Despite Ali Saleh’s power-transfer to Hadi, Yemen remains largely under authoritarian rule. Those who have studied Yemen can see how Saleh’s sneaky ways have allowed his regime to retain dominance in the government.
Since 1990, Ali Saleh began to co-opt the tribes into Yemen’s government through his patronage system. Thus, the transitional government, which holds no interest in preserving political democracy and social change, has been made up of Saleh’s family.
His half-brother runs the air force, his son commands the Republican Guard and his nephew is in charge of the domestic security forces and the elite American-funded counter-terrorism unit.
With vanishing water supply, extreme poverty, major political and tribal divisions – what comes next for Yemen is highly unlikely to be simple or peaceful.
I have included 3 short, moving and compelling videos filmed by friends, sarahjishaq , SupportYemen team, and Adam Sjoberg. The first, filmed by Adam from Loose Luggage, tells the story of struggling communities and their love for breakdancing and the hip-hop culture. The last two videos highlight Yemen’s Revolution and their pursuit for collective liberation.
2- #SupportYemen campaign, the team consist of talented journalists, artists, activists, and organizers
Source: youtube.com
Link reblogged from no, thanks with 2 notes
Giving Yemen a Chance →
kinda hurts that that the possibility of ali abdullah saleh getting a visa got tons more coverage than the fact that people marched over 170 miles for 4 days in rejection of the GCC’s illegitimate and wholly unrepresentative initiative. the 2nd longest march since ghandi’s salt march in 1930
this oped is so silly.
Photo with 5 notes
LIFE MARCH: After walking 250Km from the Midlands of Yemen, Taiz to the North capital , Sana’a crossing 3 mountains and valleys, its definitely worth a nap with a Yemeni flag on your chest.
Unfortuantely, Yemen suffers from a major media black out BUT follow @WomenfromYemen and youll get the latest on Yemen.. She has also written a good piece on the march here: http://muftah.org/?p=2319
Photo reblogged from in search of wisdom with 271 notes
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year 2011: The Protester
Charting the Wild Winds of Change in 2011
By: Rebecca Solnit March 21, 2011
Revolution is as unpredictable as an earthquake and as beautiful as spring. Its coming is always a surprise, but its nature should not be.
Revolution is a phase, a mood, like spring, and just as spring has its buds and showers, so revolution has its ebullience, its bravery, its hope, and its solidarity. Some of these things pass. The women of Cairo do not move as freely in public as they did during those few precious weeks when the old rules were suspended and everything was different. But the old Egypt is gone and Egyptians’ sense of themselves—and our sense of them—is forever changed.
Source: thenation.com
Link reblogged from YemeniAbroad with 7 notes
YemeniAbroad: Is it time to call a taxi for the Yemeni Revolution? →
Interesting post.
Is there ever a time when it becomes not only right, but patriotic, to admit that reforms have failed? That a once in a lifetime oppurtunity has been lost? That we have let down not just people who gave their lives or had it taken from them, but also condemned the lives of the next generation of…
Photo reblogged from anthony pappone photographer with 10 notes
portrait of a poor man in Mokha-thiama-yemen on Flickr.
Photo reblogged from Pantsless Progressive with 25 notes
![pantslessprogressive:
“On the outskirts of Sanaa, the city’s sprawl dissipates, giving way to scenes of pastoral tranquility. Ancient villages sit amid painstakingly cultivated fields and vineyards, lorded over by the spires of surrounding mountains. In many ways, the district of Arhab exemplifies the stereotypical image of rural Yemen. Yet over the past two months, this calm has been shattered.
Government rhetoric has blamed the violence on armed militant groups based in the district. Three camps of the elite Republican Guard, which is led by Saleh’s son and has benefited from significant American counterterrorism aid, are based in the strategically important area, guarding an entrance to Sanaa and the city’s international airport.
Armed groups, the government claims, have terrorized the district, battling government forces in an effort to take over the capital with the support of the political opposition, radical Islamist groups and weapons provided by military defectors. District tribesmen have gone so far as to threaten to attack the airport in ‘retaliation’ for government attacks.
In the town of Yahis, whose surrounding villages lie nearly adjacent to the 62 Camp of the Republican Guard, the damage from the ongoing violence is obvious. But blame, residents say, lies squarely on the side of the government.
[…] Electricity and water, residents say, have been absent for over a month, while disruptions in supply lines have meant that, even as many in Yemen go hungry, much of the fruits and vegetables produced in village fields are left to rot on the vine. And fear of further attacks, which have killed 10 in the area in ten and over 70 in the district as a whole, has led many to flee the area for safety elsewhere, with many forced to take refuge in caves in the surrounding mountains.
Since shelling began, women and children have abandoned their homes, relocating to roughly hewn dwellings carved from soft volcanic rock. Haphazardly outfitted with furniture and lacking basics like running water, these dwellings have turned from temporary sanctuaries to erstwhile homes for thousands. As this troglodyte existence gains a seeming permanence, feelings of helplessness and anxiety have taken hold along with vocal anger at what they describe as unwarranted government aggression.” - Adam Baron
Violence in Yemen sends thousands to live underground
[Photo: Women and children gather outside of a cave in Arhab. Since shelling began months ago, these makeshift dwellings have become home to thousands of civilians in the district. Credit: Adam Baron / MCT]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lplyp1tBco1qzr73ro1_500.jpg)
“On the outskirts of Sanaa, the city’s sprawl dissipates, giving way to scenes of pastoral tranquility. Ancient villages sit amid painstakingly cultivated fields and vineyards, lorded over by the spires of surrounding mountains. In many ways, the district of Arhab exemplifies the stereotypical image of rural Yemen. Yet over the past two months, this calm has been shattered.
Government rhetoric has blamed the violence on armed militant groups based in the district. Three camps of the elite Republican Guard, which is led by Saleh’s son and has benefited from significant American counterterrorism aid, are based in the strategically important area, guarding an entrance to Sanaa and the city’s international airport.
Armed groups, the government claims, have terrorized the district, battling government forces in an effort to take over the capital with the support of the political opposition, radical Islamist groups and weapons provided by military defectors. District tribesmen have gone so far as to threaten to attack the airport in ‘retaliation’ for government attacks.
In the town of Yahis, whose surrounding villages lie nearly adjacent to the 62 Camp of the Republican Guard, the damage from the ongoing violence is obvious. But blame, residents say, lies squarely on the side of the government.
[…] Electricity and water, residents say, have been absent for over a month, while disruptions in supply lines have meant that, even as many in Yemen go hungry, much of the fruits and vegetables produced in village fields are left to rot on the vine. And fear of further attacks, which have killed 10 in the area in ten and over 70 in the district as a whole, has led many to flee the area for safety elsewhere, with many forced to take refuge in caves in the surrounding mountains.
Since shelling began, women and children have abandoned their homes, relocating to roughly hewn dwellings carved from soft volcanic rock. Haphazardly outfitted with furniture and lacking basics like running water, these dwellings have turned from temporary sanctuaries to erstwhile homes for thousands. As this troglodyte existence gains a seeming permanence, feelings of helplessness and anxiety have taken hold along with vocal anger at what they describe as unwarranted government aggression.” - Adam Baron
Violence in Yemen sends thousands to live underground
[Photo: Women and children gather outside of a cave in Arhab. Since shelling began months ago, these makeshift dwellings have become home to thousands of civilians in the district. Credit: Adam Baron / MCT]
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