I'm a Spanish-Syrian human rights activist. I teach Communications at Madrid´s Carlos III University. My focus is on freedom of speech and new forms of communication, especially in the Miiddle East and North Africa.
Latest posts by Leila Nachawati Rego
Four women icons of the Syrian revolution
One perished in a Syrian prison, two died in exile, the other is still missing. The personal histories of these four Syrian women challenge us to not to forget.
Polarization and Dehumanization: Two Keys to Understanding the Assassination of Honduran Activist Berta Cáceres
Hedme Sierra Castro, a Honduran human rights advocate, shares context on Honduras, a land vulnerable to impunity and abuse of native communities.
Journalist Asteris Masouras Hopes Solidarity Will Save Greece
In this interview, Global Voices contributor Asteris Masouras analyzes the Greek crisis, its roots and its possible ramifications.
A Love Letter to Jailed Syrian-Palestinian Bassel Khartabil
As the ongoing strife in Syria fades from international headlines, Leila Nachawati writes an appeal inspired by a love letter to jailed blogger Bassel Safadi written on Valentine's Day.
Is Syria Ready for TEDx Damascus With Its Free Thinkers Dead, in Jail or Exile?
Innovation can hardly flourish while innovators like Bassel Safadi remained imprisoned, and when the majority of Syrian free thinkers have been killed, detained or forced to leave the country.
20-year-old Dalia Alnajjar is Blogging About Life and Death in Gaza
"Writing is the anchor I use to keep me from drowning inside myself," writes Palestinian blogger Dalia Alnajjar, 20, from Gaza.
Israel Struggles to Win “Hearts and Minds” in Media War on Palestine
Israeli social media strategist Niv Calderon is waging a war of words on Palestine. “There is a media war, and each citizen, each computer user, is a soldier,” he says.
The Soundtrack of the Syrian Resistance
Music has been at the core of the Syrian uprising since its beginning in 2011, and for the same reason musicians have been killed and are being silenced by force.
In Response to Danny Ayalon: The REAL Truth about Palestine
In a video released in July 2011, Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon offered his version of the “Israel Palestinian Conflict: The Truth About the West Bank”. In...
‘Syria Untold': The Storytelling of the Syrian Revolution
Syria Untold is a new independent digital media project exploring the storytelling of the Syrian struggle and the country's diverse forms of resistance. The project will be partnering with Global Voices Online.
Syria: “Lens of a Young Homsi”, Photographs of a City under Siege
A group of young photographers from Homs has become an important source of information about the besieged Syrian city. In addition to letting the world know what's happening in Homs, they also receive daily requests from people who had to flee the city and want to know if their houses have been destroyed or not.
Syria: Negotiating Defection on Twitter
Following reports that former Syrian spokesman Jihad Makdissi had fled to the US, on 25 December activist Rami Jarrah, also known as Alexander Page, released private Twitter messages that show Makdissi had been in contact with him for months. This could be, as Twitter users have named it, “the first defection negotiation in history.”
Syria: Curating @TweetWeekSyria
Have you heard about Rotation Curation? It is the process of rotating the spokesperson on a social media account. It was originated in December 2011, when a project called Curators of...
Best of the Blogs 2012: Winners Announced
After a month of voting and jury discussions, the awards for this year's Best of the Blogs - the BOBs - have been decided. In addition to winners decided by user vote, a jury of bloggers, media experts and activists have curated the best blogs, campaigns and media projects in six multilingual categories.
Syria: Television “Confession” of Activist Ali Mahmoud Othman
Ali Mahmoud Othman, head of the media office of Baba Amr in Homs, was arrested in March. Now an exclusive interview, which many believe is a forced confession following his torture, is due to be broadcast on Syrian state television.
Syria: Safana Baqleh, the “Freedom Harp”, Arrested in Damascus
When Rima Dali was arrested on April 9 for holding a banner reading “Stop the killing. We want to build a country for all Syrians”, musician Safana Baqleh was the first person who rushed to defend her and try to stop the security forces from taking her with them. For this attempt she too was arrested.
Syria: Activist Rima Dali Arrested in Damascus for Calling for End to Killing
"Stop the killing. We want to build a Syria for all Syrians." These were the words on the banner that Rima Dali held in front of the Syrian Parliament in Damascus on Sunday, April 8 just before her arrest.
Syria: Ali Mahmoud Othman, the “Eyes of Baba Amr”, Detained
Video activist Ali Mahmoud Othman, head of the Media Office of Baba Amr, has been siezed by the Syrian goverment. Friends and colleagues believe he is being subjected to severe torture. His detention is a huge blow to citizen journalism in the country.
Syria: Crackdown Against Journalists Continues
With thousands killed, tortured, arrested and disappeared, the Syrian struggle continues amid unprecedented brutality. In its attempt to silence activists, the regime has stepped up its crackdown against journalists, bloggers and video activists. Salma Yafi, a student of Journalism and member for the National Development Party, is one of the regime's latest victims.
Spain: Head of Journalist Association Threatens Activist With a Belt
The Head of the Press Association in Granada, Antonio Mora, threatened to hit pro-Palestinian activists with his belt when they protested during a photo exhibition of the relations between Israel and Spain.
