text:
Mozambican contestant won world bodybuilding competition in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Dércio Tsandzana

Bruno Saraiva won an award in Hong Kong | photo provided by Bruno (20.04.2019)
On 17 April, the Mozambican athlete Bruno Saraiva won an international bodybuilding competition in Hong Kong.
After beating five competitors, the athlete won first place in the category of classic bodybuilding (classic physique), the most popular and important category in the event, which seeks to find the athlete who best displays their musculature in various positions.
Bruno also won in the ‘overall’ category for the best athlete across all the sub-categories.
He participated in three categories in the Hong Kong Bodybuilding contest: men’s athletic physique, men’s fitness physique, men’s sports model. The contest is scheduled to be held next on 23 June.
In response to our request sent by Facebook chat about how the competition went, Saraiva highlighted that it was his first time at the contest, as well as the limited time he had for preparation:
Eu fui preparado pelo Castro Cazé em apenas poucos dias e lá fomos fazer as inscrições, e ele disse Bruno tu vais fazer a categoria que eu sempre quis que fizesses: a mais conhecida por Classic Physique e logo na minha primeira aparição ganhei na minha categoria e fui ganhar ainda o overall, como se fosse chamar todos os primeiros lugares da tua categoria.
I was trained by Castro Cazé in only a few days and then we went to do the registration, and he said Bruno you’re going to do the category that I always wanted you to do: the one best known as Classic Physique and soon in my first appearance I won in my category and I then also won the overall, as it is called for all the first places of your category
Followed by over 24 thousand people on his Instagram account, Bruno, who resides in the capital Maputo, is a figure of reference for bodybuilders in Mozambique.
According to the Wikipedia entry for bodybuilding:
Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's musculature for aesthetic purposes. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders appear in lineups and perform specified poses (and later individual posing routines) for a panel of judges who rank the competitors based on criteria such as symmetry, muscularity, and conditioning.
Saraiva expressed his happiness with winning the award in Hong Kong in an Instagram post:
Obrigado pela vitória senhor. É com muita alegria que tenho o prazer de anunciar e compartilhar com todos vocês a minha vitória na categoria Classic Physique e tendo vencido o overall na competição global clássica em Hong Kong.
Thank you for the victory, Lord. It is with much joy that I have the pleasure of announcing and sharing with you all my victory in the category Classic Physique and having won the overall in the global classic competition in Hong Kong
In another post, though, Bruno recounted the difficulties he went through before going to Hong Kong:
Por favor meu amigo/a leia esta mensagem com muito carinho, porque essa é a mais pura realidade, não tenho vergonha de dizer e sei que muitos vão se emocionar: quando estava pra vir a Hong Kong pra competir andei em vários sítios batendo as portas pedindo apoio, falei com varios amigos que alguns eu tinha a certeza que pudessem ajudar, e as respostas de alguns eram:
1. Bruno tu não vas conseguir ou seja não tens chances de ganhar e nem de ficar entre os melhores;
2. Outros diziam que não me podiam ajudar porque seria deitar fora o dinheiro;
3. Outros ate disseram Bruno você deve fumar muita maconha.
Please my friend read this message with a lot of kindness, because it is the purest reality, I have no shame in saying it and I know that many will overreact: when I was about to come to Hong Kong to compete I went around a lot of places knocking on doors asking for support, I spoke with various friends some of whom I was sure could help, and the answers from some were:
1. Bruno you're not going to make it or you don’t have any chance of winning nor of finishing among the best;
2. Others said that they couldn’t help me because it would be throwing away the money;
3. Others even said Bruno you must be smoking a lot of cannabis.

author: Dércio Tsandzana


text:
The beauty of Afro-Peruvian women through Ayleen Díaz’s illustrations · Global Voices
Afroféminas

Peruvian illustrator Ayleen Díaz in front of one of her murals. Photo by Afroféminas, used with permission.
This interview was conducted by Diana Sierra and originally appeared on the website of Afroféminas. A slightly edited version is published below as part of a content partnership with Global Voices.
Ayleen Díaz is an architect and freelance illustrator from Peru. Through her work, she wants women of African descent to feel not only represented but also proud of their natural beauty.
Her art draws from her personal experiences of struggling to fit in mainstream beauty standards, which in Peruvian culture means Caucasian features. Her illustrations revolve around femininity, self-love, and the celebration of difference.
Ayleen has been drawing since she was very young, but she only turned that into a career that after a friend was captivated by her portraits, which she'd do whenever she was bored at work. She began using social media to show off her drawings and selling them.
Ayleen Díaz: Empecé dibujando cabello rizado porque yo me alisaba el cabello con productos y plancha todos los días durante ocho años. Recuperar mi cabello me ha costado un montón de tiempo, de dedicación, de amor. Aparte, desde que empecé a dejarme mi cabello natural empecé todo este proceso de reconocimiento personal y de amor propio. Creo que eso es lo que trato de reflejar. A muchas mujeres afrodescendientes nos cuesta abrazarnos con todas nuestras virtudes y defectos. Este camino es largo y tedioso y a veces la gente no ayuda, te crítica y te pone las cosas difíciles. Pero creo que al final lo puedes conseguir y llegas a un equilibrio en el que te puedes aceptar y amar tal como eres. A mi me pasó eso con mi cabello, siento que desde que empecé a aceptar mi cabello rizado y esponjoso cambió todo.
Ayleen Díaz: I started by drawing curly hair because I used to straighten mine with products and flat irons every day for eight years. Recovering the natural shape of my hair has taken time, dedication, and love. That is how I've started this process of personal recognition and self-love, and I think that's what I try to reflect on. For many Afro-descendant women, it is difficult to embrace all of our virtues and shortcomings. The journey is long and tedious, and people don't always help, they criticize and make things harder. But I believe in the end you can make it, you can finally find a balance in which you're able to love and accept yourself the way you are. That is what happened to me. I feel that when I started to accept my curls and fluffy hair everything changed.
Illustration by Ayleen Díaz, used with permission.
AD: En Perú no existe mucha representación. De hecho, la mayoría de personas que aparecen en la publicidad o en la televisión siempre siguen un mismo patrón con la tez clara y el cabello liso. Es cierto que desde hace unos años esto está cambiando, pero acá era complicado hasta conseguir productos para el cabello. Si querías un champú específico tenías que traerlo de fuera. Ahora ya hay muchas marcas y muchas personas que te enseñan a cuidarte tu cabello con productos naturales. También muchas activistas afroperuanas que están luchando contra el racismo y contra los prejuicios, que te enseñan a aceptarte tal como eres.
AM: In Peru, there isn't much representation. Indeed, most people who appear in advertising or television always follow the same standards with a light complexion and straight hair. It's true that in the past few years this has been changing. However, for a while it was complicated even to find hair products. If you wanted a specific shampoo you had to bring it from abroad. There are many more brands available to the public now, and there are people who teach you how to take care of your hair with natural products. There are also many Afro-Peruvian activists fighting racism and prejudice, people who teach you to love and accept yourself.
An ilustración by Ayleen Díaz, used with permission.
AD: Sí, lo de las estrías empezó porque vi una foto de una chica en una pose echada y con sus estrías. Me dije “guau se ve increíble”. Yo escondía mis estrías, pero ahora es como que me gustan, me dan un encanto diferente. Mientras más las enseñemos la gente las va a aceptar más. Es algo normal que te sale en el cuerpo por muchas razones y no te lo puedes quitar. Hay que abrazarlo y aceptarlo y decir “esto es lo que tengo”.
AM: Yes, the stretch marks thing started because I saw a picture of a girl posing, lying down and with all her stretch marks. I was like “wow, she looks incredible”. I used to hide my stretch marks, but now I even like them, they give me a different kind of charm. The more we show them, the more people will accept them. It is something normal that happens to your body for many reasons and you can't get rid of them. We have to embrace and accept it and say “this is what I have”.
Sí. Un día mostré en mi historia una foto de mis estrías así, en primer plano, y comencé a hablarles a las chicas que me siguen para que ellas también compartieran las cosas que les cuesta aceptar o que ya aceptaron y de las que se sienten orgullosas.
Además, fue justo en internet que encontré la frase “nos esforzamos en encajar cuando podemos sobresalir”, que me pareció perfecta para saber de lo que estaba hablando. La publiqué y un montón de gente la compartió. Me pareció muy lindo que se identifiquen con esto. Yo también he pasado por momentos en los que no me gustaba mi cuerpo. Me gusta que se den cuenta de que no están solas, de que todo el mundo pasa por problemas como estos. Todos hemos pasado por ese momento en el que queremos cambiarnos algo.
Tú con tu cuerpo y con todas tus curvas, con todas tus líneas, con todas tus formas, colores, eres igual de linda. No hay por qué estandarizar la belleza. En realidad hay millones de tipos de belleza y depende de cómo tú lo veas. Puedes marcar tu propia belleza. Cuando dibujo distintos tipos de cuerpo y distintas formas de cabello busco que la gente aprenda que todo es bonito.
AM: Yes. One day I showed in my Insta-story a close-up picture of my stretch marks and asked my followers to share the things they found hard to accept, or that they have already accepted, and are proud of. Actually, it was online that I found the phrase “we strive to fit in when we can stand out”. It was perfect to understand what I was talking about. I posted it and people began sharing it. I thought it was amazing that they identified with it. I've also had moments where I did not like my body. I want them to realize that they are not alone, that everyone goes through problems. Everyone at some point wants to change something about themselves.
You are just as beautiful with all your curves, with all your shapes and colors. There is no need to standardize beauty. In reality, beauty comes in a million different ways, it all depends on how you see things. You can highlight your own beauty. By drawing different body types and different hair textures, I want people to learn how everything is beautiful.
Pintar y vivir ✨ • Me encanta pintar pero por mi chamba de arquitecta ??♀ y la practicidad del ipad no lo he hecho hace varias lunas, lo bueno es que ayer que volví a pintar, me he re encontrado con el amor y ahora tengo dos lienzos más para darles color ? • Sobre mi experiencia de ayer, es la segunda vez que pinto en vivo y la verdad no es tan fácil pero siempre siempre termina siendo super gratificante ? • Pdt. No se olviden de visitar la expo #MARZ8 organizada por @artdictos en @amaru.cc ? • • • • #ayleenmayte #leafillustration #ilustradoras #canvaspainting #canvasart #ilustradoraperuana #illustragram #artistofinstagram #patternlover #printandpattern #curlylover #ilustracionbotanica #colorpalette #handpainted
A post shared by  Ayleen Mayte (@ayleen.mayte) on
To paint and to live. I love to paint, but because of my job as an architect and the convenience of using the iPad I haven't done it for many moons now. The good thing is that yesterday I started to paint again. I've found that kind of love again and now I have to more canvases that I can give color to. About my experience yesterday, it's the second time I paint live and it's actually not very easy, but it always ends up being rewarding. Don't forget to visit the exhibition organized by @artdictos.
AD: Cambiar la sociedad y el pensamiento de tanta gente no es tan fácil. Cuesta un montón de tiempo y puede ser que a corto plazo no lo veamos, pero el cambio se va a dar progresivamente. Me encanta el trabajo de Natalia Barrera, de Una chica afroperuana, por ejemplo. Yo la sigo desde que comenzó hace mucho tiempo. El contenido que comparte es muy bueno y muy educativo.
AD: To change a whole society and the mindset of so many people is not an easy task. It's going to take a long time. We might not see it in the short term, but change is going to happen progressively. I love the work of youtuber Natalia Barrera, for example, and her channel “An Afro-Peruvian girl”. I have been following her since she began a long time ago. The content she shares is very good and very educational.
AD: Sí, yo sigo a Carla Llanos que tiene un estilo muy lindo se parece al mío. También a Alja Horvat. Sus ilustraciones me parecen lindas, dibuja mujeres igual que yo, con cuerpos reales. Me encanta su estilo.
AM: Yes, I follow Carla Llanos she has a very nice style that resembles mine. Also, Alja Horvat. She draws women just like me with real bodies, her illustrations are beautiful and I love her style.
DS: You also paint murals, tell me some more about it.
AD: Pertenezco al Colectivo Papaya, somos cinco mujeres artistas, ilustradoras muralistas todas, con un estilo diferente pero con un mismo concepto: todas queremos realzar la belleza de las mujeres y, sobre todo, que se estas mujeres se sientan identificadas, valoradas y que se acepten bellas tal como son. Nos hemos hecho muy buenas amigas dentro del colectivo, lo pasamos bien y nos encanta juntarnos para pintar y poder llevar nuestro mensaje. También hacemos trabajos de obra social junto con una ONG que lleva artistas que quieran pintar las paredes en colegios de bajos recursos.
AM: I belong to the “Colectivo Papaya” (Papaya Collective). We are five women artists. All of us mural illustrators with different styles, but with a similar concept: we all want to highlight women's beauty, and most importantly, we want women to identify in these images, to feel valued, and to accept their beauty just as it is. It's a group of five artists that have become very good friends, who have a good time and love to get together to paint and be able to carry out our message. We also do charitable work together with an NGO that takes artists who wish to paint the walls in low-income schools.
11/11 • Ayer, nuestro primer día de trabajo en nuestro primer mural como colectivo ? • Hoy ya lo terminamos ?? y lo pueden encontrar en Caminos del Inca 3200, si lo visitan nos toman fotitos :) • Gracias a los maravillosos azares de la vida por reunirme con estas GRANDIOSAS MUJERES • @colectivopapaya #poderpapaya
A post shared by  Ayleen Mayte (@ayleen.mayte) on
Yesterday, on our first day of work with our first mural as a collective. We finished it today, you can find it at Caminos del Inca 3200 (in the country's capital, Lima). If you visit the mural, take some pics for us. Thank you to the life's wonderful chances to make me meet this wonderful women.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Afroféminas


text:
Western Balkan countries look at the past and the future at the Venice Biennale 2019 · Global Voices
Ardi Pulaj

Pavilion of North Macedonia, 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, May You Live In Interesting Times. Photo: La Biennale di Venezia, used with permission.
It is that time of the year: the setting is the Italian city of Venice and the subject is the art, in all of its forms.
The 2019 Venice Biennale, or the 58th International Art Exhibition, is titled “May You Live In Interesting Times”. The title is a phrase of English invention that has long been mistakenly cited as an ancient Chinese curse that invokes periods of uncertainty, crisis, and turmoil.
The Biennale features artists from 89 countries whose works are exhibited in the historical Pavilions at the Giardini, the Arsenale and in the historic city center of Venice. Among them, there are Western Balkan countries which see the exhibition as an excellent opportunity to showcase their artists beyond their borders.
Oftentimes, modern art might seem “too much” for societies in these countries, who used to favor socialist-realism art, a legacy from their communist past.
This is not the case at the Venice Biennale, where art has no limits.
Pavilion of Albania, 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, May You Live In Interesting Times. Photo: La Biennale di Venezia, used with permission.
Albania is represented in the Biennale by Driant Zeneli, who brings a sculptural video installation titled “Maybe the cosmos is not so extraordinary”. As the official Biennale site describes:
It develops from a two-channel film set in the mines of Bulqizë, a city in the northeast of the country where, since 1918, the chrome mineral has been extracted. The film stages a group of teenagers discovering a cosmic capsule which follows the journey of chrome, from its extraction and processing inside the factory to its exportation and worldwide exploitation. This ‘geopolitical’ space travel thus turns this shady and dramatic industrial environment into an ambivalent space for collapse and takeoff.
#BiennaleArte2019 #NationalParticipations @2019Albanian #AlbanianPavilion “Maybe the cosmos is not so extraordinary” opens now at #Arsenale. @driant_zeneli realized a sculptural video installation, a ‘geopolitical’ space travel through shady and dramatic industrial environment. pic.twitter.com/4PTT5Md2ml
— Biennale di Venezia (@la_Biennale) May 10, 2019
Danica Dakić is representing Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Biennale. The official site says of her installation:
[It] reflects on the poetics of human existence against the background of contemporary post-transition reality in the city of Zenica while collaborating with some of its protagonists. At one time the symbol of Yugoslav modernist progress, Zenica was left struggling after the Bosnian War. Dakić investigates the heritage of modernity, from Bauhaus to the utopian paradigms of international and Yugoslav socialist modernism. The three-video works dissolve the divisions between stage and audience, the real and the imagined city.
Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, May You Live In Interesting Times. Photo: La Biennale di Venezia, used with permission.
Dakić is the first woman artist to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the international art exhibition.
To mark the opening of the 58th Venice Biennale to the public today, revisit our interview with Danica Dakic, the first woman artist to represent Bosnia at the international art exhibition:#BiennaleArte2019https://t.co/bTLgqJScQi
— Balkan Insight (@BalkanInsight) May 11, 2019
Alban Muja brings to the Venice Biennale memories of the Kosovo War with a video installation named “Family Album.” The official Biennale website says:
[It] questions the role that images and the media play in constructing and shaping narrative, identity, and history, especially in times of conflict. Twenty years after the end of the war, Muja invites four young adults to ruminate on childhood photos taken by photojournalists that show them fleeing their homes. The faces on the screen react not so much to history as it actually happened, but as it was represented.
Pavilion of Kosovo, 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, May You Live In Interesting Times. Photo: La Biennale di Venezia, used with permission.
#washingtonpost
Kosovo’s pavilion is a simple, direct and passionate space, with video screens showing interviews with young adults who share harrowing memories of being children during the 1998-1999 Kosovo War"https://t.co/hXObNW7IER
— Kosovo Pavilion / 58th Venice Biennale (@albanmuja) May 13, 2019
An Odyssey by Vesko Gagović of Montenegro is inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is the description of the official Biennale site:
It leads us through time, through spiritual expanses from prehistory to the present. The artist’s inspiration found its starting point in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
https://t.co/y21ekYPlBK
In conversation with Dobrila De Negri, Vesko Gagović talks about his intervention at @la_Biennale for the Pavillon of #Montenegro. His project ODISEJA unfolds from the film “2001: Space Odyssey” #INTERVIEW #BiennaleArte2019 #MayYouLiveInInterestingTimes
— Arshake (@arshake_com) May 11, 2019
Pavilion of Montenegro, 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, May You Live In Interesting Times. Photo: La Biennale di Venezia, used with permission.
Artist Nada Prlja of North Macedonia revisits concepts of Marxist theory and aspects of Modernism with a series of installations. The official Biennale site describes her project, which is named “Subversion to Red”:
While enabling a subversion of both the harsh nature of capitalism and the rigidity of socialist times, artist Nada Prlja of North Macedonia employs artistic and non-artistic methodologies, including a performance-based debate (featuring key political theorists) and installations which redefine a number of socialist-era artworks.
#BiennaleArte2019 #NationalParticipations#MacedonianPavilion is presenting "Subversion to Red" by @Prlja_Nada at Palazzo Rota Ivancich, Castello 4421. The project searches for alternative forms of art and society, by revisiting specific artworks and theories from the past. pic.twitter.com/jXjERT3LqO
— Biennale di Venezia (@la_Biennale) May 8, 2019
Regaining Memory Loss by Djordje Ozbolt of Serbia presents new paintings and sculptures that address personal and collective memory. The official website describes them:
The works in themselves are interpretations, a subjective view of the past from the perspective of the present moment. Ozbolt questions the role of the artwork in distilling the truth: in its imagined unreality, the works reveal their memory to be false, however as artistic representation, they are true.
Pavilion of Serbia, 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, May You Live In Interesting Times. Photo: La Biennale di Venezia, used with permission.
This Twitter user felt some Yugonostalgia while visiting the Serbian pavilion.
Spent the last four days at @la_Biennale in Venice as a guest of the Serbian delegation. #DjordjeOzbolt created the works inside what used to be the Yugoslav pavilion and what Serbia uses today. During my stay I couldn’t help but feel some #Yugonostalgia. pic.twitter.com/gaueiMfqdr
— Marko Čeperković (@markoceperkovic) May 12, 2019
La Biennale di Venezia (as it is known in Italian), which opened on May 11, will welcome visitors until November 24, 2019.
The themes of this year's edition include among others, international crises, such as migration:
The carcass of a ship hauled off the sea bed four years ago off the coast of Libya, with hundreds of bodies of migrants, has also gone on display. Barca Nostra, Shipwreck 18th of April 2015 by Swiss-Icelandic artist Christoph Büchel. Photo: La Biennale di Venezia, used with permission.
… and one that’s particularly poignant for the city of Venice: the global warming.
Lithuania created a gigantic man made beach with an immersive live sound performance. The Pavilion also summed up the host city and its inhabitants, highlighting the coastal environment of Venice. Sun & Sea (Marina) portrays people in a humanized everyday role battling shifting climate change. Photo: La Biennale di Venezia, used with permission.

author: Ardi Pulaj


text:
Afghanistan’s Mina Mangal: ‘A strong, self-made woman’ gunned down in broad daylight · Global Voices
Khojasta Sameyee

Mina Mangal. Screengrab from a video published on the Suhrab Samadi YouTube channel on May 11.
As conflict and insecurity layers doubt over Afghanistan's recent achievements, the figure of Mina Mangal stood tall as a marker of progress — until she was killed, on May 11.
At the time of her death, 30-year-old Mangal was serving as an advisor to Afghanistan's lower parliamentary chamber, and had ambitions for a career in politics.
But she was better known to Afghans as a television presenter for three private channels — Lemar TV, Shamshad TV and Ariana TV — where she presented a number of culture programmes, and, for Ariana, a programme on women's rights.
Independent channels like these have helped to reshape the country's media landscape following the information vacuum during Taliban rule.
While is still not clear who gunned Mangal down in an eastern neighbourhood of Afghanistan's capital Kabul at around 7.30 that morning, Mangal's father, Taleb Jan, told the BBC he believed the murder was the result of a “family dispute issue” after her separation from her former husband.
The Nai Media Institute demanded that Afghanistan's government clarify whether or not Mina's murder was connected to her professional activities.
But regardless of the motive, Taleb's call for authorities to “protect my other daughters and women like them who come out of the home and serve our society” cuts to the heart of public uproar over the murder.
So sad to hear, Journalist& Advisor to the Parliament #MinaMangal assassinated today in Kabul by unknown person. She was a strong self made woman; RIP #Mina. She isn’t the 1st and wouldn’t be the last lost(unfortunately). Serious protection 4 female journalists! Is what we need pic.twitter.com/6g205oQDA5
— Shagufa Noorzai (@Shagufa_Noorzai) May 11, 2019
Mangal was already a prominent media personality prior to her appointment as a cultural advisor to the Wolesi Jirga, Afghanistan's lower house of parliament, in 2017.
Born in Paktia province in 1989, she spent nearly ten years working for media after training as a midwife.
She had recently enrolled in university again to achieve another bachelor's degree, this time in law and political science.
#MinaMangal was a known #journalist in the country which shot death by unknown gunman today. I hope she Rest In Peace, I am really sorry for her?, no one is able to quite us, we are committed to our work more than past.@UNDPaf @UNDPasiapac @NPeaceNetwork #Afghanistan https://t.co/SXTAlrYe90
— Samim Azad (@AzadSamim) May 11, 2019
Completely shocked by the assassination of former TV journalist #MeenaMangal perpetrators must be taken to court. pic.twitter.com/O09WoMPllL
— Shawali kayhan? (@KayhanShawali) May 11, 2019
Mangal had written on Facebook as recently as May 2 that she had received threats, but did not indicate the source.
A stupid man let me know that (my life) is under threat. I told him that I'm in love with my country and that the most important thing is that we come from God and will return to Him, and that with God's greatness no-one can harm me and my great nation. Death to those men who are threatening women. These morons know who they are and if they threaten me again I will introduce you to them.
Mangal's family members said she married two years ago, but quickly separated from her husband, who physically abused her. According to Mina's family members, she endured a barrage of threats from his family members in the months leading up to her death.
Her father has publicly alleged that her former in-laws kidnapped her on one occasion.
Afghanistan's Minster of Mining and Petroleum Nargis Nahan tweeted that she was working with other top officials on policy measures to protect threatened women:
قتل مینه منگل قتل آزادی بیان، برابری و صداهای مبازر میباشد. من این عمل وحشیانه را محکوم میکنم. امروز با @ShaharzadAkbar و @hasina_safi صحبت نمودیم تا عاجل یک جلسه در شورای امنیت ملی داشته باشیم جهت تعقیب این قضیه و ایجاد یک میکانیزم برای امنیت زنان که با تهدیدات مواجه اند. pic.twitter.com/bG2NIgVhCY
— Nargis Nehan (@NehanNargis) May 11, 2019
Hassina Safi, Minster of Culture and Information, Shahzad Akbar, Deputy Head of Security Council and I are working on a measure to ensure security for women faced with threats.
The tragic death of a public figure who was both a woman and a journalist has ignited debate about protections afforded to both groups.
Private media in Afghanistan has played a key role in highlighting gender-based violence, turning individual cases of domestic violence, gang-led sexual violence and mob violence against women into national talking points.
#Farkhunda was burned to death, #BabyMahsa was kidnapped, raped & killed, #BibiAyesha nose was cut, Women got stoned and today #MinaMangal shoot 9 times. All these crimes took place mainly during the day & mainly in the green zone capital city of #Kabul. #StopKillingWomen pic.twitter.com/X1MUf64fNP
— Diva Patang (@DivaPatang) May 11, 2019
In May 2019, leading private news agency Tolo News reported on the case of a pregnant woman, Parisa, who was allegedly thrown out of the sixth floor apartment window by her husband and his family. According to the report Parisa had been kept by her in-laws in slave-like conditions prior to her death and was unable to visit her own family.
Such stories resonate strongly in a society where media consumption is growing rapidly.
But while the influence of online and television media in Afghanistan is indisputable, so are the daily security nightmares which journalists face day in day out.
Earlier this year, two unidentified gunmen entered a local radio station in Takhar province and proceeded to open fire on the two journalists in the building.
Acting news editor Shafiq Arya, 28, and programme presenter Rahimullah Rahmani, 26, died instantly. Several men were arrested by the police, who have not clarified the motive for the attack.
A report by Reporters Without Borders released in April indicated that 2018 was the deadliest year for journalists working in the country since the fall of the Taliban, with 15 journalists losing their lives to bombings and targeted killings.

author: Khojasta Sameyee


text:
Love wins: same-sex marriage law fully endorsed by Taiwan’s legislature · Global Voices
Filip Noubel

Over 30,000 people await the final decision on marriage equality in front of Taiwan's legislative body. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission
May 17 marks the International Day Against Homophobia, also known as IDAHO. This date took on a historical significance in Taiwan as its legislature voted to allow same-sex marriage. This decision has turned the island into the first country in Asia to recognize marriage equality for all its citizens.
For the LGBTQI+ community, May 17 was a crucial date. Elated by a 2017 ruling of the Constitutional Court recognizing the eligibility of same-sex marriage, only to be stunned by the results of a November 2018 referendum that refused a change of the Civil Code to actually implement marriage equality, the LGBTQI+ community decided to rally en masse in the early hours of May 17 in front of the Legislative Yuan in central Taipei. Despite pouring and almost non-stop rain, a crowd of over 30,000 people monitored the voting process of the legislators that was being transmitted live via large screens.
Jennifer Lu, one of the most outspoken speakers for LGBTQI+ rights in Taiwan. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
The community was represented in all its diversity and various groups. One of the first speakers was Jennifer Lu, a representative of the minority Social Democratic Party (SDP) and chief coordinator of Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan. In her opening remarks, she reiterated that the community had been asking for equal rights and that nothing short of marriage could be accepted at this point.
Chi Chia Wen with pro-LGBTQI+ religious leaders on stage. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
Also very much present in the large crowd was Chi Chia Wei, known for coming out on national television in the 1980s, and considered a veteran of the LGBTQI+ movement. Waving his large rainbow flag, he was anxiously waiting for the final results of the vote.
While the main opposition to same-sex marriage comes from certain Christian groups, a number of priests and a female pastor were present on the stage to express their support to marriage equality, saying that “Jesus does not distinguish between heterosexual and homosexual believers”.
A number of members of the LGBTQI+ community from regions and countries where their rights are not acknowledged or poorly protected also joined the event, as they can rarely or never demonstrate in public.
Malaysian and Hong Kong flags present in the march as some activists request recognition of trans-national same-sex marriage. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission
Emotions reached their height around 1:15 PM as legislators voted on article 4 of the bill which is regarded as essential because it enshrines the term ‘marriage registration’ in the bill. Scenes of tears, hugging and dancing in the rain followed the announcement of legislative support.
The issue of same-sex marriage started to become a central point of Taiwanese politics in May 2017 when the Constitutional Court ruled that there were no obstacles in the Constitution barring same-sex couples to marry. It also gave a two-year period to the Legislative Yuan, the equivalent of the Taiwanese parliament, to amend existing laws to allow marriage equality regardless of the gender of the two persons getting married.
In Taiwan, marriage is ruled by the Civil Code. After the Constitutional Court interpretation, referred to popularly by its number 748, was met with strong opposition by a number of political and religious groups, the government held a referendum in November 2018 to ask whether Taiwanese citizens would support a reform of the Civil Code to allow same-sex marriage. The referendum, which also covered other issues, rejected any change to the Civil Code by nearly two-thirds.
Following this, the government announced on 21 February 2019 that its ruling, based on interpretation 748, would still require implementation outside the Civil Code, since the decision of the Constitutional Court prevails over the referendum. It thus drafted a bill, requiring the Legislative Yuan to review it to meet the May 24 deadline. The main opposition party, the Kuomintang, which has ruled Taiwan’s political life for most of its period since 1949, also drafted its own version of the bill that would offer same-sex union, but would shy away form the term marriage, among other differences.
The issue rapidly turned into a test for president Tsai Ing-wen, who represents the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that lost the local elections of November 2018, after which Tsai resigned at DPP leader.
This thus comes as a double victory both for the DPP, which openly supported the bill, and for the LGBTQI+ community that is now in celebration mood. With the bill now passed, hundreds of same-sex couples are now preparing to wed on May 24 across the island. In Taipei, over 150 couples have already registered to mark what some have been waiting decades for. A traditional wedding banquet is also organized on May 25th outside the Presidential Office to gain visibility and mark a historical change in Taiwanese society.

author: Filip Noubel


text:
Kami Rita Sherpa breaks record as he climbs Mount Everest for the 24th time · Global Voices
Sanjib Chaudhary

Kami Rita Sherpa holds the record of climbing Everest 24 times, the most by any individual. Image from the Facebook page of Seven Summit Treks Pvt. Ltd. Used with permission.
Climbing Mount Everest is on every adrenaline junkie’s wishlist, but Everest summiteer Kami Rita Sherpa has checked this off his list a record amount of times. Defying all odds, he climbed the world’s highest peak twice in a week this year – earlier on 15 May and again on 21 May 2019 – making his number of Everest ascents 24.
Kami Rita Sherpa does it again. Breaking his own record for most summits on Mt Everest the 49-year-old Sherpa climbed the world’s highest mountain twice in a week– 24 times in total. Time: 6:38 am. Congratulations!! pic.twitter.com/fvJOEeCz73
— Bhadra Sharma (@bhadrarukum) May 21, 2019
Seven Summit Treks, the company he works with, announced on Facebook:
21 May 2019 !
24th Ascents of Mt Everest 8848m by Kami Rita Sherpa, HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SENIOR GUIDE.
This morning 6:30 AM Kami Rita climbed the Mt Everest for 24 times (2nd Ascents of this season) and broke his own record of 23rd Ascents! […]
According to the Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, MD at Seven Summit Treks, this morning at 6:30 AM Kami Rita climbed the highest peak via South Side with A TEAM OF INDIAN POLICE. “Guiding a team of Indian Police Mt Everest Expedition 2019 this morning Kami Rita Sherpa climbed Mt Everest for 24 times; he made the entire country proud, this is a golden mark in the history of mountaineering?? ” Sherpa added.
You: I went to the gym twice this week.
Kami Rita Sherpa: https://t.co/S9FM71AWGh
— Anup Kaphle (@AnupKaphle) May 21, 2019
Congratulations Kami Rita Sherpa for 24th sucessful ascent of Mt Everest including double ascents in 7 days from Nepal side !
via https://t.co/f3DnsQmRuI pic.twitter.com/qqqfaXAJjv
— Suraj SHAKYA (@surajshakya) May 21, 2019
Kami Rita belongs to the Sherpa ethnic group native to the most mountainous regions of Nepal and the Himalayas. Many Sherpas are good mountaineers and experts in their local area and they have long been serving as professional guides to foreign mountaineers who want to brave the extreme altitudes.
Kami Rita hails from Thame village in Nepal’s Solukhumbu District, known for its famous climbers. Thame has produced famous climbers including Apa Sherpa (aka Super Sherpa) who held the previous record of most Mount Everest summits and Ang Rita Sherpa who has climbed Everest 10 times without supplemental oxygen that has earned him the sobriquet ‘The Snow Leopard’.
Kami Rita climbed Everest on 13 May 1994 for the first time and has also climbed K2 and Lhotse one time each, Manaslu twice and Cho Oyu eight times, totalling 36 ascents of peaks over 8,000m according to Seven Summit Treks.
After climbing Everest so many times, Kami Rita has seen the visible effects of climate change on Everest. Speaking to BBC Nepali earlier this year, Kami Rita said:
पहिले १२/१३ वटा भर्याङ चढ्नुपर्थ्यो भने अहिले तीन-चारवटाले पुग्छ। […]
पहिले क्याम्प टूमै कति धेरै हिउँ हुन्थ्यो। अहिले हिमनदी मात्र छ। […] बाल्कोनीभन्दा माथि कम्मरसम्म हिउँ हुन्थ्यो अहिले ढुङ्गामात्र देखिन्छ।
Earlier we had to climb 12-13 ladders [at Kumbu Icefall] but we can do with 3-4 these days. […]
In earlier days Camp 2 used to see a lot of snow. Now there’s only a glacier. […] Above Balcony there used to be snow up to hips, now you see only rocks.
Around 300 climbers have died on Everest and only a few dead bodies have been brought down. Now, the melting of ice in Everest is exposing the dead bodies buried in the snow.
A recent report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development states that the Himalayas will lose more than one-third of their ice by the end of the century. In addition, many climbers leave tents, climbing equipment, gas canisters and human poop, making Everest a literal dumping site. However, climbing Everest is a big business with hundreds of aspirants seeking the help of Sherpa guides to reach the summit.
Like every other year, new records have already been made with South Africa’s Saray N’ Kusi Khumalo becoming the first black African woman to successfully climb Everest. And some climbers have died and have gone missing on Mount Everest this year too. But the craze of climbing Everest, it seems, will never subside.

author: Sanjib Chaudhary


text:
Afghanistan’s ‘Art Lords’ on painting change at street level · Global Voices
Farkhonda Tahery

Omid Sharifi at work. Photo by Art Lords, used with permission.
It started with a dream of two Kabuli boys, Omid Sharifi and Kabir Mokamil, who wanted to reclaim Afghanistan, “from thieves and the corrupt.” The embattled urban spaces of the capital Kabul were a waiting canvas.
This is how the Art Lords, Afghan Art and Cultural Association, was born in 2015.
“We wanted to start a grassroots movement for changing public perceptions — a movement that can result in transparency and accountability,” Sharifi told Global Voices during an interview in the group's office.
Street art helps people to question, the 31-year-old artist explained.
“At the end of the day, only people can hold the corrupt ones accountable!”
Kabul, a once beautiful city wracked by decades of war, had to become beautiful again, Sharifi and Mokamil decided.
Their first targets for street art were the blast walls that had crept up all across the capital to secure infrastructure hit by explosions.
But to make their message a national one, the collective had to expand out of the city. Over time they extended their activities to 17 of 34 provinces in Afghanistan, including several that were still very insecure.
To date, they have created nearly 600 murals, whilst last year alone they put on more than 50 street theatre performances.
Sharifi sees the Art Lords as “soldiers on the front lines of the battle against injustice.” Among the group's favourite themes are gender equality, children's rights and the battle against graft.
The shameful telecom companies in #Afghanistan are stealing from the poorest people on earth. #Iseeyou #corruption is not hidden from God and people’s gaze. pic.twitter.com/mzO3IzgObv
— Omaid Sharifi – امید شریفی (@OmaidSharifi) May 13, 2019
Part of the movement to #ReclaimKabul, 50 streets all over Kabul are named after strong Afghan women. The aim of this campaign to highlight that, Kabul is everyone’s city and not only the corrupt officials, warlords and the criminals. Occupy Kabul with empathy, love and kindness. pic.twitter.com/588BDqDrIu
— ArtLords (@ArtLordsWorld) ۱۱ شهریور ۱۳۹۷
Finance for the Art Lords project has come from private sources, international organisations and foreign governments, but finding money has always been a challenge for an organisation that has grown to include 17 permanent and 41 part-time staff.
Some of the income to fund the project comes from a coffee shop underneath the Art Lords’ office that serves as a location for popular cultural events.
The ambivalence of authorities towards the project, especially at lower level, has sometimes created difficulties for the Art Lords.
But the group also has supportive contacts working in government, and has enjoyed partnering with schools and universities.
It's always amazing to paint with students. We are at Kardan University this week. pic.twitter.com/R9HARAxbaT
— ArtLords (@ArtLordsWorld) ۲۴ تیر ۱۳۹۶
These are beautiful. Hoping for a colorful #Afghanistan! And, hoping to see @ArtLordsWorld’s colors in all #Afghan schools, including Rabia-e-Balkhi High School where I went for a few years. https://t.co/cihUADJ6Bp
— Samea Shanori (@SameaShanori) May 9, 2019
Sharifi has called the group's work “a protest against (Taliban leader) Mullah Omar, Corruption, and drugs”.
This clear civic position has contributed to the Art Lords receiving direct threats on at least eight occasions, he says.
But Sharifi also argues that in some ways, their lives are no different from any other citizen in a country where “security challenges are a fact of life like eating, drinking and sleeping.”
“There are threats, real fears and we all have serious psychological problems, but what choice do we have?” he asks.
“What can we do except for this?”
New murals: #Afghanistan say no to child marriage! pic.twitter.com/AK4VYKxP0B
— ArtLords (@ArtLordsWorld) ۲۷ آبان ۱۳۹۵
Art Lords work has been recognised internationally and was most recently nominated for the 2019 Freedom of Expression Awards in the ‘art’ category, where the group lost out to Kurdish political painter and journalist Zehra Doğan.
Currently the collective is seeking to evolve into an international organisation working on freedom of press in South Asia and the countries of the Middle East.
Plans to open an Art Lords branch of their office in United States of America and an Afghan Art Gallery in Dubai are tied to a vision to be financially sustainable.
Earlier this month, the Lords worked their magic during an exhibition in the Swiss town of Lugano.
When walls gets heart ?, it makes people dance. pic.twitter.com/UK7wKmDxvt
— ArtLords-هنرسالار (@ArtLordsWorld) May 8, 2019
But the group's primary audience will always be the people of Afghanistan, for whom Sharifi's deep compassion was clear during the interview he gave GV:
The common people like this work. The art is for them. They have never had a painting on their walls. They have never held a paintbrush in their hands. Art has alway been reserved for the 5% of upper class residents in Afghanistan — the (former) royal family and the notables. But our work is for the common people. We want them to engage in the process.

author: Farkhonda Tahery


text:
‘Big tech companies won’t solve the problem for us. We can do it ourselves.’ · Global Voices
Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún

Photo by Kevin Harber and used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
Editor's note: The following essay was written as part of a social media campaign promoting linguistic diversity online co-organized by Rising Voices. This essay was constructed from a series of tweets compiled using the Thread Reader app and organized and edited for publication.
I often speak about my grandfather (now about 92) who can read and write in Yorùbá but not in English. He lived a successful life as a goldsmith, and lived in many parts of Nigeria.
I think of him often when I think of the issues of inclusion in today’s language technology. There are many times I go to his house and I have to help him operate his mobile phone, retrieve old messages, or respond to some phone commands.
In his house and in my father’s office, in the early nineties, is where I first saw rotary phones — so the problem isn’t that he hasn’t seen phones before, or used them to communicate. But mobile phones and their technical features pose new problems.
As with most people who have the privilege of being savvy in both web knowledge and English language, it’s easy for me to dismiss all adult consternation with new technology. “Why can’t they just figure it out?” But stepping back a bit, one sees the problem—and the opportunities.
Tools like text-to-speech and speech recognition were created to solve problems like this: empower people to use their devices in as much an intuitive way as possible, using human-natural actions like speaking and listening. But what if the user does not speak/understand English? It’s not a question that many technology companies focusing on Africa have enjoyed confronting, perhaps also because there are many loud middle-class voices telling them that ‘we all speak English anyway. Why bother?’
My impression is that in spite of decades of the use of English as the medium of instruction, the harsh reality is that millions still do not speak English or not with the competence required to use most modern technological tools.
I recounted an incident once, at an ATM in the city of Lekki, where a young man of around 30 didn’t understand what the machine meant by not being able to dispense money “to the multiples of 500″ or so.
He would have been easily better served in Igbo.
But today, there’s no ATM you can use successfully in a Nigerian language. And none you can use by speaking to it, though this latter might not be a Nigerian problem alone. Still, we can expect that big tech companies won’t solve the problem for us. We can do it ourselves.
Imagine if you could use your phone/ATM/etc in a Nigerian language. My grandfather and millions more would be empowered to participate in modern life. Think about the possibilities for financial inclusion. Who would put their money in a bank if they can’t get it out easily?
There are tools for disabled people that can benefit from local language infusion. A phone that can read your text to you can benefit a blind person who speaks no English. etc. In short, plenty of opportunities. Most local startups aren’t convinced of the profitability of these ventures, hence the absence of many organisations trying to solve the problems. Don’t ask me why the government isn’t sponsoring research in these directions. I don’t know either.
So, we do what we can, when we can.

author: Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún


text:
In the UK, Timorese celebrated 17 years since the restoration of Timor-Leste’s independence · Global Voices
Dalia

Timorese present their teams at the tournament 20 May Cup IV. Photo by Dalia Kiakilir, GV.
On 20 May, Timorese across the world celebrate the restoration of Timor-Leste’s independence, declared on 20 May 2002 after it was occupied by Indonesia in 1976.
The University of Oxford Brookes, in the city of Oxford, UK, hosted the event “20 May”, organized by Timorese resident in the country. The event had cultural and sporting elements, including the fourth football tournament “20 May Cup” organized in partnership with the Timorese Sports Association.
The author attended the event and spoke with Acácio Marques, one of its organizers. He said:
Acácio Marques, president of the organizing committee for the event 20 May, 2019. Photo by Dalia Kiakilir, used with permission.
Hau hanoin loron espesial ne’e furak tebe-tebes ba ita hotu, atu hametin liu-tan ita nia unidade. Atu hateten katak hau haksolok tebes ho ita hotu nia prezensa iha fatin ne’e hodi hahi’i, hanai ita nian loron Restaurasaun Independensia.
For me, this is a very special and beautiful day for Timorese, it is a way of strengthening our unity. I want only to say that I am very happy with the attendance of everybody in this place to honour our day of restoring independence.
Joaquim da Fonseca, the current ambassador of Timor-Leste in the UK, attended the event. At the opening ceremony, Fonseca and Marques called on youths to always remember the values of the celebrated date.
Ambassador Joaquim da Fonseca speaks with Dália Kiakilir, the author of this story. Photo by Arlindo Fernandes, used with permission.
In an interview, Fonseca highlighted:
Iha ita nia istoria iha loron barak ma’ak marcante, importante, maibe dia 20 de maio ita hili hanesan loron ida, de facto, ohin, ita restaura ita nia independensia. Entaun, tinan-tinan, ita komemora no hanoin katak 20 de Maio relembra buat hotu-hotu nebe’e akontese durante tinan barak, desde estranjeiru sira tama iha ita nia rain, hanesan seculos barak portugues sira iha timor, iha indonesia nia tempu to’o ita ukun-a’an. Komesa husi buat sira nebe’e halo ema triste, halo ema haksolok, sakrifisiu, esforsu, avansu, retrosesu, ne’e ma’ak ita hanoin, entaun, ohin ita halo reflexaun oinsa Timor ne’e konsegue rekonquista nia liberdade?
The history of Timor-Leste has many important dates, but the day of 20 May, [for] us, the Timorese, we mark out as a day, in fact, today, [in which] we restored our independence. So, annually, we commemorate and reflect that the 20 May recalls everything that happened, since the entry of foreigners in our country, for example, centuries of imperialism by the Portuguese in Timor, the invasion of Indonesia until independence. Happiness, sadness, sacrifices, struggles, advances, setbacks. That’s how we think, then, today we reflect on how Timor managed to regain freedom.
Cultural Group Wehali, from Northford. Photo by Ike de Castro, used with permission
Several British cities joined the football tournament 20 May Cup IV, among them: FC Académica, FC Tazlekar, FC Timor Peterborough, FC Cultura Peterborough, FC Unidus A Yarmouth, FC Unidus B Yarmouth, FC Santa Cruz, FC Timorese, AC Mayluan, AS Makara, FC Souro, FC Fortuna, FC Brigwater, FC Ox-Til and two teams from Northern Ireland, namely FC Foin Sae Timor and FC Assuwain NI.
The winning team FC FoinSa'e, group 8. Photo by Ike de Castro, used with permission.
The Northern Irish team, FC Foin Sa’e Timor (in English, “Timorese Youth Football Club”) won the championship for the third time consecutively. The coach Hélio Alin said:
Ami mai iha ne'e hodi defende ami nia titulo no lori piala ba ami nia uma dala ida tan.
We are here to defend our title and to take home the cup once again.
Alin was awarded the title of best coach for this tournament.
The event then continued with a show of dance by the performance group Wehali from the city of Northford, and finished with the dancefloor opening to everybody present.

author: Dalia


text:
India’s Lok Sabha 2019: Results are in after a weeks-long election process · Global Voices
Devika Sakhadeo

Photo Credits: Pallavi Bhadkamkar. Used with permission.
The Lok Sabha 2019 election (Indian general election) was nothing less than a typical political soap opera — complete with name-calling and an eventual hashtag battle between parties. As this weeks-long voting period draws to a close today, voters wait with bated breath for the results.
Three political parties came together to try and get into a coalition before the elections. This was called the ‘Gathbandhan’ (Alliance) that was comprised of Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Dal. These parties are local parties of Uttar Pradesh, a state that has been crucial for the current prime minister's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win in order to gain a majority in the Lok Sabha in 2019. The opposition called for a meeting in order to discuss the possible outcomes of the election.
Aside from the voting itself, the most important part of this election was the use of social media in the election campaigns. Hashtags played a crucial role. According to searches tracked on Google, hashtags for the BJP started off to be more popular than those supporting the Congress Party. However, the two parties mostly used the hashtags “Main Bhi Chowkidaar” (Even I am a guard), “Chowkidaar Chor Hai” (The guard is, in fact, the thief) and “Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar” (Modi government once again).
As the 2019 Lok Sabha elections draw to a close on 23 May, the political parties have started to ready themselves up for the possible outcomes of the elections. The Lok Sabha needs a majority for a political party to have its candidate in the Prime Minister's seat.
Out of the total 542 seats in the Lok Sabha, many news outlets are reporting that the BJP is projected to win a majority of seats — enough for the BJP to have Narendra Modi as Prime Minister without any backing from other parties or coalition. Many netizens have taken the exit poll results to be completely reflective of the actual results and have started congratulating Narendra Modi for his win before the official announcement.
24 Hours remaining. Race has started, sorry folks can't locate your favorite Rahul and Kejriwal.
Help yourself ??#ModiAaGaya #ModiAgain pic.twitter.com/QTuCnJ9iH4
— Pranavsinh (@Pranavsinh9) May 22, 2019
And here's the Congress numbers (from a clued in leader)- 230- bjp, congress -160- Others- rest (150odd)- On BJP numbers they agree but is the Congress’ demise declared by exit polls too soon? #ElectionResults2019 https://t.co/yeIjiEHXMj
— sunetra choudhury (@sunetrac) May 20, 2019
Congratulations PM @narendramodi!
Indians have spoken from the heart and voted you back resoundingly. They have rewarded your good governance, and empowered you to keep building #NewIndia for the next 5 years. #Election2019#ExitPolls2019#ElectionResults2019@BJP4India pic.twitter.com/zXc6Rpazu1
— KABIR BEDI (@iKabirBedi) May 20, 2019
Various news channels and websites have arranged for live updates and analyses of the election results through the course of 23 May 2019.
Tune in to @TheQuint for all the counting day updates, numbers, analyses and a lot more throughout the day with @Raghav_Bahl. #ElectionResults2019 pic.twitter.com/MgLE6tOO8H
— The Quint (@TheQuint) May 22, 2019

author: Devika Sakhadeo


text:
Inflatable Tank Man sculpture appears in Taiwan ahead of Tiananmen Massacre anniversary · Global Voices
Hong Kong Free Press

Photo taken by Filip Noubel. Used with permission.
The following post is originally written by Tom Grundy and published by Hong Kong Free Press on May 22, 2019. It is republished on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement.
A giant inflatable “Tank Man” sculpture has appeared in the Taiwanese capital, almost 30 years after the Tiananmen Massacre.
Situated outside the landmark Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, the inflatable tank and lone protester were installed by a local artist named Shake. She told Reuters that she hoped China would become democratic one day:
So I think it is important to the Taiwanese people to continue discussing this topic – preventing people from forgetting this event and reminding the Taiwanese people that the regime in China is dangerous… This thing has already been washed away by [China’s] authoritarian political view.
Photo taken by Filip Noubel. Used with permission.
The appearance of the inflatable sculpture coincided with the 2019 June 4 International Symposium, which was held over the weekend alongside a series of commemorative events in Taiwan. A candlelight vigil, lectures, and seminars will also be held to mark the 30th anniversary.
Free speech is protected in democratic Taiwan, though Beijing considers the island to be part of its territory.
In 2016, the artist and cartoonist Badiucao conducted a performance in Adelaide, Australia to pay tribute to “Tank Man.” He later launched a campaign to encourage other people around the world to pose as the lone protester.
The Tank Man performance in Adelaide in 2016. Photo: Badiucao.

author: Hong Kong Free Press


text:
Kenyan writer, Binyavanga Wainaina, who taught the world ‘how to write about Africa,’ dies at 48 · Global Voices
Amanda Lichtenstein, Rosebell Kagumire, Pernille Baerendtsen, Nwachukwu Egbunike

Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina at the Brooklyn Book Fest, 2009. Wainaina, 48, passed away on Tuesday, May 22, in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo via Nightscream, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
It’s been a little over 24 hours since Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina left this world, but his presence and impact continues to reverberate around the globe.
The outspoken, openly gay writer rebuked convention and challenged the status quo, triggering a literary revolution that would open the door to thousands of aspiring writers ready to change the narratives in and about Africa.
The writer, educator and LGBTQ activist, Binyavanga Wainaina, 48, passed on Tuesday, May 22, in Nairobi, Kenya, after a brief illness.
Today's got me thinking: what will your life mean when it's all over? Binyavanga's death has got me thinking about who I was about five or so years ago, and also who he was to us as young enthusiastic Africans hungry for a different paradigm of our continent and our selves.
— Fungai Machirori (@fungaijustbeing) May 22, 2019
Within minutes, Wainaina’s friends, followers and admirers flooded social media to swap tributes and memories while arguing which of his prolific writings had the most influence.
Wainaina is best known for his provocative essay, “How to Write About Africa,” published in Granta magazine in 2006. He's also known for his 2012 memoir, “One Day I Will Write About This Place,” and the essay, “I am a homosexual, mum,” published simultaneously in Chimurenga and Africa is a Country in 2014. The essay caused a powerful stir on Twitter as people tried to parse fact from fiction, and subsequently, Time magazine named Wainaina one of the top 100 most influential people in the world.
In “How to Write About Africa,” Wainaina called out Western media and the aid industry — both particularly present in Nairobi — for perpetuating negative stereotypes about the continent of Africa, through scathing satire.
Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress.
“His sarcasm was dripping — a stellar scalpel,” writes Nigerian writer Nwachukwu Egbunike.
Widely cited by academics, non-governmental organizations and aid workers, the essay —  also published as a small booklet — has had a profound impact on perceptions of Africa and continues to circulate, surprise and provoke.
On its impact, journalist Pernille Bærendtsen writes:
For me, this essay has followed me since I received it as a gift in 2008 by a Kenyan friend. I clearly belonged to the group of people Binyavanga addressed: A development worker employed by a Danish NGO in Tanzania writing about its ‘impact.’ This was at a point when the development and aid industry sharpened its rhetoric in favor of fundraising at the cost of unfolding the contrasting diversity on the ground. I had plenty of reason to feel embarrassed, but I also had time to plan how to change.
Binyavanga later explained in the journal Bidoun how this essay randomly came to life with double-effect: By exposing and describing the insecurity of “novelists, NGO workers, rock musicians, conservationists, students, and travel writers,” who read these “guidelines” on how — or maybe rather how not to — write about Africa, they then began to ask for his approval.
Wainaina, a son of a Kenyan father and Ugandan mother, continued to challenge stereotypes about Africa with his groundbreaking 2012 memoir, “One Day I Will Write About This Place.” Through rich, searing detail, he transported readers from his childhood in the ‘70s in Kenya to his student days in South Africa, where he spent many years in exile.
Critics hailed the book as raw and honest, but Wainaina later admitted that he’d left out an important chapter — his love life.
With “I am a homosexual, mum,” Wainaina became the first high-profile Kenyan to come out as openly gay on social media, triggering an avalanche of social opinion. Considered “the lost chapter” from his memoir, Wainaina imagines coming out as gay to his dying mother. His essay was timely as a wave of anti-gay crusades and legislation were being proposed in Uganda and later Tanzania, where homosexual acts remain criminalized.
However, unlike other writers who went into exile, Wainaina returned home, and as Nanjala Nyabola points out for BBC on Twitter, “that was major”:
For those of us who grew up with "the best Kenyan writers" (whatever that means) living in exile, jailed and persecuted, or poor and under appreciated, or censored heavily, he came back and that was major. He was a complex man, but I think for this he deserves endless gratitude.
— Nanjala Nyabola (@Nanjala1) May 22, 2019
While Binyavanga ironically attracted admiration from the diverse international crowd he criticized, at home he felt the pressure of not fitting the set frames. Binyavanga demanded free space and imagination. Courageously — within a growing community supportive of LGBTQ — he insisted on bending those frames.
In response to all the noise and pushback, that same year Wainaina produced “We Must Free Our Imaginations,” a six-part Youtube series detailing his ideas on freedom and the imagination. “I want to live a life of a free imagination,” he declared in Part 1.
I want this generation of young parents to have their kids see Africans writing their own stories — that simple act is the most political act one can have. I want to see a continent where every kind of person’s imagination does not have to look for … being allowed. I am a Pan-Africanist, I want to see this continent change.
Wainaina often channeled his desire for change through his literary activism, education and leadership. In 2002, after winning the prestigious Caine Prize for his essay, “Discovering Home,” he used the award money to co-found Kwani? a literary magazine promoting new voices and new ideas emerging from across the continent.
Kwani? evolved over time into a publishing house and literary network that connected emerging and established writers from Lagos to Nairobi, Mogadishu to Accra.
While he unapologetically shook Kenyan social convention — coming out as gay, and later revealing his HIV+ status on Twitter on World AIDS Day in 2016 — it often came with backlash, struggle and pain.
Wainaina was a controversial person who struggled with depression and often wrestled with his complicated role as a public figure. He had his fans but he also faced critics like prominent Kenyan writer Shailja Patel, who accused Wainaina of “toxic lesbophobia.”
Twitter user Néo Músangi grapples with the fallibility of Wainaina's character in this tweet:
i do not have sufficient energy to engage now but, i am grieving binya, as the dearest of my friends. in all my queerness and feminist-ing. i  am eternally sorry that he hurt others. i am sorry that he human-ed in those ways. he would hate us sanitising him. https://t.co/B5524fwBeh
— néo músangi (@SinoxoloMusangi) May 22, 2019
Writer Bwesigye Mwsigire, director of the Writivism Festival in Uganda, also addressed these contradictions in a Facebook tribute:
His style was a transgression. Beautiful and freeing transgression. … [T]he people we obsess over because of their work and ideas are people after all. They are human. Are we ever ready to love them in their complexity?
By now, a lot has been said about him. There's no need to repeat what has been said. Reminders of harm that he supported have been sounded. … This doesn't take away the pain one feels about his death.
There is only one Binyavanga Wainaina. He is an ancestor now. Let us celebrate his life.
A queer icon, Binya — as he is fondly called —  often received torrents of vitriolic anti-gay rhetoric that only spiked online as the news of his death spread across various channels.
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi wrote on Twitter that after writing a Facebook tribute to Wainaina, hateful, homophobic comments derailed his message:  Wainaina was a creative genius who must be remembered:
I did a very short Facebook post on #RIPBinyavanga and the comments https://t.co/yZ3MoWBnD7 are the vilest l have ever read. Even the thieves who steal our taxes and kill people don't get as much hate. Truth is, Binya was a creative genius and he will be read and be remembered. pic.twitter.com/dmuMQKVw2c
— Boniface Mwangi (@bonifacemwangi) May 22, 2019
Ugandan feminist and writer Rosebell Kagumire distills the lessons she learned from Wainaina’s courage to speak out:
Do not allow the fear. Don't limit yourself. Do speak that which needs to be said. Better yet write it down. Live your truth and with your heart. That when you finally finally breathe your last there will be millions of words you brought so much meaning into.#RIPBinyavanga
— Rosebell Kagumire ♉ (@RosebellK) May 22, 2019
Through his life and letters, he gave himself and countless others the permission to imagine life as it could be otherwise, and his sudden passing inspired poetic musings:
One day I will write about your gorgeous hair
One day I will write about your laughter
One day I will write about your ungovernability
One day I will write about your delight in imagination
One day I will write about your refusals
today, I write
thank you pic.twitter.com/wHG3i3qMSL
— |Black||Freedoms (@G_A_Musila) May 21, 2019
Kenyan writer Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, author of “Dust,” and literary friend to Wainaina, calls out with a final lament:
“Who told you could leave? Sneak out of your body at night without leaving a new address?”
Face tilted, eyes piercing, he said, "You have exactly 3 seconds to reorganise this crap." You, there. You! Who told you you could leave? Sneak out of your body at night without leaving a new address? To whom does one now go in fear and trembling with first draft manuscripts? pic.twitter.com/DSawF6KGhY
— Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor (@AdhiamboKE) May 22, 2019
Now that he's among the stars, you can join “Planet Binya” with a full archive of his work.


text:
North Macedonia vows to remedy injustices against NGOs, closes legal loopholes abused by former government · Global Voices
Metamorphosis Foundation

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Republic of North Macedonia Radmila Šekerinska at a press conference on May 11, 2019. Photo by Government of RNM, Public Domain.
This story originally appeared on Portalb.mk and was translated by Meta.mk News Agency, a project of Metamorphosis Foundation. An edited version is published below as part of a content-sharing agreement.
During its final months in power in 2016-17, the former ruling party of North Macedonia imposed a Kremlin-style administrative siege against non-government organizations (NGOs) that leaders called the “de-Sorosization” of the country.
After nearly two years, the government of North Macedonia has issued an official call for remedy of the damages incurred by NGOs during this period and reform of policies that allowed for the abuses to take place.
For seven months beginning in December 2016, state institutions conducted coordinated, large-scale investigations of 21 NGOs across the country, combing through their accounting and other documentation and seizing every opportunity to punish and fine NGOs for administrative errors and other alleged misdeeds. This period ended after the new government came into power in June 2017; in November 2018, the Financial Police announced that their investigations concluded that there were no grounds for the investigations of the NGOs.
At a press conference on May 11, Deputy Prime Minister Radmilla Šekerinska emphatically exonerated NGOs and vowed to remedy the damages done.
“NGOs were penalized and unjustly fined for mistakes they had not made,” she said.
Civil society groups, whose reputations and work had been badly shaken by these institutional abuses of power, have eagerly anticipated closure and justice.
The de-Sorosization of Macedonia
In December 2016, chief of then-ruling party VMRO-DPMNE Nikola Gruevski announced declared a “final showdown” with his sworn “enemies”, civil society groups. The right-wing populist party had ruled the country since 2006 and had already invested millions in taxpayer revenue in media campaigns smearing critical voices. The so-called showdown or “de-Sorosization” of the country — a reference to grants awarded to local NGOs by the philanthropic network of George Soros — came just after parliamentary elections in which his party failed to win a majority. This loss preceded the end to Gruevski's rule in 2017.
Working in lockstep, state institutions including the Public Revenue Office, the Financial Police and the Public Prosecutor for Organized Crime laid virtual siege on 21 NGOs across the country. In addition to fines levied under a loophole in the Personal Income Tax law, 13 NGOs had to undergo controls by the Financial Police lasting several months, whose aim was to find out or fabricate misuse of the funds received from USAID during the implementation of their activities. The initiative drained NGO resources and upended the activities of many organizations, forcing them to focus their labor on complying with government demands, rather than doing their actual work.
Evidence indicates that the former ruling party was attempting to implicate donors from NATO countries in alleged “subversion.” Domestic propaganda at the time labeled Soros and USAID as the Western enemies of Macedonians. VMRO-DPMNE and its populist allies also carried out intensive lobbying in Washington and Brussels during that time, in an effort to block foreign aid invested in civil society and democratization.
Since it came to power in June 2017, the new government has worked with NGOs on the implementation of the “3-6-9” plan for comprehensive reforms that to restore democracy in North Macedonia and promote its accession to European Union. It has also finally heeded calls from EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who urged changes in the government's attitude towards NGOs.
Gruevski was convicted of corruption soon after his time in office, and became a fugitive from the law in November 2018. He is currently hiding in Hungary, a country whose government attacks NGOs in similar manner.
At the May press conference, Šekerinska described how the former government had misinterpreted parts of the law and abused regulations that were overly broad in an attempt to financially ruin NGOs, in order to silence them.
In her remarks, she lauded the work of NGOs:
Невладините организации и граѓанските активисти кои што беа цел на оваа хајка немаат сега ниту од што да се плашат, ниту од што да се срамат. Практично, тие го направија она што и беше потребно на државата. Излегоа, ја говореа вистината, се бореа за слобода, за човекови права, се бореа за демократски вредности.
NGOs and activists who were target of this witch hunt now have nothing to be afraid of, or to be ashamed of. Practically they did what was needed for the good of the state. They went out, spoke the truth, fought for freedom and democratic values.
After consultations with several government institutions and parliament, Šekerinska also announced that the parliament has adopted an “authentic interpretation” of the Law on Personal Tax that eliminates the loophole that the previous government had abused and used to demand higher tax payments from NGO workers.
Šekerinska said:
With this authentic interpretation, along with previous changes to the law, this Government has shown that it does not want to leave any grey zones that would allow blackmail, intimidation or manipulation in the future. This way, the solution will guarantee that all state institutions will not be able to intimidate or exert pressure on those who do not share the same political convictions.
Critically-minded NGOs that were targeted by the former VMRO-DPMNE regime have welcomed the move, saying that it brings an end to the injustice inflicted on them.
Bardhyl Jashari, Exective Director of Metamorphosis Foundation, which was a prime target of the “de-Sorosization” explained:
Ky është lajm i mirë që shlyen një padrejtësi që ju bë disa organizatave joqeveritare gjatë regjimit të Gruevskit dhe u jep edhe një goditje shpifjeve tendencioze ndaj nesh por njëkohësisht edhe një here nxjerr në pah punën tonë profesionale. Edhe pse është vështirë të harrohet presioni institucional që na bëheshte nëpërmjet policisë financiare dhe drejtorisë për të hyra publike, si dhe presioni nëpërmjet mediave të kontrolluara nga qeveria e atëhershme, megjithatë është mirë që edhe formalisht mbyllet ky proces i padrejtë i cili i bëri dëm jo vetëm sektorit jo qeveritar por çoi prapa edhe demokracinë në shtet.
This is good news, it puts an end to the injustices carried out against several non-governmental organizations during Gruevski’s regime and it’s another blow to the tendentious defamation directed at us and at the same time it once again highlights our professional work. While it is difficult to forget the institutional pressure exerted on us through the Financial Police and the Public Revenue Office, as well as pressure through the media controlled by the then government, it is nevertheless good to formally shut down this unfair process that damages not only the non-governmental sector but which has also weakened democracy in the country.
Fani Karanfilova-Panovska, the director of the Foundation Open Society Macedonia, stated for Portalb.mk that the government would need to find a formal way to bring an end to all the activities carried out by representatives of the former government.
Civil society representatives hold a press conference in Skopje, February 2017. The sign behind them reads, “We Must Protect Civil Society.” Photo by Vančo Džambaski via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Besides the representatives of the targeted NGOs, social media users also expressed positive reactions to the government's announcement. When referring to the ‘de-Sorosoization,’ one independent Twitter user noted:
Можеби најсрамниот чин во модерната историја на македонскиот народ.
– Завиени во сопствениот порив за лов на вештерки, институционално се поттикнуваше, овозможуваше и наградуваше, расцепување на македонското ткиво и држава. https://t.co/VLdL51yMKC
— КраФТ (@kraft_mk) May 11, 2019
This was possibly the most shameful act in the modern history of the Macedonian people.
– Wrapped inside their own impulse for witch-hunt, the [rulers] institutionally incited, enabled and rewarded the cleaving of the Macedonian tissue and state.
In her closing statement, Šekerinska congratulated the NGOs for scrutinizing the work of all administrations, and expressed support for their right to assemble, speak freely, and criticize the former and current governments.
Global Voices is a grantee of the Open Society Foundations, which are funded by George Soros.

author: Metamorphosis Foundation


text:
Russian website attempts to impersonate established news outlet covering the Balkans · Global Voices
Metamorphosis Foundation

Balkanist.ru vs. Balkanist.net, a collage of front page screenshots. Image by Meta.mk News Agency, CC-BY.
This story originally appeared on Meta.mk News Agency, a project of Metamorphosis Foundation. An edited version is published below as part of a content-sharing agreement.
The newsroom of Balkanist.net, a media outlet based in Serbia covering the Balkans, was surprised to find out that they have a Russian-language doppelganger (Balkanist.ru) with an opposite editorial policy.
Balkanist.net is an English-language outlet which since 2013 publishes news and analyses about the Balkans and Eastern Europe written by international contributors. Their website says they are “entirely independent, self- and reader-funded, and are not affiliated with any organization, company, or government institution.”
In turn, Balkanist.ru was founded in September 2018 and publishes analyses by “authoritative Balkanists from Russia” with the stated objective of “influencing Moscow’s policies in this troubled region” — according to its “about the project” page. The website's logo features a cormorant, which is called baklan in Russian. There isn't any info about the website's funding sources.
Lily Lunch, editor of Balkanist.net. Photo used with permission.
Balkanist.net's editor-in-chief Lily Lunch has told Meta.mk that “the Russian-language site has nothing to do with our publication.”
On social networks in Serbia, the appearance of a Russian version of the Balkanist was seen as another attempt to peddle propaganda for the Serbian government Aleksandar Vučić, this time aiming at the Russian public.
For instance, the analyst Miloš Popović commented on Twitter:
Serbian President got his mouthpiece in Russian. It's called @balkanist2018 and it stole name from the original Balkanist (@Balkanist).
— Mɪʟᴏꜱ Pᴏᴘᴏᴠɪᴄ (@milos_agathon) April 22, 2019
In an official statement, Balkanist.net alleged that their Russian namesake is a pro-Vučić propaganda site:
It’s not surprising to us that a pro-Vučić propaganda site would use our name and brand to publish well-constructed lies in Russian. For years, the regime has sought to eliminate each and every independent voice the country has left. It has a variety of tools at its disposal to accomplish this. One of its most well-worn tactics is spreading confusion and lies about critics. The purpose of publishing under the name Balkanist in Russian is to confuse readers at home, in Russia and elsewhere into questioning our sincerity, what and who we support, and what and who we believe. In this way, they hope to, at a minimum, diminish the impact of any future criticism (and there will be future criticism – a lot of it). They also know that we are critics not only of the Vučić regime, but of the European Union and NATO. Unlike Vučić’s ministerial choices and economic policy, our editorial line is not dictated by the US embassy. This makes the name Balkanist a logical vehicle for the dissemination of Vucic’s lies in Russia.
Also according to the “about” page of the Russian website, its manager Oleg Bondarenko has served as adviser to several top Serbian politicians in previous years: former president of Serbia Tomislav Nikolić, his former protegé and current president Aleksandar Vučić, and Milorad Dodik, the pro-Kremlin strongman of Republika Srpska, the Serbian entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bondarenko is also a prolific commentator on pro-Kremlin media. In early 2018, he was barred from entering the EU and turned away at Berlin's Tegel airport at Poland's request.
Other names on Balkanist.ru's editorial line-up include academics and political scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences specializing in the Balkans and even one rock musician whose band, BalkanMusicLab, plays covers of Yugoslavian rock hits in Moscow clubs.
Global Voices attempted to contact the Balkanist.ru team for comment but received no response.
Similar impersonation tactics were common in neighboring North Macedonia during the government of the VMRO-DPMNE, a conservative party that presided over 12 years of democratic decline before it was ousted in the 2016 elections.
The website Kurir.mk, for example, founded in 2010 and to this day a leading VMRO-DPMNE mouthpiece, shares its name with the Serbian site Kurir.rs, a very popular tabloid at that time.
In 2016, the Serbian publisher Adria Media Group penned a statement titled “Fake Kurir deceiving readers in Macedonia” in which it threatened to sue the Macedonian site for stealing its brand.
AGM noted that the owner of the copycat site was the firm EM medija d.o.o. based in Skopje. The statement alleges that the firm has ties with Saša Mijalkov, the former chief of the Macedonian secret service, and a first-cousin of then-Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.
In May 2018, the investigative media outlet Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Network revealed that EM medija d.o.o. had been partly purchased by Hungarian companies with close ties to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán along with several other outlets in North Macedonia. In June 2018, the Hungarians became the sole owners of EM medija d.o.o.
Similarly, when pro-government television station TV Nova (tvnova.mk) was founded in 2015, it was given the same name as the independent outlet Nova TV (novatv.mk), founded in 2011. Nova TV's journalists have faced constant attacks by government supporters during that time, and in 2015 its editor received a death threat.
The owner of the now-defunct TV Nova is currently under investigation on various charges of corruption and organized crime in cooperation with the former government.
A third example happened in 2016 when individuals with ties with VMRO-DPMNE officials opened dubious news websites in Croatia (alo.com.hr) and Serbia (saznajemo.rs) with names similar to established cross-border online publications. Ahead of the November 2016 elections, they published articles with baseless treason accusations against the then-opposition leader Zoran Zaev. Mainstream, party-controlled media then disseminated these false allegations as relevant news from supposedly reputable foreign outlets.
A recent investigation by Macedonian online outlet SDK revealed that the administrator of those websites started a job in the state-owned company ESM — Power Plants of North Macedonia around that time. He holds the same position to this day.
Smaller, local media sympathetic to the government at that time used the same tactics. A local TV station in the southern city of Strumica was named Telekanal A1 when it was created in 2014, the same name of the national TV station A1 TV which in 2011 was shut down by Gruevski's regime.
In August 2017, the new government of North Macedonia cut funding to private media, and many of such pro-VMRO-DPMNE outlets have been gradually closing down since. According to information by the broadcasting regulator, TV Nova and Telekanal A1 folded in August and March of 2018, respectively.


text:
Taiwan’s same-sex marriage bill is a half-victory for rainbow families · Global Voices
Filip Noubel

LGBT families were present as Taiwan's legislature enshrined same-sex marriage on May 17th. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission
Taiwan made history on May 17 as its legislature voted on the implementation of same-sex marriage, thus becoming the first country in Asia to do so. Yet the new law only extends limited adoption rights to same-sex couples.
The May 17 vote on same-sex marriage included a particular point on adoption which is granted as a right but only if the adopted child is biologically related to one of the parents. This means that not all children growing up in same-sex households will benefit from full legal parental protection on both sides.
The term LGBTQIA+ is an umbrella concept that brings together a number of groups with different identities and interests, and with varying visibility within the larger queer community. One such group is often called rainbow families and refers to same-sex couples who have, or plan to have and raise children together. In many countries, opposition to same-sex marriage laws largely originates in religious views on marriage, claiming that a child needs a mother and a father to be raised.
Regardless of existing laws, religious practice, or mainstream social mores, rainbow families exist in a number of ways across the globe. Figures are difficult to obtain given the lack of legal protection in most cases, and the desire to be protected from homophobia. But for example in the UK, there are over 10,000 such families, and in the US the figure is over 200,000.
Global Voices interviewed Cindy Su, the CEO for the Lobby Alliance for LGBT rights in Taiwan, who says that in Taiwan:
We have a community of gay families, I myself have two kids, and we know a few hundred such families.
Anecdotal evidence says that, in the past, most same-sex parents in the world were women, with gay dads only emerging recently to even out the field.
Andrew (who asked to use a pseudonym), is from Taiwan, identifies as gay, and is currently in the process of having a child with his husband via a surrogacy. He recently joined the Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy (台灣同志家庭權益促進會), which was established in 2005, and operates as a support group for current and future same-sex parents. He explains why gay men are increasingly considering parenthood:
Globalization makes the international surrogacy process easier day by day. Some US-based agencies are developing ad campaigns targeting international potential LGBT parents. In Taiwan they even offer packages in Chinese. Besides, there is still a strong and undeniable expectation from within the Chinese culture, and from society to have children, especially for men.
In Taiwan, as in other countries, there are three main ways for same-sex couples to have children: custody of biological children from a previous heterosexual relationship, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and increasingly, surrogacy. Until 2015, most surrogate mothers came from Southeast Asia, but a number of countries in that region have since banned the practice.
Despite encouraging signs of the growing tolerance of queer parenting, every step on the road towards full acceptance requires courage, and not all are ready to come out publicly.
According to Cindy Su:
A majority of Taiwanese don’t know that LGBT families exist, but when they see us on the street, when we introduce our family structure, most people are accepting. They see us as real people and understand that we want to give our kids the best.
Andrew believes some men still shy away from public recognition:
The real question is whether men start their own families while being out or while remaining in the closet. Paradoxically in some cases, men become dads without coming out, or without being in a couple.
He himself asks to remain anonymous because of his overall low online profile, while he has come out at work, to his family and friends. He explains that:
Every LGBT household faces different levels of risk of being out, and has different concerns for being more visible in society today. This can be related to a partial coming-out, or a familial acceptance depending on a tacit agreement of discreteness.
In 2000, 11-year-old Yeh Yung-Chih was killed inside his own school, likely by other students who used to bully him. The commotion over his brutal death led to the creation of the Gender Equity Education Act (性別平等敎育法) four years later, which over the years extended its provisions to include education on LGBTQIA+ identity and rights, and gender-inclusive sex education.
The video below tells the story of Yeh Yung-Chih:
In November 2018, a referendum asked Taiwanese citizens their opinions about ten issues, one of them being the implementation of the homosexual aspect of Gender Equality Education Act in elementary and middle schools. Two-thirds of the voters voted against.
I asked both Cindy, who has children, and Andrew, who is expecting one, about their concerns for a child with two same-sex parents growing up in a society where heterosexual families remain the norm.
For Cindy, the situation will require a long fight:
At school, the curriculum has introduced different sexualities and gender identities without emphasizing rainbow families. Besides, the opposition wants to remove this kind of education from schools. We are very concerned  and know this is a challenge we will have to face.
Andrew believes strong support outside of school can protect their future child:
We do realize our child is going to grow as a “minority”. Therefore we will do our utmost to be fully open about his origins, our homosexuality, and the impact it can have on his life. Our close circle is totally supportive and made of people with different outlooks on society. This will create a bubble for the kid, and allow him to question and refute comments he could face outside
Regarding same-sex sex education in schools, I also talked to Jay Lin, a founding member of the Taiwan Marriage Equality Coalition and father of two 3-year-old children. He agrees more efforts are needed:
The results of the referendum deny children same sex education in elementary and secondary school. There is no constitutional protection for this kind of education, so we will need to lobby and communicate more with the general population, including many concerned and misinformed parents, on why this type of education is necessary. We can also do this on a micro level by talking to parents and teachers and by persuading the rest of the population that this is good for all children to be more aware about themselves and their peers.


text:
30 years after the Tiananmen Massacre: The troubled history of the Goddess of Democracy · Global Voices
Hong Kong Free Press

The Goddess of Democracy in Tiananmen Square,1989. Photo: Chan Ching-wah/Citizen News.
The following post is originally written by Kris Cheng and published by Hong Kong Free Press on 19 May 2019. The edited version is republished on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement.
The Goddess of Democracy stood for five days in Tiananmen Square in 1989 before the bloody massacre on June 4.
The ten-metre tall statue, facing the portrait of Mao Zedong hung at Tiananmen Gate, was made in only three days. It could not be attributed to one person; dozens of students from eight higher education institutions of art, music, and theatre participated in its construction.
When the statue was made, Beijing was almost ten days into martial law. Some students said that they wished to use the statue to energise and unite those in the square.
According to an account by one of the sculptors, Cao Xinyuan, the statue could only be completed in such a short time using a “thoroughly academic approach”:
They decided to adapt to their purpose a studio practice work that one of them had already made – a foot-and-a-half clay sculpture of a nude man grasping a pole with two raised hands and leaning his weight on it.
[…]The students cut off the lower part of the pole and added a flame at the top to turn it into a torch; they repositioned the body into a more upright position; they changed the man’s face to that of a woman, added breasts, and finally draped the whole figure in a robe.
The original model of the Goddess of Democracy on May 27, 1989. Photo: Tiananmen Duizhi.
On the night of 29 May 1989, the statue was brought into the square in four parts and assembled in 16 hours. Hundreds of thousands watched the process.
A simple flower offering and an opening ceremony were held at noon on May 30. Those who were present chanted “Long live democracy” and other slogans, Cao said, and some began to sing ‘The Internationale’.
Students from the Central Academy of Music gave a performance of the Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, then another foreign song and a Chinese song, and ended with The Internationale once again.
In a statement declaring the inauguration of the statue, the creators said they wished to dedicate it to those on hunger strike, to those in the square, to more than a million university students in China, and to those supporting them worldwide:
Although the God of Democracy, sculpted in plaster, cannot be preserved forever – we believe the darkness will pass and the dawn will come…[The original text referred to a God of Democracy instead of a Goddess.]
We strongly believe that when true democracy comes, we will come back to the square to stand up a grand, huge and permanent God of Democracy. This day will come. The Chinese people will forever put the God of Democracy in our hearts.
People Will Not Forget, a collection of reports by Hong Kong journalists who covered the democratic movement, recorded words from student creators of the statue.
A student majoring in sculpture told Hong Kong journalists that they made the statue because China needed a new innovative image, an image representing democracy, freedom, equality, and peace:
The Goddess of Democracy will represent the thoughts of the new generation of China. We need to get rid of old traditions, and get rid of the feudalistic parental system.
Another student who was involved in making the statue said it took the Statue of Liberty in New York as a reference. The Statue of Liberty has a torch in her right hand and a book with an engraving of the date of the US independence. The Tiananmen Goddess of Democracy has both hands on the torch.
But students may not have anticipated the reaction from the Beijing government. A student said at the time:
If the government ignores public opinion and forcefully destroys the statue, it will only show the authorities’ pettiness and their anti-democratic faces.
Soon after the statue was erected, Beijing’s Tiananmen management committee said it was a violation of the rules, as well as “an insult to the national dignity and image.” People’s Daily also printed articles over three consecutive days criticising the statue.
When the People’s Liberation Army cleared the protest on June 4, the statue was quickly felled and crushed by tanks. But replicas soon appeared in Hong Kong and other places.
The “Goddess of Democracy”. Photo: Catherine Lai/HKFP.
The first replica, according to the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, was made on 18 June 1989, by more than ten artists and 60 students from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. It was created so people in Hong Kong could visit Victoria Park in Causeway Bay and mourn the dead. However, the creators were unable to find a permanent home for this replica, and – by the end of 1989 – it had been dismantled.
Another replica was made with barbed wire in the early 1990s, which was used in commemorative events during Ching Ming Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, as well during the anniversary of the massacre.
But the most prominent replica may be the one created with fiberglass in 2004. At 2.4 metres tall, it has been used during candlelight vigils to commemorate the anniversary of the massacre.
The “Goddess of Democracy” at Victoria Park, Hong Kong. Photo: Catherine Lai/HKFP.
A smaller replica was made in 2009 – on the 20th anniversary – and was publicly displayed at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Similar statues were also displayed in cities in Taiwan, the US, Canada, and Australia. Other than replicas, Hong Kong also hosts another Goddess of Democracy statue inspired by the one made in1980.
In 2010, Chen Weiming, a Chinese-born New Zealand artist, created a new Goddess of Democracy statue, which was shipped to Hong Kong.
Controversy ensued when the Alliance displayed it in a public area of the Times Square mall in Causeway Bay on May 29, as the authorities said the statue did not have an “entertainment” license to be displayed. The police arrived and took it away. Following public pressure, the statue was eventually returned to the Alliance and displayed in Victoria Park.
The student union of the Chinese University of Hong Kong planned to move the statue onto campus, but it was not approved by the school administration. Nonetheless, hundreds escorted the statue onto campus after the annual candlelight vigil, and it has stayed there ever since.
The Goddess of Democracy statue entering the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2010. File Photo: Apple Daily.