Stories about Digital Activism from July, 2012
Ukraine: Politicians and Parties on Facebook
Watcher.com.ua reports [uk] that the ruling Party of Regions now has a Facebook page [ru]. For more on Ukrainian politicians’ and parties’ Facebook presence, see this Watcher.com.ua's ranking (uk; updated daily).
Ukraine: Ukrainian Wikipedia's Traffic Hiked as Russian Wikipedia Striked
Watcher.com.ua reports [uk] that on July 10, when Wikipedia's Russian-language section suspended its service [en] for one day to protest the Russian draft law “On the Protection of Children From Information Harmful to Their Health and Development,” the Ukrainian-language Wikipedia saw a five-time traffic increase. On that day, according to...
Montenegro: “Foursquare For Development” Project
UNDP's Voices From Eurasia blog announces and explains the “Foursquare for Development” project, whose goal is to create Foursquare tourist routes in northern Montenegro.
Russia: Facebook and “Gay Propaganda”
Alexandra Evans of FP's Passport blog links to an RT news item about a group of Russian Orthodox activists who are campaigning to have Facebook blocked in Russia because of the recent introduction of same-sex marriage status icons, which the activists consider “gay propaganda.”
Russia: A Law to Regulate Volunteer Efforts
Last week, Russia's Public Chamber announced that it is preparing the foundation for a draft law designed to regulate volunteer activities. Critics of the idea claim that the law (like recent bills raising fines for illegal demonstrations and 'blacklisting' parts of the RuNet) is another government attempt to oppress the political potential of civil society (specifically the strengths of Internet-enabled activists).
Social Media and Armenia’s 2012 Parliamentary Elections
Following a bitterly disputed presidential election in 2008, parliamentary elections held on 6 May 2012 were a crucial test for Armenia’s democratic system. What role did social media play?
Mauritania: Military Plane Crashes Killing Seven
On July 12, 2012, a Mauritanian military plane crashed in Nouakchott airport. The accident took the life of 3 soldiers (among them one officer) as well as two custom officials, in addition to two contract security guards working on the behalf of the Canadian company. Netizens had their say about the incident. Here is a collection of reactions by Ahmed Jeddou.
Lebanon: Fresh Attention For Lebanon's Missing and Abducted People
Recent kidnappings carried out since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution have made abduction a constant threat once again and drawn new attention to the issue of Lebanon's missing people.
Syria: Mapping Rape Allegations
Women Under Siege charts “Syria's use of rape to terrorise its people.” Check out its crowdsourced map here.
China: Rage over Chengguan Again
Another bloody conflict involving Chengguan has spread around in Weibo last week. This time a woman peddler was hit by a glass bottle by the city management officers at Fuzhou city. To show their support, netizens fought with the web-censor to get the message out. Tea Leave nation has the...
Sudan: Women Targeted as #SudanRevolts Enters Second Month
This Friday paying tribute to the revolutionary women (Kandaka) of Sudan's past, women chanted for the fall of the regime and demanded release of political detainees. Many were tear-gassed and arrested. The day came to be known as 'Kandaka Friday.'
Lebanon: Segregation against Migrant Workers at Beaches
Following the first video released by the Anti Racism Movement showing blatant segregation at one of the Lebanese beaches, another video is published and this time is featuring 10 more resorts clearly discriminating against migrant workers.
Russia: Computer Security Tips for Russian Opposition
Following the recent hacking [en] of activist Alexey Navalny's email, LJ user vishka shares some basic tips [ru] on “computer security for the Russian opposition”: “Having set it all up once, you'll never notice the difference in usability. I've armed you, and if they continue to hack you, it means...
Greece: Online Petition Against the Privatization of Greek Water
An online petition [el], entitled “Save Greek water from privatization” has begun after Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ announcement calling for an aggressive programme of privatisation, including water. Main arguments of the petition is that countries in which privatization has been applied has caused an extreme rise of prices and in some cases put public...
Spain: Supporting the Miners: “Yes, Yes, They Do Represent Us!”
Thousands joined in and showed their support for Spanish miners when they arrived in Madrid after walking 400 kilometres from the north of Spain. The miners were surprised at the scale of the mobilisation, which added to the intensity of what is now known as #nocheminera (mining night).
Slovakia: Catholics Protest the Sacking of Popular Archbishop
A concert in support of Róbert Bezák, the popular archbishop of Trnava who was sacked for unknown reasons, took place on Tuesday and was the next step in various protests, including this online petition [sk] as well as worshipping in front of the church [sk] instead of inside it. Three...
St. Lucia: The Global Voices Summit from a Caribbean Perspective
The recently concluded Global Voices Summit in Nairobi, Kenya featured many discussions which are particularly relevant to the Caribbean. Here's a quick rundown of topics that citizen journalists and bloggers from the region may find relevant...
Syria: Bloggers and Activists Rally to #FreeHussein
Syria's bloggers rallied again to campaign for yet another of their own in Syria's detention centers. After the #FreeBassel campaign about blogger and open source developer Bassel Safadi, bloggers and activists launched the #FreeHussein campaign to highlight the plight of blogger Hussein Ghrer.
Russia: Caught Stealing Supplies from Flood Victims
The social documentary film makers behind “Srok” [ru] (“The Term”) have published footage [ru] on YouTube of two men who apparently tried to steal supplies from a collection point in Moscow at Vorob'evy Gory, where citizen volunteers were gathering humanitarian aid to send to the flood victims in Krymsk. The video has had...
Trinidad & Tobago: Blogosphere Responds to Turtle Crushing Incident
The news of leatherback turtle hatchlings being crushed by bulldozers on a beach in Trinidad this past weekend has garnered international media attention as well as concern in the blogosphere - but did mainstream or social media really have all the facts?
Ecuador: Saying Goodbye to Lonesome George
"Lonesome George", the last tortoise of his species on the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, was found dead on Sunday morning, June 24, 2012. Social networks were essential means for spreading the news and honoring the emblematic turtle.