Stories about Digital Activism from April, 2011
Brazil: An e-Book to Understand Social Media
“Aiming to stimulate discussion and sharing of best practices related to the universe of social networks”, Brazilian journalist Ana Brambilla has launched the e-book “Para Entender as Mídias Sociais” (To Understand Social Media) [pt] free for download on the blog with the same name.
Citizen Journalism from Tibet
“The Story Behind the Story” on Radio Free Asia looks at recent video footage that was taken by a Tibetan citizen journalist. The footage, smuggled out of Tibet, appears to have been taken using an iPhone and was received by RFA in QuickTime format. It refutes China's state media pronouncements...
Equatorial Guinea: SOS Malabo
The team behind S.O.S Malabo has a mission: to promote “visibility, awareness, mobilization, collaboration for the people of Equatorial Guinea using social media.”
Russia: “Navalny's Nationalism”
A Good Treaty went through the archives of Alexey Navalny's blog and other RuNet sources and wrote about this prominent Russian anti-corruption activist's nationalism.
Brazil: Friends and Advocates of a Street Full of Trees
The Amigos da Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho‘s blog (Friends of Gonçalo Carvalho Street) [pt] explains how a group of people in Porto Alegre, Brazil, mobilized an advocacy campaign against the plan for a new development construction in that street. Gonçalo de Carvalho Street is nowadays considered historical, cultural, ecological and...
Russia: “Power of the Families,” Wikipedia of Nepotism
Marina Litvinovich, Global Voices contributing editor and profound investigative journalist, launches “Power of the Families,” [ru] a Wikipedia-like report on corruption and nepotism among the top-ranking Russian officials.
Malawi: Political Science Lecturer Talks About Blogging Academic Freedom
When Malawi's Inspector General of Police Peter Mukhito summoned political science senior lecturer Dr Blessings Chinsinga over an example he gave in the lecture room, he had no idea that the incident will appear on Boniface Dulani's blog. Victor Kaonga wanted to hear from Dulani about his blogging experiences especially following the Chinsinga episode which has turned into a movement fighting for academic freedom.
Cuba: Fonseca Released
“The publicity on Facebook, Twitter and blogs only intensified…”: Uncommon Sense says that the release of Cuban human rights activist Sara Martha Fonseca “is a victory for freedom.”
Zambia: Tweeps Discuss Need For Condom Distribution in Prisons
Issues such as HIV/AIDS and homosexuality are emotive issues in Zambia. The former has claimed a lot of lives in the last quarter of a century and the latter is an issue that people dare not talk about publicly. Some Zambians on Twitter have however, brought an interesting aspect to the homosexuality debate - that condoms should be distributed in Zambian prisons, where sodomy is known to be practised.
Lebanon: Seven Estonian Hostages Appeal for Help
On March 25, Estonian YouTube user HelensVlogs reported on the kidnapping of seven Estonian tourists two days earlier, as they were cycling in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. On April 20, the seven hostages appeared in this video, pleading for help. (More info, on BBC News – here and here.)
Russia: Social Networking Via a “Prison” Game, Female Users’ Photos
Katya Trubilova of Social Media Lessons From Russia and the UK writes this, among other things, about Russia's largest social network VKontakte: “The most popular app on Vkontakte is a game called Тюряга (Prison) with 6 134 947 installations. The goal of the game is to make tattoos to become...
Russia: Reactions to Freedom House Internet report
LJ user dolboeb discusses [RU] how Russia is portrayed in the recent Freedom House report on Freedom on the Net 2011.
Bahamas, U.S.A.: Economic Empowerment
“The best way to address poverty and fairness in our society is through a radical overhaul of our failing education system”: Bahama Pundit sees some parallels with the U.S. regarding debt and income inequality.
Cuba: The More Things “Change”
Uncommon Sense finds recent announcements about reform in Cuba ironic in the context of developments like these.
Algeria: A Sit-In for Reporter Khaled Sid Mohand, Detained in Syria
A group of journalist, members of the MJIC and a few leaders of the FFS organised a protest in front of the Syrian embassy in Algiers in solidarity with reporter Khaled Sid Mohand currently detained in Syria (fr). The Embassy PR officer stated that the embassy : “.. did not...
Madagascar: Censorship Comes in Different Shapes and Sizes
Blogger Achille52 reviews the state of media and free speech in Madagascar (fr), detailing the different manners in which bloggers are harassed (also explained in an Amnesty International report). He also explains that he deactivated his blog after he was told by a police officer that people are looking for...
Saudi Arabia: Mapping Human Rights Violations
Amnesty International has set up a crowd sourced map (Ar) on human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. The aim is to allow users to report and map human rights violations taking place.
Central Asia: Finalists of BarCamp Ideas Market
Global Voices has already provided an overview of BarCamp Central Asia, which took place on 15-17 April, 2011 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In this post we would like to give our readers a closer look at online projects, developed by young bloggers and IT specialists from Central Asia. BarCamp Ideas Market - a special section of the event was dedicated to new ideas and future Internet trends in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Trinidad & Tobago: Autism Awareness
“It wasn't until 1994 that Asperger's syndrome was officially recognized by the American Psychological Association. Fifty years. T&T's already behind the curve”: Blogging at Outlish, Nicole Greene “hope[s] it doesn't take us another 50 years before we're finally ready to properly support the autistic community among us.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Problem or Solution?
When it comes to the country's social ills, aka_lol says: “An uncaring person is uncaring 24-7 and no amount of phony foreign accents, flowing local dialect, paper degrees, high or low society standing and police friends can make them anything but some of the scum that is helping to run...
Cuba: Reaching the Limit
Cuban bloggers weigh in on Raul Castro's recent announcement of term limits for leadership of the country.
