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Guinea-Bissau: Women, Citizenship and “Mandjuandades” · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

In a country which has experienced constant political instability, how can civil society mobilise itself to prevent further coups d'état and to build a participative democracy based upon its communities? Some possible ways forward were suggested [pt] by a group of 70 young people at a meeting promoted by the Movimento Ação Cidadã (Citizen Action Movement) in Cacheu, Guinea-Bissau, at the end of July, in which they debated the April 12th 2012 coup d'état.
The blog [pt] Ação Cidadã (Citizen Action), created by the Movement in May this year in response to the “bustle of the political and historical context resulting from the unpredictable changes which the country has seen in the last two decades especially”, records the conclusions arising from the meeting, which include issues such as the reform of organised power (the Armed Forces and the State Administration), but also the importance of strengthening other values such as “living without ethnic divides, forgiveness, sharing and dialogue, love of one's country and living guinendadi (a Guinean way of life)”.
The meeting was attended by students, teachers, journalists, youth organisations and “mandjuandade” groups.
Netos de Bandim. Photo by Rising Voices on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Mandjuandade?
The blog of Luis Graça and Camaradas da Guiné presents [pt] the “mandjuandades” as “[feminine] associative organisations, with a voluntary and egalitarian foundation, sustained through solidarity and the sharing of individual and collective interests”.
An academic article [pt, .pdf] on “Relations of Otherness and Identities” by Manuela Borges, of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, with Joseania Miranda Freitas and Luzia Gomes Ferreira, of the Universidade Federal da Bahia, goes further:
Enterramento Unido mandjuandade women's group. Photo by Bairro Enterramento on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
A partir dos anos 1990, houve um recrudescimento da iniciativa e dinamismo da sociedade civil [da Guiné Bissau] em todos os campos – político, social, econômico e também organizativo –, crescendo rapidamente as associações informais voluntárias com participação predominante de mulheres. Essas associações femininas, denominadas em crioulo mandjuandades, acumulam várias funções, perseguindo diversos objetivos: poupança e compra coletiva de bens de consumo (por exemplo, a compra de um tecido para fazer, no mesmo padrão, o vestuário usado nas festas e cerimônias), crédito individual aos membros, celebração de cerimônias familiares e religiosas e ainda organização de acontecimentos lúdicos.
The Portuguese ex-soldier Luis Graça, in the collective blog referred to above, makes a comparison with the Kixikilas in Angola, “a term which, in kimbundu, means the contribution of money for a particular collective goal”:
Em África, em geral, e em Angola, em particular, é aquilo que se designa pela expressão inglesa Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCA), um sistema informal de poupança e crédito, um grupo de ajuda mútua, liderado em geral por uma mulher, a “mãe de kixikila”. O pequeno grupo, de cinco a dez elementos, tende a ser constituído por pessoas que estão ligadas entre si por laços de amizade, parentesco, vizinhança ou profissão. Cada elemento faz periodicamente uma determinada contribuição para um fundo comum que é depois utilizado rotativamente por cada um, com uma taxa de juro nula ou de valor reduzido. Na ausência de sistemas de crédito bancário acessíveis à generalidade da população, o kixikila voltou aos hábitos dos kaluandas como forma de atenuar ou reduzir o impacto da pobreza.
But let's return to the “mandjuandades” of Guinea-Bissau, their roots and their evolution. According to an article in Lusa republished [pt] on the blog of Aly Silva, Dictatorship of Consensus, “Mandjuandade is a culture” and it originated in the complaints inherent to  married life:
Quando a mulher tinha queixas do marido procurava uma amiga ou amigas, a quem contava os seus desgostos, e criavam uma música sobre isso. Depois, quando a aldeia se reunisse, as amigas cantariam a música, ao mesmo tempo recados para o marido e lamentos da mulher.
“Basicamente mandjuandade é uma forma de as mulheres transmitirem os seus sentimentos, e uma fonte de conselhos, porque o marido quando ouve a musica já sabe que a mulher está a dizer o que se passa em casa” (…). Hoje já não é sobre a relação entre casais e já não se usam metades de barris mas sim tambores e tabuinhas para acompanhar os cânticos. Hoje são grupos de bairro que se juntam, que organizam festas, que animam cerimónias alegres (casamentos) ou tristes (funerais), ou mesmo cerimónias tradicionais como a do fanado (circuncisão e excisão).
When a woman had complaints about her husband she sought out a friend or friends to whom she could tell her discontents and they created a song about them. Later, when the village met, the friends would sing the song, which comprised of a message for the husband and the complaints of the wife.
“Basically mandjuandade is a way for women to express their feelings, it is a source of advice, because when the husband hears the song he knows what the women is saying or what is happening at home” (…). Today it is no longer about the relationship between married couples and they no longer use half barrels but rather drums and tablets to accompany the chants. Today they are neighbourhood groups who get together, who organise parties, who enliven both happy ceremonies (weddings) and sad ones (funerals), or even traditional ceremonies like the “fanado” (circumcision and excision).
Aliu Barri, musician, intellectual and politician in Guinea-Bissau, gives some examples of the festivities organised these days by the “mandjuandades”, in an article [pt] published in the Journal of African Music and Popular Culture, underwritten by the researcher  Christoph Kohl:
Por exemplo: num bairro junta-se toda esta comunidade da juventude para, nos domingos, organizarem festas. Organizarem convívios. Se houver um casamento vão animar o casamento, se houver alguma cerimónia tradicional eles vão lá e cantam, se houver choro alguém morreu, cotizam, tiram o dinheiro, arranjam tudo que é necessário. Vão ficar lá por uma semana a animar a família do defunto. Então isso [diz-se] “mandjuandade”: arranjam até [trajes] quando houver um funeral.
Aliu Barri continues:
Tradicionalmente, “mandjuandade” é uma coisa que não pára. Existe em todos os bairros da cidade. Nas “tabancas” [aldeias] também organiza-se. Isso é que se chama “mandjuandade”. Há pessoas que se destacam nessas “mandjuandades”, ganham muita fama, é isso é que nós dizemos “mandjuandade”. São manifestações culturais que existem em cada etnia.
(…) Há muitas festas que a “mandjuandade” faz. Mas se for um país progressista, um país que está a andar bem, “mandjundades” teriam possibilidades de apresentar toda a nossa cultura tradicional. Porque os tradicionalistas, os folclores nativos lá têm dificuldade de manifestar aquilo que eles têm. Mas como a “mandjuandade” está composta de várias etnias cada qual faz a apresentação da sua etnia, com isso e apreciando a “mandjuandade” vai conhecendo a manifestação de todas as culturas da Guiné. Eles cantam, canções de todas as etnias, porque a composição da “mandjuandade” tem todas as raças [etnias].
Traditionally, “mandjuandade” is a thing which doesn't stop. It exists in all the districts of the city. In the “tabancas” [villages] it is also organised. This is what is called “mandjuandade”. There are people who stand out in these “mandjuandades”, they win a lot of fame, it is this that we call “mandjuandade”. They are cultural manifestations which exist in each ethnic group.
(…) There are many parties which the “mandjuandade” organises. But if it was a progressive country, a country which was working well, the “mandjuandades” would have the possibility to present our traditional culture. Because the traditionalists, the native folklores have difficulty in showing everything that they have. But since the “mandjuandade” is made up of various ethnic groups, each of which presents her own ethnicity, by appreciating the “mandjuandade” we can get to know all of the cultures in Guinea. They sing songs from all ethnicities because the “mandjuandade” is composed of all races [ethnicities].
In spite of the apparently uniting character of the cooperativism of the “mandjuandades”, according to the Citizen Action blog obstacles to female public participation still exist in Guinea-Bissau, as “women are viewed badly when they participate in action of this kind, their husbands can be jealous” or they may have an “excess of work in the home which doesn't leave them time to get involved in associative dynamics”. However, greater feminine participation features on the list of “pro-development and peace” initiatives which can be carried out, “so that there may be more opportunities and space for participation and protagonism in associations and greater solidarity amongst their members”, independently of their gender.


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Hong Kong: Occupy Central – Before Forced Eviction · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.
Last year's Occupy Wall Street protests spread to Hong Kong and since October 15, 2011, local activists have been camping in the walkthrough plaza underneath the HSBC bank building in the Central district.
‘Occupy Central’ has lasted for more than ten months and is probably one of the longest among the worldwide occupy movements. Recently the HSBC obtained a court order to evict the occupants – activists, back-packers and homeless by a deadline of 9 pm, 27 August, 2012.
On 26 August, some activists organized an evaluation meeting on their occupation movement, Damon Wong from inmediahk.net reported [zh] from the scene:
曾參與早段佔領行動的左翼廿一成員覃俊基認為，行動與他自己的期望有落差，運動方向偏重於自治社區的實驗，未能清楚向公眾說明自治社區運動與反對資本主義的關係。周思中則認為佔領行動之所以位於匯豐總行地下，正因其位於金融、政治的要地，這是佔領中環所代表的象徵性意義。曾參與保衛皇后碼頭行動的他認為「清場」才是佔領行動的核心，透過清場才能更加突顯行動的對抗性及象徵意義。土地正義聯盟成員可樂認為，佔領行動可以遍地開花例如在新界東北進行佔屋運動，對抗地產商囤積土地。
Pak Chai, a social movement photographer, recorded the living space [zh] in the occupation area by inviting the occupants to take group photos and write their own photo captions. Images used with permission:
「哎吔，該煨囉……係佔領中環搭上左」
一個睡在地上，一個睡在帳幕，一個睡在沙發上。沒有佔領中環，他們的習慣都應該沒有分別，就是不會認識對方。
一張橫額，可以用來劃清界線，卻也可以用來連結彼此﹣﹣我們曾經為「反對資本主義」的 橫額用甚麼布來寫而爭論：花布？黑底白字？我們各有美學，確有差異。但，有乜緊要得過 嘗試與共存？
女性主義者？
本想找個地方在中午和下班休息，點知成為習慣，每天都會過來聊天。
用國際歌平息一切糾紛。有一個晚上，兩個叔叔為了「這世界是否有人餓死」而大打出手， 我們知道其中一個叔叔喜歡唱歌，開始唱國際歌的時候，就停手了。
兆基抗議書院有老有嫩
在吃人兼殘殺動物的社會裡，我們還有選擇。
在髮端嘴唇間交換張狂
我們仨各自建立關係。三人一起只有一次經驗，那時我們去醫院探他，為了讓他可以抽煙，就一起騙護士帶他外出。
我們在10月16日一起來，就再沒有走過
我們輪流睡在同一個帳幕。他回來時我找其他地方睡；她睡著了，我便睡在沙發。無視蜚短 流長，我們共用帳幕。
男人的情誼從一隻錶開始
凌晨三點五點，我們離開中環，問號伴隨著我們緩慢的步伐，被帶到街上車中家內。
魚樂無窮：有一個晚上，他告訴我在世界各地釣魚的經歷，所以，我們要一起釣魚去。
This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Oiwan Lam


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Iran: Blogger Arrested in Earthquake Zone · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, an Iranian blogger, his father and several volunteers who had gone to East Azarbaijan province to help earthquake‘s victims were arrested [fa] by security forces last week. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki was previously released on a $500,000 bail in July 2012.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Tehran’s Non-Declared Curfew Amid NAM Summit · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement started amid heavy security presence in Tehran, August 26, 2012. The 120-nation strong Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a holdover from the Cold War's pull between East and West, is also seen by Iran and others as an alternative forum for current world discussions.
Iran says it has planned talks on a peace plan to end Syria's civil war, but no rebel factions will attend because of Tehran's close bonds with Bashar Assad's regime.
Tehran's ‘non-declared curfew’
The Summit is being held from 26-31 August  in Tehran. The Iranian State has shut down Iran's capital for five days and has mobilized 110,000 policemen to “guarantee NAM security.”
Logo for the XVI Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. Source: IRNA. Public Domain.
Bonbast Akhtar writes:
according to several reports there are several security check points in Tehran and a heavy security presence in Tehran. It is like a non-declared curfew. Security forces also check inside a lot of cars on their way for holidays [Iranian State declared five days holidays during NAM summit]on Chalous Road…Protesters in 2009 [after controversial presidential election] humiliated security forces and now they want to prove their authority and their importance.
Blogger Sayeh Azadi published a couple of photos from security forces and writes if ‘EU and USA had listed Basijs [a paramilitary volunteer militia] on the terrorist list, this regime's beasts would not dare to intimidate people.’
Protesting against the regime?
Security is not the only topic Iranian bloggers talk about, some see the NAM summit as an opportunity to protest against the regime.
Sabzarman writes [fa] the presence of thousands of reporters and foreign guests is a rare opportunity for the Green Movement to make its voice heard in the world. Among other things the blogger invites Iranians to write slogans in English with green spray on posters and walls close to the place where the summit is being held.
A group of students and political activists launched a Facebook campaign inviting Ban-Ki Moon, the United Nations General Secretary who is attending the NAM Summit, to visit detained opposition leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. They published this open latter on the page:
Mr. Secretary General,
I am an Iranian citizen, and as a concerned Iranian I would like to invite you to visit Mr.Mir Hussein Mousavi during your stay in Tehran for the 16th Non-aligned Movement (NAM) summit. Mr Mousavi, the opposition leader, was recently hospitalized due to heart complications after 15 months of house arrest…The democratic aspirations and the just demands of the Iranian people deserve the support of the international community, including the United Nations and the Secretary General. Your position as the international authority entrusted with the responsibility for the protection and promotion of universal human rights accords you a special role. We wish you success in discharging of this historical mission.
Azadi Esteghlal Edalat calls [fa] Iranians to become united with one voice and turn the NAM summit into a nightmare for the regime. The blogger says:
NAM Summit created a golden opportunity to protest against the regime's crimes and support the Green Movement. Hoping people flood the streets. We should try our best for any protest action.
Estade Mordan says [fa]:
I do not understand why noone does anything. This summit is a great opportunity to protest against the regime. How long should we wait for somebody to do something for us. Mousavi? Karrubi?Reza Pahlavi [Iran's last Shah's son]? or Morsi now…I as a member of the Green Movement call for a demonstration on Thursday, Agust 30,2012 from Imam Hossein to Azadi Square, as Mousavi called us to demonstrate three years ago. Let's inform people via social media and all other means.


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Kyrgyzstan: ‘Charming’ Prime Minister Falls from High Horse · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

Kyrgyzstan's political elite is once more facing a momentous shakeup after the country's parliamentary ruling coalition formally collapsed on August 22, 2012. The biggest casualty of the schism is likely to be 42-year-old Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov, who has caught the attention of the global media recently due to his apparent penchant for expensive race horses.
On August 13, one of the coalition's own MPs, Omurbek Tekebayev, alleged that the head of the cabinet had received “Islander One”, a British thoroughbred racehorse, as a bribe from a Turkish company, SERKA, in order to secure a contract at the controversial United States military airbase stationed near the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. Just over a week later, two of the four parties that made up the coalition upped and left, leaving the alliance without a majority in the legislature and Babanov's premiership in limbo. On social networking sites, Kyrgyz netizens have been musing on his fall from grace.
Babanov with a horse. Screenshot taken from Twitter user @Babanochka's public profile.
“Babanov Bashing”
“Babanov Bashing” has been a favourite passtime of the now “interim” PM's rivals for some time. Accused of everything from importing radioactive coal to not being a full-blooded Kyrgyz (see Global Voices background), the founder of the parliament's “Respublika” faction admitted to being Islander One's owner, but denied he had received the horse as a gift from SERKA, maintaining he had bought it above board and for a price far cheaper than the $500,000-$1,500,000 claimed by Tekebayev.
A statement released by his office on August 13, implied he wasn't prepared to take the accusations very seriously:
We can offer Omurbek (Tekebayev) a better deal — let him buy the horse from the Prime Minister for US$20,000 and then he can try to sell it at a higher price
Perhaps Tekebayev was expecting a more humble response. At any rate, with the national legislature in turmoil again, politics has re-emerged as the watchword of the Kyrgyzstani Twitterazzi. Perhaps surprisingly, given his unpopularity inside the parliament, a large number of tweets last week conveyed sympathy for Babanov, lamenting the tragic nature of his eight-month tenure as head of government and complimenting him on his good looks.
Blogger Ilya Lukash tweeted [ru]:
Жаль, что уходит адекватный, симпатичный и инициативный премьер #freekg Бабанов. Единственное правительство, которое не вызывало раздражения
While Amadhon Yusupkhanov  waxed poetical in less than 140 characters [ru]:
Недолго правил нами полубог: / Очарованью места нет во власти. / Бабанов сделал все, что мог. / Его запомним молодым и страстным.
And even Shirin Aitmatova, an MP from the Ata-Meken party that regularly sullied Babanov's name, reflected [ru]:
большая часть электората в КГ – женщины. Грустный, красивый Бабанов наверное в сердцах у многих всхлипывающих кыздарок
But @Juve_Kg was happy, exclaiming [ru]:
я понял почему с утра я в хорошем настроении – Бабанов же и.о
A cartoon of Kyrgyz MP Omurbek Tekebayev counting horses. By Vecherni Bishkek, used with permission.
A poll taken [ru] by media outlet K-News on August 24 asked readers who they wanted to be next Prime Minister. The results showed a plurality of respondents in favour of Babanov continuing on as Prime Minister, with messages of support such as this one, from Tologon, flowing in as people voted:
дайте врнемя человеку поработаь, а. Ну что это такое? Мы когда нибуль будем жить в номральном государстве без всех этих интриг? Бабанушка. давай работай. Не сдавайся, с тобой народ
But as another reader uu noted [ru], some of the pro-Babanov messages circulating across forums might have originated from Babanov himself:
Читаешь эти комменты и видишь, что пишут несколько человек из команды И.О. премьера. Смешно. Вот как формируется общественное мнение!
Despite the implications of the current discord in Kyrgyzstan's ruling class, netizens continue to observe domestic politics with a good sense of humour. Fake News Kyrgyzstan, tweeting [ru] under @fnews_kg had the following things to say about the latest national scandal:
@fnews_kg: “Коня! Коня! Правительство за коня!” – кричал Омурбек
@fnews_kg: Я парламентская коалиция, я ничего не хочу решать. Я хочу развалиться
@fnews_kg:  Президент Кыгрызстана А.Атамбеав решил не создавать коалицию большинства. Причина – скорый конец света

author: Chris Rickleton


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Russia’s War Games Make Georgia Nervous · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
In June and July Russia held several military exercises with its regional partners. There are more to come in August and September. Of course, none of the planned events are quite as extensive as the one that an Iranian news agency falsely reported on June 19, 2012 in a bit of wishful thinking. There won’t be joint war games involving 90,000 troops held in Syria by Russia, China and Iran.
Even then, the exercises are numerous and heavily concentrated in Central Asia. In June there was Peaceful Mission-2012 [ru], held by five Shanghai Group countries (Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan) in Tajikistan. There were 2000 troops involved in the antiterrorist themed war game, of which Russia contributed 350.
In July Russia held Aldaspan-2012 [ru], this time bilaterally with Kazakhstan. Then, in early August there was the Frontier-2012 [ru]exercise held jointly by members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). [Uzbekistan, one of the members of CSTO, withdrew from the organization on June 28th. Right before its exit it refused to allow Kazakh troops transit to Tajikistan for the Peaceful Mission-2012 war games.]
Russian Military Exercise 2010. Photo by George Malets. Copyright Demotix (08/26/2010)
So far the only non Central Asia exercise was Slavic Fellowship-2012 [ru], the first military exercise held between Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine in a while. It went by relatively unnoticed in July. In general, none of these exercises have generated much buzz on RuNet, and some of the ones still to come – Selenga-2012 [ru] with Mongolia or Cooperation-2012 [ru] with CSTO, both scheduled for September – are also unlikely to become major news items.
This may not be the case with for this September’s Caucasus-2012 [ru], which Russia is planning to hold with forces from the breakaway Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Caucasus-2012 will take place in North Caucasus region, and will involve [ru] 8,000 troops, as well as heavy machinery, artillery, navy, and air force. This makes it Russia’s largest exercise this year.
Caucasus-2012 is only nominally international in scope, since Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s independence isn’t recognized by many countries. The Russian military is quick to reassure [ru] that bases south of the border will not be involved, even though some forces from those bases will participate in the exercise on Russian territory. However, it is still too close to comfort for the Georgians, who are wary [ru] of an August 2008 scenario. Then too, Russia held war games in the Caucasus just days prior to the invasion.
Some Georgian bloggers, like popular Russian-speaking cyxymu [ru], note that Russia’s mobilization in the region comes right before Georgia’s parliamentary elections on October 1st. Georgia oriented blogger, zabugina [ru], believes that the goal of Russia’s military is to destabilize the region and sway the elections. She thinks that Russia would not have to invade again, in order to exert its influence and manipulate the Georgian public to vote for Russia-friendly parties. Nevertheless, Russian journalist and blogger podrabinek [ru], thinks that Putin might actually launch a small border war as a way to boost his popularity.
However, not all of Russia’s military exercises are generating as much concern as Caucasus 2012. Currently, Russia and India are in the middle of joint exercise Indra-2012 [ru] in Russia’s Republic of Buryatia, on the Mongolian border. One Russian blogger recounts [ru] a humorous story of how people reacted in a bus when a radio announcer misspoke and said that 500,000, rather than 500, Indian troops would be involved in the exercise:
На этом месте в салоне автобуса наступает покусывающая за пятки тишина. Гробовая.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Senegal: 18 Dead as Floods Paralyse the Country · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

[All links forward to French sources unless otherwise stated.]
Heavy rains caused catastrophic flooding in many regions of Senegal on August 26, 2012, with 18 dead and 42 injured so far. The Senegal government has launched a rescue plan with French emergency organisation Orsec [en] to assist victims. Senegalese internet users have described the consequences of flooding in their regions.
Many internet users published photos and videos of damage caused by the torrential rains on social networks. Blogger Basil Niane published several video reports on YouTube from areas of Dakar affected by the floods. In the following video he describes the situation in the Grand Yoff district:
Blogger Diopweb did the same for the Dalifort and Mariste districts:
Meanwhile blogger Anna Gueye made a compilation of striking photos published on twitter and Claude André Coly told of the difficulties facing inhabitants of other regions:
Au niveau de la ville où des sources renseignent que la quantité de pluie recueillie la nuit du dimanche avoisinerait les 140 mm, les sinistrés se comptent par milliers. Les quartiers de Sourah, Keur Niang, Darou Miname, Gare Boundaw, Ndame et Darou khoudoss sont les plus touchés. Même la grande mosquée n’est pas épargnée, avec l’eau qui est rentrée dans le bâtiment, occasionnant ainsi des dégâts.
Screen capture of flooding in Dalifort filmed by Diopweb
He added:
Un atelier de menuiserie sis à khaïra a été complètement détruit par un court-circuit électrique. Un poulailler au marché Ocass qui contenait 800 poulets a aussi été emporté par les eaux [..] Dans la commune de Mbacké également, les quartiers Pallène, Gawane, Route de kaël et Escale sont sous les eaux. De même que Taïf qui a reçu 149,6 mm d’eau de pluie.
Many internet users also revealed the extent of the damage on twitter:
Des voitures qui flottent dans les eaux a #OuestFoire. #kebetu twitter.com/damndiaye/stat…
— damisto (@damndiaye) August 26, 2012
RT @diopweb: Débordement d'un des lacs aux Maristes yfrog.com/h3kbqbfij #Inondation26Aout #Dakar #Kebetu #Senegal
— babacar lô (@loxadim) August 26, 2012
Due to the scale of this disaster, President Sall cut short his visit to South Africa. People affected by the flooding demonstrated in Dakar to protest the delay in measures taken by the authorities. Tear gas was allegedly used to disperse the demonstrators. Malickou Ndiaye explained the reasons for the people's anger:
Des maisons détruites, des pans de murs démolis, l’hôpital philipe Maguilène Senghor de Yoff inondé, d’où l’évacuation des malades, des routes coupées ;ça pataugeait partout . De Yoff en passant par Grand-Yoff, Parcelles assainies, Khar Yalla, le spectacle n’était pas beau à voir. Une situation indescriptible qui a poussé les populations à sortir dans la rue, pour montrer leur amertume. Les populations ont brûlé des pneus, car, disent-elles, les autorités n’ont jamais fait le moindre effort pour faire évacuer les eaux.

author: Rakotomalala


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Tajikistan’s Capital Mayor Meets with Facebook Users · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

If Facebook users in Tajikistan needed proof that government officials take notice of discussions taking place on the social network, they have it now. In a rare display of political openness, Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev, the mayor of the Tajik capital Dushanbe, met [tj] with some 400 Facebook users on August 23.
The five-hour meeting, which was broadcast live online, began with a presentation in which the politician talked about his accomplishments as the mayor, responding to major criticisms voiced by Tajikistani netizens online. Afterwards, Ubaidulloev answered questions from the audience.
[The full five-hour video of the meeting, in Tajik and Russian, can be accessed here.]
‘Without intermediaries’
The Mayor of Dushanbe Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev, one of the few Tajikistani officials using Facebook. Photo from the mayor's Facebook page, used with permission.
The mayor announced the meeting on August 6 via his public page on Facebook, calling it an ‘open conversation without intermediaries’. The announcement read [ru]:
Отдавая должное Вашей высокой социальной активности и позитивной роли в созидательном процессе развития нашего города, конструктивной критике и интересным предложениям по улучшению работы городских структур, приглашаю Вас на открытую беседу «Без посредников»! Предлагаю организовать нашу встречу для обмена мнениями и рассмотреть вместе с Вами наиболее эффективные и перспективные преобразования дальнейшего развития города Душанбе и имеющиеся основные проблемы, а также ответить на вопросы, широко обсуждаемые общественностью столицы.
The initiative surprised Tajikistani netizens and left them wondering whether the meeting would actually occur and if everyone would be allowed to participate. Many had doubts about it because most the country's officials choose to limit their engagement with media or public to mandatory quarterly press conferences.
That the meeting with the mayor did actually take place and that anyone could take part in it, including independent journalists and opposition activists, was even a bigger surprise. Many netizens were impressed by Ubaidulloev's openness and courage.
Jasur Ashurov tweeted, for example:
Ubaidulloev has earned my respect. I wish we had more politicians daring to come out and talk to people openly.
One of the country's most active Facebook users, Mavi Masabi, wrote [ru]:
Кстати, относительно мэра.. Очень много нападок на него. Он не безупречен конечно, но кто из нас не без греха. А теперь представьте себе, какой смелостью все же нужно обладать, чтобы пойти на первый контакт, в открытую, с людьми изначально настроенными отстаивать свою точку зрения. Активисты ФБ далеко не глупые люди и подкованы что надо. Сожрут и косточки выплюнут в ораторском искусстве. Одни акулы сидят тут))) И только уверенный в себе человек может пойти на прямой разговор. Если честно, я лично рада, что начались шевеления и чиновники пытаются, пусть и не со стопроцентным успехом, но найти компромисс и выйти на контакт с народом… Мой ему за это респект.
Each participant of the Dushanbe Mayor's meeting with Facebook users received a daily planner bearing the emblem of the capital and the Facebook sign. Image uploaded on Facebook by Gulnora Amirshoeva, used with permission.
Another user, Zulfiya Golubeva, added [ru]:
Согласна с Вами, Мави. Встреча конечно же не прошла безупречно, но ведь это первый опыт…. Главное, то что власти города пошли на контакт с тем народом, которому они призваны служить.
Underneath a report about the meeting on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Tajik service (ozodi.org) website, an anonymous user suggested [tj] that other officials should follow the Dushanbe Mayor's suit:
Канда занед рафик Убайдуллоев, мешудаст ку новобаста аз камбудихо вохурии дили мардуми окилу олима камтар гарм кард. Илтимос хамун раисои нохияхои Сугду Хатлону Бадахшона практика биёред наздатон.
Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev, who also serves as the chairman of the upper chamber of Tajikistan's parliament, has been the mayor of Dushanbe since 1996. On Facebook since March 2012, he is one of the very few Tajikistani officials using social media. Most government officials in the country are wary of Facebook which has more than 37,000 users in Tajikistan.
In the past, the social network was blocked in the country temporarily after people used it to disseminate a leaked government document. In July 2012, the authorities announced that they were going to set up an organization to monitor websites and social media for content deemed insulting to the country's leadership, leading to speculation that Facebook would be the first target of the new body.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Togo:  Sex Strike to Push for Reforms   · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Icilome.com writes [fr] about the ongoing protests in Lomé, Togo :
The lawyer Isabelle Améganvi of the ANC [National Alliance for Change] in Togo has officially stated that “the Togolese women had decided to observe a sex strike from Monday on to compel men to push for changes in Togo. “

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Venezuela: Fires Still Burning at Amuay Oil Refinery · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

I don’t think PDVSA [Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company] will learn anything from this explosion — just as the company failed to learn anything from its past errors.
Blogger and journalist Steven Bodzin from Setty's Notebook writes about the Amuay oil refinery explosion.
Fires at the Amuay oil refinery are still burning after Saturday's explosion. According to the latest reports, 20 homes have been completely destroyed and 41 people have lost their lives.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Angola: Pre-Election Media Coverage Undermines Political Process · Global Voices
Clara Onofre

Angola is preparing to go the polls this Friday, August 31, 2012. The atmosphere on the streets of Luanda is calm. At tables in cafés people talk excitedly about the approaching day. On weekend, in some parts of the city, hopes for the elections come to life with parties in people's yards with lots of music, food and drink, the true Angolan way. Both meetings promoted by the parties and private ones.
These will be the third general elections since independence, in 1975. The first, in 1992, resulted in the return to civil war, which only ended in 2002, and in September 2008, José Eduardo dos Santos, in power for 33 years with the historic MPLA (Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola – Popular Liberation Movement of Angola), was elected with over 80% of the vote. Five parties are running for office and 4 coalitions that will occupy the 220 seats in the National Assembly. The head of the list of the party or coalition winning the most of Angola's roughly 10 million votes will be the next head of state.
Photo by Jose Manuel Lima da Silva around the elections of September 5, 2008. Copyright Demotix
While waiting for the date, Angolans make a point of putting up party flags on their houses and cars. The photos of candidates are seen on walls and the media has given great coverage to the day hoping it will be fair and imbued with the spirt of peace.
All the while, numerous have been the criticisms of the underhanded coverage by the media of the electoral campaign, as reported by Human Rights Watch.
On Hukalilile [pt], mention is made to the fact that MPLA control the media:
Uma das coisas que me assusta é ver como a imprensa pública faz a propaganda sem escrúpulo em favor do partido no poder. A Comissão Nacional Eleitoral , órgão responsável pelo processo eleitoral não se manifesta sobre o assunto, como se isso fosse normal. (…) Uma outra situação meio embaraçosa são os comentaristas políticos que aparecem na televisão pública e na Rádio Nacional de Angola que não mantém a equidistância. Em seus comentários são muito ásperos contra os partidos da oposição. Ou seja, o MPLA para além do horário de propaganda política possui mais outros horários extras (serviços noticiosos ou em outros programas , além da transmissão “ao vivo” de programas de carácter partidário).
Jurist Fernando Macedo, on the blog Central 7311 [pt] hit the nail on the head:
“- Dad, do we have freedom of expression in Angola? – Here on Facebook, yes. But in RNA, TPA and JA (Angolan mainstream media), only MPLA is free.” Cartoon by Projecto Kissonde on Facebook (used with permission)
Na minha opinião, as eleições que estão em curso são eleições autoritárias, porque direitos fundamentais continuam a ser violados. Por exemplo, o direito de não sofrer violência física nem ser perseguido por terceiros por causa das nossas opiniões; direito de informar, de ser informado e de se informar; direito a não ser privado da liberdade de forma ilegal; direito de denúncia baseada em factos verdadeiros contra actos de agentes dos poderes públicos; direito à informação objectiva e verdadeira e direito a comentários diversificados no quadro do contraditório e o direito a que as divergências ou reclamações de terceiros ofendidos sejam resolvidos em tribunal e não por via de grupos organizados com o auxílio de órgãos do Estado. Elas são ainda autoritárias porque os meios e recursos do Estado, sobretudo dos órgãos de comunicação social do Estado, são usados para servir apenas um partido e quem está no poder e desse lugar compete nas eleições de maneira desleal.
On Angola Sempre [pt], a small analysis of the pre-elections environment is made, making reference to the political manoeuvring of MPLA:
O MPLA passa grande parte do tempo a remendar os estragos visíveis de uma má governação de mãos dadas com a corrupção galopante que percorre todos os corredores do poder centralizado em Luanda. As inaugurações sucedem-se num ritmo acelerado para esconder décadas de incompetência e compadrio. A HORA da mudança chegou!
Author of the blog Pululu [pt] expresses what the majority of Angolan people feel, the desire for these elections to turn Angola into a developed country:
Que o 31 de Agosto não seja o fim mas o início de uma sã e competitiva caminhada democrática entre os candidatos eleitos a favor de uma única via: desenvolvimento social, político e económico de Angola!

author: Clara Onofre


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Bahrain: Cleric Relocated After Fiery Speech · Global Voices
Mohammed AlMaskati

Internet activists have reported that Bahrain’s Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Khaled bin Ali al-Khalifa, has ordered the immediate transfer of Sunni cleric Dr Adel Hassan AlHamad from one of the grand mosques in Riffa to another mosque in Tubli.
Following the news, various campaigns started on Twitter in support of the cleric, attributing the transfer to his last Friday sermon in which he openly criticized the building of a new Roman Catholic Church in Awali, on a land donated by the monarch.
In the sermon, Dr AlHamad described the land donation and allowing the church to be built as “pro-Christian” and “an attempt to please Western nations”.
Dr Adel AlHamad in a conference organized by AlEslah Society. Photo credit: muntada.aleslah.org
He urged worshippers to express their opposition, reminding them that they have previously drawn a “red line when it came to the leadership of this country” (in reference to their stand against the events of 2011) while the “rightful religion of Allah is far more superior and worthy of their support.”
He also warned that “silence in such matters could drag divine consequences” (Hear the full Audio – Arabic).
Dr AlHamad was one of 68 Sunni clerics who issued and signed a public statement [screenshot of newspaper article which carried the statement below] against the construction of the church and Bahrain becoming the headquarters of The Roman Catholic Church’s Vicariate.
The statement appeals to “those who are responsible for order on this land to pull back the grant and the permission, for the best benefit of the people.” AlHamad added:
Guarding this religion and its rituals and the rejection of polytheism and its manifestations are duties from God.
Responses to the news of Dr Alhamad's transfer on Twitter varied. Former MP Hamad AlMohanadi asks [ar]:
Tubli, where the new mosque Sheikh AlHamad will be transferred to, is considered an area mainly inhibited by Shia Muslims as opposed to the Sunni dominated Riffa. Jamal Ibrahim AlNajem tweets:
Former MP Mohammed Khalid also expresses his concerns about the transfer:

author: Mohammed AlMaskati


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Bahrain: Prominent Pro-Government Twitter Accounts Stop · Global Voices
Mohammed AlMaskati

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011/12.
Bahrain’s local twittersphere is experiencing the sudden disappearance of two of the most prominent anonymous pro-government Twitter accounts that were extremely active during the unrest of last year.
@7areghum and @alfarooo8 haven’t tweeted in little over two weeks; in their last tweets both have said that they will be taking some time off and hopefully return “soon”.
Hashtags of #وين_الفاروق  (Where is @alfarooo8) and #وين_حارقهم (Where is @7areghum) went viral after the Islamist former-MP Sheikh Mohammed Khalid (an outspoken critic of the Bahraini opposition) tweeted hinting that the stoppage of both accounts has to do with instructions from groups he did not name [ar]:
Both of the accounts are highly controversial. Many have attributed them to the local authorities and intelligence agency. They rose to fame during the “National Safety Law” following the events of 2011 and were known to post the photographs of protesters asking their Twitter followers to identify them, and at times post their addresses, phone numbers and current locations.
Witnesses have reported to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry that persons who had been named by @7areghum at the time would avoid sleeping at their homes for fear of attacks or arbitrary arrests. (Full Report)
@7areghum’s account was suspended by Twitter for unknown reasons after Simeon Kerr of the Financial Times mentioned him in a news article; the account soon came back and gathered an even larger follower base since.
There have been numerous accounts on why both accounts have suddenly stopped after all this time, most of which allege that both individuals behind them were identified and asked to stop by their employers, who happen to be local ministries in Bahrain.
QahrhoumBh explains [ar]:
الفاروق لم يأخذ استراحة .. ! بعد قصة الكنسية و تحرك الفاروق ضدها تم استدعاء ألفاروق بما انه يعمل في أحد وزارات الدولة و قد خير بين ( لقمة عيشه – وظيفته – ) و بين عمله و تغيرده في تؤيتر و البلاك بيري .. !
و كذلك حارقهم الذي ذكره بسيوني في تقريره بأنه يقوم بنشر بيانات المناهضين للنظام .. يعمل في أحد وزارات الدولة .. تم قطع معاشه ، و أيضا تم تخييره بين ( لقمة عيشه – وظيفته – ) و بين عمله و تغيرده في تؤيتر.. !
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011/12.


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Canada: High Stakes in Quebec General Election After ‘Maple Spring’ · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

The 2012 Quebec general election is set to take place on September 4. It will appoint the members of the 40th state legislature of the National Assembly of Quebec. The latest polls show that the Independentists of Parti Québécois (PQ), a political party that advocates national sovereignty are in the lead.
Political life in Quebec has long been molded by the feuds between Federalists and Independentists. This year however, the effects of students’ strikes in response to the increase in university tuition fees [fr] will strongly impact on the voters’ choices. Netizens from Quebec have reacted to the opinion polls a few weeks ahead of the vote.
Embruns blog provides a portrait of the political landscape in Quebec [fr] and the current balance of forces:
The Hall of the National Assembly of Quebec Parliament via Wikipédia CC-license-3.0.
The voting system in Quebec favours the big political parties, but this voting system does not provide any guarantee that it will bring out a clear majority and it makes life very tough for smaller political parties. The incumbing government got support from only 24% of the registered voters. With high abstention and the current voting system, one wonders how representative of the people the National Assembly really is. In fact, some citizens are campaigning for a proportional representation. Even if they do not agree with all his ideas, many Quebeckers would deem it a pity for someone like Amir Khadir of the small left-wing party Québec solidaire (‘Quebec solidarity’) to not get a seat at the Assembly. That would indeed shrink the richness of debates and the diversity of opinions. [..] According to an opinion poll conducted in 2010, Amir Khadir was at the time the favourite political figure in Quebec. His popularity has since declined, but he is still liked by many in Quebec, especially by young people after he completely embraced the “Quebec Spring” movement.
On the eve of these elections, the Quebec Spring (also called, in French, printemps érable [‘maple spring’, the symbol tree of Canada, and a pun to link the movement to the Arab Spring] ) is in everyone's mind. After all, this early election comes as a result of the longest strike in Quebec's history. Mireille Fournier explains [fr]:
After dismissing Parliament, the P.M. of Quebec province, Jean Charest announced that early parliamentary elections would be hold next September. In Quebec, there are no fixed date for elections. This rule would have allowed the government to stay in place until the end of 2012. But with the start of the new school year (on Aug. 15) looming, the Prime Minister had no choice but to relinquish his duties and ask the people to give their verdict on the legitimacy of his government.
The students’ protest in Montreal, May 22, 2012. Photo by Justin Ling (CC-license- BY- 3.0)
She also highlights the subtleties of this election [fr]:
To understand what is at stake in this election and with the context of the students crisis, you must be familiar with some aspects of political life in Quebec. All sovereignist political parties deem themselves officially social-democratic parties and support to some varying degrees the students’ cause, whereas the federalist parties are both standing up for the center-right liberal ideology and are deaf to the students’ demands. As a result, a deep political void grew in Quebec : there are no alternative that would  allow people to vote for the left without supporting the notion of [Quebec's] independence. Aside from the poor diversity of views inside the political parties of Quebec, our political system has got another problem: the discrepancy between the weight of voters living in cities and that of voters living in the countryside. As a matter of fact, the electoral map does not take into account the rising density of urban population and gives advantage to some rural areas at the expense of the cities.
Despite the voting system, the students are expected to play a key role [fr] in the results of the poll:
Usually, young people in Quebec massively abstain from voting in the legislative elections, but if all of the 2 million people aged between 18 and 35 vote and  express the wishes the “printemps érable” (“Quebec spring”) in the voting booth, they might make a difference in the results of the Sept. 4 election.[..] Still, despite the important civic involvement of young Quebeckers during the past seven months, youth abstention is a strong “secular trend”, says Michel Venne, executive manager of Institut du nouveau monde (INM, Institute for the New World). He adds : “Four Quebeckers out of ten do not vote anymore. The problem is hitting appalling heights among the youth. In an ageing society, it is a political suicide for a generation”.
The students’ movement will weigh both ways on the election, as many people in Quebec think that the students’ grievances are baseless. Gary Mason summarizes:
They don’t know how lucky they have it. They have the lowest tuition fees in the country. Even with the proposed $1,625 tuition increase – which the government has now agreed to spread over seven years instead of five – Quebec students would still enjoy costs their counterparts in the rest of the country would kill for.


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China: Editor’s Suicide Prompts Reflection, Reproach · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Xu Huaiqian, the chief editor of the People’s Daily‘s “Earth” supplement committed suicide last week on 22 of August, 2012. He once said during his lifetime that what pained him was that what he dared to think he dared not say, what he dared to say he dared not write, and what he dared to write he dared not publish. (via China Media Project)


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Chinese Style Romance · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu has translated a Chinese video that explains the material conditions of love relation in China.


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Colombian Government Plans Peace Talks with FARC · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

In the blog Crónicas, Santos García Zapata explains the context [es] around the Presidential decision to start peace talks with guerrilla groups. The Congress’ Peace Commission has declared that President Santos “is not alone” in his determination to reach peace.

author: Cati Restrepo


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East Timor: Return Trip of an Indonesian · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Dalih Sembiring, an Indonesian journalist and travel blogger, wrote “Postcards from Dili“, on a trip he did to East Timor 16 years after he left the country. On his post he republishes an article he wrote for the Jakarta Globe “focusing on how [he] reacquainted with a special person in Bairro Pite”.

author: Sara Moreira


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Egypt: Change at Sidi Gaber Station, Alexandria · Global Voices
محمد عادل

Sidi Gaber station two storey shopping mall. Photo by Shaimaa Ashour 8 May, 2012 (used with permission).
Egyptian architect, photographer and blogger Shaimaa Ashour has published a photo essay about Sidi Gaber train station in Alexandria, Egypt. The post shows the changes that happened to the station over the years.
Following is photographed “Moment of Silence” telling the story of Sidi Gaber station

author: محمد عادل


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Lebanon: At Odds with the Smoking Ban · Global Voices
Thalia Rahme

As of September 3rd, smoking will be prohibited in public transportation, work places and closed public places, including coffee shops and restaurants.
Mohammad Hijazi explains that the law is unrealistic and that its enforcement will;
Generate a drop of roughly $282 million in revenues, representing 7.1% of GDP in the hospitality sector and lead to a loss of about 2600 full-time jobs.
Mohammad also posted an online copy of the new law and its amendments [ar].

author: Thalia Rahme


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Lebanese Tourism Pays the Ultimate Price  · Global Voices
Thalia Rahme

Lebanon lacks oil and mineral resources. It is geographically too small to be independent in terms of agriculture. And the only way the country can survive is by relying on its services sector, mainly tourism, if and when politics permit.
But Lebanon has not been lucky with this regard. It has been plagued with a 30 year civil war which repelled tourists. After that, and whenever the Lebanese tried to attract visitors to the Land of the Cedars, whether Westerners or Arabs, a calamity would take place and all efforts to promote the tourism sector would go in vain.
Impacts on tourism
Cedar trees in the snow, Bcharre, Lebanon. Image by Flickr user Leandroid (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Just some of the incidents which have impacted Lebanese tourism recently include the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005 and the wave of other political murders which followed, the July 2006 war with Israel, the May 2008 internal conflict between different political factions, and the recent events with the divide over the Syrian crisis and the return of kidnappings to the local scene.
With the warning of embassies to their citizens to leave Lebanon, reservations in hotels dropped by 60 per cent the week of August 14, 2012. Cancellations have also been noted in terms of flight reservations.
On Twitter, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted the Embassy number in Beirut, urging its citizens in Lebanon to contact their Embassy to ensure their swift return back to their home [ar]:
Lebanese netizens are mourning the tourism season. Najib from Blog Baladi is sad:
All in all, I think this is the worst summer we’ve had in Lebanon for the past 10 years, even worse than the 2006 summer. That’s really sad specially with all the potential we have in this country.
On Twitter, Rawad Khoueiry summarizes the situation:
@rawadkhoueiry: Summer Tourism in lebanon: No Electricity, Mokdad Military Wing, Airport Road Cut, North Frontier Shooting
Wael Abou Diab explains the causes [ar]:
But as usual Lebanese sense of humour is always present against all odds. Ralph Nader believes that the huge number of Syrians taking refuge in Lebanon will make it up for the loss of Gulf nationals.
@Aamchit: Tourism is booming in Lebanon. People are coming from Damascus, Tartous, Homs, Aleppo, Deir El Zor and many other cities. #irony
Tourists have become such a rare species in Lebanon that Bechara is surprised.
@BouCha2ra: Guess what?! I saw a tourist yesterday! \m/ O.o #Lebanon
Zeina Mhanna is also sarcastic:
@MissZenaH: Today I had a Turkish tourist client.. I gave her directions to protect herself from aliens abduction in #Lebanon
Wajih has been visiting Istanbul and that is how he is promoting tourism for his country:
@neruda906: Someone tell the Minister of Tourism I'm doing a great job here, I'm convincing everybody I meet not to visit Beirut :) #Lebanon
Gulf netizens react
Voile Bleue beach in Jbeil, Lebanon. Image by Flickr user Haole Punk (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
With Al Mekdad Clan threatening to kidnap them, nationals from the Gulf were disappointed. Maktoum Bin Butti, from the UAE, notes:
@Makoumbinbutti: GCC countries supported Lebanon financially and boosted their tourism & in return they get kidnapped #awkward#GCC
AbdulRahman Al Haji calls his fellow citizen to boycott Lebanon [ar]:
Borzou Daraghi, who is MENA correspondent for the Financial Times, believes Jordan and Turkey will benefit mostly from what is happening in Lebanon:
@Borzou: With #Syria, #Egypt & now #Lebanon off the rich Gulf Arab tourist circuit I bet #Turkey & #Jordan will be raking in the cash


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Maritime Row with China Forces Philippines to Upgrade Defenses · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
A maritime dispute with China has forced the Philippines to review its defense capabilities. Tension arose earlier this year when Beijing and Manila accused each other of illegally occupying the territorial waters near the Scarborough Shoal located in the South China Sea.
The government has already dispatched several diplomatic missions seeking military agreements or cooperation with various countries in the Asia-Pacific.
The weak defense system of the Philippines is no secret. Even President Benigno Aquino joked about this during his recent state of the nation address:
Some have described our Air Force as all air and no force. Lacking the proper equipment, our troops remain vulnerable even as they are expected to be put in harm’s way. We cannot allow things to remain this way. We will no longer send paper boats out to sea. Now, our 36,000 kilometers of coastline will be patrolled by more modern ships.
Aquino also assured Filipinos that the government is prepared to modernize its defense forces:
Before this year ends, we are hopeful that the twenty-one refurbished UH-1H Helicopters, the four combat utility helicopters, the radios and other communication equipment, the rifles, the mortars, the mobile diagnostic laboratories, and even the station bullet assemblies we have purchased will be delivered. Come 2013, ten attack helicopters, two naval helicopters, two light aircraft, one frigate, and air force protection equipment will also be arriving.
But he clarified that the procurement of new war machines is not intended to provoke hostilities:
We are not doing this because we want to be an aggressor, we are not doing this because we want escalation. This is about keeping the peace. This is about protecting ourselves—something that we have long thought impossible.
Last year, the Philippines acquired an old Coast Guard Cutter from the United States which now patrols the western coastal areas of the country. The Philippines and the United States (U.S.) have a Mutual Defense Pact which was signed in the 1950s. Below is a video uploaded by YouTube user PHMalaya of the turnover of the ship from the U.S. to the Philippines:
Aside from navy ships, the Philippines is also planning to buy F-16 jets since the country has no attack aircrafts as of the moment.
But the Philippines, it seems, is also looking to establish military ties with other countries. It has recently decided to purchase military equipment from European countries. It seeks to acquire two frigates from Italy equipped with modern anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems. It also recently finalized a deal with Japan which “will cover military exchanges between the two armed forces, naval visits, meetings related to internal and external security issues, defense technology and knowledge exchange, issues related to maritime security, and information exchange.”
The Senate has also ratified the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and Australia “for the purposes of conducting military education, training, and exercise, humanitarian activities.” But Senator Joker Arroyo opposed the agreement claiming that it was drafted to send a message to China:
The Aquino administration only wants this ratified because of the country’s dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea. Although the agreement is not a defense pact, its symbolism cannot be lost on China. Let us not grab at straws. We must persevere.
Map of military exercises between United States and Philippine soldiers. Photo from Ibon
It’s no coincidence that military exercises between the Philippines and the U.S. became more frequent in the past year. This was a time when the Philippine-China maritime standoff intensified. Writer Erick San Juan questions the relevance of these military exercises:
We cannot help but ask ourselves – do we really need such annual exercises? We have several of the same kind already and recently they are not being useful to us and to the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Obviously, it is a tool for provocation whether we like it or not. Any accidental firing or miscalculations during such exercises, could be use as pretext for regional conflict. As a sovereign nation, we have to assert our rights to our territory and if we do not have the military might, peaceful diplomatic solution is always the best answer.
Activist Arnold Padilla shares a similar view:
China’s assertive stance in its dispute with the country over the Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands is being used to justify increased US military presence and intervention in the Philippines and in the region. While this serves US’s agenda in Asia Pacific, it also raises further risks to peace and development in the region and to the national sovereignty of the Philippines.

author: Mong Palatino


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Egypt: Morsi’s Presidential Team · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Yasser Ali, the spokesperson of the Egyptian presidency announced Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's presidential team. Zeinobia introduces us to the team – so did Julia Lugovska. It consists of 4 assistants and 17 consultants.

author: Tarek Amr


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Palestine: A 1920 Eid Celebration in Jaffa  · Global Voices
محمد عادل

Celebrating Eid in Jaffa 1920
The Facebook page Tradition in Palestine shares a picture which reflects Eid celebration in Jaffa in 1920 with the following comment:
as in my parents description to Eid: magic lantern, rope swing and ice cream and juice vendors


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Puerto Rico: Dancing through the Lens of Heriberto Castro · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

Dancing is not only one of the most ancient art forms, it is also one of the most transitory. A dance only exists in the moment it is being danced; once it is over, there is no trace left of it. This aspect of dance is what makes the work of people like Heriberto Castro so important in the effort to support the cultural and artistic activities of a country. Thanks to people like him, a dance which would only usually exist in a certain time and place can be captured in a tangible way and so continue to exist.
Heriberto Castro is a photographer who is fascinated by the possibilities of movement of the human body. Talking to him, I noticed such an effervescent enthusiasm for what he does that it was like talking to one of those fortunate people who have retained that child-like ability to be amazed, which we too often lose. He met up with me to discuss the blog he has dedicated to the world of dance, En la punta del pie [es].
GV: How did the blog emerge?
Heriberto Castro
Heriberto Castro (HC): Viene originalmente de mi necesidad de cubrir baile. Fascinado por la estética de los cuerpos en movimiento desplazándose en un espacio. Luego el qué hacer con las imágenes me mueve a escribir, pues el quehacer cultural está dominado por otras disciplinas. Comencé a escribir de baile en Claridad en el '93. Era una forma de ver mis imágenes publicadas y a la vez honrar a los artistas del movimiento y darme a conocer como fotógrafo.
GV: Is the name of your blog a play with words? Does it come from the expression “en la punta de la lengua” [on the tip of one's tongue]?
HC: Viene, precisamente, de la plena “En la punta del pie”. Es una plena de Puerto Rico, tiene que ver con baile y la idea es que estás abarcando diferentes géneros. […] Así surge el espacio e inmediatamente que empiezo a escribir, vi la acogida, por la necesidad de la documentación.
GV: Apart from photos, your blog has some excellent pieces about the activities that you photograph. Have you had any dance training?
Performance of “El amor brujo”, choreography by Thierry Malandin, for the Malandain Ballet Biarritz company in the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Centre in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as part of the 2011 Casals Festival. © Heriberto Castro. Used with permission.
HC: No, no tengo formación académica en baile. Sin embargo comencé a fotografiar baile a finales de los ‘70 para la época de los Juegos Panamericanos del ‘79, produciendo varios viajes a Rincón para capturar fotos de los ensayos de COPANI [Comité Organizador Panamericanos Instrucción Pública]. Estas imágenes provocaron la cobertura de bailes folklóricos de forma tal que la compañía Gíbaro de Puerto Rico me lleva a documentarlos en una de sus participaciones a un Festival de Bailes Folklóricos en España por espacio de un mes. Aquí no solo documenté a Puerto Rico, sino a diferentes países y regiones de España.
Esta diversidad cultural me lleva a sumergirme en la lectura de baile. Provocando el querer saber de otras modalidades, géneros, hasta su historia, llego a lo contemporáneo, lo cuál me apasiona continuando en su documentación. Esto logró que varias compañías me comisionaran para retratarlos. No son los géneros, sino cuando descubres los procesos que pasa el bailarín para interpretar a un coreógrafo, o en lo contemporáneo cuando lanzan propuestas a través del baile, o improvisaciones estructuradas para que el espectador piense y reflexione lo que me cautiva a escribir hoy en día.
HC: No, I haven't had any formal dance training. However, I began to photograph dance at the end of the 70s for the period of the 1979 Pan American Games, making various journeys to Rincón to take photos of the COPANI trials [Panamerican Organising Committee of Public Instruction]. These images led to the coverage of folkloric dances; the Puerto Rican company Gíbaro took me to Spain for about a month to document their performances in a Festival of Folkloric Dance. I didn't only document it for Puerto Rico, but other countries and regions of Spain as well.
This cultural diversity leads me to submerge myself in dance literature. It provokes a desire to know other forms and genres, as well as their history. Even contemporary, which still thrills me to document. This led to several companies commissioning me to photograph them. They aren't genres, but when you discover the processes a dancer goes through to interpret a choreographer, or in contemporary dance when they make proposals through dance, or structured improvisations to make the spectator think about and reflect on that same thing that captivates me to write today.
GV: When I read the blog, I loved it because there were some articles which made me think, “this should be in a newspaper”, as currently newspapers do not have the type of coverage in which a deeper commentary is made about cultural activities.
HC: Antes lo había; lamentablemente, se ha ido perdiendo.
GV: What did you want to achieve with the blog?
New World School of the Arts interpreting Robert Battle's “Battlefield” choreography. © Heriberto Castro. Used with permission.
HC: Mi intención con el blog, cuando lo hice, […] era simplemente documentar y de alguna manera aglutinar la comunidad de baile. En estos momentos deseo se convierta en una revista que contenga la historia y el acontecer del baile en Puerto Rico, incluyendo los intercambios culturales con otros países y sentir haber contribuido con el quehacer cultural de mi patria. De alguna forma he tenido feedback de muchos bailarines que agradecen la cobertura que he logrado, porque ellos a veces no tienen tiempo de ver algunas funciones por ensayos y esto me satisface.
GV: How would you like the blog to develop in the future?
HC: A mí me gustaría en el futuro poder cubrir funciones de danza, movimiento en todas las comunidades donde hayan puertorriqueños, en Nueva York, California… Eso me encantaría, poder hacer eso, expandirme a esa zona y con la cobertura servir de puente a la comunidad de baile en Puerto Rico […] Es increíble, porque, igual que en teatro: hay gente de teatro en Nueva York y se conocen, pero ¿qué está haciendo cada cual? Porque estamos aparte, nadie sabe; y lo mismo en baile.
GV: Do you use any other platforms online to make the blog more widely known?
Lyulma Rivera and Omar Nieves in Jesús Miranda's piece “Reflejo”, before the performance of “El amor brujo” in the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Centre. © Heriberto Castro. Used with permission.
HC: Lo estoy haciendo a través de Facebook, cuando me encuentro con gente de baile fuera de Puerto Rico, que son hispanos, o que veo que son puertorriqueños, les envío el blog. De esta forma mucha gente de allá lo han estado siguiendo. Pero muchos de ellos no sé si son puertorriqueños o no; algunos sí sé que lo son. […] Ya hice la página en YouTube para vídeos y en estos días tengo que hacer la de Facebook. Y qué interesante, ¿verdad? que ahora hay esos medios, que podemos hacer esto. […] Lo más interesante para mí ha sido también conectarme con compañías de baile, que tú dices “Esa gente no me van a responder a mí” […] y te responden, y se hacen miembros del blog y tú dices “¡Ea, diache! ¡Qué chévere!” Porque, volvemos, el Internet se está convirtiendo realmente en un medio importante para todo el mundo que tiene un espacio, y eso ha sido chévere porque de la manera más sencilla nos comunicamos con gente de forma insospechada. Qué yo iba a pensar que me iba a comunicar con la primera bailarina de tal compañía; no hay manera de llegar a ella. Sin embargo a través de Facebook, tú te comunicas, le mandas el site, ella te responde agradecida. […] Y cuando vienes a ver, se abre una puerta.
GV: What influence has the internet had on photojournalism?
HC: Facilita la propagación del trabajo que uno hace y no está sujeto a la representación por un medio en particular. Su resultado lo ves cuando tú llamas, y saben quién eres y lo que estas haciendo. Tu trabajo te sostiene. Personalmente, estoy comprometido con mis lectores y seguidores presentando un trabajo con honestidad basado en mis vivencias y documentar la labor de los artistas sin pretensiones. Esto me obliga a continuar educándome.
GV: Why photograph the world of dance in Puerto Rico? What was it about this world that attracted you?
CoDa 21 in “El orden de las cosas” at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Centre, choreographed by Roberto Oliván. © Heriberto Castro. Used with permission.
HC: Es que realmente el fotógrafo es visual; y como todas las artes visuales ocurre un proceso, igual que el artista plástico, el escultor, el bailarín… existe un sentimiento que te hace trazar una línea, esculpir con cierta fuerza, exigir un desplazamiento de tu cuerpo en un espacio y mi proceso de determinar en qué momento capto una imagen, qué luz enciende mi estética, y es aquí dónde me conecto con el baile. Por eso a pesar de formas distintas, hay una conexión. Uno visualmente responde a unas líneas, a unos diseños. […] El interés siempre en fotografía, de cierta manera, el mayor interés es la parte humana, lo que me dice tal o cual cosa del otro, y tú lo quieres tener ahí en una foto. Qué pasa: en baile hay líneas, hay diseño, hay… una energía, un qué se yo, cuando alguien viene y hace una extensión con el pie y la falda hace ¡shhhhm! y crea un visual, dices “¡Wow!”, es una cosa como “¡Wow!” Y qué pasa: el visual, a nivel de ojo, que tú lo estás mirando, pasa bien rápido, pero si tú lo detienes y tú ves exactamente ahí, ¡pap! la forma y la línea. Y tan pronto tú lo tienes ahí paralizado, y lo ves en una imagen, ¡pap! te comunica algo. […] Algunas coreografías corresponden a lo que está pasando en la actualidad.
Usualmente en mi opinión, hay coreógrafos que están más conectados que otros. […] El coreógrafo tiene la intención de llevar un mensaje contemporáneo con lo que está pasando en la actualidad o con sus procesos. Yo creo que todo el que está en las artes, Dios, el Universo, dentro de todo esto hay una conexión. Esta fuerza sirve para que la civilización evolucione. Cuando detengo ese instante, en ese momento me conecto con el que baila y con el que coreografía y mi imagen representa esa conexión, y aquí siento, todos evolucionamos.
HC: Photography is visual, and like all visual arts there's a process. It's the same for the artist, the sculptor, the dancer… there is a feeling that makes you draw a line, sculpt with some force, demand a displacement from your body in a space. My process is determining in which moment to capture the image, what light is best for the aesthetics, and it's here that I connect with dance. That's why, in spite of different forms, there is a connection. One visually responds to lines, to designs. […] The interest in photography is always, in a certain way, the human part: what tells me such and such a thing about the other, and what you want to have there in a photo. What happens: in dance there are lines, there are designs, there is… an energy, something I can't put my finger on, when someone comes and extends their foot and the skirt goes shhhhm! and creates a visual, you say, “Wow!”, it's something like “Wow!” And what happens? The visual that you're looking at, at eye level, passes really quickly, but if you stop and see it there exactly, pap! the form and the line. And as soon as you have it stopped there, and you see it in an image, pap! it communicates something to you. Some dances correspond to what is currently happening in the world.
Usually, in my opinion, there are choreographers who are more connected than others. […] The choreographer intends to carry a contemporary message with what's currently happening or with their processes. I think that all there is in the arts, God, the Universe; in between them all there's a connection. This strength causes civilisation to evolve. When I pause in the moment, I connect with whoever is dancing and whoever choreographed the dance and my image represents that connection, and here I feel it: we all evolve.

author: Ángel Carrión


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Russia: Foreign Ministry Looks to Germany to Justify Pussy Riot Verdict · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

In the aftermath of Pussy Riot's two-year sentence, delivered on August 17, 2012, the Russian government has been under intense international pressure to explain a verdict that most Western countries deem excessive, if not downright absurd.
For liberal Russian bloggers, the legal system's decision was expected, though many were shocked by its severity. Many Orthodox believers and activists, on the other hand, celebrated the ruling, viewing it as recognition of their primacy in post-Soviet Russian society.
In the days after the trial ended, Russia's Foreign Ministry made a series of comments to reporters that further enraged Pussy Riot's supporters in the streets and online. On August 18 [ru], and again in greater detail on August 22 [ru], the Foreign Ministry's official spokesperson, Aleksandr Lukashevich, defended the verdict and lashed out at the West for ignorance about the band members’ pasts and highlighted perceived double standards regarding interferences into religious services and criminal penalties.
German Foreign Minister Jonas Støre and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in front of the tomb of philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kaliningrad, Russia. 7 March 2011, photo by Utenriksdepartementet UD, CC BY-SA 2.0.
In a move that outraged bloggers like Andrey Malgin, Lukashevich argued that understanding the crimes of Pussy Riot requires a separate knowledge of the group Voina, an older collective of similar shock-artists who also produce politically and socially conscious material. (Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is a former member of Voina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich collaborated with the group on various projects in the past.)
By highlighting its members’ links to Voina, Lukashevich hoped to emphasize the pervertedness of Pussy Riot's aims:
Те, кто уже успел ознакомиться со «свободой самовыражения» группы «Война», знают, какое групповое «действо» в форме свального греха с участием беременной женщины они устроили в музее и как они привлекали к своему «творчеству» дохлую курицу, причем в присутствии малолетнего ребенка. Почему-то не вызывала возмущения толерантного Запада и их странная акция с «повешением» в крупном супермаркете гастарбайтеров и представителей секс-меньшинств.
Lukashevich didn't finish his Voina commentary there, however. He went on to discuss how the group, in the face of Russia's supposedly totalitarian censorship, actually won a April 2011 state prize in visual art for an act of public vandalism during the St. Petersburg World Economic Forum in 2010. (Voina painted a large phallus on a drawbridge facing the local offices of the FSB. Lukashevich avoids mentioning that the award ceremony's organizers tried to disqualify [ru] Voina's initial nomination.)
Writing in his LiveJournal [ru], Malgin took issue with the idea of justifying the verdict against Pussy Riot's members on the basis of Voina and its history:
Кто-нибудь объяснит мне – кто из трех политических заключенных – Толоконникова, Самуцевич или Алёхина – засовывала себе курицу? Когда об этом пишут нашистские тролли, это понятно. Но если это утверждение содержится в заявлении МИДа, хотелось бы или получить ссылку на источник или услышать немедленные извинения от правительства.
While “How to Snatch a Chicken” is one of Voina's most infamous and grotesque acts, Lukashevich also cited one of the group's 2008 exploits, wherein members pretended to hang by the neck “homosexually-dressed” men and three migrant workers in the middle of a crowded Moscow department story. (The measure was intended to criticize then-Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's stances on the rights of gays and migrants.)
Malgin raised the same objections over the Foreign Ministry's reference to the department store incident, claiming that the state owed Pussy Riot an official apology, given that they were not involved. (A careful review of Voina's own documentary footage [ru], however, reveals that both Tolokonnikova and Samutsevich did take part in that event.)
Screenshots from Voina's 2008 department store action, featuing Tolokonnikova (right) and Samutsevich (left). 14 September 2008. YouTube.
Commenting on Malgin's blog post, Ivan Simochkin complained [ru] that Lukashevich purposefully misled the public about the department store protest by describing it as a display of violence against migrant workers and gays. (The Foreign Ministry representative emphasized that these people were “hanged by the neck,” seemingly implying a hate crime.) As Simochkin points out, Voina was actually demonstrating its opposition to the discrimination of gays and migrants.
Malgin expanded this notion of intentional disinformation in his conclusion, writing that the government is trying to distract the public by focusing on Voina, in order to downplay the less abstract and more transparently political nature of Pussy Riot itself. (For instance, he summarizes the band's first three songs and flashmob concerts, underlining the overtly political themes: the Arab Spring, Russia's prisons, and a revolt against Vladimir Putin.)
Also in response to the Foreign Ministry's damage control campaign, Expert magazine published an article [ru] by Sergei Sumlennyi that specifically addressed the government's frequent claim that other European countries also criminalize the disruption of religious practice. Sumlennyi's piece attracted significant attention online, garnering a republication from art critic Marat Guelman [ru], and retweets from Duma Deputy Ilya Ponomarev's press secretary, Danila Lindele [ru], as well as Russia's best known blogger, Aleksei Navalny [ru].
The essence of Sumlennyi's response is that European nations — specifically Germany and Austria, which Lukashevich has named in multiple press conferences — have indeed instituted penalties for assaults on religious groups and institutions, but prison sentences are extremely rare. Sumlennyi concludes that Pussy Riot would only have seen the inside of a jail after several repeat violations, and even then their sentence would likely have been only a few months of suspended incarceration.
Echoing fears about disinformation, Sumlennyi explains the logic of the Foreign Ministry's questionable self-defense:
Разумеется, все это прекрасно известно немецким чиновникам, на которых направлены заявления российского МИДа. […] Впрочем, возможно, что мне не придется краснеть за российский МИД, — ведь всегда есть вероятность, что заявление на сайте МИДа предназначено в первую очередь для внутреннего употребления и призвано оправдать приговор Pussy Riot в глазах граждан России. В таком случае ссылка на немецкие и австрийские параграфы без разъяснения того, что за ними стоит, может и в самом деле оказаться действенной.
Writing in his blog [ru] at Echo of Moscow, lawyer and author Leonid Storch recycled several case studies from Sumlennyi's article, adding one from Finland, to further refute the Foreign Ministry's claim that Western democracies typically punish church vandals with significant prison sentences. Like Malgin and Sumlennyi, Storch also accused the government of consciously deceiving the public with misinformation.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Russia: Protesters Aim for Elected Office · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

This post is part of our special coverage Russia's Protest Movement.
On August 15, the Organizational Committee of the March of the Millions published an agenda for its September 15 rally on its Facebook [ru] and VKontakte [ru] pages, as well as the website of the Left Front [ru], a neo-communist political organization led by Sergey Udaltsov, one of the winter protests’ leaders. The demands of the committee are ambitious: new elections and Putin’s resignation, among others. They also include the following point:
Принимаются законы, гарантирующие местное самоуправление и прямые выборы губернаторов.
It’s a strange point to put on the agenda, given that both already exist, in letter if not in spirit. Direct governor elections are returning to Russia starting this year, as covered previously by Global Voices, while towns all over the country are gearing up [ru] for local elections this fall [ru].
Evgenya Chirikova, Russian environmental activist. Moscow, Russia. 12 June 2012, photo by Evgeniy Isaev, CC BY-SA 2.0.
In fact, another opposition leader, Evgenya Chirikova, has recently announced her decision to run for mayor of a Moscow suburb, Khimki, home to the forest she has been trying to save for the past couple of years. In her blog, Chirikova called for [ru] an information campaign waged through Twitter and other social networks, explaining:
Я не думаю, что нынешние городские власти так уж заинтересованы в том, чтобы подробно рассказывать о том, как мы предлагаем улучшить жизнь горожан.
So far, Chirikova seems to be running as the candidate of a broad coalition of protest-minded politicians and activists. She has garnered support from Sergey Udaltsov [ru], Alexey Navalny [ru], Ilya Ponomarev [ru], Oleg Shein [ru] (who is lobbying Just Russia to support her), and Yabloko. Even Vladimir Milov's DemVybor [ru], which has criticized her in the past, and Boris Nemtsov [ru], who famously called Chirikova “yelping scum” [ru] in a private phone conversation, have registered their support.
Bloggers point to Chirikova’s career as a businesswoman and manager [ru], as well as her history of environmental activism [ru], arguing that she would make an efficient mayor. Of course, not everyone is excited about her candidacy. Boris Nadezhdin, a minor opposition politician, notes in his blog [ru] that she already ran for mayor once in 2009. Back then, she lost with 15% of the vote. He puts her share this time around slightly higher — at 20%.
Some claim that Chirikova is naive and incapable of compromise. Others question [ru] her ties to the United States and foreign NGOs, which would be easy for her opponents to exploit in Russia's current political climate.
Other Russia’s Eduard Limonov thinks that Chirikova would be a wonderful mayor, but that’s precisely why the opposition shouldn’t want her elected. According to him [ru], she is ideologically similar to United Russia functionaries to the point that her election would be a minor coup for the Kremlin. In a different, post Limonov complained [ru]:
Все поголовно кандидаты – представители буржуазного класса. Так быть не должно.
Meanwhile, another Other Russia politician, Sergey Ezhov, announced his candidacy for a different position — one even more minor than the role of suburban mayor: a seat on the city council of a town populated by just 5,000 people. On his Echo Moskvy blog [ru], Ezhov explained his motivation:
одна из основных современных проблем России – отсутствие положительного опыта местного самоуправления. Именно оно дает почву для роста гражданского самосознания, без которого все попытки модернизаций сверху закончатся, вероятнее всего, провалом. […] прежде чем занять уровень, которого я, как считаю, достоин, хочу попробовать свои силы именно в роли местного депутата.
If successful at the ballot box, could protesters and oppositionist politicians finally gain the experience that Russia's protesters have generally lacked so far? Or will the leap from activism to campaigning — and from netizen to citizen — prove too daunting and ultimately disenchanting?
This post is part of our special coverage Russia's Protest Movement.


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Sudan: Twitter Activist Released After Two Months in Detention · Global Voices
Maha El-Sanosi

This post is part of our special coverage #SudanRevolts.
The Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) launched a heavy-handed campaign in mid-June 2012, arresting thousands of protesters, activists, political party members and leaders and even law-abiding citizens from protest sites, universities, public places and in many cases people’s homes, following anti-regime protests.
However, once the protests calmed down over two months, the NISS began releasing detainees; August 17 marked the largest number of detainees released.
Among those released is Twitter activist Usamah Mohamed Ali who was arrested from the scene of a protest in Khartoum on June 22.
Usamah Mohamed Ali is a Sudanese Twitter activist who was arrested at a protest. He has tweeted his prison experience following his release.
A month into Usamah’s arrest, Mimz wrote a blog post highlighting his detention.
A day after his release, he tweeted a mere two words but confirmed to his followers that he had been released:
@simsimt: Struggle continues.
Adding:
@simsimt: I'm so grateful for all who campaigned for me! Tweets, topics & support msgs brought a lump to my throat several times while I was reading!
A week later, Usamah wrote a series of short tweets narrating the conditions of his arrest.
He started off:
@simsimt: Without further detail for now, I was arrested by an #NISS agent in plainclothes who approached me while I was tweeting. #SudanRevolts
@simsimt: I remember very clearly that I was writing about the huge attempts made by #NISS to prevent any documentation of the protest. #SudanRevolts
Usamah explained that he refused to give away the password to his phone, provoking the anger of the NISS officers:
@simsimt: Locking my phone, which I've password-protected, later became the catalyst for much abuse, torture & interrogation I'd endured #SudanRevolts
Stating:
@simsimt: When taken to an #NISS pickup truck that was stationed by the protest area, I was ordered several times to unlock my phone. #SudanRevolts
@simsimt: I fiercely refused. When they finally gave up on me, I was taken alone on a pickup, blindfolded, to #NISS premises in Bahri. #SudanRevolts
He then notes the emotional and physical torture he sustained while in detention:
@simsimt: At #NISS building, I endured almost 4 or 5 hours of verbal abuse, severe beating up and all kind of threats to unlock my phone #SudanRevolts
@simsimt: I was threatened w/ sexual assault/abuse numerous times during that day. At one point, even by a top-rank #NISS officer. #SudanRevolts
Noting that:
@simsimt: I endured severe beating up on my head w/ a rock, 'cause my phone while in their possession, received a call from the U.S. #SudanRevolts
@simsimt: The torturer who had gone pretty mad was hysterically shouting “You're an agent, AGENT, AGENT!” while beating me up! #SudanRevolts
Explaining that NISS officers forcefully deprived him of sleep:
@simsimt: When again, they finally gave up on me, I was ordered by an officer, in front of me, to be deprived from sleeping. #SudanRevolts
Usamah concluded saying:
@simsimt: I hold #NISS accountable for everything I've endured. I remember the faces of my torturers and abusive officers. #SudanRevolts
This post is part of our special coverage #SudanRevolts.

author: Maha El-Sanosi


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Taiwan: ‘National Health Insurance’ System in Crisis · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Taiwan's National Health Insurance is often used as a ‘model for reform’ in countries such as the United States where health care depends on a private insurance system. A recent article written by Princeton professor Uwe Reinhardt in the New York Times blog also praises the efficiency of the Taiwanese system.
Yet, the inconvenient truth unknown to the outside world is that such efficiency is built upon exploitation of medical staff.
Professor Reinhardt's article was written after the 2012 Europe-Taiwan Health Dialogue held in Taipei in July. He was impressed by a presentation by the Director of the Medical Informatics Center at the Department of Health in Taiwan, who talked about the efficiency of the national health care data system which monitors infectious disease.
Even though Reinhardt acknowledged the fact that Taiwan's health care is underfunded with only 6.7 percent of its gross domestic product going to health care, compared with close to 18 percent being spent in the United States, he is unaware that this low budget is at the expense of medical staff in Taiwan.
The profile picture of TMAL in Facebook
The Taiwan Medical Alliance for Labour Justice and Patient Safety (TMAL) [zh] posted a table comparing the cost of some common medical procedures on their Facebook Page. It shows that in the U.S. 25-350 times higher is charged than what is charged in Taiwan for the same procedure. The Alliance explained:
健保太便宜，還能支撐的理由就是極端地壓榨醫護和砍削藥價了。
Medical staff protest against the phenomena of death from overwork. Photo from TAML's Facebook Photo Album.
TMAL further elaborated [zh] by quoting a comment made by Professor Jung-Der Wang from the Department of Public Health at the National Cheng Kung University on their Facebook page:
台灣的醫療，部分是犧牲了醫護人員的薪資與生活品質，達到降低醫療成本的效果。因健保壓低醫療照護花費，限制了醫院的營收，造成醫護人員薪資低、工時長，而有「血汗醫院」或「過勞死」之事發生。
In addition to the high risk of sickness due to overwork, medical doctors in Taiwan face high volumes of medical malpractice lawsuits. Decode-medicine [zh], an online journal on Taiwan medical profession, highlighted the astonishing statistic concerning the prosecution and conviction rate of doctors in Taiwan:
台灣自2000年起，醫療糾紛鑑定案件平均每天超過一件…其中有八成是刑事訴訟案件。平均每10.5天就有一位醫師因刑事案件被起訴。平均每38.8天就有一位醫師因刑事案件被定罪。台灣醫師的「有罪率」世界第一，竟高達四分之一（25.6％）。
The increasing number of lawsuits against medical doctors, along with long working hour and low salary, discourages young physicians from joining the five major medical departments [zh], including Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Emergency.
TMAL summarized [zh] the crisis of the National Health Insurance system in Taiwan:
台灣的全民健保制度就像似在蓋一棟沒有地基的高樓，當初規劃的時候並沒有打好地基〔沒有保障勞動工時、給付沒有考量醫療風險、也沒有規劃醫療糾紛相關保險等等〕，樓層就一層一層往上蓋，如今，高樓已經開始搖搖欲墜了！

author: Oiwan Lam


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Trinidad & Tobago: Independence & Governance  · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Afra Raymond uses the recent firing of a junior minister in the Ministry of National Security, Colin Partap, and Trinidad & Tobago's upcoming 50th anniversary of Independence to think about issues of governance, responsibility, and fitness for high office.

author: Matthew Hunte


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Trinidad & Tobago: Theatre Love · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

All of human emotion is distilled into a couple of hours, brought to life by characters drawn from every imaginable human (and divine) archetype. I love reading it, watching it – and I love performing it most of all.
Caroline Taylor resumes blogging by writing about her love of classical theatre.


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Ukraine: Striving for Unguarded EU Borders · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Source: “We are Europeans” Facebook page
“We are Europeans” grassroots initiative (whose launch GV covered in Oct. 2011) re-posted on its Facebook page a photo collage [en] comparing the Iraq-Syria and the Netherlands-Belgium borders: the former is heavily guarded, the latter is just a line outside a street café.
Eugen Theise commented [en]:
Why Iraq and Syria? EU and Ukraine – same shit, but in Europe :(
Karina Babenko added [ru]:
I want Ukraine to have the same border with the European Union as the one between Holland and Belgium!

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Angola: Citizens Report Electoral Irregularities · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

The website EleicoesAngola2012.com [pt] receives and shares denouncements of irregularities concerned with the preparation for Angola's general elections that will take place on August 31. Any citizen can submit reports via SMS.


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Assessing Quality of Life in African Cities · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

A study by The Economist Intelligence on the most liveable cities in the world (PDF of the complete report), suggests that six out of the ten least liveable cities in the world are situated in Africa.
However, another ranking by the New Economics Foundation shows that, based on the HPI (Happy Planet Index), residents in certain African countries are happier than those in several European nations [fr]. So where are we exactly, when it comes to urban quality of life in Africa?
Urban versus rural life
As Sabine Cessou points out, the Happy Planet Index is fundamentally subjective and seems to favour African countries in terms of respect for the environment. She states [fr]:
Le cas de Madagascar illustre bien la particularité des mesures de HPI. Ce pays, plongé depuis 2009 dans une profonde crise politique et sociale, glisse chaque jour un peu plus dans le gouffre de la pauvreté. Ce fléau touche 76% de sa population, contre 68% en 2010, selon le rapport Perspectives économiques de l’Afrique de l’OCDE [..] Mais le respect de l’environnement et le relatif optimisme de ses habitants jouent en faveur de la Grande île. Avec une empreinte carbone de seulement 1,2, Madagascar se classe avantageusement, dans le palmarès HPI, entre la France et l’Autriche.
However, an overall carbon footprint of just 1.2 for the nation stands in stark contrast to that of the Madagascan capital, Antananarivo, often ranked amongst the most polluted cities in the world [fr]:
En deuxième position, on trouve la capitale du Bangladesh, Dacca, qui s'illustre par une pollution de l'air au plomb. Les deux autres villes suivantes sont Antananarivo et Port-au-Prince, capitales respectives de Madagascar et de Haïti, “confrontées à une croissance rapide de la population urbaine et à des besoins toujours plus importants en matière de gestion des déchets et de l'eau”.
This video uploaded to YouTube by user WbMadagascar on 30 June, 2012, is from the World Bank in Madagascar on social protection in Madagascan cities [fr]. The video depicts the daily hardships that the malagasy population is facing while they transition from the rural to the urban areas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGZjEHKW5GE
Such is the paradox of life in Africa; urban capitals in full expansion despite endemic poverty, surrounded by abundant natural spaces, which cast into especially sharp relief the unique contrast between rural and urban life.
The capital city of Windhoek in Namibia by Bries on Wikipedia. License CC-Attribution-Share Alike 2.5.
The  state of affairs in Namibia [fr], as described below by Antoine Galindo, is one which the residents of several African cities would recognise:
C’est principalement contre ces violences que mettent en garde les différentes chancelleries. Ces vols peuvent être assorits d'agressions physiques dans les grandes villes. En dehors des agglomérations, le pays reste calme et prisé pour ses paysages spectaculaires et très variés. Seulement, en raison de l’insécurité qui règne encore dans les rues de la capitale, le tourisme piétine, et l’afflux des étrangers demeure faible.
Growing infrastructure problem
Amel Bouzidi analyses the study conducted by The Economist Intelligence, noting the following [fr] about Algeria:
Sur les 140 villes passées au crible, Alger arrive à la 135 position, derrière Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Teheran (Iran), Douala (Cameroun) et  Tripoli (Libye). Dacca, capitale du Bandgladesh, ferme la marche.  Le mauvais classement de la capitale algérienne qui compte une population de plus 3 millions d’individus ne surprend guère. Alger est dépourvu de lieux de loisirs, les salles de cinéma se comptent sur les dix doigts de la main, la circulation automobile y est épouvantable et ses habitants se plaignent de la saleté des trottoirs. A tout cela s'ajoutent aujourd'hui les coupures fréquentes du courant électrique ainsi que les coupures en eau potable.
In Douala, Cameroon, power cuts are one of the symptoms of a dire economic situation [fr]. Global Voices contributor Julie Owono describes a state of affairs in which the country's infrastructure cannot keep up with its rapidly increasing population:
According to certain estimates, just 20% of the Cameroonian population has access to a regular electricity supply. In fact, those who have access to electricity are accustomed to power cuts every three days. Electricity is also becoming more and more costly for the rest of the country's citizens. The private provider, AES Sonel, for example, recently announced a 7% rise in prices starting June 1st, 2012.
Rapid changes to quality of life in urban areas
The urban quality of life study also shows that the rankings are susceptible to rapid change. One of the criteria taken into account, the city's economic power, sees three Chinese cities dominate the list. The report explains that other criteria such as the efficiency of its institutions, human capital, cultural attractions, and the financial maturity of the cities weigh more heavily in the balance.
Looking to the future, the report suggests certain points of improvement that cities in emergent countries (including African cities) must accomplish to improve their position in the rankings:
The rise of emerging markets will likely make a number of largely unknown cities rather more prominent by 2020. Bandung, Hangzhou, Lagos and Lima, for example, all feature growth rates of 6% or higher, but are familiar to few outside of their home countries today. That will change. A key question is the speed with which this will happen [..] To do so, they need to adapt their investment attraction policies, but this in turn requires more fundamental shifts. “They have a good stock of infrastructure, but it’s highly polluted and there are no public spaces and things like this. They now understand that they have to move to something more qualitative.”

author: Rakotomalala


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Bolivia: Radioactive Uranium Seized in La Paz? · Global Voices
Pablo Andres Rivero

On August 28, 2012, Bolivian authorities seized two tons of solid material, presumably uranium or radioactive minerals, that were being transported from a property at a central district of La Paz, close to a number of diplomatic offices, under no security or protection measures.
Minister of Government Carlos Romero led the operative, which was conducted by special police units. Later, Mr. Romero informed [es] that laboratory tests and analysis determined that the material was “not radioactive. It will not produce any [health] risks”.
However, Romero also announced [es] further investigation by the Geologic and Mining National Service Sergeotecmin [es] and the Bolivian Institute of Science and Nuclear Technology. The potential radioactivity of the material remains therefore unclear.
Police seize 2 tons of uranium in Sopocachi, La Paz, on August 28. Photo shared via Twitpic by Twitter user @pagina_siete
Mainstream media reported on the event immediately and covered it throughout the day. Concerns and comments, including ironic ones, were also expressed on social media sites under the hashtag #uranio.
Blogger and journalist Andres Gómez Vela commented via his Twitter account (@andrsgomezv) [es]:
@andrsgomezv: Ojo, Bolivia no produce #uranio, ¿de dónde apareció este cargamento? Quizás Estaba en tránsito hacia a otro país, dice Viceministro Pérez
Moreover, netizens are criticising the precarious way in which such potential radioactive material was manipulated in the first place.
An early tweet by Fernanda San Martin (@Fer_SanMartin) [es] commenting on the issue, provoked an immediate reply by blogger and Twitter user Mario Duran (@mrduranch) [es]:
@mrduranch: @Fer_SanMartin ¿fuente? #uranio ? ese material debe manejarse cubierto en recipiente de plomo es peligroso
Andres Gómez Vela (@AndrsGomezV) [es] also pointed out:
@AndrsGomezV: Algunas dudas #uranio: hasta ahora ningún experto lo vio ni certificó y si era tan radiactivo ¿por que transportaron como si fuera arena?
Renan Justiniano (@renanjustiniano) [es] concluded:
@renanjustiniano: Si el mineral encontrado ayer es #uranio lo primero que deberia haber hecho era ver si era radiactivo no llamar a la prensa! #bolivia
Investigation into the nature and radioactivity of the minerals seized in La Paz is still under way.

author: Pablo Andres Rivero