Stories about Digital Activism from September, 2014
Colombia: No to Sex Tourism in Medellín
By mid July 2014, the Facebook page No to sex tourist was created, with the purpose of create awareness about sex tourism in Colombia. Wikipedia lo define como: … una forma de turismo con el propósito de mantener relaciones sexuales, normalmente de varones con prostitutas hembras, pero también, aunque menos,...
How a ‘Small Dream to Be the Change’ Grew Into a Charity With the Best Social Media Campaign in Uganda
Tumusiime Patrick interviews 40 Days Over 40 Smiles founder Esther Kalenzi about the charity, which helps vulnerable children and communities to access education and training.
Pro-Democracy Protesters Have Turned Central Hong Kong Into a Colorful Sea of Umbrellas
Dubbed the "umbrella revolution" in some media, protesters have withstood authorities' tear gas and pepper spray using umbrellas for protection.
What it Means to be Puerto Rican for Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera
Oscar López Rivera has been imprisoned in the United States for over thirty years because of his political beliefs.
Philippine Mall Apologizes For Selling Shirts that Say Rape is a ‘Snuggle with a Struggle’
This week Internet users were also enraged after a female model on a leash was pulled by a man, while she was on all fours, at a fashion show.
Egypt’s Escalating War on Gays Just Landed 6 Men Behind Bars for 2 Years
While Egypt doesn't have a specific law to prosecute same-sex relationships, the government has been vicious in its crackdown on gays under vague laws such as committing "indecency" and "debauchery."
Here's Why Mail.Ru's Complete Control Over VKontakte Is Bad News
Russia’s Internet group Mail.ru has acquired the remaining stake in VKontakte, and is now the sole owner of the biggest social network in the country.
Are Madagascar's Health Care Facilities Ready for Possible Ebola Outbreak?
Fifteen African countries including Madagascar are potentially at risk since they have the same environmental characteristics as affected countries. The prime minister says Madagascar is prepared, but others are doubtful.
#WithSyria Wants to End the Indiscriminate Bombing of Syrian Civilians
#withSyria campaign wants the world leaders to hear and act through 100K signatures to effectively stop the indiscriminate attacks of Syrians civilians. Help us by spreading the word.
In Crimea, No Room for Blogger Liza Bogutskaya And Her Pro-Ukrainian Views
Liza Bogutskaya's outspokenness against what she sees as Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea has made her a favorite of pro-Ukrainians online and an enemy of the Russian state administering Crimea.
Threats to Press Freedom in the Fight Against Ebola in Liberia
The Press Union of Liberia is concerned about the threat to freedom of information as a result of the actions taken by the government to limit the expansion of the Ebola virus. The union wrote a letter to the Minister of Justice to draw his attention to the challenges media...
Ice Bucket Challenge, Meet Ukraine's ‘Blood Bucket’ Challenge
A group of European youths are raising awareness of the conflict in Ukraine with a gory twist on the infamous Ice Bucket Challenge. The buckets are filled with metaphorical blood.
Trinidadian Diaspora Blogger Appeals to Domestic Violence Victims After Seeing Rice Viral Video
Once the video of Ray Rice (the American football player for the Baltimore Ravens) hitting his wife went viral, Trinidadian diaspora blogger Afrobella couldn't get the incident out of her mind. “The video where he spits and hits the woman who would go on to be his wife, where he...
The Internet Helps Double Russia's Number of Extremism Cases
The number of criminal cases opened on extremism charges in Russia doubled during 2014, and the Internet is responsible for the growth, as more political activity and activism happen online.
Was a Popular Saint Lucia Blog Taken Down by Google Hateful or Just Outspoken?
The no-holds-barred, muckraking blog had become both notorious and controversial among people interested in local politics -- and then it was blocked, without warning.
HiperBarrio/Convergentes: A Virtual Community Evolves While Preserving Its Essence
While in Medellin, Colombia, Global Voices contributor Juan Arellano stops by for a visit with his friends at HiperBarrio/Convergentes, one of Rising Voices' grant projects.
A Group of University Students in Kyoto Want Japan, China and Korea to Just Be ‘Happy’
Relations between the three countries are often prickly because of territorial and historical disputes. A group of students made a 'Happy' video to promote a message of friendship.
Building Sustainable Peace in The Central African Republic
As the UN launchs its peace keeping mission with the arrival of 1,500 troops in the Central African Republic (CAR), a few observers were wondering why it took so long given the extent of the casualties. Les Cercles nationaux de Réflexion sur la Jeunesse (CNRJ) is an NGO in Bangui, CAR that...
Sri Lanka's Slow LLRC Implementation
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was a commission of inquiry mandated to investigate the facts and circumstances which led to the bloody civil war in Sri Lanka. After an 18-month inquiry, the commission submitted its report to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa almost three years ago, on 15...
Russia Cracks Down on Internet Free Speech, Except When It's ISIS
The Internet army of the "Islamic State," having lost some of its battles in the West, is now allegedly recruiting and fundraising on the Russian social network VKontakte.
Russian Email Giants Yandex and Mail.Ru Bleed Passwords, Deny Hacking
Russia's largest email services, Yandex and Mail.Ru, were both hit with password leaks, resulting in millions of passwords published online, but denied their servers had been hacked.
