We have welcomed more than 70 volunteer translators from at least 21 countries to the Global Voices community in the past year and a half.

It's not an easy task to keep up with the 150+ authors, editors, and translators who regularly contribute their energies to Global Voices.

We have no physical office, no geographical headquarters, and only rarely have a chance to meet face to face. You can read more about how Global Voices works on our About page.

Claire Ulrich who heads Global Voices in French has plotted the approximate locations of all Lingua translators on this Google map.

Please help spread knowledge of the many different Lingua translation sites by linking to them in your blog.

Agrandir le plan

The day began with an introduction by Georgia Poppelwell (GV Managing Director) and Solana Larsen (GV Managing Editor), in which our wonderful wonderful sponsors were thanked. David Sasaki (Rising Voices Outreach) spoke briefly about the latest ongoings of the Rising Voices project, and showed a short film that featured the current independent projects being funded by Outreach.

Session 1: Web 2.0 Goes Worldwide was moderated by Lova Rakotomalala, with Catalina Restrepo (HiperBarrio, Colombia), Collins Dennis Oduor (REPACTED, Kenya), Cristina Quisbert (Voces Bolivianas, Bolivia), Mialy Andriamananjara (FOKO, Madagascar) speaking. It was live blogged by Rebecca Wanjiku. This panel gathered leaders of cutting-edge Web 2.0 initiatives from Colombia, Kenya, Bolivia, and Madagascar who seek to make the global conversation more representative of the global population. Issues pertaining to their specific projects and the challenges that they have overcome.

Session 2: The Wired Electorate in Emerging Democracies focused on how the rise of blogging, social networking and micro-blogging services like Facebook and Twitter, video- and photo-sharing sites like YouTube and Flickr, and the spread of mobile technology have given ordinary citizens the means to participate more fully in the democratic process. Looking at the impact these tools have had on recent elections were Daudi Were (Kenya), Onnik Krikorian (Armenia), Hamid Tehrani (Iran), Luis Carlos Díaz (Venezuela). Solana Larsen moderated the session, while Jillian York livedblogged the proceedings.

When Biases Meet Biases was the topic for Session 3. Focusing on recent Tibetan protests against China with the Olympic Torch Relay Ceremonies, international sentiment towards the Chinese has been quite negative. What can be done to encourage dialogue in times of such heated disagreement? Panelists Isaac Mao (Entrepreneur and Researcher, China), Rebecca MacKinnon (University of Hong Kong and Global Voies), John Kennedy (Chinese Language Editor, Global Voices), aided by moderator Xiao Qiang, endeavor to answer this question. Thanks to Jillian York for liveblogging the session.

The up-and-coming powerhouse branch of GV, Lingua, provided Session 4: Translation and the Multilingual Web. Lingua Head Portnoy introduced and moderated a panel with speakers Chris Salzberg (Canada/Japan), Paula Góes (Brazil), Rezwan (Bangladesh), Claire Ulrich (France). They briefly addressed issues concerning how Lingua content posts are chosen for translation, the importance of how offering different language content greatly expands GV's audience, and covered some of the new translation tools that are being utilized by this team. Lingua currently translates into German, Spanish, French, Italian, Malagasy, Portuguese, Albanian, Macedonian, Arabic, Farsi, Bangla, Hindi, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Japanese.

Our last session today was When the World Listens. Moderated by Preetam Rai and with Neha Viswanathan (India), Juliana Rotich (Kenya), Lova Rakotomala (Madagascar) as speakers. They provided the summit with a look at the importance of the “other” blogger- the ones who don't blog about politics but who blog about everyday life. Other issues discussed were how blogs can fill in the gap in new and inventive ways when traditional media outlets cannot report, such as in the cases of natural catastrophes and political crises. Rebekah Heacock provided the liveblogging coverage for this session.

It must be said that such a conference takes a huge amount of effort to put together, not only should the conference organizers (Georgia and Solana) be commended but our sponsors and partners. In addition, the team of volunteer bloggers who offered their time to take session notes, twitter, flickr, and to live blog (incrediably labor intensive!) deserve a great vote of thanks. It takes a community to cover our community!

I came from journalism, Ethan from non-profits; we both shared concern about the media and global attention flows. I saw the international English-language media focusing a lot of attention on certain people and places, and less attention on other voices and places. Ethan was doing a lot of research on media attention patterns. We were studying the blogosphere and wanted to talk about all the people around the world who were starting to blog.

Following the introductions, Session 1: “Toward a Global Anti-censorship Network,” started up, with Helmi Noman moderating. Jillian York and Renata Avila liveblogged the session using CoveritLive. Internet filtering, self-censorship, and related issues in Egypt, Morocco, Belarus, Japan, and Pakistan were discussed during this session, which featured Sami Ben Gharbia, Chris Salzberg, Andrei Abozau, Ethan Zuckerman, Awab Alvi, and Alaa Abdel Fatah.

Session 2 was liveblogged by Juliana Rotich. Mary Joyce moderated; Ory Okolloh of Kenya, Wael Abbas of Egypt, Amine of Morocco, Oiwan Lam of hong Kong, Au Wai “Alex” Pang of Singapore, and Hamid Tehrani of Iran spoke on the subject “Citizen Media and Online Free Speech.” Issues broached during the discussion were the use of twitter, proxies and SMS to get around internet filtering and censorship. Each panelist shared stories of recent events from their countries.

Jillian York liveblogged Session 3, entitled “Living with Censorship.” Awab Alvi of Don't Block the Blog moderated, whilst Helmi Noman, CJ Hinke, Andrew Heavens, Rezwan, Yazan Badran, and John Kennedy were panelists. Each panelist discussed what it's like to live with censorship, and each had a different perspective on the issue.

Session 4, liveblogged by Juliana Rotich, brought special guests, whom moderator Ethan Zuckerman said we are very lucky to have at the Summit, as they are in high demand as speakers! Roger Dingledine of Tor, Nart Villeneuve (Citizen Lab), Isaac Mao (Digital Nomads Project), Robert Guerra (Privaterra), and Danny O'Brien (Electronic Frontier Foundation) spoke. Danny O'Brien discussed selecting a circumvention tool:

What criteria should you look for when choosing circumvention & anonymizing tools? This is important because some tools that you can use now may not be safe to use in future. Google may be good now, but as it continues to grow, will it remain so?

The features you want…
-You want a tool that is well funded.

Juliana notes that O'Brien recommends against commercial products.

The day wrapped up with Session 5, liveblogged by Rebecca Wanjiku and moderated by Xiao Qiang. Panelists were Clothilde Le Coz (RSF), Elijah Zarwan (HRW), Nasser Weddady (HAMSA), Stephanie Hankey (Tactical Tech), and Antony Loewenstein (Amnesty International Australia's campaign Uncensor).

Rebecca MacKinnon spoke at the very end of the panel, discussing censorship as a legal, political and social program:

Without the social layer on top of the technical and legal solutions, a lot of these problems are going to be difficult to solve. I was really struck by stories about social demoralization and isolation that some bloggers feel.

She added that we as citizens need to work together to get past censorship and focus on what we can do, rather than what we can’t. To conclude, she also mentioned how censorship can have a landslide effect, for example: Japan’s freedom of speech/anti-pornography censorship stance could be used as an example by China to subdue its activists and dissenters.

Day 2 promises to be just as incredible, with Rising Voices, GV Lingua, and other topics.

Your current blog, solanasaurus, dates back to 2006. When did you first get involved in blogging?

I first started blogging in 2004 or 2005 when I was an editor with openDemocracy.net. We launched a blog called oD Today, which continues today. My favorite blogging adventures for openDemocracy included blogging from the World Social Forum and from the United Nations. But my major epiphany came in June 2005 when we launched a blog called IranScan 1384 about the Iranian presidential election (the one where President Ahmadinejad was elected to everyone's surprise). Some tremendous Iranian bloggers reported daily in English, and there was tons of media interest. It was very gratifying to provide a different media perspective than, “Bush says Iran has nuclear weapons, should the United States invade?” The local political angles were far more thoughtful and interesting.

I started my own blog sort of late in the game. I think my motivation was mainly professional, but I've kept it goofy enough that it still feels personal. It's really nice to have a place to say what I think. I have a second blog in Danish together with my father Dan Larsen called Blogbyblog.dk. We write about internet, media, and technology.

You joined Global Voices in June, 2007. What drew you to Global Voices?

IranScan used to get linked on Global Voices, which was great. Imagine my thrill when Georgia Popplewell once linked to a post I wrote on Solanasaurus about Cuba. Later that day it showed up quoted on Slate!

Ever since Global Voices started I really wanted to be involved. I can honestly say it was (and is) one of my favorite websites. Personally, I think a lot of the really bad decisions that get made in politics have to do with people being incapable of imagining themselves in the position of people who are different from them. The more we listen, translate, and try to reach understanding, the less people can refuse to care.

When I still worked for openDemocracy, I once emailed Rebecca MacKinnon in 2005 to ask whether Global Voices wanted to help organize a blogging workshop at the World Social Forum in Venezuela. Both Rebecca and David Sasaki (who was Americas Editor at the time), were very helpful in putting me in touch with Venezuelan bloggers. In the end, I sort of ended up going solo. But it meant a lot to have Global Voices as a network to lean on.

What does it feel like working with the entire world every day?

It feels wonderful. I couldn't imagine a more enjoyable job, with more dedicated and exciting people in my email inbox.

You're known amongst GVers as being cool, calm, and collected. What gets you angry?

Ha, it's nice to be known as cool and calm. It's definitely rare for me to lose my temper, but on the other hand I think I can be pretty stubborn. Of course, I can find plenty of things to curse about in the newspaper every day. The things that anger me are often the ones I end up writing about. I find human injustice very infuriating, and I am driven by an irrationally positive urge to try to help change them.

On the contrary, what excites you as a journalist?

I like to write about politics, activism, and technology.

What is your day-to-day life like?

I'm usually at the computer before I even have coffee. I usually work from home in Brooklyn, but there are several cafés in the neighborhood with free wireless internet that I like to go as well. I send billions of emails every day, and usually have at least one or two meetings a week around the city. I travel a lot between New York and Europe, so it's great to have a job I can take with me. In the evenings, I try to get out of the house and see as many friends as possible.

Tell me about PuertoDansk, of which you are president and founder.

PuertoDansk (The Danish Puerto Rican Society) is an association for the “ethnically confused”. I'm Danish-Puerto Rican myself, and I wanted to create a group that celebrates bringing different cultures together in unusual ways. You don't have to be Danish or Puerto Rican to become a member. In fact all people who join online are free to call themselves Danish-Puerto Ricans, no matter where they're originally from.

I hear that you're famous in Denmark - is it true?

Um, no. But I am an elevator.

Tell me about Global Voices' new developments.

I can't believe how much the community has grown in the past year. We now have more than 100 volunteer authors, 15 different language versions of Global Voices, and get mentioned in the mainstream media nearly once a week. Rising Voices is going to be announcing another round of micro-grant funding for new blogging projects soon. And we are expecting around 200 people to participate in our Summit in Budapest at the end of June. Mostly it's all good news. This community rocks. Global Voices isn't just a website, but a magnet for of some of the most energetic internet activists in the world.

In what direction do you see Global Voices heading over the next few years?

Well, that's for all of us to decide together. But my personal goal is to help us grow our audience bigger and reach out to mainstream media journalists more effectively. In the future, I think the different regional sections of Global Voices will operate more independently with their various translation partners. Organizationally, it's a big challenge grow bigger and at the same time remain decentralized, flexible, and welcoming, without compromising on quality.

In terms of where the community as a whole is headed, we see citizen media activists breaking communication barriers in their countries every day - spreading more news, using different technologies, taking more control of how people see their regions and politics. It's exhilarating to watch it happen, and yet you still get the sense that this whole thing is only just getting started. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Finally, what's up with all the dinosaurs?

They're irresistibly ferocious.

THE JOB: The Public Health Editor will be responsible for writing weekly articles which cover the latest discussions and topics related to public health and human rights in the developing world from citizen media like blogs, podcasts, and video-blogs. S/he will work closely with the rest of the Global Voices editorial staff (managing, regional and language editors), and will also be expected to attend regular online editorial meetings.

As GV is a virtual organization, the Public Health Editor will not be expected to relocate. Regular access to high-speed internet connectivity will, however, be a key factor in being able to carry out this job.

The position involves:

• Surveying the current citizen media space to find blogs, podcasts, and vlogs focused on public health issues in the developing world.
• Introducing Global Voices readers to how health activists are using citizen media to spread awareness about public health issues.
• Interviewing and introducing the grantees of Rising Voices' latest health-focused grant competition.
• Liaising between public health bloggers and journalists looking for stories to report on.

This is a part-time position with modest compensation, for somebody who is passionate about helping to amplify the voices of health activists concerned with human rights from the developing world. It is also a great opportunity to become involved with a global community of bloggers who are working on the cutting edge of citizens' media.

THE REQUIREMENTS: Our ideal candidate has an international outlook and solid experience both in citizen media and public health. Solid English-language writing editing skills are a must, and a strong familiarity with the current tools, web sites and trends in citizen media worldwide is important. Familiarity with the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia is particularly desirable. S/he has the ability to work independently and responsibly with only remote supervision.

Ideally, s/he will have the ability to read and write well in at least one language other than English and have a working knowledge of other languages. Preference will be given to candidates from outside the United States and Western Europe.

To apply, please send your CV and a letter of interest to outreach@globalvoicesonline.org. The application deadline is Saturday May 24, 2008.

Global Voices Lingua is honored to announce today that German, Albanian and Macedonian have launched officially. A new chapter is turned.

Since the initiation of Lingua, we have gathered an enormous group of enthusiastic editors and volunteers to translate their passion into words. Because of their precious efforts, Global Voices is heard by more people in more languages around the world. Lingua has also reflected the variety and diversity of multilingual World Wide Web.

These translators (not machine translation!) has contributed their time and intelligence to fulfill the mission of Global Voices – to “shine light on places and people other media often ignore.” Their greate translations have also helped Global Voices reach new audience.

Now, Lingua has a dozen translation versions. Of course it is not enough! There are many other languages not covered by Lingua yet, and this is the way we are progressing. More languages are coming. Welcome to join us! If you are interested in getting involved, please visit Lingua page for further information and contacts.

“Aoka aho,
Mba ho tompon-tsafidy,
Mba tsy havela hihidy,
Ty vavako miteny” rahafahafahana, Mahaleo. (Mg)

As illustrated in this verse, the Malagasy language always had a strong tradition of oral expression. Kabary (lengthy speeches) are often given before any important familial or social events. However, as the economic pressure to employ more prominent languages at the global level (English and French) increases, it is important that the Malagasy language remains at the core of Madagascar's identity. The threat that the younger generations lose interest in speaking Malagasy properly is a frequent topic of discussion among sociologists. Malagasy writer Michèle Rakotoson notes:

Je me demande s’il n’y a pas rupture entre nous et cette fameuse « deuxième génération ». Ils sont plus dans Internet, les soirées festives et dansantes ou les sports. Par rapport à la langue malgache « tenindrazana », celle-ci est littéralement « langue des aïeux » et n’est même pas celle des parents ni des enfants. (Fr)

The Malagasy language is spoken by 17 million people. As such, Malagasy is only the 55th most spoken languages in the world but it is still one of the 69 macrolanguages. The reason for protecting and promoting less-spoken languages is not as much because of the number of native speakers as it is in the history they carry with them. The Malagasy language is one of the main signs of unity for the sometimes racially divided Malagasy nation. As much as any other aspects of the Malagasy culture, it symbolizes the diverse origins of the Malagasy population. Indeed, the Malagasy language belongs to the Malayso-Polynesian family but it was enriched by influences from Bantu, Swahili, Arabic, French and English.
The Malagasy language also played an important role in Malagasy history when Madagascar sought true independence from France. One of the first rulings from the government was to impose Malagasy as the language of choice in the educational system.

Therefore, it is in the hope of both reaching towards previously “unheard” voices and promoting exchange between cultures that may have had little interaction that the Global Voices amin’ny teny Malagasy project was created. As the description of the Lingua Global Voices Translation Project states:

“ It will open lines of communication with non-English speaking bloggers and readers of GV. [..] Mostly, Lingua translators are helping bridge worlds and amplify voices”.

We believe it is also very much in the spirit of the Global Voices outreach program Rising Voices, which

“aims to help bring new voices from new communities and speaking new languages to the conversational web”.

Indeed,reading Global Voices in Malagasy may encourage Malagasy speakers to share their own stories.
The Global Voices amin’ny teny Malagasy project was born out of discussions between GV author Mialy and GV lingua editor Alice Baker and its importance was not lost on Malagasy bloggers who promptly volunteer to contribute: Jentilisa, Hery, Harinjaka, Joan and others who may join soon. We are also reaching out to national newspapers in Madagascar to augment exposure for the project.

Rising Voices will serve as the third arm of Global Voices' triad of amplifying independent voices worldwide, advocating for their right to free speech, and providing universal access to citizen media tools as is described in our founding manifesto. To better understand how our focus has evolved from mere aggregation of worldwide blog content to this new pro-active initiative of spreading social media tools to underrepresented populations, it is worth looking back to 2004 when the Global Voices Manifesto was first drafted and at how far we've come since.

In December of 2004 - still before the explosion of weblogs and podcasts that have now become unavoidable parts of our daily lives - Global Voices co-founders Ethan Zuckerman and Rebecca MacKinnon invited bloggers from around the world to convene in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the second day of the Berkman Center's Conference on Internet and Society. These blogging pioneers from Malaysia, China, Iraq, and beyond agreed that we were witnessing the dawn of a new era of communication in which individuals around the world were finally able to take advantage of the decentralized web thanks to the availability of self-publishing tools like blogs and podcasts, which radically transformed every computer into its own printing press and radio station.

This post isn't meant to perpetuate the idealism that dominates the rhetoric around citizen media; just the opposite. However, it's still worth looking back over Global Voices' first two years and recalling some of the stories and conversations that exemplify what happens when ordinary citizens are given the power to make their voices heard, to tell their own stories.

In March of 2005, President Askar Akayev’s administration in Kyrgyzstan collapsed under the protest of what soon came to be called the Tulip Revolution. Via the newly buzzing blogosphere, we were presented with accounts, photographs, and analysis in real time as developments unfolded. The same was true a week later in Zimbabwe where Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party extended its control over the country despite widespread allegations of vote rigging. In April 2005, Ory Okolloh gave Global Voices readers their first introduction to Kenya's nascent blogging community which started with a strong foundation of government watchdog blogging that continues today. A month later, it was Ndesanjo Macha's turn to give us our first look at the Swahili-speaking blogosphere, which at the time numbered no more than fifteen.

We were also given immediate reaction when Iranian blogger-favorite Dr. Mostafa Moeen lost in the first round of the 2005 elections and again in August when local bloggers protested newly elected President Ahmadinejad’s cabinet nominees. While Wikipedia became the go-to location for up-to-the-minute information about the July 2005 London bombings, Global Voices offered the initial reactions of Muslim and Arabic-speaking bloggers from the Middle East and North Africa. The debate over the Central American Free Trade Agreement was and continues to be made personal. Not only has Iraq become a nation of importance to us all, but so have individual Iraqis thanks to the dedicated coverage by Salam Adil.

We all debated the gray area between free speech and inciting violence following the publication of the infamous Danish cartoons. Likewise, last year's World Cup in Germany took playful web nationalism to a new level. Nepal's April Revolution of 2006 was a daily part of our information consumption thanks to the tireless citizen reporting of Kathmandu's booming blogosphere.

There is no doubt that the widespread enthusiasm for sharing local stories with global readers which defines Global Voices is a step closer toward a world that favors dialogue and understanding over ignorance and brute force.

But these past two years have also taught us that certain regions of the world and certain demographics within those regions have benefited from the boom in citizen media more than others. Most bloggers and podcasters still tend to be middle or upper-middle class. Most have a college-level education. Most live in large cities. And of the 70 million weblogs now tracked by Technorati, 95% of them are written in just 10 languages. The truth is, what we often call the ‘global conversation,' is a privileged discussion among global elites.

We are currently developing a curriculum of multilingual, how-to learning modules which will assist workshop leaders and citizen media evangelists who want to explain to friends and peers how to start blogging, podcasting, and video-blogging.

We will also soon be announcing the first round of microgrants for innovative project proposals that extend the reach of citizen media to communities that are otherwise unlikely to come into contact with new media tools like blogging and podcasting. Stay tuned for more information about how to apply for a grant and please feel free to write in with any concerns, comments, or suggestions at outreach@globalvoicesonline.org.

More information about the Knight Foundation News Challenge awarded to Global Voices is available at the Berkman Center website.

Suitable candidates will have a strong understanding of the international blogosphere, journalism or technical writing experience, excellent management and leadership skills, and strong experience as a public speaker or technical trainer. Strong spoken and written English is a must - skill in other languages is a strong plus. We are very unlikely to consider candidates who are not active bloggers - links to the blogs you participate in are a key portion of a cover letter or resume for this position. Active involvement in the Global Voices community is a strong plus.

Global Voices expects that the Outreach Director will focus 40-50 hours per week on the position, with a great deal of schedule flexibility. Some international travel is required as part of the position, including attendance at the Global Voices annual meeting (travel funding will be provided.) The Outreach director reports to the acting managing director of Global Voices, and later to the executive director - she or he will be an active part of the Global Voices senior management team.

This position does not require relocation. All Global Voices jobs are virtual - people work from their home countries and connect with other Global Voices staff via the Internet. This job is open to residents of any nation. Salary will be based on experience.

To apply, please send a letter of interest along with CV or resume to ethan@globalvoicesonline.org

Sami pictured next to a free-speech campaign slogan

Sami is an experienced human rights campaigner, a Tunisian who has lived in exile in the Netherlands for the past seven years. He first joined the GV community as a result of the comments thread when we featured his Tunisia Prison Map back in September 2006. This innovative and exciting mashup of different digital media and tools subsequently gained much attention in the media.

The aim of this new position is to allow Global Voices to act as a hub for communication between different anti-censorship and free speech initiatives around the world. It is the second “leg” of the GV “tripod” of amplification, advocacy and outreach.

To find out more about Sami's history, journey to this position and vision for the future, community member Mary Joyce put the following questions to him by e-mail:

When and how did you become interested in political activism?

Politics was already present in my parents' house. My father, who died when I was 6, was a vibrant active member of the anti-colonial resistance against the French Protectorate. Every time I miss him I go to his archive of photos, magazines, books and letters; they all tell the story of the Tunisian resistance and the building of the new post-colonial Tunisia. My mother has the oral heritage of that same story, but with a strong tint of rebellion, feminism and disenchantment.

You are currently living in the Netherlands as a political refugee from Tunisia. Tell a little about how that happened.

In early 1998, I was arrested and interrogated by the State Security about my activities and travels. When I realized that this was just the beginning of a cycle of harassment and persecutions – since I was summoned to appear before the Interior Ministry – I fled Tunisia to Libya, and then to Africa and the Middle-East and finally to The Netherlands where I've applied for asylum.

When did you begin using the internet for activism?

I start using Internet for activism since 2002 on TUNeZINE.com which was founded by the Tunisian cyberdissident Zouhair Yahyaoui. He died in March 2005 at the age of 36, 18 months after his release from prison where he spent one and half years for “disseminating inaccurate news” on his site. In 2003 I started my personal homepage and published the first Tunisian e-book Borj Erroumi XL. Borg Erroumi is the name of a prison near my native town Bizerte – you can see the prison on the Tunisian prison map. The book tells the story of my flight from Tunisia and the journey to reach Europe and get asylum. I was also active within Tunisian cyberactivism groups and was involved in several projects like the online demonstration yezzi.org campaign, “Freedom of expression in mourning!“, the Tunisian page of the Blue Ribbon Action for online free speech, ATPD-Cyberspace (an alliance between Tunisian dissident bloggers to promote and defend the Tunisian cyberspace), and the Tunisian Prisons Map.

Why did you become a blogger?

I grew up in a country and region where freedom of speech is the biggest enemy and threat to despotic regimes. The old Islamic philosophers and logicians used to present Man as a “speaking animal.” Blogging gives me back the quintessence of my humanity. I don't see our societies resolving their problems without granting freedom of speech. And nowadays, I don't see any freedom of speech happening without blogging.

When did you decide to participate in Global Voices?

I was invited by Haitham Sabbah the former Middle East and North Africa regional editor to cover the Tunisian blogsphere on Global Voices. I accepted because I've always believed that the Tunisian dissident bloggers, the ones who dare write about politics, were ignored and under represented on Global Voices. In a way, it was an opportunity to give a deeper insight into what is really happening on the Tunisian blogsphere and to show that is not a frivolous one.

Why did you apply to be Advocacy Director?

Actually there are a lot of reasons why I applied to be Advocacy Director. The first is personal. I see this responsibility as a revenge on censorship. As one of the earliest censored bloggers in the Arab world and the first censored Tunisian blogger [blocked in Tunisia] - my blog has been censored since 2003 - it would be great if I could contribute on a global scale in fighting censorship - and why not in defeating it! - and in defending freedom of speech on the Internet.

The other reason is that I really want to be among the Global Voices team because I believe that it is a unique initiative which is shaping the future of global citizen journalism. When I was covering the Tunisian blogsphere on Global Voices, I always had a problem talking about football, festivities and other “common” subjects they were blogging about. I simply can't do that. The Advocacy Director position gives me an unbelievable ability to continue writing on Global Voices, but about issues that really matter to me. Another important thing is that this is giving me the chance to make a living at what I enjoy doing.

What are your priorities as Advocacy Director?

The first priorities are to bring the existing anti-censorship groups and activists together. We need to know each other, to learn from each other's experiences, to specify our needs, share our knowledge, identify the challenges we're facing, build a global network and come up with new and global strategies and tactics for fighting censorship/webfiltering and supporting persecuted bloggers, writers and cyberactivistes.

This goes in parallel with another priority: introducing the existing anti-censorship experiences to the Global Voices readers by writing about their efforts in defending freedom of expression on the Internet.

—

And since I am a fan of the frivolous side of blogging I added some questions of my own. From the answers I can tell you he's a pretty good cook, an autodidact who likes to read Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Iraqi poet Mudhaffar al Nawab and watch Denzel Washington movies.

Sailing is his favourite sport and it's something he actively enjoys. And he's really in love with the music of the Lebanese diva Fairuz. “It's an alchemy of love, patriotism, nostalgia, nature, faith and defiance”, he says. “Her music forms a huge element of my ‘emotional identity'”.

That's why today's launch of a new website from global news organisation Reuters devoted exclusively to the continent - Reuters Africa - is so exciting. And most exciting of all is the inclusion of blogs on every individual country page on the site.

In the screenshot below of the site's page for Uganda you can see, to the right of the map, a section headed “BLOGS”. Below it are links to the most recent entries on Uganda from Global Voices. There is a similar feed for each of the more than 50 countries on the continent.

Reuters is a major funder of Global Voices and it is great that they are able to use our content in this way. It also demonstrates the increasing value placed by news organisations on the ability of authentic voices to provide perspective, background and context to the events they cover. Reuters puts it like this:

The launch of Reuters Africa supports Reuters commitment to cover Africa in detail and from all angles, to give a wider sense of the issues and their contexts, and to explore the individual countries and cultures. Reuters Africa will target both those living on the continent, and anyone globally who follows African development, investment and news…

As part of Reuters continuing efforts to incorporate a wider set of voices and commentary into its news content, the site will incorporate country-specific blogs via Global Voices, the international network of bloggers.

This is a great step forward, but there's still a long way to go. There are large and exciting blogging communities in several countries, such as Nigeria and Kenya but there are other areas where coverage is very sparse and still others, such as Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, where online expression is severely curtailed by the government.

We hope that the involvement of bloggers in projects such as this not only gives a platform to those whose voices have long been left unheard but also encourages others to join the conversation and brings pressure to bear on behalf of those who want to speak but cannot.

Suitable candidates will have a strong understanding of the international blogosphere, technical understanding of the mechanisms of internet filtering and circumvention (proxies, Tor, anonymizing techniques), and journalism or technical writing experience. Active involvement in developing world anticensorship efforts is a strong plus, as is active involvement in the Global Voices community.

Global Voices expects that the Advocacy Director will focus 20-25 hours per week on the position, with a great deal of schedule flexibility. Some international travel is required as part of the position, including attendance at the Global Voices annual meeting (travel funding will be provided.) The Advocacy director reports to the acting managing director of Global Voices, and later to the managing director - the advocacy director will be expected to participate in the Global Voices editorial process, serving alongside regional editors, translation editors and our human rights video editor, and to contribute advocacy-related posts to the Global Voices website.

Update Several people have asked if this job requires relocation. It does not. All Global Voices jobs are virtual - people work from their home countries and connect with other Global Voices staff via the Internet. This job is open to residents of any nation.

We are able to offer an annual salary of $25-30,000 USD for this position, based on experience. To apply, please send a letter of interest along with CV or resume to ethan@globalvoicesonline.org