4 April 2011

Stories from 4 April 2011

Iran: Protests for a Drying Lake

Dozens of protesters were arrested on April 2, 2011 in Iran's Azerbaijan region in the cities Tabriz and Urmia (northwestern Iran). This time protests were not for democracy and freedom, but instead demands for the government to protect Lake Urmia, one of the world's largest salt water lakes.

4 April 2011

Nepal: Frustrated Undercurrents

Last week, Nepal's Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal was apparently forced to resign. Known for his straight forward working style and exemplary work ethnic, the news of his departure came as a surprise to many. Netizens are demanding his reinstatement.

4 April 2011

Announcing the Newest Rising Voices Grantees

Rising Voices

Rising Voices, the outreach arm of Global Voices, is pleased to announce the five newest members to join its global community of citizen media grantees. Each of the selected projects will receive microgrants to implement their proposed project to teach others how to use various citizen media tools. Please join RV in congratulating and welcoming the five projects from the countries of Guinea-Bissau, Greece, Brazil, India, and Mali.

4 April 2011

Cuba: Exiled Voice Awarded

“Unmasking the penitentiary system on the island from within its insides was the goal, despite all the limitations attached with being imprisoned”: Pablo Pacheco Avila remembers how his blog was...

4 April 2011

China: Ai Weiwei Detained, Initial Twitter Reactions

China’s best known artist and dissident, Ai Weiwei, was detained in Beijing as he tried to board a flight to Hong Kong on Sunday 3 April, 2011. Ai is the latest to join a long list of human rights activists, lawyers and writers who have been arrested, detained or gone missing in the country. Here is a selection of initial reactions by Chinese users on Twitter.

4 April 2011

Côte d'Ivoire: Humanitarian Aid Via Twitter Hashtag

In the midst of the current political turmoil in Côte d'Ivoire, the Twitter hashtag #civ2010 has been providing an essential source of information in the country. However, many Twitter users have complained that it is becoming too confrontational. A new hashtag, #civsocial, has been set up to provide an outlet for humanitarian information.

4 April 2011

Cuba: US Contractor Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

According to the Cuban daily newspaper Granma, US citizen Alan Gross was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Cuba on March 12, 2011, upon being convicted of illegally distributing information technology equipment to Cubans. Under the court ruling in Cuba, this constituted an “[act] against the independence or territorial integrity of the state.”

4 April 2011