Stories about Digital Activism from January, 2015
31 January 2015
Grindr in the Kremlin: Gay and Online in Putin's Russia
Russia's "balanced" anti-homosexual legislation has turned the Internet from a safe haven into a battleground in Kremlin’s assault on the Russian LGBT community.
30 January 2015
As a Drone Captures Global Voices at 10, a Few Thoughts from Cebu
I was blogging and tweeting frenetically, trying to capture the conversations in panels and halls, soaking up as much news and perspective as I could from friends around the world.
23 January 2015
World Leaders’ Paris March Participation Provokes Wave of Criticism
Internet users responding to images of world leaders at the Paris march against terrorism earlier this month displayed what might be called a "consensus of mockery."
20 January 2015
One Month on, Pakistanis Pledge to #NeverForget the Horrific Peshawar School Massacre
Campaigners urged overseas Pakistanis to join “not just by sending funds, but by going to Pakistani embassies wherever they live” to send a strong message to the government.
19 January 2015
Five Issues that Matter to Kyrgyzstan's Girl-Activists
Kyrgyzstan's 'Devochki-Activistki' are young girls fighting for gender equality in schools and within families. Meet them ahead of their appearance at the Global Voices 2015 Summit in Cebu.
13 January 2015
Pro-Russian Forces in Eastern Ukraine Apparently Fire on Another Civilian Vessel by Accident
This is not the first time separatists have boasted of an attack online, quickly followed by an assertion that the attack was actually carried out by the Ukrainians.
What Do Twitter Users in Ukraine and Russia Say About Their Presidents? An Introduction
RuNet Echo collaborates with MITH to investigate how Russian and Ukrainian Twitter users talk about their presidents—Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko.
Twitter Mocks Anti-Muslim Comments with #FoxNewsFacts after ‘Expert’ Says Birmingham, England is ‘Totally Muslim’
Twitter users quickly got into the game, trending #FoxNewsFacts globally. Social search engine Topsy reports that the tag has been tweeted more than 400,000 times this week.
11 January 2015
The Man Behind 263Chat, an Award-Winning Platform for Conversation in Zimbabwe
Nigel Mugamu launched #263Chat in September 2012. "We like to amplify people’s voices too – that’s important to us," he says.
9 January 2015
A Year of Offline and Online Activism in Bolivia
Adapted from a Storify curation by the portal La Pública, here is a look back at some highlights from the year of offline and online activism in Bolivia.
Venezuelan President Would Free Opposition Leader if US Frees Oscar López Rivera
Puerto Rican Oscar López Rivera has been in prison for 33 years in the United States. He has been called the longest held political prisoner in the Western Hemisphere.
8 January 2015
What Drives Blasphemy Charges in the Middle East? (It's Not Just Religion)
Sentenced to death for his online writing, Mauritanian blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed is yet another victim of a repressive government using “apostasy” pretexts to crack down political speech.
Your Guide to Sri Lanka's 2015 Presidential Election
Incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa faces off against his former health minister, Maithripala Sirisena, in a presidential contest rife with electoral violations, social media manipulation, and constitutional stakes for Sri Lanka.
7 January 2015
Şanar Yurdatapan's Museum of Crimes of Thought Takes Aim at Growing Oppression in Turkey
Sanar Yurdatapan, renowned Turkish composer, song-writer and activist talks about his Museum of Thought Crimes online initiative, which aims to document violations committed by government against pro-democracy forces in Turkey.
Protests Against Peru's Labour Law Multiply, But Government Holds Firm
Some 20,000 young people took to the streets of Lima on December 22 to oppose controversial labour legislation proposed by the Peruvian government.
A Look Back at ‘Eastern Ukraine Unfiltered’
With hindsight, the title of this interview series is a bit of a misnomer. The truth is, of course, that everyone has a filter.
6 January 2015
Indian Netizens Criticize Online Censorship of ‘Jihadi’ Content
Indian netizens are speaking out against censorship in the face of government blocks on Github, Internet Archive, Vimeo, Sourceforge and other popular sites.
5 January 2015
Young Brazilians Are Creating Radio Jingles to Promote Sustainable Amazon Development
Youth in the Brazilian Amazon community Cabelo Seco are taking the lead through a radio project, supported by Rising Voices, to promote sustainability through traditional, digital, and innovative means.
4 January 2015
Lovers of the Middle East, Unite!
Two lovers have started collecting 100 love stories from around the Middle East to show the world that the Arab Uprisings brought about unique social change.
2 January 2015
EU Citizens Petition Against CETA and TTIP Trade Arrangements
This year watch for two transatlantic trade arrangements being negotiated by the EU with Canada and the US respectively. European civic groups fear they will trample over the public interest.
