text:
Digital activism, paintings, and a national strike—how Mexican women protest gender-based violence · Global Voices
Giovanna Salazar

Photograph by Santiago Arau, used with permission. Taken on March 8, 2020, during the International Women's Day march in Mexico City. The text reads: “We are the voices of those who are no longer here.”
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of how women fight gender violence in Latin America.
In Mexico, at least ten women are murdered every day. More than 27 percent of women have been victims of sexual violence or harassment in public spaces. Violence against women is on the rise and goes mostly unpunished.
Faced with this situation, Mexican women decided to go on strike: On March 9, they made themselves absent from the public space, their jobs, schools, businesses, social networks and the daily activities they carry out and which, although essential and productive, tend to be invisible and unpaid, as is the care and domestic work.
The mobilization aimed to demonstrate the economic and social significance of women and, by simulating their absence, foster reflection on the women who go missing in Mexico.
The strike was called through social media by the feminist collective Brujas del Mar (“Witches of the Sea”)—from the coastal state of Veracruz, where the largest number of femicides in Mexico was registered during 2019—under the hashtag # UnDíaSinNosotras (#ADayWithoutUs).
Si paramos nosotras, para el mundo. Unámonos a esta protesta simbólica, paralicemos nuestras actividades por un solo día para que se den cuenta que están dejando en el olvido al 52% de la población. #UnDíaSinNosotras #ParoNacional
A post shared by  Brujas del Mar (@brujasdelmarver) on
[The text of the flyer reads: “On the ninth, no woman moves. #ADayWithoutUs. National Strike. Not a woman on the street. Not a woman at work. Not a girl at school. Not a girl at university. Not a woman shopping. March 9, 2020″]
If we stop, the world stops. Let's join together in this symbolic protest, let's stop our activities for a single day so that they realize that they are forgetting about 52 per cent of the population.
In the words of the Sorora collective for the Animal MX digital media, the strike aimed:
hacer visible la violencia estructural que vivimos las niñas y mujeres en el país. Para enfatizar el impacto de nuestra ‘ausencia’ en un sistema patriarcal-capitalista que cosifica y comercializa nuestros cuerpos y que se sostiene por el trabajo de cuidados no pagados y la precarización laboral de las mujeres.
To make visible the structural violence that girls and women experience in the country; to emphasize the impact of our “absence”  on a patriarchal-capitalist system that objectifies and markets our bodies and that is sustained by unpaid care work and the instability of employment for women.
The indigenous women of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) joined the call and, on March 1, released a statement explaining the significance of this type of feminist mobilization: “What if we organize more and better? Because sometimes, pain and rage do not follow despair or resignation. It may be that organizing follows.”
#EZLN #NuevoComunidado
NO NECESITAMOS PERMISO PARA LUCHAR POR LA VIDA.
Las mujeres zapatistas se unen al Paro Nacional del 9 de marzo.
Comandantas y Coordinadoras de Mujeres Zapatistas del EZLN
https://t.co/ICffxDdJyT pic.twitter.com/5FDDxaADT1
— Enlace Zapatista (@notienlacezap) March 1, 2020
WE DO NOT NEED PERMISSION TO FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Zapatista women join the National Strike on March 9.
Commanders and Coordinators of Zapatista Women of the EZLN
Feminist mobilizations gained renewed vitality after two terrifying cases of femicides occurred a couple of days apart in February: Ingrid Escamilla, a 25-year-old woman brutally murdered by her partner, and whose highly graphic photos of her assaulted body were leaked to the tabloids; and Fátima Cecilia Aldrighett, a 7-year-old girl who was kidnapped outside her elementary school, and whose body, showing signs of sexual abuse and torture, was found wrapped in a plastic bag on a public road.
After the media exposure of Ingrid Escamilla's violated body, an initiative emerged on Twitter that sought to bring back dignity to her life:
Amigas, una vez vi un caso de un feminicidio a una chica de EEUU en el que filtraron las imágenes de su cuerpo y sus familiares y amigos compartían fotos de cosas bonitas para que cuando buscaran su nombre no aparecieran las desafortunadas fotos. Así que aquí les va un spam.
— Cit (@citcitcitcit_) February 12, 2020
Friends, I've once heard about a case of a femicide of a girl in the US when, after the images of her body were leaked to the press, her family and friends shared photos of beautiful things so that when people searched her name online, the unfortunate photos did not appear, as they were marked as spam.
#IngridEscamilla #IngridEscamila #ingridescamillacuerpo pic.twitter.com/9yAQyDsbNM
— rebeca? (@rebcap_) March 1, 2020
As a result of this initiative, hundreds of Twitter users took on the task of sharing beautiful photos with the hashtag #IngridEscamilla and, in this way, preventing associated searches from leading to images of her brutally violated body.
As Signa Lab, a university project specializing in network analysis stated:
Ingrid fue brutalmente asesinada. Entre el coraje y dolor, las redes se convirtieron en espacios de propagación del horror. La inteligencia y los afectos colectivos irrumpieron para apagar el horror y exigir justicia.
Ingrid was brutally murdered. Between courage and pain, the social networks became spaces for the spread of horror. Intelligence and collective affections broke in to stop the horror and demand justice.
Estoy llorando por culpa de @citcitcitcit_ y su hermosísima idea#IngridEscamilla pic.twitter.com/OLeRV8aboP
— Mala Madre (@malamadremx) February 12, 2020
I'm crying because of the beautiful idea of @citcitcitcit_
Other actions have included dyeing in red iconic statues, such as the Diana Cazadora (Diana the Huntress Fountain) statue in Mexico City, and La Minerva statue in Guadalajara city from the state of Jalisco:
La Diana se pintó de rojo. Los feminicidas nos han arrebatado a miles de mujeres, pero su memoria sigue viva.
No vamos a parar hasta que dejen de matarnos. No vamos a parar hasta que dejen de violentarnos.
No vamos a parar hasta ser LIBRES.
pic.twitter.com/24uLLvn8g6
— Mariana Limón (@marianaliru) March 7, 2020
Diana was painted red. The femicides have taken thousands of women from us, but their memory lives on.
We won't stop until they stop killing us. We will not stop until they stop raping us.
We will not stop until we are FREE.
#ZONALocal | Este sábado la fuente de la glorieta de La Minerva amaneció teñida de color rojo junto con una lona que dice “México Feminicida”, frente a la avenida Vallarta ⚠⬇⬇ pic.twitter.com/rLX4KeTriL
— ZONA 3 (@zona3noticias) March 7, 2020
This Saturday, La Minerva fountain in the roundabout was painted red and had a banner with the words “México Feminicida” (‘Mexico Femicide’), in front of the Vallarta Avenue.
Also, before the start of the massive march for International Women's Day in Mexico City, a group of women activists painted the names of some of the murdered women in the central square of the capital, the place where the manifestations usually end:
Hoy #8M nombramos a todas las que nos faltan, a las que hoy no pueden marchar con nosotras, a las que nos arrebató la violencia patriarcal. Todas ellas tienen un nombre, una cara, una historia.
Hoy sus nombres son el grito de justicia.#NiUnaMenos pic.twitter.com/JAv9koE8nn
— Ixchel Cisneros Soltero (@Chelawuera) March 8, 2020
Today #8M, we name all those whom we miss, those who cannot march with us today, those who were taken from us by the patriarchal violence. They all have a name, a face, a story.
Today, their names are the cry for justice.
These are just some examples of how, when faced with adversity, women in Mexico have decided to set up networks, join forces, vindicate their rage and organize in order to confront gender violence.

author: Giovanna Salazar


text:
Kosovo government first to fall in worldwide coronavirus crisis · Global Voices
José Carpintero Molina

Banging pots and pans in Kosovo with a sign reading “You are the ones who brought the panic in our houses” and hashtag #StayAtHome in Albanian. Photo by Adelina Tërshani, used with permission.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
After a 12-hour session, the Kosovo government lost a no-confidence vote on March 26 despite vehement opposition by citizens who would rather see authorities united against the COVID-19 pandemic.
By 82 votes to 32, with one abstention, MPs ousted Prime Minister Albin Kurti, the leader of the Vetëvendosje (“self-determination” in English) party at the behest of his former coalition partner Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).
Recent emergency measures against the coronavirus outbreak exposed tensions in the fragile coalition between the Vetëvendosje and the LDK, which established a government only 52 days ago.
On March 18, PM Kurti sacked Interior Minister Agim Veliu, from the LDK, over disagreements about declaring a state of emergency, which would give President Hashim Thaçi, also from the LDK, a lot more power.
The coalition deteriorated further when the PM announced a curfew that Thaçi considered unconstitutional.
The Government decides on a curfew.
The President calls on Kosovo police not to implement it, considering such a measure unconstitutional.
In ?? we are dealing with Covid-19 in a most peculiar way – disciplined citizens and chaotic politicians.
Please don’t try this at home.
— Visar Ymeri (@VisarYmeri) March 23, 2020
#Kosovo political struggle has reached a new level with Thaci now asking citizens to ignore government's new restrictions on movement from 10am-4pm + 8pm curfew, saying they are unconstitutional. He wants a state of an emergency which would, conveniently, give him much more power
— Sally Mairs (@ssmairs) March 24, 2020
Quarantined at home, Kosovars have staged cazerolazo-style protests — banging on pots and pans from windows and balconies — in objection to the no-confidence vote that many fear will throw the country into constitutional chaos amid the pandemic and looming global economic recession.
To date, Kosovo has 86 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one death from the disease, according to official data by the Ministry of Health.
Today in political absurdity: While the whole world rushes to stop the spread of #COVID19, the Kosovo parliament meets to topple the government of firebrand PM @albinkurti. As other European govts extend their mandates, this parliament will leave the country without one. pic.twitter.com/aaGWTdkoRr
— Una Hajdari (@UnaHajdari) March 25, 2020
Facing a convulsed political scene and an imminent COVID-19 breakdown, local activist group Replikë called for a non-violent protest from the balconies and windows on Facebook:
Here's the best footage as #Prishtina residents take to their balconies to protest with pots and pans against LDK plans to overthrow the government of #Kosovo in midst of the #covid19 crisis. pic.twitter.com/H2ZbUK7qmj
— Xhemajl Rexha (@xhemajl_rexha) March 19, 2020
Protests were held every night at 8 p.m., except for March 25, when it was held at 11 a.m., at the time of the no-confidence motion.
Situata politike në Kosovë nuk është duke u përmirësuar. Kërkesat e mijërave qytetarëve për pesë ditë radhazi nuk janë duke u përfillur nga skena politike. Në anën tjetër rastet me virus po rriten në Kosovë. Po vazhdojmë të krijojmë zhurmë derisa kjo skenë politike t’i ndëgjoj
— Replikë (@ReplikeKs) March 23, 2020
The political situation in Kosovo is not improving. The demands of thousands of citizens are being ignored by the political class after five days straight of protests. On the other hand, cases of viruses are increasing in Kosovo. We will make noise until the politicians hear us.
As reported by independent outlet Kosovo 2.0:
The marathon session of the Parliament was held despite the government ban on gatherings, deputies wore masks over their mouths and noses throughout, while journalists and other guests were banned in order to allow the deputies more space to retain a 1.5-meter distance between them.
Dozens of Prishtina citizens came to protest in front of the assembly building, most of them wearing masks and being careful to maintain the required 2-meter distance from each other. They held handmade signs that read “against the motion.”
The decision to initiate a no-confidence motion has been criticized by the German and French embassies. Vjosa Osmani, the vice-chair of LDK, also declined to support the motion at the time it was announced.
Ambassadors of ?? and ??joint demarche to Deputy PM Hoti stepping in for Chairman M. Mustafa to voice concerns of both capitals.
Stay at the side of Kosovo people in crisis. Invite LDK to reconsider no-confidence vote and maintain trusted and stable government to face challenges.
— France au Kosovo (@FranceauKosovo) March 24, 2020
On the other hand, the United States has welcomed the government changeover, as President Thaçi is perceived to be more favorable to a Trump administration peace deal with Serbia that former PM Kurti vehemently opposes.
Many remembered how the pots-and-pans protests resembled those against the Milosevic regime in the 1990s. A letter from the editor of Kosovo 2.0 said:
(…) But I do remember a night in the 1990s, at age 6, grabbing a pan and spoon and joining my two older sisters on the balcony of our family home, hitting the pan and shaking keys. This was one of the many ways through which protest was expressed at that time. The metallic sound reverberated throughout our neighborhood in Prishtina, and it most probably added to a cacophony of discontent throughout the city; similar snippets are just as much a part of other people’s recollections of how the decade began.
On a March 21 article for the daily newspaper Koha Ditore, former politician and journalist Veton Surroi voiced similar feelings as he reminisced the anti-Milosevic pot-banging protests, a workaround the police curfew in place at that time. He added that he is sorry to see that a new political crisis forced citizens to do the same 30 years later.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: José Carpintero Molina


text:
Maldives: Can a country so dependent on tourism afford a lockdown? · Global Voices
Saffah Faroog

Maldives pier. Image by David Mark from Pixabay. Used under a Pixabay License.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
Covid-19 has upended life in the Maldives. In a March 25 press conference, President Solih announced that the country was in a state of lockdown and all on-arrival visas would be cancelled beginning March 27, 2020. He also extended the closure of government offices, schools, and universities until April 5, 2020.
Pres Solih: Certain decisions made does hinder normal life, but these decisions are made for the safety of everyone. We are implementing more decisions based on the situation. Starting next Sunday, Government Offices, Schools and Colleges will be closed for an extra week.
— Muallim Ibrahim (@Muallimsays) March 25, 2020
Pres Solih: Starting March 27th, we will stop issuing on-arrival visa to foreigners. Resorts will be placed on quarantine for 14 days after the last tourists leave. Even though those positive are recovering, we must not consider this as a situation where it will not spread more.
— Muallim Ibrahim (@Muallimsays) March 25, 2020
On March 17, all government offices except emergency services, the courts, media, and financial institutions were ordered to close from March 19 to 26 to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The president also stated that the country was fully prepared for a worst-case scenario by installing 200 ICU beds. However, as the country is dependent on income from tourism, netizens are questioning whether the Maldives can afford the lockdown.
The first cases were detected in two foreign nationals working at a tourist resort on March 7. Both of the cases had been in contact with an Italian tourist who tested positive for the virus after returning to Italy. The number of infections has now risen to 13. Of those, eight have recovered.
As the global travel industry comes to a grinding halt, countries that are totally dependent on tourism are feeling the immense economic strain as tourist arrivals are reduced to a trickle. More than 50 resorts have already closed down temporarily due to the decline in visitors.  Workers also have suffered a pay cut.
The government declared a health emergency on March 12 for 30 days while the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has introduced sweeping measures including a ban on guesthouses on inhabited islands from accepting tourists. The HPA has banned workers in resorts from travelling to and from the resorts, and dine-in services in cafes and restaurants in the capital, Malé, were stopped.
Residents of Malé, a tiny island of less than 2 square kilometres and home to 150,000 people, are being encouraged to stay indoors as much as possible.
Hats off #Maldives No Lockdown, No Curfew yet people respect the government announcement to stay at home. #StaySafe #Covid_19 #COVID19 #CoronaCrisis #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/9iXrmwde2l
— Fawzan Fareid (@fawzie_UL) March 20, 2020
The azan today in Male’ , #Maldives was changed due to the coronavirus.
instead of “hayya alas-salah” (come to prayer), the muadhin says “al-salatu fi buyutikum” (pray in your homes).
May Allah protect us all and allow us to go back to his house soon inshaAllah. pic.twitter.com/KYvKCt2kOF
— Qibla (@QiblaMv) March 18, 2020
Last year, the Maldives was visited by over 1.5 million tourists. The country set a target of 2 million tourists in 2020. However, COVID-19 is set to dash hopes of achieving this goal.
On March 9, 2020, the country imposed a travel ban on visitors from China, Iran, Italy, parts of South Korea, Bangladesh and all cruise ships. On March 15, certain European countries were added to the list.
China and Italy, two of the most affected countries, are also the biggest markets for Maldives tourism. The tourism arrivals declined by 14.3 percent in February this year. In March, after the bans, it fell considerably more.
Any significant decline in tourist arrivals has a ripple effect on Maldives’ economy: presidenthttps://t.co/LRUTZHARQk
— raajje.mv (@raajjemv) March 15, 2020
The blanket ban on tourists including cruise ships will hit the country's economy and it will likely face a serious shortfall in foreign currency earnings.
Social media users are divided among those who view a complete lockdown as the only option to stop the virus from creating havoc while others believe that the country simply cannot afford a ban on foreign tourists and a complete lockdown.
Jenny Latheef views a complete lockdown as the solution:
A total #LockDown will save MORE money than partial lockdowns. And early opening of the country before the rest of the world has contained the virus too! Only together can the world be rid of this #coronavirus.
— Jenny Latheef (@LitmusTimes) March 24, 2020
Ali Hussain responds to Amhar who asks if a total lockdown can be afforded:
The rent and bills would be cheaper than infecting yourself, bringing it to your home and infecting your family. And if you lose a family member to the virus…. Can you afford it?
— Ali Hussain (@AliEHussain) March 16, 2020
Isra questions the measure of confining workers, even those who are no longer employed, to resorts while tourists were allowed to arrive for holidays, till the latest decision not to issue on-arrival visa:
So, just forcing people to stay in an island where they are no longer employed, without any suspected cases of Covid19 but also not restricting travelers who may potentially carry the virus to the resorts? https://t.co/NU5yf52wsE
— Isra ? (@IsraSaudulla) March 17, 2020
Umran tweets:
uh-huh. As long as there are links from resorts to population centers, quarantine exceptions for resort guests remain a significant risk… Lockdown population centers before going about your last ditch efforts to save tourism… This is getting real tiring now… https://t.co/9pIL2rmZEf
— Umran (@phantomread_) March 20, 2020
However, some workers in resorts such as Saaif Zaryr support the government's move to confine workers:
I work at a resort and I applaud the governments decision to lockdown resorts. The vast majority of the cases in Maldives originated within resorts. It is in the best interest of the general public that people working in resorts be prevented from mingling with the general public. https://t.co/XmP5xXGFBK
— Saaif Zaryr (@SaaifZaryr) March 15, 2020
Meanwhile, Faraz asks if the money generated by tourism benefits the people:
Tourism generates more value than, let's say, fishing.
But where does that value go? To offshore accounts! What good does that do to anyone? https://t.co/oBasfQpMAV
— Abdulla ? Faraz (@n3m6) March 23, 2020
The Maldives is also using several resorts to quarantine suspected persons in separate islands near the capital Malé. As per the previous decision before lockdown, Maldives nationals arriving from abroad were being quarantined for 14 days in these designated places with the exception of tourists checking in to their pre-booked resorts.
Arrived in Maldives after travelling for more than 24 hours and checked into quarantine facilities provided by the government- which are exceptional. Everything is very well organised and everyone is so nice and helpful. Thanks a lot and kudos to the amazing work being done! ?? pic.twitter.com/CQmfVWoUtD
— Nash Nasheed (@NashNasheed) March 23, 2020

author: Saffah Faroog


text:
No coronavirus cases in Donetsk and Luhansk, say separatist authorities · Global Voices
RuNet Echo

Olga Dolgoshapko, Minister of Healthcare of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, gives a press conference about the status of the coronavirus epidemic, March 24, 2020. Screenshot from Министерство информации ДНР's YouTube video: “Подтвержденных случаев заболевания коронавирусной инфекцией нет, волна гриппа и ОРВИ пошла на спад“
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
Peace may not have reached eastern Ukraine yet, but neither has the coronavirus.
At least, that's what is claimed by de facto officials of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), one of two breakaway territories in war-torn eastern Ukraine. In a press conference on March 24, the “DNR's” de facto Minister of Health Olga Dolgoshapko claimed that no coronavirus cases had been confirmed in the territory to date. Nevertheless, de facto state media report that 71 people are “under observation” in hospital and that 247 people are self-isolating. On March 25 Leonid Pasechnik declared that the Luhansk People's Republic (LNR) was also coronavirus free. The de facto Minister of Healthcare of the LNR, Natalia Pashchenko, added that 60 people are currently “under observation” in the smaller of the two breakaway territories.
Around three million people live under the control of the two separatist regimes, which declared independence from Ukraine in April 2014. The war which ensued has claimed the lives of over 3,000 civilians; more than one and a half million have been displaced. To this day, the “DNR” and “LNR” are internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory; although Russia does not formally recognise their self-declared independence, it provides extensive economic, political, and military support and direction to the separatist governments.
Government controlled Ukraine is currently under lockdown, with closed borders and 162 confirmed coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, the coronavirus epidemic has hit Russia hard, with over 840 confirmed cases and a surge in diagnoses of pneumonia. Moscow responded by closing all its borders on March 17, including those with eastern Ukraine. But on March 23, the same day that the “DNR” closed its own crossing points into Ukrainian government controlled territory, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin made an exception to the Kremlin's order: “in light of the economic blockade of the territories,” he ruled, Russia would open its border to anybody with permanent residency in the Donetsk or Luhansk regions, regardless of their citizenship. In any case, the separatist authorities aren't taking any chances even where their benefactors are concerned: as of March 25, the “DNR” Ministry of Health mandated even those arriving from Russia and the “LNR” to self-isolate for 14 days, whether they have symptoms or not.
It bears repeating that the coronavirus and the restrictions to contain it could have dismal consequences for inhabitants of an already volatile region, particularly for elderly people who have until now been able to cross the front line into Ukrainian government controlled territory to receive pensions from Kyiv, to which they are still entitled.
It is hard to receive much accurate information from Donetsk or Luhansk. Independent journalism critical of the de facto authorities is difficult if not impossible to conduct.This is compounded by the fact that reporting on the separatist territories by Ukrainian news outlets can also be unreliable. A recent newsletter from CivicMonitoring, a German Foreign Ministry funded project to monitor human rights violations in eastern Ukraine notes the following:
While the separatists did not confirm any infections with the new virus, both sides used the crisis to spread disinformation about each other. The Donetsk separatists claimed on 11 March that tuberculosis and pneumonia were rampant among Ukrainian servicemen stationed along the Contact Line. And Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on 13 March that there were 12 cases of infections in Horlivka, the second-biggest city inside the “DNR” – the Donetsk Health “Ministry” denied.
Meanwhile, news outlets loyal to the de facto “DNR” and “LNR” authorities claim a degree of normalcy in Donetsk and its environs, or as normal as life can be after nearly six years of armed conflict and isolation. International outlets have made similar observations:
“Over six years, we've adapted to living in crisis situations,” a florist living in Donetsk told the German online channel OstWest on March 20. Panic buying? She hadn't seen any, she said with a shrug.
There are signs that things have since changed. On March 24 a member of Tipichny Donetsk, a group about developments in the eastern Ukrainian city on popular Russian language social media network VKontakte, shared a photo from a branch of the First Republican Bank recommending its clients to enter the premises wearing masks. “I work in the building materials market and there aren't any masks left,” responded one user. And although de facto state media insist that supermarket shelves are full, social media More recent posts in the same group attesting to the well stocked supermarket shelves in the city are met with incredulous responses from locals: “where has all the buckwheat gone?” asks one. “There's no milk left for 17 roubles, only brands for 40 roubles or more,” reports another.
Even before the territory closed its borders, the de facto authorities announced emergency measures. A March 14 executive order issued by Pushilin demanded “heightened preparedness” and ordered medical staff to be present at border crossings to test temperatures of all travellers and demanded that people returning from affected countries self-isolate for 14 days.
Although these measures do not amount to a full lockdown or quarantine, they do encourage social distancing. Since March 19, schools and kindergartens have been ordered to conduct “distance learning.” According to Donetsk videoblogger Ivan Likhachev, as of March 21 cinemas and theatres in the city were closed, although public transport services continued. Accordingly, Pushilin's decree also banned state institutions such as the Ministries of Sport and Culture from holding mass public events with more than 1,000 participants until at least April 10.
Nevertheless government officials including Pushilin himself appear to be holding meetings as usual:
С руководителями учреждений культуры #ДНР в канун их профессионального праздника обсудили достижения и проблемы развития отрасли, в том числе необходимость оказания государственной поддержки в этот непростой период. pic.twitter.com/3IDImu8xo9
— Пушилин Денис (@pushilindenis) March 24, 2020
Regardless of the pandemic, Pushilin has stressed his determination to hold a large parade for Victory Day on May 9, which thousands are expected to attend in commemoration of the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany. This year's parade has a special significance: in December, he declared 2020 to be the “year of great victory.”
The separatist leader has instructed his staff to consider “alternative means” of holding the parade if the situation deteriorates. Nevertheless, Donetsk locals on VK groups castigated his determination to hold the event as irresponsible.
So social media networks certainly indicate that online users in the “DNR” and “LNR” are aware of the dangers of the virus. The de facto health ministry of the DNR has opened a telephone hotline for citizens. But it is also not difficult to find complaints about how the de facto authorities have handled the crisis, and their level of preparedness. Just as news outlets based in the breakaway territories suggest that local healthcare systems are well prepared, so Ukrainian media such as online magazine Apostroph report that hospital wards in Donetsk and Luhansk now hold patients with pneumonia and extreme respiratory distress.On March 18, Ukraine's Ombudsman for Human Rights wrote on Facebook that the prior week, over 600 locals in the breakaway territories had contacted the authorities complaining of flu symptoms.
De facto healthcare officials in the “DNR” have not confirmed or denied these claims, although on March 16 Dolgoshapko unexpectedly claimed that over 40 people had died of swine flu since the start of the year.
What can be said is that both the breakaway territories are largely dependent on Russian assistance when it comes to stemming the coronavirus pandemic. The Ukrainian publication Focus, citing an interview with a Donetsk medic, claims that Donetsk has just 20 ventilator units to hand. The ability to locally produce masks and sanitiser en masse, as separatist media outlets claim, may not be enough. This could be why, as several Ukrainian media outlets claim that last week, a team of 40 medical specialists from Russia are reported to have inspected facilities in the breakaway territories to assess their readiness to deal with the pandemic. A convoy of medical supplies, state the same Ukrainian media sources, is underway and will complete delivery by April 1. No reference to such a convoy can be found on Russian or separatist websites.
The biggest mystery is perhaps the most obvious: how are local medics able to test for the virus in the first place?
In her most recent update on the medical situation, Dolgoshapko suggested that several of the hospitalised patients had already been tested for the coronavirus, from which it follows that testing systems are available to the “DNR.”
Ukrainian officials seem sceptical; in the same Facebook post, Denisova also stated that to the Ukrainian government's knowledge, neither territory had testing systems to distinguish these symptoms from coronavirus. Thus the origin of these testing systems allegedly used by local medics has been by far the largest cause for speculation in the Ukrainian media. Novosti Donbassa, a Ukraine based independent news site staffed by journalists who fled the region after 2014, claims that the “DNR” does not actually have the facilities to analyse the test samples they collect, citing a senior de facto health official.
If the separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine have received coronavirus testing kits, they are probably provided by Russia. As RBC reports, on March 12 the Russian government sent 800 “Vector” testing kits each to several post-Soviet states alongside Mongolia and Iran. The journalists of Novosti Donbassa noted that media under separatist control were not eager to discuss the issue:
Заметили, что телеканалы «ДНР» и другие СМИ стараются не афишировать, что имеющиеся тест-системы были получены из России. В сюжетах каналов из донецкой лаборатории об этом упоминалось только на одном канале, остальные — вырезали. Количество тест-систем вообще никто не называет.
We've noticed that “DNR” television channels and other media are trying not to advertise that the test systems in [the authorities’] possession were received from Russia. Only one channel mentioned this in its dispatches from Donetsk labs, while the others cut it out. Nobody has mentioned the number of test systems at all.
— Дежурный по Донбассу, Telegram, March 26, 2020
Having severed themselves from the rest of Ukraine, it looks very likely that the rulers of the “DNR” and “LNR” will have to depend on Russian assistance to fight off the pandemic for them. Whoever that task falls on, it can only be hoped that they have some success — for one of the few hopes which bridges political divides is that the Donbas does not need more civilian deaths.
As one VK user noted:
Да в любом случае он у нас будет, это нужно понимать. Поэтому надо готовить тест-системы, койки, аппараты ИВЛ и набирать дополнительный мед. персонал. А просто надеяться на то, что нас обойдёт стороной – слишком наивно.
Look, in any case it'll get to us, that has to be understood. That's why test systems, beds, ventilators and additional medical personnel have to be found. Just hoping that it will pass us by is too naive.

author: RuNet Echo


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Outrage after Indonesian politicians among first in line to get tested for COVID-19 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The legislative building complex in Senayan, Jakarta. Photo by Davidelit. Source: Wikipedia (Public Domain).
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
Many Indonesian internet users expressed anger over the decision of the House of Representatives (DPR) to test its 575 members for COVID-19.
Indonesia has a population of more than 260 million. As of March 25, 2020, the country has 790 COVID-19 positive cases with 58 deaths. But many believe there are more cases that are being underreported and undetected because of the low number of COVID-19 testing in communities. As of March 24, the government has only conducted 2,756 tests.
President Joko Widodo (also known as Jokowi) has been reluctant to impose a lockdown to contain the virus because of its drastic impact on the informal sector and daily wage earners. Instead, the government has been aggressive in promoting social distancing in major cities to stop the spread of COVID-19. Jokowi also ordered the massive procurement of rapid testing kits in order to be rolled out in hotspots across the country.
But as the country waits for the test kits to arrive from China and other countries, news of the DPR decision to have its members tested outraged many on social media. Members of Parliament can also nominate two or three of their family members and staff such as drivers and domestic help for rapid testing.
This infuriated many who questioned the rationale of prioritizing politicians for COVID-19 testing instead of health workers and other front liners, including those who already have symptoms of the disease.
Here are some comments on Twitter:
All 575 members of parliament and their family members will be tested for COVID-19 using rapid test kits this week, House of Representatives announced. Unlike us commoners, they will be tested despite showing no symptom or having zero contact history.
— Nuice Media (@nuicemedia) March 23, 2020
As sick people across the country struggling to get tested amid shortage of medical supplies, all Indonesian parliamentarians and their families will get free Covid-19 tests.
Disgusting. This is a class war.
https://t.co/XDYgkfS0bu
— Veronica Koman (@VeronicaKoman) March 23, 2020
Seeing all MPs and high-level govt officials get #COVID19 tested easily (even without symptoms), I feel like we're in Bong Jon Hoo's #Snowpiercer. And we're definitely not riding in the elite-occupied front trains. https://t.co/TTx38sczt5
— Margianta S. J. D. (@margianta) March 23, 2020
Human rights researcher Andreas Harsono shared the sentiment of many. He told the Sydney Morning Herald:
A lot of people are angry with parliamentarians as even doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers – the people on the front lines – are not being tested. It has made people very angry. This reinforces the idea that they are selfish.
In response, DPR officials said the test kits are self-funded by its members. A party mate of the president argued that DPR members need to be tested “in order to make sure that the government runs effectively.”

author: Mong Palatino


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Tunes in the time of corona: A playlist from Trinidad & Tobago hits all the right notes · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Journalists and podcasters Franka Philip (left) and Ardene Sirjoo (right), of Trini Good Media. Photo by Sean Drakes, used with permission.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
Trinidadian journalists Franka Philip and Ardene Sirjoo — collectively known as Trini Good Media, since December 2017, when their podcasting outfit was launched — wanted to find ways to unite people during the COVID-19 pandemic, so they did the polar opposite of what you might expect. Rather than produce a newsy programme on prevention measures, they took to Facebook to ask their friends and followers to pick two of their favourite songs and explain what makes them special.
Philip was inspired by a friend, Stefan Hull, who introduced her to a concept called “Stick it On” at parties in Brighton, England, where she used to live. It allowed ordinary music lovers to literally get their 15 minutes of fame by doing their thing on the DJ decks. You didn't have to be a mixmaster, just bring enough music to fill the time slot and play. What that created, remembers Philip, was “a real diversity of music, very interesting, very organic”, and she loved the fact that there was something for everybody.
More than 100 Facebook comments later, the podcasting version of this idea resulted in a musical cornucopia that seamlessly melded different genres and brought back fond memories for listeners all around the world whose physical movements, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have been restricted by ever-tightening isolation measures. The playlist — and the stories that go with it — offers a glimpse of Trinidad and Tobago's society and culture. Here are a few highlights…
One of the most innovative, enduring and socially conscious calypsonians of all time, David Rudder and his then band, Charlie's Roots, released this song in 1989 as part of the album “The Power and the Glory”. One listener said it was a wonderful reminder of the deep connection that Trinbagonians have with their country, no matter what part of the world they happen to be, while another said the song was special to her because when she was pregnant, the baby would move whenever she played it.
Listener Dominique Inniss suggested this funk/rhythm and blues classic as a “[favourite] for impromptu dancing”. There were quite a few other songs in the mix that got people to move, including David Bowie's “Let's Dance”, Earth Wind & Fire's “Let's Groove”, the energetic collaboration between songstress Destra Garcia and soca icon Machel Montano, “It's Carnival”, and — quite to Franka Philip's disdain — Sister Sledge's “Frankie”: “You can't help but sing along,” she says, “even though you hate it.”
Also great for dancing in that uniquely Trinbagonian style, “wining”, is Lord Kitchener‘s calypso classic “Sugar Bum Bum”, and Shadow's “Bassman”, both boasting mesmerising bass lines. Facebook user Anton Nimblett noted the importance of the latter “because of its place in calypso history and because it speaks so clearly [to] the burden/blessing of a creative life.”
This pick by the British funk band Jamiroquai was requested by Facebook user Q D Ross, because the lyrics always feel relevant, he says, to how he feels about the times, “plus [the] video is fire!” Other commenters shared that the song — and indeed, the whole set — was refreshingly soothing and brought back wonderful memories. Dane Mayers, a Trinidadian living in Houston, Texas, said, “I feel like I'm in a house lime [party] with a small group of very close friends.”
There were quite a few uplifting and inspiring songs in the mix, including “Timeless” by India Arie, Stevie Wonder's “Overjoyed”, pianist Johanna Chuckaree's instrumental version of soca star Kes’ wildly popular hit, “Savannah Grass”, and “Feel the Love”, a collaboration between Freetown Collective and DJ Private Ryan.
However, Shadow's “My Belief” holds a special place in many Trinbagonians’ hearts. In the words of rapso singer Wendell Manwarren, the song — which makes the point that internal fortitude is more powerful than external circumstances — is “simple, powerful, poetic and timeless. And that Tobago fiddle is LIFE.”
A rendition of the hymn “Sing out My Soul”, performed the the Holy Name Convent school choir and the Maria Goretti Group, was also meaningful to quite a few listeners, regardless of their religious background. Philip described it as a “comforting, universal song” that “wrap[s] you up in a comfortable blanket [and] makes you feel everything is going to be okay.”
Out of left field came a few tunes that for some unknowable reason, have always resonated with Trinidad and Tobago music lovers. “Escape” is a reminder to many of the heyday of '80s music, which was, in Philip's words, “a very harmonising time for music, [with] a lot of crossover [between] the UK and the US.”
It's a great sing-along tune, as is the late Kenny Rogers‘ “The Gambler”, which also made the cut because country music is quite popular in some parts of the English-speaking Caribbean.
Perhaps the most heart-warming story of the musical session came from Bianca Savary, who asked Trini Good Media to play Stevie Wonder's “That Girl”.
Speaking with Global Voices by telephone, Savary explained that her late husband, Egidio Bianco, once managed a prominent New York City restaurant that attracted a celebrity clientele. Wonder, who was one of the regulars, happened to book a table on the night of their daughter's 10th birthday, and Bianco mentioned that he'd played “That Girl” for his wife and daughter the day they came home from the hospital with her. Touched by the story, Wonder asked him to call their daughter, took the phone from him and sang her the song.
“It was so touching,” Savary said. “I was crying all the way through, but that's the type of romantic person my husband was.”
That thoughtfulness — the consideration for and connection with others — encapsulates the message that Ardene Sirjoo hoped the podcast would send to listeners. The wonderful potential of the digital space, she explained, allows us all the opportunity to give some thought to what will happen post-COVID-19, in terms of how we might move forward as a collective, and how we might treat others after such a life-changing pandemic.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Algeria’s crackdown on dissent persists with detention of journalists · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

Anti-government protesters in the capital Algiers on July 6, 2019. Photo credit: Farah Souames, used with permission.
More than a year since the start of Algeria's countrywide protest movement demanding political and economic reforms, the government continues to resort to repressive tactics to silence critics and journalists covering the protests.
On March 15, a court in Algiers, the capital, rejected the release of journalist Sofiane Merrakchi, who has been in detention since September 2019.
Merrakchi is a freelance journalist who works for foreign news outlets including the Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV channel and the Qatari state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera. He stands accused of violating the customs code for ‘’evading customs authorities while importing broadcasting equipment.’’
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, he risks between two and seven years in jail and a fine in the amount of the value of the equipment.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF):
A former Algerian public radio journalist, Merrakchi is suspected by the security services of having filmed a demonstration for Al Jazeera, whose coverage of the past few months of protests has repeatedly been criticized by the authorities. He was due to be brought before prosecutors.
In a statement published on March 5, the collective of United Algerian Journalists (JAI) described the accusation against Merrakchi as a ‘’pretext’’ to ‘’silence him’’:
Son arrestation, survenue dans un contexte de mise au pas totale des médias audiovisuels publics et privés, ciblait de manière précise son libre exercice du métier de journaliste. L’accusation d’infraction au code des douanes et d’utilisation d’un appareil de diffusion en direct – que toutes les chaînes TV utilisent en Algérie – dont il fait l’objet n’est qu’un prétexte pour punir le journaliste et le faire taire.
His arrest, which occurred in a context during which public and private broadcasters were being brought to heel, targeted specifically his freedom to exercise his profession as a journalist. The accusations that he violated the customs law and used a live-broadcasting device — used by all TV channels in Algeria — are but a pretext to punish and silence the journalist.
Blogger and freelance reporter Abdelmoundji Khelladi has been in prison since October 2019. Security officers in civilian clothes arrested him the city of Constantine while he was covering a protest. He is accused of ”disrupting national interests and unity.”
Prior to his arrest, Khelladi was actively reporting and commenting on politics, socio-economic conditions and the protests in Algeria through his blog and social media channels, including YouTube and Facebook. He risks two years in jail and a verdict is expected on April 1.
Since the start of the protests, Algerian authorities stepped up their crackdown on freedom of expression, media freedom and internet freedom. The government resorted to restricting access to networks and social media platforms, arresting journalists and imposing restrictions on media coverage of the protests.
The protest movement — which began on February 22, 2019, when then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his bid for a fifth term in office — continued after his resignation on April 3, 2019.
However, Algerians have continued to take to the streets to protest against corruption, unemployment and the country’s political elite, including after the presidential election on December 12, considered by the protesters as a an attempt to keep the old regime in power.
The former prime minister and Bouteflika ally, Abdelmajid Tebboune, won that election and he was sworn in as president on December 19, 2019. On January 5, 2020, during his first cabinet meeting, Tebboune called on the government to respect press freedom. Yet, the violations continued.
On March 7, journalist Khaled Drareni was arrested while covering a protest in Algiers. He was arrested for “assembly without a permit.” He was then released on March 10 after he was charged with ‘’undermining national unity’’ and placed under court supervision. He has also been banned from leaving the country and he risks ten years in jail.
Drareni is the founder of the online news site Casbah Tribune. He is also the correspondent of TV5 Monde and RSF. He has extensively covered the anti-regime protests since they started in February 2019. He repeatedly faced harassment from the authorities for his work.
A day after his release, he vowed to continue his work because ”journalism is not a crime.” On March 25, a court in Algiers sentenced him prison for ”incitement” and ”attacking national unity.” The judge did not specify a term, his brother told CPJ. The journalist was once again detained on March 27.
Every Friday since February 22, 2019, Algerians have been taking to the streets to protest the ruling regime throughout the country. On March 20, this was not the case as protesters opted to stay home to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Algerian activists and protesters insist, however, that their protest movement is not over but only suspended for now because of the heath situation. In the meantime, the Algerian government is showing no sign of easing its crackdown.
On March 24, opposition leader Karim Tabbou was sentenced to one year in jail and a fine of 50,000 Algerian dinars (approximately $405 United States dollars) for critiquing the role of the Algerian army in politics in videos that were published on his party's Facebook page, Amnesty International said.

author: Afef Abrougui


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An interview with Afgan Mukhtarli, abducted Azerbaijani journalist who now walks free · Global Voices
Maxim Edwards

Leyla Mustafayeva hugs her husband, the journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, during his arrival in Berlin on March 17. Photo (c): European Centre for Press and Media Freedom.
On March 17, the Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli arrived at Berlin's Schönefeld Airport, where he was reunited with his wife and daughter. He had served nearly three years in an Azerbaijani jail — half of a six year sentence which was widely considered politically motivated and retaliation for his investigative reporting.
Mukhtarli's release is all the more significant due to the scandalous cirucmstances of his arrest — or rather, his abduction.
On May 29, 2017 Mukhtarli left his home in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, to meet a friend at a cafe. At 19:00 he rang his wife, the journalist Leyla Mustafayeva, to tell her that he would shortly be home. But he never arrived.
Journalist Afgan Mukhtarli in Tbilisi. Screenshot from YouTube / Kavkazskiye Novosti.
Instead, Mukhtarli surfaced two days later in a detention cell in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. He told a lawyer that he had been seized by men wearing Georgian police uniforms who stuffed his pockets with banknotes, bundled him into a car, and drove him across the border into Azerbaijan, where he was arrested for illegal border crossing and smuggling money. The Georgian prime minister denied all accusations that his government had any complicity in the arrest, but many remained sceptical. Over the years prior to Mukhtarli's arrest, Tbilisi had become a home for a thriving community of political dissidents and independent journalists from Azerbaijan, who were attracted by Georgia's relative freedom of expression.
But now, they started wondering who would disappear next, and whether Georgia was really a safe haven after all.
Since 2015, Georgia had been that safe haven for Afgan Mukhtarli. That was the year when he and his family left Azerbaijan after harassment due to his investigative journalism. Mukhtarli had collaborated with MeydanTV, the exiled independent Azerbaijani media outlet, and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) on high-profile investigations implicating state officials, sometimes even the Aliyev family, which has ruled Azerbaijan since 1993. It was the type of work which was bound to ruffle feathers.
I interviewed Mukhtarli about his experiences and his hope for the future. His answers, given in Azerbaijani, were translated by his wife Leyla Mustafayeva.
Maxim Edwards: Why do you think the authorities released you? And why did they choose to do so now?
Afgan Mukhtarli: My release was thanks to pressure by members of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Parliament. [CoE Commissioner for Human Rights] Dunja Mijatović and [Icelandic politician] Þórhildur Ævarsdóttir even visited me in prison. It was also due to negotiations between the Azerbaijani and German authorities, which began last October. They were very helpful; as I didn't have any documents with me when I was kidnapped and brought to Azerbaijan, the authorities provided me with a passport once these talks had started. The German authorities had granted me a visa last year to reunite with my family, but I was not released at the time; there were multiple court hearings about my case in late 2019. I even heard rumours that [President Ilham] Aliyev was planning to sign a decree pardoning me this March. That also never happened, but I was eventually released a bit later, after the parliamentary elections.
ME: So is the lesson here that media campaigns and advocacy really do work in these circumstances?
AM: Sure, the media campaign had a big impact and I'm very grateful. In Georgia there was a lot of noise about it; many media organisations covered the news and campaigned for me. They raised public awareness in the Caucasus and worldwide. But the campaigns, the protests in European countries didn't just trigger my release, they also helped me in other ways. They probably changed the way I was treated in prison. I'm sure that if there had not been any such campaigns, I could have faced a much, much harder time in prison. I hope that this publicity continues, and that it puts pressure on the authorities over how they treat political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
ME: And how would you describe the conditions of your imprisonment? How were you treated?
AM: After I crossed the Georgian border and was handed over to the Azerbaijani authorities, I wasn't tortured. But there were plenty of other restrictions: on phone calls, meetings with relatives, and so on. I wasn't allowed to meet with my mother, brothers, or any other relatives for six months. I didn't have any access to my family, to my wife, for a year. I couldn't contact friends over the telephone. I had several lawyers, but the one I met with most frequently in prison was Nemat Kerimli. His licence to practice law was suspended [in 2018], I think because he was working with me. The deputy chairman of the prison [Emin Eminaliyev] was very aggressive towards Kerimli and confiscated all the documents he had after our meeting in prison. That was a violation of confidentiality between me and my lawyer. I tried to file a complaint to the court, but they refused to even consider it, giving different excuses. [In September 2019, Mukhtarli went on hunger strike in protest at this alleged mistreatment of his lawyer — ed.]
Political prisoners were controlled twice as tightly as the other inmates. We couldn't have books with any political content. When I raised the subject with prison staff they told me that those restrictions had nothing to do with the state penitential service. They said they received theose orders from the presidential administration.
ME: What does your release mean for the Georgian authorities? At the time of your abduction, there was a lot of speculation about what the Georgian authorities may have know about it. Do you believe that Georgia is still safe place for Azerbaijani dissidents?
AM: No, I don't think Georgia is a safe country. Even today, I'm convinced that the Georgian authorities — the chief prosecutor's office, the law enforcement agencies— are just going to repeat the same statements they've made before. They can't do anything else. If they admit that I really was kidnapped in Georgia and handed over to the Azerbaijani authorities illegally, that could result in the resignation of the Georgian government. The ruling party isn't prepared to risk losing its authority over the kidnapping of one journalist. They won't say anything.
I've been free for over a week now. In that time, I've given a lot of interviews to the Georgian media. I've even accused the Georgian side of receiving bribes for my abduction. But nobody from the Georgian authorities has said anything about my release or my comment about bribery. Earlier, the Georgian prosecutor's office made excuses, accusing the Azerbaijani side of refusing to allow them access to me. They said that as they had not been able to question me in prison in Azerbaijan, they were unable to carry out a proper investigation. But now I'm free. And nobody from the Georgian prosecutor's office or law enforcement has contacted me yet regarding my testimony.
ME: Since your release, there have already been more high profile arrests of opposition figures in Azerbaijan. Some observers wonder whether this is the start of another wave of political persecution. What are your predictions?
AM: Oppression of activists and civil society never really relaxed. The authorities are aggressive towards independent and critically minded people in Azerbaijani society. So my release alone doesn't mean that the authorities are going to soften their attitude towards them. Remember that there are still more than 100 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. The political situation in general has been harsh since 1993, but things have deteriorated even more since Ilham Aliyev took power in 2003. It's generally a bad atmosphere for journalists. Around three journalists have been killed in Azerbaijan in recent years: they are Elmar Huseynov, Rasim Aliyev, and Rafiq Tagi.
The blogger Mehman Galandarov was found dead in prison in 2017. I suspect that Galandarov's death was related to my arrest: he was arrested just a month before I was kidnapped. He had also lived in Tbilisi and attended protest rallies in front of the Azerbaijani embassy. One day, he had to return to Azerbaijan for family reasons and was detained once he arrived. Three months later, he was found dead in pre-trial detention. There were other arrests too. The same year, the opposition activist Gozel Bayramli was arrested when she returned to Azerbaijan from Georgia. I suspect that all these arrests were somehow connected and coordinated by the Azerbaijani authorities.
What's next? Before the Nowruz Holiday, Ilham Aliyev gave a speech addressing the political situation in the country and his plans for fighting the coronavirus. The president said that the authorities will fight against the “fifth column.” A few days later, [opposition leader] Tofig Yagublu was detained. I don't think his arrest will be the last. I think there will be more arrests in the months ahead.
ME: Now that you're out of jail, what are your plans?
AM: I'm going to rest for a while. I'm in a European country right now, so I plan to learn the language and eventually return to my work. Due to my abduction, there were several investigations which I couldn't complete. I hope I can contribute to the democratisation of Azerbaijan.
I may have changed location, but I haven't changed my goals.

author: Maxim Edwards


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Forty years on, a locked-down El Salvador remembers the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero online · Global Voices
Melissa Vida

Screenshot of the page “Generacion Romero.” From their Facebook page, used with permission.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
With the spread of COVID-19 pushing in-person events online, people from around the world digitally commemorated the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Oscar Romero, the Salvadoran priest shot by a right-wing death squad on the onset of El Salvador's civil war.
Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot by a sniper on March 24, 1980, at the altar of small hospital chapel in the capital San Salvador as he celebrated mass.
“Monsignor,” how Salvadorans still affectionately call him, became an iconic figure in the fight for human rights and against military violence in El Salvador and Latin America. In 2018, he was canonized as a Catholic saint by Pope Francis.
March 24th is the feast of Saint Óscar Romero: Catholic priest, defender of the poor, Rector of San José de la Montaña Central Seminary, Archbishop of San Salvador, and martyr for the Faith—assassinated by a paramilitary death squad on this day in 1980, while celebrating Mass. pic.twitter.com/RobZ1mjORO
— Tradical (@NoTrueScotist) March 23, 2020
Every year since his death, there are vigils, mass celebrations, and informal gatherings in the small Central American country to remember Oscar Romero's teachings, and this year promised to be a big celebration.
Adriana Valle, from “Generacion Romero,” a network of grassroots civil and religious organizations that maintain Romero's memory alive, had been waiting for this year's March 24 for a long time. But as El Salvador's confinement measures got stricter by the day, she had to continuously adapt her events until they became completely digital.
“At first, the measure was ‘no event with more than 500 people’, so we decided to have a smaller event,” she told Global Voices. “Then, it was 200 people maximum,” so they adapted and wanted to organize a concert via Facebook Live. As of Saturday, March 21, 2020, however, El Salvador imposed a complete 30-day lockdown: citizens can only leave the house to buy food or medicine, thereby making any kind of gathering illegal until further notice.
“But I did not want the date to go unnoticed, because Monsignor Romero talks about current problems,” she continued. St. Romero frequently spoke against social inequality and state violence. “Now, for example, many Salvadorans don't even have access to running water in their neighborhoods, which is paradoxical with the official recommendations of needing to wash our hands often.”
She believes the words of St. Romero can inspire people in El Salvador today to pick up the fight for human rights in the country. “With the coronavirus crisis, we see inequality even more than before,” she said.
El Salvador has established early measures to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19. As of March 27, there have been 13 confirmed cases and no deaths.
El Salvador has a relatively high rate of internet access compared to the rest of the region. Last year, the country elected president Nayib Bukele by 53 percent after he solely campaigned through social media.
Generacion Romero established an entire online program to foster a sense of community and reflect on St. Romero. With a complete program made of music playlists, videotaped messages from different communities and families across the country, international greetings, interviews with priests, live-screening of a documentary on Romero, and a symbolic commemoration in the evening, in which they asked participants to light a candle, make a prayer, and take a selfie with Romero's image.
Participants were encouraged to share their photos and videotaped songs with Generacion Romero:
Geplaatst door Generacion Romero op Woensdag 25 maart 2020
Geplaatst door Generacion Romero op Woensdag 25 maart 2020
Monseñor Romero nos une en fe y esperanza. Les compartimos las imágenes que nos llegan a través de nuestras redes. Acá…
Geplaatst door Generacion Romero op Woensdag 25 maart 2020
Monsignor Romero unites us in faith and hope. We share with you the images that people have sent us through social media. Here, Isabel Orellana et Roberto Rivas show their love which has been strengthened through our Saint.
Sierra Madre y San Romero
Integrante de Sierra Madre nos envía este saludo y una interpretación llena de mucho amor a San Romero!
Geplaatst door Generacion Romero op Dinsdag 24 maart 2020

author: Melissa Vida


text:
Musicians in East Africa rush to produce ‘corona’ songs — even as the industry falters · Global Voices
Pernille Baerendtsen

Music is popular in Tanzania. Now, COVID-19 is keeping people from gathering in huge groups like this to listen to it. Photo from Leka Dutigite concert in Kigoma in 2012. Photo by Pernille Bærendtsen, used with permission.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
As COVID-19 sweeps through Africa, musicians have taken a hit with canceled concerts, festivals, tours and interrupted studio time.
Yet, musicians have also risen to the challenge by composing catchy tunes to raise awareness and inspire hope, while others have seized the moment to capture their fans’ attention to send other messages. As always, musicians are on the move. And their work is global. Music is universal.
From West to East Africa, a new genre of “corona” songs merge the global with local as musicians adapt creative messages with unique musical styles.
These songs and videos mirror social life and issues that directly engage listeners. They express concerns and passions — but may also present contradictions. Many seem to have been produced at breakneck speed, circulating on Instagram and YouTube as musicians rush to meet the corona moment.
And a long history of “infotainment” songs — often propped up by the international development world — may have also prepared musicians for this moment.
Here’s a shortlist of new “corona” songs currently coming out of East Africa:
Mzee wa Bwax gives us a corona song in the singeli style — a genre that grew out of the jerry-rigged beats of groups like Jagwa. This is music from Uswahilini — the areas of Dar es Salaam where people live closely together. The video clearly visualizes the problems with a lack of sanitation and social distance in markets and inside dala-dala (public vans):
Bonga Flava stars Maua Sama and Marioo produced this corona song using smooth, chill bongo beats to promote a message of preventive actions against the dangers of the coronavirus. Bongo Flava meets public health:
Rapper Khaligraph Jones’ corona freestyle aims at Kenyans not taking the coronavirus and self-isolation seriously. But this is not your typical infotainment song — rather, he uses corona to diss other rappers and as a burn against socialite, Huddah Monroe:
Zenji Boy comes through with a Zenji Flava song and video that calls on God to help the doctors and nurses as they attempt to treat this virus without a cure. Produced through Stone Town Records, the song is laced with preventive measures, warning listeners to refrain from shaking hands and hugging. The title of the song, and the refrain, “corona inauwa,”  Swahili for “corona kills,” warns listeners to take the prevention measures seriously:
This gospel singer’s corona song and video tell the story of a friend who is married to a European man. He suffers from coughing and difficulty breathing — and then he dies. The doctor concludes the coronavirus as the cause. Gait’s message is that “God is in control,” and that “itakuwa sawa,” Swahili for “it will be okay.” Although the song and video include advice on prevention, his strong message of faith paired with dramatic visuals may add to the confusion:
DannyP's song was among the first corona-inspired tunes released in East Africa, on March 5. It has an upbeat Kamba sound, and the video features a dance involving characters wearing face masks, more of a corona fashion statement than an advisable preventive action. The song suggests solutions such as President Uhuru Kenyatta restricting Chinese from entering Kenya, — and calling upon God.
“The bad news is that everyone is a potential victim!” cries out Bobi Wine, the famous musician and politician in Uganda. His latest hit, “Corona Virus Alert,” promises that “the good news is that everyone is a potential solution!”
Even as musicians rush to produce hits that inform and inspire, the music industry in East Africa has faltered as travel and global commerce have come to a halt.
Major music festivals in Africa have announced cancellations such as the Cape Town Jazz Festival in South Africa, MTN Bushfire Festival in eSwatini, Atlantic Music Expo in Cape Verde and Blankets and Wine in Kenya, according to Jess White of Akum Agency.
Many musicians have lamented the loss of essential income from concerts, tours and festival gigs. Venue owners and agents have also worried about their future of musical projects, series, and programs.
Kenyan musician Makadem is currently stranded in Denmark, where he'll give a concert on March 28, with support from an artistic relief program that offers free live-stream productions to musicians affected by corona related cancellations.
On March 25, the South African government announced a “cash injection” for creatives and entertainers in an attempt to curb the blow in the amount of $860,000 earmarked for those affected by COVID-19-related restrictions within South Africa.
Priority will be given to artists who were booked to perform at state-funded events as well as other “legends” in the industry, according to Music in Africa.
But White asked in a Facebook post on March 25:
Is that it? Money for legends, people who were booked for government events and emerging artists fight for the scraps at provincial levels… what about other layers of the industry?
Indeed, musicians in other African countries have not been offered any type of government support or sponsorship for lost income due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Marafiki Live music series in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania.
Issac Peter Abeneko, a performing artist from Tanzania, has dropped two new songs and urged his fans to follow him on YouTube after he lost a major European tour due to the coronavirus. Abeneko, who runs the famous music series, Marafiki Live, in Dar es Salaam, also appealed to fans for funds to keep the popular series going, along with a public health message:
We are looking forward to resuming the Marafiki Night Live after the current situation got improved, we shall all work together highly to reduce the rapid spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.
1. Stay home & work from home to avoid crowded areas. 2. Social distancing 3. Clean your hands often with soap/hands sanitizer. 4. Stay safe and health.
As musicians in East Africa and across the continent attempt to pivot in this new paradigm, the industry already mourns the loss of legends.
The coronavirus has claimed the life of musical giant Manu Dibango, a revered jazz saxophonist from Cameroon:
Today we lost a legend. RIP Manu Dibango ? pic.twitter.com/1SiZaxpAOI
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) March 24, 2020
And Aurlus Mabele, known as the king of Congolese soukous music:
Aurlus Mabele: Congolese music legend dies ‘from coronavirus’ https://t.co/n04fEUwXvg
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) March 20, 2020
In Denmark, the first reported corona-related death was Kwabena Maanu — originally born in Ghana, and later a Danish citizen. Many, among others, the journalist Søren Villemoes paid tribute to Maanu’s contribution to spreading African music in Denmark:
Jeg er i TV2 Nyhederne kl 19 for at fortælle om en af vores første corona-ofre, altid glade Kwabena Maanu, som var min fars nære ven, og som jeg har kendt fra jeg var lille. Han bragte afrikansk musik til Danmark i 1980erne. En sand legende.
Rest In Power. pic.twitter.com/H2b2f0BmjF
— Søren K. Villemoes (@SrenKVillemoes) March 16, 2020
In the TV2 News at 19:00 I will talk about one of our first victims of corona, always happy Kwabena Maanu, who was my dad’s close friend, and whom I’ve known since I was a child. He brought African music to Denmark in the 1980s. A true legend. Rest In Power.
However, Tanzanian musician Diamond’s manager, Sallam Sharaff, fell sick with the virus on March 19, after visiting Switzerland, Denmark and France, and is now recovering. And Tanzanian rapper MwanaFM also tested positive for the virus on March 20, and is also reportedly recovering at home.

author: Pernille Baerendtsen


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Hundreds of Croatians left homeless by earthquake amid COVID-19 crisis · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Citizens of Zagreb practice social distancing under the light snow after an earthquake forced them to leave their homes in the morning of March 22, 2020. Photo by Tomislav Medak, CC-BY.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
The earthquake that hit Zagreb, Croatia, on March 22 left 26 people injured and one dead—a 15-year-old girl who was hospitalized in critical condition and died two days later.
The quake hit shortly after the city had implemented restriction measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, bringing additional stress to Croatians.
A much-shared and commented Facebook post by activist and scholar Tomislav Medak captured the post-earthquake collective feeling. It was republished as an essay by several online publications:
The scene at 6.30 in the morning outside of my building was just surreal: waiting it out as aftershocks kept coming, people were abiding by the advised distance, standing meters apart. Each person isolated for themselves, freezing as the northern wind was turning the morning mist into faint snow. Everybody desiring closeness and warmth where none was allowed. Neither to enter back into the building to isolate nor to come closer to huddle together. Surreal. By the end of the day, the damage from the earthquake turned out to be limited, not many people got hurt, some were left without a roof, some friends too. Plenty of chaos for many people, possibly some super-spreading moments. At least, hopefully, we saw the last of the big tectonic activity.
However, amid the total lockdown due to the coronavirus, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. For weeks now we have been living day by day awaiting consequences of our collective isolation that will only have concretised — numbered in cases and deaths — two weeks later. Those “two weeks later” are an abstraction imposed on the concrete time that we are now living day by day. And yesterday, suddenly there was an irruption of reality. An earthquake that jolts you out of bed, out of that abstract time of a delayed threat into an immediacy of an existential threat — and breaks the camel's back. You are brought to the brink of tears. And that feeling of vulnerability has persisted throughout the day. It will take a couple of nights for the apprehension of a next jolt to wear off.
It's a minor trauma, and it will take some nights to wear off. I'm sure that you all, where ever you are amid this pandemic, are feeling this brink approaching, but there just might be no irruption of an earthquake to bring you across that bring. Hopefully, that remains so…
Over 20,000 people reported damages to their homes. The state has deployed 170 experts to assess affected buildings, and initial analyses indicate that some of them might have to be torn down entirely. Repair works will most likely be delayed as COVID-19 measures have reduced the available workforce.
Parts of the city are also without heating, as the quake damaged some of the gas distribution network—a particularly worrying development as a cold front has caused temperatures to drop significantly this week in the region.
About 300 people decided to make use of the government-provided temporary housing in student dormitories, while others have moved out of the capital, or are staying with parents or friends. Citizens on social media expressed concern that this unexpected dispersion could increase the risk of contagion of COVID-19.
Minister of State Property Mario Banožić said on March 24 that the state will put at least 30 apartments at the disposal of affected families.
Authorities issued a warning about swindlers who have been praying on earthquake victims misrepresenting themselves as surveyors. They were charging for damage assessment, a procedure that the government is in fact providing for free.
Quite a few important public buildings suffered extensive damage during the earthquake and are now out of order. These include the parliament building, the rectorate of Zagreb University, and some museums. Citizens have been mourning the loss of cultural heritage over social networks:
??NO NO NO NO NO NO!!! First photos now coming also from the Archaeological Museum in #Zagreb, showing major, major damage to collections of Greek, Roman, Prehistoric, Egyptian, everything everything everything!!! ???? #potres (thread) pic.twitter.com/ABcaiKCBow
— Roko Rumora (@rokorumora) March 23, 2020
?THREAD: Following yesterday's earthquakes in Zagreb, first reports show catastrophic damage to Croatia's oldest and finest museum, the Museum of Arts and Crafts (MUO). #Zagreb #potres (1/5) pic.twitter.com/jnqWrdZDIr
— Roko Rumora (@rokorumora) March 23, 2020
The building that houses the Croatian Museum of Natural History had huge cracks on the roof and was immediately closed off to the public. Experts have warned of that a total collapse could be imminent and urged authorities to move the collection elsewhere quickly.
Leading news portal Index.hr fact-checked the often-repeated claim, even reproduced by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković himself, that the 5.3-magnitude earthquake was “the strongest that struck Zagreb in 140 years.”
Indeed, the Great Zagreb Earthquake of 1880 of 6.3 magnitude on the Richter's scale was the strongest ever recorded, but the city endured a 5.5 magnitude quake in 1905, and another of 6.1 in 1906, according to the data by the Seismological Service.
About ten other earthquakes with magnitudes of over 5.0 were recorded during the 20th century.
The Croatian government has opened a donation fund to help those affected by the Zagreb earthquake and the coronavirus. The campaigns are titled “Together for Zagreb” and “Croatia against coronavirus”.
To donate to “Together with Zagreb”
Donations within Croatia are paid to the account: HR1210010051863000160, with reference to the approval number: HR68 5371 – and their OIB number.
Donations from outside Croatia will go into the account of the Ministry of Finance with the Croatian National Bank, to the account number IBAN: HR12 1001 0051 8630 0016 0
“To donate to “Croatia against coronavirus”.
Donations within Croatia are paid into the account HR1210010051863000160, with reference to the approval number: HR68 5380 – and their OIB.
Donations from outside Croatia are paid into the account of the Ministry of Finance with the Croatian National Bank, to the account number: IBAN: HR12 1001 0051 8630 0016 0
Prime Minister Plenković announced that all members of the government will donate their March salaries to the account “Together for Zagreb” as an example of solidarity.
Citizens using social networks promoted the donation drive initiative. Jaka Primorac summarized the situation in her appeal in a Facebook post:
It was a bloody scary Sunday morning and my skyscraper swayed to and fro. I felt like I was on a boat and the earth never looked more far away from my twelfth floor. I am fine and our folks are fine. But some other people literally don’t have roofs over their heads. And it’s snowing in March, and the hurricane-style wind is blowing. It is not funny. They say Godzilla is coming to Zagreb on Friday and locusts are gonna fly around its head. Did I mention there is a Coronavirus around as well? In any case, donate, please.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Market mayhem in Uganda as COVID-19 measures upend women’s lives · Global Voices
Sandra Aceng

Women dominate the marketplace in Uganda. The photo was shot roadside around Kibale, Uganda, in 2003, by NeilsPhotography via Flickr CC BY 2.0.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
Uganda confirmed its first case of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on March 22. By March 28, the number of cases had increased to 30.
Even before its first registered case, the government of Uganda had taken decisive measures such as school closures, public gathering bans and strict travel restrictions to and from affected countries to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus.
On March 25, the government announced a ban on the sale of non-food items in Ugandan markets for two weeks starting March 26, to reduce numbers and enforce social distancing guidelines recommended by the ministry of health.
The country's markets, often dominated by women sellers, were turned upside down by these restrictions.
Thousands of citizens hustle every day as day laborers and sellers in Uganda's markets to put food on their tables. In a public address about the measures, however, President Yoweri Museveni failed to acknowledge their potential effect on those who work in the markets:
Not even some type of relief for those that survive on the informal economy???
——
This #COVID2019 crisis is taking a toll on the masses of people that live hand to mouth. @KagutaMuseveni & your team – please consider the unfortunate fact that these folks have no safety net. ??
— Martha Tukahirwa (@MarthaTukahirwa) March 26, 2020
These sudden restrictions have led to increased violence and crimes against those working in the informal sector, such as street vendors who continue to sell their goods to earn a living and feed their families.
On March 26, Ugandan women street vendors were flogged and brutalized by police, who used a level of force that went beyond that allowed by recent presidential directives. The incident was documented by photographer Badru Sultan, who posted his photos on Twitter and then were shared by many:
Causing fear, desperation & insecurity isn’t helpful in guiding our communities to defeat the huge threat posed by #COVID19UG.
People can be guided firmly but humanely & caringly. These people are trying to survive; get them to understand how to, both, avoid COVID & survive. pic.twitter.com/4kYohKTDv8
— Kifefe Kizza-Besigye (@kizzabesigye1) March 27, 2020
Martha Tukahirwa defended women vendors who continued to sell despite the directives:
These ladies prepare & vend food on the streets of #Kampala. Fully aware of @KagutaMuseveni’s directive on the ban of selling non-food items, they went about their business.
WHY were they battered???
Is this yet another contagion of #VAWG during such unprecedented times? pic.twitter.com/pnVcyvjWsq
— Martha Tukahirwa (@MarthaTukahirwa) March 26, 2020
Kizza Besigye pointed out that a shutdown does not make sense without a backup plan:
You can't just announce a shut down with no plan B. That is pushing them to the wall and what will come out of that is nothing but a high crime rate, – @kizzabesigye1 #MorningAtNTV #NTVNews | https://t.co/DrRiJNCUgG pic.twitter.com/BDi5yFzAmy
— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) March 26, 2020
According to a 2018 study by the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), in Uganda, women own 66 percent of all informal businesses in Kampala, the capital, and also make up the majority of informal workers.
The scarcity of job opportunities forces many women to take up work in the informal sector, doing jobs that are “precarious and poorly remunerated, with little access to social protection,” the study said.
The informal sector is, therefore, a vital lifeline for women in Uganda.
The Uganda Women Network expressed “grave concerns” about the excessive force used against women in markets in a March 27 press release:
While we commend the government of Uganda for the swift measures taken to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, we are also not oblivious of the economic impacts of some of the measures on women who form the bulk of workers in insecure labour. The complexities of these women’s realities ought to be put into consideration in implementation of the Presidential Directives on COVID-19 so as not to exacerbate already existing gender inequalities, the burden of care work and institutionalised violence against women.
The release noted that 71 percent of women work in the informal sector, including retail business, markets, hospitality, vendors and petty trade, etcetera.
The Uganda Women Network also pointed out that the police have a mandate “to protect, serve and defend”. Any act of brutality exercised against vendors goes against the 1995 Ugandan constitution Article 24, which protects every Ugandan citizen from any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article33 (3) on the rights of women also ensures that the state will protect women and their rights, taking into account their unique status and natural maternal functions in society.
As women in the market place continue to struggle under these new measures, food prices also continue to soar. Panic-buying at markets just after restrictions were put into place led some traders to hike up their prices:
VIDEO: City dwellers snatch pineapples from a moving truck as effects of COVID19 take centre stage in Kampala. #NTVNews | https://t.co/u3DLRxaeWV pic.twitter.com/SIfmeDx53M
— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) March 26, 2020
Basic food prices in Uganda are soaring since the outbreak of the first case of COVID-19, on the back of increasing demand, due to panic buying in anticipation of nationwide lockdown. Screenshot via NTVUganda on YouTube.
An online campaign using the hashtag #ExposeBusinessCrooks is aimed at halting the exploitation of the situation.
THIS #ExposeBusinessCrooks is going to alter the way we appreciate the gravity of the #coronavirus #COVID19UG pic.twitter.com/YpIy8AX5uf
— Arinaitwe Rugyendo?? (@RugyendoQuotes) March 25, 2020
In addition to banning the sale of non-food items in the market, President Museveni also recommended finding “new ways of doing business,” and “trading but with minimal human contact.” This implies that traders and sellers can simply shift their business online.
But Uganda's digital ecosystem is not prepared for this. Most market vendors do not have the training, capacity or knowledge to set up online businesses nor systems in place to deliver goods.
Additionally, Uganda's social media “gossip” tax continues to cause a pinch by making data so expensive that doing business online is simply out of reach for many market vendors.
The tax, introduced in 2018 to curb gossip online and raise revenue, already made data service costly. Now, due to the food price hikes, buying data is even more costly for most people.
For instance, 1 gigabyte (GB) of data costs 5,000 Ugandan shillings ($1.31 United States dollars), which is more than 15 percent of the average monthly income, according to a 2019 Pollicy report. The report states that “for the poorest quartile in the country, the same amount of data could cost up to 40% of the average monthly income.”
This means that getting online is even more expensive for an ordinary woman now than ever before.
This will further deepen digital inequalities between rich and poor, given the already high cost of data in Uganda, coupled with the social media tax and the high cost of living during #COVID19.

author: Sandra Aceng


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Papua New Guinea nurses strike over lack of protection against COVID-19 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Treatment room at Susa Mama health clinic, Port Moresby General Hospital, PNG. Photo taken by Ness Kerton for AusAID. Source: Flickr page of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Nurses Association organized a sit-in protest on March 26, 2020 to protest the lack of measures and equaipment to protect them against COVID-19.
The PNG government imposed a two-week lockdown on March 23 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes the potentially fatal COVID-19 disease. At the time of writing, PNG has only one positive COVID-19, case but authorities have identified 3,000 “persons of interest”, of which 2,230 are being actively monitored. PNG has a population of almost nine million.
The PNG Nurses Association raised the concern on March 6 that most hospitals do not have isolation units for handling COVID-19 patients and bemoaned the inadequate public health measures aimed at controlling the spread of the disease.
After the announcement of the lockdown, the PNG Nurses Association reiterated its concern about the absence of proper training and mechanisms at community level to deal with the disease.
The group petitioned the government to provide nurses with personal protective equipment (PPE), risk and travel allowances, food rations, and insurance.
After the breakdown of negotiations, the group called a strike at Port Moresby General Hospital, National Capital District Health Authority, and Laloki Public Psychiatric Hospital outside the capital city of Port Moresby.
During a media briefing, the group explained their decision:
Staff safety is paramount and those in authority must put themselves into our shoes and understand exactly why we are doing this.
Gibson Siune, the group’s general secretary, highlighted the nurses’ demands:
Our human resource is at risk and as professionals, we are conducting a sit-in protest so that the health authority and government face us and negotiate in a professional manner.
We want more than lip-service from the authorities that our services are valued and personal protection is guaranteed before we go back to work.
Our biggest hospital in PNG has its Nurses in protest because they do not have proper & clear directives, lack of face masks, gowns, goggles etc, isolation unit the list goes on. Ok..so where will the people go if we lose our nurses? #PNG
— Aaron Chin (@aaronchmgroup) March 26, 2020
PNG, a Nation of Reactive Leadership.
Pro Activity is something they have never heard of ?♂?♂?♂?♂.
While PMJM says we are ready to battle the Virus,Nurses and Doctors don't have PPE and majority of the health workers do not know what the virus is at all
— Braco (@BNonisa) March 26, 2020
The “PMJM” referred to in the tweet above is Prime Minister James Marape.
The Post-Courier newspaper published an editorial urging health authorities to implement the necessary reforms:
The threat by PNG Nurses Association to pull out its 4,000 nurses during this global pandemic is frightening and must be addressed immediately.
This is an emergency and the government has elevated the status from Health to that of a security issue. Use your authority as the principal Health advisor and demand that these funds [are used] and training be carried out immediately.
The Department of Labour and Industrial Relations declared the strike to be legal. Meanwhile, the PNG government assured nurses that protective measures will be implemented across the country.
The strike reflects the public's anxiety about the preparedness of the government to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from having to address the social and economic impact of the two-week lockdown, the country’s health care system is burdened with financial difficulties.
Journalist Scott Waide reflects on the irony of practicing “social distancing” in a country where there is high inequality:
Why didn’t we invest in the health system and build it up for our people? Maybe, just maybe, one day we might need to use it. That day has come.
Here is another piece of irony for you. The safest places in PNG right now are the villages where up to 70 percent of health facilities are closed because of lack of funding and lack of medicines.
Hundreds of villagers have been in ‘self-isolation’ for decades. They don’t have to maintain ‘social distancing.’


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Kenyan star runner Eliud Kipchoge says 2020 Olympics postponement is ‘shocking but noble’ · Global Voices
Ekonde Daniel

Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge, October 12, 2008. Photo by The Wolf at Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge became the first man in the world to run a marathon in two hours last year.
He was looking forward to competing at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, but the games have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When he received the news, Kipchoge told Global Voices that the postponement was “shocking” but “trusts it’s a noble idea” taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
All in all a very wise decision to postpone the Olympics until 2021. I look forward to come back to Japan to defend my Olympic title next year and look forward to witness a wonderful event. I wish everybody good health in these challenging times. pic.twitter.com/jrhsFEe545
— Eliud Kipchoge – EGH?? (@EliudKipchoge) March 24, 2020
The 34-year-old who ran 42.2-kilometer race in 1 hour 59 minutes in Austria last October was hoping to defend his 2016 Rio Olympics title this July; however, he will have to wait until summer 2021.
Kenya joins several other African nations with strict measures in place to slow the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus. The Kenyan government has imposed curfews, shut borders, closed schools, and banned public gatherings to encourage “social distancing.”
The nation currently has 42 confirmed coronavirus cases as of March 29, 2020.
From his home in Kenya, Kipchoge expressed astonishment with the IOC decision but believes it is for the greater good. He told Global Voices via WhatsApp on March 25:
I received the news about the postponement in a shocking way, but I trust and think it’s a noble idea for IOC to come into agreement to postpone the Olympics.
Health is an important priority…a firm decision … because as human beings, we need to respect this pandemic which has hit the whole world in a hard way.”
The organizers of the Olympics in Japan had come under pressure to postpone the mega-event that was expected to attract 11,000 athletes, as Canada and Australia pulled out in the wake of more deaths and more people testing positive of the coronavirus.
The IOC had said it needed time to take the final decision on holding the Games, yet they were rushed by international pressure.
Kipchoge thinks the decision was a bit hastened:
I didn’t expect the suspension of the Olympics as early as this. I thought it [the decision] will come in the next one or two months as we are struggling to get rid of this virus. We live in a world of uncertainties.
Kipchoge, who formerly ran the men’s 5,000 meters, won the bronze in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, before winning silver four years later in Beijing.
Kipchoge said he is confined at home during this period:
I am staying at home with my family – playing with the kids and trying to read some books to get some knowledge and make my mind healthy. I also watch some movies to create more connection with my family.
Kiphchoge, who has inspired thousands with his discipline, is keeping “training-from-home” video diaries to keep fans motivated — and “kill time” on his farm, a place he usually doesn't get to spend much time.
He continues to be a voice of hope and goodwill during this global crisis, posting empowering messages to all those determined to keep running:
To the thousands of runners who with me have devoted the last months of our lives towards this goal I would like to say: Be proud of the work you have put into this journey, keep smiling and seek your next goal on the horizon to continue running in a smooth and positive way! 2/2
— Eliud Kipchoge – EGH?? (@EliudKipchoge) March 13, 2020

author: Ekonde Daniel