Stories about Digital Activism from March, 2013
Venezuela: Twitter user detained for spreading “destabilizing” information
On March 14, Lourdes Alicia Ortega Pérez was detained by Venezuelan authorities for allegedly having having sent messages on Twitter that were "destabilizing [to] the country."
Hero Reports: Positive Information Driving Social Change in Mexico
Paula Gonzalo from Periodismo Ciudadano (Citizen Journalism) interviews Yesica Guerra, Director of Hero Reports, a project that geo-tags information, gathered via crowdsourcing or citizen participation, relating to acts of kindness that take place in Mexico.
Italy: Fire Destroys Interactive Museum ‘Città della Scienza’ in Naples
On 4 March a fire (presumably arson) destroyed the cultural centre. Alongside worried comments, netizens (and some local authorities) immediately launched a campaign to rebuild this public structure, well appreciated throughout Europe and important scientific centre for the youth and future generations.
Grievance of a Young Indignant Santomean
Danilo Salvaterra published [pt] a video on Facebook that shows a young boy from São Tomé and Príncipe complaining about the general lack of basic infrastructures not only in Diogo Vaz (where the teenager lives and the video was recorded), but also in the rest of the country. He mentions...
“Ten Years Without Zoran Djindjic”: Serbia Honors Slain Politician
Zoran Djindjic, the first democratically elected Serbian Prime Minister, was shot to death on March 12, 2003. On the tenth anniversary of his assassination, thousands of people marched in Belgrade to honor his memory.
World Day Against Cyber Censorship
March 12 is World Day Against Cyber Censorship. Reporters Without Borders and other advocates for Internet rights are calling on activists, movements and organizations around the world to participate by reminding their constituents of the importance of protecting free expression online.
Video: Ukrainian Lawmaker Flouts Law, Berates Airport Employee
Vadym Kolesnichenko, a Ukrainian ruling party MP, set off a small-scale online campaign when he lashed out at an airport employee who was just doing her job.
FIFA Beware! Journalist Teams Up with Brazil's World Cup Victims
British journalist Andrew Jennings joined a group of Brazil's popular movements to discuss the country's preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
Changing Attitudes on Child Marriage in India
In rural India, two out of five girls are child brides. Though Indian law has made child marriage illegal, girls and boys bonded by traditional social norms and values are most likely to get married early defying the legislations. But the situation is changing as a number of women, who had been married as children, are speaking out against child marriage.
Archetypes of Iranian Internet Use
The Iran Media Program at the Annenberg School for Communication, present a new study: “Fights, Adapts, Accepts: Archetypes of Iranian Internet Use” by Arash Abadpour and Collin Anderson.
Green Patrol Cleans Up Slovakia
The area near the main train station in Bratislava doesn't look too neat [sk]. Nor do other neighborhoods. Some people refuse to accept it passively, however. Next month, the Green Patrol (Zelená hliadka; sk) initiative, led by Matúš Čupka, will celebrate its second anniversary. Through targeted cleaning actions, Green Patrol...
Japan: Where Does My Money Go?
A group of coders and concerned citizens have launched a Where Does My Money Go? [ja] website to explore tax spending in the city of Yokohama. With cooperation from the city, volunteers participated in a hackathon to brainstorm how to creatively showcase the city's tax spending.
Hungarian Constitution is “Not a Toy”
According to a report [hu] on Facebook page “The Constitution is Not a Toy,” some 100 protesters have occupied the Hungarian governing party's headquarters; a pro-government crowd, however, has also showed up at the scene. The protesters voiced their opposition to the planned new amendment of the Hungarian constitution, a...
Greece: Corruption, Police State and Struggle in Skouries
Skouries residents, a region in Chalkidiki, Northern Greece, oppose against Canadian company Eldorado Gold, which obtained the Kakkavos Mountain gold mining rights through a controversial process. Netizens in solidarity play a significant role in news dissemination.
Slovakia's Roads: “Adopt a Pothole and Watch It Grow”
This year, the situation on Slovakia's roads isn't very good. in Košice county alone, there are over 37,000 square meters of potholes. Tibor Blazko reports.
Russia's Public Petitions: By the People, But for Whom?
Yesterday, on March 4, Vladimir Putin signed an executive order regarding the creation of a government petitions online platform, which will allow Russian citizens to create and vote on various policy issues at the federal, regional, and local levels. The website, which is scheduled to go live for federal petitions in April 2013 and regional and local issues in November 2013, will be called the “Russian Public Initiative.”
Violence Flares in Bangladesh Over Islamist Leader's Death Sentence
Renewed violence has erupted across Bangladesh, leaving 80 people dead, after the vice president of the country's largest Islamist political party was sentenced to be hanged for war crimes on February 28, 2013. Supporters of the Shahbag movement, who have protested for nearly a month to demand the death penalty for war criminals, rejoiced at the verdict.
What is “Hungarian Music”?
Hungarian musicians signed an online petition [hu] against the restrictive definition of “Hungarian music” included in Hungary's media law, which considers only Hungarian-language productions as “Hungarian music.” The petitioners argued that the definition is not only excluding many artists from being part of the Hungarian music and culture, but is discriminatory when it comes to...
Doubt & Clan Politics in Russian Cyberspace
The turbulence of the 1990s seems to have returned to Russia, despite a political culture built on the expectation that Vladimir Putin keeps such chaos at bay. What role can netizens play in a Russia with an increasingly fragmented ruling elite?
Ukraine's Roads: An Endangered Species
This winter, Ukraine's roads look as if they've been hit by hundreds of small meteors. The public outrage over the appalling state of the roads has temporarily stolen the social media spotlight from other important political events taking place in Ukraine.
