Stories about Digital Activism from August, 2012
India: Social Media Censorship to Contain ‘Cyber-Terrorism'?
'Are we going to follow the footsteps of Pakistan and China and turn into a Blockistan?' The Indian government has cracked down on various social media sites; some Facebook pages and Twitter handles have also been blocked.
Arab World: 1.3m Active Twitter Users Across Arab Countries
The Arabist shares statistics on Twitter users in the Arab world, where the overall number of active Twitter users across the entire region numbers 1.3 million. The largest number of active Twitter users live in Saudi Arabia.
Togo: 11 Missing After Clashes Between Police and Protesters
Koaci writes that 11 protesters are reported missing [fr] after the police clashed with thousands of protesters on the streets of Lomé on August 23: Police forces have used violence so far but they were quickly overwhelmed. For the first time, the whole city was filled with protesters.
Russia: Drug Drugu, Wish Fulfillment via Social Networks
Drug Drugu ("To One Another") is a service that works with the wishes of users. Community members can not only request some kind of help, but also offer their own. The resource's operating principle is very simple: a user leaves a message in the appropriate category, assigns it a category, location, and image, and waits for another community member to response.
Peru's Feminist Activist-Artist: María María Acha-Kutscher
Peruvian feminist, activist and visual artist María María Acha-Kutscher is using the Internet to share her work. From Mexico's Frida Kahlo to Spain's "indignadas" (outraged) and Russia's Pussy Riot, Acha-Kutscher's drawings reflect the life and struggles of female artists and activists from all over the world.
Colombia: Students’ National Mobilization Call
On Twitter [es], Facebook [es] and other [es] media, the National Student Board (Mane) [es] is calling for a national mobilization on September 5 to protest President Santos’ failure to keep his commitments to higher education. Image from their facebook page.
Jordan: Say No to Internet Censorship
Jordan is slipping into a black hole, with new restrictions on Internet freedom approved by the government today [August 22, 2012]. First, the government gave the go ahead to block websites. Now, a new Publications Law, which allows for more control and censorship over the Internet, has has been approved as a draft.
Syria: Give the Nobel Peace Prize to the Syrian People
Syrian netizens have a dream – that the Syrian people would be awarded the Nobel peace prize this year. They even have a dedicated website to push the cause, with information in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Egypt: Disgust with Eid Harassment Photos
Blogging Egypt shares her views on what she thinks of the Eid harassment photographs: it DISGUSTS me that whoever caught these images on camera – of women being harassed, boys grabbing women's behinds, etc – did not bother to blur the victims’ faces before spreading the images across the internet.
Morocco: Is the ‘Allegiance Ceremony’ a Thing of the Past?
The bay'a is the name of an annual ceremony of "allegiance" to the King of Morocco. Activists are planning to stage a counter-manifestation today to pledge "Allegiance to Dignity an Freedom". The debate has been raging online.
Central America: Upcoming “Camps” for Young Cyber-Activists
Rising Voices is partnering with Hivos and Dialogía in two “camps” for young people using digital media for social change. The workshops, called “Activistmo” [es], will be held in Nicaragua and Guatemala during September and October. Young people from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala between the ages of...
Puerto Rico: Social Media's ‘No’ Campaign Wins Big in Referendum
"140 characters focused so hard on raising awareness among people that today they broke the machinery put together by money. The NO won!!!" - A netizen reacts to the campaign's success in a referendum to amend the country's constitution.
Russia: Pussy Riot and the Orthodox Reformation
Retired priest speaks out for Pussy Riot, breaking with the Patriarch and renouncing his holy orders, but his letter is mostly plagiarized. What does this mean for Russia's religious Reformation?
Togo: Police Clashes with Thousand of Protesters in Lomé
Today (August 21), the association ” Sauvons le Togo” has posted photos on its twitter and Flickr account that illustrate clashes between police and thousand of protesters who demand reforms in the electoral process.
Guyana: Social Media Plays Role in Linden Solidarity Protests
The protests in Linden have spawned other protests in solidarity, both in Guyana and overseas - and social media, in the form of blogs, online videos and Facebook - have been helping to spread the message.
Video: ‘I Was Here’ Campaign – Small Actions to Change the World
Join us as we see how small actions can change the world through the 'I Was Here' campaign for the United Nations World Humanitarian Day. The UN and American singer Beyoncé have given out a worldwide invitation - for you to make someone else's life better by doing something good for someone, somewhere.
South Korea: Controversial Launch of Online Music Video Rating
South Korean authorities have launched a new ratings system for music videos posted online. The new bill requires every music video (or promotional video) and even movie trailers to be rated prior to upload. Failure to comply could result in up to two years in prison or a hefty fine.
Brazil: Belo Monte Halted, but for How Long?
When it seemed that all was already lost, the movements opposing the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant were surprised by an order suspending the works, which were being carried out on the Xingu River in the state of Pará. News of the decision, which was made on the night of the 13th of August, spread like a wave of hope for the activists, who inundated social media with exuberant reactions.
Senegal: SunuCause, a Blogger-Driven Humanitarian Project
The team of bloggers that created the Sunu2012 project earlier this year to monitor the Senegalese presidential elections has launched a new collaborative online project called SunuCause. The objective of the project is to raise awareness over social issues in the region among the Senegalese online community.
Pakistan: Government Suspends Mobile Services in Major Cities on Eid
"So whats the guarantee terrorists won't strike tomorrow or the day after? Why not close cell phone services, like forever?" A Pakistani netizen reacts to the temporary cell phone ban, which the government says has been put in place to prevent terrorist attacks.
