XLII - Why Privacy is for Everyone

       This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title above, published at https://www.privacyinternational.org/ on May,30 2012 and written by Steven Dumbleton. Second "Reflections on the right to privacy." Published at http://global.nytimes.com/ on June,28 2011 and written by Jameel Jaffer. Third "Citizens of Europe are increasingly becoming concerned about the impact smart surveillance tech are having on their personal freedom." published at http://ec.europa.eu/ on July,13 2012.

      For almost three millenia, privacy and scandal have gone hand in hand. One of the most famous definitions of privacy - "The right to be alone" - was coined after the expansion of street photography. For the first time, people had the power to capture for posterity the actions of others quickly, cheaply and easily. The turn of the twentieth century saw high-profile individuals more vulnerable to scandals that stuck and thus more interested in being "let alone." There is little attempt by academics to understand privacy. This mean when we seek to understand privacy, we are looking only at victims, individuals who feel betrayed or invaded as a result of specific events. However, the value of privacy may be better understood from a more day-to-day perspective. In certain relationships, people routinely exchange information so personal that it is often considered private. Marital partners know intimate details about each other that they would never divulge to colleagues. Privacy is what makes all diferent kinds of relationships possible. If everyone knows everything about everybody, there can be no variation in quality of relationships and it becomes impossible to achieve real intimacy. We need to stop trying to define privacy and instead seek to understand the conditions under which it occurs. This is something that can benefit society as a whole, no just those with fame.

     Davi K. Shipler in his article "Free to search and seize"( June,22 2011 ) correctly observes that there is little left of the privacy rights that the supreme court regonized half a century ago, but the problem goes deeper. These days, many policies that implicate privacy do not get tested in the courts at all. Most national security surveillance is conducted in secret, and the innocent people monitored never find out about it. The Obama administration, adopting one of the Bush administration`s most cynical legal arguments, has asked a federal appeals court to dismiss the case because lawyer´s clients can not prove that their communications have been monitored, something that the government refuses to confirm or deny. If the administration arguments is adopted even more, governments surveillance will fall beyond the reach of the courts.

      Smart surveillance tech have been promoted as an important technological means to address security issues, but they also harbour significant risks to our privacy and other fundamental rights. They are being developed supposedly to combat crime and terrorism, but in fact are being used for a variety of purposes, many of which intrude upon the privacy of law-abiding citizens. In the area of security, this relationship is not an easy one to define. Capabilities that protect the citizen can also oppress their fundamental rights if they are not bound by the strictest respect for privacy and democratic values.

     An integral part of the projects supported by the European Commission`s Security Research programme is focused on the ethical, legal and economic aspects, the commission is leading the way to ensure that private data protection goes hand-in-hand with tech such as cameras and other forms of detection and surveillance. Convenience and cost-effectiveness are two key considerations for both citizens and security forces when deciding which tech to embrace or avoid.

      

Colombia Youth Use Art and Music to Envision Future Without Violence

     This post is a summary of an article published at http://www.worldbank.org/  on June,4th 2012 and written by Gloria Grandolini.

     " A microphone, a guitar and a spray can, these are their weapons." These could be the lyrics of a song by the popular Juanes, but the singer-songwriter was actually referring to the work of his foundation, Mi Sangre, which campaigns for a Colombia free from violence. The foundation programs offer Colombia youth, many of whom are victims of violence in the country, the chance to practice the art of singing, painting and composing to exorcize the threat of violence on the streets, homes and schools.

     Our support focuses on measuring the impact of this pro-peace initiative with a view to systematizing it and promoting its expansion. "There is only one street into this neighborhood and our young people have assumed it as their destiny... just one path: the path of violence," said a school principal, describing the situation of the local people, who can not cross the boundaries established by the youth gangs in the Medellin neighborhood. "I want to show young people that they can have a future, that they can go to university and be prepared to get a good job. I have made the commitment that every year fifteen of my students will go to college," he said. 

    In Colombia, where the conflict has continued for more than fifty years, the road to peace is long and full of obstacles. This is especially daunting for young people, after having been victims of abuse and forced displacement, many of them exhibit long-term effects which feed into the cycle of violence.

    With innovative cultural initiatives for young people, Mi Sangre NGO helps mitigate the impact of violence, contributing to building safe environment and life skill to give them access to a better education and enhanced opportunities.

    During the signing of the memorandum of understanding, the minister of education said that World Bank support will potentially enable the methodologies developed by Mi Sangre NGO to be scaled up nationwide.

    Our education team in Colombia is committed to this challenge. The team has developed a rigorous work plan and we will be using blog, the World Bank website and the media to share their progress.

    This is the only way we can help make young people`s convictions and aspirations a reality.

    Envision - imagine as a possible future.

    Exorcize - drive out a evil spirit from a person or place.

   Commitment - dedication to a cause or policy.

   Displacement - action of displacing someone or something.

   Mitigate - make something less severe, painful.

   Enhance - increase.

   Scaled Up - increase something in size.

   Convictions - firmly held belief or opinion.

    

XLI - Sweden tops, Yemen last in getting most out of internet, study says

     This post is a summary of two reports. The first with the title "Schools only use computers in IT ( information tech ) classes. Published at Idgnow.uol.com.br on June,20,2012. And translated by me The second with the title above, was published at LAtimes.com on September,6th,2012. 

    The use of internet for studies has increased in Brazil, but mainly out of  school environment. Though, most schools have at least one computer, the number of devices per pupil limits their use in the classroom. According to research of the NIC.BR ( Núcleo de Informação e Coordenação do ponto BR ) released this week, only 4% of schools have computers in classrooms. The research analysed 650 public and private schools. 65% of the teachers use the computers to teach the pupils how to use it for internet and only 21% use the computers to activities related to classroom. 

    Another major barrier is the low connection speed: 52% of the teachers declare that it disrupts the proper use of IT in the pedagogical process. 25% of schools have speed below 1Mb ( with many computers connected, the speed is even lower ). Others 32% have speed until 2Mb. The place of access is also another important question that can limit the integration of IT in the pedagogical process. In 2010, 81% of school had computers installed in the computers labs. In 2011, this index rose to 86%.  Only 21% of private schools have computers in the classrooms, while in public schools this index is even lower, fall to 4%.

    Worldwide, Sweden gets the most out of using the internet, according to a new study from a foundation that seeks to expand access to the web. The rankings are an attempt by the Worldwide Web foundation, a nonprofit group, to sum up how different countries use the internet, factoring in access, infrastructure and what information is available to users. Its "Web Index" attempts to measure no just whether people can use the internet, but what they get from it. " We want to take this issue about whether or not people are a part of the information society and help increase awareness that it is as important as access to water and vaccinations, it is not a secondary issue", said internet pioneer Tim Berners Lee, in the newly released report.

     Sweden has followed in the ranking by the U.S., Britain, Canada, Finland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and Norway. However, Qatar, which has even higher incomes than those countries, fell lower on the list, because the web has had limited political effect there, a factor that the foundation measured by political parties using the internet to mobilize voters and governments using the web to seek more citizen participation and feedback. The study did not probe deeply into issue of government censorship, but Berners Lee said he hopes future versions of the web index will do so, calling suppression of free speech, "possibly the single biggest challenge to the future of the web".

      The question of how the internet will shape future societies remains an open one, even amid enthusiasm over its spread and capabilities. Although the use of social media tools to mobilize "arabs springs" protests last year inspired hope that the web would open up societies and seed democracy, skeptics warn that it has also been an apt tool for repression.

      The web index is the world`s first multi-dimensional measure of the web`s use, utility and impact on people and nations. It cover 61 countries, incorporating indicators that assess the political, economic and social impact of the web, as well as indicators of web connectivity and infrastructure.

      Brazil is 24º position, with the biggest grade on social impact, 64.4 and its lowest grade on political impact, 48.2. In Latin America, Brazil is behind Chile, 19º and Mexico, 22º. For more information about this index, access, thewebindex.org 

      

XL - Activism is an Act of Faith

        This post is a summary of three articles: 1) Published at http://uuworld.org/, and was written by Tim Dechristopher with the title above. 2) Published at http://en.wikipedia.org/ with the title of "Internet Activism." 3) Published at http://www.wikihow.com with the title of "How to Become an Activist."

       We believe that each of us is part of an interconnected web of life. This deep connectedness is a powerful motive for activists. Activism makes no sense to those who believe that a person is an isolated individual. Without accepting the Martin Luther King assertion that " Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere." No one would ever take a stand until they were personally affected. Oppressors have always tried to discourage "outside agitators," precisely because they have known that no real activism could survive when people stood up only for themselves.

       I define activism as the actions of those who lack authority through the traditional power structure yet still believe that they can shape the society around them. But its very nature, activism is an act of faith in our fellow human beings. The greater the risk involved in the activism, the greater the faith in each other.

       Views of interconnectedness mean that activism is not only justified and effective, but also morally required. If every small act of defiance reverberates within the whole fabric, the same must be true for every small act of obedience. Cowardice invites as many imitators as courage.

       Emotion, morality, and principle can work in support of truth and logic. Stories appealing to the heart can also open the mind to accept facts. We can inspire and arouse that deep spiritual part of our citizens, with the added bonus that reality is actually on our side, this is why the moral arc of the universe has bent toward justice over the long term.

       Internet activism is the use of eletronic communications to enable faster communications by citizens movements and the delivery of local information to a large audience. They are used for cause-related fundraising, community building, lobbying and organization. It is a key resource for independent activists, particularly those whose message may run counter to the mainstream, it is essential in reporting atrocities to the outside world.

       Activists are people who see the need for change, improvement, and motivation on a large scale. They are people driven by passion, keen to share facts they want understand more, and led by a vision for a better future. Activism comes naturally to some, while for others, it is something that is thrust upon them as a result of particular experiences. Whatever your reason for wanting to become an activist, having the believe that you can make a difference and that you have the power to do something are at the heart of creating change for the better. Below ten tips for you to become a activist.

       1) Establish what you can do for your cause.

       2) Source your passion.

       3) Read books and webpages about activism.

       4) choose your method of activism.

       5) Research existing efforts.

       6) Learn how to message effectively.

       7) Get the message out.

       8) Expect dissent.

       9) Do not work yourself into the ground, get rest.

     10) Reflect on how you can sustain change.

       

XXXIX - News Corporation Raises Phone-Hacking Compensation

          This post is a summary of two reports: the first with the title above, with the complement of "cashpool to $ 156 million". Published at Hollywoodreporter.com on December 29, 2011 and written by Stuart Kemp. The second, with the title" Rupert Murdoch pays compensation to 37 victims of phone-hacking." was published at Thedailybeast.com on January 19, 2012 and was written by Charlotte Edwardes.

          News corporation has pumped up its legal war chest to $156 million to use to settle civil litigation cases brought in the phone-hacking scandal. Some settlements are expected to be well over $1.5 million apiece, citing sources close to the actions.

          Actress Siena Miller became first person to agree an out-of-court settlement with News of the World, accepting $156,000 in compensation for having her phone message illegally accessed in May. News International set up a compensation scheme for phone-hacking victims. Applicants are being offered the opportunity to pursue compensation. "As a speedy, cost-effective alternative to litigation." And can expect to "obtain very similar remedies" as they would expect to receive in court, News International claims.

         Rupert Murdoch`s media empire face a possible 10 million pounds compensation bill, it emerged today, after the high court in London heard that 37 victims have settled damage claims with Murdoch`s company for illegally intercepting their phones. The list of claimants includes politicians, singers, actors, etc. Among them is actor Jude Law, who was awarded $200,000. Jude Law`s assistant was awarded settlements, as was his ex-wife Sadie Frost, who received $120,000. She listened to the intercepted voice messages between 2005 and 2006 last April, News International set up a compensation fund of $30 million with the sole intention of settling claims before they got to court.

       Jude Law said, "for several years leading up to 2006, I was suspicious about how information concerning my private life was coming out in the press. I changed my phones. I had my house swept for bugs, but still the information kept being published. I started to become distrustful of people close to me.

      News International has already paid out $3 million to the family of the murdered scholl girl Milly Dowler. Tamish Allen, a lawyer, said "the claimants now have some clarity about what happened to them between 2000 and 2005 and satisfaction that justice has finally been done. Many of them have wondered for years how newspapers were able to obtain secret personal information about them.

     Phone-hacking - to gain unauthorized access.

     War chest - money scheduled for a particular purpose.

     Set Up - to arrange, be given a particular direction.

     Litigation - the act of bringing a legal action in court.

   

XXXVIII - How China is Winning the School Race

        This post is a summary of two reports published at the same place: BBC.co.uk, both written by Yojana Sharma. The first, with the title above and published on October 11, 2011. The second published on November 27, 2012 with the title: " Meet the 'tutor kings and queens'."

  

        China's education performance seems to be as spetacular as the country's breakneck economic expansion, outperforming many more advanced countries. But what is behind this success?

        Shanghai, taking part for the first time in PISA tests from OECD, came top in all three subjects. Cheng Ming, professor at Hong Kong University puts the results down  to   "a devotion to education not shared by some other cultures." More than 80% of Shanghai secondary students attend after-school tutoring. Such diligence also reflects the ferociously competitive university entrance examinations, "not all Chinese parents are 'tiger mothers', but they are devoted to their children's education," he said.

          In Hong Kong, education accounts for more than one-fifth of entire government spending. Shanghai re-equipping classrooms, upgrading schools and revamping the curriculum in the last decade. It got rid of the " key schools" system which concentrated resources only on top students and elite schools. Instead staff were trained in more interactive teaching methods and computers were brought in. The city's schools are now a showcase for the country. About 80% of school leavers go to university compared to an overall average of 24% in China. The OECD's Mr. Schleicher believes teacher training has played a part in Shanghai success, with higher-performing teachers mentoring teachers from lower-performing schools.

        They strike poses in posters in shopping malls and on the side of buses. But they are not movie stars or models, they are Hong Kong's top tutors offering pupils a chance to improve grades. Exam pressure has turned them into celebrities. And they have earnings to match, some have become millionaires and appear regularly on television. The celebrity tutor phenomenon is a result of the huge growth in out-of-school tutoring in Asia. It is fuelled by highly pressured systems and parents wanting their children to secure places at top universities. In societies where success is equated with good exam results, parental anxiety converts into a stream of revenue for tutoring establishments. Richer families have always paid for individual tutoring, but the star tutors offer exam tips and revision notes to the less well-off, studying in groups.

       It is not just Hong Kong. In South Korea, 90% of primary school children attend such classes. In India, Thailand, and South Korea tutoring schools use star tutors to attract more students.

Tutoring - acting as a tutor to

Breakneck - fast.

Diligence - carrying out a task with care and consciousness.

Revamp - alter something as to improve.

XXXVII - Why Latin America does not grow like Asia?

    This post is a summary of the reports published at BBC.co.uk/Portuguese, on July 13, 2012 and written by Marcelo Justo, with the title above, and translated by me. The other was published at FEDESAROLLO.org.co, on June 2012, with the title: "Growth determinants in Latin America and East Asia: Has globalization changed the engine of growth?" 

   In 1980, the industrial production in Brazil was greater than Thayland, South Korea, Malaysia, India and China together. Thirty years later, represent 10% of what is produced in those countries. The same happened in other L.A. countries, but why L.A. was left behind in the global economy?

   To clarify these reasons, BBC talked to Profesor at the Cambridge University Gabriel Palma, specialist of comparative economics.

    BBC - You have pointed in your researches that the economic growth in Asia has been kept for decades, while in L.A. oscillates between boom and bust, why?

    Gabriel - Since the1980s South Korea, Cingapure, Malaysia and Thayland has grown on average 7%. China and India 9%. But this does not mean that L.A. have not the capacity to grow, on the contrary, Argentina, Chile, and Peru in the 1990s, Brazil and Mexico in the 1970s had growth rates similar to those of Asia. The difference is that the growth in L.A. was not sustained and in my opinion there are three reasons for this. 1ª) private investment rate is 30% of GDP in Asia, while in L.A. on average is 15% of GDP. 2ª) economy policies in Asia with competitive exchange rate and low interest rate. 3ª) the liberalism of commerce in Asia was slow and selective. This gave time to them adapt to the changes. In L.A. everything was done overnight, the result was a huge confusion.

     BBC - While Asia adopted the pragmatism, the L.A. embarked in fundamentalism, it mean that this delay is due to more historical and cultural aspects than economic?

     Gabriel - From 2002 to 2007. L.A. grew between 4% and 4.5%, but the value of the financial assets, included stock exchange and public and private securities grew more than 30%. The same illusion that contaminated the develop countries, the belief that the economy could grow independent from productivity, tech innovation, the real economy.

     BBC - So, the skepticism common in the Asia society, explain its economic success?

     Gabriel - In L.A. the elite have preferred the financial sector than the risks of the market. The profitability is three times higher than in other places. It has been critical to the deindustrialization of the region, the lack of economic diversification, the lack of tech apparatus. L.A. abandoned its industrial policy with the idea that could grow with commodities and finances.

              The ingredients of East Asia success.
                         1ª) High degree of integration into the global economy as exporters.
                         2ª) Investment which encourages tech upgrading geared to strengthen competitiveness
                         3ª) Industrial policy that has thrived via the diversification of the structure of exports towards a more dynamic structure in high and medium tech products.

                        4ª) Higher degree of socio-economic inclusion through a focus on the tech capacities through education and innovation and diffusion of productive assets.

     Pragmatism - a realistic and sensible approach to something.

     Fundamentalism - strict following of the basic underlying of any system of thought.

     Skepticism - doubt about the truth of something, disbelief in any claims of ultimate.