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Haitian-American Filmmakers’ Web Series Invites Women to Live, Laugh, Love (Part 2) · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

For Part 2 of our post on the soon-to-be-released web series 3L, Global Voices speaks to Melanie Charles, a Haitian-American jazz vocalist who plays the lead role of Gaelle. We asked her how she felt about the main character and what the series has to say about women, found out more about her Haitian heritage and discussed her love of jazz…
Global Voices (GV): What is the 3L story essentially about and why did the idea of playing Gaelle appeal to you?
Melanie Charles (MC): The  3L web series is the story of an Ivy League, well put-together woman of color who seems to have it all together on the surface, but is struggling with love, career and spiritual choices. It also shows a different take on different types of strong women. It's a story that celebrates how diverse we are, not only in race or culture, but also in career and life choices.
Gaelle really spoke to me for a number reasons.  I have a cousin named Gaelle and when I received the script, I was actually in haiti with Gaelle's parents (my aunts and uncles). Gaelle is just getting out of a 5-year relationship. I had a 5-year relationship [that ended in a similar way]…just that alone really drew me in. But the story is so relatable. Gaelle is struggling to actually pursue her passion and not just do what is expected of her and I think many of us are or have experienced that struggle.
Production still of Melanie Charles from the 3L web series; photo by James Hercule, used with permission.
GV: Does your Haitian heritage come into play at all in the series?  If so, how?  If not, how are you drawing on that experience to give life to Gaelle's character?
MC: Gaelle is an Brooklyn-born American girl of Haitian decent, which I just so happen to be! There are a lot of stereotypes about Haitian people, some negative and some positive. What I love about Gaelle is how she embodies the truth about what it really means to be Haitian-American. The truth is Haitian women are so diverse – from their sense of style to their career choices, to their diet choices. Speaking of food, in the Haitian culture, cooking is a labor of love and a celebration of spices. There is a scene where Gaelle cooks ‘friends-giving’ dinner and for me, being Haitian, that scene in particular felt like second nature. Being familiar with the importance and names of all of the special Haitian dishes really made that scene special.
It is a known fact in the Haitian community that Haitian parents are very strict and want their children to become successful doctors, lawyers, and teachers. It's rare for Haitian parents to encourage their children to be musicians, or artists, or chefs for that matter. Personally, I lucked out. My mom really supports my choice to be a musician and actress. But even with that, there is still a high standard of excellence my mother expects from me, so I really understand how serious it is when Gaelle expresses her concern about her parents ‘flipping out’ if they knew that instead of working in the field of her Ivy league degree, she wanted to cook. What makes this even more of a speciality is that Gaelle is in her late twenties and is considered a ‘grown woman’. But that's the thing about Haitian culture, you are never too old to feel the need to please your parents and to be humbled by them. It is a beautiful, bittersweet dynamic.
GV: How has your experience as a jazz vocalist helped you in the role?  Is there any inclusion of/reference to Haitian music in the series?
MC: Yes I am actually a full-time, professional musician. I studied vocal Jazz performance at The New School. I must say I do not just sing jazz, though. I sing soul, rhythm and blues, and I also write and perform my own music, which can be described as soul/electronica. But I love singing jazz and it has become a launching pad to other genres and styles of music. While studying at The New School, I met some Haitian musicians who opened up my ears to traditional Haitian music. From folk songs to love songs; from celebratory songs to lamentations to Mother Earth, the stories told are really colorful and rich. The melodies and the way the lyrics flow make it so that even if you don't understand the words, you still feel what the song is about. I don't really think about it, but people always tell me that when I sing, I really bring the songs to life, dramatically. Truth is though, singing is acting – especially when singing in another language.
So there is a moment were Gaelle sings a traditional Haitian song called ‘Choucoune’, accompanied by two very important Haitian drummers whom I actually perform with in real life. It was really cool to be allowed to make music in such an authentic way on screen. It was fun shooting that song with fellow musician Okai.
Production still of Melanie Charles from the 3L web series; photo by James Hercule, used with permission.
GV: Why do you think this series is could be important to women – of any background?  What does it offer them?
MC: This series really celebrates women of all walks of life and all races! It represents the lawyer, single mom, the lesbian, the hustler! The show also celebrates different modes of beauty, from the curvy woman to the petite lady. Sometimes, we women can get hard on ourselves for making poor choices or not accomplishing things in the way we would like, but in this show, we see that [all those experiences] breed strength, courage and grace.
GV: What are your hopes for the series and its message?
MC: My hope is for 3L to expand to [traditional] television. I definitely see that happening. I would love for it to become that ‘go to’ show [that people use] to unwind. Growing up, ‘Living Single’ was a show that I always watched.  It was a great [series] that celebrated four single women living in Brooklyn. No matter what I was going through, whenever I watched an episode, there was a poignant message for me. I see 3L having the same impact [and] being a trusted show where people know that they will, laugh, cry, reflect and walk away inspired and encouraged.


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Indonesian Candidates Accused of Exposing Children to ‘Indecent’ Campaign Shows · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Political parties in Indonesia's 2014 legislative election are accused of violating rules by bringing children during campaign rallies. Campaigning began March 16 and will end on April 5.
A popular but controversial form of campaigning is the use of Dangdut singers and entertainers. Dangdut is Indonesia's folk music genre featuring a melange of Hindustani, Malay, and Arabic vocals and instruments. Modern versions of Dangdut often incorporate gyrating hips and twerking. Political aspirants often greet their supporters on “fun” stages endorsed by Dangdut performers.
Many netizens posted photos of Dangdut performances during campaign rallies to argue why children should not watch these election activities:
[KONTROVERSI] “Kampanye Pornoaksi di Depan Anak-Anak” -> http://t.co/3uq4fP5WPp | pic.twitter.com/owv4TkTKRV
— Putihkan Indonesia ! (@pks_kreatif) March 21, 2014
Pornographic campaign in front of children.
Salah satu alesan kenapa anak kecil gak boleh ikut kampanye, tapi kan gak gini juga. pic.twitter.com/ZPKNpOAgon
— ikoo (@ikochans) March 21, 2014
One of the reasons why kids shouldn't participate in campaigns, it shouldn't be this way.
Under the General Election Committee Regulation (PKPU) Number 15 (k) 2013 [id], minors are banned from attending campaign rallies. However, all political parties currently allow children to join their campaign events. According to Children Protection Commission (KPAI), children have been spotted nearly in all campaign activities.
In response, parties claimed that they have already advised their sympathizers not to bring their children during campaign rallies but many are still unable to comply with the directive. Aburizal Bakrie, the aspiring president from Golkar Party, said that majority of Golkar's sympathizers can't leave their children at home because they don't have babysitters and maids
Meanwhile, the Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) asserted that bringing children to a campaign rally is part of early education in democratic process. In some cities, PKS installed daycare centers on its campaign venue.
Nih sebagian adik-adik yg bermain di tempat penitipan anak kampanye @pkssumut :) #AyoPutihkanMedan pic.twitter.com/hOCTQjdTO0
— PKS (@PKSejahtera) March 26, 2014
Here are some kids playing in a campaign center daycare.
When asked about the presence of children during campaign rallies, the ruling party Demokrat and the opposition PDIP both agreed that children attending election-related events should not be a problem.
Meanwhile, child psychologist Seto Mulyono said that parents who can't leave their children at home during the campaign season shouldn't attend any rally at all.
Unfortunately, for ordinary party sympathizers, things are not that simple because the campaign season is synonymous to obtaining free goodies and other gifts by attending campaign gatherings.
kamvreeet nih emang… :))) RT @kompascom: Ikut Kampanye , Anak-anak Bolos Sekolah http://t.co/OQq6WFB7Lg” pic.twitter.com/PP6NQ6Ip7C
— Rama Sugeng
(@ramasugeng) March 21, 2014
What a joke! RT @kompascom: Attending campaigns, kids skipped school.
Kampanye akan lebih bermartabat tanpa membuat rakyat berebut tebaran uang dari panggung. — ADDIE MS (@addiems) March 27, 2014
Campaigns will be more dignified if they don't make people fight over money tossed from the stage.
KPAI Kecam Pemberian Uang “Kampanye” terhadap Anak-anak http://t.co/fjWqbpIFmC — Republika Online (@republikaonline) March 24, 2014
Children Protection Commission (KPAI) condemns cash handouts to kids during campaign.
Anak di kampanye story : Emak tau nak.. tapi emak udah dijatah nasi bungkus dan uang saku http://t.co/YRUxZXfLgS
— (@budysantoso_40) March 28, 2014
“A kid at a campaign” meme: -Kid: I just want to watch Sponge Bob, mom.
-Mom: I know, child. But they're giving us free lunch and pocket money.
Indonesia held its first full democratic election in 1999, a year after the fall of Soeharto, who ruled the nation for 31 years.
*Thumbnail used is from @pks_kreatif

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Juke Carolina


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Jamaica: Vybz Kartel’s Sentencing · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Active Voice reports that Vybz Kartel's sentencing has been postponed to April 3, and that “the Dept. of Correctional Services is to decide whether Kartel will be allowed to record music in prison, and if allowed, whether proceeds should go to the family of the victim Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Putin Brings Back Soviet-era Civil Defense Certification · Global Voices
Nina Jobe

Putin and an old GTO poster. It was a more innocent time. Images remixed by editor.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced the revival of a storied Soviet tradition. Speaking at an event to celebrate Russia’s success at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Putin said that resurrecting a Soviet program of physical education that certified people of all ages for “Readiness to Labor and Defense” (GTO), would “pay homage to [Russia's] national historical traditions.”
The announcement was not unexpected. Blogger Andrei Malgin first posted the rumor on his blog two weeks prior, observing [ru]:
То есть они будут не пробуждать у детей интерес к спорту, а собираются принуждать их заниматься спортом. Они сделают спорт постылой необходимостью. Зачем?
Meaning that instead of getting children interested in sports, they will make them be involved in sports. They will make sport a hateful necessity. For what?
In a post titled: “Hello, Sparta” blogger alis_svs wondered [ru] what would happen to children who are unable to participate for health reasons:
Каждый третий ребёнок в Москве к 3 годам уже имеет ХОБЛ, о количестве прочих заболеваний деликатно умолчу…
A third of Moscow children have COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] by the time they turn 3, I will tactfully remain silent on the number of other illnesses…
After the announcement was made, some of the older bloggers recalled the experience as one of the horrors of Soviet Schools. One blogger wrote [ru]:
Я ненавидела физру в школе. Люто, бешено ненавидела. […] Как вспомню – мороз по коже. Мерзкие сатиновые трусы на резинках, черный низ-белый верх, всем стать в строй, на первый-второй рассчитайсь…Господи, неужто непонятно?! Нельзя, нельзя, нельзя ЗАСТАВЛЯТЬ людей сдавать какие-то бредовые “нормы”. Нет никаких норм! Патология это!
I hated phys-ed in school. Fiercely, violently loathed it. […] When I think about it I get the creeps. The nasty satin briefs with the elastic bands, black bottoms-white tops, everyone falling into line […] God, is it really not clear?! You cannot, cannot, cannot FORCE people to surrender to some kind of delusional “norm.” There are no norms! This is pathological!
There were some positive responses to the decree. Tatiana Malkina wrote on her Facebook wall [ru]:
это странно и непопулярно, я знаю…но у меня не было никаких, совсем никаких проблем с нормами гто. я даже единственная из девочек муляж гранаты бросала на требуемые 11 метров…. почему-то не вызывло у меня все это дело ни отторжения, ни протеста. проблемы были только с политинформацией, историей и иногда – литературой.
It is strange and unpopular, I know… but I had absolutely no problems with the GTO standards. I was even the only girl who threw a dummy grenade at the required 11 meters…. for some reason this whole thing did not make me reject or protest. My problems were only with political information, history, and sometimes literature.
This is not the first health drive the Kremlin has initiated during Putin’s presidency. A 2011 law sought to incrementally increase taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, so that the price would nearly double by 2014.In addition, a law went into effect last June prohibiting smoking in public places. But perhaps the authorities were trying to take advantage of popular patriotism after Russia’s incursion into Crimea. As one blogger remarked [ru]: “They are preparing us for war.”

author: Nina Jobe


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Pandas Steal Spotlight from Taiwan’s Endangered Formosan Bears · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

The exhibition of 1,600 pandas and 200 Formosan black bears. Photo by figarotwo. CC: NC.
Baby panda Yuan Zai has been spotlighted by the Taiwanese media since her birth in July 2013. While many have gone to Taipei Zoo to see the young bear, some have questioned why the panda has received so much media attention compared to Formosan black bears, which were voted the most representative wildlife of Taiwan back in 2001. Yuan Zai's parents were gifts from mainland China to Taiwan and are considered part of an act of diplomacy.
Since January this year, in addition to the wide and constant media coverage of the pandas in Taipei Zoo, the Taipei City Government has been hosting an exhibition of 1,600 papier-mâché pandas designed by Paulo Grangeon to promote wildlife preservation. Even though the artist also designed another 200 papier-mâché Formosan black bears and one tree frog for the exhibition, the public attention has been mainly on the pandas. Some have criticized the government's active role in the public promotion of pandas.
Forestry Bureau wildlife conservation section head Kuo-Chang Lin attempted to clarify the situation by explaining the source of funding [zh] for pandas:
Satire on the lack of attention given to Formosan black bears: the mother bear paints her baby bear white while saying, ‘It is my fault for letting you grow up here.’ By 布魯斯 (Bruce). CC: NC. CC: NC.
最近很多人質疑：政府只關心大陸來的貓熊，反而對本土的台灣黑熊不聞不問。
其實農委會（林務局、特生中心）、各國家公園對黑熊的保育工作每年投入的經費也有好幾百萬，倒是沒給貓熊一毛錢。貓熊的經費都是台北市立動物園自己編的，但他們確實很會行銷，廠商業者贊助資源更多。
Recently many people have been asking this question: why does it seem like our government only cares about the pandas, [which are gifts] from China, and not the Formosan black bears endemic to Taiwan?
The Council of Agriculture and Taiwan's national parks currently has a budget of millions for the conservation of Formosan black bears. On the other hand, the government does not fund the conservation of pandas. Taipei Zoo (partially funded by the Taipei City Government) has its own budget for pandas. In addition to that, they have raised a lot of funds for pandas from companies wanting to promote their businesses.
Mei-Hsiu Huang, the president of the Taiwan Black Bear Conservation Association [zh], wishes more attention were given [zh] to Formosan black bears:
貓熊是國際上公認的保育代言人。例如，世界自然基金會（WWF）以貓熊為會徽，作為保護所有生物的象徵。因此，對我們而說，貓熊之所以來台灣，不就是來關心牠的熊族至親台灣黑熊嗎？當我們對這位嬌客善盡待客之道的同時，自然不該忽略其初衷。
Pandas are internationally recognized as a representative of wildlife preservation. For example, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) uses the panda as their organization's logo, and as such it has become a symbol for the conservation of all kinds of wildlife. We can therefore say that these pandas came to Taiwan to visit their relatives the Formosan black bears, which will help promote their conservation. Whilst we are treating our panda guests well, we should not ignore the initial intention [concerning the conservation of black bears].
Huang further explained the difficult situation [zh] Formosan black bears face:
相較於野外貓熊2千隻的族群量，台灣黑熊若據最近的估計資料則僅約為200-600隻。同樣身處瀕臨絕種的窘境，台灣黑熊不僅族群數量更讓人擔憂，其所面臨的持續威脅和困境更是來台的貓熊所難想像，這些包括政府和民眾對於台灣黑熊的保育承諾和行動不足、保育和研究的資源短缺、非法狩獵、野味和中藥市場持續發展等等。綜觀過去20年國內關於台灣黑熊的各項保育經費，每年約2百萬元，總計約4千3百萬元，相當於日本政府對其黑熊單單一年的經費挹注。
There are about 2,000 wild pandas here. Based on recent estimates, there are only about 200-600 Formosan black bears. Both types of bear are endangered, but the population of Formosan black bears is particularly worrying. The pandas that travelled to Taiwan [were raised in the world's best conservation area]; they could never imagine the kind of threats faced by black bears, which include insufficient commitment and action from the government and our people for conservation, lack of funding for conservation and research, increased levels of illegal hunting, and their consumption either as food or for medical purposes. If we look at the annual budget for Formosan black bears over the past 20 years, it comes to about two million Taiwan new dollars (about 65,000 US dollars). In total over the past 20 years we have spent 43 million Taiwan new dollars (about 14.1 million US dollars), which is equal to the annual budget for black bear conservation in Japan.
A poster from the #Congressoccupied protest. The black bear is saying, ‘Let us save our own country.’ Photo by Chao-Hua Wang. CC: NC.
In March 2013, the Formosan black bear officially became the mascot of Taiwan's Tourism Bureau [zh] and is responsible for promoting tourism in Taiwan. During protests against the controversial Cross-Strait trade agreement with China, the Formosan black bears were also chosen by some protesters as a symbol of Taiwan.
This post was proofread in English by Georgi McCarthy.

author: I-fan Lin


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A Schism Over Ukraine in Russian-owned LiveJournal · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

LiveJournal mascot Frank the Goat is somehow … different.
Igor Bigdan (ibigdan [ru]), one of the most popular RuNet bloggers, announced [ru] yesterday that he would be leaving his position as Director of LiveJournal Ukraine starting April. He said that the decision was driven mainly by his negative coverage of Russian foreign policy during the Crimean crisis.
Bigdan, who is normally an entertainment blogger and freely admits [ru] that 90% of his content is “copy-pasted” from other online sources, has recently spoken out against the annexation of Crimea. This has apparently caused tension between him and corporate management. He wrote [ru]:
И меня и руководство холдинга очень напрягает ситуация “сотрудник российской компании постоянно критикует Россию за аннексию Крыма”. Нет, речь не о цензуре – мне, как топ-блоггеру, никогда не указывали, о чём писать можно, а о чём нельзя. Однако я не только блоггер, но ещё и сотрудник большого российского холдинга […] неосторожные публичные заявления его сотрудников могут нанести холдингу вред. […] я не могу заниматься самоцензурой или самоустраниться от политических тем в своём блоге. Поэтому я предпочитаю остаться свободным блоггером.
Both I and the holding company management are bothered by a situation in which “an employee of a Russian firm constantly criticizes Russia for annexing Crimea.” No, this isn't about censorship — as a top blogger I was never told what I could or couldn't write about. But I'm not only a blogger, but an employee of a large Russian holding company […] reckless public statements by employees can harm the company. […] I can not self-censor or stop writing about political topics in my blog. This is why I choose to remain an independent blogger.
Although he blogs in Russian, Bigdan is a Ukrainian citizen, while LiveJournal has been controlled by a private Russian-owned company SUP Media (currently Rambler-Afisha-SUP) since its 2007 purchase from Six Apart Inc. Although Bigdan went to great lengths to say he is not quitting because of censorship, it is clear from his statement that there was pressure for self-censorship from the higher-ups which made blogging the way he normally does uncomfortable. Fear of such editorial pressure is what caused the entire editorial staff of Lenta.ru to quit last month, when their editor-in-chief was replaced by the owner. Coincidentally, the owner of Lenta.ru and LiveJournal is one and the same — Russian oligarch Alexander Mamut.
Bigdan stated that he would likely not be replaced by anyone as Director of LiveJournal Ukraine. The position, which he held since 2012, was responsible for “developing the service, increasing blogger popularity, local expertise and the entire commercial sector of the Ukrainian segment.”

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Afghanistan: ‘My Best Weapon to Fight the Taliban is My Voter Card’ · Global Voices
Samea Shanori

With less than a week before the first-ever democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan, violence across the country has increased dramatically with daily explosions and gunfights. Dozens have been killed in these assaults. Taliban insurgents have vowed to derail the presidential and provincial council elections on April 5 with bombings and assassinations.
On March 29 Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) headquarters in Kabul was attacked by four Taliban militants. The insurgents were all gunned down. On March 28 the Roots of Peace guesthouse was stormed by the Taliban, resulting in a child's death. In another attack on Kabul's Serena Hotel March 21, nine people including an AFP journalist, Sardar Ahmad, and an election observer, were killed.
Afghans continue to live out their normal lives in spite of ongoing concerns over the insurgent attacks. Syed Anwar tweeted after the attack on IEC headquarters:
Despite 5 hours fighting, attack on #IEC still #Kabul is shining, life is normal. pic.twitter.com/iSOR62FH1v
— Syed Anwar (@Sayed_Anwer) March 29, 2014
Voting in the 2005 parliamentary elections was relatively untroubled. This time there is more at stake and the security environment is weaker. (Wikimedia commons)
Massood Sanjer's tweet reads:
Two attacks at the same time. Kabul and Kunar. Kabul bank branch in Kanur and IEC office in Kabul. Firing continues. — Massood Sanjer (@MassoodSanjer) March 25, 2014
LT. Mustafa Kazemi tweets quoting Sardar Ahmad's nephew:
Sardar Ahmad's nephew: “I have no message for the Taliban. One can communicate with humans but not with animals.” — LT. Mustafa Kazemi (@combatjourno) March 22, 2014
Lina Rozbih-Haidari, an Afghan journalist, outraged by Friday's guesthouse attack, posted on her official Facebook page:
When claiming responsibility for terrorist attacks, Taliban reason that they are targeting foreigners. While looking at pictures of today's incident, I saw these foreigners, including unarmed women and children, who mostly work for humanitarian organizations and live with their families in these guesthouses.
This is Taliban's jihad: targeting unarmed Afghan and foreign women and children in hotels, polling stations, bazars, schools, mosques, during praying, during work……..
Can wars be fought more cowardly than this? Indeed Afghanistan has fallen into the hands of a hypocrite, weak, immoral and irrational enemy. They call it Islam. Be brave enough and fight bravely! Not cowardly by killing innocent and defenseless women, men and children.
While Emma Graham-Harrison, the Guardian correspondent for Afghanistan, tweeted after the assault on IEC headquarters:
Afghan election commission headquarters under attack, their spokesman says from inside safe room. Fourth Kabul attack in 10 days
— Emma Graham-Harrison (@_EmmaGH) March 29, 2014
Worried about the Taliban's future targets, Marzia Faraz's tweets:
First int'l observers in #HotelSerena, then #IEC regional office, foreigners at the guesthouse now #IEC HQ, what could be the next target?
— Marzia Faraz (@Marzofaraz) March 29, 2014
Another angry tweet related to the attack on Serena Hotel:
Karzai, NDS, and Kabul Serena security must answer for the killing of #SardarAhmad … The screams of his family still in my head.
— Gharghasht (@Gharghasht) March 22, 2014
In the past, Afghan elections were characterized by a general lack of political awareness among the public. However, the 2014 campaign has seen a great difference – candidates are actively trying to reach out to citizens, traveling to different provinces in order to engage with a diverse, dispersed electorate. Posters of the candidates are all over the country and their televised debates were viewed live by millions of Afghans. Despite insecurity and definite possibilities of electoral fraud, Afghans are excited by the possibility of engaging in a genuinely competitive vote. Ahmad Shuja tweeted a photo which shows people waiting in a long line to get their voting cards.
Police trying to turn excess registrants away, but people unwilling to go away without a voter card. #afgelect2014 pic.twitter.com/gOd52Thv2T
— Ahmad Shuja احمدشجاع (@AhmadShuja) March 29, 2014
Afghan journalist, Farzad Lami, referring to the recent survey conducted by the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA), tweeted:
Despite of security concerns 75% of Afghans want to participate in presidential elections scheduled for April 5. A new survey indicates.
— Farzad Lami (@FarzadLameh) March 26, 2014
Lotfullah Najafizada's tweet quoted a first-time-voter:
“My best weapon to fight the Taliban is my voter card,” said first-time-voter Ahmad, calling on Afghans to get armed with voter cards now.
— Lotfullah Najafizada (@LNajafizada) March 29, 2014
Marshal Öljaitü tweeted:
#Kabul: 5 attacks in 8 days. Desperate Taliban. High turnout in the Afghan election will be the public's verdict against Taliban.
— Marshal Öljaitü (@aushpaz) March 30, 2014
Some candidates have also expressed their concerns about the insurgency attacks and the upcoming elections. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a presidential candidate, tweets:
We condemn the terrorist attacks on civilians. It gives us more reasons to work harder for ensuring a better and peaceful future for Afghans
— Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) March 29, 2014
A tweet from Abdul Rashid Dostum, a candidate for Vice President, claims that the coming election will be successful because Afghans have strong faith in it.
Enemies of Afghan people won't succeed in their inauspicious deeds. People are committed for elections.
— Abdul Rashid Dostum (@ARashidDostum) March 25, 2014
While Zalmai Rassoul‘s campaign team posted on twitter, condemning the attacks:
We strongly condemn yesterday’s #Insurgent attack on Kabul Serena Hotel and today’s explosion in Khakrez district of Kandahar province.
— Dr. Zalmai Rassoul (@Zalmai_Rassoul) March 21, 2014
Afghanistan's lame duck incumbent Hamid Karzai refuses to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States until after the elections. So far, the domestic security situation makes an unpromising background for this crucial vote. Among the Taliban's most recent victims have been a candidate in the provincial elections, foreign NGO workers and staff at IEC offices across the country.

author: Samea Shanori


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Artists Re-imagine the ‘Woman Who Was Dragged’ and Killed by Brazil’s Military Police · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

Image by Gabriela Biscário for the 100xCláudia tribute on Think Olga blog.
[All links lead to Portuguese language pages unless otherwise noted.]
Claudia Silva Ferreira, 38, went out to buy bread on Sunday, March 16, 2014. In the Morro da Congonha neighborhood where she lived in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Silva Ferreira came across a shootout between the 9th Military Police Battalion and drug traffickers. She was shot, and police put her in the car to take her to Hospital Carlos Chagas. She succumbed to her injuries and died.
Image by Harete for 100xCláudia, Think Olga
All this would have been just another episode of urban violence, if not for the way the police dealt with Claudia. Thrown into the trunk of a Chevrolet Blazer car of the military police, the trunk for some reason opened as the police were driving, and it caught her clothing. She then fell out of the vehicle and was dragged on the asphalt for 250 meters.
The scene sparked a series of online reactions, including an homage by blog Think Olga, which invited artists and netizens to portray Silva Ferreira in a dignified way, as opposed to her last minutes of life:
A mulher arrastada pela Polícia Militar tinha nome – Cláudia Silva Ferreira. Cláudia também tinha família. E sonhos, coragem, dores e medos como qualquer ser humano. As denúncias da barbárie ocorrida são importantes e elas não devem cessar. Mas fugir do sensacionalismo e humanizar esse momento também é. Por isso, nos propusemos a retratar Cláudia com mais carinho do que o visto nos últimos dias.
The woman dragged by the military police had a name – Claudia Silva Ferreira. Claudia also had a family. And dreams, courage, sorrows and fears as any human being. Condemnations of the horror that occurred are important and should not cease. But to flee from the sensationalism and to humanize this moment is [important] too. Therefore, we set out to portray Claudia with more affection than what we have seen in recent days.
The project, named 100 Vezes Cláudia (100 Times Claudia), received more than 100 illustrations from different corners of the country in just 24 hours. Images kept pouring in, so a second page was created named Mais 100 Vezes Cláudia (100 Times More Claudia), which is being filled with dozens of tributes. One of the ideas of the promoters is to make an exhibition with the portraits and send some to Claudia's family.
Take a look at some of the images:
“In memory and justice of Claudia Silva Ferreira – 16.03.2014.” Image by Aline Valek for 100xCláudia, Think Olga.
Image by Sara Storrer for 100xCláudia, Think Olga
Image by Lethycia, a student from the class of teacher Cristiane Schifelbein for 100xCláudia, Think Olga
Image by Fernanda Guedes for 100xCláudia, Think Olga
Image by Gui Soares for 100xCláudia, Think Olga
Lucas Torres Matuda created a video that gathers a collection of images sent to #100xCláudia:
To learn more about the case, read Raphael Tsavkko's post on Global Voices, “The ‘Woman Who Was Dragged’ and Killed by Brazil's Military Police“.

author: Thiana Biondo


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Documentaries from 29 Countries Are SIMA 2014 Finalists · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

These are films we want to watch!
37 powerful documentary films from 29 countries have been selected as finalists for the 2014 Social Impact Media Award (SIMA).
The stories are from: South Africa, Switzerland, Zambia, the UK, Russia, India, Israel, Chile, Western Sahara, the US, Lebanon, Cambodia, Syria, Burkina Faso, Romania, Somalia, Denmark, Jamaica, Greece, Palestine, Haiti, Bolivia, Italy, Nicaragua, Egypt, Kenya, Canada, Burma, and Costa Rica.
Global Voices is a community partner of SIMA 2014.

author: Solana Larsen


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Embattled Opposition Blogger’s Insanity Defense? · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Images remixed by author.
When attempts to silence Alexey Navalny, Russia's top blogger and anti-corruption activist, don't work quite as planned [Global Voices report], it's time to shovel the dirt. This time, a pro-Kremlin online resource claims that leaked court documents show that Navalny's defense team had opted for a “psychological instability” defense during a recent defamation case.
According to the leak [ru], two linguists and one psychologist examined Navalny's blog posts as well as articles published by his opponents regarding last summer's Montenegro scandal [Global Voices report], when information surfaced that Navalny might have undeclared property outside Russia. They were asked by Navalny's lawyers to evaluate whether negative press against him might have affected his emotional well-being and psychological state, which in turn would have affected his remarks [ru] cited as defamatory by the plaintiff.
The experts answered in the affirmative, adding that Navalny might have been stressed by negative press against him during his campaign for mayor of Moscow. Furthermore, they wrote, in extremely convoluted prose:
После начала действия стресс-фактора чувство страха, которое имело место в ожидании опасности, может «трансформироваться» в другие эмоциональные переживания: в радость противоборства с носителем опасности; б) в переживание веселья, лихости; в) в чувство гнева с проявлениями ярости», когда на фоне переживания страха у субъекта актуализировалось представление об испугавшем факторе как об объекте, который необходимо уничтожить, наказать.
After the stress factor becomes active, the feeling of fear which was present during the expectation of danger, can “transform” into different emotional feelings: happiness from battling the source of danger; b) experiencing joy and brinkmanship; c) a feeling of anger and fury, when during the experience of fear the subject imagines the stress factor as an object that must be destroyed and punished.
It must be said, that this is general expert space-filler talk — in none of these statements do the experts claim that Navalny specifically experienced one of the responses listed above, just that it is possible that he had. And even if he had, that would not prove him “insane,” merely “emotional.” Nevertheless, some bloggers jumped on the idea that Navalny might be cuckoo. Even anti-government journalist Oleg Kashin posted [ru] an excerpt of the leak on his Facebook account, adding in a comment that he had confirmed its authenticity with AGORA, the NGO that provided Navalny with a defense team in this particular case. Minor pro-Kremlin [ru] bloggers [ru] also picked up on the news, re-distributing it with barely any comment.
Although in the end the story failed to gain any traction, it might come back to haunt Navalny in his future political ambitions. As one overly optimistic blogger wrote [ru]:
Таким образом установлено, что будущий президент иногда впадает в состояние невменяемости. Пригодится, да.
So now its established that the future president sometimes falls into a state of insanity. That will come in handy, yeah.


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Geo-Mapping Tools and Data Analysis Redefine Reporting in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Two media projects in Africa are using geo-mapping tools to expose eco-offenses, track organised crime syndicates in southern Africa and redefine development reporting.
1. The Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism
The Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism is Africa’s first data journalism project focusing on environmental issues. Based in South Africa, the non-profit center combines traditional investigative reporting with data analysis and geo-mapping tools.
Oxpeckers hopes to improve the quality and impact of African environmental journalism by:
Providing a home for investigative journalists interested in environmental issues;
Launching a geo-narrative platform using cutting-edge mapping techniques and forensic data tools to improve reportage;
Stimulating transnational and transcultural investigative reportage through project or research-based Oxpecker Fellowships;
Sharing investigative resources / source documents / data, as well as specialist tools and skills through Oxpecker Manuals and workshops;
Curating specialist environmental reporting or research projects on behalf of media partners;
Publishing our own exclusive environmental investigations, in both legacy and new media, as well as through eBooks and other channels.
The project has partnered with WildLeaks, the world’s first secure online whistleblower platform dedicated to wildlife crime.
In an investigative piece titled “Angola's new resource curse,” Richard Grobler investigates the geo-political impact of Lobito Corridor between Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo:
Swiss commodity giant Trafigura, partnering with the politically connected Angolan company Cochan Limited and the mysterious China International Fund, has quietly gained total control of Angola’s railway infrastructure, fuel distribution network and iron ore deposits via a vast global network of off-shore companies registered in various tax havens.
Using funds generated by Angola’s oil sales to China, the consortium has built up a vast business empire as the DT Group. It consists of property, fuel, steel-making, shipping and logistics holdings that could have profound economic and political implications for all of south-western Africa.
China had overtaken Portugal as Angola’s top source of both imports (27,68%) and exports (46%) by late 2012, largely due to a series of oil-for-infrastructure deals that started in 2003. A confluence of interests at the centre of the DT Group has taken advantage of this position to dominate the petroleum and mining commodity trade in Angola and the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
With a rebuilt deepwater port on the Atlantic coast at Lobito, replete with a new bulk ore terminal, a nearby 200,000 barrel-a-day oil refinery under construction and a new, Chinese-built railway system poised to enter the DRC’s troubled Katanga province, questions are being asked about the intentions of Angola’s DT Group.
The strategic Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (CFB), the shortest rail line linking Congolese and Zambian mining interests to European markets, could prove to be a double-edged sword for the DRC. Katanga is now at risk of being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea – quite literally.
2. Land Quest
Land Quest, a project based in Nairobi, Kenya run by two journalists from Europe, two from Kenya and one from the US, uses geo-mapping tools to redefine the focus and audience of development reporting.
The data portrays Kenya “as the battlefield for two competing financial interests: the flow of aid money from Europe to Kenya and multinational profits from Kenya to the Europe Union, Kenya’s second largest trading partner after China.”
Through open data, the project shows “the need for developed and developing countries to become partners in development that work together to harmonize and regulate development and private sector investments through open data.”
Land Quest investigation focuses on two hot spots in Kenya:
- Turkana, where newly discovered oil has forever changed (for better or worse) the landscape for the poorest people in Kenya and the humanitarian groups that serve them
-Lake Naivasha, where transnational agro-industrialists cultivate and export much of Europe’s annual flower supply while non-profit organizations groups protect water quality, defend labor rights and resettle internally displaced people, thanks to European donors.
Land Quest partners with newspaper El Mundo in Spain to publish their content and visualizations in Spanish, and it also makes it available in English to Kenyan media outlets.
Land Quest hopes the project:
[…] will also serve as an example of a new model of journalistic collaboration among media in the developed and developing world in a globalized media environment in need of in-depth international reporting.
One of the project's story on its website is about Kenya's “rose slaves” (workers in flower plantations) in Naivasha, one of the two towns the project focuses on:
The sun frames the workday. At dawn the workers begin to make their way toward the greenhouses. Many walk several kilometres; the lucky ones travel by bus or matatu, a mini-bus that carries dozens of passengers. The workday ends at dusk. For twelve hours of work, they make less than 40 Kenyan shillings, roughly 0.33 euros a day. In Spain, the price of a bouquet of Kenyan roses at a florist costs around 30 euros.
The majority of the workers live in areas and shantytowns near the plantations. Some of the neighbourhoods are built by the company. In exchange, they deduct rent and utilities from the employees’ salaries, according to Silas Mwiti, a freelance journalist that covers the Naivasha region. It’s common to see livestock and small vegetable gardens used to supplement a family’s income.
All of the days are the same: on the equator, the sun’s hours don’t vary. This phenomenon, combined with the humidity of the lake and the equatorial temperatures, increases the efficiency of plant growth. The only changes are in the ownership of the plantations.
Historically, Kenya’s flower business has been in the hands of Dutch business owners that are nevertheless selling their companies to new investors. In particular, this involves rich Indian residents that arrived with the British colonists and remained in the country after independence. They represent a powerful minority that also controls key businesses like banks and supermarkets.
Another article looks at the conflict of interests in northwest desert town Turkana between business interests and foreign aid:
John Ebenyo Ewesit, the Oxfam human rights project manager witnessed the Tullow tents appear overnight. He said their local governance projects were of no use in mediating oil negotiations. The government called a placatory meeting to announce the arrival of Tullow after the fact, he explained. Now there are two parallel systems: national coordination with the county commissioners appointed by the national government, and county and ward level government who were all left out of the equation as the national ministries of energy and mining moved in. “It’s still total confusion from a governance perspective.”
Now, local government officials fly in and out of Turkana for free on Tullow-operated aircraft, while decisions are made in Nairobi. And all the while, the stakes have gotten higher.
Real concerns for the environment include the dumping of industrial and human waste that could poison grazing lands. Oil extraction requires large quantities of water,so new water discoveries could be diverted to either oil or agro-industry instead of the public. The oil drilling itself could contaminate water aquifers, which are found in the same geological structures but at different depths.Community advocacy could be silenced by the para-military protection pledged to Tullow by the Government of Kenya in a recent confidential Memorandum of Understanding to end recent protests that was leaked to the Land Quest team. Pastoralists displaced by fenced-off drilling sites have no where to go.
The Kenya Oil & Gas Working Group, a network of civil society organizations that form the Community Action for Nature Conservation seeks to level the playing field for community, government, private sector and CSOs, but they too, are stumped.Their grassroots approach of engaging local communities in the discussion does not work when all meetings and decisions are being help in Nairobi. Even the community forums convened in Turkana have little effect, as the county government is no longer calling the shots.
Land Quest's investigation was financed by the European Journalism Centre and the Innovation in Development Reporting Grant Programme. The Africa Media Initiative provided the funding for EcoLab to develop the mapping platform. Internews in Kenya provided equipment and facilities for the investigation in Nairobi as well as the inspiration and a home for the project.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Half a Million Taiwanese Rally to Support #CongressOccupied · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

The rally from the air. Photo by Lu Tong-hi. CC: NC.
On Sunday March 30, 2014, about 500,000 Taiwanese from all over Taiwan joined a public assembly in Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei to support the protestors who are occupying the country's legislature, known as the Legislative Yuan, in protest of the secret negotiations surrounding the Cross-Straight Service and Trade Agreement (CSSTA) with China.
Standing in front of the Presidential Building, the #CongressOccupied protesters recited their demands [zh]:
1. 退回服貿協議；
2. 兩岸協議監督專法法制化，先立法、再審服貿協議，立法院完成前不得與中國洽談或簽定新協定或協議；
3. 召開公民憲政會議；
4. 要求朝野立委站出來，響應人民的訴求，支持民間版兩岸協定締結條例草案盡速完成立法。
1. Withdrawal from the CSSTA;
2. The creation of a monitoring mechanism for cross-strait agreements before the review of the CSSTA. Till then, Taiwan and China should not enter into any negotiations nor sign any agreements;
3. A ‘citizen’s constitutional conference’ be held;
4. Legislators from both parties should step out and address the people’s demands for the creation of a monitoring mechanism for cross-strait agreements as soon as possible.
They also asked their supporters to come to the Legislation Yuan every day to support the occupation and pressed the legislators to respond to these requests.
A young child at the rally. Photo by sheina0128. CC: NC.
The occupation protest has won not only domestic support from 45 cities and 16 counties, but also overseas support from Hong Kong, and activists from mainland China, such as Hu Jia, also expressed his support on March 30 through Twitter.
下午1:00，我在北京的家狱里一个人参加了。所以，台北太阳花学运的朋友们，北京有人在和你们同步。北京，没有缺席。
It is 1 p.m. I joined the rally [in Ketagalan Boulevard, Taipei] by myself as I am detained at home in Beijing. To my friends in Taipei who have joined the Sunflower Movement: there is someone in Beijing supporting you. Beijing is not absent in this rally.


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Manga “1F” Takes You Inside Fukushima Nuclear Plant  · Global Voices
Gerda

Ichi Efu, by Kazuto Tatsuta.
A manga by artist going by the name Kazuto Tatsuta takes readers inside the crippled nuclear plant of Fukushima Dai-Ichi, or ichi efu (1F) – as insiders dubbed it – a place he himself worked in 2012, a decision he took in a period of financial struggle.
The graphic novel “1F: The Labor Diary Of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant,” (いちえふ ～福島第一原子力発電所労働記～) offers a rare peek into the plant which was hit by one of the most powerful tsunamis in Japan's history on March 11, 2011.
The plant currently remains accessible exclusively to plant workers, employees of Tepco – the operating company – and few representatives of the press, on occasional tours.
In the pilot chapter, he describes the daily routine of the laborers, the different masks, layers of protective suits and clothing they have to wear every day, the use of an Active Personal Dosimeter which alerts them when they reach the daily radiation dose allowed, and their trip back and forth from the J-village, a former sports center that was converted into a residence for the laborers after the accident.
Tatsuta's manga won the 34th Manga Open award in 2013.

author: Gerda


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Massive Online Campaign to Free Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Photo from Facebook page 32xOscar.
The international campaign to free Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera is asking people from all over the world to contribute in making the hashtag #freeOscarLopez a trending topic tomorrow, April 1st. Tweets should also include U.S. president Barack Obama's handle @BarackObama.
This year, López Rivera will have been imprisoned in the United States for 33 years on charges of “seditious conspiracy.” López Rivera, 70, is a fighter for the independence of Puerto Rico, a colony of the United States. Politicians, artists, and many people across different ideologies have united to ask the president of the United States, Barack Obama, to pardon López Rivera, who has been called the longest held political prisoner in the western hemisphere. For more information on Oscar López Rivera, see Facebook pages 32 X Oscar [es] and Free Oscar López Rivera Now.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Nuclear Security Summit Protests · Global Voices
Chirag Sutar

Shortly before the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on March 22, 2014, Chinese security officials erected screens to block the president's view of the protesters. Photo by Hans Knikman/Demotix.
A reported 3,000 journalists were at the Nuclear Security Summit 2014 from March 22 to 25 in the Netherlands, where 58 world leaders gathered to discuss ways to prevent nuclear terrorism around the globe. As is to be expected at such a widely publicized political gathering, protesters of many different creeds and causes were also present.
Two demonstrations in particular stood out – a protest organized by “Free Tibet” campaigners in Amsterdam and a protest organized by a pro-US Iranian group in The Hague.
The Free Tibet protesters demanded that new Chinese President Xi Jinping meet exiled Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and initiate talks on Tibet. Beijing considers Tibet to be part of China, but Tibetans call Chinese presence an occupation and accuse Beijing of numerous human rights violations.
Just as Xi was about to arrive at the summit, the protesters were taken by surprise when Chinese security officials erected a white partition to block the leader's view of the demonstration.
@Tibetans #Chinese President Visits Amsterdam. #FreeTibet #Protesters Were Willing To #Welcome. #ScreenedOff #Fail pic.twitter.com/dVQbr919Bw
— Theo Reet I (@theoreet) March 22, 2014
Chinese security agents (left) place fences so Jinping does not see the pro-Tibet protests (right) in Amsterdam. pic.twitter.com/01kWejI6Am
— Ali Mohamoud (@AliMohamoud) March 22, 2014
Even Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan said he too was surprised at the move.
While the Dutch press has reported the incident, social media reactions in English were fewer:
Chinese censorship (re Tibet & Human rights) spreads to Amsterdam as soon as President Xi comes to visit… http://t.co/M7Hf2ky3TJ
— Deborah Klaassen (@deborahklaassen) March 24, 2014
The following day, the same protesters, this time in The Hague, said they would demand an inquiry into the incident to find out if Dutch police had helped the Chinese security officials and to see if the Netherlands will issue a diplomatic message to China, considering the Netherlands is rated as one of the highest in press freedom and free speech.
I narrated this incident to a Chinese journalist working for a major Chinese international news agency at the summit to know his opinion. Without much hesitation, he agreed with the actions taken by Chinese security officials as the “right thing to do”. In Chinese mainstream media, the Tibet-China conflict does not have much space, he said.
Pro-US Iranian protesters?
Iranian protesters near the NSS 2014 venue in The Hague. Photo by Chirag Sutar.
A group of Iranian protesters living in The Hague was given a prime spot in The Hague close to the summit venue, so much so that the demonstrators expected to wave to US President Barack Obama as he passed. Meanwhile the majority of protests were confined to Malieveld near The Hague Central railyway station far away from the The World Trade Forum.
Incidentally, a protest organized by Stop de NSS was not allowed to go further than the Den Haag Central station by cops who formed a barricade using their bicycles.
We mogen niet door tot het het stadhuis #stopdenss #nss2014 #nss pic.twitter.com/KGLfnwtg4a
— Stop de NSS (@stopdenss) March 23, 2014
We cannot continue to walk to city hall
The Iranian protesters demanded US action to restrict Iran from developing its nuclear arsenal and called on the US not to negotiate with mullahs. Their proximity was not reported in the Dutch press, neither was it an issue on social media. Why was this group allowed to protest closest to the venue, whereas other protest groups were stopped? Was is to create public opinion in favor of the US taking action against Iran?

author: Chirag Sutar


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Pakistan Takes Slight from Football Giant Maradona in Stride · Global Voices
Rezwan

Argentinian football legend Diego Armando Maradona at a coaching course in Surabaya, Indonesia in 2013. Image by Djoko kristiono. Copyright Demotix
53-year-old Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona has set off a social media storm in Pakistan after accusing the Argentine Football Association (AFA) of “understanding as much about football as Pakistan does.”
Despite his on-field success, including a 1986 World Cup championship as captain of the Argentinian national team, Maradona has had a disappointing coaching career. He was sacked as the national team's coach in 2010, a few weeks after the team was handed a spectacular defeat against Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals. The AFA had offered to renew Maradona's contract, but only if some of his staff was replaced. He refused.
It appears Maradona still hasn't forgiven AFA officials for the bitter falling-out, and used Pakistan to hit at his former employers. In a recent interview with German sports magazine Sport Bild, he said, “They don’t have a clue at all. To clarify: There are certainly many good things in Pakistan, but I have never seen them play a World Cup final. I say: The current association leaders in Argentina are the same as Pakistan.”
Pakistan is currently placed at 158th in the world football ranking.
Pakistan's football association used the opportunity to invite Maradona to Pakistan to help develop the country's skills. A Pakistan Football Federation official wrote on Facebook:
I responded in the best possible way. A great player like Maradona has been rebuffed & ignored by Argentina after his failed attempt as a Manager/Coach in 2010 World Cup. If he really wants to serve football then he should accept our Invitation & come build the game with us.
Maradona has since expressed interest in the idea. His agent has requested that the Pakistan Football Federation send Maradona an official invitation through the proper channels.
First Maradona slams Pakistan and its football and then, according to agent, he's willing to come here to ‘help’ us. http://t.co/pd21JEr1K3
— Emad Zafar (@EmadZafar) March 28, 2014
Maradona's comments touched off many reactions on social media:
Genuinely excited about the fact that Maradona spoke about Pakistan, even if it's in the context of an unfortunate comparison.
— Umair Javed (@umairjav) March 26, 2014
#Interesting : What does Maradona know about #Pakistan #football ? http://t.co/idXquIzutT
— Rumaisa Mohani (@RumaisaMohani) March 28, 2014
Some were not impressed and took the comparison as an insult:
#Maradona doing what he does best – being an insensitive loud mouth because no one was paying attention to him. http://t.co/7gABWbjVAy
— Fiza Waheed (@FizaW) March 28, 2014
Abu Asheer commented in Facebook:
That's a foolish invitation, I guess its the reaction of what Maradona have said earlier about Pakistan's Football Caliber, Whoever is feeling bad on the comment of “Maradona” about Pakistan's Football, They dont need to feel alike, haha! Absolutely nothing wrong with what Maradona has said. We can also say, “PCB knows as much about cricket as Argentina does; They have no clue at all”
Umaid Wasim at Dawn.com defended the work of the Pakistan Football Federation, noting that the organization has made significant progress, putting a focus on youth and women's football as well as incubating winning team Khan Research Laboratories:
The PFF has managed to do all that despite internal turmoil and unrest in the country, despite the threat of militant insurgency, and, most importantly, despite a lack of sponsorship for a majority of its tournaments.

author: Rezwan


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Roots of Conflict in Southern Thailand · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Patrick Jory traces the history of the conflict in southern Thailand and probes the causes and impact of naming it as an Islamic insurgency:
The answer can be found in the suppression of official references to the distinct ethnic Malay identity of the population of the border provinces, in favour of the generic term, “Thai Muslims.” The consequence of this re-labelling has been that the essence of the conflict, a clash between competing Thai and Patani Malay nationalisms, has been lost amidst explanations of the conflict in religious terms.

author: Mong Palatino


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Taiwan’s Indigenous Oppose Trade Deal With China · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

The indigenous people used the smoke signal to warn their people and all of society against the trade agreement with China. Photo from coolloud.org. CC:NC.
Those occupying Taiwan's legislature over the controversial Cross-Strait Service and Trade Agreement (CSSTA) between the island and China fear that allowing mainland capital to flow unrestricted into Taiwan will threaten Taiwanese culture, freedom of expression and national security.
The indigenous people of Taiwan worry in particular that the trade agreement will lead to the destruction of their ancestral land and the suppression of their languages, among other consequences, and members have participated in the protests.
A platform for discussing indigenous people-related issues, Pure-taiwan.info, explained [zh] how the agreement will affect the life of the indigenous people in Taiwan. One of the specific concerns involves the tourism sector. Given the exodus of young people from indigenous areas, leaving an aging population behind, the indigenous people will be forced to depend on tourism for their economy to survive.
But with the agreement opening the door to “China-style tourism”, mainland businesses will monopolize the sector for maximum profit, according to the site. Meanwhile, the indigenous will be left with the costs of conserving the environment and putting on displays of tradition and culture.
中資財團進駐台灣觀光業，勢必需要土地來建立飯店等服務據點。[…]原住民傳統領域可能遭受更大的威脅。
When Chinese corporations enter Taiwan in the tourist sector, they need the land to build hotels and other buildings for touristic services. […] This will bring serious threats to our ancestors’ land.
The dominance of Mandarin that the agreement represents is also worrying, according to the platform:
服貿協議一旦通過，漢語霸權將更具支配性。語言早已不只是溝通工具了，語言成為一種階級象徵、一種文化霸權。[…]漢語霸權，以及其所創造出的文化霸權，嚴重威脅原住民對其傳統文化之認同，也威脅台灣南島語言的傳承。
Once the CSSTA is passed, Mandarin will be more dominant than it is today. Language is not only a tool for communication. Language is a symbol of the social-economic status and the culture hegemony. […] The domination of Mandarin and the dominant culture created by this language will threaten our identity built on our tradition and culture. In addition, this dominant power will also threaten our effort to maintain the legacy of the Austronesian languages in Taiwan.
Coolloud.org, an independent online media focusing on civil society news, also reported a statement [zh] from one of the protesting indigenous people about the change Chinese tourists have brought to the tourism industry in Taiwan:
現在花蓮縣長傅崑萁開始砸錢補助原住民族辦祭典，專門做給觀光客看
The current Magistrate of Hualien County, Fu Kung-Chi, has already started to prepare a budget for us to hold our ceremonies to serve tourists.
The Indigenous Peoples Action Coalition of Taiwan (IPACT) criticized [zh] that the Council of Indigenous Peoples and the legislators representing the indigenous people did not pay enough attention to the agreement's possible impact on the indigenous people’ rights:
23日，一群旅北原住民學子出自對原住民族當代議題之關心，自主籌辦反黑服貿青年論壇並召開記者會，呼籲原民會及原住民籍立委應正視服貿對台灣原住民族之影響。然而，在25日原民會回應之新聞稿中，非但絲毫未見原民會針對「服貿是否影響原住民權利」所提出的政策評估或者相關研究說明，卻以單一偏頗的數據企圖掩飾服貿對台灣原住民族工作權的劇烈影響。[…] 原住民族人與青年參與服貿協議的討論，從去年10月辦了第一場公聽會，原策會即已表達疑慮，要求原民會與立委應充分說明溝通，迄今仍未得到善意回應，卻反而對有疑慮者指為散布謠言，甚至誣指為「不法行動」。原民會作為原住民族之代表機關，自當以原住民族之主體性，在政策之程序制訂與實質內容，代表全體原住民捍衛權益。
The Institute for Aboriginal Policy had expressed their concerns since last October when some indigenous people attended a public hearing. Although the Institute for Aboriginal Policy requested that the Council of Indigenous Peoples and the legislators representing the indigenous people to explain and communicate with the indigenous people, they did not give us any positive response yet. Moreover, they accused those who were concerned of spreading rumors or even breaking the law. The Council of Indigenous Peoples is an official institute to represent the indigenous people, so they should represent us and protect our rights and integrity when they make policies and related measures.
To evoke more discussion among indigenous peoples, several young Amis, the largest indigenous group in Taiwan, made a video introducing the CSSTA and explaining the protest to their friends and family.
Ayal Komod, an Amis musician and actor, also appealed to indigenous people for solidarity:
場內學生爭取的，和我們未來所要面對的問題息息相關 […] 我們自己更要強化團結，凝聚力量，假如我們力量不夠，又怎能追求未來，為族人服務呢?
The demand made by the students who occupied the Legislative Yuan is closely related to our future. […] We need to strengthen our bond so that we can generate our power together. If we do not have enough power, how can we pursue a better future and provide for our people?


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Teenage Bloggers in Bangladesh Arrested For ‘Blasphemous’ Facebook Posts · Global Voices
Rezwan

After they were attacked and beaten by a mob, two teenage bloggers were arrested for allegedly posting “derogatory comments against Islam and Prophet Mohammad” on their Facebook accounts, according to Bangladesh's English daily Dhaka Tribune.
Fellow bloggers allege that an Islamist student organization distributed false propaganda material which rallied the mob against the two bloggers and led to their arrest. The mainstream media has largely refrained from reporting this story.
Bloggers say [bn] Kazi Mahbubur Rahman Raihan (Rahi) and Ullash Das, both secondary school students at Chittagong College, went to their school on March 30 to collect admission cards for upcoming Higher Secondary Certificate (college-qualifying) exams. They were then attacked by a mob of activists from the Islami Chhatra Shibir, a student organization aligned with the country's largest Islamist party. They were dragged on to the street where they were beaten.
Police intervened to rescue them, but later arrested the two teenage bloggers. They were sent to jail the following day, without bail, under Article 57 of the Information and Communications Technology Act, which criminalizes “publishing fake, obscene or defaming information in electronic form.”
Their defense lawyer Abu Bakar Siddique Azim says that Raihan writes on the Bangla blogging platform Istishon Blog under the pseudonym ‘Ghurnayoman Electron’ (Rotating Electron). Das uses only Facebook as a writing platform. He also said: “As far as we have seen, neither of them wrote any kind of public writing that goes against anyone’s religious belief.”
The controversial Article 57 and other amendments to ICT Act were made by presidential decree in September 2013, despite broad criticism from legal and human rights experts. The law also allows police to arrest a suspect without any means of judicial approval and to detain that person, without bail, for an indefinite period of time.
Banner put up demanding release of blogger Rahi by fellow bloggers at Istishon blog
The event has sparked much controversy among bloggers in the country. Blogger Midnight Train writes about the circumstances that led to their arrest on the Istishon blog:
রাহীর ব্লগ এবং ফেসবুক ঘেঁটে আমি এমন কোন লেখা দেখলাম না যেটা ধর্মের বিরুদ্ধে কটূক্তি বলে মনে হতে পারে। বরং ইন্টারেস্টিংলি তার লেখার মূল বিষয় ছিল জামাত-শিবির। [..]
গতকাল সকালে রাহী তার বন্ধুদের সাথে কলেজে যায় এইচএসসি পরীক্ষার এডমিট কার্ড আনার জন্য। সেখানে আগে থেকেই ওৎ পেতে থাকা শিবিরের ক্যাডার বাহিনী তাকে এবং তার বন্ধু উচ্ছ্বাসকে ধরে পার্শ্ববর্তী পাহাড়ের উপর নিয়ে অমানবিকভাবে পিটায়। পিটানোর এক পর্যায়ে পুলিশ এসে তাদের উদ্ধার করে থানায় নিয়ে যায়। থানায় আগে থেকেই তার নামে প্রায় ৩০ পৃষ্ঠার মতো নথিপত্র জমা দেওয়া ছিল, যেখানে মূলত রাহীর জামাত-শিবিরের পেইজ বাঁশেরকেল্লায় করা কমেন্ট এবং অনলাইনে জঙ্গি হিসেবে পরিচিত ফারাবীর বিভিন্ন লেখায় করা কমেন্টের স্ক্রিন শটের প্রিন্ট কপি ছিল। এরপর ৫৭ ধারায় তার নামে মামলা করা হয়েছে।
উচ্ছ্বাস সম্পর্কে খবর নিয়ে জানা গেছে সে শুধুমাত্র জামাত-শিবির নিয়েই লেখালেখি করত। ধর্ম নিয়ে সে কখনই কিছু লিখেনি এবং পুলিশও তার বিরুদ্ধে ৫৭ ধারায় মামলা দেওয়ার মতো কিছু খুঁজে পায়নি। অথচ তাকেও ৫৭ ধারায় মামলা দিয়ে চালান দেওয়া হয়েছে।
I have analyzed the writings on Rahi's blog and Facebook and didn't find anything that may be deemed as derogatory to Islam. But interestingly he wrote against Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami [the largest Islamist political party in the country]  and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir regularly.
Yesterday morning Rahi went to college to collect the admission card for the upcoming HSC examination. At one point he and his friend Ullas were attacked by armed activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir and were beaten mercilessly by them. The police intervened to rescue them and took them to the police station for questioning. There was already a written complaint of about thirty pages against them lodged to the police station. The main accusations included screenshots of comments by Rahi on the Jamaat-shibir Facebook page Basherkella and comments on the Facebook page of Farabi, an accused Islamic extremist activist online. They were later booked under the article 57 of the ICT Act.
The other boy (Ullas) also wrote extensively against Jamaat-Shibir. He did not write anything against religion and the police did not find anything against him. But he was also booked under the 57 article.
On the Istishon blog, Sumit Chowdhury writes that the attackers used propaganda leaflets against the bloggers:
প্রায় ৫ থেকে ৬ পাতার একটি প্রচারপত্র তারা বানায়। যেখানে প্রথম মন্তব্যটি যেকোন মানুষকে ভড়কে দিতে যথেষ্টই নয় বরং তার চাইতেও বেশি। [..]
প্রথমে টেক মসজিদের ভেতরে নিয়ে মারধোর করতে করতে তাদের মূল রাস্তায় নামিয়ে আনলে, সেখানে পূর্ব-পরিকল্পনা মাফিক অপেক্ষারত আরো কিছু বেজন্মা জারজের বাচ্চারাও তাতে অংশ নেয়। এদিকে আগে থেকেই ছেপে রাখা প্রচারপত্রগুলো জনসাধারণের মাঝে বিলি করতে থাকে বেজন্মারা। স্বভাবতই “ধর্মানুভুতি”(!)তে চরম আঘাত পায় কড়া মাপের আস্তিকীয়রা।
They prepared and distributed a leaflet of 5-6 pages. The first comment highlighted in that leaflet was enough to shock any person, maybe more than that. [..]
They were first taken to Tek Mosque and were beaten mercilessly and later they were dragged to the street. Some others joined the mob in the street. They started distributing the pre-printed leaflet to the crowd. So obviously the people's  “religious sentiments” were hurt.
The blogger also writes :
এই ব্যাপারটি এখনো কেনো মিডিয়াকে জানানো হয়নি এমন প্রশ্নে ঐ থানার একজন কর্মকর্তা বলেন সাম্প্রদায়িকতা উস্কে যেতে পারে এমন ধারণায় তারা ব্যাপারটি প্রকাশ্যে আনতে চায়নি।
I asked the police why this news was not reported in the mainstream media and an officer from the police station commented that the police was cautious so that religious riot don't erupt over this issue.
According to Chowdhury, the victims are not getting any help:
পুলিশের কাছে তদবির করা মাত্রই পুলিশ ঐ প্রচারপত্রটি দেখিয়ে দিচ্ছেন! ফলে ব্যাপক অসহায় হয়ে পড়েছে রাহি এবং উল্লাস। সবচেয়ে আশ্চর্যান্বিত হয়েছি উল্লাসের পরিবার থেকে নিয়োগকৃত উকিলের ব্যবহারে! ঐ উকিল স্পষ্টই জানিয়ে দিয়েছে সে আর এই মামলা নিয়ে লড়বে না। কেননা তারা তার ধর্মের বিরুদ্ধে কথা বলেছে। সে তার ধর্মের উর্দ্ধে গিয়ে কিছু করবে না।
The police is showing the pamphlet whenever anyone tries to talk in the arrested bloggers’ favor. So Rahi and his friend are helpless. I was pretty surprised by the advocate appointed by Ullas's family. He declared that he will not work on this case anymore because they have attacked his religion. He will not go beyond his religion.
The truth seeker Sabyasachi, a commenter on that post, asked:
তার বয়স আঠারো হয়নি তবে কেন তাদের জেলে পাঠানো হল? আর এখন সত্যি সত্যি মনে হচ্ছে ৫৭ ধারাটা আমাদের জন্য বুমেরাং হয়ে দাঁড়িয়েছে।
Their age has not crossed 18 so why have they been sent to prison? Now we are feeling that the article 57 has become a hunting weapon against us.
M R Khan commented:
আমি মনে করি জেল হেফাজতে পাঠানোর চেয়ে শিশু/কিশোর সংশোধনাগারে পাঠানোই মনে হয় ঠিক হতো।এটা মনে হচ্ছে শত্রুতা বশত করা হয়েছে। ধর্ম নিয়ে বেশি বাড়াবাড়ি মনে হয় এদেশ থেকে মুছবে না।
I think instead of sending them to prison they should have been sent to juvenile correction centers. This appears to be a case of enmity between known persons. It seems excess of religion is a perennial problem in this country.
Blogger Shehab at Sachalayatan blog has uploaded copies of the police complaint and the application to the court detailing the incident as seen by police. The complaints include several details alleging that both bloggers have posted blasphemous content online.


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Underpaid Indonesian Workers Producing Global Cosmetic Products  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Michael Eko Hardianto writes about the poor conditions of Indonesian workers in factories that produce false eyelashes, hair extensions and other beauty products:
…behind every eyelash flutter in the fashion industry and beyond lie the untold stories of invisible low-paid workers.
Their financial remuneration for such monotonous work is about $0.04 per pair, sometimes lower. By the time the product reaches Western consumers, the price they pay has often reached $10 a pair – a mark-up of 2,400%.


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Why Learning Italian Still Makes Sense · Global Voices
Gerda

“L'Italiano…non serve a niente?”, from Alma Edizioni's contest page.
As Italian publishing company Alma Edizioni was busy organizing an event about the Italian language in Rome, they received an unexpected letter [it] from someone who defined himself as a “disappointed student”:
Why? What's the point of studying Italian today? […] No one wants to study a language that no longer has a place in the world, the language of a country that keeps getting worse day by day. […] For years I've studied Italian which today, however, is neither a language of culture, nor of work opportunities.
In order to respond to such poignant questions, Alma Edizioni decided to let students from around the world give their opinion through a contest, which could be followed through the hashtag #litalianononserveaniente (the Italian language is useless).
Participants were invited to produce a one-minute video clip to explain why studying the language of the ‘boot of Europe’ in 2014 is still worth it. More than 80 groups of students took part in the contest, according to the company's YouTube channel.


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AfricanHadithi, a News Portal Dedicated to Telling Africa’s Story · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

AfricanHadithi logo.
Africa is often underreported and misrepresented in mainstream media. AfricanHadithi wants to combat this. This new online platform is committed to highlighting authentic African stories and putting the news into context.
Nwachukwu Egbunike, editor-in-chief of AfricanHadithi and Global Voices author, talks to Global Voices Online about the project.
Global Voices Online (GV): Can you tell us what AfricanHadithi (AH) is and how the idea came about?
Nwachukwu Egbunike (NE): AfricanHadithi (@AfricanHadithi) is an online news portal that seeks to tell the story about Africa. Hadithi means “story” in Swahili. It was launched on February 14, 2014. We wish to zoom into the stories behind the news – usually not reported in the mainstream media. AfricanHadithi seeks to answer the question “so what?” This means providing the context behind the news (good, bad or ugly) that makes headlines about the continent.
AfricanHadithi is the brainchild of Kola Mudele, whose extensive professional trips around the continent showed him a deep gap – the lack of nuanced understanding of African news within the continent itself and also [beyond]. Kola realised that while there are numerous portals that dish out news about the continent, they were in most cases individual efforts and lacked integration. For instance, Anglophone Africa news rarely appears in Francophone Africa, same goes with other language groups within the continent.
Also, the emphasis in many occasions is on the news per se and not the context of the news. As such, AfricanHadithi is not so much interested in recounting the news about Africa – there are many online/offline media doing that already – our focus is to answer the questions “so what?” There has been a Boko Haram terrorist incident in Nigeria, so what? How does it affect the common Nigerian in Bauchi, for instance? How do we lend our voice to the voiceless victim of the vicious attack of these terrorists?
Nwachukwu Egbunike, editor-in-chief of AfricanHadithi and Global Voices author. Photo used with his permission.
GV: How did you get involved with the project?
NE: Kola infected me with his zeal, just as he did with many contributors and core team members of AfricanHadithi – Africans within the continent and in the Diaspora.
I must say that it was not a difficult task, bearing in mind my passion for telling the factual story of Nigeria and the continent. This was the focus of my first book “Dyed Thoughts: A Conversation in and from my Country”, to ignite a story – using my personal opinion narrations online and offline. Besides, since the project was going to make use of the online platform, it was not be difficult accepting to come on board. That’s what we do on the Global Voices platform, albeit with a different focus and audience.
GV: There are several other websites telling the African story. What is different about African Hadithi?
NE: […] as I wrote on my blog when introducing the project to the public: “The African continent is broad and vast. The stories she nurtures should also be diverse and breathless. That should be the norm for a continent full of vibrant people with stories unending, a combination of all that is human – the good, bad and not so pretty.”
Asides AH’s vision of providing context, the truth is that Africa is a continent bubbling with unending stories. As such, there cannot be too many platforms telling these stories, rather no matter the number, this story cannot be adequately narrated or exhausted by the current platforms.
GV: How has the reception being so far?
NE: It has been impressive with barely one month of operation (launch date was February 14, 2014). Already we have over 46,000 page hits and counting. We have about 50 contributors who have so far warmed up to the idea and also many others who are willing to contribute. I’ll say that it has been interesting, although we have our eyes on bigger targets.
GV: Can you share with us some of interesting stories that have appeared on African Hadithi?
NE: One of the contributors, David W. Wagacha, thinks that AH will fulfill a prophesy as foretold by Patrice Lumumba, Congolese independence leader and first democratically elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, of Africans writing the African story themselves:
“Lumumba prophesied that there would come a time when Africa shall write her history. A history that will be laced with dignity and glory, a history that reverberates the entire breadth of the Motherland, a history not dictated upon from far way lands, Paris, Brussels, Washington or the United Nations but a history that will be inherently African. A history narrated by Africa.
Today as we launch African Hadithi, we fulfil this prophecy foretold 53 years ago. This becomes the medium from which Africa shall tell her history and stories.”
[…]
In another story, Sifa Asani Gowon queries the double life prevalent among Nigerian users of social media platform:
“Social media does, however, possess an unsavoury underbelly – with specific insidious tendencies that many of us are either blissfully unaware of or choose to ignore.
Social media sites can be the most honest-dishonest places in existence. People are free to create alter egos and ‘avatars’ of themselves for the world to see. There is a sense of an alternate reality where the lines are blurred between whom one imagines or believes him/herself to be and what he/she chooses to portray. All rough edges are cleaned up and perfectly placed masks donned for the virtual world to see. And as wondrous as imagination can be, it can also be dangerous when people lose grip of what is actually real.”
Chris Akor discusses aid in “Africa and Western Aid”:
“However, as critical as aid is to state survival in Africa, it is the most disastrous thing to have happened to the continent. It has not only destroyed industries and trade, but it has also fuelled corruption, encouraged government irresponsibility, and undermined efforts to develop a strong taxation system without which no country can truly claim to be developed or self-sustaining. What is more, it has undermined democracy by making African governments accountable to donor countries and agencies rather than to their own people. This is besides the obvious fact that aid donors usually impose their own ideas of development on receiving societies often based on their own priorities and vision.”
[…]
GV: How does the project sustain itself financially?
NE: We are working towards attracting venture capitalists in the future, now we rely on ads.
GV: Anything else you want to add?
NE: Africa is a story that is grossly un-narrated and misrepresented. AfricaHadithi hopes to set the bar in telling the authentic African story. Although AH currently covers only Anglophone Africa, we plan to expand in the future to other language groups in the continent.


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Amnesty International: ‘Spiral of Violence a Threat to Rule of Law in Venezuela’ · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Amnesty International has released a report which documents “allegations of human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of the massive public demonstrations since early February.”
“The country runs the risk of descending into a spiral of violence unless steps are taken to bring the conflicting parties around the table. This can only happen if both sides fully respect human rights and the rule of law. Unless this happens, the death toll will continue to rise with ordinary people bearing the brunt,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
According to the report, 37 people have died and over 550 have been injured:
According to figures released by the Office of the Attorney General on 27 March 2,157 have been detained during the protests. The vast majority has been released but continue to face charges.
You can read the complete report [es] in the Spanish-language version of the Amnesty International website.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Australians High Five International Court Decision Against Japanese Whaling · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

There has been online elation on Australian social media following the news that on 31 March 2014 the International Court of Justice has found against Japan’s so-called ‘scientific research’ whaling in the Southern Ocean.
Whaling ship Nisshin Maru berths in Kagoshima City, Japan. Photo by wdeon. Shutterstock
The ICJ has concerns that:
…[there was] “no evidence that Japan examined whether it would be feasible to combine a smaller lethal take and an increase in non-lethal sampling”
…[and about] “the open-ended time frame of the programme, its limited scientific output to date, and the lack of co-operation between [the Japanese research program] and other domestic and international research programmes in the Antarctic Ocean.”
J.C. Bouvier of the International Fund for Animal Welfare has saved others [including your author] lots of time by sharing his Storify log:
#ICJ ruling on Japan's scientific whaling @Storify news roundup – http://t.co/ZFAXh5ZYL9
— J.C. Bouvier (@IFAWMEO) March 31, 2014
In 2010 the former Labor government took the Japanese to the ICJ. Some were quick to remind current Prime Minister Tony Abbott of his party’s opposition to the legal challenge:
Remember this?- Abbott rejects whaling legal bid #auspol http://t.co/uzdEQKupd7
— Charlie Pickering (@charliepick) March 31, 2014
The Environment Minister at the time, Midnight Oil rock icon Peter Garrett, was obviously chuffed:
Finally, huge congratulations to environment groups & citizens who campaigned tirelessly to protect these great creatures.
— Peter Garrett (@pgarrett) March 31, 2014
Not everyone trusts that this is the end:
So, @JPN_PMO, will you now cease your illegal and dishonourable commercial #whaling under false scientific pretexts ? http://t.co/nZvcsuqlOd
— Axel Bruns (@snurb_dot_info) March 31, 2014
On-shore #SeaShepherd volunteer Mish T “has an extra bounce today” and wasn’t past a selfie to celebrate:
Our work is never done but victories are sweet! #whaling @SeaShepherd @SeaShepherdAustralia pic.twitter.com/6xyifZMytW
— Mish T (@purplepixl) April 1, 2014
New Zealand had intervened in the case so Greenpeace NZ has much to feel good about. Their image was retweeted hundreds of times.
Japan accepts court ban on Antarctic whaling http://t.co/cpgw3pLHMv pic.twitter.com/rYi3ZOb7Od
— Greenpeace NZ (@GreenpeaceNZ) March 31, 2014
There are bound to be people in Australia who are pro-whaling but if so they have been well and truly submerged on social media. It will be interesting to see the reactions in Japan.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Cameroonians Mourn Exiled Music Icon Lapiro de Mbanga · Global Voices
Dibussi Tande

Cameroonian protest singer Lapiro de Mbanga in prison in November 2009. Photo by Jen Bell. Used with permission from freemuse.org.
Lapiro de Mbanga, known as Ndinga Man meaning Guitar Man, died of cancer in the United States on March 16, 2014. The Cameroonian protest singer, social critic, political activist and general spokesperson of the downtrodden had been granted political asylum there in September 2012 after serving a three-year sentence in Cameroon for his alleged role in the anti-government riots in February 2008 – charges that were widely considered to be politically motivated. He was 56 years old.
News of de Mbanga’s passing began as an online rumor. Within hours, however, it was confirmed that he had died in in a hospital in Buffalo, New York.
OMG!! So it is really true?! Even his Wiki page has been updated. We are so sad at the death of the people's ambassador #LapiroDeMbanga #RIP
— ModeMaisonPR (@ModeMaisonPR) March 16, 2014
The video below shows him performing live in Yaounde, Cameroon:
Mourning soon turned to anger, chiefly directed at Cameroonian President Paul Biya's regime. Chief Bisong Etahoben, former editor-in-chief of the Cameroon Post newspaper, revealed on Twitter that:
Friends accuse Biya govt of refusing Lapiro treatment for cancer he contacted while in jail which led to his death in the US today.
— ChiefBisong Etahoben (@ChiefBisongEta1) March 16, 2014
This information was confirmed by Jacob Nguni, de Mbanga’s close friend and former guitarist with the late Prince Nico Mbarga’s Rocafill Jazz band, who was quoted [fr] saying:
Il s'agit d'un acte criminel de la part des autorités camerounaises. Lapiro est mort d'une maladie qui avait été détectée dès sa première année en prison… Un ordre explicite avait été donné de ne pas le soigner. Cette information avait été communiquée à Lapiro lui-même pendant qu'il était derrière les barreaux… Au moment où il sort de prison et qu'il arrive finalement aux USA, il était un peu trop tard pour le sauver… Lapiro avait été curieusement libéré parce que les autorités camerounaises, qui connaissaient la vérité sur sa maladie, ne voulaient pas qu'il meurt en prison…
This is a criminal act carried out by Cameroonian authorities. Lapiro died from an illness that was detected as early as his first year in prison… An explicit order was given not to give him treatment. Lapiro was informed of this while he was behind bars… By the time he came out of prison and finally made it to the US, it was already too late to save him… Incidentally, Lapiro was set free because Cameroonian authorities knew the truth about his illness and did not want him to die in prison.
Nguni’s claim was not new. In fact, de Mbanga himself had said as much during a May 2013 interview [fr].
To former Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) journalist Boh Herbert, his death was more than just a case of negligence:
It is no longer a secret, after Lapiro, that the government of Cameroon has specialized in administering death to its most formidable political opponents and dissidents, using prison as the slaughter house or as the transit station “en route” to the grave. We also now know that denying medical care to prisoners is not just negligence. It is part of an assassination plot, meticulously executed.
Even before Jacob Nguni’s revelations, Cameroonians were already pointing an accusing finger at Biya regime. As @Cameroon_Com tweeted:
Paul Biya must be very happy man this evening, with the news of #LapiroDeMbanga‘s death. RIP Dingaman
— Cameroon Community (@Cameroon_Com) March 16, 2014
@Geraldmeh83 went a step farther, promising retribution for the president and his associates:
Lapiro De Mbanga – Fogoh Mawoh: I have not stopped playing this music. . Biya and his associates will pay someday.Rest in Peace Lapiro
— Gerald Meh (@Geraldmeh83) March 17, 2014
Tributes and grief
The outpouring of grief for de Mbanga was widespread.
@cameroonbasket tweeted:
Sa mort me touche, son sacrifice, son combat , sa vie , son oeuvre l'élèvent au rang des héros de notre cher pays. #RIPLapirodeMbanga (3/3)
— cameroonbasket (@cameroonbasket) March 16, 2014
His death affects me, his sacrifice, his struggle, his life, and his works elevate him to the rank of a hero in our beloved country.
@SolomonAtah simply thanked him for the music:
Thank you for sharing your life with the world through you music – proud to share a country with you. #LapiroDeMbanga #Lapiro #AdieuTara
— Solomon Atah (@SolomonAtah) March 17, 2014
@NgumNgafor highlighted one of de Mbanga’s lasting legacies: the new lingo that he introduced and made popular in Cameroon:
Wt a cool new street speak that cut across social class and spoke truth to power, #Lapiro quickly became a national treasure. #RIPNdingaman
— Ngum Ngafor (@NgumNgafor) March 16, 2014
Many of the tributes to Lapiro were written in his unique brand of Cameroonian Pidgin English, also referred to as Mboko Talk. One such tribute was from @kathleenNdongmo:
#RIPLapiroDeMbanga – ndinga man, ndon man, the ‘very very’, man for complices dem… we go di mimba you. Go fo befo… all man mus meng.
— Kathleen Ndongmo (@KathleenNdongmo) March 18, 2014
Guitar man, cool guy, the ‘one and only’, man of the people… we will remember you. Lead the way… every person must die.
Award-winning blogger @Ngimbis demonstrated the impact of de Mbanga’s music on language:
Peace l'artiste. J'ai appris à causer pidgin en écoutant tes chansons. #Lapiro
— Florian Ngimbis (@ngimbis) March 16, 2014
I learned to speak Pidgin by listening to your songs
@tchitospakito wondered:
Lapiro de Mbanga don die? Waaah mama ma. Dis life na nothing oh. Who go gi we better talk now so? Or who go talk directly 4 ngomna? RIP papi
— Ulrich Tchio Pakito (@tchitospakito) March 16, 2014
So Lapiro de Mbanga is dead? What a pity. This life is nothing. Who will now give us the good talk? Or, who will speak directly to the government? Rest in peace old guy.
In a Facebook tribute that was picked up by many blogs, Sarli Sardou Nana grieved [wes]:
Lapiro de Mbanga Ndinga Man e mandat don bolè today for Etaz! Erreur or no erreur die na ndos! Waka nayo Ndinga man. We go di follow ya 4 chapters di listen ya mutumbu until we own mandat bolè. We go di mimba you tara! All man must go one day … RIP.
Lapiro de Mbanga Ndinga Man’s life ended today in the United States! Error or not, death is a thief! Go in peace Ndinga Man. We will follow your four chapters and listen to your songs until the end of our own lives. We will remember you buddy! Everyone must go one day… RIP
Tributes also came from the myriad of international groups that had worked with de Mbanga at different times in his career. One of them was the Oslo Freedom Forum:
RIP Lapiro de Mbanga, Cameroon's musical freedom fighter: http://t.co/KmbR0LOEO0 Watch his beautiful Oslo talk here: http://t.co/X73f67nQDg
— Oslo Freedom Forum (@OsloFF) March 17, 2014
No Home Coming:
That de Mbanga, known as the people’s champion, died in exile was particularly galling to many Cameroonians. @IGC_Cameroon tweeted:
You've got to question yourself as a country when you persecute your own children and they die shortly after in exile. #Cameroon #Lapiro
— Citizens Initiatives (@IGC_Cameroon) March 16, 2014
Christopher Fomunyoh, regional director for Central and West Africa at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, wrote:
Today a mighty giant in the fight for political space and freedoms is fallen and more so on foreign shores without the opportunity to wave a last farewell to his fellow compatriots — a people to whom he had given so much and meant so much in his youthful activist days. Our ancestors must be asking: what have we become, and where are we headed as a people? May Lapiro's ideas, wit, energy, vivacity and sense of patriotism endure forever.
De Mbanga did not just die in exile; he will not be buried in Cameroon, and instead his body will be cremated [fr]. These were his last wishes – a major blow to his fans in Cameroon who, according to the state-owned CRTV, “have been crying out for the remains to be brought back to Cameroon so their hero can be given a befitting burial”.
As one fan commented [fr] on an article about his May 29 funeral service in Buffalo, New York:
La plus grande erreur de Lapiro était de donner consigne qu'on l'enterre aux USA. Lapiro était note héro et le peuple camerounais avait besoin de voir et de recevoir son corps au pays. La levée de son corps à l'aéroport de Douala devrait amener une bonne masse et même tout la population de douala et d'autre ville du Cameroun…
Vraiment le refus d'aller au pays avec le Corps de Dinga Man me choque.
Lapiro’s greatest error was to demand he should be buried in the United States. Lapiro was our hero and the Cameroonian people needed to see and receive his corpse at home. The collection of his body from the Douala airport would have brought out the masses, and probably the entire population of Douala and other towns…
Really, the refusal to take Ndinga Man’s corpse home is shocking.
This was de Mbanga’s last act of defiance against a regime noted for hijacking the funerals of its staunchest opponents – some whom it pushed to an early grave – and using them as platforms to garner political legitimacy. As Boh Herbert pointed out:
After decades of never-ending police harassment, including the sabotage of his means of livelihood such as the burning down of his nightclub in Mbanga… after three years in prison… it is instead “Ngatta Man” [prisoner], as Lapiro renamed himself after his time in the big house… who, even in death, is having the last laugh, by denying the regime in Yaounde the never-ending affixing of medals of honor on those it kills.
In the end, the “sheriff of the backyards” who drew his strength from the warmth of the downtrodden in Cameroon will paradoxically end up in the distant US – without the massive farewell that his “complices” or partners-in-crime in the streets had hoped for. Nonetheless, he will forever be in their hearts.
Here's a #Cameroonian paying tribute to our departed brother #LapiroDeMbanga. “We will never forget you” RIp pic.twitter.com/xKC2WzMY9F
— Cameroon Community (@Cameroon_Com) March 21, 2014

author: Dibussi Tande


text:
Delayed Construction Works in Brazil Fuel “(un)Happy” Video  · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

The contagious feeling triggered by Pharrell Williams’ viral music video “Happy” inspired citizens of Porto Alegre, Brazil, to take advantage of the fact that their city holds the Portuguese word for “happy” in its name — but rather to express what's making them unhappy.
The video shows people dancing joyfully in front of delayed construction works for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Watch “Porto (un)Happy” below with captions in English:
Published on March 25, the video has already been watched over 250,000 times. Its creators use the Facebook page Porto un-Happy to promote the hashtag #MudaPOA (Change, Porto Alegre), as well as to collect mentions in the media and to clarify [pt]:
Nosso protesto NÃO é contra a Copa, e sim contra o atraso nas obras e o pouco caso com a população!
Our protest is NOT against the World Cup, but against the delayed construction works and the lack of care towards the population!
On the map We Are Happy From, you will find a video version created by the city's public administration. The video presents a very positive perspective, but it has been less popular, with 50,000 views.
Global Voices also reported on the ironic version of “Happy” from Rio de Janeiro.

author: João Miguel Lima


text:
Designing Taiwan’s #CongressOccupied Protests · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

The New York Times add. Photo from flyingv.cc. CC: NC.
Many professionals form the service sector have offered their support for the #CongressOccupied movement in Taiwan. Otherwise known as the Sunflower Movement, the protesters have occupied the country's legislature and marched against a controversial trade agreement with China.
Taiwanese designers in particular have lent an important hand to the movement, creating advertisements and art that convey the protesters’ message clearly.
The most well-known is an ad that ran in The New York Times after the government cracked down on protests on March 23 2014, paid for via a crowdfunding effort that attracted 3,621 donations. It was designed by Yung-Chen Nieh and a group of designers, who chose a quote from Emily Dickinson – “Morning without you is a dwindled dawn” – to encourage supporters to join a rally on March 30.
The designers also registered website domain 4am.tw to document information on the #CongressOccupied action. 4 a.m. is the time when protesters first clashed with security guards at the Taiwanese legislature and took over the podium on March 19, 2014, the start of the occupation that sparked the larger movement.
Even Wu, a member in the 4am.tw team, also helped [zh] set up a real-time online broadcast system for #CongressOccupied, g0v.today [zh]. In an interview with Chih-Hua Yi (奕之華) on technology news site cool3c.com, he explained g0v.today:
其實製作這網站非常刻苦，因為幾乎所有的程式碼都是在立法院的青島東路側寫出來的。後來因為想拍一張重點圖放首頁，卻苦惱於沒有攝影棚，後來就利用電視的空白頻道，藍色背景當做去被的 key color.
Actually, working on this website was difficult because I wrote all the codes while I was on Ching-Tao East Road next to the Legislative Yuan. Later, I wanted to take a feature photo for the homepage, but there was no studio available, so I used blue like you see on a blank TV channel as the key color for the homepage background.
A protester carries a bag with a black box design during a rally in New York City on March 21. The bags are designed by NYC-based designer Chun-Hung Wang to protest against the secret black-box negotiations between Taiwan and China. Photo is from NTU News E-Forum, originally from Chun-Hung Wang. CC: NC.
Apart from protests at home, overseas Taiwanese also rallied on March 21 to express their support for the #CongressOccupied movement. Some of them carried a bag featuring a black box print, a reference to the secret negotiations that led to the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement between Taiwan and China. The bags were designed and given to the protesters by NYC-based designer Chun-Hung Wang.
Ming-Wen Cheng (鄭閔文), a reporter from NTU News E-Forum, interviewed [zh] Chung Hung Wang:
每個袋子都是王鈞弘一個一個親手拓印，也因為是手工製作，每個袋子都有些差異。袋子的成本除了靠一些朋友贊助，大部份都是他自己吸收。王鈞弘說：「很多人建議我用Flying V，但是用集資平台是募錢去找工廠印，比起來，我希望可以募人力，找到願意出力的朋友親手來做這件事，當然我知道這有點不切實際，但還是很想試試看。」
以設計師的眼光來看，王鈞弘認為社運非常需要，也非常適合當成一個品牌去經營與設計。社運有名字、有口號、有訴求，最重要的是它有需要傳達的理念。如果太陽花學運有一個經過良好設計的主視覺，並建立起它的文宣、海報等等，它就可以透過媒介的曝光，在人們心中留下印象，「那可以是正義、也可以是希望。」
王鈞弘說：「這些是我從製作袋子的實踐中，反思到設計師可以貢獻的社會責任。」
The monotype print on the bag is handmade by Chun-Hung Wang. Because it is handmade, there are differences from bag to bag. Wang’s friends supported part of the expense of the bags, but Wang paid for most of it. Chung-Hung Wang said, “Many people suggested that I use flyingV [for crowdfunding]. However, I prefer to ask people to join in making the bags instead of raising money for the printing company. Of course, I know this is not realistic, but I want to try.”
As a designer, Wang thinks that social movements are very important for society and should be managed and designed like a brand. Each social movement should have a name, slogan and demand. Most importantly, each movement has a message that needs to be delivered to others. If the Sunflower Movement has a visual theme and design, with pamphlets and posters based on the theme, it can impress people through media with the message that “it is about justice and hope.”
Wang said, “Through the process of printing these bags, I reflected on what we designers can do to fulfill our social responsibility.”
Students from Department of Motion Pictures and Video printed the slogans for the protesters. Photo from NTU News E-Form. CC: NC.
Apart from Wang, many others pitched in to the movement in similar ways. For example, during the evening of March 29, 2014, students from Department of Motion Pictures and Video in Kun Shan University [zh] also helped [zh] the protesters by preparing banners and display boards for a demonstration the following day.