Explainer: What is the new 100 metres rule in Toll Plazas?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 31, 2021
To reduce congestion at toll plazas, the NHAI has now issued new guidelines to enable free passage of vehicles if the queue at any toll plaza lane exceeds 100 meters. Here is a history of the ‘Electronic Toll Collection’ in India and details of the new rule.
Recently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issued new guidelines with respect to the waiting time at toll plazas to help reduce traffic congestion and enable smooth movement of traffic. New rules regarding the development & design of upcoming toll plazas that will efficiently handle projected traffic over the next 10 years have also been included in these guidelines. In this story, we take a look at these rules in detail and the trajectory of electronic toll collection in India.
What is Electronic Toll Collection?
Electronic Toll Collection, often abbreviated as ETC, is a wireless technology that enables the electronic & seamless payment of toll charged to vehicles that use the highways, toll bridges, toll tunnels, etc. ETC systems make use of vehicle-to-toll plaza communication technologies for financial transactions between a vehicle that passes through a toll plaza and a toll collection agency, which circumvents the need for manual toll payment with cash or card. It enables a fast, efficient, and cashless payment option for the collection of toll fares. Vehicles are uniquely identified and classified through On-Board Unit (OBU) (also known as Tag) and the Roadside Unit (say Reader) when they pass through the toll gate.
India set up a committee to suggest the most suitable model
Many ETC technologies such as Vehicle Identification System using number plates, Global Navigational satellite System/Cellular Network) systems, and Radio Frequency Vehicle Identification (RFID) Technology, etc. were being implemented in different parts of the world when India decided to implement ETC. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highway (MoRTH) initiated the implementation of ETC technology for toll collection in India and constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani, representatives of NHAI, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and professional experts from IIT Delhi and IIIT Delhi to examine all technologies available for Electronic Toll Collection and to recommend the most suitable one for implementation throughout India.  This committee was set up during the second term of the UPA and it submitted the report in July 2010.
India adopted RFID technology
Radio Frequency Vehicle Identification (RFID) Technology was adopted for use on all National Highways in India following the models then used (in the early 2010s) in countries like the USA, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Dubai. Vehicles were to be identified and classified through a unique tag named ‘FASTag’. Thus, FASTag, penetration of which at NHAI Toll Plazas has reached 96% and stands at 99% at many toll plazas, was initiated in 2013.
Pilot project of ETC implementation was launched in 2012
The pilot project was launched in April 2012 on the Delhi – Parwano Section of NH-22 to study the implementation of ETC. The first interoperable ETC system was inaugurated in April 2013 on the Vadodara-Mumbai section of NH-8. Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) with equity participation from NHAI (25%) Concessionaire (50%) and Financial Institutions (25%) was incorporated in December 2012 for implementation of ETC on National Highways in India. Since then, ETC on National Highways is rolled out phase-wise across the country.
NETC Program now covers 720+ Toll Plazas
From 15 February 2021, FASTag was made mandatory under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in all lanes across all toll plazas. Any vehicle not fitted with it will be charged double the toll at electronic toll plazas across the country. Currently, the National Electronic Toll Collection Program is live on 720+ toll plazas across the country. Since transactions through NETC take place directly through banks, it is expected to make the system more transparent and efficient, reducing cash handling. It would also help in reducing the waiting time at toll plazas.
Waiting time should not exceed 10 seconds and queue should not be more than 100 metres
As per the latest guidelines of NHAI, it is to be ensured that the waiting time per vehicle should not exceed 10 seconds even during peak hours at the toll plazas on the National Highways. Furthermore, seamless flow of traffic at the toll plazas is to be ensured by preventing vehicles from queuing up for more than 100 metres. If there is a queue of vehicles waiting for more than 100 metres, they should be allowed to pass without paying a toll until the queue comes within 100 meters from the toll booth. For this, a yellow line at a distance of 100 metres from the toll booth should be marked in each toll lane. The provision should be prominently displayed for the users.
According to NHAI, the measures are being introduced to inculcate a further sense of accountability in toll plaza operators. However, the mode of implementation of the new guidelines remains to be seen as there would be an automatic deduction of the toll amount when a vehicle passes through the toll lane.
Earlier, traffic congestion was to be solved through increasing number of toll lanes
Prior to this rule, there was much confusion regarding the free passage of vehicles through toll plazas. In 2015, and again in 2016, the Member (Finance) of NHAI had written to all regional offices of NHAI expressing concern at congestion at various toll plazas. In the letter, it was mentioned that not more than 6 vehicles per lane should be in the queue during peak hours; or the number of toll lanes/booths shall be such as to ensure the service time of not more than 10 seconds per vehicle at peak hour flow. The number of toll lanes was to be increased if the maximum waiting time of the users exceeds 3 minutes. This was part of various concession agreements. However, there was no explicit mention of free passage of vehicles in any of these documents as is being done now.
Amendments related to design & development of toll plazas have also been made
Now that collection of user fees through FASTags has been mandated at the toll plazas of all lanes, the specifications of toll plazas have also been proposed to be modified, keeping in view the ETC penetration in the country. From the middle of February 2021, the NHAI claims to have moved to 100% cashless tolling with FASTag penetration.
The construction of upcoming toll plazas is to be done as per traffic projections for the next 10 years. For this, the NHAI has made amendments to the Indian Road Congress Manual, which lays down standards and specifications for the construction of highways, bridges, locations and layouts for toll plazas and other facilities on roads. The amendments include changes to land acquisition, layout and design of toll plazas, dimensions of traffic islands, and provisions in toll booths for the toll collector and its construction.
Featured Image: Electronic Toll Collection in India


China: strike hard campaign · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Monwong at interlocals.net has translated a blog post by Zan Ai Zong concerning the “strike-hard” campaign in China, the article explains how such campaign would easily lead to violation of human rights.


India: Ban on Hand Pulled Rickshaws · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sepia Mutiny has a post on the Government's decision to ban hand-pulled rickshaws in Calcutta.


NUPRC, PENGASSAN, NUPENG To Partner On Industrial Harmony - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
November 18, 2021
The unions are the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria PENGASSAN and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers NUPENG.
The NUPRC Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, gave the assurance when the Presidents of PENGASSAN, Festus Osifo and NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Komolafe stated that the objective of the collaboration was to foster appropriate synergy to enable smooth operations in overriding national interest.
He reiterated that since his assumption of office, staff welfare had been his cardinal focus.


Southeast Asia Migration Routes and Statistics · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The International Organization for Migration has released a map showing the routes taken by boat refugees from Bangladesh and Myanmar when they sought shelter in several Southeast Asian countries.
As of May 19, 2015, the IOM estimated that 4,000 refugees are still stranded in the sea while 3,200 have already landed in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Malaysia and Indonesia have initially rejected the refugees but they are now ready to rescue those who have been victimized by traffickers.


UNILAG law faculty nearly lost its accreditation | EduCeleb
29th December 2020
The Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Ayodele Atsenuwa, a Professor of Public Law has revealed that the faculty almost lost its full accreditation during the last visit of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to the school.
The reason, she said, was due to the state of the moot court, which lacked space and adequate facilities that meet standards set by the Commission.
She made this known during the commissioning of a moot court donated to the faculty by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Alhaji Femi Okunnu to boost advocacy skills and sharpen students’ knowledge in legal analysis.
The existence of a functional moot court is a major requirement for full accreditation of the faculties of law in Nigerian universities
It would be 58 years that the faculty of Law risked losing its full accreditation over the failure to have a standard moot court.
Okunnu, who donated N100m for the project, stated that his association with the institution dated back to the foundation of some faculties, which made him part of the institution’s success story.
While expressing gratitude to the donor, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe noted that the fourth floor, housing the moot court, which the veteran lawyer donated, took a long time for the university community to get a donor.
He added that the project was also in line with his vision for the university, which borders on completing all existing projects.
He recalled that when the faculty started, having a moot court was not an important requirement as it is now.
“Where we were using for a moot court was not befitting of us as a university of the first choice. It cannot take more than 30 people. But with this one now, it will take 80 students conveniently. The university will make sure that the facilities that will be provided would be of international standard.
“In addition to the support, UNILAG has been receiving assistance from TETFUND. We just got a research grant of N1billion and they promised to give us an iconic building in the college of medicine,” he disclosed.
Ogundipe stressed that apart from the grants received from TETFUND, buildings that meet the international standards for learning, worth billions would be funded by TETFUND, while Pastor Daniel Olukoya would commission a project at the Senate building in 2021.
He advised law students to remain committed to proving to the world that the faculty of law remains the best and a good brand, adding that the institution is committed to growing academic scholars that would be able to represent and defend the academic system.
Professor Adele Jinodu who represented the donor at the commissioning stressed that beyond the building donated by Okunnu, the elder statesman always felt the commitment to invest in education.
The building, which is the fourth floor of the faculty of the law building, has a moot court, two seminar rooms, eight lecturer offices, a boardroom, lawyers changing room, a judges’ room, and rest room.


China: Shanghai Typhoon · Global Voices
Paul Frankenstein

Marc van der Chijs reports from Shanghai that Typhoon Matsa flooded the subways.


Iran: Inflation · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Abbas Abdi, blogger and reformist politician says inflation is the most important threat to the Iranian present political structure [Fa]. He adds soon or late the inflation giant will wakeup.


The YouTube Women: Delivering Hard-Hitting Digital Video Activism · Global Voices
Florencia Goldsman

Image taken from gallery of free resources of Witness (witness.org), an organisation that works for human rights through visual media.
Melisa Trad is a young Argentinian activist participating in the International Conference on Family Planning in Indonesia. The organisers of the event launched a competition for young people who wanted to demonstrate to the world — through the medium of video — the greatest issues facing their countries in terms of family planning.
Trad obtained a camera, chose her subjects and the locations in which to film them, and set to work:
Me enfoqué en crear un guión que combinara datos certeros y confiables con una sucesión de argumentos que pudiesen interpelar al destinatario desde lo racional por un lado, y lo emotivo, por el otro. Traté de apelar a la construcción de un mensaje creativo, desde las pocas herramientas técnicas con las que contaba.
I concentrated on creating a screenplay which combined accurate and reliable data with a series of arguments that would challenge the viewer on both a logical and an emotional level. I tried to appeal to the construction of a creative message, with the few technical tools which I had at my disposal.
In a short but conclusive video titled “A Story of Violence”, she shares what she defines as “the dream of an Argentina where we all have the freedom and resources to choose our own destiny.”
Melisa explains:
Considero que la planificación familiar debería ser siempre una prioridad a nivel de nuestras políticas públicas y espero que el gobierno actual no genere más retrocesos en un tema que ya ha sufrido demasiadas postergaciones por obstáculos religiosos e ideológicos.
I believe that family planning should be a priority of policymakers, and I hope that the current government does not generate further setbacks in an area which has already suffered too many delays due to religious and ideological hurdles.
Melisa's initiative is just one link in a chain of video-activism through which more and more women and LGBTIQ people are taking ownership of issues affecting their lives by delivering short, quick, hard-hitting messages.
Letícia Lopes, a student of the ‘Pós-Com’ postgraduate programme in communication at the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil and investigator of media platforms for the Gig@ group at the same institution, claims the potential of sites such as YouTube or Vimeo for promoting discourses of tolerance is almost limitless:
Primero por que el vídeo encarna el universo de quién habla y eso es importante para el activismo, pues muchos que les apoyan o se reúnen en una militancia y lo hacen por identificarse con ellos. Pensando así, el audiovisual es mucho mas rico en posibilidades simbólicas que otras formas de publicación. Otro motivo importante es que el vídeo es accesible en varios sentidos. Para producir no exige mucho – puede ser una cámara de celular y hoy hay varios softwares gratuitos que facilitan la edición; cualquier persona puede comprenderlo fácilmente – desde personas analfabetas hasta académicas; es fácil de divulgar – por lo menos en Brasil, donde tenemos una cultura fuerte de la oralidad, es mas fácil convencer una persona a ver un vídeo que de leer un texto.
Film embodies the universe of the speaker, which is important for activism; creating a persona that others can identify with is a great tactic to muster support. In this sense, digital media is much richer in symbolic possibilities than other forms of publication. Another important factor is that video is very accessible and can be understood by anyone from the illiterate to academics. It is not demanding to produce – it can be filmed on a smartphone camera and there are free programmes available which make editing a breeze. In Brazil at least, where we have a very communicative culture, it is easy to spread the message, and far easier to persuade someone to watch a video than to read an article.
What many self-made videos produced by women and LGBTIQ people around the world have in common is the clear intention to play with language and challenge the “boring” and “unpleasant” prejudices aimed at feminists.
Moreover, these videos generate an empathy that traditional media cannot, says Lopes:
Cuando los medios tradicionales abordan algo sobre los asuntos relacionados con las diversas militancias, las activistas ocupan el espacio de entrevistados, desempeñan un papel consultivo, no son ellas las que hablan sobre sí mismas. La internet permite que ellas sean protagonistas de sus producciones y eso cambia todo, por que es importante que esas personas tengan voz.
When the traditional media addresses the topics related to the diverse activisms, the activist is portrayed as the interviewee, playing an advisory role to someone else rather than telling their own story. The internet allows these activists to be the protagonists of their own productions and this changes everything, which is why it is so important that these people have a voice.
The videos produced by the feminist micro-space La Tuerka are diverse and creative interpretations of existing feminist messages, many laced with humour and irony.
The particular video below tackles the idea of the “Femi-nazi”, which the speaker says exists “only in the minds of patriarchal society”:
From an unspecified Central American location, video-journalists Catalina Ruiz-Navarro (@catalinapordios) and Estefanía Vela Barba (@samnbk) explain the concept of “mansplaining” via their “Latin American feminist pop” channel e(s)tereotipas.
“Mansplaining” describes a situation well known to women: when men insist on condescendingly explaining something that women already know perfectly well, which can include chiding them that “feelings alone don't hold much weight”.
This video finds multifaceted artist Alicia Murillo at her captivating best. Showcasing her corrosive humour, the video is called How NOT to run a campaign against sexism. Clue: avoid giving men the lead role.
For Portuguese speakers Canal das Bee, a group of LGBTIQ girls and boys who speak freely about topics that range from female masturbation to the challenges a lesbian couple faces when deciding to live together, is highly recommended watching.
For many Afro-Brazilian women, caring for curly hair is about more than just grooming. Rayza Nicácio's video “As you've never seen me before” is an account, shot in the intimacy of her home, of her transition from straightened locks to a sea of curls.
Letícia Lopes explains:
Creo que una medida de éxito para el media-activismo está en la apropiación del audiovisual como un complemento de su producción, algo que presente, de forma más sucinta, puntos importantes de la discusión mas profunda. Eso porque pienso que son importantes para la militancia los espacios de discusiones mas densos, como los blogs, los sites de periodismo independiente o grupos de debates, por eso el vídeo podría ser utilizado como una forma de pincelar temas discutidos en esos ambientes para despertar intereses o convocar nuevos individuos a la discusión.
I think a degree of success for digital activism is in the appropriation of the audio-visual as a complement of its production, something which presents, in a more succinct fashion, some important points in the greater debate. That is because I think the denser spaces of discussions, such as blogs, independent journalism sites or group debates are important for this activism. Because of this, film could be used as a way of painting topics discussed in these circles in a way to stimulate interest or summon new voices to the discussion.
Featured image: Photo by Jay Morrison, taken from Flickr under CC License BY-NC-ND 2.0.


Data: Share of Candidates Attempting ‘UPSC CSE’ First Time and Clearing the Exam Declining
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 23, 2023
Data from the UPSC annual reports indicates that the share of candidates attempting the UPSC CSE for the first time and clearing the exam is steadily declining. From 61.9% in 2013, the share of candidates who appeared the examination for the first time went down to 49% in 2020.
The Civil Services Exam (CSE), administered by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), is undoubtedly the most difficult and sought-after exam in the nation. Every year, approximately, a thousand positions, including the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), and Indian Police Services (IPS) are filled. The total recruitment process takes nearly 15 months and candidates must endure more than 30 hours of rigorous testing through the entire examination procedure. Factly’s earlier story on the UPSC CSE examination can be read here and here.
Today’s story looks at the emerging trends and similarities in the examination process and results.
Half of the applied candidates do not even appear for the examination.
Annually, lakhs of candidates apply for the CSE. However, only some of them turn out and actually appear for the examination. For example, in 2022, out of the 11.35 lakh candidates, only 5.73 lakh candidates (50.51%) appeared for the examination. The same pattern can be seen in previous years as well, where the turnout is less than 50%. In fact, 2019, 2022 and 2023 are the only years where the turnout is marginally higher than 50% in the last decade. This has been the case with the rest examinations conducted by UPSC.
The low turnout is crucial to understand because UPSC spends almost half of its sanctioned budget outlay only for the purpose of the conduct of Examinations. Such lower turnouts are a depletion of both financial and human resources.
Additionally, as per the information provided to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice in the 2023-24 Demands for Grants report of DOPT, the entire examination process takes nearly 15 months to complete. The committee observed that such long and lengthy recruitment processes take a toll on the physical and mental health of the candidates. It recommended that any recruitment process should not take more than six months to complete. It further asked the UPSC to examine the reasons for such lower turnouts and share the findings with the committee and also address the same.
Share of candidates appearing for the first-time declining
The difficulty level of the UPSC Civil Services Examination is such that very few people clear it in a single go. Usually, candidates dedicate a good number of years to get through the examination. The data of the candidates appearing in the UPSC CSE preliminary examination validates the difficulty level of the examination. It is found that the share of the candidates who are appearing for the first time in UPSC CSE prelims declined from 61.9% in 2013 to 49% in 2020. This also means that there are a greater number of candidates reappearing in the exam than the ones who are newly attempting.
Further, the share of candidates who cleared the examination in their first attempt and were recommended fell from 14.8% in 2013 to 8.4% in 2020. At a cumulative level, the share of candidates who cleared all the stages of the examination in one to four attempts fell from 85% to 66% during the same period.
Women’s share in the final list cross 30% for the first time in 2022
Like many other professions, civil services have also remained a male-dominated profession. The glass ceilings are slowly being broken, with more and more women choosing to apply and appear for the examination. From 2010 to 2020, the number of female candidates who applied and appeared for the CSE examination grew by approximately 135%, whereas the number of male candidates who applied and appeared for the examination grew by 74% and 62% respectively.
There is also a positive growth rate in the women’s selections over the past few years. The share of female candidates out of the total recommended candidates was 22% in 2010. After ten years, in 2020, female representation rose to the decadal highest of 28%. Following a marginal decline in 2021 to 25.8%, the year 2022 recorded a historic figure of 34% female representation. It is worth noting that female candidates have a greater conversion rate than their counterparts towards the later stages of the examination, as observed in our earlier story.
Apart from the increase in share in total, women also are dominating the list of top scorers. Of the top 25 rankers, 14 candidates were females in 2022.
Optionals: Geography and sociology still opted by many, PSIR new entrant in the most opted list.
The UPSC optional subjects play a significant role in the UPSC mains exam, accounting for one-fourth (500) of the total marks (2025) in the UPSC exam and therefore play a critical role in determining the final rank in the merit list. The candidates can choose any one of the 48 optional subjects that are offered.
The data from 2014 to 2020 indicates that geography and sociology are still among the top 3 subjects that are opted for the most by the candidates. Subjects such as History, and Public Administration are losing appeal and are being replaced by Anthropology and Political Science and International Relations (PSIR). One of the likely reasons behind such choices adopted by the candidates could be the possible overlap of the syllabus of optional subjects with the syllabus of General studies.
The success rates of different optional categories can be read in our earlier story for a better understanding of the rationale behind the candidates choosing any optional.
Featured Image:  UPSC annual reports


Protesting Polish students stall controversial bill that would clamp down on academic freedom · Global Voices
Juliette Bretan

“Occupation strike.” Photo by Pamela Gąsiorowski, used with permission.
Student protests in Poland have succeeded in delaying a bill that opponents say could threaten the autonomy of universities.
Known as Bill 2.0, the act includes proposals to reduce funding and research opportunities for regional universities, and aims to diminish the control held by the University Senate — a body of students, academics and other university employees who organise the day-to-day running of the institution– in favor of a University Council, consisting of individuals from outside universities.
Another clause, recently added, requires female researchers employed at academic institutions to retire from their careers at the age of 60, five years before their male colleagues.
Poland's ruling right-wing nationalist party, Law and Justice, has increased governmental control over many facets of society since it took power in 2015. Critics feared this draft law was another glimpse of authoritarianism.
For almost two weeks, fences, balconies and walls in universities across the country were peppered with handmade banners, painted cardboard and fluttering pamphlets, as students occupied spaces and voiced their disapproval of the planned reforms. The protests marked the first nationwide occupation strike of students since 1989.
The bill is being pushed by Jarosław Gowin, Minister of Science and Higher Education. Earlier this month, after over 100 amendments by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, it was sent for a second reading in the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament.
The assumption was that it would come into force around October 2018. This was not to be the case.
The first protest against it was announced on Facebook, a 5 June event titled “Wolne Dni Akademii” (“Free Academic Days”). Students from the University of Warsaw occupied the Kazimierz Palace balcony, which juts over the fashionable Krakowskie Przedmieście street.
Under the slogan “Nauka Niepodległa” (“Independent Learning”), resistance grew. Participants hosted panels and events, gaining the support of institutions from Poland and abroad.
As some politicians, like possible presidential candidate Robert Biedroń, flocked to Twitter to congratulate the students, others physically supported the protests, bringing food and sleeping bags.
Studentki i studenci UW, protestują w obronie spraw, w które reforma Gowina uderza najmocniej: mniejszych uczelni. Okazując solidarność z mniejszymi ośrodkami bronią autonomii i demokracji, które na uczelniach są tak samo ważne jak w państwie i polityce. Dziękuję Wam! ????
— Robert Biedroń (@RobertBiedron) June 6, 2018
College students at the University of Warsaw are protesting in defense of the cases for which Gowin's reforms strike the hardest: smaller universities. Showing solidarity with the smaller centers of autonomy and democracy, which are as important in universities as in state and politics. Thank you!
Pictures circulating online depict make-do tents erected in the center of the balcony, with students propped up against the balustrades surrounded by cups of coffee or boxes of produce.
Studenci UW zapowiadają, że w Pałacu Kazimierzowskim (rektorat) zostaną conajmniej do jutra. Proszą tylko o merytoryczny dialogu ws Ustawy 2.0 i mają 11 postulatów. pic.twitter.com/3PKqf4txyt
— Bartłomiej Bublewicz (@bbublewicz) June 5, 2018
University of Warsaw students announce that they will stay at the Kazimierzowski Palace (Rector's Office) until tomorrow at least. They are only asking for substantive dialogue on Bill 2.0 and have 11 demands.
Meanwhile, supporters of the draft law or of the Law and Justice party tried to discredit the protesters, suggesting their actions were foolhardy and not representative of the majority.
To nie żaden protest studentów tylko kilka czerwonych świń a raczej ich pomiot. Nie nazywajcie tego protestem studentów bo normalni studenci się od tego stanowczo odcinają
— Rychu peja (@RychuGkm) June 10, 2018
It's not a student protest, just a few red swine, or rather their spawn. Do not say this protest is staged by students because normal students distance themselves from this.
Students in Warsaw remained on the balcony for 10 days, until work on the measure was postponed. In that time, however, they were far from being the only ones mobilising.
At institutions across the country, students and their supporters young and old held marches and discussions and hung banners against the draft law. One poster asked quite simply, “What is Gowin on?”
A balcony with protest banners with the hashtag #naukaniepodległa and names of cities where protests had been taking place. Photo by Pamela Gąsiorowski, used with permission.
Students also occupied university spaces. On 9 June, at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, a struggle ensued when a doorman entered a room occupied by students, claiming that they had pretended to be lecturers to gain access and demanding the return of the key to the room. The students complied with his demand, but refused to leave.
The protest group based there posted on Facebook three days later, saying they had recently been threatened by police who believed they wanted to “break in” to university buildings. Another post later explained that they were organising around issues that go beyond the draft law:
W trakcie debat i wykładów prowadzonych w trakcie Strajku Okupacyjnego poruszono znacznie więcej kwestii niż tylko te wynikające z projektu reformy polskich uczelni wyższych. W ten sposób wyrażamy sprzeciw nie tylko wobec ustawy 2.0, ale również obecnego kształtu Uniwersytetu, jako przestrzeni niedemokratycznej, wewnętrznie podzielonej i hierarchicznej.
During the debates and lectures conducted during the occupation strike, much more issues were raised than just the reforms of Polish universities. In this way, we express our opposition not only to the Bill 2.0, but also to the current shape of the university as an undemocratic, internally divided and hierarchical space.
In Poznań, protests began on 12 June, with students occupying the Rectorate. Here they remained adamant that their quarrel was not with the rector or university authorities, discouraging disruption of the rector’s work by ensuring only 20 people were on active protest during the day, and seven at night.
After the Polish parliament postponed the vote until July, with the ministry claiming it would submit a changed proposal, students across the country ended their protests.
Throughout, Minister Gowin remained adamant that the act would improve university education – according to the newspaper Wiadomości, he claimed he did not understand the protests, explaining that he had consulted “all academic groups” about the bill over the last years.
However, one anonymous participant of the protest in Warsaw told OkoPress that students decided to react because “the consultations were conducted only with people supporting the law.”
Another, Mateusz Burzawa, who sang in the revolutionary choir during the Kraków protests, hinted to Global Voices that issues with the bill were founded in Gowin's own attitude:
[The protest] does not mean that higher education does not need reforms, and how that everything in this bill is bad, only [that] the faith of the minister that “the market will solve all problems” is an ideological approach.
Not all students thought the protests were the right approach. On Facebook, Kacper Aleksander Czechowicz dubbed the action at the University of Warsaw a “farce,” suggesting that the organisers had sabotaged the work of the Student Parliament. Appointed representatives to the Student Parliament in Poland are equal partners to negotiations on the national level, with aims to lobby for student rights through representing the student body in negotiations with the government.
“Konstytucja” (Constitution). Protest poster by Dawid Czajkowski, used with permission.
But graphic designer and activist Dawid Czajkowski countered in a separate post that the Student Parliament does not stick up for students as it should (in his words: it is “as soft as butter on a hot day”).
This why he used his company, Posters Involved, to support the students, whom he thinks are the most threatened by the draft law. Czajkowski's protest posters included a representation of a vulnerable white block, painted red with the word “Autonomia” (‘Autonomy’), and a disembodied saw emblazoned with “Gowin 2.0″ slicing through its middle.
He told Global Voices:
In the meantime, the Academic Protest Committee, which organised the original demonstrations, plans to host a congress to bring together all of the protests groups from around the country to decide the next course of action.
The fight is not over yet.


China: The fate of Philanthropists in Sodom · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alice Xin from DANWEI translated an article written by social critics Leung Man Tao who compared China with Sodom where philanthropists like Xu Zhiyong are prosecuted.


Featured Author: Layal Al Khatib · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Lebanese blogger Layal Al Khatib, who also goes by the nickname “NightS”, wants to make sure that languages that are read right to left (RTL), including Arabic, look attractive when viewed on computer screens. One of her current projects is called RTL This, which according to the site:
this blog will focus on how to turn anything to be displayed in RTL. Basically the focus will be on the Web. We'll be “RTLing” WordPress, Drupal, Blogger, Joomla or any HTML/CSS based webpage template. In addition to widgets or badges offered by some online services or anything you might want to “RTL”.
She is also actively involved with Global Voices in Arabic as a a volunteer translator, and recently added Global Voices author to her list of titles.
In addition, Layal also attended the 2nd Arab Bloggers Meeting held in her hometown of Beirut, a gathering that was co-sponsored by Global Voices.
She also writes actively on her personal blog Lebanese nightS, in which she recently published her contribution to the regional project Kolena Laila, and posts updates on her Twitter account @nightS.


Filipino portfolio, plagiarized by US design firm · Global Voices
Tonyo Cruz

In the Philippines, many are angry that a US-based company WebSapient plagiarized the entire portfolio of a Filipino web designer. WebSapient has brought down the plagiarized materials and have not been able to put up its own, as of posting time.


An open letter to hiring managers about "career breaks" - New Canadian Media
Karan Walia
November 21, 2023
As if finding a relevant job as a new immigrant didn’t sound challenging enough to me, I decided to throw more caution to the wind by taking a two-year career break before putting myself out in the Canadian job market.
No, it wasn’t to raise a newborn baby or get treatment for an illness. I enrolled at a film school to study screenwriting, taking a breather from my decade-long corporate career. I wanted to give myself a chance to write stories about the emotions I deeply felt within. While my experience at the film school was nothing short of magnificent – I won the best story award at my graduation ceremony – the journey that followed hasn’t been easy at all.
“We are moving forward with other candidates,” a response commonly found in my inbox has extracted different emotions out of me: sadness, frustration, anxiety or at times, a mere helpless smile. No local experience and a film school diploma somehow diluted my past contributions working for top Indian, French, Japanese, American multinational corporations, not to mention my masters in business administration and bachelors in computer engineering.
On some occasions employers clearly mentioned my career break as the reason for rejection, but on other occasions I had to pick up on their subtle hints. They would ask why it was necessary for me to take a career gap, whether I am even passionate about the role I was applying for or doing it just for the money. I had to prove my passion in a field I worked in for 10 years. My plan to work on my film scripts on evenings and weekends didn’t quite resonate with them. It led to awkward silences, skeptical reactions, interviewers looking at each other with uncertainty. I kept pleading ‘not guilty’ for my decision to pause my corporate career for a while, but  the employer judges seemed to reject my plea as if I had committed a grievous blunder.
I did get opportunities to earn an income, though. Cart pusher at Walmart, a meat cutter at a grocery store, Uber delivery driver, background actor on TV shows, server at restaurants and customer representative with a mobile carrier company helped me partially pay my bills. But from earning 1.2 lakh Indian rupees (2,000 $) per month working for a multinational management consultancy firm in India to mopping floors and lifting 40 lbs to earn 17$/hour has been a physical and mental test.
I often find myself over-preparing and micromanaging my interview answers in order to over-compensate for my career break because it has become an unexpected roadblock. But does a break from one profession mean I am less interested or skilled in it? I don’t believe so!
It just shows I am curious to learn diverse skills and it should, in fact, prove my hunger to grow and learn different skills. It showcases a candidate’s ability to bounce back. Wouldn’t you rather fly with a pilot who has dealt with strong turbulence, system failures and technical issues, rather than one who has never faced obstacles? Boldness needs to be valued rather than questioned. What may deserve more questioning might be a plain journey with no experiments, hiccups or trials. By shunning the candidates who have followed an unusual trajectory at some point in their careers, we are spreading a fear that will curb young professionals from listening to their instinctive voices and being brave.
As a result, they will always swim in still waters knowing how difficult it can be to return to their boats if they decide to go against the currents.
Thankfully, my wife has a well-paying job that allows us to lead the Canadian life we imagined before landing in beautiful and expensive Vancouver. Of course, things could have been better, but I try to look at the positive side. Facing the anxiety of joblessness and failing interviews has pushed me closer to yoga and meditation, which has eventually made me stronger and healthier.
The last year has been tough, but courtesy some therapy sessions, my wife’s unconditional support and love, I have learnt to acknowledge my situation and deal it with much more patience. I jokingly call myself a celebrity with my two-second appearance as a background actor in a Netflix show, Virgin River.
But I really hope firms and corporations become a little more open and receptive of candidates with career gaps and not judge their potential by just their recent actions. Not only in the corporate world, but generally, too, we need to respect everyone’s choices to explore and allow them that breathing space, without robotically screening them out through an ATS (Application Tracking System) software.
Karan Walia is a content and communication professional who moved to Vancouver from India, in 2020.


‘We are victims who assist victims’: Documenting human rights violations in Nicaragua · Global Voices
Elisa Marvena

Screenshot of #SOSNicaragua video shared by The Nicaragua Press newspaper on its YouTube channel.
In the two months since April 18, Nicaraguans have gone from holding protests against several unpopular governmental decisions to organizing what now appears to be an actual popular uprising based on peaceful resistance. Universities have been occupied, highways blocked, general strikes launched and entire neighborhoods surrounded by makeshift barricades mounted by residents to prevent pro-government “parapolice” groups from entering.
According to protesters, the rapid evolution of this grassroots movement was spurred by profound indignation over the government's severe repression of the demonstrations. At the time this post was edited, there had been 178 people killed and another 1,400 wounded.
The majority of the confirmed deaths (the real number could be higher) were from gunshot wounds to the head, neck and body. Human rights defense groups such as the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights and Amnesty International have called these deaths “extrajudicial executions“.
Events have quickly escalated and many allegations are circulating online. From different parts of the country, videos and reports have been shared on Facebook and Twitter showing armed groups intimidating and attacking protesters or people who refuse to collaborate with them.
Over the weekend, a family with two children burned to death in a house set on fire by armed groups. Accusations are flying, but relatives and witnesses say parapolice groups linked to the government of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo are responsible.
#ÚLTIMAHORA Nicaragua invitará a organismos de derechos humanos a investigar violencia (acuerdo) #AFP pic.twitter.com/RzKNZ2jRqI
— Agence France-Presse (@AFPespanol) June 16, 2018
Nicaragua will invite human rights organizations to investigate violence (agreement)
While the news focuses on what is happening in the streets and on the attempts to create a national dialogue that seems to envision a change of government, Global Voices reached out to a group of activists who amid the chaos are working together to document accusations of human rights violations occurring in the country.
To better understand their labor and this dimension of the conflict, we interviewed “Marina” (her name has been changed for safety reasons), who is a cyber-activist feminist, lawyer and expert in gender and development.
She is currently collaborating with the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH in Spanish) in the city of León. CENIDH is an organization that promotes and protects human rights. It was formed by Nicaraguan civil society in 1990, a post-war era during which the country was transitioning to a democratic government.
In the wake of the political crisis that began on April 18, 2018, and the widespread repression throughout the country, CENIDH joined feminists like Marina in León to begin to record accusations from citizens coming from the western half of the country.
Global Voices (GV): In what context did you all begin to document accusations of human rights violations in León?
Marina: At this time, there is a profound dismantling of institutions of order and justice, and of basic rule of law. A climate of threat and terror exists in society. Everything is upside down. The National Police have abandoned their duty to protect the people, and are instead repressing and assassinating citizens. The Institute of Forensic Medicine has foregone forensic exams and falsified reports. The Public Ministry is dedicated to making up charges against innocent citizens to cover up crimes committed by the National Police.
Victims and their families continue to be under siege. Several of them have been forced to withdraw their accusations. And for us, it is even more complex, because human rights defenders are also subjected to persecution and intimidation.
GV: When you receive an accusation, what process do you follow and how is the workload managed?
Marina: We don't have an office. We work from our homes and in other communities in the western half of the country, in places such as churches, hospitals, locations that similar organizations let us use, cafes, etc. In several cases, and out of fear of reprisal, the victims send us recordings of their accusations. [In those cases] we don't get to see them in person. We transcribe the recordings and send their case file back to them via email for verification or to add more details.
The citizens only trust in human rights institutions. For us, this is a tremendous responsibility and commitment. We believe that at the present time, after the Catholic Church, institutions that defend and promote human rights have the most credibility.
GV:  What kinds of testimonies are you gathering? What are the most common accusations made by the people who contact you?
Marina: The most serious testimonies have been a report of a heinous murder and sexual violence, and accusations of murder. The most frequent are physical aggression, serious aggression by the police, cases of young people bring shot, repression of the right to protest, death threats, intimidation, coercion of public employees who have come to us to make accusations, torture… We cannot speak a lot about the particular cases, only of general characterizations, to maintain confidentiality.
The work of those who defend human rights is very tied up in condemning violations and supporting the people who suffered the trauma. At the same time, it is necessary to collect testimonies, document the accusations and create case files — an effort that is difficult to understand from afar and in the short term, but will be fundamental in future processes of reconciliation, of creating memory and of revitalizing institutions.
Gobierno de Nicaragua aceptó invitar a organismos de derechos humanos https://t.co/me9baRBjbb pic.twitter.com/9g8PvqLaYK
— La Nación (@nacion) June 16, 2018
The Nicaraguan government agreed to invite human rights organizations [to investigate]
GV: At this time, what are the legal possibilities for victims?
Marina: The legal possibilities are next to none. The act of making an accusation is a gesture of symbolic justice. It is the first step in facing the trauma. And we know that legal language does not address trauma.
We believe that the importance of our work is based on the creation of a case file. Right now, there is very little that can be done. My colleague tells me that her dream is for us to create a ‘National Registry of Victims of State Terrorism’, such as one recently created in Guatemala with the historical sentence in the Molina Thiessen case. Guatemala, in these areas, and among these winds of change, has been an important example in Central America.
We want to help tell this story together so that it never happens again. It is incredible that only 39 years ago on these same dates, we were on the eve of defeating one of the longest and cruelest dynastic dictatorships seen on the American continent.
GV: What does this work mean to you? How do you handle it emotionally and what motivates you?
Marina: The testimonies are difficult. We process them, listen to them, and digest them. It is the most Christian thing I have done in my life: “love your neighbor as yourself”. It is a dangerous and risky job. We don't have the necessary resources and funds. The defenders of human rights are the last ones to listen to our own bodies and grievances. There are victims of this system on all levels. We are victims who assist victims.


Turkey: Stray Bullet Killers · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Shame on anyone who fires a pistol as an expression of joy,” writes Amerikan Turk, following the death of people from stray bullets during celebrations in Iraq, which clinched the Asian Football Championship.


Nigeria: ban on gay marriages · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

In contrast Afro Homo takes a completely different approach.  In reponse to the Archibishop Akinola, head of the Nigerian Anglican Church,who believes  homosexuality is “Unnatural and Unafrican” he writes……”How would he know? Christianity only became a mainstream religion a few decades ago. Does he find universities, electricity, monogamy and his fancy Archbishop costume “Unafrican” too? What about its sister religion, Islam? African or Unafrican? I'll the history books judge. Be assured that he'll hate the verdict too”


Vincent Lyles encourages 40 Under 40 winners to ‘find their passion’ to help community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 29, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


Pakistan: Healthcare · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator takes a closer look at the health care system in the country.


Barbados: Common entrance examination · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

“Monday was Common Entrance Exam day in Barbados,” writes Titilayo at The Pan Collective. She explains why this exam (sometimes called 11-plus), which determines which secondary schools children will attend, is such a big deal. “To a child that age, it can probably feel like your entire future is hanging in the balance.”


Bangladesh: Judicial System For Whom? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Habib Siddiqui comments that the judicial system in Bangladesh is discouraging law-abiding citizens to seek justice. He says: “when the system conspires against its law-abiding citizens, I guess very little people could do to stop criminals.”


Russia: Online Fundraising Changes Transparency Standards in Politics · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Oleg Kozyrev, popular Russian blogger, writes [ru] about the effects of online fundraising (this year online opposition activists had fundraised nearly $230,000): 1. it improves transparency standards of opposition politicians, thus making them resistant to corruption allegations and criminal cases, 2. it brings activists closer to their supporters, 3. it makes activists more dependent on public opinion, since they're sponsored by the people and not ‘narrow political groups.’


Africans ‘School’ US President on Good Governance After ‘Shithole’ Comment Sparks Global Outrage · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

African leaders at the 4th High-Level Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction. Photo by United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).
On Thursday, January 11, United States (US) president Donald Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and some African countries as a “shithole” during a bi-partisan meeting on immigration at the Oval Office in Washington D.C. (US). According to lawmakers at the meeting, Trump said:
Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?
The US president's undignified comment immediately sparked international condemnation, including surprisingly humorous reactions from African netizens who used Trump's ‘shithole’ remark as an opportunity to air grievances on the lack of good governance in many of their respective African countries.
Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights described the statement as “racist:”
These are shocking and shameful comments from the President of the United States. There is no other word one can use but ‘racist’… You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents as ‘shitholes’, whose entire populations, who are not white, are therefore not welcome…It’s about opening the door to humanity’s worst side, about validating and encouraging racism and xenophobia that will potentially disrupt and destroy lives of many people.
The Botswana government “summoned the US ambassador to Botswana to express its displeasure at the alleged utterances made by President of the US, Donald Trump:”
PRESS RELEASE |Botswana condemns remarks made by President Trump @VensonMoitoi @MIACBW @OfficialMasisi pic.twitter.com/16i7CUMR4x
— Botswana Government (@BWGovernment) January 12, 2018
Trump tried to reduce the impact of his comment by denying it, stating it was “made up by Dems [Democrats]”:
Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said “take them out.” Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings – unfortunately, no trust!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
African netizens took no time reacting to Trump's comments. Although not justifying it, some assert that Trump's statement is an indictment against the governments of many African nations:
James Propa, Ugandan contributor to Global Voices said:
Why y'all bothered by @realDonaldTrump calling our countries #Shithole?
First of all we have failed to become fully autonomous. We rely on them for funds, so they disrespect us. We need to start thinking independently. Lets suffer with the little we have and build to be big.
— James Propa (@jamespropa) January 12, 2018
The same sentiments were expressed by Ugo Agbaji, a Nigerian:
Nigeria is a SHITHOLE country because of its leaders. I’ll have to agree with Trump who I mostly dislike. Dear Trump please remind Nigeria that they are a shit hole country whose leaders need to get their shit together.
— ugo agbaji (@ug4u2) January 12, 2018
Kenyan netizen Daniel Makaya lampooned corruption and inept leaders in Africa:
Africa, especially the Sub-Saharan region led by hypocrites such as South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya is a big shit-hole. Governments screw their own people and 75% of govt revenue goes to the pockets of connected politicians. Africa with its present leadership cannot compete
— #KisiiNational (@DanielMayaka) January 12, 2018
Nigerian Kelvin Odanz was blunt:
Nigerians who live in Nigeria know that Nigeria is a shot hole. They queue up at embassies every week begging to escape.
Nigerians who managed to escape and their Pan Africanist cohorts (living away from the shit hole) are the ones angry Donald Trump called Nigeria a shit hole.
— Kelvin Odanz (@KelvinOdanz) January 12, 2018
Fellow Nigerian Onye Nkuzi's tweet refers to the lack of justice in Nigeria for people murdered by herdsmen on New Years Day in Benue State:
Sorry we just buried 73 innocent young men, women and children in Benue State, Nigeria.
So we have more important issues to deal with than Trump's snide remarks.
And yes, Nigeria is a shit hole. As for the rest of Africa, I do not know – I don't know enough to comment. https://t.co/ikamc2D8X8
— Onye Nkuzi (@cchukudebelu) January 12, 2018
Steve Biko blamed Africa's tribal politics:
According to Trump, Africa is a shit-hole with poor amenities, hunger and poor leadership.
That's what we get when we Africans elect leaders based on our tribal lines. We end up with clowns who have no policies on how Africa can be independent on its own.
— Steve Biko (@Steve_Raheem) January 12, 2018
Ghanaian Seraphic Herbsman advised Africans to save their outrage and work toward “turning our situation around:”
Africa is a shit hole. Don't be outraged. Channel that energy into being patriotic and turning our situation around.
— seraphic herbsman X (@ProdigyDakem) January 12, 2018
However, some Africans were infuriated by Trump's comments. Ms. Nawande boldly states that “Trump is a shithole president:”
YES Africa & Its nations have it's problems..we don't dispute.. but name calling & outright disrespect by the very nation that has stripped off its resources for years is totally crossing it. TRUMP IS A ‘SHIT HOLE’ PRESIDENT. PERIOD.
— Ms. Nawande (@MsNawande) January 12, 2018
Nyaguthii wa Muriuki comments on American ignorance of Africa:
The US president is a typical rep of an American mind. Its 2018 and they still use a starving child's photo taken years ago a 0.00000000000000000000001% of the African population and teach America how Africa looks like * shit hole I guess ?
— nyaguthii wa muriuki (@nyagu_kanegene) January 12, 2018
And Didi Angela reminded the world once again that Africa is a continent, not a country:
This president called Africa a shit hole country? Someone tell him Africa is a continent, also African immigrants are one of the most educated groups in this country, this president is racist and ignorant AF
— DispersalOfKnowledge (@DidiAngela) January 12, 2018
Gege, a Nigerian based in the United Kingdom, schooled the United States president to uphold the dignity of his office:
Decency, humility & compassion. That's what great leadership is about.
It's true that Nigeria is hell for many. It is also incredibly rude for Trump to denigrate the living conditions of the poor in Africa.
The man is desecrating the US Presidency with his uncouth behaviour…
— Gege (@nigeriasbest) January 12, 2018


Data: Consumption of Chemical Pesticides is Not Reducing While The Use of Bio-Pesticides Increases Gradually
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 3, 2023
Data provided by the government in the Parliament indicates that the consumption of Chemical Pesticides has not reduced in the country with the consumption averaging around 60,000 MT in the last nine years. On the other hand, the consumption of bio-pesticides has increased by more than 40% between 2015-16 and 2021-22 though their total consumption is less than 1/6th of the chemical pesticide consumption.
To ensure that agriculture production meets the increasing demand for food, pesticides are being widely used to protect crops from pests. While the availability of safe and efficacious pesticides and their judicious use by the farming community is critical to the long-term sustainability of agriculture, pesticides have also been identified as a key threat to the Sustainable Development Goals because of their potential to adversely affect the non-target species and the environment. Pesticide exposure is associated with cancers and neurological, immunological, and reproductive effects, among other health impacts on human beings. The excessive and inefficient use of these chemicals has also led to nutrient losses, drinking water contamination, and eutrophication of freshwater systems and coastal zones.
Apart from the direct consequences on humans and the environment, accidents are another consequence because of toxicity. In 2021 alone, the NCRB reported close to 8000 incidents of accidental Intake of Insecticides/Pesticides which resulted in the death of 7800 persons in India. Farmer suicides and corporate monopoly are some of the other issues linked to pesticides.
Pesticide consumption is also a topic of discussion in various global conferences related to sustainability and the environment. In COP 15 of the Convention on Bio-Diversity, the Indian Government expressed that a numerical global target for pesticide reduction is unnecessary and must be left to countries to decide since food security was important in developing states where agriculture is a primary economic driver for rural communities.
Consumption of chemical pesticide in India has increased over the decades
India being an agrarian economy, more than 40% of the workforce is employed in the sector thereby bringing the focus on agricultural development in the country’s planning and policy. India is among the leading producers and consumers of pesticides in Asia and the World. The consumption of pesticides in India increased several hundred folds from 154 MT in 1953-54 to 80,000 MT in 1994-95 with the Green Revolution being a major contributor. However, since then, the consumption steadily dropped to 54,135 MT in 1999-2000 because of the ban and restriction on the use of organochlorine pesticides and the introduction of the Integrated Pest Management programme.
In the last decade from 2012-13 to 2021-22, India’s consumption of chemical pesticides has been an average of 58,429.7 MT. Not including 2012-13 when the consumption was below 50,000 MT, the average consumption was 59,853.1 MT in nine years. The consumption was the lowest in 2012-13 with 45,619 MT and highest in 2017-18 with 63,406 MT consumed. Overall, the consumption has been more in the second half of the decade with an average of 61,138 MT as compared to 55,721 MT in the first half.
Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh account for 40% of the chemical pesticides consumed in the country
Among states, Maharashtra is the largest consumer of chemical pesticides followed by Uttar Pradesh. With more than 10,000 MT consumed by each of these states annually, the two states alone contributed to 38% to 42.4% of the total chemical pesticides consumed in the country every year since 2015-16. Punjab is the third highest consumer with an average of more than 5525 MT consumed from 2015-16 to 2020-21. Punjab’s data for 2021-22 is not yet available. The three states together contributed 48% to 51% of the total consumption during the six years from 2015-16 to 2020-21.
Though Telangana and Haryana have an average consumption of more than 4000 MT in the seven years, the consumption in Telangana increased till 2017-18 and then stabilized while in Haryana, the consumption has been in the range of 4000 to 4100 MT in the same period. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, and Odisha & Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed a gradual rise in consumption during the said period whereas states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh reported a decline in consumption.
The northeastern states of Meghalaya and Sikkim were marked as ‘Organic States’ in the response provided in the parliament. Among the remaining northeastern states, consumption is mostly in Assam and Tripura.
Consumption of bio-pesticides is increasing
In recent years, the government is promoting the use of bio-pesticides through various schemes. The consumption of bio-pesticides at the national level was 6,148 MT in 2015-16 which rose to 8,898.92 MT in 2021-22. That is, in the last seven years, the use of bio-pesticides increased by close to 45%. Though there has been a continuous increase in biopesticide consumption, the quantity is still very less compared to conventional chemical pesticides. The percentage of bio-pesticides consumption as against chemical pesticides consumption stood at 15% in 2021-22, up from 10.8% in 2015-16.
Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and West Bengal account for one-third of the bio-pesticides consumption in India
Maharashtra was the major consumer of bio-pesticides until 2019-20. However, the state’s consumption has declined since 2016-17. From 1,454 MT in 2016-17 accounting for one-fifth of the consumption at the national level, the state’s consumption has dropped to below 1000 MT in the last two years. Its share in consumption has also dropped to 10.5% in 2021-22. Since 2020-21, Rajasthan has been the highest consumer of bio-pesticides, overtaking Maharashtra. West Bengal also consumed more than 1000 MT in the last 3 years. The three states continue to account for almost one-third of the country’s bio-pesticide consumption.
Rajasthan reported an almost 100 times increase in the consumption of biopesticides in the last seven years. The annual consumption was below 15 MT between 2015-16 to 2018-19 and jumped to 1268 MT in 2021-22 contributing to 14.2% of the national consumption.
A significant increase was also witnessed in the states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh. Meanwhile, the states of Kerala and Odisha witnessed a decline in consumption in the last 3-4 years. Despite being one of the largest consumers of chemical pesticides, Uttar Pradesh’s consumption of bio-pesticides has been very low. The state reported having consumed only less than 50 MT until 2020-21 and 50.88 MT in 2021-22. Though the state has witnessed an increase in usage, Andhra Pradesh has also reported 45 MT in 2021-22. The consumption in these two states is among the lowest among large states.
Government’s push towards sustainable agriculture
As per responses provided in the parliament, The central government promotes sustainable agriculture and encourages the use of biopesticides through organic farming schemes of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER). Educational programs are held for farmers to shift to eco-friendly products. ICAR and state agriculture universities are also working on developing biopesticides. To promote the judicious use of pesticides, Central and State Governments through their field agencies ensure that farmers are provided with the right knowledge/ information about recommended pesticide use. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is also propagating the Integrated Pest Management approach through its 36 Central Integrated Pest Management Centres located in 28 States and 2 UTs. However, as observed earlier, the high usage of chemical pesticides continues in many states.
Featured Image: Consumption of Chemical Pesticides


Old accident video clips falsely shared as visuals of a recent crude oil tanker explosion in Dubai - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 22, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of a recent crude oil tanker blast in Dubai. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of a crude oil tanker explosion in Dubai.
Fact: The video shared in the post is made from video clips related to three different old fire accidents. The first video clip shows a 2018 incident of a tanker explosion in Italy. The second video clip shows the fire breakout due to a crude oil pipeline leakage in Cairo, Egypt. The last video clip shows an old fire accident that took place in a market in Ajman, UAE. This video has nothing to do with Dubai. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The video shared in the post is a combination of three different video clips. Let’s find the details of each video clip one by one.
Video Clip-1:
On observing the first video clip carefully, we could see the ‘USA TODAY’ watermark on the top right side of the video. When we searched for the video using relevant keywords, a video with similar visuals was found published on the ‘USA TODAY’ news website on 07 August 2018. This article reported it as the visuals of a fuel tanker explosion on a highway in Italy. Several other news websites have also published videos and articles reporting it as truck explosion visuals in Bologna, Italy. They can be seen here, here, and here.
Video Clip-2:
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, videos with similar visuals were found published by several news channels in July 2020. They can be seen here, here, and here. All these news channels reported it as the visuals of a massive fire that broke out because of a crude oil pipeline leakage in Cairo, Egypt. Reporting the complete details of the fire accident, several news websites have published articles. They can be seen here and here.  A total of 17 people were reportedly injured in this fire accident.
Video Clip-3:
On reverse image search, a video with similar visuals was found published by a YouTube channel on 07 August 2020. This YouTube user mentioned it as the visuals of a massive fire accident that took place inside a market in Ajman, UAE. On observing carefully, we could see the text ‘Belad Al Sham’ on a shop hoarding. On comparing the photos of the ‘Belad Al Sham’ shop in Ajman with the shop visuals seen in the photo, is confirmed that the incident had taken place in the Emirate of Ajman.
When we searched for more sources using relevant keywords, a similar fire accident photo was found in an article published by the ‘Tasnim News Agency’ on 06 August 2020. According to the article, a massive fire explosion took place in a closed fruit and vegetable market located near the industrial area of the emirate of Ajman. Reporting the same, several other news websites have also published articles about this fire accident. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, an old fire accident visuals are shared as that of a crude oil tanker explosion in Dubai.


Haiti, USA: Food & Hunger · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Haitianalysis.com publishes an article by Dr. Joia Mukherjee and Donna Barry that explains why the current food crisis “is only the most recent in the hemisphere's hungriest country.”


Guyana: Gang Members Killed  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living Guyana blogs about the latest developments in the “Fineman Gang” crime story, here and here.


China: Proposal for corporate innovation before annual political gathering · Global Voices
John Kennedy

As China's annual Lianghui began today, online discussions abound with some of the more colorful motions to be debated over the coming days, such as that from blogging CPPCC member Zhang Xiaomei which seeks to have married men pay (indentured?) wives wages in exchange for housekeeping duties peformed. A large number of blog posts have focused on market fluctuations expected to accompany the political gathering.
A post at Cricketdiane's WordPress blog has aggregated a number of articles from Chinese state media regarding this round of the Two Meetings.
And while CCTV personality Wang Xiaoya was the go-to blogger for the inside scoop from the past several Lianghui, this year she seems to have traded blogging from the sessions for a project with Sohu in fielding questions and views across the Internet company's microblogging platform.
Wang's move comes as more delegates than used to are blogging their own way to the meetings. For starters, there's Sina blogger Patriotic CEO (of aigo electronics) Feng Jun, who in a March 1 post decided to give readers a teaser on his proposal:
“两会”即将召开，作为政协委员，我最近尝试通过微博征求大家的建设性意见，看到那么多畅所欲言的建议很感动，也感谢大伙对我的信任！在这里提前给大家透露一下，此次两会我提案的核心将放在“如何进一步促进民族品牌自主创新”方面。
三十年河东，三十年河西，知道的朋友应该理解，2010年将是中华民族从自信走向自豪的最关键的元年。2008年的奥运会和建国60周年庆典成功举办，尤其在全球经济危机的环境下，我们2009年的 GDP依然实现了8.7%的高增长，可以说现在咱们全民族的自信心和团队精神达都到了一个全新的高度。而且去年年底，国家领导人也正是号召要从“中国制造”转向“中国创造”，现在从天时地利人和来讲，现在是条件最好的。后续我会把提案的详细内容发上来，里面会涉及到舆论、知识产权、走出去等多个方面，欢迎各位网友多提意见，共同为中国的自主创新建言献策。
The first of 100 comments on Feng's post reads:
啥时候发文章发回复不被审核不被删了.中国创造才有戏.审核是创新的死敌.电影要审核,游戏要审核,网站要审核,连发个回复都要审核.还创新个屁


New Canadian Media Mentorship Guide - New Canadian Media
Mission statement: The Mentorship program is designed to act as an opportunity for Canadian journalists from diverse multicultural backgrounds to develop new relationships, gain specific insights, and promote diversity in the Canadian media industry.
Process: The objective of the NCM Mentorship program is to provide one-on-one mentorship from a recognized journalist or columnist who has widely published in Canadian publications and websites.
The mentorship will provide opportunities for mentees to receive:
– Constructive feedback on a specific project / piece of writing
– Tailored coaching on how to frame, hone, pitch stories and commentary pieces
– Insights into Canadian audiences and introduction to the country’s media landscape
– Greater understanding and appreciation for journalism norms/expectations
Meet our Mentors
Judy Trinh
Judy Trinh is a correspondent for CTV National News, based in Ottawa. She specializes in politics and investigations, with a commitment to covering stories focusing on marginalized communities. Trinh previously worked as an investigative journalist at CBC, she is also NCM’s chief mentor.
Nazim Baksh
Nazim Baksh has been producing news, feature reports and investigative documentaries for multiple CBC platforms from May 1990 to present. He has covered a range of subjects but has distinguished himself by cultivating a niche of his own in the national security space. Nazim has produced stories pertaining to violent religious extremism and right-wing ideologically motivated hate and racism, and more recently, the plight of international Indian students in Canada who were “Sold a Lie,” a Fifth Estate episode that aired on September 29, 2022. As an unofficial CBC resident “expert” on Islam, Muslims and the Middle East, Nazim has become adept at informing story selection and production so as to avoid bias, stereotypes and racism.
Paul Bucci
Paul Bucci is an award-winning journalist and editor who has worked in senior management positions in some of Canada’s largest media companies, including Postmedia, Black Press Media and Brunswick News. Accomplishments at Postmedia included establishing Tai Yang Bao, a Chinese-language online news publication and Vancouver Desi, a publication for South Asian audiences. A former legislature journalist with reporting stints in Somalia and Bosnia, Bucci has been an editor and strategist with New Canadian Media since 2022.
Wendy McLellan
Wendy McLellan is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years’ experience working in media. She has worked in newsrooms as an assignment editor; acting city editor; beat and general assignment reporter; and web/social media editor.
Shalu Mehta
Shalu Mehta is a lead reporter for The Discourse Cowichan. She is an immigrant settler living on lək̓ʷəŋən territory, just outside of what is now called Victoria, B.C., though her work covers the lands of many Coast Salish nations. She has previously worked at daily news outlets in Ontario and on Vancouver Island. Shalu received her Master of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature and Comparative Literature and Culture and a Certificate in Theatre Arts from Western University in London, Ont. Shalu is passionate about community-driven, solutions-focused journalism. She seeks to deepen conversations and complicate narratives through her work and wants to help build equity, diversity and meaningful dialogue in the news industry so that it better represents the people the industry serves.
Fernando Arce
Fernando Arce is a Toronto-based independent journalist originally from Ecuador. He is a co-founder and editor of The Grind, a free local news and arts print publication, as well as an NCM-CAJ member and mentor. He writes in English and Spanish, and has reported from various locations across Canada, Ecuador and Venezuela. While his work in journalism is dedicated to democratizing information and making it accessible across the board, he spends most of his free time hiking with his three huskies: Aquiles, Picasso and Iris. He has a BA in Political Science from York University and an MA in Journalism from Western University.
Cecil Rosner
Cecil Rosner has been a professional journalist in Canada for more than four decades, concentrating for most of that time on reporting and supervising investigative journalism projects. He has taught the principles of investigative journalism widely, and is the author of the definitive history of the genre in Canada – Behind the Headlines: A History of Investigative Journalism in Canada. He was with the CBC for 31 years, and his last position was as executive producer of The Fifth Estate. For 13 years he served as managing editor of CBC Manitoba, overseeing all editorial content on radio, television and online.
Steven Zhou
Steven Zhou is a Toronto-based journalist and writer focusing on issues around immigration, discrimination, and politics. He has worked as a reporter, producer, and writer for CBC News, CBC Radio, CBC TV, and VICE News. You can read his work in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Foreign Policy, and the LA Review of Books. Steven also works with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).
Marcus Medford
Marcus is a poet, editor and freelance journalist based in Toronto. He currently works with New Canadian Media as an Editor and as a Freelance Writer for ByBlacks.com, The Edge: A Leader’s Magazine and The Soapbox Press.
Hamdi Issawi
Hamdi Issawi is an Edmonton journalist born and raised in Alberta’s capital. He got his start delivering newspapers at 13, but never considered a journalism career until 10 years later, when a fortune teller found a “writer’s fork” on his palm. Since then, he’s covered the environment and energy beat for StarMetro Edmonton, the West Coast as an assistant editor for Maclean’s, and sundry Alberta stories as a freelancer for national news outlets. Follow Hamdi on Twitter at @hamdiissawi.
Hadassah Alencar
Hadassah Alencar is a bilingual freelance journalist in Montreal who has five years of experience in journalism. She is completing her studies in Journalism at Concordia University, where she has worked as a radio newsroom technical producer, copy editor, video lab teaching assistant for the Journalism department at Concordia. Since beginning the program in 2019, she has served as a news editor and Editor-in-Chief at The Concordian, Concordia University’s Independent student newspaper, and helped organize NASH84, Canada’s largest student media conference with the Canadian University Press (CUP) and Le Délit. Since 2020, Hadassah has been nominated for two John H. McDonald Awards for Excellence in Student Journalism for investigative and Indigenous multimedia stories. She grew up in Ontario after her family immigrated from Brazil, and relocated to Quebec nearly a decade ago. Currently, she is finishing her studies while writing for publications such as The Eastern Door and New Canadian Media. As an NCM mentor, she is best suited to coach journalism and media studies students.
Marine Caleb
Journaliste indépendante, Marine a travaillé en France, au Liban et au Québec. Passionnée par les questions féministes, l’identité, l’intégration et les migrants, elle se plaît à défaire les clichés et décortiquer les clivages. Elle a pour ambition de combattre les injustices et les discriminations avec des mots et des solutions.
Read testimonials from former mentees
Hear from some of our mentors
Take a look at the work produced from our Mentorship Program:
For Mentors:
Thank you for taking the time to support the NCM Mentorship program. Your participation is crucial to providing mentees the opportunity to grow in their journalistic career, and to reach more people with the stories they care about.
To streamline the process, here are some general guidelines:
1/ Get to know the mentee. Every mentor will receive a brief bio of the journalist they are partnered  with, however, that can’t replace real conversation. Talk to your mentee and find out:
– Past experience working as a journalist abroad
– Good and bad impressions of working as a journalist so far in Canada
– Areas they are struggling with in their own writing, researching, framing, pitching
– Their personal goals and objectives in participating in the mentorship program.
2/ Set out realistic, measurable goals and objectives
– Discuss the time commitment you are each prepared to make
– Determine how frequently, and using which method, you will communicate (in-person, video calling, phone)
– Clearly review expectations of the mentorship which provides:
advice on one writing projects/ commentary piece, including guidance and advice on how best to frame the piece, and how best to prepare it. There will be feedback on the draft and support throughout the editing process until a final product is ready for submission (with a maximum of three rounds of editing advice).
3/ Take notes of the mentorship experience to provide the mentee with a final checklist of recommendations and next steps. This document should also be shared with NCM to help inform a final, anonymized report about the mentorship program.
4/ Track changes
– When editing a mentee’s work, please use track changes and where possible/necessary, include comments about the work that provides either constructive suggestions, or highlighting what is working.
Key reminders:
– As a mentor, you are a more of a coach than a teacher. Your role is to help guide the
mentee but not to teach them how to be a journalist – they already have experience
doing that.
– As a coach, you will gently advise around areas of substance, style, audience, and
context while leaving full autonomy with the mentee to accept or decline suggestions.
– The relationship must be based on mutual respect and cooperation***.
Recommended reading: How to be a good mentor
For Mentees:
Thank you for participating in NCM’s Mentorship program. We are committed to supporting your aspirations in journalism. This paid mentorship program aims to provide you with valuable support from an established journalist or columnist and is intended to help you navigate Canada’s media landscape to share stories and ideas that reflect the country’s diversity.
To streamline the process, here are some general guidelines:
1/ Take full advantage of this opportunity to explore ideas that you have. Share these ideas with your mentor and consider the advice provided carefully. Don’t be afraid to engage in discussion and to share reflections and concerns. This is a learning opportunity, so be fully present and give this mentorship its due time.
2/ Be sure that you are fully clear about your expectations and your time constraints. Discuss with your mentor and come to a consultation plan that includes meeting times, method of communicating, general agenda.
3/ Take notes throughout the experience. Be ready to share your learning with the NCM in a brief summary about the experience at the end of the mentorship.
4/ Be ready for all meetings with precise questions. It’s important to be focused throughout the mentorship and to utilize valuable time with your mentee. Stay focused and on time so as to gain as much from the opportunity as possible.
5/ Accept feedback with grace. Sometimes it’s hard to take criticism or to listen to a viewpoint at odds with our own. You do not ever have to take advice that you disagree with, simply listen, provide your reflections, and move on to another issue you are struggling with. The relationship must be based on mutual respect and cooperation.***
6/ At the end of the mentorship, be sure to tie up any loose ends in regards to questions or missing pieces of information you require to make your pitch. Once the mentorship is complete, the relationship with your mentee will conclude.
Recommended reading: How to be a good mentee
(NCM is grateful to Amira Elghawaby for drafting this guide.)
***The NCM is not liable for any objectionable actions taken by the mentors or mentees. Any concerns about harassment or other unacceptable behaviour by either party must immediately be brought to the attention of the NCM Publisher and appropriate action will be taken.
(top photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash, lower photo by Helloquence on Unsplash)


Review: Standing Committee makes important recommendations related to safety of Oil Installations
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 22, 2022
The Standing Committee (SC) on Petroleum & Natural Gas recently submitted a report on ‘Safety & Security of Oil Installations in the Public Sector Oil Companies’ with a specific focus on the mishap which occurred in an ONGC installation at Western offshore during cyclone Tauktae. Here is a review.
The Standing Committee (SC) on Petroleum & Natural Gas recently submitted its 13th Report of the Lok Sabha. The focus of the report is on the ‘Safety & Security of Oil Installations in the Public Sector Oil Companies’ with a specific focus on the mishap which occurred in an ONGC installation at Western offshore during cyclone Tauktae.
The highly inflammable materials handled by the Oil & Natural gas Industry along with high temperature & high-pressure environments mean that the various installations & plants are prone to accidents, which can be catastrophic.  Therefore, safety and security assume paramount importance in the industry. Despite not being among the global leaders in Petroleum & Natural Gas industry, India does have sizeable reserves along with various aligned infrastructure including – refineries, pipelines, processing units, etc. As per the information provided in the SC report, there are 23 refineries and 16 gas processing plants in the country. India has a total installed refining capacity of 250 Million Metric Tonne Per Annum (MMTPA). The indigenous crude oil production is around 31 MMTPA while gas production is around 34 million cubic meters per annum.
Oil & Natural Gas Industry Infrastructure in India
Refineries
23
Gas Processing Units
16
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals
6
Oil & LPG Installations
683
Exploration Installations
70
Production Installations
505
Length of Cross-country Pipelines (KM)
45,000
Safety Council, established in 1986 ensures proper implementation of various safety aspects
Safety and Security of the plant, installations and employees in the Oil & Gas industries are generally ensured by the respective company, both in the public & private sector. In India, there are a number of authorities at various levels that oversee safety in the Petroleum & natural gas industry. These authorities operate simultaneously in framing safety regulations and their implementation.
These include:
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG) monitors the various safety issues in this sector and directs the oil companies to take suitable measures to ensure safety. The Ministry is assisted by a technical directorate – the Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD), which was formed in 1986 by a resolution of the Government.
Further, Petroleum and Natural Gas (Safety in Offshore operations) Rules, 2008 were formulated to address the operational safety issues in Offshore Oil and Gas operations. OISD is the nodal agency for overseeing the implementation of these rules.
To ensure the implementation of various safety aspects in this industry, the Government of India has set up the “Safety Council” as the apex body in January 1998.  It is directly under the control Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas as a self-regulatory industry agency for safety matters & procedures in the Hydrocarbon sector. It is headed by the Secretary of the ministry as chairman. The Safety Council is assisted by OISD. The latest review of the safety performance was held in 2020, which is the 37 Safety Council meeting.
An exhaustive review by SC regarding the Barge-305 incident during Cyclone Tauktae in May 2021.
As highlighted earlier, one of the key issues the Standing Committee report looked at was the mishap that occurred to an ONGC installation on the Western coast offshore during Cyclone Taukate in May 2021.
The Western offshore was hit by Cyclone Taukate during 16-17 May 2021, the severity which was unprecedented for the Western Offshore. An emergency arose on 17 May 2021 when Barge-305, deployed by M/S Afcons informed that it lost its anchors and was drifting towards the HS-wellhead platform. ONGC and the Indian Navy responded to the situation. ONGC diverted all the Multi-purpose Supply Vehicles (MSVs) and Offshore Support Vehicles (OSVs), and the Indian Navy directed INS Kochi for the rescue. Despite reaching the earliest, the unfavourable weather situation prevented any immediate rescue measures by INS Kochi.
A total of 188 persons on the barge were rescued by the Indian Navy and by ONGC vehicles. As for the Barge P-305, it initially reported starboard side damage resulting in tilting on one side. It eventually sank. There were 86 victims and 9 were reported as missing.
The Committee conducted an enquiry about the incident, to which the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and ONGC furnished responses.  A few of the key questions of the Committee were related to:
The Committee also sought responses on the role of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Findings of the Internal Committee constituted by ONGC
The Standing Committee further sought details of the internal Committee constituted by ONGC. The Major findings of the Internal Committee about the barge P-305 disaster are:
The following recommendations were made by the internal committee based on its findings:
Standing Committee has proposed reforms to enhance Safety in the Indian Offshore area
The following are some of the recommendations made by the Standing Committee based on the responses by the Ministry & ONGC.
Apart from ONGC, where the emergency occurred, the Standard Committee has also reviewed the safety & security levels in various other installations relating to the Oil & Gas industry – Onshore Oil & Gas Installations including pipelines installations, Offshore Oil & Gas Installations, Cyber Security across these installations, etc.
A few of the key recommendations made by the Standing Committee regarding the Safety & Security measure for the Oil & Gas Industry include:
Featured Image: Standing Committee Report on Petroleum & Natural Gas


Colombia: Released Videos Shows Silence From Hostages · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The proof of survival videos and images that were discovered last week when 3 emissaries of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorist group were captured, contains poignant images of several of the hostages the FARC has in their power. These videos were allegedly on their way to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, as part of the conditions for the humanitarian exchange negotiations which were halted a week and a half ago.
There are videos and images of hostages who speak about the conditions they live under, the concentration camp-like quality of their prisons, and other hostages just take the time to send their love and regards to family and children. One of the most talked about videos has been the one which shows ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, kidnapped on February 2002, who stares out straight ahead while sitting very still, only her blinking eyes are proof that it is a video and not a still image. She didn't speak a word, but her sad, haggard face, her stick thin arms and silence spoke volumes to many .
Ingrid Betancourt might not have spoken on the 55 second long video, but she wrote a long letter to her family, and the content of that letter was leaked and was published on El Tiempo newspaper and website and then transcribed on Costa Rican blog  Por la Boca Vive el Pez [es], much to Ingrid's family's indignation.  In this extensive letter, she tries to cram years of her life in torturous captivity, while sending out love to her children, ex-husband and mother.
Durante mucho tiempo hemos sido como los leprosos que afean el baile, los secuestrados no somos un tema “políticamente correcto”, suena mejor decir que hay que ser fuertes frente a la guerrilla aún sin sacrificar algunas vidas humanas. Ante eso, el silencio. Solo el tiempo puede abrir las conciencias y elevar los espíritus.
For so long we've been like the lepers who spoil the party. As hostages we aren't a “politically correct” topic, it sounds better for them to say that they have to be strong towards the guerrilla but without sacrificing some human lives. To face this, silence. Only time can open minds and elevate spirits.
Another type of silence is that of all the other hostages out there in the FARC concentration camps, those who are not deemed important enough to merit sending out videos and letters, and whose families are still waiting for a sign of life, waiting to see if they have any right to hope for them to come home.
Bloggers such as Bluelephant [es] criticizes the reactions of some politicians like Piedad Córdoba who do not miss a chance to take advantage of any situation to back their own agendas.
Esas caras descompuestas, granulosas, que miramos desde la distancia con total impotencia mientras los políticos de todos los pelambres -empezando por Uribe y Chávez- los capitalizan electoralmente (qué vergüenza Piedad Córdoba acreditándose su existencia, jugando a la política con esas cartas (y con sus lágrimas) …
Those uncomposed pixelated faces we saw through the distances with complete impotence while every type of politician -starting with Uribe and Chávez- capitalize on them electorally (Shame on Piedad Córdoba, crediting herself with their existence, playing politics with those cards (and her tears)…
Others like Octav at Crítica destructiva [es] condemns the situation and the way these people are being used as merchandise to be exchanged.
Maldito tiene que ser un pueblo que permite que se utilice la vida y la libertad de las personas como mercancía y no exige…y obliga a los responsables a liberarlos y por el contrario, le sirve y le da beneficios inclusive por encima de los representantes que éste mismo eligió.
Damn those people who allow the lives and freedom of people to be used as merchandise and who don't demand and force those responsible to free them, those who instead work for them and give them benefits over the representatives that they themselves have chosen.
Alejandro in Diary of an unknown programmer [es] wonders why these videos weren't sent as email earlier as examples of good will.
…lo que no puedo tolerar es que sean tan brutos como para decir que esos tipos iban para donde Chavez como mensajeros,,, ¿Es que acaso no existen los mails? Para qué carajos tienen una puta página web donde montan sus fechorías y sus maldades, no podrían hacer algún tipo de upload en Youtube de cualquier video de los secuestrados y enviarlos periódicamente?
The video which includes US citizens, Colombian hostages and  French-Colombian citizen and former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt can be seen at the El Tiempo newspaper's site, along with other video material.


Czech Republic: Travel Roundup · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Reference Frame writes about a replica of Prague's Old Town City Hall in Seoul. The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks writes about Jan Žižka, “the most feared and respected military leader and tactician in Czech history,” and describes travel to Písek and Tábor.


Common Council to vote on divisive streetcar plan Tuesday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
February 9, 2015
South Side resident Chris Woodley was among several in the crowd who questioned the benefits of the streetcar for central city residents. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
After months of heated debate, the controversial streetcar plan, championed by Mayor Tom Barrett, and derided by other public officials, will finally come to a vote Tuesday in the Common Council.
Last week, at a public meeting at Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., South Side residents joined the debate over the plan. While some expected the rift between Barrett and Alderman Bob Donovan, a mayoral candidate who represents the area, to dominate the meeting, instead sharp criticism of the streetcar plan from audience members in the packed Longfellow school cafeteria took center stage.
In an impassioned plea Cynthia Greenwood, who lives on the South Side and worries about a lack of jobs for city residents, argued that money being spent on the streetcar would be best used somewhere else.
“We have to invest in those who are hurting the most,” Greenwood said. From the back of the cafeteria came shouts of “when will the central city stop being ignored?”
South Side Alderman Bob Donovan listens to Rich Neuber, a community member who is opposed to the streetcar plan. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Barrett explained the federal dollars allocated for the project cannot be diverted to other resources, a statement that Donovan refuted. Barrett added that while it is necessary to invest in all areas of the city, especially those with the most need, it’s also crucial to invest and built positive momentum in areas of the city that are doing well.
He stated that numerous development projects currently underway or recently completed downtown are keys to the city’s long-term health. Barrett pointed to $2.6 billion in development in downtown Milwaukee since 2005, with $980 million of development underway. While downtown only encompasses 3 percent of the city’s land, it is 18 percent of the city’s tax base.
“The city has invested millions on the foreclosure crisis,” Barrett said. “We’re able to do that because we have a healthy tax base downtown.”
Continued development downtown also creates family-sustaining construction or other trade-specific jobs, stated Barrett.
Jorge Franco, CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, agreed that the streetcar is a way to improve the quality of life in the city, adding that an influx of young professionals will positively impact the tax base.
“That helps create employment,” Franco said.
According to reports, Barrett has secured enough votes to win approval for the $124 million streetcar, which would initially serve only downtown Milwaukee. Supporters envision that it eventually will be extended to UW-Milwaukee, Brady Street, Walker’s Point and Bronzeville, among other locations, but it is not expected to run through the central city. Full operation of the downtown routes would begin in mid-2018.
The capital construction costs of the streetcar would be paid for by a mix of federal and Tax Incremental District (TID) funding.
Donovan, who recently introduced an alternative transportation plan for the city, and Alderman Joe Davis have led a petition drive to secure the 31,000 signatures needed to force a referendum on the issue. As of late last week more than 17,000 signatures had been collected.
Donovan said that even if streetcar opponents aren’t able to gather enough signatures by Tuesday’s vote, state law permits 60 days to gather the needed signatures and they will continue their drive.
Rich Neuber, who also called for a referendum, works for an organization on the South Side that provides meals to the homeless. He described the plan as another example of the “haves” having more.
“We barely have enough resources to serve 120 homeless people, but you’re more interested in a streetcar that only serves a small part of the city,” he said.


Ukraine: GUAM Founds ODED · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander writes about a new organization whose founding members are Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova (GUAM): the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (ODED), to be based in Kyiv, Ukraine. GUAM-ODED is intended as an alternative to the Commonwealth of Independent States