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Ukraine, Russia: Olympic Athletes’ Birthplace Controversy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
LVOV REGION (RUS), ZHITOMIR REGION (RUS), UKRAINE REGION (UKR), UKRAINA REGION (RUS): these bizarre geographic names were used last week on the official website of the London 2012 Olympics to describe the birthplaces of at least a dozen of Ukraine-born athletes representing the Russian Federation (e.g., volleyball player Taras Khtey, judoist Vera Moskalyuk, rhythmic gymnast Karolina Sevastyanova, canoeist Alexey Korovashkov).
The errors most likely got there due to sloppiness of the Russian Olympic Committee officials responsible for filling in the athletes’ biographical data forms and passing the information to the event's organizers. Several Russian team members born in the Caucasus and Central Asia had their birthplaces mixed up as well.
Many netizens in Ukraine found these misplacements offensive and rather typical, however – a kind of a post-imperial Freudian slip reflecting what's often perceived as Russia's possessive attitude towards its neighbors.
An online protest was launched [uk, en] in response:
On the official site of the 2012 Olympics, Ukraine has become part of Russia […].
I propose writing angry letters to the Russian Olympic Committee (pr@olympic.ru) and to the organizers of the Olympic Games in London (complaints@enquiries.london2012.com). A sample letter [in English] is below.
[…]
Dear (London2012/Olympic) Committee,
I am writing to express my deep disgust concerning your mistake about
the russian athletes birth place. Thus, for instance, according to
London 2012 web site, Korovashov is born in Ukraina region (RUS)
http://www.london2012.com/athlete/korovashkov-alexey-1010562/ and
Khtey is born in Lvov region (rus)
http://www.london2012.com/athlete/khtey-taras-1013482/
It is well known that Ukraine is an independent country and
not part of russian federation, and that Lvov (correct spelling Lviv)
is situated in Ukraine (and was one of 4 cities of Euro 2012)!
I am really very disappointed by these ’mistakes’ and demand to
correct them immediately!
Kostyantyn Hryshchenko, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, got involved, reporting on the steps taken by his office via Twitter. Below are Hryshchenko's exchanges [uk] with the online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda.
@ukrpravda_news:
@Gryshchenko Kostyantyn, can you comment on this? What does “Ukraine region” mean? Will there be a reaction from [the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]? pic.twitter.com/fZsa13P7
A screenshot of Ukrainska Pravda's tweet addressed to Ukraine's Foreign Minister, featuring a screenshot of the Ukraine-born Russian gymnast's bio page on the London 2012 website.
@Gryshchenko:
@ukrpravda_news The word “region” definitely shouldn't be there. A silly mistake even from the standpoint of the English grammar. We'll find out whose error it is and get them to correct it.
@ukrpravda_news:
@Gryshchenko Keep us posted!
@Gryshchenko:
@ukrpravda_news I've just asked our Embassy in Great Britain to get in touch with the organizing committee of the Olympics, so that they corrected this error.
Eventually, some of the errors were indeed fixed (albeit somewhat inconsistently) – while others remain. What used to be “LVOV REGION (RUS)” on Taras Khtey‘s page has turned into “LVOV REGION ()”, Vera Moskalyuk‘s “ZHITOMIR REGION (RUS)” is now “ZHITOMIR REGION ()”, and Karolina Sevastyanova‘s initial birthplace of “UKRAINE REGION (UKR)” is now “UKRAINE (UKR)”. Alexey Korovashkov still has “UKRAINA REGION (RUS)” in his bio:
A screenshot of Alexey Korovashkov's bio page on the London 2012 website.
The gaffe and the subsequent Ukrainian reaction didn't go unnoticed on Twitter.
User @MeybeGiuliia mentioned Sol Campbell, a retired English football player, who, back in May, didn't think it was safe for the English fans to come to Ukraine for the Euro 2012 (the fans did come anyway and later informed Campbell, through a mock protest in Donetsk, that he had been “wrong”):
ATT GB Olympic committee: Ukraine – isn't REGION of Russia, it's COUNTRY. Please, ask Sol Campbell.
Joel Draper (@DraperMovies) mentioned the Russia-Ukraine controversy along with two others that preceded the Olympics, including the South/North Korean flag mix-up (GV text is here):
Yesterday the issue was a flag mix up, today it's Ukraine being a ‘region’ of Russia and a welsh player being listed as english #London2012
JaWill (@lgyyjaw) used the #olympicgeography hashtag in this summary of the situation:
Ukraine is a region of Russia #olympicgeography #London2012
User @Voloschka wrote:
Did these people even learn geography? Official London 2012 Olympics website's a mess. http://www.kyivpost.com/content/sport/russian-olympic-committee-annexes-ukraine-region.html …
Jonathan Campion (@jonathancampion) wrote this, linking to the not-yet-amended bio page of Karolina Sevastyanova:
This hasn't gone down well in Kyiv: an Olympic gymnast from the “Ukraine region” of the Russian Federation. http://www.london2012.com/athlete/sevastyanova-karolina-1013451/ …
And so did Nikolaus von Twickel (@niktwick):
They won't risk a war because of a beautiful sportsmenka [female athlete]? MT @jearlemsk Russian #Olympics gymnast from “Ukraine” region http://www.london2012.com/athlete/sevastyanova-karolina-1013451/ …
And The Economist's Edward Lucas (@edwardlucas):
Ukraine is a “region” in Russian eyes (according to bio of an Olympic athlete) http://l2012.cm/QD92zX
On Facebook, Ukrainian journalist Vakhtang Kipiani also posted a screenshot of Karolina Sevastyanova's page, along with the opening words [ru] of the Soviet anthem:
“An unbreakable union…” Yuck.
Kipiani's post generated nearly 70 comments; below are a few of them [uk; ru].
Yuri Beresten:
The spectre of the Soviet Union has started haunting Europe again!
Oksana Stebelska :
This is simply unacceptable…
Vlodko Tomash:
A disaster… oy-oh… unacceptable… while the fact that [the Ukrainian state officials] are [stealing] billions and dooming the country to annihilation is something we can close our eyes to… […]
Oleh Pastukhov:
Just an ordinary sports betrayal that everyone is used to already. […] People have been selling their motherland for gold and food for a few thousand years already.
Victoria Veremiienko (in reply to Oleh Pastukhov):
[…] I wouldn't call this betrayal – if a country is offering decent work conditions […], why would [an athlete] refuse? (and for an athlete this is work). The same way one can consider it a betrayal that thousands of Ukrainians are going abroad to earn money.
Karolina Sevastyanova, the Ukraine-born Russian rhythmic gymnast – and “the face” of this controversy, did not seem to be aware of the seriousness of the situation. On her Vkontakte page [ru], a friend posted a note [ru] about the gaffe, but in the comments to this post there were no mentions of the protest letter-writing campaign or of the high-ranking Ukrainian official's involvement. The athlete's fans and friends were mainly wishing Sevastyanova good luck, she was chatting back, and the discussion [ru] was in general very friendly and apolitical:
Zlatoslav Kalinich:
Accept our congratulations! Ukraine is proud that it now has such an athlete)))
Maxim Sedoplatov:
Most likely, Karolina was born in Ukraine, and is Ukrainian, but lives in and represents Russia. And the organizers must have thought that the region in which Karolina was born (Ukraine) is part of Russia. Is that true?
[…]
[I guessed it right!] Moreover, Karolina was born in Kiev! Well, well, now there's nothing surprising for me here! Kiev women have always been known for their beauty!
Karolina Sevastyanova:
A huge thank you ) I'm very pleased! Yes, I was born in Kiev. But since early childhood I have lived in Moscow. And, naturally, Russia is my native country )
Natasha Kosinova:
Karolina, which passport do you hold? Russian or Ukrainian?
Karolina Sevastyanova:
I've never lived in Ukraine! I was only born there.
[…]
The passport is Russian.
On Twitter, where Sevastyanova (@Karolisha_S) has nearly 850 followers, she wrote:
After they reported everywhere that I had been born in Kiev, I am getting friend requests exclusively from Ukrainians!
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.


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Wales: Imagining the Welsh Language Web · Global Voices
Carl Morris

This post is part of a special Global Voices series on Welsh language and digital media in collaboration with Hacio'r Iaith.
For the 600,000 speakers of Welsh the Internet represents a galaxy of new opportunities to use and see their language. Google lists approximately 4,830 web search results for the term ‘y we Gymraeg’, which literally translated means ‘the Welsh language web’.
But as far as the network of machines is concerned there is no distinct Welsh language web; online pages of multiple languages interlink and multilingual content can often reside on the same database on the same server. For example, Twitter is a centralised platform based in the United States, but is host to conversations by Welsh speakers, many of whom read and write tweets in Welsh. A similar observation could be made of blogs in Welsh on WordPress.com and videos on YouTube.
The precise meaning of the term y we Gymraeg is subject to discussion among academics and bloggers. But judging by the search results, Welsh speakers regard a language-specific web as a natural reality which they can explore and contribute to. It is their subset of the World Wide Web – all the pages, blog posts, videos, tweets, podcasts and other content that is in their language.
Children from a Welsh school with the Welsh flag. Image by Geoff Abbott, copyright Demotix (01/03/12).
‘The language’
Wales-focused media outlets such as Golwg360, BBC Newyddion and S4C regularly discuss political, social and technological developments regarding yr iaith, which translates as ‘the language’.
Ned Thomas, the Welsh academic and media activist, has described the situation for those in England who occasionally look on:
The Englishman is remarkably unselfconscious about his language and content to use it as a tool. Although he can allow intellectually for the Welsh attachment to the native language, it is something the Englishman finds hard to understand emotionally. It must seem a romantic cultural obsession, a communal neurosis. There is an obsession; that must be admitted. A healthy language, like a healthy body, does not need to have its temperature taken all the time; but the Welsh-speaker is constantly asking how the language is doing […].
Since his comparison in 1971, Wales’ national constitution and education system have been partly reformed, to the language’s benefit.
Now, the continual emergence of web-based content platforms – while in theory promising – introduces an additional set of criteria for assessing the health of the language.
Recent research presented by the BBC at a media conference shows that of the time spent on the web by the average Welsh speaker, only 1% is on Welsh language content. We can assume that most of the remaining 99% of the time is taken up by English-language content. There are several factors behind these percentages, which form a contemporary story of linguistic domain loss.
Although the Welsh language web is large from an individual user’s perspective, it has relatively few resources available when compared with other languages. Even the Basque language, which statistically is in a comparable situation to Welsh in its homeland, is much more privileged on the web in its number and diversity of established websites and levels of participation.
Wales has comparatively fewer institutions that would view an increase in quality web content as an important part of their mission. There is perhaps an excessive reliance on voluntary efforts. Yet the cumulative amount of spare time at the disposal of volunteers, what the American writer Clay Shirky refers to as cognitive surplus, is also small.
Welsh Wikipedia…
Welsh language users do benefit from other language webs. Wikipedia is a superb example – a project which started in English but has spawned parallel projects in many other languages. Wicipedia Cymraeg is in fact the most popular website in Welsh, receiving 2.5 million page views per month. (The spelling reminds us of the lack of need for a ‘k’ among the 28 letters of the Welsh alphabet.) It currently has 36,774 articles which are predominantly contributed in spare time.
Wicipedia Cymraeg’s success is due to a perfect combination of interesting content and that other challenging factor for any small language: attention. Owners of Welsh web projects suffering from a lack of attention would do well to reflect on how Wicipedia has achieved such effective distribution of its content.
Reasons why awareness of Wicipedia is high include mainstream media coverage, inbound links and prominent search ranking for its articles. Because of its blanket Creative Commons licence, the content of Wicipedia Cymraeg is in the hands of nobody – and everybody. That is, its content can be repurposed and reused elsewhere. This licence is among the strategies being considered by publicly-funded bodies in Wales who produce content, in order to strengthen the language in the digital age.
The existence of the Web, as referred to above, is not to be taken for granted. Its inventor, the Englishman Tim Berners-Lee, regularly warns of threats to the Web such as fragmentation due to the growth of competing platforms run by Apple, Facebook and other companies. He says:
[…] If we, the Web’s users, allow these and other trends to proceed unchecked, the Web could be broken into fragmented islands. We could lose the freedom to connect with whichever Web sites we want. The ill effects could extend to smartphones and pads, which are also portals to the extensive information that the Web provides. […]
Any threat to the World Wide Web is a threat to the Welsh language web. These ‘fragmented islands’ will be controlled by companies who are geographically and culturally distant from the homeland of the Welsh language. With an already patchy landscape of Welsh-language media of any kind Welsh speakers are unlikely to celebrate imminent ‘disruption’, that buzzword so beloved of the Silicon Valley speculators and venture capitalists.
Conversely an increase in websites and web apps which are owned and controlled by Welsh language users and organisations, would be a strength. Meddalwedd rydd (free software) such as WordPress and open standards like HTML5 could enable more of these homegrown projects to appear – but only if embraced.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Carl Morris


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Argentina: China-Born Olympic Athlete in the Spotlight · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
In a weekend marked by sports, with many disciplines where Argentinian athletes and teams participated in the London 2012 Olympics, Argentinian fans divided their time between basketball, women's hockey, the Olympic rings, and tennis.
But what caught the most attention among Argentinian netizens was ping pong, also known as table tennis. Not because it is a popular sport in the country, but because of the man who represented Argentina in this discipline. Liu Song, born in China but with Argentinian nationality, has captured the undivided attention of Argentinian netizens after bringing the first victory for Argentina in London 2012.
Who is Liu Song? Fabio Baccaglioni comments [es] in his blog:
Un nombre resume todo, Liu Song. ¿por qué tomarlo como ícono olímpico? simplemente porque es uno de esos atletas por los que nadie da un mango en los medios, aquel que uno sabe va sin nada y se vuelve con todo aun habiendo perdido. No sale en fotos oficiales, nadie apuesta por él, sin embargo logró que todo el mundo lo mencione y mire sus partidos de Ping Pong, suframos con su caída, lo felicitemos cuando le hacen una nota y nos llenemos de lágrimas al verlo triste pero con la frente alta.
One name sums it up, Liu Song. Why take him as an Olympic icon? simply because he is one of those athletes that nobody in the media pays attention to, who you know will go with nothing and yet he will come back with everything, even though he has lost. He does not appear in official photos, no one is bidding on him, but he has managed to make everyone mention him and watch his games of Ping Pong, suffer with his fall, congratulate him when he gets some air time and we are filled with tears when we see him sad but with his head held high.
Fabio continues:
Liu Song – photo: Comisión Nacional de Cultura Física y Deporte under license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Siendo un chino nacionalizado argentino, con apenas un español rudimentario, igual nos representó e hizo lo suyo más que bien.
[…]
Por eso creo que él representa a todas esas otras disciplinas que no “venden” que no suben el rating si no que pasan desapercibidas durante cuatro años y nadie les da la más mínima atención, para ellos, el mejor de los deseos, y ojo, a no confundir, que no significa que uno no apoye a las disciplinas “famosas” si no que lo que quiero es que sean todas importantes, aun cuando la única chance sea de tan sólo pasar una ronda.
As a Chinese, citizen of Argentina, with only rudimentary Spanish, he has represented us and did his part very well.
[…]
So I think he represents all those other disciplines that do not “sell”, that do not raise ratings but rather go unnoticed for four years and no one gives them the slightest attention, for them, I wish the best, and don't be confused, that does not mean I don't support the “famous” disciplines, I want all of them to be important, even if the only chance they get is to pass to the next round.
Song, who already represented Argentina in 2000, 2004 and 2008 for the Olympics, won over Argentinian Twitter users, and the hashtag #Songuito [es] became a local Trending Topic over the past weekend. Among the most relevant tweets there are those that “sing” to cheer for Song, like Alejandro Guevara (@AleMGuevara) [es] and Pibe Cristino (@pibecristino) [es]:
@pibecristino: ♬ #songuito, mi buen amigo, esta olimpiada volveremo a esta contigo, te enseñaremooooo’ el españooool ♬
@pibecristino [es]: ♬ #songuito, my good friend, these Olympics we will be with you again, and we will teach you Spanish ♬
Others are already thinking about Song's participation in the Brazil 2016 Olympics. Javier Navia (@javiernavia) [es] suggests that Song be the standard bearer for the Argentinian delegation:
@javiernavia: #Songuito debe volver en Rio 2016 y ser el abanderado.
@javiernavia [es]: #Songuito should be in Rio 2016 holding the Argentinian flag.
Likewise, Eve (@apalappapa) [es] tweets:
@apalappapa:  #Songuito quiero ir a Ezeiza a recibirte!!!!! brasil 2016 te espera!!!!
@apalappapa [es]: #Songuito I want to go to the Ezeiza Airport to greet you!!!!! Brazil 2016 waits for you!!!!
Liu Song is admired by Argentinians because his triumph was the first victory for the country in London 2012. Song won during the first round against the Congolese Suraju Saka, but in the second round he was eliminated by Slovenian Bojan Tokic. Again, Twitter in Argentina exploded with reactions. Facun Díaz (@fideoFlash)  [es] says that he doesn't want to watch the Olympics Games anymore and would rather watch YouTube videos of Song; and Antonio Nicolás Peix (@ANPeix) [es] says the Games are now meaningless.
Because of the losses by Las Leonas in Women's Hockey against the United States, by Men's Basketball [es] against France, and by Los Gladiadores [es] in Men's Handball also against France, among others, Liu Song was still remembered on July 31. Walter Cuevas (@Walwaler) [es] tweets:
@Walwaler: desde que perdió #songuito están perdiendo todos los deportistas arg!
@Walwaler [es]: since  #songuito lost, all Argentinian athletes are loosing!
While JC (@JuanCruzLopez12) [es] makes a suggestion:
@JuanCruzLopez12: La única solucion que se me ocurre… Es que #Songuito sea capitan de todos los equipos.
@JuanCruzLopez12 [es]: The only solution I can think of…is that #Songuito be the captain of all teams.
Finally, in the post “Thank you #Songuito! We will never forget you…”, Alez R. from the blog Una Opinión en Blog (An Opinion in a Blog) [es] writes:
Alli termino la participacion de #Songuito como fue famoso y “TrendingTopic” en la red social Twitter, pero quedara para siempre en el sentimiento de los argentinos… “Grande ArgenChino” !
There ended the participation of  #Songuito who was famous as a “TrendingTopic” on the social network Twitter, but will remain forever in the hearts of the Argentinians … “You are great ArgenChinese”!
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

author: Laura Schneider


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Armenia: Activism or Slacktivism? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Contributing a guest post to The Armenian Observer, local blogger Uzogh criticizes Facebook activism in Armenia, considering it more akin to slacktivism engaged in by a minority and not backed up by concrete actions in the offline world. A small discussion follows in the comments section.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bolivia: Anti-US Rhetoric Harming its Diplomatic Relations? · Global Voices
Pablo Andres Rivero

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
In the last decade the balance of power has changed in South America. The US hegemony exerted in the second part of the 20th century in the region has been challenged, primarily by the solid emergence of Brazil but also by political initiatives led by left-wing governments like Bolivia.
Despite its relatively small size the landlocked country at the heart of South America, has championed anti-US initiatives since 2006, when President Evo Morales, a left-wing indigenous leader and coca-growers’ unionist, was democratically elected.
Raul Prada Alcoreza, former member of president Morales’ party, describes the diplomatic context in the early days of 2006 on his blog [es]:
Una gran legitimidad sostenía al flamante gobierno y al presidente indígena. También se gozaba de una gran simpatía internacional. En la cancillería se comenzó a trabajar en la perspectiva de una diplomacia indígena, que descolonice nuestras relaciones con los países en el mundo diplomático, también se comenzó a trabajar en la diplomacia de los pueblos, una idea del presidente que abría la posibilidad de que los mismos pueblos intervengan efectivamente en las relaciones entre los países, dejando de tratarse de relaciones sólo entre estados. Todo parecía augurar un proceso continuo de cambio.
During his two consecutive terms in power, Morales espoused an “anti-colonialism” agenda targeting directly to US policies. The Bolivian President championed criticism of “Western Capitalism”, and improved relations with other visibly anti-US governments in the region, like Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador and Argentina.
Bolivia also prioritized strengthening political forums and mechanisms away from US influence. The Union of South American Nations  (UNASUR in Spanish) [es], the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA), and the recently launched Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC ) are three initiatives that challenge the US-driven Organisation of American States [en] (OAS).
Besides the anti-US agenda, Bolivia’s international focus is primarily defined by three strategic aspects: the coca-cocaine issue, foreign investment to improve the quality and revenues from gas exports to Brazil and Argentina, and sovereign coastline access in the Pacific, all of which the country has failed to address.
Also, bilateral relations between Bolivia and Brazil are not as sound as they were when Lula da Silva held the reins of power in Brasilia.  A diplomatic impasse [en] remains unsolved between the two governments as Roger Pinto, a former Bolivian senator and opposition-member, sought asylum at the Embassy of Brazil in La Paz after he was accused of corruption by Bolivian officials. Earlier, Pinto had revealed evidence that high officials in Bolivia dealt with drug trafficking organizations. Much to Bolivia's disapproval, the Brazilian government granted asylum to Pinto.
Bolivian Minister of Communication, Amanda Davila, insists that diplomatic relations between the two countries have not been affected [es], although a number of other unsolved issues such as Brazilian interests in the road through the TIPNIS National Park. Conversely, a recent improvement in relations between Bolivia and Iran was criticized by Washington and Brasilia. Closer ties between La Paz and Tehran merely add to concerns that Bolivia’s anti-US policies are not only compromising its relations with Brazil, but also its status in regional political systems.

author: Pablo Andres Rivero


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Caribbean: Marking Emancipation  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Today, many Caribbean territories celebrate Emancipation Day, which commemorates the abolition of slavery.  Each year, bloggers mark the occasion, but this year, online attention to the holiday is rather low-key, with only a handful of netizens mentioning it in their posts or tweets.
From Guyana, Demerara Waves republished the president's Emancipation Day Address, while its neighbour, Barbados Free Press, thought it appropriate to “pray for millions still held as slaves” through human trafficking.
Jamaican diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp found that today was the perfect opportunity to further his cause for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey, and uploaded a video of Bob Marley performing Redemption Song in memory of “our prophets”.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Afra Raymond republished his ‘Emancipation’ column, which was published in the business section of one of the daily newspapers in 2009.  He referred to the article as his “attempt to grapple with some of the the unspoken causes and consequences” of the CL Financial and Hindu Credit Union financial disasters and suggested that:
In my opinion a significant part of these two interlinked stories – the CL Financial and HCU collapses – is rooted in our own issues with race. It would be a grave error to dismiss race in trying to understand these crises.
I have not had the time to delve into the role of race in the HCU matter, so this is my offering in relation to CL Financial and our own African Emancipation Day celebrations…

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Chinese-born Weightlifters Win Gold for Kazakhstan · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Two female weightlifters have won gold medals for Kazakhstan at the London Olympics. On Registan.net, Matthew Kupfer writes that the two athletes “are actually from China and … this isn't a big secret in Kazakhstan.” The blogger adds: “But it doesn't change what they have accomplished. [The athletes] were not champions in China. Kazakhstan apparently found them, trained them, and made them champions.”

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Costa Rica: ‘We Are All Karina’ Campaign for Dismissed Vice-Minister  · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Men and women are getting their picture taken with hand-written signs stating, “We are all Karina” to show support for the Vice-Minister Karina Bolaños, who was dismissed after a video where she appears in underwear speaking to an undisclosed lover surfaced. Karina was black-mailed for years regarding this video, and once she stopped paying, the video was distributed to media and social networks, leading to her dismissal by President Laura Chinchilla.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about the situation of Karina Bolaños, who has the Costa Rican social network sphere asking: why has a female vice-minister been dismissed for something of a purely personal and intimate nature that is not related to her job ,while male ministers and other male government employees who have been denounced for mistakes and unethical (or corrupt) behavior have held the President's support.
On the Facebook page for the movement  [es] more than 2500 people have liked it in less than 7 hours. And more than 150 pictures [es]have already been added as well.
The picture that seemes to have started the movement was posted by blogger and photographer Julia Ardón, who for the first few hours manually added the pictures into an album on her personal facebook. Now they are being added to the official group page by each  supporter.
“We are all Karina” Blogger and Photographer Julia Ardón stands in solidarity with Karina Bolaños
There is also a march being planned [es] for Saturday, August 11 to demand the restitution of the ex Vice-Minister:
Este próximo 11 de agosto, Costa Rica se va las calles a decir Tod@s Somos Karina! No al machismo en Costa Rica, no más atropellos a nuestras mujeres y no más abusos de este gobierno! Desde el Parque Central hasta Casa Presidencial daremos la cara los que unimos al movimiento Tod@s Somos Karina, toda mujer costarricense merece respeto, tu madre, tu hermana, tu tía, tu abuela y tu vecina! Los esperamos a las 09:00 am! Exigimos la restitución de la Ex Viceministra!

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Georgia: Philanthropic Blogging · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Net Prophet interviews Givi Avaliani, a Georgian blogger [GE] focusing on online campaigning and charitable activities, and who says that human rights protection and highlighting the poverty around him are his main inspirations. The Transitions Online blog says that more than 120,000 people have visited Avaliani's blog in the past year.


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Guatemala: Peoples’ Health Tribunal Declares Goldcorp Guilty · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

This is the second post of a two-part series. Read an introduction to the situation in San Miguel Ixtahuacán and the organization of the Health Tribunal in the first post of this series.
On July 14 and 15, 2012, members of the San Miguel Ixtahuacán community joined M4 (The MesoAmerican Movement against extractive Mining Model) [es] and the Toronto-based Mining Injustice Solidarity Network to organize ‘The Peoples’ International Health Tribunal’.
Photojournalist James Rodriguez covered the Health Tribunal extensively on his blog.
Goldcorp Health Tribunal San Miguel Ixtahuacán, July 14, 2012. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
From left to right: Diodora Hernández, Gregoria Crisanta Pérez, and Crisanta Pérez, Mam Mayan women from San Miguel Ixtahuacán, Guatemala, have all been affected by the mining operations of Canadian-owned Goldcorp’s Marlin Gold Mine. The health tribunal will use community testimony, scientific research and human rights organization’s knowledge to examine how the presence of Goldcorp’s mining operations has affected community residents in Mesoamerica.
Local women from San Miguel Ixtahuacán prepare lunch on first day of the Health Tribunal on July 14, 2012. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
Aniseto López, from San Miguel Ixtahuacán, speaks during the inauguration of the event. July 24, 2012. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
Jury members, Goldcorp Health Tribunal San Miguel Ixtahuacán, July 14, 2012. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
The event also featured testimonies by people affected by Goldcorp's operations in other countries.
Carlos Amador, from the Siria Valley Environmental Committee in Honduras. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission
Carlos Amador, from the Siria Valley Environmental Committee in Honduras, declares during the event: “We must defend life with life itself! We come from the Siria Valley to give our testimony on how we have been gravely damaged by Goldcorp’s San Martin mine. It has operated for ten years, ten years of destruction and illnesses!”
Miguel Mijangos, from the Mexican Network of Mining Affected-Communities (REMA). Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
Miguel Mijangos, from the Mexican Network of Mining Affected-Communities (REMA), presents the Carrizalillo community case from Guerrero, Mexico, where a Goldcorp-owned mine operats. “As of June 2012, six years since the mine started operations, 100% of the households of Carrizalillo have at least one family member who suffers a mining-related illness.”
Matías López, from San Miguel Ixtahuacán, declares during the presentation of the Marlin case: “We ask that you leave us in peace! We ask that you leave in peace… back to your own countries.” Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
Luis Mendoza, 25, worked for two years at the San Martín Mine. He now suffers serious skin disorders. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
The second day of the Tribunal kicked off with a spiritual invocation and more testimonies from local and international activists.
A spiritual invocation takes place before the second day’s activities. July 25, 2012. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
Delegation from Cabañas, El Salvador. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
The delegation from Cabañas, El Salvador, shares the tragic experience the community has suffered due to Pacific Rim’s the El Dorado gold mine. Numerous activists in defence of their territory have been murdered. In addition, the Canadian company has sued the State of El Salvador for damages after its license was revoked due to environmental concerns.
Angélica Choc. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
Angélica Choc, along with the delegation from El Estor, describes the atrocities suffered by the Q’eqchi’ Mayan people of the region since the arrival of a Canadian-owned Nickel mine in the mid-1960s. Currently, three legal cases are being processed in Canadian courts connected to these grave human rights violations: The Murder of Adolfo Ich Chamán, German Chub Choc’s shooting, and the case of Rosa Elbira and the 12 women from Lote 8. More information on the legal cases here.
After listening to these and various other cases, the jury announced its verdict:
Jury gives its verdict. Photo by James Rodriguez, used with permission.
The jury, made up of distinguished individuals with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences including activists, scholars, spiritual leaders, journalists, and medical professionals, found Goldcorp guilty of human rights violations, health harms, and environmental contamination.
“We find Goldcorp guilty for its activities in Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, which we find to be seriously damaging to the health and the quality of life, the quality of environment, and the right to self determination of the affected Indigenous and campesino communities.” Read the complete verdict here.
Visit James’ photo essay to learn about more of these cases and see more images of the Tribunal. Independent social documentary makers Caracolproducciones also summarized the Tribunal in the following video:

author: Silvia Viñas


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Haiti: “Dear Ayiti” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Fanm Kanson Network posts the first video from its “Dear Ayiti” project, which asks a simple question: If Haiti were a person, what would you say to her?  Two Haitian Americans, one Haitian and a Grendadian share their thoughts.


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Indonesia: Young Athlete Late for Olympic Debut  · Global Voices
Agung Harsya

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
With a population of 220 million, Indonesia is sending only 22 athletes to compete in seven sporting events at the 2012 London Olympics. The size of the delegation was criticized after reports emerged that 54 sports officials, or double the number of athletes, are attending the games too.
The youngest athlete from Indonesia, 16 year- old Diaz Kusumawardani, was all set to compete in the women’s 10-meter air rifle competition. Diaz grabbed the Olympics ticket after reaching the required 388 limit score  at the Asian Shooting Championship in Doha, Qatar, last January and she was supposed to be ready to make her Olympics debut in London.
She was even released early from marching duty in the parade during the opening ceremony for her big moment.
Indonesian athlete Diaz Kusumawardani. Photo from twitter page of Diaz
But by the next morning her preparation fell apart, according to the tweets from her personal twitter account. Apparently, her coach told her that the race will begin at 9am. When they arrived in the venue, Royal Artillery Barracks, they found out the race was set to begin at 8.15am and other athletes have already prepared their equipment.
She explains the morning rush in her twitter account: [Id]
@diazdkw Great ya, datang telat hasil tak maksimal.
@diazdkw Yang bilang tanding jam 9 itu siapa ya? Uhuk ga ikut TM sir
@diazdkw Jangan sampe kesalahan tolol ini terjadi lagi ya, atlet dan pelatih harus tau tanding jam berapa. Jangan sampr misscom dan lebih profesional
Out of 56 contestants, Diaz finished second to the last. Her comments and the issue became a controversial topic in mainstream and social media.
@zenrs Dg jumlah official 2 kali lipat lebih banyak dr jumlah atlet, masih ada cerita atlet datang mepet ke arena. Ngapain aja di sana official?
@AyuWidy Diaz Kusuma satu2 nya atlit tembak Indonesia di Olimpiade telat dateng ke venue. Bener2 konsisten bawa budaya ngaret. Anda luar biasa!
@ayshardzn Diaz Kusuma,1st Indonesian to compete in London (Shooting) came 1 hour late to venue. Finished 55th from 56. 1 hour late! #London2012
@khalidolit Atlet cabang nembak, Diaz Kusuma telat sejam ke venue. Karena telat adalah budaya bangsa.
Last Monday, Diaz used her Twitter again to clarify that she didn't arrive after the race began, but that she arrived when the race was about to begin.
@diazdkw konfirmasi ya, saya tidak telat sejam ke RAB. tolong dong jangan terlalu membesar2kan.
@diazdkw saya tidak pernah marah atau menyalahkan siapapun tentang hasil saya kemarin, saya minta kepada semuanya jangan membesar2kan ini.
Over the years, Indonesia has won six gold medals  at the Olympics,  all of them for badminton.
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

author: Agung Harsya


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Jordan: Internet freedom – the beginning of the end? · Global Voices
Nadine Toukan

Advocating for personal freedoms and a continued open Internet in Jordan, Ahmad Humeid, designer, brand architect and web entrepreneur, blogged at 360east: “Over the past decade, Jordan has been steadily building a reputation in the region as the Silicon Valley of Arabia. Scores of web and mobile start ups are mushrooming in the country. Social media companies are on the rise. A vibrant social conversation is evolving in the country.
But our free internet way of life, which we have enjoyed since the introduction of the commercial internet in the country since 1995, is now under threat. Real threat.”
Read Ahmad's full post here.

author: Nadine Toukan


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Kazakhstan: Images from “Post-Apocalyptic” Village · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Despite Kazakhstan's oil-fueled economic growth, some parts of the country are doing a lot worse than others. Blogger Iskander Salikhojaev has recently traveled to Akchatau, a small poverty-stricken village in central Kazakhstan where some 1,000 people live without jobs, drinking water, and hope. Vox Populi posts [ru] photos from the blogger's trip. “Some of the images appear to be from Fallout, a video game set in a post-apocalyptic world,” writes Salikhojaev.


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Kyrgyz Female Wrestler – Hooligan or Olympic Heroine? · Global Voices
Atai Muratbekov

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
Aisuluu Tynybekova is no ordinary athlete. A 19-year-old female wrestler from Kyrgyzstan's mountainous Naryn province, her bid for Olympic glory has won her accolades in the the global media, who have memed her as the “the Central Asian country’s best hope to bring home a medal”.
But her rise towards stardom has also brought her some less desirable attention at home, where she will face a criminal charge of “hooliganism” after her time at the games is over. Netizens have overwhelmingly backed Tynybekova's Olympic bid in spite of the charge.
Referred to by Reuters as a “girl among men” due to her success in a male-dominated sport, her training regimen will provide television commentators at the games with something to discuss during those boring “warm up moments”. As the Washington Times writes:
The first female wrestler to represent her country at the games, Ms. Tynybekova’s training consists of sparring with male athletes at least 20 pounds heavier than she is and jogging several miles each week in a gorge that measures close to 5,000 feet deep.
Time Magazine, meanwhile, delighted in her horse-derived answer to Lucozade, noting that she “drinks fermented mare’s milk for strength.”
Aisuluu Tynybekova, Kyrgyzstan's first woman to compete in freestyle wrestling at the Olympics. Screenshot from video “Aisuluu” uploaded on YouTube on May 11, 2012, by Radio Azzatyk.
(View Tynybekova's profile on the official London 2012 Olympics website).
But her image in the country has been roughed up by an incident which took place next to an ice cream stand located in a city underpass. On April 3, only some time after the official list of Olympic games participants was approved, Aisuluu was accused of beating another girl, seventeen-year-old Yasmin Nurdin kyzy, after an argument ensued in the bowels of an underpass in the centre of the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.
On July 20, 2012, the Leninsky district court of Bishkek suspended [ru] the wrestler's case until her return from the Olympic Games. Nurdin kyzy's mother, who local news outlets have accused of seeking to profit financially from Tynybekova's new-found fame, said she was “categorically” against the court decision and is ready to appeal.
Tynybekova complained [ru] to the country's most widely read Russian language newspaper, Vecherni Bishkek, that “people try to provoke me into violence every day”. As she told the newspaper:
В тот день в подземном переходе мы с Розалией собирались купить мороженое. В это время кто-то из проходящих мимо толкнул меня. Я, обернувшись, увидела троих девушек и одного парня. Затем толкнувшая меня девушка (Ясмина. – vb) начала интересоваться, почему я встала не на том месте. Я сказала на русском языке и на кыргызском, что не хочу проблем, и, расплатившись за мороженое, мы направились к выходу.
Tynybekova's training consists of sparring with heavier male athletes. Screenshot from video “Aisuluu” uploaded on YouTube on May 11, 2012, by Radio Azzatyk.
Vecherni Bishkek also quoted [ru] Tynybekova as warning the group that she had “enough strength to beat two men, let alone one girl.” Tynybekova said they “didn't listen to her” and that she was subsequently surrounded by the group, a version of the story Yasmin Nurdin kyzy denied [ru]:
Я спросила, можно ли пройти, и слегка коснулась рукой. Она агрессивно отреагировала, начала возмущаться, кричать. Одна одногруппница пыталась помочь, но не получилось. Остальные только выйти успели [из подземного перехода] и в шоковом состоянии просто наблюдали, ничего не могли сделать.
Nurdin kyzy's mother recently told the press that her daughter was in hospital for ten days with a broken nose, blackened eyes and concussion. Tynybekova's trainer told [ru] Kloop.kg that the mother wanted “the money Aisuluu would get if she won a prize at the games.”
Netizens show support for Olympian
Kyrgyz netizens have mostly sided with the accused wrestler in this unseemly spat. Eliza Kenenbaeva, a presenter for Radio Azzatyk (Radio Liberty's Kyrgyz service) tweeted [ru]:
Айсулуу Тыныбекова, хотя и внешне грубая спортсменка, очень наивная и хорошая девушка. Не верю всей этой шумихе.
Commenting under a Kloop.kg  article about the decision to postpone the trial until after the games, Gulya Toktogulovna said [ru]:
Это справедлива вот это молодцы молодцы АЙСУЛУУ вперед :) тока не хулигань :)
Other netziens doubt the motives of Aisuluu's accusers. Why hadn't they accused Aisuluu right after the event? Why only after it became clear that Aisuluu could be heading for an Olympic medal and prize money?
As Mira Alieva commented [ru]:
Если это настолько серьезно было, почему они еще в апреле не подали в суд[?]…
Amid a storm of press criticism the girl's mother has now withdrawn [ru] a claim for “moral damages” of 500,000 Kyrgyz Soms (over 10,000 US dollars). In Kyrgyzstan, the average salary is $200 per month. Tynybekova's family is engaged in small-scale sheep husbandry. Under Vecherni Bishkek's online coverage of the case, Poklonnica summed up [ru] a commonly held feeling that Yasmin and her mother were going for gold – and not in the Olympic sense:
Ну вот, что и требовалось доказать. Все ради денег!!! И олимпиада непочем!!
Another Vecherni Bishkek reader, Nur equated [ru] Aisuluu's accuser, a permanent resident of Bishkek, with a sly city slicker luring an unsuspecting country girl into a trap:
верю. по фото Ясмины видно что она способна на такое. разумеется это сугубо личное мнение. такое сплошь и рядом происходит, когда якобы городские девочки ставят на место приезжих. лет надцать назад была сама приезжая, толстая и некрасивая )))) и меня тоже часто могли просто толкнуть и указать место ))) но тогда толпой не нападали, к моему счастью. я не борец, и не могла дать сдачу. очень понимаю чувства Айсулу, особенно если она говорит по русски с акцентом. )))удачи ей на Олимпиаде. а Ясмине наверно это урок – гонор свой засунуть куда дальше, и жить спокойно!
Tynybekova's case is thus complicated further by what she represents. Unspoiled by money and urban life, she is the Olympian ideal embodied – competing for the sake of competing in a sport her culture deems “unfeminine.” Moreover, her family hails from Naryn, an almost exclusively ethnic Kyrgyz “heartland” where people are said to speak the purest language and breathe the freshest air. In addition to being great copy for the international press, she could be good political capital, too.
Perhaps mindful of this, one netizen, beshtash, braved the wave of pro-Tynybekova sentiment to ask [ru] a cynical, yet pertinent question – how might Aisuluu's Olympic performances impact the outcome of the trial?:
Интересно, а что если ‘борчиха’ Айсулуу Тыныбекова станет олимпийским призером? Будут ли ее судить или великодушно простят?
For the moment at least, Tynybekova's short-term fate is in her own burly arms. According to a calendar [ru] of  performances of Kyrgyz sportsmen and sportswomen compiled by Kloop.kg, Aisuluu will compete for the first time in London 2012 on August 8. The wrestler must then return to Kyrgyzstan by August 15, when her trial is scheduled to begin.
Below is a Radio Azzatyk video report, in Kyrgyz, about Aisuluu's Olympic bid:
N.B. Tynybekova is not the only female athlete from Central Asia aiming to beat her opponents into submission at London 2012. Twenty year-old Mavzuna Chorieva, from Tajikistan, will be representing Kyrgyzstan's southern neighbor in boxing. A BBC video report about Chorieva can be seen here.
This post is part of the GV Central Asia Interns Project at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

author: Atai Muratbekov


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Lebanon: Inflammatory TV Show Leads to Arrests of Gay Men · Global Voices
Ahmed Awadalla

On July 28, 36 men were arrested [ar] in Beirut under suspicion of homosexual activity. The raid took place in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood at Cinema Plaza, which is considered to be a gay cruising venue. Lebanese police also cracked down on other venues deemed to be places of “debauchery and prostitution”.
Moreover, the detainees were subjected to forced anal examinations, which would supposedly prove their homosexuality. The examinations are based on outdated medical knowledge from the 19th century, and are considered a violation of bodily rights and a form of torture according to international human rights standards.
The raid came after months of a campaign waged [ar] by a famous TV show on Lebanon's Murr TV (MTV) channel called “Anta Hurr”, inciting hatred [ar] against gays.
The Lebanese LGBT Media Monitor, a project by Lebanese LGBT group Raynbow, has written about the anti-gay campaign on their website:
Another outrageous report by MTV, the Lebanese TV station now popular for its bigotry, racism, homophobia, and hate-incitement was aired on May 8, 2012. The Anta Hurr (أنت حر Arabic for “You are free”) episode included using a hidden camera inside an adult all-men movie theater in Lebanon’s second largest city, Tripoli. The video shows shadows of men masturbating and a short sexual chat with one of them. [Presenter] Joe Maalouf called on officials to close the theater permanently. The next day, Cinema Hamra in Tripoli was shut down without any official or public response by any politician or leader.
Photo posted on Facebook page of The Lebanese LGBT Media Monitor.
The raid triggered angry reactions among Lebanese bloggers. The Gay in Beirut blog commented:
Whatever one might think of the places that were raided – shady, filthy, immoral – they exist even in the most conservative Arab cities – Damascus has them, Amman has them. They’re not a sign of “too much freedom” but on the contrary, they are a symptom of a closed and homophobic society. They are a desperate choice for gay guys to have an occasional sexual encounter.
Online users left angry comments on the Facebook page of Joe Maalouf, the host of the TV show. Hasan Abdessamad left a comment saying:
How does it feel to have 36 men arrested, taking them away from their families and out of the safety of their closets, throwing them under the cruelty of our merciless judgmental society, putting them at risk for losing their jobs, and throwing them in a jail where they already got abused by exposing them to “dignity anal testing”? Why is your target always the misfortunate and weak? Go after all the corrupt people in power dressed in suits and causing real harm to our Lebanese society. I used to like and watch your program now I do not even want to watch MTV Lebanon all together.
In an unexpected turn, some Lebanese Facebook and Twitter users spread rumors that Maalouf is gay himself.  A YouTube video [ar] entitled “Joe Maalouf is gay” has been circulating, which contains photos of Maalouf apparently on the Greek Island of Mykonos, a gay tourism hub. Nevertheless, others were against the move to reveal Maalouf’s sexuality and considered it harmful to the Lebanese gay community. Raja Farah, a blogger who identifies as gay, atheist, activist, pacifist, and Arab wrote in a post called “36 men in jail, and 1 on TV”:
As it seems, a few hours ago, someone (I have no idea who) launched a campaign to out Maalouf, posting a YouTube video and creating a blogpost. I instantly remembered why such tactics are horrible. As the story of the cinema arrests continues to develop, our number one priority needs to be the privacy, safety, and well-being of these men. That should be our focus and our goal. Joe Maalouf’s sexuality will not change anything. He may be evil, he may be homophobic, he may be the devil incarnate. It doesn’t matter. Outing him will not help get these men out of Hbeish [police station] and it certainly won’t help us in any way. We don’t fight hate with hate and we don’t fight homophobia with homophobia.
Photo posted on Helem's Facebook page.
According to Helem, a Lebanon-based organization that offers support and services to LGBT people, article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code states that “sexual intercourse contrary to nature” is punishable by up to 1 year in prison. The article is used by the Lebanese ruling classes to criminalize homosexuality for ordinary people and block democratic debate on sexuality.
Article 534 is part of the French colonial legacy in Lebanon during the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon between 1920 and 1946. In fact, many of the anti-homosexuality laws were introduced by colonial powers into the national legislation of several countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Several LGBT groups in Lebanon have been campaigning to abolish article 534. In December 2009, HELEM launched a report on the legal situation of homosexuals in the Arab region.
The incident is reminiscent of a similar case in Cairo in 2001, when police raided a discotheque, dozens of men were jailed, and anal examinations were performed.
The recent crackdown in Lebanon contradicts the popular image of Beirut as a city that embraces diversity and is considered a destination for gay tourism.

author: Ahmed Awadalla


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Mauritania: Mining Workers Protest ‘New Kind of Slavery’ · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

The northern Mauritanian cities of Zouerat and Nouadhibou are witnessing protests by workers who are not registered. More than 2,300 workers are protesting in the mining city of Zouerat, which has led to complete paralysis of some ten National Mining and Industrial Company sites (SNIM [fr]) in addition to disrupting work in other locations.
The workers are demanding to benefit from the wage increase granted recently by SNIM to its employees; they are also asking for social security, in addition to the right to be given work priority for being Mauritanian citizens, compared to foreign workers from the neighboring states.
New kind of slavery
Such workers, known as “journalia” workers in the local dialect, are also asking for a direct contract with SNIM rather than contracts with outsourcing companies, which only pay 40 per cent of the SNIM wages to every laborer, something they consider human trafficking and a new kind of slavery.
Protesters also threatened to hold a  march from Zouerat to Nouakchott, similar to the one organized by Nouadhibou activists earlier. In Nouadhibou, “journalia” workers are also staging a protest against what they call human trafficking; about 1,000 laborers are threatening to halt work and engage in an open strike.
Photo of the Journalia Protest in Nouadhibou by Mauritannet blog
The demonstration in Zouerat
Mauritannet blog [ar] wrote about these protests and you can read about the Zouerat events in the Facebook Page of the 25th of February Movement:
Mauritanian blogger Alddedd Wald Al Sheik [ar] also wrote about this issue:
المشكلة تعود إلي دفع الشركة لرواتب مضاعفة أربع مرات إضافة إلي زيادة نسبية لرواتب العمال الرسميين بينما تجاهلت عمال” الجرنالية “وهي حسب النقابيين سابقة خطيرة وقد تؤدي إلي انفجار الوضع داخل الشركة.
Ahmed Haymoudane [ar] denounces the absence of any intention to solve the crisis by the concerned company:
There are no signs of solutions so far and that is due to:
- The insistence of SNIM to continue exploiting Mauritanian workers in a way that brings back the memory of African workers exploitation in sugarcane fields in America in previous times.
- The insistence of the workers to go on with their strike and not bow to pressures applied by the company against them threatening to replace them with foreign workers.
- The insistence of authorities to shut up anyone who raises his voice demanding his rights in the country so that the revolution contagion doesn't spread and things don't get out control.
Alddedd Wald Al Sheikh tweets as well:

author: أحمد جدو


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Mauritania: Torture in Detention Turns to Medical Nightmare · Global Voices
Anita Hunt

A young man wrongfully arrested on suspicion of theft is experiencing memory loss after being tortured while detained in the Ould Yengé district detention centre in July, 2012. Abderrahmane Demba Diawo, 32 years old, told reporters [fr] that he and the four other suspects were handcuffed, then hung from the ceiling and beaten. Abderrahmane was released without charge, along with one other, while the remaining three were jailed. After bringing him to the capital Nouakchott for treatment, Abderrahmane's father is now concerned that his son has not been given adequate medical care by the neuropsychiatric hospital.

author: Anita Hunt


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Mexico: Embroidering for Peace · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.
Threads, needles and fabrics have become warriors for peace in Mexico. In cities like Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, men and women of all ages have decided to speak out and share their thoughts and experiences on violence by participating in a collective relief effort through embroidery.
In her blog Yo también quiero opinar [es], Liliana Sánchez says she discovered the project while walking in the Coyoacan area, a bohemian and artistic neighborhood in Mexico City:
Esta vez, el proyecto que llamó mi atención lo encontré caminando por Coyoacán. Unas personas bordaban unos pañuelos, y aunque en principio pensé que eran las típicas manualidades para abuelitas, después me percaté de lo que decían los bordados. “Bordar por la paz. Un pañuelo una víctima” es el lema del colectivo “Fuentes Rojas”, quienes proponen bordar pañuelos con los nombres o descripciones de cada uno de los cincuenta mil muertos de la guerra contra el narco.
Photo by Carlos Ortega, used with permission.  Click image to see more photos.
She also explains the project's main objective [es]:
El objetivo del proyecto es, en sus propias palabras, “bordar esperanza y memoria”. Una vez logrado un número considerable de bordados, se mostrarán en las plazas públicas del país.
In the same post, Liliana writes about how therapeutic this activity becomes [es] for people who participate in the project:
Manifestaciones culturales (o no) en las que la gente se encuentra cara a cara con otras personas que cargan el mismo desazón, la misma incertidumbre. El gritar al unísono, el reir o llorar, sin pena y sin freno porque el de al lado es capaz de comprender, se convierte en algo terapéutico y muy necesario.
In another blog, + Allá de la Marcha [es], Martín Javier Oviedo Hernández narrates an episode that took place during the the activities of the ‘Lucha por Amor, Verdad y Justicia’ (Fight for Love, Truth and Justice) collective, in the northern city of Monterrey:
Un cálido día de Mayo, llama la atención un grupo de mujeres bordando, sentadas, platicando entre ellas, los curiosos se acercan: tres jóvenes  de Barcelona, Aram, Gabriel y Guillermo.
-¿Que hacen?-,  preguntan  a las damas.
- Bordamos por la paz-, contestan en coro.
-¿Entonces es cierto que están en guerra?…  -
- No solo en guerra, nos han arrebatado a nuestros hijos…-
Ellas son madres, hermanas y parientes de personas desaparecidas, organizadas en el Colectivo LUPA (Lucha por Amor, Verdad y Justicia, Nuevo León), se reúnen cada jueves,  a las 10 de la mañana, en el kiosco Lucila Sabella, en la Macroplaza de Monterrey.
On a warm day during May, a group of women knitting, sitting, talking, draw the attention of onlookers who come closer: three young men from Barcelona, Aram, Gabriel and William.
- What are you doing? – they ask the women.
- We are embroidering  for peace-, the women answer in chorus.
- So is it true that you are at war? … -
- Not only at war, they have taken our children … -
They are mothers, sisters and relatives of missing people, who come together in the collective LUPA (Fight for Love, Truth and Justice, Nuevo León), and they meet every Thursday at 10 am, at the kiosk Lucila Sabella, at the Macroplaza in Monterrey.
Martín finishes his post documenting dialogues [es] between the women who were embroidering in Monterrey's main square. Their conversations cover everything from invitations to participate in the project to complaints about the current situation of violence in the city:
Photo by Carlos Ortega, used with permission. Click image to see more photos.
-Se contactaron con nosotros, nos citaron en una Iglesia, pagamos el rescate, después de dos llamadas, perdimos el contacto-, concluye.
-No hay avance en la investigación, como en la mayoría de los casos, no se puede confiar en la autoridad- coinciden todas.
-También los hombres bordan- comentan ellas, invitando a los tres jóvenes, que escuchan con atención:
-El olvido es muerte…-
-Este bordado va en rojo, es en memoria de Don Alejo Garza Tamez, quién perdió la vida en esta guerra, enfrentando con dignidad a los sicarios que pretendían despojarlo de su propiedad…
Aram, Gabriel y Guillermo toman los bordados, “hilando” las historias escuchadas, cada puntada representa la memoria, la huella tangible. Bordando por la paz, convierte la desconfianza en esperanza. Temor y dolor se transforman en amor.
- They contacted us, we were called to a church, we paid the ransom, after two calls, we lost contact with them – she concludes.
- No progress in the investigation, as in most cases, you cannot rely on the authorities – they all agree.
- Men also embroider – they comment, inviting the three young men, who listen carefully:
- Forgetting is death…
- This is embroidered in red, in memory of Don Alejo Garza Tamez, who died in this war, facing with dignity the assassins who sought to strip him of his property…
Aram, Gabriel and William take the embroidery, “spinning” the stories heard, each stitch represents a memory, tangible footprints. Embroidering for peace makes distrust become hope. Fear and pain are transformed into love.
The blog Red por la Paz en México [es] describes the same embroidering for peace movement in Guadalajara:
En Guadalajara hay un grupo que se dedica a Bordar por la Paz. En Facebook aparecen muchas fotos de gente bordando: abuelitas de anteojos, papás con sus niñas, parejas de novios. Hasta una señora en silla de ruedas aparece. Unos están bordando parados, otros medio recostados en el césped, otros sentados en un banco. Bordan en un parque los domingos. Llevan su pañuelo blanco y  bordan ahí, en hilo rojo,  el nombre de alguna víctima de la violencia.
The movement has also expanded to various cities around the world, like Tokyo, Japan.
This post is part of our special coverage Mexico's Drug War.

author: Andrea Arzaba


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Mexico: Photo Essay Documents March Against Election Results  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Upside Down World posts a photo essay by Clayton Conn titled “National March Against the Imposition of Nieto as President in Mexico.” The photo essay covers the march held on July 21, “to decry the outcome of the July 1 presidential elections, which gave Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidate Enrique Peña Nieto the win.”


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Mozambique: Meanings Behind Women’s Traditional Mussiro Masks · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

In the northern coastal region and islands of Mozambique, it's common to come across women with faces covered with a natural white mask, called mussiro or n’siro. The purpose of the mask seems to have evolved over time. Nowadays it tends to be considered more as a means of beautifying the skin, but according to oral accounts, mussiro masks used to carry other subliminal messages related to the civil status of women.
While some meanings might have been lost through history, we pay homage to Mozambican women through this article on what some consider to be one of the strongest brand images of the country.
Matope Jose, from Mozmaníacos, wrote[pt] about the mussiro tradition:
Woman in a mussiro mask. Photo by VHGU on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
A província de Nampula é tradicionalmente conhecida como a terra das “muthiana orera” ou, simplesmente, meninas bonitas. As mulheres daquela região do país possuem uma técnica que lhes é peculiar de tratar da pele, desde tenra idade, com recurso a uma espécie florestal bastante procurada, denominada mussiro, uma planta que consta da lista das que devem ser preservadas e multiplicadas e que, regra geral, são usadas pelas comunidades para cura de diversas enfermidades, bem como para fins decorativos.
Ibo Island. Photo by Rosino on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In the following video [pt] by Julio Silva, women from Angoche explain how the tradition has been passed down to today's generation from their grandparents, and they show how the cream is extracted from the Olax dissitiflora plant using a stone and some water:
É esta planta é que nós usávamos na cara como mussiro. É como está a ver na minha cara, é esta planta.
Eu sou Fátima natural de Angoche. Este musiro nossos avós pintava primeiro uma pessoa quando é virgem. Depois entrava dentro de uma casa. Depois pintava este mussiro para ficar branca, até vir um namorado para namorar e casar-se com ele é que deixava mussiro. Só depois, para fazer assim este mussiro, depois  uma pessoa quando está fora para ficar clara, para ficar bonita a cara. É este o mussiro. A planta está no mato. Nós costuma ir buscar nossos marido, o bisavô vão cortar e isto começa aí vender. Agora vou mostrar a maneira como se faz este mussiro.
Mozambique Island. Photo from Rosino on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A post [pt] on the Baía magazine website adds that the tradition of mussiro being used by virgins or by women whose husbands were away is no longer its only usage:
Actualmente, esta pasta está massificada e “liberalizada” para todas as mulheres do norte a sul do país podendo ser usada não só pela mulher makwa ou makonde, mas também a manhungue, machuabo, maronga, machope, matswa etc. É já considerado um tratamento de beleza usado por todas aquelas mulheres preocupadas de forma especial com a beleza feminine africana. Algumas estilistas apostam as suas modelos a usarem esta “pasta afro” nas grandes passarelas como é o caso de Mozambique Fashion Week.

author: Sara Moreira


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Myanmar: Claims of Media Bias Towards Rohingya · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

This post is part of our special coverage Myanmar's Rohingya.
Eight weeks after Rakhine villages were attacked, the violence in western Myanmar continues to be a top news story in the mainstream and social media. While the international community is highlighting the statelessness of the Rohingya, many Myanmar citizens feel that ethnic Rakhine who were also victims during the riots are largely ignored. Moreover, they are accusing international news agencies, including Myanmar exile media, of covering the issue from a one-sided point of view.
Myanmar netizens have been discussing the issue of whether the Rohingya refugees should be granted citizenship which is being proposed by various international NGOs. There are 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar but majority of Myanmar's people seem to believe that Rohingya should not be recognized in one of these groups.
A 97-year-old Rakhine refugee at an emergency camp. Photo by Zaw Lwin Win
Maung Maung Wan, an activist based in New York who struggled against the military dictatorship, asserted[my] that no country should force another country to revise its local laws:
The law that has to be enacted by the public of Myanmar shouldn't be changed with the force of any organisation. No country in the world can do this. Neither UN. The government also clearly stated this. They (Rohingya) can be granted citizenship if they are eligible.
Myo Set added[my] a similar point:
No country or organisation, even the UN, regardless of its power, has the right to be involved in revising the law of one country.
Some Myanmar citizens have been accused of being racist or extreme nationalists while highlighting the Rakhine point-of-view. Some also assert that Rohingya supporters have propagated incorrect facts and figures by manipulating photos from other disasters and protests in other countries.
For example, Zaw Lwin Win uploaded a photo [viewer discretion is advised] of such manipulation. In the image, he compared two shots of an injured Rakhine man at the scene of a crime and supposedly after he was recovered. Zaw Lwin Win was the one who took those photos during an emergency aid trip to Rakhine but apparently some pro-Rohingyas are using the photo as if a Rohingya man was brutally killed. Faraz Ahmed blogged about this deception with proof of manipulated photos.
Some Myanmar netizens were frustrated to see protest actions in other countries which included the burning of Myanmar's national flag and the poster of the country's president. Myo Sann Aung commented on a photo of protest against Myanmar in India:
Dear Pro-Rohingya people,
You are misled indeed. Human right advocates are misled indeed by racist instigators living abroad. People on the ground know what is really happening. You are living in the sky and air…and the sky you are living with is filled with skillful liars.
Some netizens believe that the Myanmar government, especially the Ministry of Information, should be more pro-active in handling this issue. Sai Zaw urged[my] the government to be more open to the public and media:
I understand “news” as reporting as timely as [the reporter] is able to. I suppose such propagated news seem to be accepted as truth because the government ministries such as the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Communication are not open enough to the public.
Su Mwan, a young Rakhine who supported media networks such as BBC, DVB, RFA & VOA, urged them not to twist the news.
Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, Newsmandala, Guardian, Bangkok Post, The Nation, Aljazeera are my favorites which I no longer need to memorize as trusted news resources. However, they twisted stories already. I have been reading the featured stories in the above news website with regard to the riots in Rakhine state. The reporters have described the conflict as a clash between Buddhists and Muslims. I think it is very dangerous when international media spread out the wrong information and mislead the whole community in the world. It harms the society and victims who are innocent.
Kyaw Thu Yein Lwin requested everybody to build peace peacefully:
Please do not make fake photos anymore. Please do not lie the world.
We all are the same, human beings, we built the world together.
Why should we hate each other?
I learned that “Islam” means “Peace”
Right? If so, Let's bring peace together.
We also love “Peace”
This post is part of our special coverage Myanmar's Rohingya.

author: Chan Myae Khine


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Sao Tome and Principe: Deforestation of an Area of Unique Biodiversity · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

“In the distance a bulldozer was relentlessly doing its work while the whole landscape seemed to be mourning the destruction.” denounced [pt] João Pedro Pio, a biologist living in Sao Tome and Principe, after visiting a former forest known for its unique biodiversity. The area – mapped on his photopost – has allegedly been sold by the government for palm oil agribusiness.


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Spain: How Many Advisors Are Really Necessary?  · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Amidst a full-blown economic crisis, while families are tightening their budgets in the face of the cuts recently announced by President Mariano Rajoy, Spaniards are beginning to worry about the news circulating with respect to the proliferation of advisors in the country's political sphere.
Just a few months ago, Secretary General of the People's Party (PP), Dolores de Cospedal, criticized ex-President José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's 600 advisors. Under current President Rajoy, that number has now increased to 632.  The head of the government is not the only person overcome by this wave, however; it appears as though we find advisors in all of the political branches: Congress, city councils, autonomous communities, delegations… Madrid's city council relies on 254 advisors [es] that cost 12 million euro, the Autonomous Community of Valencia — which just sought a “bailout” from the central government [es] — spends 3.9 million euro each year on their advisors, the Generalitat of Cataluña has 133, even Cospedal herself went from having 5 to 24 staff members in her cabinet [es] in Castilla la Mancha, and the salaries for advisors as well as high ranking government officials have increased by 8% to 10%.  In Congress, it has gotten to the point that in some committees, the number of advisors exceeds that of the parliamentarians [es].  The list is never-ending.
Spaniards view this squandering of public funds with growing concern while they helplessly witness the budget cuts of necessary services, such as education and healthcare, or while they see how the unemployed, who can no longer collect unemployment benefits, are left without 400 euro.
“All of these advisors have advised that I charge you 18 euros a month for medication so that we get the accounts.” Cartoon from http://aliciantolin.typepad.com/
Journalist Andrés Aberasturi writes in El Aguijón [es]:
Rajoy no ha metido mano de verdad a la sangría de las administraciones públicas, no ha acabado mediante decreto-ley o por esa otra formula que alguien ha llamado “porcojonismo” con las más de cuatro mil empresas públicas que son un verdadero desastre, no ha dicho una palabra sobre las grandes fortunas, no ha dado carta libre a la inspección de hacienda para combatir los grandes fraudes y ha cargado las tintas en los asalariados, no ha eliminado, lo primero, cientos de subvenciones y otras prebendas del todo inaceptables en una situación como la nuestra e inmorales en cualquier caso, no ha echado a la calle a los miles de “asesores” de los que se rodean todos ellos y que, por lo visto, más vale que no asesoren  (…)
About the economic bloodshed, it is important to add the public perception that all of these advisors are worthless, in the best case scenario, and in the worst, that they are giving extremely poor advice to the leadership, as @ElisaCansado y @ruthpop8 comment on Twitter:
@ElisaCansado: RT Rajoy 53 asesores más qu Zapatero, gente que están a dedo y cobrando sueldazos por hundir el país. Cospedal triplica en asesores a Barreda [su predecesor]
@ruthpop8: @antonlosada puedes decirme quienes son los asesores economicos de Rajoy?, deberieron suspender micro y macroeconomia en la carrera.
@ElisaCansado:  RT Rajoy 53 more advisors than Zapatero, people who are pulling strings and earning huge salaries to drown the country.  Cospedal has triple the number of advisors as Barreda [her predecessor]
@ruthpop8: @antonlosada can you tell me who Rajoy's economic advisors are? they must have failed micro- and macroeconomics in college.
Among the advisors of diverse ministries, some politicians’ family members have acquired particularly well-paid posts, much like the case of the sister, son, and cousin of Madrid's President, Esperanza Aguirre [es].  The Princess of Asturias’ sister herself occupied a position of this sort in the Barcelona city council as well.  Other family members of politicians have become high-ranking officials in public companies or in governmental participation.
In the current state of things, the comments of many Spaniards do not come as a shock. They are disappointed by the abysmal path of the country's politics and economy, and refuse to continue tolerating the so-called “culture of the get rich quick” scheme:
The Spanish society and its politicians, each time getting further from one another.  Cartoon from http://nauscopio.wordpress.com
Malarosa: Está claro que los políticos de este país van a lo suyo, utilizan la política para fines personales, unos y otros, tenemos un grave problema al que no veo solución. No me creo yo que dentro de todo el PP no hay ninguna persona más capaz que los familiares mencionados, me cuesta creerlo la verdad. Ellos que son tan honrados, tan buenos, tan dignos, tan…hipócritas y lo que más me fastidia es que nos traten al resto de los mortales como si fuésemos tontos.
Prais: ¡Que quejica eres Simpulso!… solo porque los politicuchos de turno no duden en gastar pasta en gilipollec… digo en cosas necesarias como cuadros, asesores o puestos a dedo… total ¿en que se recorta? ¿en sanidad? buah! que la gente se haga un seguro privado como debe ser ¿recortes en educacion? ¡pero si los pobres son tontos y no tienen derecho a estudiar! ¡que se paguen una buena escuela de pago!…¡vivan las mayorías absolutas que hacen que nuestros queridos gobernantes aprueben todo tipo de injustici… digo de mejoras.
Malarosa: It is clear that the politicians in this country have their own agenda, they use politics for personal gain, all of them, we have a severe problem for which I do not see a solution.  I cannot bring myself to believe that within the entirety of the PP there is not a single person more capable than the relatives mentioned, I truly cannot bring myself to believe it.  They who are so honored, so good, so dignified, so… hypocritical and what angers me the most is that they treat the rest of us mortals as if we were stupid.
Prais: What a complainer you are, Simpulso! … simply because the typical politicians do not doubt in spending tons of money on stupidities… I mean on necessary things like paintings, advisors, nepotism… ultimately, where are they taking the cuts from? healthcare? ha! people should get private insurance.  cuts in education? but if the poor are stupid, they don't have the right to go to school! they should pay for a good private school!…long live the absolute majorities that make our beloved government officials approve all sorts of injusti… I mean benefits.
Spaniards continue to wait for their leaders to set an example of the same austerity and sacrifice they impose on the middle class and as of now, there has been no result.  In fact, they have done quite the opposite.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Lourdes Sada


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Tajikistan: Legality of Government Military Operation Questioned · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

On his blog, Tajik journalist Salim Ayubzod questions [tj] the legality of the recent military operation launched by the government in Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan's easternmost province. Ayubzod also argues that the government had failed to think through possible outcomes of the violent intervention.


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Tanzania: Teachers’ Strike De-stabilizes the Nation · Global Voices
Mghosya

Teachers in Tanzania have been on a strike to urge the government to pay their unpaid dues and to improve their benefits, working conditions and salaries. The strike came after the Teacher's union (Chama Cha Walimu-CWT), through their president Mr.Gratian Mukoba,  gave the government a 48-hours notice on 28 July, 2012. The strike started on 30 July and lasted for four days. According to the CWT, the strike had the support of 97.5% of the teachers, in primary, secondary and teaching institutions.
President of the Teachers Union of Tanzania, Bw. Gratian Mukoma. Photo courtesy of Straikamkali blog
Social networks users in the country have been following the strike closely to determine the impact of the strike planned a few days before the national census slated to happen on August 26, 2012.
The JamiiForums  network that is used by an average of 10,000 people per minute, posted news on the countrywide happenings of the strike. Some of the users of this network narrated what was happening in their specific regions.
Rymg from Mwanza had this to say:
As at now, students from the Ilemela district, Mwanza Province are having demonstrations with different banners, stating”We want our rights and justice” as they headed to the Judicial Courts In Ilemela district to open a case against the teachers for failing to teach them.
Agapetc from Korogwe had this to say:
Teachers from the committee of the town and province of Korogwe, have striked in an effort to join their leaders who announced the strike. In many schools only the head teachers and senior staff attended to their duties. It is also clear that, secondary school teachers are leading in the strike while some primary school  teachers reported to work.
Students from one of the primary schools in Dar es Salaam as they demonstrate with a plea to the government to help end the teacher's strike. Photo courtesy of: khals-tanzanphotobank.blogspot.com
In other parts of the country their were stories of the students demonstrating being dispassed by the authorities. Naytsory described the happenings in Hanang:
Students from Mahu Secondary in Hanang, have blocked the road to Singida using their desks. Currently, the police and education officers are here to help try and solve the situation.
More than 90%of the teachers have joined the strike.In the schools, are only the school administrators, field teachers and volunteers. In primary schools only the head teachers are there.
Through his Facebook page, Patrick Lusiano Tsere, was against the strike, saying that it aims to disrupt the planned national census. He said that teachers should be the senior secretaries in making this exercise fruitful:
Don't you know that this census is costing this country a lot of money?! Do you understand the impact of not letting the census happen?! As a teacher, you do not follow the lawful ways to demand your rights and instead your encourage others to disrupt the census. In your organization, following the claims that have been outlined for you by the law, is their a clause that gives you the right to blackmail the government? If, that is the attitude of our teachers, then our children without a doubt will have poor manners and etiquette.
John Mughobi Sagatti is of a different view:
Yasinta Ngonyani, the blogger Life and Success displayed a picture of a student teaching other students following the strike, and added the caption below:
When the student decides to take the teacher's role, then it becomes clear that the teacher plays an important role in the children's lives.
Ramadhani Msangi, blogger of Freepodium added videos of the strike .
On twitter the discussions continued:
Yericko Nyerere @YerickoNyerere :
I await my president's speech @jmkikwete as I do not know what he will say since last month he said that his government is not involved in Ulimboka. What about the teacher's strike?
Haki Elimu @HakiElimu those who collected the news from different parts of the country:
Look at the damage of the strike in Tabora here  #okoaelimu #changetanzania
Rama S Msangi @mchambuzi:
I uploaded a @YouTube video about the strike in Musoma.
As the strike continued the president Jakaya Kikwete, spoke to various news editors on 1st August 2012.
Irenei Kiria @Irenei2011 asked on twitter:
I ask of those who have been following the strike to please keep us informed on the presidents verdict on the strike.
From JamiiForums one response came through saying that the teacher's claims were impractical. Sister Subi of the wavuti blog added the president's speech and voice to her blog.
TheHabari  blog noted the brief statement by Haki Elimu @HakiElimu an organization that deals with matters related to education in the country, on the strike:
HakiElimu insists that the education sector in the country will only improve if teachers get better working conditions, they are involved in decisions regarding the education sector and giving them on the job training.Good education cannot be delivered by de-motivated teachers.
The blog continues:
The government leaders should not ignore the teachers’, because by doing that they will demotivate them. Even though the teacher's did not study for as many years as people in other professions, they play a very important role. They prepare today and tomorrow's citizens’ in terms of focus and knowledge. Thus their demand for better conditions, is their right and the government should fulfill its obligation by listening and consulting with them without ridicule.
On Thursday, August 2nd , 2012, the High Court under the work section declared the strike illegal as it was not planned lawfully.The Mjengwablog reported:
The court has declared the teacher's strike illegal as it did not follow the right procedures.The court has also ordered CWT to pay for damages to students who were affected by the strike.
The teacher's strike followed shortly after the doctor's strike .There are still those who believe that the doctor's strike was not addressed.

author: Mghosya


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Trinidad & Tobago: Central Bank Governors · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Afra Raymond responds to Dr. Terrence Farrell's  critique of Jwala Rambarran's appointment as Governor of Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago [Farrell is a former Deputy Governor] and they engage in an email exchange.

author: Matthew Hunte


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Trinidad & Tobago: Who’s Policing Us Now?  · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

On Monday, July 30th, 2012, the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced the resignations of the Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs, and Deputy Commissioner Jack Ewatski:
“The Police Service Commission today July 30th 2012 received and noted letters of resignation dated 26th July 2012, from Commissioner of Police Dr. Dwayne Gibbs and Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Jack Ewatski advising of their resignation from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service effective 7th August 2012. The Commission wishes to assure that the nation is committed to the process of managing the transition to ensure continuity and stability at the executive level of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.”
The statement also added that the government planned to enact some changes under the leadership of National Security Minister Jack Warner:
As head of the National Security Council, together with the other members of that council we have identified several major shifts in policy and programs as the government moves to arrest the issue of crime as our number one priority.
Gibbs and Ewatski, who are both originally from Canada, were appointed in 2010. Their tenure was marked by several controversies, including the police raid on a newspaper (and subsequent surveillance of a journalist), the arrest of a popular TV show host and a state of emergency.
At Plain Talk, Philip Edward Alexander felt that the manner in which the announcement was made caused confusion:
Take the alleged ‘resignations’ of Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and his assistant Commissioner Jack Ewatski, this matter was handled in such a clumsy manner that the announcement ground the nation to a halt and threw up so many questions one has to wonder if this level of incompetence is in fact a deliberate ploy of some sort.
Alexander also questioned whether the announcement by the Prime Minister followed correct protocol:
Why was this announcement made by the Prime Minister and not the Police Service Commission? Why was this even a Cabinet discussion for that matter? Section 123. (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago clearly states that – “Power to appoint persons to hold or act in an office in the Police Service established under the Police Service Act, including appointments on promotion and transfer and the confirmation of appointments, and to remove and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices and to enforce standards of conduct on such officers shall vest in the Police Service Commission.”
The Eternal Pantomime, meanwhile, considered their tenure in office to be a failure:
For the two years that Gibbs and Ewatski mismanaged our police force, they have been made accountable for nothing. Not the crime rate, not being absent when the SoE was called, not for wasting money on a crop duster, not for the unchecked murder toll, not for raids on media houses, not for the removal of crime stats off the police website…..not for a damn thing. To date all we know is that Dwayne and Jack came here, earned a hefty salary for two years for doing nothing, resigned….probably with a golden handshake, then left.
Vernette from Live Out Loud doubted Gibbs and Ewatski were ever in a position to make a difference:
When you have to work with a Yes-Man like Former National Security Minister John Sandy who appeared to have no balls when it came to our PM and now the new Sheriff in town Jack Warner who is still unclear as to what Ministry he is really in charge of, how can you be productive? From the time a State of Emergency was called last year and these two men were not even in the country when it happened and worse, appeared to have only known about it AFTER the fact…allyuh shoulda know who was really running the show.
Nasty Little Truths also felt that the problems are bigger than just the Commissioner of Police and that the culture of the entire police service needs to change.
I have to brief for Gibbs, but let’s be clear – show me a man who can change an organisation’s culture that can’t implement disciplinary action and I’ll show you a figment of your imagination. No commissioner of police in Trinidad can successfully fight crime when he can’t whip his men into shape. We have coddled police officers in this country for too long while they hide in police stations and make the well worn excuse of “no vehicles” when you call for help.


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UK: Empty Seats at London 2012? · Global Voices
Richard Wanjohi

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
As the games enter their 5 day, Olympic fans are struggling to find tickets to the various venues in London. Many were shocked to see empty seats during the early days; forcing the London Organising Committee of the Olympics & Paralympics (LOCOG) to defend themselves.
The Teleperfomance Group Blog in a post titled, ‘Being Open can be the Quickest Way to Defuse a Crisis’ explains:
The London Olympic Games are a great demonstration of how customer service can be managed on a grand scale. With an event this size, there are bound to be problems, but take a look at how one of the latest ‘problems’ is being dealt with. Many members of the public failed to get tickets to the games in the public ballot. They were therefore shocked to see empty seats at some of the events on Saturday morning. The immediate reaction in the media was that it was all down to those annoying corporate sponsors again – people with free tickets not showing up for games that some would love to attend, but the games organizers corrected this view.
On Twitter the hashtag #EmptySeats starting making the rounds:
@Newsflare asks: “Should we #fillthoseseats and sell them at cut price just before the events? What do you think are the effects of seeing these #emptyseats?
“I see the corporates and sponsors really wanted to be at the match..#emptyseats” Image uploaded by Twitter user: @MossyMFC1234
@GigiDaaiMusic makes an interesting observation: How is it that Prince William & Prince Harry can make it to almost every Olympic event yet these so called VIP's can't?! Cheek #EmptySeats
@FunandGames12: Even if 70-75% of tickets do go to public, this Arena is no more than 60% full right now, yet ‘sold-out’. #Day5 #emptyseats #london2012
@RuksanaB suggests: If there's a problem with empty seats, why not do what the Oscars have been doing for ages.. Seat Fillers #emptyseats #London2012Olympics
DavidPrescott in his blog-post Recycle the Olympic Seats suggests ways to fill in the Olympic venues via social media:
Just got back from the Olympic Park to hear Locog’s trying to solve the problem with empty seats at venues. I managed to get a £10 entrance only ticket to the park, not expecting to see any Olympic action other than on the big screens. But as we walked around the site, I came across a long queue for the ticket office. It was for recycled tickets to watch the basketball and handball. So after a half hour queue, I found myself picking up a £90 ticket to see the US v Croatia in the basketball arena for just…£5. When I went home I saw the huge PR disaster that was emerging from the blocks of empty seats at various venues in and outside the Olympics Park. TV, print and online were all showing the pictures of sparsely-attended events, because of the absence of VIPs, sponsors and the ‘Olympic Family’ – officials, dignitaries and the media. So I thought I’d sit down and attempt to come up with a solution in my blog – a 30 minute use-it-or-lose-it plan to recycle tickets for seats not taken within half an hour of the start.
This is the suggestion he offers:
I know that one large corporate has handed back at least 10 tickets for the 100m men’s final because their clients were too scared to accept them. So what can we do? Well, one idea could be to recycle more of the seats. There should be a time limit of 30 mins to take up the seat. As all tickets are scanned, it’ll be quite easy to see which seats are still empty. The seats would then come back on the market and sold at the on-site ticket office for a fiver. If the original ticket holder turns up late, they could be given another recycled ticket or empty space. But access to the Olympic Park should be increased. £10 tickets should be made available on a first come first served basis every morning. This would mean more people would be in the park to apply for recycled tickets. I think this is the easiest way to solve the problem. But solve it they must.
With the Games still in the first week of action, let’s see if the LOCOG will be able to re-organise themselves to gather fans and  fill-up venues. This will secure the Games’ legacy and save face for the British city of London.
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

author: Richard Wanjohi


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World: Why Rape Jokes Are Not Funny · Global Voices
Rayna St.

Hannah maintains the blog Afternoon Snooze Button and publishes a rather detailed post aiming at demonstrating “why rape jokes are uniquely bad”. She writes: “People who enjoy rape jokes commonly want to be told that rape isn’t a big deal, that it’s just sex, and that other people think so, too. […] That doesn’t mean that anyone who’s ever laughed at a rape joke is a future rapist. What it does mean is that these jokes provide the ammunition that these people need to justify themselves and think, ‘Hey, rape is not that big of a deal. It’s funny. Look, they all think so, too.’ “

author: Rayna St.


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Zimbabwe: Bulawayo Residents Air Grievances Online · Global Voices
Madalitso Mwando

Residents in Zimbabwe's second largest city, Bulawayo, continue to seek ways to address the city's problems, which range from marginalization by central government to service delivery grievances with for example refuse collection and erratic water supplies. One group has gone online to stimulate conversations between residents on these issues.
The Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BUPRA) is embracing online platforms such as Facebook to talk about pertinent issues. BUPRA has set up a Facebook page called ‘Uhlelo Lwezakhamizi‘ (Forum for Residents in the local Sindebele language) that has proved quite relevant to present discourses affecting the city and boasts more than 5,100 friends.
On their Facebook page, the residents association describes itself thus:
BPRA is a community driven and membership-based organisation established in 2007 with a view of providing a non-partisan and issue-based platform for effective residents and stakeholder participation in local governance. It is a manifestation of the residents’ desire to have a vibrant, non partisan residents platform through which residents can demand greater inclusion in local decision-making and increase interaction between local government officials, councillors and the residents.
Discussing Gukurahundi massacres
Uhlelo Lwezakhamizi recently invited residents to join in the conversation about the 1980s Gukurahundi massacres, which senior government officials insist are a closed chapter:
In the Newsday today, Patrick Chinamasa is cited saying that Gukurahundi is water under the bridge and argues that nobody should be blamed for the massacres. What are your thoughts on this? And whats your take on the fact that the Human Rights Commission may only deal with human rights issues that occurred from 2009?
Dumi Moyo responded:
Those that violated us say its water under the bridge we say ” we will fight for the perpetrators to be brought before the world criminal court even if they are 200 years old.”
Students wash their hands at a school in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Image by Flickr/Save the Children (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Water politics
On the city's troublesome water politics, Uhlelo LweZakhamizi posed a question:
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is mulling arresting and prosecuting (through the police of course) residents who exceed their daily water limit. This is reportedly meant as a water conservation method. Do you think this is justified? What are your thoughts?
Freeman Masuku answered:
First they should arrest whoever took a heinous loan to buy luxury vehicles , 2. All the hoodlums who have no idea how to plan the city's water resources progressively .3. Those who have failed to stand up to Chombo and his masters who continuosly delay water programmes.
Thoughts on civil servant salaries
The organization asked residents their thoughts on the issue of civil servants’ salaries:
In terms of the mid term fiscal policy statement given by Minister Biti yesterday, civil servants will not be getting salary increments because of poor revenue performance caused by among other things shortfalls on diamond dividends. There is thus a possibility of a potentially crippling strike by civil servants. Do you think the government is serious about the issue of civil servants’ salaries? And do u think civil servants would e justified to go on strike?
Brilliant B. Ncube said:
‘Gvt’ to control well calculated and deliberate leakages in diamonds collection if that is happening according to some sections of the media.The job action is justified if related to lack of transparance/accountability in diamonds collection.
Linda Nkosilathi wrote [nde]:
We people mustn't trust ama politicians, they are great liars. Bonke bafuna ukudla kuphela and 4get abantu ababafakayo. We must learn 2 put abantu esibathembayo not bcoz they belong 2 a particular party. Libheke manje oBITI labo they are now big fish.
Police brutality & media harassment
Uhlelo Lwezakhamizi invited residents to discuss police brutality:
There have been allegations of police officers attacking defaulting Kombis’ [mini buses] with baton sticks and stones, with windows being smashed etc. What's your take on this? Is it reasonable for the police to behave in such a manner? What do you think this says about Zimbabwe?
With regard to media harassment in Zimbabwe, Uhlelo Lwezakhamizi asked:
Minister Webster Shamu says he is disappointed by the performance of local media, and he uses the Daily News as an example of a newspaper tht is performing badly. What do you make of this? Does Webster Shamu have the moral authority to criticise media performance in Zimbabwe? And in your view which are the worst newspapers in Zimbabwe?
Ndabayempi Mlotshwa responded:
Hogwash!!zim media has gone to the dogs.private and the public media has failed the nation as they are singing for their super.shamu is expressing his political clout nothing else.
Njabulo T Mzilethi criticized state owned media:
of the worst newspapers are all state run full stop
Busi Ndlovu KaBhebhe wrote:
May he [Information Minister Shamu] first give us an example of a great performing media house so we can compare. As far as I am concerned Zimbabwe has no great model of good media house.
Zimbabwe has about 1,445,717 Internet users as of December 31, 2011, which is 12% of the total population. Research conducted by Zimbabwe All Media Products and Services Survey shows that by the end of 2011, there were 876,265 Facebook users in the country.

author: Madalitso Mwando