Global Voices

English

The world is talking, are you listening?

On 17 May 2013 Australian blogger and self-styled ‘global nomad’ More Atlitude posted a lengthy and detailed post in response to “Australia’s decision yesterday to excise its mainland from the migration zone” this week. He argues that it

essentially reinforces a horrible, horrible policy of enforced detention for legal (I stress, again and again and again, people, LEGAL, good grief do I need to paint it neon and string it with lights?) asylum-seekers.

Renewable energy, permaculture and green building, along with local traditions and eco-tourism: welcome to Tribewanted – an online community launched in 2006 based on the idea of “global citizenship” and harnessing the energy of social media to meaningfully connect and practice positive behavior change. Thanks to crowdfunding strategies, the project plans to build 10 eco-villages around the world: after Vorovoro (Fiji Islands) and John Obey (Sierra Leone), a new village just launched in Monestevole [it], in Umbria, the heart of Italy. Connect with Tribewanted people via web, Facebook or Vimeo.

On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]:

“A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to Italy, by way of South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Bolivia. From authoritarian regimes to democratic countries, none are exempt from criticism on the topic. In 2013, torture remains as endemic, omnipresent and multi-faceted as ever”.

From Hussein abdul Hamid's blog Steadyaku47: ‘Federal independent Senator Nick Xenophon has been detained by Malaysian authorities. He was taken into custody on his arrival at Kuala Lumpur airport and told he was considered a security risk.’ He was to meet with the electoral commission and a senior government minister.

The news about anti-Chinese sentiment in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands as a result of the shortage of infant forumla milk is widely discussed in Hong Kong. Dictionary of Politically Incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese has collected the reports and the online discussion on this anti-Chinese sentiment.

UNESCO has launched a free online course on Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue. The course is designed for teachers, policy makers and professionals, and will be offered from February 25 to May 31, 2013 by the Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

The Centre for Communication and Social Change at the University of Queensland in Australia is accepting nominations for individuals and organisations working in the theory and/or practice of communications for social change for the Communications and Social Change Awards. Deadline in January 18, 2013.

Ainu, the indigenous people of Northern Japan seek cultural exchange with Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.

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Nickel Mines of Nakéty by Fab Virge on Flickr CC-License-2.0

Claudine WERY writes [fr] that political tension grows between independentist and non-indenpendentist political parties in New Caledonia over the exploitation of Nickel mines. Non-independentists accuse the other party to strike deals with China and South Korea that they are not authorized to pursue. A referendum on gaining independence from France is scheduled between year 2014 and 2018.

Jim Brown, on his blog Grace Filled World, reflects on the nature of Anger and Mercy, in light of the violent protest in Sydney on Sunday 16 September 2012 over the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims.

The 101 Great Goals site shared a scanned image showing how an Australian newspaper distinguishes two Koreas in its Olympics medal table. One was referred as ‘nice’ Korea, while other was named the ‘naughty’ one.

Tunisian blogger Nawel Abdullah posts an interview [ar] she conducted with the founder of The Australian Society for the Palestinian-Iraqi Refugee Emergency Yousef Alreemawi, who speaks to her about the plight of Palestinian refugees living in Iraq and efforts to resettle some of them in Australia.

The resentment towards mainland consumers in Hong Kong keeps alleviating. The Hong Kong netizens’ reaction on infant milk powder shortage problem in New Zealand is probably more intense that the New Zealanders.

Queensland University of Technology academic Dr Axel Bruns presents research findings into the Oz twittersphere with graphic slideshow and audio presentation in Many Maps of the Australian Twittersphere.

The winner of the first journalism award for indigenous broadcasters hosted by the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) in Norway on March 29, 2012 was National Indigenous Television from Australia. The winning video and other finalists can be viewed on the WITBN website.

Christopher Hill is a young man living with cerebral palsy, and through the video One switch. One head. The world. produced, directed and edited by himself he explains how he uses one button to connect to the world through his computer. (via engadget)

Intercontinental Cry has a list of 12 recommended films on indigenous issues, some made by indigenous people from Brazil, Australia, Panama, USA, Northern Kenya, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Crikey's NAJ Taylor gathers five of Australia's Middle East diaspora to write about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction of Israel campaign. How effective is it at “balancing the competing harms”? How “useful is [it] for members of the Israeli and Palestinian, as well as Jewish and Muslim, diaspora”?

French filmmaker Mathieu Kassovitz's movie “L'ordre et la  morale” (“Order and morality”), that recounts the tragic 1988 hostage taking at the Ouvéa cave, is not welcome in New Caledonia. The blog Ecran Noir (‘Black Screen') describes the local controversy around the film's release, here and here [fr]. After New Caledonia's one and only theater declined, the movie will finally be shown in the Tjibaou Cultural Center [fr] in the capital Nouméa, on Déc. 12.

Jake Adelstein comments on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's 2010 documentary, “Yakuza”. The video is now available for viewing on YouTube.

Two French microlight planes enthusiasts, aboard the microlight Spirit of Noumea, are planning to re-live French aviators Paul Klein and Henri Martinet's groundbreaking 1939 plane journey from Nouméa, New Caledonia, to Paris. Their journey can be followed on this map and is also documented via their diary [fr] on the project's site.

The Pacific Freedom Forum released a statement expressing concern about the reported visit of a politician in a state-owned media station in Vanuatu demanding the censorship about his arrest on the eve of Vanuatu Independence day celebrations

On the blog of East Timorese weekly Tempo Semanal, controversy erupted over a leaked memo indicating the government's payment of US$300,000 to Australian Caroline Pemburton, former Miss World, for her services promoting East Timor as a tourist destination.

China Media Project has posted an English version of the blog of Sino-Australian novelist Yang Hengjun, who shared his thoughts and feelings on his disappearance from Guangzhou airport last month, widely imagined as part of the Chinese government crackdown on activists.

An Australian blogger and spy novelist, Yang Hengjun, is missing in China. He may have been arrested by Chinese authorities.

Director Logan McMillan took out his camera and went to the streets of Christchurch to document the damages of the devastating earthquake that hit New Zealand on February 21st.

Faisal Caesar at All Round View describes how Bangladesh cricket team triumphed over New Zealand by beating them 4-0 in an ODI series.

Veggie Discourse translated Chinese netizens’ reaction to the Chinese Asylum Seekers’ 2 days rooftop protest in Sidney.

Cafe Pacific's David Robie explains how Reporters Sans Frontières new tool could help Fiji's anti-government bloggers (among others) by creating a high-speed anonymous network and providing a website to host forbidden material.