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China’s Sina Weibo Hires 1,000 Supervisors to Censor ‘Harmful Content’—Including Women’s Legs · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Photos like this could now be labeled “pornographic” by Weibo's supervisors. Photo by dimitrisvetsikas via Pixabay (CC0)
Chinese tech giant Sina Weibo has recruited 1,000 Weibo supervisors to report on “pornographic, illegal and harmful content” after China's Cyberspace Administration investigated and fined Weibo for failing to purge banned content from its social media platform.
The policy is already having adverse effects on users, particularly young women, whose photos are being labeled “pornographic” if they show a woman's leg, abdomen or cleavage. Users who are found to violate the rules may have their “social credit” scores reduced, which can limit to their ability to use the platform.
The investigation of Tencent, Baidu and Sina Weibo
The Cyberspace Administration's Beijing and Guangdong offices launched a comprehensive investigation into Chinese internet companies Tencent, Baidu and Sina Weibo on 11 August 2017, charging that their social media platforms had violated newly passed Cybersecurity Law and were not adequately managing information published by their users.
After one month of investigation, the authorities concluded on 25 September that the three had violated Article 47 of the Cybersecurity Law by hosting “information of violence and terror, false rumors, pornography, and other information that jeopardizes national security, public safety, and social order.”
Article 47 of the Cybersecurity Law requires network operators to effectively manage content published by users. In contrast to major technology companies in the United States, such as Facebook and Google, these Chinese internet giants are now obligated to proactively censor illegal content and report it to the authorities.
Accordingly, the three companies were given the “heaviest fine” based on Article 68, which states the maximum fine is up to RMB 500,000 yuan (approximately 76,000 US dollars).
On 30 September, three days after the authorities’ fined Sina Weibo for violating the Cybersecurity Law, the company posted a notice on its official account inviting users to apply to become one of 1,000 “Weibo supervisors” — a team under the supervision of the Cyberspace Administration:
为落实企业主体责任，强化网民监督，净化微博社区环境，有效处置微博上的涉黄、违法及有害信息。在北京市网信办的指导下，微博专门建立了社区监督员机制，面向所有用户公开招募1000名微博监督员。微博监督员通过特殊的举报机制针对微博上的涉黄、违法及有害信息进行举报处理，站方将根据举报统计情况向合格的微博监督员按月发放网费补贴，并赠送微博会员。同时我们对每月有效举报数量最多的微博监督员给予物质奖励，奖品包括苹果手机、国产手机或笔记本电脑等。
To enact corporate responsibility, motivate netizens to actively monitor [online content], clean up the Weibo community environment and handle the pornographic and harmful information on Weibo, under the supervision of the Beijing Cyberspace Administration, Weibo is launching a community supervisor system and recruiting 1,000 supervisors from the community. The Weibo supervisors will report on pornographic, illegal and harmful information circulating on Weibo through a special reporting channel. The site will release monthly subsidies [to compensate supervisors for their work and internet connection cost] based on these statistics. At the same time, those who file the most reports will receive special gifts, including iPhones, local brand cell phones or notebook computers.
While there are many pro-government comments supporting Weibo’s decision, one can still find a number of critiques online, including the following:
发动群众斗群众的第二弹！有害怎么认定？这些人的资质如何考核？最终裁决谁来做？与之前的社区管理员有什么区别？删贴和销号之间什么关系？各是什么规则？这个机制运行的前提是公开透明细化和可执行的处罚条款！
This is another mobilization of the masses against the masses. How do they define harmful? How do they make sure these people are qualified to do the content review? Who makes the final call [for censorship]? What is the difference between the “Weibo supervisors” and the community manager [a system set up a few years ago for community reporting]? What is the relationship between deleting a post and deleting an account? Is there any rule? Without openly and transparently stating rules, or specifying the operation and consequences of violating content rules, how can you kickstart the system?
不评论，第一你是个平台，对于不当的东西你咋定标准，开放是你的定位，你们是招城管吧，要是有违法行为有法院，有律师
No comment. As a platform, how can you set up standards for inappropriate content? Your principle should be open platform. Doesn’t this look like open recruitment of Chengguan [city management officers responsible for sanitation and environment who are notorious for their abusive use of power]? If there is any illegal content, we have courts and lawyers [to decide this].
Weibo supervisors have been reporting content violations for more than a week now, and a group of female users are already feeling its effects.
One Weibo user explained the system and impact in detail:
我来总结一下自从微博推出了微博监督员，他们对我的朋友和对我的朋友圈造成了什么影响，起码这关系着很多可爱的小姐姐。
最近很多小姐姐可能会莫名其妙收到一条管理员扣分的信息，有时候可能只是自己发的自拍、自己的宠物、自己的马甲线、自己的腿、甚至一些看的很好看的cos泳装照片也惨遭举报。这些再也不能更日常的照片直接就会被扣上色情的帽子而被扣2分的消息，甚至很多小姐姐一直都是80分，因为这两天的举报直接就被扣成40分，甚至更低。 而当你微博被扣成40分以下你的微博不能被关注不能被转发，也就是失去了微博最起码的乐趣。
Let me sum up the impact of Weibo supervisors on my friends and my friends’ circles. They have affected many cute girls.
Recently, many cute girls probably have received a message from a Weibo administrator notifying them that their scores will be reduced because someone has reported their photos showing their legs, cleavage, sexy swimwear. In the past, these were treated as ordinary photos. Now that they are labelled as pornographic, two points are taken away from the user account for each photo. Some of the cute girls who had always maintained an 80 score have been reduced to 40 in the past few days, some even lower. If your Weibo score has been reduced to lower than 40, no one can follow you and your post cannot be shared, which means all the fun has vanished.
According to the content deletion notification, when a supervisor files a report, the content in question is submitted to a company administrator, who reviews and if necessary deletes the content and sends a notification to the user. The notification also says that the user can appeal for another review.
The Weibo credit system was first introduced in September 2013 to crack down on the spread of “rumors” or information coming from independent sources not approved by the state. Each Weibo user begins with a social credit score of 80. They will lose five credits if a post of theirs is flagged as a rumor and deleted. If the user’s credit score is lower than 40, the person’s content cannot be shared and will not appear on public timelines. When a person's credit score drops to zero, their account is suspended.
The poster continued their explanation of how and why the supervisors were specifically targeting women:
收到这么多举报都是因为微博奸督员有每个月的指标，每个月最少举报200条，当每个月达成了指标就会给你发放200元的网费，也就是说举报一条最少有1元钱的收入。之后还会根据举报次数的排名进行手机实物的奖励。EXM？？没有惩罚选项？？？一方为了钱就可以随意的举报，让另一群用户体验变得极差！甚至想卸载软件 。
想想以后首页看不到奶子，看不到屁股，看不到腿，看不到泳衣，连美**都看不到。还会幸福吗，还会玩微博吗？当然这里我指的并不是色.情方面的，而是由而体现的一种美。
男性用户一般不会被扣分，而女性用户发自拍、发腿、连日常晒一下自己减肥成功后腰的照片被举报扣分，这样真的好吗。女孩子在这种青春的年龄段难道不应该记录下自己的美吗？
有些女孩子为了还原昨天我看到一个最可恨的，有一个非常美的小姐姐出的泳衣cos，没有一丝的色情感。摄影拍的棒，后期色调也非常的棒，正常来讲这条泳衣转发1000+是没有问题的，可是被举报了，不能在微博发了，发了还是被举报，拍一个cos的正片真的不容易，付出的时间、付出的金钱、付出了青春、还有自己的那么多的努力，去练习怎么样让自己的表情更加还原喜欢的角色，一套正片起码摄影+服装+后期便宜了也要小1000块。做了这么多努力就是想发到微博让别人去夸夸自己，去认可自己。你监督员就为了1块钱的小纸条否认了她的所有。这样真的很过分。
The reason why so many posts are reported is that each supervisor has been given a specific quota every month. They have to file at least 200 reports in exchange for the RMB 200 subsidy for paying internet fees. This means they receive RMB 1 yuan in exchange for one report. If they excel at filing reports, they will get mobile phones as a bonus. Excuse me? No punishment [for abusing power]??? One party can file a report to make money, while the other party suffers from a poor user experience. Some even want to uninstall the app.
Just imagine, in the future, there will no more sexy bottoms, no more legs, no more swimwear, no more pretty ** [breasts] on the front page timeline, can we still be happy? Will people still hang out on Weibo? What I am saying here is not about pornographic materials, but images that reflect a form of beauty.
Male users are less likely to be reported, while female users’ selfies, leg photos or waist photos that show off the success of their workouts are subjected to reduced scores. Are such practices really good? Shouldn’t girls take photos to record their youth?
Yesterday I came across a swimwear costume video of a pretty lady. The video contains no pornographic element, it was very well taken and the color tuning was fine. Usually such videos can be shared 1,000-plus times without encountering any problems. But now, it was reported and could not be circulated on Weibo. It wasn’t easy to produce that video, it took time, money and a great deal of effort in performing the role. The shooting, costume and production cost at least RMB 1,000. Upon spending all these efforts, she wanted to others to praise her, to gain recognition. Now the supervisors have denied everything that she had done for just RMB 1 yuan. This is outrageous.
The Weibo supervisor regulation also encourages users to file complaints against supervisors abusing their power. Some have started filing complaints or publicly questioned the qualifications of the supervisors.
Another Weibo user started to collect content deletion notifications and shared his observation on Weibo. Below is one of the observations that he made:
#微博监督员# 目前我见到的删帖大概有四种情况，图一其他用户举报，需要十个人举报，审核后删除，图二，监督员举报，一个人就受理审核和删除，图三，网警删除，图四，系统检测，删除者不明。从类型看，网警主要偏向删维稳相关，其他用户和监督员偏向删除色情。
#Weibo Supervisors# I have seen four types of content deletion.
First, if the complaint was filed by other Weibo users, it would take 10 complaints to kickstart the review process. The post would be deleted upon review.
Second, if the report was filed by a Weibo supervisor, one report will trigger the review and deletion process.
Third, a cyber police officer can delete the content directly.
Fourth, automatic deletion, not sure who is in responsible.
Judging from the content, cyber police officers mainly delete politically sensitive content. Other users and Weibo supervisors mainly report on pornographic content.
According to these observations, Weibo supervisors have more authority than online civilization volunteers who have been serving the censorship machine by “spreading positive energy” and reporting on harmful content via the Weibo community system since 2015.
On Twitter, some Chinese users are comparing Weibo supervisors to online Red Guards, who target netizens said to be “politically incorrect.” They also believe that the supervisor system will trigger another round of migration to overseas social media.


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Comical Unintended Consequences of Turkish President Erdogan’s State Visit to Serbia · Global Voices
Marko Angelov

Screenshot of satirical “news” entitled ““In honour of Erdoğan's visit, 17 journalists were arrested today” by Njuz.net, a Serbian website similar to Onion.com.
The warm welcome of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during a state visit this week, incited many satirical comments on nationalism and media freedoms.
Erdoğan arrived in Belgrade on October 10, and the next day also visited Novi Pazar, the main city in the southern area of Sandžak, which is mainly inhabited by Bosniaks. The population of the region has strong historical, religious, and family ties with Turkey, as many of their relatives had immigrated to Turkey during the last century.
Serbian nationalism is based on stories of resistance to the Ottoman Empire, whereas Erdoğan is often considered a proponent of “Neo-Ottomanism” — or a strategic orientation by Turkey aiming to regain influence over regions once under the Ottoman Empire's domain. Therefore, some of the efforts by local dignitaries who aimed to please the honored guest, were met with ridicule by critical citizens.
Some more creative commentators started reusing forms of epic poetry that was instrumental as a primary vehicle for stirring patriotic (anti-Ottoman) emotions in the XIX century. These recent parodies especially targeted local nationalist politicians who had built their careers promoting Serbian nationalism.
In their official communications, the Serbian regime emphasized the expected economic benefits from the numerous treaties signed during the visit, including a future natural gas pipeline, while being careful to avoid mentioning political issues on which they have diametrically opposed positions with Turkey.
However, the online community, cleverly and quickly, pointed out these lapses:
Диван чини ВучићГосподаре
са турскијем царемЕрдоганом
све су теме стигли да претресу
гаса,вјере и повјести славне
за Косово времена не бјеше
— Филип Вишњић (@gusleonline) October 11, 2017
Lord Vučić held council
With Erdoğan, the Emperor of Turks
About many a matter they held a parley
Of natural gas, of religion and of history,
But time to mention Kosovo was lacking.
Such online comments took the tone of epic songs from the time when Serbia was an Ottoman suzerain, or a semi independent state nominally subordinate to the Ottoman Sultanate.
Халачлије Вучић сакупио
дижу грају, кличу Ердогану
турском цару сред Калемегдана
тог не бјеше како је протјеро
кнез Михајло из Тврђаве Турке
— Филип Вишњић (@gusleonline) October 11, 2017
Vučić gathered his tax collectors,
To shout high praises to Erdoğan
To the Sultan in the midst of Kalemegdan
Which hath not had happened [since 1867]
When Prince Mihajlo banished the Turks from the fort
Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić actually provided much of the satirical material on his own, by taking the stage at an official dinner in Belgrade and singing folk songs from the common past.
@gusleonline
Пјесне појa Ивица Коферче
све на увце Султан Ердогану
Прва бјеше сарајeвска Миљацка
другу појa турском Осман-аги… pic.twitter.com/rGJj0hbwBW
— Fadil Jonuz (@Fadil_Jonuz) October 10, 2017
Ivica the Suitcase sang like a nightingale
Into the ear of Erdoğan the Sultan
First he sang of Miljacka in Sarajevo
Then he sang of Turkish Osman Aga
The satirical website Njuz.net addressed the common aversion of the two regimes towards freedom of speech by ‘reporting’ that “In honour of Erdoğan's visit, 17 journalists were arrested today”:
BEOGRAD, 10. oktobar 2017, (Njuz) – Sedamnaest novinara iz štampanih i onlajn medija uhapšeno je danas u čast posete turskog predsednika Srbiji.
Novinari će biti predstavljeni Erdoganu nakon svečane večere, kada će mu biti omogućeno da u ime prijateljstva dva naroda odredi simbolične kazne.
– U Erdoganovu čast smo priveli najbolje primerke antirežimskih novinara koje smo mogli da nahvatamo u tako kratkom periodu – oni su svakodnevno pisali i izveštavali najgore moguće stvari protiv vlade, predsednika i generalno, napretka Srbije, kaže se u saopštenju predsedništva Srbije.
Kako se nezvanično saznaje, Erdogan je veoma zadovoljan ovakvim potezom državnog vrha Srbije i obećava da će uzvratiti istom merom prilikom posete našeg predsednika Ankari.
– Neka ovo bude početak jedne duge i uspešne demokratske tradicije u razmeni kažnjavanja nepodobnih medija, navodi se u zvaničnom saopštenju turske delegacije.
Belgrade, Oct 10, 2017 (Njuz) – Seventeen journalists from print and online media were arrested today in honor of the visit of the Turkish president to Serbia.
The journalists will be presented to Erdoğan after the festive dinner, when he will be allowed to pass symbolic sentences in the name of the friendship of the two peoples.
- In Erdoğan's honor we detained the best samples of anti-regime journalists which we could apprehend on such a short notice. They had written and reported in the worst manner against our government, the president, and in general, against progress in Serbia, stated the announcement by the Office of the President of Serbia.
According to unofficial information, Erdoğan was very pleased with this move by the Serbian state leadership, and promised he will return the favor during the visit of Serbian president to Ankara.
- May this be a start of a long and successful democratic tradition in exchange of punishing undesirable media, read the official announcement by the Turkish delegation.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Marko Angelov


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In Algeria, Two Imprisoned Bloggers Go on Hunger Strike · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

A portrait of 80-year-old Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been ruling the country since 1999. Photo: Thierry Ehrmann, courtesy of Organ Museum
Two Algerian bloggers have recently gone on hunger strike to protest their imprisonment for expressing themselves online.
Merzoug Touati has been in jail since 18 January for interviewing an Israeli official, while Slimane Bouhafs was arrested on 31 July 2016 for Facebook posts deemed “offensive to Islam.”
On 7 October, Reporters Without Borders reported that Touati has been on hunger strike since 13 September. The press freedom watchdog expressed concerns about the bloggers’ health and reported that “his weak condition” prevented him from answering an investigative judge's questions on 3 October.
According to Amnesty Algeria, Bouhafs began a hunger strike on 2 October.
Merzoug Touati. Photo shared on the Facebook page of his blog Alhogra
Touati is currently in detention pending trial for interviewing Hassan Kaabia, the Israeli foreign ministry's spokesperson for Arabic-speaking media, and then posting the interview on YouTube and his blog, Alhogra.
He was charged under Article 71 of the Penal Code which prescribes a punishment of up to 20 years in jail for anyone convicted of “exchanging with agents of a foreign power intelligence which could harm the military or diplomatic status of Algeria or its vital economic interests.” He could face an additional one to five years in prison for “incitement to armed protests against the State.”
The interview focused on the public response to the 2017 Finance Law, which includes an increase in value-added, income and property taxes, and a decrease in fuel subsidies. When the law went into effect on 1 January, strikes and riots erupted in the northern province of Bejaia and other parts of the country.
An Algerian government minister accused foreign powers of meddling in the country's affairs and orchestrating the protests. In the interview, Touati asked Kaabia about accusations made by the Algerian government. Kaabia denied any Israeli involvement.
On his blog (which is currently inaccessible to the public) Touati has consistently covered anti-austerity strikes and job protests, and rights violations committed by Algerian authorities.
Learn about the physiological effects of a hunger strike with the infographic below, created by our partners at Visualizing Impact.
Another blogger, Slimane Bouhafs, who is currently serving a three-year jail sentence for “offending” prophet Muhammad and Islam, went on hunger strike on 2 October, according to Amnesty's Algeria office:
La demande de libération conditionnelle de Slimane #Bouhafs a été rejetée. Il a entamé une grève de la faim depuis le 2 octobre. #Algérie pic.twitter.com/8SsEZgXmOZ
— Amnesty Algerie (@AmnestyAlgerie) October 8, 2017
A request for the conditional release of Slimane Bouhafs has been rejected. He has gone on hunger strike since October 2.
Bouhafs is a Christian convert and an activist with the St. Augustine Coordination of Christians in Algeria which supports the rights of religious minorities in the country.
Prior to his arrest, he regularly posted about the situation of Algeria's Christian minority on Facebook, his Google+ profile and personal blog. According to Amnesty International, he is also a supporter of the Movement for Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), an independent political group seeking autonomy for the northern Berber region of Kabylie, a hotspot of protests against the marginalization of Algerian Amazighs, their culture and language.
One of the posts cited as evidence against him featured a cartoon by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo showing prophet Muhammad crying. In the comment field, Bouhafs wrote that “Muhammad lost” in Kabylie and Algeria, and that “his lie will disappear because the light of Christ is here.”
Freedom of expression and press freedom are under siege in Algeria. The country is ranked 134 out of 180 in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index. Bloggers and journalists face criminal prosecution if they cross certain red lines including criticizing the ailing president Abdelaziz Bouteflika who has been ruling the country since 1999, corruption, religion and criticism of the police and the judiciary.
On 11 December 2016, blogger Mohamad Tamalt died in a hospital in the capital Algiers. Tamalt was serving a two year-jail sentence for publishing on Facebook a poem and a video that contained comments that were deemed disparaging towards Bouteflika. In protest he went on hunger strike in late June 2016 Two months after starting his hunger strike he entered a coma.
Today, the lives of two other bloggers are at risk, as they refrain from eating to gain back their freedoms. Will the Algerian government listen and end its crackdown on freedom of expression and press freedom before it's too late?

author: Afef Abrougui


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#Istanbul10 Human Rights Defenders Have Been Behind Bars for 100 Days · Global Voices
Zara Rahman

Eight members of the #Istanbul10 who remain in jail in Turkey.
October 12 marks 100 days since 10 human rights defenders were arrested in Turkey during a training workshop. As of this week, members of the group could now face up to 10 years in prison for their work supporting the defence of human rights.
The group had gathered for an information management and wellbeing workshop on one of Istanbul's islands, Buyukada, on July 5 when police raided the workshop, detained the participants, and confiscated electronic equipment including computers and mobile phones. Among those arrested was the director of Amnesty International Turkey, Idil Eser.
Amnesty International Turkey chair Taner Kilic was arrested one month prior to the raid and has been accused of partaking in a so-called “conspiracy” with the 10 defenders. All have since been charged with aiding an “armed terrorist organization” and were indicted this week by the public prosecutor, who is seeking multi-year prison sentences for each individual, according to state news agency Andalou.
All of those facing charges are Turkish nationals, except for trainers Ali Gharavi, a Swedish citizen, and Peter Steudtner, a German citizen.
Authorities have cited no conclusive evidence to support the charges, and the evidence that is cited includes a slide taken from Gharavi's computer with a map of language groups in Turkey, Iraq and Iran, and a sketch with stick people and icons drawn during the workshop by Ozlem Dalkiran, another member of the group. All of those detained have demonstrated over many years of work a commitment to peaceful, constructive protection of universal human rights in Turkey as enshrined in local laws and international human rights norms.
Following a court appearance on July 17, the detainees experienced a brief period of limbo in which some were released and then taken back into custody. Nejat Tastan and Seyhmuz Ozbekli are currently out on bail, but have been barred from travel beyond Turkey's borders, and must report to their supervision officers twice per week.
Amnesty International, whose director and chair of Amnesty International Turkey are included in these charges, described the situation as “outrageous.”
Human Rights Watch called the accusations “laughable”, explaining the situation as an attempt to stifle human rights work:
The truth is that these human rights defenders are being prosecuted not for an elaborate conspiracy, but to silence them and make their work impossible.
On September 19, a group of more than 60 organisations including the Association for Progressive Communications, IFEX, and Article 19, delivered an oral statement at the 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council, calling particular attention to the work of IT consultant Ali Gharavi, and digital strategy and wellbeing trainer Peter Steudtner:
Gharavi and Steudtner were arrested doing their jobs, imparting knowledge and skills that are essential to the exercise of human rights in the digital age, as they have done for many years with civil society groups around the world.
Since August 1, Steudtner has been held in Silivri prison, a high-security prison outside of Istanbul. In a letter he wrote from his cell, he described his daily life in prison:
Everyday life in prison takes place between the opening of the courtyard at 8am and the locking of the cells at 8pm: inspection of attendance, searching the cells, doing our laundry, cleaning the cell, playing chess and backgammon (both self-made boards).
On September 22, the day of the Berlin Marathon, Steudtner ran part of the marathon in solidarity, using the yard of his prison cell. Steudtner's colleagues from Kurve Wostrow, the Centre for Training and Networking in Nonviolent Action, reported that he managed 1,500 rounds of his small yard, running approximately 22.5 kilometres in total.
Idil Eser, director of Amnesty International Turkey, wrote from inside Silivri prison on September 12:
I always believed in the working methods and principles of the organisation and the importance of human rights; and I will keep believing in them. I am proud to be the Director of Amnesty International Turkey.
October 14 marks Eser’s birthday, a day being celebrated in solidarity with her by groups across the world.
Happy Birthday Idil! #PartyWithIdil #FreeRightsDefenders #Turkey pic.twitter.com/LbCziGny6V
— Index on Censorship (@IndexCensorship) October 10, 2017
Alongside his IT consultant skills, Swedish citizen Ali Gharavi is also a writer and poet. In mid-September, politics and culture magazine The New Statesman published one of Gharavi's stories. For the past few years, he has been working on a fiction/memoir project about family and migration, from which the story is drawn.
On October 9,  Swedish officials summoned the Turkish ambassador for the third time to discuss the case, specifically of Gharavi. On Twitter, Ali’s friends, family, and supporters are sharing posts for him using the hashtag #ForFutureAli and #HaikusForAli.
Both Ali and Peter have been recognised by the digital rights group Access Now as “Heroes” for their activities in supporting human rights defenders to use technology.
We join their supporters in calling for the immediate release of the accused. Share messages of support on Twitter with the #Istanbul10 hashtag and #100DaysTooMany, and learn more about the lives and work of the #Istanbul10.

author: Zara Rahman


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Like the US, Trinidad & Tobago Won’t Be at the 2018 World Cup, But They’re the Only Ones Smiling About It · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The World Cup 2010 Jabulani Ball. Photo by Tai Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0.
On the night of October 10, 2017, a sprinkling of football enthusiasts went to the Ato Boldon Stadium in central Trinidad to see a World Cup qualifier match between Trinidad and Tobago and the USA. The small Caribbean nation had absolutely no chance of going to Russia in 2018, but the United States did — if they managed a draw with Trinidad and Tobago's team.
One of the reasons football is the world's favourite sport is that, at its best, it's an unpredictable game. With just one goal, things can turn on a dime. So while the result of this particular match might have been dismissed as a foregone conclusion, what happened on the field was anything but. The match resulted in Trinidad and Tobago walking away with a 2-1 victory and the USA being driven off their #RoadToRussia.
Thanks to an unfortunate own goal by US defender Omar Gonzales, coupled with a brilliant strike from Trinidad and Tobago's Alvin Jones, the twin island republic secured all three points in the round, leaving the USA team — and fans — shell-shocked.
Popular sports website Wired868 described it this way:
What came next was a right-footed screamer that arrowed into the far corner. It seemed to belong in an entirely different match and it certainly illuminated a contest that had, up to that point, been low-tempo and scrappy.
Howard’s eyes opened as wide as saucers, the Trinidad and Tobago bench was in uproar and, all over CONCACAF, word of Señor Jones (Alvin Jones) spread like wildfire; the United States were in trouble at 0-2 down.
With the USA down, the spirits of Trinbagonian supporters were up, mostly because of a date that will be forever burned into their memory: November 19, 1989. This is when Trinidad and Tobago's national team, then affectionately known as The Strike Squad, had the World Cup within their sights for the first time ever. Had they simply drawn with the US in that all-important match, the team would have been the first from an English-speaking Caribbean nation to qualify. Trinidad and Tobago lost that match 1-0 and the nation was devastated. Curiously, the 30,000+ spectators were later given the FIFA Fair Play Award for their good behaviour when faced with such disappointment and overcrowding, which was little consolation.
Nine years later, in France, Jamaica's Reggae Boyz would become the first to represent the English-speaking Caribbean on the World Cup stage. Even though Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup dreams eventually came true when the twin island nation qualified for Germany 2006, the memory of that 1989 qualifier against the USA is still a sore point.
In that context, it is understandable how October 10, 2017 might be interpreted as a comeuppance. Like Trinidad and Tobago back in 1989, the US only needed a draw to be assured a spot. Twenty-eight years later, it was their turn to feel the sting of defeat. It is the first time since 1986 that the US will not be participating in the World Cup.
The site TTWhistleBlower could not resist gloating, despite the Soca Warriors’ (as the national team is now called) underwhelming performance throughout the qualifying matches. It also noted the poetic justice of the goal that assured Trinidad and Tobago's victory:
For Trinidad and Tobago, it was a happy ending to an otherwise disappointing tournament where they ended last on the six-team table. The Warriors won just two matches out of 10. […]
It was 2-1 in the 36th minute when Alvin Jones smashed a swerving shot from the right flank past Howard. Alvin’s father Kelvin Jones was a member of the national team which failed to qualify in 1989.
Disgraced former FIFA vice president, Jack Warner, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, was also quite happy to rub salt in the wound.
While some social media users were critical of all the rejoicing, Caroline Taylor tried to explain the enjoyment surrounding Trinidad and Tobago's victory:
[The] argument is that we didn't qualify so what's the big deal. […] Of course that's the larger context, and we're in far worse a state than the US team. I don't think amusement at us eliminating the US (and the reactions to it) and recognising the depressing state of our local football (and much else on the home front) are mutually exclusive. I came home to the news and laughed very, very hard because of the improbability of it, and the strange, unlikely poetic justice of 1989 v 2017. And I have no problem with people finding catharsis in it, however shortlived, and however dreary the rest of the circumstances. ‘Celebration’ mischaracterises it, I think. But there's no need to police other people's feelings, which is what many are going around social media doing, and often with a degree of condescension that actually reveals more about them than those they're trying to deflate.
Facebook user Kim Johnson still couldn't wrap his head around it, though, offering this perspective:
How come everybody talking about ‘revenge’ when 28 years ago TT gave away the match? The team stayed down South, and took an hours-long drive to the stadium in a small, hot maxi, stopping to pray and wave at crowds. The US team stayed at the Hilton. Our team arrived exhausted. The yanks didn't beat us, we beat ourselves. The revenge would be against the local people who set us up to lose.
To complicate matters, there was much ado made about the inadequate facilities of the stadium at which the match was played. The day before the game, the US team showed up for practice and found the field flooded:
TT greets USA footballers with flood at stadium and looks to drown them in World Cup clash. @Newsday_TT
— arthur dash (@arthurdash1) October 10, 2017
However, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association maintained that there was “a skewed approach to what is being reported”, and gave assurances that the field would be ready for the qualifier.
Wired868 again weighed in:
Although the contest meant everything to the visitors, it had been a low-key affair for local football fans. Or at least it was—until the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and American journalists posted images of the waterlogged Ato Boldon Stadium surface on Monday morning.
It was a light-hearted ribbing really but it touched a raw nerves with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) and Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT)—both already repeatedly criticised for incompetent management—as well as with some supporters who were taken aback at the supposed impudence of their guests.
Suddenly, a football match that was little more than a chore and barely advertised locally had taken on increased significance.
‘If you want to see what is really embarrassing,’ one commenter remarked, ‘why not look at your own president!’
Indeed, quite a few social media comments about the final result referenced Donald Trump, including memes suggesting that he would exact revenge for the USA by denying visas to citizens of Trinidad and Tobago:
So is a big problem when USA cyah make it to the world cup but for everyone else is ok. Blame trump he blight allyuh ????
— Ronald John (@john868tt) October 11, 2017
So it's a big problem when the USA can't make it to the World Cup, but for everyone else it's okay. Blame Trump, he jinxed all of you.
Apart from its outstanding play by play, the Wired post neatly summed up the tone of the event:
The Soca Warriors’ own chance of advancing ended a month ago but the loud cheers and dancing in the stands suggested that the home crowd enthusiastically embraced what the Germans refer to as ‘schadenfraude’—or what Trinis might call ‘bad mind.’
‘America, we know we not going to Russia,’ a nuts vendor shouted to nobody in particular, during the first half, ‘but allyuh not going neither!’
The score was goalless at the time but how prophetic his words turned out to be. A combination of results were necessary to eliminate coach Bruce Arena’s outfit: not only did Warriors coach have to break a nine-match winless streak but Panama needed to defeat Costa Rica and Honduras needed a win against the group leaders, Mexico.
And on a remarkable night of CONCACAF football, all three happened.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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‘The Eurovision Baby Has Arrived’: Macedonian Contestant Jana Burceska Gives Birth to Daughter · Global Voices
Marko Angelov

A screenshot from the official Eurosong “video postcard” showing Jana Burceska buying baby clothes.
Jana Burceska, who represented Macedonia in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, has given birth to the baby whose existence was announced during the competition in Kiev.
The theme of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest was “Celebrate Diversity.” Even though Burceska didn't make it to the finals, the Macedonian representative caused a sensation — twice.
The first was her introductory video, in which she revealed that she was pregnant with shots showing her receiving an ultrasound and shopping for baby clothes.
The move by then-unmarried Burceska incited controversy in her home country. Macedonian society has backslid from a fairly liberal to quite patriarchal place in the last decades, due to the influence of right-wing populism.
The second surprise came in the Eurovision Green Room, when performers are offered a chance to comment while waiting for the results of their performance. Burceska's boyfriend used the occasion to propose marriage to her on camera:
Although Burcevska didn't receive enough votes to move on to the finals, she seemingly garnered more attention by international media than any other previous Macedonian contestant. At home, some accused the pregnancy reveal and public marriage proposal of being a publicity stunt.
Unlike many of the Macedonian representatives in the past, her song “Dance Alone” received positive reviews from most domestic music critics, who praised its composition, her performance and the music video. It now plays on regular rotation in local radio stations.
Following the song contest, Burceska married in August, and took part in a UNICEF campaign, “Childhood Without Obstacles,” in September.
Има многу причини зошто треба да бидеме фер! Придружете се на Јана Бурческа и дадете ваша поддршка #ЗаДетство #БезПречки pic.twitter.com/eE2Q5plspX
— UNICEF MK (@UNICEFMK) September 15, 2017
Tweet: “There are many reasons why we need to be fair! Join Jana Burceska and support #ForChildhood #WithoutOubstacles”
Video: “Yahoo! I'm Jana Burceska, and for me to be fair means providing chances and opportunities, instead of deprivation. That's why I support the campaign ‘Be Fair! For a Childhood Without Obstacles.'”
Her baby girl, named Dona, was born on October 11. The news spread via social media after Burceska's father announced on his Facebook profile that he had become a grandfather. Congratulations poured in:
Стигна евровизиското бебе: Јана Бурческа роди ќерка
нека е жива и здрава….
— Darko Kezhman (@kezhmanprvi) October 11, 2017
The Eurovision baby has arrived: Jana Burceska gave birth to a daughter. May she have a long and healthy life.
And some used the occasion to comment on larger issues, such as media campaigns by the populist government that ruled Macedonia from August 2006 to May 2017, which were supposed to incite “patriotic feelings” among the populace.
Јана Бурческа ја избраа, настапи на Еуровизија, ја запросија, се омажи и роди ќерка.. што вие направивте за Македонија годинава? :)
— Daniel Anastasoff (@algorit007) October 11, 2017
Jana Burceska was selected, she performed at the Eurovision Song Contest, got engaged, got married, and gave birth to a daughter. What did you do for Macedonia this year?


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‘The Position of Women in Science Has Changed for the Better’, but ‘Is Still Far From Ideal’ · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Shilpa Iyer with her permission
As part of a two-pronged series of interviews with medical researchers based in Africa (read the first part here), Global Voices reached out to Dr. Shilpa Iyer, who is currently working in Zambia.
Iyer grew up in Pune, India, where she obtained her bachelor's and masters degrees in zoology and molecular biology, respectively. She then moved to the US and obtained her PhD in microbiology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Yale University with a Fogarty Global health research fellowship to conduct research in Lusaka, Zambia.
As a minority woman who has research experience in India, US, and now Zambia, Shilpa brings her unique views on women in science, science and public opinions, and what science can bring to Africa.
Global Voices (GV): What drew you towards a career in science?
Shilpa Iyer (SI): I grew up in India and every year the monsoon season would be followed by an increase in the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya. As a child, I observed how interventions like the distribution of mosquito bed nets and the introduction of fish larvae into standing water puddles to eat mosquito larvae helped with vector control and reduced disease incidence. I was impressed with how public health interventions using existing technologies can have a massive impact on human health. After the completion of my master's degree in molecular biology, I worked on a project to identify a novel drug target for Mycobacterium tuberculosis at AstraZeneca, India. My internship at the company taught me that multidisciplinary team efforts from basic laboratory researchers to public health workers are necessary to address critical global health concerns in a sustainable manner. I had the opportunity to spend a year in Lusaka, Zambia from 2008-2009 and I noticed the direct and indirect impact of HIV/AIDS that cut across all strata of society. This galvanized me to be part of the improvement of health care in resource-limited countries by combining basic research and public health skills. While I Iived in Lusaka, I volunteered at an NGO that provided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and milk to the children that visited the clinic with their parents to obtain [antiretroviral therapy]. These meals provided both nutrition and a positive experience for the children attending the clinic, helping retain them in care. This experience drove home how diverse the range of helpful interventions can be, each with their own benefit and scope. I knew then that I wanted to pursue a career in infectious diseases and its translation into global health research. Understanding and following the scientific method has provided a satisfying way of answering questions to indulge my curiosity in a way that is rigorous and well-defined.
GV: In your opinion, what can medical research bring to countries where the needs for primary healthcare are more pressing?
SI:  Research can help build resources in less fortunate countries. This includes the introduction of technology and instrumentation, training and knowledge-building among local researchers, the generation of opportunities for employment and education (even through exchange programs). The development of research capacity can foster global partnerships and collaborations and result in the building of an organization's reputation. Outcomes with a more direct benefit include therapeutic (vaccines and drugs), public health interventions (mosquito bed nets, affordable water filters, assessment of gender-based violence) and income generating (generic drugs for instance).
GV: Until recently, scientific research has been perceived as a man's world. Do you think that this false perception has changed and do you think women scientists are now more recognized for their contribution?
SI: I think that the position of women in science has changed for the better in recent years. However, their place in a scientific society is still far from ideal. Even in developed countries, tenured women scientists are not paid salaries comparable to their male counterparts. They are more frequently overlooked for promotions and administrative positions. This situation is even worse in the developing world, where women's rights and the idea of equality are still a new/foreign concept. Women with strong, assertive and demanding personalities earn unflattering reputations, which could hurt their chances of making tenure, collaborations and attracting research students. Men with these same qualities are, however, revered and respected. Growing up in the developing world, I experienced women being required to toe their male supervisor's line (even though they were far more accomplished/brighter), discriminated against because they were female and subject to harassment from male professors/supervisors. In general, it felt like an uphill battle to be a woman scientist and these struggles had nothing to do with what should be gender neutral issues like funding and publications. In the US, I definitely felt more secure voicing my opinion, defending my research and applying for awards. This was largely due to my female mentor (and other professors) who inspired me to believe that women could occupy an equal place in the research world as their male colleagues. There is still a way to go, but women scientists are in a better place than they were 50 years ago.
GV: We now live in an era where scientific reasoning and facts seem to be questioned by dubious political motives. Do you think scientists have a role to play in combating the spread of fake news?
SI: Absolutely, as scientists, we are trained to consider all the facts before we make an opinion. We are taught to avoid prejudice, and to consider all points of view. Most importantly, we are trained to not blindly accept a hypothesis, but to do the research and if required, change our hypothesis. In this age, where people with political agendas to further seem willing to bend the facts and falsely represent data, more than ever, we owe it our training, and to the people out there, to help them understand the fallacies of ‘fake news’, to help them understand how to do their own research and the importance of a balanced and informed decision. We cannot ignore the facts we do not like, this is crucial for us to explain to the public. We cannot be experts in every topic, but the scientific method teaches us to consider every possibility, to determine the correct answer based on facts. We can apply this process to every topic though.
GV: In your opinion, what is the potential in scientific research in Africa? What should it focus on and how we can help its development?
SI: I will begin by saying I am a novice global health researcher, and my limited experience only applies to Zambia and South Africa. There is tremendous potential among local researchers to conduct and develop research studies, both basic and translational. Despite limitations in technology and funding, people are incredibly creative and innovative and work extremely hard. The involvement of the local communities and counselors (particularly in public health research) is both encouraging and critical to a project's success. Some of the areas that research should/could focus include infectious disease prevention and treatment, mental health awareness and treatment, maternal and child health and prevention of mortality, sustainable economic development and the creation of local jobs by foreign and local employers. The education and support of local mentors and scholars will help foster the development of research in Africa. Well-trained, intelligent scientists should be retained through scholarships and funding opportunities and provided opportunities to advance their training through short training courses. But they should be provided the necessary infrastructure and monetary support to conduct their research in their country, and not feel like they have to move abroad to further their careers.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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‘Are We Still in the Stone Age?’ Cambodians Express Disappointment as Government Bans ‘Kingsman’ Movie Sequel · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

‘Kingsman’ film poster and an announcement from a local cinema: “Due to widespread disapproval of scenes in the movie, ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ will not be shown in the cinemas. With this news, we sincerely apologize.” Source: Facebook
The Cambodian government has banned the public screening of the Hollywood movie “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” for depicting a Khmer temple as the secret base of a criminal drug lord.
The movie is a sequel of the 2014 action comedy film about a British secret spy organization.
Bok Borak, deputy director of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts’ Film Department, explained the reason for the ban:
After we reviewed the film we found some problems. They used the Cambodian land – the temple – as the place where the terrorists stay and make trouble for the world.
The temple was not identified in the film but it resembled Ta Prohm, which was also used as a location in the 2001 Hollywood movie “Tomb Raider” featuring actress Angelina Jolie.
Simon Choo of Westec Media, which is in charge of distributing the film, pointed out that reference to Cambodia was even blocked from the film to please the country’s censorship board:
We even blocked the name Cambodia and the name does not appear anywhere. Every movie cannot be depicting Cambodia as heaven . . . You need to face the reality that all countries have criminals.
As expected, Cambodian moviegoers expressed disappointment over the decision to ban the film. Facebook user Singhtararith Chea wrote on his page: “Are we still in the Stone Age era?”
Also on Facebook, Somchanrith Chap reminded censors that the film is fictional:
I've seen New York City destroyed a thousand times by bad guys and aliens but nobody cares because it is FICTIONAL.
He also found it unusual that the board described the depiction of the Ta Prohm temple in the film “Tomb Raider” as “romantic”:
In case you didn't notice, nothing about stealing is romantic nor using Cambodians as slaves to break down an ancient temple entrance. But nobody cares. Why? Because it's fictional. Get over it.
Reaksmey Yean, another Facebook user, shared a similar point:
This is ludicrous, I can't believe these so-called experts could not distinguish between fiction and reality.
To my dear experts! I just wanted to inform you that creativity is boundaryless, and this film is one form of its multiple-realities, multiforms, and multilayers. You should start learning how to recognize it, although, you do not like it by recognizing it you respect the freedom of expression of the others — in this case, the creator of the film.
Twitter user Peter Ford used the hashtag #hunsanity which is a reference to Prime Minister Hun Sen, the country's leader in the past three decades:
Nice to see Cambodian authorities focusing on what is important: Banning #Kingsman2 . #Cambodia #hunsanity https://t.co/MoGyTUitrQ
— Pete Ford (@PeteAFord) October 12, 2017
Cambodia has previously censored Hollywood films depicting excessive violence or sexuality like the film “Fifty Shades of Grey,” but this is the first time in recent years that the government has banned a film for its “negative portrayal” of the country.
The film ban also highlighted the government's crackdown on free expression. Since September 2017, more than 30 radio stations have been closed down by the government over licensing and tax issues. An English daily was also forced to close operations after the government slapped it with a hefty tax bill.

author: Mong Palatino


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In Macedonia, Memories of a Crackdown on the Ajvar Culinary Tradition Remain Fresh · Global Voices
Goce Arsovski

Photo of a pot with ajvar by Radosnica, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Making ajvar, a pepper-based condiment and one of the most sacred Balkan traditions, has been facing unexpected impediments in its native Macedonia during the last several years.
The preparation of this winter food characterizes autumn in Macedonia, and its significance goes far beyond simple cooking, but has a cultural, almost ritual value. Ajvar is a family matter that usually gathers relatives, friends and even neighbors.
As such, it often draws the attention of foreigners residing in the country, including the current ambassador of The Netherlands to Macedonia, who recently tweeted:
Долг процес, но одличен резултат: #ајвар и лутеница pic.twitter.com/6EyA1W2RvF
— Wouter Plomp (@NLAmbPlomp) October 6, 2017
Lengthy process, but great result. Ajvar and lutenica.
For such an important tradition, it might be surprising to learn that authorities have take steps over the years to limit the making of ajvar. In 2008 the populist government that ruled Macedonia from 2006 to 2017 made one of its less popular moves, passing a law that outlawed making ajvar on public grounds.
#Ајвар pic.twitter.com/a7wCdzZO15
— ⚔ William Wallace ⚔ (@WillWallaceJR) 3 de octubre de 2016
Roasting paprika, first stage in ajvar preparation.
While owners of plots of land could do it in their own yard (equivalent to making barbecue in the US), citizens living in apartment buildings were prohibited from doing it on common lawns, in front of their garages or other venues that had served them for the last 30, 40 or 50 years.
According to Libertas news site, the “Law on Public Cleanliness” slaps a 50-euro fine on anyone using a metal stove in a public space. “On the other hand,” the site notes, “some citizens say that these fines are necessary.”
In 2016, a series of tragicomic events took place in which people, usually elderly or poor, faced arrest and fines for ajvar preparation outdoors. Many observers pointed to the police interventions as an example of harassment by a government wanting to instill fear of the state in the population
Macedonia's new government, which came into office at the end of May 2017, has taken a far more lenient attitude towards ajvar-making. So far, there haven't been reports of any similar police actions, but memories of last season remain fresh in the mind of many Macedonians.
Далечната 2016, се’ друго беше во ред во државата, освен правењето #ајвар на јавно место.https://t.co/DHTkrSQG67https://t.co/vp6bFpMlGL https://t.co/uPVtwf7ksG
— Ladislav Cvetkovski (@Ladislavcc) October 6, 2017
Tweet: Long ago, back in 2016, everything was OK in the country, except the preparation of ajvar in public spaces.
Link title: “Around ten people have been fined for making ajvar”
In 2016, since the preparation of ajvar and various other winter foods (“zimnica”) had never been the target of police interventions before, some surprised citizens were caught “red-handed” (literally) by the police. The fines were mostly met with humor and satire, but there were also cases of genuine defiance:
pic.twitter.com/PijaXLq9YJ
— EmptyPersona (@darkhour_seeker) October 4, 2016
Upper image, showing members of the previous government who are accused of corruption: “These are innocent”
Lower image, showing people preparing ajvar: “There are criminals”
Social media users in Macedonia continue to recall last year’s events, when the preparation of Macedonia’s favorite winter food could have gotten you in trouble with the law.
Here are some of the reactions on Twitter and Facebook that still get shares and likes, popping up in the timelines of Macedonians a year after they had been written:
Forgive me father for I have been roasting. #аjvar
— Една е Тетка! (@TheTetka) October 4, 2016
Forgive me father for I have been roasting. #аjvar
Кај што има чад има и ајвар.
-МВР
— ÅLEKSÅNDÅR (@Aleksandermen) October 3, 2016
Where there is smoke there is ajvar.
– Ministry of Interior
Some, like Sonja Zafirovska, had joined the discussion on Facebook:
2035 година
Бабо, зошто лежеше во затвор?
– Синко ме фатија на лице место како правам Ајвар и слушам Српска музика.
Year 2035:
Grandma, why had you been in jail?
– My grandson, they caught me red-handed preparing ajvar and listening to Serbian music.
Boban Bobby Dimovski asked:
А дали ако моите купиле пиперки за ајвар и ме тераат да им помагам се рачуна као семејно насилство???
So if my parents have bought red paprika for preparing ajvar and they want to make me help them, would this be considered as domestic violence???
Aleksandra Milenkovic Vasilevski shared a link to a satirical article titled “Dangerous network for illegal ajvar making busted, three severely hurt with fifth-degree burns” and commented:
„Можеби киднаперите на деца, педофилите, силувачите, дилерите на дрога и оружје, функционерите кои украдоа милиони се на слобода, но конечно се чувствувам слободен и безбеден, можам мирно излезам пред зграда без да бидам нападнат од мирисот на ајвар“ ….ееее тоа ти е МК
“Maybe child kidnappers, pedophiles, rapists, drugs and arms dealers, officials who stole millions are free, but finally I feel free and safe, I can peacefully go outside without being attacked by the odor of ajvar” ….. aaaaand this is Macedonia.
Even though the police pressure has relaxed, and the smell of roasted papers is once again wafting through the streets, the fact is fewer and fewer young people are deciding to take up the preparation of ajvar.
The busy modern lifestyle doesn't favor devoting whole weekends to kneeling besides a stove with a wooden spoon. Thanks to advances in the canned food industry, many companies have begun producing ajvar with a quality comparable to grandma's. And therein may lie a far more potent danger to the tradition that could endure any regime change.

author: Goce Arsovski


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Netizen Report: Free Speech Is Under Fire in Catalonia’s Push for Independence · Global Voices
Netizen Report Team

Demonstrators in Barcelona, 2006. Banner reads “We are a nation and we have the right to decide!” Photo by Friviere via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)
The story of Catalonia's push for independence has been one of judicial threats, police violence, digital censorship, and intimidation of journalists both online and off.
Although it was technically prohibited by Spain’s Constitutional Court, Catalonia’s regional government organized a referendum, offering its citizens the choice to vote for or against Catalonia becoming an independent state. Forty-three percent of the electorate participated in the vote, which was marred by irregularities including the same people voting twice. A total of 90% favored secession.
Weeks before the vote took place, the official website for the referendum — which explained the implications of the referendum and its origins, and also gave citizens practical information about when, where and how to vote — was taken offline by a domain name seizure, at the order of a Spanish court.
Spain’s Guardia Civil then raided the headquarters of top level domain .cat, confiscating IT equipment and data. Six staff members were arrested and the technical agency’s CTO has been charged with sedition. Multiple mirror sites appeared in the wake of the raid, most of which have been subsequently taken offline as well. Among other people who helped establish these mirror sites, 13 individuals have been placed under investigation for disobeying the order of the Constitutional Court.
Soon after, the High Court of Justice of Catalonia ordered the blocking of websites and domains with any information of this kind. This led to the blocking of roughly 140 websites, including many that hosted commentary and discussion about the referendum, rather than information about participating in the vote.
On the day of the referendum, police forcibly blocked the entrances to polling places and used violence to prevent voters from entering. Intense and sometimes violent street protests have since ensued, and journalists covering demonstrations and clashes have also been subject to abuse.
In a special report on media repression in the region, Reporters Without Borders documented multiple cases of Spanish journalists who were attacked by pro-separatists, both on the streets and at the Parliament building. The report explained that all of its participants “confess to self-censorship in one way or another and several recognize having dropped a story, or wishing to do so, or even leaving Catalonia.”
Reporting on the state of devastation in Puerto Rico has been “whitewashed” by authorities, in the words of one US Congressman. Detailed statistics about water, electricity, and resource shortages that were published and routinely updated on the US Federal Emergency Management Agency website disappeared on October 5, while more “positive” data about the relief effort remained online. The numbers reappeared following reports by multiple media outlets about the censorship.
Eleven human rights advocates arrested in Turkey in June and July of 2017 have been charged with “aiding an armed terrorist organization” and were indicted this week by the public prosecutor, who is seeking multi-year prison sentences for each individual, despite there being no concrete evidence to support this claim.
The group had gathered for an information management and wellbeing workshop on one of Istanbul's islands, Buyukada, on July 5 when police raided the workshop, detained the participants, and confiscated electronic equipment including computers and mobile phones. Among those arrested was the director of Amnesty International Turkey, Idil Eser. All of those facing charges are Turkish nationals, except for trainers Ali Gharavi, a Swedish citizen, and Peter Steudtner, a German citizen.
On October 7, Reporters Without Borders reported that Algerian blogger Merzoug Touati has been on hunger strike since September 13. The press freedom watchdog expressed concerns about the bloggers’ health and reported that “his weak condition” prevented him from answering an investigative judge's questions on October 3. Touati has been in jail since 18 January for interviewing an Israeli official. Fellow blogger Slimane Bouhafs has been on hunger strike since October 2. Bouhafs was arrested on 31 July 2016 for Facebook posts deemed “offensive to Islam.”
Meanwhile, Algerian news outlet TSA, along with its Arabic version TSA-Arabi, were blocked on Algeria Telecom and its subsidiary Mobilis, while it remains accessible on the mobile networks Djezzy and Ooredoo. Whether this constitutes censorship – and why the sites were inaccessible – remains unclear.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology announced it recently purchased a US $15.6 million system that will allow it to automate censorship of websites. The system uses keyword crawling to analyze sites for negative content and block them automatically. The Ministry has already blocked over 800,000 websites manually, which allegedly contain pornography or other subject matter that violates “negative content” guidelines that govern gambling, extremism, and sexual education material online.
Chinese tech giant Sina Weibo has recruited 1,000 Weibo supervisors to report on “pornographic, illegal and harmful content” after China's Cyberspace Administration investigated and fined Weibo for failing to purge banned content from its social media platform.
The policy is already having adverse effects on users, particularly young women, whose photos are being taken down if they show a woman's leg, abdomen or cleavage, on grounds that they are “pornographic”. Users who are found to violate the rules may have their “social credit” scores reduced, which can limit to their ability to use the platform.
Brazil’s Congress passed a law that allows political parties and candidates to force social media outlets to take down content deemed to be defamatory or offensive by anonymous authors. It does not require a judicial order for these requests to be made of websites or apps. Brazilian President Michel Temer has not yet indicated his position on the law, but could use veto power to override the decision of Congress.
Ellery Roberts Biddle, L. Finch, Zara Rahman, Carolina Rumuat, Laura Vidal and Sarah Myers West contributed to this report.

author: Netizen Report Team


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Russians Are Receiving Some Uncanny Answers From Alisa, Tech Giant Yandex’s Siri Competitor · Global Voices
Fabrice Deprez

Me: “I hate you.” Alisa: “Let's pretend you never said it and I never heard”. Yandex’s voice assistant appears to be more diplomatic than her Apple’s competitor, Siri.
On October 10, Russian tech giant Yandex rolled out Alisa, its first voice assistant for iOS and Android (a computer version is also available, but it's in beta). Alisa was announced back in May 2017, but first gained widespread recognition when Russian President Vladimir Putin was shown the app in September during his official visit of the company’s headquarters.
Since its release, thousands of Russians have been trying Yandex’s answer to Siri, Apple’s own voice assistant. Like Siri, Alisa can perform searches, create itineraries, provide information about the weather or the latest news.
Inevitably, comparing Alisa to Siri was one of the first thing many users did. Putting the two voice assistants to the test, Russian business outlet RBC found out that neither Alisa nor Siri were able to predict any trends in the ruble exchange rate, nor would they give their opinion on the controversial, yet unreleased movie “Matilda.”
TJournal, a Russian tech news website, came up with a more thorough test, starting with asking both Alisa and Siri to tell a joke:
Alisa vs Siri: two voice assistants telling a joke / Caption credit: TJournal.ru
Alisa: A robot walks into a bar and orders a martini. The bartender takes a thousand-ruble bill from the robot, gives a hundred back and waits for the robot to complain. The robot stays silent. In the end, the bartender cannot keep a lid on his curiosity and says, ‘We don’t often have robots around here.’ And the robot answers: ‘With these prices, that’s not surprising!’ End of the joke.
Siri: Two iPhones walk into a bar, and then I can’t remember.
Others noted the voice assistant’s peculiar personality, as Alisa encouraged one user to steal an iPhone:
#алиса продолжает удивлять. Не показывайте дипутатам, а то запретят. :))) @wylsacom pic.twitter.com/i7lR0Rxkyy
— KiN (@kin_174) 11 октября 2017 г.
Tweet: #alisa continues to mystify. Don't show this to the lawmakers, or else they'll ban it :)))
Image: — I want a new iPhone.
— What keeps you from buying one?
— I don’t have money.
— Steal it.
— But it’s a crime
— No one will know.
The voice assistant also showed an apparent preference for the Saint Petersburg football team, despite Yandex being based in Moscow:
Какая ветреная Алиса pic.twitter.com/Bq61vYOhzp
— Василий Конов (41+) (@VasilyKonov) 11 октября 2017 г.
Tweet: Alisa is such a fickle girl
Image: — Do you like the CSKA? [Moscow’s football team]
— Love it.
— Who do you think will win Russia’s football championship?
— Zenit [Saint Petersburg’s football team]
— Do you like Spartak? [Another football team in Moscow]
— Our name is Zenit! [Zenit fans’ rallying cry]
The Zenit’s Twitter account quickly took note and thanked Yandex “for the support.”
The questions quickly turned political, however, as some Russians tried to assess Alisa’s views of the current leadership. One user asked whether Russia “will be free”, a reference to a slogan regularly shouted in opposition protests, to which Alisa answered “Oh. I want to believe so.”
A list of Alisa answers compiled by Riga-based Russian news website Meduza also showed the voice assistant answering the question of when would Putin leave with “Never, obviously.”
Another user accused Alisa of being unpatriotic:
Алиса не патриот!
Путин в Яндексе не доглядел видимо… pic.twitter.com/uITWqtzFNw
— Герман Грустный (@germanjour) 11 октября 2017 г.
Tweet: Alisa's not a patriot! I guess that's Putin's oversight, he should've fixed it during his Yandex visit.
Image: — How do you view America?
— Positively.
— How do you view Russia?
— Neutrally.
Russian independent TV channel Dozhd asked both Siri and Alisa “Who does Crimea belong to?” referring to the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Siri simply transferred the question to the iPhone’s search engine, while Alisa answered with a laconic “It's yours.”
Yet others, such the Russian science news website N+1, chose to go the full robot apocalypse and pitted Alisa against itself. The conversation between the two smartphones starts innocently enough, but turned quite uncanny after a few seconds:
— К сожалению, на этот раз я вас не поняла.
— Извините.
— Забудем.
— Я и не забыл.
— Ну как такое забыть?
— Никак.
— Иди спи.
— До завтра.
— А что завтра-то?
— К сожалению, недостаточно данных. Могу ответить о погоде. Если, конечно, спросите.
— У нас все будет завтра.
— Будем надеяться.
— Надежда всегда с нами.
— Аминь.
— Есть ответ.
— Выход есть всегда.
— В окно.
— Unfortunately, I didn’t understand you this time.
— Sorry.
— Forget about it.
— How can one forget something like this.
— One can't.
— Go to bed.
— Till tomorrow.
— But what happens tomorrow?
— Unfortunately, there is not enough data to process. I can tell you about the weather. If you want me to, of course.
— We will have everything tomorrow.
— Hopefully.
— Hope is always with us.
— Amen.
— There is an answer.
— There is always a way out.
— Through the window.
When showing the app to Vladimir Putin, Yandex CTO Mikhail Parakhin claimed the answers were not programmed in advance, and Alisa could give different answers to the same question. So far, Yandex has not revealed the app’s inner workings or the logic behind some of the more surprising answers.

author: Fabrice Deprez


text:
The Crowd-Sourced Faroe Islands Answer to Google Translate · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Screen captions from Faroe Islands Translate website. Image mixed by Nevin Thompson.
What do you do when your national language doesn't show up in Google Translate? If you're the Faroe Islands, you just crowd-source your own solution.
Faroe Islands Translate is a fascinating and fun website created by Visit Faroe Islands, the tourism authority for the islands, and Atlantic Airways, the country's official airline. On the website, locals demonstrate how common (and not so common) words and phrases from a variety of languages — including English, Spanish and French — are spoken in Faroese, the country's official language:
On our website, Faroese volunteers will live-translate words or sentences for free. It’s simple. You write, and a random Faroese volunteer will translate by sending a live translation which they have filmed with their smartphone.
The results of this project are often delightful:
Screen caption from Faroe Islands Translate. Click to view translation.
Since translation requests are all crowd-sourced from the Internet, the website features a wide variety of phrases in Faroese, from asking directions to how to ask a Faroe Islander for a date. Thanks to the website, no matter what time of day it is, there is always someone ready to translate for you in real-time.
Screen caption from Faroe Islands Translate. Click here to view translation.
The Faroe Islands form an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean to the north of Scotland. An autonomous country within the kingdom of Denmark, the Faroe Islands are home to about 50,000 people, making Faroese a minority language and a challenge for Google Translate to address accurately.
Between full-time residents of the islands and islanders who now live in other parts of the world, there are about 75,000 speakers of Faroese. The language of the archipelago is descended from Old West Norse which was spoken by the Norse settlers who arrived on the islands in the 9th Century.
This isn't the first time the Faroe Islanders have literally put themselves on the map. In 2016, with their country still not appearing on Google Street View, the tourism commission decided to launch Sheepview360. Five of the island’s sheep were fitted with a 360-degree camera in order to take panoramic images of the entire country. Shortly afterward, Google Maps showed up to map the Faroe Islands.
It is now Google Translate's turn to catch-up to the island's clever, do-it-yourself solutions.

author: Nevin Thompson


text:
The Viral Video that Sent Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan Relations into a Tailspin · Global Voices
Akhal-Tech Collective

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev and Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev during happier times. Photo from Kazakhstan's presidential press service carried by RFE/RL.
Kyrgyzstan's outgoing President Almazbek Atambayev has sparked a diplomatic standoff by assailing his opposite number in Kazakhstan — long-reigning 77-year-old dictator Nursultan Nazarbayev — in a blistering attack on the eve of Central Asia's most competitive presidential election yet.
The two-and-a-half minute tirade launched by Atambayev has already scooped close to two million views on YouTube. In oil-producing Kazakhstan, where an economic downturn has raised questions about the autocratic path of Central Asia's richest country, many applauded Atambayev's words. But in semi-democratic Kyrgyzstan, where citizens travelling to Kazakhstan by land now face lengthy queues at the border, some are beginning to wish he'd kept his mouth shut.
For the second time (see also Will This ‘Toilet Cleaning’ Conflict Between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan Ever Stop?) Global Voices provides a blow-by-blow account of how relations between two brotherly ex-Soviet ‘stans’ broke down in farcical fashion.
Babanov meeting Nazarbayev. Image from the website of the President of Kazakhstan. Creative commons.
First things first — Kyrgyzstan is having a very real and very competitive presidential election on October 15. That is important because Kazakhstan, which Nazarbayev has ruled since before it gained independence from the Soviet Union, doesn't bother with that sort of thing. Nazarbayev won the last Kazakh leadership contest in 2015 with nearly 98% of the vote.
A good neighbour might reasonably be expected to stay neutral in such a tense political contest, but Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have had their ups and downs in recent years and Nazarbayev decided to take a side by publicizing his meeting with Kyrgyz oligarch and opposition candidate Omurbek Babanov on September 19.
During the meeting Nazarbayev declared his readiness to work with the “next elected president” in Kyrgyzstan.
Although the content of the meeting seemed fairly innocuous, it caused a total meltdown in the Kyrgyz government. This is not least because the candidate Atambayev would prefer to succeed him, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, is facing a strong challenge from Babanov and could have benefited from a similar sort of endorsement.
Atambayev himself is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a second term.
‘Interference’ by Geralt. Pixabay image. Creative Commons CC0.
Thus, Kyrgyzstan's foreign ministry sent Kazakhstan's ambassador a strongly-worded note of protest on September 20 in which the smaller country accused the larger country of interfering in its domestic affairs:
The Kyrgyz side regards those comments and the wide coverage of this meeting by the Kazakh side as an attempt to influence the choice of the people of Kyrgyzstan and interfere in the domestic affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Kazakhstan's foreign ministry expressed its “extreme surprise” at Kyrgyzstan's reaction the same day.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev looking surprised. Russian government image licensed for reuse.
Also on September 20 (but in New York) Atambayev used the opportunity of the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations to call on Kyrgyz citizens not to respond to the calls of “oligarchs and the presidents of other countries.” While not mentioning Babanov and Nazarbayev by name, he made his point.
Atambayev at the United Nations General Assembly. Photo from the press service of the President of Kyrgyzstan.
Какой позор @KTRK_kg ! Они обсуждают весь бред про Бабанова – встречи с “графом” и Машкевичем, его казахский паспорт и тд #ш2017 pic.twitter.com/ZYfjtbXjaL
— Edil Baisalov (@baisalov) September 20, 2017
Shame on [Kyrgyz state broadcaster] KTRK! They are discussing all this nonsense about Babanov — meetings with Kazakh oligarchs, [Babanov's] Kazakh passport and so on.
Widely distributed meme portraying Babanov as a slave to Kazakh interests.
Anyone that knows Kyrgyzstan's combustible President Almazbek Atambayev knows that it is not enough for him to make his point just once (see Will This ‘Toilet Cleaning’ Conflict Between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan Ever Stop?) and he was true to form again.
Below is a translation of Atambayev's comments made on October 7 at a routine state awards ceremony:
Правильно говорит Нурсултан Назарбаев, что даже ВВП Алматы в 5 раз больше чем ВВП всего Кыргызстана,что ВВП Казахстана больше экономики Кыргызстана в 20 раз. И средний валовой продукт Казахстана в доходах в 10 раз больше Кыргызстана. Почему тогда пенсии Казахстана больше всего в полтора раза, а не в 10, а тарифы выше в 5 раз? Потому что разворовывает правительство Казахстана. И мы подаем плохой пример, Атамбаев плохой пример. Я поддерживаю слова Назарбаева о том, чтобы молодой президент к нам пришел. Но у нас самый старший кандидат на 20 лет моложе Назарбаева. А я – на 16 лет. И кому нужен молодой президент? Нам или Казахстану? Казахи наши братья, мы знаем историю. Казахи – это мы, которые 500 лет назад поставили султаном чингизида и, кажется, до сих пор ими правят чингизиды, а не казахи.
Nursultan Nazarbayev is correct when he says that even the GDP of Almaty [Kazakhstan's largest city] is five times greater than the GDP of the entire Kyrgyzstan, and that Kazakhstan's GDP is 20 times the size of the Kyrgyz economy. And that Kazakhstan's GDP per person is 10 times the size of Kyrgyzstan's.
Why, then, are Kazakh pensions only one-and-a-half times the size and not 10 times the size, and why are tariffs [for electricity and gas] five times more expensive?
Because the government of Kazakhstan steals its national wealth!  It doesn't reach the people! And [Kyrgyzstan] sets a bad example, Atambayev sets a bad example. The example of a just government. Because if our revenues were ten times the size, our pensions would be ten times the size.
[…]
I support Nazarbayev when he says we should have a young president. But our oldest candidate is 20 years younger than Nazarbayev. And I'm 16 years younger. So who needs a young president? Us or Kazakhstan?
The Kazakhs are our brothers, we know their history. The Kazakhs are Kyrgyz people who fell under the rule of the descendants of Ghengis Khan. And sometimes it seems that they are still ruled by these descendants, and not by the Kazakh people themselves.
The speech was a typical Atambayev speech in that it contained inaccuracies.
Kazakhstan's social minister pointed out for instance that Kazakh pensions were not one-and-a-half times the size of Kyrgyz pensions, but two-and-a-half times their size, and would soon be three times the size when a new raise came into effect.
Atambayev's implicit suggestion that Kyrgyzstan does not have its own problems with corruption and authoritarianism — Central Asia's closest approximation to a democracy is still a long way from the democratic ideal — was also extremely far-fetched.
But the damage was done. While roughly half of the comments from Kazakhs under the viral video were defensive, the other half read along these lines:
Живу в Казахстане. И ничего не могу сказать против слов Атамбаева. Ни к одному слову не могу придраться, чтобы высказаться в защиту своей страны. Обидно… Но, правда есть правда.
I live in Kazakhstan. And I cannot say anything against Atambayev's words. I cannot say anything to defend my country. It is a shame, but the truth is the truth.
Kazakh Prime Minister Bakyt Sagintayev. Screenshot from YouTube channel of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.
On October 10,  Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Bakyt Sagintayev waded in:
Bakytzhan Sagintayev noted that he made a statement in connection with the incorrect statements of the President of Kyrgyzstan A. Atambayev, which are based on manipulation of figures that have no grounds. The Prime Minister of Kazakhstan stressed that in his statement he gave the official position of the Government supported by reliable facts.
Bakytzhan Sagintayev noted that Kazakhstan's successes are undeniable, recognized by the international community and achieved thanks to the course and political leadership of the Leader of the Nation President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In conclusion, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan noted that Kazakhstan has always maintained partnership relations with Kyrgyzstan. As an example, it was shown that all transport and trade outlets of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as air, rail and road routes go through Kazakhstan, which has never taken restrictive measures.
I believe this is what the potty-mouthed Americans call ratfucking #Kazakhstan #Kyrgyzstan https://t.co/bFgXigml67
— Peter Leonard (@Peter__Leonard) October 11, 2017
Although Kazakhstan did not initially admit to causing massive holdups at the border with Kyrgyzstan that began October 10, it admitted on October 11 that the delays were the result of a “planned” security operation. This has been a disaster for both small-time Kyrgyz traders and bigger businesses who rely on swift passage over the two states’ frontiers. Many Kyrgyz social media users posted footage of trucks queuing and heaped blame on Atambayev.
Очередь грузовиков на границе с Казахстаном pic.twitter.com/pvACap7Wfz
— Dan (@jazziko) October 13, 2017
Trucks queuing at the border with Kazakhstan.
[ВИДЕО] Затор из большегрузов на границе с Казахстаном. Полное видео с дрона смотрите по ссылке: https://t.co/sbyvxAAsmW pic.twitter.com/IVJJ4vnc8h
— Kaktus Media (@kaktus__media) October 13, 2017
Kyrgyzstan's Prime Minister Sapar Isakov. Wikipedia image. Author: Daniar, CC 4.0.
Awkwardly, Atambayev's attack on Nazarbayev came just before a summit of ex-Soviet leaders in the Russian city of Sochi where both he and Nazarbayev were expected to be present.
Instead of attending, however, Atambayev chose to stay at home, releasing a statement via his presidential website that explained he would not be making the journey because “politicians from foreign countries” were financing unrest to help upset the country's election. No prizes for guessing who he was referring to.
Thus, the task of unblocking the country's shared border fell upon Kyrgyzstan's smooth-talking Prime Minister Sapar Isakov, who claimed a diplomatic breakthrough after he returned from the summit.
После переговоров, президент Нурсултан Назарбаев дал поручение Правительству Казахстана снять все образовавшиеся вопросы на границе. pic.twitter.com/MzVDTKnEzZ
— Сапар Исаков (@isakov_sapar) October 11, 2017
After negotiations, President Nursultan Nazarbayev gave an order to the government of Kazakhstan to solve all issues at the border.
Unfortunately, Kazakhstan's foreign ministry swiftly responded that Isakov's achievement was a figment of his imagination.
Notes from geopolitical kindergarten: Kyrgyz media says their PM spoke with Kazakhstan president. Kazakhstan denies https://t.co/pFIw1nV3IS
— Peter Leonard (@Peter__Leonard) October 12, 2017
As of this writing, Kyrgyz media were still reporting long delays at the Kazakh border, despite Kyrgyzstan's border service saying the situation has improved, while other media were reporting that Kyrgyz migrants working in Kazakhstan were being targeted for document checks.
The moral of the story? Never call the Khan a Khan.
Widely shared meme featuring Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev as a would-be Central Asian Pablo Escobar.

author: Akhal-Tech Collective


text:
The World’s First ‘EleFriendly Bus’ Curtails Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka · Global Voices
GroundViews

Sri Lankan schoolchildren ride the ‘EleFriendly Bus’ designed to avoid human-elephant conflict. Image courtesy of Groundviews.
This post by Anya De Saram-Larssen, a student of the British School in Colombo, appeared in Groundviews, an award-winning citizen journalism website in Sri Lanka. Ms. Saram-Larssen attended the anniversary of the launch of the EleFriendly Bus and talked with different stakeholders. An edited version is published below as part of a content-sharing agreement with Global Voices.
The EleFriendly Bus celebrated its first birthday on September 9 in the Wasgamuwa area of Sri Lanka. The bus is an innovative project developed by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) to mitigate the human-elephant conflict (HEC).
The conflict between humans and elephants has grown in Sri Lanka as elephant habitats shrink and humans slowly encroach upon spaces where elephants roam. Elephants, having nowhere else to go, end up raiding crops in farmlands and human habitats in search of food and become aggressive in encounters with retaliatory humans. This cycle of resistance, fear and contested space has led to violence.
Each year in Sri Lanka, elephants kill approximately 50 people and then face a fatal consequence as villagers shoot, poison or electrocute them out of fear or self-defense. Between 100 to 150 elephants are killed yearly and statistics show that the potential for conflict is highest when humans walk in spaces where elephants normally roam.
The Sri Lankan government has focused on broad-scale measures to mitigate HEC such as fencing or relocating elephants or producing ‘mass-drives’ to steer elephants away from human activity. However, these strategies do not recognize HEC at the local level and the Elefriendly Bus was developed to address this.
Since last year, the EleFriendly Bus runs daily to provide children with free and safe transportation to and from school, keeping them out of elephants’ corridors. Adults also use the bus to go to and from work for a nominal fee. An average of 191 people use the bus on a daily basis and about 72 are children.
The bus route travels through the ‘elephant corridor’ in villages in the central province including Himbiliyakada, Iriyagasulpotha and Weheragalagama, where elephants frequently roam and potential HEC remains high. Located along the southern boundary of Wasgamuwa National Park in a protected forest preserve area, human sometimes frequent the area and encounter elephants on-route in search of forest resources and water outside the park.
Saram-Larssen, a 12-year-old student at the British School in Colombo, produced an informational video detailing fundraising efforts to launch the bus last year. Holding a bake sale at the British School, she and her team were able to raise 127,484 Rupees (approximately 834 USD) toward the Elefriendly Bus, which cost approximately 35,000 USD total with fees including an operating permit and permission to charge a fare from commuters on public roads:
Recent SLWCS statistics show that HEC has reduced by 80% since the bus started running. In the first seven months, the number of conflicts fell from 83 to 21.
According to Harshini, a 13-year-old who lives in Pussellayaya, the bus has dramatically improved her school commute because she no longer has to walk five kilometers a day. Harshini often missed school because of the heavy rains and the danger from elephants, but now rarely misses a day because she feels safe traveling on the bus.
Children stated that the bus helped not only with protection against elephants but also with HEC education. The 24-passenger bus is full of colorful images and educational messages about elephant conservation and wildlife. Menaka, 8 and Chathurika, 11, from Himbiliykada, say they love riding the Elefriendly Bus because they have so much fun learning together while riding to and from school.
Above are images submitted into the EleFriendly Bus arts competition,  courtesy Groundviews.
As part of the Elefriendly Bus launch and celebration, the SLWLCS held an art and an essay competition. Most submissions featured harmony between elephants and the villagers, as well as the seriousness of HEC, including the fear many children have toward elephants.
One painting showed a man being trampled by an elephant and another showed a farmer being chased.
SLWCS president Mr. Ravi Corea says the organization hopes to transform these negative perceptions by educating children on the importance of their environment and the need to protect all inhabitants.
The Elefriendly Bus interior features colorful educational learning materials about elephants. Image courtesy of Groundviews.
The bus belongs to the community, Mr. Corea explained:
We own the bus but it is operated by a driver and conductor from the village. Also, the money collected from tickets is used by the community to take care of the bus.
The SLWCS plans to add another bus in Wasgamuwa and also introduce EleFriendly busses to other areas in Sri Lanka where HEC persists.
Several private donors including Sharmila Cassim of Colombo Jewellery Stores sponsored the Elefriendly bus because:
the bus allows children to attend school more regularly, while at the same time keeping the elephants safe.
Judging by the perfect condition of the bright green EleFriendly bus, the villagers have taken pride in this initiative and are working to transform negative attitudes toward elephants.
In turn, elephants can now roam more freely, foraging and socializing in harmony with nature as they have done for centuries.

author: GroundViews


text:
‘They Tried to Give Us One Day Back’ — Trinidad & Tobago Marks a ‘One-Off’ First Peoples Day · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Photo from the Ceremonial Walk around The Red House, October 12, 2017. Photo copyright: Maria Nunes, all rights reserved, used with permission.
For the first time, the government of Trinidad and Tobago has recognised its indigenous community, by granting what has been deemed a “one-off holiday”. The day, which honours the First Peoples of the nation, is an effort to bring national awareness to their history, customs and contributions. This despite the fact that many social media users believe any public holiday granted to the country's Amerindian descendants should be an annual one.
In a Letter to the Editor at the popular site Wired868, Alana Abdool wrote:
I have often wondered where Trinbagonians stand on the idea of a national heritage. It seems to me that the average Trinbagonian, more so the first half of that word than the second, are less interested in why a national holiday exists than in that it exists. […]
Is it really proper that, [on] the list of 14 public holidays […] there should be no annual national celebration of the autochthonous group?
Surely these people, these peoples, do not deserve to be treated as if they are somehow children of a lesser god? How dare we argue that there are not enough of them to merit annual recognition when they are certainly not to blame for the smallness of their number?
I think today is a good time to reflect on what is the real message of the choice we have made, of the selective narratives we have perpetuated.
A member of the First Peoples community holds up photographs of his ancentors. Photo by Maria Nunes, Copyright 2017, used with permission.
Still, in preparation for the celebration on October 13, members of Trinidad and Tobago's indigenous community (their forefathers called these islands “Iere”) paraded through the streets of the capital, Port of Spain. The walk began, quite symbolically, at The Red House, the former seat of parliament, which has fallen into a state of disrepair. In 2013, as extensive renovations were in progress, the skeletal remains of what is believed to be indigenous ancestors were discovered under the building's foundations. As photographer Maria Nunes, who covered the event, noted in a Facebook post, prior to Port of Spain being established as a port by the Spanish during colonisation, it had been “a well established area of settlement by indigenous people for nearly 1,500 years”.
Ceremony at The Red House to honour indigenous ancestors whose skeletal remains were found under the building's foundations in 2013. Photo by Maria Nunes, copyright 2017, used with permission.
The Santa Rosa First Peoples community laid out a vision for themselves in a video on their Facebook page, which was quite active with posts related to the celebration of the First Peoples Heritage Week.
On social media, both individuals and organisations paid tribute to the community. On Facebook, The National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago, which is charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the country's natural, built and cultural heritage, posted a video about the UNESCO Heritage Banwari Trace Archaeological Site (the oldest pre-Columbian archaeological site in the Caribbean), and expressed hope that the holiday would bring “greater awareness to the contribution of the Indigenous Community of not only Trinidad and Tobago, but the rest of the Caribbean and the World!”
Members of the First Peoples community in Trinidad and Tobago. Photo by Maria Nunes, copyright 2017, used with permission.
The National Library, which is situated just opposite to The Red House in Port of Spain, created an educational display on the First Peoples in its atrium. It attracted a lot of foot traffic throughout the week, including visits from primary and secondary school students.
The sign welcoming visitors to the Amerindian exhibition at the National Library in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Photo by the author.
On the Santa Rosa First Peoples blog, the community talked about their history and legacy:
We, descendants of our First Peoples still live in Trinidad. We continue to fight for and defend our way of life. Our ancestors owned and named our world. Many of these names have survived to date. […]
Plants and animals such as carat and timite palms, tobacco, cacao, ceiba (silk cotton tree), maize, manicou, agouti, lappe and many more
Many of our present towns and villages are built on ancient Amerindian settlement sites
Some of our roads are built on old Amerindian trails. […]
Parang, utilizing both Spanish and Amerindian instruments emanated from the evangelization of the Amerindians. Arima and Siparia, two large Amerindian mission towns have given us our two oldest festivals: The Santa Rosa festival and La Divina Pastora. We continue to enjoy the foods that our ancestors enjoyed such as wild meat, cocoa, cassava, roucou, corn, maize and warap. Similar to our Amerindian forbears we barbecue our meats and season them with chardon beni (cilantro). We too relax after eating in a hammock.
Part of the ceremonial ritual to honour the First Peoples’ forefathers. Indigenous remains were unearthed beneath the foundations of The Red House in 2013. Photo by Maria Nunes, copyright 2017, used with permission.
In their honour, the Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival created an event, Indigenous Voices, celebrating films that explore “a diverse spectrum of indigenous storytelling and a powerful narrative on the disappearing indigenous cultures of Trinidad and Tobago and the Americas”. Tracy Assing, who is part of the First People's community, will have her film, The Amerindians, screened at the event, which is free to the public. On the occasion of the “First Peoples’ One-Off Holiday 2017″, she wrote on her Facebook page:
One day they came.
We were expecting them
with their swords and crosses, shields and scripture glinting in the hot sun. […]
Wild we must have seemed as we greeted them with gifts of proper clothing and food, healed their wounds with herbs. They spoke another language. They made notes.
We showed them how to hunt and how to plant. We gave thanks for all things.
They gave us clothes that made us sick and told us we were ungrateful. They said grace was something we had to learn. We could only be saved by suffering. […]
One day they took more than we offered. More of them came. […]
We were expecting them. They did not know our numbers. We watched from the forest. We knew this day would come. The wind whispered a warning.
One day they used their weapons against us.
Skin split, blood spilt as the children watched. The bones buried now. […]
I lost count of those that fell, to the East and the West, to the North and South. Once we lived on all the islands. Once the forest was home.
They do not know our numbers. We never left the islands.
We walked among them. Invisible. Present. Walk. […]
The Empire is still hunting for our blood. The Empire wants to know the secrets we whisper to the plants.
I remember the blood nehneh.
[…] Ma Tom crossed the mountains and the valleys with stories, every day, each step knitting us closer, making sure we would not forget.
We go to the forest for incense. We go to the forest. […]
At school they told me we were dead. How do you know you are indigenous?
I knew their words now. Absent from the census. It does not matter what we are called, we know who we are. It is you who do not recognise me. […]
Our children are restless and angry, waiting for that day.
Through a pact, they tried to give us one day back.
After many cycles around the sun, only one.
Members of the First Peoples community. Photo by Maria Nunes, copyright 2017, used with permission.
There has been a fair amount of debate over whether or not statuary of Christopher Columbus should be removed. Some feel that it glorifies the country's colonial past, while others — including a sculptor who is a First Peoples descendant — view it as a legitimate part of history. Facebook user Flloyd Hernandez attempted to bridge the gap:
In defense of the continued presence of Columbus’ statue in this country, some people are saying that good bad or indifferent, Columbus is part of our history and shouldn't be erased.
Erasing history is not the issue. Columbus can never be erased from our history, but there is no reason to celebrate or honour him. […]
If Columbus must be actively and accurately portrayed, it has to be as a monument to murder, rape and genocide. None of that horror is reflected in this statue that they so cherish.
Either way, many Facebook users expressed the hope that this would be “more than just another holiday” and that it would help put issues important to the indigenous community higher on the national agenda. Elspeth Duncan, who is part Carib, said:
Rather than just being a one-off holiday for people to lime and sleep late, how about an annual one to kick off or end a week where there are workshops, educational opportunities and experiences for the public to learn more about the first people. If we returned to their way of living, we could learn a lot about being more in harmony with Nature and ourselves.
Being into Native American Indians and their ceremonies, wisdom, music, jewelry, etc is very trendy all over the world—including here. What about our own indigenous people's ceremonies, dress, culture, music, customs, wisdom? Do we know much, if anything about it? I like to think that at least I have some of it in my DNA (as do others of us born in Trinidad)—ancient wisdom encoded in who we are, accessible at the tap of our third eye/intuition—like an inbuilt Google of age-old consciousness.
Part of the First Peoples parade and ceremony outside The Red House on October 12, 2017. Photo by Maria Nunes, all rights reserved, used with permission.
Netizens also discussed the significance of the holiday on Twitter:
The significance of indigenous people should never be underestimated or overlooked. #Trinidad #Arima #FirstPeoples pic.twitter.com/ZwcoTgUHQx
— Mark T Jones (@MarkTJones500) April 18, 2017
Even the Ministry of Public Administration and Communications mused:
A journey of discovery, a story to be remembered… Today we celebrate and recognise the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago. pic.twitter.com/tg8cS4dPLQ
— MPAC_TT (@OfficialMPACTT) October 13, 2017
Many will be looking to see whether this recognition will be sustained past October 13, 2017.