Stories about Digital Activism from September, 2011
World: Twitter Rallies for #TroyDavis
With the execution of Troy Davis looming, Twitter users from around the world rally for clemency. Davis was granted a temporary reprieve, but the cries continue. Jillian C. York reports.
Bolivia: International Support to ‘Save TIPNIS’ on Facebook
Blogger Willy Andres recommends visiting the Facebook page “Salvemos al Tipnis. Save the Tipnis. Carteles Posters” in response to a project to build a highway through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS) in Bolivia. The page gathers posters created all over the world in support of saving TIPNIS.
Mexico: ‘Peace Caravan to the South’ Arrives in Mexico City
Fred Rosen –from the blog Mexico, Bewildered and Contested at NACLA– reports that The ‘Peace Caravan to the South’, organized by the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity, “arrived in Mexico City’s central plaza, the Zócalo, ending its eleven-day, round-trip journey to and through southern Mexico, where it documented...
Zambia: Netizens Fill Void of Delayed Election Results
Eighteen hours after Zambia’s September 20 elections closed, inordinate delays by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to release presidential, parliamentary and local government results have led social media sources to give out the much yearned for information.
Global: Online Dialogue on Technology for Transparency
The Technology for Transparency Initiative, together with New Tactics in Human Rights, invites you to join an online dialogue on 'Using Technology to Promote Transparency'. Join us to discuss new ideas, challenges, risks, and opportunities.
Mozambique: Sant'Egidio Community Fights Back Against HIV/AIDS
Lack of access to care for HIV positive people has been well documented on the African continent. Many initiatives strive to show that things could improve with collective effort, and among them is the Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition (DREAM) program.
Uganda: LGBTI Human Rights Defender Receives Kennedy Award
Frank Mugisha, a Ugandan LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) human rights defender has been selected for the 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. Haute Haiku reports.
Zambia: Netizens Ahead of Mainstream Media in Poll Reporting
On social media websites Zambian voters revealed delays of opening of polling stations, late-coming presiding officers, change of polling stations and even a shortage of ballot papers.
Curacao: Financial Reality
“Yesterday an IMF delegation presented their 2011 Article IV Consultation Discussions: Preliminary Conclusions with the usual rhetoric, cut, reform, kill mantra”: TRIUNFO DI SABLIKA posts a poem intended to show “that these programmed Washington DC economists are not gods.”
Cuba: Hunger Strike for Human Rights
Pedazos de La Isla posts an interview with Rufina Velazquez, speaking out on behalf of her activist father, who has been on a hunger strike to demand respect for the human rights of all Cubans.
Zambia: Social Media Harnessed to Monitor Polls in Sep 20 Election
Built on the Ushahidi crowdsourcing platform, Bantu Watch encourages registered voters and interested parties in the Zambia September elections to report incidents involving election-related violence, hate speech, corruption and other matters both online via the web site and via text message.
Cuba: “Repression Weekend”
Cuban bloggers are referring to this past weekend as “repression weekend”; new dissidents are detained even as others are released.
Bahamas: Chipping In to Fight Crime
“With murders at record levels this year it makes one sit up and take notice”: Weblog Bahamas‘ Rick Lowe says that helping to fight crime is everyone's duty.
China: Calls to Free Blind Activist Met With Violence
After serving a 51-month sentence for disturbing public order, blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng was released in September 2010, but has been kept under house arrest for more than a year by local police in Linyi, Shandong province. Activists campaigning for his release have been victims of violence.
Ukraine: Georgiy Gongadze Memorial Rally in Kyiv
Olena Bilozerska (LJ user bilozerska) posts photos and video [uk] from the Sep. 16 Georgiy Gongadze memorial rally in Kyiv. Following a discussion in the comments section of ex-President Leonid Kuchma's role in Gongadze's case, LJ user fidel_80 writes [ru]: “I'm sorry for [Gongadze]. Could someone give me links to...
Ukraine: More on Denis Oleinikov's ProstoPrint Case
Taras of Ukrainiana posts a few videos and comments on the ongoing attacks on Denis Oleinikov's ProstoPrint company: “It’s the police state’s job to keep humor in short supply. And fail.”
Tunisia: Bloggers Join Election Race
Tunisians will head to the polls to elect a national constituent assembly which will be in charge of writing their country's new constitution on October 23. Afef Abrougui reports on the seven bloggers joining the race.
CIVICUS: Reflections on the Power of Civil Society
For three days several civil society representatives met in Montreal for the CIVICUS World Assembly. The subjects were diverse: from civil movements, social equality, and the effects of new technologies, to climate justice. Here are some blog posts that covered the assembly.
Cuba: In Solidarity with World Bloggers
Yasmín Portales supports [es] fellow blogger Elaine Díaz's idea [es] of reuniting Cuban bloggers in Havana at the same time of the first world meeting of bloggers in Brazil next October [pt].
Curacao: Images of Slavery Inappropriate
TRIUNFO DI SABLIKA takes issue with certain images on the Golden Coach, which has become the symbol of the Dutch monarchy: “The sidebar ‘Tribute of the Colonies’ activates great resistance from us. On that side are half-naked black men and women who offer their riches to the royal king. In...
All-Day Virtual Event in Spanish for Bloggers
Día del Blog will hold a virtual event on Saturday September 17 [es] with several discussions broadcast through live streaming [es] with speakers from Spain, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. Spanish Translation Manager Juan Arellano will participate in a panel discussion [es] about “Revolution on social networks: cyber-activism, citizen mobilization and political participation”.
