Rachel Rawlins

I started blogging in 2003 and it is as a blogger that I joined Global Voices Online as managing editor in 2006. I was seduced by the individual social side of blogging, I'm now wedded to its potential to empower individuals around the world to tell their own stories and shape the future of what we call “news”. I worked for more than 15 years as a radio journalist for the BBC World Service, mostly specialising in news about Africa. I've also worked for various human rights and media freedom organisations. I have a really bad gadget addiction and I love to knit, if I ever get the time.

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Latest posts by Rachel Rawlins

Thailand: First day of the coup

Rumors of a coup had been circulating in Bangkok for weeks, and foreigners like me had been ‘warned’ to be careful, don’t stay out late, move in groups, keep updated...

20 September 2006

Thailand: Liveblogging the coup

At least two blogs have been set up solely to cover the unfolding military coup in Thailand – a group blog 19sep which is in English and revolution.blogrevo which is...

19 September 2006

Iraq: “Brilliant” new blog!

At Iraq Blog Count a group of contributors keep a tally of, yes, you've guessed it, blogs in Iraq. The latest addition, Baghdad Chronicle, gets a rave review: Woah, I...

21 June 2006

Egypt: Rights lawyer remembered

As activists in Egypt continue to demand an independent judiciary Baheyya celebrates the life of the recently deceased campaigning lawyer Ahmed Nbil al Hilali. In his lifetime, he was christened...

21 June 2006

Somalia: Change of power in Mogadishu

It seems Islamist forces have ousted US-backed warlords from the centre of the Somali capital Mogadishu according to Fontaine at Yebo Googo, but warns that although the fighting is over...

7 June 2006

HIV – Death by Diplomacy

Leading African HIV activists and other campaigners from around the world are anxious that previous gains made at the international level five years ago. Olivia Phiri, Zambian blogger at Real...

7 June 2006

Ethiopia: Raising the Wrong Flag

Wonkette of Weichegud! ET Politics posts a roundup of reaction to the ongoing treason trial in Ethiopia. More than 70 people are charged with crimes which carry the death penalty....

7 June 2006

Advocacy: Help protect global bloggers

Bloggers, like others at the forefront of activities promoting freedom of speech and information, can run into trouble with the authorities. At Global Voices we have had first hand experience...

19 May 2006

Bloggers Bomb for Blogger

Not the life-threatening variety of course. I'm talking about a campaign to bring attention to the situation of detained Egyptian blogger Alaa Ahmed Seif al-Islam, as well as the more...

9 May 2006

We Media conference update

A quick post from London to let you know that one of the speakers here, Nitin Desai, the Special Assistant to the UN Secretary General, who chaired the UN’s Working...

4 May 2006

Unbuilding bridges

There's no bridge, and a lot of troubled water in Malaysia. It's all about the cancellation of Malaysia's plan to build a bridge to Singapore. Jeff Ooi has been following...

19 April 2006