· March, 2008

Stories about Digital Activism from March, 2008

Bermuda: Race Therapy

  21 March 2008

“Bonds grow through community, not through confrontation,” writes Vexed Bermoothes, as he administers some group therapy for Bermuda.

Moroccan Blogosphere on Fouad Mourtada: Finally Free

  21 March 2008

Young Moroccan engineer Fouad Mourtada was released from prison by presidential pardon days before Eid el Mawlid, the Prophet Muhammad's birthday. Fouad was imprisoned for more than forty days for creating a Facebook profile of the king's brother, Moulay Rachid. Bloggers reflect on the grassroots effort to free Fouad and celebrate his liberation as a step forward for personal freedoms in the Kingdom.

LiveJournal: Bloggers Protest Basic Account Cancellation

  21 March 2008

Yet again, LJ users are in distress. Unlike the previous times, however, the current situation involves both the Russian-language and the English-language segments of LiveJournal. It all began when LiveJournal's management announced that no account created after March 12, 2008, could be turned into a free-of-charge and ad-free Basic Account. Today, some Anglophone and Russophone LJ users protest against this unpopular measure.

Israel: A Joyous Celebration of Purim

The holiday of Purim celebrates the triumph of the Jewish people over those who seek and sought their destruction. Purim is a joyful holiday celebrated with costumes, festivities, good food, and much drinking, writes Maya Norton, from Israel.

Lebanon: Lack of interest

“To be completely honest with you, I’m having a sudden lack of interest in Lebanese affairs these days… It could be a serious case of disillusionment about Lebanon and its politics, or it could be a simple case of I-need-a-break,” says Beirut Spring about his lull in blogging.

Barbados: Riding the Waves?

  20 March 2008

Blogging from Barbados, Notes From The Margin reports that Eastern Caribbean territories are bracing for large waves as a result of “a deep low pressure centre that spawned tornadoes and thunderstorms across the US earlier this week.”

Bermuda, USA: Watching US Elections

  20 March 2008

“As the American election process grinds on, I find myself more and more impressed by Barack Obama’s apparent decency and integrity”, writes Breezeblog, while Politics.bm says that “many of the themes” in Obama's latest speech “are very applicable to Bermuda.”

Jamaica: Teenaged Crime

  20 March 2008

“Apparently the crime rate in the region is the highest in the world for teens ages 15-17″: Jamaican Francis Wade links to an article that gives the details.

Kazakhstan: Oddities of the Digital Present

  20 March 2008

In the most recent counple of weeks the Kazakhstani blogosphere – usually heavily politicized – was focused more on the developments in telecoms sector and Internet-related novelties in Kazakhstan. The country's authorities are still aiming to enter top 50 of the most competitive countries, although the Economist's index of “e-readiness”...

Israel: Israel or Palestine? Facebook Can't Decide

Can't quite figure out politics and geography in the Middle East? You're not the only one. Facebook seems confused as well. Israeli bloggers Dion Nissenbaum of Checkpoint Jerusalem and Carl of Israel Matzav noticed that Jewish settlements in the West Bank had been repatriated to Israel after Facebook previously labeled...

Ukraine: Protesting Yushchenko's March 8 Address

  18 March 2008

Natalia Antonova writes about an open letter to president Victor Yushchenko posted in a Ukrainian feminist LJ community: “Basically, people are outraged that on the 8th of March, International Women’s Day, the President launched into a saccharine speech about how the ladiez are so lovely and admired by men… in...