· January, 2012

Stories about War & Conflict from January, 2012

Mauritania: Terror Grips Town

  8 January 2012

Terror grips city of Kiffa in Mauritania: “Poet and filmmaker Mohamed Ould Idoumou, a Kiffa native, told Magharebia that that the city has never seen cases of terrorism before because of its isolated location in the desert.”

Syria: The Struggle for Freedom and the End of Silence

Since March 2011, when the uprisings that started in Tunisia and Egypt reaching Syria, thousands have been killed and tens of thousands have been arrested and disappeared in the country. Leila Nachawati Rego takes a look at how citizen media has helped offer an alternative to state-controlled narrative.

Iraq: 162,000 People Killed

Iraqi Mojo says about 162,000 people were killed in Iraq up to the end of last year (2011). They include 114,212 civilians, according to Iraq Body Count, an anti-war group. Click here for the details.

Mexico Wake Up! Artists United for Peace Go Viral

  4 January 2012

The violence and impunity Mexico has been facing these past years have prompted artists, creators and media to join forces and launch a campaign to change statistics into names and stories. Through a collaborative project they are asking viewers to research other casualties and give voices to the victims of violence.

Philippines: Manhunt for ‘Human Rights Violator’ Goes Online

  3 January 2012

A 'people's manhunt' was organized to catch Major General Jovito Palparan who is accused of committing human rights violations in the Philippines. After an arrest warrant was issued by the Court, netizens started uploading “Wanted: Palparan” posters on blogs, Facebook pages, and other social media platforms.

Latin America, 2011: A Year Marked by Social Movements

  3 January 2012

Citizens across the world took to the streets in 2011, and Latin America was no exception. In this post we look at the social movements that marked 2011 in South and Central America and how protests, vigils, marches and occupations were covered and analyzed through citizen media.

Turkey: Remembering the Turkish Schindlers

  3 January 2012

Writing on the Huffington Post, Ziya Meral explains why honoring those Turks that saved Armenians during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire is important. Meral argues that recognizing these ‘Turkish Schindlers’ would go some way in defusing tensions between Armenia and Turkey, making the events of 1915 a shared tragedy....

From Sidi Bouzid to Kinshasa: Francophone Africa in 2011

The usual year-end review would hardly do justice to the epic changes that have turned Francophone Africa upside down, driven by the collective courage of its citizens who often faced violent repression while striving for emancipation from various dictatorships. Through the eyes of local citizen media, here are the highlights of 2011.