Stories about Citizen Media from March, 2012
Ethiopia: Child Abuse Caught on Mobile Phone Camera
Ethiopian Facebook users have launched an online campaign for justice after watching a mobile phone recorded YouTube video which shows a little girl being abused by her mother.
Spain: General Strike After Only 100 Days of Government
Spain's main trade unions have called a general strike for today, March 29, with the aim of paralyzing the country, and forcing the government to back down on implementing measures that will weaken workers' rights and cut social services.
The Cuba the Pope Leaves Behind
Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Cuba has come to an end, a visit bookended by the Castro brothers: President Raul Castro greeting the pontiff at the airport and Fidel Castro meeting with him before his departure. But bloggers are suggesting that despite the Pope's message of change and hope for the future, it looks like business as usual on the island.
Guatemala: Indigenous and Rural Communities March to Defend Their Land
Thousands of Guatemalan indigenous people and countrymen participated in a nine-day march to defend their lands, protest forced relocations, and call attention to other issues affecting rural communities. We share some images of the march posted online by blogger and photographer James Rodríguez.
South Korea: Youtube Video on Saving Jeju Village from Naval Base Construction
A video with English subtitle explaining why protesters are against constructing a naval based in the Jeju island was posted on the Youtube site. The opposition accused the construction of...
Chile: Daniel Zamudio, Victim of a Brutal Hate Crime, Passes Away
Daniel Zamudio, a young gay man, became the victim of a brutal attack on March 3. In this post we show some of the reactions from blogs, online news sites and Twitter since the news broke and until March 27, when his death was announced.
Senegal and Neighboring Nations Celebrate Peaceful Elections
An historical ending to a tense electoral period took place in Senegal on March 25. Senegalese celebrate peaceful elections which have permitted the political alternative to express itself. Citizens from Senegal and neighboring countries have voiced their approval, and in some cases, envy.
Hong Kong: Citizens Say No to Undemocratic City Mayor Election
Among the 1,200 Hong Kong Chief Executive Election Committee members, 689 elected Leung Chun-ying to be Hong Kong's next city mayor on March 25. When the result was released, thousands of demonstrators protested against Beijing's manipulation of the election process.
Pakistan: Demand for Independence of Sindh
A freedom march organized by one of the biggest Sindhi nationalist parties, has drawn a huge crowd in Karachi city. The news was either blocked or under-reported in most of the Pakistani mainstream Urdu media channels.
Chile: Blogging About Government Transparency in ‘El Vaso’
Ciudadano Inteligente, an organization that aims to make Chilean politics more transparent, has created a blog titled ‘El Vaso’ [es] to inform and promote a discussion about technology and government...
Algeria: 2012 Election Watchdog launched by Internet Activists
With the upcoming Algerian Legislative Election scheduled for May 10, 2012, one of the many elections taking place in 2012 [fr] within the continent of Africa, a collaborative website called...
Bolivia: Promoting Internet Connectivity in the ‘Real’ and ‘Virtual’ World
Blogger Mario R. Durán from Palabras Libres [es] lists the recent accomplishments of a group of activists that make up the Facebook group “Más ancho de banda para Bolivia” (“More...
Argentinians Ask to #Freethebooks
The coming into force of a resolution that restricts the importation of books has caused a new controversy. Here we bring together reactions that Argentinians have been sharing in recent days on their blogs and on Twitter with the hashtag #liberenloslibros (#freethebooks).
Cuba: Who will the Pope Support?
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Santiago de Cuba on Monday, the second visit by a Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church to the island in 14 years. The web, especially Twitter, has become a battleground for dissidents and government supporters.
‘Mujeres Construyendo': Empowering Women, One Blog at a Time
Mujeres Construyendo, the first platform for female bloggers in Spanish, wants to convert Hispanic women into creators of internet content. We talk to its founder, Claudia Calvin, about this growing community of bloggers.
Armenia: US Ambassador urges free, fair and credible elections
Ambassador Heffern's Video Blog's comments on the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia. Posted on the U.S. Embassy's YouTube Channel, the American diplomat stresses the need for free and fair elections,...
Russia: Kenyans at Pro-Putin Rally Identified As Moscow Circus Acrobats

A month ago, the video of a group of anonymous Kenyan men, who allegedly participated in a pro-Putin rally, received much attention on the RuNet. One blogger recognized the Kenyans as the acrobats who had been brought to Moscow by the Russian circus authorities, to hone their skills and have them later perform here.
Trinidad & Tobago: Divisive Politics
The Eternal Pantomime is critical of what she considers to be divisive politics on the part of the ruling government, which “has also sought to promulgate the good old colonial stand-by...
Trinidad & Tobago: Bloggers Question Relevance of “Congress of the People”
The Congress of the People began as a break-away party from the United National Congress, but the two entities came together to contest the 2010 parliamentary elections - and won. But with the recent defection of San Fernando Mayor Marlene Coudray to the UNC camp, two political bloggers in Trinidad and Tobago are questioning the continued viability of the Congress of the People as a separate entity.
Mexico: Protests and Celebrations Mark Pope Benedict's Visit
On the streets and via social networks, Mexicans celebrated as well as protested (even with nudity) the pastoral visit of the Pope of the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI, to Guanajuato from March 23 to 26, 2012.
Senegal: The Provisional Tally of the Presidential Elections
The provisional tally of the second round of the presidential elections were published on March 27: The incumbent candidate Abdoulaye Wade is projected to have obtain 999,556 votes which is...