Anti-abortion laws are an attack on religious freedom - 360
Samira Mehta, Tisa Wenger
Published on July 11, 2022
If religious freedom is a true American right, then it must apply to all, not just the conservative Christians arguing against the right to abortion.
When the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, removing the right for all citizens to an abortion, Twitter exploded. Among the many declaiming against the decision were numerous tweets from Jewish Amercians announcing that, in stripping away the constitutional right to an abortion, the Court also stripped away religious freedom for American Jews.
A press release from the Unitarian Universalist Association likewise asserted: “Access to abortion and the right to choose is an issue of gender equality, bodily autonomy, and religious liberty, all of which are long held Unitarian Universalist religious teachings.”
We would encourage the Orthodox people and organizations that are cheering the overturning of Roe v. Wade to reckon with the loss of religious freedom for Orthodox Jews, when rabbis permit or require abortion and the secular state will not allow it.
6
— Chochmat Nashim (@ChochmatNashim) June 29, 2022
These statements turn the tables on religious freedom debates from recent years, in which religious freedom has been cast as a right that mostly involves conservative Christians. The statements instead hark back to religious freedom arguments from the twentieth century. Broadly accessible legal abortion, the argument went, allowed pregnant women to make their own decisions about abortion, in the context of their own religious beliefs (or lack thereof), and potentially in consultation with their clergy. (Pregnancy and abortion rights, then and now, can affect trans men as well as women. But the conversation at the time was entirely about women.)
Ever since the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent, conservative Christians have used religious freedom to argue that they — as individuals, churches, or the businesses and organisations they operate — must not be required to participate in or pay for any health services that might include abortion.
This stance puts the rights of conservative Christians above the rights and freedoms of anyone whose religious beliefs permit abortion, and whose access might be affected by these refusals. Republicans, animated by conservative Christian ideas, have already enacted bans on abortion in states like Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri. They have made no secret of their desire to push for more such bans, which are pending in many other states. They will also be proposed at the federal level. These advocates seek to impose a very particular Christian view onto the entire country.
Religious freedom then becomes a valuable tool to reinstate reproductive freedom in states where abortion is outlawed. Central to the argument is the sheer diversity of religious attitudes to abortion. The stereotype is that religious people are opposed to abortion, but in fact, religious groups and individuals have held — and continue to hold — a wide range of views on the issues involved. In the US today, opposition to abortion is spearheaded by conservative Christians, especially Catholics and evangelical Protestants. But this alignment took shape only in the 1980s, and it has never been shared by more liberal Christians or by most other religious traditions active in the US.
For much of US history, abortion was fairly common in the early stages of pregnancy. A broad cultural consensus held that life began at the “quickening”, when a woman began to feel fetal movement sometime in the fourth month of pregnancy. Newspapers advertised a variety of methods — indirectly and delicately phrased — to prevent or end unwanted pregnancies. These practices were relatively uncontroversial, not matters of ethical or religious concern. They only came under attack in the late 19th century as medicine became more professionalised. White male physicians, informed by the scientific racism of the time, warned against abortion as a form of white “race suicide”. Many states began to pass anti-abortion laws, and many religious leaders began to consider the issue anew.
In the 20th century, American Christians differed widely on the questions involved. Only the Catholic Church advocated consistently for abortion to be outlawed. Protestants were far more divided. With ‘people of good conscience’ disagreeing on when in a pregnancy human life began, many concluded that the state had no right to make this decision. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), for example, was pro-choice until the early 1980s because of the Baptist commitment to “soul liberty” — that each individual must be free to follow God, and accountable only to God — and the accompanying ideal of church-state separation. Despite growing anti-abortion sentiment within the denomination, most Baptists viewed laws against abortion as a violation of these theological principles. Some Baptists today, especially outside of the SBC, continue to hold these views.
Many liberal Protestant denominations now are actively and conscientiously pro-choice. They note that the Bible does not directly mention abortion. One of the few biblical texts that mentions miscarriage, Exodus 21: 22-23, very clearly assigns a lower value to the fetus than to the life of a woman. This passage, among others, leads some Christians to conclude that abortion is permissible, at least in some circumstances. Pro-choice Christians further ground their support for abortion rights in core theological principles. They hold that all people are equally beloved by God and so must enjoy the same rights to bodily autonomy and the freedom of conscience. And despite the formal position of the Catholic Church, many Catholics too support abortion rights, sometimes for reasons that they connect to their Catholic faith — specifically, their Catholic commitments to social justice and the right of conscience. Christian traditions, then, do not speak with one voice on the subject of abortion.
The United States, of course, is not a Christian nation but a religiously pluralistic one. And non-Christian traditions have even more diverse responses to abortion. Broadly speaking, Islam permits abortion until about 120 days, and to save the mother’s life it is permitted always. Judaism goes so far as to mandate abortion to save a mother’s life. Liberal forms of Judaism support abortion rights as a feminist issue. More traditional forms of Judaism permit abortion to protect maternal health, and debate which health threats render abortion permissible, with some allowing for threats to mental health.
Buddhism has a similarly broad range of responses to abortion, and since the Supreme Court decision, Buddhist leaders have publicly declared their support for abortion rights, with comments like this one, from Shin Buddhist minister Blayne Higa, who wrote, “I will continue to support the spiritual and bodily autonomy of women and others to make informed decisions about their own reproductive health. I believe complex and difficult decisions should be held with compassion and empathy free from prejudice and interference.”
As clergy, I will continue to support the spiritual and bodily autonomy of women and others to make informed decisions about their own reproductive health. I believe complex and difficult decisions should be held with compassion and empathy free from prejudice and interference.
— Blayne Higa (@blaynehiga) June 25, 2022
Hinduism too is internally diverse, even more so than Christianity or Islam, but one study shows that 68 percent of Americans who identify as Hindus say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. In India, which is majority Hindu, abortion is legal in most circumstances.
Americans have become accustomed to a conservative Christian monopoly on the language of religious freedom. As a powerful religious minority, it has used this ideal, ironically, to subject the rest of the country to its own religious values. The conservative Christian claim that life begins at conception is theological, rather than biological. For many other people of faith, access to abortion is itself a religious value. Meanwhile, a growing number of Americans do not identify with any religion at all.
If religious freedom is a fundamental principle of the United States, as conservative Christians claim, it holds opens the door for others to argue that the right must be available to all people, not just to some, and not just to those in power. It remains to be seen whether the position held by one strand of Christianity — the belief that abortion is murder — will be the final word for all Americans.
Samira K. Mehta is Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies and Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is writing a book titled God Bless the Pill: Contraception and Sexuality in Tri-Faith America, under contract with the University of North Carolina Press.
Tisa Wenger is Professor of American Religious History in the Divinity School at Yale University. She is the author of Religious Freedom: The Contested History of an American Ideal.


Inside the NNS Newsroom: Meet us Thursday at ‘Chat with Bader’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
July 10, 2023
You read us.
Now come meet us.
The team of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is proud to be part of this week’s “Chat With Bader” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 13 at Bader Philanthropies, 3300 N. Martin Luther King Drive.
Learn about who we are and what we do.
We want to hear from you about the stories and people we should be covering—and how we can give you the newsroom Milwaukee deserves.


Turkmenistan: American priorities with Ashgabat · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Maciula opines on American policy towards Turkmenistan and compares the significance of this country for the US with that of other Eurasian states.


An old video is shared as a protest near Nawaz Sharif’s residence after Imran Khan's arrest. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 12, 2023
A video of a large crowd protesting in a street is being widely shared claiming that the visuals show protests in front of Pakistan’s former PM Nawaz Sharif’s residence against the arrest of Imran Khan. In the video, angry protesters can be seen waving Pakistan flags. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of protest in front of Nawaz Sharif’s house in London, against the arrest of Imran khan.
Fact: These visuals are related to an old protest carried out near Nawaz Sharif’s residence in London, following the ouster of Imran Khan in April 2022. According to latest reports, police have banned gatherings outside the London home of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif, following the gathering of Imran Khan supports after his arrest. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
These visuals of protests were indeed carried out near former PM Nawaz Sharif’s house in London. However, the video is not recent but is related to demonstrations carried out in April 2022, when Imran Khan lost the trust vote in the Pakistan Parliament.
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a Pakistani news report dated 17 April 2022, which carried an image similar to a screen grab of the viral video. According to the article, the image shows protests carried by UK’s Pakistani community, outside Nawaz Sharif’s residence in London. These protests were organized in support of  Imran Khan, following his ouster in a no-confidence vote in the Pakistan Parliament.
Further, the report shared multiple visuals related to the protest shared by social media users. In one such tweet, a social media user shared a few more images similar to the visuals of the viral video. Comparison of image shared in this tweet with that of the viral visuals, confirms that both are related to the same protest.
Multiple news agencies have reported the protests near Nawaz Sharif’s residence in London, following Imran Khan’s ouster, these reports can be viewed here and here. Hence, these establish that the viral video is related to old protests after his party lost the no-confidence vote.
According to the latest reports, Police have banned gatherings outside the London home of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif, following the gathering of Imran Khan supporters after his arrest.
To sum it up, old video is being shared as a protest near Nawaz Sharif’s residence after Imran Khan’s arrest.


MKE Plays hiring Program Coordinator | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
April 28, 2015
POSITION TITLE: MKE Plays Program Coordinator
WORKSITE LOCATION: City of Milwaukee – City Hall and Remote
EXPECTED DATES OF CONTRACT: April 2015 – October 2015
LENGTH OF CONTRACT: 20-22 weeks (approximately 10-20 hours per week). Hours worked per week are dependent on volume of community activity for a given park. Night/weekend neighborhood and ad hoc board meetings are required.
INTERN SUPERVISOR & CONTACT INFORMATION: Sarah Zarate, Staff Assistant to Council President<PHONE_NUMBER><EMAIL_ADDRESS>FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR CONTRACT: Yes. Hourly Wage $/hr. (some travel required, 50% of time) PROGRAM SUMMARY:
The MKE Plays initiative aims to transform 12 of the city’s most deteriorated playgrounds, as evaluated by the Department of Public Works, into models for local collaboration and renovation. The restoration of the City’s playgrounds will bring much needed improvement to create safe and attractive places for families to play and socialize. At a time when obesity is the leading cause of preventable death in the US and when close to 35% of Milwaukee high school students are either overweight or obese, the systematic and cooperative transformation of Milwaukee play areas cannot be underestimated. Involving local residents in the restoration of community assets offers further benefits by providing opportunities for people to share in the design experience and develop a sense of ownership in their community. The social capital needed to improve and maintain the MKE Plays neighborhoods is as much an asset as the required financial capital, and is more likely to overflow into additional community action.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Program Coordinator will oversee the implementation of the MKE Plays program through its first construction season, uncovering local playground dynamics in each of the geographic areas for the first two parks. The Program Coordinator’s community engagement and coordination activities are an opportunity to: provide multiple parties with the context and specific details of program intent and implementation summary; identify the geographic boundary to be used for community outreach strategy; identify branding/community identity dynamics for the surrounding neighborhood including user demographics; identify historical, current and desired best uses for the public spaces that include how use has evolved over the last five years; map community assets; identify points of contact surrounding the parks, including relevant local community organizations, and identifying for the Common Council President appointments to be made for individual ad hoc boards. The first MKE Parks are:
The Program Coordinator will be responsible for developing the tools necessary for successful participatory park assessment in consultation with the Program Manager and other project team members, for training and working with program interns and local partners in each of the parks to collect and analyze data, for overseeing that communication between various partners is efficient and direct, assisting in the organization and development of the evaluation design, and for the production of an implementation guide to be used in the first construction season and which will systemize activities and help facilitate the design and construction of future MKE Plays parks.
Extension of contract into second construction season is possible.
MKE Plays Program Coordinator Scope of Work 4/6/2015
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
MKE Plays program team members, contracted by the City of Milwaukee or local partners, are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, especially to our beneficiaries. The MKE Plays program aims to build playgrounds designed by local residents. With this as a guiding principle, team members must engage beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design process.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:
No direct responsibility. While the Program Manager oversees program implementation on behalf of the Common Council President, MKE Plays is horizontally structured to encourage collaboration and teamwork.
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Staff Assistant to Council President (Program Manager)
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Program Manager, Common Council President, Common Council members and their Legislative Assistants, Community Engagement Specialist (Trinity Fellow), Department of Public Works staff including the Commissioner of Public Works and Operations and Maintenance Manager, and local partners.
DELIVERABLES:
MKE Plays Program Coordinator Scope of Work 4/6/2015
The successful Program Coordinator will have strong organizational and communication skills and be orientated towards collaborative problem solving. S/he will be able to work independently, take initiative, and work closely with a diverse project team in a fast-paced, fluid work environment.
IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
development. Strong facilitation skills required.


Festival featuring music and local artists showcases Bronzeville neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
August 5, 2014
Performer G. Womack entertains during the Bronzeville Cultural & Arts Festival. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Bronzeville Week is in full swing after the North Side neighborhood celebrated its culture and arts during a street festival along North Avenue where more than a dozen musical and performing arts acts were featured.
During the Bronzeville Cultural & Arts Festival, music on three stages filled the air with rhythmic beats as people of all ages enjoyed fare from local vendors and shopped for knickknacks and clothes at booths set up by local business owners.
“I’m here to inspire the community. This is for the people,” said Karl Reeves, a 30-year-old local artist who displayed his colorful paintings along the street.
A young man displays his face paint at the Bronzeville festival. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
The festival was the first event of Bronzeville Week, which consists of guided tours, a business seminar, health screenings and an ensemble performance on Friday. The week is intended to highlight the positive economic and cultural aspects of the historic North Side neighborhood.
Bronzeville “years ago, used to be the center of black commerce, arts and culture and we are attempting to revive that,” said Alderwoman Milele Coggs during the festival. In March, Coggs unveiled designs for six sites in the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District along west North Avenue. She has said that the projects would need to have a cultural component to garner her support. Development in the district, which falls within the Harambee community, has been largely stalled for nearly a decade.
Before the festival kicked off, a peace march was held along North Avenue, emphasizing the need for a violence-free neighborhood if the initiative is going to be effective.
“We recognize the tie between commerce and poverty and violence as well as us having solutions for our own condition,” Coggs said.
The Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is part of a City of Milwaukee commercial and residential redevelopment initiative intended to reinvigorate the historic neighborhood where legends such as Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington and Nat “King” Cole performed in the vibrant nightclub scene during its heyday.
The festival gave young and upcoming artists such as Brent Tyler a chance to show off their talents and get their name out into the community.
“It’s really important for me to be out here to showcase my music and my love for the community because I want to give back,” said Tyler, a rapper, whose stage name is OTS, after he performed at the festival.
In addition to listening and dancing to performing artists and musical acts, festival goers shopped for ornate jewelry, colorful garments and fragrant oils at more than a dozen booths while they enjoyed summer foods including corn on the cob, brats and burgers.
“We came out to show our support for local (artists) and businesses,” said poet Adia Green, who brought her 8-year-old son to the festival, where she too performed.


Hong Kong: Global City Transportation Network · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chu from zoomimagining comments on a talk given by Arjun Appadurai on the global city transportation network (zh). He feels that the situation in Hong Kong is similar to Appadurai's description, the segregation between rich and poor is very serious because of the government's planning policy.


Drug Deal: Abba Kyari’s Co-Defendants Bag Two-Year Jail Term - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (A.M)
June 14, 2022
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment, said having admitted to have committed the offence preferred against them in counts 5, 6 and 7 by the NDLEA, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who are 6th and 7th defendants, “are hereby convicted accordingly.”
Justice Nwite thereafter sentenced them to two years imprisonment on eachof counts 5, 6 and 7.
He said the terms, which shall run concurrently, would commence from the day the defendants were arrested by the NDLEA.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the two defendants, Umeibe and Ezenwanne, who are 6th and 7th defendants respectively in the matter, are the two alleged drug traffickers arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu by the Nigerian police and handed over to the NDLEA.
They had pleaded guilty to five, six and seven counts preferred against them by the anti-narcotic agency.
NAN earlier reports that at the resumed hearing, counsel for the NDLEA, Sunday Joseph, told Justice Emeka Nwite that two motions seeking a plea bargain in respect of Umeibe and Ezenwanne had been filed. Joseph said the motions, dated June 13, were filed on June 14.
The lawyer of the two defendants, E. U. Okenyi also concurred with Joseph’s submission.
Also, counsel for other defendants, including Kyari, did not oppose the motions.


Princess Leia’s Hairdo Didn’t Come From a Galaxy Far, Far Away · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Princess Leia, the iconic character played by Carrie Fisher. Image on Flickr by user Foxspain Fotografía (CC BY 2.0).
A few days before 2016 came to an end, the world bade farewell to popular actress Carrie Fisher, whose untimely death at the age of 60 came on Dec. 27, four days after she suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles.
Although she played many roles, Fisher was best known for portraying Princess Leia in the epic space saga Star Wars.
Once the news of Carrie Fisher's death broke, social media all over the world flooded with odes to the actress, including thousands if not millions of images showing little girls mimicking Princess Leia's iconic hairdo, which you'll likely recognize as two buns pinned at the sides of her head.
In an interview published by Time magazine in 2002, George Lucas – the man who created Star Wars – said he found inspiration in the women from the Mexican Revolution (in the early 20th century), known as soldaderas:
I went with a kind of south-western Pancho Villa woman revolutionary look, which is what that is. The buns are basically from turn-of-the-century Mexico.
According to Mi Sazón, this name for name of the women who fought in the Mexican Revolution comes from the Aragonese word soldada, used to name the payment some of them received in exchange for their services:
Las llamadas soldaderas, fueron todas aquellas mujeres mexicanas anónimas que se alistaron a combatir en las fuerzas revolucionarias. Con gran coraje e idealismo lucharon por conseguir una vida digna y mejor para toda la clase obrera campesina, estos trabajadores eran sometidos a las tareas más pesadas, con salarios ínfimos comprometidos casi siempre, por la avaricia indiferente del patrón. Algunas de ellas no esperaron a que las tropas las enlistaran, salieron a su encuentro.
So-called soldaderas were all those anonymous Mexican women who enrolled themselves to fight with the revolutionary forces. With great courage and idealism, they fought to get a life of dignity for all the countryside working class, these labourers were responsible for the hardest tasks, for a very poor paying, [were] almost always put in danger due to employer's indifferent greed. Some of those women didn't wait for the troops to enroll them, they went out looking for the troops.
In her essay “Las Soldaderas, Mujeres de Armas Tomar” (Soldaderas, Women to Be Reckoned With), Mexican historian Elena Poniatowska explained their importance:
Sin las soldaderas no hay Revolución Mexicana; ellas la mantuvieron viva y fecunda, como la tierra y la alimentaron a lo largo de los años […], sin ellas los soldados no hubieran comido ni dormido ni peleado”. Como se puede concluir, sus condiciones de vida eran muy duras.
Without soldaderas there is no Mexican Revolution; they kept it alive and productive, just as the seeding ground, and nourished it along the years […], without these women, soldiers wouldn't have been able to eat, sleep nor fight.” As we can conclude, their living conditions were very hard.
It was these women who inspired the unique hairdo George Lucas bestowed on his most important female protagonist.
Writer and professor Eric Tang shared this post after visiting an exhibition at the Denver Museum of Art, in Colorado, where he saw an image that seems to prove the hairdo's origins.
The woman in the image is identified as Clara de la Rocha, a Mexican revolutionary lady, and the daughter of revolutionary hero Herculano de la Rocha.
However, Tabea Linhard, the author of “Fearless Women in the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish Civil War,” told BBC:
[…] I would like to say that Princess Leia's hairstyle was based on the ‘soldaderas’ from the Mexican Revolution, this was probably not the case.” […] If you take a look at photos from the period, you see women with long braids, some wear hats, on occasion they cover their hair with a shawl. […] So a hairstyle like Leia's probably was not a convenient option.
Twitter users gave their two cents about the issue, as well.
Some insisted it was all true:
#NoEsBroma George Lucas se inspiró en soldaderas de Pancho Villa para crear peinado de la princesa Leia https://t.co/IBkDRI5zmp pic.twitter.com/O1FlkEfWdx
— 24 HORAS (@diario24horas) 31 de diciembre de 2016
This is not a joke. Geroge Lucas was inspired by Pancho Villa's soldaderas to create Princess Leia's hairdo.
While some others linked their source options:
Retweeted BuzzFeed en español (@BuzzFeedEspanol):
El peinado de la Princesa Leia fue inspirado por estas mujeres… https://t.co/h05YK4lv9m
— ROCIO E. LEÓN G.ℹ (@ROCIOLEONPY) 31 de diciembre de 2016
Princess Leia's hairdo was inspired in these women.
Amazing but true! Princess Leia's #StarWars hairdo was inspired by that of Mexican revolutionary Clara de la Rocha: https://t.co/0rpq3HxbMb pic.twitter.com/0WI5zDTZql
— ⛴ TheMaryEllenCarter (@flyaway47) 31 de diciembre de 2016


False claim: Muslim woman masquerades as Hindu at protest over mob lynching - Alt News
Arjun Sidharth & Priyanka Jha
3rd July 2019 / 10:16 pm / Last updated: 3rd July 2019
अल तकिया से सावधान..ये तो सबीहा खान निकली, और खुद को हिन्दू लिखकर तब प्रोपेगेंडा रचा था, इस लडकी ने (She turned out to be Sabiha Khan, and was conducting propaganda by calling herself Hindu- translation).
The above message has been shared on social media platforms along with a set of photographs. In one of the photos, a young woman can be seen holding a placard that says, “I am a Hindu and I love Muslims. Muslims are my brothers, sisters and spouses. You killed our Tabrez, we all are Tabrez, your hate is too small in front of us all #NotoHindutvaterrorism”. Another image shows a woman dressed in pink, with an infographic that wishes Eid, with the name Sabiha Khan written on it. A protest was held in the national capital in June over the lynching of Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand.
The above post is from the Facebook group I Support Yogi, and has been shared over 2100 times so far. It has also been posted on the page NAMO Youth Brigade and India Fans. Moreover, several individual users have posted it on their timelines. For some of these instances, the share count is significant.
The lady in question is not Sabiha Khan, as claimed. Alt News contacted her to confirm her identity and managed to access her driving license. Her name is Swati and she is a Delhi-based college student. Alt News is withholding her full name at her request. She gave us a detailed statement which is posted below.
Yes I stood up for Tabrez and many like him whether they were Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians or anyone else. I and many like me stand for humanity for which this country is known for. I spoke against hate and I feel only Love can conquer it.
That night when we protested against the mob lynching of Tabrez, I went like any other dissappointed citizen tired of explaining both my Hindu and Muslim friends that these crimes are there to divide us and the day we stop getting divided at any cost, the crimes will stop. I have been standing against all the atrocities that happen in our country in the name of religion or caste like that of Pehlu Khan, Akhlaq, Ankit Saxena, Najeeb, Dr. Payal Tadvi, etc. I have been part of many protests.
I feel that I carry a responsibility as an Indian and also a part of Hindu family to defend my own Hindu community that we do not wish to harm any life. I wish to give this message to our Muslim community that THEY ARE US.
Many people online did what-aboutery in this case but I wish they understood that people like me are not selective, its the politicians who sometimes are selective because they desire votes, not people like us. I feel bad as well because some of my own college mates harrassed me online for propagating our constitutional duty as citizens of India.
A-51A of the Indian Constitution says that it is our Fundamental duty to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals, to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities.
I just did my fundamental duty as a law abiding citizen of India and I hope our parliamentarians and their supporters understand that respecting and abiding by the constitution is the biggest national duty one can do as a civilian. I hope we all stay strong and together no matter what happens. This country stands on love and it will stand tall forever.
India has a VIBGYOR colour, no colour can dominate the other. We are a country with colourful problems and colourful solutions. Therefore, I reject to be the colourblind citizen of India.
Thank you.
– Your fellow citizen of India.
Two other photographs which show a woman clad in pink have been circulated with the claim that she is the same lady seen in the picture of the woman holding the placard. Alt News found that this woman is indeed Sabiha Khan. She is a leader of the Hyderabad based political party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Sabiha Khan has a dedicated Facebook page with a significant following of over 180,000.
Moreover, the facial features of the two women are markedly different.
In all probability, the confusion surrounding the identity of the lady with the placard was caused by a post by Sabiha Khan on her official page, in which Swati’s photo with the placard was posted.
Please share
Posted by Sabiha Khan on Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Alt News found that photographs of a poet have also been shared with this false claim.
Alt News contacted Huma Shehnaz who confirmed that two of the photos posted along with this claim are hers.
It may be reiterated that this is a false claim- the lady holding the placard is not Sabiha Khan, but Swati, a student based in Delhi.
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile…
Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…


Armenia: Observing the Observers · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped casts doubts on the credibility and neutrality of international observers monitoring the 19 February presidential election in Armenia. The blog says the way international observers initially reacted to Georgia’s recent presidential election has already damaged their reputation.


Russia: “Motives & Misperceptions” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander posts a lengthy comment on the West's bewilderment with Russia's motives and actions.


The Snowden Principle
John Cusack
June 15, 2013
At the heart of Edward Snowden's decision to expose the NSA's massive phone and Internet spying programs was a fundamental belief in the people's right-to-know. "My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them," he said in an interview with the Guardian.
From the State's point of view, he's committed a crime. From his point of view, and the view of many others, he has sacrificed for the greater good because he knows people have the right to know what the government is doing in their name. And legal, or not, he saw what the government was doing as a crime against the people and our rights.
For the sake of argument -- This should be called The Snowden Principle.
Threats to press freedom around the world are at an all-time high. Sign up to stay up to date and take action to protect journalists and whistleblowers everywhere.
Thanks for signing up for our newsletter. You are not yet subscribed! Please check your email for a message asking you to confirm your subscription.
When The Snowden Principle is invoked and revelations of this magnitude are revealed; it is always met with predictable establishment blowback from the red and blue elites of state power. Those in charge are prone to hysteria and engage in character assassination, as are many in the establishment press that have been co-opted by government access . When The Snowden Principle is evoked the fix is always in and instead of looking at the wrongdoing exposed, they parrot the government position no matter what the facts
The Snowden Principle just cannot be tolerated...
Even mental illness is pondered as a possible reason that these pariahs would insist on the public's right to know at the highest personal costs to their lives and the destruction of their good names. The public's right to know--This is the treason. The utter corruption, the crime.
But as law professor Jonathan Turley reminds us, a lie told by everyone is not the truth. "The Republican and Democratic parties have achieved a bipartisan purpose in uniting against the public's need to know about massive surveillance programs and the need to redefine privacy in a more surveillance friendly image," he wrote recently.
We can watch as The Snowden Principle is predictably followed in the reaction from many of the fourth estate - who serve at the pleasure of the king.
Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC suggests that Glenn Greenwald's coverage was "misleading" and said he was too "close to the story." Snowden was no whistleblower, and Glenn was no journalist she suggests.
Jeffrey Toobin, at the New Yorker, calls Snowden "a grandiose narcissist who deserves to be in prison."
Another journalist, Willard Foxton, asserted that Glenn Greenwald amounted to the leader of a "creepy cult."
David Brooks of the New York Times accuses Snowden- not the Gov--of betraying everything from the Constitution to all American privacy ...
Michael Grunwald of TIME seems to suggest that that if you are against the NSA spying program you want to make America less safe.
Then there's Richard Cohen at the Washington Post, who as Gawker points out, almost seems to be arguing that a journalist's job is to keep government secrets not actually report on them.
The Snowden Principle makes for some tortured logic.
The government's reaction has been even worse. Senators have called Snowden a "traitor," the authorities claim they're going to treat his case as espionage. Rep. Peter King outrageously called for the prosecution of Glenn Greenwald for exercising his basic First Amendment rights. Attacks like this are precisely the reason I joined the Freedom of the Press Foundation board (where Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras also serve as board members).
As Chris Hedges rightly pointed out, this cuts to the heart of one of the most important questions in a democracy: will we have an independent free press that reports on government crimes and serves the public's right to know?
It cannot be criminal to report a crime or an abuse of power. Freedom of the Press Foundation co-founder Daniel Ellsberg argues that Snowden's leaks could be a tipping point in America. This week he wrote "there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden's release of NSA material," including his own leak of the Pentagon Papers.
The Snowden Principle, and that fire that inspired him to take unimaginable risks, should fundamentally be about fostering an informed and engaged public. The Constitution embraces that idea. Mr. Snowden says his motivation was to expose crimes -spark a debate, and let the public know of secret policies he could not in good conscience ignore - whether you agree with his tactics or not, that debate has begun. Now, we are faced with a choice, we can embrace the debate or we can try to shut the debate down and maintain the status quo.
If these policies are just, then debate them in sunlight. If we believe the debate for transparency is worth having we need to demand it. Snowden said it well, "You can't wait around for someone else to act."
Within hours of the NSA's leaks, a massive coalition of groups came together to plan an international campaign to oppose and fix the NSA spying regime. You can join them here - I already did. The groups span across the political spectrum, from the conservative group FreedomWorks to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and longtime civil rights groups like ACLU, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Free Press.
As more people find out about these abuses, the outrage mounts and the debate expands. Many in the mainstream media have shown that the public can't count on them to stand up to internal pressure when The Snowden Principle is evoked to serve the national interest, and protect our core fundamental rights.
The questions The Snowden Principle raises when evoked will not go away....How long do they expect rational people to accept using the word "terror" to justify and excuse ever expanding executive and state power ? Why are so many in our government and press and intellectual class so afraid of an informed public? Why are they so afraid of a Free Press and the people's right to know?
It's the government's obligation to keep us safe while protecting our constitution . To suggest it's one or the other is simply wrong.
Professor Turley issues us a dire warning:
"In his press conference, Obama repeated the siren call of all authoritarian figures throughout history: while these powers are great, our motives are benign. So there you have it. The government is promising to better protect you if you just surrender this last measure of privacy. Perhaps it is time. After all, it was Benjamin Franklin who warned that "those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
See what's happened already in the short time only because the PRISM program was made public, here.


FACTSHEET: Where can you get help to manage a drug problem? - ZimFact
Ngoni Mhuruyengwe
September 10, 2021
This fact guide has been compiled in response to public demand for information on institutions in Zimbabwe offering assistance in managing drug addiction problems. It is a follow up to a factsheet on drug and alcohol abuse which ZimFact published on August 10.
Drug and alcohol abuse among Zimbabwean youth is rising, according to government and public health experts who say this increase has coincided with measures aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Here is a list that provide counselling and rehabilitation services for patients battling drug addiction:
1. Highlands Halfway Home +2638644210999
2. Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre +263273790238
3. Serenity Mind Centre +263716825245
4.Mandipa Hope Rehabilitation +263776911153
5. Tirivanhu Rehabilitation +263773593014
6.Mubatirapamwe Trust +263772379751
7. Beatrice Rehabilitation Centre, Harare
8. Tariro Rehabilitation Centre, Harare
The following public psychiatric institutions also offer help in fight drug addiction:
1. Sally Mugabe Psychiatric Unit (Harare)
2. Parirenyatwa Annex Psychiatric Unit (Harare)
3. Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital (Bulawayo)
4. Ngomahuru Hospital and Halfway House (Masvingo).
Source: Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare
FEATURED


The American government hasn’t printed Basavanna’s image on its 100 dollar note - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 29, 2021
A post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the American government has printed the image of Basavanna, one of the greatest spiritual leaders of India, on the country’s $100 note. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: American government has printed the image of Basavanna on USD 100 note.
Fact: The $ 100 note carries the image of Benjamin Franklin. The American government has never printed any other person’s image on its 100-dollar currency note. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched about the details of various currency notes published in America, the Currency Education Program’s website uscurrency.gov was found in the search results. As per the information available on the website, the design of the American dollar has changed 4 times but all of them carried the image of Benjamin Franklin. So, the American government has never printed Basavanna’s image on its currency note.
There are few websites that allow replacing the image on the $ 100 note with an image of our choice. You can notice that one such $100 note, with the Obama picture on it, has the same code as the one shared in the post. So, the $100 note with Basavanna image could have also been created in a similar manner.
FACTLY had earlier debunked similar news about the American government printing image of Ambedkar and Chhatrapati Shivaji on their country’s $100 note. These articles can be read here and here.
To sum it up, the American government hasn’t printed Basavanna’s image on its 100 dollar note.


South Africa: What if Hillary was the bomb? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bernard discusses the incident that led to a journalist being banned from attending Hillary Clinton’s event in South Africa.


Lebanon: ‘I Love Gemmayze’ Protests Nightclub Curfew · Global Voices
Francois Bacha

Lebanese blogger Pink Ployd from Blogging Beirut has launched “I Love Gemmayze,” a campaign protesting the curfew imposed by authorities on the pubs and nightclubs of Gemmayze, a district of Beirut.


Japan: Bathhouse Culture · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Verena from Pingmag has written a feature about Japanese bathhouse culture.


Meetup with Global Voices! · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

You may feel as if Global Voices community members are already longtime friends after being a regular reader of their posts and translations highlighting the online conversation in their countries. Perhaps you may also follow them on Twitter or are familiar with their digital projects and activities. Certainly these virtual connections can help make the world feel like a smaller place, but there is still something elemental about offline interactions that can only help strengthen these online bonds.
Throughout the months of November and December, we are organizing six global in-person ‘meetups’ led and facilitated by Global Voices members, who live and know those local communities.
However, these gatherings are much more than networking social events. They are opportunities for knowledge sharing, skills building, and future collaboration among peers who share similar missions.
Perhaps you have an idea for a citizen media outreach project and you want to find potential partners. Or you may want to learn new strategies for digital storytelling for a global audience. You can also learn more about Global Voices’ work and how to become a volunteer. These and much more may be a part of the half-day program.
The six cities for this first round of meet ups are:
Karachi, Pakistan – November 1, 2013
Cairo, Egypt – November 16, 2013
Kampala, Uganda – November 16, 2013
Skopje, Macedonia – November 30, 2013
Porto, Portugal – December 14, 2013
Phonm Penh, Cambodia – To be announced
These meetups are free to attend, but RSVPs are required. With each meetup, we will publish a post, as well as a Facebook Event invite with more details on how to sign up and the proposed agenda. This post will also be updated with these details. Special invitations will also be sent to previous applicants from our Rising Voices microgrant competitions, many of which come from these cities.
We're also launching a hashtag – #GVMeetup to follow along even if you one of these meetups are not scheduled for your city.
These six meetups are part of a pilot project to explore ways that our vast Global Voices community in all corners of the world can help facilitate peer learning and exchange among readers and other individuals and organizations in the field of citizen media. We hope to build upon this experience for more meetups in 2014!
In the meantime, for more information please write to rising [at] globalvoicesonline [dot] org


The Dohmen Company Foundation puts its Mission in Motion by investing more than $1.6 Million in Nonprofits Working to Strengthen the Food and Nutrition Ecosystem | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dohmen Company Foundation
December 7, 2021
The Dohmen Company Foundation today announced that it is investing more than $1.6 million in nonprofits normalizing the concept of Food is Medicine and strengthening Milwaukee’s local food and nutrition ecosystem. In addition to the nationally recognized Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC), several Milwaukee-based nonprofits are also grant award recipients.
“As a philanthropic enterprise and community partner, we believe that nutritious food has the power to transform health,” explained Kathy Koshgarian, The Dohmen Company Foundation President. “That is why we are dedicated to investing in organizations and programs focused on regaining and preserving American health.”
Research shows that what people choose to eat has profound effects on their overall health and that dietary habits influence disease risk. And for too many, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated social and economic challenges that continue to fuel health disparities in communities like Milwaukee.
“We are hopeful that these grants will transform the lives of nearly 30,000 people by providing greater access to nutrition and education, employment opportunities in the culinary and dietician fields, and financial support to address social determinants that impact health, such as housing instability,” added The Dohmen Company Foundation’s Interim Executive Director Rachel Roller.
Dohmen was the first company in the nation to transition from a for-profit, family-owned S-Corp to a foundation-owned philanthropic enterprise. Since then, the organization has distributed over $5 million to more than 30 nonprofit organizations, positively impacting nearly 50,000 individuals. Dohmen is also on the frontlines of addressing chronic illness through its charitable Food For Health Program, which provides medically tailored meals to low-income participants residing in Southeastern Wisconsin.
The grants announced are another example of how the Foundation is putting its mission in motion. In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, the 2021 grant recipients and links to their websites are listed below for anyone interested in supporting these organizations:
About the Dohmen Company Foundation
With more than 164-years of healthcare experience, Dohmen has found a way to combine the rigor of business with the heart of philanthropy, becoming the first organization in the nation to transition from a family-owned S-Corporation to a foundation-owned philanthropic enterprise. Instead of creating shareholder return, Dohmen Company Foundation focuses on creating social return by investing in healthy people powering healthy communities. Dohmen pursues its vision through its charitable programs, portfolio of social businesses, and supporting efforts driven by partner organizations.


Joey’s Notepad: Richmond Hill’s Karen Cilevitz Should Be the Poster for Electoral Reform – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

November 26, 2022
Ward 5 Richmond Hill Councillor Karen Cilevitz has a list of Integrity Commissioner adverse findings against her, she’s a bully towards citizens, and she was criminally charged with fraud. She was convicted of fraud under $5,000 in a plea deal which saw more serious charges dropped.
She was re-elected last month due to vote splitting.
Yes, one of Ontario’s worst municipal councillors is back with only 23.34% of the vote in a ten-person race.
When people talk about the merits of ranked ballots in municipal elections, they should use Karen Cilevitz as the example of the terrible outcomes which can occur in our first-past-the-post system.
Ontario municipalities were allowed to adopt ranked balloting during the 2018 election. Only 1 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities did.
London’s ranked ballot election was successful.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford banned ranked balloting in 2019.
The 2014-18 London City Council was exceptional. 11 of the 15 members were rookies. They were elected on anti-corruption platforms to replace a scandal-plagued Council.
Thus, for them, ranked ballots were a solution to the problem of entrenchment at the municipal level.
Richmond Hill is one of Ontario’s most dysfunctional municipal councils. The current councillors there will never adopt ranked ballots.


Bahrain Police Attack on Woman Stirs Anger · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011/2013.
As Bahrain was pretending to be secure enough to hold a regional sports event, its security men were attacking a woman protester in the middle of Manama, the capital. Last July, Zahra Al-Shaikh was released from prison after being detained and tortured. She stated, in an interview with Bahraini journalist in exile Lamees Dhaif, that the police wanted to force her to work for them. This time, Zahra was arrested in a protest during the football tournament for Gulf countries, which was won by the UAE team. News, pictures, and videos of her arrest were circulated online on the day of the final game, on January 18.
Mohammed, a Bahraini Twitter user, tweeted what he witnessed:
@ba7rainiDXB: A woman is being beaten right in the middle of the capital #Manama by #Bahrain gov merc[enarie]s. Youth and men confronting them.
Online, many refer to the Bahrain police forces as mercenaries – in reference to the foreign security forces and riot police from other countries brought in to crush the unrest in the country.
Later on, the video of her arrest was posted showing a big number of riot police men surrounding her and dragging her as she screams and cries bleeding from her mouth (video posted by Duraz14):
Another video from a different angle tried to show how police men stripped her off her hijab. Men around were trying to stop the riot police. At the end of the video, a man confronts the police about the Hijab and the police man replies that it was her fault (posted by Mr14change)
Many pictures of Zahra were posted on Twitter but within hours, users deleted her pictures – which showed her without the hijab, out of respect. Instead, pictures with her hair blackened out were posted:
“@SafaMohammed: woman being arrested in #Manama #bahrain her head cover was taken off and her mouth bleeding!!”
On Twitter, Zahra's sister tweeted her news:
تم توقيف #زهرة_الشيخ وستعرض غدا على النيابة بعد إتهامها باﻹعتداء على رجال أمن وقذف رموزهم والخروج في مسيرة غير مرخصة
@ZAlshaikh_BH: Zahra AlShaikh was arrested and will see the public prosecution tomorrow facing charges of attacking police men and insulting their symbols and protesting illegally.
AlShaikh was not the only woman arrested. The names of other women arrested were later posted online [ar]:
النساء المعتقلات: #حليمة_الصباغ #زهرة_الشيخ، #حرائر_السيتي: زينب دهيم. خديجة عبد الناصر. فاطمة الجشي.عقيلة المقابي. فاطمة عبدالجليل
@iProtestor: Women arrested are Halima AlSabagh, Zahra AlShaikh, Zainab Dhaim, Khadija Abdulnasser, Fatma Aljishi, Aqila AlMiqabi, and Fatma Abduljalil.
Poet Aayat Alqormozi, who was previously arrested for reciting an anti-government poem at a protest, tweeted:
اعتقال #زهرة_الشيخ بتلك الوحشية أوجع قلوبنا .. مؤلم أن تكون في بلد يتبجح بحقوق المرأة وفي الوقت ذاته يطأ كرامتها برجله #Bahrain
@AayatAlqormozi: The arrest of Zahra Al Shaikh in such a brutal manner breaks the heart. It us painful to live in a country which shows off about women's rights when at the same time it crushes the dignity of women
In reaction, protesters in Nuwaidrat village threw molotov cocktails and blocked the road against riot police to protest the arrest and attack on AlShaikh (video posted by Nuwaidrat Feb):
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011/2013.


Armenia: Water · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Zarchka says that water is going to waste in Armenia and that people there fail to understand that water is money.


Singapore: Government Blogging Guidelines · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

mrbrown finds on the road to work a Singapore government circular listing guidelines on public communications for civil servants.  “Civil servants may create or participate in a blog,” it reads. “However they should be mindful that the internet is another public forum and that they will be personally responsible for what they write.”


Kazakhstan: Chevron to Face New Fine · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Zhanna Zhukova informs the redaers that Kazakhstan’s government threatens U.S. oil major Chevron with a fine equivalent to $309 million for alleged environmental violations.


Lithuania: Independence, 18 Years On · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lituanica writes about an anniversary of “restoration of independence of Lithuania.”


I’ve Got 99 Sochi Problems · Global Voices
Nina Jobe

One of the rings fails to open during the Olympic opening ceremony — a minor setback in an otherwise masterful performance. YouTube screenshot.
Last week foreign journalists descended on Sochi, and tweets and photos of unfinished construction quickly made headlines in the west and in Russia. Journalists complained about everything from rusty water to faulty door handles. A Twitter account called @SochiProblems was launched, mocking the alleged disaster of the Russian Winter Olympic games.
For example, one CNN reporter complained that only one of the rooms booked for his group was available, and posted a photo of himself in his hotel room with the curtain rod fallen down:
This is the one hotel room @Sochi2014 have given us so far. Shambles. #cnnsochi pic.twitter.com/RTjEkmyan3
— Harry Reekie (@HarryCNN) February 4, 2014
Many Russians were less than pleased with the negative publicity. One blogger alleged [ru] that the reporter could have done the damage himself to create a story:
[…] гражданин, скорее всего, сам отломал держатель карниза, и теперь всем демонстрирует моральное убожество режима резидента Путина.
[…] this guy likely broke the rod himself, and is now demonstrating the moral squalor of the Putin regime to everyone.
Meanwhile, a Levada Center poll [en] released on Wednesday found that 53% of Russians approved of Russia holding the Olympic Games in Sochi. However, 38% of respondents also felt that corruption was the main reason for the Games. The RuNet seems to bear out both of these feelings. Many feel that the criticism is justified and necessary, while others (like noted writer Boris Akunin [ru]) think that people should concentrate on supporting the athletes, and ignore the problems.
DemVybor's Kirill Shulika wrote [ru] on his Facebook about the importance of speaking out and criticism. Otherwise, says he:
Проблема-то тут как раз в том, что все разговоры о заговорах и желании навредить в проведении Олимпиады опасны тем, что и дальше все будет то же самое. Я имею в виду гигантские затраты и при этом ржавую воду, отсутствие душа или наличие граждан России, которым в нарушении всего отказано в посещении соревнований, несмотря на купленные билеты.
The problem is precisely that all this talk of conspiracy and desire to do harm to the Olympics is dangerous because afterwards everything will remain the same. I am referring to the huge costs accompanied by rusty water, no showers, or Russian citizens, who in violation of everything have been denied access to events, despite having purchased tickets.
Blogger and Alexey Navalny's second in command, Leonid Volkov, also felt [ru] that negative reactions to criticism were out of line:
Ничего обидного нет ни в @SochiProblems, ничего страшного нет в том, что какие-то вещи не доделаны, и какие-то косяки случаются. Страшна и позорна, невероятно постыдна только неадекватная реакция на иронию – поиск “врагов” и “заговоров”, истории про “журналистов, которые специально отрывают дверные ручки.”
There is nothing offensive in @SochiProblems, nothing horrible in that some some things aren't finished, and there are some screw-ups. What is terrible and shameful is the incredibly shameful and inadequate response to the irony – the search for “enemies” and “conspiracies,” stories about “journalists who deliberately destroy doorknobs.”
Regardless, he will still watch the Games, said Volkov.


Rules for reuse and identification | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service hereby grants permission for reproduction and reuse of the text, audio and video content we create and post on our web site, with the condition that the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is clearly credited. See also terms of use.


Mayotte, Comoros: Tensions Rise After 36 Refugees Disappear at Sea · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

We cannot be part of the Indian Ocean Community and be indifferent to these tragedies. The solution must involve both countries
Saïd Larifou reacts to the recent drowning [fr] of refugees trying to reach Mayotte  by sea. Currently 36 are missing [fr] after their boat capsized as it approached Mayotte. M. Larifou warns that clashes might arise if the strained relation between Mayotte and Comoros is not repaired rapidly.


Brazil: A half Portuguese, half African Brazilian street party · Global Voices
Paula Góes

La Pasionaria Selénia posts her very nice pictures of yesterday's Feast of Bonfim, one of the most important annual popular celebrations in Salvador. The veneration of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim (Our Lord of the Good End) is an old Portuguese tradition that was imported to Brazil during colonial times, but in Salvador it gained the soul of African culture and religion.


China: labour law · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Chinese government has passed a new set of labour law, Alan Baumler at The China history group blog gives more background information about the role of official union and points out that  these laws will not represent a change in the nature of Chinese unions and that these will continue to be “enterprise” unions.


Yuletide: FG Declares Monday 27, Tuesday 28, And Jan 3 Public Holidays - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (A.M)
December 22, 2021
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration
on behalf of the Federal Government, felicitated with Christians and
Nigerians at home and in the diaspora on this year’s Christmas and New
Year festivities.
Ogbeni Aregbesola enjoined Christians to practice the doctrines of
Christ, which include but not limited to these – faith, hope, and love.
He emphasized that peace and security are two critical conditions for
economic development and prosperity.
The minister urged Christians and Nigerians to make the best use of this
festive period to pray for the total eradication of insecurity bedeviling
the country.
Aregbesola strongly charged Nigerians not to be lulled into a false sense
of security on the COVID-19 pandemic but to note that it is increasingly
assuming a very dangerous and harmful dimension with the emergence
of a virulent variant, Omicron, and enjoined all to adhere strictly to and
observe all the stipulated non-pharmaceutical protocols and guidelines
such as wearing of facemasks, frequent washing of hands with soap and
water, using of hand sanitizer, and avoidance of large groups.
He admonished all citizens to remain focused and expressed confidence
that the year 2022 would be a better year for everyone.


Yemen: The Highlands of Hadhramout  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Omar Barsawad, from Yemen, introduces us to the highlands of Hadhramout in a series of breath-taking pictures.


Bahrain: Remembering 9/11 · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

American Vernishia Renee, who is based in Bahrain with the US military, reflects on the anniversary of 9/11: “Today, it’s a new day in Bahrain…they say it’s safe enough for dependents to come back to stay BUT it’s not safe enough to commemorate the events and the fallen from 9/11 events.”


Cameroons: prisons · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Adventures of an Armchair Travellers reports on the state of prisons in Cameroons  where TB and AIDS are rampant.


Africa: World Bank Malaria project · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Unilag Faces – a Nigerian blog by University of Lagos students comments on claims by the Lancet that the World Bank's malaria project was wasting money…


Justice Dept Moves to Drop Charges Against Journalist Barrett Brown That Could Criminalize Linking
Trevor Timm
March 5, 2014
In a win for press freedom, the US government moved to dismiss 11 of the 12 charges in their criminal indictment against journalist Barrett Brown today. The charges against Brown had been widely criticized for potentially criminalizing routine journalistic behavior and could have had far reaching effects on the rights of all Internet users to share hyperlinks. A group of press freedom organizations, led by EFF and including Freedom of the Press Foundation, alerted the Justice Department yesterday of their intent to file an amicus brief in support of Barrett Brown's First Amendment rights next week.
Brown was accused of merely sharing a link in a chatroom of thousands of pages of internal documents from the intelligence firm Stratfor that contained credit card numbers. The documents had been originally been posted by someone else, and the Justice Department has never even alleged Brown had anything to do with the actual theft of the credit card numbers or any of the other information posted online.
While we are relieved the Justice Department has decided to drop the charges, we wonder why it took so long. It was clear from the start that these charges directly implicated the First Amendment and had consequences far beyond his case. As EFF stated today, "Although this motion is good news for Brown, the unnecessary and unwarranted prosecution has already done much damage; not only has it harmed Brown, the prosecutionâ€”and the threat of prosecution it raised for all journalistsâ€”has chilled speech on the Internet." We certainly hope the Justice Department has learned a lesson in bringing this case and that the rights of journalists or anyone to share links online is not threatened again in the future.
Threats to press freedom around the world are at an all-time high. Sign up to stay up to date and take action to protect journalists and whistleblowers everywhere.
Thanks for signing up for our newsletter. You are not yet subscribed! Please check your email for a message asking you to confirm your subscription.


Re-Election: IBB Congratulates Buhari, Urges Him To Heal Wounds And Restructure - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
March 1, 2019
Former military president of Nigeria, IbrahimBadamasi Babangida, has sent a message of congratulations to PresidentMuhammadu Buhari on his reelection for a fresh term of four years.
In a message on some of the issues that triggeredsome disagreement between the two leaders last year, Babangida asked Buhari notonly to heal wounds from the election, but also to restructure the country andintroduce ‘creative measures’ to tackle the economy.
The former military leader called restructuring agitators,reasonable Nigerians.
Babangida also asked Buhari to heal the wounds arisingfrom the electioneering campaign and the outcome.
He also reserved special praises for Atiku Abubakar,Buhari’s main challenger, describing him as being gallant, audacious and hiselectoral support cutting across ethnic, religious and regional lines.
He added that now that the President has won hisre-election bid, he should confront with renewed tactics the most urgentproblem confronting Nigeria.
���:�3�5�e


Guinea-Bissau: A day without immigrants · Global Voices
Paula Góes

“What if the immigrants associations decided to go on strike for a day, to show what Europe would be like without them?”, asks Jorge Rosmaninho [pt].


Kenya: Why is Ntimama confession being ignored? · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Frank of the blog Kenya Christian is wondering why the press, politicians and civil society are ignoring last week's video in which William Ole Ntimama -Kenya's Minister for National Heritage- admitted being responsible for the killing of 600 Kenyans during the post-electoral violence. The blog is starting a Ntimama Daily Watch “to keep the issue alive”.


Barbados: Caribbean integration · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Barbados Free Press takes issue with an ex-diplomat's comments about Caribbean integration.


Thailand protests: Conflict of elites · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Thailand Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was found guilty of violating the Constitution by appearing in a cooking show while holding a public office. The court ordered him to step down as Prime Minister.
Initially, the ruling party promised to re-elect Samak as Prime Minister. But later on, party leaders announced that Samak will no longer be considered for the post. The Parliament will elect a new leader this coming Wednesday.
The protesters who occupied the Government House welcomed the removal of Samak. But they vowed to continue with the protests since they are also demanding political reforms.
Before proceeding, a brief background of the political crisis in Thailand: Protesters belonging to the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have stormed the Government House last August demanding the resignation of Samak. They accused Samak of being a puppet of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra. PAD leaders want a new form of government. They want majority of Parliament to be appointed by a governing body since they fear the rich cronies of Thaksin will continue to buy the votes of the poor in rural Thailand.
Last Friday several East Asia bloggers held a virtual meeting to discuss the crisis in Thailand. Dan of absolutely Bangkok.com served as our main resource person.
Dan described the crisis in Thailand as a “conflict of the elites.” He noted that the old elites include the army, Bangkok aristocracy, and academics. The new elites belong to the faction of Thaksin.
Dan further explains and theorizes on why the Court issued a swift verdict against Samak:
“Thaksin simply took away a big piece of the cake (from the old elite)…It looks right now that the old elite is trying and able to pull quite some strings…even influencing the courts. I mean, the Constitution Court heard Samak on Monday, on Tuesday the guilty verdict was ready.”
The crisis has plunged Thailand into deeper division:
“So you see, there are two major forces opposing each other. In the middle are the ‘instrumentalized’ and radicalized people. Society is divided by deeper hate than under Thaksin. It's a complete city vs. country…educated people vs. poor farmers…a complete black and white world with hardly any middle.”
Kevin Li from Hong Kong comments:
“Unfortunately the urban-rural divide is being used in the political struggle.”
Participants of the meeting also discussed the proposal of PAD. The protesters want a “new politics”, or a “guided democracy”. Some described it as “functional democracy”. In short, they want less voting, more appointments in establishing a new Parliament.
It is somewhat similar to Hong Kong’s political system. Oiwan was quick to clarify that even in HK, this system is seriously criticized. She thinks this proposal is an excuse for taking power in Thailand.
Dan agrees:
“All they want is a kind of unproven politics nobody really understand what it is, even the PAD changes positions… The ideals of PAD are noble (or novel?), nobody refuses that. But not workable.”
Portnoy from Taiwan raised an important question: Who will appoint these interest groups or academics? Under the PAD proposal, these sectors are supposed to appoint majority of the members of Parliament. Portnoy is worried that “a group of unelected elites will appoint another unelected group of elites.”
Dan replies:
“That's another unsolved question. It would be a ‘tyranny of a minority’, disguised under a pseudo-democracy.”
Kevin Li has a relevant observation:
“While people are looking at Bangkok, looks like no one cares about what happened in Northern Thailand… the environmental destruction is going on…”
Oiwan adds that the voice of the rural poor must be heard.
Dan writes that “Thailand is in a huge vacuum – nobody really knows what will happen tomorrow.” Kevin Li concludes:
“I think one day the protests will end, but without meaningful results.”
The virtual discussion was the second meeting of East Asia bloggers. The first virtual chat was conducted a month ago about the corruption scandal in Taiwan.


Joey's NotePad for April 16, 2019: Council GIC, Cycling Committee, and More – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

April 8, 2019
A listing of links and articles of interest
Planning Committee is underway.


Kenya: SLUM-TV · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

African Loft has an article about SLUM-TV in Kenya: “Operating from Mathare, the biggest slum in Kenya, the SLUM-TV was created to document the lives of the people in the slum and to ‘reevaluate’ these lives through the camera.”


Bulgaria: The Strongest Earthquake Since 1917 · Global Voices
Rayna St.

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the strongest since 1917, shook Bulgaria's capital Sofia and the perimeter zone of around 100 km last night, followed by a number of strong aftershocks. No victims have been reported so far. The website Earthquake Reports has published live updates and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook were the first ones to spread the news. The hashtag #земетресение (“earthquake”) is used to communicate on the event through Twitter.


Human Trafficking: NAPTIP Reunites 22 Survivours With Families In Sokoto - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
September 3, 2021
NAPTIP’s Zonal Commander, Sokoto Command Abubakar Bashiru disclosed this while briefing Newsmen at the reunion in Sokoto.
He said the survivors were intercepted at Niger Republic and handed over to NAPTIP by the Nigerian Immigration Service on August 30.
Basharu therefore urged parents and guardians to ensure proper monitoring and counseling of their children in order not to be easily lured into embarking on such dangerous journey.
He assured that the agency would continue to track activities of the perpetrators with the support of the survivors and ensure they were prosecuted for the act.
Responding, the President General of Yoruba Community, Sokoto James Olurunfemi described the situation as disheartening.


Indonesia: Absentee legislators · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Multibrand wants absentee legislators in Indonesia to be investigated after the publication of a report about the declining attendance in the House of Representatives.


A New Palestine  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

excen-tarik, at Kabobfest, says  he has found his Palestine – a barren desert in the stretches off the Pacific Ocean, a neglected, between San Francisco and Hawaii, named “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP).


Cuba: Low Birth Rates · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

“What is the problem of low birth rates? That soon there will be very few working age people to maintain many old people. Well, let's try and solve this,” says Rogelio Díaz Moreno in Bubusopía [es] regarding the decrease in birth rates in Cuba.


How Journalists Put Sources in Danger with Poor Digital Skills · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

On Columbia Journalism Review, Matthieu Aikins speaks with media organizations and foreign correspondents who seem to have scant knowledge or appreciation for the importance of digital encryption when reporting from free speech danger zones in the Middle East.


Brazil: Fortaleza City Dwellers Demand Liberation of Green Area · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

Inspired by the massive “Veta, Dilma” campaign to protect the Brazilian forests, Fortaleza city dwellers launched “Libera, Luizianne“ urging Mayor Luizianne Lins to free a green area for the creation of Rachel de Queiroz Park [pt]. On June 24, supporters planted wooden crosses on the site, symbolizing the death of the park for real estate speculation, as can be seen on Facebook.


Former varsity VC dies a month after office | EduCeleb
31st March 2021
Prof Francis Otunta, the immediate Past Vice-Chancellor Of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Umuahia is dead.
He died in a ghastly motor accident on his way to Enugu on Tuesday barely a month after he ended his tenure as the fifth Vice-Chancellor of the University in February.
He hails from Nkpoghoro, in Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi state
Prior to his appointment as 5th Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Otunta had previously worked as a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Benin. He was also a former Rector of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana.
Professor Otunta during his tenure as VC was accused of sexually harassing a staff member Dr Patricia Mbah but was cleared by the school authorities.
As the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted gubernatorial election in 2019, he announced the final results of the Imo governorship election in Owerri that declared Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP winner of the election.


Kazakhstan: The President Wants Halal Meat · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Leila Tanayeva notes that Kazakhstan's president has called for the country to develop halal industry in its food sector. She asks though whether or not Kazakhs really care if their meat is halal.


“Life Bulbs” deter violence in high-crime neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 12, 2013
Dante Chestnut Sr. hopes that fluorescent blue light bulbs shining in high-crime areas will help end the violence.
Chestnut founded CHILL, which stands for “Creating Hope I Love Life,” to create awareness about the impact of violence, and to help mold young leaders on the street. He said that young people, especially those growing up amid violence, need structure and positivity in their lives.
“They need to know the importance of being honest and not tearing your community down for a dollar,” Chestnut said.
The “Life Bulbs” shine into the night, letting criminals know they’re stepping into zones residents have declared violence-free, according to Chestnut.
Violence has touched his life too many times to count, he said. Born in Milwaukee and raised in Alabama until he made his way back, Chestnut has lost friends such as Milwaukee R & B singer La La Brown, whose 2007 murder remains unsolved, and Lavelle Felton, the professional basketball player shot and killed in 2009 at a north side gas station.
He’s in neighborhoods hit hard by violence on a regular basis promoting his message, according to Gracelyn Wilson, neighborhood strategic planning coordinator for the Northwest Side Community Development Corp. (NWSCDC).
Dante Chestnut Sr. holds a CHILL Life Bulb, which identifies violence-free zones in high-crime neighborhoods. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“He’s been at the forefront of everything they’re trying to do to promote non-violence,” including peace marches, health fairs, block watches and more, Wilson said.
NWSCDC has purchased numerous CHILL bulbs and distributed them in neighborhoods such as Amani and Franklin Heights, and also near St. Matthews Church, 2944 N. 9 St.
“Parishioners and elders came out and we put up bulbs until 9 p.m. in some of the roughest neighborhoods in the city,” Wilson recalled.
She explained that the blue lights promote peace by deterring criminals who look at them and figure something must be going on so they shouldn’t be in the neighborhood.
Milwaukee Police Department District 5 Captain Terrence Gordon said his department has purchased several bulbs but asked that community members place them in a lamp in the window instead of on their porch.
“We don’t want residents to replace a primary light source but we do encourage them to display the lights in the window as a sign of non-violence and solidarity among residents,” Gordon said.
Chestnut says the CHILL Program has provided more than 5,000 bulbs, most donated, to the community.
In addition to the Life Bulb initiative, CHILL raises money to purchase bedding and other items to donate to the Sojourner Truth House, fund scholarships and host community health fairs and other events.
Also a music producer, Chestnut is working on a “No Violence More Peace” campaign in which Milwaukee-area artists will visit different schools, neighborhoods and even cities plagued by violence to spread their message of peace through music.
The non-profit receives support from various local businesses and also sells the Life Bulbs and other CHILL merchandise online to raise funds. However Chestnut said that running programming and providing resources is not cheap, and it’s difficult to gain the needed sponsorships and support in the areas hardest hit by violence. Still, he holds fundraisers and eagerly spreads his message of peace to anyone who will listen.
“People don’t realize the power of your voice and using it to reach people,” he said.
“I want people on the block to see the organization as a neighborhood hub for those in need, for those who want to see violence end.”


PTF Submits 4th Interim Report To President Buhari - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
June 1, 2020
President Muhammadu Buhari has received the fourth reports of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, appreciating the team for a job well done.
The Task Force Chairman, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, while speaking to State Correspondents at the end of the closed-door meeting, said he presented the progress and challenges recorded to the President.
According to him, the team also offered suggestions on ways forward in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus in the country and quoted Buhari as commending the accomplishments of the PTF, frontline workers and stakeholders.
Mustapha added that the task force also discussed the issue of compliance and Buhari appealed to Nigerians and drive home the point that it is a personal responsibility for each and every Nigerian to undertake to ensure that he keeps himself safe and by extension keeping his family, loved ones and community safe.


Algeria: Coverage ‘Written from Cairo’ · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian The Moor Next Door takes a closer look at media coverage following the Algeria- Egypt matches which saw Algeria qualify to the World Cup in South Africa next year. “Foot-ball is something akin to a religion in many countries… It can also lead to blind and irrational fanaticism,” he notes.


BJP MP Arjun Singh shares video of bleeding Muslim men as Hindus attacked in West Bengal - Alt News
Jignesh Patel
18th May 2020 / 7:44 pm / Last updated: 18th May 2020
Reports of clashes between two communities in Telinpara and Bhadreswar area of Hoogly district emerged on May 11. Soon after West Bengal BJP MP Arjun Singh posted a video which allegedly showed visuals of the communal violence. Posting the video, Singh targeted CM Mamta Banerjee and said, “कब तक हिन्दुओं का खून बहेगा दीदी? मजाक बनाकर रख दिया है आपने और आपकी राजनीति ने बंगाल में हिंदुओं का! (How long will the blood of Hindus continue to flow didi? You and your politics have made a joke of Hindus in Bengal -translated)”. Essentially, the message says that the video shows the suffering of Hindus in the Telinpara incident. The post has garnered more than 2,500 shares. At 40 seconds in the video, one can see a gory visual of a bloodied man.
[The video has disturbing visuals. Alt News is not embedding it in the article.]
Twitter handle @Saaho_sher posted the same video of the bloodied man and said, “Only Hindus are losing their blood in Bengal today.” The tweet has garnered more than 2,400 retweets so far. Two more individuals – Divyans Pathak and Vishwpratap Kumar – tweeted the video with the same narrative.
Alt News found a Facebook post by a Kolkata based social activist Md Zim Nawaz which said that the man in the video actually hails from the Muslim community. His name is Manzoor Alam, a 38-year-old year Jute mill worker based in Bhadreswar locality. Alam lives with his family at a place granted to him in the 12th line of Jute Mill quarters. He hails from Bihar.
গত দু’তিনদিন ধরে হুগলির চন্দননগরের তেলানিপাড়ায় সাম্প্রদায়িক উত্তেজনা তৈরি হয়েছে। এবিষয়ে বেশকিছু গুরুত্বপূর্ণ তথ্য হাতে…
Posted by Md Zim Nawaz on Wednesday, 13 May 2020
Alt News contacted Nawaz who then put us in touch with Alam. He said, “I was sitting in my quarters with my family after opening Roza in the evening. A group of armed men came to my line, entered the spot [a ground near his house] where we were offering our namaz and started beating us up. First time when they tried to hit on my head with a sharp weapon like a knife, I put my hand in the way to stop them and got wounded. Then, I [eventually] got hit on the head. I am the person who is bleeding in the video. I was later taken to the hospital. I have multiple stitches in my hand and head.” Watching the video on his phone and simultaneously speaking to us on the phone, Alam identified several people in the clip. He said, “The man in the red undervest is ‘Insaaf’, and there is one more boy named Bholu. Both are my neighbours. My younger son Parvez Akhtar can also be spotted in the video.” In the image posted below, the person in the red garment is Insaaf.
Alt News has accessed one more video of Manzoor Alam shot after the attack where his family tries to stop his wounds from bleeding, however, owing to the disturbing nature of the video, it has been withheld. In the image posted below, we have compared a frame from this video showing the profile face of Manzoor Alam with a recent image of him taken after he was discharged from the hospital.
Furthermore, we spoke to the victim’s son and asked him to shoot a testimony identifying the people while watching the video. Jawed Akhtar, the eldest son of Manzoor Alam, is in Delhi away from his family. In the video posted below, he identifies his father and his neighbours while running the viral on another mobile. After pausing the video played in the mobile at a point, he can be heard saying, “These are [my] friends who are standing here. One is Imran who standing behind and the one in a red t-shirt, his name is Insaaf.”
In conclusion, BJP MP Arjun Singh shared a video of a bloodied man after communal clashes in West Bengal and suggested that the person attacked belonged to the Hindu community. However, as it turned out, the video showed a member of the Muslim community who was allegedly attacked by a mob from other community.
Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University.
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The CCTV footage of a man violently flinging a child on the ground has created…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
A minute-long video clip of a woman being physically assaulted is viral on social media….


China: The Obama Girl Was An Internet Promotion Campaign · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A female student Wang Zifei, who sat behind Obama when he delivered his speech at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, has become a Internet celebrity. Local media recently found out that her boyfriend actually paid 100,000 yuan to hire a Beijing Internet promotional strategy company to use the opportunity of Obama's speech to hype up the ‘Obama girl.’ (via ESWN)


Sri Lanka: Fonseka And UNP · Global Voices
Rezwan

Indrajit Samarajiva at Indi.ca reacts to  the recent news that the Sri Lankan opposition alliance is abandoning their candidate Mr. Sarath Fonseka, because he is in jail now.


Georgia: New Media Forum assessed, bloggers interviewed · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following the recent New Media Forum, an event staged for media students and professionals in Tbilisi, Georgia, comes coverage in the local press. Although lagging behind its neighbors in the South Caucasus, interest in the online world is increasing and there are signs that the situation will change considerably in 2010, and especially in the area of the media and civil society. Georgia Today reports on the forum.
Radio Free Liberty journalist Niko Nergadze talked about a blog, which he has been running for over a year. After the lecture, he told Georgia Today that the participants were very active at the forum.
Nergadze added that forums like these are important for Georgia as new media exists, but is limited.
“Still we are very far from claiming that the Internet and new media have a serious influence on events. But we are heading toward something,” he said.
Ruso Panozashvili, a journalist and another forum participant, agrees with Nergadze about the event's importance.
“The importance of new media is high in Georgia where television and so-called traditional media outlets are strongly controlled,” she said. “This is not good for quality. This is why it is important to develop media with alternative tools, which in this case is new media.”
Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor also made a presentation at the event, and was later interviewed by the same publication.
Last week Georgia Today published a story about Media Forum, an event that took place last week in Mtatsminda Park. This week we offer an interview with Onnik Krikorian, a British-Armenian journalist and photographer based in Armenia, the Caucasus editor for Global Voices Online, and the Armenia editor for Oneworld.net. During the New Media Forum he presented the Global Voices Web site and talked about the importance of new media in the Caucasus.
At the event, Global Voices Online interviewed three local bloggers, Dodka, Dv0rsky and Sweet. A second, longer interview by Polish new media specialist Jakub Górnicki, who was also presenting at the forum, is now available online.
Video discussion with Dodie Kharkheli (aka Dodie Kissie, Dodka), Giga Paitchadze (aka Dv0rsky), Mari Talakhadze (aka Sweet) about their blogs, what pushed them into blogging and how blogosphere developing in Georgia and South Caucasus. Show was broadcasted live on October 15th 2009 from Tbilisi.


Education minister holds first online meeting with parastatal heads | EduCeleb
27th March 2020
In compliance with Federal  Government’s directive on social distancing, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has held  his first online management meeting.
According to a statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Ben Goong, the Minister held the meeting with Directors and Chief Executives of parastatals under his supervision.
The teleconferencing platform was created by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Examination (JAMB), according the statement made available to EduCeleb.com on Friday.
Details of what was discussed at the meeting were however not disclosed.
“In compliance with govt directive for people to avoid crowded meetings, education minister Adamu Adamu today held his first on-line management meeting with Directors and Chief executives of parastatals under his supervision, courtesy of an on-line platform created by JAMB registrar, professor Ishaq Oloyede.
“Over fifty people took part in the online meeting. It is expected that the platform will be expanded to accommodate over 1000 people in the next meeting.
“All of these are measures being taken to prevent the spread of the corona virus,” the statement read.


Iran: Burning Banks! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Noqte tahekhad , Iran based blogger, says  banks get burned when there are riots in Iran and tell us why (Persian). According to this blogger most banks are run by government and then they symbolize it , banks are easy targets and lending money with high interest rate ( 25 %)  has created problems for many people.


UZODINMA EMERGES AS NEW CHAIRMAN OF PROGRESSIVES GOVERNORS FORUM - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
June 1, 2023
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, stated this when he led the All Progressives Congress, APC governors to a meeting with the party’s National Working Committee in Abuja.
Other governors at the meeting were Kaduna state governor, Uba Sani, Kogi State Governor Yayaha Bello, Gombe State Governor, Mohammed Bago, Niger State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, and Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule.
The National Working Committee members that attended the meeting were the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, the party’s National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and several others.
In his address, the APC chairman congratulated the governors on their victory in the last general election, encouraging them to ensure good governance in their various states.


Russia: “Kremlin, Inc.” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Amsterdam scans and posts a 14-page New Yorker article on Russia, which is not yet available online (“Kremlin, Inc.: Why are Vladimir Putin's Opponents Dying“).


Bangladesh: Diaspora Group Blogs · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Rezwan highlights diaspora blogs from South Asia on the occassion of Blog Day 2006.


China: Chinese MySpace rumored · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Tangos at China Web2.0 Review validates fears of web users in mainland China that Google and its e-mail service Gmail are next up on the Great Firewall of China block, but blogs good news as well with word of a rumored Chinese version of MySpace, Kongjian, soon to be released from mainland search engine Baidu.


Milwaukee Reports Big Decrease in Teen Pregnancies | WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Published October 24, 2013 at 5:14 PM CDT


Track 1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 10, 2019
“Track 1” from Untitled – 05-24-19. Track 1.


Uganda Democracy · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Tanzanian/Ugandan  blog  East African_Peripetatic reports that Ugandan democracy is still ” a big dream“


Post From Community: Kohl’s and Alverno College Announce Kohl’s Scholars for 2022-23 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kelly Cole
July 13, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Today, Alverno College and Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) announce the recipients of the Kohl’s Scholars scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year. The Kohl’s Scholars program includes five $5,000 scholarships and opportunities to connect with Kohl’s women in leadership.
The 2022-23 Kohl’s Scholars are:
“The scholarship process represented Alverno’s and Kohl’s commitment to the advancement of women. I am thrilled to offer this opportunity to these five deserving students, and grateful to be able to partner with Kohl’s to make it happen,” said Cheryl Moore, Ph.D., executive director of Career Development at Alverno College. “Our goal with this partnership is to not only support students financially, but to offer them an experience of connecting with women that are making a difference within the Kohl’s organization, and to garner encouragement in those mentoring moments as they form their own career paths.”
The Kohl’s Scholars program includes “A Day at Kohl’s,” a bi-annual event where students will meet with Kohl’s female leadership through a women’s leadership roundtable, tour the corporate headquarters and get a firsthand look at what it’s like to work in corporate retail.
“We are proud to award five deserving Alverno students with our first-ever Kohl’s Scholars Scholarship,” said Shanan Lesselyoung, Kohl’s senior vice president of human resources. “Kohl’s knows how valuable support, mentorship, and first-hand work experience is in the trajectory of an individual’s career. Because of that, we’re excited to provide this scholarship and networking opportunity for our five Kohl’s Scholars recipients as they continue their education and work toward discovering their career paths.”
Current Alverno undergraduate students were eligible for the scholarship, and priority was given to first generation college students and/or women of color, with preference given to students in their sophomore or junior year who are majoring in business, communication or STEM fields. Students were also chosen based on their understanding of Kohl’s philosophy of community service and their grasp of Alverno’s eight abilities – analysis, aesthetic engagement, communication, effective citizenship, global perspective, problem solving, social interaction, and valuing in decision making.
About Alverno College
Founded in 1887 by the School Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy, music and liturgy, and business are open to women and men.
A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.
Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.
About Kohl’s
Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a leading omnichannel retailer. With more than 1,100 stores in 49 states and the online convenience of Kohls.com and the Kohl’s App, Kohl’s offers amazing national and exclusive brands at incredible savings for families nationwide. Kohl’s is uniquely positioned to deliver against its strategy and its vision to be the most trusted retailer of choice for the active and casual lifestyle. Kohl’s is committed to progress in its diversity and inclusion pledges, and the company’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) stewardship. For a list of store locations or to shop online, visit Kohls.com. For more information about Kohl’s impact in the community or how to join our winning team, visit Corporate.Kohls.com or follow @KohlsNews on Twitter.


Sri Lanka: Opinion And Analysis In Sinhala Language · Global Voices
Rezwan

ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) informs that Vikalpa, a citizen journalism platform, relaunched its social media oriented website to provide “compelling and original opinion and analysis in Sinhala language from Sri Lanka”.


Sri Lanka: Prabhakaran’s DNA Matches With Son · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bailaman reports that DNA taken from the body of the LTTE leader Prabhakaran matches with his son Charles Anthony. This discovery by Sri Lankan Army medical experts is supposed to end all speculations over his death.