Stories about Citizen Media from August, 2013
Crowdsourcing Malaysia’s 2014 Budget
Through the #bajet2014 website, Malaysians can give specific ideas in drafting the government's 2014 budget. They can also use the special page to approve or reject a particular proposal
Iran: Facebook Diplomacy
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, posted a short piece with six questions about Syria on his Facebook page which received 1,100 comments as of Friday, August 30. Some called Zarif on the hypocrisy of criticizing Western intervention as intervention, when Iran has its own presence on the ground.
Justice Goes Mobile for Residents of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
A fleet of buses painted in the colors of the Pakistani flag have been converted into traveling courtrooms.
Turkmenistan's National Cycling Day: Traditionalists, Penny-Pinchers and President-Pleasers
If you are a citizen of Turkmenistan, you had better be ready to don the Lycra and mount a bicycle: September 1 has been slated as National Cycling Day.
VIDEO: Angolan Prison Authorities Crack Down on Prisoners
A video showing what appears to be prison guards and firefighters beating a group of prisoners in Luanda (warning: graphic) has been widely shared on Angolan social media. Amnesty International reacted saying that the footage “is shocking and must be investigated,” The footage, recorded on a mobile phone and distributed...
Don't Be Fooled by His Smile: Yekaterinburg's Evgeny Roizman Is Mad As Hell
It seems likely that Russia’s fourth largest city, Yekaterinburg, will soon have as its mayor Evgeny Roizman, one of Russia’s most peculiar public figures.
South Korea: 4500 Catholic Leaders Protest Against the Spy Agency Scandal
Prominent citizen journalist Media Mongu posted a Youtube video of Catholic leaders denouncing the state spy agency's interference in the presidential election. His description read ‘an unprecedented number of 4502 clergy members have gathered at Sogang University, the alma mater of the current President Park, to release a manifesto that calls on President...
UNICEF India Sounds the ‘Red Siren’ to #ENDviolence Against Children
While gender-related violence continues to rock India, with rape frequently making the headlines, a new campaign by UNICEF India turns the lenses on increasing sexual violence against children.
The Politics of Moscow's Migrant Crime Statistics
Moscow's next mayor will have little influence over domestic immigration policy, but that doesn't stop candidates from weighing in on the topic.
South Koreans Call for Medical Checkups for Rescue Workers Dispatched to Fukushima
As it turns out radioactive water leaks at Japan's Fukushima plant are ‘much worse than‘ the authorities are willing to admit, South Koreans call on government to provide regular and thorough medical checkups for 108 Korean rescue workers dispatched to Fukushima immediately after the crisis. An online petition [ko] urging medical care for the...
“Me & My Shadow”: Protecting Data on the Net
The Internet, mobile phones, and other such achievements of progress have become essential aspects of human existence, and have simplified communication between people and integrated them into a new space.
Ecuador Rallies in Defense of Yasuni National Park
Demonstrators demand that Yasuni National Park remain untouched nearly two weeks after President Correa announced the end of the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, which sought to avoid oil drilling in the park.
Ghana's Supreme Court Tosses Case Challenging President's Legitimacy
The landmark decision dismissed a lawsuit from the opposition who argued that there were gross and widespread irregularities at more than 10,000 polling stations during presidential elections in December 2012.
Peruvian Merchants Burn Clothing to Protest Chinese Imports
Merchants from the Gamarra [es] area, a well-known center of textile manufacturing and commercialization in Lima, burned imported Chinese clothing [es] in the streets as a protest over the low priced Chinese garments which, according to them, make their businesses go bankrupt. On Twitter, Alfredo “Alial” (@Alfredo_jch) [es] implied a...
Teacher Protests Over Education Reform Paralyze Mexico City
Members and supporters of the CNTE have been protesting in Mexico City against education reforms already passed, seeking to repeal them.
A Historian's Pessimistic Farewell to Macedonia
Historian, analyst and blogger Harald Schenker, who has lived in Macedonia since 1999 and is now moving to Switzerland, created social network buzz with his farewell post, addressed to a “failing Macedonia”, in which he provides a diagnosis for the country's demise and a plea for rebuilding Macedonian society. The...
Serbian National Parachuter Ejected from Team for Disgruntled Facebook Comments
Aleksandar Cvetković described on his Facebook how the Serbian parachuting team traveled to Russia to participate in the European championships only to find that Serbian officials hadn't paid for anything.
Ghana Awaits Judgement in Legal Battle for Presidency
Streets are deserted, shops are closed, markets are empty and some bar owners will not sell alcohol today as the nations anxiously wait for the presidential election petition judgement.
China's Decision on Cultural Reform
China's current crackdown on online rumors is consistent with the official decision [zh] released after the Sixth Plenum of the 17th Party Congress in October 2011. Oxford scholar Rogier Creemers from China Copyright and Media blog translated this official document, titled Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Decision Concerning Deepening Cultural Structural...
Not a Single Liberian Student Passed This Year's University Admission Test
"No one in that country is even smart enough to cheat?" one shocked Twitter user asked.
Choosing ‘Exile’ Over Break-up, US Citizens Follow ‘Banned’ Spouses Abroad
Families tell their stories online through social media, where they also raise awareness about their cases and pressure US legislators to include their families in the much anticipated immigration reform.
