Archive for abril, 2009

Risco a Liberdade da Internet na Europa

terça-feira, abril 21st, 2009

Curitiba, 21 de Abril de 2009 | http://www.blackouteurope.eu/

Neste proximo 5 de Maio a Uniao Europeia vota Lei que limita a liberdade de expressao na Internet atraves de divisao do acesso a suas ferramentas em ‘pacotes’ buscando, por exemplo, restringir o acesso de pessoas e grupos a publicacao de conteudo e pesquisa sobre assuntos especificos.

A restricao formada por esta divisao em ‘pacotes’ possibilita as grandes corporacoes cobrarem por muito mais servicos e utilizarem a internet massivamente para distribuicao de conteudo copyright (com direitos autorais reservados e, por isso, cobrados). A revolucao da informacao possibilitada pela Internet tem seu pilar a incondicionalidade de acesso e a justamente ai que busca agir esta lei. Diversos grupos europeus e de outros continentes chamam atencao a esta votacao que, segundo observadores, pode nao ter mais volta.

Everyone who owns a website has an interest in defending the free use of Internet… so has everyone who uses Google or Skype… everyone who expresses their opinions freely, does research of any kind, whether for personal health problems or academic study … everyone who shops online…who dates online…socialises online… listens to music…watches video…

Millions of Europeans now depend on the Internet, directly or indirectly, for their livelihood. Taking it away, chopping it up, ‘restricting it’, ‘limiting it’ and placing conditions on our use of it, will have a direct impact on people’s earnings. And in the current financial climate, that can’t be good.

The internet as we know it is at risk because of proposed new EU rules going through end of April. Under the proposed new rules, broadband providers will be legally able to limit the number of websites you can look
at, and to tell you whether or not you are allowed to use particular services. It will be dressed up as ‘new consumer options’ which people can choose from. People will be offered TV-like packages – with a limited
number of options for you to access.

It means that the Internet will be packaged up and your ability to access and to put up content could be severely restricted. It will create boxes of Internet accessibility, which don’t fit with the way we use it today. This is because internet is now permitting exchanges between persons which cannot be controlled or “facilitated” by any middlemen (the state or a corporation) and this possibility improves the citizen’s life but force the industry to lose power and control. that’s why they are pushing governments to act those changes.

The excuse is to control the flow of music, films and entertainment content against the alleged piracy by downloading for free, using P2P file-sharing. However, the real victims of this plan will be all Internet users and the democratic and independent access to information, culture goods.

Think about how you use the Internet! What would it mean to you if free access to the Internet was taken away?
These days, the Internet is about life and freedom. It’s about shopping, booking theatre tickets … holidays, learning, job-seeking, banking, and trade. It’s also about the fun things – dating, chatting, invitations, music, entertainment, joking and even a Second Life. It is a tool to express ourselves, to collaborate, innovate, share, stimulate new business ideas, reach new markets – thrive without middlemen..

Just think – what’s your web address? Unless people have that address in their “package” of regular websites – they won’t be able to find you. That means they can’t buy, or book, or register, or even view you online. Your business won’t be able to find niche suppliers of goods – and compare prices. If you get any money at all from advertising on your site, it will diminish. Yes, Amazon and a select few will be OK, they will be the included in the package. But your advertising on Google or any other website, will be increasingly worthless. Skype could be blocked. (As it is in Germany in the use from iPhone, already). Small businesses could literally disappear, especially specialist, niche or artisan businesses.

If we don’t do something now – we could lose free and open use of the internet. Our freedom (of choice in information, market, culture, pleasure) will be curtailed. The EU proposals hold an enormous risk for our future. They are about to become Law – and will be virtually impossible to reverse. People (even the members of the European Parliament who are voting on it) don’t really seem to understand the full implications and the legal changes are wrapped up in something called “Telecoms Package” which lulls people into thinking it is just about industry.

However, in reality, hiding from public view, the amendments are about the way the Internet will operate in future! Text that expresses your rights to access and distribute content, services and applications, is being crossed out. And the text that is being brought in, says that broadband providers must inform you of any limitations, or restrictions to your broadband service. Alternative versions use the word ‘conditions’ – and it is seriously being proposed that you will be told the conditions of use of Internet services. This is made to sound good – it is dressed up as ‘transparency’ – except that of course it means that the broadband providerwill have the legal right restrict your access or impose conditions,otherwise why would they need tell you? If the Telecoms Package amendmentsare voted in, the changes will not be reversible.

We all have a stake in the Internet! You need to act now to save it!
What can you do about it?
Tell the European Parliament to vote against conditional access to the Internet! Remind them that they need your vote in June and that internet still give us the tools to be watching and judging what they are doing! (link a la quadrature du net) You must know you are not alone: hundreds of organizations are working on that and thousands of people have already contact their parliamentarians about this issue.

So, act now:
1 – Email, write to or phone your MEP – follow this link to get theirdetails – a suggested template letter is attached. You can also use the following software that send the letter directly to all the parliamentarians. Believe, they will really receive it and they will really feel the pressure. You are welcome to personalize the letter and include information that will make MEPs wake up, take note and take appropriate action.

2 – Forward this email to everyone you know so that they can take action.

3 – Syndicate this page so that you keep been informed: disinformation is what they count on, we must be aware. Text for people to cut and paste to MEP: The coalition version needs to have instructions for people from each country. coalition members need to get a translated version online in their own languages and link to the LQ site for their own MEPs.

Suggest you indicate:
Here are the MEPs who are important in the process.
Here are the MEPs from [your country] [or list each country of the coalition] .

This is suggested letter / email to send to your MEP. Personalise this email to include your own Internet use in your personal and business life. Change the sentence in red to personalise the email and tell the MEP how you individually use the Internet or just take it off.

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Moldova anti-Communist rally erupts into violence

terça-feira, abril 7th, 2009


 
 

Anti-communist demonstrators throw bricks at riot police outside the presidential palace
   
 

AFP – 07 April 2009 2235 hrs

CHISINAU: Thousands of youth protesters stormed the parliament and presidency in Moldova Tuesday after a rally against a Communist election victory boiled over into violence in Europe’s poorest country. 

Moldova’s ruling Communists – the first Communist Party to win power in the former Soviet Union – swept the weekend’s legislative elections by winning half the vote, according to official estimates. 

But the liberal opposition denounced the results as flawed and thousands of demonstrators turned out in the streets for a second day, hurling stones at the presidency and burning Communist flags. 

Communist President Vladimir Voronin said the protestors wanted to “destabilise” the country. 

Voronin is set to step down as president on April 7 after two consecutive terms and is barred by the constitution from running for a third. 

Over 30 people including both protestors and police were injured in the clashes, the head doctor at Chisinau’s emergency hospital told AFP. 

“The protests will continue until a date is set for new elections,” said Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, deputy head of the Liberal Party, one of three liberal opposition parties beaten by the Communists in the vote. 

“The protests are justified, their participants are calling for justice to be restored,” he said. 

Police used water cannon and tear gas but the protestors still managed to enter the presidency and hoisted a European Union flag, an AFP correspondent reported. 

They also dragged furniture out of the parliament building and set it on fire, filling the air with thick black smoke. 

The demonstrators, who included many supporters of liberal opposition parties defeated in Sunday’s elections, shouted slogans including “Freedom” and “Down with the Communists”, the correspondent said. 

The protestors burned Communist Party flags and the flag of the Soviet Union. They also shouted “We want to join Europe!” and “We are Romanians!” 

Some even shouted “Better to be dead than a Communist” – picking up a slogan of the popular 1989 uprising that ousted Romania’s Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu. 

Romanian is the official language of Moldova, which was part of Romania in the interwar period before being annexed by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in World War II to become part of the USSR. 

Moldova is predominantly agricultural country of 4.3 million people where the average monthly wage is only US$253. Over a quarter of its active population works abroad and their remittances are vital for its economy. 

The Communist victory in the legislative elections means it should have enough seats to choose the next president. Analysts expect Voronin to maintain a considerable influence. 

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he was “very concerned” about the unrest. 

“Violence against government buildings is unacceptable. Equally important is the respect for the inalienable right of assembly of peaceful demonstrators,” he said. 

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Moscow was following the situation “with concern”. He said the violence had been “provoked” but did not specify by whom. 

Most demonstrators appeared to be under 25, many of them first-time voters in Sunday’s polls and patently disillusioned by the result. Many had learned about the rally in a viral SMS text message campaign. 

Vlad Filat, leader of Moldova’s Liberal Democrats – one of the vanquished parties in the election – joined other opposition chiefs in criticising the election but also called for calm. 

“I call on you to stop the protest actions,” he said. 

The protests had started on Monday with a gathering of thousands of people in central Chisinau organised by an umbrella protest group called “I am An Anti-Communist”. 

Voronin’s Communist Party of Moldova (PCRM) won around 50 per cent of the vote in the parliamentary elections, which the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said met “many” international standards. 

The communists were followed in a distant second place by the Liberal Party, Liberal Democrats and Our Moldova parties, who won around 35 per cent of the votes between them. 

The Communists, who have pledged to build a “European Moldova” while also maintaining friendly ties with Moscow, came to power in 2001 and were re-elected in 2005. 

The party was once staunchly pro-Russian but changed course in 2005 and has been seeking closer ties with the EU as well as friendly ties with Russia, on which it depends for gas and other supplies. 

– AFP/yb

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