Stories about Citizen Media from August, 2015
‘Why Does the Thai Government Want to Destroy Krabi With Coal Power Plant?’
The government is proposing to build a coal plant in Krabi to boost local power supply, but it also threatens to destroy a popular tourism destination and protected environment site.
Think You're So Clever, Wikipedia? Russian Censors Are Blocking You Anyway
Though Wikipedia has tried to circumvent Russian censors' demands to remove content, the Kremlin seems intent on blocking the website at all costs.
Ecuador Cancels Visa for a Franco-Brazilian Journalist Assaulted During Protest
"Hostility to journalists, the media and activists has increased in Ecuador, and attacks on freedom of expression are becoming more frequent."
Did Russia's Biggest Search Engine Censor Itself to Protect Putin's Spokesman?
Vladimir Putin's spokesman is back in the news, after Internet users discovered this weekend that Yandex, the country’s most popular search engine, might be censoring itself to protect him.
Son of Green Movement Opposition Leader Comes Out in Support of Iranian Nuclear Deal
"As a professor of law who was banned from teaching in Iran, I strongly support the nuclear deal," Mohammad Taghi Karoubi declared in a video.
Peaceful Protestors Face Riot Police Brutality in Lebanon
A brutal response awaited the peaceful protesters of the #YouStink movement who gathered in Beirut on Saturday August 22 to demand a solution to the garbage crisis in Lebanon.
Lebanese Activists Warn Against Political Attempts to Exploit Their Movement
Two government ministers who tried to enter the protest area were refused entry, but the movement said those who resign are welcome.
Want to See the First Free African Town in the Americas? Go to Mexico
Afro-Mexicans proudly share the story of “El Yanga,” apparently an enslaved prince from the Yang-Bara tribe from Gabon, who helped slaves to be free from the Spanish around 1570.
Is a More Child-Friendly Bangladesh Possible?
Weighed down by heavy schoolbags and neglected by the government, is life about to get better for Bangladesh's millions of miniature citizens?
Afro-Latin American Women Use Social Networks to Commemorate Over a Decade of Struggle
"The situation of women of African descent is a unique one: because of their gender they find themselves even more vulnerable and susceptible to exclusion."
Bashar Al Assad Got It Right: Syria Belongs to Those Who Defend It
In his latest speech, Bashar Al Assad said Syria is for those who defend it. Asaad Hanna explains what that means.
Guyanese Police Officers Punished for Being Pregnant
Outdated laws in Guyana make it possible for the police service to dismiss female officers who get pregnant while on probation. Could that change sometime soon?
Indonesian Court Orders Family of Former President Suharto to Return Embezzled Funds
Indonesia's Supreme Court has ruled that the foundation of the late President Suharto is guilty of embezzling state funds from 1976 to 1998. It ordered the family of Suharto to return 315 million US dollars to the state. Suharto ruled Indonesia from 1967 to 1998. During his 31-year rule, he...
Tourism Poster That Put Jamaica on the Map Gets New Life
What is perhaps the most famous travel poster in world history got a new wave of attention thanks to a recreation by American musician Alicia Keys.
14 Films That Have Been Banned in Iran Since 2007
Movies continue to be banned for a variety of reasons in Iran, despite the president's lip service to the need for more cultural freedoms in the country.
That's the Last Time This Cafe Owner Messes with a Supermodel's Autistic Sister
What happened when a cafe owner tried to eject from his business a 27-year-old customer named Oksana, diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy, saying she was scaring away customers?
Argentinians Keep the Memory of Dictatorship Victims Alive on the Web
For almost 40 years, Argentinian human rights movements have fought to preserve the memory of their disappeared loved ones, a struggle that has adapted for the Web 2.0 era.
Hong Kong Investigative Journalism Start-Up ‘Factwire’ Crowdfunds HK $3 Million
“Hong Kong is one of the few places where information flows almost completely freely. If Paris has Agence France-Presse, New York has the Associated Press...why [shouldn’t] Hong Kong have FactWire?”
A Ping-Pong Table Puts Singapore's Intellectual Property Regulation Under the Spotlight
"...we feel that more can be done to encourage, respect and protect content creation. Unfortunately, limited understanding of artists’ rights and standard industry practices remains."
Russia Blocks Euronews ISIS Video Over ‘Extremist’ User Comment
Russian censors have blocked another YouTube video, although it did not violate any Russian laws. Instead, an offending user comment under the video caused Roscomnadzor to ban the page wholesale.
An Icon of Iran's Reform Movement Joins Anti-Nuclear Deal Efforts
Ahmad Batebi has caused a social media stir by denouncing the nuclear deal and appearing in an ad produced by an offshoot project of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
