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A Leaked Document Casts A Shadow Over Tanzania’s Bright Gas Extraction Outlook · Global Voices
Pernille Baerendtsen

Gas extraction in Tanzania, as seen by cartoonist by Masoud Kipanya. Originally published in Mwananchi. Used with permission.
No one knows for sure how much gas there is in Tanzania, though estimates put the amount at around 51 trillion cubic feet (TCF). But expectations surrounding gas exploration in Tanzania are soaringly high.
Across Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, both traffic and new construction are burgeoning. The African Development Bank's (AfDB) designation of Dar es Salaam as the fastest growing city in East Africa is almost literally palpable. The AfDB report, “Tracking Africa's Progress”, predicts that the city’s population will increase from 4 million to 6.2 million over the next 10 years. Predictions regarding the country’s economic growth are based on future income from natural resources, like gas from the region of Mtwara. AfDB's forecast, for instance, makes reference to the potential jobs this activity will create.
Protests in January and May 2013, however, by residents in the port city of Mtwara, signal a lack of confidence that the future envisioned by the AfDB will also materialise for remote rural areas of Tanzania such as Mtwara Region. The catalyst for the protests was the announcement of a decision by the government to construct a gas pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam instead of a gas processing plant in Mtwara. The latter would have fed into an industrialisation strategy that would boost local development.
An incident in early July 2014 involving a production sharing agreement (PSA) between the Tanzanian Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and the Norwegian multinational Statoil, along with Exxon Mobil, highlights how fraught the question of revenues from Tanzania’s gasfields—and who will benefit from them—has become. Though not directly linked to the protests in Mtwara, the TPDC-Statoil affair underlines a growing awareness among Tanzanians of the issues surrounding oil and gas, and an increasing dissatisfaction with the way the government handles natural resources contracts and communicates this information to citizens.
At the center of the matter is an addendum to Statoil’s original contract with the Tanzanian government for gas extraction in Mtwara Region that was leaked, then brought to the attention of the Tanzanian press in early July 2014. According to media reports, under the terms of the agreement as outlined in the leaked document, the government stands to lose US$1 billion annually.
On social media Tanzanians wondered how the two multinationals had managed to strike such a good deal. A cartoon by Masoud Kipanya published in the Tanzanian daily Mwananchi depicts a white man with a tank labelled “GESI” (Swahili for “gas”) on his back, extracting gas from the ground while handing out pennies to a Tanzanian. Another Kipanya cartoon shows a mouse saying in Swahili: “I wish that we would let our gas remain underground till our country reaches adolescence.”
Statoil's gas extraction project in Tanzania is one of the largest investments ever in Sub-Saharan Africa. Writing on Africa Arguments, the analyst and blogger Ben Taylor claimed that the potential revenue from natural gas is on a scale that could release Tanzania from its heavy dependence on development aid.
“Another indication of the scale involved here,” wrote Taylor, “is that since the Norwegian government is Statoil’s majority shareholder, the extra revenue to the Norwegian government from this deal could be worth more than double the total of all Norwegian aid to Tanzania since independence.”
Zitto Kabwe, a member of parliament and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, highlighted some of the leaked document’s key points in a Q&A on his blog, and critiqued the fact that the PSA was not made publicly available. In a July 6 article in the Daily News the TPDC responded to Kabwe, asserting that claims that the country risked losing US$1 billion per year were unfounded. Kabwe and others countered the TPDC’s comments on Twitter, and Kabwe called on the TPDC to clarify the terms of the deal.
According to a July 19 article in The Citizen, the TPCD confirmed its position in a press conference on July 16: “Outgoing TPDC managing director Yona Killagane strongly refuted the claims that the country would incur a loss of $1 billion annually if the pact is fully implemented as agreed. Instead, he insisted that the government was likely to earn more money and that it stood a higher chance to benefit from the contract.”
Tanzanians are not particularly pampered with regard to transparency around natural resources contracts, but this latest affair gives rise to even further mistrust. Nor does it help when the likes of Patrick Rutabanzibwa, chairman of PanAfrican Energy, the company that runs the Songo Songo Gas and gas-fueled power plant in Ubungo in Dar es Salaam (also the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals), minimise the matter.
“We are failing to enter into resource contracts as it was in mining and currently in oil and gas because our capacity is very low,” said Rutabanzibwa. “But if Tanzanians will be empowered then, contracts will be balanced. . . . We should let bygones be bygones and start by legally making investment contracts in the natural gas sector public; I am sure there will come a day where all investment contracts are public.”
For stakeholders with particular interests in business and investments in Tanzania, criticism makes a challenging investment area like gas even more difficult, and some will even argue that it will result in less money going to neglected areas. Others might say that regardless of Tanzania’s share of the revenue, there will still be benefits in the form of jobs and local growth in Mtwara.
Analyst Ben Taylor is less optimistic. “One of the big political risks with oil and gas,” wrote Taylor, “is that it can be seen by politicians and senior officials as ‘easy’ money that doesn’t come with the kind of scrutiny that taxpayers demand when they pay their taxes and donors demand when they provide aid.
“Unless somebody – the media, politicians, civil society – steps up to fill the gap, decision makers in government will be left free to make whatever decisions they choose, unencumbered by any need to protect the public interest. The Statoil PSA may well have cost Tanzania several billion dollars – yet it appears no-one is trying to hold those responsible to account.”

author: Pernille Baerendtsen


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Anti-Semitism Burning Bright in Turkey After Israeli Attacks on Gaza (and the Government is Fanning the Flames) · Global Voices
Erkan Saka

Turkey's prime minister has denounced Israel repeatedly. Screenshot from video uploaded by YouTube user Tamerscadence
There has long been considerable sympathy for Palestinians among Turkish people in all walks of life. However, Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza is now being used as a pretext to openly embrace anti-Semitism. The following manifestations of anti-Semitic sentiment occurring in Turkey this week all have a relationship — either direct or indirect — to the Justice and Development (AKP) party headed by Turkish prime minister and vocal Israel critic Recep Erdoğan.
1. On July 17,Bülent Yıldırım, the leader of IHH (Human Relief Foundation), a charity organization that organized the fateful Gaza Freedom Flotilla in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza in 2010, told a pro-government TV channel:
İHH Başkanı Bülent Yıldırım @tvnethaber‘de: “İsrail'ın şımarıklığını Türkiye'deki Yahudi cemaatleri bitirir. Yoksa çok kötü şeyler olacak”
— Yeni Şafak (@yenisafak) July 17, 2014:
Israel’s spoiled attitude could spell the end for Jewish communities living in Turkey. Otherwise more bad things will happen…
Later that night a group of protesters threw stones at the building housing Israel's consulate in Istanbul and deformed an impressionist statue which has nothing to do with Israel. The police used pepper gas, which is unusual in the context of the government's general approach towards Islamic protesters.
2. Prominent AKP MP, Şamil Tayyar, added the following tweet to the anti-Semitic mix:
Soyunuz kurusun Hitleriniz eksik olmasın
— Şamil Tayyar (@samiltayyar27) July 17, 2014
Hope your race disappears under many more new Hitlers.
3. On July 18 Uğur Işılak, a singer whose song is used in the electoral campaigns of Recep Erdoğan's ruling AKP (Justice) party tweeted the following messages:
Hitler'in zulmünü bile gölgede bıraktın. Bundan böyle Hitler aleyhine laf söyleyecek son millet bile olamazsın.
— Uğur Işılak (@ugur_isilak) July 18, 2014
Your [Israel] tyranny has overshadowed Hitler's. From now on, you are the last country to speak against Hitler.
Allah, zalime zulmüyle sonunu hazırlatıyor. #TerroristsIsrael
— Uğur Işılak (@ugur_isilak) July 18, 2014
Allah reminds the tyrant of its end by the hand of tyranny #TerroristIsrael
Sana ülke diyenin, seni insan sayanın insanlığından şüphe etmeli.
— Uğur Işılak (@ugur_isilak) July 18, 2014
One should be suspicious of the humanity of anyone that calls this place a country.
4. Finally, on July 19 a crossword in the religiouly conservative, pro-Erdoğan Yeni Akit tabloid appeared to call for the most famous anti-Semite of all to put a stop to the bombardment of Gaza.
Shocking.. Turkish newspaper Akit publishes crossword with pic of Hitler, and keywords under it “We are searching for you” pic.twitter.com/rCfwvxtZxV
— Ziya Meral (@Ziya_Meral) July 19, 2014
Later the same day, when making a public appearance in the Black Sea city of Ordu, Erdoğan echoed Şamil Tayyar's views on similarities between Hitler and the Israeli government — claiming the latter had “surpassed” the former in “barbarism” — but voiced his disapproval towards attacks on Jews living inside Turkey.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Erkan Saka


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Day of Horror in Gaza as Israel Bombs Residential Neighbourhood, Death Toll Crosses 450 · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Witnesses in Gaza described scenes of horror as the death toll piled after a night and day of shelling in a residential neighbourhood Al-Shejaia in the sieged city. Today is day 13 of the beginning of “Operation Defensive Edge,” launched by Israel against Gaza in retaliation for the death of three Israeli teenagers.
Altogether, activists and Palestinian sources claim that 437 Palestinians have so far been killed, among them scores of women and children, and thousands more injured. News sources also say some 13 Israeli soldiers have been killed.
In plain numbers, Palestianism, who describes herself as “Israel's demographic threat; a civilian” to her 13.4k followers, writes:
Day 13 – Confirmed – 437 Palestinians killed. #Gaza
— F. (@Palestinianism) July 20, 2014
Today's horror surpasses any Palestinians have seen since the start of this war, particularly the attack on Al-Shejaia neighbourhood, of Gaza. Occupied Palestine blogs the ordeal in this [WARNING: graphic content] photo post and on Electronic Intifada, Ali Abunimah reports:
Dozens of men, women and children were killed in the early hours of Sunday as Israel indiscriminately shelled the eastern Gaza City neighborhood of Shujaiya.
Some sixty bodies have already been removed from the rubble of homes and apartment buildings, and the number of injured is more than two hundred, Palestinian health ministry spokesman Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra told local media.
From Gaza, Mohammed Abu Sadaa tells his 1,400 followers on Twitter:
I tweeted before Friday was the bloodiest. Today surpasses Friday and still counting..I expect more bloody one is yet to come! #StopIsrael
— Mohammed M Abu Sadaa (@GazanPal) July 20, 2014
In a series of tweets, he also shares several photographs from today's Al-Shejaia massacre, which has claimed at least . Here are some of them:
Al-Shejaia massacre in PHOTOS..<11> pic.twitter.com/ud8dpcdwg6
— Mohammed M Abu Sadaa (@GazanPal) July 20, 2014
Al-Shejaia massacre in PHOTOS..<9> pic.twitter.com/8A2FVsfohA
— Mohammed M Abu Sadaa (@GazanPal) July 20, 2014
Al-Shejaia massacre in PHOTOS..<1> pic.twitter.com/uFKqSj0lGp
— Mohammed M Abu Sadaa (@GazanPal) July 20, 2014
Palestiainism describes the destruction and loss as “unimaginable”:
Shaja'iya, east Gaza. The destruction and loss is unimaginable. #Gaza pic.twitter.com/jcohaiFNlX
— F. (@Palestinianism) July 20, 2014
She adds:
Today, a 90 y/o lady was brought to us dead. She has been dead for three days, medics unable to reach her house. #Gaza #GazaUnderAttack
— Samah Saleh (@Solarah) July 20, 2014
And Mohammed Ziara mourns the loss of his ancestral home:
حي الشجاعية في غزة, المكان الذي تنتمي له عائلتي, تحول الى انقاض بسبب القصف الإسرائيلي المتواصل #مجزرة_الشجاعية pic.twitter.com/ms7msHniqF
— Mohammed N. Ziara (@MohammedNZiara) July 20, 2014
Al-Shejaia neighbourhood in Gaza, the place which my family belongs to, has turned into rubble because of the constant Israeli shelling
Lina, a Palestinian from Gaza, who lives in Qatar, reports:
Mama tells me she saw some of the people who fled their houses from Shejaia,she said they're carrying white flags. as if israel cares.
— Lina ام ياسمين (@livefromgaza) July 20, 2014
Thousands of Palestinians have fled the neighbourhood as the fighting intensified, although there is no where to go. Gaza, home to 1.8 million Palestinians, is described as the “world's largest open-air prison.” Israel borders it from one side, and Egypt blocks it from the other.
Many netizens have shared this video of Al Jazeera anchor in Gaza, Wael Al Dahdooh, breaking down in tears as he describes the horror he witnessed in the aftermath of the Al-Shejaia massacre:
Sana Saeed tells her 16.2k followers on Twitter:
This is the original IDF justification for bombing houses, hospitals, mosques and schools #Gaza pic.twitter.com/jOP7h2KVND
— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) July 20, 2014
She also shares this poster, from the Israel Defense Forces, which shows where “terrorists” hide in Gaza:
This is the original IDF justification for bombing houses, hospitals, mosques and schools #Gaza pic.twitter.com/jOP7h2KVND
— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) July 20, 2014
And she notes:
Israel's precision weaponry is, thus far, 80% precise in killing civilians.
— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) July 19, 2014
Meanwhile, Tel Aviv-based journalist Gregg Carlstrom tweets to his 24.1k followers:
Palestinians inside Israel and in the West Bank planning a general strike tomorrow, and protests too, at least on the Israeli side.
— Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom) July 20, 2014
From Gaza, Hamas, which has ruled the strip since 2007, has been firing missiles into Israel. Most of the rockets coming into Israel have caused no serious damage, due in part to the US-funded Iron Dome aerial defense system, which is intercepting most of the projectiles.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Four Kosovars Walk to Brussels for Visa-free Travel Privileges    · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

On July 17, 2014, four men from Kosovo completed a 78-day walk from eastern Kosovo to Brussels, Belgium. The goal of their trek was to incite EU officials to grant Kosovo visa-free travel throughout the EU, a privilege that has been available to all other Western Balkan countries for some time.
The four men began their trip entirely independently and with their own financing, but say that they received both financial and moral support from others throughout the countries of the region as they made their way to the headquarters of the European Union. Radio Free Europe reported after the men reached Brussels, where they met with EU officials:
Calling themselves The “Free Travellers” group (“Shtegtarët e lire”), the men walked under the slogan “5 million steps for one step” in the hope that Brussels will grant citizens of Kosovo the possibility to travel to the European Union without visas.

author: Danica Radisic


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Global Voices Is Looking for a Passionate Leader to Shape Our Latin America Coverage  · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

Photo credit (clockwise): uploaded by @freddyvilla on Twitter, from the Mídia Independente Facebook page, by Camila Nóbrega – from the Rede de Comunidades e Movimentos contra a Violência Facebook page, from the Espetáculos de Circo do Projeto ncora Facebook page, from the blog Rostros sin Ácido, from Hondurus by Flickr user Michael Mulvey, CC-ND-2.0, by @EmisorasUnidas on Twitter, ‘Censored’ bird openly shared on Twitter.
Are you a bilingual expert on Latin America, who values justice, equality, friendship across borders and can't seem to get enough of the Internet? Do you enjoy working from home? Global Voices is looking for you!
The Latin America editor leads daily newsgathering from the region, writing and coordinating stories by our borderless community of volunteer writers and translators, while developing a robust set of online sources to stay on top of regional social, political and activism trends on the Internet.
Our newsroom is unique — it's completely virtual, our writers are volunteers, our sources are multilingual and live on the Internet. Our newsgathering focus is on trending news, freedom of speech issues, online censorship, activism, and stories that are underreported or misrepresented in mainstream media.
Primary tasks:
Be responsible for our coverage from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Write, fact-check, and edit the most compelling and important stories from online sources in their region.
Add relevant context to stories for our global audience.
Keep on top of developing stories, buzz and trends across social media and citizen media the region.
Develop a database of reliable and vetted online sources across their region.
Manage volunteer writers and partnerships.
Meet deadlines and posting requirements.
Stay engaged with virtual regional group, newsroom and larger community.
Work in line with Global Voices community, editorial guidelines, mission and culture.
Successful candidates will:
Be fluent in English and Spanish.
Have a strong journalism and/or digital rights activism background.
Possess sound editorial judgment on regional issues.
Know who the credible social and citizen voices are in their region.
Understand mainstream media, local press and social media dynamics in their region.
Understand digital rights, freedom of speech, and activism-related issues and dynamics in their region.
Have proven sourcing and news writing ability.
Be able to write sensitively and knowledgeably about local issues for a global audience.
Possess leadership qualities.
Have a strong and reliable Internet connection.
Be available 30 hours a week.
To apply:
Please submit a résumé and a cover letter that highlights your work and explains why you would be a great fit for Global Voices by August 15. Apply by emailing us at adminjob@globalvoicesonline.org with your name and ”Latin America Editor” in the subject line.
Read 8 Solid Reasons to Work for Global Voices here.

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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Indonesia, the World’s Third Largest Democracy, Will Soon Know Who Its Next President Is · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Leading Indonesian presidential candidate Joko Widodo casts his ballot at a voting center. Photo by Ibnu Mardhani, Copyright @Demotix. (7/9/2014)
Indonesians are eagerly awaiting the results of the country's presidential election on July 9, 2014, described as one of the tightest and most divisive races in the young democracy's history.
The outcome will be important not only for Indonesians but also for many people who have high hopes for the world's third largest democracy and the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world. The election commission is set to announce the winner on July 22.
Leading the presidential race is the popular politician Joko Widodo (popularly known as Jokowi), a former furniture businessman who became governor of Jakarta, the country's capital. His running mate is former Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
The other major presidential contender is Prabowo Subianto, a former Special Forces General and chairman of Gerindra (Great Indonesia Movement) Party. Although he is praised as a strong and courageous leader by his supporters, several human rights activists have expressed concern about his role during the regime of Suharto, who ruled Indonesia as a strongman for more than three decades.
The campaign lasted for one month. Although it was tainted by smear campaigns, bribery allegations, and minor clashes between the two contesting parties, the election turned out to be generally peaceful, orderly and even creative.
Online campaign
The Internet played a big role in this year's presidential election. Blogger Maulana Syuhada noted that the Internet was helpful in exposing numerous misleading information and other false reports about the polls. It also influenced many citizens to be more active in the election:
Pemilu sekarang ini memang sangat berbeda dengan pemilu-pemilu sebelumnya. Ada orang yang hampir tiga puluh tahun (6 kali pemilu) selalu golput, tiba-tiba memutuskan kali ini dia harus memilih. […] Massa yang datang ke Gelora Bung Karno tanggal 5 Juli yang lalu sampai tumpah ruah bak air bah, membuat kita semua yang melihat merinding. Kenapa semua ini terjadi? Karena mereka “desperate”. Pemilu sekarang ini taruhannya terlalu besar. Bagi sebagian orang pilihannya adalah kembali ke masa lampau atau melompat ke masa depan.
The current election is different from the previous ones. There's someone who has not voted for nearly 30 years (six elections), but suddenly felt compelled to vote. […] The mass gathering that filled up the Gelora Bung Karno stadium on the 5th of July gave goosebumps to all of us who watched it. Why did this happen? Because people are “desperate”. The stakes in this election are too high. For many, the choice is to return to the past or leap to the future.
Jokowi's camp came out as the ‘champion’ in terms of engaging voters through social media. But the Prabowo camp proved to be more popular on search engines.
Voters used the Twitter hashtags #salam2jari (two-finger salute), #jokowi9juli, #nogolput (no to non-voting) and #indonesiasatu (one Indonesia) to express their sentiments and to show their participation in the elections.
Some are proud of citizens who struggled hard to go to the voting center:
*Terharu* mama sy buta pertama kalinya belain buat nyoblos, spy suara tdk hilang utk #Jokowi9Juli cc @yoris @ReneCC @mrshananto — Miss Mey (@MeySuwu) July 9, 2014
*feeling moved* my blind mother for the first time encouraged herself to vote, so that her vote for #Jokowi9Juli won't disappear.
While others urged voters not to use the option of ‘non-voting’ in the ballots:
Sudah pukul 7 dan petugas kpps pun sudah diambil sumpah. Ayo teman” gunakan hak pilihnya, selamat menikmati indahnya demokrasi #nogolput — Rachmat S W (@rsatriowahyudi) July 9, 2014
It's 7 a.m. and ballot officers are sworn in. Friends use your right to vote, enjoy the beauty of democracy.
Quick tally deadlock
About 12 survey agencies released quick tally results after the elections. The big survey firms predicted Jokowi's victory while the new ones declared Prabowo as the likely winner. The polarizing survey results raised fears that it could lead to intense fighting between supporters of the two major candidates.
Responding to this concern, the Ethical Board of the Indonesian Association for Public Opinion Surveys (Persepi) ordered a probe of the pollsters and it expelled those that were unwilling to be audited.
Twitter users also became worried about what would happen on the day when the General Election Committee (KPU) will announce Indonesia's new president in the next few days:
Mari berdoa untuk tanggal 22 Juli, bukan untuk kemenangan 1 atau 2, tapi Indonesia yg aman, TNI berlakukan stts siaga 1 keamanan RI :(
— RohendiKurniawan (@rkurniaawan) July 18, 2014
Let's pray for July 22, not about who'll win, but for a safe Indonesia. The military has put in place the highest alert status nationwide..
On his Facebook, Jokowi advised his supporters to remain calm:
Saya menghimbau dan meminta dengan sangat, kepada seluruh kader partai pendukung dan relawan Jokowi-JK di seluruh tanah air, agar tetap melaksanakan kegiatan sehari-hari sebagaimana biasa, dan tidak perlu menghadiri pengumuman rekapitulasi suara di KPU pusat pada tanggal 22 Juli. Kita percayakan semuanya pada proses yang sedang berlangsung, agar terbangun suasana yang kondusif bagi KPU, untuk menyelesaikan tugas dengan sebaik-baiknya, serta untuk menghindari hal-hal yang tidak kita inginkan. Saya ucapkan terima kasih dari lubuk hati yang paling dalam, atas segala upaya saudara-saudara untuk terlibat aktif dalam mengawal pemilu Indonesia yang damai.
I advise and urge all supporters and volunteers of the Jokowi-JK campaign nationwide to conduct your normal activities and not to attend the vote count announcement in the General Election Committee office on July 22nd. Let's leave everything to the normal process so that the KPU can work in a safe situation. I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to each one of you who have been actively involved in working for a peaceful Indonesian election.
Many Indonesians have been keeping a close watch on the official tally in the website of the KPU by comparing them with the numbers posted at Kawalpemilu.org (usher the election). The latter is a website developed by an Indonesian math Olympiad to ensure that the people can monitor realtime results collated by grassroots volunteers. Since its launch, the website has been hacked numerous times.
Bukti keakuratan http://t.co/qxRzJ2pmfC – Ini perbandingan data KPU. pic.twitter.com/eBwkCgOVkb
— GenOptimis (@Gen_Optimis) July 19, 2014
Proof of accuracy – compared with KPU data.
Meanwhile, the Tumblr account C1 yang Aneh (the odd C1 forms) has been uploading proof of voting irregularities on scanned C1 forms found by voters on the KPU website. C1 Form is an official KPU-issued document used in reporting the number of votes soon after they are counted by ballot officials. It has already posted over a dozen screen grabs that show missing vote numbers, absence of ballot witnesses, and other anomalies.
A blogger known as “Simple Servant” summarizes this year's election and how the incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) can become a peacemaker between the rival parties:
Saya tetap melihat Prabowo sebagai alat Tuhan untuk memperbaiki kerusakan bangsa ini apapun sanggahan anda. Sebab memperbaiki bangsa ini bukan harus jadi Presiden. Sebagai Capres, Prabowo telah melakukan banyak hal positif yang kemudian membantu Jokowi untuk bekerja dengn mudah.[…] Yang masih bertengkar soal siapa yang akan menang di Pilpres, sudahi saja. Prabowo dan Jokowi telah bekerjasama memberikan perannya masing-masing untuk kebaikan bangsa kita. Soal bangsa kita akan damai atau rusuh paska 22 Juli, itu terserah SBY.
I still consider Prabowo as God's tool to restore this country, no matter how you deny it. Because to restore this country, one doesn't need to be a president. As a presidential candidate, Prabowo has already done many positive things […] Those who are still arguing who will win this presidential election, stop. Prabowo and Jokowi, both have contributed for the good of this country. Whether or not our country will be at peace or rioting following the 22 July's announcement, it all depends on SBY.

author: Juke Carolina


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How Pacific Islanders Are Fighting Climate Change With Canoes  · Global Voices
350.org

Canoe building in Pohnpei, the Federated States of Micronesia, where the warriors are learning the canoe building process from local elders. Photo credit: 350.org
This article was written by Fenton Lutunatabua for 350.org, an organization building a global climate movement, and is republished on Global Voices as part of a content sharing agreement.
Climate change is hitting the Pacific Islands hard. Sea levels are rising, temperatures are increasing, and worsening storm surges and flooding have contaminated fresh water supplies and ruined crops. Already, residents of one island have decided to leave because of these devastating effects.
It's only expected to get worse, yet Australia has renewed its embrace of fossil fuels despite the plight of its Pacific neighbors.
But Pacific Islanders are fighting back — with canoes. People from 16 different countries will voyage to Australia as part of 350.org's Pacific Warrior Campaign to deliver traditional canoes to major supporters of the fossil fuel industry with the aim of showing them that Pacific Islanders will work peacefully to protect their cultures, homelands and oceans.
Earlier this year, climate warriors across the region marked the start of canoe construction. In Vanuatu, a specially chosen tree was donated to the team to begin the process. The video below features an interview with master canoe builder Walter Namua, who explains the significance of the tree.
We’re not usually into cutting down trees. In fact, over the last five years our Pacific organisers have planted thousands of trees, but for this project our teams are cutting down a single tree from each island. Many of them have been donated to the cause. The teams are working with master canoe builders and elders to conduct blessings for each tree before diving into the work of hollowing out the canoe.
The tradition of canoe building has slowly disappeared over the years among Pacific communities in the name of progress and technological advancements. The vessels were used in everyday life, while special ones became the most treasured chiefly possession. Building a canoe usually involved the entire community. While there was segregation of roles (men made the hulls and rigs, women made the sails), the entire community — men, women, young people and elders — came together to make the rope and cord that bound the craft together.
The trees that grow in areas of poor or infertile conditions were selected for canoes. It was important that the trees used could withstand the forces of the ocean as these canoes were used to travel between islands for trade.
The campaign is trying to regain the art of canoe building and traditional sailing to deliver messages on climate change to Australia.
In Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, the Warriors are already underway building the canoe, supported by the village of Enipein, Kitti, to learn the process of traditional canoe building from elders. Warriors in Tonga, meanwhile, performed the Tongan Sipi Tau (war dance) and worked with wood carvers to begin their canoe building on the April 12 Day of Action.
In Tokelau, they are calling on the support of the people of Atafu, who are famous for canoe building to begin their canoe. And in Papua New Guinea, the Climate Warriors walked through Port Moresby and raise public awareness about Climate Change, the role of the Pacific Climate Warriors in the region and how citizens can support the movement.


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The Russian Government’s 7,000 Wikipedia Edits · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Images mixed by author.
When it comes to Wikipedia, the Russian government’s computers are busy bees. Over the past ten years, IP addresses belonging to various Russian state agencies are responsible for almost 7,000 anonymous edits to articles on Wikipedia’s Russian-language website.
A Norwegian programmer named Jari Bakken recently produced a complete list of the Russian government’s 6,909 anonymous edits to Wikipedia. Bakken has published similar lists for Wikipedia edits made on IP addresses that trace back to governments in the United States, Israel, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Norway, as well as changes by several major oil corporations.
Studying the Wikipedia revisions made on the Russian government’s computers, we can only guess whether the people responsible were acting independently or in service to an organized campaign. Probably, it’s a bit of both.
Bakken’s list includes repeated revisions to articles about Russian politicians, adding accolades and removing damaging information. For instance, IP addresses at Russia’s secret service, the FSO, made 36 edits to the Wikipedia article about Russian Senator Andrei Klishas, whom the US government sanctioned in March 2014 for his role in the annexation of Crimea. The same agency has revised Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin’s Wikipedia page five times. Government IP addresses have protected the reputations of other public figures, too, including playwright Aleksandr Pudin (25 revisions), philosopher Viktor Vaziulin (30 revisions), Russia’s “Children Ombudsman” Pavel Astakhov (35 revisions), Astakhov’s successor Aleksei Golovan (4 revisions), politician Vyacheslav Tetyekin (36 revisions), and many others.
For all that, not everything looks like a Kremlin conspiracy to whitewash the Internet. For example, someone at a computer owned by a state-run chemical plant in Kursk edited the Wikipedia page about the video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3”—not to criticize the game’s storyline (which involves a Russian military attack on New York City), but to correct a small detail in the article’s plot summary. The author was probably just a fan of the game.
Some of the revisions even suggest dissension amongst the ranks of Russia’s bureaucracy. In the midst of protests that rocked Moscow in December 2011, for instance, someone at a state-run TV company updated a Wikipedia article about an anti-Putin petition to show that another 2,000 people had signed. Presumably, this Wikipedia edit wasn’t on orders from the government.
Other revisions to Wikipedia, however, do dovetail with the Kremlin’s efforts to protect its own reputation and damage the image of the United States. Here are five examples.
Of course, even these suspiciously pro-Russia, anti-West changes to Wikipedia don’t prove that the Kremlin is trying to control the Web’s biggest encyclopedia. The author of the attack on Ambassador McFaul, for instance, deleted the revision almost immediately. It’s entirely plausible that these revisions are the work of state employees acting on their own, out of genuine interest in “setting the record straight.”
This being the Internet, we’ll probably never know for sure.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Tour Guides Only Tell You One Version of a City’s Story. This New App Lets Residents Tell You Theirs · Global Voices
Laura Morris

Banner of words from Voicemap. Republished with permission.
When you are traveling, you want to learn about your destination. But you are tired of the same old boring factoids, historical monuments, and traditional narratives written by tourism offices?
A screenshot from Voicemap. Republished with permission.
Voicemap is an app that allows storytellers to tell others about their own neighborhoods. The tracks are recorded in the voices of the storytellers, rather than professional voice artists, for a friendlier and more personal tone.
After 10 years of globetrotting, founder Iain Manley found himself working at a tour operation company. He remembered that in his own travels, the best experience was when someone showed him “their” city through their eyes. He started in his own hometown of Cape Town — a city he says is full of many different perspectives.
“Ultimately, we are really interested in doing more than providing people with tours. We want to sue this as a new medium, a way of telling stories, that can shape a narrative in new and interesting ways,” he told us through a Skype interview.
Voicemap focuses on creating multiple stories about one place, getting away from the single voice so common in tourism. Instead, they want to give a sense of ownership to people who live in the region to tell their own histories about their communities.
The website explains:
Stories have always given meaning to the world around us. Home is a story we tell ourselves, and sometimes it is a part of the story about being Away. Mount Everest, the Mississippi, the pyramids at Giza and the Berlin Wall are really just stories, told and retold every day. Your neighbourhood is a story too.
A video about the project describes Voicemap further:
There are challenges: trying to predict where people will walk and where they will stop, learning to map the walking speed to the talking time, and so on. “Instead of providing people with a list of landmarks, we want them to engage with the place,” Manley said.
And there can be surprises — “Sometimes two people will talk about the same [landmark] with completely different opinions. That is much more interesting than something coming out of an encyclopedia or a guidebook.”
Find Voicemap in the iTunes store, and stay tuned for an Android version coming soon. If you are interested in signing up as a storyteller, you can start by telling them a story online.

author: Laura Morris


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A Documentary That Allows Transgender People’s Voices to Be Heard · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

Though gays and lesbians are gradually gaining more acceptance in Puerto Rico, the same cannot be said yet of transgender people. That is why a film like Mala Mala, a documentary in which trans people speak freely about their stories, is so important. The film, directed by Dan Sickles (@dan_sickles) and Antonio Santini, is on the official selection of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
One of the people interviewed for the film is Paxx Moll, a chef who is also a transgender female-to-male. In an article published in La Respuesta, a digital magazine about the Puerto Rican diaspora, he talks to E. J. Dávila about who he is, his experience being part of the documentary, and about the lack of social and medical spaces for trans people in Puerto Rico, particularly for transgender men.
This is the teaser trailer for Mala Mala, which will premier in Puerto Rico in the coming months:

author: Ángel Carrión


text:
Bangladesh’s Elite Paramiltary Unit Is Under Fire for Human Rights Violations. This Blogger Asks: What About Israel’s IDF? · Global Voices
Rezwan

An activist is picked up by an RAB agent in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during a nationwide strike called by the main opposition party in June 2011. Photo by Rahat Khan. Copyright Demotix.
Brad Adams, the executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, has recently written a letter to Bangladesh's prime minister suggesting that the Bangladesh government should disband the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). Quoting news sources, he accused the RAB of being responsible for more than 800 extrajudicial killings in the past 10 years.
Human rights organizations have long accused the elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit, which was created in 2004, of human rights violations. A number of its members are under investigation in Bangladesh in connection to the abduction and killing of seven men (see Global Voices report).
Some netizens were Irked by the tone of Adam's letter to a sovereign country. Blogger Himu wrote for Bangla blog Sachalayatan a response to Adams, suggesting he be consistent and write to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
ব্র্যাড অ্যাডামস লিখেছেন, “র‌্যাবকে এখন আর সংস্কার করে চালানো সম্ভব বলে আমরা বিশ্বাস করি না। আইনের ঊর্ধ্বে থেকে কোনো ধরনের জবাবদিহিতার তোয়াক্কা না করে র‌্যাব পরিচালনার একটি সংস্কৃতি তৈরি হয়ে গেছে। এই অবস্থায় এ বাহিনীকে অবশ্যই বিলুপ্ত করতে হবে, যাতে হত্যাকাণ্ড বন্ধ করা হয়।”
মানবাধিকারবারি ব্র্যাড অ্যাডামসের উদ্বেগের প্রতি শ্রদ্ধা জানিয়ে এবার একটা ছোটো আবদার করি। প্যাড থেকে আরেকটা কাগজ ছিঁড়ুন। কলমদানি থেকে কলমটা বের করে খাপ খুলুন। তারপর লিখুন ইসরায়েলের প্রধানমন্ত্রীকে। তাকে বলুন, ইসরায়েল ডিফেন্স ফোর্সেস প্রতিষ্ঠানটিকেও বিলুপ্ত করে দিতে। ২০০০ সাল থেকে ২০১২ সাল পর্যন্ত ইসরায়েল ডিফেন্স ফোর্সেসের হাতে নিহত ফিলিস্তিনিদের একটি পরিসংখ্যান পাবেন এখানে। এদের মাঝে একটি বড় অংশ নিরীহ বেসামরিক মানুষ, তাদের একটা বড় অংশ শিশু, এবং সংখ্যাটাও ৮০০ থেকে বেশি।
আমি নিশ্চিত, আপনি বিশ্বাস করেন না যে ইসরায়েল ডিফেন্স ফোর্সেসকে সংস্কার করে চালানো সম্ভব। কাজেই ফিলিস্তিনে নির্বিচার হত্যাকাণ্ড বন্ধ করার জন্য যে এই বাহিনীকে বিলুপ্ত করার অনুরোধ আপনি ইসরায়েলি প্রধানমন্ত্রীকে করবেন, সেরকম তো আমরা ধরে নিতেই পারি। নাকি?
কবে আপনি ঐ চিঠিটি লিখবেন, দেখার জন্যে সাগ্রহে অপেক্ষা করছি।
Brad Adams wrote, “We do not believe that RAB can be reformed. It has developed a culture of operating above the law without civilian accountability. It must be disbanded so that the killings come to an end.”
With respect to human rights activist Mr. Brad Adams, I would request him to tear another page from his pad, take a pen and to write a similar letter to the Israeli prime minister urging him to disband the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). You will have the accounts of killings by IDF available here. A lot of these victims are innocent civilians and a large portion of them are children, and the number is a lot more than 800.
I am sure you will agree with me that the IDF cannot be reformed. So can we hope that you will also suggest the Israeli prime minister that IDF should be disbanded?
We are eagerly waiting to see when you will write this letter.
One commenter wondered cynically:
মানবধিকারের সংজ্ঞা বোধহয় অঞ্চল ভেদে ভিন্ন হয়।
Perhaps human rights is defined differently in regions of the world.

author: Rezwan


text:
Colombia: “What Do You Love About Medellin Downtown?” · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Medellin seen from the MetroCable. Image on Flickr by user szeke (CC BY-SA 2.0).
On his Facebook page, Colombian journalist Juan Mosquera reflects on the problems of downtown Medellin:
#AmamosElCentro
El centro de Medellín tiene problemas, cada día más palpables y agudos, que no sólo obedecen a la siniestra presencia de los intereses de la delincuencia. Lo lees, lo escuchas, lo ves, casi lo respiras. Por eso quiero preguntarles a los que pasan por aquí ¿Qué amas, a qué le tienes afecto en el centro?”
#AmamosElCentro (We love downtown)
Medellin downtown has problems, more tangible and serious each day, due not only to the sinister presence of delinquency interests. You read, hear, see them, you almost breathe them. That's why I want to ask those who pass by: what do you love, what are you fond of about downtown?”
By the time this post was written, the question had 71 answers, and some users also expressed themselves on Twitter:
#AmamosElCentro por San Alejo y sus pasteles ¿Cierto @bgarcial ?
— Redú Fa Fa (@elianaca) julio 17, 2014
We love downtown for San Alejo and its cakes. Right, @bgarcial?
#AmamosElCentro por los cerros, la 7ma, el Planetario, museos, y muchas cosas más pic.twitter.com/fzQx5I6ydw
— Juan Pablo Tovar (@juanpa_changa) julio 17, 2014
We love downtown for the hills, the 7th, the Planetarium, museums and many other things.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Football Analysis of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

International football fan Alberto Palmás analyzes the best teams that took part on the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. He remarks the general performance of the national teams, the best players and other topics. He starts with Germany:
Ha ganado el Mundial. Es la mejor y ha sido la mejor en el mundial. Muy superior a sus rivales, gracias a su espectacular juego de toque y a su infalible artillería arriba. Es una máquina casi imposible de ganar. Solo se lo puso difícil Argelia, Francia y en la final Argentina. A los demás equipos los vapuleó.
Germany won the World Cup. they are the best team and has been the best during the tournament. They are superior than its rivals, thanks to their spectacular style and their infallible artillery. It's a machine that's almost impossible to defeat. Only Algeria put things hard on them, France and Argentina on the final match. All other teams just got thrashed.
If your are passionate about international football as Alberto, you can follow him on his blog and on Twitter.

author: María Romina Mascareño


text:
How to Become a Good Father · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Image by Lon&Queta on flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Panamanian Joel Silva Díaz elaborates what many people wonder, especially men: how to be a good father. On his personal blog he describes his challenges with his own father and his goals as a father:
…Recuerdo que veía como un juego el buscar un tema de conversación, debido a mi falta de interés en el deporte, nunca tuvimos una conversación de más de 5 líneas (legítimamente contadas por más de 10 años), pero conociendo otros casos e historias, por lo menos tuve un padre.
[…]
Y es eso lo que quiero mejorar, quiero ser un padre que no haga las cosas sin enterarse, quiero abrazar, quiero besar a mis hijos, presentarle siempre la opción de tomar las mejores decisiones y apoyarlos cuando no tomen las mejores, nunca dudar en mostrarles mi amor y cariño, mucho menos dudar cuando se ganen un coscorrón.
[…]
Pero mi parte no quiero que se quede en un apellido, o un cheque en la quincena, mi parte ha de ser presente, determinante y quiero que mi hijo o hija tenga por lo menos un solo recuerdo lindo impregnado en su corazón, como los domingos de Salsa y el olor a grama recién cortada de los domingos en mi casa.
I remember I considered a game to look for something to talk about, due to my lack of interest in sports we never had a conversation longer than five lines (rightfully registered for over ten years), but knowing other cases and stories, I at least had a father.
[…]
And that's what I want to improve,I want to be a father that does things without noticing it, I want to hug, kiss my children, present them the best option to make the best decisions and support them when they don't make the good ones, never hesitate in demonstrating my love and care, let alone when they earn a smack on the head.
[…]
As for me, I don't want a last name to last, nor a check every two weeks, my part has to be present, decisive and I want my child to have at least on only nice memory in their heart, as Salsa and the scent of recently trimmed off grass on Sundays at home.
Are you, or plan to be a good father?
You can read Silva Diaz following his accounts on G+ or Twitter

author: Milton Ramirez


text:
Meet Lourdes Sada, a Global Voices Volunteer Who Has Worked on More Than 400 Stories in Two Years · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Lourdes in her “bunker.” Photo used with permission.
Global Voices is made possible by a dedicated team of volunteer writers and translators who cover stories happening on the Internet, from blogs, independent press and social media in up to 30 different languages.
Lourdes Sada is one of those talented volunteers. She came to GV in Spanish two years ago to translate, and ended up becoming more involved as an author. Since joining, she has written and translated more than 400 articles and is one of the most active volunteers in the group.
We talked to her about her work for GV as well as other volunteer projects she has taken on.
Global Voices (GV): Tell us about yourself. Where do you live? What do you do?
Lourdes Sada (LS): Soy española, de Aragón. En España he vivido en Valencia y en Euskadi, pero ya hace 22 años que vivo en Bruselas. Trabajo en casa, por eso tengo bastante tiempo para dedicarlo a lo que más me gusta hacer, voluntariado en línea.
Lourdes Sada (LS): I am Spanish, from Aragón. In Spain, I have lived in Valencia and Euskadi, however, I've been in Brussels for 22 years now. I work from home, that is why I have a lot of time to dedicate to do what I enjoy most, volunteering online.
GV: What appeals to you about volunteering online? What experiences have you had?
LS: Empecé a hacer voluntario en línea cuando mis hijos comenzaron a ir a la escuela. Después de varios años ocupada con ellos, me encontré con unas horas libres durante el día que quería dedicar a algo que fuera útil para los demás y al mismo tiempo me enriqueciera. Como antes de instalarme en Bruselas había empezado la carrera de informática, aunque no pude acabarla por el traslado, el mundo de los ordenadores y de Internet no me era ajeno, y el voluntariado en línea me pareció ideal en mi situación, ya que podía aprovechar muy bien el tiempo mientras seguía cuidando de mi familia. Buscando por la red di con una web francesa que buscaba traductores voluntarios y ahí empezó todo.
LS: I began volunteering online when my children started school. After having spent several years with them, I found myself with some free time during the day and I wanted to dedicate it to something that would serve others as well as enrich myself. Before settling in Brussels I had studied computer science, and although I was unable to finish my studies due to relocation, the world of computers and the Internet wasn't foreign to me, so in my situation, volunteering online seemed ideal, as I could now take advantage of my free time, while also continuing to take care of my family. As I searched the web I found a French website looking for volunteer translators, and that is where it all started.
GV: How did you end up with Global Voices and what has made you stay?
LS: Encontré GV buscando en Internet proyectos que necesitaran traductores. Al principio dudaba si ofrecerme como voluntaria, pensé que era un entorno muy profesional, y yo no lo soy. Pero los editores de GV decidieron darme una oportunidad y espero no haberles decepcionado. La traducción para GV es un trabajo que me gusta mucho, porque tengo la oportunidad de traducir sobre temas muy variados. A menudo son noticias de países que no suelen aparecer en la prensa tradicional, otras veces son cosas cotidianas que tampoco llegan a las primeras planas de los periódicos. Todo eso me da una visión más amplia del mundo.
LS: I found GV while searching on the Internet for projects that needed volunteer translators. At first, I wasn't sure about volunteering, I thought the environment might be too professional, and I am not a professional translator. However, the editors at GV gave me an opportunity and I hope I didn't let them down. I really enjoy translating for GV, it gives me the opportunity to translate a wide variety of topics. Often it is on news from countries that don't seem to appear in traditional media and other times it is about everyday things that also don't make on the front page of the news. All this helps me expand my views about the world.
GV: You also write your own articles. Was this a new experience for you?
LS: Sí, nunca había escrito antes para ningún medio. A raíz de un incidente en el parlamento español que me indignó, como a muchas otras personas, me ofrecí para empezar a colaborar también escribiendo artículos en GV. Las cosas en España están bastante mal, pero el problema no es solo económico, también es muy doloroso ver la injusticia, la corrupción, la impunidad. Escribiendo artículos sobre todo esto intento que mi indignación se canalice de forma positiva, difundiendo estos hechos para que más gente tenga la información necesaria para tomar las decisiones más convenientes.
LS: Yes, I had never written before. Because of an incident that occurred in the Spanish Parliament, I became outraged, as well as many other individuals, and as a result of this I offered to start writing articles for GV. Things in Spain are pretty bad, but it's not purely economical, it's also very painful to see the injustice, corruption, impunity. By writing articles about this, I intend to channel my outrage in a positive way, spreading the facts so that more people have the necessary information to make decisions in their best interest.
GV: Have you received feedback on your articles?
LS: Sobre todo de compañeros de GV, de amigos y familiares que los leen. En general, creo que les gusta mi forma de escribir, y sobre todo aprecian el esfuerzo que hago para que los artículos resulten amenos y entretenidos. Cuando escribo intento ponerme en la piel del lector, creo que así el texto tiene más posibilidades de resultar interesante y agradable de leer. Ya que tienen la deferencia de leerme, lo menos que puedo hacer por ellos es no aburrirle
LS: Mostly from GV colleagues, friends and family who read them. Mainly, I think they enjoy my way of writing, but above all, they appreciate the effort I put into the articles so that they are enjoyable and entertaining to read. When I write, I put myself in the shoes of the reader, I feel that way the text becomes more interesting and enjoyable. And since they take the time to read what I write, the least I can do is not bore them.
GV: What has been your biggest challenge as a translator?
LS: Siempre he trabajado como voluntaria, por lo que en general las personas con las que he colaborado han tenido mucha paciencia y me han enseñado muchísimo. Mi primer webmaster me dio un cursillo rápido de html para que pudiera traducir directamente las páginas web, buscando todos los textos entre las etiquetas. Quizá el mayor apuro lo pasé con mi primer encargo, un “tocho” larguísimo que me enviaron con muy poco tiempo, tuve solo cuatro o cinco días para terminarlo y corregirlo. Casi no dormí, pero disfruté muchísimo. El trabajo más grande lo he hecho para Community Empowerment Collective, con los que he colaborado durante muchos años, como traductora, coordinadora y diseñadora web, y aún colaboro cuando me necesitan. No solo traduje más de 400 páginas al español, sino que también diseñé el nuevo formato de la web y convertí más de 4000 páginas en 30 idiomas distintos al nuevo diseño.
LS: I have always volunteered, and in general most of the people I've collaborated with have been very patient and have taught me a great deal. My first webmaster quickly trained me in html so that I would be able to translate directly on the web pages, looking for the text within all the tags. Perhaps my biggest rush job was with my first assignment, they sent me a huge project to translate in very little time, I had four or five days to finish and proof it. I hardly slept, but I enjoyed every minute of it. My biggest project was for Community Empowerment Collective, whom I have collaborated with for many years as a translator, coordinator and web designer, and I still work with them as needed. Not only did I translate over 400 pages into Spanish, I also designed the new format and converted over 4,000 pages into the new format, in 30 different languages.
GV: What is your view on today's freelance translators in the European community?
LS: Tengo entendido que bastante mal. Nunca ha sido bueno, pero con la crisis, la situación va de mal en peor. Por ejemplo, muchos fabricantes recurren a traductores electrónicos para traducir las instrucciones de sus productos a otros idiomas, aunque resulte un batiburrillo ininteligible. Así, poco a poco se va reduciendo el campo en el que se mueven los freelancers. La mayoría de los traductores que conozco trabajan en las instituciones europeas, quizá sea más aburrido, pero elimina riesgos.
LS: I can tell it's considerably poor. It's never been good, and with the crisis, the situation is even worse. For example, many manufacturers resort to electronic translators to translate their product instructions into other languages, even if it turns out to be an unintelligible chaos. In that way, little by little, the field of freelance translators has been diminishing. The majority of translators I know work for European institutions, perhaps it is more tedious, but it eliminates any risk.
Lourdes with the author Juan Arellano in Brussels. Photo used with permission.
GV: What would you say to those starting out in the translation world?
LS: Algo muy simple: que lean sus traducciones. En mi humilde opinión, hay una regla básica para que una traducción cumpla con su cometido: que no se note que es una traducción. Por otro lado, que tengan paciencia, que por mal que estén las cosas tarde o temprano tendrán que ir a mejor. Además, como han hecho otros profesionales, los traductores deberían plantearse luchar contra el intrusismo y empezar a exigir que se proteja su campo profesional de personas no cualificadas y sobre todo, de máquinas. Si lo logran, todos saldremos ganando.
LS: It's very simple: read your own translations. In my humble opinion, there is one basic rule for the success of a translation: the reader must not notice it's a a translation. On the other hand, be patient, no matter how bad things are, sooner or later they will get better. Furthermore, as other professionals have done in the past, translators should put up a fight against professional infiltration and start demanding that their field be protected from individuals who are not quailified and above all, machines. If successful, it's a win-win situation.
GV: If it were up to you, what would you change or intensify within Global Voices?
LS: La verdad es que me gusta tal cual está, y aún más con el nuevo diseño. Yo creo que en este caso lo mejor es aplicar la primera ley de la mecánica: si funciona, no lo toques.
LS: Truthfully, I enjoy it just the way it is, especially now with its new design. I think in this case it is best to apply the basic law: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
GV: Tell us something about yourself that makes you unique, or an aspect that you feel is special.
LS: Si hay algo que creo que se me da muy bien es moverme por la Red, encontrar cosas en Internet, ya sea información, aplicaciones, programas, objetos en venta… no sé si será por paciencia, por intuición o por simple terquedad, pero rara vez no acabo encontrando lo que necesito. Tanto así, que mis amigos me llaman en broma “yopreguntoaLourdes.com”.
En otro orden de cosas, hace unos años, Phil Bartle, autor del CEC, y John Petroff, administrador del PEOI, con quien también colaboré varios años, me nominaron para el premio “Voluntarios del Año” que concede el servicio de voluntarios en línea de Naciones Unidas. Este premio me dio una gran alegría, no solo porque dejó claro cuánto apreciaban ambos mi trabajo, sino por constatar qué buenos amigos he ido haciendo por el camino.
LS: If there is one thing that I do well is navigate the web, finding things on the Internet, whether it be information, apps, programs, things for sale… I am not sure if it's due to my patience, intuition or purely stubbornness, but it is rare that I don't find what I am looking for. So much that my friends jokingly call me “IAskLourdes.com.”
On another level, a few years ago, Phil Bartle, author of CEC, and John Petroff, PEOI administrator, whom I also collaborated with for several years, nominated me for the UN “Volunteer of the Year” award, granted to online volunteers. This award gave me great joy, not only was it clear that they both appreciated my work, but it also confirmed that I have developed wonderful friendships throughout this journey.
Thank you, Lourdes! You can read her translations and articles here, and follow her posts on Twitter @LulesSada.

author: Juan Arellano


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Reflections After 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Image from Flickr, with CC license.
Mexican student Álvaro blogs about his sentiments and opinions about 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. He reflects on the poor performance of Mexico and Brazil national teams, but highlights what he considers a strategy failure of Brazilian president Dilma Rouseff.
Días antes del comienzo del mundial, Dilma se imaginaba este lunes 14 de Julio como el día en que ganaría anticipadamente las elecciones presidenciales de octubre, un Brasil campeón en su tierra hubiera sido suficiente para sofocar las protestas civiles que se han alzado en contra de su gobierno, o al menos hubiera logrado distraerlas por un rato.[…] Sin embargo, es evidente que el plan no salió según lo esperado, sino todo lo contrario; de manera similar a lo ocurrido en Sochi, Rusia para las Olimpiadas de Invierno, el enfoque mundial sobre Brasil solo sirvió para exponer los graves problemas que enfrenta el país en todo ámbito. No hubo escasez de reportes de la prensa internacional sobre el mal estado de las calles, las acomodaciones, la gente y hasta los estadios, mismos que se derrumbaron o que ni siquiera pudieron terminarse antes del evento.
Just days before the World Cup started, Dilma was imagining this Monday, July 14 as the day she would win in advance the Octobre presidential election, with Brazil champion on its own land would suffice to calm down the civliian protests against her administration, or at least, it would be useful as a distraction for a while. […] However, it's evident that didn't work as expected, but on the contrary; just as it happened in Sochi, Russia for the Winter Olympic Games. The world approach to Brazil only exposed the serious problems the country faces. There were many reports by international press about the bad roads, accommodations, people and even stadiums, that collapsed or weren't even completed before the tournament.
You can follow Álvaro on his Twitter account.


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Second Biggest Arts Festival in the World Taking Place in South Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Live reports from the National Arts Festival taking place in Grahamstown, South Africa:
Every winter, for 11 days in early July,  the sleepy South African college town of Grahamstown comes alive with art. Artists from all over the world swarm to the tiny town, and every nook and cranny is packed with theatre, dance, performance art, film, comedy puppets and face paint with the sweet sounds of jazz spilling onto the streets. The National Arts Festival, that celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, is the second biggest arts festivals in the world. For the last couple of years, a group of journalism students at Rhodes University cover the festival through a pop-up newsroom called CueTube, where they interview a variety of artists, choreographers and directors. Here’s some samples of the work.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Simply, Thank You! · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Image on futbolshampan.blogspot.com.ar, used with permission.
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is over and Argentina didn't win this time. A week after the final match, there are still lots of reflections and comments about the performance of the Argentinian national team. This time, we find a hearfelt comment by Manuel de León, where he expresses his grattitud to the crew on his blog:
No son magos, pero 23 jugadores y un cuerpo técnico que eran sumamente criticados dieron vuelta la tortilla e hicieron que hasta el más incrédulo, se llenara de fe y esperanza. El mundo entero vio la bandera Argentina y escuchó el himno nacional de nuestro país en una final de la copa del mundo. No pasa todos los días. Es por tal motivo, que no encuentro otra manera de terminar este texto: tan solo, GRACIAS.
They are not magicians, but 23 players and a technical staff who were severely criticized and who turned things over and filled even the most skeptical ones with faith and hope. The whole world saw the Argentinian flag and heard our country national anthem on a World Cup finale. This doesn't happen every day. That's why I can't think of other way of ending this text: just THANK YOU.
You can follow Manuel on Twitter.


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This Young Woman Footballer Is More Popular Than Messi in Her Remote Village in Nepal · Global Voices
Sanjib Chaudhary

Screenshot of Sunakali's women's football team arriving home after playing a tournament.
Mugu, one of the poorest districts in Nepal, doesn't have a single football stadium. But it does have a star football player as revered as Argentina's famous son Lionel Messi — and she happens to be a girl.
Sunakali and her team were welcomed home there after winning the women's national football tournament as if they had won the World Cup in Brazil, reported Mysansar, a popular Nepalese blog.
The young women left their mountainous district for the first time to compete in the tournament in Kailali, a journey of hundreds of kilometers. They walked two days to reach the airstrip, and travelled in a plane, rickshaw and bullock cart for the very first time in their lives. There are no direct roads between Kailali and Mugu, and the ones that do exist are in poor condition.
At the tournament, the Mugu team played with Badikhel Team of Lalitpur district, Baliya Team of Kailali and Team Patharaiya before meeting with Team Tikapur in the finals. Team Mugu won and Sunakali was named the best striker.
It was an impressive achievement for many reasons, including the fact that the young women were only introduced to the sport in 2011. In Mugu, the average life expectancy is reported to be 47 years, with men at 49 and women at 39. Nearly two-thirds of girls aged 15 to 19 are married, and female literacy rate stands at 9 percent.
When the victorious team returned, locals met them at the airstrip chanting, “Sunakali, like Messi!” Horses were arranged for the young women to ride back to the village, an honor in Mugu where it is unusual for women to ride the animals.
Journalist Bhojraj Bhat prepared a documentary to be released this July based on the girls’ journey. A promo of “Sunakali: Teenage girls’ journey to glory” on YouTube offers a glimpse of life in Mugu.
Since the tournament win, Sunakali has became a household name in Mugu, and her story has made the rounds on social media. Nepalese weekly Saptahik profiled Sunakali following her Internet fame. Bhat tweeted the publication's cover:
Sunakali, the Nepali #Messi ! The most heat news of #Mysansar (75,139), came on @saptahik 2dy http://t.co/R4Zj6TkA4o) pic.twitter.com/qBg107YSf4
— Bhojraj Bhat (@bhojbhat) July 4, 2014
Twitter user Suraj, a self-described movie maniac and cricket fan, tweeted Sunkali’s photo holding the trophy with her mother:
मुगुकी मेस्सी- सुनकली बूढा आफ्नी आमाका साथ pic.twitter.com/rmFNGsiIlN
— Everest OS Suraj (@Criceverest) July 10, 2014
Mugu's Messi: Sunakali Budha with her mother
Famed Nepali blogger Lex Limbu also has written about her on his blog, which is widely read by Nepalese across the globe.
In Sunkali's village in Mugu, television and Internet is still a dream. But Saroj Chapagai, a sociology student, couldn't help but wonder, given all the comparisons made between Sunkali and Messi:
@bhojbhat कि सुनकलीले हिजो Messi को खेल हेरिन कि नाइ खेल हेर्ने बेला मा त्यो कुरो चाँहि मन मा लागी रा'थ्यो
— सरोज चापागाई (@saroj_Chapagai) July 10, 2014
Whether Sunakali watched Messi's game yesterday or not, I was pondering while watching the match.

author: Sanjib Chaudhary


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Tips for Sharing Tweets Automatically · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Image by Rosaura Ochoa on Flickr and used with CC Atribución 2.0 license.
Infoactivismo is a blog about digital tools exchange and how to make the most out of that data to create changes in society. On this post, they explain two ways of sharing tweets with one click.
Al lanzar una campaña en medios digitales es de gran utilidad tener mensajes que las personas puedan compartir con sólo dar un clic. […] ¿qué hacer cuando quieres compartir una lista de mensajes que los usuarios puedan compartir en sus cuentas de Twitter con sólo un clic? […]Te mostramos dos formas de hacerlo.
When launching a campaign on digital media it's useful to have messages people can share with just a click. […] What to do when you want to share a list of messages users can share on their Twitter account with just one click? […]  We show you two ways of doing it.
You can read the tips on this post. You can also follow Infoactivismo on their blog and on Twitter.


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As Trinidad & Tobago’s Military Hunts Down a Killer, Some Wonder Who’s ‘Guarding the Guards’ · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force conduct an exercise on Chacachacare Island in conjunction with U.S. forces. DoD photo by Army Capt. Daisy C. Bueno, courtesy the USASOC News Service's Flickr page. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Nearly three years ago, Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar declared a “limited” state of emergency, ostensibly in an effort to combat a surge in the crime rate. There was rampant debate at the time over whether this extreme step, which trampled upon civil rights — most notably those of young, poor, black males from disadvantaged communities — was an effective (or even legal) way to stem the tide of violence.
The state of emergency was lifted in December 2011, but the past few weeks have been a kind of déjà vu. After a soldier was shot dead in Laventille, an area widely regarded as a hotbed of gang warfare, the country's military, which complained of being under siege in these “hotspots”, launched a manhunt for the suspected killer. They have allegedly been going about their business without warrants or police assistance.
The acting commissioner of police has made his position clear: soldiers performing the duties of police officers is illegal and any military officers found to be flouting the law or physically abusing citizens will be arrested. But in a country where the citizenry's confidence in law enforcement is dwindling, many are questioning whether the prime minister's promise to “unleash the dogs of war” on criminals — essentially policing at any price — is helping to create a dangerous climate in which military dictatorships and police states can thrive.
Crime in Trinidad and Tobago has been on the increase over the past decade or more thanks to the rise of gun-toting gangs fueled by the illicit drug trade. Now, amidst allegations that the government has actually been sanctioning these criminal elements by putting them on the state's payroll, citizens are more skeptical than ever about crime and how it is being dealt with.
Wired868, one of the few local blogs keeping a constant eye on political issues, predicted even before the military raids came to light that “there is just one problem here; and it lies in the distribution of resources”:
In October 2013, National Security Minister Gary Griffth told the Trinidad Guardian that he had discovered ‘persons involved in criminal activity who had state contracts’ particularly in the Life Sport programme [an initiative of the country's Ministry of Sport, which was intended to give young people in disadvantaged communities access to sporting activities as an option to getting involved in crime]. If this is true, then there is a real possibility that the State is funding both sides of the ‘War’ it declared and this puts our Police Service in a very precarious situation […]
We must review the extent to which our development agenda fosters criminality, thus, making criminals not an anomaly but an inevitability […] accepting extra judicial killings in lieu of justice is not and cannot be the answer.
The post quoted statistics from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service website to explain why crime management that happens outside the rule of law is counter-productive. The Caribbean country averages 25 extrajudicial killings per year for the last 15 years, but has already passed that number in 2014:
If in fact these extra judicial killings were removing those responsible for the scourge of crime shouldn’t a reduction in murders be a logical expectation? […] Those who represent the law cannot feign ignorance to its diktats. One cannot expect to ignore the law to engage those who ignore the law.
We have buckled to acceptance not because we condone killing but precisely the opposite—because we do not. This is the contradiction. That is the double standard…That is why it will not work.
A post written by Mr. Live Wire, one of Wired868's most prolific bloggers, addressed the behaviour of members of the country's armed forces, pointing out that the manhunt for Lance Corporal Kayode Thomas's killer allegedly went regional:
In Trinidad and Tobago, farce is wearing camouflage these days as soldiers have apparently taken control of Laventille in the search for the killer of Lance Corporal Kayode Thomas while also kicking in doors and kicking down residents as far as Toco without warrants or any legal authority.
On Wednesday, the Trinidad Guardian alleged that ‘men in camouflage worn by T&T military’ snatched Duane Skeete—whose brother is wanted for ‘questioning in relation to Thomas’ murder—in Grenada on Wednesday with the assistance of Grenadian soldiers. Relatives have not heard from Skeete since.
Surely a coordinated arrest on foreign soil could not have occurred without the blessing of Chief of Defence Staff, Major Kenrick Maharaj. Did National Security Minister Gary Griffith or Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the head of the National Security Council, approve this?
Was Skeete removed from Grenada in a military helicopter? Does Teteron [headquarters of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment] have its own Guantanamo wing?
In short, Trinidad and Tobago appears to be under martial law.
The government has, thus far, not issued a definitive statement about the goings-on, but with the precedent set by 2011's state of emergency and the nation's security forces appearing to ignore proper procedure, many are wondering, in the words of a calypso by King Austin, “who's going to guard the guards”?

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Seems to Have Forgotten His Country’s Ill Treatment of Journalists · Global Voices
Noor Mattar

A poster at an opposition rally in Bahrain in May 2013 describes the country as the “capital of torture.”  Photo by Ammar Bin Yasser. Copyright Demotix
Bahrain has denied countless international journalists entry into the country amid a fierce crackdown on anti-regime protesters. Over a hundred people have been killed and thousands jailed since protests broke out in February 2011. The ruling Sunni monarchy has stifled free expression — and continues to do so.
It's no wonder then that a tweet by Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Minister Khalid Alkhalifa on the double standards employed by the international press in covering the latest Israeli assault on Gaza would raise more than a few eyebrows.
Following the recall of NBC's reporter in Gaza Ayman Mohyeldin, Alkhalifa tweeted:
رأى الجريمة بعينيه .. و لم يتحملوا صدقه و أمانته في مهمته الإعلامية . فابعدوه عن غزة . لله درك يا أيمن @AymanM #غزة pic.twitter.com/RMdX4Tnc28
— Khalid Alkhalifa (@khalidalkhalifa) July 17, 2014
He witnessed the crime with his own eyes.. and they couldn't handle his honesty in doing his journalistic duty.. So they kicked him out of Gaza
Mohyeldin was recalled by the channel after he tweeted about the death of four boys on the shores of Gaza, and his Twitter and Facebook posts about the tragedy were deleted. Journalist Rania Khalek, who has more than 40,000 followers, tweeted screen captures of the posts:
These factual posts, which went viral, have since been deleted. Seems like @NBCNews censored their reporter… pic.twitter.com/QEhTbd07cs
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) July 17, 2014
The decision by the network angered many journalists, and Moheyeldin was eventually reinstated.
However, the tweet from Foreign Minister Alkhalifa didn't go unnoticed.
Said Yousif, vice president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights who lives in Germany, replied:
@khalidalkhalifa @AymanM كما ان قبيلة الخليفة طردت صحفيين من البحرين لانهم شهود على جرائم و اعتقلت العشرات من الشهود على جرائمها ضد المدنيين
— S.Yousif Almuhafda (@SAIDYOUSIF) July 19, 2014
Just like Al Khalifa kicked journalists out of Bahrain for witnessing crimes and arrested dozens of witnesses to its crimes against civilians
The account Bahrain Doctor, which calls for the release of detained medics in Bahrain, tweeted to its more than 62,000 followers:
@khalidalkhalifa @AymanM ١- انت اخر واحد يتكلم عن حرية الصحافة فقد منعتم المئات من دخول البحرين والأكثر من ذلك أنكم عذبتم الصحفيين البحرينين
— BAHRAINDOCTOR (@BAHRAINDOCTOR) July 19, 2014
You should be the last to talk about the freedom of the press, you have banned hundreds from entering Bahrain and what is even worse is that you tortured Bahraini journalists
Non-governmental organization Bahrain Watch has documented hundreds of cases of journalists and activists being denied entry into Bahrain. Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who said he was tear-gassed and briefly detained in 2011 while covering the anti-government uprising, was deported shortly after flying into Bahrain's airport in 2012. After the country expelled U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski, who had met with a Shiite opposition group in Bahrain, Kristof tweeted:
Then again, being banned in Bahrain is kind of a 21st century King Hamad Human Rights Award. They should give certificates.
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) July 7, 2014
Journalists arrested in Bahrain have also accused authorities of torture. Nazeeha Saeed, a Bahraini correspondent for France 24 and Radio Monte Carlo, detailed being severely beaten and tortured in police custody two years ago in a haunting personal account for the Media Legal Defence Initiative. Freelance photographer Hussain Hubail, who said he was tortured while in custody, was recently sentenced to five years in prison for “inciting hatred of the government” and other charges, according to Reporters Without Borders.
On Twitter, the account Bahrain Doctor tweeted at the foreign minister with a reminder about Saeed's case:
@khalidalkhalifa @AymanM ٢- وكمثال بسيط أقراء ماالذي فعله المعذبين في معتقلاتكم للصحفية نزيهة سعيد ان كنت قد نسيت https://t.co/MgJv5eVIBs
— BAHRAINDOCTOR (@BAHRAINDOCTOR) July 19, 2014
As a simple example, read what torturers in your detention centers have done to journalist Nazeeha Saeed, in case you have forgotten
Ahead of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 26th Session in June, 10 organizations that fight for human rights and freedom of expression put out a renewed call for the release of journalists detained in Bahrain, including Hubail. So far, Bahrain hasn't answered it.

author: Noor Mattar


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Dozens of Activists in Brazil Were Arrested Not for Protesting the World Cup, but for Possibly Planning to Do So  · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Graffiti on the walls in Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro reads, “Genocidal police loves FIFA.” 13 July 2014. Photo by Shay Horse. Copyright Demotix
A day before the final World Cup match, 28 people opposed to hosting the tournament in Brazil were arrested “preemptively” at their homes in the city of Rio de Janeiro on the early morning of July 12. Police suspected they would engage in violent acts during a protest scheduled for the next day and accused them of “forming an armed gang” based on what activists and alternative media are calling false evidence.
A total of 37 people were arrested as part of Operation Firewall; some were detained simply for having a connection to the activists. Most were released, but five are still in jail waiting to be brought before the court or indicted.
Police reportedly found weapons, masks and explosives at some of the homes of those arrested, but activists have disputed the claim, saying that only knee pads, a tear gas mask, newspapers and a flag were seized. A 16-year-old, one of two minors detained, was accused of forming an armed gang based on a gun belonging to her father discovered in the house she was in, according to the collective Rio na Rua.
Those jailed before the World Cup final match were also accused of belonging to or helping the so-called Black Blocs, who have attended some demonstrations since 2013. “Black Bloc” describes the tactic of wearing black clothing and covering the face with a mask or bandanna, and some protesters dressed this way have vandalized property or committed arson.
The activists have denied being part of any Black Bloc group or engaging in any violent activity.
This isn't the first time during the World Cup that police have accused protesters of being Black Blocs. Fabio Hideki Harano was arrested on June 26 after a demonstration against the mega-event in São Paulo. Police said he was carrying an explosive, but haven't produced evidence of it. He remains in jail.
Amnesty International and the Order of Attorneys of Brazil have criticised the latest arrests, calling them illegal and a method of intimidation. One activist and lawyer, Eloisa Samy Santiago, who was arrested asked unsuccessfully for asylum at the Consulate of Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro after she was released.
It is believed that these activists were targeted by authorities because they have taken part in past street demonstrations since June 2013, when massive anti-government protests rocked the country. Their demands vary, as well as their political affiliation. Some are members of socialist or anarchist groups, and some have no affiliation whatsoever.
In 2013, protesters demanded free or reduced fare for bus tickets, rallied against the treatment of those living in the slums, and called for the impeachment of Rio de Janeiro's mayor and governor of Rio de Janeiro. This year, activists railed against the public money spent on the World Cup and the forced evictions for infrastructure construction that left some people homeless.
Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, one of the most famous anthropologists in the country, detailed the police operation quoting a friend who preferred to stay anonymous:
A policia esta com mandados de prisão indo na casa de educadores, manifestantes com alegações mentirosas e variadas (sequestro, vandalismo, crime de internet).. estão t[am]b[em] seguindo pessoas na rua através de grampo no celular e prendendo… não se sabe o numero de militantes, mas não para de chegar gente na cidade da policia…
The police are going to the homes of educators and protesters with arrest warrants with false and varied allegations (kidnapping, vandalism, Internet crime) and are also following people in the street through bugs on their mobile [devices] and arresting… no one knows the number of activists, but more and more are arriving at Police City…
According to Pablo Ortellado, a professor and leading figure within many social movements in Brazil, teachers and free media and anti-Cup activists were among those taken in. Alternative newspaper The New Democracy reported that relatives and friends of those arrested were “threatened and intimidated at the police station.”
The arrests appeared to be an effort to prevent protests during the final day of the World Cup at Maracanã stadium. Targets were usually leaders or prominent figures of previous demonstrations who participated in last year's mass protests. Global Voices reported in June on similar preemptive arrests of activists even the games began.
The Network of Communities and Movements Against Violence explained:
O objetivo imediato dessa ação, tão ilegal e arbitrária como várias outras que acontecem no país desde os protestos que começaram em junho do ano passado, parece ser intimidar e amedrontar as pessoas dispostas a participar dos protestos que estão sendo convocados para amanhã, durante a partida final da Copa do Mundo, no Maracanã. Para isso, está sendo utilizada a legislação de exceção aprovada aos níveis federal e estadual desde o ano passado.
The immediate objective of this action, as illegal and arbitrary as several others that have happened in the country since the protests began in June last year, seems to be to intimidate and scare people willing to participate in the protests tomorrow during the final match of the World Cup at Maracanã. For this, an legal exception approved at the federal and state levels since last year is being used.
Luiz Eduardo Soares, a leading expert on public security in Brazil, agreed:
A manobra visa evitar manifestações na final da Copa. Arrogância, incompetência e corrupção degradaram nosso futebol e estão arruinando as instituições que se pretendiam democráticas. É hora de denunciar e resistir.
The move aims to prevent demonstrations during the Cup final. Arrogance, incompetence and corruption eroded our football and are ruining the institutions that pretended to be democratic. It's time to denounce and resist.
A local judge in the 27th Criminal Court of Rio, Flavio Itabaiana de Oliveira Nicolau, gave the order to make the preemptive arrests. Filmmaker Fernando Marés tweeted a copy of the judge’s decision:
Decisão do juiz da 27ª Vara Criminal do Rio: prisões tentam impedir protestos marcados pra amanhã. pic.twitter.com/PlSAC7b9Ro
— Roteiro de Cinema (@roteirodecinema) 12 julho 2014
Decision of the judge of the 27th Criminal Court of Rio: Arrests try to prevent protests scheduled for tomorrow.
The Jornal Zona de Conflito Mídia Independente posted a list of activists who were arrested and those who were considered fugitives. Luis Rendeiro, considered a fugitive, sent a message on Facebook to the newspaper The New Democracy saying police have accused him of a plot to bomb Maracana stadium. “They are harassing me and making bizarre accusations” in front of his wife and 3-year-old son, he wrote.
The arrests sparked outrage on social media. The hashtag #PresosdaCopa (World Cup arrests) reached the top of trending topics in Brazil in the early evening of July 12.
On Facebook, activist Renata Gomes was direct in her description of what was happening: “Temporary detention warrants are the SCANDAL OF SCANDALS! To prevent people from demonstrating today! Someone please watch over the body of Brazilian democracy, because she's dead!”
Another activist, Caio Almendra, summarized the situation:
Ativistas suspeitos de serem capazes de um dia, em algum momento, por alguma razão ainda não estabelecida, cometer atos violentos são detidos sem acusação clara, direito a advogado, com flagrantes forjados.
Viva o estado de direito!
Activists suspected of being able to one day, at some point, for some reason not yet established, commit violent acts are held without clear accusations, access to lawyers, with false evidence.
Long live the rule of law!

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Court Ruling Against Restaurant Reviewer Leaves French Bloggers Reeling · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

“Please don't feed the writers.” Photo by Flickr user Michelle. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
If a blogger writes a scathing review of a restaurant, it's natural that the headline would match the tone of the article. After all, a unique, accurate title is part of Google's official advice for improving the positioning of a webpage in its search results.
But a blogger in France called “L'Irrégulière” was ordered to pay damages and court fees totaling 2,500 euros (3,400 U.S. dollars) for doing just that after the restaurant filed a complaint.
Appalled by what she considered to be unwelcoming staff and poor service during a meal at the end of August 2013 in Cap Ferret, the blogger published a biting review of Il Giardino on her French-language literary blog Cultur'elle. The article, titled “The place to avoid in Cap Ferret: Il Giardino”, ranked highly in the results of a Google search for the eatery.
This angered the restaurant owner, so she took the blogger to court. The Bordeaux High Court ruled in the owner's favour on 30 June 2014 during an emergency hearing not because of the review itself, which “falls within the scope of freedom of expression” according to the judgement, but because of its title, which was considered to be defamatory.
The blogger, who had no lawyer, withdrew the review on her own accord, although the court did not request her to do so. However, it can be read on tuxicoman's blog here or as a cached version. Reeling from the experience, “L'Irrégulière” decided not to appeal.
Under the French system for emergency hearings, the court rules chiefly on the basis of whether the plaintiff suffered wrongdoing as a result of the actions of the defendant — in this case, an emergency measure was issued, but could be overturned if a full hearing is to take place. Why did the case merit an emergency hearing in the first place? Well-known lawyer and blogger Maître Eolas, who has 142,000 followers on Twitter, offered one answer:
Nouveau : des restaurants poursuivent leurs clients qui osent les critiquer. Il faut dire qu’ils trouvent des juges pour leur donner raison.
— Maitre Eolas (@Maitre_Eolas) 7 Juillet 2014
Newsflash: restaurants are suing customers who dare to criticise them. And it has to be said, they are finding judges who will decide in their favour.
He went on to analyse the case in further detail for L'Express magazine:
Il ne faut pas donner à cette décision une portée plus large qu'elle n'a […] Le droit de critique existe. Il peut être sanctionné en cas d'abus. La distinction classique est quand il y a intention de nuire ou concurrence déloyale si le dénigrement est fait par un concurrent. Ainsi, si cet article avait été publié par quelqu'un qui tient un autre restaurant de pizza du Cap Ferret, on aurait été dans le cas de la concurrence déloyale puisqu'il y aurait volonté de dénigrer pour faire fuir le client. Or ici, c'est une cliente mécontente qui raconte une expérience malheureuse. On a tout à fait le droit d'expliquer pourquoi on n'est pas satisfaits, en mettant le titre que l'on veut.
This ruling should not be given more significance than it actually has […] There is such a thing as a right to criticise. This criticism can be penalised, however, if it becomes abusive. Usually, the distinction lies in whether there is intention to cause harm or, in the case of defamation by a competitor, the creation of unfair competition. So, had this article been published by someone who runs another pizza restaurant in Cap Ferret, it would have been a matter of unfair competition. This is because there would have been intention to defame in order to drive customers away. But in this case, it is a dissatisfied customer describing an unhappy experience. People have every right to explain why they are not satisfied, using whatever title they like.
When other bloggers heard about the matter, they pointed out this type of legal action could overload the justice system. Lady Waterloo, for instance, wrote:
Les juges ont donc condamné cette malheureuse blogueuse, pour L'endroit à éviter au Cap Ferret: Il Giardino, cela en valait il la peine? Je ne le pense pas. Si les juges commencent à s'occuper des blogs qui dénoncent des apéros servis avec du retard sans cacahuètes et du vin trop froid ou trop chaud, j'ai oublié, la Justice sera complètement paralysée.
So the courts have ruled against this poor blogger, for The place to avoid in Cap Ferret: Il Giardino. Was it worth the trouble? I don't think so. If judges start getting involved with blogs criticising delays in serving aperitifs with no peanuts, and wine that's too cold or too warm (I can't remember which), the justice system will grind to a complete halt.
Others referred to the frequent misunderstandings between tourists, restaurateurs and the Internet, like Le Parisien libéral:
La vérité, c'est que désormais, tout resto, tout hôtel, doit faire avec l'existence du Net. Au lieu de faire une pub monstrueuse pour l'Irrégulière, pourquoi Il Giardino n'a pas crée son propre site web, ou fait le dos rond en attendant que ses clients qui ont aimé le resto s'expriment, comme Berthomeau.
The truth of the matter is that from now on, every restaurant and hotel must take account of the existence of the Internet. Instead of creating massive publicity for l'Irrégulière, why didn't Il Giardino create its own website, or weather the storm while waiting for favourable customers to give their opinions, like Berthomeau.
Google search result for “Il Giardino Cap-Ferret”, 18 July 2014: post still visible – screenshot taken by author
Can Google results be used to attack a blogger? The owner of the restaurant justified herself, saying the article was doing her business harm. “People are allowed to criticise, but there is a way of doing it, with respect, and that was not the case here. Now the court has made a decision and as far as I'm concerned, the matter is closed,” she said.
In fact, the article and the controversy over the judgement still have a high position in the Google search results. SEO expert Tubbydev was amazed at the lack of knowledge of how a search engines work:
Mais surtout, le vrai scandale à notre humble avis est tout entier dans le bout de phrase de la restauratrice: Mais cet article montait dans les résultats Google ..C'est Google qui montre le résultat, avec et par ses algorithmes mais c'est le contenu initial qui est “puni”. Personne ne demande à Google de corriger .. Et a priori aucune demande n'a été faite à Google. […]
Google est devenu un Dieu ou tout du moins un des éléments de la nature…Non seulement, il est donc IRRESPONSABLE mais en plus, sa force est telle qu'il attise encore plus la censure et les problèmes contre les malheureux qui y sont bien considérés .. Le monde à l'envers non ?
But the real scandal, in our humble opinion, lies in the remark made by the restaurant owner: “But this article was rising in the Google search results.” It's Google that displays the result, with and through its algorithms, and yet it is the original content that gets “punished”. Nobody asks Google to make corrections. And, a priori, no request has been made to Google. […]
Google has turned into some kind of god, or force of nature. Not only is it IRRESPONSIBLE, but its power is such that it encourages more censorship and creates problems for those unfortunate enough to be well regarded. The world has turned upside down, no?
While efficacitic.fr advises caution when it comes to reviews, Elisabeth Porteneuve, a self-described “Internet veteran,” anticipates that businesses may begin exploiting the so-called “right to be forgotten“.
@Maitre_Eolas L'étape suivante: droit à l'oubli, enlever la critique de @Google avec l'aide de la @CNIL … des juges et législateurs!
— Elisabeth Porteneuve (@EPorteneuve) 7 Juillet 2014
The next step: the right to be forgotten, removal of the review from Google with the help of the [French data privacy authority] National Commission on Informatics and Liberty … the judges and the legislators!
The European Court of Justice ruled in May that individuals may request that search engines delete certain search results if they are found to be “inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant, or excessive in relation to the purposes for which they were processed.” Google, the plaintiff in the case before the court, has now implemented systems for reviewing and enacting requests. Modifications to search results will be implemented only within the EU.
While the implications of this case regarding freedom of expression on the Internet are still a matter for debate, the publicity continues to have a detrimental effect on the restaurant. Although it is no longer readable on Culturelle, the controversial post title remains visible in Google.fr search results.

author: Suzanne Lehn


text:
Expired Meat Was on the Menu at McDonald’s, KFC and Other Fast Food Restaurants in China  · Global Voices
Owen Guo

A Starbucks in Beijing. Photo by Flickr user byLorena. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
International brands like Starbucks and Burger King have been dragged into a reputation crisis after one of their suppliers were found supplying expired meat, in the latest nationwide food safety scandal that threatens to disrupt supply chains of fast-food stores across China.
Shanghai-based Husi Food, a subsidiary of Illinois-based OSI Group, was accused of repackaging expired chicken and beef, meat materials supplied to fast-food chains such as KFC, McDonald's and Pizza Hut outlets in China.
The revelation, a result of a two-month undercover investigation by Dragon TV in Shanghai, has gained traction among Chinese media and forced McDonald's and KFC to apologize to its customers. Since the allegations were made public, the two chains and Pizza Hut have announced plans to remove the products in question from their menus.
On Tuesday, Starbucks said some of its stores sold products containing chicken sourced from Husi, adding that the company had stopped selling the food item called “Chicken Apple Sauce Panini”. Burger King also said it had taken all products supplied by Husi off its shelves.
In response to the latest food scare, the State Drug and Food Administration, which overseas food safety issues, has vowed a thorough investigation. The Husi processing plant was closed down by Shanghai authorities.
In recent years, China has seen a string of food safety scandals, including a 2008 milk contamination that killed six infants and left some 300,000 babies hospitalised.
Last month, China said it would impose higher fines for food safety violators and sack the top local official should the violations happen frequently. Chinese premier Li Keqiang said in March that his administration would tackle food safety violations with “a heavy fist”.
Hema Hen Wenrou speculated on popular Twitter-like Sina Weibo what impact the investigation could have for China:
河马很温柔：大家还是看结果吧，如果这次惩治力度大，对我们国内餐饮的食品安全也有相当大的警示作用
Let's wait for the investigation results. If violators were indeed punished severely, it would be a major wake-up call for food safety in China.
A Weibo user from southwestern province of Guangxi praised the journalists who work to uncover food safety issues:
这里不仅有企业社会良心的丧失，还有国家质监的疏漏。什么时候中国人能在外放心放胆的进餐呢？我还看到了社会记者的勇敢和付出，他们是社会的眼睛，向所有记者们致敬。
There is the issue of lack of social conscience by the companies, also a lack of supervision by the state. When can Chinese be assured of eating out? I've also seen the dedication of journalists, they are the eyes of our society. I salute all of them.
Jinzi Zai Sahuan raised his doubts about the food supply chain in China:
对于这事件，突然想到一个问题，为什么福喜有这么多过期食品？甚至已经是发了霉的？如果照新闻所说，它供应十几个快餐连锁店的食品，它的库存应该不会积压到这么多东西过期，所以想问，这些过期牛肉、鸡皮什么的，该不会是这公司向外收购回来再加工的？？
It occurred to me, why does Husi have so much expired food? Some of it even rotten? If what was said in the news is true that it's supplying a couple of fast-food chains, it then shouldn't have so much expired meat in stock. I want to ask if this chicken and beef was bought elsewhere and then reprocessed at the company?

author: Owen Guo