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Colombia: Impunity, a Documentary About the Victims of the Armed Conflict · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

In 2011, journalist Hollman Morris and filmmaker Juan José Lozano launched the documentary Impunity, an audiovisual tour of the history of the armed conflict in Colombia through the voices of the victims of the various armed groups.
Impunity has generated all kinds of opinions because of its theme, and the reactions seen on social networks in this regard reflect that.
For example, the blog Hablando Jóven describes the documentary [es] as follows:
Este es un documental que refleja la realidad de las Victimas del Conflicto Armado y específicamente muestra el actual proceso de la Ley de Justicia y Paz para los familiares y allegados a los desaparecidos, asesinados, secuestrados y torturados por el paramilitarismo y la impunidad y poca celeridad de los procesos de justicia, que permitan conocer la verdad y acceder a la reparación.
For its part, El que piensa, gana gathers some opinions that appeared on Twitter in July, 2011, [es] like journalist [es] Jorge Luis Galeano (@pastoman) [es]:
Impactado por #IMPUNITY, los secretos a voces de este país contados desde el dolor de las víctimas y la crueldad de los victimarios
Or the doctor and former mayor of Cali, Jorge Ivan Ospina (@JorgeIvanOspina) [es]:
#Impunity para pensar ,para deliberar,para que jamás vuelva a ocurrir,por nuestra gente,por la vida,por la supervivencia de nuestro pueblo
However, the reactions of 2011 aren't the only ones that have been seen on the net. On Sunday, January 29, 2012, Capital Channel aired the documentary, causing #Impunity to be trending on Twitter and revealing the common desire to end the Colombian internal armed conflict.
Nicolás Quintero on the blog El triciclo writes about how moved he was by the documentary [es]:
quedé anonadado y sumamente conmovido. Conmovido con el dolor de las víctimas y con rabia por la manera, en que, como sociedad, las hemos tratado, privilegiando el relato político del mal necesario a su propio dolor.
He continues:
Creo que lo importante de Impunity es que logra cambiar el eje en el cual la mayoría de la sociedad colombiana se ha acercado al problema del paramilitarismo. La teoría de que los que murieron tenían que morir, la teoría de que si murieron fue por algo. Pero al ver el llanto desgarrador, el dolor de tantas personas, uno se pregunta por qué le hemos dado razón, como sociedad, a esta teoría.
A few days later, netizens such as Silvia Alarcón (@silvialarcon) [es], asked:
@cass1808 viste #impunity? Nos arreglo la inv extranjera, movilidad, pero y los muertos? Los ignoramos x nuestra comodidad? Yo no!
María Velasco also wrote in her blog [es], making it clear she was not a fan of Hollman Morris:
El documental es en verdad fuerte, y entiendo porque genera estas reacciones extremas. Pero, el hecho de que Hollman Morris sea propenso al show (por no decir una diva) no invalida por completo lo que dice.
También es bueno que recordar que los que más lo rechazan son en general, victimas de la guerrilla de una u otra forma, y que en su mente justifican el paramilitarismo. En Colombia casi todo el mundo es victima, por lo que es difícil discutir el conflcto [sic] de forma racional.
The documentary was truly strong, and I understand why it's generating such extreme reactions. But the fact that Hollman Morris tends toward putting on a show (if not an outright diva) doesn't completely invalidate what he says.
It's also good to remember that those who dismiss it the most are in general victims of the guerrillas in one form or another, and in their minds the paramilitaries are justified. In Colombia almost everyone is a victim, making it difficult to discuss the conflict in a rational way.
Similarly Pajarera del medio [es] commented:
es igualmente cierto que Impunity es menos “narrativa de urgencia” que la mayoría de trabajos documentales y periodísticos de Morris, limitados por su precario lenguaje audiovisual y contaminados del odio político del periodista (a fin de cuentas, dada su condición de estrella y por lo que se vio el lunes, ha sabido tomar lo suyo de las andanadas uribistas. Refiriéndose a que Morris ha sido reconocer por ser detractor del expresidente Álvaro Uribe.
At first the documentary was available on Vimeo, though several sites talked of “self-censorship” of the documentary [es]. In June, 2011, RNW (Radio Nederland Wereldomroep) interviewed [es] the filmmaker Juan Lozano:
¿Qué está impidiendo en Colombia la difusión del documental “Impunidad”?
[…] Nos enfrentamos a todas las presiones a las que las víctimas están enfrentadas a diario. Y no solamente las víctimas: también los magistrados de la Corte Suprema de Justicia, los abogados, los defensores de derechos humanos. Presiones que vienen de sectores oscuros que van desde intimidaciones, amenazas, interceptaciones ilegales de llamadas, correos electrónicos. […]
The interview also asked about self-censorship:
¿Y a estas dificultades usted las llama un ambiente de autocensura?
[…] La situación en Colombia está muy polarizada y hay muchas personas en Bogotá que prefieren no complicarse la vida ni meterse en problemas, y eso significa no enseñar el documental.
En privado están a favor de la película y están de acuerdo en que estos temas hay que difundirlos de forma masiva, porque hemos filmado los últimos diez años de la histórica colombiana, algo que no se había hecho de forma audiovisual.
La película la tendremos que distribuir de manera alternativa en pueblos y ciudades del país. Es importante que la gente en las ciudades pueda ver este documental
In February of this year, netizens like Diana Marcela (@DianaMarcela) [es] confirmed that the links to see Impunity online had disappeared:
#Impunity fue censurado, lo había visto en vimeo y en youtube, ahora no esta en ningún lado! @HollmanMorris
At the time of writing this post a 30 minute summary of the documentary  [es] can be found on the Internet, though the actual length of the film is 1 hour, 25 minutes. You can follow the latest news about the documentary on its official Facebook page [es].

author: Cati Restrepo


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Egypt: Finding a job you enjoy? · Global Voices
محمد الجوهري

Egyptian blogger Cinderella Nabil blogs [ar] about her refusal in accepting any job just for the money.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: محمد الجوهري


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Equatorial Guinea: AFCON 2012 is Over, Corruption Fight Continues · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations is over but the fight against corruption continues: “The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations might have come to an end at the weekend, but rights groups are determined to keep co-hosts Equatorial Guinea in the media spotlight and draw attention to the government’s inherent corruption and abuse of national funds.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Evil Overlords or Lucky Devils: The Men Who Rule Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Time out Hong Kong from ChinaSMACK explains how the fate of Hong Kong is controlled by a number of tycoons while middle class have become slaves in the city.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Georgia: Assassination attempt on Abkhazia leader · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

ЖЖ Сухуми სოხუმი cyxymu [RU] updates its readers on another assassination attempt made today on the defacto President of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region, Alexander Ankvab. The blog reports one bodyguard was killed, with another two wounded, in the fifth attempt on Ankvab's life since 2005.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Guatemala: Speaking Out on the Genocide of Indigenous Women · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
The 36 year long civil war (1960-1996) that ravaged Guatemala, left more than 200,000 people dead and at least 100,000 women raped: most of the victims were Mayan. Only recently have women started speaking out about the violence they suffered in hands of the Army and paramilitaries, and finally, thanks to Women's Link World and The Center for Justice and Accountability, the sexual violence perpetrated against Mayan women is being investigated as part of the genocide proceedings taking place in Spanish tribunals.
International Lawyer Almudena Bernabeu with Maria Toj and other survivors of Genocide in Guatemala. CC by Renata Ávila
The documentary The Invisible Genocide of Women,  by photojournalists Ofelia de Pablo and Javier Zurita gives us the harsh reality of female survivors who tell disturbing accounts of abuse, torture and violence, and also the efforts to advance with the ongoing forensic and legal investigation in the indictment of former Guatemalan President Efraín Ríos Montt.
The 2008 documentary Women, Violence, Silence by Javier Bauluz brings light to the story of Manuela, a single mother who works in a family integration center in Verapaz, one of the areas most affected by the 36 year civil war that ravaged the country. It is through Manuela's work that the reality of women's situation in Guatemala comes through the light.
In a country where there is an average of two women murdered daily women are under constant threat:  the massive and organized violations they suffered during the conflicts, chauvinist violence, child abuse and discrimination based on gender and race are only some of the most important issues.
Patricia Simón of Periodismo Humano wrote about the terrible crimes committed against women during the Guatemalan genocide in Women, Violence and Silence in Guatemala featuring the eponymous documentary:
Las violaciones, las mutilaciones, la explotación sexual, las esterilizaciones a fuerza de violarlas y desgarrarlas, de provocarles abortos forzados, de feticidios -rajarles el vientre y sacar los fetos-, fueron torturas cometidas sistemáticamente por el Ejército y por los paramilitares contra estas mujeres. Mientras se lo hacían, como podrán ver en el Especial, les decían, por ser indígenas, “no son gente, son animales”. Muchas de estas mujeres nunca contaron estos crímenes y las que lo hicieron, o se supo en su comunidad, fueron rechazadas, despreciadas, expulsadas.
The reason these crimes are only recently seeing the light and being talked about in the genocide proceedings is, according to former Ad Hoc judge for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Maria Eugenia Solís, that the UN, while investigating the genocide, failed to ask about these crimes, as if they weren't even possible. The only reason these abuses were documented is because women, when asked about other crimes, mentioned it collaterally when discussing the violence done to their husbands or other men in their families. And mostly, they kept this knowledge to themselves:
Está naturalizada la violencia contra las mujeres. Antes, durante y después del conflicto. Las mujeres han vivido en unos niveles de desigualdad descomunales con respecto al resto de la sociedad. No se reconocen como sujetos. El primer trabajo con ellas es conseguir que piensen que son seres humanos, que no es normal que abusen de ellas. Aunque lo hayan hecho desde pequeñas porque había mucho incesto. Y hay que tener en cuenta las reacciones después de que fueran violadas por los combatientes, que fueron muy diversas pero nunca de solidaridad: eran consideradas traidoras, sucias, como sus hijos si se habían quedado embarazadas de sus agresores… Se supone que ellas deberían haber hecho todo lo posible por morirse antes de ser violada. Por todo ello se sienten culpables. Pero además es que sus violadores siguen siendo sus vecinos. Están rodeadas de puro enemigo. Hay mujeres que a la vuelta de la presentación de un informe que recogía su testimonio, volvieron a ser violadas por los mismos.
Organizations have been fighting this situation by organizing activities, festivals and meetings where survivors of rape during the armed conflict can speak out and receive support, such as the Regional Festival for Remembrance which took place in 2008 and 2011. This festival included activities exploring the topics of healing, empowerment, presentation of testimonies, open discussions, spaces for reflection, a Mayan ceremony as well as artistic and dancing activities to engage the women and help them feel empowered to work through their pain and unite with others to help put a stop to sexual violence.
Getting this story out is one of the steps towards justice for Guatemalan women who even after the civil war have not seen their lot improve. According to Women Today, in 2010 more than 685 women were murdered in Guatemala, placing it in the top spot for femicide in the Americas, above Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. Furthermore, only 1% of the cases gets to trial, and the person in charge of compensation for the victims of the civil war has stated he doesn't believe there were rapes. Lawyer Almudena Bernabeu, who took this case to the Spanish courts, underlines the importance of this process:
A veces la justicia universal es la única oportunidad para las víctimas si les falla su propia justicia
Survivors and activists from Rabinal, Baja Verapaz Guatemala who declared as witnesses before Spanish Court on the genocide case and declared their testimonies of crimes against women. Image CC By Renata Ávila
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Iran: Enviromental blogs under fire · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Sepher Salimi, a leading environmentalist blogger writes about filtering of several green and environmenal blogs in recent years.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Lent Begins  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp posts a poem, Cutting Lent, by Trinidadian writer Cynthia James.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Kuwait: Struggle of the Bedoon Takes Root Online · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.
Since the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring, that has brought to the forefront the atrocities Arabs face at the hands of their ruling clans, Kuwait's stateless population, which numbers more than 120,000, has been struggling to make its voice heard.
Like protesters across the region, they too, staged rallies and demonstrations to draw attention to their condition. Known as Bedoon, which translates to ‘without’, stateless Kuwaitis are generations of people without a nationality or the passports and documents we all need to identify ourselves. Thereby, they have no access to education, health care, employment and recognition in the country they, their parents and sometimes even their grandparents, were born in but where they have no citizenship or rights.
The new Bedoon Rights blog: Hightling the stuggle of Kuwait's stateless population
One stateless Kuwaiti blogger, Mona Kareem (a Global Voices author), has taken their plight online through a new blog, entitled Bedoon Rights, which has been launched to draw attention to the plight of this significant number of people residing in Kuwait. The site contains information and articles in English, tackling news and views regarding the Bedoon.
According to the Bedoon Rights About Page:
There are at least 120,000 Bidun jinsiyya (without nationality) in Kuwait today suffering from the lack of human rights. They cannot legally obtain birth, death, marriage or divorce certificates. The same applies to driving licenses, identification cards, and passports. They do not have access to public education, health care, housing or employment. And while they face some of the state’s harshest discrimination policies, they have no recourse to the law and its courts. Simply stated, the Bidun, who are equal to about 10% of the Kuwaiti population, do not exist. They have been dehumanized and rendered invisible by government policies coupled with pervasive social stigmatization.
It continues:
This network comes as a necessity due to the lack of references in English about our cause and struggle. Stateless activists and protesters in the past few years have been harassed, arrested, mistreated, and put to trials for speaking up. The network makes sure newsletters are sent regularly to organizations and media to inform them of the situation and violations of Bedoon human rights.
This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Lebanon: Distortions to the Domestic Violence Draft Law · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

Lebanese blogger and Nasawiya activist Nadine posts a translation of Farfahinne's post[Ar] about how the law to protect women from family violence is facing horrible distortions.

author: Layal Al Khatib


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Lebanon: How Facebook Makes us Miserable · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

Lebanese blogger Adon (at Ninar) starts a series of posts on his blog entitled “Living as a Photo: How Facebook Makes us Misrable“[Ar]. He has published four posts so far: “Can you Survive without Facebook for 30 Days?“[Ar], “Why I Quit Facebook“[Ar] and “Does Facebook really helps us to Communicate?[Part 1 and 2]”[Ar]


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Lebanon: Why is Horsh Beirut Closed? · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

Lebanese blogger Rami(at +961) shares his opinion about the state of Beirut's public park Horsh Beirut, which has been closed for decades for unknown reasons in his latest post.


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Morocco: “Stop French Made TGV Rail Project” · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

StopTGV.com is a web campaign launched by a number of Moroccan NGOs. It calls for the cancellation of the controversial French-made Tangier-Casablanca TGV rail link due to start operating by December 2015 and which is worth an estimated 20 billion dirhams (US$2.4 billion). The campaign calls on the authorities to “reconsider this costly project in a country like Morocco ranked second last in the region in terms of human development.”

author: Hisham Almiraat


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One Day on Earth: Global Screening of Worldwide Collaborative Film · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

One Day on Earth
The collaborative film One Day on Earth was filmed all on the same day, October 10, 2010, with more than 3,000 hours of footage sent in from all corners of the world, showcasing the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occurs in one day. The Global Screening will take place on Earth Day (April 22, 2012) in every country of the world, with the assistance of World Heritage Sites and the United Nations.
Search the archives for footage sent in to One Day on Earth
You can view the footage sent in through the interactive map on the One Day on Earth archive for videos recorded during October 10, 2010 and November 11, 2011 by collaborators worldwide. The archive is searchable by tags and keywords as well as through browsing on the map to view the different video clusters.
You can participate in the Global Screening by signing up to assist to one nearby, suggesting a location or hosting an event. In some places, assistance will be limited by the size of venue: to guarantee yourself a spot for the screening, you can sign up on the site.
Following, the original motion picture trailer for One Day on Earth.


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Pakistan: Deciphering the Balochistan Issue · Global Voices
Kumail Ahmed

A resolution presented by the US congressman Dana Rohrabacher on Balochistan has stirred the political spectrum in Pakistan. The resolution states that “the Baloch people have a right to achieve self-determination and grave human right violations are occurring in this area”.
Condemnation has come from government and opposition parties in the national assembly.
Rehman Malik (the interior minister of Pakistan) tweets:
@SenRehmanMalik: Pakistan Nation is hurt on the proposed resolution of a (sic) Congressman on Balochistan The said congressman should mind his own business.
A member from Pakistan’s largest opposition party (PML-N), Khurrum Dastagir, says:
@kdastgirkhan: #PMLN SOVEREIGNTY >PMLN condemns Baluchistan resolution submitted in US Congress >Warns Congress against interfering in Pak internal affairs.
Activists of Sindh Progressive Committee hold a protest against the killing of a Baloch Nationalist. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright Demotix (11/02/2012)
But these comments do not cover the whole political spectrum of the country. Baloch nationalists complain about their rights being sabotaged:
@FaizMBaluch: @SenRehmanMalik #Occupied Baloch Nation has right to regain their #Independence.  #PakistanArmy must leave #Balochistan immediately.
The condition of education in the province is deplorable. An ex-senator from Balochistan, Sanaullah Baloch, publicly speaks of the injustice being done to the Baloch people. The resource rich Balochistan has the least literacy rate in the country. Schools are scarce in the region and there condition is deplorable.
@Senator_Baloch: @akchishti Wt about this Pakistan —- School in Resource Rich Balochistan
The status of female education is also very poor: 90% of Balochi girls in rural Balochistan do not go to school. Outside the capital city of Quetta, educational institutions do not exist in Baloch dominated area. Foreign assistance in the field of education lacks due to the bad law and order situation in the province.
Hijab Tradition In Balochistan. Image by Shahazad Khan. Copyright Demotix (24/03/2011)
Another aspect of the Balochistan crisis is the extra-judicial abduction of Baloch nationalists. Baloch nationalist parties allege that intelligence agencies are behind these abductions. Different statistics are available on the number of people abducted. Muhammad Haneef writes:
There are more than 8,000 if you believe Baloch nationalists, hundreds according to human rights organisations, 1,100 according to our interior minister Rehman Malik and none according to our intelligence agencies.
In reality numbers do not matter. Every human being has an individual values. He has a right to live and prosper. The UN Declaration provides a set of fundamental rights to every men and women in the world.
Every Balochi who is abducted only worsens the current situation. The Baloch people demand justice. I.A Rehman, a human rights activist, rightfully says:
Instead of offering the embittered Baloch redress and satisfaction the authorities have chosen to quibble over the number of missing….
The government is convening an all party conference (APC) on the Baloch Conundrum. The Pakistani people have doubts on whether this APC will produce fruitful results:
@Bixenjo: The aftermath of last APC on  #Balochistan resulted in more custodial killings. God knows what impact this APC would bring to Baloch people.
@HarisMumtaz81: APC on #Balochistan is the biggest joke govt can crack on the balochi people. This issue needs honest action & dialogue not political stunts
@ajmaljami: @zaarasikandar exactly! #PM vowed to call an#APC on #Balochistan bt it was just a call. practically nothing has been done so far. thats sad
@AfrasyabKhan: #PTI should boycott the drama that is #APC on#Balochistan . Fool me once shame on u;fool me twice shame on me. #Pakistan @ImranKhanPTIPK
The dialogue will be fruitless if important Baloch leaders don’t take part. Unfortunately, some Baloch leaders have refused to be a part of this APC:
@sardarzadaimran: Exiled #Baloch leaders Sardar Akthar & Hairbyar Marri refuse to participate in All Parties Conference on #Balochistan. #APC #Pakistan
People believe fear cannot keep a nation together for a long time.  Pakistan should learn from her history, especially from the episode of the creation of Bangladesh. Zara Sikandar and Naeem Shamim rightly tweet:
@zaarasikandar:@ajmaljami We did same to East Pakistan what we are doing to #Balochistan .. extremely ruthless ! 1971 VS 2012 ?
@naeemshamim: #Pakistan has not lost #Balochistan , it has lost the hearts of the poor #Baloch  people ! Weapons can win territories not Hearts

author: Kumail Ahmed


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Russia: Navalny vs Kadyrov · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Jamestown Foundation Blog, Valery Dzutsev reports that Ramzan Kadyrov, the President of Chechnya, has called politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny “a real chatterbox” – and Navalny retaliated by publishing (here and, later, here; ru) “the results of his investigation of the Chechen police’s car inventory acquisitions, naming and shaming several people in Kadyrov’s entourage […].”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Sahel: Islamic Fundamentalist Organisations Tighten Their Grip · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

[All links to articles in French unless stated otherwise]
For a few months now, two religious Islamic fundamentalist organisations, Boko Haram and AQIM (Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb), have intensified their war against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the surrounding nations.
On December 25, 2011, Boko Haram coordinated explosions against Christians [en], including one at a church near Abuja that killed at least 37 people. On December 12, an AQIM offshoot calling itself Jamat Tawhid wal Jihad fi Garbi Afriqqiya (Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa – MOJWA) released a video [en] of three abducted European aid workers in Algeria.
These religious groups are attempting to spread their activities into countries of the Sahel region. The regional blogosphere has quickly reacted to recent attacks showing concern and providing thorough analyses.
Boko Haram recruits arrested by police forces in Biafra. Photo posted to yfrog by @tianmine
Philippe Hugon's post, published on the Grotius website, provides one of the cause of the  increasingly perilous tension threatening Nigeria's unity:
Dans la capitale de l’État des plateaux, à Jos, les conflits opposent ainsi les Fulani musulmans aux Berom chrétiens, deux populations qui disposent de droits différents. Quant aux mouvances islamiques du Nord, elles sont plurielles (soufisme des confréries traditionnelles, mouvements salafiste, maadhistes et chiites) avec 12 États (sur 36) qui ont instauré la charia.
According to the author, far from becoming weaker, the movement is growing and presents serious cause for concern:
La question la plus importante, en raison des bouleversements intervenus en Libye, est à présent la prolifération de la nébuleuse AQMI. Le mouvement anti occidental Boko Haram, apparu après le 11 septembre 2001, localisé dans l’État de Borno développe désormais le djihadisme ; il s’est scindé en plusieurs branches dont l’une est proche des Chebabs de Somalie et d’Aqmi. Or par sa radicalisation et ses actions violentes, il favorise un clivage religieux engendrant un engrenage des violences, des représailles et de la répression.
On January 26, 2012, the United Nations published a report by a team that travelled to many of the Sahel countries, in order to investigate the local impact of the civil war in Libya. According to this report, armed groups such as the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria and AQMI would have had access to a dangerous arms cache.
Antoine Barbizon, wrote a post on the subject, on the Geo Tribune blog saying the following:
Les gouvernements et responsables des États dans lesquels s’est rendue l’équipe d’évaluation de l’ONU ont communiqué les informations en leur possession selon lesquelles de grandes quantités d’armes en provenance de Libye seraient parvenues illégalement dans de nombreux pays du Sahel. Livré clandestinement par d’anciens combattants de Libye, des soldats et des mercenaires à la solde du Colonel Mouammar Kadhafi, cet arsenal comprendrait des lance-grenades, des mitrailleuses avec visée inti-aérienne, des fusils automatiques, des munitions, des grenades, des explosifs ainsi que de l’artillerie légère montée sur véhicules. Ces armes seraient cachées dans le désert et une partie d’entre elles vendues aux groupes terroristes. Le rapport de l’équipe de l’ONU évoque également l’inquiétante perspective d’un rapprochement entre Boko Haram et AQMI, les deux groupes ayant décidé d’étendre leurs actions au-delà de leurs périmètres actuels.
The people of neighbouring Sahel countries are expressing their fear about the situation and the risks of overflow. In Cameroon, many Internet surfers are reporting a dangerous evolution. Elizabeth Kendal writes in her blog [en]:
Garga Aoudou, a community activist with a Dutch development organization, told IPS that Garoua has been “literally inundated with fliers inciting Muslims towards a hatred of Christians”. Aoudou continues, “Religious fanatics exhort Muslims to increase the number of marriages between young Muslim men and Christian girls in order to convert them to Islam, to refuse to rent houses or sell land to Christians – or to get them to move by raising the rent”.
On the blog sanfinna.com, Jean Baptiste Naudet writes:
C’est l’un des pires cauchemars des services de renseignement. Et il est en train de se matérialiser. Au Nigeria, la secte islamiste Boko Haram (ce qui signifie « l’éducation occidentale est un péché » en haoussa) est en train non seulement de monter en puissance et de se radicaliser, mais surtout de devenir un centre puissant de l’arc du terrorisme qui va de la Mauritanie à la Somalie.
….Lors des attaques régulièrement lancées par la secte contre des commissariats, des églises ou des prisons dans le nord, les morts se comptent par centaines. Outre la montée de la violence, le développement de la nébuleuse terroriste d’Al-Qaida hors du Sahel inquiète car il correspond au retour des combattants subsahariens (pro-Kadhaf) de Libye, ainsi qu’à l’arrivée d’armes lourdes en provenance des arsenaux pillés de ce pays.
It's one of the worst nightmares of intelligence agencies and it is being carried out. In Nigeria, the Islamic sect Boko Haram (meaning “western education is a sin”, in Hausa language) is not only increasing in power and becoming more radical but is also becoming a powerful centre for terrorism, extending from Mauritania to Somalia.
..During the frequent attacks launched by the sect in the north, against police, churches and prisons, hundreds are left for dead. In addition to the escalation in violence, the development of the nebulous terrorism of Al Quaida outside of the Sahel is of great concern, as it corresponds to the return of Sub-Saharan Libyan fighters (pro-Gaddafi) as well as the arrival of heavy weapons from this country's arsenal.
The Mautitanian site noorinfo.com writes:
La Mauritanie, l'Algérie, le Niger et le Mali sont confrontés à une insécurité croissante liée aux activités d'Aqmi et d'autres groupes criminels, ainsi qu'à l'afflux d'armes, dont de l'armement lourd, issues du conflit libyen.
Muslims understand that they too are hostages and that violence towards Christians, is also of concern to them and that they must be involved in preventing it. In an interview on the camer.be site, Ernest Djonga, regional president of the Islamic Youth of the North group, explained the measures taken thus far by his movement and by the Muslim religious authorities, in order to confront the challenge posed by the presence of Bako Haram in the North of Cameroon.
Voyant le danger venir, nous avons sollicité l’intervention du Lamido [la plus haute autorité traditionnelle] de l’époque, le regretté Ibrahim Abbo, qui avait pris des dispositions fortes en réglementant la fonction de prédicateur et au niveau de la Jeunesse islamique du Cameroun, nous nous sommes attelés à superviser les différents thèmes à développer dans les 19 mosquées … [de] la ville de Garoua. Cette méthode s’est pérennisée sous le règne de sa majesté Alim Garga Hayatou. Des garde-fous ainsi posés nous ont permis de sélectionner les prédicateurs certifiés et agréés.
It is in this context that old ancestral conflicts that had simmered are now re-awakening, such as in the North of Mali where thousands of people were obliged to flee their village to take refuge in neighbouring countries.
The temoust.org site, Tuareg Survie, published a communique on the conflict, indicating that:
Au moins 30 000 personnes sont déplacées au Mali et vivent dans des conditions extrêmement précaires, à la suite des combats opposant l’armée malienne à des groupes armés dans le nord du pays depuis la mi-janvier. Le CICR porte assistance à des milliers d’entre elles, ainsi qu’à 15 000 autres déplacés au Niger voisin. Il a également pu visiter des détenus et soigner des blessés au Mali.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Saudi Arabia: Facebook Page Calls for Protest  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A Facebook page [ar] has been created calling on Saudis to protest tomorrow (Thursday) and on Friday against financial and administrative corruption, the jailing of activists and the lack of justice, among other grievances. The page details are being circulated via Twitter by bloggers. Previous calls for protests in Saudi Arabia have failed to materialise into large scale demonstrations.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: White Collar Criminals  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Recently, stories of theft at government agencies have been making the news”: Abeni says that “[people get sent] off to jail…for the petty crimes while the big league thieves strut about the place as happy as could be. Something has got to be wrong with that picture!”


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Syria: Call to Free Human Rights Detainees  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi appeals to supporters to exert pressure on the Syrian government to release her colleagues at the Office of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression in Damascus. Ghazzawi herself was among those detained when the centre was raided on February 16. She has since been released.


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Syria: Citizen Journalist Rami Al Sayed Killed in Homs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Citizen journalist Rami Al Sayed, whose videos and live-streaming of the bombardment of Homs showed the world the daily carnage in Syria, was killed yesterday, reports Ahmed Al Omran, on the NPR news blog.


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Syria: Shock and Disbelief Over Murder of Journalists  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
Netizens covering the daily carnage in Syria on social media had to take a step back today to soak in news of more atrocities committed against humanity in the Baba Amr neighbourhood, in besieged city of Homs.
NPR media strategist Andy Carvin, who is in Tripoli, Libya, tweets:
@acarvin: I need to unplug for a bit before I say something I'll regret. I just can't take this right now. #homs #syria
He adds:
@acarvin: Killing reporters and citizen journalists won't stop us from bearing witness. You can't stop us. #syria #homs
And continues:
@acarvin: These reporters and citizen journos muster more bravery in a day than I ever will in a lifetime. I am forever in their debt. #syria #homs
While Iyad El Baghdadi admits:
@Iyad_elbaghdadi: I have to take a break and cry for a bit. See you later.
The reactions followed reports on the deaths of American journalist Marie Colvin, who works for Britain's the Sunday Times and French photographer Remi Ochlik. According to Reuters, “shells hit the house in which they were staying and a rocket hit them when they were escaping.”
Meanwhile, netizens on the ground report that a third reporter is also said to be injured, when the media centre the journalists and activists were in was attacked.
Tweets4peace accuses the Syrian regime of conducting the attack. The Twitter user notes:
@tweet4peace: We know it is regime is because these type of missile attacks have been continuous for 19 days now. Today was target on media centre #homs
The news created an outpouring of sympathy on Twitter, already reeling over the world's silence at the massacres being committed against Syrians protesting against Bashar Al Assad and his regime and claiming the lives of thousands of citizens.
From Egypt, Maha Abdoelenein tweets:
@mahagaber: Utter Shock & Disbelief. Marie Colvin killed in Homs, Syria today. I worked w her extensively on all things Egypt
Diaa Hadid notes:
@diaahadid: Rest in peace Marie Colvin, Remi Ochlik, few will die as honorably, telling the world of what others sought to conceal
And Rania Zabaneh reminds us:
@RZabaneh: #Syria is becoming a deathtrap for journalists. This is OUTRAGEOUS: EIGHT journalists killed since 2012; FOUR in #Homs.
Meanwhile, CNN reporter Arwa Damon concludes:
@arwaCNN: RIP 2 our colleagues killed in #homs, the price we pay 2 shed light on atrocities, the price #syria pays everyday 4 freedom
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Ash Wednesday  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The TnT River blogs about Ash Wednesday traditions in Trinidad.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival Damage  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Plain Talk suggests that Trinidad and Tobago Carnival “is no longer an expression of culture but an exercise in excess set to music…no longer something to be proud of but two days of decadence that undermines our society a little more each time.”


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Tunisia: Court Quashes Verdict Ordering the Filtering of Pornography · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution.
Today, the Cassation Court of Tunis (highest court of appeal) threw out a verdict to censor pornography on the Internet. On May, 26, 2011, a court of first instance issued a ruling ordering the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI), to filter X rated websites. On August, 15, 2011, the ruling was affirmed by the court of appeal.
The judicial decision ordering the filtering of pornography, was harshly criticized by bloggers, and free speech advocates, who believe that such step could limit freedom of speech, and thus pave the way for the return of censorship.
Today's verdict was welcomed by netizens, supporting an absolute net freedom.
Outside the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI) in Tunis, Tunisia by Jillian C. York
Reporters Without Reporters Tunisia office, was the first to report the court's ruling:
#ATI – la cour de cassation casse le jugement et renvoie le procès en appel.
The news quickly spread, and reactions via the micro blogging website, Twitter started pouring in. Here is a selection of reactions:
@RODE86: Ya7ya el 3adl! Ya7ya el 3adl!
@HBHassine: je suis heureuse qu on reconnaisse enfin que les Tunisiens sont adultes et responsables! #contrelinfantilisationdesTunisiens #ATI
@yassine95140: La bonne nouvelle, qu'on soit pour ou contre la décision de la cour, c qu'on a la preuve d'1 séparation réelle d pouvoirs. #ATI #TNAC #TNGOV
Others have aired more suspicious and careful views.
@El_7oss: Ces connards de la cassation pouvaient aussi casser le jugement sans renvoyer en appel #ATI
@Selim_: bien. Mais c pas fini
@omessaoud: Le renvoi de l'affaire #ATI en appel à nouveau est un renvoi de responsabilité pas une victoire. #free404 #tunisie #censure
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Ukraine: Parliamentary Corruption · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Taras Kuzio of Jamestown Foundation Blog writes about corruption in Ukraine's parliament and alleged preparations for election fraud.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Afghanistan: Do not kill each other · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Goftman Roshnayi says[fa] “burning Quran has become another pretext to kill each other in Afghanistan…When Talibans explode bombs, kill people and burn Qurans, nobody cares.” Five killed as protests over Quran burning rage in Afghanistan.


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Barbados: A Woman’s Worth  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Free Logic is concerned about the tweets from “little girls and ignorant women extolling their love for Chris Brown, in spite of his ‘misdeeds'”, saying: “It made me feel sick inside. That there are women out there who think so little of themselves. For the record, no man will ever beat me. Or my daughters. Because I will instill a sense of self-worth in them. As my mother did in me.”


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Chile: Twitter Users Share Images of Aysén Protests · Global Voices
Mi voz

[The original version of this post was first published in La Opiñón [es], an online citizen newspaper by the Mi Voz (My Voice) network]
A social movement that demands better quality of life and lower costs has gained strength in the Aysén Region in the Chilean Patagonia, as previously reported by Elizabeth Rivera for Global Voices.
Images of fierce clashes that occurred during the early hours of February 22, the blocking of the road between Puerto Aysén and Puerto Chacabuco, the police repression and an unabated protest were captured by the citizens of Aysén and uploaded to social networking sites.
Twitter is the platform that shows the striking images of these protests, which have paralyzed the region.
Taking of the Chacabuco bridge, Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar):
Clashes on the Chacabuco bridge in Aysén, February 22. Photo by Twitpic user Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar)
"Remains of a violent night in Aysén." February 22. Photo by Twitpic user Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar)
Night-time barricades, Movement for Aysén (@despiertaAYSEN):
Night-time barricades in Puerto Aysén, early hours of February 22. Photo by Twitpic user Movement for Aysén (@despiertaAYSEN)
Coyhaique expressing itself in the street, Kallfulikan (@Kallfulikan):
Image of the protest in Coyhaique, February 22. Photo by Twitpic user @Kallfulikan
Road between Puerto Aysén and Puerto Chacabuco, Patricio Segura (@patsegura):
Road between Puerto Aysén and Puerto Chacabuco, February 21. Photo by Twitpic user Patricio Segura (@patsegura)
Blocked roads, Alonso Nuñez (@alonso_nunez):
Blocked roads, February 21. Photo by Twitpic user Alonso Nuñez (@alonso_nunez)
Road to Coyhaique, Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar):
Blocked route between Aysén and Coyhaique, Sunday February 19. Photo by Twitpic user Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar)

author: Mi voz


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Colombia: Citizen Journalist Threatened Over Viral Video · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Citizen journalist Bladimir Sánchez has already received threats for making a video showing the forced evictions of farmers and fishermen protesting the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the department of Huila, Colombia on February 14 and 15. In less than three days, more than 600,000 people have watched it.
On Publimetro [es], Camilo Andrés García Cortés states that the video may be making history as the most watched Colombian citizen video, due to its half a million views during only two days. The Video the Colombian Government Doesn't Want Us to See [es] shows the violent eviction faced by two river bank communities standing up peacefully against the building of the dam, and pulls together the testimonies of those who faced the violence and were injured.
The communities are against the dam construction because it will leave them without livelihoods if the river is diverted for the project. When describing the clash that injured protesters, both the community members and journalists present describe that there was no violence towards the authorities in spite of the attacks, and that the police restricted the access of journalists, peace observers and human right organizations to the area of the protest.
La acción violenta se cumplió coordinadamente entre el Gobierno Nacional y Emgesa contra campesinos y pescadores inermes cuya única respuesta fue cogerse solidariamente de las manos para abrazar el río Magdalena o lanzarse al mismo, mientras recibían cargas de gases lacrimógenos y granadas de aturdimiento, ocasionando varios heridos, entre ellos, el obrero de construcción Luis Carlos Trujillo Obregón quien perdió su ojo derecho.
On the interview with Publimetro  [es] Bladimir discussed the threats he's received:
Recibí una llamada No aparece el número de la persona en el identificador (…) Me han enviado mensajes a mi correo. Me dicen que soy de las Farc, del ELN, que estoy atacando a la fuerza pública. Yo no soy nada de eso. Simplemente soy un realizador audiovisual que quiere mostrar la realidad de lo que pasa en el departamento del Huila.
In his Facebook page Zeitgeist Huila [es], Bladimir posted on February 23 [es] that he had been receiving threatening calls, one including death threats.


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Georgia: Online Campaign Targets Russian President’s Facebook Page · Global Voices
Mirian Jugheli

With Russian soldiers stationed in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a group of Forum.ge [ka] users proposed to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23, by posting anti-occupation comments on Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's Facebook page [ru].
Cyxymu [ru], a Georgian blogger who was the target of attacks on Facebook, Google Blogger, LiveJournal and Twitter, forcing the latter offline for two hours on 7 August, 2009, posted a photo on Facebook alerting many Georgians to the campaign.
More than 200 users of the social networking site then started to post comments and continue to do so.
Дмитрий Анатольевич, я требую вывода российских оккупационных войск из Грузии!
Dmitry Anatolevich, I demand the withdrawal of Russian occupational forces from Georgia!
An hour later comments started to disappear from the page, reported Cyxymu [ru]. Georgians, however, did not stop posting the comments and taking screenshots of Medvedev's Facebook page.
Facebook users later reported that the page was no longer accessible in Georgia, with some alleging it had been blocked. Later, when it was available, many comments left by Georgians users were found to have been deleted.

author: Mirian Jugheli


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Greece: Athens, 1st African Film Festival Week · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

The first African Film Festival will take place in Athens, Greece, from February 23 to 29, 2012, with the collaboration of various African countries’ embassies and consulates. Twenty one films from Angola, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia will be screened. The event is hosted by the Greek Film Archive [el].

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


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Greece: ‘Catastroika’ Documentary on Public Sector Privatization · Global Voices
Alexia Kalaitzi

A new documentary about the catastrophic consequences of the privatization of the public sector in Greece, entitled Catastroika [el], is in progress. The title comes from the combination of the words ‘catastrophe’ and ‘Troika’ (the tripartite committee led by the European Commission with the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, that organised the financial rescues of Greece, Ireland and Portugal). The same producers have also created Debtocracy [el], a documentary about the reasons for the Greek economic crisis; watch the trailer here.

author: Alexia Kalaitzi


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Haiti: Students in Sheds · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Haiti Grassroots Watch explores the issues surrounding the non-reconstruction of the state university in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.


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Iran: Letter from Jailed Blogger Details “Blue Sky of Pain” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Dr. Mehdi Khazali, a jailed Iranian blogger, publisher and government critic,  wrote [fa] a letter this month from prison describing a “blue sky of pain” of his first-hand experience with the injustice of jails in Iran where prisoners face torture and arbitrary death sentences.
Khazali's daughter (see photo) and wife were briefly arrested too.
Mehdi Khazali's letter was published in his personal blog (some activists pass on passwords to their blogs and Facebook accounts before they lose access themselves).
He writes:
Dr. Khazali with his daughter
One person was sentenced to death for receiving a fake one and half sentence email. What I see with my own eyes is that prisoners have no rights in revolutionary courts. Many have no rights to legal defense, nobody has the right to read his or her own file to be able to defend him or herself… You can't even read the court's sentence for you before you are forced to sign it.
The blogger adds:
Three prisoners who were in my cell were sentenced to 17 years in prison in a trial which lasted just two mintues. One of them has been on hunger strike for 10 days now… Three Christians are in prison too, just for their faith.
Khazali says prisoners who escaped mass executions in 1988 and remain alongside him in prison, and have told him about coffins (some prisoners were put in coffins as a torture) and iron cages.
Khazali wrote the letter to Ahmad Montazeri, the late Grand Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri's son; Ayatoolah Montazeri criticized mass executions and revealed some information on this topic.


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Russia: Pro-Putin Rally in Vladivostok Causes Controversy · Global Voices
Masha

This post is part of our special coverage Russia Elections 2011/12.
Rallies in support of the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin – also known as Putings, a combination of the words “meeting” and “Putin” – took place in many Russian cities last weekend. One such Puting caused a scandal in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, which is renowned for its strong support of the opposition and for anti-Kremlin moods in general.
The February 18 pro-Putin rally – a Puting – in Vladivostok. Photo by Alexander Hitrov/LJ user alexhitrov, used with permission.
A local news portal VL.ru uploaded a video showing that the participants of the February 18 rally received money after the event. VL.ru reporters asked if the participants were satisfied with Putin’s policies and reforms. Respondents used various clichés, saying that Putin “raised Russia from its knees” and provided stability for the country.
Vladivostok's online community actively discussed the nature of the events and the fact that people had been brought to the rally on buses in an organized way. Apparently, someone had motivated, mobilized and gathered them. The turnout of 2,000 to 4,000 people is a very rare case for Vladivostok, where even the most popular anti-government protests could hardly count 500 people.
Lists of participants and payments at the February 18 pro-Putin rally in Vladivostok. Photo by Alexander Hitrov/LJ user alexhitrov, used with permission.
This case would have been forgotten fast if the discussion of it had not spread virally. The local authorities added fuel to the flames as well.
Regional trade unions had organized the rally, and they were the first to be blamed for handing out the money. Viktor Pinsky, head of the Primorsky Region's Federation of Trade Unions, said [ru] that the demonstration “brought together more than 4,000 people who are not indifferent to the fate of Russia, who trust Vladimir Putin and support his candidacy for the presidency.”
Trade unions said [ru] that all the media materials and videos available online were nothing but a provocation, and that the videos were fake and people were acting on them. That is why trade unions would like to initiate an investigation into the matter. PM Putin’s Chief of Staff in Vladivostok believes [ru] that the oppositional forces were outraged by the fact that 4,000 people showed up for the pro-Putin rally and were thus trying to sabotage the event.
Various bloggers, journalists and news organizations have provided images of the people who had lists of the participants and were handing out money (500 rubles = 16 USD). These images are widely available online: LiveJournal (LJ) user alexhitrov – a Vladivostok-based photographer Alexander Hitrov – posted a comprehensive photo report [ru] from the rally on his blog, and LJ user hajoff posted a few more images in the Vladivostok LJ community, here [ru].
Even if the trade unions claimed that people participated in this rally voluntarily, why would someone have lists of participants and cross the names out? LJ user temniykot wrote [ru]:
I've been to the rally. Haven't heard about or seen any “payments” – but it is true that people from regional enterprises were being brought in and marked as “was there/wasn't there,” and that people were being brought on buses from somewhere, and that the pensioners were being given jackets (and some were taking four [jackets per person]) […].
According to all reports, the event was well-organized: posters had been prepared and printed beforehand, people wore jackets with pro-Putin slogans on them, and organizers provided hot food, tea and a musical performance for the participants. It is obvious that Putin’s supporters had enough money for all this, but where does the funding come from? If it comes from the state budget, then this case should clearly be investigated. And this time, it should be investigated not in favor of the trade unions.
This post is part of our special coverage Russia Elections 2011/12.

author: Masha


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Sierra Leone: Postcards From Freetown: Then and Now · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Babak uses old postcards from Freetown, Sierra Leone to compare what was then to what is now: “The series of “Once Salone: Freeown’s then and now” is a photography project that sent him sometimes to the most unlikely places to identify the locations.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Bangladesh: Ekushey February/International Mother Language Day Observed · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dhaka Daily Photo posts some images of the observance of Ekushey February/ International Mother Language Day in Bangladesh. Dhaka Dweller posts the history of Ekushey February.

author: Rezwan


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Bangladesh: Photos Of Kite Festival And Fire Eaters In Dhaka · Global Voices
Rezwan

In Dhaka, on January 14th every year, the young people of the Old City celebrate Poush Sankranti. Bangladesh Unlocked posts photos of the Kite Festival and the display of fire eaters arranged to celebrate this day.


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Barbados: CLICO Conflict of Interest · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground has it “from a usual reliable BU source” that the CLICO scandal is about to take a new twist.


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Bolivia: Disabled Protesters Clash with Police · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Disabled Bolivians marching to demand higher government subsidies clashed with police on Thursday, February 23. Blogger Mario R. Durán [es] shares citizen photos of the clashes. On Twitter, netizens are using the hashtag #discapacitados [es] (“disabled”) to comment and report on the march.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Brazil: The Deficient Prison Systems of the Americas  · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The Latin Americanist sums up the recent events concerning the penitentiary system in Latin America: a fire that killed hundreds in a prison in Honduras, prison riots in Mexico and escaped inmates in Perú. These events may be causing other countries to re-analyze their prison systems, but will this turn into meaningful reforms, or more of the same tragedies?
In their post Chronicle of a Tragedy Foretold they include the following footage from a documentary on the problems within the penitentiary system in Brazil, including overcrowding. The video is in Portuguese with English subtitles.
Under the Brazilian Sun is a documentary directed and produced by Adele Reeves and Leandro Vilaca. It tells the story of the prison system from all possible sides, interviewing current and former prisoners, their families, guards, police officers, heads of prisons, human rights groups and others. From their documentary trailer description:
Not only is this film a must-see to because of its honest and brutal portrayal of the prison system in Brazil, but also because it is an in-depth analysis of why and how this is happening along with a look at what can be done to change these conditions for the future.
The documentary is available through YouTube, following is the first part:

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Cameroon : Say No To Tribalism · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Princess Akeelah talks on her blog [fr] about an online campaign launched to fight against Tribalism in Cameroon. In a country where it is estimated that 280 different ethnic groups live together, she explains that this diversity is a wealth and should be “the foundation of a National Union”.

author: Julie Owono


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Chile: Aysén Region and the Call for Decentralization · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Protests, road blocks, and clashes between protesters and police continue as citizens of the Aysén region of Chile demand change. Global Voices contributor Elizabeth Rivera reported on the social movement behind the mobilization earlier this month and summarized their demands:
Their demands have been compiled in a petition list with 10 points [es] which basically ask for subsidies to balance food, water, electricity and fuel costs; quality health and education; employment equity and retirement pensions based on regional needs; greater citizen participation in the decisions that affect the region including natural resources exploitation; better access and infrastructure.
For many, the conflict in Aysén boils down to one problem affecting the whole country: centralism. “Santiago is not Chile,” is a phrase commonly used among Chileans who often feel ignored for living outside of the capital. Many of these Chileans have to move to Santiago to access better employment and basic services like healthcare due to a shortage of doctors in the regions.
As a result of a heavy focus on the capital, Santiago has been developing at a much faster pace than the rest of the country. Even the media's attention focuses on the capital, giving little air time to issues happening in the rest of Chile.
The protests in Aysén have brought centralism to the forefront of the national conversation, prompting several Chilean bloggers to weigh in on the issue.
"Aysén is Chile." Protest in support of Aysén mobilizations, February 20, 2012, Santiago, Chile. Photo by Luis Fernando Arellano, Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Blogger Danae Mlynarz Puig [es] looks ahead to what might happen this year in Chile. She begins her post mentioning the social movement in Aysén:
Seguimos movidos en cuanto a demandas sociales, en estos días, Aysén se moviliza, en el extremo sur de nuestro país exigiendo descentralización, a un país tremendamente centralista, donde parece que todo pasa en Santiago. El estallido de Aysén nos recuerda lo que vivimos anteriormente en Magallanes, Isla de Pascua, Calama y otras ciudades, donde los habitantes de estos territorios se movilizaron exigiendo mayor compromiso del gobierno central por sus problemáticas, develando la enorme desigualdad territorial que vivimos en Chile y la falta casi absoluta de descentralización.
In El Quito Poder [es], Salvador Muñoz says that the problem of centralism is not new:
Los ayseninos afirman que ningún gobierno se ha hecho cargo de sus demandas. Los problemas de Aysén,  Coyhaique, Magallanes, Tocopilla, Dichato, Calama y de todos los pueblos y ciudades de Chile son los mismos. Como señala la Asamblea Ciudadana de Magallanes en una declaración de solidaridad con el movimiento de Aysén, “Aysén y Magallanes reclamamos terminar con el centralismo oficial y corporativo, que ahoga a las regiones para beneficio de la capital, que no nos da participación en las decisiones de política pública y nos impide lograr una efectiva regionalización y descentralización”.
On a similar note, blogger and journalist Gabriel Sanhueza Suarez [es] says that the conflict in Aysén reveals a systemic problem:
El problema de Aysén es mucho más profundo que tratar de atender demandas sectoriales… o de acallar las movilizaciones enviando fuerzas especiales.
Es un problema sistémico, que implica repensar radicalmente la forma de entender el país, sacarse para siempre el chip del centralismo. Y sobre todo pensar e implementar políticas audaces que transforme la regionalización de una consigna demagógica a una realidad que nos permita tener un Chile justo en todas las esquinas de su territorio.
The problem of Aysén is much deeper than trying to address sectoral demands … or silencing the protests by sending special forces.
It is a systemic problem, which involves radically rethinking the way we understand the country, removing the centralism chip forever. And above all to think and implement bold policies to transform regionalization from a demagogic slogan to a reality that will allow us to have a fair Chile in all the corners of its territory.
Finally, Kaos en la Red [es] published a post by Patricio Segura from Aquí Aysén [es], a blog written from Aysén that has been covering the movement. Patricio ensures that this social movement wants to influence all Chile, not just Aysén.
[…] el Movimiento Social por la Región de Aysén no debe ser visto sólo como una revuelta por y para los ayseninos. Tiene mucho del país que queremos construir, donde se consideren las particularidades de cada ciudadano, de cada territorio. Nuestro tema es la verdadera descentralización, la verdadera equidad, el verdadero respeto, todo lo cual en el mercado no se puede transar.
Los habitantes de Aysén no queremos cercar con alambres de púas la región para que no llegue nadie más. Queremos ser un aporte para Chile y para el mundo, con lo que somos, con los bienes comunes presentes en este vasto y hermoso territorio, pero no queremos morir en el intento.
[…] the Social Movement for the Aysén Region should not be viewed merely as a revolt by and for the people of Aysén. It involves a lot of the country which we want to build, where the particularities of each citizen, of each territory, are considered. Our issue is real decentralization, true equity, true respect, all of which cannot be compromised in the market.
The people of Aysén don't want a barbed wire fence around the region to keep every one else away. We want to be a contribution to Chile and the world, with what we are, with the common good present in this vast and beautiful land, but we don't want to die trying.


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Cuba: Bejerano Against Corruption  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Eliot Ness and his group in Chicago…[have] a female version in Cuba”: Iván's File Cabinet blogs about the country's “Iron Lady”.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Prisoners’ Rights  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense republishes a statement by Amnesty International about “former prisoner of conscience Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia [whose] whereabouts are unknown following his alleged arrest in central Havana, Cuba, on 21 February”; Pedazos de la Isla, meanwhile, reports that “the political prisoner on hunger strike, Ernesto Borges, was taken from Combinado del Este prison of Havana to an unknown location on a stretcher and in critical condition.”


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East Timor: Cats, Monsters in Pre-Election Video Humor · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

The presidential elections in East Timor are scheduled for March 17, 2012, and the electoral campaign [tet] period is expected to start next week, on February 29. Meanwhile, a few candidates have been using social networks for outreach, and Timorese netizens are debating the democratic process and the future of this ten year old country mostly through Facebook and blogs.
One of the most original uses of citizen media in the anticipation of the elections, however, is not serious at all – user Slogheinn on Youtube, has uploaded a series of humorous videos that mock four of the best known presidential candidates.
Such is the case of Francisco Guteres Lu-Olo, the President of the historical opposition party Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN), who presented his candidacy with the highest number of undersigned proponents, 22,590. As the video plays, the mimic of “Comrade Lu Olo”, feels frustrated for being in the “shadow” of Mari Alkatiri, the Secretary-General of Fretilin. Lu Olo whines for having to run once again for president, after he headed the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007, and was defeated in the second round when running for the presidency of the country in the 2007 presidential election:
http://youtu.be/DP6olsA3tp0
Problema nia Alkatiri obriga mak husu ha'u ba deit ona.
Ha'u baruk sai tiha prezidenti hotu, Alkatiri mak manda nafatin ha'u hanesan uluk quandu ha'u sai prezidente Parlamento.
Ha'u hatene katak ambisaun sem capacidade ne'e crime, mais se chefe obriga ne'e ha'u tenki ba deit mesmo que laiha qualidade.
Ha'u la hatene tamba hira mak Alkatiri tenki uza ha'u conforme nia hakarak…
Dala ruma ha'u tenki marca diferensa husi nia (…)
The current President of East Timor, José Ramos Horta, whose candidacy according to Centru Jornalista Investigativu Timor Leste (CJITL) was supported by 7,977 proponents (though his website announces he has received around 116,300 petitions), is represented by a kitten in a rather catholic video approach where he recalls the assassination attempt he suffered in 2008:
http://youtu.be/VkVx6S0L48k
Ha'u hakarak recandidata ba Prezidenti da Republica, mais ha'u tenki ba consulta lai ho amu bispo nain rua, papa nain tolu ho kuku nain ha'at para hare se sira apoiu ha'u ka la'e.
Se la'e ha'u ba koko tok iha ONU. Se ema lakoi hili ha'u, ha'u fila lalais mai Timor […] ha'u nia povu sei presiza ha'u.
Imi hakarak hatene uluk ema tiru ha'u ne'e ha'u ba tiha ona lalehan. Jesus dehan ha'u atu troka orasaun Pedro sai porteiro iha neba mais malai mos diak, maibé ha'u dehan labele. Ha'u tenki fila ba Timor (…)
Fernando de Araújo, also known as Lasama, the current President of the National Parliament, supported his candidacy with 8,314 signatures. As part of his mocked electoral promises, he supposedly intends to lower the price of “noodles to 5 cents and palm wine to 1 dollar, as well as to open a big casino for playing cards”. As his avatar says, “listen to me! I want to be president of the republic too!”:
http://youtu.be/-Z1FwtA988g
The Major General of the Armed Forces of East Timor, known as Taur Matan Ruak (Tetum for “Two Sharp Eyes”), whose candidacy was supported by 10,000 proponents, “takes the opportunity to explain to the voters why he wanted to be the first starting to campaign”, in anticipation of the date scheduled:
http://youtu.be/TOR2720Je7Y
Even the Prime Minister and former President of the Republic, “Maun Bot” (big brother) Xanana Gusmão, has had his own avatar making a call to the “dear people of Timor Lorosae to prepare themselves for the party of democracy”.

author: Sara Moreira


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Haiti: Prayers & Priorities · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Millikan Daily meets a “beach head for incoming Methodists to Haiti” and is less than impressed with her “mission”, saying: “I for one, am touched that there are people so kind and devout in their servitude to God that they would drink his blood all night on Ash Wednesday to better help His poor children of Haiti.”


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India: Analysis Of Uttar Pradesh Polls · Global Voices
Rezwan

Offstumped posts analysis of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.


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Liberia: “Kill the Gays” Bill Spreading · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Former Liberian first lady Jewel Howard Taylor has introduced a bill making homosexuality liable to a death sentence. Jewel is a senator and former president Charles Taylor’s ex-wife. Uganda re-tabled a similar controversial anti-gay bill recently.
Homosexuality is outlawed in 38 African countries and it can be punishable by death in Mauritania, Sudan, and northern Nigeria.
Writing about Liberia's anti-gay bill, Melanie says:
Expressed many times on my blog, is the fear that David Bahati’s Kill the Gays Bill, currently before the Ugandan Parliament, could well spread to other parts of Africa , as it is accompanied by the promotion of much anti-gay rhetoric and myth. It seems that the Kill the Gays idea is indeed spreading, even though it has met with great criticism around the world. In conversations last year, David Bahati told Warren Throckmorton and me that other African nations had expressed interest in his Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which we have come to know as The Kill the Gays Bill.
A map showing penalties targeting gays and lesbians in Africa. Image source: http://ilga.org/
Warren writes:
No date has been set for debate or vote. Both Houses of the legislature would need to pass the bill to send to the President for signature or veto. I wrote about this bill and a companion bill in their House last week.
As far as I can determine, in Liberia penalties for a First Degree Felony can range from 10 years in prison to death. The amendment is short and without definitions.
Evan wonders why the Nobel prize winner and president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf remains silent:
If convicted, such a crime would warrant punishment ranging from 10 years in jail to death.
And Nobel prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has remained silent on the issue.
The issue continues to heat up owing to the pressure of the U.S. and the U.K. to consider gay rights as human rights over the past year.
Should the U.S. cut back aid to Liberia?:
The U.S. gives quite a bit of aid to Liberia. The question is whether we will put our money where are mouths are and actually cut back assistance because of this issue, even as American influence on the continent wanes in the face of massive Chinese investment. Would such a stance fly well with the American electorate? There may be mixed support for gay marriage, but I’m pretty sure that a healthy majority of Americans would recognize death-for-sodomy as a massive human rights violation…
Liberia‘s former first lady's letter to the Liberian parliamentarians regarding anti-gay bill. Image courtesy of http://sebaspace.wordpress.com/.
Sebaspace thinks the former first lady is not genuine:
It would appear that Ms. Jewel Taylor has learned one or two things about how campaigns of this sort have come a-cropper in other parts of Africa. So, she is covering her flank by disguising her anti-gay sentiments in language that suggests that she is trying to prevent “gay marriage.”
—-
Really? In a country where the language of the law is against same gender loving, Ms. Taylor’s only concern is gay marriage? Why do I find that hard to believe?
Boima J. V. Boima  cautions:
But the law, if passed, could have economic implications for Liberia since western powers including the US and UK are tying gay rights to foreign aid to third world countries, including Liberia.
The draft bill surfaced following repeated calls by UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon and western powers urging African leaders to legalize same sex marriage or risk being deprived of foreign assistance for development.
Gay rights activists and sympathizers can sign a petition to protest Liberia's “Kill the Gays” bill:
Target: Liberian Senator Jewel Haward Taylor
Goal: To urge Senator Taylor not to push this bill, which would allow judges to punish homosexual acts with the death penalty in Liberia.
In the west African country of Liberia, LGBT couples have been struggling to gain legal recognition. But Senator Taylor, who recently introduced a bill that would make homosexual acts punishable by death, could serve as a huge roadblock to equality. Senator Taylor must stop advocating for the passage of a bill that would essentially take the lives of some LGBT Liberians.
Many African leaders claim that homosexuality is un-natural and un-African. South African is an exception with a constitution, which provides the most comprehensive protection of gay rights in the world.


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North Korea’s Radio Jamming Fails Temporarily  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

North Korea Tech reports a temporary failure of North Korea’s external radio services and its powerful jamming operation that blocks foreign broadcasts.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Peru: A Conversation with Rafael Salazar of Creative Commons Peru · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Oscar Montezuma Panez from the blog Blawyer [es] spoke to Rafael Salazar, one of the leaders behind Creative Commons Peru. In the conversation, Rafael explains what the local Creative Commons chapter is currently working on. Oscar also invites readers to visit the group's new website: http://cc.pe/ [es].


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Puerto Rico: Blogosphere Denounces Proposed Cybergag · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

[All links lead to Spanish language pages except when otherwise noted]
The Mayor of the city of Mayagüez in the western part of Puerto Rico, José Guillermo Rodríguez, has been given the power through a resolution from the Municipal Legislature to investigate anyone who publishes content on social networks that he takes as sullying “the good name and image of the municipal government of Mayagüez, its managers, officials, and employees”, according to the stipulations of the resolution approved by the Municipal Assembly of Mayagüez.
The news website Noticel reported that the mayor had decided to not enforce the resolution. Nevertheless, Rodríguez released a warning:
En algún momento muy cercano vendrán más regulaciones para atender la utilización inadecuada de las redes sociales, y eso lo provocarán los que no hacen uso correcto de las mismas, acechando, amenazando, utilizando identificaciones falsas para tratar de mancillar la imagen de gente íntegra y decente. Hemos cumplido con nuestro deber de ser de los primeros en alertarlo.
Resolution 102, approved on February 9, authorized the mayor to contract legal and investigatory services to prosecute anyone who users social networks in a “malicious way”. This includes trying to identify users who prefer to utilize a pseudonym instead of their real name.
Mayor Rodríguez, affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), attempting to justify this measure said in statements published by the weekly regional newspaper La Estrella that the use of social networks “should be a privilege in democratic countries”, inciting the Puerto Rican blogosphere to rail against him.
Luis J. Villanueva from the Raciocinio said:
Este sujeto no tiene idea de las reglas que determinan lo que él puede y no puede hacer porque este tipo de actividad está prohibida por la Constitución y las Leyes de Puerto Rico y los EEUU. ¡Más preocupante es la visión de que el uso de las redes sociales es un privilegio!”
Other bloggers also could not wait to react. Mario Núñez Molina on his blog DigiZen expressed his take on the matter:
A mi esto me suena a mordaza, censura y un atentado contra la libertad de expresión ya que la evaluación que se haga de lo que se publique en contra de estos funcionarios será una altamente subjetiva y tendrá como fin el que nadie diga nada malo de Guillito [José Guillermo Rodríguez] y sus seguidores.
On the Puerto Rico Law Blog, lawyer Christian M. Frank Fas confirmed that the municipal measure goes against the laws and principles of a democratic society:
La libertad de expresión es un pilar constitucional por una razón. Es uno de los cimientos de toda sociedad democrática y civilizada, y si al municipio le preocupa tanto que mancillen su estelar desempeño, quizás podrían dedicar esos mismos recursos contratando una firma publicitaria, y no utilizar el afilado intelecto legislativo para investigar y “carpetear” a sus constituyentes y, de paso, suprimir un derecho democrático fundamental.
The Overseas Press Club de Puerto Rico issued the following statements also repudiated Resolution 102:
Amparado en una alegada defensa de la imagen del municipio y sus funcionarios, el Alcalde de Mayagüez y su legislatura municipal intentan censurar a quienes critiquen su gestión. Rodríguez debe recordar que precisamente por ser figura pública está expuesto a las críticas y de ninguna manera puede querer controlarlo. Eso sería dar al traste con el derecho a la libre expresión y la libertad de prensa.
The antipathy toward Resolution 102 has been so widespread that the president of the Popular Democratic Party and candidate for the government through the same party, Alejandro García Padilla, also came out against the measure on Twitter @agarciapadilla:
Estoy en contra de la Resolución aprobada por el Municipio de Mayagüez. Voy a hablar personalmente con el Alcalde para aclarar este asunto.
Among the firestorm of complaints that the measure provoked, the hilarious commentary on the Puerto Rican blog El Ñame could not be missed, highlighting how absurd it would be to implement this measure:
Uno de los blogueros que critican la ley, quien permaneció en el anonimato porque es un cobarde de siete suelas, arguyó: “No entiendo cómo alguien podría determinar la ubicación física del autor de un contenido cibernético ofensivo a los funcionarios municipales. ¿O es que el Alcalde podrá soltarle los perros a cualquier bloguero que hable pestes de él o de su administración, sin importar dónde habite? ¿Quién hubiera podido imaginar que la Sultana del Oeste tuviera tanto poder?”, preguntó sarcásticamente, aunque la respuesta a su pregunta es “nadie, porque la imaginación de nadie podría superar la realidad boricua”.”

author: Ángel Carrión


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Trinidad & Tobago: Fashion over Festival?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Rishi Sankar explains why he will not play mas with one particular Carnival band ever again.


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Australia: Political Paralysis Before Leadership Vote · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Australia’s governing party will decide between the leadership of the country's current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the one she deposed in 2010, Kevin Rudd. Following months of speculation, Australian Labor Party parliamentarians will vote after a very self-destructive confrontation this week.
As well as bloggers such as Lavartus Prodeo and their legions of commenters, Twitter users have taken to the task with gusto. #respill has been the tag of choice for many whilst the somewhat bizarre #kevenge seems to capture the mood of many others in Twitterville.
Kevin Rudd's daughter Jessica knows the value of a well-timed tweet. This one got plenty of publicity:
@Jess_Rudd: Effing proud of you, Dad. xxxx
The “effing” seemed to fit after the video of her father Happy Little Vegemite that was released earlier in the week. The video contains numerous expletives:
There were suggestions from both sides that the other had posted the video – either to embarrass Rudd or to humanise him. Cassie White could see both in the ex-PM's swearing:
@cassie_white: I get that this video is supposed to embarrass @KRuddMP but it just makes me like him http://bit.ly/w02qvX An Aussie who swears, SHOCK!!
A new pro-Rudd user appeared @Vote4Rudd which asks, “Follow us if you want Kevin Rudd back!” Despite Kevin’s supposed popularity it had only 141 followers after two days.
Parliamentarians who have not yet indicated how they will vote are being hounded on twitter. Journalists such as @ABCNews24’s reporter Latika Bourke seem relentless. After stalking Anthony Albanese MP for days she live-tweeted his whole radio interview:
@latikambourke: Anthony Albanese says he's old fashioned and told first the people he is NOT voting for. GIllard/Swan then he phoned Rudd. #respill
Her tweeting is a case study in itself in the use of social media for professional journalism.
The media have fallen back on the old cliché about soap operas, bur neither the prime minsiter nor netizen Tom Taylor were amused:
@TomTaylorMade: Gillard: ‘This is not an episode of Celebrity Big Brother.’ We know. The public can vote in Celebrity Big Brother.
Some #kevenge tweets from today (25 February) seem appropriate:
@bennpackham: Rudd is well behind at this stage but this whole people power thing is pure evil genius #kevenge
@AshGhebranious: Julia , ever since you got this Kevin Rudd monkey off your back, you have been sounding really impressive. #auspol #respill #kevenge
@SuzyJacobs: Guillard will never escape the stink of her succession #auspoll #respill #kevenge
Captain Danger is clearly disillusioned with the mass media's groupthink:
@CaPtAiN_dAnGeR_: i follow too many Aussie journos. it's like a freakin echo chamber in here #respill #kevenge #albolove
The vote is 10.30 AM Monday 27 February, Canberra time. My next post will cover the fallout from Monday's vote.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bangladesh: The Ethical Dilemma of Using Opportunities · Global Voices
Rezwan

In developing countries, where bureaucracy, corruption and misinformation thrive, people may create opportunities to cash in from those anomalies. Some consider this as creativity or simply a part of the livelihood and some question about the ethics in using those opportunities.
Bangladeshi blogger Mohammad Golam Nabi [bn] tells such a story:
মুনির ভাই সেই গল্পটা আজকেও বললেন। ডিমান্ড নোট বিক্রির গল্প। গল্পটা মুনির ভাইয়ের ভাষায় এমন:
‘আশির দশকের কথা। আমরা যখন বাংলাদেশ প্রকৌশল বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের শিক্ষার্থী, তখন আমাদের একটি বিশেষ বিনোদন ছিল খাওয়াদাওয়া। সেটি চায়নিজ, হাজির বিরিয়ানি বা নীরবের ভাজি-ভর্তা। টিউশনির টাকা, পত্রিকায় লেখার বিল বা বৃত্তির টাকা—অবধারিতভাবে আমাদের গন্তব্য কোনো রেস্টুরেন্ট। হিজ হিজ হুজ হুজ। এসবের মধ্যে আমাদেরই এক বন্ধু ১০০ টাকা জমলে একটি টেলিফোনের জন্য দরখাস্ত করত। যে সময়ের কথা বলছি, তখন বিটিটিবির (এখনকার বিটিসিএল) ফোনের অনেক চাহিদা। তারপর আমরা পাস করে বের হলাম। আমাদের পকেটে সুন্দর কাগজে জীবনবৃত্তান্ত। আর আমাদের ওই বন্ধুর কাছে বেশ কিছু ডিমান্ড নোট (টেলিফোনের বরাদ্দপত্র), ঢাকার বিভিন্ন স্থানের। মতিঝিলে তখন টেলিফোন সংযোগ অনেক টাকায় বিক্রি হয়। আমাদের সেই বন্ধুটি তার কয়েকটি ডিমান্ড নোট বিক্রি করে দিল—তাতে তার জোগাড় হয়ে গেল প্রাথমিক মূলধন। আমাদের ওই বন্ধুটি এখন একটি গ্রুপ অব কোম্পানিজের চেয়ারম্যান! আমাদের সঙ্গে তার পার্থক্য ছিল শুরু থেকেই। নিজে কিছু একটা করবে ভেবেছিল, সে জন্য ছাত্রজীবনে প্রস্তুতি নিয়েছে এবং সম্পূর্ণ নিজের উদ্ভাবনী বুদ্ধিতে ব্যবসার পুঁজি জোগাড় করেছে।’
Phone wires entangled around a ATM signboard in Dhaka. Image from Flickr by Joe Athialy. CC BY-NC 2.0
Brother Munir told the story again, the one about the allotment of Telephone (demand note). The story in his words:
“It was the '80s. When we were students of Bangladesh University of Engineering And Technology, one of our favorite pass-times were eating out, be it Chinese food, Haji's Biriyani or the fried/mashed vegetables at Nirob restaurant. Whenever we friends got some extra money from providing tuition, writing articles for newspapers or scholarship fund, we used to celebrate in a restaurant. Usually everyone paid for themselves. But one of our friends used to (eat little to) save money and whenever he could accumulate Bangladeshi Taka 100, he would apply for a land phone connection. I am talking about the time when there was much scarcity and demand for a new BTTB (now BTCL – the state telecommunication company) land phone connection. Then we graduated and started to carry our bio-datas in our pocket (in the lookout for a job). Our friend had got little extra; a number of demand notes (allotment letters of landphones) from different areas of Dhaka in his possession. Because of huge demand the connections could be sold at a price manifold than the book price, especially in Motijheel area (business district). My friend sold most of the demand notes and could accumulate enough capital for his startup business. he is now the chairman of a conglomerate. The difference between him and us was evident from the beginning. He planned to do something for himself, so he acted accordingly and used his creativity and talent to arrange his first capital.”
But Mohammad Golam Nabi does not endorse this. He writes [bn]:
প্রযুক্তিতে বাংলাদেশ নামের একটি সংগঠন আয়োজন করেছিল ‘আধুনিক পেশাজীবি ও উদ্যেক্তা তৈরি’ শীর্ষক এক মতবিনিময় সভা। মুনির ভাই সেখানেই বলেছিলেন গল্পটি। সেসঙ্গে আমার আপত্তির বিষয়টি। তিনি সত্যিই বলেছেন। আমার আপত্তি আছে। আপত্তির মূল কারণটি হলো একটি অসৎ ও রাষ্ট্রীয় আইন ভঙ্গকে মুনির ভাই প্রমোট করছেন। তার উপর আস্থাশীল বিপুল সংখ্যক ছেলেমেয়ের প্রতি তার যে দায়িত্ব সেটিকে তিনি বিবেচনায় নিচ্ছেন না।
Ethics and Morals: Timeless and Universal? Image from Flickr by Stephen Wu. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
He goes on [bn]:
একজন লোক সৎ কিনা সে কথাটি তখনই বলা যাবে যখন তিনি অসৎ হওয়ার সুযোগ থাকা সত্বেও সৎ থাকেন। যে লোকের ঘুষ খাওয়ার কোন সুযোগ নেই তিনি ঘুষ খান না সেটি উল্লেখ করার মতো বিষয় নয়। তার সততা পরিক্ষীত নয়। অপরাধ ছোট হোক আর বড় হোক অপরাধই। তবে জীবন রক্ষার্থে যখন কেউ অন্যায় করেন সেটি ভিন্ন প্রসঙ্গ।
Ethics is all about conducting your life faithfully and honestly, with complete integrity. And Nabi adds that a person should be judged by all the works in his/her life. Not merely with only one feat or one slip from grace.
মানুষের জীবন খণ্ডিত হতে পারে না। একজন মানুষের জন্ম থেকে মৃত্যু পরযন্ত পুরোটাই তার জীবন ও তাকে তার সারাজীবনের কাজের ভিত্তিতেই মূল্যায়ন করতে হবে। [..] একটা মানুষের ভালো থাকাটা সারা জীবনের বিষয়।


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China: 1 Billion Mobile Phone Users · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

C Custer wrote in Asia Tech News for the World on the latest statistic of mobile users in China. The country's mobile phone users will break 1 billion in February 2012 and about 13.7 percent of China’s mobile users are on 3G.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Hong Kong, India: Farewell to Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A southern Indian diaspora is about to leave Hong Kong for long after working in the city for 16 years. He explains why he won't miss the city in his blog, Walkerjay.


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India: Why Can’t Women Own Land? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rita Banerji discusses some recent court rulings in India and opines that “regardless of gender-neutral laws, even modern democracies like India that proudly flaunt their Constitution, have people in decision making capacities, as in government, law etc. who still apply the law within context of their old cultural mindsets.”


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Iran: Another blogger was arrested · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Nama Jafari,blogger and journalist was arrested. He was editor of a cultural site. He also wrote a book called “a gathering in solitary confinement”.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Italy: Historic ‘Guilty’ Verdict in the Eternit Asbestos Trial · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

A historic verdict has been delivered in Italy in the Eternit trial on the deadly consequences of asbestos. The bosses of multinational Eternit had put the lives of their workers in danger and committed environmental crimes.
However, many people doubted that they would be convicted for their crimes. Yet this is what happened on February 13, 2012 in Turin, northern Italy. The two top senior executives of Eternit were sentenced to 16 years in prison; legal proceedings began in 2009.
The judges indicted [fr] Stephan Schmidheiny, former owner of Eternit, and Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, former director of the Italian branch, as responsible for around 3,000 asbestos-related deaths, particularly in Casale Monferrato and its surrounding areas. They are also granted compensation to the victims, their families and civil society associations, and tens of millions of euros to some 6,000 plaintiffs.
The sentence was welcomed by hundreds of relatives and victims of asbestos poisoning, as well as by the representatives of the victims’ foreign associations.
Tribute to those who died from asbestos, in front of the Fibronit establishment in Casal Monferrato – Photo by Ro-buk: 'I' m not there on Flickr', reproduced under  a Creative Commons CC-BY license
The website Swissinfo gives some additional details on the verdict [fr]:
Ils devront notamment verser 25 millions d'euros à la commune de Casale Monferrato, 20 millions à la région Piémont et 15 millions à l'Inail, la caisse nationale italienne d'assurance en cas d'accidents. M. de Cartier devra également verser 4 millions d'euros à la commune de Cavagnolo.
Messieurs Schmidheiny et de Cartier devront en outre verser entre 70.000 et 100.000 euros à huit associations, dont des syndicats et l’association écologiste, WWF. Les victimes de l'amiante et leurs familles recevront quant à elles des indemnités s'élevant pour la plupart entre 30.000 et 35.000 euros, selon la liste lue par le président du tribunal.
This will include paying 25 million euros to the town of Casale Monferrato, 20 million euros to the region of Piedmont and 15 million euros to INAIL, the Italian national fund for insurance against accidents. Mr. de Cartier will also have to pay 4 million euros to the municipality of Cavagnolo.
Mr. Schmidheiny and Mr. de Cartier will also have to pay between 70,000 and 100,000 euros to eight associations, including trade unions and the environmental organization, WWF. The victims of asbestos and their families will receive compensation ranging, for most people, between 30,000 and 35,000 euros, according to the list read by the President of the Tribunal.
The website Sanità in Cifre explains [it] why this trial was considered the “trial of the century”:
La sentenza di Torino su Eternit interviene su quello che qualcuno ha definito “il processo del secolo”, per l’impressionante quantità di vittime coinvolte: oltre 2.200 decessi dovuti all’amianto, 700 malati di asbestosi, oltre 6.000 costituzioni di parte civile e una platea di legali composta da 150 avvocati.
The families of the victims of asbestos have started a blog, Asbestos in the Dock and a Facebook page. They believe that the importance and the international implications of this trial go far beyond Italian borders:
Also, public prosecutors in other countries may study the Turin trial as a precedent for bringing their own criminal trials against directors of national Eternit subsidiaries.
According to experts, the product will continue to kill for a long time to come. The website Sanita in Cifre shows the extent of this risk [it] in Europe and also in the rest of the world:
La triste contabilità delle vittime in Italia raggiungerà un picco tra il 2015 e il 2018, mentre in Europa occidentale le proiezioni si attestano su 500.000 morti nei primi 30 anni del 2000. E, secondo l’Organizzazione mondiale della Sanità, nel mondo muiono ogni anno 107.000 persone per cancro al polmone, mesotelioma o asbetosi dovuti a esposizione ad amianto, mentre sono oltre 125 milioni gli esposti ai rischi sui luoghi di lavoro.
In an interview with Christian Elia [it], Niccolò Bruna and Andrea Prandstraller, co-authors of the documentary “Polvere – Il grande processo all’amianto“ (Dust: The Great Asbestos Trial) for the monthly online magazine of the NGO Emergency, founded by the Italian war surgeon Gino Strada, describe the extent of the issue with asbestos and  the anger and pain of the residents of Casale Monferrato [it]:
L’amianto, bandito in Europa, è estratto e lavorato in molti grandissimi paesi del mondo: Russia, Cina, Brasile, India, Thailandia….Mentre i Paesi Europei sono alle prese con  costosissimi e quasi impossibili sforzi di decontaminazione il 75 percento della popolazione mondiale usa l’amianto-cemento ed è esposta ai suoi rischi. Perciò il problema amianto è oggi più attuale che mai.
This is what explains the presence of numerous delegations from associations of victims from abroad to attend the verdict reading in Turin. In a statement [fr] released on the same day, ANDEVA [fr] (a national association to protect victims of asbestos) reported that:
Ce jugement était très attendu. Par les victimes italiennes d’abord qui n’ont pu toutes pénétrer dans la salle d’audience dont beaucoup ont suivi la lecture intégrale du jugement à la télévision et à la radio. Mais aussi pour les victimes et les veuves venues apporter leur solidarité du Brésil, des Etats Unis, de Belgique, d’Angleterre, de Suisse, de France, qui ont pu l’entendre en direct en traduction simultanée. Avec l’Andeva, une délégation de 160 victimes et veuves était venue à Turin de toutes les régions de France (Bourgogne, Rhône Alpes, Martigues, Dunkerque, Paris). Parmi eux des anciens d’usines françaises d’Eternit.
Unfortunately, even in the most serious tragedies, the victims’ fate can vary widely. In this case of the killer powders, the victims residing [it] in the towns of Rubiera [it, Reggio Emilia) and Bagnoli (Naples) will not receive any compensation because the crimes were prescribed. Yet living victims will need to support themselves, to feed their family members, and to preserve the environment for future generations.
To get an idea of how many people find themselves overlooked, on the blog Suite 101, Valerie Wilson wrote:
The President of Naples Province, Luigi Cesaro, listed the death bulletin from the Bagnoli factory:
as well as 100 workers still ill from the above illnesses.
Antonio Iaccarino, son of two patients contaminated in the town of Bagnoli wrote on the Facebook page Sentenza Processo Eternit [it]:
I miei genitori sono entrambi malati, sono stati lavoratori di Bagnoli e hanno lavorato dal 1960 al 1984…i loro amici del lavoro con i quali condividevano 3 turni si contano sulle dita di una solo mano, io forse sono un pò più fortunato di altri che hanno avuto i propri cari all'Eternit ma la vita dei miei genitori di sicuro non è stata, per motivi di salute, tutta rosa e fiori….

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Mexico: Group Looks for Independent Citizens to Run for Congress · Global Voices
Miguel Angel Guevara

Currently, in Mexico you need to belong to a political party to be eligible for a seat in Congress. It is often argued that this system only fosters a power monopoly of the political class who looks after its party interests. Months ago, a group of citizens had pushed for substantial reforms to Mexican democracy, one of those was a political reform that included, among other things, the possibility of recall elections.
But since it became impossible for these reforms to get approved, and taking into account that it is a presidential election year, the same group that promoted #ReformaPolíticaYA (“Political Reform NOW”) is now driving a series of changes to the Federal Code of Institutions and Electoral Procedures (Cofipe) that would allow independent citizens to run for an elected office.
The system works as follows: citizens register on the site democracia.mx [es] and the group analyzes his/her profile to see if the person fulfills the requirements, that according to what Juan Pablo EMT (@JuanPabloEMT) [es] said on Twitcam, are:
No tengan intereses partidistas, ser ciudadano independiente y tener ideas frescas
Do not have any party interests, be an independent citizen and have fresh ideas
The group of young people behind this initiative intends to offer legal support to the citizens that get elected for a popular election office and hand them a kit to explain their next steps.
Citizens presenting proposals to the Mexican Senate. Photo by yfrog user @YONOFUI
Selected independent candidates will go to register at their local Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) [es], IFE will reject their registration and then the group will go to a judge to contest the decision. The youth hope the judge will allow the name of the independent citizens to appear in the ballots on July.
This idea thoroughly reflects the constant search for ideas of a young generation that doesn't feel represented.
José Manuel Azpiroz (@jmazpiroz) [es], Director of the area of Leadership Training of Ethos Foundation, mentioned one of the main points of this idea:
¿Qué tal recuperar el Congreso Mexicano? Si, ese que lleva décadas secuestrado por los partidos políticos. #300vacantes #occupySanLázaro
How about we recover the Mexican Congress? Yes, the one that's been kidnapped by the political parties. #300vacantes (#300 vacancies) #occupySanLazaro
Paul Moch (@p_moch) [es], who is a member of the group, said:
No están hartos de los abusos de quienes se ostentan cómo nuestros representantes en el Congreso? Si tu respuesta es sí… Hay #300Vacantes!
Aren't you fed up of the abuses of those who call themselves our representatives at Congress? If your answer is yes… There are #300Vacantes!
YONOFUI (@YONOFUI) [es], who is one of the most active members of the movement, believes something is changing in the way many think:
Me encanta como cada vez más Mexicanos están decidiendo tomar la iniciativa y no esperando que el gobierno resuelva.
I love to see more and more Mexicans deciding to take the lead and not waiting for the government to solve things.
The process is uncertain and there is no guarantee that the citizens that the group presents will appear on the ballots. However, it is a last resource (after trying to have the Congress sponsor the necessary changes written in the political reform), full of wit, to try to transform a paradigm that up until now seemed foundational: only those who belong to a political party can be elected to hold public office.

author: Miguel Angel Guevara


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Pakistan: The Government Tender To Purchase Filtering Tools · Global Voices
Rezwan

Apparently the Pakistani government has invited tender to private and semi-private companies to purchase a tool to block thousands of urls. Awab Alvi and Faisal Kapadia hosts a video podcast at SpeakForChange to discuss why the government is doing this.