Category Archives: media
a racist, classist “pro-education” campaign
“Minister Kocáb disgusted with Slovak Roma advertising” (via h.)
Prague, Oct 8 (CTK) – Czech Human Rights and Ethnic Minorities Minister Michael Kocab considers the method of advertising education used by Romany workers from Slovakia cynical and calculating, his spokeswoman Lejla Abbasova told CTK Thursday.
Workers from Slovakia, mainly Romanies, who repaired communications in Prague centre on Wednesday wore yellow T-shirts with the inscription “I should have studied harder!, thus becoming walking advertisements for education.
The inscription also mentioned the web address www.skoly.cz that participates in the event with the Underline communication agency.
[…] Kocab said such advertising was deepening a degrading stereotype of an uneducated Romany.
According to Pravo, the workers allegedly got cigarettes, beer and sausages as a reward for the participation in the advertising campaign.
They allegedly agreed to wear the advertising T-shirts voluntarily, Pravo writes.
However, the www.romea.cz server, which also informed about the event, said that the workers refused to put on the T-shirts Thursday. The server described the event as offending.
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Belgrade Pride cancelled – call for action and aftermath
“Serbia seeks far-right bans after gay pride threat”
BELGRADE, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Serbia’s public prosecutor has asked for two far-right groups to be banned after their threats led to the cancellation of a gay pride parade in Belgrade last weekend, an official said on Friday.
Serbian authorities withdrew approval for gay activists to hold a rally in central Belgrade on Saturday after soccer hooligans and the extremist groups Obraz (Face) and Association 1398 threatened to attack the parade.
“The two groups were identified as those which must be outlawed immediately,” prosecutor Slobodan Radovanovic told B92 television.
Serbia’s Ministry of Human and Minority Rights asked prosecutors to seek the ban from the constitutional court after five foreigners were beaten, one critically, in central Belgrade last week. …
For more info and background on the situation: eng.belgradepride.rs
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CALL sent out September 19, 2009 by Belgrade Pride organizers:
Serbian police have cancelled permission for the pride to be held in its planned location in the centre of the city.
This morning organisers Beograd Pride held their final press conference before tomorrows pride parade. Except pride will not be held, due to high security risks and a lack of cooperation on the part of state and police to secure the event. Serbian police have cancelled permission for the pride to be held in its planned location in the centre of the city.
This is after months of planning by the organising team, and repeated assurances from government at all levels, the minister for minorities, and the Serbian premier and president, that the pride will be secured and protected.
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nu vad, nu aud, nu vorbesc…
chiar n-am vrut sa zic nimic de asta pentru ca nu cred ca showbiz-ul (si tot ce tine de el) e mult mai mult decit un… show (si pentru ca in showbiz oricum se aplica alte reguli decit in societatea mai larga). dar din moment ce 100% din comentariile romanesti – de la editoriale la aflari in treburi pe bloguri la discutii aprinse intre tineri si batrini pe strada – par sa fie pro-huiduiala si anti-toleranta (si pentru ca pina si anosta revista felicia – “pentru sufletul tau” – ma informeaza intr-un numar cu madonna pe coperta ca “indiferent cat de tare ar canta Europa ‘aria tolerantei'” nu poti sa fii prea tolerant – si, deh, iti vine sa actionezi “instinctiv” – cu… lenesii si libertinii; unde bineinteles limbajul “codat” indica exact la cine se refera, echivalind nonsalant niste cusururi cu o etnie, asa cum fac si celelalte discursuri larg-apreciate de acest tip – caci evident problema cu care ne streseaza unii si altii este intoleranta ridicata la… lene si nesimtire si alte cusururi care in niciun caz nu se regasesc la populatia majoritara in romania!), simt ca e datoria mea macar sa mentionez incidentul.
intr-o tara in care presedintele foloseste apelative ca “tiganca imputita” si nu scandalizeaza mai pe niciun roman, in care opinia despre romi e asa cum o stim, in care toata lumea pretinde ca realitatea e alta si tine foarte mult la a nu sesiza si problematiza aceasta amagire, nu cred ca surprinde pe nimeni reactia publicului roman la mesajul pro-toleranta lansat de madonna la concert. poate singura surprinsa de-acolo a fost madonna (oricum, se pare ca nu are de gind sa mai faca alte declaratii). ce-i interesant e ce “acoperiri” inedite reuseste sa gaseasca lumea pentru a nu-si problematiza propria ura (de ex., “madonna are o voce slaba, aia din ultimele rinduri nici nu auzeau, si in plus cum sa vorbesti de lucruri pe care nu le stii la primul tau concert intr-o tara, a vazut ea vreun tigan?!” – pe-asta am auzit-o de la un liceean plin de importanta care striga sa auda tot metroul).
sau, la fel de interesant, prin editoriale mai gasesti justificari gen “multi cred ca madonna n-ar avea calitatea morala sa dea astfel de lectii” (aka “nu trebuie sa ascultam vreun mesaj de-al ei pentru ca e numai o tirfa”): am folosi orice “argument” de-o intoleranta pe cit de ironica pe atit de neconstientizata, numai sa putem ramine inca putin cu capul in nisip! pe scurt, “Ce treaba are ea sa ne spuna noua asa ceva?” – intr-adevar: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil… cea mai buna abordare, cu care sintem atit de obisnuiti!
apoi, sa nu uitam ca madonna a spus “… because we don’t believe in discrimination against anyone. We believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone. Gypsies, homosexuals, people who are different…” – iarasi, nesurprinzator ca a fost huiduita pentru asta in romania, desi se presupune ca macar parte din fanii care au platit atitia bani sa fie la concertul ei mai auzisera de ea si istoria ei artistica (ce poate fi mai ironic?! dar din nou ne lovim de ideea ca daca tu ignori ceva, inseamna ca nici nu exista si poti trai “in pace” atita timp cit nimeni nu te forteaza sa nu ignori).
nu dau link-uri la reactii specifice, pentru ca sint prea multe si toate sint la fel, dar am vazut si altceva… pe un blog misto din Grecia (This is Not My Country): “Roma and Madonna”.
Petitie
“LUARE DE POZIȚIE cu privire la evenimentele anti-rome din județul Harghita/ ÁLLÁSFOGLALÁS. A Hargita megyei roma-ellenes események kapcsán”
19/07/2009
destinatar: Prefectura și primării ale județului Harghita, UDMR și alte partide politice, Guvernul RomânieiFiind martorii evenimentelor anti-rome din județul Harghita din ultimele luni, indiferent de apartenența noastră etnică, luăm atitudine împotriva violenței hrănite din incitarea la ura etnică, precum și împotriva transformării problemelor economice în tensiuni interetnice.
Ne exprimăm dezacordul față de practica care îi pedepsește pe semenii noștri (dorind să-i alunge din sate și orașe) din cauză că ei nu sunt în stare să schimbe condiția lor materială. Și față de etichetarea negativă a identității lor etnice pe această bază. Precum și față de starea în care indivizi și colectivități percepuți prin identitatea lor etnică devin nu doar victime ale oprimării economice, umilirii culturale și manipulării politice, ci și ale violenței fizice.
[…]
frumos
Why Can’t There Be More Ads Like This Today?
“This vintage Lego ad features a young girl wearing
plain play clothes and smiling proudly at her Lego creation. No
princesses, no pink Legos, no glittery sparkles, just a girl and her
toys, having a blast. Beautiful, indeed.”
basically
women in tech: RailsConf 09 panel
RailsConf 09: “Women in Rails”
Desi McAdam (Hashrocket, Inc. and DevChix, Inc.) Sarah Mei (LookSmart) Lori Olson (Dragon Sharp Consulting)
A general question like “How do we get more women into technology?” isn’t actually useful for our community. Discussion usually devolves into nature vs. nurture, then affirmative action, and it all goes south from there. So in this session we get down to brass tacks: How specifically can we bring more female programmers into the Rails community? How can we get them to come to RailsConf? Why aren’t they here already? You’ll hear from the folks whose voices are often not heard when this question is asked: the women themselves who are already here.
via anna, imc-women list
[DevChix]
Avortul, din nou o problema pentru femeile din Romania?
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Comunicat de presa
5 mai 2009 – Romania este tara membra a Uniunii Europene cu un trecut dramatic in ceea ce priveste politica avortului. Astazi, din nou, drepturile femeilor, sanatatea sau chiar viata acestora risca sa fie puse in pericol prin adoptarea de catre Parlamentul Romaniei a unor modificari in Codul Penal, respectiv interzicerea avortului terapeutic efectuat dupa varsta de 24 de saptamani de la conceptie şi propunerea de recunoastere a fatului dupa 24 de saptamani ca persoana bucurandu-se de drepturi. Ca efect imediat al acestei initiative, Romania va deveni singurul stat membru al Uniunii Europene care interzice avortul în situatii in care viata femeii insarcinate este pusa in pericol.
Avortul terapeutic se efectueaza in situatii exceptionale, atunci cand viata sau sanatatea fizica sau mintala a femeii insarcinate este pusa in pericol de continuarea sarcinii. Necesitatea efectuarii unui avort terapeutic se stabileste de la caz la caz, in functie de gravitatea situatiei, exclusiv in relatia medic-pacient. Masurile legislative propuse de Parlament vor afecta actul medical bazat pe aceasta relatie cu pacientul, medicul putand fi pus in situatia de a refuza o intrerupere necesara de sarcina. Se incalca astfel etica actului medical prin care personalul medical trebuie sa acorde prioritate sanatatii si vietii femeii insarcinate. Femeia insarcinata este pacientul si prin urmare medicul are obligatia fata de pacienta de a face tot ce ii sta in putere pentru a-i salva viata sau sanatatea.
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Disney, Casino Capitalism and the Exploitation of Young Boys: Beyond the Politics of Innocence
“Disney, Casino Capitalism and the Exploitation of Young Boys: Beyond the Politics of Innocence”
by Henry A. Giroux, t r u t h o u t | Perspective
[…] As a group, young people are vulnerable to corporate giants such as Disney, who make every effort “to expand inwardly into the psyche and emotional life of the individual in order to utilize human potential” in the service of a market society.[4] Since children’s identities have to be actively directed toward the role of consumers, knowledge, information, entertainment and cultural pedagogy become central in shaping and influencing every waking moment of children’s daily lives. In this instance, Disney, with its legion of media holdings, armies of marketers and omnipresent advertisers, set out not to just exploit young boys and other youth for profit; they are actually constructing them as commodities and promoting the concept of childhood as a saleable commodity.
[…] Children are increasingly exposed to a marketing and advertising pedagogical machinery eager and ready to transform them into full-fledged members of the consumer society. And the amount of time they spend in this commercial world defined by Disney and a few other corporations is as breathtaking as it is disturbing. […]
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