New book from Global Voices co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon
In Consent of the Networked, internet policy specialist Rebecca MacKinnon argues that the purpose of technology is to serve humanity, not the other way around. It’s time to wake up and act before the reversal becomes permanent.
Nick Fielding reports that, according to figures from the United Nations - in contrast to the figures issued by the US military - the number of Afghan civilians killed and injured rose for the fifth consecutive year in a row.
Nathan Hamm reports that two young natives of Uzbekistan residing in the United States and working as officers at Awareness Projects International (a non-profit engaging in human rights education work in Uzbekistan and elsewhere) were summoned to the police for interrogation, when they returned to their hometown of Jizzakh in late December 2011 to visit family.
Camilla tells the story of Uzbek labor migrants in Kazakhstan, who were illegally trafficked - apparently, via channels, supervised by the officials - to work as slaves.
As parliamentary elections approach this year in Georgia, to be followed by a presidential vote in 2013, allegations against Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire opposition politician, have appeared on the Internet. The alleged exposé of life in the Ivanishvili household by American teacher Patrick Downey, formerly employed by the businessman turned politician, have been met with skepticism from other expatriates in the former Soviet republic, and not least because of claims also made against Georgia in general, the U.S., and [his ancestral homeland of] Ireland. Downey had sought asylum or residency in the latter, according to a video blog, “[…] in light of recent uncontrolled and willfully ill-advised policies concerning the mass emigration of non-Irish persons to Ireland […].” Ivanishvili has responded by saying that Downey “is suffering from psychological problems.”
I have just had some news about Iaiá, from Alcinéia. She did another jump at...