· January, 2009

Stories about Digital Activism from January, 2009

Myanmar: Kachin Conflict

  26 January 2009

Writing for The Pulitzer Center, Tim Patterson and Ryan Libre explain the backround of the Kachin Conflict in Myanmar. The struggle in Kachin is separate from the campaign of the political opposition of the ethnic Burmese majority.

Cambodia: Demolition of Dey Krahorm Community

  26 January 2009

A community in Phnom Penh was demolished last Saturday. Aside from the violence, the demolition attracted attention because it was “one of the biggest urban redevelopment stories in the capital over the last decade.” But city officials denied the action was an eviction.

Brazil: A Glance at Campus Party Brazil in Pictures

  25 January 2009

Campus Party Brazil 2009 in São Paulo comes to a close this Sunday. Around 6,500 people have taken part in this second edition of what is arguably Latin America's largest technology and digital culture event. In this article, you will see some of the most interesting pictures of the seven day meeting.

Thailand: Kissing in public

  24 January 2009

Kissing in Public is an ongoing project in Thailand which invites residents in Thailand to perform the act of, well, kissing in public. According to organizers, this is an exercise in socio-cultural politics. “At the time where all the eyes in Thailand and the media focus on national politics, we’d...

Japan: Bloggers on TV-Asahi and “Uso Basutaa”

  24 January 2009

Heated has been the reaction of many Japanese bloggers over the last week who felt cheated by TV Asahi after it turned out that in the variety show ウソバスター! (Uso Basutaa!, lit. lie buster), broadcast prime time on the 10th of January, the blogs quoted as sources had been created...

Egypt: Bloggers Divided over Geert Wilders

  23 January 2009

Amsterdam Appeals Court decided that Geert Wilders, Dutch MP, will be put on trial for his views on Islam. Wilders, and his movie had caused a huge anger wave last year, with both sides denouncing each other. While Perwin Ali thought he deserves to be tried, An Egyptian is blogging for his release.

Cuba, U.S.A.: An Important Introduction

  23 January 2009

“The man is worth your support, and then some, especially after he was arrested while traveling to Havana to watch your inauguration as a guest of the U.S. Interest Section”: Uncommon Sense would like President Obama to meet Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez”.

Bermuda, U.S.A.: Ethics & Transparency

  23 January 2009

Vexed Bermoothes thinks that “it is telling that the first orders issued by President Obama…dealt with ethics and transparency in Government” and that “Bermudians must take note of our inadequacies in this area.”

China: CyberGhost VPN

  23 January 2009

GFW Blog introduces a new tool, CyberGhost VPN, for getting around the internet filtering (Great Fire Wall) in China.

USA: Blogging their Dreams of Citizenship

  23 January 2009

More than 655,000 people participated in an online vote about which issues activist website Change.org should focus on in 2009. Thanks to campaigning from bloggers and immigrant activists, passing a law that would create a path for undocumented students to gain legal residence in the United States was selected as one of the top 10 priorities.

The Egyptian Bloggers Bookfair

  22 January 2009

With more than 15 new titles, Egyptian bloggers take the 2009 Cairo International Book Fair by storm. Marwa Rakha reports how bloggers are planning to organise group visits to make the most out of the annual show.

Trinidad & Tobago: The Fourth Summit of the Peoples

  22 January 2009

Trinidad and Tobago sees the launch of a new blog about “the upcoming fourth Summit of the Peoples, the alternative to the fifth installment of the Summit of the Americas conferences…where emerging…voices from the Caribbean—farmers and fisherfolk, anti-smelter and gender activists—can connect with themselves and others across the globe, and...

Haiti, U.S.A.: Retro Rhetoric?

  22 January 2009

The Haitian Blogger takes issue with some of the content of Barack Obama's inaugural speech, calling it “reminiscent of his predecessor”: “I wonder when the ‘West’ will accept some of the blame for the ill will that it has garnered for its actions in the global south and in the...

Barbados: Oil Rights

  22 January 2009

Keltruth Corp. is worried about the fact that Barbados has awarded its first offshore oil-exploration rights: “If there is a substantial oil discovery off Barbados, tremendous sums of money will change hands. Who will benefit? Unfortunately with no rules, all we can do is sit back, and blindly trust the...