Check out our regional reviews of Global Voices in 2012

This year we've seen both successes and setbacks for online social movements, wars, injustice and tragedy – but also countless stories of human bravery and survival to give us high hopes for the future.

In 2012 Global Voices in English (just one of our more than 30 different language websites) had 2,748,158 unique visitors to 6,159 short and long posts. Our readers came from nearly every single country in the world.

It's always hard to predict which stories will be most popular with readers. Sometimes we'll ride a wave of media attention to a breaking news story, or we'll have high traffic for something few others are covering. For each of our different language sites, the statistics will look different. Noticeably – compared to 2011 – excitement for the Arab Spring has waned, and there were no catastrophes that drew global interest to the degree of Japan's earthquake.

What follows are the top 20 stories on Global Voices in English for 2012. The first post on the list, Censorship Lift for “V for Vendetta” Shocks China from December, broke our all-time record for traffic with over 170,000 visits in one day thanks to a tweet by Anonymous and hefty discussion on Reddit.

An image from the most read post of the year. V occupies the China Central Television Station. A photoshopped image by Twitter user Kunshou.

1. Censorship Lift for “V for Vendetta” Shocks China
2. Delhi Gang Rape Case Evokes Rage Across India
3. Switzerland: An Initiative to Establish Basic Income for All
4. Ethiopia: Where is Meles Zenawi?
5. Nepal: Shristi Shrestha Crowned Miss Nepal 2012
6. Saudi Arabia: Kingdom's First Female Olympic Athletes Called ‘Prostitutes’
7. Uganda: Can a Viral Video Really #StopKony?
   
8. Singapore: Church Scandal Sparks Dissent
9. Philippines: Floods Hit Metro Manila and Nearby Provinces
   
10. A Love Letter from Israel to Iran
11. Pakistan: On ‘The Innocence of Muslims’ Film
12. Uganda: Against Odds, Gay Pride Events Take Place in Entebbe
13. Poland: Netizens Protest Government's Plan to Sign ACTA Next Week
    
14. Ethiopia: Teddy Afro's New Album Stirs Up Online Discussion
    
15. Syria: Activist Rima Dali Arrested in Damascus for Calling for End to Killing
16. Myanmar: Rakhine Villages Attacked
17. Philippines: ‘Anti-Cybercrime Law Threatens Media Freedom’
18. India: Assam Riots – Truth Vs Hype
19. “Bombs Are Falling Like Rain in Gaza”
20. Philippines: How “I’m a Liar?” Became #amalayer Hashtag

The internet can be a dirty place, so we've scrubbed the results based on sex-based search terms, or oddly popular terms such as Korean blood type personality.

Check out our regional reviews of Global Voices in 2012