Stories about Citizen Media from June, 2015
Ecuador's Sarayaku People Are Preserving Their Identity Through Video
Sarayaku youth in Ecuador are using new technologies to preserve their cultural identity and ancestral legends.
Kenyan Blogger Defamation Case Highlights the Need for Education
Shitemi Khamadi argues that a case where a telecommunication provider, Safaricom, has sued a Kenyan blogger Cyprian Nyakundi for defamation highlights the need for education on the law and Internet in Kenya: The Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) in whose mandate is to promote online local content has been running...
Japan's ‘Too Handsome’ Gorilla Is a Social Media Sensation
Some outside Japan wrote the story off as another “Weird Japan” piece, but that didn't sit well with everyone.
Bahrain Takes Security Measures Following ISIS Threat
Bahrain is on alert following a threat by ISIS that its Shia population are its next target following attacks on Shia mosques in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Hashtags and User Networks in the Putin-Poroshenko Twitter Chatter
Network graphs reveal the associations between individual Twitter users in Russia and Ukraine and the hashtags they include in their tweets about presidents Putin and Poroshenko.
Can Social Media Create a Lasting Impact in Uganda?
"It beats my understanding when I sometimes visit the IT ministry website and it is down. I don’t get it."
Thousands Take to Rome's Streets to Echo Pope Francis’ Call for Climate Action
"...all of humanity needs to stand united in addressing the crisis of our times. Climate change is an issue for everyone with a moral conscience.”
Kuwait Identifies a Saudi Man as Suicide Bomber of the Shia Mosque
Kuwait identifies suicide bomber to be Saudi, and arrests his driver following an ISIS attack on a Shia mosque that killed 27 people and injured more than 200.
How Russia’s Biggest Homophobe Joined an LGBT Social Community
One of Russia's most popular satirical online communities has used the recent US Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage to troll St. Petersburg's most infamous homophobic politician.
Same-Sex Couples in Mexico Win Another Victory Against Discrimination
"In this sense, the First Chamber reaffirmed that there exists no rational justification to deny access to marriage to homosexual couples..."
India's Justice System Is in a Sorry, Sorry State
There is slow, painfully slow and then there is India's judiciary.
Is Bahrain Prepared for an ISIS Terror Attack?
Predictions that Bahrain could be next on ISIS’s list of mosques to be attacked are being circulated on social media. Faten Bushehri raises the red flag.
The Internet, a Staging Post for Protests in Ecuador, Is Under Threat
Participants in recent protests in Ecuador accuse government of illegally signal jamming communication between protestors. Peer-to-peer apps may be the solution.
Girl Group Goes Head-to-Head With Japanese Prime Minister Over Reinterpreting Constitution
A Japanese girl group's clash with municipal government highlights increasingly vocal opposition to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government.
What Social Media Can Tell You About Venezuelan Politics
Supporters of Venezuela's beleaguered opposition and the pro-government camp are clashing on social media and dragging millions of Venezuelans into the conflict.
Abel Wabela: “To Fight Bystander Apathy…This is My Mission as a Human”
"Warnings, intimidations, arrest and torture have not stopped me from exercising my free speech rights," says Abel Wabela, one of Ethiopia's Zone9 bloggers who have been jailed since April 2014.
Twenty-Eight Dead in Beach Resort Attack in Sousse, Tunisia
At least 28 people, mostly foreign tourists, were killed when gunmen opened fire on a beach in the resort town Sousse, Tunisia. This is the second attack in four months.
More Europeans Migrate to Latin America Than Vice Versa, Study Finds
In 2012, more than 181,000 Europeans left their countries for Latin America in comparison with the 119,000 Latin Americans who migrated in the opposite direction.
Shia Mosque Attacked by ISIS in Kuwait, Leaving at Least 24 People Dead
At least 24 people were killed when a suicide bomber belonging to ISIS blew himself up at a Shia mosque in Kuwait.
Help Wanted to Make Sure the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP 21 Will Result in Concrete Actions
The year 2015 is especially important for our planet’s climate. One of the highlights is the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) that will take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in Paris. Diplomats from all over the...
Muscovites Protest Placement of Giant St. Vladimir Monument
In Russia, citizen activism has halted construction, for now, of a gigantic statue honoring 10th century ruler Saint Vladimir atop Moscow's Sparrow Hills.