Stories about Politics from October, 2023
Human rights organizations call for an immediate physical and digital ceasefire in Gaza
Global Voices aligns with human rights organizations in urging an immediate ceasefire, stressing the urgent necessity to stop the loss of innocent lives in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and beyond.
Undertones: Portugal and the myth of the good colonizer
In the 1950s, Portugal's dictatorship overhauled the country's national identity and embraced the theory of the good colonizer. What traces are left of that narrative today?
Why are Taiwanese politics and society still male dominated? Interview with scholar Jhang JhuCin
As Taiwan is gearing for major elections in January 2024, Global Voices talked to scholar Jhang JhuCin about gender relations in Taiwan in politics and society at large.
Brazil's Congress inquiry names Bolsonaro accountable for attacks to three powers headquarters
The 1.333 page-long report is a product of almost five months of hearings in a mixed investigation commission composed by members of the federal Senate and the Lower Chamber. It was approved with 20 votes in favor and 11 against.
Jamaicans express disappointment over their country’s ‘no-show’ UN Gaza vote
Jamaica was the only Caribbean nation to not vote on the UN resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza.
In Russia, a Tajik citizen is detained on charges of spying for Ukraine
If the allegations are true, this represents a new phase in the participation of Tajik nationals in the war in Ukraine.
What is the Jamaican government's position on Haitian refugees?
Some social media users and human rights organisations are accusing the Jamaican government of being "insincere" and "nonchalant" in its treatment of Haitian refugees.
‘Historic day for Fiji’ as it revives its media council
"It acts as a platform where people in the media world can talk, work together, and resolve any issues that come up."
In Azerbaijan, public transportation does not welcome trans passengers
Public transportation become a place where transphobic stares, harassment and threats of violence are rampant.
In Taiwan, Asia's largest Gay Pride event celebrates gender and sexual diversity
Here is a photo-essay showcasing Taiwan's 21st Gay Pride event in Taipei, also known as Asia's largest visibility event for the LGBTQ+ community, with about 170,000 participants this year.
Deconstructing the ‘beheaded babies’ misinformation in Israel’s war on Gaza
"We have seen journalists, in particular, spread unverified information that is being used to justify Israeli and even American calls and actions to annihilate an entire population.”
Without official data about trans population in Brazil, civil initiatives try to translate reality
Non-governmental organizations and entities have been the source of data that help visualize what the population of trans people and travestis experience in Brazil, amid the absence of official surveys.
The UK and Sri Lanka: A comparison of two online safety bills
Human rights defender Sajini Wickramasinghe analyses the UK online safety bill to explain how certain serious concerns in the impending Sri Lankan bill can be addressed and tackled.
Interview with Israeli-American journalist Joel Schalit: ‘Israel's government wants to put a formal end to democracy’
Global Voices interviewed Joël Schalit, co-founder of The Battleground, about Israel's war on Gaza. Schalit is an Israeli–American journalist who covers European and Middle Eastern politics, including for Israeli media.
Google denies Hong Kong police request to remove ‘seditious’ film about media tycoon Jimmy Lai from YouTube
This is the second time Google denied taking down political content. Its earlier refusal to alter protest song, 'Glory to Hong Kong,' has ended up in an injunction trial.
The president of Georgia beats impeachment proceedings
In her address to parliament during the impeachment session, Zurabishvili denied violating the constitution, and stated that the vote would harm Georgia’s "European future."
‘Am I dead?': A witness's testimony from Gaza
'I returned home with the weight of the painful images etched into my mind, a haunting memory that will remain with me for a lifetime.'
New policy requires Chinese influencers to display their personal information on Weibo
Popular mainland Chinese Weibo users must display their real identities, including names, gender, IP locations, and professional and educational background, on their account page starting at the end of October.
Civil society organizations call on tech companies to respect Palestinian digital rights in times of crisis
Tech companies must acknowledge their vital role and responsibility and adhere to business and human rights principles, along with international human rights laws, in upholding and protecting freedom of expression
Malaysian editor of banned book faces police probe for sedition
"Kean Wong’s arrest demonstrates the State’s concerted effort to suppress the public’s ability to both inform and to speak out without fear of censorship."
Malaysia’s Orang Asli women gain acceptance through filmmaking and grassroots activism
Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli is a young feminist-activist collective using film to document the lived realities of the First Peoples (Orang Asli) of Malaysia.
