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What two events in modern history according to you, changed the course of human civilization?
The year 2011 - the year of global frustration
"The nature of society
determines the poverty
the poverty determines illness
illness means death of me..."
Their demands were very different
and yet the same
the words of one protester,
from one side
on the start of the year,
echoed the grievances
of millions around the globe
passing the year 2011
not yet successful
and keep going
online
and in the real world.
Hosni Mubarak resigned in Egypt
president Zine in Tunisia
and president Alin in Yemen,
king Abdulah allowed women to vote
in Saudi Arabia,
but people still want more...
"Give me back control of my life,"
shouted Occupy Oakland protesters,
85 were arrested.
In Mexico Javier Sicilia
led a march against drug violence.
"We are the 99%."
Slogan of Protesters
began in lower Manhattan
and cropped up worldwide.
In Toronto the first 'Slutwalk' is held.
In Greece hundreds of thousands
kept repeating for months:
"Politicians and money lenders,
you have no control of my life."
Riots erupted in United Kingdom
after a man was shot dead by police.
"What I study can change my life."
sang students peacefully in Chile
until police turned up.
Los Indignados marched to Madrid
and some 6 million joined in.
People demanded social justice
in the largest protest in Israeli history.
"Our lives are determined by the circumstances
in which we live and work."
Thousands gathered in Moscow claiming
parliamentary elections were flawed.
Riots over food and unemployment
in Algeria
Violent crackdowns in Syria and Iraq.
A man set himself on fire in Ethiopia.
Civil war began in Libya.
Days of Rage in Bahrain.
"Monks are natural advocates for the poor."
They set themselves on fire
in Tibet,
pro-democracy Chinese shouted in Beijing
just to be silenced again and arrested.
"Unfair distribution of the power and wealth is the cause of our grievances."
activist Aung San Suu Kyi won the first battle
after decades of oppression
her party finally won legal status.
"Stop nuclear power, my life is at stake."
Marches didn't stop
Japanese effort
to save economy
and yet there is always chance of online protest,
as one single mother
in a poor neighbourhood
of one thriving super modern city
have found out.
She writes in her blog:
"Working in a factory,
where a visit to bathroom
is seldom granted
and closely monitored,
suffering from diabetess
and heart disease
of long hours
of monotonous work
every night
coming back to a tiny room
in a crowded public housing
watching my teenager
to rage against me
and the system
that weakens him
he ends up just like me,
I feel, he feels,
we have no control of our lives.
How the control can be given back to people?"
Few of us,
lucky enough
to have
more or less
of control
of how our everyday work
and when is done.
To have our essential needs met
and have enough energy left
to care about our own wellbeing,
our health,
our destiny...
Living in air polluted world
full of financial turmoil,
we can still wake up and say:
"I can change my life,
I can control what happens to me."
And we are also aware,
that there are less and less people like us,
due to unfair distribution of the wealth,
due to unfairness of our society.
We all know,
one billion of people
live in inhumane conditions.
We all know,
you need just a hundred
billions of dollars to save them.
We also know
that nine trillions of dollars were spent
to bail out the banks.
The rise of the online global community
changes us forever
makes us aware
of nature of our society
make us demand
to have back
control of our lives.
