· September, 2012

Stories about Governance from September, 2012

Vietnam: Government Jails Three ‘Dissident’ Bloggers

  30 September 2012

Three Vietnamese bloggers have been convicted by a local court for allegedly spreading anti-government propaganda. One of them will serve a prison term of 12 years. Human rights groups immediately condemned the verdict and warned against the creeping online repression in the country.

India: Build Your Own Map to Improve Your City

  29 September 2012

Transparent Chennai is a platform for citizen engagement to help the citizens of Chennai counter inaccurate or incomplete government data with crowdsourced maps, and make better claims on the government for their rights and entitlements.

Armenia: Government Pressure on NGO

  29 September 2012

The Washington Post blog features an entry by David Ignatius detailing pressure on an Armenian NGO particularly active online. Founded by former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, government pressure on Civilitas is believed linked to his involvement with a former party of power now actively challenging the incumbent president...

Portugal: Unionists Take to the Streets in Protest

  29 September 2012

Following the biggest popular protest of the last decades in Portugal, on September 15, 2012, every week people have been taking to the streets. More demonstrations were called for September 29, “against the theft of wages, pensions and retirements” by the union confederation CGTP. On Twitter hashtags #29s, #29sPT –...

Ukraine: Protesting the Controversial Defamation Bill

  29 September 2012

A bill that calls for penalties of up to five years in jail for defamation passed a first reading in the Ukrainian Parliament on Sep. 18. Following the online campaign against the adoption of the bill, its author submitted a request to recall it. The bill isn't history yet, however, and the protest continues.

Panama: Controversial 510 Copyright Bill Approved

  28 September 2012

The 510 Bill that would regulate copyrights in Panamá was approved on September 26, 2012, by the National Assembly. The outrage against this bill is coming to a boiling point on social networks and Panamá's mainstream media since, among other things, it establishes unprecedented liberties to the legislative body charged with enforcing it.

Spain: Creative Alternatives to an Economy in Crisis

  28 September 2012

Since the start of the crisis that continues to embroil Spain's economy, many Spaniards have opted out of that economic model and instead created viable alternatives to their economy in crisis, such as networks for sharing goods and services or new systems and currencies that promote responsible consumption.

Zambia's “Imaginary” Terror Plot

  28 September 2012

Zambia appears to be on the brink of ethnic conflict after a separatist group from Southern Province claimed to have killed members of the President’s tribe. However, many Zambians regard the threat posed by the Tongas Under Oath as the latest attempt by the government to discredit opposition parties.

Russia: The Kostin Report & the Trojan Horse of American ICT

RuNet Echo  28 September 2012

Earlier this week, the media got a sneak peek at a new report on the foreign penetration of the RuNet and the potential manipulation of the country's future elections. The Internet's growing popularity is transforming it into a political weapon: a weapon that is increasingly guarded by American, albeit private, media firms.

Georgia: A Caucasian Abu Ghraib

  27 September 2012

Eva Anderson, a Senior Analyst with Transparency International, examines the recent prison abuse video scandal in Georgia as the country prepares for crucial 1 October Parliamentary Elections. The blog post in particular looks at the penitentiary system and the urgent need for reform.

Chad: Challenges to Freedom of Expression as Social Protests Grow

  27 September 2012

The recent arrests in Chad of three union officers and the editor of an independent newspaper are symptomatic of a disintegration of freedom of expression in the country. These arrests have come after protest movements against the impoverishment of Chad’s population and the privatization of the country’s resources.

Iran: Eight Years of Deception

  27 September 2012

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has released a short video “demonstrating and highlighting systematic cover-ups accompanying the marked rise in human rights violations over the eight years of his presidency”.