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Cameroon: English Bloggers Analyze Cameroon Elections 2011 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This page is part of our special coverage Cameroon Elections 2011.
The 2011 presidential election in the Republic of Cameroon will take place on October 9, 2011. This is a roundup of posts written by Cameroonian English bloggers about the elections.
ntemfacofege says that incumbent President Paul Biya uses money to entice corrupt politicians:
The Biya regime is enticing equally corrupt politicians with a cash-handout, or bait, of 25.000.000FCFA from the state coffers to present a challenge to his candidacy.
There are now 23 candidates now running. Each candidate pays in 5.000.000FCFA to the state treasury.
All the candidates have to do is rush to the nearing bank, microfinance hourse, credit union or whatever and demand a short term loan of 5.000.000FCFA.
They they collect 25.000.000 from the state; payback their short-term loan and report a profit of at least 15.000.000.
For less than three weeks of work.
Small wonder Cameroon has several times been voted most corrupt country on earth.
With Mr. Paul Biya presiding.
Francis Wache notes that this year's election will be the last for opposition candidate John Fru Ndi. He thinks that it would be best for Ndi to form a coalition with other parties:
Mr Ni John Fru Ndi is, incontestably, the leader of Cameroon’s opposition. He leads the Social Democratic Front, SDF, Cameroon’s indisputable frontline opposition party. Other serious so-called opposition parties have either petered out or joined ranks, in return for ministerial lollipops, with the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM.
This year’s presidential election will be the last for Fru Ndi. He said so himself. That is why he must give it all it takes. But, Fru Ndi, in giving his best, must also bring along like-minded political parties. It would be suicidal for him to go solo.
Kah Walla, Cameroonian presidential candidate. She is the founder of Cameroon Ô Bosso (Cameroon Let's Go), a civil society organisation supporting free and fair elections. Image source: www.kahwalla.com
Dibussi Tande disagrees. He argues that opposition coalitions in Cameroon are overrated:
1. If the 6 opposition parties that took part in the 1997 presidential election had formed a coalition, they would still  have been unable to unseat President  Biya with a mere 7.43% of total votes cast.
2. If all of the 15 opposition parties that took part in the 2004 presidential election had formed a coalition, they would still have been unable to unseat Biya with a mere 29.8% of total votes cast.
In short, opposition coalitions are not as important in presidential elections as we tend to believe (1992 being the exception…). Having every political party go it alone may actually be better (in terms of clarifying the political landscape) than creating a coalition of disparate political parties, many of which are moles of the regime in power.
Francis Wache points out that a good number of presidential candidates are jokers:
What is not clear about most of these declared candidates is how they intend to govern Cameroon. In others words, what is their vision? What is their stand on key issues like education, security, health, roads, infrastructure and many others?
A good number of the presidential hopefuls can be referred to, at best, as jokers and buffoons and, at worst, as political scammers. They surface at this moment, register to run with FCFA 5m, then, collect FCFA 60m and nothing else is ever heard about them. That is nothing but reeking opportunism.
Chris Ajua explains how electronic voting can be used to fight election fraud:
The implementation of a simple menu-driven telephone voting system is efficient, and time and cost effective.  It permits voters to vote from almost any location where there is a telephone; and it eliminates the need for polling stations and specialized voting equipment. It substantially renders election fraud impotent because of its security features; and enhances the security and safety of the nation and its people before, during and following a peaceful, free and fair election.
If you are interested in social media and politics in Cameroon, read Dibussi Tande's post titled, “2011 Presidential Election: How Candidates Are Navigating the Social Media Landscape”:
One of the most striking novelties of the 2011 presidential election in Cameroon is the impressive number of candidates who have incorporated social media into their campaign strategies, even though the Internet penetration rate in the country is estimated at a mere 5%. Obviously, the target audience are Cameroonians abroad and the international community, and significantly, the international media, which can serve as an echo chamber for candidates and offer the kind widespread and free publicity which regular media outlets in Cameroon cannot – e.g., an interview on the BBC, RFI, and Aljazeera or on TV5.
Dibussi also translates Slate Afrique's interview with Cameroon-born Achille Mbembe, research professor in history and politics at the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Achille argues that regime change is not possible through the ballot box:
SlateAfrique: Cameroonians go to the polls on October 9. Can they hope for regime change?
Achille Mbembe Achille Mbembe: Under the current circumstance, regime change is not possible through the ballot box. Change in this country will come through an armed rebellion spearheaded or not by a political organization or by foreign forces (as was the case in Cote d’Ivoire); through the natural death or assassination of the autocrat; or even through a coup de force by dissident elements within the army. Beyond that, all paths to a peaceful change initiated by Cameroonians themselves are blocked. From this perspective, the forthcoming election is a non event.
This page is part of our special coverage Cameroon Elections 2011.


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Global Voices Podcast 4: Together We Rise · Global Voices
Jamillah Knowles

Hello world!
In this edition you’ll hear from blind Greek bloggers of our Rising Voices community, how Guatemalan citizen journalists are honing their skills for elections, and a preview of what's planned for the Arab Bloggers Summit co-hosted by Global Voices on October 3-6, 2011 in Tunisia.
Global Voices Podcast 4: Together We Rise by globalvoices
Citizen Journalists in Guatemala
Vozz is a citizen journalism training project in which young people in Guatemala aged 16 to 24 learn how to be journalists. Kara Andrade of Vozz spoke to our Latin America regional editor Silvia Viñas about covering the Guatemalan elections and turning a training scheme into a wider network for citizen engagement.
Blind Blogging in Greece
Following the closure of a school for the blind in Thessaloniki, Greece, the surrounding community decided to create a group blog and web radio show called Blind Dates. The project is a grantee of our Rising Voices initiative co-founded by Alexia Kalaitzi. We chatted to Alexia about tools for blind blogging and how the economic crisis in Europe is affecting life for the blind and partially sighted. Thanks to the rapper – Kostas also for performing for us in this edition!
Arab Bloggers Summit in Tunisia
Global Voices will be co-hosting the 3rd Arab Bloggers Summit together with Nawaat and the Heinrich Boell Foundation on October 3-6, 2011 in Tunisia. Bloggers from nearly all Arab countries will meet to discuss digital activism and future perspectives. Since the last gathering in Beirut in 2010, many bloggers have played a prominent communication role in uprisings across the Middle East. Our managing editor Solana Larsen spoke to Sami Ben Gharbia, director of Global Voices Advocacy about what is planned for the gathering in Tunisia.
The hashtag for the meeting is #AB11 (recommended!) and the website is Arabloggers.com.
Thanks for listening!
That brings us to the end of another edition of the Global Voices podcast. We love hearing from you, so let us know what you liked or if there is anything special you would like to know about the community!
Music credits
In the podcast you can hear lots of lovely Creative Commons music. If you want to find out more about these artists here are the links for you. Thanks to Orb Gettarr for the atmospheric Return of the Atlanteans Lemurian Candidate, to Mark Cotton for his Spiritualized Homage, to Superbus feat. NS for Fujjad! Most of the music was found via OpSound.Org, The Free Music Archive or direct from the artists. Thanks also to all of the wonderful voice over performances and clips that help to glue the podcast together.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Jamillah Knowles


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Hungary: Protests (and Protest Art) in Budapest · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Contrarian Hungarian writes about “a long weekend of protests” in Budapest – here and here, and about “a protest art competition that serves both as creative outlet and as protest against the most recent instances of the government’s restrictions on the freedom of the press” – here. Hungarian Spectrum comments on today's protest: “[…] the fact that more than 100 trade unions and civic organizations managed to create a Hungarian version of the Polish Solidarity movement signals that something is brewing.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Morocco: French Made TGV Rail Project Causes Controversy · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

On Thursday 29 September, 2011, President Sarkozy of France visited Morocco to oversee the launch of construction work on a new TGV rail link between the cities of Tangier and Casablanca. The French made high-velocity train is due to start operating by December 2015 and is worth an estimated 20 billion dirhams (US$2.4 billion).
Moroccan state-run news agency M.A.P. boasts that “Morocco is the first country of Africa and the Arab world to have such a technologically advanced rail transport grid.”
At a ceremony chaired by King Mohammed VI of Morocco and President Sarkozy, the Moroccan Minister of Transport Karim Ghellab explained that the TGV is expected to generate new jobs and offer training opportunities in rail professions for Moroccan jobseekers.
The project is, however, causing a stir in the Moroccan blogosphere. Bloggers are raising questions about the motives behind the scheme and asking whether their country needs a project that costly.
TGV train in the French countryside. Image by Flickr user Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden (CC BY 2.0).
“Real” motives
Veteran Moroccan blogger Larbi protests against a project he deems an “economic crime”. He explains the contract was offered to Sarkozy back in 2007 as a reward to the French after they lost a lucrative arms deal against the Americans. Back then, the Moroccan government preferred the United States’ Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets to the French Dassault Rafales.
Morocco offered to purchase the French TGV system to console Sarkozy, the blogger explains. Larbi writes [fr], addressing President Sarkozy:
C’est ainsi que cette aberration économique est née. D’un mélange d’ascendant psychologique que vous exercez sur les dirigeants marocains, de la volonté de ces derniers de vous plaire et du fait du prince, voire du caprice, du roi Mohammed VI. Un jour, sans étude préalable, sans aucune consultation ni étude de rentabilité, on a décidé de vous accorder un marché de TGV pour ne pas vous fâcher. En contrepartie vous avez bien voulu faire un beau discours au parlement marocain pour dire tout le bien que vous pensez du roi Mohammed VI et de la démocratie à la marocaine. C’était en 2007, c’était il y a mille ans. Mais force est de constater que ce sujet au moins vous n’avez pas changé d’avis, printemps arabe ou pas.
“Sarkozy, get out!”
Sarkozy's visit to Morocco comes at a time when the country is having an important debate on democratic reforms inspired by the Arab spring, punctuated by peaceful street demonstrations led by the pro-democracy youth movement “February 20.”
For many, the visit marks the open support of France to the controversial reforms lead by King Mohammed VI. For activist Rachid Droit this constitutes an interference in the internal affairs of Morocco. His message to Sarkozy is unambiguous:
"Sarkozy, get out! Morocco is not for sale". Poster by Rachid Droit, posted on Facebook.
Alstom connection
The French company Alstom, which won the contract to build the Moroccan TGV, is blacklisted by the BDS campaign (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) since it emerged, back in January 2010, that the company was involved in the construction of a light rail project in Jerusalem designed to connect West Jerusalem to illegal settlements in and surrounding occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem.
Mamfakinch!, a website run by a group of Moroccan activists, raises the issue and wonders [fr]:
Lors de l’attribution à Alstom de ce projet a-t-on pris en compte sa participation à la construction d’un tramway reliant Jérusalem-Ouest, via Jérusalem-Est, à deux colonies de Cisjordanie? (Pour rappel : la ligune arabe, dont le Maroc est membre, a voté une résolution condamnant le projet de tramway de Jérusalem)
High velocity costs high
Much of the controversy surrounding the TGV project stems from its estimated cost. Blogger Omar El Hyani writes [fr]:
Le coût du projet avancé jusque là était de 20 milliards de DH (dirhams), soit un peu moins de 2 milliards d’euros. Et au début de ce mois-ci, une autre surprise attendait le contribuable marocain : le coût prévisionnel du projet n’est plus de 20 milliards, mais bien de 33 milliards de DH (~3 milliards d’euros) ! Oui , vous avez bien lu, une augmentation de 13 milliards de DH (plus d’un milliard d’euros), soit 65% d’augmentation, sans qu’aucune explication ne soit fournie!
Omar goes on explaining why he thinks the cost of the project has not been subject to democratic scrutiny:
Ne soyons pas naïfs. Il existe une catégorie de projets sur lesquels les parlementaires et les ministres n’ont aucun droit de regard. Des projets tombés d’en haut. Exécutez, trouvez du financement, et venez présenter sur un tapis rouge. De préférence devant beaucoup de caméras. Quid des règles de base de gouvernance économique, des études d’utilité, de rentabilité et d’impact socio-économique, de l’état des finances publiques? Quelle hérésie!
A TGV – what for?
Blogger Kingstoune doubts the TGV is the right answer to the problems of public transport in Morocco since, he argues, it has proved to be an inadequate and costly solution in France itself. For him, the TGV is more an expression of a royal whim than it is of a true demand. He writes [fr]:
Je me demande si les responsables politiques et technocrates avaient vraiment étudié ou abordé de manière critique ce projet.
La LGV [Ligne Grande Vitesse], succès technologique, risque d’être un flop financier à l’instar de la France.
Elle semble donc être une sorte de caprice, un éléphant blanc dont certains responsables seront fiers, mais qui a de fortes chances de ne pas être utilisée par des millions de marocains comme ils l’espèrent.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Myanmar: Controversial Dam Project Suspended · Global Voices
tan

The Weekly Eleven quoted a memo sent to the Parliament by Myanmar's President U Thein Sein which ordered  the suspension of the controversial Myit Sone Dam project on Ayeyarwaddy River in Kachin State.

author: tan


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South Korea: Church’s Embezzlement Case Draws Harsh Criticism · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

In South Korea, an embezzlement case involving the country's largest church has fueled public debate online. Citizens, pointing out the Korean Protestant church's corruption and its neglect of public duties, have even suggested lifting the tax exemption granted to churches.
Korea is not a Christian nation, neither historically nor demographically, but the religion's influence can be felt everywhere. Two presidents – one current – were church elders, celebrities frequently talk about their church experiences and when you climb up to the observatory on Namsan mountain at the heart of capital Seoul, red neon crosses can be seen on every corner, an eerie scene which shocks quite a lots of foreigners and artists.
Some of the world's largest churches are in Seoul, where you can easily find ‘mega-churches’ that have more than 10,000 regular attendees packing their colossal buildings every Sunday. South Korea is numbered as one of the most Christian countries in East Asia with 8.8 million Protestants and 5.1 Catholics.
Turning away
Over the recent decade, however, the number of Protestants has made a sharp downturn [ko] from 8.8 million to 8.6 million people. Christianity is becoming more unpopular as it is seen to be becoming more powerful and greedy. Wealthy pastors have lost credibility over  appropriating vast amounts of church money for personal use, ramming church construction bills without their congregations’ genuine consent and forcing their attendees to cover the astronomical costs of building bigger, fancier facilities.
Numerous people, especially the  younger generation, have also turned away from Christianity after several pastors faced criminal charges over sexual assault and prominent churches became extremely partisan in favor of the ruling political party.
Image of the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Image taken by Puzzlet Chung, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
Prosecutors launched an investigation last week into Reverend Cho Yong-gi, the founder of the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul. His church elders accused Cho of allegedly siphoning off donations worth about 23 billion Korean won (USD 20 million) to save his son from tremendous losses he made in stock  investments.
Cho, 75, is a legendary figure in South Korean church history. He founded Yoido Full Gospel Church in 1958 and grew it into the largest Pentecostal Christian in South Korea and the world, with about 1 million church members (2007). Cho denounced the allegation as a smear campaign, but it has already damaged his reputation beyond repair.
Financial controversies
The total revenue of Korean Protestant churches is believed to exceed [ko] 400 billion Korean Won (USD 340 million). Wiki Tree, South Korea's online citizen news outlet, commented [ko] that if only a few church leaders make decisions on how this tremendous amount of money is spent so no one can guarantee its transparency, and that there is a chance money will not only corrupt the churches, but corrupt Korean society. Another news report revealed [ko] that only 3 percent of the money is used to help those financially less fortunate.
In many countries, churches qualify for tax-exempt status, as law  treats them as organizations with purpose of serving the public good. Many Koreans argue that since large churches’ main focus is on building new, bigger facilities, clearly serving private interests, tax exemption should be lifted. A handful of church defenders have emphasized that the proportion of church spending on relief and volunteer works are much greater than those of other non-profit organizations.
Namil Jo responded [ko] to such claims:
네네. 5%아니 10% 아니 15% 쓴다고 합시다 그럼 나머지는?…님은 십일조 그게 어찌 사용 되는지 아시나요? 전 알고서 천주교로 갔습니다.
Lim Won-ik, who introduced himself a Christian but not a church-goer (@yim0517) tweeted [ko] :
교회에 세금을 물린다면 소수(?)빼놓고 많은 사람들에게 사랑받는 종교가 될것이다.존경받는 목사들도 많아질테고…종국에는 쇠락하는 기독교에 활력을 불어넣는 수단이 될수도 있을거다.
Twitter user @therapyoil tweeted [ko]:
교회는 세금을 내면 안되는 이유라도 있는 것이냐? 세무감사 당하기 두려운게지. 하느님은 두렵지 않고!
Twitter user @crockdail70 voiced [ko] worries that some wealthy pastors cases may smear reputation of good Christians:
대형교회 일부 쓰레기 목사넘들 때문에 신자들도 도매금으로 넘어가는게 안타깝다 교회도 세금을 내야 저런 쓰레기들이 안나타나지.
A net user ID: 연못골 urged [ko] corrupted pastors to step down and the authority to tax big churches whose attendees surpass 10,000. This post received more than 750 comments in Daum Agora, South Korea's biggest public forum:
어렵사리 살아가면서 감사하는 마음으로 살아가는 숱한 성도들의 피와땀이어린 헌금을 값진곳에 쓰기보다는 목회자의 개인쌈짓돈마냥쓴다는것은 정상적인 목회자의 모습이 아니다. 그러한 목회자들이 한국교회에서 대형교회의 목회자로 있다는것또한 한국교회의 불행이라고 밖에 달리 볼길이 없다. 정직한 마음과 열정어린 헌신으로 사역하는 다수 목회자들과 또한 삶의 현장에서 묵묵히 땀을 흘리면서 벌은돈으로 헌금을 내는 다수 성도들을 위해서라도.. 비리목회자는 강단에서 물러나기를 강력히 요청하는 바이다. 몇몇 대형교회 목회자들의 비리는.. 한국교회의 수치이다.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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The Balkans: Homophobia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Alan Jakšić of Balkan Anarchist writes about LGBT and homophobia in Serbia, Croatia and elsewhere in the Balkans.


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Brazil: Protest Condemns Violent Death of African Student · Global Voices
Mariana Freitas

All links lead to Portuguese language pages.
Around 100 people gathered in Cuiabá, the capital of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, on September 23, 2011, to protest against violence and call for justice in the wake of the murder of Toni Bernardo da Silva, a 27 year old Economic Science student from Guinea-Bissau on Thursday, September 22.
The protest, which took place in front of the pizzeria where Toni was beaten to death, was organised by a group of African students who are part of an exchange program between the Brazilian government and lusophone countries in Africa. Toni was a a student at the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT).
Toni Bernando. Photo from personnal archive.
Vicious attack
According to the civil police, the former student arrived at the restaurant around 11pm and started asking clients for money. While passing one of the tables, Toni bumped into a woman.
The woman's boyfriend, a 27 year old business man, and two military policeman who were in plainclothes at the site, forcibly removed the university student from the establishment and began to attack him with punches and kicks. The medical report indicates that death was caused by disruption of the trachea, caused by a sharp blow by a person who practices martial arts.
The suspects were charged in the act and will respond in court for the crime of murder. In a statement, they said that they had only immobilised the youngster.
Community outrage
The crime has caused outrage among the academic community, which is demanding justice and greater security for the students. In 2010, Global Voices reported [en] on another case of aggression against a student from Guinea Bissau.
Photo of protest, by Deivison Almeida (used with permission).
UFMT released a message regretting the incident and contacted the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs, who coordinate the exchange program, as well as the Federal Police.
Toni was a fellow at the university and should have been graduating later this year in the course that he began in 2006. However, according to a spokesperson of the institution, he had abandoned the course:
Em 2010, a Pró-Reitoria de Ensino de Graduação apoiou o então aluno e tentou auxiliá-lo para resolução de seus problemas acadêmicos e pessoais, que geraram o abandono dos estudos e a reprovação. Foi prestada assistência e oferecido acompanhamento psicológico ao estudante, por meio da Coordenação de Assistência e Benefícios (Cabes), sem a sua adesão satisfatória. Consequentemente, o desligamento ocorreu em fevereiro de 2011, conforme as exigências estabelecidas pelo Convênio PEC-G/MEC/MRE, entre as quais o abandono dos estudos e a reprovação.
According to student Catende Malan Domingos, 23, who is also part of the international exchange program, Toni had abandoned his studies due to discouragement or to some diesase. On the other hand the police state that he was a drug addict and had a record of theft. Since February 2011 his family had been sending him money to survive on while he was looking for a job. He has left a Brazilian girlfriend who is pregnant.
“The biggest threat is the silence”
The journalism student Adoniram Magalhães, on his blog Jornalismo Liberto, has written an analysis that sums up the way the case was covered by the local media:
Students light candles in mourning for Toni. Photo by Deivison Almeida (used with permission).
(…) alguns veículos publicaram e ainda publicam o fato de uma forma estranha, parecem até que estão procurando justificativa para o fato, desvirtuando o foco da morte de um ser humano que poderia ser brasileiro, africano ou iraquiano.
The photographer Lucas Ninno, on his blog, has published an audio interview with a Cape Verdean student in Cuiabá, a friend of Toni's, telling a “version that the media doesn't show” about the case:
An email in circulation that talks about the climate of fear that has been instilled amongst African students at UFMT, for whom “the biggest threat is the silence” asks:
que a Universidade (UFMT) [tome] alguma atitude no sentido de os representar, bem como ao jovem assassinado, pressionando a justiça brasileira a não permitir que o caso [seja] (mais uma vez) abafado e que os culpados recebesse a punição merecida. Fizeram uma passeata a pedir Paz. A polícia não deve estar confortável com esta atitude. Há indícios de que a polícia esteja a tentar silenciar as testemunhas e a fazer contra-informação. A polícia ronda o bairro escuro e pobre onde a maioria destes estudantes moram. Por alguma razão estes jovens não se estão a sentir mais seguros com isso.
Friends and university colleagues of Toni have put candles in front of the crime site. Photo by Lucas Ninno (used with permission).
And finalises:
Se ninguém mais no mundo souber do que se está a passar ali o que será que lhes pode acontecer mais? O medo instalou-se. A História conta-nos que o medo é inimigo da razão, da sensatez. Quantos não são os casos de escaladas de violência nas ruas que começaram exactamente assim?
The Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio de Aguiar Patriota personally presented his apologies to Ambassador Queta, Chancellor and future Minister of Justice of Guinea-Bissau, on behalf of the Brazilian government for the violence committed against the youngster.
The heads of state are in New York because of the 66th annual meeting of the United Nations.

author: Mariana Freitas


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Colombia: #Corzotón Protest Against the President of the Congress · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Using Storify, journalist Lina Ceballos looks [es] at “why Colombians got excited on Twitter about the #Corzotón“, a protest against Juan Manuel Corzo –president of the Congress whose remarks caused outrage some days ago– since the protest's ‘offline’ version last September 27 was not as successful as expected. Ceballos claims that “[offline] presentiality demands much more involvement” and concludes that “if you want something to be massive it must be entertaining.”

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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India: Goa Takes Steps To Stop Female Foeticide · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ali Waris at Youth Ki Awaaz reports that the Goa local government is offering a special monetary scheme to girls born in the state to stop female foeticide and help change the skewed sex ratios.

author: Rezwan


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India: Story Writing On Twitter · Global Voices
Rezwan

Asmita and a bunch of friends have started writing a story on Twitter. You can read it here.


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Iran: A “Missing” Blogger and Two Tragic Suicides · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran is calling for an immediate investigation into the recent suicides of two former detainees and associates of Kouhyar Goudarzi, a human rights activist and blogger who has been held incommunicado since his detention by intelligence forces on 31 July 2011 in Tehran’s Evin prison.
Security forces detained Goudarzi, along with several friends, including Behnam Ganji, 22, on 31 July, 2011. Another of Goudarzi's friends, Nahal Sahabi, 37, was subsequently interrogated by authorities. Following their release, Ganji and Sahabi committed suicide on 1 September and 28 September.
Although one should resist romanticizing or seeking causal explanations for suicide, many bloggers believe the traumatic experience in prison pushed Ganji to end his life. The pair was believed to be romantically involved, and their story has captured the popular imagination.
The blogger Jahanzanan, chose [fa] “The death of lovers” as the title for his post about the incident. The blog also re-published an article by Masih Alinjead, a female journalist.
Today is Thursday. A girl named Nahal loves a boy, Behnam Ganji. Behnam was a friend of Kouhyar, a human rights activist and protester, who was arrested with him and later released. When Behnam was arrested, the media did not cover his story. He committed suicide after his release… and now Nahal, ended her life…. there are many who are disgusted by the word “girlfriend”… but I saw in the morning some media reported that “Behnam's girlfriend killed herself after him”… Sleep beautiful girl…
Following Ganji's death, Nahal wrote a poem on her blog [fa] and also shared a link to a YouTube video: Eleni Karaindrou's Wedding Waltz.
Ensiloos says:
Behnam was under the worst pressure to confess against his friend Kouhyar. Kouhyar is still in the regime's jail. I hold the Islamic Republic responsible for the death of Behnam and Nehal.
Crazy Freedom Fighter says:
Nehal with her sleep, makes many of us awaken. She reminds all of us the value of friendship and love.
Goudarzi remains in prison, though his actual whereabouts, and the conditions of his detention are still unknown. In his last blog post in 2009, Goudarzi himself called [fa] for freedom for two jailed activists.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Nigeria: Celebrating 419 Reasons to Like Nigeria · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

Nigeria marked 51 years as an independent sovereign state on October 1, 2011. At 12 midnight on October 1, 1960, the sun of British imperialism faded and the dawn of a new moon, destined to radiate over the African continent and the world emerged.
419 Reasons to love Nigeria
However, half a century after a metastasis has almost distorted the identity of Nigeria and Nigerians. The advance fee fraud or 419 (the number “419″ refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud) according to @feathersproject:
Is a label that many Nigerians would wish not to be identified with. Unfortunately, the tag of fraud seems to be the ‘definition’ of Nigerians and Nigeria. From a clutch of a few clowns who yarn up fantasies about funds: luring the similar minded to bait by advancing some money to make more money.
Nonetheless, the 419 Positive Project, created by Rosemary Ajayi (@rmajayi) is determined to clean up this smear on Nigeria:
If you could tell the world one remarkable thing about Nigerians or Nigeria, what would it be? The 419Positive Project invites Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to Say Something Positive… in an ambitious search for four hundred & nineteen positive attributes of Nigerians and Nigeria. We're also embarking on a journey across Nigeria; to document a selection of attributes in words, pictures & on video.
Peter J Reilly attests that fraud has no nationality and is therefore preposterous to stereotype an entire country because of the misdeeds of a few:
The case stuck with me and when I thoughtlessly insulted Nigeria, I realized that is what I could use it to apologize. I came up with the rather pithy phrase “Fraud has no nationality.”  Now as noted in some other places I am not the first person to remark on the similarity of the advance fee scams to the classic Spanish prisoner fraud.  And I have even read that the derivation of the advance fee scam might have nothing to do with the Spanish prisoner or possibly like the synoptic gospels they might both derive from some even more ancient common source.  Nonetheless Nigerians have been suffering from the fallacy of the undistributed middle.
And already the project is getting a great deal of support. Some of the Nigeria’s best are championing this call:
@Chude – You push a Nigerian to the wall, he’ll break through that wall and ﬁnd a way. It is a positive trait. It is the trait that will eventually redeem us, if only we can channel it right.
@gbengasesan – I have travelled across Nigeria, and met Nigerians around the world and I have noticed a kind of ‘Nigerian energy’ about them — the ability to get things done under unbelievable circumstances. It may be related to the challenges they have had to endure, but no one can deny the fact that when a Nigerian sets their mind on a goal, little can discourage them.
@OkeyNdibe – Joy, that’s the one word I associate with Nigerians. Not happiness, joy (for happiness is a tad different). Life in Nigeria could be bleak, challenging but Nigerians never surrender their sense of joy, their resonant laughter, and that boisterous spirit that announces: Tomorrow is pregnant, better than today.
Myweku.com lists some other entries as follows:
Nigeria – Unity in Diversity
401. Our togetherness is legendary. With over four hundred tribes, yet we remain united and even merge into one through the beauty called marriage…
Nigeria – Tourism and Sports
380. Nigeria is an amazing tourist haven. The beaches along the Lagos, Port Harcourt and Akwa Ibom coast lines, the cattle ranch at Obudu, the water falls at Gurara, and the high peaked Shere hills in the Jos Plateau, are proof enough…
Nigeria – The Resilient Spirit
321. A Nigerian is a go-getter and makes the best out of every opportunity that comes knocking. Leave a Nigerian in the desert and he will find a way home…
Nigeria – The Music, The Movies, The Dance, The Art
117. Entertainment is the heart of the Nigerian culture. We boast the funniest and most hilarious entertainers in Africa. Tired from a long working week, a Nigerian entertainment/comedy show will crack you up, relaxing every nerve…
It has not been all rosy for @rmajayi:
… Twice now I've received death threats for ‘promoting’ 419. Time will tell!
Nonetheless going by the support from Nigerian bloggers, the 419 Positive Project is worth all the trouble. Besides, these words of the grandfather of Nigeria letters, Chinua Achebe should serve as one more reason never to give up:
Before I am accused of prescribing a way in which a writer should write, let me say that I do think decency and civilization would insist that the writer takes sides with the powerless. Clearly there’s no moral obligation, I think, to ally oneself with power against the powerless. I think an artist, in my definition of that word, would not be someone who takes side with the emperor against his powerless subjects. – Chinua Achebe (2008), Foreword in Richard Dowden’s Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles).

author: Nwachukwu Egbunike


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Puerto Rico: Imaginaires and Creativity on the Move · Global Voices
Yarisa Colon

It hasn't been long since the exhibition Carry On: Puerto Rico Inspected opened in Villa Victoria Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. Thanks to the collaborative work of the project's curators, Anabel Vázquez Rodríguez and Beto Torrens, who also is director of the Galería Yemayá [es] art gallery in Puerto Rico, the number of artists called on to cross the pond and travel north stands at 35.
Imagen por Juan A. Negroni
The motivations behind this project are many. But the main goal is to continue to foster cultural exchange, which is key for the complete development of the community. This is the vision of the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, founded by the community organization Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción in 1986.
According to Anabel, the general public in Boston knows very little about Puerto Rican contemporary art, or about the political and social context in which it was created. There are not enough forums for a dialogue about the artistic reality of the Island, and the purpose of this collaboration with the Galería Yemayá is to generate just that.
In this case, through the concept of portability both the curators and the artists have pushed the barriers that prevent the exposure of Puerto Rican art in the United States and other countries, thus creating new connections.
The Galería Yemayá states this feeling clearly: “The modern world has embraced portability, and that very same concept has become synonymous with progress. As iPhones, iPods and other technologies become smaller, they become more powerful. All the same, portability has emerged as a necessity.”
Furthermore, in this way it's less complicated to slip between colonial borders (It is certainly not a coincidence that the exhibition opened on the Sept. 23, the day marking El Grito de Lares, which was the first major rebellion in Puerto Rico against colonial rule). The shipment of the artworks to Boston proved this point. Beto shares that “some fellow artists served as ‘mules,’ carrying pieces in their carry-on luggage, and until they were inspected by the US Department of Agriculture, something that doesn't happen when you travel from the United States to Puerto Rico…”
Anabel and Beto hope to very soon launch a website dedicated to the project, where they will include images of the works (drawings, paintings, photographs, instalations, among others), as well as biographical information about the artists. In the meantime, those interested in the project will be able to listen to the two curators as well as appreciate some of the artworks in a video produced by the Puerto Rican newspaper El Vocero [es].
The 35 artists are:
Aby Ruiz,Abey Charrón, Admín Torres, Alberto Mier, Aslan, Alexis Bousquet, Bobby Cruz, Celso González, Chemi Rosado Seijo, Gerardo Cloquell, Elsa Meléndez, Edgardo Larregui, Héctor Rafael, Iván Girona, Ismo, Jorge Rito Cordero, Jason Mena, Joelly Rodríguez, Juan Negroni, Karlo Ibarra, Norma Vila Rivero, Nina Méndez Martí, Nepo, Manuel Rodríguez, Myritza Castillo, La Pandilla, Omar Velázquez, Omar Banuchi, Omar Obdulio, Quique Rivera Rivera, Vincent Díaz Negrón, Yolanda Velázquez,  Zinthia Vázquez Viera, and Beto Torrens y  Anabel Vázquez,  who are not afraid to take on the roles of curator and artist simulaneously.
Carry On: Puerto Rico Inspected will be in Boston until Nov. 2, 2011 before showing in Abrazo Interno, the gallery of the Clemente Soto Vélez cultural center, in New York City from Nov. 10 to Dec. 11, 2011.
This comprehensive exhibition of contemporary Puerto Rican art may well be the first of its kind held in La Galería of the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, as well as the New England area.
We hope that it isn't the last!

author: Yarisa Colon


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Serbia: Belgrade’s Gay Pride Parade Banned · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Gay pride parade planned for tomorrow has been banned by Serbian autorities because the police said they can’t protect the participants,” Belgraded.com reports, adding: “It’s 2011 and it feels that the progress Serbia is that of a snail on a reversed treadmill. By progress I do not mean progress in human rights or some similar empty slogan that means everything and nothing at the same time. I am talking about a complete lack of compassion between citizens.”


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Sri Lanka: Attacks On Civilians In The North · Global Voices
Rezwan

Groundviews reports that Sri Lankan police has arrested and tortured 12 men after an incident relating to Grease Devils in Komarasankulam (Vavuniya district).


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Yemen: Friday of Victory for Syria and Yemen  · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Revolutionaries in both Syria and Yemen who have both been revolting against defiant despots and brutal regimes for months unified the name of their Friday demonstrations, in solidarity. On the “Friday of Victory to Syria and Yemen,” activists in both countries coordinated their efforts to share not only the same name, but the same banners, slogans, as well as audio and video materials.
Powerful chants for freedom to both Syria and Yemen were heard all over Sanaa's 60th Street on the “Friday of Victory to Syria and Yemen.” (Video posted by alabdulkadir)
In Taiz this Friday, protesters chanted in solidarity with Syria “we sacrifice our soul and blood for you Syria”. (Videos posted by: taizcitynet)
They chanted “the future is for the free, No Ali, no Bashar, the time of villains has passed, long live the Arab people”.
Protesters in Hodeidah chanted also for freedom to Syria and Yemen and solidarity to the revolutionaries in Dara'a. (Video posted by: shababalhodeidah)
Moving on to Syria, in Tadmor, Syrian protesters also chanted “Syria and Yemen are one.” (Videos posted by: SHAMSNN)
In Halab, protesters repeated a Yemeni chant “death rather than disgrace”
And in Idlib, Syria, protesters chanted in solidarity for Yemen.
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: Noon Arabia


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Bermuda: What’s the Plan?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“What Bermuda needs is a plan. Multiple plans actually: a retail plan, an international business plan, a tourism plan” – and Politics.bm is afraid that the government doesn't actually have one.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazil: Historic Speech at UN for Brazil’s First Female President · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Dilma Vana Rousseff, the first female president elected in Brazil, also became the first woman to open an annual meeting of the General Assembly of United Nations (UN), on September 21, 2011. Historically Brazil has been the country that opens the sessions since the first, which took place in 1947.
Besides the historical moment, the speech (full version available online) was marked by courage through Rousseff's indirect criticism of a “first world” in crisis; she also spoke about the defense of human rights, the recognition of Palestine as a state and member of the UN, the continued occupation in Haiti and Brazil's renunciation of the use of nuclear weapons – even though more nuclear power plants are to be built in the country.
Dilma Rousseff. Cartoon under CC by Carlos Latuff.
Historical moment
Hugo Albuquerque, from the blog Descurvo, sums up [pt]:
Nunca na história deste planeta uma mulher fez o discurso de abertura da Assembleia Geral da ONU. (…)  Dilma  foi precisa ao enfocar a gravidade da crise mundial, saudar a ascensão  da Primavera Árabe, tocar no problema de gênero e, sobretudo, exortar o  reconhecimento do Estado Palestino.
Cristina Rodrigues, from the blog Somos Andando, complemented [pt]:
(…) falou pela paz,  criticou a violência, em um recado direto aos Estados Unidos. Pediu o  espaço pro Brasil. Afirmou o papel das mulheres. Defendeu, sem meias  palavras, deixando implícita uma crítica, a criação do Estado Palestino  (no que foi muito aplaudida, o que demonstra que uma minoria poderosa  impede os anseios da maioria). E deu uma aula de humanidade e  solidariedade, refletindo a atitude do governo do qual foi parte por  oito anos: “Queremos para os outros países o que queremos para nós  mesmos”.
Journalist and blogger Rodrigo Vianna selected some key parts of President Dilma's speech and published them on his blog, Escrevinhador, besides explaining [pt] the relevance of the speech:
Foi importante porque Dilma se diferenciou da baboseira (neo) liberal  que ainda sobrevive no chamado mundo desenvolvido (e sobrevive também  entre “colunistas” e “analistas” que pensam o Brasil feito girafas: têm  os pés na América do Sul e a cabeça em Londres ou Washington). Dilma  falou na necessida de controlar capitais. Os colunistas de economia  brazucas devem ter sofrido uma síncope nervosa. Controle? Capitais devem  ser livres. Controle, só para as pessoas.
Criticisms
Dilma's speech was historic but it has also been target of several critics, either for its tone or for the gap between it and the actual practices of the Brazilian government, as analyzed [pt] by teacher and journalist Mauricio Santoro:
Em suma, a presidente está em bom momento internacional,  mas convém  não esquecer que os problemas e contradições de seus aliados  no governo  representam obstáculos para que o país alcance os objetivos  ambiciosos  de sua política externa.
Blogger and activist Leonardo Sakamoto pointed out serious problems [pt] on the difference between the speech and practice, especially concerning Belo Monte, the powerplant that has raised huge controversy and legal fights that, according to Sakamoto, puts the most basic rights of the Brazilian indigenous communities in jeopardy:
(…) Mas soa irônico o governo brasileiro pagar de  progressista lá fora e ser reacionário aqui dentro.
O Brasil tem tentado parecer o “bom moço” da comunidade internacional,  mas nem sempre aplica a mesma cartilha internamente. Por exemplo, a  defesa dos direitos humanos. (…)
Como um país que declara em seu discurso à Assembléia Geral das Nações  Unidas que deseja um assento no Conselho de Segurança ignora uma  solicitação de outro organismo internacional, a Comissão Interamericana  de Direitos Humanos (CIDH), ligada à Organização dos Estados Americanos,  para que interrompa a construção da usina hidrelétrica de Belo Monte  até que os indígenas sejam devidamente ouvidos.
Kind of ironic that the Brazilian government plays as progressive out there and is reactionary in here.
Brazil has been trying to look like the “good guy” of the international community, but it does not always apply the same tactic internally. For example, the defense of human rights. (…)
As a country, it declares in its speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations that it wants a seat on the Security Council, while ignoring a request from another international body, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), linked to the Organization of American States, to stop the construction of the hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte until the indigenous people are properly heard.
Criticism was also made by the left wing party PSTU published [pt] on the Diário da Liberdade against keeping Brazilian forces in Haiti, against the cuts in public spending and the impoverishment of workers and especially against the economic model adopted by the president:
Entre  omissões, distorções e meias verdades, o discurso  de Dilma não  trouxe  nenhuma novidade, apesar do simbolismo de sua  própria presença  naquele  palanque.
(…)
O discurso de Dilma foi bonito. Seria  melhor, porém, que fosse  embasado  na realidade, para que o entusiasmo  de tanta gente, em  especial a de  mulheres trabalhadoras, não fosse em  vão.
Moreover André Kenji, from the blog Dissidência, commented [pt] on Brazil's wish to be part of UN Security Council:
Muitas das críticas – incluindo deste blog – da  participação do Brasil  no CS partem do princípio que a política externa  do Brasil é pouco  consistente e de que a diplomacia brasileira não tem  respostas para  algumas das questões mais cruciais envolvendo questões  diplomáticas (Isso  quando não passa a mão na cabeça de ditadores brutais  tendo em vista  apenas interesses comerciais).
Blogger and judge Saraiva, on his blog Saraiva 13, sums up [pt] what he considered to have been a historical moment for Brazil in defending the promotion of peace and human rights around the world:
Dilma defendeu as liberdades democráticas e os direitos-humanos, como   era previsível. Surpreendente foi Dilma tirar apenas o foco de países   africanos e do oriente, como as potências imperialistas gostam de fazer,   e chamar à responsabilidade o chamado primeiro-mundo, condenando as   violações de direitos humanos nestes países ricos através da xenofobia,   do racismo, da pena de morte, da miséria. Em todo o discurso defendeu   uma ordem mais justa para os países pobres, desenvolvimento sustentável   em vez de bombas, soluções para o Oriente Médio, o Estado Palestino.   Enfim, arrastou as fichas, conquistando corações e mentes do terceiro   mundo, já bastante simpáticos ao Brasil.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Cape Verde: Cesaria Evora Retires · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Momar niang posted on their blog: “Following the advice of her Paris doctors to cancel her upcoming tour, Cesaria and her manager and producer José da Silva have agreed that she should retire once and for all.   In doing so Cesaria is relinquishing the itinerant life that has taken her to the four corners of the world since her rise onto the international scene in 1991.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Cape Verde: Fishing Agreement with European Union · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Cape-verdean journalist Odair Varela, on his blog, makes a critical analysis [pt] to the new agreement between Cape Verde's government and the European Union for the exploitation of the country's vast fishing resources.

author: Sara Moreira


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Chile: September 29 Student Protests in Photos · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Adam Isacson links to a Flickr photostream with photos by Marcos S. González Valdés  of the latest student protest which took place on September 29. The images, as Adam Isacson points out, are under a Creative Commons license.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Chile: With Therapeutic Abortion Up for Vote, Chile is Pro-Tweet · Global Voices
Mi Voz

As Chile’s Senate decides whether to join the all but five countries around the world that allow therapeutic abortion, Chileans are signing on to social networks en masse to talk straight to politicians about the previously swept-under-the-rug topic.
Nine months ago, three Chilean politicians from the Senate Health Committee nudged the taboo topic onto the table. As early as this week, the Senate must choose whether to allow abortion when a mother’s life is in danger, when there is an unviable fetus, and in cases of rape.
Legislative decisions
Chile, a leader in Latin American modernity, makes headlines for its hearty economy. At the same time, necklines still run high, divorce was legalized only in 2004, and traditional family values reign in the 70-percent Catholic nation. Despite pressure from UN-based lobbyists and its popularity in the poles, this is the first time therapeutic abortion hit the Senate floor since it was banned in 1989 at the tail end of Augosto Pinochet’s dictatorship. Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Malta and Vatican City stand as the last places without legalized therapeutic abortion.
The Senate will be deciding on all three pieces of the legislation as soon as Senate President Guido Girardi puts the legislation up for vote. In Chile, the issue has overwhelming popularity in the poles:  94 percent of Chileans believe it’s time for a legislation revision.
Karen Espindola lost her two and a half year old, Oswald, in July. A severe brain defect plagued him since the day he was born. She employs Twitter [es], Blogspot [es] and traditional media outlets to spread the word about his painful life story. She blogs to convince legislators to support therapeutic abortion. One opinion piece [es] she wrote has been shared on Twitter 792 times and 2121 times on Facebook.
Under @KEspindola, she recently tweeted:
Hoy amaneci echandote de menos a veces no soporto esto,que hacer cuando  un hijo se te va despues de una vida corta y llena de sufrimiento?
How to resolve the weighty question is now driving a wedge between the center-right National Renewal party (RN). President Sebastián Piñera, a member of RN, vowed to veto any abortion legislation that passes through congress. The already unpopular president’s approval ratings tanked to a 25-year record low of 22 percent according to a poll from the Center for the Study of Contemporary Reality (CERC).
Those against legalizing therapeutic abortion often argue that it would create a slippery slope toward legalizing all abortion. If any form of abortion is legalized, pro-choice advocates could point to a precedent. While many pro-life groups distinguish between therapeutic abortion from abortion in general, accionfamilia.org [es], a pro-life blog, believes that the therapeutic abortion legislation veils what actually, “deserves the name of ‘abortion with the pretext of being therapeutic.’”
Online opinions
Piñera fell out with the bloggers behind Chile Liberal: speaking truth to power [es], when he strayed from socially liberal campaign promises regarding abortion and gay marriage according to the blog. They asked the president to reconsider his bar-nun decision to veto. The blog reads [es]:
Presidente: deje que prospere el debate en el Congreso y absténgase  de emplear el veto, por mucho que lo amenacen nuevamente. …. Póngase  firme con el aborto terapéutico, deje en claro que es la decisión de una  instancia legítima, como lo es el Congreso Nacional.
Espindola tweeted [es]:
Tengo mucha rabia el presidente defendera la vida hasta su muerte  natural y el sufrimiento de un hijo con una malfor cerebral severa q  hacen.
Karla Rubilar, an RN deputy, shares the president’s political party, but has a different opinion on the issue. She said she will vote in favor of therapeutic abortion.
Rubilar’s Twitter  account boasts a stampede of almost 20 thousand followers, considering that she represents only a slice of constituents from Chile’s capital city. She called Twitter “a great system. It’s a revolution in how we do politics. It’s practically instantaneous and checks the pulse of the how citizens feel.”
Rubilar told Mi Voz that one young man’s tweet actually jumped from the virtual world into a real political discussion. The less-than-140 characters opened her eyes to the importance of providing palliative care for fetuses with severe brain defects. Rubilar brought this to the health minister and representatives from other political parties. New legislation to help mothers pay for palliative care is now underway.
Chileans spend an average of 8.7 hours a month on social networking sites, compared to the 5.4-hour worldwide average according to a comScore, Inc  survey. Facebook corralled its third highest percentage of users from Chile. Chilean tweets and blog posts aren’t wandering aimlessly through cyber space. Politicians are paying close attention; This month Piñera met with 15 of Chile’s “most influential” Twitter users. Citizens are tweeting out.
Image of pregnancy test by JOE MARINARO on Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

author: Mi Voz


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China: What Lu Xun can teach us about modern-day China? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Andy Yee translated a section of an imaginary dialogue on whether China is any better than it was 100 years ago between newspaper editor Pan Caifu and prominent Chinese modern thinker and literature founder Lu Xun in Lu Xun's 130th birth anniversary on September 25, 2011.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Colombia: Mining Debate Continues as New Minister is Appointed · Global Voices
Lully

Among the many riches of Colombia are gold, silver, emeralds, coal and nickel deposits; however, safety concerns have led many to question the management of the country's mining industry. Not only because of the tragedies [es] that have occurred in the mines themselves, but also because of environmental [es] concerns, possible problems of sustainability [es] and the lack of economic, political and social benefits [es].
President Juan Manuel Santos nominated Mauricio Cárdenas Santa María Minister of Mining and Energy, aiming to initiate [es] a significant restructuring [es] of the Ministry. However, reactions on social networks, blogs and YouTube continue to flood the Internet.
Most of Colombia's gold is produced from alluvial operations, by local artisanal miners. Image by Alzbeta Jungrova, copyright Demotix (26/11/09).
Reactions to new minister
La Silla Vacía [es] reports on the new minister:
Fue director de Planeación Nacional durante el gobierno de Andrés  Pastrana y Ministro de Transporte, donde se vio envuelto en el escándalo  de Dragacol por una conciliación laboral realizada de manera irregular.
Under Mauricio Cárdenas, in 1998 the Ministry of Transportation signed a fraudulent contract for 26,000 million pesos (US$ 12.5 million) to the Society of Mining and Construction of Colombia and the Caribbean S.A (Dragacol) [es], for a series of mine-sweeping operations. The group MUMA  (@Mumismo) is now questioning the new Minister about this case:
PAÍS SIN MEMORIA… Miren quién es el nuevo Ministro de Minas y Energía: “Se cae Dragacol” http://bit.ly/pi9EaR
Effects of mining
Looking at mining from another angle, @TuiterosBoyaca shares a link from newspaper El Tiempo [es] on the latest news [es] from the department of Boyacá, when on September 21, 2011, an accumulation of gas produced an explosion that in turn caused the coal mine ‘El Diamante 3′ to cave-in, leaving seven dead and several injured:
Tras 52 horas, rescatan cuerpos de los siete mineros en Socha (Boyacá) http://bit.ly/qIg1Pw
The following video from August 28, 2010, which has been shared by thousands of netizens, resonates today given the ongoing issues related to mining. ‘Open-pit mining contamination in Colombia’ was produced due to the concern of various Colombian television actors and actresses. The video includes their opinions in favour of conservation of the environment, and their positions against contamination; they explain that during extraction elements used in the mining of gold affect the air, rivers, population and general ecosystem:
The University of el Rosario of Bogota (@urosarionews) wonders [es] about the consequences of mining on the environment and adds a link to an article published on July 19, 2011, by Sala de Prensa [es]:
En Yanacocha, Perú, la minería de oro a cielo abierto afectó la naturaleza. ¿Podría suceder esto en Colombia? http://bit.ly/qnTaP1
The blog El Salmón [es] also expresses worry over sustainability and the environment:
Ahora, a la lenta muerte del nevado del Tolima pretenden sumarle la amenaza de destrucción de los ecosistemas de la cuenca y un futuro incierto para miles de familias que deberán salir de sus fincas para abrirle paso a la locomotora minera…
Activist's murder
Finally, the murder of Father Reinel Restrepo, an activist who lead and spoke out against the extraction of mining in Marmato, Caldas, where multinational Gran Colombia Gold operates in the extraction of gold, has raised several concerns. The parish priest was opposed to his parish being subjected to the development of a mega-project for the extraction of gold, and had been warned that it would cost him his life.
Walter Rengifo (@wrengifoc) makes reference [es] to the possible causes of the death of Father Reinel Restrepo:
El párroco de Marmato caldas denuncio días antes, que temía por su vida por protestar en contra de un mega proyecto de extracción de oro y la reubicación del pueblo para lograr sus fines.
Meanwhile, Samir Ammar (@marmatovive) shares a link [es] to the blog Marmato Vive, where a letter was published citing the Project for the Accompaniment and Solidarity of Colombia's webpage as a source:
MARMATO VIVE: COMUNICADO DE ORGANIZACIONES CANADIENSES TRAS EL ASESINATO DEL PADRE JOSÉ REINEL RESTR http://t.co/eVJDtEjs
The blog No to mining [es], citing Noticias UNO [es] as a source, reports:
Reynel Restrepo venía acompañando desde hace dos años por los derechos de los mineros de Marmato, quienes se oponen a que multinacionales del oro los desplacen del lugar. El representante de la junta cívica de Marmato dijo que el padre Restrepo le había dicho que en los últimos días había recibido presión de la Gran Colombia Gold. La multinacional ha dicho que su trabajo no atenta contra la comunidad y en un comunicado que expidió ayer señala que lamentaba la muerte del sacerdote.
The same entry included a video [es] with testimonies from the inhabitants of Marmato and declarations from the priest.

author: Lully


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Colombia: ‘The Poetess of La Candelaria’ · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Mike blogs about Johanna Henry, a woman who hands out poems “for a small contribution” in a plaza in Bogotá: “I don't know her history well, but her roots are in San Andres, a Carribean island which is probably Colombia's most unlikely territory. She's also lived in different parts of mainland Colombia and says she was displaced by violent groups, who forced her to move to Bogotá.”


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Cuba: Suppressing an “Arab Spring” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“General Raúl Castro will not permit an Arab Spring in Cuba,” explains Iván García, adding: “Those who publicly oppose the Castros, whether through a blog, web, opposition party or shouting in the streets…are not enemies.  The enemies are the corrupt procreated by the regime itself and the clans that emerged during 52 years in totalitarian power.”


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Curacao: Changes Needed in Court of Justice  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“A Dutch European lawyer indiscriminately lambasting a prime minister and a party leader in front of four innocent new judges…indoctrinating them from day one how to judicially digest post-colonial power struggles from a sole Dutch white privileged position is borderline dangerous”: TRIUNFO DI SABLIKA thinks it's time for “this constant deep rooted Dutch European naivety blended with superiority feelings [to be]…corrected and replaced with a new historically mature understanding.”


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Equatorial Guinea: 11 Luxury Cars Belonging to Obiang’s Son Seized in Paris  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

11 luxury cars belonging to the son of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea were seized [fr] on September 28 in Paris, as part of the undergoing “Ill-Gotten Gains” investigation. Tokinambo reacts to the news on the togocity blog [fr] : “O Africa, a president's son can own 11 luxury cars. What exactly is his job description again?  In Equatorial Guinea, the common man is struggling to feed himself and this kid is showered with luxury goods. My question is: if the son owns 11 cars, how many does the father own himself?”


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Flood Forecasting in Mekong River · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Mekong River Commission has a special page on its website that provides flood forecasting information that can help resident in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand

author: Mong Palatino


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Guyana: Dreaming of a Better Day  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I’s just one gal standing on a shore that's clutter-up with garbage, staring towards me horizon”: Still, Guyana-Gyal can dream.


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Meritocracy in Singapore · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Elvin Ong proposes some reflective questions in understanding meritocracy in Singapore society. Some scholars blame the system for being ‘elitist and heartless.’


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Panama: The Struggle Against Mining · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Joao Q in Mediocerrado [es] wonders “What happened to the anti-mining struggle in Panama?”, and attempts to bring the issue of mining back to the public discussion with a post on the subject.


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Philippines: Fake Government Photo Spawns Meme · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Online furor over a Philippine government agency's Facebook page posting of a fabricated photo showing its officials inspecting a typhoon-struck street has spawned a meme, wherein netizens make their own versions with officials superimposed on different other locations.
On September 28, 2011, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) uploaded an edited photo showing DPWH officials inspecting damage from Typhoon Nesat (local name is Pedring). The photo caption reads:
DPWH INSPECTS COLLAPSED SEAWALL AT ROXAS BOULEVARD. DPWH Undersecretary Romeo S. Momo with NCR Director Reynaldo G. Tagudando and South Manila District Engineer Mikunug D. Macud inspect the extent of the damaged seawall in Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard caused by Typhoon Pedring.
The DPWH quickly pulled the controversial photo and issued an apology after irate bloggers criticized the fabrication of the field inspection's documentation to project a good image to the public:
We profusely apologize for any inconvenience that may have caused them and the general public. Rest assured that we shall exert more diligence and prudence in the execution of our mandate to inform the public of our plans, programs, projects and official activities.
Said enhanced photo was not the official photo release of the Department.
But we would like to inform the public that the three officials were actually on site as part of the Department’s Post Disaster Assessment activities.
But the damage has been done with Pierre Albert San Diego of the blog Controlled Chaos exposing the trick:
I re-checked the image and concluded that DPWH fabricated this picture. Why they had to edit it and not just simply compose a photo with all three guys, I do not know. Although my evil mind tells me that the DPWH wants a pogi photo showing their bosses in deep thought while assessing the disaster site, and they didn’t have the opportunity to pose because those guys were probably there for 15 minutes max – so they just lasso tooled the hell out of that pic.
Here are my findings on how lame this photo was ‘shopped.
He adds that the matter only shows the persistence of “utak wangwang” or a culture of impunity and corruption that the Aquino government has repeatedly promised to stamp out from its ranks:
Some say this is a very minor issue, but I see this as a nice sample of DPWH’s lack of integrity. If they can fabricate simple things like this, just imagine what these guys can do to progress billings and acceptance of projects. Also, while relatively mild, isn’t this a classic example of “Utak Wangwang?” While unethical and unnecessary, they thought they could get away with fabricating photos so they tried to.
Netizens have created the Facebook page DPWHERE collecting photoshopped images of the DPWH officials superimposed on different images. The Ayson Chronicles selects a sampling of what he considers an “editor's choice” of the DPWHERE postings:
*Plop* Culture also posts some more funny DPWH photos:
The Indolent Indio has also uploaded what he calls “a fund exploitable” photo of the three officials and encouraged his readers to join the “DPWH meme”:
Where will our Public Works officials turn up next? Send us your shopped pics at indolentry at indolentindio dot com or onetamad at indolentindio dot com!

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Portugal: Watchdog of Public Domain · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

A blog that aims to act as a watchdog of public domain in Portugal [pt] and beyond was recently launched.


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Puerto Rico: Occupy Puerto Rico · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Puerto Rico has joined the occupation movement that has spread across the United States, and they are also using Facebook and Twitter to communicate and share information.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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‘Rural Cosmopolitanism’ in Southeast Asia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana writes about the rising ‘rural cosmopolitanism’ in Southeast Asia. The author also notes the impact of improving digital literacy in the rural economies of the region


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Singapore: Regional Haze Map · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Meteorological Service Singapore website has a feature which provides a Regional Haze Map. Haze is reported to be getting intense this year in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.


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Singapore: Shortage of Qualified Doctors · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

To address the lack of qualified medical professionals in Singapore, the government is hiring more foreign doctors aside from asking its Singapore-trained doctors who are working abroad to come home already


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Trinidad & Tobago: Making Our Own Films  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In a review republished at Trinidad and Tobago News Blog, Corey Gilkes found that the cricket documentary, Fire in Babylon, “showed just how important it is that WE need to start telling our own stories from our perspective.”


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Ukraine: President Yanukovych in The Simpsons? · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

The twenty-third season of the famous television cartoon series The Simpsons premiered in the United States on September 25, 2011. The first episode of the season immediately became popular with Ukrainian netizens, as it humorously portrayed Ukraine and a Kiev mafioso called Victor. The most intriguing part of the episode, however, were the similarities between the character Victor and the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, pointed out [uk] by many journalists and bloggers.
For instance, apart from the quashed criminal record of Yanukovych, media representatives pointed out The Simpsons character’s strong figure, his luxurious office in the center of Kiev and numerous guards. Other details of the episode discussed online included Victor’s treatment of his wife, who is sent “back to her room” (Ukraine’s First Lady is known for leading a rather reclusive lifestyle and spending most of her time away from Kiev) and Beyoncé's planned concert in Ukraine (the singer performed in Donetsk in 2009).
Mafioso Victor, a screenshot from The Simpsons episode set in Kiev
In Ukraine, the episode went viral and was shared by numerous Facebook, Twitter and LiveJournal users. Many found it quite funny, while others were upset by such grim portrayal of the country.
MP and blogger Lesya Orobets (@LesyaOrobets) tweeted [uk]:
Хто б сказав, що сьогодні робочий день почнеться з перегляду мультика про Сімпсонів:(
Twitter user Adam Radkowski (@Adamnet21) shared the link and wrote [uk]:
“Сімпсони” зняли серію про Україну. Ба! Знайомі обличчя!http://bit.ly/oa7Gft
Tweeter user @dark_vesta shared the link and asked [uk]:
Сімпсони і бандит Вітя http://life.pravda.com.ua/culture/2011/09/27/86240/ і кого мені так нагадує цей Віктор?)))
Dnipropetrovsk-based civic information website Dniprograd.org also shared the link on its Twitter account (@Dniprograd) and noted ironically [uk]:
ДНІПРОГРАД Янукович – всесвітньо популярний, про нього зняли “Сімпсони” http://bit.ly/qwGvUT #news #Dnepr
Ukraine-based Twitter user @idioteque_2017 also shared the link and wondered [uk]:
Напевно тепер Мета Грюнінга чекають трабли???))) http://bit.ly/rhvA2A #Сімпсони #Янукович
Twitter user Ostap Malashnyak (@stefcjo) shared screenshots from the episode and wrote [uk]:
хоч комусь смішно з нашого горя… “Сімпсони” зняли серію про Україну http://myreport.com.ua/fotoreportazh_big/simpsony-znyaly-seriyu-pro-ukrajinu.html pic.twitter.com/GZrFBGoL
Twitter user Kashchuk Ilona (@ScoutGirl19) did not seem surprised, as she tweeted [uk]:
Сімпсони теж нашого ‘президента’ висміяли -http://news.bigmir.net/ukraine/455775/#
So far, it is unclear whether the episode will be broadcast [uk] on the Ukrainian television.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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USA: Occupy Together · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The website Occupy Together offers a wealth of information on the social movements catalyzing in many cities in the United States and in other countries around the world against corporate greed and corruption.


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Zambia: Appointment of White Vice President Causes Online Buzz · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

Apart from Zambia’s new President Michael Sata’s faux pax (his nomination of more members of parliament than are allowed by the constitution, which largely went unnoticed) it was the shocking, but not entirely unexpected, appointment of Vice President Guy Scott that has been creating a buzz online. Guy Scott is an indigenous white Zambian.
Scott who is ruling party, Patriotic Front's (PF) vice president, first held a ministerial post between 1991 and 1995 as Minister of Agriculture.
Zambia's new Vice President Guy Scott. Image from the ruling Patriotic Front website.
Some Sub-Saharan African countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa have had whites and people of Asian origin as ministers but none of them have occupied a the high position of national vice president, which in the case of Zambia, is just a heartbeat away from the presidency. The constitution provides that in case of vacation by death or other prescribed means, the vice president takes over in an acting capacity until elections are held within 90 days of such vacation.
The constitution also states that only a Zambian whose both parents were born in Zambia qualifies to occupy the office of president but this clause was invalidated by the Supreme Court in a case involving Zambia’s first President Kenneth Kaunda who ruled Zambia for 27 years but was barred the second time when he attempted to contest the elections after his successor amended the constitution. The Supreme Court held that Zambia did not exist prior to independence but was known as Northern Rhodesia.
Tweeps immediately took to their keyboards when it became known who was included in President Sata's cabinet:
@missbwalya wondered:
Zambia is the only African country with a white VP. Wonder how that will be received by “anti-white African” militants.
She declared further:
We don't care, Guy Scott is Zambian FULL STOP
@Kamukwape retweeted the same Scott announcement:
RT @zambiaelections: Zambia has white vice president, as Sata creates another ministry – Zambian Watchdog: bit.ly/rm7A4a #bantuwatch
@yowela stated the general feeling of many Zambians:
In our Zambia, it does not matter what tribe you are, or what race you are. All that matters is that you are…  (Zambian and we will all get along. It even gets beyond that, as visitors from abroad come into Zambia we make them feel at home. Zambia: Let's explore!) fb.me/LgmODBzo
On the Facebook group, Zambian Peoples Pact, which largely supports the PF and its presidential candidate, questions, comments and banter were posted by members on the appointment of Dr Scott.
In a political dispensation where someone’s political fortunes are marked by the ethnic group one hails from, Mambo Phiri asked, tongue-in-cheek:
What tribe is Vice President Guy Scott?
Chilapa Chanda ascribed Scott to the Bemba ethnic group to which President Sata also belongs. Scott is said to have coined the PF’s slogan, “Dochi Kubeba” (Donchi, a corruption of the English word Don’t and Kubeba which means tell, an instruction to party supporters to get materials the now opposition MMD was dishing out to people during the campaigns but not to tell them who they would vote for):
All those complaining that there are too many bembas in cabinet, don't leave out Guy Scott! White bemba dude!
On the Zambian Watchdog website there varied responses to the appointment of Guy Scott. Bullman had this to say:
Zambians are a funny lot. You are prepared to stop someone on tribal bases and accept some who’s origin is from a different continent. Its only been 47 years guys. Please educate me of a European country which has an African origin leader? America is a totally different case that’s a country of immigrants. The land owners were wiped out and same case with Australia.
A reader by the name of Integrity rubbed it in:
I think a lot of zambians are fascinated by white people! It does not matter whether the person has qualifications or not, they just have to be white! By nature Zambians think they deserve it. How easily we forget that his ancestors were the ones selling our grandfathers and raping our grandmothers in the name of Christianity and civilization. Have the jews forgotten holocaust, no, even now they are still demanding reparations for something that happened years ago. Zambians on the other hand, “we need to show the world that we have no prejudice” America deserves Obama as a black president because the blacks make up the majority. Do whites in Zambia make up any percentage? When the whole world is recognizing achievements and the the progress of black people, we on the other hand are making headlines for sidelining our own race.
Asher defended the appointment:
From my understanding you choose a team you trust and are confortable with to work with you and is a right a president in our Country enjoys. I congratulate his excellency for being so brave as to pick beyond peoples expactation and colour. By the way the USA has a black president and not a vice from Kenya!
On Lusaka Times, Observer had this to say:
thank God Guy Scott is VP, this man is seen PF sail through difficult times and I for one I am happy that is now VP. I wish him all the best.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Africa: Maker Faire Africa 2011 is Here · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Get ready for Maker Faire Africa 2011: “From October 6 – 8, 2011; Inventors, Developer, Makers, Idealist, Entrepreneurs and Bloggers will meet-up on the campus of American University in Cairo for Maker Faire Africa 2011 under the hash-tag: #MFA11.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: The African Photographer and the Camera · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Learn about the African photographer and the camera from Nana Acquah: “Traditionally, the African photographer has been an artisan. He’s not been considered any different from a carpenter or mason or vulcanizer. Photographic Imagery has been as useful as furniture.”


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Arab Bloggers Meet in Tunis · Global Voices
Rebecca MacKinnon

On Monday in Tunis, the 3rd Arab Bloggers Meeting kicked off with a day-long public conference.  The meeting is co-hosted by Global Voices, Nawaat and Heinrich Böll Foundation and is attended by around 100 bloggers from nearly all Arab countries. Naturally, the conference was well-blogged, not only on the official Arab Bloggers blog, but also by many participants.
Links to media and blog coverage are being collected here (please post in the comments section to let us know what we may have missed).
An Al Jazeera story about the meeting proclaimed: “Arab bloggers say Arab Spring has gone global“.  English-language blog coverage included Jillian York's posts on Day 1, Part 1 and a special panel featuring Tunisian bloggers who are now involved with Tunisian politics in various ways. The biggest news came from a ground-breaking talk by the new president of the Tunisian Internet Agency, in which he revealed that Tunisia secretly tested censorship software for Western companies.
Mohamed ElGohary, co-editor of Lingua Arabic. Photo by Mohamed Alâa Guedich (used with permission)
The meeting continues in a smaller, invitation-only workshop setting for the next three days. Participants continue to tweet about the discussions in multiple languages using the #AB11 hashtag, and the conference blog will continue to post updates. So stay tuned.
The 2nd Arab Bloggers Meeting, held in Beirut in 2009, is believed by many bloggers to have played an important role in building personal ties and trust among bloggers throughout the region – ties which enabled them to coordinate more easily during the Arab Spring.

author: Rebecca MacKinnon


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Azerbaijan: Down for the count? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Tamada Tales comments on remarks made by a senior member of the ruling government party in Azerbaijan in response to allegations made by the BBC that a senior official tried to bribe the oil-rich country's way to two gold medals for boxing in next year's Olympic Games to be held in London, England. According to the blog post and news reports, Ali Ahmedov accused the British broadcaster of being “jealous because we are pretty, athletic and rich.”

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: Bloggers Will Not Be Silenced · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Jagannath University of Dhaka, initiated in 1858, is one of the oldest public educational institutes of Bangladesh. Many people in the country cannot afford expensive private tuition and depend on these public educational institutes for their higher studies.
Recently on the prescription of World Bank the government has ventured to curtail subsidies in education by   privatizing the public colleges and universities and Jagannath University has become one of their first experiments.
Student protests
Parvez Alam [bn] provides the background of the recent protests and demonstrations by the students of Jagannath University:
জগন্নাথ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় শ্রেফ শুরু মাত্র, এরপরে দেশের প্রত্যেকটা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়রে ধরা হবে। একটা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের ক্ষেত্রে বাস্তবায়ন করতে পারলে বাকিগুলাও আস্তে আস্তে করে ফেলা হবে।
On September 25, 2011, police cracked down on the students of Jagannath University as some of them resorted to vandalism during protests. Tough action was taken against students including mass arrests.
Activists from the Facebook group “Bloggers and Online Activists on National Interest” (জাতীয় স্বার্থে ব্লগার -অনলাইন একটিভিস্ট) [bn] condemned the police brutality and supported the 4 point demand and the protests of the students of the Jagannath University.
Asif Mohiuddin. Image courtesy Arfan Ahmed/Unmochon
Among several bloggers, Asif Mohiuddin, 28, an IT specialist, wrote [bn] about this issue extensively and was one of the key organizers of the protests of the ‘Bloggers and Online Activists on National Interest’ forum on September 30. He signed off his post with this:
জয় আমাদের হবেই। আমরা আমদের শিক্ষাকে পণ্যে পরিণত হতে দেবো না। আমাদের শিক্ষা হোক সকলের জন্য।
Asif Mohiuddin arrested
Police cracked down on the September 30 event too and arrested  a number of students who were later released on bail. On October 1, 2011, news broke out in the blogs that Asif Mohiuddin had been arrested. Kowshik Ahmed reports [bn]:
গতকাল অনলাইন অনলাইন ব্লগার অ্যাক্টিভিস্ট গ্রুপের অন্যতম সংগঠক আসিফ মহিউদ্দীনের বাসায় ডিবি পুলিশ খুঁজতে যায়, না পেয়ে পরিবারের সদস্যদের কাছে তাকে থানায় রিপোর্ট করতে বলে। আজকে আসিফ মহিউদ্দীন তার বোনকে নিয়ে থানায় রিপোর্ট করলে, পুলিশ তাকে আটক করে। যারা কোনো গ্রহণযোগ্য কারণ দেখানো হয়নি, তবে শোনা যাচ্ছে তার মোবাইল কল ট্রাক করা হয়েছে।
Poster for a protest demanding release of blogger Asif.
The blogosphere had exploded with reactions and everybody was demanding release of Asif. Arthohin wrote:
What did Asif do? Did he burn anyone’s property or create chaos or break the law? Well he broke the law for sure and that is why he was picked up by the state police. He wrote and questioned actions of the government and [the] government cannot take it. So that is [the] crime.
Voyal Agnipurush demanded that he should be arrested too so that there would be nobody available to protest government actions.
Kowshik provided regular updates of the situation and a protest gathering was called on the 2 October in the city demanding Asif's release.
Asif remained detained for the night and on October 2 news started to arrive that he soon may be released. Omi Rahman Pial informed [bn] that he was yet to be arrested officially but was detained for questioning.
The police eventually released Asif after 18 hours of detention but what angered the online community is the statements of the police and the way he was released.
According to BDNews24.com Asif had to submit a bond saying that he will not call rallies online on the Jagannath University movement issue in blogs or on Facebook. The police repeatedly advised him: “Don't write. You have a job, get married. No one's ever achieved anything by writing,” and other gems like “Freedom of speech, ethics — these things make no sense in life.” According to news one detective allegedly told him: “The state will see whether you are on its side or against it. If you're against it, you'll be struck down.”
Blogger and journalist Biplob Rahman questions [bn]:
এ অবস্থায় প্রশ্ন জাগে, দেশটা কী শেষ পর্যন্ত পুলিশী রাষ্ট্রে পরিনত হচ্ছে?
Kowshik [bn] opines:
সরকারী আমলাতন্ত্র সম্ভবত বিকল্প মিডিয়ার শক্তি সম্পর্কে অনভিজ্ঞ। আসিফ মহিউদ্দীন মাত্র একটা নাম – তবে ভার্চুয়াল অঙ্গনে এখন লাখো আসিফ মহিউদ্দিন সরব হয়ে আছেন

author: Rezwan


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Bermuda: Back & Forth Over Retail Measures · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The 40% hike in airport duty (combined with a steep reduction in allowances) has people freaked”, says Vexed Bermoothes, adding: “Is the Government so broke that it needs to restrict Bermudians’ freedom for a mere $4.2 million in additional tax revenue?”  Beach Lime, meanwhile, quips: “There is not a facepalm photo big enough to represent the frustration at these spur-of-moment hairbrained schemes that Government has tried to roll out in recent times.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bolivia: TIPNIS Marchers Determined to Reach La Paz · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Dario Kenner updates his blog on the ongoing TIPNIS conflict. Despite last week's police repression, marchers are determined to reach La Paz. Dario says there are two main unanswered questions: “Will the government listen to the signals and change its positions?” and “Who gave the order for the police repression on Sunday 25 September?”


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Cameroon: Anglophone Nationalism Pops-up Ahead of Elections · Global Voices
George Esunge Fominyen

This page is part of our special coverage Cameroon Elections 2011.
As candidates campaign ahead of the 9 October, 2011, presidential poll in Cameroon, supporters of English-speaking separatist movements attempted a protest on 1 October in Buea the former capital of British-controlled Southern Cameroons.
Several of these activists, mainly supporters of the separatist Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) were arrested by security forces.
Journalist Patrick Sianne posted a memorandum by 150 SCNC activists who were held by the police in Buea on the Up Station Mountain Club collective blog:
Arrested severally and collectively at various points of Buea especially Mile 17 where we were converging, on October 1st, 2011 to begin our Commemorative March to freedom, up to Bongo Square. We were utterly surprised and dismayed, when we were brutally confronted by armed police of the GMI N0 5, and humiliated to the core, concerning hence our understanding that the forces don’t consider Southern Cameroon as full fledged citizens, with equal rights, especially the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to peaceably assemble to protest our grievances.
GRIEVANCES:
After our suffering for two days running without a crime, and as victims being further victimized, we strongly recommend:
•	That our rights to self determination as recognized by international law be scrupulously respected and that the occupation forces of the regime be withdrawn forthwith, to enable us be masters of our destiny.
Done at the canteen of the GMI N0 5, this 2nd day of the month of October, in the year of Our Lord 2011.
NB: We remain a distinct people, committed to the force of reason, and not the reason of force.”
Southern Cameroons National Council militants singing liberation songs while in detention. Image courtesy of Cameroonian journalist Patrick Sianne who was also detained by security forces.
Solomon Amabo writes that security forces also held Njoh Litumbe, one of the separatist leaders, under house arrest and molested journalists:
I write to confirm that Molah Njoh is under house arrest. It is infront of his residence that police men have just beaten me, seizing my id card. just few minutes ago. I was with Mua Paul another colleague. We went there to check whether Mola Njoh was still alive given the troops sorrounding his home.
Officially 1 October is the day British Southern Cameroons and the independent former French-controlled Republic of Cameroon re-unified to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon in 1961.
However, some Anglophones perceive the relationship as annexation by the former French-ruled Cameroon leading to calls for secession which are loudest when activists attempt to commemorate what they claim is their independence day. The government regularly declares these meetings and protests illegal resulting in cat and mouse chases between security forces and activists.
Here is an example of what some of them were chanting while in detention, according Up Station Mount Cameroon blog:
This is the voice of the Mighty Lord.
Let My People go. X2
Voice of the Mighty Lord
“Go down, go down
Go down to Buea
And tell Biya [N.B. President of Cameroon]
Biya let my people go”
Meanwhile, five Anglophones – John Fru Ndi, Kah Walla, Ben Muna , Paul Ayah and George Nyamdi – are among the 23 people running for the office of President of Cameroon this year.
Stephen Neba-Fuh who blogs at Voice of the Oppressed argues that all the Anglophone candidates are aware of what he refers to as the “plight of  (Anglophone) Southern Cameroonians”. He sees this as an opportunity to strike the Anglophone issue from within:
Therefore, the inability to bar Southern Cameroonians from taking part in the politics of the Republic of Cameroun leaves us with nothing but a tactical approach to the struggle- a multi-faceted approach. Since the struggle this far has been void of an armed approach, it will be restrictive and unprogressive to pursue the Southern Cameroonian struggle in a uni-facet fashion mainly on resignation. Afterall, if we possess their identity cards,carry  their passports and  land on their airports, why can we not penetrate their system and fight it from there.
In a related development, one of the (Francophone) presidential candidates Jean Njeunga, says there is no Anglophone problem in Cameroon. He told journalists on the privately-owned Equinoxe TV channel that the people calling for the secession of the English-speaking part of  Cameroon were from Nigeria or Nigerians.
Watch the video below where Jean Njeunga talks about the Anglophone question [he begins speaking about Anglophones from 6 mins 25 secs].
This page is part of our special coverage Cameroon Elections 2011.

author: George Esunge Fominyen


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China: Student Interns Or Cheap Labourers? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Since 2004 a labour shortage has begun to emerge in China; in order to tackle the problem the Chinese government has started encouraging privately run institutes to expand the number of vocational schools. According to Education Bureau statistics, the number of students in secondary vocational schools rose from 12.56 million in 2003 to 21.95 million in 2009.
In 2006, the government introduced the so-called “factory in front, school at the back” or school-business cooperation model. However, the students involved are not protected by the minimum wage and the businesses do not need to pay for their social insurance, even though these students work like ordinary workers.
Student labour
Young shoe factory worker in Shenzhen Longgang, China. Image by Martin Coyne, copyright Demotix (27/04/2009).
Asia Monitor Resource Centre has published an indepth report, ‘Cheap Labour in Essence, Students in Name: Vocational School Interns In China‘, on the systematic exploitation of student interns in China:
…what China’s overall industries need is non-skilled workers only; the majority of secondary vocational school students, whatever their major studies maybe, finally get sent to the production line, where some students say that their work only takes a day to learn and did not need any professional knowledge. Therefore, the student internship, in essence, is just a way to exclude the students from being recognized as having a labour relationship to the enterprise, and thus without the protection of labour law, so that the enterprise can reduce its labour costs.
This phenomenon has not only deprived the students of their labour rights, but also affects the overall  labour market negatively. Many enterprises have used student workers permanently, some using them for even as high as 70% of their workforce…
A number of student workers from Guoyang Military School or Guoyang Secondary Vocational School decided to expose the problem online. Below is their introduction in Sina Weiblog [zh] back on July 19, 2011:
我们是贵阳市国防学校的毕业生，被学校当成了赚钱工具，长期实习。我们感到不愤，走上了维权路，为自己讨公道。希望分享我们的经历，请大家支持我们！我們的博客：http://t.cn/aWSbkR
One of the student workers Xiao Luo told his story to a local newspapers [zh] in July:
“在 学校根本学不到东西。”小罗学的是市场营销专业，2007年7月入校，在学校只待了5天，他就被安排到深圳的一家公司实习。直到2008年2月才回到学 校。在学校上了两三个月的课之后，他再次被送到外面当没有人指导、实习内容完全不对口的“学生工”。小罗说：“每次勤工俭学回去后，都会有一个星期的假 期，学校就会给我们很多招生简章，并下达任务，回家要招多少学生，如果招不够回来的话，我们的教官就会被罚钱。如果帮他们招一个学生的话，就给600元奖 金。实际上，这笔奖金不是学校支付，而是在所招到学生的实习工资里扣除。”
按照法律规 定，实习期间的劳动报酬应该发到实习生手里。但据他们介绍，3年来，小罗及他们同学的所有工资都直接打入学校账户。…此 外，学校帮他们每个人都申请了国家补助金，两年共计每人3000元，小罗这级共有1801人。他们至今不知道这些钱长啥样子。“
The students also use Weibo to alert local media workers [zh] about their situation:
对@中国新闻周刊 说：你们好！我们是贵阳市的中职学生，学校违规办学，包括学校滥收费、强迫学生长时间实习、强迫童工实习、克扣学生工资、代收和骗取国家补助金等。我们已向教育局、物价局、教育厅投诉，可教育态度搪塞，学校恐吓学生，我们媒体报导。我们有个材料，是否有邮箱给发过去。谢谢！
Eventually a number of online media outlets had followed up the story, such as Caixin.cn [zh]. The students then further exposed in August 26 [zh] through their Weibo that the school sent child labour to work in sweatshops:
我是这个学校的，2007年刚入学，才15岁，也跟着所有工人一样，每天上12小时的班，一个月只有一两天休息。那时候我们所在的工业区有一家厂的童工工伤死亡，学生童工被原来的工厂退出来了，学校又把学生集中起来，改了我们的出生日期，调到另一个工厂上班，当时候100多个同学都不满16的，有些才14岁！
On September 8, two days before Teacher's Day, the students release a video, urging educators to show concern for the exploitation of student workers:


text:
China: The Cost of Space Ambition · Global Voices
John Kennedy

China's launch last week of the Tiangong-1 inhabitable space station signals a shift in the space race, one everyone should be worried about. Especially the USA's allies in Asia, right?
Among those who would disagree is Jiang Feng, editor-in-chief of the Japan-based Chinese-language newspaper New-generation Overseas Chinese; in a blog post [zh] earlier this week in which he looks at how Japanese media covered the news of the launch, Jiang attributes a large part of the motivation behind China's space program to the simple fact that China happens to have more money than most countries right now to keep funding space exploration.
Inside the Jiuquan satellite launch center. Image by AAxanderr via Wikimedia Commons, in public domain.
Jiang also argues that space exploration benefits all humankind, even contrasting the kind of Chinese engineering that led to the train collision in July with Japan's superiority in robotics and other areas of critical space travel technology.
He writes:
此时此刻，尽管中国官媒强调“中国不会因为有了自己的空间站就改变和平利用外空的原则立场”，但西方媒体仍然坚疑不信。可以这样说，中国在太空探索领域的卓著成就，让美俄等老牌太空强国倍感压力，其中感到压力最大的恐怕就是中国的近邻日本。
中国“天宫一号”发射成功的新闻，日本主流媒体均给予突出报道。仔细阅来就会发现，《读卖新闻》注重的是中国特意把发射时间选定在国庆节前夕，希望以此振奋国威，提升民气；《每日新闻》注重的是世界上已有的空间站几乎都是几个国家联袂打造，如今中国则是凭一国之力独自开发，强调“独自的技术”；《东京新闻》指出中国开始走上“宇宙强国”的道路；《产经新闻》则刻意报道围绕着发射中心的名称，内蒙与甘肃正在进行激烈的“争夺战”；《朝日新闻》指出此举意味着中国正在宇宙开发领域紧随美俄之后，打开了新的突破口。应该说，《日本经济新闻》的报道最为给力，不仅在第一版做出要闻式报道，还在第十四版做出详细报道，其分析也很雷人，一方面指出包括日本在内的西方媒体都怀疑“中国正在企图建立宇宙霸权”。另一方面怀疑中国未来对此可能进行“军事利用”，有些无奈地指出现在世界上只有中国一个国家可以把国家预算集中性地投入到战略领域，西方发达国家都处于不同程度的财政危机中而无法这样去做，同时中国载人空间站的开发又是在解放军的主导下进行。
The news of China's successful launch of Heavenly Palace 1 has been reported on by all mainstream Japanese media.
Looking closely at these reports, we see that The Daily Yomiuri's focus has been that China deliberately chose to launch the space station on the eve of National Day to inspire people and raise a sense of prestige for the country; The Mainichi Daily News’ focus was that of all the countries now with their own space station, nearly all these reached that stage through cooperation with other nations, and China is the first country to date to achieve this through its own efforts, through “its own technology”; The Tokyo Shimbun pointed out that China is now on the path toward becoming a “great space power”; Sankei Shimbun, meanwhile, focused its reports on the name of the launch center and the “fight” between Inner Mongolia and Gansu province to claim it as located within each of their borders; The Asahi Shimbun's take is that China is now catching up to earlier advancements in the space exploration field from the United States and Russia, and has now made a breakthrough of its own.
Reports from The Nikkei, however, have been the most encouraging, as not only was the story put on the front page, but an in-depth report was also run on pg. 14. The analysis was stunning, pointing out on one hand that Japanese and Western media suspect that “China is now attempting to establish hegemony in space,” while at the same time suspecting that China possibly intends to use outer space for its own military purposes in the future. It wrote of how some media have helplessly pointed out that China is the only nation on earth now which is capable of concentrating its national budget on strategic investments, that the varying degrees of economic crisis in western developed nations have left them unable to do the same, while development of China's inhabitable space station was led by the People's Liberation Army.
必须看到，日本媒体这样报道是有原因的。在开发太空领域方面，日本一直是落后于中国。迄今为止，不但日本国民对宇宙开发没有取得共识，日本国家也没有将其列入重大决策范畴。也许正因为这样，现任日本首相野田佳彦此前才在国会积极推动制定“宇宙基本法”，声称要以此“开创日本的百年大计”。不过，在经济低迷、震灾需救的今天，日本要想用国家拨款开发载人空间站，实在不是一件容易的事情。

author: John Kennedy


text:
China: Tourist Attractions during the National Day Holiday · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ministry of Tofu collects a set of photos showing what tourist attractions looks like during the National Day Holiday week.