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‘We Are Here To Support You’: A Dutch Welcome for Refugees · Global Voices
Faten Bushehri

“Welcome. We Are Here to Support You.” A Dutch volunteer welcomes refugees on the platform at Amsterdam Central station. PHOTO: Faten Bushehri
On disembarking from my train from Paris at Amsterdam Central Station at around 10pm, I notice a man on the platform holding up a sign that reads: “Welcome. We are here to support you”.
I stop and tell him I’d heard they needed Arabic speakers to help with interpretation for refugees from the Middle East. The man’s face lights up. He walks me to a corner of the station where food, drinks, clothes, toys and other basic needs are neatly organized, awaiting the arrival of the refugee.
I‘ve been living in Amsterdam for the past two months, and lately talk about refugees possibly arriving in the city has been on the rise. Anticipating that the tide would eventually spill over to the Netherlands, a group of volunteers has banded together to help refugees with their transition and move to the camps.
The group at Central Station has a schedule of arrival times, focusing on trains coming from France, Germany and Belgium that have a strong likelihood of having refugees on board.
My task is simple: greet them, chat with them, ask if they need food, water or clothes, cheer up the kids, explain what will happen next. I focus on the things I need to say and the information I shouldn't forget. What I didn’t anticipate are the stories the refugees would tell me.
One after another they come, with big smiles on their faces of delight and relief that they’ve finally arrived, talking over each other to relate how they’d boarded the “death boat” in Turkey to get to Greece and then to the Netherlands.
Khalid, a man in his late 30s, tells me the inflatable boat he travelled on had 49 people on board, including women and children. As the vessel was overcrowded and not equipped to carry that much weight, they all had to throw their bags and belongings overboard to save their own lives. They disembarked at the Greek port of Mytilene soaking wet and shivering as Greek government officials looked on. Khalid has special praise for some Dutch tourists who quickly approached them and offered help. He remembers a woman wrapping him, cold and dripping wet, in a warm blanket.
Refugees at Amsterdam Central Station awaiting transfer to temporary camps. PHOTO: Faten Bushehri
“We were becoming discouraged on the boat,” Khalid tells me. “But we drew motivation from each other. The men yelled, “Come on, we can do this! We have women and children on board!” And that's how we kept going.”
Upon arrival at Mytilene Khalid said they had to walk over 50 kilometers, from the north of the island to the south. He points to a friend he met on the boat whom he says was sick for days after being on the water for that long.
A Syrian woman interrupts to say that their boat had in fact exploded because of the weight. “When I remember the journey we had to take to get here, my eyes tear up,” she says. She and her fellow passengers had to swim the last few meters to the shore. She, her three little boys and her husband had fled from Al Raqqa, which is now under the complete control of ISIS.
Another woman tells what they paid for a trip on the boat: 1,400 euros per person. Another family paid 4,000, which they had to borrow from people they knew. “You paid 4,000 euros to possibly die?” I said to one of them. “We are dead either way in Syria,” he said.
A man in his late 50s who goes by the name of Abu Shadi is eager to connect to the wifi to call his children. His daughter lives in Breda, an hour and a half south of Amsterdam. His son lives in Sweden. Once settled, Abu Shadi looks at me with a broken smile. “My family is all over the place in different countries,” he says. As he looks at a photo of a young man in his early 20s on the screen of his phone, tears start pouring down his cheeks. “My son Feras has been missing for over a year now. Bashar Al Assad's forces kidnapped him. I don't even know whether he's dead or alive.”
As I try to empathize with Abu Shadi's unimaginable pain and grief, I'm called to report to the ambulance parked outside, in order to help mediate between a Dutch doctor, and a 23-year old man, also named Feras, who has been complaining of an increasingly severe headache accompanied by a cough and irritating rash. Having spent weeks sleeping in on the floor in various camps, the rash has spread all over his body. It's the first time I've seen the inside of an ambulance.
I meet two Iraqi men from the city of Mosul who were captured by ISIS but managed to escape and flee the country. One, a former general, was held by ISIS for 17 days. They broke his right shoulder because he had a tattoo (taboo in Islam) of the map of Iraq, blindfolded him and tied him to a fan. The second man, Ahmed, one of 23 people captured by ISIS, says they put a knife to his throat. “19 people were killed in front of us, and I was one of the survivors,” Ahmed tells me. “I don’t know how I got out of it.”
Two Iraqi refugees who managed to escape after being captured by ISIS are flanked by Joost, a Dutch volunteer (L) and the author (R). PHOTO: Faten Bushehri.
As I address these people in Arabic, they’re excited to hear a familiar language and ask where I am from. I’m slightly ashamed to admit I’m from Bahrain, a Gulf country that contributed to the war in Syria. The Gulf nations offered nothing, and added insult to injury by shirking their responsibility to host refugees in their oil-rich countries.
And here I am now, a privileged resident of the Netherlands, studying at a top university to earn my fully funded Masters. My biggest worries are about submitting my next exam, while they’re huddled together in a corner of Central station, wondering what the future has in store.
Mohammed tells me he left his wife and child back in Syria with nothing but a promise to make it to Europe and have them join him once he settles. “We don't want to be a burden on society,” he says. “I am a nurse. I want to learn Dutch and start working.” They’re humbled that we want to help and refuse to take more than the minimum that would get them through the night.
As the refugees in Central Station take in the fact that they’ve arrived in Amsterdam, the kids skip around among us volunteers, enjoying their new toys. Soon, they’ll all board a Red Cross bus that will take them to a temporary camp, and the start of some sort of new life.
For more information about RefugeesWelcome Amsterdam, visit their Facebook page.


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Zone9 Bloggers Are Not Alone: More Ethiopian Netizens Face Terrorism Charges · Global Voices
T Tekle

Zelalem, Yonatan, Bahiru and Abraham. Photo used with permission from debirhan.com
Alongside the now-famous case of the Zone9 bloggers, there are so many detained Ethiopian bloggers, online activists and politicians, whose names are not yet on the map.
Last year on July 8, 2014, Ethiopia detained a number of local opposition leaders, bloggers, online activists and concerned citizens. Some were released after four months of interrogation. However, ten were charged on October 31, 2014 under Ethiopia's Anti-Terrorism Proclamation with having links to diaspora-based Ethiopian opposition groups such as Ginbot 7, applying to attend an online security training, and engaging in online activism. Three of the 10 defendants are not members of any political party but ordinary citizens who were arrested for applying to attend a course. These are Zelalem Workagegnehu, Yonatan Wolde and  Bahiru Degu.
The controversial Anti-Terrorism Proclamation was adopted in July 2009. Ethiopian officials tend to defend the law by arguing that its controversial provisions were copied from the existing laws of countries such as the United Kingdom. Article 6 of the Proclamation, which has been used to curtail freedom of expression, provides that:
[w]hosoever publishes or causes the publication of a statement that is likely to be understood by some or all of the members of the public to whom it is published as a direct or indirect encouragement or other inducement to them to the commission or preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism [is subject to between 10 and 20 years in prison].
Zelalem, the first defendant, is an academic and a human rights activist who blogs at DeBirhan. Yonatan and Bahiru, who are best described as concerned citizens, had applied along with Zelalem for a social media and Internet security training that was brought to their knowledge by a US-based Ethiopian journalist. After an email from the Ethiopian journalist in the US was found in their possession, these young men were also arrested and later charged with applying for “a terror” when in fact the training was about Internet safety and security.
Ethiopian court last month acquitted Abraham Solomon, detained for having connections with the first defendant Zelalem, along with four other opposition politicians namely Abraha Desta, an official of the opposition Arena Tigray Party and social media activist, Yeshiwas Assefa, council member of the Blue (Semayawi) Party, Daniel Shibeshi, official of the now defunct Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party and Habtamu Ayalew, former Public Relations Head of the defunct UDJ. However, until today they have not been released because the Prosecutor has reportedly appealed the decision.
An article by the Electronic Frontier Foundation shows the increasing attempts of silencing online activists and netizens in Ethiopia. The organisation called Ethiopia to:
Immediately free all journalists in prison, including the remaining Zone 9 bloggers, and relieve them of all charges for the “crime” of reporting the news.
End the prosecution of individuals for pursuing security training and using encryption technologies, and free Zelalem Workagegnehu, Yonatan Wolde, Abraham Solomon, and Bahiru Degu.
Cease and desist from using invasive surveillance technologies like FinFisher and Hacking Team’s Remote Control System to spy” on Ethiopian journalists, Diaspora, and opposition groups.
While Zone9 remains among Ethiopia's best-known case of its kind, stories like that of Zelalem demonstrate that the issues these bloggers face extend far beyond a few individuals. The next court appearance of Zelalem, Yonatan and Bahiru is Monday, 23 November 2015.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: T Tekle


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Breaking Down Cultural and Racial Stereotypes About Latin Americans, One Joke at a Time · Global Voices
Patricia Carolina Saucedo Añez

“I have made it my duty to clear up some common misconceptions about my people. ‘My people’ being Latinos, not redheads. ‘Cause they are the devil.’ Joanna Hausmann vents her frustration with the stereotypes that people have regarding Latinos in the US, in her series “Joanna Rants.” Screenshot: FLAMA's YouTube channel.
Humor can be an interesting way to analyze the phenomenon of groups migrating to wealthier countries, where they become minority populations. Latin Americans in the United States are a perfect example of this occurrence—so much so that the Spanish-language television network Univision saw a market it could exploit: a younger, generally bi-cultural audience. Often comprised of second and third generation immigrants, these viewers are very experienced in the use of new media.
Launched by Univision, Flama is a network built on humorous, short videos. Flama's content is only available online through Hulu and YouTube, and it addresses topics like lifestyle, sports, music, and especially comedy. Humor is the vehicle for the station's commentary on the cultural differences between Latinos and Americans, as well as the misconceptions, stereotypes, and prejudices.
The videos are made predominantly in English—often with subtitles—and they are intended for a young audience interested in Latin American culture. Flama is also has a strong presence on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even Google+.
Even though the videos predominantly portray middle-class Latin Americans, without putting into question the discrimination suffered by this very heterogeneous group in the United States, there is a space to criticize the largely negative stereotypes and preconceptions, which North American society usually propagates about this group. Some of the issues addressed using humor and comedy are:
The problems Latin American newcomers experience at the office, as a result of differences relating to family structure and cultural and linguistic misconceptions:
The irritation that Latin Americans express in light of the stereotypes created by North Americans at their expense:
The prejudices that “white Latinos” are fed up with hearing, from their North American friends and acquaintances, regarding their physical appearance:
Situations related to bilingualism, particularly to the use of “Spanglish”:
Stereotypes of Latin American women at the moment they initiate an emotional relationship:
In ways like this, Flama challenges the essentialization of Latin American identity and shows the plurality and existing variety at its core. Large communities in the US are unaware of issues like those described above, but the cultural intersections will always great opportunities to spark people's interests.

author: Patricia Carolina Saucedo Añez


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‘Halal’ Internet Advertisements Pop Up in Toronto, Canada · Global Voices
Mahsa Alimardani

Advertisement spotted in Toronto's Scarborough neighbourhood. Image by Sara Alimardani, and used with permission.
‘Halal’ Internet became the informal name by Iranian officials for Iran's National Intranet Network project, an effort to create a national Internet infrastructure separate from the World Wide Web back in 2012.
However, in Toronto, there now seems to be a ‘Internet setup’ censoring Internet connections by the same name.
‘Halal’ Internet no longer an Iranian intranet issue, but a Toronto grammar issue. ‘Mistake clicks the web link?’ pic.twitter.com/OUcPcIvgQd
— Mahsa Alimardani (@maasalan) September 23, 2015
@maasalan $200, so i prefer Haram one :))
— Amir Rashidi (@Ammir) September 23, 2015
Beyond it's associations with Iran's intranet project, and the unclear and grammatically incorrect description in the flyer, the software does not seem to have an accessible website, or platform for distribution. Additionally there seems to be no explanation for what the technology is or what it does.
The advertisements are associated with various groups of parents protesting the Liberal government of Ontario's sexual education curriculum. The groups consist of members of the Conservative party, various coalitions affiliated with anti-abortion movements, alongside conservative or strong-faith based immigrants.

author: Mahsa Alimardani


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How School Lunch Plays a Central Role in Education in Japan · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

As anyone who has ever attended or taught at a Japanese school can tell you, school lunch (給食, kyuushoku) is the most important part of the day.
It provides not only nourishment, but also an opportunity to teachers and students to bond by eating together.
While the lunch is typically prepared by full-time staff in a large kitchen either in the school or at a central facility that serves the entire school district, it's the students who are responsible for serving lunch for their classmates.
New York-based Cafeteria Culture (CafCu), which has a mission to work creatively to achieve zero-waste public school cafeterias and climate-smart communities, has produced an engaging informative video that provides great insights about how school lunches are a fundamental part of learning in Japan's schools.

author: Nevin Thompson


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Jailed Activist and Artist Atena Farghdani Protests Mistreatment With Hunger Strike · Global Voices
کمپین بین المللی حقوق بشر در ایران

Jailed cartoonist and activist Atena Farghdani has been on a hunger strike in protest of verbal abuse in jail. Photo from ICHRI.
This post originally appeared on iranhumanrights.org and is published here in collaboration with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
Artist and civil activist Atena Farghadani, behind bars since January 10, 2015, has been on a hunger strike in Evin Prison throughout September in protest of ongoing verbal abuse by prison staff. Her mother Eshrat Ardestani told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran she required urgent medical care when her blood pressure dropped during her protest.
“Atena was looking really bad when we visited her on September 13, 2015. She could barely walk and could not stand on her feet. Then we realized she had been on a dry [refusing water as well as food] hunger strike for three days. On the fourth day her blood pressure had dropped so low that they had to take her to the clinic on [a makeshift stretcher made of] a sheet,” Ardestani said.
Asked why Farghadani had refused food and water, her mother said prison staff had been repeatedly abusing her verbally, suggesting she has had sexual relations with her lawyer, Mohammad Moghimi.
Moghimi was detained for four days on June 13, 2015, after shaking Farghadani’s hand during a prison visit and charged with “non-adultery illegitimate relations.”
“They have tarnished my daughter’s reputation in prison. They are playing with her integrity with their [ugly] words. Atena has been facing all this abuse and mistreatment for more than a year,” Ardestani added.
Atena Farghadani, the recipient of the 2015 Courage in Cartooning Award by the Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI), was sentenced on June 1, 2015, to 12 years and nine months in prison after drawing a cartoon that showed members of the Iranian Parliament as animals and posting it on her Facebook page.
The charges against her were “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the state,” and “insulting” the Supreme Leader, the President, Members of the Parliament, and the Revolutionary Guards agents who interrogated her. Her case has been sent to Branch 54 of the appeals court.
Farghadani has also developed signs of lymphatic disease during her imprisonment.
“Atena has lost everything as a young university honor student in prison. She has nothing more to lose. All this psychological torture against a young imprisoned girl is unnecessary. Why do they have to make life difficult for her even in prison?” her mother said.
For more coverage of Atena's case:

author: کمپین بین المللی حقوق بشر در ایران


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Myanmar Peace Activists Call for an End to the Country’s 60-Year-Old Civil War · Global Voices
Juan Cebu

Photo shared by Yangon Youth Network
Various groups in Myanmar celebrated the International Day of Peace on September 21 by marching in the former capital city of Yangon while demanding the release of political prisoners and the resolution of the decades-long civil war in the country.
Organizers of the event explained why it's crucial to end the armed political conflicts in the country:
နှစ်ခြောက်ဆယ်ကျော် ပြည်တွင်းစစ်ပွဲများ ဖြစ်ပွားနေခဲ့သော ပြည်ထောင်စုကြီးအတွင်း စစ်မှန်သော ငြိမ်းချမ်းရေး ရရှိနိုင်ရန် ရည်ရွယ်၍ စက်တင်ဘာလ ၂၁ရက်နေ့ အပြည်ပြည်ဆိုင်ရာ ငြိမ်းချမ်းရေးနေ့တွင် ငြိမ်းချမ်းရေးလိုလားသူ ကျောင်းသားလူငယ်များ ပြည်သူများမှ တစ်နိုင်ငံလုံး ငြိမ်းချမ်းလွတ်လပ် ဟူသည့်ကြွေးကြော်သံဖြင့် ချီတက်ပွဲတစ်ရပ်ပြုလုပ်သွားမည်ဖြစ်ပါသည်။
စစ်မှန်သော ငြိမ်းချမ်းရေးရရှိရန်မှာ လက်နက်ကိုင် ပဋိပက္ခများသာမကပဲ နိုင်ငံရေး ပဋိပက္ခများပါ ပြေလည်ရန်လိုအပ်ပြီး နိုင်ငံရေးကြောင့် ဖမ်းဆီးခံထားရသော အကျဉ်းသား မရှိရန် လိုအပ်သည်ဟု ယုံကြည်သဖြင့် ယခုနှစ်ချီတက်ပွဲတွင် နိုင်ငံရေးအကျဉ်းသားအားလုံး ခြွင်းချက်မရှိ လွတ်မြောက်ရေးကို အထူးအလေးထား တောင်းဆိုသွားမည် ဖြစ်ပါသည်။
In the hope of achieving true peace in our Union plagued with various civil wars for more than 60 years, peace-loving students and citizens will march on the International Day of Peace on 21st September, shouting the slogans of National Peace.
To achieve genuine peace is to resolve not only the armed conflicts but also political conflicts, and we believe that the country should not have political prisoners. Therefore, we will demand for the unconditional release of all political prisoners.
Myanmar was under a military dictatorship for five decades. During this period, civil war intensified between government troops and ethnic armed rebels. The country embarked on a political transition in 2011 towards establishing a democratic government, but it was still plagued by local armed conflicts and communal violence. About 1.5 million internally displaced persons continue to live in makeshift camps due to the lingering civil war and communal conflicts across the country. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), there are still 108 political prisoners who are detained, including some students who are clamoring for reforms.
Take a look at some of the photos of the march from the Facebook pages of Yangon Youth Network and International Day of Peace, Myanmar:
Peace March in Yangon. Photo shared by Yangon Youth Network.
The placard reads “To build the federal union is the way towards true peace.” Photo shared by Yangon Youth Network.
An activist delivers a speech during a rally in Yangon. Photo shared by International Day of Peace, Myanmar.
The text on the costume: (Wings) “Shed your selfishness and pride.” (Body) “Dear friends, this is the time to shed (your) hatred.” Photo shared by International Day of Peace, Myanmar.
The banner reads “The whole nation peaceful, free.” Photo shared by International Day of Peace, Myanmar.

author: Juan Cebu


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Netizen Report: China Joins Russia in Crusade to Keep User Data at Government’s Fingertips · Global Voices
Netizen Report Team

Car with Facebook flag, Moscow 2012. Photo by Irina Firsova. Copyright Demotix.
Ahead of a meeting between Lu Wei, China’s Internet czar, and several US tech companies—including Apple, Cisco, Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Uber—Human Rights Watch published a letter asking the invited companies to publicly commit “not to enable government abuses of freedom of expression and privacy in China.” This followed a broad request by China’s Information Technology Security Evaluation Center asking US tech companies to begin storing data on Chinese users within China, to “not harm” national security, and “to promise to accept supervision from all parts of society.”
China’s demands are nothing new, but point to a growing global trend of large, powerful governments asking foreign technology companies to play by their rules and store citizens’ data within easy reach of relevant authorities. From Brazil to India to Vietnam, such policies have been proposed with varying degrees of success. But with technology and political power centers like China and Russia moving forward in this realm, the trend feels more like a certainty than a threat.
The legal details of China’s proposal remain unclear, but they would likely undermine the processes currently in place for requesting user data from US-based companies. For example, right now, any government that wishes to access Google user data must present a court order to the United States Department of Justice, which will determine its legitimacy. Google’s Law Enforcement guidelines explain that if the order satisfies US law and Google’s policies, it will be fulfilled. If not, the user's data will remain undisclosed. The same is true for many other US companies that do business abroad.
Requiring companies to store data in-country could upend this system of accountability, leaving a much lower threshold for authorities to obtain user data.
Last year, the combined effects of these new, tighter Internet regulations, both current and predicted, prompted Russian Internet guru Anton Nossik to declare that the “end” of US social media services like Facebook, Twitter, and Google in Russia was near. This hasn’t happened yet, but a brief glance at both countries’ trajectories suggests that Nossik’s prediction might not be far off.
The Indian government is reconsidering a proposed law that would have given relevant state authorities access to “all encrypted information” regardless of its provenance or purpose. Alongside persistent arguments against weakening encryption by privacy advocates, public uproar against the proposal was particularly strong due to an aspect of the law that would have required citizens to maintain logs of all of encrypted social media and chat conversations — on platforms like WhatsApp, Viber, and Google Chat — for a minimum of 90 days, or risk jail time. This thoroughly clunky attempt to circumvent encryption technologies that are already built into these platforms was unequivocally rejected by mobile phone users across the country and caused the government to withdraw the bill for further deliberation.
Peruvian legislators may amend the country’s penal code to expressly criminalize the act of damaging another person’s reputation or honor over social media. Specifying platforms including Facebook and Twitter, the bill proposes that violators be jailed for 1-3 years.
Russian government regulator Roskomnadzor ordered social network Vkontakte to shut down the accounts of Children-404 and several other online LGBT youth support groups, following a court decision ruling that the groups were posting illegal “gay propaganda” online. The groups were given three days to take down any illegal content, though according to Children-404 founder Lena Klimova, the officials have failed to specify what content has been deemed illegal.
If Vkontakte refuses to comply with the order, the company could risk being blocked in its entirety by Russian Internet providers. Although authorities might prefer to block only the pages belonging to Children-404 and the other LGBT community groups in question, Vkontakte's technical infrastructure makes this tough. Vkontakte works under HTTPS, a secure protocol that makes it very difficult for web traffic monitors to see which pages a user visits within a site. If Russian authorities want to keep users from seeing the pages of Children-404 and its allies, they may have to block the entire social network, a move that would likely trigger uproar among young Russians.
Iran is consolidating Internet policymaking under the country’s most conservative branch of government, the Supreme Cyberspace Council, which reports directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In the past, the Supreme Leader has said the Internet is “used by the enemy to target Islamic thinking”. The move effectively cuts Iran’s more moderate President Rouhani out of policymaking for the Internet, suggesting regulations in Iran are likely to take a hardline turn.
Cybersecurity company FireEye found technical “backdoors” in 14 commercial routers in India, Mexico, the Philippines, and Ukraine after the routers were hacked. The attackers either stole network administration credentials or gained physical access to the routers in order to seize control of the routers, all of which were built by Cisco. The attackers accessed the data of all the companies and government organizations that sit behind the router, according to FireEye CEO Dave DeWalt. While home routers have been hit by malware in the past, attacks on commercial routers are relatively rare — according to DeWalt, only a handful of states have the capacity to conduct such attacks.
Several journalism research organizations in Chile and Colombia launched a Map of Media and Media Ownership, which is a database of media ownership with information on over 700 media companies intended as a research tool for policy makers, journalists, academics and the public. The map is a part of the data journalism project Poderopedia (“Power-opedia”) which maps political and corporate power in the region.
Are the Kids Alright? Digital Risks to Minors from South Korea's Smart Sheriff Application – Citizen Lab
Juan Arellano, Mary Aviles, Ellery Roberts Biddle, Darina Gribova, Hae-in Lim and Sarah Myers West contributed to this report.

author: Netizen Report Team


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Refugees and Police Aren’t the Only Ones At Odds in the Balkans · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Refugees arrive to transit camp in Opatovac, Croatia, September 21, 2015. Photo by Beata Zawrzel, copyright Demotix.
On Tuesday, September 22, minor clashes broke out between refugees and police at a transit camp in eastern Croatia. Officials have yet to explain the cause of the scuffle.
According to Sven Milekić, a reporter for Balkan Insight, 33 refugees fled the camp immediately after the violence and their current whereabouts are unknown. Milekić also cites the Croatian NGO Centre for Peace Studies, which says Croatian police used tear gas against the refugees, injuring at least two children, who were reportedly administered emergency care by Croatia's Red Cross.
In the meantime, the leaders of several Balkan states have opened discussions about the ongoing refugee crisis on several levels, while the relationship between Serbia and Croatia grows more strained.
Hungarian military seen patrolling the border beside the newly built fences to control the flow of refugees crossing into Hungary. Photo by Geovien So, copyright Demotix.
Particularly unhelpful to easing these tensions is the Hungarian government's decision to erect a new wall and several fences along some of its borders, in an attempt to stem the flow of newcomers.
Gradnja zida na GP Beremend (Foto: Eugen Husak) pic.twitter.com/VrlL9qr3FT
— HRT Vijesti (@hrtvijesti) September 21, 2015
Construction of wall at Beremend border crossing (Photo: Eugen Husak) pic.twitter.com/VrlL9qr3FT
— HRT Vijesti (@hrtvijesti) September 21, 2015
[VIDEO]From early morning Hungarians are putting barbed wire fence near border Gola #refugees http://t.co/ykI9b1hGmX pic.twitter.com/Rqgpehkl1X
— HRT Vijesti (@hrtvijesti) September 23, 2015
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović “warned” Serbian officials at a press conference on September 23 that “acting against Croatia would mean acting against the EU.” Milanović explained:
Croatia is an EU member. Serbia cannot, even if it wants, impose measures against Croatia as it has an agreement with the EU. Whatever Serbia does, or thinks to do, would be against the EU and I'm sure Serbia will not do that.
Milanović's statements seem to have irritated Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, who responded by saying that Croatia “has not learned lessons from the problems, so far,” claiming that Milanović “continues to provoke Serbia with his statements.”
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić also called Croatia's decision to close its borders with Serbia temporarily a “brutal violation of the SAA that Serbia signed with the EU, that is absolutely unilateral.”
Some analysts and members of the international community are beginning to argue that the European Union is exaggerating the crisis presented by the influx of refugees from the Middle East. Critics say the EU is failing to involve non-EU countries that have a stake in the matter in the plans and resolutions made to handle the crisis, perhaps adding fuel to the already troubled Balkan region.
Analyst and professor of Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz Florian Bieber wrote a piece for Balkan Insight, where he describes the European Union's handling of the crisis from a Balkan perspective:
The damage caused by governments in their response to refugees has been tremendous. Within weeks, borders across the region have been come more tightly controlled and closed than they have been for over a decade. […]
The response of Balkan countries along the transit route has reflected the conflicting signals coming from Germany and other core EU states, which have oscillated between welcome and rejection.
The divergent responses by these governments has put pressure on bilateral relations, in particular between Hungary and its two southern neighbors, but also between Serbia and Croatia and Slovenia.
Fredrik Wesslau, another expert on European foreign policy and the director of the Wider Europe Program for the European Council on Foreign Relations, called attention to these issues in a piece published just two days before the conflicting comments from Serbian and Croatian officials. Wesslau wrote:
Between 2,500 and 3,000 refugees are estimated to be entering Macedonia and Serbia every day. As the total number of refugees in the Balkans increases, more countries are fortifying their borders. There is a domino effect at play of borders being closed and fences being erected. This is causing further tensions among the states in the region and leading to nasty quarrels among EU member states.
Freelance journalist Jorgen Samso, who spent some time in the Balkans just prior to the explosion of the current refugee crisis, coined a term that might best capture what refugees traveling the “Balkan route” are now experiencing: the “Balkan Border Shuffle.” This new dance craze, as it were, moves from border to border, with no way back. Samso describes for Politico the added confusion that already desperate refugees now confront:
The confusion has trickled down to the refugees making their way north to destinations like Germany. Even with smartphones with access to news, social media groups and online maps the refugees were unable to keep up.
Disagreements between the leaders of the European Union are growing more apparent by the day. As Fredrik Wesslau notes, things are bound to get much worse before they get better and both EU and non-EU countries affected by the huge influx of refugees in Europe are looking to the EU for solutions. At this point, recent decisions by EU leaders seem to be more successful at rekindling old animosities than resolving the current crisis.

author: Danica Radisic


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‘With the Support of the Lord’: On the Campaign Trail in Ex-Soviet Central Asia’s Only Democracy · Global Voices
Chynara Bakyt kyzy and Sagipa Chorobekova

In Kyrgyzstan's 2010 election the Green Party came up with the slogan ‘Against All’, which is also a category on the ballot for voters who do not favour any of the parties. This year, no-one has tried the same trick, but there has been plenty of other tomfoolery at work. Photo taken from Mylesgsmith.com and used with permission.
As an October 4 parliamentary election approaches in Kyrgyzstan, political parties are going to extreme lengths to win the hearts and minds of voters accustomed to being forgotten once the ballot is over.
A total of 14 parties will compete for the parliament in an impoverished country of nearly six million people surrounded by landlocked dictatorships.
Unlike votes in neighbouring Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where three men have ruled for over two decades each, there will be no 90 per cent plus turnouts and unopposed landslides.
Due to the constrictions of its mixed parliamentary-presidential constitution, the maximum number of seats any party can win in Kyrgyzstan's 120-member Jogorku Kenesh (national parliament) is 65.
Even if one party takes that many, there will still be 55 up for grabs. For that reason parties are using all the space available to them for political campaigning.
Полит агитация по-кыргызски pic.twitter.com/92vjIb2Kqg
— AB (@abakiroff) September 6, 2015
[In the picture: The Ata-Meken party uses the rump of a cow to big up its brand] Translation: Political campaigning a-la Kyrgyz.
Parties that have been particularly active in campaign season include Ata-Meken, The Social Democratic Party (SDPK), Onuguu-Progress, Respublika-Ata-Jurt, Butun Kyrgyzstan-Emgek and Bir Bol.
The race favourite is the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, effectively led by President Almazbek Atambayev. SDPK is the only Kyrgyz party that has been represented in all five ruling coalitions since the last elections in 2010.
But while SDPK will be able to call on ‘administrative resources’ to ensure votes go their way, many point to the fact that little has changed in the country in the five years they have controlled key positions in government.
The below image spread quickly through the Kyrgyz internet. Although the man pictured in the image could be a homeless person, a drunk, or just a man sleeping on a warm autumn day in the republic, many have speculated he is an employee of a rival party aiming to make SDPK look bad.
СДПК наша надежная опора! #shailoo2015 pic.twitter.com/1CnuupA3j8
— Aitbaev Azamat (@AitbaevAzamat) September 7, 2015
[In the image: a man unconscious on a bench in front of an SPDK campaign ad reading SDPK – Your Tower of Strength!] Translation: SDPK our tower of strength!
Another popular party practice during this campaign has been free concerts for citizens. In the first half of the event, party politicos stand and make promises, while in the second famous Kyrgyz pop singers take over and entertain the people.
Many have argued that the songs help the parties by making the audience forget the promises that have just been made. According to the NGO Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, over a hundred free concerts were held in the first two weeks of the campaign that began on September 4.
#РеспубликаАтажурт #шайлоо2015 pic.twitter.com/I6Hm1RMtM3
— Edil Baisalov (@baisalov) September 4, 2015
With parties short of genuine policies, base populism has been the order of the day.  One party led by rebels from a faction in the current parliament decided to name itself after the country.
The slogan of ‘Kyrgyzstan’  is ‘Others Promise, We Do!’, but the motto was trolled on social networks as ‘Others Promise, We Promise Even More!’
A more minor party meanwhile, Great Kyrgyzstan, has been attempting to capitalise on the growing popularity of Islam in the majority-Muslim country, using the winning slogan ‘With the Support of the Lord’.
Вот этот баннер меня чуть не убил на днях)) pic.twitter.com/46yIFT8G34
— Adilet (@IsAdilet) September 20, 2015
[In the Picture: Candidates hold their hands in the prayer position in a PR article featuring slogans ‘With the Support of the Lord’, ‘Don’t Sell Your Vote, Think, My People!’, ‘Our Strength is in People’s Belief’] Translation: This recent campaign ad almost killed me.
Many members of the public have expressed concerns about the expense and waste of a campaign in a country where the average wage is just over $200 per month, and few expect the politicians to stay true to their pledges once inside the legislature.
General disaffection towards the political class driving the campaign has even spawned a mini-meme where tweeps invent the electoral promises of a fictional “Idiots of Kyrgyzstan” Party:
Партия “Идиоты Кыргызстана” : За кого бы ты не голосовал – мы все равно придем к власти.#Шайлоо2015“
— Шам (@Betlelist) September 9, 2015
“Idiots of Kyrgyzstan” Party: No matter who you vote for, we'll end up in power anyway.


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New Mobile App Noema Wants to Capture the ‘Underutilized’ Power of Human Voice · Global Voices
Anushe Noor

Noema
Asad Jamal Malik, a 19-year-old Pakistani, and Lars Laichter from Czech Republic have created an iOS app that will allow users to share interesting thoughts, ideas and stories in one-minute audio recordings. Moderators on the app will then select the most thought-provoking audios daily and create a curated stream of thoughts for users.
Called Noema, it's set to launch on Friday, 25 September 2015. The idea for the app began when Asad, who is from Khewra, Punjab, Pakistan, received a two-year scholarship from United World Colleges to study in the Netherlands. There, Asad was one of the founding members of the school's Social Entrepreneurship Incubator. Laichter was his roommate.
Together, they came up with the concept for Noema, but lacked the necessary skills. Once back in Pakistan, Asad rented a small apartment in Lahore and began to teach himself how to build the app, working day and night on it.
Now, Asad has been awarded a full scholarship at Bennington College in Vermont, US, in recognition of his entrepreneurial ability.
Noema
Global Voices spoke with Asad J. Malik about his experience creating Noema.
Global Voices (GV): You have been working hard for a whole year toward the launch of Noema. How do you feel now that is finally happening?
Asad Jamal Malik (AJM): Well, in all honesty, it’s a mixture of a lot of feelings. We’ve been working on Noema for over a year now. This is the most I’ve worked on a single project ever. Lars and I didn’t have the complete skillset to pull off our idea when we started. A lot of this year has been spent learning the skills and tools necessary to create the product. For almost six months I had locked myself in a tiny rented apartment in Lahore so I could learn the Objective C programming language in complete isolation. There’ve been concepts, iterations, experiments and multiple midnight epiphanies when pumping with emotion we scraped all our work to start again. By now we’ve been able to finally give life to our vision in some form. It feels like a real accomplishment of a personal goal to be able to see Noema approved on the AppStore. I’ve learnt a tremendous amount on the way and it will contribute to who I am forever.
GV: You have lived part of your young adult life on an international stage, representing Pakistan. What did you take away from that experience?
AJM: I was awarded a scholarship for the United World Colleges in 2012 when I was 16. UWC is a group of 15 high schools across the globe that bring people from hundreds of different countries together to educate them for a more peaceful future. I was selected for the school in Maastricht, the Netherlands as the representative of Pakistan. Spending two magical years in a beautiful place with some of the brightest minds from over 90 different nationalities was a life-changing experience which I will always owe a lot to. It was, in no way, perfect but what you learn from an environment so culturally diverse is that regardless of our different backgrounds, human beings have fundamental similarities.
This place provided me with some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like giving a talk in an event where the King of the Netherlands was the chief guest. This is also where I met my co-founder Lars Laichter. Living and working with him for so long has been an unparalleled experience which wouldn’t otherwise be possible. For me the walls of nationalism only fell down over the years and I do not consider myself a representative of Pakistan anymore. My horizons have only expanded and mostly when I talk about “us” I’m referring to the human race.
GV: You put formal education on hold to develop skills to build Noema. Now that you have returned to the classroom, how do you feel about the experience?
AJM: The reason I walked out of formal education for a year was because I felt I could learn a lot more that way. Matriculation in Pakistan was not the most pleasant of experiences. Rote learning and memorization of facts was the standard. Even though I was very lucky to go to a school where teachers cared and questions were encouraged, I really wanted more. I found my way to the Netherlands looking for just that but was only disappointed to find that even arguably the best high school system in the world (International Baccalaureate) was not dynamic enough. All my life I learnt more outside the classroom than in it. I do not have a single doubt in my mind that this past year out of the education system was the most valuable learning experience of my life so far. In terms of real life experience, travel, reputation, skillset, mental state, I had never been better.
Now I’m jumping right in again. I’ve received a scholarship from a prestigious institute, Bennington College (ranked 4th most entrepreneurial American college by Forbes) and have recently started term with a good amount of excitement. The college is known for taking a very different approach to education as students are given the liberty to design their own courses. I plan on making good use of all the resources this place has to offer and only time will tell if my opinions about going to college change.
GV:
AJM: With Noema we’re trying to create a community interested in using a more intimate way to communicate intellectually valuable content online. We want to provide an easily accessible platform for people to share interesting ideas. At the same time we imagine that it would give people an effortless and entertaining way to enhance their knowledge.
At the core of Noema sits the power of human voice. We believe that voice and oral language are some of the richest mediums of expression known to humans. Historically they’ve been underutilised in online spaces because of data limitations. The world is changing now and Internet speeds increasingly allow for easier audio streaming. We want more people to get comfortable with their voice because communicating ideas, thoughts and stories through your own voice is a very impactful experience. Listening to someone from another part of the world talk about her experiences and most valued thoughts is incredibly awe-inducing.
The big idea, however, is that as the next billion people move to the Internet, voice would play a crucial role. A lot of these people come from an illiterate background where reading and writing is not common. They come from cultures where writing is not well established but very rich oral tradition exists. We would hope that Noema will allow them to share the knowledge that’s been passing on orally from one generation to another to all of us.
GV: What are your expectations for the app?
AJM: The future is always incredibly exciting. I’m in a completely new place right now and am currently exploring options for the direction I want things to take. We have some very interesting ideas for the future of Noema once the wheels are in spin. Technology and the exponential growth of it has become a major interest of mine. I’m currently looking into Cyborg Anthropology, the study of the interaction of humans and technology, and already studying things like the philosophy of privacy in university. The future for our kind is exciting and the possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to play my role in shaping the direction things take. You can also expect a lot more products from me which aim at nothing less than altering the human condition. But for now we’re very excited to launch our little paper boat called Noema onto the turbulent waters.
GV: Do you have any plans to release versions of the app for different mobile phone opearting systems, such as Android, Blackberry, Windows, etc.?
AJM:  We are among a huge number of apps which carry on the tradition of launching on iOS first. There are multiple technical and non technical reasons. Android is too fragmented and open for a first time launch. Getting approved on the Apple Appstore adds credibility to the app because its a tough process. Virtually anything can be uploaded on the Google Play Store. Having said that, we will most certainly start working on an Android App once the iOS app takes off and finds its place on the market. we do not have plans for Blackberry and Windows.
GV: How do you plan to deal with multiple languages on the Noema app? Or is it designed to be only English-speaking?
AJM:  Noema, at the start will cater to the English-speaking , since it's the easiest place to start for us. However, we will launch language specific functionality as soon as there is enough content and traction. This would mean that the user will tell Noema all the language he/she speaks and the experience will be customised according to that. We would also want to experiment with translations for thoughts we find deeply engaging.

author: Anushe Noor


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This Is What Happened When A Pregnant Dog Was Buried Alive in Voronezh · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

The residents of an apartment building in Voronezh have rescued a dog from a particularly nightmarish trap. Earlier this week, construction workers apparently entombed the animal underground, when remodeling an apartment building's front entrance. Tenants say they started hearing muffled barking and whining from behind the freshly laid bricks on Tuesday, September 22.
Screen capture: Moye! Online / YouTube
For two days, local authorities failed to respond to requests for help. Finally, on Thursday, September 24, several tenants decided to take matters into their own hands, pulling up the bricks and digging out the trapped animal, which turned out to be pregnant. Footage of the rescue soon made its way online, where it has attracted more than 77,000 views in less than 48 hours.
A local animal rights community called “Right to Life” has taken temporary custody of the dog, launching a campaign to find her a new home. Sadly, the animal (named Belka, or “Squirrel”) lost her puppies due to the stress and dehydration of being trapped underground. She is currently rehabilitating in a clinic, where veterinarians performed an ultrasound and sterilized her.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Social Media Cries Copywrong After American Rapper Lifts Trinidadian Photographer’s Work · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“T.I. @ Bumbershoot,” cropped. Photo by Alex Crick, used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.
In a growing social media firestorm that has many Caribbean netizens up in arms, American hip hop artist T.I. used an image by Trinidadian photographer Laura Ferreira without permission. The image in question features a sultry-looking masquerader in an elaborate Carnival costume designed by Anya Ayoung-Chee, winner of the ninth season of the popular fashion reality show, Project Runway.
The image appeared in a party invitation that T.I. posted on his Instagram and Twitter accounts. Ferreira noticed and posted this comment:
@troubleman31 hey man, that’s my photography in your pic, Carnival costume designed by @anyaayoungchee
T.I.'s response was ungracious, or as Caribbean people like to say, “wrong and strong”, passing the buck onto the “team of people responsible for planning & arranging the festivities” and insisting that he has never plagiarised anyone. In a curious twist, he also suggested that Ferreira should be pleased with them “paying homage” to her work — which of course could never happen without the photographer being credited.
@lilmissmalone @robjoe1 @iriegirl_loml @bstunts_@nikophoto101 @tautologydesignstudio @dineshramsundar  @le_nel @instaval_tt @sweffmusic @gnimteyellinac @reaper_1629 and ALL U OVERZEALOUS COMMENTERS & COMMENTEES (that's not a word but still) I have no clue who @lauraferreirastudios or @anyaayoungchee is although I'm sure they're amazing at what they do. However I DIDNT STEAL SHIT FROM NOBODY & I never have.  Throwing a party with a theme as u can see. There's a team of people responsible for planning & arranging the festivities for this party. They do the decor, design the invitation,accept&arrange RSVP etc. Obviously & commendably @lauraferreirastudios had the best & most impressively appropriate images that relate to the theme of the party,which lead to the planners using the images. Which in itself is them paying homage to your work. Let's be clear guys. ITS A PARTY INVITE!!!!! Not album or even single artwork,not tee shirts we plan to sell,not framed & sold for our benefit…ITS A PARTY INVITATION GUYS!!!! I've seen world famous photos of worldly iconic figures used to invite people to parties all the time & with the photographs photoshopped & altered which takes away from the integrity of the art. This isn't the case here guys. During MLK Wkend if there an invite to a party with Dr MLK on it is there ever credit given to the photographer or artist???? I've NEVER SEEN THAT. ITS AN INVITATION PEOPLE!!!!! And while I can respect your appreciation for art & the artists work in question….YALL GOT ME FUCKED UP KICKIN ALL DIS FLY-SHIT IN MY COMMENT BOX!!!! Now that's da nices,most respectful way I'm gon be able to say…YALL NIGGAZ BETTER CHILL OUT!!!! I ain't wit it!!!!! And Gold Star to me for takin da time out to address dis in such a calm manner….
A photo posted by TIP (@troubleman31) on
And credit, for herself and Ayoung-Chee, is all that Ferreira was asking for. On her studio's Facebook page, she posted:
T.I. is using one of my images for his birthday invitation, on his Instagram account (it's now on his Facebook page, too). Would love to have a credit for myself as well as the costume designer, Anya Ayoung-Chee.
Seriously, whoever designed this knew they didn't have the right to use it. Removing my name from the image doesn't magically make it right. I would have been thrilled to let it out to such a huge audience, if I were contacted in the first place -____-
Ferreira has since filed a report about the incident on both Instagram and Facebook.
On both T.I's Instagram account and Ferreira's Facebook page, the reactions were mixed. Several commenters thought that Ferreira should have been paid for the use of her image and suggested that she get legal counsel on the matter.
Renee Bottagisio was in full support of the photographer:
This is definitely not acceptable and what you have done by standing up to him publicly like this has been a very brave and gutsy move!! Nuff respect to you and your work!!. This character has been disrespectful, arrogant and very rude. I don't think it is even about the money it's about the principle. What he did was incorrect, what you asked for was just and within reason and his response…. absolutely ludicrous. Wishing you a favourable outcome in this and more publicity of your excellent work both locally and internationally, blessings to you.
On T.I.'s Instagram comments thread, chaufit echoed these sentiments:
Dude, you don't even get it. People are mad because the work was watermarked and identified as belonging to someone. You didn't fuck up, your promotional team did. You probably didn't even know about it until a fuss was made. All people are saying is that this is someone's intellectual property. When it was pointed out to you, all you had to do was apologise on behalf of your promotional team and thank the photographer and designer for their work.
While other commenters pointed out that the photograph was available without the watermark, most people felt that the sensible thing to have done was to apologise for the oversight and give the photographer and designer proper credit. As nina_does_life put it:
@troubleman31 Well you certainly put the T in Tasteless with that response!! All that rah rah with you? Respect is respect is respect. Talk done.
There was some discussion on Ferreira's Facbeook page about the Instagram Terms of Use; Stayfano LB was under the impression that “any material posted on Instagram is free and open to the use of others”, but Ferreira cleared up any misconceptions by posting the following image on her Facebook page, saying “Facebook (and Instagram) always take down images once reported. I'm not worried that it won't, just takes time sometimes. Just a glitch in my day that could have turned out more positively.”:
Some netizens felt that the whole affair was tantamount to much ado about nothing. Mark Anthony said:
I think you're just overreacting the pic was released ages ago, they used it for invites no money was made from the image being printed, and the dude even complimented your skills, don't really think he knew that someone from his team of assistants stole your photo…
Justina Newman countered:
Mark you clearly have no understanding of theft or copyright. His marketing team had to pay the tequila company to use their logo. They had to use non copyrighted fonts and pay for those, even a brand new marketing employee fresh out of school knows you do not use something you don't own without express written permission. Stop victim blaming. His team stole, they got caught. His name is the one associated with it so he needs to make it right.
Some Facebook users wondered how the rapper would feel if the shoe were on the other foot. Billy Dc quipped:
He seems to feel that because its just an invite and not to make money off of its not a big deal. Does that mean i can illegally down load his music if im only gonna play it at home?
Niall Legerton felt that the irony of the situation was that T.I. just couldn't see the forest for the trees:
His actions are tasteless and arrogant….. especially as a fellow artist!

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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The Story of Raiza Ruiz, Declared Dead While Very Much Alive · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

Raiza Ruiz. Image taken from Radio Ambulante.
Raiza Ruiz experienced the bizarre ordeal of being legally dead whilst still alive.
Had to read that last line more than once?  You're not the only one. However, that was the strange reality for Raiza Ruiz, the sole survivor of a plane which crashed on its way through the Amazonian state in Venezuela.  Ruiz was travelling to the state's capital, Puerto Ayacucho, to collect her pay check. At the time, September 1981, Raiza was 26 years old and working as a medical intern with the indigenous communities in the area:
Decía yo en la selva: ‘Aquí no me muero, aquí no me muero. A mi que me encuentren. Yo me muero en Caracas y cuando yo quiera.’ Imagínate tú qué osada, qué necia, qué horror.
I said to myself in the rainforest: ‘I’m not going to die here, I’m not going to die here. They’re going to find me. I’ll die in Caracas, whenever I want.’ Imagine the boldness of that, the foolishness, the horror…
The tragedy has marked her life forever. Since the accident Ruiz has found herself in many an unusual situation, including having her statements dismissed as invalid by police because they were given by someone who was legally deceased.
Below you can listen to the complete interview ins Spanish titled Chronicle of a Death Wrongly Foretold, produced by Rafael David Sulbarán, journalist and director of plumavolatil.com, along with our very own Silvia Viñas, previous editor of Latin America for Global Voices. The transcription of the interview in English is available here.

author: Ángel Carrión


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A Series of Outrageous Events Fuels Catalans’ Distrust Before Historic Election on Independence · Global Voices
Violeta Camarasa

Picture of the last pro-referendum demonstration in Barcelona, Catalonia, on September 11, 2015. Image from Twitter.
A series of unfortunate public faux-pas have further increased the Catalan people's distrust in the Spanish government in the weeks prior to Catalonia's regional elections on Sunday.
On Sunday, September 27th, Catalonia will see the big day many citizens have been waiting for: they will vote in a historic election that has been billed as a direct vote on independence from Spain. The central government has refused to allow a legal referendum on independence from Spain. The coming regional elections will finally give a democratic mandate to either proceed with the independence process or put it aside and find ways to manage the current status of Catalonia as a Spanish region.
While the Spanish government continues to dismiss what has been historically known as “the Catalan problem,” there has been an increasing demand for a democratic election to determine if the Catalan people want to maintain or break the bond with the State of Spain. The stalling of the central government, which objects to a legally binding self-determination referendum because it is “unconstitutional,” has prevented a robust public debate about the pros and cons of independence. Instead, a series of recent events have further fueled discomfort and mistrust towards the Spanish government.
On Twitter, journalist Jaume Clotet (@jaumeclotet) shared the general impression of those following the elections:
Em diu una periodista estrangera: "Looking at what the Spanish government is doing it seems they want to lose Catalonia."
— Jaume Clotet (@jaumeclotet) September 23, 2015
A foreign correspondent just told me: “Looking at what the Spanish government is doing it seems they want to lose Catalonia.”
The curious case of the EC letter
The move that has caused the most outrage one is probably the alleged manipulation of a statement by the European Commission (EC). On July 21, Santiago Fisas, a European Parliament deputy for the anti-independence and anti-referendum Popular Party sent a written question to the European Commission asking whether the Commission would recognise an independent Catalan state. The response, signed by EC president Jean Claude Juncker, arrived back on September 21, in both English and Spanish. Surprisingly, the two versions were different, as Alberto Nardelli, data editor at the British newspaper The Guardian, pointed out:
Extraordinary: On the left, Juncker's statement on Catalonia. On the right, the Spanish translation #27S pic.twitter.com/Ptggmak3mc
— Alberto Nardelli (@AlbertoNardelli) September 25, 2015
The English text simply stated that “it is not for the Commission to express a position on questions of internal organisation related to the constitutional arrangements of a particular member state.” In the Spanish version, however, a long paragraph was added that ends with what could be interpreted as a reference to the impossibility of an independent Catalan state within the European Union:
La determinación del territorio de un Estado miembro está únicamente establecida por el Derecho constitucional nacional, y no por una decisión de un Parlamento autonómico contraria a la constitución de dicho Estado.
The determination of the territory of a member state is established only by the national constitutional law, and not by the decision of an autonomous parliament against the constitution of that state.
After the news hit the social networks and the media, the spokesperson for the EC, Mina Andreeva, clarified that the authentic version was the English one, and that the extra paragraph in the Spanish translation was the result of a “mistake” or “human error.” Days before the elections, Catalans are still demanding a better explanation. Some, like Wikimedia Programme Manager Àlex Hinojo (@Kippelboy), addressed their tweets directly to Juncker:
Hi! mr @JunckerEU, Catalan people have the right to Know the truth before voting on Sunday. Who manipulated the EC statement?
— Kippelboy (@Kippelboy) September 25, 2015
Never a dull moment before Catalonia's big election
Other scandals compounding the Catalans’ unease include reports about the Bank of Spain bringing cash to Catalonia from other parts of Spain for fear of massive withdrawals after the elections. Shortly after publicly warning of this risk, the governor of the Bank of Spain retracted his statement and said that the scenario of a massive cash withdrawal was “almost impossible.”
Politically active Internet users were also alarmed by the report titled “Elections to the Catalan Parliament: Who is cheating on Twitter,” compiled by the group Twitter Bots, which aims to uncover political networks of fake profiles. Their research revealed two big networks of political spam accounts, both of them catering to anti-independence positions.
Social media users confront Spanish PM
Yet another episode of political distress was caused by the interview of Spanish Primer Minister Mariano Rajoy on Onda Cero radio on September 22. The fumbling and incoherent responses that Rajoy gave when the radio host asked him to explain his former claims that independence would cost Catalans their Spanish and European citizenship immediately went viral, causing a mix of surprise, embarrassment, rage, and mockery. This inevitably generated an outburst of online memes, like the ones below:
Rajoy en Onda Cero, por JR Mora https://t.co/PraC9ZjQ4r pic.twitter.com/G8AfPm4ilB
— Menéame noticias (@meneame_net) September 24, 2015
Rajoy on Onda Cero, by JR Mora
La majoria de la premsa espanyola ha intentat amagar el gran ridícul de Rajoy ahir en Onda Cero, però tenim internet! pic.twitter.com/2laRgtIRYU
— Escanyat (@escanyat) September 23, 2015
Most of the Spanish press tried to conceal Rajoy making a fool of himself yesterday at Onda Cero, but we have the Internet!
MIERDA, MIERDA, MIERDA. pic.twitter.com/FSnau5QgmU
— Els quatre gats (@Els_quatre_gats) September 22, 2015
“Shit, shit, shit.”
The odds in favor of independence
In the previous election in 2012, the parties supporting a self-determination referendum—Convergence and Union (CiU), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Initiative for Catalonia Greens-United, Alternative Left (ICV-EUiA) and the Popular Unity Candidature (CUP)—got the most votes. The mandate was clear, but far from easy to accomplish. As in the case of the referendum in Scotland, the Spanish law states that in order to hold a legally binding referendum, the central government needs to transfer authority to the region. But unlike the British, the Spanish government has made it very clear that it will not allow the vote.
Two years of political and legal pirouettes by the Catalan government have not changed the position of the Spanish government, which maintains that any attempt to hold a referendum would be illegal. The Catalan government, in an attempt to move forward, held an informal consultation on 9 November 2014, despite the Constitutional Court of Spain ruling suspending all calls for a vote. The non-binding participatory experiment, held in spite of all the legal obstacles to promote a public debate, had an ambiguous result: more than 80 percent of the participants voted in favour of independence, but unofficial estimates pointed to a low (36 percent) turnout.
The Sunday elections are set to finally provide some official data on the popular support for Catalonia's independence from Spain. It should give a clear democratic mandate to both the Catalan and the Spanish governments to negotiate a hopefully friendly solution convenient for both Spanish and Catalan citizens.

author: Violeta Camarasa


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Maternal Infanticides, Attempted Suicides Highlight Heavy Burden on Tajik Women · Global Voices
Abdulfattoh Shafiev

Shadow of a mother and child. Torange.us. Licensed to re-use.
For the second time in the space of a few months a horrible incident involving a mother of three attempting to drown herself and her children has shaken Tajik society to its core. In both cases the young mothers were rescued, while their children died.
On September 21, a few days before the major Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, a 23-year-old woman called Salomat burned her house to the ground, and took her three children to the Vakhsh River nearby.
Salomat was later taken out of the water alive by residents of her village, but her son Alisher, 4, and daughters Sadbarg, 2, and Sumaya, six months, could not be revived.
This is the second such heartbreaking story in recent times.
Three months earlier, another women called Parvina took her three children from the village where they lived to the capital city of Dushanbe.
After a short walk in the local park Parvina took them to the banks of the main river running through Dushanbe and jumped into its waters with them. While Parvina was rescued, her son Ziyovuddin, 7, and five and six-year-old daughters Omina and Mahina drowned to death.
In both cases, forums, comment sections on news websites, and social media were filled with condemnation of the mothers’ actions:
Дура, а чё нарожала та?
Fool, why give birth?
Сад дар сад ин зан гунахкор аст,3-нафаро ба катл расонид.Магар дигар занхои точик,дар дигар нохияхо,дехотхо камбуди надоранд.Худоро шукр гуфта зиндаги кардан даркор…. Худкушии занхо,хонавайрони,талоки занхо хама айби занхост.
This woman is guilty 100%, she killed three children. Are other Tajik women in villages free of problems? You should thank God and live your life. Women should bear responsibility for suicide, divorce, and everything else.
ин гуна занхои котилро хатман бояд чазои сангин интизор бошад. наход модар котили тифлони бегунохи худ шавад. касти куштори худ медошт чаро кудаконро ба об партофт бояд худашро танхо мепартофт. аз ин маълум мешавад, ки ин зан худ гунахгор буда кудакони ноболигаш шохиди асли вокеъ будаанд.
This kind of killer should be punished severely. How can a mother kill her own children? If you want to kill yourself, why throw the kids into the river as well? Just throw yourself in. It means that she herself was not innocent, and the children witnessed something.
The women were labelled as beasts, non-humans and other degrading things by the chattering classes in a country where internet costs about $25 per month or two-thirds of the minimum wage. Both women were from families living below the poverty line, a status they share with more than a third of the population.
In the case of the September tragedy, the circumstances surrounding the event are still unclear. The woman from the July incident, Parvina, said she had lost her mind after her husband of 11 years told her he wanted to leave her for his first cousin.
Bucking the trend towards blanket abuse of the killers, some internet users saw the two incidents as deeply rooted in the excessive burden borne by women in the poorest country to emerge from the rubble of the Soviet Union.
Уже не первый и не 10 случай,,, пора задуматься родителям и правительству, чтоб не только учить готовить убирать и смотреть мужу в рот а давать образование нашим женщинам, трудоустраивать, помогать им- Ане бросать на них все( мол женщина стирай убирай молчи). Пора уже сделать психологические центры( или как правильно называется)…. Очень жалко детей, ну эту проблему нельзя оставлять так!!!!
This is not the first incident, nor is it even the tenth. It is time for parents and government to think that rather than teaching girls just to cook, clean, and be dependent on their husbands, they should educate them, give them jobs and help them. It is time to set up psychological centres. I am deeply sorry for the children, but the problem can not be left ignored any longer.
href=”https://www.facebook.com/groups/Midushanbintsi/permalink/1651253968483400/?comment_id=1651272215148242&offset=0&total_comments=35&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22%7D”>Это все потому что у нас нет социальной защиты населения. Т.е. сама инстанция есть , но она абсолютно бесполезное. Нет программ для поддержки таких семей . Да и возможно у ней была послеродовая депрессия. Это кошмар. Очень жаль детей и больше всего саму женщину. А три ребенка для Таджикистана это норма. Зачем сразу нападать , что типа “куда плодилась” . Жаль , очень жаль.
All this happens because there is no social protection for the population. There is an agency to carry out this function, but it is completely useless. There is no program to support families in need. Perhaps [Salomat] had after-birth stress and depression? A horrible story […] Why are people so fast to attack her with “why have kids” [and other insults]?
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) study from 2012, Tajikistan comes in 139 place out of 172 countries for the number of suicides per population with 4.2 suicides per 100,000 people. UNICEF provides similar data, saying the national suicide rate in Tajikistan among youth (ages 15-19) increased 63% from 2.8 to 4.5 (per 100,000) between 2008 and 2010.
These statistics only tell part of the story, however.
Massive social stigma and judgement surrounds suicide and depression in Tajikistan and many cases go unreported, while state media prefers not to highlight such stories.
Perhaps the problem of suicide will begin to be discussed more openly due to an increase in the number of men now taking their own lives. With the cost of living forever increasing and the economy suffering dreadful rebound from the ruble crisis in Russia — over a million citizens from Tajikistan work there making it the world's most remittance-dependent economy — suicide is losing its gender-specific character.
Parvina, the woman rescued from the river in July, is currently in detention and faces a jail term of between 15 and 25 years. Women's rights NGOs in Tajikistan have hired a lawyer for Parvina and are building awareness around her psychological condition at the time the event happened in the hope of reducing her jail term.
These campaigners say that women such as her and Salomat were given their real punishment some time ago: the type of life where the thought of killing themselves and their own children might cross their minds.

author: Abdulfattoh Shafiev


text:
Welcome to India’s War on Malnutrition · Global Voices
Sourabh

Call against malnutrition, at Central Park in New Delhi. Image by Rohit Gautam. Copyright Demotix (7/6/2015)
Puja and Arti are seven-month-old sisters. They were born in a small village called Madhubani Ghat in the East Champaran district of the Indian state of Bihar. Their parents, Sabita and Hari Giri, are illiterate and belong to a socially-excluded community, leaving them without many of the means necessary to their children's health. As part of a UNICEF program in the village, both the twins were screened for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and it was determined that Puja and Arti were SAM cases. They are not alone.
Twenty percent of Indian children under the age of five suffer from wasting (low weight for height) due to acute undernutrition, which is more than one third of the world’s children who are found wasted. According to UNICEF's recent Rapid Survey on Children, about 30 percent Indian children under five years are malnourished. With all its economic growth and technology boom, these malnutrition figures are thoroughly uninspiring for a country rising in so many other areas.
Apart from providing midday meal schemes in schools, there are a handful of other efforts to curb malnutrition, such as Integrated Child Development Services (started in 1975), the National Children’s Fund (created during the International Year of the Child in 1979), the National Plan of Action for Children, the National Rural Health Mission, and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
India observes National Nutrition Week annually from September 1 to 7, when the country tries to boost awareness about the importance of nutrition and its far-reaching implications on development, productivity, economic growth, and ultimately national development. This year, the theme was “Better Nutrition: The Key to Development” and the emphasis was to raise awareness about malnutrition, healthy diets, and measures that would curb malnutrition. As part of the program, the Food and Nutrition Board through its 43 Community and Food Nutrition Extension Units present in each state and Union territory, coordinating with NGOs and other departments to organize workshops, orientation trainings of field personnel, awareness generation camps, and community meetings about better nutrition.
Each state in India has come up with its own plan to tackle malnutrition. According to new data, India’s nine poorest states have successfully reduced the number of underweight children over the last decade.
Launched in 2013, the Chhattisgarh state government’s “Phulwari scheme” for children between ages of 6 months and 3 years aims to keep children healthy by providing proper nutrition. The scheme was planned to be implemented in 85 tribal development blocks of 19 districts, with 2,850 Phulwari Centres and Rs. 10 crore (about 1.5 million US dollars) was allocated for the centers. Similarly, the Nawa Jatan scheme in Chhattisgarh was designed to combat malnutrition, where UNICEF provided technical help through its consultants by conducting a base-line survey in around 340 village panchayats where the malnutrition rate was reported to be high. The population of Chhattisgarh is 26 million people, with tribal people making up more than 30 percent of the total. Nearly a third of the local children are malnourished, but recent figures show a substantial decrease in the number of malnourished children, thanks in large part to these new projects.
#Chhattisgarh‘s 1st of its kind, ‘Phulwari’ Scheme has managed to achieve significant success in eradication of malnutrition.
— Dr Raman Singh (@drramansingh) August 26, 2014
.@ChouhanShivraj should learn from Chhattisgarh where kids in tribal areas are being fed eggs through Phulwari scheme http://t.co/ODNvEyOzzL — Supriya Sharma (@sharmasupriya) June 1, 2015
According to the latest survey by Census of India and Clinical, Anthropometric and Biometric (CAB), these projects in Chhattisgarh have succeeded in lowering the percentage of stunted and underweight children under the age of five years from 53 percent to 35 percent and from 53 percent to 39 percent, respectively.
India’s largest state, Rajasthan had 44 percent of children under the age group of 3 years as underweight, according to National Family Health Survey. The state government has setup 38 Malnutrition Treatment Corners (MTCs) with the aim of improving management of severely malnourished children at the level of district hospitals. According to a State Institute of Health & Family Welfare document, 13,200 malnourished children have been taken care of under this program.
In an effort to distribute supplementary food enriched with vitamins and minerals for undernourished children, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, the United Nations World Food Programme, and the Indian government have set up the Banswara Factory as a model for producing supplementary food. The factory, owned and operated by ten local women, produces Raj Nutrimix—a mix of flours, wheat, and sugar fortified with essential micronutrients which are also palatable to children. Thirty metric tons of Raj Nutrimix enriched with vitamins and minerals feeds 6,000 children under the age of three and nearly 3,000 pregnant or lactating women on a daily basis, thanks to Rajasthan State Government’s social welfare program. The government is also turning to organic farming and has an ambitious plan to dedicate thousands of hectares of land to farming organic crops, in order to tackle the twin issues of protein malnutrition and unsustainable chemical fertilizer-based farming.
Rajasthan plans to open 10 more #HumanMilkBanks to combat against #malnutrition. An effective step to invest in future of country- Children.
— #FortifiedFood (@_FortifiedFood) September 3, 2015
According to a recent survey, there are 4,300 children in Rajasthan aged between 6 months to 5 years with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and in need of medical or supplementary intervention.
India’s least developed state, Bihar faces a serious malnutrition crisis. According to the consolidated revised National Rural Health Mission report 2012-13 for Bihar, around 80 percent of children under five are malnourished. Low intake of nutritious food, non-availability of quality health services, the absence of adequate community workers, low institutional delivery, and a lack of access to cheap medicines have all contributed to high malnutrition rates in the state.
Since 2012, the Bihar Government has been working on a three-pronged strategy to curb malnutrition. In all 38 districts, the government has setup 30-bed nutritional rehabilitation centers focusing on acute malnourished children. Early marriage, non-spacing of children, and a lack of breastfeeding, too, contribute to malnutrition and the programs under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, run by the department of social welfare, are aiming to change this. The health department has also launched micronutrient programs that include Vitamin A capsules and iron supplements.
Severe acute malnutrition is a stark reality in Bihar #India. More than 50% of children under 35 months r underweight pic.twitter.com/h1LPBjIVF6
— Sophie Cousins (@SophCousins) April 16, 2015
Launched on October 11, 2014, by the Department of Social Welfare's former chief minister, Jitan Ram Manjhi, the government of Bihar initiated a campaign called “Bal Kuposhan Mukta Bihar,” which aims to reduce child malnutrition to below 30 percent among children under three by the end of 2017. The program uses social media and street plays to convey its messages about malnutrition. It even practices periodic household visits by service providers, such as Anganwadi workers and staff from the Accredited Social Health Activists, who talk to mothers about issues related to malnutrition.
Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Bihar have been battling malnutrition for decades now. While new official data show improvement and testify that multiple programs seem to be working, there remains much to do.

author: Sourabh


text:
‘A Syrian Love Story’ Follows One Family’s Journey Through War and Exile · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

A new film follows one Syrian family through five years of upheaval. Credit: Filmmaker Sean McAllister.
This article and radio report by Leo Hornak for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on September 24, 2015, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
The scale of the Syrian tragedy is difficult to comprehend: more than 200,000 dead, 6 million internally displaced, 3 million more living as refugees.
Now an award-winning new film is seeking to bring home the personal consequences of the war for ordinary people.
Since 2009, before the start of the current conflict, the British film-maker Sean McAllister has been filming the daily lives of one family based in Damascus.
Amer Daoud and his wife Raghda Hassan first met and fell in love as political prisoners in the cells of a Syrian prison 15 years ago. After their release they married and had a family.
McAllister’s camera has been with them and their children through every step of Syria’s revolution, its civil war and the family’s final exile in Europe.  The resulting documentary is called  “A Syrian Love Story.”
McAllister says that he had already begun filming the family when the revolution began. “I got a call saying  ‘Do you know what? It’s starting in Syria!’ — and the first people on the streets were Amer and his son Kaka, and they had both been arrested.”
Eventually the family is freed, but Sean himself is arrested and held in a Syrian jail for a week. As a result, the authorities discover who he has been filming, and Amer, Raghda and the children are forced into exile for their own safety.
As the family tries to adapt to new countries and new environments, the strain begins to wear on the Amer and Raghda’s marriage.
In spite of the suffering it shows, McAllister still sees his film as ultimately optimistic: “I think the message of hope is in the defiance — the defiance of one family, who have all pulled through.”
He believes that films that humanize migrants and refugees are more important than ever. “We see on the television people washed up on the seashore. Amer and Raghda give a voice to all these people you see on the news.”

author: PRI/PRX's The World


text:
Ayotzinapa: Nine Possible Answers to Questions Remaining One Year After the Disappearance of 43 Students · Global Voices
Sin Embargo

Banner of the 43 missing students hung in the school Normal de Ayotzinapa. Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo.
This post was originally published on Sin Embargo and is reproduced here under our partnership agreement.
One year ago, 43 students disappeared after being detained and kidnapped by police in the city of Iguala, in the south of Mexico. Authorities concluded that they were kidnapped by a group of criminals who killed them and incinerated their bodies to be left by a nearby trash collection site. Doubts still exist about this conclusion.
They were young adults from poor families who studied at the rural Ayotzinapa school, an institution known for its strong political activism, to be teachers. The majority were in their first year of study and had spent just a few months at the school, located 125 kilometers south of Iguala, in the Guerrero state of Mexico.
The normalistas (teaching students) from Ayotzinapa were accustomed to seizing buses on roads to use for demonstrations. Last September, they intercepted one close to Iguala, and the driver reached an agreement with the group to drive toward the bus terminal to let the passengers off, according to information from experts from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
No, fewer than 10 of them went. In the terminal, the driver left the students locked in the bus. Those trapped students called their friends for help. More normalistas arrived in two buses and together they seized three more vehicles and pelted another one with stones.
For years, the police had permitted the hijacking of buses to avoid violence. On September 26 in Iguala, a three-hour ferocious chase took place: municipal police shot at them, killed six people, wounded 40 others, and turned over 43 people to the Guerreros Unidos cartel.
Only three of them were students. A bus carrying a youth football team called “Los Avispones” was also attacked. The driver, a 15-year-old football player, and a taxi passenger died in the attack.
Some of those detained later mentioned they thought that in the mix of students were members of the criminal rival group Los Rojos who had infiltrated the group. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights experts believe that something else could have been a possible cause for the altercation: drugs or drug money could have been in one of the buses, without the young people knowing, since drugs are often trafficked from Iguala to Chicago.
Although some of those detained talk about how the young people were incinerated, and the district attorney's office says that the remains were in a bag in the river next to the garbage dump, Argentinian specialists summoned by family members do not agree with this version of events since they weren't present when the bag was discovered. Meanwhile, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights experts have ruled out that there was a huge fire at the site.
With difficulty. Experts have recovered 60,000 charred fragments, and 17 of them with the greatest chances of containing DNA have been mailed to a lab in Innsbruck. Up until now, only one student, Alexander Mora, could be identified with certainty and another one, Jhosivani Guerrero, with moderate certainty.
Ayotzinapa represented a big loss for President Enrique Peña Nieto. Iguala was governed by an opposing party, so the government has been criticized for delaying action on the investigation and for declaring that the “all victims incinerated” version was the “true story” of the case.

author: Sin Embargo


text:
China’s State-Owned Enterprise Reform Is Missing the Point, Economists Argue · Global Voices
Jack Hu

A cartoon circulated widely online depicting the contradiction in enhancing both competition and public ownership. Non-commercial use.
The Chinese government has finally introduced a concrete reform plan for its state-owned enterprises (SOEs), but any economists who were hoping for privatization will be sorely disappointed.
State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are legal entities owned by the Chinese state and engaged in commercial activities. In addition to giant banks or large telecommunications companies, Chinese state-owned businesses also include hotel chains, property development companies, restaurants, and shopping malls. Most of these less “strategically important” businesses are now in dire economic straits.
Though both China’s slowing economy and the rampant corruption in SOEs make the reform imperative, some economists have found the measures too conservative, failing to break with the traditional ideological limitations on business and hit at the benefits of vested interests.
According to the document, released on September 13, China will seek to modernize its state-owned enterprises, enhance state assets management, promote mixed ownership, and prevent the erosion of state assets.
The government will set up several state-owned capital operating companies, similar to Singapore's “Temasek-style” SOEs. The State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission will no longer directly intervene in the running of most SOEs and the role of the government will be shifted from “management of assets” to “management of capital” through the state-owned capital investment corporations.
At the same time, the document also stresses that “the Party leadership over SOEs is vital in ensuring the socialist direction of their development and enhancing their competitiveness and competence.” To this end, “the statutory status of the Party organizations in firms should be clarified in corporate governance structure.” Instead of privatization, the new plan emphasizes the strengthening of public ownership.
This approach reflects contradictions inherent in the 2013 economic reform blueprint, which called for giving markets a “decisive role” in resource allocation while preserving a “dominant role” for the state sector.
In Twitter-like Weibo, many economists, in particular those who believe privatization plays a vital role in overhauling the SOEs and reshaping the country's economy, have criticized the guidelines for their failure to resolve the existing corruption problems of the SOEs.
Liu Shengjun, a famous reformist economist questioned the stress on party leadership and called for a deeper ideological emancipation to further push the SOE reform:
思想解放将是决定国企改革命运的关键。就国企改革的观念障碍而言，我们必须就两个问题展开认真的辩论：国企做大做强有利于让市场发挥决定性作用、有利于中国经济转型吗？坚持党的领导，就必然要强化党组织在国企的作用吗？要回答这两个问题，需要一场新的思想解放
Ideological emancipation would be the key to achieving SOE reform progress. As for the conceptual obstacles for SOE reform, we must launch a serious debate about two problems: Will SOE growing bigger and stronger be favorable for allowing markets to play a decisive role in China’s economic transformation? Will adhering to the party’s leadership strengthen the party organization’s role in SOEs? We need a new ideological emancipation campaign to answer these two questions.
Sheng Hong, Director of Unirule Institute of Economics, an independent think-tank, believes that the SOEs’ corruption problem cannot be resolved without challenging their monopoly status:
现在因为垄断国企存在，占有全国资源的很大一部分，这么大的资源造成的损失一年得数万亿。我国经济增长减速，很大程度上因为垄断国企存在和保护垄断的结果，这是一个迫在眉睫的问题，不改一天损失上百亿。如果不想解决这个问题，那改革是干嘛？
The state-owned monopolies occupy the majority of the country’s resources, leading to annual loss of trillions of yuan. The economy has slowed largely because of the existence of state-owned monopolies and the protection of these monopolies. This is an imperative problem, costing about ten billion yuan a day. Why does the government carry out reform if they don’t want to solve this problem?
改革是解决问题的，这次的改革基本没有针对我说的问题，比如说国企垄断权问题、国企免费和低价使用国有资源的问题、不上交利润的问题、国企内部没有限制分配的问题，这些问题才是问题。在我看来更严重的是，国企的存在就是问题。
Reform is meant to solve problems, but this plan doesn’t address those issues I have talked about, such as SOE monopoly, SOEs using state-owned resources for free and at a low price, not turning over profits, not limiting allocations inside SOEs. These are the real problems. In my opinion, what’s more serious is that the existence of SOEs in itself is a problem.
Zhang Weiying, a famous economist in Peking University (Beijing) also criticized the “dominant status” of the SOEs:
目前的经济增长放缓说明，除非彻底改革增长模式，中国很难持续保持经济高增长。其次，国企在关键行业的垄断已造成广泛的不满。大量研究都证明国企不如民企有效率。如果民企不能成长为真正的市场主体，我相信中国经济会在将来遇到大麻烦
The current economic slowing proves it’s tough for China to maintain high economic growth unless the government overhauls the growth model. Secondly, the SOEs’ monopoly in key industries has generated wide complaints. A great deal of studies have proved SOEs are less efficient than private companies. I believe the Chinese economy could meet with big trouble if private companies can’t dominate the markets.
Zhang Wenkui, a research fellow in the Development Research Center of the State Council doubted whether the Singaporean Temasek-style SOE model could work in China:
我国学习淡马锡已经学了十多二十年，根本学不来。淡马锡下面的国企搞得不好、资本回报低，或者资本需要转移到其他领域去，淡马锡就可以卖掉；还有，淡马锡的独立运营是受到新加坡的法治体系保证的，可以基本上避免政府干预和长官意志。这两个核心要素中国很难学。
Having studied Temasek for over a decade, it's clear China can’t replicate its success. Temasek can sell off its SOEs if they underperform or if it needs to invest into other areas. Temasek’s independent operation has been guaranteed by the legal system of Singapore, basically fending off government and officials’ interventions. It’s very tough for China to learn these two core factors.
Wu Jinglian, a prestigious reformist economist sought to persuade the CCP to drop the Soviet model of the socialist economic principle:
我写了给党中央的信《关于社会主义的再定义问题》。针对‘国有制是公有制高级形式，是社会主义必须追求的目标’，我说这是苏联教科书定义，是错的。我赞成邓小平‘社会主义本质在于逐步实现共同富裕’。是不是社会主义跟国有制比重大小没有关系！
In a letter “On the redefinition of Socialism” to the Party Central Committee, I argued that the rhetoric that “state ownership is the advanced form of public ownership, the aim that socialism must pursue” is the definition from the Soviet Union’s textbook and is wrong. I agreed with Deng Xiaoping that “the essence of Socialism is to gradually realize common prosperity.” Socialism has nothing to do with the ratio of public ownership!
Wu further argued that the party-state monopoly of the economy could eventually lead to crony capitalism:
改革就是要打破“国家辛迪加”（党国大公司）。现在就是列宁的国家资本主义：有市场，但国家掌握着所有的“制高点”，“制高点”在中国叫“命脉”。建立了社会主义市场经济体制，但其实有沉重的旧体制遗产比如“国进民退”，继续发展下去就是权贵资本主义
Reform is meant to break the “State Syndicate” (party-state monopolies). The current Chinese economy is actually the state capitalism claimed by Lenin: Despite the existence of markets, the state controls all the “commanding heights” of the economy, often called the “lifeblood” of China. Although China has built the socialist market economy, it bears the heavy legacy of old system, so that “as the state sector advances the private sector withdraws.” If it continues to develop [this way], China will become a system of crony capitalism.

author: Jack Hu


text:
Consumers and Activists Take Action in Singapore to Stop Haze Pollution · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Youth volunteers who pledged for a haze-free environment. Photo from the Facebook page of People's Movement to Stop Haze.
As haze pollution from burning forests continues to spread across Southeast Asia, some consumers in Singapore have pledged their commitment to stop supporting companies that are involved in unsustainable agricultural production. In particular, consumers said they will boycott the products of palm oil companies that are causing the deforestation in the region.
The transborder haze has become an annual problem in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia because of prolonged drought and forest fires. The latter are blamed on the “slash and burn” practice of farmers and the land clearing operations of palm oil plantations in Indonesia. But aside from Indonesia, the responsibility to stop the burning of forests is also shared by Malaysia and Singapore, since some companies registered in these countries are financing the palm oil production in the region.
A campaign initiated by environmental “green” groups asks consumers to stop buying products that contribute to the haze pollution:
As consumers, we can contribute towards our collective fight against haze pollution by making informed and responsible purchases. The haze is caused by toxic smoke from fires raging in South-east Asia’s forests and peatlands, which are cleared for agricultural development. For instance, plantations in our region supply much of the world’s palm oil, a key ingredient in food products and cosmetics. Consumers can make a difference by supporting products that are sustainably sourced.
The People's Movement to Stop Haze lists five things that consumers can do to reduce haze pollution:
1. Reduce consumption of edible oil
2. Reduce usage of paper
3. Support companies which use sustainable palm oil
4. Support companies which use sustainable paper
5. Influence companies
The campaign involves educating the public about making purchases that do not harm the environment. This is also the aim of the “We Breathe What We Buy” movement which reminds consumers that they can pressure companies to invest in “haze-free” production of palm oil.
Photo from the Facebook page of People's Movement to Stop Haze.
The eco-conscious campaign is also being promoted on social media through the hashtag #XtheHaze.
@wwfsg #earthhour sends you their best for the #xthehaze campaign #rspo @ElaineTanWWFSG @darrelwebb pic.twitter.com/6G45V2dQ0N
— Suds (@Sudscor) September 19, 2015
The tweet below features a GIF (animated image) that encourages consumers to buy haze-free beauty products.
#sghaze Power up the pledges to stop the haze at http://t.co/XbnqmOTca1 . Demand haze-free products to #XtheHaze 😷 pic.twitter.com/Y7qyjQrbXC
— WWF-Singapore (@wwfsg) September 24, 2015
This video ad highlights the impact of the haze pollution on ordinary citizens.
The haze had worsened last week, which forced many schools and offices to suspend work in Singapore. Responding to the demands for more decisive government action, Minister of Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan identified the companies suspected of being involved in the forest fires and ordered them to immediately address the problem.
We will therefore expect companies to be more transparent about their supply chains, particularly those involved in the palm oil and forestry sectors. Ultimately, errant companies must know that there is a price to be paid for damaging our health, environment and economy.
Writing for the alternative news website The Online Citizen, Terry Xu, urged the Singaporean government to work closely with Indonesian NGOs and villagers to stop the spread of forest fire.
What the Singapore government could probably do is to engage with the NGOs in Indonesia and to work out a plan to monitor errant companies. It could also help provide jobs for villagers who would be willing to work as firefighters and watchmen of the plantations to prevent fires or to testify against companies who run afoul of the law.

author: Mong Palatino