Activism as cure to information disorder
Activism is our fact-checking initiative against so-called "fake news." We cannot engage in politics without a proper social investigation. Mao Zedong has a succinct quote for it: “No investigation, no right to speak”. Our statements must be grounded on the reality that affects the masses. We articulate the social condition based on verifiable facts. The post Activism as cure to information disorder appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Security Council warns of foreign interference in 2025 polls
There may be foreign interference in next year’s midterm elections and the Department of Information and Communications Technology should prepare to counter cyberattacks, the National Security Councilwarned yesterday......»»
New Zealand accuses China of hacking parliament, condemns activity
The revelations that information was accessed through malicious cyber activity targeting New Zealand’s parliamentarian entities comes as Britain and the US accuse China of a wide-sweeping cyber espionage campaign.....»»
ICT spending in AsPac reaches $1.3 trillion in 2023
Information and communications technology spending in Asia and the Pacific reached the $1.3 trillion mark in 2023, as companies increased their investments on automation and cloud to survive and thrive in the digital era......»»
Addressing the Philippines’ 2024 Threat Landscape: Kaspersky Launches KUMA Platform
To help Filipino businesses and organizations stay safe in cyberspace while embracing digitalization, Kaspersky announces today the launch of Kaspersky Unified Monitoring and Analysis Platform (KUMA), its integrated software solution that includes a set of functions for security information and event monitoring and management. The Philippines is expected to continue its double-digit growth towards $35B […].....»»
Reflections after a prison visit
Given the constraints they face, political prisoners deserve our utmost respect for choosing defiance instead of compromise and collaboration with the class enemy. They provide a dignified example of how to live a life devoted to the cause of fighting with the oppressed. Their activism is demonized and criminalized by those who see no evil in the obscene hoarding of the nation’s wealth by the elite and the exploitation of the poor and powerless by those in power. The post Reflections after a prison visit appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Group wants schools installed with solar panels
The Philippine government should “take drastic measures” to address difficulties faced by students and teachers during the dry and hot season instead of shifting to the old academic calendar, according to a youth climate activism group......»»
Unpacking sex addiction: Director Alexandra Qin talks about her deeply personal Sundance short film
French-Filipino-Chinese director Alexandra Qin talks about getting into Sundance with her debut film ‘Thirstygirl' and the importance of addressing themes like addiction and advocating activism in film......»»
Honoring Rizal’s literature and social activism through movies, plays and TV series
Remembering the works on social activism of our heroes like Jose Rizal is made easy through the use of different platforms like movies, plays and TV series. Music, literature and social activism are intimately linked with each other due to their complementary nature. People write, raise their voices to highlight injustice, and sing songs to.....»»
In photos: Artistry, activism in full display at UP Lantern Parade 2023
The vibrant creations by students, faculty, and staff from various colleges delighted an enthusiastic crowd, with each showcasing unique interpretations of the parade's theme, "Panibagong Lakas" (Renewed Strength), symbolizing the university's resilience and commitment to finding solutions amidst challenges and societal issues......»»
CONTINUING HIS LEGACY
The youth group Anakbayan commemorates its 25th anniversary on November 30, which is also the birth anniversary of Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio. The group stages a rally affirming to uphold the revolutionary spirit of Bonifacio through activism and fighting for people's rights and demands. (Kath Cortez/davaotoday.com).....»»
Russia: Supreme Court Bans 'LGBT Movement' as 'Extremist'
(Berlin) - Russia's Supreme Court ruled today that the "international LGBT movement" is an "extremist organization," jeopardizing all forms of LGBT rights activism in the country, Human Rights Watch said today. In a closed hearing, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Justice Ministry's lawsuit accusing the "LGBT movement" of inciting social and religious discord. Russian authorities should immediately e.....»»
16 Days of Activism: how the 'Woman King' of Thaba Nchu, South Africa fights back against gender-based violence
As part of the UN Secretary-General's campaign for 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2023, entitled "UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls", UNODC is showcasing its activities around the world that help to accelerate efforts to end violence against women and girls. .....»»
16 Days of Activism: Trans women raise their voices in Colombian rural communities affected by illicit drugs
As part of the UN Secretary-General's campaign for 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2023, entitled "UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls", UNODC is showcasing its activities around the world that help to accelerate efforts to end violence against women and girls.Today, we.....»»
Using 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence at Work
Thanks to the efforts of feminists, trade unionists, and human rights activists, violence against women, once a normalized practice, is now widely acknowledged as a human rights violation - including in the world of work.From the struggle of domestic workers campaigning for legal protections in Indonesia to women athletes fighting against sexual abuse in sports, activists and trade unionists have pushed their go.....»»
European companies sold spyware to despots: media
European companies sold powerful spyware to authoritarian regimes which have used it against dissenters, a group of investigative media said Thursday. According to the probe -- by European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) and spearheaded by the French site Mediapart and Germany's Der Spiegel weekly -- European companies "supplied dictators cyber-surveillance tools for more than a decade", EIC said in a statement. "During the last decade the Western world has encouraged and applauded the digital tools that empower democracy activism in countries under authoritarian regimes," it said. "But at the same time European companies have supplied such authoritarian regimes the digital back doors to turn any digital device into powerful spying tools against dissenters," it said. The Predator Files investigation, named after the software, said the sellers benefited from "the passive complicity of many European governments". The investigation focused on the Intellexa Alliance, a group of companies through which EIC said Predator software had been supplied to authoritarian states. Intellaxa is run by former Israeli intelligence officials mostly based in Europe, and was targeted by US sanctions in July. "Activists, journalists and academics have been targeted, as have European and US officials," it said. The findings of the investigation run by 15 media are based on hundreds of confidential documents obtained by Mediapart and Der Spiegel and analyzed with the help of the Security Lab of Amnesty International, a human rights organization. Amnesty called Intellexa "a complex, morphing group of interconnected companies" and Predator "its highly invasive spyware". "Intellexa alliance's products have been found in at least 25 countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa and have been used to undermine human rights, press freedom, and social movements across the globe," Amnesty said. "Highly invasive surveillance products are being traded on a near industrial scale and are free to operate in the shadows without oversight or any genuine accountability," it added. Mediapart said that a French company, Nexa, had sold Predator to "at least three autocracies: Egypt, Vietnam and Madagascar". Mediapart said the spyware had also been sold to Qatar, Congo Brazzaville, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan "under the complacent eyes of the French secret services". Criminal charges against Nexa and four of its managers, brought in 2021 over spyware sales, were downgraded a year later, making their trial unlikely, legal sources told AFP. EIC said its members would publish further details over the coming days. The recent revelations follow a 2021 scandal around Pegasus, a spyware sold by Israeli company NSO Group, with several media reporting that it had been used to illegally spy on more than 50,000 individuals. The post European companies sold spyware to despots: media appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bill Richardson, globe-trotting US diplomat, dead at 75
Bill Richardson, a veteran Democratic politician and former US ambassador to the United Nations who later spent decades negotiating the release of Americans detained around the world, has died at age 75, his associates said Saturday. Richardson, who also served as governor of New Mexico and the US energy secretary, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday night, the Richardson Center for Global Engagement said in a statement. Richardson was one of the highest-profile Latinos in the US political world. He made his name as the "Indiana Jones" of US diplomacy and was famed for daring head-to-head encounters with strongmen leaders on the US pariah list, including Iraq's late president Saddam Hussein, Cuba's late leader Fidel Castro, and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro. More recently he was involved in efforts that led to the release of US basketball star Brittney Griner in December from a Russian prison after she was convicted of a drug offense. The statement from the Richardson Center said, "He lived his entire life in the service of others -– including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad." 'A titan' Gabe Vasquez, a Democratic member of Congress from New Mexico, was among those paying tribute to their late colleague and mentor. "Governor Bill Richardson was a titan in New Mexico and abroad... one of the most powerful Hispanics in politics that this nation has seen," Vasquez said on the platform now called X. In private, US officials more than once suggested they were frustrated by Richardson's freelance activism, and expressed concern that it could undermine official efforts. But as the Richardson Center said in its statement: "There was no person that Governor Richardson would not speak with if it held the promise of returning a person to freedom." Diplomatic gunslinger Born on November 15, 1947, Richardson -- son of a Mexican mother and American father -- showed an early flair for baseball, and was drafted as a pitcher by the Kansas City Royals. When a professional career in sports did not pan out, Richardson earned a Master's degree at Tufts University's prestigious Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Richardson was the first Latino to run for the US presidency, with a fleeting bid in the Democratic primaries in 2007 -- a process that eventually yielded Barack Obama as the party's candidate. Richardson backed Obama, but ended up withdrawing his name from consideration to be his commerce secretary when a federal investigation over campaign finance derailed his nomination in 2009. Over the years, Richardson developed a reputation as a diplomatic gunslinger. He had several notable successes in freeing hostages or prisoners held abroad, but also a few setbacks. His work with authoritarian figures sometimes elicited criticism from rights activists who accused him of offering legitimacy to unsavory regimes. "I don't legitimize governments," Richardson once told AFP. "I'm just one person that is trying to make a difference." The post Bill Richardson, globe-trotting US diplomat, dead at 75 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Artists, advocates reiterate call to free Amanda Echanis
“Amanda’s case is emblematic of a broader struggle against persecution. Her family, both on the Lacaba and Echanis sides, has a long history of activism and has faced harassment and detention. She was once the country’s youngest political prisoner with her parents in the 1990s." The post Artists, advocates reiterate call to free Amanda Echanis appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Actor Aljon Mendoza is chest-deep in a documentary about his Macabebe hometown
PBB Alum and Star Magic actor Aljon Mendoza tried his hand at documentary filmmaking, and it’s a personal journey he imbues with empathy and activism. He stands chest-deep in floodwaters and informs the audience that if they remembered his house tour of the previous years—a house he contributed to building with money from his showbiz earnings— it’s exactly the house behind his. You would think his home network had a hand in producing the documentary along with him, but upon reading his Instagram post, it turns out it’s self-made. “I always wanted to produce my own documentary, pero alam kong matrabaho,” wrote Aljon. “I'm proud to say na nagawa ko siya kasama ang kuya ko gamit ang dalawang camera at isang bangka.” He gives tremendous dignity to his subjects, and perhaps because it is his hometown and feels deep kinship with the people there, the tone of his documentary doesn’t condescend and there are even instances of levity. Maybe this isn’t going to be the last we’ll see of Mendoza’s filmmaking side. His closing spiel: Malupit ang kalikasan… Maraming dahilan kung bakit bumabaha sa Pilipinas, pero madalas dahil ito sa kapabayaan natin sa pag alaga sa kalikasan. Oo dapat tayo maghanda sa pag dating ng kalamidad, pero ang malungkot na realidad kapag mahirap ka, wala ka masyadong choice o option di tulad sa mga privileged o may kaya. Sa ganitong kaso wala silang magawa kundi manatili sa kanilang tinitirahan at mag dasal na sana walang mangyaring masama sa kanila. Ako umaasa ako, ginagamit ko kung ano boses meron ako para udyukin ang pamahalaan nating sa Pampanga na gumawa ng konkreto at mas permanenteng solusyon bago ma mahuli ang lahat, bago pa mabura ang bayan na kinalakihan ko at minahal ko. Ako si Aljon Mendoza… The post Actor Aljon Mendoza is chest-deep in a documentary about his Macabebe hometown appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
United States women’s star Rapinoe to retire at end of season
United States women's team star Megan Rapinoe announced on social media on Saturday that she would be retiring from football at the end of this season. "It is with a deep sense of peace & gratitude that I have decided this will be my final season playing this beautiful game," the 38-year-old posted. "I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape and change my life forever," she added. The two-time World Cup winner, well known for her activism, is part of the USA squad for the upcoming women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Rapinoe plays in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) for Seattle based OL Reign -- their season concludes in November. The winger currently has 199 caps over a span of 17 years playing for her country and also won an Olympic gold medal in London in 2012. She was awarded the Best FIFA Women's Player in 2019 but her fame came as much for her espousal of causes and her campaigning as for her skills on the field. Rapinoe publicly came out as gay in July 2012 and has been a high-profile campaigner on social issues including LGBTQ+ rights, racial inequality and gender and pay equality. She was a leading voice in the US women's team's successful fight for equal pay and conditions which resulted in a law suit and eventual new collective agreement being struck in 2021. Rapinoe made headlines in 2016 when she took a knee during the national anthem in solidarity with NFL player Colin Kaepernick. "I've been able to have such an incredible career, and this game has brought me all over the world and allowed me to meet so many amazing people," said Rapinoe. "I feel incredibly grateful to have played as long as I have, to be as successful as we've been, and to have been a part of a generation of players who undoubtedly left the game better than they found it." "To be able to play one last World Cup and one last NWSL season and go out on my own terms is incredibly special," she added. Last July she received the highest civilian honour in the United States when President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rapinoe was the first footballer to receive the award and one of just six female athletes or coaches. "Beyond the World Cup title to Olympic medals, Megan is a champion for essential American truth that everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect," Biden said at the award ceremony. "She helped lead the change for perhaps the most important victory for anyone on our soccer team or any soccer team: equal pay for women." US women's team coach Vlatko Andonovski said Rapinoe remained an important part of the team for the World Cup which starts on July 20. "Megan Rapinoe is one of the most important players in women's soccer history and a personality like no other," he said. "She has produced so many memorable moments for her team and the fans on the field that will be remembered for a very long time, but her impact on people as a human being may be even more important. "It's been a wonderful experience to coach her in the NWSL and for the national team and I'm looking forward to her being an important part of our team at the World Cup." The Californian has spent most of her career playing in domestic leagues but had a brief spell in Australia with W-League team Sydney FC in 2011 and two years later played for French club Lyon, reaching the final of the Champions League. At the 2019 World Cup in France, she scored in the 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final and was named Player of the Match. She won the Golden Boot as top scorer and Golden Ball for best player in the tournament. sev/jc © Agence France-Presse The post United States women’s star Rapinoe to retire at end of season appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Culture wars put American companies on the defensive
Boycotting a beer, attacking products celebrating the LGBTQ community, and criticizing shareholders for promoting diversity: In the face of growing criticism from conservatives, American companies are backtracking on progressive corporate initiatives. For Bud Light beer, it was a partnership with a transgender influencer that triggered the ire of right-wing consumers, and calls for a boycott. Typically, such a protest has little impact, but this time in-store sales have seen a slump, with Bud Light even losing its position as the best-selling beer in the United States to Modelo Especial in recent weeks, according to Bump Williams Consulting. Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bud Light's parent company, quickly launched a marketing counteroffensive with a more typically patriotic ad featuring American landscapes, followed on Wednesday by a campaign highlighting its employees. The Target discount retailer, for its part, chose to withdraw certain items marketed for Pride Month due to threats against employees. And at annual shareholder meetings, the number of resolutions opposing companies' inclusion of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria -- particularly on diversity -- has more than doubled in the past three years, according to the Sustainable Investment Institute (SII). - Reaction to Trump - While such resolutions usually garner very few votes, they are nevertheless having an impact. Larry Fink, the head of asset manager BlackRock, which has promoted sustainable investments in recent years, recently told a conference in Colorado that he has stopped using the term "ESG" because it has become too politicized. This new vigilance extends to the world of sport: after some players voiced reluctance over wearing rainbow symbols, the National Hockey League decided that teams should no longer wear special jerseys supporting LGBTQ rights because they had become a "distraction." "The tension of navigating between groups of people that think very, very differently has always been there," said Alison Taylor, a specialist in corporate ethics at New York University. But the situation has changed as political life has become increasingly polarized, she added. Corporations "got involved in controversial questions in 2017-2018, when there was a lot of organized resistance to Trump -- this seemed like a really good way to attract young people and generate shareholder value," she said. While the prospect of affecting real change on issues like abortion and gun control no longer seems possible in the political arena, young people have come to believe they can bring pressure to bear via business, according to Taylor. - Lobbyists at work - Unlike their elders, for whom political involvement boils down to the ballot box or party donations, younger people "are more inclined to bring their politics into how you invest, into how you shop, even into your office," said David Webber, a specialist in investor activism at Boston University. The sharp reactions to some company initiatives have been amplified by political leaders including Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, who targeted Disney over some of its progressive positions. And DeSantis is not alone. "Conservative organizations," financed in part by companies in the oil and gas sector, "started a campaign to pass legislation in different states to target ESG practices," Webber said. So far, the results have been mixed. "Some companies may, at least, back away from some of the rhetoric on ESG. But we've seen very little serious reallocation of assets," he said. Driven by customers, shareholders and employees, companies have no choice "but to be involved in some political issues," Daniel Korschun, a marketing specialist at Drexel University, told AFP. However, "people really start to react negatively when they feel like they're being pushed too far," as was the case in the Bud Light controversy, he added. "There's a very delicate balance between advocating and pushing too hard," he said. In response, "many managers are pulling back for the moment until they can figure out this new terrain that they're in," he added. jum-da/nro/tjj © Agence France-Presse The post Culture wars put American companies on the defensive appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»