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Dissecting the Dead in Odessa · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Vladimir Golyshev thinks the Kremlin may have had a hand in Odessa's bloodshed last week. Images remixed by Kevin Rothrock.
Several dozen people burned to death late last week in Odessa, when violence between different political factions led to a fire in a heavily occupied building. Afterwards, witnesses uploaded to the Internet hundreds of different videos of the carnage, as well as countless blog posts and social media statuses describing the events. In turn, many Russian bloggers have combed these texts, trying to make sense of what happened. RuNet Echo has translated one such analysis by Vladimir Golyshev, who wrote on Facebook on May 3, 2014, about the tragedy in Odessa.
Born in December 1971, Golyshev has worn many hats over the years. In the late 1990s, he was a diehard fan of Eurasianist philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, even working in his publishing house. Later, he collaborated with various Kremlin-connected political strategists, writing with Gleb Pavlovsky, Alexey Chadaev, Stanislav Belkovsky, and others. Like many such men, Golyshev eventually switched loyalties to the anti-Kremlin opposition, working on several Russian nationalist projects, including the “NAROD” movement, alongside the man who would later become a central figure in the opposition, Alexey Navalny. After Dmitri Medvedev’s election in 2008, Golyshev turned to playwriting, authoring a political satire in 2011 that officials banned from a festival for “indecency.” In the last two years, Golyshev has written in vociferous support of both Pussy Riot and Ukraine’s EuroMaidan movement.
Golyshev’s Facebook post does not represent an objective account of the bloodshed in Odessa. As you will see, he fervently sympathizes with the pro-Kiev nationalist faction, implying that those most responsible for the fire were nefarious agents possibly sent by the Kremlin. The text does, however, do an excellent job representing such bias, and it is worth reading as a typical case of how Kiev’s allies understand the Odessan tragedy.
Vladimir Golyshev, May 2011.
What follows is a full translation of Golyshev’s text (available here in the original Russian), and a few of my comments and questions about its finer points.
The Odessan Tragedy (A few mental notes)
You could have watched it by live feed. The whole thing. Entirely unedited. And after the event, you could watch the gigantic mass of video footage shot from different angles. It seems that it would be impossible to misunderstand anything, if people had eyes and a desire to see.
But no! Dream on!
Fairytales were more interesting. Myth-making and necrophilic ad-lib turned out to be more interesting than raw facts. I can’t even begin to describe the amount of rubbish that I’ve read on Facebook in the past few hours!
So what I’ll do first is say a few things here that have been documented and verified by EVERY SINGLE witness, so that I don’t have to waste time on it later. If you want to consider these points, be my guest. If not, don’t.
1) The “Ultra” fans of the Chernomorets Odessa soccer team are Odessans. The self-defense forces of Odessa’s Euromaidan movement are, too. The rest of the people who were on Grecheskaya Street were locals who came to listen to that Ultra-fan hit song, the name of which everyone knows. Incidentally, the crowd was made up of far more of these music-loving Odessans than various agents and volunteer bodyguards with wooden shields. The only people from outside the city were the eastern Ultra fans from Kharkov.
The only people who were the least bit prepared for a fight were a handful of self-defense forces. (And how! Why, they had with them wood shields! Deadly weapons if I ever saw one!) They all already knew that their opponents at Kulikovo Polye [the pro-Russia side’s tent headquarters] were planning something wicked.
But Odessans, accustomed to the idea that their city is not Kharkov and especially not Donetsk, did not attach any significance to this threat. In any event, nobody was prepared, except for a few self-defense forces experienced in skirmishing with the guys from Kulikovo.
From here we can conclude that the group’s plans did not go beyond music and marching to the stadium. They intended nothing more.
2) When things started, everything was simple. When the enemy appeared, a handful of self-defense forces moved forward, in order to shield the large crowd of festive Odessans and guests from Kharkov. And then Hell began, which no one was prepared for. All hell was let loose by a small group of subversives, acting under police cover. This is well reflected, for example, in this video. Both the bandits and the cops wear the same distinctive armbands—a red stripe. The line of police opens for them on command. The cops hand over their own shields to the bandits. Anyways, see for yourself.
Better still: find and read the testimony of witnesses stupefied by what happened. They’ve already explained the rock-throwing, the shots fired, and so on. Many many times. In every details.
Here is another good video (where people are trying to draw the cops’ attention to the first causality). No comments are really necessary here…
From here we can conclude that it was clearly a joint production by these mysterious subversives (on the Web there is a photograph of a minivan with Donetsk plates, in which some of them arrived) and the local police—a copy of what already happened in Kharkov and Donetsk.
Nothing new there. Something “new” turned out to be the behavior of the large crowd that had turned out to hear the Ultras’ hit song.
3) Just have a look at the photographs in which girls who are barely teenagers, together with elderly pensioners, are carrying rocks. Watch how these diabolical “radicals” (in glasses and with iPhones) stupefy a group of cops by tearing from their grasp an iconic “polite person” in full uniform. And they drag him away! And they rip off his mask…
The purpose of the gunfire should have been to disperse the crowd. I remember very well my own experiences in October 1993. When you hear bullets whiz by, the last thing you want to do is head in the direct from which they flew (and I’m not even taking into consideration stun grenades, firecrackers, and police clubs). What kind of person would you have to be to plow ahead, to the place that deals out death, like the people in Kiev in February or those in Odessa in May? How could anyone possibly anticipate such insanity?
From here we can conclude that the fact that people didn’t disperse, but did the opposite and tracked down the gunshots to the “Afina” mall, was a failure in the plan. This much was written in big capital letters on the cops’ fat faces.
4) The march to Kulikovo Polye was really a natural reaction. The same can be said of how people defaced Dobkin’s campaign advertisements on the way to the square.
In this video, you can see clearly how people appeared at Kulikovo Polye. There were various men, young women, large pot-bellied tough guys, and some kids on bicycles. They spilled across the square like cockroaches. Then, when the first tents caught fire, they suddenly retreated from the Trade Unions House. Why?
Shooting rang out from the windows and the rooftop of the building, where, it turns out, their “opponents” dug in. Judging by the behavior of the crowd, they thought that people who left the tent camp would simply run off. Nobody expected them to dig in at the Trade Unions House, let alone start shooting.
(A few hours later, another such camp at the 411th Battery monument would be liquidated without a single injury. This was because the pro-Russia activists there didn’t barricade anything and didn’t open fire on anyone. They just fled.)
How many people burned to death in the Trade Unions House? There are the official numbers. 210 people left the building on their own. 120 were evacuated during the fire (with active assistance from those gathered outside on the square!). 50 remained on the roof. The day ended tragically for those who committed the typical mistakes that people make in a fire: in a panic, they jumped from great heights, and they ran without thinking in every direction, except farther from the flames. In total, 8 people fell to their deaths. Another 30 suffocated from smoke inhalation.
5) So who set fire to the Trade Unions House?
If you study all the footage carefully, it’s clear that both sides tried. There was a minimum of two incidents (on the top floors) when the source of the fire was clearly inside the building. At the same time, you can see easily how Molotov cocktails flew at the building from the outside. (Judging by the size of the flames at the building’s main entrance, most people were throwing them there.)
Two circumstances played a deadly role: the “shut-ins” clearly didn’t have a good sense of the building, and they blocked the main entrance with furniture that they weren’t able to remove in time. Plus, there were another two factors: they panicked in fear of the people outside (having shot at them, finding a lynch mob was more than likely) and they panicked in fear of the flames, like all victims of fires.
Those who kept their cool survived.
But some percentage of people in such fires always falls into a panic. And here there were additional stress factors…
6) The fire, as far as we can see, started spontaneously. That much is clear, anyway, about the flames on the outside. Just imagine: they’re shooting at you. You’ve already had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing people killed and injured. In your hands is a Molotov cocktail. What are you going to do? Spend a half hour on a careful analysis of the consequences (“but what if they’ve set up a barricade behind the doors?” “but what if they panic from fright?” and so on)? Or would you just throw it?
It’s a rhetorical question, don't you think?
And who’s responsible for the fact that this cocktail flew into the building? The one who hurled it, or the one who shot at the hurler? And this doesn’t even account for the minimum two fire sources inside the building! You might have your doubts about the count here, but I see two possibilities:
* somebody blundered out of nervousness (they dropped the bottle, burned the curtains, lit the wick too soon, didn’t manage to open the window, and so on);
* it was all by the design of those who carefully climbed onto the roof (50 of these people were found).
On the outside, everything that happened is transparent. Outside the building, there was a sea of cameras and a motley crowd that included just about all kinds of people. As for what happened behind those walls, we can only guess.
I’ll make another point about how the people outside the building behaved when the fire broke out. This isn’t a joke or an exaggeration: they really did start saving people, climbing up ladders with firefighters and administering first aid. All this is captured on video. All this despite the fact that people continued to shoot at them from the rooftop!
I draw your attention to this not to be melodramatic. I just want to warn against the mortal sin of slandering the innocent.
The people who died from smoke inhalation and jumped to their deaths are victims of a fatal combination of circumstances (which I’ve listed above), not the malicious intent of those who were outside. Moreover, the “shut-ins” who fired their guns were full collaborators in this “combination.” And here, I think, are grounds for some doubts. I certainly have a few, at any rate.
7) There’s something off about the mix of Kulikovo Polye’s traditional inhabitants (with their turgid mottos shouted for hours on end, with or without a megaphone) and the edgy, machine-like sophistication of the armed bloodmongers [on the roof] who started the whole bloodbath.
One gets the impression that some ruthless force from outside the city very cynically exploited the pro-Russian Odessans, using them not so much as a “human shield” as “cannon fodder.” Outsiders. It was precisely these people who opened fire on Grecheskaya Street, and turned it into an “Odessan version of [Kiev’s] Institution Street.” It was precisely these people, by all accounts, who skillfully climbed onto the roof [of the Trade Unions House] (maybe having set fire to a couple of rooms below, just to be sure).
One way or another, the main people in this story are those 50 “Karlssons-on-the-Roof.” Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that Odessa’s dirty cops (with the red bands on their arms) have already attached propellers to these “Karlssons-on-the-roof,” and they’ve safely flown away.
But they promised to return.
P.S. Radio Liberty's correspondent ends his Odessa report like this:
“Incidentally, locals told me today that real estate agents ask in complete seriousness, ‘Who are you renting this apartment for? For spies?’ They assure me that all the rented apartments and all the health spas of Odessa are overflowing with men from Russia, living quietly in hotel rooms and private homes, alone or with a partner. They’re waiting in the wings. Who knows if their call came today, or if this was just the beginning.”
Golyshev has produced a thorough recap of the events on May 2 in Odessa, but some of his conclusions are less persuasive than others. For instance, he insists that the pro-Kiev demonstrators on the ground outside the Trade Unions House were compelled to attack the building because gunmen were firing on them from the roof. This claim is problematic, however. Why didn't the people outside simply drop their Molotov cocktails and run in the other direction? When Golyshev describes his own experience with the “whiz of bullets,” he says that human instinct demands fleeing from gunfire—not attacking its source. Is this not a double standard? If the gunfire from the rooftop was such a catalyst for the barrage of firebombs, why weren’t there more casualties on the ground outside the building? If the gunmen didn’t hit anyone, is Golyshev not exaggerating the mortal danger that supposedly provoked the crowd below?
Golyshev asks us to believe that the people atop the Trade Unions House fired on the crowd with the intent of escalating the conflict. But he also admits that people inside the building barricaded the main doors, fearing a lynch mob outside. Perhaps the same fear is what motivated someone on the roof?
Try reversing Golyshev’s mental exercise. Just imagine: they’re coming for you. You’ve already had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing people killed and injured. In your hands is a rifle. What are you going to do?


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Juan Carlos Varela, New Elected President of Panama · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Juan Carlos Varela, candidate of the Panameñista party, won the presidential elections in Panama, held on Sunday, May 4, 2014. Varela got 39% of the votes after counting over 60% of polling stations, that was 32% more than José Domingo Arias, of Cambio Democrático, and more than 27% than Juan Carlos Navarro, candidate of Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, by its Spanish name).
This is how Varela himself announced his election on Twitter:
Hoy ganó la democracia, hoy ganó Panamá porque le dimos una muestra de civismo al mundo #Panamá
— Juan Carlos Varela (@JC_Varela) Mayo 5, 2014
Today, democracy won, today Panama won because we gave the world a token of civility.
Other users echoed his words:
“Agradezco a Dios, a los que votaron por mis propuestas y los que votaron por otras propuestas, aquí ganó el pueblo panameño” @JC_Varela
— Debate Abierto (@Debate_Abierto) Mayo 5, 2014
I thank God, those who voted for my proposals and those who voted for other proposals, the winner here is the Panamanian people.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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PHOTOS: Protesters in Taiwan Turn Barbed-Wire Barricades Into Art · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Not long after protesters took over Taiwan's legislature over a controversial trade deal with China, the island's capital city Taipei was rocked by more protesters from April 26 to April 30, this time against a fourth nuclear power plant currently under security check that they fear is a danger.
Police forced the protesters from their gathering spots and set up barbed-wire fences and barricades to prevent them from coming back. Numerous chevaux de frise were placed around the presidential office, the Legislative Yuan, the Executive Yuan and other important government buildings.
In response, protesters got creative. They decorated the fences with anti-nuclear ribbons, political banners, flowers and other items, turning the barricades into what some have dubbed a contemporary street art exhibition. Many Taiwanese netizens have shared photos of the art, and below is a selection.
A warning sign hung beside the fence reads, “Danger, don't come near.” The photo was taken by Facebook user Chuan Hsiang Chang, who called the fence “the silent spiral.” CC BY-NC 2.0.
The sleeping beauty's castle, aka the presidential office. Photo by Instagram user deception. CC BY-NC 2.0.
Paint them pink. Photo by Twitter user runst01. CC BY-NC 2.0.
The yellow scarf. Photo by
Flickr user pbear6150. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Sending flowers for love. Photo by Flickr user live365. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Inside the chevaux de frise: the victims from the autocratic era. Photo by Facebook user Wei Hung. CC BY-NC 2.0.
We shall overcome. Photo by NTU News E-Forum's reporter 張慈安 Tzu-An Chang. CC BY-NC 2.0.

author: I-fan Lin


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Retaking the Streets of Puerto Rico…On a Bicycle · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

Cyclists riding bikes in Old San Juan, capitol of Puerto Rico. Image from video.
Transportation in Puerto Rico has for decades been dominated by automobiles. Even the government promoted the use of cars as the primary mode of transport for the citizenry, giving the country one of the highest rates of roads per mile.
Partly as a reaction to this, the use of bicycles has become popular in Puerto Rico in the last few years. The area of Santurce particularly has seen an increase in the number of cyclists pedaling around the streets. The popularity of bicycles is a little surprising, given that the island’s urban areas are not designed with bicycle riders in mind. As Professor María Moreno Viqueira says in an article for the magazine Cruce: [es]
En Puerto Rico la bicicleta siempre ha ocupado un espacio marginal. A pesar de que existe la “Carta de los derechos del ciclista y obligaciones del conductor”, los centros urbanos de Puerto Rico nunca han sido amigables con la bicicleta al carecer de vías y senderos para los ciclistas y de un sistema de bicicletas públicas, entre otros elementos.
Si en algún momento la bicicleta tuvo cierto rol en la sociedad puertorriqueña, el mismo estuvo limitado a la práctica solitaria de ciclistas profesionales, a la repartición de mercancías de restaurantes o supermercados, o sobretodo, a la diversión de los niños. Aunque en Puerto Rico existieron colectivos ciclistas desde finales del siglo 19 la bicicleta nunca ha formado parte integral de la vida cotidiana de la sociedad puertorriqueña. En Puerto Rico, al igual que en otros países, la bicicleta siempre ha estado asociada a la niñez o al deporte.
In Puerto Rico, cycling has always occupied a marginal space. In spite of the existence of the “Charter of Cyclists’ Rights and Drivers’ Duties,” Puerto Rican urban centers have never been bicycle friendly, lacking bike paths and trails or systems of bike sharing lanes, among other things.
If the bicycle did have a certain role in Puerto Rican society, it was limited to the solitary practice of professional cyclists, the distribution of goods to restaurants or supermarkets, or above all, the amusement of children. Although cycling groups have existed since the late 19th century, cycling has never been an integral part of Puerto Rican daily life. In Puerto Rico, as in other countries, the bicycle has always been associated with childhood or sport.
Bicycle racks like the one in this photo have been installed in various places around Santurce, reflecting the increased use of bicycles. Photo taken by the author.
But the role of the bicycle in Puerto Rican society is changing little by little. Several cycling groups have emerged and even some messaging businesses like Ecomensajería and Biciresuelve, whose core business model is the use of bicycles to provide their services. The following documentary, directed by Global Voices author Alfredo Richner [es], explores the cycling movement in Puerto Rico and the challenges it is facing to convert urban areas of the country into zones that are favorable to cyclists:
[translation: Life on Two Wheels: The Urban Cycling Movement in Puerto Rico]
The transformation of the city into a safer place for bicyclists is becoming more urgent given the increase in cycling deaths due to automobile drivers. In an article for 80 grados, Manuel Valdés Pizzini voices [es] the fear that many bicyclists feel when they go out on the street:
Los ciclistas tenemos la horrible sensación de que existe una dejadez institucional con la vida de los ciclistas. Un artículo publicado por The New York Times y difundido por estos lares por la Coalición de Ciclistas de Puerto Rico subraya esa triste verdad. Hace dos meses que no salía a correr, por varias razones, pero… siempre lo pienso mucho, como si fuera la última vez que salgo con vida de mi casa.
[…]
Yo no le tengo miedo a la muerte, pero debo admitir que pienso en ella antes de salir. Sin embargo, cuando estoy corriendo se me olvida. Me protejo, voy con cautela, atento a todo, y trato de sobrevivir. Cuando voy llegando a mi casa sé que ha sido una jornada triunfal para la vida. ¡Esa es la que hay!
Cyclists have the horrible feeling that there is an institutional carelessness with the lives of cyclists. An article published by The New York Times and disseminated in these parts by the Bicycle Coalition of Puerto Rico [es] underscores this sad truth.
[…]
I am not afraid of death, but I admit I think about it before going out. However, I forget about it when I’m riding. I protect myself, I ride with caution, I pay attention to everything, and I try to survive. When I get back home, I know it’s been a triumphant day for life. That’s the way it is!
Even so, people keep riding bikes in the streets of Puerto Rico and more people are joining the urban cycling movement. Some have seen this phenomenon as a [method of] defiance to retake public spaces. About this practice, Professor Moreno Viqueira says: [es]
Otra muestra quizás más evidente del uso de la bicicleta como instrumento de protesta y medio contestatario son las rutas tomadas por los ciclistas urbanos. Las corridas de los [ciclistas] por los centros urbanos de Puerto Rico (donde las ciclovías brillan por su ausencia), la apropiación del espacio urbano por ellos (tanto de las numerosas carreteras o autopistas, como de las escasas aceras) constituye en cierta forma una acción política, un acto de rebeldía. De igual forma que el acto de hablar es el proceso de apropiación del lenguaje, el acto de correr bicicleta se convierte en el proceso de apropiación del espacio.
Another, perhaps more obvious, example of the use of the bicycle as an instrument of protest and way of rebelling are the routes taken by urban bicyclists. The cyclists’ runs through Puerto Rico’s urban centers (where bikeways are glaringly absent), the appropriation of urban space for them (as much the numerous roads or highways, as the few sidewalks) constitutes a certain form of political action, an act of rebellion. Just as the act of speaking is the process of appropriation of language, the act of riding bicycles becomes the process of appropriation of space.
The video below, made in 2011, offers an example of this type of rebellious appropriation. In it, you can see several cyclists riding in the Minillas tunnel in San Juan, a place where it is assumed that only cars travel:
On that occasion, Mariángel González, writing for the digital magazine El punto es…, interviewed [es] the artist D.e.M. (Giancarlo Carcavallo) about his passion for the cycling lifestyle and asked him to comment on the Minillas tunnel ride and other urban actions:
Mi interés por Bicijangueo resalta porque hace poco subieron un vídeo en el internet titulado “Splitting Lanes, Santurce” dirigido por Manuel Vélez, el cual presenta un estilo diferente de correr que no había visto en ninguna de las ciudades que he corrido en bici alrededor del mundo. Quedé impresionada por la temeridad de los chicos y fue entonces cuando le pedí a D.e.M. que me hablara más del mismo.
”Es una agenda un poco irresponsable, pero la adrenalina nos llama. Usualmente estas situaciones se presentan de 10pm a 1am. […] surge con necesidad de ir paralelo al conductor de carro y que hay otros tipos de alternativa de transportación. Uno está claro que pueden ocurrir repercusiones y uno está dispuesto a aceptarlas.” Las repercusiones a las que se refiere figuran entre un choque o que un policía les de una multa. Al final de cuentas, esto se resume en una decisión personal y las compara con un surfer corriendo una ola de 20 pies o un skater que brinca 30 escalones.
My interest in Bicijangueo (bike hangout) has been ignited because not long ago a video was uploaded titled “Splitting Lanes, Santurce” directed by Manuel Vélez, which presents a different style of riding that I’ve never seen in any of the cities where I’ve ridden around the world. I was impressed by these guys’ fearlessness and that was when I asked DEM to speak more about it.
“It’s an agenda that’s a little irresponsible, but the adrenaline calls us. These situations usually come up between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. […] one needs to ride parallel to the driver of the car and there are other types of alternative transportation. One is clear that there may be repercussions and one is willing to accept that.” The repercussions to which he refers could be a collision or that the police fines them. Ultimately, this comes down to a personal decision and compares with a surfer running a 20 foot wave or a skateboarder jumping 30 steps.
But those who want to contribute to the cause of cyclist safety on the streets don’t need to go to this extreme. As Rafi Robles, the founder of Ecomensajería, says [es] in the digital magazine, N-punto:
En Puerto Rico ser ciclista urbano no es fácil y mientras más bicis estén en la calle cuando pase la fiebre, moda o como le queramos llamar, más gente permanecerá pedaleando, y ayuda a la causa.
In Puerto Rico, it is not easy to be an urban cyclist and if more bicycles are on the streets once the fever, or fashion or whatever you want to call it, has passed, more people will keep riding, and it will help the cause.

author: Ángel Carrión


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Silence Will Not Solve Trinidad & Tobago’s Crime Problem · Global Voices
Flora Thomas

Following the widespread shock of Trinidad and Tobago netizens over the murder of attorney Dana Seetahal yesterday, one blog, The Eternal Pantomime, turns the public outcry on its head with a post that addresses issues of race, class and politics.
Starting with a reference to a heinous and as yet unsolved crime that took place nearly 16 years ago, the blogger says:
If the assassination of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal is a wake up call to you…then something wrong with you.
If a little boy being raped to death in a swimming pool at a birthday party wasn’t a wake up call then, Dana’s assassination can’t wake you up to nothing. You in denial long time and using your moral panic over this latest killing to soothe your general inertia.
In the same breath, she tackles privilege as a contributing factor to the ostrich syndrome:
Or, you could be a member of the cocooned and protected upper classes here who only get hysterical when they realize crime doesn’t just exist Behind D Bridge or along the distant edges of the East/West corridors in the Malabars and La Horquettas of their imaginations. And then, if you’re a member of that just awakened group…it must suck to be you: having all those resources and still can’t ward off death.
Conceding that the assassination was shocking, the blogger refers to Seetahal's death “a marker” that will take its place along all the other check points along the country's steady path of decline:
The act, along with Hamilton Holder/O’Connor Street, will become a part of a macabre and grisly list of checkpoints that heralded our descent while we sat shell shocked and panicked waiting for someone else…not us…to take back our power in this country. It will join markers like the Scott Drug Report; the 1990 Coup and the subsequent court ruling in favor of the Muslimeen; it will join the rise of the Muslimeen as a group that was consistently awarded Government contracts as part of every sitting government’s secret crime initiative, whether PNM, UNC or PP; it will join the Crowne Plaza agreement; the illegal SoE; Section 34; EmailGate; Ish and Steve and a very long list of markers that all point to us descending in narco state fourth world hell.
Comparing Trinidad and Tobago with two Latin American countries which have been long been controlled by organised crime, the post continues:
You hear it on the lips of citizens all the time, ‘Here getting like Mexico’, ‘Here getting like Colombia’. We not getting folks, we reach. That is what Dana’s death means. Final destination point. When a State Prosecutor is murdered in cold blood like that, in a country that is already awash in drugs, arms and human trafficking and has a corrupt and compromised police force and government…know that we reach. We not heading to hell anymore. It is here. It takes only one high profile murder like that to happen and go unsolved and you know we have arrived. Trinidad now has two: Selwyn Richardson in the 90s and Dana Seetahal in the early decades of the 21st century.
She expands on that point, saying:
Her  assassination in an upscale residential/commercial neighborhood at midnight is meant to send a message. And I’d vouchsafe from the social media reactions yesterday: message received.
We woke up Sunday morning knowing in a very concrete way, maybe more so than before, that a message was being sent to the legal profession, journalists, columnists, activists, anyone bold enough to question the criminal and corruption status quo. Toe the blasted line…or this will be you.
She took her argument even further, calling the assassination an attack on freedom of speech:
In assassinating Dana, we are very aware that persons with strong Independent voices are under attack. Dana, to my knowledge, never verbally lashed out at any entity, political or otherwise. But, she was a rare thing, a lawyer, who took elitist, legal jargon and made it accessible to the layperson.
Few lawyers or intellectuals here have been as lucid, accessible and relevant as she has been. That’s what made Dana true silk. She had a fearsome legal mind, and instead of keeping it to herself and her clients for handsome fees, she made it available to all of us for the price of a newspaper…less if you read her articles online.
Pulling no punches, the blogger called the “hit” a success on two disturbing levels, putting her finger on the pulse of what seems to be bothering citizens the most – the impact of widespread crime on their own survival:
[It] will be a success not just because Dana Seetahal has been silenced, but because the wider public will silence itself, retreat further indoors, put more useless security systems in place…not understanding that in growing quiet and retreating indoors, that’s how we gave criminals control of this place.
Our very predictable response to violence, from enslavement to now has never been overt; it has been passive aggression. So we will lead trapped lives and break more laws in an unconscious lashing out at all that is wrong around us: more child abuse, more road rage, more petty crimes and more silences and looking the other way when corruption happens because suppose we end up like Dana?
She did not hide her disdain for the government's response to the news of Seetahal's death, calling the attorney general's statement “an extreme pappyshow on his part [and] a clear attempt at image management in the midst of what was clearly a national crisis.” She had even less faith in the ability of law enforcement to solve the murder:
By Sunday night, they were back in Media and PR mode. Whole television stations commandeered. Panels convened. Police press conferences, all over a background of National Security ads saying ‘Serious Crime is Down’ despite the fact that we have 29 more murder in 2014 than we had in the corresponding period for 2013.
The post made an eerie prediction:
I expect that three or four bodies of victims of a murder will be discovered soon. Just like with the Selwyn Richardson murder. And whether we know it or not, those bodies would have belonged to Dana’s killers. It’s part of how here, a narco state, works. And the sooner we start noticing the patterns, the sooner we can either grow accustomed or fight back.
She explained why Seetahal's death was so personal to her:
I recognized immediately the threat to free speech and independent thinking this is for journalists, columnists, activists and bloggers like myself. But I’m not going to stop questioning this place and writing about the things that upset me. Dana’s Assassination is real….in fact, too real. We are in dangerous times. But silence and withdrawal has never been nor will ever be the cure for it.

author: Flora Thomas


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The Rise and Fall of Bengal’s Textile Empire · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bengal was once known as the richest province of the Indian subcontinent mainly due to its famous and varied agricultural and textiles products including the Muslin, world renowned finely-woven breathable fabric. M Ahmedullah posts in Alochonaa.com a two part series (Part 1, Part 2) discussing the history of the Bengal's textile empire.

author: Rezwan


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Trinidad & Tobago: Good vs. Evil  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

I had to tell the children that unlike the movies and TV shows Good does not always conquer Evil. However we must not let that stop us from fighting Evil. Continue to fight for Good.
TriniMummy tries her best to make sense of attorney Dana Seetahal's death.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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As Political Crisis Deepens, Thailand to Hold Another Election in July · Global Voices
Aim Sinpeng

Not long after the anti-election protest movement, led by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), heralded their victory over the annulment of the February election in Thailand, a new date has been set for a second voting day this year on July 20. The beleaguered Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra seemed elated that she could perhaps hang on to power for a little longer, despite facing two serious corruption charges.
Anti-government protesters gather at a rally showing their loyalty to King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Protesters are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. Photo by Sanji Dee, Copyright @Demotix (5/5/2014)
The court will decide on these charges tomorrow, May 7, 2014, and Yingluck could be removed from power if found guilty.
Are Thais excited to be going to the polls for the second time within the span of less than six months?
Polls after polls have shown Thai voters to be “worried” and “wary” about the upcoming new election. Most believe that the election would unlikely solve the near decade-long political conflict that has dragged Thailand through 6 prime ministers, 5 governments, 3 elections and 1 coup d'etat. Further, a new election could cost 3.8 billion baht ($127 million) which would be another burden for taxpayers – some of whom are supporters of the PDRC and are likely to boycott the election altogether. This would be a waste of money, time, resources and headache for everyone if another annulment is to occur.
The opposition boycotted the February polls claiming that the electoral process would not be fair and clean as long as the Prime Minister's family is allowed to participate in it. The election was held in response to the massive street protests organized by the opposition for more than three months.
Conversations in the Thai cyberspace seems to suggest a rather gloomy sentiment among its voters:
Chaichol MCFC wrote on Pantip web board:
I don't think there will be an election. Not because of the government, but because of Taug [Suthep] and his associates. He said he would reform the country for the past 6 months, yet he did nothing but begging on the streets [for money] and wreaking havoc.
Comment 1204962 thinks that perhaps another coup is needed:
We already had a house dissolution and the power had been returned to the people. What else could we have done [ to solve the crisis]. Just have another military coup, please.
Supporters of the PDRC event went further by asking the people to sabotage the election.
On Suthep's – leader of the PDRC – Facebook page, thousands of comments poured in (mostly) to support no “Reform before Election” campaign. Max Chakrit wrote:
Majority rule doesn't work in Thailand because the voices of the majority come from those with little education (but in other countries, majority rule is fine). This is why Thai people are easily manipulated….
Porn Pramualsap also commented:
Whoever runs the country, it doesn't matter, as long as they don't cheat on the farmers.
The next few weeks are crucial whether the election would go ahead as planned. Two major stumbling blocks include whether Yingluck would survive the two charges laid on her; and the other would be whether the candidate registration day, set for May 25, would be carried out smoothly. The extent to which the registration would be held successfully should be indicative of the likelihood of the election taking place.

author: Aim Sinpeng


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Australia: Casino Tsar in Bondi Beach Boardwalk Brawl · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Casino tsar James Packer has caused a media frenzy following a fistfight with old friend Nine Network chief executive David Gyngell. The clash of the titans erupted on Sunday 4 May 2014 near Packer’s Bondi Beach residence.
‘Amateur’ photos of the brawl apparently went to the highest bidder, namely Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, for a rumoured $A 200,000 [$US 185,000]. They branded them for pre-release before print publication. It has also been claimed that Gygell’s media company was a bidder. Coincidentally, another old friend of Packer, Lachlan Murdoch, visited James after the incident, perhaps as a go-between.
The Oz blogosphere pounced on this one. Nic Atkinson, aka thatdigitalcopywriter was quick out of his corner at Marketing Magazine:
Breaking: We interrupt your regular programming to bring you a non-Monday cartoon, because reports are flooding in that wealthy, grown men used to getting their own way behave like children sometimes. Who knew?
Packer-Gyngell Star Wars cartoon
Following newspaper publication, media and marketing website, Mumbrella, had a roundup of frontpages:
Sydney Daily Telegraph kicks off with the headline “Packer Wacker” and dedicates no less than the first nine pages to the story of two 40+ years old CEOs in a street brawl.
…Dr Mumbo’s favourite article is this review of the boxing styles of both men which includes the immortal line: “Wrestling and snorting, the smart money was on a Cranbrook boy — the first time in recorded history that sentence has ever been written.”
Meanwhile in the other states:
The Herald Sun went with the headline: “Billionaire dollar biffo”
There is also video with the News Corp brand to protect their copyright.
Police are believed to be investigating. Both men have a stake in being perceived as fit and proper people, especially Packer who is currently pursuing a casino licence in Japan. He also has financial interests in Australian media companies and a film company.
The Sydney Social Shuffle suggested:
Lost in the media's salivating over the street punch up between friends James Packer and his former Nine Network pal David Gyngell is the fact that both could be charged under NSW's heavy new “one punch” legislation  introduced by the recently retired NSW premier Barry O'Farrell who was also instrumental in paving the way for Packer to build a multi-million dollar hotel and casino complex at Barangaroo.
This bizarre story would not be complete without a celebrity sideshow. In this case it’s supermodel Miranda Kerr whose friendship with Packer may have sparked the stoush between old mates. Apparently James incorrectly believed that a Nine news truck was spying on his home. As reported in Nine’s own CelebrityFix blog recently:
Mates before dates! Newly single Shane Warne has revealed that he could never date Miranda Kerr… because of her alleged romance with his pal James Packer! Talk about a strict bro code…
Gyngell was Packer's best man at his last wedding. Perhaps David should read his own media a bit more often.
Of course this media versus media melodrama has been a twitter feast as well.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bolivia’s Internet at a Snail’s Pace · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Digital activists in Cochabamba, Bolivia took to the streets on Saturday May 3, dressed as snails [es] to represent the slow Internet speeds faced by users across the country. The grassroots movement “Más y Mejor Internet Para Bolivia” [es] (More and Better Internet for Bolivia) has been calling for lower prices, faster speeds, and better coverage from all of the telecommunications companies. Follow the protest at the hashtag #OpBabosa [Operation Snail] and in this Storify compilation [es].

author: Eduardo Avila


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It’s Not Easy Being Black in Cuba · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The worst news for black and mixed-race Cubans is that there are no independent legal institutions that protect them in the face of government neglect.
Iván's File Cabinet reports that non-whites are still marginalized in Cuba.


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Jamaica: Let’s Get Together and Feel…Miserable?  · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

The Cato Institute recently released a list, ranking countries according to their “level of misery”. The misery index is an economic indicator, defined as “the sum of the inflation and unemployment rates.” For the 2014 ranking, Venezuela was ranked Number 1. Jamaica was ranked Number 5, thanks to “interest rates”. The ranking has spurred discussion on social media: many netizens were not surprised, while others – even while acknowledging that Jamaica has many problems – expressed scepticism.
diGJamaica.com tried to placed the ranking in context, even listing reasons for Jamaica being miserable:
Let us zoom out and look at the bigger picture. We were at 75 on the happiness list last year, a steep drop from 40 in 2012. According to the 2013 findings, Jamaica is less happy now when compared to previous studies carried out in 2005-2007 (40th).
Jamaicans have certainly perfected the art of using ‘kin teet’ to ‘kibba heart bun,’ so we are quite adept at tricking others into thinking everything is ‘irie.’ However, it is no international secret that we’re dealing with several troubling issues, despite our ‘no problem’ tagline.
At Jamaica Journal, Kate Chappell argued that the measurement of “misery” is more complex than the study implied:
It seems, not surprisingly considering the ideological bent of the Cato Institute, that economic factors are given the most weight. Of course, these are relevant. There is no doubt that Jamaicans are experiencing financial difficulties, which spill over every aspect of one’s life and affect its quality. However, there are intangibles that I assume the researchers did not take into account, such as how much family and community factor into daily lives here, as well as Jamaicans’ ability to have a good time, no matter what. There are many other intangibles that are part of the culture here that contribute to quality of life.
She added:
This is obviously a complex issue with as many factors as there are ideologies that are employed to assess big concepts such as a ‘misery index’. Here again, to me, is an instance of over-simplifying and overlooking the millions of stories to be told and accounted for.
Warren was not surprised by the ranking:
We seem to be creating records in all the wrong places. Today the Jamaica Gleaner reported that Jamaica is rank[ed] the 5th most miserable country on earth and who could be surprised. Just speaking to people around you on a daily basis, its desperation, hard luck stories and a sense of nothing seems to be moving forward in this country. What is interesting about this report is it comes one day after a poll was released suggesting that business and consumer confidence has rebounded.
The issue was discussed in the Facebook group Real Change For Jamaica. Gyntag Gsg, who started the thread, felt the ranking was actually too low:
ONLY NUMBER 5???? we [deserve] to be # 1.. after all it's not just interest rates!!
Pete Edwards thought people should stop complaining:
Some of you need to go and find a job and get off the internet and stop blaming these politicians…they are all trying their best for us all…some of you want too much out of nothing. Gov can hardly get you to pay your taxes and [then you] want to live big life out of nothing. Gov not collecting enough taxes to cover the nation's expenses and if they [borrow] you complain and if they don't you cry bout yu ah dead fi hungry, too much of you looking [to] politicians for hand out[s].
Earl Smith considered what Jamaica's past leaders would have done:
Just wondering what our heroes would be doing now .Seeing the country in the state that it is in. Bustamante and Norman Manley [persuaded] the nation to vote for independents,that we would be better off .In 1962 Jamaica was spending the pound and now our money is worthless.Our prime minister is talking about achievement to brukdown a country is that an achievement or should it be an [embarrassment].
Stafford Jenkins felt the rationale did not make sense:
If Jamaica is #5 for interest rate then the USA should be #1…
Thelma Fairweather-Siegel thought partisan politics are to blame:
We deserve this, because we are not citizens of Jamaica, but PNP and JLP, these politicians don't have to write new [scripts], they just take from the archive.
There was also quite a bit of commentary on Twitter:
these studies are so pointless RT @ShopinJA: Jamaica Rated as the 5th Most Miserable Nation in the World http://t.co/3i2F0C6VNH
— Kareem Davies (@krems04) April 25, 2014
@ThePhillipMyers because they equate misery to wealth and dem doh know who we be and never see where we live.
— SteenyJWeeny (@ItsStiney) April 29, 2014
This Twitter user felt that the reason for the ranking was euphemistic:
Reading the paper. Jamaica ranked fifth most miserable country because a Portia basically but them say interest rates.
— Dellano Blake (@Aggressive_Soap) April 30, 2014
One visitor didn't pick up on an overriding tone of misery during her trip:
Just seen that Jamaica is the fifth most miserable country. Really? I didn't sense that when I went there.
— Ask about me….. (@Niasmom_) April 30, 2014
Finally, one Twitter user summed up the whole affair by saying:
Last year Jamaica was ranked top 5 in happiness, now we are the 5th most miserable yet we not rioting? Lesson: the stats justify the means.
— Proof Of Evolution (@_JohnDoh) April 25, 2014

author: Matthew Hunte


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One Month On, Chileans in Tarapacá Are Still Recovering from Earthquake Damage · Global Voices
Mi voz

The original version of this post was first published by Equipo El Boyaldía on Boyaldía on 2 May, 2014.
A banner in a shelter for earthquake victims reads: ‘Iquique, land of tents’. Image from MiVoz, used with permission.
Dissatisfaction and desolation are evident in Chile's northern Tarapacá region. One month after the earthquake and tsunami that hit the north of the country on 1-2 April, thousands of people – some of whom have lost all their possessions – are still waiting for support from the government.
In Tarapacá region, 758 people are currently being housed in five shelters, while others have been forced to live in tents because their homes remain uninhabitable.
On 30 April, more than 2,000 people took part in the most significant rally since the catastrophe in front of the Tarapacá Region administrative building, demanding that the government provide more assistance and help with reconstruction.
Statistics provided by the National Office of Emergency of the Ministry of the Interior (ONEMI) on 1 May indicated that Tarapacá was the region worst affected by the earthquake, which killed six people and caused substantial damage to buildings.
According to official figures, 21,813 people were affected, with 1,225 homes destroyed, 4,125 buildings seriously damaged and 8,280 slightly damaged. 63 prisoners escaped in the district of Iquique during an evacuation that took place after the earthquake.
ONEMI claims that assistance in the affected areas has focused on the needs of people affected by the earthquake, and says that it has reinforced plans for future emergencies. Official figures claim that the government has delivered 1,118 tons of food and basic items to earthquake victims.

author: Mi voz


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South Korea: Stunning Sand Animation Video about Ferry Disaster · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Various artists have joined in paying tribute to the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster which cost over 260 lives, most of them high school students. This stunning sand animation video commemorating the victims and their families uses nothing but sand on a flat surface and artist's fingers to arrange the sand to create depth, shadow and density. The sand art, which brought some audiences to tears, was created by artist Shin Mi-ri and directed by Nam Ji-sun.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Specter of China Loomed Over Obama’s Asian Tour · Global Voices
Jeff South

Obama's East Asia visit. Screen capture from Voice of America.
Call it the 800-pound panda in the room.
That's how one might view China during U.S. President Barack Obama's recently concluded trip to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.
His much-ballyhooed “pivot to Asia” was dominated by discussions about the country that were not on the itinerary. Both in China and beyond, people viewed the weeklong tour – and announcements such as a new defense agreement with the Philippines – as a message to the world's most populous nation.
M. Taylor Fravel, a professor of international relations at MIT, tweeted about the major outcome of the trip – more American muscle in Asia:
U.S. Beefs Up Military Options for China as Obama Reassures Allies in Asia – WSJ http://t.co/TzOJ9s5MFd a tantalizing story
— M. Taylor Fravel (@fravel) April 28, 2014
Also on Twitter, China watcher Damien Ma, co-author of “In Line Behind a Billion People,” summed up the Chinese government's retort to Obama's visit this way:
“We're not leaving, whether you visit or not”, Chinese foreign ministry response to Obama skipping China on Asia trip http://t.co/LYMLSnuCK0
— Damien Ma (@damienics) April 29, 2014
On Reddit, an online community for discussing news stories, a user named “10_Eyes_8_Truths” called the spat between the United States and China childish, describing it like this:
China: Stop pointing your thing at me America
America: I'm not pointing at you. I'm pointing near you.
China: Stop, stop it, STAHP!
For many Chinese, Obama tipped his hand as he began his trip in Japan. There, he waded into the territorial dispute over the uninhabited islands known as Senkaku in Japan, Diaoyu in China and Tiaoyutai in Taiwan. All three countries claim the islands. After World War II, the U.S. gave Japan control of the islands.
On popular microblogging site Sina Weibo, a user named Ruby Yanru expressed sarcasm over a BBC report that “President Obama said the U.S. would oppose any attempt to undermine Japan's administration of the disputed Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.”
Obama's actual position on the issue was more nuanced. He said the islands fall under a security treaty that obligates the U.S. to act if Japan is attacked.
RT @AFP: #BREAKING Obama in Japan says disputed Senkaku'islands, called Diaoyu by China, are covered by security treaty.
— Kevin Van Campenhout (@Beursparels) April 24, 2014
“This is not a new position,” Obama said during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. At the same time, the U.S. president said he is not drawing a “red line.” He said that America has no position “on final sovereignty over the islands” and that Japan and China should seek a peaceful resolution.
His careful language prompted China to warn Japan not to push the issue or to count on U.S. military intervention.
Commentary: Misreading Obama's commitment over Diaoyu is dangerous http://t.co/KAemdXLmC6 “a political cliche…should not be exaggerated”
— Andrew Chubb 朱波 (@zhubochubo) April 24, 2014
On Weibo, many Chinese felt Obama was less than enchanted by his Japanese hosts. In fact, one of the hot searches that week was “Obama is acting cold toward Japan.” Weibo user @hongsemushi interpreted Obama's attitude like this:
国与国之间，尤其是大国与大国之间，没有永远的朋友，没有永远的敌人，只有永恒的利益和冲突。这次美国总统奥巴马访问日本，以不偕夫人、不在国会演讲、不入住迎宾馆的“三不”冷待日本，令日方失望又惊讶。我们中国人在为此叫好的同时，也听到了奥氏对钓鱼岛大放厥词，十分不快。这就是美国人的底气！
There are no forever friends and enemies in the diplomatic world, especially among big countries. The game is based merely on the evaluation of interest and conflict. Obama's visit to Japan without his wife's accompany, without making a speech at the Congress and without staying at the State Guest House [which is located inside the Palace], made Japan very disappointed and anxious. While many Chinese were cheering for the cold act, we also heard him bluffing about Diaoyu Islands and found that annoying. This is the true nature of American people.
After two days in Japan, Obama spent a day in Seoul, South Korea, and two days in Malaysia. In both countries, the U.S. president paused to mourn recent tragedies – the Korean ferry that capsized on April 16 killing at least 250 passengers, and the Malaysian airliner that disappeared on March 8 with 239 people aboard which still hasn't been found.
But in Seoul, Obama also talked tough. He called on North Korea “to start changing your behavior.”
“The U.S. and South Korea stand shoulder to shoulder, both in face of Pyongyang's provocations and our refusal to accept a nuclear North Korea,” Obama said.
That prompted North Korea to threaten to test a nuclear bomb and call South Korean President Park Geun-hye a “crafty prostitute” and Obama her “pimp.” The story spawned about 2,000 comments on Reddit. A Reddit user Kazumakat  wrote:
North Korea's like that angry homeless lunatic that comes to the coffee shop of countries and sits in his corner away from everyone, claiming he has a gun and wants his tea.
The problem here is that Japan, South Korea, China, and the rest of Asia are at the next table, with their requisite pity / sadness / shaudenfreude happening over NK, but in the back of their minds, are actually worried if NK actually has a working gun or not, and whether or not it's safe for a lunatic to have it in the coffee shop.
Obama concluded his Asian tour with two days in the Philippines – perhaps the trip's most controversial stop. In recent months, the Philippines and China have been embroiled over competing claims in the West Philippine Sea, also known as the South China Sea.
As Obama arrived in Manila, the White House announced a new 10-year security agreement that will will give the U.S. military greater access to bases in the Philippines.
While President Benigno Aquino greeted Obama warmly, hundreds of protesters demonstrated against the return of American troops. Activists posted the video on YouTube:
Many saw the defense agreement as the most significant outcome of Obama's trip:
Obama’s security deal with the Philippines is a BFD http://t.co/sH4xDjVjo4
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) April 29, 2014
The U.S. president insisted that the agreement wasn't meant as a shot across China's bow:
#Obama says US is not trying to counter or contain China when it signs military pact with the Philippines pic.twitter.com/dLurvIoXBW
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) April 28, 2014
Still, as Obama returned to Washington, many people felt the tour's subtext was to send a message to Beijing.
Obama Ends Asia Tour In China’s Long Shadow. (Time, by @emilyrauhala) http://t.co/XO7HdwfcLJ
— Ray Kwong (@raykwong) April 29, 2014

author: Jeff South


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The Pakistani Blogger Who Couldn’t Walk But Inspired Others to Run · Global Voices
Faisal Kapadia

Screenshot of Sarmad Tariq during his speech at TEDxKarachi 2011.
A swimming accident at the age of 15 left Sarmad Tariq paralyzed from the left shoulder down and forced him to use a wheelchair. But that didn't prevent the man from Islamabad, Pakistan, from traveling the world as a motivational speaker and marathon athlete.
In his country and abroad, many were inspired by Tariq, who took in his stride whatever impossible odds nature put in his path.
Tariq, who was also a fiction writer, died in the morning hours of April 30, 2014, in his home at the age of 38.
He maintained a blog and Facebook profile where he was open with readers about his health and history and made it clear that he wasn't looking for pity. On March 16, 2014, he posted what became his last entry to his Facebook page and blog, describing his perseverance:
Dear God,
Quadriplegia, autonomic dysreflexia, sepsis, malaria, chronic bronchitis, bed sores and only you can tell how many more. You know that I currently suffer from more ailments that a common person can pronounce. Just during the past one month I have been rushed to the hospital twice in critical condition. […] My family members are on the verge of nervous breakdowns. I regularly lose consciousness, get breathless by the simple act of speaking, see my body temperature rise to extreme highs and drop to unbelievable lows. […]
And yet… yet I am not complaining. I live on, I keep smiling, my faith does not waver, I refuse to lose hope, I am a survivor. You know I am doing my best.
But… Dear God, I know you don't give anyone more than he can take, I know you wouldn't let me break, you wouldn't let my belief shake, but if it isn't too much to ask, I really really need a break!
An outpouring of posts commemorating Tariq online followed the news of his death.
Awab Alvi, a Global Voices author and a TED senior fellow from Pakistan, remembered Tariq's TEDxKarachi 2011 appearance in a Facebook post:
In the run-up to the event, I had only “heard” about his story, I emailed him a couple of times, and talked to him over the phone to setup logistics and other details a few times prior to the event, but when he took to the stage, a quadriplegic in his wheelchair, wearing a Think Positive T-shirt, a bold white watch & a fumbling mineral water bottle – nothing prepared us for what he would say in the next 22 minutes – by the end of the speech, probably each of the 450 member audience had goosebumps and simply could not help giving this amazing man a long well deserved standing ovation.
Here is his speech from TEDxKarachi:
Shireen Naqvi, director at the School of Leadership in Karachi, thanked Tariq:
Besides being grateful for the limitless times you have enriched our lives in personal and team gatherings, I thank you for standing by our side, amongst us, every time, to turn the youth of our country into leaders with compassion, resolve and foresight.[..] Your legacy shall live on!
Isfandiyar Shaheen, one of Tariq's neighbours, recalled Tariq's keys to happiness:
Sarmad Tariq passed away. I knew him in the years prior to his accident. He was our neighbour, my earliest memory of him was fighting a bout of boxing in his own home and his love for Rocky 4. He said the key to happiness is I) absence of complaints, II) absence of regrets, III) absence of fear and IV) a constant source of self fulfillment. I asked him once how or why he didn't regret his accident. To which he replied that had not dived into that nehar, he would have probably joined the army and would have become a mediocre officer, but instead his handicap enabled him to actualise his potential.
On Twitter, Jehan ara, the president of Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES, wrote:
So sorry to hear of the demise of #SarmadTariq who proved that if one really wants to achieve something in life,there r no limitations #RIP
— jehan_ara (@jehan_ara) April 30, 2014
Rai M Azlan, Global Voices Urdu Lingua co-editor, eulogized Tariq:
Sarmad Tariq the ‘Chairman’ passed away. He was a motivator, never let his wheelchair to become his disability. #RIPSarmadTariq
— Rai M. Azlan (@Mussanaf) April 30, 2014
Social media editor for newspaper The Express Tribune Ema Anis confessed in a web column that she hadn't known of Tariq until after his death, when a flood of tweets like the above mourning him took over Twitter. With her curiosity piqued, she read more about him. What she learned left her “shaken”:
I had not seen any documentaries about him, had never heard him talk and yet, in a matter of minutes, he became the person I wanted to meet just once; someone to draw inspiration from, to find hope to go through this life and to learn to live it to the fullest.
To me, Sarmad seemed like a person who had ‘life’ figured out. He didn’t just know but was constantly aware of the fact that death is imminent. He was prepared for it and wanted to make the most of every single moment of his life.
And he succeeded.
Some on social media are considering organizing readings in Pakistan of Tariq's writings to commemorate him. In the meantime, those who want to read his writings on their own can visit Tariq's Facebook page and blog.

author: Faisal Kapadia


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Universal Values, Foreign Money: Local Human Rights Organizations in the Global South · Global Voices
openDemocracy

This article by James Ron and Archana Pandya originally appeared on openGlobal Rights and is republished on Global Voices as part of a content sharing agreement.
How important is international funding to local human rights groups worldwide? Oddly enough, there has been little published research on the topic. Pressured by angry nationalists and vengeful governments, human rights activists and donors prefer to keep money questions out of the spotlight.
Indeed, we know of only two existing studies. In 2006, a Nigerian scholar published research on 20 of his country’s 100 human rights groups, the vast majority of which were foreign-supported. Two years later, Israeli researchers published a study based on interviews with 16 of the country’s 26 human rights groups, and said that more than 90 percent of their budgets came from Europe and the United States. Neither study, however, shed light on conditions elsewhere in the world.
To rectify this gap, we began by interviewing 128 human rights workers from 60 countries in the Global South and former Communist region. Then we assembled lists of all the local rights groups we could find in Rabat and Casablanca (Morocco), Mumbai (India), and Mexico City and San Cristóbal de las Casas (Mexico). Our team identified 189 groups in total, all of which were non-governmental, domestically headquartered, politically unaffiliated, and legally registered.
Because NGO workers are understandably reluctant to discuss finances with strangers, we began with a general question: In your opinion, what percentage of human rights organizations in [your country] receives substantial funding from foreign donors? We summarize their answers in Figure A below.
Mean estimates ranged from a high of 84% in Rabat and Casablanca to a low of 60% in Mumbai. The Indian and Mexican estimates were statistically indistinguishable, given the closeness in estimates and the small sample sizes involved.
Next we asked respondents: In your view, how many human rights organizations in [your country] raise substantial local funds? We summarize those answers in Figure B below.
“Very few” was the most common response, and the responses were statistically indistinguishable across samples.
We then asked respondents whether their own organizations received foreign funds, and the number of positive responses ranged from 67% to 89% per sample, as summarized in Figure C.
This doesn’t say much about the relative weight of foreign funds, however. Precise budget questions were too sensitive for our face-to-face surveys, but 49 respondents volunteered information on how much of their annual organizational budgets derived from foreign funds. To build on this data, we sent follow-up surveys to all 233 of our respondents, and received details from another 47 persons. We summarize all 96 answers in Figure D below.
In three of the four samples, respondents said foreign funding comprised more than half their organization’s budget. Mumbai was the exception, likely as a result of India’s long-standing restrictions on overseas aid to local organizations.
Why does foreign aid dominate?
Is it poverty?
Many respondents said their countries were too poor to support local rights groups. Upon closer examination, however, this explanation seems unsupported. Consider the above-cited Israeli study, which discovered that local rights groups depend heavily on foreign aid. In 2008, the year that research appeared, Israel’s Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) – adjusted per capita income – was $25,600, ranking it 38 of 180 countries globally. Whatever the reason for Israeli rights groups’ foreign aid dependence, per capita income was not among them. Consider also Figure A: Respondents said that Moroccan rights groups were more likely than those in India to receive “substantial” foreign aid, but Morocco’s per capita income was 25% higher than India’s. And while respondent estimates for India and Mexico were statistically indistinguishable, Mexico’s per capita income was 77% higher than India’s.
Per capita income, it seems, doesn’t explain all that much.
How about culture?
Perhaps ordinary people don’t support human rights groups because they oppose human rights ideas? In Israel, experts say Jewish citizens associate the term “human rights” with Palestinian interests. Given Israeli-Palestinian tensions, aren’t Jewish Israelis simply unwilling to fund their enemies’ allies?
Again, a closer look suggests otherwise. In 2003, an Israeli survey found that 53% of the public thought it was “very important” (20%) or “somewhat important” (33%) to protect Palestinian rights. In 2008, another survey found that 52% of the public thought Israeli NGOs were either “very” (9%) or “somewhat” (43%) reliable sources of human rights information. With this number of supporters in a relatively wealthy country, Israeli rights groups should, in theory, be raising at least some local cash. So why don't they?
Other studies show that human rights ideas enjoy broad support internationally. In 2008, a global consortium asked 47,241 people in 25 countries for their views on specific human rights, including torture, political rights, women’s rights, religious freedom, and economic and social rights. In every country, they found, the norms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights received “robust support,” as did the notion of United Nations intervention to promote these ideals. Importantly, the survey teams found little support for the notion that people worldwide lived in different moral universes.
Some human rights issues, of course, are particularly sensitive, and are therefore likely to face broad-based popular social or religious resistance; issues of gender, family and sexuality come most readily to mind. Still, our own surveys show that local human rights groups enjoy a fair bit of local support, just as they do in Israel.
Figure E displays the results of our national surveys in Mexico and Colombia, along with our regional surveys in India (Mumbai) and Morocco (Rabat and Casablanca). We asked more than 6,000 people how much they trusted their country’s human rights groups, rescaling their answers from 0 to 1, with the latter representing the highest level of trust.
Human rights groups received reasonably high scores, ranging from 0.43 in Morocco to 0.59 in Mexico. With that kind of domestic support, local rights groups should, in theory, be able to raise some money locally.
So why don’t they?
The reasons are varied. Many respondents cited fear of government retribution; citizens didn’t give money to human rights groups because these would-be donors feared that the government would seek revenge. Other respondents said that human rights organizations themselves are unwilling to raise money locally because they don’t want to fall prey to local political pressures. Political parties, wealthy individuals, and local corporations may be willing to contribute money, but they’d demand too much in return. More often than not, respondents said, distant international donors exert less political control than potential local benefactors.
One of the most common explanations cited by our respondents was local philanthropic preferences. Although most every country has a charitable sector, individual philanthropists as well as charities in the Global South often prefer to channel their funds to concrete projects such as building schools or hospitals, or tangible services such as food, shelter and clothing. The work of human rights groups, by contrast, seems intangible and alien. Here it isn’t the human rights principles themselves that are the problem, but rather the human rights style, based as it is on research, public advocacy, policy analysis, and lobbying.
In international donor circles, human rights are a recognized theme, with routine application procedures and earmarked budgets. Local donors are likely to be skeptical and idiosyncratic, but international donors need little convincing; they already support that type of work. Although human rights advocacy work may be an accepted “thing” internationally, it has yet to become broadly popular in many Southern countries.
Finally, human rights workers must grapple with the unpleasant possibility that the work they do is simply not sufficiently useful. Development critic William Easterly writes eloquently that much international aid is wasted on projects for which there is little popular demand. When real demand exists, he argues, development entrepreneurs will figure out a way to supply that need. If contemporary human rights work isn’t attracting many local “buyers,” perhaps it hasn’t yet figured out how to offer something that sufficient numbers of people want, need, and are willing to support financially?
To raise more local money, human rights groups will have to hire new kinds of people, develop new social ties, and build new fund-raising capacities. They may also have to figure out a better “market niche,” in which they offer something so valuable that local donors, big and small, will want to pitch in.
Across the developing world, domestic rights groups have convinced international donors that their work is valuable, meaningful, and worth supporting. Now, the real task lies in convincing their publics, rich and poor, of the same thing.

author: openDemocracy


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What the Caribbean Should Learn from Dana Seetahal · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago News Blog posts the latest developments in the Dana Seetahal murder investigation, while Barbados Underground says that “the news of how she died should be worrying to Caribbean citizens for many reasons.”


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Astronomy in Spain · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Astrophysicist Angel R. López-Sánchez blogs [es] about the recent XXI State Congress of Astrophysics [es] held in Granada, Spain, on may 1-4, 2014. During the event, there was a astrophotography contest and time-lapse video, about which Angel notes:
Three out of four winners are Andalucian, and this shows once again the great impact that astronomers from Southern Spain have had during this process. No wonder, there wasn't a national event like this one in Andalucia since 1985, when the Astronomy Society of Malaga held one in that city.
Below one of the winner images. more on the post by Ángel R. López-Sánchez.
Trough. Shot of galaxy M 101 in the Big Dipper. This image won the category Deep Sky on the Astrophotography and Time Lapse video Contest at the XXI State Congress of Astronomy held in Granada. Credit: Javier Ballesteros Bonald (Cartama, Malaga).

author: Juan Arellano


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China Detains Human Rights Lawyer After Tiananmen Meeting  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

China has detained prominent rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang on the charge of “causing a disturbance,” what is seen as an attempt to deter activists from marking the upcoming 25th anniversary of the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square.
According to newspaper South China Morning Post, Pu had been criminally detained by Beijing police after attending a meeting to commemorate the 1989 crackdown on democracy as well as “explore its implications and consequences and call for an investigation into the truth of June 4.’’
At least 15 people – scholars, activists and relatives of the victims killed in the Tiananmen crackdown – attended the gathering at a private home in Beijing on May 3, 2014. At least five other people taken away for questioning after the meeting.
Photos of Pu in the 1989 Tiananmen protest. Photo circulated on Twitter.
Pu is a prominent figure in the Weiquan movement, having advocated for writers and journalists in a number of high-profile cases, including artist Ai Weiwei. He was featured in magazines for leading campaign against labour camps.
Due to his outspoken criticisms of official policies, Pu is monitored by security forces, and has been detained and questioned on several occasions. Pu was banned from all microblogging platforms in China in 2013 after he used them to publicly criticize retired senior leader of the Communist Party Zhou Yongkang.
Pu also participated in the 1989 pro-democracy movement as a student.
Any information related to the Tiananmen movement is still censored in China. A search of “Tiananmen” on popular microblogging Sina Weibo reveals a message telling users that results cannot be found according to related laws and regulations.
Many lawyers showed concern for Pu and called for Pu’s release on Weibo. However, most messages supporting Pu were deleted.
Bejing Lawyer Deng Shulin‘s message was soon deleted:
邓树林律师: 必须释放浦志强！抓律师是今后司法改革的方向吗？
Pu Zhiqiang must be released. Is arresting lawyers the future direction of judicial reform?
Well-known Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi asked her Weibo followers to watch a movie about how lawyers uphold justice:
《辩护人》一个追求民主、法制、公正为真理而斗争的律师让人肃然起敬。故事改编于韩国前总统卢武铉的真实事迹。在这儿无需再说电影拍得如何了，去看看人家拍的内容吧！
“The attorney “, a lawyer who pursues democracy, rule of law and justice fights for the truth and deeply inspires. The movie is based on the true story of former Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun. No need to repeat here how the film looks, go see it for yourself.
Human Rights Watch’s Maya Wang commented on Twitter:
Detention of Pu and others r the best ads for the 25th anniversary & is attracting exactly the kind of attention the authorities don't want.
— Maya Wang 阿莲 (@wang_maya) May 6, 2014
Journalist Sui-Lee Wee quoted an essay by Pu  on Twitter:
Gd time to read Pu Zhiqiang's essay on June 4. “If every1 forgets, are we not opening the door to future massacres?” http://t.co/TXTI1kYizI
— Sui-Lee Wee 黄瑞黎 (@suilee) May 6, 2014

author: Abby Liu


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Cuba: Throwing Sticks at Language · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Havana Times explores the origin of a controversial idiom that brings into focus “the sexual idiosyncrasies of people in the Caribbean and those of Cubans in particular.”


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Egypt, Palestine, China, India, Bangladesh, Ukraine triumph in The Bobs Awards · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The winners of Deutsche Welle's The Bobs 2014 awards have been announced! Online projects from Egypt, Palestine, China, India, Bangladesh, Ukraine were selected as winners by an international jury.
Projects in 14 languages competed for the titles of Best Blog, Best Social Activism, Most Creative & Original and Best Innovation, in addition to People's Choice and two special awards: the Global Media Forum Award and the Reporters without Borders Award.
The Bobs marks its 10th year of existence this year. Global Voices took the jury award in the Best Weblog in English category in 2005.

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Hong Kong Movie Star Boycotted by Mainland Chinese · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The conflict between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese on issues such as birth tourism, shortage of infant formula milk and the recent child's pee and poo has continued to fermented. Mainland Chinese netizens are mobilizing to fight back. The latest move is to boycott Hong Kong movies star Chapman To, who has been vocal against mainland Chinese uncivilized behavior in Weibo. China Beat has the boycott story.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Shamed Macedonian Government Caves in to Student Demands · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Macedonia announced a 1,050,000 euro (1.46 million US dollar) tender for renovation of the now infamous Goce Delchev student dormitory in Skopje on April 30, 2014, as reported [mk] by Faktor.
Apparently, this decision is a direct consequence of the digital activism initiative Operation Student Dorm, which gave visibility to the horrific living conditions provided in the university dormitory in question and managed to reverse the trend of years of promises [mk] that went unfulfilled by the government into concrete action.
Damage control: Facebook ad
with Macedonian Prime Minister's picture titled “The Students are Right”. It claims that “the Goce Delchev student dorm will be completely reconstructed.”
After the initial reaction of intimidation and censorship by authorities, the ruling political party apparently evaluated the risk of alienating the 1200 students living in the dorm (and their families) on the eve of the upcoming elections. As part of an apparent damage control campaign, they promised that the dorm will be reconstructed, and publicized that promise through government-friendly media, along with paid Facebook ads leading to an interview with the incumbent Prime Minister titled “The Students are Right.”
Some social media users noticed that the words used by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in this interview eerily resembled a famous quote by Yugoslavian socialist leader Josip Broz Tito, after a brutal intervention of the so-called “people's police” failed to quash major student protests in Belgrade, which were part of the 1968 world movement for democracy. The sentence [sr], “Comrade Tito said that the students are right”, was a popular catchphrase throughout the former Yugoslavian states, and was immortalized in a famous scene [sr] of the regional cult classic 1986 film The Elusive Summer of '68. In the film, after ‘the troubles’ of the 1968 protests are depicted, the father of the family removes the television set to prevent the children from talking about things the regime might find seditious. After Tito's announcement, he proudly takes the television set out from the cellar and allows his children to use it again.
Another current government action bears evidence to the growing importance of students as a voting bloc. Just before the last round of the 2014 presidential elections on Friday April 25, the Macedonian government transferred funds for students’ overdue scholarships. The monthly instalments for students who begin the school year in October usually start several months later, with pauses, most often dragging the payments out until the following autumn. This time around, students received seven months worth of late scholarships in one bulk payment, even though the government previously announced that payments would start in May, after the elections. The monthly stipends amount to between 50 to 65 euro.
There has been no announcement about the reconstruction of other student dormitories in Skopje or elsewhere, many of which house a smaller number of students. One such example is the ‘Medicinar’ dorm for medical students, which is set within the complex of the Skopje Clinical Center. The following photos were taken by the author on April 9, 2014 [all published here under CC-BY license].

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Pity for the Poor, or When Do We Get to Hear the Good News? · Global Voices
Maria Grabowski

Communications experts at Danish NGOs are coming to value images like the one above, but those engaged in raising funds often seem stuck in narrative of distress and disaster. Image by Adam Cohn (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
You've seen them before: a child in rags with an empty stare and flies in his eyes; a mother helplessly embracing an emaciated child. It may hurt to watch these images, and they might inspire us to do something, but images like this show only one side of the story.
Communicators must always select an angle, of course, and I acknowledge that sad images are part of the reality. But what about the other part, the part that shows resources, potential, development? In Latin America, for instance, there are more women than men enrolled at universities. In Africa, infant mortality is decreasing. Since 1990, 2.1 billion people have gotten access to water, and between 1999 and 2011 the number of girls attending school in Afghanistan increased from 15,000 to 2.2 million (Source: UN).
These are solid numbers that tell pretty amazing stories—but do they receive as much attention as the ones that paint pictures of distress and disaster? I am not saying that our work is done and that we have reached the coveted goal of a more equal and just world. But my impression is that truly constructive stories are rarely told, and positive images seldom shown.
Denmark: Big Results, Little Knowledge
Every year, DR, Denmark's national broadcaster, and a dozen Danish NGOs host a nationwide fundraising event. The tagline of the show this year was “When mom is missing”, focusing on orphans, and the press photos [da] depict either the show's hosts, happy children, or serious-looking children with watery eyes. Since 2007, the Danes have invested more than 500 million DKK (90,5 million USD) on development projects in Africa. That is a lot, and it makes a difference. But what about the images we reproduce each year of developing countries: are we not promoting an unequal image of a merciful North and a distressed, helpless South?
Denmark has a long tradition of solidarity work, bilateral and multilateral aid offered by recognized experts and organizations that navigate the complex field of development. So it bothers me to see such a simplistic image projected by a nationwide fundraising event: someone is in need -> let’s help -> we helped -> let's feel good. I appreciate that the event is doing a great job raising funds—but the underlying narrative undermines the purpose. And the unfortunate truth is that this type of narrative is quite widespread throughout the world.
A recent report produced for DANIDA [Denmark's international development agency] shows that 65% of Danes support the giving of development aid. At the same time, 64% believe that the number of people living in poverty in the world remains the same as twenty years ago, and that only 3 out of 10 children in the world go to school. Actually, 9 out of 10 children are in school; and over the last twenty years the number people living in poverty in the world has decreased to 700 million. In short, there's been massive progress on many fronts, but apparently the Danes haven't heard the news.
Good News on the Rise
In 2010 an initiative was launched with the main goal of communicating positive results from developing countries, creating awareness among the Danes and providing a counterweight to the numerous disaster stories in the news. It's called World's Best News, and uses the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals as a point of departure. The project was initiated by DANIDA and the UN, with the collaboration of 90 Danish NGOs and 90 companies. A quite unique coalition, with the not-so-traditional goal of spreading good news.
Full disclosure: I work for World's Best News and my view of the initiative is therefore biased, but I do have an observation to share: something is happening in the NGO environment. More and more NGOs are contacting World's Best News for advice on how to frame their communications and campaigns in more constructive ways. And World's Best News is not the only player in the field.
In 2012, news editor Ulrik Haagerup released a book called “Constructive News: A Confrontation with the Negative Worldview of the Press”. An obvious provocation for the media. Haagerup points to the power of the press and encourages journalists to wield that power with greater care, and to practice critical journalism constructively.
A year earlier, in 2011, a former executive producer and reporter, Cathrine Gyldensted, published her master's thesis from the University of Pennsylvania online. Her study shows that both consuming and producing classical news reporting have a substantial negative emotional impact on both journalist and their readers, and that positive reporting could form the basis of a huge potential shift in news media.
Another important finding was that too much negativity creates apathy. In order to elicit a response and reaction from our readers, Gyldensted concluded, we need to show a way out, a possible solution—a spark of hope. Not meaning we should jump to the extreme of creating only positive news—that, too, would be untrustworthy—but news that is nuanced, balanced and constructive.
This leads me back to the NGO world. The communications departments of Danish NGOs are demonstrating more and more interest in constructive communication, but fundraisers, generally speaking, not so much. A fundraiser friend of mine told me what the numbers tell her: they raise more money on ads showing children in rags than on ads where the subjects are better dressed. If we are to believe the findings of Gyldensted, however, too many rags will end up creating apathy, and apathy is unlikely to generate donations in the long run. Hope, on the other hand, motivates people.
I believe that it is only a matter of time before readers and donors come to value constructive narratives as much as the communicators. It's a chain reaction—someone has to be in front to set the wheels in motion.

author: Maria Grabowski


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South Korea: Subway Crash, in the Wake of Ferry Disaster · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

In South Korean capital Seoul, two subway trains collided last week, injuring over 200 passengers, mostly minor injuries. The accident occurred in the wake of the Sewol ferry disaster, and the timing of the event and passengers’ immediate responses to the crash have further fueled discussion. Noticeably, most of subway passengers choose to ignore an announcement to stay still and actively got themselves out of the subway car — the exact opposite of how Sewol disaster's victims reacted. Korea Bang's Simon Kim gathered and translated South Korean net users’ reaction to the news.


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Trinidad & Tobago: An Argument for Gay Rights · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In many Caribbean territories, anti-sodomy laws are still “on the books”, which essentially makes consensual homosexual relations against the law. There is strong social disapproval of the homosexual lifestyle, much of which is rooted in religious fervour. Sometimes the tide against gay rights can take a violent turn, most notably in Jamaica, a country with an international reputation for homophobia. Despite all this, the movement for gay rights in the region forges ahead.
One Trinidad and Tobago-based blogger, Brendon O’Brien, who is straight, but sees the current stance as a violation of human rights, recently attended a lecture at the University of the West Indies, which was hosted for the parents of the late Matthew Sheppard.
As Activized describes it, the event was hijacked “by a bunch of Seventh-Day Adventists who say that removing buggery laws that create a hostile environment for LGBT people would not only infringe on their human rights, but would kill Christians by the hundreds.” The post takes great care to explain the particular sect of the religion:
If you’ve never heard of a group called the Thusian Institute for Religious Liberty, then I suppose you run in the right circles. They’re an organization formed by an offshoot of better-known Adventism aimed at providing ‘human rights services that are geared to promote respect for, and to cause the increase of legal protections for individual rights and freedoms, religious liberty in particular‘. Sounds good on paper, and then you meet them…
At the lecture, O'Brien reported that members of the group “attempted to hand the parents pamphlets that stated that LGBT rights was a conspiracy to limit the religious freedoms of Christians, and ended up having an argument with some of the attendees about their nature as Sodomites.” So taken aback was he that he tried to engage some of the critics:
Me being a firm believer in the inherent goodness of all men, I had an interesting conversation with a couple of their much better-behaved members (basically, the only two folks who were not aggressively calling strangers abominations as far as I could tell then). They requested to have a much more deliberate conversation about LGBT rights in the future, to which I agreed. I had the idea that it would be a sort of open, informal debate…
The reality turned out to be quite different:
I came as promised, with just a couple friends and a desire to share, only to be met with 15 Bible-armed Thusians sitting around me sharing their interest to ‘prove that LGBT rights is really anti-rights and freedoms’.
The conversation, which originally started as a debate about the right to a private sex life, developed into an all-out defence of the buggery law.
To try and make sense of the whole exchange, O'Brien put forward some of his arguments…
Human Rights
He was happy to concede that human rights were divinely ordained, but adds:
Religious diversity calls for a more objective and universal understanding of the foundation of human rights. Something that we all have in common, like humanity for instance. But, after fifteen minutes the Thusians all pulled out their Bibles to say that human rights were given by a Christian God alone.
It’s completely okay to say that you believe in a Christian God, but this is a much more diverse world isn’t it? If the Constitution applies to people regardless of their faith or lack thereof, it needs to to take that diversity of belief in consideration.
The Issue of Consent
Referring to Section 13 of the Sexual Offences Act (1986), which criminalises “buggery”, O'Brien noted:
In this section ‘buggery’ means sexual intercourse per anum by a male person with a male person or by a male person with a female person.
If you took a good look at that, you’d notice that it makes no mention of consent or a lack thereof. But the Thusians seem to be convinced that this buggery law was somehow designed by the founding fathers of this nation to further strengthen the rape clause in the same Sexual Offences Act. It’s worth keeping in mind that the rape clause does mention consent heavily, and does not make reference to the genders of the assailant or victim.
All rape is covered in the rape clause, whether heterosexual or homosexual. And the buggery clause applies to all anal sex regardless of consent. It makes sense, considering that our rape clause also doesn’t specify where the person was violated, that we should charge all rapists with rape. If that’s the case, what’s the purpose of the buggery law?
Is the law enforced?
The post categorically stated that the buggery clause of the Sexual Offences Act has never been used “to target LGBT people for having sex.” But to O'Brien, that's not the problem:
The problem is that they can.
I don’t know whether you think that Trinidad is an increasingly tolerant place, but most days I do not.
what would happen if someone so inclined to fight against this conspiracy was in a position to use the law that was already there? What would stop them? Since the law’s so clearly defined, it would simply a matter of proving that two people have engaged in the act and that’s it…
Sodom and Gomorrah
The most unnerving argument at the lecture for the blogger was the theory “that we should retain laws that inhibit LGBT rights because, without them, the gay community would rise up and murder all the Christians in the nation.” He was so stunned that all he could muster at first was sarcasm:
Seems legit, right? That’s been the entire homosexual agenda all along – to amass enough inalienable human rights to eradicate the Christian population and finally achieve world domination.
Then he got serious:
That sort of logic, for obvious reasons, does not inform policy-making and legal reform in any other instance. So how is it that we allow it to here?
There was one point I will concede – no one should limit people’s religious freedom to say what they believe. But also, folks like the Thusian Institute need to understand that just because you’re speaking doesn’t mean you’re speaking sense, or that people should listen. This is a diverse society, where all people deserve respect. If you forget that, or allow yourself to disrespect others, then you might not find yourself in hell.
But you’ll definitely find yourself all alone when everyone decides not to listen to your hate any more.


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Venezuela: Confusion and Attacks Discussed on Twitter · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Using the hashsags #UcabCaracas and #SOSColectivosDelTerrorAtacanUCAB [SOS terror groups attack UCAB], comments and images of assaults on students on protests that apparently happened at Andrés Bello Catholic University [es] in Caracas have been widely shared. Among those tweeting inside the university campus, that has suspended it academic activities, we find the group UCAB student movement [es] sharing information and posting images of injured students .
#6M 5:24PM Continúa situación tensa en UCAB CARACAS. Motorizados van y vienen a la puerta principal de la Universidad pic.twitter.com/svn3umrUu7
— Mov Estudiantil UCAB (@ucabistas) May 6, 2014
5:24PM Tense situation goes on in UCAB CARACAS. Patrols keep coming and going to the university main entrance.
With the same hashtags, a series of tweets by supportes of chavismo try to deny the information, or criticize students protests. Also, with #SocialismoProductivo [productive socialism] this group aims to highlight what they consider unjustified protests and condemn violent acts.
@ESCOEMAR @livadie Son muchachos ilusos que creen que la nota es incitar a la violencia sin verle las consecuencias de sus actos
— zonia linares (@sonfer723) May 6, 2014
These are gullible kids who beleive that the point is encouraging violence withour being aware of the consequences of their acts.
There are reports of protests in other universities in provinces and those that have decided not to join the protests are harshly criticized. All this reflects the informative confusion and the different visions, the main topics of the conflict in Venezuela.

author: Laura Vidal