· May, 2012

Stories about Digital Activism from May, 2012

Spain: Many Reasons to Take to the Streets on 12M

  12 May 2012

On 15 May in Spain the first anniversary of the 15M will be commemorated. The events begin on 12 May (12M) in cities and neighborhoods. Spanish netizens have been anticipating the commemoration for days. The hashtags #YoVoy12M (I'm Going 12M) and #ALaPlaza (To The Square) have been TTs in Spain and throughout the world.

Brazil: Homeless Movement in Belo Horizonte Surrounded by Police

  11 May 2012

“Ocupação Eliana Silva” [pt], a camping site of around 300 families in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, which had been occupied mostly by homeless workers [pt] on April 21, in protest against lack of housing conditions, was sieged by the military police today, May 11. Journalist Adriano Ventura (@adrianoventura) is tweeting photos...

Mozambique: Space for Human Rights Debate Launched on Facebook

  11 May 2012

A new online space that aims to “sharpen critical awareness and the promotion of citizenship, human rights and access to information” in Mozambique was launched today, May 11, on Facebook by CODD – a Center of Studies and Promotion of Citizenship, Human Rights and the Environment. On their welcoming message...

Cuba: Remembering the Dissidents

  11 May 2012

This week, members of the Cuban diaspora have been blogging about two main things: the one-year anniversary of the death of dissident Juan Wilfredo Soto, and the re-arrest of human rights activist Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia.

Video: Robot Shows us How to Stay Safe Online

  10 May 2012

Online security is a complex issue that is sometimes hard to understand or to know how to face. Using a lovable animated robot, the Tactical Tech Collective is trying to get more people aware on how to stay safe online through short online video animations.

Spain: #NoMoreEuros for Bankia

  10 May 2012

The web in Spain has been seething since it was reported that the government is preparing a plan to inject public money into Bankia, the fourth largest bank in the country and the most exposed to the real estate market. Since the crisis started in 2008, the government has supported Bankia with more than 33 billion euros. The current bail-out plan could be as much as 10 billion.

Zambia: Netizens Question Judges’ Suspensions

  10 May 2012

When Zambian president Michael Sata suspended a Supreme Court judge and two high court judges and set up a tribunal to probe their alleged misconduct, he probably did not foresee the intense offline and online public debate the issue would attract, even threatening the tenure of his Director of Public Prosecutions.

Russia: Ustream.tv Attacked Over Russian Blogger

On May 9, unknown parties launched a DDoS attack on the live feed website Ustream.tv. The attack was carried out from thousands of unique IPs based in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Iran, and was centered on one particular user, reggamortis1, who for the past four days has been covering opposition rallies and protests in Moscow.

South Korea: Broadcasters’ Strike Marks 100th Day of Protest

  9 May 2012

South Korea's major broadcasting station, MBC marked 100th day of protest on May 9, 2012. Its union workers uploaded another Youtube video [ko] blaming its president of embezzlement and filtering news criticizing the current government and its anchors tweeted photos of their protest/fundraising event today.

Russia: Charity Crowdfunding

There is no lack of successful 'people' projects, financed by private philanthropy. While much activity exists only in cyberspace, the effects of charitable organizations' work is quite tangible and real, and confidence in these groups is undiminished. The proof: the Tugeza ("Together") community

Video: Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards Voting Open

  9 May 2012

Young underprivileged youth learning multi-media tools are showcasing their work through The Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards. Entries include documentaries, music videos, poetry, audio, graphic design, narrative, animation and photography.

Saudi Arabia: Twitter Hacking Prevention Tips

Online accounts are frequently hacked and stolen. We often hear of those who hacked someone's email or stole someone's email password. Twitter is no different, so the Saudi tweep and blogger Manal Al-Sherif, who has worked as a Information Security Consultant in an oil company for years, shared her tips...

Brazil: Blog Countersues Newspaper Over Web Domain

  7 May 2012

Another chapter in the legal dispute between the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo and the satirical blog Falha of São Paulo is being written. However, this time, Falha is the one who decided to file a lawsuit against the newspaper.

Greece: Rise of Neo-Nazi Group ‘Golden Dawn’

  6 May 2012

Facebook group ‘Leme OCHI sti Chrysi Avgi‘ (We say NO to Golden Dawn) [el] already has more than 11,000 likes. Created on December 2011, the anti-fascist group declares that “Fascism is gangrene, either you rip it off or it kills you”. Group members try to persuade people not to vote...