#Chain 59 – Post-ACTA era – Word from a Translator

It’s the Year 2015. I am a translator or at least I think I am. If only my life were easier; fined for illegal usage of copyrighted material, internet connection sporadically down as a slap on the wrist for supposed “misuse”, and those pesky global internet police – do they never sleep? I am spied on; remind me again I am “just” a translator right? My credibility is in tatters – imagine the money spent on public transport, library fees and not to mention those over-inflated fees to “legally” view necessary documents for my research. After all I’m only being paid the equivalent of 2 of the old centimes! ACTA has crept into my life, destroyed what was once my working environment and I have the feeling of entering a dead zone. Every turn brings a new challenge – let’s face it when you are “paid” to translate the words of others and your translated words hold no value what are you to do? My own words are taken away from me (it feels more like theft for the amount I get paid) and I feel all that I am doing is paying more each day for the right to work. Every single word I thought once belonged not only to me but to the whole human race bears the barcode of the beast “they” call ACTA. Am I being silenced? Written by Anon

#Chain 50 – Nepal’s child malnutrition ‘silent emergency’

Article source language English

A mother smiles a she breastfeeds her young son – two years ago doctors gave Rohan little chance of survival. Born weighing just 750 grams he was a mere quarter of the weight of a healthy new born. Today at seven kilos he is still seriously underweight but he is making improvements. Living on less than $1; 25 a day The boy’s story is just one of many in Nepal, one of the world’s poorest countries, where the child malnutrition epidemic is described as a “silent emergency” by humanitarian organisations. Government statistics show 1.7 million children – nearly half are under five – suffering from chronic malnutrition. Wasting, a condition arising from severe malnutrition is said to be the cause of at least half of Nepal’s children. In 2008 UNICEF launched a community-based project to combat these appalling living conditions using volunteers to deliver ready-to-eat therapeutic food sachets to sick children from the poorest areas. However, sadly, for many children it is too late. Adapted from France 24 online Word count 170

#Chain 49 – Beauty Salon Showdown – Egyptian women fight back

Article source language unknown

Benha– Unannounced raids made by the ultra-conservative Salafi making checks to ensure “God’s law” was being abided by, were met with more than they bargained for in one Egyptian beauty salon. The women inside were ordered to stop what they were doing or face physical punishment but rather than do as they were told the women decided to make a stand & to fight back. Using their own canes, they beat & whipped the vigilante gang and threw them out onto the street to the astonishment of onlookers. Similar “inspections” were being carried out locally where the gangs told shop owners to stop selling indecent clothing, stop the shaving of men’s beards & threatening further checks in the future to ensure compliance. Segregation of sexes within the Salafi sect is strict with many women having to wear the niqab to guarantee full body coverage. The vigilantes have been linked to the newly-established group, the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which announced its presence through Facebook in December. Article source Word count : 184

#Chain 48 – Are children being paid to join in Egypt’s political clashes?

Article source English

The chairman of local NGO Egyptian Association for the Assistance of Juveniles & Human Rights has spoken of the growing number of children leading violent fights, against military & civilian policemen, across the nation over the past months. Some children caught up in deadly clashes on December 17, outside cabinet and parliament buildings in central Cairo, were injured whilst others were killed. “Too often children are caught up in the spiralling violence,” said Philippe Duamelle, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in Egypt. “Reports and first-hand testimony by children paint a graphic picture of how the latest confrontations affect them.” Tempted by cash? Worryingly there have also been reports that children are being cajoled into joining Egypt’s political conflicts. According to one witness children were seen holding money & cigarettes after one bout of violence. “The fact that these children were holding money shows that they might have been paid by somebody to be part of these incidents.” he said. UNICEF urges authorities & other parties to protect and respect the human rights of these children “They should not be victims of violence nor unnecessary witnesses to violence.” Word count – 198

#Chain 47 – Pakistan’s Infanticide – An unforgivable sin

IRIN online news reported yesterday how infanticide committed by poverty-stricken parents, is on the rise in Pakistan.1,210 bodies of dead infants were found last year – compared to 999 in 2009.   Horrific stories including that of a woman, forced to smother her two day old infant girl, feeling that she was unable to afford to keep her, are unfortunately becoming more common place. One source reports a 100% increase in the amount of infant corpses being found. Nine out of ten are girls. With large sums of money needed for marriage, girls are traditionally seen as a burden on families. “People feel girls make no economic contribution to families,” Gulnar Tabassum, a women’s rights activist, told IRIN. The Edhi Foundation urges parents not to kill their infants, it places some 400 cradles outside the orphanages it runs in the hope that the babies will be left to be cared for by responsible surrogate parents. Although many mothers wish to save their children, faced with extreme poverty & growing inflation, they feel they must take care of the family they already have. Wordcount: 189

#Chain 46 – Myanmar – prisoner clemency marks 64th anniversary

According to many online sources Mynmar’s President Thein Sein has signed a clemency order, reducing sentences for prisoners, in a move to mark the country’s 64th anniversary of independence.Although the order fell short of the general amnesty many people were expecting, it is said that death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment and many prison terms are to be cut. It was not immediately clear how many prisoners are to be included in the clemency. State media reported that the government-appointed National Human Rights Commission had asked Thein Sein for the issue of a general amnesty. Since taking office in March Thein Sein has pushed forward reforms after decades of repression under previous military regimes. Although still dominated by a military proxy party, changes have been made in media, the internet & political participation. The last amnesty in October included more than 6,000 prisoners of which 200 were political detainees.