Taken with Instagram at Dos Hermanos Bridge
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/24/12
Taken with Instagram at Dos Hermanos Bridge
Puerto Rico: Life One Photo a Day
via Global Voices » Puerto Rico (U.S.) by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle on 2/10/12
The artist and producer Jose Marti (@Jose_Marti) has shot one picture a day for the past two years as part of his online project “Fotos de Hoy” (Photos of Today).
He explains:
Dentro de los temas que publico en su mayoría son fotos casuales donde la foto me encuentra a mí en vez de yo buscarla y bien pueden ser fotos de la ciudad, de mi casa o donde quiera que me encuentre por que en realidad lo importante es expresar algo sobre el momento, donde estoy, que estoy haciendo, etc. Ese es el elemento que me ha llevado ha constantemente publicar en Fotos de Hoy, el poder visualmente resumir semanas y diversas experiencias en un compilado accesible por internet.
They are mostly casual photos, where the photograph finds me instead of me looking for the photograph, and they may well be pictures of the city, my home or wherever it finds me because what is really important is to express something about the moment, where I am, what I'm doing, etc.. That is the element that has led me to constantly publish in “Photos of Today,” to be able to visually summarize weeks and diverse experiences that are accessible online.
I have selected some of his pictures of Old San Juan, the colonial city of the capital of San Juan, Puerto Rico (all photos are republished with his permission). You can follow his visual life daily at Fotos de Hoy.
City with a View.
San José Church.
The window.
Beach El Escambrón.
Fort El Morro.
Bar El Batey.
Luna Street.
Written by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle · comments (0)
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Taken with Instagram at Cuartel De Ballaja
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/12/12
Taken with Instagram at Cuartel De Ballaja
#minimal (Taken with Instagram at Froyo World)
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/24/12
#minimal (Taken with Instagram at Froyo World)
Taken with Instagram at La Catedral De San Juan
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/25/12
Taken with Instagram at La Catedral De San Juan
5:30am cndo salí a correr (Taken with Instagram at Viejo San...
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/17/12
5:30am cndo salí a correr (Taken with Instagram at Viejo San Juan)
Taken with instagram
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/17/12
Taken with instagram
@ar0n :) (Taken with instagram)
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/19/12
@ar0n :) (Taken with instagram)
Taken with Instagram at Calle San Sebastian
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/22/12
Taken with Instagram at Calle San Sebastian
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Taken with Instagram at Iglesia San Jose
via Fotos de Hoy on 3/23/12
Taken with Instagram at Iglesia San Jose
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Puerto Rico: 365 Photographs
via Global Voices » Puerto Rico (U.S.) by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle on 2/25/12
The photographer José Rodrigo Madera [es] shot one photograph a day during two years, as part of his project “365.” His photos were only visible to his friends on Facebook, until the magazine Revista Cruce [es] published 20 of them for everyone to enjoy.
José Rodrigo Madera describes himself as:
…fotógrafo de profesión y nunca estudió Artes. Estudió Comunicaciones en la Universidad Interamericana y quiere enseñar fotografía. Cree en el matrimonio y se considera de izquierda. Dedica todo su trabajo al hombre de su vida, Emil Alejandro, y a la mujer de su vida, Penelope.
…a professional photographer who never studied Art. Studied Communications at the Universidad Interamericana, and wants to teach photography. Believes in marriage and considers himself a Leftist. Dedicates all of his work to the man of his life, Emil Alejandro, and the woman who is the love of his life, Penelope.
Here is a selection of some of his beautiful photographs.*
Pitcher: 1. Individual who, for one reason or another, does not follow through with an obligation or commitment proposed by himself. 2. Person who does not return calls.
Watch.
Child in red pants.
Breakfast.
Agostini prepares for a shot.
Ghost cloud.
Sorely laughs.
Spiral.
Eye.
The mother of "azul."
*All photographs are republished with the permission of the photographer and Revista Cruce. The captions have been translated from the original (except some that were English).
Written by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle · comments (0)
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Puerto Rico: “Ilegal” death of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos
via Global Voices » Puerto Rico (U.S.) by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle on 3/6/12
The Center for Investigative Journalism has posted the Civil Rights Commission's report [es] on the death of the pro-independence leader Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, killed by the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) on September 23, 2005.
Written by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle · comments (0)
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Puerto Rico: Gender and Causality
via Global Voices » Puerto Rico (U.S.) by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle on 3/6/12
Guillermo Rebollo Gil offers a legal analysis [es] on the media framing of the murder of women victims of intimate partner violence.
Written by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle · comments (0)
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Op-Ed: Political Suspense in Jamaica
via Caribbean Journal by admin on 3/25/12
By Ramesh Sujanani
Op-Ed Contributor
It is now the eve of parish council elections in Jamaica. This time it is concurrent with the General Elections in which the PNP (People’s National Party) surprisingly won a mandate over the JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) with skill and political management.
The new government is headed by Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, a seasoned leader and experienced member of Parliament, ably assisted by Peter Philips the new Minister of Finance..
As the Government has just completed a review with the IMF for new banking arrangements, the results and effects of which have not yet been put to the people, it is expected that there will be stringent economic measures placed on life in Jamaica. It is clear that these measures will not be announced until after elections, when it would not make any serious changes to the balance of power. Announcements before would easily upset the status quo.
The state of the economic ratings of the country will decline, and we expect the exchange rate of the Jamaican dollar to erode.
But it is not unusual for many countries to be in financial problems at this time. In fact, many large countries are carrying serious budget and cash deficits, and it is up to their trading partners to work this out with them.
As for smaller countries, they have to pull in their belt and work solutions, with a tourism product among other solutions, possibly with a mentor: Jamaica has to rely on its neighbor the United States.
But some good seems to have happened to Jamaica lately, as is evident by conversations with the State Department. Its relationship with Jamaica now is very sound and positive.
In the recent past, Jamaica’s Security Positions, Police, Military and other Authorized Security apparatus were in confrontation mode over the “Dudus” affair, with Christopher “Dudus” Coke being the head of criminal activities in Kingston’s Tivoli Gardens and around Jamaica.
The crime situation in Jamaica, with the influence of drug trafficking, arms imports, human trafficking, and consequent criminal activity, was very serious; the Authorities in the US wanted Dudus to be extradited and stand trial in America on drug and other felonies.
Jamaica, on the other hand, under the JLP government of the past, did not want to let him go, for whatever reason.
This led to a growing mistrust between Jamaica and the USA, and the relationship became cool.
The new positive relations between the two entities promise support for the security administration, training for security personnel and control of arms supplied and exported. It involves support for energy projects solar and wind, led by the US business sectors with Governmental backing.
It augurs well for the financial future of Jamaica, and the success of the new PNP Administration.
Note: the opinions expressed in Caribbean Journal Op-Eds are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Caribbean Journal.
Panama and Costa Rica’s Presidents Talk Drug Fight in Guatemala
via Caribbean Journal by admin on 3/25/12
Above: The meeting in Antigua (Photo: OP)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Panama President Ricardo Martinelli and Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla met in Antigua, Guatemala Saturday to analyze strategies on the fight against drug trafficking in the region.
The two leaders were joined by representatives from Honduras, Belize, El Salvador and Nicaragua at the meeting, which was hosted by Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina.
A major point of discussion was Molina’s recent proposal to decriminalize drugs in a bit to reduce drug-related crime.
In a speech, Martinelli said Molina’s proposal was one that had opened a large debate that deserved discussion and analysis.
He also said it was important the Central America’s countries must discuss strategies to combat drug trafficking, with Panama continuing to invest resources in the fight.
Panama’s delegation included Foreign Minister Roberto Henriquez, Vice Minister of Security Alexander Garuz and Panamanian Ambassador to Guatemala Irving Centeno.
Op-Ed: Kathie Klarreich: Investigative Reporting on Haiti, by Haitians
via Caribbean Journal by admin on 3/25/12
By Kathie Klarreich
Op-Ed Contributor
For nearly two years, the battle cry over what is happening to the billions of dollars of aid money earmarked for Haiti’s reconstruction has resounded on the front pages of some of the world’s most prestigious papers — and on the airwaves — attempting to delineate where things went wrong.
These stories are important, and they need to be told. But not just by the foreign press, which is, at best, fickle – stories run at the whim and convenience of the editors. These stories need to be reported by Haitian journalists, who inherently understand what it means when aid money is misappropriated, squandered, or even worse — disappears.
Investigative reporting, however, is an anomaly in a country where transparency is anything but. Access to information, sources, statistics and, at times, seemingly banal information hinders daily reporting. These factors are exponentially more difficult for a reporter asking anything but the basics.
Over the past few decades, when reporters have investigated political and economic corruption, they’ve been targeted and killed, their assassins still at large. Older career reporters with the skill, education and experience to do hard-hitting investigations have either left the country, opened their own media, or opted for a higher-paying salary with an international non-governmental organization (NGO), the UN or the Haitian government.
The new crop of journalists is all but married to a daily routine which looks something like this: in the morning, a newsroom meeting (if there is one), where the editor (if there is one) leafs through a stack of press releases and decides who is going where and for how long (one reporter may be assigned to two or three stories). By mid-afternoon, the reporter returns and has just a few hours to write and record a script (often in both French and Creole) and insert the sound bites for the late afternoon/evening news. There is no time to do research, supporting or opposing interviews, or even to fact check.
The next day is a repeat. Reporters rarely have a chance to dig deeper, and when they do, it’s usually in the form of an interview, which limits the listener’s perspective. The vast majority of news in Haiti is delivered by radio (50 stations in the capital alone); there is only one daily newspaper, Le Nouvelliste, and the circulation is almost exclusively in the capital.
This is the environment I began working in when I started to teach investigative journalism as part of my Knight Fellowship in Haiti in July 2010. But now, 20 months later, reporters are beginning to understand what an investigation means, and are making a case to their newsroom editors to be allowed the time and resources they need to do investigations.
Knowing that these are two serious limiting factors, I reached out and got financial support from several non-profit organizations (the International Center for Journalists and International Media Support), and, along with colleague Jane Regan (Haiti Grassroots Watch), launched the Fund for Investigative Journalism in Haiti.
FIJH provides financial support and coaching to reporters whose investigations are accepted by a three-panel jury. Just this month, the first of the seven investigations by 13 journalists hit the airwaves. We’re hoping this has set a new bar for reporting.
An article by two Le Nouvelliste reporters (and reprinted in Caribbean Journal) explored the overall sanitation situation for the displaced.
Some 11,000 portable latrines were installed by the international community in tent camps after the earthquake.
Because there were so many NGOs financing the cleaning of these latrines, and each had its own budget, it was next to impossible to discern how much has been spent. What the journalists did discover, however, was that as these NGOs began to wind down their programs in Haiti, and as the number of displaced in camps dropped from 1.5 million to less than half a million, the funds for cleaning the latrines dried up. That still leaves more than 400,000 people without a place “to go.”
An investigation by Haiti Grassroots Watch reported on an Irish NGO, Concern Worldwide, which built 534 homes in a metropolitan suburb, each with an ecological toilet. Residents not only rejected these Urinary Diversion Toilets on the grounds that they were smelly and invited all kinds of unwelcome creatures, but they tore them up and dug holes to install flush toilets. The byproduct risks contaminating the ground water table.
Yet another investigation was done by three journalists who examined housing donated to residents in an area south of the capital which revealed that many of the $3,000 homes were either uninhabited, had been given to someone who had already received a home or were being rented.
These stories demonstrate that Haitians can, and should, take the lead in investigations. They know these stories better than anyone else, and are the best ones to tell them. They hope it will make organizations more accountable. They also hope that, eventually, investigative reporting will spread beyond the capital, and then beyond its own borders, to become the catalyst for an investigative fund in the Caribbean.
Kathie Klarreich developed the Fund for Investigative Journalism in Haiti. She has covered Haiti for major media organizations including the New York Times, National Public Radio and Time Magazine. She is also the author of a Haiti-based memoir: Madame Dread: A Tale of Love, Vodou and Civil Strife.
Note: the opinions expressed in Caribbean Journal Op-Eds are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Caribbean Journal.
Operation paws
via Puerto Rico News on 3/26/12
NEW YORK >> On a Sunday morning in March, the cavernous arrival hall at Terminal 8 at Kennedy International Airport was virtually deserted save for a cluster of people wearing white T-shirts with black "Sato Project" logos huddled near the cargo entrance.
Operation paws
via Puerto Rico Newswire on 3/26/12
... black "Sato Project" logos huddled near the cargo entrance. But when American Airlines Flight 648 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, touched down and a small, tanned woman wearing a white fedora and blue sweat pants emerged from customs, the group snapped ...
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