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Peru: NO Vote Straddles Victory and Defeat in Lima’s Recall Election · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

[All links are to Spanish-language pages except where noted.]
According to exit polling, the preliminary results [en] of the March 17 recall election [en] gave supporters of Mayoress Susana Villarán a narrow victory. However, pollsters soon began to offer up the first concrete figures, performing a quick count of actual ballots yet to be processed. It didn't take long for the NO crowd to feel the first drops of rain on their parade.
With the outcome now fully and officially tallied, the trend continues: 20 councillors will be recalled, which means complementary elections will have to be held next November in order to fill their seats. In the meantime, interim councillors will assume their responsibilities. But this process could be delayed in the event of any challenge to the official results of the recall vote.
Initial media gloating soon dwindled, and even now social networks are ahead of the mainstream in analyzing and elucidating the reasons why Lima's electorate voted the way it did. The answer is hard to find, perhaps because the outcome is the product of a number of factors, such as the confluence of feelings and decisions among different social groups and circumstantial elements like the particular format of the ballot—there may even have been some lassitude on the part of voters faced with having to tick off the names of 40 different candidates.
Lima City Hall. Photo by Flickr user CHIMI FOTOS, under license by Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Moreover there is no getting around the potential repercussions of former Prime Minister Pedro Pablo Kuzczynski's announcement that he would vote NO to recalling Mayoress Villarán but would vote YES with respect to some councillors at Lima's city hall whom he considers anti-mining.
The economist Silvio Rendón speculates, on the Facebook page Gran Combo Club, on how what he calls a cross-over effect actually came about. As an example, he cites the vote in Lima's Comas district:
En Comas, por ejemplo, gana el SI en alcaldesa y todos los regidores, pero el margen es mucho menor en alcaldesa. A partir de los regidores de izquierda aumenta sustancialmente el número de votos en blanco, de manera que el margen por el que gana en SI en regidores de izquierda aumenta.
[…]
En suma, el voto en blanco en regidores en este distrito perjudica a los de LA izquierda y beneficia a los de LA derecha. A pesar de que gana el SI en todo, las diferencias son mayores en regidores de LA izquierda que en los de LA derecha y en alcaldesa.
(Aquí “izquierda” y “derecha” más que posición ideológica significan posición en la cédula).
In Comas, for example, the YES vote won for the Mayoress and all the councillors, but the margin was much lower for the Mayoress. For councillors on the Left, the number of blank ballots increases substantially, such that the margin for the YES vote among councillors on the Left also increased.
[…]
To sum up, blank ballots for councillors in this district damaged those on the left and benefited those on the right. Despite the fact that the YES won overall, the difference was greater for councillors on the left than those on the right and for the Mayoress. (Here the terms “right” and “left” have less to do with ideological orientation than their physical location on the ballot.)
Many attribute the vote against the councillors of Fuerza Social, Mayoress Villarán's political party, to the support of Lourdes Flores, leader of the Christian People's Party (PPC) [en]. In fact her support was one of the decisive factors in overturning the recall of the Mayoress, but is there a deeper political calculation behind the endorsement?
Journalist Isabel Guerra comments on her Facebook page:
no crean que estoy contenta. Me gustaría ver en mi país una izquierda pensante, genuinamente progresista, formadora de conciencias políticas, y también una derecha semillero de intelectuales/teóricos de peso, y que puedan todos generar planteamientos sólidos, aportar a su país cada uno desde su trinchera, que puedan debatir una tendencia con la otra y contrapesarse. Pero no, no tenemos ni uno ni lo otro. Lo que veo es un montón de oportunistas clientelistas (de uno u otro signo) vendiéndose al mejor postor y tratando de comprar las conciencias de los potenciales votantes.
Don't assume I am pleased. I would like to see a thoughtful Left in my country, genuinely progressive, that fosters political awareness as well as a Right that is the breeding ground for commanding intellectuals/theorists, who could all generate solid approaches, bringing their experience in the trenches to bear for their country, who could debate positions and balance each other out. But no, we have neither. What I see is a bunch of opportunists (of one ilk or another) selling themselves to the highest bidder and trying to buy the will of potential voters.
Isabel continues:
¿Es de sorprender que el ciudadano de a pie no ya no confíe para nada en nuestra(s) clase(s) política(s)? Menos mal que mi Perú está empezando a despertar y a darse cuenta de que nos merecemos algo mejor que esto, que los caudillismos no pueden conducir a nada bueno a la larga. La educación jugará un rol muy importante para nuestro progreso como país, al igual que la creciente conciencia de que podemos expresar nuestra voluntad con nuestros votos y fiscalizar de distintas formas a nuestras autoridades…
Is it surprising that the ordinary citizen no longer trusts our political class(es)? It is a good thing my Peru is starting to wake up and realize that we deserve better than this, that in the long run strongman politics lead to no good. Education will play a very important role in the future of our country, just as the growing awareness that we an express our will through our votes and monitor the authorities in different ways…
Another hot topic is the participation of the political activist and publicist Luis Favre (Argentine-born Felipe Belisario Wermus now living in Brazil). His efforts on behalf of the NO campaign effectively saved the Mayoress, but apparently he did not take into account the councillors. In fact his campaign was orchestrated around the involvement of well-known personalities and did not include a few councillors until late in the game. The slogan “40 times NO” that urged a NO vote for all councillors apparently was not welcomed by NO supporters, something that definitely influenced the recall of almost all councillors.
Facebook user Inmovil viajero has already made an overall—if preliminary—assessment of what this electoral process has wrought and comments:
Estoy en duda, no si si es casualidad, sabiduria popular, conciencia colectiva o que, pero me quedan claro algunos puntos:
1. el voto fue para respaldar la institucionalidad no a SV [Susana Villarán],
2. hay un castigo claro a la gestion de SV y los pagantes han sido sus regidores,
3. LCL [Luis Castañeda], el alcalde anterior], ha perdido piso y posibilidades futuras, la revocatoria a su hijo es una llamada de atención y su regreso al cargo de Alcalde una incertidumbre,
4. el [partido político] APRA calculó mal, y es un claro derrotado,
5. a la gente si le importa el comportamiento definido como “anti-todo”, hay un castigo hacia Patria Roja [Partido Comunista del Perú], Sutep [sindicato de maestros], TyL [Tierra y Libertad] y demas; no están siendo respaldados, sea por miedo o por conviccion,
6. la izquiera en general a salido maltratada, han perdido piso y claramente no se los ve como gestores eficientes ni canalizadores de los ideales del “pueblo”,
7. el PPC [Partido Popular Cristiano] ha salido fortalecido, como partido democratico, pero no le alcanzará para ganar una presidencial, no tienen ese arraigo y no tienen ese efecto,
8. igual la izquierda los traicionará llegado el momento,
9. Keiko [Fujimori] jugó bien al dejar libre a sus electores, no se metio en este pleito, creo que la tuvo mas clara,
10. la felicidad y soberbia inicial dieron paso al desconcierto y luego a la agresividad moralistoide tan recurrente en el grupo del NO; nuevamente los votantes son unos ineptos, brutos y desconectados; nuevamente los únicos inteligentes son los q pertenecen a esa opción, me queda dibujado de manera diáfana que no les está llegando el mensaje, no han entendido lo que les ha pasado.
I have my doubts; I don't know whether it is luck, popular wisdom, collective consciousness or what, but a few things are clear to me.
1. the vote was to endorse institutions, not SV [Susana Villarán];
2. there is a clear indictment of SV's management and the price was paid by her councillors;
3. LCL [Luis Castañeda [en], the former mayor], has lost ground and future capital, the recall of his son is a wake-up call, and his return to the position of mayor is in doubt;
4. the [political party] [en] APRA miscalculated badly; and were routed;
5. people do care about behaviour defined as ‘anti-everything’, there is a penalty for Patria Roja [Partido Comunista del Perú] [en], the teachers’ union Sutep [sindicato de maestros], the leftist Land and Freedom party [Tierra y Libertad], and others; they are not getting support, whether through fear or conviction;
6. the Left in general took a beating, they have lost ground and clearly they are not perceived as efficient managers nor conveyors of the ideals of the ‘people';
7. the PPC [Partido Popular Cristiano] [en] has come out stronger, as a democratic party, but they won't win the presidential election, neither their support nor their message is deep-rooted enough,
8. and the Left might just betray them if the occasion arises;
9. Keiko [Fujimori] [en] played well, leaving the electors free to choose, she didn't get her hands dirty, I think she understood the game;
10. initial satisfaction and smugness gave way to confusion and then to aggressive moralizing so common among NO supporters; all of a sudden voters are inept, brutish, disconnected; all of a sudden the only smart people are those who supported that choice, it is obvious to me that the message is not getting through, they have not understood what happened to them.


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Protests and “Frozen Zones” in Brooklyn after murder of Kimani Gray · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

Yarisa Colón contributed to this article.
On Saturday, March 9, Kimani Gray, a 16-year-old African American boy, died at the hands of two New York City police officers. Once this incident became known, riots broke out in the borough of Brooklyn, New York, for two consecutive days, through which the community demonstrated its outrage against another death that they understand had racial motives. Additionally, after vigils that turned into protests due to Gray's death, a form of martial law (called frozen zones) was declared in some areas of Brooklyn's East Flatbush neighborhood.
According to The New Yorker, the officers, Jovaniel Córdova and Mourad Mourad, who were not dressed in uniform, as well as the victim, had legal histories. Gray had been arrested various times, but never sentenced. And the New York City police had paid $215,000 in legal settlements for suits against Mourad and Córdova for illegal searches and false arrests. The Center for Constitutional Rights brought on a suit against the New York Police Department and the city that puts into question two common police practices: stopping people based on their physical appearance (known as “racial profiling”) and detaining people to search them, also based on their appearances (“stop and frisk”) without probable cause.
Gray's funeral will take place on March 23 in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, reactions to the minor's death have spread on social networks and the hashtags #BrooklynProtests and #kimanigray have been created to talk about the tragedy. Here is a compilation of updates from bloggers who have followed the protests using Tumblr. One of the most intense criticisms in the past days is that the traditional media has ignored this important news. On her account, Barb Morrison (@barbmorrison) criticized the mainstream media for not covering this tragedy:
@barbmorrison: you wont see THIS on CNN. http://uscop.org/the-nypd-declares-martial-law-in-brooklyn/ …  #brooklynprotests
Pablo Muñoz (@Alvy_Singer) asked the following question:
@Alvy_Singer: http://www.nydailynews.com/7-nypd-bullets-killed-teen-kimani-gray-article-1.1287452#bmb=1 … Adolescente de 16 años muerto y 4 días de protestas. ¿Qué está pasando en Brooklyn?
@Alvy_Singer: http://www.nydailynews.com/7-nypd-bullets-killed-teen-kimani-gray-article-1.1287452#bmb=1 … A 16-year-old boy dead and 4 days of protests. What is happening in Brooklyn?
Fuerza Morena (@FUERZA_MORENA) from Mexico published:
@FUERZA_MORENA: Mientras tanto, en el “democrático” EEUU… No cesan las protestas en Brooklyn contra la violencia policial http://youtu.be/yuz-v5x2I2A
@FUERZA_MORENA: Meanwhile, in the “democratic” US… Protests against police violence do not cease in Brooklyn http://youtu.be/yuz-v5x2I2A
Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) makes the following comparison:
@OccupyWallStNYC:  There are two sets of laws in this country: one for the rich, and one for the rest of us. #BrooklynProtest #OWS
Below are images of the protests and vigils in Brooklyn, courtesy of photographer Javier Soriano (http://www.javiersoriano.com):
A mass march will be held on March 24 in protest of Kimani Gray's death.
One of the many vigils in Brooklyn's East Flatbush neigborhood. Photo by Javier Soriano.
Residents in Brooklyn have formed demonstrations in the streets and the police responded with martial law. Photo by Javier Soriano.
Vigils have occurred throughout Brooklyn's East Flatbush neighborhood. Photo by Javier Soriano.
Candles in East Flatbush of Brooklyn. Photo by Javier Soriano.
Line up of police officers in Brooklyn. Two officers who were not in uniform are accused of taking Gray's life. Photo by Javier Soriano.
Protests against Gray's death began on Saturday, March 16. Photo by Javier Soriano.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Robert Valencia


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RIP Nora Šitum, “Brave Little Lion” Who United Croatia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

In early February, thousands of Croatian citizens managed to raise enough money in just over a week to make it possible for Nora Šitum, a 5-year-old Croatian girl, to travel to the United States to receive treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Nora passed away a month and a half later, on March 20, 2013, and again the whole country was united, grieving the loss of this mali hrabri lav, a brave little lion – or strašni lav, a scary lion, as the girl liked to call herself.
Nora's story became widely known in Croatia on Feb. 1, when local papers published this appeal for help [hr] written by her mother, Djana Atanasovska, and netizens helped share it [hr]:
Nora Šitum is 5 years and 8 months old. She’s one special and very unusual human being. Those who know her will confirm this. And those who don’t know her… well, you should meet her!
Her short and carefree childhood ended abruptly on Dec. 1, 2010, when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. On that day, our lives were turned upside down. On that day, our lives were turned into hell. On that day, our struggle began. The struggle for life.
We started the lengthy and excruciating therapy, which lasted nine long months, at the pediatric hematology department of the Rebro Hospital in Zagreb. From the very beginning, nothing was going smoothly: on the 27th day of her treatment, Nora went into a coma, which lasted 11 days, and that's when she was [said to have no chances of recovery].
But she woke up! And began her life from scratch. Learned to walk, talk and eat again… An extraordinary human being. A little creature with a big heart and an even bigger strength! She was through with her therapy, and we went home to recuperate. Slowly, we were returning to life. With a lot of pills, numerous blood tests and checkups, but we were at home, we were together and she was almost healthy! And this is how it was for ten months, when the damn disease returned.
[…] And… it all began anew! Again, the hospital. Again, the shock. Again, the long-term chemotherapy. For six months. […] Things were going well… and then again! The disease returned again. Three times up till now!
Eighty percent of the children with leukemia recover. They all […] go through their suffering, but one day, luckily, all is left is an ugly memory. Nora, unfortunately, is among the 20 percent. But she is strong as a lion. Or, a scary lion, as she says it.
There is no more cure for her. Her doctors, children's hematologists at Rebro, are wonderful people. The did all they could. For my lion and for the rest of the children. But they are only humans, not gods. They have nothing more to give her. The disease has become resistant to everything.
But as there's always a little light at the end of the tunnel, we learned about a new method of treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which was in the news a lot a month and a half ago. Just when Nora got to the last line of defense. […]
That is our only and last chance. That or to wait helplessly by the hospital bed, counting hours and days until my little lion's life ends. What parent is capable of that, knowing that there is hope somewhere?
We got in touch with the hospital in Philadelphia […]. They are waiting for us, and time is our worst enemy […]. In this condition, without therapy, she cannot live long.
In the next eight days we have to board a plane that will take us into our new struggle. The most important one, the last one. […]
The problem, as always, is money.
The treatment costs $575,000. About 3.3 million [Croatian] kuna. This amount is making us dizzy. We don't have it. Please help us! […] For every child who, God forbid, may end up in this situation. Let's move the boundaries together!
And when we return, you'll meet our Nora. She's an amazing human being, I'm telling you… You'll see for yourself. We will win! Definitely… WE HAVE TO! […]
Vratimo osmijeh Nori na lice (“Let's return the smile to Nora's face”), a Facebook page with over 137,600 fans, became the chief engine of the unprecedented fundraising and support initiative – Nora u ♥ (Nora u srcu – “With Nora in heart”) – and one of the main citizen media sources of news on Nora's struggle.
An update posted on Feb. 9 on Vratimo osmijeh Nori na lice page said [hr] that Nora and her parents were already in the United States, and that her condition was stable. But time was not on her side.
On March 20, the day Nora died, her mother wrote [hr] to the community of the little girl's supporters:
[…] We were with her until the last moment. She left peacefully and quietly. Beautiful as ever. […]
We love you and thank you for your unconditional and selfless support during this time! […]
P.S. I'll add that heaven is big enough for her energy and hyperactivity. Here, she didn't have enough space :-) !
Later, a message [hr] from Nora's father, Ivica Šitum, appeared:
[…] At 0:20, or 5:20 AM our time, our little soul has left her battered body. Mama's and papa's scary lion left and joined her pack of little lions, who have gone before her. She departed for her little friends with bald heads and sad, tired eyes – hopefully, into a better and happier world. […]
She is forever free. No injections, no medicines, no tears and no pain. She died in our arms and next to our hearts, which, until the end of days, will be filled with love and memories of her. Rest in peace, our little, tired, scary lion. Mama and papa love you.
Also on March 20, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia posted this statement [en] on its Facebook page:
[…] We are very sorry for the loss of Nora Situm, and express our deepest sympathies to her parents, family, and many friends and supporters in Croatia. During the time Nora was in our care we were in awe of the tremendous courage and spirit displayed by her and her parents.
While we were all hopeful that Nora might benefit from the T-cell therapy trial, unfortunately she passed away before she was able to receive T-cell therapy. We believe that every child deserves a chance and Nora’s parents and supporters went to extraordinary lengths to give that chance to her. We hope that her family, her supporters, and the people of Croatia find comfort in knowing they did all they could for this remarkable little girl. […]
With Nora in their hearts, people continue [hr] to offer condolences online.
And many netizens were posting messages on the Croatian government's Facebook page [hr]. Here is one [hr], by Ivica Šegović:
May her death be a warning to you! If you have money to buy [1,742 vehicles worth 265.5 million kuna], then there has to be the money to treat a sick child who has just begun to live! We are not blaming you for her death, but we want to draw attention to the fact that these angels must be provided with treatment. R.I.P. little angel ♥
Another message to the Croatian government, by Maja Maček [hr] of Varaždin, reportedly [hr] received some 27,000 like and 755 comments, and was shared by many netizens:
I don't know if you've heard of the little girl Nora, we called her [Nora the scary lion]. She wasn't yet 6, the sad-eyed girl, the girl who has today put you all to shame – the whole government and all the politicians, and do you know why? – because she has done what you never will – she has united the whole country, regardless of the name, ethnicity, village, town, county… She has united children, young people, adults, old people, and with her childlike, innocent simplicity she has entered into the hearts of each of us and of all she has made one great heart that was beating in sync. That night, when it turned out that money had to be raised to save her life – everyone gave as much as they could, for all of us time stopped, everything became irrelevant except for whether we have collected enough. […] One girl showed you that love is stronger than anything, and it is something that you are lacking!

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Strike On Facebook Protesting Strikes · Global Voices
Rezwan

In recent months continuous strikes (Hartal) by political parties have paralyzed Bangladesh. A number of Facebook users have had enough and called for a Facebook strike on 23rd of March 2013 from 9:00pm until 10:00pm (UTC+07) protesting the strikes.

author: Rezwan


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The Criminal Economics of Kremlin Propaganda · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Anti-corruption blogger Alexey Navalny is causing more waves at Aeroflot Airlines, where he has called for an internal investigation into a publicity contract worth 64 million rubles (2 million USD) awarded without competition to Apostol Media Group [ru]. In a letter dated February 18, 2013, addressed to Aeroflot's General Director Vitaly Savelev (published [ru] by Vedomosti newspaper yesterday on March 22, 2013), Navalny worried that the process by which Apostol won its contract appears to have violated federal law 223 [ru], as well as Aeroflot's own operating procedures (statute 5.16 of its procurement policy [ru]).
After Vedomosti broke the story, Navalny published a response [ru] in his LiveJournal blog, reiterating for the layman the claims of his letter to Savelev. Navalny also revealed something absent in his internal memo: political suspicions that Aeroflot contracted Apostol, in order to fuel the work of celebrity Tina Kandelaki, a co-owner of the media company and a staunch supporter of the Kremlin. (Global Voices interviewed [ru] Ms. Kandelaki in May 2012.) Navalny writes:
Моё личное мнение заключается в том, что Аэрофлот был принужден к его заключению. Мы имеем классическую ситуацию когда госпропагандистов сажают на секретный, но прибыльный контракт. Вся “кремлёвская интернет-медийка” так и работает – присосавшись к госкомпаниям.
My personal opinion is that Aeroflot was forced into this decision. We have a classic situation, when state-propagandists are handed a secret, but profitable, contract. All the “Kremlin Internet-media” works this way, leeching from state-companies.
Tina Kandelaki interviews Vasily Savelev, 6 September 2012, YouTube screen capture.
Kandelaki, who is no stranger to accusations that she is a Kremlin stooge, published [ru] to her own LiveJournal a response copied from [ru] her Apostol colleague, Vasily Brovko, who attempted to refute Navalny's secondary claims that Apostol has failed to attract the online audience stipulated in its Aeroflot contract. (Brovko also devotes much of his text to refuting Navalny's offhand comment that Apostol's rebranding campaign for Rostec has been a waste.) Navalny retweeted Kandelaki's repost, writing [ru] skeptically:
эээээ… кто-нибудь понял из этого ответа почему они получили контракт без конкурса?
ummm… did anyone understand from this response why they [Apostol Media Group] got a contract without a competition?
In his February 18 letter, Navalny requested four actions [ru] from Aeroflot's management: (1) an internal review of how the Apostol contract was awarded and whether or not it violated laws or company policy, (2) the refinement of Aeroflot tender policies, (3) notification to the board of directors regarding any contracts worth more than 20 million rubles (648 thousand USD), and (4) a review of whether or not Apostol has met its contractual obligations.
Roughly a month after the memo, on March 11, 2013, Aeroflot's board voted six-to-one to approve a policy that is precisely the opposite of what Navalny wanted in point three of his letter. (See Navalny's dissenting opinion here [ru].) Aeroflot's management now has the right to deny any documents to board members, unless they specifically request particular paperwork. In other words, the board effectively neutered itself, surrendering what would seem to be a vital tool in maintaining corporate oversight.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Condom TV Spot Pulled in Kenya After Religious Outcry · Global Voices
Njeri Wangari

A public service announcement promoting condom use to combat the spread of HIV and other diseases in Kenya was recently pulled from the airwaves after the TV spot caused an uproar among the country's religious leaders.
The advert, which shows a woman advising her married friend to use a condoms while engaging in an extramarital affair, was sponsored by Kenya's health ministry and foreign assistance agencies USAid and UKAid.
Kenyan Health Minister Peter Cherutich told the BBC that the spot was created because up to 30 percent of married couples have partners outside of their marriage. The United Nations estimates about 1.6 million people out of the country's population of 41.6 million are living with HIV.
Christian and Muslim clergy condemned the advert as encouraging infidelity.
Despite the advert being pulled from TV, it is still available on YouTube:
The Squared Factor blogger called the public service announcement “spot on” in a post titled “Sikio la kufa halisikii Condom” [sw]. The title, which loosely translates to “a dying ear does not respond to a condom”, is a play on the proverb “a dying ear does not respond to medication”:
I will not beat around this bush. This mpango wa kando [extra marital affairs] bush business. And I frown at those clamoring for the recent TV ad titled weka condom mpangoni [use condom when engaging in extra marital affairs], to be withdrawn from the airwaves.
The message of this particular ad has unexpectedly tugged at the hem of society’s skirt: if you can’t abstain or commit to one partner, then use a condom if you care about your loved ones. Caring in this context alluding to avoiding pre marital pregnancies, and contracting STI’s- among them HIV and the related adverse effects it has on the family and society at large.
Kenyans took to Twitter to discuss the TV spot under the #CondomMpangoni hashtag, with many coming out on both sides of the argument.
“victor-MUFC” (@victorbmc) wrote that he didn't like the advert:
@victorbmc: That ad is nasty RT @MacOtani: Wow so now that the #CondomMpangoni advert has been removed from our screens we are safe huh?! #SwalaNyeti
Mathias Ndeta (@MNdeta) told Kenyans who are against the spot to face up to the truth:
@MNdeta: In my opinion the #CondomMpangoni ad should stay put, those against it are just pretenders, let's face the reality.
“z’ Ghost Buster” (@TheMumBi) warned:
@TheMumBi: We stick our heads in the sand too much. Amen to the #CondomMpangoni ad ..got us talking about stuff we avoid talking about.
Paul (@M45Paul) argued that the decision to pull the advert ended up promoting it even more:
@M45Paul: Banning #CondomMpangoni ad is getting it more airtime that it'd have got in normal runs.
“Pastor Wa” (@Pastor_Wa) advised:
@Pastor_Wa: And for everyone that watches that ad, your heart must be provoked enough to say, ‘I'm better than this’ #CondomMpangoni
“Kizzy K*” (@boobykizzy) asked:
@boobykizzy: #condommpangoni =>what happend [sic] to dignity, morals and the likes? should media be blamed? should we address this issue?
Finally, “AverageKenyan” (@AverageKenyan) noted:
@AverageKenyan: #Condommpangoni, we are not in denial, the complex African matrix doesn't support public declaration of infidelity however much it's a reality

author: Njeri Wangari


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Hong Kong’s Democrats Have Radical Plans · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hong Kong is abuzz with radical plans. Democrats and political activists have recently started discussing civil disobedience and an “Occupy Central” movement as a tool to pressure Beijing to grant Hong Kong genuine universal suffrage – one person, one vote – in the election for the head of the government scheduled for 2017. Currently, according to Hong Kong Basic Law, the head or Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 people rather than the general population.
Activists and prominent figures have become increasingly incensed at repeated deferrals of democratic reform. Even though the Basic Law of Hong Kong explicitly states that by 2007 universal suffrage would be a reality, the Steering Committee of the National People's Congress re-interpreted the Basic Law twice, in 2004 and 2007, in order to delay any such reforms. Although the latest benchmark has been set for 2017, Beijing authorities recently started talking about a “pre-election mechanism” that would screen out undesirable Chief Executive candidates and thus defer, once more, any real change.
Albert Ho and Benny Tai in Central. Photo from inmediahk.net. CC: AT-NC
In response, supporters of democratic reform in Hong Kong have begun stirring. Benny Tai, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong put forward a civil disobedient proposal for “Occupy Central” in a newspaper commentary earlier this year. In a follow-up interview in January with Melody Chan of inmediahk.net, Tai argued [zh]:
戴耀廷指談判從來都是講實力，而我們退無可退：「你去同人講數，手上都無核彈，點講？」他指出，「現在我們唯一有的武器，叫做1/3否決權，但呢個武器只會自己毀滅自己，最終都係無乜用。因為你在立法會，一否決方案，咪無左囉！北京說，我給你普選，你自己唔要咋喎。」癱瘓中環喎講緊，咁激？「激進本身可能是策略。沒有激進民主那一翼，溫和民主這一邊，就無野可以同人傾」。而且，「香港而家有幾激啫？」「最激咪得長毛一個？佢做得最多咩事？司法覆核囉。」
Negotiation is all about bargaining power. We are left with no choice: “How can you negotiate without a nuclear bomb at hand?” He further explains, “Now our only weapon is one third objection vote. But such a weapon is self-destructive, you will gain nothing out of it. Once you oppose the proposal in the legislative council, the proposal is just denied. Beijing will say, I have given you the option, you opposed it.” What we are now talking about is paralyzing Central, is this radical? “Radical is a strategy. Without radical democracy, the moderate democrats have no bargaining power. Moreover, Hong Kong is not so radical. We only have one Long Hair? He just keeps filing for judicial reviews.”
He outlined his plan:
「社會上有頭有面的人都要參與堵路，大家要公開、莊嚴地簽署同意書，協議這是一個和平的集會」。「如此一萬人堵路，會引起一連串問題：警察拉不拉人？律政司告唔告？裁判處判唔判？有個會計師被人拉左有案底，公會罰唔罰？」…「你有得一萬人簽名同意堵路，北京都要諗下：現在不讓步，只會跑出更激烈的泛民。到時就連帶香港的商人也會投訴做不到生意，會影響到北京。」
“Celebrities should agree to the blockade. Everyone should sign the agreement publicly and solemnly that this is a peaceful assembly. Once 10 thousand people agree to sign, a series of question would arise: will the police arrest the demonstrators? Will the judiciary prosecute them? How about the court? If an accountant got arrested, will the Accountant Association take disciplinary action?”… “Once you have 10 thousands signing the agreement, Beijing has to think: if they don't give in, the radicals will enter the scene. Then the business sector would complain that they can't do business in Hong Kong. This will affect Beijing.”
Many democracy activists have joined the conversation in the past months, and a more detailed plan has surfaced in another interview [zh] on March 7 with Benny Tai and Albert Ho, the former Chairman of the Democratic Party.
最新方案，預備何俊仁會辭職搞公投。他的爭普選藍圖，愈見具體：「這個由10,000人討論出來的方案，還先要經過電子投票平台公投一次。」
電子平台，估計由港大鍾庭耀提供，「可以預料，電子投票有結果後，中央政府會在此時，拋出一個似是而非的方案，稍作退讓、但仍未會是真普選。到這個時候，何俊仁便辭去立法會議員席位，引發變相公投，讓市民選擇是否接納中央提出的方案。如果市民否決了，而中央還是不接受，大伙便堵路。再下來，便是市民從生活各方各面的不合作運動。」
In the latest plan, Albert Ho will resign from the legislative council to create an occasion for a referendum. Tai's plan to struggle for universal suffrage is becoming more concrete: “The universal suffrage proposal should be thoroughly discussed by 10 thousand people and endorsed by the general public through electronic voting.”
The voting platform will be provide by Robert Chung Ting Yiu. Tai said, “It is likely that after the electronic voting, the Central government will put forward a vague election plan that is not truly universal suffrage. By then Albert Ho will resign from legislation council and trigger a referendum mechanism (by-election) and let the public decide whether or not they accept the Central government's proposal. If Hong Kong people reject the plan and the Central government still does not accept the result, we will block the road and start un-cooperative protest in all aspect of life.”
Although Albert Ho is perceived as a moderate Democrat, he is prepared to go to jail for the cause:
「我們的決心好清楚的。所以，為什麼我年初三那天（2月12日）對記者說，會燒區旗犯法抗命：燒區旗係無得唔判我入獄的，你一定要罰我。燒一次唔罰，燒到你罰為止」，「政府現在還以為我們是『大』佢。我在立法會上已經好清楚，對住政制事務局局長譚志源好冷靜平和地說：呢件事係會發生嘅。黃碧雲都說了會參加：『至多咪唔教書囉』。我哋今次唔會急流勇退、上一上就縮」。
Our determination is very clear. That's why I told reporters on February 12 that I would burn the SAR [Special Administrative Region] flag as an act of civil disobedience, for which a current court case states you will be sentenced to jail. If you don't put me in jail the first time, I will burn it again and again until you put me in jail. Now the government still thinks that this is just a threat. I have made it very clear in the legislative council to the head of Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau Tam Chi Yuan that this will happen. Wong Pik Wan (another Democratic Party member and a Legislative Councilor) said she would join, ‘the worst scenario is losing my teaching job’. We will not retreat this time.
While more and more political leaders have expressed their support for “Occupy Central”, some social activists and bloggers like Henry Porter have expressed reservations [zh] :
雖然我認同佔領中環成局的機會相當大，但成局與成功仍然是兩回事。激進派可以在認為不對路的時候走頭，同樣溫和派也可以隨時散水走人。萬一民主黨或陳建民之流再受中共「感召」，再爭取一個類似戴耀庭的讓步方案，可能有人已認為可以收貨；又或者當萬人表決結果被認為妄顧少數聲音，只要其中有兩三千人拉隊走人，一個缺乏強勢領導的組織，試問又怎樣去面對一個分崩離析的局面呢？
Although I believe that Occupy Central will likely to take place, it is not guaranteed to be successful. Both the radicals and moderates can step away when they anticipate an undesirable outcome. If the Democratic Party or Chan Kin Man are under the Chinese Communist Party's “calling” again and successfully bargain for a seemingly compromised proposal as predicted by Tai, some may accept the bargain and leave; or when the 10 thousand protesters vote on the decision, the minority disagree on the result and leave. An organization without a strong leader cannot deal with such a chaotic situation.
However, Porter still believes that “Occupy Central” is worth a try:
「佔領中環」對特區政府最致命的，就是將一班最保守、最冷漠的人拉到支持面。…就算他們的決心未受到考驗，就算他們是最有機會抽腿走頭的人，「佔領中環」的的確確將他們推到前所未有的界線，而單單這一點，已經不應對這個運動作出全面否定。
The most fatal attack to the SAR government in this “Occupy Central” action is that it tries to win support from a group of conservative and indifferent social groups […] Even though they are not very determined or they may retreat, the action has pushed them to cross the line. In this sense, we cannot deny the significance of this action.
Current affairs commentator Chan King Fai points out [zh] in a piece, published March 6, that the success of the movement ultimately depends on building effective alliances:
今趟的對手是中央，即俗稱的「打大佬」，這就需要更為充沛的決心和勇氣；最後，若要打贏，就得團結最多的人，包括那些分歧、冷漠、怯懦、「睇淡」的各路人群，這又要求一份跨越界限的創造力。
This time our opponent is the central government. We have to “fight the big brother” so to speak. We need lots of determination and courage. If we want to win the battle, we need to unify as many people as possible, including those who have different opinion, indifferent, coward, or cynical. To do this we need more creativity to build the bridges and cross the borders.
Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China since 1997, after its sovereignty was transferred from the United Kingdom to China.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Is President Carmona Trinidad and Tobago’s Hope?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Last week, Trinidad and Tobago swore in its fifth President, retired high court judge Anthony Carmona.  The new president's inaugural address, in which he vowed to “[hold] fast to the fundamentals [of] integrity, Transparency, Inclusiveness and Reverence to God Almighty” captured the public's imagination – and that of a few bloggers – who have been talking about what effect, if any, the new presidency could have on the country's political landscape.
Plain Talk referred to the inauguration as “something remarkable, something totally unexpected”:
Hope roared across the land; and with the first few lines of his maiden speech to the Republic, its new President – His Excellency Anthony Carmona – grabbed everyone within ear shot and bowled them over –  ‘The powers that you think I have, I do not; the powers that you think I do not have, I do.’ And just like that and with just those words Trinidad & Tobago came back to life, switch boards lit up, phone networks and text systems overloaded as people contacted each other to say ‘Hey, pay attention, something different is happening and you are going to want to hear this.’ Social networks became engulfed, people started talking, the energy became electric as the growing throngs on onlookers hung on every word he said.
He was right: Facebook and Twitter were active with commentary during the swearing-in. The blogger, Phillip Edward Alexander, continued:
It was was an equalizing moment, one that put each person's responsibility regardless of station in life, squarely at their feet.
Still, he was cautious:
Now it could be that the people (myself included) are so starved for calm, assertive, sensible sounding leadership that this well worded speech being delivered by a man believed to be honest and trustworthy was so much quenching waters for the parched ears of the thirty populace, but if ever there was a right place and a right time, then clearly…this was it.
So was diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch, who posted an open letter to the new president:
You have successfully inspired a large cross-section of the country with your first speech – by using the most appropriate ‘sound bites’… but like many sound bites, yours can indeed be misleading. I say ‘can’ instead of ‘will’ because you are merely days into your term. However, your actions, or inactions, from now will prove your mettle.
I don’t envy you your task; you have an uphill battle to change a country mired in a morass of decay. You have become a leader in a country where deliberate infractions of minor laws like littering and parking, to billion dollar white collar corruption are routine, everyday happenings. How you intend to change a whole culture is beyond my imagination, but I wish you luck.
A Sterling Perspective also shared his perspective:
The President yesterday called for an ‘out of the box’ approach to the nation’s problems. He also said the nation is in crisis.
I can’t say that I don’t feel that his analysis is wrong as the indices that led to the conclusion may not be the only ones that should be considered. In his inaugural address, a histrionic call to action, Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, spoke to issues that gauge governance. I have never felt that crime and unemployment were good measures of a society’s standing. He mentioned the former treading dangerously close to the political tenor that can embarrass a government.
All hands are needed on deck, he said, to save Trinidad and Tobago. It is inherently flawed as it is a top down approach. Really must I feel compelled to now consider how to reduce crime when all it seems to do is determine how good the state is managing our affairs? He reinforced this belief when he said that as a nation we are one: it means our goals are shared and too our responsibilities. We may be an independent nation but I am apparently not free to determine what it is I want to achieve.
Thinking about the speech I realised that this is what is wrong with my world, it assumes for me what is important, taking me away from what I feel is important. We count corpses in Trinidad and Tobago and no one counts the stifled souls, the snuffed dreams, the unrealised ambitions and the impossible that faces so many of us.
Meanwhile, Plain Talk wondered about the next step:
Where do we go from here? I have asked that question sarcastically or cynically so many times in the past, but this time I ask it with hope. I believe we need to give this man a tsunami of support upon which to build his message and hopefully, with a little bit of good luck and blessings from above, we may begin to see our way out of the mess that we're in.
Will he himself be able to live up to all of this? I do not know, but wouldn't it be just grand if he did? Wouldn't it be fantastic knowing that political leaders from all sides knew that there was someone else in authority who was not going to be taking the nonsense that has come to represent what has passed for governance in this country?
Sterling Henderson countered:
Everyone is saying that the President’s speech inspired hope. I peruse the social media sites like FB and twitter and see nothing but fit-to-print reactions that hail the address as what the country needs; I am left lost for comfort.
Plain Talk, however, remained audacious enough to hope that President Carmona just might be the change the country needs:
We have been searching for that magical something, that someone to unite us for so long, and whether or not Anthony Carmona possesses that spark only time will tell, but for this writer, tired of different flavors of more of the same…it was…refreshing…and for that, for bringing us back to hope I would like to say thank you Your Excellency Anthony Carmona, congratulations on your elevation, may you live to surpass all the hope we now have in you.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: The Female Image in Dancehall  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

[It] can be seen…as a celebration of full-bodied female sexuality.  Especially the substantial structure of the Black working-class woman whose body image is rarely validated…
Jamaica Woman Tongue thinks International Women's Month is the perfect time to put forward a different perspective of dancehall culture.


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Japan’s Prime Minister On Your Smartphone · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

The Japanese prime minister’s office revealed apps that give smartphone users easy access to official announcements and photos from official events. Masaru Ikeda at StartupDating writes:
for the younger generation who don’t subscribe to physical newspapers or watch TV news shows, it could be a good touch point for them to stay up to speed on Japanese politics.

author: Keiko Tanaka


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Central African Republic’s Self-Declared President · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Following the taking of the presidential palace in Bangui by the Sékéla rebellion, their leader Michel Djotodia has declared that he is now the new president [fr] of the Central African Republic:
I do not wish for a witch hunt [..] For now, a curfew is declared in Bangui.
Michel Djotodia on twitter via @saloumpassy

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Myanmar: Who is Plotting the Meikhtila Riot? · Global Voices
Chan Myae Khine

For three days, riots raged in the town of Meikhtila in the Mandalay division of Myanmar.
The riot erupted on March 20, 2013 when a Muslim owner of a gold shop had beaten up two gold sellers due to an argument over a broken gold piece. A crowd gathered to help the gold sellers and they proceeded to demolish the gold shop.
A curfew was imposed by the police after a group of people reportedly set buildings and motor bikes on fire in the area. As some Muslims feared for their safety, they requested to leave the downtown. Police and members of the Young Buddhist Association escorted them towards the town stadium.
Photo shared by Mg Byine Oo on Facebook.
Netizens are actively discussing the issue. Some are spreading hate comments on Facebook while others are expressing their frustration over religious clashes.
Young Buddhist Association posted an image which says “Don't let religious wars happen because of you!”. The caption reads:
Don't allow religious/ethnic hatreds, conflicts and riots to reverse Myanmar's drive towards the democracy route. We believe that lawful resolving of all injustices, conflicts and riots would be the only possible way with least bad effects.
- Young Buddhist Association (Myanmar)
More than 2,000 people shared it in less than 24 hours to warn writers who espouse hatred and whose identities are mostly unknown.
Tun Zaw Anyar Myay warns[my] against a never ending blood cycle [UPDATE: post was recently removed by author]:
Friend, we are also very sad (to hear about this). If we were to carry those conflicts to our next generation, it will be a never ending blood cycle.
Ye Htut, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Information, posted[my] reminds the public about the importance of solving problems in a democratic manner:
While (we are all) trying our best to cure the wounds in such a vulnerable society, why (are they) making effort to worsen the wounds?
I like everyone to understand that trying to solve something with the force of the mob when it could have been resolved by law is not the way of democracy.
On the other hand, some people are asking if the riot was instigated by something else. Thanda Win is suspicious[my] over the timing of the riot noting that violence is always happening in the country whenever leaders are travelling abroad:
1) Whenever Aunt Suu (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi) or President is on a foreign trip, riot happens in Myanmar.
2) Whenever an important guest visits Myanmar, riot happens.
Google boss Eric Schmidt was in Myanmar during the weekend.
Ye Min Htun compares[my] his experience during the 1988 uprising with the current situation. He also rejects extremism:
Who are creating the ethnic and religion related conflicts? Who will be affected if such thing is allowed to happen. […] I condemn whoever is supporting the racial and religious extremism. Extremism is not the solution.
Mg Byine O whose hometown is Meikhtila shared[my] his thoughts on the riot.
The whole day, I felt so bad worrying if the fire reached my home or my friends’ homes […] If those in Meikhtila can't work for like two weeks, all the villages depending on the town will be in trouble. Just now, my grandma called me and said “How could I sell all the onions harvested?, I'm so disappointed”. That's frustrating. […]
In Meikhtila, people follow various religions – Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and even traditional beliefs. All are doing business together. We have not had such problem. We have argued with those from different religions but nothing like this. There are many police stations, and once you get into trouble, you would be in jail. […] Everybody who has been to Meikhtila knows it. Everybody mingles peacefully. Now it is not a religious conflict, but (they) are shaping it.[…] I don't want to hear a military general's announcement saying “The military took over the country”in order to bring a timely halt to the deteriorating conditions all over the country“. Phew…. […]
Ye Myat Min tweeted a similar thought:
@yemyat91: The mastermind behind all these political unrest is leveraging on small-minded people. Blood and anger has become their cards #Myanmar
Other netizens also condemned the extremists and those who are sharing false news and reports. Moe Zay Nyein even made a list[my] of Facebook pages posting false news and extreme posts using the name of Buddhists and Muslims. Eleven Media, which is a popular local news agency, reported[my] that a news item[my] on BBC Facebook page claiming that 10 people died (as of 21 Mar 2013) was inaccurate.
The Ministry of Information released[my] a report stating (as of 22 Mar 2013, 18:37 local time) that 11 died and 39 were injured. The riots also destroyed 152 houses, 2 cars, 1 government office, 1 motor bike, 2 motor trishaws and 13 religion buildings. To restore security, the ministry issued a state of emergency in the town.

author: Chan Myae Khine


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Remembering the Tenth Anniversary of the War Against Iraq  · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

Last week marked a decade since then George W. Bush administration declared the Iraq War, as part of his fight against terrorism. Ten years later, a handful of journalists, social media users, and experts analyzed the consequences of this conflict, which ended officially on December 18, 2011.
Controversial speech by George W. Bush, declaring the retreat of troops from Iraq. The famous sign “Mission accomplished” was hanging from the aircraft carrier. By then, the war was ongoing. Image taken from a video on YouTube.
A debt over billions of dollars, hundred of thousands of fatalities, lack of evidence of weapons of mass destruction and a still troubling insurgence that causes severe security problems in Iraq are the result many researchers consider as the remains of the war. There are some people that support the cause the White House had on 2003, claiming that if Saddam Hussein hadn't been executed, United States would be facing Iraq and Iran. A survey shows [es], however, that over 50 percent of Americans consider the Iraq War as a mistake, even though 70 percent supported it months after the attacks on Iraqi territory were launched on 2003.
Some blogs took the time to evaluate the results of the war, offering for instance a clinical profile of Puerto Rican soldiers, as was the case with Madres Contra la Guerra [es] (Mothers Against War):
El costo para la salud física y emocional es terrible: once de cada 100 militares están mutilados, 40% de ellos con el terrible diagnóstico de trauma cerebral severo (traumatic brain injury), condición que no se puede atender en el Hospital de Veteranos por Puerto Rico, pues no tiene una sala de trauma. Familias enteras han tenido que trasladarse a Estados Unidos para alguno de los Hospitales de Veteranos que  pueda atender esa condición.  Alrededor de 40 % de los militares ya han sido diagnosticado con una condición de salud mental, particularmente el trastorno de estrés post traumático.  En Puerto Rico hay 2,000 veteranos sin techo (Censo, 2010).  Muchos de los militares están desempleados, al tratar de volver a la vida de civil.
The cost for physical and emotional health is terrible: 11 out of every 100 soldiers have suffered mutilation, 40% of them with the terrible diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, a condition that can't be taken care of at the Veteran Hospital in Puerto Rico, as there is no trauma ward. Lots of families have had to move to the United States to any of the hospitals for veterans that might be able to take care of that condition. About 40% percent of the soldiers have already been diagnosed with a mental health condition, particularly post traumatic stress. In Puerto Rico, there are 2,000 homeless veterans (according to 2010 census). Many of the soldiers are unemployed, as they try to live again as civiliians.
The disagreement with the war is evident on some tweets, from Latino figures as well as from other people. The TV anchorman of Noticias Univisión Jorge Ramos (@jorgeramosnews) had this to say:
@jorgeramosnews: En Irak ya es 20 de marzo, el 10 aniversario de la guerra que se inventó George W.Bush,con miles de muertos y sin armas de destruccion [sic] masiva
@jorgeramosnews: In Iraq, it's March 20 already, 10 anniversary of the war George W.Bush invented, with thousands of deaths and without weapons of mass destruction.
Man Castro (@esmudiense) shares a picture with former Presidents George W. Bush, Tony Blair from United Kingdom and José María Aznar from Spain, when they joined forces to send troops to Iraqi soil.
@esmudiense: En el aniversario d la guerra de Irak, una foto repugnante, el trío de las Azores y memoria para un millón de muertos pic.twitter.com/Lc0Sf8rM5I
@esmudiense: On the anniversary of Iraq War, a disgusting picture, the Azores threesome and a memorial for a million fatalities pic.twitter.com/Lc0Sf8rM5I
Some other have been outspoken in expressing their rejection to the People's Party of Spain, led by Aznar, that made Spain deploy its own troops in Iraq. This is how borbonesmamones (@borbonesmamones) expressed it:
@borbonesmamones: Acaba d terminar el aniversario dl 11M y no soporto ver a esos peperos homenajeando a las víctimas q ellos provocaron tras la guerra d Irak.
@borbonesmamones [es]: 11M anniversay just ended and I just can't help watch those pilltakers honoring the victims they themsleves caused after Iraq War.
Also, the war against Iraq has exposed many human rights violations by the allied armed forces. One of the most notorious cases was Abu Ghraib, in Baghdad, where prisioners were physically, psychologically and sexually tortured by U.S. soldiers. Meanwhile, the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo base, in Cuba, has also been brought into question: a hunger strike by the inmates was declared last March 4, due to alleged retaliations by military officers.
*Cover picture taken from bloodforoil.org under CC BY-NC-2.5 licence.


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PHOTOS: Skis and Military Vehicles Battle Ukraine’s Snowpocalypse  · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

An unprecedented snowstorm hit the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, on Friday, March 22, prompting the city authorities to declare a state of emergency on Saturday [video and photos, also here and here]. More than the monthly norm of snow fell in the city in just one day, forcing Kyiv airports to cancel flights or shut down altogether, and bringing military vehicles into the streets to help the communal services rescue the city from the snow.
Rescuers are using military vehicles to tow trolleys from the snowdrifts. Photo by Stas Kozlyuk, copyright © Demotix (23/03/13).
Cars stuck in snow in Kyiv. Photo by Roman Pilipey, copyright © Demotix (23/03/13).
While the authorities were trying to figure out how to combat the extreme weather, many Ukrainians united online to offer help [ru] and to share photos, stories and humor [ru] devoted to the snowfall.
The Day After Tomorrow, a Kyiv edition: the 85th of January. An anonymous photoshopped image circulated online.
The caption reads: “A new game: Find your car.” An anonymous image circulated online.
“An ordinary day in Kyiv.” An anonymous photoshopped image circulated online.
At the same time, others took to the streets to enjoy winter sports [photos, video].
One of the main routes for snowboarders on this day was Andriyivsky Descent, one of Kyiv's historical streets. On the photo – a snowboarder and the St. Andrew's Church in the background. Photo by Stas Kozlyuk, copyright © Demotix (23/03/13).
Kyiv residents take to the skis as the city declares a state of emergency due to snowfall. Photo by Roman Pilipey, copyright © Demotix (23/03/13).
Kids seemed quite excited, too (a video from Kyiv's Troyeshchyna district):
Ukrainian writer and singer Irena Karpa posted [uk] the following observations on her Facebook wall:
Together with this snow a share of Holy Spirit has descended on Kyiv: people are helping one another, smiling, embracing and altogether seem quite humane. It even [brought back some of the air] of [the 2004 Orange Revolution]. Once again the following paradox has become apparent: at no time do Ukrainians unite as well as they do in the face of a [total disaster].
Her musings were later shared by the Facebook community “It’s Kiev, Baby!”[ru], and in less than 24 hours it gathered over 2,000 likes, hundreds of shares and a few dozen comments.
Facebook user Elena Litnarovich wrote [ru]:
It is true, yesterday people were stopping and helping to drag the cars out of the snowdrifts, complete strangers who were hurrying somewhere would gather to push the cars out with their bare hands. [People] can unite when [push comes to shove].
Facebook user Zhyliuk Aleksei wrote [ru]:
I myself was walking [outside] today, although without the skis, and [I can] confirm – mutual help is not a myth
Facebook user Jerzy Konopie wrote [uk]:
By the way, [police] patrols are driving around the streets. Which is encouraging, because people just left their cars along the road. With their belongings [inside].
However, not all Kyiv residents were so complimentary of the authorities. Journalist and blogger Mustafa Nayyem posted photos and criticized [ru] Kyiv's communal services for prioritizing the area around the Presidential Administration, despite the fact that it was closed for the weekend, and at the same time ignoring all the neighboring streets:
[…] While the city has been paralyzed because of the snow, on Bankova Street snow removal equipment was actively at work.
Apparently, communal service workers were not concerned about the comfort of several hundred [Presidential Administration] employees – yesterday was a day off. Most likely [their activity] was necessitated by some unwritten law that prescribes keeping the territory around the administration in an exemplary condition. Otherwise, it is problematic to find an explanation for such an [idiotic] snow cleaning effort in front of the [Presidential Administration] during the state of emergency in the city.
Considering the dire situation in the capital, Kyiv-based members of the opposition parties have already called for the resignation [ru] of the City Administration Head Oleksandr Popov. As the authorities struggle with mountains of snow and criticism, netizens are facilitating volunteer coordination and continue sharing examples of mutual help – as well as jokes about the snowfall.
A man tries to clean snow off a Kyiv street. Photo by jonatha borzicchi, copyright © Demotix (22/03/13).
Kyiv residents help push a car stuck in the snow. Photo by jonatha borzicchi, copyright © Demotix (22/03/13).

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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The Return of China’s First Lady · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Reversing a streak decades long of low-profile presidential wives, Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan accompanied her husband, new President Xi Jinping, to Russia on his first foreign tour, marking a return of the role to the political spotlight.
Peng is no stranger to public life. A talented singer and a member of the People's Liberation Army, she became popular among ordinary Chinese people for her performances since the early 1980s at state television New Year's galas.
Her performances, such as this Shanbei folk song featured below that was included in the soundtrack of a 1980s film called Life (人生), are readily available on YouTube:
But her attendance during the trip on March 22, 2013, which caught the attention of Chinese media more than her husband's foreign policy, was the first time a first lady had taken an active political role since Mao Zedong‘s notorious wife Jiang Qing championed the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 70s. Since that painful chapter in Chinese history, presidential wives have stayed out of the spotlight.
Financial Times’ Chinese editor Zhang Lifen pointed out [zh] on popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo that Peng has brought the role of first lady back to the political scene:
中国重新回到「第一夫人」时代。彭丽媛陪同习近平出访，抵莫斯科。民国时代，有蒋介石夫人宋美龄。共和国时代，有国家主席刘少奇夫人王光美。（毛泽东不喜欢出国门，除了去了趟苏联，江青没了机会）。
China has returned to the era of the “First Lady”. Peng Liyuan accompanied Xi Jingping to his visit to Moscow. During the Republic of China (1928-1948), Chiang Kai Shek had Soong May-ling. During the People's Republic era, Chairman Liu Shaoqi has Wang Guangmei. (Mao Zedong did not like foreign visits, he only visited USSR once and wife Jiang Qing did not have the chance [to accompany him]).
Some comments on Zhang's post compared Mao's wife Jiang, who was also a performer, and Peng:
徐诚直：江青在文革之前是有一个转变的， 她毕竟曾有20多年没有实际参与过高层政治， 转变到另一个极端的原因我猜部分可能和嫉妒王光美有关， 因为当时王光美作为第一夫人出尽了风头而江青只能呆在家里。彭丽媛是建国后至今最完美的第一夫人， 又赶上中国的地位提升。 不过要赶超宋美龄难度实在太大了。
Xu Chengxi: Jiang Qing had some drastic changes during the Cultural Revolution. She had not involved in any high level politics for 20 years [after marrying Mao]. One reason why she turned extreme was probably out of jealousy of Wang Guangmei [who was the wife of Liu Shaoqi, who succeeded Mao as president], Wang had occupied the stage as first lady and Jiang Qing could only stay home. So far Peng is the most perfect first lady since the establishment of People's Republic of China. But she can never compete with Soong Meiling.
麦茂勇：一个搞文艺唱歌的，恐怕会对文艺战线指手划脚，值得警惕！
Mai Moyong: With her [Peng's] cultural performance background, we have to be careful about her intervention into the control over cultural propaganda.
It appears that the country's propaganda department believes it is time for China to step out from the shadow of the Cultural Revolution and be proud of the first lady. Hu Xijin, the chief editor of the communist party's mouthpiece Global Times, lamented [zh] on Weibo that media outlets had given more of its coverage to Peng:
当中国国家元首在莫斯科携第一夫人走出机舱门时，中国人的眼光同时看向他们两人，有点分不太清对谁更熟悉。这是让中国人为之高兴、一直期待的场面。可惜媒体都只能一笔带过。
When the head of China stepped out from the plane with first lady in Moscow, Chinese people gave all their attention to both of them, but they probably could not tell who they know better. This is a scene that Chinese people have been expecting and feel happy about. But media can only mention that very briefly.
But not everyone on Weibo echoed the sentiment:
shun何：不关心，他不是我选出来的
Shun He: Not concerned, I did not elect him.
Egg_hurt：今天满微博都是这个，我就不知道有什么稀奇饿，管屁民什么事，一个二个舔菊兴奋得很，继续舔吧，一副奴才像
Egg hurt: All of Weibo is full of this today. What's so special about this? What's the relation with ordinary people? How come people are so excited to kiss ass? Keep on kissing, slaves.
苏聖恩：让以前的夫人们情何以堪
Su Shengen: Wonder how former first ladies feel about this.
昵称神马的随机一个就好了：我很好奇原配是什么心情~~
Random account: I wonder how Xi's first wife feel… [Xi divorced his first wife Ke Lingling who is a Chinese diplomat's daughter. ]
媴愽：在西方资本主义国家才邪恶的叫做第一夫人，我们应该称之为忠实的革命伴侣。
Yuan Bo: Only evil western capitalist countries will use the term “first lady.” We should use the term “honest revolutionary partner.”
菁菱02：肯定第一夫人啊，红了二十多年了，07年前谁知道习总啊，这也是第一个老婆比自己出名的国家元首了！
Qing Ling02: She is definitely our first lady. She has been popular for more than 20 years. Who know about Xi back in 2007? Xi is the first leader whose wife is more popular than himself.
李巗：自贺子珍江青以来，我第一夫人终于又焕发光彩，光艳照人了
Le Yan: Since He Zizheng [Mao Zedong's third wife] and Jiang Qing, our first lady finally shines again.
Despite debate over the renewed political significance of the first lady, most Chinese people seem to care about Peng not as a political figure, but as a fashion icon. Online traders have already used a photo of Peng to sell winter coats according to her style. The following screen shot of an online shopping item in Taobao [the most popular online shopping platform] has been circulated widely in Chinese social media platform:


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24 hours in the Life of a French Newsroom · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

The Journalism School of Lille [fr], in partnership with Canal France International (CFI), set up a website for online resources on journalism: 24 hours in the life of a newsroom. The objective of the site is that anyone who so wishes can learn through the experience of media professionals. The site unpacks the work of a newsroom in 24 steps for four media categories : print, television, radio and web. It is available in five languages, including Arabic and Swahili.

author: Claire Ulrich


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24 Steps to Improve Your Reporting · Global Voices
Abby Liu

24 hours in the life of a news room shares great ideas and resources with journalists working in print, TV, radio or on the web. It is available in five languages. For online journalism, it covers topics from news monitoring and HTML basics to traffic analysis tools and comments moderation.

author: Abby Liu


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Attention! Baby on Board: An Interview With a Travelling Blogger Family · Global Voices
Kasia Odrozek

An interview with The Family Without Borders: Anna and Thomas Alboth, parents, travellers and bloggers who've been around the Black Sea and around Central America with their two small daughters.
In 2010, a young couple from Berlin – Anna, a Polish journalist, and Thomas, a German photographer – decided to live on their globetrotting dream – and they decided to do it with their 6-month-old daugther Hanna on board. With a fully-packed Renault Espace they made a half-a-year-long road trip around the Black Sea, through the Caucasus to the Caspian Sea. The idea worked out so well that in 2012, already with their second daughter Mila, they travelled in Central America from Mexico down to Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.
From their first trip on they decided to share their unusual experiences through their blog, The Family Without Borders [en; Facebook]. The interest turned out to be so significant that in 2011 the blog was named the Best Travel Blog by the Polish edition of the National Geographic.
Global Voices (GV): Let’s imagine 25 years forward. Your daughters have their own children and want to go travelling with their babies. What is your reaction?
Mexico (Yukatan), Holbox Island. Photo © Thomas Alboth, used with permission.
Anna (A): I hope it will be this way. Recently, we've had some discussions about parents, kids and grandkids and how it all can change. We were a bit afraid that maybe they will choose a totally other way of life than we did and that it would be hard to accept it if they would start saying things like, “I want to go to a hotel.” But on the other hand, the more they grow up the more I feel that I’m scared that something can happen to them, all these mother-ish things.
Thomas (T): I would have wanted it. But I’m also not so sure if they will like this lifestyle, I have friends who grew up in a community flat and then they turned into the opposite. I’m also pretty happy to be completely different from my parents. So maybe one day they will stay in a hotel, will have nice rolling suitcases and that’s ok.
GV: You received the National Geographic title for the Best Travel Blog in 2011. Why do you think your blog became so successful?
A: I think it was two things. First, we didn’t plan for it to be big, so we were just doing what we liked, and I think these things are always going bigger when you just do what you love. We have known all these travel bloggers who had business plans, but for us it was basically writing for the grandparents, so that they could see Hanna safe and smiling. That was the beginning. After a while we started to check the statistics and we saw that people from 20, 40, 50 countries were visiting the blog, and we were like, “wow”. There is this generation of young Europeans who are studying abroad, travelling, making international couples and they think that if they have kids it will be all over. I think when they see what we did, they see hope that it all really doesn’t have to be over.
The whole family in their flat in Berlin. Photo by Kasia Odrozek
GV: Did you have a clear work division: who is writing, who takes pictures and so on?
A: Yes, we had clear divided tasks. It happened that I made some pictures but not often, normally the camera was in his hands all the time. I was writing the posts, Thomas wrote maybe two posts in these three years. For the blog he does all the technical things and I do all the human communication work. And on the road Thomas usually drives and I usually tell him where we are going [laughing]. The whole thing works when we are doing it together. A couple of weeks ago, he was in Burma and I was in Palestine and we didn’t post anything on the blog, and it felt strange.
GV: Would your experience be different without the blog?
A: For me having the blog was very motivating to get more knowledge about everything. On the second trip, I was writing in a much more journalistic way, so I was noting many more things, asking for more context while talking to people, taking leaflets in museums and so on. I don’t know if I would do all of this without knowing that I will publish it.
T: I was a bit jealous, because writing means reprocessing, while editing pictures is not the same experience, you don’t need more knowledge, you don’t have to understand the situation to make a picture.
At Lake Sevan in Armenia. Photo © Thomas Alboth, used with permission.
GV: What is your favorite memory when you look back at your travels?
T: More than a memory it is a feeling of being self-paced, that you decide about your own life. When you stay in one place you get into this daily rhythm, you get up, grab a coffee in the morning, you take a tram or metro and you go to your office, and 80 percent of your day is predictable. That’s what I liked about the trip, for a half of the year you decide what you want to do.
GV: Was there a moment when you thought, “This was a mistake”?
A: There was one such moment when I was scared and I thought that all these people saying that we were irresponsible parents were right. It was the night at a hotel in Guatemala where we saw three big men with guns passing by the corridor, talking angrily on the phone. We had to do something to feel better, so we asked them if they were dangerous. We didn’t speak too much Spanish but, luckily, we knew the word peligroso, dangerous. They answered “yes, but not for you and not here.” Then we learned that in Guatemala everybody has guns because they hadn’t been disarmed after the civil war.
GV: You say that your travels were about people and their stories. What was the craziest thing you heard or experienced?
T: If you come from a different world, even just the way people live their everyday lives seems interesting and sometimes strange.
The family has to say goodybe to their hosts in Guatemala, Chilasco waterfall. Photo © Anna Alboth, used with permission.
A: During the second trip, in Guatemala, we were hosted by a Mayan family in their small house with plastic chairs and a TV. After we talked to them, they were surprised, but not by the fact that we were travelling for so long – but that we could live without a TV for so long. Then in the evening, when I started to cut potatoes for a soup, all these small girls immediately started to help me because that’s what they do, they do everything together. When we were leaving, they were asking when we would come back and it was heartbreaking, we wanted to say that we would call but they didn’t have a phone, they wanted to write a letter but they didn’t know how to write.
GV: Any plans for the future?
A:We have to go on a trip again, of course. But before we do it, I need to finish my book on Central America, then we will go travelling again.
On March 26, 2013, The Family Without Borders will share their pictures and stories at a slideshow presentation at the Globetrotter shop in Berlin. For more details, please visit their blog or Facebook.

author: Kasia Odrozek


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Google’s Bangladeshi Independence Doodle  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Aminul Islam Sajib reports that Google featured Bangladeshi National Flag as a Doodle on the occasion of the Independence Day of Bangladesh (26th March, 1971) which was a long time demand from Bangladeshi netizens.


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Brazil Violently Ousts Indigenous Village Ahead of World Cup   · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

[All links lead to pages in Portuguese unless otherwise specified].
Brazilian riot police violently evicted a group of indigenous people from a former museum they had occupied in Rio de Janeiro to make way for 2014 World Cup construction.
Baton-wielding police agents stormed the one-time Museum of the Indian building on 22 March, 2013, launching tear gas and tussling with the indigenous people and their supporters who had set up barricades overnight to repel the invasion.
The building is close to the city's famous Maracanã Stadium [en] and will be made into a sports museum ahead of the 2014 World Cup [en] and the 2016 Olympic Games [en].
Brazilian authorities previously tried to oust the building's indigenous residents, who have become known as the Maracanã Village and have occupied the empty space for six years, in January. Maracanã Village now becomes the latest [en] in a series of evictions [en] that have drawn criticism from human rights defenders [en] as Brazil prepares to host the World Cup.
Activist Paula Kossatz posted a video on Facebook which shows the police arresting protesters at dawn ahead of the invasion.
The collective Diário Liberdade reported that the police force behind the eviction was about one hundred agents strong equipped with “rubber bullets, pepper spray, and batons”:
Ao que parece, segundo as primeiras informações, houve moradores da Aldeia Maracanã feridos na sequência da invasão. Entre eles, um menino de quatro anos que sofreu as consequências do gás pimenta policial. Ainda, uma mulher grávida foi reprimida violentamente e presa.
It seems, according to preliminary information, that there were residents from the Maracanã Village who were injured as a result of the invasion. Among them, a four-year old boy who suffered the consequences of pepper spray. Also, a pregnant woman was violently restrained and arrested.
“Together we are many, united we are one.” Photo by Norbert Suchanek. Used with permission.
On 12 January, 2013, Global Voices covered the first attempt [en] to boot out roughly 23 families living in the historical building. In that incident, military police with the help of riot squads laid siege to the “living museum” of indigenous people, as Maracanã Village is called by many people nowadays, without any prior warning or court order. The attempt mobilised indigenous people and protesters who successfully prevented a planned demolition.
A little more than a month later, the state of Rio de Janeiro Governor Sérgio Cabral announced that the building would be converted into a Brazilian Olympic Committee museum. Eliomar Coelho, a Rio de Janeiro city councilor for the Socialism and Freedom Party [en], proposed that the site be designated a national heritage, but the proposal was rejected on 14 March, 2013.
Only 12 former dwellers of Maracanã Village (the official press release says 22) accepted the state government's proposal to stay temporarily in a settlement of containers in the patio of a former leprosy hospital in Jacarepaguá, where a Cultural Center for Indigenous Peoples is expected to be constructed. The place houses more than two thousand people and was rejected by the majority of the indigenous group because it is isolated and offers no jobs perspectives.
Outraged by the decision to evict them from the site, the 75 indigenous people living in Maracanã Village decided to resist and did not do it on their own, as Fluminense Federal University professor Fernanda Sánchez reported on the Blog da Raquel Rolnik:
As lideranças indígenas são apoiadas por diversos movimentos sociais, estudantes, pesquisadores, universidades, comitês populares, organizações nacionais e internacionais de defesa dos Direitos Humanos, redes internacionais e outras organizações da sociedade civil. A luta dos índios e o conflito estabelecido entre o governo e o movimento resultaram num importante recuo do governo, que diante da pressão social desistiu da demolição do prédio e passou a defender a sua “preservação”. A desocupação do prédio foi decretada, com hora marcada.
The indigenous leaderships are supported by several social movements, students, researchers, universities, popular committees, national and international Human Rights organizations, international networks and other civil society organizations. The indigenous struggle and the conflict established between the government and the social movement resulted in a significant government retreat when, in face of the social pressure, it gave up the demolition of the building and started to stand for its “preservation”. The forced eviction of the building was declared to happen according to appointment.
Protesters closed off the avenue Radial Oeste after military police entered into the Maracanã Village. Photo by Artur Romeu. Used with permission.
And she concluded:
Os manifestantes, em absoluta condição de desigualdade frente à força policial e seu aparato de violência, lançaram mão de instrumentos bem diferentes daqueles utilizados pelo Batalhão de Choque: ocuparam o prédio para apoiar os índios, resistiram à sua desocupação e manifestaram, no espaço público, nas ruas e avenidas do entorno do complexo do Maracanã, sua reprovação e indignação frente à marcha violenta desta política.
The protesters, absolutely outmatched by the police force and their apparatus of violence, resorted to instruments quite different from those used by the riot squad: they occupied the building in order to give their support to the indigenous group; resisted to its eviction; and protested, in the public space, in the streets and avenues within the Maracanã complex, to show their disapproval and outrage in the face of violent political development.
During the eviction, journalists trying to do their job as well as activists were hit by pepper spray and some were injured by the police. Cartoonist Caros Latuff recorded images of the police brutality and posted them on YouTube:
While criticizing police violence in a video interview, federal Congressman Marcelo Freixo, who is the chairman for the Committee for Human Rights in the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, was taken by surprise as police launched tear gas nearby. The collective Juntos reproduced his words on Facebook:
A PM agiu arbitrariamente. Não era preciso o uso da força. Era um grupo pequeno que estava lá quando o Batalhão de Choque entrou. Mesmo que alguns resistissem, era possível a retirada das pessoas sem violência. Chegaram a lançar spray de pimenta nos parlamentares, no promotor e no defensor público.
The military police acted in an arbitrary fashion. There was no need to make use of force. It was a small group who was there when the riot squad came in. Even in the case of resistance on the part of some, it would still be possible to remove the people without violence. They even used pepper spray against the congressmen, the prosecutor, and the public defender.
A protester is dragged by riot policemen. Photo by Artur Romeu. Used with permission.
Activist Bruno Guimarães wrote an extensive report on Facebook about the violent eviction process which he witnessed:
Todos os que estávamos por lá, mais de 500 pessoas, receberam gás lacrimogênio, pois fomos cercados e ora a polícia de um lado, ora a de outro, nos atacava, não havendo ponto de fuga. Os membros da imprensa protestavam, os manifestantes também, alvos de uma violência despropositada. A hora seguinte foi de batalha campal. E de sadismo, policiais que gritavam “voltem para a floresta, seus índios”, ou que riam de nós por não termos as máscaras para nos proteger do gás. Cheguei em um deles, pedi para poder sair dali, disse que não era do Rio, era turista, questionei tanta violência, e ele me disse “pois estamos fazendo isso daqui é para vocês, turistas, mesmo. Só estamos cumprindo ordens”.
All of us who were there, more than 500 people, were hit by tear gas, because we were surrounded and it was one time the squad on one side, another time the squad on the other side who attacked us, no way of fleeing. The press people complained, the protesters too, targets of unreasonable violence. The following hour was a field battle. And there was sadism, policemen who cried “go back to the forest, you Indians , or otherwise they laughed at us for not having the masks that would protect us from the tear gas. I came close to one of them, asked to be let free, I said I was not a resident of Rio, that I was a tourist there, I questioned the reason for so much violence, and he said to me “we are doing this exactly for you, tourists. All we are doing is following orders”.
The Agência de Notícias das Favelas (Slums News Agency) posted on YouTube a video that shows tear gas being thrown at protesters:
Guilherme Pimentel, from the collective magazine Vírus Planetário, wrote a brief report on the mistakes made during the eviction:
1 – O governo (Secretaria de Assistência Social e Direitos Humanos do Estado) se negou a negociar no local e disse que só negociaria depois de retirados todos os indígenas. Essa postura gerou um grande impasse.
2 – Os oficiais de justiça preferiram a velocidade do que a qualidade do cumprimento da “ordem” de despejo, vetando propostas que tomariam muito tempo e ignorando inclusive a condição expressamente colocada pelo juiz de não utilizar nenhuma forma de violência.
3 – A PM descumpriu sua palavra de não agir com violência na desocupação do local, mesmo com os manifestantes já cedendo e saindo por vontade própria, já com os portões abertos e sem cadeado…
1 – The government (State Secretary for Social Service and Human Rights) refused to negotiate at the site and said that it would only negotiate after all the indigenous people had been evicted. Such attitude generated a serious deadlock.
2 – Justice officials preferred speed over quality in the compliance of the eviction “order”, vetoing proposals that would take a long time and even ignoring the condition explicitly placed by the judge not to use any form of violence.
3 – Military police failed to comply with their word not to act violently during the eviction, even with the demonstrators already yielding and leaving at will, with the gates already open and without a lock …
Activist Pedro Rios Leão recorded several scenes of violence against protesters, as well as YouTube user Aquilante Leonel:
Federal Congressman Chico Alencar, a member of the Socialism and Freedom Party, stated on Facebook that the fight will go on:
Marx escreveu que ‘a história só se repete como tragédia ou como farsa’. Taí: Cabral invadiu a Aldeia Maracanã, com suas naus cruzadistas, e expulsa seus nativos. Mas a luta vai prosseguir, e os ‘conquistadores’ contemporâneos, mercadores dos espaços urbanos, encontrarão resistência!
Marx wrote that “History only repeats itself as tragedy or as farce”. That is it: Cabral invaded Maracanã Village with his crusader ships and expels his natives. But the struggle shall go on, and the “conquerors” of today, merchants of the urban space, will meet resistance!

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Can India Win The Fight Against Tuberculosis? · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

24th March is observed as World Tuberculosis Day and this year, the various stakeholders dedicated to fight tuberculosis – government agencies, the medical community, NGOs and health activists, took time out to take stock of how India was faring in it's fight against the dreaded disease.
With nearly 2.2 million cases each year, India has the highest burden of TB in the world and despite all efforts, the instances of drug-resistant TB is on the rise. On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, the President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, re-emphasized the country's commitment towards achieving “zero TB deaths”. Acknowledging that the challenge ahead remained a difficult one, he said [pdf]:
On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, I commend the important work that has been undertaken by various stakeholders led by the National TB Programme. Since 1998, due to the successful implementation of the DOTS strategy; more than 14.2 million people across India have accessed treatment.
However, it is worrisome that India continues to have the highest burden of TB in the world. One of the greatest challenges facing TB control is the detection and management of drug resistant strains of TB. Such challenges highlight the need for strengthening research and development to urgently introduce new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.
Public image, courtesy Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India.
In its fight to tackle the growing public health threat, the government of India has, in 2012, made two important policy decisions. In a recent email, Kritika Kamthan, program associate at Global Health Strategies (GHS), explained what these policies were about and how they appeared to be faring on the ground. She wrote:
More than half of all TB patients are managed in the private sector in India, where, the quality of care is highly variable, there is rampant use of inappropriate diagnostics and also well documented are examples of over-treatment and the use of irrational drug regimens. The Government of India has recently made two significant policy decisions:
Despite the recent policy changes, there has been a rise in morbidity, mortality, development of drug-resistance, and an increasing economic burden which is severely hampering India’s ability to prevent and control TB.
Kritika recognized the role played by the media in building awareness and highlighting the issues surrounding the disease. However, she was also quick to point out that much more could be done in this area especially in the digital space. According to her:
The Indian TB landscape has undergone a drastic change since last year. The discussions around the various challenges including the rise of drug resistant TB, TB/HIV co infection, lack of timely and correct diagnosis, over the counter sale of anti-TB drugs and stigma, have been extensively covered in the media. [However] keeping in mind that nearly 1000 people in India succumb to TB every day, the urgency of the situation needs to be given more prominence in the online space as well.
A TB patient under treatment at TB hospital in Amritsar, India.  Image by Sanjeev Syal. Copyright Demotix (23/3/2013)
In a guest post on the Science Speaks Blog, Dr. Madhukar Pai, an associate professor of epidemiology at McGill University, Montreal, mentioned that India's fight against TB is at a “critical juncture” and that innovative approaches would be required in order to achieve control and eradication. India's Ministry of Health too, has recognized this and has tried to mark a paradigm shift in the way TB is detected and treated in the country.
On his blog, Healthcare in India, Dr. Vikram Venkateswaran rues the fact that TB has “fallen off the radar of the empowered Indian”, possibly because a) it affects the lower strata of society much more and b) there continues to be social stigma associated with the illness. He points out that
the fight against TB has to be fought on two fronts- Medical front and on the Societal front. On the medical front our doctors and health workers are in action, but it is upto us to Galvanise the society and do what is needed.
India has an ambitious aim. As President Mukherjee pointed out, “India’s vision is to provide ‘Universal Access to Quality Diagnosis and Treatment’ over the next five years to all, regardless of their economic or social status.” In the past, India has successfully combated other public health threats such as polio and small pox. It remains to be seen, how the fight against TB progresses. After all, this is one fight that India cannot afford to lose.

author: Aparna Ray


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University Builds Internet Red Army in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Since 2010, Guangdong Baiyun University started running a “Students’ Internet and Social Media Information Monitoring” team to watch students’ online activities. More from Off Beat China.


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China’s Red Army Returns Online and Hunts Students · Global Voices
Abby Liu

In China's Southern Guangdong province, the local government honored the Guangdong Baiyun University for its ‘excellent work’ in monitoring activities and opinions of students online, according to the Nandu Daily [zh].
Nicknamed the “online red army” and led by nine teachers and six students, Guangdong Baiyun University's own “Student Internet and Social Media Information Monitoring” team was built in 2010 to watch student conversations and control negative sentiment online. Their daily work involves monitoring online chat rooms, following microblogging and tracking online forums. Hired students work 1.5 hours everyday and get paid RMB 200 ($32) per month.
Internet in China by Karen Roach via Shutterstock
The news immediately triggered online outrage; many think the university has violated student privacy and demand an immediate stop to the system. However, many comments were deleted on Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo and the “Online Red Army” soon became a censored word. On March 20, Sina news published this commentary[zh]:
根据法律，作为高校是无权监控学生（公民）网络信息的，无论出于多么冠冕堂皇的理由，监控学生的网络信息是涉嫌违法的行为，学生有权提出控告。但是，令人遗憾和担忧的是，白云学院的这种监控行为，不但没有受到有关方面的制止，而且他们的这种“白云红军——网络舆情周报制度”还被评选为“高校学生事务管理精品项目”，受到广东省高校学生工作专业委员会的表彰，大有推而广之之势。
In accordance with the law, universities don’t have the right to monitor students’ (citizens’) online information. No matter what the excuse they might have, this is against the law. Student have the right to sue the university. However, what’s pitiful and worrisome is that, not only can Baiyun University get away with this behaviour, but the “Baiyun Red Army – the online monitoring system” was selected as a successful example of “College Student Affairs Management Project” and praised and promoted by the Guangdong College Students Affairs Committee.
Lawyer Song Jian commented[zh] on Sina Weibo[zh]:
@宋健律师:一切思想控制都是反人性的，一切培养精神奴隶的学校都是垃圾！
Thought-control is against human nature. All colleges trying to make students spiritual slaves are garbage.
“止于至善_风飘絮” a college student from Guangdong requested Bai Yu University to provide the legal foundation and funding for this system:
权利的侵蚀无所不在，言论自由是每个人都要随时随地寸土必争绝不退让的——龙应台。请公开 –军—-红—–络—–网—–的 法律依据 以及经费等！
[A quote from Taiwanese writer]Long Yingtai: Rights are being eroded everywhere. Freedom of speech is something everyone should fight for and never sacrifice anytime or anywhere. Please make the online red amy's legal foundation and funding public.
Referring to Das Leben der Anderen, a German film about the monitoring of East Berlin in 1984 by agents of the secret police the Stasi, online personality “薛蛮子” wrote [zh], Is “1984” found in Baiyun college?
耸人听闻的“网络红军”，每天监控着学生的微博、贴吧、QQ群。白云学院管理层在担心什么？谁来保护学生的隐私？监控的背后会不会打击那些发牢骚的学生？当思想政治立场坚定的学生被雇佣来监督自己的同学，离《窃听风暴》还有多远？
The scary “Online Red Army” monitors students’ microblogging, online forum and QQ group. What is Baiyun University's management worried about? Who will protect the privacy of the students? Behind the monitor system, would they punish the students who complain? When students with firm political stand are hired to watch their own classmates, how far are we from Das Leben der Anderen?
In response to the online outrage, Baiyu University republished[zh] an article from the Legal Daily on March 20, titled “To Clean the Internet, We Need Online Red Army”. It concludes:
白云学院组成“网络红军”的做法，为社会主义精神文明建设做出了有益的探索和突出的贡献。其他学校、工厂、机关等难道不应该好好借鉴和学习吗？
Baiyun College’s “online red army” has made outstanding contribution to the construction of socialist spiritual civilization. Shouldn’t other schools, factories and organizations learn from them?
Looks like the red army will be sticking around for a while.


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Cooking Kazakh Traditional Dish · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Beshbarmak (Image from Vox Populi, used with permission)
Vox Populi presents [ru] a step-by-step photo guide to cooking different kinds of beshbarmak, the traditional dish of Kazakhs and some other Turkic peoples.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Digital Freedom: Principles and Concepts · Global Voices
مؤسسة حرية الفكر والتعبير

In February, the Egyptian Institute for Freedom of Thought and Expression issued its first statement on digital freedom, a simplified research paper to propose definitions for digital rights and related principles which the paper summarised as: universal access, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to privacy, and the right to creativity, development and innovation.
The paper took the principle of universal access to include universal access to both technology and information, taking into consideration other relevant factors such as the cost and quality of available communication services, in addition to their suitability for all people and even the licenses required to operate and use communication networks. The paper summarised the principle of universal access as:
“حق جميع الأفراد في الاستمتاع بالاتصالات وتقنية المعلومات، عن طريق التقليل من الحواجز، المسافة، والتكلفة وكذلك قابلية تلك ألأنظمة للاستعمال من قبل الجميع، وهناك أكثر من صورة للإتاحة، حيث يمكن -على سبيل المثال- تناول حق المعاقين في إتاحة استخدام وسائل الاتصالات والإنترنت وتوفير الأجهزة اللازمة لذلك، أو حق الأطفال في الريف والمناطق الفقيرة في التعليم الخاص بتقنية المعلومات.”
The right of every person to use communication and information technology by means of reducing barriers and costs in addition to promoting their use by all. Universal access includes a range of things such as, for example, the right of the disabled to use communication technology and the Internet and to be provided with the necessary equipment and the right of children living in rural or disadvantaged areas to be educated about information technology.
The paper also discussed the issue of digital privacy and the threats to privacy that users can face from governments, service providers and malicious software. The paper defined privacy in digital spaces as:
“حق الأفراد في التراسل دون مراقبة والحق في خصوصية بياناتهم الموجودة على الإنترنت ومنع فرض مراقبة من قبل حكومة دولة ما على مجموعات أو أفراد، أو غير ذلك من التصرفات التي تصدر عن حكومات أو شركات تجارية يمكنها أن تشكل انتهاكا لخصوصية الأفراد.”
The right of individuals to send messages and emails without being monitored, the right to privacy with regard to data stored on the internet and the prohibition of government monitoring of either individuals or groups as well as the prohibition of other behaviour by governments or private companies that could represent a breach of individuals’ privacy.
The paper also included a principle related to freedom of expression and considered access to the internet and digital media as tools that provide a platform for the expression of opinions and thoughts to all, be they individuals, groups, or journalistic or media institutions. The paper described freedom of expression in digital spaces as :
“حق الأفراد والتجمعات في التعبير عن آرائهم بالطريقة والكيفية التي يريدونها عبر استخدام أي من أجهزة الاتصال بالإنترنت المتاحة، يجب أن ينظر إلى الإنترنت في إطار السياق المتكامل لحرية التعبير وعلى أنها ضمن سياق حرية الإنسان بشكل عام”
The right of individuals and organisations to express their opinions in the manner of their choosing using any type of device connected to the Internet. The Internet should be seen within a comprehensive framework for freedom of expression and within the context of individual freedom generally.
The final principle discussed by the paper was that of freedom of use, development and innovation which referred to freeware and its philosophy and ability to support digital freedom and technological growth in addition to the principles of open source, free content and open source hardware. The paper referred in this section to article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and highlighted the contradictory behaviour of certain governments and companies. Also discussed in this section was Creative Commons licensing with regard to digital content, programs, user guides and hardware.

author: مؤسسة حرية الفكر والتعبير


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‘Foreign Ideas’ as Extremism in Central Asia · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

On Registan.net, Noah Tucker speculates about what is wrong with the way Central Asian governments deal with religious activity that is not sanctioned by the state:
[I]n former Soviet Central Asia there is little debate that the root problem [of extremist beliefs] is “foreign ideas,” defined so broadly as to become a target of opportunity for both every political purpose and every local policeman or official’s ambition. Any sign of dissent from state policies or ideology <…> can be enough to bring the wrath of the state, sometimes with great violence.