Stories about Digital Activism from May, 2020
29 May 2020
Cryptocurrency scammers flood Facebook users with ads for fake Forbes.com articles
Data publicly provided by Facebook about the adverts' reach indicate they have traveled far beyond North Macedonia, activists warn.
A conversation with Udmurt language digital activist Artyom Malykh
"My primary motivation is to keep the language of my community alive. Udmurt must be used in as wide a variety of spaces as possible in order to ensure that...
28 May 2020
Russian doctors’ union launches ‘map of problems’ faced by medics during COVID-19
Russia's medical staff are increasingly vocal about hospital conditions and a lack of personal protective equipment during the pandemic. This interactive map allows them to tell the world about it.
27 May 2020
A Yorùbá language activist strives for linguistic diversity in digital spaces
Adéṣinà Ọmọ Yoòbá, a Nigerian Yorùbá language and culture advocate, is keen to bridge the cultural and linguistic digital divide.
26 May 2020
Not just a number: Online memorial honors Brazil's COVID-19 victims
"After a while, those numbers start to lose their meaning, they become something like a clock, a warning, anything but people. And we start to become desensitized."
25 May 2020
How identity-driven conflicts fuel Ethiopia's incendiary social media rhetoric
Unity Park aimed to tell the story of all Ethiopians and celebrate the country’s diversity. But social media revealed politicized, nationalistic reactions along ethnic lines: Amhara and Oromo.
23 May 2020
Uyghur human rights advocate Dilnur Reyhan laments lack of Muslim solidarity
Hatred against the West has blinded ordinary Muslim citizens to the point of refusing to believe news brought by the Western media, even when it concerns concentration camps for Muslims
22 May 2020
Slovenian protesters channel Katie Melua to explain anti-corruption bicycle movement
"There are 10,000 bicycles in Ljubljana. That's a fact. That's how mad the people are."
21 May 2020
In Tunisia, women stand on the frontlines of targeted hate speech online
In Tunisia, an uprising toppled leadership and lead to revolution in 2011. Since then, digital space has witnessed heated debates about politics and society — including attacks against women activists and...
Meet the Uzbek activists using apps to connect gay men to HIV testing and care
Since 2016 Uzbekistan has been praised for its liberal reforms, but the LGBTQ+ community has not gained freedom. Those constraints make rights activists particularly resourceful – on- and offline.
20 May 2020
COVID-19-themed Global Voices story stars in Czech translation competition
Moderator Jan Faber spoke with GV about record-breaking participation in this year's edition, the future of translation and common errors that foreigners make when writing in Czech.
19 May 2020
In Algeria, online repression targets Amazigh protesters active in Hirak movement
In Algeria, the Amazigh people are often associated with France, Algeria's former colonial power. Racial slurs online accuse this group of being separatists who threaten "national unity."
18 May 2020
Nepali Muslims eye India's growing Islamophobia with fear
The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the status of already vulnerable minority Muslims in Nepal.
16 May 2020
Photo contest asks Rohingya community to document their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic
A photography competition for Rohingya people is being held from April 23 – August 23, 2020, featuring two broad categories – “Rohingya life” and “Response to Coronavirus” and entries can...
15 May 2020
Women journalists in Uganda carry ‘double burden’ with online attacks and harassment
Women journalists in Uganda carry the double burden of gender-based abuse online and potential threats related to political reporting. These threats have led women journalists to withdraw from public discourse.
13 May 2020
‘Corona Ciao': Parody of old revolutionary song goes viral in the Balkans
Insult to revolutionary heritage, paean to middle-aged tavern-going privilege or just a bit of fun?
12 May 2020
Honduran congresswoman claims she was blocked from virtual plenary session
In times of COVID-19 and confinement, the use of technology that replaces in-person meetings could undermine democratic processes, through sheer inefficiency or by malice.
Amid COVID-19 pandemic in Niger, government violates whistleblowers’ freedom of speech
Today in Niger, freedom of demonstration, assembly and speech are endangered, flouted by the unelected administrative authorities of various municipalities in the country.
11 May 2020
In Bangladesh, criticism of government response to the COVID-19 pandemic is risky
"Would it be wrong if someone says that the authorities in Bangladesh, equipped with Digital Security Act, launched a crackdown on those critical to the government?"
Russians in lockdown celebrate a subdued Victory Day online
There were no parades this year. But the RuNet's resourcefulness prepared Russia well to commemorate Victory Day in lockdown — seamlessly converting the largest public holiday into a mass online event.
