Stories about Portuguese from March, 2013
Angola: Arrested and Disappeared for “Thinking Differently”
Yet another protest in Luanda ended up with 18 detained. The protest action called for "dignity and the right to life for those who think differently", remembering silenced journalists and activists in Angola, among them Alves Cassule and Isaías Kamulingue disappeared since May 2012.
Brazilian LGBT Advocates Beaten, One Arrested
On March 27, a protest against the recent election of congressman and controversial evangelical preacher Marco Feliciano as chairman of the Committee for Human Rights and Minorities in the Brazilian Deputy Chamber ended with repression against LGBT rights advocates. On Youtube, Rodrigo Grassi shared the moment when one of the protestors...
Will Brazil Stem New Tide of Immigration?
The global financial crisis, wars and natural disasters have inspired a new wave of immigration to Brazil. The development of successful immigration policies may contribute to Brazil’s reputation as an emerging global power.
Interview: Brazil's Indigenous Before Eviction
Brazilian activist Nayana Fernandez interviewed some of the former dwellers of the indigenous settlement known as Maracanã Village, in Rio de Janeiro, days before they were violently evicted by the state government.
Brazilian Military Enters Indigenous Lands
On March 22, the Brazilian Government deployed [pt] 60 forces of the police and army to the lands of the Munduruku indigenous people, at the Tapajós river basin. Activists and bloggers believe that the mission is to ensure the realization of studies of impact of the construction of yet another...
Global Dialogues Seeks Stories for Short Films
Global Dialogues is promoting an international contest that challenges all young people worldwide (under 25 by April 10, 2013) to pitch an idea for a short film about HIV/AIDS and sexuality or about violence. Besides the prizes listed in the rules of the contest, Global Dialogues promises that “the best...
Brazil Violently Ousts Indigenous Village Ahead of World Cup
Brazilian police violently evicted a group of indigenous people from a building they had occupied in Rio de Janeiro to make way for a sports museum, the latest in a series of evictions that have drawn criticism from human rights defenders as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup.
Cries of Censorship as Brazilian Satire Blog Ordered Shut Down
A Brazilian court has ruled that satirical blog Falha São Paulo must remain shut down because its name is too similar to the newspaper it mocks, a move that critics decry as a dangerous legal precedent for freedom of expression.
VIDEO: Tokyo Gives Harlem Shake a Whirl
Popular Internet video meme the Harlem Shake [en] has hit Tokyo. A verison organized by a Latino under the pseudonym Saw was filmed on March 17, 2013 in Shibuya, the heart of Japan's youth culture, and the video was uploaded on YouTube a few days later. Portal Mie [pt], an online portal that serves Portuguese-speaking foreigners in Japan, has...
Guinea-Bissau is Second Worst Democracy
The Democracy Index 2012 from The Economist Intelligence Unit, published on March 19, 2013, places Guinea-Bissau second to last in the ranking, just before North Korea. The same day a coalition of civil society organizations released a roadmap with concrete proposals for the restoration of constitutional order following the military...
As Brazil's Media Struggles, Magazine Axes Striking Staff
Eleven journalists were sacked from alternative Brazilian magazine Caros Amigos in March 2013 after going on strike against poor working conditions, becoming the latest casualties of Brazil's struggling media industry.
Science and Homosexuality Through the Lens of a Brazilian Pastor
Silas Malafaia, a conservative pastor and bachelor in psychology, is the head of Brazil's Victory in Christ Assembly of God Church and enemy #1 of those who fight for homosexual rights in the country. And despite heavy opposition to the ideas he espouses, Malafaia has a very large following throughout the country.
Tales of Love and Sex from Angola
Rosie Alves is a 21-year-old blogger in Luanda who writes short tales often about love and intimate encounters in her blog "Sweet Cliché". She shares with Global Voices her motivations and aspirations, telling us more about her generation and the growing Angolan blogosphere.
Anti-Gay Preacher Elected Brazil's Human Rights Committee Head
The election of controversial evangelical preacher Marco Feliciano, known for his vocal hardline views on homosexuality, as the chairman of the Brazilian legislature's human rights committee has earned the condemnation of religious groups and sparked protests around the country.
Unstable State of Justice in São Tomé and Príncipe
The judicial system of Sao Tome and Principe has been in tumultuous tides. Elsa Pinto's appointment to Attorney General's Office raised objections about her judicial past and lasted no more than fifteen days [pt]. Humbah Aguiar analyzed the situation in a video [pt], Danilo Salvaterra shared on Facebook a reflection...
Banned Music and Missing Voices in Angola
The Angolan National Police have confiscated, amongst other works, DVDs by rapper Brigadeiro 10 Pacotes in an act of censorship against voices that are unsettling the Angolan authorities. A protest was called for in response which ended in police violence and at least one arrest. On the web, citizens remember the activists that disappeared after demonstrations in 2012.
Grievance of a Young Indignant Santomean
Danilo Salvaterra published [pt] a video on Facebook that shows a young boy from São Tomé and Príncipe complaining about the general lack of basic infrastructures not only in Diogo Vaz (where the teenager lives and the video was recorded), but also in the rest of the country. He mentions...
São Tomé and Príncipe's Youth Skeptical of Government Promises
On March 6, 2013, the Minister of Youth and Sports of Sao Tome and Principe, Albertino Fernandes, presented the government's intention to train three thousand athletes, to create one thousand jobs and to build four hundred houses for young people until 2014. People present at the press conference, such as...
FIFA Beware! Journalist Teams Up with Brazil's World Cup Victims
British journalist Andrew Jennings joined a group of Brazil's popular movements to discuss the country's preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
Former Brazilian Minister's New Party Mixes Sustainability, Social Media
Former Brazilian presidential candidate and famous environmentalist Marina Silva is pushing for the creation of a new political party in the country, one that seeks to use the Internet as a tool for action on sustainability issues.
Activists Worldwide Mourn French Author Stéphane Hessel
Writer, human rights advocate, and French resistance fighter Stéphane Hessel, whose bestselling manifesto on peaceful uprising inspired the disenchanted of Europe and the United States to organize into protest, died on the night of February 26, 2013. He was 95. A peaceful march is planned on March 7, 2013, the day of his funeral.