Global Voices » German

Poland: The ‘Web Kids' Manifesto'

Claudia Parra — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:21:04 +0000

Originally written by the Polish photographer and poet Piotr Czerski [pl] (see Wikipedia for his biography in Polish), the ‘Web Kids’ Manifesto‘ is now appearing on the web in many other languages since its publication on February 11, 2012, in the Polish regional newspaper, Dziennik Baltycki.

The manifesto expresses the sense of community of a whole generation born alongside the arrival of the networks and Internet. It also proclaims the affinity of young people around the world with the emergence of an original global culture and the desire to participate in the circulation of cultural goods, beyond the legal or geographical frontiers arbitrarily imposed.

According to Czerski, the manifesto is evidence of this generation’s desire to distance itself from the power relations inherited from the established authorities [pl]:

Piotr Czerski, author of 'Web Kids" Manifesto'. Photo from his blog, under licence CC 3.

Nie ma w nas tej wynikającej z onieśmielenia pokornej akceptacji, jaka cechowała naszych rodziców – przekonanych o nadzwyczajnej wadze spraw urzędowych i odświętnym charakterze interakcji z państwem. Nie czujemy tego respektu, który brał się z odległości między samotnym obywatelem, a majestatycznymi szczytami „władzy”, majaczącymi gdzieś pośród mgieł.

There is not a trace in us of that humble acceptance displayed by our parents, who were convinced that administrative issues were of utmost importance and who considered interaction with the state as something to be celebrated. We do not feel that respect, rooted in the distance between the lonely citizen and the majestic heights where the ruling class reside, barely visible through the clouds.

This generation opposes private interest groups’ institutional regulations and the control these groups exert over personal information and common cultural goods. It also expresses its need for transparency, freedom, and a “true and real democracy” [pl]:

Być może nie nazwaliśmy tego dotąd, być może jeszcze sami nie zdajemy sobie z tego sprawy – ale tym, czego chcemy, jest chyba po prostu prawdziwa, realna demokracja. Demokracja, o której być może nie śniło się nawet waszym publicystom.

Perhaps we have not yet given it a name, perhaps we are not yet fully aware of it, but I guess what we want is real, genuine democracy. Democracy that, perhaps, is more than is dreamt of in your journalism.

It is a demand more current than ever within the context of the opposition to the ACTA agreement, where the risk of curtailing freedoms is intensely perceived, especially in Eastern Europe [fr].

The manifesto’s original version in Polish: ‘Mi dzieci sieci‘
English: ‘We, the Web Kids‘
French: ‘Nous les enfants du Web‘
German: ‘Wir, die Netz-Kinder‘
Spanish: ‘Nosotros, los hijos de la Web‘
Estonian: ‘Meie, võrgulapsed‘
Swedish: ‘Vi, nätbarnen‘
Czech: ‘My, děti Sítě‘

This manifesto and the reactions it has sparked off everywhere in the world in such a short time, are proof of the desire for freedom, democracy, and transparency that deeply questions our societies. This desire is expressed by those who, from now on, are the willing protagonists of globalization, and who will be the critical citizens of the web over the next decades. The tide has turned, no doubt about it.

Germany: Email Monitoring #Bomb(e) Drops

Rachel Horst — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:15:40 +0000

On Saturday morning, February 25, 2012, the story [de] broke that in 2010, German intelligence had heavily monitored email communication in the country. More than 37 million emails containing particular search terms related to terrorism, smuggling and proliferation were reported to have been filtered out and examined.

Of the approximately 2,000 search terms, there was one singled out by media and Internet users that prompted not only outrage, but also many a creative word play: “bomb.”

Journalist Richard Gutjahr argues that the intelligence agencies concerned went too far and points out the results of the surveillance of email communication in his blog [de]:

Respekt: Unter den 37 Millionen abgefangenen Mails 2010 waren immerhin 213 Personen, die bei ihrer Steuererklärung gemogelt, Marihuana geraucht oder ihre Strafzettel nicht bezahlt haben. Soll noch einer sagen, Rasterfahndung liefere keine Ergebnisse.

Respect: Among the 37 million intercepted emails in 2010 there were 213 people who cheated on their tax returns, smoked marijuana or didn't pay their traffic ticket. Never let it be said that computer surveillance yields no results.

Markus Beckedahl of the blog Netzpolitik marvels [de] at so many users' surprise:

Geschockt und überrascht? Verschlüsselte Kommunikation via Mail und Jabber sichern die eigene Privatsphäre besser.

Shocked and surprised? Encrypted communication via email and Jabber [open source instant messengering software] better secure one's own private sphere.

The hashtag #bombe was trending in Germany by Saturday afternoon. Following are a few reactions by Twitter users shortly after the story broke.

@ploechinger writes [de]:

@cjakubetz @videopunk @heiko Das ist ja heute Morgen schon eine #Bombe-nstimmung!

@cjakubetz @videopunk @heiko This morning is just the #bombe!

@HausOhneFenster jokes [de]:

Manchmal schreibe ich in meine Emails absichtlich Wörter wie Bombe, Rakete und Terror, damit wenigstens der Verfassungsschutz sie liest.

Sometimes I write words like bomb, missile and terror, just so that at least the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution will read it.

@irm_tw comments [de]:

#bombe trendet auf Platz 1. BND und MAD ratlos. Beantragen Budget für neue Technik, um auch noch sämliche tweets durchsuchen zu können.

#bombe trending in first place. BND [Federal Foreign Intelligence Agency] and MAD [Federal Military Counterintelligence Service] dumbstruck. Requesting a budget for new technology so they can search through all tweets too.

Wingdings Bomb (Picture by Twitter user @Olaf_HB on Twitpic)

Twitterer @Olaf_HB posts [de] a photo:

die tägliche #BOMBE ! / the daily #BOMB ! *hehehe* ;-) @lieselm twitpic.com/8pcndw

the daily #BOMBE ! *hehehe* ;-) @lieselm twitpic.com/8pcndw

@linksgruen asks [de]:

@netzpolitik Hui, da darf man wohl das Wort Sex-Bombe nicht mehr benutzen?

@netzpolitik Whoa, does that mean you can't use the word sex bomb anymore?

@PatrickLobacher doubts [de] the usefulness of this approach:

Sehr schön Herr Geheimdienst: Denke auch, dass Gangster über das schreiben, was sie konkret vorhaben - bestimmt! http://bit.ly/ySZ5dj #bombe

Very nice, Mr. Intelligence Agency: I totally think gangsters write about exactly what they plan to do too- definitely! http://bit.ly/ySZ5dj #bombe

@kischtrine is amazed [de] at the amount of resources put into this initiative:

Wieviele Geheimdienstler wohl wie lange damit verbracht haben diese Mails zu lesen? Wie bei der Stasi damals für nix. Was das kostet #Bombe

How many intelligence agents have spent how long reading these emails? Just like the Stasi back then, for nothing. What that must cost #Bombe

Macedonia: Animated Hitler Meme as a Free Resource

Filip Stojanovski — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:44:37 +0000

As a reaction to the corporate efforts to enact an even more draconian legislation and in response to the attempts of the distributor of the film Downfall to take down the Hitler meme on copyright grounds, Ribaro published [mk] an animated parody of the iconic scene, free for download and re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License.

Tunisia: A Year After the Revolution, Limitations on Freedom of Expression Continue

Ahmed Medien — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:48:19 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

A year after the ouster of the Tunisian ex-president, pressure on freedom of press continues in Tunisia. This week, three newsmen from Tunisian printed newspaper “Attounisia” were arrested for publishing a controverted picture of Tunisian and Real Madrid soccer player Sami Kedira and model Lena Gercke's naked photograph.

The cover reads: "Tunisian soccer player Sami Kedira's photos shock Spain.

The arrest of the Attounisia - whose online edition happens to be one of the most visited website in Tunisia - writers outraged public opinion in Tunisia. While few were in favour of their arrest since the media law stipulates “respecting public decency”, many Tunisian internet users logged on their social media accounts to denounce their arrest, using sarcastic comments.

On Twitter, Sami Nafsi writes [ar]:

هل ستأذن النيابة بإيقاف المسؤولين فى مونوبري ?? ‎#WTF‏ ‎#Attounissia‏ ‎http://pic.twitter.com/V2xqEKOl

@SamiNafsi: Will the general prosecutor order to arrest Monoprix (retail chain) directors? #WTF #Attounissia http://pic.twitter.com/V2xqEK01

The chain sells underwear, and advertises photographs of models wearing it.

Lingerie catalogue of Monoprix

Tunisian blogger Le Trocadero [fr] couldn't help but joke about the arrest of Attounisia newsmen. In his latest bulletin, he suggested that the general prosecutor should sue the Bardo National Museum in Bardo too:

on y trouve des statues nues de femmes et d’hommes dans des positions plus que suspectes. Est-ce que tu l’accepterais pour ta sœur ?

There are [in the Bardo Museum] naked statues of males and females alike in suspicious positions. Would you want this for your sister?

This bulletin has already been shared on Facebook more than 3,000 times and 23 times on Twitter.

Slim Ayed, a Tunisian citizen journalist, uploaded the following video about the matter on YouTube:

The video, in Arabic, features interviews with some Tunisian journalists and their opinions about the arrest of the Attounisia newsmen. All of them agree that these accusations are ludicrous and that the general prosecution in Tunisia should be preoccupied with more serious issues such as the unresolved cases of corruption in Tunisia and the death of the martyrs during the uprising of January 2011.

Meanwhile, two of the Attounisia newsmen were released earlier this week while the newspaper executive is still held in custody. On February 18, his newspaper published an article stating that he started a hunger strike in prison, in protest against his detention.

Sami Kedira responded publicly through German daily Die Welt:

Ich respektiere die verschiedenen Religionen, die es gibt, und auch den Glauben, den die Menschen haben. Aber ich kann nicht verstehen, dass sich Menschen nicht frei äußern dürfen. Das ist traurig”

I respect religions and people's beliefs, but I can not understand that people may not express themselves freely. It is sad.

Attounisia executive is not the only newsman being tried in Tunisia. Nabil Karoui, the Nessma TV executive, is also being tried for blasphemy after screening the French-Iranian animation movie Persepolis. Both executives can be sentenced between three to five years, according to an obsolete press code that has not been updated since the 1980s.

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

Colombia: Through the Eyes of Expat Bloggers

Silvia Viñas — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:52:40 +0000

On February 20, 2012, Colombia's ‘official travel guide‘ will launch a platform where foreign bloggers writing in Spanish, English, German, French, and Portuguese will share their experiences living and traveling in Colombia. The site aims to inspire travelers, investors and anyone interested in the country to discover a side of Colombia that tends to get lost amidst negative press.

All participating bloggers are listed by language on the website, which links to their personal blogs and a short profile. One of these bloggers is Kristin Rads, a math teacher living in Cali who blogs in Coffee, Calculations & Colombia. She provides some context in a post about the project:

Leading the charge in this is a company named Proexport. Since November 1992, Proexport has been in charge of promoting exports, foreign investments, and international tourism within Colombia - and for 2012, they are stepping up their game in a big way.

Pairing up with 30 expatriate and/or travel bloggers, Proexport aims to provide potential tourists with a complete, updated look at a country with so much opportunity for growth in the tourism industry.

"Official Blogger" logo found on the personal blog of participating bloggers

Blogger and Community Manager, Eloy Quiros, blogged about the first gathering of the “official bloggers” held in Bogotá. He shares some photos in his blog [es].

Blogger and freelance journalist Richard McColl was also there:

And so, a day like today, I did not feel all alone as a voice in the wilderness (read: the wilds of Mompós or the urban-scapes of Bogota) trying to sell this country despite all of the negative media surrounding it. I got to meet other like-minded souls all promoting their own particular enterprises be it guide literature, travel agencies, restauranteurs and travellers.

And why today? Well, today was the launch of the Official Blogger for Colombia launch held by Proexport in the remarkably swish Hotel de la Opera in Bogota’s scenic if congested colonial Candelaria area.

Apparently we number 33 in total and represent the expat community that has been the basis for the new gambit being used by the travel promotion community here: Colombia, el Riesgo es Que Quieres Quedar….Colombia, the Only Risk is Wanting to Stay.

Food blogger Diana Holguín from Bogotá Eats + Drinks, who also attended the event, explains:

33 bloggers, yours truly included, will share their stories about Colombia with the world, through their eyes, ears and taste-buds, enticing tourists and investors alike to come and experience Colombia. […]

Each blogger will be required to post at least twice a month and in exchange we’ll increase web traffic to our blog page and have the possibility of receiving invitations to special events and trips to some of Colombia’s hottest destinations.

'Official Bloggers' meeting for the first time in Bogotá. Image courtesy of www.seecolombia.travel/blog, used with permission.

José Luis Pastor and Marcela Mariscal from See Colombia Travel Blog describe it as “a very international affair”:

with writers coming from Peru, Colombia, Spain, the US, the UK, Belgium, France and many more countries. Each blog or page also has a very different genesis – some are hostels in Colombia, some are webpages about Colombia, some are blogs about Colombia, some are travel agencies in Colombia. All, however, have a united goal: to promote Colombia and encourage fellow travellers to explore this fascinating, diverse country.

Mike Ceaser also introduces the project in his blog Mike's Bogotá Blog. In his opinion it is:

a good, low-budget strategy for Colombia, and something which would have been near impossible just a few years ago, when the news was dominated by bombings, kidnapping and narcotrafficking and the country was off limits to all but real thrill seekers. Certainly, Colombia still has problems, but those are now secondary to the nation's economic growth, its cultural diversity and its tremendous biodiversity.

You can read more posts about the initiative from bloggers Antoine Perret [fr], Kelsi Mills, Anny Vasconcelos [pt], and Leandra Felipe [pt]. You can also keep up with the bloggers on Twitter through the hashtag #CTBlogger.

Video Highlights: Music, Indigenous Initiatives, Indignation and Wonder

Juliana Rincón Parra — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:44:07 +0000

This section aims to showcase interesting and recent posts in Global Voices that show the many ways in which videos are helping people tell stories all around the world. You can follow the activity by regions in our YouTube channel or by clicking on the regional header links.

Music and Indigenous Initiatives

Latin America

Brazil: Cultural Debate as ‘Oh if I Catch You' Song Goes Global

Music has spurred an ongoing debate in Brazil, as netizens realize they have a new cultural ambassador which they may not have chosen themselves. In this case, it is Michel Teló's song ‘Ai se eu te pego‘ which not only became the rhythm played over and over during the end of the year festivities, but has also crossed borders, even getting its own versions in English, Polish and Dutch.

Peru: Cápac Raymi, The Andean Christmas

In Peru, the Incan culture is still alive in most of the Andean region, and Christmas is a time when they have united their pre-Columbian traditions with the later Christian festivities. The festival of Capac Raymi takes place in December coinciding with the Winter Solstice and honors the Sun. Although the holiday is no longer observed as it was during the reign of the Incas, it has transformed into an Andean Christmas, where Christmas choirs sing in Quechua with Andean musical instruments and dances:

Another strong cultural group in Peru is the Afro-Peruvian community and they have also left their mark in how Peruvians celebrate Christmas:

Peru: Afro-Peruvian Christmas Music

The song “Black Christmas” by Cesar Calvo is a lament, where they sing to Baby Jesus who was born in a manger, but with a slight difference, he is black as the people surrounding him:

Washed by the night
Just like you and me
Born among blacks
the Baby Jesus.

Don't come down, Baby,
from your altar,
lest the master
has you whipped.

Venezuela: The Essence of African Music in Videos

African heritage in Venezuela has also strongly influenced the music, and online video is being used to spread the knowledge of the African Diaspora and Afro-Venezuelan Caribbean culture.

From Canada comes a video journalist with a project: To visit one country per week and to record the stories of under-reported minorities.

Video: One Year, One World and 52 Different Stories

So far she is still raising funds for this one year journey where she would be recording, editing and producing short documentaries from the road. A short video of her visit with the Embera indigenous communities in Panama gives us a promising look into the type of content she'd be delivering once her project takes off:

Video: Online Media by and for Indigenous People

Check out the list of 12 recommended films on indigenous issues that Indigenous Cry shared.

Indignation

In Guatemala, indignation has overwhelmed citizens after investigative journalism uncovered that the President of the Chamber of Agriculture of that country had children under 14 years of age working in his sugar cane fields. Cane cutting is considered very physically demanding even for adults, and the conditions under which the cane cutters work contrast with the growth of the sugar industry.

Guatemala: Child Labor in the Sugar Cane Fields

The video, made under the guise of a photographic project to make portraits using an old fashioned camera shows the workers, including children who work long days without even making minimum wage:

In Brazil, the indignation has been caused by the violent forced evictions in what is being called a massacre:

Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho” Causes an Uproar

Urbanist and UN Special Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik reported:

Thousands of men, women, children and elderly residents of the Pinheirinho occupation are surprised by a siege consisting of helicopters, armored vehicles and more than 1,800 armed men of the military police. In addition to the exits of the occupation being blocked, the water, electricity and telephone were cut, and the order was for families to gather to begin the process of retreat. Determined to resist - as the repossession had been suspended on Friday - the residents did not accept the command, initiating a dramatically violent situation that lasted all day and that has resulted in homeless families, people injured, arrests and rumors, including of the existence of fatalities.

East Asia

Hong Kong residents are becoming outraged: the cultural clashes have citizens and bloggers in a tense situation where any event is cause for fury:

China and Hong Kong: Train Scuffle Ignites Cross-Border Fury

Hong Kong Rethinks its Relationship with Mainland China

While bloggers in Hong Kong complain about their stretched resources and bubble economy, seeing the mainlanders as the intruders and sharing music videos where Mainland Chinese are compared to locusts, others such as Grey Reporter see both parties as victims of the system:

Actually, Hong Kongers and mainlanders share the same destiny – to end the authoritarian rule of the Chinese Communist Party and the collusion between the rich and the powerful.

Wonder

Middle East & North Africa

Jordan: Let it Snow

Snow in Jordan had people whipping out their mobile phones and documenting the long awaited snow fall, even if it didn't stick.

But in case you are in a place where the snow does stick, what about checking out the video tutorial on how to build an igloo with just snow and a knife?

Eastern and Central Europe

CEE: A “Safe House” and an Igloo

Estonia: The SS-Trap Revisited

Vilhelm Konnander — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:26:24 +0000

Kloty of Gedanken über Estland portrays [ger] Estonia's ambivalence over its historic past, as rumours and denials recur that the government wants to declare Estonians who fought in German uniform during the Second World War freedom fighters.

Russia: A Critical Eye on Protests

Vilhelm Konnander — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:13:46 +0000

Der Unbequeme turns a critical eye on [ger] the ongoing protests in Moscow against the results of parliamentary elections, arguing that protesters are few, divided, and that an actual OSCE-assessment of elections is still lacking.

Russia: Alcohol Consumption Down

Vilhelm Konnander — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:58:44 +0000

Russland in der Krise! notes [ger] that alcohol consumption in Russia has decreased from 18 to 15 litres of alcohol, and attributes the decrease to a change in consumer habits and less availability.

Baltics-Sweden: Twenty Years of Independence

Vilhelm Konnander — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:13:11 +0000

Albatros of Litauen blog reports about [ger] Swedish celebrations of 20 years of independence for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and how Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, apologised to his Baltic colleagues for recognizing soviet annexation during World War II.

Russia: Babe Armies of Putin, Medvedev and Limonov

Vilhelm Konnander — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:41:39 +0000

Gerhard Mangott reports [ger] that the use of Russian pre-election campaign videos with scantily clad girls now has spread from Prime Minister Putin [ru], via President Medvedev [ru], to National Bolshevik leader Limonov [ru].

Lithuania-Belarus: Banks Help Prosecute Opposition Activist

Vilhelm Konnander — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:50:18 +0000

Albatros of Litauen blog discusses [ger] how Lithuanian banks and authorities have delivered information on bank accounts of Belarusan opposition groups, which has led to the prosecution of Viasna activist Ales Belyatsky for tax evasion.

Syria: World Cities Rally Against and For Bashar

Thalia Rahme — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:23:19 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

As the death toll in Syria increases, the International Community is running out of patience and hardening its tone against Syrian president Bashar Al Assad demanding for change and reforms. Abroad the diaspora has also been involved actively since the beginning of the protests in March 2011. Almost all cities around the world have witnessed rallies and demonstrations, some asking Assad to leave, and others declaring their dying love for him.

From San Francisco (11 June, 2011) and Chicago (July 3), to Washington DC ( 23 July), the US capital, where people chanted: ‘‘Leave Leave Bashar” in front of the White House; almost all big cities in the US witnessed opposition gatherings manifesting their solidarity with the people of Daraa, Homs and Deir el Zor among others.

Here is video uploaded by AhmedIbnAlsham on August 6, where protesters where carrying a poster representing Hafez and Bashar Al Assad and written on it: ”Like father, like son”:

Assad also has his supporters in the US like in California (April 3). Chicago too, held another pro-regime rally on April 3 and June 10 while defenders of the regime met in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York (May 1) to assert their love to their leader.

Wave of rallies hit Latin America as well. On June 26, Syrians in Santiago, Chile, chanted “El Pueblo Quiere Bashar el Assad” or ”The People Want Bashar Al Assad”, as we can see in this footage by Zaizuni:

We move to Europe and start with London (June 18) where Syrians called Assad an assassin, to Brussels (July 23), the headquarters of the European Parliament, to Milano in Italy (12 and 17 July). There, potesters, it seems, are no longer satisfied with reforms or even the call for the toppling of the regime. They want to bring it to trial.

Here's a video by Hazem Daoudi, taken in Geneva on August 6, Switzerland, facing the UN Headquarters:

France which is home to a large Syrian community has been witnessing continuous demonstrations, like in Strasbourg on 2 and 16 July, and this two-week sit-in, facing Place du Châtelet in Paris. YouTube user Mesudh75, posts this video showing a peaceful protest in front of the Syrian consulate and the Syrian Cultural Center in Paris:

In Germany, people took to the streets in Leipzig (July 7), Berlin (July 23) and Bonn on August 6 and August 8, not to forget Munich where on that same day, where this video from HutaafElhurriyyeh shows Germans showing solidarity with Syrians and singing the Syrian National Anthem:

Close to Munich, in Vienna, Austria, another protest took place, where this footage was taken and posted by AhmadSouri during a demo on August 9, in front of the Syrian Embassy:

Anti-Bashar protests also took place in Ukraine (April 22) Romania (June 30), Russia (July 31) and Greece (August 2), calling for the end of fascism:

In Turkey, protesters gathered in front of the Iranian embassy in Istanbul on August 5, denouncing the Islamic Republic stance towards the protest. They were joined on August 7, by members of the Felicity or Saadet party in front of the Syrian Consulate as we can see in this video by khaled111h:

But Assad can also rely on his supporters in Europe, who consider him as the only guarantee for stability and security in Syria. The streets of Paris, France, witnessed severaldemonstrations on June 11 and July 3 , 4 11 and 12 .

Diaspora in Odessa, Ukraine, flew balloons with the Syrian flag on June 4 for Assad. Others marched on June 6 in Kazan City in Russia for the same reason.

Syrians in Armenia also portrayed their support to their president on March 2011:

Despite the turmoil and unrest in the Arab world, and its own inner revolution, its capitals were keen on showing their solidarity and compassion with the Syrians.

This is Tunis on August 6, in a video by wadoodfreesyrian where people were chanting:” Syria is Free! Bashar get out!”:

In Egypt on August 1, OmawiTV shows angry people following the Hama Massacre and calling for the expulsion of the Syrian Ambassador:

In Lebanon, the situation is a bit delicate due to the complex relation between both countries. Quite often, opponents and loyalists of the Damascus regime clashed and the army had to intervene to separate both parties. The latest rally in solidarity with the Syrian people was held on Monday, August 8 in Martyrs Square in Beirut. This was a gathering which was attended by a lot of intellectuals, journalists and activists among which we note the presence of prominent Lebanese composer and singer Marcel Khalife. You can check Mahmoud Ghazayel's photos of the event, on Facebook.

Participants were chanting “This a shout from Lebanon - Calling for Human Rights”:

Jordanians conducted Taraweeh, the nightly Ramadan prayers, on August 2 in front of the Syrian Embassy as we can see in this video taken directly from the scene of events by Basemaggad. Bassem recorded another video in August 8 too.

Similar rallies took places in the Gulf monarchies cities, like in Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, on August 8, where we can hear people shouting “Syria is for us and not for the Assad Family”:

Here is another video from Jeddah at night on the same day by hama19822011:

In Kuwait (August 5 and 7) and Bahrain (August 5, 8 and 9, protesters are demanding the expulsion of Syrian Ambassador from both respective countries and the freezing of the bilateral ties with Damascus. Protests were attended by several political figures and members of both parliaments.

This video by daraahoran shows people in Kuwait in front of Syrian Embassy, calling for the overthrow of the Baath party.

Syrians and Bahrainis rallied in Manama on August 9, chanting“Daraa, we're with you, till death !”

We conclude our round up in the Australian continent, where seems the Assad opponents and partisans also voiced their support and vice versa.

In Auckland, New Zealand, approximately 200 people gathered in protest against the regime for killing innocent Syrian civilians on July 30.

Demonstrations were also held in Sydney, Australia, on August 2 against the regime:

In another demonstration in Sydney on April 3, protested to say that ”Bashar is the best president in the whole Middle East and the world there will be no one like him”.

Protests against the Syrian regime, are penciled in for London, Paris and Tunis tomorrow (August 13).

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

Thumbnail and featured image ‘Protest to support Syrian opposition at State Department - Berlin', by Thorsten Strasas, copyright Demotix (06/08/11).

Walking through Japan

Scilla Alecci — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 03:40:12 +0000

On August 1st Thomas Köhler started a mission: to walk trough three of the major Japanese islands, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
Köhler - who works as a manager at a tour operator - came up with the project after the March 11 disaster, when the number of visitors to Japan began to decrease. “In order to regain trust and confidence, I am determined to go ahead with my project, “Walking through Japan”, and find and communicate positive signals throughout my journey through Japan,” he wrote on the first day of his adventure.
He has been documenting his journey in English, German and Japanese at Walking Through Japan.

Lithuania: Crushing Illegal Parking

Vilhelm Konnander — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:26:03 +0000

Journalist & Optimist tells [ger] how the mayor of Lithuania's capital Vilnius crushes a car with a tank, in an attempt to show non-tolerance of illegal parking, a long-time problem in the city.