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Egypt: Decoding Morsi’s Ousting of the Generals · Global Voices
Salah Almhamdi

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's recent decisions to terminate the jobs of Mohamed Hussein Tantawi as chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and Sami Anan as the chief of staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces created mixed reactions. The president also issued a new Constitutional Declaration that give him constitutional power.
Morsi was first perceived as weak and torn between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) but the latest decisions have asserted his position and enabled him to rebrand himself.
A TV screenshot featuring Mohamed Morsi surrounded by the Egyptian Army's top chiefs in the day of his inauguration as president. Photo from Flickr by Zeinab Mohamed (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Cairo-based journalist Bel Trew was puzzled by Morsi's move:
@Beltrew: Someone please put me out of my misery and explain how #Morsi could do what he did today and what it means and what #SCAF think. Someone.
Revolution back on track
Entrepreneur Ahmed Reza expressed his relief tweeting:
@ByRedz: The longest eeeeeeeh I've ever say in my life ! #Morsy #مرسي
Prominent activist Wael Ghonim tweeted:
@Ghonim: #Morsi recent decisions were a practical response to Western analysts who thought that #Jan25 was not a revolution rather a military coup.
Cairo-based Al Jazeera English reporter Rawya Rageh added with humour:
@RawyaRageh: Been resisting saying this since yesterday.. but I give in. #Morsi to Egyptians — “Who's your daddy now?”
Egypt Islamized?
Cartoon by Carlos Latuff in which Mohamed Morsi is reading a book entitled, “Erdogan's Path to Power” while sacking Mohamed Hussein Tantawi thus following the footsteps of Erdogan who fired twenty generals a week before.
Some have considered the move as an attempt to concentrate more power in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood. Blogger Zeinab Mohamed posted:
Of course there is another team who does not approve these decision and believe it is a civilian coup against the military in order to start the Muslim brotherhood’s master plan in MB-ization of the army and the State in partnership with the States that want to destroy our army forever.
Blogger and Middle East analyst Nervana Mahmoud tweeted:
@Nervana_1: Forget Tantawi and Annan … This is not a soft coup, but a declaration of Islamic state. #Morsi #Egypt
Twitterati Gigi Ibrahim tweeted:
@Gsquare86: It is crystal clear that all state officials have one agenda, power. They will do anything to keep it, steal it, and expand it #Egypt #Morsi
What coup?
Others, however, doubted the efficiency of the move. Mohamed El Hebeishy tweeted:
@Hebeishy: This is not sacking..this is not even remotely close to sacking..this is safe exit while manipulating z ppl over & over again #Morsi #Egypt
Journalist Jano Charbel was unsatisfied by Morsi's decisions:
@JanoCharbel: Will eagerly partake in #Aug24 protests against #Morsi & #Brotherhood for their incompetence, lies, censorship &pardoning criminal generals!

author: Salah Almhamdi


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Ethiopia: Powerful and Political Church Patriarch Dies · Global Voices
Endalkachew Chala

The head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Abune Paulos, has died aged 76. Abune Paulos, spent the last two decades as the sole figurehead of the popular Ethiopian Orthodox Church leading 40 million Ethiopians (half the country's population.) His death has sparked a debate on religion and politics and re-triggered speculation about the whereabouts of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi.
Writing about Abuna Paulos in a Facebook post Abiye Teklemariam noted:
In the last two decades, Meles Zenawi and Abuna Paulos had probably been the two most powerful men in Ethiopia. Did I just say “had”? The patriarch is dead. Meles Zenawi, despite the protestation of the hacks, is either incapacitated or dead. What a time!
Patriach Abuna Paulos at the Ethiopian Orthodoxy Epiphany (Timket) Celebration January 2005. Photo released into the public domain by Wikipedia user Jhaustein.
The news of the death of Abuna Paulos, who was a strong supporter of Meles Zenawi, has drawn feelings of uneasiness many Ethiopians have about the whereabouts of Meles Zenawi. The situation in which the government is operating has been explained by Birrkan Fanta who posted [amh]:
“ከአቡነ ጳውሎስ ጋር በተያያዘ ከቅርቡ የሙስሊም ወንድሞቻችን ተነስተን በቀጣይነት ሊከሰት የሚችለውን ነገር መገመት የምንችል ይመስለኛል … የመንግስት የቤት ስራ በዝቶዋል .. በእንቅርት ላይ ጆሮ ደግፍ አንደሚሉት …መቼም ሽፈራው ጃርሶ ቀጣዮን አዲስ ፓትሪያርክ ለመምረጥ ለማስመረጥ ደጋሚ መጋረጃዉን የሚከፍቱ አይመስለኝም … አባይ ፀሃዬ እንደበፊቱ በቀላሉ የሚወጡትም ጉዳይ አይመስለኝም ያውም ማስተር ማይንድ እምጥ ይግባ ስምጥ ሳይታወቅ …አይይይ አይመስለኝም … ግን ሁላችንም አንድ ነገር ተምረናል …በቃ ድምፃችን ይሰማ ማለትን !”
Mesfin Negash shared his reflection on Facebook about the relationship between church and state in Ethiopia:
Patriarch Paulos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is dead. With it one of the principle supporter of the Ethiopian dictatorship is gone for good. Not only his appointment was a pure political manipulation but his years as the head of the Church was scandalous, humiliating, controversial and corrupt in all senses of the term. The Church is once again on a historical crossroad. If the church miss(es) this chance to bring a less political and more pro-church leader, the internal crisis may never stop in decades. We will certainly witness another drama in the (s)election of the next Patriarch. I can imagine what is going inside the church now. Some may regret that Aba Paulos can see neither his own nor his protectorate MZ's funeral procession as he used to enjoy being the focus of attention for every reason under the sun. Now you may RIP.
Daniel Kibret, blogging from Addis Ababa, pointed [amh] out four areas the church should be concerned with:
በዚህ ጊዜ ውስጥ አራት ነገሮች እንዳይፈጠሩ ጥንቃቄ ያስፈልጋል
1. የእርሳቸው ደጋፊና ተቃዋሚ በሆኑ አካላት መካከል በሚፈጠር ግጭት ቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱ እንዳትታወክ
2. ሀብት እና ቅርስን የማሸሽ አዝማሚያ እንዳይከሰት
3. ቤተ ክርስቲያኒቱን ማን ለጊዜው ይምራት በሚለው ዙርያ በሚፈጠረው ልዩነት አደጋ እንዳይከሰት
4. በቀጣይስ ማን በወንበሩ መቀመጥ አለበት በሚለው ዙርያ ችግር እንዳይከሰት
አሁን የመረጋጊያ ጊዜ ነው፡፡ ቅዱስ ሲኖዶስ ምንም ዓይነት ውሳኔ ከመስጠቱ በፊት ለፓትርያርኩ የኀዘን ጊዜ ያውጅ፡፡ ጊዜያዊ ኮሚቴ ያቋቁም፡፡ ነገሮችን በግልጽነት ለሕዝቡ ይፋ ያድርግ፡፡
It seems religion and state are deeply intertwined in Ethiopian politics. Recently Ethiopian Muslims have also been protesting against state intrusion into their religious affairs.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Endalkachew Chala


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India: Government Bans Bulk SMS To Stop Rumors · Global Voices
Rezwan

Medianama reports that the Ministry of Home affairs of India has banned bulk SMS and MMS for a period of 15 days. This directive came after reports revealed that rumors are being spread following violence in Assam, leading to mass exodus of people from the North-East region, from several Indian cities.

author: Rezwan


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Korean Protester Being Chased and Beaten by Japanese Right Wing Groups and Gangsters · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

At this year's Korean Independence day, a Korean guy held a one-man protest at the Yasukuni shrine in Japan, a symbolic and controversial place for worshiping war criminals from the Second World War. A net user living in Japan posted photos of how the protester was being chased and beaten by numerous Japanese right wing groups and gangsters.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Kuwait: The People Know Better · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

[All links lead to Arabic sites unless otherwise indicated]
Kuwaiti netizens are expressing their disdain for an old-age tradition which gives the head of the tribe, or the Shaikh [Sheikh] absolute power. In a break with this tradition, they are tweeting under the hash tag #الشعب_أبخص [ar], which translates to “The People Know Better.”
Kuwaiti television presenter Ali Al Sanad writes:
@al_snd: The saying “The Shaikhs know best” reflects a sick culture, which is made of followers and those with the herd mentality. It doesn't accept full citizenship. This is why the time has come to replace it with “The people know better.”
Tariq Al Mutari responds:
And Omar Alessa adds:
@omar_alessa
: We gave you 50 years to lead the nation and you have been sporting one failure after the other, and becoming from bad to worse. After all this, you also break promises. Give us a chance to lead the nation because the people know better
Meanwhile, Talal Al Harbi explains:
إلى غير رجعة ياحقبة العصور المُظلمة .. ! فلقد تحررت العقول وتصدر الأمة شباب يريدون أن يسطروا التاريخ بطريقتهم وأسلوبهم وفكرهم ف #الشعب_أبخص
But Barjas Albarjas shares a different viewpoint. He says:
Khalid Al Rajhi concludes:

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Madagascar: Neglecting Endemic Medicinal Plants at Its Own Peril   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Reflexiums laments that for a country so rich in endemic medicinal plants, Madagascar has yet to fully develop this sector [fr]. “Isn't the whole point of fair trade to take advantage of the knowledge of  its endemic natural plants from the local population instead of purchasing costly medications from large pharmaceutical companies ?” he asks.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Peru: Football Player’s Airport Joke Triggers Security Alert · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón

On Wednesday August 15, 2012, the Peruvian national soccer team had a friendly match with the Costa Rican national team. The final score was 1-0, with a victory for Peru. For a country used to suffering failures in football, that alone would have been enough news.
However, the real news came the next day. The team was getting ready to board the plane, going through security controls at the San Jose International Airport in Costa Rica with every other passenger on that same flight. They were on their third security check when football player John Galliquio said: “an extra effort and they will find the weapon I'm carrying with me”.
Without repeating the joke, the Peruvian National team's Twitter account, Selección Nacional (@SELECCION_PERU) [es], announced:
@SELECCION_PERU: Una broma malinterpretada por personal de la.aerolínea y del aeropuerto ha generado problemaa en el vuelo de retorno de la selección.
This triggered all the alarms at the San Jose International Airport, and an anti-terrorist protocol was activated, as confirmed by Celso Gamboa, Costa Rica Vice Minister of Security. Galliquio was intervened and he was unable to take the flight with the rest of the team. Because of that incident, the flight had a two-hour delay.
John Galliquio, image via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Galliquio arrived to Lima later that same day, and reportedly said [es]: “I apologize with all the people that had to be taken off the plane and for the flight delay. Every day we learn new things in order to avoid the same mistakes. It's over now and there is nothing else to say. Everything is all right”.
But apparently there was more to be said. There were reactions, both locally and abroad.
Republishing an article from newspaper El Comercio [es], the blog Esto es bueno [es] noted:
“Un dicho de Galliquio a los muchachos, en broma, ha activado el protocolo anti-terrorismo en el vuelo. Parece una sobrereacción”, así fue complementada la información.
@SELECCION_PERU [es] later tweeted:
@SELECCION_PERU: John Galliquio ya fue liberado. Sin cargos.
The blog TVHD online [es] reposted what teammate Paolo Guerrero said:
Estábamos bromeando. Yo dije (sobre Galliquio): ‘Él es el que tiene droga’, y no pensé que fueran tan estrictos”, relató Paolo Guerrero en el aeropuerto Jorge Chávez. “Esperemos que regrese bien”, agregó el capitán peruano.
The incident hit the news abroad too.
In Argentina, Perfil [es] reported that as soon as Galliquio told his joke anti-terrorist alarms were activated at the San Jose International Airport in Costa Rica at 11.30 am on Thursday. In Spain, sports newspaper Marca [es] wrote that this event kept Galliquio in Costa Rican territory, where he was interrogated by the General Attorney. Sports newspaper La Nación – Puro Deporte [es], from Costa Rica, informed that Galliquio caused chaos at the airport as his team was about to leave the country.
From Germany, the blog Agencia Latina Press [de] reported:
Der peruanische Fußballspieler […] während der Rückreise vom Länderspiel in Costa Rica (1:0) auf dem Flughafen des zentralamerikanischen Landes festgenommen worden. Nach Angaben des peruanischen Fußballverbandes hatte er “witzige” Kommentare während der Sicherheitskontrolle gemacht.
Meanwhile, Twitter was abuzz with comments.
User @442 [es] shares his curiosity:
@442: Insólita detención por “terrorista” del peruano John Galliquio (ex Racing)
On its Twitter account, Peruvian sports newspaper Líbero (@diariolibero) quotes Galliquio saying:
@diariolibero: John Galliquio: Siempre hago bromas, pero asumo mi responsabilidad y estoy arrepentido ow.ly/d1L3h
Meanwhile, Diego R. (@diegovera_) [es] retweets what Nolberto Solano, another Peruvian football player, said:
@diegovera_: Sí, claro. RT @Netjoven Nolberto Solano: Lo de John Galliquio quedará como anécdota
On the other hand, Gustavo Gutierrez (@Gustav0_G) [es] links to an article which reports on the consequences of Galliquio's joke:
@Gustav0_G: Federación castigará a John Galliquio http://bit.ly/Q907k7
User Eric Olavarrieta (@ericolavarrieta) [es] is outraged, as we can see from these two tweets:
@ericolavarrieta: ¿Crear una crisis que lastima la imagen de tu selección y luego decir que fue una broma? #quéhaces #imagendeportiva -> bit.ly/NJpyKU
@ericolavarrieta: Y luego sale otro jugador a rematar diciendo “en broma” que eran drogas #nojuegues #imagendeportiva -> bit.ly/NJqxLj
The same user reflects on his self-named blog, Ericolavarrieta [es]:
¿Cuándo vas a despertar Perú? ¿Cuándo dejarás de dar esto tipo de lamentables noticias? ¿Cuándo te vas a poner a trabajar en serio por tu imagen y tu reputación deportiva?
Esperar que sucedan cosas peores y entonces sí reaccionar, no es el camino. Dejar pasar más tiempo para que a la prensa y a la gente se le olvide, tampoco. Hoy es el momento, hoy es tu momento.
When are you going to wake up, Peru? When will you leave behind these kind of regrettable news? When are you going to start working seriously for the sake of your image and your sports reputation?
To wait for worse things to happen and then react is not the way to go. Neither is it right to let more time go by for the press and the people to forget. Today it is the time, today it is your time.

author: Gabriela García Calderón


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Saudi Arabia: The Best Way to Tell your Wife You Married Another Woman · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

On Twitter, Adel Abdel Ghafar shares a photograph of a “Cover of a #Saudi book titled ‘ the best way to tell your wife that you married another woman.'”


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The South Caucasus at the 2012 Olympics · Global Voices
Liana Aghajanian

This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics.
Arsen Julfalakyan of Armenia, Roman Vlasov of Russia, Aleksandr Kazakevic of Lithuania and Emin Ahmadov of Azerbaijan after the Men's Greco-Roman 74 kg Wrestling match/ via London 2012
The three South Caucasus countries have been participating  independently in the Olympics since 1996, and they each followed up their records in Beijing this summer in London to walk away with gold, silver and bronze in the physically strenuous activities the region generally excels in, much to the enjoyment of fans and fellow country men and women.
Armenia walked away with one silver and bronze in Men's Greco-Roman wrestling and a surprise bronze medal in women's weightlifting by Hripsime Khurshudyan, which caused a flurry of social media activity. The win even elicited a comment, albeit in transliterated Armenian, from  a member of America's most famous Armenian family, the Kardashians.
@RobKardashian: Yes shat hupart yev uraxem mer bolor Hye marsiknerits vor masnaktsumen 2012 tvi Olympiadayum. #Armenia
“I am very proud and happy with all of our Armenian athletes who are participating in the 2012 Olympics.”
@RobKardashian: Armenian Woman KHURSHUDYAN just medaled in Women's Weightlifting (Clean & Jerk)! ArmenianPrideLondonOlympics2012
Azerbaijan on the other hand took 10 medals home, including two gold in men's freestyle wrestling by Toghrul Asgarov and Sharif Sharifov. This year's Eurovision host country also earned two silver (both in wrestling) and six bronze (wrestling, weightlifting and boxing).
@Farida_Aliyeva: London brought us luck! Azerbaijan got its greatest number of medals – 10 with 2 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze. Azerbaijan AZEOlympics
@RogerMamedov:  Azerbaijan wrestling team did really in the Olympics. Maybe now people will know where I'm from.
@MirianJugheli: 20-year old Judoist Lasha Shavdatuashvili becomes an olympic champion! georgia caucasus tbilisi judo london2012
The Caucasus Tumblr, in a photo montage and round up of the Olympics made an astute observation based on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia's superior abilities in strength sports:
Never ever, under no circumstances pick up a street fight in the Caucasus.
This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics.

author: Liana Aghajanian


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Togo: Is Your Mobile Phone Tapped ?  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Syvlio Combey, a human rights activist in Togo, shares tips (via Allain Jules) on how to determine whether your mobile phone is tapped [fr] in Togo.  Togolese citizens have been subjected to various forms of Human Rights violations by the police in the past couple of months.


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Turkmenistan’s ‘Nepotistic Cleptocracy’ · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

On video blog bloggingheads.tv, Joshua Foust of Registan.net speaks to a Turkmen dissident living in exile about the political situation in Turkmenistan.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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What Is A Chinese Orgy Actually Like? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A set of orgy photos leaked out online featuring three pairs of swingers, all are government officials and their wives. Anthony Tao from Beijing Cream picked up the buzz and continued the discussion on the Chinese orgy culture.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Where is the flag of the Republic of China? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A number of activists from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau landed the Diaoyu island on August 15. While mainland Chinese media gave large coverage to the news as it reasserted China's territorial claim over the disputed island, the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) was missing in many of the media outlet. China Media Project highlighted the news.


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Yemen: Open letter to president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi · Global Voices
جلوبال فويسز

Yemeni-Canadian Doctor and novelist Dr Qais Ghanem  addressed a letter to the Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi  asking him to sack the officers controlling the armed forces. The full text of the letter is available here [ar].

author: جلوبال فويسز


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Argentina: A Public Ethics Law for Journalists? · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

Using the national broadcasts (“Cadena Nacional” in Spanish), President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner [es] speaks about new policies, investments, projects and new initiatives incumbent upon the state. In her last presidential address, the President proposed a law for public ethics for the practice of journalism, a proposal which caused numerous reactions from Argentine bloggers and journalists.
National broadcasts
National broadcasts [es] are the coordinated and simultaneous transmission between radio and television channels that broadcast official announcements. In Argentina, Law 26,522, enacted in October 2009, regulates the audiovisual media services.  Article 75 [of this law] says:
ARTICULO 75. — Cadena nacional o provincial. El Poder Ejecutivo nacional y los poderes ejecutivos provinciales podrán, en situaciones graves, excepcionales o de trascendencia institucional, disponer la integración de la cadena de radiodifusión nacional o provincial, según el caso, que será obligatoria para todos los licenciatarios.
According to Fabián Bosoer in El Estadista [es], the president’s reason for using this method is to avoid misinformation:
Ante las críticas por el uso y abuso de la Cadena Nacional, Cristina se quejó de la existencia de una “cadena nacional del miedo y el desánimo” que sólo transmite malas noticias y propaga “mala onda”. Esta supuesta campaña negativa obligaría a la Presidenta a difundir los logros y actos de su Gobierno a través de estos discursos y teleconferencias transmitidas por cadena, en las que –según la interpretación oficial– ella se puede comunicar directamente y sin intermediarios con el pueblo televidente.
The newspaper La Voz del Interior [es] published a graph showing the effect that national broadcasts have on the rating of each channel:
El tema es que la aparición de la Presidenta en todos los medios en simultáneo cada vez tiene menos audiencia, según surge de los datos de Ibope, la consultora que mide los ratings de la televisión porteña.
Graphic by La Voz del Interior. Gray shows rating during normal programming; red shows rating during national boradcasts
In her last television broadcast, the president spoke of the opening of a hydrotreatment plant of YPF Diesel, and said [es]:
¿Y por qué por cadena nacional? Porque si no lo hiciéramos por cadena nacional nadie se enteraría de esas cosas.
Legislating public ethics?
One issue that has been at the core of the recent controversy is the comment made by the President during the same speech, where she comments that there should be a law that requires journalists to “publish from which companies they receive money […] who pays them, so that when we read an article, we know.”:
Pero la verdad que nosotros necesitamos una ley de ética pública también para ese cuarto poder de una buena vez por todas en la República Argentina. No para no decir nada, al contrario, no, simplemente para manifestar si reciben dinero de alguna empresa o si tienen alguna inclinación política.
A result of this was the “Announcement by FOPEA [Argentine Journalism Forum] on the ethics of journalism in Argentina”:
[…] manifestamos nuestro total desacuerdo con cualquier iniciativa que promueva la regulación de la profesión por medio de leyes o medidas gubernamentales y alertamos sobre los graves riesgos que implica para la libertad de expresión esta clase de planteos o propuestas.
Christian Sanz, director of the independent newspaper  Tribuna, [es] questions the president and writes:
Es bien cierto lo que dice la Presidenta respecto a que existen colegas que cobran dinero bajo mesa, pero alguien debería decirle que si conoce algún caso en particular tendría que denunciarlo como corresponde, en el lugar adecuado, no a través de la ostentosa cadena pública nacional.
For his part, Gustavo Marcelo Sala in his blog Las Balas del Campanario [es] analyzes the “public ethic”:
No estoy tan de acuerdo en formalizar una ley de ética pública. La historia de la humanidad nos demuestra cómo ha variado dicho concepto con el correr de los años. ¿Quién determinaría sus incisos? ¿Los dueños de los medios, los editores, los periodistas, los patrocinadores, el Estado, todos juntos? ¿Bajo qué parámetros profesionales y conceptuales? ¿Cuál sería la batería de penalizaciones? ¿Cómo hacemos para deslindar a la subjetividad del asunto?
Gustavo continues:
Aceptaría, pero con reparos, que el propio periodismo establezca una suerte de ética profesional en el marco de su actividad aunque la realidad marca que en la coyuntura sería imposible constituir un cuerpo colegiado de carácter democrático para debatir abiertamente la cuestión. ¿Se puede calificar desde lo ético una determinada interpretación de la realidad? No me parece.
In his article for Perfil, Roberto Garcia [es] suggests the president’s role as virtual managing editor, because of the national broadcasts:
En verdad, esa actividad de virtual jefa de redacción que practica en sus discursos les ha aliviado la faena a los periodistas, ya que les ahorra imaginación y búsqueda informativa: ella sola genera noticias que en otras partes no aparecen, provoca titulares, también editoriales, sus opiniones reemplazan el aburrimiento diario de la anodina información local y hasta de la complicada del orden internacional. Si no fuera por Cristina, los diarios venderían menos ejemplares y los periodistas deberían trabajar más. Merece del gremio un agradecimiento.
In the post “Cristina and National Broadcasts as a sovereign expression“, [es] Cristian Adalberto Sayes in the blog Goliardo [es] analyzes the use of national broadcasts, and ends with a phrase by Juan Donoso Cortés:
La soberanía política se expresa en la palabra presidencial sin medición corporativa. La cadena nacional llega sin medicación. Es una especie de comunicación de democracia directa. Porque, parafraseando al célebre español,
Cuando la noticia basta para informar, la noticia; cuando no basta la cadena nacional.
Political sovereignty is expressed by the presidential word without corporate mediation. National broadcasts arrive unvarnished. It is a kind of direct democracy. Because, paraphrasing the famous Spaniard,
When the news is enough to inform, then the news; when it’s not, then a nationwide address.

author: Laura Schneider


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Armenia: Reflections on National Psyche · Global Voices
Liana Aghajanian

Life in the Caucasus, a blog by Peace Corps volunteer John, posts reflections on Armenia as his service comes to an end after two years. The blog summarizes a few key points and opinions on how Armenia's potential is often clouded by the country acting as its own worst enemy, including the national psyche when it comes to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Mount Ararat and distrust for one another that has led to corruption and apathy. Amid foreign aid and diasporan remittances,  it also notes the large lack of self-sufficiency Armenia is faced with.


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China: Anti-Japanese Protests · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A series of anti-Japanese protests in major Chinese cities has been triggered off by the arrest of Hong Kong activists who landed on the disputed Diaoyu Island by the Japan government. The Nanfang.com reported on the protests in Shenzhen and Guangzhou today on 19 August 2012.


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China: Foreigner-Chinese Confrontations · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Anthony Tao from Beijing Cream highlighted a foreigner-Chinese confrontation in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, that nearly triggered a riot.


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India: Bullying in Educational Institutions  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mahitha Kasireddi at Youth Ki Awaaz writes about a perennial social problem in Indian higher secondary education and beyond. Ragging or abuse/bullying of the freshers has become a culture in many educational institutions which has even led to death of a newcomer.


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India: Assam Riots – Truth Vs Hype · Global Voices
Rezwan

Last month clashes between indigenous Bodo tribes and Muslim settlers in the Indian State of Assam broke out which led to rioting, killings and mass displacement. After almost a month the situation is yet to calm down, although the police say that they have made hundreds of arrests, and registered hundreds of complaints.
This investigative report by NDTV reveals how politicians and organisations on both sides resorted to spreading fear and exaggerated claims on the issue of illegal migration, and then used the violence to further their political ambitions.
Harini Calamur points out how the media is blowing the situation out of proportion:
There is no rioting in the NE (North Eastern India which consists of seven neighboring states), The riots are in part of one district Kokrajhar, Assam.
In search of Greener Pastures provides an insider opinion on the issue:
The truth is, only a certain part of Lower Assam is where the riots are happening; a region which is only about twenty percent of Assam, a region called Bodoland of the Bodos. The rest eighty percent of Assam is safe, as of now I would say, but if the government doesn’t open its eyes and listen to the people, much worse may come someday. The core problem of the issue, or rather, the only problem of the issue is – uncontrolled immigration.
It started way back in the 70′s, when the then ruling Congress government, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, gave free land to many people from Bangladesh, and created settlements throughout northeastern India for them. [..] By allowing Bangladeshis to settle in northeastern India, and by providing them voter’s card to vote, Congress had ensured a permanent fix of votes, like a syringe of a concentrated dose that would act as a catalyst to their rise to power. And since then, since the last three decades, this influx of illegal Bangladeshis into Indian Territory has continued unchecked.
Some 3,000 members of AASU (All Assam Student Union) in Sivasagar district held a protest rally demanding implementation of the Assam Accord, the non-implementation of which they say has given illegal immigrants an easy way to settle in Assam. Image by Manash jyoti Dutta. Copyright Demotix (14/8/2012).
The blogger adds:
It is not a fault of Bangladeshis. They are just pawns of the big game. The rabbit hole goes deep down, somewhere where the core system needs to be changed and rebuilt.
And talks about how the media is exploiting the situation:
And as media continues to hype the situation, they’re ending up making matters worse. The truth as of now is – other than Bodoland, the rest of Assam and northeastern India is safe. It will be best if media focuses on Bodoland, and not brand the whole of Assam as riot-torn. The reports tell of more than 500,000 people left displaced and homeless, like a sorry tale from war torn Africa. It is all bullshit! I have been to Bodoland myself, and imagining 500,000 homeless people in Bodoland is ridiculous. The region is sparsely populated and there is no way such a massive situation can even exist.
In a guest post at Kafila.org Nilim Dutta, executive director of the Strategic Research and Analysis Organisation, Guwahati, busts the myth of the illegal Bangladeshis and who are responsible for the violence in Assam:
The situation has been further complicated by a ‘protest’ in Mumbai against ‘violence on Muslims in Assam’ turning into a riot or by sundry attacks as ‘retaliation’ against people from North East elsewhere in India. Thanks to either shockingly uninformed or brazenly motivated opinions being aired around incessantly, much of it in the national electronic and print media, the dominant discourse that has evolved around the issue has created three distinct perceptions:
Dutta writes:
The above perceptions are, however, far from accurate. In order to understand why, it would be important to carefully re-examine how they have emerged, the inherent flaws in the assumptions and what the reality actually is.
‘Migration’ rather than ‘illegal immigration’ is largely responsible for demographic transformation.
The fact is that immigrant Bengali Muslim peasants started migrating in the decades before Partition, and independence. At the time of Partition, a substantial Bengali Muslim immigrant population chose to stay back in Assam as Indian citizens and they assimilated in the society and adopted Assamese as their language. Many of the current population are their descendants.
It is thus simplistic to assume that rampant illegal Bangladeshi immigration continues even today by taking note of census figures selectively without having the intimate insights into the complex historical processes at work leading to the demographic transformation that is underway.
Image from Bodo Leader Hagrama Mohilary’s Facebook page. Courtesy Kafila.org
The blogger also tells the current state of the Bodo politics and how armed groups operating in the Bodo dominated regions of Assam are demanding a separate state for the Bodos to be carved out of Assam. Read the post by Nilim Dutta for more insight.
Raja Basu at Potpourri mentions:
The riot has brought under scanner the effectives of Bodoland Territorial Council, with many people including Bodos highlighting how and why the Council has failed to achieve the objective for which it was formed.
It must be noted that Bodos have expressed their displeasure over the presence of a number of non-Bodos in that area, without showing any specific grievance on the presence of alleged illegal migrants from Bangladesh. It means that they are averse to the presence of all non-Bodos.
Nitin Pai at the Acorn opines that India needs to have a firm grip on migration issues:
The focus of India’s national approach to migration must be to manage the flows in a manner that does not undermine the already weak social capital across the country, and especially in ‘remote’ regions. [..]
A work permit system that allows Bangladeshis and others to legally work in India and travel back to their homeland is necessary. Issuing work permits and allowing state and local governments to assign limits on the number of work permit holders in their communities will be an improvement on the status quo.


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India: Uraniam Contamination in Jaduguda Kept Classified · Global Voices
Rezwan

Since 1967, the Jaduguda region in the Indian state of Jharkhand has been exploited for its uranium and its people and ecosystem were subjected to uranium poisoning. Anuj Wankhede informs that the locals had not sufficiently warned and rather the uranium contamination in Jaduguda has remained as India's one of the best kept secret.


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Libya: Hijab Fiasco at Power Handover Ceremony · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A problem marred Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) power handover to the newly elected 200-member General National Congress in a recent ceremony: The master of ceremony was the unveiled female presenter Sarah Elmesallati, who was ordered to leave the stage after an Islamist MP walked out of the ceremony in objection to her presenting the historic ceremony. Netizens have gone to Facebook to record their objection or support.
According to reports, Islamist MP Salah Baadi of Mistrata objected to Elmesallati presenting the event and yelled at her to cover up. He then walked out of the ceremony in protest. Then, an assistant to NTC Chairman Mustafa Abduljalil asked her to stop presenting. When she refused, Abduljalil himself signaled her to stop, which she did. She was replaced with a male presenter.
Screen shot of the We are all Sarah Elmesallati Facebook page
In response, a Facebook page entitled We are all Sarah Elmesallati [ar] was formed. The page is being used to debate the status of women in post-Gaddafi Libya as well as hurl insults at and support for the young female presenter.
Also, on Facebook, this image is making the rounds:
An image showing Abduljalil shaking hands with an unveiled Hilary Clinton
It shows a photograph of Elmesallati and Abduljalil shaking hands with United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. It reads [ar]:
Presenter Sarah Elmesallati is thrown out of the ceremony because she is a woman who does not wear the hijab and because she is Libyan. Abduljalil said: “We are a Muslim conservative society and we are people who celebrate our religious teachings and have customs and traditions. Hilary Clinton is a woman who doesn't wear the hijab and she is also what you call an infidel. When you shook her hand, did you say that it is forbidden for a man to shake the hands of a woman? Is this a religious teaching? Or is it an American tradition?
The image has been shared more than 250 times, and has attracted around 730 comments on the We are all Sarah Elmesallati page on Facebook so far.
On the Libya Blog, Ahmed Al Bukhari, writes [ar]:
ورغم صدمتي من هذا الموقف الذي لم أتخيل حدوثه، ورغم ردة الفعل الحادة التي قام بها النشطاء ، ومنها إنشاء هذه الصفحة لدعم سارة ( كلنا سارة المسلاتي ) إلا أنني لا أحمل لا مصطفى عبد الجليل ولا أعضاء المؤتمر الخطأ ، بل لابدّ أن نتعرف أن المشكلة تكمن في المجتمع ككل ، وأنه لو كان المجتمع لا يسمح بهذا النوع من الإضطهاد ، لما تجرأ أحد على فعل هذه الفعلة
Meanwhile, Libya Now, also on Facebook, writes an open letter to Elmesallati, after she defended herself in an interview. In one part it says [ar]:
The writer continues [ar]:
وقالت ايضا اننا نحن دولة دينية متوسطة, وانا شخصيا وضعت خطين تحن كلمة متوسطه, لا يا سارة نحن دولة مسلمة وبنسبة 100٪ وتعبيراتك التي قلتيها على هذه القناة يجب ان تراجعيها وتعيها جيدا قبل ان تقوليها.


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Nationalism in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Dictionary of Politically Incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese discusses about the political contradictions of Hong Kong activists who travelled to Diaoyu Island against Japanese territorial claim.


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Puerto Rico: What’s at Stake in the August 19 Referendum · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

On Sunday, August 19, Puerto Ricans voted for a referendum to amend their Constitution. The referendum proposes two amendments: one that would limit the constitutional right to bail and one that would reduce the number of legislators. Both issues have sparked passions of supporters and opponents of the proposed amendments. Interestingly, there is a tendency to be for or against both amendments; very few people say they are in favor of one amendment and against the other. A brief summary of each amendment with a bit of context follows.
Restricting the Right to Bail
The amendment, proposed by members of the government affiliated with the Partido Nuevo Progresista [es] (New Progressive Party), but also supported by various leaders of the Partido Popular Democrático [es] (Popular Democratic Party), seeks to limit the right to bail for persons accused of murder giving the judge discretion to impose bail in these cases. The Puerto Rican Constitution [es] guarantees the absolute right to bail, independent of the crime accused of under the belief that an innocent person cannot be deprived of their liberty during an open court case. This proposed amendment to the Constitution to limit this right was presented on one previous occasion and was not passed.
Bail is a mechanism used to assure that the accused appears in court. The amount of bail varies according to the crime allegedly committed by the accused. Judges have the discretion to determine the amount of bail depending on how they perceive the danger the accused can represent in society and the potential risk of not appearing before the justice of the court. If a judge believes the accused to be a flight risk or if there is a high probability that the accused will commit another crime, the judge can impose a higher bail than permitted by law. In the majority of these cases, the accused cannot post bail and remains under arrest, and therefore out of society.
The proposed amendment is based on the premise that there are many people accused of murder out on bail that commit other crimes or threaten witnesses. However, the government has not been able to present statistics that support this theory. A group of experts on the subject of crime in Puerto Rico issued a resolution against the proposed amendment. It explains that statistics demonstrate the contrary of what the amendment suggests:
Se argumenta que hay una relación entre la criminalidad y el derecho a la fianza. No hay estudios ni se ha comprobado que el problema de la criminalidad en Puerto Rico, tenga relación con el derecho a la fianza. La Sociedad para Asistencia Legal de Puerto Rico, señaló que alrededor del 97% de las personas acusadas, no son acusadas nuevamente mientras están en fianza. En cambio sí se ha planteado que el aumento en la criminalidad, guarda relación con otros factores sociales que nada tienen que ver con que las personas que han delinquido permanezcan en la libre comunidad, bajo fianza, mientras se observa en su contra, hasta su conclusión el proceso penal.
Social network sites in the past few days have been very active with people advocating the rejection of the proposed amendment. Twitter users have created the hashtag #NOyNO (No and No), among others like #2VecesNo (Two Times No), to express their opposition to the proposed limitation of bail. Those who do favor the restriction of the right to bail created the hashtag #SiySi (Yes and Yes):
@g_laborde [es]: Este gobierno siempre me ha parecido una precuela a la novela 1984. Hoy decidimos si queremos parecernos más a esa Oceanía de Orwell. #NOYNO
@nydiasuarez [es]: Ojalá que en el mañana no tengamos que llorar como niños lo que no supimos defender como adultos.#NOYNO
@massimo667 [es]: El crimen se combate mayor vigilancia, trabajo y educacion. NO eliminando el derecho a la fianza. #NOyNO
@linoshkamarlene [es]: En E.U han enmendado la constitución 27 veces… Para DARLE MAS DERECHOS a los ciudadanos, NO para QUITARSELOS! #NOyNO
The campaign by ordinary citizens and on social network sites against the amendments has been very assertive. This is due in part to the fact that these organized citizen groups have not been able to campaign against the referendum through traditional methods because they were treated as an organization that had to register as a political party. This has complicated the process of having a television commercial, and therefore, these citizens have utilized tools such as YouTube to spread their message.
Decreasing the number of legislators
Puerto Rico has a bicameral legislature. This consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Currently, there are 78 members of the legislature; this number would be reduced to 56, leaving 39 representatives in the House and 17 in the Senate.
Although there has not been as much activity on social networks as there has about the question of the right to bail, this proposal has met opposition by users, despite seeming on the surface like a sympathetic measure given the general disdain that Puerto Ricans feel towards its Legislature.
This image seeks to demonstrate why the proposed constitutional amendment to reduce the number of legislators is not desirable. Taken from the blog Mujeres en Puerto Rico (Women in Puerto Rico).
The proponents of this amendment stress that a reduction of the number of legislators would decrease the costs of the legislative branch. However, there is no mention at all of reducing the legislature's assigned budget causing many to believe the amendment is simply a way to distribute the same resources among a smaller number of people. Luis José Torres, writing for the online magazine 80 grados (80 degrees), states [es] the following:
De entrada, pese al deseo anunciado de reducir el gasto legislativo, la enmienda constitucional no provee garantía alguna de que ahorrará un centavo al fisco. Ello se debe a que la propuesta no implica que el presupuesto de la Asamblea Legislativa será reducido, o que será mejor utilizado. Después de todo, si tanta voluntad política tuvieran los/as legisladores/as para ello, ¿por qué no han legislado para eliminar sus dietas y demás beneficios? ¿Por qué no se han reducido el salario, en vez de meramente posponer aumentos futuros?

author: Ángel Carrión


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Saudi Arabia: Activist Reema Al Joresh Detained on Eid Day · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

Saudi activist and Twitter user, Reema Al Joresh, was briefly arrested earlier today (August 19, 2012) when she was on her way to a mosque to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that follows Ramadan. Al Joresh is an outspoken critic of Saudi interior ministry's arbitrary detentions. Moreover, she is the wife of a prisoner who has been detained for eight years without a trial.
She was planning to give away 500 gifts that contain a letter to raise awareness about the issue of arbitrary detention in Saudi Arabia.
At 5:11 AM (Saudi time), Al Joresh tweeted [ar]:
A hashtag was immediately started by Saudi Twitter users, who expressed their frustration.
Photo posted by Reema Al Joresh on Twitter as she tweeted: We have been arrested [ar]
Abdulaziz al-Shihri tweeted:
Mohammad al-Ogaimi added:
The comment refers to the number of followers Al Joresh had on Twitter. At the time of writing this post, they have multiplied to around 3,500 and growing.
Screen shot showing Al Joresh's followers on Twitter
When Reema was released, she wrote a series of tweets explaining what had happened:

author: Anas Soliman


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Brazil: Belo Monte Halted, but for How Long? · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

This article is part of our special coverage Belo Monte Dossier [pt].
When it seemed that all was already lost, the movements opposing the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant were surprised by an order suspending the works, which were being carried out on the Xingu River in the state of Pará. News of the decision, which was made on the night of the 13th of August, spread like a wave of hope for the activists, who inundated social media with exuberant reactions.
The decision to halt the power plant's construction came from the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF1) with the vote from Appeals Court Judge Souza Prudente, who highlighted illegalities in the power plant's licencing process (which have been discussed previously).
In 2011 Judge Carlos Castro Martins also announced the suspension of the power plant's construction. Photo of Karen Hoffmann in Altamira, Brazil (27/09/2011), copyright Demotix.
The first mistake was made in the Supreme Federal Court, which approved the case based on the executive's preliminary decision, and the other was at the National Congress, which approved the works before the technical studies had been completed. According to the appeals court judge, in addition to the need to reconsider these two plant evaluation processes, the indigenous populations must be consulted. Only with the communities’ authorisation can the works be carried out.
Activist Eliane Carmanim Lima was one of the first to write about the work stoppage order on Facebook. Sharing her “happiness at seeing Belo Monte halted”, she also made reference to a citizen action which she wrote in 2011 to contest the power plant, claiming that it violated convention 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on consulting indigenous peoples. She stated [pt]:
No ano passado encabecei uma Ação Popular, processo na justiça, que eu mesma escrevi com revisão de 2 advogados. Priorizei a questão indígena e até comentei sobre a OIT. Pela notícia abaixo os argumentos da ação foram aceitos. Aqui na 4ª região disseram que não existia competência o que era questionável, porque era uma Ação Popular (não vou me me aprofundar aqui), etc. Mas vejam que nossos termos estavam corretos!
In her blog on the 14th of August, 2012, researcher Telma Monteiro wrote about the work stoppages [pt] at the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant on the Xingu River, and the Teles Pires plant on the river of the same name. She wrote:
Nos dois casos, decisões contemplaram pedidos do MPF [Ministério Público Federal] para suspender projetos realizados sem a oitiva dos povos afetados, prevista na Constituição e na Convenção 169.
[…]
Em julgamento ontem (13/08), os desembargadores da 5ª Turma do Tribunal aceitaram por unanimidade o recurso do MPF e ordenaram a paralisação das obras da usina de Belo Monte. Uma semana antes, a mesma turma havia ordenado a paralisação das obras da hidrelétrica Teles Pires.
In 2010, Appeals Court Judge Souza Prudente had already questioned the plant, according to Telma Monteiro in her blog [pt]. She quoted his speech:
Em dado momento Souza Prudente se supera ao relembrar o princípio da precaução ratificado pelo Brasil e que está sendo violentado no caso de Belo Monte: “A Hidrelétrica de Belo Monte, na dimensão em que fora descrita no estudo prévio de impacto ambiental inconcluso é uma ameaça à preservação do maior bioma do planeta, o bioma amazônico. E o interesse difuso não é só dos brasileiros, mas de todos os habitantes da terra e do cosmos, se é que além da terra existem extraterrestres que terão também interesse em preservar a Amazônia.”
NO to Belo Monte Dams in Xingu. Protest in Brasília, February 2011. Photo from International Rivers on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
A battle has been won…
On Twitter, the hashtag #BeloMonte has been used to celebrate what internet user Giselle Corteza (@GiCortez) considers to be “the greatest news of all time” [pt – all links].
Actor Sergio Marone, coordinator of the Movimento Gota d'água [pt], which debates the country's energy planning, also celebrated the decision. He said:
@SergioMarone: Notícia boa a gente RT!! // RT @pluraleemsite TRF1 determina paralisação das obras de #BeloMonte. http://www.plurale.com.br/noticias-ler…@xinguvivo
Lívia Ferreira noted the activists’ persistence. She wrote:
@liviasulife: Quem disse que não dá? Com persistência dá. PARAMOS BELO MONTE!!!!!!!! \o/
Internet user Ananda Andrade still seemed sceptical, but shared the excitement. She stated:
@anandasrandrade: Obras de Belo Monte foram paradas em virtude da necessidade de escutar as pop. Tradicionais afetadas. Se for verdade… Parabéns, sociedade!
Adroaldo Portal, secretary of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT), complained about the decision and the repeated questioning of the plant project:
Image from Paulo Fradinho, shared more than six thousand times on Facebook. Used with permission.
@AdroaldoPortal: Justiça manda paralisar trabalhos na usina de Belo Monte, maior obra em andamento no país. Pela TROCENTÉSIMA vez, diga se de passagem.
Pedro Mezzonato celebrated, but sceptically. He wrote:
@PedroMezzonato: Justiça determina suspensão das obras da usina de Belo Monte BELO MONTE PAROU! Vamos ver até quando..
…but the war is not over yet.
On the night of the 14th of August, Eliane Carmanim Lima appeared on Facebook [pt] once again to call for new mobilisation in support of the TRF1 decision, fearing attempts to question the decision:
Peço a todos que se mobilizaram contra Belo Monte para se manifestarem publicamente em passeatas, porque logo devem recorrer da sentença e temos que nos preparar para o Supremo. Opinião Pública conta !
A day of national mobilisation [pt] has been scheduled for Sunday the 19th for the whole country. In Belém, the capital of Pará state, protesters have organised an action for Friday in support of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office of Pará, which has taken several actions against the power plant.
Telma Monteiro shared the news [pt] that the works at Teles Pires have been newly authorised by the TRF1 president, putting them at loggerheads. She also shared the declaration [pt] from Appeals Court Judge Souza Prudente on the risk of a new judgement on the case:
“Espero que os ministros do STF, caso vá para lá, validem a decisão do TRF-1, mas que a justiça seja eterna enquanto dure”. Desembargador Souza Prudente, sobre a decisão que parou Belo Monte.
This article is part of our special courage Belo Monte Dossier [pt].

author: João Miguel Lima


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Brazil: Company Continues Construction of Belo Monte Dam · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

Instituto Socioambiental informs [pt] that despite a judge order to halt [pt] construction work in Belo Monte, the company responsible for the construction of the dam, Norte Energia, continues its work, claiming that it hasn't been officially notified. Last Friday, August 17, 2012, netizen Simone Gomes had reported on Facebook that the works on the dam continued.


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Caribbean: Marking Eid · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

There were just two posts from within the Caribbean region talking about Eid-ul-Fitr, which was celebrated yesterday: this one from Guyana and this, from Trinidad and Tobago, which republishes the President's Eid message.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Comment on Death by China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

C. Custer finds the upcoming documentary Death By China by Peter Navarro sensational, arrogant and distorting.


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Cuba: Dealing with Dengue  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Dengue fever is now a fact of life in our country”: Through the Eye of the Needle explains.


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East Timor: Hundreds of Resistance-Related Images on Facebook · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

“East Timorese media organisation Tempo Semanal published almost 900 resistance-related images on its Facebook fan page. The photographs appear to range in time from 1975 to the early post-1999 referendum period. They include many portraits of Falintil leaders and troops and life in resistance areas”, blog Timor Archives informs. Falintil, the Armed Forces for the National Liberation of East Timor, was founded in August 20, 1975.

author: Sara Moreira


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Jamaica: Garvey’s Nerve · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaica Woman Tongue reminds us why Marcus Garvey is a national hero.


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Pakistan: Government Suspends Mobile Services in Major Cities on Eid · Global Voices
Salman Latif

On Eid-ul-Fitr, the occasion that marks the end of the month of fasting for Muslims and is celebrated as a holiday, the government of Pakistan slapped a blanket cell phone service suspension on four major cities in the country – Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Quetta.
Services are to remain blocked from 8pm on Sunday 19 August, 2012, till 11am Monday 20 August. According to the government, the measure has been taken to prevent terrorist attacks.
While terrorism is a very real threat in Pakistan, many have reacted critically. The chief contention is that while this may indeed serve as an effective measure to thwart possible incidents of terrorism on the occasion of Eid, this is no way to resolve the problem. A blanket ban on cell phone services essentially infringes on the very rights of citizens, some have argued.
“Well, the iPhone is no good WITHOUT SERVICE.” Image uploaded by Flicker User dbrulz123 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Kashif Aziz tweeted:
@kashaziz: So whats the guarantee terrorists won't strike tomorrow or the day after? Why not close cell phone services, like forever?#Karachi
In the past, the Pakistani government has imposed similar bans on the pretext of security. Referring to this rather unusual and undesirable measure which is now becoming a norm, Awais Athar commented:
@awaisathar: And so it starts…http://tribune.com.pk/story/424171/eid-security-cellphone-services-may-be-suspended-in-pakistan/ … Are we moving towards curfews on holidays?”
Such a ban will surely affect mobile companies, on one of their highest  revenue earning days. There are over 118 million mobile users in Pakistan, that's 68.2% of the country's total population. Pakistan also has the highest mobile penetration rate in South Asia.
But it will also make emergency communications virtually impossible. Yousaf Malik very aptly put it to the Interior Minister, who issued the orders to put the ban in place:
@YousafMalik41: #SenRehmanMalik Sir how is one supposed to make a call to police or rescue services in case of emergency from his cell phone?
Some have raised a brow to the competence of the intelligence agencies over their inability to contain the threat without taking such dire measures. Bytes For All, a Pakistani human rights organization, tweeted while addressing the Interior Minister:
@bytesforall: Sir, we shud really consider blocking all means of transport as well. No? Terrorist use them too #netfreedom @netfreedom @Liberationtech
Later, it was announced that the service will be suspended until 11 a.m. This hinted that the decision was taken to avoid any incidents during Eid prayers which are usually offered between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the morning. Ali Ibrahim chipped in with a witty remark:
@aliqizalbash: Dear world, I'm sorry you can not reach out to #Pakistan right now due to security reasons. Please try after 11am tom@SenRehmanMalik #PTA
However, there were those who agreed with the government's decision of imposing such a ban. They argued that if indeed such a measure would possibly thwart any possible incidents of terrorism, there's no reason to protest. Journalist Ayesha Tammy Haq tweeted from her profile:
@tammyhaq: @faridalvie :-) Eid tomorrow. Serious enough security threat 4 mobile cos 2 agree 2 suspend services & lose serious revenue & we're moaning”
And then there were those who saw a silver lining. Samra Muslim wrote:
@samramuslim: #Pakistan: mobile communications jam means no annoying mass ‘Eid Mubarak’ SMSes from random anonymous numbers?!#SilverLining #JustSaying
Sarah Naqvi also wrote in a similar vein:
@sarahnaq: i really don't understand whats a big deal if we can not use our cell phones for a while spend time with family n friends :) #dependents #PTA
Bolo Bhi, a policy advocacy group based in Pakistan released a press statement on a similar ban that had been enforced in the Balochistan province earlier this week on 14 August, Pakistan's Independence Day:
The State has the responsibility to maintain law and order but that shouldn’t come at the cost of citizens’ rights. To cut off communication services citing miscreants as an excuse not only violates the rights of citizens’, but is an unjust and discriminatory practice.
There's no denying that terrorism is a bitter reality in Pakistan and recently, there has been a surge in terrorist attacks by Pakistani Taliban. However, national security must not dictate the extent to which basic rights are granted to the citizens. The breakdown of such rights, for an hour, for a day, or for any other length of time, essentially spells a drastic failure.

author: Salman Latif


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Russia: Zombies Versus the State in Omsk · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

This post is part of our special coverage Russia's Protest Movement.
Early last Sunday morning (19 August, 2012) in the city of Omsk, Russia, a few hundred young people gathered together at the Irtyshskaia Embankment and held a hastily organized flashmob. Police were on hand to warn everyone that they represented an illegal assembly, and could be charged with breaking the law.
Why did roughly 300 of Omsk's citizens come out into the street on a Sunday morning? The answer to that question is the “Zombie Parade”: the city's first attempted ‘walk of the living dead.’
The Parade is the brainchild of 25-year-old photographer Mikhail Yakovlev [ru], who first blogged [ru] about the idea earlier this summer, after Omsk held its first ‘sky lantern’ lighting on June 16. Yakovlev's initiative fits into a wider campaign supported by public figures like Maksim Kats and Ilya Varlamov, who have also stressed the need for new, more creative celebrations that fill a void left by Soviet holidays (a vacuum that especially affects Russia's younger generations).
Zombie Parade, Omsk, Russia, 19 August 2012, screenshot from YouTube eye witness video.
Yakovlev tried to register the Zombie Parade with the government, and initially received permission to organize the march, though the city quickly withdrew the permit, allegedly [ru] after pressure from civic groups and religious authorities.
In the media and online, rumor has it that the local Russian Orthodox diocese objected to the parade on the grounds that “raising the dead” is un-Christian and potential disturbing to bystanders. The city's Muslim representatives apparently argued that the event conflicted with the spirit of the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Meanwhile, a group called “Parental Control” is said to have warned [ru] that the Parade might increase crime by attracting so many young people to one area. (Parental Control, incidentally, is the same organization that recently petitioned the city of St. Petersburg to sue Madonna for violating the town's ban on “homosexual propaganda” [sic] in her latest tour.) Other civic groups apparently complained that the sight of zombies on the streets of Omsk could “permanently traumatize” children and the elderly.
Yakovlev, for his part, has kept his sights aimed squarely at the state, arguing [ru] that his only concern is the legality of the permit issue:
я же буду не на РПЦ писать и мусульман. А на администрацию САО, т.к. они в ОФИЦИАЛЬНОМ ответе написали такую хрень и чущь. Вы не забывайте, что они там ни слова не написали про письма и возмущения вышеуказаннх лиц.
Yakovlev has also been keen to point out his respect for Omsk's various faiths, declaring that he would never have advocated the Parade, if he considered it an affront to any religion. Perhaps distancing himself from the antics of the now world-famous Pussy Riot prisoners, he defended [ru] the zombie march on the grounds that it would take place far from any houses of worship and nowhere near sacred ground.
When Omsk's authorities revoked the permit, it seemed as if the parade would be canceled. Yakovlev called it off, and publicly absolved himself of organizational responsibility. Then, apparently without Yakovlev's involvement, a group [ru] emerged on the Russian social network Vkontakte, announcing that the Zombie Parade would proceed, after all, albeit at a new location.
On August 19, Yakovlev attended the now unsanctioned, flashmob stand-in for what would have been his approved zombie march. He claimed to be there as a photographer — not as an organizer or participant. (Indeed, Yakovlev wore neither makeup nor zombie-like clothing.) Nevertheless, a police officer informed him that the gathering was unlawful, and that he would be considered its organizer if they decided to intervene. Shortly after learning (and laughing incredulously at) this announcement, Yakovlev left to return home, calling loudly on everyone to disperse. (People did begin to leave, though they generally did so together, transforming what was a standing crowd into a moving march.)
Suspicious concerned citizen, Omsk, Russia, 19 August 2012, screenshot from eye witness YouTube Video.
Before Yakovlev's exit, there was a curious episode involving what most assume [ru] to have been a plainclothes policeman. At one point, a large man approached the crowd with his daughter in tow. After angrily insulting Yakovlev (not without some unsubtle obscenities), the man proclaimed that he would be filing with the police a complaint that the Zombie Parade was having a traumatic effect on his daughter.
Video footage of this moment and briefly afterwards, however, shows the young girl smiling and, at one point, actually playing happily with one “zombie's” pet rabbit, which he brought to the march on a leash.
Several other “concerned citizens” also emerged in strange fashion, leading many local bloggers and journalists to suspect that these people were “planted” by the police, presumably in order to charge Yavkovlev with inciting either an illegal rally or mass public indecency. (This latter charge is how Moscow law enforcement agents penalized [ru] a Zombie Parade in May 2011.)
These suspicions were reinforced minutes later, when Yakovlev was detained forcibly from inside his car, with the help of four plainclothes police officers, including the father mentioned above. In fact, that same foulmouthed large man would soon threaten to “bash in the head” of a cameraman filming the scene.
This video shows footage of the march before, during, and after, uploaded to YouTube by user RideMatt on August 19:
In a LiveJournal post [ru] later that night, Yakovlev refused again to make the issue about religious tensions, instead attacking the state for ignoring the country's youth and stifling its creativity. If the government fails to offer fun and entertainment (namely, if it has no meaningful holidays), then teens and twenty-somethings will either find it elsewhere or demand it somehow, he explained. “Of course, if there's nothing for us to do,” Yakovlev continued, “young people will go out into the street and take part in protest rallies.”
As a matter of fact, Yakovlev helped organize some of Omsk's December 2011 demonstrations against the parliamentary election results. This history, one assumes, has played a role in how the police have treated him.
Where then does the Zombie Parade belong in the story of modern Russian society? Was this simply an administrative slip-up? (Yakovlev himself wonders if he should have applied for a permit under a city ordinance for cultural events [ru], rather than the federal law on political rallies.) Or was this another instance, perhaps like the Pussy Riot trial, of religious institutions exerting their influence to curtail the observation of free speech?
And maybe Yakovlev is right, and this is evidence of the state's insecurity about its “monopoly on the holidays.” In the days of the Soviet Union, the Communist Party's “monopoly on truth” was a pillar of the political system. When that component vanished, the country's stability went with it. While a monopoly “on the holidays” seems trifling in comparison to the claims of Marxist Leninism, it does speak volumes about the bonds between the state and society in Russia. Distrust and fear remain key features in that relationship, then and now.
This post is part of our special coverage Russia's Protest Movement.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Senegal: SunuCause, a Blogger-Driven Humanitarian Project · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

[All links are in French unless otherwise indicated]
The Senegalese presidential elections in March 2012 were hailed as an overall success despite some confrontations during the campaign. One of the contributing factors to this assessment was the level of citizen involvement in the political process.
A monitoring election platform driven by Senegalese bloggers was one of the flagship projects. The same team is now switching its focus to a less political cause and has launched a new initiative – SunuCause.
On the SunuCause website (the name means ‘our cause’ in the Wolof language) we can read:
L’équipe de blogueurs sénégalais, qui avait créé #sunu2012 pour couvrir l’élection présidentielle de février 2012 à travers les réseaux sociaux, s’est lancé dans les actions de solidarité participative en créant SunuCause.
L’objectif est de sensibiliser les internautes à des problèmes de société de manière à récolter des fonds grâce à des appels lancés sur Facebook et Twitter.
The blog E-Goo Média explains, Pourquoi #Sunucause? (Why #SunuCause?):
#SunuCause s'inscrit donc dans des actions sociales, humanitaires et citoyennes avec la spécificité que toutes les actions seront menées à partir du web et de ses outils. … nous ne comptons pas tout attendre d'un Etat car des citoyens volontaires et conscients peuvent beaucoup faire avec un peu de volonté.
Senegalese tweeters, who identify themselves on Twitter with the hashtag #Kebetu (which means “to twitter” in Wolof) came together for that purpose, as written by Wareef in the post Sunucause: La mission humanitaire de la Twittosphère Sénégalaise (SunuCause: The Humanitarian Mission of the Senegalese Twittersphere):
La Twittosphère sénégalaise s’est mobilisée … à Dakar lors de la seconde édition d'un Sunutweetup [ notre tweetup en Wolof ] pour le lancement d’un nouveau projet dénommé « Sunucause »
Après une présentation de chaque Twittos, …la bloggeuse Amy Jeanne a expliqué que le projet est déjà en cours car un petit groupe de blogueurs a déjà commencé le travail. Ceci dit, « sunucause est un projet ouvert à tout le monde, chacun peut y participer » poursuit Pape Ousmane.
La plateforme étant lancée, les blogueurs ont déjà repéré une cause. Il s’agit d’un « enfant du nom de Mame Thierno [âgé aujourd’hui de 5 mois] qui est né sans paupières, avec la peau lézardée, parsemée d’écailles. De jour comme de nuit, ses parents sont obligés de l’enduire d’une crème hydratante qui coûte 7 000 F CFA l’unité [environ 10 euros]. La famille, totalement démunie, en appelle à l’aide des bonnes volontés. »
The Senegalese Twittersphere rallied… in Dakar during the second Sunutweetup (means ‘our tweetup’ in Wolof) for the launch of a new project named “SunuCause.” After an introduction of each tweeter, …the blogger Amy Jeanne explained that the project was already in motion because a small group of bloggers had already begun to work. Even so, “SunuCause is a project open to everyone, everyone can participate,” said Pape Ousmane.
The platform is launched; the bloggers have already identified a cause. There is “a child named Mame Thierno (who is now five months old) who was born without eyelids, with cracked skin scattered with scales [en]. Day and night, her parents must apply a hydrating cream that costs 7,000 CFA each (about 10 Euros). The family, totally impoverished, calls on the goodwill for help.”
Sunucause team taking pictures with the family of Mame Thierno by @BoompasticPio on Twitter (used with permission).
Basile tells us in Sunucause : La mission humanitaire de la Twittosphère Sénégalaise (Humanitarian Cause of Senegalese Tweeters: We Must Save the Child Mame Thierno):
Un premier lot de pommade hydratante lui a été remis en attendant de recevoir une aide plus consistante de la part de la communauté des internautes.
And he adds:
Nous lançons un appel au sens humanitaire de chacun pour collecter une somme considérable afin de se procurer une quantité importante de pommade pour aider Mame Thierno à mieux se sentir en attendant de trouver les moyens nécessaires pour organiser son évacuation en Europe pour un traitement plus avancé afin de guérir cet adorable enfant pour le bonheur de ses parents.
Wareef says in Sunucause : La mission humanitaire de la Twittosphère Sénégalaise (SunuCause: The Humanitarian Mission of the Senegalese Twittersphere):
Le travail des blogueurs et twittos bénévoles sera maintenant de mobiliser les internautes à travers les réseaux sociaux pour régler une cause sociale.
On August 15, 2012, members of the team paid their second visit to Mame Thierno's family and posted photos on Twitter here and there.
On August 16, they showed off t-shirts created to help finance this cause.

author: Anna Gueye


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South Korea: Controversial Launch of Online Music Video Rating · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korean authorities have launched a new ratings system for music videos posted online. The new bill requires every music video (or promotional video) and even movie trailers to be rated prior to upload. Failure to comply will result in up to two years in prison or a hefty fine.
Artists and South Korean net users have labeled it a new form of enhanced censorship on cultural contents and a regression in freedom of expression. It comes into effect starting August 18, 2012.
Censorship extends to online platforms
Previously, only television stations were responsible for airing music videos, whereas the new bill extends the censorship to video clips published on online platforms, including YouTube, blogs and Internet bulletin boards. The law is applied even to clips, not for profit organisations, and various music and movie teasers.
The authorities argue that the new measure is to protect young, impressionable audiences from the flow of indecent or violent music videos. Some predict [ko] the bill will first make content labeled ‘not for children under age 19′ by the Korea Media Rating Board inaccessible to mass audiences, and in the long-run (as one media pundit worries [ko]) will eventually lead every citizen to ask for, or at least consider, permission before uploading any content online.
Image of censorship, by Flickr user Isaac Mao (CC BY 2.0).
A net user who introduced himself as a 28-year-old working in the music promotion industry, filed an online petition [ko] opposing the new rating system. The petition has gathered more than 10,000 signatures. It reads:
지금 대한민국의 실태는 민주주의가 그리 크게 보여지지 않고 있습니다. 표현의 자유에 대한 무차별적인 탄압. 무엇만 하면 청소년 유해매체 지정.  납득이 안가는 사유로 창작 예술인들의 사기를 꺽어버리고 있습니다.  그러던 도중 공산주의국가에서나 벌어질법한 법이 계정되었습니다.  바로 영등위에서 공포한 ‘뮤직비디오 등급분류제도‘ 입니다.[…] 검열을 거치지 않은 뮤직비디오를 게시할경우엔 벌금 2000만원이나 징역2년 이하의 처벌을 받게된다고 합니다. 우리나라의 음주운전의 최고형은 벌금 1천만원에서 징역 1년 정도 입니다.그런 범죄를 저지른 사람들보다 못한 취급을 받게 되었습니다.[…] 이거 마저 그냥 넘기면 나중엔 공연포스터,앨범의 자켓,공연티켓 까지 검열을 받는 법이 생겨나지 않으리라는 장담하지 못합니다.
This net user also noted that despite the authorities’ claim that they hosted an informational session about the new bill in mid-July, most musicians were uninformed about the bill.
Clear definitions?
On the concerns that it will eventually affect everyone, the authorities asserted that the regulation will not be applied to “non-business individuals”. Struggling indie musicians, however, beg to differ. Singer-songwriter, Lee Yoon-hyuk, raises questions [ko] on what constitutes as “non-business individual” and added there is no clear legal definition to “music video”:
적용 대상이 ‘사업자’ 입니다. 일단 여기부터가 좀 애매해 지는게. 홍대 쪽에서 활동하는 아티스트형 음악가들의 경우, 정규 유통과정을 통해 음반을 발매하고 영리활동이 이루어 진다면 사업자로 분류될 수 있다고 합니다[…] 음악가가 ‘사업자'로 분류된다면 그들에 의해 기획/제작된 모든 음악 실연영상 등이 심의 대상이 될 수 있습니다. […]현재 ‘뮤직비디오'에 관한 법률적 정의는 없고 음악영상물(음원의 내용을 표현하기 위해 당해 음원에 영상이 포함되어 제작된 것)이라고 표현되어 있는데, 이는 통상적인 뮤직비디오를 포함하지만, 법 집행을 엄격하게 한다면 아티스트의 자유로운 연주와 퍼포먼스를 담은 영상까지도 포함될 수 있는 여지가 있습니다. 이렇게 되면 정말 곤란해지는게… 홍대씬에서 쏟아져 나오는 공연실황, ucc, 기타 영상물들을 합하면 수가 어마어마 할텐데[…] 유투브의 제제는 어렵지만 업로드한 사업자에 관해서는 제제를 하겠다고 합니다. 벌금 물린단 얘기겠죠? 돈 없어서 잡혀가는 사람도 생기겠군요.
Twitter user @romantic_ct complains [ko] about the screening fee:
뮤직비디오 사전 등급 분류 심의 제도. 강제성을 띄고 심의를 거치지 않을시, 벌금등의 압박을 표면에 드러내놓고선 심의 수수료를 받네요? 강제로 돈내고 심의를 받으라니. 이거 왠 개적같은 상황입니까. 방송심의 대행하는 곳조차 심의 수수료같은건 없어요.
The music industry has already been hit hard. One of the most prominent industry moguls, Yang Hyun-seok, who is the president of YG Entertainment, expressed worries [ko] that the new system disrupts the production routine, which starts with promoting a music video teaser online before releasing the album or airing it on television.
Some net users revealed [ko] the new bill have postponed famous singer, G-Dragon‘s new album release, which makes people more concerned as to what could happen to less powerful musicians without an agency to protect them.


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Spain: “Health Disobedience” in the Face of Massive Cuts · Global Voices
Diana Moreno

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Independent groups of public health workers and participants have created a platform to protest against the recent health reform. The movement is named “I say yes to universal health” (@Yosisanidaduniv) [es] and its main proposal is civil “health disobedience” and to object the new Law 16/2012 imposed by the government in the context of severe austerity measures and social protests.
The decree, which will come into effect on September 1, 2012, has the objective of, according to the Health Minister, “guarantee the universality of this right”, and, according to the governmental Popular Party, it is a step towards “true universality” and “stops squandering” [es].
Health as a business
However, its critics agree that the law, that will leave about 150,000 persons [es] without healthcare, was thought to change the health system and create a new insurance system; that is, a system that distinguishes between insured and uninsured persons. Therefore, it endangers the inclusive health system that Spain had up until now.
The web page of I say yes to universal health [es] understands it as follows:
Lo más grave de esta reforma sanitaria es precisamente que pasa de un sistema universal de derechos de las personas, basado en valores como la solidaridad social (“Me puedo quedar en el paro”, “Me puedo poner enferma estando en el paro”, “Hoy por ti, mañana por mí”) y de justicia social (“Todas las personas tienen derecho a educación y sanidad”, “Garantizar derechos a todo el mundo es la mejor manera de generar una sociedad mejor”) a un pretendido sistema en el que cada persona recibe lo que paga, y debe justificar que es “asegurado/a”, que tiene un seguro que le cubra ante la posibilidad de estar enferma/o o necesitar cuidados de salud. El retroceso en derechos ciudadanos es abrumador, sin que se vaya a generar un ahorro importante.
The worst thing about this health reform is precisely that it transforms a universal rights system for all people based on values like social solidarity (“I can strike,” “I can get sick while on strike,” “Today for me, tomorrow for you”) and social justice (“Every person has the right to education and health,” “Guarantee everybody's rights is the best way to create a better society”) to create a system in which every person gets what they pay for, has to justify what it means to be “insured,” and has an insurance that covers the possibility of being sick or in need of healthcare. The step back in citizen rights is overwhelming, and it doesn't generate important savings.
Patricia (this was the chosen name), a member of the platform [es] against the decree, explains that the decree wants to lead to a system “like the North American one, where health is a business.”
‘I say yes to universal health’
In which way? By restricting the access to a health card. They will take it away from undocumented immigrants as well as people older than 26 who have never registered in Social Security. This adds to the series of other cuts like the prepaid physician or other benefits that used to be free (like prosthesis) and will now have a cost.
Actually, even though the reform affects a huge number of people the immediate fear is for undocumented immigrants who will have no protection after September 1. Twitter users reacted to the news that the government will charge undocumented immigrants 700 euros annually (more than a health insurance company) for health, sparking an almost widespread rejection.
According to Patricia, the law is not only unconstitutional, but also unfair and this is the main reason to consciously object it. The popular outrage grows even more as the government benefits private clinics over public health.
The web's Facebook page [es] has uploaded a video with declarations from people who will be affected and from critics of the decree, with the message “we all have the right to health” [es]:
Instructions for disobedience
Taking into account that conscience objection is a right “recognized but not much regulated,” and that the Universal Human Rights Declaration acknowledges the right to health, the digital initiative proposes to create a critical network in the health arena. To that end, they offer several conscience objection models [es] for teachers, nurses, and non-health personnel as well as to other institutions and informative legal documents.
The idea they defend is that health personnel as well as clerical staff should collaborate, and even users without a health card have to ask for it, and when they deny it to them, “they should insist”. They informed about the possible difficulties and problems an objector may find.
At the moment, close to 1,000 doctors have pledged to partake in the conscience objection initiative [es] and keep assisting undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Ministry of Health has warned them not to provide care for undocumented immigrants if they want to avoid sanctions: the war for health is on.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Diana Moreno


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The Day I Got Arrested in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hannah from Seeing Red in China blogs about his experience of being stopped and detained by traffic police for a suspected car stolen case while driving back from a trip to the Great Wall.


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United States: Significance of Paul Ryan for the Hispanic Population  · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

From the day that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney chose Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, there has been considerable media coverage both in favor and against the decision.
Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans celebrated the newly appointed team, as the former consider Ryan to be Romney's Achilles heel for his controversial position on the national budget, while Conservatives believe that the economy will be what dominates the upcoming debates, a topic that, in their opinion, the congressman handles to perfection to attack President Barack Obama.
Experts and journalists have extensively discussed the repercussions that the Romney-Ryan coupling will have in both political parties, but little has been said regarding its effects on the United States population and particularly on the Hispanic community.
After names like Condoleeza Rice and Marco Rubio were mentioned, Paul Ryan (above) was finally chosen to join Mitt Romney in the presidential elections. Photo from Flickr/Tobyotter (CC BY 2.0)
Recent polls [es] show a general concern amongst some Latinos over the politics that the congressman has promoted, such as cuts to social welfare, health, education, and infrastructure. Nevertheless, broadly speaking, the Hispanic population does not appear to know much about Ryan [es].
Antonia Ortiz's (@susopiniones) tweet confirms these polls, claiming that Ryan does not have a favorable image in the Hispanic community.
Your opinion of Paul Ryan? Unfavorable 41% Favorable 30% Never heard of him 16% No opinion 14% http://bit.ly/qLLeMK  #mrx #latino #romney
Me temo que el presupuesto de Ryan refleja más los valores de su filósofa favorita, Ayn Rand, que el evangelio de Jesucristo”, dijo [Thomas J.] Reese, sacerdote jesuita y miembro de jerarquía del centro teológico Woodstock de la Universidad de Georgetown, en alusión a la autora de La rebelión de Atlas, una defensora a ultranza del individualismo. “La supervivencia de los más aptos puede estar bien para los darwinistas sociales, pero no para los seguidores del evangelio.
Meanwhile, Alana Moceri's blog [es] believes that to have Ryan as Romney's running mate pleases the Republican base:
Básicamente, es un guiño hacia la base conservador[a] del Partido Republicano, quienes han estado poniendo cada vez más presión en la última semana…Ryan es un congresista de Wisconsin más conocido por su plan de presupuesto muy conservador que presentó en 2008 ‘Roadmap for America's Future Act of 2008 and commonly referred to as The Ryan Budget’. Es un plan de presupuesto detestado por los Demócratas por sus recortes a programas sociales, incluyendo una sustitución de Medicare por un sistema de vales—veremos los Demócratas destacar eso bastante. Es por eso, que Romney le ha anunciado como el “líder intelectual” del partido”.
Other tweets remind the Hispanic population of the quite derogatory terms that Ryan supposedly used throughout his career in Washington, as Analyze This (@AnalizeThis) describes:
@AnalizeThis: #Ryan used term #AnchorBabies to describe US citizens born to #Latino parents http://bit.ly/P9NgCu
Finally, Marco A. Nuñez Yuren (@Marco_NY23) shows his dissatisfaction about the Ryan choice, since, according to Nuñez, the only way to have won the Hispanic vote was to choose Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was also put forth as one of the candidates for the vice-presidency:
@Marco_NY23: Mitt Romney cometió un error al elegir como compañero de boleta a Paul Ryan. Creo Marco Rubio de FL era mejor opción. Voto hispano vital.

author: Robert Valencia


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Video: ‘I Was Here’ Campaign – Small Actions to Change the World · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Join us as we see how small actions can change the world through the I Was Here campaign for the United Nations World Humanitarian Day. On Sunday, August 19, 2012, as a way to recognize humanitarian work throughout the world, the UN and American singer Beyoncé gave out a worldwide invitation: to make someone else's life better by doing something good for someone, somewhere.
The reason? World Humanitarian Day is on August 19 and was conceived as a way to remember the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, where 22 people lost their lives. The day honors those who have died while trying to help others and also pays tribute to those who day after day continue to help others everywhere around the world.
While the media may be filled with bad news, suffering and pain that others are experiencing, there are also stories from near and far of people doing small or great acts of kindness and helping those in need, reaching out a hand to those who suffer.
On the ‘I Was Here‘ website, the UN provided some suggestions of simple ways in which to help someone else, in the belief that seemingly small actions can have great impact on someone's day. Helping someone do their shopping, giving a homeless person a meal such like a sandwich, volunteering skills for a community project, standing up for someone being bullied or picked on, visiting someone elderly or someone up in a hospital.
Perhaps cooking a meal for new parents, volunteering at a local charity, donating things you no longer need or use, doing something for your neighbors like mowing their lawn, cleaning a park or tutoring someone from a disadvantaged background.
After doing something, you are welcome to add your name and pin your act to the website's map and let people know how you changed someone's day. Some of the ways in which people have already helped are assisting displaced people in Mali, amplifying the voices of the Sahrawi refugees, serving a meal for someone who really needs it, teaching someone how to read and write and taking care of children.
I Was Here logo for the UN World Humanitarian Day Campaign 2012
The call to action video has already been subtitled into 22 different languages in the effort to reach one billion people who will then hopefully follow through and take action on one day, a goal which has already been surpassed by reaching 1,132,204,110 people.
The video and song by Beyoncé has already been translated into ten different languages through a volunteer based  subtitling platform – the idea is to complete at least twice as many.
What action are you going to take to make your mark and improve someone's day or life?

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Africa: Time for a Male Circumcision-Driven HIV Policy in Africa? · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

After overcoming much skepticism, the idea that male circumcision is an effective measure in reducing HIV transmission is now globally accepted by the health professionals community and the general public. In fact, the World Health Organization is now advocating circumsision programme as part of the HIV prevention package in areas greatly affected by the virus.
However, the jury is still out on how the measure will be adopted by the target populations given their cultural specificity. Experts and bloggers weigh in on the practicality and the effectiveness of a male circumcision-driven public health policy.
A proven approach
Even though the approach has been suggested for a decade, the validation that medical male circumcision substantially reduces the risk of contracting HIV is fairly recent. Three randomized clinical trials were conducted in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. In 2007, The WHO and the UNAIDS provided the following comment on the results of the study:
There is now strong evidence from three randomized controlled trials undertaken (..) that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%. This evidence supports the findings of numerous observational studies that have also suggested that the geographical correlation long described between lower HIV prevalence and high rates of male circumcision in some countries in Africa, and more recently elsewhere, is, at least in part, a causal association.
Some newly developed technological devices may even facilitate the deployment of this policy. Donald G McNeil Jr of The New York Times recently reported that:
a bloodless circumcision device for adults, will be tested in at least nine African countries in the next year [..] a two-nurse team slides a grooved ring inside the foreskin and guides a rubber band to compress the foreskin in the groove. After a week, the dead foreskin falls off like the stump of a baby’s umbilical cord
Still, not all the scientific community is convinced that this policy is the right direction to take in the fight against HIV. For instance many argue that such a policy would be offset by increased HIV risk behaviour, such as reduced condom use or increased numbers of sex partners. In a journal article, Kalichman et al. write:
Circumcision likely reduces the risk of acquiring a non-HIV STI and may be partially responsible for the decreased HIV risk observed in circumcision RCTs [1]. Nevertheless, the failure of models to account for increased STI risk due to risk compensation likely inflates estimates of averted HIV infections. Estimates of HIV risks resulting from increased exposure to STIs that coincide with reductions in condom use have been included in previous models of the cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions [11] and should be included in MC models.
Cultural challenges
Despite those recommendations, the approach still encounters many challenges to getting implemented in many countries. Ugandan global health graduate Edgar Asiimwe shares his findings regarding the willingness of young men to undergo safe male circumcision in Uganda, in this video uploaded to YouTube by user DukeGlobalHealth on 10 July, 2012. In the video, Asiimwe explains that the Ugandan government still favors prevention programs based on abstinence which makes implementing medical circumcision difficult to implement:
In South Africa, traditional circumcision is still carried out, however, the circumcision often only partially removes the foreskin from the penis. Maughan-Brown et al. explain the results of their study in Cape Town:
Partially circumcised men had a 7% point greater risk of being HIV positive than fully circumcised men (P < 0.05) and equal risk compared with uncircumcised men. Most (91%) men were circumcised between the ages of 17 and 22 years (mean 19.2 years), and HIV risk increased with age of circumcision (P < 0.10).
Efforts should be made to encourage earlier circumcisions and to work with traditional surgeons to reduce the number of partial circumcisions.
In some of areas of Madagascar, circumcision is also a tradition. The traditional method of circumcision may carry some health concerns and differs vastly from medical circumcision. Arinaina explains [fr]:
La circoncision se fait au crépuscule d’où le feu et les bougies. Tous les hommes, le grand-père, le papa, les oncles sont là pour préparer tout ce qui est nécessaire au rituel et assister l’enfant en le tenant bien fort. Un dernier homme est aussi présent; le guérisseur traditionnel ou le « rain-jaza » qui va couper avec sa lame le prépuce. [..]  la circoncision à Madagascar, c’est surtout pour que le garçon devienne un «vrai homme».
Painting of a circumcision in Madagascar by Arianiana (used with permission)
HIV prevalence is relatively low in Madagascar compared to the other southern African states and it is possible that the cultural acceptance of circumcision plays a part in keeping HIV at low levels. This was not the case early on in Kenya though. June Odoyo, a member of the Nyanza Province Male Circumcision Task Force,  explains:
Despite initial resistance from cultural leaders in the region, male circumcision has been widely accepted in Nyanza, with more than 110,000 men undergoing the procedure since 2008 [..] Rural areas experience high cases of cultural resistance to the programme, while the acceptability in urban areas is comparatively high.
Increase in demand for circumcision may have been sparked by young men's desire to have unprotected sex. A study in Malawi explains that dislike for condoms was a factor in undergoing circumcision. For instance, Peter states:
so I see that most of my friends have a tendency of having sex with different kinds of women, so I do
take part in explaining to them to say; I think maybe the best thing is maybe if you can consider
this circumcision. Maybe you can be half way protected. Because there are other people who
don't like to use condoms but they want to have sex with a woman plain [no condom on].
While health policy advocates always emphasize that circumcision is by no means meant to replace the use of condoms, one has to wonder how many men would forego the use of condoms because they have undergone circumcision.
More convincing needed?
Beside the issue of potential reduction in condom use, other doubts were raised by bloggers regarding the inclusion of male circumcision in HIV prevention policy. Jason Bosch, a South African scientist in Cape Town, argues:
If you tell someone it will reduce their risk then they’re more likely to take the risk. After my post I heard from a colleague of mine who has read the paper that at least one of the trials was flawed because those undergoing circumcision where educated on safe sex practices while the others were not.
James Sweet, a blogger from the United States that has lived in Ethiopia, adds:
Given the sociopolitical pressures to justify circumcision, I suspect this data might be exaggerated, but there does seem to be something to it. This, of course, is weighed against the direct risk of complications from the procedure, which are rare but not unheard of.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Blogs Blocked in Vietnam · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Aaron Joel Santos, a blogger in Vietnam, writes about the blocking of numerous blogs in the country: “A lot of blogs seem to be blocked in Vietnam at the moment. And mine is among them. Not for anything said or posted or alluded to or hinted at. Mine is simply a sin of proximity. Blogs are being blocked. I have a blog. Thus the absence.”

author: Mong Palatino


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Brazil: Bicycle Brings Books to the Homeless · Global Voices
Davi Bonela

If good ideas transcend boundaries, this one does it by bicycle. That is, by Bicicloteca [pt], a bicycle that carries a small library through the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
The project is a creative and dynamic way to encourage reading, especially among people who live on the streets, because libraries typically require identification and proof of residence to loan books; documents which homeless people don't have.
The Bicicloteca initiative has emerged from this very need and has gained support from São Paulo residents, media and businesses. As of August 2012, it has been distributing books and encouraging reading for a year.
The Bicicloteca at Praça da Sé, São Paulo. Photo from GreenMobility on Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
The Bicicloteca is ridden by Robson Mendonça, a 61-year-old librarian who used to live on the streets of São Paulo. Reading the George Orwell novel Animal Farm changed his perspective, proving that reading transforms people's lives.
Robson Mendonça keeps this path open so that others can follow it, going out into the streets along with those who sell the magazine Ocas [pt], which has already been discussed in another post, or through the Movimento Estadual da População em Situação de Rua [State Movement for the Homeless Population], which is led by Mendonça and advocates for thousands of homeless people.
The video below [pt] shows the Bicicloteca in action in São Paulo:
The initiative is part of the Instituto Mobilidade Verde‘s (IMV, Green Mobility Institute) [pt] activities; a non-profit NGO focused on alternative and sustainable means of transport for cities. By email, the President of the organisation, Lincoln Paiva, recalled how it all started:
A Bicicloteca é um movimento independente que nasceu em diversos lugares do mundo com o objetivo de chegar onde as bibliotecas tradicionais não chegam e da forma mais simples e barata possível. A bicicloteca dos Moradores de rua nasceu depois de um encontro que eu tive com o Robson Mendonça, ex-morador de rua que saiu das ruas depois de ter lido “Revolução dos Bichos”. O instituto doou a primeira bicicloteca e depois vieram outras doadas pela iniciativa privada.
Over the course of a year, the Bicicloteca carried out more than 107,000 loans without any bureaucracy, drawing on a collection of more than 30,000 books. Currently, the Instituto Mobilidade Verde works to oversee the project and its expansion to other NGOs interested in adopting it. The Bicicloteca also lends Braille books for the visually impaired, promotes activities in public squares and holds historic walks [pt] through the streets.
Project Logo, GreenMobility on Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
All this work has had a positive impact, and an example of its recognition is the fact that the IMV and Bicicloteca initiative have been nominated for the Prêmio Cidadão Sustentável [Sustainable Citizen Award – pt] in the Environment and Culture categories.
Even in the face of adversity, which could have brought an end to the work, the whole of São Paulo city showed its goodwill and respect. In September 2011 the Bicicloteca was stolen, but significant repercussions from the local media contributed to the equipment's recovery. This adversity was transformed into mobilisation on Movere [pt], an online crowd funding platform. The video below was used to appeal for 12 thousand reais to build two Biciclotecas:
Continuing to innovate, the Bicicloteca also takes free solar-powered internet access [pt] wherever it goes. And it's not just for the homeless. With no restrictions, the Bicicloteca democratises access to information, entertainment and culture for the general public, workers and students.
In Brazil, wherever the Bicicloteca goes it carries the message that a book can change a life. With this same idea, the organisation Libraries Without Borders, for example, makes reading possible for those at risk and in need in Haiti, setting up mobile libraries to serve the local population. The world has more than enough space for creative approaches to libraries.

author: Davi Bonela


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Brazil: Land Dispute Between Slave Descendants and the Navy · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

An online petition [pt] demands the suspension of the order of eviction of Quilombo Rio dos Macacos, one of the oldest slave descendent communities in Brazil. A Technical Identification and Delimitation Report from the National Institute of Colonisation and Agrarian Reform (Incra) determined that the territory belongs to the quilombola community, but in early August, 2012, a judge ordered the eviction, favouring the Navy's claim for the land.


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Colombia: A Demonstration in Favor of Accessibility in Transportation  · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

The movement Fuerza Incluyente from Medellín is calling for a demonstration against the violation of rights in public transportation. Fuerza Incluyente invites those with or without disabilities to participate: “Let's remember that thousands of people don't leave their homes due to a lack of accessibility in public transportation.” The demonstration will be held on August 25 at 4pm local time.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Debit Cards in Myanmar · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

Starting September 2012, Myanmar consumers would be able to use[my] debit cards serviced by the Myanmar Payment Union. Using a credit/debit card as a mode of payment in Myanmar has never been popular though it was once introduced in 2000 but cancelled in 2002.

author: Chan Myae Khine