Stories about Freedom of Speech from September, 2008
Czech Republic: EU Presidency
Dr. Sean's Diary writes about the Czech Republic’s forthcoming Presidency of the EU.
Slovakia: Hungarian Minority
Central Europe Activ writes about political views of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.
Belarus: The Election
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...
Iran: Mr. Ahmadinejad in New York
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
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...
Cuba: Independent Journalists
“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.
Tajikistan: Another Journalist Targeted
Ian says that another journalist has become the target of the Tajik government’s ire: the state prosecutor is charging him with slandering the president and destabilizing the country.
Lebanon: A Blogger's Debut
In his blog debut, Only Lebnane talks about his opinion regarding the Lebanese society and how its foundations are becoming more sectarian and political.
Deaf Awareness Week: Organizing Offline activities Online
This last segment of the Deaf Awareness Week (part 1, part 2) shows us how the deaf use their videos to organize their communities and strenghten their offline ties.
Blogger of the Week: Sami Ben Gharbia
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?
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.
Iran:Filtering in Iran in One Web Day in Oxford
In One Web Day in Oxford, a small exhibition of Kosoof‘s works portray Iranian bloggers, who struggle with censorship and Internet filtering in their country. Watch them here and here.
Myanmar: Saffron Revolution a year later
Alternative Asean Network on Burma published a briefer which revealed the intensified repression in Myanmar a year after the crackdown on the monk-led Saffron Revolution.
Cuba: Back to Normal?
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...
Egypt: Jihad Hackers
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
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...
Deaf Awareness Week: Striving for Quality Education
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...
Critical Myanmar online portal hacked
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...
Kuwait: YouTube Ban Lifted
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
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...
Russia: Ingushetian president accused of journalist murder
Finnish-Russian Civic Forum posts a translation of an article from Ingushetiya.ru, where the news site accuses the president of Ingushetiya for ordering the murder of its owner.
