Global Voices » Bolivia

Bolivia: Blogger Interviews Indigenous Leaders on TIPNIS Conflict

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:07:10 +0000

Blogger Dario Kenner from Bolivia Diary interviewed indigenous leaders who are against and in favor of building a road through the Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Sécuro (TIPNIS).

Latin America: Energy Podcasts in English

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:39:50 +0000

Setty recommends the Institute of the Americas' English-language podcast series on energy in Latin America.

Bolivia: Chiquitano Indigenous Create Twitter Account to Promote Their Language

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:50:06 +0000

Members of the Chiquitano indigenous community in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, have created the Twitter account @monkoxbesiro [es] to promote the use of the Chiquitano (Bésiro) language in Bolivia.

Bolivia: Pro-Road March Reaches La Paz

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:41:42 +0000

Marchers in favor of a project to build a road that would go through the TIPNIS indigenous territory reached La Paz. Mario R. Duran from the blog Palabras Libres [es] reports that residents of El Alto and La Paz received the march with indifference.

Latin America: Museum Releases Digital Archive of 20th-Century Art

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:36:22 +0000

The International Center for Arts of the Americas (ICCA) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has released a digital archive of 20th-century Latin American and Latino art, which, “is now available, free of charge, to the research and teaching community as well as to the public at large.” Culture magazine Ñ [es] briefly interviewed Mari Carmen Ramírez, the project's director.

Bolivia: March Demands Road Through TIPNIS

Silvia Viñas — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:39:43 +0000

Last year we reported extensively on a march to protest a road that would go through the TIPNIS indigenous territory; on December 20, 2011, a group demanding the building of the road started their own march towards La Paz: “This pro-road march wants the law approved in October by President Evo Morales that strictly prohibited the road through the TIPNIS to be reversed” Dario Kenner explains in the blog Bolivia Diary.

Bolivia: New Judges Face Systemic Challenges

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:39:00 +0000

The 56 judges elected during the October 2011 judicial election in Bolivia were sworn in on January 3, 2012. Emily Achtenberg, from the NACLA blog Rebel Currents, writes about the election process and the obstacles the new judges will face.

Global Voices Aymara: Experiences in Translation in 2011

Eduardo Avila — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:41:43 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

My name is Victoria Tinta and I would like to briefly share my experiences with Global Voices:

I started to translate for Global Voices Aymara in 2009, and at the time, I only translated one article per month regarding topics such as politics, sports, education, environment, and others. But since I started as editor, I no longer translate just one article, but rather more than five articles per month.

I translate all of these articles during my free time, and each post takes one, two, or even three hours each, depending on the post's length. By translating and editing, I have been able to learn about events taking place in other countries. Among my translations, there is one that caught my attention: Languages: Let's Tweet and Speak in Quechua. For me, it was an interesting topic to translate and this is the translation in Aymara: Aymara: Arunaka: Tuytiyañani ukatx qhichwat arsuñani.

Members of the Global Voices in Aymara team at the celebration dinner commemorating the official Lingua status. Photo by Eddie Avila taken in El Alto, Bolivia. .

I am very happy to be a volunteer translator, and I am very motivated to continue the work.

I would also like to congratulate the translation team from Global Voices Aymara.

¡Nayraqatar sarantasipkakima!

Keep up the good work!

Irma Silveria Laura Apaza writes:

I started to translate articles for Global Voices in Aymara beginning in June 2011, and I've always been interested in things related to languages. I think it is very important to value the Aymara language, and to spread knowledge of this language throughout the internet so that other people can become interested through the translations.

One that really caught my attention was Slovakia: The Most Expensive Apple Computers and in Aymara: Eslovaquia: Apple cumputaduranakax sinti jila chaniniwa.

Some may not be interested in the topic, but university students have the latest technology for their studies with no regard to the cost of the computers. Having a computer is no longer a privilege, but rather a necessity. The majority of students have netbooks, and as is the case in some countries, many professors are behind when it comes to technology.

Martha Valencia Intimayata writes:

My participation with Global Voices in Aymara started in 2010 to the present, and through this translation work, I learn about what is happening around the world.

Over time, I have translated interesting topics including one that really impacted me, which was: Iran: Female Blogger Receives 50 Lashes and the translation: Aymara: Irán: Bloguerax phisqa tunk jawq’aw katuqatäna.

How could a blogger receive 50 lashes just for providing information? That is very unjust.

Victor Paco Montevilla writes:

Personally, I started to translate at the beginning of last year.

First of all, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to contribute to the Aymara language on the internet, especially through Global Voices Online. In regards to my translations on Global Voices in Aymara, I consider it benefits Aymara speakers and the language itself, as its status grows considerably by being online.

The topic that impacted me the most was related to the help received by the humanitarian aid workers during and after their rescue work for the Japanese earthquake: Japan: Aiding the Aid Workers and in Aymara: Japón: Japunan yanapt’irinakar yanapt’asa.

Emma Quispe Mamani writes:

I started to translate for Global Voices in Aymara since February 2011, as it has already been a year. It is interesting that by translating one becomes informed about important issues taking place around the world, and for me that is very important. The topic that most impacted me was: Zambia: Netizens Start Countdown to 90 Day Change Promise and the translation in Aymara: Zambia: Cibernautanakax 90 urun mark turkakipañ amtawitx niyaw jakhuñ qalltapxi

I will continue to translate because I really like to translate into Aymara.

Elias Quispe Chura writes:

It all started when my colleague Ruben [Hilari] cordially invited me to be part of the Jaqi Aru project. I didn't think twice to be a part of the initiative, since at the time I was looking for opportunities to apply my knowledge acquired during my university studies. At the beginning, I started by publishing posts in Aymara. Soon, I learned how to use the tools on the Global Voices in Aymara platform, which was very interesting, but a little complicated.

I translated about a dozen articles written in Spanish, French, English, and Aymara. I have been taking part because I love translating from different languages. Even more, if it deals with contributing to the native language, and above all, to be able to share the same knowledge with society through the internet. Among those articles, the one that interested me the most was: “Mexico: Celebrating Cantinflas' 100th Birthday”. I chose the topic because I am a fan of the famous comedian, and I wanted to learn more about his life and career. I learned a lot by translating the article. To begin, I placed myself in his place, I felt, and learned that he did not become famous overnight, but rather it was a process full of virtues and sadness.

In the Aymara language, there are certain limitations compared to other languages, especially regarding vocabulary. However, those challenges are being overcome little by little. Some of the topics that were missing from the site included posts about Christmas, New Year Celebrations, Carnaval, and others, which is something that I would like to explore.

Honestly, I would love for Global Voices authors to continue to publish more and new content, which would give me more options to choose from in order to translate into Aymara.

“Aka uraqpachan aruskipt’asipxañasakipunirakispawa.”

“Let's continue to connect with the entire world.”

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Global Voices in Dutch Looks Back on 2011

Percy Balemans — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:05 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

While the year 2012 is already well on its way, the translators of Global Voices in Dutch look back on 2011. Which posts stood out and what makes Global Voices so special?

Marjolein Snippe writes:

A while ago I had been translating a short documentary on the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant and the arguments of indigenous people opposing it. Then I saw this report on Global Voices. I was glad the issue is still receiving attention and that the (mainly) indigenous people opposing it are getting their voices heard in Brazilian courtrooms, by the Brazilian government and by worldwide sympathisers and supporters.

I was very much touched by an article about Syria I translated back in March. All the personal stories and deep worries made the impact the struggles had on the people living there so much more visible and “tangible” than most official newspaper reports!

Mieke Tulp writes:

Being asked which GV posts from last year made an impression, it seems inevitable to come up with something about the Arabic Spring. One article that struck me was a report about day-to-day life on Tahrir Square. It focussed on the positive attitude and feelings among the protesters. Little Utopia amidst explosive surroundings

Another story from an Arab country that touched me was the arrest of Razan Ghazzawi. The article was translated into virtually every language Global Voices covers, and rightfully so. She was released on 18 December.

Something that had an absolutely negative impact on me: Troy Davis’ death. He was executed in September. I do not know what to say about it. It should not have happened.

And an interesting story about children who have to work. In Bolivia the working children formed unions to ensure better wages and working conditions. It is a story about strong children who work and go to school and are determined to create a better future for themselves.

Percy Balemans writes:

Last year I translated a lot of stories about the Arab Spring, a subject that was also covered extensively by regular media. But they mainly showed images of huge crowds. This is why I was touched by the story about Egyptian Nadia El Awady who took her 73-year old father to Tahrir Square. What a wonderful way to get a taste of the atmosphere and to read how a 73-year old experiences it all!

I also enjoyed translating the article “African Women Striving to be Heads of State“. A perfect example of the kind of subject you won't read about in regular media, but which is covered by Global Voices.

Saskia Bliemer writes:

I found “North Korea Threatens to Disclose Recordings of Talks with South“, written by Lee Yoo Eun, very interesting to translate. Though we have seen lots of images from North Korea on the news lately, the country remains a mystery to me. The good thing about Global Voices is that you can read the opinions of the local population, making it possible to get a more complete idea of the situation.

A huge thank you to all Global Voices in Dutch translators [nl] for their contributions in 2011! Would you like to contribute as well? Contact us.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Bolivia: Site Removes Blogger's Posts and Apologizes

Silvia Viñas — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:59:24 +0000

Website elSistema has issued a public apology [es] on their Facebook page after copyrighting blogger Pablo Rivero's posts that were originally published in his blog under a Creative Commons license. The site also removed the content. Pablo explains his position and shares his final comments on the incident in his blog [es].

Bolivia: Netizens Defend Blogger's Creative Commons Licensed Work

Silvia Viñas — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:53:15 +0000

Netizens are speaking out against website elSistema [es] for copyrighting a post by blogger Pablo Rivero which he had published under a Creative Commons license in his personal blog [es]. Mario Duran Chuquimia is covering the issue in his blog [es] and through his Facebook account [es].

Bolivia: Women Weaving Hope in El Alto

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:09:10 +0000

In Americas Quarterly [es], blogger Cecilia Lanza praises the artisan women of El Alto who have created their own workshops and small businesses.

Latin America, 2011: A Year Marked by Social Movements

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:07:04 +0000

As the Arab Spring unfolded throughout 2011, and as Spain’s indignados and the now worldwide ‘Occupy’ movement gained momentum, important social movements also rose up across Central and South America.

In 2011, Latin Americans took to the streets in big cities and small towns to defend their right to education, protect their lands from road and mining projects, and demand peace. Now, we remember the Global Voices Latin American team's coverage of these important mobilizations as we look back on 2011.

Student movements

Images of Chilean student protests made news around the world for months. While most international media focused on the recurring clashes between protesters and the police, on social networks citizens shared analysis, reports, images and videos from the ground.

For over six months, Chilean high school and university students staged various protests to demand an overhaul of the educational system. Students blogged and live-streamed their tomas (school occupations) documenting their experience inside the schools. They also uploaded citizen videos of cacerolazos (pot banging demonstrations) and the various incidents - negative and positive - that took place during protests, including a video which shows students stopping a group of violent protesters.

The student movement remained a hot topic on social networks as protests continued; in October, the Chilean Ministry of Interior presented an ‘Anti-Occupation' bill to congress and later invoked a State Security Law, heating up the debate among netizens.

Meanwhile, in Colombia, students and professors held meetings and protested against a proposal to reform the higher education ‘Law 30′ that would, among other things, allow private investment in public universities.

Six months later, workers and students joined in a nationwide demonstration, and university students began a university strike demanding the government withdraw the bill to reform Law 30 from congress. On the eve of a nationwide protest scheduled for November 10, President Juan Manuel Santos announced he would withdraw the bill if students lifted the strike.

Despite the announcement, demonstrations were held on November 10 and in Bogotá students ‘occupied' Bolivar Square. The next day, the Presidency's Twitter account reported the President had asked congress to remove the bill, and in the following days students began to gradually return to class.

"We've said: enough" Students protest on November 10, 2011 in Bogotá. Image by Flickr user Juan Camaron (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

But student protests had not ended for the year. Inspired by the student movements in Colombia and Chile, on November 24, students throughout Latin America marched to demand free, high-quality education.

Controversial projects

In 2011, several Latin American countries faced a recurring dilemma: mines, roads, and other projects that promised economic growth and development also raised environmental concerns and threatened to infringe upon indigenous rights.

In June, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced a controversial project to build a road that would go through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS); in August, indigenous groups and their supporters began a 500 kilometer march towards La Paz to oppose the project.

In September, reports of police repression against the indigenous marchers spread on social networks. As a result, citizens began to mobilize both online and on the streets to show their support for the cause to defend TIPNIS. Netizens like Luis Chuquimia (@chuquijosel) [es] described the arrival of the marchers to La Paz on October 19:

las calles pacenhas….quedaron flores, mixtura, banderas de papel…lagrimas, abrazos…sonrisas..pasos que calan historias #TIPNIS ES VIDA

the streets of La Paz….filled with flowers, confetti, paper flags… tears, hugs…smiles, steps that make history #TIPNIS is LIFE

Finally, on October 21, President Morales announced the road will not go through TIPNIS.

TIPNIS march. Image by Flickr user Pablo Rivero (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In November, in neighboring Peru, bloggers reflected on several mining protests, including demonstrations against the Minas Conga gold mining project in Cajamarca. A strike caused the company to suspend the project, which, as Global Voices author Isabel Guerra explained:

[is] considered to be the largest mining investment in the history of Peru, [and] according to its opponents threatens to destroy some 20 lagoons, which serve as a foundation for local ecosystems and a source of water for farming communities.

Protests continued well into December despite the suspension, as opponents called for the total cancellation of the project; as a result, the government declared a state of emergency. The conflict is not yet resolved, but local bloggers have continued reporting from Cajamarca, and social networks users from all over Peru will keep sharing their reactions as events unfold.

Another mining controversy that has caused mixed opinions involves open-pit iron ore mine ‘Aratiri' in Centro Chato, a small village in central Uruguay. In 2011, the controversial project divided Uruguayan netizens: some see it as an opportunity for employment and economic growth, while others are concerned about the environmental consequences and question whether the country will actually benefit from the mine’s profits. Developments will surely be followed closely by bloggers in 2012.

Marching for peace

Mexico's Drug War, a major military operation against drug cartels launched by President Felipe Calderón in December 2006, has left tens of thousands of victims. In 2011, Mexican citizens took to the streets and the Internet to say ‘enough'.

In May, Mexicans participated in a massive 4-day, nationwide march for peace, and demonstrations were also held in countries around the globe on May 8.

The march, which began in Cuernavaca on May 5 and ended in Mexico City on the 8, was organized by Mexican poet and activist Javier Sicilia, who became the leader of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity [es] after his son was killed.

With the Mexican blogosphere buzzing with commentary on the issue of violence, GV en Español organized a blog carnival on “Citizenry, Violence and Blogs”. The following posts summarize the results of the carnival:

Shortly after the Blog Carnival, reports of online activists becoming targets and victims of brutal killings stirred social networks. In a guest post for Global Voices Advocacy, ARTICLE19 explained:

Against a backdrop of endemic violence against journalists, social networks and other online communication platforms such as “Nuevo Laredo en Vivo” are increasingly being used by citizens - especially in Tamaulipas [to] break the silence around criminal activities that are not being reported in the press because of the pervading climate of fear and self-censorship.

As Mexico prepares to elect a new president in 2012, the War on Drugs and how to reach peace will surely keep the conversation on social networks going.

The Latin American team will work hard to amplify more of these important citizen voices from across the region in 2012. If you'd like to help us, we have several author vacancies for you to consider and there are multiple ways you can get involved in the Global Voices community. We hope you will join us as you continue reading, commenting, and sharing our stories; you can also follow us on Twitter @gvamericalatina.

Happy New Year!

Global Voices Podcast: Brave New Year 2012

Jamillah Knowles — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:35:04 +0000

Hello World and welcome to 2012!

In this edition of the podcast we take a look back over the year 2011, consider the similarities and differences between mainstream and new media journalism, learn about an inspiring Rising Voices meeting in Bolivia to support the development of an ethnically and socially diverse blogosphere.

We also set off on a two-wheeled journey around the internet!

Considering 2011

For citizen journalists, bloggers and commentators everywhere, 2011 has been an extraordinary year. It’s hard to imagine a time before now when our friends and contributors faced threats, arrests or violence on such a scale. Nor has there been a year so far when we have seen such influence and change in the sphere of online citizen media. For many of our own writers and friends here on Global Voices, times are still difficult, but let's have hope for perseverance and better times ahead.

Looking back over a year of Global Voices Online is no mean feat! Our deputy editor, Emma Brewin, talks about jumping into a wild torrent of global news, and which stories stood out for her during an extraordinarily busy year.

From mainstream to new media

The Global Voices regional teams are made up of writers, bloggers and media makers of mant different types. Some, like Thiana Bondo, a Global Voices author and translator from Bahia, Brazil come from a journalistic background. Our managing editor, Solana Larsen chatted with Thiana, who is currently based in London, about the differences between being a daily newspaper journalist in Brazil, and writing for Global Voices.

Supporting the indigenous web in Bolivia

In December, Rising Voices hosted a three-day event in Cochabamba, Bolivia for bloggers in Bolivia. The goal was to support the development of a stronger, and more diverse blogosphere. There were workshops and presentations on both technical tools and organising strategies. The meeting was in Spanish, and was called Conectándonos (getting connected).

Maria Mercado is a student and a volunteer who works with indigenous communities. She went to the meeting and told us what she learned. If you'd like to hear more, there is a wonderful podcast of the whole event on Rising Voices by our managing director Georgia Poppellwell, and Rising Voices director Eduardo Avila.

Get on your bike with us!

You may think that we are separated by distance and only connected by the internet, but it seems that we also have some healthy habits in common. Ever prepared with her recording device, Solana Larsen discussed the wonders of getting around by bicycle with Global Voices executive director Ivan Sigal. As Ivan explains, the online cycling community is a vibrant one.

Naturally this meant that I had to ask our stunt-cyclist-audio-contributors to share with us their thoughts on two wheels.

Cyrus Farivar an American journalist currently living in Germany, and the author of “The Internet of Elsewhere” chatted with us about cycling - directly from the seat of a bicycle. In Denmark, Maria Grabowski Kjaer shared the sounds of the city where cycling is celebrated. Cycling for Maria is not just a mode of transport but a way of life.

Well, that wraps it up for our first podcast of the new year. We’ll be chasing audio and chatting about the world’s news and habits online throughout 2012, so do stay tuned and always let us know what you’d like to hear. For now, inspired by our two wheeled wonders, I’m off to try and learn how to ride my bike without being a danger to myself and others!

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.

Latin America: Youth Unemployment

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:22:56 +0000

Bloggings by boz looks at youth unemployment in Latin America, concluding that “with growth projections decreased for 2011 and 2012, the current situation for youth unemployment is almost certainly getting worse. That could have major economic, political and social implications moving into 2012.”