Global Voices

English

The world is talking, are you listening?

In topics centered around children and youth, the Barcelona International Audiovisual Festival is calling for entries with a 31 May, 2012 registration deadline for audiovisuals that not only entertain but also educate and teach. More information on Young People's Media Network.

At The Cuban Triangle, Phil Peters blogs about Cuba's absence at the Summit of the Americas, which was held this week in Cartagena, Colombia. Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's president, addressed the issue of the US trade embargo on Cuba, calling it an “anachronism.” “We cannot be indifferent to a process of change inside Cuba that is becoming more and more broadly recognized,” Santos said. “It is time to overcome the paralysis that comes from ideological stubbornness, and to look for minimal consensus so that this process of change may succeed.”

Penultimos Días alerts readers to a series of videos, “Un Cubano Más,” produced and posted on YouTube by Eliécer Avila, the University of Information Sciences student who famously questioned former president of Cuba's National Assembly Ricardo Alarcón about why Internet access is heavily restricted in Cuba.

Community members resisted eviction from the Es.Col.A in Fontinha [pt] in Porto this morning. The abandoned, disused school was being used by a self-organized collective for after-school classes, recreational activities – watch their story (with English subtitles). While broadcast media report the violent police eviction, protest continues. #Fontinha and #ocupai are the hashtags on Twitter.

“Women from around the world, urge you, Asma Al-Assad, to take up your responsibility as wife of the Syrian leader. Hundreds of children in your country have already died, tens of thousands have been injured and displaced, all of them have been traumatized. We expect you to speak out for peace, to stop the bloodshed. Make your voice heard!” On April 16 the wives of the British and German ambassadors to the UN released a video urging Asma Al Assad, the wife of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, to act to stop the violence in Syria. They also started a petition calling for peace.

Greenbox blog reports [mk] that Toni Dimitrievski, director of Мetrudhem, the corporation that intends to restart the lead smelting factory in the city of Veles, has filed a lawsuit against environmental activist Igor Smilev for “endangering security,” “unauthorized recording,” “slander” and “insult,” requesting EUR 20,000 in damages. So far, only one political party, DOM, a junior “green” member of the vast ruling coalition, has protested [mk] against this “immoral” form of pressure. Before moving into the private sector, Mr. Dimitrievski had served as head of the Public Revenue Office and as an appointed manager [mk] of the state-owned Tobacco Company in Prilep.