Stories about Digital Activism from July, 2010
Costa Rica: Human Trafficking Awareness
The Rahab foundation in Costa Rica has put out a video warning people about potential job offers which may be too good to be true and put women as victims in human trafficking schemes.
Hong Kong: Citizen campaign to save Tai Long Beach
Many people have the impression that Hong Kong is a concrete forest made up with high rise buildings. However, actually 75% of the land in this global city is undeveloped country side. Such landscape is an unintended result of the colonial history, when after the WWII, the British government tried...
Azerbaijan: Amnesty International campaign for convicted bloggers
Having already recently marked the first anniversary of their initial detention, Amnesty International urges supporters worldwide to lobby the government in Azerbaijan to ensure that imprisoned video blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli receive a fair appeal hearing in the coming months.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Bloggers build dialogue
Although a recent conference held earlier this month highlighted some of the shortcomings and dangers of using new and social media in conflict resolution, there is no doubt that online tools have moved in to fill a gap left vacant by a usually politically polarized and propagandist media in the South Caucasus.
Guyana: Party or Country?
“The fastest route for Guyana to get to the point of being a prosperous country is to find a leader who rejects disunity in all its forms…and embraces the diversity of this beautiful country”: The Guyana Groove wants to know whether people are loyal to party or country.
Russia: Kremlin tweets go English
Dmitry Petrovsky of Russia Blog reports that the Kremlin has set up a mirroring Twitter account in English to its popular Russian counterpart.
Azerbaijan: Caucasus Women
CauCasuSWomaN takes a look at the rights of men and women in Azerbaijan (and the Caucasus) in the context of actual attitudes to gender and says that education is key to changing existing values and perceptions.
Lebanon: The Rule of Dinosaurs
Shortly after the recent cyber censorship incidents in Lebanon, the term "The Rule of Dinosaurs" started to be used by the e-activists in their campaign against this invasion of their cyberspace. Lebanese blogger Tony explains what it means.
Russia: Roadtrip to Caucasus
Popular bloggers tema [RUS], nl [RUS] and others [RUS] (9 bloggers in 3 cars) post pictures and short notes from the roadtrip to Caucasus, that started on July 15th, 2010. So far, they travelled through the North Caucasus republics and are planning to go to Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.
Chile: How to Fight Poverty
A recent Casen survey revealed an increase of 1.4% in poverty in Chile; that means that “just over 355 thousand people reached the poverty line for the first time in 2009,” as explained by The Pulse. In response to the survey, the bloggers from de la República [es] uploaded a...
Bolivia: Interview with Argentinean Blogger and Journalist
Alberto Medrano shares [es] his email interview with Dady Rubio, an Argentinean journalist and blogger [es]. In the interview Rubio answers questions about Argentina and its bicentennial celebration, but also about Bolivia, blogging and the Internet in Latin America.
Egypt: The Beginning
“Welcome all to ‘Bedayaa‘ (which translates to ‘The Beginning’ in Arabic) a long-awaited project, a special place for gays and lesbians in the Nile Valley- Egypt and Sudan”: A new online space has been created where LGBTQI from the Nile Valley can meet, talk, discuss issues, and share experiences. Take...
Ecuador: The National Day of the Condor
A resolution taken by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1991 declared July 7 as the National Day of the Condor in Ecuador. Unfortunately, the day goes by unnoticed by many Ecuadorians.
Brazil: Electoral Blogsphere Censored
Censorship in the Brazilian blogsphere is an extremely sensitive issue due to a dictatorship past when it was legal. As the presidential elections of 2010 approach, the siege tightens and bloggers react.
Jamaica: People's Party
“I believe we need a party that is led by the PEOPLE, works on behalf of the PEOPLE and speaks in the voice of the PEOPLE”: Long Bench decides to take up the challenge.
Cuba: Looking In from the Outside
Generation Y tells the story “a Communist Party member, academic, and specialist on issues relating to the United States, [who] had the dangerous idea of writing an article against corruption”, saying: “Those ousted eventually realize that those they used to consider the ‘enemy,’ could at some point prove to be...
Southeast Asia: Sex and web censorship
Regulating internet content today is viewed as an anti-democratic practice but Southeast Asian governments seem able to justify it by invoking the need to save the young from the scourge of indecent sexual behavior.
Croatia: Official Zagreb Protest Blog
We don't give Varšavska is a blog in Croatian and English set up by the civic activists who object to usurpation of public space in Zagreb with latest information about mass arrests from the perspective of protesters.
Brazil: Call for the First Progressive Bloggers Meeting
Conceição Lemes in Viomundo calls on bloggers for the 1st Progressive Bloggers Meeting, to take place in São Paulo in 21-22 August [pt]. The meeting will gather bloggers from all over the country in order to share experiences on freedom of speech, politics, and democracy in the Brazilian society, in...
Trinidad & Tobago: Eating Wisely
“There is a need for subsidies…for better infrastructure for farmers, and for help with getting them to develop their markets. Farmers is folks too and if they aren’t feeling the love…is we to catch–and pay through the nose for their produce”: Lisa Allen-Agostini has a few suggestions “for encouraging people...
Cuba: A Different Kind of Prison?
The Cuban Triangle wants to know: “Are the releases unconditional? Spanish officials and Church authorities say they are. We will know for sure in due course, as we’re beginning to see reports that some of the prisoners are saying they want to remain in Cuba.”