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Bangladesh: Dhaka Becomes Capital of Islamic Culture · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

The Bangladesh capital Dhaka has been declared as the capital of Islamic culture along with two other cities. The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), a subsidiary of Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), has recently declared this. Since 2004, ISESCO has been observing this annual programme to uphold Islamic policies, history, civilization and cultural heritage in its member countries. In 2012, Dhaka has become the capital for the Asian region.
After the arrival of Islam in the Indian sub-continent, the local architecture was influenced by Islamic building designs. The numerous mosques (Masjids) built in Dhaka represent that. Some of these places of worships were erected during the Sultan era, some during the Mughal era and some during the British era. There are also many modern architecture and most of them are influenced by Islamic arts and designs.
Since the Sultan era Masjids are being built in Dhaka. It started with the completion of the Binot Bibi's mosque in 1457 AD. It is called the first worship house for the Muslims in Dhaka. Blogger Juthochari [bn] informed that the establishment collapsed in 2006. The main thrust of erection of mosques happened during the Mughal era. Dhaka was named the capital of Subeh Bengal. Beautiful mosques bearing Islamic designs were built one by one. That time was also crucial for Dhaka to emerge as a capital city.
The influence of Mughal architecture remained also in the British era. It started to change slowly in the Pakistan era. During that time instead of architecture, practical needs were given more importance. The mosques that are being built today have modern elements of architecture. But they lack the culture and architectural excellence. The old mosques in Dhaka show sign of fusion of Islamic designs with designs invented by local craftsmanship. So some of these architectures have earned fame as local designs.
Some old mosques of Dhaka:
Dhaka is also renowned as the city of Mosques [bn]. But many of these establishments bearing Islamic tradition and culture are being neglected and not properly maintained or restored. Some of them are in dilapidated states. In one featured post of Ahmed Firoz the current state of two such establishments – Boror Katara & Choto Katara – have been highlighted. Bara Katara mosque was built from 1643 to 1646 resembling Mughal architecture. Attachments to this mosque had been built removing parts of the structure, which has endangered the beautifully decorated original structure. You can see signboards of new shops, business houses etc inside the structure. Many big rooms had been partitioned to be used as small rooms. The choto Katara, which was built during Shaesta Khan's era (1664), is also on the verge of destruction.
Binot Bibi's mosque built in 1457. Image courtesy Wikipedia.
Tara Mosque, which was built during early nineteenth century. Image courtesy Wikipedia.
Hazi Shahbaz's Mosque (1679). Image courtesy Wikipedia.
Khan Muhammad Mridha's mosque built in 1706.Image courtesy Wikipedia.
Musa Khan mosque, a pre-Mughal architectural masterpiece. Image courtesy Wikipedia.
Blogger Hompgro posted a photo blog on the occasion of 400 years of the Dhaka city which highlights many old mosques. One from them is the Musa Khan Mosque built in 1679. Another one is the Hazi Shahbaz Mosque. It was built in 1679. And the Hazi Beg mosque is from 1683. These mosques are on the verge of falling down.
Blogger Razib took photos of many mosques to be added in Wikipedia entries. He was very much disheartened by the dilapidated state of many old mosques in Dhaka:
সেখানে পৌছাতেই মনটা খারাপ হয়ে গেলো। সেই প্রাচীন ভবনটির রক্ষণাবেক্ষণ একেবারেই নেই। কাটরার দেয়াল ঢেকে গায়ে জোড়া লাগিয়ে তৈরী হয়েছে ঘরবাড়ি আর দোকানপাট। কাটরার উপরের দিকটা মাদ্রাসার দখলে। আর ঠিক সামনেই পিডিবির বিশাল একটা ট্রান্সফর্মার ও তারের জট থাকায় পুরো ভবনটাই ঢেকে গেছে।

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


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Egypt: Cairo’s Urban Future  · Global Voices
محمد عادل

Cairo from Below has recently launched an urban competition as part of an international initiative entitled Our Urban Futures, in which participants should send their proposals about their vision for the future of Cairo. It should be in a visual format, like a short video, cartoon or info-graphic. Submissions deadline is September 1, 2012. You can follow the initiative on Facebook and Twitter.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: محمد عادل


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Greece: Fake Dyslexia Certificates for Children · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

In ‘Where Everything Is Possible‘ [el], blogger Theodoris Georgakopoulos criticizes the news that Children's Hospital employees in Athens, Greece, have been involved into issuing fake documents certifying dyslexia. He mainly puts the blame on those parents who labelled their children with a disability to facilitate their final high school exams. @Haris_Nk also comments [el]: “Greek dream: enter the University with fake dyslexia certificate, afterwards a job at DEI [Public Power Corporation] and then a fake blindness allowance. Jungle”.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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Iran: Internet influence 43 % with 32.7 million users · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

The official report on Internet status in Iran by March 2012 indicates the influence rate is 43 percent, with 32.7 million users nationwide, 14.3 millions (18.9 %) connected to GPRS on their cellphones as the most common connection type, 4.5 millions of them connected through broadband ADSL, and about 860 thousands have access to wimax connection.

author: Hadi Nili


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Is Tunisia a Banana Republic? · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

A heated debate started on July 19 when Mahmoud Baroudi, a member at the National Constituent Assembly (NAC) described Interim President Moncef Marzouki, as the “President of Banana Republic.” The declaration caused complete disorder inside the NCA. MPs affiliated with the three party coalition government called upon Baroudi to take back his words. He refused. “Only when you have a President of a Republic, who does represent the Republic we can talk. I'm not going to take my words back Mr. the President [referring to the NCA President]. It is a Banana Republic, and all you [MPs] represent a Banana Republic,” said Baroudi in response to the outraged MPs.
Baroudi used the term “Banana Republic” to comment on the controversial presidential decision to sack the Central Bank Governor. He was mainly mocking a presidential document appointing a new Central Bank Governor. The document was dated July 11 – which was one week before the decision to sack the former governor was approved by the NCA.
The English Oxford Dictionary defines a “Banana Republic” as “a small state that is politically unstable as a result of the domination of its economy by a single export controlled by foreign capital.” The derogatory term is often used in political science to refer to politically unstable countries, especially in central America, which rely on one export such as bananas.
Tunisia: “A Fascist Banana Republic?”
The author of Le blog Boukornine added the adjective “Fascist” to the term “Banana Republic” to describe the “new Tunisia.” The author explains his choice [fr]:
“République bananière” parce qu'aucune institution n'est respectée et qu'il n'y a aucune hiérarchisation des décisions et aucun respect de la légalité même des plus hautes sphères du pouvoir.
“Fasciste” envers les TUNISIENS non-musulmans, envers les TUNISIENS athées, les TUNISIENS juifs, chrétiens, agnostiques, déistes, diabétiques, insuffisants rénaux… envers ceux qui ne veulent tout simplement pas jeûner et qui ont tout à fait le droit de se rendre librement dans un café pendant le ramadan ! (…)
From an Olive Country to a “Banana Republic”:
Tunisia, a large producer, and exporter of olives, is now a “Banana Republic”, wrote Ali Gannoun for Tunis Tribune:
Le pays de l'olivier est tout simplement devenu une république bananière ou des singes règnent en maitres et des citoyens qui subissent à longueur de journées les turpitudes d'une bande de malfrats et d'imbéciles…Pauvre Tunisie!
Ennahdha Movement's Photoshopped Logo Version
Source: .tunistribune
Tunis Tribune also published a photoshopped version of Ennhdha Movement logo. Ennahdha presides the current three-party coalition government in Tunisia, and controls more than 40 per cent of the seats in the NCA.
In the photoshopped version, a banana replaces the pigeon, and four other bananas circle the star of the Tunisian flag. Ennhdha Movement (Ennahdha means Renaissance) is replaced by Nakba Movement (Nakba means Catastrophe, and it is usually used to refer to Nakba Day in 1948 during which thousands of Palestinians were displaced from their homes). “Liberty, justice, development” is party's motto. It was replaced by “Bananas, bananas, bananas. Nothing but bananas.”
“Banana Republic” National Anthem:
On YouTube, netizens also shared Banana Republic's national anthem:

author: Afef Abrougui


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Mauritania: A Journalist Behind Bars  · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

Mauritanian journalist Obeid Ould Amegn, whose health is in bad condition [Ar], is still in the central prison of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott. Obeid Ould Amegn, a journalist and an anti-slavery human rights activist, is the vice-president of the Club of Activist Journalists. He also runs the website Initi.
Mauritanian police had arrested Obeid Ould Amegn on April 29, in the capital Nouakchott, after he gave a statement to Al Arabiya TV network  regarding those arrested following a book-burning protest. During that protest, Biram, the President of the Emancipation Initiative Movement, burned Islamic jurisprudence books, which the movement accuses of consolidating slavery, and human trafficking in Mauritania.
The burning protest caused huge controversy among the popular Mauritanian communities. There were anti-burning protests calling for the execution of Biram. There were also protests calling for his release. The latter would always end up by extreme oppression. During the last pro-Biram protest,one person died after choking on tear gas, which the authorities had heavily fired at protesters.
Obeid Ould Amegn- photo source: boutilimit blog
The Club of Activist Journalists condemned the arrest of Obeid Ould Amegn:
إن نادي الصحفيين الحقوقيين:
– يحمل السلطات المسؤولية عن سلامة وصحة الصحفي المعتقل.
– يلفت الانتباه الى المهمة المنوطة بالصحفي الحقوقي الذي من واجبه مواكبة الانشطة التي تقوم بها المنظمات والنشطاء الحقوقيين ونقل الاحداث لحظة بلحظة.
– يهيب نادي الصحفيين الحقوقيين بنقابات وروابط الصحفيين الموريتانيين ومنظمات المجتمع المدني لتحمل مسؤولياتهم تجاه الزميل عبيد المعتقل على خلفية ارائه كصحفي.
– يحذر من وجود ارادة أمنية لتوريط الصحفي عبيد ولد اميجن انطلاقا من آرائه الصحفية او انتاجه الفكري.
– يدعو لتوفير رعية صحية في اسرع وقت ممكن والسماح لذويه بالإطلاع على احواله.
Mauritanian activists have also launched a campaingn to free him:
إن الحملة الدولية لإطلاق سراح الصحفي عبيد ولد إميجن:
– تدعو كل الحقوقيين والصحافيين والمثقفين المواطنين، وكذا الشرفاء في موريتانيا وجميع بلدان العالم، والمتعاطفين مع ” معتقلي الرأي ” لمساند الحملة الدولية لإطلاق الصحفي عبيد ولد إميجن.
Boutilmit Today blog, stood in solidarity with him:
بوتلميت اليوم وهي تنشر هذا الخير تعلن تضامنها مع الزميل عبيد ولد إميجن إبن مدينة بوتلميت وتستنكر التصامم الذي تقوم به نقابة الصحفيين والرابطة واتحاد ا لمواقع الإلكترونية ووووو.
وتطالب بوتلميت اليوم كل الصحفيين الغيوريين علي حرية الكلمة بالتحرك والعمل علي إطلاق سراح عبيد وإعادة الاعتبار له وحقه في حرية التعبير.
Mauritarina blogger, Sidi Ettayeb Ould El-Moujtabu wrote on his blog:
عبيد ولد اميجن..سجين الكلمة الحرة والرأي الحر والفكر الحر..
لست أنت أول صحفي ولا آخره يقبع وراء تلك القضبان المعتمة..
ما أنت بالبدع من الأحرار الذين كتب عليهم أن يدفعوا ثمن حريتهم من أرق الجفون وفراق الأحبة والأهل والرفاق..
كلا يا عبيد.. كلا أيها الرفيق…
The Free Opinion blog also commented on his arrest, and criticised the passive position of the journalists’ union:
ما يثير الريبة في هذا الأمر هو نقابة الصحفيين التي يبدو أنها مادية أكثر منها حريصة علي حماية الصحفيين وحريتهم وضمان سلامتهم بعيدا عن الشخصنة والمواقف المسبقة.
قبل فترة وجيزة تم فصل احد الصحفيين من إحدى المؤسسات فصدرت البيانات المنددة والمتعاطفة والشروع في إطلاق النداءات الدولية لهذا الغرض، لا يمكن بأي حال من الأحوال ألا يتعاطف مع الصحفي المعزول ماموني ولد المختار وألا يندد بذلك، ولكن الا تعتبر هذه المسالة ازدواجية أو انتقائية وان شئت قل عنصرية، فهناك صحفي قرصن موقعه ولم تتكلم النقابة، اعتقل لم تتكلم كذلك، ماذا بقي بعد لتتحرك وتدلي بدلوها في هذا الموضوع.

author: أحمد جدو


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Moldova: Communism – Is It Really Over Now? · Global Voices
Diana Lungu

On June 12, 2012, Moldova’s parliament condemned [ro] the Soviet totalitarian communist regime and prohibited the use of the communist symbols, the hammer and sickle. This move is long overdue, as it comes more than 20 years after Moldova gained independence in 1991. The society is still divided on the issue, however – which is not surprising, considering that between 2001-2009 the country was governed by an overwhelming Communist majority, which lured its electorate with nostalgic Soviet symbols.
Online reactions to the verdict of the Moldovan parliament vary significantly.
Eugeniu Luchianiuc  thinks [ro] that although the symbols of communism have vanished, the conditions in which people live have not improved.
Collage by Eugeniu Luchianiuc, used with permission
Tudor Cojocariu writes [ro]:
From the present we landed in the past, from 2012 back to the 1990s, when all the civilized states started the process of condemning communism, and some even finished it, with lustration, punishment for the criminals and rewards for the heroes.
Bogdan Țîrdea has several questions [ro] and doubts regarding this:
Why is there an interest in prohibiting the communist symbols that belong to the biggest opposition party? Isn’t that a simple political revenge? And isn’t destroying the opposition in itself an example of totalitarianism, intolerance, censorship on the freedom of thinking and expression?
On the other side, Radu Vodă is happy with the parliament’s ruling. He hopes [ro] that,
[…] this day would become an awakening for the conscience of many people who had made a habit out of communist lies, even a pact with the devil. […] For me, knowing the suffering of my parents, this day is a celebration for my soul.
Vitalie Cojocari asked this question [ro] in his blog title: “Who will purge Lenin statues from the heads of the Moldovans?”
He believes that the parliament's decision has been implemented overnight and therefore can have unexpected consequences:
Making illegal the communist symbols represents the beginning, not the end, of the “anticommunist war.” I do not know whether the politicians from Chişinău realize it, but the vote in the parliament has practically opened a Moldovan Pandora's box. Today no one can tell what will happen in Moldova. Where will giving up the hammer and sickle lead to? How will this historical decision manifest itself in the society? And this due to two reasons: first, because the Moldovans have a kind of a nostalgic affection towards the communist symbols; second, everything came unprepared, without prior information, without a large public debate and, very importantly, without an explanation to the masses what these communist symbols mean and meant to the little Moldova.
In the same line of thought, Octavian Racu wonders whether the communism story has come to an end with the parliament's decision. He asks [ro]:
Has anyone wondered why no one is interested in revealing the people who committed serious crimes against humanity during the communist rule? Why was it impossible for the [Law on lustration] to be adopted by any of the parliaments since 1990 onwards?
He went on saying this:
It could very well be that while the parliamentarians were condemning the communist regime, a criminal who had organized [the deportations] and hunger was staying peacefully at home in front of the TV, with a beer in his hand and laughing underneath his moustache, with a medal for “outstanding merits” on his chest, as well as a fat pension. And he is completely happy about “condemning communism” because it does not target or affect him.
Aurelian Lavric warns [ro] that by adopting such a politically driven decision, the gap within the society has deepened. According to him, the Soviet communist crimes will be eternally condemned only when those in power stop using the totalitarian practices and when the Parliament is formed by the people who were not raised during the Soviet totalitarian regime.
Vitalie Vovc regrets [ro] that Moldova has not managed to build a healthy nation during its 20 years of independence:
With the general disaster in the background, yesterday’s decision of the Parliament, which would definitely have been welcomed enthusiastically 20 years ago, now can only cause a sad, ironic smile. Twenty years ago we were poor, but healthy, mentally and physically. Today we are poor and… rotten… Being eaten by the decay… […] In the past 20 years we have raised a generation that knows little besides the anti/pro communist bayonet. What will they do now? With whom will they fight?

author: Diana Lungu


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Morocco: 22-Year-Old Arrested For Posting Cartoons of Prophet Mohammed on Facebook · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

According to online news magazine eMarrakech, a young Moroccan was arrested on Friday in Casablanca on charges of posting “insulting caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed on Facebook.” The accused, whose name has not been disclosed, has, according to local newspapers, published cartoons depicting the Prophet in the form of different animals.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Peru: Graffiti Overshadows Coverage of Anti-Mining Protests · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

During a recent march in Lima against the Conga mining project, the monument to the liberator Jose de San Marin, in the plaza bearing the same name in the historic city center, was defaced with slogans against the government and the mining project.
The march had been called for [es] by the CGTP (General Confederation of Peruvian Workers) to demand dialogue and resolution of the conflict from the Executive Branch, as well as demanding sanctions against those in the government responsible for the deaths that occurred during the protests. The march was carried out simultaneously in Lima and the cities of Arequipa [es], Piura [es], Cusco [es] and Puno [es], among other locations.
Soon the graffiti was described as “vandalism” [es] for undermining the nation's cultural heritage and sanctions [es] against the offenders were called for. In addition it was reported [es] that a “bottle, which could have been used as a Molotov cocktail” was found during the confrontations [es] between the protestors and the police. Since the events were broadcast live on a local cable channel, a daily newspaper later disseminated [es] the faces of the young people responsible for the grafitti, and by the end of the day, 5 protesters were arrested. [es]
This video, uploaded by YouTube user periodismope matches the transmission aired by the cable channel Canal N Lima during the act of graffiting:
[Translator's note: all Twitter references are in Spanish]
On Twitter, Javier Fernández (@javi270270) noted:
@javi270270: Ahora la gran marcha de la Plaza San Martin será reducida por medios a pintas del Monumento a San Martin……
Meanwhile, for Miguel Prialé Ugás (@miguelpriale) what happened was nonsensical:
@miguelpriale: Q necesidad de hacer esto? Manifestantes hicieron pintas al monumento de San Martín en el centro de Lima
Carlos Aguilar (@carlitosilich1) contrasted the reactions to the two occurrences:
@carlitosilich1: Piden sanciones para los que hacen pintas en Plaza San Martin, y para los que matan campesinos en Cajamarca y Espinar piden condecoraciones.
The next day, some council members from the Municipality of Lima, along with CGTP leaders, participated in the clean up of the monument. In the meantime, the young detainees were released [es] after being questioned [es] by the National Police,  who noted [es] that that the real perpetrators of the graffiti had not been detained.
It was also reported that the confrontations in the Plaza San Martin occurred when a group of protesters spurned [es] the presence of members of Movadef (supporters of terrorist leader Abimael Guzmán) at the protest. Human rights activist Rocío Silva Santisteban (@pavese) even tweeted that the graffiti in question had been done by Movadef people:
@pavese: Infiltrados de Movadef pintan monumento, policia los intenta sacar.
Later in her column [es] in a local daily she doesn't stick to that version of events, but she does talk, from her point of view as a witness at the scene, about the confrontations between the young protesters and the members of Movadef: “An outbreak of fighting came towards the monument: it was Movadef people arguing with a group of people. They were thrown out by these young people, but the police immediately came running and everything was chaotic.”
But not everyone agreed with this version. Sociologist Teresa Cabrera disagrees and explains in a note [es] on her Facebook page:
Me interesa señalar que el affaire con MOVADEF se resolvió sin un solo policía, como tiene que ser. Corresponde a los militantes de izquierda y activistas de DDHH marcar su distancia –o no- con organizaciones de prédica pro violencia o pro amnistía. Para hacer eso, no necesitamos a la policía, ni a inteligencia, ni a los soplones. Ni, por cierto, a las ONG’s. Es claro que ni a la fuerza pública ni al periodismo hegemónico le interesa que se haga visible esta distinción. Todo lo contrario.
The YouTube video channel the Biblioteca Marquense [es] shows the young protesters chanting slogans against the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) presence: “Get out Sendero”, “Here, there, the fear is over”, “Gonzalo and Montesinos, the same murderers”, “Lucanamarca–never forgets”, “Murderers”, “Get out Sendero, this isn't your fight” and others.
In spite of this exchange of views about something more important than the graffiti itself, the media attention, and even the blogosphere, was more focused on the graffiti and the young people who did it. For example, in a blog post [es] by Crónicas del Poto there's no shortage of epithets about the youngsters involved in the graffiti and towards the left in general.
estos sujetos se zurraron en todos los peruanos en vivo y en directo y con sus actos demostraron el lado quizás más sincero de la izquierda dogmática, irracional y caviar = Si tu protesta es “justa” no importa que transgredas las leyes, destruyas propiedad privada o pública, amenaces, secuestres e incluso hagas que tu violencia empiece a cobrar vidas (si hay muertos no importa, son mártires útiles para la lucha).
In his blog, journalist Raúl Weiner points [es] to the criminalization of protest and the loss of sense of proportion:
Un factor clave para que los conceptos se distorsionen es el papel de la prensa y el alto grado de concertación con el gobierno y los órganos de represión que se ha armado poco a poco en las últimas semanas. El caso de las pintas en el monumento a San Martín, al margen del aspecto vandálico y de baja cultura que expresa de parte de los autores, no tenía la dimensión criminal que de manera unánime le dieron las estaciones de televisión.
Weiner continues:
Ahí, ninguna [estación de televisión] se equivocó, titubeó o vio otras escenas de la movilización que pudieran interesar al público. Todas se concentraron en las pintadas y en una imagen de un joven que forcejeaba con un policía por el control de una bandera que era descrito como los graves enfrentamientos de la Plaza San Martín. La misma escena se repitió decenas de veces para que creyésemos que todo era un caos. Y todo esto era una mesa servida para que en la noche el presidente deplorara a los antipatrióticos que malogran los monumentos.
The human rights activist Wilfredo Ardito in a post [es] on his blog Reflexiones Peruanas puts things in perspective about the persistent racism in Peruvian society:
los medios de comunicación logran manipular sentimientos y emociones, logrando que muchos limeños desinformados sientan que su bienestar se encuentra amenazado por las protestas contra el proyecto Conga […]
Yo particularmente estaba muy indignado, pues tengo especial afecto hacia la Plaza San Martín… pero era impresionante que muchos otros indignados se encogían de hombros frente a las muertes de Celendín, Bambamarca, Espinar, Sechura, Paita y un largo etcétera. Había también quienes proponían que los autores de las pintas fueran fusilados, incluido un integrante del Serenazgo de Lima. En realidad, también son muchos los limeños de sectores populares que han asumido las prioridades y el racismo de los más privilegiados.
The media are able to manipulate feelings and emotions, making many uninformed Limeños [residents of Lima] feel that their welfare is threatened by the protests against the Conga project […]
I particularly was very angry, because I have a special affection for the Plaza San Martin … but it was impressive that others who were upset at the same time shrugged off the deaths in Celendin, Bambamarca, Espinar, Sechura, Paita, and many more. There were also those who proposed that the perpetrators of the graffiti be shot, including a member of the Municipal Patrol of Lima. In fact, there are many Limeños in certain districts who have assumed the priorities and the racism of the privileged.
Meanwhile, in his blog Arbolaridad, Anahí Vásquez-de-Velasco sarcastically opines about the recent interest by the authorities in the architectural and cultural heritage of the city and their outrage at the attacks against them. He then asks, [es] among other things:
entonces, ¿por qué van a perforar el cerro Puruchuco, que es patrimonio cultural, con dos túneles a nivel del suelo? ¿Por qué la Hacienda Punchauca, lugar relacionado con nuestra independencia, está abandonada? ¿Por qué permiten la venta como terreno de edificios virreinales y republicanos? […]
The economist Silvio Rendón shares his views and more information about the current situation of the Conga project in a post (and video) [es] on his blog Gran Combo Club.
Finally, the July 17 council meeting for the Municipality of Lima did not pass [es] a motion that would declare those who damaged the monument to the Liberator San Martin “persona non grata.”

author: Juan Arellano


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Russia: A Conspiracy Theory Against United Russia in Yaroslavl’s LJ Case · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Writing in the politics-ru LiveJournal community [ru], user oficer2001 [ru] alleges that pat-index, the blogger at the center of the case in Yaroslavl (where LJ was banned by court order), is actually a United Russia member, raising concerns that the Russian authorities are already using state-sponsored trolls to flood the RuNet with illegal material, in order to justify censorship. Oficer2001‘s theory has holes, however. In a June 2007 post [ru], for instance, pat-index slammed United Russia as a “shrewd,” “anti-people” party. Other aspects of oficer2001‘s allegations are similarly questionable.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Russia, Belarus: Medvedev and the “Belarusian Circus” · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

A screenshot of PM Medvedev's Twitter page featuring the Instagram snapshot of the Minsk Circus that he took during his recent visit to Belarus.
During Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Minsk on Wednesday, July 18, he tweeted [ru] an Instagram snapshot with the comment: “In the streets of Minsk.” The problem with the picture is that it portrayed the Belarusian State Circus, which could be interpreted as a tacit comment on Medvedev's meeting with the Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and senior state officials.
Medvedev's visit to Minsk was no courtesy visit. A recent smuggling scandal has aroused much anger in Moscow, and Medvedev used the meeting to bring Lukashenko to account for the export of chemical solvents produced from the Russian supplies of duty-free oil. Another item on the agenda, according to RIA Novosti [ru], was the recent intrusion into Belarusian airspace by a Swedish plane dropping teddy bears with anti-Lukashenko slogans. The bear incident was a major embarrassment for Belarus in view of the two countries’ joint air defence system. As a consequence, a student [ru] who published a photostory about the bears, and a 16-year-old girl [ru], who allegedly took a photo of one of the bears, got arrested by the KGB.
Then, how did social media react to the “Belarusian circus”?
Twitter user @minssk united [ru] the two themes of the circus and the teddies:
Медведев прилетел в Минск, сфоткал цирк. До этого прилетали медведи, тот ещё цирк был, но с фотографом там не хорошая история получилась.
Some, like @Dubovnik_Dmitry, turned to sarcasm [ru] when commenting:
Медведев отметил минский цирк твитом:-) видно для того чтобы подчекнуть куда он приехал.
Twitter user @daphnis_nerii assumed [ru] a more ironic tone:
Информационные порталы страны разместили новость о том, что Медведев сфоткал цирк. Что было бы, если б он в Беларуси в туалет сходил?
Still, as Twitter user @yurok1521 asked [ru], the question on everyone's lips is this:
Медведев намекнул на «цирк» в правительстве Беларуси?
What Medvedev's intention with the tweet was, only he knows, but if it was a joke, it testifies to a certain sense of humour of the former Russian president with the nickname ‘iPhonchik’.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Tajikistan: Young People Learn to Blog · Global Voices
Musharraf

Matrix [ru], a Central Asian youth TV project focusing on Internet and new technologies, has produced a video [ru] about bloggers in Tajikistan. While few Tajiks presently run blogs, some local organizations teach young people how to start blogging.

author: Musharraf


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Wales: The State of Welsh Language Blogging · Global Voices
Ifan Jones

This post is the first in a special Global Voices series on Welsh language and digital media in collaboration with Hacio'r Iaith.
In the 1990s, William Owen Roberts, a Welsh author and playwright, remarked that writing in Welsh is akin to “writing on the edge of catastrophe” (Peripheral Visions, 1995). If that is the case, a Welsh language blogger might be half way off the edge already.
Blogging, like the Welsh language, is considered by some to be in decline. Just as the Welsh language is squeezed from without by English and other global languages, blogs are constantly under threat from the new social media kids on the block – Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and whatever new smart phone and tablet apps might have been invented by the time you read this.
Why blog in Welsh?
Like blogging, the Welsh language used to enjoy the run of the place. The precursor to modern Welsh was once spoken all over the British Isles. Today it is spoken by roughly 20% of the population of Wales, or about 600,000 people, and we wait with bated breath for the results of the next census to see whether that number has gone up or down. All adult Welsh speakers in Wales can also speak English.
Ifan Morgan Jones, Welsh language blogger
Why then blog in Welsh, when you could be Twittering and Facebooking in English, and reaching a far wider audience? One answer is because Welsh language bloggers are writing about Welsh things. My own blog usually either discusses the Welsh language itself, Welsh literature, the Welsh language on the Internet, Welsh music, or Welsh politics.
All of these could be discussed through the medium of English, but it makes sense to discuss Welsh language content in Welsh. Also, by writing in Welsh, I presume that my readers are to a certain degree familiar with what I’m babbling about, and that there is no need to explain everything from the start, as it were, let alone translate.
I’m also aware of my own responsibility, as one of the 600,000 speakers, to promote the use of the language on the internet. It’s also the language in which I feel most comfortable expressing myself. Others, I’m sure, have their own reasons. For instance, there are many Welsh language blogs by learners, who see it as a way of practising their use of the language.
A Welsh language blog
Little communities
Welsh language blogs, to a certain degree, mirror Welsh language communities. All blogs are in truth little communities, within a wider network. The author of the blog might like to think he or she has total control, but the shape and colour of their blog is influenced to a large degree by its followers.
People visit them and leave comments, suggest links, link to them themselves, use them as the basis for their own blogs, vote for them in competitions. An author who attracts many readers may be emboldened to blog more regularly – if no one’s reading, they might well pack it in.
The same thing is true about Welsh language communities in real life – using the language motivates others to use it, organising a music gig or an Eisteddfod (Welsh festival of literature, music and performance) will lead to others being organised, and so on. Like Welsh language communities, the members of the Welsh blogosphere feed off each other’s activity. The more there are, the stronger the community, the more web users will use the Welsh language.
These online Welsh language communities do not, however, exist in a bubble. As well as being part of a community in and of itself, Welsh blogs are a part of countless other clusters. They are part of a wider blogging scene within Wales.
Blogmenai, which is written by a member of the nationalist party Plaid Cymru, is part of a wider political blogosphere. Dylan Llyr’s blog Anffyddiaeth (Atheism) also exists in a community of religious (or irreligious) blogs. His blog often interacts with another English language blog, written by a Welsh speaking atheist who sometimes translates Dylan’s musings for his own followers. Technologies such as Google Translate complicate things further – many Welsh language blogs now feature a button to automatically translate their content into English.
This is reflected in the decision of the Wales Blog Awards this year not to consider Welsh language blogs as their own unique category, as was the case in previous years. Welsh language political blogs will be in the politics section, Welsh language lifestyle blogs will be in the lifestyle section, and so on. That is recognition, I think, not only that Welsh language blogs are good enough to compete against English language blogs on the same platform, but that the Welsh language blogosphere’s influence extends far beyond the boundaries of the language itself.
Is the ‘Golden Age’ of Welsh blogs over?
The ‘golden age’ of the Welsh language blog, as with blogs generally, might well now be over. Partly because we’ve passed the point when new authors were discovering the web and its possibilities for the first time, and partly thanks to the encroachment of Facebook, Twitter and others, where the use of the Welsh language is proving very popular.
However, the number of Welsh blogs are still growing, (there were about 400 on the last count), and they still have their part to play. The format allows for a more in-depth discussion of the topics at hand with like-minded people than the 140 character limit of Twitter and the friendly banter seen on Facebook. Also, there is no pressure on the author of a Welsh language blog to turn to English as there is on the users of Facebook and Twitter, who usually have hundreds of non-Welsh speaking friends and followers to please.
A dying language in a dying medium? I don’t think so. The likes of Facebook and Twitter might well come and go, but the adaptability of blogs mean they will survive. The Welsh language itself has proven to be remarkably resilient, surviving for thousands of years, despite living next door to one of the most powerful and widely-spoken languages on earth. My conclusion is that the Welsh language blogosphere isn’t going anywhere in a hurry.

author: Ifan Jones


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Zambia: New Minimum Wage Pits Employers Against Government · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

From the reaction of various stakeholders, ranging from the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)  to the Zambia Federation of Employers and ordinary citizens (through spoof letters stating new conditions of service for the domestic servants)  who, before the new policy came into effect, could afford to employ domestic help, the minimum wage effected on 4 July 2012, is arguably one of the most controversial policies of the 10 months old Patriotic Front (PF) government.
Labour Minister, Fackson Shamenda, a former president of the ZCTU, without prior notice in early July 2012, issued a Statutory Instrument stipulating the minimum wage payable to domestic servants, shop workers and other general workers, all at different levels.
A mock up of a locked pot to stop unauthorised people accessing it. Picture courtesy of BEMBA vs NYANJA: MIPONTO SHA CIMBUYA Facebook page.
Reads the spoof letter in part:
Due to the current economic situation, since the government has insensibly decided to increase the minimum wage for domestic workers to K522, 000, all domestic rules and regulations have been revised as below and under no circumstances is any violation going to be accepted.
1. The kitchen and all pantries are declared restricted zones. Entry and/or passage shall require express permission from me upon submission of written request.
2. Breakfast and lunch is banned. This matter cannot be discussed. You are allowed to come with your own mealie meal, relish and charcoal, you are also welcome to use the brazier […]
Part of the Statutory Instruments states:
This issue has divided Zambian netizens on citizen media and social network sites, those for and those against it, in equal measure. Commenting on the Zambian Reports story, Employer writes:
I have 22 employees and just left my calculator.For our business to survive I need to reduce the workforce by half. Otherwise we are doomed!If we keep this workforce and pay them according to statutory no.45 to 47 we close shop definitely.I personally think a modality of identifying infant businesses and waver given should have taken into consideration.
Feasibility studies to would be investors will definitely be harmed.
Don’t get me wrong I am not saying workers do not deserve decent salaries but some businesses are just too small to sustain such type of salaries.
On a story on which the president of one of the union mother bodies, the Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia, Joyce Nonde, is urging employers to pay the minimum wage, tombolilo wrote:
Here is an idea. When you have alot of clothes to wash and dont have a washing machine, look for a day maid. Someone to wash you clothes and do your laundry. The same can be done when you need major cleaning of your homes. If you feel that you really need a maid, then pay and stop exploiting these poor people. Minimum wage is everywhere and in more developed countries, there is something called a salary benchmark (if we dont have salary benchmarks, then we should ask what the statistics office is doing) for people of different careers. If you as an individual feel your employer is exploiting you, then get a benchmark and explain. This is the law and the labour office is taking a positive move.
A counter argument from a reader calling himself The Chief, states:
Well said Mrs. Nonde but what about the many retirees and people selling salaula [second hand clothes] on our streets who employ other people to [s]ell on their behalf? What about the countless Nthembas [informal/corner shops] which employ many people and may only have capital of K3,000,000? This pronouncement needed broader consultation so that we should know which firms have the capacity to pay these new wages. Although most wages are low, but half or even quarter of a loaf is better than nothing
Answering a question in parliament, Vice President Dr Guy Scot said:
What we have done as Government is the right thing, if we hadn’t created the jobs, people would still be complaining and so we are doing the right thing and I want to assure you that there will be no job losses following the changes we have made to the minimum wage.
The PF, as an opposition party, promised more money in people’s pockets, jobs and a whole lot of political and economic changes within 90 days of assuming office
Shamenda, on Crossfire BlogTalk Radio, defended the introduction of the minimum wage saying that some people earned up to an equivalent of US$15,000 but found it hard to pay just US$100 to their domestic hands.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Colombia: A Lab for Social Sciences · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Blogger Luis Ángel Pérez writes about wanting to create a lab for Social Sciences, just like there are labs for chemistry or physics. He imagines the lab [es] with many sofas and good music. “Social Sciences are about our home and its history,” he concludes.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Colombia: #Yodigoaquiestoy, a Tool for Denouncing Child Labor · Global Voices
Silvia Vinas

[All links lead to Spanish-language sites unless otherwise noted]
Child labor in Latin America is not a new problem. In 2009, at Global Voices we published a series of posts [en] on child labor [en] in the region; more recently, in 2011 we tackled the issue of child workers [en] in Bolivia, and this year we reported about child labor in sugar cane fields in Guatemala [es].
On July 4, 2012, Paula Gonzalo wrote a piece for website Periodismo Ciudadano (“Citizen Journalism) entitled “#Yodigoaquiestoy: una herramienta para denunciar el trabajo infantil en #Colombia” (“#Yodigoaquiestoy [I say I am here]: a tool for denouncing child labor in #Colombia”) where she describes an initiative to put an end to child labor in Colombia with the help of citizens.
We hereby reproduce Paula Gonzalo's post which falls under the Creative Commons license for Attribution – Non Commercial 3.0 Spain (CC BY-NC 3.0).
“Yo Digo Aquí Estoy” (“I say I am here”) is the title of an interesting project by Fundación Telefónica which aims to put an end to child labor in Colombia, counting on citizen participation. More than 1,800,000 children work in this country and more than 90% of them are not identified as such. That's why [the creators of Yo Digo Estoy Aquí] have decided to set up a tool to locate and identify these children so as to give them the opportunity to have a better future.
This application can be downloaded either on your mobile phone or on your computer in order to report about and denounce such kind of situation in three quite simple ways. The first step is to localize the child in a geolocalized information map, created thanks to the Ushahidi software, in which should be included as much information as possible, including photos of the child in question. All this data is stored in a database which will allow tackling the problem of child labor in a more efficient way. The police receive this information so that they can intervene and get the child to leave the job and join school.
“Every time you see a child working, active this application and denounce child labor in three simple steps.”
Then there is the Twitter hashtagh #yodigoaquiestoy, so you can also report by tweeting and using this hashtag. Finally you can join the “Aquí Estoy” community and register to collaborate more closely with this initiative.
In these videos you can take a closer look at the work that has been carried out through this initiative so as to succeed in relocating these children so they can have a different childhood. Many of these children have left the street thanks to citizen involvement and participation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54c_aAMNpT8&feature=player_embedded

author: Silvia Vinas


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Hungary: Community News Site Takes On Neglected Fire Hydrants · Global Voices
Atlatszo.hu

Dávid Fáber is the founder of nagykovácsi.net [hu], a community news site of Nagykovácsi, a small town in Hungary's Pest County. The fire that broke out on March 28 on the local Kutya mountain mobilized not only the firefighters, but users of nagykovacsi.net’s forum as well. Below is the interview with Mr. Fáber, who started the Nagykovácsi Citizen Fire Hydrant Task Force.
Global Voices (GV): How did you learn about the fire?
Dávid Fáber (DF): I live and work in Nagykovácsi, so I have good networks to obtain information. As a founder of nagykovacsi.net, I have written many articles covering many topics since the website was started in 2010. On March 28, an acquaintance called me on the phone saying the protected forest caught fire on the Kutya mountain. By the time I got there volunteers had already located the possible places where water could be obtained to extinguish the fire, and they didn’t allow ‘disaster tourists’ there, they didn’t allow me in, either. By talking to the firefighters and members of the neighbourhood watch I learned that the fire was not the only problem, there was also a problem with the fire hydrants, since among the many local fire hydrants there wasn’t a single one that worked.
On the route of the fire fighting vehicles the tenders and syringes could have been loaded but although they should have worked, four of the hydrants on this route were out of order. The only working fire hydrant was in a narrow street, so the rushing firefighters had to stand in line in order to load the water. In addition to this, the old tenders without power steering got stuck in the narrow turn. This freaked me out.
GV: It’s strange that so many fire hydrants didn’t work… Were they intentionally damaged?
Dávid Fáber, the founder of nagykovacsi.net
DF: I don’t think so, though there are cases when the cap is stolen from the top. There were three underground fire hydrants nearby, but those didn’t work either. There was no pressure, no water in them. Those would be very hard to damage and it's not even worth it. The situation disturbed me very much–what if the fire extinguisher doesn’t work in our street either when it’s needed? Then I announced the start of the Nagykovácsi Citizen Fire Hydrant Task Force [hu] on the website.
GV: You were inviting people to join some special tactical unit?
DF: Exactly! I asked the 400 registered users of the site and the 600 followers on Facebook to locate the fire hydrants in their street and take a photo of them.
GV: Was it easy to convince the local residents that they should join a community data gathering?
DF: Why the many phones and cameras in our pockets if not for using them for causes that also benefit the community! The photos arrived fast, we covered 60-70 percent of the local fire hydrants in three weeks. With this great enthusiasm the locals not only collected the photos but we started to fill a spreadsheet online about the fire hydrants. We went to town with a core team of five members on bicycles and on foot, and we registered on the spreadsheet the accurate location and many details about the fire hydrants, we took photos from many directions.
Public fire hydrant covered by a lilac in bloom. Photo by Dávid Fáber, used with permission.
GV: How can you see if a fire hydrant doesn’t work?
DF: You can’t see that, but there are some characteristics that can be checked and those tell if it is maintained or not. To see clear I talked to producers of fire hydrants, to firefighters and I researched the regulations and laws related to this. There are 10-15 spots that even a layman can check. This can be done by everyone. We successfully located all of the local fire hydrants and compared that with the official list which in the meantime I obtained through a freedom of information request.
GV: To whom did you file the request and what kind of data did you ask for?
DF: The municipality owns 51 percent of the NVK [a local water supplier company], so I filed a freedom of information request and I received the annual reports of NVK with all the annual and biannual maintenance reports, invoices and completion certificates of certain fire hydrants that were set up in 2011. Interestingly, I was not given the right to access the maintenance reports of the fire hydrants, so I requested the help of the National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information [hu], the investigation is under progress. Comparing [the documents] with our database I observed many strange things. For example, in 2010 and 2011 the number of fire hydrants was much higher in the maintenance reports than in the annual business reports of NVK.
GV: This could be an administrative mistake, couldn’t it?
DF: It could be but quite serious if it is so. The local water supplier company should send the fire hydrant database in the form of an official documentation to the fire service in charge of the area. The Task Force located 240 fire hydrants, but 30-40 of those are in a very problematic condition. Some of them are obviously out of order.
Photo by nagykovacsi.net's user Zord. CC BY-NC-SA 2.5
GV: Can you determine that as well?
DF: If, for example, a fire hydrant is sunk [in the ground] to its drainage aperture then the hose can’t be connected to it, that’s for sure. As I was doing the research, it turned out that there were fires in Nagykovácsi earlier [hu] and the work of the firefighters was slowed down because the hydrants weren’t properly maintained. […]
Moreover, allegedly this is a national fire protection problem, many water suppliers set the fire hydrants up, but for some reason they forget about the biannual, annual maintenance required by the law. In Budapest, the mayor István Tarlós could negotiate at the acquisition of the [water supplier company of the capital] because, according to a research, 20 percent of the fire hydrants in Budapest were out of order. The National Directorate for Disaster Management could impose a fine for this. Just imagine that at a fire fighting operation the water obtained late or slowly, or its mere lack is a serious danger to people, to private and public property.
The situation observed by the Fire Hydrant Task Force was so severe that I decided to turn to the National Directorate for Disaster Management [hu] with the case, since turning to the competent authority is the most I can do as a citizen, they investigate my suspicion and, if needed, they take the proper steps in the case. In order to do this, I sent all the photos, the Excel databases, the related regulations and the inconsistencies found in the maintenance reports to the Directorate.
GV: What happened in the case so far?
DF: The competent National Directorate for Disaster Management has been very slow-almost using all their 30 days provided by the law–to allegedly do a general fire protection investigation in which they determined that the documents at the water supplier company are all right. But when conducting random investigations of the fire hydrants, they found some that were last maintained in 2010. So the Directorate ordered to conduct a pressure test on each fire hydrant in the town. I received a letter about all this consisting of five sentences, it informs me neither about who and when will conduct these investigations, nor about whether any fine was imposed. The information it contains hardly reaches the obligatory minimum.
I filed a freedom of information request, asking for their lists of fire hydrants back till 2006, so I could compare those with my data. But I also asked them, since it was a citizen initiative, to conduct the whole investigation as transparently as possible, to share all the details that the law allows them to publish. This happened more than 35 days ago and I haven’t received any answer related to this from them.
I keep on fighting because I find it ridiculous that 8-10 citizens do a work in a week that fire protection companies conduct for 1-1.5 million HUF, and they send [the results] on a DVD containing ca. 1 GB data to the competent authority. And then a national authority which should serve the protection of the citizens takes so lightly such a case, in which critical infrastructures with a serious role in securing private property, implemented from public money but maintained by private companies, are neglected and carelessly spoiled.
This interview, by Csaba Madarász, was published in Hungarian on June 22, 2012, on atlatszo.hu. Since then the Directorate has informed Mr. Fáber that their progress is slow because they have to obtain many documents for the investigation, which takes a long time because there are 250 public fire hydrants in Nagykovácsi. By this week, a committee consisting of members of the Directorate and representatives of the water supplier company and the municipality started an investigation in the town.
The photos taken by the Nagykovácsi Citizen Fire Hydrant Task Force are published on nagykovacsi.net and indafoto.hu.


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India: Female Gendercide in Western Countries · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rita Banerji interviews Indo-Canadian and feminist artist Soraya Nulliah, who comments that everything the campaign against female gendercide in India addresses is happening to Indian women in Western countries as well.

author: Rezwan


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Jordan: Orphans Sit-in Attacked  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Ali Al Hasani blogs about the brutal crackdown on a protest by orphans in Amman, Jordan.  “They were protesting their horrible living conditions and how the Jordanian government classifies them in a different social security number then the normal Jordanian citizens,” he writes.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Malawi: Joyce Banda’s 100 Days in Office Amidst Controversy · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Malawian president Joyce Banda became Africa's second female head of state after Liberia's president following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Her first task was to rebuild confidence with major international donors who had lost confidence in Bingu's government because of his human rights and governance record. Ulemuteputepu  writes in his blog:
Since she took over the power, The Iron lady as she is called changed many of her predecessor's policies and laws which had cost the country much needed foreign aid.
Joyce Banda  speaking at the DFID conference in 2010. Photo shared on Flickr by DFID under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Vyaya highlights the main achievements of President Joyce Hilda Banda on the economic and diplomatic fronts:
If within 100 days someone can be able to say I have removed fuel cues which was the biggest problem in Malawi and Bingu with God all completely FAILED to deal with. The improved forex can not go without giving credit. The black market is almost gone. Improved relations with our donors and neighbours is a big foreign policy issue. …
The blogger adds further:
Bringing back media freedom is big plus which Bingu muzzled. You [could] even be arrested for taking pictures of 5 bed roomed houses. Democracy the way we fought for it in 1992 is back. THUMBS UP JB !!! Just look into security issue more seriously.
Less than 2 months after assuming office, she succeeded in normalizing relationship with Britain and received the UK International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell. Jonny Williamson writes a post on africanbusinessreview.co.za about Mitchell's visit:
The statement, made by the International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, during his visit to the state, marks a new partnership between Britain and Malawi’s new President Joyce Banda. Britain had suspended direct aid donations to the government of Malawi last year due to concerns regarding the economic management and governance of former President Bingu wa Mutharika, who died last month.
The US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which froze assistance in July 2011 following security crackdown on protestors. resumed programs in Malawi in June 2012.
Nileshzimbio writes on zimbio.com:
The suspension, which coincided with aid freezes from other governments including Britain, Malawi's biggest donor, exacerbated an already acute dollar shortage, sending the economy into a spiral. However, the MCC said on Friday the change of direction on human rights and economics under new President Joyce Banda – southern Africa's first female head of state – meant the programme should resume.
Few days before her 100 days into office, Banda officially launched the Feed the Future Initiative. nyasatimes.com reveals that:
The new initiative, one of US President Barack Obama’s flagships, aims to support the government and people of Malawi to achieve and enhance food security and agricultural diversification.
successful business woman, she has also been generous to the needy and through her Joyce Banda Foundation and Hilda Mtila Foundation has supported various institutions. Faceofmalawi.com says:
During the 100 days she has been in office, the President among other donations, dished out about K4 million to Maula prison, K2 million to Boxing Association and K1.5 million to Red Cross Society and scholarships.
A feature under the title “Malawians debate Joyce Banda’s first 100 days in Office” published on nyasatimes.com provoked many comments.
Please our president should change this old policy that banks shouldn't own or invest in properties…. Let them build modern shopping malls,more buildings in our empty space City centre in Lilongwe
Also commenting the same feature,  asks:
…. Malawi’s main forex earner is tobacco. It’s an open secret that there’s a global anti-smoking campaign which eventually will make tobacco less marketable and hence less and less forex for us. What strategies has JB got to mitigate against such a scenario? Talk of the fertiliser subsidy program, is the current K500 price sustainable in the medium and long term? Have we got an exit strategy for the subsidy?
While recognizing Banda's merits, Faceofmalawi reports opinions of eminent malawians on the necessity of her declaration of asset:
A political Scientist Henry Chingaipe said in an interview yesterday that it was important for the president to make her wealth known to the public. “If the president has not yet declared her assets, it’s important to do so because it’s the law that mandates her to declare the assets,” he said.
The post quotes also Law professor Edge Kanyongolo as saying:
Kanyongolo said it was important for the president to ensure that the Constitution is obeyed at all times. Malawi Watch Executive Director Billy Banda also asked the president to make her assets known to the public.
Another issue is the discrepancy between the small amount of money spent for the celebrations of the 48th independance day and the amount spent for Banda's 100th day in office. More importantly, malawitoday.com informs that:
Some NGOs have expressed worry that Malawi President Joyce Banda’s administration has taken the same path of using the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to target political opponents.
It is true that corruption is so prevalent in many African countries. It is difficult to find an official who has held important positions in government and other public positions keeping hands clean. But several heads of state in Africa, Banda being one of them, are accused by civil societies of using anti corruption bodies to settle political and personal grievances with people considered undesirable.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Mexico: Combating Water Crisis by Climbing Mountains · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The Challenge is to raise awareness about the water and sanitation crisis all over the world and raise money to ensure safe water for people. The founder of Challenge 21, Jake Norton, means to do this by climbing the top of the 3 highest peaks in each continent and the next couple of videos allow us to look into how he's doing.
Recently he climbed to the summit of the 3rd tallest peak in North America, Pico de Orizaba in Mexico. Josh Wolff documented the climb, his first ever, through a video documentary and a post on the Gadling travel blog.
My most recent adventure brought me to the border of Puebla and Veracruz states in Mexico in order to attempt to summit the third highest peak (18,500 feet) in North America and the highest peak in Mexico, the stratovolcanic Pico de Orizaba.
This wasn't just any ordinary climb. In addition to the altitude, there was also a cause. Mountaineering pro Jake Norton and the Challenge 21 team are attempting to climb the 21 highest peaks of the world, all in the name of clean water and sanitation for the world's neediest. It's one of the most pressing issues of our time. Wanting to push myself, and to do so for a good cause, I signed up to join Jake in Mexico.
With 7 peaks already conquered, including Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Stanley as well as the 3 North American peaks, the 3 to 4 year-long project is well off on its way. The Challenge 21's YouTube channel has several videos of the Everest expedition, such as several ones showing sanitation facilities a the Everest Base Camp. On the website more information about the expeditions is available as well as links to make donations to the Water for People organization and social media links to follow the project's progress.
Expeditions undertaken by Jake Norton and Challenge21 are completely funded by outside sources. In other words, any money donated to Water For People will go completely, 100% to Water For People and their programs around the world. No funds donated through Challenge21 to Water For People will go to underwriting the cost of the expeditions or any other aspect of Challenge21.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Morocco: Mc Donald’s Won’t Serve Muslim Adults During Ramadan · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

An image of a sign in a Mc Donald's restaurant in Casablanca has been circulating among Moroccan netizens today. The sign reads, “Notice to our customers. During Ramadan, only children and non-Muslims can be served in the restaurant. All other orders will be served strictly for carry-out.”


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Palestine: Remembering Political Cartoonist Naji Al Ali  · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

Today, [July, 22] marks the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Palestinian political cartoonist Naji Al Ali, famous for his criticism of Arab autocratic regimes and Israel.
” 25 years over the assassination of Naji Al Ali”
photo: Facebook Page Handala
Al Ali was born in Al-Shajara village in either 1936 or 1937. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, which resulted in the creation of the State of Israel, Al Ali was among hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to be expelled from their homes. With his family, he moved to a refugee camp in Southern Lebanon.
On this same day in 1987, Al Ali was shot in the face in London. As a result, he spent five weeks in a coma before passing away.
On this 25th anniversary, netizens from Palestine, and the entire Arab region have been paying tribute to Al Ali, by sharing his caricatures and quotes.
Handala:
Handala writing on the wall: “Revolution until Victory”
Caricature by Naji Al Ali
Handala is undeniably Naji Al Ali's timeless star. Through Handala, Al Ali criticized and ridiculed Arab leaders, and societies, Israel, and US involvement in the Arab region.
Twitter user Yousef M. Aljamal tweeted Naji Al Ali's quotes on Handala. Here are some of these tweets:
@YousefAljamal:
“I drew him as a child who is not beautiful; his hair is like the hair of a hedgehog who uses his thorns as a weapon”, #Handala #NajiAlAli
@YousefAljamal: “His hands are clasped behind his back as a sign of rejection at a time when solutions are presented to us the American way.” #Handala
@YousefAljamal: “Handala was born ten years old, and he will always be ten years old.”
@YousefAljamal:
“At that age, I left my homeland, and when he returns, Handala will still be ten, and then he will start growing up”
@YousefAljamal:”The laws of nature do not apply to him. He is unique. Things will become normal again when the homeland returns.”
@YousefAljamal: “I presented him to the poor and named him Handala as a symbol of bitterness.”
@YousefAljamal: “At first, he was a Palestinian child, but his consciousness developed to have a national, global and human horizon.”
Timeless Caricatures:
Handala turning his back to the viewer. At the grave “I think therefore I am” is written. Another immortal Caricature by Naji Al Ali- shared by twitter user @CultureofFear
Al Ali might be dead, but his caricatures have proved to be immortal, and timeless.
Over the years, Handala has stood as a symbol for Palestinian resistance and the right to return.
@occupytheory: #Handala continues resisting / حنظلة لا يزال يقاوم / #OWS #globalsolidarity #Syria #Egypt #Palestine #Bahrain #Yemen #Libya #Tunisia #Greece
The 10-year-old boy also stands by the side of ordinary Arabs.
Mohamed Diaa from Egypt tweets:
#Handala was reflecting the suffering of Arab people under the dictatorship regimes. RIP #NajiAlAli
Who Killed Naji Al Ali?
It is still unknown who assassinated Al Ali, but there have been speculations about the involvement of Israel.
@NadeenR: tweeted:
#Israel is not afraid of those holding a weapon as much as of those holding a pen. RIP Naji Al Ali. #Palestine
However, Al Ali did not only criticize Israel. Criticism of autocratic Arab rulers, and the Palestine Liberation Organization were common themes in his cartoons.
“He criticized everyone, I was told, Israelis, the PLO [The Palestine Liberation Organization] , Arab regimes. No one knows who killed him. Everyone had reason”, said comics artist and journalist Joe Sacco on Naji Al Ali in the introduction for the book A Child in Palestine.
The world may never know who was behind the assassination of Naji Al Ali, but the world will always remember him, and his imperishable character, Handala.
For more information about Naji Al Ali, and his work in English, check out this PDF document prepared by Arab American artist Fayeq Oweis.


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Peru: Court Reduces Sentence for Members of Death Squad · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

On Friday, July 20, 2012, the Peruvian Supreme Court announced its decision to shorten from 25 to 20 years the imprisonment sentence for top members of the Colina Group, a death squad involved in human rights violations. They were also acquitted of having committed crimes against humanity.
Javier Villa Stein, president of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court, stated that the decision to remove the verdict of crimes against humanity was based [es] on the fact that the accused “did not perpetrate their crimes in the form of a widespread attack as established in the Statute of Rome, in force in Peru since 2003″. However, this was immediately met by a series of reactions, mainly against the decision.
Victims of La Cantuta, killed by the Colina group. Photo from Flickr user The Advocacy Project, used under license CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
For example, Avelino Guillén, former prosecutor in the case against former President Alberto Fujimori, declared [es] his outrage for the ruling, whilst the Justice Minister called [es] the decision “a shame”. The lawyer Gloria Cano of Aprodeh, a pro-human rights charity, declared [es] she was unhappy and disgruntled at the ruling. And Gisela Ortiz, representative of the victims of the La Cantuta operation stated [es] that the ruling was an insult to the victims’ memory.
President Ollanta Humala rejected [es] the decision and assured citizens that it would be appealed. The Supreme Court's decision has caused concern over the precedent it could set for the proceedings of former President Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a sentence precisely for crimes against humanity. According to [es] Carlos Rivera, lawyer for the Institute of Legal Defence (IDL), the ruling [es] “opens a political path to provide any sorts of benefits”.
The local twittosphere saw reactions mainly of surprise and indignation, such as the psychologist Jorge Bruce (@jotabruce) [es], who states:
@jotabruce: Una colina de vergüenza e impunidad. Nunca hay que bajar la guardia.
The journalist Zarella Sierra (@ZarellaSierra) [es] shares links to the ruling:
@ZarellaSierra: Aquí sentencia que favorece al Grupo Colina ow.ly/copP3 / ow.ly/copPX / ow.ly/copQu #DDHH
While Twitter user @primerafuente [es] declares:
@primerafuente: Los Terroristas de SL y los Asesinos de Colina. No los queremos libres. Ni los Colina, ni los SL, libres. Todos adentro para siempre.
And the user Paco Yonki (@pacoyonqui) [es] also showed his surprise:
@pacoyonqui: Aguanta, leo y no lo creo… Días después de conmemorarse 20 años de La Cantuta, soltarán a los “Colina”?
The magazine Número Zero (@numerozero) [es] shares the opinion of human rights activist Rocio Silva S.:
@numerozero: @pavese sobre fallo a Colina: Estoy indignada. Contradice sentencia a Fujimori por tema de autoría mediata yfrog.com/oe7sljgwj
Among the first bloggers to comment on the Supreme Court's decision were the writers of ¿Estamos jodidos? (“Are we done for?”), who declare [es]:
La reducción de la pena de 25 a 20 años de los miembros del grupo Colina, grupo paramilitar del gobierno de Fujimori y del que por todos es sabido cometieron crímenes aberrantes, es un hecho no sólo indignante, es hundir al país en el fondo de la más oscura ignominia pues la traducción de esto es que en el Perú la corrupción, el crimen y la impunidad son más valiosos que la vida humana y la democracia.
The blog Salvaje Digital writes sarcastically [es]:
El Grupo Colina ya sabe a quién saludará el próximo año en el Día del Amigo. Y el de la DIROES, Alberto Fujimori, ya sabe que tiene asegurada la carne chamuscada para celebrar su cumpleaños. […] Definitivamente estas Fiestas Patrias no se tiñen de rojo y blanco. Solo de rojo sangre. Y de olor a kerosene
And in the blog Pensamiento y Productos, Saúl Mandujano speaks [es] about the role and example of the Judicial Power in the country:
El mensaje de Villa Stein es más claro que el agua. Puedes asesinar a cualesquier ciudadano peruano y te reducirán las penas siempre que lo hayas hecho a favor del estado reaccionario, caduco, pervertido y degenerado, haciendo ver a los actos de “justicia” como simples leguleyadas similares a los relacionados a robos comunes y corrientes.
There are already Facebook events against the ruling. “Vigil – No to impunity – Colina Group no more!!!” [es], organised by Movimiento Peru Diverso [es] and others, is one of them. This vigil was scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 21 from 6pm in the centre of Lima (Plaza Francia). Another event is “Sit-in against freedom of the Colina members” [es], organised by Basta De Impunidad Cci [es], this event will take place on Monday, July 23 at 6.30pm in front of the Palace of Justice.
For more reactions visit this Storify by Gerardo Cárdenas: “Sentence reduced for Colina Group, crimes against humanity verdict removed” [es].


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Russia: Lawmakers Consider Taxing Certain Bloggers · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

There are indications that Russian lawmakers might soon consider levying a tax [ru] on bloggers who profit from advertisements on their sites. Blogger Oleg Kozyrev [ru] argues that such a crackdown could backfire on the Kremlin, as pro-government RuNet “trolls” could then be compelled to report illicit income received from the state coffers.


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Russia: The Denver Cinema Shooting As A Case for Gun Rights in Russia · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Anti-Kremlin blogger Vladislav Naganov responded to this week's shooting in a Denver, Colorado, movie theater by arguing [ru] that American gun violence proves the need for expanded gun rights in Russia, explaining that “gun-free zones,” such as “schools, college campuses, and large stores,” are left defenseless against armed madmen because citizens are forbidden to carry firearms into these spaces.


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Tajikistan: Senior National Security Official Killed · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Abdullo Nazarov, a one-star general in the State Commitee for National Security – successor to the Soviet-era KGB – was murdered yesterday in southeastern Tajikistan. Jasur Ashurov tweets [ru] angrily: “How? Tell me, HOW is this possible? If generals are killed so easy, can we really talk about [law] and order in [Tajikistan]?”

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Armenia: Human Rights Record Scrutinized at UN · Global Voices
Liana Aghajanian

Following the fire bombing of a LGBT friendly bar and high profile incidences of gender-based violence, Armenia's human rights record  was scrutinized by the United Nations Human Rights Committee earlier this week in Geneva, 14 years after its last consideration before the committee in 1998. Armenia is just one of the 167 state parties that has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
While the two day dialogue sought to address questions regarding the March 2008 post-election violence and corruption in the South Caucasus country's judiciary, much of the committee's focus was concentrated on the treatment of Armenia's LGBT community. Armenia's delegation reportedly largely ignored the LGBT issue during questioning.
@HRHFoundation: Amazingly, #Armenia's delegation addresses everything but #LGBT rights. Something they don't want to talk about it seams [sic]… #ArmCCPR
@Lara_Aha: #LGBT people are discriminated against publicly and the government says it's freedom of expression…quest by committee #ArmCCPR #Armenia #UN
@HRHFoundation: #Armenia general climate is such that #LGBT people are targeted, including by police and political parties #humanRightsCommittee #ArmCCPR
Though Armenia decriminalized homosexuality in 2003 and signed several historic agreements to eradicate discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, marginalization of the LGBT community has regularly occurred since, both in Armenia and among its well spread out diaspora.
@pinkarmenia: #Armenia says we have signed several international documents for LBGT rights and they are protected by state #UN #ArmCCPR
The latest incident in May saw downtown Yerevan bar DIY firebombed by members of a growing neo-nazi movement in the country. A popular safe haven for patrons of diverse backgrounds, it also attracted members of Armenia's LGBT community who often remain in the shadows for fear of retribution. Though the government did not put out any statement on the attacks, several high profile elected officials spoke in favor of the bombing and praised the two men arrested in connection with it.
@unzippedblog: If Armenia condemns all kind of discrimination, what about parliament deputy speaker Sharmazanov encouraging anti gay violence? ArmCCPR
@mmkarmenia: @pinkarmenia in fact Armenia always fail to protect #LGBT rights, remember the recent actions in May and not only! #UN #ArmCCPR
@Lara_Aha:  if they condemn all kind of discrimination, why didn't they have an official statement condemning the recent DIY attacks? #ArmCCPR
Alyn Smith, an openly gay SNP Member of the European Parliament criticized Armenia on his website for failing to protect the rights of its LGBT community, pointing out that Armenia's poor human rights record hinders its potential chance  for EU membership.
“If Armenia wants to join that organisation of nations and take advantage of all the benefits that brings then it will have to start coming up with some advances in rights protections…I realise that recognising same-sex partnerships is a big step for any nation – look at the long and winding road we've walked and are walking in Scotland – but there are steps that really are basics for simple decency in the modern Europe.”
In a note on its Facebook page, the Women's Resource Center of Armenia included the Committee's concluding report which stated that “explanations from the State regarding measures currently undertaken to protect the human rights of these vulnerable individuals were noticeably sparse.”
Armenia's neighbors in and around the Caucasus haven't fared too well when it comes to protecting LGBT rights either. An Amnesty International blogpost recently awarded ‘medals’ to Georgia, Turkmenistan and Russia among others in the “Homophobia Olympics.”

author: Liana Aghajanian


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Bahrain: Elderly Men Arrested for “Protecting Women” from Police  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011/12.
The elderly are not immune to arrest for taking part in “unlicensed” protests in Bahrain, where demonstrations should be sanctioned by the state. According to netizens, two elderly men were arrested for “protecting women from the police” in the village of Karzakan.
Photojournalist Mazen Mahdi complains about the arrests. He tweets:
@MazenMahdi: The 2 elderly men they arrested in #karzakan yesterday .. Do they even know by arresting them they confirm targeting of right to assembly?
@MazenMahdi: The 2 represent no threat to national security .. They are not armed .. And they didn't attack anyone
@MazenMahdi: Arresting them and calling them law breakers only make those holding them still as abusers of the law – ask Timoney :)
Abdulmajeed, an elderly man arrested in Bahrain reportedly for defending women. Photograph shared on Twitter by @yassmha
John Timoney is the former controversial Miami Department Chief (Google Timoney+Lexus), who is now a special security adviser in Bahrain. Netizens routinely use social media to vent off about the heavy-handedness of the security forces, sharing videos and photographs of the atrocities committed against protesters. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are the only means of sharing such stories as local news media outlets are either government owned or controlled – or heavily censored.
On Twitter, Mohamed Almakna shares a link to a video on YouTube showing the elderly men, named as Abdulmajeed and Mohammed, apparently arguing with armed and masked security forces. They are reportedly “defending women” [from harassment or arrest] in the village of Karzakan, before their own arrest.
Almakna tweets:
@Almakna: Video of arresting the elderly Abdulmajeed and Mohamed when they stood to defend women in Karzakan http://fb.me/1vNsVdhhB #Bahrain
He further explains:
@Almakna: News that the elderly Abdulmajeed has been arrested today! Abdulmajeed is one of the faces that are seen in all protests #Bahrain
@Almakna: Elderly Abdulmajeed is the true definition of “Steadfast” in cold or hot weather he's always taking part of pro-freedom protests #Bahrain
At the time of writing this post, it is not known whether Abdulmajeed and Mohammed have been released.
Anti-government protests started in Bahrain on February 14, 2011. In March that same year, the movement was crushed when Saudi forces entered the country. Thousands of people, including professionals like doctors and teachers, were sacked from their jobs. Many of them were also jailed. The Pearl Roundabout, where the main protests were staged, was razed and a junction [which has been turned into a military zone which is still closed to traffic] was built in its place. Sporadic protests continue in villages and are attacked and contained by security forces. Almost 90 people have died in the unrest.
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011/12.


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Brazil/Portugal: Homophobia and the “Apparent Invisibility” of LGBT · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

On the blog No que tange, Maycon Lopes shares [pt] his experiences of being a homosexual in Brazil, where homophobia “motivates terrible killings”, and compares to situations he faced while living in Portugal for a year: “Portuguese society isn't violent […] however gays aren't so on sight”. He felt an “apparent invisibility” of LGBT in the country.

author: João Miguel Lima


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Colombia: Scientific Community Concerned Over Resignation of Top Official · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Jaime Restrepo Cuartas [es], director of the Administrative Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Colciencias, resigned [es] late June to his post. Mr Restrepo, former president of the University of Antioquia and representative to the House (2006-2010), was one of the sponsors of the law 1286 of 2009 [es], which promoted Colciencias from a section of the National Planning Department (DNP) to an administrative department (a “quasi-Ministry”) and issued a new policy for  (Science, Technology, and Innovation).
Colciencias was created [es] in 1968 as a fund for science research within the Ministry of Education. In 1991 it became [es] an institute for science and technology part of the DNP. Mr Restrepo's resignation has raised concern among the scientific community about the future of Colciencias (the main source of funding for most Colombian scientists) and the future of research in general in the country.
In [es] several [es] interviews [es], Restrepo has stated that there is “no real support” from the administration of president Juan Manuel Santos for Colciencias and that inconsistencies exist between the goals aimed by the government and the financial resources allocated by the Finance Ministry, which would cut Colciencias’ budget for 2013 (in fact, Restrepo said [es] that the finance minister has not given an appointment to him in four months). Colciencias’ staff has been frozen since the mid-1990s [es] but, since research groups have multiplied several times, the staff is overwhelmed.
Otto Gerardo writes [es] about this in the blog La Parresia:
De pasada, el suceso entre Colciencias y Hacienda, revela el estilo y el modo de ser rico en Colombia: en la legalidad, a través de la acumulación de tierra, la ganadería extensiva y la intensa y despiadada extracción de materias primas, que a la larga, nos conducirá a la miseria; y en la ilegalidad, por vías del narcotráfico y el negocio de la guerra, que se parapeta en lo más oscuro y criminal de la mente humana, cuando las condiciones de los que representan la legalidad, no construyen las avenidas amplias de las posibilidades de riqueza, desarrollo y bienestar a las que puede conducir una nación con pleno desarrollo científico.
Expectations were high within the scientific community since president Santos pushed a constitutional reform [es] that passed in Congress last year, which redistributed the oil royalties paid to the state and allocated 10% of them for a fund to science, technology and innovation [es]. But these resources will be distributed regionally [es], to finance investment projects aiming to solve local needs according to the development plans issued by local authorities, and Colciencias is set to be only one [es] of multiple instances in the process [es], which includes ministries, governors [es], mayors, etc.
Shortly after Restrepo's resignation, there were rumours [es] claiming that Luis Pérez Gutiérrez, a controversial former mayor of Medellín, had been offered to replace him. Some researchers published a letter to President Santos [es] expressing their concern and asking him for political will to strengthen Colciencias. Around 1,500 academics signed it [es]. Another three letters [es] have been sent to the President.
Santiago Giraldo is also worried about the future of Colciencias and adds [es]:
Casi que se podría decir que Colciencias existe en Colombia porque daría pena, oso si se quiere, no tener una institución como las que hay en otros países de Suramérica o del mundo desarrollado, no porque realmente se quiera que haya investigación en C y T.
Carlos Estévez writes [es] about nine points Mr Restrepo explained as the reasons innovation does not “start” in Colombia [es]. One of them is:
6. Ahora resulta que Bancoldex es el ente mas apropiado para gestionar el proceso de innovación, aquí lo que se evidencia es la absoluta ignorancia en lo que debe ser in sistema de C&T+I, por eso las tres iniciales, Innovación sin ciencia y tecnología no existe.
Si no hay dinero para investigar en ciencia básica o aplicada o en la implementación, apropiación de tecnologías de todo tipo, con que base piensan innovar? Esto le quita las manos al sistema de C&T+I.
For the time being, Jorge Alonso Cano, Colciencias director of innovation, has been in charge of the institution [es]. Political website La Silla Vacía [es] and TV newscast CM& [es] have claimed that Santos will appoint a new director close to the green party [es], whose candidate lost the 2010 presidential election in the second round (despite this, the green party joined the ruling coalition).
Professor Alexis de Greiff criticizes the government for weakening Colciencias and the possibility of ‘granting’ it to a political party, and states [es]:
Colciencias necesita de un gerente público que haga política de CTI desde una posición de credibilidad entre científicos y empresarios.

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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India: Fellowships At Pad.ma · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kracktivist informs that Pad.ma, an online archive of densely text-annotated video material, is offering Fellowship to Indian and non-Indian individuals for experiments and research with video archives.


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Mauritania: Outrage Over the Murder of a Worker · Global Voices
محمد عبدو

Since the beginning of 2011, there has been an active protest movement in Mauritania, calling upon the government to enact political, economic, and legal reforms. Workers, have also been protesting regularly.
In the early hours of Sunday [July, 15], Guard Forces (police) in Mauritania attacked a group of workers on strike, at the headquarters of the Mauritanian Copper Company [MCM], where they work. The attack led to the death [ar] of a worker for the first time since the sixties of the last century.
It all started with the workers’ strike on July 12, when the deadline they gave to the company's management to execute their demands, came to an end. As a result, the workers closed all entrances leading to the company, and prevented non-foreigners from entering it. Workers at different ranks took part in the strike [ar], namely contractors, porters, and drivers.
There are conflicting reports about the reason for the death. Colleagues, of the victim Mohamed Ould Machdhoufi and eyewitnesses asserted that one officer from the Guard Forces, hit him on the head, which led to his immediate death.
Photo of the murdered worker published on the “We are all Martyr Ould Machdhoufi” Facebook page
In order to investigate the death causes, an autopsy was performed on the victim's body, in response to a family request. After finishing the autopsy, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Republic asserted that the victim died of natural causes, and that no clear death reasons were found.The victim's mother [ar], on the other hand, affirmed that as it was proved by all testimonies the murder [of her son] was done on purpose. She also stated that she does not look for any compensation, but only asks for equal retaliation for what was inflicted on her son, and that she is ready and asks for the repetition of the autopsy.
The case sparked the interest of Mauritanian activists, whose reactions were all over the web. Once the news about the death spread, a Facebook page called “We are all Ould Machdhoufi”, was created in solidarity with the victim.
The Facebook page Mauritania Tomorrow published a photograph for the victim's mother accompanied by poetic verses written by Mauritanian poet Ahmed Ould Abd Kader [ar].
Mauritanian blogger, and writer Mohamed Lamin Ould Fadhel wrote about the case on his blog [ar]:
لقد أعلنت الحداد على صفحتي الخاصة لمدة ثلاثة أيام، وكان من المفترض أن أنهي ذلك الحداد في صبيحة الأحد (15 7 2012)، ولكن في صبيحة الأحد استيقظت على فاجعة أخرى راح ضحيتها عامل موريتاني بسيط كان ذنبه الوحيد أنه سعى مع غيره من العمال إلى تحسين ظروفه في العمل، لذلك فقد كان لزاما عليَّ أن أمدد ذلك الحداد ثلاثة أيام أخرى، وأسأل الله تعالى أن لا يجعلني أضطر لتمديده لثلاثة أيام أُخَّرْ.
He added:
في يوم الخميس رحل موريتانيون عن دنيانا وكانوا في مهمة لصالح شركة أجنبية، وهي الشركة التي سخرت لها الحكومة كل شيء: طائرات عسكرية، أوامر عسكرية عليا للضباط والجنود، نسبة تفوق 90% من المستغل من معادننا.
Blogger and activist Ahmed Ould Jedou [ar] wrote:
Outraged at the incident, and at the ignorance of the workers’ issues, Mauritanian Twitter users reacted heavily:
Activist Baba Ould Hourma wrote:
@hourmababa عاش الشهيد #ولد المشظوفي بيننا من الأيام ماشاء الله له أن يعيش وهو يقاسي ظلم الأيام وصعوبة الحياة.. عاش على راتب هزيل مقابل عمل شاق ومضن!!”
Mohamed Lemine Ould Echvagha said:
@eddennine في #موريتانيا فقط، الدرك والجيش يحميان الاجانب والحرس غير الوطني يقتل العمال البسطاء “
Mohamed Salem criticized the silence of the official media outlets, and their disregard of the murder of Ould Machdhoufi:
@Sirius_MR التلفزة الوطنية تتحدث في نشرتها عن إقامة الرئيس في فندق هيلتون وعن حفلة السفارة الفرنسية !! طبعا لا ذكر لمقتل #ولد_المشظوفي

author: محمد عبدو


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Paraguay: Tweets for Federico Franco on his Birthday · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

E'a [es] aggregates tweets dedicated to Federico Franco on his birthday. Federico Franco is the new President of Paraguay after Fernando Lugo was removed from office on June 22, 2012. You can read more tweets under the hashtag #EnTuDiaFrancoGolpista [es].

author: Silvia Viñas


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Peru: Gearing Up for the London 2012 Olympics · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón

This post is part of our special coverage London Olympics 2012.
On Friday July 27, 2012, just a day before the Peruvian National Independence Holidays, the Opening Ceremony will kick off the London 2012 Olympics. For a moment, Peruvians will leave aside their attention from the yearly Presidential Address, which will be delivered the next day, and set their eyes in the ceremony broadcasted live from London.
In a country full of sports enthusiasts, the Olympic Games always arouse the interest of Peruvians. The nation has participated in all but one edition of the Olympic Games (missing only the 1952 Olympics Games, held in Helsinki). In total, there are four Peruvian medalists: one gold an three silvers.
The blog Londres 2012, on a post titled Peru in the Modern Olympic Games [es], reflects:
Participar en los Juegos Olímpicos, es el sueño que tiene todo deportista, porque no solamente irá a competir por ganar una medalla, sino tambien, porque representará a su país e hicieron de todo para dejar el nombre del Perú, en este caso, en alto a nivel mundial.
- Con la participación que tendrá Perú en Londres 2012, será su participación 18, incluida los Juegos Olímpicos de Invierno. Pero a eso tambien se le tiene que agregar los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud. Sin embargo, eso no es reconocido por el Comité Olímpico Peruano.
To take part in the Olympic Games is every athlete's dream, not only because they compete to win a medal, but also because they represent their country and make every effort to put Peru's name, in this specific case, very high on a global scale.
This participation of Peru in London 2012, will be its 18th participation, including the Winter Olympic Games. The Youth Olympic Games should also be added here. However, they are not recognized by the Peruvian Olympic Committee.
For this edition, 17 Peruvian athletes will represent the country in London, as noted [es] by Toustodo's Blog, which also includes photos of each of the athletes:
[…] en los Juegos Olímpicos deLondres está representado en varias disciplinas deportivas, por los mejores
atletas del medio. Esta es la delegación peruana.
On Tuesday, July 17, the Peruvian group took off for London, as the blog Offside [es] reports:
Nuestra delegación también ya partió hacia Londres, no obstante, el equipo no lo hizo sin antes reunirse con el primer mandatario y la primera dama en el Palacio de Gobierno. Allí la atleta Gladys Tejada, fue nombrada como la abanderada nacional de los Juegos Olímpicos.
“Para mí es un honor y una alegría enorme, representar por primera vez a mi país en estos Juegos Olímpicos”, dijo Tejada. “Haremos un gran papel allá. No los defraudaré y tengan en claro que llevaremos en nombre de nuestro país muy en alto “, agregó.
Our delegation took off to London, although the team had a previous meeting with the Head of State and the First Lady at the House of Government. There athlete Gladys Tejada was designated as the national standard-bearer for the Olympic Games.
“It's an honor for me and the biggest joy, to represent my country for the first time in these Olympic Games”, Tejada said. “We will play a great role over there. I won't let you all down, and be sure that we will make our country proud by putting Peru on the map“, she added.
The blog Competencia [es] highlights the effort made by the Peruvian delegation:
“Es algo grande que el Perú, pese a las dificultades que se están dando, tenga logros deportivos”, dijo [Cristhian de la Torre, asesor técnico del Instituto Peruano del Deporte (IPD)]. Como ejemplo, señaló al número de participantes peruanos en los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012. “Van a ser unos Juegos históricos porque tenemos 17 clasificados”, agregó.
Sobre este tema, el representante del IPD opinó que confía en los representantes peruanos realicen una buena presentación. “He visto el esfuerzo de los chicos para luchar por resultados. Desde ya me siento orgulloso”, afirmó.
“It's really great that Peru, in spite of the existing difficulties, has sports achievements”, [Peruvian Sports Institute (IPD) technical advisor, Cristhian de la Torre] said. As an example, he pointed out the number of Peruvians taking part in the London 2012 Olympics. “These are going to be historical games, because we have 17 classified [athletes]”, he added.
About this, the representative of the IPD is confident that Peruvians will have a good performance. “I've seen the effort of these athletes to strive for the results. I already feel proud”, he stated.
Peruvian surfer Gabriel Villarán. Photo by Ben Ellis (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
On July 10, female boxing champion Kina Malpartida and surfer Gabriel Villarán [es] took the Olympic flame through the streets of Oxford. The blog No apto para adultos (NAPA) [es] posted:
Con mucha emoción y saludando a todos los presentes, nuestra campeona mundial Kina Malpartida corrió con la antorcha olímpica en la ciudad de Oxford, Gran Bretaña.
Nuestro tablista Gabriel Villarán también llevó la antorcha ayer. Y hoy le dio la posta a Kina Malpartida, quien recorrió los 300 metros que le correspondían en la ciudad de Oxford.
Very excited and waving at the audience, our world champion Kina Malpartida ran with the Olympic flame in the city of Oxford, Great Britain.
Our surfer Gabriel Villarán took the flame yesterday too. And he passed the baton to Kina Malpartida, who covered the 300 meters assigned to her in the city of Oxford.
We are just days away from the London 2012 opening ceremony. We hope Peru may perform at its best. But, aside from the results, let's enjoy the 2012 Olympics.
May the Games begin!
This post is part of our special coverage London Olympics 2012.

author: Gabriela García Calderón


text:
Portugal: Tugaleaks Bank Account Deemed as Terrorist and Closed · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

Website Tugaleaks, which aims to serve since December 2010 as Portugal's Wikileaks, had its bank account for donations arbitrarily closed on July 13 with no official communication [pt]. Tugaleaks contributors were finally told the account had been closed based on Act 25/2008 [pt] of money laundering and terrorist financing, which they contested and thus concluded: “We must bother lots of people, for sure”.