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Pakistan: Bloggers Dismayed at Google Adsense Ban · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

A recent ban on Google Adsense accounts has left many Pakistani bloggers dismayed. Scores of genuine publishers have fallen prey to a move aimed as a crackdown on fraudulent websites and blogs.
Call to stop using Google products in protest. Image by Yasir Imran.
This has resulted in a outburst from bloggers across the country — their anger is also rooted deeply in the fact that the crackdown occurred without prior warning, which is a protocol usually followed by Google.
Some are going as far as protesting against Google and suggesting that it is a result of an earlier comment by the Interior Minister Rehman Malik. Speaking to the media Mr. Malik made a ludicrous remark claiming possible action on ‘Google administration’ if the company refused to comply to requests for data by Federal Investigative Agency (FIA).
Here is a video of the comment made by the Interior Minister.
Blogger Yasir Imran reacts to the video:
The reason behind the blocking of Adsense account is not confirmed yet but after watching this video I think Rehman Malik is the responsible for banning of Adsense.
So is the crackdown on adsense accounts really a result of warnings issued by the Interior Minister?  Saad Hamid, a technology blogging guru in Pakistan, puts an end to these theories:
As I saw others, it was sad to see that most of them were inspired to blog because they had a passion for money and money only and that's where I differentiate myself from all of them. Sadly it's the same school which now opposes me, because all of this time, I have been a supporter of ‘originality’, I have guided and trained people not to copy ideas, not to copy others rather believe in what they can do for themselves. But such people lack originality and sadly they always will.
In the quest to make ‘easy’ money, a considerable number of websites had set up instructions on ways in which Adsense could be exploited, while a significant number of blogs and websites were plagiarizing data to attract traffic.  Here's a video tutorial offering help in opening an Adsense account for Rs. 500; this is but one example of a plethora of online content that triggered the blockade from Google.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmQR4UT3l4c&feature=related
Google's country consultant Badar Khushnood has been engaging with angry bloggers via Twitter in an attempt to help bloggers with original content to reclaim their accounts.
@badar76: Back to work; not sure how much I'd be able to help but looking into recent #Pakistan#AdSense issue! #AdSensePK
@badar76: #Pakistan#Bloggers – plz continue w/ ur own homework – review compliance to #AdSense T&C, file appeals, etc. #AdSensePK
Meanwhile, bloggers continue to tweet their updates using the hash tag #AdsensePK:
@noumaan_ : banning Pakistani Adsense accounts continues, many new disabled accounts reported last night, so far no appeal is accepted. # adsensepk
@taalz: Google Adsense say “Unacceptable site content” to http://www.PickMore.com ? Why? Because we have genuinely self written content? #AdsensePK
@harisn: Okay, so Google Adsense is still disabling accounts. A new victim among friends ->@fariZafar. #adsensepk
@atharpk: Series of #Adsensepk Bans Continue. No Warnings no Chances. Google Goes Totally wild against Pakistani Publishers.
While some bloggers have started suggesting an alternative to Google Adsense:
@shafiq: Are you looking for adsense alternatives due to mass blockage of adsense in Pakistan Follow the linkhttp://bit.ly/oulpW4#adsensepk
Claims from bloggers suggest that over 90% of blogs and websites were affected by the ban; bloggers hope that Google will soon reevaluate the decision. Saad Hamid leaves us with a thoughtful note:
Honestly! I don't feel bad about it. AdSense was once banned on Sizlopedia.com and that was when I realized that things move on, all you need to do is a have a passion for what you are doing. I can proudly say that my knowledge has made much greater of an impact on lives of people than AdSense has made on me. To sum it up with the least of it, some of my posts are now part of student dissertations from Stanford and MIT, I founded, funded, sponsored PehliMadad – a charity iniative, I curated and sponsored TEDxMargalla – the only TEDx conference to have held in Islamabad so far and the journey goes on…

author: Sana Saleem


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Russia: Government Official Tries to Force Websites to Remove Discrediting Video · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

On October 23, 2011 Kseniya Sobchak, celebrity journalist, had shot a video of Vasiliy Yakemenko, the head of the Federal Agency for Youth, in the most expensive restaurant of Moscow. Criticism followed the video [ru] upload: according to his tax declaration [ru], Yakemenko could hardly afford attending such place. Later Anna Biryukova, Agency's press-secretary, sent removal demands to a number of websites (1, 2 [ru]) threatening to sue them. Portals claim Agency's threats have no legal base.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Ministry of Justice Plans to Monitor Online Content · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Russian Ministry of Justice had published a public procurement proposal [ru] to purchase a content monitoring system worth of ~115,000 US dollars. The system is aimed to monitor the information published about the ministry and its representatives as well as about the president and prime-minister. The scale of the system expects of monitoring ‘not less than 5,000 sources.’


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Trinidad & Tobago: Divali Delicacies  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The cross-section of families and individuals from all walks of life always brings a smile to my face and reminds me of the Divali celebrations of my childhood”: TriniGourmet.com posts her mouth-watering menu for this year's Divali celebrations, which take place tomorrow.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Venezuela’s “Twitter Addiction”  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

With so many thing happening in Venezuela and abroad, Liliana Fasciani wonders [es] if filling up pages with writing is worth it, especially now that Twitter has become so popular in Venezuela. Luis Carlos Díaz blogged about this issue in July [es] and August [es] of 2010, and again earlier this year in a post titled “Nostalgia for blogs” [es].

author: Silvia Viñas


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Argentina: Presidential Elections, a Review of Blogs · Global Voices
Jorge Gobbi

Argentina's presidential election had a pretty predictable result: the reelection of the current president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. After her clear victory in the primary elections a few months ago, the 37 points that separated the president from the second place did not even surprise the opposition. The large victory motivated many bloggers to analyze the political situation. Since 2009, the pro-Kirchner blogosphere has shown great dynamism, although other political parties have also tried to gain ground.
We begin this summary with the blogs that are politically closest to the government, starting with Arte Politica [es],  where its writers state:
Somos un país mejor porque, 28 años después, la democracia argentina está más viva y más vibrante que nunca. Con elecciones limpias, libres, y en donde participa rutinariamente casi el 80% de los electores.
Voters wait to cast their vote in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 23, 2011. Demian Martinez, Copyright Demotix
In Bolazos de los medios [es] Ariel Andres Tapia recalls the multiple “prophecies” published by the media from 2009 to this year, which argued that the days of the kirchnerista government were numbered. Blog El Magma [es] discusses the same issue.
Mundo Perverso [es] points out that:
Ayer fue un día verdaderamente histórico. Luego de 4 años de gobernar contra las cuerdas, con la presión constante y operaciones de prensa permanentes en contra, con un vicepresidente opositor y con una oposición que no tuvo límites ni reparos a la hora del odio y la irracionalidad, ganó Cristina y, con ella, ganó Argentina.
La Lectora Provisoria [es], a blog identified with Elisa Carrió‘s Coalición Cívica party, says:
Ahora, estoicismo. Habrá que digerir la apabullante derrota y no pensar demasiado en los tiempos que tenemos por delante.
That's because their candidate for president, Carrió, came out last among the candidates, with less than 2%, when in the last presidential elections she was above 20%. In the pro-Kirchner blog, Militancia Kreativa [es], they make fun of a Coalicion Civica (CC) candidate for congress, Fernando Iglesias, who didn't get enough votes to get elected for congress. Iglesias has published an entry in his blog [es] evaluating the October 23 results.
In his blog, Hernán Haines [es] states
Hubo un 45 por ciento del electorado que no la votó [se refiere a la presidenta]  y, por lo tanto, no merece ser descalificado ni subestimado (…) Sra. de Kirchner, por favor, tome nota de lo que sucede en el resto del mundo. En las naciones en donde los gobiernos se vienen abajo es, justamente, porque sus líderes, electos por grandes mayorías, luego se olvidan de su pueblo y éste, más tarde o más temprano, reacciona.
In the blog of Comuna 12 [es] from the Unión Cívica Radical, one of the most traditional parties in Argentina, which reached the third place in the presidential elections, Ernesto Sanz analyzes the elections and the challenges the party will have to face in the future.
Finally, Fabio [es] looks at the differences in the number of votes the presidential candidates achieved in the primary elections and the final elections.

author: Jorge Gobbi


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Armenia: Earthquake in Turkey felt in Yerevan · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

On Sunday 23, October, 2011, the earthquake that struck Van, a city in South Eastern Turkey, was felt in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, and other parts of the small South Caucasus country. No stranger to earthquakes having suffered its own tragedy in 1988, the tremor was larger than those that have been experienced since.
With few media updates on the situation, and some even reporting that there were no news announcements at all until much later, the first reports materialized on Twitter and Facebook, and while buildings were still literally swaying from side to side.
@onewmphoto: There must be an earthquake. My apartment in Yerevan is still wobbling… #uneasyfeeling
@myrthekf: I think I just felt an earthquake in #yerevan.
@blansharm: #earthquake #Yerevan Earthquake, again, second or third within last two weeks! Scary!
@albertpoghosyan: Earthquake again in Yerevan! Strong actually!
@onewmphoto: We felt it in Armenia RT @Reuters FLASH: Magnitude 7.6 earthquake hits 35 kilometres northeast of Van, Turkey – USGS (via @oemoral)
@unzippedblog: Was speaking to parents in #Yerevan TV/radio #fail provide news coverage re #Earthquake it's me who provided them with online news #Armenia
With the memory of the Spitak earthquake which killed 25,000 still fresh in the minds of many Armenians, Журнал настоящего армянина noted that some families even evacuated their apartment buildings [ru]:
Только что выходил  […]  и как только вернулся во двор вижу чё то люди выходят в спешке, в начале не сообразил потом когда увидел общую картину подумал что это землетрясение. Особенно впечатляющим были мамы которые обернув детишек в одеяло выбежали во двор. Сразу перед глазами пробежал 1988 год когда еще детишками были и нас тоже родители точно так же завернули в одеяло и бежали во двор. Вот вам картина моего двора после толчков.
Some families evacuate their apartments in Yerevan (Журнал настоящего армянина)
Soon after, some speculated that the tremor felt in Yerevan might not have been that from the Van earthquake, but another likely triggered off by it. There were also concerns about the safety of the ageing Metsamor nuclear reactor.
@reporter_arm: this one was earthquake that we felt? emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/ear…
@kutkut16: @ditord what news about Metsamor NPP after the earthquake?
Concerns with the situation in Armenia soon gave way to updating followers on the situation in Van, re-tweeting updates from tweeps in Turkey. Later in the day, Tigran Balayan, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also tweeted updates as it pertained to Armenia and Armenians who might be resident or working in Turkey.
@tbalayan: President Sargsyan offered rescue assistance to earthquake hit Turkey president.am/events/news/en…
@tbalayan: According to the information available no #Armenian citizens among victims of #Turkey #earthquake.
Despite there being no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, the offer of assistance nonetheless resulted in the Prime Minister and President of Turkey thanking the Armenian President for his offer. However, at time of writing, an Armenian emergency rescue team still remains on standby.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Armenia: Pizza Paradox · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Cilicia.com recounts a recent experience of dining out at a Pizza restaurant in Central Yerevan. Sitting on the roof terrace of Diamond Pizza the group of ethnic Armenians from the Diaspora were told they could not eat pizza because if they did so “that’s all people would order.”


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“Law Without Borders” Between Brazil, Angola and Portugal · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Brazilian lawyer and researcher Vanessa Bueno, based in Portugal, launched the blog O Direito Sem Fronteiras (Law Without Borders) [pt] where she gives tips and writes reviews about legal issues, especially for migrants between Portugal, Brazil and Angola. She has also created a group on Facebook aiming to promote debate.

author: Sara Moreira


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Croatia: Alcatraz of Yugoslavia · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Bill Kralovec of Bill's Blog recounts the story of the Adriatic prison island of Goli otok – the Alcatraz of Yugoslavia – where Yugoslavia held its political prisoners during the reign of Tito.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Discovering Paris from a Guinean Perspective  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Guinean blogger @limsow who recently moved to Paris for an internship, describes [fr] a less-hostile capital than expected on Guinée Plurielle: “I already know how to take the RER (the C line) to go down to Vitry Sur Seine  or to get to Avenue du Président Kennedy, in the 16th arrondissement. I am also familiar with the metro now, after many: “Please, is this the line that goes to X?”. Contrary to what people have told me, my questions are so far always answered, and with a smile.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Egypt: Revolution Call Renewed After Khaled Said Murder Trial Verdict  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Two police officers have been sentenced to seven years in prison for the assault that led to the death of Khaled Said, the young man whose murder in Alexandria has fueled the Egyptian revolution. Netizens are angry at what they describe as a lenient sentence and a slap to the revolution and its scream for justice.
Said, killed at the hands of policemen in June 2010, has become an icon of the Egyptian revolution. His murder fueled discontent among young Egyptians in the weeks leading to the revolution after images of his battered body went viral.
And this sentence has renewed calls for a fresh revolution among Egypt's youth.
Khaled Said mural in Alexandria, Egypt. Image by Flickr user lilianwagdy (CC BY 2.0).
On Twitter, Ahmed Aggour asks [ar]:
أُمّال فين الإعلام الحر؟ فين إستقلال القضاء؟ فين المحاكمات؟ فين تطهير الداخلية؟ فين أمن الدولة؟
The Big Pharaoh screams:
@TheBigPharaoh: WHAT?? The killers of #khaledsaid were sentenced to only 7 yrs?? That's a message to us: even your revolution's symbol doesn't count anymore
Rania Samir hopes [ar]:
@Rania1_:  I hope Khaled Said becomes the spark that ignites the second revolution just like he was the cause of the first one
Tamer Fakahany adds:
@TamerFakahany: #Egypt activists condemn light sentence for #KhaledSaid death, revolution said to be not sweeping away endemic corruption & injustice.
And Baraka18 quotes Khaled Said's uncle as saying:
@Baraka18: Ali Qassem (Khaled's uncle): “The response to the verdict will be on the street and not inside the court”
Egyptian journalist Aya el Batrawy reminds us of Said's murder.
@ayaelb: #KhaledSaid is #Egypt's Mohammed Bouazizi. Said died when 2 plainclothes police dragged him out of an Internet cafe and beat him to death.
and she continues:
@ayaelb: Police claim #KhaledSaid choked on packet of drugs he swallowed, but forensic reports showed it was forced after death
Ayman Farag names the officers responsible for Said's death:
@aymanscribbler: Mahmoud Salah Mahmoud and Awad Ismael Soliman, the policemen who murdered Khaled Said, get 7 years. #jan25
Journalist Evan Hill quips:
@evanchill: So you can beat someone until death in egypt and get 7 years. Just don't “murder” them. #khaledsaid
Sarrah Abdelrahman is angry:
@sarrahsworld: No! I will not let this depress me. I will let it ANGER ME!!!!!!! Time for the revolution!!! Bring it on ya 3askar (military)!!
Blogger Amr Gharbeia calls for change [ar]:
خالد سعيد حقه مش أن اثنين يدانوا بضرب والا بقتل. حقه أن ما يحصلش ثاني أبدا. أن البوليس والمحاكم وكل نظام العدالة الجنائية يتغير
And Egyptian Abo Ghal adds sarcastically [ar]:
Hana Zuhair jokes:
@Hana_Zuhair: At this rate, #Mubarak will receive money in compensation for disturbing his sleep on the stretcher by taking him to court. #KhaledSaid
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Guatemala: Photo Essay Tells Story of Staunch Anti-Mining Activist · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Photojournalist James Rodríguez has published a photo essay on the conflict around the Canadian-owned Marlin gold mine. He highlights the bravery and persistence of anti-mining activist Diodora Hernandez, who “was shot point-blank on the right eye outside her home in the small community of San José Nueva Esperanza – only a few meters from a fence that delimits Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine.”


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Iran: “Jailed blogger lost a kidney” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to several web sites and blogs, Iranian blogger Hossein Ronaghi Malki, lost a kidney due to deliberate medical neglect in prison. The blogger is serving a 15 year prison sentence.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Lithuania: Corruption within the Educational System · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Alan Hendrixson of With a Grain of Druska discusses problems arising from corruption within Lithuanian education and health system.


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Latvia: Graffiti and Decay in Riga · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Juris Kaža of Failed State Latvia? writes about graffiti and social decay in Latvian capital Riga.


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Mauritius: Tikoulou, Children’s Literature Success Story · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Christophe Cassiau-Haurie writes about  the sucess story of  Tikoulou, a collection of books for children published in Mauritius, which has captivated  4 to 9-year old  Mauritian children since 1998.  Tikoulou has now become a best seller of Francophone children’s literature.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Myanmar: Local Politician Allows Opium Production · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Palaung Women’s Organization reports that an elected official in the Palaung region of Shan State North in Myanmar has allowed the cultivation of opium in the area which generated more social problems in the affected communities.

author: Mong Palatino


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Myanmar: Video of Dissident Comedian Blogger Zarganar · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Reporters Without Borders posted a video interview with the dissident comedian and blogger Zarganar from Myanmar who was released from jail early this month. Zarganar discussed media freedom and the situation of Myanmar's political prisoners.


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Pakistan: Political Satire Becomes Internet Sensation  · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

A recent song released on YouTube, by a group of young men from Lahore, has become an Internet sensation. The song's lyrics are heavily loaded with political satire, something that is rarely witnessed in Pakistan in recent years.
The group calls itself Beygairat Brigade or ‘dishonor brigade’ — a pun to counter the popularly known ‘ghairat brigade’ or moral police that are known to have a large influence in Pakistan. The video, uploaded in the wee hours of the night on the 16 October, had thousands of views later in the morning.
Speaking to the media the group said that decision to release the video on the Internet was made due to possible reluctance from mainstream media in airing ‘controversial’ content. It now appears that the decision has worked exceptionally well for the group; not only does the video have over two million views on YouTube but it has also garnered attention from mainstream media globally, including the BBC.
The satirical lyrics along with a witty video, make for a perfect recipe for an Internet sensation. The songs tackles issues such as conspiracy theories and touches upon the hypocrisy of people who laud the likes of assassins Mumtaz Qadri, who killed former Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, and Ajmal Kasab, perpetrator of the Mumbai attacks, while forgetting Dr. Abdus Salam, the country's only Nobel Laureate, because he hails from an outlawed sect of Islam.
The video ends on an ironic yet rebellious note with the lead singer holding up a placard that says : If you want a bullet through my head, like this video.
Screenshot from the music video
On their blog the group unsurprisingly introduces itself as strong supporters of  freedom of speech and expression:
Believe in Humanity, hate when people jam it down your throat religion, race, culture or ethnicity.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Reactions on social media platforms have been a mix of extreme praise to brutal denouncement:
@LutfIslam: Just when one thought Pak pop ate itself, comes the wonderful Baighairat Brigade: http://bit.ly/qbRiNb
@Rabeeltariq: @NadeemfParacha: Frustration of teenagers came out and they choose the most suitable & the best possible way to raise their voice.
@Maria_memon: Beyghairat Brigade will always be known as the boys who finally said the emperor had no clothes. http://bit.ly/w12iK8
@boghleharsha: just saw aalu anday by the beyghairat brigade. very interesting. art has always reflected turmoil in society.
@Zak_: What's this Beyghairat Brigade’ (the Dishonour Brigade)? a new drama of pseudo-liberals…………
@TaimoorMalik : Beghairat Brigade is getting threats for mentioning Dr Salam in their video – Our only Nobel Laureate, but an AHMADI! That's his crime!
@Khandanish_: Thank you #NOT Beghairat Brigade for getting us famous in India, by that Ajmal Kasab bit. No one considered him as a hero!
Raza Habib Raja writes:
As the torch of Political Rock N Roll passes to younger blood, some of whom have the nerves to finally say that should have been said long ago, there is every reason to believe that though in fringes, sanity still exists. Well Done Baighairat Brigade.. You have  given us hope..
Most of the submitted abusive and threatening comments have been removed from youtube video comments. However, the overall impact of the video has been commendable. The attempt by beghairat brigade at political satire has set a precedent for using social media for political activism.


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Russia: Author of “the Barracks Blog” De-Anonymized, Allegedly Threatened · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Vasiliy (@sosigusyan [ru]), military conscript and the author of “the Barracks Blog,” a Twitter-account telling about the life in the army (see transcripts of his tweets here [ru] and here [ru]) had been de-anonymized by the military authorities. The content of the micro-blog had been deleted and someone else started to write there, RealArmy.org claims [ru]. The website also says they can't contact Vasiliy and suspect the blogger might be threatened by his leadership.


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Russia: Hacked Mailbox of Anti-Corruption Blogger Published Online · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Private mailbox allegedly belonging to Alexey Navalny, famous anti-corruption blogger, has been hacked and published at navalnymail.kz by an attacker nicknamed onenavnav [ru]. Navalny hasn't confirmed the authenticity of the leaked e-mails yet. Observers suggest that the leak might be connected to the plan of Navalny's discreditation.


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Russia: Site of Political Phone Pranks Launched · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

politicprank.ru, website dedicated to the phone pranks with politicians has launched on October 26, 2011. The first prank [ru] has been conducted allegedly with the head of the security of Vladimir Putin. Authenticity of the recording, however, is not proved yet.


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Slovenia: Projections for Parliamentary Elections · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Sleeping with Pengovsky analyses opinion polls for the upcoming December 4 parliamentary elections in Slovenia.


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South Africa: Motorcyclist in Amageza Rally Rescues Calf · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The video captured on a helmet cam by South African Johan Gray is making him famous. While doing one of the qualifying rounds for the Amageza 2012 motorcycle endurance race he spotted a calf trying to stay afloat in a canal. He stopped to help the stranded animal and then drove him on his bike to the rest of his herd.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Sri Lanka: Hunger Strike Of Fishermen Families · Global Voices
Rezwan

National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO) blog informs that members of nine Sri Lankan fishing families from Kalpity have started a hunger strike demanding release of their loved ones from Andaman Jail. These fishermen were captured more than 20 months ago by Indian Navy for alleged trespassing in Indian territories.

author: Rezwan


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Sri Lanka: Incorporating an Entity · Global Voices
Rezwan

Lawyer and blogger Radhi De Silva describes the steps to incorporate a legal entity in Sri Lanka.


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Syria: Blogger Hussein Gharir “Missing”  · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

Prominent Syrian blogger and activist Hussein Gharir, has been missing since yesterday and is presumed to have been arrested by Syrian authorities. A #FreeHussein campaign has been launched on Twitter and Facebook, and a statement [AR] has been issued in the name of Syrian bloggers calling for his release.

author: Yazan Badran


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Thailand: Burmese Workers Arrested Outside Flood Zones · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Mahn Saimon reports that Burmese workers who are escaping the floods of Thailand are being arrested by Thai police forces for travelling outside of their permitted zones. There are three million Burmese migrants in Thailand which is currently experiencing the worst floods in half a century.


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Thailand: Government Censored Thaiflood Website? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Committee to Protect Journalists has issued a statement expressing concern about the reported attempt of the Thailand government to censor the citizen-journalist website Thaiflood which has been provising useful updates about the flooding disaster in the country.


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Thailand: Video Animation About Flood Crisis · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

roosuflood uploads a short video animation on YouTube which explains the flood crisis in Thailand.


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Ukraine: Petroleum Sets Fire to Party of Regions Tactics · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about a rising scandal in Ukraine, where the governing Party of Regions allegedly used a petroleum trade scam to finance the party during election campaigns.


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Ukraine: Turning into a European Pariah? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Jonathan Hibberd of Chicken in Kiev addresses how Ukrainian politicians are increasingly becoming a pariah in the European Union, following the verdict of opposition leader Yulia Timoshenko.


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USA: The Challenge of Diversity in the “Occupy” Movement · Global Voices
Yarisa Colon

This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.
One month since the initial occupation of the financial district of New York City, Wall Street, collective actions in the city have continued to diversify while people have taken over new public spaces. Activists and organizations from the Bronx,Brooklyn, Washington Heigths, East Harlem and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens that – for a long time – have resisted political, economic and social inequalities, are now also expressing their indignation.
Malik Rashan, one of the founders of the movement to integrate communities, Occupy the Hood, explains that he noticed the absence of African-American and Latinos at Liberty Plaza and decided to summon them. The movement Occupy the Hood (@OccupyTheHood) has expanded to various cities in the USA in an attempt to expand the presence of people from different races and nationalities in the occupy movement.
Here is an interview with Malik posted by Eliad19606 to YouTube:
People of Color /#OccupyWallStreet was created for the same reason. This group is looking to “develop critical conscience about the movement” and to continue integrating the most affected people during the economic crisis.
In their website, there is an archive of their past actions and minutes of their meetings. One minute, for example, announces their alliance with the dance group Mexica, who performed at Wall Street on October 10th, in tribute to mother earth. You can read two articles on this event, “Dispatches from Indigenous People’s Day Part 1 & 2“, by Thanu Yakupitiyage and Saara Azadi, respectively.
In this video published by Thanuska on YouTube, there is a fragment of the ceremony:
Clearly, while protests continue on the streets, newspapers, the Internet, on TV, and in our minds, people will be motivated to ask how can they honor their multiple histories, identities and struggles and – at the same time- fight together for a deep transformation of society.  In fact, there has been an interesting debate on the use of the concept “occupy” to define this movement. People from different races, ethnicities and cultures have been discussing and reflecting on the meaning of “occupation” in their lives and contexts. It is a debate that evidences the challenge of building an inclusive and horizontal movement.
At it is well explained by activist and writer Harsha Walia in her letter to Occupy Together movement:
Embracing this plurality and having an open heart to potentially uncomfortable truths about systemic oppression beyond the ‘evil corporations and greedy banks’ will strengthen this movement. Ignoring the hierarchies of power between us does not make them magically disappear. It actually does the opposite – it entrenches those inequalities.
To read the full text, visit the blog in front and center: critical voices of the 99%. This digital platform presents voices of marginalized communities that are essential in the discussions that are taking place presently.
This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.

author: Yarisa Colon


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Yemen: Yemeni Women Burn their Veils · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Yemeni women burnt their veils and head scarves today as a sign of protest to condemn the regime's brutality and violence, which has killed around 25 people overnight in Sanaa and Taiz and has been targeting women lately. The protest was not in anyway related to women's rights or against the Islamic veil as some people misunderstood, it was  an outcry for help, specifically targeting the regime.
@SupportYemen tweets:
Yemeni women burnt their veils in protest to the regimes violence and crimes, especially the targeting of women… fb.me/AdNY5LTS
The following video, posted by EyesSemitic on YouTube, shows the women gathered at the protest in Sana'a's 60th street where they burned their veils:
Yemeni women sent out a powerful statement and plea to tribes and the international community to put an end to the regimes’ violence (video posted by ainnews1):
@Dory_Eryani tweeted the core of their message, distributed in a leaflet:
“Here we burn our makrama [honour]  in front of the world to witness the bloody massacres carried out by the tyrant Saleh,” #Yemen #burningveils
The burning of the veils by the women in the tribal tradition is a plea for help. Yemen is a tribal society and the killing of women is a big shame in Yemen and in Islam in general, so this was a clear and  loud message by the Yemeni women for their tribes and the world at large to intervene to stop the killing of protesters.
@SummerNasser:
Women burnt veils today during protests. The burning of the veils are to symbolize that they are calling for tribes to help them. #Yemen #yf
@JamjoomCNN:
Female at veil burning: “Tribes must undrstnd they won't be respected by Yemeni women if they stay quiet while their women..attacked” #Yemen
Albeit living in a conservative society, women of Yemen have exhibited exemplary bravery and leadership skills in the current revolution, which made all Yemenis proud, as tweeted by @Mo_Alsharafi:
The Yemeni women are really heroines. thanks for all #Yemen's Women Revolutionaries.
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: Noon Arabia


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Bahamas: Economics of the Environment · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith uses a case of environmental destruction from Belize to make a point about “the economic impact of Bahamian protected areas.”


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Algeria: Algerian Journalists Reactions to the Tunisian Elections  · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Algerian blog Algérie-Politique published  a round-up of Algerian journalists’ comments [fr and ar] on the October 23 Tunisian constituent election. Many  were very impressed and inspired by this “example of democracy”.


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Azerbaijan: Diplomatic triumph or trap? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

South Caucasus Diary comments on Azerbaijan becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The political blogger notes that voting was not as straightforward as it could have been, perhaps because of the country's human rights record, and says that a diplomatic triumph might yet turn into a trap.


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Bahamas: “War” Against Women & Children  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The war against women and children in the Bahamas rages on,” says Womanish Words, adding: “This war that was dismissed for years as ‘domestic’ violence is by far the biggest and most damaging social problem we have and it is destroying us all.”


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Brazil: Belo Monte Dam Construction Site is Occupied · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) reports [pt] that 600 people have occupied Belo Monte Dam construction site in Altamira, brazilian state of Pará. Journalist Beth Begonha (@BethBegonha) said [pt] that Kayapó people from the village of Gurupira will join the protest shortly. This action was decided yesterday, with news that the trial on the dam's future had been postponed for the second time.

author: João Miguel Lima


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Brazil: Is the Ruling Party an LGBT Ally? · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Marcelo Gerald published a series of posts (part 1, 2 and 3) [pt] on the blog Eleições Hoje (Elections Today), that analyses the position of the ruling party in Brazil, PT (Worker's Party), towards the LGBT community.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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China and Brazil: On anacondas and dragons · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Johan Lagerkvist from ChinaRoader looks into the dynamic between the authoritarian China and democratic Brazil in the future international politics.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Internet Management and the 6th Plenum Report · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Bill Bishop looks into the 6th Plenum Report and highlights the part that discusses the strengthening of Internet management in China.


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Collecting Audio of UN Human Rights Declaration in 370 Languages · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

United_Sounds on SoundCloud is compiling the largest collection of audio recordings of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in more than 370 languages. If you speak a language they don't yet have, you can submit an audio recording – the UN has probably already translated, you just have to read it out loud.

author: Solana Larsen


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Colombia: Photos of Student Protests at Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Mike shares photos of student protests at Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá. “Lots of people protest for lots of causes in central Bogotá, but few of them seem to have as much fun and do it as artistically as do the university students”, he writes.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Cuba: Lessons from Libya · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Watching the fall of dictators, one after another, thousands of miles away, we can only reflect on the sequel such a process could generate on our own island”: Yoani Sanchez thinks that Qaddafi's death holds some lessons for Cuba.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Dominica: “Authentic Architecture” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dominica Weekly explains why it thinks the Nature Island “should also be celebrated for its beautiful architecture and historic buildings.”


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Egypt: A Class Project That Became One of Egypt’s Biggest Charities · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Resala volunteers teach reading to blind students – photo from Resala
It was the year 1999 and Sherif Abdel-Azim was back in Egypt after finishing a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering in Canada. He taught Engineering Ethics to students at Cairo University, and he also spoke to students about the differences between charity organizations in Egypt and Canada.
Sherif Abdel-Azim
Abdel-Azim and his students decided to set up an informal charity group called Resala (Mission). They began offering services to students of the university as well as to the general public – such as teaching free courses and offering aid to orphanages and hospitals.
One year later, one of his students suggested they should build an orphanage. One of her relatives donated land for them to build it on. From this moment they decided to register as an official charity organization – also called Resala [ar].
Eleven years later, it's one of the biggest charity organizations in Egypt, with more than 50 branches all over the country, tens of thousands of volunteers, and different activities that vary from blood donation and orphanages, to fighting illiteracy. They help blind people with their studies by recording books for them on cassettes, and they refurbish used clothes and give it the poor.
And much more.
Last May, TEDxCairo invited Sherif Abdel-Azim, the founder of Resala, to give a speech about the organization, stories he witnessed there, and about volunteerism in general [ar].
In 2008, Ashraf Al Shafaki, a blogger who volunteered with Resala, wrote a blog post about their annual initiative to collect used clothes for charity and fundraising:
During the month of Ramadan last year (2007), Resala aimed at collecting 100 thousand pieces of used clothes from people in Egypt through its 7 branches in Cairo and 2 branches in Alexandria. At the end of Ramadan last year, Resala exceeded its goal and actually collected 200 thousand pieces of used clothes!
He then wrote how Resala raised the bar in 2008 by announcing they would collect 300,000 items of clothing. Yet again Resala exceeded their goal and actually collected over 1,000,000 items of used clothing in less than 30 days.
Resala volunteers classified, washed and ironed around half a million (500,000) pieces of donated used clothes. The rest of the one million pieces of donated clothes will be sold with very low prices to needy people in poor districts all over Egypt through small 3-day exhibitions held near their homes. Prices for each piece vary around 50 cents and $1 with a maximum of under $3 for the most expensive used clothes pieces. This practice gives the opportunity for poor families to take their time during the exhibition and select and choose what they want in any quantity they need. It gives them the feeling they are buying the clothes with their own money.
The revenue from the used clothes sales are channelled into the various activities of Resala, along with the donations collected for the cycle to go on and on.
A Resala computer training workshop. Photo by Telecenterpictures on Flickr (CC-BY-NC-SA)

author: Tarek Amr


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France: New Visa Restrictions for Foreign University Graduates · Global Voices
Julie Owono

If the United States’ immigration law had ever been similar to the one France recently decided to apply, Yahoo would have been a Chinese company (founded by Jerry Yang from Taiwan), Google would now be a successful Russian business (set up by Sergey Brin) and Apple would have been a Syrian enterprise – the father of Steve Jobs was a foreign student when his son was born.
What's more, if the University of Hawaïï had not given Barack Obama Sr. the opportunity to study in the US, his son would probably not be here today.
Immigration debate
A political debate has been going on in France since beginning of September 2011. Minister of Interior and President Sarkozy's former Chief of Staff, Claude Guéant, signed in May 2011, cojointly with the Minister of Work and Social Relations, Xavier Bertrand, a circular which makes it more difficult for foreign students who have graduated from French public and private universities to work on French territory and thus change their student visa permit into a working visa.
Claude Guéant, French Minister of Interior. Image from iledere.parti-socialiste.fr (CC).
In addition, a decree was signed on September 6, 2011, in order to tighten conditions for foreigners looking to pursue their higher education in France.
Julie Smith, an American citizen living in France was affected by these new policies. After she received a deportation letter from the authorities, she wrote on French information website Rue 89:
Here is my story of being an American immigrant in France, the story of many as immigration policy has tightened under Interior Minister Claude Guéant. This policy destroys the lives of many foreigners who have been settled in France and have built their lives here for years. It deprives France of their real contribution to the economy and is applied in a completely illogical and unjust manner.
French and international students mobilised against these new legal steps, as well as several university chancellors. On October 18, 500 students symbolically demonstrated in front of the Sorbonne University in Paris, to protest against Guéant's policies. To show the absurdity of the measure, they threw their French diplomas into the garbage.
The following video posted on YouTube by user 123VivaAlgerieNew shows the scene:
Demonstration
The demonstration was organised by the “Collectif du 31 mai”, an organisation which gathers foreign students and graduates from French universities. It counts more than 6,000 supporting members on its Facebook page.
“La Confederation Étudiante”, the second most important student union in France, has also mobilised on the issue. The organisation has launched a petition asking the Government to withdraw the measure. It has been signed by more than 2,000 people thus far.
We interviewed Baki Youssoufou, president of “La Confédération Étudiante”. In the following video, he explains the absurdity of the measure, and why he assumes it is related to upcoming 2012 French presidential election:
Some international students assume that the May 31 circular is an opportunity for them to go back to their countries and help develop them. Kocoumbo, a Cameroonian student, published an anonymous guest post on Rue 89 entitled “African Students, Guéant is helping us: let us dare go back home” [fr]. He writes:
A cet égard, en dépit des tragédies personnelles des uns ou des autres, je ne peux m'empêcher de penser que c'est là un fier service que M. Guéant nous rend.

author: Julie Owono


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Ghana: Meet Two Ghanaian Musicians M3nsa and M.manifest · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kobby Graham introduces his readers to two Ghanaian musicians, M.anifest and M3nsa: “First and foremost though, m.anifest is a hiphop MC. Straight no chaser and when it comes to straight hiphop, there is loads to bop your head to here, especially when m.anifest rhymes over beats by his regular partners in musical crime, Budo of Rhymesayers and G-Mo.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Guatemala: Three Generals Finally Arrested and Indicted for Genocide · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Update (27 October, 2011):
An earlier version of this post stated that two generals, not three, had been arrested. The post has been amended accordingly.
Guatemalan courts are set to face a challenge without precedent in the country: prosecuting genocide. After  three decades of failed efforts to prosecute the Guatemalan Army, three generals are finally under arrest, accused of perpetrating genocide and other war crimes against the Maya Ixil people in the years 1982-83 by massacring and burning entire villages. More arrest warrants will follow.
Former General Hector Lopez Fuentes was the first arrested in connection with genocide in Guatemala.  His arrest was followed by the detention of José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, now in prison, and Oscar Mejía Victores, who is under hospital arrest whilst he is being evaluated to check if his health will allow him to stand trial, as reported by Mike in the blog Central American Politics.
Location where the massacres took place in the Triangulo Ixil, Quiche, Guatemala. Image by Renata Avila, dedicated to the public domain.
In the words of the 1999 report by the Commission for Historical Clarification (CEH for its initials in Spanish) [es]:
The Army's perception of Mayan  communities as natural allies of the guerrillas contributed to increasing and aggravating the human rights   violations perpetrated  against them, demonstrating an aggressive racist component of extreme  cruelty that led to extermination en masse of defenseless Mayan communities, including children, women and the elderly, through methods  whose cruelty has outraged the moral conscience of the civilized world.
NISGUA blog describes:
The members of the military with arrest warrants formed part of the Department of Defense in the de facto government of General Efraín Ríos Montt and actively participated in the intellectual planning of the genocide against the Maya Ixil people through Plan Victoria 82. Their roles were fundamental in the commission of crimes against humanity and genocide during this time.
Efraín Rios Montt, a former dictator and now member of the Guatemalan Congress, has not been not re-elected and will lose his immunity on January 14, 2012, when his mandate ends.
Maria Toj, a genocide survivor and advocate for justice.  Image by Renata Avila, dedicated to the public domain.
As the blog Unredacted explains, it is likely that declassified official government records from both Guatemala and the United States will be used as evidence:
In 2009, the National Security Archive introduced Plan Sofía
One of the key records associated with Plan Sofía is a telegram from Army Chief of Staff López Fuentes to the  commander of his Special Forces airborne brigade ordering the launching  of Operation Sofía in the Ixil region of the Quiché.
The  counterinsurgency assault that resulted displaced hundreds of Mayan  residents and left an unknown number dead as soldiers destroyed their  villages, burned their houses and slaughtered their livestock. (See summaries of  witness testimony and more about the Spanish proceedings here.)
International Law Girls analyzes the importance of this process for the Guatemalan system of justice:
Guatemalan law allows for repeated delays in criminal cases as interlocutory challenges move through a lengthy appeals process. Many people involved in the genocidal campaigns of the 1980s still hold  positions of power – including the country’s frontrunner for the  presidency, Otto Perez Molina. If it is successful, the prosecution will  be a breakthrough for the fight against impunity on a scale with the  conviction of Peru’s former president Fujimori.
While families of the victims, who are following [es] the hearings closely, applauded [es] the arrests, some citizens strongly oppose the prosecution of the army, arguing that the country has to dedicate efforts to solving current violence and that forgiveness and reconciliation should be the goal.
Others mention that former guerrilla force members should be prosecuted too, arguing that an amnesty should not shield them from the responsibility and involvement in  crimes against civilians [es], although a truth commission found that guerillas only participated in 3% of the crimes, as pointed out by Central American Politics in the post “Why not prosecute guerrillas?”.
Amnesty is inapplicable for international crimes, including genocide, torture, and forced disappearance. The struggle for justice in Guatemala is a heroic effort: less than 5% of cases are prosecuted every year. It seems that finally decades of effort by victims’ associations will deliver justice to the families who survived the war.

author: Renata Avila


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Haiti, St. Lucia: Trouillot In Running for French Literary Prize · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean Book Blog notes that the Haitian writer Lyonel Trouillot’s new book has been shortlisted for “the prestigious French literary prize, the Prix Goncourt.”


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Hong Kong: Sexual Orientation Conversion Advocated by Government · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy (SOCT) attempts to change the sexual orientation of a person from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual. It is a very controversial practice in many countries as it reproduces prejudices against sexual minorities; mainstream medical and scientific organizations consider it potentially harmful.
Nevertheless, in June 2011, the Hong Kong Government Social Welfare Department took the initiative to invite the Chairman of Christian SOCT organisation New Creation, Dr Kong Kwai Wah, to train the department's social workers in  “converting” their young clients’ sexual orientation.
The move has outraged the LGBT communities in Hong Kong. A coalition, Tongzhi Community Joint Meeting, was formed to launch a global petition campaign against the Hong Kong government:
We are shocked and enraged, that the Hong Kong government invited Dr Kong Kwai Wah, the Chairman of New Creation and an advocate of reparative therapy, to train the staff of the Social Welfare Department in dealing with gay clients.
Reparative therapy has been widely rejected by professionals as unethical, discriminative, unscientific and potentially harmful. The introduction of such “therapy” infringes the professional ethics that objects discrimination.  Furthermore, it might have potential harms to clients.
We urge the Hong Kong government to apologize, and cooperate with the LGBT community and professionals, to provide its staffs with diversity training and issue concrete guidelines, to ensure that its service is scientific, professional, ethical and truly responsive to the need of LGBT community.
More than 20,000 signatures have been collected. In addition, a solidarity protest led by LGBT Asian American groups took place in New York back in August 2011:
At the same time, local LGBT groups issued [pdf] a press release accusing the Social Welfare Department of violating the Guidelines on Code of Practice for Registered Social Workers, the World Health Organization's position on sexual orientation, the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, the Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Guidelines on Sex Educations in Schools issued by the Curriculum Development Council of HKSAR, the Code of Professional Conduct by Medical Council and the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders.
LGBT activists protest against the Social Welfare Department's role in promoting Conversion Therapy
However, the Social Welfare Department denied that the seminar had anything to do with sexual orientation conversion and local right wing Christian group Truth-light [zh] also defended the government and accused the LGBT activists for over-reacting and twisting the purpose of the seminar.
The Director of Truth-light Sum Choi wrote in his blog  [zh]:
其實有關團體舉辦的根本不是甚麼「拗直治療」，而是一些人對自己的性傾向有疑惑，或者因著信仰、良心同其他原因，對自己的性傾向產生不安，向他們尋求輔導。有關團體一向的態度都是尊重求助者自己的意願，不會強逼任何人改變自己的性傾向，只是當一些人主動想改變的時候，為他們提供支援。
其實現時香港一些同志團體並不弱勢，反而十分霸道，最弱勢的是一些想改變自己性傾向的同性戀者，因為一些不想改變的同性戀者，想強逼所有同性戀者與他們一樣，不准任何人選擇改變自己的性傾向，亦不准任何人協助他們。這是對一些同志團口口聲聲要求其他人尊重他們的性傾向、爭取一個多元的社會的最大諷刺，亦都是對人權的扭曲。
The function has nothing to do with “conversion therapy”. It is about counseling service for those who have doubts about their sexual orientation and those who have anxiety about their sexual orientation because of their religious belief and conscience. The organization would respect people's choice and won't force them to change their sexual orientation. They would only offer help when they want to change it.
The gay groups in Hong Kong are not weak, in fact their are overly vocal. The weakest party are the homosexuals who want to change their sexual orientation because they are forced not to make a choice and not to reach out for help by those homosexuals who don't want to change their sexual orientation. This is such an irony for a diverse society and human rights.
While the Social Welfare Department had refused to publicize the details of the seminar, LGBT activists have managed to collect a list of related documents published in their newly launched webpage “WiGayLeaks” [zh]. The documents show that the seminar is based on the “sick model” assumption with an attempt to convince the attendees that “same sex attraction is curable”  and draw co-relation between homosexuality with AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases.
The following documents have exposed the Social Welfare Department's role in organizing the conversion seminar:


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United Kingdom: At Age 77, a Life of Inspiration · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Julie Kertesz is someone who celebrates her 77 years of age as she celebrates life itself. Retired but very active, Julie defines herself as a storyteller and photographer. She is also a prolific blogger, a videomaker and is just getting started in stand up comedy.
She was born in Transylvania (then part of Hungary, later Romania), moved to France at the age of 30, and  has lived in London since July 2008.
According to one of her followers on the photography sharing website, Flickr, Patrick Barry Barr, she is a “role-model to people of all ages who desire to lead full and active lives of learning and doing.” He said (in 2005):
Julie70 exhibits a spirit that belies her age, as we tend to think of people in their 70’s, and I marvel at her enthusiasm, the way in which she relishes meeting strangers and sharing her enthusiasm with them. I will be 67 on 11 May, and when I grow up I want to be just like Julie Kertesz.
Self portrait – Julie Kertesz
Julie loves learning and has never stopped studying – not even when it was forbidden by the communist regime of Romania. While working in Paris, she returned to the classroom as a mother of two,  only to leave university at age 43 with a PhD in physics.
As she describes in her life story on her blog, there is life after 70:
We are not giving up!
Each of us does something, either to live better or to rest alive.
Alas, I met also old people who looks as if they did already give up, and even some very young ones.
Lonely, in the metro.
Just look at them in the metro of Paris. How different with the man I met yesterday, working in the market. And so many others of us, living our lifes as full as possible.
Ok, we have a certain age, but we do not feel old inside!
Julie uses Flickr, blogs, and personal storytelling to inspire others. In a comment on her blog entitled “Courage to laugh at yourself” (in French) a reader shows appreciation for her endeavors:
[…] tu sais Julie, tu es Une Sage, je le pense. Tu m'aides souvent dans des moments compliqués, je me dis “attends, l'effet Julie va se produire, ça va aller”.
Perhaps the source of such wisdom is the readiness to dare to experience something new. In the video below, Julie uses her fourth language to illustrate some of her first-time experiences between the ages of 25 to 70:
It was precisely at the age of 70 that Julie discovered photography. In 2006, she created the !afterclass! group, a masterclass on Flickr where 2,500 people get together to learn photography. She also created the people reading group; the never too old group; and strangers no more:
No more strangers. I met them, I spoke to them. I remember them.
This last group inspires people to approach others and, with every interaction, a beautiful human being is unveiled. Click on the pictures below to discover the delightful stories Julie uncovered through “human Interactions” with strangers.

author: Paula Góes


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Madagascar: 16 candidates for the Prime Minister Position  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Valis reports that the selection of the new prime minister in Madagascar among the 16 official candidates was postponed [fr] from October 23rd to  October 28 because no consensus could be found between the parties involved. Ndimby argues that the increasingly pessimistic projection for the Malagasy economy forced the transition leader to finally seek out a political consensus [fr].

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Mexico: Discussing the Possibility of Recall Elections · Global Voices
Miguel Angel Guevara

For a number of weeks, the Chamber of Deputies in Mexico has been discussing a political reform that would, according to those in favor of the measure, change the regulations of the Mexican political game and shift the balance of power more towards the citizenry.
On October 25, 2011, after its passage in the Chamber of Deputies committees, the initiative finally reached the floor. However, it lacked elements that its supporters considered essential, such as the reelection of mayors and legislators, and the “recall of the mandate”, most commonly known as recall elections.
This last point was discussed with exceptional intensity in the Chamber and on social networks on October 25.
Recall election
The possibility of implementing recall elections has an echo of importance in a society that feels constantly attacked from many different fronts and furthermore does not feel represented, as Omar Bello (@Think_Omy) expresses:
Pido #RevocaciondeMandato para #JavierDuarte el peor inicio de un gobierno estatal en #Mexico #VerFollow #InfoVeracruz
The initiative was blocked by a group of deputies from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM), and the New Alliance Party (PANAL). This has been considered ironic by many, given the advertising campaign that the PRI has launched to call itself “the new PRI” and associate itself with new ideas and leadership, as Jorge Arturo Aguilar (@Jorge_GuitarP) writes:
En el #nuevoPRI no queremos #cosasnuevas que afecten nuestros viejos intereses aunque beneficien los de ustedes” #RevocacionDeMandato
Sandra GLG (@sandybell08) asks the question that surely many Mexicans are asking themselves:
Si no tienen miedo de los ciudadanos y están seguros de su “buen” trabajo xq no aprueban #RevocacionDeMandato ?? #YoMePregunto
And Doctora (@doctora) tops off with:
¿Cómo hemos podido mantener una clase política tan podrida, tan cínica y tan insensible por tanto tiempo? #RevocacionDeMandato
The unity that PRI maintained in previous debates started to show certain weaknesses when some deputies distanced themselves from the party position, as Maite Azuela (@maiteazuela) tells us:
3 diputados #PRI votaron a favor de revocación de mandato Miguel García Granados, Manuel García Corpus y Ricardo Abued cc @salcamarena
José Merino (@PPMerino) expresses the irony of the situation:
Querid@s votantes, les negamos tener una democracia representativa en la que uds importen. Voten por nosotros en 2012. Atte, PRI-PVEM-PANAL
Jesús Robles Maloof (@roblesmaloof), points out, with his characteristic precision, that,
Podemos apoyar a un partido, a otro o a ninguno, lo que no podemos permitir es que sigan concentrando tanto poder. #RevocaciondeMandato
YONOFUI (@Yonofui) one of the young activists that supports this reform, after such an intense day in the Chamber of Deputies, signed off before going to sleep with a message for everyone:
Creo que lograremos que MX de ese paso hacia adelante, nos va a costar trabajo, pero es muy posible

author: Miguel Angel Guevara


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Nicaragua: Blogger Argues Digital Journalism in the Country is on the Right Track · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Carlos R. Fonseca says [es] he was surprised when participants in a discussion panel at the Universidad Centroamericana affirmed that digital journalism in Nicaragua is “stagnant”. Carlos argues that digital journalism in the country is actually progressing. However, he also admits there is room for improvement and lists specific issues that digital media outlets must consider.


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Overview of Occupy Southeast Asia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.
‘Occupy’ protests are also spreading in Southeast Asia. Inspired by the global ‘Occupy’ movement, assemblies were organized this month in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore.
Malaysia
The organizers have been actively using the social media to popularize their events. Occupy Dataran in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia aims to create a new movement to explore the true meaning of democracy:
#OccupyDataran is a new independent & autonomous grassroots initiative to reclaim Dataran Merdeka as an open and democratic space for people to gather, discuss and explore the true meaning of democracy beyond the representative system, to redefine democratic participation beyond the ballot box, to imagine a new political culture beyond race, ideology and political affiliation, and also to lepak, spend overnight and dream together at Dataran Merdeka
Occupy Dataran, Malaysia.
Cindi Loo narrated the events that transpired in OccupyDataran:
The overnight event organised by the KL (Kuala Lumpur) People's Assembly kicked off at around 5pm and lasted all through the night till 4am the next day. 50 people attended at the beginning, and the size grew to 120 people as the night goes on, despite having an event clash with a sponsored cycling event. The KL People's Assembly, which started meeting up weekly since July 30, tried to assemble twice but were stopped by the police force and in both times the assembly dispersed but remained on the square doing other activities such as playing music and games, dance and hold discussions in small circles
The Dataran action has inspired activists in Penang, Malaysia, to organize their own ‘Occupy’ protest:
The spirit of #OccupyDataran & the global #Occupy Movement is spreading to Penang!
On 29th October 2011, join us at Speakers’ Square, Esplanade as we #OccupyPenang for the first time!
Indonesia
Meanwhile, Occupy Jakarta in Indonesia was organized in front of the stock exchange. Below is a short video of one of the assemblies:
It seems the protest didn’t gather many people.
@JohnyGrim: Fact: Today's demos are no fun. Mostly associated with violence & disorder. This should change. Holding out posters is boring #occupyjakarta
@jwolson: Just passed the #OccupyJakarta protest in our way our of the most expensive mall in Indonesia. About 12 college kids sitting in the grass.
Occupy Jakarta. From Facebook page of Har Wib
Philippines
‘Occupy’ protests were organized in Mendiola (near the presidential palace), Cagayan de Oro, Makati, and United States Embassy in the Philippines. The actions merged with the rallies of small farmers who are demanding the implementation of genuine land reform in the country.
Occupy US Embassy in Manila
Kapirasong Kritika [fil] believes the ‘Occupy’ protest should be in areas accessible to the people:
Mahirap kung ilulunsad ang protestang Occupy sa Makati na, tulad ng Wall Street, ay sentro ng pampinansyang aktibidad sa bansa. Malayo kasi ito sa malawak na mamamayan na maaasahang lalahok. Maaari ang Maynila para malapit sa mga sentro ng kapangyarihan at tradisyunal na pinagraralihan, tulad ng Mendiola at US Embassy. Pero ang mahalaga ay kung saan ito makakaakit ng malawak na paglahok at suporta ng mga mamamayan.
Singapore
Global Voices has already written a post about the zero attendance at the Occupy Singapore action.
This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.

author: Mong Palatino


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Russia: 24,300+ Personal Records Belonging to Pro-Kremlin Youth Camp Participants Leaked · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Russia is entering a personal data leak war led by anonymous hackers. After the partly-fake contents of the Alexey Navalny's mailbox was published, the RuNet was struck with another massive leak of personal data belonging to 24,324 participants of the pro-Kremlin youth camp “Seliger 2011,” ridus.ru reported [ru].

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Pre-Election Scandals, YouTube Videos and Semi-Anonymous Protest · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Anna Arutiunova at Russia Profile covers recent pre-election RuNet scandals (see also this week's GV coverage here and here). “RuNet has become an essential platform for the dirty business of political campaigning. It’s just that unlike the press or television, where pseudonyms are not the order of the day, the anonymity […] make it twice as difficult to decipher who is ordering the music.”


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Sounds of the European Podcast Award · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

The European Podcast Award has its own podcast featuring winners and nominees. The podcast is produced by Karin Høgh from Denmark and Dave Thackeray from the UK. The Global Voices Podcast is is one of more than 1,500 shows nominated (voting ends November 30).


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South Korea: Warning to Twitter Influencers Fails to Discourage Voters · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The South Korean capital, Seoul, elected a new mayor on October 26, 2011. The mayoral race was a fierce battle between an elitist female candidate from the ruling party and an outsider from a democratic party who was widely supported by activists and lot of Twitter users.
Despite warnings from the authorities on showing favoritism to one candidate, Twitter users were quick to encourage voters, especially young people, to participate in the poll. As a result, this election recorded unprecedented high voting rates [ko] of 46 percent and Park Won-soon, the democratic candidate who is often despised by richer South Koreans, won the race.
Twitter's part in the election
Vote confirmation photo. Posted by Twitter User @mizry, in May 2011 election.
The mayoral race in Seoul is a significant event in the South Korean political landscape and the candidates are often viewed as possible presidential candidates. It is no wonder then that the campaign is extremely fiercely contested, involving harsh slandering comments and suspicions being cast on candidates’ backgrounds.
Among many elements affecting the campaign, Twitter has once again played a major role in the voting result. The South Korean authorities themselves experienced the power of Twitter earlier this year (see Global Voices’ post ‘South Korea: Surprising Election, as Twitter Draws Youth to Polls‘.
At the start of this week, South Korea's National Election Commission warned influential Twitterers, including actors, comedians, writers, journalists and bloggers who have actively encouraged people to vote, against expressing political favoritism. The Commission also reminded people of the country's strict guidelines on photo shooting; one is allowed to take photos of the voting station, but it is illegal to take photos of the voting sheet, or inside the voting booth.
The National Election Commission's decision to rein in Twitter users has immediately sparked controversy. The Commission has argued [ko] that since most of the powerful users have vocally and openly endorsed Park, encouraging people to vote actually equates to pushing people to vote for Park. Campaign data showed [ko] that the higher the voting rates, the more likely Park was to win the race.
Clampdown on social media influencers
As if mocking the National Election Commission's decision, lots of politically vocal celebrities have continued to encourage people to go to the polls in various creative ways. Kim Yeo-jin, an actress-activist (@yohjini), tweeted a photo of herself making a hand gesture signalling her promise to vote.
Lee Oi-soo (@oisoo), a star novelist and one of the nation's top five most influential Twitter users, tweeted [ko]:
I've noticed numerous tweets saying they will cast votes. Since I have to stay inside the National Election Commission's regulatory boundaries, I may shut up and just broadcast what is happening [in the Twittersphere, instead of tweeting about his own opinion], but one thing for sure: I will not be bullied by them.
Kim Jae-dong (@keumkangkyung), a famous comedian and entertainer, tweeted [ko]:
If the voting rate surpasses 50 percent, I will take off my top on Samgak mountain [as a sign of jubilation].
A journalist with a progressive newspaper and another of the nation's top Twitter users, Huh Jae-hyun (@welovehani), criticized [ko] the Commission's inconsistency on setting restrictions for Twitterers:
선관위. 지난 주민투표 때는 투표인증샷에 대한 제한기준 발표 안하더니 이번에는 갖가지 규제. 투표율 높으면 선관위한테 좋을텐데. 대체 이유가 뭘까.
One prolific Twitter user Doa (@doax) criticized [ko] the Commission's confusing standards in regulating tweets:
선관위. 정말 악질인 듯. 오늘 투표 독려도 안되는 것으로 아는 사람이 많다. 박원순 멘토단 투표독려를 금지한 때문. 여러 분 투표독려는 상관없습니다. 유명인도 안철수씨는 독려하면 안되지만 김연아는 됩니다.
Myung Seung-Kwon (@DrMyung), a staff physician and senior scientist at the National  Cancer Center in Seoul, tweeted [ko] with a sense of humor:
본인이 유명인인지 확인할 수 있는 절호의 찬스! 투표 독려 트윗을 날렸을 때 선관위에서 연락오면 유명인 맞음
Han Hak-soo (@Mbcpdhan), a producer with MBC, South Korea's network television,  tweeted [ko] a vote confirmation photo with this provocative comment: “This is my vote confirmation photo! I dont want to disappoint my son who sees me as a famous figure. So National Election Commission, please punish me!”
Posted by Twitter User @Mbcpdhan, taken at one of the voting stations.
However, there are several Twitter users accusing Park and Park's supporters as being ‘leftist’ with a ‘socialist agenda’ and ‘pro-North Korea’ tendencies.
After Lee Hyo-ri (@frog799), a South Korean female singer and a national sex symbol, tweeted [ko] her vote confirmation photo, one Twitter user, Storyboard (@storyboard7), accused [ko] her of becoming a lefty:
좌파 연예인들 방송은 보지도 듣지도 맙시다. 이효리양도 좌파 선언을 했군요.
Lee Hyori (@frog799) responded [ko] “Hmm. What is a  lefty?”, resonating many others’ perplexed responses to this categorization. Chun Dong-hwan (@jdhkyh) tweeted [ko]:
투표하러 가면 좌파인가요? 참나…. 그럼 투표하러 간다는 이효리씨에게 좌파라 하시는 분은 낼 투표 안하실껀가 보네요. 투표하면 좌파? 안하면 우파? 뇌구조 참 웃기는 분이네. 단순해서 좋겠소
Some people argued more reasonably. Haksoo Bae (@way_Tao) pointed out [ko] that influential Twitter users encouraged people to vote selectively:
이효리, 박중훈, 김제동의 투표권유는 순수하지않다.   그들은 8월 무상급식투표에도 시민에게 투표참여를 독려했는가?   그들은 투표 불참이 한나라당에 타격을 줄때에는 투표방해를  방관하고, 투표참여가 한나라당을 불리하게 한다고 판단할때는 투표를   독려한다.
Citizens have tried hard to set time aside to vote in their busy schedules. Professor of Seoul National University, Cho Guk (@patriamea) introduced [ko] several tweets showing how serious people were.
One tweet [ko] by Twitter user @urgood1109 read:
Professor Cho. I need to get to the airport by tomorrow 7:30 am- it is for my work. But before I get there, I will first drop by the voting station 6 am in the morning. I could be the first one to cast vote on that voting location. But no matter what, I will never give up on voting.
Meanwhile Oh Jin-ah (@dodani90) tweeted [ko]:
상암동 주민 한분이 전화로 “깜짝놀랐어요.이제까지 선거하면서 출근시간에 젊은사람들 이렇게까지 줄서서 기다린건 처음이네요” 하시네요.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Tanzania: New Blog to Connect College Students · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

TZCampusVibe: Life of University Students is a new Swahili and English blog in Tanzania that connects University students in the country.


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Tanzania: Who Killed Zinjanthropus?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

TEDxDar 2011 asks, “Who Killed Zinjanthropus?”: “This year’s TED theme is “storytelling” and from this we have created our central theme for TEDxDar 2011: “Who Killed Zinjanthropus?” With Tanzania approaching its 50 years jubilee of independence, we are using Zinjanthropus – a fossil of early man discovered in Tanzania – as a metaphor for revered history and evolution as we attempt to navigate the clung-to and forsaken past as well as the future we appear to be striving for.”


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Africa: New Social Network for African Radio Broadcasters  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Digital4Good and Farm Radio International have launched social network for African radio broadcasters: “Barzaradio.com helps farmers increase crop yields through connecting radio broadcasters to each other.”


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Botswana: Government Decides Not to Recognise Recognise Bakgatla Paramount · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Lauri comments on the decision by the government of Botswana not to recognise the paramount chief of the Bakgtla: “I wrote before about the controversy around Kgosi Kgafela but since then things have grown quite tense between the Bakgatla chief and the Khama administration. Kgafela was brought before the court for “unlawful flogging” and the case is on going…This move by the government seems rash in a country based on consultation. We wait and see what the response will be.”


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Cuba: Dissident Fired  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pedazos de La Isla blogs about a young man whose political views have allegedly “cost him serious impediments such as detentions, threats, and other violations, one of the most recent being that he was fired from his job for being a dissident.”


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Cuba: Internet & Human Rights  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“2011 will hopefully be looked back as the year when both the right to internet access and the threat to internet freedom were both recognized and tech companies collaborating with human rights organizations set out standards to address the problem and uphold a fundamental right”: Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter explains.


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East Timor: Investing in Creativity and Culture · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

East Timor is known for its material, musical and dance traditions. Celebration of “culture” was a crucial part of its resistance to Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999, and East Timorese independence has seen a number of emergent cultural projects. But something that goes overlooked is a strong culture of craft and “making” with locally available materials.
Enter a new project called “Tatoli ba Kultura“, meaning “Passing on Culture”. The objective of the project, after extensive research and preparation, will be to support the development of a school of creative industries:
The project aims to create an institution to conserve and protect indigenous culture but also to bring creativity to an educational level  in order to create innovation.
The coordinator of the project, David Palazón, is an artist who hails from Barcelona, Spain. He says:
Passing on culture
By chance I came here [to East Timor] to have a break with my career, do some volunteering in my field, one thing led to another.
He has been crisscrossing the country with his team researching Timorese material and performance culture, and posting fascinating videos, images and audio on the Tatoli ba Kultura “media map”, which is fast becoming a great reference.
Some of the most compelling videos are of musical instruments which are region-specific. Take for example this video of a musical instrument called Rama from Ataúro Island:
The Timorese context is quite specific, argues Palazón:
Kultura is not quite the same as we understand culture in the western world. For Timorese, culture is all those things that comes from the past, it's a reference point to understanding where they come from. My most common question when I do fieldwork is: Why do you do this like this? And the reply is always the same: ‘Because it is the way our ancestors used to do it, and it has been passed on from generations.’ Obviously they have many influences from Indonesia, China, Portugal, etc … which are also rooted in the inside of the culture and are in practice totally embedded.
He says, in relation to innovation:
Traditionally speaking, Timor is still very much a country dependent on subsistence agriculture, the economy outside the capital is very much dependent on the family, their goods, what they can exchange, their family members and their incomes, and how these are distributed among who they choose in relation to their own traditions and beliefs. So in a way it is very conservative – not politically speaking – but because changing things implies a serious risk that many people cannot afford […] Nevertheless inside the traditional system there are people who are more progressive.
Ultimately, Palazón hopes that a school of creative industries would among other things generate employment through the rise of a “creative class”, increase small business development, and boost tourism.
Tatoli ba Kultura has the support of Griffiths University in Queensland, Australia and a number of institutional donors. Palazón paraphrases Griffiths Professor Tony Fry, who says, “Timor has two national resources: oil and  culture. Oil will not last forever, on the contrary, culture will last forever.”

author: Janet Gunter


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Egypt: Yet Another Case of Post-Revolution Torture  · Global Voices
Lilian Wagdy

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
On the eve of the day Egyptians decided they will flock back to Tahrir Square to “reclaim their revolution,” shocking news added a further reminder why this revolution is far from over.
Al Nadeem Center for the rehabilitation of the Victims of Violence announced on its Facebook page:
as a punishment for his smuggling of a mobile sim card to his cell in Turah Prison, Essam Ali Atta who was sentenced to two years in prison by a military tribunal on February 25th, was brutally tortured via inserting water hoses in his mouse and anus. He was transported, without the knowledge of his parents,  to the Qasr El Eini hospital were he died
The Facebook page of Egypt's famous martyr Khaled Said later published a photograph of Atta's corpse
and repeated claims that his death was the result of physical torture.
The news of Atta's shocking death caused an uproar on social media websites, particularly Twitter, where users anxiously followed the updates of lawyer Malek Adly as he went down to provide legal support for the family of the victim.
Adly reported on his account that he saw the body of Essam Atta and that it was:
He later tweeted that the official reason for his death:
Adly's tweets drove some tweeps like Adel Salib and Peter Ramzy to go down to the Zeinhom morgue, where the body was, to support Atta's family.
Activist Mona Saif, the coordinator of the No to Military Trials for Civilians group, provided more information about Atta's case:
Essam Ali Atta, 23, was sentenced to two years in front of a military tribunal. We were in the process of appealing this sentence but he died today as a result of torture.
Reactions on Twitter were mostly anger and frustration; tweeps created the hashtag #EssamAtta to express their frustration that a practice such as systematic torture still exists in post-revolution Egypt.
The incident came two days after the case of Khaled Said ended with a seven-year verdict against the informer and the police corporal responsible for his death. The verdict was seen by many as “too lenient” and blamed the judiciary system who treated the case as Second degree murder as a result of severe beating instead of a First-degree murder.
It seems that frustration with the performance of Egypt's ruling military council in leading the transitional period is mounting and some say that a confrontation is looming on the horizon.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Lilian Wagdy


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Global Voices Russian Partners With Neweurasia.net · Global Voices
Ekaterina

We are pleased to announce partnership of Global Voices in Russian with Neweurasia.net, one of the most prominent citizen media platforms in Central Asia and about Central Asia, which has a large Russian and English speaking audience.
Neweurasia focuses on news and analysis generated by young people from the ground. The site casts light upon under-reported issues and provides a space for young, bright minds to make themselves heard. It was created back in 2005, when several online activists joined forces to develop a platform for blogs with low editing needs and quick, direct publishing.
It is worth mentioning of course, that one of the platform founders was also Global Voices author Ben Paarman. Today, the site has an extensive network of bloggers from five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), who all share amazing stories of lives, achievements and challenges in their countries.
Taking all this into account, the partnership of Global Voices and Neweurasia.net is a logical step, given the activities of the two communities and their similar goals. We are very excited to start our cooperation with one of the most amazing and popular citizen media platforms about Central Asian region.
We started with exchanging our logos. You might have already seen the Neweurasia logo on the Global Voices Russian site and our logo is placed on the Russian version of Neweurasia, which means that Global Voices will be more accessible for a Russian speaking audience. Both sides are open-minded and do not exclude other forms of partnership in the future.
We are grateful to the people who worked hard to make the cooperation possible. So, we owe a big “thank you” to Oliver Dams, project manager and technical manager of Neweurasia.net and one of the founders of the site, and Yelena Jetpyspaeva, social media officer of Neweurasia.net, for being receptive and open to new ideas.
Also, we would like to thank the team of Global Voices in Russian, authors and translators alike, for producing content and making the site interesting for Russian speakers.

author: Ekaterina


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Greek Financial Crisis and Anti-Austerity Protests: The Story So Far · Global Voices
Asteris Masouras

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
After a year and a half of desperate rescue negotiations and bailout tranches doled out by the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Union, the intractable and increasingly ineffective austerity measures imposed by the “troika” (three) on Greece's socialist government, have been met with unrelenting protests. The drama of the European sovereign debt crisis with Greece in its center is coming to a head, as politicians desperately seek options to disentangle the European Union from mounting debt.
Runner statue mocked up as a rioter. Photo courtesy of the Athens indignants' multimedia team, licensed as CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
The Greek indignant movement, inspired by the “Arab Spring” uprisings and the European revolution movement that began in Spain, is centered mainly around sit-ins in public squares in Athens and Thessaloniki. It seemingly foundered during the summer, after a series of violent police crackdowns, but appeared to be picking up steam again in September, as collective anger began boiling at the imposition of yet another round of austerity measures following the bailout agreed at the emergency Eurozone summit in July.
The effects of austerity
With youth unemployment at over 40% and uncertainty hovering over diminishing work prospects at home, continuous austerity has engendered a new immigration wave, this time of Greece's brightest youth, compounding the drag on the economy by a forced and elective retirement rush brought on by downsizing and raised retirement age.
Austerity itself may constitute a human rights violation, as a United Nations expert noted in July. The relentless cascade of austerity measures is taking a toll on the everyday life of Greeks, with social services being curtailed and even the affordability of basic goods taking a hit due to staggered VAT increases and salary, pension and benefit cuts. A recent publication in the Lancet medical journal claims that the crisis is also incurring adverse health effects on the populace, while suicides and criminality are reportedly mounting.
Mass 'Indignant' protest in Athens. Image by endiaferon, copyright Demotix (29/05/2011).
Creative Greeks are affected by the austerity as well, using blogs and social media to vent their frustrations. Published blogger and copywriter Constantina Delimitrou paints a glum picture of the financial insecurity [es] gripping the minds and bodies of Greeks:
Οι περισσότεροι είμαστε με μόνιμες τανάλιες στα στομάχια για το περισσότερο μέρος της ημέρας και της νύχτας. Ένα βλαμμένο συνοθύλευμα από φόβους, αγωνίες, εικόνες τρομακτικές που δε θες αλλά σου σφηνώνονται στο κεφάλι και δε σ’ αφήνουν να πάρεις ανάσα. [..] ακούς να ρωτάνε πόσα μακαρόνια να βάλουν στην άκρη για μια ώρα ανάγκης, πώς θα πάνε στη δουλειά χωρίς φράγκο και πόσο νερό άραγε να θέλει ένα μποστάνι στο μπαλκόνι. Και εκείνη η κυρία ένα βράδυ στο μετρό. Που έκλαιγε για δέκα ευρώ στο τηλέφωνο. Τα παιδιά της στο νοσοκομείο και δεν έβρισκε δέκα ευρώ να ταΐσει τα εγγόνια. Και αυτός που μιλούσε δεν είχε να της δώσει. Και δεν είχα ούτε εγώ. Αλλά και να ‘χα, πώς να πλησιάσεις τον άλλο να τον βοηθήσεις;
Athens indignants' general assembly, 29/5/2011. Photo by Cyberela, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Web designer Cyberela dryly comments on her prospects as a chronic hemangioma sufferer:
@Cyberela: Φυσικά τις θεραπείες που κάνω τώρα δεν μπορει να μου τις πληρώσει η ασφάλιση. Ο κόσμος με αιμαγγειωμα είναι καταδικασμένος στην Ελλάδα.
And actor Haris Attonis tweeted a laconic observation on migration:
@hartonis: Οι μισοί γνωστοί μου μετακόμισαν στο εξωτερικό. Οι άλλοι μισοί, μέσα τους.
Police clashes
Rampant police violence is exacerbating the social pressures. The most serious incidents occurred when unprecedented police violence against protesters at Syntagma square in Athens on June 28-29, was denounced by international human rights organizations, who noted the massive use of teargas and urged the Greek police to refrain from using excessive force.
Indignant sit-ins, already depopulated due to summer vacations, were raided by police at night and dismantled, with restrictions reportedly placed [el] in some cases to prevent future gatherings, as happened later to sit-ins in Spain and the United States. The customary prime minister's opening speech at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair in September was greeted with angry protests and clashes, as disparate groups converged on the heavily policed square outside, while another emergency property tax was being announced.
Social media usage
Protest at Syntagma Square, 25/5/2011. Photo courtesy of the Athens indignants, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Twitter has emerged as a mainstay platform for citizen journalism and activism in Greece, since the riots over the police killing of a minor in 2008. Several activist news curators used tweet aggregation tools to chronicle the anti-austerity protests, producing an impressive body of work.
Theodora Economides (@IrateGreek on Twitter) used Chirpstory to curate chronicles of most of the major protest events in Athens, while Antonis Gazakis (@gazakas on Twitter) posted daily livetweeted minutes of the Thessaloniki indignants’ general assembly on Storify.
Myrto Orfanoudaki Simic collected videos of June 29 police brutality. Meanwhile 31,000 users liked the Facebook page of the Athens indignants, while 5,000 users have liked the Thessaloniki indignants Facebook profile. Dozens of photographers have been posting Greek protest photoreportage work on Demotix since early 2009, while thousands of photos and dozens of videos by activists and citizen journalists have been posted on the blog of the multimedia team of the Athens indignants in Syntagma Square under a Creative Commons license since these protests began.
On a humorous note, Theodora also started the #GreekPoliticianManual hashtag, based on Iyad El Baghdadi's Arab Tyrant Manual, to poke fun at the ethics and practices of politicians. The Angry Greeks vs. Angry Birds spoof, created by ToonPosers video art team, has garnered 105,000 hits on YouTube.
Follow the Twitter account (@GVEuropeCrisis) of our special coverage project Europe in Crisis for daily updates on the impact of the sovereign debt crisis on Greece and other European countries.
This article is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Asteris Masouras


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Kyrgyzstan: Sec Council bid unsuccessful, but might spell future luck · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Marat Sartpaev provides an analysis of the Kyrgyzstan's bid for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, outlining the possible reasoning behind the failure and future prospects of the Kyrgyz diplomacy.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Madagascar:  New Prime Minister Omer Beriziky Arrival Tweeted Live · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Twitter users in Madagascar followed  the announcement of the new prime minister and reported it live.  Avylavitra wrote succintly [mg] : “Omer Beriziky is the new PM in #Madagascar.”


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Open Access Africa: Spreading Knowledge, Increasing Collaboration  · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

In August 2011, the Malaria Journal published a 12-author study called, “Strict adherence to malaria rapid test results might lead to a neglect of other dangerous diseases: a cost benefit analysis from Burkina Faso.”
Just a few months earlier in May, the journal Health & Place published, “Malaria, environmental change, and a historical epidemiology of childhood ‘cold fevers’: Popular interpretations from southwestern Burkina Faso.”
Two similar topics, published just months apart. But they come with a big difference. The first article was published in an Open Access Journal, free and available to anyone willing to click on it and read it. The second article hails from a scientific journal published by a large conglomerate. Unless you have institutional access, which costs hundreds of dollars, you most likely must pay the publisher $31 (€22) to read the piece.
Disseminating ideas
The internet opened up new methods to disseminate information and, for users, to access it. It also reduced distribution costs. But if research about diseases like Malaria continues to remain behind pay walls, Open Access proponents ask, what good is it? All over Africa, financial models from the world of print keep scientists, students and policy makers separated from new ideas and research.
David Apinga, a blogger from Ghana points out:
Currently, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the least developed region of the world in the area of research. This is partly attributed to inability of research centres in developing countries to pay for the high cost of online journal access as well as subscriptions to print versions.
Open Access scholarship also offers scientists and researchers a chance for greater collaboration. From the Open Access Central blog:
Open access offers many opportunities for scientists in the developing world – not only improved access to international scientific literature, but also the opportunity to develop (or re-develop) their own national and regional journals. Such journals have a pivotal role to play in creating the environment and infrastructure needed for research to flourish.
Open Access Week (in Africa)
Information professionals, scholars and publishers around the world are currently celebrating the fifth annual Open Access Week. Events across Africa are taking place to help solidify those gains across the continent.
The group Duraspace.org – makers of two Open Source repositories – highlight a few Open Access programs from around Africa:
Benefits for Africa
In this video by Leslie Chan, Dr. Paul Nampala, Science Editor of African Crop Science Journal (ACSJ), argues that greater open access will actually increase journal readership, even if it does decrease the overall number of paid subscriptions.
Charles J. Greenberg, a Medical Librarian at Yale University in the United States, blogs at OpenBioMed.Info. He recently interviewed Raoul Kamadjeu, a physician and co-founder of the Pan African Medical Journal.
Greenberg: You are a founding editor of the Pan African Medical Journal (PAMJ). To promote the online publication of original studies from the African medical and public health communities, PAMJ will not charge article-processing fee for any accepted article submitted from African researchers or institutions or from any researcher and institution around the world. How can you afford to support this generous business model?
Kamadjeu: Yes, we do not currently charge authors fees. Our 2011 author’s survey (http://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/pamjnews/NewsArticle.php?NewsId=news4dffa0d8f2713) showed this as one of the main reasons why authors submit to us. We are able to afford this business model because we currently benefit from the generous support of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) with which we have a memorandum of understanding; but we are not naïve, reaching financial independence is key if we want to sustain our current growth and remain a journal of continental scope. Your question brings the wider issue of the financial viability of African journals? They rely heavily on support from donors, some journals charge authors fees; it will be interesting to know how these models work for them. We are looking into traditional and innovative ideas to reach financial sustainability; article processing fees is part of the plan in the medium term; however, establishing a reputable journal remains our main priority; this will help ensure financial sustainability.  I just want to add that support to African journals is important if we want to ensure that some level of medical publishing survives on the continent, particularly nowadays, with the explosion of medical journal franchises.

author: John Liebhardt


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Russia: Crowd-Sourced Citizen Lawmaking Platform · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The Economist writes about WikiVote (e.g. see projects dedicated to the laws on education, Sberbank, state-owned bank), Russian croudsourcing platform to comment and contribute to the creation of the laws. Pavel Burov, creator of the platform, claims his project can ‘prevent idiocy [in lawmaking] from happening.’


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Russia: Fake ‘Crowd Sourced’ Election Monitoring Portal Launched by the Ruling Party · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Gazeta.ru writes [ru] about government-sponsored NGOs that help simulate legitimacy of the election process. Among others authors mention ktonarushil.ru, a fake crowdsourcing monitoring portal launched by “United Russia” party. Not only it reminds kartanarusheniy.ru [an authentic monitoring website run by independent election monitor “Golos.org”] but it also doesn't allow to file an election violation complaint against the “United Russia” party.


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Russia: Prison Officer Who Abused Female Inmates Arrested After a YouTube Leak · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Anonymous male prison officer from Amur region who had been captured beating and abusing female inmates was arrested, Ria.ru reported [ru]. The arrest was conducted after the shocking video [warning: graphic content] of prison violence was uploaded by the YouTube user MrArtur113.