Newsmotion - Education

'14 Million: Life, Family & Liberty’ Movement Sparks Controversy in Ecuador

feed — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:21:32 +0000

'14 Million: Life, Family & Liberty’ Movement Sparks Controversy in Ecuador

Wed, 05/22/2013

The citizen initiative “14 million- Life, family and liberty”” [es], which opposes the free distribution of the day-after pill and other forms of family planning policy, has caused controversy among Ecuadorians.

Those involved in this initiative say that parents’ right to choose education for their children according to their values and principles has been ignored. They also denounce the intention to introduce laws that threaten the definition of marriage between men and women, changing the word “sex” with “gender” in citizen identification cards.

The group names these and other points in a video [es] inviting citizens to participate in a “great gathering for family, life and liberty.” The gathering took place on May 19, 2013 in the cities of Quito, Santo Domingo y Guayaquil. The YouTube channel Fourteen million [es] shared the video:

On May 18, President Rafael Correa rejected the actions of the “14 million” movement. The newspaper El Tiempo [The Times] [es] published some of Correa's declarations:

“No es verdad, como pretenden hacer creer estos señores, que a un niño de doce años se le regalan anticonceptivos. Esa es una mentira monstruosa” y de “mala fe”, enfatizó Correa, un mandatario de izquierda que también se declara “católico practicante”.

Señaló que el grupo “14 millones”, que es la cifra redonda de habitantes en Ecuador, “no tiene personería (validez) jurídica” y dijo sospechar que detrás de ella “están todos los opositores al Gobierno”.

“It is not true, as these people want to make you believe, that a 12-year-old child will be given birth control. It is a monstrous lie” and in “bad faith,” emphasized Correa, a leftist who describes himself as a “practicing Catholic.”

He stated that the “14 million” group, which refers to the the approximate number of people in Ecuador, “does not have an official, valid status” and said he suspected that “those who oppose the government are behind it.”

Isabel Maria Salazar, national director of the “14 million” movement, said in an interview for the Ecuavisa channel [es] that they are not in favor of or opposed to any political party:

“Nosotros somos una auténtica iniciativa ciudadana donde estamos varones, mujeres, jóvenes. No queremos que esto se vea como una manifestación a favor o en contra de determinadas posiciones políticas, más bien estamos preocupados porque se le ha dejado a la familia de lado en varios proyectos de educación, y también en aquello que corresponde a la salud.”

“We are an authentic citizen initiative in which we are men, women and youth. We do not want to be seen as a manifestation in favor of or against determined political positions, but more so we are worried because family has been left to the side in various education projects and that also relates to health.”

Salazar further showed her rejection of the free distribution of the day-after pill [es] without parental consent, stressing that according to article 29 [es] of the constitution of Ecuador, parents have “the right to choose for their sons and daughters an education in line with their principles, beliefs and teaching methods.”

Days before the gathering, the group released a pamphlet featuring the stamps of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference [es], the Archbishop of Quito [es], the the Pro-Life Action Foundation [es] and others.

However a letter signed by Mateo López, deputy secretary general of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, later clarified that “the use of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference stamp in '14 million’ movement materials has not been authorized by this conference and appears against its wishes, which were expressly communicated to the organizers.”

Silvia Buendía (@silvidabuendia) [es] shared the image on the “14 million” pamphlet:

@silvitabuendia: Lean todos pic.twitter.com/Um6TmNGYp1 esta es la carta de los 14Millones. Ojo católicos, la firma la Conferencia Episcopal Ecuatoriana

@silvitabuendia [es]: Everyone read pic.twitter.com/Um6TmNGYp1 this letter from 14 million. Look Catholics, the stamp of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference

Then she apologized and shared the letter from the Episcopal Conference:

@silvitabuendia: Me disculpo con la Conferencia Episcopal, ayer me escandalicé d q firmaran la carta d los @14Millones pic.twitter.com/9BPOUXF36j era mentira

@silvitabuendia [es]: Forgive me, Episcopal Conference. Yesterday I was scandalized that you had signed the letter from the @14Millones [14 million] pic.twitter.com/9BPOUXF36j It was a lie.

The citizens that support the initiative -@14millones [es] on Twitter- comment with the hashtags #14millones [14 million] and #19mporlafamilia [19 million for family].

Loli Andrade (@loliandradem) [es] stated her support for the May 19 gathering:

@loliandradem: @14millones HOY defiendo la vida mas q nunca con paz, alegria t amor x la vida y la familia! Soy de gquil pero stoy en Quito y aun asi voy!

@loliandradem [es]: @14millones [14 million] TODAY I defend life more than ever with peace, joy, love, life and family! I'm from Guayaquil but I'm in Quito and I still go!

While Jose D'María (@JoseMatamoros_) [es] wrote about the rights of children:

@JoseMatamoros_: Regresando a Cuenca a exigir los derechos de la familia y los niños #19mporlafamilia #14millones @14Millones

@JoseMatamoros_ [es]: Returning to Cuenca to demand the rights of family and children #19mporlafamilia [19 million for the family] #14millones [14 million] @14Millones [14 million]

Rafael Silva (@_RBSILVA) [es] also showed his support of “14 million:”

@_RBSILVA: Para eso hemos sido entrenados, defenderemos la verdad y no se nos arebatara el fuego q en nuestra sangre esta! @14Millones #19Mporlafamila

@_RBSILVA [es]: For that we have been trained, we will defend the truth and not lose the fire in our blood! @14Millones [14 million] #19Mporlafamila [19 million for family]

However, there also exists opposition to the movement, in part because they chose to call themselves “14 million,” the number of people in Ecuador, and many do not feel represented by the ideas of the group.

Under the hashtag #YoNoSoy14Millones [I am not 14 million] various users separate themselves from those that defend the movement. This includes Jaime Tamariz (@JaimeTamariz) [es]:

@JaimeTamariz: Somos 6.676.120.288 de personas distintas/diversas tratando de encontrar la felicidad en nuestra efímera vida #YoNoSoy14Millones

@JaimeTamariz [es]: We are 6,676,120.288 diverse and different people trying to find happiness in our ephemeral lives #YoNoSoy14Millones [I am not 14 million]

Majito Lasso (@majitolasso) [es], for his part, shared his opinion about being “pro-life:”

@majitolasso: Ojalá se escandalizaran de la violación y el femicidio, no de derechos sexuales y reproductivos. Eso sería provida #yonosoy14millones

@majitolasso [es]: I hope that they're scandalized by rape and female infanticide, not sexual and reproductive rights. That would be pro-life #yonosoy14millones [I am not 14 million]

In a similar manner, Mónica Pazmino (@justmonique1981) [es] wrote:

@justmonique1981: Cuando inculcen [sic] amor y tolerancia hablamos amigos fundamentalistas Provida #YoNoSoy14Millones

@justmonique1981 [es]: When they instill love and tolerance we talk, friends, of fundamental pro-life. #YoNoSoy14Millones [I am not 14 million]

Story URL:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/22/14-million-life-family-liberty-movement...

Building Opportunities in Indian Country: Congratulations to the Graduates of Navajo Technical College

feed — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:54 +0000

Building Opportunities in Indian Country: Congratulations to the Graduates of Navajo Technical College

Wed, 05/22/2013

Dr. Jill Biden walks with the procession of graduates of the Navajo Technical College Class of 2013, Navajo Tech President Elmer Guy, Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly and the Board of trustees on the Navajo Tech campus in Crownpoint, New Mexico. May 17, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

On Friday, I had the honor of addressing a class of graduates at Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, New Mexico. The Navajo Tech graduating Class of 2013 earned certificates in 34 fields that will provide the tools they need to serve their community as teachers, nurses, engineers, mechanics, bankers, chefs and countless other opportunities all made possible by their commitment and dedication to improving themselves through the pursuit of a higher education.

Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) play a key role in President Obama’s educational goal of making the United States home to the best-educated, most competitive workforce in the world. TCUs are critical institutions that build tribal communities, create good jobs across Indian Country, and provide Native Americans with the skills they need to do those jobs.

As a community college teacher, I love seeing what a tremendous difference a community like the one I saw at Navajo Tech can make in the lives of its students.

The impressive class of graduates included veterans like Jerrilene Kenneth, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army mechanic, before she became the first college graduate in her family with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. It also included Navajo Tech Student of the Year Sherwin Becenti, who dropped out of college more than ten years ago but returned to school in order to build a better life for his family and set a good example for his children. Dwight Carlston, who grew up with no running water or electricity, was also among the graduates. Dwight maintained a 3.8 grade point average, ran cross country, served as Student Senate President and was recently elected as the Student Congress president of all 38 tribal colleges.

Story URL:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/20/building-opportunities-indian-country-...

BarCamp Battambang 2013

feed — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:18:25 +0000

BarCamp Battambang 2013

Tue, 05/21/2013

BarCamp Battambang 2013 in Cambodia

(more…)

Story URL:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/21/barcamp-battambang-2013/

President Obama Delivers the Commencement Address at Morehouse College

feed — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:33:32 +0000

President Obama Delivers the Commencement Address at Morehouse College

Sun, 05/19/2013

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the commencement ceremony at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., May 19, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today, President Obama delivered the commencement address to the 2013 graduates of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.

“It is one of the great honors of my life to be able to address this gathering here today,” President Obama told the graduates. He spoke about Morehouse’s history, and “ the unique sense of purpose that this place has always infused -- the conviction that this is a training ground not only for individual success, but for leadership that can change the world.”

“Your generation is uniquely poised for success unlike any generation of African Americans that came before it,” President Obama said.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t have work -- because if we’re honest with ourselves, we know that too few of our brothers have the opportunities that you’ve had here at Morehouse. In troubled neighborhoods all across this country -- many of them heavily African American -- too few of our citizens have role models to guide them. Communities just a couple miles from my house in Chicago, communities just a couple miles from here -- they’re places where jobs are still too scarce and wages are still too low; where schools are underfunded and violence is pervasive; where too many of our men spend their youth not behind a desk in a classroom, but hanging out on the streets or brooding behind a jail cell.

My job, as President, is to advocate for policies that generate more opportunity for everybody -- policies that strengthen the middle class and give more people the chance to climb their way into the middle class. Policies that create more good jobs and reduce poverty, and educate more children, and give more families the security of health care, and protect more of our children from the horrors of gun violence. That's my job. Those are matters of public policy, and it is important for all of us -- black, white and brown -- to advocate for an America where everybody has got a fair shot in life. Not just some. Not just a few.

Story URL:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/19/president-obama-delivers-commencement-...

First Lady Delivers Commencement Addresses at Bowie State, Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School

feed — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:30:53 +0000

First Lady Delivers Commencement Addresses at Bowie State, Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School

Sat, 05/18/2013

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during the Bowie State University commencement at the Comcast Center in College Park, Md., May 17, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

On Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered the commencement address to the Bowie State University Class of 2013. Bowie State, which opened just two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, "was founded not just to educate African Americans, but to teach them how to educate others,” the First Lady explained.

And since then, generations of students from all backgrounds have come to this school to be challenged, inspired and empowered. And they have gone on to become leaders here in Maryland and across this country, running businesses, educating young people, leading the high-tech industries that will power our economy for decades to come.

That is the story of Bowie State University, the commitment to educating our next generation and building ladders of opportunity for anyone willing to work for it. All of you are now part of that story. And with that tremendous privilege comes an important set of responsibilities -- responsibilities that you inherit the moment you leave this stadium with that diploma in your hand.

Read her full remarks here.

On Saturday, she traveled to Nashville to speak to the graduating class of Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School. The First Lady took the opportunity to talk to the students – all of whom are going on to higher education or the military – about some of the skills they’ll need as they make their way through college and through life: resilience, grit, and the ability to pick themselves up when they fall.

Story URL:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/18/first-lady-delivers-commencement-addre...

President Obama Talks Early Education, Infrastructure and Strong Communities in Baltimore

feed — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:37 +0000

President Obama Talks Early Education, Infrastructure and Strong Communities in Baltimore

Fri, 05/17/2013

President Barack Obama participates in a literacy lesson with children while visiting a pre-kindergarten classroom at Moravia Elementary School in Baltimore, Md., May 17, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today, President Obama is headed to Baltimore, Maryland to talk early childhood education, infrastructure and ensuring hard work leads to a decent living.

The President’s first stop today was at Moravia Park Elementary School, where he took part in a literacy lesson with pre-k students. The students are part of the school’s Judy Center, which provides comprehensive early childhood services including Head Start, child care, intervention services and family engagement. (Learn more about President Obama’s plan to expand access to high-quality preschool to every child in America)

Story URL:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/17/president-obama-headed-baltimore-learn...

Chinese Government Bans Seven ‘Speak-Not’ Subjects

feed — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:07:04 +0000

Chinese Government Bans Seven ‘Speak-Not’ Subjects

Wed, 05/15/2013

A prominent Chinese law professor recently revealed in his microblog on popular Twitter-like site Sina Weibo that the Chinese government has imposed a policy on university professors instructing them not to teach seven subjects, including freedom of the press, past mistakes of the communist party, and citizen rights.

Zhang Xuezhong (張雪忠), who teaches at East China University of Political Science and Law, listed the other taboo subjects in the May 10, 2013 post as universal values, civil society, citizen rights, judicial independence, freedom of the press, past mistakes of the communist party, and the privileged capitalist class.

Zhang's Weibo account was deleted soon after and the term “Seven Speak-Nots” (七不講) has been blocked on major social media in China.

Seven Speak-Nots, image from “Silly Talks” public timeline from Google Plus.

In addition, it was further revealed in a memo on “Concerning the Situation in the Ideological Sphere” (《關於當前意識形態領域情況的通報》) issued by the Central Committee General Office of the Chinese Communist Party on May 13, 2013 that the “Seven Speak-Nots” policy has been incorporated into a policy for online public opinion censorship. The government's latest round of tightening of its control on discourse and ideology has resulted in the shutting down or suspension of the microblog accounts of several prominent liberal intellectuals and political harassment of rights defenders.

Though most of the discussion on the “Seven Speak-Nots” has been deleted, “Silly Talk”（胡言兌）has collected [zh] and resurrected some censored social media posts in Google Plus:

@Stariver：七不讲也没啥阿。不讲普世价值可以讲专制罪恶，不讲新闻自由可以讲道路以目，不讲公民社会可以讲太平天国，不讲公民权利可以讲屁民遭遇，不讲党的历史错误可以讲假的历史功绩，不讲权贵资产阶级可以讲红二代，不讲司法独立可以讲司法黑幕。

@Stariver: Nothing special about the “Seven Speak-Nots”. We don't have to speak about universal value, we can speak about the evil of authoritarianism. If we can't speak about freedom of press, we can speak about communication with our eyes [an ancient Chinese story about freedom of expression under authoritative rule]. If we can't speak about civil society, we can speak about Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. We don't have to speak about citizen rights, we can speak about the experience of fart-izen [citizen deprived of rights]. We don't discuss the mistakes of the Chinese Communist Party but can talk about all the fake historical achievement. If we can't talk about the “privileged capitalist class”, we can talk about “the second generation red”. If judicial independence is banned, we talk about all the dark secrets of our judicial system.

@余喷：五不搞了才惊叫？七不讲了才哗然？我觉得都涉嫌程度不同的装外宾了。早在枪响之后，就该断绝最后一丝的幻想了。枪响是迟钝划线。此后的所有卖萌动作，最多具有策略性的价值。而策略性的东东，难免欺庙堂不着而惑江湖良多。

@Yu Pen: How come we yell about the Five Do-Nots [note: The Five Do-Nots are: do not make a system in which multiple parties govern in turn; do not diversify guiding ideologies; do not “separate the three powers” and create a bicameral system; do not federalize; do not privatize.] and find the “Seven Speak-Nots” surprising? Don't pretend to be outsiders. After the guns fired, we should not have any illusion. We were already too late to draw the line when the guns fired. All gestures after the incident are strategic aiming at cheating people.

@songshinan：#说出党的潜台词#普世价值不要讲，要讲中国特色；新闻自由不要讲，要讲党管媒体不变；公民社会不要讲，要讲社会管理创新；公民权利不要讲，要讲和谐社会；党的历史错误不要讲，要高举毛邓旗帜；权贵资产阶级不要讲，要讲中国梦；司法独立不要讲，要讲政法委办案。

@songshinan: #Spell out the party's hidden agenda# Speak not about universal value, speak about Chinese Character; Speak not about press freedom, speak about never-changing party media; Speak not about civil society, speak about the innovation of social management; Speak not about citizen rights, speak about harmonious society; speak not about the historical mistakes of the communist party, uphold the ideology of Mao and Deng; Speak not about the privileged capitalist class, talk about the China Dream; Speak not about judicial independence, the party's legal committee will handle all the cases.

Some Chinese bloggers have moved to Google Plus to carry on the discussion. Below are some immediate comments from prominent blogger Wen YunChao's post about the policy.

@agan G: 笑话，现在的年轻人早已不属于那个年代，还TM想洗脑！

@agan: This is a joke. Young people nowadays do not belong to the old time, they can't be f**king brainwashed.

@Loby Liang: 唉！他们总结的比我们总结得还好呢！就应该讲这7件事。

@Loby Liang: Well… Their conclusion is much better than ours! These are the subjects we have to talk about.

@Star Dung: 要培养彻底的奴隶

@Star Dung: The want to cultivate obedient slaves.

@Jack ANNA: 我看到了中国共产党发自内心的恐惧。

@Jack ANNA: I see the fear deep down in the communist party's heart.

@沈宏星哈哈，习近平的尾巴露出来啦。和薄一个样

@Shen Hongxing: Haha, [President] Xi Jinping has revealed his true self. He and Bo Xilai are just the same [Bo is a former CCP leader who upholds Maoist ideology].

@李冠阳我们今天上历史课老师也说这个了,我们老师说教学内容要与国际接轨,价值观不能接轨

@Li Guanyang: Our history teacher talked about this today. Our teacher said the content of our course has to be in alignment with international society, but our values can't be.

“Fairy outside the wall” (@墙外仙）carefully reposted [zh] Zhang Xuezhong's opinion to get around censorship on a Sina microblog:

如果一个国家总是顽固地拒绝人类社会通行的普世价值,并且迟迟不肯建立以自由、民主和法治为基础的宪政制度,那绝不是因为这个国家有什么特殊的国情,而是因为这个国家有一个特殊的政府：这个政府本身极其败坏和不得人心，以至于根本无法通过公正的法律和诚实的手段，来维持自己的存续！

If a country keeps resisting the universal values that have been shared by the rest of the world and refuses to build a constitution based on freedom, democracy, and rule of law, then this is not due to the distinctive character of the country, but the distinctive character of the government: a corrupted government that can't win people's support and cannot sustain itself with a legal system that upholds justice and honesty.

Story URL:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/16/chinese-government-bans-seven-speak-not...

Chinese Government Bans Seven ‘Speak-Not’ Subjects

feed — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:07:04 +0000

Chinese Government Bans Seven ‘Speak-Not’ Subjects

Wed, 05/15/2013

Zhang's Weibo account was deleted soon after and the term “Seven Speak-Nots” (七不講) has been blocked on major social media in China.

Seven Speak-Nots, image from “Silly Talks” public timeline from Google Plus.

Though most of the discussion on the “Seven Speak-Nots” has been deleted, “Silly Talk”（胡言兌）has collected [zh] and resurrected some censored social media posts in Google Plus:

@Stariver：七不讲也没啥阿。不讲普世价值可以讲专制罪恶，不讲新闻自由可以讲道路以目，不讲公民社会可以讲太平天国，不讲公民权利可以讲屁民遭遇，不讲党的历史错误可以讲假的历史功绩，不讲权贵资产阶级可以讲红二代，不讲司法独立可以讲司法黑幕。

@Stariver: Nothing special about the “Seven Speak-Nots”. We don't have to speak about universal value, we can speak about the evil of authoritarianism. If we can't speak about freedom of press, we can speak about communication with our eyes [an ancient Chinese story about freedom of expression under authoritative rule]. If we can't speak about civil society, we can speak about Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. We don't have to speak about citizen rights, we can speak about the experience of fart-izen [citizen deprived of rights]. We don't discuss the mistakes of the Chinese Communist Party but can talk about all the fake historical achievement. If we can't talk about the “privileged capitalist class”, we can talk about “the second generation red”. If judicial independence is banned, we talk about all the dark secrets of our judicial system.

@余喷：五不搞了才惊叫？七不讲了才哗然？我觉得都涉嫌程度不同的装外宾了。早在枪响之后，就该断绝最后一丝的幻想了。枪响是迟钝划线。此后的所有卖萌动作，最多具有策略性的价值。而策略性的东东，难免欺庙堂不着而惑江湖良多。

@Yu Pen: How come we yell about the Five Do-Nots [note: The Five Do-Nots are: do not make a system in which multiple parties govern in turn; do not diversify guiding ideologies; do not “separate the three powers” and create a bicameral system; do not federalize; do not privatize.] and find the “Seven Speak-Nots” surprising? Don't pretend to be outsiders. After the guns fired, we should not have any illusion. We were already too late to draw the line when the guns fired. All gestures after the incident are strategic aiming at cheating people.

@songshinan：#说出党的潜台词#普世价值不要讲，要讲中国特色；新闻自由不要讲，要讲党管媒体不变；公民社会不要讲，要讲社会管理创新；公民权利不要讲，要讲和谐社会；党的历史错误不要讲，要高举毛邓旗帜；权贵资产阶级不要讲，要讲中国梦；司法独立不要讲，要讲政法委办案。

@songshinan: #Spell out the party's hidden agenda# Speak not about universal value, speak about Chinese Character; Speak not about press freedom, speak about never-changing party media; Speak not about civil society, speak about the innovation of social management; Speak not about citizen rights, speak about harmonious society; speak not about the historical mistakes of the communist party, uphold the ideology of Mao and Deng; Speak not about the privileged capitalist class, talk about the China Dream; Speak not about judicial independence, the party's legal committee will handle all the cases.

Some Chinese bloggers have moved to Google Plus to carry on the discussion. Below are some immediate comments from prominent blogger Wen YunChao's post about the policy.

@agan G: 笑话，现在的年轻人早已不属于那个年代，还TM想洗脑！

@agan: This is a joke. Young people nowadays do not belong to the old time, they can't be f**king brainwashed.

@Loby Liang: 唉！他们总结的比我们总结得还好呢！就应该讲这7件事。

@Loby Liang: Well… Their conclusion is much better than ours! These are the subjects we have to talk about.

@Star Dung: 要培养彻底的奴隶

@Star Dung: The want to cultivate obedient slaves.

@Jack ANNA: 我看到了中国共产党发自内心的恐惧。

@Jack ANNA: I see the fear deep down in the communist party's heart.

@沈宏星哈哈，习近平的尾巴露出来啦。和薄一个样

@Shen Hongxing: Haha, [President] Xi Jinping has revealed his true self. He and Bo Xilai are just the same [Bo is a former CCP leader who upholds Maoist ideology].

@李冠阳我们今天上历史课老师也说这个了,我们老师说教学内容要与国际接轨,价值观不能接轨

@Li Guanyang: Our history teacher talked about this today. Our teacher said the content of our course has to be in alignment with international society, but our values can't be.

“Fairy outside the wall” (@墙外仙）carefully reposted [zh] Zhang Xuezhong's opinion to get around censorship on a Sina microblog:

如果一个国家总是顽固地拒绝人类社会通行的普世价值,并且迟迟不肯建立以自由、民主和法治为基础的宪政制度,那绝不是因为这个国家有什么特殊的国情,而是因为这个国家有一个特殊的政府：这个政府本身极其败坏和不得人心，以至于根本无法通过公正的法律和诚实的手段，来维持自己的存续！

If a country keeps resisting the universal values that have been shared by the rest of the world and refuses to build a constitution based on freedom, democracy, and rule of law, then this is not due to the distinctive character of the country, but the distinctive character of the government: a corrupted government that can't win people's support and cannot sustain itself with a legal system that upholds justice and honesty.

Story URL:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/16/chinese-government-bans-seven-speak-not...

Yemen: Focus on Education!

feed — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:39:13 +0000

Yemen: Focus on Education!

Tue, 05/14/2013

In a country where the illiteracy rate of both sexes (15 years and above) is almost 40 per cent, education and the empowerment of the women and youth is an imperative necessity for any concrete development in Yemen.

Activist and researcher Atiaf Alwazir wrote a blog post entitled “Reading should be a right not a privilege” highlighting the importance of education for women.
She urged:

Let us all work together to demand concrete changes, and demand from the government to bring back the literacy program that it used to implement in the past. We also must make the rights to education and health care as top political priorities in the national dialogue conference (which began on March 2013 and is scheduled to end in August 2013).

Yemen's school aged boys and girls. Photo by Arwa Othman

Activist and chairperson of the Rights and Freedoms Working Group in the National Dialogue, Arwa Othman stressed the importance of education but also added in a post on her Facebook page [ar]:

ليس فقط الحق في التعليم كما تنص مواثيق حقوق الإنسان ، بل ويجب أن أن تتضمن المناهج المدرسية في الجمهورية اليمنية ( اليمن الجديد) هذه المواثيق .. وتدرسها كمادة أساسية ، لإشاعة ثقافة حقوق الإنسان التسامح ، التعايش ، السلام ، الحرية ، المواطنة ، المساواة ، عدم التمييز ، حرية الإختلاف ، حرية المعتقد ،…الخ) أي أحترام الإنسان بعيداً عن لونه ، وجنسه ، وديانته ، ولغته ، ورأيه السياسي ، ومبادئه ..الخ ..نتمنى أن نخرج من مؤتمر الحوار بهذا النص الدستوري احتراماً لحق الأجيال ..

Not only is the right to education as stated by human rights conventions, but we must also include in the school curriculum in the Republic of Yemen (The New Yemen) these charters .. and they must be taught as a core subject to promote a human rights culture, tolerance, coexistence, peace, freedom, citizenship, equality, non-discrimination, freedom of difference, freedom of religion, etc …) i.e respecting the human being regardless of his/her color, sex, religion, language, political opinion and principles ..etc. We hope to get out of this National Dialogue Conference a constitutional text which respects the right of future generations

Story URL:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/14/yemen-focus-on-education/

Dominican Catholic Church Sues NGO for Sexual Education Campaign

feed — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:10:49 +0000

Dominican Catholic Church Sues NGO for Sexual Education Campaign

Tue, 05/14/2013

The Catholic Church filed an appeal against the Dominican Association for Family Welfare (Profamilia) [es] to withdraw their advertising campaign, “Your sexual and reproductive rights are human rights,” which uses the slogan “Know, Act, Demand” and aims to raise awareness about sex education, condom use, abortion, incest, harassment, and high-risk pregnancies.

The pastoral vicars for Family & Life and Health of the Archdiocese of Santo argue that this campaign encourages abortion and early sexual relationships; violates the right to life, the right of parents to exercise authority over their children, and the right to non-interference in the home; and uses images of children, which is prohibited by the Constitution.

On Saturday, May 11, Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez accused Profamilia of promoting promiscuity in the country by encouraging underage sex. López Rodríguez said that the campaign promotes promiscuity, lawlessness, and vagrancy [es]:

A medida que usted reparte preservativos fomenta el derecho al sexo; es un invento de los individuos de hoy día que no tienen ninguna vergüenza, ningún principio; yo no creo en ONG’s, creo en los principios morales.

Handing out condoms promotes a right to sex; this is an invention of contemporary individuals who don't have any shame or principles; I don't believe in NGOs, I believe in moral principles.

As usual, social networks were the site of a lively debate on the subject. Tweeters quickly coalesced under the hashtag #SometemeAMi in solidarity with the NGO Profamilia. Among the most notable tweets:

Mariana Barrenese, a public policy specialist:

@MaruBarrenese: #SometemeAMi por apoyar abierta y públicamente a @profamiliaRD y su campaña

@MaruBarrenese: #SometemeAMi by openly and publicly supporting @profamiliaRD and their campaign

Jenny Torres, a poverty expert:

@JennyTorres67: Esta visión tan adultocéntrica no nos deja vivir #SometemeAMi que #YoApoyoaProfamilia

@JennyTorres67: This adult-centric vision won't leave us alone #SometemeAMi because #YoApoyoaProfamilia [I support NGO Profamilia]

Gloria Amézquita, a journalist and social activist:

@GloriaAmézquita: #SometemeAMi por luchar por el derecho a decidir. Porque en el cuerpo manda la persona, no la Iglesia.

@GloriaAmézquita: #SometemeAMi for fighting for the right to choose. Because people are in charge of their bodies, not the Church.

Even the prosecutor for the National District, Yeni Berenice, voiced her support for Profamilia's work:

@YeniBerenice: La campaña de @profamiliaRD educativa, oportuna, necesaria!

@YeniBerenice: @profamiliaRD‘s campaign is educational, timely, necessary!

In her masterful article The Case of Profamilia: A Sign of Weakness in the Catholic Church [es], Denisse Paiewonsky, a representative from the Mujer y Salud [es] (Woman and Health) collective, said:

La Iglesia no acaba de entender que las actitudes de la sociedad dominicana hacia el aborto terapeutico, el acoso sexual, la educación sexual científica en las escuelas, la anticoncepción, el embarazo adolescente, etc. se alejan cada vez más de la ortodoxia eclesial.

The Church does not understand that attitudes in Dominican society toward therapeutic abortion, sexual harassment, scientific sex education in schools, contraception, teen pregnancy, etc. are moving farther and farther away from Church orthodoxy.

Profamilia's official statement [es] on the Church's suit makes it clear that they will not retreat in their campaign and reaffirms their commitment to scientific, evidence-based, comprehensive sex education and the defense of sexual and reproductive rights as part of human rights.

Both parties were due in court on Monday, May 13, in the Fifth Chamber of the Civil and Commercial Court of First Instance in the National District. However, the hearing was postponed to next Monday, May 20, because the Church and its lawyers have not submitted their evidence to the court.

Story URL:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/14/dominican-catholic-church-sues-ngo-for-...