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Caribbean: Defining Moments of 2010  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Many landmark events happened in the Caribbean this year, prompting reactions from the regional blogosphere – from student protests at the University of Puerto Rico to the release of Cuban political prisoners.  Perhaps the most heartbreaking of these was the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  Many bloggers were still wrapped up in the novelty and fresh hopes for the New year when disaster struck on January 12, setting a sombre tone for the months ahead.  Here are our picks for the stories that defined the Caribbean blogosphere in 2010…
The Haiti Earthquake
Sudden, unexpected, unforgiving: Measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, this earthquake was bound to do serious damage wherever it struck.  In Haiti, a poor island nation with inadequate infrastructure and the majority of the population living in sub-standard conditions, the effects were disastrous.  As the death toll continued to rise and the country remained immobilized, the region (and the world!) came to the country's aid.  Bloggers were desperately hoping that the rescue efforts would prove successful, even in the face of massive aftershocks; citizen media rose to the challenge, sending out valuable first-hand information.
Tent city, Juvenat,
Global Voices Online sent a team to Haiti in the earthquake's aftermath, primarily to offer support for citizen media, since we believe that there is a real need to amplify Haitian voices when it comes to relief and reconstruction efforts. Our Managing Director, Georgia Popplewell, and former GV Lingua Team Leader, Alice Backer, “[made] contact with Haitians using citizen media tools, and [identified] others with the potential to participate in and enrich the online conversation, given the right resources”, with a view to increasing the amount of local citizen media activity.  Visit our Special Coverage Page for various perspectives on the earthquake and subsequent relief efforts.
As if the devastating effects of the earthquake on the local food supply weren't enough, Haitian farmers also had to hurriedly mobilise against Monsanto, a company that produces genetically modified seed and wanted to get a foot in the door, via “a donation of conventional corn and vegetable seeds to farmers in Haiti, to help increase food production and aid long-term earthquake recovery.”
Towards the end of a trying year, the country faced a debilitating cholera crisis, braced for a hurricane and, when it appeared that the cholera epidemic was brought into the country by (largely unwelcome) UN peacekeepers, tried as best it could to function in the midst of violent protests.
Natural disasters and health challenges were not the only challenges the island nation faced.  Its annus horriblis came to a climax with the staging of the country's controversial elections; bloggers are still questioning the transparency of the process, even as results continue to be verified.
These ripple effects of the January 12 earthquake have undoubtedly made 2010 a year Haiti would rather forget, but the reality is that other regional territories were also affected by the tremor.  The Dominican Republic and Haiti share the same island, Hispaniola [ES: La Española].  Since borders are fluid and permeable, everything that affects one country affects the other in some way or another. Therefore, the Dominican Republic also felt the aftermath of the massive earthquake that hit Haiti, leaving at least 300,000 dead and many thousands more homeless and living in extremely harsh conditions.
The Puerto Rico Student Protests
Puerto Rico battled a severe economic crisis during 2010.  The despair and angst caused by conservative public social and economic policies provided the context for the student strike that paralyzed the main campus of the state-run University of Puerto Rico during two months starting in April 2010.  Students of campuses from all over the island joined the protest against educational budget cuts, and their plight catalyzed a national social movement.
In December 2010, students of the main campus in Río Piedras, San Juan, declared a second strike, this time specifically against an annual $800 fee. The government ordered the Police to occupy the university’s campuses, which has led to violent confrontations with students. During both strikes, students have creatively used online platforms, blogs and social media networks, to express themselves.
The Jamaica State of Emergency
The eyes of the world were focused on Jamaica from late May, as the Prime Minister finally stopped trying to escape the inevitable and allowed the US extradition request for alleged drug don Christopher “Dudus” Coke to be signed, setting in motion a series of events that practically held the country in a vice grip for over a month.  As @anniepaul put it:
The pact between the criminals and the state has been broken, we are being shown the consequences of that rupture…
Citizen media did a stellar job as a reliable source of information throughout the unrest.  Our Special Coverage Page has all the details.
The Release of Cuban Political Prisoners
Over the course of the last few months, the Cuban government, as part of a deal brokered by the Spanish government and the Catholic Church, has released several prisoners of conscience, albeit to exile in Spain.  The move followed the death of hunger striker Orlando Zapato Tamayo, after which the situation on the island became even more tense, with Cuban authorities clamping down on bloggers and activists around the time of Tamayo's funeral.  Thirteen prisoners are still due to be released under the agreement; although the deadline has already passed, bloggers are still watching the situation closely.
This was not the only important story to come out of Cuba this year: soon after Fidel Castro admitted to a reporter (and subsequently retracted his statement) that the Cuban economic model no longer works, the government began the process of cutting 500,000 state jobs, in an effort resuscitate the island's struggling economy.
Interestingly, the government also announced that a submarine fiber optic cable linking Venezuela, Cuba, and Jamaica, will be operating by January of 2011.  Although this will greatly enhance the quality of Internet connectivity, it will not necessarily lead to more access.
On November 4, sixty-eight people died in the crash of an Aerocaribbean plane in central Cuba.  Social media networks immediately became one of the main channels of communication.
Sad Farewells
Several regional territories had to say goodbye to national icons this year: Barbados lost its relatively new and certainly youngest-ever Prime Minister, Jamaica – and indeed the world – lost reggae icon Gregory “Cool Ruler” Isaacs to cancer and Monserrat (and calypso fans everywhere) said their final farewell to Arrow, the man who brought us the mega-hit “Hot, Hot, Hot”.
In other music news, reggae star Buju Banton was a regular topic of discussion in the regional blogosphere, as he went to court in the United State to defend himself against drug trafficking charges.  After the judge presiding over his case declared a mistrial in September, the singer is scheduled to go through the process again, with a new trial beginning early in the New Year.
Hurricane Season
The 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season started early, with Hurricane Earl, which was closely followed by Igor and finally, Tomas, the storm which appeared to have done the greatest damage.  When neighbouring nations pledged their relief support in the hurricane's aftermath, Trinidad and Tobago's newly-elected (and first female) Prime Minister came under fire for her statement that that any release of the twin island republic's aid dollars hinged on reciprocal economic benefits.  Her words was interpreted as insensitive and prompted an online boycott of Trinidad and Tobago products across the region.
From natural disasters to political wrangling, 2010 was a busy year – and as 2011 approaches, the Global Voices Caribbean Team will continue to monitor the regional blogosphere in an ongoing effort to facilitate meaningful conversation and understanding throughout the Caribbean archipelago.


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Cuba: A Cuban Christmas  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván's File Cabinet says that “although the city does not have a Christmas atmosphere…in their way, Cubans celebrate Christmas.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cyber Scout: Thailand’s internet police? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Become a Cyber Scout Volunteer
The government of Thailand is recruiting young people and other internet literate citizens to join its ‘cyber scout’ program which will monitor the internet of “online behavior that is deemed a threat to national security and the royal institution.’ Although it was announced a few months ago, the first training took place last December 20-21 at Kasetsart University.
Saksith Saiyasombut translates the objectives of the project:
1. To create a Cyber Scout volunteer network […] that observes […] [online] behavior that is deemed a threat to national security and to defend and protect the royal institution.
4. To promote the moral and ethics with the help of the volunteers, to ensure the correct behavior, build reconciliation and awareness towards the use of information with regard to morality and safety of individuals in society.
5. To promote and support to various sectors of society to careful and responsible usage of information technology.
The blogger warns that the program could worsen internet censorship in Thailand. Today, more than 100,000 websites are blocked by Thai authorities.
… it is quite clear that a general trend of over-emphasizing the loyalty by all means and the sudden urge to protect the royal institution against a perceived, invisible threat. And since the internet is a quite anonymous place, it’s an even more frightening threat. Thus these mental and cultural barricades are built with the recruited man-power and the social dogma of loyalty – both off- and online.
… in order to build a knowledge-based society, which the government eventually wants to have, you have to allow the freedom to collect the knowledge by yourself and not being shoved into the throat.
Leosia criticizes the program
This whole process is disgusting. You start with immature and naive youngsters and then give them a moral superiority imperative to hunt down and expose anyone with an opinion.
Patrick Henry comments that it is a high tech version of the Village Scouts which was formed to hunt down communist members in the 1970s
Hmmm… a high tech version of the Village Scouts? You'd think this regime would have better things to do. Welcome to the Kingdom of Orwell.
Political Prisoners in Thailand describes the program
Genius mixed with Fascist tendencies, vigilantes and the “ethics” of censorship. Fabulous. Thanks Mr. Abhisit (Note:Prime Minister of Thailand).
When the program was unveiled a few months ago, Nicholas Farrelly wrote about the impact of the program on the credibility of Thailand’s political institutions
…it also serves to convince some people that when the time comes the Thai authorities will be capable of controlling the potentially huge surges of critical, satirical and confronting commentary that lurk over the horizon. I remain unpersuaded that these efforts will actually prove fit for purpose and may, once all is said and done, actually further undermine the credibility of some of Thailand’s key institutions.
Some comments on Twitter and Facebook
Brian Jungwiwattanapor: what an incredibly horrible idea. makes me laugh, makes me cry
freakingcat: @f_dinkum :-) Shows my admiration for the selfless service our Thai Cyber Scout Rats do for this country
AnyaP: Cool title for a less than cool initiative.

author: Mong Palatino


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Dominican Republic: Demanding 4% of National Budget for Education · Global Voices
Rocío Díaz

Since November there has been a debate in the Dominican Republic about the quality of the education. The debate has focused on a significant item contained in the General Law of Education that refers to an amount of money that should be invested annually in the education sector. In effect, Law 66-97 [es], in its article 197, establishes that the annual public expense on education should at least match 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but in reality it has been sometimes less than 2%.
Being the case that the Dominican Republic almost always occupies one of the bottom rankings [es] in studies on the quality of education in Latin America, a nonprofit organization called Coalición por una Educación Digna [es], which means Coalition for a Worthy Education, has focused on the matter by referring to education as an investment rather than an expense. The consequence has been that since the first days of November there have been several protests in various parts of the country. The first one was in the capital Santo Domingo, where the President and Congress are based.
The debate, which has been the top story in newspapers, television and radio, also appeared on the Web 2.0, where signs of support for the 4% GDP commitment have been seen on blogs and social networks, especially Facebook and Twitter. Even Dominicans residing in New York and Madrid [es] have shown their support for the movement in the understanding that a good education is the foundation for future development and prosperity. The blog Ponte Nístido [es] briefly recounts the protests in Madrid:
El movimiento dominicano del 4% llego a las tierras madrileñas donde dominicanos tambien exigieron al gobierno el 4% a la educacion, lo hicieron frente a la Embajada Dominicana en Madrid.
The movement's demand for 4% of GDP for education in reality began much earlier than November. In September, a video made the rounds on the Internet that explained the education realities in the Dominican Republic, and compared the situation in other nations. The video, which was even shown on television, also presented the correlation between poor education and high levels of delinquency and poverty. The movement was just building momentum by the end of October and by the end of November there were large numbers of hats, umbrellas, shirts and stickers calling for the 4%.
The color yellow has become the symbol of the campaign, so much that during December several lunes amarillos [es] (Yellow Mondays) were realized: protests were carried out in front of Congress and other strategic points to demand the fulfillment of the law with respect to education. Yellow Mondays began on the 6th. The second week of December, the Chamber of Representatives held a session to approve the proposed Budget for 2011, but like on previous occasions it allocated significantly less than the 4% of the GDP for education. In other words, it wasn't an exception to the trend of ignoring the 4% mandate. Towards the end of the session, the representatives of the opposition protested openly in support of the campaign for the 4%, and the budget was not be approved. It was sent to a special commission to study if the budget is compliant with the law.
There were very similar events during the second week of December. Since the 2011 Budget items were defined, the government has been consistently saying that it cannot honor the 4% mandate because it doesn't have enough sources of funding. Nonetheless, and probably due to the pressure exercised, the President of the Republic held a meeting to discuss the subject with the Coalition for a Worthy Education and other sectors of the social and education spectrum. By the end of the meeting the head of state laid out a plan to increase the budget item for education to 10 billion Dominican pesos (approx 271 million USD), raising the total amount invested to approximately 2.75% GDP. In a similar manner this would lead to a gradual increase across several years. However, the proposals have been rejected by groups demanding the 4%.
The are divided opinions on the 4% campaign. Though it would be best if the majority of people agreed, there are those who think that a group of politicians from the opposition is behind this [es], while several commentators agree with the President when he says that a good in Education is much more than money and that proof of this abounds. The report PISA and the situation in Great Britain has been mentioned [es] shows that the education investment has increased considerably but its scholastic performance has continued to be ranked as one of the lowest in Europe. Others, such as José Ernesto Devárez (hijo) [es], from the blog Ahiqueprende, acknowledge that the President is right on this point, but still deplore the current state of education in the country:
Sin embargo, en algo sí estoy de acuerdo con el Dr. Fernández: a la hora de encarar la problemática de nuestro sistema educativo, el dinero no lo es todo. Barnizar con fondos la actual situación sin previamente definir una estrategia a seguir sería un error monumental. Sería como buscar extinguir un incendio utilizando el personal, los equipos, el camión, y los agentes incorrectos. La situación se agrava si no disponemos de un plan definido. Esto solo me suena a un potencial despilfarro de dinero…

author: Rocío Díaz


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Global: New ‘Digital Rights Watch’ Wiki · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Digital RIghts Watch is a new wiki for mapping legal issues like censorship, surveillance and intellectual property around the world.

author: Solana Larsen


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Guyana: Inner Beauty  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Guyana Groove is convinced that true beauty comes from within.


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India: November 2010 Killings in Assam  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Aruni Kashyap discusses about the recent killings by the Bodo militants in Assam.

author: Rezwan


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Iran: Subsidies Cutback Causes Drastic Rise in Prices · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Sabzlink writes that workers began a strike in Bandar Abbas shipping port in the southern part of Iran.
Severe cutbacks on subsidies that have kept prices on many goods artificially low are feared to cause problems for many middle class and poor citizens in Iran.
According to MSNBC, “Fuel prices have at least quadrupled and bread prices have more than doubled in the past week since the government started dramatically reducing subsidies”.
Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi said Wednesday that a “dark future” awaits the economy because the government doesn't listen to economists (one economist was arrested after speaking with foreign media).
Iranian bloggers have also reacted to what President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called “the biggest surgery” in Iran's economy in 50 years.
Several bloggers including one pro-Ahmadinejad blogger expressed their deep concern for the outcome of these cutbacks.
Azarmehr wrote :
On Saturday, Ahmadinejad finally announced the removal of subsidies which have been keeping the prices artificially low in Iran's economy. To ease the pain of this move, each Iranian will receive a cash pittance amount in their bank accounts. In his televised announcement, Ahmadinejad, true to his messianic nature, referred to this cash as the Hidden Imam‘s [Twelver Shi'a Muslims believe Mahdi is the hidden Imam] money. A zero interest loan endowed to the people of Iran by the Lord of All Ages, Imam Mehdi, who will return and rid the earth from corruption and injustice. How far this cash will go and whether this cash injection into the economy will cause inflation or hyperinflation is not what I want to talk about however.
Azarak says [fa]:
The 70 percent of Iranian families living under the poverty line will live a nightmare and could afford to buy new clothes and shoes for their children for the Iranian New Year [in three months]…people who criticize this economic plan will be arrested… Ahmadinejad will be dismissed but leave behind him a destroyed country.
Sabzeh Meidun vegetable market in Isfahan, Iran. Photo by Alieh Saadat © Demotix (4 Aug 2009)
FreedomVoice writes [fa] that the greatest burden is on the middle class and the poor and that the best way to resist would be a general strike.
Masaeb Ahmadinejad, is a pro-Ahmadinejad blogger but also criticized the economic plan. The blogger believes the subsidy cuts will stir trouble, and writes that during previous presidencies inflation provoked riots. The blogger says that most of Ahmadinejad's supporters come from the middle class, and that the economic situation will damage the image of the president.
Sabzlink writes [fa] that workers began a strike (photo above) in Bandar Abbas shipping port in the southern part of Iran. The strikers say the cost of gasoline is higher than what they will earn from clients.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: Honouring Huie  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The National Gallery of Jamaica Blog is thrilled to be honouring the late modern art pioneer Albert Huie “on the eve of what would have been [his] ninetieth birthday.”


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Korea: Preferential Treatment to Kim Il-Sung Univ. Graduates · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Giving preferential treatment to prestigious school graduates is South Korea's chronic disease. @Heoyeonism tweeted a North Korean defector's comment that North Korean defectors who went Kim Il-Sung University, one of the top universities in N.Korea is more likely to get a job in South than other defectors.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Laos: Center of tiger trading · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Lao Bumpkin writes about a village he visited in Laos which he described as the “center of the international trade in tigers, leopards and other endangered species.”


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Laos: New banknotes · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Lao has introduced a new 100,000-kip (US$12.45) banknote and several coins to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the capital, Vientiane. Oliver Tappe, writing for New Mandala, analyzes the design of the banknote.


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Laos: New Prime Minister · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

After accepting the resignation of Bouasone Bouphavanh, the National Assembly of Laos unanimously voted Thongsing Thammavong as the country's new Prime Minister


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Myanmar’s person of the year · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Kyaw Zwa Moe of The Irrawaddy names Snr-Gen Than Shwe as Myanmar's person of the year. Than Shwe is the junta leader of Myanmar.


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Peru: Book About Social Conflicts in Peru  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Silvio Rendón from GranComboClub analyzed [es] the book “Between economic growth and social dissatisfaction. Social protests in contemporary Peru” [es] by Romeo Grompone and Martin Tanaka. Aside from reviewing the interesting material on the case studies presented, Silvio thinks the conclusions the book reaches try to distort the social conflicts it presents by treating them as isolated events and does not analyze the relationship between the state and local or transnational economic power.

author: Juan Arellano


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Philippines: ‘Unliking’ the Facebook page of the President · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Four-eyed Journal from the Philippines explains why he ‘unliked’ the Facebook page of President Noynoy Aquino.


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South Africa: Corrective rape is a hate crime · Global Voices
Haute Haiku

Corrective rape is a criminal practice, whereby men rape lesbian women, purportedly as a means of “curing” the woman of her sexual orientation. Despite South Africa being the first nation on earth to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, the first African country to legalize same-sex marriage and the world’s first republic to guarantee LGBT citizens equal rights in all realms of life (including adoption and military service), cases of corrective rape have been on the rise.
Luleki Sizwe is a South African charity that works to rescue, support, feed and nurse to health survivors of corrective rape. Luleki Sizwe was founded in 2007 by community activist Ndumie Funda after her fiancée was the a victim of corrective rape.
According to Luleki Sizewe there are at least 10 gang rapes a week in Cape Town:
According to the organization, every week more than 10 lesbians are  raped or gang raped in the city of Cape Town alone. 150 women are raped  every day in South Africa and over the past decade 31 lesbians have been  murdered because of their sexuality. 510 women report being the victims  of ‘corrective rape’ in South Africa each year.
Luleki Sizwe created a petition on change.org targeting South African Justice Minister Jeffrey Radebe calling on the South African government to declare “Corrective Rape” a Hate-Crime that is punishable by the harshest sentences! At the time of writing, there were 63,994 signatures. The petition has become the most popular Change.org petition of all time:
This is now the most popular Change.org petition of all time! But what has the minister done in response? Absolutely nothing. That's about to change, with a new petition calling on Minister Radebe to meet with Luleki Sizwe founder Ndumie Funda. For regular updates on the ‘corrective rape’ campaign please ‘Like’ the Human Rights Facebook and Twitter pages and try to check in regularly.
There is a widespread belief that homosexuality is unAfrican and should be abolished:
However, there is a widespread belief that homosexuality is ‘unAfrican’;  the assertion of ‘unAfricanness’ conceals a moral and cultural view  that African societies are somehow unique and immune to what is  perceived to be a Western and European import. The systematic  vilification of homosexuality by several African leaders over the years  has fuelled these perceptions, which are deeply rooted in culture and  tradition.
Eudy Simelane, a football star in the South African national soccer team, was gang raped and then murdered in 2008. Thato Mpithi pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 32 years imprisonment in one of the most successful cases against corrective rape:
The long awaited judgment in the murder trial of lesbian activists and  former Banyana Banyana player Eudy Simelane was concluded today in  Delmas.Khumbulane Magagula,Johannes Mahlangu and Themba Mvubu faced the  charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances,rape and murder  Simelane.Thato Mphiti was convicted of the same crimes in February 2009  for the same crimes to 32 years imprisonment.
The South African the justice system is accused of failing the victims by letting the perpetrators out on ridiculously low bail:
Last month the South African authorities released Andile Ngcoza, a man who raped, beat up and strangled Millicent Gaika (pictured) for five hours to ‘turn her straight’, in a case that has been well covered by Change.org. Mr Ngcoza was released on R60 bail, the equivalent of less than $10. That led Ndumie Funda, who had helped Millicent Gaika recover from the rape and advocated for her case, to go into hiding.
Lesego Tlhwale argues that corrective rape strips women off their basic human rights as enshrined in international laws:
South Africa for one is faced by a pandemic of violations against lesbian women called Corrective Rape, this form of violation is used to brutalise women by members of the opposite sex as a means to ‘correct’ their sexual orientation. This vile practice does not only violate women but also strips them off their basic human rights as enshrined in the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and other international laws.
Michael Jones argues that the practice should be a hate crime:
If the phrase “corrective rape” sounds jarring to you, it should. It's a brutal concept whereby straight people think that LGBT folks can be “cured” through forced sex. The practice has become systemic and widespread in South Africa, particularly against the lesbian community, with upwards of ten new cases of corrective rape being reported each week. And that's just in Cape Town alone.
Yet despite its heinous and vile nature, corrective rape is not considered a hate crime in South Africa. And that's something that a small yet vocal group of women want to change.
Corrective rape is primarily a black on black crime in South Africa perpetrated in small, poor townships, notes Pat Griffin:
Sadly, “corrective rape” is primarily a black on black crime in South Africa perpetrated in small, poor townships where the rapists and the women who are targeted often know each other. The rapists are rarely punished and the women must live with the probability of seeing their rapists or being taunted and threatened by them after the attack. Even though South Africa has a progressive constitution with legal protections for LGBT people, hatred and bigotry toward LGBT people is still alive and well.
There is always a danger in focusing on injustice in another culture. That danger is to fail to hold a mirror to one’s own culture and recognize the injustices at home. My intention in writing about “corrective rape” in South African is not to ignore anti-gay bigotry in the United States or to focus on black homophobia as opposed to white homophobia.
She posts a link to a 16 minute video by Jeremy Schaap focusing on the phenomenon of “corrective rape” in South Africa.
According to James Quin, recently a US military general proposed corrective rape for lesbians in the US army:
Did you know Lesbianism can be cured by rape. Its true. In South Africa. Recently a US military general proposed the same thing for US military woman. Stop The Insanity.
In November 2010 African Activist reported about Millicent Gaika who faced her rapist in court:
Millicent Gaika was beaten and raped for five hours by a man who told her he wanted to “turn her into a woman”. This week, in an act of extraordinary bravery, Millicent testified in court before her rapist.
US evangelists touring Africa should stop spewing “their garbage indictments negating the right to love” :
At the same time for as long as our own Government here in the USA continues to ignore our own desperate call for equality, and for as long as US Evangelical demons are set loose on African soil to spew their garbage indictments negating the right to love, we as a Nation are complicit in the crimes against humanity, for if we are no longer leaders qualified to call for an end to the hate, nor are we credible to impress upon ZUMA and MUGABE and the rest of Africa the  Perils of such  hate.
This is a roundup of corrective rape testimonies from the continent:
In October, I wrote about the Ugandan Rolling Stone, a newspaper that published the pictures, names and addresses of gays and lesbians in Uganda with the words “Hang Them” accompanying the photographs. As we await this decision, it’s really important to point out how the increasing incidences of violence against gay people in Africa include the grotesque practice of corrective rape, where women are raped, and in some cases, infected with HIV and/or made pregnant.
Two important stories that demonstrate the seriousness of this phenomenon are from survivors Sheila Hope Mugisha in Uganda and Millicent Gaika of South Africa.
Last year, ActionAid UK released a study documenting the rising use of corrective rape in South Africa.

author: Haute Haiku


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South Korea:Cows Culled As Mouth and Foot Disease Spread · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

As the mouth and foot disease spread around South Korea, the government ordered farms to slaughter their cattle, including yet healthy cows and pigs to slowdown the wide spread the disease. @Biguse tweeed a photo of healty cows having their last supper just before being culled.


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Sri Lanka: Six Predictions For Social Media In 2011 · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sr Lankan blogger Ami Sampath lists his six predictions for Social Media in 2011.


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Taiwan: Cycling used to construct culture · Global Voices
David Reid

Taiwan in Cycles looks at an article from CommonWealth magazine and discusses how cycling and leisure activities are used to construct culture and promote an ideology of Chinese nationalism in Taiwan.

author: David Reid


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Trinidad & Tobago: A Vote vs. Human Rights  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago bloggers are upset about their country's abstention on a UN vote regarding an amendment to a resolution “condemning extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions” which “restores a reference to sexual orientation in the list of groups of people particularly targeted in extrajudicial killings.”


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Venezuela: Police Repression During Protest Over University Law  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Miguel Octavio in The Devil's Excrement says that students faced severe police repression during a protest against a new law that gives the government more control over universities. Furthermore, in Venezuela News and Views Daniel Duquenal reports that an AFP journalist was hurt while taking pictures of the protest.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Argentina: Photoblog “Buenos Aires Daily” Captures Life in the Argentinean Capital · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Buenos Aires Daily publishes pictures of life in the Argentinean capital. The description for the December 24th photo reads: “The streets of Buenos Aires are often filled with people like Armando. Riding his bike, he uses the sound of a whistle so that people notice him. His job: knifes/scissors sharpener.”


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China: Rich state, poor people · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Andy Yee translates and analyzes Mo Zhixu's article on the political system that results in “rich state and poor people in ChinaGeeks.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: An Elegy for Havana · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

In Destino Cuba [es], Carlos Alvarez writes about his beloved Havana, the capital of Cuba.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Cuba: Change of vote on LGBT Rights · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The LGBT activist and blogger Paquito commends [es] the Cuban government for changing its vote at the United Nations after having previously supported an amendment to remove the explicit reference to sexual orientation from the periodic resolution condemning extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions.


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India: Doctor Gets Life Sentence On Sedition Charges · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

On 24th December, 2010, a Sessions Court in Raipur, Chattisgarh, convicted civil rights activist Dr. Binayak Sen on charges of sedition and conspiracy. The court found Dr. Sen guilty of aiding Maoist rebels in the State and have sentenced him to life imprisonment.
A paediatrician by training, Dr. Sen is the national Vice-President of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). He  is a well-known figure among the tribals Chattisgarh. Since 1981 he has been working actively to bring impoverished tribals and rural people under the purview of healthcare. He was arrested on May 14, 2007  on charges of acting as a  courier between jailed Naxalite leader Narayan Sanyal and businessman  Piyush Guha (also accused of having links with Maoists), and was jailed for 2years before finally getting bail from the Supreme Court in 2009. In the course of these 2years, appeals for his release were made by Amnesty International, Noam Chomsky and several other prominent figures, including 22 Nobel Laureates.
Free Dr. Binayak Sen Campaign.
The current conviction has outraged human rights activists worldwide. Netizens too reacted to the news of his sentencing.
Yeh hai Life writes:
The opinions of 22 Nobel Laureates and  the International Human Rights community be damned. With this verdict  it is clear that dissent in India will not be tolerated. If you don’t  play by the rules, you will be silenced. India now has her own Liu Xiaobo.
Chaikadai writes:
We have seriously lost all trust in India’s State, judiciary and media! Please still sign the petition in our hope to fight for the release of Dr. Binayak Sen.
The Twitteratti are however divided in their sympathies. On the one hand, there are people tweeting in support, for example,
@diptosh: When I visited Binayak Sen's home, I found less Marxist literature than in my personal possession. Police said those books were evidence.
@saiphul: Take a stand against Dr. Binayak Sen's persecution by the Indian State
@Manish C Prabhakar: Binayak Sen's conviction shocking
@fzlsammy: Conviction of Binayak sen…..rape of fundamental rights.
@satyasagar: Dr Binayak Sen, jailed on trumped up charges, is spending the night in a cold Raipur prison. Difficult to say Merry Christmas to anyone now!m
On the other hand there are those who feel that as a Maoist sympathiser, Dr. Sen has been rightly punished by the Indian State and that the media is wrongly portraying him as a victim. For example,
@ash_dubey: Binayak Sen – overground face of underground ntinational Maoists is rightly punished.#mediagate twisting his true character in2 a “Victim”.
@damini1122: Shame on the #mediagate who are trying to invoke public sympathy for the maoist supporter Binayak Sen
@sukanyadevi: To hell with those who wage a war against the Indian State and behead  innocent tribals and blow up schools & hospitals.Binayak Sen
@KiranKS: Why would a human rights activist, Binayak Sen meet a terrorist Sanyal in prison, 33 times between May 26 & Jun 30, 07?
@FirozKhanKS: Kalmadi raided, Raja questioned, binayak sen convicted! wonderful christmas eve! merry christmas to all!
So in the final analysis, is Binayak Sen a doctor who worked tirelessly for the poorest of the poor or a criminal who was not only sympathising with the Maoists and Naxals and acting as courier between the duo, helping them strengthen their network? Only time will tell, since his family is now preparing to appeal to the higher courts against the Sessions Court verdict. As of now, perhaps the answer is best summed up by Indrajit who writes:
Dr. Sen represents the complexity of the issue of groups and individuals like him.

author: Aparna Ray


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Iran: “Security forces broke passwords and control emails” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Moslehi, Iran's Minsiter of Intelligence, says [fa] that Islamic Republic's security forces brokes protesters’ passwods and control their emails.


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Mexico: Deceased FARC Commander’s Emails Reveal Plans to Kidnap in Mexico · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Gancho writes: “Emails on the computers of recently deceased FARC commander Mono Jojoy show that the group was considering entering the kidnapping market in Mexico strictly as a financing mechanism. With the going rate for a big-time victim evidently $30 million, we can understand their eagerness, though we of course hope they remain isolated in the Colombian jungle.”


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Pakistan: The Blasphemous Use Of Blasphemy Law · Global Voices
Salman Latif

The Blasphemy law in Pakistan has, for long, aroused controversy and has been criticized and questioned by human rights activists. Ever since its formulation, it has been used as a tool to spread violence and incite fear specifically among the minorities.
The recent case of Aasia bibi, where a Christian woman had been arraigned on blasphemy charges and was eventually sentenced to death, has evoked vociferous denunciation from the online Pakistani community. As if that wasn't enough, a doctor in Hyderabad was arrested on blasphemy charges, which later turned out to be a false indictment.
Kalsoom at CHUP -Changing Up Pakistan informs:
Police arrested Naushad Valiyani, a doctor in Hyderabad, for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Valiyani, who is Ismaili, was reportedly detained following a complaint by a medical representative, who said the doctor “threw his business card, which had his full name, Muhammad Faizan, in a dustbin during a visit to his clinic”.
Adil Anjum writes about this silly accusation in his post at All Things Pakistan:
“Using the Prophet’s name in vain and for spreading personal petty hatred is itself an insult to the Prophet’s (PBUH) message and person. Anyone who cares for “Namoos-e-Rasool”(Reverence for Prophet) should feel insulted and incensed at how this “namoos”(Reverence) is being ridiculed by the purveyors of hate in the name of blasphemy.”
Many notable bloggers are now actively pursuing the case of amendments in the Blasphemy law, a cause which the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) seems to be supportive of. However, the problem lies deeper than that. Writing at Express Tribune Blogs, Ahmad Ali writes:
“The fact is those who are calling for a repeal of the blasphemy law have to make critical decisions. They have to undertake a process of intellectual struggle and creativity and wholeheartedly raise the call for ijtihad. Pakistani liberals, as I have said before have to enter the domain of religious interpretation to present an alternative narrative and vision for religious harmony and religious liberty which surely form the basis of a just and peaceful Islamic public order.”
Ahmed very aptly states that the liberalists and humanists in Pakistan have distanced themselves from religious reformation so much so that they no longer have a sway in deciding it's course.
Pakistan's Muslim community protest against changes to the Blasphemy Law for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Hyderabad, Pakistan. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright © Demotix (24/12/2010).
Writing in the same vein, the author of an anonymous post at Teeth Maestro Blog notes:
“Amending the law is in effect trying for a symptomatic treatment of a deep-rooted cancer. Unless the underlying factors which prompt up such a law, grant its abuse and propagate its support are addressed cases like Aasia Bibi’s will come about.”
The author calls for those endeavoring to alter the law to work more ardently towards improving state and structures first so as to make such draconian laws amenable.
“The correct approach for the liberal elites is to first understand the realm of possibilities in Pakistan and realize that a repeal of the law is not currently in it. Instead, efforts should focus on strengthening the capacity of the state, improving rule of law in the country and promoting tolerance for others in the society, ideals which do have public support. A strong state will punish those who wrongly accuse, jail clerics for inciting people to violence and the benefits will not be restricted to just the victims of the blasphemy law.”
The most troubling aspect of the many social issues emanating from blasphemy law is the free license to incite hatred, as has been demonstrated by a certain cleric who declared prize money for anyone who killed Aasia bibi. This and other similar acts clearly encourage extremists to practice violence on the name of religion and commit murders.
Beena Sarwar, an eminent journalist from Pakistan has been collaborating with legal experts to know if there are any repercussions for such criminal intimidation and she discovers in her post that the Constitution of Pakistan actually have provisions which call for punishment including fine, jail and in some severe cases, death sentence to those who's provocation may result in violence.
Citing his opinion and in a way summing the general sentiments of Pakistani blogosphere towards blasphemy law, Awais Aftab states:
“Of course, there is a difference between an intellectual criticism and disrespectful words uttered in the context of a quarrel, but punishing for the latter is even more superfluous! Death sentence for blasphemy is essentially a capital punishment for name calling! It ought to be unacceptable to every person who believes in human rights.”
The online community of Pakistan has long condemned the cruel manifestation of the blasphemy law in the social realm. It is about time that such pragmatic steps are taken which are gradual, practical and which really can bring about such a change in the social mindset that a proposal to amend this law is not pre-emptively and vehemently opposed and thus, not rendered useless even before it can be acted upon.

author: Salman Latif


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Peru: Lima’s Municipal Art Gallery  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

In Globalizado [es], Juan Arellano writes about his visit to Lima's municipal art gallery Pancho Fierro. He wonders about the future of the gallery as a new municipal administration is about to take office.


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Puerto Rico: Best of 2010 · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Contributors and friends of the music blog Puerto Rico Indie [es] present their last virtual round table titled “2010.”


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Bangladesh: Integrity Of Judiciary Questioned · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rumi at In The Middle Of Nowhere accuses the judiciary of Bangladesh as corrupt and Partisan.


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Cambodia: Review of 2010 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tharum Bun from Cambodia reviews the major news events in the year 2010.


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China: Christmas Day death of a Zhejiang village leader · Global Voices
John Kennedy

After more than 5 years of leading and serving prison time for protests against fixed elections and illegal land expropriation, the former leader of Zhaiqiao village in Zhejiang province, Qian Yunhui, was killed Saturday morning in an accident which left his head severed from his body. Graphic photos and thousands of comments, some claiming Qian was held beneath the tire of a truck by police, can be found here, here and here [zh].

author: John Kennedy


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India: Aishwarya Rai In Skin Lightening Controversy · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pickled Politics writes about the latest controversy of Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, where she appears to have had her skin whitened for a photoshoot for Elle magazine.


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India: The Efficacy Of High Alerts  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Raj at Plus Ultra questions the efficacy of the brief ‘High Alert’ notices by the Indian security agencies.


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Indonesia: Football and nationalism · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Multibrand blogs about the role of football in reviving nationalism in Indonesia.


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Jordan: Sentencing of Critical Football Club President · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

Reports surfaced on the afternoon of December 23rd that Tareq Sami Khoury had been charged with assaulting and insulting a gendarme officer and sentenced to two years in prison.  Khoury, a member of the previous parliament, lost his bid for reelection in Jordan's November 9th Parliamentary elections.  He was back in the spotlight, though, just weeks later as the president of the Wihdat football club.  Khoury was vocal in criticizing police forces, alleging brutality against fans of his Wihdat club.
Khoury was tried and sentenced in absentia while on a trip to Qatar, and Twitter immediately lit up with tweets linking to news stories:
Report: Tarek Khoury sentenced to 2 years in prison for insulting gendarmerie officer http://bit.ly/eklrpK #Amman #JO
At The Black Iris, Naseem Tarawnah's initial response was to link the arrest to the football events:
It may go without saying, that in the past few weeks, since the one tragic football managed to reignite tensions between two major Jordanian camps – that things have been just a bit tense when it comes to the identity issue…Today, things just got worse.
This – this is terrible timing…Just like people assume without a doubt that the events that occurred in the recent match were racially motivated, they will assume without a doubt that Khoury’s court case is politically motivated. And if there were indeed any coordinated efforts to nudge this case along in an attempt to silence Khoury, the state has just managed to turn the guy in to a hero and solidify his base, if not gain him other supporters.
Twitter user A7lamShams was skeptical of Tarawnah's analysis:
@tarawnah wat does this have to do w/ #JO identity? case has been in court 4 a yr! Tarek khoury needs to take responsibly 4 his actions.
To which Tarawnah countered:
@A7lamShams well the timing of the verdict falls in to the pot of an event that has generated the identity debate. this is the point.
Tarawnah further points out that information is thin as to when Khoury's alleged assault of an officer took place.  Reports variously state two years ago, and in March 2010.  The verdict has yet to be released to the public.

author: Betsy Fisher


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Lebanon: One in Every Four Lebanese is on Facebook · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Facebook users in Lebanon will soon reach 1 million, which means 1 out of 4 Lebanese currently has a Facebook account. That’s pretty good given that we have the fifth slowest Internet speed in the whole universe, says Rami at +961.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Lebanon: One Wig Stand for Cancer Awareness · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

One Wig Stand is an awareness project that shares the stories of women battling breast cancer in Lebanon. The author explains that the site is not a sappy one intended to make the reader cry or feel sorry. Rather, it’s goal is to inspire, lighten the mood and provide some helpful resources.


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Malaysia: Non-nuclear energy options · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A blogger suggests that before going nuclear, Malaysia should first explore whether it can better manage its varied energy resources more efficiently and effectively.

author: Mong Palatino


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Malaysia, Singapore: Open letter to Lee Kuan Yew · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Malaysian blogger Art Harun writes an open letter to Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew in response to the Wikileaks expose about the unflattering remarks made by Singapore's senior diplomats against Malaysia.


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Mexico: Indigenous People Denounce Mining Project on Sacred Site · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
Huicholes: A group of Native People from Mexico image by Flickr user edcarsi used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license
The Indigenous Huicholes (also known as Wixarika) People from Mexico are denouncing a Canadian mining project that is threatening one of their sacred sites. They attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference- COP16 in Cancun in order to express their concerns about the Canadian mining concessions, as blogger BJM writes on the Indigenous Environmental Network blog Red Road Cancun:
A delegation of Mexican Indians came  to Cancun to denounce the  transnational mining project by Canadian  First Majestic Silver in an  Wirikuta protected natural area.
This place is sacred to the Huichol  Indians who come to the site  located in the semi desert of Real de  Catorce. This is one of the  principal centers of prayer for the Wixarica  pueblo of Huichol people  located in the highlands of San Luis Potosi.
On the same issue, author Tracy L. Barnett from the digital newspaper The Esperanza Project wrote an article on the importance of this land for the Wixarika, as well as on the annual pilgrimage they make:
We were there, primarily, to get the word out about the Canadian silver  mining operation that is poised to break ground in Wirikuta, the most  sacred site of the Wixarika people, the place where, according to their  tradition, the sun was born. This site is in some ways the center of  their universe, the destination of an annual pilgrimage conducted for  hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, which culminates in a series of  ceremonies convoking the ancestral spirits and balancing the energies of  the entire planet. First Majestic Silver Corp. of Canada has been  granted 22 mining concessions, for a total of 6,326 hectares, much of  which lies in a federally protected ecological reserve and the  UNESCO-recognized architectural treasure of Real de Catorce.
The online journal Intercontinental Cry published a post on the Wixarika's demands concerning the Wirikuta site, a sacred place for natives of Mexico, and the actions they are willing to take:
The sanctity of Wirikuta is the Wixarika's Peoples biggest concern;  however, they also point out that some 3500 people are living in the  concession area, in 16 population centres and “numerous localities”.  If  the silver mine becomes operational, each and every one may be facing  water shortages and moderate to severe health problems from the  company's use of cyanide.  Exposure to cyanide may cause blurred vision, severe shortness of  breath, headaches and general weakness as well as paralysis, cardiac  arrest, seizures and death.
For these reasons, the Wixarika say they are prepared to “use all the  resources necessary to stop this devastating mining project, making use  of national and international legal resources that are in our favor as  well as non-violent actions of civil protest that are necessary.”
Wirikuta. Image by Flickr user David Mannix in Mexico used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license
Cultural Survival posted background information on possible problems if the project continues:
If this huge project is allowed to move forward, its impacts will be  equally huge. Whether they dig the ore out of tunnels or excavate open  pits, the mine will produce enormous quantities of tailings that could  leach acid into the environment for centuries and blight the landscape  in a region whose primary source of income is tourism. Dust, noise,  erosion, road construction, water pollution, and blasting all affect  wildlife, and the region’s notable diversity of bird species—including  16 that are threatened—could plummet. Of most concern to the region’s  peasant farmers is the mine’s potential impact on the water table in  this semi-desert. Mines of this size use as much water in a day as a  peasant family would use in 25 years.
Cultural Survival also offers different ways to take action to help and raise awareness about the topic, as well as ideas on how to act through online activism.
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

author: Andrea Arzaba


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Morocco: Rare Recording of Popular Jewish Song · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

Chris Silver, writing on Jewish Morocco, shares a rare recording in this post. It's a song by Haim Abitbol, from the time when Moroccan Jews performed popular music.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Morocco: The Minister Goes to Facebook · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

In a first of its kind, Moroccan minister for Youth Affairs and Sports offers to publicly exchange thoughts on his Facebook page, once every week, with fellow netizens, as reported by blogger BigBrother_ma [Fr].


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Philippines: Filipinos welcome new year with new banknotes · Global Voices
Julius Rocas

Photo from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Filipinos are fond of new things, from the newest gadgets, clothes, food craze and music. Especially at this time of the year – Christmas  – where families come together to share the holidays with gifts, food and simply being together. Things pick up when after Christmas, everyone prepares to greet the coming new year, heavily influenced by Chinese beliefs, Filipinos even crave more for new things that are supposed to bring in good fortunes.
The Philippine Central Bank is not to be left out as it rolled out a set of new generation bank notes. It features not only improved security measures to combat counterfeits, but more so it heralds a new design highlighting historical events, figures in history and tourist spots in the country.
At first the public was bedazzled by the newly designed notes; it seems that despite the string of recent brouhahas, there is something to new to greet the new year with for a change.
As Robbie, The Creative Dork puts it succinctly:
After the whole Philippine Brand debacle, it’s great to see that some people are going in the right direction for a change. Although I might have some sentimental issues with the current banknotes’ design since I pretty much grew up with it, but I’m open to change as long as it’s for the better.
However, the “oohs” and “aahs” quickly evaporated and were replaced by criticisms.
Elijah Bringas spots a strong resemblance of the new Philippine banknotes with a foreign one and comments on the choice of symbols used:
And now the the much anticipated 2011 Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Banknotes which hauntingly look like the Euro Banknotes. I wonder why they did put a blue-naped parrot at the back of the new ₱500 bill instead of our national bird, the Philippine Eagle. And in the ₱200 bill, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been replaced with Bohol's Chocolate Hills and our very own Tarsier.
Ang Dabawenyo expresses a bit of a heartache as the new banknotes seems to have forgotten about his home island of Mindanao:
I’m happy that the new banknotes are promoting Philippine heritage sites / tourism highlights. But, no Davao? Ok, there are only 6 banknotes and hundreds of Philippine destinations to choose from, but, nothing from Mindanao was considered at all? Also, why wasn’t the national bird included? The Philippine Eagle represents one of the country’s most laudable efforts in environmental conservation, and yet…
That's not all. The strongest criticisms about the new banknotes were from geography enthusiasts and experts alike. Take this dissection of the supposed geographical errors in the new currency notes on New Media Philippines:
While many expressed their satisfaction with the new bills, a few people are expressing their disappointment in the mislocation of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean Park and the Tubbataha Reefs in the P500 and P1000 bills. Errors that the government, or at least the BSP, should have seen.
From the local and geographical, let's move on to the political. Blogger and journalist Tonyo Cruz writing for the Asian Correspondent opined that the new banknotes are a symbol of leaving behind a dark era:
The new banknotes also bear the signature of President Benigno Aquino III, which is a refreshing change from nine years of seeing former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s signature on Philippine money.
Divine Reyes at NewsBytes2010 on the other hand pokes at the Aquinos who dominates the new 500 Peso bill:
Honestly, I like the designs and the use of RP tourists attractions pictures at the back of a peso bill.
But then again, why only change the banknotes now?
And I find it self-serving the inclusion of Mrs. Corazon Aquino on 500 peso bill. I wonder what is the basis of BSP on choosing personalities to be published on our peso bill.
Well, the Aquino couple have their best smile on the picture…Is it because that their son is the signatory of the banknotes?
Just asking.
Cocoy over at Blogwatch.ph laments at how, once again, media has made a bonanza of these seeming shallow kinks on the new banknotes:
While the issues raised by critics of the new bill on the one hand have legitimate concerns. Hey, this is our currency we're talking about, if there are errors, best to catch them now. The media has once more in this matter blown it out of proportion. The media would like us to believe there are things insidious. Blame it on the need for more eyeballs. This currency war is much ado about nothing.
Why can't the media focus on stories like the Ombudsman and the deal struck with General Garcia?   Why can't the media focus its attention on the PNP's and the NBI's lack of investigative prowess?  Why can't we talk about the merits of bond swap and currency devaluations?   Explain it to the people in the streets, in a fashion that we can all understand?  Too highbrow?  Maybe then we get to talk about real currency wars and not made up ones.   This is an indictment of mainstream media, and the kind of stories we are telling.
In the end though, we go back to Tonyo Cruz who asks the most profound question with regards the new banknotes:
Would Filipinos have more money in 2011 or just enjoy the new designs from afar?

author: Julius Rocas


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Poland: Blog Forum Gdansk · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

Blog Forum Gdańsk 2010. Photo by Rafał Czajka
It was a great feeling to sit in a room with over 100 bloggers, lecturers, panelists, scientists, journalists from the main Polish media and people of all kinds of backgrounds at the Blog Forum Gdansk event, the first ever bloggers’ conference held in Gdansk, a city in northern Poland, discussing freedom of bloggers and overall issues of Internet communication. The city’s principal philosophy – “Freedom of Culture, Culture of Freedom” – was also the motto of the conference.
The two-day event took place on Dec. 11 and 12 at the Institute Sztuki Wyspa (Wyspa Institute of Art), which used to be a shipbuilding school back in the day at the Gdansk Shipyard. You can still see the old massive cranes standing in the shipyard, for some strange reason reminding me of Pink Floyd’s famous song, “Another Brick in the Wall.”
The forum was split into panel discussions and presentations given by such speakers as Global Voices Advocacy director Sami Ben Gharbia, or a popular blogger from the United States Brian Solis, as well as different speakers from Poland. One of the notable presentations was given by Jarek Rybus, who is now in the process of making a documentary on the state of the Polish blogosphere, called “Bloggersi”.
It was interesting to follow up on the reflections by Polish bloggers and here is what I came across.
Kuba Filipowski, a young Polish entrepreneur and blogger, writes a week after the forum:
Doskonała organizacja. Robiłem kilka eventów w swoim życiu i wiem jak dużo pracy trzeba włożyć w to, żeby potem ktoś na blogu mógł napisać, że był świetnie zorganizowany. Do tego zadbano o nas jak o vipy co było bardzo przyjemne ;). […]
He then writes of various issues persisting in the Polish blogosphere, one of which was whether making profit off a personal blog makes a blogger “amoral” – does it mean you lose your independence the moment you place ads on you blog or can you continue what you like the most – blogging – without getting caught in the “amoral” side of placing ads and profiting from them?
This argument was, perhaps, one of the hottest at the forum. In fact, the panel I was invited to speak at – “Can Bloggers Be Free?” – was when this question was raised and discussed, going as far as to question authors of these “profiting” blogs as bloggers in general. However, it was this discussion also that in a way made Polish bloggers appreciate the freedom they have, especially as I spoke of the state of the blogosphere in Azerbaijan and the price some of the young activists there pay for expressing themselves freely on their blogs or elsewhere.
Adam Przeździęk describes [POL] the first day of the forum on his blog as “a little chaotic in terms of lectures and panel discussions” – perhaps as the result of “discussion topics raising pressure” leading their way to “unnecessary arguments [referring to the discussion on freedom of bloggers once they place ads on their blogs]”. According to this blogger, advertising on personal blogs and profiting from this leads to “innate jealousy” among people in Poland.
While writing of the second day panel discussions, Adam mentions the whole ‘bloggers-are-narcissists’ argument that was mentioned during one of the panel discussions that day:
[…] blogerzy bywają narcyzami, co po części też jest prawdą, ale dlaczego nie cieszyć się z sukcesów i nie chcieć następnych?
Unfortunately, Adam concludes, the event was too short and too many things were left unsaid.
Similarly to Adam, another blogger by the name of Segritta questioned the whole concept of placing ads on one’s blog and profiting from this. According to Segritta, having ads on someone’s blog cannot be a reason to question the author’s lack of freedom:
Ale nazywanie tego brakiem wolności? To właśnie wolność daje nam, blogerom, możliwość wyboru, czy z daną firmą współpracujemy. To wolność pozwala nam na zerwanie umowy. To wolność daje nam prawo pisać cokolwiek chcemy. Nikt z nas nie jest spętany reklamą na blogu. Nikogo się do niej nie zmusza. Żadna firma nie ma prawa nakazać nam lubienia ich frytek, komputerów czy usług bankowych. […] Nie dziwi to w telewizji i prasie. Dlaczego dziwi w blogach? Wydaje mi się, że chodzi o zwykłą zazdrość.
Ewelina Golba, author of a blog called PunktSocialny, wrote this:
Szczerze mówiąc miałam nadzieję na ciekawą dyskusję i nawet na początku taka ona była, jednak niestety przerodziła się w rozwiązywanie “problemu” reklamy na blogach:/. Padły nawet określenia, że osoba która ma reklamy na blogach nie jest blogerem, co dla mnie jest absurdalne… Jeśli blogerzy mogą zarabiać na pasji to tylko można im tego pogratulować, a pamiętajmy, że nie jest łatwo stworzyć bloga, który nie tylko przyciągnie czytelników ale i dużych reklamodawców. […] Jak dla mnie blogerzy są wolni i cenię osoby, które sa w stanie pisać regularnie i ciekawie o swoich pasjach.
A different touch to this event that’s worth looking at is Marcin Stachowiak's blog entry [POL, ENG] that takes readers on a short photo tour of the forum and the city of Gdansk with its legendary shipyard where the forum took place.

author: Arzu Geybullayeva


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Russia: Is Internet Guilty of Organizing Nationalistic Riots? · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

Guilty Internet
Russian media and blogosphere ponder who is responsible for the nationalists’ riots in Moscow [RUS] in mid-December. Some claim the radical nationalists exploited the anger of the football fans, others look for the guilty among the fans themselves and bloggers suspect [RUS] the Kremlin in initiating the violent events. But the authorities found their own scapegoat – the Internet.
“The Internet-based unrest spilled out to Moscow streets, […],”  the article [RUS] of RIA Novosti, state-sponsored news agency, reads. This narrative is also echoed by Russian security forces.
A source in the security forces told RIA [RUS] that after the riots they intensified the practice of e-mails and social networks monitoring to identify nationalist messages. Moreover, the technical departments of FSB (Federal Security Service) and the Ministry of Interior tried to identify Internet users who “spread the provocative rumors in regard to the recent events in Moscow,” the source said.
RIA Novosti also noted that unconfirmed rumors and social media coverage of the events shared the responsibility for the riots together with those who spread hatred and incitement. This reaction of the major news outlet resembles the reaction of the mainstream media to the coverage death rate increase in Moscow [ENG] during the summer wildfires when bloggers were blamed for spreading panic.
Managers of Russian social networks reacted accordingly. Vladislav Tsiplukhin, a spokesperson for Russian social network Vkontakte.ru, said [RUS] the platform had 600 moderators responsible for monitoring and removing hate speech groups. Tsiplukhin also said that Vkontake.ru closely cooperated with Russian security services.
Unlike Vkontakte.ru, Livejournal.com, the most popular blogging platform in the country, was more reactive than proactive in removing hate speech. The administration did not moderate the posts, but relied on the “Abuse team” that made decisions based on users’ complains. Few days after the riots, Livejournal.com has introduced stricter rules [RUS] for hate speech and emphasized their intolerance of any content targeted against ethnic minorities. At the same time, Livejournal.com suspended blogs of at least three popular political bloggers (pilgrim_67, rakhat_aliev, sadalskij).
False scent
Besides blaming the Internet itself – which is very convenient for Russian authorities both in terms of justifying the Internet censorship and identifying the main provocateur of the events – the official discourse suggested that the Internet became a organization tool for a group of radical nationalists who manipulating the crowds. The opposition, on the contrary, suspected the Kremlin in organizing the riots. But both explanations can be misleading.
Even if some particular organization has been involved, the major actor still were the crowds themselves. Viral distribution of messages took place in horizontal environment.
According to the complexity theory [ENG], one of the characteristics of a complex system (e.g. a social network) is that interactions inside the system are non-linear. That means that small causes (and not necessarily expressed from the initial coordination center) can have large results. In other words, to start a fire, one doesn't need much power but the proper conditions for the fire.
Once the networks have a high enough rate of xenophobia, anger and hostility, this network provides a fruitful environment for a wildfire of hatred. For instance, Joshua Goldstein and Juliana Rotich described [ENG] the role of mobile text message in Kenyan violence in 2008 as a tool of “viral hatred.”
Many new media experts talk [ENG] about advantages of the leaderless networked organizations. Paradoxically, the leaderless protests create a significant challenge: the state has no one to negotiate with and it has to create a representative of the other side. During the Manezh riots we could see the chief of Moscow police having a negotiation with a person in mask, person with no face, and, to some extent, his facelessness was very representative. In this case, the authorities deliberately invented the other side ignoring the fact the protest was caused not by fake leaders or communication tools, but by the network society.
Nationalism as a virtual  spectacle
Detective novels tell us that every crime has to have a motive. Among the motives of the Manezh riots are “usual suspects:” migrants from former Soviet republics, low quality of life, social instability and ethnic stereotypes. The increase in “popularity” of the riots, however, can be caused not only by a desire to participate in xenophobic mobilization, but rather by a common  human boredom, curiosity and a need for entertainment.
Online space is not only a platform of communication, but an arena of a virtual spectacle. Social networks are not only a space for interaction, but also entertainment. Many communication experts explain that even  hard news can be a source of entertainment and can be described as “infotaintment”[ENG]. From this point of view, the fact of participation in public action might be more important than its nature.Visiting soccer fan forums, chatting on social network or going out to the streets are parts of the same interactive entertainment process.
Ilya Varlamov, a popular photoblogger, observed [RUS] this on December 15, the next public protests following the Manezh riots:
Что удивило, так это большое количество детей. Такое впечатление, что информацию распространяли по школам. Почти половина задержанных – несовершеннолетние.<…> Если молодые люди понимали, что происходит, то девушки веселились, часто провоцируя парней.Толпа весело поднимала вверх руку. Лозунги стандартные: “Россия для русских!” “Ебать Кавказ, ебать!” “Отсоси у всей России!” “Слава России!”
- Девушки, а зачем вы сюда пришли?
– Посмотреть, как хачей бить будут!
– А вам не страшно?
– Нет! Смотри, сколько нас!
The relationship of “actors” and “spectators” is based on the logic of “demand and supply.”  The problem is not those who beat people, but those who come to watch. Indeed, the Internet makes the border between watching and participation vague. The Web simplifies participation in the virtual spectacle thus increasing the exposure of marginal initiatives.
The fact that online hatred entertains is not a problem of technology but of an education. If the authorities want to avoid this type of events in the future, they should focus not on restricting the Internet or finding the particular people who allegedly started the riots, but on educating Russian “networked” youth. So far, the only one who was fighting the reality of entertainment and hatred was Mr. Freeman, an online cartoon character, but his voice wasn't heard during the Manezhnaya square events.

author: Gregory Asmolov


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Serbia, Albania, Kosovo: More Info on “Yellow House” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sasa Milosevic has collected some of the available information about the “Yellow House” and human organ trade in Kosovo on his blog, The Bloody Yellow House (ENG).

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Singapore: Blueprint for ageing population · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Noting that Singapore is one of the fastest ageing nations in the world, blogger guanyinmiao proposes the drafting of a blueprint for Singapore’s ageing population


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Singapore: Sleeping room of maids · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Observing that housing flats are getting smaller in Singapore, Blinkymummy is curious to know the sleeping room of house maids/helpers.


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Singapore: Treat toilet cleaners fairly · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cloudywind writes about the need to improve the working conditions and benefits of toilet cleaners in Singapore


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Singapore: Weaknesses of the media · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Caroline Ng proposes the liberalization of the media landscape in Singapore to foster democracy and free access to information.


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Tragedy bookends Year 2010 for Francophone Citizen Media   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

It appears that tragedy will bookend yet another year rich in remarkable events in the world of  French-speaking citizen media.
The month of January set the tone for the rest of the year with the traumatic fallout from the earthquake in Haiti, the  attacks against the Togolese football team at the African Cup of nations in Cabinda  and the firing of tear gas against protesters in Madagascar.  The end of the year did not provide much respite from violence as the ongoing political crisis in Côte d'Ivoire  has already claimed close to 173 lives and social tension sparks riots in Tunisia.
The year 2010 was also marked by the 50th anniversary of the independence of  many African countries, highlighted by a controversial military parade at the Champs-Elysees in Paris and the hosting of Young African Leaders Symposium by US president Obama.  Throughout the year, citizen media in Francophone countries was once more at the forefront of information dissemination and often found itself under duress for exercising their right to free speech.
An Ominous Start
The earthquake took everyone by surprise but despite the frequent interruptions of phone services and generally poor access to internet, Haitian citizen media responded to the challenges and provided frequent updates and a much needed on the ground perspectives regarding the recovery effort.
In the midst of the tragedy, a francophone “show of solidarity” was discussed at length when Senegal's president Wade offered free land to Haitians earthquake survivors.  The offer was met with a mix of skepticism and support by Senegalese, Haitian and citizen media worldwide.
On February 18th, a coup took place in Niger in which President Mamadou Tandja was captured after a gun battle in the capital, Niamey, led by led by Col. Abdoulaye Adamou Harouna.  The general sentiment of the Nigerien citizen media seemed to go from “blasé” to “good riddance”.
The financial crisis also affected the African continent; African bloggers reacted to the apparent differential treatment from the IMF when it comes to helping countries like Greece compared to some African nations.
From financial to natural crises, The northern and western African regions were plagued by prolonged period of rains and severe floods. Morocco, Mauritania, Benin, Nigeria and Togo were amongst the most affected by floods with initial reports often provided by citizen media.
The security and stability of the west African region was also on the mind of bloggers when AQIM made headlines repeatedly by taking hostages  in Mali and killing Michel Germaneau in July and again capturing several employees of AREVA hostages in Niger later that year.
AQIM Area via Orthuberra on Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Celebrating Independence in Francophone Africa
Despite the weary start, the year 2010 was also supposed to be a celebration of 50 years of independence  and a critical election year for many African nations. Yet given the delayed human development progress, questionable governance and mismanagement of natural resources, many African bloggers wonder whether there is really a cause for celebration in Africa so far.
Yet the celebrations went on, sometimes quite lavishly as seen in Brazzaville, Congo.
None of these celebrations caused quite the stir that the military parade of African soldiers on Bastille Day at the invitation of French president Sarkozy provoked. With the growing exposure of the corrupt nature of  “La Françafrique“,  refering to the relationship between some African leaders and French lobbying groups, many observers pointed out that the presence of African armies at the Champ-Elysees was condescending and awkward at best, not unlike Sarkozy's Dakar speech. [Another speech by the French president in Grenoble this summer about delinquents of foreign origins and the forced expulsions  of Roma people also provoked intense reactions in the francophone blogosphere.]
A  different approach was taken by the US administration in marking the multiple independence anniversaries in Africa. In early august 2010,  US President Obama held a three-days symposium for Young African Leaders  to exchange ideas on how to foster development, human rights and democracy.  The emphasis on the youth of Africa was in clear contrast with the presence of the old guards of African leaders showcased on Bastille Day.
Hoping for Transparency
Year 2010 was also supposed to be the year when some African nations  would make important strides towards free and transparent elections.
That hope quickly faded away.
The electoral process in Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar and Rwanda were all at some point subject to major question marks, marred with missed deadlines, suspicions of massive fraud and acts of violence.
Yet one has the feeling that citizens in those countries are eager to move forward and prove that mediocre leadership cannot hold countries back forever. The rise of a burgeoning civil society and local citizen media provide hope that progress are being made, often in spite of proper governance.
Théophile Kouamouo and Saint-Clavier Oula
The impact of online citizen media has become evident enough that  authoritarian African governments  have taken major steps towards increasing censorship of digital media. Ivorian bloggers and journalists were arrested in July for publishing documents on corruption in cocoa and coffee trade.  Since the Ivorian political crisis broke out in December, many bloggers and twitter users have withdrawn from their online activities and are no longer posting updates on the situation because of personal threats.
In Madagascar, a slew of journalists and political opponents were arrested for alleged threats against national security and voicing their dissents online.  Steps towards more control of online  content in Madagascar are also being taken,  highlighted by a proposal that all Malagasy digital content are to be be managed by a single private provider (fr).
It is yet to be seen whether this year's lessons from some African nations’ electoral hardships  will be learned by their neighbors. Senegal and Cameroon among others will face important electoral deadlines  in 2011. Cameroonian bloggers do not appear overly optimistic about the upcoming elections. As for Senegal, local citizen media has already been quite vocal  about  perceived nepotism and corruption inside the current administration.
It would be a refreshing sight in 2011  if the streak of dubious electoral results and post-electoral violence were to be halted for a change. African leaders owe that much to their resilient population.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Africa: Tech Success in Africa is Built on the Ordinary · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Meeting the needs of ordinary people is key to success in tech industry in Africa: “In fact, you can take this one step further. Almost any meaningful success in Africa’s mobile or web space has been from companies focused on meeting the needs of ordinary people.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Armenia-Azerbaijan: Social Media in peace building · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Based on experience to date, my Caucasian Knot blog features a post on the use of online social networks to bring Armenians and Azerbaijanis together online as part of regional peace building and cross-border cooperation projects.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Armenia: Homosexuality & National Security? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on a recent statement from the Secretary of Armenia's National Security Council, Artur Baghdasarian, labeling homosexuals as a ‘extremely dangerous.’ The blog says that such comments are not only homophobic and in violation of Armenia's human rights commitments, but is also totally at odds with a recent presidential declaration committing the former Soviet republic to adherence to European values.


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Azerbaijan: Let them eat even more cake… · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

After the account of one Azerbaijani blogger on how the country's second largest city marked the birthday of its president last year, another looks at how is was marked this week. Not surprisingly, if last year's 48th birthday saw a cake baked 48 meters long, this year saw it go one better — literally.


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Bangladesh: Pitha-Pulis As Bengali Christmas Culinary Tradition · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh, Canada And Beyond shares pictures of the Bengali culinary tradition pitha pulis (rice powder cakes and pastries) which were adopted by the Christians in Bangladesh and West Bengal in India to celebrate Christmas.

author: Rezwan


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Bolivia: The “Gasolizano”: Government Increases Taxes on Fuel · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Greg Weeks from Two Weeks Notice writes: “The Bolivian government drastically increased taxes on fuel, by over 70%.  It did so for rational capitalist reasons, namely that higher prices in neighboring countries had fostered a thriving black market.  However, the official reasoning leaves something to be desired”

author: Silvia Viñas


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China: Press conference held following suspicious death of rural activist · Global Voices
John Kennedy

It has not been a peaceful week in the news, with a crossbow-shooting bomber-petitioner in Beijing, a city administration official killed with a screwdriver today in Fujian province, and the grisly death of village leader Qian Yunhui in Zhejiang province on Christmas day.
[UPDATE: Roland Soong at EastSouthWestNorth has been translating stories from Chinese media regarding Qian's death and the official response, The “Accidental” Death Of A Village Mayor]
Over the weekend, amid minimal efforts to censor it, this last story has escalated to the point where a post written by Qian back in August, now with photos and details from the scene of his death, has received more than 19,000 comments; Qian's name has trended on Baidu, and local officials held a press conference Monday afternoon [zh].
Even Sina blogs is running a post from well-known sports journalist Li Chengpeng which carries the graphic photos of Qian's death beneath the wheel of a construction truck. Starting by addressing rumors that Qian was held down by police while the truck crushed him, Li writes:
正如你们已知的信息：他死时，道路上的监视器恰恰坏掉了，肇事司机迅速转移了，大队执盾牌、穿威武制服的人如神兵天降，把村民分割包围，还有一些穿着黑衣黑裤的家伙迅速移动着……这个事故和大家已知的很多故事一样，结论是：一起普通的交通肇事，有司正在处理中。
The speed at which troops appeared to seal off the village have left many suspicious of the official story line
这些信息没有得到权威方面的证实，永远得不到证实，一起普通的交通肇事，如我爸是李刚一样。好在得知真相的方法，我们已从耳朵，改为心，在这个地方，我们已篡改感官构造来认识世界。唯一能纪念这个名叫钱云会的方式，是有人能把他的头颅仔细安上。
这是一颗尊严的头颅。六年以来，这颗头一直在琢磨怎么把那146顷属于村民的土地从官员和商人那儿要回来，保证以种植为主的村民有生计。四个月前，这颗头还在费劲地遣词造句，托人发了一个帖子讲述官家怎么伪造文件，怎么出动数百兵力围殴，怎么把他和另外几个带头人判刑一年零六个月……这颗头颅里想出的最后一句坚强的话：此文章如有任何污蔑之嫌，由我钱云会负责。
他以为他这颗头颅是坚强的。
但仍敌不过车轮的重轧。
He thought his head was strong.
But it wasn't strong enough to stop a truck tire from crushing it.
Live-tweeting from the Monday afternoon press conference in Yueqing was this one unnamed local reporter, who writes:
目前新闻发布会到场媒体，中央电视台，人民网，现代金报，浙江时报，温州都市报等媒体！
很奇怪，发言席为什么会设移动乐清分公司席位。据传，钱云会生前最后一个电话是移动公司打给他，具体内容不详！希望真相等会能解开！
签到时候，现场一个工作人员说，其实这就是一个普通的交通事故。。。。。。我推测发布会可能不会推翻此前有关部门的定性！
公安机关发言人称，当天上午警方接警称当天车祸发生后，乐清交警和当地边防派出所民警到达现场。当时工程车驾驶员已逃！现场有四十多名村民聚集，对警员展开围攻！
警方称驾驶员费良玉属于无证驾驶！
移动公司发言人称，现场安装的闭路监控未完全投入使用。只有拍摄功能，而没有存储图像的功能！这有点扯！
有记者提问，工程车为什么逆向行驶？交警发言人称，现场右侧摆放着电缆，无法通行，工程车向左侧对向车道行驶，撞上横穿马路的钱某！交警初步判定当时工程车车速不快！
有记者问，驾驶员费良玉有无前科？何时来乐清工作？交警发言人称交通肇事罪是过失犯罪，有无前科与此案无关！
记者提问，现场死者状态双手举着，仅颈部有伤痕，为何死状如此奇特？交警发言人称，工程车左侧档板有撞击痕迹，车祸时如何撞击，死者为何有此死状，是无逻辑可寻的！
记者问，事故发生后，死者弟弟和弟媳妇被警方带走，是何原因？公安发言人称，案件侦破过程中，不便透露！
我和同事现在去现场，希望能再找出点什么！


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Comoros: Provisional Results of the Presidential Elections and Possible Fraud · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Wongo's blog  in Anjouan provides some provisional results (VP Ikililou Dhoinine projected with 65% of the votes) of the presidential elections currently taking place in Comoros (fr). Opposition claims that fraud has taken place in Anjouan though (fr).


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Honduras: Media Ignores Recent Reports on 2009 Coup · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Honduras Culture and Politics states: “[…] we find it extraordinary that the US media completely ignore even high profile international organizations that continue to call attention to the serious failures of Honduras to redress any of the circumstances that the coup d'etat of June 2009 set in motion.”


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Kenya: Are citizens expected to contribute to special ‘Hague 6 defence fund’?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Moreen Majiwa asks, “To whose fund will you be contributing?”: We shall not discriminate…we will mobilise all resources and hire the best lawyers so that the suspects are fully represented at the Hague’ this was the statement made by Kiraitu Murungi, Minister for Energy on Tuesday this week.”


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Mali: Tracklist from music shared by cellphone users · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A tracklist of music shared between cell phones users in Mali: “This little cassette of music collected from cellphones has been in internet circulation lately…”


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Morocco: Young Talent Caught on Tape · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

Karim Boubker is a young Moroccan Vlogger and social media enthusiast. Here, he films a young musical talent he is fond of, Sarah Ariche.


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Nigeria: Bring our health data alive · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bring our health data in Nigeria alive: “For a long time, our leaders have taken Nigerians for a ride, quoting astronomical amounts of money for delivering nothing. One major reason for this is that we had no way of knowing more than they told us.”


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Nigeria: Journey to nationhood · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Solomon posts a documentary looking at Nigeria's history and particularly its’ colonial history. The footage belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria.


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Nigeria: Sotheby’s cancels sale of Benin’s stoles Mask · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

An update on the proposed sale of stolen masks from Nigeria: “Many thanks to all MyWeku readers and the 3000+ Members of the Connoisseurs of Contemporary African Art group who signed the online petition, tweeted and shared the planned sale of the “Queen of Idia” mask on various social media sites. Victory is yours!”


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Pakistan: Language Preferences · Global Voices
Rezwan

Amrita Yasin at Pak Tea House criticizes the negligent attitude of many Pakistanis towards their national and ethnic languages.


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Pakistan: Speak Up, And Break The Silence · Global Voices
Rezwan

Jehan Ara at In The Line Of War informs that this year the “Take Back the Tech” Pakistan team participated in a street protest to speak up against domestic violence.


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Political Buddhism In Sri Lanka · Global Voices
Rezwan

D.B.S. Jeyaraj highlights J.L. Devananda's take on political Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Devananda opines: “due to the influence of the Mahavamsa (scripture), a Buddhist Bikkhu (monk) is at liberty to engage in racist politics and promote Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism and hatred.


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Puerto Rico: Violent Clashes at the University of Puerto Rico · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

This post is part of our special coverage Puerto Rico Student Protests 2010/11.
Police arrest students on strike. Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz of Diálogo and republished under a CC License.*
Students on strike at the main campus of the state-run University of Puerto Rico were beaten and arrested last Monday, December 20, after violent clashes with the Police. Seventeen students were arrested that day, and eight have been charged [es] with committing various felonies or misdemeanors. Students oppose an annual $800 tuition fee that will be imposed in January. This is the second student at the University of Puerto Rico strike in less than a year.
The student strike has practically paralyzed the main and largest campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) in Río Piedras, San Juan, and students from other campuses have joined the protest with walkouts and other activities. The UPR has 11 campuses on the Island with approximately 60, 000 students, of which 20,000 students are registered at the main campus. Republican and pro-statehood governor Luis Fortuño ordered the Police to occupy the UPR indefinitely -the Police had not entered the UPR since 1981- and this has led to violent clashes with students. The administration declared an academic recess until January 10, but students can still be seen protesting close to the main campus.
Students and Police. Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz of Diálogo. Republished under a CC License.
Police arrest students. Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz of Diálogo. Republished under a CC License.*
Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz of Diálogo. Republished under a CC License.*
The student strike has already entered into its second week in the  middle of the holiday season in Puerto Rico. During these days, there exists a  possibility that students meet with the President of the UPR [es], José Ramón de la Torre, and the Board of Directors to reach an agreement.
Bloggers in Puerto Rico have analyzed and commented on this recent strike and the crucial moment the student movement confronts. Law student, activist and blogger Mariana Iriarte frames the analysis [es] within the recent Supreme Court decision in the case UPR v. Laborde that declares the UPR a semi-public space and restricts the time, place and way protests can be held. Iriarte laments that the pro-statehood government dominates all three branches of the government:
No hay duda que la concentración de poder del partido en el gobierno es tal que se entienden facultados para llevar a cabo cualquier acción.  Dominan el ejecutivo, el legislativo y el judicial.  Las leyes son por encargo y llegar al tribunal es un acto más bien simbólico.  La legitimidad de las instituciones está por el piso porque no surgen del consenso sino de la violencia de la imposición.  En tal sentido la ciudadanía en general se siente desprotegida y vulnerable.  Los espacios democráticos en lugar de multiplicarse se reducen, en vez de ensancharse se constriñen.  El control gubernamental es cada vez mayor y los ámbitos de la libertad cada vez más pequeños.  Ante esto debemos estar vigilantes, ocupar los espacios públicos, salir a la calles, debatir, manifestarse, protestar, en fin no permitir que la paz de los sepulcros se vuelva la nueva normalidad y el miedo una nueva forma de vida.
Students protest at Río Piedras. Photo by Ricardo Alcaraz of Diálogo. Republished under a CC License.*
In Diálogo Libre [es], student and blogger Ángel Carrión harshly condemns the acts of violence against students:
Make no mistake, what has been seen today is an act of government  repression designed to silence dissidence, an indispensable ingredient  in order for democracy to exist. These acts of barbarism cannot be  tolerated in Puerto Rico. Those who have allowed and supported the  suspension of civil rights and the essentially cowardly violence towards  students –students who were unarmed, without bodily protection, and in  number far less than the government's agents dispatched in the  University's campuses– do not deserve to be held in the high esteem they  continue to enjoy. They have failed in the worse possible way those who  they swore to defend, betraying them without a second thought. You,  dear reader, and me.
Ivan Chaar-López, blogger and graduate student at the UPR, objects to some of the student's strategies [es], such as covering their faces, shouting at students and professors who were attending and offering classes during the strike, and throwing smoke balls in the classrooms. He also believes that the student movement has lost the diversity that characterized it during the 60-day strike that paralyzed the UPR in April 2010:
…le  propongo a mis compañer@s que consideremos seriamente declarar una  especie de “cese al fuego” hasta el año que viene y re-iniciar un  proceso de diálogo “interno” sincero. Necesitamos entrar en una re-evaluación profunda de las tácticas y discutir con mayor amplitud la estrategia a seguir. Aprovechemos ese período para descansar y llevar a cabo reuniones semanales sobre cómo atender y trabajar la acción directa en el nuevo año. Propiciemos la creación de nuevos grupos autónomos de autogestión que diversifiquen los espacios de agencia. Un movimiento se constituye, necesariamente, de múltiples ricos y complejos grupos de participación, así como de individuos no-afiliados. No se puede pretender presentar una imagen de unidad absoluta al país porque hacerlo constituye una invisibilización de la diferencia entre nosotr@s.
Novelist and Literature professor Mayra Santos-Febres criticizes [es] the “cold war” discourse of left vs. right that has permeated the public discourse in Puerto Rico and has been used by government officials and students alike. She calls for new forms of thinking and acting:
Izquierda, derecha. Buenos, malos.  Discursos diferentes, objetivos  similares- una sociedad cerrada, sin lugar para la diferencia, para la  autocrítica, para la justicia, para la paz.
Venezuela, Puerto  Rico. Socialismo del Siglo XXI. Neo-liberalismo colonial. A ambos lados  de la valla, aniquilación de toda disidencia.
Tal parece que me  equivoco y que, en lo fundamental, los tiempos no han cambiado. Y al  igual que en antaño, la derecha y la izquierda suenan diferente, pero  actúan muy parecido, demasiado igual.
Left, right. Good, bad. Different discourses, similar goals, a closed society without room for dispute, for self-criticism, for justice, for peace.
Venezuela [where there have also been student protests], Puerto Rico. XXI Century Socialism. Neo-colonial liberalism. On both sides of the fence, the obliteration of all dissent.
It seems that I'm wrong and that, fundamentally, times have not changed. And just as in the old days, right and left sound different, but they act very similar, too similar.
In the following video [es], student Ángel Santiago talks about his experiences at the UPR. This is the first video of a series called “UPR, a common cause.”
*All photos by Ricardo Alcaraz from the weekly Diálogo [es] and republished under CC License NC-ND 3.0.
* Please see Global Voice's special coverage of the student strike.
This post is part of our special coverage Puerto Rico Student Protests 2010/11.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Russia: How Vladivostok Christmas Tree Craziness Made Me Laugh · Global Voices
Masha

Christmas tree on the main square of Vladivostok photo by zeka_vasch
People in Vladivostok, Russia's largest port city on the Pacific Ocean,  never lose their sense of humor. Otherwise one would be in the perpetual state of depression. They laugh about everything from nerve-racking traffic jams and alarming snow situations to Christmas tree arrangements and new taxes on the imported Japanese cars.
There are many reasons to be sad – sarcastic or cynical – because life in Vladivostok is a never-ending struggle with the weather, climate and/or local authorities. This unique sense of humor is evident on the Internet.
Every year city residents struggle with the snow. But this winter is different because they must deal with rain as well. Traditionally, the winter streets and roads of the city are snowy and chaotic so people have no choice but to look for the positive side to this. For example, a couple of weeks ago after a heavy rainstorm, the entire city virtually turned into such a huge ice skating rink that some locals, like blogger yasinkov, were even skating on the sidewalks.
Last year, local authorities in Vladivostok have spent about 10 million of rubles on a 28-meter Christmas tree [RUS], making it the most expensive in the country. The officials apparently had no better way to spend money. A couple of days before the New Year's Eve, this overpriced tree collapsed under the gale.
Collapsed Christmas tree in Vladivostok (2009). Photo by zeka_vasch on Livejournal
That was indeed an epic failure that was then mocked mercilessly on the Internet by netizens such as Den, who pointed out [RUS]:
В следующем Новом году купим за 15 лимонов, а то эта какая-то дешевая была, хлипкая. Будет чуточку получше
While some bloggers were having fun, user Маргарита [Margarita] exclaimed:
Бог все видит!!! Сколько инвалидов детей нуждается в денежной поддержке? А эти “властелины” народного добра выкидывают деньги на ветер!!! Чем вы гордитесь??? говоря о стоимости? Что самый богатый город в стране, чтоб за такие деньги украшать площадь??? Лучше бы технику для очистки дорог купили!!! Расточители народных денег!!!
This year, Christmas trees were already a subject of much mockery. The budget for the New Year's celebration was nearly halved [RUS]. However, netizens were expecting the Christmas tree to break down again. LJ user fstrelcov offered [RUS] to set up a green concrete cube with the words “Christmas tree” on it instead of a real tree so the construction is steady and survives the strong wind. Local officials and designers did not seem to consider this post-modern idea and proceeded to arrange traditional trees around the city instead.
The “Marine” Christmas tree became the most controversial and outspoken mostly because of its shape and size. It is called marine because it resembles a lighthouse. And again, residents could not resist mocking it. Some activists even wanted to organize a flash mob to roll up two giant snowballs [RUS] and put them next to the tree. But this did not happen because some netizens pointed out that there was not enough proper snow for this.
"Marine"Christmas tree by zeka_vasch on Livejournal
A prominent Vladivostok blogger zeka_vasch keeps monitoring the Christmas tree situation and has uploaded his photographic commentary. People are still expecting the tree on the central square to break or fall, thus continuing a tradition of epic failures in Vladivostok.
I would like to express specials thanks to blogger zeka_vasch who allowed me to use his photos in my post

author: Masha


text:
South Korea Defined North Korea as ‘Enemy’ in Defense White Paper · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea Defense ministry has decided to label North Korea as its “enemy” from its newest defense white paper, reflecting the intensified military tension between two Koreas. Some of South Korean twitterers, such as @sohjiroll[ko] considered the decision as appropriate, but worried it may not be a smart move.

author: Lee Yoo Eun