Stories about Digital Activism from October, 2009
Antigua & Barbuda: Ending Gender Violence
“I want to beat power and gender inequalities to a pulp, starting with enforcement of good legislation designed to protect women”: Antigua's playing with ink invites us to join in “16 days of activism to end violence against women, starting November 24th.”
Barbados: Key Professions
“In the Barbados context teachers, policemen and nurses represent core professions which are key to building and sustaining a productive society”: Barbados Underground is afraid these callings are in crisis.
China: Bridging the gap? Interviewing bridge bloggers
The Chinese blogosphere, as we all know, is booming. As one of the largest on the planet, it is constantly evolving and simultaneously being set back by the all-too-famous governmental censorship. According to Li Datong, the country’s civil society is being reborn online through the intense cyber-dissent and the breaching...
Egypt: Damsels in Distress
Wandering Scarab does not believe that Egyptian women know what they really want; their actions demonstrate that they don't really want equality or freedom; they do not even know what freedom is; they want to be free within cages of their own creation. They love being Damsels in Distress.
Russia: “Twitter Against Tyrants”
Oleg Kozlovsky links to and quotes from the text of a briefing held by US Helsinki Commission/Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which included “a few recent examples of how we utilized Web 2.0 to spread information about electoral fraud” in Russia.
The Balkans: Open Letter to Amnesty International
Samaha posts Ed Vulliamy's open letter to Amnesty International regarding the invitation to Professor Noam Chomsky to lecture in Northern Ireland – as well as background info on the campaign.
Russia: Nokia In and Out of LJ
Profy reports on the demise of Nokia's LiveJournal community: “But unfortunately for everyone (Nokia, the editorial team, and the overall corporate usage of social media) the community only existed for 25 days and was closed last week with the PR representative citing the fact that many bloggers used the community...
Egypt: The top 10 most influential people
Gamal Mubarak, son of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak -- who is expected to succeed his father -- was among the 2009 TIME 100 Finalists. Egyptian bloggers have their say in this post.
Anguilla: No News is Bad News
“Six members of the Royal Anguilla Police Force arrested in the last five years. Traditionally, the Anguilla public administration operates under the assumption that any bad news is better not published”: Corruption-free Anguilla is “simply disgusted at this state of affairs.”
Ukraine: Charity
Scenes From the Sidewalk writes about an encounter with one of Kyiv's many homeless children – and posts photos from actress Olga Kurilenko's visit to a CrossRoads Foundation/ChildRescue's rehabilitation center. Wild World of Sean's Blog reports on a charity visit to a Kyiv hospital for children affected by the Chernobyl...
Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia: “Dumping Grounds for People”
Dumping Grounds for People is a blog devoted to the results “of a four-months long journalistic investigation, conducted mostly undercover in ten institutions for adults with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia.” A Flickr photo set, by Yana Buhrer Tavanier, is here, along with this note:...
Ukraine: Interview With A Drug Addict
David Sasaki shares thoughts on “engaging, not exoticizing human rights” and posts a video interview with Pavel Kutsev, a self-described “average drug addict” and “the co-founder of Drop-In Center, a Ukrainian organization which advocates for the rights of the injection drug user communication and for better national policy related to...
Video: Winners of UN Contest became Citizen Ambassadors
We bring you the 5 winning videos for the UN contest where participants sent in a video stating what they would tell world leaders if they had the chance. The 5 video bloggers had the opportunity to give their message in person at the UN Day celebration in New York City.
Cuba: Contemplating Change
“I think that for Cuba to transition to an open society from a society ‘with some emergency exits’, some of the people now occupying positions of power in the government could take a long vacation…”: Octavo Cerco contemplates what's needed for meaningful change in Cuba.
Azerbaijan: Blogger trial dilemma
Following yet another postponement in the trial of detained video blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, In Mutatione Fortitudo offers its opinion on the case so far. The blog says the authorities in Azerbaijan face a dilemma. If the two detainees are imprisoned it will result in significant...
Mozambique: Expectations toward the '09 elections
For the first time, Mozambique simultaneously hosts presidential, legislative and provincial parliament elections, the latter are the first in the history of the country.
Bahamas: Homosexual Rights
Catch a fire and Wishful Thinking discuss homosexuality in the Bahamas.
Azerbaijan: Video blogger trial postponed… again (updated)
In what many consider to be a politically motivated trial to stifle dissent in Azerbaijan, video blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli once again appeared in court in Baku today.
Israel/Palestine: Bloggers Talk
Velveteen Rabbi reports from an Israel-Palestine Blogger Panel in Washington, DC.
Germany and China: Berlin Twitter Wall
berlintwitterwall is a project organized by the city of Berlin to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of Berlin wall. The wall is now filled up with messages from Chinese twitterers against the Chinese Great Fire Wall which blocks Chinese Internet user from connecting with the outside world.
Azerbaijan: Hope
Writing on Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines on the eve of their next court hearing, Arzu Geybullayeva says she still hopes that detained video bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli will be released. She also says that the two online youth activists are an example to others and believes that...