Global Voices

English

The world is talking, are you listening?

The CEE Bankwatch Network, an NGO monitoring activities of international financial institutions, has just released a video sharply criticizing the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's 20th anniversary of activities in former Soviet Bloc countries, and its intentions to extend to north Africa. “The EBRD has in fact a poor track record of keeping up with its mission to protect human rights and the environment and promote justice.” The Network campaign requests the EBRD to promote “environmentally-sustainable, socially-just, renewable energy-based societies rather than just market economies.”

While back in Haiti to finish shooting a Web documentary project on the unheard voices of reconstruction, web-reporter Giordano Cossu provides a personal account on the on-going unrest after the controversial elections: “Much of this is in the hands of the Electoral Committee now. The population has already decided what they need, after one year under tarps, defenseless against storms and cholera: no more of the same.”

The educational and campaigning organisation Global Poverty Project has released a two-minute video that depicts how each of us, not world leaders, can actually end extreme poverty within a generation.

Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez tweets about another visa refusal for traveling, this time to receive the World Press Freedom Hero Award in Vienna, Austria. And it seems unlikely she could attend the Internet for Peace conference (New York City, Sept. 21), a global initiative aimed at supporting the Internet as a candidate for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, where Yoani is one its official ambassadors.

“No Bavaglio” (No Gag) is a large protest movement in Italy against a proposed privacy law that would impose heavy fines on newspapers (and blogs) that publish transcripts of phone calls. The law is suspect, because wiretapping has played a key role in media investigations that have led to mafia arrests and political scandals. The mobilization is taking place on Liberarete.tv and Facebook group, among other online venues.

Threatened Voices has received an Honorable Mention in the first Digital Heretics journalism award, established at the upcoming International journalism festival in Perugia, Italy (April 21-25). The project coordinator and GV author Sami Ben Gharbia, will be rewarded with a Kodak Zi8 videocamera during a special event with guest speakers Koro Castellano (editor elMundo.es) and Marco Pancini (Google Italy director). The other Honorable Mentions are The Berlin Project, in.fondo.al.mar, and Omofobia Capitale, while the first place award is a tie between After Jugo – Sarajevo the life of a generation, by Marco Pavan, and ELEVEN Catania, inchiesta collettiva a 11 voci, by the University of Catania. [via Beatrice Borgato].