Stories about Digital Activism from June, 2010
Russia: Anti-Corruption Cartoon Competition
S-pravdoi.ru, civil society portal, launched [EN] an anti-corruption cartoon competition. After one day of work the competition gathered more than 100 works from all over the country.
Russia: Novaya Gazeta, An Opposition Newspaper Under Internet Attack
Novaya Gazeta is a liberal opposition newspaper in Russia that is famous beyond Russia's borders. Several of its journalists have been killed, and it continues to attract both online and offline threats. Sergey Sokolov, the deputy executive editor, shares with GV his perspectives on information security and the ongoing investigations into the journalists' murders.
Cuba: Cameras & Memory
Generation Y says that the “dozens, hundreds of cameras scattered throughout the city” are creating content that “will be stored in the visual memory of this country.”
Bermuda: Free & Fair
“The Parliamentary Registrar estimates that 2,000 Bermudian voters are registered in the incorrect constituency”: Vexed Bermoothes thinks the figure is alarming, noting that “inaccurate voter rolls lead to inaccurate elections.”
Lebanon: E-transactions Draft Law Postponed
The Lebanese online community celebrated the temporary victory of postponing the vote in parliament for the new proposed E-transactions law for an extra month. More about this law and reactions in this post.
Macedonia: Law on Electronic Communications Invades Citizens’ Privacy
On June 16, 2010, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia adopted changes to the Law of Electronic Communications, which now violates the privacy of the citizens. With these changes, the Ministry of Interior Affairs will have constant and direct access to the electronic communications networks.
Jamaica, Barbados, U.S.A.: Unstoppable Spill?
Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish doubts that President Obama “is getting good advice when so much information is out there about grave concerns from scientists about whether this oil leak can be stopped”, while from Barbados, B.C. Pires observes: “If the calamity had occurred at the other end of the Caribbean...
Cuba, U.S.V.I.: Oil Spill Effects
As Cuba readies itself to face the effects of the BP oil spill, News of St. John wonders whether the Virgin Islands will be next and Pancier's Photo Blog declares: “Enough talk folks. Fix it and clean it up. 58 days is much too long…”
Guyana: Free to Criticize
Diaspora blogger Stella Ramsaroop republishes a column she wrote for a Guyanese newspaper in which she says: “If the people of Guyana want to continue down the road of true democracy, then it is time to tell your government to back off the nation’s free press.”
Russia: Bloggers Discuss the Case of a Cop-Killing Gang
Russian bloggers are having a heated discussion of the recent detention of a criminal group that carried out a series of attacks on the police in Russia’s Far East.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Viva the Vuvuzela
Abeni remembers when the ICC Cricket World Cup came to the Caribbean: “The conch shells, bugles, horns, drums etc which were integral to the Caribbean cricketing experience [were no longer] allowed” – which is why she declares, “Viva the vuvuzela!”
Cuba: Ferrer's Trial Date
Uncommon Sense highlights the case of Cuban prisoner of conscience Darsi Ferrer, who is set to stand trial later this month.
Jamaica: Waiting for ‘Dudus’
As ‘Dudus’ remains at large, bloggers comment on the upset the search for him has caused…Chez Hsia: “Someone needs to step in and provide the social services that Dudus was providing, or else the cycle will just begin anew…”; Active Voice: “The problem is that even in times of uneasy...
Egypt: My Name Was Khaled and I Was Not a Terrorist
Demonstrations and rage continued in Egypt following the death of a young Egyptian, allegedly at the hands of police. The anger on the street is evident online, where citizen journalists speak out.
Lebanon: Outrage over Blocking of VoIP
A recent move by the Lebanese government has led to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services being blocked within Lebanon. Citizens are outraged by the move. Katharine Ganly rounds up some of the blog reactions to this issue.
Haiti: Profiting from Disaster?
The Haitian Blogger suggests that “Haiti's calamity is a windfall for everyone, except Haitians living in Haiti in the camps.”
Cuba: Letters to the Editor
Generation Y says that the Granma newspaper's “Letters to the Editor” section “has created the false impression that criticism is admissible and one can speak with ‘no holds barred’.”
Peru: Cyber-Activism in Chimbote
Chimbote is a city and fishing port located to the north of Lima, where the use of internet is expanding. Recently, internet has become a way to call for and participate in protests both virtually and in person. An example of this was seen recently when citizens of Chimbote decided to protest on the poor state of the roads.
Iran: Repressed at home, Iranians protest worldwide
While several witnesses in Tehran said that scattered clashes erupted between Iran's security forces and demonstrators marking the first anniversary of a contested presidential election on 12 June, protests also occurred in many different cities of the world.
Iran: WordPress got filtered
BlogNews reports [fa] that WordPress got filtered in Iran on Sunday.BlogNews adds that it seems a mistake happened because all blogs using WordPress got filtered.
Bulgaria: Protest Against Neo-Nazi Violence
On June 6, a protest was held in Sofia in support of the rights of refugees and immigrants in Bulgaria. Shortly before the start of the protest, a group of skinheads attacked several people inside a tram on the way to the event. On June 10, a second gathering was organized, in which activists protested against neo-Nazism and the attacks on peaceful citizens.
