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South Korea: A Teenage Boy’s Anti Suicide Campaign Video · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A spate of student suicides occurred recently in South Korea due to mindlessly violent school bullying. While some schools hushed up the case for the sake of their reputation, a 18-year-old student made this short video [ko] to raise public awareness. (There is no English subtitle yet)


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South Korea: Students Protest Against Election Rigging · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

As suspicion and anger grow over the ruling party's election rigging, students from South Korea's major universities gathered together to release a joint statement calling for a thorough reinvestigation of the case. One net user posted photos of the student protest in Daum Agora, the nation's biggest public forum.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Trinidad & Tobago: Politics & the Press  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press has it from “an internal source” that “journalist Afra Raymond has resigned from writing for the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian after learning that the paper sends unpublished articles to politicians: apparently seeking to have the politicians pre-approve or vet opinion pieces before publication.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Zambia 2011: Two Events That Shook the Country · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

Undoubtedly, two events in Zambia will go down as having shaken the country in seismic ways. The first was the death of Second Republican President Frederick Chiluba, a maverick trade unionist turned-politician who defeated Zambia’s founding president Dr Kenneth Kaunda who had been in power for 27 years but was swept out of office in the first multi-party elections after 17 years of one party “democracy”.
This is how one Zambian blogger, Munshya, remembered Chiluba:
Here a man without High School education worked hard as a bus conductor to read a few A Level courses which he later admitted to have flanked. Additionally, not to be outdone by his many challenges, Chiluba went as far as Tanzania looking for opportunities. When he came back to Zambia in his twenties, he translated the knowledge he acquired while working in the Tanzanian Sisal industry into good use. He used his courageousness and his fearlessness to become a defender of his fellow workers. Through the trade union, a diminutive Chiluba had found an opportunity to talk and walk the tallest.
@ictjournalist tweeted:
@ictjournalist: @GNdhlovu i remember him as a person who who started a revolution in Africa which has spread all over
Afriwoman was a little sad:
@afriwoman: Listening to Zambian radio stations, going through pics of #Chiluba's funeral courtesy of @QfmZambia . Didn't like the guy but a little sad
The second was the defeat of the ruling MMD after clocking 20 years in power and only three years in office of the incumbent president Rupiah Banda who lost to PF’s Michael Sata at his fourth attempt at the presidency.
After his election president Sata, in another political masterstroke, surprised the world when he appointed his long time ally and his party’s vice president, Dr Guy Scott, a white Zambian who has been on the country’s political scene for over 20 years.
Reacting to Guy Scott's appointment, Zambian tweep and blogger @missbwalya noted:
@missbwalya: Zambia is the only African country with a white VP. Wonder how that will be received by “anti-white African” militants.
Chiluba’s death, which citizens first learnt of through Twitter, shocked the nation which only three years before, had buried a sitting president, Levy Mwanawasa who died in France after collapsing in Egypt while on international duty. Chiluba’s death became a hot campaign issue for the MMD whose cadres threatened to beat Sata if he attended the funeral of his once boss under whom he saved not only as cabinet minister but as the MMD’s national secretary.
Zambia's new Vice President Guy Scott. Image from the ruling Patriotic Front website.
Sata never set foot at the funeral venue following threats to beat him up by MMD cadres but he unexpectedly turned up at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre where Chiluba’s body lay in state and paid his last respects, viewing it along ordinary citizens, vexing even security officials who did not know what to do with the then opposition leader who was clearly in bad books with President Banda.
By the time the belligerent MMD cadres turned up to sort Sata out, he had already left Mulungushi. This was probably one move that increased Sata’s stature in potential voters’ minds. The irony, however, is that Chiluba, before his demise, touted himself as President Banda’s political consultant who vowed to deliver Sata’s perceived regional strongholds to the MMD.
Related to Chiluba’s death was the presidential election for which the MMD was sure to win with its well-financed campaign vis-à-vis a Spartan and low key campaign strategy of the PF which adopted the slogan “Donchi Kubeba” with donchi being a corruption of the English word, don’t and kubeba being tell.
Supporters in a truck celebrate the victory of opposition leader Michael Sata as he was sworn in as the fifth Zambian president. Image by Owen Miyanza, copyright Demotix (23/12/2011).
The MMD government tried to suppress the release of poll results when it became apparent that things were not going their way but netizens where clearly a step ahead releasing the results on Twitter, Facebook and social networks.
President Sata has embarked on a massive investigation of corrupt activities under the previous administration and within a few weeks of commencement of the investigations, security wings dug out billions of Zambian Kwacha from a former minister’s farm. Several other former cabinet ministers have since been arrested or have had their properties suspected to have been corruptly obtained, seized. When the scale of impropriety became apparent, citizens started calling for the removal of President Banda's immunity from prosecution.
Netizens also wondered whether the former president implicated himself in his farewell speech. On Facebook, Gongs Jhala asked:
Do you think RB and his sons will face criminal prosecution? I found it interesting when he said they did not “knowingly abuse public resources” [does] that mean they abused public resources but did not know they were doing so?
Many netizens weighed in on the fight against corruption:
@lwangamwilu: Some people miraculously acquired wealth in 3 years in office, let them be investigated – Milupi #Zambia
@stevenputter: #Zambia, 1000 bicycles “for personal use” thought it was only God that could be in more than one place at a time, no wonder investigated
Perhaps we should mention the Barotseland Agreement debate, which picked up in 2011. Long considered a non-issue during decades of one party rule, Barotseland became an issue of political contention in 2011.
Two people were killed in January 2011 after riots broke out in Mongu, the capital of Western Province over reinstatement of the Barotseland Agreement of 1964. Some activists in the region argue that the Barotseland Agreement provides for separation from the rest of Zambia.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Africa: Algiers and Dakar Competing for Cultural Leadership in Francophone · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

The blog edouardtamba.com has published a note by Maurice Simo Djom, from the University of Yaounde stating [fr] that: ”Through two competing festivals, the Fesman and the Panaf, the two countries (Senegal and Algeria) battle for the cultural leadership in Francophone Africa. In fact, this cultural battle underscores a harsh ideological struggle between two different approaches to escaping colonial cultural influence  and taking control of a nation’ s own identity”.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Africa: Facebook in full expansion in 2011 · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Joan Tilouine of Africa Tech, on the blog.slateafrique.com blog.slateafrique.com comments [fr] upon the researches made by african internet users during 2011: ‘the most researched term on Google was ”Facebook”. The Social Network, is expanding on the continent, which counts already 32 million users, that is 27% of african internet users. This is a record compared to Asia, where 18% of internet users are logged on Facebook’.


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Burkina Faso: Samuel Kiendrebeogo: 1949-2012 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

R.I.P. Samuel Kiendrebeogo: “The African media community lost a central voice this week with the passing of Samuel Kiendrebeogo, the veteran host of weekly media magazine Médias d'Afrique et D'Ailleurs on Voice of America's French service. Sam, as he was known, died while vacationing in his native Burkina Faso. He was 63.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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CEE: A “Safe House” and an Igloo · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Polandian writes about the so-called “Safe House” near Warsaw, Poland. On Cold United, Bolot of eYakutiaposts a video tutorial on how to build an igloo.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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CEE: Getting “Abnormal For A Change” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

East of Center writes about “Eastern Europe’s ‘obsession with normality'” and suggests this New Year’s resolution: “In the true spirit of Václav Havel, why don’t we get abnormal for a change?”


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Costa Rica: Carmen Naranjo, Writer and Politician, Dies · Global Voices
Oscar Howell

Carmen Naranjo (born Cartago, 1928) passed away last January 4. She was a writer and a woman engaged in politics in the 60s and 70s, something then uncommon in Latin America. She became Culture and Youth Minister of Costa Rica in 1974, and was the first woman appointed as a member of the Costa Rican Academy of the Spanish Language. Already a towering figure in Costa Rican culture, she became the Director of the Museum of Costa Rican Art and Chief Editor at Costa Rica University Press EDUCA.
Among the awards she received were the Order of Alfonso X El Sabio (Spain, 1977) and the Order to Academic Merit Gabriela Mistral (Chile, 1996). At least three of Naranjo's novels are regarded as key to Costa Rican Literature: Los Perros no ladraron (“The dogs didn't bark”) (1966), Diario de una Multitud (“Diary of a multitude”) (1974) and Ondina (1983).
Carmen Naranjo in 2008, photo by Julia Ardón, used with permission
Carmen Naranjo did not only represent the capacity of women to achieve positions of relevance in a traditional society, she was also a pioneer in her views about culture, literature and writing, and media and communications. She was an early proponent of gender equality in Costa Rica, which today has become law. Today Costa Rica has its first female president: Laura Chinchilla.
When asked in a 2008 interview with Ailyn Morera [es] what her contribution to culture was she responded:
He encontrado que lo fundamental es trabajar en términos universales dentro del país para que la cultura aunque sea un milímetro crezca en todo el territorio. Por eso encuentro que es indispensable que la cultura tenga medios modernos de comunicación. Considero la radio fundamental y también la televisión, las fuentes que fluyen del Internet y todas esas cosas que le permiten a la gente comunicarse y tener fácil acceso a la cultura, y al conocimiento universal. Todo lo que fortalezca el conocimiento debe ser implementado por eso es tan importante que las universidades se proyecten para valorar lo que las comunidades tienen y desarrollarlo. No se necesita sacar a la gente de sus sitios sino llegar a ellos y lograr encender la espiral del desarrollo.
As a writer Carmen Naranjo was a key figure during the change that Costa Rican society suffered in the decades starting in the 50s, after the collapse of the government of Calderón Guardia, and up until the early 80s. In Carmen's time, the country was defined by a conservative society and a rigid class system. The main literary trope was the honorable and sincere man of the countryside. It was a figure of simple wit and common sense, reflecting the idea that the upper class had of their origins and destiny.
Carmen Naranjo wrote from the attitudes of the new urban middle class, challenging the imaginary cherished by a society that was changing forever. The young urban people experienced the pressure of coming to terms with a new and diverse society, with politics that began to be pervaded by new ideas and upwardly moving young and ambitious politicians. Hers was a literature of rupture, protest and renovation.
Alfonso Chase, a fellow writer and friend, is quoted by Michelle Soto in La Nación [es]:
La aparición de Carmen Naranjo como poeta en los años 60 fue una revelación, pero también un rompimiento con la tradición literaria costarricense. Ya el campesino no era tan Magón ni tan Aquileo. Carmen era totalmente urbana y era una hija de la Segunda República. […]Era una mujer para ahora. Hubiera sido muy interesante en estos momentos porque este es el tiempo de los indignados.
Benedicto Víquez writes about Carmen Naranjo in the blog El arte literario y su teoría [es]:
Sus personajes son innominados, se convierten en voces llenas de angustia, luchando por encontrarle sentido a la vida y la muerte, rescatando los instantes de felicidad en su larga lucha por sobrevivir en una sociedad llena de prejuicios, superficialidad, vacuidad y alienante […]
Finally, Víquez writes in El arte literario y su teoría [es] about Naranjo's novel Los perros no ladraron:
Los personajes viven directamente la burocracia de la ciudad, se enfrentan crudamente a ella, en vivo, sufren la impotencia para resolver las más insignificantes diligencias, tales como buscar trabajo, ser atendidos por un empleado ante una solicitud, tan simple como pagar un recibo, sacar una cita, subir en un ascensor, caminar por la ciudad, aspirar a un ascenso, etc.

author: Oscar Howell


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Eurozone Crisis: 2011 Citizen Media Responses · Global Voices
Paola D'Orazio

This page is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis and 2011 on Global Voices.
The year 2011 will be remembered for the European debt crisis and its impact on the global economy, but also for its hard consequences on everyday life. The crisis began in 2007 and is without precedent in post-war economic history. Europe is living its darkest economic days since the 1930s.
Due to the growing importance of the topic and due to the diffusion of social media platforms, in recent months there has been a proliferation of “economic blogging” (and tweeting). Opinion, thoughts and reactions abound online trying to make sense of what future awaits the Eurozone.
Considering VAT increases, along with salary, pension and benefit cuts, some basic goods are becoming less affordable. Indian blogger Deepankar Basu wrote on the indian economic website Sanhati:
These [austerity] measures reduce expenditure and increase taxes in order to reduce government deficits. Cutbacks in government spending and increases in taxes, at this particular moment, however, amount to the worst possible policy stance, reducing aggregate demand even further, and pushing the economies deeper into recession.
Sovereign debts, junk ratings: protests take to the street
Camp site at Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain. Photo by Julio Albarrán, republished under a CC License.
The crisis is perceived to have started within three countries – Ireland, Greece and Portugal – but quickly spread to Spain and Italy.
Since the international rating agencies gave their assessments (ratings) for each national solvency (the ability to pay public debt) it seemed they “held the wand” over the Eurozone’s future. This power over the fate of each state provoked strong debates all over Europe, with many questioning the legitimacy of their analysis.
In Portugal, for example, there was a strong commotion and reaction when the independent American financial analysis firm Moody's called Portuguese debt “junk debt”.
But the core of the protests occurred in May. It all started in Spain with the 15M movement, mainly coordinated by the youth organization Democracia Real Ya [es], which was extremely active online and organized massive demonstrations against corruption, unemployment, and a political structure allegedly favouring a two-party system.
The acampadas born in Plaza del Sol in Madrid quickly “infected” other Spanish cities, such as Barcelona, Sevilla and Malaga. In a few weeks other movements became active in other European Countries and globally, later the Occupy Wall Street movement.
"#campmap for "#worldrevolution" – More than  600 demonstrations and camp outs were ignited in solidarity with Spanish protesters by the end of May, 2011.
Some, including mainstream media [es], soon made connections between the the so-called Spanish Revolution and the Arab Spring.
Como si se tratara de la plaza Tahrir, en Egipto, escenario de las protestas populares[es]. El caldo de cultivo del derrocamiento de Hosni Mubarak. Esto es distinto pero puede ser el embrión de algo. Quién sabe.
Solidarity to the Spanish movement came soon from Greece, which has been the first European Union country to taste the sting of IMF/ECB austerity since 2010. Particularly in Greece the anti-austerity protests have been strongest. In June there were peaceful protests and gatherings at Syntagma (Constitution) Square, and when protesters planned to surround the House of the Parliament the day for which the vote for the Mid-Term Austerity Programme had been scheduled, there were violent clashes with the police.
Protests and demonstrations continued over the summer especially in Spain and Greece. But only the big reforms and the austerity plans widely adopted in “PIIGS” countries (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) late in the autumn marked a turning point of the European debt crisis.
“Blood and Tears”: the austerity recipe
The pressure of the financial markets and recommendations coming from European Commission urged some governments to adopt  so-called austerity measures aimed at eliminating unsustainable budget deficits. Recipes seem to have some common traits across countries: cuts on social spending and social services, additional taxes, VAT increases and salary cuts with citizens paying for the crisis.
In Spain the intense social debate over the economic recovery plan led to new protest in September when the #reformazo (#bigreform) was announced. Spain, and later Italy, decided to introduce constitutional changes to limit public spending (budgetary stability). In turn, there were protests throughout the country organized by the assemblies of Puerta del Sol and by the entire 15M movement against what Real Democracy Now! has called the Financial Coup D'État.
Runner statue mocked up as a rioter. Photo courtesy of the Athens indignants' multimedia team, licensed as CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
In Greece in October there was an unprecedented protest during the ‘Ochi Day‘ (No Day) Parade since Greeks were angry for the relentless and ineffective austerity measures, culminating in the “haircut” deal negotiated by banks and European politicians, which many fear signifies the beginning of a new foreign “occupation” of the country.
The impact of the austerity recipes have been particularly severe in Greece where suicides and criminality are mounting, and where social and health assistance is becoming more and more expensive. The reportedly high cost (that can reach 1000 euros) for childbirth in public hospitals is only one example of adverse social impacts of the current crisis.
But there are also chronicles of the victims of the explosive cocktail of the housing bubble, the financial crisis, and high unemployment rates. Thousands of families are now without homes. A large campaign started in Spain against housing speculation, to stop evictions and relocate families to unused buildings.
Mobilizing on the streets and the Internet
Apart from economic issues and their implications for the people of European countries, democratic participation and citizenship rights occupy the public debate. The massive participation in protests and demonstrations against austerity measures – both online and in the streets – was something new on the European political scene.
Many, such as in Portugal, have pointed out there was an alternative to the top-down measures imposed by EC, IMF and ECB so that the Iceland’s practice of direct democracy became a model. Since Iceland refused an international bailout, many argued that there could be a different solution for the current crisis than ten years of severe budget restrictions to bail out bondholders.
But there was also another issue that emerged in recent months, since there have been crucial changes of government in three European countries. While in Spain the change was due to early elections, the new prime ministers in Greece and in Italy were chosen by the head of state, without any popular approval.
The resignation of Silvio Berlusconi in Italy was particularly important not only for the country, but for the whole European Union, since the country needed to calm financial markets in order to keep interest rates on sovereign debt under control. After the “Party for Berlusconi's resignation” soon Italians and Europeans involved in the crisis had to face the ugly reality they have to live with.
As Europe’s financial woes intensify, austerity reigns, the crisis deepens and economists are forecasting an (unprecedented?) recession, maybe 2011 will be remembered as a “lost year” of the European economic history.
This page is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis and 2011 on Global Voices.

author: Paola D'Orazio


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Malawi: Moving Windmills: The William Kamkwamba Story · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Moving Windmills is a documentary that tells the true story of William Kamkwamba, a young innovator from Malawi, Africa who taught himself to generate electricity by building a windmill from found materials and scrap parts.


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MENA: 2011, a Year of Struggle and Triumphs for Bloggers · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.
With all of the social media successes throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, it would be all too easy to overlook the struggles faced by bloggers and netizens throughout the region.  And yet, 2011 was an extraordinary difficult year for free expression, from Egypt's shutdown of the Internet to the numerous harassed, arrested, and detained bloggers from the Maghreb to the Gulf.
Iran: No room for free expression
Less than a week into 2012, Reporters Without Borders puts the number of jailed netizens globally at 126.  Within the list, Iran stands out, as my colleague Fred Petrossian writes:
In 2011, the Iranian regime was faithful to its reputation as an enemy of internet as it continued to repress bloggers and even threaten their lives. Blogger Sakhi Rigi got a record breaking 20-year jail sentence. Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, who is serving 15 years in prison, struggled for his health and for a period was deprived of contact with his family and lawyer. RSF talked about the plight of seven netizens in Iran in July 2011. These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. While a few bloggers likeShiva Nazar Ahari andHossein Derakhshanwere released on bail, others like Mohammad Reza Pour Shajari may face charges of ‘Waging War Against God’ (moharebeh), for which a death sentence can be pronounced. As Omid Reza Mirsayafi‘s tragic death shows, the more a blogger is isolated and deprived of a network, the more he is in danger.
Egypt, Syria, Bahrain among the region's worst
But while Iran may rank worst in terms of the number of bloggers detained, life for bloggers in much of the rest of the region has been no picnic.  In Syria, where the uprising that started last spring shows few signs of abating, several prominent bloggers were arrested in 2011, threatening countless more into silence.  Razan Ghazzawi, a former Global Voices contributor, spent fifteen days in prison in December until being released on bail, but still faces trial for “weakening the national sentiment,” among other charges.  Hussein Ghrer, released in early December, also faces trial.  Meanwhile, Tal Al-Mallohi, the teenaged blogger imprisoned in 2009, is serving a five year sentence.
Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah poses with his wife and fellow blogger Manal Hassan in Tunis just one month before his arrest
Egypt–where social media had arguably the largest impact in 2011–has also seen numerous bloggers struggle for their freedom.  Blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad, who was arrested in March, was recently sentenced to two years in prison for criticizing the interim military regime on his blog.  Sanad has spent much of his incarceration on hunger strike.  Alaa Abd El Fattah, who was released on December 25 after nearly two months in prison, still faces trial on a number of trumped-up charges, a clear indication of his being a target for his outspokenness against the military.
Another blogger, Ayman Youssef Mansour, was sentenced in October by a civilian court to three years in prison for insulting religion on his Facebook page.  Several other netizens have faced military questioning for online postings.  The Egyptian campaign to end military trials for civilians has been instrumental in highlighting such cases.
A third country in the region ranks among the worst in 2011, though one wouldn't know it from following mainstream media coverage.  Bahrain, where a nascent uprising was all but quashed early in the year, levied harsh punishments on several bloggers in 2011, including Global Voices Advocacy contributor Ali Abdulemam, who was sentenced in absentia to fifteen years in prison and is currently in hiding.
Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam at the 2009 Arabloggers Workshop in Beirut
Similarly, Abduljalil Al-Singace was given the same sentence.  Earlier in the year, authorities briefly detained prominent bloggers Mahmood Al-Youif and Mohamed El-Maskati, while closer to the end of 2011, Zainab Al-Khawaja was briefly imprisoned, her brutal arrest caught on video.  And most tragically, Zakariya Rashid Hassan Al-Ashiri became the second blogger ever to die in prison in March.
Elsewhere in the region, the struggle continues
Though perhaps less systematically, other countries in the region targeted bloggers as well in 2011.  Prior to the fall of Ben Ali, Tunisian bloggers Slim Amamou (a Global Voices Advocacy contributor) and Azyz Amami were briefly imprisoned.  Amami was then arrested again and beaten by police in September.  Though the arrest was not for his blogging but for a joke told near a police station, it demonstrated the tenuous state of free expression in the country.
In Morocco, a blogger and several activists were arrested in September, while Saudi Arabia went after video bloggers who had been documenting poverty in the oil-rich country.  And in the UAE, a female blogger was summoned for interrogation over a tweet.
Fighting for a better 2012
Though this represents only a fraction of those intimidated, harassed, and imprisoned in 2011, it is illustrative of the continued struggle faced by bloggers, activists, and other netizens in the region.  And as 2012 kicks off with such a large number of bloggers in prison, it is apparent that there is more work to be done to ensure that the right to free expression is guaranteed for everyone.  And fortunately, a growing number of grassroots organizations in the region are taking up the fight for digital rights.  But nevertheless, bloggers must be ever vigilant, and consider the risks they face as they take their activism online.  Global Voices salutes these brave bloggers and will continue to make sure their voices are heard throughout the world.
This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.

author: Jillian C. York


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Nepal: Explosion In Kathmandu · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pradeep Kumar Singh reports that Last Friday a loud explosion rocked the New Road, at the heart of Kathmandu City in Nepal. There had been conflicting reports about whether it was a bomb or a fire cracker. There were no casualties reported.

author: Rezwan


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Pakistan: Blog Awards 2011 · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mureed Bijenjo provides a critical comment on the recently announced Pakistan Blog Awards 2011.


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Russia: Yakutia Photos by Evgenia Arbugaeva · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Yakutian photographer Evgenia Arbugaeva‘s photos of the Russian Arctic seaport of Tiksi, located in Yakutia in the area of the Lena Delta – at eYakutia.


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Russia: Yakutian Rock Band “103” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Bolot of eYakutia writes about and posts a selection of photos and video of the Yakutian ethno-rock band “103” (their Facebook page [ru] is here).


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South Asia in 2011: A Year Full of Controversies and Protests · Global Voices
Rezwan

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.
2011 was an eventful year for social media as people used many tools to organize protests, share frequent updates and news which had impacted our lives. We have seen people talking intensely in Facebook, Twitter, blogs etc about deaths of world-changing figures – from inventors to dictators and terrorists. The Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street protests became viral and the world was glued to the events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.
South Asian countries also have seen use of social media to discuss about many controversies and protests. This year we saw more netizens using microblogging sites to share their opinions.
Controversies
In January, Pakistani celebrity Veena Malik was accused by religious hardliners of immoral behavior as she took part in the Indian reality show Big Boss. Pakistani netizens stood divided amongst its conservative and liberal lines.
Veena Malik at Lux Style Awards. Image by Arun Reginald. CC-BY-SA-3.0
At the end of the year Veena Malik stirred up another controversy when FHM India, a male lifestyle magazine, published her nude picture on its cover page. Veena’s shoot with an ISI Tattoo on her arm sparked strong reactions from right, left and center in Pakistan and India.
On the other hand a Pakistani Islamic televangelist was also at the center-point of a controversy. A behind-the-scenes video depicted Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain, a notable religious scholar, uttering abuse and profanities as well as religious blasphemy.
In April the Sri Lankan government had condemned a 196 page leaked report on civilian casualties by an United Nations (UN) advisory panel, dismissing it as flawed and biased. Intense debate ensued in Twitter and Facebook.
In May the accidental death of a research scholar from Kerala, India sparked controversies about the privacy of women, privacy of a dead person and in general about the lingering male chauvinism in Keralan society.
A couple of Indian Ministers were drawn into controversy because of their statements. India's Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, angered the gay community and gay rights activists with his comments at a HIV/AIDS conference in New Delhi. Netizens condemned his take on homosexuality as “unnatural” and a “disease” that had come from the West.
In December the Indian Union Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal asked Internet giants such as Facebook, Google and Yahoo to pre-screen derogatory, defamatory and inflammatory content about political leaders and religion and filter if objectionable. His words got a huge backlash from the netizens.
Wordle Image of the banned word list. Click on the image to enlarge.
In November, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) become the center of controversy when it sent a list of 586 Urdu and 1,109 English banned words and phrases to the mobile phone operators in the country to filter them.
The pregnant Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her impending child birth produced a media hype in India. Bangladeshi exile writer Taslima Nasrin was also drawn into controversy when she tweeted that she wished that Aishwarya would give birth to a girl child.
Actions have been taken by a Bangladeshi court against a teacher living abroad, as a consequence of his Facebook status.
Protests
Anna Hazare addressing the people and media at Jantar Mantar, Delhi. Image by Sarika Gulati, copyright Demotix (08/04/2011).
In India, social media has been extensively used to power civil society's push for a proposed anti-corruption bill. The movement is being led from the front by a Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare, who continues to receive a huge amount of support in home and abroad – online and offline.
In November, India's Agriculture Minister, Mr. Sharad Pawar, was slapped on the face by a youth, who was apparently fed up of the growing inflation, corruption and graft cases in the country and decided to hit out at the Union Minister in protest. Netizens discussed the merits and demerits of this violent protest.
In Bangladesh, citizen media was a vital tool for the indigenous people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh who shared news about the ethnic clashes between Bengali settlers and indigenous people. These minorities have found a voice via blogs and Facebook when the mainstream media have been accused of ignoring the plights of the local aboriginal people. Later in the year many Bangladeshi indigenous people had taken the streets holding meetings, human chains and rallies, demanding constitutional recognition of their identity. Bloggers engaged in a debate on this issue.
Farzana Yasmin. Image courtesy Kowshik
In this region some of the protests were unprecedented and unique. In several South Asian countries Dowry is prohibited by law but is still widely and illegally practiced. A protest against dowry was much discusses and lauded in the social networks in Bangladesh. Farzana Yasmin sent ripples across the country by divorcing the bridegroom right after the wedding as her in-laws demanded a TV set, refrigerator, motorbike and a few more things as ‘gifts’ from the bride's family in presence of the guests.
In Bangladesh capital Dhaka after a three-fold campaign via Blogs, Facebook and street protests authorities of the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNC) were forced to sack and arrest a teacher accused of sexually molesting a student.
In July bloggers and online activists among other protesters were arrested while striking in protest of a recent Production Sharing Contract (PSC) between the Bangladesh government and United States energy giant ConocoPhillips for deep sea gas exploration.
A placard of the Occupy Dhaka Movement
This year in October Eight Bangladeshi migrant workers were beheaded in public in Saudi Arabia for being involved in the robbing a warehouse and killing of a security guard. Netizens were enraged by this horrific punishment and questioned the transparency of the trial.
The Occupy Wall street movement prompted a similar protest in Dhaka where people vowed to get themselves free from the two feuding, corrupt and occupier political alliances.
A recent venture by the Bangladesh government to takeover 25000acres of wetlands (Arial Beel) 60km South of the capital city of Dhaka, for a proposed International airport and satellite city led to protests and violence in the area. Netizens too, reacted strongly to the government debating the need for a new airport and the government was forced to back down on the airport project.
In Pakistan, the death of 24 Pakistani troops by friendly fire from NATO helicopters and fighter aircrafts in Pakistan sparked protests across the country.
Raymond Davis, an American diplomatic staff, is under investigation for the double murder of two Pakistani motorcyclists in Karachi, Pakistan. Following the US demand to release Davis, the protesters took to the streets in a country which already has increasing anti-US sentiments.
In  Sri Lanka, clashes at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Sri Lanka between protesting workers and police claimed the life of an young worker and injured many workers and policemen. The debate on the social media on this issue sent a strong signal to the Sri Lankan government.
Protesting increase of commodity prices in Maldives. Image from Twitpic by Ahmed Nazim (@GraveBone).
For seven consecutive days, thousands of residents of Male, the capital of Maldives, have protested on busy streets and public spaces, expressing their dissatisfaction over soaring prices of consumer goods and economic mismanagement of the government. Madivian citizen journalists shared the updates of the protests.
Nepali Internet users were caught in disarray as the Internet Service Provider’s Association of Nepal (ISPAN) shut down its internet service as a mark of protest against the government's crackdown on ‘illegal VOIP call bypass’.
The South Asia authors team will continue to highlight and translate more citizen voices from across the region in 2012. You can get involved in the Global Voices community in multiple ways. Please do send us your suggestions and feedback. Wishing you a happy 2012.
This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.


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Syria: Damascus “Suicide Attack” and State TV Fabrications · Global Voices
Leila Nachawati Rego

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
As massive demonstrations take place all over the country demanding the end of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad's regime,  Syrian state TV reported a suicide bombing in the Midan neighborhood of Damascus on Friday, January 6.
International media have quoted Syrian state TV saying “immediate information indicates that a suicide terrorist blew himself up at a traffic light in the Midan neighbourhood,” but regardless of who is responsible for the attack some of the images circulated online show clear evidence of fabrication.
On this video that shows what is allegedly the crime scene, a person holding a microphone is suddenly seen on camera placing plastic bags beside a patch of blood on the ground.  What is a reporter for Syrian TV doing moving stuff around at a crime scene? The way the presenter becomes speechless when she notices is priceless:
This next video shows what are allegedly the first images of the attack. The text below the images says “We apologize for the ugly scenes” as the camera shows corpses, people screaming and a man saying “See? This is the freedom they want”. But what's shocking about the video appears during the last seconds: Two men from the security service hug, one apparently wounded, when they suddenly separate with a “we're done filming, right?” gesture.
Fabrication is not new in a country where the government owns the media and bans international journalists. Two weeks ago the Syrian government blamed a similar bombing on Al-Qaeda, including a fake statement and website which initially fooled international media to report the story of the Muslim Brotherhood claiming responsibility for the bombings. Syrian blogger Anas Qtiesh wrote a post about the findings that clearly show that the fake statement and website were easily traced back to regime affiliates.
@Farrouha91 tweets:
Ironic how pro-Assad Lebanese rush to report when explosions happen (accusing the protesters), but never report the daily killings. Why? #syria
@arwamenla adds:
#300DaysLater and Addounia TV still fails at fabricating lies about #Syria
As the regime is more and more desperate for legitimacy, we will probably keep witnessing more desperate attempts to draw attention from the Syrian people's struggle for freedom and justice.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

author: Leila Nachawati Rego


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Syria: The Struggle for Freedom and the End of Silence · Global Voices
Leila Nachawati Rego

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
Since March 2011, when the uprisings that started in Tunisia and Egypt reached Syria, thousands have been killed and tens of thousands have been arrested and disappeared in the country. Syrian activists face unprecedented brutality and a media war to suppress all forms of opposition.
However, content shared by citizens have flooded the Internet and managed to break the wall of the state-controlled narrative. This post offers a selection of material posted by netizens online that portrays the struggle of the Syrian people for freedom and dignity, and the end of four decades of silence.
Silence vs. citizen voices
Decades of media control over Syria have helped the regime silence its people and maintain international legitimacy.  The Syrian government owns the Syrian telecommunications market, the most regulated in the region, and international journalists are banned from entering the country. This picture showing protesters wearing bandages on their mouths sends a powerful message “from the occupied city of Kafar Nabel”:
From Occupied Kafar Nabel, 4 December 2011. Author unknown.
What are you afraid of?
During the last few months, Syrians have struggled against a 41-year-old wall of fear. This video, widely shared online, shows a young man talking to an older man, numbering the reasons why he might be afraid and encouraging him not to be. It ends with the sentence “Your silence is their most powerful weapon”.
To drive the point home, Samar Dahmash Jarrah tweeted:
The thought that I can switch on TV and see Syrians chanting Freedom Freedom by the 10's of thousands seemed illusive but not any more!
Silencing protesters
Thousands of protesters have been killed since the beginning of the Syrian uprising in March. The death of 13-year-old Syrian boy Hamza al-Khatib, brutally killed in custody, sparked shock and anger over the regime's cruelty. Thousands of other non-violent protesters like 26-year-old Ghiath Matar, from the Damascus suburb of Daraya, have been the target of  such brutality. Ghiath was known for leading the initiative of facing security fire and violence with bottles of water and flowers.
After his death on September 10, the Local Coordination Committee issued a joint statement that mentioned the dream Ghiath had died for:
Ghiath was waiting for two births: the birth of his daughter who won’t have the chance to lay on his arms, and the birth of the new free,  just and democratic Syria, which he won’t see but will hold his memory and pure soul forever. Ghiath and his friends in Daraya were advocates of non-violent struggle. He believed that a free and civilized Syria can’t be realized but by Syrian men and women by their peaceful struggle against the violence of the regime, with all the love they have facing the speech of hatred, by refusing to be like the butcher or use his tools.
On the left: martyr Ghiath Matar; on the right: detained Yahia Shurbaji. Image from razanghazzawi.com.
Syrian blogger @Bsyria tweeted:
RIP Ghiath Matar. Ghiath was a peace activist. He used to hand flowers and water to soldiers in Daraya. He was tortured to death. #Syria
Silencing music
If there is one song that has become the anthem of the Syrian revolution, that is “Yalla Irhal ya Bashar” (It's time to leave, Bashar), popularized by Hama singer Ibrahim Kashoush. On July 5, Kashoush was found dead with his vocal cords ripped off, as a revenge for ridiculing Bashar Al-Asad. His voice, however, has gone viral through the videos of demonstrations in Hama, and cannot be silenced:
http://youtu.be/3mG3V2fBYbw
Saudi blogger Ahmad Al-Omran, an intern at NPR, spends his days curating netizen videos and news about Syria. After a day's work, he tweeted:
What's my plan for the weekend? After watching all these videos coming from #Syria today, none of my plans seem to matter.
Silencing humor
Renowned Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat, head of the Arab Cartoonist Association, published a cartoon depicting a sweaty Bashar Al-Assad clutching a briefcase running to catch a ride with Gaddafi. Ferzat was brutally beaten on August 26 and had both his hands broken “for mocking Syrian leaders.”
Image by Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat
@Freedom_7uriyah tweeted:
All i've got to say to Assad is watch #Libya closely, ur next. #AssadLies will get u nowhere
Silencing journalists and bloggers
The list of journalists and bloggers who have been killed, arrested or tortured has increased dramatically since the beginning of demonstrations in March. Cameraman Ferzat Jarban was found dead on November 20 with his eyes gouged out. He was filming anti-regime protests in the town of Al-Qasir, Homs.
Free Razan poster
The government has also targeted bloggers like Hussein Ghrer and Razan Ghazzawi, one of the most prominent Syrian bloggers and a former Global Voices Online contributor. Razan, who was accused of “weakening the national sentiment and trying to ignite sectarian strife” was released on December 18, but many others remain imprisoned or missing.
Syrian blogger @anasqtiesh tweeted:
”Weakening the national sentiment, and trying to ignite sectarian strife” should be charges against Assad. #Syria#FreeRazan
Syrians garner global support
As the uprising in Syria continues, and in spite of the attempts to silence activists, solidarity with the Syrian people has not ceased. Several online initiatives show how activists have become more creative to ensure global attention towards the situation in the country continues.
The SyrianSitIn campaign on YouTube by the grassroots news organization Sham News Network asks individuals to submit videos in solidarity with Syrian protesters. The videos, which were then posted to the SyrianSitIn [ar] YouTube account, contain versions of one statement:
@honestmenofsyri tweeted [ar]:
Syria 2012
As 2011 reached an end, Syrian advocates started using the hashtag #Syria2012 in reference to the Syria of tomorrow – a Syria of  freedom, justice and dignity. Fadi al-Qadi tweeted:
Syria2012 “At this time next year, Bashar Al-Assad will be a former president”
Mouhanad Abdul Hamid added:
I'll visit my family and get back to my home in Damascus in Syria2012 after long years of exile.
Nora Bashra noted:
In Syria2012, “torture” will be a word of the past. #Syria
Nour al-Ali hoped [ar]:
And Ahmad Ibn Rashed Ibn Said  concluded:
Syria2012 will be cleansed of thugs and bugs, free of wolves and dogs, and full of kisses and hugs
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.


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Ukraine: “101 Reasons to Love Kiev” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

101 Reasons to Love Kiev, from The Ukrainian Penguin. Here's #101 on this list: “Although they often complain, Ukrainians really love it when you remind them of all the reasons to love this place. […]”


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Africa: ICTs for Refugees and Displaced Persons · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.
In recent weeks Global Voices has presented to its readers more examples of how citizen media is used to amplify the voices of refugees and displaced people. However, while blogs and social networking sites clearly have a role to play in empowering marginalized groups, so too do ICTs in general.
MobileActive, for example, is encouraged by the potential for mobile phones to allow refugees to not only remain in contact with loved ones, but to also more easily locate them. Attention is especially drawn to a special issue of Forced Migration Review which takes an in-depth look at the use of ICTs in this context.
Refugees in Uganda are using SMS and cellphones to reconnect with family members and close friends. Photo via MobileActive
Refugees often experience a compound trauma: The situation that caused them to flee in the first place, as well as the fact that many families become separated during migration. For refugee's health and well-being and ability to resettle, it is vital to know the whereabouts of relatives, their safety, and their ability to remain in contact. Today, mobile phones are the most important technology for refugees to find relatives and remain in contact.
The Forced Migration Review Issue 38, The Technology Issue covers technologies for refugees in particular. Two chapters shine a light on the use of mobile phones among refugees, as well as  some of the problems with this tech to find and contact family member such as issues of security, and accessibility.
Deputy UN High Commissioner for Refugees T Alexander Aleinikoff provides an introduction to the special issue:
Superficially at least, today’s refugee camps do not appear significantly different from those that existed 30 or 40 years ago. Modernisation seems to have passed them by. But upon a closer look, it becomes apparent that things are changing.
Today, refugees and IDPs in the poorest of countries often have access to a mobile phone and are able to watch satellite TV. Internet cafés have sprung up in some settlements, the hardware purchased by refugee entrepreneurs or donated by humanitarian organisations such as UNHCR. And aid agencies themselves are increasingly making use of advanced technology: geographic information systems, Skype, biometric databases and Google Earth, to give just a few examples.
In one article, the example of a tracing project implemented by the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK) in cooperation with Refugees United (RU) is highlighted:
In 1991 Ahmed Hassan Osman* fled the conflict in Somalia, leaving his family in Kismayu, and made his way to Kenya in search of asylum. Ahmed lived for a while in Ifo refugee camp before being resettled to Colorado in the US where he was granted full US citizenship.
In 1992, his cousin Abdulahi Sheikh arrived in Kenya in search of support. Granted refugee status, Abdulahi ended up in Dagahaley camp in Dadaab. He believed Ahmed was either in Dadaab or had been there but his efforts to find him were unsuccessful and he soon gave up hope of ever finding him. In fact, Abdulahi believed Ahmed had gone back to Somalia.
In early 2011 RCK employed Abdulahi to assist the RU project in Dagahaley refugee camp. Abdulahi registered with the tracing project and began a search for missing loved ones. Coming across a name that was familiar, he contacted the person through the RU message system. When he received a reply he realised that, after 20 years of separation and search, he had found his beloved cousin. They exchanged phone numbers and Ahmed called, breaking 20 years of silence. Today, the two keep in touch regularly and both Abdulahi and Ahmed continue to search for more friends and family members.
Of course, as MobileActive also stresses, some problems with local infrastructure remain an obstacle to the widespread adoption of such systems:
In some areas of Africa, there is no telecommunications coverage. Workshop participants commented that where it does exist, phone connections are regularly cut off, and some of them had also experienced intrusion in communication such as crossed lines. The strength of the network signal overseas is weak, and the lack of a reliable or steady source of electricity in a recipient’s country can be a major problem, although this varies by region. Growth of populations in some areas weakens network strength, due to the drain on power. Individuals may also have difficulty accessing electricity to charge their mobile phones.
[…]
Finding the best technology to use for different family members can be difficult, particularly if they themselves are displaced, because of factors such as the variety of available services, whether the family member could afford them and whether they have the skills to use them. One participant observed that the majority of their family members overseas needed to access communication technology through others. One participant described the difficulties she had in contacting her husband in a camp. She sent money to him to buy a phone but other people in the camp would also use it leaving her often waiting for hours to get in touch.
Cheap options such as email, voice-over-internet or instant messaging may not be accessible or affordable, and access to the internet in Africa is very expensive. Furthermore, displaced family members overseas may not know how to use these facilities.
From providing refugees with access to information on health and educational opportunities to using Facebook, Gmail Chat and Skype to maintain connections with family members and friends across geographical divides, the issue provides a comprehensive overview of how ICTs are being used.
Ushahidi also gets a mention in relation to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti as well as in general as it pertains to conflict, disaster and refugees. Indeed, PBS’ Idea Lab takes a look at an Al Jazeera and Ushahidi collaboration to connect and empower Somalis separated by conflict and famine:
Somalia Speaks is a collaboration between Souktel, a Palestinian-based organization providing SMS messaging services, Ushahidi, Al Jazeera, Crowdflower, and the African Diaspora Institute. “We wanted to find out the perspective of normal Somali citizens to tell us how the crisis has affected them and the Somali diaspora,” Al Jazeera's Soud Hyder said in an interview.
[…]
The goal of Somalia Speaks is to aggregate unheard voices from inside the region as well as from the Somalia diaspora by asking via text message: How has the Somalia Conflict affected your life? Responses are translated into English and plotted on a map. Since the launch, approximately 3,000 SMS messages have been received.
[…]
For Al Jazeera, Somalia Speaks is also a chance to test innovative mobile approaches to citizen media and news gathering.
In October 2010, MobileActive also profiled a mobile-based project implemented by Refugees United in Uganda with the support of Ericsson, UNHCR and the Omidyar Network, noting that one blog called it “the social network that is more important than Facebook.”
The Technology Issue by Forced Migration Review can be read online here.
This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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CEE: “Spotted by Locals” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Spotted by Locals: Experience cities like a local features a few dozen locations, including CEE cities of Belgrade, Bucharest, Budapest, Krakow, Ljubljana, Prague, Riga, Sofia, Tallinn, Vilnius, Warsaw, and Zagreb. A random sample post from Zagreb, Croatia: Hrelić Flea Market – The Aleph of Zagreb; from Bucharest, Romania: The Haunted House – Armenian Neighbourhood; from Sofia, Bulgaria: Nissim – A True Old-School Bookstore.


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India: #IFeelUp Tweet-a-thon Is Underway · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sandeep Varma reports that @theviewspaper, in partnership with 7up, is hosting an interesting virtual conference during 8-10 January 2012. The #IFeelUp Tweet-a-thon is said to be the World’s largest online conference.


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Japan: Year 2011 for the Art World · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

“It’s been a traumatic year for Japan and the Tokyo art world” – William Andrews rounds up what the art world went through in the year 2011 on the Tokyo Art Beat blog.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Mauritania: Terror Grips Town · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Terror grips city of Kiffa in Mauritania: “Poet and filmmaker Mohamed Ould Idoumou, a Kiffa native, told Magharebia that that the city has never seen cases of terrorism before because of its isolated location in the desert.”


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Nigeria: Meet the Organiser of Occupy Nigeria in London · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

MyWeku interviews the UK organizer of Occupy Nigeria movement: The removal led to petrol prices doubling overnight and triggered a spate of protests that seem to be gathering momentum. The demonstrations are being led and organised by Occupy Nigeria under the globally recognised “Occupy Movement”.


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Philippines: Environment Disasters Linked to Mining, Logging Operations · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

While Typhoon Sendong (international name: Washi) flood victims were trying to cope with the massive scale of the death and destruction brought by the calamity, another series of flash floods and landslides ripped through the Philippines in the past three weeks.
Days after Sendong killed 1,257 people last December and left thousands missing and homeless, more floods hit many provinces including Cebu, Davao, Bukidnon, Maguindanao, Compostela Valley, Negros, Leyte and Aklan in the southern Philippines. A deadly landslide meanwhile hit the mining town of Pantukan in Mindanano island last week, leaving 31 dead and over a hundred missing.
As relief operations continue to pour in to flash flood and landslide victims, Filipino netizens also began to ask some questions. The country's tropical climate makes it no stranger to floods and landslides, but the extent of the recent devastation have left many pondering: What are the causes, especially with the increasing scale and frequency of such disasters? What can be done to prevent them or prepare for them in the future?
Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, the Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro, said that logging and mining is one of the culprits behind the disaster:
Last January 2009, the city had already experienced severe flooding. Some old-time residents recalled that this phenomenon happens every forty years.  But barely three years after that, Typhoon Sendong came with greater vengeance.
Illegal logging and irresponsible mining activities have contributed to the degradation of the environment and the siltation of the river bed.  The erection of man-made structures may have also impeded the natural flow of the waters.
Cagayan De Oro City Flood Damage Map
Ateneo Physics Laboratories posts the flood damage map of Cagayan de Oro City.
Dugo at Panulat holds [fil] the Aquino government accountable for allowing big business to hold destructive logging and mining operations in the country:
Pinahihintulutan ng gobyerno ang pagmimina at pagtrotroso ng mga naghaharing korporasyon at ng kapatid nitong gahamang dayuhan.  Pinahihintulutan ng gobyerno na gahasain ng magkapatid ang ating likas  na yaman kapalit ng konting kita at pamumuhunan ng mga ito.
Lisa Ito also points [fil] to the conversion of forests by transnational corporations into plantations for export crops:
Laganap din ang kumbersiyon ng kagubatan upang gawing plantasyon ng pinya, jatropha, saging, at iba pang export crops, ayon sa maka-kalikasang grupo na Panalipdan Mindanao. Ayon sa mga pag-aaral mula sa National Institute of Geological Sciences, ang CdO ay lalong nagiging bulnerable sa baha dahil sa kumbersyon ng 2,000 ektarya ng kagubatan sa Upper Pulangi Watershed upang gawing  taniman ng pinya ng Del Monte Philippines—isa sa pinakamamaking exporter ng pinya sa buong mundo.
Environmentalists have pointed out that a geo-hazard analysis conducted by the University of the Philippines confirmed the role of state neglect in the Sendong tragedy. Youth activists have been very vocal about President Noynoy Aquino's veto of a P5 billion disaster preparedness allocation in the past year that could have helped lessened the impact of the floods:
We reiterate that it is the Aquino regime which is a man-made disaster, turning the unavoidable reality of heavy rains into a tragedy: First, because Noynoy himself removed the funding for disaster preparedness in the 2011 national budget. Not a single centavo in the P5 billion ‘Calamity Fund’ went to preparing Northern Mindanao, or any other part of the country for that matter, for natural disasters. Second, because he continues to allow massive, ‘legal’ logging by mining, agricultural, timber, and real estate corporations.
A MindaNews photo shows the logs brought down by the floods to Iligan City from logging sites.
Politika 2013 meanwhile exposes the efforts by big business publicists to confuse the issue and steer the discussion away from the linking of large-scale mining and logging to the calamities:
Aside from sweepingly labeling all critics as leftists, the pro-mining and logging publicity offensive likewise attempts to confuse and dishes out lies:
“The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has confirmed that there are no large-scale mining operations in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan…,” CMP President Philip Romualdez said in a statement.
Of course, the mining operations are located in the very wide watersheds beyond the boundaries of both Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
Meanwhile, Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA) deputy executive director Maila R. Vasquez denied the presence of commercial logging operations in northern Mindanao…
So where did the thousands of cut logs that destroyed houses and now littering the coastline and clogging the rivers come from?
Dr. Giovanni Tapang listed 7 ways to reduce disaster risks in the country, including adequate disaster preparations. One of his recommendations is the emulation of socialist Cuba's storm preparations.
Various groups called on the Aquino government to punish those accountable for the disaster. Photo Credits: Karlos Manlupig
Dean Tony La Viña suggests 10 things that should be done after Sendong. He counsels against distractions and blame games, but at the same time calls for holding those responsible accountable:
Although this is certainly not the time for blame games, accountability must be exacted. In other countries, notably in Japan, officials take themselves out of the equation by resigning and taking responsibility. Unfortunately, we do not have that tradition here. And so I welcome the task forces created by the President to investigate what happened, although I would have preferred an independent commission to do this job to have more objective findings. Nevertheless when they finish, I hope they will file the appropriate criminal, civil and administrative cases against accountable officials. I would especially want charged those officials who abetted the activities that exacerbated the disaster, or those which had the information and the power to prevent it (but negligently did not do so).

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Russia: Pictures from the Rocket Factory · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Blogger Lana Sator publishes [ru] pictures from NPO Energomash, a rocket factory situated near Moscow that specializes on producing liquid propellant rocket engines. Sator with her friend, had been sneaking into the factory for 5 nights in a row, due to a ‘complete lack of security.’ Pictures remind us one more time of Soviet industrial style and aesthetics.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Singapore: Minister’s Comments Spark Internet Meme · Global Voices
Kirsten Han

With the following statement, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Environment and Water Resources Grace Fu sparked off an online controversy amongst Singaporeans:
When I made the decision to join politics in 2006, pay was not a key factor. Loss of privacy, public scrutiny on myself and my family and loss of personal time were. The disruption to my career was also an important consideration. I had some ground to believe that my family would not suffer a drastic change in the standard of living even though I experienced a drop in my income. So it is with this recent pay cut. If the balance is tilted further in the future, it will make it harder for any one considering political office.
Minister Grace Fu. Image from Wikipedia.
Following the recent announcement of paycuts for ministers – which many Singaporeans feel are still not enough – Ms Fu's comments angered many who felt that those who go into public service should not do so in the expectation of huge public rewards.
Ms Fu has since come out to say that her statement had been misunderstood, something which I have observed to happen to the ruling People's Action Party members very often:
Teenagers, goths and emos should just step aside. People’s Action Party (PAP) members are by far the most misunderstood group of people in the world. It appears as if they can’t say or do a thing without being misunderstood. If they went to a MacDonald’s to buy a Big Mac with extra lettuce and no pickles they’d probably get Fillet o’ Fish.
Ms Fu's clarification of her statement hasn't been successful in placating irked Singaporeans, as many have observed that she is still extremely well-paid compared to the average Singaporean.
Mollymeek writes sarcastically about how Ms Fu could have been misunderstood:
Because of our inability to imagine the standard of living that would be compromised by a million-dollar salary, it is easy for us to think that she is materialistic. It is our fault. She is not materialistic. She is not demanding a higher pay. It is just that her standard of living is so inconceivably high that she may face difficulties making ends meet if she were to be paid the average salary of a minister in the developed world.
Ms Fu's comment soon turned into an Internet meme, with people posting their own versions.
Lee Kin Mun writes about his choice to become Singapore's “blogfather” mrbrown:
When I made the decision to be mrbrown in 1997, pay was not a key factor. Kena lim kopi by ISD, kena sue until tng kor by ministers and having my newspaper column suspended were. The disruption to my computer gaming time was also an important consideration. I had some ground to believe that my family would not suffer a drastic change in the standard of living but we did have to sell the car and now I ride a bicycle. I fear if the balance is tilted further in the future, I will fall off my bicycle.
Joshua Chiang on his decision to join socio-political website The Online Citizen:
When I made the decision to join TOC in 2009, pay was not a key factor (since it was non-existent). Loss of freedom vis-a-vis ISA , character assassination by the mainstream press on myself and my family and loss of my entire fortunes via defamation suits was. The disruption to my sanity was also an important consideration. I had some ground to believe that my family would have more room space at home if I were ever jailed. Especially when TOC was gazetted. If the balance is tilted further in the future, it will make it harder for any one considering citizen journalism/activism.
Even Danny the Democracy Bear, mascot of alternative political party the Singapore Democratic Party, weighed in:
When I made the decision to join the SDP, pay was not a key factor. Loss of privacy, public scrutiny on myself and my loss of personal time were. That fact that I might be the party's mascot because I'm the only bear there was an important consideration. I had solid ground to believe that my family would not suffer a drastic change in the standard of living even though the PAP always likes to sue SDP members. If the balance is tilted further and animals are prohibited to join political parties in the future, it will be harder for my fellow bears to support, let alone join the SDP.
The Tumblr blog ‘When I made the decision…‘ has now been set up to share these variations on Ms Fu's comment.

author: Kirsten Han


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Venezuela: Netizens Threatened, Hacked · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Naky Soto Parra, in her blog El Zaperoco de Naky [es], posts a message by Global Voices contributor Luis Carlos Díaz, who has been receiving threats for his online activity. Luis Carlos explains that the threats and cyber-attacks come from hackers who target netizens that criticize the government. He calls these hackers and their attacks “the dirty face of the political battle in this election year.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Zimbabwe: The “E” Word and Future of Democracy
 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Beven Takunda talks about the “E” word and the future of democracy in Zimbabwe: “Election continue to haunt Zimbabweans to the point that when any politicians mention the “E” word, people start to quiver and shake.  There is no sense of celebration that should come with exercising our democratic rights. This will only change when all politicians change their ways.”


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China: Promoting democracy means more than exposing darkness · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Media Project has translated prominent Chinese blogger Yang Hengjun's blog post: Democracy is more than fighting against authoritarianism.

author: Oiwan Lam


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COP17: Young Trackers Share Final Thoughts on Climate Change Talks · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

Adopt a Negotiator Project trackers updated their blogs daily during the two weeks of climate change talks at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, COP17, held from November 28 to December 9, 2011, in South Africa. Trackers followed negotiations from their regional perspectives, writing in languages like Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, French, Polish and English.
One of the major results of the conference was the  second commitment of the Kyoto Protocol, the  only legally binding international treaty to reduce green house emissions. However, the commitment was weak, as major  polluters like Canada, US, Japan, Russia, Australia and New Zealand refused to sign into this second period.
Climate activists and organizations of civil society were disappointed about the outcomes of the conference, especially because countries agreed to a new legal instrument that will replace the Kyoto  Protocol by 2020, when urgent action is needed.
Here are were some of the most relevant conclusions written by the trackers:
South Africa tracker Alex Lenferna reports on the final events in the post “An Interim Disappointment at COP 17″:
I  should be on a bus home now; instead I’m sitting in the ICC waiting   for the proverbial white smoke to emerge as ministers try to bring COP17   to a close. Last night was supposed to be the closing night for COP  17,  but there has been much disagreement among the global community  around  some very problematic texts that are being discussed around  long-term  cooperative action and the Kyoto Protocol…
Farrukh Zaman, following Pakistan, writes in “Decisions at COP17: Delayed or Derailed?”:
So while the delay has happened at COP17, let’s hope the negotiations  don’t get derailed by postponing them till next year. But just one thing  of caution, even though time has and is running out, we don’t need  haste decisions; rather we want fair, ambitious and balanced package out  of Durban. If that can’t happen here, then COP bis can be our last  resort.
France tracker Sébastien Duyck in “Endless conference towards an agreement on never ending negotiations” concludes:
Regarding negotiations for a comprehensive agreement that would include  legally binding targets for emissions reduction, the Presidency proposes  yet another extension of the discussions. This approach convinces few  among the observers still in the conference venue. It appears that we  keep relaying on the same solutions (creating a new ad-hoc working  group…), despite the fact that they have already been tested repeatedly  in the past and have not delivered any successful outcome since the  adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.
Daily Trackers meeting – COP17, Durban. Photo by Andrea Arzaba
In “Do białego rana. Noc kobiet” (“Until dawn. Women's Night”), Milosz Hordun, Poland's tracker, says:
Ta noc należy do kobiet. Po pierwsze jest Maite Nkoana-Mashabane,  przewodnicząca obradom. Zdecydowanie zmęczona ostatnimi dwoma  tygodniami. Stara się skutecznie prowadzić strony do celu, udowadniając  że afrykański COP może być skuteczny i przełomowy. Często jednak się  gubi w procedurach, musi prosić o wsparcie sekretariatu. Jest Conni  Hedegaard, unijna komisarz. Także na jej twarzy maluje się zmęczenie.  Widać, że trudno jest jej znosić ogromną presję psychiczną, związaną z  rozbratem między oczekiwaniami wielu Europejczyków oraz środowisk  ekologicznych na całym świecie a możliwościami negocjacyjnymi.
Priti Rajagopalan, from India, summarized the conference's accomplishments in the post “COP17-This is what happened“:
5.18am, International Convention Center, Durban
The verdict is out. What was accomplished at Durban.
1) Something called the Durban railtrack or trackroad ..oh, wait…platform.
2) Empty second commitment period
3) Empty green climate fund
4) Sleepy people most of whom had left by the time the final verdict was given.
5) How manipulative, apparently transparent democratic , multilateral process works.
6) People are looking for CBDR and Bali. If someone finds it, please return it.
7) Unclear mitigation target.
8) Massive failure of a peaceful kind.
To read other final posts of trackers following the United States, Mexico,  Australia, China, Canada and New Zealand, among many others,  visit Adopt a Negotiator Project webpage.

author: Andrea Arzaba


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Côte d’Ivoire: Uproar Over Unauthorized Press Use of Blogger’s Photos  · Global Voices
Kanigui

Christmas 2011 in Côte d'Ivoire was different from those of previous years. Eight months after the change of regime, the authorities wanted to mark it with completely new decorations in the country and by organizing huge fireworks displays [fr] on December 30-31, 2011.
A great many Ivorians went out to take advantage of these various spectacles and the supporting technology, and everyone left with souvenir photos. If it was a good experience for these amateur photographers, that was not the case for Audrey Carlalie [fr]. This young Ivorian student, a professional part-time photographer, saw her photos of the fireworks display published by certain Ivorian newspapers and even the largest online Ivorian information portal – without her permission.
She did not hesitate to complain on her Facebook page, and soon the blogs and other social networks had picked up the buzz.
The Ivorian blogger Edith Brou sets the scene in her blog [fr] and explains:
En effet, les quotidiens ivoiriens tel que le Jour plus, le Nouveau Réveil, Nord-Sud, l’Intelligent d’Abidjan et même le portail Internet historique Abidjan.net, n’ont pas hésité à publier ses photos alors que la moindre des considérations aurait été de lui envoyer un message privé sur Facebook ou Twitter (elle y est toujours connectée) afin d’avoir sa permission.
As soon as Edith Brou's post was released, the Ivorian blogosphere relayed the affair, like Yoyo [fr], another blogger who backs Ivorian journalists in their fight for recognition and respect for their work:
Depuis hier, la déception se lit dans de nombreux commentaires au sujet des journalistes de la presse écrite ivoirienne. Ces professionnels, qui crient au scandale à la moindre atteinte à leur profession, n'hésitent visiblement pas à jouer de raccourcis pour s'accaparer d'une manière bien moins honorable le travail d'autrui.
In this same vein, the keyword #Carlaliegate was created on Twitter to discuss the topic, and the reactions are proliferating.
Screen shot of reactions to #Carlaliegate on Twitter
What is intriguing about the affair is that the incriminated newspapers have not dared to apologize. The worst of these newspapers is L'intelligent d'Abidjan [fr], which defends itself as follows:
le vendredi (30 décembre 2011) l'IA (Intelligent d’Abidjan) avait des photographes au palais de la culture. Ils n'avaient pas de connexion a cote et il leur fallait traverser le pont pour arriver au bureau. Le maquettiste est alors aller fouiner sur facebook et a trouve cette photo. Desole de n'avoir pas cite l'auteur mais l'image etant dans le domaine public et n'ayant pas ete fait a but lucratif, que faut il payer? Desole de n'avoir pas cite l'auteur de la photo. Nous le ferons prochainement et trouveront les moyens de rendre plus opérationnels nos photographes.
For Stephane Kouakou, another active Ivorian Internet user, this situation adds to the bad press [fr] that Ivorian journalists seem determined to continue cultivating:
Comme je l’ai déjà souligné dans un de mes articles « Mauvaise presse », la presse en Côte d’ivoire a de bien mauvaises pratiques qui lui font déjà perdre des acheteur-lecteurs. Elle vient d’ajouter une autre corde à son arc qui lui fait perdre un peu plus de la crédibilité qu’elle n’avait pas.
Currently, the buzz on the web continues and actions are underway, as Yehni Djidji notes in her post [fr] on the subject:
Abidjan.net a purement et simplement retiré les photos de son site.
L'intelligent d'Abidjan a proposé la compensation suivante: reprise de la photo avec son nom, à l'intérieur du journal mais pas en première page, une collaboration pour que les photos soient rémunérées, l'envoi pendant UN MOIS, de la version PDF du journal, à Carlalie. Avant cela, ce journal a fait plusieurs interventions sur le net qui méritent d'être décortiqué, sans doute dans un autre article.
Carlalie, qui a fait appels à des conseillers juridiques ne peut plus s'exprimer sur le sujet, mais la dernière fois que je l'ai eu, les autres organes de presse n'avaient pas réagi à ses tentatives de communication.
Carlalie, who has sought the counsel of legal advisors, can no longer speak on the subject, but the last time that I spoke with her, the other press organizations had not responded to her attempts at communication.

author: Kanigui


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Cuba: Communist Party Conference  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the next Communist Party Conference approaches, Generation Y says: “The time ‘purchased’ last April during the Party Congress is about to end. The political reforms are urgent and even the system’s most faithful have begun to despair.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Reports of Repression  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

babalu reports on “another wave of repression against the island's peaceful human rights activists” here and here.


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D.R. of Congo: Writings From DRC · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Throwing Down the Water: Writings from the DRC is a blog by Emily Cavan Lynch: “I am currently working in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where internet and roads are both quite limited; please excuse any temporary disruptions in posting, or in responding to your comments, emails or inquiries. Thank you!”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Ecuador: Latest Developments in Effort to Save the Yasuni Rainforest · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Emily Achtenberg, in a post entitled ‘Oil Politics in Ecuador: Saving Yasuní, Without Chevron’s Blood Money’, reports on the latest developments in the government's initiative to save the Yasuní rainforest .


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European Union: ACTA and Citizens’ Digital Rights · Global Voices
Orestis Fotiadis

Greek blogger Michalis Panagiotakis writes [el] about the upcoming ratification of ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) in the European Parliament, and the issues arising with regard to the restriction of citizens’ digital rights.

author: Orestis Fotiadis


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Greece: Traditions and Customs on the “Day of Lights” · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

Epiphany or Theophany is when Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. In Greece, January 6 is traditionally known as Phota (“lights”) and customs revolve around the Great Blessing of the Waters: a cross is thrown into the water and  people try to retrieve it in order to receive good luck and blessings. The day before, children sing Epiphany carols, and the following day, January 7, marks John the Baptist's feast.
This video shows  a Theofaneia celebration in Lake Vegoritis, Northern Greece:
Throughout Greece, old village and island traditions and customs still survive [Greek] and are observed [Greek] by local inhabitants and visitors. Join us for a small virtual tour of folk history.
Ragoutsaria, Kastoria. Photo by Flickr user Despoina (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Kastoria: Ragkoutsaria
The first carnival of the year takes place at Kastoria in West Macedonia, Northern Greece and lasts until January 8. During Ragoutsaria (from the Latin “rogatores”, meaning “beggars”), people wear sheepskins, put masks on or paint their faces and body black and wander the streets carrying huge brass bells; their striking sound sends away all evil spirits. The celebration is accompanied by lots of traditional music played on brass instruments.
@taskar: Τα “Ραγκουτσάρια” στην Καστοριά αποδεικνύουν πως η Μακεδονία είναι μία και είναι Μουσική (χωρίς σύνορα).
On the Ionian island of Lefkada, people celebrate the custom of the oranges: they dive into the sea holding oranges tied with twine. Before the blessing of the waters, they throw last year's old oranges into the water. Afterwards, they carry them back to their homes for blessing and leave one near the holy icons for the rest of the  year. This custom dates [Greek] from the period of the Venetian occupation of the island (1684-1797); back then, the ritual would take place  at the old city aqueduct near the citrus groves of noble landowners.
Nea Karvali, Kavala: Sagia
In the town of Nea Karvali in Eastern Macedonia, Northern Greece, inhabitants celebrate Sagia every year on Epiphany Eve. They gather around big fires lit in squares, where they drink, sing traditional carols and dance. The ritualistic fires are meant to drive away the evil  spirits, the “kalikantzaroi” (Christmas goblins), to the bowels of the  earth; the tradition has its origins from Cappadocia of Asia Minor,  from where the current inhabitants’ ancestors immigrated in a 1923 population exchange.
Ermioni, Argolis: Giala-Giala
For more than 50 years, the tradition of Giala-Giala has existed [French] in Ermioni in Argolis in the Eastern Peloponnese. On Epiphany Eve, young men gather at the town port and decorate boats with palm leaves. Next morning, they dress in traditional naval uniforms and make a tour of the village gathering offerings and blessings. They sing traditional tunes until the priest casts the cross into the water and they reach to catch it.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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Hong Kong: Protest Against Luxury Brand to Defend Local Identity · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Thousands of people protested outside Dolce & Gabbana's flagship store on Canton Road, the most crowded tourist area in Hong Kong, yesterday on January 8, 2012.
People gathered, agitated by security guards for the Italian fashion store's security guard who recently banned a local Hong Kong photographer from taking a photo from the sidewalk in front of the store, claiming that only mainland Chinese tourists could do so.
Later, the fashion store explained to local newspapers that the policy is designed to stop people from infringing upon the company's intellectual property rights stored within their window displays. However, the store did not explain why there exist separate policies for dealing with local residents and tourists from mainland China.
Strong reactions to the news spread quickly through Facebook and a call was made to hold a flash mob on Friday for a collective photo-taking action outside D&G to protest the discriminatory policy. Within a few days, more than 17,722 people had clicked to support the event page. The YouTube video below shows the scene on Sunday, as protesters asked D&G to make a public apology:
The crowd gathered outside the shop for more than 8 hours. Below is a bird's-eye view photo of the protest scene:
Photo by Mr. Lee on Facebook
Why are Hong Kong people so angry this time? Professor Wan Chin, an icon for the city's autonomy movement explains [zh] the situation on his Facebook profile:
反對D&G歧視香港人，捍衛香港人的尊嚴，不滿大陸孕婦、大陸遊客和水貨客搞壞香港，是香港人的真感情。我昨日回元朗，婆婆看見電視新聞報道，以為是一般示威抗議，完全不知發生什麼事，但後來知道D&G和海港城只准大陸人影相，禁止香港人拍攝，立即開罵，說商店靠香港人養大，現在討好大陸客，反面無情，豈有此理。她罵到聽唔到口，比我還要激（按：我其實是不激的）。此事說明一切。這是真實的香港人感情。昨日也有好多低下階層的老人家去示威，並接受報紙訪問，也說明一切。
A protester dressed like Iron Man participated in the protest and explained to local TV that he came down to fight for justice:
Photo taken by Be-linda Kwan, Facebook
Chan King Fai, a radio host, explains where D&G went wrong [zh]:
什麼是别太D&G？
1：别無常識(市民在街上的活動不由名店後花園的保安干涉)；
2：别拜金(迷信掃貴貨的内地豪客才可拍攝)；
3：别忘本(名店不要擺一副高高在上的姿態。你佔用了香港這個品牌、佔據了尖沙咀市中心的景觀，才有人流生意。不尊重這地方的人的生活，是忘本)。
Yvonne Leung believes [zh] that apart from protesting against discrimination, the ultimate issue is to reclaim the street:
好一個公共空間被商業霸權侵吞、城市過度管理的問題，卻很大程度被演繹為歧視與族群矛盾。難道公平的意義在於，自由行也不許影相，然後大家就收貨？
Runaway Szeto tries to create a debate topic at Golden Forum [zh] by questioning the city's values:
D&G事件根本就係嘥9氣!
點解香港會有咁多名牌鋪頭?點解香港會有咁多人用名牌?點解香港賣水貨名牌二手名牌賣到可以上市?就係本身香港人愛名牌、貪慕虛榮、骨子裡就愛階級歧視、資產歧視，愛用名牌去define別人的”層次”, 用名牌去告訴別人自己的”層次”。
現在, D&G就告訴香港人: 花得起錢的才夠”層次”, 我們只歡迎夠”層次”的人. 香港人已經不夠”層次”了…
今日D&G的態度, 根本正正是香港人的日常生活態度, 不過, 現在是到了自己被階級化的的時候, 心裡不好受, 就去高舉 “眾生平等”的旗幟。
還跑去包圍人幫人做宣傳…難道他的生意額會因此下降嗎? 正一傻的嗎9
掉返轉, 如果香港人返到內地, 有個地方只畀香港人用, 唔畀內地人用, 香港人一定會暗爽, 如果內地人用行動去抗議, 香港人仲會笑人、話人冇文化、話人窮
香港人, 今日到你地俾人笑鳥! 因果呀!
The D&G issue does not make any sense.
Why do you think the city has so many luxury brands? And why do Hong Kong people love these brands so much? Why are even second-handed luxury brand stores able to make such huge profit and get listed on the stock exchange? Hong Kong people love luxury brands, we are hypocritical. Deep down, we discriminate against lower classes and proletarians. We love to define others by the brands they were and tell others about our own “class” through luxury brands.
Now D&G tells Hong Kong people: You have to pay for your “class”, we only welcome a certain “class” of people. And Hong Kong people are not in that “class” anymore.
The attitude D&G has is also our attitude. Of course, now we are being discriminated against as a class and we feel bad about it. Only now do we uphold the banner of “equality for all”.
Do you think they will lose money with your flash mob action? Don't be silly, you're just helping D&G to build up its classy brand image?
If Hong Kong people travelled to mainland China, and there was a place where they only welcomed Hong Kong people and excluded mainland people, I am sure that Hong Kong people would be happy deep down their hearts. And if mainlanders protested against it, you would laugh, saying that they are not cultivated and poor.
It's due to your own karma that you are being mocked today.


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Iran: A Court Sentences an Iranian American to death  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

1freedomseeker reported a court in Tehran has sentenced to death an Iranian American who was convicted of spying for the Central Intelligence Agency. The blogger adds Abolghasem Salvati, this court's judge, sentenced [fa] three people to death in 48 hours.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Khazali was arrested again · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Shoorezar reports [fa] Mehdi Khazali, a blogger, publisher and son of a leading conservative cleric and former Council of Guardians member, Ayatollah Khazali, was arrested again on Monday. He was beaten up by security forces. Read more here.


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Israel, Ethiopia: Ethiopian Jews and Other Black Immigrants in Israel · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Sibo Kanobana wrote in the blog Afro-Europe:  “I  visited Israel en Palestine during the Christmas holidays and saw  many  things I didn’t expect to see. One of these things is the striking   presence of black people in urban Israel. They represent a diverse   people of whom most are Ethiopian Jews who made aliya (i.e.  the migration of the jewish diaspora back to Israel) and settled in  Israel in the 80’s and early 90’s.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Jamaica: Playing Dead  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Active Voice takes notice of a story in which a man, after being shot by police, “declined to allow himself to be pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital”, saying: “I sincerely hope the media will monitor the progress of this case. Otherwise no prize for guessing what happens next. What disturbs me about the case of the latter-day Lazarus…is that we don’t even so much as know his name.”


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Japan: Cultural Misunderstandings and the Olympus Fraud Scandal · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Sophie Knight explores how business culture misunderstandings between Michael Woodford and Olympus might have played a role in the happenings around the fraud exposure.


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Japan: Web and Mobile Trends in 2011 · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Serkan Toto rounds up key trends that shaped Japan's web, mobile, and gaming industries in 2011.


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Lebanon: Nasawiya Call to March Against Rape Laws  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Nasawiya, an initiative committed to gender justice and equality in Lebanon, is calling upon netizens to mobilise the “masses to join the march against Lebanon’s backwards rape laws on January 14 at 12pm from Ministry of Interior in Sanayeh.” “Please help us spread the word by blogging about the demo or putting up one of the web banners below on your blog,” it adds.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Libya 2011: A Seminal Year Through Citizen Media · Global Voices
Fozia Mohamed

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
In January 2011, while Egypt was going through the throes of the Arab Spring, Highlander was one of the rare netizens on the Libyan blogosphere to subtly speculate if the ‘West’  would allow former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to be toppled by what was increasingly looking like a no going back popular revolution.
She blogged:
Leave Mubarak alone as he is keeping us safe we don't really care about anybody or anything else :P
It was as far as one could get into, in a Libya under Muammar Gaddafi's strong rule.
By February, Libya was engulfed in it’s own uprising. The feeling before Tripoli was crushed was that anything was possible; so some bloggers ventured into bolder territory either reporting directly about what was happening, for example the battle for survival going on in Benghazi and how all cities had begun to rise  with the sense of urgency so well expressed by PH:
•	Libyanna ( mobile company ) sent a message to all the citizens of Benghazi telling them to go home; as it is their job to defend Benghazi.
•	Weapons and soldiers arrived from Bieda and its surrounding area.
•	The 64th battalion and Abdulfath Younis's ( عبدالفتاح يونس) special forces battalion attacking the main revolutionary guard garrison in Benghazi ( الفضيل بوعمر). Fighting is ongoing.
•	General Population of Benghazi arming up with everything in their grasp.
•	People chanting Muammer here we come for you, death is coming.
•	Crowds are larger than ever seen ( they were nearly 100,000 ) three days ago.
•	Helicopter shot down by the people of Benghazi.
And the more ‘Morse’ code like missive by Khaijateri about Gaddafi’s infamous and terrifying  Zenga Zenga speech, where we were all called rats – and addicts:
We watched, we snacked. We had mixed feelings: disbelief, horror, amazement, among other feelings, but mostly just disgust.
March was  immortalised by the burning the Green Book, which contains Gaddafi's governing philosophy, as Anglo-Libyan said:
For the first time in my life I agree with the burning of a book, the idiotic green book of Gaddafi the murderer, the brave people of the city of Misrata stand as one and send a message to gaddafi, until when  this mad dictator is going to claim that these brave people are drunks and drug addicts![sic]
The Internet was cut in March and our voices were silenced except for those who had Thuraya phones or VSAT connections. This meant that we relied on smuggled videos broadcast on Arab satellite TVs. City after city was muzzled and Libyans outside the country or those in the liberated East took it upon themselves to amplify our voices while the rest of Libya was waiting for the no fly zone.
Whiteafrican, in Manchester, UK, said:
i am so proud of the Libyan men, they have proven to the world that they are indeed lions of the dessert, the men of benghazi, bayda, derna, tobrok, breyga, ras lanuf, ajdabeeya, the men of zawia, zintan and misrata.
standing in only their sandals and in many cases, there fists in front of tanks, missiles, RPG's and the latest in weapons, so that Libya will be free is courageous and this courage has not been seen in a long time.[sic]
Meanwhile Ruwida Ashour pleaded in Benghazi:
i cant write more words & what has happened & happening now in Libya is unbelievable ………………please support Libyans with any thing you could do even with just a smile , profile picture or any thing ………we still have money but we need moral support .[sic]
This is also the month when Eman Al Obaidi escaped her rapists and a worldwide petition was started to bring attention to her plight.  It was the month of the late Hannu’s last post too.
The Libyan blogosphere will miss Hannu very much as her humour and honesty were a role model.
In April, while the NATO bombing campaign  was continuing, Libyans were being traumatised by the alleged mass rape stories which were coming out and many like Soad were trying to share their desperation with the world:
Young girls and women, who were virgins, were subjected to brutal gang rape and torture; many of the incidents were filmed on mobile phones and were circulated to increase the humiliation of these victims and their families. Many victims were infected with HIV and some got pregnant; it is a huge problem and needs to be tackled head-on, no beating around the bush.
As spring turned to summer, we had the siege of Misrata and the ongoing fighting in the Western Mountains. We had the back and front battles for the coastal oil towns of Brega, Ajdabia and Ras Lanuf; and we had the fear that Libya will be partitioned and the  increasing numbers of internally and externally displaced Libyan families. This is so hauntingly evoked by Noureddin [ar] when he is packing to leave in May:
Lebeeya’s post in June aptly entitled Freedom, embodied our dreams in a war that had been dragging on for months.
Meanwhile, in July, pro–Gaddafi electronic teams are also not silent and since this is a war all is fair and their bloggers on SOS Libya were telling a story that made me feel on another planet. Here is a sample post:
NATO is not bombing the rebels in the East. NATO is working for the rebels.People don’t dare complain about the rebels. They are scared for their lives and their family lives. We have met many people who have escaped these place with their lives, but most don’t want their names out because they have family left there and if they show their face or publicly speak about the rebel atrocities then the members of their families that are left will be killed. We know this from first hand, one of our group had this exact problem and could not be filmed, his father called him and said the rebels saw him on TV and if he spoke out one more time against them they would kill his brother one by one and then begin with his other family members.[…]
we have never heard of oppression by Ghadafi, the people have great respect and love for him. They all wear green and wear photos of him around their necks, believe me the Western news is so far from the truth they are on another planet.
We have never seen anybody beaten, harassed, in prison, in fact we have been days and never even seen a policeman.[sic]
With the fighting continuing, Brega changed hands every 24 hrs and the death of  the rebel General Abdulfattah Younis, the hope for an end to the war was fading and this is what blogger Hana S tried to explain:
Last Saturday I dreamt that Libya was finally liberated. In the dream, it was a Friday and a Friday that preceded the beginning of Ramadan. Get it? Ramadan this year is either this coming weekend or the beginning of next week. And this Friday is the last one before the holy month!
I woke up excited and full of hope. It felt great in the dream. How would it be like in real life!?
As the days of July dragged on, Tripoli was getting more and more restless and people were all thinking that the final showdown was going to be brutal. Fears were running high about what will exactly happen thoughts of genocide such like the ones expressed by Displaced Libyan were not too far:
It was going to be literally the ‘wild west’ with everyone with a grudge and their brother participating in a mess that would take years and hundreds of thousands of lives, refugees and billions of losses. Basically the image in my head was a bloodbath from which I could not see any exit.
All the patience and suffering in Tripoli culminated in August during the long awaited second uprising and operation Mermaid Dawn. After all the agonizing moments, the lighting liberation of Tripoli was short of miraculous and with Internet restored Violet sighed with relief :
it is beautiful to see how much change there has been in the Libyan psyche, the wall of fear has been broken. Freedom is priceless.
Libyans were euphoric at the liberation of their capital Tripoli even though Gaddafi had fled. The celebration continued for weeks despite the war still raging on other fronts.  Meanwhile, for the first time in months, media was covering the majority of Libyan territories, help associations were coming in and the rest of the country was catching up with their Eastern brothers and by September, blogs were shifting to reporting more on life returning to normal. On the Edge was just pleased to find pizza again:
Fast food is making it's appearance again around town in Tripoli. Moe and I went to a little mall on Friday. We hadn't gone there since before Ramadan. We found a coffee cafe open that had been closed. They had cheese cake, pastries, the best Italian coffee , and best of all for me , PIZZA'S! OMG !!! Fully loaded with all sorts of yummy stuff.
In October, many of the resisting cities started falling and the highlight of that month for Libya and the world was the death of Gaddafi. The most evocative post illustrating this was NassimLibya [ar] who said:
A morning without walls, without red lines
without craziness and without desert prophets,
God is great, God is great, God is great.
With Gaddafi and his son Mutassim  dead, Sirte fell and the liberation of all the Libyan territory was declared three days later on 23 October.
In November, the Libyans had another stroke of luck with the capture of Saif Al Islam Gaddafi  alive.
Again Lebeeya's post about this event summarized what most of the people felt:
Saif's capture is equivalent to removing the last disease in the country. I hope the handful of Gaddafi loyalists in the country snap out of their bubble and join hands with everyone else for a better Libya. Inshallah (By the will of God) the fitna stops after this.
My thoughts on Saif's cut fingers: although Reuters confirms that he lost his fingers from a previous injury a month ago. I hope that's just a cover story for what really happened! The thuwar (rebels) found him and chopped his fingers off slowly and painfully!
By now all Libya was one country once again, the phone lines between East and West were restored, the banking system and other systems were reunited, the interim government had moved mostly to Tripoli. Thus Libyans ended what had been a tumultuous year by celebrating on 24 December the historical Independence Day. Happymoi could not help reminding the readers that
It is a day that has been suppressed by the former regime for so long. It just feels good to say happy independence day Libya!
It is a suitable conclusion to an unusual year: 2011 …. awaiting Libyans was a long arduous road  to rebuild the country and to build democracy at the same time. Mistakes are expected but 2012  was sure to prove interesting with all these challenges.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

author: Fozia Mohamed


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Nicaragua: Life in Villa Norte · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

In the blog Huella Libre [es], Fernando Guzman describes the difficult living conditions of residents of a settlement in Jinotega, Nicaragua, called Villa Norte.


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Puerto Rico: A Shift in the Dialogue  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gil the Jenius is heartbroken by the fact that his inner voice is changing: “When Our inner voice changes, everything else changes as well. Mine is going from ‘adventure’ to ‘caution,’ while that of many of My Brethren is going from ‘I don't care’ to ‘I'm getting out of here.’ So I ask: does that sound like a formula for success?”