text:
The Deaths of Four Siblings Shines a Harsh Light on China’s 60 Million ‘Left-Behind’ Children · Global Voices
Jack Hu

Sixty million children are left behind in rural areas while their parents work in big cities. Screen capture from a documentary on left-behind children directed by Jiang Nengjie.
China's gigantic economy isn't the only thing making headlines around the globe. The country's increasingly serious social problems are also drawing the world's attention.
Four siblings, a boy and three girls aged between 5 and 13, were found dead on June 9 in Bijie, a city in the southwest province of Guizhou. The children took their own lives by drinking pesticide and a suicide note written by the eldest boy was found, according to local police report.
The four siblings’ story was typical of the 60 million children in China whose parents have left them behind to find work elsewhere. Their father, Zhang Fanggi, has been a migrant worker for 10 years and only returns home twice every year. In 2013, their mother had an affair and left the family. Though the father sent money home regularly and the local government claimed to have provided financial support to the family and visited the four children regularly, they were deprived of love and care.
“Thanks for your kindness, I know you treat me well, but I should go. I’d vowed to leave the world before I turned 15. Death is my longtime dream. All things are cleared today,” read a suicide note reportedly written by the 13-year-old brother.
The boy was born in Bijie, and the three girls were born in southern Hainan province where the couple had worked. The couple eventually took all their daughters (deemed illegal by the country's one-child policy) home and paid the fine for violating the policy.
About half of the 2,480 farmers in the remote village leave for jobs in big cities. The primary school where the siblings went has 158 “left-behind” children.
China’s Premier Li Keqiang ordered an inquiry into the case to prevent incidents like these from happening again. Several local officials in Bijie have been punished and sacked. But many have expressed their impatience on social media over the government's failure to address the problem earlier.
Experts have called on the government to provide more social benefits to the country’s migrant workers and to ensure that children can go with their parents as they migrate to other cities for work. However, the children of rural migrants are still barred from attending schools in many cities.
No other place in the world has such a huge group of children left behind, separated from their parents for years. A majority are tended to by old grandparents or relatives while about 2 million children live by themselves without any guardian. These children often suffer health and psychological problems.
Guo Yuguan, a research fellow with China Society of Economic Reform, explained the root cause of the problem back in 2012, when a similar tragedy happened in the same city — five left-behind boys, aged 13, 12, 11 and nine, were found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning after lighting a fire inside a rubbish bin to keep warm on a winter night.
发生在留守儿童身上的悲剧太多了，这五个小孩我们已经看到了，还有很多农村留守儿童，女孩受到性骚扰、男孩被犯罪集团胁迫，这种案例很多，问题的根源就在于不允许这些孩子系统地进入城市。
Too many tragedies have taken place for the left-behind children, we saw what happened to the 5 kids. There are more distressing stories, girls having been sexually assaulted, boys having been coerced to commit crimes. The root cause is that the government has forbidden left-behind children from accessing the cities’ education system.
Yet the government doesn't take to those promoting reform kindly. Xu Zhiyong, who advocates for equal education rights, was jailed for his work last year, and the government's crackdown on rights groups continues. These human miseries have not been addressed and remain unsolved.
As state media outlets stressed that the death of the siblings had nothing to do with poverty, people online seemed to lose much of their patience with the government. Below is a selection of comments one of the news threads on China’s Twitter-like Weibo. Many criticized government policies including rural development and education:
别再找借口2013：央视说与贫穷无关，低保卡上有3500元低保金，腊肉和不断出现的粮食画面，自圆其说是父母感情不和 […] 央视怎么能推卸责任？四名儿童服毒自杀社会怎么能没有责任？政策法规怎么能没有问题？央视怎么不引导社会和政府反思？推进社会公平，使政府承担更多的责任
“Don't find excuse 2013″: How can state TV say it had nothing to do with poverty and that their poverty subsidy account still had 3,500 yuan [approximately 550 US dollars] and there was dry meat and grains in the house. It put all the blame on the parents […] How can CCTV deny [the government’s] responsibility? Isn't society accountable for four children choosing suicide by drinking pesticide? Why doesn't TV encourage society and government to reflect upon the problem and advocate for a fairer society in which the government bears more responsibility?
不再有你-：一部分先富起来带动剩下来的。。。结果现在富的越富，穷的越穷。差距让人之间距离越来越大。。。国家最有钱。。。。。可是那并没有用
“A world without you”: [The government advocates that] people who get rich at first should help the rest. But now the truth is the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. The wealth gap separates people more and more. The government becomes wealthy, but it’s no use for common people.
熊子方同：那些说父母不对的人什么心态 你们有想过父母的感受么 因为贫穷不得已出去打工 难道他们不想让孩子在自己身边么？ 没有户口带在身边能上学么？ 你们以为外来务工人的子女上学很容易么？ 户口 借读费 没那么容易 ！大家对留守儿童多一些关爱吧
Xiong-zi-fang-tong: Do you understand those parents’ feelings? Out of poverty, they have to leave their hometown for employment in the city. Don’t they want to be together with their children? But the household register system bars their children from accessing the better schools in big cities. Please give more care to the left-behind children.
卷子蛋蛋：为什么一定要等出事了才去重视这些问题，贪官家里堆满了人民币，而我们社会底层的人却连吃饭都是个问题，无法选择出生的孩子成了牺牲品父母无知无能是错，政府不管不顾也是错阿
“Egg roll”: Why does [the government] only pay attention to this problem when terrible things like this happen? The houses of corrupt officials are brimming with cash, while people at the bottom of society suffer and starve. These children, who can't choose their parents, become victims. For the parents, it’s a mistake born of ignorance and inability, and for the government, it's a mistake born of negligence.
As public anger still simmered about the tragedy in Bijie, another horror involving a left-behind child was exposed. An 11-year-old left-behind girl was sexually assaulted by 18 old men for years in a village in Guangdong province.
Chinese media have revealed more and more cases of sexual assault against children, with 1.38 cases per day last year, according to official data. Above 1,000 female children under 14 have suffered sexual assaults just in Guangdong province alone during the years 2009-2012, according to local media outlet Caixin. An annual average of 90 children sexual assault cases have been tried in the provincial capital of Zhengzhou in central China during the past three years, largely involving left-behind and migrant children.
The Chinese criminal law “whoring with a girl under the age of 14″ has allowed some of the perpetrators of these sexual assaults to avoid severe punishment. In the case of the recent sexual assault in Guangdong, some villagers blamed the girl for seducing the men and called her a whore. When the story broke on television, Weibo exploded with outraged comments:
柳衣衣：只想说，中国那条“嫖宿幼女”的法律真的可以被评为“史上最恶心条例”，没有之一！！！若真的是有心保护儿童，这种连畜生不如的人判死刑都没人会同情！
Liu Yiyi: The Chinese law “whoring with a girl under the age of 14” is the most disgusting provision. Those bastards would get no sympathy even with the death sentence.
嘟嘟胖豆豆：这是中国农村的现状，可悲可叹
“Bean mixed”: It’s the current situation of China’s countryside. Sad and pitiful
澜嵐：当时看的时候真是咬牙切齿恨不得这些傻逼去死，哪那么多理直气壮的傻逼，这不是懂不懂法有没有受过教育的问题，而是人性中暴露出的东西太让人恶心！
Lan Feng: I curse these bastards to death. This is not about whether they were aware of the law or educated, it’s about what has been exposed about humanity that makes me disgusted!
Sadly, both the death of the four siblings and the sexual assault are just the tip of the iceberg. Similar tragedies will unfortunately continue to befall China's 60 million left-behind children as long as they are left with no love or care.

author: Jack Hu


text:
‘The Worst Crowd Control I Have Ever Seen’: Football Match Versus Australia Highlights Kyrgyzstan’s Public Order Problems · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

Kyrgyzstan's national stadium, Spartak, when it is not hosting the Australian national team. Taken from user-generated content producer Snipview.
“Now you can understand why we have already seen two successful revolutions,” writes Nurlan Bolturukov of the chaos outside the ground on June 16 as Kyrgyzstan took on Australia — one of the biggest matches for the Central Asian state in its 22-year history — in a FIFA World Cup qualifying game.
In the end, Kyrgyzstan gave the ‘Socceroos’, currently champions of Asia, a good game. Trailing 1-0 at half time, Kyrgyzstan conceded a second Australian goal in the second half before registering a consolation goal with an impressive strike — direct from a corner kick — towards the end of the game.
But popular demand for the game was high and the Kyrgyz authorities are not known for their ability to control massive crowds. For the duration of the match, hundreds of fans that had paid for tickets — some local, some that had travelled from Australia — were left standing outside the ground being pegged back by police while people that presumably had not paid anything scrambled over the fencing into the stadium.
In the video above, made by Kyrgyz media outlet Kloop.kg, the first interviewee, speaking in Russian, says:
We recently bought many tickets having come to support our football team, but it seems it was not destiny. Why? Because a huge number of people got into the stadium without tickets, I guess, using the available infrastructure surrounding the ground. Look at the tower – capture the people there. And none of this happened without the help of our kind-hearted police.
As he is speaking three people walk past criticising the organisers.
The third interviewee, also speaking in Russian promises to sue the organisers and the security services:
Here we observe the elemental lawlessness, disorganisation and all-out anarchy in this country. Even a fun event like football — they made such a big advert [of this match] even this they could not organise […] It is the most vivid representation of today's authorities and their security services.
The videos below show people climbing over the gate into the stadium and angry fans who have paid to see the game with their families remonstrating with security guards.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Chris Rickleton


text:
Why Did South Africa Let Wanted Sudanese President Bashir Leave the Country? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sudanese President Omar al Bashir arriving in Juba, South Sudan in 2011. Photo released by Al Jazeera under Creative Commons (BY-SA 2.0)
The drama involving Sudanese President Omar al Bashir has taken many twists and turns. Bashir was attending African Union talks in South Africa when a local court issued an interim order stopping him from leaving the country until it hears application for his arrest. Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes.
He defied the court order and left the country. There were laughter in the court in Pretoria when the bench hearing his case was told.
A local news channel has reported that Sudan held hostage South African troops in Sudan over the issue. A high court in Johannesburg has given the South African government seven days to file an affidavit explaining how president Bashir left the country.
Opinions are sharply divided between those who are accusing the South African government of defying a court order and violating its own constitution and those who portray the ICC as an instrument of Western imperialism.
A former aide to ex-South African President Thabo Mbeki listed on his blog reasons why it would have been “ill-advised” for the government to arrest Bashir, including:
By comparison, the US government does not arrest foreign Heads of State and Government, even when it has sanctions over them, when they attend the UN General Assembly every September. They would, without doubt, weaken and eventually destroy the UN were they to do so.
Botswana is the only country in Africa which has made it clear that Bashir will be arrested and handed over to the ICC if he visits the country.
Commenting on his post, Gift Mangwale argued that the ICC unfairly targets black presidents. He wondered why no one has been arrested for war crimes in Iraq following US invasion of the country:
indeed ICC is meant for black presidents only. first W Bush killed Saddam to avenge his father but disguise that by saying there is weapon of mass distruction in Irag which were never found but, till to date no one was arrested. colonel Gaddafi was killed. Tony Blair was never tried by the ICC. why only African leaders. maybe the name should be changed to ACC (African criminal court)
However, Simon Ndaba argued in the blog's comments section the government should show an example in respecting court decisions:
Well. South Africa has deified the court orders by not making sure that ALBASHIR does not leave the country. It has led by example. When people start doing the same, will they drop their jaws. Government should be in the fore front of upholding constitutional obligations.
Arnold Baldwin argued the African Union is simply a way for the continent's dictators to protect each other:
Africa’s hatred of the west is deepening by the day. A.U is just a club for dictators and they got each other’s back. Someone has to make these so called African leaders to accountability and its not the A.U. Who is gonna talk for the dead of Darfur?
Bashir, who came to power in 1989, became the first sitting president to be indicted by the ICC. The court issued an arrest warrant for him on March 4, 2009, for war crimes committed during the civil war in Darfur before the referendum that divided Sudan and South Sudan. The Sudanese government does not recognize the authority of the ICC.
On Twitter, Paul Van Wyk said Sudan blackmailed South Africa:
It seems as if the Sudanese blackmailed SA with a full scale war – and the possible death of 1400 of our soldiers – in Sudan #AlBashir
— Pauli Van Wyk (@PaulivW) June 16, 2015
Africa does not want to uphold atrocities but simply solve its problems without the West's involvement, wrote Outside Rockstar:
No one said we endorse what #AlBashir is doing in his country but the AU wants time to resolve the problems without EU interference.
— Outside Rockstar (@RafaTeko) June 16, 2015
Dipheta called the whole affair “nonsensical”:
@pierredevos This whole Al Bashir arrest drama is a nonsensical, embarassing episode that must never be repeated in SA eved again.
— Mashomane ‘a Dipheta (@twieterazzi) June 16, 2015
Akumu Fiona said Bashir being allowed to leave downplays Sudanese lives and deaths:
Ridiculous is #Al-bashir going scot-free because we are trivializing #Sudanese lives and deaths http://t.co/MNhakTJt2n http://buff.…
— Akumu Fiona (@AkumuFiona) June 16, 2015
Trevor Ncube referenced the thousands upon thousands who risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe:
My people perish in the sea escaping inhuman existence created by our leaders. And we think it's a Western plot arresting #AlBashir SMH
— Trevor Ncube (@TrevorNcube) June 16, 2015
Gontse Manyelo argued that what was done, was done:
@ZeldalaGrangeSA this airheads who want to save spilled milk, give it up Al.Bashir is home and Sudanese are rejoicing
— Gontse Manyelo (@g4leano) June 16, 2015

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
A New Mesoamerican Film and Radio Festival Is Spreading the Word About Indigenous Struggles · Global Voices
Giovanna Salazar

The Community Film and Radio Festival is dedicated to the expansion of new media that shows the struggles of various indigenous groups for the conservation of their land and the preservation of their culture. Photograph taken from the “El lugar que habitamos” Facebook page and published with permission.
The first-ever Mesoamerican Community Film and Radio Festival kicked off last week, opening under the banner, “El Lugar que Habitamos” (The Place We Live In). In four days, from June 10 to June 14, the festival visited ten communities in Oaxaca, Mexico. Next, the festival travels to Mérida and Chiapas on June 25, for another four days, before heading to Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
The festival's program offers the following summary of what audiences can expect:
Frente a las empresas mineras, petroleras, farmacéuticas, agrotóxicas, eólicas y turísticas; a los proyectos de desarrollo de los organismos financieros internacionales; a los medios masivos de control y a los ejércitos formales e informales con que buscan imponernos su lógica de muerte, comunicadoras y comunicadores que habitamos esta Mesoamérica que resiste celebrando su historia, su cultura y la vida, damos testimonio a través de las miradas reunidas en esta muestra de la brutalidad del despojo y de la opresión, de las luchas incesantes de nuestros pueblos y de la belleza de la esperanza.
In the face of mining, oil, pharmaceutical, agritoxic, wind power, and tourism companies—of international financial organizations’ development projects, of the mass media's control and the official and unofficial armies that seek to impose their death logic on us—we, the communicators who live and resist here in Mesoamerica, celebrating its history, culture, and life, bear witness, through the reflections gathered at this Festival, to the brutal plunder and oppression, the incessant struggles of our peoples, and the beauty of hope.
The festival is being run by Ojo de Agua Comunicación, which specializes in training, producing, and distributing audiovisual media for small communities and indigenous groups. The event opens with a screening of the documentary Huicholes: Lós Últimos Guardianes del Peyote (Huicholes: The Last Guardians of Peyote), a film about the Huichol people's spiritual and political struggles. Earlier this year, it arrived in Europe.
At a  press conference, Paola Morales, the festival's coordinator, shared the following:
El festival expondrá el trabajo de radialistas, cineastas y videoastas que dan voz a las situaciones que enfrentan diversas comunidades de América Latina en relación a la defensa del territorio, las mineras, los derechos humanos y la equidad de género.
The festival will expose the work of radio-, film- and, video-makers who are giving a voice to the situations confronting many communities in Latin America: defending their territories, mining, human rights problems, and gender equality.
“The Place We Live In” is the scene for innumerable community, black, indigenous, feminist, and radio initiatives, many of which are formed by networks committed to consensus-building around the defense of life and territory.
The radio festival, as well as pictures from the opening and clips from the documentaries, can be found on the Ojo de Agua Comunicación website.

author: Giovanna Salazar


text:
How Balochistan’s Coastal Highway Cut Awaran Off From the Rest of the World · Global Voices
Balochistan Point

A deserted Turbat road. Pictures courtesy: Aziz Ahmad Jamali
This post is based on original reporting in Urdu by Shabbir Rakshani and is translated by Adnan Aamir for Balochistan Point. It is published on Global Voices as a part of a content-sharing agreement.
Turbat Road was once a cacophony of honking, noise and bustling businesses.
The road connected Pakistan's largest city Karachi with the southern Balochistan city Turbat, which has an international airport.
The popular road went through Awaran, the poorest district in Pakistan's poorest province Balochistan, and many towns in between. The road helped connect the impoverished district to the outside world.
The 278 kilometre (173 mile) road transported passengers and goods to Karachi and had become a lifeline for people living in settlements along the road, especially in Awaran home to more than 125,000 people.
Today, Awaran is a completely different place from it was 12 years ago. According to people who live there now, the unpaved and unmaintained Turbat Road is a quiet stretch, used by barely 10-15 vehicles at a time. Mir Abdul Rasheed, who lives in Awaran, says a coastal highway built more than 300 kilometres away in 2003 destroyed his district's economy.
Awaran is sprawling, incredibly under-developed and mostly cut-off from the world. According to a government profile from 2011, the 25,000 kilometre square district has few paved roads, no gas connection, and electricity is unavailable in most parts of Awaran. This district has no industry and relies basically on farming.
Along the Turbat Road, there used to be a host of small tea shops, restaurants, and repair shops. If you weren't a farmer in Arawan you worked or owned one of these places on Turbat Road.
Another scene of Turbat Road. Picture by Aziz Ahmad Jamali for Balochistan Point. Used with permission.
That changed in 2003. The coastal highway built during President Pervez Musharraf's administration, runs through the scantly populated Makran coastal belt and connects Karachi with the upcoming well-financed port city Gwadar in southern Balochistan. The highway does not go through Turbat or Awaran.
When the coastal road was completed, traffic on Turbat Road dried up, as traders shifted to the new well-maintained highway that connects them to Karachi.
Rasheed, the resident from Awaran, claims the 635-kilometer-long coastal highway only benefits settlements in two small towns in Gwadar district – Pasni and Ormara – where the combined population is about 50,000. He says Turbat Road went through many more populated areas and benefitted hundreds of thousands of people. “If Turbat Road had been upgraded during Musharraf’s regime, then Awaran's fate today would be totally different,” Rasheed told The Balochistan Point. Besides Awaran, the road also went through Lasbella district, home to 300,000 people.
With a newer, more modern road now available, truck drivers abandoned Turbat Road, saying its lack of asphalt and generally poor condition made it unsafe. As the traffic disappeared, the businesses along the road have also closed, taking with them jobs that kept whole towns afloat. As the years have passed, the commercial centers along Turbat Road have also become ghost towns, and the entire region's economic landscape has changed.
Moula Baksh, a resident of Gishkor in Awaran district used to run a restaurant in Turbat. He recounts that his restaurant did very well from 1985 to 2003. “I used to earn rupees 25,000-30,000 (USD 250-300) a day and I employed 15 people,” Mr. Baksh told The Balochistan Point. After the construction of the coastal highway, Moula Baksh had to close down his restaurant and let go of his employees.
People living along Turbat Road relied on it to access various daily necessities, including Iranian oil, which changed the fortunes of local traders. Abdul Samad, a farmer also based in Gishkor, told The Balochistan Point, “When Turbat Road was functional, farmers of Awaran could get oil at cheap prices and transport their agricultural goods with ease. The coastal highway has ruined agriculture in Awaran and now oil is available at four times higher rates.”
Local sources told The Balochistan Point that this atmosphere of abandonment has encouraged some men to pick up weapons and join the ongoing insurgency in Balochistan. Awaran district is believed to be on the frontline of the armed Baloch independence movement.
On September 23, 2013, a devastating earthquake flattened Awaran and killed about 500 people, rendering homeless another 200,000, further exacerbating Awaran's economic plight. People in Awaran told The Balochistan Point that they demand that the government rebuild Turbat Road, which would ideally reconnect them to the outside world.

author: Balochistan Point


text:
#Iam76 Honors South African Students Killed During Apartheid-Era Soweto Uprising · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A photo of Soweto where the protests began before they spread in other parts of the country. Photo released under Creative Commons by Flickr user Michael Denne.
The hashtags #Iam76 and #June16 trended in South Africa this week as many South Africans remembered the Soweto Uprising of June 16, 1976.
The iconic image by South African photojournalist Sam Nzima of Antoinette Sithole and Mbuyisa Makhubo carrying 12-year-old Hector Pieterson after he was shot by South African police.
On that day, high school students in Soweto began protesting against the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in local schools as part of the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974.
The number of those who died from live bullets from the apartheid government police is estimated to be up to 700.
The uprising and the killing of students led to strikes by black workers and riots in other black townships in South Africa and ignited calls for tougher international sanctions.
Taking to Twitter to remember the day, Levi Kabwato, a Zimbabwean activist based in South Africa, shared a poem written by Zimbabwean author Dambudzo Marechera about the uprising:
Their crime was: They Dared to bare the lethal bullet This undying testament of the oppressed! – Dambudzo Marechera. #Iam76 #YouthDay
— Levi Kabwato (@LeviKabwato) June 16, 2015
Advocating for youth empowerment, Ndzavi Derrick advised:
Instead of creating Youth Ministry that is babbyseated by Presidency, it must be autonomous, championed by youth for youth challenges #Iam76
— Ndzavi Derrick CBA® (@NdzaviD) June 16, 2015
Youth of 76 fought for liberation. TODAY Youth fight for service delivery and strive to put food on the table, it should not be so #Iam76
— Ndzavi Derrick CBA® (@NdzaviD) June 16, 2015
On the same subject of youth empowerment, Qhuba Gumbi-Dlamini wrote:
@SakinaKamwendo As SA marks the 39th anniv of Soweto uprising, let's allow our youth to formulate policies that will enable them to prosper
— Qhuba Gumbi-Dlamini (@QhubaD) June 16, 2015
Zenaida Machado shared a cartoon showing the difference between ‘selfless generation’ of the 1970s and today's ‘selfie generation':
Cartoonists compares the selfless youth of 1976 with the selfie generation of today. #IAm76 pic.twitter.com/SUB1X6MjIS
— zenaida machado (@zenaidamz) June 16, 2015
South Africans should not forget the cost of their freedom, wrote Alex Jay:
16/6/1976 Soweto Uprising: 176 people died, over a thousand were injured. Celebrate our freedom but never forget the cost. #SAYouth2015
— Alex Jay (@AlexJayZA) June 16, 2015


text:
Kenyan Blogger Bogonko Bosire is Still Missing, Nearly Two Years After His Disappearance · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta speaking at the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Third Parliament. Photo by GovernmentZA via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Kenyans have turned to social media to revive the search for Bogonko Bosire, a Kenyan blogger who went missing nearly two years ago. Using the hashtag #WhereIsBogonkoBosire, Twitter users are speculating on the fate of the controversial author of the Jackal News, the tagline for which read: “We own the news and gossip. You are either the source or the target.”
A journalist who previously had covered East Africa for Agence France-Presse, Bosire rubbed powerful individuals in Kenya the wrong way with his blog, where he wrote about scandals involving celebrities and corruption in the corridors of power.
Prior to his disappearance, Bosire had been threatened multiple times and his website suffered at least one digital attack. He was last seen on September 18, 2013. His family says they have given up hope of finding him alive.
Bosire was known for his coverage of the International Criminal Court (ICC) case against president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, which focused on alleged government involvement in post-election violence in 2007-08. On October 8, 2014 Kenyatta became the first head of state to appear before the court. On 5 December 2014, the ICC withdrew the charges against the Kenyan president saying that the Kenyan government had refused to hand over evidence vital to the case.
Bosire was accused of exposing the identities of prosecution witnesses at the ICC and was considered an ally of president Uhuru Kenyatta because of the tone of his coverage.Since his disappearance, many rumors and conspiracy theories have circulated regarding what really happened to the blogger. Various rumors surrounding his fate have spread online. Some say he fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo. A few have even claimed that affiliates of the ICC have something to do with his disappearance.
Strangely, his Twitter account remained active for some time after his disappearance. Kenya Today's Moser Keror noted that Bosire disappearance will remain of one of the mysteries of Uhuru Kenyatta's administration.
#WhereIsBogonkoBosire trended for four hours on June 7, 2015. Cyprian noted that the Kenyan president has not made any public comment about his disappearance:
President Uhuru is yet to make any comment about Bogonko Bosire's disappearance. #WhereIsBogonkoBosire pic.twitter.com/8bXzCvKwvx
— Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) June 7, 2015
Kenya ni Kwetu acknowledged the blogger's intelligence:
Bogonko Bosire was an intelligent, talented — if not sometimes controversial journalist. #WhereIsBogonkoBosire
— Kenya ni Kwetu (@NotInKenya) June 7, 2015
Dean David Dean made reference to Nyayo House, where former president Daniel Arap Moi's regime kept torture chambers for government critics:
@C_NyaKundiH #WhereIsBogonkoBosire can some one check nyayo house it might be active you know kanu is in power right !
— dean david dean (@DAnachoni) June 7, 2015
Many noted the persisting intrigue surrounding his case:
I smell too much intrigues surrounding his mysterious disappearance that needs to be unearthed.#WhereIsBogonkoBosire
— Cornelius Motanya (@am_motanya) June 7, 2015
For now, his disappearance still remains a mystery.


text:
Radio Ambulante Roundtable on Copa América 2015: FIFA Corruption, Team Analyses and Predictions · Global Voices
Radio Ambulante

The National Stadium of Santiago in Chile, host of the 2015 Copa América, South America's most important interclub tournament. Photo taken from Gerardo Diego Ontiveros’ Flickr account under teh Creative Commons license.
Daniel Alarcón, executive producer of our partner Radio Ambulante, speaks with the following three journalists regarding the 2015 Copa América that began last week on June 11th in Chile: Juan Pablo Meneses of Chile, author of “Niños futbolistas” (Children soccer players); Hernando Álvarez of Colombia, director of BBC Mundo; and Gerardo Lissardy of Uruguay, correspondent for BBC Mundo in Rio de Janeiro.
.@DanielGAlarcon 🇵🇪 habló con @alvarezhdo 🇨🇴 @GerardoLissardy 🇺🇾 y @menesesportatil 🇨🇱 sobre la #CopaAmérica2015 http://t.co/h5gZxljYf7
— Radio Ambulante (@radioambulante) June 10, 2015
@DanielGAlarcon spoke with @alvarezhdo @GerardoLissardy and @menesesportatil about #CopaAmérica2015
You speak Spanish. You're wondering: “What's up w/ #CopaAmerica?” @radioambulante has the answer. https://t.co/Gra1RDpG0S
— Daniel Alarcon (@DanielGAlarcon) June 10, 2015
Among the 12 nations that are competing in South America's most important—and oldest—soccer championship are: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Mexico, and Jamaica.
Alarcón and his guests analyze what implications the FIFA scandal might have on Latin American soccer, and in light of the most recent bribes being linked to Copa América, there was even doubt as to whether the tournament would still be held. Here is what Meneses had to say:
At some point when the first sanction scandals began, it was thought that the Copa América could be suspended; and newspapers mentioned the possible consequences that the championship could have seeing as how Chile's soccer president is almost directly mentioned as having received 3 million dollars…Former Chilean soccer president Harold Mayne-Nicholls was a FIFA presidential candidate and was also very involved in FIFA. So this issue has been dealt with on a very intimate level here because the most recent bribes are also linked to the Copa América […]
Nevertheless, at the end of the day, the corruption scandal is a legal matter and “soccer goes on”.
They also discussed the players; there will be almost 100 players who belong to five of Europe's most important soccer leagues, such as: Lionel Messi (Argentina), Neymar (Brazil), Alexis Sánchez and Arturo Vidal (Chile), Radamel Falcao (Colombia), Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay), Paolo Guerrero (Perú), Edinson Cavani (Uruguay), and Juan Arango (Venezuela).
A few of the topics brought up include discussions and analyses regarding the teams’ history and current status (Argentina, Chile, and Colombia being amongst the favorites) along with each giving their forecast as to who will arrive at the finals and be crowned champion.
Hernando Álvarez:
I'm going to throw myself out there and say Chile's going to be champ. I believe in Chile; I think Colombia will get to at least the semi-finals.
Juan Pablo:
For the final, and I don't know why, but I see Argentina and Brazil, I don't know why, but I'd like to see that.
Gerardo Lissardy:
To me, the champ will be Argentina. It's the best team in this Copa América seeing its history, it's a two-time World Cup winner, it has Messi, the best player in the world…and also their players have been playing together for a long time, you know? And I think they'll overcome their rival [Brazil]; it [Argentina] has everything to win this Copa América. Now, I dare to say it would be a surprise, well, it would be a surprise if Chile won playing at home, but they can play a great game as well.
Listen to the roundtable (in Spanish) below:

author: Radio Ambulante


text:
Russian Censor Says It’s High Time the Country Developed Its Own Messenger App · Global Voices
Tanya Lokot

Does Russia need a national messaging service to guard its communications? Images mixed by Tetyana Lokot.
Russia is in dire need of its own national text messaging service, according to Alexandr Zharov, head of Roscomnadzor, Russia's media watchdog. Speaking at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Zharov claimed the idea has merit as Russia is trying to replace imported foreign goods and services with their own products.
Мы сейчас пользуемся только иностранными. Он (национальный мессенджер) нужен для отражения национальной идентичности – такой мессенджер должен будет использовать особенности нашего языка. Около 300 млн человек в мире пользуются русскоязычными сервисами.
At the moment we only use foreign [services]. We need it [a national messaging service] to reflect our national identity—such a messaging service will have to take into account the peculiarities of our language. About 300 million people around the world use Russian-language services.
Zharov's sentiment was echoed by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who was also present at the forum. Kadyrov stressed that the main issue with using foreign communication services is a lack of control and access to user data for Russian security services, which he sees as a threat to “national security.” Unless Russian law enforcement gets access to the messaging services and social networks data on par with other countries, Kadyrov believes it wise to “minimize the threats” and to “cut off the channels which could be used to spread threats to our security with impunity and without control.”
In 2014, Russia launched its own state-supported search engine, Sputnik, which is currently said to occupy about 1% of the country's search market and is known to filter its search results to censor content it finds objectionable.
It's worth noting that Telegram, the new text messaging service created by Pavel Durov, founder of Russia's biggest social network VKontakte, does offer a Russian interface and full support for Russian-language users. Telegram, which currently boasts 62 million users, was started by Durov in 2013, shortly before he left VKontakte—and Russia—citing his inability to work in a country “incompatible with Internet business.”

author: Tanya Lokot


text:
Smokey the Bear, Meet Your Russian Cousin and Eat Your Heart Out · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Images edited by Kevin Rothrock.
Russia’s Kronotsky Nature Reserve, located on the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, has hired a popular online cartoonist to illustrate a series of public service announcements intended educate visitors about safety around bears. According to park official Nadezhda Belyakova, “a lot of time went into finding an artist in Moscow who is capable of immersing himself in the specifics of Kamchatka.”
The Kronotsky Nature Reserve ended up offering the job to an anonymous cartoonist named “Bird Born,” who owes much of his (or her) popularity to the social networks VKontakte and Instagram, where the artist has roughly 15,000 followers.
Bird Born created ten different cartoons for the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, capturing various precautions visitors should take against bears. In a somewhat unorthodox decision, given that the campaign is meant to draw people’s attention to the dangers of bears, Bird Born’s illustrations depict a smiling, unthreatening antagonist.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Never approach a bear, even if he seems friendly.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Tourists and vacationers, don’t leave trash behind! You’ll attract bears, and they’ll bring all their bear problems with them.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Never feed a bear. He’ll get aggressive very quickly and demand food in the future and even attack people for it.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Don’t go fishing where bears are hunting fish. A hungry bear might insist on making off with your catch.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Don’t build your tent near where you cook. In the early morning hours, a bear might be attracted by the smell of leftovers.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Protect the border of your camp. Men can place along the perimeter used underwear and socks.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Don’t carry anything that smells strongly of food or household chemicals. Curious bears are like drug addicts about these things.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Always advertise your presence by speaking loudly or singing. It’s best to travel in groups.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
Don’t sneak up on bears. Frightened bears will attack.
10 фактов, которые вам нужно знать о медведях.  #МедведьИван #BirdBorn #russian #Россия #правила #Камчатка #медведь
A photo posted by bird.born (@bird.born) on
In the world of bears, the size of one’s enemy is decisive. Increase the appearance of your size.

author: Kevin Rothrock


text:
Winners of  #HackAgainstEbola Represent Ghana at 2015 Global Editors Network SUMMIT · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The winners of the “#HackAgainstEbola” competition at the 2014 Editors Lab organised by the Global Editors Network (GEN) and Penplusbytes in Accra, Citi FM are in Barcelona participating in the 5th annual GEN Summit:
Citi FM, last year, competed with other major new rooms in Ghana at Penplusbytes New Media Hub in a two-day #hackathon to develop digital tools for newsrooms to effectively report on challenges posed by the Ebola outbreak. Their product, Citi Ebola Updates – a Mobile Platform that enables people, both educated and uneducated to receive information and updates on the status of Ebola in the country in their preferred local language, was adjudged the best to win the 2014 Editors.


text:
Bahraini Political Prisoner Ibrahim Sharif Released after “Completing his Sentence” · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini politician Ibrahim Sharif was jailed in March 2011, at the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring inspired protests in Bahrain. Photo credit: Waad
Bahraini politician Ibrahim Sharif was just released from prison, after “completing his sentence.” Sharif, who is General Secretary of the secular liberal National Democratic Action Society (WAAD), was arrested on March 17, 2011, with five other politicians, on charges of “conspiring to overthrow the government”. Activists and other politicians believe Sharif was arrested for his leading role in calling for reforms and democracy during the so-called Arab Spring inspired protests in Bahrain.
He was sentenced to five years in prison on June 22, 2011, and the court upheld the sentence in September, 2012. During his jail time, Sharif has testified he was subjected to torture and ill treatment.
News of his unexpected released fueled rumours in Bahrain, with some people confirming it and others denying it. Faten Bushehri is tracking the news of Sharif's release on Global Voices Checkdesk.
Netizens following the news report that Sharif was released for completing his sentence. However, he has now served four years and three months.
After first denying the news as a rumour, Waad just tweeted:
عاجل : تم الإفراج عن المناضل ابراهيم شريف الآن#bahrain #sharifIsFree #waad
— جمعية وعد (@Waad_bh) June 19, 2015
Breaking news: Freedom fighter Ibrahim Sharif has been released
For updates, check out our coverage on Global Voices Checkdesk as this story continues to evolve.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Hungry and on the Go in Mexico City? Reach for ‘Basket Tacos’ · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Street vendor selling basket tacos in Mexico. Photo taken from Alejandro Mejía Greene's Flickr account under the Creative Commons license.
Few dishes are as distinctive and characteristic of Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, as tacos de canasta or basket tacos, also known as tacos sudados or sweaty tacos. The dish is sold throughout the city in their typical baskets, most of which are lined with blue plastic and paper wrapping to maintain their temperature.
Last month, Global Voices republished an interesting article from partner Public Radio International about the relationship between tacos al pastor and shawarma, and its origins dating back to the times of the Ottoman Empire. And a few years ago, our colleague Laura Schneider wrote a post on typical Argentine food – every time we read it, our stomachs grumble and we can't help but drool over the asado (roasted meat).
To continue exploring local Latin American dishes, let's look at basket tacos, which consist of small, folded tortillas containing some sort of stew. Traditionally, the stews most commonly used for basket tacos have pork rinds, adobo, refried beans, and potatoes with chorizo. Some baskets can have more variety, with chicken tacos in green mole sauce or cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork).
Vendors generally transport the tacos by carrying them in a basket on the back of their bicycles, or sometimes they set up a stand in a busy area in the city. People normally eat them unceremoniously standing up. Currently, you can get three basket tacos for 15 Mexican pesos, which equates to approximately one U.S. dollar.
Because of their price and their easy accessibility, they are a common food choice for students and people on a budget. Many of the residents of Mexico City, which is the fourth most populated in the world with over 21 million people, don't have much time to eat breakfast or lunch.
Almost a year ago, José Ignacio made the following comment about the dish in question in the cuisine section for cultural website Arca:
Los puedes encontrar en muchas esquinas, ya sea en una bicicleta, dentro de una tienda miscelánea o en un puesto improvisado. Estos tacos son una tradición culinaria propia de nuestro país, son conocidos por ser baratos, rápidos y por su manera de preparación: la cocción en una canasta repleta de cebollas matizadas con grasa de chicharrón y aceite.
Todos alguna vez tienen que probar esta delicia que la comida tradicional mexicana nos ofrece.
You can find them in many corners, be it on a bicycle, in a random store, or a makeshift stand. These tacos are a culinary tradition of their own in our country, known for being cheap, fast, and for how they're prepared: cooked in a basket full of onions tinged with fat from pork rinds and oil.
Everyone at some point has to try this delicacy of traditional Mexican food.
José Ignacio mentions an essential ingredient in this dish: the fat it contains, which in some recipes comes from the pork lard used in its preparation, undoubtedly an element that keeps Mexico's dietitians and cardiologists busy. It's worth noting that according to official information shared by the federal district's government, obesity and overweight are the main public health problem in Mexico. In fact, the country faces the most serious obesity crisis of Latin America, according to Forbes.
But we'll leave the discussion about health issues for another time and will instead expand on the origin of these tacos. In an article by El Memo in online magazine Chilango, the author asserts that a significant number of the basket tacos consumed in the capital are prepared in the tiny east-central state of Tlaxcala, specifically in San Vicente Xiloxochitla:
Ahí, la mitad de los lugareños se dedica a la elaboración del taco y hasta tienen un día dedicado a eso: el 1 de diciembre, cuando desfilan con sus bicicletas por todo el lugar, aventando tacos por doquier. Cargados de su característico frasco de mayonesa lleno de salsa verde, estos tlaxcaltecas han cambiado la agricultura por los tacos sudados.
Dice Jorge Ibargüengoitia que los tacos sudados son como el Volkswagen de los tacos nacionales: prácticos, buenos y económicos, y que constituyen uno de los momentos culminantes de la tecnología mexicana. Su elaboración es sencilla: tortillas recién hechas, guisados preparados al momento, aceite hirviendo con un poco de chile guajillo (y que les da ese toque colorado) y si nos ponemos exquisitos, cebollitas para acompañar.
La salsa se prepara con tomate y chile hervido al que posteriormente se le agrega cilantro y cebolla cruda.
There, half of the locals are dedicated to making the taco and they even have a day dedicated to it: December 1st, when they parade their bicycles all around, throwing tacos left and right. Loaded with their typical mayonnaise jar full of green sauce, these Tlaxcala natives have changed the agriculture for sweaty tacos.
[Mexican novelist and playwright] Jorge Ibargüengoitia says that sweaty tacos are the Volkswagen of national tacos: practical, good, and economical, one of the highlights of Mexican technology. Their preparation is simple: fresh tortillas, stews cooked on the spot, boiling oil with a bit of guajillo chile (which gives them their touch of color) and if we want to get fancy, little onions on the side.
The sauce is prepared with tomatoes and boiled chile, to which cilantro and raw onion is added later.
On Twitter, user Mónica Robles tweeted this tongue-in-cheek observation:
Vivimos en un mundo en el que la mitad del planeta muere de hambre y la otra de colesterol y obesidad *se come sus cinco tacos de canasta*
— Mónica Robles (@sirena_deamortz) June 17, 2015
We live in a world where half the planet dies from hunger and the other have from high cholesterol and obesity *eating her five basket tacos*
The vendors of this dish have also opted for modernization, leaving behind the traditional bicycle, as user Migan Lever pointed out:
Modernizarse o morir, hasta el de los tacos de canasta entiende el concepto. pic.twitter.com/4euHr4jtKa
— MIGAN LEVER (@MiganLever) June 14, 2015
Modernize or die, even the basket tacos guy understands the concept.
Alberto Rojas used the social network in question to boast about digging into an order of this iconic dish:
@elcachorroshow #notedeseoelmal pero que se les antojen mis tacos de canasta pic.twitter.com/yBljD7viYH
— Alberto Rojas (@beto360320) June 17, 2015
#Nottowishyouharm but I hope you're all craving my basket tacos
“Basket tacos” are not considered gourmet Mexican cuisine (at least not yet), but they nonetheless represent an everyday element of the urban scene in Mexico City, as well as an undeniable source of employment and food for thousands of Mexicans. So, why not try them during your next visit to the Mexican capital?

author: J. Tadeo


text:
Long After the African Union’s Golden Jubilee: A Letter to Jailed Blogger Natnael Feleke · Global Voices
Amanda Lichtenstein

Trad Bar, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo by Rod Waddington via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In April 2014, nine bloggers and journalists were arrested in Ethiopia. Several of these men and women had worked with Zone9, a collective blog that covered social and political issues in Ethiopia and promoted human rights and government accountability. And four of them were Global Voices authors. In July 2014, they were charged under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. They have been behind bars ever since, their trial postponed time and again.
This post is part of our series – “They Have Names” – that seeks to highlight the individual bloggers who are currently in jail. We wish to humanize them, to tell their particular and peculiar stories. This letter comes from Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein, an American poet and writer who has long worked in Ethiopia and other parts of East Africa.
Dear Natnael,
Trees on my street burst green with all their budding, Natnael. I feel absurd reporting to you about the weather, but no more absurd than assuming I have the words to reach out to you when you’re behind bars at in Addis. You’ve been held there now for over year, for a kind of writing and activism defined and fueled by questions and demands. You were accused of accepting money and inciting violence, and all I can do now is tell you that the trees are green. It’s all I can do when I feel I am powerless to do much else. I can remember you, post about you, say your name, and insist that those around me do the same. If I turn away from you, I betray myself as a writer.
I’m writing to you from rainy Chicago, where I’ve been seeking you out online from the relative quiet and comfort of my apartment. I’ve been back in the country now for almost year. At night, I listen to the swoosh of cars on the expressway. I admit: Internet connectivity was a huge relief to me in those first few months in the States. Now that I’m home, I’m never far from questions about how life is going in Ethiopia. My Ethio-Net sim card is still tucked into a coin purse full of amulets and charms. I burn frankincense on my stove, chatting when possible on Viber and Facebook to friends in Ethiopia who are still, in many ways, free. When months go by without an update, it’s always for one reason: Internet, yelem!
Police lead Natnael Feleke (center right) and fellow blogger Atnaf Berahane (center left) to court. Photo courtesy of Trial Tracker Blog.
News of your arrest did not come as a surprise to me. You, Ethiopian, and me, American, both live our lives outstretched in a tangle of traps and tropes. What we can or cannot change about our mutually disappointing governments shifts with access to money and media, courage and creativity. I close my eyes at night thinking of your particular fate, and wonder how any of us who are free continue to go about our lives as if there’s nothing to lose. In fact, there’s everything to lose.
It’s likely we could have met at some point in Addis, when you were still a faithful bank employee, zipping around Addis knee to knee in pack minivans, sipping on macchiato in the morning, spris or St. George in the afternoon, getting your shoes shined, dipping your fingers into hot shiro with friends, walking up steep inclines into the fog, puckering injera into a kiss, listening to Aster Awake in a blue Peugot, hanging out at Taitu before the fire, people-watching near the bookstores in Arat Kilo. I don’t know you, and I can’t say I know Addis, but I’ve moved through those rain-soaked streets, slipping into warm cafes to meet with journalists-turned-bird-watchers, trying to evade careers pocked with fear and anxiety.
In the months leading up to your arrest in April of 2014, I’d landed in your great city several times, heady with altitude, thinking I knew something about your country, how to move around with impunity, talk about gender equality in hotel lobbies, connect with visionary artists, sip on red wine as I tapped whatever Internet came to me in stutters and starts at the Jupiter.
I learned early on that my project’s success depended on how lightly we tread with local and federal authorities, how we maneuvered the restrictions imposed by the CSOA. Even writing you now is a risk I was warned not to take. I jeopardize associations, friendships, connections, networks, links by making this letter a public gesture. And to be honest, I dismiss these warnings because of a certain level of American arrogance, I suppose, that keeps me a stone’s throw from fear.
I’ve written and erased several versions of this letter so far – but I can’t help but wonder what happens when we stop writing — talking — reaching out to each other for answers, the way you did back in 2013, when you met then Secretary of State John Kerry at Addis Ababa University and addressed his contradictions. Did John Kerry ever write back to your letter? Have you not yet been made a foreign policy priority? Are you not yet a crisis we’re forced to confront? Has he given up anything to release you? Of all the diplomatic meetings held in Addis to keep the peace, how many hands shook to release you?
Natnael with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Addis Ababa, 2013.
It chills me to read that your charges are tied up with your meeting with Kerry back in 2013. The whole premise — a televised encounter moderated between visionary Addis students and the US Secretary of State — feels like a cruel performance in which all of us, citizens and diplomats, Westerners and Africans, are merely players. But what else is there to do but show up to those gatherings, let your life’s course spin out in an unimagined direction? We could stay home, we could stay silent, but when we show up at these kinds of gatherings, there are witnesses. Reality, then, is not fixed, but in motion. Each question is a stone tossed in a still, stagnant pool of injustice.
This is the real “hard-talk,” as in — you have been brought before a judge again and again on charges of terrorism. How often will that word itself be terrorized by our government’s abuse of it? What happens when our writing causes us to splinter ties with that illusory world of affection? When our writing is more than a love letter or a grocery list, but a set of demands, a catalogue of a pain? At what point will any of us look at ourselves or each other in the mirror and notice only love behind our eyes?
Kerry will tell you, he’s an advocate for candor. In Libya, he thought he had to help. In Mali, he thought he had to help. In Syria, he thought he had to help. He talked of war crimes, violations of human rights and law. And there you were —risking a lot merely by expressing thoughts freely. Didn’t Kerry tell you that if you wanted to change Ethiopia it would have to start with its youth? They tell us the same thing, here, while unarmed black men are killed by police without consequence. The present, historical moment feels grim, sometimes, Natnael. The trees are still bursting green in all this grim.
And then you blogged because you cared. And then you were scared. I tried to explain to high school students in Chicago that a person’s words have the power to change the world. And then they couldn’t believe that writers could be rounded up for imagining the world as if it could be otherwise. That it happens in many places. That it will happen, again and again, so long as writers are willing to write their way out of the madness of these days. And then, for a time, I couldn’t believe it either. And then, there’s you.
Send us news, Natnael. Write back.

author: Amanda Lichtenstein


text:
Panama’s Kuna Community Has a Special Place for Its Albinos, the ‘Children of the Moon’ · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Kuna boys, including an Albino boy. Photo on Flickr by user Ben Kucinski (CC BY 2.0).
The Kuna people, also known as Guna or Cuna, are an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. In the Kuna language, they call themselves Dule or Tule, meaning “person.” The distinctive feature of this ethnic group is the high rate of albinos among its members.
Social scientists say “there is one albino born for every 145 Kuna Indian births, a rate higher than in parts of sub-Saharan Africa where albinos also are numerous, and far above the global average of somewhere around one in 20,000 births.”
In Kuna mythology, sipus (albinos) were given a special place. They had the specific duty of defending the Moon against a dragon who tries to devour it during lunar eclipses. They were the only ones allowed to be out on nights of lunar eclipses.
They became known as “children of the Moon.” As their duty was to kill the dragon during lunar eclipses, they had to go out during these events armed with a bow and arrow, which they fired into the sky to prevent the dragon from devouring the satellite.
Albinismo is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes due to a genetic mutation. It can also appear in animals and vegetables. It is a hereditary condition that is results from the combination of two parents carrying the gene.
In some countries, such as Tanzania, albinos are harassed and even murdered, as they are considered symbols of bad luck and sometimes sorcery. The Gunas, however, treat their albino children with special respect, though this wasn't always the case. The website Mundo Kuna shares how infanticide was once the local solution to “keeping the community healthy”:
[…] para la época de la colonia ya la existencia de los albinos entre los kunas era un hecho. Pero lo interesante de este primer hecho nos hace realizar la siguiente pregunta. ¿Por qué pocos kunas albinos en al [sic] inicio del pasado siglo (1900)? Es muy probable que entre 1681 y 1900, hubo un cambio en el pensamiento del kuna y se inicio la practica del infanticidio sobre los nacimientos de niños y niñas albinas.
Ya para la mitad del siglo pasado se nota un aumento sustancial en nacimientos de niños albinos a nivel de la comarca de Kuna Yala, no así en la comunidades ubicadas en el continente. Al parecer una forma nueva de pensamiento surge ante la practica del infanticidio.
[Con esa nueva manera de pensar se empieza a] ver de otra manera el nacimiento de un albino dentro del seno de una familia. Tener un albino significaba estar bendecido por Bab Dummat, luego la familia tambien era bendecida. Pero este nuevo ser, era una carga para la familia y por ende para la sociedad y la comunidad. Al nacer un albino la partera le decía a la familia que este debía ser muy bien cuidado y alimentado.
[…] by the time of the Colony, the existence of the albinos among the Kunas was a fact. But the interesting part of this first fact makes us wonder: Why so few albino Kunas in the early 20th century? It's very likely that between 1681 and 1900, there was a change in how the Kuna was seen and that's when the infanticide against albino boys and girls started.
By the mid-20th century, it's evident that a substantial rise occurred in the births of albino babies in the Kuna Yala village, unlike the communities located in the continent. Apparently, new thinking about albinos began with rethinking the practice of infanticide.
[With this began] a different way of viewing the birth of an albino within a family. If having an albino was a blessing, then the family was also blessed. But this new member was a burden for the family, and for society and the community. When an albino was born, the midwife would tell the family they should take special care of the child and feed it properly.
The tropical sun, where most Kunas live. albinos face particular threats:
They are highly susceptible to skin cancer and eye disorders caused by exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
So it is perhaps a cruel twist of genetic fate that so many albinos dwell under a harsh tropical sun on these coral-ringed islands. “They start having skin problems at a very early age,” said Dr. Gioconda Gaudiano, a dermatologist in Panama City who travels frequently to the Kuna region to treat albinos, some of whom die at a young age. “By tradition, they don’t look for help.”
According to ViSión BeTa, these individuals enjoy a particular lifestyle:
Con una economía basada en la agricultura, la pesca, caza y el comercio, los Kuna llevan una vida sencilla en un paisaje agreste que se asemeja a nuestra idea de paraíso natural. Mientras en su mayoría viven en comunidades isleñas, se desplazan a tierra firme para trabajar sus cultivos trasladándose en [canoas llamadas] cayucos.
With an economy based in agriculture, fishing, hunting, and trade, the Kunas have a simple life surrounded by a paradise-like rural landscape. As they mostly live in island communities, they travel to dry land to work their lands using [canoes known as] cayucos.
Twitter users are fond of sharing images of the Kuna, including photos of the albino members who give this group its distinctive feature:
SPIEGELONLINE: Das Leiden der Mondkinder von Panama http://t.co/wiE7gVUmMu pic.twitter.com/ox32Y1NHWB
— iTutorial (@itutorial_yt) junio 15, 2015
SPIEGELONLINE: The plights of the children of the Moon of Panama.
Twitter users also draw attention to some of the Kuna's handicrafts:
Kuna Indian Evergreen Forest Mola-Panama 3.ib1320 http://t.co/PxvX2YV0sa pic.twitter.com/vIoclAPRNi
— highly sensational i (@faridariasa) junio 14, 2015
“Los hijos de la luna”, día internacional por el albinismo y su influencia por endogamia en los indios Kuna de Panamá. @EstrellaOnline — Ana Cerrud (@aicerrud) junio 14, 2015
“The children of the Moon,” and international day for the albinism, and its influence due to endogamy among the Kuna Indians of Panama.
Acting on the recommendation of the UN Human Rights Council, the General Assembly proclaimed June 13 to be International Albinism Awareness Day, “as a response to the appeal by civil society organizations that advocate for consider individuals with albinism as a specific group with specific needs that require special attention.”

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


text:
Peruvian Ministry of Education Makes 24 Indigenous Alphabets Official · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Kindergarten students. Ashaninka community in Pamaquiari. Photo on Flickr by user Global Humanitaria (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
The alphabets of 24 indigenous languages were made official in Peru as a result of joint efforts by the Ministry of Education and numerous indigenous communities. The documents were adopted by consensus and will be used to help preserve and improve the use of these languages, both in their written and spoken forms.
De ese modo, los 24 alfabetos deberán ser usados por las entidades públicas cuando tengan que emitir información escrita dirigida a esos grupos étnicos, en concordancia con lo dispuesto también por la Ley 29735 que regula el uso, preservación, desarrollo, recuperación, fomento y difusión de las lenguas originarias del Perú.
[…]
De esa manera, se respeta el derecho de los niños y adolescentes a recibir educación en su lengua materna. Está comprobado que así aprenden mejor porque se sienten más motivados y porque se respeta su identidad cultural, fortaleciéndose su autoestima.
Thus, these 24 alphabets should be used by public entities every time they have to issue written information addressed to these ethnic groups, as it is established by the Law 29735, which regulates the use, preservation, development, recovery, foster and spread of the indigenous languages of Peru.
[…]
In this way, the right of children and teenagers to be educated in their own native language is respected. It's been proven that this is the way they can learn better, as they feel more motivated, their cultural identity is respected, and their self-esteem becomes stronger.
As usual, Twitter echoed the news:
Minedu oficializa alfabetos de 24 lenguas originarias a ser utilizados por todas las entidades públicas | MINEDU: http://t.co/qz57gbIW0W
— CTP Traductores Perú (@ctp_per) junio 17, 2015
Ministry of Education makes official the alphabets of 24 indigenous languages, which will be used by all public entities.
@HISDMultiPrgms Peru recognizes 24 native alphabets http://t.co/H7buOhACzV via @PeruthisWeek #multicultural #languages
— Elbey Borrero (@MrsEBorrero) junio 17, 2015
Perú reconoce 24 alfabetos nativos.


text:
Sickle-Cell Disease Has Hit Nepal’s Tharu Indigenous Community Particularly Hard · Global Voices
Sanjib Chaudhary

Tharu lady with her cows in a Tharu village outside of Dhangadhi. Image by Flickr user Inhabitat. Used under a CC license BY-NC-ND 2.0
As the world celebrates World Sickle Cell Day on June 19, awareness of the disease remains low among a large portion of the Tharu indigenous people in Nepal, though many have lost their lives to it.
Pramod Neupane, a civil engineer, tweeted:
Sickle Cell disease in Tharu Communities is an inherited genetic disorder. Needs urgent attention http://t.co/ve6Y5GY9zD #Nepal #SickleCell
— Pramod Neupane (@friendycalls) June 23, 2014
Tharus, the fourth largest group in terms of population in Nepal, have a seven-fold lower prevalence of malaria than non-Tharus. Tharus have been living in the plains, which were infested with malaria for thousands of years.
Sickle cell has been found to be more prevalent in the malaria-affected areas, and the people with sickle-cell trait have been found to be more resistant to malaria.
Twitter profile Genetics and Beyond tweeted:
Why sicke cell anemia protects against malaria? http://t.co/K5ldQryYyU | #science #fact #GAB #erythrocytes pic.twitter.com/O1LBDLpUDy
— Genetics And Beyond (@GenesAndBeyond) March 23, 2015
With the vast numbers of people diagnosed with sickle cell it is a surprise that not a lot of people are aware of it #SpeakOnSickleCellObama
— SickleGirl (@SickledGirl) June 12, 2015
Sickle-cell disease receives its name from the abnormally shaped red blood cells, like a sickle in appearance, that get stuck in the blood vessels. The disorder, which is inherited from parents, makes it difficult for the blood vessels to deliver oxygen to the body, causing intense pain and leading to complications like organ damage and stroke at times.
As the diagnosis and treatment of the disease is very expensive and not available at local health facilities in Nepal, many families have sold their land and properties to get treatment in neighboring India.
Last year, the government of Nepal announced free treatment for sickle-cell anaemia patients. However, the health facilities don’t have the necessary medical equipment and even for the diagnosis, blood samples are sent to India.
Doctors say awareness is crucial to prevent sickle-cell disease. It is not contagious and people are born with the disorder. Since there is a 25 per cent chance that a child will have the disease if both parents carry the sickle-cell trait, it is advisable not to conduct marriage between people who share the trait.
Doctors have also advised the Tharu community to go for inter-caste marriages in the areas where the disease is prevalent to check the further spread.
Awareness is all we need, the rest will follow! #SpeakOnSickleCellObama for World #SickleCell Day 6/19 @POTUS @FLOTUS pic.twitter.com/XqMnWerW8N
— Sickle Cell 101 (@sicklecell101) June 11, 2015

author: Sanjib Chaudhary


text:
Singaporean Teenage Video Blogger Sent to ‘Rehabilitation’ For Offensive YouTube Video · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Amos Yee and Roy Ngerng, another Singaporean blogger who has faced legal challenges. Photo from Facebook page of Roy.
When Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew died in March 2015, many paid tribute to the man who led the city-state’s transformation from a poor island in the 1960s into a prosperous society. But others took the opportunity to cast a critical eye on Lee Kuan Yew for curtailing civil liberties, placing tight controls media and public discourse.
A 16-year-old Singaporean video blogger named Amos Yee became an unlikely icon among Lee Kuan Yew's critics this spring when he was arrested for creating a controversial video criticizing Lee's reign.
The eight-minute video entitled “Lee Kuan Yew Is Finally Dead!” features Yee using inflammatory language, factual evidence, and his sardonic, irreverent wit to tell viewers his thoughts on the now-deceased leader. He also compares Lee Kuan Yew to Jesus, placing the religious icon in a decidedly negative light. Police claimed to have received over 30 complaints related to the video.
Yee was arrested on March 29 and soon after was charged with offending the religious sentiments of Christians and circulating obscene material, both violations of Singapore's penal code. The second charge targeted a photoshopped image from Yee's blog depicting Lee Kuan Yew and Margaret Thatcher having sexual intercourse. He was also charged with causing distress to his viewers, a violation of the 2014 Protection from Harassment Act, but the judiciary has since elected to handle this charge in a separate proceeding.
On April 21, Yee was released from prison on bail and on the condition that he “not post, upload, or otherwise distribute any comment or content, whether directly or indirectly, to any social media or online service or website” until his case had been closed. He deliberately violated the terms of his bail with new posts on his blog and social media accounts. On May 12, a local court convicted Yee of both charges and released him on bail once again, but the blogger once again violated the terms of his bail. The judiciary then recommended that he be transferred to Singapore's Reformative Training Center, a sentence typically applied to juvenile offenders involved with the drug trade or gang violence.
Yee's lawyer publicly stated that prison officials ascertained that Yee had been subject to degrading psychological treatment while in remand, and was experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts. While waiting to be transferred to the reformative training center, Yee was taken to a prison mental ward with one of his hands and legs strapped to a bed.
Kenneth Jeyaretnam, the Secretary-General of the Reform Party in Singapore who attended the court's hearing, found the sentence extreme. Commenting on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)'s remark on Yee's sentence on his blog, Jeyaretnam wrote:
The DPP argued that as Amos had not “learnt his lesson” and refused to agree to probation that a reformative training sentence was necessary.[…] The DPP said a jail term or a fine would have no rehabilitative effect on Yee and would therefore not be “tenable, because we cannot be popping back into court every other day.”
Jeyaretnam went on and explained why sending Yee to the Reformative Training Centre is inappropriate:
There can be no doubt that in this case “rehabilitation” is just a euphemism. The PAP [People's Action Party] Government mean to break Amos’s spirit through a harsh regime that is worse than prison. They would like to show Singaporeans that anyone here who dares to challenge the official narrative will be harshly dealt with.
Roy Ngerng, another young Singaporean who was found guilty in 2014 of defaming the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a blog post, started a campaign to free Amos Yee. In a blog post about the campaign, he wrote:
First, we cannot allow the Singapore government to unfairly persecuted a child for making a video. If the Singapore government would punish one child for making a video about Lee Kuan Yew, then our children are also in danger of being bullied by the government.[…] Second, even as Amos should seek help or support, he should not be treated with state violence.[…] It is wrong for the government to imprison Amos and to want to send him to reformative training, for a non-starter “crime”.
Many have joined the campaign, but others support the court's ruling. Norman Wee commented on Ngerng's campaign:
If this campaign succeed, there is a real risk that All Singapore children would be like Amos. Amen.
Therefore the campaign should be *QUARANTINE AMOS, SAVE OUR CHILDREN*
Chew Xiangyi, an accounts assistant in Singapore, suggested that Yee was engendering “instability” in the country:
Having entitlement in opinion does not give you the rights to misuse freedom of speech.
[…]
In my opinion, i do not sympathise Amos Yee as he has created a chance for instability in the country. The very basic understanding of my country Singapore was stability brings wealth. Furthermore, the court had given this young man a chance by condition not to post “anything” online and he simply could not follow and challenge the legal system by; in my rephrase: “these lawyers take our hard earn money and i have no money and proceed to ask for donation money online”
Outside Singapore, among the Chinese-speaking communities in Hong Kong and Taiwan, more people spoke out against the Singaporean government's authoritarian ruling style and expressed their sympathy to Amos Yee.
Jie Fang from Taiwan compared Amos Yee and Charlie Hebdo in her report on public funded news platform, the PTS News Network:
余澎杉更像個諷刺藝術家。像查理周刊那樣。因為攻擊一切主流霸權，注定得罪任何一方，吃力不討好，最終仍形單影隻。然而，這就是嘲諷的意義。用不高雅但充滿力量的語言，讓人們在自我解嘲中面對複雜難解的矛盾。[…]
即將離開法庭，被帶至看守所前，余澎杉告訴朋友：「如果你能在政府的可怕行為中看到一絲幽默感的話，你就掌握了說這個故事的能力。」
但願，少年不會在這荒謬的國度裡犧牲更多。
Amos Yee is more like a satirical artist, like Charlie Hebdo. Because he chose to attack the authority, he is doomed to offend many. This is some exhausting and unrewarding work. At the end, he will be left standing alone. However, this is the point of satire, using the inelegant but powerful language to trigger people's laughters that mock at the complicated conflicts from their inner self.
[…]
Amos Yee told his friend when he was taken away from the court to the jail, ‘If you can see some humor in these horrible behaviors of our government, you will master story-telling.’ I just hope that this young man will not be sacrificed anymore in this ridiculous country.
Amnesty International has stated that Yee's sentence renders him the youngest Prisoner of Conscience in the organization's record.
To some degree, it appears Yee had anticipated his fate before entering the legal maze that he now occupies. In fact, he introduced the offending video by telling viewers that unlike mass media, he was not afraid to criticize the leader:
Why hasn't anyone said, “Fuck yeah, the guy is dead. Lee Kuan Yew was a horrible person.”? Because everyone is scared, everyone is afraid that if they say something like that, they might get into trouble, which, give him credit, that was primarily the impact of his legacy. But I'm not afraid. So if [current PM] Lee Hsien Loong wishes to sue me, I will oblige to dance with him.
For now, the dance continues.
Mong Palatino and Oiwan Lam contributed reported for this story.

author: I-fan Lin


text:
Talking About Sexual Violence Against Women in Bangladesh, One Blog at a Time · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

Students protests the failure of police to prevent sexual harassment of a number of women during the Pahela Baishakh celebrations. Image by Mohammad Asad. Copyright Demotix (19/4/2015)
On April 14, several women were sexually assaulted at University of Dhaka during the Bengali New Year celebrations. This had been widely discussed and deplored throughout Bangladesh, but the police haven't arrested anyone anyone in connection.
Sexual violence against women is not new in Bangladesh. According to Ain-O-Shalishi Kendra, an organization working on women rights, during the period January-March 2015 40 women were subject to sexual harassment and two other women took their own lives. There were also 123 documented cases of rape, resulting in the death of 15 women. Twenty-one of the women raped were minors between 7 and 12 years old.
But a case such as this (a group of 30 to 40 young men assaulted and sexually harassed around 20 women at the celebrations) is new for the country. After the incident, Bangla blogging platform Sachalayatan arranged a Week of Blogging and asked for entries related to harassment and domestic abuse. Many bloggers came forward and opened up about their experiences.
Sexual violence against women can happen at a young age and come from family members. Blogger Nandini Tilottoma explained what happened to her with an uncle:
এক মামা আসতো বাসায়। ৯/১০ বছর বয়সের সময় একদিন একটা ঘরে আমাকে চেপে ধরে আদর করতে যেয়ে ঠোঁটে চুমু খায়। আমি জোর করে ছাড়িয়ে চলে আসি। কিন্তু এরপর থেকে বাড়িতে এলেই সে সুযোগ খুঁজে নিয়ে অমনটা করার চেষ্টা করতো।
An uncle visited our home often. When I was 9 or 10 one day he kissed me hard when he was cuddling me. I forced myself away from him. After that he always tried to find an opportunity like that when he was a our house.
One guest writer also wrote that she was sexually molested by a family member:
আমার বয়স যখন চার বছর। আমি আমার তেইশ বছরের (আন্দাজ) কাজিনের যৌন লালসার শিকার হই। লোকটির যৌনাঙ্গ আমার শিশু যোনীতে প্রবেশ করেনি। কিন্তু স্পর্শ করেছে, একই সময়ে একের অধিকবার।
When I was four years old, I was molested by my about 23-year-old cousin. His penis did not penetrate my small vagina. But touched, many times.
Many girls face harassment in the school environment, too. Blogger Ferrywalla wrote about one such experience:
সেদিন প্রাইভেট ক্লাসে স্যার এসে একগাদা হাবি-যাবি কথা বলতে বলতে এক ফাঁকে আমাকে বললো উনার কোলে উঠে বসতে। তাহলে নাকি উনার কথা বুঝতে সুবিধা হবে, মিন মিন করে আমি বললাম এখানেই ঠিক আছি। একটু পরে নানা কথার ফাঁকে আরও ২-৩ বার একই কথা বললো। আমি আর কোনো উত্তর দিলাম না।
On that day my private tutor was blabbering on about a lot of things and told me to sit on his lap. When I said no he insisted and said it would help me hear all his words. He again mentioned the same thing for two-three times more. I did not pay heed.
Afroz discussed how her mother was verbally harassed at her workplace:
ডিভোর্সি হবার কারণে কলিগ/ইন্সট্রাক্টর/ম্যানেজার অনেকেই বিভিন্নরকম বাজে ইঙ্গিত দিত। কেউ কেউ চাইতেন আম্মা তাদের সাথে ফোনে কথা বলুক কিংবা ঘুরতে যাক। এদের মধ্যে একজন একটা সাহায্যের বিনিময়ে আম্মাকে রীতিমতো পার্মানেন্ট মিস্ট্রেস হবার প্রস্তাব করেছিলেন। …
As my mother was divorced, her colleagues/instructors/managers use to take advantage of her by making indecent comments. Some of them wanted her to call them after-hours or go out with them. One of them proposed that she return a favour by being a permanent mistress.
Guest writer Dossi described how a colleague filmed her secretly:
স্বনামধন্য পারটেক্স ফার্নিচার লিমিটেড এ চাকরি নিলাম। সেখানকার এক কর্মচারী আমাকে লুকিয়ে আমার একটা ভিডিও করলো। সব শোরুমে সবার মোবাইল এ সেই ভিডিও। জানতে পারলাম, অভিযোগ করলাম। লোকটা ছিল সামান্য লেকার পলিশার। কিন্তু জন্মেছিল তো পুরুষ হয়ে! তাই আমার অভিযোগ টিকলো না।
I took a job in the famous Partex Furniture Limited. One employee from that office secretly filmed me. Then I found out that many in the office, even in the showrooms, had the video on their mobile phones. I complained, he was just a lacquer polisher. But he was born a man. They did not take my complaint seriously.
Blogger Bunohas explained how female employees can't continue with their jobs bearing the burden of motherhood.
আমাদের দেশে নারীপুরুষ নির্বিশেষে সবার বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় জীবনের পাট চুকতে বয়স পঁচিশ হয়ে যায়। চাকরি খুঁজে ক্যারিয়ার গড়তে গড়তে ত্রিশ। এদিকে প্রকৃতিগত হিসেব কষে নারীকে ত্রিশের আগেই সন্তান ধারণ করতে বলা হয়। তাই বিয়ের হুড়ো লেগে যায় পাশ করতে না করতেই। এরপর আসে সন্তান নেওয়ার তাড়া। সন্তান একবার এসে গেলে তার প্রতিপালনের দায়ও নারীর ওপর বর্তায়। প্রকৃতি, পরিবার ও সমাজের চাহিদা মেটাতে গিয়ে হাতে গোনা কজন নারী হয়ত কাজের বাজারে ঠাঁই করে নিতে পারে। তুলনামূলকভাবে কম সুবিধা ও সৌভাগ্যের অধিকারী নারীরা পিছিয়ে পড়ে কিংবা ঝরে পড়ে।
In our country, it takes about 25 years for someone, irrespective of gender, to finish studies. Add five more years to get a job and start a career. But due to biology women are advised to have a kid before the age of 30. So after their studies they are pressured to marry. And then after marriage there is the pregnancy and other pressures. After the child is born women are also expected to take care of the child (not childcare). Given the pressure of nature, family and society only a few working women can continue with their career. Working women with less advantages or luck fall behind or bow out.
Anika Alam quit a lucrative teaching job at a university and started a business venture. She shared what challenges female entrepreneurs face in Bangladesh:
কাজ শুরু করার পর থেকে একটু একটু করে নানা রকমের অদ্ভুত বিপত্তির সম্মুখীন হতে থাকলাম। পরিবারের ভিতরেও প্রথমে কেমন একটা ভাগাভাগি তৈরি হয়ে গেল, যদিও আমার বাবাকে বাদ দিয়ে ভাই-বোন কিংবা মা এই ব্যাপারে সমর্থন দিয়ে এসেছে একদম গোড়া থেকেই। আপত্তি এসেছে মূলত extended family থেকে। আর যারা আপত্তি করছিলেন তাদের বেশিরভাগেরই আপত্তির বিষয়বস্তু ছিলো, ‘তুমি মেয়ে হয়ে ব্যবসা করবে?’
When I launched the venture I started to face a number of strange obstacles. Surprisingly, some from my family. I got the support of my mother and siblings except my father. Objections mainly came from the extended family who mostly posed this question: “You will start a business as a women?”
There were also male bloggers contributing to this campaign. Blogger Hasib pointed out the gender discrimination in recruitment. He analysed data from the most popular job website in Bangladesh “BDJobs”:
পুরুষদের জন্য চাকরিতে ২০% এর মতো পদ বরাদ্দ থাকে। নারীদের থাকে ৩-৪%। অর্থাৎ কার্যত পুরুষদের জন্য দেশে ২০% কোটা সংরক্ষিত ও নারীদের জন্য এটা ৩/৪%।
There are about 20% of posts designed for males and only 3 to 4% for women

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


text:
The #NiUnaMenos Movement Takes to Argentina’s Streets and Social Media to Protest Violence Against Women · Global Voices
Patricia Carolina Saucedo Añez

Demonstrators chant loudly while hundreds of people gathered in Buenos Aires to protest against the high volume of cases involving violence against women. The campaign #NiUnaMenos (Not One Less) began as a popular protest in May. Photograph property of Javier Coltrane, copyright © Demotix (03/06/2015)
In the last few years, the worst form of violence against women, femicide, has become more visible and tangible than ever in the River Plate area. The dozens of women who were murdered over the last few months have topped headlines in Argentine media and awoken public indignation, especially among the middle class.
Outraged Argentinians have launched the campaign #NiUnaMenos (Not One Less) and demonstrated in highly creative ways to call for a solution to this problem:
#Niunamenos.Colocándola de perfil, con una oración, impulsando políticas y acciones, apoyemos la campaña. #violencia pic.twitter.com/iqTg0Dlil6
— Rosario Medina Gómez (@RosarioMedinaG) May 27, 2015
#NiUnaMenos. Uploading this as your profile pic so it may be seen, with a prayer, motivating politics and actions, let's support the campaign.
Thanks to their efforts, the demand for an end to femicide and violence against women has earned increased attention. On occasion, digital and street protests joined forces, materializing in a march on June 3.
Que bonita foto de la marcha de ayer. Gracias, @famarelli! pic.twitter.com/YufD9OokbW
— Liniers (@porliniers) June 4, 2015
What a nice picture of yesterday's march. Thank you @famarelli!
The march, under the hashtag #NiUnaMenos, brought men and women together from all around the country and of diverse political beliefs. An admirable feat, given that the country is highly polarized politically speaking:
Hay banderas de La Cámpora, Kolina, MST, Las Rojas, PO, vi a radicales y gente del PRO. Todo se vive con normalidad #NiUnaMenos
— MPL (@mparadalopez) June 3, 2015
There are flags from La Cámpora, Kolina, MST, Las Rojas, PO. I saw radicals and people from PRO. Everyone is getting along normally.
Leftist, conservatives, and moderates also jumped on board:
Los referentes del #FAP, #MST y #PatriaGrande acompañaron movilización #NiUnaMenos en #LaPlata http://t.co/uwnqLuXet3 pic.twitter.com/iiUQkMbO40
— InfoPlatense (@InfoPlatensetw) June 4, 2015
Representatives of #FAP, #MST, and #PatriaGrande joined the movement #NiUnaMenos in #LaPlata
Los referentes del #PRO y la #UCR acompañaron la movilización #NiUnaMenos en #LaPlata http://t.co/uwnqLuXet3 pic.twitter.com/nVOelykp1Q
— InfoPlatense (@InfoPlatensetw) June 4, 2015
Representatives from #PRO and #UCR joined the movement #NiUnaMenos in #LaPlata
In addition, the march received support and participation from male demonstrators and organizations who made it clear that violence against women is not solely a woman's problem:
Que tal ese colectivo de varones antipatriarcales: “Los Traidores de Papá”, buenísimo el nombre pic.twitter.com/HCLgCid0Va
— lncognito (@lncognito) June 4, 2015
How about this male, anti-patriarchal group: “The Dad Traitors”, great name.
Nevertheless, some of the more conservative sectors of Argentinian society preferred to remain on the fringes of the march, refusing to protest side-by-side with associations that also made the call for decriminalization of abortion:
A no sorprenderse si hoy en la marcha de #NiUnaMenos observan peticiones en favor del genocidio contra los niños por nacer.
— Agustín Laje (@AgustinLaje) June 3, 2015
Don't be surprised if you see petitions in favor of genocide against unborn children at the #NiUnaMenos march.
Furthermore, many refused to admit that the violence in Argentina is gender-specific; that is, they did not want to limit themselves by solely protesting against the violence against women. Therefore, they replaced the hashtag #NiUnaMenos with #NiUnaPersonaMenos (Not A Person Less), emphasizing the country's insecurity.
Ni mujeres, ni hombres, ni niños. Porque todos tenemos miedo de salir a la calle. Digamos basta. #NiUnaPersonaMenos pic.twitter.com/I0XR3v1PH9
— Barby. (@baarbyvargas) June 3, 2015
Not women, men, or children; we're all afraid to leave our houses. Let's put a stop to this.
“Stop the violence against  everybody.”
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the political figure responsible for polarizing the nation — unleashing both love and hate — expressed her support for the outcry and, at the same time, denounced the objectification of women in Argentine media:
La mujer convertida en objeto: Y si entonces es sólo una cosa, siempre habrá alguno que piense que puede romperla si no la tiene.
— Cristina Kirchner (@CFKArgentina) June 3, 2015
Women turned into an object: And so, if she's only a thing, there will always be someone who thinks he can break her if he doesn't have her.
On social media during the last few weeks, users discussed the concept of gender violence and the limitations of the debate regarding the visibility of the recent femicides:
Denunciá cualquier tipo de #violencia, todo policía en cualquier comisaría está obligado a tomarla #NiUnaMenos pic.twitter.com/CpxWs61Azh
— Patria Al Hombro (@PatriaAlHombroO) May 28, 2015
Report any form of #violence. Every police officer, from any station, is obliged to take it.
“Types of Violence Against Women” (from left to right): psychological, physical, patrimonial, inequality and discrimination, sexual, economic. “All violence is serious and hurts just the same”
Si t controla Si t manipula Si t grita Si t ordena Si t golpea NO ES AMOR ES #VIOLENCIA, DENÚNCIALO!! #NiUnaMenospic.twitter.com/UFvvXb7v7Y
— Debb® (@debbiereynaud) June 3, 2015
If he controls you, if he manipulates you, if he yells at you, if he orders you around, if he hits you IT IS NOT LOVE – IT IS #VIOLENCIA [Violence]. REPORT HIM!!
“If he controls you, it's not love, it's violence”
In the same fashion, some pointed out that the daily words and actions, even of some of the movement's defenders, continue to reproduce misogynistic social structures:
Lo que digo es excatamente esto. El doble discurso tambien es violencia. pic.twitter.com/ruNtmEUSoN
— #NiUnaMenos Maru (@marulopesMST) June 4, 2015
This is exactly what I'm saying. Double standards are also violence.
#NiUnaMenos #BastaDeFemicidios el doble discurso también es violencia. Este compromiso es de todos. Hoy 17 hs. pic.twitter.com/vbRni4RsVp
— ❤Andrea♬ (@SweetVeiosi) June 3, 2015
#NiUnaMenos #BastaDeFemicidios (No More Femicides) Double standards are also violence. This is everybody's commitment. Today at 5 PM.
Translation from right to left:
In order to say “not one less”, we have to stop raising defenseless princesses and violent, macho young boys.
In order to say “not one less”, we have to stop going out for prostitutes, which fuels human trafficking.
In order to say “not one less”, we have to exercise the responsibility of fatherhood.
In order to say “not one less”, we have to stop asking how short Melina's skirt was. [Melina is one of Argentina's femicide victims.]
There were even comic strips that reflected the irony of some of the participants’ paradoxical behavior, who are victims of more subtle types of gender violence:
Basado en hechos reales! pic.twitter.com/FA9Uv2trEb
— Decur (@DecurG) June 4, 2015
Based on true events!
1. I went to the march with Viki against femicide in my city.
2. Then, a couple of women started to talk behind us.
3. “All right, I'm leaving. My husband doesn't know I'm here.”
Others were more critical in that regard and called out the hypocrisy of a few media outlets and political figures, who are currently boasting of their fight against gender violence and of their public support for the campaign. However, they have also recently been active in the aggression and objectification of women. Individuals who have justified certain forms of violence, along with those who have not invested enough in programs set out to combat this tragedy, were equally criticized:
Tinelli se suma al #NiUnaMenos y tipo… #Hipocresía pic.twitter.com/iSbHGXeXxS
— Blue (@achumontoya) June 1, 2015
[Argentinean TV personality] Tinelli joins #NiUnaMenos #Hipocresía [hypocrisy]
Las dos mujeres que están acá fueron GOLPEADAS por sus parejas. #Hipocresía Estos tipos son una VERGUENZA #NiUnaMenos pic.twitter.com/cLe1OaB8nQ
— Barbe Roch (@barbe_roch) June 3, 2015
The two women who are here were BEATEN by their significant others #Hipocresía [hypocrisy]. These guys are an EMBARRASSMENT #NiUnaMenos.
Translation from left to right:
The media…
Days before: These violent guys are reciprocated by women who play at that.
Broads are born, they know that if they spread their legs, they can get certain things.
What did you do for him to hit you?
Did you do something so that he'd hit you?
When did they start to change? #NiUnaMenos?
Macri cerró el programa para víctimas de violencia sexual y posa con el cartel de #NiUnaMenos http://t.co/BShA9lie7C pic.twitter.com/LqCJehqWGn
— 1000 Caracteres (@1000_Caracteres) June 3, 2015
[Politician Mauricio] Macri closed the program for victims of sexual violence and poses with a sign #NiUnaMenos.
Despite the varying degrees of outcry and the differences that exist between them, including the irreconcilable ideologies of different political groups, for the first time in many years, gender violence has become the hot topic of Argentina's political, media, and social agenda.
Might this be a reason for hope for those who would like to see this campaign go beyond being just a temporary social catharsis?
For the moment, it does seem that something is starting to change. The attitude towards verbal violence and street harassment in the form of “cat calling” is being questioned. At least that is how it appears in a Twitter contribution by La Gente Anda Diciendo (What People Are Saying), a popular, online Argentine initiative with the purpose of gathering street conversations that users hear while out on the street:
“Ahora veo una mina y no me animo a decirle nada.” Hombre de 40 años a otro viendo una joven pasar. 10.36 a.m., Recoleta. @gentediciendo
— Sofia Gonzalez (@sofi_gonzalezs) June 4, 2015
“Now I see a broad and I'm not up to saying anything to her.” 40.year.old man says to another while looking at a young woman walk by.

author: Patricia Carolina Saucedo Añez


text:
‘The Outsiders’: Hungarian Photographer Tamas Paczai Captures Football Fever at Kyrgyzstan vs Australia World Cup Qualifier · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

On June 16, Kyrgyzstan took on Australia in a World Cup Qualifier.
Kyrgyzstan gave the ‘Socceroos’, currently champions of Asia, a good game. Trailing 1-0 at half time, Kyrgyzstan conceded a second Australian goal in the second half before registering a consolation goal with an impressive strike — direct from a corner kick, albeit with the help of a hand — towards the end of the game.
Crowd control was a major problem, as noted in this Global Voices article.
But while there was certainly ugliness in scenes from the evening of June 16, there was also beauty. Tamas Paczai, a Hungarian photographer living in Central Asia, managed to capture the pure hunger for football in a country that is very much in the FIFA hinterland and has hosted few teams of Australia's size since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The results are impressive.