Stories about Digital Activism from April, 2010
Iran: Hard-line blogs got filtered
The hard-line, pro-Ahmadinejad “Rajanews” website has protested against the filtering of hard-line blogs.
Bermuda: Campaign Finance
“I agree that political funding in Bermuda needs reform but doubt that our politicians – in any of the three tribes – have the stomach to tackle it”: Vexed Bermoothes thinks it's “because the disclosure of campaign contributions is just scratching the surface…”
St. Lucia: Getting Kids to Read
“All over the world there is mounting concern among educators and parents that kids are not showing enough interest in reading for pleasure, both in and out of school”: St. Lucia's Caribbean Book Blog thinks that “writers must stand up for the children.”
Puerto Rico: Amidst protests, students speak up for themselves online
Amidst protests over budget cuts students of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) have a found an additional space to express themselves: the Internet.
Iran: A ‘Green’ Labor Day (At Least Online)
The Iranian Green Movement is planning to make International Workers Day on May 1 a “green” day. The post-election opposition movement has not held any important demonstration since their last attempts were thwarted in February.
Azerbaijan: Dozens reported detained at anniversary commemoration
Twitter and Facebook users, as well as local news agencies, report that dozens of youth activists were today detained in Azerbaijan as they attempted to mark the first anniversary of shootings in Baku's Oil Academy which left 12 dead. Although not related to their online activity, among those detained were...
China: The un-natural death in the Chinese detention center
Damon from interlocals published a video on the issue of un-natural death in the Chinese detention center.
Russia: More Commentary on Sex Video Scandal
A Good Treaty comments – here and here – on the sex video scandals involving members of the Russian opposition, notes an increase in blog traffic (“nothing brings visitors to a website like the promise of nudity”), and responds to Julia Ioffe‘s Foreign Policy piece on the scandal.
China: The 42th anniversary of Lin Zhao's death
Lin Zhao (林昭）, a Peking University student, was arrested in 1960 during the Anti-Rightist Campaign launched by Mao Zedong in 1957 and sentenced to death on 29 of April (today) in 1968, 42 years ago at the age of 35. She could have exchanged for her freedom and life by...
Bahamas: Free Markets & the Environment
Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith blogs about Earth Day and free market environmentalism.
Tunisia: Killing the Web
Tunisian Rafik describes censorship in Tunisia as “webcide.” He tweets: “what is happening in Tunisia with massive censorship these last days is webcide : kill the web.”
Bahrain: Salman and Threatened Voices
From Bahrain, the Free Hasan Salman blog noted the inclusion of Salman in Global Voices Online's Threatened Voices. Salman was arrested on May 14, 2009, for allegedly leaking the names of security personnel to websites.
Technology for Transparency Review, Part II
Over at the Technology for Transparency Network we have already documented 30 technology projects that promote transparency, accountability, and civic engagement. Here's what we've learned so far.
Cuba: On Elections
Repeating Islands focuses on the Cuban elections here and here, while Generation Y explains why she has adopted “abstention as a form of protest.”
Brunei Foodies Go Pink 2010
Brunei Foodies Go Pink 2010 is a charity recipe book project of Brunei bloggers for 2010. Bloggers and foodies alike have agreed to raise funds and create awareness about breast cancer by inviting bloggers to contribute their favorite dessert recipe which will be compiled in a book.
“Boobquake” to challenge claims of Iranian cleric
A Purdue University student in the United States is asking women around the world to show a little cleavage or a little leg on Monday as a humorous test to disprove an Iranian cleric’s theory that immodest dress has the power to make the earth shake.
Bulgaria: Appeals for Help in Arevik Shmavonyan's Deportation Case
Svetla Encheva (BUL), Maya Markova of Maya's Corner and Legal Clinic for Refugees and Immigrants, a Bulgarian NGO, appeal for help in the case of Arevik Shmavonyan, a pregnant Armenian citizen who is awaiting deportation from Bulgaria at the Special Centre for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners in Busmantsi (described by...
Barbados: Cyberbullying
Barbados’ Keltruth Corp. is “deeply saddened by the personal attacks made on Johan Bjerkhamn after the most tragic death of his son” and advocates for a cessation of the cyberbullying.
Guyana: Calling for a Vote
Guyana's Imran Khan suggests that there “be a vote in the community” when it comes to the amplification of the Muslim call to prayer: “I am convinced that there will be a landslide victory to cease the amplified adhan…[and] have it continue by a natural human voice only.”
Russia: “The Sirens of Russia”
A Good Treaty posts a YouTube video of a Moscow driver's encounter with a high-ranking official's BMW and explains why “the special road status of the elite is a sore point with the Russian public.” (A few more related links in Russian are here.)
Russia: Medvedev Twitter Accounts
Profy writes about the soon-to-be-launched official Twitter account of the Russian president – and the recently suspended fake one: “The thing is that this Twitter account misbehaved on the day of last week’s terrorist bombings in Moscow: a comment was published that looked very much like the first official comment...
