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After Lampedusa Shipwreck, Italy Considers Decriminalizing Illegal Immigration · Global Voices
Eleonora Pantò

“Migrant shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa” – comic strip by the cartoonist and activist Carlos Latuff on the Opera Mundi website
[All links lead to Italian-language webpages unless otherwise noted.]
Five days after more than 350 African migrants lost their lives when the boat they were travelling on bound for Europe sank off the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a commission in the Italian Senate voted in favor of repealing the crime of illegal immigration.
The commission on the evening of 9 October 2013 recommended that the Bossi-Fini Law, which defined the crime of illegal immigration and prohibited bystanders from coming to the aid of illegal migrants, be modified to decriminalize undocumented migration. Because of that law, the 150 or so survivors of the shipwreck face criminal investigation in Italy.
On his blog, Fabio Sabatini, a University of Rome's professor, had previously attacked the Bossi-Fini Law, calling it:
“[..] una legge che ammette i respingimenti al paese di origine in base ad accordi con stati in cui la detenzione e la tortura per motivi politici sono all’ordine del giorno. Che attribuisce pregiudizialmente al migrante irregolare la responsabilità di un reato, e che prevede quindi il reato di favoreggiamento per chiunque porti in Italia dei migranti senza visto. Col risultato poco lusinghiero di costringere gli immigrati a buttarsi in mare nel tentativo disperato di raggiungere la riva a nuoto, o di creare le condizioni per l’incriminazione di quei pescherecci che salvano i naufraghi da morte certa.”
“[..] a law that allows people to be sent back to their country of origin on the basis of agreements with states where detention and torture for political reasons are an everyday occurrence. The responsibility for the crime is prejudicially attached to the illegal migrant and, subsequently, there is also the offence of aiding and abetting for anyone who brings a migrant into Italy without a visa. The unflattering result is that immigrants are forced to jump into the sea in a desperate attempt to reach the shore by swimming, or bring an indictment upon those fishing vessels that save the survivors from certain death.”
The commission's vote in favor of changing the law came at the end of the day when President of the European Commission Manuel Barroso and Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta visited Lampedusa, where they were strongly challenged by the residents, who greeted them with cries of “shame” and “murderers”. The Twitter user @Iddio replied:
Letta: “A Lampedusa tragedia senza precedenti”. Enrì, di solito ne muoiono molti di più, ma in tanti punti diversi e senza copertura stampa.
— Dio (@lddio) October 9, 2013
Letta: “Unprecendented tragedy in Lampedusa”. Enrì, usually a lot more die, but more spread out and without press coverage.
- Dio (@ lddio) October 9, 2013
Many people believe that the complete abolition of the Bossi-Fini law, which has criminalised illegal immigration since 2009, would be the first step towards creating a legal system that better respects civil rights: La Repubblica's campaign for its abolition has collected more than 100,000 signatures in a short amount of time.
On Twitter, people expressed their views on the possible repeal under the hashtag #bossifini:
Quelli che dicono “Che c'entra la #Bossi-Fini?” mi ricordano i contadini delle fattorie vicino a Mauthausen. Cos'è quella? Mah, una fabbrica
— Alessandro Robecchi (@AlRobecchi) October 11, 2013
Those who say “What's the #Bossi-Fini got to do with it?” remind me of the farmers near Mauthausen. What's that? Well, a factory
- Alessandro Robecchi (@ AlRobecchi) October 11, 2013
Un grazie ai marinai che onorano la nostra bandiera salvando vite di “criminali”, secondo Bossi, Borghezio e Grillo. Via la Bossi-Fini.
— Vittorio Zucconi (@vittoriozucconi) October 11, 2013
Thanks to the sailors who honour our flag by saving the lives of “criminals”, according to Bossi, Borghezio and Grillo. Down with the Bossi-Fini.
— Vittorio Zucconi (@vittoriozucconi) October 11, 2013
Those who died at sea have been granted the honour of state funeral, but only the abolition of the law against illegal immigration has prevented the survivors from being indicted. Some of the survivors of the 4 October wreck said that they had not received aid from the three fishing boats, but the Deputy Prime Minister Angelino Alfano replied that the ships hadn't seen them. According to the blogdieles, this is not true:
[..] Angelino Alfano non può non sapere che la Bossi-Fini PROIBISCE DI PRESTARE SOCCORSO AI BARCONI. La pena è fino a 15 anni di galera (reato di favoreggiamento dei clandestini o dello sbarco di clandestini) !! Si, avete letto bene. Quella legge proibisce di prestare soccorso ai migranti che sono in difficoltà in mare. Le vite umane? NON VALGONO UN CAZZO. Quello che valeva, per il legislatore, era tenere in piedi il governo facendo un regalone agli alleati leghisti!
[..] Angelino Alfano must not know that the Bossi-Fini law PROHIBITS PROVIDING AID TO BARGES. The penalty is up to 15 years in prison (the crime of aiding and abetting illegal immigrants or bringing illegal immigrants ashore)!! Yes, you read that right. That law forbids helping migrants who are in distress at sea. Human lives? THEY ARE NOT WORTH ANYTHING. What was important for the person who wrote the law was keeping the government together by giving the Northern League allies a present!
The terrible tragedy of migrant shipwrecks didn't end on 4 October: On the evening of 11 October, another shipwreck resulted in 50 deaths. Last summer, dead bodies were lined up on the beach between the umbrellas of the tourists, just a few metres from the sea.
A total of 250,000 people have been swallowed by the Mediterranean sea in the last 20 years, mainly migrants on their way to Lampedusa, according to Jose Angel Oropeza, Director of the Office for the Coordination of the Mediterranean of the IOM (International Organisation for Migration), quoted by the Sicilian online publication SUD. He highlighted the necessity to intervene in transit countries such as Libya, to avoid risking their lives at sea being the only way to reach Europe.
Lampedusa, an Italian outpost in the Mediterranean Sea, is an island of about eight square miles home to about 6,000 inhabitants with an economy based on fishing and tourism. In recent years, it has often faced emergency landings – and deaths – of migrants travelling by sea. The citizens of Lampedusa have shown great hospitality while paying a high price with the collapse of the tourist industry. Inevitably, the residents are exhausted: in this video some citizens report situations of difficult coexistence, thefts and assaults.
Fabrizio Gatti, a journalist who works for Espresso, a weekly political magazine who almost drowned himself in 2005 and was rescued by an inhabitant of the island, has launched a campaign to nominate Lampedusa for the Nobel Peace Prize. He has gathered more than 50,000 signatures so far.
There is nonetheless a bitter reflection on the topic from the blog “diecieventicinque”:
La proposta di assegnare un premio del genere a Lampedusa è carica degli stessi sentimenti positivi e genuini che avevano mosso i promotori del premio per l’Africa, ed è già a rischio di subire la stessa strumentalizzazione politica. […] Condannare moralmente chi opera male sarebbe a quel punto altrettanto corretto.
The proposal to award a prize of this kind to Lampedusa is full of the same positive and genuine feelings that moved the sponsors of the prize awarded to Africa, and is already at risk of suffering the same political manipulation. […] To morally condemn those who preform evil acts at this point would be equally justified.
The European Council, in light of a proposal by the Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom following the tragedy, decided to reinforce the Frontex [en] programme, which supports the fight against “criminal and illegal immigration”. However, an article on the “Sbilanciamoci” website criticises the agency's activities:
In sintesi: le attività di sorveglianza e controllo delle frontiere esterne svolte da Frontex hanno come priorità quella di impedire l’arrivo dei migranti irregolari in Europa e sembrano lasciare in secondo piano le attività di pronto soccorso in mare. […] Frontex è una vera e propria macchina da guerra contro i migranti ed è scandaloso che il suo rafforzamento venga riproposto oggi a seguito della strage di Lampedusa del 4 ottobre.
In summary: the surveillance and control of external borders carried out by Frontex have the priority of preventing the arrival of illegal migrants in Europe and seem to leave the first aid activities at sea to the side. […] Frontex is a real war machine against migrants and it is scandalous that its reinforcement is re-proposed today as a result of the Lampedusa massacre of 4 October.
Andrea Segre, director of many documentaries on the conditions of migrants in Italy, including “Sangue Verde” (Green Blood) and “Mare chiuso” (Closed Sea), stressed on his blog that policies to combat illegal immigration based on military operations cannot work, and he proposed the following:
Si ma allora? Come si fa?
Si spostano i finanziamenti dal contrasto all'immigrazione illegale alla creazione di canali di emigrazione legale.
Si creano servizi e agenzie che danno informazioni su come e dove emigrare o su come e dove fuggire.
Ma così vengono tutti qui?
Non è vero.
La maggior parte di chi deve scappare da regimi e guerre, cerca rifugio vicino casa per sperare di tornarci quando le guerre finiscono o i regimi cadono.
Yes, but so what? What can we do?
Move funding to combat illegal immigration by creating channels for legal migration.
Create services and agencies that provide information on how and where migrate or how and where to escape.
But then they'll all come here?
That's not true.
Most of those who have run away from regimes and wars seek refuge close to home in the hopes of going back when the war ends or the regime falls.
There is no point hiding the fact that the abolition of the Bossi-Fini law will not prevent the desperate people landing in Lampedusa. For this reason, a humanitarian channel towards Europe is necessary along with a European asylum law, as proposed by the Melting Pot project:
Alle Istituzioni italiane, ai Presidenti delle Camere, ai Ministri della Repubblica, chiediamo di farsi immediatamente carico di questa richiesta.
Alle Istituzioni europee di mettersi immediatamente al lavoro per rendere operativo un canale umanitario verso l’Europa.
Alle Associazioni tutte, alle organizzazioni umanitarie, ai collettivi ed ai comitati, rivolgiamo l’invito di mobilitarsi in queste prossime ore ed in futuro per affermare IL DIRITTO D’ASILO EUROPEO.
We ask that the Italian institutions, the Presidents of the Chambers and the Ministers of the Republic immediately act on this request.
We ask other European institutions to immediately begin work to open a humanitarian channel to Europe.
We ask all the other Associations, humanitarian organisations, collectives and committees to rally in the next few hours and to say yes to THE EUROPEAN RIGHT TO ASYLUM in the future.
2013 has been declared the European year of citizenship. It is reasonable to ask yourself how those on the edge of society can be better included, and try to question a status quo that risks the exclusion of many.

author: Eleonora Pantò


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Brazilian Police Seize Activists’ ‘Subversive’ Books · Global Voices
Fernanda Canofre

A group of young women pose with some “subversive” literary works in protest against seizures at the house of protesters by the police. Photo from the album Subversive Books #RéuConfesso by Carina Kunze on Facebook
[All links lead to Portuguese-language pages.]
In Porto Alegre, the capital of southernmost Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul, the month of October began with police executing a search warrant on a cultural center and an urban settlement and seizing activists’ books and computers.
In the early morning of October 4, 2013, a month that has become traditional in the calendar of national social movements, the Civil Police searched the two private residences as part of an ongoing investigation, which began in June, looking to identify “those responsible for the violent acts that have occurred at protests.”
The move, considered “within the rule of law” by the current governor of the state, Tarso Genro, provoked reactions in support of the activists on the web. With the hashtag #RéuConfesso (#ConfessedDefendant), social media users began to post photos in solidarity holding “dangerous” books.
Those who are currently under investigation claim that there is something more behind the operation, as the profile of the cultural center Moinho Negro, also searched by the police, reveals:
O mandado policial deixa explícito que estão investigando as organizações políticas que de alguma forma estão inseridas nos protestos deste ano, tentando identificar (leia-se: forjar) uma formação de quadrilha para provocar supostos atos de violência nos protestos.
The warrant makes it clear that police are investigating the political organizations that are somehow embedded in this year's protests, trying to identify (read: forge) a conspiracy to provoke alleged acts of violence in the protests.
Lucas Maróstica, a social science student at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and member of the Coletivo Juntos! (Collective Together!), also described on Facebook the presence of police in his home:
Acabo de chegar de viagem, no aeroporto de Confins/MG recebi uma ligação desesperada da diarista do meu prédio avisando que a Policia Civil iria invadir meu apartamento e aprender meu computador.
Ainda não entrei em minha casa, mas pelos informes panfletos e adesivos também foram levados. Uma clara perseguição política ideológica por parte de um governo que se propunha ser diferente dos anteriores. (…)
I just returned from traveling; at the airport of Confins/MG [Minas Gerais state] I received a desperate call from the caretaker of my building warning that the Civil Police was about to invade my apartment and seize my computer.
I hadn't entered my house yet, but I'd been informed that pamphlets and stickers were also taken. A clear ideological political persecution by a government which claimed that it was different than previous ones. (…)
The police seized, among other things, Maróstica's personal computer and political philosophy books. On October 4, Maróstica, whose lawyer is the former member of federal parliament and daughter of the governor, Luciana Genro, was taken to be questioned by the police. After two hours of interrogation, he had access to the process that accuses him of “conspiracy, vandalism of public property, violent acts, ‘mass agitation’.” According to the student activist, the criminal complaint against him does not present any concrete evidence against him, besides the testimony of a police officer who had identified him.
Matheus Gomes, another activist, who has also had searches conducted in his house, gave an official statement to police on October 9. Gomes vented on his profile, placing the situation of social movements in Porto Alegre into the national context:
Estamos diante da tentativa de transformar uma parcela importante dos sujeitos políticos que organizaram o Bloco de Lutas em criminosos. Eles querem dizer que somos parte de uma quadrilha, falaram que eu sou líder de uma facção criminosa. É isso que os governos e a polícia fazem com quem reivindica direitos sociais básicos como transporte, saúde e educação! Devemos nos atentar a escalada repressiva em curso no Brasil inteiro.
We are facing an attempt to transform an important group of politically active people who organized the Bloco de Lutas (Block of Struggles) [the movement that lead the protests of June and July in Porto Alegre] into criminals. They want to say that we are part of a gang, they said I'm the leader of a criminal gang. That's what governments and police do to those who are demanding basic social rights such as transport, health care and education! We must pay attention to the ongoing escalation of repression throughout all of Brazil.
This was not the first time this year that the Civil Police seized literary works during one of its operations. At the end of June, the Federação Anarquista Gaúcha had a similar experience.
What's in a street name?
General Vitorino Street became “Amarildo de Souza (1965/1966 – missing in 2013)”. Photo shared on Facebook by Defesa Pública da Alegria.
In a time when military police are dealing with protesters in violent or heavy-handed ways, collective Defesa Pública da Alegria (Public Defense of Joy) has found a peaceful and creative method of demonstrating for the demilitarization of the military police. The group was formed one year ago following a protest against the privatization of public spaces for the sake of the 2014 World Cup. In that demonstration, protesters destroyed a gigantic inflatable “Tatu-bola” (football armadillo), which is the symbol for the upcoming sporting event sponsored by Coca-Cola.
The day after the searches by the Brigade, residents woke up to find that some of the main streets of Porto Alegre, named after military figures, were reinvented with names in memory of “political activists and other victims of the repression of the state in Latin America”. Among the names were journalist Vladimir Herzog, a victim of the military dictatorship, whose assassination was recently recognized by the government; Elton Brum, a member of the Movimento dos Sem Terra (MST) (Landless Movement) who was assassinated in 2009; and the mason Amarildo [en], murdered inside a Pacifying Police Unit at the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro this year.
In such a tumultuous time for democracy, memory can be a powerful thing.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Fernanda Canofre


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Catalan Man Sentenced to Prison after Refusing to Speak Spanish · Global Voices
Cristina Simón

Carles Mateu, a man who refused to speak in Spanish during a routine traffic test in Valencia, was sentenced to six months in prison and had his driver's license revoked for disobeying authorities.
“WE ARE ALL CARLES MATEU / Group supporting the driver sentenced to 6 months in prison in Valencia.” Poster from the group supporting Carles Mateu in the town of Alemenara (Castelló).
Mateu was driving his car in December 2012 when the Civil Guard, the federal military guard of Spain, stopped him for a routine traffic stop in Castelló (Valencia). But he was detained for three hours by two agents, who accused him of refusing to submit to a breathalyzer test and of not wearing a seat belt nor a reflective vest. Mateu, however, claims that these reports are false and the agents sanctioned him for speaking to them in Valencian, a regional dialect [ca] of Catalan that is spoken in the territory, and refusing to express himself in Spanish.
The Valencian language holds official status in the region along with Spanish, just as in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. According to online news publication La Veu del País Valencià [ca], Mateu felt that the agents were displaying signs of “contempt” toward him and his language, using phrases like “speak to me in Spanish, we are in Spain.”
Mateu was acquitted [ca] in January 2013, but the district attorney appealed and the sentence was revoked. At the same time, Mateu's previous countersuit against the agents’ false accusations was thrown out. The new sentence [ca] issued on September 20, 2013 condemns him to six months in prison and the suspension of his driver's license for a year and a day.
A victim turned into offender
The case has attracted much interest, both civil and political, along the Catalan-speaking territories, given that many view it as one more case of discrimination with linguistic motives, similar to those reported at music festival Arenal Sound last summer. In an interview [ca] with Catalan newspaper El Punt Avui, Mateu explains:
He de dir que vaig reaccionar com qualsevol persona a qui intenten furtar el seu dret a la lliure expressió i vaig reaccionar –ho dic sincerament i amb el cor a la mà– per sota de la pressió a què els dos agents em van sotmetre.
I must say that I reacted just like anyone else whose right to free expression was taken away, and I reacted—I say this sincerely, with my hand to my heart—under the pressure I was subject to by those two agents.
“I, TOO, POSSESS THE FLAW OF SPEAKING VALENCIAN.” Shared image on Twitter from Alícia (@marclia), professor of Catalan at the University of Valencia.
Mateu's lawyer explained to digital newspaper VilaWeb [ca] that the linguistic conflict [ca] is now considered Mateu's strategy for slowing down the breathalyzer test, which converts the victim into the offender.
We are all Carles Mateu
Demonstrations of solidarity have multiplied online. A Facebook page, Jo També Sóc Carles Mateu [ca] (I, too, am Carles Mateu), collects messages of support.
On Twitter, many users showed their discontent with the hashtag #TotSomCarlesMateu (We are all Carles Mateu). Antoni Manyanós [ca] (@amanyanos), professor of geography and history, says:
El País Valencià un lloc on el règim espanyol et pot condembar [sic] a presó per parlar valencià amb la Guàrdia Civil #TotssomCarlesMateu #Prou
— Antoni #soseducació (@amanyanos) September 24, 2013
Valencia, a place where the Spanish regime can condemn you to prison for speaking in Valencian with the Civil Guard #WeAreAllCarlesMateu #Enough
Valencian journalist Amàlia Garrigós (@AmaliaGarrigos [ca/es]) encouraged her followers to sign a petition on Change.org [es] for Spanish security guards in the territory to speak in Catalan:
Un conductor valencià condemnat per parlar en la seua llengua. Signeu? Jo ja ho he fet! #TotsSomCarlesMateu http://t.co/g33L4XeCWK
— Amàlia Garrigós (@AmaliaGarrigos) September 20, 2013
A Valencian driver sentenced for speaking in his own language. Will you sign this petition? I just did! #WeAreAllCarlesMateu http://t.co/g33L4XeCWK
Moreover, a group [ca] supporting Mateu was organized in his town of Almenara, and a petition on Change.org [es] has gathered more than 11,500 signatures to demand the sentence be withdrawn.
Political reactions
Carles Mateu's case arrived at the Spanish Parliament thanks to the representatives Joan Baldoví [ca] of the Coalició Compromís (Compromise Coalition), and Joan Tardà [ca], of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (Republican Left Party) (ERC). Baldoví said that it would be “barbaric” to send a citizen to prison for speaking his own language, while Tardà formulated many questions for the Ministry of the Interior.
Ramon Tremosa, a member of the European Parliament representing the Catalan moderate right-wing ruling party, Convergència i Unió, reported the case to the European Commission with the support of opposition parties ERC and ICV-EUIA [ca]:
Ara entrem pregunta a Comissió Europa contra condemna Carles Mateu pel català. La signem @ciu @Esquerra_ERC i @icveuia #TotssomCarlesMateu
— Ramon Tremosa (@ramontremosa) September 24, 2013
Now we will ask the European Commission about the sentence against Carles Mateu for speaking Catalan. The undersigned: @ciu @Esquerra_ERC i @icveuia #WeAreAllCarlesMateu
Rising awareness to stop  language conflict
Josep Escribano, president of El Tempir [cat], a civic association for the language, encouraged [ca] people to report cases of linguistic discrimination to generate social pressure.
Escribano argues [ca] that the language supremacy of Spanish has allowed, over time, for Catalan-speaking people to interiorize their prejudice toward their own language, considering it of an inferior status. But he remains optimistic:
Cada vegada més, la gent que és ferma i que té una lleialtat lingüística, que s'estima el país i que s'estima la llengua, està fent un pas endavant i ho denuncia.
More and more, people who are strong and have a linguistic loyalty, people who love the Catalan nation and love the Catalan language, are taking a step forward and reporting cases of this kind of discrimination.
By making these cases of linguistic discrimination public, citizens receive support from the entities defending the language and from the community, which facilitates the linguistic normalization [ca] and universal linguistic rights of Catalan's use.

author: Cristina Simón


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Madagascar Goes to the Polls, Four Years after the Coup · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

Tomorrow, Madagascar is set to hold elections, four years after a coup plunged the country into political, economical and social turmoil:
Thirty-three candidates are competing tomorrow to replace Rajoelina, who deposed President Marc Ravalomanana almost five years ago, causing the African Union to suspend the country and donors including the U.S. to freeze at least $400 million in aid. That forced the government to scale back services including education, water and health care, deepening poverty in the world’s second-biggest vanilla-producing nation Among the top contenders are former Finance Minister Hery Rajaonarimampianina; Jean Louis Robinson, a medical doctor and former cabinet minister under Ravalomanana; Roland Ratsiraka, a nephew of ex-President Didier Ratsiraka; and ex-Foreign Minister Pierrot Rajaonarivelo.
The mood amongst bloggers is mixed.
Rabelazao sees some hope and relief and is looking forward to voting [mg]:
Ny latsa-batoko dia kiry manantena ampitso mibaliaka ho an'i Madagasikara.  Ny latsa-batoko dia midika fahavononana hanarina ny rava ary hanohy ny lalantsika.  Ny latsa-batoko dia antso hamerenana ny safidy sy ny zo ho an'ny mpiray tanindrazana amiko.  Ny latsa-batoko dia finoana tsy mihambahamba fa hiray hina sy hihavana ny vahoaka Malagasy.  Ny latsa-batoko dia miandrandra ny hamela lova tsara ho an'ireo taranako.
My vote is a hope for a happy future for Madagascar. My vote means readiness to build from the ruins and continue our path. My vote is a cry for re-establishing choices and rights for my countrymen. My vote is a non wavering belief in cohesion amongst the people. My vote is a desire to leave my descendants a meaningful legacy.
Others like Jentilisa [mg]worry about the inconsistencies and failures of the poll organizations.
Maro dia maro ny olona tsy tafiditra anaty lisi-pifidianana ary antony maro samihafa no nahatonga izany. Ny mampihomehy dia iray trano izao, ary loham-pianakaviana izao, dia tsy tafiditra anaty lisitra, nefa ilay loham-pianakaviana no nanao sonia ny famenoana ny taratasy fa ny ankohonana tao aminy indray no tafiditra soa aman-tsara. Maro ny tsi-fetezan-javatra ka ny vahoaka indray no nomena tsiny ho tsy mandray andraikitra. Efa fanao eto amin'ity tanindrazana ity ilay fanilihana andraikitra.
Many voters did not make it on the electoral list, due to many reasons. The funny thing is that in the same household, the head of household is not on the electoral list, even though he signed the voter enrollment form, but members of his household are on the list. There are many failures in the voting process, but voters are being blamed for being irresponsible. It is customary in this country to dodge responsibility.

author: Mialy Andriamananjara


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Malaysia Revives ‘Detention Without Trial’ Law · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

According to the government, the new law will empower police to defeat organized crime. Photo by Deucrox99, Wikipedia (CC License)
To defeat organized crime, Malaysia has passed an amendment to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) of 1959 which would empower authorities to detain criminals and gangsters for up to two years even without trial.
The government asserted that a tough measure like the PCA is needed to address the problem of rising criminality in the country. It blamed the repeal of the controversial Emergency Ordinance (EO) and Internal Security Act (ISA) for the recent surge of crimes. For a long time, the EO and ISA were cited by the opposition as draconian measures which were often used by the government to detain or harass political dissenters.
The PCA amendment was passed early this month although critics have accused the administration of railroading the approval of the measure in parliament.
The government assured the public that the new law will not be used against critics and the opposition. It clarified that the provisions in the law are fair and transparent. But this assurance didn’t stop many groups from protesting and raising their objections against several aspects of the measures.
William Leong, Member of Parliament for Selayang, emphasized that ‘high-quality policing’ is needed to combat criminality:
…what Malaysian citizens need is not a convenient tool or temporary measure for the executive to simply persecute individuals in addressing the spate of crime, but essentially, a high-quality policing that is capable of curbing the crime rate in the long run without violating the fundamental rights of citizens.
Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, parliamentarian for Sepang, described the PCA as a bad law and wrong medicine for the social problems of Malaysia:
The amended PCA is a bad law. It prescribes the wrong medicine for our social maladies. Even if proving a case in court is hard in cases of mafia-type criminal activity, the solution lies elsewhere.
The police force needs to be upgraded and modernised toward professionalism.
Meanwhile, Tan Sri Robert Phang of Social Care Foundation understands the necessity of introducing new laws to tackle the changing patterns of crime:
Today's crime pattern is very different from those of yesteryears. Do not oppose for the sake of opposing. A shooting case happens almost every other day and it involves ordinary people. This is frightening.
Changes take place every now and then. Today, the police may be well-equipped, but we cannot rule out the possibility that gangster heads are able to position themselves better using the Internet.
This is a real war against criminals. Therefore, the right law must be in place.
But Tan Sri Simon Sipaun of Proham decried the reintroduction of arrest without trial:
The latest nail on the coffin of human rights in Malaysia was in the form of the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (PCA) which have been bulldozed and passed by Parliament just after mid night on October 2, 2013.
The ISA has come back with a vengeance. It is ISA 2. Arrest without trial represents one of the worse forms of human rights violations. It is a common feature in totalitarian states. If the government has enough evidence to arrest a person it should have enough materials to charge that person.
The Malaysian Bar, the Sabah Law Association and the Advocates Association of Sarawak rejected the amendments that would diminish Malaysia’s adherence to international human rights standards:
…the answer to the fight against crime cannot lie in re-introducing laws that diminish our adherence to the rule of law, due process and constitutional safeguards. The proposed draconian amendments are not a reflection of the state of crime in our country. Rather it speaks of the inadequacies and inability of the police to deal with crime in a proper way.

author: Mong Palatino


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One Month Until Honduras’ General Election · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Mike Allison from the blog Central American Politics shares links to English-language posts on the November 2013 elections in Honduras.
Mike recommends blogger Hermano Juancito's post “about the breakdown of the two-party system”; a post from the blog Honduras Culture and Politics on the newest poll results; and a post on “political violence leading up to this year's elections” by Alex Main on The Americas Blog for the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
He also recommends an article from  the Christian Science Monitor.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Online Campaign for Peace in Mozambique · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

The blog Mozmaniacos [pt] has launched an online campaign for peace in Mozambique, after recent threats to over 20 years of peace. With the hashtag #MozQuerPaz (#MozWantsPeace), Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram users are starting to contribute their photos and personalized messages to the effort.

author: Janet Gunter


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Future Places: Digital Media Tools for Citizenship · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Future Places: Media Lab for Citizenship. Website: futureplaces.org | Facebook | Twitter: @futureplacespt
Future Places, a former digital media festival that is turning into a “media lab for citizenship” for its sixth edition, will take place in Porto, Portugal, from October 28 to November 2, 2013.
“A festival without an audience, where everyone who is present participates and discovers in real time ways of collaborating”, explained curator Heitor Alvelos in an inspiring closing note [pt] of 2012's edition, recalling the ongoing motto since 2008 “technology are potential tools for the emancipation of citizens”:
não subscrevemos o paradigma que está por detrás da instantaneidade vertiginosa e auto-referente dos gadgets digitais. Queremos usá-los, sim, mas recusamos a amnésia que muitas vezes transportam e induzem. Queremos simultaneamente honrar uma herança histórica, analógica, que atribui sentido e explica o que somos hoje; queremos cultivar a determinação que permite revoluções lentas, mudanças de paradigma a longo prazo; e participando em actos de contestação ao que é socialmente injusto, queremos simultaneamente propor.
we do not endorse the paradigm that lies behind the dizzying instantaneity and self-reference of digital gadgets. We want to use them, yes, but we refuse the amnesia that they often carry and induce. We both honor a historic and analog inheritance which gives sense and explains what we are today; we want to cultivate the determination that allows for slow revolutions, paradigm shifts in the long term; and while actively contesting what is socially unjust, we want to simultaneously make proposals.
The event will bring together scholars, artists, scientists and technologists for a week of practices and debate on digital media. A series of citizen labs will offer workshops on stopmotion, music, gaming, photography, and more.

author: Sara Moreira


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Qatari Poet Sentenced for ‘Threatening to Overthrow the Regime’ Loses Final Appeal  · Global Voices
Omar Chatriwala

Qatar's Court of Cassation, the country's highest judicial body, upheld a 15-year prison sentence earlier this week for poet Muhammad Rashid al-Ajami, who goes by the poetic name Muhammad Ibn al-Dheeb.
The Qatari citizen had been seeking a retrial after he was first convicted by a lower court last year of “inciting the overthrow of the regime” with his poetry and given a life sentence, which was then reduced by the Appeals Court in February to 15 years in jail.
“There is no justice,” Ibn al-Dheeb's outspoken lawyer Najeeb al-Nauimi told Qatar-based Doha News. “Our judicial system cannot be trusted.”
International human rights groups have widely condemned the trial of a poet as an attack on freedom of expression.
Reacting to Monday's ruling, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Ken Roth questioned Qatar's free speech record:
@KenRoth: Supposed bastion of free speech via al-Jazeera, #Qatar court upholds 15-year prison term for poet–a critic of govt. http://trib.al/EViKXCm
Amnesty International, meanwhile, renewed its calls for Ibn al-Dheeb to freed, calling him a “a prisoner of conscience”:
@jpmlynch: Amnesty calls for release of Qatari poet sentenced to 15 years in prison http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/qatar-release-poet-sentenced-15-years-prison-2013-10-21 …
The United Nations added its voice to the issue, calling the sentence “disproportionate”:
@philippe_dam: Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay concerned by condemnation of poet Mohammed al Ajami in #Qatar & calls for his release. @NcGeehan
@RobinWigg: UNHRC on Mohammed al Ajami's 15 year sentence in Qatar for poem: “This sentence is clearly disproportionate.” You don't say.
Ibn al-Dheeb has been jailed in Qatar since 2011, when he returned from studies in Egypt. The charges leveled against him mentioned a 2010 poem he recited at a private gathering in Cairo in which he apparently made veiled references to Qatar's ruling family in a critical fashion.
But the poet's defenders say his jailing is politically motivated, and stem from a poem in defense of Tunisia's uprising in which he stated “All of us are Tunisia in the face of these oppressors,” referring to Arab dictators.
That poem is available in Arabic on YouTube, and has received over 2 million views so far:
An English-language translation is also available by Kareem James Abu-Zeid.
What do you think should be the limits on freedom of expression?
Credit: Photo by Lex Paulson

author: Omar Chatriwala


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Central Asia’s Presidents: Political Stalwarts and Musical Softies · Global Voices
Mahina Shodizoda

Presidents of the post-Soviet Central Asian countries like to be regarded as strong, paternalistic leaders. They look down on their populations from millions of portraits and instruct them from TV screens and newspaper pages. Some of them are immortalized in statues and monuments. Yet sometimes these “fathers” and “leaders” of their nations like to remind their populations that they, too, are human. They dance and sing.
Tajikistan
In Tajikistan, a video of the country's president Emomali Rahmon dancing at his son's wedding went viral in May 2013. While some netizens criticized their leader for his joyful behavior at the wedding, others thought the video showed that the president was “a real, normal man” after all.
One segment of the controversial video shows Rahmon singing with a popular Tajik singer. They sing in Tajik, praising the beauty of their country, while several senior officials dance to the song:
Commenting on this video, one person writes [tj]:
зур месарояд неки. хаккатан зур. агар президент намебуд, ситораи эстрада мешуд, дар туйхо баромад мекард.
He sings well. Really well. If he wasn't president, he could have become a pop star and sing at weddings.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's “leader of the nation” Nursultan Nazarbayev not only sings, but also plays a musical instrument.
Netizens reacting to the video apparently like the way Nazarbayev sings. Under the video, Farida Salmenova comments [ru]:
Ya priyatno udıvlena!!! ne znala, 4to on tak klassno poyet!!!
I am pleasantly surprised!!! I didn't know he was such a good singer!!!
Uzbekistan
Islam Katimov, the veteran leader of Uzbekistan prefers not to sing in public. He does dance, however:
Yet his dancing apparently fails to impress the country's netizens as most comments under the video are very critical. For example, Kate Malayev writes [ru]:
Urod. Vsyu stranu iskalechil. Narod v nishete sidit a on plyashet.
Freak. He has crippled the whole country. Yet he dances while people are in poverty.
While Karimov does not sing in public, people who disapprove of his regime sing against him. An English-language song that was recently uploaded on YouTube urges the “king of kings in the cotton land” to leave the office:

author: Mahina Shodizoda


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This Weekend at Developing Latin America 2013 Apps Challenge (Part II) · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Photo from Desarrollando América Latina Facebook page.
We continue the virtual tour of the countries participating in the third edition of Desarrollando América Latina [Developing Latin America]-#DAL2013. (See the first part here.)
Bolivia's [es] envisioning meeting took place a few weeks ago and they were also preparing for Demo Day. And although the organizers have not been very active on social networks, [es] they have been virtually supporting participants.
Conoce los temas sociales que se trabajaran en Bolivia durante #DAL2013 http://t.co/AExRQhLIMs
— DAL (@DesarrollaLatAm) September 24, 2013
Learn about social issues to be worked on in Bolivia during #DAL2013
¿Cansado que tu trabajo sea una maquina? – DAL2013 http://t.co/Gh4h6YFpyS
— Willmar A. Pimentel (@wpimentel) October 5, 2013
Tired of your work being a machine?
The people of Chile [es] are among the most enthusiastic about #DAL2013:
Preparativos #dal2013 chile :) pic.twitter.com/rHZ5Xe87YS
— خوسيه غاريدو مونيوز (@jgarrido) October 5, 2013
Preparation for #dal2013 in Chile :)
Conoce más, sobre lo que fue el primer taller de #DAL2013 Chile en nuestro Flickr http://t.co/KOxD1JBrPp
— CiudadanoInteligente (@ciudadanoi) October 9, 2013 [es]
Learn more about the first #DAL2013 Chile workshop on Flickr
A días de la hackathon de #DAL2013 Chile! Revisa como lo hemos pasado hasta ahora http://t.co/9Dn3moQH9z cc: @ciudadanoi
— Anca Matioc (@AncaMatioc) October 9, 2013
Days from hackathon #DAL2013 Chile! Check out what we've done so far
En Chile se preparan para cerrar una exitosa jornada ¡Los participantes de #DAL2013 creando soluciones reales! pic.twitter.com/jz3z9KYoYe
— DAL (@DesarrollaLatAm) October 13, 2013
In Chile, preparations for the close of a successful day. #DAL2013 participants creating real solutions!
Compartimos lo que fue el taller de gestión ágil en #DAL2013 Chile http://t.co/DbjqUsFCKe Recuerden que este 26 de Octubre se viene la final
— CiudadanoInteligente (@ciudadanoi) October 16, 2013
We share the Agile Methodology workshop at #DAL2013. Don't forget Oct. 26 is the end.
In Argentina [es] there have been a couple of preparatory meetings, but the actual hackathon will be the 25th of this month:
Este jueves a las 19.30hs se viene la previa del #DAL2013, sumate a pensar soluciones tecnológicas con impacto social http://t.co/IG4oRKZCUb
— Wingu{NonprofitTech} (@desdewingu) September 17, 2013
This Thursday at 19:30h will be the preview of #DAL2013, join in to think about technological solutions with social impact
Asi arranco el #DAL2013 en Argentina: http://t.co/T5LYgPOa5c Fotos locas: http://t.co/Q3lPmKCJDE @desdewingu @AncaMatioc
— Paula Alzualde (@paualzu) September 20, 2013
And so we start Argentina's #DAL2013.  Crazy photos
Empiezan las presentaciones de los proyectos #dal2013 #argentina pic.twitter.com/gXAm1GiZRx
— Laura Paonessa (@laurapaonessa) October 5, 2013
The presentations of the projects begin
Argentina presentan los proyectos de #DAL2013. Sigue la transmición en vivo desde aquí http://t.co/t07uEkVFLx | pic.twitter.com/JRJOuWT1sH
— DAL (@DesarrollaLatAm) October 5, 2013
Argentina presents the projects for #DAL2013. Follow it live here
Para ver los proyetos del #DAL2013 #argentina entra acá: http://t.co/S3fhWULLsl! #cambio #techforgood #impactosocial @DesarrollaLatAm
— Wingu{NonprofitTech} (@desdewingu) October 5, 2013
Click here to see the #DAL2013 Argentina projects
#Dal2013 #Argentina el #hackaton donde hay más chicas que programadores @desarrollalatam #devsmissingout http://t.co/ozq8iobivT
— Mati Kalwill (@matikalwill) October 5, 2013
#Dal2013 Argentina is the hackathon where there are more girls than programmers
It is the first time [es] that Paraguay [es] is participating in a DAL event and expectations are high:
Llegó el día! #DAL2013 en #Paraguay es una realidad! Gracias a tod@s por el apoyo y esfuerzo, ahora solo queda… http://t.co/BhC4TIMFGM
— DAL Paraguay (@dalparaguay) October 5, 2013
The day has arrived! #DAL2013 in Paraguay is a reality! Thanks to all for the support and effort, now all that remains is….
#DAL2013 Paraguay. dia 1. recien empieza https://t.co/B4QWLhAVlF
— Maricarmen Sequera (@marsebu) October 5, 2013
Paraguay. Day 1. Just started
En Paraguay #DAL2013 no se acaba ¡Los equipos continúan desarrollando! cc @dalparaguay pic.twitter.com/VMOZQMVhAn
— DAL (@DesarrollaLatAm) October 5, 2013
In Paraguay #DAL2013 is not over! The teams continue developing!
En @dalparaguay aún quedan ganas y entusiasmo. El segundo día de #DAL2013 se viene increíble! pic.twitter.com/zMO6xA5CmN
— DAL (@DesarrollaLatAm) October 6, 2013
There is still enthusiasm and will for @dalparaguay. The second day of #DAL2013 has been amazing!
#DAL2013 hablando de Medio Ambiente en Paraguay :) pic.twitter.com/tVaiGcXZ0y
— pabloacastillo (@pabloacastillo) October 8, 2013
talking about the environment in Paraguay :)
In Uruguay [es] there is once again a month dedicated to open data and the following tweets are only part of all the activity going on in Montevideo:
En Uruguay la expedición esta en desarrollo ¡Los datos son un universo desconocido! #DAL2013 pic.twitter.com/Jf05rvy6IW
— DAL (@DesarrollaLatAm) October 12, 2013
In Uruguay, the expedition is in development. The data is an unknown universe!
Los subgrupos presentan los resultados del Data Expedition en el #OktoberDATAFEST #DAL2013 pic.twitter.com/5AZIBvdxZy
— DATA (@DataUY) October 12, 2013
Subgroups present the results of the Data Expedition at the #OktoberDATAFEST
Muchas gracias a @ladiaria y a @nuncadigasnadie por la lindísima nota sobre el #OktoberDATAFEST http://t.co/ZjK30Ptpum #DAL2013
— DATA (@DataUY) October 17, 2013
Thank you for the beautiful note about the #OktoberDATAFEST
¡Empezando el #OktoberDATAFEST! #DAL2013 pic.twitter.com/y6UacUC3Rd
— DATA (@DataUY) October 19, 2013
Starting the #OktoberDATAFEST
¡Queda demostrado que cualquiera puede participar de un hackatón! #OktoberDATAFEST #DAL2013 pic.twitter.com/K3D40boLlk
— DATA (@DataUY) October 19, 2013
This goes to show that anybody can participate in a hackathon!
And Brazil [es] is fulfilling its schedule of activities with a view towards Demo Day on this October 26.
Tá no ar o cronograma de atividades da edição brasileira do #DAL2013. Confiram, divulguem e inscrevam-se! http://t.co/IxUXzYquLv
— Alexandre Gomes (@alegomes) September 27, 2013
The schedule of activities for the Brazilian edition of #DAL2013 has been published. Check it out, share it, and sign up!
Así transcurre el #DAL2013 BRASIL mañana será el turno de 10 países más @pelaezkelly @DesarrollaLatAm @alejo8497 pic.twitter.com/eGnpZpuSxE
— GobiernoAbiertoCol (@GobAbiertoCol) October 5, 2013
This is #DAL2013 Brazil. Tomorrow 10 other countries have their turn.
Vamos por el tercer día de #DAL2013 en Brasil ¡Desarrolladores gestando soluciones con mucha energía! pic.twitter.com/BCjCB3sB6m
— DAL (@DesarrollaLatAm) October 6, 2013
We are on the third day of #DAL2013. Developers energetically brewing up ideas!
Vídeo DAL Brasil 2013 – Dia 01 #DAL2013 #DALBrasil2013 http://t.co/oE83kZuFnW
— SEA_Tecnologia (@SEA_Tecnologia) October 7, 2013
DAL Brazil 2013 Day 1 video
Sábado de prototipagem no DAL2013 Brasil #DAL2013 #DALBrasil Pivota Brasil http://t.co/5tAaXgwjm2
— SEA_Tecnologia (@SEA_Tecnologia) October 21, 2013
Prototype Saturday at DAL2013 Brazil
This has been a quick panorama of the activities in 12 Latin American countries participating in #DAL2013, but this isn't all that has happened; the central organization of #DAL2013 has been organizing and coordinating workshops for the participants, and many have had thoughts about Developing Latin America:
Gobierno abierto no sólo es transparencia,es apertura a priorizar, crear, e implementar políticas y herramientas CON los ciudadanos #DAL2013
— felipe heusser (@fheusser) October 5, 2013
Open government isn't just transparency, it's openness to prioritize, create and implement policy and tools WITH its citizens
En unos minutos, comienza presentación de @EscuelaDeDatos, #DAL2013 y data scraping en #Guayaquil. Habrá hangout: http://t.co/0Y0E7Kp1kp
— Escuela de Datos (@EscuelaDeDatos) October 9, 2013
In a few minutes, a presentation of @EscuelaDeDatos, #DAL2013 and data scraping will begin. There will be a hangout
Este 20/Oct podrás aprender sobre #OpenStreetMap y @MapBox en un taller en español por @lxbarth. Apúntate! https://t.co/voVBjMxUR6 #DAL2013
— OpenStreetMap Cbba (@osmcbba) October 11, 2013
On October 20 you will be able to learn about #OpenStreetMap and @MapBox in a workshop in Spanish by @lxbarth. Sign up!
Lo Cool de #dal2013 es el interés que generan las personas que desarrollan para crear soluciones sociales, ojala sea todo un éxito
— Javier Fernande (@JavierignacioF2) October 12, 2013
What's cool about #DAL2013 is the interest generated by developers to create social solutions, hopefully it will be a success!
RT @lxbarth: Decided to use deforestation data from @InfoAmazonia http://t.co/qauU8v8xYG for today's workshops #DAL2013
— InfoAmazonia (@InfoAmazonia) October 20, 2013
Este 26 de octubre en nuestro Demo Day podrás conocer los resultados de #DAL2013 ¡Permanece atento para más detalles!
— DAL (@DesarrollaLatAm) October 20, 2013
This October 26 at our Demo Day you can find out the results of #DAL2013. Stay tuned for more details!
We will soon bring you more updates about this year's Developing Latin America.

author: Juan Arellano


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VIDEO: Angola’s Kuduro as an Urban Phenomenon · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

A new film on Angola's frenetic music genre and dance, Kuduro (literally ‘hard ass’), follows the steps of some of the key figures that have helped this popular style turn into an urban cultural movement:
Created in the discos and raves in downtown Luanda through a fusion between House and Techno beats and traditional Angolan rhythms, Kuduro spilled over from the centre of the city to the suburbs. It rapidly spread throughout Angola, Africa and now all over the world.
Kuduro mixes dance, music and lifestyle, its lyrics take inspiration from the simple day-to-day things in life, and its culture is present a little here, there and everywhere – be that on a street corner, in a school, in a taxi or even a football stadium.
Watch the trailer of ‘I love Kuduru’:
The film, by Mário Patrocínio, is going to be screened in Lisbon on October 27, 2013. The premier took place at the International Film Festival of Rio de Janeiro on September 30, 2013. For updates, subscribe I Love Kuduru's Facebook page, Instagram and Flickr accounts.


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Bahrain: More Tear Gas Than People · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

An apparent tender document leaked on 16 October 2013 shows that Bahrain is set to purchase more tear gas canisters than its entire population. But why should you care? Photocredit: Stoptheshipment.org
Over the past two weeks, an independent group called “Bahrain Watch” has been leading a strong campaign on social media networks against the import of tear gas in Bahrain. The group which defines itself as “an independent research and advocacy organisation that seeks to promote effective, transparent and accountable governance in Bahrain” initiated the campaign “Stop the Shipment” after obtaining a leaked document that reveals Bahrain's plans to purchase 1.6 million canisters of tear gas – that's more than it's 1.3m inhabitants.
The campaign calls on netizens to send emails to officials and companies to stop the shipment based on collected evidence that prove the dangerous use of tear gas in Bahrain. Besides its obvious health effects on protesters and passers-by, tear gas has caused the death of tens of Bahrainis since the February 2011 revolution.
The suggested message that the campaign includes in sent emails reads:
Since 2011, Bahrain's security forces have misused tear gas indiscriminately and inhumanely, causing injury, death, miscarriages, and possible long-term health complications. Tear gas is supposed to be ‘non-lethal’, but Bahrain's police use large amounts of tear gas in residential areas, even when there are no protests, and sometimes shoot tear gas directly into houses. The police also fire the canisters directly at people's heads, which has caused serious injuries and deaths. Overall, 39 deaths in Bahrain have been attributed to tear gas, according to Physicians for Human Rights. The death toll includes both young and old, both men and women, and people with disabilities. Very few police have been punished for killing protesters.
Based on videos and images we have seen, the top suppliers of tear gas products used in Bahrain between 2011 and 2013 appear to be DaeKwang Chemical Corporation and CNO Tech of South Korea. Another company, Korea Defense Industry (KDI) may also export to Bahrain. The other major exporter is a South African/German company called Rheinmetall Denel. DaeKwang Chemical Corporation and CNO Tech have exported over 1.5 million pieces of tear gas to Bahrain between 2011 and 2012. This is more than the entire population of Bahrain, which is 1.2 million, of which 600,000 are citizens.
Please immediately stop exporting CS gas and other chemical agents to Bahrain, so no more peaceful protesters are killed with your products. Other countries, including the United States, have already stopped exporting tear gas to Bahrain. Companies that continue to export these products will be held liable under International Law on the grounds of contributing to the intentional abuse and misuse of chemical agents by the Bahrain security forces. You have a responsibility to prevent exports where tear gas is being misused.
Already, the issue of tear gas exports to Bahrain is being widely covered in the international media, including in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/world/middleeast/rights-group-warns-against-tear-gas-abuse-by-bahrain.html) and the Financial Times (http://ft.com/cms/s/0/67a619e2-397d-11e3-a3a4-00144feab7de.html).  Members of Parliament in Europe are beginning to question relations with Korea, over the issue of their tear gas exports to Bahrain (http://www.marietjeschaake.eu/2013/10/mep-stop-the-export-of-teargas-to-bahrain/). The world is watching you.
Your family and friends are precious to you, and Bahrainis’ families and friends are precious to them. Stop killing Bahrainis’ lovely family and friends. Stop tear gas exports to Bahrain. Learn more at: http://bahrainwatch.org/arms/
Stories from victims
The campaign operates as a platform for victims of tear-gassing in Bahrain to share their stories. Two messages read:
I live in Sehla – Bahrain, Tear gas became a daily routine that we got used to, I would never dare open the window driving into town, knowing that i could suffocate and drive into a lamp post on the way, I am not sure what are the long term symptoms of exposure, but I am simply and honestly sick and tired of it all, my wife is pregnant and we bought gas masks and put them in our cars, as the few seconds between getting out of the car and into our place could have sever impact on our unborn baby. Give the people some rights, allow them to be part of the solution, accepting and admitting that we made mistakes, the Government & the Opposition is the first step to find a solution.
We Live in Bani Jamra, and we are exposed heavily and frequently to launch a toxic gas on the house, on the top and bottom roof of our house there is a large number of gas cans that have been launched on the house. Window of one of the rooms already broken by pack of tear gas, also one car in our house was damaged due the same reason. Especially in nights we are being more exposed to severe suffocate due to more shooting the tear gases . The children's are vulnerable to disease because of toxic gas . Next to the house there is a kitchen which has been subjected to partial combustion several times because of police firing tear gas. The combustion of this kitchen is a disaster for the home, as well as neighboring houses where this kitchen contains a large storage tank for cooking gas .
South Korean Deal
After the spread of the campaign, Amnesty Korea denounced the deal between the two countries. John Horne, a member of Bahrain Watch, published an op-ed in PolicyMic detailing the relations between both governments:
South Korea and Bahrain have been fostering closer ties since 2011, despite Bahrain’s internationally condemned human rights abuses. Four days after the start of the February uprising, a South Korean delegation visited Bahrain announcing plans to reopen their Embassy that had been closed since 1999. In May 2012, Bahrain’s crown prince led a delegation to South Korea. Several agreements were signed and the trip was reciprocated this August, when the South Korean prime minister travelled to Bahrain. More agreements were signed across multiple sectors, including the establishment of an “economic cooperation body” leading the South Korean Chargé d'Affaires to boast of $1 billion in trade between the two countries.
Cases and Victims
Bahraini activist Maryam Alkhawaja tweeted a link to a 2012 report by “Physicians for Human Rights” that is based on data and interviews with more than 100 Bahrainis who were victims of state-violence since the 2011 uprising:
@MARYAMALKHAWAJA:
Weaponizing Tear Gas: #Bahrain's Unprecedented Use of Toxic Chemical Agents Against Civilians http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/reports/weaponizing-tear-gas.html #StopTheShipment
An Irish supporter of the campaign Eliane Masons tweeted about cases of victims killed by tear gas in Bahrain:
@ElaineMasons: Qassim Habib. Aged 8. Exposure to Tear Gas/Village attacked Severely with Tear Gas. DIED 26 JAN 2013 #bahrain #StopTheShipment R.I.P.
Anonymous Twitter user @BMine1 published a list of 78 names of victims killed by tear gas:
@BMine1:
Martyrs of #Bahrain who died by toxic gases used bythe government as a collective punishment :
1- Martyr Isa Mohammed ,71 years,Almaamer
2- Martyr( aborted fetus ) Hawraa Mohammed Saeed,six months ,Sanabis
3-Martyr Khadija Al A.Hai, Sanabis
4- Martyr Zainab Ali Altajer , 70 years ,Sanabis
5- Martyr Mohammed A.Husain
Farhan ,6years ,Sitra
6- Martyr S.Adnan S.Ahmed Almosawi ,44years,Almarkh
7-Martyr Isa Altaweel ,50years,Sites
8- Mart9yr Zainab Hasan All Jumaa ,47years,Sitra
9- Martyr Hadeel S.Mohammed Ahmed ,(aborted fetus)9 months ,Saar
10-Martyr Jaafer Lutfallah ,72years,Abusaiba
11- Martyr S.Jawad S.Ahmed ,36years,Sites
12- Martyr Mohammed Hasaneen Ali ,(aported fetus),3weeks,Aldeer
13- Martyr Fatima Abbas Alsameea ,(aported fetus),Jidhafs
14-Martyr A.ali Ali Ahmed,58years,Almoqshaa
15-Martyr Fakhria Jasim Moh'd Alsakran,55years,
Jid Ali
16- Martyr Moh'd Khamis Alkunaizi ,25years,Almoqshaa
17- Martyr Yaseen Jasim Mohsin Alasfoor,11years,Almaameer
18-Martyr Salma Mohsin Abbas ,80years,Bar bar
19- Martyr Saeed Ali
Hasan Alsekri ,65years,Aali
20- Martyr A.Ali Abdul LA Mohammed ,58years,Maameer
21- Martyr Zahraa Ali Hasan ,68years,Alnoaim
22- Martyr Fatima Salman Albasri ,Alnabeeh Saleh Island
23- Martyr Ali Isa
Abdul LA Alhaiki,48years,Samaheej
24- Martyr Habeeb Khadim Almullah ,63years,South Sihla
25- Martyr Alabda Hussain Isa ,68years,South Sihla
26- Martyr Mansoor Salman Hasan ,86years,Sites
27- Martyr Sukaina Ali Ahmed Maroon ,78years,Abosaibaa
28- Martyr Yahya Yousif Ahmed,45days,Ras Roman
29- Martyr Sabri Mahfood Yousif,27years,Shahrakan
30- Martyr Jaafar Jasim Almowali,41years,Almoqshaa
31- Martyr Hussain Majed Hasan Majed,70years,Dimistan
32- Martyr Ahmed A.
Nabi A.rasool,31years,Shah rakan 33- Martyr Abdat Ali A.Husain Saleh ,59years,Aali
34- Martyr Khadeeja Moh'd Ali All Abbas ,49years,Almaameer
35- Martyr Yaser Mahdi All Karaani ,(spotted fetus)Karranh
36-Martyr Ali Yousif Baddah ,(aported fetus)Sites
37- Martyr Batool Moh'd Sadiq A.Jalil (aported fetus) Sanad
38- Martyr Hussain Hamza Sabeel ,( aported fetud ) 9 months ,Sites
39- Martyr Reda Hani Moh'd (aported fetus ),5momths Almaameer
40- Martyr S.Hasan S.Isa S.Hashim 1&a half years,Alnabeeh Saleh Island
41- Martyr Moh'd Baqer A.Hussain ,(aported fetus) Tubli lives in Buried
42- Martyr Marian Naser Moh'd,80years,Sad ad
43-Martyr Ali Yousif A.wahab (aported fetus) Sites
44- Martyr Moh'd Yousif A.wahab (aported fetus),Sites
45- Martyr Kawther Ali Hasan ,(aported fetus) Karzakan
46- Martyr Moh'd Jaw ad Farhan (aported fetus),Sitra
47- Mohsin Ateya Alnakal ,(aported fetus) 4 months,Sites
48- Martyr Zainab Ebrahim Fateel,(aported fetus),Sites
49- Martyr Mohsin jaafar Ashoor ,(aported fetus) ,Dar Kuleeb
50- Martyr Has an Abdulla Ali Ahmed,59years,Sites
51- Martyr Ali Hasan Isa Alganem ,(aported fetus),Aldeer
52-Martyr Mahdi Marhoon ,84years,Almaameer
53- Martyr Huda S.Neama S.Hasan ,11 months ,Abu Qua
54- Martyr Basel Mansoor Ali Alqatan ,44years,Alshakoora
55- Martyr Asia Hasan Almadeh ,42years,Jidhafs
56- Martyr Fadak Mosaimaa, days ,Aldaih
57- Martyr Zainab A.Hadi Alfardan (aported fetus),Karzakan
58- Martyr Habeeb Ebrahim Abdulla,88 years,Almalkia
59- Martyr S.Hussain S.Ahmed ,1 & a half months,Alsanabis
60- Martyr Sajida Faisal Jawad ,5days ,Bilad Alqadeem
61- Martyr Ameena S.Mahdi ,36years,Abosaibaa
62- Martyr Qasim A.Mahdi ,(aported fetus) 5months,Sites
63- Martyr Qasim Habeeb Jaafar,8years,Kababad
64-Martyr Ali Osama A.Nabi,(aported fetys)Aldeer ,
65- Martyr Moh'd Osama A.Nabi (aported fetus) ,Aldeer
66- Martyr Moh'd A.Hadi Ali ,(aported fetus),Aldaih
67- Martyr Hawraa Yousif Omran ,(aported fetus) 8 months ,Sites,Nowaidrat
68- Martyr Wadeeaa Moanes Abbas ,(aported fetus)9months,Addari
69- Martyr Mohsin Jaafar Nusaif ,(aported fetus) 8months ,Alkawara
70- Martyr Haidar Ali Moh'd Hubail ,(aported fetus ) 8 months , Aleker
71- Martyr Jaafar Jasim Altaweel ,35years,Sites
72- Martyr S.Omran S.Hameed ,23years ,Karzakan
73- Martyr Ebrahim Hasan Salman ,60years,Samaheej
74- Martyr Jood Hussain Matrook ,(aported fetus) 9months,Bilad Alqadeem
75- Martyr Saeed Abdulla Marzooq ,55years,Aldiraz
76- Martyr Ali Jaafar Habeeb,10 years,Almalkia
77- Martyr Rose Nisha Nikaroto,28years,Indian ,Rays Roman
78- Martyr Naseer ,26years,Indian ,Sanad
…& still going on …The government intends to enter into a deal to buy more than a million & a half shell & ninety thousand grenade of solvents tears
Collected Videos
Using the hashtag #StoptheShipment, many Twitter users posted videos documenting the everyday practice of teargassing in Bahrain. “Bahrain Watch” put a good post on Buzzfeed showing 27 different ways of teargassing used by Bahrain's riot police:
A way to control the crowd:
A substitute to bullets
A killing tool:
and a “home delivery”!

author: Mona Kareem


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The Guardian’s (Mis)guide To Japanese Sex Trends · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

“Aversion to marriage and intimacy in modern life is not unique to Japan,” said The Guardian. “Nor is growing preoccupation with digital technology. But what endless Japanese committees have failed to grasp when they stew over the country's procreation-shy youth is that, thanks to official shortsightedness, the decision to stay single often makes perfect sense.” (Image: 女子会 at kasahara, by Flickr user sakaki0214. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Why have young people in Japan stopped having sex? An article with that headline appeared in the UK's Guardian newspaper on October 20, 2013 and soon went viral, with over 70,000 Facebook shares. The article was quickly aggregated by TIME magazine, the Washington Post and Slate, in pieces bearing the alarmist titles Japan's Sexual Apathy Is Endangering the Global Economy, Japan's Hottest New Sex Trend is Not Having Sex and Young People in Japan Have Given Up on Sex.
The article begins with an anecdote about Ai Aoyama, a dominatrix turned sex counselor, and explores the allegedly widespread phenomenon of “celibacy syndrome” among Japan's young people. It leans heavily on quotes from Aoyama, evidently one of the author’s key informants, as well as interviews with young Japanese men and women and statistics gleaned from surveys and studies.
The article does highlight some genuine trends in Japan, such as the decline in the country's birthrate, and it was favourably received by users of the online bulletin board 2ch, who confirmed that they too, were not having sex.
But others, skeptical of the framing of the topic, the sweeping generalizations and the conclusions drawn, thought the article misrepresented and sensationalized the complexity of Japanese society.
This Guardian article is a version of a piece by the same author, Abigail Haworth, that appeared in the July 2013 online edition of the fashion magazine Marie Claire under the less sensational title “No Sex In the City”. Before it was mentioned on Al-Jazeera’s The Stream, the piece seems to have attracted little attention, with only 10 “shares” on Facebook.
In a series of tweets posted on October 24, Tomomi Yamaguchi, an anthropologist and feminist quoted in both the Marie Claire and Guardian articles, said that a journalist contacted her last spring requesting a telephone interview. They talked for 30 minutes. “I understood it as a story for Marie Claire,” said Yamaguchi, who explained that a fact-checker from the magazine followed up with her in June, and she was able to review the quotes to be used in the article.
“I thought that was it,” Yamaguchi said. On October 20, however, she began receiving emails from members of the press asking about an article in the Guardian. “At first I thought it was going to be a re-publication of the piece that appeared in Marie Claire. But after I read it I discovered my quote was not exactly what I said.”
In the days following its appearance online, the Guardian article was picked apart by Japanese and Japan-based Twitter users, who questioned the author’s interpretation of the data, her understanding of Japanese society and her grasp of its cultural norms.
Brian Ashcraft, the Osaka-based editor of the gaming and entertainment blog Kotaku.com, wrote a post dismantling some of the article’s arguments.
“Some of the data is surprising! Some of it is totally misinterpreted or misconstrued,” Ashcraft said. “[The article] claims that “another study found that a third of people under 30 had never dated at all.” So…two-thirds have, then? Last I checked, “dating” and “having one-night stands” or simply “having sex” were different. And according to that same study, one in ten couples got married after getting pregnant. But I thought young Japanese people weren't having sex?”
“@guardian #fail,” tweeted “American, Japanese” @eidoinoue. He pointed out that a study cited in the article as reporting that “an astonishing” 90% of young Japanese women believed that “staying single” was preferable, actually reports that nearly 90% of the women respondents said they planned on getting married. “Call me a snob,” he said to another Twitter user, “but I think people that report on Japan should understand Japanese language and use pure untranslated sources.”
@eidoinoue disputed the existence of the “old Japanese saying” quoted in the article (“Marriage is a woman’s grave”), and criticised numerous other aspects of the piece, including the author’s heavy reliance on the testimony of “sex counsellor” Ai Aoyama.
@hunyoki felt the author was mixing matters: “‘marriage’, ‘sex’, and ‘decline in birth rate’ are correlated, yet these are completely different issues to be addressed separately.”
This sentiment was echoed by Tomomi Yamaguchi, who tweeted that the Guardian “seems to be confused which issue they intended to cover: lack of sex, or marriage, or decline in birthrate.” Another concern of Yamaguchi’s was that the author likely focused on urban areas, failing to address “the problem in the countryside where the decrease in number of children has quite a serious impact.”
@Ucaty suggested that social desirability bias might have come into play: “I think Japanese people state less than the actual amount they study or their level of interest in sex. Just like when we used to say to our classmate right before the exam, “I didn't study at all last night”.”
“Come on British papers, can't you write a piece without using words like “sex” and “drugs”?” tweeted a cheeky @mogura, referring both the British media’s famous prurience and this apparent use of the lowest form of link bait.
Queer theory researcher Akiko Shimizu, however, thought the furore about the article may have been an overreaction:  “…this rebuttal—”Yes, they are having sex”—is necessary in order to set the record straight. But it’s starting to look like a straight-up defense of sex itself. Does sex really need defending in the first place?”
Keiko Tanaka is a Japanese civic media enthusiast interested in digital engagement, radio and youth culture.

author: Keiko Tanaka


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GV Face: Everything You Need to Know About #SudanRevolts · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

Dozens of Sudanese activists are currently on hunger strike across the world to protest human rights violations in Sudan. Under the banner #Strike4Sudan, striking activists have been protesting in front of the White House in Washington DC since October 20. Last month the Sudanese government responded to peaceful mass protests with guns and tear gas. More than 200 protesters were killed and over 2000 arrested, some were even tortured.
Graphic images of injured and murdered protesters spread widely through social media, telling the story of a Sudanese revolution that has been in the making since 2009. At the heart of the revolt is a nonviolent grassroots movement called Girifna, which means “We are fed up. “
This week our MENA editor Amira AlHussaini and Deputy Editor Sahar Habib Ghazi talk about #SudanRevolts with our Sudan author Usamah M, and Magdi ElGizouli, the man behind the influential blog Still Sudan, we will ask him why some are calling the ongoing protests the next Arab Spring.
Visit theGV Face: #SudanRevolts event pagefor more information.
Female activists protest the detainment of a writer named Rania. Posted on Twitter by @Girifna

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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Hong Kong: Rainbow Color on a Landmark Building · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

HSBC building, a financial landmark in the center of Hong Kong changed its lighting scheme to rainbow colors to publicly show support for their LGBT workers. Story via Hong Wrong

author: Oiwan Lam


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How Women Can Stay Safe In India · Global Voices
Rezwan

The crimes against women are on the rise in India. Writer and blogger Shilpa Garg provides some tips on how women can stay alert and safe.

author: Rezwan


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Madagascar On Tenterhooks As Election Proceeds · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

It is finally election day in Madagascar. The elections have been postponed three times this year alone, since the 2009 coup catapulted the country to international pariah status. The BBC has a comprehensive summary of the events of the last four years leading to this less than perfect electoral situation:
The polls will be run by the Independent National Electoral Commission of the Transition (Cenit) – an independent electoral body funded by the United Nations.
No firm date has been set to announce the results but if no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes cast, a second round will be held on 20 December, along with the parliamentary elections.
Cenit says there are 7,697,382 registered voters and 20,115 polling stations in Madagascar, a country the size of France with a scattered population.
Since this morning, voters have been lining up to cast their ballots and choose the future President from among an unprecedented 33 candidates.
Citoyenne Malgache is among those who were eager to vote.
Donc dès 6h30, j’étais présente sur les lieux de vote. Il y avait déjà du monde, et c’était calme. Des responsables m’ont gentiment orienté vers le bureau où je pouvais vérifier si mon nom figurait sur la liste. Des centaines de cartes y attendaient que leur propriétaire vienne les réclamer. Une responsable parcourt le listing des 4 bureaux de vote pour chercher mon nom.  Elle me demande si je veux faire le miala nenina et appelle un autre responsable qui reconsulte consciencieusement les 4 listes avant de me demander si j’avais reçu la carte bleue. Une dame au regard inquisiteur me pose la question : Avez-vous voté lors du referendum ? La réponse est non.
Bref, on me dit de venir m’inscrire au bureau du Fokontany dès lundi pour pouvoir voter au 2ème tour. Mais il n’est pas encore sûr que j’aurai encore envie de voter à ce moment là.
Allons-enfants de la patrie, le jour de vote est arrivé. Mais ce n’est pas encore aujourd’hui que j’aurai le droit de m’exprimer. Pour moi, aujourd’hui n’aura été qu’un bâillon de plus. Et aussi un pont de plus que je vais pour une fois apprécier.
At 6:30 am, I was at the voting area. There were already people there, and things were calm. Those in charge politely directed me to the office where I was able to verify if my name was on the electoral list. Hundreds of voting cards were waiting for their owners to claim them. The lady in charge reads through the listing for four polling stations, looking for my name. She asks me if I want to make a last hope request and calls another person, who consciously reads the four lists again, before asking me if I had received the blue card. A lady looks at me questioningly and asks whether I invoted during the referendum. The answer is no.
Finally, they tell me I can come and register at the Fokontany office from Monday onwards, so I'd be able to vote in the run-off elections. But I'm not sure that I will want to vote at that time.
Allons-enfants de la patrie, voting day has arrived! But today isn't yet the day that I'll have the right to exercise that right. For me, today will be will be nothing more than yet another gag. And also one more bridge that I shall for once be able appreciate.
On the ground, voters tweet about irregularities.
Urgent: d'après le candidat Rajemison sur sa page fb officielle, distribution d'argent à ambohibao pour appeler à voter Hery n'3 #mdg2013
— Randria_09 (@Randria_09) October 25, 2013
Urgent: According to the candidate, Rajemison, on his official Facebook page, in Ambohibao they're paying voters to vote for Hery, #3 candidate.
Photos? RT @Zahavato: A Mahanoro Candidat No 3 (Hery) continue la campagne: affichage de poster. Source:Observateurs Mahitsy Fijery #mdg2013
— Emilie Filou (@EmilieFilou) October 25, 2013
Pictures? RT @Zahavato: In Mahanoro, candidate #3 (Hery) has been continuing to campaign: putting up posters. Source : Mahitsy Fijery Observers
Tahina tweets a picture of the single ballot:
The single ballot paper. Smaller than I thought #madagascar #mdg2013 http://t.co/UO4eosPXqa
— Tahina (@r1lita) October 25, 2013
On the HuffingtonPost, Jason Pack, a researcher of African History at Cambridge University and President of Libya-Analysis.com, is skeptical about the outcome.
Malagasies will supposedly choose who will lead them through these turbulent times. Because that choice is likely to be little more than an electoral farce, the international community will also have to make a choice. Will they turn a blind eye to electoral manipulation and rampant “irregularities” while congratulating themselves in diplomatic circles for steering Madagascar back to democracy? Or will they send a message that governments that come to power by breaking the key rules of democracy do not get rewarded with aid and diplomatic recognition?
Unfortunately, it seems most likely that the reality in Madagascar will once more be obscured by a cartoon caricature.
Finally, in a humorous tweet, Faly Kizitina (“The happy grumbler”), wonders how hard the SADC election observers are really working (there are 300 SADC observers deployed in Madagascar).
One of #SADC election observer hardly working at one of the most important election office #mdg2013 #LOL pic.twitter.com/5nzMUkQerN
— Faly Kizitina (@kizitina) October 25, 2013


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Portugal Says “Thank You Troika”, Really? · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

“There are no dead ends – Screw Troika!” Poster of the national demonstration called for October 26. At the time of publishing of this post, 5,866 people had said on Facebook that they were going to the protest in Lisbon; 14 cities have organized events.
Subverting the discourse of austerity, a protest was held in Lisbon earlier this week to “thank” the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission for the ongoing measures to tackle the economic crisis in Portugal.
The protest took place on October 21, 2013, and gained the attention of mainstream media though journalists were surprised to find out that protesters were just being ironic:
De forma a: 1. mostrar, usando uma linguagem clara e sem subterfúgios o que realmente a troika e o governo querem, 2. tornar clarinho como água o que já sabiamos, que só 2% dos portugueses acredita que a austeridade está a funcionar; e 3. divulgar a manifestação de dia 26 de Outubro, o grupo Que se Lixe a troika, organizou este protesto recorrendo à ironia e ao humor.
Aiming at 1. showing, through a clear and direct language, what troika and the government really want; 2. making something we already knew crystal clear: that only 2% of the Portuguese believe austerity is working; and 3. spreading the word out about the protest called for October 26, the group Que se lixe a Troika (Screw Troika) organized this protest resorting to irony and humour.
In a video from October 21's action you can hear messages of “support” such as “485 euros a month?? Isn't that a bit too much? 150 or 200 would be just fine!” or:
We came here to thank Troika, to thank austerity, I believe we must get poorer, because not everyone can have rights, isn't it?
Check out the caption of the poster above for more information about the national protest called for October 26.


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Tipaimukh Dam -A Threat To Nature And Native Culture · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Tipaimukh Dam in the Indian state of Manipur, has been planned for flood control and hydroelectric power production. However, In Search For Greener Partures blog reports that this dam will lead to severe changes in climate condition, affecting the livelihoods of over 20 million people in the lower riparian areas including neighboring Bangladesh and leading to temperature changes.


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VIDEO: “Myths and Murals” of East Timor · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

East Timorese and Australian artists have come together to reflect and create around Myths and Murals, “promoting a common sense of national identity through art and story and collaborative strategies for engagement”.
The cross-cultural public art and literacy project, between artists from Melbourne and the East Timorese free art school Arte Moris, takes on the well-known legend of the creation of East Timor, The Boy and the Crocodile, to create a series of murals throughout the territory, as the synopsis of the project explains:
13 murals will be painted in public locations in each of the 13 districts of East Timor. The murals will leave unique cultural heritage for cultural tourism and serve as a symbolic reminder of East Timor's shared identity and the spirit of collaboration. Using The Boy and the Crocodile in a workshop environment, artists from East Timor's free art school, Arte Moris, lead students through the visualisation of their region’s myths. Students and teachers then collaborate on painting these stories.


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Wearing Putin’s Insult as the Badge of Honor · Global Voices
Yulia Lukashina

Vladimir Putin meets with United Russia officials, 3 October 2013, Kremlin press service, public domain.
The Greenpeace activists locked up in Murmansk may be suffering the worst luck of anyone in the ongoing scandal surrounding Russia's offshore drilling in the Arctic, but they aren't the only ones hurting. Sergei Medvedev, a decorated professor at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, recently attracted the scorn of several Russian politicians (including Vladimir Putin), when he suggested in a discussion on Facebook that Russia should allow the international community to control the region.
At an October 3, 2013, public meeting with United Russia party officials, an attendee addressing Putin began explaining that “a certain Russian professor” had proposed that Russia relinquish its sovereignty over the Arctic. Before the man could finish, Putin whispered audibly [ru], “Moron!” The audience applauded Putin's remark. (Curiously, the official transcript [ru] on the Kremlin's website records Putin uttering the gentler phrase: “someone [must have been] joking.”) In a response on Facebook that he later deleted [ru], Sergei Medvedev declared, “I take a personal insult from Putin as a badge of honor.”
Whether or not Putin knew at the time that his insult was directed at Professor Medvedev is unclear, but his comment nonetheless fueled a new round of public discussion about the fate of the Russian Arctic, which Twitter users labeled using the hashtag “#придурокизвшэ” (#MoronFromHSE).
The Higher School of Economics, where Sergei Medvedev works, is known as one of Russia's most liberal and independent institutions, and is held in high regard by Western scholars. Medvedev's work as a professor is closely related to his bold ideas about the Arctic. Indeed, his recent academic publications include work on “knowledge and education as global public goods,” the tension between sovereignty and interdependency, and “security as a global public good.” He also hosts an educational program on the television network “Kultura,” and comments regularly in the Russian press. On Facebook, he has nearly 2,000 followers.
Andrey Gorbunov, one of Medvedev's followers, heckled [ru] him with the following comment:
То, что тебя Путин назвал придурком, это не оскорбление, это твоя суть….
That Putin called you a moron is not an insult, it’s just what you are…
Another Facebook user, Sergey Demidov, implied [ru] that Medvedev should have realized the risks of such political commentary:
сук на котором сидят, даже дурак сомневается рубить… АРКТИКА – это в первую очередь ПОЛИТИКА […].
even a fool knows not to bite the hand that feeds him… The ARCTIC is first and foremost POLITICS […].
Katya Bychkova, whose Facebook profile indicates that she is an alumna of the Higher School of Economics, offered [ru] words of support for what may have been her former teacher:
Сергей, если после всего этого придется уйти из вышки, это будет полный для нее провал.
Sergei, if you have to leave Vyshka [HSE's nickname] after all this, it will be the university's great failure.
Sergei Medvedev, explains his Arctic comments to Russia's Public Chamber, 5 October 2013, YouTube screenshot.
Writing on LiveJournal, popular Russian blogger Andrei Malgin mocked Putin's claim that the Arctic is “an integral part of the Russian Federation.” (While Putin's comments may sound like a territorial claim on the entirety of the area, they mask an ongoing, unsettled international debate about the exact outer limits of Russia's continental shelf.) Malgin, showing little patience for the subtleties of the Arctic dispute, posted a map of the Arctic Circle that emphasized the region's overlap with Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the United States. He attached [ru] the following snarky request:
“Расскажите кто-нибудь Путину, что Арктика выглядит следующим образом:”
“Someone please tell Putin that the Arctic actually looks like this.”
Is drilling in the Arctic—long an environmental issue and a flashpoint for debates about sovereignty—poised to change Russia's university culture? The strong reactions to Putin's insulting remark about Sergei Medvedev's idea were presumably motivated by concerns about academic freedom. Could Arctic oil be fueling a new patriotic campaign to muffle Russia's centers of independent analysis?

author: Yulia Lukashina


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What Has Nairobi Tech Hub Achieved? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Erik Hersmann explains what iHub, a technology hub in Nairobi, has achieved in its three and a half years of existence:
[T]he iHub started in March 2010, so it’s been about 3.5 years and a lot has happened here in the intervening years. Many people ask me, “so, what has the iHub done?” The best way I could think of to answer that is to just list as much as I could think of, so here’s a rather exhaustive list, though I’m sure that I’m missing some things.
Before I get into that though, maybe a framing on why tech hubs exist is important. They’re not just there for startups, in fact our thoughts on incubation and products going back to 2010 was just pre-incubation and connecting to other businesses and investors. Places like the iHub exist to connect this community together, while we get involved in other gaps that exist in the market (UX, incubation, research, etc), these are just part of providing a place where serendipity happens for those who are involved across the network.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Race Against Time for Ill Former Samsung Workers in South Korea · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Mega-conglomerate Samsung faces multiple lawsuits in several countries for their notorious labor violations. But in the tech giant's home country of South Korea, where close family and business ties works in its favor, their former employees suffering from work-related illnesses have an uphill battle ahead against Samsung.
But luckily, there were some positive developments made this month.
Movie poster/still photo of “Another Family”, a crowd-sourced movie revealing truth of Samsung's leukemia victim, Fair Use Image
On October 18, a Seoul court ruled in favor of a Samsung labor worker who died from acute leukemia, confirming the disease was caused by the company's harsh and unsafe working conditions.
In early October, a crowd-sourced film titled “Another Family” (trailer here [ko]), which depicts workers who came down with leukemia and other rare diseases when they worked at Samsung factories, made international headlines.
At a National Assembly audit hearing on October 22, more revelations were made about Samsung's unapologetic attitudes towards victims, and several lawmakers cornered [ko] Samsung for forcing labor workers who had no idea what chemicals they had been handling “to provide evidence themselves of how they developed leukemia”. Samsung has apparently adopted a defensive stance in litigation – instead of actively disproving the theory that leukemia was caused by their working environment, they have focused on nullifying the victims’ claim for lack of evidence.
This has enraged net users as well:
무려 80명이 불치병으로 죽고 아파하는데 삼성은 끄덕없다. 백혈병 걸린 직원이 그걸 입증해야하나. 백혈병과 무관하다고 삼성이 입증해야지. 피해자가 혼자도 아니고 여럿인데. 분기에 수조원을 이익으로 내는 또 하나의 가족이 저런 기업인걸.
— 역사를 사랑하는 영어쌤. (@ela3599) October 18, 2013
More than 80 people have suffered and died from terminal diseases, but Samsung is not budging an inch. Seriously, do the victims have to find evidence themselves why they got leukemia? It should be Samsung who should provide evidence that the leukemia is not work-related. There is not one, but many victims. This is the company that makes trillions of profits in their business quarter and calls itself ‘Another Family’ [in its advertising slogan]
‘삼성반도체 백혈병’ 또 산재 인정..다른 재판에 영향? 29살의 젊은 나이에 백혈병으로 숨진 김경미 씨 – 삼성이 국민기업으로 거듭 나려면 판결 이전에 스스로 산재를 인정하고 작업 환경을 개선시켜야 http://t.co/pvYjv1aDzz — 불꽃, 정중규 (@bulkoturi) October 19, 2013
The Court ruled that the leukemia at a Samsung semiconductor factory was an ‘industrial accident’ [confirming Samsung is to be blamed for the accident]. Will it affect other lawsuits as well? If Samsung really want to become a true “national” company representing Korea, they should acknowledge their industrial accidents and should work on improving their work environments.
이번주에 삼성이 버린 또하나의 가족을 다 읽었는데 눈물이 흐르지 안을수가없다… 심지어 내 친구가 관심을 보였는지 빌려주라해서 빌려줬는데 이게 사실이내고 묻는다 아무리 큰 대기업이라도 진실을 밝혀야한다. 산재가 인정됬다는 소식을 보자 다행이라는..
— By.Presso (@bypresso) October 18, 2013
This week I read the book, “Another Family Discarded by Samsung”, and I could not stop crying. Since my friend showed interest to it, I lent it to them and they asked me whether this is all true… Samsung is a mega-conglomerate, but we still need to find out the truth. Right after I heard about the court ruling confirming it as an industrial accident, I felt so relieved.
Time is running short for victims – currently, nine lawsuits are pending [ko], and out of 15 victims who filed lawsuits, six have already died. The total number of former Samsung employees who reported leukemia and serious diseases reaches over 200 [ko] (80 have passed away), and even after their illnesses were proven to be work-related, they have to endure [ko] long bureaucratic process and minor legal issues ahead.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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A Muslim Schoolgirl and the Volgograd Suicide Bombing · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Russian special forces training in the North Caucasus. Screenshot from Youtube video published by hardingush.
RuNet Echo rarely translates entire blog posts, but in this case we are making an exception. In the wake of the Volgograd bus bombing [Global Voices report], when a female suicide bomber killed 6 people and injured dozens more, a Muslim girl wrote a letter to the anonymous blogger hardingush [Global Voices report], a Russian special forces soldier operating with an anti-terrorist team in the North Caucasus who blogs about his experiences. In this letter the girl addressed some of the concerns, fears, and hopes that many Russian Muslims are faced with today. hardingush published [ru] the letter, eliding the girl's personal information, and correcting her spelling, because, as he said “it contains important information that gives hope for the future…” We also think that it's important. Here is the letter in its entirety:
Салам тебе, Хардингуш!
Я читаю все, что ты пишешь. Почти с самого начала, как ты начал вести блог. Спасибо за то, что ты показываешь людям другой Кавказ. Настоящий. Мне очень нравится как ты пишешь. Я живу в Волгограде. Наша семья приехала сюда из ______. Учусь в ______ классе _______ школы. В Волгограде я живу уже больше 6 лет. Я, конечно, мусульманка. Никогда у меня здесь не было проблем из-за моей религии или национальности. Но когда произошел терракт, родители запретили мне ходить в школу. Они боялись, что меня могут обидеть. Многие девушки, мусульманки тоже не пошли в школы и институт, потому что тоже боялись, что вся вина будет возложена на нас. Мы переписывались с ними в интернете и все друг другу советовали вообще никуда не выходить.
Позвонила учительница, она тоже волновалась за меня. Я ей сказала, что пока не буду ходить на уроки. Она отнеслась к этому с пониманием. Мне звонили одноклассники, тоже волновались за меня. Я тоже ответила, что пока не могу ходить в школу. На следующее утро ко мне в дверь позвонили одноклассники. Они сказали мне, собирайся, мы будем сопровождать тебя в школу и  домой столько времени, сколько понадобится и никому не позволим обидеть. Все они – русские мальчишки и девочки. Даже мама моя заплакала, когда услышала.
Просто хотела с тобой поделится. Ты недавно писал про народ и про то, что все равнодушны к другу другу. Это не так. Меня провожают в школу и из школы мои русские братья и сестры – я так их называю теперь, потому что не могу называть просто одноклассниками. Мы, мусульмане, против террористов. И никогда их не поддерживали. Не публикуй мое письмо, потому что мне плохо дается русский язык и я допускаю много ошибок. Но, если будешь писать в блоге, исправь, пожалуйста, ошибки и не пиши мое имя и где я учусь. Я их только для тебя написала. Просто хотела рассказать тебе, что у нас не все так плохо.
Salaam, Hardingush!
I read everything that you write. Almost from the very start, when you started this blog. Thank you for showing people the other Caucasus. The real Caucasus. I really like how you write. I live in Volgograd. Our family moved here from ______. I am studying in the ______ grade, in the ______ school. I've lived in Volgograd for 6 years. I am, of course, a Muslim. I've never had any problems because of my religion or nationality. But, when the terrorist attack occurred, by parents forbade me to go to school. They were afraid someone might hurt me. Many Muslim girls also didn't go to school and university, because they were afraid that we would be blamed. We wrote to each other on the internet and advised each other not to leave home at all.
My teacher called me, she was also worried about me. I told her that for now I wouldn't come to school. She was very understanding about it. My classmates called me as well, they were also worried. I also told them that for now I can't come to school. The next morning my classmates rang our doorbell. They told me, get your stuff, we will escort you to school and back home as long as it takes, and we won't let anyone hurt you. They are all Russian boys and girls. Even my mom started crying when she heard this.
I just wanted to tell you this. Recently you wrote about the people, and about how no one cares about each other. This is not so. I am accompanied to school by my brothers and sisters – I call them that now, because I can't call them simply classmates. We, Muslims, are against terrorists. We have never supported them. Don't publish this letter, because I don't speak Russian very well and I make many mistakes. But, if you do, please correct my mistakes and don't write my name and where I go to school. I wrote them only for you. I just wanted to tell you that things aren't so bad.

author: Andrey Tselikov


text:
Grenada: Remembering the Revolution · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

This month marks thirty years since the end of the People's Revolutionary Government in Grenada.  An era came to a bloody end on October 19, 1983, when Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, along with union leaders and members of his Cabinet, were lined up against a wall and executed by an army unit loyal to the deputy leader of the governing New Jewel Movement, Bernard Coard, at Fort Rupert in St. George's.  Coard, who was later convicted of murder, has denied giving any orders to kill Bishop.
The two were not always at loggerheads.  Former schoolmates with a mutual interest in left wing politics, the revolution began with their group's overthrow of the Eric Gairy Government in 1979.  The Gairy regime had come to be seen as despotic and the revolution had great popular support, but power struggles ensued between the charismatic Bishop and Coard, who had proposed a power-sharing agreement between them.  When Bishop refused, the Coard faction placed him under house arrest, which led to street protests and violent clashes between Bishop supporters and the military, culminating with the mass executions.  Six days later, the United States (with the support of several Eastern Caribbean governments) launched Operation Urgent Fury.  U.S. troops invaded Grenada and put an end to the short lived military regime which had taken control of the island.
Looking back on the course of events, Invent the Future felt that the end of the revolution was a great tragedy which hindered progress in the Caribbean:
There are many stones still to be unturned in connection with the revolution’s collapse and the anti-popular coup that paved the way for US invasion, but it’s clear that the movement fell victim to the sectarianism, dogmatism and individualism that emerge with frustrating frequency on the left. Combined with the systematic campaign of destabilisation and psychological warfare waged by the US, these factors led to the destruction of one of the most promising political processes of the latter part of the 20th century.
The blog placed Bishop within the pantheon of other left-wing leaders in the Americas:
Maurice Bishop was a popular, creative and intelligent revolutionary, with an intuitive grasp of where the masses were at. The clear leader of the Grenadian Revolution of 1979 that overthrew the corrupt and pro-imperialist administration of Eric Gairy, Bishop was a brilliant communicator, and his mutual empathy with the masses of the people was one of the major driving forces of the revolution – not unlike the relationship between Fidel and the Cuban people, or Chávez and Venezuelan people.
Petchary recounted her recent trip to Grenada and the feelings of the locals about Maurice Bishop, the People's Revolutionary Government and the invasion:
During my recent visit to Grenada I did not visit Fort George (sic), where Bishop and his ministers were killed. But I sensed that there were very mixed feelings about the period among older Grenadians. One told me Grenadians were all glad when the United States invaded, just a few days after Bishop’s assassination, because the country was in chaos and there was no food to eat. Others regretted the tragic chain of events, and pointed to the achievements of the Bishop regime during the few years he was in power.
Painting of Maurice Bishop; photo by Paul Lowry.
Opinions about Bishop himself were especially mixed:
In particular, everyone credited Maurice Bishop with the construction of the international airport at Point Salines (now named after him), which was officially opened just a year after his death. It was a huge step forward for the island. The Cuban Government reportedly provided about half of the funding for the airport to be built, plus much of the labor and equipment. Someone else told me that the Cubans had done much for Grenada at the time of Bishop’s revolutionary government. Everyone seemed to have their opinion about the Bishop era and its aftermath, and every opinion was different.
Canadian writer N Oji Mzilikazi felt that for some, the American actions in Grenada are praised more than the revolution itself:
Apologists for America’s invasion of Grenada use the term ‘intervention’ rather than ‘invasion.’ Sadly, October 25, the date of the infamous invasion is a public holiday in Grenada — Thanksgiving, commemorating the anniversary of the 1983 Caribbean and American military ‘intervention’ in Grenada.
Logically, methinks October 19, is much more deserving of public holiday status, giving the economically downward slide Grenada has taken after the killing of Bishop and America’s ‘intervention.’
Mzilikazi also argued that despite the rhetoric, the United States has not actually done much for Grenada:
What has America done for Grenadians as compared to Cuba, when Maurice Bishop was alive? Did America invest in Grenada and raised (sic) its standards of living?
On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Ivan destroyed by conservative estimates, over seventy per cent of Grenada. Only when Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State surveyed the devastation one month later, did America truly made the effort to assist.
America’s economic neglect of nations inhabiting the Caribbean Basin forced them to look elsewhere for investments and aid — to predatory China and Taiwan.
Grenada got into bed with Taiwan, and then switched to China. The Export-Import Bank of Taiwan then sued the Grenada government in a New York court for US$21 million plus interest payments for its loans for several projects.
Groundation Grenada said the the gains from the Revolution should never be forgotten:
From the implementation of free health care to increases in real wages for workers to education being treated as an inalienable right, Grenadians were witnessing important and material changes. Other changes included the creation of a national social insurance plan to the entrenchment of women’s rights and the implementation of national training and education programs for teachers and the general public. Despite one’s political take on the Revolution, it’s extremely hard to deny the real and material benefits that were gained. Not only were these changes led by the leadership of the People’s Revolutionary Government but from farmers to students to teachers, Grenadians remained critical to the decision making process.
Groundation Grenada is currently soliciting thoughts about the revolution for a project they plan to unveil in March 2014, in honour of the 35th anniversary of the beginning of the revolution.

author: Matthew Hunte