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Everyday Ukrainian Life in 1942 Depicted Through Fifty Color Photos · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Woman and child in rural Ukraine, 1942. Photo courtesy of www.vintage.es, used under Creative Commons 2.0 license.
As anti-government protests that started on November 21, 2013, burden Ukrainian life today, a vintage photo blog takes a look back on another harsh period of the country's history – through 52 amazing color photographs [photo] of everyday life in Ukraine in 1942.
In 1942, like many other European countries, Ukraine was under Nazi occupation. As InfoUkes reminds readers:
Hitler appointed the Nazi philosopher Alfred Rosenberg (1893-1946) head of the Ostministerium (East Ministry) in charge of administering the territory of Ukraine. Before the war Rosenberg was pro-Ukrainian and anti-Muscovite (Russian). He planned to establish a Greater Ukraine state taking territory from Western Russia. However, Hitler had a different idea. He thought Ukrainians should get no preferential treatment and personally appointed Erich Koch to rule Reichskommissariat Ukraine (eastern Ukraine) with an iron fist.
Koch, as a member of the superior German Herrenvolk master race, started a reign of terror and oppression in Ukraine. Koch often said that the Ukrainian people were inferior to the Germans, that Ukrainians were half-monkeys, and that Ukrainians “must be handled with the whip like the negroes.” He once said that “no German soldiers would die for these niggers [Ukrainians].”
The photos on Vintage Everyday, however, show a different side of the story. However cruel the times, people have a tendency to do everything in their power to lead normal lives, even in a Nazi-occupied Ukraine and with World War II raging on all fronts.


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Films on Digital Security Turn a Shade of Noir  · Global Voices
Gerda

Tactical Technology Collective, an organization dedicated to the use of information in activism, has produced a series of short films that focus on digital security and privacy.
The movies are in a film noir style and include three interviews with human rights defenders from different regions, talking about the digital security threats they face in their countries.
The video above is called “The digital traces we leave behind” and is only one of three that can be found here.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Gerda


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GV Face: Social Media and the Meteoric Rise of India’s Aam Aadmi Party · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP ) –  or Common Man's Party – led by anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal, is challenging India's mainstream parties.
The AAP won big in the recent Delhi Assembly poll and has partnered with the Congress party to form a government in Delhi with Kejriwal as its chief minister.
STOI: #AAP’s victory is symbolic of a larger social churn. It’s a sign Indians are demanding accountability today http://t.co/SEdaemc9Hn
— Times of India (@timesofindia) December 15, 2013
Two parties dominate India’s politics: the Congress, which has ruled with its coalition partners for two terms and relies on rural voters; and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Hindu nationalist group that last ruled the nation in 2004. Will AAP disrupt India's long-standing two-party politics in the upcoming May elections?
This Friday I discuss the role of social media in AAP's meteoric rise with GV authors Chirag Sutar and Manasi Gopalakrishnan.
Chirag (@sutarcv) is originally from India but now lives in the Netherlands where he completed his Masters in Media Studies in Erasmus University, Rotterdam. He worked as a media journalist in India for three years.
Manasi Gopalakrishnan is a freelance journalist working with Germany's international broadcaster, the DW in Bonn, Germany. She writes and edits the blog www.womentalkonline.com and also works for DW's Hindi service.

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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Have Acne? South Korea Will Tax Your Treatment · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Who has the right to tax your pimple outbreak? In South Korea, it is the finance ministry.
Beginning of February, a new tax system that imposes a 10-percent tax on surgeries having to do with appearance and beauty will go into effect in South Korea. This so-called beauty tax not only includes well-known plastic surgeries such as nose job, double-jaw surgery or lip augmentation, but also ordinary skin care, such as acne treatment.
New taxation which was introduced last summer claims that it would rein in the country's rampant cosmetic surgeries, but it has been widely unpopular from the moment of its proposal. Critics argue [ko] that the scheme is simply a plan to increase tax revenue decorated as a public health law. Several web users pointed out [ko] that the tax won't tackle society's obsession with looks and people who have the means or who desperately want such procedures will not be affected.
One the eve of the plan going into effect, one tax – 10 percent on pimple treatments – seems to have rekindled people's opposition to the bill. Below are some tweets from frustrated net users:
여드름 탈모만 해도 속상한데, 세금까지 내라니..
— 마왕_질풍노동의 시기 (@everyyoga) January 28, 2014
As if it is not bad enough to have acne and hair loss. Now, we have to pay a tax for having those.
세금 거둘 곳 찾던 하이에나가 여드름을 발견하다!
— 대타 (@lizinhaisenDT) December 31, 2013
The hyenas prowling, looking for things to tax, finally found the item – pimples!
기획재정부가 뭔데 내 여드름에 세금을 매겨? @mosfkorea
— Nikolay (@AccountantInLaw) January 22, 2014
To @mosfkorea [the official account of Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance]: Who do you think you are to tax my pimples?
그러니까 기획재정부측은 여드름이 피부질환이라 치부하지 않으며 치료를 할 경우 ‘미용목적'으로 판단하여 성형과 동일하게 세금을 떼감 이 소린가?..성형도 세금 붙는다는 소리에 어이가 없었는데 아니 목적이전에 세금 그만떼가 이놈들아
— 논노 (@nonno_okama) January 22, 2014
So the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's logic is this: Since they don't think acne is a serious case of skin disease, whatever that cure the acne problem is categorized as a “beauty-related” surgery, it will be taxed. It was ridiculous enough to hear about the tax on cosmetic surgery and now this! Whatever the reason you give, will you just please stop taxing more?
The medical community seems enraged by the news as well. The Korean Medical Association circulated the poster below explaining their frustration. The first sentence in bold letter laments that it is not the medical professionals, but the finance ministry who is making a judgement call on how to understand acne – not as a serious skin condition, but as a beauty-related inconvenience. Net users shared the image via Twitter and made fun of the current government's economic motto of “Creative Economy”, one user even invoking current President Park Geun-hye's notorious nickname “chicken”:
여드름에 세금을 매기다니….창조적이다 pic.twitter.com/YWENpeB94g
— 정남자 (@darkrunar) January 22, 2014
Taxing pimples… That is indeed “Creative”.
피부과 시술에 붙는 부가세 너무하다. 여드름 환자들은 안그래도 비싼 치료비에 제대로된 치료 한번 받을려면 큰맘먹고 해야된다. 그런 환자들 대부분이 사춘기 청소년이나 20대초반이다. 닭정부의 창조경제는 창조세금이었다.ㅋㅋ
— EB (@DarlTea) January 23, 2014
Imposing an additional tax on skin treatment is bit too much. Acne patients are already paying considerable amounts of money to get proper treatment. And most of them are either teenagers in puberty or in their early 20s. It turns out that the chicken administration's “creative economy” actually means “creative ways to tax things”.
@tonarino_hayoon 우리 나라만큼 외모따지는 사회풍조도 없는데 사실 저런거에 일일히 세금떼가는거 웃겨요 니들이 그렇게 만들어놓고 돈은 왜 뜯어가…
— 논노 (@nonno_okama) January 22, 2014
There is no country like ours where society is completely obsessed with looks. And the ones who helped shaped our society into how it this now tax each item related to enhancing ones look. This is ridiculous.
우와.이젠 손톱관리나 몸매관리에도 세금 붙이시지요?여드름 난 게 죄입니깤ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— 최강사약러디노 (@dino_quality) January 21, 2014
Wow… How far will they go? Will the next step be taxing nail care and body slimming? It is not a sin to have some pimples.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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How Brazilian Taxpayer Money Finances Construction Projects in the Amazon · Global Voices
Pública - Agência de jornalismo investigativo

Animation: BNDES in the Amazon
This post, by Bruno Fonseca and Jessica Mota, was originally published in Portuguese as a part of Agência Pública's special coverage #BNDESnaAmazônia with the title Animation | How Our Money Finances Construction Works in the Amazon on December 9, 2013.
Nearly 44 percent of what Brazil's National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) finances is completely hidden. And more than half of what BNDES sends overseas is secret. This is how the bank deals with transparency, even though the money is public and comes from, for example, the Brazilian Treasury and the Ministry of Labor and Employment's Worker's Support Fund.
In 2012, BNDES loaned 156 billion Brazilian reais (64 billion US dollars) of this public money. It was in the search of what happened to this money over the course of three months that our team discovered the scope of investments in infrastructure in the Amazon where these public works are causing glaring social and environmental impacts.  See the primary discoveries in this animation (the English translation of the subtitles are available below):
BNDES (Brazil's National Bank of Economic and Social Development) is a public bank. Most of its money comes from public funds, that is to say, taxes paid by the people. In 2012 alone, BNDES loaned 156 billion reais (64 billion US dollars) – this is twice as much the World Bank loaned in the same year.
But where does all this money go to? A big part is for infrastructure projects in the Amazon. Billionaire projects such as the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam which has received more than 25 million reais from BNDES (10 million US dollars). The first evidence we discovered was that BNDES doesn't want Brazilians to know much about the money it lends.
Over the course of three months, we downloaded hundreds of spreadsheets and reports, we submitted a dozen requests for access to information, and we sent more than 30 emails to BNDES.
We discovered that out of 20 major infrastructure investments made by BNDES in the Amazon, at least 17 of them have public lawsuits against them from Brazil's public prosecutor's office.
The Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant has 21 suits, many of them questioning its environmental impact. Pará's power plants has 13 suits, most of them demanding reforms to the precarious power supply. At the dams in Jirau and Santo António, 13 workers have died since 2008.
In Ecuador, BNDES funded a hydroelectric dam with cracks. In Peru, a pipeline with leaks.
But how can we prevent our money from ending up in such a mess? Experts believe that the rules for investment should be more rigid and that BNDES should monitor the construction companies.
As always, it is essential to be informed. Read Publica's special coverage on BNDES in the Amazon.
On the Agência Pública website, the reports from the series #BNDESnaAmazônia (BNDES in the Amazon) are available for reading (all in Portuguese), including:
THE TRAIL OF BNDES IN THE AMAZON. A partnership between Agência Pública and the website Eco maps the increase of BNDES’ investments in infrastructure projects in the region. Public works financed by the bank are accused of concealing the impacts on the environment, the indigenous population, and workers.
BNDES IN THE AMAZON: 17 OF 20 MAJOR INVESTMENTS HAVE PUBLIC SUITS AGAINST THEM FROM BRAZIL'S PUBLIC MINISTRY. A survey by Agência Pública and the website Eco reveals problems with environmental impact studies, a lack of dialogue with the affected communities, and abuses against workers involved in the public works financed by the bank.
WORKERS HOSTAGE TO PUBLIC WORKS WORTH BILLIONS IN THE AMAZON. Deaths in Maranhão, workers forced by National Forces to stay at a work site at Belo Monte. Accused of violating worker's rights, mega enterprises receive funding from BNDES.
TWO REPORTERS ON THE TRAIL OF BILLIONS GIVEN BY BNDES. Over the course of three months, our team sought to uncover the trail of investments in infrastructure projects in the Amazon. The conclusion: 44 percent of what BNDES finances is completely obscured.
BNDES, FOR EXPORTATION. In the name of internationalization, BNDES funding for Brazilian enterprises overseas increased 1185 percent in ten years, according to a study by Ibase. Odebrecht is the leader.
THE BRAZILIAN PAN-AMAZON. Public works negotiated by BNDES in the South American Amazon include hydroelectric dams with cracks, pipelines with leaks, and a railroad that shook the presidency of Bolivia.
THE AMAZON THAT BNDES FINANCES. By the law of access to information, Pública obtained 43 contracts from BNDES with large national corporations for business ventures in the Amazon. Read and download these documents here.
The information collected also served as a base for the development of the interactive platform “BNDES na Amazônia“, a partnership between Pública and Eco:
Interactive Infographic: The 20 Major Projects Financed By BNDES in the Amazon. Screenshot from the site BNDESnaAmazonia.org
The National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) is the primary financier of large projects in the Amazon. Utilizing funds from the Worker's Support Fund and contributions made by the Federal Treasury, the bank finances consortiums and businesses responsible for the construction of dams for the generation of hydroelectric power, power lines, thermoelectric projects and other projects with great environmental impact. This database, fruit of the labor of investigations made by a joint effort between the sites Eco and Agência Pública, concentrates information about funding given by BNDES in the Amazon and allows the user to become familiar with the profile of the companies receiving funding, the total invested resources in each project, as well as the ranking of investments since 2008. The data [available for download in CSV format] was put together from spreadsheets available on the site of BNDES and will be updated.


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Iran: Several Miners Arrested · Global Voices
Farid

Iran's Anarchist Workers’ Facebook page reports that several striking miners got arrested in Yazd province.Iran's students tweeted
Security Forces Illegally Arrest Striking Workers  http://t.co/M0f8faTlqw #Iran #IranElection
— Iran دانشجویان ایران (@GreenQuran) January 31, 2014

author: Farid


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Old Video of Official Slapping Chinese Tennis Star Li Na Goes Viral  · Global Voices
Jack Hu

Video of Chinese tennis star Li Na, fresh off her Australian Open win, being slapped in the face by an official during an award ceremony of the China's 2001 National Games has gone viral on the Chinese web, sparking public anger about officials’ abuse of athletes.
In the video, Li is awarded a bronze medal from Jiang Xiuyun, the head of the national tennis team, who places the medal around Li's neck, then slaps her.
Though local media outlets quickly followed up on the story with an explanation that the “slap” was actually an intimate gesture to cheer Li up, many did not buy the story. Li does disappointed when she receives bronze on stage, but appears taken aback by the “intimate gesture”, quickly bringing her hand up to touch her slapped cheek.
According the Jiang, she split Li and her teammate up during the match, which made Li unhappy. The gesture was an attempt to rid Li of her emotion.
The sport system, managed by the Culture, Education, Health and Sports Committee on both national and provincial levels, is notorious for their attitude towards athletes. Citing the video, a non-profit organization worker, “Cai rang duo ji”, expressed irritation on popular microblogging site Sina Weibo for the humiliating action against Li:
李娜为什么不感谢祖国？在奴役与侮辱中长大，是大家共同的命运。无论是成功与否，谁也不会去爱，曾经奴役与侮辱过自己的土地。
Why didn’t Li Na express gratitude to the motherland? The common fate of Chinese is growing up in servitude and with insults. Nobody will love the motherland enslaving and insulting him or her whether successful or not.
His tweet won many echoes in the comment section. “Longxi Yize” wrote:
这是一个把强奸叫做爱的社会。
This is a society which calls rape love.
Another Weibo user, Jingya, watched the video and could not believe that it was an intimate gesture:
才看视频，说是亲昵鼓励，我打死也不信，亲昵该是挂完奖牌顺便抚摸一下，怎会有举手扫去的动作？看旁边人的表情也该知道。
I just watched the video. I would never believe that it was friendly encouragement. If it was an intimate gesture, you would caress the face, how could you raise your hand up high and slap it instead? The facial gestures from people next to Li Na also tell what had happened.
Netizens also took the video as an explanation of her poker face during her homecoming ceremony when she received a six-figure cash award from local officials. Li remained stone-faced throughout the event.
Li Na left the national team in 2002 and began to play on an international level. Her triumph at the Australian Open provided Chinese authorities with a chance to show off the country's soft power. The welcoming ceremony was staged in her hometown with the presentation of 800,000 yuan (130,000 US dollars) to her as a gift from Hubei authorities.
Li Na's expression during the award presentation in the Wuhan airport was interpreted as a reject to political performance. Image uploaded by Lawyer Yuan Yulai from Weibo.
Local news reports revealed that she had refused to attend any public function at first, but the authorities sent staff to Guangzhou airport and escorted her to Wuhan airport, where the ceremony took place. But when she met with her former tennis trainer from Hubei and received the prize from the provincial leader, she did not show any gratitude in front of the cameras.
The Chinese Communist Party mouthpieces are not happy about her performance. A Global Times’ January 29 editorial criticized Li has been mystified by some as an icon of “individual success” in order to undermine the authority of the national sport system. The Xinhua news agency also stressed that Li's success has been sponsored by the state.
Lawyer Yuan Yulai posted a photo of her straight-faced response to the ceremony and pointed out that her refusal to act is more important than the Australian Open championship:
我个人认为，@李娜 的不装，比获得澳网冠军的意义更大。
I personally think that Li Na's refusal to perform has greater meaning than winning the Australia Open.
Many joined the discussion and interpreted her cool performance:
守望-幸福V：谢谢李娜，让那些臭不要脸的官员们终于知道群众的真实了，也让那些拍马屁的狗奴才们看清他们的臭嘴脸了。
“Attending Happiness”: Thank you Li Na. Let the shameless government officials confront the real people. Let the ass-kissers have a good look at their stinky faces.
专治细胞缺水：80万是狗粮，想让李娜做政治道具。 穿道具很拘束，令人窒息。换哪个自由了的人都不开心
“Expert in curing cancer”: the 800,000 yuan [award] is dog food with an attempt to turn Li Na into political tool. The performance costume is suffocating. Anyone with a free heart will not be happy about it.
红砖碧瓦时代：以前不是很关心和了解她，现在感觉，李娜将是中国体育界被载入史册的人！
“The red and green brick time”: I wasn't paying attention to her in the past. Now I feel that she should be written into the Chinese sport history books.
saintpluto87：有人说李娜不会做人，其实当今社会正是需要这种不会做人的人，去涤荡由政府多年来积累的不良风气，从而真正推动社会的进步!
saitpluto87: Some said Li Na is an ill-mannered person. But our society needs this kind of person to do away with the culture of the government and promote social progress.
作家-天佑: 每个公民都有不向领导媚笑的权利。
“Writer-Tianyuo”: Every citizen has the right to refuse to perform for the entertainment of the leader.

author: Jack Hu


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PHOTOS: Humans of Ukraine’s #Euromaidan Protests · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Protesters help a driver by pushing his car up the street. Photo by Olha Harbovska. Used with permission.
This post is part of our Special Coverage Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests.
The short-lived adoption of laws limiting peaceful protests in Ukraine has sparked violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters on and off since January 19, 2014. The dramatic photos of the tense confrontations, sometimes shrouded in black smoke billowing from nearby burning vehicles, have circulated and stunned worldwide.
The photos that seldom get play in mainstream media, however, are those of the human side of the long and harsh Euromaidan protests, as they are known, seen in images published on social media and photo stream accounts by protesters and journalists on the ground.
These photos document how protesters have assisted one another to function as normally as possible, while attempting to topple a government they find to be corrupt and failing. Aside from keeping each other safe and warm, protesters often help those passing by to make it through the crowds and below-zero Ukrainian winter weather. Volunteers also provide free medical help to both sides of the protests.
A member of volunteer medical aid brigades in Kyiv. Photo by the creator of Facebook page “Maidaners”. Used with permission.
An elderly woman pouring hot tea for protesters. Photo by Olha Harbovska. Used with permission.
People have set up improvised kitchens and tea stations in Kyiv and other cities to keep fellow keep protesters fed and warm. Volunteers also clean snow and remove garbage from the protest sites.
A man giving out sandwiches to protesters. Photo by Hanna Hrabarska. Used with permission.
Another tea station to keep protesters warm. Photo by Clashot user Volye101. Used with permission.
A woman volunteering to clean protest grounds in Kyiv. Photo by the creator of Facebook page “Maidaners”. Used with permission.
A man minds several cauldrons of food being prepared for protesters, making sure the meal doesn't burn. Photo by Clashot user Volye101. Used with permission.
Amazingly, and as more proof that humans are social and creative creatures under any circumstances, entertainment and music in particular have been a huge part of keeping up morale during Euromaidan rallies. Julian Lennon, the son of legendary musician John Lennon, was moved when he saw how a live rendition of his father's famed song “Imagine” had been used during Euromaidan to send a message of peaceful retaliation against the establishment in Ukraine, calling it “awesome” on his Facebook. Live music remains a regular fixture at Euromaidan rallies throughout the country, an example of which is shown below:
A man playing the violin to a protester in a Kyiv underground passage. Photo by Olha Harbovska. Used with permission.
There has also been a lot of visual creativity, with protesters creating posters, painting helmets, tents, etc.
A woman painting a tent at the main protest grounds in Kyiv. Photo by the creator of Facebook page “Maidaners”. Used with permission.
Despite clashes with police and coordinated police crackdowns on the protests, with six civilian deaths so far and thousands injured, the protesters often talk and interact with police agents during the protests, sometimes finding a common language and common ground. Below is a photo of a Ukrainian police officer on duty during the protests, who seems happy to have reached an agreement with the protesters to keep the peace and not use force:
A smiling policeman. He just promised not to use force against protesters. Photo by Hanna Hrabarska. Used with permission.
A volunteer defender of protest grounds in Kyiv who initiated the creation of human chain between the protesters and the police to prevent provocations and violence. Photo by the creator of Facebook page “Maidaners”. Used with permission.
This post is part of our Special Coverage Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests.

author: Danica Radisic


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Photos Uzbek Authorities Do Not Want You To See · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

EurasiaNet.org presents “Twenty Photos Uzbekistan Does Not Want You to See“, a collection of black-and-white images by photojournalist Timur Karpov. The photos were removed [ru] from a group exhibition at Tashkent's House of Photography two hours before the beginning of the show on January 25, apparently because they were deemed to be “undermining” national pride. Another photographer whose images were deemed “offensive” by the organizers of the show is Svetlana Ten. Her photos can be seen here.
Karpov is one of the eight activists who were detained by Uzbek police on January 29, after an unsanctioned rally in support of protesters in Ukraine. Karpov was ordered by court to pay a fine of around 1,000 US dollars and has now been released.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Teaching of “Religion and Morality” In Bangladesh Schools  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogger Bhaskar comments in Mukto Mona Blog about the newly introduced subject ‘religion and morality’ in school curricula of Bangladesh:
In Bangladesh, teaching of ‘religion and morality’ in secular schools, we are talking about, is an extension of Maktab, Madrasa [Muslim religious schools] and dictatorial position held by Ulema in Bangladeshi Muslim society.

author: Rezwan


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Whistleblower Barrister Expelled for Denoucing Dictatorial Trends in Burundi · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Isidore Rufyikiri, Barrister at the Bujumbura Court in Burundi has been expelled from the Bar Association for denouncing dictatorial practices by the regime in power [fr] :
J'ai osé dénoncer ce que les autres n'osent pas dénoncer, à savoir la dérive vers l'instauration d'un régime dictatorial au Burundi et la mise en place d'une milice à l'instar des Interahamwe du Rwanda
I dared to denounce what others do not dare to speak of, namely the drift towards the establishment of a dictatorial regime in Burundi and the establishment of a militia like the Interahamwe in Rwanda
According to the ministry of justice, the reason for his expulsion is that his message threatened homeland security.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Costa Rica’s Presidential Election Is an Unexpectedly Tight Race · Global Voices
Roy Rojas

Vote, placing an X in the box next to your choice. Photo by Ingmar Zahorsky on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
[Links are to Spanish-language pages except where noted.]
Costa Rica is just a day away from electing a new president, the culmination of one of the hardest-fought electoral races in the country's history. The race is still too close to call, with candidates on the left, centre, and right running neck and neck. It is, without a doubt, democracy in action.
According to the latest opinion poll conducted by Unimer for the La Nación newspaper, there are three candidates tied for first place: José Maria Villalta of the leftist Frente Amplio [en], Johnny Araya of the more moderate Liberación Nacional [en] and Otto Guevara of the right wing Movimiento Libertario [en].
The data provided by the marketing research firm on January 16, 2014, shows José María Villalta's support at 22.2%, Johnny Araya with 20.3% and Otto Guevara at 20.2%. Given a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points, this is considered—in technical terms—a tie. Of the top five candidates, based on popular support, the next two rank significantly lower than the leaders, with Luis Guillermo Solís (Partido Acción Ciudadana) [en] at 5.5% and Rodolfo Piza (Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) [en] at 3.6%.
Clearly these numbers set off alarm bells in the campaign headquarters of the governing Liberación Nacional party, which has always enjoyed a solid lead with strong numbers. The possibility that there might be a second round had not even occurred to them.
On the other hand, another poll by Cid Gallup for Noticias Repretel, published on January 28, shows Johnny Araya with 35.6%, followed by José Maria Villalta with 21%, Otto Guevara in third place at 17.6%, Luis Guillermo Solis in fourth with 15.6%, and Rodolfo Piza with 6.5% .
These elections have been full of contrasts. Take the case of the Frente Amplio party, labelled left wing and traditionally a minor player, which this time garnered the kind of support even its most optimistic followers would not have predicted; or the case of Luis Guillermo Solis, who has also gained ground in the last two months, with support coming mainly from younger voters; finally, the current situation facing the government has greatly affected its candidate Johny Araya, whose approval rating in the polls has waned, although it now remains steady.
There is little doubt that these elections will define a generation of Costa Ricans and determine the future of the country in a dramatic way.
Juan Carlos Hidalgo, an analyst covering Latin American politics for the Cato Institute, says:
La de este domingo es quizás la más importante que hemos enfrentado en una generación: el 2 de febrero tenemos ante nosotros una clara disyuntiva: seguimos igual, retrocedemos o avanzamos.
Las redes sociales han servido de caja de resonancia en la discusión política cotidiana. Antes, discutíamos entre familia y amigos. Hoy, nos vemos enfrascados en interminables discusiones con desconocidos sobre una amplia gama de temas.
This Sunday's [election] is perhaps the most important we have faced in a generation: on February 2, we will have a clear choice to make: continue as we have, go backwards or move forward.
Social networks have been a sounding board in the daily political discussions. Before, we talked among friends and family. Today, we are caught up in interminable discussions with strangers about a whole range of topics.
The drop in popularity of current President Laura Chinchilla's government will surely affect the outcome of the election—and mainly her own party, Liberación Nacional. The slogan of almost all the ads run by the other political parties emphasizes the need for change in Costa Rica.
It is also clear that, like never before in the country's history, people are informed, thanks to social media and digital access to the candidates’ political platforms. While both things existed before, they have become tools that the political parties increasingly know how to use. These elections will definitely signal a before-and-after divide in the way politics in the country is conducted.
Cada día mas cerca de las elecciones! Que lindo CR! Estamos viviendo la historia! #buenosdiasatodos #Eleccion2014
— glorico (@gloricocr) January 29, 2014
Every day closer to the election! How great Costa Rica! We are living history!
The candidates are using social media to issue clarifications, rebut rumours, and provide information on their platforms.
Johnny Araya has been repeatedly attacked for his work in the Municipality of San José, a post he occupied for more than 20 years, where—as he himself observes—despite being accused on several occasions for crimes such as graft and embezzlement, he was never convicted and most of the cases were rejected by the public prosecutor's office.
Me siento orgulloso del trabajo que hice frente a la municipalidad de San José. #DebateFinal #JohnnyPresidente
— Johnny Araya (@Johnny_Araya) January 28, 2014
I am proud of the work I did for the Municipality of San José.
More recently Luis Guillermo Solis has been criticized for his position in favour of abortion in the case of rape and for an apparent alliance with the Frente Amplio, an alliance he has repeatedly denied.
No existe ninguna alianza con el Frente Amplio, aunque muchos siguen rumoreando tal negociación. #voto2014
— Luis Guillermo Solís (@luisguillermosr) January 29, 2014
There is no such alliance with the Frente Amplio, although many people are still gossiping about it.
Otto Guevara has focused his campaign on the creation of new jobs and the reduction in the cost of electricity.
Podemos hacer que todos los costarricenses vivamos mejor, tengamos empleo y bajemos el precio de la luz #DebateFinal
— Otto Guevara (@OttoPresidente) January 28, 2014
We can make sure all Costa Ricans live better, have work, and cut the price of electricity.
José Maria Villalta was the candidate who first took a stand against the status quo, a strategy that all the other parties then imitated when they realized how effective it was.
Para evitar el continuismo, y fortalecer la democracia, somos la opción que puede quitar al PLN del poder. #SíHayPorQuienVotar
— José María Villalta (@josemvillalta) January 29, 2014
To avoid business as usual and strengthen democracy, we are the choice to make to remove the Liberación Nacional party from power
The post-electoral scenario is uncertain. Although some candidates argue for the raising of taxes on the “privileged middle class,” favouring unions and rejecting free-trade deals, others argue for greater openness, reducing state monopolies, eliminating the entitlements of public sector employees, and in some cases, increasing taxes.
The biggest criticism that can be made about all the candidates is the lack of clear ideas about how to solve current problems such as the infrastructure, fiscal deficit, tax evasion and education. All of them raise these issues in their platforms but none provide sufficient details about the means they would use to fight them. This should be a lesson for the next election in four years.

author: Roy Rojas


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Japan’s US Base Plan Hits Snafu With Local Mayor’s Re-Election · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

More than 1,000 people came to the prefecture office of Okinawa to show their opposition to the governor's decision. Photo taken on December 27, 2013 by Ojo de Cineasta (CC BY NC ND 2.0)
The election results of a small city in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, are stirring up a national debate over plans to relocate a US military base to Okinawa.
Susumu Inamine, the mayor of Nago city who opposes a plan to transfer the US airbase from Futenma, a populous part of central Okinawa, to Henoko district, a coastal area of Nago, was re-elected on January 20, 2014 with 19,839 vote. Susumu beat out pro-base challenger Bunshin Suematsu, who was backed by the central government which maintains that building a new facility would benefit local economy via government subsidy.
Meanwhile, the central government said they would move forward with the relocation plan, calling it the only way to reduce the burden on Okinawa while maintaining a deterrent effect against potential threats.
Susumu Inamine spoke in front of his supporters on January 8 2014 during his re-election campaign. Screenshot from Independent Web Journal [ja].
A heavy US presence in Okinawa
When it comes to American military presence, Okinawa prefecture is at the forefront of the debate. According to Japan's Ministry of Defense, Okinawa prefecture make up 74 percent [ja] of the American military presence in Japan, whereas the prefecture constitutes only 0.6 percent of the country's landmass.
The issue at the heart of the mayoral election was a plan that originated 17 years ago: the US and Japanese governments’ suggestion of building a base in Henoko as a replacement for the current Marine Corps air station at Futenma. Just last month on December 27, 2013, Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima finally approved the relocation plan, putting an end to prolonged impasse to return the Futenma site to Japan.
The presence of US military there goes back to World War II. Award-wining documentary filmmaker John Junkerman explained in an interview with Amy Goodman of news program Democracy Now!:
Nearly 70 years ago the United States took over the Japanese island of Okinawa after one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. More than 200,000 people died, mostly Japanese civilians. Today the United States operates 34 bases on the island and is planning to build a new state-of-the-art Marine base, despite mass protests. A multi-decade movement of Okinawa residents has pushed for ousting U.S. forces off the island, citing environmental concerns and sexual assaults by U.S. soldiers on local residents.
The people of Okinawa generally do not live with explicit aversion to the presence of US forces. As their economy relies heavily on the presence of American troops, the overall relationship is friendly. However, aircraft noise, fires caused by live ammunition exercises in the forest, occasional helicopters crashes, and cases of rapes are problems that greatly concern residents.
One of the most famous cases of rape in Okinawa involving US troops stationed there was in 1995, when three servicemen kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old Japanese girl. The crime triggered an anti-base movement, and Okinawans demanded to take back Futenma from base. This then resulted in the relocation plan: close Futenma and relocate the facility to Henoko.
Areas colored in red represents base in Okinawa [ja]. The relocation plans to move the Futenma Air Base [pointed in Green] to Henoko, coastal area [pointed in orange] of Nago City [blue]. Image made by Keiko Tanaka using the image from Misakubo on Wikipedia. GNU
Environmental concerns
This relocation plan – a landfill project to build a new facility in Nago's coastal Henoko, which would construct a runway for existing base Camp Schwab – has long been met with fierce opposition by local residents and environmentalist groups. Environmentalists who oppose the plan fear that the coral-rich ocean of Henoko would be damaged by the landfill and the area's endangered population of dugong, a large marine mammal similar in appearance to a manatee, would be affected. The Association to Protect the Northernmost Dugong wrote in a petition campaign on change.org that the environmental assessment is turning into an inconvenient truth:
The Governor has already expressed grave concerns regarding the environmental assessment and impact on the welfare of local residents. In response, the Defense Bureau has simply maintained its assertion that the dugongs would not be affected.
But on September 22, Kyodo News broke the story that the Defense Bureau had actively hidden important facts about dugong activity in Henoko waters uncovered during its environmental assessment. Dugong feeding traces had been found in the waters off Henoko through April to June last year and a dugong was sighted in Oura Bay, adjacent to the Henoko beach. It’s clear that for the Defense Bureau, those findings constituted ‘inconvenient truths’ better hidden from the public.
Anti-base movement in Okinawa
Other anti-base Okinawans do not wish to have additional military facility. So when the governor finally made the decision to accept the proposal by the central government, protesters who once dreamed of the base's relocation outside Okinawa, what was originally put forth by the governor, felt betrayed.
The win by anti-base Nago city mayor Susumu came as an upsetting disruption for Prime Minister Abe and Governor Nakaima's plan to relocate the base from Futennma. According to newspaper Japan Times, Susumu said “the plan must go back to square one” and that he will reject all procedures related to the landfill project.
According to a poll taken in December 2013 by Asahi Shimbun in cooperation with Okinawa's local newspapers and broadcaster, 64 percent of people in Okinawa are opposed [ja] to the governor's approval of the relocation of Futenma base to Henoko. But an online poll conducted by Yahoo! Japan found an even higher 80 percent considered [ja] that the governor's approval was an appropriate move. It's not clear whether one of these polls is more accurate than the other when it comes to the opinions of the people in Okinawa, but the sentiments among Okinawans seem different[ja] than those of other Japanese living elsewhere.
A blogger and tour guide living in Futenma for more than 30 years expressed [ja] mixed feelings about the election turnout:
現市長が当選したことで、この500億円の北部振興策のためのお金は白紙に戻ったそうな。
・・・500億円は沖縄へ恩返しのつもりだったと言っていたのですが・・・。
だったら今までの敗戦後の基地がこの沖縄に残り続けていることに対しての恩返しをするべきではないでしょうか・・・。
すごく長い歴史で色んな方たちが傷つきました。この空の上に飛行機が行き交う事がなかなか想像できません。
逆に普天間であんなものを見て、うるさいところにいるから、こんな静かな場所に行きたいな～っていう気持ちにもなります。
だけど、もし辺野古に基地がいったら・・・大騒音をまき散らすことになります。
うるさいけどきれいな場所っていうことになるから・・・私は今後ここに観光ルートで訪れることが・・・なくなるかもしれません。
[中略]…やっぱり沖縄の方たちはこの自然を守ろうとそして子供や孫を守ろうとしている、こんなお金で解決なんてのは
ダメなんだよ～って言っている気がします・・・。
Now that Nago city's mayor was re-elected, the subsidy of 500 million US dollars [50 billion Japanese yen] funding for north Okinawa has gone back to square one.
…while the governor was insisting that the 50 billion Japanese yen was meant to be requital for Okinawa…
If so, shouldn't he be working to return something else…the land of Okinawa where the base remained after the war?
In the long run, many people were hurt. I can't imagine another sky filled with aircraft.
Because I live in Futenma, and see things, and hear noises, it makes me feel like going to some other quiet places.
But if the base moves to Henoko, they will suffer from noise.
It will make Henoko a noisy, yet beautiful place; I might not bring tourists to this area [an island across coastal Nago] anymore
[…] It reminds me that people in Okinawa, who are trying to protect nature and children and grandchildren, are saying no to a solution via money.
The post was sub-edited by L. Finch

author: Keiko Tanaka


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Memes to Confront Impunity in Mexico · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

David Sasaki shares viral videos and social media memes from Mexico to show how “the meme has been embraced by a Mexican middle class as a tool to confront the impunity of the country’s elite.” For example:
In the same way that literature inevitably builds on the books of the past, memes in Mexico are often inspired by their predecessors. The week after subway riders protested the fare hike, leftist legislators rallied against the proposed energy reform bill, which allows private investment in Pemex, the state oil monopoly. For some reason, one of these legislators decided to strip down to his undies in protest. Twitter users immediately dubbed this decision “#PosMeEncuero,” or “well, then, I’ll just get naked.” It’s a playful example of how Mexicans creatively address their feelings of powerlessness.
The almost-naked legislator then inspired the protesters of the metro fare hike who not only jumped the turnstiles, but did so in their underwear.
You can find more examples in his blog.

author: Silvia Viñas


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‘Mistreated, Insulted and Disrespected’: World Bank Releases Social Inclusion Report · Global Voices
Prudence Nyamishana

Photo taken by @hivocolab during the launch of the World Bank's “Inclusion Matters” report in Uganda. Used with permission.
Certain groups of people in all countries seem to be left behind despite their home country's progress. The social exclusion of these people – not always minorities, and not always in poor or undemocratic countries – has costly economic, political and social consequences, according to a new report from the World Bank.
For example, the report notes that in Uganda where electricity coverage is low, almost half of respondents from the Buganda ethnic group reported having electricity, compared to less than 5 percent of the minority Lugbara and karamajong ethnic groups. Some excluded groups have been denied opportunities for hundreds of years, such as Native Americans in the United States.
It also points out that poverty and exclusion are not the same. In some societies, even the rich can be excluded, as might be the case with wealthy homosexual men in some African countries.
The launch of the report, titled “Inclusion Matters”, was held on 27 January 2014 in Kampala, Uganda alongside a public dialogue on the topic of social inclusion. Tarsis Kabwegyere, the Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Ugandan Prime Minister, and Mary Karoro Okurut, the Ugandan Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, attended the event; notably, Dr. Zac Niringiye, an outspoken former bishop of Kampala West, was among the panelists.
Explaining the concept of social inclusion, the World Bank website said:
Some people – because of personal or group characteristics, such as social status, ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation – are mistreated, insulted, and disrespected. These people may either avoid situations that expose them to mistreatment, they may submit to their “fate”, or they may protest against it.  All these responses are cries for inclusion.
Twitter users joined in the conversation using the hastag #inclusionmatters.
Journalist Henry Lutaaya asked:
@DasMaitreyi Why did #InclusionMatters ignore international community role in excluding billions of pipo from trade, fueling climate change
— Henry Lutaaya (@henrylutaaya) January 29, 2014
Electronic Kasujja noted:
Policy choices of the country determine whether there will in fact be less exclusion and more inclusion. #inclusionmatters
— Electronic Kasujja (@ekasujja) January 28, 2014
Activist and storyteller Javie Ssozi quoted Niringiye speaking about Uganda:
The tragedy with this country is we have failed to implement basic ideas. To make UPE [Universal Primary Education] work is not rocket science. Rev Zac #InclusionMatters
— Javie Ssozi (@jssozi) January 28, 2014
Mark Keith Muhumuza, a business and financial journalist in Uganda, quoted the report:
On accessing markets, WB report reads “Urban land markets are notoriously skewed in favor of the rich in powerful;” #inclusionmatters
— Mark Keith Muhumuza (@mumakeith) January 28, 2014
Web portal UGO Uganda wrote:
Hon.Tarsis Kabwegyere says inclusion and exclusion is about power #InclusionMatters http://t.co/MpqndJuKEo
— UGO Uganda (@UgoUganda) January 28, 2014
Cedric Anil, a blogger, quoted Minister of General Duties Kabwegyere:
It's hard to be distributive when 90% of the people are poor -Hon. Kabwegyere #inclusionMatters report launch #World Bank
— Cedric Anil (@cedricanil) enero 28, 2014
Javie Ssozi questioned the assertion that government has a plan for social inclusion:
Pius Bigirimana says “government has got a plan to ensure that no one is excluded”. Sounds exciting! What's the plan? #InclusionMatters
— Javie Ssozi (@jssozi) January 28, 2014
As the dialogue concluded, Charles Banda, a digital and new media consultant, wanted to know:
What next after the launch of the @WorldBankAfrica #InclusionMatters report ? do the young people feel included? pic.twitter.com/VEIqk5Yj1e
— Charles E. Bbanda™ (@bbandac) January 28, 2014

author: Prudence Nyamishana


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Philippine Typhoon Haiyan Victims Join ‘People Surge’ Protest · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

‘People Surge’ protest gathering in a public university in Leyte. Photo from Tudla
Also see Haiyan Devastates the Philippines, our special coverage page.
More than 10,000 typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) victims in the Philippines joined a protest dubbed ‘People Surge’ to condemn the slow arrival of relief and rehabilitation efforts in their communities. The ‘People Surge’ is also an alliance of typhoon Haiyan victims mainly from the provinces of Leyte and Samar.
Haiyan, the world’s strongest storm of 2013, battered the Visayas islands of the Philippines last November 8 which killed more than 6,000 people. Thousands more were left homeless after a tsunami-like storm surge devastated several towns in the region.
Participants of the ‘People Surge’ are complaining about the lack of government assistance in restoring the homes and livelihoods of typhoon victims. They are also opposing the ‘No Build Zone’ policy which they claim will lead to the displacement of thousands of residents in coastal areas.
The ‘People Surge’ first assembled in a public university before marching around the city of Tacloban, the ground zero of the Haiyan disaster.
A Catholic nun, convenor of the People Surge, introduces the objectives of the action. Photo from Tudla
‘People Surge’ assembly in Tacloban. Photo from Tudla
Residents hold improvised placards declaring their opposition to the ‘No Build Zone’ policy. Photo from Tudla
Residents, both young and old, are calling for the scrapping of the ‘No Build Zone’ policy. Photo from Tudla.
A typhoon victim voices out her concern to some aspects of the government's rehabilitation program. Photo from People Surge
A participant of the rally calls for immediate rehabilitation of typhoon-affected villages instead of militarization. Photo from Tudla
Protesters warn against land grabbing in favor of big business. Photo from Facebook of Elle Freem
The event used the Twitter hashtag #PeopleSurge. Angel de Guzman† thinks the ‘People Surge’ was one of the biggest rallies in the region in recent years:
Biggest mobilization I've seen in years. And Yolanda survivors have every right to be mad. #PeopleSurge pic.twitter.com/cfEtXMdyfl
— Angel de Guzman† (@sipsipbloom) January 26, 2014
Leon Dulce, an environmentalist, explained why residents are against the ‘No Build Zone’ policy:
Compounding the survivors’ woes is the no-build zone policy that government imposed over the devastated coastal areas, which supposedly removed settlements away from the hazards presented by storm surges, but divorced the fisher folk and other coastal communities from shelter and livelihoods in the process.
Amando Doronila, a veteran journalist, warned the government not to undermine the anger of the poor victims:
After enduring for more than two months deprivations in food, shelter and medicines, more than 12,000 residents of Leyte and Samar converged on devastated Tacloban to express their indignation against the agonizing inaction of the national government, whose relief workers were still recovering decomposing corpses from the ruins at the rate of three a day, so the relatives of the dead can give the remains a decent burial. Under Filipino custom, nothing can be more sacrilegious and profane than leaving the dead unburied, especially by a negligent state
Elle Freem, a volunteer worker, observed how the organized campaign unfolded in Tacloban:
The Eastern Visayas region is probably the epitome if resilience, the people are ready to rise up in face of not only the material and psychological hardship of the super storm but also in face of an apathetic government who is profiteering on the aid pouring in. Tens of thousands of people made their way to the university of eastern visayas to voice their perspective on how to rehabilitate their homes and region. The communities here are organized and have a clear plan on how they want to proceed but will the government listen?
Also see Haiyan Devastates the Philippines, our special coverage page.

author: Mong Palatino


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13 Olympic Memes as Sochi Games Approach · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

As the Sochi Winter Olympics are fast approaching (the opening ceremony is this coming Saturday), RuNet Echo takes a look back at some of the funnier jokes that the Russian online community made about the logo, the torch, and other Olympic accouterments during the years of preparation for the games.
1. The logo itself has been the butt of various memes, the most ubiquitous of which is its pairing with a “saw” mascot, as a play on the verb “to saw,” a Russian slang term for “embezzlement.” This is, of course, contextualized amid years of accusations of wasteful spending and embezzled funds during the construction process:
The friendly embezzling saw. Anonymous image distributed online.
2. A more succinct joke comes at the expense of the easily parodied font:
“A f*cking shame” reads the modified Olympic logo. Anonymous image found online.
3. Another Olympic accusation of corruption — this is one on behalf of Russia's students:
“The Olympic flame burned your stipend” reads the caption of this alternative logo. Anonymous image found online.
4. A 2010 competition to design a mascot to go with the logo, organized by Russia's Olympic committee, resulted in several meme-worthy entrants. This one utilizes the ancient RuNet “Превед медвед” (“Preved medved”) meme. (This meme was at one point so widespread, it has its own KnowYourMeme entry.)
“Preved!” says the bear. Anonymous image distributed online.
5. Bears are an easy sell for Russian-hosted Olympics — ever since the lovable 1980 mascot. This entry into the 2010 contest uses the well known “Pedobear” meme:
Skiing-kuma. Anonymous image distributed online.
6. Fans of Lovecraft had their own approach:
Cthulhu for President (of the Olympics)! Anonymous image distributed online.
7. And fans of the classic Soviet kid's cartoon “Cheburashka,” their own (albeit similar):
Cheburashka fhtagn! Anonymous image found online.
8. The most popular entry (although it later turned out it was part of an astroturf campaign to raise contest popularity) was the Arctic hypno-toad nicknamed Zoich, created by cartoonist Egor Zhgun.
2014 sort of looks like ZOIЧ, a mix of English and Russian characters.
9. The mascots that were eventually selected, drew accusations of plagiarism both from Russia's last Olympics:
“Plagiarism is when you take someone else's thing and make it worse.” One of new mascots side by side with the 1980 Mishka the Bear. Anonymous image found online.
10. And from foreign Olympics:
“F*cking shameful,” reads the caption. Salt Lake Olympic mascots on the right. Anonymous image found online.
11. The Sochi Olympic torch relay, plagued as it was with the flame constantly going out [Global Voices report], also became the butt of jokes. Some pointed out its similarity to a Vodka logo:
“Russian” brand vodka looks suspiciously like the Olympic torch. Anonymous image found online.
12. Others noted the similarities between this bearded relay runner holds his torch, and the way Chechen guerrillas hold their guns:
Olympic terrorists. Anonymous image found online.
13. Perhaps the harshest meme of them all, this Olympic Bingo sheet has been translated from the Russian original by RuNet Echo. Various versions of the meme are widespread on Russian imageboards and forums. All deal with some form of failure on the part of the Russian hosts. This, folks, is Russian fatalism at its most depressed:
Anonymous image translated by RuNet Echo.
Russians are fond of self deprecation. Hopefully the 2014 Winter games will prove them wrong.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Costa Ricans Go to the Polls to Elect a New President · Global Voices
Roy Rojas

Glenda Umaña, a Costa Rican journalist who is covering today's presidential elections, comments on Facebook [es] and Twitter:
Ya me encontré en padrón electoral. Se me salen las lágrimas de la emoción de votar! #CNNTICO @cnnee @ pic.twitter.com/RHua1KrN8L
— Glenda Umaña (@glendacnn) February 2, 2014
I found my name on the electoral roll. I'm so excited about voting that I'm in tears!
This is part of the electoral party that is currently taking place in Costa Rica.
Costa Ricans are using the hashtag #VivoMiVoto to share reports and photographs.
You can also follow today's vote live online through streaming by Canal 7 [es] and Onda UNED [es].


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Counter Attack Against Western Australian Shark Cull · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Protests took place on beaches around the nation on 1 February 2014 over the Western Australian government’s shark cull, which has followed seven fatal attacks during the last two years.
Save Our Sharks
Courtesy: SCUBASQUIRREL Facebook page
On the Australian Centre for Cultural Environmental Research blog Conversations with AUSCCER, Leah Gibbs and Andrew Warren of the University of New England highlighted the local and international reactions to the shark cull. They argue:
But what exactly is he [Colin Barnett WA Premier] protecting Western Australians from? The cull strategy is based on no scientific evidence and no environmental assessment.
…Perhaps there are two good things coming out of this series of events. First, it has mobilised the community on an environmental issue – something we haven’t seen on such a large scale in Australia in some time. And second, it is slowly highlighting the use of related strategies in other states.
High profile social media responses included @rickygervaise and @richardbranson and Stephen Fry.
Omar Todd of the Sea Shepherd, best known for their concern for the welfare of another ocean creature, tweeted from a Cottesloe Beach rally.
The anti shark cull rally numbers are about 6000+ For the sharks!! #auspol #noWAsharkcull #nosharkcull pls RT!!! pic.twitter.com/4wfclCosx3
— Omar Todd (@OmarSeaShepherd) February 1, 2014
Blogger Rossleigh Brisbane takes a swipe at the Federal government’s asylum seekers policy and Prime Minister Tony Abbott's recent attacks on the national broadcaster the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) with a double dose of satire: ABC Shows Bias In Their Reporting of Shark Cull!
Sharks are attempting to enter this country without a visa, so it’s clear that they’re illegal entrants.
… Once sharks come within a certain distance of shore, they’re in our territorial waters and that that gives us the right to do what we like to them.
Illustrator Ash Nathens is ‘a keen diver, kayaker, swimmer & proud sandgroper [a Westralian]’.
This shark cull is a hopelessly ignorant task and a shamefully un-Australian  endeavour. Stop playing Neptune, Mr. Barnett [WA Premier], and cease this stupidity.
Colin Neptune Barnett
Courtesy: Ash Nathens © 2014 scribblegraph PTY LTD
Clearly there are people supporting the cull. Craig McAllister was swimming against the twitter tide #sharkcull:
#sharkcull is working and needs to occur. Protecting our beaches and human life is important. Works in the east coast, will work here in WA
— Craig McAllister (@craig_jmac) February 1, 2014
But not all shark attack survivors join him:
Any1 think Shark Culls r a good idea? Ask my old friend Paul De Gelder:http://t.co/LvpfQpSuPAIf any1 knows about shark attacks it's him!
— CiecmateBTE (@Ciecmate) January 30, 2014
He's referring to Paul de Gelder:
Paul de Gelder
Photo: Paul's blog – Improvise, Adapt & Overcome.
While there are a few mainstream media reports of support for the cull, there has been little noise on social media in recent days.
This oldie but a goodie from Animals1st sums up the online mood:
The most dangerous animal in the World……. #StopSharkCull #SharkCull pic.twitter.com/QXpjaXCank
— Animals1st (@Animals1st) January 28, 2014

author: Kevin Rennie


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Imagining Japan’s Citizen and Community Media in 2020 · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

[All links lead to Japanese-language webpages unless otherwise noted.]
What will citizen media look like in 2020? For Tokyo, the latest city awarded the honor of hosting the Olympics, the year 2020 marks a turning point in history in certain a sense. Six years from now into the future, what will citizen media and community media look like as they continue to provide information to the public? That very question was at the heart of a talk called “Let's Think About Community Media and Citizen Media in the Year 2020” on February 1, 2014 at Pundit, a new event space in Tokyo.
The event welcomed guests who have made pioneering efforts in the field of Japan's citizen media and community media in the early 21st century—an era in which, thanks to the Internet, individuals are able to share image-based information freely. Freelance journalist Taro Iwamoto, who visits anti-nuclear demonstrations in front of Japan's prime minister's official residence every weekend with a video camera in his hand, began using a mobile computer to broadcast the protest on the Internet. Asuka Hashidzume, who after working for the non-profit Internet broadcaster OurPlanet-TV [en] and OhMyNews!Japan [en], a citizen reporter platform, now works as a radio personality for FM Tomi, a community station in Tomi city, Nagano prefecture. The use of technology by non-professionals to spread information only came under the spotlight following the Tohoku earthquake of March 2011.
Joined by the students from the “Student-Run Citizen Media Project to Provide Aid to Disaster Areas” at Musashi University, the first part of the event took a look at the use of video produced by individuals using a non-professional video camera.
Student-Run Citizen Media Project to Provide Aid to Disaster Areas:
Following that, the second part examined new uses for visual media produced by citizens. Speakers included Yuichi Watanabe, who heads The Laboratory for Global Dialogue [en], a face-to-face communication project using video calls via the Internet and satellite phone to connect people over great distances; and Tadakazu Fukutomi, the teacher responsible for the Kawasaki 1 SEG Project, a project out of Senshu Univesrtiy conducting mobile terrestrial digital audio/video broadcasting [en] that may hold the potential to become a new form of community media on university campuses. The discussion was moderated by Hiroaki Sato, a video artist who has worked for many years on the judge’s committee of the Tokyo Video Festival, formerly the world's largest citizen video festival.
Dialogue of elementary school students in Miyagi, Japan and Aceh, Indonesia through the Internet:
The event is the first in a continuing series that will focus on the future potential of community media and citizen media in the year 2020.
The English post was edited by Keiko Tanaka.


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Hollywood-Style Bank Heist in Bangladesh Ends in Arrest · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

Rapid Action Battalion personnel pose with the mastermind of the Kishoreganj Sonali bank heist, Sohel (in red-white shirt), and his assistant along with the recovered 165 million taka before the press at the elite force's headquarters in Dhaka. Image by Reza Sumon. Copyright Demotix (28/1/2014)
The mastermind behind the biggest bank robbery in Bangladesh history has been arrested.
“Sohel” along with accomplice “Idris” pulled off a Hollywood-style bank heist of 169 million Bangladeshi taka (about 2.2 million US dollars) from Sonali Bank [bn] in Kishoreganj, 130 kilometers north of the capital Dhaka, by digging an underground tunnel 30 feet long to reach the bank's vault.
The feat was short-lived and they were nabbed by police two days later with most of the loot. Sohel confessed to the daring plot, admitting that he had planned [bn] the heist two years ago. Accordingly, he rented a house next to the bank and started digging the three-foot-wide tunnel. After a year and a half, he said could reach the bank's vault. He did all the digging during business hours in broad daylight when there was a lot of noise on the street, so people didn't suspect anything. Sohel even managed to start an affair [bn] with a bank employee to gather information for the theft.
Netizens have been widely discussing the robbery on social media. Many have pointed out this crime's resemblance to Hollywood blockbusters like “Sherlock Holmes”, “The Bank Job”, “Shashank Redemption” and “The Lady Killers” and Bollywood movies like “Dhoom 3″.
A reader commented on the popular Bangla daily Prothom Alo's report:
শারলক হোমস এর একটা গল্পে এমন ছিল। বাড়ী থেকে সুড়ঙ্গ কেটে ব্যাংক লুটের ঘটনা! এই দুঃসাহসিক চুরির ঘটনায় পেশাদার চোর ডাকাতেরাও হতবাক হয়েছেন সম্ভবত! তবে আজব বিষয় হচ্ছে ব্যাংকে টেবিলের ওপর অত টাকা পড়ে থাকে তা জানতাম না। ওই শাখায় কি ভল্ট নেই?
There was a similar story in a Sherlock Homes movie where a tunnel was dug from a nearby home. Perhaps even professional thieves have been astounded by Sohel's feat. I was surprised to learn that so much money was kept open in the bank. Is there no secured drawer in the vault in that branch?
Shihab Shahin commented in the same report:
‘দা ব্যাংক জব’ চলচ্চিত্রের ছায়া অবলম্বনে নির্মিত!
This heist is planned according “The Bank Job” movie.
Mumin Hemin commented on online portal BDNews24.com's report that the thief should have taken a cue from the film “The Italian Job”:
বেশ ধৈর্য নিয়ে মানুষটা কাজটা শেষ করেছে। মাথা অনেক ঠান্ডা এটা বোঝাই যাচ্ছে। এত টাকা এত সহজে দেখার পরেও মাথা ঘুরে পড়ে যাননি, বরং এশার নামাজ (!!) আদায় করে বেশ পাক-পবিত্র (!!) হয়ে এসে টাকাগুলো হাত করেছেন। বাহ, উনাকে মাথা ঠান্ডার জন্য শশ্যাঙ্ক রিডেন্মপশন মুভির সেকেন্ড পার্টে নেয়া যেতে পারে। তবে উনার দ্যা ইটালিয়ান জবটা আর কয়েকবার দেখা উচিৎ ছিল। টাকা চুরিই বড় কথা না, সামলে রাখাটাও অনেক কিছু :D
He completed the job with patience. His head is cool, that is evident. He did not panic seeing a lot of money. He went home, prayed his Isha prayers (!!) and then secured the loot solemnly. With that coolness, he could be an actor in the sequel to “Shashank Redemption“. But he should have watched “The Italian Job” a few times. The heist isn't everything, you have to keep that money. :D
On Facebook, Shahriar Tanvir called this robbery a copycat of “The Lady Killers”:
যারা ”লেডি কিলারস” দেখেননিঃ
সোনালী ব্যাংক ডাকাতির মত একেবারে হুবহু ঘটনা, মাটিতে লম্বা সুড়ঙ্গ খুঁড়ে ডাকাতি। একদম সেইম টু সেইম। যাক, আর স্পয়লার এলার্ট দিলাম নাহ : )
For hose who did not watch “The Lady Killers“:
That movie has a similar story, digging a long tunnel to rob a bank. This is just like the movie. No more spoiler alerts :)
Sohel has become a hero for many and his fate has saddened them. Journalist Provash Amin wrote on Facebook:
‘অপারেশন সোনালী ব্যাংক কিশোরগঞ্জ’ সিনেমার নায়ক হাবিব ওরফে সোহেলকে অসহায়ভাবে rab এর হাতে বন্দী হতে দেখে খুব খারাপ লাগছে। তার মত একজন ক্রিয়েটিভ, প্রতিভাবান, ধৈর্য্যশীল মানুষকে আরো বড় কাজে লাগানো উচিত।
So sad to see Habib alias Sohel, the hero of the “operation Sonali Bank Kishoreganj” movie, being arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). Such a creative, talented and patient human being should be employed for a good cause.
Science-fiction writer Shezan Mahmud also expressed his sympathy for Sohel:
সোনালী ব্যাংক ডাকাতি এবং ১৬ কোটি টাকাসহ ধরা পরা সোহেল রানা আর সহযোগীর জন্যে আমার মায়াই হচ্ছে। বেচারারা দুই বছর ধরে সুড়ঙ্গ কেটে তারপর টাকা চুরি (ডাকাতি বলবো না) করে উপভোগ করার আগেই ধরা পড়লো (একেই বলে অর্জনের চেয়ে রক্ষা করা কঠিন); অথচ ওরা যদি জানতো তার'চে নষ্ট রাজনীতিবিদ, ঘুষখোর আমলা, নষ্ট ব্যবসায়ী হলে বছরে ১৬ শ কোটি টাকা মারলেও কেউ তাদের ধরতে পারতো না। যাই হোক, দেশে কোন ক্ষেত্রে অধ্যবসায় এর দাম নেই। নিদেন পক্ষে এই অধ্যবসায় এর জন্যে ওদের সাধুবাদ জানাই!
I feel sorry for Sohel and his assistant because they were finally caught with all that money. He dug the tunnel for two years to steal (I won't say rob) the money, but he was caught before enjoying the loot (it is harder to keep than to earn). If only they could learn how corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and unethical businessmen loot more than that and know how to hang on to it. There is no respect for perseverance in this country. We acknowledge Sohel's perseverance at least.
On Facebook, Zico suggested that the thieves’ talents should be employed to complete the design for road construction in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh:
সুড়ঙ্গ বানাইয়া ১৬ কোটি টাকা যে নিসে তারে গ্রেফতার কইরা জেলে রাখার দরকার নাই। ঢাকা শহরের রোডম্যাপ ঠিক করার কাজে তারে দেওয়া হউক। সে একাই কয়েকটা আন্ডারপাস বানায় দিবে।
The guy who could steal 169 million should not be kept behind bars. He should be employed to work on the road map of Dhaka. He could build a number of [much needed] underpasses in the city.

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


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Korean Comfort Women Issue Explained by Cartoon · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A special exhibition on ‘comfort women‘- Korean girls forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese army during the World War 2 era- was featured at one of the leading cartoon festivals in France. It made several headlines as the Japanese government tried to block it, but failed. Korean net users have shared an English translation of Park Gun-woong's cartoon ‘Tattoo- A Story of a Comfort Woman’. (The cartoon- which is based on a true story- depicts violent assault, torture and rape. Viewer discretion is strongly advised)


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Millions Disenfranchised in Thailand Elections · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Despite ongoing anti-government rallies and the boycott campaign of the opposition, Thailand was able to conduct a ‘peaceful’ election. But many Thais were unable to vote or prevented from going near polling centers because of protests. According to the election body, voting has been held at 89.2 per cent of polling stations nationwide or in 83,813 out of 93,532 stations.
An elderly woman holds a sign that reads ‘Respect My Vote’ as she poses with her grandchild who holds a Thai national flag. Photo by Matthew Richards, Copyright @Demotix (1/15/2014)
The number of disenfranchised voters is estimated at 12 million. There are 48 million eligible voters out of the population of about 65 million.
February 2 election in numbers #ThaiVote2014 pic.twitter.com/nGBgWEZgSv
— Asina P. (@lekasina) February 2, 2014
The election took place amid rising political tension in the country. Protesters have been marching in the streets of Bangkok, the country’s capital, for several months already as they demand the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Yingluck is accused of being a proxy of her elder brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
As protests intensified, Yingluck dissolved the parliament and announced the holding of an election. But the opposition vowed to boycott the election as it called for the creation of a People’s Council. The opposition Democrat Party claimed that a fair and democratic election cannot be achieved as long as the ‘corrupt’ Thaksin family is allowed to participate in the electoral process.
The map below shows the political division in Thailand. The north and northeast parts of the country are mainly supportive of the ruling party while the southern provinces, where most of the blocked poll stations are located, lean in favor of the opposition.
Green = Voting not blockedOrange = Voting partially blockedBlack = Voting completely blocked pic.twitter.com/2ZmH0mIugx
— Panuwat (@tumbler_p) February 2, 2014
A BKK Post exclusive from our remote helicopter pilot Sithikorn Wongwudthianun. pic.twitter.com/jbuG92q2fp
— Terry Fredrickson (@terryfrd) February 2, 2014
Many voters who were blocked from voting went to the police to file a complaint. In Bangkok alone, 488 polling stations of nearly 7,000 were closed because of protests.
Filed police report tat I couldnt vote AND filed charges against EC at thonglor police station #vote2014 (1) pic.twitter.com/HckGUs39HO
— Maxim Silentfoot (@silentfoot) February 2, 2014
Frustrated voters at Din Daeng wave ID cards and shout, 'We want an election!' They're not going to get one. pic.twitter.com/9dCsKlpAM8
— Richard Lloyd Parry (@dicklp) February 2, 2014
Because of the high number of voting suspensions, election results were not issued and they may have to wait for several weeks until by-elections are held.
Election officials seal ballot boxes after a couple late voters in Bang Sue #Bangkok pic.twitter.com/mKIIiiAgDl
— georgehenton (@georgehenton) February 2, 2014
Saksith Saiyasombut explains that disenfranchised voters can still cast their votes at a later date:
What will happen next? There’re hundreds of polling station that didn’t open today, those will have to hold elections at a later date. Those who were obstructed in last Sunday’s advance voting can cast their in by-elections on February 23. The 28 constituencies in the South that weren’t able to file a candidate will have to start the process at a later date.
@KhunPleum expresses his disappointment over the election process:
What a sorry state of affairs Thai elections have become.
— Nattakorn Devakula (@KhunPleum) February 2, 2014
Twitter hashtags #ThaiVote2014 and #vote2014 are useful in monitoring election updates.


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PHOTOS: Costa Ricans in the Diaspora Vote for the First Time · Global Voices
Roy Rojas

For the first time Costa Ricans living abroad are allowed to vote in a presidential election. From around the world, Costa Ricans have been using Twitter to report about their vote.
Esta vez los ticos 15,000 en el extranjero somos claves, nuestros votos pueden evitar una segunda ronda..#EleccionesCR #votoCR #vivomivoto
— carolina palma (@Carolpalma54) February 2, 2014
This time, we, the 15,000 Costa Ricans living abroad, are key, our votes might avoid a run-off.
From Costa Ricans living in Australia, the first ones to cast their vote, to the ones based in Japan, France, the United States and elsewhere, citizens are reporting about their vote with expressions full of excitement.
Stephanie reports from Washington:
#VivoMiVoto @ Washington, DC pic.twitter.com/eftYI5MXGR
— Stephanie (@stephbrealey) February 2, 2014
I live my vote in Washington, DC.
Francisco traveled from Boston to New York to exercise his right to vote.
#VivoMiVoto Francisco Delgado estudia en Boston y viajó a Nueva York para votar pic.twitter.com/qcxQh6WPiI
— ameliarueda (@ameliarueda) February 2, 2014
Francisco Delgado studies in Boston and went to New York to vote.
Also from the United States, Diego Rivera shares this picture:
Yo ya voté!! #VivoMiVoto #Voto2014 (Consulado de Costa Rica en Miami!) pic.twitter.com/FEt8Uq7Zzk
— Diego Rivera (@driverag) February 2, 2014
I already voted!!! (Consulate of Costa Rica in Miami!)
From Brussels, Silvia Muñoz and Alexander Molina celebrate their vote:
#VivoMiVoto En Bruselas, la capital administrativa de Europa, votaron Silvia Muñoz Solano y Alexander Molina López pic.twitter.com/pMW5SJa5im
— ameliarueda (@ameliarueda) February 2, 2014
In Brussels, the administrative capital of Europe, Silvia Muñoz Solano and Alexander Molina López voted.
All the way from China, a young woman from Cartago reports her vote:
#VivoMiVoto Sofía Hernández, de Cartago, votó en China. Ya la mesa de Beijing cerró la jornada (vía @maviru) pic.twitter.com/I1nFYyrKmE
— ameliarueda (@ameliarueda) February 2, 2014
Sofía Hernández, from Cartago, voted in China. The poll station in Beijing ended the day already.
And Adolfo Chaves reports from The Hague, Netherlands:
Mi voto en La Haya #EleccionesCR #VotoExteriorCR pic.twitter.com/DUETPV6GYe
— Adolfo Chaves J. (@adolfochaves) February 2, 2014
My vote in The Hague.
More pictures and reports on the hashtags #VotoExteriorCR [vote abroad Costa Rica], #EleccionesCR [election Costa Rica] and #VivoMiVoto [I live my vote].


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Political Pressure on Serbian Media Begins to Show on TV · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Deputy Prime Minister and Serbian Progressive Party leader Aleksandar Vučić addressing the media after a parliament session in 2012. Photo by Nemanja Jovanović, Demotix © (23 July, 2012).
Rumors and stories from insiders about increased media repression by political parties and politicians in power in Serbia have been circulating for several months. But signs of a repressed media landscape in the country are only now becoming visible, with cancellations of politically “undesirable” guests for live television shows and, perhaps, entire shows being taken off the air.
Serbia's most popular political talk show “Utisak nedelje” (“Impression of the Week”), for instance, had a highly unusual change of guest on Sunday, January 26. The show features host and author Olja Bećković interviewing high-profile political personalities and includes highlights of ten clips of the week's news as well as live calls from viewers who vote on which of the events left the biggest impression on them. It has been a long-standing fixture of Serbian television, airing every Sunday evening on B92 Television, and counts one of the most popular Twitter hashtags in the country.
Bećković was once known for putting her guests on the spot and asking tough questions, but many viewers have been commenting that she seems to have gone soft in recent months. During the week prior to the January 26 show, the show's page on the official B92 website, its Twitter account and other outlets announced now former Minister of Economy Saša Radulović as the guest for that live airing. But on Saturday, January 25, an unnamed official from the ministry announced that Radulović had handed in his resignation as minister. The resignation had been more or less expected for weeks as well as an announcement of early elections amid turmoil within the ruling coalition – made up of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) –  due to the slow implementation of promised reforms in several sectors of government. Radulović is not a member of any party and had been Minister of Economy since September of 2013.
That same day, B92 and its affiliates announced that Deputy Prime Minister and head of the largest party in the ruling coalition SNS Aleksandar Vučić would be Bećković's guest on the January 26 show instead of Radulović. Any doubt that Radulović may have cancelled his appearance on the show himself and that the host had simply substituted him with another important political figure was soon erased on the former Minister's personal Twitter account when he began retweeting other Twitter users’ questioning of why he was not appearing on the show that night. Radulović also retweeted the disappointed comments of social media users that his guest slot had been handed to Vučić, with no explanation from B92 network or the show's host.
Many users took to social networks to complain about the unexplained and highly suspect last-minute change in programming. Journalist Aleksandra Ranković, upon hearing of the change, tweeted:
olja bećković prvo pozvala pa juče opozvala sašu radulovića u utisak. toliko o integritetu i karakteru autora najjačeg srpskog talk showa.
— Aleksandra Rankovic (@alex_timeline) January 25, 2014
olja bećković first invited then yesterday uninvited saša radulović to utisak [the show]. so much for the integrity and character of the author of the strongest serbian talk show.
— Aleksandra Rankovic (@alex_timeline) January 25, 2014
In response to her observation, Twitter user @kombib wrote:
@alex_timeline @AtilijaDamaskin Znači Utisak nedelje je što je pozvan Radulović, a došao Vučić. #utisak
— Kompjuter biblioteka (@kombib) January 26, 2014
@alex_timeline @AtilijaDamaskin So the impression of the week is that Radulović was invited, but Vučić showed up. #utisak
— Kompjuter biblioteka (@kombib) January 26, 2014
Coincidentally, Deputy Prime Minister Vučić also called for early elections that weekend, which local and international media promptly announced on Sunday, January 26. According to press reports, the Deputy PM said that parliamentary elections had been set for March 16, 2014. Many have also commented since, including former Prime Minister Zoran Živković, who now leads a start-up political party just registered in 2013 dubbed New Party (NS), that a deputy PM announcing early elections is not only an unorthodox practice but directly in conflict with the Constitution of Serbia.
Blogger and HR professional Nikola Jovanović also tweeted the disappointment that many regular viewers of the show were voicing that evening:
dakle nećemo gledati @SasaRadulovich u #utisak, već Velikog Gazdu Vučića #%&##&%”#(#””
— Nikola Jovanovic (@PeckoPivo) January 25, 2014
so we won't be watching @SasaRadulovich on #utisak, but rather Big Boss Vučić #%&##&%”#(#””
— Nikola Jovanovic (@PeckoPivo) January 25, 2014
Former Minister Radulović simply sarcastically tweeted before the show:
Jedva čekam večerašnji #utisak da saznam zašto sam dao ostavku.
— Sasa Radulovic (@SasaRadulovich) January 26, 2014
I can't wait for tonight's #utisak to find out why I resigned.
— Sasa Radulovic (@SasaRadulovich) January 26, 2014
The former minister also decided to publicly explain his reasons for resigning days later on January 28, sending his full statement to national media. The page on national news agency Tanjug's website on which this statement was first published was soon taken down by Tanjug for no apparent reason and with no explanation. Aleksandar Kokotović, International Outreach Director at libertarian NGO Libek, commented on the coincidence that quickly after Radulović's statement was taken down from the site, an article in which Minister of Finance Krstić praises Deputy PM Vučić as a reformer appeared on the same site:
45 min nakon skidanja vesti gde @SasaRadulovich objašnjava svoju ostavku na @TanjugNews izlazi vest http://t.co/8OaZkuhjxi VUČIĆ REFORMATOR
— Aleksandar Kokotović (@kokota) January 28, 2014
45 min after taking down the news in which @SasaRadulovich explains his resignation @TanjugNews publishes this piece of news http://t.co/8OaZkuhjxi VUČIĆ THE REFORMER
— Aleksandar Kokotović (@kokota) January 28, 2014
A Facebook page supporting former Minister Radulović's reform efforts posted an image of the two different announcements for the B92 talk show in question, one announcing Radulović as a guest and the other announcing Vučić. It also called on social media users following the show to tweet #utišan (#silenced) along with the standard #utisak (#impression) hashtag used by viewers while watching the show, as a sign of protest against repression and abuse of media by the ruling coalition. Many users did exactly that on Sunday night, calling attention to the alleged bias of “Impression of the Week”, as well as to other political matters troubling the country ahead of another election.
During the live airing of the program and in reference to the deputy PM's comments regarding what needed to be done in the counrty, former Minister Radulović commented on Twitter:
Dobra vest: sada kada smo usporili, zakočili i podmetnuli nogu reformama, mi smo za reforme. Samo brže. #utisak
— Sasa Radulovic (@SasaRadulovich) January 26, 2014
Good news: now that we have slowed down, halted and set up booby traps for reforms, we are now for reforms. Only faster. #utisak
— Sasa Radulovic (@SasaRadulovich) January 26, 2014
Former Prime Minister and leader of opposition party Nova Stranka Zoran Živković also chimed in during the program, tweeting:
#utisak “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest”
— Zoran Živković (@ZoranDirektno) January 26, 2014
A more recently created show, “24 minuta” (“24 Minutes”), a satirical version of the news overview not unlike “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”, on the same television station was supposed to return to television screens after a winter break. “24 Minutes” is usually broadcast immediately after “Impression of the Week” and has become massively popular among audiences for its satirical critique of the government and of the country's political landscape. But it did not air that evening and no explanation was given as to whether its winter break is still on or the show has been cancelled. Whatever the situation regarding “24 minutes”, the involvement of the ruling coalition in Serbian media is quickly becoming apparent.


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Singapore Hijab Movement · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Muhammad Haikal echoes and clarifies the arguments of the Singapore Hijab Movement:
Muslims are not asking for ALL women to wear hijab in ALL sectors, rather we are asking that for those ALREADY wearing the hijab, to allow them to continue wearing it.
By telling the Muslims that you are not allowing them to don the hijab in certain sectors, you risk further alienating them from the mainstream society. This would only perpetuate further the long held view of the government that Muslims are distinct and separate.


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Voting Day in El Salvador · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Online news site El Faro has published a Storify post [es] with early citizen reports and reactions about today's presidential elections in El Salvador. They also have a special section [es] dedicated to the elections where they share photos, tweets and more.
Meanwhile, Tim's El Salvador Blog has put together two posts (1, 2) with links about today's elections.


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A “Freedom Train” for the Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Women in Spain · Global Voices
Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez Ramírez

Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, Minister of Justice in Mariano Rajoy’s government, is spearheading a bill that seeks to repeal the existing standard in Spain—the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Law (VIP) and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) 2010— by promoting a reform that would mean a 30 year setback in the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights in that country.
A campaign opposing this bill, which has not yet been approved, has been spearheaded by feminist movement of Asturias, specifically the Tertulia Feminista les Comadres [es] led by the florist Begoña Piñero Hevia. Named by its creators “The Freedom Train” [es], the initiative was launched through social networks on January 2:
Las mujeres de la Tertulia Feminista les Comadres y de Mujeres por la Igualdad de Barredos consideramos que la reforma de la ley del aborto planteada por el Gobierno de Rajoy constituye un ataque injustificable a la libertad de decidir de las mujeres.
Invitamos a la sociedad asturiana a sumarse a las acciones que se organicen desde los distintos grupos, asociaciones y colectivos de mujeres para conseguir la retirada de ese Anteproyecto de Ley.
The women of Tertulia Feminista les Comadres and Women of Barredos for Equality believe that reforming the abortion law proposed by Rajoy’s government constitutes an unjustified attack against the free will of women.
We invite Asturian society to join actions organized by various groups, associations and women’s collectives to achieve the withdrawal of this proposed law.
Leaving from Asturias and arriving in Madrid on February 1st, the “Freedom Train” comprises a series of actions and activities, and the creation of supporting materials such as banners and bibs, all  created and run by the participants themselves.
Begoña Piñero Hevia wearing the Freedom Train bib
From the start, the initiative has found support in several countries, and has inspired other activities and collateral actions. The text “Because I Decide” [es], which has been translated into seven languages, will be delivered to the Spanish Council of Deputies. One of the paragraphs says:
Porque yo decido, soy libre y vivo en democracia exijo del gobierno, de cualquier gobierno, que promulguen leyes que favorezcan la autonomía moral, preserven la libertad de conciencia y garanticen la pluralidad y diversidad de intereses.
Porque yo decido, soy libre y vivo en democracia exijo  que se mantenga la actual Ley de salud sexual y reproductiva y de interrupción voluntaria del embarazo por favorecer la autonomía moral, preservar la libertad de conciencia y garantizar la pluralidad de intereses de todas las mujeres.
Because I decide, I am free and I live in a democracy, I demand that the government, any government, enact laws that promote moral autonomy, preserve freedom of conscience, and ensure plurality and diversity of interests.
Because I decide, I am free and I live in a democracy, I demand that the current law on sexual and reproductive health and abortion is maintained, fostering moral autonomy, preserving freedom of conscience and ensuring the plurality of interests of all women.
Activists from 13 Spanish communities will come together to take the text to the Council.
Tweeted from Galicia:
.@XSGalicia El 1 de Febrero nos vemos en Atocha. Ni un paso atrás. Yo voy, y tú? http://t.co/P40MOIMFTU #eltrendelalibertad #yodecido
— Patricia R Calviño (@PatriRguezC) enero 15, 2014
We’ll see you on February 1 in Atocha. Not one step back. I’m going, are you?
And from Granada:
¿Nos acompañas a #eltrendelalibertad? Salimos el 1 de febrero a las 6 de la mañana. Te esperamos pic.twitter.com/jLiZch7oWR
— Igualdad PSOEGRX (@IgualdadPSOEGR) enero 27, 2014
Coming with us on the Freedom Train? We're leaving on February 1 at 6 a.m. We'll expect you there!
A group of women filmmakers [es] (directors, producers, photographers) joined the mobilization to film and record the events of February 1st, when the “Freedom Train” arrived at the Atocha terminal in Madrid. Some of these women artists are: Inés París, Gracia Querejeta, Chus Gutiérrez, Ángeles González-Sinde, Iciar Bollaín and Isabel Coixet.
At the same time, a group of approximately 1500 intellectuals, at the initiative of  Pilar Aguilar, analyst and critic, have signed a manifesto [es]. Writers Mercedes Abad, Lola Beccaria, Isabel Cienfuegos, Laura Freixas, Rosa Montero and university professors Carmen Valcárcel and Almudena Hernando are among the supporters of this manifesto.
Rajoy in cahoots with his boys
have taken our bodies hostage
with a devastating, abhorrent law
which aims to shamelessly denigrate women.
The initiative has also had an impact in Latin America, mainly Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, noted in the publication of several messages on the social network Twitter. In Ecuador, through the Slut Walk, the plan is to go to the Spanish Consulate in the capital city of Quito and demand that the permanence of current law on sexual and reproductive health.
#ElTrenDeLaLibertad en Ecuador pic.twitter.com/zJxjQV983T — Blogueras.as (@BloguerasAs) enero 21, 2014
From the Caribbean:
La Rep Dominicana con #ElTrenDeLaLibertad https://t.co/59E9lwEL6u
— Beatriz Egido Gordo (@beatrizegido) enero 26, 2014
Also, there have been petitions for asylum based on health issues linked to abortions by a group of people at the French Embassy in Spain:
Más de 200 solicitudes de #ASILOaborto en la embajada Francia http://t.co/5VBday8pex Este sábado nos subimos a #ElTrendelaLibertad
— Alianza (@AxSolidaridad) enero 29, 2014
More than 200 petitions for abortion asylum at the French embassy. This Saturday we get on the Freedom Train.
Besides the Gallic nation, other European nations will be protesting, among them Belgium and Italy. In Brussels, on January 30 a demonstration was held against the so-called Gallardón reform, with thousands in attendance.
Apoyo de las mujeres italianas y francesas #AbortoLibre #feminismoenred #ElTrenDeLaLibertad http://t.co/4z0nLNWDhO
— Blogueras.as (@BloguerasAs) enero 21, 2014
Support from Italian and French women
Here, the The Freedom Train theme song:

author: Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez Ramírez


text:
Argentina’s ‘Carnival of the Country’ Kicks Off With Drums and Dances · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

[All links lead to Spanish-language pages unless otherwise noted.]
Argentina's most popular Carnival festivities – nicknamed “the Carnival of the Country” – are underway in the city of Gualeguaychú in the province of Entre Rios, just 230 kilometers from the capital Buenos Aires.
In Notas de un Viaje Particular, Cheryl shared her experience:
…al ritmo de tambores, alegría y colores se llevo acabo el ultimo fin de semana del “Carnaval del País”, el mas importante de Argentina en Gualeguaychu, Entre Ríos. Es una fiesta contagiosa, que sorprende con sus impresionantes carros alegóricos, cuerpos esculturales y sonrisas interminables, la gente no para de bailar y festejar…
Carnival was banned [en] during the dictatorship in Argentina, but in cities with a long tradition of the festive season, it never really stopped. Year after year, Gualeguaychú surprises with its Carnival festivities held in a corsódromo, a venue used for Carnival parades which replaces the use of the streets.
Thousands of tourists are streaming in to participate in this year's edition, which kicked off on January 4, 2014. Events are held on all Saturdays until the first days of March.
The blog El Vestidito Negro published photos of Carnival in 2012:
Image from blog El Vestidito Negro republished under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-ND 3.0)
Image from blog El Vestidito Negro republished under a  Creative Commons license (CC BY-ND 3.0)
Revolución Media shared a video about what this year's Carnival has to offer:
Also, Gabo por el mundo posted a selection of images and shared advice on how to get to Gualeguaychú and where to stay.
On her photography blog, Amelia McGoldrick publishes a series of images, not only of Carnival but also of her days as a tourist in the city.
However, Carnival also triggers complaints from neighbors due to the chaos caused by the attendees. El Dia OnLine explained:
Las calles fueron el centro de diversión y de libre albedrío de alrededor de 90 mil personas que coparon la ciudad. Literalmente no cabía un alma más y sin embargo seguían entrando más y más vehículos.
Pero cuando decimos libre albedrío no lo hacemos por el solo hecho de utilizar un término que puede sonar fuerte, sino que fue la sensación que tuvieron muchos vecinos que prefirieron casi encerrarse en sus casas o, aquellos que tenían un poco más de suerte, mudarse momentáneamente de los barrios turísticos para estar más tranquilos en otros puntos de la ciudad.
The streets were the center of the entertainment and freewill of about 90,000 people who took over the city. You could literally not fit one more soul, but still people and cars kept coming in.
But when we say freewill we don't say it for the mere fact of using a term that may sound strong, but rather because it was the feeling among many neighbors who preferred to stay locked inside their houses, or those who are a bit luckier and moved away from the touristic neighborhoods momentarily so they can enjoy peace and quiet in other parts of the city .
But the party has started and the “comparsas“conga bands are prepared with drums, dances and glamour, and tourists are set to enjoy one more year of the “Carnival of the Country”.

author: Laura Schneider


text:
Clashes between Police Forces and High School Students in La Réunion Island  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Clashes between students and police forces broke out on January 31 and February 1 in Saint-Denis, La réunion Island. Some shops in the district of La Chaudron were looted and some vehicles were torched, according to a police source. Anne Mariotti, a reporter at  Journal de l’île de la Réunion, writes that residents are confused about the causes of the violence [fr]:
L’incompréhension, aussi, parce qu’il ne s’agit pas de magasins de première nécessité! J’ai parlé à la gérante d’un magasin de hi-fi, qui ne comprenait pas: ça n’a plus rien à voir avec une manifestation contre la vie chère.
[Residents] don't understand because the shops that were attacked are not selling staple products. I talked to one audio shop manager who was at loss with the attacks : this has nothing to do with protesting the cost of living anymore.
This infographic shows the statistics on violence in La Réunion Island in the recent years [fr]:
Statistics on violence in La Réunion Island via Insee – Public Domain


text:
El Salvador and Costa Rica to Hold Runoff Elections · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

El Salvador and Costa Rica held presidential elections yesterday, February 2, but both countries will define their president in a runoff vote.
In El Salvador, “results show Salvador Sanchez Ceren (FMLN) winning 49%, just short of the 50% he needed to win in the first round. Norman Quijano (ARENA) is in second place with 39%,” writes Boz from Bloggings by boz, where he shares “Five points on El Salvador's elections.”
Meanwhile in Costa Rica, The Tico Times reports:
Center-left presidential candidate Luis Guillermo Solís will battle ruling party candidate Johnny Araya in a runoff on April 6 after Solís shocked many in this small Central American country by taking first place in preliminary results released late Sunday night.
[…]
Costa Rica’s elections, which were peaceful, showed a growing polarization among progressive and conservative voters.