Stories about Digital Activism from January, 2009
Trinidad & Tobago, U.K., Israel, Palestine: Objectivity?
In response to the BBC's decision not to broadcast an appeal for funds for Gaza, Notes from Port of Spain says: “Someone, somewhere, has been leaning heavily on this famously objective broadcaster, and it has caved in.”
China: Internet In 2008
ESWN translated a local media (Southern weekend) review on major incidents happened in China Internet 2008.
Cuba: Being Responsible
Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez explains why she doesn't feel like a victim, but rather, responsible.
Iran: A leading cultural site was filtered
Haftan, a leading Iranian site covering cultural and art news was filtered by Iranian authorities. Government did not explain any reason for this filtering.
Myanmar: Kachin Conflict
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
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
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
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”
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
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
“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
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
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
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.
Middle East: Boycott as a Political Weapon
Many people across the Middle East have decided to boycott Israeli and American products in response to the Israeli war on Gaza. Tarek Amr reviews what bloggers have to say about this.
The Egyptian Bloggers Bookfair
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.
India: Blog Camp in Mumbai
Asfaq writes about the recently concluded Blog Camp 2009 in Mumbai, India.
Belarus: “Image Is All”
Catherine Reilly's piece on Belarus – at OpenDemocracy.net (more Belarus stories by the same author – here).
Trinidad & Tobago: The Fourth Summit of the Peoples
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?
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
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...