opposition party said the bill will ‘whitewash’ the crimes of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who fled the country after being found guilty of plunder by a local court. The Senate eventually voted down the measure.
Chulalongkorn Uni march against Thai amnesty bill panorama #ptcybertalk #redshirt @pouyingluck @thaksinlive pic.twitter.com/frGaSBC528
— issara r (@issarar) November 6, 2013
3. Anti-Government protest in Thailand. The shelving of the unpopular ‘Amnesty Bill’ didn’t end the protests in Thailand. More rallies were organized by the opposition but this time they started to demand the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra whom they accused of being a proxy of her elder brother. Rallies have intensified in the past few weeks and protesters were able to occupy several government buildings. Yingluck announced that the parliament will be dissolved to make way for an election on February. But the opposition said they will boycott the polls and instead they wanted to set-up a People’s Council. Thailand’s political crisis is expected to deepen in the next few weeks. This video shows the size of a rally in Bangkok last November.
4. Cambodia’s post-election protest. Tens of thousands participated in several assemblies, marches, and camp-ins organized by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party since September to protest the alleged manipulation of electoral results by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. The ruling party won by slim majority after it took 68 seats compared to the opposition’s 55 seats. It was the ruling party’s worst electoral performance since 1998 which has been in power in the past three decades. This video shows a protest scene at Phnom Penh's Freedom Park last September:
5. Malaysia ‘Black 505’ post-election protest. On May 8, 2013, hundreds of thousands gathered in Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital, to protest the outcome of the election which gave the administration coalition a slim majority. ‘Black 505’ refers to the May 5 General Election which was tainted by allegations that the ruling coalition committed massive electoral fraud to remain in power. The ruling party, which has been in power since the 1950s, lost in the popular voting but it still retained majority of the parliament seats. The series of protests, which spread to other provinces, was also referred to as the ‘Malay Tsunami’. This video shows the protesting crowd assembled in a stadium:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clLlqgKKBtA
6. Rallies in Singapore’s Hong Lim Park. Thousands gathered in Singapore’s Hong Lim Freedom Park on May 1, 2013 to protest the government’s White Paper on population. The May Day protest was the second time that a big crowd gathered in the park to speak out against the population program which many Singaporeans criticized since it would mean the hiring of more foreign workers. Then on June 8, 2013, an assembly organized by the ‘Free My Internet’ movement became the ‘largest blogger-led protest’ in Singapore which aimed to oppose the government’s new licensing scheme for news websites.  The video below shows some of the Singapore blogs which replaced their homepages with a black image in solidarity with the protest:
7. Indonesia General Strike for Pay Hike. Workers in Indonesia have launched a two-day general strike on October 31-November 1 aimed at pressuring the government to raise the minimum wage. Tens of thousands joined the factory shutdowns, union visits, and rallies across the country although the turnout was smaller compared to last year's general strike.
Thousands of workers left production in a Sanyo factory. Photo from Facebook page of Tia Claudia E. Mboeik

author: Mong Palatino


text:
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Japanese Food · Global Voices
Taylor Cazella

Image of bakery in Japan by Flickr user ohpapercut. (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Traditional Japanese cuisine, washoku, usually consisting of rice, soup and vegetables and featuring a variety of mostly mild and delicate flavors, has become well known throughout the world. Recently, washoku – a way of cooking, presenting and eating traditional Japanese cuisine – was inducted into UNESCO‘s Cultural Heritage list.
Global Voices contributor Taylor Cazella, who recently moved from the US to Japan, introduces seven unexpected yet tasty foods and food trends that you don't want to miss if you visit Japan.
1. Bread and Japanese bakeries
In Japan, as is the case with most Asian countries, rice is the staple grain. Rice has played an important role in socio-economic history of the Japan, and, up until the modern era, was even used for taxation purposes instead of a manufactured currency. Following the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese diet became increasingly westernized. Bread grew in popularity, and now occupies an important and flourishing role in Japan’s food culture. A visit to any of Japan’s numerous bakeries will reveal a great variety of well-crafted products: everything from delicious sweets and French-style baguettes to shrimp rolls and pigs-in-a-blanket.
macha or green tea flavor ice cream. Photo taken by Flickr user emrank (CC BY 2.0)
The Japanese have also invented new types of bread, such as anpan, a Japanese sweet roll most commonly filled with red bean paste, and curry bread, a deep fried dough filled with Japanese curry. There are also efforts to counter the popularity of bread by using rice as a base in recipes. In addition to regular bread, some bakeries make rice bread, a special type of bread using rice flour, in hopes of increasing consumption of domestically grown rice.
2. Ice cream, with a Japanese twist
Ice cream probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind when someone mentions Japanese food. Yet, Japan is home to some truly unique flavors of this summertime favourite — the kinds of things you won’t find on US ice cream maker Baskin Robbins‘ famous list of 31 flavors. Among the more popular Japanese flavors are maccha (green tea), sakura (cherry blossom), satsumaimo (sweet potato), goma (black sesame seed) and yuzu (a type of citrus fruit with a flavor similar to mandarin orange mixed with lemon).
Less common are exotic flavors [ja] that you wouldn't find anywhere else but in Japan, based on local specialties. These include basashi (horse-meat sashimi), eel, and wasabi (Japanese horseradish). Such varieties can be found in particular souvenir shops in locations where the ingredients are local specialities.
3. Gekikara ramen and other spicy foods
You can find a variety of snacks with extremely hot, spicy flavors in Japan. Image by Flickr user yuichi.sakuraba (CC-BY-NC 2.0)
Japanese food has a reputation for being mild, and some might even go so far as to call it bland. However, anyone willing to make that generalization has obviously never experienced a bowl of gekikara ramen, a version of the ubiquitous noodle dish flavored with potent spices. Those brave enough to try a bowl should expect to sweat a bit! And while Japanese curry is typically sweeter and less fiery than its Indian counterpart, some curry shops will allow you to select your level of spiciness, the higher of which will definitely pack some heat.
4. Raw egg
One of the hallmarks of Japanese food is the abundance of fresh ingredients that are quite often used raw. The best known example of this is the raw seafood used in sushi, but several other raw foods figure prominently in Japanese cooking.
Raw egg, for example, can be found in many dishes, typically served on top of rice, or as a dip for noodles. This presents, arguably, one of the greatest difficulties Americans face when sampling the array of  Japanese food. American children are taught from a very early age to regard eggs with extreme caution. In the interest of preventing food-borne illnesses, Americans learn to always wash their hands after handling raw egg, to be careful not to cross-contaminate other foods with raw egg, to always store eggs in the refrigerator, and certainly never to eat eggs raw. This can be quite a shock for American visitors to Japan, who will find eggs stored on grocery shelves at room temperature, and eggs served entirely uncooked in a number of restaurant dishes.
That said, if properly handled, raw egg – sourced from clean, healthy chickens – is perfectly safe for human consumption. And everyone should try the humorously named oyakodon (mother and child bowl), which consists of cooked chicken and reduced onion served over rice with raw egg on top, at least once.
5. Okonomiyaki and common cuisine
Japan is a destination for foodies and gastronomes the world over, seeking the subtle and sublime qualities of Japan’s high-end dishes. This has led to a somewhat skewed perception of Japanese cuisine, as  common Japanese dishes – the cheap and delicious meals enjoyed daily by average people – are sorely underrepresented abroad.
A great example of this is okonomiyaki. Many varieties and regional variations of okonomiyaki exist; in fact, the name itself means “cooked how you like it.” The basic formula, however, includes different vegetables (often: cabbage, carrot and/or onion) and meats (often: squid, pork, shrimp and/or beef), diced and mixed into a pancake-like batter, cooked on a flat-top grill and garnished according to personal preference (often with a type of barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, edible seaweed and/or dried bonito flakes).
Bars and restaurants that serve okonomiyaki usually have a great social atmosphere, given that okonomiyaki can be cut into pieces with a metal spatula and shared with friends or family. Actually, many places allow groups of patrons to make their own okonomiyaki by ordering ingredients and using a griddle built right into the tables. This do-it-yourself style is not uncommon to other forms of Japanese common cuisine, including the ever-popular takoyaki (octopus balls).
6. Whiskey!
Image by Flickr user satetsu (CC-BY-SA 2.0)
It might be considered cheating to include a section on whiskey, quite clearly a beverage, in an article intended to be about Japanese food. But would any article about French cuisine fail to include mention of French wine? Food and alcohol have a long relationship, though Japan’s affection for good whiskey is somewhat surprising, considering that sake usually hogs the cultural spotlight. Nevertheless, Japan’s distilleries produce high-end spirits that continually challenge the supremacy of Scotch, and often take first place in blind tastings and international competitions.
Whiskey bars, serving a variety of import and domestic products, are not uncommon in larger cities. And the whiskey highball (usually whiskey and either ginger ale or soda water served on ice in a highball glass) remains a popular cocktail of choice for both freewheeling Japanese youth and more staid businesspeople. The highball even emerged recently as part of a buzzword employed by Japanese beverage conglomerate Suntory in a marketing campaign: hai-kara, which is a whiskey highball (haiboru) served with fried chicken (karaage).
7. Otsumami, the marriage of alcohol and food
In Japan, alcohol is rarely consumed by itself, but is almost always accompanied by food of some kind. Visitors to Japan may be surprised when they order a drink at a bar or restaurant and are served a complimentary bowl of potato salad or strips of grilled chicken. This is entirely normal, part of the unspoken rule that says alcohol should always be paired with something to snack on. In fact, there is an entire category of snacks made and marketed to accompany alcoholic beverages. These types of foods are known as otsumami, which comes from the verb “tsumu”, which means “to pluck” or “to pinch,” a reference to the fact that they are quite often finger foods.
Japan is a notoriously alcohol-friendly society. Alcohol is abundantly available, to the point of being sold in vending machines in many places, and the consumption of alcohol on a regular basis is culturally accepted. For this reason, otsumami are very popular and sold in countless varieties. Those new to otsumami may want to start with more familiar fare, like mixed nuts or edamame (soy beans), but the more exotic varieties hold their own allure as well, such as squid jerky and whole dehydrated anchovies.
Whatever one’s culinary inclinations or perceptions about what traditional Japanese cuisine is, or ought to be, there is a lot more going on in washoku than just sushi and white rice. Japanese cuisine is big, wonderful, nebulous, and ever-changing. Those willing to explore it are sure to find something spectacular.
New Jersey native Taylor Cazella currently lives in the southern end of Mie Prefecture, Japan and works as an Assistant Language Teacher at a local high school.

author: Taylor Cazella


text:
Are Volunteer Programs Empowering — or Exploitative? · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

This article by Angilee Shah for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on December 19, 2013 and is republished as part of a content sharing agreement.
Giving time to a cause you believe in can be extremely rewarding. As Demba Kandeh, a volunteer worker in the Gambia, explained, “Volunteering is a beautiful thing.”
But when do volunteer programs empower and when do they exploit? Does building this kind of workforce benefit communities? Would essential services simply not be provided if it weren't for volunteers, as several people told Amy Costello in her investigation of volunteer health workers in Senegal.
With help in part from the Global Voices community of bloggers, we found perspectives from around the globe.
Laura Morris, 28, an editor [for Rising Voices] in Paris, spent five months as a volunteer for a small NGO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and seven months as a volunteer for an organization that provides care for the elderly in London. Morris says she understood why the Cambodian organization did not pay her — she was the only foreigner there, and they could not have afforded the salary — but she thinks that the London nonprofit simply took advantage of a tough job market and gave her work that should have been performed by a paid employee.
“I volunteered for it, so it was my decision to work with them, but I was also asked to do work that I absolutely should have been paid for, that was much higher than entry-level,” Morris says.
Demba Kandeh, 26, is a journalist in the West African nation of The Gambia who volunteers for Humanity First, an international development and relief organization. He believes it is appropriate — and necessary — for small charities in poor countries to rely on volunteer labor.
“Poor countries like the Gambia or small NGOs can't afford fully paid staff for all the work that they really do. And all this work is really beautiful, and the only way to carry on is through volunteers,” Kandeh says.
Andrea Coleman, 66, is co-founder and CEO of Riders for Health, an international non-profit organization that manages ambulances and other health care-related transportation in seven African countries. Her organization does not rely on volunteers. She believes large NGOs should pay their workers.
“I can't think of a reason why international NGOs would recruit volunteers and not pay them,” Coleman says.
Faisal Kapadia, 38, calls himself an “accidental relief worker.” He helped start the volunteer organization SA Relief in 2005 after a massive earthquake rocked northern Pakistan. He says that using volunteers allows his organization to mobilize and make decisions quickly, without having to wait for approval from a distant central office. “A volunteer structure adds a lot of flexibility,” he says. “I feel that a group of people working together in a relief situation is much better than a formalized structure because it reacts faster.”
Jamal Badr, 33, volunteers on the executive committee of Hemmat Shabab, a youth-focused development organization that helps poor families in Yemen. Badr says his organization struggles to retain volunteers because it cannot provide even simple perks like transportation or meals. He says his charity appeals to volunteers by connecting with their cultural values. “We talk about Islam, which encourages people to do volunteer work.” says Badr. “But we never tell people that we will pay them. We don't have money. This is the reality.”
Eduardo López Therese, 64, volunteered for the Peru Red Cross for about 30 years, providing emergency relief and comfort to survivors of disasters. It is not just charities that benefit from volunteer programs, he says. Some volunteers benefit from their work for the charities. Lopez Therese says he has seen medical volunteers use the Red Cross to sign up new patients for their private clinics. “I never thought about taking advantage of people whom we helped,” López Therese says.
Marietta Le, 26, is a journalist who works for Átlátszó, a Hungarian NGO that investigates government corruption. The organization relies on volunteers. She says volunteers provide more than free labor; they help spread the word of the organization's efforts and they genuinely want to be part of the organization’s successes.
“You can involve more people in your work. It's a sort of promotion or advocacy for our work,” she says. “Volunteers can say they helped Átlátszó with a story that helped fight corruption in Hungary.”
Vera Weghmann, 28, volunteered for War on Want in London for six months in 2012. She says that too many volunteer programs replace entry-level jobs with unpaid volunteers and interns. This contributes to what she calls the “elitization of the nonprofit sector,” creating an environment in which only people with financial means can afford to gain the work experience required to get a job.
“I'm not against volunteering in general,” she says. “But I do think we need to distinguish between volunteering which is volunteering, and volunteering which is an abuse of unpaid labor.”
Have you volunteered for a nonprofit organization? Share your own experiences and follow the hashtag #TrackingCharity on Twitter to discuss.


text:
China’s Environmental News in 2013 · Global Voices
Abby Liu

chinadialogue looks back at the major Chinese environmental news stories from 2013: toxic water in China's northern city Handan, thousands of dead pigs in Shanghai River, and the severe air pollution. They also explored why the year of 2013 is an environmental disaster for China.

author: Abby Liu


text:
Emptying Russia’s Prisons to Fill the Seats at Sochi 2014 · Global Voices
Nina Jobe

Some of Russia's newly freed, prominent former political prisoners. From left to right, Maria Baronova, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Images mixed by Kevin Rothrock.
Many Russian bloggers believe that the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi next year played a major role in the amnesty last week that freed both the “Arctic Sunrise” Greenpeace activists and the famous Pussy Riot rockers, as well as the pardon handed down to Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who immediately fled Russia to Berlin. Putin, the theory goes, is eager to save face and avoid an Olympic boycott by world leaders, though five of the other seven G8 countries have already indicated that their leaders will not travel to Sochi next February (France, Great Britain, Canada, the United States, and perhaps even Germany).
The Higher School of Economics’ Yulia Galyamina wrote on her Facebook wall:
Путин пытается сделать хорошую мину перед Олимпиадой в Сочи, мотивы его низменны, но несколько свободных человек – это все равно счастье.
Putin is trying to put on a good face before the Olympics in Sochi. His motives are base, but I can think of a few now free, very happy people who couldn't care less about that.
Not everyone embraced the idea that the amnesty and pardon were an effort to rescue the Olympics. Commenting on past rumors that a third set of charges awaits Khodorkovsky and the fact that his mother is elderly and in poor health, Kiril Rogov wrote on Facebook:
Все “третье дело” и болезнь матери – были обыкновенным шантажом, с помощью которого у Ходорковского выбивали согласие на помилование. На кону восе не олимпиада и не возможность широкого жеста под новый год, а – как всегда – деньги.
Everything about a “third trial” and an ill mother was just ordinary blackmail, which [the Kremlin] used to beat Khodorkovsky into submitting to the pardon. At stake was not the Olympics or the possibility of a broad New Year's gesture, but—as always—money.
Oleg Makarenko, blogger fritzmorgen, was also skeptical that Putin freed Khodorkovsky because of the Olympics.
Версия «Олимпиада» представляется мне смешной. На Олимпиаде лозунги «свободу Ходорковскому» популярностью не пользовались бы в любом случае, там протесты будут, в основном, под девизом «слава Содомии»….
Плакаты о Ходорковском на фоне радужных флагов выглядели бы совершенно нелепо. Очевидно, причина не в Олимпиаде.
The “Olympics” version seems ridiculous to me. At the Olympics, slogans advocating “freedom for Khodorkovsky” would not have generated much popularity in any event. There will be protests [in Sochi], but mostly under the slogan: “Glory to Sodomy”….
Posters of Khodorkovsky against the backdrop of rainbow flags would look absolutely ridiculous. Obviously, the reason is not the Olympics.
Makarenko went on to suggest that an anti-corruption crackdown will begin in the spring, after the Olympics in Sochi, and Khodorkovsky’s release is a message to future prisoners that Putin is willing to negotiate.
Kommersant journalist Olga Allenova bemoaned:
Само по себе это освобождение перекроет все нарушения прав человека в РФ, весь беспредел в Сочи, всю жуть на Кавказе, – олимпиада владимировна пройдет под бурные аплодисменты, все приедут, даже француз, а ВВП может спокойно править еще мильен лет, вообще не парясь ни о правах, ни о свободах.
В итоге он опять выигрывает.
Как всегда.
Это просто невероятно, как они научились это делать.
By itself, this release will override all human rights violations in Russia, all the lawlessness in Sochi, all the horror in the Caucasus—the Olympics of Vladimir will be held under a storm of applause, everybody will come, even the Frenchman, and VVP can comfortably rule a million more years, never being bothered about either rights or liberties.
In the end, he wins again.
As always.
It is just unbelievable how they learned to do it.
For his part, Khodorkovsky says he opposes a boycott of the Olympic games, stating:
As to Sochi, my position is that it is a sports festival; it is a festival for millions of people and perhaps we should not spoil it. Another thing is that we should not make it into a personal festival for President Putin — perhaps that would not be right either. However, I would not ruin a festival for millions of people.
Meanwhile, Russia's silver medalist political prisoner, Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, demanded a total boycott of the Olympics, in comments to journalists following her release from prison on December 23, 2013:
Now, however, I am calling for a boycott, for honesty, I am calling for all of us not to sell ourselves for all this oil and gas that Russia can give. I am calling for all humanistic standards, traditions, and regulations to be applied — the norms that Europe is promoting.
The true reasons for Khodorkovsky's sudden release and the amnesty that freed the final two members of Pussy Riot remain a mystery. If the theory is correct that these acts of mercy are tied to a Kremlin effort to salvage “Sochi 2014,” it will be important to watch the next few weeks, to see if any Western leaders change their minds about attending the Winter Games.

author: Nina Jobe


text:
Jon Stewart’s Satire on China’s Moon Landing Causes a Sensation · Global Voices
Jack Hu

Jon Stewart on The Daily Show via Sina Weibo
Jon Stewart mocked China’s space race, suggesting it was outdated and pointless on “The Daily Show” on Dec. 16. Chinese netizens and news agencies shared the video on the Twitter-like Weibo, quickly attracting numerous netizens watching and commenting. The majority of commenters find the funny and the host is nicknamed as “囧叔”, Embarrassed Uncle, after Jon’s pronunciation. Some think it reflects the absurdity of China’s space race which is following the example of the Soviet Union while hundreds of millions of people are still living below the poverty line.

author: Jack Hu


text:
Blood on Camera: 18-year-old Syrian Dies Covering the War for Reuters   · Global Voices
Nour Al Ali

Molhem Barakat, a freelance photographer working for Reuters, was reportedly killed while covering a fight between and Bashar Al-Assad’s forces and rebels in Aleppo’s Al-Kindi Hospital on December 20, 2013.
Aleppo Media Center’s Hassoun Abu Faisal told the Associated Press that Barakat died with his brother, a Free Syrian Army fighter, in a carpet factory near the hospital. His bloodied camera gear was found at the scene:
Mulhem Barakat, young photographer who worked with Reuters and @aleppomediacent, killed covering battle in Aleppo: pic.twitter.com/VBlZggMQBN
— Omar (@omarsyria) December 21, 2013
Abu Faisal also noted that Barakat only started to cover the war a few months ago, when he began freelancing with Reuters in May.
The Syrian teenager, who was born on March 8, 1995, according to his personal Facebook profile, told Prague-based photojournalist Stanislav Krupar when they met that Reuters paid him $100 for ten photographs a day and an extra $50–$100 if the New York Times Lens Blog chose any for Picture of The Day.
While Krupar said he believes Reuters provided Barakat with photo gear, he noted that Barakat had no “ballistic protection – no vest, no helmet.”
Reporting his death, Amman-based journalist Randa Habib said:
Young photographer Molhem Barakat killed in #Syria. News outlets should stop using young stringers who are putting their lives on the line
— Randa HABIB (@RandaHabib) December 21, 2013
Echoing her stance, BBC Senior World Affairs Producer Stuart Hughes tweeted that Reuters responded nonchalantly to his questions regarding Barakat’s age and inexperience. He asked Reuters the following questions:
- There have been conflicting reports of Molhem's age ranging from 17 to 19. Are you able to clarify this?
– If not, how does Reuters respond to some reports that Molhem was 17 years old, and therefore a minor under UK and US law?
– What checks does Reuters carry out to verify the ages of young freelancers working in hostile environments?
– Is Reuters aware of whether Molhem Barakat had completed any hostile environment or first aid training. Was he equipped with personal protective equipment or a first aid kit?
– What it the current policy of Reuters on purchasing material from freelancers in Syria?
To which Reuters responded:
We are deeply saddened by the death of Molhem Barakat, who sold photos to Reuters on a freelance basis. To best protect the many journalists on the ground in a dangerous and volatile war zone, we think it is inappropriate to comment any further at this time.
Corey Pein, an American writer who lives in the UK, adds that while Reuters may have helped Barakat steer away from trouble, they cannot avoid questions about his death:
I know too that wars are messy, and if Molhem hadn’t been taking pictures, he may well have taken up arms. The Reuters team in Syria might have thought they were doing him a favor — and in some ways, I’m sure that they were.
That doesn’t mean the company gets to blow off questions about the circumstances leading up to this young man’s death.
British journalist and photographer Hannah Lucinda Smith, who interviewed Barakat in May for the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat, said in a blog post that Barakat was confused as he went from being a “happy teenager to a messed up young man who, at one stage, was adamant that he wanted to join al-Qaeda [as a suicide bomber, but] started working as a photographer, hoping to emulate some of the journalists he was hanging around with.”
Lucinda Smith also said that his confusion perhaps stemmed from his inability to leave Aleppo:
Molhem Barakat, self portrait, taken February 14, 2013 [photo source: Barakat's Facebook profile]
In long conversations on Facebook I tried to persuade him to leave Aleppo and come to Turkey. He refused. He didn’t have a passport, and he didn’t have any money. His family were all still in Syria and he didn’t want to leave them or his friends.
However, she concluded that she hopes Reuters honors Barakat's life by taking responsibility for him:
I hope that they took responsibility for him in a way that I couldn’t, and I hope that if he was taking photographs as he died in the hope of selling them to that agency, they also take responsibility for him now.

author: Nour Al Ali


text:
PHOTOS: Humans of the Middle East and North Africa · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

November 2010. A man by the name of Brandon Stanton decides to go out everyday and photograph strangers on the streets of New York. He figured he'd get to know them, ask them a few questions, and share the story online. Three years later, the “Humans of New York” photoblog is one of the biggest things online. With over 2 million followers on Facebook, it stands out on his own as a phenomenon worth checking out.
But the “Humans of” movement didn't stop in New York. From India to Latin America passing by Europe and Australia, it has now gone viral, covering our planet city by city. Our region, the Middle East and North Africa, has proven to be no exception.
The following is an overview of the main “Humans of” pages of our region.
Humans of Cairo
“What's your greatest struggle right now?”
“To survive the faculty and marry the one I love.”
“And if you could give advice to people what would that be?”
“Break your taboos, and be free.
Taken from the Humans of Cairo page
Humans of Cairo was started by Salma Hegab, a 22 year old blogger and multimedia journalism graduating senior from the American University of Cairo. Created in November of 2012, and currently with over 3,500 likes and counting, it aims to capture Cairo's diversity. This is what she has to say about it:
“I believe that Cairo is such a vibrant city. Although I hate living here most of the time, I think that starting a project like this will help me to reflect on the city through my eyes, and it'd give the city the chance to reflect itself through my lens! The fact that I have been using professional cameras for a couple of years does not deny that I still have SO much to LEARN, and I hope this will give me great chances to improve my photography skills.”
You can check out her interview with Ta3beer here.
Humans of Egypt was created by a (so far) unknown photographer sometime in 2012. Not much is said about it, and it hasn't been updated in months. But it is definitely worth a look. Also from Egypt is “Humans of Mansoura“.
Humans of Tehran
“Where's my favorite hangout place? Near the Tehran University Campus. There's a design center where all artists, whether graphic artists or sculptors such as myself, like to come together and work. I just love that place.”
Susan, seen near Tehran University
From the “Humans of Tehran” page
Humans of Tehran started on May the 9th, 2012 and has now over 100,000 followers, making it MENA's most popular “Humans of” page. This is what the photographer had to say about it:
“Tehran is not as faraway as you think it is. Inspired by “Humans of New York”, this page offers a pictorial glimpse into the daily lives of Iranians in their beloved dusty rusty capital.”
Also from Iran are “Humans of Esfahan“, “Humans of Tabriz“, “Humans of Shiraz“, “Humans of Ahvaz” and “Humans of Kermanshah“
Humans of Istanbul
“I study medicine and sometimes I feel like I'd never be able to become a doctor; but now I'm happy cause I succeeded in my mid-term exams. So now I'm waiting for a friend of mine to celebrate it!”
From the “Humans of Istanbul” page
Humans of Istanbul was created in 2012 as part of the Istanbul Photo Contest. Today, it has over 2,200 followers. This is what the founder, Shawn Ryan had to say about his project:
“To photograph humanity in Istanbul, a city full of people from around the world, and rich with culture, tradition, history, language, hospitality. To capture photos of the wonderful human beings in this wonderful city is the project, and each photo tells a human story.”
Also from Turkey are “Humans of Ankara“, “Humans of Izmir” and “Humans of Antalya“
Humans of Tel Aviv
Meet Michal. “It's a little bit embarrassing but I am actually reading: ‘Why Men Love Bitches?’ for me, the subtext of the book is not to be a Bitch if you want to get a man. There is a huge difference between been a bitch and standing on your emotional rights in a relationship. Love yourself first, then the right man will turn out .”
From the “Humans of Tel Aviv” page.
Humans of Tel Aviv can boast a pretty decent 20,000+ followers. Created on the 7th of April, 2012 by Erez Kaganovitz, it enjoys a decent loyal group of followers. Why does it exist? Kaganovitz answers: “Tel Aviv is one of the most interesting places on Earth. Come and meet the People who make it so interesting.”
Humans of Palestine
Palestinian farmer work during the olive harvest in the West Bank. Photo by: Ahmad Daghlas
Taken from the Humans of Palestine page
Humans of Palestine was founded in 2012 with an invitation: “Come and meet the People who makes Palestine so interesting. Talk with them, live with them.” Also from Palestine is “Humans of Nablus“.
Humans of Jeddah
A fisherman who showed off his linguistic skills in selling fish as well as counting in Spanish, English Italian and Arabic. He's traveled through out the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea and has met many people.
From the Humans of Jeddah page
Humans of Jeddah – Saudi Arabia is still brand new. Created a month ago, it is a collaboration between two photographers, Helmy Alsagaff and Sharifa Lee Abdulrahman, who “want to share with the world the diversity of this city's beautiful people.”
Also from Saudi Arabia is “Humans of Riyadh“.
Humans of Lebanon
“We're enjoying the sunset.”
Taken from the Humans of Lebanon page
Humans of Lebanon started off as a collaboration between myself and Mher Krikorian, a Lebanese-Armenian photographer who gained a reputation as part of Beirut Street Photographers (BSP). We were later joined by Karim Sakr, also a member of BSP. Like any Humans Of pages, the goal of Humans of Lebanon is “to celebrate Lebanon's diversity by showing you its inhabitants.”
If you want a closer look at Lebanon's students, you can check out Noura Andrea Nassar's “Humans of LAU” page. Noura, who actually met Brandon Stanton in New York and is a student at the Lebanese American University, has this to say about her project:
“I've always admired Humans of New York. It teaches you not to judge people because everyone's got his own thing going on. I've always wanted to be part of Humans of Lebanon, but my arabic is terrible and it would be hard for me to communicate. And then I met Brandon in New York, and that really had an impact on me: I wanted to create a similar page but on a smaller scale, and that's how I came up with the Humans of LAU page. These are people that you see on a daily basis, but you never talk to and that you tend to judge.”
Lebanon is also represented by Humans of Tripoli and Humans of Beirut.
Humans of Amman
Giving out free smiles to people on Traffic lights.
Taken from the Humans of Amman page
Humans of Amman was started over a year ago by Ali Alhasani. It is a photography project “that aims to capture portraits of people around Amman, Jordan, without focusing on gender, race or color to spread the sense of unity among the Jordanian society. Other photographers are contributing to the project as well.”
Humans of Kuwait
“Show me your ball”
Taken from the Humans of Kuwait page
Also a recent addition to the Humans Of family, Humans of Kuwait City‘s story is the following:
“My name is Bryan and I began Humans of Kuwait in the winter of 2013 resulting in HOK. I Have a goal to catalogue 5,000 of the city’s inhabitants, so I set out to photograph Kuwait as I see it. As the social followers grow, HOK will provide a worldwide audience with a daily glimpse into the lives of strangers in Kuwait.”
Humans of Tunisia
Mohamed: I'm killing the time that killed me.
Me: Why are you saying that?
Mohamed: It took my son. He turned 23 on the day of Eid.
Humans of Tunisia was created a few months ago “to all those Humans of Tunisia who get lost in the every day and don't take time to appreciate it”.
Also from Tunisia is the “Humans of Tunis” page created by Akram Lahouel, Houssem Lamti and Samar Ouadhani. They also have a blog. And that's not all, you can check out “Humans of Sfax” as well.
Humans of Khartoum
Amm Saeed from the Nuba Mountains
-Seen next to The French Cultural Centre – Khartoum
Taken from the Humans of Khartoum page
Humans of Khartoum is “a small tribute to the people of Khartoum, Sudan, one street portrait at a time.”
Humans of Baghdad
Humans of Baghdad was created by Nasser Billah AlNasseri, a doctor and former journalist at a French news agency. He had to leave Baghdad after constant threats due to his work as a journalist.
Humans of Syria
“how much I love eating Falafel whenever my mum brings me back from school”
Taken from the Humans of Syria page
Humans of Syria was started just a few days ago. The photographer remains anonymous but here is what he or she had to say about the page: “Syria, to let out the unspoken thoughts that have been hidden in hearts unspoken in eyes, detained in tears vanished beyond the sound of war. To live again.”
Humans of Dubai and Humans of Abu Dhabi
These two camels were eating very quietly when this man walked by. He stopped, and one turned around and came closer to get a kind “hello” tap on the head, and got back to its food.
Taken from the Humans of Dubai page.
Humans of Dubai was created by a French photographer named Isabelle who has been living in Dubai for the past 9 years.
Also from the UAE is “Humans of Abu Dhabi“.
Humans of Tripoli
You're going to kiss the rainbow and taste the sun. no biggie.
Taken from the Humans of Tripoli page.
Humans of Tripoli was created as “an effort to create a photographic census of T-town, offering nothing but the beauty of all.”
Also from Libya is “Humans of Benghazi“.
Humans of Casablanca
- How long have you been friends?
- Friends? Who are you talking about?
- Of your donkey?
- I bought him in Settat 5 years ago. We have never left each others’ side since! He helps me a lot and has always been there for me.
Taken from the Humans of Casablanca page.
Humans of Casablanca was created a few months ago. Who are the photographers behind the project? In their own words, “We are those who believe that the only way to discover our true selves hidden within us is to go to people, to confront our past and learn from their experiences.”
Humans of Algiers
Hey mister, mister! Take my picture!
Taken from the Humans of Algiers page.
Humans of Algiers was created a few months ago as a place where “one story per day is remembered to tell the story of people of Algiers.”

author: Elia J. Ayoub


text:
Podcast: Contemporary Art in China · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Sinica podcast discusses contemporary art scene in China, including what it means to be a Chinese artist in today's China and how different things have changed in the past 20 years.


text:
Search Engine Suggests Kazakhstan is a “Satan’s Den” · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Popular web search engines often have bizarre autocomplete suggestions. Kazakhstani blogger Fyodor Kovalyov writes [ru]:
Сейчас решил узнать о наиболее значимых событиях уходящего года, произошедших в разных городах Казахстана, и пришёл в тихий ужас – если верить поисковой системе Yandex.kz, то мы живём, как минимум, в логове сатаны!
I have just tried to find out about the most significant events that have occurred in the various cities of Kazakhstan over the past year. The results are shocking: if one believes the search engine Yandex.kz [Russian search engine popular in the country], we live in a Satan's den!
The blogger carried out several Yandex searches by typing in the word “in” followed by the names of major Kazakh cities in the search field. He then made screenshots of the generated autocomplete suggestions. If one believes the screenshots posted [ru] by the blogger, Kazakhstan is a truly scary place. Kovalyov notes, however, that other search engines generate “more positive” autocomplete predictions about Kazakhstan.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


text:
PHOTOS: Brutal Crackdown by 4,000 South Korean Police is Epic Failure · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

On 22 December 2013, over 4,000 South Korean riot police stormed the headquarter of the nation's second largest trade union center– an unprecedented event in the country's post-dictatorship history which shows how determined the current regime is in clamping down on labor and democratic organizations.
Now the Dec 22 police crackdown is already being remembered as an ‘epic failure [ko]’, generating considerable mockery [ko] online.
It was not only the sheer scale of the crackdown which surprised people, but also these three facts that further enraged the already furious South Korean net users: the police break-in was done without search warrant [ko]; a progressive newspaper building's facilities have been damaged along the way; and police obstructed a peaceful protest that citizens held in support of these union workers.
Despite making a scene such as the photos below show, police have failed to capture their targets who are accused of leading the latest rail workers’ protests and were thought to be hiding in the building. Here are tweets shared widely by Korean net users:
현 정권이 노동자 몇 명을 잡기 위해 수천명의 경찰병력을 동원한 것을 보니 지간히 급하고 현 상황이 두려운 것 같군요. 집권 1년만에 벌써 말기 증상을 보이고 있습니다. pic.twitter.com/dtiC8AQMeg
— 백찬홍 (@mindgood) December 22, 2013
The current regime dispatched several thousand police to capture a handful of labor workers. It shows how desperate and fearful they are about the current situation. It is just a year since they grabbed power, but what we see now are the typical symptoms of a lame-duck regime.
기자분들을 알아야 합니다] 이 곳은 경향신문사 건물입니다. 춰재와 촬영은 고맙지만, 지금 경찰이 짓밟고 있는 이 곳이 여러분들의 동료가 있는 신문사 건물이란 사실을기록해주십시오. 그리고 항의해주십시오! pic.twitter.com/uGuxgNFOad
— 이창근(lee chang kun) (@Nomadchang) December 22, 2013
You journalists need to know this. This building happens to be also a place shared by the Kyunghyang Newspaper [*note: Nation's top progressive media outlet vocally criticizing the current administration]. Although we are thankful to you guys for covering this news, please document the fact that this building is where your fellow journalists stay. And protest with us!
“1.수배자 찾는다고 밀고 들어갔는데 수배자 없음. 2.그나마 영장이 있으면 우겨볼 수 있는데 사실 영장도 기각된 상태. 3.그러면서 허가된 집회를 방해한 상태. 4.집회 참가 시민들에게 최루액을 직사로 뿌리는 사진까지 찍힘.” 국민에 대한 선전포고
— 몸치장군 (@7l_o) December 22, 2013
[summary of what happened] 1. They broke into that place, claiming they were looking for their wanted men. But they were not there to begin with. 2. If they had warrants, they could be able to make excuses (about their forced entrance), but actually it turns out their warrant request was denied. 3. Then yet again, they obstructed ‘legal’ protests. 4. Later, it was caught on camera that these riot police used pepper spray on citizens. This is a proclamation of war against the people.
Once tweets of police's violent clampdown went viral online, many citizens in the city joined to fight with these struggling labor union workers. @sinbi2010 reported [ko] that over 20,000 citizens gathered voluntarily within few hours and clashed with police. Below are photos of the citizens’ clash with the police later that day.
<긴급SOS> 시민인간벽으로 박통2세 군단 포위합시다~~ “@kyhal55: 나와주십시요. 시민둘 나와주세요 pic.twitter.com/gBP7rTxqyn“
— 헷섿 #바보가꿈꾸는세상 (@giraffeC8) December 22, 2013
<Urgent! SOS (distress signal)> We need to besiege the Park Junior's army. [referring to President Park Geun-hye who is a daughter of ex-president Park Chung-hee] @kyhal55: Please everybody come out. Please, citizens come out.
(17:03) 경향신문사 방향으로 가려는 시민들을 인도에서 막고 있는 경찰들..”폭력경찰 물러가라”를 외치며 대치중.. pic.twitter.com/NGXwXfaSEO
— 주먹이운다 (@jumeok_) December 22, 2013
(on 5:03 pm) Police have blocked citizens who are moving in the direction of the Kyunghyang newspaper building. Now they are chanting ‘Go away you violent police’ and confronting them.
Police now face legal issues [ko] ahead as civic groups and human rights lawyers are preparing for a package of lawsuits.
경찰은 민주노총 압수수색 영장이 없습니다. 체포영장만으로는 잠긴문을 뜯고 들어갈 수 없습니다. 더구나 법률상 제3자인 민주노총과 경향신문사의 시설물을 부수고 들어간 건 주거침입에 해당하는 중죄입니다. pic.twitter.com/IPZhKcpvMB
— 김형석 (@songbag) December 22, 2013
Police had no search warrant for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). An arrest warrant is not legally sufficient for them to break into a place after tearing down locked doors. Moreover, legally speaking, the fact that police broke into the building shared by KCTU and the Kyunghyang newspaper by destroying their facilities, constitutes a felony of home invasion.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


text:
South Korean Military Bans ‘Arirang’, Country’s Iconic and Beloved Song · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korean Military is infamous for banning books, films and songs which they find ‘controversial’ or ‘subversive’ and their recent decision to ban the nation's most beloved and historically important songs, ‘Arirang’ (which even has the famed nickname of ‘unofficial national anthem of Korea‘) met with fierce backlash. The military explains it was because Arirang's sad tune is ‘too depressing‘ [ko] to be played in the army and some versions of it derive from North Korean music. However, one journalist lashed out [ko] that such decision demeans ‘the song's rich history of empowering and consoling the oppressed and mobilizing the grassroots’. As a sign of protest, South Koreans living abroad sang Arirang together during their latest demonstrations held across five different countries against the presidential election manipulation scandal. Here are links to video clips of the singing during a rally in New York city and in Germany. (English subtitles are not yet available)


text:
Video:Mo Money, Mo Fazhan  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Laowai Style's Jesse Appell addresses the question about China's economic development with his new rap song “Mo Money, Mo Fazhan(Development)”. The rap cover topics ranging from urbanization, to hukou reform, SOEs, and tainted milk powder.
Watch the video below.


text:
Chinese University Professor’s Resignation Letter Censored · Global Voices
Abby Liu

One day after professor Chen Hongguo posted his resignation letter on Weibo that has triggered hot discussion on academic freedom in China on December 23, 2013, his letter was deleted. A search on professor Chen's name on Sina Weibo shows the following message:
根据相关法律法规和政策，“谌洪果”搜索结果未予显示。
According to relevant regulations and policies, search results for “Chen Hongguo” are not displayed.


text:
“Dekh Le” – Reminding How Men Look at Women In Public Places · Global Voices
Rezwan

Whistling Woods International (WWI), an institute for studies in film, media and fashion, released a YouTube video on December 16, 2013, exactly a year after the much talked about rape case in Delhi to aware people to think, reflect & act on violence against women. Vinaya Naidu at Lighthouse Insights writes about this video:
Very often, not just in India but all over the world, it seems that men looking at women in public places somehow think they are watching a display, as though women exist on a television screen. But, in reality, women can see the people staring at them, and those stares can make them feel not only uncomfortable and objectified, but downright unsafe.
The video has been viewed more than 1.2 million times in last 10 days since its release.


text:
Guyana: Family Ties · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

At this time of year, Guyana-Gyal considers the true meaning of family.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Impact Of Social Media In The Delhi Elections · Global Voices
Rezwan

Voters fingers are stained after casting their vote to prevent fraud. Image by Louise Dowse. Copyright Demotix (4/12/2013)
Prior to the Delhi Legislative Assembly election (4 December 2013) the Delhi Election Commission vowed to monitor the social media for political campaigns looking for breach of model code of conduct by the candidates. However the commission later said that there were loopholes in monitoring and it is virtually “impossible” to keep track of so many conversations.
Nikhil Pahwa at Medianama analyses the impact of social media on the recent Delhi elections:
What Social Media has done in these elections is that it brought out the vote. People may or may not have been influenced by the campaigns run by political parties, but the incessant debate, raising of issues, criticism, and the conversations, the fight and even the hate-commentary that ensued, led to there being a voter – at least in Delhi – that was more aware of the political atmosphere, more conscious that her vote matters, and more responsive to calls for getting out the vote.


text:
Pussy Riot Free to Tweet at Last! · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

While the pardoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky [Global Voices report] doesn't appear in any hurry to set up Twitter or Facebook accounts and join Russia's chattering classes, the recently amnestied Pussy Riot band members [Global Voices report], Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, are already micro-blogging up a storm. Of course, unlike the former head of Yukos, they didn't spend the last 10 years in prison — as Khodorkovsky noted in his press conference [ru], both Facebook and Twitter didn't even exist when he was arrested.
Tolokonnikova and Alekhina reunited in Krasnoyarsk.
Alekhina opened a Twitter account, @malehina [ru], and has already tweeted 82 times. A sizable portion of these tweets, however, are a seemingly random collection of pithy sayings, like:
Всегда выбирайте самый трудный путь — там вы не встретите конкурентов!
— Мария Алехина (@Malehina) December 24, 2013
Always choose the most difficult path — there you won't face competition!
Tolokonnikova, on the other hand, resumed tweeting from her old account @tolokno [ru]. Her tweets are also eclectic. For instance, a few hours ago Tolokonnikova wondered [ru] why Russian prisons ban eyebrow tweezers — one can go to solitary confinement if found with a pair. (I am no expert on Russian prisons, but the reason is likely the same as why they are banned on airplanes.) At the same time, she appears to have mixed feelings about her early release during the holiday season:
Меня выпустили – а завтра бы Рождество с моими протестантками осужденными встречали.
— Надя Толокно (@tolokno) December 24, 2013
I've been released – but otherwise tomorrow we would be celebrating Christmas with my Protestant convicts.

author: Andrey Tselikov


text:
‘Round the Christmas Tree in Trinidad & Tobago  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Tattoo captures the Christmas spirit by posting a video of one of Trinidad and Tobago's most beloved seasonal songs.


text:
The Caribbean Just Might Be The Next Big Thing in Music  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As 2013 comes to a close, the eyes of the world are focused on the Caribbean – and the good news is that it's not because of crime, politics or corruption.  Instead, Caribbean music seems to be emerging as the next big thing.
Jamaican vocalist Tessanne Chin got the ball rolling when she earned a place in Season 5 of NBC's hit singing reality show The Voice, which she went on to win.  Throughout the season, regional netizens and members of the Caribbean Diaspora were tweeting, texting and showing their support for the songstress; her win made Twitter go wild to the point where she became a trending topic.
Late last week saw a similar online frenzy, this time surrounding Trinidadian soca artiste Bunji Garlin's bid for MTV Iggy's Song of the Year.  Like The Voice, the winner would be determined by votes and regional netizens took up the challenge with full force; the Polldaddy site soon crashed because of the overwhelming response from the Caribbean, which was overwhelmingly voting for Bunji's popular song “Differentology”, and fans of G-Dragon, a South Korean rapper, who wanted his song to be chosen.  A face-off developed: G-Dragon had a minute lead when the polls crashed, causing MTV to call a runoff:
Wow. This has been one of the most thrilling and emotional reader polls that we’ve ever done. Song of the Year 2013 became a neck-and-neck show down for who has the most has the most passionate fans in the world.
In one corner stood Bunji Garlin. His track ‘Differentology’ demonstrated that soca didn’t just have to be confined to Trinidad and Tobago or Caribbean communities around the world; it has worldwide infectiousness that fits right in with the domination of electronic dance music in 2013. And with Tessanne Chin’s win on The Voice this week, the future is looking very Caribbean.
In the other corner stood G-Dragon.
Both fan camps put their time and energy into making sure that their favorite artist pulled far and away from other notable contenders…All of that was paying off until, with less than an hour to go… The poll froze. We worked as hard as we could to fix the problem (which is likely outside of our ability to fix), but THE FANS WERE TOO MUCH FOR THE SERVERS TO HANDLE. At the time that the poll, the margin between between the two artists was .02%.
After a staff discussion, we only thought it would be fair to give the fans a little bit more time. You now have until 5pm EST this evening (12/20/13) to choose just between Bunji Garlin’s ‘Differentology’ and G-Dragon’s ‘Crooked’ for MTV Iggy Song of the Year.
The declaration sent Caribbean netizens on a mission – Dion Boucaud was one of them, encouraging his Facebook friends to vote. Twitter was also in on the action from very early on.
After the site crashed and MTV declared that the voting would be suspended, Boucaud responded to the unhappy South Korean commentary on this Twitter hashtag, saying:
What ah go say, the Trini spirit is strong.
His status update sums up one of the most tangible things to come out of this new wave of Caribbean music – that the Internet and social media are making it possible for fans’ voices to be heard and for regional citizens to show their patriotism with online support.  By way of explanation, Boucaud challenged another Facebook user, who thought all the hype surrounding the voting was unnecessary:
So someone is apparently questioning our sanity. Asking ‘what's wrong with us’. My response. ‘Sigh! Perhaps your question should be introspective. Yes it started out as a competition for a Song, but the poll has now evolved to see who has the most dedicated fan base. Full Stop. We are not as vapid as you are painting us out to be. 2) there are only 1.3 million Trinis vs 50 million Koreans, so it would be very erroneous to assume the WE are the only ones voting for Bunji. This is just pure fun. But a deep showing of National pride in a competition that hurts no one gets condemnation. What I won. A night online sharing a moment with friends and strangers to see one of my countrymen get international recognition. And that's priceless. Bless.’
The battle was finally declared a tie:
This song of the year poll can only be a draw. Now we're feeling like @BUNJIGARLIN and G-Dragon should do a track together in 2014.
— MTV Iggy (@mtviggy) December 21, 2013
Boucaud responded to the news on Facebook:
A Draw and a call to collaborate between the Dragon and the Viking. Yeah I'll take that. Well fought VIKINGS
The battle, the draw and the global attention for home-grown talent like Bunji Garlin and Tessanne Chin will no doubt be buoying Caribbean netizens well into 2014.


text:
Victim of China’s One-Child-Policy, 7-year-old Boy Plans Revenge  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

As a result of one-child policy, many children do not have proper government-issued identification and documentation and are deprived of rights to free education and other social services. A recent report on the problem of undocumented children included an interview with a 7-year-old boy who said when he grows up he plans to take revenge from the family planning commission. ChinaSmack has translated the report and a selection of comments.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
#askPussyRiot Wants Your Questions · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

The masks come off this Friday, as two of the newly freed Pussy Riot members hold their first post-prison presser.
After almost two years in federal custody, Pussy Riot's two most famous members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, will hold their first post-prison press conference [ru]. The event will be hosted by the online TV station Dozhd and take place on Friday, December 27, 2013, beginning at 2:00 PM Moscow time (5:00 AM US Eastern Time). Those interested in watching can tune in at www.tvrain.ru [ru] and Twitter users are encouraged to submit their own questions using the hashtag “#askPussyRiot“. Though the discussion will be in Russian, questions can be submitted in English or other languages.

author: Kevin Rothrock


text:
Chinese Challenge State Media’s Rosy Take on Mao Zedong’s Legacy · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Mao Zedong’s 120th birthday, which falls on December 26, 2013, has thrust the communist leader's legacy back into the spotlight. Since last week, Chinese state media have reported on stories related to Mao, one of the founders of the People's Republic of China. News and images of students commemorating Mao at universities were uploaded to social media.
To most ordinary Chinese, Mao is a legend and a savior who freed China from foreign influence and class oppression. Mao's “mistakes” were usually waved off, such as the persecution and deaths of millions of people during the cultural revolution. Deng Xiaoping, the “architect of modern China”, judged Mao as “70 percent right and 30 percent wrong,” which became the official assessment.
However, in the age of the Internet, in which Chinese are more exposed to different sources of information, Mao’s legacy is becoming more controversial.
Government mouthpiece Global Times published a piece titled “Repudiating Mao is a Childish Fantasy Entertained by a Small Number of People” on December 22, 2013, saying the piece says that “the perception of Mao as an unprecedented great man has deep roots among the Chinese people” and that “those who think Mao’s reputation in China has been ruined are in a naive delusion.” The article was criticized by many netizens on popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo.
Writer “Liang Huiwang” retorted [zh]:
Students commemorate Mao at Shanxi University. Photo from Weibo.
我个人认为知识界的毛粉真的是脑残，而不是装的。因为当局并不真正崇毛，它们崇毛，不会从中得到太大好处。自秦以后，中国知识人一直以依附官府混饭吃，基因中已经种下了对武力的崇拜，看见毛杀人那么厉害，不由自主就跪下了。
I personally think that Mao fans in intellectual circles must be brainwashed, they are not pretending. Because the authorities do not really worship Mao, worshiping Mao will not bring them much benefit. Since the Qin dynasty, Chinese intellectuals have relied on the government to make a living, worship of force is in their genes. Since they saw that Mao was a fierce murderer, they are involuntarily on their knees.
Netizen “Liu Qingping” echoed [zh] the same sentiment:
一个让多少人死于非命的人犯下的罪恶，无论有什么贡献都不足以遮蔽。试图掩盖这些罪恶的人，不仅是对受害者的麻木不仁，而且还往往从犯罪者那里得了好处或是认贼作父。今天尤其应当打破这种移孝作忠的亲亲相隐！
Someone who has killed so many people and committed sins, no matter what contributions he has made, it’s not sufficient to cover up [his sins]. Those who try to hide these evil deeds are not only insensitive to the victims, but also often get benefits from the offender. Today, in particular, we should break away from the filial loyalty to authority.
“Ts” commented [zh]:
毛一生最大的罪行在于，整风运动扩大化，无辜害死无数知识分子！大跃进饿死几千万无辜百姓，文化革命残忍迫害开国元老，残害无辜百姓，毁灭文化古迹！并且暗中支持红色高棉邪恶政权在柬埔寨犯下惨绝人寰的反人类滔天罪行！这些罪恶都是无论如何也抹不去的！
Mao’s biggest crimes were the rectification movement expansion, which killed countless innocent intellectuals; the Great Leap Forward, which led millions of innocent people to starve; and the cruel Cultural Revolution, which persecuted our founding fathers, injured innocent people, and destroyed cultural monuments! Mao also secretly supported the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, an evil crime against humanity! These sins can never be wiped away!
Write Pao Tong wrote [zh]:
说到毛泽东的遗产，至少包括：鸦雀无声的舆论；永不选举的政权；三权合作的和谐等等。其中最最重要的，无疑是领导一切的权力，有了它，才有可能成为亿万劳动力和战斗力的占有者。权力就是真理，就是合法性，就是战无不胜的法宝，就是点石成金的摇钱树。
Speaking of Mao's legacy, it at least includes: silent public opinion, regime without election, harmonious cooperation among the three powers, and so on. Of which the most important is undoubtedly the absolute power over everything, and with it, he becomes the owner of hundreds of millions of laborers and forces. Power is the truth, legitimacy, invincible magic, and the cash cow.


text:
Debate on the Translation of Christmas into Chinese · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ann O'Donnell explains the debate about the translation of Christmas, whether it should be “holy birth festival” or “Jesus birth festival”. For those advocating for the rectification of the Chinese translation, believe that  the expression “holy birth festival”, which also means “the Sage’s birth festival” should designate Confucius’ birthday.


text:
Haze and Haiyan: Southeast Asia’s Deadly Disasters of 2013 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A Malay couple wears a face mask while celebrating their wedding day during haze in Muar, in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor bordering Singapore. Photo by Lens Hitam, Copyright @Demotix (6/22/2013)
2013 will be remembered as a year of disasters in Southeast Asia. Oil spills, dengue outbreaks, earthquakes, coral reef destruction, bus crashes, hail storms, and massive floods devastated many towns in the region. But the two biggest disasters of the year are the transboundary haze pollution which covered the skies of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia; and supertyphoon Haiyan (Yolanda) which hit the central part of the Philippines.
Forest fires in Sumatra, Indonesia caused a thick blanket of smog to descend on Singapore and many parts of Malaysia last June. While it is true that forest fire is a recurring problem in the region, this year’s transboundary haze was worse than in previous years. It was bigger, blacker, thicker, and harder to clear. It caused air pollution indexes to soar to record levels in both Singapore and Malaysia.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono apologized to Singapore and Malaysia for Indonesia’s failure to prevent the burning of forests in Sumatra which caused the haze in the region.
Naturally, the haze gravely affected the lives of many Singaporeans and Malaysians. In Singapore, the wearing of face masks as protection against the haze has become the new normal in the prosperous city state. N5 face masks have become ridiculously expensive and many people have had to wait in line for several hours just to buy them. Workers have been advised to go home, travel has been restricted, and the young and old have remained indoors. Dozens of schools in south Malaysia also suspended operations.
Numerous apps and online portals were developed to help citizens monitor the haze situation, as well as to track the location of reliable haze masks, clinics, and shelters.
As expected, media reports focused on the impact of the haze in Singapore and other urban areas of Malaysia. Unfortunately, there was scant reporting on the situation of Indonesian citizens who have tremendously suffered from the impact of both the haze and forest fires. Riau, located west of Indonesia, is considered the ‘ground zero’ of the haze disaster.
Aside from writing about their haze experience, many netizens also highlighted the need to address the root of the haze problem. In particular, they wanted palm plantation companies to be made accountable for the burning of forests. They also pressed for greater protection of the environment.
Children preparing a big Christmas lantern in typhoon-hit city of Tacloban in Leyte, Philippines. Photo from Facebook of Max Baluyut Santiago
After the haze subsided in the region, a series of disasters struck the Philippines. A strong earthquake destroyed many buildings in the Philippine provinces of Bohol and Cebu on October. A few weeks later, a super typhoon wrought destruction in the nearby provinces of Samar and Leyte.
Haiyan was the world’s strongest storm of the year. It was also the fourth strongest to make landfall in world history. Situated in the typhoon belt of the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines gets battered by more than a dozen storms every year. But Haiyan was different. It proved to be a real super typhoon when it caused a tsunami-like storm surge that instantly killed thousands. As of this writing, more than 6,000 have died but the fatalities could be higher as relief workers continue to clean the debris in many villages.
The areas hit by Haiyan are among the poorest provinces in the Philippines. In fact, Eastern Visayas is the third poorest region in the country.
Many survivors have complained that aid was not properly and quickly delivered to communities. Many dead bodies were still seen lying in the streets, refugees had been begging for food, and rescue efforts have not yet reached the other remote islands of typhoon-ravaged provinces a week after the disaster.
After the partial restoration of telecommunication signals in some areas, some survivors and relief workers were able to connect online and they were able to narrate their ordeal during the storm; and also about how they coped for several days without power, food, and shelter. These were heartbreaking and powerful stories of loss and survival.
After the disaster, environmental activists pressed for more effective climate change treaties to prevent large-scale destruction in small island nations like the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Filipinos have been inspired by the global outpouring of aid and sympathy for the typhoon victims.
As 2013 draws to a close, it’s important to remember the painful lessons from Southeast Asia’s experience with the haze and Haiyan. The haze will return once more in 2014 if no regional effort is made to prevent forest fires in Sumatra. In the case of the Philippines, rehabilitation in the typhoon-hit provinces must be aggressively pursued or else the humanitarian crisis will further prolong the suffering of the typhoon victims.