Stories about Citizen Media from August, 2012
Ethiopia: Online Reactions to Meles Zenawi Death
Samuel Gebru, the founder of EGI (Ethiopian Global Initiative) writes on his personal blog: Ethiopia and Africa has lost a formidable leader who worked tirelessly for the transformation of his country and continent. Prime Minister Meles was not perfect and I did not agree with every decision he made. I openly...
Niger: Floods leave thousands Homeless in Niamey
Barmou Salifou in Niger posts the following request on twitter after floods devastated Niamey [fr] on August 19:
Belgium: Police Violence
Here is a video showing police in Brussels arresting a drunk man who was beating a woman, before they then start to beat him. A person in the neighborhood filmed the incident.
Macedonia: Crowdsourcing Against Gender-Based Violence
Ushahidi blog's current “Deployment of the Week” selection [en, mk] is React! Be Safe! (“Реагираj!”), an online platform against gender-based violence in public spaces [en, mk, sq], launched by the think-tank Reactor, initially covering the Skopje municipalities of Centar and Čair.
Trinidad & Tobago: Political Euphemisms
If…you negotiating with crime lords…after your leader state categorically in a 2011 speech in Parliament that she would never negotiate with criminals, well… The Eternal Pantomime blogs about the government's “latest cock up”.
Caribbean: Escape from Tropical Storm Isaac
Caribbean netizens have their eye on Tropical Storm Isaac, the ninth such weather system for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. Isaac has been steadily moving up the Leeward Islands, and storm warnings and watches have been issued for Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Bloggers share their experiences, post videos and voice their concerns.
Pakistan: 11-Year-Old Christian Girl Detained for Blasphemy
'We can't repeal blasphemy law. A) mobs would go on vigilante sprees with no qualms & b) cops couldn't stop open shia killing, how this?' - Tweet from a Pakistani Christian blogger.
Kyrgyzstan: China Inc. Under Attack
China’s growing economic presence in Kyrgyzstan continues to be a topic for heated discussion in Kyrgyz society. In the country’s regions, this discourse is reflected in acrimonious standoffs between Chinese companies and locals, confrontations the mainstream media often fails to report on.
Bermuda: Learning from London
Respice Finem says that there are valuable lessons to be learned from the London Olympics.
Angolan Tourists Spend Big Bucks in Portugal
'Little by little we see Angolan money starting to dominate businesses and the economic sectors in Portugal.' According to a netizen this is in stark contrast to 70% of Angola's population which 'is barefoot, have empty stomachs, (and) live in a slum.'
Ecuador on Alert Over Spewing Tungurahua Volcano
The Tungurahua volcano has been spewing pyroclastic material and ash throughout this month, affecting thousands of families, crops, and animals. Scientists and citizens use Twitter and Facebook to inform about the Tungurahua's activity.
Bolivian Women Lead TIPNIS Struggle
Their protagonism has sparked controversy in a society where patriarchal traditions and attitudes still run deep
India: Social Media Censorship to Contain ‘Cyber-Terrorism'?
'Are we going to follow the footsteps of Pakistan and China and turn into a Blockistan?' The Indian government has cracked down on various social media sites; some Facebook pages and Twitter handles have also been blocked.
India: Govt. Guidelines For #SocialMedia Use
"I am quite confident that these guidelines won’t have much of an impact when the Government itself is defying most of them while communicating with people".
Kenyan Blogger Detained Over Controversial Tweets
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Blogger Erik Hersman uses Voltaire's quote to explain his support for Alai who is seen as a very controversial blogger in Kenya.
Arab World: 1.3m Active Twitter Users Across Arab Countries
The Arabist shares statistics on Twitter users in the Arab world, where the overall number of active Twitter users across the entire region numbers 1.3 million. The largest number of active Twitter users live in Saudi Arabia.
France: Mandatory Car Driver Breathalyzers in Bid to Reduce Accidents
Starting from July 1 2012, every vehicle driver in France has had to carry a breathalyzer. This measure is aimed at diminishing the number of accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol.
Russia: Government Bans Serbian Film for Underage Sex and Drugs
On August 17, Sam Klebanov announced that Russia's Ministry of Culture has banned the release of a Serbian film called "Clip." Klebanov's company owns the Russian distribution rights to the movie, which was honored with a Hivos Tiger Award at the forty-first International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands earlier this year.
Zambia: President’s Salary Secretly Hiked Twice in Three Months
Earlier this year Zambian President Michael Sata’s salary was discreetly increased by nearly 100 per cent together with those of other constitution office holders. No media organisation picked up the story until three months later when the citizen news website, Zambian Watchdog, got wind of it.
Tanzania, Ethiopia: Meles Zenawi ‘Tweets’ from Grave
"@zittokabwe please be better than I was. Not fun up here I am preparing 2 pay for some of this." A post-death tweet from Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to Tanzanian Member of Parliament Zitto Kabwe causes a stir.
Russia: Drug Drugu, Wish Fulfillment via Social Networks
Drug Drugu ("To One Another") is a service that works with the wishes of users. Community members can not only request some kind of help, but also offer their own. The resource's operating principle is very simple: a user leaves a message in the appropriate category, assigns it a category, location, and image, and waits for another community member to response.