Stories about Digital Activism from March, 2010
Russia: “Drugs and Hookers Scandal”
At The Daily Beast, author Michael Idov chronicles “Russia's amazing drugs and hookers scandal,” which involves opposition activist Ilya Yashin, political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin, and the Russian Newsweek‘s editor-in-chief Mikhail Fishman: “‘Let me get this straight,’ wrote Ilya Krasilschik, the editor of Afisha magazine, commenting on a Facebook status update...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: BBC Azeri Facebook Diary
As part of the BBC Superpower Season, the BBC's Azeri service approached Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor to participate in its own reflection on the power of the Internet. What follows is a version in English
Ukraine: Tons of Fish Die; Fishing Enthusiasts Start Grassroots Campaign
Hundreds of tons of fish were trapped and crushed to death by the ice, after Ukrainian authorities abruptly lowered the level of water in the Kyiv Reservoir. A group of Ukrainian fishing enthusiasts reacted by launching a grassroots campaign to ensure that further damage is avoided and the government takes steps to restore the ecosystem of the reservoir.
China: Google.cn migrated to Hong Kong
Finally Google has decided to leave China. Soon after the announcement, Google stopped censoring the search result of google.cn by redirecting the site to google.com.hk. In Google's official blog, David Drummond, the corporate's chief legal officer explains that its decision is due to the Chinese government's “non-negotiable legal requirement” in...
Haiti: World Water Day
Haiti Innovation blogs about World Water Day 2010.
Venezuela: Concerns About Controls on the Internet
Debate is heating up in Venezuela after decrees and statements from President Hugo Chávez, who questioned how the Internet is being used in the country. Many are interpreting these statements and policy proposals that the government wants control the Internet in Venezuela.
Haiti: The Real “Slavery”
“Exploitation of child domestics is a global problem, not a Haitian ‘slavery’ issue”: The Haitian Blogger republishes a piece by Ezilidanto that exposes the real “slavery” in Haiti.
Trinidad & Tobago: Red Earth
MEP Caribbean Publishers has the scoop on Trinidad and Tobago's Red Earth Eco Arts Festival, which, in commemoration of World Environment Day, plans to focus the spotlight on the country's “fragile fresh water systems: rivers, streams, waterfalls, underground springs and mangroves.”
Iran: New wave of blogger arrests
Another wave of blogger arrests has been reported in Iran but the details are murky. The leader of an anti-censorship group named Iran Proxy, and the founder of blog hosting service Persian Blog have both been arrested.
Iran: Iranians marked holiday under surveillance
Iranians marked, Charshanbeh Soori, a holiday that leads up to the Persian new year under the watchful eyes of riot police Tuesday night, after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei the Islamic Republic's leader discouraged celebrations.
Chinese netizens’ open letter to the Chinese Government and Google
Rebecca MacKinnon has summarized the viewpoints of some Chinese netizens who have issued an open letter to express their stand in censorship.
Russia: Prosecuted Blogger Receives Journalist Award
Mikhail Afanasyev (aka LJ user rukhakasia), blogger from Abakan, Eastern Siberia, received a Journalist Union Award “For Professional Achievement” for a series of articles about the accident at Sayano-Shushenskaya dam, Echo Moskvy reported. The articles led to a criminal case initiated against Afanasyev, which was closed later due to lack...
Russia: Activists Burns Effigy of Policeman
Activists of the movement “Autonomous Action” burnt an effigy a policeman during the “political Maslenitsa“, indymedia reports (photos and footage available). The action was dedicated to Seva Ostapov, a young man violently beaten by policemen and later accused of assaulting them.
Russia: Bank Employee Spoils Credit History for $0.26
Blogger logra published the recording of her conversation with a Russian bank employee who called her and in a strikingly impolite manner said he would spoil her credit history for the debt of 26 cents on her account. Logra's post gathered almost 3500 comments, seriously undermining the reputation of the...
Russia: Actor Calls Against Cooperation with Government
Russian actor Aleksey Devotchenko wrote a desperate post about what professional actors can do to express their protest against current political regime. Among the measures proposed are: not to stage in ‘patriotic’ movies, not to participate in concerts organized by police or FSB and so on.
Dubai: Iranian Blogger Omid Reza Mirsayafi Remembered
About 40 young people from all four corners of the world came together in a cafe in Dubai and remembered the first anniversary of the death of Iranian Omid Reza Mirsayafi, the first blogger to die in prison. The meeting also reflected on the March 18 Movement, OR318, via art.
Russia: Putin pros and cons go cyber
LJ user Anton Igorevich reports [RUS] that recent demonstrations against and for Russian Premier, Vladimir Putin, now have gone cyber, with websites against and in support of Putin, the latter being hacked, presumably by anti-Putinists.
Iran: Obama's Norouz message
President Obama sends a message to those celebrating the Persian holiday of Nowruz (Norouz), and in particular to the people and government of Iran. Here is the message in You Tube with Persian subtitles.
Iran: Raising money for Iranian journalist refugees
Balatarin web community is raising money for Iranian journalist refugees. The goal is to raise 15000 dollars.
“Damas de Blanco:” A Week of Protest in Cuba
Cuba's Damas de Blanco protests come on the heels of a flutter of international condemnation incited by the hunger striker Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death last month. Wednesday's crackdown by Cuban police was the first in two years on the political group, which is made up of the daughters, wives and mothers of imprisoned political dissidents.
Macedonia: If There Was No Internet
Macedonian bloggers and other new media users offer their responses to the question, "How internet changed your life?"
