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It’s Autumn in Kyoto, Which Means It’s Time for ‘Leaf-Peeping’ Season · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Nighttime lanterns at Arashiyama, Kyoto (日本京都-嵐山夜燈) by Flickr user Keiko Shih.
Every fall, every hillside in Japan comes alive with koyo (紅葉), or autumn foliage. Fall “leaf-peeping” is a longstanding tradition in Japan — so much so that the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) publishes a “national guide to autumn leaves,” explaining where and exactly what time to see the best foliage in every corner of Japan.
タノシカッタ #嵐山  #天龍寺 #着物
A photo posted by 菅井 剛 (@go.0128) on
I had fun today. #arashiyama #Tenryuji #kimono
As a tourist destination, Kyoto typically tops the list of leaf-peeping destinations in Japan. The city, formerly the capital of Japan, is surrounded by hills and forests, and there is quite a lot to see in just about every direction. As a result, every fall there is a torrent of fall-foliage posts on Twitter and Instagram.
Arashiyama, on the western outskirts of Kyoto, is considered one of Japan's must-see places for fall foliage. Many people from outside of Kyoto and from outside of Japan will immediately recognize the bamboo forest of Sagano, in Arashiyama.
#bambooforest #arashiyama #kyotojapan #beautifulkyoto #travelgram
A photo posted by Anri Yamazu (@anrikyoto) on
The bridge over the Ōi River in Arashiyama is another iconic tourist spot. Every fall, the Togetsukyō bridge becomes crammed with visitors hoping for the perfect snapshot.
You're the sky~ Everything else is just the weather ☁⛄ #deep #ladyaniatravelog  #shizukagoingsolo  #kyoto⛩ #arashiyama #japan
A photo posted by 《Nuraina Abdul Majid》 (@lady_ania) on
The hills above Arashiyama provide both a spectacular view of the fall foliage as well as Kyoto to the east. Here is a view from Okochi Mountain Villa (大河内山荘 Ōkōchi Sansō).
#okochisanso #japanesegarden #momiji #arashiyama #kyoto #japan #canon #canoneos60d @ 大河内山荘, 嵐山, Kyoto, Japan 2016-10-25
A photo posted by x212 (@atelierx212) on
Tenryū Temple (天龍寺, Tenryū-ji) is also a popular sightseeing stop in Arashiyama. This 14th Century Zen temple is noted for its gardens and its fall foliage:
京都 嵯峨野 清凉寺 11月中旬の紅葉その8 清凉寺の弁天堂 #京都紅葉 #清凉寺 #銀杏 #嵯峨野 #canon
A photo posted by Hiroshi Noguchi (@noguchibiyousitu) on
Fall foliage in mid-November at Tenryū Temple in Arashiyama.
京都 嵯峨野 清凉寺 11月中旬の紅葉その9 清凉寺の弁天堂 #京都紅葉 #清凉寺 #銀杏 #嵯峨野 #canon
A photo posted by Hiroshi Noguchi (@noguchibiyousitu) on
Fall foliage in mid-November at Tenryū Temple in Arashiyama.
京都 嵯峨野 清凉寺 11月中旬の紅葉その7 清凉寺の弁天堂へ #京都紅葉 #清凉寺 #銀杏 #嵯峨野 #canon
A photo posted by Hiroshi Noguchi (@noguchibiyousitu) on
Fall foliage in mid-November at Tenryū Temple in Arashiyama.
Grilled dango rice dumplings are favorite fall treat Arashiyama.
. . みたらし団子 食べ歩き最高〜〜！ . そしてiPhoneの画質 . . #arashiyama #kyoto #japan #food #dango #view #autumn #holiday #girls #enjoy #camera #photo #delicious #嵐山 #京都 #食べ歩き #秋 #みたらし団子 #団子 # #
A photo posted by kasumi (@ksmlook.7) on
It's the best walking around Arashiyama while eating mitarashi dango (rice dumplings in sweetened soy sauce) on a stick.
At the close of one day spent in Arashiyama, one Twitter user has captured the quintessential autumn flower of Japan, the Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), the “cherry blossom of autumn” (aki no sakura).
鱗雲 pic.twitter.com/5fRGkgMp5V
— ranzan1959 (@rannzann1959) October 30, 2016
“Mackerel sky” in autumn.

author: Nevin Thompson


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Shehzil Malik Draws the Harassment She Experiences on Pakistan’s Streets · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Shehzil Malik Credit: Courtesy of Shehzil Malik
This story by Andrea Crossan originally appeared on PRI.org on October 27, 2016. It is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
Shehzil Malik is a designer and illustrator living in Lahore.
Like many women in Pakistan (and elsewhere), each morning she plans what she’s going to wear based on what she thinks will attract the least amount of unwanted male attention — whistles, cat calls, stares.
The attention still comes, though. Malik got so fed up with her treatment that she drew an image symbolizing the struggle of Pakistani women who feel harassed in public spaces.
The black and white illustration shows a woman walking with her arms crossed over her chest.
Her head is down, her face slighly wincing.
Larger-than-life faces of men stare at her, make gestures and sounds, leer.
Credit: Courtesy of Shehzil Malik
Written across her body are questions about her own appearance. “Is my shirt not long enough? Should I have covered my head?” Her bare ankles are labeled “skin.” Even the weeds on the ground have eyes; they watch her intently.
Malik published the image on her Tumblr. She describes how it reflects her own experience.
“I would walk outside every day and go to my park and it was just getting very uncomfortable to be in that public space. And this image was basically exactly how I was feeling at the time. I would worry about what I was looking like, I was worrying about other people and I was like, I don’t know if others are realizing the impact they are having on my internal situation, just going for a walk,” she explains.
In Pakistan women dress modestly — usually with arms and legs covered and often with a headscarf as well.
But even women wearing all of those layers of clothing still get harassed.
“In Pakistan public spaces are interesting because they are incredibly gendered. My foreign friends came and they were like ‘Shehzil, there are no women in the street, where are they?’ And I was like, no there actually are a lot of women in the street. For instance, we have Liberty Market, which is very woman-heavy.”
One of Shehzil Malik's illustrations. Credit: Courtesy of Shehzil Malik
“It’s got all the cloth merchants and jewelry and most of the foot-fall is women and we feel very comfortable going there. Yes, the men there may stare at you, but the shopkeepers definitely have a different energy because now you are the one buying. So they react very differently to you as opposed this other road — Brandreth Road,” she says.
“I went to buy some hardware with my father. And as I was asking questions, the guy would not answer me. And later my dad was just laughing, saying isn’t it funny how you didn’t get an answer out of that guy,” Malik recalls. “I was like, no — it’s not funny. What was happening is that he basically reduced me to my gender and thought it was respectful to not talk to me. So there are two kinds of reactions you get in market places. Either they are leering at you and make you uncomfortable, or they don’t look at you at all.”
Many women shop in Liberty Market in Lahore, Pakistan. Credit: Carolyn Beeler/PRI
“I think men here, what they do is — probably in the States they’d be like, ‘Hey baby, how is it going?’ — over here they start singing under their breath Bollywood songs. Or they start whistling inappropriately and you just wonder, did I incite this?” Malik adds.
Malik created a series of images she called #WomenInPublicSpaces.
“I often get this — I wear jeans a lot and I also pray so it would be like, ‘you don’t look like somebody who prays.’ And that’s ridiculous to me. Is denim un-Islamic? How is that a thing?” she says.
“I live with my parents and they dictate how many layers of clothing I should be wearing and I had this conversation with my mom where I was like at what age — and I’m really old now, three decades have gone by on this Earth — and I was like at what [point] would you be OK with me walking out dressed like I want to dress, and she thought about it. And I was like, I want a number, what age — and she thought about it and said never.”
And that is at the core of Malik's illustrations.
Seeing a woman outside should be normal, whether you are in jeans or a kurta or whatever should be fine. It shouldn’t matter. But the fact that it does means this conversation needs to happen,” she says.
Women are often treated disrespectfully while shopping on Brandreth Road in Lahore. Credit: Carolyn Beeler/PRI

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: PRI/PRX's The World


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Singapore’s Iconic Buildings Turn Purple in Support of Persons With Special Needs · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

About 10,000 people joined the Purple Parade in Singapore. Source: Official Facebook event page
An estimated 10,000 people joined the Purple Parade in Singapore last November 5 in support of the campaign which promotes an inclusive society and celebrates the abilities of persons with special needs.
Part of the celebration also saw 19 of Singapore’s iconic buildings and historic structures being lit up in purple for 8 days.
According to the organizers, purple symbolizes solidarity for people with special needs. Meanwhile, the square logo of the Purple Parade symbolizes “equality (equal length on all sides), inclusiveness and strong building blocks.”
The festive event was attended by various groups, institutions, and thousands of family members who affirmed the call for greater awareness about the rights of persons with special needs. So far, this is the biggest Purple Parade event which was first organized in 2013.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who also joined the parade, urged companies to hire more persons with special needs:
Our next challenge is include Singaporeans with special needs in the workplace. Many more employers have to do their part. And so do all of us – as colleagues at work, as customers, and as friends. Inclusion is about us.
The Singaporean leader mentioned the education reforms that the government has implemented to integrate more children with special needs in mainstream society. He added that the thrust now of the state is to share the country’s growth with vulnerable sectors.
These are some of the photos of the event that used the hashtags #PurpleParadeSG, #GoPurpleSG, and #purpleparade2016:
#GoPurpleSG yesterday; pretty hue of purple in the Suntec vicinity since afternoon till lighting up façade at MBS vicinity in the late evening. @purpleparadesg: “The Purple Parade is a movement that supports the inclusion & celebrates the abilities of persons with special needs. We are making a movement towards a more inclusive society by opening our eyes to people with special needs in our community.”
A photo posted by Yvonne XD // 23 ♒ (@ahvonnnnne) on
Doesn't Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall look stunning in purple? #ootd #artsforeveryone #artsforall #victoriatheatre #victoriaconcerthall #singapore #artsforeveryone #artsforall #sgarts #GoPurpleSG #purpleparadeSG
A photo posted by Esplanade Singapore (@esplanadesingapore) on
#purpleparadesg #gopurplesg
A photo posted by Fion Tan (@beesy_tan) on
Agreed #purpleparadesg
A photo posted by @veryfunnyha on
A BIG thank you to all of you who have joined us at The Purple Parade 2016! We felt so loved by all! 💜#gopurplesg #purpleparadesg #thepurpleparade2016
A photo posted by Purple Parade Singapore (@purpleparadesg) on
Completely owning the stage! | Onwheels Dance Group #GoPurpleSG #PurpleParadeSG – ‘The Purple Parade is a movement that supports the inclusion and celebrates the abilities of persons with special needs. We are making a movement towards a more inclusive society by opening our eyes to people with special needs in our community.’
A photo posted by Jiemin (@jieminwn) on
We are all prepared for #purpleparade2016 contingent. #MDAS #gopurplesg
A photo posted by MDAS (@musculardystrophy_sg) on
Purple bridge #gopurplesg #clarkequay #singapore #シンガポール
A photo posted by Jun (@nrb19449) on
Never give up! :D #gopurplesg #purpleparadesg #purpleparade2016 #thepurpleparade2016
A photo posted by ~Flashduel (@flashduel.y) on

author: Mong Palatino


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Street Protests as Beijing Preempts Hong Kong Courts With New Interpretation of ‘Basic Law’ · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A demonstrator holds the placard “I love Hong Kong” at a Sunday rally against Beijing's interpretation of the Basic Law. Photo from inmediahk.net.
State officials in Beijing have intervened in a local political controversy in Hong Kong by offering their own interpretation of the “Basic Law,” or Hong Kong's constitution, which protects the city's autonomy.
Neither Hong Kong's court nor its government appealed to Beijing for legal clarification, making the move an unprecedented indication that the Chinese state believes it can interpret the law whenever it serves a political purpose.
In this case, the political purpose was to ensure that Hong Kong's court will remove from office two newly elected lawmakers who openly challenged China's authority while taking their oath.
On Sunday, Nov. 6, thousands rallied in Hong Kong against the intervention from Beijing. The Hong Kong Free Press livestreamed video from the demonstration:
#HKFP Demonstrators on the move – 1000s marching to central in protest of Beijing's intervention in oath saga. #Ho… pic.twitter.com/8lWd1P38ID
— Hong Kong Stream (@hkstream) November 6, 2016
Update 9:30am Nov. 7: The rally turned violent between police and protesters by Sunday night:
HKFP: LIVE: Protesters clash with police at China Liaison Office, pepper spray deployed, road occupied https://t.co/ZuHYAKoHK4 pic.twitter.com/cNd6V95IO0
— Hong Kong News (@hongkong_news) November 6, 2016
The national legislature of the People's Republic of China, called the National People's Congress, intervened as a response to the inauguration of two lawmakers from Youngspiration, a political party in Hong Kong that identifies as “localist,” meaning it champions the city's autonomy from the mainland.
Article 104 of the Basic Law outlines how the swearing-in of elected officials in Hong Kong should happen:
When assuming office, the Chief Executive, principal officials, members of the Executive Council and of the Legislative Council, judges of the courts at all levels and other members of the judiciary in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region must, in accordance with law, swear to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
But when Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching first took their oath of office on Oct. 12, they altered the oath's wording, pledging allegiance to “the Hong Kong nation” and calling China “Shina” — a derogatory term used by Japan during the Second World War. They also displayed a banner that read, “Hong Kong is not China.”
Their oaths were declared invalid by the secretary general of the Legco, Hong Kong's Legislative Council.
This wasn't the first controversy surrounding the oath of office and the Legco. In 2004, lawmaker Leung Kwok Hung and the Legislative Council's clerk went to court over a similar issue. The court ruled in favor of the latter, saying at the time:
The form of the oath to be taken by a Legislative Councillor is fixed by statute and, until, or unless, that form is amended by the Legislative Council itself, it must be adhered to if a Legislative Councillor is to take the oath ‘in accordance with law.
Since this verdict, lawmakers from opposition parties have kept political statements during their oaths within certain parameters, shouting out any slogans before or after the words of the actual oath of office. Others have used other loopholes, as well, such as wearing t-shirts that display political statements.
Though the Legco secretary general invalided the oath of office of the two lawmakers from Younyspiration along with a third lawmaker, Legco President Andrew Leung offered all three individuals a “second chance.”
The Hong Kong government then stepped in, seeking an interim injunction to block the two Younyspiration deputies from taking the oath for a second time, pending a judicial review of President Leung's offer.
Critics have accused Hong Kong's executive branch of trying to offset the balance of power between the judicial, legislative, and executive branches, though legal experts and lawmakers from both the democratic and pro-establishment camps said they wanted local courts to intervene.
Given that no state authorities in Hong Kong appealed to Beijing for “legal clarification,” there is now some doubt about the legality of the National People's Congress’ effort to interpret the Basic Law.
Twitter user “daaitoulaam,” for instance, questioned the legal basis for Beijing's actions:
Articles 158-159 of HK Basic Law on NPC SC Interpretation. Have courts asked for interpretation? Have 2/3rds LegCo asked? NPC action=illegal pic.twitter.com/cYVMVYPERt
— daaitoulaam (@daaitoulaam) November 4, 2016
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China with a high degree of autonomy from the mainland, and the Basic Law outlines how this “one country, two systems” principle is put into practice. According to Article 158 of the Basic Law, any interpretation request directed to Beijing should first come from a local authority, specifically a local court:
If the courts of the Region, in adjudicating cases, need to interpret the provisions of this Law concerning affairs which are the responsibility of the Central People's Government, or concerning the relationship between the Central Authorities and the Region, and if such interpretation will affect the judgments on the cases, the courts of the Region shall, before making their final judgments which are not appealable, seek an interpretation of the relevant provisions from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress through the Court of Final Appeal of the Region.
This is not the first time the National People's Congress has tried to interpret the Basic Law, but in all four of those past instances the government never challenged Hong Kong's local courts by preempting a ruling. Hong Kong's representative in Beijing reportedly argued that the oath issue concerns “national sovereignty,” making it a priority for the national government.
The Hong Kong BAR Association released a statement warning against the consequence of the interpretation:
The Bar takes the view that if the NPCSC [Standing Committee of the National People's Congress] insists on interpreting the Basic Law in response to the incident at this stage, it will deal a severe blow to the independence of the judiciary and the power of final adjudication of the Hong Kong court. It will also seriously undermine the confidence of the Hong Kong people and the international community in the high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region] under the principle of One Country, Two Systems. The irreparable harm it will do to Hong Kong far outweighs any purpose it could possibly achieve.
Kursk Edward, who blogs about current affairs, explained the situation with some concrete examples:
在司法程序期間以釋法來干預法院判決，進而可能褫奪民選議員資格，這是一個極壞的先例，此例一開，日後中央政府也能隨便根據主觀的政治好惡來剝奪任何民選代議士的資格，例如要求追究屠城責任、結束一黨專政、聲援維權人士、要求國家領導人下台，也可以「國家安全」或「不尊重憲法」的名義被褫奪議員身份，這樣的議會制度，基本上是名存實亡。
[The National People's Congress] is intervening in the court's ruling by interpreting the Basic Law in order to disqualify two lawmakers. This set up an extremely bad example as the Beijing government could use the same method to disqualify other elected lawmakers who have publicly expressed their will to pursue those responsible for the June 4 Massacre [also known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989], end one-party dictatorship, and demand that leaders step down. The same argument, built upon “national security” and “disrespect for the Constitution,” could be used to disqualify the lawmakers again. This [would] mean the end of our legislative system.
In an act of satire, political cartoonist “Baidiucao” added the word “dead” to the Basic Law, transforming it into the “Basically Dead Law”:
#badiucao Cartoon for Beijing‘s action over Hong Kong legislative oath controversy #巴丢草 漫画 【人大释法】北京祭出 #人大释法 对付香港青年新政立法会议员宣誓事件。寒冬已至，#香港已死！ pic.twitter.com/M0aashdpBU
— 巴丢草 Badiucao (@badiucao) November 5, 2016
Law professor Cora Chan compared Beijing‘s move to launching nuclear weapons:
The anxiety surrounding the prospect of the NPCSC [Standing Committee of the National People's Congress] using its nuclear powers of interpretation to “settle” the pro-independence saga reveals the fragile foundation of Hong Kong’s constitutional order: the highest decision-maker is not subject to legal controls.
Chan expressed the hope that local courts can still develop legal controls to restrict Beijing‘s power, for instance by in turn reinterpreting its interpretation, while preparing for constitutional review in 2047. The year 2047 marks the end of the 50-year period in which former British colony Hong Kong is allowed to continue its way of life, as part of the agreement when the UK handed control of Hong Kong back to China in 1997:
For autonomy in Hong Kong to be secure, we cannot just rely on political controls on the Chinese Government – not when it remains a dictatorship. Legal limits have to be developed. This is an issue that has to be explored if an opportunity for constitution rebuilding arises in the run-up to 2047 or otherwise. Before that opportunity comes, perhaps courts in Hong Kong are in a good position to develop those limits.
While the legal community in Hong Kong still hopes that Beijing will restrain its power when interacting with local courts, student activist Lester Shum argues that people in Hong Kong should give up the fantasy of “rule of law,” claiming that all the laws are written by Beijing:
有人說青政引清兵入關，但其實就在基本法起草完畢一天，這個關口已經開啟了。若有人、有政治人物、法律界人物要繼續自欺欺人，硬要blame青政、硬要相信香港一直有法治、硬要相信基本法能保香港平安的話、硬要對人大能隨時以政治意志凌駕香港司法體系的事實視而不見的話，實在無話可說。[…]
歸根究底，我想帶出的是，我們不要有存活在「法治可保障港人」的泡沫幻想中，民主的力量、人民的力量，才是我們最終可真正倚靠的東西。
這也是超越基本法的民主自決路線的其中一個重點。
Some blame Youngspiration for bringing the NPC [National People's Congress] into the city, but the gate has been opened since the Basic Law was enacted. If politicians, legal experts, and others have to keep blaming Youngspiration, hold firm to the belief that Hong Kong is protected by the “rule of law” and the Basic Law, and turn a blind eye to the overarching political power of NPC in relation to our local judicial system, I am speechless. […]
However, I want to stress that we should not live in the fantasy that the “rule of law” can protect the people of Hong Kong. Democracy and people power are things we should rely on.
If we have to walk out a path for self-determination, we cannot be trapped within the framework of the Basic Law.
The Standing Committee of the National People Congress will release its interpretation on Monday, Nov. 7, and the Civic Human Rights Front called for a protest the day before, on Sunday. Though Beijing was unlikely to listen, thousands still hit the streets to defend the city's autonomy.

author: Oiwan Lam


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This Museum in a Protest Camp Documents the Struggles of Lumad Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Welcome to Museo Lumad: Land, Culture, Life.
The Lumad indigenous peoples of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao have set up a museum inside a protest camp in the capital, Manila, to highlight their culture and their continuing struggles against displacement caused by the plunder, land grabbing, and militarization of their ancestral lands.
Dubbed the “Museo Lumad”, the museum was part of the “Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya” (Caravan of National Minorities) that saw some 3,000 Lumad, Moro, and other national minorities from all over the country travel all the way to the capital to bring attention to their issues.
A big protest in front of the US Embassy by the same groups of national minorities ended in violence on October 19, 2016. Police brutally dispersed the rally using teargas, truncheons, and a police van that rammed and ran over the protesters.
University students and other visitors from Manila take a look inside Museo Lumad.
Museo Lumad was initiated and conceptualized by “Kalumaran”, an alliance of Lumad minorities founded in 2006, which continues to manage the space with the help of rights advocates and support groups.
The museum was assembled on the campsite for the national minorities, which was hosted by the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City for two weeks between October 14 and 28, 2016.
Reminders for visitors before entering the museum.
Before entering the museum, visitors are reminded, among other things, to be respectful, view the exhibits in reverent silence and refrain from touching the displays. Patrons are also encouraged to participate in a post-tour discussion, in order to deepen their appreciation of the culture and struggles of the country's national minorities.
Inside, the exhibits are arranged according to different themes that follow the four cardinal points, identified in the vernacular: “Amihan” (North), “Habagatan” (South), “Sidlakan” (East) and “Kasadpan” (West).
Starting at the southern side, there are photos and various artifacts that depict the Lumad peoples’ history, land, and culture:
We are the peoples of the South. The south is our home, with lands formerly fertile and wide, the forests green, with pristine rivers and streams, and the people living in peace and abundance.
Artifacts like assorted utensils and baskets are part of the exhibit on Lumad history, land, and culture.
Lumad musical instruments and other artifacts are displayed alongside photos of their way life.
In the western wing, there are displays depicting aggression on ancestral domains, maps of the extent of mining plunder and militarization, and photos of Lumad victims of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations:
The sun sets on our ancestral lands. Ancestral domains have now become ‘residual lands.’ The monopoly and usurpation of the lands, especially by multinational corporations and government projects, plague our peoples. These are accompanied by the militarization of our communities.
University students discuss issues confronting the Lumad national minorities such as the plunder of ancestral lands and militarization.
Photos showing the destruction caused by large-scale mining and its effects on Lumad communities.
Photos of Lumad victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances perpetrated by alleged military and paramilitary forces.
The eastern side, meanwhile, highlights the unity, resistance, and hope of the Lumad minorities in the struggle for their rights:
We look to the East because there is hope. With our unity of strength and action as Lumad, we will defend our Ancestral Domains, and enrich our culture and identity.
Sidlakan: the eastern portion of the exhibit highlights the unity, resistance, and hope of the Lumad.
Bukidnon Lumad leader Jimmy Liguyon (left) was killed by alleged paramilitary groups when he refused to sign an ancestral land certificate that would allow the entry of big mining investors. Bai Likayan Bigkay (center), a woman Lumad chieftain from Bukidnon, and Datu Guibang Apoga (right) of a Lumad community in Mount Apo, continue the struggle to defend their land and rights.
Finally, the museum’s northern corner is a call for solidarity from visitors:
The people of the North, including the non-indigenous peoples of Mindanao, experience the same difficulties, abuse and oppression. The workers, peasants, the urban poor in the cities, church people, students and youth, professionals, and small-scale entrepreneurs need to unite to defend Ancestral Domains, the remaining resource of national patrimony, and where the core of Filipino culture is rooted.
The kulintang musical instrument and behind it the exhibit on solidarity with the Lumad.
A call for solidarity to the Lumad and other national minorities.
According to the Museo Lumad's Declaration of Principles, the museum is offered “to the next generations of national minorities, to support groups, and to the wider Filipino people”. The declaration adds that the museum's stories are told from the perspective of the Lumad:
This Museum is unlike modern or academic museums that tend to treat indigenous images and things merely as pretty relics for display, with no relevance towards strengthening our social movement for indigenous peoples’ rights.
This Museum is divergent from the colonial and neocolonial view of indigenous peoples that perpetuate institutionalized discrimination and denigrate national minorities as a people belonging to a civilization that is ‘inferior’, ‘backward’, or that has passed.

author: Karlo Mongaya


text:
Winter Is Coming: Balkans Prepares for the New Smog Season · Global Voices
Elena Nikolovska

Skopje, Macedonia. Photo by Eko-svest, used with permission.
Over the last two years, air pollution has reached dangerous levels in cities across the Balkans. Sarajevo and Skopje have been dubbed the most polluted cities in Europe. The winter season is when the smog is at its worst.
Young people in Skopje recently demanded that the city add more night bus lines by setting up tents at bus stations around the city, and pedestrians and cyclists from Skopje protested for safer streets and better infrastructure for non-motorized transport.
Netizens shared their woes via Twitter, with the hashtag #CleanAir:
Вдиши длабоко! #ЧистВоздух pic.twitter.com/JVTNzBzVPC
— Коприва (@Kopriva) December 7, 2015
Take a deep breath! #CleanAir
,,Диши длабоко” – Игор Џамбазов
,,Не можам, загаден е воздухот” – Скопје #СкопјеНеДише #ЧистВоздух #БидиЗелен https://t.co/mLxSvbNZse
— Цветко (@CvetkoBidiZelen) February 1, 2015
“Breathe deeply” – Igor Džambazov
“I can't, the air is polluted” – Skopje
#SkopjeDoesntBreathe #CleanAir #BeGreen
Град Скопје набави и парни локомотиви #чиствоздух pic.twitter.com/6n42S3caB1
— The Macedonian дечко (@B0b0A) February 17, 2016
The City of Skopje had obtained some steam locomotives, also. #CleanAir
As people migrate to cities at a rapid pace, massive urbanization is one of the biggest global challenges. Greater numbers of city dwellers increase the need for quick motorization, which in turn means a rise in the number of cars on the roads. This is a challenge, especially in developing economies like the Balkans, where — thanks to unreliable, inadequate public transportation and a lack of awareness — the primary mode of transport is still diesel-fueled cars.
Cars run on fossil fuels and emit large amounts of carbon dioxide, particulate matter particles and a whole slew of dangerous gases that create air pollution and threaten people’s health. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed this during the COP21 — the sustainable innovation forum and climate conference that took place in Paris in 2015 — when Dr. Carlos Dora said that more than seven million people die each year from air pollution-related diseases, and that diesel is a major cause of air pollution.
“When you mention transport, people immediately think of roads. But we don’t need more roads. We have to create better conditions for public transport and make people think of alternative means of transport, such as cycling and walking,” said Carlos Felipe Pardo from Despacio, a non-profit that engages in research related to quality of life.
However, in mid-July 2016, the mayor of Skopje, Koce Trajanovski, announced that 17 million euros will be invested in the construction of 9,000 meters of new streets and boulevards in Macedonia's capital as a measure to improve the business climate in the country. He mentioned nothing about offering other solutions for public transport or incentives for those who cycle or walk in order to move around the city.
A parking for bicycles in central Amsterdam. Photo by GV, CC-BY.
Norway is one country that shows how such situations can be improved — it has set an example in the use of electric cars on roads, by offering incentives such as removing taxes and offering free parking for electric vehicles. Now, more than one-fifth of new car sales in Norway is for electric cars. Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands are also countries with the most bicycles per capita, and all of them have vast networks of cycling pathways in their cities, along with tight roads for cars.
Green surfaces in cities across the Balkans have decreased in order to make space for new buildings to accommodate a growing urban population, but experts say the problem is simply poor and unsustainable urban planning. In most polluted cities in Macedonia, such as Skopje and Tetovo, activists and citizens have been demanding accountability from the local governments.
#ДоброУтро Град Скопје! Дури и за Европска недела на мобилност, Скопје беше крцато со коли. Сакаме акција не само декларација за #чиствоздух https://t.co/Xfch8HxC7I
— BanAna (@Banankata) September 26, 2016
Good morning, Skopje City government! Even during the European Mobility Week, Skopje was full of cars. We demand actions, not declarations on #CleanAir!
As a way to raise awareness about the importance of green surfaces in the city, the Macedonian non-governmental organization Eko-svest is installing vertical green gardens — called “City Tree” — in Skopje and Tetovo, both cities with high air pollution levels. But at a press conference to promote the project, Eko-svest's Ana Colovic Leshoska made it clear: “City Tree is not a replacement for trees, nothing can replace trees.”

author: Elena Nikolovska


text:
Just a Game? The New Culture of Virtual Red Packets in China’s WeChat · Global Voices
Hong Kong Free Press

Remix image from Hong Kong Free Press.
This post was written by Catherine Lai and originally published on Hong Kong Free Press on November 6, 2016. The version below is published on Global Voices under a partnership agreement.
Red packets, which are festive envelopes containing money that are given as gifts, are an important part of Chinese culture, particularly during Lunar New Year. With the popularity of homegrown messaging apps in China, companies such as Tencent have integrated the idea of red packets into their services as a form of money exchange.
As the function developed, a virtual red packet culture has also formed in the mainland around the feature, with users creating games and forming new social habits.
The feature came into the spotlight during the recent election of the postgraduate student representative of the University of Hong Kong Council, where one candidate accused another of using the red packet function to engage in voter bribery. The candidate, Printa Zhu Ke, allegedly gave out red packets worth 80 yuan (approximately 13 US dollars) in WeChat groups. After an investigation, however, the university’s governing council considered the amount involved was “immaterial.”
The feature of virtual red packets was first rolled out in January 27, 2014 by mainland technology giant Tencent in its mobile app WeChat.
Virtual red packets can be sent as a directed red packet in a one-to-one chat, or in a group, where the sender can specify the number of people who can receive it and amount of money that is put inside. There are packets where one can also specify how much each person can receive, but often times it is the lottery version which is favoured.
Once the red packet is sent, the receiver simply taps on the image of the red packet or – if the sender has specified – types a phrase indicated on the red packet to receive the money. For group red packets, it is a contest of speed, and red packets go to the ones who spot and click on it the fastest.
For lottery red packets, neither the sender nor the receiver knows how much money has been received until the packet is clicked on. Results of the lottery – how many people have opened it and how much each has received – can then be viewed as a list within the details of the red packet.
To take the money gained from red packets out of the system, one would need to connect a bank account to the service.
Paying each other for meals or welcoming someone into a group chat are common reasons for giving out virtual red packets.
A game culture has also developed around the feature, such as “Red Packet Chain Game,” where, for example, after an initial red packet, a subsequent red packet must be given by the one who received the least amount of money from the previous red packet, and so on.
The popularity of such games have led to groups being opened for the specific purpose of sending and receiving lottery red packets, as well as scams which promise a much larger amount of money if you pay a certain deposit. Wendy Tang, an independent tech reporter in Greater China, told Hong Kong Free Press:
I think the idea is the fun to be the first to grab the red packets, I think that is the psychology behind the gaming there, that whoever gets it first, or the first group of people that are allowed to receive the red packet can get a piece of pie.
Roger Shek, an electrical engineering graduate student at the University of Hong Kong, expressed similar sentiments, telling Hong Kong Free Press that if there’s a red packet:
yeah, why not click on it?… if that person is giving you money, if you don’t want it, then don’t take it. It’ll expire in a day. If you want it then just click on it.
Red packet culture is most prominent commercially during the Lunar New Year period, when companies join in the fray to give red packets, and users are encouraged to snatch some of the hundreds and thousands of red packets on offer within a limited time. In previous years, WeChat has also partnered with state-owned CCTV’s New Year Gala, a significant event of Lunar New Year in China, to encourage users to join in the red packet-snatching fray.
Shek said he had used the red packet function many times, during “Lunar New Year, and after meals when one person has paid… everyone will give him a red packet.” He further explained:
For example, when you enter a group, you will give a red packet… to show that you want to be friendly.
What other incentives are there to give such red packets?
Wendy Tang said that it was the “norm” in China to give out red packets when asking for certain favours:
When a user has a request in a group, let’s say there is an article that they published on the WeChat platform and they would like the other users to help this person to spread the contents… So because they want people to do it, they would send a red packet out as an incentive for the users.
I would say though, it’s a norm here in China that I’ve seen, whether it’s… ethical, if we have to come to that question, then I think that it is a whole different culture, a different understanding […] For instance, for reporters in mainland China, they go to press conferences, the conference organisers will usually give out red packets… to the reporters. So that’s again, it’s like the money, there’s an incentive, the idea behind it is transportation fees…[and to] write about the press conference.
When asked, mainland students seemed to believe that the red packet would make little difference to their motivations, at least in voting. Yue, a graduate student studying engineering at the University of Hong Kong, told Hong Kong Free Press:
If he or she wants me to elect him or support him… I won’t collect the money. Because I don’t want to change my decision or my thoughts according to this red packet. I don’t think it is quite suitable.
I think it is meaningless, I can’t see the point of collecting money from [a] group chat […] the [amount of] money is quite small [speaking in general of group red packets].
Shek also said of the election and the suspected vote bribing:
[Group red pockets] these things which can be recorded is not a tactic of bribery […] I don’t really click on it, it’s only a few cents [and it was] very rare that someone will give a big red packet in a group, unless relationships are very good.
He also said he does not feel that he would owe anyone anything if he clicked on a red packet.
Meanwhile, more than 4,000 people with relations to the university have signed a petition calling upon the governing council to disclose the reasons for its decision to not follow up on the matter, and to launch a formal inquiry into the bribery allegation. They also asked the council to evaluate the election procedure.
Chairman of the Council Arthur Li Kwok-cheung has said that while the council has dismissed the complaint, “it was also recommended at the council meeting that the university’s election regulations be reviewed and revised” for the future.

author: Hong Kong Free Press


text:
South African President Zuma Fights for Political Career After Corruption Report · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

President Jacob Zuma's homestead in South Africa. Photo by John A. Forbes. Released under Creative Commons.
South Africans have reacted with anger, shock, and humour following the release of “State of Capture” report by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela. The report shows that President Jacob Zuma allowed a wealthy Indian family living in South Africa, the Guptas, to use public resources for personal gains and influence key government decisions.
Zuma initially tried to stop the release of the report, before later withdrawing his lawsuit.
The Office of the Public Protector is an external state institution that investigates misconduct in any state affairs and all spheres of South Africa's government. The agency operates independently from the national government.
Allegations of corruption and mismanagement have tarnished Zuma's presidency, though he has managed to survive two no-confidence votes by lawmakers.
In 2014, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released a report titled “Secure in Comfort,” which found that Zuma and his family benefited improperly from security upgrades at his homestead. The “security” upgrades included a firepool/swimming pool, sacred cattle kraal, chicken run, visitor's centre, and amphitheatre.
In 2016, the South African Constitutional Court, the highest court in the country, ordered the president to repay the money used for upgrades unrelated to security, as determined by the Treasury department.
Joking about the possibility of Zuma going to jail, South African author and columnist Max du Preez tweeted:
Expect the Zuma cabal & beneficiaries to subtly start campaigning for an upgrade of facilities in our prisons
— Max du Preez (@MaxduPreez) November 3, 2016
Mpumelo Nkosi wrote online:
If Zuma is still president after this ordeal, we're a spineless joke of a constitutional democracy #StateCaptureReport
— Mpumelelo Nkosi (@Don_Nkosi) November 2, 2016
Trevor Ncube, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur and newspaper publisher based in South Africa, tweeted:
Visiting Robert Mugabe after the #StateCaptureReport was never a good idea for Zuma.
— Trevor Ncube (@TrevorNcube) November 5, 2016
Immediately after the report was released, Zuma traveled to Zimbabwe to co-chair the inaugural session of the South Africa-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission. The sudden escape didn't go unnoticed online.
On Twitter, Ranier Pretorius posted the following image with a light touch:
Looking for evidences in #StateCaptureReport #HandsOffBrianMolefe pic.twitter.com/p7xrnsiym1
— Ranier Pretorius (@ranierpretoriu1) November 4, 2016
Most senior officials in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) were in exile during the struggle to end racial discrimination in the country. Unathi Kwaza wondered:
Having read the #StateCaptureReport I'm beginning to wonder if indeed these ANC vultures ever fought for this country in exile as they claim
— Justice4All (@Unathi_Kwaza) November 2, 2016
Cover image of State of Capture report.
For many, apologies aren't enough. Ulrich Vuuren, for instance, says he wants Madonsela's report to lead to criminal prosecution:
Those found guilty must not apologise to South Africa, nor merely resign, they must be prosecuted!#StateCaptureReport
— Ulrich J van Vuuren (@UlrichJvV) November 2, 2016
Referring to Jake Amo, a social-media celebrity in Ghana, Karabo Mokgoko quipped:
#ThingsThatCouldHappenBefore5
Jake will help the President draft a resignation letter.#StateCaptureReport pic.twitter.com/M3uv32299m
— Karabo Mokgoko (@Karabo_Mokgoko) November 2, 2016
Reacting to Zuma's statement that he is not afraid of going to jail, Paul Claassen wrote:
@FUNDAmentalSKIL @BDliveSA LOL Last time Zuma was in prison he was with freedom fighters – next time he'll be with other thieves
— Paul Claassen (@Kawasaki__900) November 6, 2016
Following Zuma's first public statement after the report was released, “Yonce” tweeted:
I guess it's good that president Zuma is mentally preparing himself to spend the rest of his old age in jail 😢🙆🏾 https://t.co/M2vi3RkmEk
— Yoncé ✨ (@Phumla_ViLkaz) November 6, 2016
While Andre Timotheus made the following observation, referring to the time Zuma spent as a political prisoner on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela during apartheid:
I’m not afraid to go to jail, says Zuma @IOL. Of course criminals, thugs and impostors are not scared of jail… pic.twitter.com/xbHJfVKnZ1
— Andre Timotheus (@1red_one) November 6, 2016
Another Twitter user wanted South Africans to remember how the Dutch and British captured the state in the early days of South Africa's colonisation:
I'm not defending Zuma, but remember the #StateCapture of 1652 by the Dutch and 1806 by the British?
— PABLO PICASSO (@Nino_Al_Pacino) November 6, 2016
Writing at Black Opinion, Andile Mngxitama called the report “a mess of a document”:
The hastily put together so-called state capture report by the former Public Protector is a mess of a document with illogical lapses, glaring typos and incomplete sentences. But the most shocking aspect of the report is that it is based on some obvious lies which Advocate Madonsela chooses to believe in her somewhat desperate quest to find the elusive smoking gun of state capture by the Guptas.
The publication also promises to provide a detailed analysis of certain troubling aspects of the report:
In the coming days Black Opinion shall provide analysis of each troubling aspect of the report. Here we focus only on that piece of “evidence” from the star witness, Deputy Minister Mcebisi Jonas – yes, he who claims that some R600 million was offered to him in exchange for accepting the job of Minister of Finance by the Gupta family. Of course the man accused of stealing the funeral funds of the late Nelson Mandela refused the R600 million. Someone should ask Jonas, when did he stop being corrupt?

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
To Some Iranians Watching the US Elections, Democracy Really Seems Like a House of Cards · Global Voices
Simin Kargar

Cartoon by Mana Neyestani for IranWire.
Frank Underwood, the lead character of the popular Netflix TV series “House of Cards“,  has an infamous line: “Democracy is so overrated”. This much-quoted line, especially since the show began airing in Iran, has become a poignant touchstone for Iranians following the US presidential elections this year, reminding them of their own political sphere's struggles for democracy.
Many called the second debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton the ugliest in American history. Scandals and slurs have dominated this election to such an extent that many worry it will become the new norm. For Iranians who lived through two terms of the populist presidency of Mahmood Ahmadinejad (2005-2013), the US elections have evoked a sense of déjà-vu. And having experienced the Green Movement protests against Ahmadinejad's 2009 re-election and the government repression that followed, Iranians can only hope that US democracy is not as “overrated” as Underwood says.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently hinted at his appreciation of Trump’s “straight-talking” ways, a trait that was also attributed to Ahmadinejad. Khamenei had previously expressed concern over a Trump presidency and its implications for the Iran nuclear deal, so his change of heart has sparked controversy among Iranians on social media, who equate the move with Khamenei's support of Ahmadinejad during and in the aftermath of the 2009 elections.
تا دیروز که ترامپ گفته بود نتیجه انتخابات رو فبول نمبکنه تو اخبار صدا و سیما موسوی بود، حالا که آقا گفته نظرش بهش نزدیکتره شده احمدی‌نژاد
— Ham!d (@halVlid) 6 de noviembre de 2016
Trump received barely any TV coverage in Iran while he claimed the election was rigged. After Khamanei expressed support for him, however, Trump is the new Ahmadinejad. He is all over national television.
Even before Khamanei expressed his support for Trump, however, the establishment was already enjoying the US spectacle of US politics. The presidential debates were televised live, and the first season of the Netflix show “House of Cards” had gone on air.
As America prepares to vote on Tuesday, it is worthwhile to consider a few themes that both Ahmadinejad and Trump have embraced, and what demagogic discourse could imply for us US democracy.
In the presidential campaign of 2009, Ahmadinejad was running for a second term. His main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, had returned to politics after decades of withdrawal. Mousavi said he was contesting the election in order to combat the pervasive corruption and delusional policies he believed had taken over the country. In response, among other acts, Ahmadinejad appeared on national television bearing thick files that ostensibly included records of widespread corruption by several officials he claimed were supporters of Mousavi.
Fast forward seven years, Trump has repeatedly called even fellow Republican challengers names such as “little Marco” and “ugly Fiorina”, and, of course, “crooked Hillary”, which became a popular hashtag among Trump and his supporters. Even though Ahmadinejad was infamous for his trash-talking, the closest he came to insulting an opponent’s physical characteristics was when he called out the Green Movement protesters “a bunch of dust and trash”.
Ahmadinejad came into the spotlight for his brazen denials of the Holocaust as well as an egregious remark that “Israel should be wiped off the map“. On the nation of Israel's 60th anniversary, Ahmadinejad stated, “Those who think they can revive the stinking corpse of the usurping and fake Israeli regime by throwing a birthday party are seriously mistaken”. In several other inflammatory statements, he repeatedly refused to acknowledge Holocaust, causing him to be branded a Holocaust denier and even the “new Hitler” by western politicians and media.
There's a thin line that will get thinner between Trump's lies and, say, Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust. It's that bad.
— Michael Mallin (@mmallin) 24 de mayo de 2016
A decade and some later, the Republican presidential nominee raised eyebrows with his comments stereotyping Jews and juxtaposing Hillary Clinton’s face with a Star of David and a pile of money. These moves unleashed a firestorm of anti-Semitic slurs and attacks against Jewish journalists who criticized Trump’s campaign—attacks that were not categorically denounced by Trump’s campaign. On the contrary, Trump’s Twitter account repeatedly retweeted white supremacists, contributing to the further dissemination of anti-semitic hatred. Jewish community organizations reacted by releasing a statement denouncing racism and xenophobia. This made little difference, however, and a few months later, Pepe the Frog became a symbol of the white nationalist alt-right and was named by the Anti-Defamation League as an official hate symbol. The public reacted with the hashtag #WeveSeenThisBefore, a reminder that Trump’s rhetoric echoes that of demagogues of the past.
“@codyave: @drudgereport @BreitbartNews @Writeintrump “You Can't Stump the Trump” https://t.co/0xITB7XeJV pic.twitter.com/iF6S05se2w“
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 13 de octubre de 2015
During his two terms, Ahmadinejad repeatedly proposed policies that were perceived as misogynistic. Upon his election, President Ahmadinejad changed the name of the Center for Women's Participation to the Center for Women and Family Affairs. Shortly after, female government employees were ordered to work only during daylight hours. In one his final legacies, Ahmadinejad proposed legislation to reduce working hours for eligible women. These proposals were perceived as underscoring the role of women as housewives and mothers. Besides domestic policies, Ahmadinejad also made a snide remark about the potential presidential nomination of Hillary Clinton in 2008, stating that “the presidency of a woman in a country that boasts of its gunmanship is unlikely.”
Donald Trump is known to have mistreated women for decades, at least since the 1980s. The Republican party has historically been criticized for its position on women's reproductive rights, but Trump’s unapologetic denigration of women has taken the party's record to a whole new level.
And the list goes on. Both Trump and Ahmadinejad have taken controversial positions on immigration, terrorist groups in the Middle East, homosexuality, and even alleged plagiarism by their teams. For their supporters, however, they hold a stunning appeal, by virtue of denouncing a perceived “elite” and corrupt establishment of their countries.
Ahmadinejad’s presidency cost Iran a historic stagflation, entangled foreign relations, billions of dollars in loss as a result of economic sanctions, and a drastic drop on the Corruption Index from 88 in 2005 to 144 in 2013, to name only a few of the administration's effect.
While this is by no means an exhaustive comparison of the contexts, economies or electoral systems of Iran and the US, it is almost certain, however, that the demagoguery that has shadowed the 2016 US presidential campaign could pose serious threats to US democracy, just as it did to Iran’s frail transition to reform and democracy. Backwardness and economic instability should be the least of citizens’ worries. Perhaps these illustrations best depict the possible outcome, which hopefully swing voters have a chance to contemplate before going to the polls tomorrow.

author: Simin Kargar


text:
A Hilarious Meme Leads to Crowdfunding Campaign for Children in Ghana · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ghanaian Internet sensation Jake Amo. Photo taken by Carlos Cortes and shared on Instagram by Solomon Adufah.
It all started with a photo. In it, a young boy named Jake Amo is drawing with intense focus during creative studies and art at his school in the village of Asempanaye in Ghana. The class was run by Solomon Adufah, a Ghanaian, who is studying fine arts at the University of Illinois in the United States. The picture was taken in August 2015 by his friend Carlos Cortes, who was documenting Adufah’s journey to Ghana. Adufah shared the photo on his Instagram page in January 2016.
The snapshot then became an Internet sensation in September and October 2016. It is believed that this was after South African Internet users remixed the photo into funny memes such as this and this.
“When they ask you to write down your past job experiences & you're writing you were an admin of Facebook page & whatsApp group”. Screenshot from No chill in Mzansi” Facebook group.
Solomon Adufah has turned the now iconic image of Jake into a crowdfunding initiative to support him and other children like him in Ghana. On its 12th day, the campaign had so far raised over $12,000 from over 500 donors.
Adufah explains his intentions in the campaign's trailer:
Reacting to the story, Ayuba Fowoke, an author at Innovation Village, noted how the popularity of the meme and the resulting crowdfunding campaign are putting a spin on the popular African saying that “it takes a community to educate a child.” Fowoke wrote:
There have been many stories of how crowdsourcing rescued many from challenges. But it is more exciting when a negative and hilarious meme is turned into a good tale like that of Jake. In addition, it is even better if the meme resolves a social problem.
This is what happens when government and local authorities abandon their responsibilities. There are millions of children out of school across Africa while the ones who are in school learn in dilapidated conditions.
[…]
There is no guarantee that many around Africa and the world will stop using Jake’s pictures for memes. However, what is sure is that Jake and his friends at Asempanaye, Koforidua will learn in a more conducive environment and with superior writing materials! Thanks to the pensive, and morose looking Jake, Solomon Adufah and Carlos Cortes.
Tweeting about Jake, Olwethu Mthathi summed up his impact:
Jake Amo is a legend, an icon of the African meme & social media generation #JakeAmo
— Olwethu Mthathi (@olwethumthathi) October 29, 2016


text:
For Migrants of All Kinds, the Football Pitch Can Be a Place of Real Empathy · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Kids playing football in Madagascar. Photo by the author.
I have a confession to make: I am horrible at playing football. My signature move is to scramble attempting a header while falling on the ground, a move that Phil Jones from Manchester United would shamelessly steal from me later on. My classmates, my cousins and my wife can attest to the fact that I have two left feet.
Still, I always jump at any opportunity to make a fool of myself on the football pitch, along with whoever is charitable enough to play with me. I usually end up being the designated goalkeeper, as that is where teams tend to put players with limited skills.
So why do I subject myself to the certain humiliation of being nutmegged by friends and strangers alike? Why do I insist on running around like a headless chicken in pursuit of the elusive ball and almost losing a lung in the process?
It dates back to my childhood. My parents worked for international health agencies, and their jobs required that we relocate every four years, on average. For my sister and me, adapting to new languages and cultures became second nature.
Many people have their own tips and hacks for habituating themselves to new surroundings and new neighbors. Mine was playing street sports. In my experience, there is no faster way to gain an understanding of your social circle than engaging in a bit of chatter during a ball game. (I favor playing basketball because of my height, but when traveling around the world you're less likely to stumble upon a basketball game than a game of football). One of the pick-up games I join from time to time these days takes place just a few yards away from my apartment. The field in the photo below is a frequent gathering place in Paris for recent migrants and refugees to come together for a game of football.
Make-shift football field for refugees in Paris. Photo by the author.
The games are usually friendly, but still quite competitive. Participants come from many different countries, so in-game chit-chat is kept to a minimum. A few weeks ago a few Malians joined us for one game. We chatted a bit after they gave us a sound beating. The stories they shared of their journey from Mali to Europe across the Mediterranean sea were harrowing. Alassane, the elder of the Malian group, is a obviously a gifted footballer, but he was limping a bit and was rapidly out of breath. He explained that he had come to France to try to provide for his four grandchildren. He didn't want his sons to have to leave their dependents to look for work abroad, so he made the long journey across the desert to Europe to seek new opportunities and send money back home. He said that a few of the passengers on the truck on which he travelled fell ill during the trip and didn't make it to Morocco, the point from which they were to cross to Spain. Alassane didn't give further details about the journey, but we could tell from the empty look that suddenly came across his face that there were some things he'd rather forget.
Sports as a vehicle of understanding and empathy is a popular idea. The refugees team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio is one the better known instances of the concept.
RIO 2016 REFUGEE OLYMPIC TEAM https://t.co/CLN2RqAdfa #Olympics #RefugeeOlympicTeam #OlympicAthletes #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/S04MFccVtY
— Morgan Magazine ™ (@supermorgy) August 18, 2016
More recently the youth team of the UNRWA (UN Relief and Work Agency) for Palestinian refugees from Gaza won the world's largest youth football tournament, the Norway Cup in Oslo, in which 2,199 teams from over 70 countries gathered.
For me playing football is also about reconnecting with a part of my life that I left behind a tad too early. I grew up in Madagascar, and I left the country when I was 13 years old. I feel like I missed the opportunity to spend my formative years among the friends and relatives who were so important to me in my early years. Now, when I go back to Madagascar, it feels both like home and like a different place all at once. I guess it is really true that you can't go home again.
While I was in Madagascar a few weeks ago my cousins and I came across a fierce game of football being played between young kids on the beach at Ramena, a fishing village on the north coast. We asked if we could  join in, and the kids generously agreed. My cousins and I stood out a bit from the rest of the players: we were older and heavier, and the kids were faster and had more stamina. We were worried about making the right passes and not getting hurt, while the kids played freely and let loose of a bit of trash talk towards the “local tourists”. My cousins and I and those kids live in different worlds, but for 20 minutes we were sons of the same land—of the place that, regardless of differences in age, ethnicity and social status, is our homeland .
As migrants, although our struggles differ on many levels, there are a two challenges we all encounter: that of adapting to new surroundings, while also not forgetting the places we've come from. For me, random games of football have helped alleviate the difficulty of those circumstances in ways that no other program or public policy could have ever achieved.
Playing football with fishermen's kids in Ramena, Madagascar (photo from author with permission)

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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GV Face: Trump Wins. Now What? · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

In a stunning turn of events, Donald Trump has won the US presidential election.  Even though many Global Voices contributors cannot vote in the US, we felt invested in this American presidential race like few elections before.
That's why every Wednesday since October 26 ,we've been getting together to talk about the latest news coming out of the US elections: our hopes, worries and fears.
With the results in, our last episode of this series is on November 9, between our Chile-based US voter and Latin American editor Elizabeth Rivera, Canada-based Social Media Editor Nevin Thompson, US-based and US voter Advocacy Director Ellery Biddle and Mong Palatino, our Philippines-based Southeast Asia Editor.
We talking about the winners and losers in this election, how we feel about one of the most polarizing election seasons in US history and what that the Trump win means for our global community.
You can watch our last two discussions here:

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


text:
‘In Our World, You’re Either Born With the Right Passport or Not’ · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

French police evicting Calais residents in March 2016. CC BY-SA 4.0
A few weeks ago, French President François Hollande announced the “Calais Jungle” refugee camp would be dismantled, leaving thousands of destitute refugees, including unaccompanied minors, in northern France with nowhere to go. Although many have since been able to submit an asylum claim, it still remains that for months on end these refugees from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea relied on the help of small-scale NGOs and the public, with no assistance from the French government.
Amélie Jacques, a famous French blogger who grew up in Paris and Rome, has lived in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and now resides in Soweto, South Africa. Following the tense situation with refugees in Calais, in a short essay on her blog “Ubuntu” she voiced her concerns about the French government's harsh policies limiting refugees’ entrance into the country. She also contrasted how easy it is for her to travel with a French passport with how difficult it is for people from other countries:
Qu’ils soient réfugiés, demandeurs d’asile, migrants économiques, fuyant la guerre, les persécutions ou cherchant un avenir… tous les migrants devraient pouvoir entrer et s’installer en Europe, en France. Aucun argument ne tient d’un point de vue moral pour refuser à des hommes d’entrer et de rester dans un pays.
Mon pays refuse visa et asile à des hommes, des femmes, des familles qui viennent y chercher la paix, un emploi, etc. A moi pourtant, on ne m’a jamais refusé de traverser une frontière. Pour des vacances en famille, pour étudier ou même pour travailler, à chaque fois c’est une formalité : quelques documents à fournir parfois, quelques dizaines d’euros, éventuellement un vaccin, et hop ! J’ai pu entrer et rester de quelques semaines à plusieurs années en Angleterre, aux États-Unis, en Italie, au Burkina Faso, en Iran, aujourd’hui en Afrique du Sud…
Sur quoi se fonde cette inégalité ? Les Français ne valent pourtant pas mieux que d’autres hommes et femmes pour avoir plus de droits. Plus de droits, ce sont des privilèges ; et en l’occurrence, des privilèges basés sur la naissance car dans notre monde, on naît avec le bon passeport… ou pas. Cette situation d’inégalité de droits est moralement intenable. Soit on nivèle par le bas en cantonnant tous les hommes au territoire où ils sont nés, soit on reconnaît pour tous un droit à migrer.
No matter whether they're refugees, asylum seekers, economic migrants, if they're fleeing war, persecution, or simply looking for a better future … all migrants should be able to come to France and to elsewhere in Europe. There's no moral reasoning not to allow people to come and live in another country.
My country refuses visa and asylum claims submitted by men, women, and families who come in search of peace, work, and so on, yet nobody's ever stopped me from crossing the border to go on a family holiday, to study abroad, or even to work. Each time I travel, there are a few formalities — a bit of paperwork, exchanging or paying a few euros, and last of all getting a vaccination — and then it's off and away! I've been able to come and stay for several weeks — up to several years — in England, the United States, Italy, Burkina Faso, Iran, and now South Africa…
What's this prejudice and inequality based on? French people are no more worthy of rights than other men and women. More than rights, these are privileges. What's more, such privileges are based on where you're born because in our world, you're either born with the right passport or not. Such inequality of rights is devoid of all morality. We either take a step down on the ladder of privilege and confine each person to the country where they were born, or we allow every human being the right to migrate and move out of their own land.
France has long been a nation of immigration with debates surrounding assimilation and secular identity, in particular concerning migrants from former colonial nations such the Maghreb region of Algeria, Morocco and North Africa. However, in the light of the recent refugee crisis, France's response has been rather poor, unlike its European neighbour Germany.
The French government originally committed to welcoming refugees from Syria, but in practice is not a main recipient of refugees from Syria. The UK and France have in fact been locked in a battle of wills in an attempt to pass off responsibility for welcoming refugees. France maintains that these refugees want to reach the UK, whilst the UK government neither wants to fully open its doors.
As a whole, Europe remains divided on the issue of resettling refugees from war-torn countries, and some members of the European Union continue to express hostility to the idea.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Melbourne Locals Welcome Syrian Refugees With Open Arms—and Butterflies · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Welcome to Eltham – image courtesy Welcome to Eltham Facebook campaign page
Locals from the Melbourne suburb of Eltham are welcoming Syrian refugees soon to be resettled in their community with homemade “welcome butterflies.”
One hundred and twenty Syrians are to be accommodated in a disused part of an aged care facility. Their supporters have taken to the streets and social media — their Facebook page, Welcome to Eltham, has over 7,000 likes.
The group has adopted the butterflies as their symbol and decorated the town with them in order to counter anti-immigration hate: “Our butterflies are a reminder that even the smallest action can have a far-reaching effect.”
One resident, actor and singer Drew Weston, summed up the feeling:
🌿I'm a proud Eltham boy today🌿 #welcome #eltham #refugees #openheartopenmind #luckycountry #butterfly #victoria #wlecometoeltham pic.twitter.com/WLa17h28IS
— Drew Weston (@drewboyweston) November 5, 2016
This video explains their campaign:
Nearly 9,000 people have also signed a pledge on the Action Network to open their arms to refugees:
There are 11 million Syrian refugees in the world. Eltham has been asked to help 120.
We have the space in our town and in our hearts to show compassion and understanding.
Join Welcome to Eltham and make a pledge to say: refugees are welcome.
The refugees are part of special intake of 12,000 Syrians and Iraqis promised in 2015 by Tony Abbott's Australian government after public pressure.
Eltham residents’ enthusiastic response comes despite some opposition. Rival rallies took place on 5 November, with the pro-refugee side claiming victory on the day:
Far-right outnumbered in Eltham They came looking for a fight but met with peaceful counter. https://t.co/aXMLbaVXrd via @kieranbennett
— ODDemocracy AU (@OddemocracyA) November 5, 2016
The right-wing protest was blamed on outsiders who do not live in the area:
At risk of repeating myself: vast majority of anti-mob not from #Eltham but #Sydney, #Bendigo, #Melton. #antifa #auspol #refugees
— Andy Fleming (@slackbastard) November 5, 2016
The anti-refugee rally organisers, the Party for Freedom, explain on their Facebook page that their group:
rejects multiculturalism, advocates an immigration policy based on cultural compatibility, rejects Islam as fundamentally incompatible with these values, and is committed to regaining control of Australia’s borders.
There is at least one Not Welcome to Eltham Facebook page. It has had little activity, perhaps because it is restrained in its opposition.
Finally, this Welcome to Eltham video features local people reading comments made by online objectors:

author: Kevin Rennie


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Sweden Joins International Effort to Recognize ‘World Kobane Day’ · Global Voices
Viridiana Lopez

Posted used by the World Kobane Day Facebook Page. Source.
Activists have declared November 1 to be “World Kobane Day” in commemoration of a victory by the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) over ISIS in January 2015. The battle of Kobane, as it's now known, lasted 133 days and was supported by US-backed coalition airstrikes.
Kobane is located in Northern Syria, or Western Kurdistan, and is in the Kobane Canton — one of three cantons that make up the region known as Rojava, alongside Afrin Canton and Jazira Canton. On March 17, 2016, the de-facto administration of Rojava independently declared the establishment of the Federation of Northern Syria – Rojava (in Kurdish, “Federasyona Bakurê Sûriyê – Rojava” and in Arabic “منطقة الإدارة الكردية في شمال سوريا”).
During the siege of Kobane by ISIS in 2014, many people, international organizations, and intellectuals around the world signed a statement to express solidarity with the city and demand humanitarian assistance for its residents. Afterwards, hundreds of people around the world called for rallies in places like the United Kingdom, the United States, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, South Africa, and Venezuela, among others, to show their support to Kobane in its struggle against ISIS.
This year, the website World Kobane Day called for a “Global Day of Action to Celebrate the ‘World Kobanè Day’” on November 1. Cities including London, Toronto, Berlin, Paris, and Stockholm, among others, have participated the event.
On social media, Internet users added the hashtag #Kobaneday to collect banners and pictures from rallies throughout the world.
Pictures from the #KobaneDay demo in Gothenburg yesterday, from @Nicktorley.#TwitterKurds #WorldKobaneDay pic.twitter.com/g9LVlUHTEg
— b9AcE (@b9AcE) October 31, 2016
There is also an “Open Letter” now circulating, advocating that November 1 become World Kobane Day. According to the Helpkobane website, the “Reconstruction Board in Kobanê Campaign,” aims to “document and highlight the projects necessary for the immediate reconstruction of the canton” through art, such as an art project “Colori per il Rojava”
Sweden has joined the rallies to show solidarity and demand the establishment of a humanitarian corridor, in order to facilitate the reconstruction of Kobane. In many Swedish cities, such as Stockholm, Örebro, Goteborg, and Umea, people rallied for Kobane. The Rojava kommittéerna, located in Sweden, has also asked for international support to reconstruct Kobane.
The Kurdiska demokratiska Samhällscenter i Örebro – NCDK, which has supported “the positive political developments going on in Rojava,” joined a rally in the city of Örebro. Speaking to Global Voices, a representative from NCDK answered a few questions.
Global Voices: Why would Sweden support kobanî and Rojava?
NCDK: Kurdiska demokratiska Samhällscenter i Örebro – NCDK: All minorities have been guaranteed the right to speak and teach in their own language, something that was forbidden during the dictatorship. A constitution has been produced as gender quota law principles in all decision-making bodies. A plan has been formulated for how to govern society in an ecologically sustainable way. That such a development has taken place in a country where a vicious civil war now raging! we think Rojava is worth all the support it can get from Sweden and all the countries in the world that claims standing for human rights. There is also a possibility of a future model of society for a future Syria, which the Syrians themselves must decide, without interference from big powers. Worth pointing out is that the areas controlled by Rojavas’s self-defense forces YPG / YPJ now are safe return of refugees and internally displaced within Syria also moving there. Therefore, there is a great need for international support including Sweden for the reconstruction of the areas destroyed.
Why is Kurdiska demokratiska Samhällscenter i Örebro rallying?
World Kobanî Day November 1st is a global day of action to draw attention at Kobanî which both were the first to be freed from the dictatorship but also the city most affected by the Islamic state's brutality. On this day we express our support and solidarity to the people fighting for their freedoms and the organization of a democratic society. Theirs struggles are an inspiration and lesson to all of us! NCDK- Örebro.
Another city that participated in Kobane Day was Goteborg, a city gathered to show its support for Kobane by performing a rally with music. Global Voices asked Minoo Koefoed, who is a member of the Kobani committee in Goteborg, to explain why Sweden supports Kobane:
The Kurdish canton of Kobanê is in a terrible condition after years of war, and there is an urgent need for emergency assistance, medical aid, ambulances, machines, tools, skilled medical staff, and medical equipment, as well as all sorts of financial and material support for the reconstruction of Kobanê. Crucial infrastructure and buildings are completely destroyed, such as hospitals and schools, preventing people in the region to live normal, decent lives. The basic needs of the people in Kobanê can absolutely not be fulfilled under the current material conditions in the area. According to Kurdish sources, during the fighting about 80% of the residents of Kobanê fled to nearby places like Iraq and Turkey, and now many of these are returning home. This situation will create additional pressure on the already very limited medical facilities in the region. Before the war, there were about 14 medical centers and hospitals providing medical services to the approximately 500 000 people living in the area. Now, the situation is even worse. But it is also important to take the psychological and emotional dimension of the current situation for the people of Kobanê equally serious. Particularly children and youth in the region desperately need facilities where they can play, enjoy, explore, sing and laugh! Sweden should support Kobanê in all thinkable ways.
What is the festival about?
The World Kobanê Day is a global day of action and support in solidarity with the people in Kobanê, and their resistance against the oppression and violence of the Islamic State and other destructive groups.

author: Viridiana Lopez


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Trump-Chavez Comparisons Rock the Web, Rattle the Venezuelan Government · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Image by Venezuelan cartoonist Eduardo Sanabria. Used with permission.
Inflammatory speeches, flamboyant personalities, and an omnipresence in citizen and mainstream media that can't be contained.
These attributes and many more have compelled netizens to compare US presidential candidate Donald Trump and late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, and these ideas have only gained traction online as the presidential race has reached its peak:
Caricatura EDO: Populismo para Dummies #Trump#Chavezpic.twitter.com/lW4aP3efle
— Eduardo EDO Sanabria (@edoilustrado) November 7, 2016
EDO Caricature: Populism for Dummies
A lot of the discussion has taken place on Twitter, where new campaigns comparing Trump not only to the late Venezuelan president, but also to other Latin American authoritarian heads of state, circulated online — often as part of efforts to urge Latin American voters to vote for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
On the Latino comedy channel Flama, Venezuelan stand-up comedian Joanna Hausmann expanded on comparisons she made previously on the Internet in 2015:
Listen, when it comes to leaders like this, it does not matter that they’re from the Left or the Right or Center or whatever, political inclinations shouldn’t change scary reality that this these men make the world a worse place […] They would make entertaining TV characters, sure, but they make dangerous leaders.
On Milly Channel's Youtube channel, some of these elements were evident in more detail in Spanish. The vlogger pointed at the ways in which both political leaders have concentrated on stirring the emotions of their followers:
Indeed, a critical tactic for both leaders has been an incendiary and often off-the-cuff media presence.
Both leaders used Twitter to promote a larger-than-life presence on social media, speaking plainly and using crude humor to attract audiences in the millions.
And both have combined this with powerful positions in mainstream television. On Aló Presidente, Venezuela's charismatic socialist leader would pontificate about national politics for hours on end, and regularly mock the missteps of politicians who fell out of his favor. Trump hosted the enormously popular TV program “The Apprentice,” and whether he wins or loses, he appears poised to launch a new cable television network, “Trump TV.” Both men have also threatened lawsuits against journalists who write stories critical of their policies and practices.
Of course, there are significant differences in the kinds of policies and visions for society that the two leaders advocate. Trump endorses a so-called “trickle-down” economic model that he says will support the growth of businesses by giving benefits to entrepreneurs, while Chávez pushed a government built on redistributive tax policies and state practices. Chávez also had years of experience in politics and government before he ran for president.
On the blog “Latin America Goes Global,” Juan Nagel points at the differences between Chavez's and Trump's campaigns, urging his readers not to forget the economic and political crisis that resulted in Venezuela thanks to Chavez's presidency — a collapse he says wouldn't be possible in the United States, even under Donald Trump, because of the strength of the United States’ public institutions:
Chávez was not always an uncivil loudmouth. In 1998, when he first ran for president, he ran a disciplined campaign that drew many disaffected moderate voters to his fold. He also disguised his radicalness, saying that Cuba was a dictatorship and packaging himself as some sort of Tony Blair-Third Way moderate leftist. […] Chávez’s disastrous policies are solely responsible for the destruction of the Venezuelan economy […] That, and not his media persona, is the real Chávez.
I understand that many commentators want to force the parallels out of a genuine fear of what a Trump presidency might mean. However, readers should keep in mind that Trump would have to govern within the U.S.’s much stronger institutions. The checks and balances that keep the American presidency at bay will not likely be undone in a Trump administration.
Nagel concluded:
By portraying Chávez as a caricature populist who rambles, insults, and provokes without merit, foreign observers are doing Venezuela a disservice. Yes, that was part of Chávez’s political persona, but it was not the most important part.
If foreign writers are going to look for a foreign doppelgänger for Trump, they are going to have to look harder. Hugo Chávez was in a league of his own.
The Venezuelan government has been none too pleased by these videos and social media memes.
Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez, for instance, expressed her discontent with the following tweet:
Comparar al candidato Trump con él Cdte Chávez es expresión de la arrogancia racista e irracionalidad dun partido q no atiende sus electores
— Delcy Rodríguez (@DrodriguezVen) October 19, 2016
Comparing (US) candidate Trump with Commander Chavez is an expression of the racist arrogance and the irrationality of a party that doesn't pay attention to its electors.

author: Laura Vidal


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‘We Will Not Surrender’: Opposition Voices Rally to Support Turkey’s Besieged Media · Global Voices
Mel Plant

Cumhuriyet's homepage on November 7.
Just over three months have passed since an attempted coup in Turkey prompted a wide-reaching crackdown on supposed supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based Islamic cleric whom the Turkish government accuses of masterminding ta bloody coup attempt on July 15.
While few in Turkey question a link between Gulen — a former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's who became a fierce rival — and the initial plot, opposition figures have labelled the government's subsequent mop-up campaign a “purge”.
That purge has targeted independent media as well as military personnel, civil servants and opposition politicians.
On October 31, police raided the Istanbul headquarters of Cumhuriyet, a daily newspaper with a circulation of over 50,000 across Turkey. In addition to the raid on the office, 13 executives of the newspaper had their houses searched and were arrested alongside Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu.
The detained members of Cumhuriyet stand accused of “committing crimes in the name of FETO and PKK terrorist organizations without being members of them.” FETO (Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation) is the moniker given to Gulen's Hizmet (‘Service’) movement by the Turkish government.
The attack on the newspaper comes as no surprise to anyone following deteriorating press freedoms in Turkey.
Turkey ranks 151st in Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index. The country will likely plunge further in next year's rankings, with some 127 journalists arrested in the space between the most recent raid and the July coup attempt. Other journalists have been slapped with travel bans.
A day prior to the Cumhuriyet raid, several Kurdish news organisations were also targeted. Turkey's only Kurdish language newspaper, Azadiya Welat, was shut down, as were the DIHA and JINHA news agencies.
Cumhuriyet gained international attention in 2015 after it published an investigation into arms shipments to jihadist groups in Syria, purportedly overseen by the Turkish state intelligence agency MIT.
That investigation led to a court case against Can Dundar, the newspaper's previous Editor-in-Chief, and Erdem Gul, its Ankara bureau chief. In May this year, Dundar and Gul were both handed sentences of over five years. Dundar, who narrowly escaped assassination outside the court building, was allowed to leave prison pending an appeal and is now living in Germany. He has stepped down from the Editor-in-Chief position, while Gul is still waiting on the result of his appeal in Turkey.
In September, the newspaper was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, popularly known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’, alongside The White Helmets.
The front page of Cumhuriyet's November 1 edition declared ‘we will not surrender’, in what amounted to a rallying cry for press freedom in Turkey which quickly began to trend on Twitter.
Cumhuriyet'in yarinki manseti…
—Serkan Ocak (@serkanocakkk) October 31, 2016
Cumhuriyet's front page tomorrow…
The newspaper pointedly left the columns of writers Hikmet Cetinkaya and Kadri Gursel, both detained on October 31, blank.
The newspaper's lawyer Bulent Utku, prominent columnist Aydin Engin and resident cartoonist Musa Kurt were also amongst those detained.
Here's a painful look inside today's Cumhuriyet. Columns of writers taken by police left blank. Price for speaking truth to power… #Turkey
— мустафа яылмаз (@MustafaEdlib) November 1, 2016
Cumhuriyet is widely regarded as one of the few opposition newspapers left in Turkey. While the newspaper was for decades a bastion of secular republican opinion, widely read by supporters of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), in recent years Cumhuriyet became an outlet for more liberal and leftist voices.
CHP politicians have spoke out against the arrests.
Asked why he is detained veteran journo Aydın Engin replies “I’m working for Cumhuriyet isn’t it enough” Engin was a victim of 1980 coup too
— Ezgi Basaran (@ezgibasaran) October 31, 2016
Gördük, duyduk, biliyoruz; bu diktatörlüktür! Ama biz #TeslimOlmayız
—Halkevleri (@Halkevleri) October 31, 2016
We saw, we heard, we know; this is dictatorship! But we will not surrender
After news of the raid broke, readers and supporters of Cumhuriyet gathered to protest at the newspaper's headquarters in Istanbul. Protestors were met with water cannons and seven students were detained, though they were later released.
Readers of @cumhuriyetgzt in front of newspaper building to show solidarity amid police raid & detention of writers. pic.twitter.com/xWfzFb6cWj
— Turkey Untold (@TurkeyUntold) October 31, 2016
The detained newspaper executives and employees have been denied access to legal counsel. The raid was also followed by a ban on reporting on the arrests.
Government supporters accuse the newspaper of supporting the pro-independence militants in the Kurdish PKK and the Gulenists, charges its management and employees have always denied.
By printing anti-government articles after the coup attempt, they say, Cumhuriyet “[stirred] public disorder in line with the aims of the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ).”
Erdogan's chief advisor blasted:
Terör propagandası yapmak asla GAZETECİLİK değildir. Dünyada hiçbir devlet terör propagandası ve terörle işbirliğine müsade etmez.
— Mustafa Varank (@varank) November 1, 2016
Making terror propaganda is not JOURNALISM. No state on earth will allow terror propaganda and collaboration with terror.
The campaign against Cumhuriyet has taken many forms. On November 2, an anonymous author claiming to be a former employee of the paper wrote in Sabah, a newspaper with very close ties to the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), that Cumhuriyet had received significant financial aid from Gulen-linked organisations in recent years.
The Financial Crimes Investigation Board has opened an investigation into the claims.
Various commentators, including former AKP MP Resul Tosun, have pointed out that the publication has never expressly exhibited any Gulenist support. Some even noted that arrested columnist Hikmet Cetinkaya is the author of several books critical of Gulen, although this has not stopped Sabah accusing Cetinkaya of converting to the Gulenist cause.
Gülencilere 2002'de terörist diyen Cumhuriyet'i Fetocu ilan ettiler. Kim mi? Feto'ya Muhterem Hoca Efendimiz diyen ikiyüzlüler!
—Cehennem Yakiti (@ateistbelgin) October 31, 2016
Cumhuriyet, which called the Gulenists terrorists in 2002, has been declared FETO. Who? Those who called FETO ‘Our Honourable Teacher’ are hypocrites!
[Headline reads: The Gulenists are a terrorist organisation]
Ironically, one of the prosecutors assigned to the Cumhuriyet case is also being investigated for links to Gulen. A terrorism probe against the journalist who exposed this link, Baris Pehlivan, has now been opened.
Last month, Cumhuriyet published an article alleging that old executives were attempting to retake control of the newspaper.
Two former executives of the newspaper, Alev Coskun and Mustafa Balbay, who is now a CHP MP were amongst those accusing the newspaper of ties to Gulen. Coskun, supposedly on Erdogan's advice, filed a complaint against the 2013 board reshuffle which sidelined the pair.

author: Mel Plant


text:
There’s a Scary Pattern of Phony Facebook Posts Used as an Excuse to Attack Hindus in Bangladesh · Global Voices
Rezwan

Communal attacks against the Hindus in the past 10 months: 36 attacks in 28 districts. An infographic by Polash Datta. Used with permission. (Click on the image to enlarge.)
In Bangladesh, the peaceful co-existence between Hindus and Muslims is under threat. In recent times, the attacks on Hindu, indigenous people, and other minorities have increased as a consequence of land grabs and other political reasons.
In many cases, these attacks are disguised as the actions of angry mobs supposedly provoked by personal affronts and offenses against “religious feelings.” These attacks are reportedly instigated by the country's Islamists and supported by politicians for their own agendas.
On October 30, at least 15 Hindu temples in Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar were vandalized by a group of 150 to 200 hooligans, who also targeted hundreds of houses in the local Hindu community. According to reports, a group of people staged two separate demonstrations at the Upazila headquarters that same day, supposedly protesting an offensive Facebook post published a few days earlier.
15 temple vandalised, 100s houses destroyed & looted, 300 men & women injured in Bangladesh for being Hindu. Trust me, we are secular! Shame pic.twitter.com/xM3hQOEaZ5
— Dr. Imran H Sarker (@ImranHSarker) October 30, 2016
The alleged provocation was by a local fisherman named Roshraj Das, who supposedly photoshopped an image of the Hindu lord Shiva sitting on the Muslim holy place Kaaba sharif. A little-known website called Banglamail71.com later drew attention to Das’ Facebook post. The content was originally posted by “Noyon Chatterje,” a Facebook profile run by Chhatra Shibir activists, that has long been instigating hatred against Hindus. The post and the news item allegedly triggered the violent attacks in Nasirnagar.
Before the violent demonstrations ever began, police had already arrested Das, who categorically denies the allegations against him, saying his Facebook account was hacked. “I do not know who posted that photo from my account,” he said, “but it wasn’t me. I immediately deleted it as soon as I saw it and I want to apologize to everyone for it”.
Here is a video of the attack:
Reports say that some local leaders from the Islamist organisations Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Hefazat-e-Islam, and even the ruling Awami League were the true perpetrators behind the attacks.
Police have identified around 50 people from mobile videos filmed during the incident and have arrested 44 people, so far. Also, Awami League suspended three local leaders for their alleged involvement in the incident.
The story doesn't end there, however. Muhammed Sayedul Hoque, a member of parliament from Brahmanbarhia and the country's minister of fisheries and livestock, traveled to Nasirnagar two days after the attacks. His statements and reactions on that trip, which largely dismissed the seriousness of the violence that took place, annoyed many Internet users. Later, at a press conference, Hoque accused journalists of “exaggerating” the incident.
When local Hindu leaders went to see him, Hoque mentioned that some “sons of Malauns” are “making a mountain out of a molehill.” (Malaun is a derogatory term and racial slur that mocks Hindus.)
‘Malaun’ means ‘cursed’ or ‘অভিশপ্ত’, or ‘Devoid of God's Mercy’. Sometimes I feel we live in a ‘malaun’ state! :’-(
— Syed Almas Kabir (@AlmasKabir) November 5, 2016
A minister of Bangladesh parliament called Hindus as ‘Malaun’ which means ‘cursed’
More attacks on #hindus followed afterwards. pic.twitter.com/FBXeYZqkz3
— Ajanta Deb Roy (@ajantadebroy) November 4, 2016
This has sparked yet more protests, now demanding the resignation of Minister Sayedul. Some have been protesting on social media, as well, using hashtags like #IamMalaun.
Several organisations in #Bangladesh are demanding Brahmanbarhia MP Muhammed Sayedul's resignation as minister over hate attacks on Hindus pic.twitter.com/HsdSGfMCwC
— Debajit Adhikari (@AdhikariDebajit) November 5, 2016
Afsan Chowdhury writes on Facebook:
The community sense will always dominate as our history shows. And our rage is widespread and overwhelming over the Nasirnagar incident.
We all said, ” I am a Malaun ” including myself. We have never seen such solidarity before.
However, the minister denies making such a statement:
Sayedul: Will quit if anyone can prove I made derogatory remark https://t.co/hogW01cS6l pic.twitter.com/1JU7sbniZO
— BD Saradin (@bdsaradin) November 6, 2016
In a second wave of the attack, on Friday, five houses in Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district were emptied by demonstrators. Locals foiled another attempt to attack their homes on the morning of November 5.
Commenting on a Facebook event titled “We are ashamed and sorry for the communal attacks in Nasirnagar,” Mansura Sumi wrote:
For victim people of Nasirnagar, Brahmmanbaria. We are all Bangladeshi. We are all Bangali. We are not sectarian. So raise your own voice. A Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Christian, we are all Brothers. — Raise your voice.
Protest in Dhaka against the brutal attack against the Hindus. Image via Megh Roy Sarkar.
The Nasirnagar incident shows a similar pattern of attack against minorities, like the Ramu attacks in 2012. There was a fake Facebook post that was reported on a suspicious news site. Then there were protests and subsequent attacks. The local authorities were ineffective in both the incidents.
On November 8, 2016, in Kulaura, North East of Bangladesh, four people were detained in connection with another incident that involved the publication of another “blasphemous image” on Facebook. The local authorities quickly took measures to safeguard the Hindu community and its property, as various groups were calling again for violence.
Locals claim the offensive post was published on the Facebook account of an individual who's known to be illiterate.

author: Rezwan