Stories about Citizen Media from October, 2012
Slovakia: Protesting SOZA's Newest Copyright Fees
SOZA's general manager Vladimír Repčík addressed Slovak high school seniors via his blog on October 22, urging them to register with his agency and pay €15 for their traditional graduation parties. Tibor Blazko reports on the controversy.
Colombia: Kien&Ke's Director Resigns After Journalist's Dismissal
Maria Elvira Bonilla, director of online portal Kien & Ke, resigned after acknowledging her error in firing journalist Daniel Pardo for his column about the influence exercised by the Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales in media like W Radio [es]-a case that sparked outrage among Colombians.
Colombia: Journalist Fired Over Article About Oil Company
Colombian journalist Daniel Pardo was fired from the website Kien&Ke after publishing a column about the influence exerted by the Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales in media like W Radio. Many netizens agree that the dismissal is an attack on freedom of the press.
Russia: the Scuffles of the Moscow Literati
Most online conflicts in the RuNet remain virtual. Sometimes, however, members of the Moscow creative class feel that fisticuffs are their only recourse, as a recent Twitter spat between blogger Maksim Kononenko and Pussy Riot lawyer Mark Feygin demonstrated.
Turkmenistan at Twenty-One: Double Holiday and Thaw with Russia
As Turkmenistan marks the 21st anniversary of its independence today, the celebrations coincide with a major Islamic holiday. Also, Turkmenistan's Independence Day this year comes at a time of an apparent improvement in the country's relations with Russia.
France: Will Winter Come Early for Nice's Famous Flower Market?
Florists in Nice's iconic Flower Marker are having to deal with more and more administrative red tape - in addition to problems posed by the waste-management authorities. Will this spell the end for one of the city's most famous attractions?
Ukraine: Technology for Transparent Elections
Amidst mounting allegations of the ruling party's use of administrative resource during election campaign, the government has pledged to keep the Oct. 28 free and fair. Local election monitoring groups, however, have been utilizing new technology to ensure electoral transparency and to check governmental pledges for themselves.
Occupy Movement Rallies for ‘Debt Strike’ Worldwide
Under the slogan “You are not a loan, you are not alone”, Occupy Wall Street's “Strike Debt” group is aiming to inject life into a resistance movement against debt repayment. The operation is gaining worldwide support, and could very well revive the protest movement Occupy Wall Street which was born a year ago.
Chile: Mapuche Prisoners End Hunger Strike After 60 Days
After 60 days on hunger strike, four Mapuche prisoners have ended their protest after the Chilean Supreme Court agreed to some of their demands. This struggle has also brought to light divisions about the conflict among Chileans.
Mauritania: Authorities Hand Over Gaddafi's chief intelligence to Libya
Mauritanian authorities handed over the Gaddafi regime intelligence chief Abdallah Senoussi to Libyan authorities. Ahmed Jedou collects blogger reactions to the development
Costa Rican Bloggers Speak Up for Freedom of Expression
Ticoblogger summarizes [es] the participation of bloggers, journalists, and activists in the forum “Online Anonymity, Pseudonyms and Freedom of Expression” held on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The post links to presentations by Gustavo Araya [es, pdf], Julio Córdoba [es], and José Medrano [es].
Peru: Police and Protesters Clash in #LaParada Market in Lima
A police operative blocking streets in a wholesale market area in Lima ended in clashes between merchants and the police. Television newscasts broadcast violent scenes showing a policeman on the ground being stoned in the head by rioters. Juan Arellano posted [es] a summary on his blog. More under the...
Kazakhstan: Misused National Symbols
People should be punished for displaying the coat of arms on garbage trucks and for using the national flag as a construction tool or toy bag.
Ukraine: Crowdmapping Election Violations
ElectUA.org [uk] is a crowdsourcing tool used to report and map election violations in Ukraine. A project of Internews-Ukraine, its goal [en] is “to encourage citizens to have active social position and monitor the electoral process.” So far, 1,177 reports have been submitted; the parliamentary vote is to take place...
Jamaica, Cuba: Handling Hurricane Sandy
Tropical Storm Sandy, which had been on a direct course towards the Greater Antilles over the past few days, got upgraded to Category 1 hurricane status shortly before it made landfall in Jamaica. It then struck Cuba and is now headed for the Bahamas.
Brazil: The Cry of Resistance of the Guarani Kaiowá
Under yet another threat of eviction from their lands, the Brazilian indigenous community of Guarani-Kaiowá released a letter that has rippled across the press and the web as a cry of resistance.
Russia: Cryptanalytic Vulnerabilities in the Opposition's Online Elections
The opposition's Elections Commission accidentally leaked personal voter data to one of its most dangerous enemies, Sergei Mavrodi's MMM group. How avoidable was this mistake, and does the fact that it happened indicate more serious vulnerabilities in the protest movement's digital self-defense?
United States: Latin America Invisible in Third Presidential Debate
Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, was the venue of the third and final debate between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney amidst a tight presidential race. Despite its geographical proximity to the U.S., Latin America was the big absentee of the night.
Kyrgyzstan: Bride-Kidnapping Prevented
You know what shocked me most of all? The people in the street. They were just standing there and watching [an attempt to kidnap a girl], as if it was some sort of a performance.
Senegal: Casamance Region Hopes for Peace Through Deal in Rome
On October 13 and 14, preliminary talks took place in Rome between representatives of the Senegalese government and of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (Mfdc). Casamance is a region in the south west of Senegal, which has been the scene of violent conflict between government forces and those fighting for independence since the beginning of the 1980s.
Philippines: Anti-Mining Activist Arrested over Facebook Post
The arrest of a 62-year old anti-mining activist in the Philippines for a 'libelous' Facebook post spawned fears of a clampdown on dissenters through the recently enacted anti-cybercrime legislation.
