· September, 2008

Stories about Freedom of Speech from September, 2008

Belarus: The Election

  30 September 2008

Pre- and post-election insight from Belarus – at Andrei Khrapavitski's Belarusan American Blog, here and here: “Both the govt and the opposition elite cared more about the exterior, much less about the substance.”

Iran: Mr. Ahmadinejad in New York

  30 September 2008

While Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinjad, addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday declaring that "the American empire'' and "Zionist regime" [Israel] are nearing collapse, pro-democracy Iranians and 3,000 people mobilized by a coalition of mostly Jewish groups, protested against Ahmadinejad's threats toward Israel and Iran's human rights record.

Brazil: Bloggers’ magazine on democracy

  30 September 2008

The latest issue of blogger magazine Feed-se: Democracia, available in PDF for free download (in Portuguese), is a special edition on democracy, by Brazilian bloggers Nospheratt, Alex, Lu Monte and Lúcia Freitas.

Cuba: Independent Journalists

  30 September 2008

“There is no better way to learn about journalism than from another journalist”: Uncommon Sense is pleased to report that independent journalism is growing in Cuba.

Blogger of the Week: Sami Ben Gharbia

  28 September 2008

This week's Blogger of the Week is none other than Global Voices Advocacy Director Sami Ben Gharbia, known for his dedication to the fight against oppression and censorship. Sami is originally from Tunisia, but has been based in The Netherlands since 1998. He blogs at fikra.

China: Will a Nobel Peace Prize really hurt our feelings?

  28 September 2008

Hu Jia's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize has raised the question: are The Chinese People easily upset by the notion of human rights? Party spokesman Liu Jianchao would have you think so, and many netizens agree. Not all do, however, judging from comments that haven't yet been deleted.

Cuba: Back to Normal?

  27 September 2008

Things appear to be getting back to normal in Cuba post-Hurricane Ike, but Generation Y questions the definition of “normalcy”: “I do not believe that a month ago we had anything resembling ‘normal.’ Furthermore, in the three decades that I have under my belt I do not think I have...

Egypt: Jihad Hackers

  26 September 2008

Is Jihad spilling from the ground on to the virtual world? Egyptian blogger Marwa Rakha writes here (and here) about how the internet has affected the ongoing debate between the secular and Islamic camps in Egypt.

Singapore: Editor found guilty of defamation

  24 September 2008

A Singapore court has ruled that the editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review defamed Singapore officials in a July 2006 article in the magazine. A blogger comments: “Singapore's government is at it again- using their pet judges in a legal system wholly geared to punish anyone who dares to...

Deaf Awareness Week: Striving for Quality Education

  24 September 2008

On this second part of the Deaf Awareness Week posts (part one), we bring you a perspective on education for the deaf, and the different challenges it implies. First, from the Central African Republic, a school that after funds stopped, has continued fueled only by love. Second, from the Philippines,...

Critical Myanmar online portal hacked

  23 September 2008

On the the eve of the first anniversary of Myanmar’s “Saffron Revolution,” The Irrawaddy website was hacked. A blog was set-up as a temporary mirror site . The Irrawady focuses on Myanmar and Southeast Asia.

Kuwait: YouTube Ban Lifted

  23 September 2008

News about YouTube being blocked in Kuwait hit the headlines yesterday, with bloggers frustrated over what they described as yet another intrusion on freedom of speech in their country. The ban has since been lifted. Here's a cross-section of reactions from Kuwait.

Cuba: The Power of Books

  23 September 2008

Both Uncommon Sense and Generation Y blog about three Cuban political prisoners who have started hunger strikes after they were prevented from receiving books and magazines: “They suspect that when Adolfo, Pedro and Antonio are engrossed in an essay or a story the bars disappear, the jail fades away, and...