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A Businessman Missed the Tastes of Ethiopia—So He Starting Growing Them for Himself · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Menkir Tamrath holds up two jars of Ethiopian spice blends, Berbere and Mitmita, from plants he grows on his farm in Sunol, California. Credit: Meradith Hoddinott
This report by Meradith Hoddinott appeared on PRI.org on September 30, 2016. It is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
At the edge of his farm, Menkir Tamrat walks over to a pepper plant and pulls back the dark green leaves to reveal dozens of shiny red peppers.
“Looks like we have a whole bunch of ripe ones, red ones, ready to be plucked,” he says as he rubs his hands together.
Over the next few weeks, Tamrat will harvest the long rows of peppers. Then he’ll dry them, crush them and make them into spice blends essential to Ethiopian cuisine. Tamrat includes over a dozen separate ingredients in these blends and he focuses on balancing heat and color while building flavor.
Tamrat wasn’t always a farmer. He grew up in the countryside of Ethiopia in the 1960s. Then, in the early 1980s, he came to the San Francisco Bay Area in California, got his MBA and started a career in high-tech management. The food from his homeland was never far from his heart, but when he tried to recreate it with local California ingredients, something was missing.
Red Mimita peppers grown on Menkir Tamrath's farm. He'll dry and crush them for an Ethiopian spice mix. Credit: Meradith Hoddinott
“Because I couldn't create the chili powder from off the shelf chillies,” Tamrat explains. “It's a hit and miss, how do you know which one might be the closest?”
So Tamrat went back to Ethiopia and brought back the seeds he needed to start a garden. He filled his yard with herbs and vegetables and peppers, and he found that these fresh flavors made all the difference.
“This leaf called koseret,” Tamrat says, holding up a stem of dried herbs. “You can never find it. It's not used in any other cuisine. And it's got its own unusual taste.”
For decades, Tamrat’s garden was just a passion project. But when his tech company downsized in 2009, Tamrat took the opportunity to grow these Ethiopian flavors on a larger scale. He connected with a local farm. By that summer he had 5,000 pepper plants taking root in California soil.
Once Tamrat had a steady supply of the peppers, he poured over books, articles and recipes to search for the perfect spice blend. But when he started mixing flavors together, he realized he was missing a major secret ingredient: the mom touch!
“Ethiopian cuisine is like, ‘So-and-so's mom is known for her such-and-such,'” Tamrat, says with a smile. “And she may have one little secret thing that she adds in it so you never get the same thing from two families making the same stew.”
Menkir Tamrath began growing Ethiopian peppers on a large scale after his Bay Area tech company downsized. Credit: Meradith Hoddinott
So for help, he turned to a friend of his mother's who lived in Oakland. He also followed his mother-in-law around the kitchen with a notebook when she visited from Ethiopia.
He finally came up with a spice blend that was worthy of home.
“I even took some samples to a restaurant in Ethiopia,” Tamrat says. “Just to show off and say, ‘Why don't you guys taste this?’ And the lady just could not believe it that I brought this from America and a man made it!”
Menkir Tamrath picks peppers at his farm for his spice blends. He says when he was a kid in Ethiopia his father never set foot in the kitchen. Credit: Meradith Hoddinott
Tamrat sells his spices to restaurants in the Bay Area through his company, Timeless Harvest. But this season, he split his time between California and Ethiopia, where he’s diving into a new project.
He started a farm back home to grow western crops like Swiss chard and Tuscan kale (vegetables that are extremely hard to find in Ethiopia). The capital, Addis Ababa, is headquarters for many international political organizations. And Tamrat hopes to tap into a blossoming market of high-end Western restaurants that’s sprung up there over the past decade.
While it may seem that Tamrat is being drawn back to his homeland, he believes strongly in being a member of two countries.
“I am fortunate enough to say that I have two countries,” he says. “And I don't have to choose one over the other. Different opportunities are provided by the two different places. I think more people should have two different countries. More than one, anyway!”

author: PRI/PRX's The World


text:
Jamaica Escaped the Wrath of Matthew — But Hurricane Preparedness Is a Tricky Business · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

Screenshot from a Climate State YouTube video showing Hurricane Matthew approaching Jamaica.
At the beginning of October 2016, as Hurricane Matthew made his way at snail's pace across the southern Caribbean, stalled and then turned northwestwards, the Jamaican government sprang into action, while the Meteorological Service of Jamaica kept a watchful eye on the storm's somewhat erratic path.
But some Jamaicans were unimpressed at the way in which communications were handled. Did Prime Minister Andrew Holness hog too much of the limelight? Was Jamaica over-prepared for a storm that hardly affected the island?
Over the two or three days the storm was approaching the prime minister stepped up his already high-profile presence on social media, sharing his briefing with members of parliament on Facebook Live. He tweeted video clips and photographs of his helicopter tour of the island, as well as snapshots of his interviews with local and overseas journalists:
Just had an extensive interview with @jahnellabella of @televisionjam @RJRNewsOnline watch it tonight on Prime Time News. pic.twitter.com/n73rOutgQs
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) October 3, 2016
He also tweeted photos of his visits to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the government agency charged with the responsibility of keeping citizens safe at times like these:
Now at @odpem to get an analysis and update on the preparation and state of readiness for #HurricaneMatthew. pic.twitter.com/O2l5lGCbeX
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) October 2, 2016
Holness’ wife, Juliet — who is also a member of parliament — tweeted her concern about a badly damaged road that had not been fixed before the storm:
Currently at the Gordon Twn breakaway with the NWA working on a temporary solution to prevent further damage during #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/lZ3ul5IDDw
— Juliet Holness (@JulietHolness) October 1, 2016
The country's meteorological service did not emerge unscathed either, with some Jamaicans feeling the agency had let the prime minister's office usurp its territory. One Jamaican human rights activist was concerned about the lack of social media presence of both the ODPEM and the “met office”, tweeting:
Andrew replace met office? Mi think de least him could do is get de met office back online (social media in particular)
— ⛈ (@indecentstella) October 2, 2016
Another tweeted humorously:
When you don't have Met Service to follow on twitter so you gotta follow the guy personal twitter to see what the hell going on pic.twitter.com/HGm9qC49Vy
— Dont Touch My Hair (@nnboogie) October 2, 2016
For its part, the meteorological service addressed its meagre social media presence in a radio interview:
We are in discussions to have @MetserviceJA back up (ACTIVELY) on twitter.
Evan Thompson, Met Service, Ja#RJRBTH
— Giovanni R. Dennis (@GiovanniRDennis) September 28, 2016
Blogger Susan Goffe observed:
There are some people who are angry with the government and the weather forecasters because they advised people to prepare for a possible encounter with Hurricane Matthew, and in the end Jamaica hasn’t been severely impacted. Based on the ongoing information available from meteorologists locally, regionally & internationally, Jamaica was in the cone of possible impact of the system, which on Friday night reached the level of a Category 5 hurricane, the highest strength on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
The government will obviously need to review its actions over the past week or so, to identify any flaws in its response and what improvements can be made. Meteorologists will definitely review the data about Hurricane Matthew for years to come, seeking to understand this unpredictable storm among unpredictable storms. And all of us can review our own responses to see what lessons there are for us to learn about how best to protect ourselves and our families.
As we watch Hurricane Matthew battering Haiti and Cuba, let’s remember that we were facing that possibility and if the track had wobbled a bit to the west and Jamaica had been hit, would we have wanted to be prepared or not?
Meanwhile, CVM Television's forecaster, Patria Kay Aarons, gave regular updates on CVM Television's Weather Page via Facebook Live, answering viewers’ questions at the same time. She received thousands of views.
Opposition leader Portia Simpson Miller, meanwhile, tweeted about her visits to her own constituency:
Touring my constituency with Mayor Brown Burke. Assistance is being given to those who need additional support #MappingMatthew pic.twitter.com/vWcrrEdEFO
— Portia SimpsonMiller (@PSimpsonMiller) October 3, 2016
However, her assistant accused the prime minister of wearing a cap with a party slogan in a tweet. On closer inspection, the cap had “Jamaica” emblazoned on it (but green is the color of the Jamaica Labour Party, which Holness heads). One journalist shared:
Aide to Opposition Leader, @sandreafalconer displeased at JA Cap worn by PM @AndrewHolnessJM today. Falconer's issue is the cap is green. pic.twitter.com/qXor1KkTla
— Abka Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) October 2, 2016
Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Centre at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr. Barbara Carby, was also unhappy, accusing the government of departing from accepted protocols by sidelining ODPEM — the government agency she formerly headed — at a pre-Matthew press conference. After the storm, the opposition People's National Party echoed similar sentiments.
The dominant presence of local government minister Desmond McKenzie at press briefings was also noted. His ministry tweeted:
#HappeningNow Final updates & preparations for Hurricane Matthew at the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC). #BePrepared #BeSafe pic.twitter.com/WhcXfZT4z0
— Local Gov't Ja (@LocalGovJa) October 1, 2016
Some netizens wondered whether this kind of political presence could have something to do with local government elections, which are expected to be held before the end of the year.
Overall, Jamaicans seemed quite satisfied with the government's level of preparedness. One young lawyer tweeted:
I salute our Met Office and our government for doing everything they thought necessary to prepare us, so we could prepare for the hurricane.
— Small Spoon (@azzleprock) October 6, 2016
A young entrepreneur added:
Dear PM sir @AndrewHolnessJM, it may be a thankless job from some people but I THANK YOU. This is life now->
Storm a come we must be ready!
— Tricia Williamson (@TWill876) October 4, 2016
Meanwhile, as Hurricane Matthew continued to batter the Bahamas and threatened Florida's east coast on Thursday October 6, the top story in evening newscasts was a large hole that had emerged along a major thoroughfare in Kingston, causing traffic gridlock. Development consultant Jan Voorduow, formerly based in Haiti, commented on the road works:
@Petchary Can you imagine? While entire cities were destroyed 200 miles away…
— Jan Voordouw (@JanVoordouw) October 7, 2016
Columnist and philanthropist Jean Lowrie-Chin added:
Traffic rough in Kingston.. but small matters… compared to tragic loss of lives 😢 and destruction in #Haiti 🇭🇹 #reachout #givethanks
— Jean Lowrie-Chin (@souldancing) October 7, 2016
And undeterred, the prime minister's office continued its social media charm offensive:
Jamaica has to get used to this new normal that whenever the threat of a natural disaster occurs, we have to be prepared. pic.twitter.com/sFbBcztB2z
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) October 5, 2016
On his busy Facebook page, the prime minister offered words of sympathy and pledged support for Jamaica's Caribbean neighbors:
I am deeply saddened by the destruction caused by hurricane Matthew and extend deep sympathy on behalf of the government and people of Jamaica. I also extend best wishes for a speedy recovery from the effects of this terrible storm.
Even as ODPEM makes arrangements to send personnel and supplies to Haiti, the country that suffered the most damage and loss of life from the storm, it is evident that hurricane preparedness is always a complex and costly logistical issue for Caribbean nations. And in the case of Jamaica, Hurricane Matthew was quite a communications challenge — and a serious test of citizens’ patience.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Emma Lewis


text:
New Discovery About Persians in Ancient Japan Generates Excitement · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Ferroconcrete reconstruction of Suzuka Gate, on site of former Heijo Palace in western Nara City. An ancient wooden tablet from this site was recently reexamined using infrared imagery. Photo by Flickr user Sek Keung Lo.
The results of research by the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties reinforces the idea that ancient Japan had strong ties with global culture — all transmitted via the Silk Road.
The Institute announced that new infrared images of a wooden tablet used for record-keeping in 8th century Japan identified a Persian official — likely a scholar and tutor serving the Japanese Imperial Court — by name.
While it's long been accepted that Japan enjoyed trade connections with countries and cultures all along the Silk Road, records of these exchanges in  ancient Japan are sparse and hard to come by. The results of the infrared imaging represent a major find.
According to an article by wire service AFP-Jiji, which was republished by the Japan Times, “present-day Iran and Japan were known to have had direct trade links since at least the 7th century, but new testing on a piece of wood — first discovered in the ’60s — suggest broader ties”. Quoting Akihiro Watanabe, a researcher at the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, the article said that the official worked at an academy where government officials were trained and suggested — thanks to ancient Iran’s expertise in the subject — that he may have been teaching mathematics.
At the time, wooden tablets (rather than paper) were commonly used for record-keeping:
Apparently, a #Persian was living in #Japan‘s Nara a millenium ago, https://t.co/8bgbNIqncC pic.twitter.com/2KPq6hkdwX
— Archaeology & Arts (@archaiologia_en) October 7, 2016
A tweet by news outlet Sankei News West features an image of the original tablet, and a translation in contemporary Japanese of what was written on it. There's also a map showing where the tablet was found.
平城宮にペルシャ人の役人が働いていた！！　７６５年木簡が証明　「国際的知識で登用か」と専門家https://t.co/AdjzuDFkTg pic.twitter.com/jV75tglzwM
— 産経ニュースＷＥＳＴ (@SankeiNews_WEST) October 5, 2016
A Persian official once worked at Heijo Palace! A wooden tablet dating back to 765AD certifies the man ‘possessed international expertise’ and was an expert in his field.
Heijo Palace is part of the Heijo-kyo complex in the city of Nara. Heiijo-kyo was constructed in the mid-8th century and served as the capital of Japan for several decades before the capital was moved elsewhere. At the time, Japan was busy modernizing — importing technology and cultural practices from other parts of Asia — including architecture and artistic styles, religion and a codified legal system. In particular, architecture and a legal code were heavily influenced by the Tang Dynasty in China.
While the ancient city no longer exists, much of the remains of Heijo-kyo have been excavated over the past 70 years. Today, the area serves as a large civic park located just to the west of Nara's city center.
Site of Heijo-kyo, Nara. Photo by Nevin Thompson.
It should come as no surprise that in the 8th century, someone from Persia would end up living and working in Japan, which was located at the end of the Silk Road. The route connected Japan with countries and regions far to the west, including Persia and the Byzantine Empire.
Buddhist expansion in Asia, Mahayana Buddhism first entered China through Silk Road. From Wikipedia user Gunawan Kartapranata. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Ancient Japanese culture incorporated a continuum of cultural influences from south and central Asia, as well as from Persia. Many deities and demigods in the Japanese Buddhist pantheon had their origins from other parts of Asia. This statue of an Asura, dating from the 12th century, is thought to have its origins in part from a similar ancient Persian deity:
【京都・三十三間堂/阿修羅王（二十八部衆）(鎌倉)】古代インドの魔神アスラ。元は古代ペルシアの最高神アフラ・マズダー。165cm。八部衆の一人で戦闘神。帝釈天と常に闘い、負ける。三面三目六臂。正面の顔は忿怒の表情を浮かべる。 pic.twitter.com/87AQnja3Qs
— 美しい日本の仏像 (@j_butsuzo) October 7, 2016
Location: Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto; an Asura, one of the 28 followers of Kannon (Kamakura Period). From the ancient Indian demons, the Asuras. Asuras are thought to have their origins in the Persian creator Ahura Mazda.
This statue of an Asura is 165cm tall; of the 28 followers, this represents the warrior. Forever in battle with Taishakuten (帝釈天), the Lord of the Devas, the Asura will always lose […] The primary visage expresses rage and exasperation.
The announcement in Nara comes several weeks after ancient Roman coins were found in the ruins of a castle in Okinawa Prefecture, which lies far to the southwest of the Japanese archipelago:
Fascinating: “Archaeologists have found ancient Roman coins buried in the ruins of a 12th-century castle in Okinawa” https://t.co/5hGdrpo3Fp pic.twitter.com/EWlNGxE4O9
— Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) October 6, 2016
With the announcement of the Persian official in Nara, some Japanese bloggers have turned their attention to what such a person might have looked like.
One blogger muses whether gigakumen masks used for ancient court rites may be based on Persians, or other cosmopolitan residents of Nara in the 8th century.
奈良時代のペルシャ人役人ってこんな感じ？？？ https://t.co/MHerGIWe7K #落書き #奈良 pic.twitter.com/kYLRlVvEmw
— ヨシノ (@yoshino_nara) October 5, 2016
I wonder if the Persian official from Nara could have looked like this?
The Nara National Museum provides a good introduction into this era of Japanese history.

author: Nevin Thompson


text:
Airstrikes by Saudi-Led Coalition Kill At Least 140 in Yemen, Injuring Hundreds More · Global Voices
Mona Bibi

Photos: Instagram users yousifalhoori and veracityvonkrafft
On October 8, 2016, airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition killed at least 140 and injured more than 525 people in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, according to the UN.
The airstrikes targeted a funeral ceremony held by Jalal al-Ruweishan (جلال الرويشان), the minister of interior, who is allied with the Houthis, the rebel group that took over Sanaa in 2015 and is loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh (علي عبدالله صالح). The Houthis have been fighting the government of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi (عبدربه منصور هادي), heavily backed by the Saudi-led coalition, ever since, in what is now referred to as the Yemeni Civil War.
The Saudi-led coalition has already denied responsibility for the attack. Al Arabiya quoted the coalition as saying:
التحالف العربي: لم تنفذ اي عمليات جوية مكان التفجير بصنعاء #العربية_عاجل
— العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) 8 October 2016
We have not carried out any aerial operations at the blast site in Sana'a
The coalition's statement was immediately questioned, however, by none other than the White House, Saudi Arabia's primary backer internationally, which released the following statement:
U.S. security cooperation with Saudi Arabia is not a blank check. We have initiated an immediate review of our already significantly reduced support to the Saudi-led Coalition and are prepared to adjust our support so as to better align with U.S. principles, values and interests, including achieving an immediate and durable end to Yemen’s tragic conflict.
Then, Saudi Arabia itself announced that it was launching a probe into strike, calling it “regrettable and painful,” several hours after denying any role in the incident:
Last night #Saudi coalition insisted no role in strike – embarrassing turn around now as its forced to launch probe https://t.co/0XpOJRk8iR pic.twitter.com/c37Ewuck0B
— Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) 9 October 2016
Many commentators, such as Iyad El-Baghdadi, noted that the bombs used by the Saudi-led coalition were made in the United States:
The bombs used in yesterday's massacre in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition were made in the United States https://t.co/5gX9dJO7DT
— Iyad el-Baghdadi (@iyad_elbaghdadi) 9 October 2016
The death toll is expected to rise as hospitals are still receiving more injured. The Yemeni branch of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) condemned the attack, saying:
Shock and outrage. Humanitarian Coordinator #Yemen condemns horrific attack on funeral #Sanaa. 140 killed and 525+ injured so far. pic.twitter.com/42Rx1TqlR0
— OCHA Yemen (@OCHAYemen) 8 October 2016
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien called it “horrendous and heinous”:
READ my statement on #Yemen: https://t.co/Ajk4S2Rd5J Horrendous &heinous attack displayed utter disregard for human life. Enough is enough
— Stephen O'Brien (@UNReliefChief) 9 October 2016
Within minutes of the attack, Yemeni activists and analysts were active on social media, condemning the bloodshed. Anwar Dahak, a Yemeni activist, told Global Voices that it quickly became obvious that the funeral was targeted deliberately:
We were few miles away from the funeral reception when we heard the aircraft roaming around the area. Once we heard the airstrikes, we knew they were bombing the funeral. I still can’t believe what happened. Not even Israel is that brutally inhumane.
This video uploaded by Hamed Ghaled, a Yemeni activist and member of the General People's Congress Party, which was founded by the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, reportedly shows a double airstrike on the funeral hall:
Video of the doubletap airstrike that targeted rescuers .#TheGreatHallGenocide #Saudi killed injured 700+,war crimes supportedby #US #UK pic.twitter.com/X1F24Y6he2
— Hamed #Yemen (@HamedGhaleb) 8 October 2016
At least one high-ranking official was killed, the mayor of Sanaa. Shfinews reports that “Abdul Qader Hilal was killed in the airstrike”—a statement confirmed by Hakim al-Masmari, the editor of the Yemen Post to Al Jazeera, among others.
استشهاد عبدالقادر هلال جراء القصف على عزاء ال رويشان انا لله وانا اليه راجعون #شافي_جرووحه
— shfinews (@shfinews) 8 October 2016
Abdul Qader Hilal was killed in the airstrike on al-Ruweishan funeral. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.
Tens of thousands of Yemenis have taken to the streets to protest against the massacre:
Tens of thousands in Sanaa take to the streets to protest the #Saudi massacre on a funeral hall in #Yemen. #sanaamassacer pic.twitter.com/VcvR4LdYvC
— Nasser Atta (@nasseratta5) 9 October 2016
Yemen-based political analyst Hisham Al-Omeisy says there's no doubt as to who the perpetrators are:
#PT FYI, Saudi coalition has full control of Sana'a airspace where only own fighter jets in sky. “It wasn't us” BS not gonna cut it. #Yemen
— Hisham Al-Omeisy (@omeisy) 8 October 2016
Yemen-based analyst Haykal Bafana warned of retaliations:
Riyadh's war on Yemen has become a political assassination program. Saudi princes cannot complain if Yemenis retaliate the same way on them. https://t.co/2sOb5GULuB
— Haykal Bafana (@BaFana3) 8 October 2016
Both Bafana and Al-Omeisy added that Saudi jets could still be heard over Sanaa moments after the attack:
After killing & injuring 450 funeral mourners in Sanaa, #Saudi jets now scream low again threateningly over the #Yemen capital.
— Haykal Bafana (@BaFana3) 8 October 2016
Bloodthirsty Saudi fighterjets back in Sana'a sky. We haven't even pulled everyone from under rubble of earlier airstrikes yet! #Yemen
— Hisham Al-Omeisy (@omeisy) 8 October 2016
Bafana told Al Jazeera that four strikes were launched in total:
I watched the air strikes, which took place barely 1.5km from my house. They first used a normal missile that pierced the roof. The second was an incendiary missile, burning the whole inside of the hall. The third was a missile on first responders.
Dahak confirmed this in comments to Global Voices:
They first struck the reception with two missiles, a lot of people fell dead immediately. When people rushed into the site, they bombarded it again with two missiles.
Fairah Al-Sulimani, a Yemeni entrepreneur, tweeted a photo of the funeral hall before and after the attack:
Before and after the airstrike around 2000 were in the funeral most of them still under rubble till now #Yemen pic.twitter.com/cjAAd1HtSB
— Faizah Al-sulimani (@faizahsulimani) 8 October 2016
Yemeni journalist and media specialist Mohammed Al-Asaadi, who is based in Sanaa, shared a photo of ambulances evacuating casualties from the grand hall:
Ambulances evacuate casualties from the grand hall after a reportedly devastating airstrike in #Sanaa. #Yemen #Peace pic.twitter.com/VvgL5WAngl
— Mohammed Al-Asaadi (@alasaadim) 8 October 2016
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen was among the organizations supporting struggling health facilities:
We're mobilizing to support health facilities deal with the influx of dead and wounded. 300 body bags & medical supplies on the way #Sana‘a
— ICRC Yemen (@ICRC_ye) 8 October 2016
Al-Omeisy quoted a volunteer saying that they “pulled a hand sticking out from rubble—a severed arm. Too many bodies nearby to tell whose.”
Volunteer "Pulled hand sticking out from rubble, was severed arm, too many bodies near to tell whose." Sana'a #Yemen pic.twitter.com/Z0DDLGrJOH
— Hisham Al-Omeisy (@omeisy) October 8, 2016
Meanwhile, the Yemeni branch of Doctors Without Borders tweeted updates about the airstrikes and their aftermath:
1. Six @MSF-supported hospitals in #Sanaa, #Yemen treated more than 400 wounded after an airstrike hit a funeral hall south of the capital
— أطباء بلا حدود-اليمن (@msf_yemen) 8 October 2016
2. @MSF supports the 6 hospitals in #Sanaa, #Yemen with emergency kits, in patient department kits, operation theatre kits, & 4 ambulances
— أطباء بلا حدود-اليمن (@msf_yemen) 8 October 2016
Farea Al-Muslimi, a well-known Yemeni commentator and co-founder of the Sanaa Center, says urgent action is needed to implement an immediate ceasefire, a resumption of peace talks, and an international inquiry:
#US / #UK Made, Sold, and Fueled jets with #Saudi pilots killed & injured more than 400 civilians in #Yemen today targeting a funeral hall.
— Farea Al-muslimi (@almuslimi) 8 October 2016
Immediate full ceasefire , resumption of timed peace process, & international inquiry is the only way to deal with today's massacre n #Yemen
— Farea Al-muslimi (@almuslimi) 8 October 2016
don't condomn, don't say hw concerned & sorry you are.It doesn't really matter or means anything anymore. Stop th crap & stop ths war #Yemen
— Farea Al-muslimi (@almuslimi) 8 October 2016
At least 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led air campaign started in March 2015, according to reports by the United Nations. Nearly 40 percent of these casualties have been civilians, and the Saudi-led coalition is believed to be responsible for 60 percent of the overall deaths.

author: Mona Bibi


text:
Hibernating Bears and Iced Bilateral Cooperation: the New US-Russian Relationship · Global Voices
Sasha Shapiro

Photo: Flickr / Jim Nix / Edited by Kevin Rothrock
At the US vice presidential debate last week, amid a lot of finger wagging and interrupting, Republican candidate Mike Pence continued an unusual trend this campaign: talking about Russia. Pence recited what he called an “old proverb,” telling the audience, “The Russian bear never dies; it just hibernates.” The saying was meant to capture Russia's looming threat to the United States.
Impressive as the proverb may have sounded to the untrained American ear, it does not actually exist in Russian culture. In fact, the only mention of it is from Pence's own interview with the National Review in 2014. “History shows the Russian Bear’s ambitions never die; they just go into hibernation,” he told reporter John Fund.
However, if there's anything the Russian Internet loves, it's mistakes, misunderstandings, and people misspeaking. Not long after the debate, the spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Maria Zakharova, mocked Pence on her Facebook page. Zakharova, who once shared her own patriotic poetry on Facebook, even wrote in English:
Though Pence seems to have invented the “Russian proverb” himself, it nonetheless reflects the steadily rising tensions between Washington and Moscow. After initial confusion in late September about who bombed a United Nations convoy delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo, state officials in the West say the evidence implicates Russia's armed forces.
With 20 confirmed deaths and numerous volunteers and civilians in critical condition, UN official Jens Laerke says the act could be considered a war crime. A coordinator for the UN's Emergency Relief team confirmed that the attack would be a war crime, if it could be established that humanitarian workers were targeted deliberately.
Since the attack, all UN aid convoys to Syria have been suspended.
In the weeks since the airstrike, Moscow has vehemently denied its involvement, going so far as to accuse the US of carrying out the attack, claiming that Russian intelligence shows a US Predator drone in Aleppo minutes after the attack.
The open-source investigation team “Bellingcat,” however, released further evidence pointing to Russia's involvement in the attacks. In the debris, emergency workers discovered the remains of a OFAB-250-270—a Russian-made unguided bomb. According to Bellingcat, “it is widely documented that this bomb is used by Syrian and Russian aircraft in airstrikes in Syria. These bombs are not used by NATO aircraft, in particular drones such as the ‘Predator.’”
As officials in Washington spoke openly about investigating the Russia and Syria for war crimes, President Vladimir Putin suspended an agreement on disposing of plutonium that was signed more than a decade ago. Then, on October 5, Putin canceled another nuclear deal with the US on cooperation in nuclear- and energy-related scientific research and development.
The Kremlin says it is willing to resume the nuclear-cooperation agreements, if the United States agrees to a series of conditions, including ending of economic sanctions against Russia for its military intervention in Ukraine, paying compensation for the sanctions’ damage to Russian businesses, and reducing US troop presence in NATO countries on Russia's borders.
According to Moscow, suspending these agreements was a necessary response to “unfriendly acts” by the United States. The Kremlin shelved the first nuclear agreement just hours before the White House announced it is cutting off all ceasefire talks with Russia over the war in Syria. The US and Russia will continue to communicate, however, about airstrikes targeting ISIS positions in the area, to avoid any overlap or accidental clashes.
“The Obama administration has done everything in its power to destroy the atmosphere of trust which could have encouraged cooperation,” the Russian foreign ministry said in an official statement about the treaty's suspension. “We want Washington to understand that you cannot, with one hand, introduce sanctions against us where it can be done fairly painlessly for the Americans, and with the other hand continue selective cooperation in areas where it suits them.”
Alexey Pushkov, a senator in Russia's Federation Assembly and the former head of the State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote on Twitter that the good faith in the United States ran out a long time ago:
Вчера в эфире предложил больше никогда не обсуждать “добрые намерения” и репутационную невинность США. Она утрачена давно и навсегда.
— Алексей Пушков (@Alexey_Pushkov) October 3, 2016
Yesterday, on television, I proposed that we never again discuss the “good intentions” and reputed innocence of the United States. It was forfeited a long time ago, for good.
Members of the anti-Kremlin opposition, who typically criticize the government for scapegoating the United States for domestic problems, have found it amusing that Moscow now demands compensation for Western sanctions officials have insisted for years are actually a boon to Russia's economy.
Alexey Navalny, the anti-corruption activist who mounted an impressive mayoral campaign in Moscow three years ago, chided the Kremlin's demands:
Путин требует компенсации за потери от санкций и контрсанкций. Удивительно:два года эксперты в телевизоре говорили, что от них только выгода
— Alexey Navalny (@navalny) October 3, 2016
Putin demands compensation for the US sanctions. How amazing! Experts have been saying for two years on television that these sanctions have only been beneficial.
Opposition journalist and Chechen War veteran Arkady Babchenko joked similarly, highlighting a T-shirt craze from the past two years featuring images of Russian military hardware with the tagline “Sanctions? Don't make my Iskander [missiles] laugh!” In light of Moscow's new effort to recoup losses for the supposedly “laughable” sanctions, it's the shirts—not the sanctions—that seem ridiculous.
Путин требует от США компенсации ущерба от санкций, включая “потери от введения вынужденных контрсанкций”.
Ну чо, посмеялись?
Спокойно ночи pic.twitter.com/sW0aqqnujW
— Старшина Запаса (@StarshinaZapasa) October 3, 2016
Putin demands compensation from the US for losses from the sanctions, including “losses from the introduction of necessary counter-sanctions.” Well, have you had your laugh? Goodnight!

author: Sasha Shapiro


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Indonesia Drafts New Ban on Cyberbullying, But Activists Say They’re the Target · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Students at a school in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Photo by Intel Free Press via Flickr. (CC BY 2.0)
Proposed amendments to Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law aim to protect children by criminalizing “cyberbullying,” but some activists and free-speech advocates warn that the new legislation could also be used to stifle legitimate dissent.
Since it was enacted in 2008, the government has used the ITE Law to harass and detain activists by charging the state's critics with defamation. In 2015, the Indonesian branch of the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SafeNet) documented 11 such online defamation cases against activists.
So far, the Cyber Law—especially Chapter 27, Verse 3—has been used to prosecute dozens of people using Facebook, Twitter, and mobile applications such as WhatsApp and Blackberry Messenger.
SafeNet checked some of the defamation complaints reported to the police and found out that most of the accused are not really guilty of defamation or blasphemy:
We checked those cases and found out that they were not involved in anything that could be deemed defamatory or blasphemous. Many of the users were actually arrested for expressing their opinion freely on the internet. In some cases, they were detained for raising their voices against corrupt government officials.
Legal defamation charges online & offline on the rise since the turn of the decade after UUITE #IndoUpdate16 pic.twitter.com/8lJU5O5sg3
— kathleen azali (@kathleenazali) September 17, 2016
Responding to calls to review the “draconian” law, Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) vowed to amend the provisions pertaining to defamation, libel, slander, and wiretapping. The review was finished last August, but observers say the process was not transparent.
The proposed revisions include reducing the punishment for defamation from 6 to 4 years, affirming the right to report insults and defamation, reducing the punishment for personal harassment from 12 to 4 years, and classifying cyberbullying as a crime.
If adopted, the changes would soften the penalties for defamation, as critics have demanded, but it would introduce new punishments for cyberbullying.
According to Supriyadi Widodo Eddyono of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), these reforms could undermine Indonesia's freedom of expression because there's no clear definition of what constitutes bullying in the country's legal system. Eddyono fears that the authorities could use the inserted provision to squash and even prevent public criticism.
According to one news report, for instance, the new ban on cyberbullying is worded in such a way that police could even use it to categorize sharing Internet memes that lampoon the government as a form of cyberbullying.
While Congress was finishing its review of the law, Indonesia's police, army, and anti-narcotics agency brought defamation charges against activist Harris Azhar, who published a confession by a convicted drug kingpin executed in July 2016. The confession links senior law-enforcement officers to drug-related corruption and bribery.
Among activists, Azhar's case has come to symbolize the dangers of an expanded cyber law, which they say could discourage potential whistleblowers from coming forward publicly, for fear of defamation charges.
Writing on Facebook, Internet user Turah Saka Bagus Genjing echoed this point:
UU ITE pada akhirnya menjadi alat yang ampuh untuk menebarkan ketakutan bagi suara-suara yang ingin membongkar ketidakadilan di negeri ini. Hal ini menyebabkan hilangnya partisipasi masyarakat untuk mengontrol kinerja pemerintahan,” UU ITE disalah gunakan untuk orang yang ingin menegakkan demokrasi, padahal banyak orang atau situs yg menebarkan kebencian dengan isu SARAnya.
The cyber law is used as an effective tool to spread fear against voices who want to unmask injustices in this country. This will diminish the public's participation to control the government's actions. Cyber law is being used against those who want to uphold democracy.
Some also question the timing of the amendment, coming as Indonesia's campaign season looms. Critics say the reforms could be used to intimidate political rivals and opposition parties in upcoming local and regional elections.

author: Juke Carolina


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WhatsApp Reportedly Blocked in Yemen, Mobile Operator Cites ‘Technical Issues’ · Global Voices
Amr Mostafa

Users at an internet café in Yemen. Photo source: World Bank on Flickr
Since 5 October, tens of thousands of WhatsApp users in Yemen have been dealing with an almost entire interruption of the instant messaging application. A number of users first noticed that the service was not accessible on the mobile networks of the two biggest mobile service providers in the country, Yemen Mobile and MTN. On Twitter, MTN provided a brief response to users’ inquiries, saying that the interruption is due to “technical” issues at YemenNet, the main internet service provider in the country.
@MTNYemen الوتس اب ماينفتح ولا يتصل ايش السبب بينما الفيس بوك شغال
— رضوان سالم (@AlbadaneRd) October 4, 2016
Unable to open or communicate on Whatsapp, while Facebook is working. What's the reason?
@AlbadaneRdنود التنويه الى ان التقطع الحاصل في خدمة الواتس اب يعود نتيجه لاسباب تقنية جاري العمل على حلها من قبل مزودالخدمة في اليمن “يمن نت
— MTN Yemen (@MTNYemen) October 5, 2016
We would like to mention that the interruption in the Whatsapp service is due to technical issues, which the service provider YemenNet is working to resolve
On Friday morning, users also faced difficulties using the Facebook app on their phones, and reported that they were unable to view their notifications, though accessing the site through a browser seemed to be working normally.
In the wake of Saturday's airstrikes that killed at least 140 people, the blocks on basic communication platforms are even more problematic, as families seek to communicate and account for each others’ safety.
Blocking in Yemen is not a new phenomenon. For years, authorities from various political backgrounds have censored the internet for one reason or another. Websites of political opposition groups, websites containing specific religious content, and pornography have all been subject to strict censorship by the main service provider and sole provider of DSL internet connections in the country, YemenNet, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Telecommunication.
However, censorship has increased since the beginning of the conflict in which Houthi rebels are battling forces loyal to president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, which are supported by a Saudi-led coalition. In March and April 2015, Houthi insurgents who control the capital Sana’a and several government buildings including the Ministry of Telecommunication, blocked access to dozens of local and regional news sites over their coverage of the conflict.
But it seems that the authorities are now turning their attention to advanced communication tools like WhatsApp and Telegram, which provide users with alternative ways to share and spread information. In fact, Telegram has seen the number of its users in Yemen increase, as it allows them to share news through the app’s channels without providing a phone number. As a result, several of the blocked sites moved to these applications and similar ones in order to reach out to users.
Until this moment no official announcement has been made concerning WhatsApp. But local experts fear it is actually an intentional shutdown of the service. All internet traffic in Yemen goes through YemenNet, and this monopoly makes it possible to impose censorship and surveillance on more than three million users in the country, most of whom use the internet (rather than traditional telecom services) to communicate.
Until there are new updates available about the real reason behind the interruption of the service, there are speculations that more censorship will be imposed on internet users in Yemen. It seems that the current policy of imposing more censorship on the Yemeni user will not disappear anytime soon, but the question remains whether such policy is enough to prevent users from accessing information, particularly with the availability of internet censorship circumvention tools like Psiphon.
Yemeni journalist and activist Walid Al-Saqaf contributed to editing this article.

author: Amr Mostafa


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Activists, Students, and Survivors Commemorate Thailand’s Forgotten Massacre · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sculpture of the Massacre of 6 October 1976 Memorial at Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Source: Wikimedia Commons
On October 6, 1976, state forces and an anti-communist mob attacked a student protest inside Thammasat University's Tha Prajan campus in Bangkok, Thailand. At least 46 people were killed, but the toll could be higher.
Students from various schools were protesting the return of military leaders who had been ousted from power by a student-led revolt in 1973. More than a thousand people were inside Thammasat University when the mob attacked the protesters. The military subsequently staged a coup that night.
No official probe was ever made into the massacre. No one was arrested and charged in the courts for ordering the brutal killing of students. The massacre is not even discussed in the country’s history textbooks.
It took Thailand more than 20 years to build a small marker dedicated to the victims of the massacre.
After 40 years, survivors and relatives of the dead victims continue to seek justice.
40 years after #6October 1976 massacre of pro-democracy students, #Thailand military still commit rights violations with #impunity. pic.twitter.com/8hSOJijk9V
— Sunai (@sunaibkk) October 6, 2016
Many students were beaten and burned to death on that day. The young protesters were demonized as communists who wanted to dislodge the monarchy, a beloved institution in Thailand.
The brutality of the attack was captured in a photo taken by Associated Press journalist Neal Ulevich
Today marks the 40th anniversary of a massacre of pro-democracy students in Bangkok. This @AP photo from that day never fails to horrify. pic.twitter.com/0CBoFPRMw4
— Sally Mairs (@ssmairs) October 6, 2016
Neal wrote about what he saw that day:
I saw the body of a dead student hanging from one tree. The scene was being repeated just a few feet away.
I don’t know how much earlier the students had been lynched – probably just a few minutes – but enraged rightists felt robbed by death and continued to batter the bodies.
Netnapa Khumtong was a medical student during that time:
They forced us onto the football field and made us take all our clothes off. We were so humiliated and afraid. We can never forget – 40 years on, and still no one has been found responsible. They were violent, and unbelieavably cruel.
Prayuth Chumnasiau was arrested that day. After his release, he chose to join the communist rebels in the mountains:
I was there when it happened at Thammasat University. And I was arrested and detained at Bang Khen Police School for seven days. On October 12, the police allowed for bailing. Ramkhamhaeng University, which I was studying at, bailed all of its students out. The conditions were that after the bail, each student had to report themselves at the Special Branch every month. All students arrested and bailed by Ramkhamhaeng University reported themselves and had their profiles recorded. A few days after the bail, I decided to join the armed struggle with the communist movement in the forest.
Retired academic Thongchai Winichakul, who is also a survivor of the massacre, noted how succeeding military-backed governments conspired to hide the truth about what really happened in Thammasat on that day:
They just don't want to recognize it. That's why the statue commemorating the incident is tucked in the corner of the university. It can't be put up in the public space…
Political science professor Puangthong Pawakapan of Chulalongkorn University lamented the failure to provide justice to the victims of the massacre:
This issue has completely disappeared in Thai society. No one talks about it, at all. Those who wish to see justice feel as though it is impossible. Many people say that the issue should not be dredged up. All of this is a clear indication that the perpetrators have been allowed to get away with their actions. This is because they still hold power.
Sinsawat Yodbantoey, another survivor, urged the public to remember this tragic episode in Thailand’s modern history:
There are things that have been recorded, and there are things that have been forgotten. There are selective memories and selective forgetting. This results in confusion.
Prommin Lertsuridej explained why activists and survivors like him continue to gather every year to commemorate the event:
We gather every year to show we were not people who destroyed the country — but we are the ones who want to create fair society.
For the first time in 40 years, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand’s top university, organized an event to discuss the massacre. The activity even grabbed international attention because one of the invited speakers was Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong who was barred entry at the Bangkok airport.
Several schools in Bangkok also held similar activities to educate the young generation about the massacre.
How one man commemorate #6Oct76 massacre. #Thailand #impunity #barbarity #brutality pic.twitter.com/5iqCsE7AoQ
— Pravit Rojanaphruk (@PravitR) 6 de octubre de 2016
The massacre is not discussed in the school curriculum but it is memorialized in various works of art.
This year, an artist organized a “selfie” exhibit to dramatize the need to remember history. One of the selfie portraits is about the Thammasat Massacre.
#Thailand: “The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them.” The selfie series: https://t.co/rB3IchQO7q pic.twitter.com/P1oMvh4D74
— Kingsley Abbott (@AbbottKingsley) October 6, 2016
But the quest for justice remains elusive. The situation today is made more difficult because it is the military which controls the government.
For professor Surachart Bamrungsuk of Chulalongkorn University, the military is responsible for the country’s political instability:
Our politics is continually going up and down, with civilians and the military taking turns ruling the country, but no remedial action was ever offered to sufferers of this ‘forgotten’ yet deadly incident. Military officers should return to their barracks and let politics take their natural course.
Meanwhile, activists emphasized the need to end impunity in the country. They also demanded the arrest of the perpetrators of the Thammasat Massacre and for the military to restore civilian rule.

author: Mong Palatino


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Reality, Conspiracy and the US ‘Internet Freedom’ Agenda: Deconstructing Iran’s Case Against Nizar Zakka · Global Voices
Mahsa Alimardani

A blackout photo of Nizar Zakka altered by Kevin Rothrock. Image of Zakka speaking at the ‘High Level Policy Statements’ session at the 2015 World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, May 2015 (Image from the ITU Pictures flickr page). He would be arrested a few months later in Iran.
After a year behind bars in Iran, Lebanese citizen Nizar Zakka was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $4.2 million US dollar fine on 20 September 2016. It is believed that Zakka was originally arrested in Iran due to his “deep ties” to U.S. intelligence and work on “Internet freedom”-related projects.
Iranian officials have not publicly released information regarding his conviction or the charges filed against Zakka. Neither the Lebanese nor the U.S. governments have made any public statement on his behalf.
There have been many other arrests for direct or loose associations through programs connected to European or American organizations. Similar cases include the British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, of the Thomson Reuters Foundation and Iranian-American Siamak Namazi, who worked to cultivate ties between the U.S. and Iran. The continued incarceration of Arash Zad, an Iranian entrepreneur who was active and present in start-up conferences and networks in Turkey and Europe, however is the best example of how precarious the situation can be. As far as it can be known, Zad is a non-political technologist now caught in this narrative of paranoia around “western-intrusion”.
These cases should come as no surprise to people working in this field. But they should generate more awareness about the risks incurred by those traveling to Iran, particularly in the new environment of post-nuclear deal paranoia. As the country draws closer to presidential elections in May 2017, the push and pull between moderate, reformist and hardline elements are likely to increase these politicized arrests.
A Lebanese citizen with permanent residency in the U.S., Zakka was active among organizations working on Internet governance issues in the Middle East. He led the Arab ICT Organization IJMA3.org, a Beirut-based industry consortium and promoter of ICT for development in the region that was launched as part of a USAID initiative known as the IT Mentor Alliance. The AP reported that since 2009, Zakka has received at least USD $730,000 in funding from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to run various programs for IJMA3.
Images of Zakka wearing what Iranian media called an American military uniform. Zakka's alma mater publicly stated that Zakka wore the uniform for the military academy's homecoming. Photo from Fars News Agency, published with the intent to republish.
Prior to his arrest, Zakka's work had garnered him a negative reputation among Lebanese activists. In one blog post someone mocked Zakka for his NGO profit-making, which reportedly allowed him to purchase a $3 million house in Washington D.C. A source that wished to remain anonymous documented Zakka's involvement in the bribery and funding of the corrupt Nicolas Fattouch coalition during the 2009 Lebanese election.
In September of 2015, while visiting Iran for a state-sponsored conference for which he received an official invitation, Zakka went missing. Two months later, Iranian state television announced that the Lebanese citizen was in police custody for his “deep ties to the U.S. intelligence and military establishment.”
Photos of Zakka in a military-style uniform were then widely circulated within Iranian media, helping to paint a narrative of Zakka as a U.S. spy.  Zakka's American prep school, Riverside military academy, later stated those photos were taken of him during the school's homecoming event. The name “Riverside” is visible on the left breast pocket of the uniform.
Before the television broadcasts however, Kayhan newspaper, Iran's foremost hardline-conservative newspaper that is closely affiliated with the office of the Supreme Leader, published a would-be exposé entitled “Cyber Management Project Has a Footprint of Intrusion.” The article, published without attribution, asserted that Zakka's ties with U.S. government agencies were part of a foreign conspiracy for the Western domination of Iran.
The following excerpts from Kayhan celebrate Zakka's arrest as a victory against Western intrusion:
دستگیری‌های اخیر نهادهای امنیتی کشورمان در راستای مبارزه با پروژه نفوذ آمریکا در ساختارهای اجتماعی و اقتصادی نظام هر چند تلاش شد از جانب لابی رسانه‌های خارجی با انواع برچسب‌ها تقلیل یابد اما حقیقت این است که پروژه مذکور به دلایل مختلف از توان تضمین آینده حاکمیت جمهوری اسلامی ایران و حفظ مولفه‌های ملی کشورمان برخوردار است…
Foreign media made a variety of accusations in an effort to lobby against the recent arrest made by our security institutions in order to fight the American influence on social and economic structures of [our] system. The truth is that the aforementioned arrests, for various reasons, guaranteed the future rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran…
While Iranian officials have not released any documentation proving Zakka's criminality, it is clear that they took issue with his involvement in Iranian ICT and Internet governance projects, supported by grants from U.S. government agencies.
Along with other hardline media, they focused on his work that fell under the mantle of “Internet freedom”, the term coined by Hillary Clinton when she served as U.S. Secretary of State.
Zakka was tried before Judge Abolghassem Salavati, who is known for his tough sentences in politically-charged cases. Zakka's wife says she has yet to hear from Iranian authorities what the exact crime her husband has been accused of.
Just spoke to wife of Nizar Zakka, Lebanese US resident sentenced to 10 years jail in #Iran. She still hasn't been told what his ‘crime’ was
— Alex Rowell (@disgraceofgod) September 20, 2016
Iranian media have thus far remained silent on Zakka's 10-year sentence. At present, the narrative blend of facts and conspiracy theories published by Kayhan is the most comprehensive piece of public reporting on Zakka's case.
ذکا، مدیر منطقه‌ای «آژانس توسعه فراملی آمریکا» در حوزه غرب آسیا و شمال آفریقاست. همکاری وی با وزارت خارجه آمریکا از ابتدای سال 2005 به صورت رسمی آغاز شد؛ دقیقا زمانی که USAID تصمیم گرفت طرح «شبکه‌سازی اقتصادی- اجتماعی» را به عنوان «کلید تغییرات سیاسی» در خاورمیانه اجرایی کند.
در سند آژانس دقیقا از عبارت «سازمان نفوذ» در توصیف پروژه مذکور استفاده شده و بر ارتباط‌گیری همزمان با ساختار اجتماعی غیردولتی و مدیران دولتی به منظور کنترل و حفظ توازن درون حاکمیتی تاکید شده است. .
Zakka is the regional manager of “Transnational Development Agency Of United States” in Western Asia and North Africa. His cooperation with the U.S. State Department officially began in 2005, exactly when USAID decided to use economic and social networks as the key to political change in the Middle East…
In the agency documents they called this project “the influence organization” and emphasized the cooperation between non-governmental and social structures with state administrators as part of an effort to control and maintain the balance within the government.
Kayhan represents Zakka's work as part of a conspiracy by Iran's enemies — namely the United States and Saudi Arabia — to culturally and economically dominate Iran and create a rift between the Iranian regime and its people. While it is clear that Zakka was working on behalf of USAID, the meaning of this work — and the question of whether or not it was intended to realize “cultural and economic domination” — is in the eye of the beholder.
Nizar Zakka, recently sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran spoke during Persian ICT Week in 2014 as he partnered on ICT for development projects with his organization IJMA3 with Iranian private and governmental groups. Image from Persian ICT Week Official Video.
The articles goes on to describe how Zakka's organization worked alongside UN agencies and the Iranian ICT Ministry to plan the Persian Internet Governance Forum. Yet Kayhan presents this information without mentioning that the Persian IGF never came to fruition.
Internal conflicts apparently prevented IJMA3 from holding the first Persian IGF session, although preparatory meetings did generate some government involvement in the multi-stakeholder process, according to a report by Small Media.
An announcement of the joint venture between IJMA3 and the Tehran ICT Guild to host the first Persian IGF. Screenshot from prweb.com.
It appears that Kayhan is primarily concerned with how Zakka and his organization were able to achieve close proximity to individuals within the Iranian government while still maintaining ties to the U.S. government. Kayhan charges that Zakka worked with an official known as N.J., who at one time served as Senior Manager of Information and Technology Organization in the Ministry of Communication in Tehran. (Note: It is a common practice in Iranian hardline media to identify perpetrators or those arrested under charges of national security with only their initials.)
The article links efforts by N.J. to promote Iran's attendance within the international ICT sphere to Zakka, portraying them as forms of sabotage for national Internet projects and efforts.
ذکا چگونه به ایران نفوذ کرد؟
پس از موفقیت نسبی طرح اولیه در گرجستان و لبنان و مونته نگرو، ذکا به عنوان مدیر شناخته شده جریان «کارآفرینی اقتصادی» و «شبکه‌سازی اجتماعی» در خاورمیانه، مامور به ارتباط‌گیری با وزارت ارتباطات کشورمان شد. وی از طریق «ن.ج»، مدیر ارشد سازمان فناوری اطلاعات ایران، به تهران راه یافت و نمونه ایرانی تشکیلات «اجمع» لبنان به عنوان بزرگ‌ترین حامی منطقه‌ای حاکمیت آمریکا بر اینترنت تحت عنوان «اینترنت آزاد»
[He launched] the Lebanese “Internet freedom” program under the structure of Persian IGF (Internet Governance Forum) with the help of “N.J.” [initials of an unnamed official] the Senior Manager of Information and Technology Organization in the Ministry of Communication in Tehran…
IGF is the registered executor of world politics within the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Within this summit which is famous for being “the losers club of Internet management,” these countries — that are satellites of American thought on cyberspace — bind and present themselves as participants in the American dream of “Internet freedom.”
Kayhan goes on to paint the United Nations forums and agencies involved with telecommunications and Internet governance as pawns of the US “Internet freedom” agenda. The story implicates various organizations doing Iran-focused digital rights work with support from U.S. and European government funding bodies.
While the article is rife with conspiracy theory formulations, there are many cases where the above mentioned governments worked alongside Hivos, Internews, IREX, and Freedom House among other organisations on Iran-related projects through regional grant mechanisms. This work actually preceded the “Internet Freedom” agenda born under Hilary Clinton, dating back as far as 2006.
The tone of the article exudes a deep resentment for elements within the present government that are nurturing relationships and work with the broader international community. While the descriptions of the Iranian government's participation at well-known global forums such as the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) read as juvenile (they describe WSIS as a “loser cyber club”), it nevertheless reflects a serious phenomenon in Iran.
There is a known push and pull between the reformist and moderates against hardline elements of the Iranian government. On one side, there are those associated with President Hassan Rouhani's administration and efforts to bring about the nuclear deal. On the other side are the more hardline and conservative elements, especially those allied with the office of the Supreme Leader, and the conservative and powerful bodies such as the Revolutionary Guards and the Judiciary. These elements are involved in maintaining Iran's financial institutions, but also sit at the forefront of arrests and persecutions of individuals for bringing “foreign meddling” to Iran.
This case — and the Kayhan article itself — can be seen as a cautionary tale for Iranians or foreigners involved in technology-related work in Iran that receives funding from Western governments.

author: Mahsa Alimardani


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Turkish Village Preserves “Bird Language” in a Cell-Phone World · Global Voices
Eurasianet

Kuşköy local. Screenshot taken from Eurasianet video.
The following is a photo and audio partner post from EurasiaNet.org written by Alexander Christie-Miller. Republished with permission. Follow link for photo and audio.
In most ways, Kuşköy resembles countless other villages nestled in the Pontic Mountains along Turkey’s Black Sea coast. Its 500 or so residents cultivate tea and hazelnuts; there is one street with a baker, a butcher, and a few cafes. It is the sounds, not the sights, that make Kuşköy different. For generations, villagers have conversed using a unique form of whistled communication they call “kuş dili,” or “bird language” in Turkish.
The name Kuşköy itself means “bird village.” “Come over here for some tea!” Ibrahim Kodalak calls to his neighbor as he stands outside his home, which clings to a sheer hillside far above a valley. The 45-year-old hazelnut farmer is “speaking” in a series of earsplitting, warbling whistles that really do resemble bird song.
In fact, according to Kodalak, the melodies of local birds are often similar to kuş dili; a morning song of the blackbird is the same as a famous verse in the Quran, he claims. “Electricity only came here in 1986, and before that it was hard to communicate over long distances; we really needed bird language,” Kodalak said, reverting to Turkish.
Like other forms of whistled communication, kuş dili arose in a region where the rugged ground and sparse population made travel difficult even over short distances. A whistle can reverberate for more than a kilometer, according to Kodalak. “If you can’t make your voice heard over a long distance, you could also make a chain with different people relaying the message.”
Most villagers believe kuş dili arose about 400 years ago, although no one knows for sure. The “language” is, in fact, a whistled dialect of Turkish, with each syllable rendered in one of about 20 different sounds. Typical subjects include invitations to tea or to help with work, notifying neighbors about the arrival of a truck to pick up the harvest, or announcements of funerals, births and weddings.
The slow process of modernization in the village helped preserve kuş dili, but, in recent decades – particularly since the arrival of cell phones – the language has been in decline, said Kuşköy’s mukhtar, or village headman, Metin Köçek. “Now we have roads, electricity and phone lines,” Köçek said. “In our childhood, the bird language was used a lot in daily life. Now we meet the same needs by using a cell phone.”
Technology is not the only threat. As in other parts of rural Turkey, many young people are leaving Kuşköy in search of better opportunities in the country’s booming cities. “Lack of opportunities is a general problem in our area,” commented Mehmet Fatih Kara, the governor of Canakçı district, within which Kuşköy is situated. “Young people go and leave the elderly behind, and only visit on vacation.”
For the past 15 years, the village has held an annual festival to promote the language. There are whistling displays, and a contest between the finest whistlers, in which they relay instructions to each over the valley before a panel of judges.
“Our purpose is to promote bird language to our country and to the world,” said Şeref Köçek, organizer of the festival, and head of the village’s Bird Language Association.
Around 2,000 people attended this year’s festival, on July 8, which had an emphasis more on local music and dancing than on whistling. Almost all were from the nearby area, or were relatives who had returned specially for the festival.
Kara believes that kuş dili could be used as a means of boosting the local economy and arresting the current exodus to the cities. “I want to use tourism to turn this language into an economic source for the region,” he said.
Recently, he approached Türk Telekom, the former state-owned telecommunications company, to provide sponsorship for the festival. At the time of publication, Telekom representatives had not responded to the request.
The funding would be used to improve roads in the area, and move the festival to a more picturesque location on the grassy plateau above the village, he said.
Whether any of it will help reverse kuş dili’s slow decline remains to be seen.
But for Bird Language Association Director Seref Köçek ‘s brother Rıfat, a 38-year-old Istanbul firefighter who terms kuş dili his “mother tongue,” Kuşköy has a obligation to preserve its cultural heritage. “[W]e need to keep the language alive out of respect to our ancestors,” he said. “They created it, and they never knew that one day it could make us famous.”

author: Eurasianet


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Chinese Propaganda Authorities Promote Clinton-Trump ‘Love Song’ Spoof Videos · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Screen capture from a spoofed love song video.
Chinese netizens are chattering about a series of new spoof videos that features remixed footage from the October 9 US presidential debate. The videos depict Clinton and Trump as lovers, singing romantic songs to each other.
But these are not the average spoof videos made by a teenager with too much time on their hands. News outlets and social media accounts affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and the government are jointly promoting the series of videos remixed by “netizens.” Since they can't stop people from following the news, propaganda authorities are doing their best to keep the focus on the more absurd aspects of the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
The first debate which was live-streamed on various online platforms without Chinese subtitles has drawn huge Chinese netizens’ attention even though many of them could not fully understand the English debate. In popular Chinese social media site Sina Weibo, the live streaming has attracted more than 40,000 likes, 15,000 shares, and 13,000 comments, and the hashtag #USPresidentialDebateOnTV on Weibo had more than 7.38 million page visits.
The distribution of the second presidential debate was not as extensive as live-streaming platforms have stopped using the hashtag for the debate. When netizens search key terms such as “Trump,” “Hilary” or “U.S presidential debate,” the social media feed is flooded with contents about the spoof videos rather than serious discussions.
There are multiple versions of the videos featuring various well-known romantic love songs circulating on Chinese social media, and some have been uploaded to YouTube. Here is one:
The videos have been distributed by the Central School of the Chinese Communist Youth League (共青团中央学校部), state-owned TV network CCTV (央视网), the Communist Youth League affiliated media outlets China Youth Network (中国青年网) and Beijing Youth Weekly (北京青年周刊), and numerous CCP-controlled news outlets like the Chengdu Commercial Daily (成都商报) and Xiaoxiang Morning Herald (潇湘晨报).
The message attached to the music video by China Youth Network right after the debate read:
【毫无违和感！请欣赏川普和希拉里情歌对唱】￼￼今天美国总统大选第二场电视辩论结束，有才的网友将川普和希拉里的激辩现场做了一组情歌对唱图￼……现实中的美国大选比《纸牌屋》更离奇。作为“吃瓜群众”，不妨看看热闹罢了。
Totally inharmonious and at odds with the setting! Please listen to the love song sung by Trump and Hillary: Today the second US presidential debate has ended. Talented netizens have created a set of love songs…the reality of the US presidential debate is more bizarre than [the US drama series] “House of Cards.” For the “melon-eating masses,” why not join the crowd and take a look [at the love song].
The Chinese word for melon can also mean fool. “Melon-eating masses” refers to those people who enjoy being fools and don’t know the truth.
The video represents a tactical change for Chinese authorities. Regardless of the language barrier, thousands of Chinese netizens still watched the live-streaming of the first presidential election debate on September 26.
The associated online discussions included very mild criticisms of the Chinese political system, some in a mocking tone, such as:
民主国家就是烦，每天浪费时间在这些没用的事情上，还是钦定的好
Democratic countries are full of troubles, wasting so much time on meaningless issues, the system of appointment is much better.
领导人掐架不值得羡慕，羡慕的是后来未能当选的那个不会被弄死
We should not be envious of seeing leaders attacking each other, what we should be envious of is that after all the attacks, those defeated are still alive.
看人思己，一国首脑执政理念公之于众，接受别人的质询。
Looking at others and reflecting on ourselves. Leaders of the country presenting their visions to the public and responding to criticisms.
For the Chinese Communist Party, the US presidential election is a showcase of the failure of the western democratic system, and the endless stream of scandals surrounding both main candidates is proof that the US has no right to lecture others on tenets of democracy.
However, there's no room for debate about the system back home — even mere deliberation on the merits of the Chinese model of governance can trigger opinions that go against the official line. The recent shutting down of “Gongshi” or Consensus (21ccom.net) reflects the authorities’ anxiety in public deliberation.
While many of the comments to the videos were laughing emoticons, the fact that people are being treated like “melon-eating masses” is not funny at all.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Ethiopian Authorities Shut Down Mobile Internet and Major Social Media Sites · Global Voices
Endalkachew Chala

Photo published on EthioTube page titled “Pictures from Oromo Protest – Winter 2015″. No attribution or further context appears on the site.
All mobile internet services have been shut down in Ethiopia for the last seven days, amid increasingly violent protest scenes and a recently declared a “state of emergency”.
Demonstrations have taken place with regular frequency in Ethiopia's Oromia region since November 2015, with protesters demanding greater self-rule, freedom and respect for the ethnic identity of the Oromo people, who have experienced systematic marginalization and persecution over the last quarter century. Authorities have used deadly force against the protesters on more than one occasion. On October 2 alone, 52 people were killed. The Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), an opposition party, has reported a death toll of nearly 600 people.
While select social media and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp have been shut down sporadically as protests have grown more intense, in Addis Ababa, the capital, this is the longest sustained mobile Internet service shutdown that has taken place since they began.
The sudden silence of the protests on social media has left those tracking the movement over Facebook and Twitter worried.
Mobile internet, social media cut for +7 days in the “African capital” #AddisAbaba. Gov spox says service will be back “when deemed safe”…
— Karim Lebhour (@KaLebhour) October 11, 2016
The mobile Internet blackout is also likely resulting in a decrease in online news about the protests. Activists fear that the protest movement, which has relied on social media both for coordination and for circulating their message to international audiences, will be severed from their primary means of communication. Despite low Internet penetration in Ethiopia, social media are becoming essential —especially for the protest movements in Oromia and Amhara regional states. Newsfeeds from Facebook pages and Twitter feeds from Ethiopia are not showing the same abundance of posts as they were a week ago.
How #Ethiopia censors Facebook. With a state of emergency now in place, expect more #Internetshutdowns and #surveillance. #KeepItOn pic.twitter.com/pD2laTPzpF
— Moses Karanja (@Mose_Karanja) October 9, 2016
The government has been cutting off connectivity and blocking social media in Oromia and Amhara regions over the past 12 months. In June they blocked social media in the name of preventing exams leaks, but now it is not clear whether te government is switching off all mobile internet services as a precursor to the ongoing protest, or if the measure is intended as a reaction to protests. Those close to the situation fear this may be the beginning of a dangerous new phase after 12 months of protests.

author: Endalkachew Chala


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Social Media Keep Up Pressure on Trinidad and Tobago’s President · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Following her initial Facebook Live video that raised important questions about the use of public funds by the Office of the President in Trinidad and Tobago, political commentator and university researcher Rhoda Bharath has released yet another.
President's House, Trinidad and Tobago. The residence has since fallen into disrepair. Photo by Albert Sydney [CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons]
In her video of October 10, 2016, Bharath's first point of business was to ask President Anthony Carmona to respond to allegations of nepotism raised in a Trinidad Guardian news report on October 9. According to the Guardian, “Savitri Singh, who bears a similar name to President Carmona’s mother-in-law Savitri Seeteram Singh, received allowances of over $300,000 [US$44,800] to accompany the Carmona family on several overseas trips.”
According to Trinidad and Tobago's Integrity in Public Life Act — as well as parliamentary rules on the hiring of staff — hiring a relative is a conflict of interest. Bharath reminded viewers of several instances in which holders of public office have abused this rules and went unpunished, but made the point that these bad precedents did not mean the practice should be allowed to continue.
Bharath then took the president to task for his public statement of September 28, 2016, in which he responded to questions she posed in an earlier video regarding his receipt of a monthly housing allowance of TT$28,000 (US$4,182) while living in state-funded housing. In his statement Carmona insisted that he did not “coerce, suggest, authorise or impose that decision”, but was “informed” by “an independent SRC [Salaries Review Commission]…that I would receive the allowance during that period I occupied such temporary accommodation.”
Bharath challenged this assertion, referring to a Trinidad Express newspaper report dated November 8, 2014 which stated that “It was the secretary to the President who asked the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) to provide ‘an interpretation’ on the payment of the now controversial housing allowance to President Anthony Carmona.” It is believed that the president was given the tax-free $28,000 housing allowance as a result of this interpretation.
“Now here's the clincher,” Bharath said, “The Chief Personnel Officer does not have the power to give the president the housing allowance. The only body that is authorised to give the president the housing allowance and housing is the Cabinet. […] That did not happen.”
This, according to Bharath, raises concerns as to whether public servants who hold such key positions are doing adequate due diligence and following necessary procedure regarding the use of public monies.
In light of the mounting suspicions about the integrity of the Office of the President — some of which have been highly satirised — some citizens are calling for Carmona's dismissal. Attorney Justin Phelps noted in a public Facebook post that:
Every law by which we live and maintain a civilized society, law and order is issued under the hand of the President. That office has to remain above credible suspicion for us to carry on. Stop being something that Trump wants to grab and stand up.
In her video, Bharath also introduced some new information obtained from an unnamed source: that in May 2016, while the country's parliament was debating the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) Amendment Bill, an independent senator was allegedly present at a caucus meeting held by the country's opposition. The independent bench in parliament, which should be impartial and independent of party politics, is appointed by the president.
“So I want to ask, Senator Dhanayshar Mahabir….” said Bharath, “did you attend the opposition caucus meeting on the SSA Amendment Bill, and did that meeting influence how you voted in the Senate thereafter, and did that meeting influence you to caucus the independent bench and to tell the independent bench how to vote?”
The SSA Amendment Bill was eventually passed on May 10, 2016, with the support of two out of nine independent senators.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Google Warns More Than a Dozen Russian Journalists and Activists About ‘Government-Backed Attackers’ · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Image edited by Kevin Rothrock.
More than a dozen Russian journalists and activists received a strange warning from Google earlier today, notifying them that “government-backed attackers” may be “trying to steal” their passwords. According to the security alert, Google says it “can’t reveal what tipped [it] off because the attackers will take note and change their tactics.” The company says these attacks happen to “less than 0.1 percent of all Gmail users.”
According to opposition activist Oleg Kozlovsky, at least 16 people—including Bellingcat researcher and RuNet-Echo contributor Aric Toler—have received warnings from Google. Kozlovsky says he’s been alerted, along with Transparency International Vice President Elena Panfilova, former Moscow city council member Maksim Kats, journalist Ilya Klishin, and others.
Lovely.
(not a phishing email, alert popped up on my actual Gmail account) pic.twitter.com/c7zdxKfXRr
— Aric Toler (@AricToler) October 11, 2016
Alexey Shlyapuzhnikov, a security consultant for Transparency International, says the hackers were targeting, in part, three domains belonging to the NGO, as well as the email addresses of staff at regional and international offices.
Cybersecurity experts at the “ThreatConnect Research Team” concluded last month that Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins and some of his top researchers, including Toler, were targeted in a spearphishing campaign consistent with the tactics, techniques, and procedures of the hacker group “Fancy Bear,” which has been implicated in attacks on the Democratic National Convention, the World Anti-Doping Agency, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Bellingcat has been a key contributor to the international investigation of the shootdown of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) over Ukraine in 2014.
Toler says he’s received about a dozen phishing emails warning of unauthorized login attempts, urging him to check his account activity and change his password. The links provided in the emails look legitimate, but they are actually malicious attempts to steal personal data, masked behind tiny.cc hyperlinks.
This is hardly the first time persons connected to Russia’s independent media have found themselves in the crosshairs of hacking efforts. In September 2015, an editor and a journalist at the newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that their email inboxes had been targeted by persons who obtained unauthorized duplicates of their SIM-cards from cell service providers.
In April 2016, several Russian journalists—including Roman Shleynov, who worked with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project on the “Panama Papers” investigation—said they received security warnings from Google about possible state-sanctioned attempts to hijack their email accounts.
On April 29, two Russian opposition activists—one of whom was Oleg Kozlovsky—reported that their Telegram messenger accounts had been hacked remotely. They say unauthorized access to their accounts was obtained through tampering with the app's SMS login feature. “There are no doubts that this whole special operation was organized and partially executed by Russia’s Federal Security Service,” concluded Vladislav Zdolnikov, a technology expert working with Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
In June 2012, Google rolled out warnings for users it believes are being targeted by state-sponsored attacks. “If you see this warning it does not necessarily mean that your account has been hijacked,” explained Eric Grosse, Google’s vice president of security engineering. “It just means that we believe you may be a target, of phishing or malware for example, and that you should take immediate steps to secure your account.”

author: Kevin Rothrock


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The Plight of the Zambian Watchdog: Embattled Opposition News Site Goes Down · Global Voices
Kunta Kelu

Zambia Lusaka skyline. Photo by Mike Lee via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Popular investigative news site the Zambian Watchdog has allegedly been shut down by the Zambian government. Both the website and Facebook page have been inaccessible since September 21.
On September 28, state agents armed with an AK47 rifles raided the Lusaka offices of web hosting company Hai Telecommunications in search of Zambian Watchdog servers. No official statement has been released by the authorities about the website's closure, and it is unclear whether the Facebook page was shuttered by the company or by its own administrators (perhaps at the government's behest). Zambia has no known record of asking Facebook to remove content from its network.
The closure and the raid may represent a turning point in a long-standing cat-and-mouse game between the government and the controversial news website. The Watchdog, which includes Zambian journalists both in the US and abroad (many of whom write anonymously), has a reputation for hard-nosed investigative reporting and and for more sensational coverage of the news. The Watchdog has been a vocal critic of the ruling Patriotic Front party since it took power in 2011.
Zambia's Supreme Court reserves ruling in presidential petition case, February 17, 2009, photo by Harrison Tuntu. Lusaka, Zambia. Demotix.
With regular attempts by authorities to dismantle its online presence, the Watchdog website has been intermittently inaccessible in Zambia since 2012. The group has relied heavily on Facebook as a secondary platform for disseminating their stories and engaging debate among their readers. With the Facebook page now down, readers and even competitors have begun to worry that this may be a turning point for the embattled outlet.
The most recent closures may be related to the Watchdog's coverage of the 2016 general elections. The site was supporting the main opposition politician, Hakainde Hichilema, of the United Party for National Development (UPND).
Surrounding the 11 August elections, various media outlets were put under significant pressure by regulatory authorities. The Post, Zambia's largest independent daily newspaper, had their offices locked up and their printing equipment seized by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) because of outstanding taxes alleged to be at K68 million (US$6.1 million).
Screen shot of Zambian Watchdog on February 12, 2015.
After the elections, Zambia's Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) suspended the broadcasting licences of the country's largest independent TV station as well as two radio stations for “unprofessional conduct posing a risk to national peace and stability” before, during and after the 2016 elections. The suspension has since been lifted.
The closing of the Zambian Watchdog's Facebook page has led to the creation of “imitation” Zambian Watchdog Facebook pages. Another news site, The Observer, published a statement from the owners of the Watchdog, warning readers about the imitations:
We would like to inform you that none of the pages “Zambian Watchdog 1, Zambian Watchdog Two and the so called Zambian Original are a true replica of the Mighty and Famous Zambian Watchdog.
Although all the three have been created by junior Zambian Watchdog Reporters…[they are] NOT being edited by Zambian Watchdog editors. People are hereby informed that the mighty Zambian Watchdog is yet to open a page. It is actually still closed.
The site has maintained its Twitter account although there have been no updates since September 23. A visit to its domain name redirects visitors to GoDaddy, a web hosting company, showing that Zambian Watchdog domain is available for sale.
The Post newspaper, which had been at loggerheads with Zambian Watchdog in the past, published a strong editorial advocating for the right of the the site to exist, despite its controversial position:
What is happening to the internet-based news media outlet – the Zambian Watchdog? A few years ago, the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority, in the worst form of media censorship, blocked Zambians from accessing the Watchdog’s website. One can only view this website from outside Zambia. The Watchdog had to resort to Facebook to service its readers based in Zambia. Now, it seems even this will not be tolerated. The Zambian authorities are trying very hard to destabilise their presence on Facebook.
We are not fans of the Watchdog. We actually have serious issues with them. Sometimes they have really taken journalism to the dogs. And we have raised issues with them for that doggish conduct. But our displeasure, or indeed the displeasure of all other Zambians, with them should not lead us to wipe them out, to annihilate them. As Nelson Mandela once aptly put it, “None of our irritations with the perceived inadequacies of the media should ever allow us to suggest even faintly that the independence of the press could be compromised or coerced. A bad, free press is preferable to a technically good, subservient one.”
Since the Patriotic Front (PF) took office in 2011, there have been routine attempts to muzzle citizen media websites such as the Zambian Watchdog and Zambia Reports. Both sites have been blocked within the country on multiple occasions. Zambia Reports, however, has since leaned towards the government.
In 2014, former Information and Broadcasting Permanent Secretary Bert Mushala said that the government was drafting a law intended to address online media and tackle “Internet abuse” and cybercrime. He said certain online media and other publications spent their time insulting and spreading falsehoods at the expense of accurate, factual reporting and developmental issues.
In the same year, former Zambia's Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Miles Sampa, offered a US$2000 reward to anyone who can unmask the identity of people behind independent media website Zambian Watchdog for writing stories and printing pictures alleging infidelity against him. In a counter-offer, the Zambian Watchdog offered iPads and other tablets to people with what they call “credible information” on an alleged extra-marital romantic affair of the minister.
A journalist who was facing trial in a case linking him to the Zambian Watchdog, Thomas Zgambo, was beaten and threatened with death in 2014 by the son of Zambian President Michael Sata, Kazim Sata. Journalists Wilson Pondamali, Thomas Zgambo and media scholar Clayson Hamasaka have all faced various criminal charges since PF came to power for their connections to the Zambian Watchdog.
In 2014, Zambian police force said they will employ “international legal provisions” to take into custody the operators of the website claiming that they were threatening the security of the state. This was after the website published a draft constitution that the government had written but neglected to release to the public.

author: Kunta Kelu


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Blinded, Married, and Turned Loose in the Ring: Three Stories of Girls in Modern-Day India · Global Voices
VideoVolunteers

Image: Flickr / Ramesh Lalwani / CC BY 2.0
This is a collection of texts that originally appeared on Facebook, published by Video Volunteers, an award-winning international community media organization based in India. The edited versions are published below as part of a content-sharing agreement.
October 11 marks International Day of the Girl, which sheds light on issues that affect young women throughout the world. Below are a few stories covered by the Video Volunteers community's citizen journalists, showing how girls in India face and cope with various gender-related challenges.
Dozens of people have been killed by Indian military forces and thousands more were injured in the surge of unrest in Indian-administered Kashmir last July. Indian forces allegedly have been using pellet guns on unruly crowds and even bystanders, resulting in serious injuries.
Sadia was looking through the kitchen window when police shot her in the eye. YouTube
Sania Tamanna, an 11-year-old girl, was shot with pellets while she stood in her kitchen, looking outside. The pellets pierced her left eye, partially blinding her. Three surgeries later, doctors are not yet sure if she will ever regain her eyesight in that eye.
Is this the world we are envisioning for our children, where their safety is not guaranteed even within in their own homes?
Afroza Mahed met with Sania at her home in Ganderbal:
India has the highest number of child brides in the world, totaling 240 million—a third of all child brides reported around the world (according to 2014 figures).
In 2013, the Ministry of Women and Child Development drafted a National Action Plan to prevent child marriages. In the three years since, however, the plan has yet to be implemented.
According to Unicef, 47 percent of the girls in India are married before their 18th birthday.
The story of child-bride Mexiri from Odisha. YouTube
A wife by the age of twelve, Mexiri from Odisha suffered domestic violence at the hands of her husband and in-laws. At 14, she delivered a baby boy and became severely anaemic. The child died a year later, and Mexiri was forced to have another child within a year. At 16, she became a mother to a physically handicapped baby boy and she was branded as a witch. Today, 19 years old, she lives with her parents, without any monetary support from her in-laws or husband. Her child suffers due to lack of nutrition without any help from the government.
Child marriage, partner abuse, sexual violence, lack of healthcare services and support, and a lack of access to government funding are real issues impacting millions of girls and young women throughout India. Sadly, many of these individuals are affected by more than one of these issues at once, making life nearly impossible for them and their children.
But even in these circumstances, there are incredible stories of heroism and heroines.
Girls practicing kickboxing in Kashmir. YouTube
When Tajamul wanted to take up kickboxing, her father tried to dissuade her, saying it’s a rough sport and she might get hurt. She persisted, though, promising that she’d best all the boys.
At seven, Tajamul fulfilled that promise by becoming India's youngest sub-junior national kickboxing champion. She defeated her 13-year-old opponent to win the title in the 2015 national finals and will represent India in the International Kickboxing Championships in Italy this November.
Today, Tajamul’s father is not only proud of his daughter, but he says he hopes she will help change people’s attitudes about girls and sports in her native Kashmir. The trailblazer hails from the remote town of Bandipora, where opportunities for girls are very limited.
Tajamul has broken every stereotype about girls and sports, excelling at a contact sport that requires skill, hard training, and a lot of physical strength. She trains five hours every day, all while studying and pursuing her other love: dancing.

author: VideoVolunteers


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Following a Big Scoop, Prominent Journalist Cyril Almeida Is Barred From Leaving Pakistan · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Photo from Cyril Almeida's Facebook page.
Four days after respected Pakistani journalist Cyril Almeida published a front-page scoop, he has been barred from travel by being put on the Exit Control List, an extraordinary measure usually reserved for hardened criminals or people involved in mass fraud and corruption.
The travel ban has raised serious questions about Almeida's security and the state of press freedom in Pakistan.
Almeida is an assistant editor at Pakistan's oldest and most respected English-language daily Dawn. His scoop, which cited anonymous government sources, confirmed long suspected rumours of a rift between the country's civilian and military leaderships over counter-terrorism efforts.
After his story was published, a spokesman for the Pakistani Prime Minister's Office disputed it, labelling it an “amalgamation of fiction and fabrication.” But his paper, Dawn, is standing by Almeida. Dawn's editor Zaffar Abbas published a note saying that the story was “verified, cross-checked and fact-checked”.
The travel ban came four days after Almeida's scoop was published.
I am told and have been informed and have been shown evidence that I am on the Exit Control List.
— cyril almeida (@cyalm) October 10, 2016
The front-page exclusive story, which was published on October 6, revealed that at a top-secret meeting, members of the civilian government complained to the military's top spy chief that when their law-enforcement agencies took action against armed groups, his “security establishment … worked behind the scenes to set the arrested free”.
According to the report, Rizwan Akhtar, the military's spy chief, was told that Pakistan could only avoid international isolation if it took action against terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Haqqani Network and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The Pakistani military has often been accused of being too soft on the three Jihadi groups by neighboring countries India and Afghanistan.
Almeida's travel ban comes at a time of heightened tension between India and Pakistan. The Indian government recently claimed an extraordinary cross-border “surgical strike” in Pakistan by its army commandos. Their attack was apparently in response to a deadly assault on an army post in Indian-administered Kashmir, which India blamed Pakistan-based armed groups for. The charge was rejected by the Pakistani government.
As is common in situations where security agencies are criticised, Almeida has faced a storm of trolls labelling him a traitor. On Twitter, Almeida shared his grief over being on the Exit Control List and the possibility of the state taking ‘uglier actions’ after the ban:
Was a long-planned trip, for at least several mths now. There are certain things that I will never, ever forgive.
— cyril almeida (@cyalm) October 10, 2016
I feel sad tonight. This is my life, my country. What went wrong.
— cyril almeida (@cyalm) October 10, 2016
Puzzled, saddened. Had no intention of going anywhere; this is my home. Pakistan.
— cyril almeida (@cyalm) October 11, 2016
“Ur very famous in the airport. Ur name plastered at each immigration officer's desk. A big A4 sheet with just your name.” – ‘sources’ say
— cyril almeida (@cyalm) October 11, 2016
Am concerned, possibly convinced, more than 24hrs after the travel ban was imposed that govt is planning to take further, uglier actions.
— cyril almeida (@cyalm) October 11, 2016
Dawn continues to stand by their story and have confirmed that Almeida was put on the Exit Control List. An Editor's note published on the paper's Facebook page:
NOTE: Dawn would like to clarify and state on the record several things.
First, this newspaper considers it a sacred oath to its readers to pursue its reporting fairly, independently and, above all, accurately. The story by Cyril Almeida “Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military” that has been rejected by Prime Minister’s Office as a fabrication was verified, cross-checked and fact-checked.
Second, many at the helm of affairs are aware of the senior officials, and participants of the meeting, who were contacted by the newspaper for collecting information, and more than one source confirmed and verified the details.
Therefore, the elected government and state institutions should refrain from targeting the messenger, and scape-goating the country’s most respected newspaper in a malicious campaign. – Editor Dawn
Politicians, reporters and human rights activists across the country have issued statements condemning the alleged actions by the government under the hashtag #StandWithCyril:
Banned #ASWJ‘s Ahmed Ludhianvi, Ramzan Mengal,Khadim Hussain Dhillon&Paryal Shah can go to Saudi Arabia but @cyalm is on ECL #StandWithCyril pic.twitter.com/IYKoU3E5pl
— Bilal Farooqi (@bilalfqi) October 10, 2016
Placing good journalists like Cyril on the ECL achieves nothing.Only dents journalism,freedomOfspeech & democracy #StandWithCyril #Pakistan
— Shehryar Taseer (@shehryar_taseer) October 11, 2016
If @cyalm name appears on the ECL for the article he wrote,why not those names not on ECL which r on corruption list ?#StandWithCyril
— Irum Azeem Farooque (@Irumf) October 10, 2016
The govt's overreaction to @cyalm‘s story is ridiculously bizarre. Military pulling the strings. PM acting like a puppet. I #StandWithCyril
— Ali Salman Alvi (@alisalmanalvi) October 10, 2016
Curbing freedom of press hardly the way to establish credibility in the world or at home #StandWithCyril
— Sehar Tariq (@sehartariq) October 10, 2016
The Exit Control List (ECL) is a system of border control, which through an ordinance, allows the government to prohibit people from leaving the country. According to the rules, the following categories of people could be placed on the ECL:
As concerns continue to be raised for Almeida's safety and the state of press freedom in Pakistan, a few questions remain and concerns lurk: Why was Almeida put on the ECL? Is the state scapegoating Almeida to find a leak within their ranks? And more importantly are Pakistani authorities using an ordinance meant for hardened criminals against one of the country's most respected journalists?

author: Sana Saleem