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Hockey, Diving for Crosses and Other Christmas-in-January Traditions · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

For Christians of the Western hemisphere, Christmas comes a little earlier than for their counterparts in Eastern Europe, North Africa and other countries. According to the Gregorian calendar, one of many man-made concepts to measure time and the calendar the globe uses today, Christ was born during the night between December 24 and December 25 just a little over 2,000 years ago. According to the Julian calendar, still used by many religious organizations in the world, those dates correspond to January 6 and January 7.
Among those who celebrate Christmas on those January dates are most Orthodox and Coptic Christians, from Eastern Europe to Egypt and Ethiopia. We called on the wonderfully diverse team of over 700 Global Voices authors to share their favorite local Orthodox and Coptic Christmas traditions and learned that the world is indeed a festive place, long after the Western world has taken down their Christmas stockings and stripped their Christmas trees.
Markos Lemma from Ethiopia explains how a game of hockey is the centerpiece in this North African country's Christmas celebrations:
Christmas falls on December 29 of the Ethiopian calendar (January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar). Ledet (Christmas), it is celebrated seriously by a church service that goes on throughout the night after 43 days fasting known as Tsome Gahad (Advent), with a spectacular procession, which begins at 6 a.m. and lasts until 9 a.m. After the mass service, people go home to break the fast with the meat of chicken or lamb or beef accompanied with injera and the traditional drinks (i.e. tella or tej). Traditionally, young men played a game similar to hockey called genna on this day and now Christmas has also come to be known by that name.
The case in Serbia is far from similar, but followers of the Orthodox faith in Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6, the last day of the same 40-day fast observed in Ethiopia, and then break that fast on Christmas Day, January 7, with a similar family feast abundant with meats of all sorts and special Christmas dishes. Different regions of these countries have somewhat different traditions, but this author chose to share one particular tradition that the vast majority of Orthodox families still uphold in this part of Southeast Europe:
On Christmas Day, January 7 according to the Julian calendar, Orthodox Serb households welcome a young male or male child, called a Položajnik, into the house in the early morning. The young male is usually a younger cousin, grandson or neighbor and he should be the first to enter the house that day. He brings in a wreath or bundle of small well dried oak branch tips, hay and such, called a Badnjak, with him and uses it to light the fire. In urban households, most of which don't have a fireplace, the stove is used to light the Badnjak. As sparks from the dried leaves and branches float around, he chants “As many sparks, that much health; as many sparks, that much wealth; as many sparks, that much love; as many sparks, that much luck…”, in no particular order. Different communities and families have their own versions of this ditty. The položajnik is considered a representation of health, prosperity and all things good. He brings luck, health, and love into the home. He then receives a gift from the family and joins them for Christmas breakfast.
Expat blogger David Bailey, better known as “An Englishman in the Balkans”, posted this video explaining the traditional breaking of the Christmas bread, known as the Česnica, on Christmas day in an Orthodox home in Bosnia. The Česnica, however, takes on different shapes throughout the region and in the Vojvodina region of Serbia, for example, is very sweet, resembling baklava more than bread.
The traditional Christmas greeting in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Montenegro is “Christ is born!”, to which the proper response is “Truly He is born”. Coincidentally, Lebanon, a country relatively far from Eastern Europe, now uses the same Christmas greeting. Thalia Rahme explains:
In Lebanon … its becoming more and more trendy to say the formula you just mentioned as in reaction to the secularization of Christmas
While usually we used to say that in Easter – Christ is risen, Indeed he is risen – now we also say [it on] Christmas – Christ is Born, Indeed He is born.
Lebanon seems to be a particularly special case when it comes to calendars and Christmas celebrations, with a plethora of faiths and traditions truly all its own. Thalia managed to unravel some of the marvels of Lebanese Christmas for us:
Lebanese Orthodox celebrate Christmas with Catholics on December 24.
Only Armenians Orthodox do have it on January 6 and, since it happens to be Epiphany for us Catholics [marking the baptism of Jesus], it's a kind of double celebration and an official holiday in Lebanon as part of giving each community its rights.
We have a small Coptic and Orthodox community and [an] Ethiopian one who celebrate it on January 7.
On the other hand, Armenian Orthodox choose to celebrate their Easter with us Catholics, but this is not the case for other Orthodox communities […] but this year Easter for both Catholics and Orthodox is falling on the same date
At the mention of the marking of the Epiphany, many other Eastern Europeans chimed in with their stories of this frequently forgotten, not-so-minor Christian holiday. Global Voices’ veteran author from Bulgaria Rayna St. wrote in to say this:
For the French, January 6 is Epiphany so people eat Galette des Rois (and yes, it's yummy).
For Bulgarians, January 6 is also Epiphany, also called Yordanovden, when everyone named Yordan/ka, Daniel/a, Bogomil/a, Bojidar/a celebrate. The day's name is also Bogoyavlenie (God's appearance) and it is believed to be the day when Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River. When He came out of the waters, the skies opened and there was a voice saying, “You are my beloved Son, all my good will is in You” or something along these lines.
The most exciting moment of this nowadays is the ritual that accompanies this day: the priest throws a cross in the river and young men jump in to fetch it. As you may imagine, it's quite sporty as temperatures in Bulgaria differ from Jordan… :) So, when a guy catches the cross, he is believed to be blessed, fortunate, and to have iron health for the coming year. The priest also goes through houses and, in my region at least, fills in the rooms with tamyan smoke (a specific kind of wax mixture) so it chases away bad spirits. Bogoyavlenie is actually the last one of the Dirty Days and only meatless dishes are served for dinner.
Interestingly enough, while a common Christmas date may not be something all Eastern European Christians share, swimming for crosses in ice cold waters on Epiphany is. This tradition is also the same as Rayna describes in Russia, Serbia, Montenegro and other countries of the region. The dates of when they mark the Epiphany and break the January ice, however, do differ, with those who follow the Julian calendar coming in 13 days “late” again.
But back to Christmas in that region. Busy with following Ukraine's 2013 Euromaidan protests, which continued throughout the Christmas holidays and into 2014, Tetyana Bohdanova set aside a few moments from these worrying events to fill us in on how Christmas is traditionally celebrated by Orthodox followers in this country when they aren't out in the streets holding anti-government rallies by the hundreds of thousands:
In Ukraine most people celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January, according to the Julian calendar. On Christmas Eve, January 6, we gather for a traditional dinner that consists of 12 meatless dishes honoring the 12 Apostles. The dinner may begin only after the first star appears in the sky indicating that Christ has been born.
Another Christmas tradition is Vertep, which originally included a puppet theater representing Nativity scenes. A contemporary version, however, refers to a group of people acting out the story of Christ’s birth. Vertep also commonly includes folk characters and singing of Christmas carols. This year Ukrainian Vertep has been influenced by the political turmoil in the country. Among dressed up actors one may recognize Biblical and folk figures along with contemporary politicians, who are not necessarily represented by the good characters!
Tetyana Lokot, also from Ukraine, echoed what Tetyana Bohdanova had to say about caroling and added video evidence of this community holiday tradition:
One [tradition] is caroling – going around singing carols and bringing people the good news, for which carolers sometimes get candy and small change. It is typical for carolers to dress up in national costumes and go in groups, and the carols’ tunes and texts have been carried through generations. One of the most popular ones, and certainly my favorite, is Schedryk (known in English as Carol of the Bells), an old Ukrainian song. [The video] is a recent version from 2011 by Oleh Skrypka, a Ukrainian musician. The cartoon that goes along with it is strangely hinting at the Euromaidan spirit of 2013 and 2014, but also reminds us that we are all kids at heart :)
While Orthodox Coptic Christians account for the largest Christian community in Egypt, they form an even larger percentage of the Ethiopian community. Befekadu Hailu from Ethiopia reminds us that many of us may not even be in the same year, much less on the same date:
As you may know, our [Ethiopian] calendar is also different so we didn't start a new year with most of you. We started 2006 in September and this is the 2006th birthday of Jesus. We are just celebrating Christmas tomorrow [January 7] – which is a public holiday. The Orthodox Christians will also complete their 40 days of fasting season tomorrow. So, it will also be a day of eating much meat products. People spend it at home and as usual coffee ceremony, holiday food, family gatherings are the features of the holiday.
Thus, we end this quick journey through what may be a belated Christmas to some, where we began – in North Africa, with a traditional Christmas song performed by an Ethiopian choir. May your Christmases be as plentiful, warm, and well-rehearsed as theirs, wherever and whenever you choose to celebrate them. In the meantime, some of us are off to prepare for Orthodox New Year's Eve, coming up on January 13 – and you're all invited!

author: Danica Radisic


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Human Rights Violations During Ukraine’s #Euromaidan Protests · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

One of many newly set up blogs following Euromaidan protests in Ukraine, which have entered their second month, has collected several graphic images of injured, bleeding protesters from the past several weeks of protests and speaks of the disturbing violations of basic human rights, such as beatings of citizens and journalists in Ukraine during the peaceful rallies. This blog post in particular calls attention to statements from several human rights watchdogs and the fact that, other than several violent police crackdowns on protesters, some participants of the protests are still being held in custody by police:
In December alone, according to Kharkiv Human Rights Group director Yevhen Zakharov, more than 50 journalists were assaulted – mainly by police – including 40 on Dec. 1 alone, when a large rally erupted in central Kyiv in response to a violent police crackdown on Independence Square the day before. […]
Despite an amnesty law in force concerning EuroMaidan protesters, four activists remain in custody for taking part in rallies, according to Kharkiv Human Rights group member Halya Coynash. She identifed the four as Yaroslav Prytulenko, Andriy Dzyndzya, Viktor Smaliy and Volodymyr Kadura.

source: news-globalvoices

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


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Iran: “City Councillor Lost Post Over Facebook Account”  · Global Voices
Farid

Azamolsadat Hosseini says she lost her post in Behshahr‘s City Council over her Facebook account. Several Iranian officials use Facebook and Twitter to communicate their message but these sites and many other ones are filtered in country.

author: Farid


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Iran: Jailed Blogger Needs Specialized Medical Treatment · Global Voices
Farid

Amnesty International says “the health of jailed Iranian blogger Mohammad Reza Pourshajari,a prisoner of conscience,is worsening. He is in urgent need of specialized medical treatment.” Mohammad Reza Pourshajari(aka Siamak Mehr) was arrested in September 2010.In his blog, Iran Land's Report, he would criticize the Islamic Republic and Islam with strong words.


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Iran: Tech Bloggers in Jail · Global Voices
Farid

Jadi remembered and tweeted on Saturday, 11th of January, about jailed tech bloggers in Kerman province.The technology news website Narenji.ir in Kerman reported on December 3, 2013 that seven of their writers and technical staff were suddenly arrested with no information about where they were taken.
Today is 40th day that leading tech bloggers of #Iran are jailed with no news. #filternet pic.twitter.com/VEhRs5pqdE
— jadi (@jadi) January 11, 2014


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Media Factory: A News Accelerator for Latin America · Global Voices
Periodismo Ciudadano

In the present context of change, there are many proposals telling us about various ways to launch media outlets in this century. In this respect, we find approaches like Media Factory, a “communication media factory”, as they define themselves– in other words, an accelerator for new digital companies, focused exclusively on the creation of communication media in Latin America.
As explained on their website [es], their “network of mentors and investors” is what allows them to sponsor a small team of journalists, in which they invest US$75,000 per venture, and take a 17% return. Initially these digital media have a specific theme:
Vamos a crear medios de comunicación digitales inicialmente enfocados en política y economía para luego crecer hacia otras temáticas, con ambición de convertirlos en plataformas digitales dominantes.
“We are going to create digital media initially focused on politics and economy and later grow into other subjects, with a goal of converting them into key digital platforms.”
Mariano Blejman, Manager partner at Media Factory and Knight Fellow at ICFJ explains the steps taken with each project chosen:
Vamos a elegir equipos de diversos países para que vengan a Buenos Aires por un periodo de cuatro meses y puedan crear los medios desde cero. La apuesta es a que en un período corto de tiempo los medios puedan crecer y generar audiencias reales y de tráfico y, con el conocimiento de los “lectores”, pasar a la monetización y las segundas rondas de inversión.
We’ll choose teams from various countries to come to Buenos Aires for a period of four months and they will create the media outlets from scratch. We’re betting that in a short amount of time the outlets can grow and generate real audiences and traffic, and with knowledge of their “readers”, they can move on to monetization and the second round of investment.
To start this project to be launched in Buenos Aires in January 2014, and to realize new ways to finance the media outlets, they have surrounded themselves with a team of experts including, among others: Sasa Vucinic from the crowdfunding platform IndieVoic.es, focusing on finding new ways to finance journalism; James Breiner, student of business models linked to ICFJ (International Center for Journalists); Christopher Altcheck, CEO of PolicyMic, a media outlet directed at the post Internet generation; or Jim Frederick, editor of TIME Magazine at Time Inc.

author: Periodismo Ciudadano


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New DDoS Attacks on Websites Monitoring Ukrainian #Euromaidan Protests · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Vasyl Pawlowsky, an independent consultant and English-language curator of Maidan Monitoring, a website set up and maintained specifically for following events and news from Euromaidan protests in several cities throughout Ukraine, reports in a blog post that the crowdsourced site is not available due to a DDoS attack, allegedly organized by authorities wanting to stop such information flow regarding the protests.
Pawlowsky also tells of a recent two-day meeting in Karkhiv, dubbed the All-Ukrainian Euromaidan Forum, held by Euromaidan organizers to coordinate activities of the several protest locations throughout the country, but mentions the lack of structure in this coordination:
Форум закінчився . Через годину їдемо на Київ-Львів . Коротенько про головне . Жодної , наголошую ЖОДНОЇ !!! надструктури не було створено ( це принципово ) В Харкові зібралися представники Євромайданів для аналізу ситуації в Україні . Розробили питання безпеки ,координації, комунікації Майданів . Працюємо далі . Слава Харкову ! Слава Україні !
The Forum is over. In an hour we are driving form Kyiv-Lviv. Shortly about the most important. No, and I emphasize NO!!! overseeing structure was created (in principle). In Kharkiv the representives of the Euromaidans to analyze the situation in Ukraine. To develop matters of security, coordination and communication of the Maidans. We continue our work. Glory to Kharkiv! Glory to Ukraine!


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Russia Bans All Liquids on Aircraft · Global Voices
Nina Jobe

RA-96016 Russia State Transport Company, 20 June 2009, photo by
Pieter van Marion, CC 2.0.
In the aftermath of the twin bombings in Volgograd before the New Year's holiday [GV article], Russia’s Transportation Ministry has revised its rules on what airline passengers can bring on board. The previous rules resembled American regulations, banning any liquid containers over 100ml. The new rules forbid liquids in any volume. Russia’s Transportation Ministry [ru] released on statement on January 8, 2014, asking passengers to understand and cooperate.
Prominent photo-blogger Ilya Varlamov noted:
Это не первое ужесточение правил провоза жидкостей. С 2007 года запретили провозить на борту самолета больше 100 мл, а теперь всю жидкость, то есть нельзя провозить вообще ничего, даже зубную пасту.
This is not the first tightening of the rules for transporting liquids. Since 2007, they've banned bringing more than 100ml onto the aircraft, and now it applies to all liquids, i.e. you cannot bring anything, even toothpaste.
He then warned his readers to be careful and provided details about the regulations at different airports.
Blogger Sergei Anashkevitch found the ban confusing:
Но я одного не могу понять – а в чем вообще проблема жидкостей на борту самолета??? Почему с этим такая истерия? Даже с объемом больше 100 мл?
Так скоро запретят провозить ремни, шнурки, наушники и т.д. Список может быть бесконечным.
Чем мешают жидкости?
But there is one thing that I don’t understand—what is the main problem with liquids on board a plane??? Why is there such hysteria? Even with a volume greater than 100ml?
Soon they will ban belts, shoelaces, headphones, and so on. The list could be endless.
Why are they bothered by liquids?
Anton Buslov joked:
В целях безопасности в РФ с 08.01.14 авиапассажиров будут перевозить исключительно в состоянии медикаментозного сна в смирительных рубашках.
— Антон Буслов (@astroaist) January 8, 2014
For security reasons, starting on January 8, 2014, airline passengers in Russia will be transported only in a state of induced coma, in straitjackets.
In his blog at Echo of Moscow, Matvei Ganapolsky [ru] defended the authorities’ new rules, saying that the inconvenience of security measures is worth the peace of mind he feels when he flies. However, he noted that there are apparently exceptions to the new rule, with authorities granting certain special requests. Given this, he wondered how meaningful the new rules are, if there exceptions are possible
Моя эховская коллега просила провести ушные капли – ей разрешили, но в виде исключения. Вот так и получается, что вообще–то нельзя, но если очень попросишь, то разрешат. Но если разрешают, то значит, нарушают – это к вопросу об осмысленности принятых решений.
My colleague from Echo asked to carry on ear drops, and she was allowed, but as an exception. And so it turns out that it is not allowed, but if you really ask, it is allowed. But if they are allowing it, this means that they are violating [their own policy]. This raises questions about how much sense the authorities’ decisions make.
Maxim Kononenko [ru] reminded his readers that the authorities are just “playing catch–up” again, and cast doubt on the claim that such measures are necessary. He alleged that airline regulators are only acting to protect their careers, if a another terrorist attack does take place.
Max Katz [ru] thought the ban was the result of hysteria in the wake of the twin bombings in Volgograd. Katz also claims that a liquids alone would be insufficient to destroy an airplane, and wrote a public letter to Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev conveying this complaint.
The authorities at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow released a statement [ru] on January 11, 2014, advising passengers that they can still purchase liquid items in Duty Free shops, after they pass through the security checkpoint. The announcement ends:
Просим вас с пониманием относиться к новым правилам досмотра пассажиров сотрудниками служб авиационной безопасности.
We ask you to be sensitive to the new rules of passenger-screening by aviation security personnel.
Time will tell if the new rules will have any impact on safety before or during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, beginning on February 7. For now, it appears that all the regulations have done so far is make the Russian blogosphere even more upset with the authorities.

author: Nina Jobe


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The Cuban Economic Model Update Comes Up with Some Unpopular Measures · Global Voices
Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez Ramírez

[All links lead to Spanish language pages]
The upgrades to Cuba's economic model have implicated the establishment of measures that, although economic, impact other aspects of daily life: the relations between different social groups and between individuals.
Such measures have been supported in principle by the Revolutionary Party's Social and Economic Policy Guidelines, which were discussed at the sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba and approved in April 2011.
According to the official document (pdf):
Los Lineamientos definen que el sistema económico que prevalecerá continuará basándose en la propiedad socialista de todo el pueblo sobre los medios fundamentales de producción, donde deberá regir el principio de distribución socialista “de cada cual según su capacidad a cada cual según su trabajo.
The Guidelines establish that the prevailing economic system will continue to be based on the people's  socialist ownership of the fundamental means of production, ruled by the socialist principle of distribution:  “from each according to his ability to each according to his work.”
The package of implemented measures have been many and dissimilar.  Some have reorganized the functions of state institutions, like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for example, and for others the sphere of action has strictly been the production of goods and services, emphasizing those related to agriculture.
Undoubtedly, the [rules] on the stimulation of a non-state sector of employment and economic management, understood as self employment, has been one of the most novel and its consequences have also been studied.
In this regard, sociologist Mayra Espina Prieto, in a trilogy of papers published in the Cubacontemporanea magazine, reveals some of the tensions occurring in Cuban society after the implementation of the new economic model:
A través de consultas a expertos se ha podido establecer que la lista de actividades autorizadas para el trabajo por cuenta propia preferencia actividades masculinas, con lo que se crea un desbalance y barreras de género desde el inicio. De igual modo, muy pocas de las ocupaciones listadas se basan en conocimiento técnico de media y alta calificación, activo que poseen muchas mujeres y generaciones adultas mayores.
By consulting experts, it has been found that the list of authorized activities for self-employment gives preference to masculine activities, whereby creating an imbalance and gender barriers from the get-go. Likewise, very few of the listed occupations are based on mid and high level technical knowledge, an asset that many women and older adults possess.
And she adds:
Es difícil pronosticar los impactos sociales de la reforma, y es obvio que los cambios que se producirán no provendrán exclusivamente del rumbo de transformaciones centralmente pautado y planificado.
It is difficult to predict the reform's social impacts, and it is obvious that the changes that occur will not come exclusively from the course of centrally governed and planned transformations.
Unpopular Measures?
The decisions taken at the government level, by virtue of the Cuban economic model update, draw attention to their repercussions, which are concentrated not only in the realm of private work or self-employment.
To be able to understand and learn about what have been the most controversial measures that the Cuban government has taken, this author asked Twitter users in Cuba what they thought was the most unpopular measure yet. Here are some opinions:
@cubanoinsular19 @Negracubana @Ravsberg @lrpbyzard lo más impopular matar los #cines3D y lo más peligroso #CodigoTrabajo di tu @Isbel_oc
@cubanoinsular19 @Negracubana @Ravsberg @lrpbyzard the most unpopular is closing the #cines3D [3D cinemas] and the most dangerous is #CodigoTrabajo [the Labor Code] what do you say @Isbel_oc
— Yasmin S Portales (@nimlothdecuba) January 3, 2014
To which @cubanoinsular19 responded:
@Negracubana @nimlothdecuba @Ravsberg @lrpbyzard No sabría escoger, mis favoritas: la edad de jubilación, los 3D y las ropas.
@Negracubana @nimlothdecuba @Ravsberg @lrpbyzard I wouldn't know what to pick,  my favorites: the retirement age, the 3D [cinemas], and the clothing. — Yohan González (@cubanoinsular19) January 3, 2014
Interested in going deeper into why there is concern for the retirement age in Cuba, @cubanoinsular19 tells us:
… porque es una medida q en cualquier país sería de un gobierno neoliberal, pero en Cuba fue presentada como una “medida necesaria”
….because it is a measure that in any other country  would be from a neoliberal government, but in Cuba it was presented as a “necessary measure.”
The retirement age in Cuba was extended, in a progressive way from 2009 to 2015, to 60 years old for women and 65 for men. In other words, for 7 years an additional [year] will be consecutively added until reaching the age limits established for each gender. However, according to @cubanoinsular19:
… en lo personal, no conozco a nadie q esté de acuerdo con los términos de jubilación.
…personally, I don't know anyone that is in agreement with the terms of the retirement age.
The Cuban economic model update also needed to rewrite the Labor Code. The draft was discussed on the island by labor unions and received numerous criticisms from bloggers, some of them as blunt as those made by LGBT activists to the point that they were taken into account in the final draft of the legal norm.
Regarding the 3D cinemas,  the Juventud Rebelde [Youth Rebel] newspaper, a branch of the Young Communists League, published an extensive report titled “Live in 3D“, which was followed by the decision of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers  to prohibit such theaters, which had been established and maintained operating on a self-employment license called “Recreational Equipment Operator.”
The controversy that arose from the measure was very arduous, and renowned Cuban intellectuals participated in it, such as Victor Fowler, Dean Luis Reyes, and Gustavo Arcos, for example; it also impacted social networks:
Intelectuales cubanos polemizan sobre el cierre de los #cines3D en l#Cuba (http://ht.ly/r6t0W ) http://fb.me/3wBJmofZd
— PortalComunicacion @portal_com 22 de noviembre, 2013
Cuban intellectuals argue about the closing of the #cines3D [3D Cinemas] in l#Cuba (http://t.co/H5tyQLh1Xp) http://t.co/e1mUwQ2jLd
— PortalComunicacion [Communication Portal] (@portal_com)  November 22, 2013
The Price of Cars
Judging by how much the media has addressed the subject, the price list (in CUC) of the cars that the Cuban government sells to the population for the first time in 55 years, will qualify by the end of 2014 to be granted the title of the “most commented and vilified event” of  all of the government decisions. Blogger Alejandro Cruz  publishes his discontent on his Twitter profile:
A mi que nadie me joda esto esto es contrarrevolución a pulso, esos precios solo demuestra un desprecio… http://fb.me/6BAN6io4u
— Alejandro Cruz (@Cuba1erPlano)
Nobody fools me with this, this is counterrevolution to the core, those prices only show disdain…http://t.co/T4k2P5Zila
— Alejandro Cruz (@Cuba1erPlano) January 3, 2014
Besides Facebook, blogs, media outlets, and websites, it is possible to access the numerous writings concerning this measure: for example, OnCuba Magazine published an extensive report titled “The Automobile Market in Cuba: Antillean surrealism.”
Even though the news of the sale of cars was enthusiastically accepted at the time, the prices have destroyed any possibility that some people had to buy, as they say in Cuba, “a carrito.”
In an article published by Cubadebate a commentator named Lourdes said:
Y los médicos, artistas, ingenieros y todos los cubanos que de una manera íntegra y muy sacrificada lograron obtener la carta de autorización del Ministerio al que pertenecen y del Ministerio de Transporte luego de una minuciosa investigación de sus ingresos, un certifico del Banco Cubano donde fue depositado este dinero, que la mayoría no sobrepasa los 5 000.00 CUC que será de ellos???? El Estado Cubano al que han servido durante tantos años los olvidó???. No tendrán nunca la posibilidad que tanto soñaron y por la que trabajaron durísimo en nuestro país y fuera de él??? En fin no son pocos los amigos que se encuentran con las “AMBICIONADAS CARTAS” en sus manos, sintiéndose estafados, engañados y decepcionados con esta nueva medida que quizás debió tener en cuenta que estas personas que ya estaban aprobadas hace más de un año no podrán nunca alcanzar un auto de 2da al menos con estos nuevos precios!!!. Qué será de ellos????? :(
And the doctors, artists, engineers, and all of the Cubans who have wholly and sacrificially managed to obtain a letter of authorization from the Ministry to which they belong and the Ministry of Transportation after a meticulous investigation of their income,  and a certificate from Banco Cubano where the money was deposited,  the majority doesn't exceed 5,000.00 CUC; what happens to them???? The Cuban State that they have served for so many years has forgotten them??? They will never have the opportunity that they have so dreamed of and worked so hard for in and outside of our country??? Anyway, many friends  have the “COVETED LETTERS” in their hands, feeling duped, cheated, and disillusioned by this new measure that maybe should bear in mind that these people  were already approved over a year ago will never be able to get a second hand car, at least with these new prices!!! What will happen to them???? :(
Since laughing in hard situations is one of the specialties of the people of the Island, comments appeared in the internet like the following; both on the Facebook profile of journalist Francisco Rodriguez who also blogs in PaquitoeldeCuba:
Y eso no es nada, deja que empecemos a vender barcos…
And this is nothing, let us start selling the boats…
and
Dicen que había muchas personas en las agencias de autos: NINGUNA es periodista.
They say that there were many people in the car agencies: NONE are journalists.
In this way important reactions have been stirred up on the social networks, which make us think that perhaps the issue of the price of cars that the Cuban government sells will be revisited, such as what happened in the case of musician Robertico Carcasses and the closing of 3D cinemas. Although in the latter case the official reaction was limited to an analysis of the implication in the paper Granma, a publication of the Communist Party of Cuba.  However, in what is called “El Carcasseo” the pressure from the social networks probably positively influenced the final solution of the case.
Perhaps the issue of the price of cars will be solved by such citizen pressure or move to second place this year when it is replaced by  the final news about the currency exchange.

author: Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez Ramírez


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The Ripple Effect Of Rote-Learning In Pakistan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Muhammad Taseer Hussain at Pak Tea House criticizes the quality of education system in Pakistan. Lack of good teachers encourages some students to adopt rote-learning, which is more like a mechanical task of repeating what to be learned and does not require much of reasoning or inference. the blogger adds:
The entire ripple effect of rote-learning eventually reaps immeasurable catastrophic results in all the major and minor industries in Pakistan.

author: Rezwan


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Colombians March in Support of Dismissed Bogotá Mayor · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Supporters marched in Bogotá and in other major cities to support Mayor Gustavo Petro, who was dismissed from his duties by Colombia's Inspector General Alejandro Ordóñez Maldonado and banned from public office for 15 years.
Mike's Bogotá Blog shares photos and an account of the march on January 10, 2014:
[…] the most widespread motive I heard for backing Petro was on general democratic principles: Ousting him this way, by an extremely conservative unelected official, was anti-democratic.
Kenneth Lowe in Colombia Reports adds:
The former mayor is currently waiting for the inspector general to rule on [his] appeal. The United Nations and the Inter-American Court for Human Rights are also studying claims Ordoñez overreached his authority by removing the elected official from office.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Fighting Corruption in Comoros, Cameroon and Madagascar    · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 for Sub-Saharan Africa via Transparency International CC-License-BY
The people of Comoros, Cameroon and Madagascar haven't got much faith in the honesty and integrity of the public sector, according to Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The report measures perceived levels of public sector corruption and “serves as a reminder that the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery continue to ravage societies around the world,” as stated on their website. On a scale going from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), more than two-thirds of the indexed countries scored less than 50.
Comoros and Madagascar tied for 127th of 177 countries, with scores of 28. Cameroon fared worse, coming in at 144th with a score of 25.
Let's take a closer look at the state of affairs in these three French-speaking African countries.
Comoros
State of corruption
March Against Corruption in Moroni in November 2013 via Comores actualités – Public Domain
Toyb Ahmed in Moroni for AlWatan Info summarized the state of corruption in Comoros [fr]:
Les Comores sont placées au 127ème rang sur 177 pays évalués, avec la note de vingt-huit points sur cent. L’archipel grignote encore six places en comparaison au classement de 2012. l’installation de la Commission nationale de prévention et lutte contre la corruption (Cnplc) par le président Ikililou Dhoinine avait posé la première pierre. Dans la foulée, le chef de l’Etat avait concrétisé sa volonté de transparence dans la chose publique par la signature du décret d’application instituant l’Autorité de régulation des marchés publics (Armp). La Justice comorienne est régulièrement pointée du doigt, accusée de laxisme dans la répression des actes de corruption.
Comoros is ranked 127th out of 177 countries with a score of 28 points. The archipelago gained six places compared to the 2012 ranking. The installation of the National Commission for the Prevention and Fight Against Corruption (Cnplc) by President Ikililou Dhoinine has laid the foundation for the fight against corruption. The head of state has proven his commitment to transparency in public affairs by signing the application decree establishing the Regulatory Authority for Public Procurement (ARMP). The justice system of Comoros is regularly singled out, accused of laxity in cracking down on acts of corruption.
Solutions
Al-hamdi Abdillah Hamdi, a citizen reporter based in Moroni, proposed the following measures to decrease corruption levels in Comoros:
On peut noter la mise en place de la Commission anti corruption et l'organe de contrôle des passations des marchés publics.
L'avocat franco-comorien Me Ben Ali Ahmed avait récemment dressé un constat d'échec dans la lutte contre la corruption en indiquant que les mauvais comportements n'ont pas changé d'un iota. En plus des pratiques peu musulmanes dans les administrations publiques et leurs incapacités à rendre des comptes aux citoyens, les forces vives de la nation regrettent régulièrement l'impunité dont bénéficient certaines autorités.
The establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Supervisory Body for the Approval of Government Procurement should be noted (as measures against corruption). The Franco-Comorian lawyer Mr. Ben Ali Ahmed recently indicated some failures in the fight against corruption by saying that the previous corrupt actions (in the government) has not changed one iota. Additionally, some practices in public administrations are unworthy of our Islamic faith and many public servants have shown no accountability towards the citizens they serve. As such, we citizens, the lifeblood of the nation, are often disappointed with the impunity granted to certain authorities in power.
Cameroon
State of corruption
The high level of corruption in Cameroon remains a great source of concern. Despite international pressure and many plans and laws against corruption dreamed up throughout the past decade, the practice remains a constant in the daily lives of Cameroonians.
Reportedly, over 50 percent of Cameroonian households have paid at least one bribe [fr]. According to Samuel Ekoum, president of the Cameroonian NGO SOS Corruption, the state of Cameroon loses on average 400 billion CFA francs (about 832 million US dollars) per year because of corruption.
Solutions
Various organizations are implementing several programs to monitor the distribution of aid in Cameroon; one such project is highlighted in the following video, in which an NGO monitors the proper use of aid funds in estate development projects:
Ben Christy Moudio in Douala provided an analysis of why the fight against corruption has often failed in his country [fr]:
Dynamique Citoyenne, réseau de suivi indépendant des politiques publiques et des stratégies de coopération, réclame à nouveau que les hautes personnalités dont le président de la république Paul Biya concernées par cet article, se plient aux injonctions de la loi en déclarant leurs biens. Le non respect de ces dispositions légales étant entre autres un facteur qui favorise les détournements des derniers publics et la corruption au Cameroun. Justement, le classement 2013 de l’indice de perception de la corruption  a repositionné comme en 2012, le Cameroun à la 144e place. l’incapacité du Cameroun à s’insérer dans une logique démocratique et à réellement mettre en œuvre les mécanismes de lutte contre la corruption justifient l’attribution dans cet indice de la note de 25/100.
Dynamique Citoyenne, a network of independent entities monitoring public policies, claims that dignitaries including President of the Republic Paul Biya comply to the order of the law by declaring their assets. Non-compliance with these provisions are a few of the factors that promote the embezzlement of public funds and corruption in Cameroon. The 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index released on December 3 ranks Cameroon in 144th place. Cameroon's inability to conform to a democratic process and effectively implement mechanisms to fight corruption fully justify the attribution of the low score of 25/100 on the index.
Madagascar
State of corruption
In the 2013 CPI,  Transparency International released the following on the rising level of corruption in Madagascar [fr]:
Parmi les secteurs les plus corrompus à Madagascar, l’on peut citer la gendarmerie nationale, les collectivités territoriales décentralisées, la justice, le service foncier et l’éducation. 58% des enquêtées estiment que le niveau de la corruption a augmenté durant les deux dernières années et le secteur juridique est vu comme étant l’organisme public le plus corrompu. 32% de la population enquêtée ont affirmé avoir payé un pot-de-vin, soit pour accélérer le processus auprès d’un service public quelconque, soit parce que c’est l’unique moyen pour un aboutissement, tandis que 54% ont déclaré que les actions du gouvernement pour combattre la corruption sont inefficaces.
Among the most corrupt sectors in Madagascar, we can cite the armed forces, the regional and local authorities, justice, land service and education. 58 percent of respondents believe that the level of corruption has increased over the past two years and the legal sector is seen as the most corrupt government agency. 32 percent of the surveyed population reported having paid a bribe to speed up the process of a public service because it was the only way to do so, while 54 percent reported that government actions to combat corruption are ineffective.
Solutions
The justice system plays a crucial role in ensuring that corruption is kept at a minimum. Preserving its independence is key to making sure that any anti-corruption measure is sustainable. According to Transparency International Global Corruption Report, a few principles to ensure the credibility of the system can be applied (PDF):

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Guyana Spurns USAID Democracy Project · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Guyanese blogger, Sara Bharrat, writes an open letter to Roger F. Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat in Guyana, concerning the Guyana's decision to pull out of a USAID project to support local elections and political participation due to “lack of consultation.”
…why should the US have to come into my home and clean for me? Can I and my brothers and sisters not do it on our own? I have decided that I will clean my own house. Democracy is not a gift that someone can simply hand us. Democracy is a journey, a path of self discovery, which we must take alone and together all at once.

author: Matthew Hunte


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Hong Kong Basic Law as Toilet Paper · Global Voices
inmediahk.net

The constitutional document of Hong Kong, the Basic Law which took effect on July 1 1997 upon the handover of the colony from United Kingdom to the People Republic of China (PRC). The Basic Law is designed to ensure the city's economic and political autonomy. However, as the interpretative power is under the control of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the PRC, the document has failed to serve the interest of Hong Kong people. In the recent debate about the political reform package of the 2017 Chief Executive election, the idea of citizen nomination has been interpreted by some pro-Beijing politicians as against the Basic Law. Lam Shui Bun thus turns the Basic Law into toilet paper in his political cartoon at inmediahk.net.


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Hong Kong Media’s Credibility Problem  · Global Voices
inmediahk.net

A research center in a local university announced the latest findings of a media credibility survey earlier this month, which shows an overall decrease in the perceived credibility of the city news outlets since the beginning of the study in 1997. The result created a query on public perception on the concept of credibility against the background of the deteriorating press freedom conditions in Hong Kong and the prosumer culture in the new media era.
The article written by Ah Oi was originally published in Chinese on 3 January 2014. This English version was translated and edited by Ronald Yick and republished on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.
As press freedom continues to deteriorate in Hong Kong, pro-democracy lawmakers put forward a motion debate on the protection of information, press and speech freedom in June 2013. Photo from inmediahk.net.
The Center for Communication and Public Opinion Survey from the Chinese University of Hong Kong has conducted telephone surveys asking respondents to rate the media's credibility since 1997. It announced the results of its latest survey in January 2014. The media ranked at the top appear neutral and “harmonized” [meaning self-censored], with the South China Morning Post among all print media, and Hong Kong Economic Times among Chinese print media. Ming Pao, which ranked first among Chinese print media for more than ten years, has been overtaken and only ranked second. The newspaper even removed its masthead slogan as “the most credible Chinese newspaper”.
Meanwhile, the Apple Daily, one of the most popular newspapers in Hong Kong, which does not hide its pro-democracy stance, has dropped to 17 in the credibility list, followed by two pro-Beijing newspapers.
The result shocked media circles as the most “harmonized” ones has won the top position in the credibility survey. Some criticized the research's methodology, some criticized the public for the wrong judgement.
The research method, indeed, could have been better designed. During the survey, participants were asked to rate the newspapers according to their impression, which translates into extent of preference, and is not directly relevant to the newspaper's credibility. In a Chinese-speaking society, local residents do not regularly read English-language newspapers. It would be easy for an English-language newspaper to obtain an average rank as the respondents may not have read the paper. In fact, the South China Morning Post has been criticized for turning red by laying off or sidelining experienced and outspoken journalists since the new editor-in-chief took office in 2011. Also, Hong Kong Economic Times is considered a pro-government and pro-Beijing Chinese newspaper.
Even though the survey's methodology has its flaws, it has been conducted for more than 10 years. The sudden shift of “public impression” also requires explanation.
The survey reveals an overall decrease in media credibility, compared to 2010. This may be attributed to growing self-censorship, which may in turn come from pressure from the business sector and government. Such public impressions are in alignment with the result of the World Press Freedom Index, in which Hong Kong dropped from 34 in 2011 to 54 in 2012, and further down to 58 in 2013.
Credibility needs to be redefined
While conventional newspapers are subjected to political pressure, the rise of new media has also transformed the relationship between media organizations and readers. More and more people read news online, and they look for news which is of their own interests and preferences, not to mention sharing news among peers. Traditional mass media is slowly evolving into a distributive model, and passive readers become active content producers. Readers can report news themselves or simply become current affair commentators in their own social media circles. They are not passive readers but prosumers, or the so called me-media.
Under the new information prosumer culture, the meaning of credibility is subjected to re-interpretation. Responding to the findings, Shum Yee-lan, the chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, suggested that media corporations must not “sensationalize and not take sides, but reveal things for the good of society”. Such a statement equates credibility to objectivity. Yet, even in conventional journalistic practice, credibility has to be established by reporting issues concerning public interest, quite often challenging government and corporate interests. In a new media environment, people are looking forward to conversation and exchange of different viewpoints. The notion of credibility is based on fact-based commentary that expresses a stance.
New media has its challenges as well, especially when commercial online media outlets have become more directed to the market depending on number of clicks, which has been criticized as hit-rate journalism. Last year, in Hong Kong, Apple Daily planned to link up hit rates on its website to staff bonuses [zh]. The idea received severe criticism from the media industry, and the newspaper gave up the plan. Its mobile version, however, is set to promote popular posts rather than posts that are of public interest. The worry is that under this policy, editors and reporters would be inclined to reproduce viral Internet content to attract more advertising while undermining news credibility.
The emergence of breaking view platforms
Recently, a number of new online news media initiatives targeting audiences who look for real-time but in-depth news analysis have emerged in Hong Kong. For examples, The House News, which follows the Huffington News model of news curation, and Post 852, which provides news commentary from a business insider viewpoint. Both news organizations position themselves as platforms for breaking views, that is, commentary on breaking news. Indeed, The House News ranks the 10th out of 21 in the media credibility survey, in the middle of the list. The result to a certain extent shows that the breaking views model has its appeal.
Still, it should be reminded that critical and in-depth commentary, or the so-called breaking views, must be supported by breaking news and investigative reporting. Without substantial journalistic work, the views cannot be well-grounded. Worldwide, some institutions are experimenting with the merging of new technology and journalism, such as data journalism, which employs data visualization tools with multimedia design and delivery. Some are promoting solutions journalism, which “investigates and explains credible responses to social problems”.
The seemingly strange credibility research findings should serve as a wake-up call for those who are concerned about the development of journalism in Hong Kong to experiment with new journalistic practices.


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How New Interim President Nguendet Can Bring Stability Back to CAR · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

After Michel Djotodia stepped down as interim president of the Central African Republic (CAR), Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet was selected as the new president of the national council of the transition.
Alexandre Ferdinand Nguendet, new CAR President via wikipedia CC-License-BY
Philippe Hugon opines on what needs to be done to bring stability back to CAR [fr]:
Il est très important qu’il y ait une conférence nationale qui regroupe les différentes forces, tels que les partis politiques, les entités religieuses et les représentants de ce qu’on appelle la société civile, pour permettre une réconciliation durable. Celle-ci me semble d’ailleurs tout à fait possible étant donné que traditionnellement il n’y a pas de conflits majeurs dans le domaine ethnique ou religieux en Centrafrique [..]Je pense qu’il faut donner là du temps au temps et que ces changements ne peuvent se faire immédiatement.
It is very important that a national conference takes place soon that brings together the various forces of the country, such as political parties, religious entities and representatives of the civil society, to enable a lasting reconciliation. Reconciliation is a very feasible goal given that historically there are no major religious conflicts in the country [..] I think we should give enough time for that to take place and that such changes cannot happen overnight.


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Madagascar’s Return to Democracy Proving to Be a Bumpy One · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

Moving ever closer to shutting the book on the drawn-out saga of Madagascar's presidential elections, seen as a long-awaited first step in solving the years-long political crisis that has gripped the island, the country's election commission declared on January 10, 2014 that Hery Rajaonarimampianina, the finance minister of the transitional government, is the winner of the vote's second round.
Hery Rajaonarimampianina campaign poster – Public Domain
But opponent Jean-Louis Robinson immediately cried fraud, and amidst the uncertainty related to the election results, the army fired on students protesting in Mahajanga, Madagascar's largest western coastal town. One student died and 11 others were injured.
It is unclear whether the protests were related to the pending decision of the CES.
Majunga 10 jan 2014 Journée sanglante aujourd'hui à Mahajanga. La capitale du Boeny a été secouée par des… http://t.co/yOi4zDlqmk
— mikea tsimba (@mikeatsimba) January 10, 2014
Today 10 Jan. 2014 was a deadly day in Mahajanga. The Boeny capital has been shaken by confrontations between the army and students.
The country's last democratically elected president, Marc Ravalomanana, was ousted during a military-backed coup in 2009. After multiple delays, elections were finally held on October 25, 2013 and a run-off on December 20. Many viewed the vote as a proxy battle between the ousted President Ravalomanana and President of the Transition Andry Rajoelina, who toppled Ravalomanana in the coup. President-elect Rajaonarimampianina was Rajoelina's budget and finance minister; Robinson worked as a minister in Ravalomanana's government.
According to the Malagasy Election Commission (CENI-T), with 98.89 percent of the results in, Rajaonarimampianina won the second round with 53.5 percent, compared with Robinson's 46.5 percent.
However, Robinson is challenging the decision and has sent evidence of allegedly massive fraud [fr] to the Special Electoral Court (CES), claiming to have actually won 56 percent of the total vote. The CES is the only institution [fr] that can pronounce the definitive winner of the election, and must issue a ruling by January 19.
Students injured during protests in Mahajanga via @RavakaN on Twitter. Used with permission.
Madonline, a community Malagasy blog, provided more details on Jean-Louis Robinson's challenges regarding the results of the elections:
Complains and requests lodged by Robinson and his staff are likely to give a lot to deal with to the electoral judges. The request for disqualification of candidate Rajaonarimampianina alone happens to be as long as 120 pages. One parliament member who swore allegiance to the Opposition has, in addition to this, required the very show election held on December 20th to be canceled as a whole because of the too large amount of frauds spotted across the island. The largest part of the other request mainly target the invalidation of votes awarded to the transitional ruling power's champion. The electoral showdown is nowhere near to an end. The Special Electoral Court will decide and ultimately release the presidential elections’ second round's final results by mid-January. The Electoral Commission releases its own temporary results on January 3rd. The very same outrage was caused by the development of legislative elections held together with the presidential elections. The Special Electoral Court has a pack of complains to read about it too. Independent and Opposition candidates jointly denounced frauds which occurred in favor of candidates supporting and supported by transitional leader Andry Rajoelina. The movement capitalized in street protests in Morondava city in the West of the island.
Jean-Louis Robinson campaign poster – Public Domain
Making the pending decision of the CES even more difficult is the recent resurgence of documents alleging the involvement of the soon to be declared president-elect in the illegal logging of rosewood. Additional sobering news dampening Madagascar's return to democracy is the news that the plague may have returned to the island:
Madagascar accounts for half of documented cases of plague worldwide: http://t.co/IKu9w8bNNJ — Rachel Strohm (@RachelStrohm) January 10, 2014
Still, there are silver linings for the island. Madagascar is once again welcome in the international community, which has put a stamp of approval on the elections, deeming them free and fair. And Madagascar's return into the international community is expected to stop its isolation and usher in a return of foreign aid. Indeed, during the transitional government, as remarked by Brian Klaas on africanarguments.org:
Virtually no progress was made for four years with the economy contracting severely.  Political and economic progress has limped along since.  A new rugby stadium is one of the only tangible accomplishments of the “transitional” regime led by Andry Rajoelina, who is now close to completing a full electoral mandate.
…As international praise pours in, so too may international aid—a critical lynchpin of development and state budgeting for the deeply impoverished island.  Donors are eager to come back and disburse long overdue payments slated for projects canceled during the crisis.
Signs of Madagascar's imminent return to the international community are being observed:
Namibia dispatched envoy to #Madagascar to bring Madagascar back into Southern African Development Community #MDG2013 http://t.co/JK5Z8xT5ce
— Brett Massoud (@dadamanga) January 7, 2014
Elections may not have happened as smoothly as the “free and fair” label make believe. One look at tweets and blogs reads like a litany of complaints by voters who could not vote, or who witnessed or suspected irregularities. Some citizens are already organizing petitions to demand a transparent and public recount of ballots. Other bloggers, like Fidy, are resolutely positive:
For the first time in our history, this electoral commission has members chosen from the civil society (high-ranked civil servants, lawyers, journalists, teachers or magistrates) and from all the political parties who took part to the Transition phase. The CENI-T also heavily benefited from the support of international bodies such as the UE, UN or SADC whether for financial or implementation issues. For the first time in our history, we have a dedicated website with regular updates of votes at the National, Regional, District and Polling Station levels. The level of transparency given to our citizens has never been higher. Just remember how 1997, 2001, or 2006 (see page 30 of the report) elections were run. For the first time in our history, thanks to the internet and the data framework the CENI-T is providing us, we had bloggers who did an incredible job of making projections during the first round of votes. And final results were actually very close to those extrapolations — a stark example that no significant anomalies happened in the first round count. Pure maths. No politics.
The potential president-elect's name, Rajaonarimampianina, is proving quite a tongue twister to newscasters and news aficionados worldwide. The Guardian wrote:
His family name alone racks up an impressive 19 characters and (we think) nine syllables. His full name – Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina – totals 44 characters. One would assume that repeating three years in primary education just to master the spelling of his name would hold Rajaonarimampianina back in life (we have no evidence that happened) but on the basis of our story, it appears that a long name can be good for a career in politics.
Twitter users have also chimed in:
What a name! Glad I don't work in broadcast – Rajaonarimampianina wins #Madagascar presidential vote http://t.co/QOvweoLFYC — Michelle Nichols (@michellenichols) January 3, 2014
Slate Africa teaches its readers how to pronounce Malagasy names and explaining why they are so long.
“Le linguiste Narivelo Rajaonarimanana souligne que «le nom malgache n'est pas une étiquette. C'est un souhait, un destin, une parole qui contredit un mauvais destin, un souvenir du jour de naissance, une combinaison de noms de parents ou d'ancêtres». «L'astrologie joue un rôle important pour l'attribution des noms», note Rajaonarimanana. Cette pratique est très vivace en milieu rural, où l'on peut faire appel à un ombiasy (devin) et où l'on a également souvent recours à l'horoscope. Une étude réalisée par Samuel Rasolomano et publiée en 1905 par le journal Mitari-dàlana recense 24 sources d’inspiration pour les noms malgaches. Parmi elles, l’expression du caractère (physique ou moral), de l’amour filial (vœu d’un amour parfait, d’avoir un remplaçant etc.), le prestige (richesse, honneur etc.) sont les plus fréquentes, avec l'astrologie. Ainsi, «les noms sont à usage mnémotechnique pour se souvenir du destin d'une personne».”
The linguist Narivelo Rajaonarimanana emphasizes that the Malagasy name is not a label. It is a wish, a destiny, a counterattack to an unfortunate destiny, a recollection of one's birthday, a combination of names of parents or ancestors. Astrology plays an important role in attributing names. This practice is still very much applied in rural areas, where one can summon an ombiasy (shaman) and where one often uses horoscopes. A study by Samuel Rasolomano and published in 1905 by the journal Mitari-dalana counts 24 sources for Malagasy names. Amongst them, one sees most often expression of character (physical or moral one), love of children (promise of an unconditional love, replacement of a lost child etc…), prestige (wealth, honor, etc.) as inspirations for names, together with astrology. Therefore, names are used as a mnemotechnical means to remember one person's destiny.

author: Mialy Andriamananjara


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Murder of Former Miss Venezuela Reignites Discussion About Violent Crime · Global Voices
Jessica Carrillo

Mónica Spear's brother leads the funeral procession carrying the casket of the late young actress. January 10, 2014. Photo by Carlos Becerra, Copyright Demotix
In a country with 24,763 violent deaths last year, what must happen to bring the issue of a general lack of safety to the fore of public debate, for both the government and the people?
It seems that this violence, which increases [es] each year, had to affect a public figure for the taboo topic (it's been ten years since the official channels have provided statistics about the murder rate) to be mentioned on national TV [es] by President Nicolás Maduro and state media, which have not covered similar events for years.
Actress Mónica Spear, her ex-husband, Thomas Berry, and their five year old daughter, Maya Berry, were attacked by armed robbers while they were waiting for help after getting into an accident on a highway, caused when they hit an object placed on the road by criminals to force drivers to stop. Spear and her ex-husband died at the scene and their daughter was shot and injured [es].
The news broke the next morning and immediately took over the social networks and various media, both inside and outside Venezuela. The reason, beyond the shock of the crime, is that it intensified Venezuelans’ fear of being another statistic.
In a post titled “Rojo sobre negro” [es] on the blog Rostros de Viento [es], José Urriola [es] described his perspective on the crash that caused the incident:
Muchos venezolanos dentro y fuera de las fronteras. Nos quedamos en shock. Mudos. Indignados. Presos de pánico, dolor y frustración. Tan descolocados que no había (no hay) palabras para expresarlo. El asesinato de la actriz, modelo y ex Miss Venezuela, Mónica Spear, junto con su marido y en presencia de su pequeña hija de 5 años -quien resultara herida en una pierna cuando unos maleantes abalearon  el auto donde se habían quedados accidentados- fue como una bomba de realidad, asco y miedo que nos estalló en la cara. No significa que esta muerte pese más que las otras 25 mil que anualmente cobra el hampa en Venezuela, no se trata de que importe más porque se trate esta vez  de una figura pública querida dentro y fuera del país, sino que encaramos una muerte especialmente significativa, un símbolo más del horror impronunciable al que estamos sometidos nosotros y los nuestros en una sociedad descompuesta.
Many Venezuelans inside and outside our borders. We are in shock. Mute. Indignant. Prisoners of panic, pain and frustration. So discombobulated that there were (there are) no words to express it. The murder of actress, model and former Miss Venezuela Mónica Spear, along with her husband and in front of their five year old daughter—whose leg was injured when some thugs shot into the car that had broken down—was like a bomb, exploding reality, disgust and fear in our faces. That's not to say that this death outweighs the other 25 thousand caused annually by criminals in Venezuela, it's not that it matters more because she was a public figure, beloved both inside and outside the country, but rather that we are facing a particularly significant death, another symbol of the unspeakable horror to which we and our loved ones are subjected in an unraveling society.
Meanwhile, many bloggers and Facebook users described their own experiences and those of their communities to show that crime has infiltrated the whole country.
In a Facebook note [es], Víctor Hugo Majano reflected on what happened to the actress, linking it with what has been happening in his community:
El hecho es que no se trata de una situación aislada: en todo el país funcionan y crecen grupos delictivos con poder de fuego y suficiente locura para matar a la primera. Y además legitimados artística, cultural y socialmente. Basta con ver la cantidad de carajitos y carajitas que se toman fotos exhibiendo armas con el rostro descubierto.
Esta mezcla de acceso a enormes recursos financieros, dirección especializada por policías corrompidos, drogas sin límite y arrojo juvenil ha conformado una maquinaria gigantesca de muerte y destrucción en todo el país. Sin duda es el momento para hacerle frente.
The truth is that this isn't an isolated situation: around the country, criminal groups are operating and growing with firepower and enough insanity to kill at the drop of a hat. And they are legitimized artistically, culturally and socially. Just look at the number of kids taking photos of themselves with weapons, their faces uncovered.
This combination of access to substantial financial resources, a specialized agency for corrupt cops, unlimited drugs and adolescent fearlessness has created a gigantic machine of death and destruction across the country. Surely now is the time to address it.
Mónica Spear was the ambassador for ASODECO (The Association for the Development of Supplemental Special Education), a non-profit that works with special needs children and adults. Young representatives from ASODECO speak at Mónica Spear's funeral. January 10, 2014. Photo by Carlos Becerra, Copyright Demotix
Demonstrations were organized by a Venezuelan actress [es] to demand that various public authorities take action to curb organized crime. Since polarization works full-time in Venezuela, artists who support the government [es] asked that no one politicize the event, from Miraflores Palace (home of the executive branch).
While many believe the government is responsible for the out-of-control violence, others think responsibility is shared with the dissemination of media depicting “anti-values” and violent imagery. In his post “Perdón por lo que les voy a decir (Caso Mónica Spears),” [es] Jorge Acosta says:
Aquí les va la primera razón para que me crucifiquen, la que a nadie le gusta oír, la que a nadie le agrada, y es que esa televisión que a usted y a sus hijos tanto le gusta, esa pantalla plana de no sé cuantas pulgadas que obtuvo y que pagó bien caro, es culpable en buena medida de la violencia que vive no solo Venezuela, sino el resto de las sociedades del mundo entero, con muy pocas excepciones, las cuales respondieron a este problema sin tanto vericueto. Duras legislaciones son las que han logrado reducir a su mínima expresión este flagelo. ¿Estamos preparados para ellas? ¿Estamos preparados para una pena de muerte con el poder judicial que aún tenemos?
Les aseguro que todos, en el fondo, estamos conscientes del papel perturbador y nocivo que tienen la gran mayoría de las series, telenovelas, películas, etc sobre nuestra sociedad, niños sobretodo. Es un hecho científicamente comprobado. ¿Y entonces?
Here's the first reason to crucify me, what no one wants to hear, what nobody likes, and it's that that television that you and your kids are so fond of, that flatscreen with however many inches that you bought and paid dearly for, is largely responsible for the violence thriving not only in Venezuela, but in every society around the world, with few exceptions, which have responded to this problem without any nuance. Harsh laws are successful in reducing this scourge to a minimum. Are we prepared for them? Are we prepared for a death penalty with the judicial branch that we have?
I assure you that all of us, deep down, know about the disturbing and harmful role played by the great majority of series, telenovelas, movies, etc. on our society, on children above all. It's a scientific fact. So what now?
The culprits were arrested in less than two days, a record speed considering that the rate of impunity [es] in the country is over 90%. To do so, the head of the law enforcement department in charge of investigating homicides in the country relocated to the capital, Caracas, to be closer to the scene of the crime.
The minister of Interior Relations, Justice and Peace flew over the area in a helicopter, causing outrage on social networks, as it made clear that the other homicides are not treated with the same import.
Luis Carlos Díaz (@LuisCarlos) [es] reflected on this several times on his timeline:
Ahora debes diseñar estrategias para que tus muertos no pasen desapercibidos para las autoridades.
— Luis Carlos Díaz (@LuisCarlos) January 10, 2014
Now you've got to create a strategy so your deaths don't go unnoticed by the authorities.
Luis Carlos also wrote on Facebook [es]:
Es un insulto para el pueblo, sobre todo el más pobre, ver cómo el poder le da celeridad a un caso por su impacto mediático. Encienden la tele y ven un despertar ficticio al tema de la violencia, pero no por su familiar. Mañana pasará y tampoco habrá justicia ni reparo en su humilde caso.
It's an insult to the people, especially the poorest, to see how quickly power reacts to a case based on its impact in the media. Turn on the TV and you'll see a fictional awakening to the issue of violence, but not for your family member. Tomorrow it'll pass and there will be no justice for nor objections over your humble case.
Meanwhile, Víctor Amaya (@victoramaya) [es] tweeted that impunity is due to an unwillingness on the part of the department in charge of investigating homicides:
Hoy el Cicpc demuestra que cuando no agarran a un asesino es porque simplemente no les da la gana. En dos días capturaron a toda la banda
— Víctor Amaya (@victoramaya) January 9, 2014
Today the Scientific, Criminal and Forensic Investigation Agency (CICPC) demonstrated that when they don't nab a murderer, it's simply because they don't feel like it. In two days they caught the whole gang.
Mónica Spear and Thomas Berry were buried on January 10 in Caracas. A huge crowd of fans of the former beauty queen and actress went to the cemetery to say goodbye.

author: Jessica Carrillo


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No Pants Subway Ride Day in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

January 12 was set as the 2014 No Pants Subway Ride Day. The annual fun day originated from New York 13 years ago and entered Hong Kong in 2013. Yesterday was the second annual gathering in this city.
http://youtu.be/5xcYt4Bal2U

author: Oiwan Lam


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PHOTOS: Cyclone Ian Devastates Tonga · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Impact of cyclone Ian in Tonga. Photo from Oxfam New Zealand.
Online news site NZ Kaniva Pacific presents graphic images of the devastation caused by cyclone Ian in Tonga on 11 January 2014: In pictures: Cyclone Ian aftermath. Oxfam New Zealand has details and links for those wishing to make donations.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Spain’s Princess Cristina Charged with Money Laundering and Tax Evasion · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

Cartoon by Malagón tweeted by the author.
[Links are to Spanish-language pages except where noted.]
The younger daughter of the King and Queen of Spain, Infanta Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia [en], has been called to appear before an examining magistrate as a defendant in connection with the Nóos case currently under investigation.
Judge José Castro, who had already charged the Infanta back in April 2013, issued a 227-page indictment on January 7, 2014, (part 1, part 2 [pdf]) explaining the reasons for his decision. The indictment is unusually long, an indication of his intention to thoroughly document the charges against the Infanta so as to prevent any legal loopholes that could lead to the charges being overturned, as occurred in the prior indictment which was dismissed for insufficient evidence.
The Infanta, who has an undergraduate degree in political science and an M.A. in international relations is charged in her capacity as co-owner of the holding company Aizoon, described in the indictment as a front for Instituto Nóos [en], a non-profit entity from which her husband, Iñaki Urdangarín, is accused of embezzling.
Judge Castro believes there is evidence that the infanta was aware of the criminal activities of her husband, who allegedly used Aizoon funds illegally to cover his personal expenses [en]; he also indicates there are anomalies in the hiring of the princess's domestic staff:
[Los empleados del hogar familiar] en su contratación intervino personalmente Doña Cristina de Borbón y Grecia, anunciando a los aspirantes, cuya situación irregular en España conocía aquélla, que de ser contratados se les abonarían sus salarios en “negro”.
Doña Cristina de Borbón y Grecia personally intervened in the hiring of [employees in the family home], telling prospective staff whose irregular immigration status she was aware of, that if they were hired, they would be paid “under the table.”
He is also openly critical of the public prosecutor's office, admonishing their efforts a few months ago to prevent the Infanta from being subpoenaed to testify using the argument of alleged unfair treatment. The reasons given were in fact the same as for the rest of the individuals charged, cases that elicited no response from said prosecutor's office.
Moreover, he considers three invoices rubber-stamped by the Revenue Office to be fraudulent and part of an attempt to reduce the total amount of the funds in question, thereby precluding any charges being laid against the princess for tax fraud.
The news provoked a torrent of comments in the mainstream media as well as social networks. Around the world, newspapers and television stations echoed one another: BBC, Time, CNN, Financial Times, Aljazeera, Paris Match and Le Monde are just a few of those who dedicated a portion of their content to the story unfolding in Spain.
Response has been plentiful. Judging from the tone of the majority of comments, the Spanish are pleased with the indictment of the Infanta, which they consider fair, although many Internet users doubt she will actually be sentenced.
Some mention the Botín doctrine, a peculiarity of Spanish law originally used to defend the banker Emilio Botín [whereby the plaintiff was not the victim of the alleged crime but making a popular accusation on behalf of the people]. In this instance, a case can be dismissed if no formal accusation is made by the public prosecutor.
Palace of the Duke and Duchess of Palma in an exclusive Barcelona neighbourhood, allegedly decorated and furnished courtesy of the Aizoon holding company. Photo uploaded to Twitter by El Poder del Ahora.
Velociraptor displays his lack of faith in the justice system in eldiario.es:
Se va a ir de rositas de esta. Solo hay que tirar de hemeroteca. Si no le salva el culo la Audiencia de Palma, lo hará el Fiscal Anticorrupcion; o el Tribunal Supremo; o el Tribunal Constitucional. En ultimo caso les queda un indulto. Tengo muy claro que se va a ir de rositas; lo que espero es que esta sea la mecha para que por fin el pueblo español se levante y recupere su orgullo.
She is going to get off scot-free. It just takes a little fieldwork. If the High Court in Palma doesn't save her ass, the Anti-corruption unit or the Supreme Court or the Constitutional Court will. As a last resort, she could always be pardoned. I am positive she will get off scot-free; what I hope is that this is the spark that sets off the Spanish people so they rise up and reclaim their pride.
On the French newspaper Le Monde‘s website, Sylvain opines that “In Spain there are people the law cannot touch,” to which Juan Manuel Cuesta responds:
(…) les Espagnols ont fait à la famille royale une confiance aveugle, et il faudra tout de même leur expliquer pourquoi un de ses membres échappe à la justice. Et la réputation de cette famille en prendra un sacré coup qui pourrait, à terme, lui coûter cher.
(…) the Spanish have displayed blind faith in the royal family, and it will have to be explained to them why one of its members can escape justice. And the reputation of this family will be hard hit, something that, in the long run, could cost them dearly.
Pacofol, in El País, expresses himself this way:
En un país donde la corrupción esta tan generalizada como el nuestro, es de agradecer el esfuerzo de algunos jueces en que prevalezcan la ley y la justicia. Gracias. No tengo ninguna confianza en que tengan éxito, pero gracias por intentar que el delito no quede impune.
In a country like ours, where corruption is so widespread, we should welcome the efforts of a few judges to ensure justice and the law prevail. Thank you. I have no faith in your succeeding, but thank you for trying to prevent crime going unpunished.
In El Mundo, Guy_Fawkes_V sees it clearly:
(comentario #402)
Nah, Yeserías no tiene celda real
Nah, Yeserías prison has no royal cell.
On Twitter, cybernauts also have lots to say:
Tranquilos, antes entrará un camello por el ojo de una aguja que la Infanta en la cárcel.
— Dios (@diostuitero) January 7, 2014
Relax, a camel will pass through the eye of a needle before the Infanta goes to jail.
Los medios que contribuyan a salvar la imagen de la infanta serán reconocibles por las páginas dobles de publicidad del banco donde trabaja.
— Almeida (@bufetalmeida) January 8, 2014
The media that is helping to rescue the Infanta's image can be identified by the double-page ads of the bank where she works.
Menú del dia en Zarzuela…. pic.twitter.com/p4GAHkcWMk
— agapitarch (@raisaoski) January 8, 2014
Today's special at the Palace of Zarzuela…
Parece que finalmentw la Infanta Cristina irá a la cárcel: ya están construyendo una cárcel para ella en Pedralbes por 666M€
— Cítrico Cínico (@CitricoCinico) January 8, 2014
Looks like the Infanta Cristina is finally going to jail: they are already building a prison for her en Pedralbes for 666 M€
Infanta: ¿cómplice y culpable? ó¿estúpida mujer florero? Si la “justicia” quiere mantener su poca credibilidad debe haber sentencia #infanta
— Miguel Montalvo (@WhiteMontana_DU) January 8, 2014
Infanta: complicit and guilty? or stupid trophy wife? If the ‘law’ wants to maintain what little credibility it has it should sentence #infanta
Like many Spaniards, Congressman Alberto Garzón criticizes the behaviour of certain institutions in this case:
Y lo preocupante es ver a instituciones del Estado como Hacienda o la Fiscalía tomar el rol de defensores de la infanta.
— Alberto Garzón (@agarzon) January 7, 2014
And it is disturbing to see federal institutions like the Finance Ministry and the Public Prosecutor taking on the role of defenders of the Infanta.
The Infanta has been called to testify on March 8. If the proceedings take their usual course, perhaps the Spanish will see a member of the royal family in the dock…or behind bars.

author: Lourdes Sada


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Where Soca Music Begins and Ends · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Artwork depicting Trinidadian musician Bunji Garlin. Photo by Paul Lowry on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
If it sounds like soca, and makes you dance like soca – is it still definitely soca music? The success of the carnival song, Differentology, by the artist Bunji Garlin has spurred public debate about what exactly constitutes soca, a style of music that originated in Trinidad & Tobago. The song breaks with tradition instrumentally in several ways.
Trinidadian musician Michael Low Chew Tung hosted a lengthy discussion on his Facebook profile to explore the issue. The discussion evolved into a discussion of music history and the development of the Trinidadian music industry.
We share parts of the Facebook conversation below with permission from all quoted.
Michael Low Chew Tung started the discussion by asking whether the song “Alingo” by Nigerian pop duo P-Square qualifies as a soca song:
Soca 2014- So seeing that Bunji and Faye Ann have blurred the lines, would you call this a soca? And if not, why not?
Nigel Campbell believes it qualifies as soca:
Soca. Four on the floor, and the percussive pattern on the synth snare. Their “problem” (if it is at all) is that they aren't Caribbean but African.
According to Dion Boucaud, anyone can make soca, just as anyone can play jazz:
The question then, is soca a genre? If it is, then it can be produced by any artiste from any country in much the same way we produce Jazz. Pop or Rock. In my humble opinion this is soca, built on the same structure as any produced in Trinidad. They may not call it that, however if the influence is from here or if it is as undefined as what we produce then opportunities exist to brand it. The ones with an identity crisis over what we produce is us. They have no qualms in Japan calling what they do soca. My two cents.
Michael Low Chew Tung believes that what is now marketed as soca has strayed far from the essential qualities of the genre:
I submit that the problem in Trinidad, is that soca 2014 has very little of what makes it soca, and now morphed into EDM [electronic dance music]. Aside from “content” related to carnival as Ian stated, there isn't much else.
Rubadiri Victor, however, believes that there are elements which unite all musical expressions in the African diaspora:
Rhythm is the main signifier. The African Diaspora is made up of Rhythm Nations who have created national sounds based on rhythmic permutations of ancient ancestral patterns- each with its distinctive character. There have been fusions and borrowing- determined by the power of different outposts of the diaspora during respective Golden Ages: Calypso affected rhythms in America, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa from the 1930s to 50s, pop, rock and especially funk influenced stuff from the 50s to the 70s, and reggae and dancehall from the late 70s to 90s with hip hop dominating since. Important to note however has been the unspoken role that Soca has played since the 80s in influencing all the world's popular music- the only thing that has stopped this identification has been our cowardice and stupidity and refusal to claim what is ours
Victor added that much of today's pop music has been influenced by soca, even though it is not always acknowledged:
The entire sound of popular dance music now- which is the pop of the world- is completely derived from the unspoken influence of Soca music on the dance scenes and best DJs and producers of the world and the artists who have been crafting rhythm based music for the last 30 years who have been listening and influenced heavily by Soca and our Carnivals…
M.Rudder asserts that what is now called soca should be considered a whole separate genre:
This is not Soca. It is the new genre called “Island Pop”. Differentology kept one Trini element in it, but not in the drum and bass, but in the Horns; the Shango beat in the horns of the chorus which, to me, was genius. Cant believe I reach late for this discussion.
In a separate thread, Michael Low Chew Tung critiqued the notion that a single element could qualify a song as soca by listing several songs that would then have to qualify:
After all this, do you still think having only one “soca” element in a tune makes it a soca?
Nigel Campbell quoted one of the jazz greats to argue that what is and isn't soca depends on the song:
Thelonius Monk once said, famously, “I don't have a definition of Jazz. You're just supposed to know it when you hear it.” I would assert that a similar sentiment can be made for soca. The fluidity of music makes definitions sometimes pointless, but we know it when we hear it.;
Mackini Joseph questions the extent to which contemporary soca constitutes a separate genre:
From what i see posted here and based on my own knowledge of African derived music; soca to me cannot be classified as a genre. We developed a form of musical expression in Trinidad and called it soca. But this form of of expression (energetic soulful music) developed in other places where the cultural background is similar. When we listen to all the variants of this music Salvador Bahia, Dominican Republic, The French Caribbean Islands, Suriname, Colombia, Grenada and Most of latin america, the lines begin to be blurred as you can hardly distinguish any large differences in the music and it's feel. Just my two cents.
He later clarified that while the roots of the music are distinct, they have all evolved in a similar direction:
…Samba, Son and Calypso's pulse are extremely different. I am talking about the evolution of the music into the various forms that we have today; mainly in it's modern electric forms. Most of the time “watered down”.
Michael Low Chew Tung thinks that educated listeners could differentiate the types of music:
Outsiders think it's all the same but on careful analysis, the patterns emerge. For example: What is the rhythmic difference between Son, Calypso and Samba? While you may think it's all the same because they share some characteristics, it's where the pulse is felt in each one that is uniquely different.
Carlos Thompson does not think the mixing of the musical genres is such a bad thing:
Good discussion, but let me play devil's advocate here. Is the blurring of the lines a bad thing? Would it help the art form if we all agreed on what is soca? And the same for parang, chutney, kaiso? In this world we are just 1.3m so shouldn't we embrace all our artistic variations and interpretations (even our interpretation of rock, r'n'b (Carol Addison comes to mind), fast soca, new parang etc)? For me I love the fact that we have all these forms from poetry to comedy to pan to music. I just wish we were less competitive among ourselves and move away from giving shedloads of money to the winner and devil take the hindmost approach. In the end we just might be cutting our noses to spite our faces?


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Young Egyptian  Journalist Uses Indiegogo for Help · Global Voices
Mohamed ElGohary

Menna Alaa, Egyptian journalist who was assaulted by angry mob earlier in 2013 losing her camera during her reporting, is using Indiegogo calling for help to buy equipment to help her document the ongoing events in Egypt.
The appeal reads:
Menna Alaa is a Cairo based freelance journalist and student who has been covering events in Egypt as they escalated. Menna has made sure that she takes the risks in Egyptian streets in order to make sure that the voices of protesters are heard whether through videos or photos.
Over the escalating events, Menna risked her life in order to show how events unfolded while bearing in  mind that the audience need to see truth as it really is. Now the Egyptian political sphere is being reshaped and the need for independent, honest, and objective journalism is now a must.
And adds:
As an aspiring journalist and journalism student, Menna would appreciate it if you would help her buy new equipment so she reports back on ground as soon as possible.

author: Mohamed ElGohary


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30 People in Greece Have a New Job, Thanks to a Twitter Hashtag · Global Voices
Alexia Kalaitzi

Graffiti in Greek reads, “I don't hope for anything, I am not afraid of anything, I am unemployed,” a rephrasing of a famous quote by a Greek author. Photo by SpirosK photography via Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
At a time when unemployment has reached a staggering 27 percent in Greece, a hashtag on Twitter has helped about 30 people in the country find work.
#aggeliesergasias (jobadverts) was created by user @dimitrischrid in the beginning of October to help social media users share information about job opportunities in Greece and abroad. On December 11, the hashtag was a trending topic on Greek Twitter for 11 hours, thanks to its use by Twitter users and well-trafficked employment portals.
Did you know that #aggeliesergasias was Trending Topic on Wednesday 11 for 11 hours in Greece? http://t.co/HE05KfTGEB #trndnl
— Τάσεις στην Ελλάδα (@trendinaliaGR) december 12, 2013
It has become a symbol of solidarity on the Internet against the increasing problem of unemployment in the country. Several Greek media outlets have referred to the initiative, characterizing it as simple, smart and effective. The blog Keep Talking Greece, dedicated to sharing the stories of “real” Greeks affected by the crisis, wrote:
Within a few days, the hell broke out: Twitter users started to post job offers they knew or heard about, while job seekers started to post their request. ReTweets and Favorites added quickly to the success of this modern, social media way to get to see a job offered in Athens or Xanthi, in London or Preveza, in Cete or in Geneva.
Creator @dimitrischrid explained to news website Protagon the effect that the hashtag has had so far:
Μέχρι τώρα, που είναι ακόμα πολύ νωρίς και πολλοί δεν γνωρίζουν προς το παρόν αυτόν τον τρόπο εύρεσης εργασίας, μου έχουν στείλει περίπου 30 άτομα μήνυμα που μου είπαν ότι προσλήφθηκαν και θέλησαν να με ευχαριστήσουν για το καλό που τους έκανα. […] Ο καθένας από εμάς μπορεί να φτιάξει ένα hashtag, δεν υπάρχει τρόπος να πληρωθείς ποτέ την επιτυχία του, αλλά η ηθική ανταμοιβή που παίρνω καθημερινά, αξίζει όλα τα λεφτά του κόσμου».
Up until now, and it is very early yet and many don't know about this way of searching for a job, around 30 people have sent me messages telling me that they have been hired and wanted to thank me for this. […] Each one of us can make a hashtag, there is no way to get paid for its success, but the ethical reward I receive every day is worth all the money in the world.
The effort has also expanded to Facebook.

author: Alexia Kalaitzi


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Aitezaz Hasan, Pakistan’s Young Hero Who Took on a Suicide Bomber to Save his School  · Global Voices
Qurratulain (Annie) Zaman

Tribute to Aitezaz Hassan's bravery that saved dozens of lives in Hangu, KPK at Karachi press club. Image by Ayub Mohammad. Copyright Demotix (11/1/2014)
Ninth-grade student Aitezaz Hasan has become Pakistan's latest young hero after he sacrificed his own life to stop a suicide bomber from entering his school in Hangu district, in the north-west of Pakistan.
Aitezaz was standing outside his school's gate when he saw a man wearing a suicide vest laden with explosives. He bravely tackled the bomber and prevented him from entering his school in Ibrahimzai, a Shia-dominated area in Hangu. The bomber soon detonated his explosives, killing Aitezaz and himself.
According to media reports, there were around 1,000 students at the school at the time of attack.
Aitezaz is being hailed a national hero by the provincial government. There are social media campaigns to give him the Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military award for bravery in the country. Pakistan's Prime minister, Mohammad Nawaz Sharif has recommended him for Sitara-e- Shujat, the nation's highest civilian bravery award. This can be given once the President approves it.
Twitter users have been using the hashtags #onemillionaitzaz and #AitzazBraveheart to pay him tribute.
Nasim Zehra, a TV  journalist tweets:
Mr.PrimeMinister v the citizens believe that State of Pk must award Nishan-i-Haider to Pk's brave son Shaheed Aitezaz #onemillionaitzaz
— Nasim Zehra (@NasimZehra) January 9, 2014
Samar Minallah Khan, anthropologist and documentary film maker form the north-western region of Pakistan tweets:
Aitzaz Shaheed, what bigger sacrifice could you make! You are a true hero! #Hero #BraveSoul #onemillionAitzaz #Salute
— Samar Minallah Khan (@SamarMinallahKh) January 9, 2014
Sherry Rehman, former Pakistani Ambassador to the US tweets a picture of Hasan's school:
Poignant: Aitzaz Hussain's classmates put his photo on his chair in the classroom. pic.twitter.com/choReIiv9E #AitzazBraveheart #Pakistan
— sherryrehman (@sherryrehman) January 11, 2014
Along with paying tributes and credit to Hasan, a few Twitter users also questioned the government's failure to openly name the killers and condemn suicide attacks in the region. The Taliban have been targeting Shia mosques and areas with increasing frequency. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf or PTI is running the government in the north-western province of KPK. Despite the attacks by the Taliban they are pushing for dialogue with them.
Saman Jafri a politician affiliated with the MQM party and a member of Pakistan's National Assembly tweets:
Will the #onemillionAitzaz pls openly denounce Aitzaz's killers and their likes (Taliban) & stop begging for dialouges with them? #Pakistan
— Saman J. (@SsamanJay) January 9, 2014
Salman Sikandar wonders why the federal government isn't blaming the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for Aitezaz's murder, even though the provincial Sindh government recently implicated the same organization for the murder of Choudhary Aslam, known as Pakistan's toughest cop:
Dear NawazSharif/Imran Khan & Co, Who is responsible for murder of Aitzaz Hasan” Sindh Govt clearly implicated TTP in Ch Aslam case.
— Salman Sikandar (@SALSIKandar) January 12, 2014
In her blog, Mona Nasir from Peshawar wonders how long our kids will continue to sacrifice their lives:
When I read this unprecedented story of this young boy courage , or for that matter anyone who loses their life in this losing war, I say to myself another one bites the dust. More than 60,000 have lost their lives, and more than million displaced through operations in areas which we hold responsible for all the mayhem, but we are still not sure where the root of the evil lie actually there, is it our war or not or how to deal with it.
Zarrar Khurro, writes in an English language daily newspaper Dawn, “Are we worthy of Aitzaz Husain?”
We don’t need more Aitzazs’. Not one or one million. What we need is to be worthy of the one we lost. What we need is for those who claim to lead us to show the courage that this boy did. Perhaps, that is too much to ask from those who roll out apologies and obfuscations with such unerring regularity, but stammer and shake when it comes to naming those responsible for mass murder.

author: Qurratulain (Annie) Zaman


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Another Indonesian Maid Tortured in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Erwiana Sulistayaniangsih, a foreign domestic helper from Indonesia, was found severely injured in the Hong Kong airport when she returned home last week on January 10. She told her fellow on flight that she was beaten and tortured for months by her employer in Hong Kong but was too scared to report the case to the police. She was hospitalized soon after she arrived and the case was exposed. More from Hong Wrong.