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Indonesia: Activist Dies After Self-Immolation in Front of Palace · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Sondang Hutagalung, a human rights activist and law school student, died after suffering from first degree burn injury after setting himself on fire in front of the state palace in Jakarta, Indonesia
Sondang Hutagalung at a protest commemorating the death of rights activist Munir Said Thalib. Photo by Dina Savaluna, used with permission.
Moch Najib Yuliantoro wrote [id] on his blog:
Ia lakukan itu dengan sadar, terencana, dengan satu tekad: perubahan. Tetapi apa setelah Sondang tak ada? Mereka yang berkuasa tetap bertahta sebagai pengusa. Secara kolektif, setelah 10 hari kepergiannya, kita pun tak bergerak. Perubahan yang diimpikan Sondang tak kunjung datang.
Najib fears that Sondang's dream of a better Indonesia may fell on deaf ears:
Kesadaran kolektif sebagai “Indonesia” sudah hangus terbakar menjadi abu. Jika dengan bakar diri yang dikehendaki Sondang adalah perubahan drastis, seperti di Tunisia, misalnya, tampaknya ia salah cara. Bangsa ini tak seperti Tunisia. Bangsa ini sudah “mati”. Tak lagi berhasrat untuk melakukan “revolusi”.
Sella Wahyu said [id] on her blog:
[…] peristiwa ini menimbulkan reaksi beragam dari masyarakat. Kebanyakan menyayangkan aksi ini mengingat Sondang masih muda dan masih panjang jalan hidupnya, sebagian menganggap Sondang adalah seorang yang “berani mati tapi tak berani hidup” dan sebagian lagi menganggap Sondang adalah seorang martir demokrasi.
Kita terperosok untuk menghujat dan menghina Sondang sehingga alpa bahwa ada masalah yang sangat pelik di negeri ini yang mungkin menjadi dasar dan alasan dia memilih bakar diri sebagai ekspressi pribadinya.
This incident has triggered different reactions from the people. Most of them regret it, considering how young Sondang is and that he had a long life path ahead of him, some considered Sondang as someone who “dared to die but didn't dare to live” and some considered him as a martyr of democracy.
We're trapped in the puddle of insults for Sondang, we failed to see that the crucial problems of this country were the reasons why he set himself on fire, as a way to speak up his mind.
Arman Dhani Bustomi wrote a blog post tribute [id] for Sondang with an opening that says, “the revolution devours its own children”:
Kukira Sondang menyadari bahwa dalam sebuah perjuangan akan selalu ada tumbal. Ia juga menyadari, bahwa hanya sedikit perbedaan antara menjadi idealis atau melakukan kebodohan. Bahwa perihal kurban itu adalah permasalahan sudut pandang. Tak ada satupun manusia di bawah kolong langit yang berhak memberikan nilai atau kuasa hukum dalam sebuah perjuangan. Perjuangan adalah perkara keyakinan diri.
[…]
Kukira Sondang saat itu mengingat mama. Mengingat bagaimana dengan mesra dan patuh ia memeluknya di gereja. Mendengar kidung puji. Doa tuhan bapa kami dengan khusyuk. Mengingat betapa natal dan keriuhan bersama keluarga adalah kenangan yang sangat indah. Dan perlahan merapal doa-doa minta maaf. Kalut ia bertanya. “apakah aku akan diampuni bapa?”
[…]
Kukira Sondang terbakar amarah. Tapi ia tak sendirian. Karena aku kini juga terbakar amarah. Atas kebodohanku. Kelemahanku. Dan ketakpedulianku pada masalah bangsa ini.
I think Sondang realized that there'll be sacrifice on every struggle. He also realized that there's a fine line between being an idealist and making a stupidity. That a sacrifice is only a matter of point of view. That no one under the sky has the right to judge or authorize a struggle. A struggle is a matter of self belief.
[…]
I think Sondang remembered his mother at that time. Remembered how loving and obedient he held her at the church. Listening to the hymns of worship. The solemn Lord's Prayer. Remembered how Christmas and his family's glee, the wonderful memory. And he slowly recite prayers, asking for forgiveness . In his darkest hour he asked, “Father, will I be forgiven?”
[…]
I think Sondang was angered. But he wasn't alone. I, too, now am angered. By my stupidity. My weakness. My ignorance towards the problems of this country.
A local newspaper in North Sumatra, Harian Orbit, quoted Sondang's fellow human rights activists saying that Sondang has sent some 1,400 letters regarding human rights violations to President Susilo Bambang, but none of them has actually reached the president due to the state palace protocols.
Sondang's alma mater, Bung Karno University, gave him an Honoris Causa title and renamed the Faculty of Law's courtroom, Sondang Hutagalung room.
Regarding Sondang's honorary title, blogger Yusuf Harfi asked [id], “how come a self immolator received an honorary degree?”
He continues:
Saya sendiri tidak memandang Sondang ialah pahlawan perubahan ataupun patriot pembaharuan seperti yang banyak orang amini.
[…]
Ya, saya juga sama dengan Sondang, saya juga prihatin kepada kondisi Indonesia saat ini. Tapi, hal ini bukan berarti kita sebagai warga negara untuk menempuh aksi nekat seperti bakar diri. Agama apapun pasti mengajarkan untuk terus berusaha, gigih, pantang menyerah, dan tidak putus asa.
I personally don't see Sondang as a hero of change or a patriot of revival like many people thought he is.
[…]
Yes, I also share Sondang's concerns, I'm also concerned about Indonesia's current condition. But, this doesn't mean that as citizens we should do a reckless act like self immolation. Any religion taught us to continue trying, determined, adamant, and never put up hope.
A day after Sondang's self immolation incident, the head of the central Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Amidhan, said [id]  that self immolation is “haram” (forbidden by Islam), and considered self immolators people in despair and depressed.

author: Juke Carolina


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Iran:Blocking the Strait of Hormuz · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iran has warned that the country could block the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions are imposed on its exports of crude oil. Filternet1 writes[fa] if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, even China, to protect its interests, will attack Iran.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Fred Petrossian


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Italy: African workers renew their call for open dialogue  · Global Voices
Ylenia Gostoli

Following the murder of two Senegalese men in Florence, Italy, migrant African workers released an open letter on the web [it] to renew their call for dialogue with citizens of Rosarno, where in January 2010 violent riots took place. ‘Those that in the past few days have spread fear when talking about us will be held accountable.’ they write. ‘We’re here to work and contribute to the development of this town and region.’

author: Ylenia Gostoli


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Kyrgyzstan: Ravshan Jeenbekov and the Facebook Generation · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

Of all the divides in Kyrgyzstan’s fractious political society, one too often overlooked is the divide between generations. Unlike the famed North/South schism, which manifests itself in elections and street-protests, the generational split is subtle in its complexion; existing within political factions rather than between them, as members of a younger, tech-savvy elite openly challenge their blog-phobic bosses in the national parliament.
The recent effort to install a Prime Minister to head the government is a case in point. The majority of the candidates who put themselves forward for the appointment were under forty-five, something which in itself represents a sea change in domestic political circles.
Following firm backing in the coalition vote, Omurbek Babanov, aged 41 , took the post on December 23. But the leader of the Respublika faction, to a great extent, was the establishment choice. An ally of recently elected President Almas Atambayev, he can be reasonably relied on to do the head of state’s bidding while Atambayev himself enjoys the more glamorous lifestyle of grand interstate summits and security staff reshuffles.
A more independent, reform-minded PM might have been Ravshan Jeenbekov, also 41. But with only 5 coalition votes, his candidacy flopped.  Moreover, he failed to win the support of many members of his own party, Ata-Meken, who under the leadership of veteran politicker Omurbek Tekebayev, pragmatically decided to endorse the Atambayev-inspired status quo. After the announcement of the coalition’s vote on December 19, Jeenbekov’s Facebook wall was flooded with condolences.
“Mr MP Jeenbekov, after your party didn’t support you during voting for the post of Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, do you intend to continue working with the traitors?” asked [ru] Aziz Abakirov
“Aziz, hello. Each person chooses their own path. I work according to my convictions and I travel my own path. Many members of my party made their choice. It is their right, although not completely, I think, given [their obligation to] their ideological and political position. I will have to work among them, yes, because I am an MP of this party. I am obligated,” replied [ru] Jeenbekov.
“But answer, how can you love a woman after she has cheated on you?” pressed [ru] Abakirov.
“Aziz, love for a woman and politics differ strongly from one another ),” Jeenbekov [ru] answered.
Even during less exciting moments in Kyrgyzstan’s political calendar Jeenbekov’s wall overflows with discussions. While the MP responds unfailingly to praise (he is human, after all) and ducks the odd difficult question (he is a politician, after all), perhaps the most important element of his profile is that it offers his nearly 4,500 followers a single space where they can discuss topical issues and meet edninomyshliniki (like minded people) with whom they share common values. The fact that an elected representative frequently participates in these exchanges brings the whole process a step closer to Rousseauian visions of direct democracy.
“Pity that many MPs do not realize that the consciousness of the young is growing, and that this is no longer the same people who just nod at what their “bosses” say. Or maybe they understand it and are therefore hiding from us, because our thoughts and ideas knock them down. Inevitably there will come an intellectual ‘revolution’. Now, many young leaders realize that they can participate in the government, as is their complete right to do so!” Uluk Kydyrbaev concluded during the December 19 wall discussion, to a score of ‘likes’ from other users.
Indeed, by showing the ambition to nominate himself for the PM spot Jeenbekov didn’t nod at his party bosses, he defied them. And, with growing online followings that undermine more traditional forms of political loyalty in Kyrgyzstan (regional, patronage-based, deference to seniority etc), the day when he and other social-media-friendly deputies seek to challenge the aksakals on their own terms may not be too far away. As Jeenbekov predicted in a reply to one of his contacts, Ilyas:
“Ilyas, I think, that at the next elections the [Ata-Meken] party will be reformatted. I am sure that [at the next elections] a strong party, with a liberal-democratic position will appear.”
Watch this space.
Social Media in Kyrgyz politics: No Magic Wand, Yet
Cynics will make the argument that social media such as Facebook and Twitter are limited in their ability to transform either the agency or the fundamental structure of Kyrgyz political society and currently, the numbers support their case.
While internet penetration in the country, at just under 40%, compares favourably to most Central Asian states, social media statisticians estimate that only 1.17% of the country has a facebook account, the vast majority of whom are based in the capital, Bishkek.  Also, a 2009 report cited by Neweurasianet suggested that less than 10% of Kyrgyz internet users are over 40, meaning that many of the most powerful and influential in this post-Soviet society still get their kicks offline.
Nevertheless, as overall usage continues to grow, a Twitter or Facebook account is increasingly being seen by local bigwigs as a valuable source of political capital.  A September Global Voices post by Elena Skochilo highlighted a Facebook-based witch hunt which demanded Kyrgyz netizens ‘unfollow’ or ‘defriend’ politicians on Twitter and Facebook, who do not use their accounts personally, or, who set them up opportunistically, prior to elections. As human rights activist Dmitry Kabak posted [ru] on the group's wall:
“I know 100% that Dastan Bekeshev, Shirin Aitmatova, Ravshan Jeenbekov write themselves. I do not know who writes in the accounts of Nariman Tuleev and Tursunbai Bakir uulu. [Their] Twitter and Facebook [activity] intensified on the eve of the presidential race. Marat Imankulov… is not writing himself- the date of birth and positions don't tally, and there are only links to news stories “about himself.” Please add information about “suspicious activity” on political accounts and then un-follow.”
But whether Kyrgyz power-brokers see social media as an opportunity to communicate with constituents or simply another way of boosting their public profiles, their dalliances with online activity are sufficient evidence that Facebook and Twitter are gradually altering the political landscape of this year-old parliamentary republic. The latter in particular has become ‘The News Before it Happens’, with online agencies such as Kloop relaying live Twitter-feeds from deputies musing on laws and coalition-formations as they spar and haggle in the legislature.
Moreover, in a small country where institutions are feeble and personal connections all-conquering, the scattergun effect of a succinct ‘tweet’ may prove the equal of multiple phone calls in times when a lethargic body politic needs to be shaken into action. That, at any rate, is the conclusion drawn in a brilliant article on the Foreign Policy blog by Natasha Yefimova-Trilling, titled Twitter Vs. the KGB.
The beginning of the piece finds US photographer Nic Tanner in a spot of bother. While covering the aftermath of the November presidential elections in the southern city of Osh, he is accosted by plain-clothes-wearing men who claim to be representatives of the local equivalent of the KGB. After frantically phoning his journalist colleague, Natasha's husband David, an SOS tweet went out from @DTrilling, followers of whom include “young former and current Kyrgyz officials”. Within minutes, a tense situation was diffused and Tanner was free to go, baffled by a complete reversal in the officers’ behaviour towards him. But as Yefimova-Trilling explains:
This is not a story of Twitter's ability to galvanize grassroots protests and marshal ordinary citizens to defend just causes. Kyrgyzstan is a place where high-tech social networks meet old-fashioned patronage networks.  All those who got in touch were people we knew personally, and people with some clout…Our use of social media didn't tap a network of underground civil-society activists — it simply sped up the well-oiled machinery of string-pulling.
And sadly, Twitter is no magic wand if you are an ethnic Uzbek human rights activist. Arrested following ethnic conflict in southern Kyrgystan, a regional court convicted Azimzhan Askarov to a life sentence on a series of charges that international and domestic human rights organizations feared were ‘trumped up’ against a background of seething nationalism. Despite being one of the most tweeted about subjects in the Kyrgyz Twittersphere – #Askarov –  the Kyrgyz Supreme Court upheld the regional court's decision on December 21.
Social media then can go far in Kyrgyz politics, but probably only so far, insofar as public life in the country continues to be dominated by familiar faces, a compromised judiciary and what RFER/L's Daisy Sindelar refers to as “cynical season(s) of gray-haired power-jockeying”.
N.B  One infrastructural obstacle to the powers of internet-based social technologies in Kyrgyzstan is the nation's currently patchy supply of electricity. Following a cold snap that saw an uptake in energy consumption in the northern half of the country, the Soviet era energy grid is wheezing, leading to sustained shortages for citizens. In a parody of this bold nostradamian statement, Sadybakas Abylov has produced [ru] a lively and very readable blog post titled “There will be no electricity”.

author: Chris Rickleton


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Macedonia, Greece, Turkey: Bridging the Divides Through Multilingual Reporting · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Two recent initiatives by civic-minded journalists added value to the e-content in local languages from Macedonia and nearby countries: Diversity Media is offering news analysis through text and audio podcasts in Macedonian and Albanian, and Balkon3.com is enabling “peeking over the neighbors’ fence” in Macedonian, Turkish, Greek, and English. The former also started a competition for news bloggers [mk, sq], ending Jan. 31.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Macedonia: Health System Software Vendor Lock-in · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Novica Nakov warned [mk] that the state discriminates against users of operating systems like GNU/Linux or Mac OS X, purporting vendor lock-in by forcing medical doctors to use the latest version of Windows as the only platform for the obligatory e-health card software [mk] by the Fund for Health Insurance of Macedonia.


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Macedonia: Twitter Hashtag for Prime Minister – #Ж · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

The Macedonian Twitter community is using the hashtag #Ж (uppercase of the Cyrillic letter romanized as Zh or Ž) as the shortcut symbol referring to the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.
The influential Twitter user Necovski explained [mk] how this came about on his blog Aerodromski son (Aerodrom Dream). It all started with the opening of the PM's official Twitter profile. A news item [mk] about it in the Nova Makedonija daily contained an error, stating that the account would be Жгруевскиникола (Zhgruevskinikola), “which stuck as a plank in the eye” of the Twitterers  (idiom based on a Bible verse from Matthew 7:3):
It is common knowledge among Twitter users, but we will explain that here too, that the nickname cannot be in Cyrillic – it must be in Latin and the character @ goes in front of it. Now anyone who has written at least two documents in their lives knows that experienced users use Macedonian, or English or American or whatever [Multilanguage Support], while only the beginners use obsolete customized fonts. Apparently the reporter, or the Journalist, wrote the article with combination of old fonts. The technical person in the newsroom used [some automatic tool to convert the whole text into appropriate Cyrillic version, which also converted the parts which should have remained in Latin] resulting in Жгруевскиникола, causing an uproar. The daily subsequently corrected the article's online version into the appropriate @GruevskiNikola, which counts as yet another victory of the critical eye of the Twitter community.
The Twitterers, as usual, adopted the hashtag #Ж as a trophy of this victory. (You create a hashtag by putting the prefix # to a certain word, making it easier to discuss and search about that topic within Twitter.) Therefore, almost all tweets related to the work of the Government or personally about some statement by the PM fall under the #Ж hashtag…
For instance, VidanaDesign and Stariot used the hashtag to discuss [mk] the scandal when a photoreporter of the Fokus daily revealed that the Members of Parliament from the ruling party received handwritten notes by the PM with instructions on what to ask him during an official Q&A session on the Cabinet's accountability (pictured note to Ilija Dimovski, MP).
A screenshot of a part of a conversation on whether a typo from PM's note will join the "hashtag alphabet"
The content of the PM's official Twitter profile mostly consists of announcements in Macedonian, written in third person (e.g., “Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski will make a speech at the meeting organized by Konrad Adenauer Foundation,” and first-person posts in English automatically generated through his Facebook profile (“I posted 13 photos on Facebook in the album…”). The obvious lack of personal touch and lack of care for the format of the medium, as the tweets are just truncated article titles, has not contributed to the regard for this profile.  In addition, “the PM” – or, to be more precise, the persons administering his profile – have never used “his” hashtag.
Examples of two basic kinds of tweets by the Macedonian PM.
Vlatko Vasilj, who has 1,086 followers, as opposed to the PM's 733, wrote [mk]:
This Twitter thing will make sense as long as I have more followers than #Zh!! :)
Another invocation of the hashtag involved the recent action of using plastic bottles to make a Christmas tree.  ArsovaM commented [mk]:
If our fir tree gets good ratings, #Zh could say the project was part of the [Skopje 2014 plan]
Necovski wrote an explanatory post [mk] quoted above in response to numerous inquires by novice or uninformed social media users about the meaning of #Ж, which also encroached on Facebook thanks to apps that automatically post tweets as statuses. He illustrated it with a collage by Sead93 and Banekoma [mk], featuring a parody of the famous quote of President Ivanov, who – when asked by journalists to define what he means by saying he advocates “reasonable compromise” in the name dispute with Greece – furiously retorted [mk] with the haphazard tautology: “Reasonable compromise is a reasonable compromise! I cannot explain that to you now!”
"What is #Zh? – #Zh is #Zh!"
Collage about Prime Minister's hashtag, featuring President Ivanov.


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Pakistan: Childhood Joys – Then and Now · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Rabia Tirmizey at The Paradigm House points out that the meaning of joy and happiness has changed tremendously for kids in Pakistan and even the bar for happiness has risen. Simple pleasures such as those enjoyed by children of the '70s to early '90s no longer suffice.

author: Aparna Ray


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Pakistan: On the Construction of Contemporary Pakistani National Identity · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Masood Ashraf Raja at The Pakistan Forum feels that unless Pakistan takes a critical look at its political history and restructures it's national narrative, it will continue to remain a nation that is perpetually in crisis.


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Africa: 10 West African Club Tracks · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This is Boima Tucker's 2011 10 club friendly Afropop tracks: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one song dominate a nation’s psyche like Junior Freeman and African Soldier’s “Dumyarea” did in Liberia this summer. Maybe it was because it was an election season, and all the politicians co-opted the song for their own campaigns…”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Argentina: New Anti-Terrorism Law Raises Concerns · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

A new anti-terrorism law is causing concern in Argentina. Lillie Langtry explains in her blog Memory in Latin America that, “the new package of measures is intended to combat financial crimes, but opponents are worried that its vague terms could be employed against legitimate protesters.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Argentina Tech Blogger Looks into ‘Death’ of Blogs · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Technology blogger Mariano Amartino [es] reacts to the post “The Golden Age of Tech Blogging is Over” by Jeremiah Owyang. He points out the irony that posts about “the death of blogs” are written in blogs, and asks: who defines what is or isn't ‘a blog'?


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Bangladesh: Suggestions for the New International Crimes Tribunal · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

The government of Bangladesh is planning to set up another International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) to help expedite trial of war criminals of 1971. Rumi Ahmed offers some suggestions in this respect, which he feels will enable the government to avoid the controversies dogging the current tribunal.


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Chile: Neighbors and Netizens Unite to Save Concon Dunes · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

Ever since the company Reñaca Concón S.A. (Reconsa) started its efforts to build a real-state complex on the delicate and unique ecosystem of the Concon Dunes [es] neighbors began their struggle to prevent this development. On December 27, 2011, their worst nightmare became a reality: the construction company began erecting a fence around the protected area.
But they weren't alone this time; the Chilean cyberspace was filled with protests against the closing and construction of up to 20 luxury apartment buildings [es] in the zone, thus adding to the claims made by the 50 neighbors that protested at [es] the building site.
Twitter user @Perro_del_Lucho [es] warned:
Amigos, que sea TT por favor #noalcierredunar GUAU. Empresa Reconsa está cerrando el Campo Dunar en estos momentos. Guau
Concon Dunes. Photo by Flickr user Claudio Alvarado Solari (§Claudio§) (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Friends, lets please make #noalcierredunar [no to closing the dunes] a TT GUAU. The company Reconsa is closing the Dune Fields as we speak. Guau
Javier Sanfeliu (@sanfeliu) [es] said:
No deja de asombrarme la falta de criterio, etica y moral de ciertas empresas. Pónganse al día, pulpos. #noalcierredunar
The lack of judgment, ethics and moral of certain companies doesn't cease to amaze me. Get updated you octopuses. #noalcierredunar
Pablo Andres Roldan Lopez posted on Facebook [es]:
Hoy es un día triste para Concón mi ciudad hermosa, es un día triste para Chile, es un día triste para el alma, es un día de realidad dura y pura, el dinero manda sobre todo, el dinero todo lo puede, el dinero es lo importante, lo que mueve al mundo, lo que enciende los corazones… hoy es un día triste, se cierran las hermosas Dunas de concon [sic] para ser hundidas bajo costosos edificios, edificios de lujo que solo habitarán aquellos que viven en el mismo círculo de aquellos que construyen en las dunas… y al pueblo, a los niños le quitarán los atardeceres sobre las duna [sic] mirando el sol… menos mal que la estrella está lejos y no se puede comprar.
Today is a sad day for Concon, my beautiful city, it is a sad day for Chile, it is a sad day for the soul, a day of harsh and pure reality, money rules over everything, money can do anything, money is what matters, what moves the world, what ignites the hearts… today is a sad day, the gorgeous Concon Dunes are being closed to be buried under costly buildings, luxury buildings that will be inhabited by the same circle of those who build on top of the dunes… and to the people, they are taking away the sunsets over the dunes for the kids, staring at the sun… thank goodness the star is far away and cannot be bought.
Some netizens gave away names of politicians or politician's relatives involved in the project: The Twitter account of the political program Difamadores (Slanderers) [es] (@difamadores) denounced the participation of a former minister:
¿Quién está detras [sic] del cierre de las Dunas de Concón? RE: 1 de ellos es el (DC) Edmundo Pérez Yoma #noalcierredunar
Who's behind the closing of the Concon Dunes? RE: 1 of them is the [politician] of DC (Christian Democratic Party) Edmundo Perez Yoma #noalcierredunar
While blogger @donliebre [es] announced the relationship of President Sebastian Piñera's cousin:
y quien era el abogado de la inmobiliaria y representante de los socios de RECONSA?: Herman Chadwick http://tiny.cc/q01tc [es] #noalcierredunar
and who was the lawyer of the real-estate firm and representative of the RECONSA partners?: Hernan Chadwick http://tiny.cc/q01tc #noalcierredunar
The demonstrations managed to stop the project for a while when some protesters tore down the fence, but the neighbors and activists demand the President expropriate the 19 hectares of the sanctuary or widen the protection to the whole ecosystem [es]. However, this last option could be the most difficult, as it was previously explained by Elda Arteaga in a post on the website Nuestro.cl [es]:
Como esto es de privados la única solución es que la Municipalidad les de unos terrenos a cambio, con una plusvalía equivalente.
Since this is private property, the only solution would be for the Municipality to give lands in exchange with a similar capital gain.
Dunes… (no + real state) Picture by Flickr user la yegua (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
On the other side, Reconsa's general manager defended the project in an article published by El Mercurio de Valparaíso [es]:
[…] quedará “rodeado por una avenida con un muro y/o reja perimetral que, por una parte, permitirán la contemplación del santuario, y por la otra, su protección, imposibilitando su acceso libre desde dicha avenida”. […] ha sido minuciosamente estudiado por los profesionales contratados por la empresa, de tal forma que el santuario se transforme en un valor para la comuna y la Región”.
[…] [the dunes] will be “surrounded by an avenue with a wall and/or fence on its perimeter that will, on one hand, allow the contemplation of the sanctuary, and on the other, its protection, by making it impossible to access from this avenue”. […] this [project] has been thoroughly studied by professionals hired by the company, so that the sanctuary can become an asset for the community and the Region”.
Red Duna Libre [Free Dune Network], a non-profit organization, published the video Let's save the Concon Dunes [es] with the objective of stopping the real-state development and protect this ecosystem. The video explains the environmental importance of the zone and summarizes how the lobby managed to reduce the area protected as a nature sanctuary [es] from 55 hectares to 19.5.
Also, Red Duna Libre (@dunalibre) [es] has already collected more than 50,000 signatures against the real-state project through this link. Follow the hashtags #noalcierredunar or #dunaslibres [#freedunes] for more reaction.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Chile: Netizens Report and React to Torres del Paine Wildfire · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

For days, a wildfire has been consuming thousands of hectares in national park Torres del Paine in Chile's Patagonia. Netizens are sharing reports and reacting to the news through #salvemostorresdelpaine [es] (let's save Torres del Paine) and ‘Torres del Paine’ [es] on Twitter.


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China: Police border control servers got hacked · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Feng37 from the Nanfang.com reports on the hacking of the Entry-Exit Department of the Guangdong Public Security Bureau (PSB) which has resulted in the leaking of 4.44 million pieces of information on the legal names, passport and ID numbers, dates of birth, home addresses and telephone numbers of those who have passed the border.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Egypt: 2011 in Blog Posts · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
The year 2011 is coming to an end, and with all the events took place in Egypt, it is important to list the most important or controversial blog posts of the year.
Maikel Nabil: “The Army and The People were never One Hand”
Maikel Nabil
This blog post by Maikel Nabil Sanad [ar] is important on many levels: Sanad was sentenced to jail for what wrote in that blog post, to be the first prisoner of conscience after the start of the Egyptian Revolution. Also, the post came less than a month after Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stepped down, when the moment the majority of Egyptians didn't criticize the military either out of fear or because they didn't see that they deserved any criticism.
What Sanad wrote in the post was challenging to the way many people used to see the military at the time. In the post, Sanad listed many examples of arrest and torture during and after the 18 days of the revolution that he saw as proof that the Army was never with the Egyptian revolution, and hence he was accused of “insulting the military institution and publishing false news about it” and “disturbing the public security” – crimes for which he was sentenced to three years in prison, which were then reduced to two years.
Sanad continues a hunger strike, which he started almost 130 days ago, against his sentence. Add to all this, the fact that his arrest is not getting enough support on the street and in the media, because of his controversial opinions in his blog posts. However, it was this blog post that opened the door for breaking the taboo of criticising the military, and since then it became normal to see blogs criticizing and attacking it [ar].
Mohamed Abo El-Ghait: “The Poor Come First Son of B*tches”
A #Jan25 Martyr
When I asked people on Twitter which blog posts they saw as the most important in 2011, this blog post [ar] was the second one to get recommendations after Maikel Nabil's post. It was written in June, a few months after the constitution amendments referendum. At the time, there was a huge debate on whether to have the parliamentary elections first and then let the parliament write the country's post-revolution constitution, or have a committee to write the constitution then have the parliamentary and presidential elections later on. The debate was huge, and reached its peak during the referendum.
Mohammed Abo El-Ghait wrote the post as he saw that the majority of those who participated in the revolution didn't care about such an “elitist” debate as their goal then was related to improving their living standards. In the post, he also did two important things, he first sort of coined that expression, which Alaa Abdel-Fattah used later on in another important blog post called “The Dream Comes First” [ar], as well as many others who played on this expression in their discussions. The second thing he did, is that he challenged that mindset that the Egyptian revolution was a peaceful revolution powered by the middle and upper class.
He started his post with photos of poor people, or what Egyptian call “Sarsageyya,” making fun of them because the way they dress, the background and the visual effects they have in those photos, then he shocked the readers by telling them that those photos are for martyrs who died during the revolution even though the media insists on showing the photos of the middle-class martyrs only.
Alyaa El-Mahdy: “Nude Art”
Alyaa Nude Photo
We can have a similar debate to that that took place among the board of the Society of Independent Artists regarding Marcel Duchamp's urinal whether what Alyaa El_Mahdy published in her blog post [ar] was art or not. However, this  post with the nude photographs of herself and some others is possibly one of the most visited blog posts in Egypt during this year. She has had more than 5 million visitors to her blog to date, and you can safely assume that almost all of those visits are to that specific post.
Alyaa has been featured and interviewed later on by many national and international newspapers, and Ahmed Abd El-Fatah also tweeted [ar] that the feature about her in Al-Masry Al-Youm English (one of the leading English-language newspapers in Egypt) got the highest number of visits in the newspaper's history. Her decision to publish nude photos of herself also ignited a heated debate online as well as offline. Personally, I know people who never read a blog post in their lives, yet have visited Alyaa's blog.
More Blog Posts
Three days before the beginning of the Egyptian revolution on January 25, and few days after the Tunisian one, Zeinobia wrote a list of lessons she believes we should learn from the Tunisian revolution. One day after Mubarak stepped down, and while people were celebrating their victory and leaving Tahrir Square back to their homes, Hossam El-Hamalawy wrote a post warning that the revolution is far from over. He also defended the workers’ right to strike, which he believes is an integral part the revolution just like demonstrations in the squares.
During the sit-in in Tahrir in July, Sandmonkey wrote a post entitled, “Tahrir: an Exercise in Nation Building“, in it he said that away from the political value of the sit-in as a sort of pressure to achieve the revolution's demands, those taking part in the protest were having a fascinating social experiment as “Tahrir was very quickly becoming a miniature-size Egypt, with all of its problems, but without a centralized government. And the parallels are uncanny”. He went on comparing the parallels, and ended his post saying:
basically if you are interested in figuring out what the problems facing our society and the best way to solve them, Tahrir is where you should be heading to right now.
Sandmonkey's post reminds me of that post of Obliviology, where she to some extent also described Tahrir Square but during the 18 days of the revolution this time. And finally, another interesting post is that of Karim Shafei [ar] – which was featured by Ayesha Saldanha here – where he described Cairo (the capital of Egypt) and in ironic way, compares it to mini-independent-states and not just a single city.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Tarek Amr


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Ghana: My Blogging Year 2011 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Swedish blogger based in Ghana discusses her blogging year 2011: The year started out on a strong note. In January, I learned about Free and Open Source Software for Academics and analysed the Ghanaian “happiness culture“.


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Ghana: Reading 52 Books in 50 Weeks  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Fiona reaches a milestone: 52 books in 50 weeks: “With two weeks to spare, today I reached my goal of reading fifty-two books for the year. A week ago I was beginning to wonder whether I would make it and then I discovered The Hunger Games and ploughed through three books in two days.”


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India: Growth of Online Shopping · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Arun Prabhudesai at Trak.in points out a Comscore research report which claims that 3 out of every 5 Indian Internet users now shop online.


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India: Some More Travel Tales in Images · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Freelance travel writer and photographer Arun sums up his India travels in 2011, through a series of images.


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India, UK: Killing of Indian Student in the UK Stirs Up Racism Debate · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

On Monday 26 December, 2011, Anuj Bidve, a 23 year old Indian student from Pune, was shot dead at point blank range, as he walked with friends near their hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester, UK. Witnesses reported that the killing was without provocation; apparently, the killer had stopped Anuj and had asked him the time and despite a polite response shot him in the head and ran away. Anuj's father said that the family first got to know of the terrible tragedy, via Facebook.
The incident, which is now being seen as a hate crime by the local authorities, has fired the racism debate once again. Netizens across India and the UK have reacted strongly to the murder.
A section of the Tweeple, both from the UK as well as India, expressed sorrow and sympathy at the incident.
@ciarandearden: The more I hear about the tragic murder of Anuj Bidve, the more disgusted I am by this heinous crime.
@MissLButtercup: To the family of Anuj Bidve I am ashamed this has happened in my country.
@LolaMariachi: Just back to Salford Quays after Christmas. Sad to see flowers up for Anuj and TV Vans parked up. Sad times.
@MichaelPayneUK Michael Payne My thoughts are with family & friends of Anuj Bidve, 23yr old Lancaster Uni PG student who was killed in an attack in Salford yesterday
@super_bhav: My thoughts go out to the family of #anuj #bidve so sorry for your loss #salford #shooting #mindless #violence
Others however, also expressed outrage at what they felt was the tragic outcome of  a racist attack. There was a strong call for bringing the culprits to book as soon as possible and mete out strong punishment that would act as a deterrent in the future.
@shekharkapur:  #Anuj Bidve's random killing in UK is a disgusting racist attack tht needs 2 b condemned. Whts happenin 2 British Society?
@tomilis: Sad to see death of Anuj Bidve in Manchester. World isn't safe for those with our skin colour anymore it seems…
@loserSamay:The killing of #Anuj in Manchester must be condemn and the culprits must be sentenced.i thought racist attack in Britain was thing of past.
@AmitabhTiwari:#Anuj Bidve's killing proves that only Indians follow the philosophy of atithi devo bhavah! (a guest is like God)
@scutts:What a cowardly act to shoot Indian student #Anuj #Bidve. Hope the scum are caught quick. #bringbackhanging
@davidmonkton: David Monkton Remember the family and friends of Anuj Bidve. His death in Salford makes us ALL sad that ‘crimes of hatred’ take place in our country
@OwenJones84: The horrendous murder of Anuj Bidve is being treated as a hate crime. No rest until all forms of racism are driven from our society
@chet_a_chet: The killing an Indian student Anuj Bidve in UK is being called a “hate Crime” here by the media. It was clearly a racial murder.
The police have already made a couple of arrests and have appealed to the community for their support in solving the case. They have also announced a reward against information on the killers. That there is support for the police investigation from the local community that feels shamed at this turn of events is evident from this tweet:
@Bethel76: I am proud to live in Salford. The shooting of Anuj Bidve is a terrible crime. The police have support of the communities. #prayforhisfamily
The topic of racism is being discussed and debated in forums and on Facebook as well. For example, in the forum YouBihar, Chalu Chamar writes:
It seems racism is still rampant in Modern British Society otherwise we would not be reading such news.
While some have been quick to generalize and paint the entire British society with  the same brush, there are also other voices which offer a more moderate and balanced point of view on the issue of racism. For example, Sumit Ranjan comments in the above-mentioned forum discussion:
My tributes to the innocent Indian killed. May God give strength and courage to his family, friends and loved ones to bear this great loss. On the topic, sadly, racism does exist in England. I have personally faced it on few occasions and I will not deny it. But, at the same time, I would also like to   say that the majority of the people are not racists. I have got many British friends who stood up for me and even fought some weirdo who had passed some racist comments at me recently in a pub and was trying to act smart. And btw, are we saying racism doesn't exist in India? That would be dishonest too… In my view, it’s a common problem.. but the extent of it may be different in different countries..
The debate as well as the investigation into the killing continues. In the meantime, Anuj's family is leaving no stone unturned to try and get his body back to India for performing his last rites.


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Iran: A petition for a jailed activist · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A petition is launched to support Mehrdad Karami, a jailed student and human rights activist in Zanjan (Iran).


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Iran: Rafsanjani’s site was filtered · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian news sites reported Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's site  was filtered. According to his brother, Rafsanjani's site managment had been asked to omit his last Friday Prayer sermon in 2009 when he called for release of political detainees. Rafsanjani, former Iran's president, is head of the Expediency Council.


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Iran: Student activist was released after 11 years · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Setareiran says Behrouz Javid Tehrani, a student activist who was jailed 11 years ago, finally was released from prison.


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Iran:”Parliament is like Animal House” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

From Your View reports  Behrouz Moradi head of government subsidies called Iran's paliament an “animal house”. The blogger writes with irony this guy was so polite not to call parliament a “stable”. He can become a moral teacher in Iran's government.


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Jamaica: a new prime minister · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

As Girl with a Purpose reports, the governing Jamaica Labour Party was defeated in yesterday's general election, and People's National Party head Portia Simpson-Miller is Jamaica's new prime minister — “a leader whose educational background is not as brilliant as her competitors,” observes Abeni from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, “but one who has that something which draws people.”

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Jamaica: why they lost the election · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Active Voice analyses yesterday's general election in Jamaica, explaining how Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the Jamaica Labour Party — who looked, a month ago, set to be returned to office — lost in a landslide to Portia Simpson-Miller and the People's National Party. “Let’s see if the PNP having gained such a huge nod from the electorate  will now put its mouth where its money is and really strike a blow for  equal rights for all.”


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Macedonia: Pioneering Battery Disposal Initiative  · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Greener, a Macedonian NGO, blogged [mk] about their pilot-project Go Clean [FB page, mk], which aims to grow into a national campaign for proper disposal of used batteries and accumulators.


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Nepal:No Place for Xenophobia · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Blogdai writes that Nepal should stop blaming foreigners for each and every woe that comes its way, since national unity cannot be based on xenophobia.


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Pakistan: Images from the Manghopir Shrine · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Blogger Karachi Walla shares some images from a visit to the Manghopir Shrine – one of the oldest Sufi shrines located in the suburbs of Gadap town, to the North-West of Karachi.


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Russia: AIDS Epidemic – “Shame Russia Shame” · Global Voices
Donna Welles

AIDS came to Russia after it hit epidemic levels in other regions of the world. During the Soviet era, population movements were restricted but that changed in the early 1990s. Russia registered its first case of AIDS in 1987; by the end of the 20th century there were an estimated 20,000 cases, and some estimates suggest that the number of AIDS cases in Russia has doubled every year since 1998.
Recent international attention has been directed toward Russia's healthcare system, the stigma attached to those infected, and Russia's drug policies; the country's geographic location puts it between Central Asia, where heroin is produced, and Europe, where it's sold.
'Red Ribbon' symbol of solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS. Image by Flickr user Andy McCarthy UK (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Writing for Foreign Policy Blog, Elizabeth Dickinson  put Russia's AIDS epidemic in context with a September 2010 post entitled, “Is Russia's HIV/AIDS problem worse than Africa's?”:
The New York office director of UNAIDS, Bertil Lindblad, is worried about the one region of the world where HIV infections are increasing, even as rates in the rest of the world level off. It's not in Africa or Asia, or even Latin America. It's Eastern Europe — countries like Russia and Ukraine — where a recent UNICEF report notes that increases in infection rates of as high as 700 percent have been seen since 2006.
“There is an urgent need for the whole Eastern European and Central Asian region to act quickly,” Lindblad said this morning. “This is really quite scary given the fact that there is denial, and so much stigma and homophobia [in that region.] This could really create huge problems if HIV continues to spread from smaller groups in the population to wider.”
The world is taking notice of the epidemic as evidenced by a Russian Embassy Protest Blog press release on December 5, 2011, pertaining to the World AIDS Day protests:
On World Aids Day, 2011, just a few short days ago, harm reduction organisations led by people who use drugs and supported by the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) gathered outside Russian embassies in cities across the world in the largest ever global show of solidarity by and for people who use drugs.
The protests, entitled ‘Shame Russia Shame’, was directed at Russia’s highly controversial drug policies which are believed to be driving the EEC regions HIV and TB epidemics. Injecting drugs with contaminated equipment is driving Russia’s HIV epidemic, now the fastest growing in the world and it is reflected in the numbers; as many as 80% of new infections are occurring amongst people who inject drugs (PWID), in a total HIV positive population of approx 1.3 million. With this in mind, recent projections forecast an additional 5 million people could become infected with HIV in the near future, unless Russia drastically transforms the way it is dealing with its HIV pandemic.
Masha Ovchinnikova posted a 2007 text for AIDS and Social Justice Blog entitled, “Harm Reduction Activism in Russia.” A former drug user living in Moscow, Ms. Ovchinnikova discussed the challenges drug users face in Russia when they seek treatment:
Many financial, bureaucratic and moral barriers keep drug users from being able to take care of their health, or sometimes their lives. People can’t receive any medical help at the usual clinics if they are “kicking.” If you want to go into a detox program, you have to wait a few weeks, sometimes more. You have to prepare a lot of documents and take some tests (including HIV testing). Then, there is no guarantee you’ll get good medicine — but what’s for sure is that you’ll be blamed and humiliated by the clinic staff.
Another problem is confidentiality of “drug user status.” You can’t get free treatment without official registration, but this list sometimes becomes available to the police. Although the situation has become somewhat better recently, the level of police abuse is still very high. Sometimes it’s still dangerous to buy a new syringe because the police are watching drug users near the pharmacies.
Psychiatrist Blog illustrated how the organisation of the Russian healthcare system inhibits effective AIDS treatment:
In my clinic, the psychiatrists work in rooms next to the medical doctors. Today in clinic, I spoke to Mark Sulkowski, infectious diseases doc specializing in HIV-hepatitis C coinfection. We have several patients together. I know I can knock on his door anytime he’s not with a patient to discuss a patient or the latest new drug for hepatitis C (we have two new protease inhibitors that will likely increase cure rates). We also have social workers and pharmacists and case managers and primary care docs and OB/GYNs and dermatologists and ophthalmologists and neurologists. And we all write in the same charts and manage the same patients together.
In Russia, no such system exists. Last week, we were discussing the tricky problem of managing patients with HIV infection, active tuberculosis, and active injection drug use. The biggest problem is there is no system. TB is treated in the TB clinic, HIV in the HIV clinic, and drugs in the “narcology” clinic (which is independent of both psychiatry and general medicine). And nobody talks to anybody else.
In a post entitled “AIDS in Russia – Why Russia is Particularly Vulnerable,” I discussed how Russian healthcare professionals are ill-equipped to treat those infected with HIV. Regional centers claim that they provide both pre- and post-test counseling, but that is not always the case, as illustrated by an account of a young woman in Nizhny Novgorod:
When I tested positive, I was completely shocked. I was told to go see a counselor. When I met the counselor, she said: ‘You are infected with HIV. Please be advised that knowingly spreading HIV is a criminal offense under Russian law. If you have unprotected sex and spread the virus, you will be incarcerated. Sign this document to show that you have understood.’ That was all the counseling I got. When I got in the hallway, I thought I would faint. I didn't know anything about ARV's [anti-retrovirals]. I found out about them only last year when I was in Moscow.
As in many countries, the attitude toward those infected with HIV/AIDS is a real issue. HIVnet.ru posted a music video intended to mitigate this stigma by showing how an attractive young couple coped with learning that they were HIV+. A popular Russian-language LJ blog discussed the issues [ru] surrounding the stigma:
In our society, there is a pattern in conduct directed towards people who are HIV+ in that they are effectively “buried alive.” Friends only contact those infected sparingly lest they too become infected. Any excuse would be used to expel [an infected person] from school and there's no way to find a new job. And the problem isn't even with the evil employers – you yourself would be the first ones to protest if a nanny at your kid's kindergarten is HIV-infected. […] Even doctors, who would seem to be knowledgeable people, deny people treatment if they recognize the patient has HIV.
But this is not the only problem – many people, fearing the stigma associated with infection, refuse to get diagnosed, and when they do learn their diagnosis, they conceal it, and this in turn leads to a rapid development of the epidemic. The only way to combat this is the re-education of society. […]

author: Donna Welles


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Singapore: Is it Flooding, or Just Ponding? · Global Voices
Kirsten Han

On 23 December, 2011, heavy rains caused flash floods in various parts of Singapore, including around the popular shopping belt Orchard Road. This was neither a shocking or particularly unexpected occurrence, since the first time it happened was in June 2010.
Liat Towers high-rise development, which had been previously affected, activated its flood barrier system, but the floodwaters continued to pour into the basement, reaching knee height. Businesses such as Wendy's and Starbucks were badly affected.
However, Singapore's Public Utilities Board (PUB) stated that “there was no flooding at Orchard Road”, but that water had “ponded” at Liat Towers and other low-lying locations:
Flood waters reached up to a height of 30 cm for some areas and generally subsided within 1 hour, except at Cambridge Road, Newton Circus and junction of Moulmein Road and Thomson Road in front of United Square where waters subsided by 6pm.  The affected areas are mainly low-lying areas.
There was no flooding at Orchard Road. However, water ponded at the open area of Liat Towers, the underpass between Lucky Plaza and Ngee Ann City, and the basement of Lucky Plaza due to the sustained heavy downpour
The use of the word “ponded” has led to much scorn and ridicule from Singaporeans online, with many tweeting under the hashtags #sgflood (as well as the new #sgponding).
@papayagirl: @mrbrown Ponding is when you can stand in it and complain. Flooding is when you are swept away by the water pressure. #sgflood
@MeilinS: According to PUB, I can now say that my work inbox is ponded by emails vs flooded with them. Thanks for the new word! #sgflood
@jB_Ng: I wonder if I rent a pushcart stall in Liat towers selling floats, would it be profitable? I'd pray for rain daily. #SgFlood#SgPonding
@contrabandkarma: See, Liat Towers has a nice little pond now. Just add fishes!
Photo from @contrabandkarma
@mrbrown: PUB is pleased announce that Singapore didn't flood yesterday. There was merely “water ponding”. #sgflood
Image from @mrbrown
@RealSingaporean also alluded to another recent Singaporean fiasco, the breakdown of SMRT trains:
@RealSingaporean: sooner or later, #smrt train faults will no longer be called “delays”, but “strategic pitstops” #sgponding #sgflood

author: Kirsten Han


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Somalia: Crimes against Journalists Increased In 2011  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

In a post published on december, 27th, The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) declares that: “In 2011, 4 journalists were murdered in Mogadishu alone, making it the only place where the utmost repulsive crimes against journalists were committed. A further 7 journalists were wounded, 5 in Mogadishu, while the remaining 2 were wounded in Bossasso and Galkayo.” Furthermore 19 medias worker were arrested and 7 media houses targeted with aggressive, repressive and violent actions.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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South Korea: Respected Leader of Korean Democratic Movement Dies · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Trinidad and Tobago: a lesson about strength · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

When Passion.Fruit sets out to rescue a trapped pigeon, a random encounter with a passing grandmother teaches her a lesson about strength, patience, and wisdom. “She cooed and comforted — nothing weak about her…. An accustomed unbinder of trapped limbs.”


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Yemen: Should the US Grant Saleh a Visa?  · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
A recent buzz among tweeps following Yemen news has been the issue of Honorary President Ali Abdullah Saleh's plans to travel to the US. In a Press conference, Saleh declared that he is fine and doesn't need any medical treatment, he plans to travel to the US to be away from Yemen during the elections. (An election with one presidential nominee, since the parliament with 80 members present only decided to close presidential nominations and recommended Vice President Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi as the only candidate!) When asked asked later on, in the same Press conference, by a reporter why he would be going to the US, he replied that he would be going for medical tests and possibly undergo some surgery.
Just as confusing as his remarks was also the confusion regarding whether he was granted a visa to the US or not. @gregorydjohnsen tweeted:
NY Times editorial board says give Salih a visa nyti.ms/tmSE1M Washington Post says no visa wapo.st/sa8ep0 #Yemen
The US State Department's official account on Twitter clarified that the request was still being reviewed:
@StateDept:
Despite contrary reports, US is still considering Pres. #Saleh's request to enter US for sole purpose of seeking medical treatment. #Yemen
A US presidential official said that Yemen's president Saleh could be granted entry to US but only for “legitimate medical treatment”. And many US editorials were justifying the reasons and perhaps paving the way for the State Department granting him access to the US, while a few highlighted how this could damage the US’ image.
@alruwaishan tweeted the Atlantic's point of view:
Why Obama Shouldn't Let #Yemen's President Come to the U.S. – The Atlantic bit.ly/uwJlRt #Saleh via @AddThis
The article notes:
Saleh's presence in the United States would be perceived as confirmation that he is America's man, and was remaining so no matter how much he had been rejected by his own countrymen. The United States would thus share in whatever opprobrium or hatred was directed at the former strongman. Any suspicion that Saleh was continuing to manipulate events in Yemen from afar would be accompanied by the belief that the United States was intentionally letting him do so. These perceptions would foster the image of the United States being on the wrong side of the popular tide that is the Arab Spring.
@WomanfromYemen, a Yemeni/American activist living in Yemen, tweeted her objection to Saleh's visit:
its hard for me to say im against any person receiving medical treatment even if it's a dictator, but (1/2) #yemen
For #saleh it appears not necessarily about medical treatment (that he can get anywhere else) but to save face & flex muscles (2/2) #yemen
@YemenPeaceNews tweeted:
Height of irony: US officials admit to being duped by Saleh on AQAP intel, and at the same time they're validating his visa request. 1/2
What Atlantic and NYT miss: moving Saleh to US as a free man, w Ahmad Ali and other kids still in #Yemen , would NOT improve situation. 2/2
Many Yemenis say the US doesn't care about democracy in Yemen and that it stands firmly behind the brutal regime and Saleh and that all the State Department statements stating otherwise are mere rhetoric.
@Snemyllas, a supporter of Yemen's revolution from the Netherlands, tweeted what many Yemeni strongly felt:
@Yemen4Change @weddady @JNovak_Yemen It shows #US doesn't give a damn about Yemenis, that's what counts. The ICC should be his destiny.
@Yemen4Change, a Yemeni/American living in the US, tweeted:
@Snemyllas The #US is trying to repaint its image n the MiddleEast & granting #Saleh visa is step backward 4 the #US @weddady @JNovak_Yemen
@SummerNasser, a Yemeni/American activist living in the US who also rejects the visit, tweeted news reports on what could be the consequences of the visit:
U.S. decision on #Yemen risks worsening violence edition.cnn.com/2011/12/27/wor…
Yemeni-Americans or Yemenis living in the United States who have been brutalized by the Yemeni regime are in the process of  filing a civil suit against Saleh said @alruwaishan:
Group Seeks to Bring Lawsuit Against #Yemen’s President When He Visits #USA for Medical Treatment undispatch.com/group-seeks-to… #Saleh
Mauritanian activist Naser @weddady says it all in his tweets:
Let's put it this way: Saleh is the last guest the US needs, lawsuit-prone, walking security risk, and a moral nightmare. #NoVisaForAli
A final question worth answering, had Mubarak, Gaddafi, or Bashar Al Assad requested a visa during the turmoil and killings going on in Egypt, Libya or Syria, would the White House have considered letting them visit the US, even if under medical grounds? I am sure the answer would be NO! Why is it any different when in comes to Saleh or Yemen?!
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: Noon Arabia


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Brazil: “We Have Overtaken the United Kingdom’s GDP. So What?” · Global Voices
Paula Góes

The news made headlines in virtually all media outlets in Brazil in the last week of 2011: Brazil has overtaken UK as the sixth-largest economy in the world. Quoting the December 26, issue of British newspaper The Guardian, the news reported on a forecast by the Centre for Economics and Business Research stating that the country will end the year with the sixth largest GDP worldwide: $2,500 billion.
Being the first time that Britain has lagged behind a South American country in this kind of ranking, the news evoked a humorous comment by Cebr Chief Executive Douglas McWilliams: “Brazil has beaten the European countries at soccer for a long time, but beating them at economics is a new phenomenon”.
In the country, the news also brought good humour, as shown by a collection of illustrations in Humor Político (Political Humour) [pt] blog.
Crowned Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil. Illustration by Alberto Alpino Filho, published in Yahoo! Brasil and republished with permission.
The Sarico Blog [pt] elected the news as the best of the year:
Esta é, sem nenhuma dúvida, a maior notícia de 2011. E esta boa nova é fruto de um trabalho de muitas mãos, começado há 20 anos. Construir uma nação como o Brasil, requer muitas mãos e um longo período recheado de altos e baixos e com muita dúvida. O País do futuro tem nome e cores e fala português.
Viva o Brasil!
No doubt this is the biggest news of 2011. And this good news is the result of the work of many hands, starting 20 years ago. Building a nation such as Brazil requires many hands and a long time, full of ups and downs, and with much uncertainty. The country of the future has a name and colours and speaks Portuguese.
Hooray Brazil!
For the financial manager Hamilton Silva [pt], Brazil heads to fifth place on the world league table of leading economies and a future even more promising awaits. He commented in his blog:
Todos esses fatores e um otimismo das autoridades levam o país a crescer muito mais que o previsto, ou seja, poderemos sim atingir uma posição mais confortável. A quinta posição econômica mundial revela que a nação brasileira deverá ter papel de destaque no Conselho de Segurança Permanente da ONU, deve ser ouvido de forma mais efetiva na OPEP e precisa ser respeitado quando for acionado na Organização do Comércio e outras. Deve ter papel destaque no G8, G20 e demais organismos internacionais, como FMI e Haia, enfim chegamos.
If Brazil is doing well in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) maths, the same cannot be said of its position in the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures quality of life in each country.  Economist Frederico Matias Bacic [pt] unravel the news, explaining why “we cannot boast.” He recalls that:
O crescimento do PIB mostra que ocorreu um aumento da atividade econômica (pode-se dizer que esse crescimento acarreta em geração de empregos e renda), o que é formidável, mas não mostra uma melhora social efetiva. Temos o sexto maior PIB do mundo, mas se olharmos o IDH (Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano) ocupamos a posição 84°, estamos atrás de países como Trinidad Tobago. México, Argentina, Bahamas. Se observarmos o PIB Per capita a nível mundial ocupamos a 76º posição.
O que quero dizer como essa pequena postagem é que existem índices econômicos/sociais mais importantes que o PIB para serem observados. Ter simplesmente um dos maiores PIBs do mundo não quer dizer, por si só, que estamos indo bem, é preciso olhar uma gama de dados, não podemos nos vangloriar em cima de uma única variável. Para ilustrar melhor o que quero dizer imaginemos o seguinte: que todos os países da África se unissem formando uma nova nação, com certeza, esse novo país teria um dos dez maiores PIBs do mundo, mas isso não quer dizer que se tornariam desenvolvimentos e socialmente justos. Seria apenas um grande país, com um grande PIB,  como uma grande população miserável, repleto de problemas sociais.
GDP growth shows an increase in economic activity (we can say that this growth leads to jobs and increased income), which is fantastic, but it does not show an effective social betterment. We have the sixth largest GDP in the world, but if you look at the HDI (Human Development Index), we occupy the 84th position, well behind countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Argentina, Bahamas. If we look at GDP per capita in the world, we occupy the 76th position.
What I mean with this little post is that there are more important economic/social indicators than GDP to be looked at. Having just one of the highest GDPs in the world does not mean, by itself, we are doing well, you need to look at a range of data, we cannot boast over a single variable. To better illustrate what I mean, imagine this: that all African countries unite to form a new nation. Of course, this new country would be in top ten GDP ranking in the world, but this would not mean that it would become socially developed and just. It would just be a big country with a large GDP, with a large, miserable population, full of social problems.
Illustration by Enio Lins, published with permission.
Also looking at other indicators, journalist Sérgio Utsch [pt] urges caution. He warns:
O perigo dessa notícia que atiça o orgulho nacional é a cegueira que ela pode gerar. Mais importante do que termos um bolo enorme é que todos consigam comer um pedacinho digno. O “adversário” que acabamos de ultrapassar na tabela do campeonato econômico conseguiu fazer isso, enquanto nós brasileiros nos afogávamos num imenso oceano cheio de corruptos, ditadores e incompetentes. Tudo bem que o fermento do bolo inglês não anda funcionando muito bem, mas por aqui, ao contrário do Brasil, a maioria já tem um pedacinho garantido.
Economist Rodrigo Constantino [pt] says one just needs to look around the country to see that there is nothing to celebrate in poverty, crime, illegitimate concentration of income through corruption and impunity, among other social problems. He asks:
Sim, somos o sexto PIB do mundo. Sim, passamos o PIB do Reino Unido. E daí? Com tantos problemas que nos saltam aos olhos diariamente, é o caso de perguntar: Who cares?! Alguém aí melhorou de vida após saber desta notícia? Então que tal voltarmos nossa atenção para a imensa quantidade de problemas que temos de resolver para tornar o Brasil um país melhor, mais próspero, livre e justo?
Daisy [pt] shows optimism without losing common sense. She even keeps the celebration for a more opportune time:
Vamos celebrar quando alcançarmos o mesmo padrão de vida dos britânicos!
Economy: Brazil overtakes the British. Illustration by Benett, published with permission.
According to the Cebr, the ranking of the largest economies is led by the United States, followed by China, Japan, Germany, France, Brazil and the United Kingdom. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Brazil's GDP in 2011 should amount to $2,518 billion, which confirms the projections of the Cebr. In 2010, Brazil was in 7th place, with $2,090 billion GDP.

author: Paula Góes


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Iran: “Law of Computer Crimes” and Parliamentary Elections · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian authorities warned web sites and blogs not to publish any content to encourage people to boycot or to protest the March parliamentary elections. The authorities published [fa] 25 categories of criminal content related to the next parliamentary elections. Read more about computer crimes in Iran.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Online Highlights from the Portuguese-Speaking World in 2011 · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

2011 has been another year in which bloggers and activists from a number of Portuguese-speaking countries have come together to report, translate and promote blogs and citizen media from all over the world. This article selects the highlights in the coverage of Lusophone countries on Global Voices over the last year.
Portuguese language and culture
In February we covered several blogs that gave voice to their love of the Portuguese language, paying tribute to the great variety of dialects spoken by more than 200 million people worldwide.
Hau nia lian, hau nia rain (My language, my country). Photo by Sapo Noticias Timor Leste (public domain)
In May the newspaper @Verdade, our partner in Mozambique, described Portuguese as a language that is bound up in what it means to be Mozambican.
In its coverage of Timor Leste, Global Voices examined the role of languages in asserting the identity of a country which has 16 national languages and dozens of dialects. Some blogs on Cape Verde also suggested that there are “distinct social functions” for both the language spoken by the people, Crioulo, and the official language, Portuguese.
Online demonstrations brought a more political dimension to bear on this issue, with heated reactions to the proposal for Equatorial Guinea to become a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, despite having a poor track record on human rights.
Brazil: Paths towards Development
In spite of the current global crisis, Brazil is experiencing a period of economic optimism fuelled by domestic consumption. In order to maintain this growth, ongoing development policy in the country has been putting pressure on the environment and human rights.
The social cost of the rising demand for biofuels: the indigenous Guarani Kaoiwa community of Laranjeira Nhanderu were expelled from their lands 14 months ago to make way for sugarcane plantations. Photo by Annabel Symington, copyright Demotix (10/21/10).
The Amazon rainforest is seen as potential land for agriculture and as a source of raw materials and energy. Brazil's new forestry code, which regulates the use of the country's forests, has led to concerns and public demonstrations against the encouragement of farming and deforestation. “Green” agribusiness focused on biofuels and the replacement of felled trees with eucalyptus plantations have been shown to be unsustainable practices in both social and environmental terms. The dispute for land provoked by agribusiness led to the killing of activists and indigenous leaders during 2011. Yet Brazil is persisting in exporting its agribusiness model to other countries, such as Mozambique, regardless.
Coverage of events surrounding the Belo Monte Dam certainly caused the greatest outcry this year, uniting environmentalists, indigenous people and Brazilians living alongside the affected rivers. Protests in the immediate area of the dam and in major cities attracted international attention and challenged the human rights policy of Dilma Rousseff's government. This action did not wane after construction of the plant began, but rather took on different forms, including an Occupy protest by the Tupiniquim people and court cases.
These and related issues have been organised into four special features: Forest Focus: Amazon, Dossiê Belo Monte [only in pt], Indigenous Rights and Global Development.
Portugal: Crisis, Austerity and Protests
From the “Scraping-by Generation” protest in March to participation in the global protests on 15 October, Portugal has seen its political and economic crisis reach unprecedented proportions in 2011, with the fall of a government and the EU committee coming into the country to effect the financial “rescue” of public debt.
Keep calm and protest: outraged protesters outside Porto Town Hall. Photo by the protest organisers, 15 October.
Netizens took to social networks to mobilise action against severe austerity measures and to speak out in opposition to the racket conducted by the rating agencies, but also to gain inspiration from other countries, such as Iceland, on other forms of public participation.
Having launched a page devoted to special coverage of the current situation, Europe in Crisis, in September, Global Voices has acted as a bridge between different languages and has facilitated greater dialogue between outraged citizens from European countries that are suffering similar problems.
Angola: 32 Years in Power sparks Protests
In Angola the sense of revolt against the 32-year government led by José Eduardo dos Santos is becoming increasingly palpable in the streets and on the internet. Protests would have begun in March had the government not been successful in pre-empting them.
In September the police used heavy force to break up a protest, resulting in at least 18 protesters receiving prison sentences. Against all expectations, the movement has regrouped, while the number of citizen reporters in the country is also on the increase.
Video uploaded to the post Angola: Videos of Repressed Youth Protest in Luanda
Internet and the digital culture in Brazil
The fruits of increasingly widespread access to the internet in Brazil were borne out in 2011 by many creative, collective and effective examples of action. One such case was the mobilisation of social networks to take down a paedophile blog, and the call put out on Facebook to join in the unique “Different People's Big Barbeque Protest” in an upscale São Paulo neighbourhood.
Protest poster which reads "We want to be Maria Bethania", organised by Leon Prado on Facebook.
The online arena has also been the scene for a number of less auspicious episodes related to digital culture. In January the Ministry of Culture announced that it was abandoning Creative Commons licensing on its site, a blatant step backwards in public policy on the internet and copyright. Shortly afterwards, in March, the same ministry allowed the famous signer Maria Bethânia to raise 1.3 million reais tax-free for the creation of a poetry blog, thereby rousing the ire of bloggers, the twitterati and activists involved in the cultural sphere.
Cases of online censorship continue to crop up and, on occasion, overflow into the non-virtual world, with attacks on bloggers who are critical of the authorities.
In December we became aware of renewed death threats made against Ricardo Gama, who blogs against cases of the abuse of power and other irregularities by the Brazilian police. Gama had already been shot in an attack in Rio de Janeiro in March. Towards the end of this year, many were not convinced by the reason of “suicide by hanging” given for the death of Hamilton Alexandre, a controversial blogger from Santa Catarina, and social networks are being used to call for a thorough investigation of the case.
In 2012 we will continue to listen to the stories that are being told by the citizens of the world through the internet, and to amplify them so that they reach a global audience. Our doors are always open to anyone who wants to get involved in what Super magazine earlier this year dubbed “one of the 10 coolest projects on the internet”.

author: Sara Moreira


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Philippines: Typhoon Sendong and Social Media · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Typhoon Sendong (international name: Washi) victims, their families, and friends, in the Philippines are using social media to look for missing victims, coordinate and document relief efforts, and record image and accounts of the destruction.
The flash floods caused by the typhoon in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in Northern Mindanao and Negros Oriental caused the deaths of 1,257 people, according to government data. Over 45,000 homes have been damaged, leaving thousands homeless.
Flood victims have utilized Facebook to help search for their missing loved ones. Photos and profiles of missing relatives and friends continue to be posted in the Facebook pages Sendong Missing Persons and Missing Persons of CDO and Iligan.
The Sendong Missing Persons page has since gathered 1,787 likes and 5,341 conversations as of this writing. The administrators, however, have advised the users of the page to coordinate with authorities and not rely on Facebook alone in finding their loved ones.
As noted earlier in Global Voices Online, blogs and social media networks have also been used to mobilize assistance for relief operations for the victims of Typhoon Sendong. Accounts of these efforts are also beginning to be posted online:
@mindanaoan @IamPinkEm my husband told me a story while they were distributing food at canitoan earlier today,wen evacuees receive food they would say “salamat au sir ha [thank you very much, sir], merry christmas” my husband said its heart warming for them to be greeted merry christmas by ppl hu lost everything
Various images and accounts of the destruction have continuously found their way online. In Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Foundation University video manager Mark Anthony Besario was able to capture the devastation brought by rampaging flood waters and posted this online in YouTube.
Pinoy Dog-Lover shares stories of how dogs saved humans during the disaster. One account is set in Iligan City:
Before the furious flood waters swept through their village, [the dogs] Aspins Loloy and Jackie immediately woke up their humans — scratching the door and barking loudly. Because of the dogs’ warning, Marrietta and her family were able to get to safety. They lost their home, but unlike most families affected by the flood, their family is still complete.
Ryan Chua uploads a photo of the devastation in Brgy. (village) Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro:
LiaAndanarYu comments on a photo of the same community: “There once was a home here. Kennedy Pacana of Tibasak, CDO owned that home. Then came Sendong”

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Global Voices Podcast: Brave New Year 2012 · Global Voices
Jamillah Knowles

Hello World and welcome to 2012!
In this edition of the podcast we take a look back over the year 2011, consider the similarities and differences between mainstream and new media journalism, learn about an inspiring Rising Voices meeting in Bolivia to support the development of an ethnically and socially diverse blogosphere.
We also set off on a two-wheeled journey around the internet!
Considering 2011
For citizen journalists, bloggers and commentators everywhere, 2011 has been an extraordinary year. It’s hard to imagine a time before now when our friends and contributors faced threats, arrests or violence on such a scale. Nor has there been a year so far when we have seen such influence and change in the sphere of online citizen media. For many of our own writers and friends here on Global Voices, times are still difficult, but let's have hope for perseverance and better times ahead.
Looking back over a year of Global Voices Online is no mean feat! Our deputy editor, Emma Brewin, talks about jumping into a wild torrent of global news, and which stories stood out for her during an extraordinarily busy year.
From mainstream to new media
The Global Voices regional teams are made up of writers, bloggers and media makers of mant different types. Some, like Thiana Bondo, a Global Voices author and translator from Bahia, Brazil come from a journalistic background. Our managing editor, Solana Larsen chatted with Thiana, who is currently based in London, about the differences between being a daily newspaper journalist in Brazil, and writing for Global Voices.
Supporting the indigenous web in Bolivia
In December, Rising Voices hosted a three-day event in Cochabamba, Bolivia for bloggers in Bolivia. The goal was to support the development of a stronger, and more diverse blogosphere. There were workshops and presentations on both technical tools and organising strategies. The meeting was in Spanish, and was called Conectándonos (getting connected).
Maria Mercado is a student and a volunteer who works with indigenous communities. She went to the meeting and told us what she learned. If you'd like to hear more, there is a wonderful podcast of the whole event on Rising Voices by our managing director Georgia Poppellwell, and Rising Voices director Eduardo Avila.
Get on your bike with us!
You may think that we are separated by distance and only connected by the internet, but it seems that we also have some healthy habits in common. Ever prepared with her recording device, Solana Larsen discussed the wonders of getting around by bicycle with Global Voices executive director Ivan Sigal. As Ivan explains, the online cycling community is a vibrant one.
Naturally this meant that I had to ask our stunt-cyclist-audio-contributors to share with us their thoughts on two wheels.
Cyrus Farivar an American journalist currently living in Germany, and the author of “The Internet of Elsewhere” chatted with us about cycling – directly from the seat of a bicycle. In Denmark, Maria Grabowski Kjaer shared the sounds of the city where cycling is celebrated. Cycling for Maria is not just a mode of transport but a way of life.
Well, that wraps it up for our first podcast of the new year. We’ll be chasing audio and chatting about the world’s news and habits online throughout 2012, so do stay tuned and always let us know what you’d like to hear. For now, inspired by our two wheeled wonders, I’m off to try and learn how to ride my bike without being a danger to myself and others!
Music Credits
In the podcast you can hear lots of lovely Creative Commons music. Thanks to Mark Cotton for his fantastic creations and thanks also to all of the wonderful voice over performances and clips that help to glue the podcast together.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS

author: Jamillah Knowles


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Macedonia: Nokaut Concert in Blogosphere · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Vasil Buraliev blogged [mk] about the much-praised concert of the Macedonian rock band Nokaut (Knockout), sharing the good impression of the media reviews about the band (linked to through the post), but also adding candid details about some of their guests on stage.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Philippines: Happy Rizal Day Twitter Trend Draws Criticism · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

#Happy Rizal Day became a trending topic on Twitter on December 30, 2011, a holiday commemorating the death anniversary of the Philippines’ national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. While this could be taken positively that many still remember Rizal, some have criticized the use of the saying “Happy Rizal Day” to commemorate the day of his death.
Inday Kayla laments how some Filipino social media users have mistaken Rizal Day as the national hero's birthday. She posts a portion of her Twitter timeline to underscore her frustration:
The worst, those were just a few. Seeing their tweets makes me faint, it breaks my heart. I’m pretty sure, your AP/PH teacher feels the same thing, too. And Rizal feels a lot more pain than we do. Truth be told, many Filipinos have disregarded the true meaning of this day, the martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
In Between Columns finds it ironic that Filipinos would greet each other “Happy Rizal Day” on the day he was shot to death by the Spanish colonizers:
To me, saying “#Happy Rizal Day” only means the present Twitter generation vaguely remembers Rizal as a Philippine hero. They don’t anymore recall that December 30, 1896 was the day the Guardia Civil shot him to death…
It seems Filipino during the time of Twitter and other forms of social media are more content with mere exchanges of “Happy Rizal Day” to commemorate our country’s historic turning points.
El Lobo Filipino also shares the same sentiment:
Several of these “greeters” told me that they are celebrating his heroism and what he’s done for the country. I told them that if that’s the case, then the greetings would have been more appropriate on Rizal’s birth date – June 19. And this year, the country did celebrate the hero’s 150th birthday.
Daniel de la Rosa meanwhile calls for the shifting of Rizal Day from December 30 to the national hero’s birthday on June 19:
Well, one could argue December 30 is the day of his martyrdom, which inspired the revolution to greater fervor and was a fitting climax to his life. I would think June 19 would serve that too and affirm the greatness of a Filipino who rose to such heights. On a practical note, June 19 is the start of the school year in the Philippines, and you can weave all sorts of classroom projects around Rizal’s life.


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2011: The Worst Year in Malawi’s History? · Global Voices
Victor Kaonga

When the year 2011 began, everyone hoped for better amidst fuel, foreign exchange and political challenges in Malawi. This led some Malawians to choose chigubu (a jerry can for fuel) as the most popular item in 2011.
At the beginning of the year most Malawians did not expect that the fuel lines would be even longer at the end of the year. This has reflected the growing economic challenges in the country subsequently affecting people across the country.
The temperature in the political sphere became even hotter as the year progressed with campaign for the 2014 presidential election already set amidst a growing rift between the president and his vice president.
Several bad laws such as the Injunctions Bill, which restrains Malawians from getting temporary reprieve from courts against the government, were introduced much to the dislike of many Malawians.
Police versus academic freedom. Source: Joseph Banda's Academic Freedom in Malawi Facebook page.
Media practitioners became even more resolved to write and publish despite growing intimidation by ruling party functionaries. Some journalists decided to simply withdraw or demonstrate self-censorship.
Malawi's diplomatic relationship with its major donors, including Britain, hit a low point with the expulsion of the British Ambassador to Malawi.
The battle for academic freedom grew stronger and the intelligentsia finally won the battle when the Chancellor swallowed his pride.
The country's human rights record got worse with 21 people dead in July following anti-government protests, which were the first of their kind in democratic Malawi and resulted in the highest known number ever killed by security forces in Malawi.
As 2011 came to a close, few had reason to celebrate the festive season in style. Some have offered prayers for Malawi hoping for better in 2012. Others look back with pain, relieved it has gone.
Bloggers across the world have keenly followed the events in Malawi. Some decided to avoid posting about the problems but many had the courage to blog on Malawi.
Glad 2011 is going
Vincent Kumwenda stated:
Very bad decisions were made in the year like the expulsion of the British Ambassador, the bad laws which were passed by our honorable members of parliament. Malawi could have done better without these decisions and our governance and socio economic problems could have been averted.
While on Zachimalawi, journalist Richard Chirombo posted President Mutharika’s picture with a prayer:
As we prepare to enter the New Year, our prayer should be: ‘God, as you bless other nations, do not forget us. Do not forget Malawi”- Malawi's President, Ngwazi President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Fuel crisis
Boniface Dulani advised the government to discuss ways of solving the long-standing fuel crisis. In a blog post titled ‘zones zimatha nkukambirana‘ (Discussing issues can sort out the crisis), he suggested that Malawi should address the underlying concerns that led to problematic relationships with donor countries:
Going to the World Bank and the IMF with the sob-story that Malawi is hurting without addressing the concerns that led to the suspension of the Extended Credit Facility, ECF, in the first place is just wishful thinking. Merely meeting donors and asking them to resume aid when we have taken zero steps in addressing the concerns that led to the suspension of aid in the first place reflects myopia of the highest order.
Let us act and address the challenges and concerns that got us into the current situation. We can then have something to discuss. Until then, Mr Gondwe and your likes, you are increasingly being revealed to be the jokers that you are.
As the year was getting to a close, Ndagha was surprised that he could easily fill up the tank. He took this as a Christmas gift:
Today on my way from a Christmas church service, I saw a short fuel line at gas station within my residential location. I could not believe that there was petrol and the line was that short. I quickly dropped my family members home and rushed to the gas station. Anxiously on the fuel line, I kept wondering how much they were to allow me to purchase.
As my turn came, I told the attendant to fill the tank. I had just decided to borrow the money if I was to fill up, I could not believe he accepted and filled it. I paid and drove off. This was the shortest gas filling opportunity at a gas station in more than four months! Of course the shortest but expensive are those fuel vendors.
Academic freedom
As reported earlier, the fight for academic freedom was one of the major areas for low points for the Mutharika administration in 2011. While majority were not happy with his conduct during the crisis, he nevertheless had support from some including Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Director General Bright Malopa, whose position is no surprise.
Malopa, wanting to play good boy to the powers that appointed him, played down the academic freedom fight in his article titled ‘Disappointed with the conduct of Chanco staff Union‘:
It seems straight here that the current regime is tolerant therefore pausing no threat to academic freedom and democracy at large. The essence of the current regime it seems has always been a belief in human nature as distinct from abstract ideology. And the essence of human nature is adaptability, flexibility, ingenuity. I have no reason to doubt that the current adminstration’s policies throughout the last seven years have been designed to give these virtues room to grow. Now People have all the freedom they wanted on planet earth. The only trouble though is that they don’t know what to do with it.
Other netizens had own views most of which were contrary to Malopa’s view.
Human rights
Right from February, civil society wanted to lead demonstrations against growing economic and social problems in the country. The protests were banned while some of their civil society leaders were silenced. As the year progressed, Malawians could not remain silent. Possibly inspired by the protests elsewhere in the world, July 20 was set.
Even though the government tried to stop them, the justice system smiled on Malawians. The security forces handled this badly leading to deaths of about 21 people and over 300 injured following city-wide demonstrations in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Zomba and Karonga.
Journalist Kondwani Munthali chronicled the events as they happened in Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe on July 20. In a personal post titled ‘Malawi Violence: July 20: What I witnessed‘, Munthali gave account of the events of the day:
'United for Peaceful Resistance Against Bad Economic and Democratic Governance'. Image courtesy of 'DEMO YA TIYENI TONSE PA 20 JULY' Facebook page.
10.14 We arrive at Zodiak station and the offices are disserted, with Emmanuel Chibwana we start off to Lumbadzi where the riots are intense. We are warned 1km away from the trading not to proceed. We Abandon the vehicle and walk to the riot zone. A body is lying on the streets and PTC and other shops are on fire.
Eye witnesses say the man was a builder who had gone to watch the riots.
Police stop us from taking photos.
11.30 We get a call from a Circulation officer that another man has just been shot in Chilinde. I trace the man he was with my childhood friend Suzgo Kwelepeta and they were talking of business when a Policeman shot him on the mouth. He died instantly.
12.00 We return through Area 25, where we meet a Red Cross vehicle carrying a semi conscious man allegedly shot by Police. Everyone tells us of stories of tear gas being thrown at people’s houses.
Many feared for this day and it has since been a bad reference point for the Mutharika regime. Broadcast stations were ordered to stop covering the events live. It was tense.
Was the freedom of expression and the right to information assured? Following what happened, some journalists decided to take a low profile for fear of reprisals following threats from the ruling party sympathizers. What remains to be known is whether this trend will continue in 2012.
Bad laws
For reasons best known to the DPP-led government and its legislators, several bills were enacted into law in 2011. This led the Public Affairs Committee to describe the year as the worst in governance. Thankfully, the government has moved in to review bad laws. The zero-deficit budget was introduced last year, debated heavily and eventually passed. This was possibly the first time that most Malawians heard about the Zero Deficit Budget.
As Malawians enter 2012 it remains uncertain as to when the fuel, forex, economy, human rights, political and energy problems will be overcome. Certainly the majority would want this be a passing phase for a better Malawi in 2012.

author: Victor Kaonga


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Bhutan: Drug Shortage · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tshering Tobgay analyzes the recent shortage of medicine in Bhutan and the lack of efficient drug procurement system.

author: Rezwan