Stories about Digital Activism from October, 2013
Walk in a Homeless Person's Shoes via Twitter
October 17 was the international Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Four groups, the Abbé Pierre Foundation, France Inter, Génération réactive et la Fondation Agir contre l'exclusion de Seine-Saint-Denis decided...
NSA Hacked Mexican Government, According to Latest Snowden Leak
According to information leaked by Edward Snowden and reported by the German publication Der Spiegel, the NSA (National Security Agency) “has been systematically eavesdropping on the Mexican government for years.” ...
#FreeBoussa: Moroccan Netizens Protest Teen Trial over Public Kiss
Three teenagers have been arrested in Morocco. Their crime? The first two were arrested for kissing in public, and the third for photographing them.
Morocco Censors the Web: Collateral Damage Allowed
A number of websites, among them popular social media platforms Instagram and Pinterest, have been blocked in Morocco. Also, one of the main independent media outlets, Lakome, has been censored.
Pakistani Web Rallies Against Proposed Ban on Whatsapp, Viber and Skype
Pakistan's online community has not taken kindly to the Sindh provincial government's talk of banning the messaging apps temporarily in the interest of security.
South Korea: Mass Candlelight Rallies Against the Spy Agency Scandal
More revelations of the spy agency's election manipulation scandal came out, rekindling several month-long protests. Three agents were being probed on Oct 18 for tweeting and re-tweeting political articles to influence pubic opinion....
Dandin.me: Encompassing the Emerging Talent in the Middle East
October 10 saw the official launch of Dandin.me, a novel independent platform whose founders are based in Egypt. Abdel-Rahman Hussein, one of the people behind Dandin.me, explains what it aims...
Free Expression, Right to Information Focus of Blog Action Day Brazil
Online censorship and police repression on the streets are problems yet to be overcome in Brazil, bloggers wrote.
Declaration on the Future of Internet Cooperation
Representatives of the organizations that manage the technical infrastructure of the Internet meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay, have released a Declaration on the future of Internet cooperation [es], in which they...
Japan: OpenStreetMap Aggregates Typhoon Info
OpenStreetMap users volunteered their time to create a crisis map of Izu Oshima island [ja], a small island to the south of Tokyo where more than a dozen of people were killed...
South Africa's Ruling Party #ProudlyBroughtByANC Campaign Flops
The campaign was a response to a billboard erected by the opposition poking fun at the electronic tolling system. The billboard reads: “E-tolls. Proudly brought to you by the ANC.”
Here's An Effective Way To Change Bangladesh: Community Building Via Facebook Group
With 5.6 million users (September 2013 Data) Facebook is very popular in Bangladesh. Badrud Doza reports that a Facebook group and a TV show titled ‘Aamrai Bangladesh’ (We are Bangladesh)...
On Blog Action Day, Thousands of Blogs on Human Rights
Bloggers around the world, including Global Voices contributors, are highlighting this year's #BAD13 topic: human rights.
Léonarda, 15, Arrested During a School Trip and Deported
Léonarda Dibrani, 15, was on field trip with her schoolmates when she was detained by the french police, near Levier, France. She was later deported with the rest of her...
Video: Colombian Artists Sing in Solidarity With Farmers
Although protests and road blocks have stopped, the farmers' struggle for land rights continues.
Russian Muslim Websites Defaced by Hackers During Eid
On Eid al-Adha (Kurban-Bairam in Russian), several websites of the Russian Muslim community were defaced with a photo of a severed pig's head holding the Koran in its mouth.
Marking The 30th Anniversary Of The Beurs’ March For Equality
30 years ago (October 15, 1983), a march for equality against racism [fr] began in Marseille with 32 people, mostly of Arab origin, to ask for the right to vote and a 10-year resident card....
“Stop Harassment of Iranian Journalists’ Family Members”
A group of Iranian netizens and cyber activists wrote an open letter to Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and asked him to use his authority to stop harrassment of Iranian journalists’...
Can This Be Home? Borderlessness & The Internet Citizen
Countries, borders, and nationalities remain dominant and important in many ways, but they don't feel as sharply defined or as binding as before.
Chinese Journalist Arrested After Exposing Corruption Online
Liu Hu was formally arrested after seven weeks of detention on charges related to his posts on Sina Weibo detailing the alleged corruption of four high-ranking officials.
United Russia MP Scorned for Public Debauch
A United Russia deputy and his aide were thrown off an Aeroflot flight, accused of being intoxicated, threatening the crew, and delaying the flight.