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Massive Street Protests against Constitutional Reform in Burkina Faso   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

On January 18, thousands of Burkinabe citizens took to the streets of Ouagadougou [fr] to protest against proposed changes of the constitution that would allow current president Campaoré to run for another mandate. The protests were relayed on many Burkinabe twitter feed. Alain Boh Bi posted images of the protest:
Jan18th, 2014. #Burkina. Another mvt like this and Blaise #Compaoré (27 years in power) will step down. Big Up! pic.twitter.com/l1aghkxYGw
— Alain Doh Bi (@AlainDohBi) January 19, 2014

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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One Million Yuan to Hire a Girlfriend for Chinese New Year · Global Voices
Abby Liu

A Chinese man's online offer to hire a girlfriend and fly her to his hometown for one million yuan (165,200 US dollars) to avoid celebrating the Chinese New Year alone has gone viral.
According to Dahe Daily [zh], the man's message online reads:
本人长期各地忙项目，老妈催结婚心切，所以特诚心租女友回家过年。百万现金酬劳，本人包机接送往返深圳郑州。要求女方：25岁以内，身高168cm以上，体重50kg以内，长相甜美，个人至少本科以上学历，博士或者处女优先并额外增加10%酬劳!出发当天付20万定金，结束后付全款。
I'm too busy with work, mom is pressuring me to get married, so I sincerely plan to hire a girlfriend to take home. I will pay one million yuan and hire a private jet from Shenzhen to Zhenzhou. Requirements: A good-looking girl younger than 25 years old, over 168 centimeters high and weighing no more than 50 kilograms. The girl should have at least a bachelor's degree. Ten percent extra if you are a virgin or have a PhD. 200,000 yuan deposit on the first day, and will pay the rest after the business is over.
The man who wrote a message seeking a girlfriend-for-hire attached a photo of a man sitting in front of piles of money. Photo from Weibo
The message attracted more than 5,000 applicants and over 10,000 comments in one day. Many netizens were not impressed: some thought it was a publicity stunt, while others doubted his real intentions and wondered why such a rich guy had to hire a girlfriend.
Still, a few expressed regret at not being an eligible woman.
Reporters contacted the man, who said that his post is genuine but refused to reveal his personal information.
Although the man's intention is still questionable, hiring a boyfriend or girlfriend to take home for the Chinese New Year is not uncommon in China due to family pressure. On China's most popular online shopping website Taobao, some young people put up ads looking for a boyfriend- or girlfriend-for-hire to bring home, and others offered their services as a temporary boyfriend or girlfriend.
While some young people hire a boyfriend or girlfriend to satisfy their eager parents, others choose to escape. Earlier last week, a Chinese mom bought a entire page of advertising on Chinese Melbourne Daily to beg her son to come home for the New Year after her repeated attempts to force her son into marriage had scared him away.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Abby Liu


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Photos: Chinese New Year Holiday Travel Rush  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

The Spring Festival, or lunar new year, is China's most important holiday for family reunions. According to The Ministry of Transportation, around 258 million train trips are estimated to be made during this year's Spring Festival, which runs from January 16 to February 24.
China's news website iFeng.com shows images of people sleeping on the ground of the train stations while waiting for the train. Most of them are migrant workers who can't afford a hotel.
Photo from ifeng.com


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South Korea Accused of Rewriting History in High School Textbook · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Image by Kopachris, Deviant Art (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
A conservative high school history textbook in South Korea that puts a positive spin on some of the country's most controversial periods of history, such as Japan's colonial rule, has been a source of heated debate for several weeks, with the government being accused of favoring textbooks that support their political beliefs and paint a rosier view of various periods of history.
The textbook by Kyohak Publishing Co has been lambasted not only for its inaccuracy, but for whitewashing the past flaws of certain interest groups. Critics say the sheer volume of errors – over 750 mistakes – in the textbook are serious enough to disqualify it as a legitimate learning tool.
Parents and students protested hard against several schools who have decided to adopt Kyohak's textbook and finally succeeded in revoking the decision. However, the Ministry of Education has offered excuses for the publishers, first by claiming that it was not the final version. Even after it was revealed that Kyohak still has not applied the required adjustments to the textbook and its revised version contained about 350 errors, the ministry again embraced them, saying that it was a trial version. According to local report, one historian said [ko] “in his 22 years as a history teacher, he has never heard of such thing as a ‘textbook trial version’, and the ministry’s outlandish claim renders him speechless.”
The scope [ko] of the errors are wide: misleading descriptions of Japanese imperial rule of Korea, incorrect names of locations on a map, and the false claim that the United States had a colony in the Indochina region. Another noteworthy mistake includes an inaccurate description of President Park Geun-hye’s father, the late military dictator Park Chung-hee: the textbook says Koreans’ average per capital income reached 10,000 US dollars under his rule, when it should be 1,000.
The textbook also claims that the so-called comfort women – young teenagers and women, many of whom were Korean, who were forced into prostitution by the Empire of Japan during World War II to “comfort” the troops – “followed the Japanese army around”, thereby implying that they have voluntarily choose to serve the army for the money. There is even an error suspected to have been lifted from an online blog post.
The New York Times recently added fuel to the fire with an editorial entitled “Politicians and Textbooks” in which the paper accused President Park of downplaying Korean collaboration with Japanese imperialists during Japan's colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945. The editorial concluded that Park, along with Japanese President Shinzo Abe, are “pushing to have high school history textbooks in their countries rewritten to reflect their political views.” The Korean Foreign Ministry fired right back, saying it will “take necessary steps against the New York Times with regard to the erroneous facts.”
Enraged Koreans commented as below:
교학사 역사교과서는 새누리당 선거홍보 책자로나 가치있을까@hee1025w @EuiQKIM
— Chung,Ikjin (@ikjchung) January 13, 2014
Kyohak Publishing’s textbook is only worth as much as the ruling Saenuri party’s campaign flyers.
◆JTBC 손석희에 출연한 양철우 교학사 회장의 인터뷰를 보니, 저런 걸레같은 친일 교과서가 왜 나왔는지 단번에 이해가 된다. 자기 역사 교과서는 잘못 된게 없고 8종의 교과서중 가장 올바른 역사 교과서이며 일선 역사교사들은 좌파랍니다. ㅋㅋㅋ
— 술상무100 (@natureslaw100) January 14, 2014
After watching Chairman of Kyohak Publishing Yang Cheol-woo’s interview on the JTBC Sohn Suk-hee’s news program, I can totally see how that garbage, pro-Japanese imperialist book was born. He kept claiming their textbook has no flaws and it is the most accurate book available. He even accused other textbooks of being “left-leaning”.
More concerns arose as reports came out [ko] that immediately after Kyohak Publishing’s history textbook had been rejected by parents and students, the government and ruling Saenuri party began pushing to publish it and impose the textbook on a national level. Currently, students, parents and teachers have a say in the textbook selection process, and have a choice among several different books. The political opposition denounced the move [ko] as an attempt to stifle points of view that differ from their own, and commented that a one-size-fits-all textbook system is a favorite of authoritarian regimes who can easily manipulate its content. The most notable cases of the one national textbook system would be North Korea and Russia.
교학사 국사교과서가 학생·교사·학부모들에게 완벽하게 퇴출되었으면 부끄러워하고 반성해야지, 마치 보복하듯이 통째로 뒤엎어 국정교과서 체제로 가겠다는 발상은 역사를 모독하고 국민을 우습게 여기는 처사다_김삼웅 http://t.co/3XYJH8QGcZ
— 문성호 Moon Sung-ho (@ilpyungdad) January 13, 2014
When they found out that Kyohak’s history textbook had been completely rejected by students, parents and teachers, the proper way to respond is by looking back at their flaws and feeling shameful and apologetic. But how did they react? It is as if they are seeking revenge, they are pushing to switch to a universal textbook system. This is an utter disregard for history and disrespect for the people.
Twitter influencer and historian Jeon Woo-yong (@histopian) tweeted a series of messages regarding this issue:
조선시대 왕도 사관의 역사 서술에는 간섭하지 않았습니다. 권력이 역사를 두려워해야지, 역사가 권력에 빌붙어서는 안 됩니다. 권력이 역사를 장악하려 드는 것은, 역사 앞에 당당할 자신이 없거나 아예 그럴 의지가 없기 때문입니다.
— 전우용 (@histopian) January 12, 2014
Even the monarchy of the Joseon Dynasty did not interfere with chroniclers’ works. It is those in power who should be afraid of history, not history that clings on to power. The reason why those in power want to exert control over history is either because they are ashamed to face history, or they dont even bother to make themselves feel unashamed’.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Uruguay Among 10 Most Ethical Destinations for Fourth Consecutive Year · Global Voices
Guillermo Vidal

Photo published by Brennan Paezold on Flickr, under Creative Commons license (CC BY-SA 2.0)
According to the prestigious publication Ethical Traveler, Uruguay has made the list for the fourth consecutive year of the ten most ethical destinations in the world.
Every year the Ethical Traveler team, after exhaustive research, chooses the ten best countries to visit in the developing world, choosing destinations with attractive natural landscapes and cultures. These countries must also demonstrate a commitment to the conservation of their natural resources. These selections are aimed at recognizing the efforts of these countries and encouraging neighboring countries to follow their example.
Tourism has become one of the world’s main industries, but it can have a negative impact on the host communities and ecosystems, so the World Tourism Organization has created a Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, a list of “do's and don't” that aims to improve lives and protect the planet through responsible tourism.
Many nations have accepted this code through their tour operators, redirecting their tourism industry practices to ensure the welfare of travelers, host communities, tourism workers and the environment.
Uruguay is one of the countries that has channeled its tourism in this direction and this has earned it recognition for the fourth consecutive year. This has placed it in the top 10 ethical destinations in the world in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
This distinction is considered a prize for the efforts by the players in the Uruguayan tourism industry who have signed the commitment to adhere to the code of ethics of the World Tourism Organization, as noted in the Viaje a Uruguay [es] portal.
Meanwhile, the news was received and published in a short article on the website of the  Ministry of Tourism and Sports [es].
The rest of the countries chosen for 2014 are the Bahamas, Barbados, Cape Verde, Chile, Dominica, Latvia, Lithuania, Mauritius and Palau.

author: Guillermo Vidal


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Bermuda: Gambling with Democracy?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

catch a fire explains why he got involved in a petition for a referendum on casino gambling in Bermuda, then publishes a follow-up post asking:
What does that say for our democracy when people are afraid to sign a petition that they support because they fear consequences from the Government or its supporters?

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Chinese Civil Servants Demand Higher Salaries · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

People's Congress representative from Guangdong province suggested the government to increase civil servants’ salaries. Indeed their basic salaries are low, but they enjoy huge benefits and subsidies. The proposal immediately stirred up hot reactions from netizens. ChinaSMACK curates the story in English.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Gender-Based Violence Epidemic Hits Sex Workers in Honduras · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Despite the fact that sex work is legal in Honduras, many groups and individuals view their actions as immoral. Those who murder sex workers believe they can literally treat these human beings as garbage to be disposed of. Such violence takes place against the broader backdrop of widespread gender- and sexuality-based violence that imperils women and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) persons all through Honduras.
At least 9 sex workers were killed in San Pedro Sula in less than a month, according to a report by Amnesty International. The organization has released an Urgent Action calling for “exhaustive investigations into these attacks.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Cartoon Character ‘Meena’ Changes South Asian Attitudes Towards Girls · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

Screenshot from the cover of a Meena comic book. Image courtesy UNICEF
Only two decades ago, the status of many women in some South Asian countries was low. Many girls in rural areas were not allowed to study. Girls were inevitably married off as soon as they grew up, so what good was studying? Boys would get the best of the households’ food, the girls the leftovers.
But this discriminatory mindset has changed tremendously, in part thanks to a cartoon character.
The fictional character Meena stars in the South Asian children's television show of the same name. Promoted by UNICEF, Meena and her TV show is very popular in the region. UNICEF developed the Meena Communication Initiative (MCI) as a mass communication project aimed at changing perceptions and behavior that hamper the survival, protection and development of girls in South Asia.
Bangladesh was the first country to meet Meena when a film about her struggle to go to school aired on Bangladesh national television (BTV) in 1993. The secondary characters of her stories include Meena's brother Raju and her pet parrot Mithu.
Meet Meena. Image from Wikimedia
According to an old report of UNICEF:
Since her inception 14 years ago she has shown millions of women and girls what can be achieved. She has delivered messages on issues as far reaching as solving the problem of bullying through to challenging the stigma of HIV/AIDS through to girls’ right to play sport. The Meena stories are highly entertaining and fun, but also reflect, at their core, the realities of girls’ lives in South Asia.
Meena has spread messages to stop child marriage and the practice of dowry and promote healthy toilet use, sending girls to school, equality between boys and girls and the right to education for the domestic workers. Her shows highlights the potential contributions to society that girls can make if provided an equal playing field.
How can a message spread by a small cartoon girl be so empowering that it has helped change the society radically? Housewife Naznin Rahman told the Daily Prothom Alo [bn]:
আমার মা জোহরা বেগম তাঁর দুই ছেলের বিয়েতে যৌতুক নিয়েছেন। তখনো টিভিতে মীনা দেখাতে শুরু করেনি। তারপর যেই তিনি মীনা দেখতে শুরু করলেন, তাঁর চরিত্রে মেয়েদের প্রতি আলাদাভাবে একটা সহানুভূতি কাজ করতে লাগল। তারপর যখন তাঁর ছোট ছেলের বিয়ে দিলেন, তখনই আমরা বুঝতে পারলাম তিনি মীনার দ্বারা কতটা প্রভাবিত। আম্মা আমার ছোট ভাইয়ের বিয়েতে যৌতুক নেননি।
My mom Zohra Begum has taken dowry for her two elder sons. In those days, Meena was not aired. Since she started watching Meena, she had developed a special sympathy for girls in particular. When she had her younger son married, we realized how she was affected by Meena. She did not take any dowry for my younger brother.
Shuvo Ankur wrote on the BDNews24.com's kids page about the positive changes Meena has provoked:
প্রচার হবার পর থেকেই মীনা পেয়ে যায় দারুন জনপ্রিয়তা। এবং এর ফলে আসতে থাকে বেশ কিছু পরিবর্তন। আগে গ্রামাঞ্চলে মেয়ে শিশুদেরকে স্কুলে যেতে না দিয়ে বাড়ির কাজ করানো হতো। মীনা কার্টুন প্রচার হবার পর থেকে আস্তে আস্তে ঘটতে থাকে পরিবর্তন। কারণ মীনা কার্টুনেও দেখানো হয়েছে যে তাকে স্কুলে যেতে দেয়া হতো না। কিন্তু কিছু ঘটনার পরে তাকে স্কুলে যেতে দেয়া হয়। এবং মীনা বিভিন্ন বুদ্ধিমত্তার পরিচয় রাখতে থাকে। সে লেখাপড়া শিখে তার বাবাকে ঠকে যাবার হাত থেকে রক্ষা করে। আবার বাড়ির গরু চুরি ঠেকায়। এমনি সব কাজের জন্য মীনা হয়ে যায় সবার জনপ্রিয় এবং সার্কভুক্ত দেশগুলোতে মেয়ে শিশুদেরকে অবহেলাও কমে যেতে থাকে।
Meena achieved popularity from the start. The changes were visible soon after. Earlier, in rural areas girl students dropped out of school and ended up working as a housemaid. But the situation changed after Meena's show began airing. On screen, Meena was also not allowed to go to school first. But she changed her lot and got permission to go to school. Meena's wit and intelligence allowed her to learn to count and other essential knowledge to save her father from the deception from other people. She saved their cows from a thief. Her intelligence became popular, and the negligence of girls in South Asian countries slowly started disappearing.
Sohanur Rahman [bn] wrote on Kishorebarta that there is a lot to learn from the cartoon show:
[…] মীনার কাছ থেকে আমরা অনেক কিছুই শিখেছি। সেই ৯০ দশক থেকে আজকের দিন প্রযন্ত প্রায় ১৭ বছর ধরে মীনা আমাদের সমাজের প্রতিটি মানুষের মনের মনিকোঠায় একটি উজ্জ্বল চরিত্র হিসেবে স্থান দখল করে নিয়েছে।
We have learnt a lot from Meena. From the '90s till today, Meena has become a star and a special character in our society.
Meena is also broadcast on radio. Farzana Islam Tithi, 24, who voices Meena, told The Daily Star:
Everyone loved Meena from their childhood and everyone, regardless of age, watched the cartoon eagerly. I also used to watch it. May be Meena’s accent struck to my mind since then and I believe that feeling helped me in my voice over for Meena.
Twitter user Bengalithings deemed Meena a role model:
To be honest, Meena from Meena cartoon was one of my childhood role models. #nosarcasm #truth #bengali
— PerksOfBeingBengali♡ (@bengalithingss) October 24, 2013
The UNICEF Bangladesh Twitter account (@UNICEFBD) reminded that:
Animation character Meena continues to influence lives of children and dispel negative social stereotypes… http://t.co/h5mbXHr64Y
— UNICEF Bangladesh (@UNICEFBD) December 24, 2013
Every year on 24th October “Meena Day” is observed in Bangladesh to promote social awareness on 100% enrollment of kids in school, avoid dropouts and ensure proper education.
According to reports [bn], Meena has also become popular outside of the South Asian region. It has been dubbed in more than 30 languages such as Arabic, Burmese and Chinese. You can download free Meena comic books from here.

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


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Indonesian Maid Says She Was Beaten, Starved and Burned in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Thousands rallied on January 19, 2014 demanding justice for Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, an Indonesian maid who was allegedly tortured by her employer. Photo from Hong Wong.
[The author of this post is a volunteer editor for news site inmediahk.net, which is quoted in this report.]
Another damning case of foreign maid abuse has recently been exposed in Hong Kong. Thousands of Indonesian domestic workers and local residents in the city on January 19, 2014 demanding justice for Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, a domestic worker who was allegedly abused by her employer for months.
The 23-year-old maid arrived in Hong Kong in May 2013 and started working for a family in Tsueng Kwan O, where she says was beaten with sticks and hangers on a daily basis for 8 months for “poor performance” at her job. As a result of the compulsory live-in arrangement, she could not reach out to her fellow maids for help. She could not even escape because her passport was held up by the maid agency, which she says only cared about getting back their service fee from the maid's monthly salary and ignored her desperate call for help.
Local media reported that she was found “covered in cuts and burns” in the Hong Kong Airport on January 10, 2014 and was hospitalized immediately after she arrived back home in Java, Indonesia. Apart from obvious cuts, the initial medical report found small bone fractures in her head. In fact, she was let go by her employer because she could barely walk due to the injuries.
Erwiana Sulistyaningsih was found in the Hong Kong airport on January 10, 2014 with obvious physical injuries on her body. Photo from Apple Daily News, non-commercial use.
Back home in the hospital, Sulistyaningsih told the media that “she was beaten daily, burned and allowed only two meals of plain bread and rice per day. She was allowed to sleep only between 1 p.m.-5 p.m. but not at night”. In fact, she's not the first maid from this family who has claimed they were abusive; at least two other maids who worked for the same employer have said that they had similar experience.
Activist groups are working together to press for policy solution to end the city's modern-day slave system. Auyang Lunfa from inmediahk.net, a local citizen media site, reported from the rally one of the maid's testimony:
Foreign maid Susie alleged at the rally that she was also starved and abused by the same employer between 2011 to 2012. Photo from Tom Grundy's Twitter.
印傭 Susi 稱，自己在2010年4 月開始為涉案僱主工作至2011年3月，期間11個月，除了被禁足不準出門，而且每天被要求工作20小時，同時亦受到不同程度的虐打。她指「每當做錯野時就會被打」，曾被僱主曾用雞毛掃打，亦試過被猛耳仔。最嚴重一次，僱主曾威脅 Susi 叫她自殺。結果 Susi 苦苦哀求對方說：「自己有一對子女， 唔好要我死。」Susi 又指，中介公司無按合約每月3580付人工，反而在 Susi 終止合約時，只付上約六千元，作為11個月人工。Susi 表示已經到警署提供資料。
Indonesian maid Susi said she was working for the same employer between April 2010 to March 2011. For 11 months, she was forbidden to leave the apartment and was required to work 20 hours a day. She was beaten as well. “Whenever I did something wrong, I would be beaten”, she said. Her former employer would beat her with sticks and twisted her ears, once Law even threatened Susi and asked Susi to kill herself. Susi had to beg her, saying: “I have two kids, don't ask me to die.” Susie says the agency did not pay her the 3,580 Hong Kong dollars [approximately 480 US dollars] monthly salary. She was only given 6,000 Hong Kong dollar [approximately 880 US dollars] by the end of her 11 months of work. Susi had reported her case to the police [after Sulistyaningsih's case was exposed].
外傭組織發言人 Eni Lestari 透露，有另一名叫 Tina 的印傭於2011年間，為涉案僱主短暫工作三個月。Eni 說，Tina 要每日超時工作和沒有足夠食物，並同樣受到虐打。最後 Tina 在朋友幫助下報警，最後成功離職，現身在新加坡。
Eni Lestari, a foreign migrant worker campaigner, revealed that another Indonesian domestic worker named Tina had worked for the Law family for three months in 2011. Tina was also starved, worked overtime and was beaten. She reported the case to the police with her friends’ help and managed to resign from the job. Now Tina is working in Singapore.
Tina's case was never investigated, according to local media's report. The Hong Kong police said that they did not have enough evidence. When Sulistyaningsih's case was exposed by local media, Hong Kong police filed it under “miscellaneous case” because they did not have enough evidence to warrant taking further action.
Local women rallied on January 19, 2014 to show their support for Erwiana Sulistyaningsih. Photo from Facebook campaign page Justice for Erwiana! Justice for Migrant Domestic Workers!
Over the past week, migrant organizations and local activist groups, including Mission for Migrant Workers, Amnesty International (Hong Kong), Open Door, Women Worker Association and Hong Kong Coalition of Trade Unions has been campaigning for justice for Sulistyaningsih. The weekend protest attempted reveal the Hong Kong police's long-time negligence of domestic workers’ calls for help as well as other discriminatory and exploitative policies, including the mandatory live-in requirement and the fortnight regulation on their visa, as well as the lack of minimum wage and working hour protection. Similar discussion happened a few months before when the story of  Kartika Puspitasari's abuse came to light.
An infographic explaining the exploitative policy concerning foreign domestic workers. Image from Facebook campaign page Justice for Erwiana! Justice for Migrant Domestic Workers!
It is obvious that the Hong Kong government has to bear responsibility for the vulnerable situation of the foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong. Post 852, a newly established commentary platform, explained the unbalanced power relationship between the employer and maid and made a suggestion:
與大部份香港人不同，外傭在港其實是「叫天不應，叫地不聞」，處境特別危險。[…]外傭在香港根本「冇人冇物」，親友都在遠方的鄉下。所以，一旦受虐，根本不會有人知曉。事實上，即使外傭在港認識了其他同鄉，對方也未必知道自己的住址，只要僱主突然沒收其手提電話，外傭就會立刻與世隔絕。
Different from local residents, foreign domestic workers are isolated from the society and thus in a vulnerable position. […] foreign maids have very frew friends and their family members are not in Hong Kong. No one knows that she is being abused. Even if foreign maids get to know some of their peers in Hong Kong, they don't have each others’ addresses. When the employer confiscates their mobile phone, she would be cut off from the rest of the world.
Many kids joined the rally to support their nannies. Image from Facebook campaign page Justice for Erwiana!
每間公司也會有「售後服務」，例如其公司就會免費為首次來港工作的印傭，提供最多兩次的家訪服務。不過，家訪的出發點並非為了確保印傭安全，而是幫忙解決僱傭雙方的語言障礙或合作問題（其實服務對象是以僱主為主）。更何況，假如僱主簽約時表明不需家訪服務，則公司也不會強求。
[In principle] every agency should provide services such as paying home visits to the maid. However, such visits are not set to ensure the safety of the maids, but to solve communication problems between the employers and the maids (the main purpose is to serve the employers). If the employers choose “no home visits” when they sign the contract, home visits is not mandatory.
其實，政府可立法強制中介公司定期家訪外傭，假如公司不遵守或敷衍了事，可被政府除牌。進一步說，政府更可直接由自己成立「外傭安全小組」作定期抽樣家訪，或要求外傭定期要到政府的辦事處面見職員。
Actually the government can make it mandatory for the agencies to pay home visits to the maid or they cannot obtain the licenses. Or the government can even set up its own team to randomly pay home visits to the maids or require the maids to have a private interview with the officers.
As a result of the pressure from migrant organizations and the Indonesian consulate, Hong Kong police and labor department finally sent an investigative team to Indonesia on January 20 to obtain testimony from Sulistyaningsih, as well as her medical reports from the hospital.


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Iran:Tehran Welcomes China’s Help to Launch the National Internet · Global Voices
Farid

Iranian authorities in the Ministry of Information recently met with their Chinese counterparts and said they welcome China's experience to launch Iran's national internet.”
Amin Sabeti tweeted:
#China will help #Iran to launch the National Information Network or the National Internet http://t.co/nhLSmQRMnv @Liberationtech @lorenzoFB
— Amin Sabeti (@AminSabeti) January 20, 2014

author: Farid


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“It Has Become Hard to Breathe”: Tajikistan’s Capital Gets a Coal Plant… and Hazardous Dust · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

“Ecology is dead!”, written in Tajik on a glass surface covered by coal dust. Image by ASIA-Plus, used with permission.
When a new coal-fired power plant just began to supply electricity to the residents of Tajikistan's capital in early January, few people had anything against the facility. After all, the Chinese-built plant promised to help Dushanbe tackle its chronic winter power shortages and provide something that people living in the capital have missed over the past two decades: central heating and hot water. Now, however, with less than two weeks into the plant's operation, many people in Dushanbe realize that placing a coal-burning air-polluting facility in the country's most populous city was not a very good idea.
The coal-fired power plant in Dushanbe was put into operation on January 10, 2014. Image by ASIA-Plus, used with permission.
There were rare voices of disapproval of the plant before it was put into operation. On November 8, 2013, ‘Only in Tajikistan’ tweeted:
#onlyintajikistan the coal-fired power plant is built in the center of capital, right next to popular amusement park and botanical gardens.
— Only in Tajikistan (@onlytajikistan) November 8, 2013
Another Twitter user replied:
@onlytajikistan I agree it was stupid to put the plant right in the capital. The coal smog will make the dust-filled Dushanbe even worse.
— Mahina Shodizoda (@mahinashodizoda) November 8, 2013
After the facility began to emit the first clouds of coal dust, media agency ASIA-Plus was the first to ring alarm bells. The agency published images showing that the plant was responsible for massive amounts of poisonous coal dust. The facility is located less than a mile from a residential area, amusement park for children, and the botanical gardens.
Coal dust in a popular amusement park for children, less than a mile from the coal plant. Image by ASIA-Plus, used with permission.
ASIA-Plus also published [ru] an article based on brief interviews with people concerned about the rising levels of coal dust in the capital. A heated discussion has taken place in the comments section under the article. Nibiru wrote [ru], for example:
Мы живем по проспекту Рудаки, около ботанического сада. После запуска ТЭЦ в нашем районе и квартирах начался ужас! Кругом пыль, дышать стало тяжело, в квартирах не успеваем делать уборку. Чиновникам до лампочки эти проблемы, потому что они живут на другой планете. Придет время, они будут наказаны по заслугам за постепенное убийство рядовых граждан!
We live on the Rudaki Avenue, near the Botanical Gardens. Since the [coal plant] was put into operation, it has been horrible in our area and our apartments. The dust is everywhere; it has become hard to breathe; we have to clean our places much more often now. Officials do not care about these problems because they live on a different planet. But the time will come when they will be punished for the gradual killing of ordinary people!
Many other readers shared similar stories. Some netizens, however, focused on the positive changes brought about by the plant. Ruslan shared [ru] his take on the controversial facility:
После запуска ТЭЦ у меня дома заработа стиралка и все остольные приборы начали работать на полную мощь. Это на моём личном примере. А в целом я за строительство и экплуатацию ТЭЦ сегодня это постоянный свет, в следующем году + тёплая вода и отопление. И не надо поднимать шум что все плохо. У нас и так в городе плохая экология хуже не будет. Сейчас нам нечем заменить уголь ! Но в будущем все эти новые предприятия перейдут на газ.
After the [coal plant] was put into operation, I have been able to use a washing machine and other electronics at home. This is my personal example. I support the construction and use of [the coal-powered plant] because it now supplies electricity and will next year supply hot water and heat. You should not ring alarm bells as if everything is bad. The ecological condition of the city is bad anyway, and it is not going to get worse. There is nothing we can replace coal with at the moment. But in future, all such plants will have to shift to natural gas.
But Rustam responded [ru]:
Руслан, до того как он перейдет на газ (если вообще перейдет) с такой экологией ты можешь и не дожить до этих дней…
Ruslan, with these ecological [problems], you might simply not live long enough to see the day when this plant shifts to using natural gas (if this ever happens at all)…
In an attempt to lessen its dependence on oil and natural gas imports from abroad, the government of Tajikistan has emphasized the need to switch its Soviet-era energy-inefficient industrial facilities to local coal. A massive cement plant on the outskirts of Dushanbe is currently being redesigned to use coal as its main energy source. Another industrial giant, an aluminium smelter located not far from the capital, is also gradually shifting to coal. A broad-based discussion of the health and environmental impacts of this transformation is still waiting to happen in the country.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Korean Seniors Prompt Boycott of McDonald’s and Get McResolution · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Korean elderly have made headlines in New York City for loitering at a McDonald's every day, starting early in the morning till well after dark, ordering only fries or coffee. After they were kicked out for hampering business, some in the Korean community called for a boycott of the restaurant.
The New York Times story on elderly squatters in McDonald's caused a buzz over the weekend, and McDonald's reacted quickly, putting out the fire by Monday by reaching a “McResolution!“. They promised to extend sitting hours for the elderly during less-busy times and even to collaborate with local seniors centers to provide transportation to and from the restaurant.
However, Koreans who are familiar with senior citizens overstaying at fast food stores in one of the most overcrowded and busiest cities in the world, the South Korean capital of Seoul, seem to understand McDonald's tough choice. Here are some reactions from South Korean online venues:
Image by Flicker User Kansir (CC BY 2.0)
맥도날드 사건. 이런 일에 제발 인종 이런 것 좀 안 들먹거리면 좋겠다. 인종차별 차원에서 쫓아낸 것도 아닌데 쫓겨난 입장에서 자신들을 묶어서 “한국인”이라 그러면 자기 얼굴이 침 뱉기지. 어글리. 부끄럽다 참. 오죽하면 쫓아냈겠어. 안봐도 뻔한데.
— Sumin Kim (@kimsumin) January 18, 2014
The McDonald's fiasco. I really hope people don't bring ‘race’ into the equation. It is not like they were kicked out because of their race/nationality. By emphasizing that it is ‘Koreans’ who were being kicked out, they are actually embarrassing themselves. This is so ugly, and just embarrassing. I can see why this happen.
뉴욕 맥도널드 불매 운동이 별로 맘에 안 와 닿는건 전형적인 한국식 사고 이기 때문이다. 노인들이 종묘 앞에 모여 있고 페스트푸드 점에 죽치고 앉아 있는거 역시 한국 사회의 문제이지 문화가 아니다. 그런걸 남의 나라에서도 답습하는게 참 안타깝다.
— Michael Lee (@michaelreturn) January 17, 2014
The reason why I am not rooting for a McDonald's boycott in New York is because how they approach this problem is just so typical. Jongmyo Area in Seoul is packed with elderly people who loiter at fast food chains. It is not Korean ‘culture’, but a problem Korean society has. It is just deplorable that they brought it over and repeat it in another country.
Net users cast doubt on the Korean Parents Association of New York, the group that initiated the boycott, and questioned whether they are eligible to represent the whole Korean community in general. Some from the group, notably the chairwoman, are accused of being extreme right-wingers who infamously blocked a peaceful protest held in New York last autumn against the election manipulation scandal. User @hippietech wrote [ko]:
자극적인 제목으로 민족성 자극하는 저질 기사. 한인사회 발끈한 적 없습니다. 몇몇 노인들이 진상짓 했을뿐
I see so many sensational, trashy reports which provoke ethnicity issues. No. Korean communities have not been angered by [the McDonald's case] and it is just a handful of rouge seniors who made a scene.


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Lunar New Year Ad From A Desperate Chinese Mom · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A Chinese mom bought a whole page of ad on Chinese Melbourne Daily to post a letter to her oversea son, calling him to go home for Lunar New Year.
The letter said:
To my son Peng,
I’ve made many calls to you, but you never picked up. This ad is probably the only thing that can reach you. Mom and dad won’t force you to get married any more. Please go back home for Spring Festival this year!
Loving you
Mom
Offbeat China explained the cultural and social meaning behind the mom's act.


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Malaysian Prime Minister Sparks Water Spinach Meme Over Rising Prices · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Worried about rising food prices? Keep calm and let them eat kangkung (water spinach).
Since last week, Malaysians have been commenting, debating, and joking about the controversial statement of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who said that people are always reacting when food prices are rising but not when these are going down. He specifically mentioned that the price of kangkung has gone down in the country.
Below is the translation of some parts of Najib’s speech (watch also the video):
There are times when the price of vegetables, sawi (mustard green) and kangkung goes up and there are times it comes down. I read in the newspaper that some prices have come down. Kangkung prices once went up and now it is down. When the prices come down, why are there no praises for the government? When it goes up, the government gets the blame. This is unfair because (such issues are determined by) the weather condition.
The price of basic goods in Malaysia such as petrol and sugar is expected to rise because of the government’s decision to cut subsidies. It is fueling a rising discontent in the country which became evident in the New Year protest when thousands joined a street celebration to denounce the rising cost of living.
Najib defended his kangkung remark by arguing that he cited the green vegetable as an example in explaining an economic concept:
I had used the kangkung as an example of the supply-demand principle. My favourite foods are kangkung and sotong (squid).
A Kadir Jasin described kangkung as ‘the most widespread plant and the most loved vegetable’ in Malaysia. But he also emphasized that it’s a wrong indicator of household expenses:
…it is pointless to use kangkung as an example or barometer when households spend a mere 2% of their total monthly expenditure on buying greens.
OutSyed The Box reminded Najib that people are complaining against the price increases in products and services which are subject to government regulation:
You do not seem to understand simple basic things. If left to market forces the people will not blame you for high prices.
The people never blamed you for the up and down movement of kangkung prices.
People are blaming you for the prices of goods, foods and services that are INDEED THE SUBJECT OF PRICE CONTROLS.
Because of the huge Internet buzz it enjoyed in the past week, Anil Netto believes kangkung has now become a symbol of growing economic difficulties in Malaysia:
…the humble kangkung has become a symbol of the economic difficulties facing ordinary Malaysians.
Given that outward expressions of dissent (e.g. street protests) are strictly curtailed, the laughter over kangkung provides a ‘safe’ outlet for the pent-up frustrations of many people who are feeling the burden of rising prices, low incomes and the impact of corruption and cronyism.
Below are some reactions on Twitter:
Wife said we should eat something with kangkung. Dammit. Why not? pic.twitter.com/zq5ly7SjdG
— kangkungkepoh™ (@Duurianne) January 14, 2014
Funny how people blame najib for the kangkung issue when you people are the ones making fun of it and coming up w silly jokes.
— qt (@fionafarhana) January 15, 2014
Yeah. People are naive for believing that government control prices. That's why Najib wants the credit for lowering kangkung price. Naive.
— Tuanbro Ah Bong Kor (@bongkersz) January 13, 2014
Najib should at least apologize to the people, according to blogger ordinary Malaysian:
That was where the clueless or insensitive Pm faltered. You don't make fun of people's favourite food by implying that they could always eat more kangkung to tighten their belts, while those in power continue to live like kings at the people's expense. Now that Najib is choking on kangkung, the least decent thing he could do is to apologise for his faux pas, not trying to seem proletariat by proclaiming he loved kangkung too.
Zan Azlee urges the government to be more sensitive to the plight of ordinary citizens:
What they do not deserve is a government that is insensitive. They do not deserve a government that, upon responding to their rants, sound more mocking than emphatic.
Thumbnail used is from @Duurianne

author: Mong Palatino


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Self Defense Against Drug Cartels or the Mexican Government in Michoacán? · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

Leaders of self-defense groups at the entrance to Churumuco, a municipality in the state of Michoacán. The group has taken up arms to defend themselves from drug cartels and gangs that operate in the area. Photo by Armando Solís, Dec. 29 2013, copyright Demotix
In an attempt to restore peace in the state of Michoacán, the Mexican government has sent the military to disarm the groups of armed citizens, better known as “self-defenders”, who have taken up arms against organized crime to defend their land, their work, and their families.
The violence is nothing new in Michoacán. For several years this state in western Mexico has suffered the consequences of the lack of security due to the presence of drug cartels and the absence of any authority that can effectively protect its citizens. Added to this is the constant presence of armed forces for the so-called “war on drugs“, initiated by the ex-President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa  and continued by the current President Enrique Peña Nieto, which has not been able to prevent the traffickers from extorting, intimidating, kidnapping and raping the population. All of these factors have fueled the group of self-defenders.
While the civilian forces are operating within the law, the recent effort to disarm these groups by the military is a milestone that could change the course of the armed conflict.
The blog “Hazme el Chingado Favor” [es] sums up the government’s recent action:
Así las cosas finalmente el Secretario de Gobernación vuelve anunciar que se va combatir la inseguridad y se manda al ejército. Se anuncia con bombo y platillo que se dedicaran 250 millones de pesos para reforzar el programa de Prevención del Delito una cifra risible cuando se considera que tan solo para ganar las elecciones del 2012 el PRI regalo 701 millones de pesos en tarjetas Monex… ¡HECF!
So finally the Interior Secretary announces again that it is going to combat the insecurity and sends the army. It was announced with great fanfare that $250 million pesos [approximately US $19 million] would be dedicated to strengthen the Crime Prevention program, a laughable figure when you consider that just to win the 2012 elections, the PRI gave out $701 million pesos [almost US $53 million] in Monex gifts cards…
Twitter user and blogger Mauricio Ceballos [es] blames the politicians for the state in which Michoacán finds itself:
Todos los partidos políticos, la política en general en México, es responsable de la situación que vive #Michoacán.
— Mauricio Ceballos (@MauCeballos71) January 17, 2014
All the political parties, and politics in general in Mexico, are responsible for the situation Michoacán is in.
While the Twitter account ‘No más corrupción’ (“No more corruption”) published this drawing summarizing the situation:
El nuevo y triste mapa de #Michoacán gracias a la incapacidad del gobierno para brindar seguridad a la población pic.twitter.com/rkhNWN75QI
— No mas corrupción (@anticorrupcion_) January 17, 2014
The sad new map of Michoacán thanks to the inability of the government to bring security to the population
And others simply call it a civil war:
No le teman a los términos, #Michoacán es un escenario de #GuerraCivil. Funeral in Antúnez Photo: @felyxmarquez pic.twitter.com/9Zp24EFCjz
— Majhadera (@Majhadera) January 15, 2014
Don’t be afraid of the words, Michoacán is in a civil war.
With regard to the raid by federal forces in the area known as Tierra Caliente, the priests have made themselves heard—as they have done in other conflicts, like the Zapatista movement—with strong criticism of the government. The Bishop of Apatzingán, Miguel Patiño Velázquez, wrote an open letter [es] published on the Animal Político website. An excerpt follows:
Los hechos recientes, de este nuevo año 2014, han llenado de indignación a nuestro pueblo al cerciorarse de que ni los políticos, ni el gobierno dan muestras de querer solucionar el problema de Tierra Caliente. En lugar de buscar a los criminales que dañan a la comunidad, el ejército mexicano, por órdenes superiores, fue a desarmar a las autodefensas de Nueva Italia y Antúnez agrediendo a gente indefensa con el resultado de tres hombres muertos. La situación se les salió de control y al verse rodeados por la población comenzaron a disparar, primero al aire y después a las personas. […] Apatzingán está desde el viernes pasado hundida en el miedo y la zozobra. […] los enviados del crímen organizado quemaron autobuses, tráilers y camiones de carga sin que los federales ni los militares lo impidieran.  El crímen organizado sigue obligando a la gente a asistir a sus manifestaciones, sus líderes están plenamente identificados y no hay autoridad que los pare. […] El pueblo está exigiendo al gobierno que primero agarren y desarmen al crímen organizado. El ejército y el gobierno han caído en el descrédito porque en lugar de perseguir a los criminales han agredido a las personas que se defienden de ellos. ¿No han comprendido que nos encontramos en un “Estado de necesidad”?
The recent events of this new year of 2014 filled our people with indignation to realize that neither the politicians nor the government show signs of wanting to solve the Tierra Caliente problem. Instead of looking for criminals who harm the community, the Mexican army, on orders from above, went to disarm the self-defense groups of Nueva Italia and Antúnez, leaving the people defenseless which resulted in the deaths of three men. The situation got out of their control and seeing themselves surrounded by people they opened fire, first in the air and then at people. […] Since last Friday, Apatzingán is mired in fear and anxiety. […] The envoys from organized crime burned buses, trailers and cargo trucks without the federal police or military doing anything to stop them. […] Organized crime continues to force people to attend their events, their leaders are fully identified and there is no authority to stop them. […] The people demand that the government first catch and disarm the criminals. The military and government are becoming completely discredited because instead of pursuing criminals they have attacked people who are defending others. Do they not understand that we are in a ‘state of necessity’?
Father Gregorio López, in charge of the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción parish of the same diocese, went ever farther in an interview with Red Noticiero quoted by the digital daily Sin Embargo [es] where he mentions the main bosses of the Templar Knights cartel by name, and accuses the government of knowing their whereabouts and protecting them:
Nazario Moreno ayer comió con ‘La Tuta’ [Servando Gómez Martínez] en un rancho que se llama La Cucha, aquí a unos kilómetros de Apatzingán, y el gobierno lo sabía. […] La estrategia de enviar fuerzas federales a Apatzingán, Michoacán, es “una farsa, un teatro” porque incluso los elementos de la Policía Federal (PF) reciben su nómina del crimen organizado y el gobierno federal y estatal lo saben.
Yesterday Nazario Moreno ate with ‘La Tuta’ [Servando Gómez Martínez] at a ranch called the La Cucha, a few kilometers from Apatzingán and the government knew it. […] The strategy of sending federal forces to Apatzingán, Michoacán, is a “charade, it’s theater” because even members of the Federal Police get their pay from organized crime and the state and federal governments know it.
Many Twitter users share the priests’ point of view:
#Michoacan autodefensa se están defendiendo de secuestros y extorsiones, el sr @faustovallejof está defendiendo a Templarios.
— Dr. Cordova Montoya (@CordovaMontoya1) January 15, 2014
The Michoacan self-defenders are defending from kidnapping and extortion, Sr. Vallejo is defending the Templars.
Autodefensas es el pueblo defendiendo su vida y su familia. Es criminal que el ejército este apoyando a los templarios en Michoacán
— Cindy#NoAlaReforma (@CindyRevolucion) January 14, 2014
Self-defense groups are the people defending their lives and their families. It’s criminal that the military is supporting the Templars in Michoacán.
Others went so far as to say that the “self-defenders” could be the start of a revolution:
#Yosoy132 fue un desmadre a nivel nacional y fue pacífico, Autodefensas en Michoacán con armas va a ser una revolución
— Mi Abuela Sabia (@Miabuelaasabia) January 15, 2014
#Yosoy132 [note: student movement] was chaos at the national level and it was peaceful; armed self-defense groups in Michoacán are going to be a revolution.
Gonna go ahead and call it again, the self defense forces in Michoacán are revolutionary forces. The Mexican state and military proved it.
— Ⓐ Tony ☭ (@JagerJohnson) January 17, 2014
The actions of the federal forces caused doubt among netizens about the true reasons for disarming the ‘self-defenders’.
#Michoacan al gobierno no le conviene que ataquemos su negocio del narco , por eso quieren desarmar al pueblo . pic.twitter.com/QupdSI0wI4
— Valor Por Michoacán (@ValorMichoacan) January 16, 2014
It doesn’t suit the government for us to attack their drug business, so they want to disarm the people.
On the other hand, several have expressed doubt about the financing and origin of the ‘self-defenders’:
#Autodefensas are receiving donations from supporters throughout MX, US. Seems legit, however, there are still several questions. #michoacan
— ThinkMexican (@ThinkMexican) January 16, 2014
No es posible que grupos de dudosa procedencia y con sofisticado armamento como los #autodefensas sean considerados héroes por #Aristegui.
— Marilin Chavez (@marichavmol) January 15, 2014
It shouldn’t be possible for groups of dubious origin and sophisticated weaponry like the ‘self-defenders’ to be considered heroes by [journalist Carmen] Aristegui.
The self-defense groups, however, are gaining support from the public, mainly through actions like the one reported by the magazine Proceso: “Self-defense groups returned 265 hectares (654 acres) to their owners that the traffickers had taken from them.”
No se trata de hacer mártires o héroes a las autodefensas de Michoacán, pero como grupo humano, es mucho más digno que el gobierno de México
— Javier Barros del Vi (@paradoxeparadis) January 14, 2014
It’s not about making the self-defense groups of Michoacan martyrs or heroes, but as a group of human beings, they are a lot more respectable than the Mexican government.
For those interested in knowing more about the reasons that led to the creation of the self-defense group and its history, José Manuel Mireles, their leader, explains them in this interview [es].
[Translator's note: This interview is in Spanish. Here is another longer interview with subtitles in English, including one with Dr. Mireles on the same theme:]
To follow the latest events, follow the hashtags #Michoacán, #autodefensas y #MichoacánEnGuerra on Twitter.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Most Annoying Emoticons and Expressions in Chinese Online Communication · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

An online survey has revealed a list of the most objectionable expressions and emoticons in online communication of 2013. More from Nanfang insider.
The four most annoying emoticons: smily face, nose-picking, feces, and lecherous face. Screen capture image from Nanfang.


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Pacific Climate Warriors: “We Are Not Drowning, We Are Fighting”  · Global Voices
350.org

“We must draw on our heritage and ancestral strength to defend our homes.” Photo by Navneet Narayan for 350.org
This post was written by Fenton Lutunatabua for 350.org Pacific and is published on Global Voices as part of a content sharing agreement.
For many years, the story told about Pacific Islanders is one that portrayed them as mere victims, a far away people who cannot do anything about the causes or realities of climate change. The media has portrayed Pacific Islanders as helpless victims ready to drown with their islands or become refugees.
So in a move to change this narrative and harness more support from people around the region, a new campaign has been launched by 350.org in the Pacific vowing to make 2014 the year that people of the Pacific Islands stand up for themselves in the face of threats to their land and ocean from climate change.
The #StandUpForThePacific Campaign will seek to call upon people throughout the region to pledge their commitment to be active in 2014 in standing up for the Pacific Islands in the face of the regions biggest threat: climate change.
The campaign will allow Pacific Islanders to be positioned within a unified narrative of cultural revival and strength, as Warriors of the Pacific, prepared to rise up to protect their land, ocean and identity.
Already more than 600 people have taken a pledge, to make 2014 the year that the Pacific Islands stand up for ourselves in the face of climate change, and in the face of the fossil fuel industry. Together we will change the narrative from that of “they are drowning victims” to they’re powerful, peaceful warriors, drawing on our cultural strength to confront the fossil fuel industry that threatens our very existence.
As we get further into 2014, we’ll be turning the pledges into action, pressuring multinational corporations that operate in the Pacific Islands to divest from the fossil fuel industry. Let’s just say, if they don’t they will be confronted by peaceful, warrior action.
Below a series of photographs depict the warriors from Fiji calling upon the people of the land and the sea to become Warriors of the Pacific, regardless of their profession, gender, age, location or creed…
“We are ready to draw on our traditions and cultures and ignite our warrior spirit to defend our island homes.” Photo by Navneet Narayan for 350.org
“We will draw on our cultural truths and use that in this fight against the fossil fuel industry” Photo by Navneet Narayan for 350.org
“We are prepared to work with our Pacific Islander brothers and sisters to take out fight to the big polluters” Photo by Navneet Narayan for 350.org
“As Pacific Islanders we are ready to take our message to the fossil fuel industry” Photo by Navneet Narayan for 350.org
“We know we are the least contributors to climate change and yet we are the most affected, we also know what needs to be done and how to get to that end goal of creating a future we all deserve” Photo by Navneet Narayan for 350.org


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Philippine Typhoon Haiyan Victims Complain of Slow Relief and Substandard Shelters  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Dead bodies are still being retrieved in Palo, Leyte. Photo from Tudla.
Also see Haiyan Devastates the Philippines, our special coverage page.
More than two months have passed since super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) hit the central part of the Philippines but many survivors are still complaining about the slow arrival of government relief in their communities. In one village in Palo, Leyte, dead bodies are still being retrieved:
In Brgy. San Joaquin, Palo, Leyte, more than 2 months after typhoon Yolanda, bodies are still being retrieved in a swampy area of the village. According to retrieval operations volunteers in the village, they did not receive support from government like equipment and manpower for the retrieval of dead bodies. Volunteers are having difficulty in retrieving the bodies because of the inaccessibility of the area and lack of equipment.
Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people (the government is not yet finished counting the dead) when it caused a four-storey storm surge in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. It was the world’s strongest and deadliest storm of 2013.
Millions were left homeless after Haiyan completely devastated large areas in the region. The ground zero of the disaster is Tacloban, the capital of Leyte province. A drone flight by the Thijs Bertels Videoproducties clearly documents the extent of destruction left by Haiyan in the city.
Adding to the burden of refugees is the reported construction of overpriced and substandard temporary shelters by the government. This latest scandal has enraged many people who accused politicians of stealing from the rehabilitation funds.
Inquirer claims Yolanda bunkhouses overpriced. Apparently corruption continues along the straight and narrow path. How sad.
— Ronnie Nathanielsz (@ronnathanielsz) January 5, 2014
RT if you agree #YolandaPH survivors deserve more! #ReliefPH is not about substandard, mediocre aid! pic.twitter.com/4cIvta7WCV
— Tonyo Cruz (@tonyocruz) January 9, 2014
Those overpriced bunkers built for Yolanda victims are an international embarrassment, they are substandard and likened to pigpens. Fail!
— Maxell (@maxell_lander) January 14, 2014
But Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman assures the public that the government has been continuously providing all forms of assistance to typhoon victims:
A total of 3,845 GI sheets have been distributed in Brgy. San Isidro, Tanauan, Leyte… pic.twitter.com/mASEqyovSn
— Dinky Soliman (@dinkysunflower) January 19, 2014
Tudla, a multimedia group, reported that some of these overpriced bunkhouses have remained unoccupied:
More than two months after typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the Philippines, until now these temporary shelters or bunkhouses in Bliss, Tacloban City have no occupants.
No occupants for these controversial bunkhouses. Photo from Tudla
Eric Aseo writes about how to improve the reconstruction process:
While victims of Yolanda endure the monsoon rains inside flooded tents and leaking houses, it’s urgent that the government and international partners prioritize plugging up these leaks and leaks of all sorts so that effective reconstruction efforts can move forward.
Despite the relief pledge of many countries, funds have not yet reached the Philippines according to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad:
What we heard them say at the height of the Yolanda relief operations versus what you see them now delivering by way of cash, there's a big disparity.
Meanwhile, concerned citizens belonging to Kusog Tacloban have created an online petition asking foreign governments to make a complete accounting of the funds they gave to the Philippine government in order to monitor the utilization of the global aid:
Full transparency from you, the governments providing the aid, will enable us, watchdog groups, and concerned citizens, to hold government and private contractors to account in the difficult and long task of rehabilitation and rebuilding after Super Typhoon Yolanda. So we hope you, the foreign governments, continue to help us—please help us to monitor the rebuilding of our home.
Also see Haiyan Devastates the Philippines, our special coverage page.


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Rare Roma Holocaust Documentation Center to Open in Hungary · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Sinti and Roma people about to be deported by the Nazis, taken in the German town of Asperg, May 22, 1940; photograph courtesy of German Federal Archives, used under Creative Commons 3.0 license.
A Roma Holocaust center is planned to be opened in the southern Hungarian city of Pecs by the end of 2014. The documentation center is the joint effort of the local municipality of Pecs and the Hungarian Roma minority, and will also collaborate with the Pecs University in teaching students about this often forgotten part of European 20th century history.
The Roma Holocaust, also known as Porajmos in Romani, was an attempt by Nazi Germany to exterminate the Romani people in Europe. Approximately between 1933 and 1945, Roma citizens from many European countries were persecuted, imprisoned, stripped of their nationality, often transported to other Nazi-occupied or Nazi-collaborator countries, where many were killed. The numbers have mostly been downplayed by Nazi collaborators, but the estimated number of Roma killed during that period in Europe is between 220 thousand and 1.5 million.
West Germany recognized the Roma Holocaust in 1982, but formal recognition and marking of this Holocaust have generally proven to be difficult due to lack of recorded collective memory and documentation of the Porajmos among the Roma, a consequence both of their oral traditions and illiteracy, heightened by widespread poverty and discrimination in this day and age, all of which makes the opening of this center in Pecs paramount in commemorating this tragic portion of Romani and European history.

author: Danica Radisic


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Faces of Heroes · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Samuel ‘Boy’ Walrond is the most remarkable artist in Trinidad and Tobago that you probably do not know exists. That he has never been nationally recognised for his ability, or…the epic span of his life’s work, is an example of society’s failure to identify and honour its heroes.
Repeating Islands republishes an article on the sculptor, who has passed away at 95.


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Who Actually Lives in the Houses Built After Haiti’s Earthquake? · Global Voices
Haiti Grassroots Watch

This is an edited and condensed version of an original report by Haiti Grassroots Watch on January 8, 2014 and is republished on Global Voices as part of a content sharing agreement.
Four years after the January 12 2010 earthquake, questions haunt the four main post-disaster housing projects built by the governments of René Préval and Michel Martelly.  Who lives in them? Who runs them? Can the residents afford the rents or mortgages? Are the residents the earthquake victims?
By some estimates, the catastrophe killed some 200,000 people and made 1.3 million homeless overnight. But the new projects do not necessarily house earthquake victims, over 200,000 of whom still live in tents or in the three large new slums called Canaan, Onaville and Jerusalem.
Empty homes at the heart of the Lumane Casimir Village.
Photo: HGW/Marc Schindler Saint-Val
An investigation by Haiti Grassroots Watch involving over 20 interviews and many visits discovered that, even though there are newly housed families, many – probably the majority – are not necessarily victims of the earthquake. Several others are plagued with lack of services and persistent acts of vandalism, theft and waste.
Homes Too Expensive
On July 21 2011, President Martelly, former US President Bill Clinton and then-Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive inaugurated the Housing Exposition: a fair featuring about 60 model homes in Zoranje.
One of the first projects approved by the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, the Expo cost over US$ 2 million in public reconstruction money. Foreign and Haitian construction and architecture firms also spent at least US$ 2 million more. The objective was to provide models for the agencies and businesses engaged in post-earthquake housing construction.
Everyone agrees the Expo was a failure. Few visited the site and fewer still chose one of the model homes – many of which were very expensive by Haitian standards – for their project.
According to David Odnell, director of the government’s Unit for the Construction of Housing and Public Buildings (UCLBP), one of three government agencies involved with the housing question:
There were some really odd examples. Some of them had nothing to do with the way we Haitians live or think about housing. It was a completely imported thing.
Today, surrounded by weeds and goats, the fading and cracked houses are home to dozens of squatters.
A young pregnant girl who said her parents are “renters”, explained:
All the houses have new owners. They have been taken over.
A woman cooking in front of a model house on the Expo site.
Photo: HGW/Marc Schindler Saint-Val
The young woman who said she was “owner” of the girl’s house sat nearby with a child. Both women wanted to remain anonymous, but she was happy to share her story:
I didn’t follow any procedure got get this. I just took it. My brother was the security guard here. Nobody asked us to pay anything and nobody said anything. And in any case, who would we pay?
According to at least four residents as well as a government consultant, the squatters are all people who already lived in Zoranje. Many of the units are now being rented out.
In a November 2013 interview, Odnell, an architect, agreed:
Yes, that’s possible, and you know why. There is a void…and there is no authority there. But [the project] is not exactly a waste. I could call it poor planning, because the houses can always be recuperated.
Odnell’s counterpart at the government Fund for Social and Economic Assistance agency (FAES), Patrick Anglade, said much the same thing:
Aside from the inauguration week, the project has been forgotten. Nobody goes over there because nobody was really managing the project. The entrepreneurs left and nobody promoted the houses. It’s a problem that can be solved, but we have to figure out how to do that.
Squatters Reign
Another new project sits practically across the street from the Expo: 128 apartments built by the Venezuelan government for US$ 4.9 million (according to its figures) during the Hugo Chavez presidency. They are usually called “Kay Chavez yo” – “The Chavez Houses.”
Earthquake-resistant, sporting two bedrooms, a bath, a living room and a kitchen, and painted in bright colors, today most of the homes house people who simply broke down the doors and moved in. Only 42 of the 128 have “legal” inhabitants: families invited by the Venezuelan Embassy. Empty for 15 months, some were vandalized. Fixtures, toilets, sinks and other items, including water pumps, were stolen.
Inhabitants are already making adjustments: changing some doors, adding windows, building gates and fences.
One of “The Chavez Houses”. Photo: HGW/Marc Schindler Saint-Val
Surrounded by neighborhood men, Jules Jamlee sits with on a broken chair across the street from a home that is being expanded with the addition of an extra room. Like his friends, he is insistent about his right to “his” home:
The president knows very well that we are revolutionaries. He might make threats but he knows we don’t agree with them.
The housing development still lacks water and residents complain that the lack of adequate water means that the toilets don’t work well. Many residents instead use nearby weedy areas for their physiological needs.
When Haiti Grassroots Watch visited in June 2013, journalists learned that six out of ten residents polled said they walk to get water by bucket. Four said their toilets did not function.
Poor Quality
Known as the 400% or “400 in 100” project because Martelly promised 400 homes would be built in 100 days, the nearby US$ 30 million project, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, was inaugurated on February 27 2012. The development has three kilometers of paved streets, a water system (which lacked water until just recently), an electrical system, street lamps and a square with a basketball court.
But not all of the new residents are earthquake victims. Many are public administration employees. There was a rush to fill the houses at the beginning. And there are other complications, because the houses are not gifts. Residents must pay a five-year mortgage.
The mortgages are between US$ 39 and US$ 46 per month. The contract says that “non-payment by the renter/beneficiary for three consecutive months will result in a 5% penalty for each unpaid month” and that “non-payment could lead to expulsion.”
The contract has caused a great deal of grumbling. Yves Zéphyr, an unemployed father of two who has lived in the development since November 2012, noted:
The president did not give us a house. He is selling it to us. They are too expensive. What can a person do in this country where there is no work? How can one find 1,500 gourdes (US $39) each month?
FAES admits it faces a challenge:
We are not achieving 100% payments, not even 70%. At least 30% are behind.
A small poll by Haiti Grassroots Watch gives an idea of why some people are behind. One-half of ten residents questioned said they are unemployed.
When the project was launched, the government received financing to prepare the land, build the houses, and set up the electricity system, but not for the actual services necessary for a housing development, like water, septic system cleaning, a marketplace, schools, a clinic and affordable transportation to downtown. The UCLBP's Odnell explained:
The unused toilet of one resident, who said the septic system
is not deep enough. Photo: HGW/Marc Schindler Saint-Val
We have space for all the necessary services. They were all in the initial plan, but we couldn’t achieve all of them. In the end, we could only build the houses. We were only able to put in the water recently, once we looked for and got the necessary financing.
While many residents say they are happy with their new homes, there were also problems. Some roofs leaked every time it rained, and residents said that electricity was very rare. Some of the houses had been vandalized before residents moved in: tin roofs and toilets had disappeared.  The septic systems for some of the houses are also causing problems.
Up to the Challenge?
The Haitian government recognizes that it faces an enormous challenge. Some 150,000 earthquake victims still live in about 300 camps and another 50,000 live in the new sprawling slums Canaan, Onaville and Jerusalem. Half of the camps have no sanitation services and only 8% are supplied with water, according to an October 2013 report from the UCLBP and the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM)/Shelter Cluster. Residents of over 100 camps are in imminent danger of being evicted. In December, 126 families were forced to leave their homes and shacks in Canaan, near Village Lumane Casimir.
According to the government, the housing deficit will only continue to grow as people leave the countryside and smaller towns and move to cities.
According to the UCLBP’s new Policy of Housing and Urban Planning (PNLH):
Haiti needs to meet the challenge of constructing 500,000 new homes in order to meet the current and housing deficit between now and 2020.
The new policy is ambitious but vague.  The language of the document implies that the government will seek to resolve the deficit in partnership with the private sector.  While this kind of orientation should not necessarily be rejected out of hand, already with the Lumane Casimir Village and the 400% and Chavez Houses projects, it appears that the government is no longer going to build social housing that is within reach of the majority of Haitians.

author: Haiti Grassroots Watch


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Work on the Panama Canal Continues for Now · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

Photo by Phil Parsons on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
[Links are to Spanish-language pages except where noted.]
With the deadline for its ultimatum having been reached, the GUPC construction consortium (Grupo Unidos Por el Canal) now says it will not suspend work that could paralyze the project to widen the Panama Canal. [en]
On Monday, 20 January 2014, time ran out for GUPC's demand that they receive an additional $1.6 billion from the Panama Canal Authority to cover alleged cost overruns. GUPC had threatened a total work stoppage on construction of the third set of locks if, by that date, an agreement was not reached regarding payment.
The Panama Canal Authority has refused both the additional sum and any negotiations outside the terms of the original contract signed with GUPC. The Canal Authority also published a message on its website Mi Canal [en] in which it clarified that the threat by GUPC is not valid and goes against what is set out in the contract.
GUPC has tried every conceivable means of negotiating outside the contract, but the Canal Authority has refused to look for any way forward that does not strictly abide by the terms of the document. As the consortium includes three European companies, it was suggested that the European Commission mediate the dispute, a possibility that the Canal Authority firmly rejected, insisting the parties respect the provisions of the contract.
Despite this, GUPC has said it will not suspend work as of January 20, alleging instead that the ultimatum only sets the date from which the consortium is entitled to order a work stoppage in the event that an agreement has not been reached. However, Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano has reported that construction activity is 30% below normal levels, risking a potential delay that is unjustified and a breach of the contract.
The unease and lack of transparency on the part of the consortium has upset Panamanians, who consider the Canal part of their national heritage. A group has even organized a protest for Wednesday, February 22.
La protesta ante embajada de España VA! Miércoles 22 al mediodía LLEvar espejitos, bandera Panameña y DIGNIDAD. Basta de chantajes de GUPC!
— Miguel A. Bernal V. (@MiguelABernalV) January 20, 2014
Protest in front of the Spanish embassy Let's go! Wednesday 22 at noon Bring small mirrors, the Panamanian flag and your PRIDE. Enough with GUPC blackmail!
Twitter user ‘Vía Noticias y Más’ agrees with many Panamanians who trust and hope that the Canal Authority (ACP) will take over construction.
Es ahora que ACP asuma ampliación del @canaldepanama y mande lejos a GUPC @tvnnoticias @TReporta
— Vía Noticias y más™ (@Traficologo) January 20, 2014
It's time the ACP took over the widening of the Panama Canal and got rid of GUPC
For the politician José Blandon, the European companies are trying to pressure Panama into paying more than was agreed to:
No le hagamos el juego a estos señores de GUPC! Ellos saben lo crucial quw es el tiempo para Panama y de allí viene el chantaje
— Jose I Blandon C (@jblandonc) January 20, 2014
Let's not play into the hands of these gentlemen from GUPC! They know how critical the time is for Panama and that's what accounts for the blackmail
For Rubén Córdoba the way to proceed is to kidnap the team from GUPC and contract another company to finish the work:
@RobertoEisen La ACP debe remover a GUPC del canal, secuetrarles el equipo y contratar a la empresa Americana/Japonesa por su tec
— Ruben Cordoba (@rubencordoba21) January 20, 2014
The ACP should remove GUPC from the canal, kidnap the team and hire the American/Japanese company for their tech
Mirla Maria is frustrated and asks that they get rid of the consortium and not let them continue work on the expansion:
@EreidaPrieto @Traficologo xq no los echan estos españoles deskrados y espero q no los dejen entrar
— MirlaMaria (@mirlamarian) January 20, 2014
Why don't they kick out those shameless Spaniards and not let them back in
As long as GUPC's ultimatum hangs overhead, work can be suspended at any time. And although January 20 did not see a complete shutdown, construction is so slow that nobody is discounting the possibility that the Panama Canal Authority will end up taking action on the matter.

author: Ariel Moreno


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Young Romanian Builds First Car Entirely Made of LEGO Blocks · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

20-year-old Raul Oaida from Romania has built what many dreamed of as children – the world’s first life-size LEGO car. The car, including the engine which actually runs, was built using 500,000 LEGO pieces. The vehicle can only achieve a speed of some 20 to 30 kilometers per hour, but – it runs on air!
The young Romanian, a self-taught tech genius, paired up online with Australian entrepreneur Steve Sammartino, who procured the funds for this project on Twitter and got twice as many investors as needed in just days. The car was built in Romania and then transported to Australia, where the two unlikely partners met for a test drive.
The engine of the car is also entirely made of LEGO. It has “four orbital engines and a total of 256 pistons.” According to the project website, the top speed isn’t very impressive, around 20 to 30 km. “We were scared of a Lego explosion so we drove it slowly,” the founders wrote. Steve and Oaida say that the project was possible only because of the internet. The two even met online, when Steve accepted Oaida’s Skype request. “I’m teaching him about business and he’s teaching me a bit about physics,” Steve told the press.


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10 Documentaries on South American Music to Watch Online · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Nick MacWilliam from the blog Sounds and Colours has compiled a list of 10 documentaries, “looking at all manner of musical styles and movements from the region, with films focused on Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Venezuela.”
This list makes no attempt to rank the films, nor does it purport that these films are any better or worse than other music documentaries related to South America. The idea is to provide a sample of some of the films out there so that, firstly, they are enjoyed and, secondly, we hope they will open a few doors for our readers into new areas of regional identity.
The films are available online, for free.


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As Darkness Falls – Berlin Conference · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Berlin is welcoming the digital intelligentsia to a conference this weekend (January 25-26) on “self-empowerment in the age of digital control”. Speakers at the event, As Darkness Falls, include Jacob Appelbaum, Bruce Sterling, Micah Sifry, Evgeny Morozov and from Global Voices, Asteris Masouras (@asteris).
See program in English and German. The meeting is hosted by the German Federal Cultural Foundation in cooperation with Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz Berlin.

author: Solana Larsen


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Cambodia Garment Workers Demand $160 Monthly Minimum Wage · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The poster illustrates the $160 monthly minimum wage demand of Cambodia garment workers.The current standard is $80 but the government is only willing to grant a $15 increase. A nationwide strike was launched by workers last December but this was violently dispersed by the police early this month.
Image from Facebook page of Dae-oup Chang.


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How Protecting the Environment and Fighting Poverty Are Linked in Madagascar  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

With a new president in Madagascar, the country is finally taking steps towards exiting the four-year-long political crisis since a military-backed coup toppled the last democratically elected leader in 2009. It is now time for the new administration to tackle the more pressing issues plaguing the island, such as the alarming poverty rate among the most disenfranchised citizens [fr] and the rapidly deteriorating ecological system.
Let's examine how those two issues, although seemingly unrelated at first, are closely interconnected in Madagascar.
The exploitation of mineral resources in the southern region
A legal conflict involving mining giant Rio Tinto Group and an environmental group in southern Madagascar illustrates how poverty and environmental issues are closely linked.
Lavaka (erosion gully) in Madagascar caused by deforestation via wikipedia CC-BY-2.0
QIT Madagascar Minerals, owned by a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, has been involved in the exploitation of several mining resources in the south of the country. The project website states the following about its activities there:
QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM), which is 80% owned by Rio Tinto and 20% owned by the Government of Madagascar, has built a mineral sands mining operation near Fort-Dauphin at the south-east tip of Madagascar. QMM intends to extract ilmenite and zircon from heavy mineral sands over an area of about 6,000 hectares along the coast over the next 40 years. […] Current mining activity is at the 2000 ha Mandena site, to the north of Fort-Dauphin. Production on this site will eventually ramp up to 750,000 tonnes a year. Later phases will be at Ste-Luce and Petriky and there is potential to expand production to 2.2 million tonnes a year.
Website Malagasyfordevelopment.kazeo.com adds that [fr] the project was projected to create 2,000 new jobs over three years: 600 would be directly related to the project, while between 1,000 and 2,000 would be indirectly created during the production phase.
This is the sunny side of the story. The other is much darker, as described by Libération afrique [fr]:
75% de la population malgache vivent avec moins de US$ 1 par jour. Le gouvernement malgache se résigne à se faire piller son sous-sol pendant 40 ans par Rio Tinto avec ses conséquences : dette, salaires de misère et environnement unique au monde détruit. Pour les trois années de construction, Rio Tinto ferait appel à des sous-traitants, dont plus de 500 ouvriers spécialisés venant d’Afrique du Sud et d’Asie alors que le chômage à Madagascar est parmi les plus importants en Afrique.
About 75% of the Malagasy population live with less than 1 US dollar/day. Yet, the Malagasy government is resigned to let Rio Tinto exploit its mineral resources for the next 40 years with the following consequences: increased national debt, very low salaries and the destruction of a unique mineral ecosystem. During the three-year construction phase, Rio Tinto has summoned at least 500 workers from South Africa and Asia, while unemployment in Madagascar is one of the highest in Africa.
Several environmental groups have denounced the impact of the project on the local population and their environment. Some of these allegations against the project are described in the following post by Sarah-Jayne Clifton for Friends of the Earth:
Customary land rights have not been respected, with families without formal land title being persistently disadvantaged in the compensation process despite Rio Tinto’s commitment to respecting traditional land tenure . Some families were excluded from the compensation process altogether because they were not present when the register of families requiring compensation was drawn up […]
QMM has said it will replant the mine site once the ilmenite has been removed and has collected seeds from the forest for this. But 70 per cent of the area will be planted with exotic species because QMM’s specialists claim that the soil in these areas is too degraded to support the reintroduction of native species. There are concerns that this could have devastating impacts. Exotic species such as eucalyptus could over-run native trees on the island, take valuable water resources, and fundamentally change the biodiversity of the forest floor.
When asked about these allegations, QMM was at first not exactly forthcoming, as their response to pointed questions regarding the issue demonstrates:
The tension between Malagasy civil society and Rio Tinto/QMM reached a peak when protests outside QMM factories led to the arrests of 15 environmental and indigenous rights activists from the association Fagnomba in March 2013, who demanded compensation for the land taken by the company.
Perle Zafinandro Fourquet, a co-founder of the association, was one of those arrested. Her family provided further details about the context of the arrest [fr]:
Depuis janvier, Fagnomba installe des barrages sur l'accès à la mine et les militaires ont été diligentés pour lever ces barrages…Dernièrement, des bureaux et du materiel informatique ont été saccagés et le juge semble mettre tout cela sur le dos de Fagnomba : une affaire montée de toute pièce ! Enfin, pour montrer que l'affaire est scabreuse, la plainte a été déposée par la présidente de la CENIT (qui regroupe l'aide exterieure pour mener à bien les élections à Madagascar) qui est cousine par alliance du chef de Région…
Since January, the association Fagnomba has raised fences in front of the entry of the mines and the army was summoned to remove them. Recently, the offices and the IT system of QMM were looted and the judge seemed to have decided that Fagnomba was to be blamed for that: This was just a trap! To tell you how fishy the whole thing is, the complaint was filed by the president of the National Electoral Commission (the body who is supposed to make sure that the elections will be transparent and free). She is also the cousin of the regional political leader…
Fagnomba argues that a few measures are necessary to make it right in the region via this petition:
Elle réclame également l'embauche de travailleurs locaux au sein de cette société qui fait venir la plupart de ses employés de la capitale. Elle lutte pour la protection de l'environnement malmené durement (les poissons disparaissent depuis l'installation d'un barrage…).
The association asks that local workers be recruited instead of bringing workers from the capital city. They also ask that the environment be better protected (as seen in the vanishing of fish since the dam was built…).
Potential solutions
However solutions do exist that combine providing for the neediest with ensuring that forests are protected.
First, Anup Shah at Global Issues argued that a more comprehensive outlook on the issue of poverty is needed:
Just as doctors highlight the need to prevent illnesses in the first place, and resort to cures when needed, so too do we need to understand these deeper issues in a more holistic manner. The interconnectedness needs more recognition if environmental degradation, poverty and other global problems can begin to be addressed.
In addition to a more holistic approach, the risk assessment of the consequences of poverty has to be broadened as well. Larry West, an editor for environmental issues at About.com, explained:
The lower your income, the higher the likelihood that you will be exposed to toxics at home and on the job. The greater the risk that you will suffer from diseases — ranging from asthma to cancer — caused or exacerbated by environmental factors. The harder it will be for you to find and afford healthy food to put on your table.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) states that an important proportion of people in Madagascar and around the globe rely on forest resources for subsistence, and therefore protection of forests is an integral part of the fight against poverty:
Close to 1.6 billion people depend on forest resources for their survival. Forest resources directly contribute to the livelihoods of 90% of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty. [..] Damage to the environment, as well as a lack of clean water and land suitable for farming or growing food, leads to more hunger, illness, poverty and reduced opportunities to make a living.
The WWF recommends the following course of action to achieve this goal:
work with local communities across the world to:
-help them to secure their rights to manage the forest resources on which their livelihoods depend
-support them to manage forests sustainably, for their own well-being as well as to protect the environment
-provide opportunities for generating long-term incomes from sustainable forest management, for example by providing business training and linking them to national and international markets
-enable them to gain FSC certification and access markets for sustainably managed timber


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How the Vietnamese are Using Facebook Pages · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Despite being regularly blocked by the government, Facebook continues to grow in terms of users in Vietnam. Patrick Sharbaugh of Vietmeme explains how Vietnamese are maximizing Facebook pages:
…they don’t use it only for posting personal information, but often for creating temporary civil society communities and advocating for pet causes.
A Facebook page will pop up one day decrying a low-level government official or a crazy new traffic law or calling for signatures on a petition to advocate for some person or cause. And people will post scores of remixed photos and images and manga that subtly mock the issue or ridicule the person in a way that requires razor-sharp pop-culture sensibilities to understand, and the page will collect a few thousand Likes. And then, two or three weeks later, it’ll be gone. They made their point, and nobody wants to get too carried away.
The quote is from an interview conducted by Ben Valentine of The Civic Beat Reader


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Kazakh Rapper Asks Fans for Money to Finish a “Political” Song · Global Voices
Mahina Shodizoda

Kazakh rapper Takezhan (Oteghaliev) has reached out to his fans to help fund the production of a new song. In a video [ru] posted on his blog, the rapper sings for his fans and asks them for financial help to finish a “political rap [song]” he is working on.
Scheenshot from video in which Takezhan is asking his fans for cash. The video was uploaded on yvision.kz on January 22, 2014.
Takezhan, who never shunned controversy, took the spotlight in 2011 after he announced plans to organize a concert in support of striking oil workers in western Kazakhstan. The authorities then pressured him to cancel the performance, while the oil workers’ strike soon burst into deadly riots.

author: Mahina Shodizoda


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Kyrgyz Scholar: Marijuana Legalization Keeps Governments in Power · Global Voices
Mahina Shodizoda

As US President Barack Obama's recent comments on marijuana reignite the liberalization debate across the world, including in Kyrgyzstan, a Kyrgyz scholar offers a non-mainstream explanation for the decriminalization of marijuana in a number of countries. In a blog post on kloop.kg, Dr. Rustam Tukhvatshin claims [ru] that legalization helps governments control protest movements:
…People's addiction to [marijuana] is very convenient to politicians because the addicted individuals will never criticize them. Such people will view any policy decision made by politicians through a marijuana smoke screen, joyfully and complacently.
Most often individuals [addicted to the drug] belong to the discontented strata, and the legalization of marijuana renders these strata [unimportant]. Unfortunately, people who use marijuana are only a step away from experimenting with stronger drugs such as heroin and LSD. This then enables the authorities to put such individuals on record and take measures against them, while society at large will never defend drug addicts. These are, in my opinion, the main reasons for decriminalizing marijuana…


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Major US Drug Bust Forces Trinidad & Tobago to Confront Parallel Economy · Global Voices
Flora Thomas

Late last week, news broke that a shipment containing over 700 pounds of cocaine, with a street value of US $100 million, was intercepted by US Customers and Border Patrol officials in Norfolk, Virginia.  The contraband was hidden among juice cans which were being exported from Trinidad and Tobago.
Since the revelation, officers from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have arrived en masse on the island to investigate the matter; local authorities are cooperating and the company whose products were used to conceal the cocaine maintains that the shipment did not originate from their factory.
The case is already rife with contradictions: US authorities maintain the bust was a cold hit, while Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of National Security has suggested there was a tip-off.  His latest statements on the matter appear aimed at convincing the local population that the “big fish” will be caught; the DEA, according to reports, also seems intent on making arrests.
Bloggers and social media users are looking on with interest. Diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch couldn't quite swallow what the Minister of National Security was saying when it came to the alleged tip-off:
Now, you’d wonder why, in this day and age of rapid information disbursement and verification, why someone like Griffith…would bother to lie. I can only assume that they think the typical Rock Crawler is a functional fool.
Phillip Edward Alexander, who blogs at Plain Talk, began his post by reminding people of the many recent drug busts on the island:
Following on the almost billion dollar drug bust found a few years ago in the hull of a yacht bound for Spain outfitted in T&T, the six hundred million dollars worth of cocaine intercepted at Monos down the islands for which a handful of small fries are spending life in prison, and the soft drink that killed a foreign national ‘accidentally’ in the branded bottle of a Company now in the international spotlight once again as another of its brands are found to contain seven hundred and thirty pounds of narcotics, I turn my attention to the drug trade in Trinidad & Tobago.
At a local car dealership in San Juan a shipping container was opened and millions of dollars worth of drugs literally fell out onto the floor. A container full of chicken was opened on the port and found to contain again millions of dollars worth of drugs for which no one has been arrested, and, on the heels of both of those discoveries I ask, why has it not become mandatory that all shipping containers be unstuffed on the port? A surgeon in east Trinidad has removed drugs from the stomach of a drug mule without reporting the matter to the police, and from what can be gleaned from the sanitized media stories, both surgeon and mule are still free to continue plying their trade. What is to become of this?
He discussed the issue of corruption in society:
In a society where most people are readily bribed and corrupted over the smallest of things, who is supposed to bell this cat? And what could be that person's motive in a population again notorious for standing with the bad guy, in seeking naked self interest over any notion of a national one?
Where would we start? At the top where the drug lords live? At the bottom where foot soldiers fight for turf? In the middle where the mechanics of the drug trade goes to work?
He also placed some responsibility on the shoulders of the judicial system:
Because of the sheer size and scope of the drug problem emanating from T&T and compounded by our woefully bad interdiction and prosecution rate, we are forced to base all premises on the assumption that our entire system is compromised. Any attempt to clean up the place will be frustrated if one link in the chain is broken by incompetence or corruption and sometimes the solution is as simple as admitting that we cannot handle a problem ourselves, that we need help.
He also offered suggestions as to how to deal with the problem, but questioned whether the country had the “national will for such choices”:
Our next steps should include turning responsibility of the policing of our borders…over to international assistance with the creation of a maritime ‘stop and search’ policy for all craft, the establishment of an inter-agency drug task force that includes Customs & Excise, an anti-drug unit within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to investigate and bring to conclusion all drug related matters, a Revenue Monitoring Authority to identify disproportional wealth and a specially appointed Drug Crimes Prosecutor charged with dealing only with drug related crimes.
Customs should be given a far greater role and should be encouraged to ‘license’ and police all so established licensed fishing ports, in the setting up offices everywhere water craft land…and the unstuffing of all shipping containers on the nation's ports as a totally preventative measure.
Twitter didn't have much commentary on the topic, save for this tweet by Kamsha Maharaj, inresponse to a question from @BBCWorld asking “What made you say ‘wow’ on social media today?”:
@BBCWorld the crazy #Sherlock fans, a high-profile #drugbust in Norfolk that originated in #trinidad and #bluemonday
— Kamsha Maharaj (@KamrenTt) January 20, 2014
On Facebook, by comparison, the bust seemed to be all that people were discussing.  The Trinidad Express Newspapers Facebook page attracted a barrage of commentary, with most users of the social network expressing a lack of confidence in the Minister of National Security and the protective forces that operate underneath him.
Craig Shand added:
Min of Trade explaining that cargo leaving Trinidad is (as a rule) not scanned or examined for illegal goods/products. This as it's a well documented fact that Trinidad is a known transshipment point for drugs, guns, illegal goods and people – human trafficking. Shame bloody shame on the minister for being so cavalier about this reality and shame on every past administration for theirs not being the last that this was a reality. Don't we owe it to the region to do better don't we owe it to the world to fight the evil that is illicit trade…Don't we owe it to ourselves to do the right thing instead of turning a convenient blind eye. Maybe I'm idealistic, maybe I'm just a Trini that expects too must from his government…Maybe I'm just damn fed up.
When Trinidadians get fed up, they turn to humour – so naturally, the memes were the next to appear, like these two, which were posted on the Facebook page Meanwhile in T&T:
As investigations continue, the online community is sure to keep a close eye on developments.

author: Flora Thomas


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Online Petition to Stop Torture in Tajikistan · Global Voices
Mahina Shodizoda

An increasing number of social media users in Tajikistan are calling on their friends and followers to sign an online petition [ru] to pressure the country's authorities to stop the use of torture. The petition was started following the death of an opposition party activist, 34-year old Umed Tojiev, in a Tajik prison on January 20. Tojiev was tortured while in prison, and this appears to explain his death (although the authorities insist he died of a heart attack).
User ‘Umniy Biznes’ wrote [ru] on a publicly available page on Facebook:
Umedjon Tojiev has been killed by individuals wearing epaulets, the individuals who are paid salaries from our taxes, the individuals who are supposed to protect us. Who are they, our guards or butchers??? Whoever they are, they live at our expense! And a beast that bites the hand feeding him will sooner or later die of hunger…
Torture in police custody is widespread and systematic in Tajikistan, according to a recent UN report [pdf]. The petition has so far been signed by 200 people.