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‘Hope, Service, Passion': Meet Laura Boldrini, Italy's Likable Leader in Parliament

Mirella Biagi — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:45:42 +0000

[All links lead to Italian-language pages unless otherwise noted.]

Italy's most recent elections swept several non-career politicians into office. Among these new players on the Italian political scene is writer and human rights activist Laura Boldrini [en], whose popularity during her short time in office has skyrocketed thanks to a reputation for sincerity and compassion at a time when corruption is ever present in the country's politics.

On March 16th, 2013, Boldrini was elected as a member of parliament from the democratic socialist Left Ecology Freedom [en] party and won the seat of new president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies with an overwhelming 327 votes out of 345.

She is a blogger who writes for the Repubblica newspaper's blog Popoli in Fuga and for The Huffington Post Italia [en] – and has been awarded various prizes and titles for her social commitment, including that of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic [en], the highest ranking honour of the Republic.

From left to right: Laura Boldrini, Giorgio Napolitano (President of Italy) and Pietro Grasso (President of the Italian Senate). Photo by Jaqen on wikimedia.org

There are many comments in her favour on the Internet. The website fanpage.it presents her experience in international conflict zones as follows:

Chi è? Si tratta senza dubbio di un nome nuovo della politica: è stata eletta nelle fila di Sel (Sinistra ecologia e libertà) e prima di essere candidata è stata a lungo portavoce dell'Alto Commissariato delle Nazioni Unite per i Rifugiati. Prima ancora ha lavorato per la FAO, dove si occupava della produzione audio e video. Ha svolto numerose missioni in luoghi critici: dall'ex Jugoslavia all'Afghanistan, dall'Angola al Ruanda, passando per Iraq, Iran e Sudan. Si tratta con ogni evidenza di una personalità dall'altissimo valore….

Who is she? She is without a doubt a new name in politics: she was elected from the ranks of SEL (Left Ecology Freedom) and before being nominated she had been the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for many years. Earlier still she worked for FAO (UN's Food and Agriculture Organization), where she was in charge of audio and video production. She carried out many missions in critical locations: from the former Yugoslavia to Afghanistan, from Angola to Rwanda, through Iraq, Iran and Sudan. She is clearly a very worthy personality…

The President of the Chamber of Deputies’ commitment is not limited to sitting behind a desk. Photo by a-a.akamaihd.net, published on Laura Boldrini's Facebook page

A post published by Patrizio Gonnella on linkontro.info describes Laura Boldrini's commitment alongside civil society at the international level:

Ho conosciuto Laura Boldrini. E’ stata al fianco di tutte quelle organizzazioni non governative e sociali che si sono nel tempo opposte al pensiero prevalente intollerante e xenofobo. Con lei molti di noi hanno condiviso l’esperienza della campagna “Io non ho paura”.

Era il tempo in cui l’attuale neopresidente della regione Lombardia e allora ministro degli Interni Roberto Maroni voleva schedare tutti i rom, bimbi compresi. Non è accaduto un secolo fa soli ma quattro anni addietro. A quel tempo la destra ha inserito nel nostro ordinamento giuridico quell’obbrobrio che è il reato di clandestinità.

I met Laura Boldrini. She stands alongside all the non-governmental and social organisations that have, over time, opposed prevailing intolerant and xenophobic thoughts. Many of us have shared with her the experience of the “I am not afraid” campaign.

It was the period when the current newly-elected president of Lombardy and the then Minister of the Interior Roberto Maroni wanted to keep files on all the gypsies, including children. It did not happen a century ago but just four years ago. At that time the right-wing politicians had inserted into our laws the disgrace that is the crime of being an undocumented immigrant.

The Honourable Laura Boldrini in a class of Somali children who live in a refugee camp in Kenya. Photo taken from her Facebook page.

Her inaugural speech was very much appreciated, to the point of making her listeners forget some of the ideological conflicts at the heart of parliament. The blog polisblog.it reported that Pietro Ingrao, who had been President of the Chamber from 1976 to 1979, wrote to the newly-elected president defining her speech a “message of hope”:

Condivido il senso profondo delle tue parole, il richiamo ai valori fondanti della Repubblica nata dall’antifascismo, la difesa dei diritti di cittadinanza, l’impegno dalla parte degli ultimi. L’Italia è attesa a grandi sfide per le quali c’è bisogno della passione, della moralità e dell’intelligenza di persone come te.

I share the profound message of your words, the reference to the founding values of the Republic born from anti-fascism, the defence of the rights to citizenship and the commitment of the less privileged. There are great challenges ahead for Italy which require the passion, morality and intelligence of people like you.

The Huffington Post blog quoted some passages of her speech in which Boldrini explained her vision of what the Parliament should represent for every citizen and the reactions of the chamber:

La politica deve tornare ad essere speranza, servizio e passione”, dice voce che riesce a mantenere ferma nonostante l’emozione. E in aula convince anche chi non l’ha eletta: i 109 deputati del Movimento 5 stelle, per esempio, all’inizio spiazzati, ma poi in piedi ad applaudire. ….

Boldrini piace.

“Politics must go back to representing hope, service and passion”, says a voice that manages to stay steady in spite of the emotion. And in the chamber she also convinces those who did not elect her: for example, the 109 MPs of the 5 Star Movement were taken aback at first, but then stood to applaud her….

Boldrini is liked.

When discussing the role of Italy in European integration, of Europe at international level, the website byoblu.com quotes her inaugural speech:

”l'Italia fa parte del nucleo dei fondatori del processo di integrazione europea, e dovremo impegnarci ad avvicinare i cittadini italiani a questa sfida”, “perché l'Europa torni ad essere un grande sogno, un crocevia di popoli e di culture, un approdo certo per i diritti delle persone”, “un luogo della libertà, della paternità e della pace”.

“Italy is one of the core founders of the European integration process, and we must strive to bring Italian citizens closer to this challenge, so that Europe can go back to being a grand dream, a crossroads of peoples and cultures, a safe haven for human rights, a place of freedom, fraternity and peace”.

In the space of just a few days, Boldrini's Facebook page, where she writes about what she does, went from having 25,000 “friends” to almost 60,000. Every new post elicits numerous comments. There are many displays of sympathy and satisfaction:

Giovanni Guariento Auguri per il Suo nuovo incarico. Anche se non condivido le politiche troppo accoglienti e permissive, soprattutto nei confronti degli stranieri irregolari, mi sembra che Lei dia l'impressione di persona che ha a cuore le istituzioni.Buon lavoro.

Marco Zaniboni A me piace molto, è una donna, è in gamba, si è impegnata nel sociale, che altro si può pretendere? considerate che il predecessore era uno come fini….il che è tutto dire..

Giovanni Guariento Congratulations on your new role. Even if I do not agree with too lax and welcoming policies, especially with regards to illegal immigrants, you give me the impression that you have the institutions at heart. Good luck.

Marco Zaniboni I like her a lot: she's a woman, she is capable, she is committed to social issues. What else do you want? Considering that the predecessor was Fini… enough said.

However, some people found the speech too smarmy:

Gianluca Poddighe neanche il papa ha fatto un discorso cosi mieloso e schifosamente buonista, Cara boldirini cosa vuol fare ? far venire tutti i disperati del mondo in Europa e in Italia e dargli sussidi con i fondi delle tasse dei pochi ormai europei che lavorano? si vergogni!! e pensi alle pensionate ITALIANE che fruganno nell immondizia o ai nostri laureati loro si i veri “rifugiati” in terre straniere …..

Gianluca Poddighe Not even the pope made such a sickly sweet speech. Dear Boldrini, what do you want to do? Make all the wretches of the world come to Europe and Italy and give them benefits with money from the taxes of the now few Europeans who have a job? Shame on you! Think of the ITALIAN pensioners that rummage in the garbage or of our graduates – those are the true “refugees” in foreign lands…

The few negative comments like this one have caused replies full of mockery and anger by the almost 60,000 “friends” of the page, such as:

Santa Carla Papa Cara Boldrini , un attacco di questo genere equivale ad un applauso ! So per certo che Lei è attrezzata…siamo sulla strada Giusta !

Santa Carla Papa Dear Boldrini, an attack of this kind is like a round of applause! I know for certain that you are equipt…we are on the right path!

Every time that she establishes an official act, Boldrini writes a summary of it online: following her interview with journalist Lilli Gruber from private TV channel La7, there were at least 4,000 positive comments such as this one:

Claudio Federici Glielo auguro di vero cuore, per Lei e per tutti noi. Ho seguito la sua intervista dalla Gruber….mi ha fatto tornare la voglia di mettermi davanti alla TV a seguire trasmissioni in cui si parla di politica. Il problema e’ che appena l'ho fatto sono ripiombato nei consueti strilli tra sordi.

Claudio Federici I wish you luck for your sake and all of ours. I watched your interview with Gruber… It made me want to start watching TV programmes about politics again. The problem is that as soon as I did I was plunged back into the usual cries among deaf people.

Because of the many scandals that have affected almost all parties and the carelessness with which politicians are often accused of spending public money, waste of resources has become a salient issue. The Boldrini has not disappointed those who now expect concrete action from her: On 2 April, 2013 on her Facebook page, she explained that:

Dalla data del mio insediamento alla Camera dei Deputati sono stati tagliati 500.000 euro al giorno. I risparmi già decisi, infatti, ammontano complessivamente a 8 milioni e mezzo di euro.

Since I took my place in the Chamber of Deputies 500,000 euros of cuts have been made every day. In fact, the savings that have already been made amount to eight and a half million euros.

As proof that the words of her inaugural speech were not just hot air, the president has already undertaken many acts. Here are a few examples that she recounted on her Facebook page:

La mia presenza al pranzo di Pasqua della mensa di padre Guido, presso la parrocchia dei SS. Cosma e Damiano di Ancona, non è un evento straordinario: è nel solco del mio vissuto.
La qualità delle persone non si misura dal reddito ma dai valori che custodiscono ed in questo momento di crisi, che crea nuovi poveri, compito delle cariche istituzionali è stare vicino alle persone bisognose.

I was present at Father Guido's Easter lunch, at the Saint Cosma and Damiano from Ancona parish. It is not an extraordinary event: it follows on from my experience.
People's quality is not measured by their income but by their values and in this time of crisis, that creates new poor people, the task of those that hold institutional roles is to be close to the people in need.

She phoned Patrizia Moretti – mother of Federico Aldrovandi, an 18-year-old who died in 2005 during a “police search” – showing satisfaction for the solidarity shown after an unfortunate event: following the sentencing of the four policemen responsible to three years and six months in prison in 2009, some police officers who were members of the Organisation for the Trade Union Independence of the Police Force organised a solidarity sit-in for the four condemned policemen under the window of the town hall of Ferrara where the mother of the victim works.

Her report of this act on 27 March, 2013 gathered nearly 8,700 likes and 4,309 comments:

Ho telefonato a Patrizia Moretti per esprimerle affettuosa vicinanza. Le ho detto quanto ritengo intollerabile che, oltre al dolore ineguagliabile per la perdita di un figlio, lei debba subire l’offesa di una protesta così spietata e incivile.

I phoned Patrizia Moretti to express my sympathy. I told her that I think it intolerable that, in addition to the unparalleled pain of losing a son, she must also suffer the insult of such a ruthless and uncivilised protest.

After her election, the Rizzoli publishing house published her latest book, titled “Only the Mountains Never Meet.” This publishing house had already published her first book titled “Everyone Back,” in 2010. Part of her royalties for these books go to non-governmental organisations who deal with people in particularly disadvantaged situations.

By following this link it is possible to see a presentation of her first book in Italian.

Podcast:China-Africa Relations Through Social Media

Abby — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:56:58 +0000

The China in Africa Podcast discusses how social media is influencing China's engagement in Africa.

India's ‘Paradoxical’ Right To Property

Rezwan — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:43:16 +0000

In a podcast at mylaw.net legal practitioner Namita Wahi talked about the paradox of the fundamental right to property in the Indian Constitution and how to deal with it.

Podcast: China's Apple Attack

Abby — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 03:12:04 +0000

Sinica discusses and analyzes the Chinese state media's two-week attack on Apple's service policy as part of a campaign for Chinese consumers.

Hackers in Arab Cities: Fab Lab and Tech in Egypt

Thalia Rahme — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:56:45 +0000

Sabine is a journalist, Ophelia is a photographer and a videomaker: both are former contributors to OWNI (a Global Voices media partner in France) and are currently shooting a web-documentary entitled ”Les hackers dans la cité arabe (Hackers in Arab Cities) about technology, applications, hacker labs and maker spaces, that are blossoming nowadays in the Maghreb and the Middle East.

Ophelia Noor (left) and Sabine Blanc (right)

Sabine and Ophelia are currently taking part in the World Social Forum in Tunis (March 26-30). They will speak about “hacking”. In the West, hacking is more or less considered part of a geeky and rather privileged culture. On the other side of the Mediterranean, it is rather the product of revolution, giving a new impulse towards collaborative practices and innovations, spaces that are open to everyone.

Over the next weeks, Global Voices will re-publish and help translate in three languages (Arabic, French, English) excerpts of their journeys and encounters with young open source developers from Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Iraq. We begin this series with an interview with Mahmoud El-Safti, co-founder of a hacker space in Giza, Egypt.

Mahmoud El-Safti on the creation of a hackerspace in Giza

Mahmoud el Safty (Photo Ophélia Noor, used with permission)

Mahmoud El-Safty co-founded Giza Hackerspace and Fab Lab Egypt, the first of their kind in Egypt, with both projects located in Giza, in the suburbs of Cairo. This young, smiling engineer speaks with enthusiasm about his faith in hackerspaces/makerspaces.

To listen to the podcast in English click here. Below is a transcript of the interview.

I think starting initiatives like having maker spaces and hacker spaces, where people can gain practical experience and share knowledge and practice theoretical information they have, will have a great impact on society and on the educationnal system, and changing people's minds as well. When people collaborate in a fun atmosphere, not gathering to study for an exam but rather to work on projects they are passionate about and interested in, of course they will make it the best they can. Probably later, a lot of projects to come out of such spaces will be products and start-up companies. In fact, we have open source products, software and hardware, that are currently available in the market that come from hacker spaces et maker spaces.

Text and sound by Sabine Blanc.

Global Voices Podcast Special: Habemus Podcast!

Georgia Popplewell — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:36:13 +0000

Hello, World – welcome to a special edition of the Global Voices Podcast.

On Tuesday, March 12, 2013 the college of cardinals assembled at the Vatican to elect the new head of the Roman Catholic church, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28. On Wednesday evening the Cardinal Protodeacon emerged onto the central balcony as St. Peter's Basilica and uttered the words “Habemus Papam!” (“We Have a Pope!”), and presented Pope Francis.

With two African cardinals considered at one point to be potential successors to Pope Benedict XVI, we spoke with Steve Sharra and Abdoulaye Bah from our Africa team about the possibility of an African pope, the continent's expectations of the next pope, and why cardinals at this week's papal conclave might have played games like volleyball.

Global Voices has a cardinal! Author Abdoulaye Bah with director Nanni Moretti on the set of the film “We Have a Pope”

Did you like the public domain Gregorian chants featured in the podcast? Get yours from Partners in Rhyme.

Thanks to Laura Morris for her support in producing this show!

Sant'Egidio Community Helps Free Senegalese Hostages

Will Masters — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:24:53 +0000

Negotiations started in Rome around mid-October between representatives of the Senegalese Government and the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) [it]. On 9 December, 2012, through the mediation of the Sant'Egidio Community, 8 Senegalese prisoners were freed, amongst them are 6 soldiers, a policeman and a civilian, according to the website scoopsdeziguinchor.com.

The MFDC, divided into various factions, has led Guerrillas towards independence in Casamance [it], the most southern Senegalese region and a strip of land between Guinea-Bissau and the Gambia, since 1982.

The blog fattodiritto.it summarises [it] the events:

Nell’ultimo anno, diversi soldati senegalesi sono stati uccisi e altri rapiti nel territorio del Casamance, a seguito di attacchi dei ribelli separatisti. La Comunità cattolica di Sant’Egidio, mediatrice ufficiale tra il governo senegalese e i separatisti, ha iniziato i negoziati a Roma, il 14 Ottobre 2012. Come prima cosa, ha chiesto la liberazione dei soldati senegalesi al leader dell’MFDC, Salif Sadiò, il quale ha aderito positivamente alla richiesta. Ieri, 9 Dicembre 2012, i soldati sono stati liberati alla presenza dei rappresentanti della Croce Rossa Internazionale e la Comunità di Sant’Egidio, composta da don Angelo Romano e Mauro Garofalo. I soldati, sono stati riportati nel territorio della Repubblica del Gambia.

Last year, numerous Senegalese soldiers were killed, and others taken hostage in the region of Casamance, following separatist rebel attacks. The Sant’Egidio’s Catholic community, the official middleman between the Senegalese Government and the separatists, opened the negotiations in Rome, on the 14 October 2012. To begin, there were calls for Salif Sadiò, leader of the MFDC, to release the Senegalese soldiers. Salif Sadiò agreed to the request. Yesterday, 9 December 2012, the soldiers were released in the presence of representatives of the International Red Cross and the Sant’Egidio Community, comprising Don Angelo Romano and Mauro Garofalo. The soldiers have since returned to the Republic of The Gambia.

Massimo A. Alberizzi adds [it], on the website africaexpress.corriere.it:

Grazie alla comunità di Sant’Egidio che ha trattato a oltranza, otto soldati senegalesi nelle mani dei ribelli che lottano per l’indipendenza della Casamance (la regione più meridionale dell’ex colonia francese) sono stati liberati oggi. Alcuni erano prigionieri da poco meno di due anni, altri da un anno. In realtà uno di loro non è un militare ma un pompiere. I guerriglieri del MFDC (Movimento delle Forse Democratiche della Casamance), secondo la comunità di Sant’Egidio, non hanno chiesto nulla in cambio. Probabilmente però un po’ di visibilità gli è più che gradita. La loro lotta dura dal 1982 e solo rarissimamente ha avuto l’onore di apparire sui giornali.

Thanks to the Sant’Egidio Community, eight Senegalese soldiers in the hands of the rebels fighting for independence in Casamance (the most southern region of the ex-French colony) were freed today. Some had been held hostage for little under two years, other for a year. In reality, one was not a soldier, but rather a fireman. The guerrillas of the MFDC (Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance), according to Sant’Egidio Community, have asked for nothing in exchange. More than likely they will relish the increased visibility. Their fight, despite having been on-going since 1982, has only occasionally appeared in the press.

The release has sparked great reaction throughout Senegal. The blog ferloo.com, while interviewing Jean Marie Biagui, MFDC general political secretary, writes [fr]:

Les huit (8) soldats libérés le dimanche grâce à l’intervention de la communauté chrétienne de Sant-Egidio, ont été capturés par le Mfdc d’abord lors de l’attaques du cantonnement de Kabeum (Sédhiou) et ensuite quelques semaines plus tard de Brigade de gendarmerie d’Affiniam (Bignona). Le Président de la République qui a accueilli dimanche les ex-otages à la base militaire de Ouakam (Dakar) a réaffirmé son engagement à tout mettre en œuvre pour le retour de la paix en Casamance où une crise à l’irrédentisme a commencé en 1982.

The eight (8) soldiers who were freed on Sunday, thanks to the intervention of the Sant’Egidio Catholic Community, had been taken prisoner by the MFDC during the course of the first attacks against the Kabeum (Sédhiou) regiments and then, only a few weeks later, against the Gendarmeria in Affiniam (Bignona). The President of the Republic, who on Sunday welcomed the ex-hostages to the military base in (Dakar,) reiterated that they are making every effort to restore peace in Casamance, where problems first started in 1982.

The website senenews.com writes [fr]:

Depuis la capture de ces soldats plusieurs structures ou personnalités sont entrées en médiation pour leur libération. Il s’agit notamment du Cicr, de la Communauté Sant’Egidio. L’ancien ministre d’Etat, Robert Sagna, a été également très actif. Il a été l’émissaire de Macky Sall sur ce dossier. Sans tambour ni trompette, l’ancien maire de Ziguinchor se rendait très souvent dans le maquis, en passant par la Gambie pour rencontrer Salif Sadio pour libérer ces vaillants soldats.

Ever since the capture of these eight soldiers, various organisations and famous faces have played a part in working towards their release. Amongst these include the CICR and the Sant’Egidio Community. The Ex- Minister of State, Robert Sagna has also played an active role, as has the affluent Macky Sall in this report. Without fanfare, the former mayor of Ziguinchor often went into the woods through the Gambia to meet Salif Sadiò, so that they may negotiate the release of these courageous soldiers.

The Cardinal Theodore Sarr, archbishop of Dakar, has commented on the unfolding of events in an interview with Helene Destombes [it], in a French transcript of Radio Vaticana:

E’ veramente una bella notizia per tutti i senegalesi: ne sono veramente molto, molto contento. E’ davvero un motivo di sollievo e contemporaneamente di speranza. E’ un primo passo: c’erano già stati contatti preliminari, a Roma, tra una delegazione del governo del Senegal e una delegazione del Movimento di Salif Sadiò, alla presenza della Comunità di Sant’Egidio che ha svolto le funzioni di testimone. Si è trattato sostanzialmente di preliminari, eppure questo atto è una grande prima tappa che consentirà il proseguimento dei negoziati e, come noi crediamo fermamente, un loro esito positivo. C’è una seconda ala del Movimento, l’Mfdc, con il quale è necessario prendere contatti e so che questo è un momento favorevole per farlo, so che è ben disposto al dialogo. Quindi, se veramente le due principali ali del Movimento iniziano un dialogo con il governo del Senegal, penso si possa dire di essere sulla buona strada per la pace.

This really is great news for all Senegalese people: they truly are very, very happy. It’s a reason to breathe a sigh of relief, and should inspire us all with great hope. It’s a first step:there has already been preliminary contact, in Rome, between the delegates representing the Senegalese Government and Salif Sadiò’s movement, all of which have taken place in the presence of the Sant’Egidio Community, who is acting as witness. Although still in the early stages, this act is a huge first step that will allow negotiations to continue and, as we firmly believe, a positive outcome. There is a second wing of the MFDC movement, in which it is necessary to make contacts, and this is the most opportune moment in which to do so, as people are still open to talk. For this reason, if the two main bosses from the movement are capable of starting up dialogue with the Senegalese government, then I believe it can be said that this is a step towards peace.

Fattodiritto.it still provides [it] many other stories to better understand the reasons that motivate the Guerrilla movement:

Secondo gli storici, la guerra per l’indipendenza del Casamance è iniziata a causa di una mancata promessa del celebre presidente e poeta senegalese Leopold Senghor. Nel 1960 egli promise ai leader del Casamance, che, se si fossero uniti al Senegal per vent’anni, avrebbero ottenuto successivamente la loro indipendenza. Quando ciò non accadde, nel 1980, il Casamance insorse con manifestazioni violente per le strade della capitale, Ziguinchor. Manifestazioni represse brutalmente con violazioni di diritti umani. Da quell’anno, iniziò una guerra civile fatta di rapimenti, attacchi, rivolte, che ha comunque prodotto nel tempo circa un milione di profughi e migliaia di morti.

According to the stories, the Casamance’s war for indipendance started as a result of a broken promise, made by the President and the Senegalese, Leopold Senghor. In 1960, he promised the leader of Casamance that, if they were to be united in Senegal for 20 years, they would be granted their independence. When this failed to happen, in 1980, violent demonstrations broke out in streets of the Casamance capital, Ziguinchor. The demonstrations demonstrated such brutality that they violated human rights. Since then, a civil war comprising kidnapping, attacks, uprisings broke out. This war, over time, has led to around one million people becoming refugees as well as leading to thousands of deaths.

The website diasporas.biz [fr] describes the ways in which the Sant’Egidio Community has carried out its work:

Salif Sadio, qui se présente comme “chef d’état-major général, commandant en chef des forces combattantes du maquis” du MFDC affirme, dans un communiqué transmis mardi à l’AFP à Dakar, qu’il reste “disponible au dialogue” à condition que le dialogue se déroule en terrain neutre, hors d’Afrique. Salif Sadio a ainsi rappelé que l’ancien secrétaire général de Sant‘Egidio, l’abbé Augustin Diamacoune, décédé en 2007, “souhaitait qu’après l’échec de la médiation conjointe de la Gambie et de la Guinée-Bissau, la Communauté mette sa propre médiation à la disposition” des parties. Ce souhait “reste en nous” parce que le MFDC “espère que celle-ci fera preuve de neutralité dans sa médiation”.

Salif Sadio from the MFDC, who is presented as “the head of generally the biggest state and commander for the armed forces currently fighting in Macchia”, stated in a press release issued on Tuesday to the AFP in Dakar, that he is still “open to dialogue” on the condition that the dialogue take place on neutral territory, outside of Africa. Salif Sadio he recalls that the ex-general secretary of Sant’Egidio, Father Augustin Diamacoune Senghor, who went missing in 2007, “wanted the community to take its own steps,after negotiations failed in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissauche. This want “is ours”, as the MFDC “wants the Community to demonstrate its neutral status”.

However, in reality, it was the ex-President, Abdoulaye Wade who indicated that the Sant’Egidio Community should act as intermediary, during an interview with Radio France internazionale [it] on 5 January 2012, just before the elections, explaining the reason behind this suggestion:

Le 5 janvier dernier, lors d’un entretien à RFI, c’était le président sénégalais Abdoulaye Wade qui avait révélé avoir demandé à la Communauté de Sant’Egidio, proche du Vatican, de servir d’intermédiaire entre le gouvernement et la tendance du MFDC de Salif Sadio, afin de “régler cette question” de la crise en Casamance s’il est réélu.( ..) “je connais les gens de Sant’Egidio, parce que j’ai travaillé avec eux quand j’étais dans l’opposition (…) et je leur ai demandé d’être des facilitateurs entre le gouvernement du Sénégal et la tendance de Salif Sadio”.

On 5 January, Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, revealed that he asked the Sant’Egidio Community, near the Vatican, to mediate between the Government and the MFDC, in order to “resolve the issue” of the Crisis in Casamance, if he were to be re-elected. (…) I know the people of Sant’Egidio, because I worked with them when I was in the opposition (…) and have asked them to be faciliators between the Senegalese Government and Sadio’s MFDC.”

The Sant’Egidio Community has worked on various projects on African soil, including Mozambique, Algeria, Guinea and the Costa d’Avorio, having also received international recognition for its activities. In addition to managing the DREAM [it] programme in the fight against Aids [it], which covers 10 African countries, 38 treatment centres, 20 labs, and 4,500 specialists. Andrea Riccardi, one of the founders of the community, is a Minister without portfolio [it] for international cooperation and integration activitiesin the outgoing Monti Cabinet [it].

Oral History Of The Indian Constitution

Rezwan — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 19:27:26 +0000

Rohit De at ‘Law And Other Things’ informs that journalist, blogger and writer Sidin Vadukut has uploaded a series of podcasts on the oral history of the Indian constitution, beginning with the reforms of 1858.

Italy: #iostoconmarco, hunger strike against inhuman jail conditions

Ciara Nugent — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:38:26 +0000

[All links point to original resources in Italian, unless otherwise noted]

In early December 2012, the Italian hashtag #iostoconmarco [#imwithmarco] was trending on Twitter and Facebook, as well as being widely discussed in the blogosphere and on mainstream media across the country. Marco Pannella, the long-standing leader of the Partito Radicale Nonviolento Transnazionale e Transpartito [en, Non Violent Radical Transnational and Transparty], an NGO with general consultative status at the ECOSOC of the United Nations, embarked on another hunger and thirst strike to denounce living conditions in Italian prisons and to demand that measures are adopted to reduce the numbers of prisoners and to give them the right to vote.

On the website amnistiasubito.it [Amnesty Now], Pannella describes his aims as follows:

L'obiettivo è sempre quello: ottenere che lo Stato italiano interrompa la flagranza tecnicamente criminale in termini di diritto internazionale e della “ex” Costituzione italiana. Mentre continuano ad arrivare conferme dalla giurisdizione europea, abbiamo fornito lo strumento perchè questo possa accadere formalmente in dieci giorni. Come episodio enorme, storico, dopo 30 anni di tradimento ed illegalità”.

“The objective is always the same, to ensure that the Italian state puts an end to the concept of “flagrante delicto”, which is technically illegal under both international law and the “former” Italian Constitution. While the European judiciary continues to issue condemnations [of Italian prisons], we have provided the means to ensure that this can occur formally in ten days. A great event, a historic one, after 30 years of betrayal and illegality.”

Everyone admits that living conditions in its prisons are truly shocking in a country like Italy. In this video, entitled “Viaggio choc nelle prigioni italiane” (A shocking journey into Italian prisons), representatives of the criminal bar association testify to and denounce the conditions under which prisoners are forced to live. They declare that:

Fino a 9 detenuti occupano una cella per 4 persone. … La maggioranza dei detenuti trascorre in cella 20 ore su 24…

“Up to 9 prisoners share a cell designed for four people ….The majority of prisoners spend 20 hours a day in their cells…”

Publishing the latest National data, the website primadanoi.it points out that:

La maggior parte dei detenuti entrati nelle carceri nel 2011 (76.982) è in attesa di giudizio, mentre soltanto il 10% circa ha una condanna definitiva. Il 25% di questi torna in libertà entro una settimana.

“The majority of prisoners who entered prison in 2011 (76, 982 individuals) are awaiting trial, while only 10% of them have been sentenced. Of these 25% are released within a week.”

In a post published on unimondo.org last September, Alessandro Graziadei denounced the immobilism of the Italian government, citing the words of the MP Rita Bernardini:

A causa della mancanza di fondi per la manutenzione ordinaria e straordinaria, intere zone negli istituti sono chiuse, transennate, però restano nel computo della capienza regolamentare” inoltre “il disegno di legge delega del Governo in materia di depenalizzazione e decarcerizzazione, calendarizzato a marzo, oggi è ancora al palo”

“Because of the lack of funds for routine and one-off repairs, entire wings of institutions are closed, blocked off, but are still included in the official capacity figures”, and, moreover, “the Government's planned delegation law on decriminalisation and decarceration, scheduled for March, still remains on the starting blocks.”

March for Amnesty, Justice and Liberty on Liberation Day, 25th of April 2012 (photo by the author).

An analysis of the crowded conditions in prisons was published on ristretti.org:

Le cose non vanno meglio a “Poggioreale” (Napoli): 2.600 i detenuti presenti malgrado la struttura ne possa contenere la metà, con punte di 12 individui in celle in cui mancano le docce, a dispetto di quanto richiesto dal Regolamento di attuazione dell'Ordinamento penitenziario. A Lanciano, in Abruzzo, il tasso di sovraffollamento dell'istituto è del 170 per cento. La quasi totalità dei detenuti è dunque costretta a vivere al di sotto dei 3 metri quadrati, soglia minima oltre la quale – secondo quanto stabilito dalla Corte europea dei diritti dell'uomo – si configura la “tortura”.

Things are no better in the “Poggioreale” prison (Naples), where 2,600 prisoners are held in a building that was only designed to hold half of that number, with up to 12 individuals sharing cells without showers, contrary to what is required by the regulations of the Prison System Act. The prison in Lanciano, in the province of Abruzzo, is at 170% capacity. Almost all prisoners are, therefore, forced to live in an area of less than 3 metres squared, which amounts to a form of “torture”, according the European Court of Human Rights's definition.

As Ulisse Spinnato Vega explains in an investigation into the socio-economic aspects of prisons on lettera43.it:

Di norma, il 70% degli ex galeotti torna infatti a delinquere dopo il periodo di detenzione. Ma la percentuale crolla sotto il 20% se nel frattempo essi hanno svolto un’occupazione vera per conto di imprese o cooperative sociali.
I penitenziari italiani ospitano 66 mila persone e abbattere di un punto la recidiva significa tenerne fuori quasi 700 persone. Se si considera che il costo giornaliero di un detenuto si aggira sui 150 euro, lo Stato risparmia in modo diretto circa 35-36 milioni di euro.
Senza contare tutti i benefici sociali ed economici di un malvivente in meno per strada che minaccia, ferisce, uccide, ruba, rapina e impegna risorse dello Stato sul fronte repressivo.
Del resto, oltre il 50% della popolazione carceraria italiana ha tra i 21 e i 39 anni. Dunque, rappresenta un’ottima forza lavoro potenziale e, in epoca di cuneo fiscale altissimo, garantisce vantaggi competitivi alle imprese.

On average, 70% of former prisoners return to crime after the detention period. This percentage falls below 20% if, however, they have, in the meantime, gained experience of a real occupation thanks to businesses or social co-operatives.

Italian prisons are home to 66,000 people and reducing recidivism by 1 percent would mean keeping almost 700 people out of prison. If you consider that the daily cost per prisoner is around 150 Euros, this would directly save the State 35 to 36 million Euros.

This is without taking into account all the social and economic benefits of having one less criminal on the streets, threatening, injuring, killing, robbing, raping and using up less of the resources State dedicates to criminal justice.

Additionally, 50% of the prison population in Italy is between 21 and 39 years of age and represents, therefore, a good potential source of labour and, in the era of the high tax wedge, guarantees companies competitive advantages.

On his blog, Vittorio describes the problems with the judicial administration.

In Italia ci sono 9 milioni di processi arretrati e per ottenere una sentenza definitiva è necessario attendere 10 anni. Se da un lato il 70% dei furti e l’80% degli omicidi rimane impunito, dall'altro ogni anno 170mila processi cadono in prescrizione, un'amnistia per ricchi con buoni avvocati.

In Italy there are 9 million backlogged trials in the system and people often have to wait 10 years for a final sentence. If, on one hand, 70% of thefts and 80% of homicides remain unpunished, on the other hand, the statute of limitations lapses on 170,000 cases each year, an amnesty for rich people with good lawyers.

Jechil reveals the cost of the judicial system's inability to face up to the sheer scale of work involved:

Ancora di più: far ripartire il sistema della Giustizia, significa anche agire sui 6 milioni di processi civili arretrati che costano al nostro Paese 96 miliardi di euro in termini di mancata ricchezza (quasi l’1% del Pil italiano). Il centro Studi di Confindustria nel 2011 ha stimato che smaltire l’enorme mole di pratiche accumulate frutterebbe alla nostra economia il 4,9% del Pil, ma basterebbe abbatterne il tempo di risoluzione anche del 10% per guadagnare ogni anno lo 0,8% di Pil.

And moreover, to kick start the justice system, means tackling the backlog of 6 million unresolved civil procedures which cost our country 96 billion Euros in lost revenue (almost 1% of Italian GNP). In 2011 the Studi di Confindustria centre estimated that working through the enormous backlog would benefit our economy to the tune of 4.9% of GNP but that even cutting down the time taken to resolve just 10% of these cases would benefit the economy by 0.8% of GNP each year.

A post on the website ogginotizie.it declares that:

Ci sono anche il sindaco di Firenze Matteo Renzi e il governatore della Toscana Enrico Rossi tra i politici e le personalità toscane che hanno aderito a una lettera-appello a Marco Pannella nella quale si condividono i motivi della sua protesta, lo si invita a interrompere il digiuno e si promette al leader radicale che i firmatari intraprenderanno, per un giorno, a staffetta, uno sciopero della fame. All'iniziativa, partita dal consigliere regionale del Pd Enzo Brogi in accordo con i radicali fiorentini, hanno aderito anche, si spiega in una nota, Marco Taradash, consigliere regionale del Pdl, i musicisti Erriquez Greppi e Dolcenera, il regista Alessandro Benvenuti e il vignettista Sergio Staino.

The mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi, and the governor of Tuscany, Enrico Rossi, were among the politicians and Tuscan public figures that signed an open-letter to Marco Pannella, in which they supported the reasons for his protest, and called for him to halt his strike, promising that the signatories would take it in turns to go on a hunger strike for one day. In a note, it is explained that other supporters of the initiative, the brainchild of the regional PD counselor Enzo Brogi and Florentine radicals, include Marco Taradash, the PDL regional counselor, the musicians Erriquez Greppi and Dolcenera, the director Alessandro Benvenuti and the cartoonist Sergio Staino.

Young socialists in Lazio, the province in which Rome is situated, sent the following message of solidarity which was published on latuavoce.it,:

Ancora una volta, quest’uomo di oltre 80 anni, che ha introdotto grandi rivoluzioni in Italia, ci consegna una grande lezione di civiltà.

Once again, this man who is more than 80 years old, who brought great revolutions to Italy, has taught us a great lesson in civility.

Nonetheless, it would be a mistake to think that Italians support Marco Pannella unanimously. For example, one commentator on Repubblica.it, attiliomanduzio expresses the point of view of many Italians:

Se preferisce morire, lasciamolo morire, ‘sto rompicoglioni! Vuole solo portare all'attenzione generale la sua lista. Per poi, magari, al momento opportuno, sputare nel piatto dove mangia, come ha fatto quando i suoi sgherri non hanno fatto cadere il governo berlusconi con motivazioni ridicole. Basta! 40 anni fa ha dato una mano benemerita per l'introduzione di due istituti civili quali il divorzio e l'aborto, ma ora basta vivere di rendita!

If he wants to die, let's just let him die, the pain in the … that he is! He only wants to draw people's attention to his list. And then, perhaps, at the right moment, he'll bite the hand that feeds him, like he did when his goons failed to bring down Berlusconi's government for stupid reasons. Enough! 40 years ago he helped usher in two civil institutions, divorce and abortion, but he needs to stop living off past glories!

Meanwhile, on December 27th Marco Pannella called off his hunger strike, while declaring himself to be “ready to take it up again” if things don't begin to change. With the attention of the political world fixed on the scandals uncovered by the judiciary and the parliamentary, as well as the fall of the Monti government, the legality or illegality of the Italian State does not seems to be a priority at the moment. While the extensive media coverage has been fading away, it remains to be seen whether the main parties are planning to include some initiatives in favour of prisoners in their manifestos for the general elections of February 2013 or if, instead, they will fall back on the same old excuse that public opinion is not ready for the idea of a general amnesty.

Syria Plunges Into Total Info Darkness

Hisham Almiraat — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:11:40 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

On Thursday, the US-based internet connectivity monitoring firm, Renesys, reported that internet was cut off in Syria. Starting at 10.26am GMT on Thursday, the company reported that all of Syria's 84 IP address blocks were inaccessible, “effectively removing the country from the Internet.”

Renesys also posted the following graph which seems to show a nationwide total internet shutdown:

Image courtesy of Renesys

Renesys’ observation was later corroborated by Akamai, a major internet monitoring company, which posted a similar graph indicating a complete collapse of internet connectivity on Thursday morning.

Google Transparency Report, a tool that provides information about traffic to Google services from around the world, indicates a collapse in the use of all of its services in Syria, starting at 13:36 GMT on Thursday.

Scattered reports on Twitter from activists and Syrian expats unable to reach friends and loved ones inside the country also suggested a major disruption of mobile phone and landline networks.

Leila Nachawati Rego, a Syrian-Spanish expat, tweets:

Trying to call my family in Damascus for hours now. Internet and all communications shut down. Help us trend #InternetCutinSyria.

Reuters reported that on Thursday activists were resorting to satellite phones to make contact with the outside world.

Who pulled the plug?

Many seem to believe that the outage is a deliberate effort on the part of the Syrian government to cut the country off the internet.

Lama Bashor tweets :

The #InternetCutInSyria could mean one of 2 things: Either a bad sign of things to come or a regime that has completely run out of moves.

The Syrian Government has resorted to internet blackout tactics in the past. Last September, the internet was cut off focal fighting areas like Aleppo for 10 days as regime forces intensified their attacks against rebel forces in the city. This is, however, the first time the entire country is plunged into a near total information darkness.

“Terrorists,” not the state, were responsible for the countrywide Internet outage on Thursday, Syria's minister of information is said to have told al-Ikhbariya, a Syrian state-owned TV station. A claim swiftly rejected by experts. “In order for a whole-country outage, all [...] cables would have had to been cut simultaneously. That is unlikely to have happened,” comments CloudFlare, a website specialized in internet security and performance.

Any cracks in the wall?

As during the Egyptian revolution in early 2011, when the deposed regime decided to shut down the entire internet in an effort to take the steam out of the growing popular uprising, online activists rushed to provide alternate ways to connect to the global network. Telecomix, a hacktivist group, offers dialup numbers and access codes as tweeted by Anonymous earlier on Thursday:

Dial up access #Syria: +46850009990 +492317299993 +4953160941030 user:telecomix pw:telecomix OR +33172890150 login:toto pw:toto

Many international flights in and out of Syria were reportedly cancelled as fighting erupted near the Damascus airport area fueling speculations that the regime may be preparing for a major offensive against rebel forces.

Later on Thursday afternoon Syrian state TV announced the Damascus airport road was “secured” following major fighting.

For recent updates, please follow our coverage page of the Syrian revolution, and #internetcutinsyria and #syriablackout on Twitter with comments related to today’s internet blackout.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

Pakistan: Five Bomb Explosions Rock Three Cities In A Day

Kumail Ahmed — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 05:45:51 +0000

Wednesday, November 21 was a horrendous day when Taliban attacked Imambargahs, Muharram mourning processions, and law enforcement agencies in Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Quetta. In total, 20 people lost their lives and more 43 people got injured.

Taliban spokesperson Ehsan Ullah Ehsan bluntly accepted the responsibility for the sectarian attacks on Shia Muslims, and vowed that more attacks of such magnitude will continue to take place in future.

Bomb Blast in Karachi

Two bombs exploded consecutively near an Imambargah in the area of Orangi town. The bomb was planted inside a rickshaw. Mourning processions were not taking place at the time of the blast. Security forces swiftly surrounded the area, pushing the crowd and media people out of danger. Suddenly, a second blast erupted. Major causalities were not reported.

People and Security officials gather at site after bomb blast near Imambargah Hyder-e-Karrar in Orangi Town in Karachi. Image by Owais Aslam Ali. Copyright Demotix (21/11/2012)

On 18th November, a bomb blast exploded in front of an Imambargah in the locality of Abbass Town killing 2 people and left 15 injured.

Bomb Blast in Quetta

This attacked was explicitly targeted on the law enforcement agencies. A 15kg bomb was planted on a motorcycle near the main gate of the district jail. 7 people were killed including 3 personnels from the Frontier Constabulary (FC). More than 16 people got injured.

Bomb Blast in Rawalpindi

A suicide bomber – probably 17 or 18 years of age – exploded himself in between a mourning procession in Dhok Sayidan area. The technique was similar to that used in Karachi. Two bombs exploded one after the other with a forty minute gap in between. This was the most sanguine act of all, killing 23 mourners that included 8 children.

People gather around to look at the destruction caused by a suicide bomb in Rawalpindi. Image by Sajjad Ali Qureshi. Copyright: Demotix (21/11/2012)

Reactions

Human Rights Watch vocally condemned the terrorists acts against Shia Muslims in Pakistan:

“Pakistani authorities need to address the severe danger faced by the Shia population with all necessary security measures. They can start by arresting extremist group members responsible for past attacks.”

Twitter users and netizens condemned these acts of terrorism.

Marvi Sirmed tweets:

‏@marvisirmed: dear LeJ, many Shias dead. Islam saved. Right? La'anat tum logon per.

Dear Lashkar-e-Jahangvi [A banned extremists organisation], , many Shias dead. Islam saved. Right? May God damn you.

Shamama Abbasi tweets:

@shamama_abbasi: Heart goes out to victims n their families in rawalppindi,karachi blast,what a senseless and tragic act of terror. Salaam Ya Hussyn [Peace be upon Hussain]

Many noted the fact that acts of terrorism perpetrated against Shia Muslims didn't get the same level of attention compared to Israel's attacks on Gaza Strip (See Globalvoices report)

Ghaffar Hussain tweets:

@GhaffarH: Dozens of shia killed in bomb blast in Karachi but the victims aren't Gazans and the killers not Jewish so move along, nothing to see here.

Rohan comments:

I wish pakistan will accept the extreme Islam as their main threat, rather blaming India. I hardly see any gathering or rally protest in streets for these killing. But you people worried about gaza, barma, assam. ?? Dont you feel ashamed about everything??????????

In his blog post, Abdul Nishapuri asks a very pertinent question:

“Why are 6000 Shia children killed in Pakistan less worthy than a few dozen Palestinians?”

Shafi Sial tweets:

@Sahfisial: People in #Pakistan cry loud for Gaza which 90% of them have only heard of whereas#Shia #Hazara & #Ahmadis being killed in their own land!

Basit Saeed tweets:

@basit_saeed: We protest against killings in Gaza but don't even bother condemning Shia genocide! Shitty standards! #Karachi

Hurdles in Making Italy's Illegal Workers ‘Legal’

Ciara Nugent — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 02:53:20 +0000

[all links in Italian unless otherwise stated]

On 16 July, 2012 the Monti government approved a legislative decree to conditionally allow, the regularisation of thousands of illegal workers following a declaration by their employer.

Unfortunately, several months later the results of this conditional amnesty have been below par. The video below, published on the website of the voluntary association Naga, explains the conditions and the application process set out by the decree:

Meanwhile, at the heart of a recent “il professionista risolve” [the professional's response] column on Tgcom24.it was the following assessment of the initiative:

Poco più di 134.000 le istanze inviate, meno della metà del potenziale pubblico interessato, che si è ipotizzato oscilli tra i 300.000 e i 500.000 soggetti.

Just over 134,000 requests were submitted, that's less than half of the number of people who are potentially affected, which is estimated to be somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000

The conditions attached prevented the expected results being achieved. The CGIL union in Lecco, Lombardy, outlined some examples of the process and conditions set down by the law:

L’emersione può riguardare un rapporto di lavoro dipendente di qualsiasi settore, a tempo pieno, e per il solo lavoro domestico, anche a tempo parziale. Il rapporto di lavoro deve essere in corso almeno dal 9 maggio 2012.
Il datore di lavoro dovrà pagare la somma di €1.000 alla presentazione della domanda. Alla firma del contratto dovrà quindi dimostrare di avere versato contributi e retribuzione per almeno 6 mesi. Sono esclusi i datori di lavoro condannati per tratta o sfruttamento di prostituzione e minori, per aver dato lavoro a immigrati irregolari, per caporalato, per favoreggiamento dell’immigrazione clandestina.

The regularisation can apply to employment in any sector, if full-time, and, if part time, only in the domestic sector. The employee must be in the position since the 9th of May 2012, at the very latest. The employer must pay the sum of €1,000 when submitting the request. When signing the contract the employer must, therefore, prove that they have paid contributions and wages for at least six months. Employers excluded from the initiative include those who have been convicted of trafficking or exploitation of prostitutes or minors, who have employed illegal immigrants, who participated in the gangmaster system and employers who have encouraged illegal immigration.

Louis Benjamin Ndong, in a post on the blog of the collective “Alzo La Mano Adesso” [I put my hand up now], declares that:

Se da un lato questa regolarizzazione darà la possibilità a molte persone di uscire dalla propria condizione di invisibilità, conseguendo un riconoscimento anche da parte della società istituzionalizzata che finora l’aveva negato, dall’altro costituirà un nuovo ed ennesimo limbo per i tanti immigrati che, privi degli adeguati strumenti, quale un reale contratto di lavoro, si affideranno nelle mani di truffatori e venditori di bugie dell’ultima ora. Purtroppo la legge in questione, concepita in primo luogo per fare cassa, non possiede i vincoli necessari per arginare questo rischio …

Although, on one hand, this regularisation of their legal status will give many people the chance to escape from their seeming invisibility and represents their recognition which has always been denied them by the institutions. On the other hand however, it will be yet another limbo for the very many immigrants who, deprived of adequate resources, such as a genuine work contract, will put their trust in conmen and those who trade in the latest lies. Sadly the law in question, originally conceived to top up the state coffers, cannot prevent this risk…

Demonstration in Brescia, Lombardy, 6th of November 2012. Photo by Zic Photo on Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence.

As Marco Massaroni writes on the citizen journalism website FaiNotizia:

La disposizione transitoria, prevista dal decreto sulla regolarizzazione si è presentata non priva di criteri restrittivi, controversie e difficoltà.
Da subito si sono espresse preoccupazioni sul fatto che questa regolarizzazione possa aprire spazi a numerose truffe, poichè in un Paese con centinaia di migliaia di irregolari è facile trovarne tanti disposti a pagare, anche a caro prezzo, la promessa di un permesso di soggiorno.

The temporary nature of the arrangement, as set down by the regularisation law, is not without restrictive criteria, controversies and difficulties. Concern was immediately expressed about the fact that this regularisation could leave the door open for fraud because, in a country with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, it's easy to find lots of them who are prepared to pay, even very high prices, for the promise of easily obtaining a residence permit.

A post on the website Meltingpot points out:

I prezzi lievitano e dai 3.500/4.000 euro di media della scorsa procedura, sono passati a 5.000/8.000 euro per accedere a questa emersione.

Un mercato dei diritti di soggiorno che nessuno vuole fermare e che anzi, proprio grazie alle scelte del Governo, trova sempre più spazio.

Eppure lo sanno tutti. Basta mettere il naso nei luoghi di incontro dei migranti nelle diverse città per scoprire questo o quel commercialista offrire emersioni facili a caro prezzo, questo o quel procacciatore che promette, dietro il pagamento di lauti compensi, di farti avere il tanto sperato permesso di soggiorno.

Prices are increasing and, from the €3,500 – 4,000 it cost before, it has increased to between €5,000 and €8,000 under this initiative.

It's a market in residency rights that no-one wants to put a stop to and that, thanks to the Government's choices, is becoming ever more widespread.

And they all know it. You only need to go to where migrants gather together in any city to find this or that adviser offering to ensure regularisation, at a high price, or this or that agent promising, on payment of a generous fee, to get you the longed for residence permit.

Pubblicogiornale.it uploaded this video which shows an encounter between an immigrant and an agent who wanted to be paid 5,000 Euros to get his paper work in order. And another video from antefattoblog exposes also their faces.

The credibility of these amnesty results achieved so far are open to question. Massimiliano Zani, the organiser of CNA World Rimini explains why, in his view, this amnesty should be considered a lost opportunity:

Intanto è da rilevare che non è assolutamente credibile la corrispondenza degli invii, rispetto all'attività svolta.

Basta il dato dei lavoratori provenienti dal Marocco, tradizionalmente assenti dal settore domestico; su un totale di 15.600 domande, ne sono state inviate ben 12.600 per lavori di colf o badante; lo stesso dicasi per il Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egitto, Senegal, Tunisia, ecc. Viene spontanea una domanda: se da questi Paesi non sono mai giunti lavoratori che si impiegavano nel settore domestico, come mai le domande sono concentrate in quell’area di attività? La risposta è evidente: infatti il costo per una richiesta relativa a colf e badante non supera i 2.000 euro (tra una tantum e contributi previdenziali), mentre in settori come l’edilizia, il commercio, o l’ agricoltura il costo può essere tra due a quattro volte maggiore.

To start with, it must be pointed out that the correspondence between the requests submitted and the work carried out stretches credulity.

You only need to look at the data on workers from Morocco, who have not, traditionally, been represented in the domestic sector. Of the 15,000 applications submitted, 12,600 of them have been for jobs as a home help or carer. The same applies to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia and so on, which immediately prompts the question, if domestic workers have never come from these countries before, how can it be that the applications are concentrated in this activity sector? The answer is obvious, the cost of an application for home help or a care-giver is no more than €2,000 (a one off payment plus social security contributions), while, in the construction, trade or agricultural sectors the cost can be between two and four times higher.

And it goes on to explain how certain employers get around the law by declaring on the application that their employee works as domestic help or as a care-giver:

Ecco dunque che molti datori hanno optato di spendere al massimo euro 2.000, come previsto per l’emersione di una colf o badante a tempo parziale, rispetto ai €3/8.000 per l’emersione di un lavoratore a tempo pieno di ogni altro settore; ovviamente appena ottenuto il permesso di soggiorno, si potrà migrare in altro contratto di lavoro con lo stesso o con altro datore. Un altro elemento che ha influito sul modesto risultato è costituito dalla dimostrazione di essere stati presenti sul territorio italiano ininterrottamente, dal 31 dicembre 2011, con attestazione di un “organismo pubblico”.

That is why many employers have opted to spend €2,000 at most, the sum required for a part-time home help or care-giver, compared to the €3,000 – 8,000 for the regularisation of a full-time worker in any other sector. Obviously, once they have received the residence permit, they can change to another work contract with the same or another employer. Another element which has influenced the modest result is the need to prove that you have been in Italy since the 31 December 2011, without having left the country, and to have this certified by a “public body”.

How can that last condition possibly be fulfilled when the illegal immigrant, by nature of that very status, risks imprisonment if discovered? In fact, as Antonio Maria Ricci points out on his blog:

Il reato è previsto nel DLG 286/98 del 2009 detto pacchetto sicurezza Maroni.

Si articola in due parti: articolo 10 bis che istituisce il reato di clandestinità perseguibile penalmente con ammenda e/o reclusione e articolo 14 che prevede la sanzione amministrativa che comporta l’espulsione.

The crime was established by ordnance 286/98 of 2009, known as the Maroni security package.
It is laid down in two parts: in article 10 bis, which established the crime of being an illegal immigrant, punishable under law with fines and/or imprisonment and in article 14 which sets down the administrative sanction of deportation.

In order to simplify this requirement the following measures were adopted, as outlined on the blog ItAliena:

Saranno accettati, sempre se di data antecedente al 31 dicembre 2011: certificato di iscrizione scolastica del figlio del lavoratore straniero, tessere nominative dei mezzi pubblici, sanzioni stradali o amministrative o multe di ogni genere, titolarità di schede telefoniche di compagnie italiane (Tim, Wind, Vodafone, 3, ecc…), documenti rilasciati dai centri di accoglienza o ricoveri anche se religiosi o del privato sociale, documentazione rilasciata da ambasciate o consolati in Italia.

The following will be accepted, once they date to before the 31 December 2011: the school inscription certificate of the foreign worker's child, public transport pass, traffic or administrative sanctions or any other kind of fine, phone cards from an Italian operator (Tim, Wind, Vodafone, 3, etc.), documents issued by reception centres or shelters, including religious or private ones, documents issued by embassies or consulates in Italy.

There's just one problem, as illegal immigrants how can they possibly enter into any contract?

To give an insight into illegal immigrants terror at the prospect of seeing all the sacrifices they have made since leaving their home country to reach the longed for Italy vanish into nothing, Maruan shares the story of Blessed, the young daughter of illegal Nigerian immigrants, on the web page Anolf – Giovani di 2° Generazione [the Youth of the 2nd Generation], in a post entitled: La storia di Blessed, clandestina prodigio promossa con tutti dieci [The story of Blessed, the illegal immigrant at the top of her class]:

La sua pagella è l'unica rimasta a scuola, affissa in bacheca ma non ancora ritirata dai genitori, che la maestra sta provando a contattare da giorni. Se è vero che la legge italiana garantisce il diritto-dovere dei figli di immigrati di essere iscritti alla scuola dell'obbligo, indipendentemente dalla regolarità della propria posizione e da quella dei genitori (articolo 45 del DPR n. 394/1999), non c'è norma che tenga di fronte al terrore dei genitori di essere espulsi.

Her report card is the only one left at the school, still pined to the noticeboard but still not collected by her parents, who the teacher has been trying to contact for days. While it may be true that Italian law sets down the right and obligation for immigrants’ children to be enrolled in compulsory education, regardless of their own legal status and that of their parents (article 45 of Presidential Decree n.394/1999), there's no law which stands up in face of the parents’ terror of being deported.

Another relevant requirement is the obligation to pay €1,000 per worker and the other costs owed to the Treasury and the INPS [National Institute of Social Insurance] for six months. These should be paid by the employer but, in reality, it has fallen to the worker to pay them. The French site bayediouf.seneweb.com calculates that, just counting the 6,296 Senegalese affected, the total amount is around €12,056,918 and adds [fr]:

Ce montant de quasi 8 Milliards CFa est le chiffre déboursé par nos compatriotes et en attendant la convocation pour le contrat de séjour et successivement le permis de séjour. En cas de rejet les sommes ne seront pas remboursées.

This sum of almost 8 million West African CFA francs is the figure paid out by our countrymen while waiting for the summons for the provisional residence permit and then, eventually, the residence permit. In case of refusal the money will not be returned.

In the last few years, under the influence of the right, Italian governments have accumulated a veritable arsenal of xenophobic judicial measures. Meanwhile, according to a report by the Berlusconi government, between 2010 and 2020 the working population in Italy is predicted to fall between 5.5% and 7.9%; as a result, more immigrants will be needed. Between 2011 and 2015, around 100,000 additional immigrants may be needed while, from 2016 to 2020, this number is predicted to rise to 260,000.

Global Voices Podcast: More From #GV2012

Jamillah Knowles — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:19:44 +0000

Hello World,

Welcome to the Global Voices Podcast. In this edition you'll hear more from the the Global Voices Summit which took place in Nairobi, Kenya, back in July.

The Summit is a meeting of minds, friends, new acquaintances and public participation. Many of our authors, editors and content gatherers only get to meet in person once every two years, when the Summit takes place. You can find out more about the Summit by checking the Twitter hashtag #GV2012 and by taking a look at the dedicated Summit pages.

As well as being a gathering for the public, Global Voices authors and editors to all meet and discuss their ideas, selected academics from around the world were also invited to share their knowledge and learn from the community.

Ivan Sigal is the executive director of Global Voices and he describes why it was important for the academic group to join in at the event.

There were many sessions discussing processes and methods of highlighting under-represented voices and making the most of citizen media tools that are the everyday methods of the Global Voices community. We also asked a selection of academics about their thoughts and experiences of the Summit to find out what they learned and what knowledge they might return to their work with.

Origins and futures

Of course Global Voices sprang from academia and also present at the Summit was Rebecca MacKinnon, the co-founder of the organisation, who is also an author as well as a senior fellow at the New America Foundation think tank where she works on Internet policy issues. We caught up with her to talk about the future of the Internet and what it means for freedom of communication.

Global Voices would be nothing without its contributors. So to round up our coverage of the Summit for the podcast, enjoy some closing thoughts and experiences from the authors, translators and editors who create this extraordinary source of news and information.

The Global Voices 2012 Summit location.

Thank you to all of our podcast contributors, the Summit event organisers and to you for listening.

The Global Voices Podcast. The world is talking. I hope you've been listening.

Music credits

In the podcast you can hear lots of lovely Creative Commons music. Thanks to Mark Cotton for his fantastic creations and thanks also to all of the wonderful voice over performances and clips that help to glue the podcast together.

Saudi Arabia: Brownies and Kalashnikovs

Amira Al Hussaini — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 13:39:01 +0000

Mideast Youth's Rola Khayyat posts a podcast featuring an interview with the Saudi author of Brownies and Kalashnikovs Fadia Basrawi.

Global Voices Podcast: Jambo from Kenya! The Global Voices Summit

Jamillah Knowles — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:44:53 +0000

Hello World and jambo from Kenya!

Welcome to the Global Voices podcast. What is the future of online citizen media? In this edition (and the next) you will hear from editors, authors, co-founders and other participants at the 2012 Global Voices Citizen Media Summit in Nairobi to discuss the future of how we all work together online.

The Global Voices Summit takes place every two years and there are many topics on the agenda, possibly too many to fit into one podcast but certainly a lot of food for thought right here.

First, let's go way back, a long time in internet years and consider the origins of that thing we call Global Voices. Co-founder Ethan Zuckerman explains how Global Voices came to be, what happens at the Summits, and what he thinks the future holds.

The #GV2012 Summit is a place to meet and find out more about our authors, editors and contributors who travelled from all corners of the world. Everyone was excited, but one of the most thrilled participants was Elaine Díaz from Havana, Cuba. Here she explains a little more about citizens online in Cuba.

It wouldn’t be a Global Voices gathering without smart and vocal people from around the world. Andrea Arzaba is a journalist in Mexico and she collected some observations of the event, starting with her own reflections.

Daudi Were is a Kenyan blogger who writes on Mentalacrobatics. He was also the very entertaining MC during the public Summit meeting attended by 300 people. He explained his connection with Global Voices and how Kenyan technology continues to innovate, particularly in the area of mobile.

A group photo from the Global Voices Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

The impact of citizen media

Through Global Voices, many people who are sometimes overlooked are able to have their views and reports amplified.

Leila Nashawati Rego is a Spanish and Syrian human rights activist. She teaches communications at Carlos the Third University in Spain as well as write for a number of respected outlets. We discussed the growth of online citizen media and the results of that expansion.

So long, but not goodbye

Some bitter-sweet news came out of the Global Voices Summit too. Sami Ben Gharbia from Tunisia told us that he is stepping down from the position of Director of Global Voices Advocacy. So, naturally it was time to take a look at the work that he has done and find out what he will be up to next.

As ever, thanks to all of our contributors, producers and music makers who help to make this happen. You can find out more about the summit by checking the Twitter hashtag #GV2012 and by taking a look at the dedicated Summit pages.

The Global Voices Podcast. The world is talking, I hope you’ve been listening.

Music credits
In the podcast you can hear lots of lovely Creative Commons music. Thanks to Mark Cotton for his fantastic creations and thanks also to all of the wonderful voice over performances and clips that help to glue the podcast together.