· November, 2012

Stories about Digital Activism from November, 2012

Spain: Minor Beaten by Catalonia's Police, Call for Minister to Resign

The use of force by Catalonia's police force, during November 14, 2012's general strike has brought about a wave of online condemnation. The events, which took place in the middle of an historic electoral campaign, has caused four of the region's political parties to petition for Catalonia's Interior Minister Felip Puig, to resign. One of the more controversial cases is of two minors who were attacked by the police.

25 November 2012

Spain: Catalan Newspaper Censors Blog for Reporting Hunger Strike

Catalan journalist and Global Voices contributor Lali Sandiumenge recently decided to disassociate her blog on digital activism, Guerreros del teclado or "Keyboard Warriors" from Catalonia's leading daily newspaper, La Vanguardia . The decision came after the publication's editorial staff decided to delete a post explaining a hunger strike in Barcelona by six workers of Telefónica, a telecommunications company in Spain.

25 November 2012

Made in Libya: Blogger Ahmed Ben Wafaa

Ahmed Ben Wafaa is a science teacher who started blogging in 2000 to express himself on the state of things in his country and through his blog "Made in Libya" he succeeded in becoming a source of information during the Libyan revolution. Ahmed Ben Jeddou interviewed him to know more about blogging and citizen media in Libya before and after the revolution

24 November 2012

Zambian Phone Apps Gather Country's News in One Place

After an Android phone app that allows Zambians to participate in the on-going constitution making process was developed, a couple of new apps, Zambia News Daily and The Zambian, which collate news about the country from a number of online sources, have appeared on the market.

23 November 2012

Crowdmapping Water Contamination in Peruvian Indigenous Communities

How can individuals hold the extractive industries accountable for the impacts – poisoned water, food, and heightened conflict are a few examples – of its activities? One project, called La Cuidadora, provides an information sharing network to assist indigenous communities in better protecting themselves from these impacts.

23 November 2012

Why Vote-Rigging in Ukraine's Elections Shouldn't Go Unpunished

Ukraine’s recent parliamentary elections were marred by allegations of vote-rigging and other forms of corruption. Veronica Khokhlova reveals some of the criticisms leveled by Ukrainian civil society against the elections, and argues that this may be the time for the opposition to rally around a common cause.

22 November 2012

Social Pressure Halts Evictions Temporarily in Spain

After years of action, the associations and platforms that formed in protest against home evictions in Spain achieved their first great success. The Spanish Banking Association announced that all evictions for families with small children, people with disabilities and the long-term unemployed will be suspended for the next two years.

20 November 2012

Brazilian Court Suspends Eviction Order of Indigenous Guarani-Kaiowá

The mass online mobilization that followed an appeal from the Guaraní-Kaiowá indigenous community of Pyelito Kue in Mato Grosso do Sul gave crucial support to their struggle to resist expulsion from their lands. In late October, the Brazilian courts decided to suspend their eviction order. However, the struggle continues until their lands are officially demarcated.

20 November 2012

Bolivia, Do You Have Internet?

After more than a decade, Bolivia’s National Census of Population and Housing will be held on November 21, 2012. There is only one question regarding Internet access, and it inquires only about the service, disregarding type of connection, quality, uses, and more. Analysts and activists argue that the government has missed an opportunity to collect in-depth information on this matter.

19 November 2012

Outrage as Facebook Post Leads to Arrests in India

Police detained a 21-year-old woman after she posted a Facebook a status update protesting the total shutdown of Mumbai city following the death of the founder of the Shiv Shena party. Her friend, who ‘liked’ the update was also arrested. Both were later released on bail.

19 November 2012

Nicaraguan Blog Contest Focuses on Human Rights

Hagamos Democracia (“Let's make democracy”) invites netizens to participate in the “Let's make a blog” contest, which aims [es] to, encourage in Nicaragua the creation of communication spaces that inform...

19 November 2012

Thousands March Against Repression in Costa Rica

On November 15, thousands of citizens participated in a march in response to the confrontations that occurred during a previous demonstration on November 8. In addition to renewing their protest in defense of the Costa Rican Social Security organization, the protesters also marched on behalf of the non-criminalization of social protest, rejection of political repression, and their objection to the new Cybercrime Law.

19 November 2012