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The Burkini Ban Is Only Skin Deep · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

This mosaic at the ancient Roman villa Romana del Casale (286–305 AD) in Sicily contains one of the earliest known illustrations of a bikini. PHOTO: Public domain
In the midst all the fuss over France’s now overturned ban on the wearing of “overtly religious clothing”, once again we are focusing on the wrong aspect of the story: the effect, not the cause. And I believe the “cause” goes beyond religion or culture. Nuances aside, it’s something that’s common across countries and cultures that has been going on for centuries.
The ban was amplified by the now infamous viral images of a police officer forcing a woman on a beach in Nice, France to remove part of her burkini. So once again, this time at gun point, women are told how not to provoke rejection, reducing our social role to what we wear, or don't.
What if, instead of trying to impose dress codes on women, we tried to raise boys and men who respect women regardless of our shape, color or clothing? What if all the energy expended on enforcing bans, or on discussing whether a veil is an acceptable sign of piety, or whether women’s cleavage is provocative, was instead used to prevent and punish sexual harassment on the streets?
What if instead of judging women as “modest”, “respectable” or “slut” on the basis of their clothes, we started judging character on the basis of actions and ideas expressed? What if we stopped being outraged at seeing women breastfeeding in public? What if Facebook were to stop putting black boxes over our breasts? What if we objected, instead, to the routine objectification of women in advertisements and fashion magazines?
via GIPHY
What if all of these state-sponsored efforts to show their “commitment” to women rights were put to good—and genuine—use in preventing domestic violence?
Maybe if the streets were safer for women to walk, they wouldn't feel the need—or be forced, in some cases—to cover up. Maybe if the streets were safer, women could make choices about their clothes by themselves and themselves alone, and no one would give a damn.
Maybe if there weren’t so much attention paid to symbols and items of clothing, we could start working on achieving genuine co-existence.
It's also sad and worrisome to see all sides using culture, tradition and, of course, religion as scapegoats, when the real issue has to do with the deeply ingrained desire of practically all societies to control women. The patriarchal notions of what is and isn’t acceptable are so embedded in our psyches that women get to the point where we actually believe—and even defend—the idea that we are truly exercising choice. But are we really?
Fortunately, I don't live in a country where I need to be worried a policeman will come after me and fine me either for looking insufficiently pious, or strip me down in the name of liberation. But I do still think twice about what I wear when using the public transportation, or walking in front of a construction site, because my chances of being harassed increase if I make certain kinds of choices. So I can empathize with the wish or intention to become somewhat invisible in order to avoid undesirable consequences. And although I am not Muslim—or religious at all—I fully support with my sisters in the veil.
This Facebook post by Demonio Blanco sums up the issue, calling it “purplewashing”:
Purplewashing es una expresión que refiere al uso del feminismo como excusa para actitudes intolerables, como la islamofobia.
Si te preocupa más que una deportista juegue con velo a que el resto lo hagan en bikinis minúsculos o a que los fotoperiodistas usen este tipo de encuadres, es muy posible que sea purplewashing.
Si odias el reguetón porque es machista pero no a Los Planetas, es posible que sea purplewashing.
Mujeres con velo, en bikini, que hacen punk o que perrean: somos todas hermanas y cada una se sacude el patriarcado como le da la gana.
Si realmente te preocupa mucho la opresión que sufrimos, echa un cable parando a tus colegas cuando nos tratan como a objetos en un bar o cuando hacen chistes de violaciones. No vale ver sólo la paja en el ojo ajeno.
— Vega Pérez-Chirinos Churruca.
Purplewashing is an expression that refers to the use of feminism as an excuse for intolerable attitudes like Islamophobia.
If you are more worried that a sportswoman plays with a veil than the rest playing in tiny bikinis, or that photo journalists use this type of frames [beach volleyball close up], it's very possible it's purplewashing.
If you hate reggeaton because it's male chauvinism, but not Los Planetas (Spanish indie band), it's most likely purplewashing.
Women in veils or in bikinis, who dance punk or twerking: we are all sisters and each of us shakes off patriarchy as each see fit.
If you are really worried about the oppresion we suffer, do something by stopping your colleagues when they treat us as objects in a bar or when they makes rape jokes.
It's not acceptable to only see the fault in the other.
— Vega Pérez-Chirinos Churruca.
So, what would we wear if there were no religious rules, if we didn't have to worry about the uncomfortable gaze of other, about violence or stigmas? What choices would we make if we weren't raised to be so self-conscious about our bodies and their side-effects?
By focusing on the burkini ban, and not on the systematic violations of women’s rights underlying the story of a bathing suit, are we really doing something meaningful?

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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The ‘Russian Quora’ Branches Out · Global Voices
Fabrice Deprez

TheQuestion on iOS.
The technological news outlet “Company Confidential” reported earlier this summer that the question-and-answer Russian website “TheQuestion” completed a second investment round, securing $500,000, and is opening new offices in Berlin and London. The site, which started in March 2015, allows Russian-speaking people all over the world to ask a wide array of questions, and experts in that field will crowdsource answers to those questions.
The website's mission—summed up a year ago in an interview with TheQuestion's co-creator, Tonia Samsonova—is to “spread the culture of asking questions.” Samsonova says this culture is sorely lacking in Russia, and bolstering the public's critical thinking, she argues, could go a long way to “undermining” the Kremlin's propaganda empire.
In another interview for the website Vc.ru, Samsonova stressed the importance of having experts answer the questions, though she has her own definition of the word “expert”:
Наша идея в том, что экспертиза — это не статус, который к вам навсегда прикреплен: получил диплом физика — стал экспертом по физике. Чтобы ответ был полезен, важно, чтобы человек умел хорошо объяснять сложные вещи. […] Мы решили построить такое сообщество, в котором на старте у школьника, любителя химии и профессора будут одинаковые шансы, а их «экспертность» будет определяться тем, какому количеству пользователей их ответ показался полезным.
Our idea is that expertise isn’t a status that’s attached to you forever. For example, if you get a diploma in physics, then you are an expert in physics. For an answer to be useful, it’s important to be able to explain complex things in an effective way. […] So we decided to create a community where a schoolchild, someone interested in chemistry, and a professor will all have the same initial chance, and their “expertise” will be determined by the number of answers [the community says] is useful.
The questions range from “Where can I watch lectures from Harvard, Oxford, and others with Russian subtitles?” to “What future do you see for Russia?” and “Confess, what’s your fetish?” Anyone registered with the website can offer up an answer, and an upvoting system (similar to what you find on Quora and Reddit) determines what is regarded as the “best” answers, which rise to the top and are featured first. Users can subscribe to their favorite “experts,” who can gain a higher “rating” by leaving more and more appealing answers. With this system, users can get in-depth answers to unexpected questions such as “How do I swear like a Hussar?”
In its “media kit,” TheQuestion says it had 80,000 registered users by February 2016, and more than a million unique visitors. The website has also begun appealing to businesses, offering “corporate accounts” that can pose and answer brand-based questions. This push into consumer markets is likely what has investors so interested: according to the RuNet industry website Roem.ru, Yandex CEO Arkady Volozh may be involved with the company, though Yandex’s press office has not confirmed this.
In many ways, TheQuestion functions as a Russian localized version of a service like “ASKfm,” which allows users to ask any kind of question publicly or anonymously. ASKfm, incidentally, is as popular in Russia among teenagers as it is in Germany or the United States. There are other copies floating around the RuNet, too. Otveti@mail.ru, for instance, is also an almost exact copy of “Yahoo Answers.”
But Russians have also used question-and-answer online services in more creative ways, in particular to relay information or ask for advice in local groups. On Vkontakte (the most popular social network in Russia), pretty much every single city and town has one or several dedicated groups—most often titled “Подслушано в…” (Overheard in…), followed by the name of the city. Locals use these communities to discuss recent events in the city, ask for advice, share warnings, post advertisements, or simply to tell anecdotes. During the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, for example, these Vkontakte communities became a popular way for residents to report troop movements and artillery fire.
Posting on Vkontakte generally requires contacting a community's administrators, who are then capable of posting a question on the main group board. This complicates anonymity, however, which adds to the appeal of ASKfm, where users can avoid sharing their identity entirely. Overhear.club has tried to solve this issue, creating an independent platform for a completely integrated and anonymous way of sending messages to local groups on Vkontakte (with no additional registration required).

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Fabrice Deprez


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There’s Finally a Programming Language in Bengali Script, Thanks to ‘Potaka’ · Global Voices
Zara Rahman

Screenshot of the editor of Potaka programming language
A group of Bangladeshi programmers have created a programming language written entirely in Bengali script. It’s called Potaka (Flag), and it’s aimed at encouraging children whose first language is Bengali to get interested in programming.
About 220 million people in the world actively use the Bengali (also known as Bangla) writing script, making it the sixth most used in the world. Potaka is the first stable programming language to utilize commands in Bengali and is available online for free. You do not need to download any software; just a web browser and an internet connection are required. In 2014, a similar attempt was made with the introduction of Chascript, which is not available now.
ikrum/potaka: First bangla programming language for kids ★64 https://t.co/p4pVoCUrsQ
— Github Trending (@TrendingGithub) August 21, 2016
Ikrum Hossain, a software engineer at Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor, teamed up with software engineers Osman Goni Nahid and Rakib Hasan Amio to develop Potaka. In an email interview with Global Voices, Hossain mentioned that he came up with the idea for Potaka based on problems he faced himself.
I started by writing programming tutorials on my blog, ApiKothon.com. It was for advanced students, so then I realised I need to do something for very beginners and specially for kids. If children become familiar with programming concepts at an early age, that might help grow the Bangla programming community.
He puts developing Potaka down to his own personal experiences. When he began learning how to program by himself, he was in his first semester as an undergraduate. He comes from a rural area, and for him and other students who didn’t have strong English-language skills, it was very difficult to learn from tutorials available online. Almost everything he came across was in English, and very few resources were available in Bengali.
In his mind, one of the biggest barriers for Bengali speakers to learning programming is exactly this: having so few resources available in their mother tongue, and a fear of diving into an already complicated new realm. By removing the prerequisite of having a high command of English, he hopes that Potaka can remove some of that fear and help children get a first taste of programming in Bengali.
To work out how to structure it and what features it should have, he did a lot of research work with people who didn’t know how to program. He showed them an existing programming language, C, and compared it with early versions of Potaka. As a result, he decided to keep the syntax of Potaka close to actual speech in Bengali to make it as easy as possible for newcomers to understand.
Potaka is also fairly unique in that it includes games and jokes to increase its accessibility to children, and hopefully also to pique their interest.
An examples of some coding, translated:
If (visitor is ‘Hero Alam’){
show (“Alam: I will kill in Bogura, the corpse will land in Magura”);
} else if (visitor is ‘Mithun’){
show (“Mithun: I will kill here, the corpse will land in the graveyard”);
}
One program, as shown in the screenshot above, includes the dialogue of a character called Hero Alom, who plays a character similar to well-known Indian actor, Mithun Chakraborty, who is popular in Bangladesh. Here, the lessons in learning the code are delivered in Hero Alom's speech style, which brings a kind of “street Bengali” to an otherwise formal setting. The aim with this kind of approach is to bring humour to the coding language and platform, and Hossain says it was very popular with the community.
Taking into account the low levels of internet access across Bangladesh, the next step for Potaka will be to release an offline desktop version soon, which can be used without being connected to the internet. Their dream is for rural students to also have the opportunity to learn about programming — but they’re conscious that this will require many more people to get involved.
Above all, Hossain says he won't be able to solve all the problems he’s seeking to address with Potaka on his own. Because of this, he’s trying to build a community around Potaka, and has made it open source from the beginning. Before the beta release, he and two other dedicated developers worked hard to bring it live — for him, it's important that they build community around it, and make the project sustainable after the initial hype. Currently, he says, he is dedicating one-third of his salary towards supporting Potaka, but this is not a sustainable solution.
At a time when both internet infrastructure and resources are heavily skewed towards those communicating in Latin script, the creation of Potaka is a welcome change. It joins relatively few other existing programming languages not written in the Latin script, such as قلب (Qalb) written in Arabic, and Dolittleドリトル doritoru in Japanese.
On social media, reactions have largely been positive.
Ariyan Hasan wrote on Facebook with a happy emoticon:
বাংলা ভাষায় হবে এখন প্রোগ্রামিং:D
Now programming will be done in Bengali :D
Dinajpur Math Club commented:
প্রোগ্রামিং ভাষা এমন সহজ হলে কি মজার হত, তাই না?
If all programming language were this easy, would it not be fun?
User MiTech wrote:
অনেক দিন থেকে আমাদের হৃদয়ের প্রত্যাশা ছিল এমন একটা কোডিং ল্যাংগুয়েজ যা হবে বাংলায়। আমাদের উচ্চ শিক্ষা, কম্পিউটার শিক্ষা সব কিছু কেন ইংরেজিতে শিখতে হবে? আমরা ভাষার জন্য প্রাণ দিতে পারি আর এই ভাষাকে অবিকৃত রাখতে নিজেদের শিক্ষার সব কিছু কি বাংলায় করতে পারি না? বিশেষ করে কম্পিউটার প্রোগ্রামিংটা যেন বাংলায় হয়ে এমনটা সব সময় চেয়েছি।
We have been looking forward to a coding language in Bengali for a long time. Why should our higher learning and computer learning be in a foreign language? Our people sacrificed for our language, and can't we learn in our native language to honour them? We always wanted to do programming language in Bengali.
Online, some people have also offered words of caution to the creators of Potaka. IT specialist, mentor and open source evangelist Munir Hasan congratulated Potaka and mentioned on his blog:
A friend of mine likes to say “there are two kinds of people in the world–the people that build the future, and the people who write posts on the internet about why they’ll fail”. Keep trying to be in former category.

author: Zara Rahman


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Unbothered by Tabloid Scandals, Jamaicans Stay Devoted to Superstar Sprinter Usain Bolt · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

Image: Charis Tsevis / Flickr / CC 3.0
The afterglow of the Rio Olympics is just beginning to wear off, as life gets back to normal and “back to school” preparations begin in Jamaica. Nevertheless, the country is still enjoying and discussing the exploits of its track athletes, and in particular their iconic sprinter Usain Bolt.
Throughout the second week of the games, Jamaican social media was filled with celebratory tweets and photographs, focusing in particular on the “GOAT” (Greatest Of All Time) Usain Bolt, who achieved the “Triple Triple.” Sports journalist Andre Lowe wrote:
Will we ever see a more dominant track and field athlete in the Olympic Games? Will we ever see another so capable of capturing the world's imagination?
There can be no doubt that Usain Bolt is the greatest track and field athlete this world has ever seen, and, last night, the world watched as he won his ninth Olympic gold medal to secure a third consecutive triple gold-medal performance at the Olympic Games.
It has never been done before.
His nine gold medals take him to the top of the list of Olympic track and field athletes, and he signs off an Olympic career unlike any before.
On the last day of the Olympics, Jamaicans showered 30th-birthday wishes on their hero. Bolt responded on Instagram, writing:
Thanks for all the birthday wishes my peeps. I am beyond blessed to share my 30th birthday with you all. #Blessed
Almost immediately afterwards, UK tabloids threatened to spoil the party by sharing  photographs and video of Bolt partying with girls at a nightclub and then alleged selfies (possibly photoshopped) of him in bed with another girl in Rio—all allegedly on his birthday night. While Jamaicans largely ignored the reports, many younger Jamaicans were particularly irritated about the focus on Bolt's private life. One wrote to the newspaper the Gleaner:
It is really disappointing that in 2016, an adult in full control of his faculties consensually kissing whomever he wants (and, perhaps, consensually engaging in intercourse with them) is a news item for more than 10 seconds. For some curious reason, we are obsessed with the sexuality and sexual activity of others instead of being invested in fixing the nation's problems. Priorities?
First, Omar McLeod's Olympic moment was soured by conversations and an unfortunate tweet from LASCO's Twitter account regarding his sexual orientation. Whether he is gay or straight is of no concern to anyone, and certainly not right after he won Jamaica's first gold medal in the men's 110m hurdles.
Now that the dust has mostly settled, persons are now turning up their noses at Olympic legend Usain Bolt for partying and womanising. This must be a joke.
I have never understood how people in a country with such a high rate of crime and violence can afford to be so judgmental and self-righteous regarding issues of sexuality.
This letter followed an earlier one expressing disapproval of Bolt's behaviour:
The circulation of pictures and videos of Usain Bolt with numerous women in somewhat compromising positions over the past few days is nothing short of disgraceful. As someone who is emulated by so many youth in Jamaica – and around the world – his recent behaviour depicts so much that is wrong with our society.
Role models carry a huge responsibility. Mr Bolt, despite all his money and fame, should be pulled aside and reminded of that fact.
It is sad that when persons criticise out of love, they are labelled as being ‘bad-mind’ or ‘haters’. The author of this letter does not fit either category, but I simply don't want Usain to become the ‘Emperor’ in the story flaunting his ‘new clothes’ where no one can criticise or guide him when he is veering so desperately off path.
Even former Prime Minister Bruce Golding, under whose watch Bolt received the Order of Jamaica in 2009, weighed in:
Bolt's management would clearly have dropped the ball, but he himself would have to take responsibility for his actions. Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call for him. I know he is smart and responsible enough to understand that he carries on his shoulders and in his persona the pride and adulation of millions of Jamaicans here and abroad, and I know him well enough to assert that he would never want to let them down. […] This can pass and I am counting on him to make it pass.
Veteran journalist Barbara Gloudon wrote on a wistful note in her weekly column:
Our hero was winning all the way up to last Sunday night. His supporters were witnessing “nuff respect” from Rio to the end of the world, because the real Big Man never ‘ramp’ when it came to striking gold. Now, our hero has found himself mixed up in a tacky scandal, distracting from his great triumph, which he earned so well, just as we expected.
There was our hero, gold to the core, descending from the heights of success to a sleazy game. The gossip magazines are abuzz and social media is afire. The latest news is that he is currently in London, where he is partying so tell with lotta damsels, en route to another marathon round.
Is my hero taking everybody for a ride, or are they messing with him? Maybe, but not everybody takes it for a joke. Nobody is expecting him to enter the priesthood, forgetting how to party and have a good-good time. But, do Bredda, nuh mek dem tek you mek poppyshow. They will do it! If Marcus Garvey was here, he would remind you how they work it.
One thing I would ask of my hero. At age 30, he is no longer a yute. Do, brethren, you mean nuff and plenty to us. We want to see you, our bright-bright star, for as long as you can shine. Protect yourself, brother. Rise up! All a we want nothing but the best for you. Yeah, man! All a we and you a cousin! So, shine for all a wi!
One entertainment blogger had some words of advice:
So Usain, guess what, you are different. You are not like the common man and the faster you realize that what you do is now everybody’s motivation , the quicker you will realize why this latest social media hype can be a cost in the long run that you will regret.
You are young and a wealthy man but don’t ever think that the hand that put you on a pedestal cannot break you down. How many times have we seen this happen to athletes like yourself? You are 30 years wiser. Use it. Enjoy yourself to the max, but do not give more than what you want them to see. Be careful of how you use that light that shines on you every second of the day.
With every thing comes a price and guess what buddy, being a legend has its price. If you are not prepared to pay it, then watch your legacy fade away…
Do not compromise your legacy Usain. If you keep searching for Adventure, it is ridiculously easy to find but weigh the cost Usain, as you will have to pay for the ride.. Do not get over exposed. Stay humble even when you are partying. You are not like any other man. Know that , accept that and live your life accordingly.
Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. John Wooden
Aside from Bolt's brush with scandal, the country is also debating how best to celebrate the runner's historic achievements. Columnist Reverend Devon Dick suggested a national holiday:
August 21, Usain Bolt's birthday, should be declared a national holiday. Bolt's unprecedented winning of the 100m, 200m and 4x100m races at three consecutive Olympics needs to be etched into the memory and psyche of every Jamaican. It speaks to our determination and resilience. It demonstrates that ‘we likkle, but we tallawah’. It reminds us that we are capable of being the best in the world. It encourages us to give of our best at all times. It shows the world that we are confident in our God-given abilities.
Professor of public relations and columnist Hume Johnson weighed some other options, appearing to lean towards granting Bolt Jamaica's National Hero status:
Usain Bolt is now most surely the greatest sprinter who has ever lived. Named among sporting greats such as Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, and Pele, the Guardian newspaper calls him “a colossally potent figure in sport's modern history”. For the rest of the world, Usain Bolt is an icon simply a legend.
How can Jamaica properly honour and truly celebrate the magnitude of the achievement of its latest global superstar?
Usain Bolt is undoubtedly one of the heroes of the modern era. He stands on the backs of others equally deserving of national hero status such as Bob Marley, Michael Manley, and Louise Bennett. Jamaican authorities must provide the nation with historical continuity by immortalising contemporary achievers of greatness. It must give young people modern heroes to learn from and model.
Modern heroes such as Usain Bolt (as well as Bob Marley) have transformed the Jamaican society, compelling a new national self-confidence, nudging us to see ourselves differently, greater.
One fan tweeted this suggestion:
We need to build him a statue at the National Stadium @TerriKarelle
— IG: CGsmart (@TheCGsmart) August 19, 2016
Where to build a Bolt monument isn't a simple matter, however. The residents of the sleepy rural district of Sherwood Content, where Bolt was born, want the statue built in their town..
Despite the controversies, the leading regional telecom Digicel quickly reasserted its faith in Usain Bolt by tweeting:
Today we're excited to announce that #LivingLegend @usainbolt has been appointed lifetime Digicel Brand Ambassador. pic.twitter.com/CTtnfsaUV7
— Digicel Jamaica (@DIGICELJamaica) August 25, 2016
Digicel has sponsored Bolt since 2004, when he was just out of high school.
Even British Prince Harry, who staged a “race” with Bolt during a past visit to the island nation, shared his congratulations on Bolt's feats in Rio:
Congratulations @usainbolt – now you're officially the greatest you might be ready for a re-run! 😉 Happy 30th -H. pic.twitter.com/Wa0yOZMDc2
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) August 21, 2016
All this praise aside, an even greater outpouring of public support is likely, when Bolt finally returns to Jamaica.

author: Emma Lewis


text:
Blue Skies, Fake Tourists and Maximum Security: China Prepares For a Flawless G20 Summit · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hangzhou 2016 G20 poster.
As government leaders around the world prepare to head for Hangzhou, China for the 11th G20 Summit, Hangzhou residents are being made to shutter their businesses, limit their time on main roads, and submit to full-body searches at security checkpoints throughout the city.
Set to take place on September 4 and 5, the summit will focus on the restructuring of global economic order and growth initiatives, including China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the “One Belt One Road” regional infrastructure development project. China sees hosting the summit as an opportunity to establish itself as a key player in the global political economy and to further demonstrate the strength of its developmental model.
This means that Hangzhou residents, whether they like it or not, must comply with government efforts to present theirs as the best and safest city in the world.
Security is of the utmost concern. City officials have issued high security standards for all businesses — small shops and restaurants that cannot meet these are being forced to shut down. Security check points have been set up in all public facilities including bus stations, cinemas, and subway stations.
Since early August, military trucks and armed patrols have become a common sight on city streets. Below are some photos shared by Twitter users.
杭州G20 pic.twitter.com/zKKr780Dsu
— WM Wong (@wai88707) August 18, 2016
So apparently police in Hangzhou even have sabers to vanquish dastardly brigands from G20 summit. Via @chuandaoren pic.twitter.com/zDIPwj7F6B
— Chris Buckley 储百亮 (@ChuBailiang) August 27, 2016
To manage the flow of traffic on the roads, trucks and tractors have been banned from roads and delivery services have been obstructed. The city also is mandating that only half of the cars in the city can be on the road at any given time, using an “odd-even” car license plate restriction, which means car with odd-numebred plates can only travel on odd days and vice versa.
While some residents’ activities are being limited by security procedures, others are being made to leave altogether. The city has announced special holidays during the summit and some government affiliated work units and corporates have given subsidies to their workers to travel out of the city on vacation. And to make sure that no protesters show up in Hangzhou, petitioners and activists from major cities have been put under police detention or house arrest.
How are these measures affecting the daily lives of local residents? Public complaints have been criticised or attacked by online civilisation volunteers and at least one netizen has been arrested for spreading rumours about the summit. But independent news website China Digital Times managed to capture some stories shared in smaller social circles.
The grievances expressed by netizens make Hangzhou sound like one gigantic high-security airport.
坐個地鐵還被叫去單獨檢查，感覺身體被淘空。居然是因為我某個部位大鼓，什麼鬼。
I had to go through an isolated body search in the subway station. It felt like my body was being searched inside out. I was pinpointed because a certain part of my body is too big. What the hell!
G20地鐵過安檢，丸子頭都要捏一下。
Security check at subway, they even squeezed my hair bun [to make sure nothing was hidden in the hair].
Liquids are also considered dangerous:
晚飯後我去超巿買了盒牛奶打算明天早上喝，結果我一出超巿門口那個保安就讓我喝一口，然後我上公交車，司 機也讓我喝一口，我下了公交車，走了一段路一段路碰到執勤警察又讓我喝一口，眼看就剩一口了，我努力藏住留到明天喝，回到小區門口，保安又讓我喝了最後一 口。我的早餐奶就這樣在我睡覺前全喝完了。
After dinner, I went to supermarket to buy a box of milk for breakfast tomorrow. Soon after I stepped out from the supermarket, the security guy asked me to drink a sip. Then I took the bus, and the driver asked me to drink a sip. After I got off and walked along the street, a police officer asked me to drink a sip. Since there was little left, I tried hard to keep it for tomorrow. But as I stepped into my residential district, the security guy asked me to drink the remaining bit of milk. My breakfast milk was gone before I went to bed.
你們知道什麼是G20嗎？剛才出去辦事情，買了一瓶礦泉水，坐高鐵的時候安檢人員讓我喝一口，沒想到第一口就嗆了一下，然後圍過來三個警察，吓死寶寶了。
Do you know what the G20 is? Just finished some business and bought a bottle of water. When I entered the high-speed rail, the security guy asked me to drink a sip. I choked and I was immediately surrounded by three police officers. I was scared to hell.
With delivery trucks prohibited from navigating local roads, online shopping has become impossible.
網上買美工刀不行，我去文具店，又具店居然也不能賣，我靠的。
[As delivery service has been suspended] We can’t buy a paper cutter online. So I went to stationary shop, they can’t sell it. WTF!
Daily necessities also have become inaccessible. A mother on WeChat checked with her friend to borrow milk powder for her baby:
想問下你上次跟我一起買的奶粉還有嗎？澳洲代購的那個。[…] G20, 奶粉之類的粉類液體類都不讓進杭州嗎？我家的喝完了，網上都買不到了，但我家小寶又只認那一牌子。能不能先借我一罐？之後兩倍還！感覺我家寶寶都瘦了。
Would like to ask if you have some milk powder left behind? The Australia brand. […] You know powders and liquid could not enter Hangzhou because of G20. We have used up all the milk powder and could not place an order online. My baby only drinks that particular brand. Can you lend me one can? I will pay you back two cans later. My baby has lost weight over the past few days.
To make sure that the guests would not be affected by the security measures and could enjoy the tranquility of the ancient city, officials have also taken measures to present an aesthetically appealing scene in Hangzhou.
Since April, factories in and nearby Hangzhou have been shut down in an effort to ensure that the skies will be blue during the Summit. The summit reportedly also has recruited more than a million “hospitality” volunteers. Twitter user @beidaijin shared a photos of G20 Summit welcoming rehearsal:
杭州街头。这是干什么的？ pic.twitter.com/LTCM7xsFWi
— 贝带劲 (@beidaijin) August 26, 2016
Text in the Tweet: This is Hangzhou’s street scene. What the hell they are doing?
Epoch Times reported that more than a thousand women and girls will wear traditional Chinese long dresses in the opening ceremony of the Summit.
While actual tourists are forbidden from entering major touristic areas, the city has arranged for fake tourists to wander around the West Lake to decorate the touristic site. Twitter user @Weilinlu2 shared his friend’s “tourist” mission during the G20 Summit:
本來準備打算峰會來廣州走一圈的，今天接開發區管委會通知，被徵調去西湖邊扮游客，明天就要去排練。我扮演的是一對從台灣來杭州看西湖的情侶。聽說扮我情侣的那女的是另外一個大電商公司的女富婆心裡好興奮不知道長得漂亮不。
I was planning to travel to Guangzhou during the summit. But today I received an instruction from the management committee of the developmental zone. I was recruited to perform as tourist in the West Lake area. A woman and I will be a pair of lovers from Taiwan. The woman playing my girlfriend is a rich one from a big electronic company, I wonder if she's pretty.
If all goes according to plan, Hangzhou will become a dream-like theme park during the summit and the realities of the city — good and bad — will remain hidden until their esteemed foreign visitors have departed.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Remembering Samad Behrangi, the Writer Who Inspired Countless Iranian Revolutionaries · Global Voices
Hamid Yazdan Panah

Samad Behrangi, born June 24, 1939, and died August 31, 1967. Photo: Alchetron Encyclopedia.
August 31 marks the 49th anniversary of the passing of the Iranian-Azeri author Samad Behrangi. Even now, almost half a century after his death, Behrangi’s words and ideas are cited by political prisoners and Iranian activists who continue to fight censorship, poverty, and injustice in their homeland. Though his life was short, Behrangi’s legacy still inspires writers today from all different backgrounds.
Behrangi was born in the northern city of Tabriz to an Azeri Turk family (one of the largest minority groups in Iran). Behrangi became a teacher at the age of 18, and begun his work teaching in the rural villages of Iranian Azerbaijan. The terrible conditions in these schools and the lack of resources for his students not only radicalized Behrangi, but also provided him with a source of passion going forward.
Behangri is perhaps best known for his short story, Mahi Siayeh Kochooloo, or The Little Black Fish, which follows the journey of a small fish from a small stream to the vast ocean. The story reads as a children's tale, but explores the intersection between coming of age, and the development of political and social consciousness. The protagonist of the story is faced with an ongoing desire to explore life outside of the simple stream, and find out if another life is actually possible. The Shah of Iran would later ban the story.
The original book cover for Little Black Fish published in 1967. The illustrations by Farshid Mesghali won several awards including the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1974. Image: Wikipedia.
Dissatisfied with the materials provided in the rural schools, Behrangi tried to make his own teaching materials, aiming to create something that better reflected the reality familiar to the rural children. The government of the Shah prohibited the publication of such materials. Throughout his life, Behrangi would face suspensions and threats as a teacher because of his political ideas.
Preferring to write in Azeri, Behrangi wrote critical essays about Iran’s education system, folk tales, short stories, and translated the works of Iranian poets and writers. Behrangi also attempted to collect and write down a series of Azeri folk tales and children's stories, but was again denied publishing rights in his native tongue.
Behrangi was a Marxist, a passionate instructor, a social critic, an imaginative writer, and above all a thinker who grappled with what was at hand. This included a decadent monarchy that espoused modernization but did little to alleviate the ills of Iran’s lower classes. This growing discontent began to spread among society's educated classes, including those young Iranians like Behrangi who embraced radical change.
One of his best-known books (and my own personal favorite) is Kachale Kaftarbaz, or “Baldy the Pigeon Keeper” (retold orally in the video below). The tale revolves around Kachal (Baldy) and his struggle against a tyrannical king. The protagonist, who is bald, poor, and aloof, does not pursue wealth or power. Kachal takes a courageous stand against the violent oppression of the king, while maintaining his simple and honest life. In a hilarious twist, he also uses his pigeons to drop goat droppings on the heads of the king’s soldiers—a humorous yet subtle homage to the legitimacy of armed struggle against dictatorship.
This story, like many of Behrangi’s tales, contains both humor and sombre examinations of society, including subtle commentary on inequality, land use, and women’s rights. His writing is also unique in that it maintains a classical folklore style, while subverting the escapism that is typical in that genre, and instead focuses on social justice as the moral of the story, even above personal happiness and security.
Behrangi’s writing style is reminiscent of Miguel de Cervantes, in his ability to meld absurd and fantastical elements with a subtle critique of society and the status quo. Like Cervantes, Behrangi used humor and irony in his seemingly harmless stories to present a subtle yet sharp critique of life under the Shah of Iran. Using words, Behrangi hoped to arm those who were most affected by poverty and inequality in Iran.
Behrangi stands out not only for his political thoughts and imaginative ideas, but for the distinct manner and style of his writing, which was made accessible for the masses. His ideas and vocabulary were presented in such a manner as to reflect common speech. His stories centered on the harsh reality of life in an unequal world. They were meant first and foremost to provide guidance and awareness to young children, and direction in overcoming the ills that they faced.
Behrangi sought to break with the standard narrative offered in children's books, and instead provide guidance as a means towards societal change:
It is no longer the time for limiting children's literature to the arid and authoritarian advice and instructions, such as ‘Wash your hands and feet and body’, ‘Obey Mum and Dad and the elders'… Shouldn't we tell the child that in your country there are boys and girls who have never seen a piece of meat on their plates? Shouldn't we tell the child that more than half of the world's population are hungry, and why they are hungry, and how hunger could be diminished?
What cemented Behrangi’s status among Iran’s mythical figures during the lead up to the 1979 revolution was his sudden and mysterious death. Reports indicate that Behrangi drowned in the Aras river on August 31, 1967. At the time, many believed his death was no accident, and a common theory holds that his murder was organized by the Shah’s secret police, the SAVAK. Others have stated that his drowning was simply an accident.
His unnatural death and his political ideals elevated his status to that of a martyr, joining other notable activists and thinkers who died under mysterious circumstances in the same era, including Ali Shariati, Gholamreza Takhti, and Forough Farrokhzad. His face would become a symbol of resistance to the regime and his writings would both incite and instruct a generation.
Iranian protesters hold a portrait of Samad Behrangi. Date unknown. Photo: Alchetron Encyclopedia.
Within a decade of his death, young Iranians would organize and spearhead a nationwide movement against the Shah in what became known as the most “popular revolution” in modern times. This included a strong leftist element, which took inspiration from Behrangi, among other prominent intellectuals and thinkers.
Behrangi’s words and message are as rich and powerful today as ever. On the anniversary of his death, we can once again ponder the lines he left us in the Little Black Fish:
I might face death any minute now! But I should try not to put myself in harms’ way as long as I can live. Of course it is not important if I die, because this is going to happen anyway. I know my purpose, my purpose is: How will my life or death impact the lives of others?

author: Hamid Yazdan Panah


text:
A Postcard from Slovakia’s Vietnamese Community · Global Voices
Loa

Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Photo from Facebook page of Loa
This edited article by Nam-An Đinh is from Loa, an independent news website and podcast that broadcasts stories about Vietnam. It is republished by Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.
Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is just a short one and a half hour bus ride from Vienna, Austria. It’s a small eastern European country with a population of five and a half million, where only one percent are foreign-born. The country itself is home to approximately 5,000 Vietnamese, with the majority residing in the country’s capital.
A short drive through Bratislava and one will arrive at a neighborhood that is home to many of the Vietnamese in the city. A restaurant here, called Hanoi Garden, is considered by many to be the best Vietnamese restaurant in Bratislava.
It is here we meet Nguyễn Kiên Trung. Trung came to Slovakia when he was 10. He and his mother are very involved in the Vietnamese community that hosts many events, and is quite active in keeping Vietnamese traditions alive. Trung explains:
They do have activities, I think on quite on a regular basis. So whenever it is a big holiday, like Tet, or Christmas maybe. I think that it’s good for the community. I know that the community also in Košice, in the east of the country, they do have events on regular basis as well.
Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Photo from Facebook page of Loa
Hanoi Garden is connected to a building that is significant to the Vietnamese community’s journey. Miroslava Hlinčíková is a social scientist and researcher at Slovak Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Ethnology. In her research on the Vietnamese community, she found that the history of the building and neighborhood, which is known as “Dimitrovka” in Bratislava, goes far back. Hlinčíková explains:
Dimitrovka is kind of [a] dormitory, where many Vietnamese families are living in rental housing. It’s a kind of district in Bratislava where the former chemical plant was during Communism, and many Vietnamese workers were coming there. But after the revolution, this chemical plant was shut down. But many Vietnamese stayed. And one of the Vietnamese entrepreneurs bought this dormitory housing. He re-furnished it, he renovated it, and now many families are staying in this district. There are storage rooms, there is a hairdresser, there is a travel agency. It’s kind of the center of the Vietnamese.
The country itself is relatively young. Slovakia used to be part of Czechoslovakia between 1948-1989. Communist Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet Bloc and it was during this time that exchange programs were established with communist Vietnam, Hlinčíková says.
Vietnamese were coming to Czechoslovakia approximately from 70s. There were intergovernmental agreements and there were some support for Vietnamese that were coming here. They were coming as students, mostly to the universities, but also to secondary education, and as workers to factories.
The community that flourished is comprised mainly of migrant workers and students, those seeking opportunities not found in Vietnam. Trung’s parents came to Slovakia when it was still part of Czechoslovakia, their journey not so different from others. Trung said that
Most of the people here are economic migrants, or ex-students or ex-workers on exchange. My family came here, and then they help other family members from Vietnam to come here. It’s a better life here than in Vietnam.
Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. Photo from the Facebook page of Loa
The peaceful Velvet Revolution in 1989 saw the dissolution of Czechoslovakia as a communist state, forming modern-day Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The Vietnamese migrants that came to Eastern Europe during the exchange programs between two communist states had already settled and were now helping others to migrate. Hlinčíková calls this a kind of “network migration”.
Familial bonds brought Vietnamese migrants to Slovakia, yet it is the close ties to their home country that unites the community. Trung says the community have mobilized on issues such as China’s claim over the Spratly and Paracels Islands and humanitarian crises.
Two years ago when Chinese took the islands there was a protest here. That was probably the biggest political event in the whole history of Vietnamese community here. It was a big thing. It was initiated by Vietnamese embassies all around the world, for communities to go protest the Chinese Embassy. We still do have that bond with the home country. Every year we send money for victims of the flood. Every year we collect money. Everybody gives something.
Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. Photo from the Facebook page of Loa
Despite the unity within the Vietnamese community, there are still challenges. Representation in Slovak society is limited, and acceptance by the native population is a big issue.
And though many Vietnamese work in Slovak factories or run its businesses, they struggle to achieve recognition from the Slovak state–that is, legal and social recognition, as well as political representation. Hlinčíková says the Vietnamese identity is visible, yet invisible.
As many European countries are straining to deal with the rising tide of migrants and refugees from the Middle East and North Africa, Slovakia is struggling with the needs of its small immigrant population.
Even in Bratislava where the majority of Vietnamese reside, many live under the radar.
Even though in these neighborhoods, more Vietnamese are living, they are mostly not recognized by the municipality. They are not really asking them, what are your needs, and what could we do for you. Slovakia is not really multicultural in this sense. It is not really recognizing the needs of minorities, of migrants.
A Vietnamese shop in Bratislava. Photo from the Facebook page of Loa
Still, there is hope for the future. As the community becomes more organized, the push for more formal recognition also grows.
There are already three main official NGOs that are run by Vietnamese. There is the Slovak Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, there is the Vietnamese Community in Slovakia, and there is the Union of Vietnamese Women. They already applied for some grants. Last year the Union of Vietnamese Women went through the process of participatory budgeting in Bratislava and was successful and got the money for a teaching course of Vietnamese and Slovak languages.
Nearly 50 years after the first arrival of Vietnamese migrants to Eastern Europe, acceptance and recognition is still intangible. Yet for the thousands of Vietnamese that have settled in Slovakia, this is their home. In a land not used to outsiders, they have carved out a new existence united in a love of their homeland, slowly working to render their invisible community visible.
Listen more about the stories of the Viets in Slovakia:

author: Loa


text:
Lebanon’s Many Environmental Issues Are Back in the Spotlight With Greenpeace Visit · Global Voices
Christophe Maroun

The ‘Rainbow Warrior III’ in Beirut, Lebanon. August 27, 2016. Photo by Christophe Maroun.
Greenpeace‘s ‘Rainbow Warrior III’ docked in the Port of Beirut on August 26, 2016, for the first stop of the international environmental NGO's tour advocating the use of solar energy in Mediterranean countries.
The ship supports Greenpeace's campaigns in defense of the environment, including spotting illegal fishing activities, and its solar energy mission was particularly important in Lebanon, a country which has seen its fair share of environmental catastrophes in the recent past.
Lebanon has faced an energy crisis since the end of the civil war in 1990. To this day, Lebanon is plagued with daily power outages that can last up to 18 hours depending on the region, forcing most Lebanese to make use of private diesel-powered generators. Successive governments have so far been unable to bridge the gap between the 1,800 MW produced and the 3,000 MW consumed at peak times, with current power plants obsolete, polluting and in dire need of refurbishing. “The latest power plants in Lebanon were built in 1996 in Deir Ammar and Zahrani, each with a 450 MW capacity”, far below the energy requirements, the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star reported.
As one former senior official of the state-owned Electricite du Liban told The Daily Star:
If we don’t build more power plants then we will continue to live under harsh cuts every day. The solution is not in our hands but in the hands of the government.
Furthermore, the prospect of offshore oil and gas drilling — currently being discussed as a potential solution to the country's current energy crisis — sheds light on another issue. Although enticing, oil and gas extraction cannot, by definition, provide a sustainable solution on any level. And with Lebanon's notorious levels of corruption, these energy resources may well end-up being a curse for local communities.
In the words of Peter Willcox, captain of the Rainbow Warrior III:
It is time for people here to embrace what shines in the sky 300 days a year, not what’s tapped from the ground. It is not just about building a sustainable renewable energy future for the region, it’s about tipping the balance away from fossil fuels for the health of the planet while self-empowering local communities.
Of course, the Rainbow Warrior III could not but remind the country as well of its ongoing year-old waste management crisis, largely credited for launching the ‘You Stink’ movement in the summer of 2015, which saw tens of thousands marching in the streets against the government. The crew of the ship sorts their waste, placing every different waste category in its proper bin, and the idea is to recycle it in the country where it is docked.
Notably, Greenpeace opted against recycling any of the waste it produced while in Beirut, instead deciding to keep the waste on board and recycle it at the boat’s next destination, Turkey. The Lebanese government has so far been incapable of finding a sustainable solution to this issue as well, with even temporary propositions — landfills in the Bourj Hammoud and Costa Brava areas — facing obstacles in implementation by locals, while civil society’s proposed integrated waste management plans were shunned and put aside.
With waste back on the streets in the past few days and the political deadlock currently on hand, Lebanon seems to be nowhere near a solution for the crisis.
Greenpeace is also supporting a women-run “cooperative for agricultural production and manufacturing” located in southern Lebanon. The organization trained 12 young men, Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians, to build solar panels in order to meet the energy demands in regions that can sometimes have up to 22 hours of electricity shortages.
One member of the cooperative, Daad, explained the importance of solar panels for her region:
We are forced to work manually while our electrical machines are not being used. If we had electricity round the clock, we would have a greater production. Our work would greatly benefit the women working here as well as the growth of the cooperative.
The cooperative launched an online fundraiser with the hope of raising $50,000 in the next two months. They explain on the site how the money will be used:
The solarization of the women cooperative center will start with an energy audit that will identify its energy consumption. Then, a set of energy efficiency measures to reduce energy consumption such as lighting retrofit and piping insulation will be implemented. Finally, a solar energy system will be installed on the roof of the Cooperative.
The Rainbow Warrior III is the first ship of Greenpeace’s fleet specifically built for the organization. It started operating in October 2011 after the second Rainbow Warrior retired. The latter in turn replaced the original Rainbow Warrior after it was bombed in 1985 by French agents off the coast of New Zealand.
The ship is scheduled to end up in Morocco in time for the UN's COP 22 on November 14-15, 2016. Unlike previous UN Conferences of Parties, the COP 22 will be the first COP since the “legally binding global climate target was agreed [at COP 21] by all 196 member parties with the aim of capping climate change well below two degrees of warming”.

author: Christophe Maroun


text:
26 Years After the End of the Lebanese Civil War, Families of the Disappeared Still Demand Justice · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

Screenshot from the ICRC's video campaign for Lebanon's missing. Source: ICRC Facebook Page.
Every year on August 30, the International Day of the Disappeared is held to “to recognise the numbers of people still missing through conflict, disaster and migration — and show solidarity with their loved ones”. Originally launched in Latin America in 1981 with Costa Rica’s ‘Latin American Federation of Associations for Relatives of Detained-Disappeared’, the commemoration has since taken a more global dimension.
In Lebanon, thousands of people remain missing, 26 years after the civil war came to an end. The issue of the country's disappeared is often described as being of a particularly ‘sensitive’ nature politically, for the simple reason that many of the warlords are members of Lebanon's political elite. For example, in January 2016, I co-wrote an article with Abir Ghattas for Global Voices entitled ‘The Lebanese ‘Christian Marriage’ Between Aoun and Geagea Leaves Many Skeptical’. Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea, two of the most notorious warlords during the 1975-1990 civil war, are still in power, or at least significantly influential, today. And they certainly aren't the only ones.
Lebanese authorities have been reluctant to investigate the cases of the disappeared, instead passing a law five years after the end of the war that shortened the time required for an absent individual to be declared dead. In 2009, Amnesty International repeated its call, and that of many international organizations, for the Lebanese government to investigate mass graves across the country.
One Lebanese woman, Sawsan Hirbawi, whose brother was kidnapped in 1976, told Amnesty International that the Lebanese government never gave her a response.
We have been calling on the Lebanese state for so many years to dig up mass graves and reveal the fate of my brother and many others, but our state has done absolutely nothing.
Whereas media attention these days is often focused on Syria’s increasingly large number of missing persons, and understandably so, on International Day of the Disappeared campaigners in Lebanon hoped to highlight the case of Lebanese who went missing during the war.
To that end, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Lebanon released a powerful video showing an old woman in her home, waiting silently for her son. The video ends with a simple message: “Your war ended. Her war never did.”
The ICRC has had a permanent presence in Lebanon since 1967, the year of the Six-Day Arab–Israeli War, in response to the growing needs of Palestinian refugees fleeing Israeli forces as well as the needs of host communities. The ICRC operates throughout the country and has offices in Beirut, Tripoli, Zahle, Tyr and in the Ein El Helwe Palestinian camp.
Official figures suggest that there are up to 17,000 people still missing in Lebanon, although the actual number may be lower. Speaking to Global Voices, Tarek Wheibi, spokesperson for the ICRC in Lebanon who also provides support to regional delegations, pointed out:
The ICRC noticed that there were many duplications and inaccuracies. Some people were reported missing to different authorities and counted multiple times, some were never counted. The number is currently not clear, we have visited more than 2500 families, some who have more than one missing family member.
The ICRC holds a yearly commemoration of the disappeared, and has been for almost a decade now. The idea, in Wheibi’s words, is to “stand in solidarity with them and remind the Lebanese government of its duties” regardless of “political sensitivities”. In fact, as Wheibi reminded us, those warning against revealing the truth out of fear of political instability are misleading the public:
Many consider this file to be “too sensitive” in Lebanon, some warn that it might ignite another conflict. Our experience in handling missing files in places such as Kosovo, Bosnia, Iran, Iraq and other places have shown the exact opposite. Tackling the missing file helps reduce tensions and helps the country heal. It is important to keep in mind that this is not an investigation and not to point fingers. We need to address this issue so that families can mourn their loved ones and be able to move on. We need to address this because the Lebanese soil is filled with human remains that have to be properly buried.
Father holding a photo of his missing daughter at the event held by the ICRC at Saint-Joseph University (USJ). August 30, 2016. Photos by ICRC/Hussein Baydoun. Source: ICRC Lebanon Facebook Page.
As for what the families of missing persons are asking, the ICRC learned in 2011 that:
The first demand of the families was the right to know the fate of their missing family members. The assessment also showed that many are in need of psycho-social support. Some need financial support, there are women who lost their sons and husbands on the same day and have had no one to care for them for years.
Wadad Halwani at the ICRC's International Day of the Disappeared at Saint-Joseph University (USJ). August 30, 2016. Source: ICRC Facebook Page.
The families of the disappeared aren't only pressing the government for action. Well-known Lebanese activist Wadad Halwani, who is currently the chairperson of the Families of the Disappeared and Abducted Committee and whose own husband was kidnapped in 1982 as a member of the Communist Action Organization, recently asked a journalist to question the kidnappers instead of the families of their victims:
اذهب واسأل الخاطفين ماذا فعلوا بضحاياهم. لماذا تسألني أنا؟ ألست صحافياً؟ اذهب واسألهم ماذا فعلوا بهم. وعندما تنتهي من ذلك، يمكن أن أجيبك على ما تريد
Go and ask the kidnappers what they did with their victims. Why are you asking me? Aren't you a journalist? Go and ask them what they did. When you're done with that, I might be able to answer whatever you want.
At the ICRC commemoration event this year, famed Lebanese singer Omaima El Khalil performed a song called ‘Asfour‘ (bird), saying that the bird now symbolizes all those who are supporting the families of the missing and demanding justice. The song's lyric begin:

author: Elia J. Ayoub


text:
After Two Months on Hunger Strike, Jailed Algerian Journalist Enters Coma · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

Mohamed Tamalt. Image from the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Algerian columnist and blogger Mohamed Tamalt, who is serving two years in prison for insulting the country's president, has gone into a coma. Tamalt has reportedly been on hunger strike since 27 June in protest at his arrest and imprisonment by Algerian authorities.
On 30 August, Sirine Rached, a North Africa researcher with Amnesty international, quoted local news site El Watan:
#Algérie le journaliste #MohamedTamalt condamné à 2 ans de prison pour avoir critiqué les autorités est dans le coma https://t.co/wJGRwfVK03
— Sirine Rached (@sirine_ai) August 30, 2016
Journalist Mohamed Tamalt, sentenced to two years in jail for criticizing the authorities, is in coma
On 11 July, a court in the capital Algiers sentenced Tamalt to two years in jail and a fine of 200,000 Algerian dinars (about US $1,800) for offending President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and public institutions under articles 144, 144 bis and 146 of the Penal Code over his online publications, including a poem and a video posted on Facebook containing comments that were deemed disparaging towards Bouteflika and Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal.
Tamalt was imprisoned over his online publications including the above poem, which was deemed insulting to the President. Source: Tamalt's Facebook page
On social media and his online magazine Arab Context, Tamalt comments on current affairs in Algeria, including the role of the army in political life, alleged corruption among government officials and army generals, and the extravagant lifestyles of Algeria's rulers and their families. Tamalt, who also has British nationality, has been mostly living in the UK since 2002 after leaving Algeria because of reported threats related to his work as a journalist. A court of appeal confirmed his sentence on 9 August. According to Amnesty International, his lawyers filed another appeal to the Cassation Court, the highest court in Algeria.
In recent months, Algerian authorities have handed down several sentences against users for expressing themselves online. In late May, labor rights activist Belkacem Khencha was sentenced to six months in jail for posting a video on Facebook slamming the imprisonment of a colleague, while in March human rights activist Zoulikha Belarbi was ordered to pay 100,000 Algerian dinars (around US $1,000) for posting a satirical photo of the president on Facebook.
Hunger strikes of this length regularly end with a person's death. The graphic below, created by Visualizing Impact, outlines the experience of a person on hunger strike over time, drawing on research from Forensic Science International, the Journal of the American Medical Association and the British Medical Journal.

author: Afef Abrougui


text:
Campaign: Anonymity Defends Us — So Let’s Defend Anonymity · Global Voices
ONGDD

Why do we need anonymity? Image used with permission of Derechos Digitales.
This post was written by Derechos Digitales and Global Voices’ Advox and Latin America editors.
The right to anonymity is at risk now more than ever.
As we live more and more of our lives on  the Internet and we interact more and more with digital technology, it becomes easier to identify us and collect information about our habits, preferences, opinions, and even about our bodies.
At the same time, a discourse that puts security and anonymity in opposition to one another has forcefully permeated mainstream political narratives, drawing strong associations between anonymity and criminality — it has been portrayed as an enabler of delinquency, terrorism, drug trafficking, child pornography and other extremely serious social ill. And there have been numerous legal attempts to limit our right to reserve our identity.
In parallel, governments acquire technology capable of spying on citizens more and more frequently, routinely using technical surveillance mechanisms to go beyond the rights authorized by constitutional laws. They argue these activities are necessary to protecting national security.
Anonymity is exceedingly important because it guarantees liberties such as freedom of expression, the right to assemble, the right to social protest, and the right to seek information and help, among others.
Anonymity protects us all. When we are suffering from a medical condition and we want to seek support and advice from other patients without informing our family, employers, or insurance company for economic or work-related reasons or simply because we feel ashamed; when we suffer harassment or violence in the workplace, school, neighborhood, or even in our own home; when we want to report something to the press or the police, but we believe it might be dangerous; or when we want to demand our rights, but we fear retaliation. There are many day-to-day situations where anonymity can help us to make up for power imbalances and exercise our rights.
Anonymity defends us. Let’s defend anonymity.
Spread the word online with this video from Chilean NGO Derechos Digitales:

author: ONGDD


text:
Can the End of War Mean the Beginning of Peace in Colombia? · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Millions of Colombians march for the liberation of those kidnapped and held captive by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the National Liberation Army. Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Midnight on August 29 marked the beginning of the end for a war that's raged for more than half a century between the Colombian state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla movement.
With a consensus on both sides, after four years at the negotiating table on neutral ground in Havana, Colombia finally has a definitive bilateral ceasefire. This momentous occasion came after the historic “last day of the war,” as the government is calling it, on August 23, and a formal presentation of the final agreement on August 24.
On his Instagram account, Colombia's president asked, “How does it feel now to hear us say #AdiósALaGuerra [#GoodbyeToTheWar]?” The question was accompanied by an image that included a quote modeled on García Márquez‘ famous last line of One Hundred Years of Solitude: “And that everything written on the peace process was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forever more, because races condemned to fifty years of war could have a second opportunity on earth.”
Con emoción vivimos el #CeseAlFuegoDefinitivo entre el Gobierno y las Farc. ¿Qué sientes ahora que decimos #AdiósALaGuerra?
A video posted by Presidencia de Colombia (@infopresidencia) on
Reflecting on the moment in history, Facebook user Juan Mosquera wrote:
Esta noche es la última noche de la más horrible historia que no es historia sino tragedia. Esta será la noche más tranquila en décadas y décadas y décadas. El campo, las selvas, los valles que tienen a la luna por única luz, las montañas en las que la naturaleza respira. Allí, donde el campesino despierta cada día de su vida, allí donde los indígenas encuentran hermanos y no discriminación.(…) Es una hora trascendental para todos, estemos donde estemos.
Tonight is the last night of a most terrible story that is not a story, but a tragedy. Tonight will be the calmest night in decades and decades and decades. The countryside, the jungle, and the valleys will have only the moon for light, and the mountains in which nature breathes. There, where the farmers wake every day of their lives, there were the indigenous find themselves among brothers and not discrimination. […] It's a transcending moment for everyone, wherever we are.
The government has decided to hold a referendum on the agreement it signed with FARC. Next month, on October 2, the nation will vote on the 297-page final agreement.
Twitter user Andrés Charry is in favor of the peace deal:
¡La Paz si es contigo pero empieza Por Mi!
¿Que acción d paz le regala al país hoy día del #CeseAlFuegoDefinitivo? pic.twitter.com/NvmcUOYBqH
— Andres Charry (@charry_manager) August 29, 2016
Peace is with you but starts with me! What a great step for peace presented to the country today on the day of the #CeseAlFuegoDefinitivo [Definitive Ceasefire]?
Tymothy Gómez argued that a no vote is particularly revealing:
#VotoNo es de los mismo creadores de la homofobia, racismo, discriminación y xenofobia, Dios nos cuide de su odio y locura.#SiALaPaz
— Tymothy Gómez (@tymothygo) August 29, 2016
#VotoNo [Vote No] is in line with believers in homophobia, racism, discrimination and xenophobia, God save us from your hatred and madness #SiALaPaz [Yes to Peace]
Meanwhile Dara-San shared a similar sentiment:
Hay que saberse que, la mayoría que dicen “#VotoNo” son gente que no sabe qué es el dolor de la guerra, digo, son de ciudad y uribistas.
— Dara – San (@ElGatodePessoa) August 29, 2016
Know that the majority who say “#VotoNo” [Vote No] are those who don't know what the pain caused by the war is, in other words, those from the cities and uribistas [followers of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, who leads those against the peace treaty]
On Facebook, Soy Colombiano (“I am Colombian”) wrote:
Prefiero equivocarme apoyando la paz, que acertar impulsando la guerra.
I'd prefer to be wrong supporting peace, than be right encouraging the war.
Twitter user Gustavo Bolívar declared:
#SoyDefensorDeLaPaz porque Colombia gasta más plata en armas que en educación y quiero que se revierta ese exabrupto pic.twitter.com/ZOXrXRvtUB
— Gustavo Bolívar (@GustavoBolivar) August 28, 2016
#SoyDefensorDeLaPaz [I'm a Defender of Peace] because Colombia spends more money on weapons than on education and I want this travesty reversed.
Despierta Colombia (“Wake up Colombia”), on the other hand, displayed its reasons for opposing the peace agreement:
@urosarionews#NoEsPazEsComunismo BASTA YA DE ESTAR LLAMANDO PAZ A NARCO ACUERDOS CRIMINALES SANTOS-CASTRO!! #VotoNOpic.twitter.com/gR8ryFToHJ
— #DespiertaColombia (@DespiertaCo) August 18, 2016
@urosarionews#NoEsPazEsComunismo [It's Not Peace It's Communism] STOP CALLING NARCO CRIMINAL AGREEMENTS AS PEACE SANTOS-CASTRO!! #VotoNO [Vote No]
Adding a touch of humor to the discussion, Daniela Huertas suggested that people should be allowed to default on their student loans, if FARC can be pardoned.
O que nos condenen el crédito con él icetex 😢#SoyDefensorDeLaPazpic.twitter.com/YJVGnj8zaj
— Una Puta Culta. (@DanielaHuertasB) August 28, 2016
They should also pardon the debt some of us have with icetex #SoyDefensorDeLaPaz [I'm a Defender of Peace]
And finally, Félix de Bedout posted:
No hay paz perfecta, pero tampoco conozco guerra que lo sea. Después de 52 años de guerra, ¿no valdrá la pena intentar algo diferente?
— Felix de Bedout (@fdbedout) August 25, 2016
There's no such thing as perfect peace, but neither do I know what kind of war it really is. After 52 years of war, is it not worth the effort of trying something different?
Social media and the country's mainstream news media have revealed that Colombian society is polarized when it comes to opinions about the peace agreement with FARC. The biggest challenges seem to be finding the willingness to forgive and reconcile. On this subject, Lorenna C. Lehmann O wrote on her blog:
Hablar de Perdón en Colombia en un posible Proceso de Paz exitoso es muy complicado, pues el conflicto armado en el país lleva muchos años y además de eso lleva consigo muchas víctimas; y cuando se habla de víctimas no solo se habla de muertes, si no de desplazamiento forzoso, de secuestros, de mutilaciones, de violaciones y sufrimientos familiares. Es por esto, que el perdón no será un tema fácil de tratar, pero sin él, no es posible conseguir una aceptación del posible Acuerdo de Paz.
To speak of forgiveness in Colombia over a possible successful peace process is very complicated, as the country has experienced an armed conflict over many years that's created many victims. And when we talk about victims, we're not only talking about deaths, but also about forced displacements, kidnappings, mutilations, rapes, and family suffering. It because of this that forgiveness will not be a theme easily treated or resolved, but without it, it's not possible to achieve the unanimous acceptance of the possible peace agreement.
As the debate continues, you can follow the conversation using the hashtags: #AdiósALaGuerra (Goodbye to The War), #VotoNo (Vote No), #PazColombia (Peace Colombia), and #SoyDefensorDeLaPaz (I am a Defender or Peace), among others. For now, all eyes turn to the vote on October 2.

author: Cati Restrepo


text:
Iran Declares ‘Unveiling’ of Its National Intranet · Global Voices
Mahsa Alimardani

We spoke to multiple Iranian Internet users following the governments grand “unveiling” of the National Information Network. They either didn't know what the Network was, or thought it was a joke not to be taken seriously. Photo of street scene in Tajrish Tehran by Kamyar Adl via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Drumroll please: Iran's “National Information Network” is finally complete. On August 28, 2016 Iranian government agencies responsible for Internet policy unveiled Iran's intranet or Shoma, as it is called in Persian.
Since at least 2006 the NIN has been part of Iran's highly controlled networked communication infrastructure, offering Iranians access to websites for key public services such as healthcare, utilities and education. So what officials “unveiled” last week is really nothing new. But the motivations behind the network — and the ways that the government is urging Iranians to use it — may be shifting.
Iran's moderate President Hassan Rouhani has described the Network as “one of the key components of the country’s independence,” framing it as integral to Iran's cybersecurity. In Iran's 2011-2016 development plan, the project was defined as follows:
شبکه ملی اطلاعات (IP) کشور، شبکه‌ای مبتنی بر قـرارداد اینترنت به همراه سوئیچها و مسیریابها و مراکز داده‌ای است به صورتی که درخواستهای دسترسی داخلی و أخذ اطلاعاتی که در مراکز داده داخلی نگهداری می‌شوند به هیچ‌وجه از طریق خارج کشور مسیریابی نشود و امکان ایجاد شبکه‌های اینترانت و خصوصی و امن داخلی در آن فراهم شود.\
The country’s National Information Network should be an IP-based Internet supported by data centres that are completely undetectable and impenetrable by foreign sources and allow the creation of private, secure Intranet networks.
Officials have emphasized how the network may help guard against massive breaches of national Internet security such as malicious Israeli-American cyberweapon Stuxnet directed at Iran's nuclear facilities.
At the unveiling, deputy ICT Minister Nasrallah Jahangard further elaborated on the need to counter cyberattacks:
Generally, all networks around the world are exposed to hacking attempts. Not being an exception, Iran’s network was target to a heavy hacking attempt about two weeks ago, limiting the international interactions of two or three of our internet providers.
It is unclear which incident Jahangard is referring to, however Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace announced at the beginning of August that it was looking into the possibility of cyberattacks being the root of the cause of a series of fires and explosions in Iran's oil and gas facilities.
Another key feature of the network is its speed. Tasnim News, an agency closely aligned with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, described the NIN as “a new internet system with higher security which will be up to 60 times faster than the best speeds currently available.”Although Iran remains one of the countries in the Middle East with the highest proportions of Internet users, recent figures indicate that Iran's bandwidth currently sits on average at 70.5 gigabytes per second. The NIN meanwhile boasts an average speed of 4000 gigabytes per second.
Iranian technologist and scholar Mehdi Yahyanejad told Global Voices:
Overall, it seems the plan is to encourage Iranian websites to relocate their hosting to Iran by discriminatory pricing of the bandwidth for domestic versus international Internet connections. Hosting most of such websites inside the country makes it easier for the Iranian government to shutdown Internet if needed.
Indeed, public documents describing the NIN boast “an economy for local content.” The clear advantage, according to the government, is that connecting to these services over NIN will be both faster and more secure. These are the key selling points the government is highlighting to get Iranians to use the network, and to host their websites there.
Officials also have promised domestic video services with affordable prices for end users, as well as an “economy of datacentres.”
The government has long touted the hosting of data centres inside of Iran, a feature that could ensure that the data and traffic of Iranian users would never leave the country. This emphasis on national datacentres was seen last May when Iran's preeminent Internet policy body, the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, gave an ultimatum to foreign messaging applications including Telegram, Instagram and WhatsApp, requiring that they either begin hosting Iranian users’ data inside the country (within a year's time), or be subject to censorship. It is unclear which companies will comply, or whether Iran will follow through with the censorship. In July 2016, authorities used the foreign data centre argument as a reason to filter the Pokémon Go application.
The London-based research and design group Small Media sketched out the relationship between users and platforms that could only be available through the NIN, and the platforms that could be available through regular Internet connections, based on statements by the Information Technology Organisation of Iran (a branch of the Ministry of ICT).
Small Media visualized the structure of the Internet connections between users, business, organisations and the government once the National Information Network, or Shoma is established.
Public documentation suggests that e-government services such as those related to health, taxes, and public services will be only available through the Network. Financial, banking and stock market systems however will be available both through the Network and the regular global Internet.
If person is abroad while trying to access website only available on NIN, the only way around this will be through a Virtual Private Network.
Authorities have explicitly stated that the network will not interfere with Iranians’ access to the global Internet. Yet advocates for digital rights in Iran remain cautious, with some worrying that it is part of an effort to further control an Internet space already rife with censorship and surveillance.
According to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, NIN fits into a hardline narrative that paints Iran's Internet space as one that must be re-claimed from the West.
National Internet’s development and implementation continues, reflecting a worldview, dominant among hardline authorities who maintain significant power bases in the intelligence, judicial and security apparatuses, in which any non-state-controlled source of information is seen as suspect, if not treasonous.
The following YouTube video from the now inactive “Weapons of Mouse Destruction” Internet Freedom-art project includes a description of the NIN (beginning at 3:20), in which the group lumps NIN in with Iran's various other Internet rights violations, including censorship and the arrests of netizens.
Just after the August 28 launch, BBC Persian technology journalist Nima Akbarpour asked his 107k Twitter followers if they were worried about this “unveiling.” The responses showed an overwhelming majority — 70% of 844 voters — were worried, while 30% indicated they were unconcerned.
#نظرسنجی: از راه‌اندازی شبکه ملی اطلاعات ایران نگران….#ریتوییت لطفا
اطلاعات بیشتر:https://t.co/km08yKtpGd
— Nima Akbarpour (@nima) August 28, 2016
#survey: Concerns about the unveiling of the launch of the National Information Network… #retweet please. For more information: http://www.bbc.com/persian/iran/2016/08/160828_l57_iran_ict_national_network_first_stage
Officials have assured Iranians that the project would not impact their access to regular Internet, insisting that the NIN and the world wide web would remain two separate networks. Actions such as the purchasing of over a million IP addresses as well as the infrastructure of significant data-links to Europe indicate an intention to stay within the global Internet.
Global Voices approached two Iranian Internet users (who wish to remain anonymous) inside the country to ask them their thoughts about NIN. The first user explained he had never heard about this network. As we chatted on Whats App, he explained: “by the way, I'm sitting with some other friends. I just mentioned this Network and they have also never heard of it.”
The second user we approached explained she had only heard of it, but never used it or knew of anyone who had used it. She explained that it was an ongoing joke.
It's been a joke -a national Internet for the Iranian people that none of the actual people have had access to. I don't think this is anything significant, because I think if it was there would have been more advertisement and information about it for everyday users.
After the publication of this article one Iranian user explained through a Tweet that the Network has been known to be used for stores and banks.
@maasalan @Advox As far as I know it is used by POS terminals in shops to connect to banks. And by banks and ATMs.
— Masoud Naservand (@masoud_nt) September 2, 2016

author: Mahsa Alimardani


text:
Mexico’s President Can Add Plagiarism to His Long List of Scandals While in Office · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Enrique Peña in the United Nations General Assembly. Image shared on Flickr by the Presidency of the Republic of Mexico, used under Creative Commons license terms.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto plagiarized parts of his thesis in 1991 for his Panamerican University law degree, according to reporting by celebrated Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui and her team.
The independent news site Sopitas explained the findings, which were published on Aristegui's website on August 21, 2016:
El equipo de investigaciones de Carmen Aristegui encontró que la tesis de EPN tiene 197 párrafos que fueron plagiados de un total de 682. El plagio fue textual, no hubo entrecomillado ni cita alguna.
Carmen Aristegui's investigative team found that out of 682 paragraphs, Peña Nieto plagiarized 197. The plagiarism was exact. There were no quotations or citations at all.
The Spanish-language video below summarizes a piece published by Aristegui's team titled “Peña Nieto, from Plagiarizer to President”:
It states:
Enrique Peña Nieto plagió párrafos textuales de una obra escrita por el expresidente Miguel de la Madrid, sin hacer referencia a él ni citarlo en la bibliografía. También se atribuyó palabras de al menos diez autores, entre ellos, el historiador Enrique Krauze, y los doctores en derecho Diego Valadés y Jorge Carpizo.
Enrique Peña Nieto plagiarized exact quotes from a piece by ex-President Miguel de la Madrid, failing to reference the author or citing him in the bibliography. Work by at least 10 other authors were also plagiarized, among them the historian Enrique Krauze and Doctor's of Law Diego Valadés and Jorge Carpizo.
Panamerican University, Peña's alma mater, is a private university for high-income families and privileged individuals and has a relationship with the Roman Catholic institution Opus Dei. According to a report by financial news site Forbes, as a result of the Aristegui report, Panamerican University will review Peña's thesis.
On Twitter, a user called México Denuncia reminded readers that presidents from other countries who saw themselves embroiled in similar scandals have resigned from their posts:
#LordTesis#EPN Renunció el presidente húngaro tras confirmarse que plagió su tesis https://t.co/fevcIgfGmi— Mexico Denuncia (@MexDenuncia) August 22, 2016
The Hungarian president resigned after reports confirmed that he had plagiarized his thesis
Norma Sanchez quoted commentary on the left-leaning news site Horizontal:
No existe plagio involuntario: los plagios de la tesis de @EPN ,revelan mucho sobre su perfil ético como político https://t.co/fS59YaFEuJ
— norma sanchez (@normasanchez7) August 24, 2016
Involuntary plagiarism doesn't exist: Enrique Peña Nieto's plagiarized thesis reveals a lot about his ethics as a politician.
David G. Paz Marín argued the issue revealed two things:
Con la tesis de EPN, saltan dos cosas: la falta de acusiocidad del Presidente y el rigor académico de la dicha Universidad Panamericana.
— David G. Paz Marín (@DavidGPazMarn) August 23, 2016
Peña Nieto's thesis exposes two things: A lack of diligence on the part of the president and a lack of academic rigor on the part of Panamerican University.
José Luis Huerta pointed out that there are more aspects to consider:
Quién fue el asesor de tesis de EPN? Qué puede decir la Universidad Panamericana al respecto del plagio?. Esa podría ser la nota Aristegui.
— José Luis Huerta (@JlhuertaD) August 23, 2016
Who was Peña Nieto's thesis adviser? What does Panamerican University have to say about his plagiarism? This could be a piece by Aristegui.
In the past, Aristegui and her team were responsible for exposing the apparent conflict of interest known as “White House” in which a business consortium with public contracts sold or handed over a luxury house to Peña's wife. Recently, the president apologized for the case in a public announcement:
No obstante que me conduje con apego a la ley, aceptó y reconozco que cometí un error. Este error afectó a mi familia, lastimó la investidura presidencial y dañó la confianza de la sociedad. En carne propia sentí la indignación de los mexicanos, por eso, con toda humildad, les pido perdón.
Even though I am driven by the law, I accept and recognize that I made a mistake. This mistake affected my family, hurt the presidential investiture and damaged the public's trust. I have felt, first hand, indignation from the Mexican people and for this, with complete humility, I ask for forgiveness.
However, nobody in his cabinet or from his family took on any responsibility for the issue. Until now, Peña Nieto has not made any statements about Aristegui's recent accusation of plagiarism.
Additionally, in February of this year, Aristegui reveled supposed ecclesiastic irregularities in relation to the president's second wedding.
It is important to note that not everybody is happy with the way that the well-known journalist has dealt with the government in her reports.
On the website SDP Noticias, which is an independent news source with the most site visits in the country according to comScore, Federico Arreola minimized the news published by Aristegui with the following comment:
Si acaso, como mencionaron algunos tuiteros, lo único que demuestra Carmen Aristegui es que EPN leyó mucho más de tres libros para hacer su tesis de licenciatura.
Ojalá la respetada señora Aristegui se olvide de sus obsesiones contra Peña Nieto y vuelva ya a la seriedad periodística.
As mentioned by some Twitter users, the only thing that Carmen Aristegui has proven, if at all, is that Peña Nieto read more than three books to write his bachelor degree's thesis.
Hopefully, the respected Mrs. Aristegui will forget her obsession with Peña Nieto and return to serious journalism.
Regarding the issue, Madame Déficit commented on her Twitter:
Carmen Aristegui es la periodista consentida de @lopezobrador_ y sus fanáticos seguidores. Eso no implica que todo su trabajo sea veraz
— Madame Déficit (@Alessia_mx) August 23, 2016
Carmen Aristegui is a favored journalist of Andrés López Obrador and his fanatic followers. This does not mean that all of her work is real.
Andrés López Obrador is one of the main political opponents of the president and his party.
The user @blurred9 had this to say about Aristegui's report:
Vivimos en un país en el que la corrupción y la impunidad son una situación normal. Y un reportaje de plagio de tesis NO lo va a cambiar.
— red (@blurred9) August 22, 2016
We live in a country where corruption and impunity are the norm. A report about plagiarism is NOT going to change this.
There has been controversy in previous administrations between Aristegui and the presidency, including an episode where Aristegui divulged that Felipe Calderón, predecessor to Peña Nieto and a member of a different political party, was an alcoholic. This was a claim that was never proven and, according to many versions of the story, may have gotten Aristegui fired from the radio station where she worked.
The impact of Aristegui's recent report on President Peña remains to be seen, but judging from previous incidents, the president has very little to worry about.

author: J. Tadeo


text:
‘Spy’ Trial Against Macedonian Journalist Is Postponed Amid Calls for His Release · Global Voices
Goran Rizaov

The Macedonian Association of Journalists organized a protest in front of the Criminal Court to demand the immediate release of journalist Zoran Bozinovski. Photo: Meta.mk, used with permission.
Macedonia's Criminal Court postponed the first hearing in the trial of journalist Zoran Božinovski several hours after his industry colleagues from the Macedonian Association of Journalists protested for his release in front of the court.
Božinovski is charged with criminal conspiracy, espionage and blackmail. He is one of 18 defendants in a case code-named “Spy,” which accuses a group of people — including former intelligence and police officers, the former director of the Office for Combating Money Laundering, and the former head of cabinet of the president of the Parliament — of spying on behalf of Greece and Hungary. Three years ago, he was arrested in Serbia where he had sought political asylum, and in April 2016 he was extradited to Macedonia.
Božinovski's supporters claim the case against him is retaliation for his work with the web portal Burevesnik.org, which in the past has published leaked information implicating Macedonian politicians in corruption.
Macedonian Association of Journalists President Naser Selmani said they had organized their protest to show solidarity with Božinovski:
„Ги потсетуваме судиите дека Македонија е втора земја во Европа, во која има новинар во затвор. Прво беше осуден Томислав Кежаровски, а сега и Божиновски. Гласно прашуваме кој ќе биде следниот. Во земјата каде што новинарите се затвораат, таму е заробена и слободата на говорот и слободата на медиумите. Таквите судски постапки имаат цел да ги казнуваат непослушните новинари и да ги застрашуваат и дисциплинираат другите“, рече Селмани.
We remind the judges that in Europe, only Macedonia and one other country have reporters in jail. First, Tomislav Kežarovski was sentenced and now Božinovski. We now wonder who will be next. In a country where journalists are jailed, freedom of speech and freedom of the media are under assault. Such cases are intended to punish the disobedient journalists and intimidate and discipline the others.”
Tomislav Kežarovski was sentenced for four and a half years in prison in 2013 for allegedly publishing the name of a protected witness in a 2005 murder case. After wave of protests and support from journalists’ associations and other international organizations, Kežarovski was released at the beginning of 2015. He spent seven months in prison and the rest of the sentence in house arrest.
In similar manner, the Association demanded that Božinovski be immediately released from detention on bail, referring to recent examples when some former officials were allowed to wait for their trial from home instead of prison. They also insisted that the regular Prosecutor's Office hand Božinovski's case over to the independent Special Prosecutor's Office, arguing that not doing is a sign that the charges against him are revenge for publishing evidence of abuses of power.
Still image of Zoran Bozinovski from an interview with Croatian Nova TV.
Božinovski's trial is separate from the others’ accused in the ‘Spy’ case. The 17 other defendants were found guilty in 2014 and sentenced from one to 15 years in prison, but their convictions are now being disputed in the Court of Appeals. After the Special Prosecutor's Office was formed as part of a deal to end ongoing political crisis in the country, the office demanded to take over their case, which the Court of Appeals allowed.
Several hours after the Association's protest, the Criminal Court postponed the beginning of the trial, according to local Nova TV. The channel quoted judge Aleksandra Krstic explaining that although she requested the Court of Appeals to submit all evidence related to the case, they still hadn't done so.
The case began in 2012 when authorities accused a group of people, including government critics and whistle-blowers, of spying on behalf of Greece and Hungary. Both countries are members of the European Union, while Macedonia is not; it has been a candidate for membership since 2005, but talks haven't gone far due in part to objections from Greece over a long-standing dispute about Macedonia's name and Macedonia's lack of progress in stamping out corruption and election fraud.
Macedonia did not issue any diplomatic notes to these countries condemning them of spying, however. In fact, three months later, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov praised Hungarian President Viktor Orbán as being “a great friend and supporter” of Macedonia.
By October 2014, the justice system had convicted 17 of those accused. Božinovski, however, had emigrated to Serbia fearing for his safety some time before. Serbian authorities arrested him in 2013 on the basis of an international warrant, and after nearly a year in jail waiting he was brought back to Macedonia.
Human rights groups and free speech advocates condemned his extradition and warned that Božinovski could be vulnerable to torture once back in Macedonia.
The anti-torture committee of the Council of Europe published a report in March 2016 expressing deep concerns about Macedonia's penal system due to “numerous consistent allegations of ill-treatment of detainees by custodial staff.”
And leaked wiretaps published by Macedonia's political opposition in 2015 revealed a conversation between Martin Protuger, the right-hand man of Macedonia's then-Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, and the then-Minister of Interior Gordana Jankuloska in which the two discuss how to torture Božinovski once he's within their power. Protuger requests to pay him a visit “with the CCTV camera turned off in that time.” They also discuss arranging his rape by other inmates as something “that goes without saying.”
The wiretaps captured Macedonia's elite talking about a wide variety of other misdeeds and sparked a political crisis in the country. An EU and US-brokered agreement tried to stalemate, stipulating among other things that an independent Special Prosecutor's Office be formed to investigate the revelations contained in the leaked conversations. President Ivanov, however, announced on April 12, 2016, that he was granting a pardon to more than 50 top politicians and their associates who were under investigation.

author: Goran Rizaov


text:
Tensions Rise as Venezuela’s Opposition Marches on the Capital · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Demonstrators in Caracas in 2007. Photo: Andrés E. Azpúrua / Creative Commons
Venezuela's opposition took to the streets on September 1, generating significant buzz on social media, where independent and citizen reporters like El Pitazo, ReporteYa, and Efecto Cocuyo covered the event, using hashtags like #TomadeCaracas (TakingOfCaracas), #1SeptReclamoDeLibertad (September1DemandForFreedom), while the government's supporters used #ChavismoQuierePaz (ChavismoWantsPeace).
#SepaQue Así empieza la #TomaDeCaracas en los puntos de salida (FOTOS) https://t.co/pGLXQAbkwb pic.twitter.com/gUS2swSv25
— Efecto Cocuyo (@EfectoCocuyo) September 1, 2016
#KnowThat This is how the #TakingofCaracas is starting from the departure points (PHOTOS)
The protest was days in the making, as native community groups from Amazonas, Venezuela's most southern state, gradually filled the capital. Tensions grew as opponents accused the opposition movement of preparations to stage a coup d'état against Nicolás Maduro's government.
Demonstrators say they are protesting against the country's current economic turmoil, and they hope to pressure the state into holding a recall vote on President Maduro. For some time now, Venezuela has endured an economic and political crisis, but conditions have worsened dramatically in the last two years.
A day before the march, Global Voices’ contributor and journalist Luis Carlos Díaz, along with communicator Naky Soto, offered a “Political Hangout” on Facebook, which they shared publicly in order to discuss the context of the march.
During preparations for the protest, news sites like Efecto Cocuyo also reported instances of abuse and blockades apparently erected by the authorities:
#Ahora: Así bajan y requisan a los buses en la Panamericana. pic.twitter.com/3rQFbepgC6
— Efecto Cocuyo (@EfectoCocuyo) September 1, 2016
#Now: This is how [people] are taken down seized from buses in the Panamericana [highway].
#Ahora: En la Panamericana frente al IVIC hay un embudo. Bajan a personas en buses, las requisan pic.twitter.com/ZNUvuEIusO
— Efecto Cocuyo (@EfectoCocuyo) September 1, 2016
#Now: On the Panamericana, in front of the IVIC, there's a traffic stop. They take people off the buses and seize them
Local news media documented other obstacles erected in the streets, as well, saying the National Guard was stopping demonstrators who were heading from the central part of the country to the capital:
Manifestantes que van a la #TomaDeCaracas rompieron el piquete policial en el peaje de Yaracuy y lograron pasar. pic.twitter.com/JIsNRdW6LI
— El Nuevo País y Zeta (@enpaiszeta) September 1, 2016
Demonstrators going to the #TakingofCaracas broke the police line on the Yaracuy Turnpike and were able to go on through.

author: Laura Vidal