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Translator & Sub-EditorI'm Georgi and I'm a freelance translator from French, Portuguese and Spanish into English. I live in Paris, although I'm originally from Yorkshire in the UK. I very much enjoy working with such a talented, worldwide team here at Global Voices, and doing something I love for a project that is so worthwhile.
Alejandro Cao de Benós, from Spain, is a foreign spokesperson for the North Korean regime. He has been very busy recently as, being the only foreigner with official permission to discuss the regime, he has been giving interviews and speaking at conferences non-stop.
The Angolan National Police have confiscated, amongst other works, DVDs by rapper Brigadeiro 10 Pacotes in an act of censorship against voices that are unsettling the Angolan authorities. A protest was called for in response which ended in police violence and at least one arrest. On the web, citizens remember the activists that disappeared after demonstrations in 2012.
The development of digital communication has allowed the voice of the people to be carried further, whilst at the same time liberating words, images, ideas and actions that were previously restricted to specific areas. The virtual world is ultra-connected, full of ideas and teeming with innovative entrepreneurial initiatives. People in the real world then use this digital interconnection to protest, organise and express dissident ideas.
Pambazuka.org published a letter [fr] from players addressed to the president of FIFA, Joseph S. Blatter :
Some sixty professional footballers, for the most part African, wrote a letter to UEFA in protest at the decision to entrust Israel with the organisation of the European Under-21 Football Championship (June 5-18, 2013). In doing so, they argue, European football is turning a blind eye to the recent Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
The website journaldekin.com, commenting on the interference on the national Radio Okapi, a station which has been sponsored by the UN in the Democratic Republic of Congo since December 1, recalls [fr] that:
Radio Okapi, which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary, is born from a partnership between the Swiss foundation Hirondelle, specializing in media services in post-conflict zones, and the UN, who deployed its most important peacekeeping mission worldwide in the RDC. Launched in 2002, the radio broadcasts throughout the entire country in French and four other local languages, thanks to the United Nations’ network. It is the most widely listened-to national radio station, with 22 million listeners.
Two-thirds of the 176 countries assessed in the 2012 Index received a score of less than 50, on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (almost no corruption). This shows that public institutions should be more transparent and senior officials more accountable.
On December 5, Transparency International released the Corruption Perceptions Index 2012, which measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 176 different countries and territories around the world.
Arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, rigged trials and executions are not difficult to find in Guinea's history. The impunity enjoyed by the officials guilty of these crimes is reviewed by different observers from Guinea.
The initiative Sanitation is Basic, launched by the nonprofit organisation Meu Rio, has served as a slogan for the increase in online campaigns owing to popular online pressure created by citizens and social movements in Rio. According to the organisation, "half the population in Rio de Janeiro is still without mains water and sewerage."
Our partners and friends at Rue89 [fr] won the Online News Association (ONA) prize for “General Excellence, Non-English” in San Francisco last weekend. Pierre Haski, co-founder, tells of the adventure [fr] that is Rue89. Launched in May 2007, it became a great success based on the concept of “Information from 3 Voices”. Global Voices, a partner of Rue89 since 2009, would like to sincerely congratulate the entire team. We are very proud of them for receiving this award.
S.B comments on the start of health workers’ indefinite strike in Abidjan. On Connection Ivorienne, he states [fr] that:
From the total no-fees for healthcare initiated by the state of Côte d'Ivoire after the end of the post-electoral crisis to free selected healthcare services, employees of certain health institutions have yet to receive their salary in a regular manner. What's worse is that their manager did not get any payments for the past 16 months.
Our latest ebook is dedicated to people and stories of Africa’s Sub-Saharan region as told by local netizens. It is available as PDF, ePub and Mobipocket formats.
When Unrest Stirs, Bloggers Are Already in Place.
So what do you expect? Give murderers ans armed robber a time out? The got...
Margahayuland -
Freedom from Fear...Now.
Few years ago, when a British farmer was jailed for Killing a criminal who attacked...
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Perchance, immaturity creates distrust.....