Global Voices » WORLD

China: Workers' Culture on Weibo

Oiwan Lam — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:57:05 +0000

Jennifer Cheung from China Labour Bulletin introduces how workers in China make use of micro-blog to tell their stories in different artistic forms.

South Sudan: South Sudan Theatre Company Online

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:56:07 +0000

South Sudan Theatre Company online: “Advised and led by three of South Sudan’s most respected cultural leaders, a group of artists and dramatists have come together to form the South Sudan Theatre Company. Under the shadow of war, southern Sudanese artists experimented with theatrical form and created performances in streets, camps for displaced people, towns and the countryside.”

Mauritania: Al Qaeda Execution Stirs Debate

Mohamed ElGohary — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:37:21 +0000

A YouTube video posted [ar] on the Mauritanian Al Akhbar website on May 12 has angered Mauritanians. The video shows a 40-year-old Mauritanian man being interrogated by members of Al Qaeda, who accuse him of espionage. He was later executed [not shown on the video] after confessing to working with Mauritanian intelligence.

The man names several leaders in the military and intelligence whom he dealt with, and claims that they were supervising his work. He also mentions that General Mohammed Ould Makt, director of the research and documentation section (foreign investigation), was the officer who recruited him.

Alegcom blog published a detailed report about the execution of the Mauritanian man by Al Qaeda, and the history of his work with Mauritanian intelligence and Al Qaeda. In addition, it demanded an investigation be opened into the case:

مستمرون في تجنيد شبان موريتانيين وتقديمهم قرابين لشيطان الأوهام بشمال مالي… حتي الآن ذبح 9 وهنالك العشرات يدفعون دفعا في اتجاه الموت المحقق مقابل دريهمات زهيدة تدفعهم الفاقة لاقتناصها ويكونون الضحية الأقل حظا فيها ويتم تجاهل أسرهم من بعدهم أويقدم لهم شىء على أنه هدايا وهبات وهولايساوى شعرة فى مفرغ الرأس… ولأن الموضوع حيوي ويتعلق بحياة الناس وبأمن البلاد وبقضايا لا يمكن السكوت عليها فإن التحقيق في ملابساته يكون أضعف الإيمان.

We are continuing to recruit young Mauritanians and offer them as sacrifices to the devil of illusion in northern Mali [where Mauritania is fighting Al Qaeda]. Up to now nine have been slaughtered, and there are dozens being pushed in the direction of certain death, in return for a few dirhams that poverty drives them to seize. They become unfortunate victims, and their families are ignored or given insignificant compensation like it was a gift. Because this is a vital subject related to people's lives and national security, along with issues that can not be ignored, the least we should do is open an investigation.

Al Kaashif blog wrote about the case:

أم الفضائح اليوم هي قصة ذالك العميل المسكين الذي آمن ذات يوم أن له وطن يفديه بروحه فأرتمى في أحضان الجنرال محمد ولد مكت، الذي أحاله إلى الرائد أحبيبي ولد الدلول، قام العميل بعدة أنشطة في خدمة موريتانيا وقدم عدة معلومات هامة قبل اكتشافه من قبل القاعدة التي صورت فيديو التحقيق معه آخذة تفاصيل الخدمات التي قدمها لبلد دون مقابل الحماية المتوجبة على المسؤولين عنه قبل أن تعمد إلى قتله حسب الأخبار.

The biggest scandal today is the story of this poor agent who one day believed he had a homeland worth sacrificing himself for, diving into the embrace of General Mohammed Ould Makt, who sent him to Major Ahabibi Ould Al Dalool. The agent undertook several activities in the service of Mauritania, and sent some important intel before being detected by Al Qaeda, who filmed their interrogation of him, and acquired the details of all the services he had undertaken for the country without his officials' protection, before killing him, according to Al Akhbar.

Activist Mohamed Abdo commented:

@medabdou الإستخبارات الموريتانية تتلاعب بالعملاء الصغار، ارواحهم على المحك وأجورهم ضئيلة وبعد الوفاة يتنكرون لهم

The Mauritanian intelligence are playing with junior agents. Their lives are on the lines, with low wages, and they are betrayed after death.

He added:

@medabdou قادة الإستخبارات هم من ضمن ألئك الجنرالات أصحاب الكروش الذين لا يفيدون إلا ف “تزواز اللقمة” قوم يحكمون بفكر حجري وعقلية متسلطة ونفسية مريضة

Intelligence heads are those generals with big bellies who are only good at embezzling; they rule with stone-age thinking, a domineering mentality, and sick personality.

Activist Mohamed Ould Jedou wrote:

@mohdjedou يدعوهم القائد المصاب بالتخمه وهم ينثنون على انفسهم من الجوع ويقول لهم الوطن بحاجتكم يموتون لتكون جماجمهم نياشين تزين صدره. اي ظلم هذا

The satiated leader calls on those who are starving and tells them the country needs them, and they die so their skulls become decorations adorning his chest. What is this injustice?

In his turn activist Ahmed Ould Abdallah tweeted a great deal about this case, and wrote:

@ahmedbah لقد قتلت القاعدة أبنائنا، وجنرالاتنا لاهون مع عاهراتهم، ولياليهم الحمراء

Al Qaeda killed our sons, and our generals are spending their nights playing with their whores.

He added:

@ahmedbah مسكين ذالك العميل، المواطن الذي قتل على الحدود بعد التحقيق معه تحت فوهات البنادق وكشف للقاعدة الحقيقة كلها. ‎‫#عميل‬‏-مسكين

That poor agent, a citizen who was killed on the border after being interrogated facing the barrel of a gun, and revealing the whole truth to Al Qaeda.

Ahmed Ould Abdallah also criticized Mauritania entering this war for the benefit of former French president Sarkozy:

@ahmedbah ولأن ساركوزي لا يستطيع أن يغامر بأرواح عملائه، تذكر أن له دين عند الجنرال عزيز فقدمه لحرب لا ناقة لنا فيها ولا جمل..!

And because Sarkozy could not risk his own agents' lives, he remembered that General Aziz [president of Mauritania] owed him, and gave him a war that Mauritania has nothing to do with.

South Africa: The Spear, Freedom of Speech and Morality

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:34:23 +0000

A painting by South African artist Brett Murray depicting South African president's genitals has ignited debate about morality and freedom of speech in the country. The painting tilted “The Spear” is part of Hail to the Thief II exhibition currently being shown at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg.

The South African African National Congress (ANC) wants the High Court to stop the gallery and the artist from displaying the painting on any online or offline platform.

Discussing the painting in light of the 10 principles of free speech, Evidence and Reason says:

Zuma is challenging the limits of free expression on the grounds of morality. I don’t think he has the stronger position, because I think the picture was a political observation rather than an attack on his person.

Offending someone is not a crime, says Simon Gerber:

Offending someone is not a crime, rather it is a valuable tool to kickstart discussion. It should be embraced, especially in a transitional democracy such as ours.

A visitor to the Goodman Gallery posing in front of The Spear. Photo source: kickmugabeout.blogspot.com.

He has one simple advice to the ANC:

ANC, we’ve said it before, and we’re saying it again. Drop this. You’re making yourselves look foolish. You’ve taken a story that would have died in a 24 hour news cycle and made it into something that is dragging on much longer than it needs to. It is not racist. It is not a direct attack on the president, it is commentary on the state of the country.

South African consitutional law expert Pierre De Vos explains why the ANC might lose their case:

The ANC may not be aware of the fact that section 16(1)(c) of the Constitution states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes ”freedom of artistic creativity”. It is true that no right is unlimited but even where the right to free expression is limited an exception is usually made for artistic expression. Our law often distinguishes between real depictions of individuals and art works and hardly ever allows for the censoring of the latter. For example, section 12 of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (which prohibits hate speech) explicity makes an exception for a “bona fide engagement in artistic creativity”. Section 3 of the Film and Publications Act contains a similar exception.

The fact that the ANC seems incapable of distinguishing between a work of art and real life will probably ruin their legal case they are planning to launch.

The following discussion ensued on Pierre's blog around issues of decency, respect for elders and African culture:

Ma-K does not find the painting funny:

I must say, I’m truly appalled by how you all seem to find this funny. Would you hold the same sentiments if this was a painting of Nelson Mandela? I might not be one of J Z’s biggest fans, but I was taught to respect my elders…This is a depiction of someone’s father, grandfather, uncle,for God’s Sake! Have you no shame? Would you still laugh it off and call it art if this was a portrait of you or someone close to you? I would also be offended and angered by this so called art work if it portrayed my father or even myself. So, I ask you again, would you feel the same way you do now, would you write what you wrote if this was a painting of Nelson Mandela?

nkhosi believes that there is something wrong with “a young white male depicting an elderly African leader in a very comprised posture”:

Smart artist understand the context of their work and they treat context very carefully. They then present that context in a manner that does not seek ridicule. Take Goya’s “El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid” for instance. No one can doubt the potency of the message in that painting. BUT there is no vulgar or brutality involved.

Stupid, narrow-minded artist on the other hand, irresponsibly, stoke fires in a society that is already bedeviled by mistrust. The fact is that we have a so-called artist who is a young white male depicting an elderly African leader in a very comprised posture. It is clear that some among us, will never stop looking at older black males as merely garden boys who exist for their pleasure. I think Athol Fugard addressed this in “Master Harold…and the Boys”.

This so-called artist and many contributors here is failing to rid himself of this indoctrinated racism. That is why they can’t see the callousness of this so-called ‘work of art’.

Ricky responds to Ma-K's argument saying that there is nothing pornographic about the painting:

Ma-K, if you look at some of the most famous works of art from the Greek sculptures a few thousand years ago through the renaissance (agreed from Western culture, I am not very familiar with art from other parts of the world), they show naked persons, even great heros like Hercules. So I do not think there is anything disgraceful about that (of course, a pornographic picture featuring the President might be viewed differently – but the picture in question is not, in my view, pornographic).

Ma-K disagrees with Ricky's observations:

We are not Greek or in anyway European, we don’t appreciate the same kind of art. As Africans, such Art is disrespectful to us. So a white man’s (not being racist,Greeks are white) art is a black man’s(Zuma is black) insult.

However, Ricky considers fear of the naked body to be un-African:

Ma-K, I find this fear of the naked body somewhat strange. At the traditional dances for the Swazi king, the women are hardly dressed, the bushman / San people wear only a little loin cloth, in many African cultures it is common to make statues of wood depicting naked men, even showing the private parts. So, it is not a uniquely European thing.

“But certainly the image was not intended as an artistic celebration of the naked human body,” writes ozoneblue:

But certainly the image was not intended as an artistic celebration of the naked human body. It was designed to denigrate the person of Jacob Zuma against the back ground of his sexuality and adherence to traditional Zulu value system as seen through the lens of Eurocentric cultural chauvinism. Then there is also the association of the image with socialism that carries a strong political message. The combination of the two themes i.e. African cultural backwardness and the populist tendency towards socialist rhetoric in Africa is not much different to the attitude of the Apartheid regime towards Africans.

Opinions about the moral, legal and cultural dimensions of the painting are deeply divided on Twitter:

@ShellsPemBroke: Why is everyone freaking out about the Zuma painting so much? I think the artist was more than generous with size.

@steve_hofmeyr: Zuma can kill the Spear-debate by simply purchasing the painting.

@KevinMcCallum: The Zuma painting saga has shown up the belief politicians “deserve” respect. Zuma works for me, not me for him. He's an elected official.

@lwangamwilu: @Bradleychingobe as somebody already argued, Zuma has done more harm to his own image than any painting ever can.

@Vhadiks: Lol..I wonder RT @MashuduBusta: So ANC says Zuma painting is racist, what if it was painted by a black man? would it still be racist?

@MoffatMok: There's art and there's down right cruelty….how is showing Mr Jacob Zuma's jewels in a painting a form of art…paint ur own father rather

@GiftSabby: After Seeing Brett Murruy Painting Of Zuma, I Think People Should See Zuma As A Human Being, A Father And A Person Who Also Get Hurts..

The ANC's legal challenge to have the painting removed from the gallery will be broadcast live when the High Court in Johannesburg hears the case on Thursday.

Azerbaijan: Is Eurovision A Rare Opportunity For Change?

Onnik Krikorian — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:25:05 +0000

With increased media attention on the country during this week's Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, former prisoner of conscience Emin Milli argues that the international music competition offers a rare opportunity to raise concerns with human rights abuses and the lack of democratic freedoms in the oil-rich former Soviet republic on the world stage.

“The Most Misterious of Brazilian Writers” Receives Camões Award

Luis Henrique — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:15:30 +0000

Blog Semióticas [pt] celebrates this year's Camões Award - “the highest honor” for a Portuguese language writer - given to Dalton Trevisan from Curitiba, Brazil, for his “extraordinary contribute in the art of short stories”. Trevisan, “the most misterious of Brazilian writers”, is well known for his mystical reclusiveness, and refuses being photographed, interviewed and participating in ceremonies.

Brazil: “The Dilemma of the Brazilian Revolutionaries”

Rami Alhames — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:00:24 +0000

The author of Lost Sambista Blog shares a photo of Che Guevara being awarded the Gra-cruz of honor by Janio Quadros, the Brazilian President for only seven months in 1961, and writes about foreign affairs and revolutionary political figures from the 1960's in Brazil, who are nowadays still present in mainstream politics.

Bulgaria: The Strongest Earthquake Since 1917

Rayna St. — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:58:58 +0000

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the strongest since 1917, shook Bulgaria's capital Sofia and the perimeter zone of around 100 km last night, followed by a number of strong aftershocks. No victims have been reported so far. The website Earthquake Reports has published live updates and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook were the first ones to spread the news. The hashtag #земетресение (”earthquake”) is used to communicate on the event through Twitter.

Africa: Regimes Under Attack From Satire and Cartoons

Georgi McCarthy — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:10:31 +0000

[All links lead to sites in French unless otherwise stated.]

The use of satirical language and cartoons in the media is relatively new in most African countries, and began with the print publication of small cartoon strips featuring caricatures depicting a particular part of the population for comic effect. Often, satirical newspapers are a reflection of the state of political affairs in their countries, where politicians never seem to shy away from shameless actions and where dishonesty is the rule rather than the exception.

Satirical language

In an analysis for the site cairn.info, Yacouba Konaté describes the mixture of Molière's French with the local dialects in Côte d’Ivoire where the direct translation from one to the other gives expressions and phrases that are incomprehensible outside their geographical context:

Le français populaire ivoirien dit « français de Moussa », « de Dago » ou « de Zézé » (héros de bandes dessinées dans l’hebdomadaire Ivoire Dimanche), accélère son déploiement durant les années 1970, celles de la croissance ivoirienne qui supporta l’appellation merveilleuse de « miracle ivoirien ». Sa promotion bénéficia de l’appui de la télévision où, pendant des années, le dimanche ouvrit de larges plages horaires à Toto et Dago.

The common Ivoirian-French “dialect” is known as French language according to “Moussa's'”, “Dago's” or “Zézé's” (those characters are comic book heroes from the weekly Ivoire Dimanche), and its usage spread more rapidly during the 1970s, a growth which has been excellently named the “Ivoirian miracle”. Television support helped its progression- Sundays meant lots of airtime for Toto and Dago.

In Gabon, a similar method of speech has gained acclaim by becoming a way of exposing corruption and social criticism. A selection of words taken from Raponda-Walker's book on the language is presented by Falila Gbadamassi on the website afrik.com:

Le “bongo CFA”, désigne la monnaie gabonaise qui était autrefois à l’effigie du défunt président Omar Bongo. Le terme se rapporte aussi à l’argent distribué pendant les déplacements du Président ou les campagnes électorales. …. [”mange-mille”] est un « jeu de mots construit sur mange-mil (nom d’oiseau) et désignant le policier ou le gendarme en raison des billets de 1000 francs (FCA, ndlr) qu’ils réclament souvent aux usagers de la route. Et des “Chine en deuil” ? Ce sont des « chaussures noires en tissu souple de fabrication chinoise ou asiatique introduites au Gabon après la mort de Mao Ze Dong », …. Un “dos-mouillé”, lui, est un immigré clandestin originaire d’Afrique de l’Ouest qui arrive au Gabon par la mer.

“Bongo CFA” means the Gabonese currency that once bore the head of the late president Omar Bongo. The term also refers to the money distributed during presidential trips or election campaigns. …[”mange-mille”], which means a police officer or constable, is a “play on words composed from mange-mil (the name of a bird) and the 1,000 CFA franc notes the police often demand from road users” [1,000 is “mille” in French]. And “Chine en deuil” (mourning Chinas)? They are “black shoes made in China or Asia from soft fabric, introduced to Gabon after the death of Mao Ze Dong”. A “dos-mouillé” (wet back) is an illegal immigrant originally from West Africa who came to Gabon by sea.

Election results confirmed by Ali Bongo: a TOTAL victory! I would like to thank my sponsor… A caricature of Bongo by Hub via Agora Vox, used with permission

In both Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire this type of French is used in everyday life in the same way as all other languages, without any derogatory meaning or humourous intent, but when it appears in publications or on TV it serves for social and political critique, with the singular ability to make an otherwise unfunny drawing make people laugh. The textual content is paramount.

Cartoon emergence

Cartoon drawings, or comics, were developed later only, as and when authoritarian regimes relaxed their grip on freedom of expression. In an article published on waccglobal.org, Gado wrote a retrospective history of cartoons [en] in African countries:

With the introduction of multi-party politics in most African countries during the 1990s, cartooning emerged as a growing profession. This does not mean that it was not around before then. In the 1960s there were pioneers like Gregory (Tanzania) with his popular Chakibanga cartoon and the Juha Kalulu strip by Edward Gitau, the oldest living cartoonist in East and Central Africa.
Political changes brought greater freedom of expression as well as of the press. This has injected new life into newspapers, magazines and the publishing industry generally.

Arrest warrant for Omar El-Bechir. Disquiet among African heads of state. We are victims of crimes against immunity! A caricature of the African heads of state by Dilem via Zoom Algérie (used with permission)

To mark the 2011 International Festival of Cartoons and Illustration, which took place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Damien Glez's article published on africandiplomacy.com entitled “Newspaper Cartoonist: a Profession under Pressure(s)” discusses the risks and difficulties involved in being a satirical cartoonist:

Moins assassinés, les dessinateurs ne sont pas totalement immunisés. Au Cameroun, le caricaturiste-vedette Nyemb Popoli a eu maintes fois maille à partir avec le régime de Paul Biya. A la fin des années 80, dans le Bénin du «marxisme-béninisme», le dessinateur Hector Sonon voyait ses dessins systématiquement passés à la moulinette du comité de censure du ministère de l'Intérieur. Le Sud-Africain Jonathan Shapiro, alias Zapiro, fut détenu par les autorités en 1988. Non loin, au Zimbabwe, le dessinateur Tony Namate joue au chat et à la souris avec les autorités. Au Nigeria, autre pays anglophone, les caricaturistes - en premier lieu le pionnier Akinola Lasekan - ont souffert longtemps des dictatures militaires…

Although not often killed, cartoonists are not completely immune. In Cameroon, the top cartoonist Nyemb Popoli has had many brushes with Paul Biya's regime. In the late 1980s, during the “Marxist-Beninist” era in Benin, cartoonist Hector Sonon repeatedly saw his drawings being passed to the interior ministry's censorship committee. South African Jonathan Shapiro, also known as Zapiro, was arrested by authorities in 1988. Nearby, in Zimbabwe, cartoonist Tony Namate plays cat and mouse with the authorities. In Nigeria, another English-speaking country, cartoonists- in first place the pioneer Akinola Lasekan- have long suffered at the hands of military dictatorships…

Participants in the festival, organised by Cartooning for Peace / Dessins pour la paix, included Karlos from the Ivory Coast, and Timpous, Gringo, Joël Salo and Kab's from Burkina Faso.

In South Africa, Shapiro, of the apartheid era, was sent to prison for angering racist authorities with his critiques, and now his stands against the African National Congress's grip on the politics of his country are costing him dearly. Melanie Peters describes a critical cartoon [en] on iol.co.za condemning President Zuma's bill from last year, and reports on feedback from netizens:

While the cartoon depicts a man titled “Govt” with his trousers unzipped facing a screaming woman being held down by a man labelled “ANC”, the first is clearly Zuma, complete with showerhead, and the second Gwede Mantashe, the ANC’s secretary-general. Next to them on the floor, her dress torn and a discarded pair of scales beside her, is an apparent rape victim, shouting “Fight, sister, fight!”

Some comments posted on the site contain personal and racist abuse, but support can also be found. Siobhan wrote [en]:

Go, Zap! Exactly depicts what is happening with the 'secrecy' bill! It's being done to the Constitution, to Democracy and to each South African- most of whom are so used to being screwed by the ANC they don't even know it's happened…

New talent

Until recently, the cartoonists had no training. But changes are being made. According to Alimou Sow, Oscar, the creator of Le Lynx, has trained a number of junior colleagues in Guinea. However, it is probably in Madagascar that the first generation cartoonists have best prepared their successors, with production diverse and thriving equally in both national languages and French. According to the provisional list proposed by wikipedia.org, the number of Malagasy artists is several times higher than that of all the other African countries combined.

The publication of satirical newspapers in several countries has allowed satire to exist and thrive amid a great number of difficulties: in Senegal, Le Cafard libéré; in Burkina Faso, the Journal du Jeudi and the latest l'Etaloon; in Benin, the Canard du Golfe; in Guinea, Le Lynx; in Mali, Le Canard déchaîné; in Madagascar, the Ngah; etc.

Christophe Cassiau-Haurie tells us in an article on africultures.com entitled “La caricature à Maurice, 170 ans d'histoire” (Cartoons in Mauritius: 170 years of history) that:

La toute première caricature référencée remonte à l'année 1841, dans le journal Le bengali.

The very first example of a cartoon dates back to 1841, in the newspaper Le bengali.

Festivals and other events are also on the increase both regionally and throughout Africa. The article already cited by Damien Glez lists these:

«BD'Farafina» à Bamako, «Cocobulles» à Grand Bassam, «Fescary» à Yaoundé ou «Karika'Fête» à Kinshasa.

“BD'Farafina” in Bamako, “Cocobulles” in Grand-Bassam, “Fescary” in Yaoundé or “Karika'Fête” in Kinshasa.

Information and communications technology is another tool that is beginning to take its place among the means of expression for African comedians: zapiro.com, bing.com, africartoons.com, 2424actu.info and gbich.com, for example.

On an international level, Africans are increasingly present. For example, they participate in the Cartooning for Peace / Dessins pour la paix's activities, started in 2006 by the French cartoonist Plantu together with Kofi Annan, then the Secretary-General of the UN, with a two-day conference uniting the 12 most famous illustrators in the world to develop ways to “unlearn intolerance”.

Armenia: Nationalists Disrupt Cultural Diversity March

Onnik Krikorian — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:58:14 +0000

As was the case in 2009 during a rally to mark International Women's Day, nationalists in Armenia infiltrated and disrupted a march in Yerevan on 21 May to commemorate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

The counter-action was also followed by reports of new attacks on D.I.Y., a gay friendly bar in Armenia's capital that was firebombed on 8 May. With some officials and politicians justifying the attack, liberal bloggers are concerned.

Unzipped: Gay Armenia likens the 21 May disruption to fascism.

To mark United Nation's World Day of Cultural Diversity, PINK Armenia and Women's Resource Centre announced a variety of events as part of the Diversity Week. The week should have kicked off with the Diversity march on 21 May to call for respect of… yes, diversity in Armenia.

But the notion of diversity was once again attacked in Armenia in an organised provocation by neo-nazi elements and their supporters. To gain a wider support among masses, they dubbed Diversity march a “gay pride” and fuelled aggression towards marchers by intentionally spreading misleading information.

[…]

Neo-nazi elements attacked marchers encouraged by endorsement of homophobic hysteria and anti-gay violence on a very high state level that followed firebombing of DIY bar. […]

Watch these reports. Look at these pictures. Faces of fascism in Armenia.

Diversity march in Yerevan © PanARMENIAN Photo / Tigran Mehrabyan

Global Chaos also posts an extensive account, drawing a comparison with recent clashes in neighboring Georgia. While also stressing the Yerevan march was not a gay parade, the blog notes the presence of Armenian priests.

[…] due to PINK Armenia's previous campaigns against homophobia, somehow the Diversity March was distorted in the public mind and presented as a “gay parade” by certain ultranationalist (for the sake of avoiding the “neo-Nazi” term) elements and groupings, who showed up to the event. Their numbers far exceeded those of the actual Diversity marchers and with their aggression and noise they did manage to hijack and distort not only the objective, but also the intended meaning of the event.

[…]

This event, along with all that's been going on with D.I.Y. is becoming a growing trend in Armenia. The blind worship of Garegin Nzhdeh (who, despite his patriotic work, was, let's not forget, a Nazi-cooperator and a supporter of “Aryanism”, having successfully established with Berlin that the Armenians were an “Aryan race”, too) and the increasing influence of the Armenian Apostolic [Echmiadzin] Church encouraged by Armenia's ruling Republican Party is not only worrisome but dangerous. Their ideology, as well as the activities undertaken by its various bodies and supporters, are too similar of Nazism; while their talk about the protection of Armenia's “genetic pool” is dangerously reminiscent of eugenics.

[…]

The fact that aggression against minorities, especially sexual minorities, is encouraged by a range of political forces within the country (including those that are in the supposed opposition), makes this state-supported neo-Nazism. Given Armenia's membership in the UN and the Council of Europe - and therefore, its commitment to such documents as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and especially, the PACE's Resolution 1728 (on “Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity”) - the Armenian political leadership should be held accountable not only for allowing such developments in the country, but, especially, for actively supporting them.

One priest in particular made a point of referring to Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as praising the “patriotic youth” who had gathered there to demonstrate their devotion to God and their nation […].

Another Armenian blog, Le Retour in 3 Parts, comments on the policing of the event.

[…] we were no longer in control. Because from this point on it was the cops telling us how to move, where to go, where to stand. We were being controlled by the state apparatus. I don’t believe for a minute that the police actually cared about our safety (in fact, a couple of marchers and supporters told me afterwards the remarks they heard by police officers — remarks that sanctioned the hate rhetoric chanted by protestors). Police follow orders from above — not from activists (and least of all not by activists they perceive as gay or gay allies).

[…]

[…] And yet I felt more like an animal lured into its cage. Because now we were barricaded in, while counter-demonstrators were outside, continuing to chant, sing and proclaim themselves as defenders of the nation and “national values”.

As has been customary for similar actions in Armenia, liberal values were condemned by the nationalists who infiltrated the march with chants such as “Gays go to Baku [Azerbaijan]” and “No to Perversion” reported.

Russia: The RuNet's Top 10 Slang Words

Augis Barkov — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:46:47 +0000

Understanding political discussions in the Russian blogosphere requires a certain fluency in RuNet slang. For anyone interested in grasping the nuances of online satire and blogger arguments (or for those who seek to “troll” their own virtual opponents), the following list of ten popular slang terms should be particularly useful:

1. Зомбоящик (zombobox) characterizes television as an evil device that turns its users into zombies. In RuNet discourse, the TV industry is assumed to be a tool of the authorities, the main purpose of which is to stultify the brains of viewers and distract them from political struggle. This effect is supposedly achieved by systematically feeding TV addicts a barrage of propaganda, as well as unintelligent programming and mind-numbing commercials.

Here is one example of zombobox humor: an English-subtitled parody of the Russian daily news (disclaimer: profane language):

2. Ботокс (botox) is one of Putin’s nicknames, earned because of rumors that he has received several botox injections in recent years, presumably to preserve a more youthful appearance. After a televised interview in 2011, the unusual smoothness of Putin's face led “#ботокс” to become one of the most popular hashtags on Russian Twitter.

Garry Kasparov, leader of the oppositionist movement “The United Civil Front,” prominently utilized the botox meme to mock Putin's tears [en], shed after his most recent presidential victory.

Вчера, я думаю, это была не слеза, это вытекал ботокс. Он чувствовал свой конец. И в наших силах приблизить его. Мы будем праздновать освобождение страны от оккупантов. Перед тем, как построить свободную страну, надо прибраться – надо смыть эту лужу ботокса с карты России. За Россию без Путина!

Yesterday, I think it was not a tear, but Botox that flowed out. He felt his end [approaching]. And we can bring it closer. We will celebrate the liberation of our country from the occupiers. [But] before we build a free country, we must clean up the place — we must wipe this puddle of Botox off the map of Russia. For a Russia without Putin!

3. Айфончик (iPhonchik) is a popular nickname for former President (and now Prime Minister) Dmitri Medvedev. In 2010, Medvedev became the first Russian citizen to own an iPhone 4, which he received as a personal gift from Steve Jobs (see video below). Medvedev's well publicized enthusiasm for the device, as well as his attachment to his iPad, has led observers to compare him to a child giddy about a new toy. As a result, the nickname iPhonchik (a diminutive for “iPhone”) has stuck.

4. Хомячки (hamsters) is an insult typically directed at Russian oppositionist bloggers. The term originally competed for popularity with the word “lemmings,” which ultimately fell out of vogue. “Hamsters” is meant to imply that bloggers who claim to have independent points of view (a common self-defense in online debates) are in fact quite susceptible to manipulation and groupthink. Hamsters' comments on blog posts are often derided for being formulaic and unpatriotic. During an unsanctioned rally immediately after the December 2011 parliamentary elections, Aleksei Navalny said:

Они могут смеяться в своём зомбоящике. Они могут называть нас микроблоггерами или сетевыми хомячками. Я - сетевой хомячок! И я перегрызу глотку этим скотам. Мы все вместе это сделаем.

They can laugh in their zombobox. They can call us microbloggers or Internet hamsters. I am an Internet hamster! And I will gnaw at the throats of these bastards. We will all do it together.

5. Кремлядь (kremliad) is a combination of two words, Кремль (Kremlin) and блядь (bliad) — an obscenity with almost universal application, but here translates to something like “whore.” Kremliad is the collective name for people who make their living by serving the interests of Putin and his entourage: the directors of the zombobox, the corrupt journalists, the ideologists of United Russia and Nashi, various pro-Putin celebrities, and — to some extent — even the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Two years ago, Boris Nemtsov, a well-known and outspoken critic of the Kremlin, used this word in the title of a blog post [ru]: “Кремлядь — позор нашей страны” (Kremliad — The Disgrace of Our Country).

6. Либераст (liberast) is a slur that applies to people with liberal, pro-Western political views. According to this stereotype, “liberasts” promote Western concepts about universal values and human rights ‘at the expense' of Russian national interests.

The term is a mix of two words: либерал (liberal) and педераст (pederast, a common homophobic insult in Russia), dovetailing with the country's widespread homophobia [en]. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, for instance, recently argued that Russia's Christian Orthodox heritage ruled out the possibility of ever accepting homosexuality as Western Civilization has in recent decades.

7. Поцреот (potsreot) is a deviation of the word “patriot,” with the first syllable changed to “pots” (which means “dick” in Yiddish).

Potsreots are so named for their ostentatious public displays of love for Russia and the state authorities. Their archetypal enemies are Americans and Jews. Potsreots are commonly ridiculed for paradoxically endorsing contradictory arguments simultaneously. For example, some will deny the Holocaust, but at the same time say that “Hitler was right in exterminating Jews.”

Ironically, many ardent potsreots prefer to live abroad, loving their Motherland from a safe distance.

8. Рашка (Rashka) is a derogatory name that some Russians use to identify their own country. The word is a combination of a backwards Russification of the English word “Russia” (distinct from the Russian name, “Rossiia”) and the “ka” Russian diminutive. The term is often employed by expat bloggers in the context of Russia's political and social dysfunctionality.

"Rashka lives according to its own laws." An anonymous image widely circulated online. 22 May 2012.

9. Совок (sovok) is a person who maintains a Soviet mindset, Soviet ideology, and Soviet habits. Sovoks are stereotypically slavish, socially-dependent, anti-democratic, intolerant of others' opinions, and — in general — stupid, evil, and jealous people.

10. Пиндос (pindos) is an anti-American slur. In the Soviet period, “pindos” was common in military and criminal circles as a general-use obscenity due to its phonetic proximity to other Russian profanities. After the war in Yugoslavia, Russian troops operating in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Kosovo started using “pindos” as a nickname for American soldiers. Now, on the RuNet, the term has come to describe Americans in general.

Myanmar: Protest Against Power Shortage

Chan Myae Khine — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:58:33 +0000

CJMyanmar uploaded photos of the protest against the electricity shortage in Mandalay, the second largest city of Myanmar. Hundreds who joined the activity lighted candles and peacefully protested in front of the government office of Electricity Supply and Chinese Embassy.

Philippines, China: Scarborough Shoal Dispute Goes Online

Mong Palatino — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:44:33 +0000

Scarborough Shoal located in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea is being claimed by three countries: China, Philippines, and Taiwan. Tension rose in the past month between the Philippines and China when the governments of the two nations accused each other of illegally occupying the territorial waters near the shoal. It sparked nationalist sentiments in both countries and the ‘word war’ has gone online.

Filipino netizens shared this Google Map of Scarborough Shoal to highlight its proximity to the Philippines

Below are some social media reactions from the Philippines

@redsohigh In terms of bullying and intimidation. Wala tayong laban sa China in terms of owning Panatag Shoal. Susme. Isang nuclear lang tayo.

@redsohigh In terms of bullying and intimidation. We can’t defeat China in terms of owning Panatag Shoal (Philippine name for Scarborough). Gosh. We are an easy nuclear target.

‏@SoWhatsNews China has caught all the fish in Panatag Shoal hence the stoppage and the fishing ban. Sweet n Sour Fish Fillet mabenta ngayon sa China.

@SoWhatsNews China has caught all the fish in Panatag Shoal hence the stoppage and the fishing ban. Sweet n Sour Fish Fillet is selling well today in China.

Perhaps to ease tension, both the Philippines and China have imposed a fishing ban in the contested area.

‏@roilogolez It is unpatriotic for a Filipino to publicly express an opinion on the Panatag Shoal stand-off contrary to the government position.

@crystalbrosas Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys Islands are for the Philippines. MAAWA NAMAN KAYO SA BANSA NAMIN, Kahit may lahi akong Chinese. -_-

@crystalbrosas Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys Islands are for the Philippines. HAVE MERCY ON OUR COUNTRY. Even if I have Chinese lineage. -_-

Bigger than Scarborough, the Spratly issue is more controversial and potentially more dangerous since 6 countries in the Asia-Pacific are claiming the resource-rich islands.

Miko Lucena Call it desperate to regain economic strength. With the cost of labor rising they need another source of income, preferably what the world needs, oil.

Roselyne Bairan Cua Ang laki laki ng china,pinagkaka interesan ang atin maliliit na isla. They should just stay away from our islands and focus on their own problem. Palibasa alam nila wala tayong military warfare. Dinaadaan tayo sa sindak. Takot naman sila sa FB.

Roselyne Bairan Cua China is so big already yet it’s still interested in our small islands. They should just stay away from our islands and focus on their own problem. Maybe they know we don’t have military warfare. They are bullying us. Yet they are afraid of Facebook.

Ed Dalisay China has a bigger problem at home. Their economy is falling and it is not that rosy as it seems to be. Leaders will always find distraction so that the people will rally behind them. One way is to wedge war against a small nation that they can easily bully. History is littered with this familiar story. This is what Bush did when he declared war against Iraq because he is becoming unpopular at home.

Joseph Corpuz We may not be strong as China in terms of military but we can be strong economically if only we get our act together, if they don't want our exports then let's look to other countries and we must be self-reliant we can do this.

Scarborough is rich with marine resources. Photo of giant clams confiscated from fishermen in the area. Photo by @karadavid

Rieya Piscano comments on the ongoing ‘cyberwar’ between nationalist netizens of the two countries

Clearly, the internet has leveled the playing field even in political conflicts like the Scarborough Standoff. It has made both parties bolder in expressing their opinions toward the matter. Some, all in 140 characters. Hacking has also become a showcase of nationalism and political posts of young bloggers underline the new heights reached by cyberactivism. Crazy as it sounds, people would go out of their way to plot maps and photoshop pictures just to prove their point. It is not just a word war. It is a “meme” war and we are all “liking” it.

Hackers who attacked the website of a Philippine university left this message: "We come from China. Huangyan Island is ours"

The president of the University of the Philippines issued this statement after hackers defaced the university website

Hacking selected websites at the suspected country of the hacker or hackers does not objectively articulate any political issue and only subjectively fulfills a personal desire to “get even”

…we also call on the concerned technology-savvy Filipinos to stop hacking other websites, particularly those from China. Filipinos are more sensible than this, and our expertise is better used in productive endeavors.

Carol P. Araullo advises the Aquino government to resolve the issue without inviting US military intervention

…would it not be the better part of political wisdom, more so statesmanship, for the Aquino administration to seriously study and issue a rational and sober reply to the points raised by China rather than brandish the Philippines military alliance with the US to act as a counterfoil to China’s military strength and to make up for the Philippines’ military inferiority?

It also serves no purpose to keep whipping up pseudo-patriotic and ultra-nationalist sentiments against China and things Chinese.

Peru: How the Achuar People are Saving their Territory from Oil Companies

Juliana Rincón Parra — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:45:42 +0000

The movie Chumpi & The Waterfall follows the life of young Chumpi and his community, the Achuar people who live in the Amazon Rainforest in the border between Peru and Ecuador. In the movie, subtitled in English, the Achuar show the richness of their daily life and also the steps they are taking to protect their ancestral lands from Oil Companies.

On the website The Achuar Movie by Amazon Watch, there is a wealth of information on the Achuar and other indigenous communities that share the region and share the same concerns of how governments give permissions to Oil companies to exploit the land, considering them without owners and undeveloped. Using GPS systems and traveling through their lands, the Achuar are mapping their territory and their resources, in the hope that their claim to the land and its resources will be respected.

From the site:

Chumpi and the Waterfall (TeleAndes) was filmed in the Achuar community of Chicherta in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest, the last community on the Huasaga River before the border with Ecuador. This is a headwater area, where the forest is full of animals and the rivers teem with fish. Daily life is usually peaceful and calm.

Chumpi, with his father Secha and his grandfather Irar, make a trip to a sacred waterfall where both adults had received a vision as young men. Achuar lands, including this waterfall, are under threat from oil drilling. The Achuar believe oil drilling would contaminate its pure waters and the Arutam spirits which inhabit it would leave, and future generations would lose the power of their visions forever.

The daily life of the Achuar is documented on the site through a series of photographs, and along with an explanation of the importance of the territory for the Achuar is an image of the map they've been making:

GPS points help map out the Achuar territory

You can get involved with helping the Achuar defend their territory by sharing the video through social networks to raise awareness about the Achuar, by signing a Global Petition, signing up to receive updates from Amazon Watch or donating money for the Achuar.

Thumbnail image of an Achuar man is from the Achuarmovie.org website.

United Kingdom: App for Sharing Mobile Videos for Collaboration

Juliana Rincón Parra — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:39:57 +0000

The Next Web analyzes how the new UK app Vyclone could have helped get more footage of Arab Spring or the Occupy Movement onto mainstream news channels, and if it could do the same for future newsworthy events.