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March 14 2012
In Latin America, Prisons Condemned to Crisis
In El Salvador, Prisons Packed to the Bars
March 03 2012
Colombia: Chief Prosecutor Viviane Morales Removed from Office
The State Council, a regulatory institution of the Supreme Court, declared the election of Chief Prosecutor Viviane Morales invalid, arguing that in December 2010 the Court's internal rules were violated, causing irregularities in the voting, as La silla Vacía [es] explained. The news became a local trending topic on Twitter with the hashtags and phrases #ChaoFiscal [es], Consejo de Estado [es] y #ApoyoAVivianeMorales [es].
March 02 2012
Cuba: Blogger Perspectives on the Embargo's 50th Anniversary (Part 2)
This is the second part of a two part series on Cuban perspectives on the 50th anniversary of the embargo. Please read the first part here.
The United States embargo (or blockade) against Cuba awakens passionate reactions, debates and reflections that have not subsided with time: the embargo is now 50 years old. Beyond opinions of politicians, diplomats, and strategists, Cubans -inside and outside of the Island- have lived and felt the embargo on the ground. With this in mind, Global Voices Caribbean Editor Janine Mendes-Franco and I interviewed one blogger from the diaspora and one residing in Cuba to offer various perspectives on the embargo, a very complex and multi-layered issue. Janine interviewed Alberto de la Cruz, managing editor of babalu blog, and I interviewed Elaine Díaz, editor of the blog Polémica Digital, journalist, journalism professor at the University of Havana [es] and Global Voices author [es].
Global Voices (GV): The U.S. embargo on Cuba - probably the longest-running economic ban in history - recently turned 50. Supporters see it as a necessary measure against a communist government; critics say that the policy is a failure that is really not hurting the regime, but instead, the average Cuban. Where do you stand?
Elaine Díaz (ED): Definir una posición puede ser difícil; pero, en este caso, siempre ha sido sencillo ubicarse en un espacio. El bloqueo, que algunos llaman embargo, me parece, en primer lugar, una ofensa a Cuba como nación. Ningún país tiene derecho a imponer sanciones financieras o políticas a otro por estar en desacuerdo con sus sistema político. Cada pueblo tiene derecho a escoger su filiación ideológica, y Cuba no es la excepción. El temor al fantasma del “comunismo” le ha brindado un marco legal a Estados Unidos para imponer este conjunto de leyes que, contestando tu segunda pregunta; no afectan en nada al gobierno, sino al ciudadano común, que se ve privado del acceso a artículos de primera necesidad porque se encarecen las inversiones y nuestro maltrecha producción nacional no da abasto a la demanda actual.
GV: What do you think it has accomplished, if anything?
Elaine Díaz (on the right) with a blogger friend.
ED: Creo que ha creado un sentimiento de atrincheramiento, de necesidad de defender la isla, de promover un sistema político autónomo que ha sido capaz de resistir esta hostilidad durante 50 años.
GV: Do you think the embargo, as it stands now, is doing anything to improve the political or human rights situation in Cuba?
En lo absoluto.
GV: Do you see a better alternative?
Respetar el derecho a la autodeterminación de los pueblos.
GV: How do you feel about the recent lifting of travel restrictions and making remittances easier?
Me parece una medida muy acertada. Existen muchísimas familias sufriendo por la enemistad de dos gobiernos. El bloqueo se ha traducido en la separación de familias, de padres e hijos de alguna manera indirectamente. Hasta hace algunos años tener un familiar residiendo en Estados Unidos constituía un estigma; las recientes medidas de flexibilización tanto desde Cuba como por parte de Estados Unidos, sientan las bases, aunque aún insuficiente, para un diálogo entre las dos naciones.
GV: How has the embargo affected the Internet in Cuba? In terms of infrastructure, access, distribution.
Acceso a alguna tecnología en específico. No creo que Cuba estuviese en ningún momento de acuerdo en conectarse a algunos de los cables de fibra óptica que provee Estados Unidos por cuestiones de seguridad nacional
Colombia: Film Festival Award Goes to Indigenous Film
The Cartagena International Film Festival [es] awarded one of its India Catalina awards in the category of New Creators in Short Films to the documentary short Mu Drua (My land) by Mileidy Orozco Domicó of the University of Antioquia [es]. The documentary, in the Embera tongue, follows the struggles of a young woman forced to migrate due to conflict from her land to the city of Medellín in Colombia.
March 01 2012
Global Voices Podcast: Remembering Our School Days
Hello World!
Welcome to the Global Voices podcast. In this edition we’re going to school. From extreme teaching on the Niger River, to hearing truths from our younger friends, and thinking back to some of the fondest or most memorable educational moments of Global Voices contributors.
So, what were school days like for Global Voices people?
An explosive memory
Everyone survived to laugh at the story years later.
Teaching the internet from a boat
In this episode we also have an amazing tale of teaching, boats and the river.
Eddie Avila, director of Rising Voices talks with Boukary Konaté in Mali about the Segou Villages Project that brought Internet to villages along the Niger River by boat. Read more about the journey that brought internet to 800 villagers and see Boukary's photos shared on Flickr.
An unforgettable teacher
Memories of school days may be closely linked to friends or enemies but they may also be related to places and of course teachers. Some say that it is both the best and the worst teachers that stay in your mind years after you have left school. Veroniki Krikoni in Greece shares a beautiful tribute to a time, place and a teacher.
Playground politics
These times of learning in our childhood can help to make us who we are today. Cyrus Farivar is a journalist, producer and author. He describes an impulsive moment in the playground that landed him in the most trouble he's ever experienced in school… after biting his friend.
How Ethan learned to type so fast
School can be a time where you realise where you may want to go later in life. But getting there is not always easy.
A boy named Ethan Zuckerman, who grew up to be the co-founder of Global Voices, tells how his struggles with handwriting in the 4th grade almost caused him to lose hope… until he learned to type. Fast!
Standing up to bullies
Having a hard time at school with teachers can lead to smart solutions as Ethan’s story proves. Unfortunately, some of us grew up surrounded with few friends and more enemies. Bullying at school is an international problem and finding the right answer is not easy.
Studying abroad
Francois-Xavier Ada-Affana is a writer and translator and describes himself on his blog as “a nice Cameroonian finding his way in the world.”
He tells us how studying international relations in Cyprus, Greece has helped shape his views on history and education, opening his mind to new cultures and people.
The long walk to school
Thanks for listening
That’s all we have for this edition. School and educational stories are a reminder of the things that make us so similar no matter where we are in the world. The thing that brings us together are those years when we were all inexperienced. Now we can look back and wonder at what we have become.
Huge thanks to all of our contributors who took us back in their lives as well as those who shared a picture of education today. I think we all learned something!
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. The Global Voices Podcast, the world is talking, we hope you’re listening!
Chile: Netizens Speak Out Against Mall in Chiloé
With the hashtag #malldecastro [es] Chilean netizens are reacting to a project to build a mall in Castro, Chiloe, in an archipelago in Southern Chile. Gerárdo Espíndola of Mi Voz wrote a post [es] on the project, showing pictures of the mall's current state. El Repuertero, a citizen newspaper of Mi Voz, also posts pictures [es] of the mall altered by Twitter users to show their discontent with the project.
Nicaragua: Author Arquímedes González Champions Self-Publishing
Mildred Largaespada reviews [es] the work of Nicaraguan writer Arquímedes González [es], “the first Central American writer (to my knowledge) who decides to jump to self-publishing using social networks, very much in tune with modern times,” she writes. The Kindle versions of González's novels can be purchased for 0.99 US Dollars on Amazon [es].
February 29 2012
Venezuela: Singer Onechot Becomes Victim of Violence He Decried
Photo of Onechot, taken by David Maris
Juan David Chacón is a reggae singer, his stage name being Onechot [es], which pronounced in Spanish sounds very much like a Latin “Juancho” and in English as “One shot”. As a reggae artist he has dedicated much of his work in spreading messages of peace. On the night of Monday, February 27, on returning to pick up some of his recorded material, Onechot was attacked by a group of criminals who shot him, wounding him in the head. Tuesday was meant to see the artist begin his national tour of his new album, however, due to the incident he has been in intensive care following surgery to remove the bullet from his brain.
Onechot recorded a video called Rotten Town, denouncing the violence in Venezuela. The lyrics of his music describes the situation:
“Let me introduce you to Caracas, embassy of hell, land of murderers and shottas. Hundred people die every week, we nuh live in war, country is full of freaks”
In 2011 alone 19 thousand people were killed in Venezuela, a country that has 28 million inhabitants and is not currently facing a war on drugs such as in Mexico or an armed conflict currently affecting Colombia. In 2008, Venezuela had one of the highest homicide rates in the world and the situation has not improved. This is the crisis that Onechot reported on in his video that at the time was criticised by the Venezuelan Government:
When Rotten Town was released in 2010, the former Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information, Tania Diaz, launched a threat of legal action [es] against Onechot for, according to official sources, the music video's showing of “sensationalist images of violence”.
The criminal act against the singer led to a protest on social networks, producing Twitter Trending Topics such as #Onechot and #FuerzaOnechot ('We support Onechot'). Most of the messages showed the surprise and indignation felt towards the fact that a peace activist had now become a victim of what he had previously denounced in his music.
Jogreg Henriquez demonstrated this with his post “Onechot saw it coming” [es]:
Onechot entró a formar parte de las estadísticas de las víctimas de los actos criminales que tienen a Caracas como una de las más peligrosas del mundo. Decenas de asesinatos cada fin de semana así lo atestiguan. Decenas de familias de luto frente a una morgue colapsada por tanto dolor y tanto olor a muerte.
In the blog Panfleto Negro, the oldest blog in Venezuela, the author Luis1210 has warned that for months now the Government has tried to blame society for the violence currently seen in the country. He describes this in his post titled “Oneshot, it's your fault” [es]:
El gobierno desde hace tiempo nos quiere vender una gran falacia con respecto a la inseguridad. Quiere convertirnos en corresponsables de la seguridad ciudadana para de esa forma echarnos los muertos a nosotros. Si aceptamos esa responsabilidad de manera automática aceptamos también la culpa. Y he ahí el porqué del título, no he dejado de leer en twitter estupideces como que OneChot se lo buscó o lo atrajo cósmicamente por haber elegido ese nombre artístico o que andaba “ostentando riqueza” o cualquier estupidez. Cuando lo cierto es que OneChot es un tipo que se atreve a hacer reggae de protesta, algo que hoy en día parece olvidado.
Inti Acevedo is of the same opinion (@Inti) [es], criticising the self-censorship of other artists who denounce the social problems in Venezuela:
Cuando @Oneshot sacó el video que denuncia la violencia en Venezuela se ganó mi respeto. Un rebelde de verdad en un país de rockeros cobardes
Meanwhile, the poet @WillyMcKey wrote a post for the blog Prodavinci [es] about how the country should leave its violence in the past and move on:
Quienes deben asegurarnos la vida ven llover sangre ajena, pisan nuestros charcos y se esconden detrás de sí mismos, como si el país fuese un hombre hospitalizado, como si la ciudad solamente necesitara condiciones antisépticas. Como si el miedo fuera una estrategia.
Mientras inventan una guerra en el espejo, afuera disparan consecuencias de la ineficacia.
Mientras buscan a quien echarle la culpa, afuera toma forma la muerte cada noche.
¿Cuándo vamos a poder cerrar los ojos para que la lluvia nos permita una sonrisa nueva? Sólo cuando mudemos Rotten Town muy lejos, a ese lugar donde reposa lo podrido: el pasado.
While they invent a war in the mirror, outside are the shots that come from the consequences of inefficiency.
While they are looking for who to blame, outside someone is killed.
When are we going to close our eyes so that the rain will wash the sadness away and permit us to smile again? Only when we move Rotten Town to a faraway place, to the place where all rotten things lie: the past.
Jaqueline Goldberg [es] is a writer and friend of Onechot's parents. In her Facebook account she posted:
I don't know how I will be able to sleep tonight, knowing that Juan David Chacón Benítez, the son and brother of dear friends, is in therapy with a bullet in his memory. How can I leave tomorrow and pronounce the words “country” and “night” without anger. Right now I am scared, I have the desire to flee, I feel clumsy and dumb. Citizen disgust.
In 2010 the filmaker Sergio Monsalve praised the quality of the video of the singer, in spite of the official criticism, for which he came back to his original post on the subject [es] and added:
This is my reason for why “Rotten Town” is one of the best Venezuelan video clips of the third millennium and one of the greatest in Venezuela's history. I return to it here because of the recent incidents affecting Onechot. I published it in August 2010. Unfortunately today it takes on a new life. In Venezuela, time continues to pass yet the problems get worse, above all the unleashing of the underworld. Our real social cancer is the lack of safety. Is this a disease without a remedy? It is time to urgently seek a cure.
Meanwhile, as the country awaits the outcome of Onechot in intensive care, the protests continue to increase on social networking sites and physical artists such as Ricardo Crovato portray Caracas as being Rotten Town, until the situation improves.
Photo of Caracas as Rotten Town, image by Ricardo Crovato
Brazil: Dispute over the Falklands Opens Debate on Economic Perspectives
[All links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.]
The 30th anniversary of the start of the war that led Argentina and Britain into battle over the Falkland Islands and the recent public statements by Argentine president [en] Cristina Kirchner have sent us back in time to evaluate those events from a new perspective, and thus shine a light on the current implications for Brazil as the largest economy in Mercosur.
Along these lines, Gilberto Rodrigues, Professor of International Relations, draws attention to the new geopolitical design within which the dispute over the Falklands now finds itself:
Passadas três décadas, a Argentina segue reivindicando com barulho a soberania sobre as Ilhas Malvinas (“Las Malvinas son Argentinas”) e os britânicos continuam fleumáticos e impassíveis nas Ilhas Falkland. Porém, fatos novos entram em cena e estão alterando o equilíbrio de forças políticas e diplomáticas nesse embate.
Historic map of Johnston (1893), shared by Douglas Fernandes on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
This is indeed a new era, and a lot has changed since 1982: the Berlin Wall fell, taking with it the Iron Curtain that separated capitalists from Marxists, the world split up into economic blocs (the EU, Mercosur, NAFTA) and the British victory in the Falklands War cemented the United Kingdom's alliance with the USA, its greatest ally.
In terms of the two economic blocs to which the two countries belong, the European Union is facing its worst crisis since its creation and announced that the dispute over the Falkland Islands is a bilateral issue [en]. Domestically, the United Kingdom is struggling to contain public unrest over policies of cutting public spending. Politically, London is fighting to quell the outcries of the Scottish, who are prepared to go to a referendum to decide if Scotland will or will not continue to be one of the kingdoms that make up this “united kingdom”.
Mercosur is currently experiencing prosperous times due primarily to the growth of the Brazilian economy (which, as Global Voices reported [en] at the end of 2011, has already overtaken that of the United Kingdom), which has been reflected in trade with other members of the bloc. It was in this context that Argentina won the support of its neighbours and managed to get those countries then to close their ports to vessels flying the Falklands flag, amongst other forms of boycott.
"They were, are and will be Argentine". Photo by Brian Allen on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
In her speech at the last Mercosur summit meeting, the Argentine president referred to the global cause of the Falklands issue. Alexandre Rocha reproduced the news on his blog:
“As Malvinas não são uma causa argentina, mas uma causa global, pois nas Malvinas estão tomando nosso petróleo e nossos recursos de pesca”, afirmou a presidente argentina, Cristina Kirchner, após o anúncio tomado na cúpula do Mercosul, nessa terça-feira. “Quero agradecer a todos a imensa solidariedade para com as Malvinas, e saibam que quando estão firmando algo sobre as Malvinas a favor da Argentina também o estão fazendo em defesa própria”.
It seems that Cristina Kirshner has counted on her country's importance within the South American bloc, especially for Brazil, the country with which it has extremely strong trade links. Ironically, when you put in perspective the evolution of Argentine–Brazilian relations it is clear that the Falklands War was the driving force that encouraged the two countries to grow closer as well as the subsequent creation of Mercosur. Lucas Kerr de Oliveira, a political science PhD student, explains:
40th Mercosur Summit. Photo by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Com o embargo europeu aos produtos argentinos, o Brasil passou a comprar grandes quantidades de carne, trigo e outros produtos produzidos por aquele país. O processo de aproximação resultou em um acordo nuclear bilateral, para fins pacíficos; passo fundamental para acabar com as desconfianças mútuas no plano político-militar. Este tratado foi seguido de uma série de tratados bilaterais no período dos Presidentes Sarney e Alfonsín, que resultaram na criação do Mercosul.
Brazil's support of Argentina after the Falklands War didn't just pay dividends through commerce, but also transformed what was previously a rivalry into a strong alliance, which made significant reductions in defence spending possible. Once the Brazilians no longer feared an “Argentine invasion”, they were able to redirect those resources to the Amazon region.
Once part of Mercosur, this unity led also to the sale of military equipment to Argentina, particularly aeroplanes produced by the Brazilian firm Embraer, which began recently to include Argentine parts, as Michel Medeiros from O Informante (The Informant) blog notes:
A Embraer Segurança e Defesa assinou nesta quarta-feira contrato de parceria com a empresa argentina FAdeA, que será responsável pela produção de spoilers –superfícies móveis de controle de sustentação na asa– e portas do trem de pouso, entre outras peças do KC-390.
Brazil's alignment with Argentina has caused problems for David Cameron's government's strategy of increasing its presence in the emerging country. In that respect, the Ronaldo-Livreiro blog quotes an interview with Peter Lee, an expert on defence from King's College London, for whom the recent visit of British politician William Hague to Brazil “forms another part of this strategy”. As for Britain's position with regards to the islands, Peter Lee still believes that:
Falkland Islands Flag. Photo by Liam Quinn on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
[…] para que tenhamos uma mudança na posição britânica necessitaríamos uma ação econômica coordenada do Mercosul e da Unasul. Nisto o Brasil terá que fazer seu próprio cálculo de custo-benefício na relação com a Argentina, o Mercosul e o Reino Unido. Mas, ainda que houvesse uma política coordenada, não acho que teria êxito e, além disso, em nível comercial e econômico, todos perderiam. O que o Mercosul fez até agora foi a parte mais fácil porque na verdade o acordo de não permitir barcos de bandeira das Malvinas só afeta poucos barcos que também podem navegar com a bandeira inglesa, de modo que foi uma decisão mais simbólica que substantiva.
What is certain is that the current interest in the Falklands has some interesting features, such as national credibility – since wars have already been waged for the islands – proximity to Antarctica, and the existence of oil reserves. In this sense, the Argentines, British and Brazilians foresee a period of economic growth for the islands along with oil exploration, as Professor of Political Science Israel Aparecido Gonçalves indicates in his Real Política Brasileira (Real Brazilian Politics) blog:
[…] há uma perspectiva de forte impacto na economia local. Claro, o governo argentino está preocupado com a escassez do petróleo no mar do norte. A descoberta e exploração de petróleo na região, trará (novamente) relevância às esquecidas ilhas, que por um longo período da história só gerou gastos e produziu lã.
Argentina's integration in Mercosur and the United Kingdom's participation in the EU may have reduced the likelihood of new military conflict, but not economic conflict. Brazil's support of the Argentine cause seems advantageous, but not risk free. If, on the one hand, it wishes to see British competitors for oil exploration on the South American coast pushed aside, the country also seems to have found a privileged position amongst UK investors. It is now time for Brazilian diplomats to pay close attention to how the issue continues to unfold, especially as this new stage in the dispute is just beginning.
Chile: The Role of Public Libraries in Post-Earthquake Reconstruction
Several Chilean bloggers are sharing their thoughts on the second anniversary of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Chile on February 27, 2010. Enzo Abbagliati [es] looks at how public libraries can help people “rebuild their lives.” He argues that restoring or building people's deep bond with reading is “probably the main contribution that [public libraries] can make to each of its users so that they can be the protagonists of their personal reconstructions.”
Paraguay: An Interview on the Land Conflict in Alto Parana
Landowners are opposing review of land titles in the department of Alto Paraná “to determine if the lands are ‘ill-gotten,' whose title deeds could be forged or faked or simply seized from the times of the Stroessner dictatorship” Ignacio Cirio explains. Upside Down World published a translation of Cirio's interview [es] with Magui Balbuena of the National Council of Organizations of Rural and Indigenous Workers on the conflict in Alto Paraná.
Costa Rica: Turning to Facebook to Fund TV Show
Sürrealista is a media producer in Costa Rica that has worked with many local bands. Now they want to have a 30 minute TV Show and to make that happen[es], they are asking for people to watch their pilot show online, give it a “like” on facebook and share it.
Puerto Rico: March Against the Pipeline
Hundreds of people across the whole island joined the “National March: Puerto Rico stands firm against the Pipeline” that took place on Sunday 19 February in the city of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. The demonstrators marched from the Capitol (the Legislature) to the Governors Mansion (La Fortaleza) in rejection of the so-called “Green Way,” a project proposed by the administration of the governor Luis Fortuño, which is looking to build a 92-mile-long tube to carry natural gas from the south coast of the island to San Juan, on the north coast, through the central mountain range.
The march was organized by the community organization Casa Pueblo [en] based in the town of Adjuntas. Casa Pueblo has led the attempts to put a stop to the so-called “Green Way”. Environmentalists have argued that, if the project goes ahead, it would have a negative impact on the aquifers and rain forests on its path, causing irreparable damage to the island's ecosystem. Grassroots organizations and people against the construction of the pipeline have called it the “Pipeline of Death.”
Photojournalist Ricardo Alcaraz shares some of the images he shot of the demonstration. All photographs have been published with his permission.
People from all sectors of civil society joined the demonstration.
The protesters marched from the Capitol to the Fortaleza. In the background you can see the west side of Olympic House, the headquarters of the national Olympic committee.
Various sectors have complained that the project would cause serious damage to the flora and fauna of the island. Several endangered species live on the proposed pipeline route.
Congressman Luis Gutiérrez also joined the demonstration.
There were a number of performances along the march.
Wrapped with the Puerto Rican flag.
No Puertorican protest goes ahead without la plena, the favourite rythmic drumbeat on demonstrations.
Uruguay: Scenes From the Longest Carnival in the World
Percussionists and dancers in colorful costumes signaled the beginning of carnival during the traditional inaugural parade on January 26, 2012–but carnival in Uruguay is not over yet. The performances and contests that make up the longest carnival in the world will continue well into March.
This, in part, is because carnival in Uruguay involves a lot more than parades. In stages called tablados performers compete in different musical and theatrical categories, like murga, negros y lubolos [es] (playing candombe), parodists [es] and humorists [es].
As we reported two years ago, blogs and websites dedicated to carnival allow people from all over the world to see what Uruguayan carnival is all about. During this time of the year, these sites ramp up their coverage to keep up with the daily events taking place in the country. This year has been no exception.
The site Carnaval del Uruguay [es], for example, provides forums [es] and a chat room [es] where users can discuss different aspects of carnival. The site is also on Facebook [es] and Twitter [es]. Blogs like Uruguay Carnavalero [es] cover the parades and competitions, re-post news, and share important announcements and event schedules. At the same time foreigners and Uruguayans dedicate blog posts to the event, share photos, videos and thoughts on the world’s longest carnival.
Llamadas parade, Montevideo, Uruguay. Photo courtesy of carnaval.com (CC BY 2.0)
This year, Solange González Henott wrote about Uruguay’s carnival in El Blog de la Ruta [es], a travel blog from news site Otramérica.
Cada verano, en medio del Carnaval de Montevideo, el más largo del mundo, el país se envuelve en un torbellino de colores, de humor ácido y del otro, de música, de expresiones culturales propias de los uruguayos y de comparsas de negros y lubolos -blancos disfrazados de negros- en dichas Llamadas.
Solange goes one to explain Llamadas, a parade where Uruguay’s African roots are celebrated to the rhythm of candombe:
Pero de seguro, el momento más esperado son las dos jornadas de competencia que tiran a las calles de los barrios Palermo y Sur, los pasos lentos del esclavo simulado por la cuerda de tambores de las Llamadas, el grupo de músicos que candombean tocando el tambor chico, repique y piano, que guían el baile de el resto de la comparsa en competencia y de todo el público que fielmente, llega cada año a vibrar con los sonidos y el regocijo de ver a las bailarinas y personajes que dan vida a esta gran fiesta del pueblo uruguayo.
Flickr user sfmission of carnaval.com dedicates a set of photos, licensed under Creative Commons, to the Llamadas parade:
Llamadas means “calls” which was how blacks in Montevideo would meet up for candomble. Calls might be chanting or handclapping but more often it would be drum beats and it meant candomble was about to start.
Many Uruguayans keep up with carnival from abroad, like Leo Bar from the blog Pix in Motion. He writes:
This time of the year, I miss Montevideo the most. The joy of the holiday – Carnaval – the way people forget their worries, party, enjoy life… The colors and sounds can be seen and heard through every neighborhood. A real celebration of culture, roots, friendship and integration.
Leo produced a video titled “Candombe and Llamadas - Carnaval Uruguay,” with video footage of the parades and photos by Flickr user Adriana Cabrera Esteve.
You can see a lot more photos of the different events that make up Uruguay's carnival on Carnaval del Uruguay's Facebook page.
February 28 2012
Video Highlights: Defending Human Rights
This section aims to showcase interesting and recent posts in Global Voices that show the many ways in which videos are helping people tell stories all around the world. You can follow the activity by regions in our YouTube channel.
Several stories using video this month have focused on human rights violations and the steps being taken to speak out on the abuses and try to protect minorities and disadvantaged communities. Click through to the stories to see more videos and learn more about each case.
The right to life and non-discrimination
Guatemala: Speaking Out on the Genocide of Indigenous Women
Thanks to activists the international courts following the genocide proceedings against Guatemala will be taking into account the violence indigenous women faced for more than 36 years where they were victims because they were women and because they were indigenous.
A documentary and several video testimonials tell their harrowing stories, stories that due to the discrimination the victims faced in their communities and the fear of retribution many kept silent for decades.
Fighting for sexual diversityUganda: The Anti-Gay Bill That Won't Go Away
The same bill that was presented in 2009 is showing up again for voting in Uganda:
Uganda has again re-tabled the controversial anti-gay bill. Ugandan member of parliament, David Bahati, who proposed the bill back in 2009 has again considered tabling the draconian bill but with changes. He claims to have dropped the death penalty and jailing of family members who fail to report homosexuals to the authorities.
However, under further scrutiny it has been noted that no changes have been made in the bill, and it is still exactly the same one presented back in 2009. The following video explains the impact this bill will have on the LGBT community as well as their families and friends:
Hong Kong: Videos Against Homophobic Bullying in Schools
In Hong Kong, students in schools admit that homosexual students are bullied and discriminated, so an organization has spearheaded a campaign to raise awareness on this issue, focusing on producing online videos of interviews with sexually diverse students and experts on the topic.
The right for an education
Spain: Police Violence Against Students in Valencia
and
Spain: Crackdown Against Students Continues in Valencia
In Valencia, school children decided to protest budget cuts that affected their schools, forcing them to carry blankets with them due to lack of heating, in what has been a particularly cold winter in Europe. Police reacted to the protests violently with students injured and detained; many videos have been made showing the abuses against minors, females and the elderly.
Just a few days after the brutal police crackdown at the Luis Vives Institute of Secondary Education in Valencia [es], students have again been the target of beatings, pushing and violence from the police at a pacific protest in which they were, precisely, demonstrating against police violence. This time,the crackdown started on the afternoon with unexpected force.
The right to a home
Brazil: Quilombo Community in Bahia About to Be Evicted
One of the oldest slave descendent communities in Brazil, Quilombo Rio dos Macacos, where around 50 families live, has a date for eviction: March 4, 2012. The claim for the land comes from the Navy of Brazil, that intends to broaden a condo for its officers in that territory, in the border area between Salvador and Simões Filho, state of Bahia…
Descendants of original peoples from Africa who, during colonialism, were taken from their land to become slaves in Brazil, the Quilombolas now see themselves under threat of losing their homes again, despite their right to the land they inhabit enshrined in the constitution.
This short documentary [pt] shows the situation the Quilombolas are facing: afraid to leave their houses, unable to move freely and fearing for their well-being, their families and their homes.
Colombia: Citizen Journalist Threatened Over Viral Video
A video [es] made of the violent response the government had to peaceful protesters standing up against the rerouting of a river in their community for a dam construction has caused the citizen journalist to receive death threats.
Brazil: The Deficient Prison Systems of the Americas
Recent events in Latin American prisons that cost the life of hundreds of inmates have people looking into the living situation and overcrowding faced in many penitentiary centers, and analyzing if they are tragedies waiting to happen. People who are being deprived of their liberty as punishment for their crimes should be guaranteed minimum living conditions, and sometimes these aren't met, as shown in the documentary of life in Brazilian prisons, which also provides possible solutions for this difficult situation.
February 26 2012
Puerto Rico: 365 Photographs
The photographer José Rodrigo Madera [es] shot one photograph a day during two years, as part of his project “365.” His photos were only visible to his friends on Facebook, until the magazine Revista Cruce [es] published 20 of them for everyone to enjoy.
José Rodrigo Madera describes himself as:
…fotógrafo de profesión y nunca estudió Artes. Estudió Comunicaciones en la Universidad Interamericana y quiere enseñar fotografía. Cree en el matrimonio y se considera de izquierda. Dedica todo su trabajo al hombre de su vida, Emil Alejandro, y a la mujer de su vida, Penelope.
Here is a selection of some of his beautiful photographs.*
Pitcher: 1. Individual who, for one reason or another, does not follow through with an obligation or commitment proposed by himself. 2. Person who does not return calls.
Watch.
Child in red pants.
Breakfast.
Agostini prepares for a shot.
Ghost cloud.
Sorely laughs.
Spiral.
Eye.
The mother of "azul."
*All photographs are republished with the permission of the photographer and Revista Cruce. The captions have been translated from the original (except some that were English).
February 25 2012
Mexico: Group Looks for Independent Citizens to Run for Congress
Currently, in Mexico you need to belong to a political party to be eligible for a seat in Congress. It is often argued that this system only fosters a power monopoly of the political class who looks after its party interests. Months ago, a group of citizens had pushed for substantial reforms to Mexican democracy, one of those was a Political Reform that included, among other things, the possibility of recall elections.
But since it became impossible for these reforms to get approved, and taking into account that it is a presidential election year, the same group that promoted #ReformaPolíticaYA (”Political Reform NOW”) is now driving a series of changes to the Federal Code of Institutions and Electoral Procedures (Cofipe) that would allow independent citizens to run for an elected office.
The system works as follows: citizens register on the site democracia.mx [es] and the group analyzes his/her profile to see if the person fulfills the requirements, that according to what Juan Pablo EMT (@JuanPabloEMT) [es] said on Twitcam, are:
No tengan intereses partidistas, ser ciudadano independiente y tener ideas frescas
Do not have any party interests, be an independent citizen and have fresh ideas
The group of young people behind this initiative intends to offer legal support to the citizens that get elected for a popular election office and hand them a kit to explain their next steps.
Citizens presenting proposals to the Mexican Senate. Photo by yfrog user @YONOFUI
Selected independent candidates will go to register at their local Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) [es], IFE will reject their registration and then the group will go to a judge to contest the decision. The youth hope the judge will allow the name of the independent citizens to appear in the ballots on July.
This idea thoroughly reflects the constant search for ideas of a young generation that doesn't feel represented.
José Manuel Azpiroz (@jmazpiroz) [es], Director of the area of Leadership Training of Ethos Foundation, mentioned one of the main points of this idea:
¿Qué tal recuperar el Congreso Mexicano? Si, ese que lleva décadas secuestrado por los partidos políticos. #300vacantes #occupySanLázaro
How about we recover the Mexican Congress? Yes, the one that's been kidnapped by the political parties. #300vacantes (#300 vacancies) #occupySanLazaro
Paul Moch (@p_moch) [es], who is a member of the group, said:
No están hartos de los abusos de quienes se ostentan cómo nuestros representantes en el Congreso? Si tu respuesta es sí… Hay#300Vacantes!
Aren't you fed up of the abuses of those who call themselves our representatives at Congress? If your answer is yes… There are #300Vacantes!
YONOFUI (@YONOFUI) [es], who is one of the most active members of the movement, believes something is changing in the way many think:
Me encanta como cada vez más Mexicanos están decidiendo tomar la iniciativa y no esperando que el gobierno resuelva.
I love to see more and more Mexicans deciding to take the lead and not waiting for the government to solve things.
The process is uncertain and there is no guarantee that the citizens that the group presents will appear on the ballots. However, it is a last resource (after trying to have the Congress sponsor the necessary changes written in the Political Reform), full of wit, to try to transform a paradigm that up until now seemed foundational: only those who belong to a political party can be elected to hold public office.
February 24 2012
Peru: A Conversation with Rafael Salazar of Creative Commons Peru
Oscar Montezuma Panez from the blog Blawyer [es] spoke to Rafael Salazar, one of the leaders behind Creative Commons Peru. In the conversation, Rafael explains what the local Creative Commons chapter is currently working on. Oscar also invites readers to visit the group's new website: http://cc.pe/ [es].
Bolivia: Disabled Protesters Clash with Police
Disabled Bolivians marching to demand higher government subsidies clashed with police on Thursday, February 23. Blogger Mario R. Durán [es] shares citizen photos of the clashes. On Twitter, netizens are using the hashtag #discapacitados [es] (”disabled”) to comment and report on the march.
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