Stories about Digital Activism from April, 2013
YouTube Lags in South Korea While Internet Zips By
In South Korea where net users are accustomed to whizzing along with one of the fastest Internet connection speeds in the world, YouTube's sluggish performance is a source of constant complaints. The reason behind the video-hosting website's snail-like speed? The utter disrespect that South Korea's dominant corporations have for net neutrality.
The Future of a Community Library in Puerto Rico is Threatened
Library users were saddened to learn that this local institution would be closed until further notice because of insufficient funds to repair its damaged roof. The Library is exploring sources of financial assistance to meet immediate needs and protect its collection.
Detained and Desperate – Undocumented Migrants in Greece
Stories of despair were transmitted through Twitter, when politicians, journalists and anti-racism activists visited a detention facility within the Drapetsona police station in Piraeus city, where more than 100 unauthorized migrants are living in cramped, dark and deplorable conditions. GV author Maria Sidiropoulou was among the visiting delegation and reports.
Monsanto Nominated for Puerto Rico's Agricultural Hall of Fame
As soon as the non-profit organization Acción y Reforma Agrícola announced that it nominated the agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto to the Hall of Fame of Puerto Rican Agriculture, many grassroots groups demonstrated their fiercest opposition.
Indonesia: Relief Still Needed for Rokatenda Refugees
The impact of the Rokatenda volcanic eruption in Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia is still felt by some 3,000 refugees from Sikka District. Rokatenda erupted last February and following the natural disaster, residents are still hesitant and afraid to return to their houses.
Chileans Debate Whether Wealth Weighs in Glaciers or Gold
Two of humankind’s most treasured resources--water and gold--have instigated a conflict between an indigenous community and a Canadian mining company over an isolated swath of Chile’s Atacama region.
Catalan Wikipedia Reaches 400,000 Article Milestone
The Catalan edition of Wikipedia Viquipèdia, a fundamental support to a language and culture historically discriminated against because it belongs to a stateless nation, has registered a record number of active users, with its article count reaching 400,000. At a moment when Catalonia is involved in a debate about becoming independent from Spain, its role in raising global awareness on the issue is crucial.
No More Apologies – Japan's Facebook Users Share ‘Fake’ Propaganda
A thousand Japanese Facebook users unknowingly endorsed and shared a fictitious image that claimed to be an official publication and highlighted the negative impact Japan's apologetic stance in history has on the country's children.
Young Haitian-Dominicans Demand Their Right to a Legal Identity
Around 50 Dominican youth of Haitian ancestry marched towards the National Palace demanding the return of their documents and, as such, their Dominican nationality, taken away arbitrarily through an administrative ruling issued by the Central Electoral Board in 2007.
Before Trial, Navalny Nominated as Russia's “Political Enlightener”
As Alexey Navalny is gearing up for his embezzlement show-trial in Kirov, there is at least one silver lining: he made it on the short-list of the Russian award Politprosvet (literally "Political Enlightenment").
Latin American Activists Gather in La Paz
On April 17-19, 2013, activists from collectives and organizations across thirteen Latin American countries and Spain will gather in La Paz, Bolivia to share experiences, strategies, and ideas with one another. To follow the proceedings, the hashtag #REactivxs will be used throughout the event. A map of participating organizations will...
Running 1,000 Miles for Europe's Trafficked Children
This month, Rob Martineau, Tom Stancliffe, and Guy Hacking are running 1,000 miles from Odessa to Dubrovnik, via Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Croatia, as part of the Run For Love 1000 campaign, whose aim is to raise funds for Love146, a UK charity that “gives care...
Russia's #1 Netizen Heads to Trial
Pussy Riot, eat your heart out. Later this week, Russia’s most polarizing blogger, Alexey Navalny, will stand trial for embezzling roughly half a million dollars from a state-owned timber company in the city of Kirov. In a country constantly plagued by politicized legal proceedings, prosecuting the nation’s most prominent netizen promises fireworks.
Fancy Cars and Booze Fuel Russian Online Petitions
A Russian government online petition platform went live on April 2. RuNet Echo takes a look at how it works in practice.
South Korean Anti-Discrimination Law Faces Conservative Pushback
South Korean conservative groups are mounting a fierce resistance to a proposed anti-discrimination law in South Korea that would prohibit discrimination based on religion, political ideology, or sexual orientation.
São Tomé and Príncipe: Petition Against Deforestation
Raul Jorge, a Santomean citizen, launched a petition [fr] against deforestation in São Tomé and Príncipe, addressed to the current Prime Minister Gabriel Costa. The petition has already gathered more than 700 signatures. In October 2012, Global Voices reported about the situation; in response netizens published videos and a Facebook...
You're Sponsoring Neonazis on Greek TV!
@northaura: #xa_advertising is about a twitter movement protest by email in #Greece to push advertisers off ever again supporting pro-neonazi TV shows. Blogger @ypopto_mousi started a campaign to inform the sponsors [el] of a highly controversial SKAI TV panel featuring four neonazi Golden Dawn MPs, that they are sponsoring hate speech. The blogger is...
Greek Government Shutters Athens Indymedia
A leading alternative news site in Greece, Athens Indymedia announced it was being suppressed by Greek judicial authorities, along with two radio stations, and provided a Tor link [el] for alternate access. Potmos asserted on the significance of the site for independent news in Greece: @potmos: Fast and accurate info posted on Athens #Indymedia led to life sentence...
Petitioning North Korea to Stop Nuclear Threat
As war rhetoric intensifies every day in Korean peninsula and even nuclear threats were made by North Korea, an online petition by ICAN was posted on Change.org, urging North Korea and heads of the Six-Nation Talks to return to the negotiating table.
Pediatricians Strike in Russian Republic of Udmurtia
Starting in early March, Andrey Konoval, an Izhevsk-based journalist, activist, and former deputy, has written over 20 blog posts covering the ongoing battle of local pediatricians against Udmurtia's health ministry.
Djibouti: Arrests follow ‘Democratic’ Elections
Several opposition leaders were arrested in Djibouti after demonstrations which followed the February 22, 2013 general elections. The elections saw yet another victory for the party in power, the People's Rally for Progress. President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who has ruled since 1999, received 80% of votes cast, leading to allegations of fraud on a massive scale. Arrests were still continuing at the time of writing, April 2013.
