June, 2009
Stories from June, 2009
10 June 2009
Iran: To Vote or not to Vote
One of the main topics during any Iranian presidential election is ‘to vote or not to vote'. In other words whether to take part in the election or boycott it. Although several opposition groups have called for boycotting the coming June 12 presidential election, it seems the weight of boycotting groups is much less than four years ago.
China: A leaking dam?
Chinese information activists have been testing and collecting information about the government sponsored filter software, “Green Dam Youth Escort” via blog posts, twitter (search #greendam) and collaborative platforms since the...
9 June 2009
North Korea: Two American Journalists Sentenced to Hard Labor
News coming out of Pyongyang is not encouraging. After being accused of illegally crossing the border to North Korea, American Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. The bleak outcome is eliciting strong reaction online from those who support freedom of press and want North Korea to release the two journalists.
Caste Based Communities on Orkut Mirror India's Splintered Society
I have written before about Shiv Sena's militant approach towards Orkut communities critical of the party, its leader Bal Thakeray, or its Hindutva ideology. Caste-based communities on Orkut are another disturbing example of online communities mirroring the splintered nature of Indian society.
Iranian Election in Photos
The Iranian presidential election will be held on June 12. Only four men, out of more than 400 self-registered men and women, were given official approval by the Guardian Council for the candidacy. The sharp eyes of blogger-photographers have captured moments and scenes in the streets of Iran where people promote their favorite candidates.
Americas: Looking Forward to Central America Free Software Festival
The Central American Free Software Festival will take place on June 17-21 in Estelí, Nicaragua. This will be the first opportunity for many enthusiasts of open-source and free software from across Central America to come together to share experiences, promote their projects, establish common objectives, and to find ways to work together. The schedule of events include workshops, panels, and a “rapid-development” tournament for the creation of an application.
































The next Crisis Camp Italy will take place in Bologna on the 17th of march. The topic on the agenda...